excessive calcium excretion from urine results in a negative calcium balance-meaning more calcium is excreted than absorbed
Research has shown that animal protein (including dairy), refined sugar and caffeine induces calcium lose in the urine. Animal protein ingestion results in heavy acid in the blood. Calcium is released from the bones to help neutralize the acid. Fruits and vegetables help buffer the acid load as they are alkaline. Did you know that all green vegetables are high in calcium and contain a lot of usable calcium. Green vegetables have an absorption rate of 50% whereas milk has an absorption rate of 30%. Milk also produces acid which again induces calcium lose in urine. Research has shown that those who eat a high amount of fruits and vegetables have stronger bones.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Nutrition tip for the day
aim to eat mainly nutritiously dense foods (real foods) including vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans. Aim for 90% whole plant foods. Most vegetables contain more nutrients per calorie than any other food. You should avoid processed foods.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Water for life and vitality.....literally!
1)water is the largest component of the body-75% of the body is made of water (76% of the brain tissue is water)
2)water is crucial and is the primary regulator of all functions including digestion, circulation, carrying all nutrients to vital body substances, maintaining body temperature and growth and repair of tissues
3)an adult can't live more than 10 days without water
4)when you're dehydrated you're cells are dehydrated-cells die when they don't have sufficient water
5)most conditions and illness are a result of being chronically dehydrated-if you're dehydrated your body can't function optimally-this results in illness/disease
6)as we age we have a gradually failing thirst sensation which leads to water content of cells to decrease resulting in chronic dehydration
7)dehydration can contribute to extra wear on joints and joint pain. Cartilage surfaces of bones in a joint contain a lot of water. Lubricating property allows bones to glide over one another during joint movement. A well hydrated cartilage results in minimal friction.
8)caffeine (pop and coffee) is a diuretic. It stimulates the kidneys to secrete more water our of the body than there is water in the beverage in the first place
9)dehydration often leads to weight gain as the signals for thirst and hunger are confused
How do you know you're dehydrated?
1)the dry mouth is the last sign that you're dehydrated
2)when you're thirsty you're cells are already dehydrated
3)hydrated person has colorless urine, if you're urine is yellow or darker you're dehydrated
How much water do you need?
1)each day you should drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily (1 ounce=.0296 litres)
2)for athletes weigh yourself before and after activity to determine how much water you need to replace
Risk of Drinking too much water?
1)there has been some cases of hyponatremia in marathon runners where the sodium levels have been too low. You need to drink a large quantity for this to occur.
2)During intense exercise the kidneys cannot excrete water
3)if runners keep drinking more than they need, the extra water moves in the cells including brain cells. When the brain cells try to expand, it presses on the brain stem controlling vital functions like breathing
4)to determine how much water you should intake during activity weigh yourself before and after
5)the recommendation is to take 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt per quart of water (every 4-5 glasses
6)in general drinking too much water is a rarity
For more information on the importance of water and it's role in disease I recommend reading "Your Body's Many Cries For Water-You are not sick you are thirsty" Written By Dr. F. Batmandheldj
2)water is crucial and is the primary regulator of all functions including digestion, circulation, carrying all nutrients to vital body substances, maintaining body temperature and growth and repair of tissues
3)an adult can't live more than 10 days without water
4)when you're dehydrated you're cells are dehydrated-cells die when they don't have sufficient water
5)most conditions and illness are a result of being chronically dehydrated-if you're dehydrated your body can't function optimally-this results in illness/disease
6)as we age we have a gradually failing thirst sensation which leads to water content of cells to decrease resulting in chronic dehydration
7)dehydration can contribute to extra wear on joints and joint pain. Cartilage surfaces of bones in a joint contain a lot of water. Lubricating property allows bones to glide over one another during joint movement. A well hydrated cartilage results in minimal friction.
8)caffeine (pop and coffee) is a diuretic. It stimulates the kidneys to secrete more water our of the body than there is water in the beverage in the first place
9)dehydration often leads to weight gain as the signals for thirst and hunger are confused
How do you know you're dehydrated?
1)the dry mouth is the last sign that you're dehydrated
2)when you're thirsty you're cells are already dehydrated
3)hydrated person has colorless urine, if you're urine is yellow or darker you're dehydrated
How much water do you need?
1)each day you should drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily (1 ounce=.0296 litres)
2)for athletes weigh yourself before and after activity to determine how much water you need to replace
Risk of Drinking too much water?
1)there has been some cases of hyponatremia in marathon runners where the sodium levels have been too low. You need to drink a large quantity for this to occur.
2)During intense exercise the kidneys cannot excrete water
3)if runners keep drinking more than they need, the extra water moves in the cells including brain cells. When the brain cells try to expand, it presses on the brain stem controlling vital functions like breathing
4)to determine how much water you should intake during activity weigh yourself before and after
5)the recommendation is to take 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt per quart of water (every 4-5 glasses
6)in general drinking too much water is a rarity
For more information on the importance of water and it's role in disease I recommend reading "Your Body's Many Cries For Water-You are not sick you are thirsty" Written By Dr. F. Batmandheldj
Hamstring Stretch
lie on your back bring one leg towards your chest with the help of a towel or you can rest your foot on a tree or wall. Attempt to straighten your leg
Quad stretch
bring heel towards buttocks. You should feel the stretch in the front of your thigh and hip. You should keep your thighs together and make sure your not arching your back.
Mid Back/Chest stretch
on side in fetal position with arms together-clapped together. rotate upper body to other side. also stretches chest
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
TFL/ITB lying and standing stretch
lie on side bring one leg back as if doing quad stretch. Bring bottom foot and rest on top thigh. You should feel this in your top 1/3 of your thigh/hip.
stand and place one leg behind the other lean away from the hip being stretched by placing arm above head. You should feel this in the top 1/3 of your thigh/hip
Glut Stretch
figure 4 position-you can do this in lying or in standing holding on to something for balance and sit back in chair position. Cross one foot over so that your heel is resting on the opposite thigh. If you don't feel a stretch yet, pull thigh towards chest. You should feel this stretch in your buttocks and hip.
Hip Flexor stretch
stand with one leg in front of the other. Back leg is slightly bend and upper body straight. Arm over head. You should feel the stretch in the front of your hip
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Cool Down and Static Stretches
What is the purpose?
The purpose is to essentially cool your body down, to gradually decrease your heart rate. A cool down is crucial element in helping flush out lactic acid build up from the run and helping improve flexibility. The cool down is when you are able to influence your flexibility the most as you are the most warm and your soft tissue (muscles, fascia) will be able to release more easily. .
Key Guidelines:
A cool down should include slow jog and/or walk to help bring the heart rate down followed by a series of static stretches. Try to avoid sitting down too early to stretch. Make sure you finish you run with a slow jog or walk (3-5 min )before sitting down to do stretches. You should hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. In areas where you feel more tension, you should spend more time aside from cool down to stretch. When stretching you should feel a gentle pull that begins to release or lessen as you hold longer. If you feel a strong pull back off-it will result in the tissue getting tighter. If you have a lot of soft tissue restrictions in a certain area they will respond more to soft tissue release and gentle stretching. (Analogy-knot in a rope-will get tighter if you pull apart). When stretching think of releasing tissue versus trying to stretch it apart. Deep Breathing helps release tissue as you are going through the stretches and it also helps make it easier to transition out of stretches.
Why is it important to Stretch?
· Stretching helps bring the soft tissue back to it's resting length
· soft tissue that doesn't get stretched results in faulty mechanics that often leads to injury
· muscles that are held in a sustained shortened position as a result of not stretching cannot effectively contract and relax
Injuries and stretches:
Here are a few examples of some conditions/injuries and common areas that are tight:
1)shin splints-gastroc (calfs)
2)ITB friction syndrome/lateral knee pain-TFL, gluts
3)low back pain-hip flexors, gluts, lower external rotators
4)plantar fascitis-gastrocs (calfs)
Other Tidbits of Info for Stretching:
· yoga poses are helpful to release more than one plane of soft tissue. The body is truly connected (fascia connects several regions of the body). Think of the sweater anology. If you pull on the bottom of your sweater the top of your sweater is affected. Same goes for if there is tension at your side this can impact your shoulder. (I've included some simple yoga poses in the appendix section)
· foam roller and massage is helpful to help prevent tissue from getting restricted and to help breakdown current restrictions
· an Athletic therapist can assess your running mechanics to ensure they are sound and help you identify if there are any specific soft tissue restrictions that may be contributing to your injury and/or faulty mechanics
· an Athletic Therapist can help you achieve more mobility in restricted areas
Check out tomorrow for key stretches for runners and endurance athletes
The purpose is to essentially cool your body down, to gradually decrease your heart rate. A cool down is crucial element in helping flush out lactic acid build up from the run and helping improve flexibility. The cool down is when you are able to influence your flexibility the most as you are the most warm and your soft tissue (muscles, fascia) will be able to release more easily. .
Key Guidelines:
A cool down should include slow jog and/or walk to help bring the heart rate down followed by a series of static stretches. Try to avoid sitting down too early to stretch. Make sure you finish you run with a slow jog or walk (3-5 min )before sitting down to do stretches. You should hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. In areas where you feel more tension, you should spend more time aside from cool down to stretch. When stretching you should feel a gentle pull that begins to release or lessen as you hold longer. If you feel a strong pull back off-it will result in the tissue getting tighter. If you have a lot of soft tissue restrictions in a certain area they will respond more to soft tissue release and gentle stretching. (Analogy-knot in a rope-will get tighter if you pull apart). When stretching think of releasing tissue versus trying to stretch it apart. Deep Breathing helps release tissue as you are going through the stretches and it also helps make it easier to transition out of stretches.
Why is it important to Stretch?
· Stretching helps bring the soft tissue back to it's resting length
· soft tissue that doesn't get stretched results in faulty mechanics that often leads to injury
· muscles that are held in a sustained shortened position as a result of not stretching cannot effectively contract and relax
Injuries and stretches:
Here are a few examples of some conditions/injuries and common areas that are tight:
1)shin splints-gastroc (calfs)
2)ITB friction syndrome/lateral knee pain-TFL, gluts
3)low back pain-hip flexors, gluts, lower external rotators
4)plantar fascitis-gastrocs (calfs)
Other Tidbits of Info for Stretching:
· yoga poses are helpful to release more than one plane of soft tissue. The body is truly connected (fascia connects several regions of the body). Think of the sweater anology. If you pull on the bottom of your sweater the top of your sweater is affected. Same goes for if there is tension at your side this can impact your shoulder. (I've included some simple yoga poses in the appendix section)
· foam roller and massage is helpful to help prevent tissue from getting restricted and to help breakdown current restrictions
· an Athletic therapist can assess your running mechanics to ensure they are sound and help you identify if there are any specific soft tissue restrictions that may be contributing to your injury and/or faulty mechanics
· an Athletic Therapist can help you achieve more mobility in restricted areas
Check out tomorrow for key stretches for runners and endurance athletes
Inchworm
In push up position, walk feet towards hands. Slightly bend knees if you feel a strong pull in hamstrings. Then walk hands forward to push up position again. Repeat pattern moving forwards.
Side Lunge Walk
Facing sideways, step to the right keeping right knee bent and left leg extended. You should feel a stretch in groin area. Hold for 2 seconds. Then bring left leg in towards right leg. Repeat pattern moving right.
Forward Long Stride
Start by stepping out in an exaggerated stride and lower your hips to the floor. You should feel a stretch in the groin/hip flexor area. Bring the back foot back forward and return to standing position with feet together. Then bring your opposite leg forward. Repeat while moving forwards.
[Advanced option: add trunk rotation with this once you get the hang of it and progress to lunge walk]
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Low Hip Lunge Forward
Step forward with right foot and lean down to touch the ground. Knee should not go over toes. Then bring left foot together with right foot. Next bring left foot forward into lunge position.
Glut Cross Over
Either hold on tree or wall if balance is off. Cross left foot so that left heel is resting on right thigh, slowly lower down as if sitting in chair. Pause hold for 2 seconds and then come up.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Dynamic Warm Up for Runner's
Most recreational and competitive runner's put in mileage but don't do enough to prepare for the training run or race. A proper warm up is crucial in achieving peak performance and in the prevention of injury. Doing 3 minutes of light running followed by static stretching does not effectively warm your body up and prepare your body for the run. Don't get me wrong, static stretches are important but are more appropriate during the cool down period (post run) when you are primarily influencing overall flexibility and removal of lactic acid for optimal recovery.
What is a dynamic Warm Up?
The purpose of a dynamic warm up is to activate the neuromuscular system by enhancing muscle elasticity, increase core temperature, stimulate blood flow and oxygen delivery.
A dynamic warm up consists of gradually warming your body up by following a series of functional based (not ballistic) and controlled movements to prepare the body for the activity it is about to participate in. This gives your body the opportunity to work through full ranges of motion mimicking the movements that your body will experience during your run.
In professional team sports dynamic warm ups have been accepted to a wide degree. Dynamic warm ups differ according to the sport and the specific muscle use attributed to a certain sport. For example the warm up regimen for Soccer will differ greatly from the regimen for Volleyball. However, even though dynamic warm ups have been widely accepted in team sports its presence in the running world has been to this point lacking. For runners, the introduction of dynamic warm ups will be another tool in their constant pursuit of achieving their personal best.
Types of stretching:
1)Static stretches-stretching a muscle or group of muscles to the initial point of resistance and holding that for extended period of time (usually held for at least 30 seconds at a time) (more appropriate for cool-down)
2) Dynamic stretches-involves controlled movements taking you to your limits of range of motion and involves gradually increasing your reach and/or speed of movement.
*Note: Dynamic stretches are not the same as ballistic. Ballistic stretches involve bouncing or jerky movements involving trying to force a part of the body beyond it's range of motion.
An example of a dynamic stretch is a slow controlled leg swing.
How to Do a Dynamic Warm-up?
Lindsay Dixon, CAT(C), HonsBScKin
What is a dynamic Warm Up?
The purpose of a dynamic warm up is to activate the neuromuscular system by enhancing muscle elasticity, increase core temperature, stimulate blood flow and oxygen delivery.
A dynamic warm up consists of gradually warming your body up by following a series of functional based (not ballistic) and controlled movements to prepare the body for the activity it is about to participate in. This gives your body the opportunity to work through full ranges of motion mimicking the movements that your body will experience during your run.
In professional team sports dynamic warm ups have been accepted to a wide degree. Dynamic warm ups differ according to the sport and the specific muscle use attributed to a certain sport. For example the warm up regimen for Soccer will differ greatly from the regimen for Volleyball. However, even though dynamic warm ups have been widely accepted in team sports its presence in the running world has been to this point lacking. For runners, the introduction of dynamic warm ups will be another tool in their constant pursuit of achieving their personal best.
Types of stretching:
1)Static stretches-stretching a muscle or group of muscles to the initial point of resistance and holding that for extended period of time (usually held for at least 30 seconds at a time) (more appropriate for cool-down)
2) Dynamic stretches-involves controlled movements taking you to your limits of range of motion and involves gradually increasing your reach and/or speed of movement.
*Note: Dynamic stretches are not the same as ballistic. Ballistic stretches involve bouncing or jerky movements involving trying to force a part of the body beyond it's range of motion.
An example of a dynamic stretch is a slow controlled leg swing.
How to Do a Dynamic Warm-up?
- you should spend between 10-20 minutes to effectively warm up
- start with a slow jog 3-5 minutes followed by the series of controlled dynamic movements and stretches
- Pause for 2-3 seconds with each movement or dynamic stretch
- progress from lower intensity to higher intensity
- make sure posture is good with each move-back straight and head upright
- begin with simple moves first and progress with ones that require more balance and co-ordination
- if you don't have a lot of space, do the dynamic stretches in place
- don't attempt for the first time on race day. Dynamic warm up takes co-ordination and it is common to feel a bit more tired the first few times you try it
- If you have specific areas of tightness or soft tissue restriction you can augment dynamic warm up with static stretches specific for those areas
Lindsay Dixon, CAT(C), HonsBScKin
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