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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Study Spotlight: The Accuracy of Body Composition Assessment Strategies

By: Andrew Jagim

The identification of one's body composition is a valuable tool for classification of health status, monitoring changes in training adaptations and providing individualized nutritional recommendations. We firmly believe that BODY COMPOSITION is far more beneficial than simply one's body weight, even when that body weight is expressed as a ratio of their weight which is how the body mass index (BMI) is calculated. For more on this topic check out our previous post HERE.  With that being said, it's important to understand HOW you assess body composition also matters. There are several different tools and techniques available to measure body composition (i.e. Underwaterweighing, Dual X-ray Absorptiometry [DEXA], BODPOD, Skinfold, Bioelectrical Impedance [BIA]), each having their own pros and cons.

For a long time it was generally accepted that Underwater-weighing was considered the gold-standard when it came to the most reliable and accurate way to assess body composition. Later, DEXA was developed and also offered the advantage of being able to measure not only Body Fat % but also bone mineral density. It is also a very reliable and accurate tool for measuring body composition.  Within the last twenty years, several other techniques have become available, with air-displacement plethysmography (using the BODPOD) offering a cheaper (I use this term loosely) way to assess body composition (only $50,000 compared to $120,000). The Bod Pod has been shown to be a valid and reliable tool for measuring body composition, particularly when compared to other field-based measures such as skin-fold testing or BIA.  Again, it's important to select an assessment technique that gives you the most accurate reading when it comes to measuring your body composition, particularly if you are using to detect changes in body composition over time.  Otherwise you will likely soon become discouraged or frustrated as your "progress," regarding your body fat %, may not be reflecting the progress that the mirror or the clothes test is actually telling you; and that's because the error rate on some of these techniques can be as high as +/- 13%!!!! You may as well just blindly guess at that point.  On the other hand, the Bod Pod typically sees an error range of +/- 1-3%. Therefore I highly recommend spending some extra money for an accurate body composition analysis if you ever have the opportunity to do so and not rely on your bathroom scale and also doubles as an impedance analyzer as you are likely being mislead.


Click Here for Review Article

Click Here for More Articles on the BODPOD


Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Fix it Now... Or Pay for it Later

By: Andrew Jagim

The idea of fixing your health/chronic injury issues now or paying for them later is something that we at TAT believe firmly in. This can mean seeing a chiropractor or physical therapist to address a minor back ache or sore neck/shoulder or visiting with a nutritionist about dietary modifications to reduce inflammation and cholesterol levels.

Regardless of your ailment or condition it's important to address these issues while they are minor aches/pains or slightly elevated cholesterol levels; otherwise they can turn it to a torn acl, herniated disc, rotator cuff strain, heart attack, stroke etc. and become MAJOR issues with MAJOR expenses. A lot of times people don't realize the value of preventative health care and have a hard time justifying these expenses upfront not being able to see the long-term benefit (myself included). Ironically, as a society we don't seem to have an issue applying this same logic and preventative strategy to other facets of our lives without hesistation. For example, most people understand and accept the importance of regular oil changes to ensure optimal engine function and prevent any serious issues down the road; or people understand the importance of annual teeth cleanings and proper dental care to prevent cavities or gingivitis; or  know how important it is to invest in a retirement savings account so you have money after retirement to support life after work. Well why is it so hard to invest in our heath in the same way?

Why is it so hard to go see a chiropractor with minor issues, knowing that the payout in the long run may be well worth the initial investment. For example, consistent preventative visits to a physiotherapist/chiropractor may seem expensive ($40-$100) per visit, especially if there are multiple appointments however this is a lot cheaper than paying for a knee replacement twenty years down the road when the costs of an evaluation, imaging, surgery, missed work, rehabilitation, meds etc. will far exceed the costs of some initial preventative appointments; even with the best health insurance.  The same rationale can be applied to healthier food options. Yes, some healthier foods may be more expensive compared to a box of Raumen and Mac n Cheese, however a diet full of processed, refined carbohydrates and lacking quality protein and fat sources will likely lead to a life full of chronic diseases and possibly a major cardiovascular event. In the end this could cost far more in healthcare expenses and potentially the ultimate price, your life.  So, pony up and go see a physical therapist about that lingering issue or consult a dietician about ways to eat better on a budget. Do it for the Health of it.

END RANT

Monday, November 28, 2016

Mobility Monday: Novel Back and Hip Mobs + TV


Working on your mobility isn't always the must fun thing to do and it is hard to make a priority.  We try to do it ourselves but somehow it always seems to get pushed back.  Your minimal effective dose is 2 minutes a day (which never seems like a lot) that is often hard to get than you would think.  In this video Starrett talks about taking care of your hips as well your back while you're just hanging out watching TV and chillin' in your living room.  These small basic movements can make a huge difference in how you feel so as you can add them in they are so worth it.


Things It Helps:
-Low Back Pain and Tightness
-Hip pain and tightness
-Increased ROM in Hips for better movement

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Study Spotlight: Is it Possible to Rebuild Collagen?

By: Andrew Jagim

Collagen makes of the majority of various connective tissues throughout the body (i.e. cartilage, tendons etc.) and therefore plays an integral role in the proper functioning of our musculoskeletal system. Unfortunately, these tissues take a lot of beating throughout different sports and activities that people participate in throughout their life. In addition, these tissues are also suceseptible to injuries and are rather limited in their ability to heal themselves.   

This presents a problem to anyone who is moving into their prime when it comes to training or others who have a lot of wear and tear on their joints due to the demand they impose (i.e. powerlifters, any athlete, runners).  While re-building muscle is something that can be done with relative "ease" collagen is far from it and degradations in it can lead to unfortunate surgeries such as replacements later in life.

As a result, a lot of practitioners look for ways to improve the integrity of these tissues through different training, therapeutic and nutritional strategies.  Recently, researchers published a study examining the influence of a supplement strategy on rates of collagen synthesis.

What did they do?
Researchers designed an experiment to evaluate the effect of a Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplement before intermittent activity on rates of collagen synthesis.  The study included 8 healthy males who completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design so they received both a placebo and supplement (5 or 15 g of vitamin C-enriched gelatin ) treatment.  Subjects consumed the drink and donated blood samples every 30 min to determine amino acid content within the blood. One hour after the ingestion of the supplement (or placebo) the subjects completed 6 min of rope-skipping to stimulate collagen synthesis. This protocol was continued 3 times per day with >6 hs between exercise bouts over the course of 3-days.  Blood was also drawn before and 4, 24, 48, and 72 hrs after the first exercise bout for the determination rates of collagen formation.

What did they find?
The supplement which contained the highest amounts of gelatin (15 g) resulted in the biggest (x2 fold!) increase in markers of collagen synthesis following the bouts of intermittent exercise; peaking at 1 hr post.  Further after 6 days of treatment, when the subjects consumed gelatin, this appeared to lead to the greatest increase in collagen content and improved mechanics.

Take Home Message:
The results of the study suggest that adding gelatin to a pre-workout supplement/nutrition regimen may help facilitate collagen synthesis following activity.  This may be particularly beneficial for individuals returning from a connective tissue-related injury and/or populations who struggle with arthritis and joint pain during activity as an increase in collagen content could help improve the integrity of said tissues.

Click Here for Article

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Is it Possible to Manage an Autoimmune Disease Through Nutrition?

By: Andrew Jagim

Several of our subscribers may know that I have had my battle with health issues over the past couple of years, particularly digestion-related, ever since I had the unfortunate experience of playing host to an intestinal parasite called Giardia (by the way this is why they tell you not to drink the water when camping....ironically I was never actually camping and don't know how I got it but that's beside the point). As a result I have been in and out of the clinic/hospital the past few years trying to manage symptoms and get a good grasp on what is actually going on.

Long story short, I haven't had much luck and I still struggle with digestive issues, maintaining my weight, having the energy to get through the day etc.  Because the traditional approach of Western Medicine has failed me thus far (invasive tests, multiple rounds of various medications, waiting months for follow-up appointments and lots of money spent), I have begun to look elsewhere for some answers including various aspects of integrative medicine and nutritional therapies. The scientist in me is hesitant with this approach as I prefer to rely on science to guide medicinal and health-related practices however after doing lots of reading and having conversations with others who have similar issues with a defeating lack of success and struggles with my own doctors I cannot help but consider that maybe the traditional approach of Western Medicine is lacking in certain areas and I firmly believe nutrition is a BIG part of that.  As an example, my gastroenterologist refuses to believe that there may be a link between my dietary intake and what's going on with my digestive system.  A system, who's top priority is to digest/absorb the foods and nutrients we eat while removing the by-products of that process and eliminating wastes. WTF?

I think "alternative medicine," "integrative therapies" and "homeopathy" or whatever you want to call them get a bad reputation because they are not 100% based upon the scientific literature and in some cases may even go against medical advice.  I am guilty of being a skeptic of these practices as well and definitely have my doubts with some of them. Nevertheless, here I am about to venture into the world of alternative medicine to see if it actually works...well with my condition at least.

Two books and healing strategies in particular that have been very insightful along the way and are written/developed by very intelligent and evidence-based practitioners, which helps me believe they are slightly more credible than some of the other natural-minded hippies of the world.  The first of them is a book called: "Ultraprevention" by Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Mark Liponis.  The book focuses on some of the major flaws within Western Medicine and highlights the fact that a lot of the chronic medical conditions that people struggle with such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and cancers may actually be preventable or curable through various nutritional therapies and lifestyle changes.  The authors provide a 6-week plan designed to reduce lifestyle stress, reduce oxidative stress, improve energy production and manage inflammation through various dietary changes.  One of my favorite quotes of the book is: "Prescribing a prescription drug to someone is sometimes the equivalency of just turning off your smoke detector when it goes off instead of looking where the fire is." The book focuses on the theory of addressing the root cause of the problem rather than simply managing symptoms.


The second book/strategy is called: "The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body" written by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne. The majority of the book focuses on the idea that a lot of autoimmune conditions (when our body attacks itself) stem from a condition referred to as "leaky gut," or a more scientific term: increased intestinal permeability. 

When our gut "leaks" certain nutrients, proteins and food compounds cross our intestinal barrier and enter the bloodstream where they can cause an intense allergic/inflammatory reaction as those compounds aren't supposed to be directly present in the blood. This can in turn lead to the development of food sensitivities, allergies, inflammatory conditions and full-blown autoimmune conditions, in theory that is. This concept currently isn't well-accepted within the medical community despite reports of increased intestinal permeability in people under different auto-immune conditions.

"The Paleo Approach", in particular includes a strict dietary plan that is directed towards healing the gut and ultimately reducing and/or reversing auto-immune related conditions.  Specifically the name of the diet is the Autoimmune Protocol which is a very restrictive version of the Paleo Diet (which already is rather restrictive).  For those who aren't familiar with a Paleo Diet it essentially eliminates all refined/process grains, legumes and all dairy products. So, no oats, wheat, flour, potatoes, rice, cheese, milk yogurt etc.  The autoimmune protocol goes a little further and also eliminates nuts, eggs and seeds from the diet. So what else is there you ask? Lots of meats, fish/seafood, vegetables, various oils and fruits (in moderation).  Needless to say it is a very restrictive diet. However, at this point I'm getting pretty desperate and am willing to try anything...even if that means giving up my precious carbs (i.e. breads, oatmeals, chips etc.). So how does this restrictive diet help to "reverse autoimmune disease" as the name implies? Good question. The restrictive diet eliminates a lot of foods that have been shown to be associated with food sensitivities/allergies. In addition, it also eliminates various food groups that have been shown to be pro-inflammatory and instead focuses more so on anti-inflammatory derived foods. Ultimately, this switch should help to heal the gut, restore the microbiome environment and reduce the symptoms related to the autoimmune condition. Then when symptoms have subsided over the course of a couple of months, you selectively reintroduce various foods back into the diet and observe any potential resurgence of symptoms. If that occurs, then you continue to eliminate that food. The goal is to eventually get you back to a well-balanced diet and be symptom free.

So getting back to the original question of the post, is it possible to manage an autoimmune condition through nutrition? I don't know but I'm about to find out....at least for an "n" size = 1 type of case study. I know there are 100's and 1,000's of anecdotal reports swearing by their efficacy but again I am still slightly skeptic. The rationale is there and I think there is great potential but only time will tell. I will make sure to follow up with my journey and continue to tell my version of the story.  Am I excited about following the diet? Hell no. Am I hopeful and excited to be potentially "healed"? Yes.  I am trying to make the most of a shitty situation (pun intended) and turn my own condition into a science experiment.


Monday, November 21, 2016

Mobility Monday: Most Embarrassing Mob Ever: Quidditch


Any time you can throw in a Harry Potter reference, well why not.  Starrett talks about how the last mobilization can get a little sketchy when performed at your gym but it in our opinion is one of the most effective options for trying to get into the high and tight tissues of your adductors/groin and upper hamstrings as they are inserting into your pelvis.


These are areas that are not fun to work on and even less fun to have someone else work on because trying to make sure they aren't going to hard is almost impossible to accomplish.  These are great to work on your bottom squat position and I highly recommend them or just for getting your hips to move better.

What It Helps:
-Squat Form (and depth)
-Low Back Pain
-General Hip Mobility
-Adductor/Groin Tightness

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Creatine: Breaking Down the Stigma

By: Joel Luedke

Creatine as a supplement has endured a very tumultuous history dating back to the 1960s. Originally used as a performance enhancing supplement there has been a lot of confusion on what the supplement actually does and how it can actually affect the body.  The goal of this article to not persuade anyone to actually use the supplement but take a wholistic look at creatine, maybe provide some guidance and at least break down the stigma that it is something that is terrible for you and potentially unsafe.


To start off, creatine is one of the most researched supplements out there (if not the most).  There have been hundreds of studies on it and more so recently the research has been focused on going beyond performance increases to now looking at creatine synthesis deficiencies and neuromuscular disorders.


Looking at the performance side of creatine there have been significant findings showing that it does in fact increase performance both in strength and power but also with speed and explosion (in about 70% of the studies).  This research is so extensive that it has been generally accepted among the top levels of sports nutrition.  There are many ways to supplement with creatine and we won't get into all of the details of that in this article (Check out recommendations by the ISSN) but overall all of the general recommendations for utilization have been shown to be effective. Utilizing a creatine loading phase first shows a slight edge of the most beneficial to increase creatine stores faster.

One of the biggest hits to creatine's reputation is that is has a plethora of side effects and can be extremely hard on the body.  We want to take a close look at those below:

Side Effect 1: Weight Gain
Weight gain is thought to occur due to increased water retention, general excess weight, and not actually lean body mass gain.  Studies have shown that this isn't the case and scientists have determined that the weight gain resulting from the use of creatine in training was a result of the increase in muscle mass that occurred during that training sequence.  It has been thoroughly vetted that creatine use with performance training adds what is usually the desired result of increased lean body mass and not just water.

Side Effect 2: Damage to kidney/renal function
Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the food you eat (if you eat red meat) and the remainder of the creatine in your body is creatine from a couple of branched chain amino acids.  The body stores up to 160g of creatine and utilizes about 1-2% of that day (2-3g depending on the size of the person).  If you eat red meat you get another 1-2 g a day and like we said the rest is created in your body.  When you break it down like this ingesting 3-5 g/day via supplementation is not a large amount to add to your body and something that your body can handle with ingestion from a typical diet.
Research looking at the effectiveness of creatine has shown you can directly measure the amount that gets taken up by the body and measure the excretion of the remainder via the urine.  For the excess to be excited it would have to pass through the kidneys/renal track but there have been no studies (short- or long-term) to show any damage to these structures.  Overall, the myth should be busted.

Side Effect 3: Dehydration, muscle cramps and increased injury risk
Based on the research most of this appears to have been fabricated and turned into a myth.  While there have been side effects seen in studies utilizing creatine they were in no greater occurrence than people taking a placebo.  In several studies there was actually increased side-effects with the placebo compared to creatine.  In fact, on the opposite end supplementing creatine has shown that it can decrease injury risk especially with musculoskeletal injuries in athletes.  Overall, there is little to no evidence for this side-effect.

Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the body and one that has been through extensive scrutiny.  It has shown to have very positive effects on performance and could be a great addition a training and performance program to help facilitate increases.  Up to this point in the research nothing has shown to creatine to be dangerous to someone utilizing it for either performance or as a daily supplement for general health.  It can be a very good option for athletes looking to increase their performance without moving further down the spectrum of performance enhancing supplements.

Take Away:

Creatine has been one of the most researched supplements out there (remember studies in the hundreds) but it has caught a bad rap due to some misinformation on use by other countries (in the past) and also by potentially causing injury to individuals.  The bottom line is that it is a naturally occurring substance in your body and one that you might want to use, especially for performance.  We consume it naturally (if you eat red meat) and the research coming out on its benefit to cognitive function is hard to ignore.


I personally believe everyone could benefit from maintenance doses of creatine just like a multi-vitamin (no need to load).  Even if you aren't trying to get big or perform at an elite athletic level the other benefits, such as the neuro-cognitive help, are hard to ignore.  As with any supplement use it just like that, as a supplement to a healthy and robust diet and make sure you check in with your physician or other health professional if you have any questions.

Benefits:
-Strength/Power
-Recovery
-Cognitive Functioning
-General Health

Proposed Negatives
-Hydration Issues
-Weight Gain
-Other random ones

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Mobility Monday: SI Area Pain-The Basics


SI (sacroiliac) joint pain is a real pain in the......well low back and glutes.  It can be absolutely debilitating if you've ever had it or think you might be suffering from it.  The worst part about it all it that it is a multi-factorial problem in that it doesn't have just one cause.  It can come from your pelvis shifting due to a mis-step or from chronic imbalance.  It can also result from tight erector muscles (the ones that run up your back) or even your glutes/piriformis locking down and pulling you out of balance.


Here is a bunch of ideas to start working on to try and address this pain from as many angles as you can in hopes to get that pain to resolve.  Kelly also touches on your movement and making sure that isn't continuing to add to the problem.

What It Helps:
-SI Joint Pain
-Low Back Pain
-Shooting Pain Into Glutes

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Friday Food: Foil Pack Chicken w/ Asparagus and Rustic Tomato Sauce

Cooking chicken in a foil pack is one of the easiest ways to cook it and also one of the most efficient. This recipe is no exception and adds some great asparagus options as well and adding tomato sauce and oh this is a good one.  Well work checking out and making with easy clean up to follow.



Ingredients:
-7 spears of asparagus, ends trimmed
-1 chicken breast, skinless
-2 slices of lemon
-8 cherry tomatoes
-Kosher salt
-Black pepper
-Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
-Splash of white wine (optional)

The Game Plan:
-Tear 2 pieces of foil that are about 12-inch by 18-inch and stack them on top of each other.
-On the center of foil, asparagus in flat layer and top with chicken breast.  Lay slice of lemon underneath chicken, and another slice on top.  Scatter tomatoes around chicken and season with pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle of olive oil.  If you have an open bottle of wine that you want to use up, add splash of that as well.  Fold up packet ensuring you have a tight seal.
-When ready to cook, place sealed packet on hot grill or over fire for 10 to 15 minutes flipping half way through until chicken is fully cooked.
-Remove packet from grill and pierce with knife or fork to allow seam to escape.  Unfold packet and enjoy.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Study Spotlight: Can a Beer Re-Hydrate You?

By: Andrew Jagim

I'm always looking for scientific reasoning when it comes to being able to justifying my vices and I recently came across a perfect opportunity to do so. There are a lot of theories and claims (and hopes really) when it comes to the concept of consuming alcohol as a rehydration beverage. 

Some people, and publications within the literature for that matter, suggest that consuming alcohol post exercise actually further contributes to states of dehydration ultimately delaying recovery. Others claim that because of the high fluid content of beer and in some cases a high carbohydrate/electrolyte content in some beers make them an ideal rehydration beverage.  Recently, researchers designed an experiment to examine this concept.

What did they do?
Researchers designed a study to examine the effects of MODERATE beer consumption (with varying alcohol content) after physical activity on rehydration and fluid balance in endurance trained males.  The researchers had 11 healthy males complete a cross-over design study consisting of 5 different experiment testing conditions.  During each testing session, the subjects completed a 45 min exercise trial at 60% of their maximal power until a mild state of dehydration occurred (1% body mass loss).  Then in a randomized order, the subjects consumed 1 of 5 different experimental beverages in an amount equal to 100% of their sweat loss. The different beverages were: 1) Non-alcohol beer; 2) low alcohol beer (2.0%); 3)Full-strength beer (5.0%); 4)An isotopic sports drink; and 5)Water. Following ingestion of the drink, fluid balance was urine output were assess for a period of 5 hours.

What did they find?
The results may actually surprise you. After 1 hour, urine production was significantly higher for 5% beer compared to the isotonic sports drink (as you might have expected). However, at the end of the 5-hour observation period, net fluid balance was negative for all conditions. 

Specifically, the 5% beer yielded the poorest fluid balance value (21% fluid retention) whereas the isotonic sports drink yielded the best (42%), although still no where close to 100%.  To put this into perspective, the non-alcoholic beer, low-alcoholic beer and water yielded fluid retention values of 36, 36 and 34%, respectively.

What does this mean?
There are a few things we can take away from this study. The first of them being that there appears to be no difference in net fluid balance between any of the experimental drinks over a 5 hour period. Essentially you will get the same benefit (or lack thereof) from consuming beer compared to water.  This is likely because the carbohydrate and sodium content in beer as actually fairly similar to that of a sports drink.  However, as I mentioned above with the "lack thereof" comment, it appears as though a fluid replacement strategy in which 100% of body mass loss is re-consumed in fluid amounts, does not appear to be an effective rehydration strategy.  Also, keep in mind that the amount of beer ingested in the current study is classified as moderate with an average fluid volume intake of ~ 736 mL (24 oz.) of fluid, equating to ~12 g of alcohol for 2% beer and 30 g of alcohol for the 5% beer.  Therefore, we can't extrapolate these findings to a greater alcohol intake and hope to find the same outcome as the authors mentioned that previous findings have reported a greater urine output in a more dehydrated state when higher amounts of alcohol are ingested. When it's all said in done, a moderate amount of alcohol intake (specifically beer) appears to be as effective as water and sports drinks in terms of a rehydration potential.  Higher alcohol content beers (5%+) may increase urine output and therefore consuming excessive amounts may promote a greater state of dehydration over time.

Click Here for Full Article

Monday, November 7, 2016

Mobility Monday: Loaded Hip Stability and Torque

By: Joel Luedke


So much of your posture either comes from working from the feet up or from the hips and out.  Depending on who you ask it is either of those.  I'm not rue which one it is most times but I do know they play a huge part in posture.


In this example we focus on the hips and importance of maintaining stability through them.  We have talked in other article about the importance of external rotation (article) and this is one of the main areas it is important.  Focus on stability at the hips can put your low back in the right position and then change everything in your lower body right down to your arches.  Check it out.

What It Helps:
-Low Back Pain
-Hip Pain
-Increases in Power and Strength


Friday, November 4, 2016

Friday Food: One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

By: Joel Luedke

A very simple and easy chicken recipe that is alway very healthy.  You can definitely tweak this one as much as you want with seasoning and also with the veggies that you choose to put into the pan.  Have fun with this one and enjoy.

Ingredients:
-1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Italian salad dressing
-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 1/2 Tbsp honey
-1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (add to taste)
-1 1/4lbs of chicken breast tenderloins
-2 tbsp olive oil
-Salt and ground black pepper
-1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed of tough ends, chopped into 2-inch pieces
-1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
-1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

The Game Plan: 
-In a mixing bowl whisk together salad dressing, balsamic vinegar, honey and red pepper flakes, set aside.

-Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then place chicken evenly in skillet.  Cook about 6-7 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking, until chicken has cooked through (meanwhile chop asparagus and tomatoes).  Add half the dressing mixture to skillet and rotate chicken to evenly coat.  Transfer chicken to a large plate or a serving platter while leaving sauce in skillet.  Add asparagus and carrots to skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp tender, about 4 minutes.  Transfer veggies to plate or platter with chicken.

-Add remaining dressing mixture to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes to chicken and veggies and drizzle dressing mixture in pan over top.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Just Breathe! Part 3

By: Kyle Boland

Hopefully you were able to read parts 1 and 2, where we discussed some of the reasons why proper breathing is important. Now the rubber meets the road. Time to do something about it! Let’s get into the “how”.


We discussed a pop can analogy in part 2, describing one opened pop can and one that was closed. If you stood on them, the closed pop can would withstand significantly more weight because the inside had more pressure. We want to keep this image in mind while breathing. When this is done you will have more core stability and overall strength, which results in less muscle compensation.

Another pop can analogy can be used to demonstrate core stability. Take the same two pop cans, but this time, they are both opened. Picture a dent in the side of one can and leave the other as perfectly cylindrical around the outside. If you stepped on these cans, the can with the dent would crush much sooner than the cylindrical can. Apply this to the “core canister” of our body, the abdominopelvic cavity: you want to maintain a cylindrical core without a dent to prevent any “energy leaks” and keep it optimally strong. This can be applied to breathing, or pretty much any movement. In most instances, you don’t want to arch your lower back posteriorly or tip your pelvis anteriorly. Just think of trying to prevent a dent in your pop can. Or, keep your diaphragm and pelvic floor parallel. Both of these pop can analogies translate to increased performance and a decreased likelihood for injury. Strive to create pressure and prevent a dent in your core and that alone will help you to make significant changes.

This may be foreign to you and can be very difficult at first. The easiest way to learn is to lay on the floor on your back with your feet up on a couch or chair. Your hips and knees should each be bent at a 90 degree angle. Take your fingers and place them on your lower abdominal or inguinal area. Try to breathe into your fingers when you inhale, while preventing your ribs and chest from moving up toward your head. Your ribs and chest should primarily only expand laterally. Sometimes it helps to cough and feel the intra-abdominal pressure push into your fingers to get some feedback on what it should feel like. Then, try to simulate that same pressure when you breathe.

You are off to a great start. Another visual is to think of your abdominopelvic cavity like a balloon that you are inflating. You don’t want to just inflate it to the front; it should expand out to the sides and back down into the floor equally, as well. Envision wearing a pair of sweatpants, and you want to expand the waistband equally a full 360 degrees around. If you feel an area that seems to be “dead” or not expanding equally, consciously try to breathe down and into that particular area when you inhale. Back to the balloon analogy: the apex, or fullest part, of the balloon should be about two inches below the belly button. This is sometimes a helpful visual to demonstrate how low the actual breathing should be. Once you start to improve, start working on maintaining that pressure while you exhale too, not just while you inhale. Ideally, you should feel the same pressure with your fingers when you exhale as you do when you inhale. This all takes work, but the benefits are profound.

It is best to work on this breathing on a consistent basis. Like any exercise, the more it is performed, the easier it becomes. Consciously work on this for five to ten minutes per day and you will eventually find yourself breathing in this manner unconsciously during your daily activities. That’s the goal! (Remember those motor patterns?)

Happy breathing!