MichaelReid.ca

My Elimination Diet - Day 1 & 2

Below are some notes on the first two days; mildly unpleasant would be one way of describing it.

Day 1

The hardest thing so far is being without coffee. Caffeine withdrawal for me comes with a pretty intense head ache and some serious brain fog. I couldn't do any work on the first day, I was completely brain dead. Any reserves I had was to care for my 1 year old son.

Its weird though, I allow my self green and black tea which has caffeine in it and I was still brain dead for most of the day. There must be something else in the coffee that I am also experiencing withdrawal from or it could just be the psychological phenomenon of not having it; I do enjoy the taste.

Day 2

BUSTED!!!

Bad news, I broke my diet (accidentally). It is not like I ate a dozen donuts with a liter of milk plus a pot of coffee, but I did eat a food that is on my DO NOT EAT LIST.

It was actually a very honest mistake; this is what happened.

I live in a foreign country (Denmark) where I do not speak or understand the language very well.

Yes, I blame it all on the Danes!

I was buying frozen spinach the other day and bought one that was spinach with cream sauce. I meant to buy just plain frozen spinach. I didn't realize my mistake till after eating the first package with my chicken. Oops! Of course the entire package is in Danish but if I looked more closely I would of saw that the ingredients had more then just spinach on it and that would of raised a red flag for this product.

Another error I made in these two days was with my fish oil. I have been using liquid fish oil that is flavored with citrus oil. So, I will need to switch to capsules for the next three weeks.

I am also taking some other supplements that I will go into detail in a later post.

No, it's not the Danes fault, I only have my self to blame. It is my own personal responsibility to care for my own personal body, no one else. Anyway, mistakes are good, this is how you learn.

By the way my two mistakes came with somewhat processed foods. When on a restricted diet, the simplest way of avoiding these mishaps is to consume mostly whole foods. Actually every healthy diet should be focused on whole foods.

Whole foods are those that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. They typically do not contain added ingredients, such as sugar, salt, or fat.

"Diets rich in whole and unrefined foods, like whole grains, dark green and yellow/orange-fleshed vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, contain high concentrations of antioxidant phenolics, fibers and numerous other phytochemicals that may be protective against chronic diseases." 

B Bruce, G Spiller, L Klevay, S Gallagher. A Diet High in Whole and Unrefined Foods Favorably Alters Lipids, Antioxidant Defenses, and Colon Function. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 19, No. 1, 61–67 (2000) http://www.jacn.org/cgi/reprint/19/1/61

Be Well,

Mike Reid

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

Better Health in 3 Weeks

I have had it, I cannot take it anymore.

I need to do something drastic and do it ASAP, no not "as soon..." but NOW!

What the heck am I talking about?

It's all about my health.

Ever since moving to Copenhagen, Denmark this past August (2009) I have been stricken with fatigue. Not all the time but more time then I would like. There have been times when I have had a low grade cold for 2 weeks before being able to shake it.

That is just nonsense.

So to get back on top of my health for the next 3 weeks starting Dec 1, 2009 (yes, that was yesterday) I will be on a very strict elimination diet. I believe many of my "problems" are gastrointestinal (GI) related and after all 70-80% of your immune system is located in your GI so if it is not functioning optimally then it is no wonder I have fatigue and illness.

Here is what I am eliminating from my diet, although some of the items have been out for a long time.

My Elimination Diet with some short notes

• Gluten (bread, pasta, ...) - I have been avoiding this for several years now, no big deal.

• Soy

• All Dairy - I say all dairy because the only dairy I have been using regularly is butter which is now eliminated. By the way, I love butter!

• Corn - non issue, don't eat it much anyway.

• Citrus - I like it but can go with out.

• Nightshade Vegetables (Onions, Peppers, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Beets) - I am taking these out because of their association with Arthritis and general joint pain. My elbow joints are constantly cracking and often lock up, my shoulders make crunching sounds all the time and I am incredibly stiff in the morning which kind of sucks because this would be a great time to train but I can barely move so I must wait for till at least late morning or later.

• Pork - my family eats lots of pork; this will only be an issue of convenience since sausages is one of the only processed foods I eat regularly.

• Eggs - Convenience, easy and quick to make is what I will miss about eggs.

• Peanuts - I love peanut butter but will substitute with other nut butters like almond or cashew.

• Coffee - probably the biggest challenge of all the foods. I have a serious caffeine addiction but i have gone off coffee before. I am allowing my self to drink green and black teas which is a small consolation.

My goal is to completely avoid all these foods for the next 3 weeks (Dec 1 - Dec 21, 2009). The dates actually work out perfectly because on Dec 21 my family and I are going to Hungary for holidays. When in Hungary, you eat pork, tomatoes and peppers (paprika) every day.

During this 3 week experiment, I am particularly interested in my bodies response to no nightshade vegetables and pork.

I will check back in every few days to give updates on how I am doing.

Be Well,

Mike Reid

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

"The most important thing about goals is... having one." -- Geoffry F. Abert

If it's in your House ...

Image via Wikipedia

Quick nutrition tip.

If an undesirable food is in your home, then you or someone you love will end up eating it.

Cleaning out your kitchen of crap food is a very important step to eating healthier. 

When you are at home and you need to snack if there are cookies and chips there, you will eat them. 

Don't give yourself the choice, just eliminate them from your home.

I am a perfect example of this.  In my home, I do not have any of that stuff and therefore do not eat it but this past summer I was back in Canada for a visit and it was abundant in the homes I was staying at.

Guess what?  I ate a lot of potato chips.

Now that I am back in Europe, I haven't had any and it will probably stay that way for the rest of the year or till the next time I am back in Canada.

To recap: If an undesirable food is in your home, then you or someone you love will end up eating it.

Be Well,

Michael Reid
www.michaelreid.ca
www.waterpolotraining.net

Venezuela Bans Coke

Image via Wikipedia

This is a very interesting story which I found out about from www.mercola.com. 

Although I applaud the Venezuela government for the ban, it appears the ban has a very strong political agenda and they are simply doing anything it can to attack foreign companies. 

This is unfortunate because although I strongly believe soft drinks simply destroy your health, any government in the Western world will have serious doubts about following the lead of a "dictator".

Be Well,
Michael Reid
www.michaelreid.ca
www.waterpolotraining.net 


References:

Venezuela bans Coke Zero, cites "danger to health"

Image via Wikipedia

10 Jun 2009 23:49:38 GMT, Source: Reuters

* Minister orders Coke Zero withdrawn from market
* Socialist government increasing scrutiny of business

CARACAS, June 10 (Reuters) - The Venezuelan government of U.S.-critic President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday ordered Coca-Cola Co <KO.N> to withdraw its Coke Zero beverage from the South American nation, citing unspecified dangers to health.  READ MORE

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/04/Venezuela-Bans-Coke.aspx

Post Work Out Nutrition

Last month I wrote about the Myth of Sports Nutrition. 

To add some fuel to this fire here is Paul Chek talking about what to eat after you train. 

You may be surprised from what he has to stay.

Be Well,
Mike Reid
www.michaelreid.ca
www.waterpolotraining.net

The "Myth" Of Sports Nutrition

I view nutrition the very much the same way I do exercise.  If you don't have the basic, fundamentals mastered then there is really very little point going into more advanced training programs or exercises. 

This is why I think "Sports Nutrition" is a bit of a myth.  Eat clean meats, lots of fruits and vegetables and you will cover the majority of the needs of the athlete, if not all of them.

Also, eat right after training to begin the refueling and recovery process.  This is also the same advice I would use with a "non-athlete" who may be trying to get healthier, stronger or lose weight. 

Focus on the big picture!

 Supplements, sport/recovery drinks, creatine, protein powders have there place but only on top of large doses of wholesome foods.

Dr. Mercola recently wrote an article about the need of real food for athletes.  Below is an excerpt from his article "Advice for Athletes -- Eat Real Food".

"Some nutritionists are arguing that sports drinks and power bars are not the best way to build body strength and agility, instead saying that you should listen to your body and eat real food."

However, there is research that has shown a protein powder drink post-work out increases  your protein synthesis but there is also research that shows chocolate milk is just as good.

A little note on recovery, Dan John, a coach in the USA, has a saying: "recovery doesn't come in a bottle ... it is called sleep"

My recommendation, eat before and after training.

Be Well, 

Mike Reid

ps. For a whole food protein shake you can see a previous post here.

Protein Supplements - are they needed?

I got the below question from a parent.

"Hi Mike,

Do you think a 16 1/2 year old boy should take protein supplements?  

Thank you."

This is an interesting question and is definitely not one that is clearly yes or no.

Before I even get into how much protein we need to consume (because I believe this is what I am being asked) lets first remember that a protein supplement is just protein! 

Well, duh! 

But what I mean is that it's really no different then the protein you get from fish, meat or eggs. 

It does not have any special anabolic properties when compared to other protein sources from whole foods like eggs, chicken or fish (of course the protein supplement companies will try to convince you otherwise).

How much protein do athletes need?

• Approximately 2g/kg (1g/lb) of body weight should be enough.

• Note that the recommended is 0.8g/kg but this is way to low for athletes.

• The 0.8g/kg is based on sedentary people.

• Do not worry about having to much protein and the health of your kidneys.

          Read this  http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/kidney.htm

Is a protein supplement needed?

• If you truly are not getting enough protein from your diet alone then they can be useful.  Probably more of a concern with someone eating more of a vegetarian diet.

• It's all about convenience, so they are useful to use when at school when you are away from home and unable to get some real food in you.  This obviously can be solved by simply planning your meals ahead of time.

If you are going to use a protein supplement.

• First, read the label.  Most protein powders are loaded with crap like artificial flavors, coloring, sweeteners and tons of sugar.  It should just be protein and natural flavor like cocoa powder.  You can also buy just plain protein powder then add your own flavor with fruit.

• Can you digest it or does it give you gas, cramping or diarrhea (which are all signs of digestion issues)?  It is no good for you if you cannot digest it or the people around you!

• Can you tolerate the taste?  Protein supplements are well known for tasting more similar to sewage then actual food.

• You get what you pay for, if you are going to invest in supplements then you cannot worry about the cost.

What do I recommend?

• There are not many of these products I recommend but two that I have used and comply with my nutritional values are:

http://sequelnaturals.com - this is a meal replacement shake, all vegan, so if dairy is an issue this may be good for you.  The chocolate is good, I have not tried the other flavours.  26g of protein and 15g of fiber per serving!  The fiber is like almost half of your daily requirement.

http://www.naturalfactors.com - just whey protein with flavour.  Double Chocolate is really good.  Note that whey is from milk protein.

Added bonus, both of the above companies are also Canadian!

Sorry for my European friends, I do not think you can get either of these overseas.

Be Well,
Mike Reid

Potato Chips are not good ...

This huge, the latest nutritional research says to avoid potato chips and eat more fruits and vegetables!

I thought potato chips was a "super food" to be consumed every day with a coke.

Imagine an alien or another life form from some other galaxy was observer us eat and live.  They would come to the same conclusion and if they had us in captivity, they would probably feed us a diet of coke and chips.

After all that must be our "natural diet".  

Be Well,
Mike Reid

Naruszewicz et al. Chronic intake of potato chips in humans increases the production of reactive oxygen radicals by leukocytes and increases plasma C-reactive protein: a pilot study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009; DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.26647

ABSTRACT

Background: Relatively high concentrations of acrylamide in commonly ingested food products, such as French fries, potato chips, or cereals, may constitute a potential risk to human health.

Objective: The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the possible connection between chronic ingestion of acrylamide-containing potato chips and oxidative stress or inflammation.

Design: Fourteen healthy volunteers (mean age: 35 y; 8 women and 6 smokers of >20 cigarettes/d) were given 160 g of potato chips containing 157 mg of acrylamide daily for 4 wk.

Results: An increase in acrylamide-hemoglobin adducts in blood was found in all the study subjects, with a mean of 43.1 pmol/L/g hemoglobin (range: 27–76; P < 0.01) in nonsmokers and 59.0 pmol · L^–1 · g^–1 hemoglobin (range: 43–132; P < 0.05) in smokers. Concurrently, a significant increase (P < 0.01) in the oxidized LDL, high-sensitivity interleukin-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and -glutamyltransferase concentrations was observed in both smokers and nonsmokers. A significant increase in reactive oxygen radical production by monocytes, lymphocytes, and granulocytes and an increase in CD14 expression in macrophages (P < 0.001) were found after intake of potato chips. Twenty-eight days from the discontinuation of the experiment, the variables under study decreased to some extent. It has been shown also that acrylamide increases the production of reactive oxygen species in isolated human monocyte-macrophages in vitro and decreases the cellular glutathione concentration.

Conclusion: These novel findings seem to indicate that chronic ingestion of acrylamide-containing products induces a proinflammatory state, a risk factor for progression of atherosclerosis.

Received for publication July 4, 2008. Accepted for publication December 2, 2008.

Hydrogenated Oils . . . no laughing matter

How to Get Fat NOW!

One of my key points in a nutrition plan is to eat whole foods and limit processed foods to a minimum.

Processed foods = get fat now!

9 million children are obese in the USA.

The video below is a good example why the USA health system is so F**ked up!

The unfortunate thing is that with our great global economy and ease of movement we all can live a life like those 9 million children are with out even stepping foot in the USA.

Be Well,
Mike Reid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtLFeH0W1x4