MichaelReid.ca

Fever Cramp

A few weeks I was called by the daycare to pick up my 22 month old son, he was sick. When I got there they told me he had a fever cramp, which is a seizure brought on by a high fever.

Pretty scary stuff for a parent. We took him to the emergency room for an evaluation and everything was fine and was told to take him home and rest.

We all know that if you have a fever, that you always want to try to lower it. A high fever is bad, take drugs or what ever to lower it. Even the grand parents were telling us the same thing.

When his fever was not going down, it was around 40-41 C, we called the doctor.

And the Dr. essentially says "the fever is no big deal."

WHAT!!!

Fever is no big deal? How can I go through life up to this point with always trying to fight a fever?

"It's important to realize that fever is your body's backup defense mechanism when your primary ones – mainly your immune system -- fail. Your first line of defense is your macrophages, which gobble up any invading microbes." (source)

What the Dr. said is important are the vital signs of the child. Is the child breathing normally, alert, has life, eating, drinking ... the basic stuff. Of course they will be resting more because they are sick but they should still be responsive and my son was. If these things are not happening then the Dr. said to bring the child in irregardless of the fever.

It makes me think that this is another case of the pharmaceutical industry blinding us with bad information. Maybe we don't need to reach for the meds at first sign of a fever? Just let it run its course.

Below is from a ND.

The two functions of a fever are:

1. To stimulate your immune system.

2. To create an inhospitable environment for invading organisms. That is, to turn up the heat high enough that the invading microbes cannot live.

It would be far more helpful to think of a fever as a healing response rather than a symptom of disease. And, raising your body's temperature to between 102 to 103 degrees F is actually the ideal range of a fever because this is the temperature range in which microbes will be killed.

In addition to directly killing the microbes through heat, fever has a number of other benefits, including:

• Creating more antibodies -- cells trained to specifically attack the exact type of invader that your body is presently suffering from -- produced more specific to that bug than any pharmaceutical.
• Producing more white blood cells to fight off the invading microbes.
• Producing more interferon (which blocks spread of viruses to healthy cells).
• Walling off of iron, which bacteria feed on.

Source:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/26/scary-symptoms-that-are-really-no-big-deal.aspx

Please do not take this as medical advise, I am not a licenced medical doctor but it is something that I believe is misunderstood by many.

So, maybe next time you or your child has a fever, reaching for the meds may not be the best thing or certainly not the first thing to reach for.

Take Care,

Michael Reid, B.HE. CSCS, RKC

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

Automatic Sport Skill

Is your sport skill automatic?

Most athletes ultimately want their skills to be automatic. Most sports require quick reactions and fast decision making so having your skill set being automatic is good thing.

But should we always be automatic or on auto-pilot when practicing our skills?

Geoff Colvin writes about in his book “Talent is Overrated ...” that once a skill is performed automatically you essentially cease improvement in that skill.

He uses the example of learning to drive a car. Initially, there is a very steep learning curve as you learn to operate the car and the rules of the road. But once you get your drivers license, improvement pretty much stops and will likely decline over time.

“Avoiding automaticity through continual practice is another way of saying that great performers are always getting better. This is why the most devoted can stay at the top of their field for far longer than most people would think possible”

Colvin Geoff. Talent is Overrated: what really separates the world class performers from everybody else. Penguin Books Ltd, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-59184-294-1 (p. 83)

My take on this is that even though your sport skill should be automatic to some degree during competition (depends on the sport; e.g. Golf vs Basketball), to truly get better you need to do lots of deliberate practice which is avoiding being automatic altogether. I think of being automatic in practice as just going through the motions, it a very mindless endeavor.

de·lib·er·ate

 (d-lbr-t)

adj.

1. Done with or marked by full consciousness of the nature and effects; intentional: mistook the oversight for a deliberate insult.

2. Arising from or marked by careful consideration: a deliberate decision. See Synonyms at voluntary.

3. Unhurried in action, movement, or manner, as if trying to avoid error: moved at a deliberate pace. See Synonyms at slow.

source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/deliberate

To consciously think of exactly where you place your foot, hand and how you handle the ball or racket  while utilizing a very high degree of precision and quality at all times is how the best become even better.

It's also not easy or even close to being pleasant which is why most people are not top performers in their field or sport.

There is only one Michael Jordan, one Wayne Gretzky and one Tiger Woods for a good reason.

Of course there are other factors at play other then just deliberate practice but this certainly seems to be a common thread among great performers.

The next time you are practicing whether it be on the court or in the pool ask yourself; am I mindlessly going through the motions or am I being mindful of exactly what I am doing.

Deliberately practicing with a very high degree of quality also usually requires the assistance of a coach which is also another common theme of great performers. They all have coaches or mentors to assist them in their quest for perfection in their field. Of course perfection can never be reached because once you think you have gained perfection you will stop getting better.

Enjoy and Be Well,

Michael Reid, B.HE. CSCS, RKC

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

HORSHOLM 79's basketball team - wins GOLD!!!!

One of the teams I was working with earlier this year was the HORSHOLM 79's women basketball team.

A while ago I wrote about the training sessions and the strength program I wrote for them.

This past weekend (April 24, 2010) they won the "Danish Dameligaen" Championship, which is the highest division of female basketball in Denmark.

I know it is not always a smooth ride to the top and this team certainly had it up and downs with players coming, then leaving, then not be able to play due to various reasons but in the end they pulled it off.

A couple of the Horsholm players also cleaned up on the individual awards from Eurobasket.com.

Eurobasket.com All-Danish Dameligaen Awards 2009-10 - Apr 25, 2010

#s#

Stec

Thorius

Kruuse

Muller-Garner

Kielpinski

#e#6

Player of the Year: Heather Stec (188-F-86) of Horsholm 79ers
Guard of the Year: Anne Thorius (179-G-77) of Horsholm 79ers
Forward of the Year: Heather Stec (188-F-86) of Horsholm 79ers
Center of the Year: Sussie Kruuse (192-C-83) of BK Amager
Bosman Player of the Year: Heila Rosenfeldt (173-G-83) of Lemvig
Import Player of the Year: Heather Stec (188-F-86) of Horsholm 79ers
Domestic Player of the Year: Sussie Kruuse (192-C-83) of BK Amager
Defensive Player of the Year: Sandra Muller-Garner (190-F/C-84) of Aabyhoj
Coach of the Year: Thomas Press of Aabyhoj

My sincerest congratulations to the team, coaching staff and the club on a great season!

Michael Reid, B.HE. CSCS, RKC

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

What can I do to help?

Please watch the video below and then ask yourself: "what can I do to help?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWuB8AKMlOc

On Sunday March 28, 2010 I will be holding a Kettlebell clinic, the research proven #1 tool for weight loss FREE of charge.  More Information can be found here

The clinic will be held at Paideia Gym located in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1200-1500.

Please help promote the event at your school or work and stick up some posters.

Download KB for Haiti & Chile Poster

Forward any questions you may have directly to my personal email, [email protected].

Thank you and be well,

Michael Reid, B.HE. CSCS, RKC

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

Kettlebells for Haiti & Chile

No, no, no ... I have no immediate plans on sending Kettlebells to either of these countries but ...

On Sunday March 28, 2010 from 1200-1500 I will be holding a Kettlebell clinic, the research proven #1 tool for weight loss FREE of charge.

All you have to do is make a donation to the Red Cross for either Chile &/or Haiti to get you in the door.

Even though many of you have already made a donation which is great, I have decided to make things a little bit easier (or painful), for you to depart with your hard earned money.

The clinic will be held at Paideia Gym located in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1200-1500.

Please note; 100% of all funds goes to charity. The owners of Paideia Gym have graciously given me the keys to their brand NEW facility for the afternoon free of charge.

What you need to do NOW

1. Make a donation via SMS, Telephone or Internet directly to the Red Cross for either Chile &/or Haiti (or bring cash to the clinic and we will donate it on your behalf).     

http://www.drk.dk/

100% all proceeds goes to Red Cross to support their efforts in Haiti & Chile.

Suggested Donation: 500 DKK

2. Send an email to [email protected] (that's me) to reserve your spot.

3. Show up to paideia gym with your CASH or donation.

More information to follow in the coming days.

Please forward any questions you may have directly to my personal email, [email protected].

Thank you and be well,

Michael Reid, B.HE. CSCS, RKC

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

2010 Volvo Cup - Water Polo

The past 3 days the Canadian Men's Water Polo team have been back in action during the Volvo Cup in Hungary.

They have done very well for themselves and I have written a brief snap shot of what they did below.

Canada wins big - Volvo Cup 2010

Canada plays close to Hungary - Volvo Cup  2010

Be Well,

Mike Reid

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

Train Your Eyes

Last weekend I was taking I-Phase which is the level II Z-Health course.

Very fascinating information, we learned so much over the course of 4 days. One of the things that was emphasized during the course was the hierarchy of the nervous system which is:

i) visual (eyes)     ii) vestibular (balance center)     iii) proprioceptive (movement)

The basics is that the if the body is getting mixed signals from any of these systems it will "believe" or act on the one of the higher order. So basically your eyes are at the top of the totem pole and will influence what happens in the other two systems.

Many of us have heard about the importance of posture on your health and function but did you realize that if your eyes are "screwed up" that your posture can change to compensate for this dysfunction. This is often at the expense of your muscular-skeletal health.

So, maybe that painful shoulder, low back or neck is not a result of poor muscle strength/endurance or flexibility but an issue that is being driven by your eyes.

Here is a simple drill that be used to train your eyes. This drill only takes ~30s to complete and can be performed as part of your warm up routine.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAPE3hJ2GBE

Be Well,

Mike Reid

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

PS This past fall I took level I, which is called R-Phase, I wrote about it here.

Johnny Rabb ... a drummer with a message

Johnny Rabb is one funny dude and an amazing musician. He gets kind of "serious" in the below video but delivers a great message.

Don't worry, you do not need to be a musician to understand the message, it applies to everyone.

The basic message is "keep your sticks", but you must watch the video to truly appreciate what he means.

I think I have it figured out????? Please let me know if you do.

Here is the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRVVm47dxlI

(normally I would embed videos but this one has the embedding function disabled)

Oh yeah, he also gives big props to Canada via high praise of Neil Peart, drummer of Canadian rock band Rush (some of you may have heard of them before).

 

Be Well,

Mike Reid

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

Rush playing their song "YYZ"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GniHrn6ikmg

 

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

Seeing for the Blind

My 6-day long R-Phase course is now over and it is time to start digesting the information. My brain and body is a little bit saturated from all the information I received this past week through lecture and movement.

One of the things that came up early in the course was the plasticity of the human nervous system, which is one of the important concepts to understand with Z-Health. Plasticity simple means that the nervous system can be molded and remodeled through training, but basically what ever you do.

Below is a video demonstrating how plastic the nervous system really is.

Seeing with your tongue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNkw28fz9u0

Just simply really cool. The human body is an amazing machine at adaptation.

You also can read about neuroscientist Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita who invented this device in this article run in Discovery magazine:

http://discovermagazine.com/2003/jun/feattongue

My understanding is that he founded this company, http://wicab.ca/index.php, which is making devices like this for general public use.

Be Well,

Mike Reid

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net