I found this segment with Dr. Catherine Shanahan to be a fascinating discussion on cholesterol and she states why she believes this myth that fat clogs arteries is the main reason we have been seeing a decline in our health over the past century. She is a strong believer that vegetable oils are an enormous harm to our health and that the key to being healthy is through eating natural foods.

Here is my favorite quote from Dr. Cate in this documentary, which illuminates how serious this topic is:

​“So before we started this experiment, the rates of Type 2 Diabetes were almost non-existent. But the rates of obesity and our unhealthy diets have so dramatically accelerated that now children at age 2 are being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and at age 3 and 4 are having complications of it like strokes and heart attacks. So this one idea that saturated fat was bad that came from Ancel Keys was like setting off an atom bomb in our health and it has changed the course of history for human health.”

After getting a number of comments on Facebook and learning more from strength and conditioning coach Kelly Starrett and his book, Becoming a Supple Leopard, I realize there is a problem with 1 of these suggestions. You should not have to use a back brace if you are using good form and you need to make sure you are using good form without a brace. If I feel my back hurting, I now take that as a sign that I need to lower the weight, figure out the problem with my form, and correct that problem before going back up.

There are a few things that I find help during a workout and experts have backed up that they help as well. These are extra things, obviously you should have a water bottle and the right clothes. None of these extras are too expensive but I suggest these to anyone who has heavy lifting in their workout regimen.

Any step you can take to prevent injury in the gym, especially if it does not cost much money, is a smart move. An injury can put you out of the gym for a long time and all it takes is one slip-up. The back brace will help you keep correct form, the chalk will help you keep a firm grasp, and the mouth guard will protect your teeth while also allowing you to breathe easier. Don't think you're invincible because you bought a few things but get as much support as you can.

Discussion Question:
Do you have anything different that you bring to the gym to either boost your strength or protect you from injury? What exercises are benefit most?

One of the things almost everybody, especially athletes, has to deal with is issues with digestion - whether it is constipation, bloating, or what have you. Family Physician/Health Expert Dr. Cate Shanahan has some interesting tips on this topic that I want to share because I believe they do help.
​

1. Use a probiotic each day, whether that be yogurt (which is my choice), kombucha, kimchi, etc. These populate your gut with good bacteria that help your digestive system (Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast - 4 Ways to Eat Yourself Beautiful with Dr. Cate Shanahan).
2. Eat something acidic, like a fermented pickle or half a teaspoon of vinegar before eating a meal that you know gives you indigestion or bloating (Deep Nutrition, page 411).
3. Make sure to drink plenty of water and have plenty of fiber in your diet from things like vegetables and nuts. If you do that but still have issues with constipation, try consuming 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed in hot water (Deep Nutrition, page 408).

​
I know this is a short post but these are not your usual tips. Personally, the first tip I do believe has helped me a lot. I make sure to start my day with at least a cup of yogurt and have noticed vast improvements with my digestive system. Obviously, having enough water and vegetables in your diet are likely the things that will benefit your gut the most. So, before you think you found a simple fix, you may find more helpful tips on how much water and vegetables you should be including in your diet in my other blog post, 4 Easily Implementable Tips From Health and Fitness Experts.

The research for this book did not only include her education in Biochemistry at Cornell or Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, but mainly from reading Biochemistry textbooks on her own, looking at cookbooks from all different cultures, and researching the diets of indigenous peoples around the world. Dr. Cate states that we do not have to go back far to find healthier cultures - before the 1950s, most diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's were much more unusual than they are today. 

From her research, she discovered all cultures focused on what she calls the Four Pillars of the Human Diet:

1. Meat on the bone: Consuming meats that do not have the fat removed and still include the bone. Also, including bone broth to strengthen joint tissues.
2. Organ meats: After the Industrial Revolution and getting away from hunting our own food, we have also gotten away from consuming the whole animal, mainly organ meats, and we are depriving ourselves from vitamins and minerals.
3. Fresh foods: This includes all fresh foods - meat, vegetables, and fruits. Some tips she gives for this are:
   1. Limit fruits to one serving per day at most. Most fruit nowadays is nutritionally bankrupt
   2. Eat at least 4 salads each week that each include 4 cups of vegetables of 4 different colors.
   3. Look for organic, grass-fed, and pasture-raised meats. The treatment of animals along with their diets affects the nutrition we get in return in a big way.
   4. Include raw seafood on a regular basis.
4. Fermented and sprouted foods: These foods provide us with the probiotics we need to keep our guts healthy; strengthening our digestive and immune systems.

This book is close to 500 pages and goes deep into the science of why we need to avoid vegetable oils and sugars and include the Four Pillars in our diets if we don't want to get roped into the health care system with a disease later on in life.

My opinion is that this is a great book if you have an interest in the Biochemistry - how everything we eat affects our cells throughout our body and also our genes. This book had a little too much science for me but I am definitely glad I read it because it has a TON of great information. She even gives tips on things like making your own salad dressings. If you want a shorter version, look for her book Food Rules​.

For more book reviews/descriptions, check out my Recommended Books page.