Sunday, February 26, 2006

Side Stitches - Cause & Cure

By Dr Gabe Mirkin

It took years for the medical community to finally learn what causes a side stitch. Suddenly a runner develops pain in the right upper part of the belly, just underneath the ribs in the front. With each step the pain worsens. Doctors proposed all sorts of explanations for side stitch and most were nonsense.

A side stitch is not caused by gas in the colon because it is not relived by passing gas. It is not caused by a liver swollen with blood during running, because the liver has a very distensible capsule and does not enlarge much during exercise. It is not caused by cramps in the belly muscles because the belly muscles are not held rigidly when you have a side stitch, and it does not hurt when you push on the belly muscles. Lack of oxygen to the diaphragm doesn't cause them because blood flow to the diaphragm is not shut off by running. They are not caused by trapped gas in the lungs because gas does not get trapped in the lungs during exercise.

The first reasonable explanation and successful treatment came from Dr. Tim Noakes. Thick fibrous bands called ligaments extend downward from your diaphragm to hold your liver in place. When you run, your liver drops at the exact time that your diaphragm goes up, stretching the ligaments and causing pain.

Humans have a fixed pattern of breathing when they run. They have a two to one breathing ratio, breathing once for each two strides. Most people breathe out when the right foot strikes the ground. When you breathe out, your diaphragm goes up, and at the same time, the force of your foot strike causes your liver to go down. This stretches the ligaments that attach the liver to your diaphragm, causing pain. So the cause of a side stitch during hard running is a stretching of the ligaments that hold the liver to the diaphragm and the cure is to relieve the stretching of the ligaments.

When you get a side stitch, stop running and press your hand deep into your liver to raise it up against your diaphragm. At the same time, purse your lips and blow out against the tightly held lips as hard as you can. Pushing the liver up stops stretching the ligaments. Breathing out hard empties your lungs. Usually the pain is relieved immediately and you can resume running as soon as the pain disappears.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Thursday, February 23, 2006

A Painless Way to Lose Fat (and Lower Your Cholesterol)

by Jon Herring

If you want to reduce your cholesterol levels, increase your energy and alertness, burn more calories, and control your body fat, there's a painless way to do it: Eat smaller, more frequent meals.

Eating smaller meals at regular intervals throughout the day will cause your body to release less insulin. In turn, this will cause your body to store less of the nutrients that you're taking in as fat.

And here's something else to consider. A British study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked at two groups of women. The first group ate a few large, irregularly spaced meals. The second group ate six smaller meals at regular intervals. The researchers found that the latter group consumed less food, burned more calories, and had a lower level of LDL cholesterol (the type of cholesterol often associated with heart disease).

Here's how to go from two big, sleep-inducing meals per day to six energizing meals:

1. Split up your portion sizes. Instead of having a big lunch, enjoy half of that meal as an early lunch and the other half as an early afternoon snack.

2. Eat regular snacks (mini-meals). Example: a piece of fruit, an ounce of almonds, and a cup of green tea late in the afternoon.

3. Eat a high-protein, fiber-rich breakfast to get your day started right. The protein will help you think better and the fiber will help control your blood sugar and energy levels throughout the day.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

High Octane Cardio

Train like a man, not a rodent!
by Mike Mahler

No More Hamster Cardio!

I gotta' tell you, I hate doing cardio. There's nothing more boring to me than sitting on an exercise bike, going up and down on a Stairmaster, or running on a treadmill. I sometimes drive by a gym in Santa Monica and see dozens of people on the latest and greatest cardio machines, staring at the television and looking like caged hamsters running on treadmills. In addition to wondering how they can bear it, I always wonder why people in Santa Monica would choose to do cardio in a gym when they could run on the beach or in the woods and take advantage of the beautiful weather!

Fortunately, there are other options for those who are bored with traditional cardio routines and want more intensity and satisfaction out of their workouts. The alternative is what I call High Octane Cardio (HOC).

Hit the Road!

A lot of boxers and mixed martial arts fighters still use this tried and true form of conditioning to prepare for fighting. It works several different energy systems in the same workout and it's not for the faint of heart!

Roadwork is basically a combination of jogging and calisthenics. Here's how it works: jog for about 100 yards and then drop and do fifty pushups. Get back up and run another 100 to 200 yards and then stop and do 100 bodyweight squats. Again, run another 100 to 200 yards and then drop and do 50 sit-ups. Believe me, this workout is a lot harder than it sounds and even if you're an experienced runner, you'll find it challenging.

Regardless, I found an even more effective way to maximize the benefits of roadwork. Take two dumbbells to a running track and place one dumbbell on each side of the track. Each time you jog past a dumbbell, stop and do an exercise. For example, you could stop and do ten one-arm dumbbell swings with each arm and then continue to run. When you get to the next dumbbell, stop and do ten clean and push presses. Then when you get to the next dumbbell, do ten dumbbell squats.

Once you've done four full laps you'll be exhausted. If you're not, then get a heavier dumbbell or run four more laps! In addition to building an incredible level of muscular endurance and mental toughness, you'll burn fat like crazy.

In fact, if you need to burn fat as fast as possible, try doing roadwork three times a week for five weeks. You'll be amazed.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Stockdale's Paradox

Do you remember Admiral James Stockdale, the guy who was Ross Perot's Vice Presidential candidate in 'the '92 election?

He didn't fare so well as a VP candidate, but he was quite an impressive military man. He was former president of the Naval War College and was the highest ranking officer in the "Hanoi Hilton" in Viet Nam.

He spent eight years in Hanoi and was tortured numerous times by his captors.

Mr. Thomas Barnett relates:

"Stockdale tells the story of the optimists who never survived their time in Hanoi, simply because they clung far too much to their dreams of release and in doing so couldn't handle the brutal realities of what it took to survive the day to day.

"So instead of dealing with the here and now realistically, they tended to cling to the hope that they'd be home by whatever the next holiday was, and when that day came and went, their spirit would be diminished by that measure.

"Over time, they died because their spirit was extinguished by reality."

Stockdale's explains his "paradox" this way:

"You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end (which you can never afford to lose) with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."

What Stockdale was really describing is the flagrant abuse of 'positive thinking.'

And you know what? A lot of people are really just too optimistic. Worse yet, the business opportunity pitchmen exploit this and sell ridiculously unrealistic plans to starry-eyed people.

What a shame.

I seriously doubt anything you ever face in business or life will be as dreadful as the Hanoi Hilton. Still, nothing can be worse for you than to walk into battle with a plastic sword and helmet, and then get cut down with tanks and machine guns.

You wanna survive... then thrive?

Here are some wise precautions that will prepare you for adversity and ensure success in your race for the 'perfect' body:

- Know that nothing comes easy. You will have to sweat it out to achieve.

- You must stick to your plan, but still be prepared to adapt your plan if necessary.

- This is your Evolution, not a Revolution. It will take time to achieve your goals.

- Don't make or set unrealistic goals, you will dissapoint yourself time and again.

My approach is simple: I'll tell you like it is, no fancy dressing! You will always know how much effort is needed to achieve your specific goals!

The liberating thing about this is, people who are prepared for tough sledding will make it. You will revel in your victory when it does come.

With the right overall strategy, victory can be almost inevitable.

(Adapted from an article written by Perry Marshall)

Saturday, February 11, 2006

8 Simple Rules to lose fat!

Here are 8 Simple Rules that will help you lose fat and get lean.

Replace sugary beverages with Green Tea. That can reduce your energy intake by several hundred calories per day

Eat at least one midday snack to decrease your risk of obesity by 39%. Remember that a good snack is focused on lean protein and a high-fiber fruit or vegetable. Nuts are also an option

Don't eat dinner as your biggest meal of the day. If you do, you increase your risk of obesity by 6%. You should be eating several mini-meals all day long so that you are not starving at dinner

Don't wait more than 3 hours after waking up to eat breakfast or you increase your risk of obesity by 43%

Don't eat more than a third of your meals in restaurants or you increase your risk of obesity by 69%. It is too hard to control the food contents at a restaurant. Pack your own meals and snacks as often as you can

Don't go to bed hungry (3 or more hours after your last meal or snack) or you increase your risk of obesity by 101%. Again, think high-protein, high-fiber mini-meals to keep hunger at bay and to control your energy levels

Don't eat breakfast away from home or you increase your risk of obesity by 137%

And don't skip breakfast or you increase your risk of obesity by 450%. This is the most important time of day to start with a protein-based, high fiber meal as it will set the tone for your blood sugar and energy levels for the day.

Adapted from an article published by Craig Ballentyne (www.turbulencetraining.com/)