Fasting

Accompanying the increasing popularity of Paleo/Primal lifestyles is the concept of Intermittent Fasting (IF),  a feeding schedule which consists of extended periods of fasting followed by a feast which occupies a short time period. Don't eat for a long time, then refuel hard. The key is the pulsing cycle of feast and famine, flooding the body with nutrients then an abstinence from food, causing key hormones such as insulin to become more sensitive. This would have mimicked the natural feeding habits of our hunter-gatherer predecessors. The bodybuilding and powerlifting communities have started to buy into IF, departing from the original theme of eat 6-8 meals a day.

Recently, the idea of carb-backloading has become increasingly popular. Although still under the same principles of your typical primal intermittent fast, carb back-loading toys is counter-intuitive, in that carbs are ingested at night, when insulin resistivity is said to be higher. 

See DH Kiefer's site for more information. http://www.carbbackloading.com/

Interview with Rob Wolff regarding the carb backloading. Posted by Matt Wichlinski. 

Regardless, the point of this post is to address the current trends, which cater to the desire to overindulge in an uncontrollable binge, an indication of our always abundant food supply. This was necessary prior to our adoption of agricultural methods, where we had to stuff ourselves, as the next feast could be days. 

Therefore, when asked to partake in a traditional fast, I willing accepted, as the idea of abstaining from solid food for 48 hours was appealing. Now there are many reasons to fast, from the obvious weight loss and detox to increasing longevity and spiritual reasons. See Mark's Daily Apple for a more comprehensive read and read the other five parts in his fasting post: 

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-fast-part-six-choosing-a-method/#axzz29XGsvZF1

Personally, I viewed it as a physical and mental challenge to endure and a much needed break from food. This was an opportunity for my body to clear out waste and run on my stored fuel (fat). The body expends much energy in digesting food and the energy freed up from these processes is said to be diverted to immune and excretory system function. 

48 hours is not a long fast, but increasingly hard for the general population, as many are accustomed to permanently high blood sugar levels, as carbohydrate levels stoke the metabolic fire every few hours. I've tried to control my insulin levels in past years, and thus did not suffer huge headaches and "bonks" due to low blood sugar. 

Nevertheless, the task was still difficult, as eating is an activity that we are habituated towards. Meals are attributed to times, and don't always eat because we are hungry, but simply because it is lunchtime or dinner. Thus the idea of hunger and appreciation for what we consume is elevated during fasts. When fasting, one should not broadcast to too many people. In biblical times, this was so as not to boast. In present times, it can offend those who are addicted to food. If it is a hunger strike however, and you have political purposes, by all means, do as the late Mahatma and let it be known. 

Carrying out a fast during a work week, while maintaining all extracurricular activities is something to be cautious about, but also encouraged, as you learn quickly that it is a mental game and that we don't need as much as we think to survive. I did however, have one small fresh carrot/apple juice and a cup of turkey broth during the 48 hours. The first 24 hours is hard, but once the body breaks through and switches to a more efficient, aerobic mode, the hunger subsides. You have to remember that if our ancestors couldn't go a few days without food, we wouldn't be here today. 

After breaking a fast, the key is to do a light brush out with greens, and go easy on the proteins and fats, which are difficult to digest. I threw some yogurt in as a probiotic source, to replenish the gut flora. 

Perhaps if everyone in developing countries were to fast periodically, the paradigm of overconsumption could be shifted and humanity's plight could be resolved. For now, I simply encourage short fasts for two basic reasons: 

1. Your gut needs it

2. To learn the lesson that human desires are temporary; you always have enough. Anything more is abundance. 

Ain't No Sunshine

As time passes, societies will look back to the past generations and will see only what remained, the most resilient structures and monuments and the most pervasive cultural elements. With regards to the latter, artists and profound celebrities alike can shape a generation, an effect which is only realized after the fact. 

YouTube has spawned into a cultural accelerator, spreading ideas to the masses overnight. Viral videos spread faster than any pandemic could even wish to spread. Videos that are shocking or well marketed can rise and fizzle, yet in the end, we will still see the timeless relics, the true ingrained achievements of the human race, surviving among the ashes. 

This post will honour Bill Withers, whose simple songs such as "Ain't No Sunshine" or "Lean on Me" will be forever timeless. These have been cut, compiled and covered numerous times, but the substance in the original recordings will be forever unique. It is only with a blind hopefulness that one can even attempt to capture the deep soul behind the brevity of song. 

Thus, it was with this hope that the author found the best vocalist he could to pay homage to Bill Withers' "Ain't no Sunshine". Covers have gone viral time and again on YouTube, as it allows aspiring musicians to reinterpret those who came before them. Playing covers is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. 

So here it is, a one-take, uncut cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" :

Motion is Lotion

Welcome to the daily grind: 9:00am to 5:00pm in the cubicle, the professional desk jockey practices his craft.


 


If stress from your job is not an issue, or occupational hazards don't pose enough of a threat to your life, then it is guaranteed that anyone working 40 hour weeks will be subjected to the dangers of overuse injuries.


From athlete to journeyman to CEO the rule applies: if your body remains in one position for a prolonged period of time, it is subjected to the rigours of immobility, nerve damage and pain, which seriously degrade quality.


 For this post, we will focus specifically on desk jobs. We have glued our strong gluteal muscles to our seats and committed ourselves to the harsh blue light of desktops that force us to flex our spines and strain our big heads forward, demanding a serious amount of uncomfortable and unnatural stress on our joints.


Thus, we enter in the occupational therapist, who provides ergonomical solutions to our predicament. Special keyboards, nice grips on mice, fancy chairs and a set regimen of 90 degree angles to adopt (see Kelly Starrett's video for more on 90 degrees).

This is all fine and dandy, however this humble writer does not think that it will circumvent the pending anatomical issues that lie ahead. Then you have your individuals who have improved on the chair of death and subjected themselves to standing workstations, or Swiss ball bouncing fun.

Now we're getting somewhere. But let's not forget that part of the issue is not just the chair which forces the hip flexors into a compromised position, elongating the glutes and twanging on the sciatic nerve to send pain from spine to leg. People have these SI joint issues from sitting, which is very clear, but assuming a standing position all day will inevitably put the body in a tough spot.

Standing is better than sitting, and bouncy balls are good, so long as you keep bouncing (see the post below for more on this). Yet at some point, one must realize that the job is still the issue. I am certainly not going to sit here and spout off about paradigm shifts and society's addiction to work. That would be for a more philosophical post.

We are here to talk functional, and pain free. If your job consists of a day of sitting and then a quick break for coffee, a sit-down lunch and perhaps, if lucky, another break in the afternoon, the result is potentially 7.5 hours of immobility and knotted, unsupple, soft tissues.

Therefore if you have read this far, I will present you with a game-changing idea: Motion is Lotion
Don't find yourself stuck in any position for a long period of time!

I give a lot of credit to Kelly Starrett, DPT, for his contributions to my mobility woes. Visit his website if you would like to save yourself on thousands of PT/chiro treatments. Mobility Wod - see this link for more in-depth discussion on matters which I have barely touched on.


I will post his visit and lecture at Google below, but for now, since you have kept reading, here is the skinny:

1. Chest up, ears away from shoulders.
2. Braced spine - sternum in line with belly button, butt softly contracted.
3. Arms externally rotated (think standing savasana) Plus a bonus- for those of you who like to sit.

At long last, watch this video (or listen if at work).