How Ditching Dairy Cured My Asthma

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BY SID GARZA-HILLMAN | ©2014

In 1992 I cured myself of asthma and it’s never returned.

I’m going to back up just a bit. During my senior year at UCLA I got a job working for a friend who worked for an actor. My job was basically to send signed photos to fans and pick up takeout, and honestly I think I handled both tasks with a surprising competence for a philosophy major. The actor and my friend were both vegan, and while I didn’t give this fact too much thought at the time, it did sound awfully crazy…then.

In 1992, having graduated the previous year, I was pursuing what a BA in philosophy had prepared me very well for — a career as an indie rock musician. But I was also a chronic asthmatic. Asthma runs in my family. My father and his siblings are all asthmatics, and I had suffered from asthma attacks as a very young child. I carried an inhaler and did what asthmatics did, which was to keep the inflammation at bay. When going for runs, I’d take a hit before the run, and definitely one after.

This was my life until my friend and the actor we worked for handed me a book called Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. After reading that book (the first of many, many nutrition/diet books to follow) I made one single change to my diet, and within a month I was asthma free. That change was to remove all dairy from my diet (milk, yogurt, cheese) most of the time. At the time I didn’t change much else — still ate fish, white rice (didn’t even know about brown rice), and plenty of white flour in the form of refined pasta and sourdough bread. On occasion I would have some cheese or milk and the next day have another asthma flare up. This pattern continued on for the next few years.

However, almost bigger than the removal of all dairy was my newfound fascination with diet and nutrition. Still a struggling musician working two “day jobs,” I began reading book after book and slowly continuing to transition my lifestyle in a healthier and healthier direction. Little did I know at the time that years later (2009 to be precise) I would become a certified nutritionist, health coach, and author of a book on the philosophy of health.

What I honed in on in my nutrition studies was the body’s natural stress response, and the profound way in which nutrient dense foods can aid the body to better handle stress of any kind. Chronic stress weakens the immune system, and a result of a weakened immune system is increased inflammation. I wondered early on why removing dairy from my diet would have anything to do with my lungs, but I now had my answer. Simply put, it was causing my body stress.

Food allergies are not all alike. Allergies like those to tree nuts and/or peanuts (immunoglobulin type E allergies) are immediate. Have a little, and your body responds immediately. But it turns out there’s another, even more common food allergy which involves the IgG antibody (immunoglobulin type G). The body’s response to foods that trigger the IgG is delayed, and can take anywhere from an hour to three days. I was essentially consuming dairy on a daily basis and having a delayed allergic reaction to it in the form of asthma. My body was so bogged down by what was happening in my gut, it couldn’t properly assess what was happening in my lungs, and was inflaming as a response.

After a few years of just occasional dairy (the following day I would have a bout of asthma), I finally decided once and for all to remove it from my diet altogether, and then went a step further in 2002 and became 100% plant-based. In 2005 I went even further and became almost entirely whole plant-based and gluten-free.

Now, at 45, my energy and fitness levels far exceed what they were at 25. I’m running 50-55 miles a week and training for my second marathon. I simply do not miss carrying an inhaler, so there’s no conflict in me about whether or not to eat cheese. Having been weaned for over 12 years now, I now see the problems that can arise from an adult mammal who still breast-feeds (in the form of milk/cheese/yogurt). The quality of my life is greater without it, and I see the food I choose to eat as a gift in every way. For me it is not restrictive at all, and my challenge now is to show others that there’s nothing to give up on the path to greater health and happiness.

I made similar recommendations to my father a few years ago, and now at 76, he is asthma-free as well. The resiliency of the human body at any age is still profoundly amazing to me ….

What Comes After Planks?

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Static planks are great, but they shouldn’t be considered a goal—they are a starting point. Life is movement and our training should prepare us to do just that. The current record for the longest time in a plank position is three hours seven minutes and 15 seconds. That is beyond difficult to be sure, but it’s also kind of pointless. It’s like a long cardiovascular training session in the form of a plank. If you can hold a plank for three hours, you aren’t necessarily getting any stronger—you can simply hold a plank for a really long time.

Here’s What You Need to Know

Done properly, planks are a wonderful exercise for teaching trunk, hip and shoulder stability by integrating a full-body contraction. This is an ideal starting point for activity.
Once you’ve mastered good plank technique, stop holding it for longer amounts of time and start moving it. Despite the intense muscle burning, long isometrics actually burn the lowest number of calories. Life is movement, not the absence of it.

Follow a system for developing moving plank options so you know why you are adding any movement to planks. Whenever I am speaking on the topic of ab training, I always ask the audience, “What’s the purpose of planks?” I am usually met with silence, so I’ll ask the question again, this time letting them know that they are unlikely to offer an incorrect answer. Now, I start to get some responses, most of which are abstract and generic, even if they are correct, such as: “They teach full-body stability.” “They develop good core strength.” “They help prevent back pain.” O.K., but why do I want any of that?

What’s the purpose of having good core strength and full body stability? To do stuff! It’s not a complicated answer. We tend to overcomplicate and sometimes overthink things in fitness. Whatever you (or your clients) want to do—play a sport, play tag with your kids, compete in obstacle races or catch butterflies—you want to feel good when you do it and not have to worry about your body. The same is true for the stuff we all have to do, but may not really love to do (things like doing laundry and yard work or putting away groceries).

Thus, the ultimate purpose of planks is to get better at moving. It makes little sense then to have a core-strengthening program that focuses strictly on the absence of movement. This idea has gotten out of hand to the point where some people erroneously recommend doing only anti-rotation exercises to train rotation. Think about it this way: Sitting behind the wheel of a car that is motionless is not how you learn to drive.

This idea has become popular because some have ascribed to the idea that rotation is “dangerous.” In other news, life is dangerous, so you’d better train for it. Life will ask you to move quickly, randomly and correctly at some point to avoid injury. Proximal strength equals distal power. In other words, strength in the center gives you more powerful, controlled movements.

Keeping still forever in exercise is like staying in first grade forever. You learn planks to be able to do harder things. Planks are very effective for preparing you to do something harder than a plank.

Jonathan Ross | ©2014

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Kill Your Microwave — How and Why I Got Rid of Mine

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Admission: I really wanted to call this post Kill Your Microwave … Before It Kills You! But I didn’t. Because that’s not why I killed my microwave. I don’t think microwaves are dangerous, nor do really believe that microwaving your food necessarily destroys the nutrition therein. Living without a microwave is weird, yes. Inconvenient, sure. But somehow, I love it. Think microwave-freedom might be for you? Here’s everything you need to know.

Why Give Up the Convenience?
For thirty years, I never lived in a home without a microwave.
Like just about every kid who grew up in the 80′s, I have fond memories of Hot Pockets, TV dinners, Toaster Strudels, and personal pizzas coming out of that magic (if constantly dirty) black box after a minute and thirty seconds or so. Even the two fires I started in the microwave (one when I forgot to add water to my Top Ramen, the other when my sister and I tried to reheat a bagel the first time we stayed home alone, and had to evacuate to the neighbor’s house) make for good stories.
I’m not on an anti-microwave crusade. If it’s unhealthy, that remains to be seen — emissions may or may not be any worse than what our cell phones and laptops throw off, and even the “common knowledge” that microwaves destroy more enzymes and nutrients than other cooking methods has been largely refuted.

So why get rid of it?
In my case, a few reasons:
Just like an artist often does better work by limiting herself to only a few tools, without a microwave I make far better food choices.
Lots of foods reheat better by other means, and don’t get rubbery five minutes after reheating.
I have been on a bit of clutter-reducing crusade, and I like our kitchen counter better without the big, unsightly, always-dirty box.
Embracing other mild inconveniences — like not having a smartphone, eliminating paper towels, hand-grinding coffee, and running without GPS or a watch — has often made me happier, even if only as a periodic exercise for a few weeks or months.

How We Ditched the ‘Wave
Just as I used to think, “I’d really like to be vegan, but I could never make it work,” I figured microwave-free living would be impossible, or at least unbearable. That is, until I stayed with Doug a few years ago for a DC Vegfest and saw that he and his fiance made it work, as if it was no big deal at all — exactly the way I had begun to feel about being vegan.
But how to actually cut loose? Should wean ourselves off of the microwave and its glorious convenience? Or just make the leap, and rip off the bandage?
Getting rid of our microwave was actually very easy. We employed a little trick that I borrowed from my minimalist friends, who use a “Maybe” Box to store items they’d like to live without, but that they’re scared to let go of completely: put the stuff you’re not sure about in a box, seal it shut and write the date on it. If you decide you really want something you stuck in there, you can always go get it. If three or six months pass and the item never crosses your mind, get rid of it.
So that’s what we did: put the microwave in the basement.
There were a few times (popcorn) that we wanted to use it. But to lug it up stairs seemed a lot of effort, so we never did. (I think once when my dad was visiting, he actually plugged it in down there and used it.)

A few months later, someone needed a microwave, so we gave it away, and we haven’t wanted one since.
Not unlike finally deciding to give up cheese to go from vegetarian to vegan, living without a microwave seems a lot harder until you just go ahead and do it.

Give it a Try
If you’re intrigued, I say go for it. Stick the microwave in the garage, the basement, or your car — it’s just inconvenient enough to move a microwave (or cook your food out in your garage) that this will nicely do the job of the Maybe box.
If your microwave is mounted in your kitchen and thus unmovable, try committing to a 10-day or 30-day challenge: they avoid the “I’ll never be able to eat/cook/reheat/enjoy [whatever you’re getting rid of] again” problem, in the same way the Maybe box does. Go 10 days without using it, and if you like it, commit to 30.
Do either of these trials, and you’ll quickly discover if living without a microwave is for you. If it’s not, no shame in going back — but even if that’s the result, I believe that self-experiments like this make you better, for what you learn by trying.
– See more at: No Meat Athlete

How To Get Your Best Body & Feel Great Effortlessly

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BY NATHALIE CHANTAL DE AHNA
MARCH 17, 2014 5:07 AM EDT
As a nutritionist and mindfulness coach, I work with people from all over the world who struggle to maintain a healthy weight. Many of them are unhappy and unwell, and they don’t know why. What they all have in common is that they’re frustrated and confused by all the different diets out there. They’re suffering from what I call “diet trauma.”

Raw, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, flexitarian—to name just a few—all these trends are fighting for attention, claiming to solve all your problems while providing long lists of scientific studies (which can prove or disprove anything if you just dig deep enough) to support their cause.

I hear statements like these all the time:

“I’ve been completely gluten-free for months now but I’m still not better.”
“I went raw but it’s damn hard to keep up.”
“All my friends went vegan and every time I buy a steak now I have a guilty conscience.”
While they were once highly motivated to take their health and happiness to the next level, they wound up completely frustrated because they followed a trend which might be a solution but turned out not to be their solution.

Of course, if you are gluten-intolerant you have to go gluten-free.

If you are a vegan with heart and soul, you should never doubt your lifestyle (which is not the diet trend I’m talking about).

But if you “just” want to be better and happier overall, reach a healthy weight, and actually enjoy eating again, here’s what I tell my clients:

1. Stop labeling your diet.

This gives you the freedom to eat whatever your body and mind need without feeling guilty because something wasn’t “vegal” or “paleosher.”

2. Develop your somatic intelligence.

We all have an innate food navigation system which tells us exactly what we—as individuals—need to be genuinely happy & healthy.

Rediscover and develop your somatic intelligence by

Avoiding processed food and eating as naturally and organically as possible.
Having more raw and slightly broken-down food than heavily cooked food.
Eating more plants than animals.
Making your own food instead of buying ready-made.

3. Eat mindfully.

Take your time when you eat. Re-discover what’s on your plate through the eyes of a child. Stop when you are almost full and wait. Your brain will tell you that you’ve had enough after about 20 minutes.

4. Enjoy.

People always think that because I’m a nutritionist my diet is 200% clean. Here’s a “shocking” truth: I had a piece of my Mum’s cheesecake only yesterday and the day before, we made pizza (with gluten!).

And I enjoyed and savored every bite.

I strongly believe that it’s enjoying eating promotes well-being and a healthy weight. That’s why, as long as you are listening to your “somatic antennae” most of the time, it’s perfectly fine to go rogue every now and then.

5. Be grateful.

I’ve got two toddlers who are used to eating fresh veggies and fruit and drinking green smoothies. A while ago my son (he’s five) told me he’d like to have a certain breakfast drink (which is completely processed and full of sugar) every day because some of his friends were allowed to do the same, too.

I didn’t tell my son he couldn’t have that drink.

Instead I asked:

“Do you know why your friends need to stay at home regularly because they don’t feel well, and why you and your sister haven’t been sick in over three years? It’s because of the little warriors in your green smoothies who make sure you stay fit and can play every day.”

The next morning he actually thanked the little warriors in his green smoothie for taking such good care of him and never spoke of that breakfast drink again.

6. Visualize every day.

Genuinely simple, real and organic food is not an enemy. (And please don’t let any diet trend tell you otherwise.) It’s something for which to be grateful.

The above tips are essential to finding a lifestyle (NOT a diet) that promotes well-being, joy, and a healthy weight. Those actions, combined with visualizing the “whole & happy” person you long to be, will help you achieve anything.

Naturally.

Effortlessly.

And completely trauma-free!

For More visit: MindBodyGreen