Lifting Club Newsletter

Sup bros and bras,
So far this term I have been reliably inconsistent with these spammings. I can only hope that I will improve my production of said spammings, but I cannot make any promises because my schedule is just booked with all my extra-curricular activities. Like, all those extra-curricular activity which I do so much… (read: I do no extra-curricular activities and my college application is blank. I say the whiteness of the blank page represents purity, but my mom says it represents my laziness. Agree to disagree.)

Enough of beating around the bush and onto the awesome content (woo-hoo). In case you haven’t noticed, it’s winter term, which means everyone is sick. Sadly, this includes me this year. Yes, even I get sick and it still sucks. Why bring up the misery of illness? Because there is hope. Perhaps some of you have heard of probiotics or at least live active cultures (yogurt products highlight this). What do probiotics/LAC do? They replenish healthy bacteria in the gut, which can be destroyed by diets high in processed grains, sugar, a high omega-6 to omega 3 ratio, and other processed foods. Now, prepare yourself for a serious knowledge bomb: the gastrointestinal tract comprises 75% of the body’s immune system. Methinks gut bacteria may play a role in preventing illness. Now, could there possibly be a study showing probiotics aiding the immune system? Whoop, there it is:

http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/08/17/probiotics-reduce-risk-and-duration-of-cold-and-flu-symptoms-in-children/

The study showed that the use of probiotics significantly decreased the incidence of coughing, fever, and runny noses significantly (the numbers are astounding). So, if you’re still reading this (chances: exceedingly low), you probably want some probiotics and practical advice. The good news is that probiotics are fairly affordable. After I got sick I went down to Whole Foods and got 90 days worth for $30 (in other terms, 2 or 3 nights of ordering out). In the fall, I also got 30 days worth for $11, so you can get a starter pack. Summing things up, for optimum gut health, which is good for your immune system, weight loss (didn’t mention this, but gut health does seem to play a role in weight loss), and for ensuring you’re going number 2 often, do the following:

- Take a quality probiotic supplement daily
- Avoid refined sugar and carbohydrates
- Eat foods that improve the quality of gut health (vegetables, fruits, yogurt, raw fermented foods)
- Avoid foods that you have allergies to
- Take an omega 3 supplement (fish oil, 1-3g EPA+DHA)
- Limit omega 6 intake (no salad dressings with vegetable/soybean oil)

Well, I’m no Sherlock Holmes, but I’m noticing a pattern: eating a diet consistent with our evolutionary past results in optimal health and function. Furthermore, this was long, so I deserve some kind of reward. Maybe a Pulitzer. Perhaps a juicy steak. I’m not too picky.

That’s all for this week, but the next spamming should be equally as awesome with regards to content because I’m going to be talking about barefoot running and I’ll try to convince you that the barefoot movement is more than just a couple of hippies that are still trying to fight the man.

Muchas love,
Palmer

p.s. for more reading about GI health/probiotics, check out the following links:
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/search?q=gut+health
http://brianstpierretraining.com/index.php/gut-health-more-important-than-ever/
http://brianstpierretraining.com/index.php/the-importance-of-probiotics/
http://www.mattmetzgar.com/matt_metzgar/2010/01/a-bit-of-bacteria.html