Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Coffee and Gluten Cross Reactivity

Hi! Wednesday morning here.....and I'm preparing for my departure flight from caffeine tomorrow. As usual before a flight, I'm feeling excited about where I'm planning on going and a bit nervous about the possible turbulent journey. Even during times of smooth flight, I catch myself totally clenched in preparation for the "possible" bumps.  I have gotten better over the years with simply taking deep breaths and knowing that if the plane goes down, well, then it goes down...I probably won't remember it once I make it to the other side! I know...kinda grim, but it's the best I could come up with and it has helped so far. Now, don't get me wrong...I am not afraid of dying during this trip through caffeine elimination, actually quite the opposite..looking forward to feeling free of addiction to something that ultimately makes me feel worse. Looking forward to waking up feeling GOOD without a stimulant. I do realize that some folks are not as sensitive as I. Call it a blessing and a curse. I remember even as a child being extremely sensitive to others. I could feel what they felt. Was a lot to work with as a child..and now that has transferred into other sensitivities. It is a gift in a way that I can be with others and they feel free to share with me things that maybe others wouldn't be so sensitive to, allowing them a space to open up and cleanse some personal things. People feel free to talk to me, they feel safe. I love talking with people about real life things...I don't do fluff very well. If you ask me how I am doing....be prepared to hear how I am doing......for real! Into my adult years it has been more and more apparent that certain food/beverage items irritate my being. My body which directly affects my mind and my spirit. So, I mentioned in my post yesterday that I had seen a holistic doc and had some tests done. Well, my actual diagnosis was Celiac Disease and Hypothyroidism. Auto Immune hypothyroid. Auto-immune diseases happen when the immune system is over active and starts attacking another part of your body. I had been treating myself with my prescribed program and as I said was feeling much better. Started adding things back, which I know better than to add wheat or grains and such but coffee I just couldn't believe, or truly did not want to believe could be so much of a hindrance to my health. I have been researching a  bit and have discovered that coffee is the highest potentially cross reactive with gluten...meaning, the immune system reacts to the coffee like it would to gluten. NO WONDER I feel like I did before I started my treatment. Makes sense now. Man......I remember reading about it before but I must have promptly removed that from my memory files because I was not ready to hear that. For those of you who may not know what gluten is or Celiac Disease...gluten is the protein in wheat and many other grains and is also disguised by many different names and in foods that may not be apparent such as sauces, spices, etc...many people do not tolerate it and since bloated bellies and gas and abdominal discomfort are "normal" now most people don't think to find out what causes it until something else goes really wrong. Celiac Disease is what happens to the small intestine when these foreign invaders keep being ingested even against is many cries for you to STOP eating it. It damages the villi....which are there to aid digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Ok, enough about that, if you need more info (most of america does) comment on this post and we'll get you informed!
I am nervous about tomorrow but mostly because I have clients to see tomorrow. I will do my best. I have tea in case of emergency.....
This is actually a good time in my life and schedule to be taking on this endeavor. I do have the needed time and space to rest if I need to. proceed with caution...
                                                          DESTINATION

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Kickin' Caffeine in the Butt!!




So we've just entered into a New Moon cycle in Virgo on Sunday August 28th....will go through September 22nd.  Apparently this new moon cycle is a great time to de-clutter our life! Home, health, work...old habits that no longer serve us, old thought patterns that aren't even true, and even things we take into our bodies that may not support us in a way that keeps us feeling good and moving forward. So, I've decided to use this Universal force to help me break a long time habit that I have often wondered what I might feel like without it...Caffeine. Honestly, I do not even have conscious awareness of myself before I started consuming caffeine. We always had it as kids in the form of  sodas and tea...then at the age of 17 I had my first morning cup of coffee. : ) And being that age I made candy coffee..LOTS of cream and LOTS of sugar. And OH did I fly that day! I still remember like it was yesterday. I am currently 34....almost 35. Every day since then I have had my coffee in the morning and then some except on rare occasions. So rare that I don't even recall the experience...must not have been noteworthy! About a year ago I was facing some tough health challenges...finally facing them. My health had declined to the point that I was just very sensitive to many things in my current diet. Coffee made me feel terrible! The last day I drank it I felt so bad I could not move! I thought I would never drink it again! So, on to tea. Tea was nice...I like it, it sufficed my caffeine need. But I did not ever LOVE it like I did coffee.
I finally went to a Holistic Dr. this year to help me get some clarity on what exactly was going on inside my body. Everything she told me I had had a feeling about but just kept living in denial...trying to be like other people who could seemingly eat and drink whatever they wanted and not suffer ill effects. Getting some tests and the professional help was exactly what I needed. And off I went on my healing journey! And I got better.. so much better I decided to start drinking coffee again. Yeah, makes perfect sense doesn't it??!! I thought so.
I was very cautious at the beginning..only one cup, not first thing in the morning, had food in my belly to help absorb it...yeah yeah yeah, didn't take long to be full blown fein once again! I've been trying to be easy on myself about it and enjoy it....and enjoy it I have! But I have also noticed some things that aren't necessarily great. Crashes after the high, swollen legs, and belly, weight gain, increased appetite and sugar cravings, dehydration and my skin is really oily again (something that had balanced out). And yes, it's a good idea to have things in moderation. There are those items that are easily moderated for me and then there are those things that are not easily moderated for me. This is one of them! I have to say that when I first started back I noticed the dehydration, sugar cravings and leg swelling immediately. The rest have been over a period of a couple months.

I have decided to take myself on an adventure. I am going to see what life is like caffeine free. I have done many cleanses in the past and none have frightened me....but this one......this one feels daunting. Even more of a reason to take a peek at what lies beneath. I am pretty well studied in nutrition and know how to feed my body properly, how to exercise regularly and stay hydrated, rest and reduce stress. I am ahead of the game in a lot of ways compared to many folks who may be wanting to quit an addictive substance without knowing how to nourish the body...and soul. 
My plan is to start this Thursday September 1st and go for at least 30 days. I plan on writing during this time for a few reasons......making a commitment to myself is one thing, putting it out there to the world is another...I think it will help me filter through this process and hopefully if it turns out well, will help someone else! Stay tuned! 

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

MOVE, EXERCISE, DANCE, EXERT, WHATEV

Hello again, we hope things are well in your world.....Things are great on this end, although it has been a challenge getting back into the working-rhythm.  We had a great time at the beach! We hit Jamaica Beach, TX, down on Galveston Island.  I didn't really know what to expect because I'd never been on that side of the gulf, but trust me, it was gorgeous.  We had fun, relaxed, ate good food (actually cooked quite a bit ourselves), made it to the beach a lot.......already thinking about heading back next summer!
Oh yeah, we did find time to fit in a few workouts..........
Not to bore you guys but our beach workouts were actually accomplished under the beach house and involved:  pushups, random TRX moves (www.fitnessanywhere.com), burpees, jump squats, split-lunge jumps, bulgarian split-squats, pull-ups, lunges, yada yada yada......point being:  we made due with the things we had around us, and aside from the TRX suspension trainer, all we had were our minds and body weight.  We had fun, we did it together, and both felt better after we got some body movement in.
This leads me to a critical point, and this is about me and my unique self.  I (Keith) don't feel well when I go without (not going to call it exercise or workout here) moving my body for extended periods.  I have to set some designated time aside and set a routine where I push my body with a series of moves that makes me work.  It does as much good for my mind as it does my muscle fibers. I think others, and I know Jami is like me on this, have similar experiences if they don't move.  It's in our DNA, baby, we have to MOVE OURSELVES! Back when cavemen were running around or even people who worked on farms, on the land (all of our ancestors), physical movement of your body could be seen in all facets of life.  Your feet were your transportation and your body was your work instrument.  People used to work, man! There wasn't the 9 to 5 sit in your spring-loaded office chair, sipping coffee, reading TMZ.com, falling asleep in boring sales meetings, and reading TPS reports.....Naw...People had to move their bodies or there was no food, people had to walk or run to get where they were going or escape danger, people had to use their bodies to build shelters, people had to move and use their bodies for protective purposes (even using their bodies as weapons).  Movement was not an elective occurrence, it meant survival.
Now, I'm not degrading people who work in office cubicles or even our overall occupational society and lifestyle enhancements; I'm just making the point that our bodies don't care about any of that.  Our bodies don't know it's 2011, it still has the internal desire to want to move.  Moving it properly keeps it strong, healthy, and running strong.  It's like a machine and you have to let that engine run.  That's what it was designed to do.  We've all had that GREAT feeling after completing a challenging exercise or body movement session.  We love to make accomplishments where we exert our bodies.  It's great for the mind! If you haven't experienced any of this yet, stop reading, turn off your computer, and go move your body!! If you lack the motivation call me, or a friend, or anyone that can motivate you to MOVE.
Back to another point, I truly feel that not much has changed over time, movement of your body still is your key to survival.  You may not have to outrun a saber-toothed tiger in today's age, but you may need your strength to handle some uncertain feat...things happen...? But, also, exercise can help prevent so many of the common diseases that ail so many Americans.  Any dude that finished med school could tell you that, even if he does have a pharmaceutical company bankrolling his families 2 week vacation to Hawaii every year.  Corporate Mind-Control over healthcare aside,  maybe it's not such a choice these days either......
Think about it......and while you're thinking, drop down and give me 10.....  

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Money Makers and Spontaneous Combustion

It's so HOT! I'm not telling you anything that you don't already know, but I'm hoping for a break in the heat. 
I tried running last Saturday around 2pm; the air was thick - hard to breathe and it was too hot, had to mix in some walking even though I only made it a little over 2 miles.  Let me say, and this is important, I do not recommend you run at this time of day in this heat, ever.......kind of psycho really.  I can only imagine what these cars thought when they saw this dude running down the road.  It's cool though, I've been called crazy before, numerous times and actually many things else much worse along the way.

Now, yesterday  I had a pretty kick-ass workout, thus part of the title.  A friend of mine, Dr. Johnston, a doctor up at the hospital received his medical training in the Navy.  Let me just say that he has given me great workouts, ideas, and PDF exercise papers all from Navy Seals.  These guys are the real deal; you probably could have guessed that.  Tough, creative in their exercises, and a little crazy (maybe a lot crazy).  No denying they are some badasses that I'd want saving mine or my families' asses anytime it was necessary. 

So Money Makers are an exciting combination of a few great exercises all rolled into one; like a hellacious, sweaty burrito of an exercise made especially for you by your old P.E. teacher.  These will make a man out of you, even if you're a woman.  So, watch out!!!! First, you grab some dumbbells (DBs), I had 15lbers in each paw (it was enough at the time for me).  Start out with a squat thrust, drop into a squat and thrust your legs back into a pushup position.  Perform a pushup, then do a Renegade Row, rowing each DB to each side by your ribcage one-at-a-time while in plank position.  After the row, jump legs back into squat position, stand up, biceps curl DBs, and then shoulder press the DBs.  Repeat 11 more times.  Really gets the ticker ticking for sure.  I hope you enjoy them!

So, Fridays workout:  Money Makers 12 reps x 3, Pullups 10 x 4, Front BB Squat (115lbs) 10 x 4, Elbow to Knees hanging from Pullup bar 12 x 3, Burpees (good ole burpees) 12 x 3, Box Deadlifts w/ 85lb DB 12 x 4.

Saturdays workout:  TRX Incline Pushup 12 x 2, TRX Chest Fly 12 x 2, Medicine-Ball Pushups 12 x 2,
Bosu Ball Cross-Over Pushups 5 ea. side x 1, Plyometric Pushups 10 x 5, Narrow-Grip Cable Rows 10 x 5, Medicine-Ball Slams 12 x 5, BB Bench Press (195lbs) 5 x 5, Bench DB Goblet Split-Squat 10 ea. side x 4, Power-Wheel Alligator Walk Staggered Pushups for distance (as many as I could stand) x 3.



Some good work these past two days; now need to go lay some mulch.  But first.....

I would like to remind you guys of something that can slow me down at times, it's called negative self-talk, and it's something that can stop the progress that we make cold in their tracks.  Don't allow your mind to do this to you.  Keep your thoughts positive, your mental fitness strong and healthy.  At times we can be our own worst enemy making up "stinkin-thinkin" that is so far away from what is true about us.  Stay true to your dreams, set goals, and do the action that it takes to eventually achieve these goals. Believe in yourself and stay positive!


Be well,
AnthroFit