 By: Matthew Smith, DACM, MSOM, Dipl.Ac., CPT ***Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be used as grounds to claim a cure of any disease. If you are thinking about using an herb, supplement, or therapy of any kind please first consult your primary care provider *** Most of Us Are Not Hunter/Gatherers So you need food, you are not a hunter/gatherer so you are slightly at a loss for the quality of your food. Why? Because now you have to rely on companies to do all the dirty work for you. Good, wholesome, food is essential to your health, but how do we know if it is good for us or not? You have probably heard it a million times, “eat more fruits and vegetables” right? Well sure, that is a really good start. Fruits and vegetables get you necessary dietary fiber, vitamins and nutrients that are essential for your physiological functions. But how do you know the difference between the organic watermelon versus the conventional watermelon versus the packaged and freeze dried watermelon chips? Seems like a perfectly valid option if they are all in fact watermelon in the end right? Well… not exactly… Quick Tip A nice quick tip I like to give my clients is to shop on the outer edges of the grocery store. The reason for this is because most of the whole foods that are available tend to be on the periphery, and most of the processed, packaged foods tend to be placed in the aisles. I am not saying never go into an aisle for some things on the list, but when it comes to real food we are talking about a few staples. Basics As humans we are omnivores by genetic makeup. This means our bodies have the ability to eat both plants and meats. If we go back to the basics, these are what we ultimately need to survive in the world. Unfortunately not everyone today has the ability, time, luxury, or space to tend to a garden for crops or go hunt for meat on a regular basis. Modern day technology has simplified a lot of this for humans, but in many cases, there is reason for caution. Not All Food Is Created Equal Not all food is created equal. Since we may not need to physically grow and forage our own food, in a way we still do at the grocery store or the market. As humans in a modern day society we still need to decipher what foods will make us feel good and ultimately fuel us to go about our daily lives. In the end we can save a lot of time, energy and resources to maintain a job, home, gym memberships and social gatherings with friends. If we need something, we can hop over to the closest store and there is practically a 100% chance you will leave with something along the lines of what you were looking for. Freedom At Last Healthier alternatives are hard to come by these days. Between allergies, food sensitivities and maintaining good taste; that can be a hard combination to create. However, that is an opportunity to create a goldmine for companies. Advertising that states you can eat a food you normally cannot have is an automatic niche market for a company. For example, look at the ingredients on a homemade loaf of wheat bread. They tend to be minimal, but for someone who suffers from celiac disease cannot eat wheat bread. A company that creates a bread that is gluten free, resembles regular wheat bread, and tastes really good automatically interests anyone with a gluten intolerance or allergy. As a result this niche population is ready to buy that product as soon as it hits the shelf regardless if there is a laundry list of ingredients that may not necessarily be in their best interest when it comes to their digestion and health. But it provides that one feeling in the form of a food they have longed for to find for so many years since developing that allergy or intolerance. Freedom at last… Processed Food Advertising This is the game of the processed food market. A company can make more money off of processing a product, creating an enhanced taste, and giving it a fancy looking label to catch your attention. Compare this to a farmer who specializes in selling a handful of crops. You are not going to find the same amount of patented processes for growing a crop (unless it is genetically modified which is a rabbit hole we will save for later), and thus, it is less unique, and as a result, is less of a niche market to sell to. For simplicity sake, a wheat crop is a wheat crop (again, not talking about GMO's here), nothing else. But a wheat cracker with sea salt from the dead sea, rosemary from morocco and sundried tomato from Italy all with under 5 calories per serving sounds a lot more appealing and "healthier" doesn’t it? Well, looks can be deceiving because we did not discuss preservatives, shelf life, rancid oils or nutritionally stripped wheat that may also be in those very crackers. These crackers can be marketed, sold and advertised in a beautiful way to convince you why they are not only unique, but actually healthy for you, without giving you all the information (Santana, M. O., et al, 2020). You Are Your Food Within Two Days Let’s keep it really simple, the less scientific looking names on the food label, the better it is probably going to be for you. Our bodies are designed to digest foods in their natural form. When we focus on processed foods, there are elements that are taken away, altered or added. This may be to remove a certain protein allergy, improve the flavor, or to match a specific calorie goal. It gets very complicated! So what is the point to all this and what happens when we are eating food that we cannot break down? I am sure you have read numerous articles that talk about “you are what you eat” and yes that is actually true. What you eat actually becomes “you” in 35-40 hours (Riccio, P., & Rossano, R., 2019). Let’s put that into perspective for a minute… This means that the snack you ate or the supplement you took, or the drink you consumed, becomes you at a cellular level within two days. Compound this for multiple days, weeks, months and years, and the changes become more and more apparent. This shows in your lab results, and how well you age. You Have The Freedom To Choose Everyone wants to look young, live pain free and ultimately thrive in their lives with the body they have been given. So is it going to be in your best interest to eat from a box or directly from the earth? Well, the choice is ultimately up to you, that is the beauty of having choices. Food should be enjoyed, it should be fun and you should be excited about what you eat! It is a dance between flavor, fuel and happiness. All it takes is a little learning, weighing your options and ultimately choosing what your goals and needs are when it comes to the food you eat. References: Riccio, P., & Rossano, R. (2019). Undigested Food and Gut Microbiota May Cooperate in the Pathogenesis of Neuroinflammatory Diseases: A Matter of Barriers and a Proposal on the Origin of Organ Specificity. Nutrients, 11(11), 2714. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112714 Santana, M. O., Guimarães, J. S., Leite, F., Mais, L. A., Horta, P. M., Bortoletto Martins, A. P., & Claro, R. M. (2020). Analysing persuasive marketing of ultra-processed foods on Brazilian television. International journal of public health, 65(7), 1067–1077. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-020-01456-6
0 Comments
  By: Matthew Sabey Smith, DACM, MSOM, Dipl.Ac., CPT ***Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be used as grounds to claim a cure of any disease. If you are thinking about using an herb, supplement, or therapy of any kind please first consult your primary care provider *** I’ve Been There… Sacroiliac joint pain is something that used to keep me up at night. And we are talking every single night. Not to mention the chronic pain that came along with it during the day. That burning dull ache in the side of my hip that would go to my low back made me want to numb out for a while just to feel nothing. A painkiller was not the route I wanted to take. So maybe you reach for the over the counter NSAIDs or pump in some tylenol or maybe try that Omega 3 supplement your hippie friend suggested and call it a day. Well, when you’re a competitive strength athlete, you are bound to get a little beat up from time to time as your body is adjusting to heavy loads. Musculoskeletal imbalances, shifts in physiological function and everything in between just becomes a part of life as you begin to understand and dive deeper into learning the mechanisms that lead to your strength; or in this case, inhibit it. Something I have encountered time and time again in athletes, clients, and even myself is SacroIliac Joint Pain, also commonly referred to as SI Joint pain or for some this becomes sciatica. Sciatica is when there is pain that runs down the leg due to a disruption present in the sciatic nerve. It commonly only affects one side of the body and can have a number of causes like compression, disc herniation, or stenosis just to name a few (Mayo Clinic, 2021). What Is The Root Cause Of All This? While there are many causes, it is not out of the question for other factors to be at play that lead to this condition over time. My question became, “what is the root problem creating all this?” The reason I write both about SI joint pain and sciatica together is because they actually have a lot in common, and I am also here to say there is something you can do about it. Dare I say, there are also ways to prevent it as well. (Insert “GASP!”) So, let’s keep it simple for a minute. Typically when there is pain in this area, there is a lack of hip alignment. Your hips can get thrown off for a number of reasons. Many would point out if you are a side sleeper, if you sit on your wallet, or if you slump to one side sitting or standing, cross one leg over the other etc. The mechanisms are endless and sometimes it can be as simple as an adjustment to realign your hips again. There Is More To The Story But what about when that isn’t the whole story? Why was there a relaxation to allow our hips to get misaligned? Now say in the scenario you get your hips aligned every week from someone like the chiropractor. It probably makes you feel better and truthfully it probably really is helping with your healing process (I can speak from first hand experience and also when speaking to personal friends who are chiropractors). When something is out of place, it is important to put it back. Makes sense right? But what do we do to prevent it? We could sleep different, walk different, sit different, but in a scenario where none of that keeps us aligned (because we have repetitive patterns in life), we need to dig deeper. Now truthfully, I utilize chiropractors often, I have had wonderful success combining methods together and I must say, chiropractic care has been a big part of it, but not all of it. I Just Wanted Answers You see, when I was in my early twenties, spending my full training time as an Olympic Weightlifter, I had this endless dull ache in my right hip. It never seemed to go away, but I would at least get some relief when I was actively moving. Certain exercises would really set it off which meant I had to gear up to be in pain for weeks to “train through it.” But there was a lot I didn’t know about when it came to the cause of my pain outside of simply a structural imbalance. It turns out, there was more to the story; a lot more to the story. At this point I was in pain pretty much all the time. No matter what I did, my day usually ended with my massage my muscles with some hard trying to break up “scar tissue and tightened fascia.” While this actually was likely true, there was a deeper reason it was tight. I just did things like I thought everyone else did. I would roll out, warm up, lift, cool down and go about my day. Stretching was something I heard was good for me so I threw some of that in there too but it was kind of this extra casual thing. As I investigated further I found that my Quadratus Lumborum or “QL” was often tight on the same side my hip hurt. So I found it interesting how my pain seemed to move between my low back, my hip and sometimes down my hamstring. The reason this pain was occurring was due to something no doctor would have been able to tell me other than, tight muscles and fascia, “you should probably take it easy and try stretching.” I Dove Into Traditional Chinese Medicine So now we fast forward, and here I am out of my chronic sacroiliac joint pain. So what made the difference? To tell you the truth, it was more holistic than I would have ever realized. As I went through my doctoral training in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM for short), I came across a podcast that got my gears turning. (It was an episode on the Qiological podcast if you are curious.) It was talking about the connection between the kidney channel system and sciatica. This thought led me down a rabbit hole of investigation and further observation, not only for myself, but for folks I worked with. Since then I have taken note both in myself and in clients and it turns out I have found several common underlying triggers that tend to dictate an expression of sacroiliac joint pain. But, before I explain that, let me teach you a bit about TCM and pain first. Understanding Pain As Stagnation In traditional Chinese medicine we refer to pain as stagnation. Essentially this means that when something is “stagnant,” it creates a disruption in the body. Pain is your body saying, “danger danger” which is why it exists, it is a survival response. So, using an example of muscular pain with traditional Chinese medicine, we want to create more flow of “blood and qi.” To explain this more simply, we want to bring more blood, lymph, and nutrients to an area, relax the tightened muscles and fascia as well as improve the signaling communication with the brain. This is a reason something like acupuncture, tui na, gua sha, moxibustion, cupping etc are so effective over time because it is actively healing the present and underlying condition. But this is also something that takes time, it requires upkeep and nurturing to truly heal from anything. The Gallbladder and Urinary Bladder? NO! I Said My Hip Hurts! Back to the case of sacroiliac joint pain however, I have found that this usually breaks down to a relationship between the Gallbladder channel and the Urinary Bladder channel (The Gallbladder channel runs down the side of the leg and up the ribcage and the Urinary Bladder channel runs down the back of the leg and continues up the back). What does that mean and why does this matter? It means I was able to trace back my symptoms that related to these “channels” and it always seemed to explain the pattern of why myself or someone else was experiencing pain relating to their sacroiliac joint when laboratory scans showed that there was seemingly nothing wrong. The most common thread between the clients was either liver qi stagnation or a deficiency in kidney qi. So… what does that mean and how does it relate to sacroiliac joint pain or even sciatica? Well, this is a common thread that allows the hips to become misaligned. In TCM we explain things in meridian (aka channel) systems. To make it simple, there are “meridians” that we learn that run throughout the body that have certain acupuncture points. Each of these meridians and points have common symptoms associated with them. They are very specific which is why a well trained Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine needs at least 5 years of schooling after 4 years of undergraduate schooling. Conveniently, in TCM each organ is paired with another. For the sake of our understanding here, we are going to reference how the Kidney pairs with the Urinary bladder and the Liver pairs with the Gallbladder. This is where it gets interesting to see the relationships. A couple common symptoms of liver qi stagnation include side pain, vertex or temporal headaches, upper back/neck pain, waking up to urinate between 1-3am, PMS symptoms, commonly feeling frustration or having outbursts of anger. In a simple way we can also refer to these in an umbrella term as stress. Ok, stick with me now. Endocrinology & Chronic Stress It is well known that chronic stress is not healthy for any of us, you can see it in research anywhere (Kanczkowski, W., et al., 2017). But where does the kidney/urinary bladder system fit into all of this? Well, let’s use endocrinology to help us out in relation to an actual kidney! A common hormone many have heard of is cortisol. Cortisol plays many important roles in the body but many associate its imbalance with stress. In short when we become stressed the adrenal cortex follows the direction of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis to produce more cortisol (Thau, L. et al., 2021). If the stress is not regulated then cortisol will continue to produce which can lead to chronic disease. So how does this relate to the kidneys again? The adrenal cortex sits directly on top of the kidneys within the adrenal glands. Now if we also combine chronic stress with caffeine consumption, now we are asking our body to produce even more cortisol (Lovallo, W. R., et al., 2005)! Do you see a pattern yet? Chronic stress over time creates more work for the kidneys over time, thus decreasing its ability to function properly. An Understanding of the Root Cause Can Lead To More Predictable Symptoms The urinary bladder pairs with the kidney in TCM. So by treating the kidney, we help the pain that follows the Urinary Bladder channel. And by treating the liver, we help the pain that follows the Gallbladder channel. If we use channels to relate to structure, when one organ system does not function normally, it’s channel suffers. As a result it is another channel that needs to pick up the slack. This is why the Gallbladder channel and Urinary Bladder channel have this relationship in sacroiliac joint pain. When one suffers (exhibits symptoms that relate to it), the other channel needs to do more work to maintain structure and alignment! (For Practitioners: This is why tight muscles and ashi points are so easily found along one of these channels in a patient with sacroiliac joint pain or sciatica) So what is the big conclusion from all this? From a TCM perspective it can easily be explained that when there are no structural issues present, sacroiliac joint pain or sciatica could be as simple as too much stress in your life (in a very very simplified way of explaining it). This is why I use both TCM and biomedicine to explain this. Remember, this is something I used to deal with on a daily basis for several years with no known patterns I could find. I never knew why some days were better than others. But, these symptoms were at their worst during the most stressful time in my life and it turns out, I had a lot of the symptoms that related to liver qi stagnation which led to my kidneys becoming overly taxed. What Ultimately Brought Me The Relief & Prevention I Was Looking For So here is how I made my sacroiliac joint pain go away and continue to prevent it from coming back.
It Is About The Marathon, Not The Sprint This may sound like a lot of work but it was lifestyle changes that needed to occur in order to truly heal from my chronic pain. As soon as I decided I wanted to be out of pain, I was ready to make whatever changes were necessary to become free of it. This was a marathon, not a sprint. This is not something that will happen overnight. It is important to recognize how the human body is endlessly interconnected. It is impractical to ignore signs and symptoms while expecting them to mysteriously go away. If you catch it early and implement simple changes in the beginning, you save yourself from spending a lot of money, experiencing a lot more pain and sacrificing your quality of life in the long run. References: Colten, H. R., & Altevogt, B. M. (2006). Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation: An unmet public health problem. Institute of Medicine. Hirshkowitz, M., Whiton, K., Albert, S. M., Alessi, C., Bruni, O., DonCarlos, L., Hazen, N., Herman, J., Katz, E. S., Kheirandish-Gozal, L., Neubauer, D. N., O'Donnell, A. E., Ohayon, M., Peever, J., Rawding, R., Sachdeva, R. C., Setters, B., Vitiello, M. V., Ware, J. C., & Adams Hillard, P. J. (2015). National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep health, 1(1), 40–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010 Kanczkowski, W., Sue, M., & Bornstein, S. R. (2017). The adrenal gland microenvironment in health, disease and during regeneration. HORMONES, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.14310/horm.2002.1744 Lovallo, W. R., Whitsett, T. L., al'Absi, M., Sung, B. H., Vincent, A. S., & Wilson, M. F. (2005). Caffeine stimulation of cortisol secretion across the waking hours in relation to caffeine intake levels. Psychosomatic medicine, 67(5), 734–739. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000181270.20036.06 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2020, August 1). Sciatica. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sciatica/symptoms-causes/syc-20377435#:~:text=Sciatica%20refers%20to%20pain%20that,one%20side%20of%20your%20body. Thau L, Gandhi J, Sharma S. Physiology, Cortisol. [Updated 2021 Feb 9]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538239/  Health & Human Performance Coach, Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Professor, and competitive strength athlete, Matthew Sabey Smith DACM, MSOM, Dipl.Ac,, CPT is the owner and founder of Strength Smith Training Systems LLC. With an extensive background in integrative holistic health, training and coaching, Dr. Matt uses his knowledge to help individuals improve their training, boost their recovery and maintain optimal balance as they chase their athletic, fitness and health endeavors.
  Discussions on The Differences Between Sweeteners By: Matthew Smith, DACM, MSOM ***Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be used as grounds to claim a cure of any disease. If you are thinking about using an herb, supplement, or therapy of any kind please first consult your primary care provider *** Introduction: Are You Aware? Are you aware of the sweeteners that you consume on a daily basis? Well it may be a good idea to start. You see, we have natural sweeteners, processed sweeteners, and even sweeteners that can create toxic buildup and inflammation in the body. Diet drinks, longer-lasting flavors, sweeteners that can relate to migraines, spikes in glucose leading to insulin resistance, and organic sweeteners that are straight up lies in the “sweet” industry. Seven Tips To Sweeteners Simply growing awareness about the sweeteners you are consuming is good enough to start on the right track. Here are some basic tips to start: One If it isn't part of a food normally, in its natural state, it probably is not going to benefit you and thus has been processed. Unless the product specifically says it is unrefined then it has likely been processed which is not in your best interest. Two Organic does not mean unrefined when it comes to sweeteners. Organic cane sugar isn't as good as it sounds since organic cane sugar is not the same thing as unrefined organic cane sugar. Unrefined organic cane sugar means it has not been processed. Regular organic cane sugar however, still can be processed even though it has an organic label on it. Three There are sweeteners that exist that do not spike your glucose levels. Sweeteners such as Stevia, Erythritol, Monk Fruit Extract, Xylitol, do not spike your glucose levels. But, that does not mean they have not been processed. While all these sweeteners may be a potentially better alternative, unless they specifically say unrefined, you are still eating a processed food product that may have a chemical composition that was tampered with. Four Only consume any sweetener in moderation. The diet is about balance and if you are facing cravings then you are likely dealing with an imbalance that needs to be addressed. Five Sugar is sugar even in its most natural state for example, fruit sugar like fructose in an apple. It is still going to act like sugar in your body, raise your glucose level, and create the necessary physiological effects for survival and proper absorption. Six We need glucose sugar to survive. Seven We do not need to get sugars from sweeteners in order to maintain healthy amounts in our blood. The Bottom Line Is This... The bottom line is this, sweet things exist and we get hooked on them. It is a mastery of the food industry to get us hooked on the processed foods that cost more money but end up putting more money in their pockets as a result. This is just basic consumerism. If people like it they want more and more of it. There is more of a turn of profit that comes from a patented product rather than a whole plant food that comes from a farm in its completely natural state. The point is, these products can be deceiving, making you think it is a healthier choice when in reality it may not be as good as you think. Do your research and find what suits you best. Just because it may say it is healthier on the label does not necessarily mean it comes without side effects that you could be unaware of over time.   Health & Human Performance Coach, Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, professor, and competitive strength athlete, Matthew Sabey Smith DACM, MSOM, Dipl.Ac,, CPT is the owner and founder of Strength Smith Training Systems LLC. With an extensive background in integrative holistic health, training and coaching, Dr. Matt uses his knowledge to help individuals improve their training, boost their recovery and maintain optimal balance as they chase their athletic, fitness and health endeavors.
|
Topics
All
Archives
March 2022
Author:Health & Human Performance Coach, Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, professor, and competitive strength athlete, Matthew Sabey Smith DACM, MSOM, LAc., Dipl.Ac,, CPT is the owner and founder of Strength Smith Training Systems LLC. With an extensive background in integrative holistic health, training and coaching, Dr. Matt uses his knowledge to help individuals improve their training, boost their recovery and maintain optimal balance as they chase their athletic, fitness and health endeavors. |
RSS Feed