Category: Viewpoints

Wellness and Medicine

As healthy as I am, sometimes even the Iron Guru needs the help of our high tech, high cost medical professionals.  So was the case these last few months as I was trying my best to avoid surgery for Ulnar nerve entrapment.

As it turns out, arthritic built up around the nerve was the cause of the entrapment, and there were no holistic alternatives to surgery.  The doctors and staff that was needed to have this surgical procedure go as planned, all did a fine job.  I won’t be back to heavy training for another four weeks, but I’ll utilize the layoff for a little R and R.

There is however, a gap between professional medicine and a holistic lifestyle.  Prior to this surgery, I would eat a small meal every hour; I regularly consume a large array of vitamins and minerals; I also consume low levels of caffeine in the form of a pre workout drink, seven days a week.  Nor do I use any anti-inflammatories or medicines of any kind. And that’s where the problem is.

When I was given my pre-op instructions, I was told to eliminate all my supplements and caffeine drinks five days prior to surgery.  And as the surgery schedule turned out, I didn’t drink water or eat for thirteen hours!  Needless to say by time I got to the OR, I had a headache, nausea, and my blood pressure was far from normal!  I understand the medical reasons behind it all, but for those of us who follow a healthy lifestyle, it’s a dramatic change.  I felt very fatigued for two days after the surgery. They also had me pick up some serious pain medication, which I have no intention of using.

So if possible, avoid surgery at all costs, but if it’s necessary, start backing off on supplements and caffeine a week prior so it won’t be such a dramatic change.

It has been said to never talk about religion or politics among friends. Have you ever asked yourself why? The answer is quite simple: the position the speaker assumes will be based on their subjective opinion, and will represent the position that best suits their needs. Let’s skip religion for this discussion and look at the current presidential campaign. When a politician is asked for their opinion on a topic that affects others, do you think any of the candidates are looking out for your best interests? Do you see any candidates praising or giving credit for any actions taken by the opposing candidates? In contrast, they will say anything to tarnish or destroy their opponent’s credibility and bolster their own.

Why is someone’s personal opinion so caustic in conversation? It all stems from fear: fear that someone else may be better than you, richer than you, smarter than you. This can all be reversed when we reawaken ourselves to the fact that every person you see in your life is actually you. Each person has taken a roll in your life to teach you something. It will be an earthly lesson, but with a spiritual meaning. Have you ever felt the pain within you when you were angry at someone else? You were angry at yourself and that is why it hurt. When you do something out of love for someone, you feel great because you are showing love to yourself. So the next time someone asks for your opinion, before you answer, consider how your answer will affect them and not just yourself.

Throughout life, we will experience changes that can make things better, and sometimes make things worse. Nowhere is it more evident than in the field of health and fitness. The term “Health and Fitness” can mean a myriad of things, but it generally refers to a state of well-being. This level of fitness can be accomplished in many ways… Or can it?

One thing that has not changed in countless centuries is how the human body functions. In the simplest of terms, we need food, water, and oxygen. Once we have those essentials in place, we can find ways to improve on how we use those resources. Since the 1950’s, we have certainly learned much about nutrition and the importance of proteins, carbohydrates, and heart-healthy fats. Researchers have also shown us the importance of drinking ample amounts of pure water daily. Thanks to environmentalists, we now have cleaner air which is also important for optimal health. Where I see a problem is with some of the latest exercise trends, here’s why.

The body has not changed the way it develops muscle or burns fat since the beginning of mankind. Once all the essentials that I spoke of earlier are in place, changing how you look is easy. To improve your strength, change the shape of your muscles, or burn fat, you simply need resistance training. Call it “old school”, but resistance weight training is all you need. I spoke earlier about changes. The advances we have made in nutrition and medicine have for the most part been good. What has changed that is not so good, is how people have gotten away from the basics of resistance weight training. Training methods such as interval training that require jumping from one exercise to another, or DVD’s that utilize a specific machine that can “do it all”, or a “ten minute” workout using little or no resistance, are attempts at trying to find an easier way for people to exercise. It doesn’t work that way. Just because you don’t have time to weight train, or you don’t enjoy weight training, it is not going to change how the body operates. You must build a foundation of strength and muscle balance before you can venture out into other training methods. Let me explain.

I have nothing against some of the new types of training modalities, they do serve a purpose. But just as if you were building a house, you don’t put the walls up first, you lay the foundation. If you don’t follow the proper sequence when building a house, there will be an inevitable collapse. When training your body without following the proper sequence, minimal progress or injury is likely to follow. Before jumping into some new fad of training, check out my IRON GURU Personal Fitness Training section.