Total Gym

Tara’s Friday Bite – Exploring the Paleo Diet

Unless you are actually living in a cave, you have probably heard of the Paleo Diet – a.k.a. the Caveman Diet, Hunter-Gatherer Diet, Primal Diet, etc. The basic concept behind this way of eating is to mimic the food our hunter and gatherer ancestors ate. The idea is that many of the diseases that we are currently experiencing in our culture are enhanced by the relatively new introduction of grains, beans, dairy, and processed carbohydrates.

Here’s a look at what you would be eating on the Paleo Diet:

This diet may seem quite restricting to some, and to others it’s the cleanest way to eat. Let’s explore the Pros and Cons:

Pros:  When followed correctly, the Paleo Diet can be extremely healthy. Although you are cutting out many food groups that have become mainstream in our culture, you can still get all of the important nutrients from what is found in the “Can Eat” food groups. By removing the grains and processed food from your diet, you are almost guaranteed to lose body fat as well as reduce the risk and symptoms associated with diabetes and high blood pressure.This diet may seem quite restricting to some, and to others it’s the cleanest way to eat. Let’s explore the Pros and Cons:

Cons:  The majority of the cons revolve around logistics. Let’s face it, we are very much a starchy carbohydrate-based culture (which isn’t necessarily a good thing), so the burden is going to be on you to prepare and think ahead. People also tend to focus more on the protein portion of this diet than the vegetables, which can lower their fiber intake. Remember, our ancestors spent much more of their time gathering than hunting!

Recommendations:  As I said earlier, the Paleo Diet can be an extremely healthy way of eating, so if you are interested, give it a try! Here are a few suggestions to make your experiment easier:

Make sure you are eating enough! When we eliminate any food group from our diet, we usually don’t replace it and tend to eat less. This may seem like a good thing, but if you go too low in calories you are going to start to have cravings and end up falling off the wagon. Make sure to set yourself up for success by eating enough!

Plan ahead. Always make sure to have a snack that fits your Paleo plan on you. This way if you find yourself in a situation where there isn’t anything on your diet available to eat or you’re just plain hungry, you can get something into you before your hunger takes control!

A special note for endurance athletes and fitness enthusiasts:

Although there are some elite athletes who have excelled on this type of a plan, many have a tough time ensuring their bodies are properly fueled for endurance activity. If you are training for an event, I suggest adding in whole grains, beans or potatoes ONLY to your post-workout meal. This will refuel your short-term energy stores and increase your recovery time.

I also suggest if you are sweating a lot that you add a little sodium to your diet. The typical Paleo Diet is around 700mg of sodium, which may be too low if you are losing a lot of sodium during your workouts. As long as you don’t have high blood pressure, don’t be afraid to add a little salt to your meals on intense training days!

Have questions about the Paelo Diet and if it’s right for you? Leave a Reply below and Tara will answer your question.

Tara Coleman www.taracoleman.com

Tara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist in San Diego, CA. She blogs twice a month with “Tara’s Friday Bite.” Leave us your comments with ideas for future topics or email Tara directly attara@taracoleman.com.

Total Gym Weekly Workout – Upper Body Burn

Summer may be coming to an end, but who says you and your clients can’t have great arms for fall! GRAVITY Master Trainer Michael Steel offers his tips to progress upper body exercises on Total Gym with a series of short and long lever movements to really turn up the burn!

Watch this video for Michael’s exclusive training tips:

In PT with Jessie Carter – Do You Pee Pee When You Hee Hee?

By: Jessie Carter, Physical Therapist

When I first started treating women’s health issues, I advertised my services by putting flyers on the doors of women’s bathroom stalls. I thought these were the most professional, eye-catching flyers ever made. They explained that physical therapy could help with incontinence, pelvic pain, frequency (going to the bathroom a lot), and on and on. After all, I was passionate about these topics…wasn’t everyone else? I sat back and waited for the phone to ring …

Nothing. Evidently nobody looks forward to telling a stranger they have accidents. Then I started asking my patients, “How long did it take you to tell your doctor you were having bladder issues?” That opened the flood gates (no pun intended). I got answers ranging from a few months up to 20 years. Patients told me they thought leakage was normal.

I now make a point to talk to all of my patients (male and female) about how to properly perform pelvic floor contractions or Kegel exercises. These are the same muscles we use to stop the flow of urine. Ironically, contracting these muscles also helps recruit the inner most abdominal layer or transverse abdominis muscles. The pelvic floor muscles along with transverse abdominis are key core muscles. I encourage all patients to contract the pelvic floor muscles when exerting on the Total Gym to stabilize the spine and pelvis appropriately. While it may seem basic, this simple contraction can not only intensify the workout but have a tremendous impact on someone’s life.

Watch this video for an example of a Total Gym exercise to help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

If you’ve noticed leakage when you work out or jump on a trampoline, you’re not alone. Research studies differ but statistics show women may have as much as a 1 in 2 chance of experiencing leakage at some point in their lives and only 1 in 5 ever seek treatment. Men are not immune and may experience leakage after prostate surgery. Several studies have even looked at the incidence of leakage in special populations such as female soldiers and athletes – the incidence of incontinence may be higher in these groups.

The good news is that treatment is available. The better news is that conservative approaches (i.e. exercises, changing behavior, and retraining the pelvic floor muscles) have been found to be among the most effective treatments for incontinence. Don’t be a statistic – we all should be able to run without fear of wetting our pants and hee hee without the pee pee.

Happy Rehabbing!

Jessie Carter is the owner of High Pointe Rehab in Clarksville, TN, where she utilizes Total Gym for physical therapy and fitness training to offer the full continuum of patient care. Jessie is a 2001 graduate of the University of Evansville (UE) in Evansville, IN, where she earned both her BS and Master’s degrees in physical therapy. Contact Jessie at jessie@highpointetn.com with your questions or ideas for future topics.