Dr. S's top 5 tips for Gorgeous Muscles

In clinical practice, I incorporate a lot of muscle work with both the chiropractic and acupuncture work  I do. I strongly believe with *real* health care you cannot just look at something (like a spine, for example) as a separate entity, divorced from its surroundings and relationships with other structures (like muscles, ligaments,fascia, etc).

It is like a great outfit.  What exactly makes a great outfit, well...great? 

Is it the shoes?  Well, partly, yes.  Is it the accessories?  Uh-huh.  But its also the clothes, the makeup, and the attitude of the person.  All these smaller parts put together make for the greatness of the said great outfit.

 Like a fabulous outfit, a healthy spine cannot just be one thing.  It is the overall package - the movement of the individual bones in the spine, the muscles on both sides of it, the integrity of supporting ligaments, the disc health, nutrition, fitness levels, psychological stress, etc. 

So I want to talk today about how to up the gorgeousness-factor of your muscles. 

1. Chill out and relax.

This is soooo important!!!  You absolutely have to find time in your life to chill out, retreat from the world, and calm down.

One way I like to approach this is to think about where you find happiness in your daily life:

Write down 5 small things that make you really love yourself, or truly make you happy.  Men, I am also talking to you. They have to be things you can do on a weekly or daily basis (so while, technically 'tanning on my yacht' is applicable, find something a wee bit smaller to achieve regularly).

Here are a sample five of mine:
1. A glass of red wine at the end of the week while catching up on my favorite pvr'd cooking shows
2. Listening to my favorite French & Italian podcasts
3. Running
4. Making a really great cappuccino and enjoying it while I read New York Magazine
5. Arranging a weekend brunch or a drink night w friends

You get the idea.  Try to do something off your favorite 5 everyday.  And BE HAPPY while you are doing it. Actually - why not write down your 5 things (right now) in the comment section below?  :)

I was at a conference once where the doctor was talking about the challenges he has to face, as a  politically active doctor fighting for the rights of his profession. In his words: "I love what I do, but think of it this way - you get to go in treat patients, and see them get healthy. I have to go to work every day and determine which bowl of sh*t I am going to have to eat.  It is always stressful, rarely rewarding, and the next day, I have to all over again!"

So vivid, his choice of words, no?  Nonetheless, it totally stuck with me. The take home point is this: we all have stress and difficult challenges we have to face. Whatever it is -  keep it under control by managing it with some de-stress time.

This is important for our muscles because when we are stressed, a stress hormone called cortisol is secreted and, among other things, it makes muscle breaks down muscle tissue for energy.  Yes, you read that right.  It is the equivalent of your body eating your own muscles.   Gross.

Cortisol also blocks the formation of new muscle, slows down bone repair and growth, causes you to retain water, weakens your immune system, and encourages weight gain.  It is the quintessential bowl of sh*t my colleague was referring too.

2. Breathe.

In my practice, working with patients of different backgrounds and situations, there is one constant theme: no one knows how to breathe properly. 

Look in the mirror and take a deep breathe.  What moved?  Was it your chest or your stomach?  If it was your chest, then you are, like so many other stressed out people, shallow breathing.

What we want to learn is deeper, diaphragmatic breathing.  You want to be breathing with your stomach, and drawing the air deeper into your body.  So, when you breathe, you want your stomach to be expanding as much as your chest. 

I usually tell my patients to start with a count in for 4 counts, and out for 4 counts. Repeat 10 times right before bedtime.

Feels different, right?  You are getting so much more nutrient-rich oxygen permeating into your muscles this way.  You will fall in love with how relaxed this makes you. Trust.

3. Detox!

This will be the subject of an entire post in the near future, but oh my god people- you need to detox.

The toxins we take in from the environment, the crappy diet, the crappy sleep, the stress, the subpar water intake, etc...leaves our body (including our muscles) full of junk.   

There are a ton of detox plans out there, in general I would say that doing a liver detox 2-3 times years is a good idea.  Because no one has time, energy to spare, I am a big fan of detox plans that are 1-3 weeks in length (max!) and still allow you to eat real food at least once per day. 

4. Food & Supplement

Healthy muscles like to have a lot of the following:

Vitamin C: huge for immunity, but also for helping with muscle soreness

Magnesium: helps with muscle relaxation and healthy contraction of muscles

Calcium: healthy muscle contraction absolutely depends on calcium.  It also helps to relieve muscle cramping

Branch Chain Amino Acids: the building block for making protein and eventually, muscle itself

Zinc: a powerful antioxidant which helps with growth and repair of muscles after training

Bromelain: to help with inflammation and repair of muscle tissue

Vitamins B6: B6 helps to convert proteins from your diet into amino acids - which are the actually building blocks for muscles

Vitamin B12:  helps prevent muscle fatigue and aids in the repair process 

5. Massage

Not a hard sell, right?  Who doesn't love a massage?

For the purpose of beautiful, healthy muscles, I am a big fan of deep tissue massage - it breaks up scar tissue, prevents and gets rid of knotted muscle fibers, and helps keep the tissue long, lean and in good health from the inside out.

I see a lot of this in my practice - injured muscle tissue (that usually accompanies some sort of spinal issue...but I digress).  Sometimes injured muscles, other than being sore, can 'tug' on the vertebrae and restrict the spine's movement. With a traumatic event, they can even pull off small bits of bones from the vertebrae.

I have found that patients who regularly get deep tissue muscle work have the healthiest muscles.

The constant attention to flushing the muscles, preventing scar tissue and knots from forming lend to soft, supple muscles, and of course, a super healthy spine (which translates to a healthy nervous system because your spine protects the spinal cord).

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What do you guys think?  What do you love to do to help your muscles relax?  Leave your comments in the comment section below!

Facebook = Relationship Killer

By Susan Yara

 

I come back to the topic of Facebook and relationships A LOT. Only
because it's so prevalent in our lives these days--you can find almost
anything out about a person on social networking sites and see what's
happening to them on a regular basis. But I think don't think that's
helpful. It actually causes problems in dating.

I don't want a guy I've gone on 2 dates with to see what I'm doing
every day and see who is writing on my wall. I don't like that the guy
I'm involved with wants to know which of my "friends" I've slept with.
I don't like guessing what's happening with my guy and the girl who
just posted a picture on his wall. And I don't think it's healthy that
guys who were "interested" in me (or vice versa) can catch up with me
whenever they want to (except when I'm single. Ha!).

Being that
accessible just complicates things. I mean, in the end, we're only
human right? Having options makes being bad way too easy.

For instance, my friend Dillon just told me that she signed on to
Facebook and forgot to turn off the chat feature. Almost immediately, a
guy from high school sent her a message. They caught up for a bit--he
told her he's a cop, married, and his baby daughter is the joy of his
life. She told him she's a school teacher and just got a dog. Then he
said, "You know, I was in love with you in high school, but you were
always too good."

What was she supposed to respond with? "I never actually paid
attention to you in high school" or "Really? We should hook up now!"

Dillon obviously thought it was a weird conversation to get into so
she abruptly ended the conversation. There was no need to go any
further with it, especially because he had a wife and daughter.

And that's not the end of it. These days, you don't even have to
google a person before your first date to learn about them. You're
usually already "friends" on Facebook and can see their pictures from
past trips and events, the kind of people they associate with, what
line of work they're in, how old they are, their favorite books, and 25
random facts about them...

Even when you first meet a person, you don't have to guess if they
are single or not, just check out their relationship status. What's
that say? I highly recommend not getting involved with people who even
bother using the "It's Complicated" relationship status. Why share that
information? 

The only thing I guess that's helpful about Facebook and relationships is that it's hard to hide bad things and lie? 

I don't know...what are your thoughts on it?

My F(abs)ulous Science Project: The Meals

Alright, so we know we need to snack. But what about the actual meals?  This is the good stuff that will provide the bulk of our calories - so we want to get this part right.

Here are a selection of my favorite (and your new favorite) meals.  They are beyond easy to prepare, you need basic kitchen supplies (we're talking a saute pan and a mixing bowl), and are super quick.

Breakfast

I don't even think I need to tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Literally, you are breaking the fast of sleeping, and your incredible machine of body wants to keep purring like new.  Feed your body breakfast, people.

A couple of staples that I was almost religious about when prepping for my fitness competition:

1. Pumpkin and Buckwheat Pancakes

Step 1:    1/3 cup scoop of buckwheat pancake mix
               1 egg or egg substitute
               Scoop of favorite protein powder (I love Vega and                DL's Ultra Protein Plus)
               Scoop of Green's Mix
               Frozen berries of choice (optional)
             1/2 can of pumpkin puree

(You may add some unsweetened Almond milk or water to make the batter looser if you want)

Step 2:     Mix.

Step 3:     Heat up saute pan (Med-High).
                Spray with Pam, or use Coconut Oil
                Take Spoon and Dip in Batter.
                Pour Batter In Pan.

Step 4:     Wait 2-3 Minutes. (The Pancake will be Golden Brown on Bottom)
                Flip Pancake Over.

Step 5:    Drizzle Agave Syrup over and Enjoy!
               Makes about 10 pancakes. 

2. Egg (or Tofu) Scramble with Salsa on a Toasted Tortilla Flat

This is my husband's most prized recipe.  Like, he LOVES this recipe. So much so that I was not able to prepare it when I wanted - only HE could make it. 

Not kidding.

He is very particular about it, and as such, wanted me to make sure that you notice the following:

    1. There are 3 kinds of pepper spices (Black, Cayenne, Red), and one actual pepper (the roasted red pepper).
    2. The salsa should be spooned out with a fork (vs spoon) - so as not to get too much 'salsa goop' and more 'salsa'. 
    3. He strongly recommends beating the eggs with a fork so they are fluffy and have little bubbles before you pour over veg mixture.  It is also very important that the pan is already quite hot before the eggs go on.
    4. Lastly, he also recommends Silken Tofu here because it 'scrambles' better than firm or medium firm tofu. 

And yes, he is dead serious that you follow these instructions exactly and not ruin his recipe.

Step 1:    1/2 pkg of silken tofu or 1 egg + 2 egg whites
              Ground Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes
              Chopped Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, and Alfalfa or Bean Sprouts

Step 2:    Saute Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers and Sprouts in Coconut Oil. 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are browned.

Step 3:    Meanwhile, place a tortilla flat (my favorite is Ezekiel Whole Sprouted Tortilla) in the Oven.375 Degrees. 8 Minutes. Optional Coconut Oil to Help it get crispy (Coconut Oil does not mutate with high temperatures the way other oils, like olive, can)

Step 4:     Pour Egg or Egg substitute or Tofu over mixture. Wait 3 minutes. Flip over

Step 5: Layer: Tortilla, Egg/Tofu Mixture. Top with Salsa.  Makes 2 servings.

 3. Steel Cut Oatmeal with Cinnamon & Almond Milk

This baby requires a wee bit-o-planning.  Real Steel Cut Oatmeal takes about 45 minutes to make.

Ugh.

I am the first to admit this beyond annoying.  I would prepare this the night before, or make a larger batch and store up to 1 week in the fridge. The time comes from the boiling time. Do it the night before. Trust.

I like to sprinkle with Cinnamon (blood sugar regulator, and gives a sweet-but-not-icky-sweet-taste), and a little unsweetened almond, or hemp, milk to taste. 

*rubs belly*

4. Pro-biotic Yogurt with Scoop of Protein and Fresh Seasonal Berries

After seeing Food Inc., I think the only yogurt I will buy is organic,probiotic rich yogurt. I do, however, also have a weakness for Greek or Balkan Style Yogurt.  So, my those are my shorted-yogurt list.  Oh c'mon, don't look at me like that.  You SO have a short yogurt list too.

The absolute best way to eat yogurt is after is has drained in a cheesecloth for 24 hours.  Those of you with grandmothers from the 'old country', will be familiar with this technique.  For the mod urbanite - hang the cheesecloth filled with yogurt over your chef-style kitchen faucet. The next morning, the yogurt should be noticeably thicker.  S
o much so that it is hard to get a spoon easily through it.

5. Protein French Toast

After a good week of diet & working out, I love to reward myself with this.  Yes, sometimes there is more than 2 slices.  Actually, who am I kidding, there are ALWAYS more than two slices!!  But, I digress...and further this is about YOU.

Step 1:    Ezekiel Bread Slice x 2
               3 Egg Whites + Vanilla Extract + Cinnamon

Step 2:    Beat the egg mixture and let the bread soak on both sides

Step 3:    Saute in Hot Pan (with Coconut Oil) until crispy golden brown

Lunch or Dinner

1. Steamed Sea bass with Lemon and Basil & Brown Rice

Fish stinks up the entire house when it is cooked. I serioulsy cannot stand fish smell.  I like to avoid the "oh-did-you-just-cook-fish' dirty looks,with this pretty good alternative.

Instead of pan-searing fish, wrap it in aluminum foil, and bake it in the oven.  This will conceal the odors, (both from being wrapped in teh foil, and being put in the oven).  An added bonus is that this is a healthier way to prepare the fish in this way (baked vs fried).

Step 1:    Season fish with basil, lemon, pepper
              Wrap the fish in aluminum foil and turn the oven to 450F
             

Step 2:    Put in the oven for 40-45 minutes               

Step 3:
   Eat.

2. Waldorf Salad

This is such a great lunch.  Really, I absolutely love it.  I usually pair this with 2 or 3 whole grain crackers (or, a glass of white wine).

The only prep required here is to chop up and dice the elements of the salad beforehand.  Basically after that it is mix and eat.

Step 1:    Equal parts celery, red seedless grapes, toasted walnuts, and 1 Apple sliced up

Step 2:    In a bowl, whisk together about 1tbsp of lemon juice and 3 tbsp of yogurt, salt & pepper.

Step 3:
   Mix the dressing in Step 2 with the ingredients in Step 1, serve over a bed of lettuce, or arugula.

3. Tuscan Tuna (or Tofu Cubes) Salad

It is nice (and only if you remember) to marinate the tofu cubes in either a light soy sauce, or a balsalmic vinagrette the day before. The tofu will hold up on its own without marinating as well.

Step 1:   1 Scallion chopped, 1 can of White Beans, 1 can of Tuna or Tofu Cubes, some asparagus, and some cherry tomatoes.  Pour into a salad bowl

Step 2:    Drizzle some hemp oil, flax seed oil, or olive oil with some lemon juice into a bowl, with salt & pepper.

Step 3:
   Eat.  (Also great to pair with a white wine)      

4. Tempeh Stir-Fry with Pasta

This was my dinner before a leg workout the next morning, or if I had a long cardio session planned...kind of like my 'carb-up' meal:

Step 1:    In a saute pan, put some marinated tempeh in.  Add your fave veggies (this dish for me has mushrooms, asparagus, sprouts, sage and garlic.

Step 2:    In another pan, boil some whole-grain pasta. (8-10 minutes)

Step 3:
   After veggies have softened, add a little low-sodium spaghetti or marinara sauce (my favorite is Eden Organic).  Once the pasta is done, combine it with the tempeh stir-fry.

Dr. Stephanie
xo