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Author: akshay.pokale@ting.in

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Nutrition

YOUR MENTAL HEALTH BEGINS IN THE GUT!

Functions of the brain depend on the transmission of signals between different types of neurons and glial cells, which are mediated by excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. These are glutamate, acetylcholine, and dopamine as well as inhibitory neurotransmitters such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and serotonin.

Neurotransmitters are responsible for movement, emotion, learning, and memory. Imbalances of these neurotransmitters can lead to neurological and psychological disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, etc.

Little did you know that these neurotransmitters depend on the bacteria inside our gut!

Microbes in our gut mediate communication among the metabolic, peripheral immune, and central nervous systems via the gut-brain axis.

Certain bacteria in the gut produce enzymes that can facilitate the synthesis of neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitter precursors can pass through the blood-brain barrier to enter the brain where they participate in the cycles of various neurotransmitters

Lactobacillus, bacillus and bifidobacterium are all gut bacteria which contribute to the synthesis of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and GABA

Changes in dietary habits and environment can lead to changes in gut microbial composition, which subsequently affect neurotransmitter synthesis.

So your cognitive function, and emotional well-being, in the long run, are all going to depend on what you eat.

There are two ways in which you can optimize the good bacteria in your gut and facilitate the optimum functioning of your brain.

One is consuming the right nutrients which will nourish your neurons. The antioxidants in leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, and turnips) may be especially protective. Vegetables including beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, eggplant, kale, red bell peppers, romaine lettuce, and spinach are good choices. This along with other essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids is also equally important.

The second way to promote more good bacteria in the gut is to avoid foods that facilitate inflammation. These mainly include avoiding refined carbs and sugars and unhealthy fats( saturated abs trans fats).

Every aspect of your health revolves around what you eat! Get your food in line for the better!

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Fitness Nutrition

THIS IS HOW YOUR GUT HEALTH AFFECTS YOUR THYROID FUNCTION

Thyroid and intestinal diseases have been known to co-exist. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease are the most common autoimmune conditions.

Your thyroid is responsible for multiple functions including your metabolism. This is supported by the good bacteria in the gut. Your intestine is responsible for almost 20% of the total conversion of thyroid hormones.

In addition to this, the gut bacteria can increase the bioavailability of iron in the gut by producing short-chain fatty acids and also regulates how much iodine you use and how it is broken down and circulated in the body.

This causes an increase in the inactive T3 levels and a reduction in the active T3 levels which contributes to the dysfunction of the thyroid.

This is explained by the intestinal barrier getting damaged (which increases permeability), allowing antigens to pass more easily and activate the immune system.

This damage also influences the absorption of micronutrients like iodine, iron and copper, which you need for thyroid health. 

Stress comes in all shapes and sizes, and one source is your gut. Inflammation in your gut, whether through dysbiosis, immune response or gastrointestinal disease, will increase circulating cortisol, which if prolonged can hurt your T3. 

These processes are largely dependent on the production of primary bile acids in gallbladder. When you consume fats, these primary bile acids are secreted from the gallbladder into your small intestine. This is where gut bacteria metabolize them into “secondary bile acids” which increase the activity of the deiodinase enzymes.

These bile acids are dependent upon the mineral selenium. This is mineral is often depleted in patients with gut and thyroid health issues. And hypothyroidism has also been shown to stop bile flow from the gallbladder which further affects T4/T3 conversion. This bile is also naturally antimicrobial, which further explains the connection between thyroid disease and specific bacterial gut infections.

Your thyroid also plays a role in production of stomach acid which can result in symptoms like gastro-esophageal reflux disease, nutrient deficiencies, and other digestive issues like bacterial and fungal overgrowth.

Research has also shown that hypothyroidism causes gastrointestinal dysfunction by significantly reducing gatroesophageal movement, and thus, it is recommended thyroid function be checked in patients with indigestion.

Studies also show the link between atrophic gastritis and autoimmune thyroid disease

People with autoimmune thyroiditis, have a highly sensitive immune system in which the immune responses are directed against self antigens, and diseases that result from exposure to foreign particles.

When this is happening, inflammation takes place which can be triggered due to a bad diet.

So when we are consuming bad foods like sugar or refined starches, we are creating gut dysbiosis by producing inflammation in the gut lining. This results from the bad bacteria accumulating in our gut which not only reduces the thyroid conversions but also creates impaired absorption of the essential nutrients in the gut which are important for the function of thyroid.

So in a healthy person, if a bad diet persists for long, it can create dysbiosis resulting in an underactive thyroid. And in an autoimmune patient, a healthy diet should be even more emphasized given to their hypersensitivity.

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Fitness

SHOULD YOU TRAIN TO FAILURE?

Does your exercise program include sets of exercises where you keep going until you cannot physically complete another rep?

No?

Training to failure increases motor unit activation and the secretion of muscle-building hormones, like HGH and testosterone.

There are two ways in which people try to train till failure. One is a proven technique for anabolic growth; the other is a surefire way to compromise your gains and become more prone to injuries. Learn the difference between them!

When it comes to training till failure, it is not an invitation for bad form and technique. It’s about getting as many reps as possible while maintaining great form. 

The instant your form deteriorates, you have to stop. Your motor control and muscular strength will disconnect and make your results worthless. 

Bad form and technique while exhausting your muscle fibres will make you easily prone to injuries. 

The right approach to enable anabolic effect includes strategizing which set you will perform till failure. 

Training to failure every set drastically increases the catabolic hormone cortisol and suppresses anabolic growth factors such as IGF-1. This puts us at risk of hindering long-term growth. 

In the short term, being a catabolic hormone, increases in cortisol are associated with a decrease in protein synthesis. The reason behind this is that one of cortisol’s actions is to provide alternative fuels for the body when there isn’t enough glucose. This occurs during starvation or fasting, but also during intense exercise. Cortisol mediates muscle breakdown so that the amino acids in muscle tissue can be used to create sugar, via gluconeogenesis.

It is also found that failure training increases the levels of the nucleotide adenosine monophosphate (AMP) quite dramatically. AMP is responsible for the activation of AMPK which results in the enhancement of glucose utilization. The activity of AMPK is regulated by AMP and ATP ratio.

This indicates that the cell is drained of energy, and when this occurs, protein synthesis decreases.

Once you train to failure, you develop “central fatigue.” Once your nervous system is fatigued, all the following sets will be performed at a much lower capacity. 

So to avoid hindering the performance plan to hit failure in the last sets.

Additionally, strategically training to failure will exhaust all of your smaller muscle fibres. Faced with the continued challenge of lifting a heavy weight, your nervous system is forced to use your body’s larger fast-twitch muscle fibres which increases the overall muscle usage. 

So the results which you get from training to failure largely depend on strategy. 

It can be anabolic if done sparingly and catabolic if done too often. And don’t forget to give your body adequate rest and sleep to help you recover! 

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Fitness

HIIT VS LISS- WHICH ONE IS BETTER FOR FAT LOSS?

The debate about HIIT vs LISS cardio is always there. Some emphasize interval training while others emphasize how steady-state cardio with a good diet is good enough for fat loss.

So how do you know what kind of cardio is best for you? After all, the last thing you want is to waste your time doing something that doesn’t get results.

This not only results in demotivation but it does consume a lot of time and energy in investing in a plan which may or may not work for you.

HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training, is shorter in duration and higher in intensity. It is where we go all in with full intensity into an exercise for a short time and then take a short breather and jump into the next exercise.

This type of training is very useful for people who are running short on time and want to reach their maximum caloric burn during the phase.

On the other hand, Low-Intensity Steady-State is longer in duration and lower in intensity.

It’s performed at a steady pace so that you can sustain your energy for the entire duration. Some examples of this could be biking, running, brisk walking, rowing or swimming.

If you are having enough time to get in some steps then LISS is a great option for people who are aligned with their nutritional goals.

LISS cardio is designed to keep your heart rate at a sustainable rate. That would be around 60-70% of your max heart rate.

It is a form of aerobic training which means that the exercise requires oxygen. During cardio and aerobic exercise, your heart rate and oxygen intake both increase.

HIIT is a great way to increase your epoc. This is your post-workout oxygen consumption. When you are consuming more and more oxygen, you are burning more calories!

This means that HIIT allows you to burn more calories for a long time even after your workout.

So HIIT wins over here. Although HIIT is a great option to lose fat, it is not a magic solution to put train a bad diet.

In the end, the total amount of calories burned vs the total number of calories consumed is going to determine whether you lose fat or not!

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Fitness Nutrition

WHY CHOLESTEROL IS NOT YOUR ENEMY! 

Cholesterol is often considered evil, especially when it comes to talking about strokes or heart attacks. People seem healthy not overweight but can still have underlying heart disease. So this has put us in a delusion that all cholesterol is bad. However, did you know that fifty per cent of all people who experience a heart attack have normal cholesterol?

Yes, excess cholesterol does hurt our health but that is true for other markers as well.

Cholesterol is essential for life as it helps in:• the Formation and maintenance of cell membranes.•Hormone production namely progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol• Production of bile salts, which help to digest food.• Conversion of sunlight into vitamin D in the skin.

Every single one of your cells needs cholesterol to function.

If you are having low cholesterol it may mean your body is shutting down and not able to make its cholesterol.

What people fail to understand is the inflammation which creates the plaques that cause atherosclerosis rather than cholesterol.

Higher insulin promotes inflammation in the tissues including the arterial endothelium (inner lining of the arteries).

So diabetics are more prone to heart attacks.

Apart from diabetes, there are several other factors which can increase the risk of heart diseases including hidden food allergies, metal toxins, or any infections in your mouth or intestines.

Food allergies, gluten sensitivity, celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome are all inflammatory diseases and hence can lead to CVD.

Find the root cause of your inflammation and live a heart-healthy life!

And to all those who wish to make some good gains in the gym! Did you know that cholesterol is vital for testosterone production as well? Think again before conclusively avoiding it altogether.

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Fitness

SLOW WEIGHT LOSS VS FAST WEIGHT LOSS- WHICH IS BETTER?

Is slow weight loss better than fast weight loss? How slow is slow enough and how fast is too fast?

The proponents of slow weight loss may say “ slower the better “. Well, you can spend the rest of the year losing 10 kgs! Is that good enough? Come on!

The people advocating fast weight loss have even more bizarre goals. How about 5 kgs in 2 weeks, or 10 kgs in a month? It’s as if it’s a race against time. Is the earth going to end and you get to get a seat on the ark only if you are at certain kgs?

Or are you practising for some parallel Olympics and hoping to make India proud again?

Well, the answer is…. it depends!

The problem with an aggressive calorie deficit ( and therefore fast weight loss ) is that you could end up losing valuable muscle mass something that you would like to avoid or at the very least minimise.

Most coaches are aware of this but their approach to the issue is more often than not, less than optimal. People would tend to reduce the calorie deficit so much that they may sometimes take double or three times the amount of time than what it should usually take to lose a given amount of weight.

The trick to finding that sweet spot which lets to have maximal weight loss at a given body composition without losing muscle mass. This comes from experience and constantly monitoring progress

– Arunava Chatterjee

Categories
Nutrition

ARE YOU EATING ENOUGH?

Achieving sustainable fat loss can be challenging, especially in a modern society where food is constantly available.

 

However, under-eating calories can also be a concern, whether it’s intentional food restriction, reduced appetite or any other reason. Chronically under-eating can lead to several mental, physical and emotional health issues.

 

It’s a different story if you are overweight or obese. When you have a lot of body fat, you have more energy stores from which you can tap into.

 

It becomes a challenge when you are more close to your ideal weight range and willing to reduce it further. Especially, for people who are looking forward to getting those rock-hard six-pack abs and losing that stubborn belly fat.

 

Calories do matter a lot when it comes to fat loss. Eat fewer calories than you burn, you should lose fat. The logic is sound for most healthy adults, but we can also take that logic too far. In the case of healthy, sustainable fat loss, more restriction doesn’t always lead to better weight loss.

 

There comes a time when you hit a plateau and need to do some dietary changes or maybe even do reverse dieting for a while.

 

After many days of undereating, the body starts conserving energy as a compensatory survival mechanism. This slows down your metabolism slows way too much, making you feel tired and edgy. As carbohydrate stores run low, protein and fat become the dominant sources of fuel.

 

This is where the glycogen stores begin to deplete slowly. After 48 hours without food, your body runs out of glycogen to power the two organs that need it the most: red blood cells and the brain. While glucose is the only fuel blood cells can run on, the brain will begin to adapt to power itself with ketone bodies made from fat. To meet basic energy needs, your body ramps up the breakdown of muscles and organs in addition to fat.

 

As mentioned above, underrating calories for a significant amount of days can result in some unfavourable physical as well as mental changes.

 

1. Hypotension(low blood pressure), and sluggish circulation can lead to ulcers on the legs and feelings of extreme cold. But the most worrying effect of a weakened heart would be if arrhythmia occurred (irregular beating).

 

2. Sexual feelings decrease, and the signs of puberty in females and males disappear, such as menstruation and nocturnal emissions. 

 

3. Hormonal and nutritional changes have a profound effect on bone growth and density.

 

 

4. Digestion: The digestive tract in under-eaters slows right down and as a result food moves slowly through it and feels uncomfortable. This explains the heightened sensitivity to feelings of fullness and bloating, which is misleading.

 

5. Skin can become dry and show signs of early ageing.

 

6. Under-eaters find it hard to sleep and may wake early with a sense of restlessness which drives them to go out and exercise.

 

7. Low Blood sugar (hypoglycaemia): Blood glucose is the fuel which drives most metabolic processes including the activity of our muscles together with the day-to-day activity of the brain. 

 

Added to this, there is no denying that you will see some psychological changes as well. Our brain chemistry runs on the nutrients we provide to it. You may notice some mood swings and irritability.

There are dozens of articles and videos on the internet about which you can lose fat easily. However, a sustainable approach which is unique to your body type is equally necessary.

 

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Fitness

THE MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION: KEY TO HYPERTROPHY

Exercising is more than just execution. There is an equally important factor for maximizing your gains: How the exercise ‘feels’

 

The simple act of consciously feeling a muscle work through a full range of motion can enhance muscle fiber recruitment and activation. And the more fully and effectively you engage your muscles, the more they’ll grow.

 

The brain releases a chemical neurotransmitter called “acetylcholine” to communicate with muscles in the body.

 

When acetylcholine is released, it crosses the “synapses” (the tiny space that separates the nerve from the muscle) where it binds to receptors on the surface of muscle fibres. This causes muscle contraction!

 

When it comes to mind-muscle connection, we have to consciously try to fire up our neurons in the muscle to get it truly innervated.

 

Each muscle is innervated or controlled by motor neurons. These motor neurons are responsible for recruiting the correct muscle fiber (Slow twitch for low-intensity activity and fast-twitch for high-intensity activity). They are also responsible for how many muscle fibers we recruit and this is where muscle and neuromuscular innervation is important.

 

In an untrained individual or someone with poor muscle function, the body might only be using around half of the muscle fibers within a muscle. So using the glute as an example when we try to extend at the hip the motor units send signals to the muscle fibers in the glute to contract but this signal might only get through to half of the available fibers meaning a limited and weak contraction. In highly trained athletes with good muscle function, they will be able to recruit more than 95% of their muscle fibers which means a strong and controlled contraction. This leads to optimal performance. Not only this but it also reduces your risk of injury.

 

So how do you work on this mind-muscle connection to improve muscle growth?

 

1. Close your eyes and imagine your muscle contracting.
You don’t have to have that exact image in your mind but you should think about the muscles and how they are working while you’re completing the rep. Take yourself inside the muscle and imagine the fibers breaking down!

 

2. Flex in Between Sets
Taking an example of bicep curls, you just finished a set of bicep curls. After you set aside the dumbbells, simply stand where you are, and flex the biceps for a few seconds.


3. Slow eccentrics
This is a popular method for increasing time under tension but it’s also a good way to improve your mind-muscle connection. Performing the reps slower helps you feel the muscle working and stretching from start to finish.

 

Simply put, you can train as hard as you want but if your mind-muscle connection is not fully developed you will never reach your full potential.

 

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Categories
Lifestyle Nutrition

CELLULITE: FAT OR A SYSTEMIC ISSUE?


By any other name, cellulite may still throw the perfectly sane into a tizzy, as winter pants and coats are doffed for more revealing spring and summer styles. This cultural anxiety has meant big bucks for some beauty product–makers and medical practitioners alike. Tons of products and procedures promise to seek out and destroy the lumpy fat on thighs, bottoms, arms and tummies.

 

Cellulite doesn’t only afflict the full-figured. It’s also a scourge of the skinny, not to mention girls as young as teenagers.

 

Despite the vast amounts of time and money that has gone into trying to find ways to dissolve these nodules—from lasers to caffeine creams—researchers and doctors are still scratching their heads.

 

Cellulite is more common in women than in men because of difference in the way fat cells, muscle, and connective tissue are distributed in their skin. Fat deposits that push and distort the connective tissues beneath the skin cause the appearance of lumpiness, leading to the characteristic “cottage cheese” changes in the appearance of the skin.

 

As women start approaching menopause, estrogen starts decreasing. From 25 to 35 is when you start seeing the appearance of cellulite.

 

Estrogen has an impact on the blood vessels. When estrogen starts to decrease, you lose receptors in blood vessels and thighs, so you have decreased circulation. With decreased circulation, you get less oxygen and nutrition to that area, and with that we see a decrease in collagen production and fat cells start to begin to protrude through the collagen (and become the bumpy fat known as cellulite). Women tend to get cellulite around the knees, saddlebags and buttocks because they have three layers of fat in these areas (instead of just one).

 

Another reason women get cellulite has to do with the (two kinds of) adrenergic receptors. When stimulated, alpha receptors will cause fat cells to produce fat (as well as triggering constriction of blood vessels and release of sugar into the bloostream) when beta receptors are stimulated, they break down fat (as well as increasing heart rate and relaxing blood vessels). In women, for every one beta receptor in the thigh, there are nine alpha receptors. Estrogen also makes fat whereas testosterone breaks down fat. So a woman’s body is basically genetically designed to be a place for cellulite to develop. Men have one layer of fat throughout their entire body and a one-to-one alpha- and beta-receptor ratio.

 


So is cellulite solely systemic? Not really. Your diet and lifestyle also play a major role in developing it. For example when you eat a high-calorie meal and then go to work and sit at a desk. Think of those (fat-producing) alpha receptors just waiting to rock and roll! So, it all goes together. That’s why women struggle to lose weight below the waist. From the waist up, for every four receptors that break down fat, there are five that make it, so it’s almost a one-to-one ratio. From the trunk up, there’s just one layer of fat, except for the triceps arm area.

 

Though it is a systemic issue, your lifestyle factors contribute majorly to determining whether it will reduce or increase.

 

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