Christa welcomes back Dr. Michelle Neil-Sherwood, DO and Dr. Mark Sherwood, ND, or as they like to be called, “Drs. M and M without the sugar” to talk about the science of nutrigenetics. Dr. Michele and Dr. Mark own and operate a wellness-based practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma called Functional Medical Institute. Their practice bridges the medical model with the functional model to teach people how to be completely and totally well. Drs. M & M use all kinds of unique and interesting tools to accomplish their mission and have many patient success stories where existing medical conditions have been reversed or eliminated.

Christa repeats Dr. Michele’s opening statement and says, “So it’s not outside of our realm that we can actually be completely and totally well?  I love that.”

A Little Background on the Subject

The functional medicine approach gets to the root cause by looking at:

• Hormones
• Neuro transmitters
• Nutrition
• Lifestyle

Looking at genetics:

• We are 99.9% genetically identical
• The .1% difference is what makes us unique
• That difference makes all the difference in the world – not everything works the same for everybody
  • Traditional diets
  • Workout programs
  • Supplement types and quantities

We’re born with our genes, but the experiential knowledge those genes have with the interaction of environment is called Epigenetics (the environment’s effect of the genes). For example, two identical twins can grow up and turn out a little different from each other because of the environment’s effect.

Nutrigenetics – the genes effect on the environment

• How do our genes detoxify things?
• How do our genes influence what we need to be taking?
• How do our genes handle lipids; metabolize the fats we consume?
• How do our genes handle workouts we do?
• How do our genes handle inflammation?

Simply stated, what we eat could actually influence our DNA and the expression of our DNA.

Genetic Testing

Drs. M & M utilize genetic testing to get the ideal breakdown of macro nutrients for each individual based on their genetic makeup. They formulate a unique nutrition and exercise plan based on those results to optimize body composition for each person. Benefits of testing include:

1. Cutting edge technology
2. Replaces trial and error
3. Unravels the mystery for each person so they get specific, individual plans
4. Optimization of health
5. Saves time by getting to the answers faster

Dr. Mark gives an example of how two people can have different reactions when consuming caffeine late in the day. One person may not be affected by a late afternoon cup of coffee, while the other person may be awake all night. Why? The person who is not affected at night by the coffee has a faster metabolism, so the caffeine is processed quicker. For the person whose metabolism is impaired, the caffeine is not processed as fast.

To change metabolism:

• Reduce detoxification on back end (inside) = nutrigenetic effect
• Reduce toxins on the front end (outside) = nutrigenomic effect

How does the genetic test work?  Get specific information here

• A sample ‘buckle swab’ of cheek cells is taken
• The sample is sent to lab and tested for 80 different genes specific for health, metabolic and exercise
• Results come back within 21-25 days
• Analyzed by Drs. M & M
• An individual plan is designed based on patient’s genetic and lifestyle information
• A sustainable life plan is created for the patient to use for the rest of their life
• Implementation may be either fast pace or a slow transition but results are definite

Exercise Considerations

Most people think that more exercise is necessary to lose weight but it can create inflammation and can be the wrong type and amount for our unique genetic makeup.

Example:  A female patient, in her 40’s, chronic boot-camp person, 15-20 pounds overweight in excess fat, can’t get the fat off, frustrated, going to two boot camp classes daily several times a week, exhausted, and stressed out of her mind!

The patient’s genetic testing revealed that she is of an endurance-based structure. Drs. M & M outlined a new exercise plan including:

• Only two boot camp sessions per week
• Walking, yoga, relaxation to “chill out”

Once she incorporated these changes in her fitness routine, she immediately began to see results by allowing her body to adapt to the way it is supposed to be.

Christa shares her similar story of being an athlete all of her life, being 50 pounds overweight while working out six days a week (but eating and drinking “trash”). She functioned in survival mode with no coping mechanisms to handle stress and no boundaries to shut down work, or do any type of self-care. Christa confesses that she is now more aware to her addictive tendencies towards donuts and wine, but it would have been great to have this type of testing information back then – it would have saved time because it was a long journey for her to figure things out.

Taste Bud Genes (Phenylthiourea-Phenylthiocarbamide “PTC”)

The spectrum of taste is determined by our genetics. There is an inherited genetic component that influences how we taste PTC, a single gene that codes for a taste receptor on the tongue. This gene is known as the PTC gene or TAS2R38. People can be classified as “tasters,” “non-tasters,” or somewhere in between.

Tasters

• Wide taste spectrum
• Appreciates a broad range of tastes; bitter to sweet
• May have a dysfunctional dopamine receptor which indicates that sweet equals happy; therefore, food becomes happiness

Non-Tasters

• Narrow taste spectrum
• Limited taste receptors
• Prefer or can eat more bland foods
• Doesn’t typically link food to happiness

Food Addiction

• Must use caution when opening door to any type of “comfort” or “happy” food because it will cause the door to come flying open, which can activate the addition and lead to binge eating.
• Once the addiction cycle opens that door, it can swing open for a long time.
• Limit the shaming cycle by using Mind Zoning® or other types of mindfulness practices may help shorten the time that we are in the addiction.
• Once we know this information, we are empowered.
• We don’t have to ask for permission or forgiveness if we slip up; it is up to us to use the information and tools we have to be successful in all areas of our wellness journey.

Access to Genetic Testing

It’s not necessary to live in or to visit Tulsa, OK to get this genetic DNA test from Drs. M & M. You can access the information on their website and order your own sample test kit and mail it back for analysis. You’ll receive a 48-page comprehensive report within 3-4 weeks. Then, Drs. M & M spend 45-60 minutes (via Skype) reviewing it with you. They discuss your areas of vulnerability and set forth an action plan to fix those areas nutrigenomically. The plan is emailed to you as a written implementation synopsis.

Cost

Less than $500 for the entire package

$349 + shipping for kit, testing and analysis, written report

$100 for Skype consultation

“We want people to have this so they can unlock the keys and the mysteries to these problems; how do I lose weight and keep it off, maintain muscle tissue and fight against heart disease and diabetes,” explains Dr. Mark. We provide the tools necessary to answer their own healthcare problems so they can manage their healthcare. Investing in yourself and your health saves money. Drs. M & M point out that their goal is to “take away the ignorance button.” Their patients are fully equipped to make educated adult decisions about their health, exercise and nutrition. They own their own healthcare.

Final Tips

• Food is vitally important to health
• Food has changed and our health has declined over time because of it
• Low-fat foods lead to the obesity epidemic
• Using food to prevent disease

Dr. Michele quotes Aristotle, “Let food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food”.

Which Food Plan Works Best?

Eliminate the “standard American diet” foods such as:

• Sugars
• Grains
• Breads
• Corn
• Artificial sweeteners
• GMOs
• Soy
• MSG
• High-fructose corn syrup

Bring your diet back to what we were designed and intended to eat:

• Fresh and raw fruits and vegetables
• Nutrient-dense foods with low sugars
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthy proteins

Drs. M & M encourage their patients to follow an anti-inflammatory food protocol with no limits (just guardrails) so their taste buds never get out of control and dopamine receptors are not stimulated. People who stay on the path don’t tend to overeat.

Supplementation

• Rule of 5 – if you’re taking over 5 supplements, there needs to be a good reason
• Too many supplements can overstimulate your body and can weaken or limit your defenses
• Antioxidants can be oxidative if used in excess
• Cost savings by streamline and identifying targeted supplementation needs

Please check out Drs. M & M’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet from their previous last Fitlandia podcast.

If you're looking for a holistic nutrition program to help break addictive cycles, sign up for the next 30-day program with Fitlandia.

Today's sponsor is the Portland Community College Institute for Health Professionals. Learn more about their 100% online program at climb.pcc.edu/nutrition.

We have a special treat this week as Christa King, Fitlandia’s Founder and CEO leads us through a Mind Zoning® session about envisioning a healthy summer.

If you’re new to Fitlandia, Mind Zoning® is similar to a guided meditation where your brain is invited to relax, slow down and get focused, but differs from meditation because it incorporates the idea of creating a new thought pattern. Meditation is about clearing thoughts and creating peace and space in your mind whereas Mind Zoning® takes it a step further to create new neural pathways designed to support your healthy goals.

Summertime Traps

Summertime can be a trap for a lot of people. It’s the time when healthy patterns of eating and exercise take a back seat to vacations; BBQ’s, parties and fun.

Many people begin the New Year with great energy and hope for a healthy lifestyle. They start losing weight and begin developing healthy habits, but when summer approaches, there’s a mentality of, “Yay, I’m on vacation, I can eat and drink anything I want.” The mindset is to eat and drink while on vacation and then get back on track once back home. The tricky part for those of us with sugar addiction or a reliance on alcohol, is that we may not get back on track and instead this behavior can drive us back to old patterns once our brain realizes how good the sugar or alcohol tastes and feels.

Staying on  Healthy Track

• Be moderate
• Be thoughtful
• Be mindful of what you eat and drink
• Plan activities during vacation or trips with friends, or BBQ’s or gatherings
• Build awareness
• Make good conscious choices that help support a healthy lifestyle

Let’s Begin

(**Caution** Do not drive or operate machinery while Mind Zoning)

• Find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted
• Position yourself in a comfortable seated position
• Taking a few deep breaths, allowing your mind and body to relax
• Starting at top of your head
• Closing your eyes
• Bring your attention to the very top of your head, imagine there is now this beautiful slow-moving cascading waterfall
• It comes over the top of your head so slowly and goes down the back of your hair, over your head and neck
• As it slowly passes by, notice how it is relaxing you and washing away any stress
• Now across your shoulders – leaving behind a completely relaxed body
• Cascading down your arms and torso
• Noticing how you’ve become heavier in your chair or wherever you are
• You’re able to sink further into relaxation
• As that slow-moving cascading waterfall passes over your hips, your thighs and your knees
• Passing over  your calves, your ankles, all the way to your toes
• Noticing this beautiful, slow ever-streaming flow of water
• So comforting, so relaxing, taking you into the most peaceful space right now
• This beautiful wide-open place in your mind where you can release any stress, any chaos of the day
• Letting this beautiful slow-moving water remove it, wash it away leaving a completely relaxed body behind

Now we invite the deepest part of your mind to start to think about your trips, adventures and plans, vacations far away, or nearby picnics and BBQ’s, or a family reunion or a birthday – whatever you have outlined for the summer.

• You’ve been on this journey of health and wellness
• Creating the very best version of you
• Embracing a life of vitality, and becoming more conscious of a daily practice of:
  • eating healthy foods
  • moving
  • connecting socially
  • filling your mind with positive thoughts and goals

As you think of your plans for the summer, call upon that Super Hero in your mind (that part of your brain that can do anything), trusting that if you can think it, you can become it.

Call on your Super Hero now, and when you think of your plans for the summer begin to wonder how would that Super Hero comes into play to help you have the healthiest summer you’ve every had.

Maybe your Super Hero would have you:

• go to bed earlier than ever have on vacation so you can get up early and get some exercise in before you start your adventures
• pop out of bed to get outside in your location for a brisk walk or run
• do a 7-minute hit workout

Your Super Hero helps you come up with ways to help you incorporate movement in everything you do, like:

• taking a hike in one of the cities you’re visiting
• doing a walking tour
• planning a day of shopping where you’re walking the entire time

And now your Super Hero comes in to help you eat healthy for the entire summer by:

• bringing a healthy dish to a potluck
• choosing high-quality proteins to eat at a friend’s BBQ
• finding it easy to forgo those common things like chips, or grains or any kind of processed foods and sugar

Your Super Hero makes it easy for you to make the healthiest possible choices in everything you do this summer.

Its also a good reminder that if you do choose to have alcohol or processed food or sugar; that you release any guilt or shame with that, knowing that it will not serve you. Instead just realizing that there could be setbacks, there could be consequences, there could be delays, but there is no guilt.

As you engage that Super Hero in you, notice how easy it is to have the healthiest summer you can imagine. You’re able to overcome any obstacle at all. If you’re traveling somewhere that is hot, or live somewhere hot, just notice how easy it is to get up early when it’s still cool out and take advantage of that brisk, fresh morning air. When we do that movement first thing in the morning, we set ourselves up for a successful day.

And now I’m going to invite the subconscious mind to connect with your inner Super Hero and call upon them anytime if you need a boost, reinforcement or a nudge of motivation. Your Super Hero is there for you. You might notice how easy it is to call upon them to strengthen you in those moments when you’re challenged. You can call upon that energy and engage in that energy and keep moving forward to have the healthiest summer yet. When you’re ready, open your eyes, coming back to this present time and space, feeling refreshed and energized.

Fitlandia is genuinely on a mission to end dieting and turn that failure rate of 67% into a success rate of 70% or greater by not only being able to create a healthy lifestyle but to maintaining it by engaging the power of the mind.

Head over to iTunes, subscribe to the podcast and give us on honest feedback on today’s Mind Zoning®. Let us know what you”ll do differently this summer and we’ll feature your intentions on a future podcast.

Dr. Jerome Craig is back to talk about the falsehood of “everything in moderation.” This idea of moderation is tossed around so much in the diet industry and they both agree that it’s setting us up for failure.

The Truth About Moderation

• If you don’t want to change, then everything in moderation works great! It maintains the status quo.
• If you want to make health and wellness changes in your life, then moderation is not going to work.
• If you’re using moderation as an excuse for not changing, it’s working – there will be no change.

Dr. Craig provides an example of a patient who is a type 2 diabetic, on multiple medications, life not going well and who wants to change but cannot give up his daily chocolate-coated almonds. Dr. Craig appealed to the patient that he needed to get away from the almonds, that they were a sugar addiction and he needed to give them up.

“The only way to break an addiction to something is to give it up” Dr. Craig explains.

It’s not going to serve you to have only a little of whatever substance you’re addicted to, whether it be alcohol, sugar, refined carbs or potato chips. The substance fires up the pleasure areas in the brain, and releases serotonin and dopamine, so our mood changes, we feel good – and we want more. We consume more, then we crash and feel crappy. We can’t simply have three potato chips or one drink and hope that the addiction stays at bay. That’s why “everything in moderation” truly does not work.

Fitlandia’s No Fools’ Detox

Those NFD focuses on eliminating 5-6 foods for 30 days to  to identify which foods are trigger foods for you, as well as get a clean break from them. At the end of the program, participants are guided to reincorporate one food at a time and track their body’s response so they get a clear sense of which foods work for them and which do not.

During the program members are often faced with their friends and family telling them that elimination diets are just a fad and they’ll be fine as long as they use “moderation.” It just doesn’t work like that. Just as you can’t tell an alcoholic to drink in moderation, you can’t say this to a sugar addict either. She supports them in dealing with these external challenges while they make their break.

Stop Saying the “F” Word: “I’m Fine.”

If you want change you have to take some sort of radical steps to at least get started. The radical changes don’t have to be forever, but moderation is never going to serve you in the beginning. Once you achieve your weight and health goals, you may find that you still have certain foods or substances that are problematic for you.

1. Defining what works for you and your body
2. Understanding what’s happening when we’re back on a ‘slippery slope’
   • Life circumstances?
   • Trying to self-soothe?
   • Not enough exercise?
   • Not enough breath work?
3. Everything in moderation can lead us back to an old pattern

Christa shares her personal struggle with donuts and wine. These are things that she limits to rare instances, but has learned to pay attention to cravings and to take appropriate action, not the substance, if and when they do occur, ask herself, “What’s going on, what am I doing, or not doing?”

Occasional, Rare, and Never: What Foods Should Go Into Which Bucket?

The ideal scenario is that we can have sugar, refined carbs and alcohol “occasionally,” but through your journey you may find that’s just not possible. Start by thinking what each category means and where you might start to identify opportunities to make changes.

Occasional

If you’re not addicted to a food or substance and it is not a problem for you, then a few times per month is fine. (4 x/month)

Rare

A problem food or substance should only be consumed on rare instances. Using food as a reward or a celebration needs be limited to special occasions, but certainly not on a frequent basis. (1 x/month)

Never

Abstain completely from addictive foods or substances. If you’re triggered by a food to the point where you know it isn’t serving your goals, but you can’t control consumption of it and it takes you back to a daily pattern, it’s likely time to release it for a longer period of time (3+ months) or forever.

Final Tip

Become mindful of what foods or substances trigger something in you and takes you away from your goals so that you can be fit for life, and not dieting. The only true possession we have in life is our body so you’ve got to take care of it so it takes care of you.

Use the buttons below to subscribe, rate and review our show. In your comments, let us know what is your “occasional” or “rare,” or “never” foods. If you have additional questions, post them in your review and we’ll answer them on a future show!

Today, Christa welcomes her new fitness buddy, Mehul Parekh. While searching the Oregon Entrepreneur’s Network for connection opportunities with other fitness centers, Mehul came across Fitlandia, and thought, “How can you go wrong with a name like that?!” He connected with Christa and they decided to collaborate on a podcast to talk about how to incorporate your brain into your strength training workout.

Mehul is the owner of Bridgetown Brain and Body in Portland, Oregon. He gave Christa a private training session where they focused on the brain and muscle connection during the workout. She calls the session, “mind blowing” and encourages us to work to reframe how we think of strength training – especially for those of us just getting started.

Mehul’s Philosophies

• injury-prevention
• how to connect the brain to the body
• a technique to prevent future injury

“What we’re learning more and more now in physical therapy, chiropractic circles and occupational therapy circles is that rehabbing injuries cannot just be a bottom-up approach,” says Mehul.

“There needs be brain involvement in how to activate muscles to make a lasting effect.”

Traditional physical therapies techniques might include:

• Movement of injured or limited muscles/limbs
• Holding something heavy (building strength)
• Stretching (increasing mobility)
• Botox injections (loosening muscles)

These therapies can be good, but changes in the physical body won’t be permanent until we connect the brain to the body. In strength training, you can strengthen the muscle all you want, but there is neurological component that needs to be incorporated. It’s necessary to include the brain to create a new neural pathway so we don’t slip back into old patterns. It is a whole-body experience when we connect the brain and the body in strength training.

What’s Different About a Brain and Body Workout? (vs. a conventional personal trainer)

• Not exhausted afterwards (refreshed instead!)
• No shouting, no drill sergeant, no platitudes
• Not a no-holds barred generic one-hour session
• Not the adage of “no pain, no gain”

The main concern with strength training in most gyms is that people are just given workouts – there is no consideration of long term progression and no planning about how the workout may affect your day.

What we do in the gym is supposed to be a carry-over effect for the rest of the day, it’s not supposed to be the end of it. There is no point to a workout if you can’t move afterwards.

It’s important to understand and be respectful of your body when working out, even when training hard. If you’re trying to break a personal record with a certain lift or squat, then it may be necessary to limit other moves on a specific day or when our bodies are giving indications that today might not be the best day.

Christa incorporates Ayurvedic principles with her workouts, and is a Pitta dosha means that she enjoys a good, hard workout. And even though this is her tendency and it feels good, she stays mindful and respectful of her body’s condition.

The Mark of a Good Trainer

1. Has a fitness plan (no ad-libbing)
2. Is flexible (mindful of energy and mobility levels)
3. Crafts a workout for the individual
4. Focused on injury prevention

Mehul’s e-book, Shattered!, is available for download at his website, and talks about how strength training stalls out, plateaus occur and how to break through them.

Basic Tips for Engaging Your Brain While Strength Training

1. Short workout (bursts of exercise, 20-25 minutes daily)

• Sessions with weights should be 46 minutes or less
• Accomplishing a goal delivers a dopamine rush
• Brings a sense of accomplishment
• Helps overcome addiction cravings
• Elevates moods, lessens depression

2. Visualize your workout
   • Engaging in visualization of workout (even without doing it) gives a muscle-building benefit
   • Mind-zoning technique (getting brain engaged as a blueprint)
3. Range of motion
   • Are you moving? Or are you moving a weight?
   • Greater neurological effect when you’re moving yourself through space (a push up, a squat)
4. Changing workouts on a regular basis – incorporating a new move
   • Central nervous system burns more sugar when its learning something new
   • Helps with body recomposition and weight loss

The honeymoon period of weight lifting and resistance training is the first six to eight week – this is when strength is rapidly building. There is a neurological reaction caused by a more efficient recruitment of the fibers and the sensory and motor planning systems in the brain are working harder. This levels off after this time period and then it’s time to incorporate more moves which involve a full-range of joint and muscle movements.

FINAL TIPS

1. Strength is a skill. Thinking about it from a skill-building perspective will change how you workout. Skills take time to learn. Practice consistent, short bursts of application to build the skill in your brain and in your body.
2. Let go of soreness as a benchmark for a good workout. Get over the “it has to hurt” mentality. Soreness is a horrible indicator of a good workout.
3. Create the lifestyle to meet your goals instead of focusing on the goal and not the lifestyle.
4. Strength training is most beneficial when done 3-4 times a week.
5. Eat healthy food every day – for LIFE!

Mehul is coming onboard as one of Fitlandia’s expert practitioners. Look for him in future podcasts as he’ll surely be posting all types of great videos and workout advice.

Want More? Subscribe to the Fitlandia Podcast today and have a healthy commute everyday! Share your comments in a review and we’ll feature you in an upcoming podcast.