An Effective Paleolithic Alternative to the BRAT Diet

The BRAT diet has been widely endorsed by the majority of the medical community for adults and children to both settle an upset stomach and relieve diarrhea.  This endorsed BRAT diet stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.  The chief reason for their endorsement is due to the fact that they are easily digested.  The rationale is that food that is simply digested is the fastest way to restore solidity to the digestive tract.

The problem with the BRAT diet is that with the exception of the banana, the other foods may be simple to digest, but they are also low on nutrition, save the banana.  When your body is stricken with an illness, giving its immune system a boost will lessen the time it takes to fight off the bug.  This is especially true with viruses or bacteria that cause gastroenteritis, because the body’s ability to absorb food will be lessened for a time.  Therefore, the food that it does absorb should be nutrient rich.

It goes without saying that before you start this Paleo alternative to the BRAT diet, you should establish that you can first hold down liquids.  The first step to recovering from gastroenteritis is rehydration.  It will not do any good to eat food that you cannot hold down.  Depending on the severity of the gastroenteritis, begin with clear water in small aliquots, perhaps even individual sips every five to fifteen minutes if necessary.

Instead of the BRAT's recommendation of applesauce, opt for the more nutritous unadulterated apple.  And don't remove the skin. 

The BRAT Alternative

This will start with the only common ground between this and the BRAT diet – the banana.  Indeed, there is a debate within the Paleo community about whether or not the banana isin fact a Paleo food.  Proponents note the fact that it is a fruit, unprocessed, and is nutrient rich.  Detractors note its relatively high starch and sugar content.  The Sphere of Health endorses the banana in general as Paleo, but should be eaten in moderation.  And when you have gastroenteritis, its best to err on the side of leniency when you are dealing with a nutrient rich food that is easy to digest.

Rice is a grain.  Grains, for a whole list of reasons, are forbidden under the Paleo diet.  They are full of anti-nutrients.  In the case of white rice, most of those anti-nutrients have been eliminated.  However, that is the result of processing – the removal of the husk, bran, and germ, where all the anti-nutrients are located.  However, that is also the same place where the nutrients are as well.  So the consumption of white rice is basically empty calories.  An alternative carbohydrate to rice are many types of squash.  In particular, butternut squash.  This starch will help absorb stomach acids, prompting a settling feeling.  It also possesses a drastically more abundant amount of nutrients than rice.

The problem with applesauce is that most likely it is bought by a food company.  While it does come from a fruit, commercially made applesauce is highly processed, with refined sugar and/or other sweeteners added.  Applesauce that is homemade without the same type of chemical processing and introduction of added sweetener is more nutritious.  However, even homemade applesauce almost always involves removing of the skin.  The skin of an apple contains the majority of its micronutrients.  Eating the whole apple is preferable to having applesauce.

Toast involves basically the same problems as rice.  Bread is a processed food, derived from grain, and was definitely not a staple food of man before the Neolithic Era.  The three previous foods from the BRAT diet and their Paleo alternatives are all carbohydrates.  A gentle protein source is essential to maintain balance in the diet.  As your body will most likely be very inactive – or it should be – as rest is essential to speed up recovery, you should have some protein to feed the muscles as much as possible.  Eggs are the perfect choice.  Packed with the all the essential amino acids, along with many of the most essential trace elements and micronutrients, makes them an infinitely better option to nourish your ailing body than any form of toast.

Why the Color Green is Important

The Sphere of Health has touched on this subject before.  The importance of varying colors in your diet when it comes to fruits and vegetables is crucial.  And today, we will explore the color green.

You surely have heard it from your parents, and the dietitian on television.  You have come across it on the Internet.  "Eat your greens."

"But why?" you ask.  "I eat some vegetables, why do some of them have to be green?"

Kale, a nutritionally packed powerhouse of a vegetable.

Author Rasbak, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll are a family of green pigments that are found in the chloroplasts of plants, giving leaves and other vegetables their respective color.  They are also found in some algae and bacteria.  Its utility to the plant is critical.  It is what enables photosynthesis.  Without it, the plant could not take in energy from the ultraviolet rays from the sun.  It also has many health benefits to the animals that consume vegetables, leafy or otherwise.

First, it is a powerful antioxidant.  Its potency for attacking free radicals in the body ranks among the highest.  

In addition, chlorophyll is also a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.  It is very sought after in liquid form for the advancement of phytomedicine against various diseases that are due to chronic inflammation in the body.  The research done by the Journal of Inflammation is one of the most revealing.

It protects against many types of cancers, most notably that of the colon.  

Chlorophyll's regeneration capacity helps our bodies produce red blood cells, and in addition, fights against anemia by making iron more bioavailable in our food.

It also acts as a hunger suppressant.  If you are overweight, eating a lot of dark, leafy greens has the advantage of having low calories, and will also make you less hungry.  Salads using spinach, kale, or romaine lettuce as opposed to iceberg lettuce are powerful weight loss promoters, providing you do not flood them with an excess of high calorie dressing or cheese.

These and more benefits discussed here are a reason to consume copious amounts of greens.

Specific Micronutrients

Fruits and vegetables all are part of a large, diverse, and essential food group to achieve optimal health.  The operative word being diversity.  While all fruits and vegetables contain helpful nutrients, they do not all have the same amounts of micronutrients.  It is best to have a variety of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories in your body at any given time.  This is because different micronutrients help ward off and fight different types of diseases better than others.

Hence, while eating a particular vegetable might be helpful, it is not optimally healthy to only eat one or two types of vegetables over a long term.  Leafy greens and other green vegetables contain specific micronutrients that other fruits and vegetables may not have, or may have in much smaller quantities.

Low Calorie

Alluded to in a previous paragraph, green vegetables tend to be very low in calorie count.  It is impossible to get fat by loading up on greens.  You can eat them in greater quantities than, for instance, a fleshy fruit such as a peach or plum.  While fleshy fruits are also a valuable part of the diet, they are also higher in sugar, carbohydrates, and calorie count.

The Bench Press Shirt: Yes or No?

Proponents of the bench press shirt proclaim that it acts as a safety device, preventing injury when benching heavy weight.  Its detractors say that it is merely a crutch.  An ego builder as opposed to a muscle builder, enabling you to lift weight you would otherwise not be able to without its use.

So, which side is right?  Or are there merits to both points of view?

What is a Bench Press Shirt?

They are made of polyester, canvas, or denim.  The original bench press shirts were single ply polyester, while all bench press shirts worn by competitive lifters today are of a multi-ply thickness.  If you have ever seen one, especially when being worn by a lifter, the first thing that will come to your mind is how stiff it is.  Witness someone putting it on, you will find they often need assistance from one, possibly two others.  While it is being worn, the lifter is unable to put his arms down by his sides in a relaxed position; they are outstretched in front of him.  It is such a tight fit, powerlifters will tell you that if you are not in pain when wearing it, that means that it is not tight enough.

A weightlifter being helped into a bench press shirt made by Inzer.

They Increase Your Maximum Bench Press

Though this was initially denied by many competitive lifters, the fact is that in the 1980s, people discovered that they could bench press considerably more when wearing a shirt than when performing a "raw lift."  That gave rise to the double, then triple ply shirts that we know today.  Because they were originally touted as a safety device, they were permitted in powerlifting competitions.  When lifters noticed their maximum bench press increase, the market responded by making even thicker, tighter suits.

How the bench press shirt is able to do this is simple.  The strong, but elastic material acts like a very tight spring.  It exerts a force in the same direction as your arms as you push outward.  That is the reason your arms will extend in front of you when you wear the shirt.

A modern, multi-ply bench press shirt made from a reputable company can add more than 30% to your raw bench press.  As of 2015, the record for a raw bench press is 715 lbs. while the record with a shirt is 1,102 lbs.  Several lifters have broken the 1,000 lb. mark using a shirt.

Safety?

Do they really improve the safety of your lift?  That claim is, at best, debatable.  The original bench press shirts may have served to keep the lifter's shoulders warm in between attempts.  However, while some still may be reluctant to admit this, the main motivation today for the shirt is to increase benching ability.  The increasing popularity of weightlifting since the 1980s among the general population has rendered the safety claim very dubious.  Look around your gym and see how many people are wearing a shirt.  If it is a hardcore gym, you may find a few at any one time.  However, in most gyms and fitness centers that are not populated by a disproportionate amount of powerlifters, you will most likely find nobody wearing a shirt.  The fact that so many people are able to bench without a bench press shirt injury free is evidence that it is not necessary.

If you do buy a bench press shirt, there is at least one potential risk.  Like any clothing, it can potentially be susceptible to wear-out effects with use over time.  If there is an unnoticed run or weakness that develops, and the shirt tears when you are in the act of lifting a weight that is 30% or more beyond your real capability, the weight can crash down onto your sternum, causing injury, and possibly a torn pectoral muscle in the process of trying to stop the bar.  So if you do compete, and therefore need to buy a bench press shirt, make sure you inspect it for signs of wear every time you use it.

Conclusion

The Sphere of Health does not adhere to the claim that bench press shirts will improve your safety.  In fact, in certain circumstances, it may pose an increased risk.  The vast majority of people who bench press do so without the use of these shirts, and do it injury free for many years.  There is no demonstrable evidence that wearing one reduces the chance of an injury.  The vast majority of bench press injury can be prevented by proper technique.  It is unnecessary to purchase one, unless you lift competitively.  The reason being that they add too much of a percentage to your bench press to be able to do without in a powerlifting competition.  Since they are allowed, if you are without one, you simply will have no chance of winning.  If you do wish to compete, purchase a bench press shirt by a reputable company, such as Titan, Karin, or Inzer.

Warning Signs of a Brain Aneurysm

Brain aneurysms are very serious conditions that can be life altering, and often fatal if not effectively treated immediately.  Almost any brain aneurysm falls into one of three categories.

• Fusiform.  This is where the entire artery of the brain swells and bulges.
• Dissecting.  This is a tear in the artery that causes leakage around the brain and braincase.
• Saccular.  This is by far the most common type of brain aneurysm, accounting for approximately 90 percent.  These aneurysms take the form of a sac that develops on the outside of the arterial wall.  They can also be referred to as berry aneurysms, owing to the shape of the sac.

There are some cases where the aneurysm is completely asymptomatic.  However, much like heart attacks, aneurysms often rupture because the symptoms that they yield can sometimes mimic other things.  If you know whether or not you carry one or more of the risk factors, you may be able to be more vigilant about the symptoms.  Risk factors include previous brain injuries such as concussions, high blood pressure, severe infections of the blood, long term drug use, and family history.

Drawing of the brain with a ruptured aneurysm, and the results.

The Warning Signs of Aneurysms

 

Some of the following symptoms make it easier to discern that there is something serious going on in your body, even though these are not exclusive to aneurysms.  If you or someone around you experiences any of the following conditions, call an ambulance immediately. 

• Numbness in one or both sides of your body.
• Unexplained weakness in one or both sides of your body, or even in a singular limb.
• Difficulty talking - unexplained slurred speech, or are not able to speak the words you are thinking.
• Dizziness or trouble walking, for no apparent reason i.e. intoxication.
• Seizures and convulsions.
• Unexplained loss of consciousness.

This next set of symptoms can often mimic other ailments, such as stomach bugs or migraines, but are not uncommon to aneurysms.

• Mild to severe headache.
• Mild to severe pain behind the eye.
• Pupil dilation.
• Double vision.
• Blurred vision.
• Nausea.
• Drooping eyelids.

 

So how do you differentiate between a brain aneurysm and just a normal headache or nausea?  Unfortunately, there isn't a completely foolproof way to do so.  For instance, if you only have nausea, it may be reasonable to assume you have a stomach bug.  Therefore, a good strategy to use would be combinations.  If you have nausea combined with double vision or numbness, or another symptom that is not common with a stomach bug, and you also have one or more of the aforementioned risk factors, you may want to go to the hospital.

Another example would be if you are experiencing pain behind the eye and light sensitvity, and have a history of migraines, it most likely is just a migraine.  But if it is combined with difficulty speaking or trouble with walking, that is a definite red flag.  Also, a headache that lasts more than a couple of days is often another telltale sign that something serious is going on.

The Perfect Burpee

The typical burpee consists of four basic steps.  Squat down, thrust legs out, pull legs back in to the squat position, spring back up with a jump at the end.  This differs from the regular squat thrust in that you only stand at the end, and go to the next repetition, forgoing the jump.  However, while the burpee does wonders in giving power to your core and legs, it to a large extent leaves out the upper body, other than momentarily bracing during the thrust and recoil part of the movement.

A United States Marine performing burpees.

The Perfect Burpee

 

1.  Squat:  From the standing position, place your feet shoulder width apart.  When you descend, do not lean over and round your back when you go to place your hands on the floor.  Squat in the same manner as you would with a barbell on your back, until you are able to touch your hands to the floor.

2.  Thrust:  From the bottom of your squat position, thrust upwards just enough to kick your legs straight out from underneath you.  When you kick them out, try not to bring them together.  Keep them shoulder width apart so you can bring them right back in to the squat position after the insertion of the next step.

3.  The Push Up:  This is not a step in the traditional burpee.  However, it can really add value to it.  When you squat down, with feet shoulder width apart, you tend to put your hands slightly wider, which puts them in a perfect position for a push up.  This added step will make the burpee work the arms and upper torso, namely the pectorals and deltoids.

4.  Recoil:  Keeping your feet shoulder width apart, spring off your toes, pushing inward and slightly upward.  Do not round your back;  keep it either straight or slightly arched upward.  That way, when you place your feet back down, you will be back in the ideal down position for a squat.  Your feet flat on the floor, your thighs below parallel.

5.  The Lift and Jump:  This is the positive (concentric) part of what is a plyometric squat.  From the bottom position, explode out of the hole as fast as you possibly can, pushing the floor away from you.  Push off with your heels; this will help you to maintain your squat form.  Throw your hands upwards to help you get more air out of the jump.  While in the air, make sure your knees are not locked.  Again, keep your feet roughly shoulder width apart, so when you land, you can spring downwards into the squat position to begin your next rep.

The Correct Way to Barbell Row

In the weight room, the object should be to condition and strengthen your muscles.  Not to strengthen your ego.  In fact, attempting to strengthen your ego in the weight room can put you at odds of the real goal.  It can do this in two ways.  The more obvious way is that improper lifting and stressing your body with poundage it can't handle with a correct lift can increase your risk of injury.  The other way, is that by taking a shortcut, such as a greatly reduced range of motion, your muscle is not being strengthened to near the degree it could be using correct lifting technique.

These shortcuts seem to be taken more on certain lifts than others.  It is highly probable that the lift done least correctly by the most number of people is the squat.  We have all seen many people load 400-500 pounds onto the bar and then squat down five or six inches.  One other lift where cheating is also rampantly observed is the back barbell row.  Many do not even realize that they are doing this lift wrong, as definite technique is often not taught.  Hence, people can be injured from rounding their backs, or end up moving the weight in only a few inches worth of range of motion.

The most common method of barbell rowing, especially by heavy lifters, is the following:  The bar is lifted off the rack, or platform in a standing position.  The lifter bends over at about a 45-60 degree angle, and rows the bar towards the lower abdomen.  And often, especially on heavy lifts, it consists of using momentum by swinging the back at the hips.  This use of momentum will de-emphasize the lats, which are the prime movers of the barbell row.  The reason behind performing the movement this way is to be able to lift a heavier weight than what your lats can actually handle.  These jerking movements carry a risk of injury to the biceps and lats, and the greatly reduced range of motion will hamper the development of those two muscle groups.

A woman performing a barbell back row with the correct posture.

Author: embhoo, under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

How to Correctly Perform the Movement

1.  It is probably easiest to start with the weight on the floor.  Not on the rack, or at any elevated position.  That way, it will make it easier for you to get your body in the proper positioning before you have a heavy weight in your hands.  This is most true for the working sets; it is somewhat less important on the warm up sets with light weight.

2.  Body positioning: your knees can either be straight, or slightly bent.  Place your feet about shoulder width apart.  As with all lifts and movements where you are handling a weight in a bent position, it is extremely important to keep your back straight, at the very least.  It is ideal to keep an upward arch, but most importantly, do not round your spine.  That places undue shear force on your discs, and your luck will eventually run out, more likely sooner than later.  Your back should be bent at an angle just short of 90 degrees.

3.  Starting with the weight on the floor, pull upwards in a fluid motion.  Do not use your spinal erectors to create momentum and jerk the weight upwards.  Pull the weight towards the midpoint between your sternum and bellybutton.  If you cannot get the weight all the way to your abdomen, use a lighter weight.

4.  Lower the weight in a controlled manner until it touches the floor.  Do not bounce the weight off the floor to start your next rep.  When the weight hits the floor, pause briefly, then repeat.  Aim for a weight where you can do 8-12 reps for three sets.
 

Why You Should Not Overcook Your Meat

There is paranoia among some people about "undercooked" meat.  If it is not browned all the way through, you think you are going to get food poisoning.  The idea that rare meat is dangerous is not new.  When a meat is cooked rare, or medium rare, part of the center usually retains a lot of similarity to its original texture, thus some are convinced it is still raw.  This fear is unfounded, and what is often not realized is that there is actually just as much to be afraid of by overcooking your meat as there is not cooking it enough.  While these effects are not as immediate as food poisoning, over time they can lead to lack of nutrition and risk of disease.

You risk more than just loss of flavor when you overcook your steaks.

Author: BrokenSphere, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

 

Damage to Amino Acids

 

In meat, you acquire complete proteins, including branched chain amino acids.  However, many of these amino acids can be destroyed or compromised by excess cooking.

 

Dangerous Compounds

 

Two classes of compounds are formed when meat undergoes excess heat for too long.  Heterocyclic amines (HA), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).  What is the problem with these two compounds?  Well, they are both carcinogenic.  Eating enough of these, over a long enough period of time, is an avenue of potential long term exposure and higher risk of disease.  One compound in particular, acrylamide, is an exceptional culprit.  It is also formed in fried foods.

 

Inhibits Digestion

If food reaches an excessively high temperature, it can change its composition enough that it is more difficult for the body to both digest and absorb.  That means you will only get a fraction of the available proteins, fats, and micronutrients.

If food sits in the stomach and intestines for too long, it can partially ferment and cause irritation to both.  That will make your eliminations less regular, rendering you more susceptible to things such as colon cancer.  This is also yet another reason that processed foods are harmful.

Breaks Down Some Nutrients

In addition to the problem of your body being able to digest and absorb nutrients, some of them will also be destroyed by excess temperature.  Some micronutrients and vitamins will break down due to thermal cleavage of bonds, and will thus be rendered useless to the system once they are taken in.