There’s a new Digital Health player in town…. and I’m playing the Role of Chief Nutritionist.
Check out ‘what’s cooking’ at Rebel Labs, Inc.:
ABOUT THE SERIES
The series is hosted by Jeffrey Saad, an award-winning rebel chef with many credits under his belt, including hosting three seasons of United Tastes of America on the Cooking Channel. We worked with Jeffrey and our Chief Nutritionist, Michelle Ricker RDN, to design some amazing (and amazingly simple) recipes. The goal: to create an introductory cooking series to teach our audience of millennials how to cook healthy and delicious meals that feed their mind, body, and soul.
COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH
How soon can you expect to see Rebel Labs’ first big release? The cooking course consisting of 25 episodes, and our extensive video cookbook library, will launch in late September. New recipes will be added to our video cookbook library every week.
What’s next? In September, we will be filming more than 300 male-friendly yoga and mobility workouts to help our audience learn effective cross-training techniques for whole-body fitness. Also in the works:
A 10-week nutritional course with an institutional partner
A full-scale, 52-week men’s fitness program
A post-partum women’s fitness program
And Rebel Labs apparel
As a Registered Dietitian, it takes a lot to convince me on supplements, especially proteins or amino acids. But this one has done it! Since I started taking Myohealth, I got leaner and felt my energy levels increase.
I know it’s not magic, yet this clean blend of specially formulated Essential Amino Acids helps the body synthesize protein, increase muscle strength, function and decrease muscle loss.
* For a pre or post workout recovery. Do it!
* For those getting up in age that want to preserve muscle mass. Do it!
* For anyone looking to increase energy. Do it!
* If you want to lean out. Do it!
* Looking for a boost in strength? Do it!
I got you on this one. Plus the first order is buy one, get one free.
A new paradigm of personal healthcare has arrived! There is no denying the science showing us that our genetic make-up can open windows to our current & future health. The question arises as to who can actually evaluate your DNA in a way that #1. is helpful #2. you can understand #3. will produce changes impacting your life?!
I have spent years learning about Nutrigenetics and Epigenetics, and let me tell you, it is an extremely complicated science. Yet, what I feel confident in, is that we truly can tell a lot about your personal nutrition & fitness needs so to make clear recommendations to help you with today’s health issues as well as how to help you improve your body for the future!
This article gives some concrete examples of how knowing your genetics can improve your health, weight and longevity.
“I was like ‘wow’. They told me I don’t tolerate caffeine and refined foods very well, and I respond better to endurance training than anything else.”
“Knowing what your DNA says about your body’s food sensitivities, food breakdown, hunger, weight, vitamins, allows you to become a more informed consumer. You can become smarter about what you choose to eat, and smarter about what supplements you choose to buy, saving you time, energy, and money while getting the results you want faster.”
It also presents the controversy of how exposed the industry is due to it being so young in science. Since it is still so new, only gives us an opportunity to learn from the leaders in the field…
because the upside to epigenetics is a COMPLETELY INDIVIDUALIZED overview of YOU!
When you are ready to learn more about how your body uses nutrients, doesn’t metabolize the way you feel it should and/or how to live a long, quality-driven life, let’s chat.
Yes, a genetic-based nutrition & performance program is for you and we should work on that together soon. We can tell so much about your health, fitness and nutritional needs from your genomics.
I am so ready to help you achieve your nutrition & overall health goals. By looking at your very own Genetics, I can create a nutrition & fitness program specific for You. Get to know why you keep getting stuck in rut when it comes to your diet. Learn what foods are the best for you…. is it carbs, is it protein or is it a certain type of fat?! You will also understand what type of activity is best for your body. I will be able to determine if a high intensity training program is best for the types of muscle fibers you have, or if you may do better with your weight loss by incorporating lower intensity activities.
Let’s do this together and get you Living with Vitality!
More info on how to get started with your Nutrition & Performance Genetic Program on my site.
I was fortunate to be invited by my friend and respected colleague Dr. Dan Stickler (aka: Ironman Executive) to do an interview for his amazing podcast.
We discussed the role of Genomics in Nutrition and Fitness. I think you will find the information enlightening, fresh and highly pertinent in helping YOU reach your health goals.
Muscle mass loss is no joking matter. And it happens to us all at an earlier age than I think we realize…. Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function, is often considered an issue for the elderly, but it can begin much earlier in life. In fact, sarcopenia is a progressive process that can be characterized by approximately 3-8% reduction in lean muscle mass per decade after 30 years of age! Understand that sarcopenia is a progressive syndrome that can start when people are middle-aged, including the gradual, “domino-effect” decline in health that accompanies muscle loss. -It’s important to keep a regular exercise program. Including, lifting weights. – Make sure you get adequate amounts of protein with each meal. About the size of your fist is a great portion size to aim for.
Here are the 10 most important things you need to know about your gut microbiome:
1. You are more bacterial than cellular.
Bacteria outnumber your cells by a factor of 9 to 1. And the genes in your microbiome outnumber your own genome by a whopping 150 to 1!
2. You depend on the microbiome for crucial functions.
Humans evolved in a symbiotic relationship with the microbiome, which is why our bodies depend on our bacteria for so many basic biological processes. Friendly bacteria digest our food, govern our appetite, control our metabolism, orchestrate our immune system, influence our mood, promote mental sharpness, determine heart health, support bone development, produce crucial vitamins and other nutrients, manufacture natural antibiotics, and even help to determine our genetic expression!
3. We’re used to thinking of bacteria as our enemies, but most bacteria are allies.
The bacteria in our microbiome don’t just help us perform basic bodily functions, such as digesting our food. They also help us restore gut health and heal symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, headaches, acne, eczema, colds, infections, joint and muscle pain.
4. Keeping the microbiome healthy with a wide variety of friendly bacteria is the key to health and weight loss.
Most bacteria seem to wish us well, organizing themselves into extraordinary arrangements to ensure good digestion and healthy weight. However, some bacteria promote inflammation (a response to stress) and other bacteria create sugar cravings! Too many unfriendly bacteria and we end up overweight, stressed, fatigued, and at risk for a wide variety of disorders, from acne to cancer.
5. The microbiome is the key to weight loss.
One of the most exciting developments is the huge number of research studies showing that when you rebalance your microbiome, you can boost your metabolism and shed fat. This was a discovery I made in my medical practice some years ago, so I was excited to see more evidence emerging to confirm an approach whose success I had already witnessed with thousands of patients.
6. A balanced microbiome is crucial to mental function and emotional health.
Your brain depends on biochemicals known as neurotransmitters to process thought and emotion. If your microbiome is out of balance, you are likely to end up anxious and/or depressed, suffering from fatigue, memory problems, and brain fog.
7. Stress can unbalance the microbiome in just a single day.
The lifespan of a bacterium is about 20 minutes. So 24 hours represent about 1,500 years in bacteria time. In just one day, you can alter your microbiome’s balance by killing off unfriendly bacteria online casino and allowing friendly bacteria to proliferate. Supporting your microbiome with probiotics, prebiotics, and healthy foods can make an enormous difference very quickly.
8. Probiotics are live bacteria that help balance the microbiome by supporting friendly bacteria.
You can take probiotics in capsule form, or you can take natural probiotics in the form of fermented foods: yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchee, and pickled vegetables. Taking a daily probiotic and loading up your diet with fermented foods can help you boost your metabolism and lose unwanted weight.
9. Prebiotics are the foods and nutrients that feed the friendly bacteria in your microbiome.
You can take them as powders and capsules, or you can eat whole foods that are rich in inulin, arabinogalactans, and fiber. In my book, I call these “Microbiome Superfoods.” They include asparagus, carrots, garlic, jicama, leeks, okra, onion, radishes, and tomatoes, as well as the “Microbiome Superspices,” turmeric and cinnamon.
10. The microbiome is the basis for the medicine of the future.
This year, the Mayo Clinic published a primer about how physicians might incorporate research on the microbiome into their clinical practice, proclaiming, “understanding the basic concepts about the interactions between humans and their microbiome will be as important to clinicians as understanding concepts of genetics or germ theory.”
I couldn’t agree more.
The microbiome has been dubbed “the forgotten organ,” but I think it’s high time doctors remembered it! Meanwhile, now that you know about your microbiome, you can start supporting it with probiotics, prebiotics, and “Microbiome Superfoods.” Your whole body will thank you for it.
Vitality Travel Tips… Travel can be brutal on the body due to changes in sleep patterns, time changes, the stress of meeting flight times, getting around a new city, etc. And, on top of it all, add to the mix being off of your normal eating pattern! If you can keep your digestive system healthy while ‘on the go’, you can stay WAY ahead of the game. You will find that your energy will stay up, you won’t be as susceptible to all the sickness floating around and you will be able to keep your antioxidants high so to minimize cell damage (aka: the aging process). A few tips for Vitality Travel: * Take some Greens to Go I like to carry a powdered green drink with me since finding greens out & about is super difficult. One of my favorites is Mighty Maca. http://www.mightymaca.com/ This little green concoction, when taken daily, will give you all the phytonutrients to keep your gut happy, your immune system strong and help minimize any inflammatory affects the stress of travel will have on your body. *Bring your own Bars When you are in a pinch and all that seems to be available is junk, fast food or airplane treats, I say grab a bar to get you thru til you can have some nutritious real food. Bars that I like are Quest, Clif Builder Bars, Elemental Raw Bars *Emergen-C Keep your Vitamin C levels topped-off during travel to ensure electrolyte balance and to minimize risk for catching some random bug floating in the air. *Stay hydrated! Carry a water bottle with you – especially on the plane. *Bag-o-Nuts It may seem silly to cart around a bag of nuts in your bag, but let me tell you, they can be a life saver. Nuts not only travel well due to their durability & extended shelf life, but they will give you the Omega-3’s and vitamins you will most likely be lacking when eating out or eating ‘local’ food. Due to the good fat content of nuts, they will also keep your blood sugar under control for an extended period of time which will allow you to not have to hunt down food as often.
Do you constantly think about food? Are you feeling hungry all the time?! Well, it may be case of the QUALITY of foods you are eating instead of the QUANTITY. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/opinion/sunday/always-hungry-heres-why.html?_r=0 The good news about shifting the quality of your diet patterns, is that you may not have to rely on that silly ‘willpower’ anymore. Once your body is able to reduce how much insulin it produces – by eating more good fats and less refined carbohydrates – it can get back to supporting you in your weight loss efforts instead of fighting you on it every step of the way. ‘People in the modern food environment seem to have greater control over what they eat than how much. With reduced consumption of refined grains, concentrated sugar and potato products and a few other sensible lifestyle choices, our internal body weight control system should be able to do the rest. Eventually, we could bring the body weight set point back to pre-epidemic levels. Addressing the underlying biological drive to overeat may make for a far more practical and effective solution to obesity than counting calories.’ I say…. Bring ON those good fats!! 😉
Michelle Ricker RDN
