Month: July 2022

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Do You Know How To Stay Healthy In The Heat?

Tim Irvine

Most people know the dangers of high heat during the summer months. When temperatures rise to the high 20s and above, our health risks go up. Vulnerable populations like seniors, pregnant women, and those with other underlying health conditions are much more likely to have a serious health concerns due to heat.

Like many health-related issues, there are surprising effects of heat that people are not yet aware of. In a 2021 article, climate and health expert Gregory Wellenius of Boston University described several ‘new’ complications from extreme heat and the more commonly known conditions.

Common

  • Dehydration
  • Heat exhaustion (nausea, lightheadedness, fatigue, etc.)
  • Heat stroke (headache, confusion, lack of sweat, etc.)

Less common

  • Increased mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and mood disorders
  • Decreased kidney function
  • Deceased cognitive function

As you can see, the brain is affected in multiple ways. For those who suffer from mental health conditions, symptoms worsen in heat. For those trying to perform their best in a meeting or on a test, the heat will hurt their performance. Extreme heat is broader than an elderly person in a home that does not have air conditioning.

On the Climate Atlas of Canada webpage, Dr. Kim Perrotta warns that heat “…is actually a real concern for human health that’s affecting a large portion of the country.” And Wellenius indicates that “Even moderately hot days can place vulnerable individuals at higher risk.”

So how do we stay healthy in the heat?

The most simplistic answer is to remain cool when the temperatures soar. That’s easier said than done, so here are some practical tips you can implement.

  1. Drink plenty of water. When it’s hot, we sweat more. This causes accelerated dehydration. Often you don’t even know you are sweating more as it’s not as obvious as having sweat running down your back.
  2. Adjust your outdoor activities to cooler times of the day and do your best to stay in the shade. Sun exposure dramatically increases the effects of heat.
  3. Take air-conditioned breaks when possible. This can be in your home, a public building, or a local cooling centre.
  4. Avoid intense, outdoor physical activity. This can accelerate dehydration and quickly push you into heat exhaustion or worse.
  5. Slow down. In nations close to the equator, there is a reason locals refer to the pace things happen as ‘island time.’ Moving slower will decrease your body’s need to cool itself.

The summer is amazing and what we wait for all winter long. Let’s enjoy it but do so in a way that protects our health and the health of those we love.

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Saucy Salad Rolls

By Tim Irvine

With our workshops, we try to provide unique ways to help people understand health-related concepts. Our summer salad rolls workshop is an excellent example of one.

Dr. Tamara Kung, ND, demonstrated how to make fantastic salad rolls in no time while at the same time explaining some of the nutritional benefits of the ingredients. For example:

  • Turmeric, garlic powder, and cumin are great for flavour, but they are also big antioxidants that fight inflammation
  • Sweet potato is a yummy root vegetable, but it’s also fibre-rich
  • Green lettuce promotes good gut health

You get the idea.

If you want to try it on your own, the recipe is below. Have fun and enjoy this healthy and tasty treat.

Notes:

Soy Free: Use Coconut Aminos instead of Tamari
Filling Variations: Sliced mango, avocado, or any vegetables you enjoy, roasted cauliflower, eggplant, cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms, and purple cabbage.
Sauce Variations: Hummus, guacamole
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All For your Info Performance Recommendations Resources Tips

Save time, make gains: The efficient 3/7workout

By Tim Irvine

Alex Hutchinson wrote an incredible article about the 3/7 workout. In short, it is a five-set program with escalating repetitions, but only 15 seconds of rest between sets. You can learn all about the details by reading it here.

There are two key messages. One, to gain strength effectively, muscles must reach a point of failure. The 3/7 method accomplishes that as long as you are using 70% of your maximum weight for a given exercise. Not particularly surprising, but many people who resistance train don’t reach failure. Why? It hard. And painful. These are two things that most people shy away from.   

The second key message is efficiency. In my opinion, this is the most important factor in staying in a routine. If it’s too long and we get bored, or we find ourselves in a hurry, the likelihood of us continuing over the long term decreases. But if we can get in and out in a short amount of time, AND create progress, well that’s very motivating.

My conclusion about the 3/7 workout is that it is exceptional for efficiency and effectiveness. It creates gains in a short period of time, even in high-level sports. That’s great for motivation as well as allowing us to manage our busy lives AND take care of our physical selves. I acknowledge the hard work and pain part can decrease motivation, but the beauty of the 3/7 is that it is a very short duration with not a lot of time to think about it. Contrast that with six sets of six reps of heavy squats with two and a half minutes of rest in between. That’s close to 15 minutes. That is a lot of time, period. It’s also a lot of time to think about how hard and painful it will be. That works against our nature of wanting to avoid pain and suffering.

Give it a try if you are just getting back into workouts, or if you just want to mix things up. Your body will thank you either way.

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All For your Info Performance Recommendations Resources Tips

Protect Your Joints From Injury

By Tim Irvine

Moving is an incredible cure for so many physical and psychological ailments. It is imperative we move, but it’s also important that we move correctly to avoid pain and/or injury.

In the world of ergonomics, there is a saying. ‘The perfect position is the next position’. Meaning, always change the position your body is in to avoid adaptations that put your joints out of alignment.

Sitting, for example usually results in rounded shoulders and a low back. Excessive or prolonged time in these positions alters limb mechanics and corresponding joint positions. When we move dynamically, those joints don’t magically return to their optimal position, they remain out of alignment and these small imbalances increase the wear and tear on the joint structures.

What can we do to reduce the risk of joint degeneration?

  1. Move-in all directions regularly.
    1. For example, if you are a runner and do so multiple times weekly, you need to perform some movements that ‘undo’ the mechanics of running so your body does not get pulled out of balance.
  2. Avoid getting stuck in any one position for too long.
    1. In our society, most of us are desk-bound which means sitting way more than we should. That’s a problem waiting to happen for our joints. Work from all sorts of different positions during the day. Standing, sitting, lying, etc. Just keep changing and avoid joints getting ‘stuck’ in certain positions.
  3. Hydrate.
    1. Yes, you’ve heard it over and over, but it works. Consuming ample amounts of water helps keep our joints hydrated and reduces the risk of damage. Sugary beverages don’t count as they add inflammation to the body.
  4. Eat a low inflammation diet.
    1. When we perform a dynamic exercise like tennis, for example, it naturally inflames the body. This is good inflammation. If we eat an inflammatory diet, however, we are not allowing the exercise inflammation to recover. We’re putting nutrition inflammation on top of exercise inflammation and that sets us up for problems.
  5. Stay strong.
    1. This is probably the most important strategy of them all. If your muscles weaken, they allow for more joint movement for the same given activity. This may mean the range of motion can exceed ‘strong’ ranges and put the joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles in vulnerable positions. Weakness may also allow the joint to move in ways it shouldn’t, thereby increasing the risk of acute injury.
  6. Supplement with products when necessary.
    1. Our diets are not perfect. Sometimes we need to supplement with products that promote better health. For joints, an example is a collagen supplement.

Typically, people complain of joint pain as they get older. This is in part because of the natural ‘experience’ or wear and tear on the joint over time. More often the degradation is a result of poor habits applied over years. We don’t do ourselves any favours and then seemingly out of the blue we start experiencing joint problems. Practice joint health habits early and often and you will be able to continue to move young as you age.