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Three Incredibly Simple Ways to Maintain a Strong Immune System

Rae Steinbach/3 August 2020/ All MFN blog/

During the COVID-19 pandemic, taking steps to protect yourself from contracting the virus is essential. That means you need to prioritize boosting your immune system. Although a strong immune system always plays a crucial role in your health, right now, it’s particularly important.

Strengthening your immune response is also fairly easy. While you should remember that none of these tips are substitutes for seeking medical care if you believe you have COVID-19 or are in danger of contracting it, you should consider the following ways – from cooking healthy recipes to getting enough sleep – that you can keep your immune system strong during a pandemic.

The Naturopathic Chef: Southwest Green Goddess Dressing

Tina Martini/31 July 2020/ All MFN blog/

The fresh, herbacious flavor of the original Green Goddess dressing inspired a Southwest version I used for my cafe menu. Today, it remains a client favorite. Perfect for a veggie platter and grilled seafood. The dressing is pictured here on a Southwest Caesar with grilled Mahi.

Summertime is the season for fresh herbs. If you don’t like cilantro, flat-leaf parsley works well.

Dressing

¾ c Grapeseed Oil Mayo
¼ c Grapeseed Oil
1 clove Garlic, peeled, trimmed, and smashed
2 Tbls Pumpkin Seeds
2 Tbls Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbls Cotija Cheese
1 freshly roasted Anaheim Chili, peeled and seeded, or two tablespoons of canned mild chilies
1 bunch Cilantro, cleaned and stemmed
½ tsp each Salt and Pepper (Cotija Cheese is salty, be sure to taste along the way)

Place all ingredients up to cilantro into a blender. Process until smooth. Add cilantro in thirds to keep the bright color. Over-processing heats the dressing and can cause the herbs to lose their vibrancy.

Phyte Facts

You may read negative commentary about Grapeseed oil. It is high in polyunsaturated fats making it susceptible to over oxidization. In other words: don’t deep fry with Grapeseed oil. However, cold-pressed GSO is beneficial due to a very little known polyunsaturated fact. When the PUFAs are ingested, our immune function goes to sleep for a short period (I know this sounds bad but…) this allows a very special heart mending action to take place. Once the “work” is done, our immune function wakes up and everything resumes. GSO also assists in the removal of plaque built up in the arteries. It’s higher in vitamin E, than Olive Oil, and binds the water we drink to our tissue keeping us thoroughly hydrated.

All veggie oils are processed and should be kept to a minimum. A little goes a long way!

The remainder of the ingredients are definitely Delicious Medicine, with Cilantro heading up the foods with phyte. Apigenin will someday be the cure for Ovarian Cancer, says Harvard School of Medicine. This phytonutrient is also a major player in the reduction of inflammation and anti-aging science.

Get more great recipes from Tina Martini — her book, Delicious Medicine: The Healing Power of Food is available to purchase on Amazon. More than a cookbook, combining 20+ years of experience, along with her love of coaching, cooking and teaching, Tina offers unexpected insights into the history and healing power of clean eating, along with recipes to help reduce your risk of disease and improve overall wellness so you can enjoy life!

Affectionately referred to as The Walking Encyclopedia of Human Wellness, Fitness Coach, Strength Competitor and Powerlifting pioneer, Tina “The Medicine Chef” Martini is an internationally recognized Naturopathic Chef and star of the cooking show, Tina’s Ageless Kitchen. Tina’s cooking and lifestyle show has reached millions of food and fitness lovers all over the globe. Over the last 30 years, Tina has assisted celebrities, gold-medal athletes and over-scheduled executives naturally achieve radiant health using The Pyramid of Power: balancing Healthy Nutrition and the healing power of food, with Active Fitness and Body Alignment techniques. Working with those who have late-stage cancer, advanced diabetes, cardiovascular and other illnesses, Tina’s clients are astounded at the ease and speed with which they are able to restore their radiant health. Tina believes that maintaining balance in our diet, physical activity, and in our work and spiritual life is the key to our good health, happiness and overall well being. Visit her website, themedicinechef.com

Why Yoga Professionals Should Join the MedFit Network

Dr. Steffany Moonaz/28 July 2020/ All MFN blog/

It is safe to assume that not everyone a yoga professional works with is injury or disease free. As a yoga professional, it is your responsibility to ensure that you provide your clientele with safe and effective programming. The question you have to ask yourself is: are you truly qualified and up to date on the latest information to work with your current (and future)? A second question to ask is are you marketing yourself to those who need you most in this healthcare crisis? If you’re honest, you should at least say that perhaps you are not.

Well, this is where the MedFit Network (MFN) can help! MedFit Network (MFN) is both a professional membership organization for yoga, fitness and allied healthcare professionals, and a free online resource directory for the community to locate professionals with a background in prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation in working with those with chronic disease or medical conditions. As a yoga professional, here are three reasons why you should join the MedFit Network

5 Key Strengthening Exercises for People with Diabetes

Sheri Colberg, Ph.D./27 July 2020/ All MFN blog/

Although stay-at-home restrictions are loosening around the USA and summer is coming, you may still need to get some of your activities indoors at home for a variety of reasons. If you aren’t doing resistance workouts already, you should really consider adding some resistance exercises to your normal regimens.

In fact, if you do nothing else, doing these 5 key exercises is critical for people with diabetes who may have weak core muscles, altered gait and balance, and central and peripheral nerve damage. If you lose your core strength, it will affect your ability to do all activities of daily living, including walking and living independently.

Do at least one set of 8-15 reps of each one, but work up to doing 2-3 sets of each one per workout. For best results, do these exercises at least 2 or 3 nonconsecutive days per week — muscles need a day or two off to fully recover and get stronger — but just don’t do them right before you go do another physical activity (as a fatigued core increases your risk of injury).

These and many more exercises are available on Diabetes Motion Academy for free download.

Exercise 1: Crunches with waist worker
Exercise 2: Chair sit-ups OR Low back strengthener
Exercise 3: Modified push-ups
Exercise 4: Squats OR Suitcase lifts
Exercise 5: Sit-to-Stand exercise

#1: Crunches with waist worker

Crunches:

Crunch Example

Directions:

Lie down on your back with your knees bent.
Place your hands on your head right behind your ears.
While breathing out, contract your abdominal muscles to lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor and curl forward no more than 45 degrees.
Hold for a moment before returning to the starting position, then repeat.

Waist worker:

Directions:

Lie on your back on the mat with your legs bent, your feet flat on the floor, and your left hand behind your head.
Stretch your right hand across your body toward your opposite (left) knee and circle your hand three times around your knee in a counterclockwise direction; your right shoulder blade will lift off the mat.
Repeat the circular movement around the right knee using your left arm, but in a clockwise motion.
Keep your head in a neutral position and relax your neck to ensure that the contraction is in your abdomen area only.

#2: Chair sit-ups OR Low back strengthener

Chair sit-ups:

Directions:

Sit up straight in a chair with your feet on the floor, hands to your sides for support.
Bend forward, keeping your lower back as straight as possible, moving your chest down toward your thighs.
Slowly straighten back up, using your lower back muscles to raise your torso.
For added resistance, put a resistance band under both feet before you start and hold one end in each hand during the movement.

Low back strengthener (Superman exercise):

Directions:

Lie on your stomach with your arms straight over your head, your chin resting on the floor between your arms.
Keeping your arms and legs straight, simultaneously lift your feet and your hands as high off the floor as you can (aim for at least three inches off the floor).
Hold that position (sort of a Superman flying position) for 10 seconds if possible, and then relax your arms and legs back onto the floor.
If this exercise is too difficult to start, try lifting just your legs or arms off the floor separately–or even just one limb at a time.

#3: Modified push-ups

Directions:

Get on your hands and knees on the floor or mat.
If using a band for extra resistance, position it across your back and hold one end of it in each hand so that it is somewhat tight when your elbows are straight.
Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the mat.
Tighten your abdominal muscles to straighten your lower back and lower yourself (from your knees, not your feet) down toward the mat as far as you can without touching it.
Push yourself back up until your arms are extended, but without locking your elbows.
If this exercise is too hard, stand facing a wall and place your arms on it at shoulder height and your feet about a foot away; then, do your push-ups off the wall (with or without a resistance band).

#4: Squats OR Suitcase Lifts

Squats:

Directions:

Stand with a dumbbell (or household item, like water bottles) in each hand and your feet shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointing slightly out to the side.
If you’re using a resistance band, tie both ends of your band onto a straight bar or broom handle, which is placed squarely across your shoulders with the loop of the tied band placed under your feet.
Keep your body weight over the back portion of your foot rather than your toes; if needed, lift your arms out in front of you to shoulder height to balance yourself.
Begin squatting down but stop before your thighs are parallel to the floor (at about a 70-degree bend), keeping your back flat and your abdominal muscles firm at all times.
Hold that position for a few seconds before pushing up from your legs until your body is upright in the starting position.
Do squats with your back against a smooth wall if needed to maintain your balance.

Suitcase lift:

Directions:

After placing dumbbells (or household items) slightly forward and between your feet on the floor, stand in an upright position with your back straight.
Keep your arms straight, with your hands in front of your abdomen.
With your back straight, bend only your knees and reach down to pick up the dumbbells.
Pick up the dumbbells or items in both hands, then push up with your legs and stand upright, keeping your back straight.

#5: Sit-to-Stand exercise

Directions:

Sit toward the front of a sturdy chair and fold your arms across your chest.
Keep your back and shoulders straight while you lean forward slightly and practice using only your legs to stand up slowly and to sit back down.
To assist you initially, place pillows on the chair behind your low back.

Sheri R. Colberg, PhD, FACSM, is the author of The Athlete’s Guide to Diabetes: Expert Advice for 165 Sports and Activities (the newest edition of Diabetic Athlete’s Handbook), available through Human Kinetics, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and elsewhere. She is also the author of Diabetes & Keeping Fit for Dummies. A professor emerita of exercise science from Old Dominion University and an internationally recognized diabetes motion expert, she is the author of 12 books, 30 book chapters, and over 420 articles. She was honored with the 2016 American Diabetes Association Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award. Contact her via her websites, SheriColberg.com and DiabetesMotion.com.

COVID-19 New Normal in Fitness

Shira Litwack/24 July 2020/ All MFN blog/

The Challenges

We all know Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest. During these COVID times, fitness professionals desperately need to evolve – for our own fiscal survival, a great deal of population health depends on us.

A study released in June 2020 surveyed 10,824 people worldwide. Results showed 46.67% of gym members said they will not continue their gym membership after COVID. The number of people in the US not continuing membership is over 50%.

We can encourage people to Zumba on Zoom, online exercise… but let’s have a reality check on what is really going on.

Forbes: “Americans Are Excessively Eating, Drinking, Smoking Pot, Playing Video Games And Watching Porn While Quarantined”

Obesity is associated with a more violent reaction to coronavirus – which is no surprise as fat cells are like millions of little endocrine engines spewing inflammatory factors. Smokers and vapers are at higher risk of serious illness and complications if they get COVID-19.

Everyone knows smoking tobacco, pot-smoking, and vaping affects the lungs. The damage done by smoke makes it easier to get many lung illnesses. People who smoke and vape – even younger people – are at higher risk of more severe illness and complications from COVID-19.

Isn’t it amazing alcohol sales were deemed as an essential service? According to Nielsen, studies show that “alcohol sales were up 55% in the week ending March 21.” Nielsen also found that amount of spirits sold, such as tequila, gin and pre-mixed cocktails, skyrocketed 75% compared to March 2019. Wine sales rose 66%, beer sales popped 42% and online alcohol sales grew by an astounding 243% from last year at this time.

COVID Calamities

eating more junk
drinking more alcohol
exercising less
more stress
more TV/Screen time
Grand Canyon University Arizona study showed 22% of people surveyed reported weight gain during COVID crisis. That is just of those surveyed, and those who admitted to it!

Their response to the findings:

“Get the recommended amount of sleep, do not snack after dinner, practice dietary restraint, alter stress coping mechanisms, and maintain an exercise regime.” People know this. They need help implementing these suggestions.

The Balance of Exercise During COVID-19

If you haven’t read it yet – please refer to my article here on MFN on exercise and chronic inflammation. Reducing chronic inflammation and balancing our immune response is key during this pandemic.

Reducing chronic inflammation and balancing our immune response is key during this pandemic.

In a number of studies, exercise has an important role in immune balance.

A large study showed that mild to moderate exercise, performed about three times a week, reduced the risk of dying during the Hong Kong flu outbreak in 1998. The Hong Kong study was performed on 24,656 Chinese adults who died during this outbreak. This study showed that people who did no exercise at all, or too much exercise — over five days of exercise per week — were at the greatest risk of dying compared with people who exercised moderately.

It is clear that both too much exercise, overexertion during exercise and exercising while sick increases the risk of medical complications and death. These cause excess production of inflammatory cytokines. In the COVID-19 pandemic, research is showing those who get very ill or succumb to the virus – a massive cytokine storm overwhelms the body.

Secretory immunoglobulin A, or “sIgA” is an antibody protein used by the immune system to neutralize pathogens, including viruses. sigA has proven to be vital in upper respiratory tract infections. Over-exercising without adequate recovery has been shown to lower sigA, increasing susceptibility to respiratory tract infections. These infections are often what cause severe illness in COVID cases.

Remember Physical Activity

Of course, physical activity is a necessity to keep all of us healthy. Even if it’s not an “exercise” day – we all must remind people to be vigilant about physical activity.

Unfortunately “stay at home” was interpreted as sit on the couch and watch TV, or more screen time.

According to the data from Comcast, the average household is watching TV at least 8 hours more per week. That’s a full workday more. The data shows a 40% increase in viewing during the late-night hours. Comcast says it has seen the largest increases happening between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Netflix has added 16 million global customers since the pandemic started.

Physical activity and moderate exercise are vital to our mental health, physical health & immune function. The immune system has no pump of its own. It depends on our pumping muscles for flow.

There is no question this pandemic is increasing our stress levels. The psychological stress from feeling isolated, fear of catching the virus, the many unknowns, how long we will live like this, the hysteria.

It is our gift to be able to help people make better choices to deal with their stress levels.

The increased stress, screen time, changed schedules are all contributing to sleep issues. Sleep is vital to immune balance and the control of inflammatory responses.

We should encourage more passive exercise closer to bedtime, rather than trying to fall asleep to Netflix. Meditation, deep breathing, Tai Chi, yoga stretches, more passive exercise – incredible for stress reduction and muscle strength. Encourage some Pilates intermittently throughout the day for activity, calorie burn, muscle strength. And of course, walking. Remember there really isn’t a place now for the “no-time whine”.

With our guidance as fit pros, we truly can make a massive contribution to how we come out of this pandemic. There is a new normal. This COVID crisis could be here for a while. Let’s take this as an opportunity to offer newer more innovative services. And yes – always welcome to contact me to brainstorm. We need to expand our services as health consultants. You are a wealth of information and creativity, and we can help calm the calamities. And please… educate all on wearing a mask!

Shira Litwack has been in chronic care management and prevention for 30 years, specializing in lifestyle habits including holistic nutrition, medical fitness and oxidative stress reduction. She is frequently called upon by the media, has her own podcast bringing current research to the public. She has created and provided oxidative stress assessments, to help clients identify potential health risks. From these, she provides guidance to lower inflammation. Shira is now a product specialist with a major COVID-19 test kit supplier, working with epidemiologists educating people on COVID testing, and setting up and designing protocol for COVID testing clinics

“Tell Me What You Don’t Like About Yourself”

Christine Conti/20 July 2020/ All MFN blog/

A potential client nervously sits down before a very handsome LA plastic surgeon at the beginning of each episode of this extremely popular television show in the early 2000s. The surgeon asks the same question to each patient he meets.,“Tell me what you don’t like about yourself?” The potential client, slightly taken back by the magnitude and depth of this question, details what it is he or she wishes the doctor to change about them.

As a MedFit fitness professional and educator, this particular scenario really resonated with me. In fact, I have spent multiple decades trying to figure out the “WHY” behind the behaviors and mindsets adopted by my clients. What external or internal factors are positively or negatively affecting their ability to make healthy decisions, their ability to feel confident, or their ability to love themselves or others. This is exactly why we all must keep asking, why?

While designing fitness programs to support physical well-being is extremely important, are we providing enough positive reinforcement to encourage clients that “they are enough”? Are we building their confidence and self-worth? Are we empowering their mind and believing in them so hard until they start believing in themselves?

These are the questions we should be asking ourselves when we design fitness programs for the “whole person.”

The Why

Why do people feel the need to drastically change their appearance?

Where do these ideas come from and how will it have a positive effect on their future?

Why is outer appearance still considered more important than overall health when considering recent research to support longevity?

These are just a few questions to consider as a fitness or medical fitness professional as you begin to assess clients and “peel back the onion” to fully understand how you can best support their goals.

The How

If your client suffers from what I refer to as “negative self-talk,” those incessant self-deprecating statements act as a personal bully and obstacle to achieve true happiness — ask them why they feel this way?

Then, continue those “Why” questions until you find out the answers. This may take one whole session, or it may take months of shorter conversations. However, a medical fitness professional has the power to change lives, not only through physical fitness, but mental fitness. Mindset matters!

Consider

1. Is this negative thinking a result of a negative experience or is it being projected on them by others?

2. Ask questions and listen. Only when the fitness professional has developed a trusting, supportive, comfortable, and communicative relationship with their client can the fitness professional begin to understand their “why.”

3. “The way you make your muscles grow is through resistance training, where you work them until your muscle fibers are fatigued and break apart. With proper rest, recovery, and nutrition, those same muscle fibers grow back stronger than they were before. And you grow. The mind and your mindset work the same way.” –Dr. Bryan Price

Christine M. Conti, M.Ed, BA is and international fitness educator and presenter. She currently sits on the MedFit Education Advisory Board and has been nominated to be the 2020 MedFit Network Professional of the Year. She is currently writing the MedFit Network Arthritis Fitness Specialist Course and is the CEO and founder of ContiFit.com and Let’s FACE It Together™ Facial Fitness & Rehabilitation. Christine is also the co-host of Two Fit Crazies & A Microphone Podcast and the co-owner of TFC Podcast Production Co.

Intestinal Distress: Gutting It Out

Nancy Clark, RD/15 July 2020/ All MFN blog/

While some athletes have cast iron stomachs and few concerns about what and when they eat before they exercise, others live in fear of pre-exercise fuel contributing to undesired pit stops during their workouts. Be it stomach rumbling, a need to urinate or defecate, reflux, nausea, heartburn, or side stitch, how to prevent intestinal distress is a topic of interest to athletes with finnicky guts. Here are tips to help you fuel well before/during exercise while reducing the risk of gastro-intestinal (GI) distress. For more in-depth information, you might want to read The Athlete’s Gut by Patrick Wilson or listen to this podcast.

Stay calm. Being anxious about intestinal issues can exacerbate the problem. Think positive. Trust that your gut is adaptable and trainable. Record what, when, and how much you eat, as well as the duration and intensity of your exercise. Use that data to help you figure out what foods and fluids settle best. Building body trust can reduce anxiety—and that can reduce GI issues. That said, precompetition nerves can affect any athlete, regardless of GI hardiness!
Athletes in running sports are more likely to suffer GI issues than, say bicyclists or skiers. With running comes intestinal jostling; the longer the intestines are jostled, the higher the risk of upset. Ultra-runners know this too well…
If you experience gut issues every day—even when you are not exercising, you want to talk with a GI doctor. Celiac disease, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, and blood in your stool need to get checked out now! They are serious issues and differ from exercise-induced GI problems.
The higher the intensity of exercise, the higher the risk of intestinal distress. Add heat and anxiety to intense exercise, and many athletes experience transit trouble. During hard workouts, blood flow diverts away from the gut to transport oxygen and glucose to the working muscles and carry away carbon dioxide and waste products.
Low intensity training that can be sustained for more than half an hour is less problematic. The GI tract gets adequate blood flow, can function relatively normally and is able to digest, absorb, and metabolize pre-exercise fuel. Athletes tend to have fewer GI issues on easy training days, given better blood flow to the intestines, lower body temperature and less anxiety.
Carbohydrate is the easiest-to-digest fuel before and during exercise. Carbohydrate gets broken down into simple sugars in the stomach, then absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine. Specific transporters carry each sugar molecule (such as glucose or fructose) across the intestinal wall. Hence, consuming a variety of carb-based fuels helps minimize a “backlog” if all the transporters for, let’s say, fructose get called into action.
With training, the body creates more transporters to alleviate any backlog. That’s one reason why you want to practice event-day fueling during training sessions. Your body gets the chance to activate specific transporters. The foods and fluids you consume before and during training should be the ones you’ll use for the event. Some popular carb-based pre-and during-exercise snacks include fruits (banana, applesauce), vegetables (boiled potato, roasted carrots), and grains (sticky rice balls, pretzels, pita)—as well as commercial sports foods (sport drinks, gels, chomps).
Athletes who experience gas and bloat want to familiarize themselves with FODMAPs —Fermentable (i.e., gas-producing) Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols. These are sugars and fibers that some people have trouble digesting. Commonly eaten sport foods high in FODMAPs include milk (apart from lactose-free milk), bread, pasta, onions, garlic, beans, lentils, hummus, apples, and honey.
- - By choosing a low FODMAP diet for a few days before an important event, an athlete might be able to reduce, if not avoid, digestive issues. (Of course, first, experiment during training to be sure the low FODMAP foods settle well!) Low FODMAP foods include bananas, grapes, cantaloupe, potato, rice quinoa, cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, and maple syrup. For more information on FODMAPS, refer to KateScarlata.com.
Fatty foods (butter, cheese, nuts) tend to slowly leave the stomach and are metabolized slower than carb-rich foods. If you will be exercising for only one to two hours, think twice before reaching for a handful of nuts or a chunk of cheese for a quick fix before you exercise. A banana or slice of toast will digest quicker and be more available for fuel.
- - Eating fatty foods on a regular basis can speed-up gastric emptying a bit but you won’t burn much pre-exercise dietary fat during your workout unless you are an ultra-athlete who will be exercising for more than three hours. In that case, a bagel with nut butter or cheese will offer long-lasting fuel.
Some athletes chronically under-eat during training. This includes dieters trying to lose weight, and athletes with anorexia. Under-eating can impair GI function; the gut slows down with inadequate fuel. Delayed gastric emptying means food stays longer in the stomach and can feel “heavy” during exercise (as well as is less available for fuel). Slowed intestinal motility easily leads to constipation, a common problem among under-eating athletes.
Highly active athletes, such as Tour de France cyclists and ultra-runners, need to consume a large volume of food to support performance. If they are eating “healthy” foods before and during endurance exercise, they can easily consume a lot of fiber —and that can easily contribute to rapid transit. Endurance athletes needing a high calorie diet often benefit from eating some so-called less-healthy foods (such as white bread, white rice, cookies, candy) for low-fiber muscle-fuel.
Given each athlete is has a unique GI tract, be sure to experiment during training to learn what works best. Eat wisely—and enjoy miles of smiles.

Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, MS, RD counsels both casual and competitive athletes in the Boston area (Newton; 617-795-1875). Her best-selling Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook (6^th edition, 2019) can help you eat to win. For more information, visit NancyClarkRD.com.

Your Weight and the Pandemic

Deborah Kesten, MPH/10 July 2020/ All MFN blog/

During a recent interview on a talk radio show, a caller told me she had gained seven pounds since living in lockdown; her friends also had gained weight, she said. A few days later, a colleague who has been conducting what she calls “telephone clinics” with her obese patients wrote: “All were telling me how lockdown is causing further weight gain and how they feel unable to do anything about it.” She continued: “I think that the lockdown affects disproportionately people who were already struggling with obesity and unhealthy eating habits.”

As most of you know, it is not just select “obese patients” who are struggling with overeating and ensuing weight gain. This is because overweight and obese people are not a small subset of the population. Rather, almost 70% of Americans are overweight or obese; indeed, by 2030 the percentage is expected to be closer to 100%. This means that the lockdown may be speeding up our obesity stats, but it is not the cause of our overweight pandemic: The fat-track train left the station decades ago.

The Obesity Link to Covid-19

Today, with the threat of coronavirus infection, there is yet another reason to be concerned about being overweight: As Americans reel from the shocking and devastating health, mental, emotional, economic, and social impact the coronavirus pandemic has wrought, the virus continues to disproportionately harm those who are already struggling with obesity and other diet-related conditions — from heart disease and diabetes to high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. This is an alarming situation given that (1) almost 45% of adults in the United States are obese — we rank #1 in obesity among international OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) nations, (2) and one in two Americans — over 133 million people — suffer from chronic health conditions, many of which are linked to poor food choices.

In my opinion, the coronavirus pandemic is a wake-up call; a stunning event that is sounding the alarm we need to take action NOW to remedy the struggle that millions of overweight and obese people live with day-to-day. Clearly, we are being alerted to change — really, really change — what we eat and how we eat. Each day and every day. Starting now. For the rest of our lives. My vision is that we accomplish this by halting and turning around the obesity pandemic without dieting; rather, by losing weight and keeping it off with what I call a dietary lifestyle, meaning, a way of eating that leads naturally to weight loss, health, and healing…for life.

The Whole Person Integrative Eating (WPIE) Weight Loss Rx

What if…

…it were possible to overcome overeating and to lose weight and keep it off without traditional dieting? (Note: Almost 50% of Americans are “on a diet” at any one time; and typical dieters will try between 55-130 diets in their lifetime!)

…you could nourish yourself physically each time you eat? But also emotionally, spiritually, and socially?

…your relationship to food, eating, and weight was based on a way of eating that leads to a pleasurable relationship to food and eating—with weight loss as a natural “side effect?”

What I am describing is the Whole Person Integrative Eating (WPIE)^®dietary lifestyle, an evidence-based, scientifically sound model and program that treats the root causes of overeating, overweight, and obesity. It is also a way of eating that may prepare your immune system to fight viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.^1-3 And the WPIE dietary lifestyle can also help you prevent and reverse a plethora of other diet-related chronic conditions.

After 25 years of research by behavioral scientist Larry Scherwitz, PhD (transparent disclosure: Larry’s my

husband) and me, the well-documented message in Whole Person Integrative Eating is that it is possible to overcome overeating, overweight, and obesity by replacing the newly identified, new-normal overeating styles Larry and I have discovered with their antidotes: the ancient/new, science-backed elements of our Whole Person Integrative Eating^® model and program.^4-6 FYI…WPIE is a “whole person” program that address both what you eat (your food choices) and how you eat (your eating behaviors); and in turn, how your food choices and eating behaviors nourish you physically, but also emotionally, spiritually, and socially. As a first step, this article offers the WPIE what-to-eat guidelines for weight loss.

What-to-Eat Rx: Fresh, Whole, Inverse

What Larry and I, and hundreds, perhaps thousands of other researchers have discovered, is that there’s a simple way to eat that provides the antidote to the Fast Foodism overeating style our WPIE research identified that leads to overeating and obesity. It is a time- and science-tested what-to-eat guideline that has nourished humankind for millennia—and it is how people who are naturally thin and healthier eat today: Eat fresh, whole food in its natural state as often as possible.⁷Please keep in mind the phrase “as often as possible.” This means making fresh, whole foods your most-of-the-time way of eating; it is not a rigid, regimented way of eating you start, then stop.

To get you, and your waistline and immune system, started on the road to health and healing, here are the three words that describe the WPIE what-to-eat guidelines that lower odds of illness: Fresh. Whole. Inverse.⁷ This is what I mean.

Fresh. Whole. The optimal way to eat for weight loss, health, and healing is to consume mostly unrefined, unprocessed, real food that has all its constituents (such as the fiber and germ in grains) intact. This means choosing lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans and peas), and nuts and seeds, with lesser—or no—amounts of free-range, grass-fed, and/or wild dairy, poultry, meat, and fish that is free of antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, and additives and chemicals (you often can’t pronounce).

Inverse eating. Along with “fresh” and “whole,” the third WPIE “ingredient” for optimal eating is to eat inversely. What do I mean by “inverse eating?” Whether you’re looking at the traditional diets of Mediterranean, Asian, South American, African, Indian, or Native American cultures, they all have one way of eating in common: meals are mostly plant-based foods (fruits, veggies, grains, beans and peas, and nuts and seeds), with lesser amounts of animal-based foods (dairy, fish, poultry, and meat). In other words, the diets of most cultures worldwide are—and have been for thousands of years—mostly plant-based foods as the centerpiece of the meal, and animal-based foods as a condiment or side dish.

Clearly, this is the inverse of the almost 40 percent—approximately 84.8 million Americans—who eat fast food every day and the 91 percent—at least 290 million Americans—who completely miss the mark of meeting the U.S. dietary guidelines of a half to two cups of vegetables per day. Same with fruit: only 12 percent of Americans consume one-and-a-half to two servings per day. In other words, most Americans eat the standard American diet (SAD) of mostly processed animal-based foods with few, or no plant-based foods.

With SAD as a starting point, I use the term inverse eating to describe the antithesis, or inverse, of the standard American diet: the opposite way of eating that evolved naturally over thousands of years and includes mostly fresh, whole, plant-based foods supplemented with small, occasional servings of fresh, whole, chemical-free animal-based foods.

The WPIE Dietary Lifestyle: If Not Now, When?

I know. Change isn’t easy. Especially when it comes to food and eating. I understand; truly. Since the social-isolation policy that has gone into effect for most of us, I’ve talked with people who are turning to high-carb, high-sugar, high-fat “comfort foods” to cope. And they are gaining weight. And weakening their immune system. And making themselves vulnerable to a plethora of diet-related conditions.

The antidote? Commit to, and adopt a dietary lifestyle that empowers you to eat to prevent, even reverse, a multitude of food-related ailments and increase odds of boosting immunity, which in turn may decrease your risk of becoming ill from the coronavirus. And it lowers odds of being overweight and obese. Or developing diabetes. And heart disease. And some cancers. And depression and anxiety. And other mind-body, diet-related chronic conditions.

In other words, we know that the WPIE fresh, whole, inverse way of eating ups the odds of helping you lose weight and keep it off, lessens the risk of Covid-19 symptoms, and can prevent and reverse food-related chronic conditions; that the Whole Person Integrative Eating^® dietary lifestyle holds the key to transforming your relationship with food and eating so you can reclaim your health…for life. If not now, when?

Article originally printed on integrativeeating.com. Reprinted with permission from Deborah Kesten.

Deborah Kesten, M.P.H., is an award-winning author, specializing in preventing and reversing obesity and heart disease. Her expertise includes the influence of epigenetics and diet on health, Lifestyle Medicine, and research on the Whole Person Integrative Eating dietary lifestyle to treat overeating, overweight, and obesity. She and her husband, behavioral scientist Larry Scherwitz, Ph.D., collaborate on research and writing projects. Her latest book, “Whole Person Integrative Eating” was named the “Winner” in the Health category by the 2020 Book Excellence Awards.

What Does the Future Hold?: Emerging opportunities for trainers and coaches in medically oriented wellness

Dr. Mark Kelly/6 July 2020/ All MFN blog/

Four years ago, almost to the day, I made a keynote presentation at the California Clubs of Distinction annual meeting in Palm Springs. It was not long after the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was approved and launched. I decided to make this presentation because the landscape for medical health was at an all-time high, and the certification organizations knew this as they were all scrambling for their market share of this emerging opportunity.

I was making presentations in healthy aging and how to train elderly people in 2014, joined with and became a master trainer for an emerging group at the time, and got certified in functional aging. I had met with this energetic woman in Orange County who was starting a network for medical fitness — any guesses? Yes, Lisa Dougherty was super passionate about it and was busy enlisting all kinds of groups to collaborate with her. After working for the American Council on Exercise and knowing their interest in this market sector, I too saw an interesting niche in the fitness and health market that was not getting filled. The gap between an allied health care professional’s treatment and true functional health for any individual, but especially an aging one. Phil Kaplan has written and spoken quite a bit on this and labeled it as the “new blue ocean.” As he mentions, it is not a small niche, but a huge market opportunity, and it is driven by people valuing their health and quality of life.

Market Changes: What does the future hold?

Fast forward four years in what will go down in history as the COVID-19 year for the U.S. “We are all in this together” but six feet apart and in our own homes! There is a lot talk out there about what the future holds. Our country has not seen this level of unemployment and losses of income since the Great Depression. Our government is bailing out people and companies to the tune of trillions of dollars. Large companies such as 24-Hour Fitness is considering bankruptcy and has closed all 448 of their gyms. The social isolation has changed the landscape toward medical fitness even further! The other trend it is causing is online services to be popular. The stay-at-home quarantines we all are supposed to obey has meant a huge upsurge for education and training done online or virtually, respectively.

In an interview with Chris Rondeau, the CEO for Planet Fitness, he was mentioning how their facilities were always practicing good cleaning practices but felt the “personal cleaning etiquette” will now likely change amongst members. Thank goodness! No one wants to be on a piece of equipment where another’s sweat was left. This factor and the personal space will likely be in the forefront as the fitness clubs are part of the Phase 1 of the U.S. government’s reintegration policy. He also mentioned how the public understands that fitness is good for the immune system, and the lower price point of the Planet Fitness facilities are something the public will need to consider with the losses of income. He also mentioned how the company’s app and virtually lead fitness is exploding. He called it the digital content consumption and said it is at an all-time high for the company.

So what factors were part of my “perfect storm” as I labeled it? The Affordable Care Act, the baby boomers becoming seniors, people living longer, medical costs going out of control, ROI on preventative services being realized and new opportunities for corporate wellness as well. Now we have a new perspective on staying healthy during pandemics, keeping ourselves and our families away from large crowds, and watching our budget. There has been a shift in society for quite some time now from a “volume incentive” or paying a fee for a service, to a “value incentive” or paying for outcomes.

So several questions the public is asking;

Are the big box gyms doomed? No but they may need to serve the two ends of the spectrum, with clubs like Equinox serving the high-end client and clubs like Planet Fitness serving low-end clients.
Are group classes going to go away? Not likely, but the need to have six feet of spacing and therefore smaller classes are likely to change the way group classes are run, and that is “when” they come back.
Will online or virtual training increase? No doubt they will. This trend was already going strong with Peleton (stationary bikes) and other fitness devices having the virtual coach.
Will wellness and health coaching services increase? Also, no doubt. People, like me, have been not been in a standard gym for almost two months and are realizing the importance of their mental and physical health over just looking fit and trim.

What is next?

It is believed that the fitness marketplace will change over the next decade, and that the pandemic has sped this change along. 24-Hour Fitness was going through financial problems prior to the COVID-19 shutdowns. The evolution of “gyms” becoming “health care” facilities is happening. You should position yourself to either deliver a variety of wellness services or have a network of people you work with who can deliver these services. I believe the future health center will be a place offering several services and most will be proactive in nature.

You will need to join organizations that expose you to people who desire these services, like the MedFit Network. Be sure to take advantage of this “downtime” to “gear up” with education and new business plans that include specialties in disease conditions like osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and obesity. Others like women’s health or cancer or multiple sclerosis are available through MedFit Classroom as well.

This article was featured in MedFit Professional Magazine.

Dr. Mark P. Kelly has been involved with the health and fitness field for more than 30 years. He has been a research scientist for universities and many infomercial projects. He has spoken nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics and currently speaks on the use of exercise for clinical purposes and exercise’s impact on the brain. Mark is a teacher in colleges and universities in Orange County, CA., where Principle-Centered Health- Corporate Wellness & Safety operates.