Low-carbohydrate diets make you lean and healthy, systematic review shows

(From Coach David:  Do you want an easy way to start the Paleo Diet?  Try DavidsDiet.com)

Personal Training Friday Harbor, WA  One On One Personal Training Flyer.pdf

Low-carbohydrate diets make you lean and healthy, systematic review shows

Thursday, August 30, 2012 by: Eric Hunter

(NaturalNews) The amount of research on low-carbohydrate diets have skyrocketed the last couple of years; mostly due to the increased popularity of carbohydrate restriction and the “overwhelming” amounts of anecdotal reports from people following these types of diets. Individuals who adhere to a low-carbohydrate eating style usually get most of their calories from fat, and skeptics often argue that the increased consumption of meat and saturated fat will “clog the arteries” and increase the risk of disease. A new meta-analysis, a systematic review of studies, found that low-carbohydrate diets lead to weight loss and improved health.

A low-carbohydrate diet usually involves reduced consumption of grains, legumes, rice, certain dairy products and sometimes fruits and root vegetables. Fat becomes the main source of energy, and avocado, coconut products, oils, full-fat dairy, meat, fish, fowl, eggs, olives etc., are common food staples.

The exact amount of carbohydrates in different types of “low-carbohydrate” diets usually range from 0-100 grams.

The systematic review of low-carbohydrate diets used 23 reports that met the criteria of the analysis; which includes 17 clinical investigations and a total of 1,141 obese patients. Low carbohydrate diets were found to be associated with significant decreases in body weight, blood pressure, insulin levels and plasma C-reactive protein. In general, low-carbohydrate diets were found to improve all cardiovascular risk factors. Weight loss in itself also contributes to improved metabolic markers.

Low-carbohydrate diets will not clog your arteries

The link between saturated fat, cholesterol and heart disease has long been considered an established connection by many medical professionals. However, when looking into the human physiology and biomedical literature, one quickly realizes that it’s not so cut and dry. Several comprehensive reviews conclude that low-carbohydrate diets don’t increase the risk of heart disease and cardiovascular disease.

The new systematic review also showed that low-carbohydrate diets cause an increase in HDL, the “good” cholesterol, and no significant changes in LDL, the “bad” cholesterol. It’s also known that the majority of people can eat cholesterol without it affecting their cholesterol levels. Rather than elevated blood cholesterol, inflammation seems to be the major cause of heart disease.

This doesn’t mean that a low-carbohydrate diet is necessarily the optimal diet

The benefits of these systematic reviews are that they look at several reports, rather than just presenting the data from one study. This way it’s possible to get a larger picture and be able to draw more accurate conclusions. However, this meta-analysis gives little information about the effects of low carbohydrate diets compared to other popular diets, the exact amount of carbohydrate necessary to achieve good results and which foods to choose.

Sticking to a low-carbohydrate diet usually means increased consumption of paleolithic foods and reduced consumption of processed foods, grains, legumes, milk and other western foods staples.
These “modern” foods often have a high-carbohydrate density and contain several anti-nutrients, problematic proteins and hormones. Thereby, avoiding these foods results in reduced inflammation and a healthier life.

Epidemiological studies show that humans can maintain excellent health when eating a high-carbohydrate diet based on fruits, berries, nuts and root tubers and other vegetables.

The one group of people that “always” benefits from carbohydrate restriction is overweight and obese individuals. All of the available literature shows that low carbohydrate diets are linked to significantly more weight loss compared to other diets. Overweight and obesity usually go hand in hand with low-level chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and leptin resistance. Carbohydrate restriction usually improves insulin and leptin resistance among other things, thereby contributing to weight loss.

Sources for this article include

Santos FL, Esteves SS, da Costa Pereira A, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials of the effects of low carbohydrate diets on cardiovascular risk factors.
Obes Rev. 2012 Aug 21. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2012.01021.x. [Epub ahead of print]

Mente A, et al. A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease.Arch Intern Med. 2009 Apr 13;169(7):659-69.

Hooper L, et al. Reduced or modified dietary fat for preventing cardiovascular disease.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Jul 6;(7):CD002137.

Siri-Tarino PW, et al. Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the associationof saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar;91(3):535-46.

Kratz M, et al. The relationship between high-fat dairy consumption and obesity, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease. European Journal of Nutrition, Online First?, 18 July 2012

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037001_low-carb_diet_body_fat_healthy.html#ixzz255IL4U6G

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037001_low-carb_diet_body_fat_healthy.html#ixzz255I8083o

Excess belly fat – How it happens and how to get rid of it for good

Personal Training Friday Harbor, WA  One On One Personal Training Flyer.pdf

Excess belly fat – How it happens and how to get rid of it for good

Thursday, August 30, 2012 by: PF Louis

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037006_belly_fat_solutions_chronic_stress.html#ixzz253EQ3ivL

(NaturalNews) General obesity is an epidemic. But it’s possible to experience belly fat without being generally obese with fat enlarged torso, arms, and legs that demand waddling while walking. Your arms, upper torso, face, and legs can appear normal with an extended belly and expanded waistline.

Beer bellies are often wheat bellies. This can result from eating wheat products, even whole grain, with its high glycemic index (GI). Today’s wheat has been transformed into a nutritionally weakened hybrid that contains 10 times more gluten than the wheat of a half-century ago.

Even for those who don’t have extreme wheat/gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease, one can surpass his or her capacity for digesting gluten, leading to that wheat belly.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037006_belly_fat_solutions_chronic_stress.html#ixzz253EKYxb5

(http://www.naturalnews.com/036845_wheat_belly_weight_gain_gluten.html)

Wait, there’s more!

So you’ve cut back on wheat and even avoided gluten-free products that contain potato starch and tapioca, both high GI substances. But the waistline remains the same.

Stress affects your hormones. Cortisol comes from the same gland that provides adrenaline for short-term reactions to perceived dangers. But cortisol is produced from chronic stress without any real outlet. It can build up, cause hormonal imbalances and create a suddenly bulging belly.

For women who experience an estrogen imbalance, too high or low, the belly can bulge also. For men, it’s testosterone deficiencies that can bring on the beer belly. Stress can also influence the sex hormones. So a simple solution, in addition to excluding gluten to some extent, would be reducing stress.

Diet still remains important. Organic foods with lots of greens while abstaining from processed and junk foods goes a long way to both reducing the waistline and stress. Intense exercise may be fun for some, but how many who practice hatha yoga have beer/wheat bellies, hmm?

Focusing on stress reduction

Sometimes stress is handled by eating “comfort foods” that are high in simple, processed carbs and sugars and bad fats, creating a vicious big belly cycle. So there need to be other options for reducing the stress that directs fat to the belly and promotes indulging in comfort foods.

An important method for eliminating stress is getting enough high quality sleep. Even if you’re in bed for eight hours nightly, you may not be getting even close that much quality sleep. The key word is quality. (http://www.naturalnews.com/026637_sleep_health_immune_system.html)

Difficulty falling asleep, getting up often, waking up easily and often from restlessness all make the process of an immune enhancing quality sleep impossible. Save your coffee for the morning hours. Maybe some chamomile tea late in the evening would help.

Relax before hitting the sack with a pleasurable activity. Better yet, meditate or practice the corpse pose of yoga where you relax every part of your body until you achieve a totally tranquil state of relaxation. (http://suite101.com)

Make sure your bedroom is completely dark. No lights of any kind anywhere, and a little on the cool side, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This is an ideal sleep environment.

Melatonin supplements, especially sub-lingual, can help you fall asleep. Start at three mg and experiment for the right dose, anywhere from one to ten mg. Too much leaves you rested but groggy upon awakening.

Cut out unnecessary stress. In this modern culture of political correctness and self-defeating politeness, we sometimes take on tasks that are not necessary for our survival or our best interests. Too many demanded tasks and frivolous meetings create unnecessary stress.

In other words, allow yourself to enjoy being you. Walks in nature, an occasional picnic, time spent listening to good music are a few examples of ways to eliminate stress without resorting to excess alcohol or comfort food binging.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037006_belly_fat_solutions_chronic_stress.html#ixzz253EArbHx

The Truth About Cholesterol Part 1

The Straight Dope on Cholesterol: 10 Things You Need to Know – Part 1

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-10-things-you-need-to-know-part-1/#ixzz2535y85S1

Aug. 27, 2012 Bully Proof Bootcamp seminar is SOLD OUT!

We have oversold the Aug. 27th, 2012 Bully Proof Bootcamp seminar at Xtreme Fitness at Friday Harbor, WA.

Private lessons are available.  See flyer here:  Bully Proof Bootcamp Private Lessons Flyer.pdf

Thank you,  Coach David Alexander (The Bully Tamer!)

Introducing ONE-ON-ONE with Coach Z!

Come see me at the Xtreme Fitness Booth at the San Juan County Fair today from 8am to noon!

HUGE MULTIPLE SESSION DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!

ONE-ON-ONE WITH “COACH Z” (Goal Based Personal Training):

• Build Incredible Confidence
• Build Lean Functional Muscle
• Weight Loss
• Live Longer
• Feel Better
• Get Stronger
• Wedding
• Reunion
• Beach Body
• Athletic Event

You tell me your goals and I will design a program to get you there!  We will work together 3 or 4 days a week until you have achieved your goals.  Your sessions will be fun, exciting and personalized to what you want to accomplish.  I have a long list of fun exercises, workouts, and strength training protocols to use in helping design your personalized “goal based” training program.  Whether it’s to increase confidence, lose weight, achieve a better body composition, increase strength, get in shape for an upcoming wedding or reunion, finally get that beach body or compete in an athletic event.  Whatever it is you want, I will design a program to get you there and be with you every step of the way.  Contact me for a FREE CONSULTATION at coachalexander@gmail.com with ONE-ON-ONE in the subject line.  I can come to you or we can meet me at the gym.  It’s your choice.

.

Destroying children with the cloak of ADHD

Destroying children with the cloak of ADHD – Parents need to pay attention

Friday, August 17, 2012 by: Jaqui Karr

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036842_children_ADHD_drugs_diet.html#ixzz23pJqI8NH

(NaturalNews) ADHD, your child, drugs, corruption… are words that should not be in the same sentence – or same conversation for that matter. Last month, a study was published that makes it questionable whether this generation of children stands even a remote fighting chance against the pharmaceutical companies…. They do if their parents are informed…

Let us start with the conclusion of the study: “Later start of stimulant drug treatment of attention/hyperactivity disorder is associated with academic decline in mathematics.” Translation: if you want your kids to do well in school you need to get them on stimulant drugs as early as possible, hopefully while still in the womb.

The fact that one of the researchers on the study received funding from a pharmaceutical company that makes drugs to treat ADHD is more than wrong; it should be outright illegal to have such a conflict of interest – but that’s another conversation.

The statistics are out of control and climbing: almost one in ten children in America are diagnosed with ADHD and over 65 percent of them are currently on prescription medication. Medications that have dozens of side effects. Medications that can cause irreversible damage, trigger auto-immune disorders, cause insomnia, stomach disorders… And yet, we see quotes like this: “There are obvious benefits of getting started sooner rather than later,” J. Russell Ramsay says to Reuters Health; he studies ADHD at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

In the Reuter’s article, titled “Early ADHD treatment may ward off problems in school,” they start off by suggesting that kids will have trouble in school if they are not on drugs before the age of 11 or 12. ELEVEN OR TWELVE. …One tries to be an “objective journalist” and just report the facts but at times like this it gets challenging.

Has it occurred to anyone to check the diets of these kids?

The massive sugar spikes they are getting hit with every day, hyper-active reactions to gluten – which is making its way to the top of the highly inflammatory food list, liters of soda pop that create brain malfunction, rocket fuel in our water supply that causes every kind of system malfunction, excitotoxins, hormones and steroids via animal products, the chemical cocktails sprayed on to the few fruits and vegetables they might be eating… the list is just too long to make it possible for children (and adults) NOT have foggy brains, depression, or ADHD – among hundreds of other disorders. Has anyone thought to try an all natural, organic, plant strong diet and see how children perform?

The problems AND answers lie in food. Sadly, the pharmaceutical companies will do everything in their power to get the “experts” and medical community to say otherwise. Even sadder is that for the mainstream, whatever the guy in the white lab coat says must be true.

The CDC site itself has a page that provides parents with a checklist to help them pre-qualify their child before rushing to their doctor for a prescription. Items on that list: “Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly” and “Is often easily distracted” …traits that would have had 100 percent of us diagnosed with ADHD when we were kids. Tragically sad.

Horrendous diets can certainly cause issues, but it’s also important that parents remember that kids are just kids and most normal kids “act up” and cause trouble. Always have, always will – unless sedated. Please let your kids be kids.

Sources:

Helga Zoega, Kenneth J. Rothman, et al. A Population-Based Study of Stimulant Drug Treatment of ADHD and Academic Progress in Children. Pediatrics peds.2011-3493; Published online June 25, 2012 (10.1542/peds.2011-3493)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/NCBDDD/adhd/widget/checklist/index.html

About the author:
Jaqui Karr is a gluten & nutrition expert, best selling author, certified dietician, and professional speaker. Her books, seminars, and online programs have helped thousands of people on 5 continents over the years find better health and enjoy a higher quality of life. Her newest program is “Gluten Demystified” – watch this free online video now for valuable information that could help you prevent the trigger of hundreds of disorders that have been linked to gluten: http://glutendemystified.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036842_children_ADHD_drugs_diet.html#ixzz23pJgpXno

‘Wheat-belly’ 101

‘Wheat-belly’ 101 – Five clues that your excess weight is caused by gluten

Friday, August 17, 2012 by: PF Louis

If you want to get rid of a Beer Belly, check out my Kindle Book David’s Diet.  It’s only .99 cents and can be read in just a couple hours.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036845_wheat_belly_weight_gain_gluten.html#ixzz23oggyZd9

(NaturalNews) Wheat today is not what it used to be. It is more of a hybrid version of 19th century and earlier versions of wheat our ancestors relied on for their daily bread. The same is true for a few other grains.

Today’s wheat is a genetic modification of horticultural or agricultural specie combining. This genetic modification is different than laboratory GMO gene splicing. Nevertheless, the amount of 20th century agricultural genetic modification has outpaced the human digestive system’s ability to adapt.

The result is that even if you are not a celiac disease sufferer or gluten sensitive, you still could be suffering from the ill effects of wheat and other grains. Even organic whole wheat has a high glycemic index (GI), which over time may increase your glycemic load and create diabetes II.

So although whole wheat grains are considered complex carbohydrates, modern day wheat contains amylopectin A, which is a rapidly absorbed carbohydrate that spikes your blood sugar, but more. The other grains that can contribute to wheat belly include: Barley, rye, triticale (a cross between wheat and rye), bulgur, farina, kamut, seminola, durum flour, and spelt. Bummer, eh?

There are safer grain options, however. Buckwheat, which is not actually wheat, amaranth, rice, hominy, sorghum, tapioca, arrowroot, quinoa, and einkorn are okay. Uncommon einkorn is the ancient traditional wheat our ancestors enjoyed. Oats are controversial. Some argue that oats are contaminated by wheat.

The downside of wheat and some other grains

Beer belly is actually wheat or grain belly, according to Body Ecology. It is visceral fat, or fat that has accumulated around body cavity organs, such as the liver, stomach, or intestines. Subcutaneous fat is just under the skin. It is the flabby, flesh of any part of your body.

Obese folks have both visceral and subcutaneous fat issues. A beer or wheat belly most likely indicates visceral fat. In addition to the obvious potential of diabetes II from obesity, there is another ominous aspect of visceral fat.

Visceral fat acts as a gland, secreting hormones that make the immune system react. This produces more fat to store and protect pathogens from invading our organs. It’s the proverbial vicious cycle, and it also produces low level chronic inflammation that can result in various autoimmune diseases.

Cardiologist William Davis, MD, warns against the gluten free diet for losing a wheat belly. The wheat substitutes such as potato flour have high glycemic index issues also, and they can increase your GI load to cause the obesity you’re trying to avoid.

Five wheat belly indicators in addition to a bloated belly

1) High blood sugar
2) Skin problems, rashes, acne, and eczema
3) Bouts of anxiety and depression – low energy
4) Gut disorders – yeast infections
5) Early aging disorders that include dementia

Beyond this lies celiac disease, which can be determined by a blood test and/or gut biopsy.

Sprouted grain bread options

Weston A. Price Foundation founders Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD, researched sprouted grains and determined they had a lower GI than grains not sprouted.

The sprouts still contain some gluten, but sprouted grain enzymes break down a good deal of the grains’ normally harmful ingredients. They are more nutritious than merely whole grains.

There are the Ezekiel sprouted grain breads. Some bakeries make sprouted wheat and other sprouted grain breads. Whole Food bakeries provide a sourdough, sprouted wheat bread without bromide, a harmful ingredient used by most bakeries.

You might be able to get away with some of the options mentioned in this article instead of being forced into a strict Paleolithic (Paleo) or hunter/gatherer diet to avoid wheat belly.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036845_wheat_belly_weight_gain_gluten.html#ixzz23ogWGGMs

Bully Proof Bootcamp for Boys and Girls ages 7 – 16

Update 8/13/12:  We only have 2 spots left!  Hurry, before they’re all gone…
Update 8/8/12:  We only have 4 spots left!  Hurry, before it’s too late…

Bully Proof Bootcamp
How to STOP Bullying without Violence
For Boys and Girls ages 7 – 16
See more at BullyProofBootcamp.com

Limited Spots Available!

Learn to defeat a bully with your brains and not your fists!

Every 7 minutes a child is bullied and every month in the United States, 3 million children miss school due to fear of bullies.  In this Bully Proof Seminar, my goal is to instill in your child unshakable confidence so they can overcome bullies without violence.  This is surprisingly very easy to do and can be learned in just 2 hours.  Are you going to let your child be a victim? Or are you going to “Bully Proof” them?

Location:  XTREME FITNESS Friday Harbor, WA (Phone: 360.370.5636)
This bootcamp is limited to ages 7 – 12.
Date:  Monday, Aug. 27^th from 5:30p-7:30p
Cost:  Contact Xtreme Fitness for pricing (same family discount available)
(Xtreme Fitness is located ¾ of a mile past the library on Beaverton Valley Rd.)
–Must pre-register at the front desk.  Limited Spots Available—

Seminar Techniques:
– A step by step plan to deal with a bully.
– Play “The Bully Games”. (ex. What? What?, Ninja, Whack a mole, Shadow and more…)
– How to verbally defeat a bully or “How to Fight Fire with Water”.
– How to develop unshakable confidence.
– Why I Love Bullies!  (This may surprise you)
– How to defend yourself if physically attacked without hurting the bully or getting in trouble.

This seminar will be taught by Coach David Alexander (Self Defense Expert and Bully Tamer!)  I am a father of two boys (7 & 10) and a martial arts black belt.  See my complete bio here:   http://coachztraining.wordpress.com/about/

For more info email Coach David Alexander coachalexander @ gmail.com
SPONSORED BY:  CoachZTraining.com and BouncerForHire.com

“When victims stop being victims, bullies stop being bullies.”

Would you like to host a Bully Proof Bootcamp in your school or community?  Would you like to learn how to defeat a bully using your brains and not your fists?  Bring a Bully Proof Bootcamp to your school or community.  Contact me Coach David Alexander at coachalexander @ gmail.com to bring a Bully Proof Bootcamp to you!  Private lessons are also available.

Inflammation is the cause of nearly all disease – Here’s how to prevent it

Tuesday, August 07, 2012 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036722_inflammation_disease_prevention.html#ixzz22s2azwys

(NaturalNews) Persistent, systemic inflammation is at the root of practically all known chronic health conditions, including everything from rheumatoid arthritis and high cholesterol to dementia and cancer. These conditions are not necessarily inevitable, and neither is chronic inflammation, but you have to know what lifestyle and dietary steps to take in order to avoid them, many of which are fairly simple and straightforward.

There are literally hundreds of illnesses caused by chronic inflammation that modern medicine has classified as unique and unrelated, when in fact they are all products of the same underlying imbalances inside the body. When the root causes of these imbalances are properly addressed, in other words, chronic illness in general stands a far less chance of taking hold than if left to run its natural course.

“Inflammation is your body’s response to stress — whether from your diet, lifestyle or environment,” says a 2006 article by Body Ecology. “Think of what happens when you catch a cold. You may experience inflammation in the form of a fever as your body heats up to eradicate the effects of the invading virus.”

“This kind of inflammation is good, but the modern epidemic of chronic, low-grade inflammation destroys the balance in your body. When your body’s systems experience a constant inflammatory response, you become more susceptible to aging and disease.”

And what are some of the primary causes of chronic inflammation? Excessive stress, poor diet that lacks vitamins and minerals, environmental toxicity, not drinking enough clean water, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise all contribute to low levels of chronic inflammation that often go undetected for many years until disease finally emerges.

The Standard American Diet (SAD), which is high in simple carbohydrates and refined sugars, is another major contributor to disease-causing inflammation, as is lack of natural sunlight exposure and routine inactivity. Failing to consume enough cleansing foods as part of a normal diet is another contributing factor to chronic inflammation, as cells and blood must be continually purified with the help of nutrient-dense foods and herbs in order to prevent a chronic inflammatory response.

How to fight chronic inflammation and prevent disease

So what can you do to help avoid chronic inflammation and resultant disease? Here are a few simple guidelines:

• Drink plenty of clean, fluoride-free water – Pure, mineral-rich water is the most basic, yet one of the most powerful, anti-inflammatory nutrient that you can feed your body. Drinking naturally high-pH water from mineral sources will not only help to alkalize your body, which will prevent disease from taking hold, but will also purify your blood and cleanse toxins from the body.

• Eat plenty of fermented foods – Kombucha tea, kefir, sauerkraut, yogurt, fermented vegetables, and apple cider vinegar are all excellent examples of probiotic-rich superfoods that will help to populate your gut with beneficial bacteria, and ensure that your digestive tract remains healthy and well-functioning. Fermented foods and beverages also help prevent harmful pathogens from taking hold within the body.

• Cut out the carbs and omega-6 oils, and eat plenty of healthy, saturated fats – The average American doctor would probably cringe at this advice, but saturated fats like those found in butter and fat from grass-fed animals, as well as in coconut and palm oils, are actually beneficial for your health, while carbohydrates and oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids are heavy promoters of disease-causing inflammation. Your best bet is to skip the low-fat diet and start eating more healthy fats in combination with mineral and enzyme-rich whole foods.

• Get plenty of natural sunlight exposure – The vitamin D hormone plays a critical role in regulating immune function, as well as preventing the onset of chronic illness. A powerful, natural anti-inflammatory, vitamin D is easily accessible through natural sunlight exposure or supplementation, and it is one of the most powerful interventions for deterring inflammation.

To learn more, visit: http://bodyecology.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036722_inflammation_disease_prevention.html#ixzz22s2M3cMv

Submission Grappling Crash Course Seminar

Print flyer here:  Submission Grappling Crash Course Seminar Flyer.pdf

SPONSORED BY:  CoachZTraining.com and StreetFightBootcamp.com
Submission Grappling Crash Course
SEMINAR for Ages 12 & Over
Learn the moves you see in the UFC!

Location:  XTREME FITNESS Friday Harbor, WA (Phone: 360.370.5636)
Date:  Tues., Aug. 21^st from 5:30p-7:30p
Cost:  $10 for members and $15 for non-members
(Xtreme Fitness is located ¾ of a mile past the library on Beaverton Valley Rd.)
–Must pre-register at the front desk.  Limited Spots Available—

Seminar Techniques:
(This seminar is technique only, No sparring.)
-Basic Positions
-Trap & Roll (how to escape being mounted)
-Straight Arm Bar
-Straight Arm Bar Defense/Escape
-Rear Naked Choke
-Rear Naked Choke Defense/Escape
-Kimura (+ a secret trick)
-Kimura Defense/Escape
-Triangle Choke
-Triangle Choke Defense/Escape

Seminar Instructors:
-Coach David Alexander
(Former Coach, Fighter and AZ Licensed Cornerman for the Champion Fight Team)
-BJJ Instructor Bryan Johnson
(Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt (2010) under Jimmy Thompson)

Free methods to lower stress

(NaturalNews) Stress is something we cannot escape. As soon as one stressful situation disappears, another one seems to pop up. Workplace stress is almost unavoidable and can lead to anxiety, depression, headaches, and a miserable attitude. Anything that lowers your stress levels can also add years to your life. Stress triggers inflammation, inflammation causes damage, damage leads to disease, disease can cause death.

Lower stress, lower disease

Cortisol, AKA the “stress hormone,” is a steroid produced by the adrenal glands on top of the kidneys. It is usually released in times of stress to maintain homeostasis in the body. However, chronic stress that causes sustained release of cortisol has serious, negative effects on health. Not only does it stress the cardiovascular system, it decreases immunity as well. High cortisol levels can contribute to type II diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, and the loss of reproductive health, just to name a few. Cortisol is essential for human existence and a useful evolutionary adaptation to stressful situations (getting chased by a tiger). Unfortunately, humans are experiencing unnecessary stress more often due to everyday situations. Whether it is work, home, family, money, or travel, these “stressful” situations are slowly destroying your body.

Just breathe!

Granted, you can’t just remove all of the stress from your life, but there are many ways in which you can make situations less stressful and manageable. The cheapest and easiest method to implement immediately is a relaxation breathing technique. Sit comfortably in your chair, close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath through the nose lasting four seconds, filling your belly, hold for four seconds, let out slowly for four seconds, and retain the exhaled breath for four seconds before breathing in again. There are four stages to this breathing cycle (breath in, hold, breath out, retain), taking four seconds to complete each stage. Repeat the cycle five to ten times and return to normal breathing. This is a quick, simple method to lower stress and relax the body.

Other stress-lowering tips

Other stress relieving techniques are not as apparent and intentional as the breathing exercise, but have serious benefits to your health and stress-lowering qualities. Aside from yoga, massage, acupuncture, exercise, and vacations, a few more stress relieving techniques that can benefit your mind and body that are easy to implement include:

• Pets – Although most of us can’t bring a pet to the workplace, interacting with an animal via petting, playing, or talking has well-studied health benefits such as lowered blood pressure and improved immunity
• Earthing/Grounding – Easy and free, grounding allows the body to gain electrons from the earth to neutralize free radicals and oxidative stress; leading to a decrease in inflammation and better health. It’s as easy as standing or sitting with bare skin exposed to grass, sand, dirt, or concrete for 20-plus minutes.
• Meditation – A little more time consuming than the breathing technique, it starts out the same way, but focuses on clearing the clutter in your brain that flashes in and out of consciousness. By concentrating solely on the air going in and out of your lungs and blocking out any other thought, stress becomes non-existent with a profound sense of mental clarity.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036655_stress_reduction_methods_breathing.html#ixzz22OcLwnLB

9 Body Hacks To Naturally Increase Testosterone

by Joseph Mercola

Recently by Joseph Mercola: Top Ten Reasons To Avoid Your Doctor

Story at-a-glance

• Beginning around age 30, a man’s testosterone levels begin to decline, and continue to do so as he ages, leading to symptoms such as decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, depressed mood, and difficulties with concentration and memory
• Dietary and exercise changes, particularly limiting sugar/fructose, eating healthy saturated fats and engaging in high-intensity exercises and strength training, can be very effective at boosting testosterone levels naturally
• Other strategies to boost testosterone include optimizing your vitamin D levels and reducing stress

Read the rest here:  http://lewrockwell.com/mercola/mercola213.html