Body Composition: Your Baseline
http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=bce1681dbf&e=4795ae4b7c Introducing Julia Bassiri, trainer, guest writer and friend: Julia embodies the Evolved-Fitness mentality of personal transformation (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=5b413df526&e=4795ae4b7c) and seeking to be one's best self, physically, mentally, and psychically. She's super fit and worked hard for it, and, she's an amazing writer. She's a philosopher with a psychology background. An athlete who is an artist. I've never seen a more creative trainer. Her group exercise classes are top notch in safety, effectiveness and fun, with a focus on fun! And now we all get the pleasure of her writing to help us delve into body composition, and what it can tell us about ourselves. The Poliquin Method, Pills, and Perspectives Hormones are decidedly unrelated to achieving our physical fitness goals. And anything else we pursue in the gym. Right? Err. Emm. Wrong. We’ve got a heap of jargon in this ever-expanding holistic health realm, and yet there are longstanding essential terms that we blatantly ignore. Hormones, is one such term. Somehow, all things endocrine have been relegated to doctors’ offices and deemed inappropriate for, or unapproachable from a fitness standpoint. Were we to shift our emphasis away from physical weight to other weighty matters, however, we might feel the results of our incremental changes (more sleep, balanced breakfasts, lunchtime walks) that have us posting selfies on social media, that have us puffing our chests as proud Whole Foods patrons, and that ultimately have our insides celebrating themselves. While there’s not just one right way to make this shift away from weight, the BioSignature modulation method (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=5d2999ef5b&e=4795ae4b7c) , developed by strength and fat loss expert, Charles Poliquin, provides a trusted formula for determining and evaluating one’s body composition and related needs. This formula relies upon the measurement of 12 fat deposit sites (skin folds)http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/biosignature-reviewed-hormones-key-weight-loss/, each of which is indicative of a particular hormone’s prevalence within the body. An adept hand, skilled with calipers, collects these numbers, and then their ratios are evaluated. Based on an algorithm, an individualized protocol for counteracting the client’s unique hormonal circumstance is suggested, and training plans are developed accordingly; a client may be classified as “Stressed and Tired,” “Stressed and Wired,” “Inflamed,” or some other variant. Each of these categorizations requires a different supplementation protocol, accompanied by a protocol-sensitive program design. The goal, however, is to foremost focus on the core of all cores: the nutritional needs of the burdened body. The core that’s likely caused, and will hopefully correct, the detected hormonal dysfunction. Now, I say “burdened” because of the constant exposure the body is subject to in our everyday routines. Environmental toxicity is a real phenomenon, seeping into our pores and cozying up in our cells. The compounds that go into the production of manmade goods don’t stay bound within those products, but become a part of us; ever hear about that statistic—that a woman eats about 7lbs of lipstick in her lifetime (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=855fcda23e&e=4795ae4b7c) ? Well, whether it’s fabled or not, the idea of consuming even a plate of thick aubergine matte is less than appetizing, and makes for a rather unfortunate eggplant-sized vision of the gut. It also taxes the liver, keeps our cells from metabolizing at an efficient or normal rate, and leaves us feeling fatigued, groggy, worn down—because we are in constant combat. This past May, I (alongside many of my fitness professional peers, one of them being your beloved Mr. Nicholson), had the chance to attend and complete a BioSignature certification at the Poliquin HQ in Rhode Island. We measured each other’s folds, were provided our weight in gold (golden nuggets of knowledge, that is), and left the facility feeling empowered by the existing resources we rarely leverage: ourselves. We heard a different perspective regarding this fairly ubiquitous, aforementioned body-burdening that our society engages in, and—after many days of what felt like comprehensive pre-med classes—the domino effect of our actions, and the interconnectedness of all aspects of our lives became exponentially clearer. Here's the Complete Body Crew, BioSignature certificates of completion in hand! For instance: the amount of sunlight (vitamin D) one gets might directly affect how quickly he or she recovers from her next workout. In 2013, a research study (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=6708979e54&e=4795ae4b7c) tested vitamin D’s validity as this supposed recovery-time determinant by first measuring participants’ vitamin D levels, and then putting them through an exercise protocol. Each subject served as both the test and control; one leg was the control, the other was the test. The test leg was put through a leg-press-esque workout that fatigued the leg, and then researchers blood tested the individual’s vitamin D levels immediately, in 48 hours, and again in 72. When they looked at their data and asked the question, “do vitamin D levels affect muscular recovery and inflammation following exercise?” the results indicated that they do—that low levels (suboptimal levels) of vitamin D did affect their subjects’ abilities to bounce back. So! If one’s vitamin D levels are optimal, one’s muscle recovery time is optimal. This concept is by no means novel, but it is too often overlooked; why do we neglect our nutrition when it directly impacts our internal functioning, which is the primary barometer for our ability to optimally perform and engage in the world? Perhaps that’s a question for another time. I cite this study not to emphasize performance enhancement, but to start a conversation around getting back to baseline, be it through whole-food nutrition, sleep, or supplementation. I’m not sure I know what it feels like to operate with my macro and micronutrient levels exactly where they’re supposed to be, but—could it be magical? Could it be life-changing? It could be a wake up call. Again, the conclusion here is not novel: lifestyle choices affect biochemistry and have ripple effects beyond what’s immediately comprehensible. But not all of us are savvy to the precise changes that we need to make for our totally unique body compositions. So why not enlighten ourselves? We’re all experiments after all. Are we not? Five foremost takeaways from BioSig and its founding principles: 1) Body awareness is more than a mindfulness term: to view oneself objectively, as a source of data, will make for a more factual, unbiased, less emotional (fat loss) journey. 2) There is no end all be all: BioSig analysis is one resource that is effective in many ways, but ultimately does a great service in redirecting us to the power of natural fuel (food), and the need to understand how it functions uniquely for each of us. 3) Supplementation is not just for bodybuilders: we may use natural compounds to achieve goals faster, or relieve pain sooner. 4) Looming toxins don’t just loom: they interfere. Your laundry detergent may be stalling your weight loss efforts. 5) Quality always counts: an apple sprayed, to keep the bugs at bay, could very well lead, to your interior decay (perhaps not decay, per se, but it’ll certainly get in the way). And on that perfectly vague yet definitive note, I leave you until next time, whereupon I’ll dive a little deeper into each of these five takeaways and satisfy your mind with the more that it now craves. If you’d like to dig a little deeper on your own time, visit the following sites, each one corresponding to its numerical topic above: 1) Videos and tidbits on tracking one’s own data (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=ed40cfbbd8&e=4795ae4b7c) (Tim Ferriss & more!) 2) You approach living well from more than one position. Here’s (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=e56a028ba0&e=4795ae4b7c) your chance to reflect on your various habits and intentions. Fill out your own “Wellness Wheel!” 3) A bit about magnesium (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=9732557202&e=4795ae4b7c) : its benefits, and an honest opinion on supplementation 4) Are you using cosmetic products that are increasing your body burden? Check out ewg.org, RAW natural beauty video (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=b21da5a673&e=4795ae4b7c) 5) This read may seem like a slight diversion (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=6254098414&e=4795ae4b7c) , but it’s an insightful, cultural exploration that raises more than a few worthy points. Train with Julia! (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Let's%20work%20out!%20) At any of the Complete Body Gym (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=872e41809d&e=4795ae4b7c) locations. She's got both the time and interest so long as you do! and while you're at it --> - See what she's up to on instagram (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=660d8a45a8&e=4795ae4b7c) - Visit her personal site (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=49bf00e66c&e=4795ae4b7c) - Check out her (bright and colorful) side pursuit (http://evolved-fitness.us9.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=169ef3794dd1dbc99228af04f&id=91820bffa6&e=4795ae4b7c) [email protected] 301 768 2128 Julia is a perspective-seeker. She encourages her clients to turn thoughts upside down and look at them differently—to view fitness and health differently. Not necessarily while in a handstand...but sometimes.