Month: September 2014

September 21, 2014 Healthy Eating

Is unstable blood sugar preventing you from achieving your health goals?

What’s blood sugar you ask? Blood sugar is a simple sugar (glucose) that is broken down through digestion from the foods we eat and travels through our blood stream to our cells to provide energy to our bodies. Our bodies are unable to make or store this energy. Since every movement we make requires this continuous supply of energy, our bodies are essentially a ‘fuel as you go’ machine.

v4-why-bloodsugar
blood sugar updown-1Our body constantly regulates blood sugar levels to compensate when it rises too high or drops too low. It is constantly working to maintain a balanced internal environment (homeostasis). If our blood sugar is too high our body stores and holds on to fat, if it’s too low our body cannibalizes its own lean muscle tissue for energy . The result of these fluctuations of high and low blood sugar can result in a poor body composition usually consisting of a low muscle mass and increased fat percentage, and major affects contributing to low energy , poor athletic performance and mental fatigue throughout the day.

When a balanced internal environment (stable blood sugar) is achieved it allows our systems to work effectively and efficiently by releasing stored fat for fuel (which is burned in the muscle tissue and used for energy) while also allowing our body to protect and maintain its lean muscle.

imagesWKY2ZDDFKnowing how to feed your body correctly to achieve stable blood sugar is the key to success with any health goal. By optimizing your nutrition plan with the correct nutrition ratios, calories per meal and proper meal intervals while adding a fitness routine, you will achieve balance in blood sugar levels. You will then benefit from a steady level of energy throughout the day, eliminate sugar cravings and increase mental alertness making for a sharper mind and the ability to concentrate. Are you ready to take your health to the next level?

Samantha Dee is a Certified Nutrition Coach at Maximum Physiotherapy. She educates individuals on blood sugar stabilization, proper nutrition , exercise, increasing athletic performance and quality of life. Call 705-444-3600 to book a consultation or for more information.

September 21, 2014 Contributors

Samantha Dee

Samantha Dee is a Certified Nutrition Coach who grew up in Collingwood and is passionate about helping people not only LIVE their life but THRIVE and ACHIEVE their health goals.  While providing a solution to help people  improve their current health and athletic performance  she also lives by  the “ditch the diet” mentality.  Sam’s teaching approach is to educate  people on how to create a foundation, build it and maintain a healthy lifestyle that will last through any “life shows up” situation.

Samantha is very competitive and stays active with indoor/ outdoor Volleyball and Soccer. She also enjoys the great outdoors with her two young boys which include; hiking, biking, snowshoeing and snowboarding.

Although Samantha cannot change the world she is passionate about putting an end to Child Obesity and plans to pitch in by educating  the younger generations and their parents about the importance of healthy living and nutrition.

Samantha Dee is a Certified Nutrition Coach at Maximum Physiotherapy. She educates individuals on blood sugar stabilization, proper nutrition , exercise, increasing athletic performance and quality of life. Call 705-444-3600 to book a consultation or for more information.

September 12, 2014 Running

Haliburton 50 mile race report…”Chicken Soup”

Well I have to start talking about chicken soup because I’ve finally found this is the food I need to run long well. I’m not talking about the the boxed broth with no sodium added gluten free blah blah blah, I’m talking about the kind your granny made you boiling all the fat and marrow out of the bones on the stove. Add salt? Hell ya. If it sits in the fridge it should turn into a fatty jelly.

When you’re out there for five, ten, fifteen hours etc there is no way you can eat enough calories and gels (which I also use). So when I spent the day before preparing my soup and dumped it down the drain I felt like an idiot. I was multitasking and just not thinking. Damn!

So my buddy Nick and I are off to haliburton the Friday before the race and I managed to find some legit homemade soup for a steep cost of $15 for maybe a litre and a half. At this point I didn’t care I probably would have paid more.

We arrive at a decent time to set up our tent, heat the soup up to put in my drop bags. settle in for an early night after a couple of beers for a thunder and lightning show that helped clear out the massive amount of humidity.

Up at 4:30 after a restless sleep getting half a bagel in me and line up for the six am start. I was sluggish and tired for the first 10 km feeling out my legs and trying to get into a positive place in my head for my body to move well. The terrain in Hali is a mix of technical roots and rocks on the Canadian Shield. Plus a nice amount of fire roads to help spin your legs at different speeds. When I got to the 10 km aid station I filled up a 250ml container with the fatty magic, followed by a sip of water and a gel. Good to go and feeling alert and strong- time to press on.

I think what I love about running ultras is navigating through the ups and downs with simple positive thoughts, or really no thought all. Just the primal feeling of running on the earth and feeding yourself what you need. I’ve had a few years figuring out what it takes to finish and sometimes when the day goes right, how to race. Haliburton 50 is forty km out and forty back which is kind of cool because you can gauge what place you’re at and how far someone might be behind you. For a technical course this was motivation to keep moving steady.

I came in at 3:45 at the half way point barely ahead of three other guys and was passed at around 41 km putting me in second. Perfect. Nice to chase and be chased. More soup, gel, and water. Just keep steady and run the hills or power walk the really steep stuff. My hips are feeling tight and my effort is bringing my legs close to cramping which happened a few times but I’m managing ok. Looking at my watch I know if I can keep this pace I will come in a sub 8 hour which is my ultimate goal.

Time actually goes fast when you feel the zone. A place with no thought. Just be in your body and move. Now I’m at aid station 2 again and I know I only have 12 km to go. I’m told first place guy is 8 minutes ahead and I have no idea who’s behind but it really doesn’t matter. At this point I know I have to average 10 km an hour to do a sub 8 and I had to stick a solid effort. More gel, the last of soup and push the pace. Pushing the pain and negative thoughts out, just focus on being present and smile into the suffering. The finish is near and then it’s here. 7:56. 2nd place and a personal best by 20 minutes. Yes!

So now my race is over and the next bit of fun begins. Beers, eating a great dinner and then a second dinner and a third. Sitting by the fire sharing stories of the day and days to come with new and old friends. Cheering on the 100 mile runners all night and morning to noon. So much inspiration sponged in my soul. Thinking and dreaming of what’s next. Feeling lucky and vibrant to be healthy.

Peter Taylor.

September 10, 2014 Physiotherapy

Think Twice Before You Ice!

For over 40 years we have all been routinely treating injuries with ice. Yet, surprisingly, there is no scientific evidence to support the use of ice for tissue healing and recovery. In fact, recent scientific research and clinical studies show that, not only is the application of ice ineffective in some cases, but it can also delay the healing of an injury.

A 2013 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research article concludes that “these data suggest that topical cooling (icing), a commonly used clinical intervention, appears to not improve but rather delay recovery from eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage”.

Gabe Mirkin, the doctor who came up with the popular treatment acronym RICE in the late 1970s (rest, ice, compression, elevation) is backtracking and admits RICE was widely accepted without scientific validity.

According to Gary Reinl, the author of “Iced! The Illusionary Treatment Option”, icing does not reduce swelling or inflammation. The lymphatic system is responsible for eliminating the “waste” in the tissues caused by inflammation. It does this predominantly by muscle movement putting pressure on the one-way valves. Ice inhibits this muscle pump and therefore does not reduce swelling.

When tissues are damaged, more blood arrives at the injury site and with it, inflammatory cells such as leukocytes and macrophages. These cells rush to the damaged tissue to release proteins which clean up and heal the injured site. This build up of fluid, or swelling at the site should be considered a positive reaction. It allows the inflammatory process to progress, and prevents further injury (by increasing sensitivity to pain and restricting movement). Healing is delayed by anything that temporarily blocks blood flow to the injury site – like certain medications and ICE.
We should not stand in the way of our body’s natural inflammatory response, which consists of a universally recognized 3 phase healing process. Inflammation is the first phase followed by the tissue repair and tissue remodeling phases. So if we stop inflammation, we are stopping the healing process. Essentially there cannot be healing without inflammation.

Ice can still be used for temporary pain reduction and local numbness – just be aware of its role in inflammation and swelling. Do your due diligence and then get on board with the huge industry-wide movement!
Sue Underhill is a physiotherapist who believes in keeping up to date in the latest and most effective treatment strategies. Call her and the other therapists at Maximum for the most current treatment for your injury.

September 10, 2014 Contributors

Sue Underhill

Sue Underhill is a Registered Physiotherapist and owner of Maximum Physiotherapy in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. She is especially interested in concussion testing, running assessments and bike fits.

Sue is passionate about active living and about getting others to become/remain active as well. She gives back to the community with involvement in such kids programs as “girlfriends”, Girls on the Run and Marafun as well as organizing the Collingwood Terry Fox Run for 5 years.

Sue’s active lifestyle includes CrossFit, running, cycling, swimming and cross-country skiing with her girlfriends and her family.

Maximum Physiotherapy Web: www.maximumphysiotherapy.com

Scroll to top