In physical conditioning, typical training regimens disregard an important distinction between building exercise tolerance and becoming acclimated to exercise of a certain intensity. Training at one extreme or the other can make the difference between failing to progress further in training and consistently progressing.
Exercise tolerance is one's capacity to withstand discomfort and push one's limits for short bursts. Though this can be an important component of mental conditioning, one's limits are relative to their physical structure and metabolic function. For example, when I was very young, my brother and I sought to improve our fitness by performing one set of burpees per day which increased by one repetition per day. On day one, we both completed one burpee. On day two, we completed two burpees, and so on. This continued until we had reached 31 burpees in one set, or gave up. I recall reaching 27 burpees and needing to quit due to a shoulder overuse injury. For most individuals, this challenge sounds modest, even easy. But for me at the end of my teenage years, this was the limit of my physical capacity. I could only sustain this effort for 2-3 minutes, which means I would complete my repetitions and quit exercise for the day. As a result, my body only adapted to the point of completing 2-3 minutes of hard exercise and no more. Therefore, if I had continued to "work hard" by pushing myself at burpees, I would plateau at the same physical conditioning level and become optimized for 2-3 minutes of burpees at maximum, regardless of how difficult those 2-3 minutes would feel.
Acclimatization, by contrast, is the gradual shifting of one's latent exercise capacity, or the force one can produce comfortably and sustain over a long time. This relates to deeper changes in metabolism and physical structure. An example of this would be completing 1 burpee per minute for 5 hours. In contrast to the primarily muscular effect of the 2-3 minute exercise tolerance sets, these sets would gradually shift one's physical constitution and metabolic resting state to be capable of a large volume of burpees at any instant. The body would become better synchronized to that demand, and better results would emerge over sustained practice, such that eventually completing burpees would occur with the same effort as walking. Eventually, completing 2-3 minutes of nonstop burpees would feel like a modest effort to an individual who has acclimated thoroughly to them. Therefore, the best mindset for progress in physical conditioning is to make any movement of importance as effortless as walking. Instead of striving to lift heavier weights, perform more repetitions faster, or go past the point of fatigue, one should make exceptional movements commonplace. Examples of this include performing pushups, bear crawls, situps, and squats in high numbers without ever reaching muscular failure on a near daily basis. This kind of training mimics my martial arts years where high amounts of these movements became a near daily ritual performed before and occasionally after work days with the same regularity and difficulty as tooth brushing. I found results attained through this approach to be more sustained through periods of rest, even over weeks of minimal physical activity. I've previously described this approach as the dying theory of muscle maintenance. The downside to the long term adaptations produced by this kind of training is that not only the muscles adapt. The organs and blood vessels also grow and thicken in proportion to one's muscular development, which can result in greater susceptibility to disease given an unhealthy diet (excess protein and fats beyond what the body requires).
The best balance is to train with high volume distributed over a long period of time and eat a mostly whole food, plant based diet to facilitate recovery.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Monday, November 12, 2018
Martial Conditioning: Kicking
Intro: Much like bridging, kicking is a general practice, that is difficult to classify as a specific exercise, though there are advantages to understanding it as an isolated movement type. It can include static or dynamic movements through all possible movement ranges of the hips and develop multiple physical capacities at once. Consequently, it is a feature of nearly all martial arts as a conditioning method, independently of whether it is actually recommended by a given art for self defense application. This owes to the generality of the results attainable through kicking practice, which can benefit the performance of nearly any physical endeavor performed while standing.
The movement ranges possible are among the widest of all exercises. The kicking leg can be held straight or bent, low to the ground or extended above the head, and to the front, side and back of the body. The side kick with the leg held level with the hips is the intermediate range of all kicking, and front and back kicks with the feet held above head level occupy the extreme movement ranges of the hips.
Muscles Worked: Kicking develops different muscles depending on what each leg is doing. The leg held aloft provides resistance to the hip flexors in front kicks, the gluteus medius and hip flexors in the side kick, and the gluteus maximus and medius in the back kick. Kicks such as the roundhouse, crescent, hook, and wheel kicks work all hip muscles to a greater or lesser degree. The supporting leg develops the gluteus maximus and medius, the hamstrings, and quads, as well as the entire midsection. The upper back and shoulders also play a stabilizing role if the arms are kept up continually to protect the head, as all kicks should be performed. Kicking is also one of the only ways to develop the outer frame of the lower body while standing. Most lower body exercises (squatting, deadlifting) develop the inner frame of the lower body, which includes the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, and quadriceps which push the leg down. However, these movements, even when performed with very heavy resistance, do not adequately develop strength in the outer frame of the lower body (gluteus medius and hip flexors), or build strength for pulling the leg up, and strength imbalances may develop as a result. Chambering a kick works the opposite range of motion and muscle groups as a full range of motion squat, and is therefore equally necessary to functional movement of the lower body, though it is only intermittently trained in weight rooms or even yoga studios.
Why Practice Kicks?
Muscle Balance and Maintenance: Regular kicking practice develops thickness in the glutes and hamstrings as well as the lesser used hip flexors, gluteus medius, and obliques, with different development depending on the kicks practiced. It is best practice to train a variety of kicks, but if one only kicks for the muscular benefits, all those benefits can be extracted from holding a high side kick for at least 2 minutes per leg, per week, though this will not benefit martial practice or flexibility as well as incorporating kicks of all types.
Endurance: Practicing kicks for high repetitions can be used as a replacement for running that is more applicable to close quarters combat. Kicking can also be safely sustained long past the point of physical fatigue with minimal joint impact. The author once executed 12,430 front rising kicks nonstop over a period of 8.5 hours followed by technique testing as part of a 3rd degree brown belt test without injury. This sort of practice, unlike running, does not atrophy muscle. To the contrary, periodic endurance kicking for many hours can build muscle throughout the upper and lower body.
Flexibility and Mobility: For the lower body, few practices can build and maintain proper range of motion in the hips like kicking. To reap full flexibility benefits requires kicking at head level, with a variety of kicks. Unlike static stretching, kicking also develops the ability to transfer force through uncommonly extreme ranges of motion. Frequent practice at these extreme ranges can completely replace static stretching with better potential for injury prevention and prehabilitation.
Strength: Kicking builds a great deal of single limb strength and stability in both legs. Any motion requiring single leg support or lifting the leg against resistance improves through kicking practice, such as running, balancing, shifting weight, and even high jumping.
Balance: Kicking is one of the best, most specific ways to develop skill at balancing on the legs. At first glance, this ability may not seem directly related to self defense, but the author can personally recount how kicking balance saved him a fall down icy stone stairs at least 2 times. Furthermore, the author cannot recall any falls on icy surfaces since beginning kicking practice several years ago. This benefit alone merits regular kicking practice for any and all who wish to avoid falling. The benefits of proper balance to sports is another obvious application of kicking practice.
Technique Specific Martial Practice: Kicking, when performed with proper technique, can potentially deliver more force to an opponent than any other strike. Thus, mastering the technique of kicking and applying it to sparring can develop great martial capacity, even when unarmed. Proper kicks can shatter bone, damage internal organs, and even crush skulls, but getting them this powerful requires years of specific technical practice. Kicking as a martial technique also demands proper timing. Despite being the most potentially powerful strikes, kicks are also among the slowest and easiest to evade by an alert opponent. Thus, they should be practiced alongside faster hand strikes, such that hand strikes create openings for more powerful kicks.
Likely Results of Kicking Practice
Kicking develops a well rounded physique, due to the various muscular and metabolic demands imposed by the activity. As such, kicking practice is one of the most efficient training investments possible. No other activity can condition all muscle groups and develop as many capacities simultaneously. Bruce Lee, who need not be pictured here, is a prime example of a physique forged through kicking. The author recommends kicking practice for literally all ambulatory people as an excellent all around exercise.
The movement ranges possible are among the widest of all exercises. The kicking leg can be held straight or bent, low to the ground or extended above the head, and to the front, side and back of the body. The side kick with the leg held level with the hips is the intermediate range of all kicking, and front and back kicks with the feet held above head level occupy the extreme movement ranges of the hips.
Muscles Worked: Kicking develops different muscles depending on what each leg is doing. The leg held aloft provides resistance to the hip flexors in front kicks, the gluteus medius and hip flexors in the side kick, and the gluteus maximus and medius in the back kick. Kicks such as the roundhouse, crescent, hook, and wheel kicks work all hip muscles to a greater or lesser degree. The supporting leg develops the gluteus maximus and medius, the hamstrings, and quads, as well as the entire midsection. The upper back and shoulders also play a stabilizing role if the arms are kept up continually to protect the head, as all kicks should be performed. Kicking is also one of the only ways to develop the outer frame of the lower body while standing. Most lower body exercises (squatting, deadlifting) develop the inner frame of the lower body, which includes the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, and quadriceps which push the leg down. However, these movements, even when performed with very heavy resistance, do not adequately develop strength in the outer frame of the lower body (gluteus medius and hip flexors), or build strength for pulling the leg up, and strength imbalances may develop as a result. Chambering a kick works the opposite range of motion and muscle groups as a full range of motion squat, and is therefore equally necessary to functional movement of the lower body, though it is only intermittently trained in weight rooms or even yoga studios.
Why Practice Kicks?
Muscle Balance and Maintenance: Regular kicking practice develops thickness in the glutes and hamstrings as well as the lesser used hip flexors, gluteus medius, and obliques, with different development depending on the kicks practiced. It is best practice to train a variety of kicks, but if one only kicks for the muscular benefits, all those benefits can be extracted from holding a high side kick for at least 2 minutes per leg, per week, though this will not benefit martial practice or flexibility as well as incorporating kicks of all types.
Endurance: Practicing kicks for high repetitions can be used as a replacement for running that is more applicable to close quarters combat. Kicking can also be safely sustained long past the point of physical fatigue with minimal joint impact. The author once executed 12,430 front rising kicks nonstop over a period of 8.5 hours followed by technique testing as part of a 3rd degree brown belt test without injury. This sort of practice, unlike running, does not atrophy muscle. To the contrary, periodic endurance kicking for many hours can build muscle throughout the upper and lower body.
Flexibility and Mobility: For the lower body, few practices can build and maintain proper range of motion in the hips like kicking. To reap full flexibility benefits requires kicking at head level, with a variety of kicks. Unlike static stretching, kicking also develops the ability to transfer force through uncommonly extreme ranges of motion. Frequent practice at these extreme ranges can completely replace static stretching with better potential for injury prevention and prehabilitation.
Strength: Kicking builds a great deal of single limb strength and stability in both legs. Any motion requiring single leg support or lifting the leg against resistance improves through kicking practice, such as running, balancing, shifting weight, and even high jumping.
Balance: Kicking is one of the best, most specific ways to develop skill at balancing on the legs. At first glance, this ability may not seem directly related to self defense, but the author can personally recount how kicking balance saved him a fall down icy stone stairs at least 2 times. Furthermore, the author cannot recall any falls on icy surfaces since beginning kicking practice several years ago. This benefit alone merits regular kicking practice for any and all who wish to avoid falling. The benefits of proper balance to sports is another obvious application of kicking practice.
Technique Specific Martial Practice: Kicking, when performed with proper technique, can potentially deliver more force to an opponent than any other strike. Thus, mastering the technique of kicking and applying it to sparring can develop great martial capacity, even when unarmed. Proper kicks can shatter bone, damage internal organs, and even crush skulls, but getting them this powerful requires years of specific technical practice. Kicking as a martial technique also demands proper timing. Despite being the most potentially powerful strikes, kicks are also among the slowest and easiest to evade by an alert opponent. Thus, they should be practiced alongside faster hand strikes, such that hand strikes create openings for more powerful kicks.
Likely Results of Kicking Practice
Kicking develops a well rounded physique, due to the various muscular and metabolic demands imposed by the activity. As such, kicking practice is one of the most efficient training investments possible. No other activity can condition all muscle groups and develop as many capacities simultaneously. Bruce Lee, who need not be pictured here, is a prime example of a physique forged through kicking. The author recommends kicking practice for literally all ambulatory people as an excellent all around exercise.
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Week 33: So Far So Good and The Diet Cheating Rating Scale
One of the hardest parts of living vegan is the absence of cheese. For whatever reason, leaving the pepperoni off a pizza is easier than eating a cheese and pepperoni free pizza. An oil free, whole grain, vegetable seasoned pizza is nearly unthinkable to most. This means that diet can be infinitely restrictive, especially when an individual is attempting to optimize and reclaim their health. But not all diet cheating is equal. The author therefore submits a diet cheating continuum that may help prevent large scale slipping when diet cheating is impossible to prevent.
10: Supplemented Low Histamine, Oil Free, Whole Foods Vegan Diet: The most healthy way to eat and suppress all symptoms of ill health. Only fresh greens, apples, melons, root vegetables, gluten free whole grains, herbs, limited sea salt, black beans, and blueberries/blackberries. Eat as much as needed for satiation. The author's personal record on this diet is 1 week, but it sapped muscle mass and energy needed for daily functioning, so this diet is not recommended for any extended length of time.
9: Supplemented Low Histamine, Mostly Whole Foods Diet: All the above, except refined cereal is allowed (corn flakes, crisped rice) with oil free oat milk. This can be helpful for avoiding excessive weight loss and maintaining muscle mass. Digestion will be negatively impacted, given the high volume of processed grains. Eating whole grains and tubers with herbs at frequent intervals helps alleviate this concern. This level of cheating will allow for a suppression of allergic symptoms as well as disease reversal without negatively impacting quality of life or physical robustness. My goal for this diet is 6 months of strict adherence. I've made it 2 days as of this post.
8: High Histamine, Oil Free, Whole Foods Vegan Diet: Tofu, soy sauce, sauerkraut, limes, lemons, nightshade vegetables like tomatoes and peppers, spinach, chard, and mushrooms are all allowed. Cheating with large amounts of these foods can result in allergy symptoms and elevated heart rate, though arterial diseases will still be effectively prevented and possibly reversed.
7: High Histamine, Limited Plant Oil, Whole Foods Vegan Diet: All of 8, except nuts and plant oils are also allowed in moderation. Peanut and almond butters are also allowed. Avocados and guacamole are now allowed. This may maintain heart health in healthy individuals, but may be risky for reversing existing heart disease. This is the beginning of ambiguous effects on long term survivability. Nuts are shown to be great at increasing longevity in the general population, but not with heart disease patients. Best to be cautious about all oils if you have identified symptoms of heart disease. Supplement vegan omega 3 if you want to get all benefits of nut consumption without the saturated fat. Cheat at this level only rarely if diseased, and only moderately if healthy. One handful of nuts per day is adequate for alleged health benefits.
6: High Histamine, Limited Plant Oil, Whole Foods Lactovegetarian Diet: Also known as the 7th Day Adventist Diet which corresponds to a much greater life expectancy if followed faithfully from birth. Dairy and all the above foods are allowed. Moderation is encouraged for all foods, so no snacking or binging is ever allowed. The dairy begins to prevent heart disease reversal and seems to maintain typical rates of prostate cancer in 7th Day Adventists, despite their increased life expectancy.
5: High Histamine, Moderate Plant Oil, Whole Foods Lactovegetarian Diet: All the above, plus baked goods made with limited plant oils and dairy. Homemade egg free pumpkin pie with whipped cream is a great example of this cheating level. Not harmful on special occasions, but potentially risky when consumed regularly.
4: High Histamine, Moderate Plant Oil, Whole Foods Ovolactovegetarian diet: All of the above with eggs. Eggs have been shown to be as harmful as smoking and drinking on cancer and heart disease risk. Enjoy at your own risk. Any amount of diet cheating with eggs should be treated with extreme caution, as eggs cause disease in a dose dependent manner in some studies.
3: High Histamine, High Plant Oil, Some Processed Foods, Ovolactovegetarian diet: All of the above with processed baked goods made with egg batter, processed grains, and added oil. There's really no excuse to ever cheat this badly unless you have completely abandoned your health. Cheese danish or donuts with milk are great examples of this level. Weight gain and health decline are assured.
2: High Histamine, High Plant Oil, Processed Foods, Low Meat: All the above with small amounts of meat. Like pepperoni on pizza. Still better than eating steaks, but worse than almost all other diets.
1: Standard American diet: All the above, plus large amounts of meat. Burgers, steaks, bacon, refined greasy foods. I ate this way on a daily basis for years in addition to hard exercise 5 days per week. Hopefully, the damage done to my arteries can be reversed.
10: Supplemented Low Histamine, Oil Free, Whole Foods Vegan Diet: The most healthy way to eat and suppress all symptoms of ill health. Only fresh greens, apples, melons, root vegetables, gluten free whole grains, herbs, limited sea salt, black beans, and blueberries/blackberries. Eat as much as needed for satiation. The author's personal record on this diet is 1 week, but it sapped muscle mass and energy needed for daily functioning, so this diet is not recommended for any extended length of time.
9: Supplemented Low Histamine, Mostly Whole Foods Diet: All the above, except refined cereal is allowed (corn flakes, crisped rice) with oil free oat milk. This can be helpful for avoiding excessive weight loss and maintaining muscle mass. Digestion will be negatively impacted, given the high volume of processed grains. Eating whole grains and tubers with herbs at frequent intervals helps alleviate this concern. This level of cheating will allow for a suppression of allergic symptoms as well as disease reversal without negatively impacting quality of life or physical robustness. My goal for this diet is 6 months of strict adherence. I've made it 2 days as of this post.
8: High Histamine, Oil Free, Whole Foods Vegan Diet: Tofu, soy sauce, sauerkraut, limes, lemons, nightshade vegetables like tomatoes and peppers, spinach, chard, and mushrooms are all allowed. Cheating with large amounts of these foods can result in allergy symptoms and elevated heart rate, though arterial diseases will still be effectively prevented and possibly reversed.
7: High Histamine, Limited Plant Oil, Whole Foods Vegan Diet: All of 8, except nuts and plant oils are also allowed in moderation. Peanut and almond butters are also allowed. Avocados and guacamole are now allowed. This may maintain heart health in healthy individuals, but may be risky for reversing existing heart disease. This is the beginning of ambiguous effects on long term survivability. Nuts are shown to be great at increasing longevity in the general population, but not with heart disease patients. Best to be cautious about all oils if you have identified symptoms of heart disease. Supplement vegan omega 3 if you want to get all benefits of nut consumption without the saturated fat. Cheat at this level only rarely if diseased, and only moderately if healthy. One handful of nuts per day is adequate for alleged health benefits.
6: High Histamine, Limited Plant Oil, Whole Foods Lactovegetarian Diet: Also known as the 7th Day Adventist Diet which corresponds to a much greater life expectancy if followed faithfully from birth. Dairy and all the above foods are allowed. Moderation is encouraged for all foods, so no snacking or binging is ever allowed. The dairy begins to prevent heart disease reversal and seems to maintain typical rates of prostate cancer in 7th Day Adventists, despite their increased life expectancy.
5: High Histamine, Moderate Plant Oil, Whole Foods Lactovegetarian Diet: All the above, plus baked goods made with limited plant oils and dairy. Homemade egg free pumpkin pie with whipped cream is a great example of this cheating level. Not harmful on special occasions, but potentially risky when consumed regularly.
4: High Histamine, Moderate Plant Oil, Whole Foods Ovolactovegetarian diet: All of the above with eggs. Eggs have been shown to be as harmful as smoking and drinking on cancer and heart disease risk. Enjoy at your own risk. Any amount of diet cheating with eggs should be treated with extreme caution, as eggs cause disease in a dose dependent manner in some studies.
3: High Histamine, High Plant Oil, Some Processed Foods, Ovolactovegetarian diet: All of the above with processed baked goods made with egg batter, processed grains, and added oil. There's really no excuse to ever cheat this badly unless you have completely abandoned your health. Cheese danish or donuts with milk are great examples of this level. Weight gain and health decline are assured.
2: High Histamine, High Plant Oil, Processed Foods, Low Meat: All the above with small amounts of meat. Like pepperoni on pizza. Still better than eating steaks, but worse than almost all other diets.
1: Standard American diet: All the above, plus large amounts of meat. Burgers, steaks, bacon, refined greasy foods. I ate this way on a daily basis for years in addition to hard exercise 5 days per week. Hopefully, the damage done to my arteries can be reversed.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Week 32 Moderation Kills
After 2 weeks of a low histamine diet I started to feel good. Really good. So good in fact, that I got cocky and began to entertain thoughts of a hypothetical future wherein living on fresh plants could be moderated in some way, or modified to suit a more typical Western diet, albeit with a healthy intake of plants most of the time.
This perspective led me to cheat on the diet, first in small ways, then large. My first cheat was processed cheese puffs and Takis, which tasted great and did not seem to noticeably effect my breathing or overall health. The next was a meal of turkey with dolmas (spiced rice wrapped in grape leaves and topped with potatoes). This too did not cause any problems, so on a whim, I went full bore the next day: Arby's Beef and Cheddar with Bacon and a side of curly fries. This was a terrible idea. The rest of the evening, I was convinced I had induced a cardiac event. Breathing was labored, my fingers and toes started to go numb, and my stomach and left arm started to hurt. All the symptoms that convince sensible people to visit the emergency room. Luckily, these symptoms subsided after about 6 hours, but the lesson has been learned: moderation kills! When Dr. Esselstyn says no oil, that means no fucking oil. That means no nuts, no vegetable oils, no meat, no cheese, no yogurt, and especially no beef, cheddar, and bacon with a side of transfat laden fried potatoes. If even one cheat meal of this kind was enough to cause me to fear for my life, I am in a new phase of life. The damage has been done to my arteries, and I am not going to be healthy enough ever again to eat meals like these without risk. I must reassociate those foods as disgusting. I must learn to hate and fear them. I must discourage their consumption in my home and encourage only whole foods in my pantry. If I had a choice, I would surely keep small amounts of oily foods in my diet, but its clear that I don't have a choice if I want to live a long life free of heart disease and be around for my family.
I will remain on the low histamine vegan diet and attempt a vegan cheat day of pumpkin pie in November with Thanksgiving dinner. Updates to follow.
This perspective led me to cheat on the diet, first in small ways, then large. My first cheat was processed cheese puffs and Takis, which tasted great and did not seem to noticeably effect my breathing or overall health. The next was a meal of turkey with dolmas (spiced rice wrapped in grape leaves and topped with potatoes). This too did not cause any problems, so on a whim, I went full bore the next day: Arby's Beef and Cheddar with Bacon and a side of curly fries. This was a terrible idea. The rest of the evening, I was convinced I had induced a cardiac event. Breathing was labored, my fingers and toes started to go numb, and my stomach and left arm started to hurt. All the symptoms that convince sensible people to visit the emergency room. Luckily, these symptoms subsided after about 6 hours, but the lesson has been learned: moderation kills! When Dr. Esselstyn says no oil, that means no fucking oil. That means no nuts, no vegetable oils, no meat, no cheese, no yogurt, and especially no beef, cheddar, and bacon with a side of transfat laden fried potatoes. If even one cheat meal of this kind was enough to cause me to fear for my life, I am in a new phase of life. The damage has been done to my arteries, and I am not going to be healthy enough ever again to eat meals like these without risk. I must reassociate those foods as disgusting. I must learn to hate and fear them. I must discourage their consumption in my home and encourage only whole foods in my pantry. If I had a choice, I would surely keep small amounts of oily foods in my diet, but its clear that I don't have a choice if I want to live a long life free of heart disease and be around for my family.
I will remain on the low histamine vegan diet and attempt a vegan cheat day of pumpkin pie in November with Thanksgiving dinner. Updates to follow.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Week 30 Histamines: A Possible Cause of My Declining Health
In what must certainly seem like hypochondria, I'm now investigating a new dietary strategy for reducing my resting heart rate, which has remained unusually high for my fitness level. My oil free vegan diet has already removed various health risk factors from my daily food intake (dairy, eggs, meat, and oils). The empirical literature demonstrates that this shift alone may extend one's lifespan and reduce the risk of developing any of the common killing diseases of affluence (heart disease, diabetes, and cancer). However, after 25 weeks of eating that way, I was not noticing a major improvement in my symptoms such as shortness of breath. After tracking my resting heart rate for a couple days, I was alarmed to discover that my resting heart rate was 85-90 beats per minute during relaxation! No wonder I used to feel symptoms of congestive heart failure, especially given my intensive physical training regimen at a high body mass index.
Considering the literature that shows a high resting heart rate is an independent risk factor for early mortality, and given my fervent insistence that I NOT DIE before I have built a family and a legacy, I took a more careful look at my diet and researched ways of lowering resting heart rate. Now, I already knew that eating vegan is supposed to lower resting heart rate for most people, so my continued high heart rate was a red flag that something unique to my physiology may be amiss. After some digging around, I learned about histamine excess and realized a large portion of my preferred food intake is composed of histamine increasing foods (fermented vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, tofu, tomatoes, watermelon, sourdough bread, and peppers).
Since I have effectively cut out all pleasurable foods anyway, I figure cutting these out too will not pose any additional challenge, so I will now be excluding all histamine promoting foods, including healthy options such as mushrooms and nuts for the next month to allow my gut biome time to change. Further research revealed that gut flora may play a causal role in high histamine levels, so I will be entirely cutting my intake of these foods, especially since I tend to crave ONLY high histamine foods. I suspect by removing these foods, I will likely starve and kill any parasitic organisms that may have depended on my high intake of histamine and spurred my cravings.
If my vegan diet was me living on hard mode, this diet will be elite mode. What the low histamine vegan diet means in practice is a restriction of almost all pleasurable, processed foods from the diet. No more tofu and soy sauce. No more salsa and hot sauce with my rice and beans. Just black beans, brown rice, oil free popcorn, greens, Rosaceae fruits, cantaloupe, grapes, herbs, vitamins, and sea salt adjusted for allergy tolerance every day for the next month. In addition to dietary changes, I will also be ensuring my home is regularly vacuumed and a HEPA filter is running in the room where I sleep to limit airborne allergen exposure and thereby remove an environmental cause of histamine release. I will also be abstaining from vigorous exercise. Only brisk walking and carrying of work materials will be allowed due to the severe caloric restriction of this diet. After a couple days of these changes, I have been able to breathe better and relax easier. I have lost no muscle mass so far, despite very little exercise. In addition, my heart rate has reduced stepwise day by day from 90 bpm down to 80 bpm to around 70 bpm and less when I sleep. Libido has reduced, but I still get the job done fine. I will report back with more for Week 34.
Considering the literature that shows a high resting heart rate is an independent risk factor for early mortality, and given my fervent insistence that I NOT DIE before I have built a family and a legacy, I took a more careful look at my diet and researched ways of lowering resting heart rate. Now, I already knew that eating vegan is supposed to lower resting heart rate for most people, so my continued high heart rate was a red flag that something unique to my physiology may be amiss. After some digging around, I learned about histamine excess and realized a large portion of my preferred food intake is composed of histamine increasing foods (fermented vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, tofu, tomatoes, watermelon, sourdough bread, and peppers).
Since I have effectively cut out all pleasurable foods anyway, I figure cutting these out too will not pose any additional challenge, so I will now be excluding all histamine promoting foods, including healthy options such as mushrooms and nuts for the next month to allow my gut biome time to change. Further research revealed that gut flora may play a causal role in high histamine levels, so I will be entirely cutting my intake of these foods, especially since I tend to crave ONLY high histamine foods. I suspect by removing these foods, I will likely starve and kill any parasitic organisms that may have depended on my high intake of histamine and spurred my cravings.
If my vegan diet was me living on hard mode, this diet will be elite mode. What the low histamine vegan diet means in practice is a restriction of almost all pleasurable, processed foods from the diet. No more tofu and soy sauce. No more salsa and hot sauce with my rice and beans. Just black beans, brown rice, oil free popcorn, greens, Rosaceae fruits, cantaloupe, grapes, herbs, vitamins, and sea salt adjusted for allergy tolerance every day for the next month. In addition to dietary changes, I will also be ensuring my home is regularly vacuumed and a HEPA filter is running in the room where I sleep to limit airborne allergen exposure and thereby remove an environmental cause of histamine release. I will also be abstaining from vigorous exercise. Only brisk walking and carrying of work materials will be allowed due to the severe caloric restriction of this diet. After a couple days of these changes, I have been able to breathe better and relax easier. I have lost no muscle mass so far, despite very little exercise. In addition, my heart rate has reduced stepwise day by day from 90 bpm down to 80 bpm to around 70 bpm and less when I sleep. Libido has reduced, but I still get the job done fine. I will report back with more for Week 34.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
1st Degree Black Test Complete
My black test is officially complete and I passed the gauntlet without permanent damage. In my time as a martial artist, I have certainly suffered worse physical punishment, but rarely have I ever found my will power as taxed.
Testing began Friday the 29th at 11 pm. I started alongside 2 other students, both older than 50, who were attempting a modified shorter version of the test that ended around 10 am. I paid $500, stretched, and silently waited for the test to begin. I was unlucky enough to be considered a young man, and therefore would endure the full 12 hours with full contact sparring at the end. My 2 compatriots would start an hour late and leave an hour early.
From 11 pm to 12 pm, I was tasked with falling to the ground, standing up, then striking a shield 10 times. Rest was not allowed. The falling alone resulted in minor bruising that accumulated as the hour wore on. The older students were exempt from this requirement to protect their joints for later. From 12 pm to 2 am, I performed gun disarms blindfolded. By this point my hands were already shaking involuntarily. From 2-4 am I struck the pads with nonstop back kicks, then roundhouse kicks, then knees, as my strength declined. Eventually, my strikes declined to slow pushes as muscular and mental fatigue set in. From 4-5 am I demonstrated counter techniques against a number of assaults including knife attacks, baseball bat attacks, gun attacks, bear hugs, ground grappling, tackles, strikes, and kicks. Mostly, I was successful. Occasionally, I would screw up by failing to be attentive or getting cocky which would invariably get me kicked or struck. This was also the point where I gained my second wind and found myself enthusiastic and even euphoric to demonstrate the techniques. This turned out to be a temporary hit of endorphins. From 5-6 am, I struck pads using any technique, usually straight strikes, hooks, and knees as a matter of necessity, given my mounting exhaustion. From 6-8 am, I returned to falling down, standing up, and striking a pad 10 times which compounded my earlier bruising. From 8-9 am, I slowly completed 500 burpees under direct observation of a counter. From 9-10:50 I was enrolled in a gauntlet that consisted of striking a pad 10 times, falling to the ground, and rolling to the opposite end of the mat, then standing and sprinting back while dizzy to repeat the procedure. This was simplified to merely striking and running by 10 am to keep my movements quick. Of all tasks, this was the hardest to tolerate. The rolling in conjunction with the bruises sustained by hours of falling and standing resulted in a feeling of full body pain combined with the same kind of dizziness one would feel after getting knocked out. I endured this agony for an hour, fighting, falling, rolling, feeling knocked out, slowly standing, and shuffling back to repeat the procedure. At this point, I nearly quit the test, but persisted through sheer frustration at the thought of enduring 11 hours of such trials and failing to finish in the last hour.
Finally, the class was organized to spar with me from 10:50-11 am. This was to be done without gloves or headgear with Kyokushin Karate rules (hits above groin and below neck only). 10 students volunteered, most of whom had slept the whole night before with the notable exception of 1 student who stayed for the entire 12 hours to show moral support. The owner of the club was the opponent for the first and last rounds, and he ensured that I was very well bruised by the end of the ordeal. In particular, I sustained a nasty bruise across the upper arm and very sore ribs. I concluded the test by thanking all students who attended as well as the owner of the club, and making arrangements to purchase a custom knife from the instructor to memorialize the occasion.
Takeaways: This test was prepared for and completed using a supplemented 99% plant based, whole foods diet. The 1% of the diet that was not plant based or whole foods was cheddar cheese dust used as a seasoning, and plant oil. This effectively refutes the notion that animal products need to be a large portion of the diet, and I imagine I could have completely excluded that 1% of food and still completed the test just as well. During the test, I used mushroom powder, prune juice, and sea salt as a sports drink as well as apples and beetroot for energy. Toward the end, I did chug a Gatorade offered by the student who stayed through the duration of the test and I found it much more helpful than the slower digesting sugars.
I learned my own attitude toward conflict. One reason I was not badly injured during the sparring was my attitude of respect prior to and during the sparring. The student who had attempted this test prior to me years before had challenged the instructor, resulting in a much worse outcome. He ended up with fractured ribs and a chipped tooth from a kick to the face. I learned that I don't relish a fight. I relish skillfully avoiding a fight, or finishing the fight quickly to limit damage to myself and others. I prefer the victory that costs least whenever possible, though I've also learned I will confidently accept a more costly victory when its the only possible course.
The worst exercises seemed to be almost entirely composed of level changes: burpees, backward falls, forward falls, and rolls. These exercises work every muscle in every plane of motion and may stand alone for physical conditioning. My arms, legs, and torso, despite being bruised and sore, are superbly well muscled. I was also impressed to the degree that the abdominals were used for rolling on the back, as well as the degree that the upper body was fatigued by using the arms to support the weight of the body when standing. I suspect that this movement supplemented with bear crawls and combined with martial arts specific drills may stand alone for maintenance and base building of sports specific strength.
Testing began Friday the 29th at 11 pm. I started alongside 2 other students, both older than 50, who were attempting a modified shorter version of the test that ended around 10 am. I paid $500, stretched, and silently waited for the test to begin. I was unlucky enough to be considered a young man, and therefore would endure the full 12 hours with full contact sparring at the end. My 2 compatriots would start an hour late and leave an hour early.
From 11 pm to 12 pm, I was tasked with falling to the ground, standing up, then striking a shield 10 times. Rest was not allowed. The falling alone resulted in minor bruising that accumulated as the hour wore on. The older students were exempt from this requirement to protect their joints for later. From 12 pm to 2 am, I performed gun disarms blindfolded. By this point my hands were already shaking involuntarily. From 2-4 am I struck the pads with nonstop back kicks, then roundhouse kicks, then knees, as my strength declined. Eventually, my strikes declined to slow pushes as muscular and mental fatigue set in. From 4-5 am I demonstrated counter techniques against a number of assaults including knife attacks, baseball bat attacks, gun attacks, bear hugs, ground grappling, tackles, strikes, and kicks. Mostly, I was successful. Occasionally, I would screw up by failing to be attentive or getting cocky which would invariably get me kicked or struck. This was also the point where I gained my second wind and found myself enthusiastic and even euphoric to demonstrate the techniques. This turned out to be a temporary hit of endorphins. From 5-6 am, I struck pads using any technique, usually straight strikes, hooks, and knees as a matter of necessity, given my mounting exhaustion. From 6-8 am, I returned to falling down, standing up, and striking a pad 10 times which compounded my earlier bruising. From 8-9 am, I slowly completed 500 burpees under direct observation of a counter. From 9-10:50 I was enrolled in a gauntlet that consisted of striking a pad 10 times, falling to the ground, and rolling to the opposite end of the mat, then standing and sprinting back while dizzy to repeat the procedure. This was simplified to merely striking and running by 10 am to keep my movements quick. Of all tasks, this was the hardest to tolerate. The rolling in conjunction with the bruises sustained by hours of falling and standing resulted in a feeling of full body pain combined with the same kind of dizziness one would feel after getting knocked out. I endured this agony for an hour, fighting, falling, rolling, feeling knocked out, slowly standing, and shuffling back to repeat the procedure. At this point, I nearly quit the test, but persisted through sheer frustration at the thought of enduring 11 hours of such trials and failing to finish in the last hour.
Finally, the class was organized to spar with me from 10:50-11 am. This was to be done without gloves or headgear with Kyokushin Karate rules (hits above groin and below neck only). 10 students volunteered, most of whom had slept the whole night before with the notable exception of 1 student who stayed for the entire 12 hours to show moral support. The owner of the club was the opponent for the first and last rounds, and he ensured that I was very well bruised by the end of the ordeal. In particular, I sustained a nasty bruise across the upper arm and very sore ribs. I concluded the test by thanking all students who attended as well as the owner of the club, and making arrangements to purchase a custom knife from the instructor to memorialize the occasion.
Takeaways: This test was prepared for and completed using a supplemented 99% plant based, whole foods diet. The 1% of the diet that was not plant based or whole foods was cheddar cheese dust used as a seasoning, and plant oil. This effectively refutes the notion that animal products need to be a large portion of the diet, and I imagine I could have completely excluded that 1% of food and still completed the test just as well. During the test, I used mushroom powder, prune juice, and sea salt as a sports drink as well as apples and beetroot for energy. Toward the end, I did chug a Gatorade offered by the student who stayed through the duration of the test and I found it much more helpful than the slower digesting sugars.
I learned my own attitude toward conflict. One reason I was not badly injured during the sparring was my attitude of respect prior to and during the sparring. The student who had attempted this test prior to me years before had challenged the instructor, resulting in a much worse outcome. He ended up with fractured ribs and a chipped tooth from a kick to the face. I learned that I don't relish a fight. I relish skillfully avoiding a fight, or finishing the fight quickly to limit damage to myself and others. I prefer the victory that costs least whenever possible, though I've also learned I will confidently accept a more costly victory when its the only possible course.
The worst exercises seemed to be almost entirely composed of level changes: burpees, backward falls, forward falls, and rolls. These exercises work every muscle in every plane of motion and may stand alone for physical conditioning. My arms, legs, and torso, despite being bruised and sore, are superbly well muscled. I was also impressed to the degree that the abdominals were used for rolling on the back, as well as the degree that the upper body was fatigued by using the arms to support the weight of the body when standing. I suspect that this movement supplemented with bear crawls and combined with martial arts specific drills may stand alone for maintenance and base building of sports specific strength.
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Week 25: Going Bear Mode and Black Belt Test
Since June, I've been attempting to recover my former muscle on the same whole food plant based diet advocated by Drs. Joel Fuhrman, Michael Greger, Caldwell Esselstyn, and many others. I've begun incorporating steamed mushrooms and raw onions on a daily basis at the encouragement of Dr. Fuhrman through his YouTube channel, and I've been following Michael Greger's Daily Dozen Checklist to maintain a complete nutritional profile. I've considered that my symptoms may be at least partially caused by an iron deficiency, and have begun drinking prune juice and eating prunes on a daily basis. This has eased my symptoms of shortness of breath following exercise during rest, so I have been able to increase my exercise capacity per week.
As a result, I am gearing up my training in preparation for a 12 hour black belt test that culminates in full contact sparring after 11 hours of calisthenics and technique practice. This hazing ritual is one of the most extreme in the world of martial arts. Considering my age, this may also be my last opportunity to complete such a punishing rite of passage. I have already reserved a week off from work to recover as well as a cup for groin protection and a mouthguard.
For exercise, I will complete Martial WOD #4 on Mondays, WOD #6 on Tuesdays, Eating the Army for Breakfast (100 squats, 50 pushups, 50 situps all in single sets) on Wednesday mornings, WOD #3 on Thursday morning followed by 5 all-out hill sprints and WOD #5 Thursday evening, followed by a 3 day rest. I only have 2 more weeks to maintain this routine and then I will take an entire week of rest with walking, studying a list of martial techniques, and reading The Art of War. I know that this routine will be sufficient for the task at hand and I am ready to assume all consequences of my participation in this hazardous test.
As a result, I am gearing up my training in preparation for a 12 hour black belt test that culminates in full contact sparring after 11 hours of calisthenics and technique practice. This hazing ritual is one of the most extreme in the world of martial arts. Considering my age, this may also be my last opportunity to complete such a punishing rite of passage. I have already reserved a week off from work to recover as well as a cup for groin protection and a mouthguard.
For exercise, I will complete Martial WOD #4 on Mondays, WOD #6 on Tuesdays, Eating the Army for Breakfast (100 squats, 50 pushups, 50 situps all in single sets) on Wednesday mornings, WOD #3 on Thursday morning followed by 5 all-out hill sprints and WOD #5 Thursday evening, followed by a 3 day rest. I only have 2 more weeks to maintain this routine and then I will take an entire week of rest with walking, studying a list of martial techniques, and reading The Art of War. I know that this routine will be sufficient for the task at hand and I am ready to assume all consequences of my participation in this hazardous test.
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