7 Simple Benefits of Fasting

We didn’t always have the option to eat all day long. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors would go days, even weeks, with no food yet managed to cope and survive under these conditions. Before the advent of agriculture 10,000 years ago food availability was highly unpredictable, in abundance in the summer and scarce in winter. Fasting has been a natural part of our evolution and practiced for millennia by all faiths as a means of “cleansing” the body and mind, yet today medical authorities warn us of the dangers of missing a meal (or even a snack).

NutritionMarc BubbsApril 15, 2017Fasting, Insulin, Inflammation, Metabolic syndrome, CVD Comments

5 Reasons Ectomorphs Struggle To Build Muscle

One of the most common reasons athletes, Crossfitters and "skinny guys" come to see me in clinic is to add more lean muscle mass to their frame. They'll often complain that “no matter how much I eat, I just can’t gain any weight!” Naturally taller and leaner body types who find it easy to stay slim often struggle with adding more size. There are number of factors that can make it more difficult for you to add 10-15 lb. of additional muscle so you can raise your performance in the gym or on the playing field (or just look good naked).

Let’s take a closer look at five common roadblocks that prevent you from gaining lean muscle.

7 Effects of Ketogenic Diet on “Weekend Warrior” Athletes

It seems like 2017 is the year of the ketogenic diet. A new study examined the impacts of a 6-week ketogenic diet on body composition, health and fitness markers in healthy middle-aged men. So, if you’re active and want to take a glimpse into the effects of adopting a keto diet may have on your health and performance, here is your chance to take a sneak peek. Let’s review

Forty-two men in their late 30s were recruited for this 6-week study. They were fed a non-calorically restricted ketogenic diet – comprised of 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbs - and assessed for ketosis using urinary testing.

Nutrition, KetoMarc BubbsMarch 27, 2017Keto, Endurance, Blood Sugar, Insulin, Strength, Weight LossComment

3 Ways Gut Bacteria Can Harm Your Thyroid

Today, approximately 30 million people are struggling with a thyroid problem and many more are undiagnosed. Women are much more affected by thyroid problems, compared to men, with one out of eight impacted in their lifetime and the likelihood increases as you age. Alarmingly, while most cancer diagnoses are on the decline over the past decade, thyroid cancer rates have been increasing. The obvious question to ask is why are thyroid conditions becoming so commonplace? Like most chronic and degenerative conditions it's multi-factorial, and one key factor affecting your thyroid health is your gut bacteria, also known as the microbiome.

HealthMarc BubbsMarch 21, 2017Gut, Microbiome, Thyroid, Hypothyroid Comment

Can You Bank Sleep? (To Improve Future Performance)

Today, we just don’t enough sleep. Our modern high-tech society seems to be wreaking havoc on our sleep time (and quality), and ultimately health and performance. The average America adult gets only six and a half hours of sleep per night and alarmingly 33% of the population gets less than 6 hours of sleep per night. One of the most common question I get from clients to offset their sleep debt is “can I just sleep more on the weekends?” It’s an interesting question, but unfortunately the current research suggests no… you need to be consistent with your sleep to reap the health and performance benefits.

Lifestyle, PerformanceMarc BubbsMarch 15, 2017Sleep, Bank Sleep, RecoveryComment

HIIT Sprints in Midlife: The Minimum-Effective Dose

As you get older, it’s more difficult to maintain lean muscle mass. Muscle is not only a crucial factor in physical performance but also a key marker of healthy ageing.(1) After the age of 50 muscular power starts to decline, more rapidly than strength qualities, making it an important factor to focus on during training. Power isn’t just for dynamic sports efforts, your fast-twitch muscles are essential for “catching yourself” as you fall and hip fractures are significant risk factor in older populations. The good news is maintaining muscular power predicts a reduction in future falls, so not only is focusing on power qualities during exercise important for performance, but overall health as well.

Training, PerformanceMarc BubbsMarch 6, 2017HIIT, Power, Body Composition, Health, Longevity, Anti-aging Comment

Top-6 Calorie Dense Foods (And How to Avoid Them)

There is a growing debate in the nutrition community about the cause of obesity; too much sugar or too much fat? While the debate rages online, the research experts are actually in agreement… it’s both! Consuming an excess of calories leads to weight gain, while a caloric deficit leads to weight loss. (There is also the “endocrine theory” for weight loss, but I’ll address that in future post). It sounds straight-forward in theory, however in practice it can be tremendously challenging to implement.

3 Ways Camping Can Reboot Your Circadian Rhythms

Sleep problems seem to be the “new normal” these days. Most of the clients I see in clinical practice complain of difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep regularly throughout the week. Sleep quality isn’t the only problem. The average person gets a mere 6.5 hours of sleep per night (a far cry from the 8 hours our grandparents slept two generations ago) and over 33% of the population get less than 6 hours per night. New research shows lack of sleep is also a major factor contributing to blood sugar, insulin imbalances and chronic disease (not to mention poor athletic performance), so rebooting your sleep and recovery are critical. It seems late nights watching iPads, working on your laptop, or scrolling social media is dramatically changing our modern sleep patterns.

Health, PerformanceMarc BubbsFebruary 22, 2017Circadian Rhythm, Camping, Blue LightComment

5 Longevity Benefits of Coffee

Coffee is by far the most popular beverage on the planet (aside from water). The caffeine in your morning cup of Joe – also found in tea, chocolate, etc. – is also the most frequently ingested pharmacologically active substance in the world. There have been a lot of recent debate over the benefits and drawbacks of coffee (and caffeine) consumption, and with a lot of new research coming out, I thought I would take the time to highlight some of the findings. The following is a quick review of five ways coffee can extend your life.

NutritionMarc BubbsFebruary 8, 2017Coffee, Cancer, Gut Flora, CVD Comments

6 Winter Foods That Boost Your Health

This time of year, it seems like every time you turn on the TV or open up Facebook, someone is talking about tips and tricks for staying healthy during the winter months. And while being a stickler about hand washing, disinfecting your workspace, and getting plenty of rest is excellent advice for avoiding seasonal colds, one area you cannot—I repeat, cannot—neglect is your diet.

If a strong, high-functioning immune system is your goal, then consuming quality, nutrient-dense foods needs to be a keystone in your game plan.

Nutrition, HealthMarc BubbsFebruary 6, 2017Mussels, Beets, Eggs, Kale, Grapefruit, CauliflowerComment

Rhodiola & Athletic Performance

Rhodiola rosea, referred to as the Arctic or Golden root, has been used by a variety of ancestral cultures for millennia to support energy and vitality. It grows at high altitudes, on mountain tops and sea cliffs in Europe and Asia and is classified as an adaptagen – a substance that supports the body during times of stress. In the 8th century, it’s believed rhodiola was used by the Vikings to fight off fatigue and increase stamina, by indigenous Sherpa’s in the Himalayas to adapt to living at high altitude and a “secret” of Soviet-era military used to ramp up resiliency during extended time on the combat field.

What Is The Minimum-Effective Dose For Hypertrophy?

When you’re young or have lots of time on your hands, it’s easy to carve out 5-10 hours a week to hit the gym. Getting all your lifts in when you train 5-6 days per week makes achieving your hypertrophy goals quite straight forward. However, as you get older or your time becomes more limited, or if you’re simply looking for the most efficient hypertrophy program possible, the real question is… “how little time can you spend in the gym and still maximize your gains?”

Training, PerformanceMarc BubbsJanuary 26, 2017Hypertrophy, Lean Muscle, Sets, Minimum-Effective Dose Comments

Yuca Root: 7 Reasons To Include In Your Diet

Yucca root, commonly known as cassava, is native to north, central and south america and a dietary staple in Americas and Caribbean. This gluten-free root vegetable is able to survive the winter months or dry months and regrown due to the nutrients stored in its tuberous stem, similar to potatoes and yams. Yucca is an absolute nutritional powerhouse and should be a dietary staple for all athletes and active people (with the exception of those following a ketogenic diet). The following are seven great reasons to include yucca in your nutrition arsenal.

Food, NutritionMarc BubbsJanuary 15, 2017Yucca, Resveratrol, B-Vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin A Comments

Top-3 Mineral Deficiencies On A Keto Diet (And How To Fix It)

Keto, NutritionMarc BubbsJanuary 10, 2017Electrolytes, Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium, Keto, Ketogenic Diet, Nutrition, Sports Nutrition Comments

What To Do If You Have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

It’s that time of year again. The darkest and shortest days of the year don’t just bring about cold weather; they can also bring about significant changes in your mood and how you feel.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a real thing that affects over 10 million Americans, with another 10-20 million said to struggle with mild symptoms.

If you live in a city with a true winter climate – like New York, Toronto, or London – you’re up to 10 times more likely to struggle with mild to moderate SAD. Also, adolescents and young adults are more likely to be affected.

Health, MoodMarc BubbsDecember 29, 2016Vitamin D, Light Therapy, Blue Light, Circadian Rhythm Comment

Coffee vs. Caffeine (Supplements) - Impacts On Training Performance

To optimize performance gains, the conventional wisdom has always been that caffeine supplements are superior to coffee. That’s one of the reasons why pre-workout supplements are so popular, and for most people, highly effective for improving exercise performance. But, in the last few years there has been some interesting research coming out demonstrating that coffee can perform just as well as caffeine supplements when it comes to exercise. Thus, the narrative shifted to coffee is just as good as caffeine or pre-workout supplements. Until now.

Nutrition, LifestyleMarc BubbsDecember 6, 2016Coffee, Caffeine, Anhydrous, Work capacityComment

Vitamin D & Endurance Sport Performance

Vitamin D has been gaining significant momentum recently in the research for its ability to influence over 1,000 different genes in the body and subsequently some important performance parameters. Failing to get sufficient vitamin D regularly can negatively impact many endurance parameters, including maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max), susceptibility to colds and flu, inflammation, recovery, and stress fractures.

Athletes, Nutrition, PerformanceMarc BubbsNovember 22, 2016Vitamin D, Endurance, Athletes, NutritionComment

3-Minute vs. 1-Minute Rest Periods (What’s Best?)

Athletes, PerformanceMarc BubbsOctober 31, 2016Resistance Training, Rest Periods, Strength, HypertrophyComment

21 Foods To Boost Your Immunity

Nutrition, ImmunityMarc BubbsOctober 26, 2016Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Probiotics Comment

Western Diet, Processed Foods & Hyper-Palatability

NutritionMarc BubbsOctober 5, 2016Snacking, Hyper-Palatable Foods, Weight Loss, Metabolic syndrome, DiabetesComment