Brando's Blog

Functional Diagnostic Nutrition - Part 3

In this final part of this blog, I will outline how to build health from the ground up which in most cases will help you to eliminate symptoms and prevent them from coming back.

Once the systems of the body that need support are identified, via the correct  lab testing, those systems can be supported and brought back into balance using:

 

1. Positive Thoughts
   1. Goal Setting / Affirmations
   2. Mental stress reduction techniques
2. Re-education of proper breathing
   1. Diaphragmatic breathing
   2. Correct breathing rate
3. Proper hydration
   1. Drinking enough good quality water
   2. Eliminating dehydrating beverages
4. Eating right for you Metabolic Type®
   1. Eating the right foods for you
   2. Stopping the wrong foods for you
   3. Eating the correct macronutrient ratios for you
   4. Client centred, individualised high quality supplement protocols
   5. Detoxification protocols
5. Correct exercise
   1. Working-in (anabolic) versus
   2. Working-out (catabolic)
6. Correction of sleep patterns
   1. Getting to bed by 10-10.30pm
   2. Getting a minimum of 8 hours sleep per night
   3. Sleeping in a pitch-black room
   4. No electro magnetic stresses in the bedroom

 

If you are experiencing any of the mentioned symptoms in parts 1 and 2 of this blog and would like to do something about it, please contact me by telephone or email to arrange a consultation. I am now able to conduct consultations via web conferencing,  so I can help people from almost any country in the world.

Functional Diagnostic Nutrition - Part 2

In the first part of this blog, you may remember that I briefly decribed what Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) is and what it is not. I also mentioned that a part of FDN is balancing of the steroid hormone pathways (SHP).

Within the SHPs, the ratio of Cortisol / Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is crucial. When these two hormones are in balance, the body is able to adapt to the stresses that it is under. However, when the body is under stress for prolonged periods, this delicate ratio is thrown out of balance and is no longer able to adapt to the stresses.

 

Cortisol is the hormone released by the Adrenal glands during stress. It is one of the ‘fight or flight’ hormones. DHEA is the precursor to the sex hormones Testosterone and Estrogen. When we first receive high stresses, Cortisol levels are raised to deal with the extra stress. After all, when we are stressed our hormonal system thinks our life is in danger. The extra Cortisol is produced by ‘stealing’ Pregnenolone a precursor to the sex hormones to make Progesterone which then gets converted to Cortisol.

 

After prolonged stress, the Adrenal glands will begin to tire and Cortisol output will begin to reduce and this is when we begin to feel tired most of the time. However, in some people, they still won’t notice any difference at this stage.

 

Eventually, if this ‘Pregnenolone Steal’ continues, the bodily systems will be compromised and eventually symptoms will appear. Common symptoms include:

 

• Fat accumulation on the body / weight increase
• Skin problems
• Menstrual irregularities
• Sleep problems
• Mood swings and low mood
• Memory loss
• Digestive problems
• Chronic fatigue / lack of energy
• Fibromyalgia
• Muscle and bone aches and pains
• Higher susceptibility to colds and flu
• Reduction of muscle mass
• Foggy thinking
• Reduction in bone density
• Vision problems

 

In addition, to re-balancing the SHP, we also look any where necessary to find the under-lying causes of dis-ease. It may be that the person also has a bacterial overgrowth, a parasite infection, a fungal infection, free radical damage, an over burdened detoxification system and/or damage to the immune system barrier (Mucosal barrier).

 

Results from specific lab testing, which can be done with saliva, urine, stool or blood, depending on which test is being performed, allows us to pin point where the causes of the problem are and where-else we may need to look.

Stay tuned for the final part of this blog, when I will outline how to build health from the ground up using a mixture of CHEK, Metabolic Typing and FDN...

Functional Diagnostic Nutrition™

You may already be aware that I have been studying Functional Diagnostic Nutrition™ (FDN) this year.

So what is FDN?

Well, I can tell you that FDN is not:

• Diagnosing diseases

• Treating illnesses

• Treating symptoms

• An allopathic procedure

But, FDN is all about:

• Building health from the ground up

• Normalising bodily systems

• Strengthening the four pillars of health:

1. Hormonal system

2. Immune system

3. Digestive system

4. Detoxification system

• A client centered approach

• A thorough approach to health

• An investigative approach to find the under lying causes of dis-ease.

In my recent training in FDN, I have learned how to use specific laboratory testing to find the under lying causes of people’s dis-ease. I am able to decipher which tests are specific to each person and why. This is important not only to find the under-lying causes, but also to minimise the costs of testing to the client.

As someone who practices FDN, I am able to help support and re-balance a person’s steroid hormone pathway (SHP). When the SHP is out of balance it can affect:

• Weight And Fat Distribution

• Mucosal Surface Integrity (1^st Line Immune Defence)

• Insulin Levels

• Thyroid Function

• Ovarian Hormone Levels

• Memory and Learning

• Neuronal Connectivity

• Quality Of Sleep

• Mood

• Muscle Integrity

• Protein Turnover

• Bone Turnover

• Connective Tissue Turnover

• Cell Energetics

• Glucose Homeostasis

• Inflammatory Status

• Immune Regulation

• Heavy Metal Endo Chelation

• Mixed Function Oxidase Modulation

Tune in next time when I discuss FDN and SHP in more detail...

Getting Ahead As a Fitness Professional

For all you Fitness Professionals out there, this is not to be missed.

Available on my website is a new on-line mini-course entitled "Getting Ahead As a Fitness Professional".

The course is free of charge and will also keep you up to date on all BodyCHEK workshops and programmes that will help keep you at the forefront of health and performance.

To sign up for your free mini-course, just click here.

I really hope you find it beneficial.

Leigh

Developing Speed for Sport

This Saturday just gone saw the first ever "Developing Speed for Sport" Workshop take place.

Held at Aegis Training, I delivered the workshop to a keen and enthusiastic group who had an enjoyable and informative day.

  The majority of the morning covered the theory of preparing athletes to be able to handle the stresses of high intensity and high speed training. I also, illustrated why many top athletes get injured and often get re-occurring injuries and how to prevent them.I also covered the theory and methodology of agility, plyomentirc and speed development.

During the extended lunch break, the group was split into teams and they designed a warm-up routine, agility,  plyometric and speed drills for their chosen sport. In the afternoon, each team demonstrated the drills, using the theory and methodology learned in the morning. Each team came up with very effective and fun filled drills. The teams found observing the other groups was just as useful as doing their own drills. The end of the workshop looked at how you might periodise a programme for an athlete, which included examples of programmes I had used with real athletes from a number of different sports.

If you are interested in attending this workshop, the next one will take place in October of this year.

What's Happeneing?

Hi Everyone,

It has been a couple of weeks since my last blog and I just wanted to inform you as to why it has been so long.

I haven't made the time to blog due to a number of exciting new projects that I am working on.

Firstly, this Saturday, I will be presenting my new "Developing Speed for Sport" workshop for the very first time and final preparations and tweaking of the programme materials have been taking place.

I am also in the process of checking the fine details of my upcoming book, "Anatomy for Strength and Fitness Training for Speed and Sport" before it goes to print. I'll keep you posted on its publication launch.

I have also been preparing a really exciting new service that I will be launching in September this year. The "Take Control - Health and Lifestyle Programme" is an on-line programme delivered via a sophisticated web conferencing system (it's really cool). Over 15 weeks, I will educate and coach people from anywhere in the world, in a group format, how to change their dietary, exercise and lifestyle habits to achieve their health and fitness goals. If that isn't exciting enough, I am doing it at an amazingly low price! I will be piloting the programme very soon. Information on the "Take Control - Health and Lifestyle Programme" will be available on my website in the next couple of weeks.

In addition to the above, I have also started a course on Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and am preparing two more new workshops entitled, "Facilitating Client Behaviour Change" and "Presenting Powerfully" which are being delivered to fitness professionals in May. I have also prepared an online course for fitness professionals entitled, "How to Get Ahead as a Fitness Professional". This course will be available on my website in the next couple of weeks and will be 'free of charge'.

It is my Vision to help as many people as possible achieve optimal health, fitness and happiness. In a time when more and more people are beginning to realise that our health is our most important asset, I am really excited about my current projects. I am really looking forward to launching them and enabling the achievement of my Vision