Life By Design Podcast

When I tell people what we eat, their first response is... "That sounds pretty restricted!" After which I ask them what they had for breakfast today? "Cereal." And the day prior? "Cereal." How about for the foreseeable future? "Cereal." You get the idea. Most people are already eating a fairly restricted diet, only with poor food choices! So, what the heck do we, at Life By Design, eat ourselves? On today's episode of Life By Design we cover that question and answer a few more. What We Cover How many different food types will you find in an A+ diet? Why Mike's (yes I said Mike, he made a return to the show) situation may be unique and what you can still learn from it. Most people know "what" to eat but still fail to follow guidelines...why? What Jamie eats. What Mike eats.

How is it possible for a simple, seemingly logical statement, to have the capacity to lead to such potentially detrimental outcomes? That is the crux of the problem. This statement, while appearing innocuous, is far from it. What is this cliche we've all said at one time or another? "Everything in moderation." I know. It just doesn't seem like an issue... right? On this episode of Life By Design we delve deeper into this slogan and it's possible negative effects.  What we covered The way you challenge the basis of a concept is at the edges. At the extremes, the flaws or strength of a statement become more obvious. Cocaine in moderation? Let's assume this statement slips into your belief system without detection... what potential actions would follow? We discuss some examples. This would be a much better way to tackle the problems our "slogan" is trying to solve. A way that leads to taking more responsibility instead of passing it off and succumbing to the ill effects that'll follow.    

One way to stack the deck in favour of the highest quality sleep experience is to craft the perfect restoration routine. A routine is a series of actions done repeatedly. Not all routines are helpful, or move you towards a predetermined goal, they’re simply routines due to repetition. You’ll see routines, even rituals, a more intentional form of routine, among many high achievers across a variety of professions. What makes routines so impactful is the ability to automate them and require little to no willpower. This makes consistency easier and as such, the opportunity for a maximum return even more likely. On today's episode of Life By Design I shared my Perfect Restoration Routine in hope it would spark you to do the same! What I Covered: A 4 step process to creating a routine. This can be applied to anything, not just sleep! How to best prepare your body to maximize sleep quality and set the stage for productivity. What are the nutrient needs involved to enhance restorative sleep? The two additions I made

Salt is bad for you! Right? Or is it? Now I'm confused. That's OK... Most of us have been convinced that salt consumption is something that must be restricted at all costs. Too much salt increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, damages the kidneys and will lead to early death. That's scary! But what is the truth? Have we been told a lie? It depends...as always. On today's episode of Life By Design we talk about salt. What I Covered: Using research done on "sick people" is not entirely applicable to healthy people. Why do most heart and stroke associations restrict sodium intake to such extreme levels? What is the purpose of sodium in our body? How much salt is the right amount of salt? Who should restrict their salt intake? What's the best type of salt to consume?  

Most people assume they'll know when they have a problem with their spine. The criteria is simple... it hurts! Until that point, the spine is just a bag of bones doing it's job to keep us upright. Imagine if that's how we thought about our teeth? All good until your tooth hurts. How about the heart? No problem here, until the first heart attack that is. The list could go on... When it comes to the body, there's so much more going on than meets the eye. If we depend on pain to give us an alert that a problem exists, we'll end up waiting for too long and in some cases, it can even be too late. On today's episode of Life By Design I talk about the most "obvious" causes of spinal problems and one significant but less considered possibility. What I Covered: How the spine works and why it's more important than you've probably ever realized. When do symptoms first appear? What should you do? Problem #1: obvious but less of a problem than expected. Problem #2: a much bigger source of spinal problems but far underapp

One of the most under appreciated facets of health is the gut. In the past, the digestive system was seen as a simple system. Food entered and left one long tube, only to be digested and nutrients absorbed along the way. Now, an incredible amount of research is accumulating to establish the gut as a primary focus for disease reversal and health optimization. The "gut" is referring to the micro organisms living inside the intestines. This biome includes 100's of different species of bacteria working together to produce a healthy environment. On today's episode of Life By Design, we discuss what to do and not to do when it comes to improving your gut health.  What We Covered: What is the gut and why is it important? Signs of an unhealthy gut. How to start enhancing gut repair and healing  

Germs are a part of the world we live in and are necessary to a healthy productive human life.   Bacteria plays a vital role in our normal physiology and not all types should be feared or avoided.   It's one of those things that belong in the 'optimize' category.   This means you want to avoid deadly or harmful bacteria while maximizing the 'good' or beneficial bacteria that you want.   It's one of the reasons that probiotics are a Life By Design recommended supplement; many of us have been on countless antibiotic prescriptions and have not given our body the time to recover and regrow our normal, natural flora.   This can play out in many ways.   See the attached study where probiotics given to women with recurrent urinary tract infections, helped the rate, and intensity subside to the point where probiotics are being considered as a potential treatment option for recurrent urinary tract infections in women.   But that's not the point of the podcast.   The naysayers will say, and rightly so in this case, tha

Does vitamin D have any positive direct effect on the immune system?   That's the question we seek to answer this week on Life By Design.   We are using direct to mean, if you take Vitamin D, is there any data pointing out that you may have a decreased chance of contracting the flu?   There is already data and professional hypotheses on how people with "pre-existing" autoimmune diseases have an increased risk of developing the full-blown autoimmune disease if they are Vitamin D deficient.   This week we present a study, and randomized controlled trial, from Japan. The researchers followed school-aged children through flu season (December - March), giving half of the 340 student sample size Vitamin D while the other half received the placebo.    What We Cover The study, it's results, a general discussion, and what those results could mean for you and your family's health. Why we think you should be taking Vitamin D...don't think the real reason is the avoidance of disease. Avoiding disease only gets you to z

Despite a growing body of evidence, the peanut gallery still repeats the mantra...   "There's no evidence to 'prove' Chiropractic works."   Of course, when asked what is meant by 'evidence' and 'works', there is no clear response, yet the same tired rhetoric continues.   In this episode, we will review these claims, discuss what does and doesn't exist in Chiropractic, and review a newly published study.   A Randomized Control Trial (remember, they tell us these ones are the best) study, performed at the Naval Hospital in Pensacola, Florida found that soldiers who had Chiropractic care for 4 months had:   Improved strength Improved balance Improved endurance And short term improvements to low back pain.   The study involved 110 active military personal, 86% of those had low back pain for greater than three months, and 66% of which had back pain for longer than one year.   The soldiers were divided into two groups the active group and the wait list group. The active group received chiropractic care for four mon

There was, and maybe it's still being circulated on your social media feeds, a meme that goes something like this:   "Losing weight is hard; being overweight is hard; choose your hard."   "Being broke is hard; Becoming rich is hard; choose your hard."   "Change is hard; staying the same is hard; choose your hard."   You get the idea.   There was just something unsettling enough about this meme that warranted us to have a conversation and discussion about it and this podcast is the result of that conversation.   So what, who cares, right?   We believe you'll care because your ideas and beliefs literally dictate your life, your happiness, what you believe is possible for yourself and all else.   So to accept or dismiss an idea without properly thinking about it and breaking it down is extremely detrimental to your life.   What we cover Why context is king and why before accepting any slogan, no matter how it makes you feel, it must be especially considered and analyzed. Why ideas matter and why your beliefs w

Real food first. That's the number one rule for Eating By Design and for good reason. Nothing will improve your results faster than simply eating more real food. Rule number two is eat protein with every meal. That's what today's episode of Life By Design is all about and I'm sharing the details from a recording I made for our private Facebook Group. What We Cover How much protein is enough protein? What's more important, the total amount of protein or percentage of protein? The fastest way to improve the percentage of protein intake is NOT eating more, it's this. The meat sweats are an indicator of this mechanism that makes eating protein as the first macro nutrient such a powerful action step. How to eat your protein. The best sources and why.  

This week we review research published in the Journal of Athletic Training, looking at the importance of checking and correcting and movement deficiencies in the necks of people who have suffered a concussion.   The challenge is that since the anatomy is very similar - meaning that the nerves and structures that supply and innervate the brain also have links to the neck.   Due to the crossover, concussion and cervical syndrome, as the authors put it, can mimic each other in the way they behave.   What We Cover The number of diagnosed concussions due to sport and recreation activities has been steadily increasing during the past few decades, with an estimated 3.8 million concussions occurring in 2014.  A concussion is a complex pathophysiologic process that is induced by bio-mechanical forces and affects the brain.  Cervical injuries and concussions can share similar mechanisms and nearly identical symptoms or causes.  Concussion symptoms may actually be caused by cervical injury, yet their 'treatment' is ve

Don't make the mistake of thinking fish oil is good for you or your children.   Fish oil is a vehicle to help deliver omega-3 fatty acids into your body, and because our current lifestyle and environment make that a challenge to get, fish oil might help.   That's a real mouth full, but let us explain more concisely on today's episode.   An interesting study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, aimed to see if there was a difference in health kids between the ages of 8 and 9 who received about 375 g/week of oily fish compared to poultry for 12 weeks. In total, 199 kids were tested.   At baseline and endpoint, the authors assessed attention, processing speed, executive functions, memory, emotions, and behavior with a large battery of tests and questionnaires and analyzed erythrocyte fatty acid composition. The samples were fasting and collected by venipuncture blood.   What we cover "We found that a high intake of oily fish tended to improve overall scores of cognitive performance and soc

So here we are in September...   Are the kids going back to school? Should they go back to school? When is life going to return to normal? Is life going to return to normal? Am I putting my kids at risk? Will they be safe? Am I a bad parent for sending them back? What will others think of me? How are we going to pay for all this? What if Jim loses his job because his work shuts down?   Have you had enough yet?   Sometimes life can get overwhelming. We all know that it's a natural part of life that we all experience.   Life has its seasons, and you will be much more likely to be overwhelmed during certain times of your life compared to others.   But how do you deal with it?   One of the issues with overwhelm is that it takes your mind away from you and your values and places them on consistent fires that need to be put out.   The more time you spend putting out fires, the less time you have for doing things that prevent those fires and now you have more fires.   The problem goes on and on, and it's a cycle.  

"Some people have a lot of pride in not taking drugs or supplements, but the primary goal should be to feel your best. Not using a medicine that improves your health because you take pride in being 'substance-free' is counter-intuitive to your main goal of feeling well."   This was an online quote from an excellent physician that we respect.   We find this quote interesting and would like to discuss further because there are some great and not so great ideas being expressed.   The purpose of this podcast is to discuss and show you why ideas are important and how accepting others ideas, especially if you haven't thought it through, might lead you down a path you'd wish you never found.   What We Cover The logical fallacy called "begging the question" and how it applies is very evident in this quote. Feeling good and being healthy are not necessarily the same thing. You must know and understand the differences. The logical fallacy of "composition". Drugs and supplements are not the same thing. The very tr

You are what you eat. Maybe not literally, but to pretend that what you put into your body doesn't affect your health and performance is nonsense. Today we review a study from the University of Michigan seeking to establish an association between chronic spinal pain and diet. In some ways, we already know (there was a Nobel prize given in 1982 for the PGE2 and Omega-6 link) that a poor diet can lead to increased pain byways of inflammation. But this study wants to link chronic spinal pain to more certain types of diets and people who eat those diets. The purpose of this podcast is to review the data, give our opinions and let you know how we believe this applies to your life and what you can do to make your health better. What We Cover Spinal pain (pain in the back, neck, and hip) affects 54% to 80% of adults and is a leading cause of physical disability and associated problems, including decreased quality of life, unemployment, and mood disorders. How the costs add up! The impact of chronic spinal pain is a

They do, but probably not in the way that you think. If anything, emotions are the part of your consciousness that makes life worth living. What we mean by them not mattering, is simply not in the process of making decisions. Imagine if you couldn't feel love, pride, happiness, joy and even negative emotions like anxiety, depression, and grief...emotions are helpful if you know how to position them correctly. But, emotions are not a good way to make decisions. If anything, emotions are the end result of the decisions you have made based on your values or in opposition to your values. They should just not be the reason you make the decision in the first place. In our 2020 culture, we've taken emotions to the next level. We value feelings so much that we make decisions for our lives based on other people's emotions - that's crazy! In today's episode, we discuss emotions, what they are, what they are not, and how to control your feelings because they are under your control. What we cover: A rational basis for e

A study from the International Journal Of Spine Surgery concluded that individuals with Type-II diabetes have an accelerated rate of spinal degeneration, and the amount of degeneration is more severe than non-diabetics.   We also don't think it's too far of a stretch, although you can't claim this study as a source, to suspect that prolonged elevation of blood sugar levels (AKA diabetes) has detrimental effects on your other joints as well.   We already know that diabetes is a risk factor for nearly every chronic health condition (cancer, heart disease), we might as well add spinal degeneration to that list.   So what can be done about this?   The purpose of this podcast is to discuss this study, it’s implications and possible solutions.   What we cover The study, it’s shortcomings and it’s conclusions. Exactly how does what we eat affect our physical health? Why you can’t rely on mainstream dieting advice. Why the best way to change your diet has nothing to do with eliminating food (even

To say that poor mental health is an issue would be an understatement.   Mental health, at least to us, is the most important asset you have in your arsenal of human powers. Since humans live and depend on ideas (all of which rely on mental health), the health and well being of your mind is priority number one.   That's why when we see any information (in this case, an editorial) looking at how to improve vital brain chemicals such as serotonin and tryptophan naturally, we get excited to review, share, and discuss.   It seems like mental health deteriorates every day, and the challenges facing people are just getting heavier and heavier. It's why we are excited to help in any possible way we can to ensure you stay mentally healthy.   What We Cover A general review of human nature and why your mental state is your most important asset and why you need to make your mind's functioning top priority in your life. The 4 methods of naturally raising both serotonin and tryptophan and how to plug them into your life

We pick up from where we left off in Part 1 of Getting Your Diet Right...   Nothing has changed, we still think the whole world has lost it’s mind when it comes to nutrition!   The purpose of this podcast is to review and continue teaching the principles of Eat By Design.   What we cover What type of veggies are best?  Cooked or raw? How about organic? Is it worth the extra cost? Are grains a food group? What type of nutrients will you get from grains and can you find those elsewhere with less potential negative effects? Why eating "gluten-free" isn't the primary reason to avoid eating most grains and what is? Are legumes as bad as grains are made out to be? What supplements are required to balance a healthy diet? Are carbs good or bad? The most confusing macronutrient explained in terms that just about anyone will understand. What about dairy? We're the only mammal that drinks another mammals milk...does that even matter?