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Racial Injustice and the Fitness of Humankind

“No justice, no peace,” they say.

Even though it may not be the most welcome of choices, justice is still worth fighting for.

Injustices first grow within the mind, branching toxic resentment towards groups of people who are other than I.

One way to work through this sickness of the mind is to study the similarity of the fellow human rather than the difference.

There is definitely a black man in human ancestry.

And there is for sure a black woman.

Let’s value the similarities that make us human.

We all have a shared humanity so let’s not take this for granted by groups, individuals or by persons of authority.

Technology deepens accountability.

So many footprints are left everyday. Digital fingerprints mark the web. We often submit our personal information to large organizations.

Video recordings allow for unlimited attempts at understanding the events as they actually occurred.

And the evidence is astounding.

Can people accept themselves by accepting others?

With technology and intention, I believe that people can broadcast high frequency channels to resonate with the humanity of others.

As you accept some responsibility for the way you feel, then you will realize that healing comes from allowing others to be true to themselves.

Practice being kind to others with no ulterior motive.

And Follow DreFitness.com with the Follow Blog button

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Top 5 Favorite Antioxidants for Gut Health, Fatty Acid Metabolism, and Fitness

Antioxidants are like the prisms of life.

The symbolism of the antioxidant is that of protection.

Antioxidants protect us from volatile oxygen molecules. With the protection of antioxidants, our body can filter the chemical reaction from oxygen consumption in a positive way. We become more efficient in our environment.

There is one secret that I haven’t talked enough about. I will share this with you today.

Human Power Runs on Short Chain Fatty Acids.

The basic cellular functions appreciate short chain fatty acids that are metabolized by a variety of bacteria all combining to form a significant part of the human ecosystem and microbiome. Fortunately, there is evidence of plasticity with changes of microbiome related to changes in diet.

One example of a strategy would be a simple focused plan to consume foods that increase diversity within in the gut. I’ll give you reasons why antioxidants are crucial in gut health evolution.

The ecosystem of the microbiome changes like waves in athletes.

This picture is an example of how easily it is to notice quick alterations in an athlete.

It isn’t a far guess to assume that the function and health status of the immune system is also highly related to this.

Antioxidants have effect on DNA/RNA relationships

I believe that antioxidants represent some vital life force in the world. I have many favorite antioxidants. Things like polyphenols or proanthocyanidins may balance the adrenals, supporting cognitive function.

My favorite antioxidants:

This is the first list. More lists coming soon so please click the follow the blog button.

1. Acai

acaiyummy

I have so many good memories on great beaches with wonderful people. It is from the Amazon rainforest and the pure unsweetened pulp is a highly valuable item in my opinion. This is an Amazon affiliate link that supports the future of the blog.

Me years ago on a beach far away.

When I was in Brazil, my thought specifically to get more acai was the benefit for my skin while in the hot sun. I know I needed protection and I believed this helped keep me healthy.

2. Wild Alaskan Salmon or also natural astaxanthin.

This is one of the SLAMMERS in the antioxidant world! It’s the reason why salmon and many marine life forms, and things that eat marine life forms, often have a pink hue.

This is an extremely valuable antioxidant with effects throughout the body because it crosses the blood-brain barrier. Aside from reaching your brain, it can also reach into your eyeballs and impart its DNA supporting wisdom upon the optical lens.

If you are not a fish eater, then a great alternative may be an algae like chlorella.

3. Chlorella

Okay, I had to give it a category of its own here. I bring chlorella everywhere that I travel, when I traveled. I mix it with matcha powder to start every day.

lookslikelittlepeas

Chlorella was green before being green was even a thing.

The reason I love it when traveling is because when traveling the food can be unpredictable. I know that if I have it with me, I am guaranteed some awesome antioxidants to start the day. This, I believe can offset less beneficial food that I may consume later on because lets have some fun right.

By the way, I have been consuming chlorella for almost 12 years now. Korea seems to produce most of the top quality chlorella, while there are other niche or naturally occurring areas that provide chlorella.

4. Matcha

I think I might overuse matcha a little bit because I love it so much. I am just hoping that the L-Theanine will protect my central nervous system in the meanwhile.

5. Berries

This was just the next thing that came to mind and the last one of the list for now. Berries can be so refreshing and sweet.

I love the way that berries can help with normal hydration because they contain water.

I love the way that berries feel in my mouth and all over my tongue.

Make sure to hit the Follow Blog button

Sometimes we need other people to reflect light on to us and that gives us more balance.

I hope that some positive light was reflected upon you while reading this article.

May your gut bacteria reside in harmony with the world.

Sources
Puertollano E, Kolida S, Yaqoob P. Biological significance of short-chain fatty acid metabolism by the intestinal microbiome. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2014;17(2):139‐144. doi:10.1097/MCO.0000000000000025
Pandey KB, Rizvi SI. Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2009;2(5):270‐278. doi:10.4161/oxim.2.5.9498
Cires María José, Wong Ximena, Carrasco-Pozo Catalina, Gotteland Martin. The Gastrointestinal Tract as a Key Target Organ for the Health-Promoting Effects of Dietary Proanthocyanidins. Frontiers in Nutrition.
VOLUME 3, 2017, PG 57
Grosicki GJ, Durk RP, Bagley JR. Rapid gut microbiome changes in a world-class ultramarathon runner. Physiol Rep. 2019;7(24):e14313. doi:10.14814/phy2.14313
Kanakis CD, Tarantilis PA, Polissiou MG, Diamantoglou S, Tajmir-Riahi HA. An overview of DNA and RNA bindings to antioxidant flavonoids. Cell Biochem Biophys. 2007;49(1):29‐36. doi:10.1007/s12013-007-0037-2
Trosvik P, Rueness EK, de Muinck EJ, Moges A, Mekonnen A. Ecological plasticity in the gastrointestinal microbiomes of Ethiopian Chlorocebus monkeys. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):20. Published 2018 Jan 8. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18435-2

 

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11 Diet Tips from the Probiotic Lifestyle: Why Feeding the Gut Microbiome Slows Down Aging and Can Save Your Life from Preventable Disease!

Bio-diversity is essential for human health and evolution!

Even though I can’t prove it, I believe more than 99% of all human diseases can be prevented or managed by nourishing the gut. My personal mission is to help your microbiome become more robust, diverse, and balanced. It will make your life way better and it will also have beneficial consequences for the collective human microbiome (another way of saying our collective health as a species).

Benefits of Diverse Gut Microbiome 

Shreiner et. al provide us with an overview of the evidence to show that a healthy microbiome supports the following:

  • Healthy metabolism, absorption of nutrients, and ability to inhibit tumor growth, particularly in the colon.
  • Microbiota promote immune homeostasis and, “influences immune functions at all levels from the initial innate defense to complex acquired responses.“
  • Use of antiobiotics are associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors. (Measured through plasma TMAO levels or trimethylamine-N-oxide)
  • “Clostridum difficile is a disease that results from critical changes to the gut microbiota and is effectively treated by microbiota-based therapy.”
  • Inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease is related to a lower microbial diversity and a dysbiosis or imbalance of the gut. Treatment by professionals may be focused on increasing the diversity and richness of beneficial micriobial species in the gut and biome.

Good news: The Gut has some plasticity.

By eating a diversity of healthy foods, you will get an abundance of antioxidants, fiber, and other ancient plant wisdom.

“The quality of being easily shaped or molded.”

“The adaptability of an organism to changes in its environment or differences between its various habitats.”

The not so good news: the older you are, the harder it will be.

Why it is harder for people who are older? It is not about your numerical age. It has to do with the fact that years of consuming high glycemic foods that have been stripped of fiber, antioxidants, and other vital essences have allowed undesirable bacteria species to overpopulate.

Furthermore, many people who grew up on cereal and processed foods are going to struggle more to reach their fitness goals later on in life. It’s not fair, at all. There is hope though, so read on.

Undesirable bacteria become squatters that you can’t evict. Once upon a time, they contributed something of value to your system, but now they are leeching nutrients from you and not giving you much back in return. Biologically, these bacteria create bio-films that protect their opportunistic environment inside your gut.

You can degrade these bio-films over time with herbs, enzymes, fermented foods and more (note: Amazon affiliate links). I’ll be covering this in depth in future posts as well.

Here are some general tips to think about when looking to enrich or improve the diversity of your microbiome.

For the pursuit of microbiome enrichment, you may consume the following:

1. Fruit from a tree that is tasty

2. Leaves from a plant that is hardy (kale).

3. Fungi from a birch tree (chaga)

4. Roots that also grow edible leaves (carrots, beets, etc.)

5. Red color leaves (chard), purple color leaves (purple kale), green color leaves (cabbage), and so on.

6. Nuts from a tree

7. Leaves that have been cultured (sauerkraut)

8. Dairy that has been cultured (Kefir, see my kefir post. I’ll be writing an extensive Kefir guide coming up because it is that important).

9. Fruit from trees that is fatty (avocado, olives)

10. Selections from the allium genus (onions, garlic, shallots, chives)

Benefits of onion and related species: full of enzymes, performance enhancing antioxidants, and minerals for blood sugar regulation.

11. Herbs / foods that make you hot or sweaty (peppers)

This should at least be enough to get you started and stimulated with some nutritional ideas.

It is important to note that one size does not fit all with nutrition. You are diverse, therefore you must learn what is best for you.

You can have guidance from practitioners who can support you in this journey. You can also learn from testing and experimenting — be mindful and honest about how your food is affecting you in order to make progress this way.

Stay tuned for more updates!

We’ve had an exciting time around here with a solid one post per day for three days straight! Let’s keep up the momentum.

The people who need us will find us, as long as we keep publishing. I hope you revisit here and join this growing community.

I invoke the powers of will to serve you in your fitness journey.

Sources:

Heiman ML, Greenway FL. A healthy gastrointestinal microbiome is dependent on dietary diversity. Mol Metab. 2016;5(5):317‐320. Published 2016 Mar 5. doi:10.1016/j.molmet.2016.02.005

Davis CD. The Gut Microbiome and Its Role in Obesity. Nutr Today. 2016;51(4):167‐174. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000167

Shreiner AB, Kao JY, Young VB. The gut microbiome in health and in disease. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2015;31(1):69‐75. doi:10.1097/MOG.0000000000000139

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If your knowledge is ego-driven, you will never reach nutritional enlightenment

Do you already know what to eat?

I have noticed a very common cycle for people who are trying to improve their bodies by letting go of excess weight.

They know that if they just eat a certain way, then they will deserve the outcome of weight loss.

There are two issues with this. The first is that they think they already know, which leaves no room for the unknown to reveal itself. The second issue is that they become too attached to the outcome instead of becoming fully immersed in the process.

If your cup is already full, then how will you receive the wisdom of the ancients? You must first empty your cup.

Nutritional enlightenment involves at least three layers of your being.

I will briefly introduce these three layers and expand upon them in future articles.

1. Your subconscious and deeper primal processes.

We can categorize this as that which you are not consciously aware of, but acts as a compelling force nonetheless.

2. Your conscious thoughts that you are actively aware of.

These are the thoughts and feelings going through your mind that are most visible or readily identifiable. While these are extremely important parts of our reality, we may focus on it too much or even drown in toxic ideas that influence us away from supporting our deepest needs.

3. Our social selves and how we physically interact with the world.

I can think of other ways to guide us than being ego-driven. Perhaps we can be soul-driven or others-driven. While the ego is necessary for individuals in order to operate in this world, never lose sight of the fact that every single thing in the universe is connected. I believe that most nutritional problems that people face are due to a disconnect with the nature of life and living things.

You have the opportunity to absorb the vital forces of plants and living things on a daily basis, rather a privilege! You can honor the sacrifice by intentionally directing your energy towards the healing process (whether individually, community, or globally).

And…

YOU can manifest a life of wellness and abundance!

Fall in love with the process and let go of attachment to outcome.

I think a reason why I haven’t been updating the blog enough is because I have been focused on outcome. I want this blog to reach a million views, I want this blog to change people’s lives, I want this blog to one day support me financially. To be honest, while those outcomes would be positive, I feel an anxiety about whether I am even capable or worthy of it. Yet, I feel drawn to something compelling about helping others through this channel.

The process is about what we have now in this moment and every part of the process should be honored and respected. Failures are not failures, they are feedback and opportunities for regrowth. Maybe we need to hurt today so that we can love tomorrow.

I just know that there are unlimited possibilities, but we’ll only have this moment once.

Are you on the path to nutritional enlightenment?

I’d love if you followed the blog and made a comment about something that resonated with you.

Stay tuned for more.

 

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5 Mindsets of Elite Runners

Running is extremely important right now.

There are so many excuses to quit.

Heavy breathing, burning quads and the possibility for injury?

Please, explain the importance of running so that I can go out and expose myself to these uncomfortable forces for the greater good.

1. Running is freedom.

Take a moment to appreciate that you have the capacity to bipedal your way through this life as many others have not been offered such privilege or have had it taken away from them.

orangetheory fitness class in 2013

Arizona. OTF class, 2013.

While running, there is freedom to express one’s authentic spirit and to traverse the gravitational vibes of Earth’s divine presence. I seek unlimited. With this comes the mindset that allows for inclusion and transformation of any and all things.

2. Running expands the mind, not just the body.

It is a mistake to try and think less while running, unless that’s working for you now.

I think it is better to open the mind to the possibility of greater rhythm and flow.

You can really feel the energy flowing through your body this way, especially as you run tall, elbows back and behind, engaging the core, lifting knees high off the ground, and kick back with excellent glute activation.

3. Realize that the question is more important than the answer.

Maybe, let go of telling your body what to do and do more about asking about what it can do.

For example, instead of saying, “I need to run faster, I can’t do this, it hurts,” perhaps it should be more like, “what is the deeper motivational reason to keep going?” “how centered or heart-focused am I right now, can I lift my chest a little higher? “does this effort bring me genuine, healthy pride?”

I don’t mean to be rude here, but the only reason average runners stay average is because they aren’t willing to go deeper. Going deeper means confronting vulnerable areas of your psyche. While we are all vulnerable, nobody is truly average so keep reading on.

4. Energy intake must have meaning.

When I speak of energy in this case, I am referring to the type of energy you put in your mouth.

Yes, food. Elite runners understand the importance of good nutrition.

Everything has a symbolic and spiritual nature.

First, let us expand on the idea of, to have meaning. This word has been used for over 700 years and it relates strongly to, “sense.” Additionally,  “the act of remembering,” and, “that which is intended to be expressed.”

Energy that is devoid of meaning has been stripped of its essence. It can be argued that it has lost some vital force that once gave it more meaning. The isolation of energy from purpose has stripped too many people of their health. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many gut issues may arise because the foundational pillars of healthy normal function have crumbled.

Meaningless food example: refined sugar.

Refined sugar has been stripped of its original meaning which it was once symbolized by its plant form.

Now, take me back to my trip in Colombia, where I sipped on fresh raw sugarcane juice. Here, you have a different nutritional reality because the enzymes and other vital forces remain active in a fresh juice form. That’s not to say it was without a, “con,” as I’m sure it still raised my blood sugar more than needed.

Colombia trip The Rock of Guatape

Colombia inspired my nutritional adventures by offering me fresh raw sugarcane juice on this scenic lake.

Rule of thumb: food should be recognizable to its original form.

I will go on much deeper into the DNA of healthy nutrition later, so stay tuned for that.

5. Recover.

I have a belief that survival is a deeper value than longevity. That is perhaps one reason why some people keep running day in, day out, even with nagging pains that they’re neglecting. Caution: even though pain often comes from a nagging area in the body, there are likely deeper imbalances that must be addressed.

Furthermore, boundaries must be set with relationships to yourself and others. I have been guilty of prioritizing my exercise and offering less time for other people in my life. This is an area that I am trying to improve upon.

You can be extraordinary if your mindset allows for freedom.

Thank you, person on the internet. Please follow the blog and interact with me in the comments.

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