I’m always getting all sorts of questions that don’t quite fit on Endurance Planet, and I’m also seeing a lot of the same questions coming my way. So we decided to make a select number of our LPC webinars Q&A format on holistic wellness, nutrition, etc. (i.e. anything) to answer all those questions to which you don’t have the straight answer. Leave it to me, as I dig into the science and other evidence to give you the explanation you need. We’ll pull questions together grab-bag style, so it may get random as far as topics go, but nevertheless lots to learn. Feel free to email us with questions!

Show notes for Grab Bag Episode 1:

1. “What are some good movement snacks to do throughout the day?”

 

2. “Palm oil—a good oil or bad oil? What are the pros and cons of palm and coconut oil, and which is superior?”

  • “Coconut oil has been shown to have the potential to protect against not only heart disease but a wide variety of chronic health problems including diabetes and cancer as well as a means to prevent and even treat infectious diseases, however, knowledge about coconut oil has been kept buried in medical journals because of a general prejudice against saturated fats.”
  • Coconut oil had caprylic acid that fights candida. Also fights acne, viruses and infections via MCFAs.
  • And “coconut oil is rich in medium chain saturated fatty acids (lauric acid) which allows them to be directly absorbed from the intestine and sent straight to the liver to be rapidly used for energy production.” (Great for athletes.)
  • “The smoke point of unrefined palm oil is 235 °C (455 F) whilst that of unrefined coconut oil is 177 °C (350.6 F). In this light coconut oil is better suited for shallow frying, which is done at much lower temperatures, whilst palm oil on the other hand is suitable for both deep and shallow frying.”
    • Smoke points for other cooking fats and oils:
      • Ghee – 380-420 F
      • Beef tallow – 350-400 F
      • Virgin Avocado Oil – 400 F
      • Duck Fat – 375 F
      • Lard – 370 F
      • Butter – 280-350 F
  • Palm oil contains precursors to Vitamin A (e.g. beta carotene); phytosterols, precursors to steroid hormones; and is rich in antioxidant Vitamin E. But consume in moderation to manage blood lipids.
  • Warning: palm oil coming from Ghana may contain a carcinogenic and toxic dye called Sudan IV.
  • Also palm oil production can impact the environment, in particular rainforest destruction and harming ecosystems so if you do use only get sustainably sourced.
  • Coconut oil though is usually more easily harvested, more sustainable and less of an impact.
  • Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5044790/

 

3. “Safflower and sunflower oil—yay or nay? It’s not so much that I cook in either of these, but I notice them on labels.”

  • NEVER use safflower oil or sunflower oil and do your best to avoid foods that have it, both are vegetable oil that pose health risks with frequent or chronic consumption.
  • Vegetable oils like these promote inflammation. What does this exactly mean and what’s the risk? According to Dr. Cate Shanahan, vegetable oils “all promote inflammation starting in the gut and extending into the arteries, nervous system, and everywhere else in your body. They also block enzymes involved in breaking down fat for energy, and thus can contribute to weight gain—especially the most inflammatory type of weight gain—around the waist, called omental fat.”
  • Don’t buy into “canola oil is healthy” either, that’s false.
  • Thankfully there are many alternatives even with chips if you need the occasional indulgence! I love Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips and many more brands are using avocado oil or coconut oil instead, yay!
  • Plus let’s not forget about the 80-20 rule… if you’re slipped a shitty vegetable oil while eating out, don’t fret. Good chance you won’t die.
  • Check out our Good Fat, Bad Fat article on LPC.
  • Source: http://drcate.com/vegetable-oil-is-everywhere/

 

4. “Is adrenal fatigue BS? My doctor said it doesn’t exist.”

  • Many traditional doctors will not recognize adrenal fatigue for a few reasons; meanwhile, functional practitioners take adrenal fatigue very seriously, and personally as a coach I believe adrenal fatigue is a huge risk right there with overtraining (the two are very similar).
  • Let’s look at both sides and what’s really going on in the body:
  • According to many in conventional medicine: “The idea that chronic stress ‘physical or psychological’ may somehow down regulate the HPA axis is not supported by any good clinical science.” – Click here for that full article here.
  • Thus, many of us are told by conventional doctors “It must just be in your head,” which sucks when you know something ain’t right, right? These doctors are trained to look for clinical conditions, such as Addison’s disease and Cushing’s disease, which are directly related to adrenal problems—in Addison’s the adrenals literally don’t produce enough hormones (this is different than HPA axis dysfunction). In Cushing’s the pituitary (often due to a pituitary adenoma) is releasing too much ACTH leading to hypercortisolism with a cascade of effects.
  • But what if you don’t have a clinical issue yet you also aren’t normal? There’s the “in between” space in which plenty of us are suffering! Don’t worry, there are answers for you…
  • Adrenal fatigue as we’re discussing here is subclinical (“in between”), and related to HPA axis function not just adrenals. Subclinical issues can still ruin your quality of life and thankfully functional/integrative/holistic practitioners recognize this as a real issue with tools to help! There is a “dysfunction” that occurs in the body in this subclinical situation that often warrants treatment or intervention.
  • “Adrenal fatigue” is a misleading name. Technically the adrenals DON’T literally get fatigued or burn out in subclinical adrenal fatigue. Instead, it’s HPA axis dysfunction, which is affected by our lifestyle and stress levels.
  • The HPA axis operates on feedback loops, meaning the output of a system loops back to also be an input. In this case, the HPA axis sends signals for the adrenals to release cortisol. The cortisol output by adrenals sends signal back to calm down and not continue to release more. When we’re in balance this works great. But too much cortisol over time (high stress = chronically high cortisol output) desensitizes the HPA axis and no more “calm down effect” happens after cortisol release. Eventually the system “fails” in a sense to produce any cortisol, and you tank.
  • This is basically the same thing that happens in overtraining and athletes who are “fit but unhealthy.”
  • Some basics to monitor to see if you’re HPA axis is on point: RHR, sleep, HRV, hydration, muscle soreness, fatigue levels, energy, and testing hormones via DUTCH.
  • Keep an eye out for more help on “nourishing adrenals” and “how to heal adrenal fatigue” with a healthy lifestyle. Things like how to destress, exercise dos and don’ts, sleep habits, and fighting inflammation.

Adrenal health resources for you to browse: