Boundless Life

If you're like me, you might wake up in the morning and drink a glass of water, take a shower, eat food that has been cooked in water, perhaps go for a swim later in the day, and then drink more water. Or maybe you wake up, have a glass of water, exercise at the [...] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Click to Subscribe to All Ben's Fitness & Get A Free Surprise Gift from Ben. Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode. Aug 2, 2012 free podcast: Which Is Better: High Protein, Low Carb or High Fat, Low Carb? Also: what is hip dysplasia, how to deal with a baker's cyst, how carbs are listed on packaged food, trouble sleeping after evening workouts, what type of milk is best, HUUB websuits, should you use over the counter testosterone creams, how does Muscle Activation Technique work, and what is the ENG3? Have a podcast question for Ben? Call toll free to 1-877-209-9439, Skype to “pacificfit” or scroll down on this post to access the free “Ask Ben” form. If you have trouble listening, downloading, or transferring to your mp3 player just e-mail ben@bengreenfieldfitness.com. Also, please don't forget to leave the podcast a ranking in iTunes - it only takes a minute of your time and it helps grow our healthy community! ----------------------------------------------------- News Flashes: To get these and other interesting news flashes every week, follow Ben on Twitter and Google+. Wow! 4 weeks of echinacea supplementation worked wonders in runners. Attn dudes: sugary drinks at the bar, or any other "pre-sex" time is going to affect performance. And not from the alcohol per se. Quit sitting around at the gym. ----------------------------------------------------- Special Announcements: Go to www.audiblepodcast.com/ben - to get your free Audiobook today. Need blood testing to find out your health or performance biomarkers? - Ben recommends WellnessFX Ben is now using an Omni Blender - (50-400% less expensive than a Vitamix!) and Jessa and Ben recently shot two videos: How To Make Gluten Free Waffles and How To Make A Mexican Mocha. You only live once! - Come with Brock and Ben to Thailand and get this Asia Pacific 70.3 Training Plan for free! The BenGreenfieldFitness Inner Circle - is now $10! Join now at www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/innercircle ----------------------------------------------------- Listener Q&A: As compiled and read by Brock, the Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast "sidekick". Audio Question from Jenny: Triathlete with hip dysplasia. Not severe but it does effect her training. She feels a pinching in the front. Squatting over 90 degrees hurts. It effects her all the time (sitting for a long time hurts) even on a rest day. Any particular stretches or exercises that might help. She does the hip flexor stretch and uses a rumble roller (despite it being scary at times). Audio Question from Andre: He has mild left knee pain around the joint. Ran an ultra marathon in Feb and ever since then the pain has gotten better but hasn't gone away. Has runs a lot in the past and never had this issue before. Has a chronically tight IT band. Had an MRI that only detected a tiny Baker Cyst. He wants to do squats and lungs but can't do them or the knee flairs up again. Every time he races it hurts a lot again. He has a few races coming up and wants to get healed. Audio Question from Ty: On the ingredient list, how do you differentiate between a simple and a complex carbohydrate? ~ Ben’s Top 10 Healthy Packaged Foods Eve asks: I train for and do Olympic/5150 triathlons. I seem to do well with a hard training efforts over lunch, but if I do a track interval training in the evening for 50-60 min, or even swim intervals, I often mess up my sleep (elevated heartrate, chestpain and restlessness during the night). I'm assuming I have an unfavourable hormonal response - T3 crash, adrenaline to mobilize glycogen etc. I love group training (track and swim) in the evening, but if I cannot get the sleep issue sorted, I have to get back to morning and lunch training. Do you have any ideas on how I can increase my "tolerance" for evening training, except lowering intensity? Kate says: I have been suffering from a pain in my hips and knees whilst running for the past year and have recently visited a Sports Therapist in order to get to the bottom of the problem. He used Muscle Activation Techniques to reduce tension in my body and I could definitely see an improvement after just an hour. I found this technique very strange as he worked on an area in my neck to activate a muscle in my leg. I was wondering whether you have had much experience of MAT and what your thoughts on the technique are? ~ In my response, I mention my MAT podcast interview. Ben writes: What type of milk would you recommend for a child and would that recommendation change based off age? I'm curious about raw milk vs. goats milk vs. almond milk vs. coconut milk. Nadaleen says: I've been trying to follow a low carb high protein diet in order to lose weight (unsuccessful thus far). I did a 4 mile running race this morning and noticed my breath began to really smell during it, and afterwards my husband commented that I needed to brush my teeth. Reading up on it, it seems that it could be either dehydration, ketosis, or someone said if your body doesn't burn fat well, it could be that I'm burning muscle and not fat. I often get shaky during long rides as well, and feel that whatever I eat is not being absorbed by my body. I have noticed as I've switched to protein from carbs that I get less shaky and am also less hungry on long rides. So my body is shifting, I'm just not sure how, whether it is shifting in the right direction, and if I should be more patient with fat loss. Kenny says: Two questions: 1) huub wetsuits - marketing seems like a perfect fit for me. Is it all hype? 2) testosterone - I am 42 year old male and my level's slightly below normal. If I take an over the counter cream or supplement is this going to give me more energy? Make me stronger? Is it considered cheating in my training? Paige asks: Is it possible to cycle ketogenic periods? For example, fasting all night, exercising and then waiting until dinner to break your keto state. If so, would it be beneficial? Or would you benefit just as much from a fasted workout? Would this kind of cycle cause fat gain since you are eating an increased amount during keto state. Also, how could you monitor to know you are in this state? Would the strips be enough or should you monitor other things as well? ~ In my response to Paige, I mention http://www.lowcarbtriathlete.com Jim asks:I have a question about a machine a friend uses - the ENG3. They swear by it (says it helps their lungs and recovery time) but when I looked it up I don't really know what to make of it (except that it's expensive). If you have any info that would be great. They said I could give it a try but I always like to know what up before I jump in. Prior to asking your question, do a search in upper right hand corner of this website for the keywords associated with your question. Many of the questions we receive have already been answered here at Ben Greenfield Fitness! ====================================== [contact-form-7 id="6222" title="Ask Ben"]====================================== See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're a podcast subscriber, you may have heard this message from Brock, in which he tells you why there's no BenGreenfieldFitness podcast this week, and also plays you a nice little tune that his rock band recorded. Anyways, the long and short of it is that Ben is off to defend his amateur world [...] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As I write this post, I am grimacing. My chest hasn't been this sore since back when I was doing more lifting (that's me above, a few days before I did my first triathlon and decided I had too much muscle to comfortably do cardio-style racing). Anyways, it's been six days since I've stepped foot [...] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Click to Subscribe to All Ben's Fitness & Get A Free Surprise Gift from Ben. Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode. July 18, 2012 - free podcast: What To Do About Knee Pain That Won't Go Away. Also: can heat acclimating improve fitness, is "Infinite Nutrition" good, how BMR works, curing piriformis syndrome, should yogurt be a part of your diet, are creatinine levels important, over-training and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and what to eat after lap band or gastric bypass surgery? Have a podcast question for Ben? Call toll free to 1-877-209-9439, Skype to “pacificfit” or scroll down on this post to access the free “Ask Ben” form. If you have trouble listening, downloading, or transferring to your mp3 player just e-mail ben@bengreenfieldfitness.com. Also, please don't forget to leave the podcast a ranking in iTunes - it only takes a minute of your time and it helps grow our healthy community! ----------------------------------------------------- News Flashes: To get these and other interesting news flashes every week, follow Ben on Twitter and Google+. Holy  man boobs Batman! Guys…be very cautious with soy. Have embarrassing gas? Try eliminating FODMAPS as much as possible. Sugar is not so great, but once you add phosphate to it (i.e. soda), check out what happens. ----------------------------------------------------- Special Announcements: The Future Of Health Now - Videos are Live, Free and Available! Ben is going to Spain - drop him a note if you happen to going to The 2012 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain on July 29. Ben is now using an Omni Blender - (50-400% less expensive than a Vitamix!) and Jessa and Ben recently shot two videos: How To Make Gluten Free Waffles and How To Make A Mexican Mocha. You only live once! - Come with Brock and Ben to Thailand and get this Asia Pacific 70.3 Training Plan for free! The BenGreenfieldFitness Inner Circle - is now $10! Join now at www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/innercircle The new intro music - is from Brock Skywalker's song Blue Satin Jacket which is available on iTunes or at CD Baby. ----------------------------------------------------- Listener Q&A: As compiled and read by Brock, the Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast "sidekick". Audio Question from Gordon: Is it possible to get a benefit from training in high heat and high humidity to then race in a cooler and possibly (but not necessarily) higher elevation? ~ In my response, I mention Endurance Planet's Guide To Elevation. Audio Question from BMR Man: He is 6'2", weighs 229lbs. BMR calculation says 2800 - 3000 calories a day. If he does that he doesn't gain weight but he loses weight slowly while also gaining muscle. Is he doing that right or should he be cutting back to 2000 calories? Audio Question from Tige: Looking for information on the product Infinite Nutrition. Fueling for 70.3 and Full Iron distance. Audio Question from Joe: Joe just did the Philly Tri. Has now been diagnosed with... some sort of "itis"... in both knees. Doing high cadence low resistance workouts and wearing Nitro Glycerine strips on his knees. Is there anything else he should be doing to help get this moving along. Audio Question from Steve: 40-year-old triathlete. Like 70.3 distance. Has hip, glute pain that flairs up after running, first thing in the morning and after sitting for a long time. Had Xray and MRI with did not reveal anything except that he has a larger peraformis and a weak glute med on the injured side. Cortisone injection provided no relief. What should he try next? ~ In my response to Steve, I mention these exercises and this stretch. Lisa asks: I just wanted some clarification on the yogurt vs. ice cream question in episode #200. In response to this question, Ben suggested that yogurt and dairy in general was something to avoid given its insulinogenic effects. I took dairy out of my diet for 30 days on the Paleo diet, then cycled some cheese and butter back in since I seem to tolerate dairy fine. I then added in full-fat yogurt after seeing it on your food pyramid. I LOVE yogurt with some berries and cinnamon for breakfast or a snack, although I haven't been eating it long enough to track whether or not it's affecting my weight loss goals. But I was confused when I heard this recommendation for yogurt rescinded on the podcast. Should it not be part of the base of the superhuman food pyramid or am I missing something? Jakob asks: I would like to ask you about diet as a way to lower creatinine levels in my blood. I have, since 11yrs of age, had a kidney inflammation called IgA Nefrite. I have been a swimmer since I was 6yrs old and now, at 44yrs of age I'm into Triathlon. Since I train about 12-15 hours a week and follow a Paleo diet for Athletes (Joe Friel et al. ) to about 80-20 rule, the relative amount of protein in my diet has increased. So my question is really, what can I do to naturally lower my creatinine in order to help my kidneys ? Gary asks: My question relates to thyroid stimulating hormone. I had a blood test 5 months ago that came out high (5.03 uU/ml). I have seen it can be related to a lack of Iodine in the diet. Unfortunately, I live in mainland Europe (southern Germany) where there is little iodine in the soil and hence locally grown fruit and especially root vegetables have very little iodine content. I repeated the blood test last week and I still have an elevated TSH (4.37uU/ml). My doctor has suggested hormone treatment, but I would like to hear if there may be other options. Also, since elevated TSH can be related to lacking energy and reduced metabolism functions, do you consider it could be related to a series of issues I have recently been suffering such as overtraining symptoms. ~ In my response, I recommend the book "Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal?" Anonymous asks: I have a friend who recently had the lap band gastric bypass surgery. Do you have any recommendations for what she should take in while on the liquids only phase and then going forward. ~ In my response, I mention the LivingFuel supplements at www.pacificfit.net Prior to asking your question, do a search in upper right hand corner of this website for the keywords associated with your question. Many of the questions we receive have already been answered here at Ben Greenfield Fitness! ====================================== [contact-form-7 id="6222" title="Ask Ben"]====================================== See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet vegan ultra-endurance athlete Rich Roll. If you've read this blog for a few months, you may recall Rich from the article I published on "How To Be Extremely Active And Eat A Plant-Based Diet Without Destroying Your Body." Rich just wrote a book about why he's a vegan. More specifically, the book is about [...] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Click to Subscribe to All Ben's Fitness & Get A Free Surprise Gift from Ben. Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode. July 11, 2012 – the 200th free audio podcast: How Vitamins And Supplements Are Made. Also: is frozen yogurt healthier than ice cream, the best way to soak grains, how to use CoQ10, how to maintain flexibility, synthetic vs. natural supplements, how much should you exercise, what is "earthing", bad workout days, how to run hills, should you ever have an energy drink, vegetarian omega 3 fats. Have a podcast question for Ben? Call toll free to 1-877-209-9439, Skype to “pacificfit” or scroll down on this post to access the free “Ask Ben” form. If you have trouble listening, downloading, or transferring to your mp3 player just e-mail ben@bengreenfieldfitness.com. Also, please don't forget to leave the podcast a ranking in iTunes - it only takes a minute of your time and it helps grow our healthy community! ----------------------------------------------------- News Flashes: To get these and other interesting news flashes every week, follow Ben on Twitter and Google+. In real science, Fit2Fat2Fit is a BAD idea for visceral fat, lower body fat, & leptin sensitivity. This headline probably should read: Got COW'S Milk? Increase your VO2 max by taking fish oil & getting rid of vegetable oils. ----------------------------------------------------- Special Announcements: Go to www.audiblepodcast.com/ben - to get your free Audiobook today. Ben is now using an Omni Blender -  (50-400% less expensive than a Vitamix!) and Jessa and Ben recently shot two videos: How To Make Gluten Free Waffles and How To Make A Mexican Mocha. You only live once! - Come with Brock and Ben to Thailand and get this Asia Pacific 70.3 Training Plan for free! The Future Of Health Now - Videos are Live, Free and Available! The BenGreenfieldFitness Inner Circle - is now $10! Join now at www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/innercircle The new intro music - is from Brock Skywalker's song Blue Satin Jacket which is available on iTunes or at CD Baby. ----------------------------------------------------- Listener Q&A: As compiled and read by Brock, the Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast "sidekick". If you see your question below, be sure to send an email to ben@bengreenfieldfitness.com to claim your FREE BOOK. You can choose between "Get Fit Guy's Guide to Achieving You Ideal Body" or KC Craichy's "Super Health" diet book. Which we talk about in Episode 139 and 140. Audio Question from Danny: Which is better for a relaxed day with the kids, Frozen Yoghurt or regular Ice Cream? ~ In my response, I mention our coconut ice cream recipe. Audio Question from Scott: He really enjoys baking bread, all from scratch and no processed flower. He uses a soaking process called "Pre-fermentation", where you soak the ground grains. Is this the same as soaking them prior to grinding? ~ In my response to Scott, I recommend the book Nourishing Traditions. I also mention my podcast with Dr. William Davis. Audio Question from Dwayne: He currently takes CoQ10, 10mg a day. Is there a benefit to taking more than that or to cycle it? Audio Question from Trisha: She and her husband are runners who do Tia-Kwan-do. When they ramp up for a race, they feel like they are losing flexibility. Why and how is that happening and how can they counteract that? ~ In my response to Trisha, I mention these exercises. Audio Question from Sandy: Ben has spoken against birth control pills but recommend Vitamin D supplements. Why is the synthetic hormone Vit D ok when the other is not? ~ In my response to Sandy, I recommend the book "Sex, Lies & Menopause". Also the Lady Comp Fertility Monitor. Audio Question from Brandon: Exercise frequency - how much is appropriate just for looking good and being fit? Should you exercise every day? If so, how do you adjust the intensity/duration to not overdo it? Audio Question from Andy: What is earthing? Was his dad right when he told him as a child to "go rub some dirt on it" when he got hurt? ~ I my response to Andy I mention: Thermographic grounding images, Sleeping grounded study, Immune system grounding study, Circadian Rhythm Study. I also mention Grounding Mats. Audio Question from Bad Workout Guy: Do you ever have a bad workout day? Out of breath, tired, have to stop to get some air, even though it is the same workout you have done before with no issue. ~ In my response, I mention Restwise. I also mention the emwave2 for tracking heart rate variability. Audio Question from Stephan: Hill Training. Running for a couple years. Endurance is getting good and pace is picking up. Training for a marathon in the fall. Hills always wipe him out. Struggles with them every time. Do you have any tips on how to attach hills? Stride, technique, strength training? ~ The Wildflower Hill Running tips. Audio Question from Sara: How and why do sports energy drinks (Red Bull, Rockstar) work? How bad are they for you? Is it ok to have them every once in a while? Audio Question from Sam: He has a question about getting Omega-3 as a vegetarian. What's the highest dose he should get at one time to get the most benefit? Should he spread it out over the whole day or get it all at once? ~ In my response I mention www.EnergyBits.com (use 10% discount code BEN) Prior to asking your question, do a search in upper right hand corner of this website for the keywords associated with your question. Many of the questions we receive have already been answered here at Ben Greenfield Fitness! ====================================== [contact-form-7 id="6222" title="Ask Ben"]====================================== Brand new - get insider VIP tips and discounts from Ben - conveniently delivered directly to your phone! Just complete the information below... First Name Last Name Email Cell # (1+area code):See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've all had it happen. We're sitting on the couch, watching a movie, and we suddenly realize that our favorite Hollywood personality is suddenly looking old. Really old. Wrinkled skin, receding hairline, chunky face, crinkled eyes, puckered lips - the works. How on earth did that aging happen, and more importantly, how did it happen so fast? Then [...] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Click to Subscribe to All Ben's Fitness & Get A Free Surprise Gift from Ben. Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode. July 4, 2012 – free audio podcast: How Exercise Makes You Fat Also: when/how to reach to race weight, how to fix stiff joints, testing race day nutrition, does fructose inhibit HGH, the best pre-workout supplements, how to fast the right way, what to eat during multi-day races, growth hormone vs. testosterone, and are any energy supplements safe. Have a podcast question for Ben? Call toll free to 1-877-209-9439, Skype to “pacificfit” or scroll down on this post to access the free “Ask Ben” form. If you have trouble listening, downloading, or transferring to your mp3 player just e-mail ben@bengreenfieldfitness.com. Also, please don't forget to leave the podcast a ranking in iTunes - it only takes a minute of your time and it helps grow our healthy community! ----------------------------------------------------- News Flashes: To get these and other interesting news flashes every week, follow Ben on Twitter and Google+. New low carb study was interpreted quite poorly by the media. Interesting: if you're really skinny & concerned about leptin sensitivity (appetite control) avoid hard & long workouts. Want better cholesterol? Eat more eggs. ----------------------------------------------------- Special Announcements: Go to www.audiblepodcast.com/ben - to get your free Audiobook today. The Future Of Health Now - Videos are Live, Free and Available! The BenGreenfieldFitness Inner Circle - is now $10! Join now at www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/innercircle We now have reduced shipping rates to Canada - for LivingFuel supplements. Check out pacificfit.net/nutritional-supplements for Cocochia Snack Mix, Supergreens, and more! ----------------------------------------------------- Listener Q&A: As compiled and read by Brock, the Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast "sidekick". Audio Question from Eric: He wants to get back to race weight (is currently 30-35lbs over what he would like to weigh). He has some racing goals that he will have to push himself to reach. Should he try to lose weight before the race (in the early season) or just train hard and lose the weight at the same time? ~ In my response, I recommend www.Tri-Ripped.com Chris says: Most of your topics seam to address cardio and diet. Can you do a show on soft tissue injuries and flexibility. My big limiters, that I can't seem to fix, are stiffness in my ankle and lower back. ~ In my response, I mention Capraflex. Tim asks: I am training for some ultra marathons in the 50 to 100 mile range. During my training, I am experimenting with different nutrition sources to find what works well for me. In the past, foods that seem to work perfectly for a 2 to 3 hour run can wreak havoc on my G.I. system during a longer run or race. Given the same effort level in training & racing, what changes occur in the stomach to create this problem? Also, is there a certain length of time that I can run to fully test a nutrition source without having to run the full race distance? Josh asks: I know you've said before that you typically only consume fructose after a workout. Recently I came across some literature saying not to eat fruit after a workout because, "Consuming fructose will increase production of somatostatin, which then inhibits the production of human growth hormone (HGH, also known as 'the fitness hormone')." If true, that's a fairly big deal. Just wondering what your thoughts are. Jonas says: My brother turned me onto your site. He is a marathon runner, and I am a crossfitter/boxer. He has convinced me to live by your food pyramid and make some changes to my life. A lot of these changes are forcing me to toss some of my supplements. Where I am struggling is a pre-workout supplement that helps me lift more and not get fatigued. I have used Jack3d and Other products similar in the past. Can you suggest one that is better to use that has no neurotoxins, artificial colors, and other bad stuff? ~ In my response, I recommend the strength section at http://goo.gl/Zu02D Osa asks: Is it possible to fast your way into Ketosis and how long does it take? Also do you have any tips I can use to stay in shape or at least maintain a healthy weight with no exercise for a couple weeks? I had oral surgery to remove all four of my wisdom teeth this morning. I was advised by the doctor that the day before my appointment that I should stop eating or drinking before midnight. I stopped eating and drinking at 10:00pm and my appointment was at 9:30am the next day. I did not start feeling hungry until around 6:00pm today, so I fasted 20hrs in total and was not experiencing ravenous hunger. I also noticed when I was breathing through my nose I could start smelling some gas from my breath, which is a sign I may have fasted myself into Ketosis. The Oral Surgery to remove my four wisdom teeth has drastically changed my diet and made me inactive for a couple weeks. I can only eat light meals and have been advised not to eat meat. khoo asks: I am participating in a multi staged ultra marathon over 3 days, 42k on the first day, 40k on the second day and 18k on the last day. The challenge is that it will be at the outer Mongolia, border of Russia. the only thing the race organizer will provide is a tent and hot water. All participants will need to bring their own fuel, food and recovery mix. In my plan, I will bring freeze dry meals, pork/beef jerky, trail mix (nuts and dried fruits), dark chocolate, endurox R4, hammer recovery drink, GU gels and roctane. Any recommendation on what else to bring? ~ In my response I recommend Pemmican, Cocochia bars, and Supergreens. Adam asks:
 Can you further explain the link between growth hormone and testosterone. I am 24 and have been taking about 3g of GABA before bed to improve sleep by increasing growth hormone. I do not want to mess with my testosterone and I also have skin that easily breaks out and increased testosterone will only be making that worse. Sarah asks:I want to know if energy supplements are safe for you? I run about 45-50 miles a week and do strength training 3 days a weeks. A trainer at the gym I go to recommended Lean EFX Thermogenic 45cpLean EFX Energy Enhancing Pills from Fahrenheit Nutrition. The reviews online are mixed. Also, recently in the news (recommended by Dr. OZ) - Raspberry Ketones - are these safe? If so which brand do you recommend? Prior to asking your question, do a search in upper right hand corner of this website for the keywords associated with your question. Many of the questions we receive have already been answered here at Ben Greenfield Fitness! ====================================== [contact-form-7 id="6222" title="Ask Ben"]====================================== Brand new - get insider VIP tips and discounts from Ben - conveniently delivered directly to your phone! Just complete the information below... First Name Last Name Email Cell # (1+area code):See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.