Spine Curling

byt Tim Cartmell

PREPARATION Stand with the feet shoulder width apart and parallel. Let your
arms hang at your sides. Your knees are straight, but not locked. Imagine
that your head is lighter than air, and floats up and away from your
shoulders (your chin will tuck in slightly). The upward motion of your head
gently lengthens your spine and torso. Let all your muscles relax until you
feel as though your body is 'hanging' from your head. Stand this way for a
few minutes until you feel you are stable and relaxed. Pay attention to the
sensation of lengthening upward through your head as you simultaneously
relax downward. Breathe normally through your nose.

MOVEMENT ONE Now, very slowly lift the crown of your head (the point at the
top of your head directly between your ears) and lengthen your spine even
more as your chin begins to move toward your chest. Be aware of the top
vertebrae in the back of your neck stretching away and 'separating' from the
vertebrae below it, and continue to imagine each vertebra separating one by
one, from top to bottom, as you slowly and smoothly bend over forward.
Continue to move your intent down your back as you bend until you are
hanging over from the hips, completely relaxed, all of your vertebrea
'separated' and your spine stretched and opened as much as possible (it is
ok to bend the knees slightly as you curl over). At the end of the movement,
your head and arms hang loosely toward the ground. Unlock the vertebrae and
roll down slowly and smoothly, moving your intent down your spine one
vertebrae at a time. Relax in the full hang positon for a few seconds,
feeling gravity lengthen and stretch your spine and torso.

MOVEMENT TWO Continuing, we practice the exercise in reverse. Slowly begin
to come up, stacking the vertebrae one by one from the bottom up. Imagine
the vertebrae stacking up one on top of the one below until you have rolled
up to the standing position once again. Be sure to curl the spine up one
vertebra at a time, using your abdominal muscles to control the movement.
As you come into the upright position, relax the shoulders and let the head
continue to float upward. The exercise may be repeated as many times as you
like. Breathe normally throughout the exercise.

CONCLUSION After the last repetition of the spine curl, inhale fully and
simultaneously lengthen the spine as you arch back a little. Look straight
up and try to touch the ceiling with your chest. Hold for a few seconds then
exhale and return to the upright position.

BENEFITS This exercise will help to realign the posture while increasing
the strength and flexibility of the back. As the head is lowered, there is
an increase of blood and oxygen to the brain, and all stress is released
from the back, neck and shoulders. Having the top half of the body inverted
is very refreshing after prolonged standing or sitting, and the exercise
makes full use of gravity to stretch and realign the spine. The abdominal
muscles are strengthened as well as they are used to aid in the control of
the upward movement. By using the intent to control the movement, one can
articulate the spine through a greater range of motion than most
conventional back 'stretches.' The concluding exercise will also help to
open the chest and stretch the stomach and intercostal muscles while opening
the vertebrae in opposite direction of the primary exercise.

Tim Cartmell is one of America's leading experts in Chinese martial arts. Be sure to check out his website, www.shenwu.com

Kitchen Medicine Tip

by Dave Engstrom

Winter is here, and so is the season of the common cold as well as training injuries. In Oriental medicine, there is a therapy termed “kitchen medicine”, which basically means that food is medicine. Living in the Northwest, I have many patients that complain of feeling cold! One of my favorite “kitchen” remedies is raw ginger. In energetic terms it is acrid and hot and affects the acupuncture channels of the stomach and the lung.

It is effective in warming the channels of the body, dispersing coldness, settles/harmonizes the stomach, and can help produce a light sweat. In Western terms, it acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant.

It is very easy to prepare. Grate 1tsp-1table spoon of fresh ginger, put in tea cup and poor in hot water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and add honey to taste if desired. Sip down slowly and relax! Be sure to keep comfortably warm and not sweat too much! I sometimes drink ginger tea before and or after working out. It’s also good after meals to aid digestion. Bon appetit!

Dave Engstrom is Seattle's best accupuncturist and an experienced powerlifter and kettlebell lifter. If you are interested in his holistic approach to healing, set up an appointment by calling 206-938-0682.

Focus on Your Goals

by Mike Mahler

"You can be really good at a few things or average at a lot of things."

Often in training, many people tend to have too many goals and try to accomplish too many things at the same time. An example is trying to improve kettlebell technique, learn new bodyweight drills, get ready for a powerlifting contest, and put on 20lbs of muscle all at the same time. It would be much better to focus on one or perhaps two goals at a time. Once you achieve one goal, you can create some new ones. It is much better to get proficient at one form of training and the proceed on to some other forms of training.

Mike Mahler is one of America's hottest trainers. He recently conducted the first kettlebell seminar abroad, in London, England. His website is www.mikemahler.com.

A Sampling of Tonic and Ergogenic Herbs

by Garm Olafson

"Health" can be defined in a number of ways. One might be to be free of injury and disease, with all of the body's systems working with normal efficiency or better. Given such a definition, I have never met a serious athlete who was healthy. I know I'm either recovering from or training around a chronic or acute injury most of the time.

There are a large number of herbs available at your local health food store or wilderness area that can support general health. A 'tonic' herb is one that can help bring all of your internal processes into balance and make them work better. The primary example is panax ginseng, where 'panax' shares the same Greek root as 'panacea' - 'a remedy for all diseases'. 'Ergogenic' means something that 'tends to increase work'. In the context of herbalism, it means an herb that makes you stronger. Note please that I have only picked a few that work very well. There are many others, and many that support other related physical processes. These are not used to increase muscle mass, for example. The herbs listed are Chinese, American, and European, with traditional uses summarized and any scientific results listed. All are nontoxic. All presumably have their effect on strength primarily due to nervous system tonic effects.

Remember that herbs are not drugs. Expect a mild, supportive effect that takes some time to 'take'. Try adding one or all of these to your regimen for a couple of months and let me know your findings. I think you will be happy and stronger. Here they are:

Ginkgo Biloba - Traditional uses include asthma, bronchitis, and cardiovascular diseases. Modern science shows that Ginkgo increases the body's production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the chemical that powers all muscular contraction. It's also used for senility and hardening of the arteries. Ginkgo has antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antitussive, astringent, circulatory stimulant, expectorant, and sedative properties. It increases blood flow and oxygen levels in tissue.

Blue Vervian (Verbena Officianalis) - Used as an antiperiodic, diaphoretic, emetic, expectorant, tonic, vermifuge, and vulnerary. Most commonly, it is used as a natural tranquilizer for nervous problems, insomnia cure, and treating the symptoms of fevers and colds.

Wood Betony (Betonica Officianalis) - Traditional uses range from headaches to driving out supernatural forces. Current uses are headache, anxiety, and nervousness remedy, and treatment for diarrhea. Betony contains tannin, choline, alkaloids, and glycosides, one of which has been shown to reduce blood pressure.

Oat Grass (Avena Sativa) - Oat was traditionally used in China and India to help opium addicts kick their habit. It is highly nutritious and supports the nervous system. It helps build strong and healthy bones, hair, nails, and teeth. Other traditional medical uses are as treatment for exhaustion, depression, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, cerebral tonic, endocrine tonic, nerve tonic, and rejuvenative. It's usually available as a tea, tincture, or capsule, and it contains saponins, flavinoids, starch, alkaloids, steroids, calcium, iron, B vitamins, lysine, and methionine.

Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) - The Chinese academy of medicine took interest in this herb when studying the causes of certain regions where inordinately large numbers of their population lived in excess of 100 years. Additionally, cancer rates were very low. Jiaogulan tea was deemed a primary contributing factor to both of these statistical aberrations. Traditional medical uses include fatigue, bronchitis, obesity, heart disease, migraines, diabetes, stress, insomnia, gastric ulcers, digestion, arthritis, anti-inflammation, body-fat regulation and allergies.

A traditional herbal program is 3-part. One would first cleanse or detoxify the blood, liver, kidneys, and colon. Second, we seek to improve the body's adaptive processes via herbs that counteract the catabolic effects of stress. The final step would be immunity enhancement, which results in efficient restorative processes. If you find your first steps into the world of herbalism positive and wish to learn or experience more, consult your local naturopath or doctor of traditional oriental medicine.

Garm is a former Recon Force Marine, a practicioner of Qigong and recently broke records at the World Powerlifting Championships.

Advice from Zdorovye

by Scott Sonnon

“The most vulnerable link in the serious Knuckledragger is his immune system. The greater your exertion and total effort the more you tax your natural defensive systems. Significant, sustained peak levels of fitness place an incredible burden upon the body paid in full by the immune system. Great athletic achievements often cost dearly on one’s health. Unless you are training for a specific event that you must conquer, focus upon moderate exercise and a balance of exercise, nutrition, and restoration.”

Scott is America's leading authority on Russian Martial Arts and Zdorovye, the Slavic health system. For more information on Zdorovye, check out www.zdorovye.com.

Nutritional Advice

by Jodie Sonnon

“The Key to true strength and absolute health is your nutrition. Choosing whole, unprocessed, organic foods is the first step to unlocking your body’s unlimited capabilities.”

Jodie is an experienced nutritionist and the wife of Scott Sonnon.

Cold Water Dousing

by Tyler Hass

One of the most unbelievable things you can do to improve your health is to dump a cold bucket of water over your head. I was skeptical at first, but I figure, who's out to make money on selling buckets?

To perform a proper cold water dousing, take a few buckets (up to 3) of about 3-5 gallons and fill them with the coldest water you can get. I've actually gone as far as leaving a bucket in my mini-fridge over night. There was literally a sheet of ice over the top of it (I have the video to prove it!). I did this more for kicks, there is no practical reason to go this far. Cold water from the tap is fine for health purposes.

If you are feeling sick, a good program is to douse every couple hours. Whenever I get a sniffle, this is what I do and I have yet to get a cold since I started this about 9 months ago. Others have reported stories of quashing their colds as well.

You can replace your normal shower with cold water dousing, but if you want to have your normal shower, do the dousing at the end. Do not worry about getting cold. I actually experience a surge of heat immediately afterwards and then for the next few hours I feel like I'm radiating heat. When I first started I was literally sweating 15 minutes after I doused. For more information, check out this post from Steve Maxwell and check out our links page for a few more.

Tyler Hass is the founder of the Seattle Russian Kettlebell Club, publisher of Girevik Magazine, Student and tennis player at Whitman College and the editor of this article. If you have any suggestions, send me an e-mail: hass@seattlerkc.com.

Calorie Restriction, Disease, and Aging: An Introduction

by Gregory Ellis, PhD, CNS

Since the classic experiments begun in the 1930's by Clive McCay at Cornell University, there has been an exponential increase in studies indicating that calorie restriction (CR) increases life span and decreases the rate of onset of disease processes. The procedural requirements are an avoidance of malnutrition and a significant reduction in calorie intake. Food restriction: 1) extends the length of life, 2) retards age-related physiological changes, and 3) delays or prevents age-related disease processes.

Explanations for the effect of CR reside within the tenets of the well-known Law of Hormesis which states that any substance has the paradoxical ability to kill in high doses and to be beneficial in low doses. I argue that rather than concentrating on an absolute reduction in food intake, people should, instead, create a relative reduction in calorie intake by increasing physical activity and not meeting the calorie output requirement by matching it with food intake. This method will clearly avoid malnutrition because nutrient intake is highly related to calorie intake.

Further, diet composition may play a powerful role in retarding or accelerating aging processes and blood sugar (glucose), derived from the ingestion of carbohydrates, may be a prime candidate in the aging process. Nonenzymatic reactions occur between glucose and tissue proteins, termed the glycation of proteins. Eventually, these reactions lead to the development of irreversible structural end-products which have detrimental biological effects such as inactivation of enzymes, inhibition of the binding of regulatory molecules, inappropriate linking of cross-proteins, and decreased proteolytic degradation of abnormal proteins. Glucose can interact with DNA which results in altered gene function.

In summary, CR is a hormetic process and acts as a low-level stressor to enhance protective and repair processes in the organism. In the Ellis Model of anti-aging avoidance induced by CR, the process can be further refined and strengthened by creating a relative calorie reduction rather than an absolute one and by reducing total carbohydrate intake to avoid glycation and its associated destructive effects.

Virgin Coconut Oil- World's Healthiest Oil

Reprinted from Coconut-info.com

Much research on the nutritional and medicinal benefits on coconut oil has surfaced in recent years. Much of that research has been done by Dr. Mary Enig. Dr. Enig has classified coconuts as a "functional food," which provides health benefits over and beyond the basic nutrients. She has specifically identified lauric acid as a key ingredient in coconut products:

"Approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid, which has the additional beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria including listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and protozoa such as giardia lamblia. Some studies have also shown some antimicrobial effects of the free lauric acid."

As a "functional food," coconut oil is now being recognized by the medical community as a powerful tool against immune diseases. Several studies have been done on its effectiveness, and much research is currently being done on the incredible nutritional value of pure coconut oil.

Coconut-info.com is dedicated to spreading the word about the world's healthiest oil. It is a source for excellent information, research and ordering Virgin Coconut Oil.

Jade's Sleep Concoction

by Loretta Garfield

2 Valerian (calming effect). By the way, it smells nasty, but it's worth it.
And you won't taste it after you swallow or have valerian breath.

300 to 800 mg of Kava Kava (muscle relaxer)--any more and you'll get a
sleepy hangover all the next day.

500 mg of Calcium. The body cannot absorb more than 500 mg at a time, so if
you take more, you're wasting it. Also don't get your evening calcium from
milk; it has sugar, which will give you a buzz. Some people also recommend
chocolate--I disagree; it has caffeine in it. Chamomile tea is a good option
because of its calming effect.

1/2 to 1 mg. of Melatonin. If you take more than that, it will have the
opposite effect and make you perky. Some people experience vivid dreams from
melatonin, but at least you're dreaming!

The above works for me, but others may need less or tweak it a little. As
with everything, do not do this everyday, or you'll develop a sensitivity
(food "allergy") to it. So, like two days on and one day off, or one week on
and one week off--what ever works.

Also, If you want something to eat that will make you sleepy, try turkey;
the tryptophan in it is what makes all those Thanksgiving diners heavy-eyed.

Loretta was an employee of GNC and an avid reader of anything health and fitness related.