August Archives

First off, Vegas was awesome. Unfortunately I can’t tell you what I did because we all know what Rule #1 of going to Vegas is (what’s done in Vegas, stays in Vegas). I will say that the buffet at The Bellagio is unreal and that my girlfriend won $800 using the slots (AKA: dinner was on her for the last three nights we were there).

Anyhoo: soy. Guess what people? It stinks (literally and figuratively), and why anyone would go out of their way to include more of it in their diet is beyond me.

In her book, “The Whole Soy Story,” Kaalya Daniels begins by stating: Soy is the phenomenon of the times, the “healthy alternative” to meat, the “non-allergenic” dairy, the “low cost” protein that will feed millions, the infant formula that is “better than breast milk,” the “wonder food” of the new age.

1. Unfortunately, soy is everywhere and it’s virtually impossible not to get some amount of it into your diet. Admittedly a little soy here and there isn’t that big of a deal. It’s when people go out of their way to include tofu, soy burgers, soy protein bars, soy milk, etc into their diets (thinking that that’s the healthy thing to do) that causes bad things to happen. Needless to say, soy can be found in everything from canned tuna fish to bread to infant formula.

Before the 1950’s there was a limited market for soy based products due to the fact that there wasn’t a huge market for highly processed foods in the first place. It wasn’t till there was massive soy oil “waste problem” that the industry started to market soy as a healthy alternative. As Daniels noted in her book, “the quickest way to gain product acceptability in the less affluent society is to have the product consumed on its own merit in a more affluent society. Thus began the campaign to sell soy products to the upscale consumer, not as a cheap poverty food, but as a miracle substance that would prevent heart disease and cancer, whisk away hot flashes, build strong bones and keep us young forever.” HOGWASH.

2. Many advocates of soy will state that soy has been a “staple” in Asian countries for centuries. A staple food is defined as a major part, element or feature, with the implication that a staple food contributes a large portion of calories to a diet.

Fact: the people of China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Mongolia, and Japan don’t eat that much soy. Many papers have noted that soy only makes up 1.5% of calories in the Chinese diet, compared with 65% of calories coming from pork. Additionally, the type of soy eaten by Asians is COMPLETELY different than what we Americans eat. Asians tend to eat small amounts of old-fashioned, little processed miso and/or tempeh. Not soy sausages, soy burgers, chicken-like soy patties, tofu cheesecake, soymilk, etc that we Americans eat. Big difference.

3. Proponents of soy will also claim that soy prevents certain types of cancer. While some studies show that soy (or its isoflavones) might help to prevent cancer, far more studies show it to be ineffective or inconsistent. And lets not forget that the vast majority of studies are done on rats (not people). Again….big difference.

4. If you’re a male and you’re stressing soy in your diet, say goodbye to your testosterone levels. Soy has been shown to DECREASE t-levels in men due to the high quantities of phyto-estrogens in soy and thus soy based products. This is also a great reason NOT to use soy based formulas with infants. Hormonally speaking, you’re really going to wreak havoc on a developing baby.

5. It should also be known that soy has been shown to DECREASE thyroid function in men and women.

6. And just because I want to kick a horse while it’s down, soy is also listed as one of the top 8 allergens. All soybeans contain antinutritional factors (known as antinutrients) and toxins.

Goitrogens: damage the thyroid (already mentioned above).

Lectins: cause red blood cells to clump together and may cause immune systems reactions

Oligosaccharides: are the pesky sugars that cause bloating and flatulence. Rule of thumb: if you’re on a first date, don’t eat soy.

Oxalates: prevent proper absorption of calcium and have been linked to kidney stones.

Phytates: impair absorption of minerals such as zinc, iron, and calcium

Isoflavones: are phytoestrogens that effect reproductive and nervous systems

Protease Inhibitors: interfere with the digestive enzymes protease and trypsin, which can lead to gastric distress and poor protein digestion.

I could go one and on, but I figured I made my point. Soy is NOT a miracle food and it’s NOT healthy for you, despite what many people will claim. I know I probably stepped on a few toes with this blog post, but it’s just something that I think needed to be said. I highly encourage you to check out Dr. Daniels book for more info.

Tony Gentilcore, CSCS, CPT

I am off to Vegas with the girlfriend this weekend. No we are not eloping, and no we are definitely NOT going to see Celine Dion while we’re there. Sadly this will be the first time on a plane for me (I’m 30) and I heard through the grapevine that they’re taking bets in Vegas on whether or not I wet myself on take off. Needless to say, I figured that since I am going to be gone for a week, I should write a quick blog post before I leave.

The Smith Machine (pictured below) is often touted as being “safer” than their power rack counterparts. To this I say….HOGWASH.

A friend of mine e-mailed me a few days ago saying that the company that he works for was thinking about purchasing a Smith Machine rather than a power rack for safety reasons. He wrote me and asked if I could write a bullet point rationale on why this is flawed thinking. Below is what I wrote, which is a mix of thoughts from my good friend Eric Cressey and myself.

The World’s Best Coat Rack

1. The Smith Machine offers less transfer to the real-world events than free weight exercises. The body isn’t meant to move in a fixed plane of motion. Rather, it’s meant to move in “free space” where the muscles must act in a synergistic fashion to stabilize the body. The Smith Machine is a sure fire way to promote what is called Pattern Overload Syndrome, where the same tendons/ligaments are stressed repeatedly (in a fixed plane)…..resulting in a plethora of postural issues and kinetic chain dysfunction, as well as tendonitis (acute inflammation of soft tissue) and tendonosis (chronic degeneration of soft tissue).

2. Depending on the movement, the shearing forces on the knees and lumbar spine are increased by the fixed line of motion. In short, the Smith Machine is atrocious for the lower back and knees. If anything it serves as a crutch that puts the body in a biomechanical disadvantage and more often than not, promotes injury rather than preventing it.

3. The lifter conforms to the machine, and not vice versa. Human motion is dependent on subtle adjustments to joint angle positioning; the body will always want to compensate in the most advantageous position possible. Fix the feet and fix the bar (which the Smith Machine forces), and the only ways to get this compensation are inappropriate knee tracking and, more dangerously, loss of the neutral spine position (a big no no). Watch most people squat in the smith machine and you will see rounded backs ALL the time. This is “safer”?????? Um no.

4. Smith machines are generally more expensive. I suspect that you could get a regular coat rack for about $2K cheaper – and it would take up less space. You could get two quality racks for the price of ONE Smith Machine.

So no, I have to disagree that you can do everything in a Smith Machine that you can in a power rack. If you want to promote horrible compensation patterns and a ton (literally) more stress on the knees and lumbar spine, then go right ahead…..the smith machine should be your choice.

Tony Gentilcore

Believe it or not, one of the first things I do with female clients of mine who come to me with back pain is to get them to stop wearing high heeled shoes all the time. I know there are many men out there cursing my name after having read that, but well…..so be it.

Would you rather look good or have better posture and no lower back pain? High heeled shoes place you into hyperextension, which not only increases stress on the lumbar spine (namely by promoting an anterior pelvic tilt), but also does a number on ankle mobility. And while I enjoy high heeled shoes as much as the next guy, in my opinion they’re just not worth it from spine health standpoint.

I’ve seen it time and time again. When female clients of mine stop wearing high heeled shoes everyday, their chronic lower back pain drastically decreases. Additionally, their kyphotic (rounded back) posture improves because the lumbar spine is no longer in excessive lordosis.

Additionally, in an article written by Yael Grauer, she states:

“According to a series of articles in the Washington Post, heels are even worse than I’d imagined. The long list of heel-related ailments include corns, callouses, bunions, stress fractures, joint pain in the ball of the foot, Morton’s neuroma, hammertoe, tight Achilles tendons and more. Heels cause instability and push the foot too far forward, which increases pressure on toes and joints, throws your natural alignment out of whack and can cause low back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee. Heels also increase the possibility of ankle sprains. The higher the heels, the higher the risk. The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine reports that a 3” heel creates seven times more stress than a 1” heel. Pointed-toe shoes can cause hammertoes and bunions. Open-backed shoes can inflame the tendon connecting the calf muscles to the heel.”

Furthermore, “Long term wear and tear (caused by high heels) will result in degenerative changes in the spine, such as foraminal narrowing, disc degeneration and lipping and spurring on the vertebral bodies. Continuing the narrowing of the foramen will result in pressure on the nerve roots,” he continued, “resulting in a myriad of problems ranging from the musculoskeletal to organ malfunction.”

So ladies, are high heels worth it?