Reader Mail Bag #1

I think it is high time to introduce a new series of articles to the site.

*cue drumroll please*

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The Reader Mail Bag!

That whole lead-up, drumroll, dramatic pause thing really doesn’t work when you write it out does it? Oh well, let us not allow that fizzled intro to detract from the point of this post; answering some reader mail!

Today we have two great questions from some loyal readers, so let’s see what they want to know and if I have any advice for them.

“So, some girl friends of mine at work are all talking about eating healthier and being more active. We are each making small adjustments in our lifestyles. One of the topics we were debating on were supplements, is there a need to take supplements? If so which kinds? With all of the fads going on…I think the latest I heard was raspberry ketone???…is it something I should look into?

I love reading your articles, I find them very helpful and have recommended your page to my friends.” – Tammy

Thanks so much for the feedback Tammy! I’m both glad that you are trying to get healthier and that you are finding the advice here helpful!

Just like I tell people that they can’t overcome a poor diet by exercising (You can’t outrun your fork!) I also say that you can’t supplement yourself out of a bad diet either. Supplements have their place, don’t get me wrong, but that place is when you have already put in Herculean efforts at the gym and have your diet down to an exact science. They are there to help you squeeze that last 3% of potential out of your system! For average Joes like you and me they aren’t really doing anything but helping your wallet lose weight. Just like fad diets, supplements are big business! They promise tremendous results with minimal effort, preying on that lazy side of us that wishes we could look and feel great without eating right or exercising. The reality is that they are selling nothing but a dream though…

You brought up the biggest offender in your email though, so I want to address this one specifically! Raspberry Ketone. In a nutshell, this is pure snake oil. This nonsense came into popularity when endorsed by celebrity “physician” Dr. Oz (and I purposely put physician in quotes; once you sell your medical credibility for fat endorsement checks you stop being a real doctor in my opinion) and has become the Juggernaut of the recent supplement craze; seemingly unstoppable. So what is this supposed magical substance?

Raspberry ketone is the chemical that gives raspberries their smell. That’s all. It’s used as a perfume in cosmetics, and has been studied as a potential skin bleaching agent.

There has been some success in experiments on rats that there is some anti-obesity potential, HOWEVER raspberry ketones have NOT been studied in humans in proper clinical trials, and there is therefore no scientific study or evidence to support the safety or benefit of using raspberry ketones in humans.  From a safety perspective, much like many other fad supplements, it has been observed that raspberry ketone has a stimulant effect and there have been reports of people taking them experiencing heart palpitations as a result. From a benefit perspective, there is no study to show the effect on body weight. It is important to remember that when the pharmaceutical industry tries to develop a drug to treat obesity, it goes through very rigorous clinical trials that start with data collection, followed by animal studies, then human studies, then big clinical trials.  This all happens before a medication can hit the shelves! These are the steps that have been deemed to be important for our health and safety so that we have a good understanding of the benefits and risks of medications before we start prescribing them. Unfortunately herbal remedies and supplements have little to no study behind them before they end up on shelves! In the case of raspberry ketone, we have no idea if it results in weight loss in humans, and even worse, we don’t understand any potential side effects or dangers of taking it. All we know is that it is a drain on the wallet.

Instead of buying supplements, I would take that money you planned on spending and buying higher quality foods and maybe some exercise equipment. The benefits are definitely greater and, more importantly, the science is there to support the theory that eating clean and healthy + regular exercise = a fit and healthy body!

“After a muscle treatment my therapist said some of my muscles were hypertonic. What is the difference between a tight muscle and a hypertonic muscle?” – Christi

I am going to preface this by saying I am not a doctor; my understanding of hypertonicity in muscles is only cursory at best! In order to explain the difference we have to define each of the terms first, as they are often (and I believe incorrectly) used interchangeably.

Tight Muscles: To put it simply, a “tight muscle” is one that is shortened relative to other connected muscle groups. The cause of tight muscles can be varied, and can range from improper weight lifting form to something as simple as poor posture.  For example, a person who continuously forgoes the necessary post weight-lifting stretch and does not force themselves to use full range of motion when bench pressing or doing something like dips will eventually find that they feel “tightness” in their chest and the fronts of their shoulders; the same can be said for someone who sits at a desk all day, hunched forward with their shoulders rolled while typing on a keyboard all day, neglecting their posture. Two completely different situations both resulting in the same condition; muscle tightness.

Hypertonic Muscles: In this case, the term “tone” refers to the amount of neurological input the muscle receives. So hypertonicity refers to the neurological system sending too many signals to the muscle therefore bringing about the unnatural tightness/shortening of the muscle; conversely hypotonic means too little signals resulting in a “flacid” muscle (if you have ever had surgery, this is the phenomena that causes it to be difficult to flex the muscles that were traumatized by the procedure shortly after) . The causes can be wide and varied (although rare), spanning the spectrum from spinal/muscular injuries to fibromyalgia to any number of neurological disorders.

So what is the difference and how do you deal with these problems?!?

Well, the first and foremost is that muscle tightness is easily addressed by adjusting whatever it is that you are doing to promote the unnatural shortening of your tight muscle and by stretching; either on your own or through an activity like yoga. Hypertonic muscles aren’t as easily addressed. Generally speaking if you are experiencing issues with hypertonicity physical therapy should be your first stop, as the corresponding hypotonic muscle (the antagonist muscle that is being lazy because the hypertonic one is working overtime) is going to need rebuilding along with the exercises used to bring the hypertonic muscle back into line. Should physical therapy not garner the results you are looking for they will refer you for more focused treatment.

Well that wraps up this edition of the Reader Mail Bag; hopefully this answers your questions! Thanks so much for reaching out, and I hope this helps you on your journey to getting in Jerd shape! Please feel free to leave any questions you would like answered in the comments below or shoot me an email and I promise to get back to you directly or by featuring your request in a future mail bag. I want you to get involved! Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter and be sure to Sign up for our free newsletter! (No spam, I promise!)