I’m traveling this week, so just a short Coach’s Corner today. Here’s what we’re covering in today’s episode. I start off talking about my favorite superfoods and why I try to eat them every day. Then spend a few minutes answering the question of is it realistic to think you can get into the best shape of your life at 50 years of age. Below are the links to the resources we discussed in this episode:
Download Free Mini-Guides - www.silveredgefree.com
Energy Bits Algae – www.energybits.com – Use coupon code “silveredge” at checkout for 20% discount
Podcast Interview with Catharine Arnston (Energy Bits CEO) - www.silveredgefitness.com/episode59
Podcast Interview with Shelly Stettner - https://silveredgefitness.com/episode74/
Want to rewrite the narrative of your life and health? Visit the link below to see if our 1:1 coaching services are a perfect fit for your long term goals:
https://calendly.com/thesilveredge/coaching-inquiry
Want more over 50 health and wellness goodness? Check out our private Facebook group:
I’m traveling this week, so just a short Coach’s Corner today. Here’s what we’re covering in today’s episode. I start off talking about my favorite superfoods and why I try to eat them every day. Then spend a few minutes answering the question of is it realistic to think you can get into the best shape of your life at 50 years of age. Below are the links to the resources we discussed in this episode:
Download Free Mini-Guides - www.silveredgefree.com
Energy Bits Algae – www.energybits.com – Use coupon code “silveredge” at checkout for 20% discount
Podcast Interview with Catharine Arnston (Energy Bits CEO) - www.silveredgefitness.com/episode59
Podcast Interview with Shelly Stettner - https://silveredgefitness.com/episode74/
Want to rewrite the narrative of your life and health? Visit the link below to see if our 1:1 coaching services are a perfect fit for your long term goals:
https://calendly.com/thesilveredge/coaching-inquiry
Want more over 50 health and wellness goodness? Check out our private Facebook group:
Intro
Hello and welcome to the Over 50 Health & Wellness podcast. I’m your host Kevin English – I’m a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach and my mission to help you get into the best shape of your life – regardless of your age – so that you can show up in life as the healthiest, strongest, most vital version of yourself. I want to let you know that if you enjoy this podcast, I have additional free resources over at www.silveredgefree.com. There you’ll find my mini guides on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle. So feel free to head over there, scroll through the guides, and download anything that looks helpful to you. Today we have another edition of the Coaches Corner – so no guest today – it’s just me, and we’ll be back next week with our regular interview format.
I’m doing things a little bit differently today – I’m actually travelling for a dog show this week, so I’m in my Air B&B instead of my usual office setup, so hopefully my audio quality is ok. Here’s what we’re covering in today’s episode. I start off talking about my favorite four superfoods and why try and incorporate them into my diet every day, and then I pose the question – is it realistic to think you can be in the best shape of your life after the age of 50? So without further ado, let’s get on with todays show!
My Favorite Superfoods
What do you think of when you hear the word superfood? When I Google superfoods – after I get past the supplement ads – I get foods like berries, dark leafy greens, broccoli, eggs, salmon, oats, cottage cheese, green tea, beans, nuts and seeds, kefir, yogurt, and garlic. But today I want to talk about a few of my personal favorite superfoods. Number one on this list is definitely algae – specifically spirulina and chlorella. Collectively these two algaes are the most nutrient dense substances on the planet. They each contain 40 vitamins and minerals, and according to NASA studies, 1 gram of algae contains the equivalent nutrition of 1,000 grams of fruits and vegetables.
Now I’ve made no secret about the fact that I’m just not a huge vegetable fan. As a certified nutrition coach, I understand how critical it is to get a wide variety of healthy veggies into my body every day, and I do try. But to me algae is my hedge against missing my vegetable target. In other words, I eat algae in addition to my veggies, not in place of. But another consideration is the state of modern farming. When we go to the grocery store and pick up our organic spinach, broccoli and carrots, these foods are far removed from their original ancestor plants. They are likely farmed far away from where you live (perhaps even in another country) on a huge industrial farm. This is a practice known as mono-cropping, and the result is these foods are grown in nutrient depleted soils (hence the requirement of heavy fertilization). And poor soil nutrients results in poor nutrients in our vegetables.
In addition, these large agri-businesses over time have selectively bred these vegetables for two main characteristics – shelf stability and sweetness. If you think about a farmer growing a hundred acres of spinach, it’s in his best interest to grow a hardy crop that will survive a couple of days of transportation, a few days of warehousing, and then a week of shelf life in your grocery store. Additionally, our tastes have changed and farmers are selectively breeding vegetables for sweeter tastes. For example, the original spinach plant can be traced back to ancient Persia, and would have had a much more bitter flavor. Unfortunately, industrial farmers aren’t selectively breeding plants for their nutrient density, but rather for sweetness and longevity. So your best bet is to A) grown your own vegetables, or B) buy your produce locally at farmers markets.
OK, so back to algae. Algae is industrially grown – primarily in Asia where it’s one of their largest crops – but it’s grown in fresh water. Before we go any further, you should know that there are huge differences in the quality and pureness od spirulina and chlorella. Most of the spirulina and chlorella you see in the supplement aisle of your local health food store is produced in China and heat dried and is of poor quality, and may or may not have been rigorously tested for impurities. More about that in a minute, but let’s start with Spirulina.
Spirulina is one of the oldest life forms on the planet, first appearing over four billion years ago! And the significance of this is that spirulina is thought to be the first life form that converted sunlight into energy via photosynthesis, with the byproduct being oxygen. And today scientists believe that algae and other phytoplankton are responsible for 80% of the earth’s atmospheric oxygen.
OK, that little science lesson is all well and good, but why should you regularly eat spirulina? As mentioned earlier, the number one reason is the incredible nutrient density. But spirulina has other benefits, the main one being that spirulina increases athletic performance by reducing muscle fatigue and postponing the point of exhaustion. I find that regularly eating spirulina also helps boost my focus during grueling workouts. Regularly consuming spirulina is associated with an increase in fat loss. One study showed that taking a 6-gram dose of spirulina prior to moderate cardio decreased oxidative damage, decreased glucose oxidation, and increased the amount of fat being burned for fuel. And there have been quite a few other studies that show that spirulina reduces obesity biomarkers. And finally, spirulina may also help improve memory by preventing oxidative damage in the brain.
So chlorella and spirulina are often lumped together when discussing the health benefits of algae, but they are in fact quite different. While spirulina is particularly good for energy because it has no cell wall. It takes very little time to digest, making it an instant source of vitamins and protein. Chlorella, on the other hand, has one of the strongest cell walls in the plant kingdom. It digests very slowly, allowing its high chlorophyll content to detoxify your body. So where spirulina assists with activity and energy, chlorella assists with detoxification and recovery. There are a ton of studies proving chlorella’s ability to remove toxins – primarily through a process called chelation – and can assist with recovery from intense exercise by helping to remove lactic acid from our tissues. Chlorella also simulates immune function – and we could all use some of that right now – as well as lowers cholesterol and improves blood pressure.
So given the unique health properties of both of these algae, I typically take spirulina every morning and chlorella every evening before bed. And how much I take really depends on what’s going on. For general health and nutrition support, I eat about 1.5 grams of each. If I have an hard workout coming up that day I’ll bump up my spirulina to about 7 or 8 grams, and for very intense workouts, say a competition with an all-out max effort, I might bump my spirulina up to 12-14 grams. Similarly with chlorella, if I’m recovering from a hard workout – or if I’ve had a few alcoholic drinks – I’ll up my dose to 7-8 grams, and if I’m really sore or sick, I’ll bump my chlorella all the way up to 15 grams.
Now here’s a pro tip – if your new to eating algae, start slow! I’ve been eating algae for a little less than a year now, and when I first started I charged in at a max dose. Let’s just suffice it to say that that was unwise of me, as my body seemed to be uncertain of what to do with all of these new found vitamins and minerals. But if you’re interested in learning more about the history and health benefits of spirulina and chlorella, I interviewed Catharine Arnston a while back on this podcast. Catharine is the CEO and Chief Science Officer of Energy Bits, and they are the brand that I use – they are simply the highest quality algae in the market. If you’re interested in learning more you can check them out at www.energybits.com, and you can use the coupon code silveredge – that’s silveredge no spaces – at check out for a 20% savings. And I’ll drop the links to their website as well as the podcast interview in the show notes which you can find at www.silveredgefitness.com/episode86.
OK, I didn’t really mean to rambles on that long about algae, but it really does top my list of superfoods. Next up has to be mushrooms. Mushrooms come in all colors, shapes and sizes and run the culinary range from delicious to deadly. The mushrooms you commonly find in the grocery store – button, shiitake, portobello, and oyster – are high in antioxidants, a great source of fiber, B-vitamins , and minerals such as selenium, copper and potassium.
But if you really want to get the superfood power from fungi, you’ll want to be adventurous and track down some of the off the beaten path varieties. Mushrooms such as Lions Mane, Reishi, Chantrelle, and Chaga all have incredible nutrient density. And the best part about mushrooms is that they are fairly easy to grow yourself – there are even simple kits that come with every thing you need to get started. Another option is to hunt some of these rarer fungi in your local health food store. Many of these varieties are available on places like Amazon, but I really like Etsy for hard-to-find mushrooms. It seems an unlikely place, but many of these vendors wild harvest the mushrooms themselves – and when you buy from somewhere like Amazon, it’s really difficult to determine the source of quality.
But the absolute best way to obtain mushrooms is to go out into the woods and pick them yourself. Now a word of caution, you’ll want an experienced guide as you get started, as there are certain mushrooms that are downright deadly. But there are mushroom foraging groupls popping up all over the place. Try a Google search for your area to see if you can find one off these groups close to you.
And speaking of foraging, that brings me to my next favorite superfood, and that’s wild forged plants. Similar to mushrooms, edible plant foraging groups are becoming quite popular, and there is a good chance there may be a group near you. As I mentioned above when talking about our produce basically being factory farmed and becoming sweeter and less nutrient dense, wild foods are the exact opposite. Most edible greens are extremely nutrient dense, and most are quite bitter – but not necessarily in a bad way. It’s just that we’ve become so accustomed to our domestic vegetables becoming so sweet over time. Ans as an added bonus, when we forage for our plants and mushrooms, we’re out in nature and moving our bodies as intended.
And speaking of being out in nature and moving our bodies as intended, my last - but certainly not least – favorite superfood is wild fish and game. I could go on and on about the virtues of hunting and fishing for our protein, but for the purposes of this podcast I’ll simply say that hands down the highest quality meat you can put into your body is wild fish and game. So if you’re a hunter or a fisher, you most likely already understand this. If you not, you might want to at least consider harvesting your own meat. For most people the easiest point of entry is fishing. If you live near any body of water, there are likely edible fish, mollusks, eels, and other tasty critters swimming around – you just need to figure out how to capture and prepare them. If you live near the beach then you have even more options – in addition to fishing you can collect clams, oysters, mussels, and crabs.
The next step up is hunting – and this can range from small mammals and birds to large game. Now if the thought of killing your protein makes you a bit squeamish, consider this – for most of human history we killed and prepared our own meat. It’s only recently that we’ve outsourced this task – and the unfortunate consequence is the rise of factory farming – which is nothing short of horrendous and despicable. If you still decide that fishing and hunting are not for you – perhaps you can befriend a hunter. But if you have to buy meat, try your best to buy local meat from small farms. I’m lucky enough to live at the beach and am passionate about fishing. But there are some great local seafood markets where I can walk in and ask what came in that day. I’m also a big fan of services like Butcher Box – I’ve used them for the last two years and I love them. Each month they deliver 100% grass fed and finished meats from small independently owned farms right to my doorstep.
OK, so there you have it. My favorite four superfoods are algae – specifically spirulina and chlorella, mushrooms, wild foraged plants, and wild fish and game. That’s not to say you shouldn’t eat berries, kale and avocados – you certainly should – but consider these options if you’re looking to up level your nutrition game.
Can You Really Be in The Best Shape of Your Life Over 50?
If you’ve listened to this podcast long enough, you’ve probably heard me say my mission is to help you get into the best shape of your life. In fact, I said exactly that in the intro of this show. But, how realistic is that? Isn’t that just hyperbole? I mean, you can’t really get into the best shape of your life if you’re over 50 – can you? Well, that depends. Certainly, if you were a collegiate athlete, you’re probably not going to have more athletic prowess at 60 than you did in your 20s. But for the vast majority of us who never really set the fitness bar high in our younger years, the resounding answer is absolutely yes you can get into the best shape of your life in your fifties, sixties, or even seventies. I’m 57 and 100% I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been. My body composition is the best it’s ever been. My mobility – that is my strength and control through full ranges of motion – is better than it’s ever been. My work capacity is better than it’s ever been. I’m quantifiably healthier than I’ve ever been. And all of these qualities flow over into other areas of my life. I’m a more capable human, I’m more confident, I have more energy, I honestly feel like I’m more alive now than ever.
But here’s the thing. By starting this podcast I’ve had the honor and privilege of speaking with many others who have experienced the exact same thing. If you haven’t already done so, go back and listen to the episode I did with Shelly Stettner (https://silveredgefitness.com/episode74/), she’s 70 years old and not only as strong as she’s ever been in her life, but she is shattering powerlifting world records. And she considered herself a “frail old lady” in her mid-sixties, and didn’t pick up a barbell until her late sixties. Stories like these are real world examples of it’s never too late and you’re never too old to start.
So if you’re someone who’s been fit their entire life, hats off to you and my encouragement to you is to spread your knowledge and passion with others who have not been so active. But if you’re like me – someone who’s been off and on active throughout their life – or someone like Shelly who really wasn’t active at all, my challenge to you is this: be bold enough to believe that you can in fact get into the best shape of your life. It all starts with that affirmation, that shift in mindset, that willingness to transform your life. And if you’re hearing this and you’re thinking yeah, maybe I could do that, but you don’t know where to start, hit me up, I’d love to start a conversation with you. You can reach me via email at coach@silveredgefitnes.com.
Outro
OK, that’s our show for today folks – I’ll put links to everything we talked about in the show notes and you can find that over at www.silveredgefitness.com/episode86, and don’t forget to check out www.silveredgefree.com for more great free resources on how to live you healthiest, strongest life after 50. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you. You can always leave a comment on this episode page, or feel free to email me with any comments or questions from today’s show. Send emails to coach@silveredgefitness.com. I want to thank you so much for spending your time with me today. I’ll be back next week with my regular interview format. That’s it for today, so until next time, stay strong!