Not So Sweet: Cortisol and the Problem with Sugar

by Nina

Strawberry Donut by Natalie Gazul

Cookies, brownies, ice cream, candy bars, donuts, etc.—have you ever found yourself turning to sugar when you’re stressed out? It turns out there’s a good reason for this. Well, maybe not a good reason. But at least a very compelling reason. A recent study Excessive Sugar Consumption May Be a Difficult Habit to Break: A View From the Brain and Body in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology showed that eating sugar actually reduces your cortisol levels (cortisol is one of the stress hormones—see Cortisol and Good Health for information).

The study was done at the University of California, Davis, Clinical and Translational Science Center’s Clinical Research Center and the University of California, Davis, Medical Center Imaging Research Center. The researchers tested 19 women (age range 18–40 y) with a body mass index (range 20–34 kg/m2). They had 11 of the test subjects drink a beverage containing 24 percent sucrose (table sugar) three times a day for two weeks. The control group of 8 drank identical beverages sweetened with aspartame, an artificial sweetener, on the same schedule. 

Before and after the experiment, the researchers measured the subject’s saliva cortisol levels and performed functional M.R.I. scans while they took arithmetic tests designed to be just beyond their abilities (a procedure “known to increase cortisol levels”). The researchers found no differences in the test results between the two groups before the two-week diet. But after the two-week diet, cortisol levels were lower in the sugar group and higher in the aspartame group. In addition, the M.R.I. scans showed increased activity in the areas of the brain controlling fear and stress in the sugar group, while the aspartame group showed decreased activity in those areas.

So eating sugar really does reduce your stress levels! No wonder some of us crave it. The problem is—well, I’m sure you guessed there is a problem here—that not only does sugar over-consumption cause obesity and related health problems, but as the study concluded:

"These experimental findings support a metabolic-brain-negative feedback pathway that is affected by sugar and may make some people under stress more hooked on sugar and possibly more vulnerable to obesity and its related conditions. Rodent studies suggest that sugar consumption may activate a glucocorticoid-metabolic-brain-negative feedback pathway, which may turn off the stress response and thereby reinforce habitual sugar overconsumption." 

So sugar’s ability to lower cortisol levels is one of the things that makes it so addictive, and that addiction leads to even more sugar consumption and then to health problems that result from the addiction. 

As Baxter wrote in Cortisol and Good Health, high cortisol levels on a regular basis aren’t a good thing. This can cause increased risk of stomach ulcers, increased risk of hypertension, heart disease and other vascular disorders, excess sugar in the blood stream, and more chance of developing diabetes. But eating sugar to lower cortisol levels isn’t—so sad—a good solution. So is there a better way to lower your cortisol levels? Why, yes, so glad you asked! It’s called yoga for stress management. Any form of conscious relaxation that switches you from Stress mode to Relaxation mode—and this includes meditation, breath awareness, supported inverted poses, restorative yoga, Savasana with a mental focus, and guided relaxation—will also reduce your cortisol levels. (See Stress, Your Health and Yoga and The Relaxation Response and Yoga.) 

And if you become addicted to yoga? Well, that’s actually a good thing. Practicing yoga for stress management on a regular basis will have a long-term benefit of re-patterning your nervous system so your overall stress levels are lower and you react less intensely to life's stressors. I will be writing more about this in the near future. 

In the meantime, see these related articles:

Yoga, Stress, and Weight Management 

Stress Eating and the Healthy Eating Meditation Practice

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The Cellular Benefits of Meditation and Relaxation

by Ram

The Heart of a Tulip by Melina Meza

Articles on our blog by Baxter (Thoughts on Dyana), Timothy (Starting a Meditation Practice) Brad (Stress Mind, Stressed Cells), Nina (Meditation and Compassion) and yours truly (Achieving Stillness in Turbulent Situations; Memory Loss: Meditation to the Rescue), among others, have all provided lucid explanations of how to meditate and of the benefits of meditation on body and mind, along with empirical evidence of these benefits. Undoubtedly, meditation has been shown to: reduce fear, worry, anxiety, anger, and rage, reduce chronic pain, increase cognitive function, lower blood pressure, alleviate post-traumatic stress syndrome and slow down cellular aging. 

Meditation is one of several ways to trigger the Relaxation Response. Other ways that yoga provides include: breath awareness, supported inverted poses, restorative yoga poses, Savasana (with a focus for the mind), and guided relaxation, such as yoga nidra. See The Relaxation Response and Yoga and Conscious Relaxation vs. Sleep for more information on the Relaxation Response and how to trigger it.

Now, in a new collaborative study Relaxation response induces temporal transcriptome changes in energy metabolism, insulin secretion and inflammatory pathways., a group of researchers reports that meditation and other forms of relaxation trigger very important genetic, molecular, and physiological changes in the human body. Specifically, the study shows that meditation enhanced the expression of genes associated with energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin secretion, and telomere maintenance (all of which are beneficial to the individual), and reduced the expression of genes associated with inflammation and stress-related pathways. (For information on inflammation see Chronic Inflammation and Yoga.)

Unlike previous studies, the latest study measured physiological changes in greater detail using techniques like neuro-imaging and genomics technology. Furthermore, the study featured both a prospective and cross-sectional component. The prospective aspect of the study featured 26 healthy subjects who were novices in the meditation and relaxation aspects (the researchers used the term N1 to denote this group). The novice group underwent weekly sessions of Relaxation Response-eliciting training for eight weeks (RR-N2) that included diaphragmatic breathing, body scan, mantra repetition, and mindfulness meditation. Additionally, a 20-minute audio CD with similar guided instructions was given to all the participants to listen to at home once a day. Thus, the trained novices (N2) served as their own untrained controls (N1). The cross-sectional arm of the study featured 26 healthy subjects who had several years of meditation and relaxation practice (M). This group was compared with the novices either before or after their training. Blood samples were collected from all the individuals at various study intervals for measurement of various parameters and for measuring gene expression changes. 

The conclusions from the study were: 

1. Both trained novices (N2) and long-term practitioners (M) showed significant temporal gene expression changes (changes that are time dependent) compared to novices (N1). Comparison between groups showed that long-term practitioners exhibit more pronounced transcriptional changes compared to short-term practitioners. Most of these genes are significantly linked to immune response and cell degeneration.
2. While some genes were modified only in long-term practitioners, there was another class of genes that were modified in both the trained short-term individuals and long-term practitioners, with a greater intensity in the latter group. 
3. Rapid changes in certain beneficial genes that provide health benefits and alleviate the stress response were induced in long-term and short-term-trained practitioners. 
4. Gene sets that were down regulated (suppressed) in both long-term and short-term-trained practitioners, though most notably in the long-term individuals, were those that were involved in inflammatory response, cellular stress, and cell death pathways. This may explain the clinical and health benefits of meditation-relaxation through dampening inflammation and stress reduction.
5. Long-term Relaxation Response practice was also associated with genomic stability and telomere length, that is, these participants had longer telomeres, an indicator of longer cell life and, by extension, longer overall lifespan (see Aging, Telomeres and Yoga).
6. The data from long-term practitioners and short-term trained practitioners suggest that meditation-relaxation practice promotes health benefits by affecting several cellular pathways simultaneously that ultimately modulate the immune and stress responses that counter stress-induced gene changes.

Chronic stress together with inflammation exacerbates everything from hypertension and infertility to depression and even accelerates the aging process. These conditions account for 60 to 90 percent of doctor’s visits in the U.S., and the World Health Organization estimates stress costs U.S. companies at least $300 billion a year. The health benefits from meditation-relaxation techniques are so strong that researchers are swearing by it and more doctors are recommending the practice to their patients to combat a myriad of modern ailments. Additionally, these lifestyle practices are easy to follow with hardly any noticeable side effects and are much better than most pharmaceutical-based treatment plans. 

I know if I have to choose between anti-stress/anti-inflammatory drugs or meditation-relaxation practices to curb stress and inflammation, I would choose the latter. How about you? 

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Yoga for Pain Management

by Baxter

Just today, I met with one of my students for a private yoga session to address her continued experience of chronic pain. For this student, a combination of age-related changes to her spine and musculoskeletal system, as well as ongoing side effects from past chemotherapy, have conspired to result in chronic low back, hip, and leg pain. Her experience of chronic pain is complex and fluctuating, and for the past few weeks has been worse than normal. Fortunately for her, she has already established a combination of practices (some of which are listed later) that have served her well in the recent past and, with some appropriate modifications and additions, will likely help her with this and future periods of fluctuating pain.

We have written a bit about using yoga to address chronic pain in the past, so I will share some of the relevant info we have already covered as well as some new additional information to consider today. In our post Interview with Shari and Bonnie on Yoga for Chronic Pain, some essential ideas about chronic pain were clearly presented. Bonnie said:

“Pain itself is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. It is also the way the brain interprets this information that contributes to the experience as well. Acute pain is of short duration as a result of injury, surgery, or illness. Chronic pain is an ongoing condition persisting longer than six months. Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., author of Yoga for Pain Relief, defines acute pain as a response to some kind of injury or illness. It begins with a real threat to the body and leads to a reasonable protective response. Chronic pain differs in three ways: 1) The body can become more sensitive to the threat of possible pain symptoms leading to feelings of fear and anxiety, 2) The brain can become more likely to interpret situations as threatening, and sensations as painful (eliciting a pain response), and 3) In chronic pain with the experience of repeated reactions to pain, the ability to differentiate the many aspects of the pain response (sensations, suffering, and stress) get blurred.”

Here at YFHA, we have addressed many conditions that can result in the development of chronic pain, such as arthritis, migraine headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, low back issues, and others. And of course, we have shared practices that can lead to a decrease in overall pain and improvement in function.

One of the reasons chronic pain is so challenging is that it goes beyond just a physiological presence of pain, and begins to affect the mind-body connection, often resulting in new issues to contend with, such as the fear of worsening or triggering pain, and the anxiety around the persistence or re-emergence of pain. And the presence of chronic pain starts to affect other parts of our daily function, too, as Sheri Ser, our in-house physical therapist pointed out that some of the physiological changes that pain causes include:

• Breathing changes (the breath is more shallow and shaky) 
• Muscle tension changes because the body is in a constant state of “alert” 
• How we move changes dramatically as we try to protect the area of pain—sometimes people will stop all movement that they deem extraneous while others will grit and bear it only stopping when the pain is so intense that they can’t continue. 
• Body image (how we view ourselves) changes 
• Thinking patterns change: we are less optimistic and our emotions may be more changeable 

Despite the seemingly unchanging nature of chronic pain for those who suffer with it, yoga is actually quite beneficial in both decreasing the pain and in changing our relationship and response to pain. Yoga helps in the following ways:

1. Mild to moderate exercise actually decreases physical pain. Yoga qualifies!
2. The increased flow of oxygen to the brain and muscle tissues in yoga improves your energy levels and sense of wellbeing. 
3. Combining breath awareness with the physical movements of a yoga practice helps release muscle tension held in your body. 
4. For people with certain conditions, such as arthritis, moving your joints through their range of motion and stretching your muscles can decrease the intensity of your pain or relieve your pain completely. 
5. Practicing yoga on a regular basis may affect your response to pain, decreasing your level of perceived suffering.
6. Although chronic pain can worsen our ability to handle other stresses in our lives, regular yoga practice can improve stress management and can have a feedback effect on improving chronic pain. 

Additionally, in her book Yoga for Pain Relief, Kelly McGonigal points out to chronic pain sufferers that, “Yoga can teach you how to focus your mind to change your experience of physical pain. It can teach you how to transform feelings of sadness, frustration, fear and anger. It can teach you how to listen to your body and take care of your needs so that you can participate in the activities that matter to you. It can give you back the sense of safety, control, and courage that you need to move past your experience of chronic pain.”

The yoga tools that lead to these profound changes are those we discussed in many past posts, including breath work, asana, conscious relaxation, and meditation. Here are the main tools I recommend:

Breath Work: You can practice any breath practice you find helpful, from simple breath awareness, to more complex pranayama, such as, alternate nostril breathing.

Yoga Asana: When using asana, always start out with a gentle practice. Start with simple movements to improve breathing, such as Cat-Cow pose , seated or standing side-bends, and arm range-of-motion actions (see Standing Shoulder Stretches). Then, add in more active asana, such as Mountain pose (Tadasana) to Arms Overhead pose (Urdva Hastasana), either dynamic or static, Warrior 1 and 2 poses (Virabradrasana 1 and 2) done similarly, Locust pose (Salabasana), Downward-Facing Dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) and many more. You can also practice restorative postures (see Restorative Yoga: An Introduction), such as Easy Inverted pose, Legs up the Wall pose (Viparita Karani), and Supported Childs pose (Balasana), to name just a few.

Focused Relaxation: Many forms of focused relaxed are helpful, from simple Savasana (Relaxation pose) to restorative poses and supported Savasana (see Savasana Variations). Conscious relaxation techniques include simple breath awareness, body scans and many other forms of guided relaxation, including the rotation of consciousness portion of Yoga Nidra. 

Meditation Practices: You can practice any form of meditation, from simple breath awareness techniques to practices that cultivate feeling of kindness towards your self. Kelly McGonigal has a nice section on this in her book, for those that want more types of meditation to practice.

I also recommend the following two resources: 

Recovery Yoga by Sam Dworkis
Yoga for Pain Relief by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. 

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Guided Meditations: New Feature on the Blog

by Nina

Today I just wanted to let you know that I've just added a new page to the blog, which contains Jill Satterfield's guided meditations. We're excited that she'll be recording some new ones. She'll be coming by the Yoga for Healthy Aging studio tomorrow so you can look forward to seeing some new ones in the weeks to come.

For now, check out the new page here: Guided Meditations.

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Balance Pose of the Week: Half Octopus Pose

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Best Protein Foods

What are Proteins?

Before we look into what are the best protein foods, let’s first take a look at exactly what are proteins. Every cell in the body contains protein and protein is critical for those cells to grow. Equally important it that protein is needed to repair tissue damage which can be sustained during a heavy workout at the gym. Approximately 20% of your entire body weight is made up of proteins.

All proteins are made of amino acids. There are 20 amino acids that make up a protein and depending on the combination of the 20 amino acids and they sequence they follow, the protein will carry out different functions in the body.

There are 2 types of amino acids, essential and non-essential. Non-essential amino acids can be produced by the body, however essential amino acids need to be provided to the body via food. As muscles are made of protein, you need to ensure that you are providing enough of the right protein foods for growing and strengthening muscles. So let’s take a look at some of the best foods to provide protein.

What are the Best Protein Foods

Chicken

Chicken is widely considered one of the best protein foods. This is because it not only carries a high percentage of protein but less saturated fat, than say red meat. Chicken, unlike red meat can be eaten every day but always ensure to use skinless chicken as the skin will carry extra fat.

Fish

Fish is a great source of protein and has very little fat and no carbohydrates. It is also one of the best protein foods. The most popular fish to consume is Tuna as it is cheap, easy to prepare and also has good taste. The best fish for protein are probably sardines and salmon however they are high in mercury so it is suggested to eat only 1-2 times per week. Fish is in general very good for your overall health as well as muscle building.

Beef

Beef is a very good source of protein containing approx 25g of protein. Be careful not to confuse this with sausages and burgers which tend to have a lot of fat and salt which is not good for your high protein diet. Always try and find lean cuts of beef to ensure you are getting the right amino acids to build lean muscle.

Eggs

Eggs are one of the top sources of protein and one of the best protein foods. You want to try and only use the egg whites as they contain all the good protein, whereas the yolks carry a lot of cholesterol. Egg whites don’t exactly taste great on their own but it is worth it to eat them without the yolks

Cottage Cheese

Try and stick to cottage cheese vrs other types of cheese as they are probably high in fat. Look for cottage cheese made from skimmed milk for the full effect of protein intake.

Nuts

If you are looking for something to snack on during the day in between meals then nuts are the best source of protein. Peanuts and almonds are probably the best but be careful of high salt when buying peanuts.

Whey protein

Saving the best for last! Whey protein is the best source of protein and considered the very best protein foods . The body uses it very fast and so it can be taken before, after or during a workout. Whey contains very high levels of protein and has the highest biological value (BV).

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Creatine Benefits

So what exactly are the creatine benefits and the creatine dangers? Well, before we get into those questions, let’s first ask ourselves ‘what is creatine?’ You always want to know what you are taking first.

Creatine is a compound that provides energy to the muscle cells in the body. The human body actually produces creatine however most people have a deficiency. Creatine is produced in the liver from 3 amino acids called methionine, glycine and arginine. 95% of creatine is found in the skeletal muscles.

Creatine Benefits

So if the body produces creatine, what are the benefits of taking creatine in your bodybuilding program? There is not much medical evidence out there to support the true effects of taking creatine or whether or not it is safe in the long term, however there are certainly creatine benefits. If you are looking to increase muscle mass then creatine is going to help you regardless of where you are in your training. Most people are deficient in creatine production and so additional creatine intake will help you work out longer and harder – that’s the bottom line of it.

Additional creatine benefits relate to enhancing athletic performance. Some athletes take creatine to help with short bursts of energy while in training. Specifically used in high-intensity activities, creatine can help provide an additional energy source.

Recommendation: Apparently taking creatine powder with fruit juice helps the effect of the creatine. The sugar assists in building the creatine uptake to the muscles.

As studies continue on the effects of creatine on the body it has been found that creatine benefits last for short periods of time before tailing off. That being said, creatine should be taken for a few weeks and then discontinued for a few weeks before starting again.

Creatine Dangers

I wouldn’t want to write an article on creatine without talking briefly about some of the possible creatine dangers. Again there is not enough medial evidence to support or deny claims on creatine dangers. There are possible creatine dangers related to:

• Muscle cramps – the most common ( you should stop taking creatine if you are suffering from cramps)
• Loss of appetite
• Dizziness
• Diarrhea

Creatine should be treated like anything else – take in the right doses. If you exceed the dosage of creatine intake then you may cause damage to your liver. To avoid any creatine dangers, take as recommended.

Summary

There is no evidence to suggest that creatine is unsafe. There are millions of people taking it daily with no negative effects.  I have seen nothing but positive results from creatine intake; however I am not at liberty to provide advice on the medical side of things, so I recommend talking with your doctor to be safe.

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How to Motivate Yourself to Workout

It’s too hot, it’s too cold, it’s too early, it’s too late, it’s too close to lunchtime…..these are all common excuses when it comes to motivating yourself to workout. I am sure that you have your own list of excuses as well.

How to motivate yourself to workout is the first critical step of your entire workout routine, and hopefully some of the below tips will help you. You have to want to work out so setting yourself goals or targets is a key component for success.

I always used to have the best excuses for not going to the gym until I really started to motivate myself to do something about it. Once you are in the routine it all becomes easier, trust me!

Top 20 Tips on how to motivate yourself to workout

1)      Have answers to your excuses – as talked above there are tons of excuses out there and you know which ones you use, so ensure to have the responses to those excuses so it doesn’t stop you from working out.

2)      Get a playlist – download inspirational workout songs onto your I-pod. Everyone has different songs but the best for me is very cliché – “Eye of the Tiger”. It is just about getting pumped up to workout.

playlist

3) Tell the world – by telling your friends and family that you are starting a workout it adds additional pressure to actually do it as you don’t want to disappoint them.

4) Eliminate negative thoughts – think positive! Negative thoughts are just going to bring you down so think positively about your workout.

5) Create a workout and diet log – by writing things down it somehow gives you more motivation to actually carry out, so document everything that you plan to do.

6) Document your progress – if it is that you ran 5km or lifted 200lbs, make a note of it so that in 6 months time you can see how much you have progressed.

7)  Enter a competition amongst friends – there is nothing quite like competition amongst friends. You always want to beat your friends and they will too. The added competition will inspire you to workout harder.

8)      Post you’re a ‘before’ picture in your office or on your fridge – having a ‘before’ photo in a highly visible place ensures that you are given the push to motivate yourself.

9)  Eat healthier – cutting out the junk food and eating a little healthier will make you feel better and in turn make it easier to workout, giving you more energy.

10) Set yourself a target holiday – plan a trip to the beach where you can show off your new body to the world.

11)  Get a workout buddy – having someone to train with will help motivate you, and them, to workout harder.

12)  Live long enough to see kids and grandkids grow up – by doing exercise and eating healthier you can increase your life span to spend more years with your family.

13)  Motivational quotes – surround yourself with motivational quotes. There are tons of sites out there that can provide you with quotes that will work for you. Use them as a screensaver or post them on your fridge as a constant reminder.

14)  Making goals for yourself – setting goals for yourself, whether it is a weight you want to be, or a distance you want to be able to run, goals and targets are great motivational tools.

15)   Rewards – maybe it is a nice meal once a week, a trip to the cinema, buying a new book…..whatever it is, it is always a good idea to reward yourself when you have been working hard.

16)  Stress relief – this is a big one for me personally. There is nothing better for stress relief than a workout, so this one is a big motivator that can also work for you.

stress relief

17)  Success stories – success stories are always nice and you can read about them online. It is very inspiring when you see other people achieving their goals and it motivates you to achieve yours.

18)   Fitting into new clothes – this one can go both ways. If you are working out to try and lose weight then it is a huge motivator to see that you need new clothes as the old ones don’t fit anymore. Likewise if you are working to build muscle and your t-shirt no longer fits over your biceps, it encourages you to work even harder.

19)  Magazines – reading about workouts and motivation in magazines is a big plus. Additionally you can see a lot of very fit people which can motivate you to become like them.

20)  Have fun – I have saved this one until last as I truly believe this is the most important. Having fun when you workout is a big motivator for returning and doing it again. Working out with a friend and having a laugh whilst doing it is a great incentive.

All of these things are easy to do but you need to get off your backside and actually do them. Once you do, then the workout becomes the easy part. Hopefully these tips will have helped you in how to motivate yourself to workout and the results are paying dividends.

If you have any other tips on how to motivate yourself to workout,
please post a comment and we may add it into our next article.

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Whey Protein Benefits

What is Whey Protein?

Whey Protein benefits significantly outweigh the downsides (my next article will be about the side effects of whey protein so be sure to read it). If you are looking to build lean muscle mass then whey protein is the way to go. Athletes as well as bodybuilders are now using whey protein to build strength and turn unwanted fat into lean muscle.

Let’s take a look at exactly what whey protein is before looking at whey protein benefits:

Whey Protein is a liquid byproduct from cheese production. This used to be classed as waste before the benefits of its production in whey protein were found.

Building muscle is basically done by repeatedly tearing and rebuilding skeletal muscle cells. In order to repair these cells faster, the body needs protein. There are 9 essential amino acids in protein and different food sources carry many or all of these amino acids (although not many carry all). Whey Protein carries all of the 9 essential amino acids

Whey Protein Benefits

The body’s ability to absorb protein is measured using a Biological Value (BV). If you want to build muscle you want foods with the highest BV possible. Eggs are generally considered the food source with the highest BV, which ranges from 95-100. Whey Protein’s BV is somewhere between 100-104.

You need to take a protein shake 30mins to 1 hour after a workout to provide the necessary calories to sustain muscle growth. You could take a high intake of nuts or peanut butter after a workout to provide that necessary protein, however they contain a lot of fat. Whey Protein is fat-free.

So aside from helping build muscle mass, what are some other whey protein benefits?

• Potential weight loss – if you take protein that is low in carbohydrates
• Increased power – whether you are lifting weights in the gym or doing gymnastics your overall power will increase
• Reduction in recovery time – your muscles will be able to repair quicker
• Healthier immune system – glutathione is an antioxidant in whey protein that is needed for a healthy immune system

Whey Protein should be the best friend of any bodybuilder. It is by far and away the best muscle building supplement.

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Friday Q&A: This Class May Not Be Good for You!

Fir Forest by Gustave Klimt

A reader left this question on our post What Your Yoga Teacher Really Wants to Know:

Q: What if you're a fairly new teacher and someone shares something of the above with you but you don't really feel confident in providing a modification. Like you think, "Yikes! was it x posture or y pose that someone with her condition shouldn't do?" Or "Gosh, I can't remember which poses are contraindicated for that condition!" Have you ever told a student he/she couldn't participate after hearing something they're dealing with?

A: As many of my recent teacher training graduates tell me, this situation comes up all the time for new teachers, or teachers who have not been trained to work therapeutically with problems their students may have. And although there is no one answer on how to address such a dilemma, several responses come to mind, all of which I have used when I was a newer teacher. 

First off, you can be quite honest with your student and explain that you are not well versed in their particular issue but that they can certainly take your class that day if they feel comfortable listening to their own body’s feedback and backing up when they, the student, feel they need to. This does not guarantee that your student will not still get into some troubles, but you are at least honestly letting them know your limitations and openness to them being in class. 

Some students actually have been working with their health conditions and yoga already, so it is worth asking for them to briefly share with you what they know about their condition. Has their healthcare team given them any physical restrictions to observe? Have they been told by other yoga teachers how to modify for their condition? The new teacher then gets an on-the-spot tutorial, and may feel much more willing to have the student participate in the day’s class! 

A new teacher could also tell the student they don’t know specifically what to offer them today but then propose to look up the condition and have some options available in class next time or for a private session (if you are comfortable doing privates). Also, you could encourage them to skip class today and return on a date when you think you will have the needed info, just to be on the safe side. It’s not a bad idea to reiterate that you are most interested in giving them as safe and beneficial an experience as possible in class! 

Then, there is the rare instance when someone shows up for class with a serious issue you don’t know much about, for example, a serious neck issue, while you do know that the class you will be teaching that day includes several poses that will likely be inappropriate for them, such as poses in which students would be bearing weight on their necks. I think that if modifying the entire practice for the student is beyond your budding skills, in these truly infrequent situations, it is proper to state that the class you are about to teach is really not safe for them to do today, ask them to stop up front for a refund, and, if possible, recommend another class for them to try or give them an opportunity to meet for an individual session if you feel you can get some helpful information together to share with them. 

In some cases, it may be the particular style or level of yoga that you are teaching is not appropriate for a person with certain challenges. For example, lets say you are teaching a relatively athletic class and the student has a condition that you don’t know how to accommodate, like acute recovery from heart attack, Fibromyalgia, or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, to pick just three from our lists in What Your Yoga Teacher Really Wants to Know, you will be doing them a favor if you let them know that your class really isn’t really the best one for them. (Some people have been told that yoga will be beneficial for their condition and then head off to their nearest class, without ever having received an explanation of the different types yoga and which kinds are suitable for someone with their particular needs.) 

I am sure there are other scenarios that may allow the new teacher, in the most transparent and compassionate way possible, to navigate this inevitable situation. If you have had a similar experience and want to share what worked for you as a teacher, or what worked well for you as the student on the other side of this situation, please leave a comment or send an email.

—Baxter

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A Conversation with World Bodybuilding Champion and IFBB Professional bodybuilder, Dr. Lance Dreher. By Dr. Michael Dusa

The Dusa Interview Series

A Conversation with World Bodybuilding Champion and IFBB Professional bodybuilder, Dr. Lance Dreher. By Dr. Michael Dusa

MD: Hi Lance. First, I just want to truly thank you for agreeing to speaking with me.

LD: I am happy to, Mike.

MD: Please tell me of your path in the game.

LD: Mike, I know you know of the times in which I had my beginnings in bodybuilding. I began in our garage as a kid, as my father had weights at home that he had used earlier. In the 1950's, he had nineteen inch arms, a 500 pound bench press. Once, he did enter the Mr. Illinois, but he didn't really do well. In general, I wasn't encouraged to lift. Bodybuilding was considered weird, done by freaks. The gyms, in general, were dungeons, filled with crude equipment.

MD: Your father sounded like a powerful guy. How did your body respond to your early training? Did it seem you had some of your father's genetics?

Sporting 20" arms at age 17 circa 1973

LD: Mike, as a freshman in high school, I gained 1.5 inches of muscle on my arms in one week. I gained 15 pounds of bodyweight in two weeks. By the time I was 17 years old, I was carrying 20 inch arms. This is before I even knew what dianabol or any of that was. I am getting ahead here, but the late Bob Kennedy, publisher of Muscle Mag International, wrote in his book, I believe it was "Beef It," that myself, Casey Viator, Mike Mentzer and Tim Belknap were true "naturals." He meant that we had ideal genetics, bone structure and the like that allowed us to go so far by genetics alone.

MD: Those are astounding measurements! I'd think you'd have been a natural for ball sports.

LD: I played football in high school and three years of college. I played fullback in high school, and was on the "A" team. I did blow my knee out, wrecking my ACL ligament, but retained great speed and power and instead of halfback, I was switched to fullback and a blocking running back. I played three years of football at North Central College, but, by the time senior year had rolled around, I was at odds with the head coach, so that was it for my gridiron career.

Aged 17 and training with his dad's
weights in a garage gym in Illinois

MD: The nascent days of bodybuilding were rough ones for many reasons. Since the general populace seemed so averse to the whole idea of lifting weights, was it difficult for you to find someone to lend you guidance in your iron pursuits?

LD: Its true about people looking at lifters with disfavor. The football coaches-they didn't want the weights to take away from football. At the age of 17, I was fortunate to meet Bob Gajda, who, as you know, was a great bodybuilder as well as AAU Mr. America and Mr. Universe. I'd train at his facility and, understand, I'd be around all kinds of professional athletes whom he'd be training. He'd sit me in his office regularly for hours after I'd be done training and just teach me so many things. I will tell you, right off the bat, I was around the best, and Bob was certainly ahead of his time. Mike, to this day, when you hear the term "core" used, that's Bob. He coined that term many years ago.

MD: Amazing. I am happy to say I have Bob scheduled for interview. I must say, with the size and results you were making so early on in your training, I'd guess you were competing by this time?

LD: My first show was the Mr. Chicagoland when I was 17 years old. I was training with my friend, Frank Palkoska, in his bedroom at his house. As an aside, Frank later was in the Army and he was the one who put their physical training program together. We'd train, and then have dinner at his house. I'd then take the bus home to my house and have dinner again (laughs). So, I entered the show, and Bob Gajda was the head judge. Soon after I arrived, who walks in but none other than Sergio Oliva! I just announced to whomever was standing near me that I was going to simply walk up to him and ask him about his gigantic arms. Sergio told me he would do 200 pound skull crushers. I was like, that's fine, so I set out to do the same. I got up to 265 pounds in this lift, doing sets of six reps. I'd lay on my bench, do a pullover with the weighted bar, and do extensions with it.

1981 IFBB World Championships heavyweight comparison
with Reid Schindle and Gunnar Rosbo

MD: Thus, your legendary, gigantic arms. How did you fare in the show?

LD: Not well. But Bob did tell me that he'd train me, and that he felt I could go to the top in bodybuilding. I soon started winning. In the Junior Mr. Rockford, I was in the top eight and earned my first trophy. I also annexed best arms and best back awards. I took the Junior Mr. Chicago. I started winning. It's funny, looking back, guys started calling me and saying straight out that they'd beat me in the next show.

MD: What do you mean? They'd just randomly call you on the phone and call you out?

LD: Yes, crazy, huh? I'd just carry on. You must understand, I kind of came out of nowhere.

MD: People feel threatened by change, newness, and assault on their station. You were still very young at this time, and, as I understand, still playing football. What was your training and nutrition like?

LD: Even during football season, I'd hit the weights, usually just three times per week to maintain my mass. In college, I was the only player to have a "training table," which essentially meant that I was able to go in the cafeteria and pick my own menu. I'd just eat big, Mike. Meat, milk, eggs. I'd ingest wheat germ, liver tablets, Rheo Blair's protein powder. Oh, then there was the famous Bob Hoffman "Protein of the Sea." It tasted worse than rotten tuna. I bought that once and threw it out.

MD: BoHo! I had one bottle of Protein of the Sea and it sat in my high school locker my entire senior year. I'd always live by the mantra of "Just say no to taste," but with this stuff, "No" was most definitely the word.

LD: (laughs) Yup. That was it. I used Hoffman's weight gain product, it was loaded with fats and protein, and with it I gained 15 pounds in two weeks as I had said earlier.

MD: I played some high school football, and also tried to train with weights at the same time. I just felt beat to hell all the time. It was tough. I am intrigued you were able to pound it on the gridiron and also maintain your muscular mass with the weights at the same time.

At the 1983 Mr. Olympia
in Munich, Germany

LD: Mike, there were very few who lifted weights in conjunction with football. I competed in bodybuilding right through college, and won the Collegiate Mr. America title along the way. Around this time, I met Tom Platz. It was at the Teenage Mr. USA, and it was Tom and me, but nobody knew who the heck I was. We both had big legs, and the judges that day even heartened us to downplay our leg training, lest our physiques become bottom-heavy and assymmetrical. Well, I laid off, he didn't. The winner that day was Steve Borodinsky, with Tom in second and me in third. In 1973, I showed up at the AAU Teen Mr. America, and this was won by Dan Tobol, Platz second, me fourth. I approached the head judge, Ralph Countryman, and basically told him that what I was witnessing was not fair. These guys were obviously jacked up on stuff. Ralph just told me to soldier on and not to get discouraged.

MD: Well, the collegiate America is nothing to sneeze at.

LD: That's true. In 1977, I did the AAU America for the first time, and I remember the Weider brothers were there for the event. Joe was there to convince all the bodybuilders to affiliate with the IFBB. We said no, and Joe was pissed. He went on about how bodybuilding in the AAU was just like a poor, second sister to weight lifting, and if' we'd come under the stewardship of the IFBB, bodybuilding would be given it's deserved, singular attention as a separate entity. Still, we voted this idea down. Ultimately and insidiously, he infiltrated his people into the AAU, and, in the following few years, the AAU was completely removed. By 1981, we were competing under the auspices of the NPC. Wayne Demelia, Jim Manion, yeah. They took the title, but little of what was promised was delivered.

MD: Upon mention of Joe, I must ask, since you enjoyed his delightful protein so much, did you have any dealings with Bob Hoffman?

LD: When I won the Mr. Collegiate America in Wisconsin, I did meet Bob. By this time, he was pretty old, but he still was a big guy with a big frame. I remember him approaching me, shaking my hand, and saying, "Where the heck did you come from?" Other than that time, I never interacted with Bob.

MD: You started to have great success nationally, which brought you to the world stage.

1981 IFBB overall World Champion

LD: I took third in the 1980 Mr. America, with Gary Leonard and Greg Deferro placing ahead of me. Gary did very poorly in the World's following that, and Manion called me because Weider was pissed with Gary showing up in such bad shape. They wanted me to replace Gary as a representative in the next show, but this never happened. Here is an interesting story. In training for the 1981 Mr. America, Tim Belknap came for a visit at my gym. He approached me and declared he would win the upcoming America, to which I replied, "Well, whomever is best will win." Belknap, went on, "No, Weider is running it, so I'm gonna win." Well, soon after this, there we were, on stage, with the final announcement to be made for overall winner. The emcee literally started to say my name as winner, but in mid sentence changed it to "Tim Belknap." The crowd went nuts, booing. The top four, me. Belknap, James Youngblood and Ken Passariello, were sent to Cairo for the World Championships. Let me tell you something, Mike. When Belknap won the America, he ran to all the newspapers and press, trumpeting his win to them. In Cairo, well, you know I won the overall and Tim was relegated to second to Jaques Neuville of France in his class. All Tim could do was plead with me to not tell anyone back home that I had beaten him at the World's. That's the truth. I also recall sitting with Tim's father, and him saying that Tim would definitely have to win that year, because he was concerned with all the insulin he was taking. You know he was a diabetic and needed the insulin. But, I can tell you he'd take much more insulin than what was prescribed.

MD: And then Weider and the pros called...

LD: I became an IFBB pro the following year. You know, I was training in Illinois when Joe called. He wanted me to come out to California, and I told him I'd consider it but really wasn't sold on the whole idea. Soon, Mike Mentzer called me. Then Boyer Coe. They sang the virtues of transplanting to California. In the summer of 1982, myself, Robby and Platz were guest posing at a show in San Jose. Mentzer was covering the show for Weider, and he told me that out of the three of us, I could win the Olympia, but I'd have to move to California. Mike, I had a house payment to make, responsibilities. At the same time, I had heard of guys going out there to do the Weider thing, and they'd end up becoming bums. I remember doing a photo shoot with Kike Elomaa, and Joe was supervising the shoot. He said to me, "Lance, look. People want the blue-eyed guy, the blond, the guy like this with the great physique. People don't want blacks, they certainly don't want foreigners. He mentioned that even while using Sergio Oliva to spark his marketing, products wouldn't move like they would with a guy like me. I'd only go to California for photo shoots. Joe did make me an offer, and it was for a salary of two hundred dollars per week, along with free advertising space in his magazines. Well, I hadn't products to sell, so I didn't go with this. Boyer Coe, a great guy, told me, "Lance, you are done in the IFBB. Nobody says no to Joe." I knew my long term future didn't include bodybuilding. I was disappointed because I really thought I could win the Olympia, but it became hard to get motivated. From that point on, I knew they wouldn't let me do well in his shows.

At one point, I was contacted by a fellow who ran independent shows. They'd benefit the Royal Society of Mentally and Physically Handicapped. He wanted me to become involved, and I contacted the IFBB and related how great this would be and how my participation would bring a positive light to the organization and to bodybuilding in general. They told me if I got involved, I'd be summarily suspended. This is when I resigned from the IFBB. It was 1984.

MD: But you were not done, switching over to NABBA.

LD: Yes. In 84 and then 85, I took third in the NABBA Universe, losing to Ed Kawak and then Brian Buchanan, respectively. I did win the NABBA Pro Universe in 1986, and then retired. I did take another shot with the IFBB, and, upon Ben Weider reinstating me in 1988, I placed sixth in the Chicago Pro Championships. This was a curious situation, however. Richard Loresch was one of the judges, and he had me in second place. Well, he was cornered in an elevator at the event venue by Jim Manion and his people, and asked why he'd placed me as he did. "Because that is the placing Lance deserved." After that, Rich was out. No more judging for him.

I did the Arnold in 1989, which was won by Rich Gaspari. I got eighth, and shared a locker room with Samir Bannout. Samir and his coach looked at me and said people would fall to me that day. They thought even Rich would be subject to loss to me. At prejudge, I wasn't even being called out. I talked to Joe who was there and he merely said I'd been gone for a while, hadn't competed. It was the same old story.

MD: Lance-at the time, what did you think of bodybuilding?

LD: Mike, generally, up to 1988, at this time, nobody really had an ugly physique. Up until the early nineties I'd say this held true. Now? Things are lost.

1983 seminar. Madison, Wisconsin
Sporting 23" arms

MD: As we discussed, I remember you in 1980 doing a seminar I attended at Cheach's Gym in North Haven, Connecticut. You were gigantic, in shape, huge arms, articulate. You had a carved, detailed, tapered waste. Who'd have thought of the devolvement of bodybuilding as we see it today?

LD: It's true and unfortunate.

MD: How about your family?

LD: My father is now 83, and he is in good health and shape. My mother, not so, I am afraid. She is dependent on many medications, and she is quite frail. She is sadly a part of our very broken health care system. You know, with all of the health care tomfoolery you hear about, its a very tangled web. Sorry to get a bit off track here, but this involves my mother. It involves everyone, actually. The health care system was going bankrupt, and the powers that be knew they couldn't let this happen. So deductibles were raised. My family deductible is six thousand dollars per year. I pay $1,200 a month for my family for health insurance. Now...well, there are record profits for the insurance companies because they don't pay anything out. You know, the driving force for the high cost of health care today is obesity and smoking. It's out of hand. Did you know the average cost, just for yearly medications, for a diabetic is fourteen thousand dollars per year?

MD: Insane. I am sure you see this first hand and regularly in your business. You have your master's degree in nutrition, and your PhD as a nutrition counselor. You work directly with the brilliant bob Gajda.

LD: I do. My business involves nutritional consultations and some physical training, as well. Most of my clients are from physicians, and we work hard at reversing processes that have gripped them and caused them sickness for often prolonged periods of time. We witness many food addictions in clients. It is interesting that women have a proclivity to be addicted to carbs, men, it's alcohol. These stimulate the same centers in the brain. Clients text me their food journals, and doing so gives them accountability. We attend to and recognize the emotional effects of food as well. Both myself, and my wife, who works with me, are certified life coaches. The majority of our clients receive programs of coaching for the nutrition aspect, and exercise as well.

Here is an interesting story. In 1981, the VP of the Chicago Health Club arranged a meeting for me with Don Wildman, who was the president of the Health Tennis Corporation. I told him that the next big move in the fitness industry was personal training, and that he should let me head the charge into this new world. Well, he was one of these rich guys who would let you know that you were a poor guy. He was like, "I am right. You are wrong." He disagreed with me. Of course, Don was wrong.

Impressive cover shot. Jan 1983
issue of Muscle Training Illustrated

MD: It must be interesting to work with and be friends of a guy like Bob Gajda.

LD: Bob and I are putting together two programs. One will be to certify PHA trainers, and this will be only offered to those individuals who have a college degree. We are also looking into training centers offering PHA as well as nutirition programs.

MD: PHA?

LD: Well, I can tell you Bob Gajda will go into great detail about PHA with you when you talk to him. All I can say is be prepared for that (laughs)! There are 696 secondary pumps to the heart in the body. The muscles. The premise is to move and mobilize lactic acids in the body, facilitating recovery. A deconditioned person can handle a PHA workout, the heart rate is controlled. There is much less soreness in the ensuing days. Bob will go into great detail about this with you.

MD: I'd better study up prior to my call to him. How are your workouts today, Lance?

LD: I go relatively heavy, five days per week. I can still do 100 pound dumbbell presses. I did have both knees replaced not long ago. You know, I had surgery on my clavicle some time ago, and during it they found that I had Valley Fever. I didn't know I had this for four years. I was told my life would change upon this diagnosis, and that I'd have to adopt a low carb diet. High carbs would give the noxious microorganisms an ideal environment to thrive in, and low carbs facilitate a healthier immune system. So this shapes my diet to this day.

Married for more than 30 years
with wife Debbie

MD: It's hard to believe you just turned 60 years old! You still look forever young, Lance. And I know your wife and you have four children.

LD: Thanks Mike. My oldest son is 30 and he just got married in our back yard last week. He is Lance, Jr., and he is 6'5". My son, Nathan, lives in Kansas City, and he is in great shape. He'd do well in bodybuilding if I coached him. My son Ryan is 6'1", is in ROTC, and is a sophomore in high school. My daugfhter, Alyssa, is 16 and a freshman.

MD: Fantastic, Lance. It's always great to see the results of a life well lived. I really want to thank you for your time and words. Please tell Bob Gajda to take it easy on me when I call him!

LD: (laughs). Oh, I will Mike. And thanks for thinking of me for an interview. I just want to say, for the young people especially-bodybuilding is not a career. People will remember you for who you are, not for what you did.

Thank you Dr. Michael Dusa and Dr. Lance Dreher for this fantastic interview

Best regards from

©,2015. Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited. Interview article published with permission from Dr. Michael Dusa (North Haven, Connecticut). 

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