The Short answer is yes. Yes you should be concerned about the amount of Zinc you are taking in on a daily basis, yes you should supplement your diet with it and YES Zinc has a lot to do with your ability to fight illness and cognitive decline.
But Zinc? Really.... Though it may be a the bottom of the list when it comes to lining out all the necessary nutrients in your body, there is surprising evidence that this mineral plays a much bigger role than once thought.
Its More than Just Sunscreen.
Zinc as a mineral lives under the same umbrella as others like Magnesium, Iron, and Copper. The body needs them and usually if you are eating a diet rich in Whole Foods you can be putting enough in the body but.... not all of the good is making its way down tot he cells.
The WHO (World Health Organization ) claims that nearly 2 Billion humans are Zinc Deficient..., yes thats billion with a B. Not getting enough Zinc in your diet can result in everything from Constipation to Stunted Growth. For men its even more pronounced with lack of potency, decreased libido and testosterone.
Where I get a little creeped out is in its effect on the brains ability to function without Zinc. As you all know I am currently obsessing again on brain disease and Cognitive decline. Alzheimers and Dementia scare me more than Diabetes. Deep inside your brain, in the Hippocampus, lies a vast reserve of Zinc that aids in memory, and thought. Without Zinc, plaques build up on all the connections in the brain that keep you all together.
GLU-TA-THI-ONE Rules.
Zinc also helps activate the anti-inflammatory response in your body. The anti-oxidant, Glutathione, is one that I love so much that I am actually thinking about getting it tattooed on me! No Bullshit . Zinc lights a fire under the cells to move around the body and kick the shit out of free radicals. Inflammation is linked to cancer as well. There is evidence published in the journal SCIENCE that points to Zinc deficiencies and increased cancer growth in multiple types of cancer.
The trick is to not let other minerals fight for the same spots on the cells when they are trying to do their thing! Iron, magnesium, and copper all attach to the same areas of cells and will frequently bump each other off the sucker if they are taken in at the wrong times.
A general rule is to take your magnesium at night time when you are about to go to bed and your zinc supplement when you first wake up int he morning on an empty stomach. This difference allows the cells and your metabolism to work at the highest effective rate possible.
Some Foods that you need to be eating for optimal Zinc intake are;
-Lamb
-Pumpkin Seeds
-Chick Peas
-Organic Chicken
-Cashews
-Mushrooms
-Spinich
Outside of eating clean and right is a supplement. It is tough to not find a good one, given that minerals like zinc are compounded in very high potency at almost every health food stores. So on your next check up or if you are feeling like any of the symptoms listed in this blog post are effecting you, try supplementation for 30 days and see if there is any change. Be careful with over consumption of the mineral as well, it can lead to a host of other issues.
Live strong and Fit my friends !
Love,
Eric
Programming Notes 7/2-7/8 *Note that we are in Week 6 of the Strength/ Endurance Cycle. This week I introduce the depth jump into the programming. The Depth jump can now be practiced with the strength base we have established. Wednesday is my Benchmark “Energizer”, a great aerobic workout that gets you some milage. July 4th is a fun Partner workout that gives a nod to our armed services. Have Fun.
7/2
Baseline:
3X
1:00 Single Under Jumps
12 Plate Squats
12 Plate Lunges
12 Jumping Pull Ups
Squat Flow: Kang Squat, Internal Rotation, Hip Bridge, Ankle Roll Outs, Boot Straps, PNF, Squat W/ T Spine Rotation
Tempo Back Squat Exposure #2
3X8
:02 Eccentric
:01 Pause
*go heavier than last week
WOD:
“Heartbreak Kid”
3X
10 Front Squats 185/135
20 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
50 Double Unders
7/3
Baseline:
*Spend 5 Minutes Rolling out calves before class
10@ Each
-Shoulder Rolls
-Arm Circles
-Lateral Punches
- Jumping Jacks
-Deadbug reaches
-Divebomber Push Ups
-Trunk Circles
-Hip Hinge
-Squat
-Bootstraps
-Side Lunges
-Calf Marches
Depth Jumps:
*in NO MORE than 15 reps,
step off a 12’ bench or box and then quickly rebound to the top of another box.
-goal is max height jump
-quick reaction time off the ground (amortization phase)
WOD:
12 Min AMRAP
12/9 Cal Bike
8 Pistol Squat
6 Toes To bar
*scale pistol to reverse lunge or a pistol with an elevated heel
7/4
Independence Day PARTNER WOD
Baseline:
W/ PVC Pipe
Leg Swings
Pass Thru
Trunk Rotations
Samson Lunges
Push Ups
Mountain Climbers
Sit Ups
Overhead Squats
Partner WOD:
“Air Force 20”
40 Thruster 95/65
40 Sumo Deadlift High Pull
40 Push Jerk
40 Overhead Squat
40 Front Squat
Partner 1 will work for 1 minute, EMOM the clock will beep and both Partners will do 4 Syncd Burpees, then Partner 2 will work for 1 minute. They will both continue to do the burpees and trade off working for 1 minute and resting for 1 minute until all reps are completed.
7/5
Baseline:
Agility Warm Up @ 10m Each
High Knee Pull
Quad Pull
Squat 180 **stepping the leg high over hip, swing opposite leg to 180, squat
High Knees
Butt kickers
Marching High Kicks
Bounding Skip
Groiners
Straight leg shuffles
Fig 4 Drill
Lateral Shuffle
Carioca
Lateral Bounding
Sprint W/ Change of Direction
Banded Mobility:
Lat band Stretch
Bully Stretch
Half Moon Pose
Lunge Hip Distraction Stretch
Banded Hip Hinge/ Hamstring Stretch
WOD:
“Energizer”
5 Rounds For Total Time
400m Run
21 Wall Ball Shots
18 Calorie Row
12 Kettlebell Snatch 53/35
Cool Down:
1:00 Side Plank (each side)
1:00 GHDHE Hold (break up as needed)
7/6
Baseline:
*Roll Out Lats and teres with lacrosse balls. DO not exceed more than 1 minute on any one area.
3X
250m Row
10 Bird Dogs
10 Banded Good Mornings
10 Perfect Push Ups
WOD:
20 Min EMOM
A- 6 Strict Ring Dips + 6 Push Ups
B- 9 Chin Ups + 9 Dumbbell Row (Hand On Bench)
C- 12 Power Clean 115/75
D- Rest
*scale the rep scheme to accommodate for timing. For Instance, 3,6,9… 5,7,9
Cool Down:
1:00 Pigeon Stretch
1:00 Childs Pose
1:00 Deep Breathing
