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“PowerHouse” Arctium Plant (Burdock)

What is Burdock Root and where does it come from?

Burdock is a flowering plant native to Europe and North America, while you can eat the whole entire planet, most of its benefits comes from its root also known as Gobo which is used in the cuisine of Japan. It was also used by the Iroquois tribe in North America as food for the winter, fully grown it is 1 to 2 cm long and produces purple flowers and leaves that can be up to 50 cm long with a whitish underside, its blooming seasons are between the months of June and October.

What makes this plant such a “PowerHouse”?

This plant is widely regarded for it its properties when it comes a blood cleanser and purifier. However it has been used to treat various conditions including but not limited to cough, fever, sore throat, arthritis and various digestive diseases.

Not to mention that burdock root also detoxifies your liver and boost your immune system as well as clear skin conditions due to its antibacterial anti-inflammatory properties.

How to take Burdock Root

There are many ways to take this herb such as making a tincture (concentrated herbal extracts that have alcohol as the solvent. If you have children or infants use glycerine in place of the alcohol, go here to learn more https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/guide-tinctures-extracts . Furthermore it can be used as a seasoning for your salad, eating raw is a quick snack, You can also make a tea, or you can take it in capsule form I prefer to use it in powder form so that I can capsule it in 00 vegetarian capsules and take it orally once or twice a day, 3-6 capsules a day daily mixed with other herbs. I know you’re probably thinking why would I want to make my own capsules, teas, or Tinctures. Am I right? The reality is in order to truly fortify your body you have to know exactly what you’re putting into it and the only way to do that is to do it yourself! While it is true that you can purchase all of the aforementioned items listed above already made you truly have no idea if that product is pure or not likewise you cannot be sure if the product has the exact potency needed to be effective!

*Note

When taking this herb in combination with other herbs please I encourage you to do the research yourself and/or consult a professional such as myself when it comes to dealing with dosages.

Furthermore if you are taking medication please be sure that when dealing with any herb it is taking 2 hours before or after consuming medication. Please make sure to drink plenty of water when consuming any herb a minimum of 64 Oz!

For more information I encourage you to get on my email list so that I can continue to educate you and so that you can be notified of my weekly blog post! I thank you for making “the commitment to yourself”, “To Fortify your body from the inside out through the use of Whole Foods and Hard Work”. Make “The Impossible Possible” www.TheStonePowerhouse.com

Fortifying your body: Metabolic Conditioning

Oftentimes when people find out that I’m a metabolic conditioning specialist/coach the first question that arises what is metabolic conditioning? People have no idea what it is, and oftentimes when they look it up they will find very limited information on it so I decided to write this blog to help give a clear distinction not only of what it is but also why it is one of the major keys when it comes to overall health and wellness!

What is Metabolic Conditioning?

When you hear the word metabolism the first thought that comes to mind it’s probably fat loss or weight gain. And while this is true it’s a little bit more complex than that, you see it’s defined as the sum physical and chemical processes that take place in an organism by which material substance is produced maintain or destroyed. At this point you’re probably thinking wow that’s a lot and I’m still kind of confused am I right? Essentially speaking it is the sum all the reactions that take place in our bodies on a day-to-day basis. This is what you would call your metabolic rate, why is this important? Because it determines how fast you’re able to convert food into energy that your body needs to function, as well as your ability burn calories quickly, as well as create new and repair damaged muscle tissue, (faster recovery time).

Why is Metabolic Conditioning so important?

As I stated earlier your metabolic rate determines your body’s ability to and the speed at which you can produce the processes of everyday living such as keeping your brain functioning, moving blood throughout your body, ensuring that your kidneys are working at full capacity and filtering water and waste as well as maintaining the contraction of all smooth muscle tissues i.e. your heart and organs.

Likewise it also helps in the production of insulin and testosterone which are the hormones directly responsible for the development of new cellular structures. Furthermore it helps to keep your body in an Anabolic State, which simply put is your body building and repairing muscle tissue as supposed to be in a Catabolic state.

What is a Catabolic state and how to avoid it?

Simply put when the body is in a Catabolic state this is the breaking down of muscle tissue the longer and harder you work out the more damage you are doing to your muscle tissue! This is because you are facilitating the release of a hormone called cortisol commonly referred to as the stress hormone. And as we all know stress is the enemy of lean muscle mass, because stress activates the body’s fight or flight response which causes the body to hold on to fat. This is also important for my men as well because cortisol is the direct enemy of testosterone! In fact once we reach the age of 30 our testosterone levels naturally drop by 2%. So the question then becomes how do we all avoid being in a Catabolic state?

We must refrain from doing Catabolic cardio, what is Catabolic Cardio you may ask? Catabolic Cardio consist of things like the treadmill, the stair climber, and the elliptical. Now I know I know I probably just made a lot of people mad. I can hear you saying but that’s all I see in the gym that’s what that’s what’s promoted and I’m burning calories I’m sweating and after my workout I feel tired. And you’re absolutely right partially.

You are burning calories at that moment but you’re also eating with your muscle tissue, as I mentioned earlier your facilitating the activation of the stress hormone which leads to fat storage and consequently you’re damaging your metabolic system because every time you participate and these kinds of activities you were slowing down your metabolism.

Not to mention that these exercises can also be hard on your joints over a long period of time likewise the same thing can be said for those people that more than 3 days a week in the gym you’re eating up your muscle tissue which in the long run can be counterproductive and this type of situation becomes more prevalent as we get older.

Please go to https://thestonepowerhouse.com/stone-metabolic/ to learn more about our fantastic Metabolic Conditioning Program

and “make the commitment yourself” to “fortify your body from the inside out through the use of Whole Foods and hard work”and let’s make “the impossible possible”

Fortifying your body: the importance of Detoxifying and Cleansing

Quite often when discussing this topic I find that three major things occur either people will say doesn’t the body detox itself, so why do I need to do anything? Or people tend to think that the words detox and cleanse are interchangeable and/or mean the same thing, and lastly people do not properly detox or cleanse their bodies effectively to see the desired results. So I’d like to take the time to offer a little bit of insight.

What is detoxification?

If you were to look up the word detox you will find that it says that it is the process or period of time which a person abstains from or gets rid of toxins or unhealthy substances from their body.

What is cleansing?

Cleansing is defined as the process or period of time which a person attempts to get rid of toxins in their body.

I know probably scratching your head in confusion as to why I wrote this blog or going duh they are the same thing am I right? However, when you do a little more research you find out that they are similar an interchangeable except for one major key difference cleansing is referred to as the process of using supplements to rid the body of substances or toxins directly and this often refers to the digestive tract.

So in other words detoxing is removing toxins from your body and cleansing is putting things in your body to help maintain overall health. When I think of supplementation in order to clean out one’s digestive tract or any other major organs in the body herbs come to mind. The reason for this is because a lot of supplementation that is on the market today is not pure a lot of times when you look on the shelf you will find a product that has an extract of an herb or a plant instead of the whole plant as nature intended in its pure form which makes the supplement on the shelf either ineffective or minimally effective at best!

Likewise the other problem with this is that you are putting other chemicals that the supplement may have in them along with the extract in your body which also contributes to the supplement being less effective.

Why detox/cleanse in the first place and how to properly do it

Yes for those of you that say the body detoxes itself why do I need to do anything? You are partially correct the body does detox itself using the liver, the kidneys and the digestive tract. However, what happens when the major organs we use to detoxify our bodies are no longer able to do their job because they themselves have been taking over by the toxicity that is caused by the things that we eat and breathe in such as Foods, chemicals, and building materials? For example diabetes occurs because the liver and the pancreas are no longer able to store and breakdown sugars and fats if not treated the toxins produced from being over saturated with carbohydrates, eventually these will begin to leak into the bloodstream. And when we speak about the digestive tract in simple terms we are referring to your gut health where it has been proven that most sickness and disease is linked to an unhealthy gut. So the reason why we detox and cleanse our bodies if to help Ensure that are organs which are responsible for ridding toxins from the body are functioning properly. I recommend that people detox their bodies at least four times a year, in order to give them time to heal and continue to do what they were designed to.

Consuming fruits and vegetables not only help with the detoxing process but they are also easier on your organs when being processed through the body which tremendously decreases the chances of toxic build up. Likewise, the daily consuming of herbs can help heal and fortify your body against these toxins that come from processed foods and the breathing in of building materials and chemicals in the air on a daily basis.

Please go to https://thestonepowerhouse.com/stone-cleanse/ to learn more about our fantastic 21 day detox cleanse and “make the commitment yourself” to “fortify your body from the inside out through the use of Whole Foods and hard work”and let’s make “the impossible possible”

Top 10 benefits of a whole food meal plan

As a strength and conditioning specialist and sports nutritionist I get asked all the time by clients to bring them to their Peak Performance. Throughout my 20 years of experience I often hear people say in order for a person to be at their Peak Physical performance the formula is 80% nutrition and 20% training. I look at that equation differently in my experience in order for people to reach their top physical condition and maintenance over an extended period of time the equation becomes nutrition is 95% in training is 5%. I recommend a custom Whole Food meal plan.

I find that 40% of my clients have no idea what Whole Foods are, let alone the benefits it brings to overall health and longevity of life. so I decided to write my top 10 benefits of a whole food meal plan .whole foods are plant foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible, before being consumed.

Fiber -adequate amounts of fiber which are good for digestion and regularity. Fiber helps to lower your blood sugar which has a direct correlation to diabetes. Furthermore being that fiber digest much slower it will keep you feeling fuller for longer which can prevent overeating. As well as reduce stomach bloating as a result of the regularity of bowel movements. who’s that a tribute to this include but are not limited to nuts, green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and whole grain oats ( oatmeal).
Diabetes is a direct response of the body having a damaged kidney and liver and this is due to the amount of fat and high cholesterol that is consumed from processed foods. Because the liver and the kidneys is worth that is broken down and when they’re over consumed my fat the continued fat put in has nowhere to go but the pancreas which after a while. The natural production of insulin. The key to fixing this inflammatory problem is to keep the kidneys liver and pancreas from overworking consuming
Whole Foods not only cleanses and flushes the body but it also keeps down the accumulation of fatty acids which clog the arteries.
Heart attacks as I explained earlier a heart attack is when your coronary becomes blocked due to various substances which include cholesterol. A heart attack occurs when cholesterol spills over into the bloodstream this can prevent the proper flowing of blood to the heart. Being on a whole food diet how to control and or eliminate the build-up of such substances as high cholesterol, Trans fats, and saturated fats.
Energy the fact of the matter is that energy equals performance! The more energy you have the greater your output is during an activity. Likewise the less energy you have the more lackluster your performance can be. Whole foods contain a ton of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that home to reduce fatigue and muscle breakdown as well as speed up the conversion process of fat to energy.
A Whole Food diet can also help to prevent muscle deterioration and or pain. This is able to be done because your body is in constant state of being alkaline.
I know you’re probably going to ask what does it mean to be in an alkaline state? This means that your body is free from pathogens that cause bacterial infection and disease. This happens by regulating the in balance that is in your HP levels.
Leaky gut syndrome is intestinal hyper permeability this happens due to a malfunction in the intestinal tight Junction. This is the central part of your body’s function because it keeps out toxins microbes and undigested food particles. As a result of all these toxins are able to make their way into the bloodstream from your intestines and this can sometimes contribute to acute and chronic conditions. Such as but not limited to allergies asthma and autism.
Manic bipolar depression that’s right you heard me correctly a whole food diet and help with manic bipolar depression! How do you ask? Studies have shown that when it comes to combating anxiety and depression from a nutritional standpoint. Healthy fats such as grass-fed Meats and coconut help to support cellular function and neurological Health. This also includes an essential variety of amino acids and high-fiber foods which are essential to hormonal balance.
Whole Foods can also Aid in or eliminate degenerative joint disease or osteoporosis. This is the deterioration of the cartilage that covers bones and cushioning the joints. In order to aid in rebuilding this cartilage the anti-inflammatory properties of Whole Foods is necessary. Because they help to lower pain and fatty acids minerals and vitamins found in fresh vegetables and Probiotic foods such as fruits and yogurt help to restore healthy bone formation and collagen.
Dehydration is caused due to a lack of electrolytes which can cause dry mouth sleepiness muscle weakness and fatigue. While this is more unlikely to happen in the winter months if you are an athlete or anyone who does any kind a physical labor this is something you need to be aware of and there are foods that can help assist with this issue along with the proper consumption of water. Watermelons, cucumbers, carrots pineapples, avocados and zucchinis are all good sources of hydrating Foods.
Helps to aid in autoimmune disease this is defined as an abnormal response to a normal body part. Such types include rheumatoid bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis just to name a few. It can be treated with regular exercise and a well-balanced diet due to the inflammatory properties of Whole Foods as it relates to the swelling and pain caused by this disease. As well as the vitamins and minerals will help to heal the skin and Aid in the fatigue factor that comes along with autoimmune disease. Whole Foods tremendously aid hoping to heal your immune system and detoxify your gut which helps to lead to the remission of the disease.

What’s The Best Protein Supplement

I couldn’t tell you how many times a day I get asked this question being a public figure in the fitness industry so I decide to answer it and this blog . However before giving my answer I wanted to discuss what isolate protein is and why it is beneficial.

What is isolate whey protein?
Isolate whey protein is a dietary supplement created by separating components from milk in order to produce a pure protein that is lactose free. It can be able to get into the bloodstream very quickly and has a high concentration of BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) which allows for the fueling of muscles and also helps to stimulate protein synthesis.

What is protein synthesis?
I know you’re probably wondering and saying to yourself why do you need to explain protein synthesis I’m in the fitness industry I’m a smart guy I know what that means right? Of course you are but for those of us so-called ” non smart people” allow me to explain. Simply put it is the process your body uses to generate new proteins the reason that this is important is because these proteins do things like build body structures such as muscle tissue and even helps you construct and repair your immune system. (This is done by enzymes that the body produces and enzymes are produced through protein synthesis).

Protein I use and Why
As a master personal trainer, Sports Nutritionist and a two-time natural Mr. Olympia bodybuilding champion and three time world power lifting champion who teaches and uses Whole Food meal planning it is very rare that I will use whey isolate protein supplement. With the exception of my off-season training I only trust the one protein supplement which is made by P4P Muscle which contains 132 calories per serving 5 of which come from fat, one gram of sugar 3.5 grams of carbs 0 sodium and 26 grams of pure protein which makes it an excellent choice for building Rich dense muscle mass!

Where to buy it and additional resources

https://www.p4pmuscle.com/product/iso-whey-protein/ (use promo code Rory to get 15% off sitewide).
Are you looking for more great protein supplements? Be sure to check out this detailed blog that breaks down all of your most popular ISO whey protein supplements down by the numbers!
https://barbend.com/best-whey-protein-powders

“PowerHouse” plant Coneflower (Echinacea)

What is Echinacea and where does it come from?

Known as the purple Coneflower, the Echinacea plant get its name from Greek culture which means “Hedgehog” this is because of its cone Center which can sometimes be red or orange which looks like the insectivore. The plant is grown in both the Southeast and Midwestern United States. Its growing season is from June to the late fall, the species of the plant is the Compositae family such as the Dandelion which is another Super “PowerHouse” that we will discuss in a future blog.

What makes this plant such a “PowerHouse”?

This plant is widely regarded for it its properties when it comes to boosting the immune system and being an antiviral. However this Beast given to us my mother nature there’s so much more, due to its amazing healing properties it has been used for things such as headaches, snake bites, tumors, arthritis and malaria. But what’s not talked about as much is its ability to heal and prevent all upper respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and tuberculosis which respectively are caused by a blockage of mucus in the upper respiratory system. As if this wasn’t enough to classify this powerful plant are they super herb when it comes to healing Echinacea also cleanses and purifies the blood, the liver, as well as combating yeast infections and cleansing the colon by eliminating parasites and worms found in the digestive tract.

How to take Echinacea

There are many ways to take this herb such as making a tincture (concentrated herbal extracts that have alcohol as the solvent. If you have children or infants use Glycerine in place of the alcohol, go here to learn more https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/guide-tinctures-extracts . You can also make a tea, or you can take it in capsule form I prefer to use it in powder form so that I can capsule it in 00 vegetarian capsules and take it orally once or twice a day, 3-6 capsules a day daily mixed with other herbs. I know you’re probably thinking why would I want to make my own capsules, teas, or Tinctures. Am I right? The reality is in order to truly fortify your body you have to know exactly what you’re putting into it and the only way to do that is to do it yourself! While it is true that you can purchase all of the aforementioned items listed above already made you truly have no idea if that product is pure or not likewise you cannot be sure if the product has the exact potency needed to be effective!

*Note

When taking this herb in combination with other herbs please I encourage you to do the research yourself and/or consult a professional such as myself when it comes to dealing with dosages.

How To Fortifying Your Body Against an Autoimmune Disease

What is an autoimmune disease?

An autoimmune disease is defined as an illness that occurs when the body tissues are attacked by its own immune system. The immune system is a complex organization within the body that is designed normally to eliminate invaders of the body, such as infectious agents.

What are some common types of autoimmune diseases?

Type 1 diabetes

The pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar levels. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

High blood sugar can damage blood vessels, as well as organs like the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the immune system attacks the joints. This attack causes redness, warmth, soreness, and stiffness in the joints.

Unlike osteoarthritis, which affects people as they get older, RA can start as early as your 30s.

Psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis

Skin cells normally grow and then shed when they’re no longer needed. Psoriasis causes skin cells to multiply too quickly. The extra cells build up and form red, scaly patches called scales or plaques on the skin.

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) damages the myelin sheath — the protective coating that surrounds nerve cells. Damage to the myelin sheath affects the transmission of messages between your brain and body.

This damage can lead to symptoms like numbness, weakness, balance issues, and trouble walking. The disease comes in several forms, which progress at different rates. About 50 percent of people with MS need help walking within 15 years after getting the disease

Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus)

Although doctors in the 1800s first described lupus as a skin disease because of the rash it produces, it actually affects many organs, including the joints, kidneys, brain, and heart.

Joint pain, fatigue, and rashes are among the most common symptoms.

Inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term used to describe conditions that cause inflammation in the lining of the intestines. Each type of IBD affects a different part of the GI tract.

Crohn’s disease can inflame any part of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus.

Ulcerative colitis affects only the lining of the large intestine (colon) and rectum.

Addison’s disease

Addison’s disease affects the adrenal glands, which produce the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. Having too little of these hormones can affect the way the body uses and stores carbohydrates and sugar.

Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, weight loss, and low blood sugar.

Graves’ disease

Graves’ disease attacks the thyroid gland in the neck, causing it to produce too much of its hormones. Thyroid hormones control the body’s energy usage, or metabolism.

Having too much of these hormones revs up your body’s activities, causing symptoms like nervousness, a fast heartbeat, heat intolerance, and weight loss.

So how can you begin to fortify your body different diseases mentioned above? It is imperative that you take two major steps in order to help your body help you! First you must detoxify your body to prepare it for healing basically you must read your body of the various different toxins that lie dormant in our bodies from various different things which include but are not limited to:

Heavy Metals

Found in drinking water, fish, vaccines, pesticides, preserved wood, antiperspirant, building materials, dental amalgams, chlorine plants

Can cause cancer, neurological disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, fatigue, nausea, abnormal heart rhythm, and damage to blood vessels

PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls)

Found in farm-raised salmon

Can cause cancer, impaired fetal brain development

Dioxins

Found in animal fats

Can cause cancer, reproductive disorders, chloracne, skin rashes, and skin discoloration

Pesticides

Found in bug sprays, commercially raised meats, and other foods

Can cause cancer, Parkinson’s disease, miscarriage, nerve damage, and birth defects

Phthalates

Found in plastic wrap, plastic bottles, and other plastic food containers

Can cause endocrine system damage

VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)

Found in drinking water, paint, deodorants, cosmetics, and dry cleaned clothing

Can cause cancer, eye irritation, headaches, and memory impairment

Asbestos

Found in flooring insulation, ceilings, water pipes, and heating ducts from the 1950s to 1970s

Can cause cancer, scarring of the lung tissue, mesothelioma

Chlorine

Found in household cleaners and drinking water

Can cause sore throat, coughing, eye irritation, rapid breathing, narrowing of the bronchi, wheezing, blue coloring of the skin, pain in the lung region, and lung collapse.

Likewise you must also cleanse your body which refers to the things you put in your body to help your organs function properly that control the natural detoxification process of your body such as the liver and the kidneys. The truth is the body has the ability not only heal itself but also prevent diseases in certain things from happening the old adage definitely Rings true if you take care of your body will take care of you!

What things can you do to start to begin to fortify your body?

First and foremost as far as food is concerned we should do our best to try and avoid various things like dairy products, heavily processed foods, red meat, alcohol and wheat.

What are some foods and herbs you can use to help cleanse your body?

Fruits and vegetables is a major key when detoxifying and cleansing the body things such as asparagus, eggplant, spinach, and blue berries saturate the body full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals helping to flush out the toxins and then purities major organs such as the kidneys, pancreas and liver. When it comes to Healing herbs like turmeric root which helps to fight inflammation in the body as well as you fill in the blank increase brain function.

Likewise you can consume things like white tea which help to osteoporosis and reduces insulin resistance. Another good choice would be chamomile tea which helps the reset digestive tract while sleeping as well as helping to control blood sugar as well as promote heart health.

To learn more please subscribe to my email list for daily education and also go to https://thestonepowerhouse.com/stone-cleanse/ to learn more about our fantastic 21 day detox cleanse and “make the commitment to yourself” to “fortify your body from the inside out through the use of “Whole Foods and Hard Work” Let’s make “the impossible possible.”