How to Reduce Everyday Pain and Inflammation in Your Body! by Todd M. Cambio, CSCS - HTML preview

Biography

 

Todd M. Cambio, CSCS is the owner of Precision Fitness, LLC in Pawcatuck, CT where he specializes in FAST Workouts for FAST Results.

He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association as well as a Sports Nutritionist.

Todd holds a BS in Dietetics from the University of Rhode Island as well as a BA in Secondary Education and Biology from Rhode Island College.

For over 10 years Todd has been educating athletes on fueling tactics and training modes for optimal performance. He was a high school biology teacher from 1999-2007, a high school football coach from 2000 – 2004 and a high school Strength and Conditioning Coach from 2005– 2008 before opening Precision Fitness.

Todd is a former college football player and nationally ranked BMX racer. His passion for athletics and sports nutrition led him in the direction of sports performance training. Athletes train hard and tend to have lots of pain and inflammation. So Todd searched for methods that would help his clients heal faster, feel better and perform better. He now teaches these strategies to adults, as well as athletes, who want to look and feel better all the time.

After years of training clients of all abilities, there seems to be one common trend, we all get sore and have some pain along the way. There now seems to be a shift towards longer bouts of pain and inflammation with ALL people.

Maybe I just pay better attention to what people are saying or maybe there is a shift in our society towards a sedentary lifestyle that is wreaking havoc on our bodies? I do believe we sit too much. We sit at work, in front of a computer, in our cars commuting to and from work, in front of the TV and while playing video games. We sit much more often than in the past. Keep in mind, our society is larger (over weight and obese) than it has ever been. The food supply has more chemicals and less nutrients than ever before andI haven’t even mentioned the portion sizes that are out there today. I can’t say I have all the answers, but I will offer some solutions.

How to Reduce Everyday Pain and Inflammation in the Body is a manual that will help you can take control of your body and help it heal, recover and rejuvenate.
Enjoy,
Todd M. Cambio, CSCS

 

1. Why is this Important?

 

a. You will feel better.

 

b. You will have less tightness and soreness.

 

c. You will recover fasterfrom life’s activities

 

d. You will have less down time due to illness.

 

e. You will reduce your chance of injury

 

f. You will reduce pain & inflammation in the body

 

2. Causes of these risk factors:
a. Limited Range of Motion
i. Muscle Imbalances

 

1. In simple terms, a muscle imbalance occurs when

 

you have overdeveloped and tight muscles in one

 

area of your body while the opposing muscles are

 

weak and stretched out of their normal position.

 

These imbalances can happen anywhere on the

 

body and often develop as the result of the routine

 

things you do while on the job, playing sports, or

 

engaging in other activities you enjoy.

 

2. Here are just a few conditions that can develop as

 

a result of muscle imbalances: IT band syndrome,

 

SI joint syndrome, sciatica, frozen shoulder, knee

 

pain, hip pain, fibromyalgia and all forms of back

 

pain.

 

ii. Posture

 

1. As your muscles get more and more out of

 

balance, you end up pulling yourself out of proper

 

alignment. Once a postural dysfunction has

 

developed, your body cannot go on for long this

 

way before you will begin to experience

 

problems.

 

b. Inflammation– Natural healing process in response to

 

illness or injury which results in heat, swelling and pain.

 

1. Environmental– hot or cold weather, noisy or

 

visually stimulating surroundings, tobacco smoke,

 

excessive alcohol consumption, infectious agents,

 

reactions to drugs, allergens, altitude, and foods

 

including produce, meats, grains, and ingredients

 

used to make various products grown without the

 

use of potentially harmful pesticides, chemical

 

fertilizers, antibiotics, or growth hormones. 2. Emotional - work, kids, finances, practice,

 

academic, performance, personality types (Type

 

A), disrupted sleep patterns, etc.

 

3. High Sugar Diets– highly oxidative in nature in

 

the body, causes free radicals.

 

4. High Fat Diets - oxidative in nature in the body,

 

causes free radicals

 

5. Processed Foods– high in both fat and sugar and

 

possible chemical dyes. Lack anti-oxidants, fiber,

 

and anti-inflammatories.

 

6. Being Overweight– accumulation of adipose

 

tissue. Causes stress and inflammation on all the

 

body’s major systems (circulatory, lymphatic,

 

skeletal, muscular, hormonal, etc.). c. Stress– Response to emotional or physical threats, whether

 

real or imagined.

 

1. Accumulation of all these stressors can, at times,

 

be too much for your immune system to handle.

 

2.First sign of the body’s inability to cope with

 

stress and inflammation is upper respiratory

 

problems.

 

3. More advanced manifestations of unchecked

 

stress have been linked to eating disorders and

 

depression.

 

d. Disease– Unchecked inflammation and stress that persists

 

over time could lead to:

 

1. Chronic fatigue, pain, heart disease, hypertension,

 

diabetes, cancer, and a host of auto-immune

 

diseases.

 

How to Deal with These Risk Factors?
1. Foam Rolling (self myofascial release)

 

a. What is it?

 

i. Self-massage or myofascial release using your own
body's weight and a cylindrical foam roller. Do it every
day, multiple times a day if you can!

 

b. How it works:

 

i. The foam roller not only stretches muscles and tendons
but it also breaks down soft tissue adhesions and scar
tissue. It breaks up trigger points, and soothes tight
fascia while increasing blood flow and circulation to the
soft tissues. (see appendix for pictures and descriptions.)

 

http://www.toddcambio.com/p/products.html

 

2. Dynamic Flexibility - Moving stretches in a controlled range of

 

motion. Since these are moving stretches, check them out in

 

action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqcJl4YeITc

 

a. Movements include: jumping jacks, pogo jumps, seal jacks,

 

squats, sumo walk, lateral lunges, lunges with a twist, skips,

 

carioca, toy soldier, cross over toe-touch and Spiderman

 

3. Static Stretching– stretching beyond range of motion. Stretching

 

not only helps you become more flexible, but it allows your

 

muscles to reset to their proper length, it reduces soreness and it

 

helps them recover faster after strenuous bouts of exercise. Proper

 

stretching should take at least 20 seconds of a continuous hold per

 

muscle group. Make sure you are breathing deeply in and out to

 

get the most out of it. Stretching has an accumulative effect over

 

time to help heal the body and reduce pain. Stretching can be

 

done on a daily basis. (see appendix for pictures and descriptions.)

 

Other Options:

 

a. PNF stretching– Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation

 

(PNF) is used to supplement daily stretching and is employed

 

to make quick gains in range of motion to help athletes

 

improve performance. Good range of motion makes better

 

biomechanics, reduces fatigue and helps prevent overuse

 

injuries

 

b. Yoga– postures designed to tone, strengthen, and align the

 

body. These postures are performed to make the spine supple

 

and healthy and to promote blood flow to all the organs,

 

glands, and tissues, keeping all the bodily systems healthy.

 

On the mental level, yoga uses breathing techniques to quiet,

 

clarify, and discipline the mind.

 

c. Sports Massage– a type of Swedish massage that stimulates

 

circulation of blood and lymph fluids, breaks down adhesions

 

in muscles (knots in the muscle) and increases range of

 

motion. d. Physical Therapy- health care profession that provides

 

treatment to individuals to develop, maintain and restore

 

maximum movement and function throughout life. This

 

includes providing treatment in circumstances where

 

movement and function are threatened by aging, injury,

 

disease or environmental factors

 

e. Tai Chi– movements done slowly to“find” the kinks in your

 

body andcirculate your “Chi -life force energy” while

 

learning to move with ease and fluidity. Relaxation and

 

stress reduction in movement, breathing and a sense of ease

 

and centeredness. Excellent for spine, neck, shoulder and

 

joint pain.

 

f. Functional Movement Screen– A seven part movement test

 

that demonstrates movement compensations and

 

asymmetries. It assesses mobility (movement patterns) and

 

stability issues in the body. This screen can pick up

 

imbalances in strength, flexibility, alignment, range of

 

motion and balance. 4. Hydrate– drink at least 8 cups of water per day. 8 cups = four 16

 

oz water bottles = two 32 oz bottles!

 

a. Water allows the body to function the way it is supposed to

 

function. It also:

 

i. Regulates body temperature

 

ii. Helps break down food for fuel

 

iii. Aids in nutrient absorption and transport to our cells

 

iv. Lubricates the joints

 

v.It’s the most abundant component of our bodies

 

5. Anti-Inflammatory Foods
a. Fresh Fruits & Veggies

 

i. Loaded with Natural Anti-Oxidants & Anti
Inflammatories! Think colors…mix them up.

 

1. Blueberries have been shown to have a great anti

 

inflammatory effect. 1-1/12 cups per day

 

ii. Organic is best, followed by frozen then canned.

 

1. Foods grown without the use of potentially

 

harmful pesticides, chemical fertilizers,

 

antibiotics, or growth hormones.

 

iii. Carotenoids (Lots of Vitamin A)

 

1. These compounds are largely responsible for the

 

red, yellow, and orange color of fruits and

 

vegetables, and are also found in many dark green

 

vegetables.

 

2. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants, protecting

 

the cells of the body from damage caused by free

 

radicals. Carotenoids are also believed to enhance

 

the function of the immune system.

 

iv. Vitamin C

 

1. Helps protect from free radical damage, lowers

 

your risk for cancer, regenerates your Vitamin E

 

stores, improves wound healing, increases your

 

ability to fight off colds and helps with the

 

absorption if Iron. b. Green Tea (Red, White, Oolong & Black too)

 

i. Evidence suggests that regular green tea drinkers have

 

lower chances of heart disease and developing certain

 

types of cancer. A green tea extract rich in polyphenols

 

and caffeine has been shown to be useful for weight

 

loss since it induces thermogenesis and stimulates fat

 

oxidation

 

c. Spices & Herbs– Think bold colors.

 

i. They are loaded with antioxidants

 

ii. Top Spices & Herbs to bring down inflammation:

 

1. Turmeric/Curry– 400-600 mg of turmeric extract

 

3x/day will likely lead to measurable reductions

 

of inflammation.

 

2. Garlic– 2-4 cloves per day is recommended or

 

600-1200 mg garlic extract

 

3. Cinnamon

 

4. Cocoa– great for adding to shakes

 

5. Tea and tea extracts d. Healthy Fats– Increase your monounsaturated fats and

 

omega 3 fats and decrease trans-fats, omega 6 vegetable oils

 

and saturated fats (basically the fats being used in fast food,

 

snack food, fried food, and the baked goods industries) .

 

During acute injury, an increase in omega 3 (specifically fish

 

oil) is recommended because it leads to an anti-inflammatory

 

response in the body. Sources of healthy fats include:

 

i. Nuts, Seeds, Olives, Avocados, and the oils from
these foods.

 

1. Sources of Vitamin E– Powerful Anti-Oxidant

 

ii. Fish Oil– Rich in DHA and EPA Omega-3fatty acids

 

1. Omega 3 – found in cold water oceanic fish

 

(Salmon), seaweed, flax seeds, free range live

 

stock and wild game.

 

2. Studies recommend anywhere from 3-9 grams of

 

fish oil per day to bring down inflammation and

 

for injury repair. 3. Balance your fats as best you can on a daily basis

 

by eating olive oil, mixed nuts, avacados, flax

 

seeds and limit you omega 6 fats like vegetable

 

oils; such as corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil,

 

soybean oil, etc.

 

Herbalife Omega 3 Fatty Acid Gel Caps

 

e. Post Exercise Recovery Meal

 

i. Within 15 minutes is best uptake of Nutrients then two

 

hours after as well.

 

ii. Protein and Carbohydrate supplementation is best.

 

1. Research shows that shakes with protein &

 

carbohydrates are the best absorbed nutrients for

 

quick replenishment of muscle glycogen and

 

muscle repair with the added bonus of reducing

 

inflammation.

 

iii. Restores Muscle Glycogen (Muscle energy)

 

iv. Repairs Muscle Damage (Less Sore)

 

v. Initiates Protein synthesis (muscle building) not

 

breakdown (aka Catabolic State due to increase in stress

 

hormone cortisol and low glycogen stores)

 

vi. Protects your Immune System therefore lessoning your

 

chances of getting sick vii. In addition, carbohydrate-protein can reduce muscle

 

protein breakdown largely due to an increase in plasma

 

insulin. Insulin is one of the body’s most anabolic

 

hormones and exerts its most powerful effect post exercise– reducing protein degradation. Herbalife Healthy Shake Mix, Green Tea, Cell Activator and Multivitamin (extra protein is available too)

 

f. EXTRA Benefits of eating to reduce inflammation:

 

i. Protection against Cancer

 

1. By promoting proper communication between

 

cells, carotenoids may play a role in cancer

 

prevention.

 

ii. Protection from Heart Disease

 

1. Less plaque in your circulatory system and less

 

inflammation

 

iii. Lowers Cholesterol

 

1. Studies show that the Peels of Citrus Fruits and

 

Apples are better than some prescription drugs at

 

reducing cholesterol.

 

iv. Improved GI Function and Health

 

1. Lots of fiber from whole grains, legumes, fruits

 

and vegetables

 

v. Weight Loss

 

vi. More Energy

 

6. Recommended Supplements

 

a. Multi Vitamin– fills in missing micronutrients in our diets

 

b. Anti-Oxidants (Cell Activator & Garden 7) - prevent free

 

radicals from damaging cells in the body

 

c. Omega 3– improves heart health and joint health.

 

d. Glucosamine - effective at easing the joint discomfort and

 

largely increasing flexibility

 

Garden 7 provides antioxidants equal to 1 cup red grapes, 3 oz. of cranberries, one

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