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How I Healed My Hamstrings (part 2)

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/images/hamstring.jpg

Dear Yoga Student,

My last hamstring post flooded my inbox,
Facebook, and Twitter pages with responses…

So let me get right into it and tell you how I fixed
my hamstrings (yes, I ended up pulling the left
one too).

ICE: This is helpful the first few days only. After
that, I find it totally pointless. Alternating ice/heat
is meant to increase circulation, but most of these
routines are prescribed by doctors who feel like
they need to have some advice for their patients who,
for the most part, don’t actually move except to grab
some bonbons from the freezer on commercial breaks…

… so yeah, ice it good and cold the first few days,
but after that, lose the ice.

DON’T STOP STRETCHING: Everyone I talked to
including yoga teachers told me to stop practicing
until it healed. There were two fundamental problems
with this.

(a) By that time, I was totally hooked on yoga and
hated missing even one day of practice

(b) While resting did help it heal, as soon as I’d do
anything, my hammy’s would flare up just like before

*Don’t get me wrong here. If you absolutely quit doing
anything and “lay flat” for 2 months, your hamstring
will heal. It’ll heal fast and hard and tight, but as soon
as soon as you try to use it again, it’s going to hurt.

FORGET MASSAGES: I know I’ll get hate mail for saying
this, but I’ve pulled a bunch of muscles (being stupid mostly)
and massages never helped. They’ll talk to you about
“breaking up the scar tissue” and “balancing the energy,”
but honestly, digging your thumbs into a bruised hamstring
proved counter-productive for me.

NO HOT YOGA: The heat along with stretching can make
even the most bruised-up tissues feel strong and limber.
It’s a weird thing, but if you pull your hamstring, stay out
of the heat for at least 2-4 weeks. You won’t know your
limits, and you’ll wake up in a serious world of hurt.

NO JOGGING: Jogging is pretty tough on a bruised hamstring
so don’t do it. Walking is good though.

CYCLE & SWIM: Both cycling and swimming are great
for gentling strengthening your hamstrings, and you
want to start this within a week of injury. On a bike,
just cruise around (nothing hardcore). In the pool,
get a kick board and do laps. That up/down motion
is great on the backs of the legs.

FORGET THE ‘EXPERTS’: People go to doctors looking
for quick fixes and cures, not prevention or long-term
health plans. It’s as much our fault as it is theirs,
but just remember that no ultrasound machine or
sports therapy session even comes close to a very
conscious yoga practice (at least from what I’ve seen).

POWER YOUR QUADS: Your quads (fronts of legs) are
the opposing muscles to the hamstrings, so you want
to engage them as hard as you can every time you’re
folding forward. Sometimes, it can be helpful to literally
grab your quads and squeeze them tight to feel the
strength balancing out the weakness.

BEND YOU KNEES: With a slightly bent knee, your quads
automatically engage a little thus protecting your hamstring.
Micro-bend your knees in all your forward bends (even
if your teacher yells at you:)

HEALING TIME: It all depends on how bad it is. A small
strain might heal in 1-3 weeks, a pull could take 2-3 months,
and a true tear usually will take 6-18 months to fully heal.

Sounds depressing, I know, but if you follow the routine
above, after about 4-6 weeks, you can do everything you
did before, you’ll just “feel” your hamstring and will have
to back off to make sure you don’t go backwards with your
healing.

SUPPLEMENTS & MEDICINE: People do get steroid shots
and things, but I wouldn’t go that route. As soon as you
can, get off all painkillers as well. Supplements were really
helpful for me. Here’s what I used:

Pineapple (one whole one per day) – Very high in the enzyme
bromelain that helps inflammation and tissue regeneration.

MSM -2000-3000 mg/day (same dosage as in YOAGBODY).
Be careful as crappy brands will give you terrible gas and
bloating. In my formula, we cut it with Vit C and Greens
for maximum effect.

Vit C - 500 mg buffered so it’s easier to digest.

Green Juice – Just cause it’s always good;)

Spouted Rice Protein - This one is new to me, and very
helpful. Difficult to find, but 15-30 grams per day is great.
I’m creating a special YOGA PROTEIN formula in about 4
weeks, so I’ll give you more info then.

Yoga, like any kind of physical practice, is going to
open you up to injuries. The truth is, injuries are
really rare, and as long as you take care of yourself,
they often end up helping your body to balance itself out
in the long run.

That’s a whole other discussion we can get into later…

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Nutritional Supplement for Yoga Students

p.s. Let me know how you fixed your hamstring…
I’m always curious to learn new tricks. Post your
experience down below:

p.p.s. Seriously, say ‘no’ to Advil.

Written on 09 July 2010 by Lucas under Blog Posts, Uncategorized with 3 Comments

Drink 1000 Bottles of Red Wine?


Dear Yoga Student,

People hate dieting and restrictions, so to respond
to that, the pop health industry comes out with all
kinds of crazy, such as:

* Chocolate is a now a superfood
* Eat anything (including sugars) as long as it’s raw
* Reverse heart disease by drinking red wine

All this stuff sounds really exciting and is great news for unhappy dieters – and there is some truth to each of them…

… but in nutrition, the most common mistake is to
take what’s true in a petri dish and apply it to something
as complex and unique as the human body (says me).

So here’s the rub:

Red wine contains resveretrol, an anti-oxidant that
seems to prevent clogged arteries. The only problem is
that in the research with mice, these health benefits
appeared when mice were given the human equivalent
of resveretrol found in 100-1000 bottles of wine per day.

Here’s what we know:

*You’ll never be able to drink enough red wine to
get the huge doses of resveretrol used in the tests
(and please don’t try).

*If you are drinking for anti-oxidant benefits (and not
the buzz), just drink a grape smoothie or grape juice.

*If you ARE drinking for the buzz (but would like to keep
it as healthy as possible), drink organic red wine because
it can have up to 10x+ more resveretrol and other anti-
oxidants simply because those naturally-grown grapes
have to create anti-fungal, anti-bacterial compounds
to survive.

I think everyone should enjoy some chocolate, sweets,
and wine now and then – if you enjoy it – but it’s really
important to call it what it is so you treat it like it is.
An indulgence.

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Yoga Swings for Backbends

p.s. Got comments or questions? Please post them below!

Written on 29 April 2010 by Lucas under Food, Nutritional Supplements & Yoga, Uncategorized with 6 Comments

Never Stop Stretching – Secret #7 of 7

Dear Yoga Student,

Once, a yoga teacher really hurt me.

I used to practice at this dingy old studio in
the East Village in New York City where the
head teacher was known for his strong
adjustments.

Hmm… I should have known better.

I was in cobra pose and this teacher came up
behind me, stuck his knee right between my
shoulders, and “knee-ed” me into a REALLY
deep backbend.

That’s when I heard a POP!

Ever torn an intercostal muscle? Let me tell you,
it’s not fun. Just a deep breath or light laughter
would sent knife-blade pain down my entire left
side!

Yoga’s not supposed to hurt, but hey, sometimes
it does.

So I started treating myself naturally. I knew
all about sulfur, the most important mineral for
tissue regeneration, and I knew that MSM was
the best source for it. (MSM is an organic form
of sulfur derived from pine trees).

But I wasn’t taking nearly enough!

Most MSM supplements contain 500-1000 mg
which isn’t even an ‘active dose.’ I discovered
that the supplement companies save money
by giving consumers mini-doses which don’t
actually do anything!

When I found this out, I was pissed off.

My nutritional coach suggested I take 3-4 grams
of MSM combined with Vitamin C as part of my
regular healthy diet. And since I’m always
open to experiments (especially with all-
natural, water soluble nutrients), I gave it
a shot.

And you know what? It worked!

The whole time I was injured, I never stopped
stretching (I just moved very carefully), and
within 5 weeks, I was as good as new!

Here’s today’s lesson… if you hurt yourself:

1 – Don’t stop stretching, just go really slow
and be gentle.

2 – Take MSM with Vitamin C. MSM is one of
the most pure, bio-available sources for sulfur
in nature, and when combined with the free
radical scavenger Vitamin C, you then have
the beginnings of the prefect stretching formula.

You can read more about my formula here:
YOGABODY Formula

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC

p.s. Read what my students are saying about
YOGABODY here: YOGABODY Rave Reviews

p.p.s. Beware of low quality MSM. It will give you
a really upset stomach and gas. The MSM I use is
99+% pure (similar to that found in veggies) and in
combination with my Triple Green Blend & Vit C, it’s
more effective AND very easy to digest and absorb.

Written on 27 March 2010 by Lucas under 7 Secrets of Nutrition & Flexibility, Uncategorized with 5 Comments

Flexibility is Not Genetic – Secret #6 of 7

Dear Yoga Student,

I don’t care if your mom is stiff…

… or if your dad can’t touch his toes.
Flexibility is not genetic!

My older brother, Ryan, can drop down into
the full side-splits (that’s impressive), while my
younger brother, Mike, has a hard time touching
his toes.

Genetically, these two are 99.9% alike, so why
the difference? Well, Ryan stretches and Mike
doesn’t. It’s that simple.

Forget the rumors: flexibility is not something
you either have or don’t have – like red hair or
a clef chin. Flexibility is developed through
physical practice and proper diet. Nothing else.

What does that mean? Well if you did ballet as
and ate a macrobiotic diet, then sure, you’ll
probably have an easier time with stretches.

Here’s how it works: people move their limbs
through a wide range of motion on a regular
basis tend to be really flexible… the rest of us
tend to be stiff.

So obviously, if you want to improve your flexibility,
you need to start stretching. That’s probably not news
to you–but maybe this is:

1 – You need to stretch 5 days per week, but only
for about fifteen minutes

2 – You need to practice long-hold Gravity Poses,
these are passive stretches that target specific areas

That’s right. Just 15 minutes per day.

If you’re looking for a fast-track stretching
routine, in the YOGABODY Handbook, I have a
5-day program that targets all the major areas
of the body.

It’s got color photos and is extremely easy to
follow… but let me give you one passive stretch
for the hips that you can do right now:

1 – standing, bring your feet wider than your hips
2 – squat down and turn your feet slightly outward
3 – bring your arms inside your knees
4 – rest your hands on the floor with your palms
facing up
5 – drop your head and relax
6 – breathe in through your nose and out through
your mouth for 100 breaths (really, really deep
breaths)

Tomorrow, I’ll tell you how a New York City yoga
teacher popped one of my intercostal muscles.

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Yoga Protein for Lean-Bodied Strength

p.s. The YOGABODY Handbook is available here:
YOGABODY Flexibility Kit

Written on 27 March 2010 by Lucas under 7 Secrets of Nutrition & Flexibility, Uncategorized with 5 Comments

Raw Food for Flexibility – Secret #5 of 7

Dear Yoga Student,

In 2002, I stopped eating.

I lived in New York City at the time, and after
returning from my first 10-day, silent Vipassana
meditation course, I got off the subway in a
daze and said, “Forget it!”

Forget meat, forget dairy, forget booze, and
forget cigarettes. I quit everything right there -
just like that.

I began this new healthy chapter of my life with
a 5-day fast. I drank carrot juice, orange juice,
watermelon, cucumber – anything I could find.
My head was spinning, my belly was shrinking,
and a little voice in my head said:

“You’re on to something here, Luke!”

So when I started eating again, I ate only raw
food… and that lasted for the better part of 2 years!
In case you don’t know, raw vegan food consists
of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Nothing else.

Lucky for me, I really like plants (hmm… broccoli).

Here’s what happened: I dropped 40 lbs in 8 weeks,
my clothes hung from my lean frame like laundry
on the line, and I had this crazed look in my eyes of
someone who just discovered a HUGE secret… and
I had! Wanna hear it?

“Food is the most powerful drug on this planet!”

Eat the good stuff, and like a German diesel engine,
your body will perform like a champ for a century.
But if you like to eat the crap at 7-11, then you
better invest in a premium health insurance plan.

So what does this have to do with flexibility?

Well, when I started on a plant-based diet,
I got really bendy, really fast because plant
foods prime your body for growth and change
like no other.

Here’s a quick tip: try to eat at least 1 raw meal
per day (a giant salad is fine), and if you can,
make it your last meal of the day.

I’ve done this experiment with over 140 people,
and they ALL told me the same thing: raw food
makes you flexible.

Plus, it’s damn good for you too.

Funny how that works… if you eat healthy foods,
your body seems to perform better. Coincidence?
I doubt it.

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Yoga for Flexibility

p.s. The YOGABODY Liquid Detox is a great way to
cleanse your body and limber up. I’ve been leading
detox retreats for years and now am about to release
a home version. More to come on that…

p.p.s. Questions? Comments? Post them below.

Written on 27 March 2010 by Lucas under 7 Secrets of Nutrition & Flexibility, Uncategorized with 10 Comments

Yoga doesn’t work (usually) – Secret #4 of 7

Dear Yoga Student,

Warning: this might shock you!

Yoga classes, for flexibility, rarely work.
Sad but true. Let me tell you why.

In most yoga classes, you’ll practice 30-50
postures in 90 minutes. This means that you
usually get less than 30 seconds per posture.

I’m no math whiz, but I can tell you this:
20 seconds ain’t much! Neither is 40 seconds
and neither is 1 minute.

If you want to really get flexible (this century),
you need to start holding postures for 2-5 minutes.

Sound crazy?

Well get this: most yoga poses demonstrate rather
than develop flexibility. That’s why dancers are
always the stars of yoga classes while the stiff
guys (like me 5 years ago) hide out in the back
and pray for a miracle.

Well stop praying and start practicing!

The miracle of flexibility is in self practice,
at home, where you can take your time. I’m a
yoga teacher, and I know what I’m talking about.

If you want to get flexible, you need to learn a
different way to stretch. The method I use,
called Gravity Poses, involves ZERO effort,
just a ton of concentration and deep breathing.

Let me give you a sample of what I’m talking
about. This is for tight hamstrings:

1 – Stand with your feet about as wide as your hips
2 – Bend your knees a little
3 – Grab opposite elbows, and fold forward over your
legs
4 – Relax your head
5 – Breath in through your nose and out through your
mouth really deeply (I mean, really deeply)
6 – Count 100 breaths and then release

*NOTE: don’t bounce or wiggle or use any effort…
just allow gravity to do the work.

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Increase Your Flexibility

p.s. Gravity Poses are the best way to open up your
body quickly and safely. In the YOGABODY Handbook,
I’ve got a five-day stretching schedule that consists
entirely of body-opening, Gravity Poses. The handbook
is FREE when you order my kit… at least for now.

Written on 27 March 2010 by Lucas under 7 Secrets of Nutrition & Flexibility, Uncategorized with 5 Comments

Coffee Makes You Stiff – Secret #2 of 7

Dear Yoga Student,

When I was 19, I worked at Starbucks on Park Row
in downtown Manhattan.

At first, I was really into the Carmel Macchiato, but
after two months, I couldn’t drink the sweet stuff
anymore. Made me sick.

The staff mostly drank Americanos (espresso and
hot water), but after a couple weeks on those, I
decided to skip the water and drink 12 oz. glasses
of straight espresso–3 times per day!

My bean of choice was from Sumatra; full bodied,
thick as mud, and not too bitter.

I was a coffee boy for nearly a year and half (the
entire time ruthlessly addicted to caffeine) and
here’s what happened:

- I gained 15 lbs.
- My skin went translucent
- My stools looked like petrified wood
- I couldn’t seem to sleep OR stay awake
- My love life was crap (read between the lines)
- Every joint in my body ached

What I’m trying to tell you is, I know coffee. I
know why you love it and why you need to give
it up, or a least cut WAY back.

Here’s a quick stretching tip: drink fresh juice
instead of coffee, tea, or sodas and watch your
flexibility improve within 36 hours. I’m serious.

Sound too simple?

Get this: caffeine sucks the water out of your
system, fries your nerves, and makes you tense.
Let me put it this way: dry, tense, over-stimulated
bodies are, without fail, stiff and tight every time.

If you really need a pick-me-up, do a 3-5 minute
headstand. It beats the hell out of Grande cup
of Sumatran espresso any time.

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Yoga Swing For Stiff Back Pain

p.s. Instead of coffee, I now use Liquid Clarity-B for a
natural, healthy pick-me-up. You can listen to me ranting
more about coffee here: Liquid Clarity-B

Written on 27 March 2010 by Lucas under 7 Secrets of Nutrition & Flexibility, Uncategorized with 4 Comments

The Secret Doesn’t Work – YOGABODY

Dear Yoga Student,

Have you seen the movie, “The Secret?”

I saw it. I loved it. I think I watched it three times. It made me feel really good about my life and my dreams and my aspirations…

… but you know what? It doesn’t work!

The ideas in the movie are amazing – positive thinking, setting your intention, creative visualization, abundance mindset – but that’s not enough.

Never has been. Never will be.

Everyday, I meet bright-eyed positive thinkers who never get anything done. I mean nothing. They can’t pay their rent, they show up late to class, they don’t go to the dentist… I could go on and on, but I’ll stop!

What the world needs is NOT more dreams. We need more action takers. More people who wake up in the morning when their alarm clock goes off (instead of hitting the snooze button 4 times). We need people who eat more broccoli and less T-bone steaks. People who are serious about creating radiant health and abundance in their lives…

… people who are NOT AFRAID to actually get off the couch and do something!

You can make “dream boards” or sit around “imagining” how you’d love your body and life to be all day long. It’s fun and uplifting, but ultimately pointless until you do something.

Let me tell you a story so you get this deep down under your skin.

My first bicycle was a hard rubber-tired Schwinn red & white tank that my dad fixed up for me. It was a collector’s item to be sure, but it was not a bike that any kid in 1984 wanted to be seen riding around on.

The one I wanted was a Predator BMX with black mag wheels and a blue steel frame. My family didn’t have much back then, but instead of sitting around staring at the picture of the bike in a magazine hoping some positive thinking fairies were going to take pity on me and give me the bike of my dreams, I forced the issue.

I mowed lawns. I did chores. I cleaned cars.

It took me 9 months, but I saved up $268 dollars and I bought the damn thing myself. For cash. That, my friend, is the real “Secret.”

Suck up your pride, strap on your boots, and get to work. You want something? Great, now take some massive action and get it!

Here’s why I’m telling you all this:

I’m a really flexible guy, but it’s not magic. I found a system that worked – yoga poses, diet, nutrition – and I followed that system until I got the results I wanted.

My old body was like that hard rubber-tired Schwinn. It was OK to look at, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to ride that thing around for the rest of my life.

Now, I got my BMX…

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Yoga Flexibility Kit

Written on 07 January 2010 by Lucas under Blog Posts, Uncategorized with 11 Comments

Hips Don’t Lie!


Dear Yoga Student,

Everyone I know in the yoga world is totally
obsessed with opening up their hips.

I’ve got one friend who sits in full lotus at
the movie theater and doesn’t release
his legs until the credits role.

Sound crazy?

Yes, it is. But I understand ’cause my hips
used to be so locked-up that it HURT just to
sit on the floor.

I distinctly remember being at a nutrition
lecture in 2002, sitting school-style on the
floor for about 30-minutes straight, and both
my legs went completely numb…

… and I was dripping with sweet because
that was a huge hip stretch for me – just
sitting on my arse!

So while there’s no reason to get obsessed
over tight hips, I’m all for doing whatever
it takes to be comfortable in the body you
live in.

For massive flexibility gains, I teach passive
stretches in a series I call Gravity Yoga.
Particularly for tight hips, there are a couple
standing postures that work wonders.

SECRET HIP OPENER #1: Warrior I Posture

This pose is taught in almost every yoga class, but
usually you just cruise through it. I like to use a
clock and hold it steady for 3-5 minutes per side
(Iyengar flashbacks, anyone?). Try it and your hips
will get incredibly soft and limber.

SECRET HIP OPENER #2: Crescent Lunge

Same idea, but take your back heal off the ground.
I like to alternate static holds between Warrior I
and Crescent Lunge until my hips are REALLY loose,
and then I’ll do some classic hip openers like a
butterfly or king pigeon.

Your hips are massive joints with gobs of connective
tissue that you need to train, stretch, and release.
So be patient!

PLEASE NOTE: in both these postures, keep you front
ankle in-line with (or in front of) your front knee for
safety. That’s all for today…

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Yoga Inversion Swing for Backbends

p.s. What’s your favorite hip stretch? Post your comments
down below…

Written on 07 June 2008 by Lucas under Tips & Tricks: Stretching, Yoga & Life, Uncategorized with 5 Comments

Sick People & Health Food Stores


Dear Yoga Student,

When I first got into healthy living, one of
my old friends asked me:

“Why does everyone in the health food
store look so sick?”

I didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. Sick
people hang out in health food stores, obsess
over foods choices, and study labels like scientists.

The world is full of paradoxes like this, and here’s
what REALLY gets me:

At least 1/2 the “health food” on the market isn’t
actually healthy at all. I’m serious. Sugar-free
cookies, bran-filled muffins, fat-free ice cream…
this stuff is all processed garbage.

I know this because I put it to the test in 1999.
For 3 months straight, I ate nothing but Balance
Bars (these little energy bars sold at GNC, grocery
stores, and gas stations).

They used to have a flavor called Strawberry-Yogurt,
and I ate those damn things like they were going
out of style.

Let me whet your palate: each bar had a white cream
coating that covered a brown turd nugget with the
consistency of a 3-week old brownie. And inside, it
contained the following:

* 15 grams of protein
* 15 grams of carbs
* 6 grams of fat
* 23 essential vitamins & minerals
* 100% daily allowance of Vitamin C & E
* Full B vitamin spectrum

Back then, I used to smoke and drink, so the above
nutrients sounded like a jackpot. I was in pathetic
shape with a weak and floppy body; but I figured I
just needed some better nutrients.

So I gave up all food and just munched on these
perfect little “balanced” bars instead.

Surprise, surprise, I felt like crap. My eyes turned
grey, I stank like garbage, and I used the toilet
about once every 3 days… nightmare!

In the morning, I’d wake up with a coppery taste
in my mouth, and my pee was as bright as orange
juice (there goes those “23 essential vitamins”).

Back then, I couldn’t figure it out. Technically,
I had everything an exceptionally healthy person
needs: the protein, the nutrients, the right amount
of fat.

But with food, “technically” doesn’t mean squat.
Naturally is what matters.

Case and point: do you know anyone who eats
meat and potatoes every day and is super healthy?
I do. Know anyone who eats “health foods” all day
and yet looks and feels like crap? I do.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying give up your
healthy meals for 2 all-beef patties on a sesame
seed bun… but what I am saying is that WHOLE
food trumps so-called HEALTH food 7 days a week.

No packaging. No processing. No additives.
No nothing.

Food comes from the earth, and the really healthy stuff
arrives on your plate shortly thereafter. If you’re into
yoga, if you want to be more flexible, if you’re trying
to connect with your physical body… then I gotta tell
you, food is where it’s at!

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC

p.s. The only thing that might trump whole foods for
nutrition are Superfoods. Have you seen our Micro
Mineral Green formula? It’s the quickest way to “green
up” a blah meal… YOGABODY Store

Written on 31 December 1969 by Lucas under Tips & Tricks: Stretching, Yoga & Life, Uncategorized with 3 Comments