– Avoid plastics as much as possible. Drinking out of plastic bottles and eating out of tupperware containers has been shown to increase your estrogen. More estrogen equals less muscle and more fat.
– If you drink protein or meal replacement shakes be sure not to blend them up too thin. Ideally you want them to be thick enough that you have to chew them. Chewing stimulates the production of certain digestive enzymes which are released in your saliva and help you breakdown and process food more efficiently. If one twin drank ten cans of soda per day and then other had an equal amount of sugar from fat free cake, the twin who drank the soda would be fatter at the end of 12 weeks. Chewing your food is that important. Not to mention the fact that your body doesn’t burn as many calories during the digestion process when you consume fluids because they are so easily digested. So to at least try to combat this, make your shakes a bit on the thicker side or at the very least “chew” them down.
– Hold the bottom stretched position on calf raises for at least two seconds on every rep of every set you do. The calves respond greatly to loaded stretching. Anywhere from 2-15 second pauses at the bottom can be used for great results.
– Be sure to do as many reps for the forearm extensors as you do for the forearm flexors if you want to avoid elbow issues. More exercises (bent over rows, barbell curls) and motions in life (throwing a baseball, swinging a golf club) have you in forearm flexion than in forearm extension. You need to balance this out to prevent problems.
– If you do have elbow problems (tennis elbow) try getting a few strong rubber bands or the Expand Your Hand Bands from IronMind and open your fingers up against the resistance. Do this for a couple sets of ten to twenty reps every day for a few weeks and see if it doesn’t help. It should.
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09. Jul, 2009
at 7:54 am #
Hey Jason.
Is that true of all plastics? I am pretty sure that it is more on a scale. The softer the plastic, the more estrogen released. Harder plastics are better than softer. I usually avoid soft plastics in supermarkets for meats etc.
Dean
09. Jul, 2009
at 9:55 am #
Jason,
I’m glad to see you mention plastics and bisphenol A. Ever since this story broke, I’ve been trying to avoid as much plastic as possible.
You might also want to mention canned goods in your group of things to avoid. Most cans have plastic liners that can leach BPA in the can’s contents. A few companies have taken the hint though, and are using BPA-free liners. The only company I can think of right now is Eden’s Organic, they use a plant-based liner in their cans.
Thanks for the tip on the shakes too. I’ll be adding a lot less water to my afternoon shakes now.
Know any good recipes for pudding? =)
calicobeard
09. Jul, 2009
at 10:33 am #
I need to start making my shakes thicker! thanks for the tip!!
09. Jul, 2009
at 11:31 am #
Dean,
That is correct. I still try to avoid them all as much as possible, though.
09. Jul, 2009
at 11:32 am #
Calicobeard,
Awesome tips about the canned goods. Thanks for sharing. I make pudding with protein powder, coconut milk, almond butter and ice. Blend it up real thick and stick it in the freezer for a bit.
09. Jul, 2009
at 11:36 am #
You don’t necessarily have to make the shakes ultra thick like dairy queen, the main point is that you chew no matter how thick they are. Sometimes in a rush I just slug some Sun Warrior protein mixed with almond milk. It’s very thin. But when it’s in my mouth I chew a few times before swallowing just to increase the enzyme release. People will look at you like there’s something wrong with you when you do this so try to do it in private.
04. Aug, 2009
at 8:47 am #
Just a quick question on the plastics…. how greatly does it affect levels?!
Ive been preparing lots of meals and then storing them in strong tupperware containers to eat later, its also how i keep my food/protein all organised… are you saying i should go out and buy glass containers?!
any help appreciated!