Webinar Forum: Q & A with Brendan Brazier

Natural Standard is offering a series of upcoming complimentary webinars on integrative medicine. Natural Standard offers these impartial webinars as an informational public service. All webinars are recorded and archived at www.naturalstandard.com/webinars.

Catherine Ulbricht, PharmD, co-founder of Natural Standard, and Karina Gordin, PharmD recently interviewed Brendan Brazier.

Brazier is a professional Ironman triathlete, bestselling author on performance nutrition and the creator of whole-food nutritional products called VEGA. He is also a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion.

To listen to the webinar, please click here. Complimentary access to the webinar is available November 1-30, 2010.

Comments

[Kim]

Wow! It is amazing that Brendan is a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion. I find it amazing that he not only was able to complete an ultra marathon, but actually win it, twice! Congratulations to him; that is definitely something to be proud of! I am excited to listen to the webinar; he is sure to have some great tips.

[Mia]

It is interesting that barefoot running actually gained popularity back in the 1960s when a barefoot runner from Ethiopia won the Olympic marathon! I had just heard about barefoot running this summer, when I went to my friend’s house, and her dad went out for a run barefoot! I could not believe he was going out for a run without sneakers! I had thought it was a new thing, but he informed me of the great history behind barefoot running. Maybe someday I will give it a try, but for now I am sticking with sneakers.

[Christina]

I agree with the others regarding fatigue and cravings. This webinar put a lot of those feelings into perspective. Everyone has cravings, and that is why a lot of nutritionists advise small meals and keeping healthy snacks available. It is all too easy to cave in to unhealthy eating. Webinars like this are helpful reminders of why maintaining a healthy lifestyle is so important.

[Alex]

I recently met someone who does actually run barefoot. It apparently takes a lot of discipline to become a barefoot runner. He had to start by running just 5 minutes at a time and then slowly work up. Now he can do a few miles! You really have to get your feet used to the feeling and the lack of support. He showed me the "shoes" that he wears that are basically stickers on the soles of the feet. The idea of running barefoot is very interesting! I think I may try it next summer!

[Interested]

I actually saw a news segment last night that touched upon Brazier's conversation. They discussed how runners were "ditching their shoes" to run. Although, Brazier states that he has not utilized that technique thus far, it was interesting to hear more about this topic, and it made me think back to the Natural Standard blog. Definitely an interesting concept!

[GO]

Healthy eating as the basis of overall health is definitely something to take away from this webinar.

[MW]

I can definitely relate to Chris. When I first started pharmacy school, I ate goldfish snack crackers for dinner. When I counsel patients, I know where they're coming from. I know how hard it is, and have strategies that helped me that might work for them too.

[Tiff]

I thought that it was very interesting that only 11% of the energy that goes into food production and transportation is actually transportation. Thus, the remaining 80% is food production. Therefore, it is more important to eat "plant-based" diets, versus eating locally to help save the environment. I think that a common misconception among Americans is that transportation is the main issue.

[Jess]

There are a couple things from this webinar that I would like to emphasize. We can benefit from running not only physically, but also mentally. Running can stimulate the right side of brain and this improves your creativity. Also, the endorphins that are produced during exercise can make you feel better and possibly improve symptoms of depression.

[JIN]

I agree, Pharmstudent. This interview was a good reminder of how important it is to have a good lifestyle. I have been lazy selecting good food and exercising lately. Now that I am reminded of the impact unhealthy food and a lack of exercise can have on my body, I am going to work harder to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

[CTS]

I am not a runner, but it was interesting to hear what Brazier had to say. So many Americans can benefit from hearing this webinar!

[GC]

It's intriguing to hear about how much food affects both your mental and physical health down to the cellular molecular level. This interview definitely reinforced the saying, "you are what you eat."

[Chris]

KK, I too often eat too much in the evening! It definitely makes sense that cravings are a sign of fatigue because I am often tired when I get home from work and that is when I eat the most! I think it could also be because I am not as busy in the evening as I am at work, so I have more time to just think about food and give into those cravings! I should try to just eat a small snack when I get home from work and then do some fun activities off the couch to keep me busy and not thinking about food!

[ST]

It's interesting to hear about the differences between landing on your forefoot versus your heels when you run. It's great to hear about his views on running barefoot since the Vibram Five Finger shoes has just recently become all the rage for runners.

[RN]

This webinar was very exciting for me because I am a runner, and it was great to hear what tips Brendan Brazier had to say. What he had to say about running barefoot was very interesting. I have had people tell me that I should run barefoot, but I was always skeptical about this and have never tried it. I found it reassuring that it is does not really matter if you run barefoot or not; it’s more that you are running correctly and running on the forefoot, which is how I run.

[KK]

I found it really interesting to hear that cravings are often just signs of fatigue. They can also be a lack of carbohydrates in general. I know that I often eat too much in the evening and go to bed with a full stomach, which causes weight gain. Brazier recommends trying to space out meals and eating in moderation, something I have definitely struggled with. I hope to become more aware of my eating habits and avoid my late-night ice cream cravings!

[PharmStudent]

I was interested to listen to this webinar after reading that Brazier was an Ironman triathelete. I have the ultimate respect for these athletes and actually have a family friend who has participated in the Ironman previously. I cannot imagine the training and dedication necessary to participate in an event of that degree.

Brazier speaks about the importance of exercise, something I think that is often overlooked in the busy society of today. He provides tips about the proper way to run that will help sustain your muscles, including avoiding pavement and proper foot position. He also discusses how running builds both mental and physical strength, and how running actually stimulates creative thought while burning calories and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I was intrigued to learn that exercise and eating well actually keep you biologically younger, and not doing so can cause premature aging.

As a busy pharmacy student, I know I have definitely not maintained a healthy diet, and unfortunately, I have not had a routine exercise schedule lately. I found this to be a great wake-up call and hope to start to create better diet and exercise habits.