Interview with Eric Serrano, MD
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SHM: Doc, I used a periodized training and nutrition plan that you created
for me and you mentioned that one of the goals was to regenerate the adrenal
glands to boost metabolism. How was this accomplished?
ES: Number of calories, macronutrient ratios, workouts, and supplementation
will all affect the regeneration of metabolism. Many people severely stress the
adrenal glands with extended dieting. I recommend only dieting for 16 weeks or a
catabolic state will kick in. Traditional long duration cardio will make these
situations worse.
SHM: What can be done to prime the system for those who were chronic
dieters?
ES: The low caloric levels they have consumed will bring metabolism to a
halt. They have to raise calories for 4 weeks, which adjusts the system to
positive caloric intake. The body will learn to burn fat if it wants to and not
save it during this period. This is a good time to put on Lean Body Mass (LBM)
as well. Added LBM helps to increase metabolic rates around the clock.
SHM: What will happen to long-term low carb dieters?
ES: Those diets will stop working; you must raise carbs for a certain period
of time to regenerate the system. I like low carb diets, but a limited number of
people understand how to use them. They need to be set up in a specific manner
to provide the best results.
SHM: What factors regulate metabolism? How can you tell when your body is
really ready to lose body fat?
ES: There is combination of many factors that regulate metabolism:
environment, weather and temperature may cause you burn more calories,
nutrition, training, health, all taken into consideration. Poor levels of
testosterone and high levels of Cortisol will also hinder metabolism. Birth
control or anti depressants make it very hard to lose fat and it may take 6-9
months to break that cycle. Serotonin can increase body weight, often elevated
by prescription anti depressants.
SHM: Can someone who wants to diet in the future prepare for that phase by
doing a higher calorie phase with some hypertrophy training to ready the system
for a productive fat loss effort?
ES: Yes, this is a good idea. These preparation phases are very important,
and I have seen the preparation phases that you have prepared. They are well
thought out and produce results.
SHM: What do you think of saliva hormonal test kits?
ES: They are a great tool for people to evaluate hormones. They are cheap,
costs about 80 bucks to have a testosterone profile done. Spitting in a tube is
about as easy as it gets and it is a lot easier than having blood taken. Blood
tests are expensive and insurance may or may not cover the expense for all of
the factors that I want to evaluate. The saliva test kits only take a few days
to get the results back after being sent in.
SHM: Have you found this method to be accurate?
ES: yes very accurate
SHM: I run into trainees who feel that they are doing everything right in
terms of diet and training, but still get no results. Could it be that there is
a hormonal problem that will prevent them from making progress?
ES: Yes, I see this very often in my practice and with clients who come to me
for help. I look at the hormone tests and create a comprehensive strategy to
correct problems. Sometimes people need medication, but I can make changes in
their diets that will help to optimize hormonal levels. The tests provide ranges
for hormone levels based on age and gender. Seek help from your physician if you
are deficient in any areas.
SHM: How often should you do these tests?
ES: Every three months if your results are normal, but do them more
frequently if you discover poor levels in any areas.
SHM: What should someone do in terms of training and nutrition when trying
to restore hormone levels if they were low based on test results.
ES: They should concentrate on restoring those levels. That is a whole
interview topic in its self. No progress will be made until the hormones are
restored to the right levels; they are the building blocks for everything.
Dieting or high volume training programs can make the problem much worse. Your
hormonal levels may have been depressed from something you were doing. Look at
your records and see if you can identify any problems.
SHM: What do you think of food allergy tests? Can you give us some
examples of how they help people make improvements?
ES: They are very important; Milk causes a problem for many people. It is
highly allergenic for kids especially. I am talking about whole milk in
particular not dairy products. Signals can be fatigue, constipation, lack of
motivation, headaches, running nose and shortness of breath during activity.
Asthma attacks can also happen. Allergic reactions will show up minutes later
for some and hours later for others. Determining food allergies can be tough for
those who do not see the affects right away. Immuno labs are one of the best
ways to identify the allergies. Rotation of foods is very important. I do not
believe in eating the same things all of the time because anything consumed can
become an allergen. You should rotate your foods regularly.
SHM: What do Immuno labs tell you? Will it be hard to lose body fat if you
are regularly eating foods you are allergic too?
ES: It will tell you what kinds of foods you are allergic to based on where
you live. It is very important and yes it will be very difficult to lose body
fat if you are constantly aggravating the system with allergic substances.
People will see results very quickly if they eliminate the allergic material.
Their energy levels will be much better and they will lose fat much faster. I
find that people with asthma will have fewer attacks and greatly reduced
shortness of breath while competing.
To be continued - February 2005 issue of CORE.
Scott H. Mendelson, author
of the 100% Fitness Solution E book and Director of InfinityFitness.com, is a highly
regarded performance nutrition and training specialist. In addition to his
celebrity and executive clients, Scott works daily with professional athletes
from the NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS and NCAA. Scott has built an excellent reputation
providing effective supplements, cutting-edge information and unmatched service
to thousands of clients worldwide. Also the special assistant to Dr. Eric
Serrano MD, Scott helps with the design of training and nutrition programs for
Serrano family practice patients in Columbus, Ohio.
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