Steve Baum Holistic Fitness

New Year New Goals?

I'm in the goals business so I'm always the one asking everyone what their goals are and the then I help them hit the bullseye.

This year, a client asked me what MY goals are, which I can't recall ever happening. :O

He said if he knew what my goals are and how I go about achieving them that perhaps he could mimic my behavior and it would help him reach his goals.

This REALLY hit me. Everyone needs a model to mimic. They need to SEE what it looks like from someone who they want to become more like. Just telling how to do it isn't enough. It must be shown.

So what are my personal fitness goals?

That's a good question. So if you asked me what my number one goal was when I started on this journey at 12 years old it would have been to never get embarrassed with my shirt off again. While on a float trip a good friend told me I had t**s and my mission since that day was to get jacked.

At 16, I got fascinated by nutritional biochemistry and learning how to utilize vitamins, minerals, amino acids etc to increase my results and improve my performance. So optimizing cellular health and performance is probably equally as important to me as getting jacked.

The how:

Nutrition: Both goals require me to ask myself whether or not something I want to eat or drink is going to help me achieve either one. If the answer is yes, it goes in my mouth. If the answer is no......then I ask myself if I'm ok with it and if I am, it goes in my mouth.

I'd say early on I was 1000000 percent strict about every single detail....to the point of missing a LOT of family activities and fun times with friends because I told myself I couldn't follow my plan if I engaged. That was NOT a healthy place to live. Now I make sure I cover all of my micros and then allow myself to eat whatever I want to fill in the rest of whatever calories I have left. The "whatever I want" is almost always the same things I eat, but just more of it. I'm not a maniac like I used to be, but 90 percent of what I eat is from the best source I can find and is whole food based.

Exercise: I hit 8-10 steps daily and hit weights 4-5 x per week. (consistently for 45 years)

Sleep: I haven't missed a nap since I was born. Lol. Plus another 9 hours per night. NON NEGOTIABLE.

So that was a long way of saying I focus on the habits that I know I need in order to achieve those two goals. Since neither goal has an end point they continue to drive me daily.

Go out and kick some ass and remember someone's gonna mimic your behavior.............the question is what will they achieve by doing so????

Hydration is a HUGE part of optimal cellular function. You can drink plenty of water and still not be optimally hydrated due to mineral imbalances.

The better your cells function the easier it is to lose body fat, gain muscle, and have incredible mental power.

Urinating frequently, constipation, diarrhea, frequent thirst, excessively salty sweat and LOW energy are all symptoms of not being properly hydrated, despite drinking sufficient amounts of water.

What should you do?

Make sure you're getting enough minerals from whole foods and add in some extra from real salt with all of the minerals included. Also, make sure you're getting plenty of potassium, potatoes being a fantastic source.

Real life example I use daily:

For every 40 ounces of water I drink I add about 5 shakes of Redmond Real salt and I eat an extra large baked potato with the skin to get the majority of my daily needs.

Give it a try and see how you feel.

A new study of 15 micronutrient intakes in 185 countries found that the majority of people have multiple nutritional deficiencies. One of the researchers concluded: "Most people — even more than previously thought, across all regions and countries of all incomes — are not consuming enough of multiple essential micronutrients.”

On the basis of estimates of nutrient intake from food (excluding fortification and supplementation), more than 5 billion people do not consume enough iodine (68% of the global population), vitamin E (67%), and calcium (66%). More than 4 billion people do not consume enough iron (65%), riboflavin (55%), folate (54%), and vitamin C (53%)

You might think that this only applies to people that don't pay attention to what they eat, but you'd be wrong. Multiple studies have found bodybuilders, athletes and people on popular diet programs also don't meet the recommended intakes of many micros, even without taking into account exercising individuals have higher requirements. If your diet's based on whole foods, your risk of deficiency is considerably lower than that of the average person living on Big Macs, but you're far from guaranteed to optimize all your micro intakes.

Keep in mind, the RDA for micros is bare bones minimum. You might need considerably more specific micronutrients based upon your unique needs.

DM me if you want to find out how your diet stacks up.

Global estimation of dietary micronutrient inadequacies: a modelling analysis - PubMed The National Institutes of Health and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Guys on TRT are you doing it the right way??

I work with a LOT of guys who’ve gone on TRT expecting to feel fantastic but end up feeling worse.

There are many reasons for this but one of the biggest is their administration protocol is wrong (95 percent are told to do it this way, regardless of where they go for prescriptions)

A typical protocol looks like this: .65 to 1ml injected once per week OR .35 to .5 ml injected twice per week. The problem with this dosing schedule is it creates big spikes and big dips. It’s like a roller coaster. It can also create more conversion to estradiol, which is not good either. Keeping your levels steady is a much better approach.

Another reason many men feel worse is because in addition to the testosterone, they are given arimidex, or some other estrogen blocker, when it’s not needed. This crashes their estrogen and causes a whole set of new problems, such as bone loss, fatigue, mood swings, migraines, joint pain, and sexual dysfunction.

A third reason for not getting the desired results and often feeling like S&%T is the rest of their hormones are out of balance and most of the time never get checked. These include Prolactin, SHBG, DHEA-S, Pregnenelone, Progesterone, and Thyroid hormones. It’s crucial to check all of these and keep everything in balance.

And lastly, poor lifestyle habits can NOT be overcome by using testosterone. If you’re driving a beat up Yugo and you put a V12 Ferrari engine in it nothing good is going to happen.

I've attached two graphs showing the difference between what typical dosing looks like vs micro-dosing.

Want help making sure you’re getting the most out of your therapy with the least amount of side effects?

Shoot me a message. I work with Marek Health and can set you up with the best docs in the business and they’ll get you dialed in.

The Hidden Side of Weight Loss with Ozempic: What You Need to Know About Toxin Levels 🌟

As weight loss gains momentum, one critical aspect is often overlooked: the increase in toxin levels. If you or someone you know is using Ozempic, it’s vital to understand how this can impact health.

Research indicates that weight loss—whether through dietary changes or medical interventions—can lead to higher concentrations of toxic pollutants in the body. Studies show that during weight loss, fat-soluble toxins like organochlorines are released into the bloodstream, which could pose serious health risks, including:

• Breast cancer
• Reproductive disorders
• Immune system issues
• Thyroid function impairments
• Neurodevelopmental alterations

These toxic pollutants are stored in our adipose tissue and can complicate weight management, potentially leading to weight regain.

So, what’s the solution?

To mitigate these risks, it's essential to support your body’s detoxification pathways. Incorporating cruciferous vegetables—like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts—into your diet can significantly enhance your body’s ability to detoxify. Aim for 400-450 grams a day for optimal benefits.

This simple, evidence-based approach can help reduce the negative effects of toxin release during weight loss, promoting overall health and well-being.

Stay informed and take proactive steps in your health journey! 🌱

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12608524/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16989697/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32363609/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19336732/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2784188/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19255595/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19900941/