Episode 146: Try This to Minimize Muscle Loss While Traveling
May 20, 2024
Jenni
Ever worry about losing those hard-earned muscles during a holiday or a business trip? Fear not, as Dr. Jake Berman and Jenni Berman, PA-C, unveil the secrets to keeping your muscles intact, no matter where life takes you. Our latest episode is a treasure trove of insights, with Jenny's research shining a light on the power of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and how they're your best ally against muscle atrophy. And if you've ever questioned the motives behind your doctor's advice, our conversation will open your eyes to the often unseen influence of pharmaceutical companies on healthcare decisions—a topic that's as controversial as it is captivating.
With Memorial Day around the corner, we also touch on something unexpected: the surprising significance of holiday sales in the health and wellness space. Stick with us on the Berman Method podcast, where we not only equip you with knowledge but also celebrate your support across Berman Physical Therapy and Berman Health and Wellness. Our gratitude runs deep for our community, and we're excited to keep you posted on the latest through Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms. Don't miss our upcoming special holiday episode—it's one you won't want to skip!
Check Us Out On Social Media - Facebook: @bermanwellness , @physicaltherapynaples, @Berman Golf Instagram: @berman_wellness, @bermanphysicaltherapy , @Berman Golf Youtube: Berman Golf, Berman Physical Therapy TikTok: Bermangolf, Bermanwellness
Email us - drberman@bermanpt.com jenni@bermanwellness.com
Check out our website - https://www.bermanpt.com/ https://www.bermanpt.com/wellness/ https://bermangolf.com/
Ever worry about losing those hard-earned muscles during a holiday or a business trip? Fear not, as Dr. Jake Berman and Jenni Berman, PA-C, unveil the secrets to keeping your muscles intact, no matter where life takes you. Our latest episode is a treasure trove of insights, with Jenny's research shining a light on the power of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and how they're your best ally against muscle atrophy. And if you've ever questioned the motives behind your doctor's advice, our conversation will open your eyes to the often unseen influence of pharmaceutical companies on healthcare decisions—a topic that's as controversial as it is captivating.
With Memorial Day around the corner, we also touch on something unexpected: the surprising significance of holiday sales in the health and wellness space. Stick with us on the Berman Method podcast, where we not only equip you with knowledge but also celebrate your support across Berman Physical Therapy and Berman Health and Wellness. Our gratitude runs deep for our community, and we're excited to keep you posted on the latest through Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms. Don't miss our upcoming special holiday episode—it's one you won't want to skip!
Check Us Out On Social Media - Facebook: @bermanwellness , @physicaltherapynaples, @Berman Golf Instagram: @berman_wellness, @bermanphysicaltherapy , @Berman Golf Youtube: Berman Golf, Berman Physical Therapy TikTok: Bermangolf, Bermanwellness
Email us - drberman@bermanpt.com jenni@bermanwellness.com
Check out our website - https://www.bermanpt.com/ https://www.bermanpt.com/wellness/ https://bermangolf.com/
Speaker 1:
This is the Berman Method podcast, featuring Dr Jake Berman and physician assistant Jenny Berman. We are here to treat problems and not symptoms. Disclaimer this podcast is for entertainment purposes only and not to treat anyone or to give medical advice. If you are interested in any information that we are giving and would like to use this for yourself, we recommend that you contact your primary care physician or reach out to us and ask us questions about yourself specifically. Enjoy.
Speaker 2:
And we're rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling with the Berman Method Podcast. How was that one?
Speaker 1:
I like that one.
Speaker 2:
Was that a good one?
Speaker 1:
Where we're treating problems and not symptoms.
Speaker 2:
Where we're treating problems and not symptoms. David going against Goliath, Goliath being the corporate medical system, big pharma, your health insurance companies. We do not believe they have your best interests in mind. They will choose profits over patient outcomes every single time. We just finished watching that series on Netflix Pain Pill or Painkiller about big pharma and OxyContin and Purdue, and it was awesome.
Speaker 1:
Yes, very enlightening. Just kind of reiterates what we talk about with pharmaceuticals and big pharma.
Speaker 2:
Yes, and of course it was dramatized, and they even said it at the beginning of every episode that it's been dramatized, however, I don't think it's very far from what's actually happening. I would even wager that it's actually worse than what you saw on that show. I could agree on that show.
Speaker 1:
I could agree with that statement.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
It was yeah, you should watch it. If you haven't seen it, you should watch it. And then come back and listen to our podcast again and be like wow.
Speaker 2:
This is what they're talking about. They're not tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorists. It actually is occurring.
Speaker 1:
It is, and it's just really scary. You know, when you're not in the medical field, what you don't know, and then you walk into a doctor's office when the reps are in there and bringing food to the doctors and encouraging them to use their pharmaceutical, because then they'll get some kickback from it. It happens with all sorts of drugs.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it's just sales. It's all it is. You got these people going from doctor's office from doctor's office trying to sell their product, and they're not trying to sell an outcome or what's in the best interest of the patient. They're trying to make a profit. That's all. It is Right, simple. Well, today yes, go on.
Speaker 1:
Memorial Day is next weekend, If you guys aren't aware, or I guess this upcoming weekend technically.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it's hard for me to figure out.
Speaker 1:
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday would be qualified as Memorial Day weekend, so this Day weekend. So this upcoming weekend, yeah, so a lot of travel for Memorial Day weekend.
Speaker 2:
A lot of travel. And here's a little fun fact I did not know this until last week that the number one sales holiday quote unquote holiday in the whole entire year is Black Friday.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
We know that Right. What I didn't know is that number two is Memorial Day.
Speaker 1:
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2:
Did you know that?
Speaker 1:
No, I guess I would have thought Labor Day, because that's closer to the Christmas holiday and people starting to buy gifts for Labor Day or for Christmas.
Speaker 2:
You are the only one that starts Labor Day for Christmas, not the rest of the world.
Speaker 1:
Well, when you have a big family, you really got to split it up so that December doesn't cost so much money.
Speaker 2:
I get it Now, memorial Day. Once I heard the rationale I'm like oh, that makes perfect sense. It's because for the vast majority of the Northeast it triggers the beginning.
Speaker 1:
Of summer. Of summer, that's fun.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so massive, massive sales, and we'll start to pay attention to all the mattress companies and car companies doing their Memorial Day sale. And we actually have a couple of sales going for ourselves in our office. We won't talk about those right now. Check us out on the interweb if you want to know more about ours. But it's interesting, did not know that?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I didn't either. Thanks for sharing.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
So now I'll have to look at what sales are available for me.
Speaker 2:
Yes. So what we wanted to actually talk about today is how do you mitigate loss, specifically muscle loss, because it should be no surprise when you say it takes six months or a year to achieve XYZ strength, flexibility, mobility, exercise ability Right, and then, if you're sick for a week, you lose six months worth of work in a week, and it's like what in the world?
Speaker 1:
It happens really fast. You don't use it, you lose it. It does happen fast. Maybe not six months worth in one week, but it does happen really fast.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, ridiculously fast. And the older you get, the faster it happens, or the slower it takes to get it and the faster it takes to lose it.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
So today we wanted to talk about some things that we personally do when we travel to help mitigate the loss of muscle while we're living our life.
Speaker 1:
Right, and these are even things that we do on a daily basis, though we are not doing as much strength training when we are traveling and our meal plan may not be as on par as when we are not traveling, but we take some of our daily things that we focus on and take them with us when we're traveling to help with slowing the loss through the travel.
Speaker 2:
Exactly One of the things that we do.
Speaker 1:
you actually did your thesis on right your research on looking specifically at preventing the loss of muscle mass, specifically in bedridden patients, but in elderly patients, with using branched chain amino acids.
Speaker 1:
So BCAAs typically come in powder form. They can also come in a pill form, but our body is made up of essential and non-essential amino acids which are and amino acids are the primary building block to protein and to muscle. We have to have these specific amino acids to be able to build protein blocks which build our muscle. So I did my. As I was finishing up my physician assistant degree, which is a master's degree, we had to do a thesis and present it, and mine was on preventing muscle mass loss in elderly patients, specifically bedridden, who can't get out of bed, can't physically move and do anything, with the use of branched chain amino acids. And it was shown that taking branched chain amino acids on a daily basis can help with building muscle mass when you are active in strength training and getting the right protein in your diet, but can also slow the loss of muscle mass when you're a veteran or when you're not exercising.
Speaker 2:
I think that's the biggest one right there is. It shouldn't be a surprise we're 200 episodes into this thing, or however far we're into this thing, shouldn't be a surprise that branch chain amino acids help you build muscle when you're exercising. So we take them every single day, one scoop in the morning, and it's just another one of those things that helps you get a better return on investment for the work that you're doing. However, we also do it every single day that we're not exercising Really, specifically when we're traveling. We make sure that we have our scoop of amino acids to help slow the loss of muscle wasting, essentially when we're traveling and not being as diligent specific mainly me, I mean you're really diligent. You're messed up in the head.
Speaker 2:
Doesn't matter where we're at, what country we're in, what time zone we're in. You're out there torturing yourself versus me. You know, I'm not afraid or ashamed to sleep in.
Speaker 1:
I wouldn't classify it as torturing myself. However, I will stay active and continue to move some way when we travel, but I'm not doing my normal strength training for sure. So I definitely will continue to use the branched chain amino acids to slow the loss. But we're also not as diligent about our meal plan when we're traveling either, and that's part of lifestyle is. With a lifestyle, you do have days where your meal plan is not perfect, and that's how it's supposed to be. However, the branched chain amino acids can again, as you mentioned, help with slowing the loss of muscle mass, while you may not be getting as much protein or as much water throughout your travels.
Speaker 2:
Yes. So let's shift gears to getting as much protein as you should. One of the biggest complaints that you hear on a daily basis is well, we're traveling and I wasn't able to get in the amount of protein. This restaurant I went to they didn't have good choices on the menu. Whatever it is, these are just excuses, because you and I go to different restaurants all the time. We travel all the time. As my mom likes to say, there's no grass growing under our feet. We're constantly, constantly moving, and there's not a single restaurant that we've ever been to where it's like there's nothing I can eat here. Right, right, even the sea monkey, right, sea monkey here in town is one of the least accommodating for your food restrictions. You can still order a meal. It's gluten-freefree, dairy-free and plenty of protein.
Speaker 1:
Right, right. There's at least one thing on every menu that you can order, or at least modify to be able to order, to make sure you're at least getting some protein.
Speaker 2:
Yes, modify, and so many people are nervous or afraid to modify, modify away. This is a restaurant. They're serving you. Their job is to serve you. So, yes, you didn't order the number 12 the way it comes.
Speaker 1:
Right and they're used to it. They're used to people modifying and adjusting and I will apologize. I'm like I'm sorry, we're the needy family but this is what we need and they will do it. There's 99.5% of the time they're going to do it. I think there's only been one time that we've been somewhere and they wouldn't modify anything and I still ended up getting sick. But that's such a rare occasion I mean extremely rare over the past nine years that I've been completely gluten-free and dairy-free. So they're used to you modifying. They will adjust. If you have to pay the extra $2, pay the extra $2 to make sure that you're doing what's right for your body.
Speaker 2:
I love that, absolutely love it, when the waitress says, okay, well, that's going to be a $2 upcharge and I'm like so Right, it's what I want, right right. I don't want your shitty option that you have listed here. I want the one that I want. If I have to pay $2 more, $2. What do I order for breakfast at most of the places that I go to?
Speaker 1:
Five eggs over medium, a side of corned beef hash.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that's my go-to, because most restaurants don't have what I want and I want a significant amount of protein and I don't want all the fluff and carbs and all this other crap like tons of toast and biscuits and I'm like, come on, just give me some eggs, give me some meat to go with eggs, maybe a piece of bread here or there, and they always look at me Five eggs over medium Really. That's what you want.
Speaker 1:
My favorites. When they come out and they say I have a side of five eggs, I'm like is that a side when it's five of them?
Speaker 2:
That's what you did yesterday. Okay, like, okay, I'll take the side. It's on a full-size plate.
Speaker 1:
That's pretty funny. So when you're traveling because it's coming up we have Memorial Day, we have summer, that's pretty funny. But so when you're traveling because it's coming up we have Memorial Day, we have summer, it's coming up Just make sure you are taking your branch chain amino acids with you. You're taking your vitamins with you we didn't talk about vitamins today, but that could be a whole nother topic Taking your vitamins with you so that way you're not getting off track in that aspect. And then always trying to add protein to your meals and your snacks during the day Pack snacks. We have lists of snack options. There's a prior podcast where we've talked about snack options to take with you on trips. But when you're out, always start with a protein.
Speaker 2:
You have to have protein. I don't think that we say that nearly enough on this podcast. You should not be eating any meal that doesn't have a protein in it. One of the easiest reasons why to do that correct me if I'm wrong is it's going to stabilize your blood sugar.
Speaker 1:
That's right. It might not have you know.
Speaker 2:
secondarily, it's going to feed your muscles and allow them to not waste away, but most importantly, primarily, it stabilizes your blood sugar. Protein is the main way that you stabilize your blood sugar when you consume anything.
Speaker 1:
That's right. So it'll help with preventing cravings, preventing hunger while you're traveling Really, really important. And, by the way, a peanut butter sandwich is not protein. Your peanut butter toast for breakfast is not protein no, sorry I love peanut butter. I'm a peanut butter connoisseur. You can do six tablespoons of that pb fit or pb2 for your protein, if you want to, on top of your toast, but just jif natural peanut butter. That's not protein.
Speaker 2:
Meh, meh All right.
Speaker 1:
So safe travels for everyone traveling this weekend or throughout the summer.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
Get your BCAAs, contact our office. We have the true TRU BCAAs in our office, but contact us for questions about this or where to get them. There are some really bad ones out there, so don't just go shop online or to the grocery store and pick up BCAs because you're probably not getting the right one.
Speaker 2:
Yep.
Speaker 1:
All right, good yeah, great. Enjoy. Happy Memorial Day.
Speaker 2:
Like and subscribe. Share this with somebody, stay safe out there and we'll have a nice quick podcast coming to you next week to celebrate the holiday.
Speaker 1:
Ciao for now. Thank you for subscribing on your social media and podcast platforms to the Berman Method Dr Jake Berman with Berman Physical Therapy and Jenny Berman, Physician Assistant, with Berman Health and Wellness. You can find more information on our website wwwbermanptcom for physical therapy. Wwwbermanptcom forward slash wellness for the health and wellness. You can also find us on social media, Facebook, Instagram and on your podcast platform, so be sure to follow us, like us, subscribe to us and, if you would like any further information, definitely visit our website and reach out to us. You may also find our free reports on the websites as well, where you can download this free information for yourself. Have a great day.
