The Running Man - Wrong Planet's New Health Column

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How difficult could depend on whether he is one of the subset of people on the autism spectrum ( 36.7% or about a third, compared to 4.8% of general population, according to a study which came out in April 2010 ), with unusually permeable intestines, because if so he might be addicted to the food opioid peptides ( in gluten and in casein ), which his brain will have been exposed to in larger quantities than most people, and opioids are addictive.

I have been completely gf for more than three years, after several years of on-off gluten exclusion.

I eat mainly meat, ( lamb, beef, pork, ham, duck, chicken, etc ), fish, ( tinned tuna, anchovies, mackerel, and frozen salmon and trout, prawns, and mussels, etc ), eggs, vegetables, ( especially avocado, green salad, carrots, parsley, celery, courgette, etc ), some rice and potato, and have in the past eaten a lot of delicious nut-cakes, ( made with ground almond, hazelnut, coconut, or chestnut flour and eggs, honey or dark sugar, butter or just a dash of olive oil, and chopped dried fruit, cocoa powder, coffee, and other extras, etc ), aswell as rice-cakes, plain salted corn chips and fresh fruit, but have been cutting down on high-fructose foods recently.

Hope that helps. Good luck!
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Matt sounds a lot like my oldest son. He was overweight and depressed and with the AS having his own difficulties socially when he started working out in grade 10. He decided to cut out dairy on his own and we noticed an incredible difference in him both physically and in his confidence within a fairly short period of time.
I agree with blueroses regarding females with AS and eating disorders, I myself struggled with an eating disorder for 12 years - ages 14 - 26 (before I knew anything about AS).
I have been walking on the treadmill for one hour every day for the last 1 1/2 years and it has really been helpful for me. At my last check up my blood pressure was 111/63. I used to be self conscious about my body but since I've been walking I feel good, I can forget about what I look like which is really helpful when there are so many other struggles with being social to contend with i.e. sensory issues.

When I read the title of the thread, I thought this had to do with that movie with Arnold Shwarzenegger.

I find exercise to be a great way to burn off stress hormones, increase focus, confidence, fight depression and anxiety, and help with sleep. I can honestly say, without it I would not of been able to make it in the world with aspergers and ADHD. It helped me to go from being bullied and the last person picked on any team in school to being Athletic Director at a Military Installation.

I've read studies that exercise can increase dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in the brain; chemicals that folks on the autism spectrum can be deficient in. I believe the endorphin release can help with sensitivities to touch, light, and sound, and even make your dreams better.

I believe folks on the Autism Spectrum may be better off working out on Exercise Machines rather than free weight and heavy impact aerobics. We may be born less robust than others. There is less opportunity for injury and your body will thank you for it when you reach middle age. During particularly stressful periods of life moderate exercise like hiking and cycling trails can soothe the spirit; intense exercise during these periods may increase stress and not allow the body to recover and rebuild.

And, if you have physical disabilities there are many other proven ways to reduce stress and enhance brain chemicals that require little physical effort like meditation, massage therapy, listening to music, playing musical instruments, and contact with nature and animals.

I thinks it's great that Matt has started this discussion and is inspiring people to exercise. If you find something that works for you, never give up on it.

I've switched to a diet involving fresh veges, brine-preserved beans, a little butter and some meat daily, simmered or boiled like a broth or stew. I try to get a variety of colour and leafy greens with the veges. This meal daily seems to provide for most of my energy needs. Also a serving of nuts and seeds daily.

However, I have noticed I seem to be slowly gaining some flab and my weight has dropped slightly.

I haven't been exercising as much (long walks). I cannot afford gym and don't have exercise equipment (dumbbells for example).

Could my flab gain be nutritional, or lack of exercise? Also what exercises replace flab with lean muscle? How do I adjust nutrition and eating habits to have the best effect of muscle gain (e.g. do I eat protein immediately after vigorous exercise)?

This sounds interesting indeed...

RE my previous post

Have now bought a pair of 4kg dumbbells. What are good exercises for building muscle mass in arms and strengthing back muscles? What do I do about sore stiff muscles the day after Exercising?

In June of this year I started running. I went out to try some and could not run 2 minutes nonstop. What an eye opener! I think most of us believe if we were ever pursued or in danger, etc, we'd surely be able to run like we did when we were kids but no. I have a history of asthma and some other smaller issues and they really made running painful and difficult.

I found a program called Couch to 5k (the site name is Cool Running - you can find it on Google) and decided to try it. It's very regimented, which I like. I printed off the chart and 3 times a week went out and did the intervals. Run 2 minutes, walk 5 minutes, run 2, etc. You slowly build up. I carried my cell phone and watched the time and did it exactly. Many times I thought I can't do this but just trusted the process - just do what is needed for today, that's all. Don't look ahead or worry about how slow you are or anything, just do it.

I did it. 6 weeks and I graduated from the whole thing, running 30 minutes per day, 4 to 5 days a week (the equivalent of a 5k each run). I just turned 50 in Oct so this was a great feeling of accomplishment.

I run with my little dog but have never run in an actual race. For those of you who run in 5k races, do you find them hard to do? I know I would not have trouble completing one, I already do the distance equivalent nearly ever time I run. I actually signed up for a 5k right here in my town but chickened out. I just can't deal with the people part. And the prep stuff before the race....

It seems like fun but I haven't been able to make myself actually go to a scheduled event. Is it worth it? Why not just run on your own?

Drink plenty of water and try some foods high in potassium, but do so within an hour after exercising. Potassium is something that some people seem to not get enough of in their diet, and exercising makes you need even more of it to keep from cramping up.

Hmm... this is a good idea. The advice here would probably work for most people on the site.

But, it would be great if there was a health column for people with a chronic illness or who deal with chronic pain daily. Maybe have one written monthly or something. Most of the exercise advice I wouldn't be able to keep up with physically, and I can't get any further alternatives out of my doctors other than swim regularly. It would also be helpful to the older crowd too. It's something to consider ...

I do Mysore style Ashtanga vinyasa yoga meditation for 60-100 mins 5 or 6 days a week. It stops the anxiety part of being aspergers and without it I tend to be an alcoholic!

It is proven already that meditation is good for ASD. This is meditation with exercise at the same time. Why take a drug when you can fix things with your own moving and breathing?

Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar is a good source of potassium (so are bananas)

I take a Tablespoon of Braggs twice a day.

Yeah, that's a really great idea.

Being a scout, I do my share of hiking. Running never particularly appealed to me, but I have recently begun to rediscover my bike, and how good exercise can feel. I would love to hear more information on athletics like this.

Also, has anyone here heard of Dean Karnazes?

Definitely - Dean Karnazes is my hero! I've read his books and watched his videos - he's currently running from the west coast to the east coast! All the way across the country!

I've been studying Barefoot Running now - are you aware of the benefits?

http://therunningbarefoot.com/begin-here

That's a great place to begin. Barefoot Ken Bob is the guru of barefoot running and his story explains why - which stunned me when I read his book (that just came out) because it's so much like my own story as a child. He had hypersensitivity and just couldn't stand certain clothing and hated all shoes. So he took them off at every chance (I did too, and got in constant trouble over this barefoot issue!)

I also went an entire semester of college totally barefoot.

But over the last 20 years or so I gave in and went the shoe route and he never gave in - he has been a pioneer in the barefoot running research and now it's paying off!

Must Read Books:

Born to Run - Christopher McDougall
Barefoot Running - Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton

I've been thinking about that recently; mainly VFF KSOs. While I couldn't use them for everything, like hiking in Stonehaven, which requires some ankle support and protection in rockslides, I think they would feel very cool. I make fairly regular trips to EMS, so I'm familiar with quite a bit of gear.

The thing that's annoying me at present is a stupidly persistent knee injury; which ruined a trip to VA about a week ago. I'm limited to light activity only, when I'm trying to correct an activity deficit.