Archive for August, 2009

Scott Sonnon’s Ultimate Leg & Glute Workout

August 31st, 2009

The recent surge in popularity of Indian Clubs represents the current focus on martial arts and restorative practices. The clubs traveled east from India and Persia through Europe and finally to the U.S. in the mid-1800′s. The history of club swing is a fascinating story and worth its own post, but not the purpose of this post instead we are going to look at an awesome lower body routine.

I first stumbled across Indian Clubs which led me to the present day equivalent, the Clubbell. Scott Sonnon is one of today’s most innovative fitness experts and the creator of the Clubbell. I came across his work in my search for fitness regimens that combine active recovery. He just posted “The Ultimate 16 Minute Leg and Glute Workout” (check out the full post here). This series of 4 exercises relies on the principle of “time under tension” (principle of tensgrity) which gives the time to stimulate muscle growth. Coach Sonnon gives the example of bicep curls in that there is a rest period at the top and bottom of the movement versus constant tension with swinging.

Coach Sonnon’s solution based on current science in bio-mechanics is swinging weight! The weight pulls away from you as you swing thus creating continuous time under tension. And even better, once you get good at the technique, you don’t even need to add weight, because if you swing twice as fast, you produce 4 times the tension! Swinging gives exponentially more benefit to your muscles!

Here is Coach Sonnon’s 16 Minute Workout that shows you how to sculpt a great lower body for fitness using the modern version of this ancient tool: the Clubbell. If you want strong, functional legs which look and feel great, then use this workout 1-2 times per week for 3 weeks.

Here’s Coach Sonnon’s swinging weight “for time” routine. I have included links to the YouTube videos for each exercise, but you can go to the original post which has all four videos embedded.

The Ultimate 16 Minute Leg and Glute Workout

Look at the clock and start swinging at the top of the minute.
Begin with your 1st exercise (See the Front Rock-It Video Below) and swing for 20 seconds continuous with no pause.
As soon as the 20 seconds ends, park your Clubbells and shake out your legs for 10 seconds.
When the second hand hits half way through the minute (at 30 seconds in), then do another set for 20 seconds.
Stop (at 50 seconds through the minute), and shake out your legs again for 10 seconds.
So that was 1 total minute completed. Do that for 3 more minutes, 2 sets per minute of 20 seconds of swinging followed by 10 seconds of shaking it out.
At the end, you’ve completed 8 total sets (of 20 seconds) over 4 total minutes.
Take a 60 seconds break, while you get ready for the next exercise.
Then, move on to the 2nd exercise (See the Basic Swing Video Below) and do another 4 total minutes: 8 sets of 20 seconds of exercise with 10 seconds shake-out between sets.
Take another 60 seconds break.
Then, the 3rd exercise (See the Side Rock-It Video Below); 4 minutes (8 sets of 20/10).
60 seconds break.
Finally, the 4th exercise (See the Side Swing Video Below); 4 minutes (8 sets of 20/10).
Extra Hint: Remember to alternate sides (right side then left side) when you’re performing the Side Rock-It and Side Swing, so you’re doing 4 sets right side and 4 sets left side total.
BONUS BENEFIT! The awesome virtue of this workout is that it not only makes your muscles stronger and more beautiful, it’s also scientifically-based on the best fat-burning formula ever discovered (called the “Tabata Protocol.”) So, get into the swing and not only will you increase outrageous muscle tone, but you’ll become a fat-burning furnace!!!

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Posted in Clubbell, Exercise, Recovery, Tabata Intervals, Weight Loss

Tags: active recovery club swinging Clubbell endurance fat loss glutes indian club swinging indian clubs leg exercise stamina tabata Tabata Intervals

How to train for 20 Consecutive Pull-ups

August 27th, 2009

As I continue to look for training regimens on my bodyweight challenge quest (the list is here). I found a pull-up program developed my Major Charles Lewis Armstrong that is perfect for training 20 consecutive pull-ups. This program also dovetails nicely with my new ambition to become a Bar-Baron (click here for more info). The full Armstrong program is located at the following link: http://www.chicagomarineofficer.com/Downloads/PT/thearmstrongworkout.pdf

Without further adieu, here is the training routine:

The Program

This training program was specifically designed to improve performance in the overhand pull-up (palms facing away). The overhand method is the preferred method, but for now do what you need to in order to complete the most repetitions for your PFT [military lingo for physical fitness test]. Mix up your training between underhand and overhand until you can do twenty both ways. The program depends upon quality exercises – number of repetitions are secondary. When you are doing these exercises, you should concentrate on perfect execution of each repetition. The only person you can fool with less than your best is yourself.

Day 1: Five maximum effort sets. Rest 90 seconds between each set. Do not concern yourself with numbers. You will find that you increase the numbers in the last two sets before you see much improvement in the first three. Make sure that each set is a maximum effort set.

Day 2: Pyramid day. Start the pyramid with one repetition, the next set has two, and the next set has three. Continue in this fashion until you miss a set (e.g. your last set was four then five, your next set should be six but you only do four repetitions. You missed the set) Do one more set at maximum effort. Rest 10 seconds for each repetition in the previous set.

Day 3: Do three training sets (training sets are defined later) with a normal grip (palms away or toward you, hands slightly wider than shoulder width). Rest 60 seconds between each set. Slide your hands together and palms toward you so your little fingers are 0-4 inches apart and complete three more training sets resting 60 seconds between each set. Finally do three training sets with a wide overhand grip (palms facing away) resting 60 seconds between each set.

Day 4: Do the maximum number of training sets that you can accomplish. Rest 60 seconds between each set. You do training sets until you fail to do a perfect training set. This day can wind up being the longest training day as you continue with the program because you will find it easy to do lots of training sets. If you can do more than nine training sets, increase by one repetition next week.

Day 5: Repeat the day that you found to be the hardest in the previous four days. This may change from week to week. You can also try to doing weighted pull-ups or a pull-up assist machine for this day.

Final Thoughts

If you currently can do 12-15 consecutive pull-ups than you should be at 20 in four weeks. Training consistently and resting are the keys to letting your mucsles recover and grow. If you are new to exercise check with your health practitioner prior to starting the routine.

Good luck and let me know how you do with the program!

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Posted in Bodyweight Exercises, Exercise

Tags: bar-barians bar-baron body weight exercise bodyweight exercise pull up pull-ups

Calorie Restriction for Life Extension: What They Didn’t Tell You on Oprah

August 26th, 2009

Summer time television is filled with re-runs and a while back I saw the episode on Oprah regarding calorie restriction (CR). CR is an appealing idea because who doesn’t want to live longer? However, I still think there is too little known about CR’s benefits/risks for humans. I came across an article from Tom Venuto about CR and have permission to share it with you. It is a little lengthy but does highlight the upside as well as the downside.

Calorie Restriction for Life Extension: What They Didn’t Tell You on Oprah

By Tom Venuto
www.burnthefat.com
On a recent episode of the Oprah show, one of the guests was a 51 year old man with the heart of a 20 year old. He’s been following a calorie restriction plan and they said he might be one of the first people to reach 120 years old by following this plan. There have been stories both in the lay press and scientific press about calorie restriction for years and it has been a frequent talk show topic on other many other TV shows. However, before you cut your calories in half in hopes of adding another decade onto your life, you’d better get the other half of the story they didn’t talk about on Oprah.

I’ve seen a lot of strange things in the health field, and although calorie restriction (CR) is the subject of serious and legitimate scientific study, I consider CR to be one of those strange things. Of course, that’s because I choose a different lifestyle – the muscle-friendly Burn The fat, Feed The Muscle lifestyle – but there’s more than one reason why I’m not a CR advocate:

Hunger while dieting is almost always a challenge. There’s some hunger even with conservative calorie deficits of 15-20% under maintenance. Prolonged hunger is one of the biggest reasons people fall off the weight loss diet wagon because it’s unpleasant and difficult to resist. This is why pharmaceutical and supplement companies spend millions of dollars on researching, developing and marketing appetite suppressants. Yet CR advocates put themselves through 30-50% calorie restriction on a daily basis as a way of life in the hopes of extending life span or health.

Practitioners of CR follow a low-calorie lifestyle, but technically, they are not in a chronic 30% calorie deficit. That would be impossible. What happens is their metabolisms get very slow (that’s part of the idea behind CR; if you slow down your metabolism, you allegedly slow down aging). So a 6 foot tall man who would normally require nearly 3,000 calories to maintain his weight, might eventually reach an energy balance at only 1800 or 1900 calories. This is not just due to a ‘starvation mode’ phenomenon, that’s only part of it. It’s primarily because he loses weight until he is very thin and his smaller body doesn’t need many calories any more.

Does caloric restriction really extend lifespan?

The biological mechanisms of lifespan extension through calorie restriction are not fully understood, but researchers say it may involve alterations in energy metabolism (as mentioned above), reduced oxidative damage, improvements in insulin sensitivity, reduction of glycation, modulation of protein metabolism, downregulation of pro-inflammatory genes and functional changes in both neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous systems.

Mouse studies on CR go back as far as 1935 and monkey studies began in the late 1980’s. So far the results are clear on one thing: caloric restriction does increase lifespan in rodents and other lower species (yeast, worms and flies). Studies suggest the life of the laboratory rat is 25% longer with CR (even longer with aggressive CR). Primate studies are still underway and humans have been experimenting with CR for some time. In primates and humans, biomarkers of aging show signs of slower aging with CR. This makes many proponents talk about this CR as if it were a sure-thing, already proven through double-blind randomized clinical human trials.

The truth is, there is NO direct experimental evidence that you will live longer from practicing CR. Due to the length of human lifespans, we will not have the necessary data for at least another generation and perhaps multiple generations. Even then, it will still be highly speculative whether CR will extend human life at all and if so how much. We can only estimate. I’ve seen guesses in the scientific literature ranging from 3 to 13 years, if CR is practiced for an entire adult lifetime.

Jay Phelan, a biologist at UCLA is skeptical. He says the potential life extension is on the lower end of that range and the increase is so small that it’s not worth the semi-starvation:

“There is no current evidence that lifelong caloric restriction leads to increased lifespan in primates. It’s certainly tantalizing that things like blood pressure or heart rate look as though they are a lot healthier and I believe they are. Whether or not this translates to a significantly increased lifespan, I don’t know. I predict that it doesn’t.”

I don’t quibble qualitatively with their results. Yes, it will increase lifespan, but it will not increase it by 50% or 60%, it won’t increase it by 20% or 10%, it might increase it by 2%. So if you tell me that I have to do something horrible for every day of my life for a 2% benefit – for an extra year of life – I say no thanks.”

Is prolonged caloric restriction unhealthy?

When caloric restriction is practiced with optimal nutrition (CRON), it is not inherently unhealthy. Actually, it appears the reverse is true. First, the weight loss that comes with the low calories produces improvements in the health markers, as you would expect. Second, the meticulous choice of food from CRON practitioners, where they pick high nutrient foods and avoid empty calories means that they are making healthy food choices. Third, advocates say that the CR itself improves health. I wonder, however, how much does CR improve health independent of the weight loss and the optimal nutrition?

By losing fat and maintaining an ideal body composition (the fat to muscle ratio) and eating high nutrient density foods, I propose that even at a more normal caloric intake, you will get very significant health and longevity benefits. I also propose that gaining muscle in a natural way (no steroids) will increase your quality of life today and as you get older.

Aside from the fact that we are not lab rats, the truth is, none of us knows when our day will come. We could get plucked off this physical plane at any moment and have no control over how it happens. My belief is that we should make our lifestyle decisions based on quality of life, not just quantity of life. That includes our quality of life today as well as our anticipated quality of life when we are older. Maybe we ought to be focusing more on “health span” than life span.

Downsides of calorie restriction for life extension

One fact about calorie restriction that they often don’t mention on these talk shows is that the benefits of CR decline if you start CR at a later age. This was discussed in a research paper from the Journal of Nutrition called, “Starving for life: what animal studies can and cannot tell us about the use of caloric restriction to prolong human lifespan.” The author of the paper, John Speakman from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, said that the later in life you begin to practice CR, the less of an increase in lifespan you will achieve. Even if the CR proponents are right, if you started in your late 40’s or mid 50’s for example, the benefit would be minimal. If you started in your 60’s the effect would be almost nonexistent. Essentially, you have to “starve for life” to get the benefits.

While some CR proponents claim that they aren’t hungry and they cite studies suggesting that hunger decreases during starvation, Speakman and other researchers say that hunger remains a big problem during CR – especially in today’s modern society where we are surrounded with convenience food and numerous eating cues – and that alone makes CR impractical:

“Neuroendocrine profiles support the idea that animals under CR are continuously hungry. The feasibility of restricting intake in humans for many decades is questionable.”

Let’s suppose for a moment that CR is totally legit and the claims are true. Many of the proposed benefits of CR come at the expense of what many of us are trying to do here: gain and maintain lean body mass. One spokesman for CR is 6 feet tall and 130 pounds. Another poster boy for CR is 6 foot tall and 115 lbs. Measurements of rodents under CR not only show large reductions in skeletal muscle but also bone mass.

I am not suggesting that these CR practitioners are anorexic, a concern that has been raised about CR when practiced aggressively. However, they are losing large amounts of fat-free tissue and that is plainly obvious for all to see when you look at their bony physiques. I am not imposing my body standards on others, but 115 to 130 lbs at 6 foot tall is underweight for a man by any standard. Furthermore, researchers say that at the body mass indices sustained by most voluntary CR practitioners, we would expect females to become amenorrheic. “One thing that is completely incompatible with a CR lifestyle is reproduction” says Speakman.

With that kind of atrophy, I have to wonder what their quality of life will be like in old age. While many people struggle with body fat for most of their adult lives, I’m sure almost everyone knows an elderly person who wrestles with the opposite problem: they are seriously underweight and they struggle to eat enough and maintain lean body mass.

My grandmother, before she passed away, was under 80 lbs. We could not get her to eat. She was weak and very frail. I have reported many times about the research showing how most overweight people under estimate calorie intake and eat more than they think or admit. In elder care homes, the research has often showed the opposite – the patients over estimate how much they eat. They swear they are eating enough, but they arent and they keep losing dangerous amounts of weight. With underweight, atrophied seniors, weakness means less functionality and lower quality of life and a fall can mean more than broken bones, it can be life-threatening.

Life extension with more muscle

While there is a commonality between CRON and the way I recommend eating (high nutrient density, low calorie density foods), in most regards, CR is the opposite of my approach. In my Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle program, we go for a higher energy flux nutrition program, which means that because we are weight training and doing cardio and leading a very active lifestyle, we get to eat more. Because we are so active and well-trained, the eating more does not have a negative effect as it would on a sedentary person, who might get sick and fat from the additional calories. We active folks take those calories, burn them for energy, partition them into lean muscle tissue and we enjoy a faster metabolism and extremely high quality of life.

As a bodybuilder, CR is not compatible with my priorities, but hypothetically speaking, if I were to practice a lower calorie lifestyle, I wouldn’t follow an aggressive CR approach. I’d probably do as the Okinawans do. They have a very simple philosophy: hari hachi bu: eat until you are only 80% full. While this does not mean there is a carefully measured 20% calorie deficit, it’s consistent with what we practice in the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle lifestyle for a fat loss phase, and avoiding overeating is certainly a smart way to avoid obesity and health problems. Incidentally, the Okinawans eat about 40% less than Americans, and 11% less than they should, according to standard caloric intake guidelines, and they live 4 years longer than Americans.

If someone is being “sold” on CR by an enthusiastic CR spokesperson, or simply curious after watching the latest TV talk show (where they are looking for controversial stories), it’s important to know that there is more than one side to the story. If you carefully read the entire body of research on CR, you will see that the experts are split right down the middle in their opinions about whether CR will really work. CR for humans remains highly controversial and there are no guarantees that this will extend your life.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health in Baltimore, MD put it this way:

“Because it is unlikely that an experimental study will ever be designed to address this question in humans, we respond that “we think we will never know for sure.” We suggest that debate of this question is clearly an academic exercise.”

In closing, let me go back to one of the original questions I was asked: “Can the BFFM food plan also be thought as a longevity lifestyle, but with more muscle mass?” Absolutely beautifully said! That’s precisely what Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is.

I believe that by making healthy food choices but doing so at a higher level of calorie intake and expenditure, that we can fend off sarcopenia – the age related decline in muscle mass that debilitates many seniors – while enjoying a more muscular physique, greater strength, and a less restrictive lifestyle. Most gerontologists agree – by making simple lifestyle changes that include strength training and good nutrition, you can easily turn back the biological clock 10 years without going hungry.

For more information about Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, the “longevity lifestyle with more muscle”, visit: www.BurnTheFat.com

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

References:

Hunger does not diminish over time in mice under protracted caloric restriction. Hambly C, Mercer JG, Speakman JR.Rejuvenation Res. 2007 Dec;10(4):533-42.Aberdeen Centre for Energy Regulation and Obesity (ACERO), Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Starving for life: what animal studies can and cannot tell us about the use of caloric restriction to prolong human lifespan.Speakman JR, Hambly C. J Nutr. 2007 Apr;137(4):1078-86. School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, Scotland, UK.

Can dietary restriction increase longevity in all species, particularly in human beings? Introduction to a debate among experts. Le Bourg E, Rattan SI. Biogerontology. 2006 Jun;7(3):123-5.

The potential for dietary restriction to increase longevity in humans: extrapolation from monkey studies. Ingram DK, Roth GS, Lane MA, Ottinger MA, Zou S, de Cabo R, Mattison JA.Biogerontology. 2006 Jun;7(3):143-8. Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 5600 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.

Caloric restriction in humans: potential pitfalls and health concerns. Dirks AJ, Leeuwenburgh C.Mech Ageing Dev. 2006 Jan;127(1):1-7. Epub 2005 Oct 13, Wingate University, School of Pharmacy, 316 N. Main Street, Wingate, NC 28174, USA.

Caloric restriction and human longevity: what can we learn from the Okinawans? D. Craig Willcox, Bradley J. Willcox Hidemi Todoriki. Biogerontology (2006) 7: 173—177

Endocrine alterations in response to calorie restriction in humans. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2009 Feb 5;299(1):129-36. Epub 2008 Oct 21. Redman LM, Ravussin E. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, United States.

Caloric restriction in the presence of attractive food cues: external cues, eating, and weight. Polivy J, Herman CP, Coelho JS.Physiol Behav. 2008 Aug 6;94(5):729-33. Epub 2008 Apr 13. University of Toronto, Canada.

Life Extension by Calorie Restriction in Humans. Everitt AV, Le Couteur DG.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007 Aug 23, Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, University of Sydney, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.

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Posted in Weight Loss

Tags: burn the fat burn the fat feed the muscle caloric restriction calorie restriction calorie restriction for life extension CRON extend lifespan fasting fat loss life extension lifespan extension longevity loose fat loose weight restricting calories tom venuto Weight Loss

New Personal Challenge: Become a Bar-Baron

August 20th, 2009

One of the blogs I follow is The Fitness Black Book and the goal of this particular blog is to provide information for guys and gals to get that lean “Hollywood Look”. Rusty had recent post about the Bar-Barians (click here for the post). The Bar-Barians is a group of 5 guys called The Core from Brooklyn, New York who started a bodyweight exercise revolution. The two co-founders, Jude and Zeph, are Brooklyn natives, that formed the Bar-Barians in 2004. Their goal was to teach the benefits of body weight training in Brooklyn. The training ballooned and so they added three more guys to help them run their organization Rick “Slick Rick” , Andy “Ninja Man”, and Ben “Bolo Ben”.

The Ranking System

The Core ranks members of the Bar-barians. It is currently free to become a Bar-Barian (Membership) but that doesn’t mean it is easy. Here are the rankings: 1)Bar-Pledge, 2)Bar-Candidate, 3)Bar-Baron, and 4)Bar-Elite. Checking through the forum you will find that these guys are looking for Bar-Barons to take their body weight revolution international. Since I don’t have any trips planned to New York in the near future it is fortunate for me that you can submit a video to qualify.

Here are the Requirements

“As far as the physical goes, anyone at any level is eligible to train with the us, but you must meet the prerequisites to be bestowed the title of the Bar-barians Bar-baron. Even Bill Gates could not wear the title of Bar-barian. It is something that cannot be bought or easily attained. Only through hard work and dedication can one become a real Bar-barian. Physical requirements include:
1) 40 Dips
2) 20 Pull Ups
3) 50 Push Ups
4) 5 Muscle Ups
All of these done in 6 minutes or less”

My Personal Challenge

In case you haven’t checked out any of the links above, I have included the trailer to an upcoming documentary on the Bar-Barians. These guys have attained incredible strength with going back to the basic pull-up bar. They have taken the idea of making traditional moves more difficult by increasing the level of sophistication. Check out some of their videos on YouTube to see how impressive the Bar-Barians are. Here is your first glimpse:

Join the Challenge

If you were as impressed as I was and want to join me in the journey to becoming a Bar-Baron than join their forum and start training.

Keep me updated to how close you are to meeting the requirements. I can hit the numbers of each exercise individually, but that six minutes is insane. I still have a lot of work before I can do these exercises consecutively in the time limit, but I started training the requirements today.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

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Posted in Bodyweight Exercises, Exercise, Weight Loss

Tags: bar-barians barbrians bodyweight exercise chin up fitness tips muscle definition pull up strength training

Licorice: The Under Appreciated Adaptogen

August 18th, 2009

Licorice, aka Glycyrrhiza glabra, is not only an adaptogen, but also an antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulator. This plant is native to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia. Licorice’s taste (and energy) is sweet, slightly bitter, warm and moist. The active components are sweet tasting triterpenoid saponins (known as glycrrhizin), isoflavones, demulcent polysaccharides, and anti-inflammatory flavonoids.

Historical Usage

Licorice has been used for a long time as a food and medicine in China and the Middle East. Ancient Greeks used licorice to treat respiratory diseases as well as problems of the stomach throat, liver, and kidneys. In ancient China, licorice was considered a principle drug among all drugs and may be the most commonly used herb in classical prescriptions. The ancient Chinese text written by Tao Hong-jing in the fifth or sixth century CE states that licorice is used to balance the five viscera (organs) and six bowels. It also reports that licorice strengthens the sinews and bones, enhances muscle growth and strength, and is used topically to heal wounds.

Current Use

In modern Chinese medicine, licorice is used to strengthen the stomach and spleen qi. It stops diarrhea and relieves fatigue, lack of appetite, and gastric irritation. It is used to clear heat and dispel toxins specifically bacterial infections. Western uses of licorice include a number of new uses such as an effective adaptogen, immune amphoteric, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective agent. As an adaptogen, licorice benefits the HPA axisfunction and the sympathoadrenal system. Because it is an immunomodulator, licorice can be used to stimulate immune system function in people with cancer and chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome. Licorice also is of significant benefit for people with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. It is a prominent remedy for gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Usage

There are a number of different ways to take licorice. As always talk to your health care practitioner before adding it to your regime. There are many warnings in the medical and popular literature about the dangers of licorice. Yet it has been used safely for thousands of years in Europe, the middle east, and China. The reason for the discrepancy is that excess licorice can cause a condition known as hyperaldosteremia (you retain sodium and loose potassium which raises blood pressure). As with most things, moderation is important when using herbs, and traditional formulas and dosages often offer guidelines for safe use today. Also, talk with your health care provider if you are on a steroid such as prednisone as licorice increases the effectiveness.

My favorite way to enjoy this adaptogen is in a licorice and holy basil combination tea from Organic India which can be found at your local health food store.