Acupuncture: Nibali’s Secret To Winning The Tour de France

Endurance athletes often turn to acupuncture as a drug-free way to boost performance because it works. Vincenzo Nibali, winner of the Tour de France, is no exception. 

Tour de France fans and anyone who’s an endurance athlete wants to know the secrets and training regimens used by top performers. Vincenzo Nibali, winner of this year’s Tour de France, took a cue from Chinese Medicine to help him optimize his endurance. He gets acupuncture nearly every day. Instead of going for illegal drugs and injections, Nibali takes an all-natural approach to performing at his best -- both during training and racing.

When a Belgian television station interviewed Nibaldi and inquired about the acupuncture treatments, Nibaldi said, “It’s those little extra details that can help us...Maybe now others will also use this technique.” Nibaldi isn’t the only top performing athlete to use acupuncture, but this summer Astana was the only team that employed its own acupuncturist for the Tour de France. Their private acupuncturist is a Belgian named Eddy de Smedt, who owns a private practice specializing in treating athletes outside Brussels. De Smedt worked last year for the Kazakh cycling outfit and last spring’s Giro d’Italia. The teams utilize De Smedt’s acupuncture services, as well as a team of medical doctors, osteopaths, and physical therapists.

During the Tour de France, De Smedt provided acupuncture for each of the Astana riders twice daily -- once on the bus before their performance and once at night back at the team’s

hotel. He reportedly uses only 6 - 10 acupuncture needles during each treatment, mostly in distal points in the riders’ feet, hands, arms, and legs, and one on the head for relaxation.

After placing the acupuncture needles, De Smedt stimulates the acupuncture points by twisting the needles in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Though many people are fearful of needles, and squeamish at the thought of getting acupuncture, once they see someone having it done it usually takes the fear away. The Astana cyclists were very open to trying acupuncture, and after seeing that it actually works and doesn’t hurt, they enjoyed the experience.

Considering the fact that so many Tour de France athletes tend to turn towards doping, there have been questions about whether Nibali is “all natural” or not. He’s been racking up the cycling victories since 2006. According to the director of Team Astana, Giuseppe Martinelli, Nibali repeatedly tests clean. The only needles he’s using are acupuncture needles.

According to De Smedt, acupuncture is a form of functional medicine rather than structural medicine. If there is a broken bone or torn muscle, acupuncture can provide palliative care, but it won’t “fix” the break or tear. On the other hand, it can enhance the function of the body, lower stress hormones, and balance the endocrine system.

If you’re an athlete seeking an edge on your performance, you should consider trying acupuncture in Del Mar, CA or acupuncture outside Encinitas.

5 Reasons Why Soy May Be Harming Your Health

Soy is commonly touted as a health food by some vegans and vegetarians, as well as the manufacturers who profit from the soy industry. However, there are important things you should know about soy and how it may be harming your health. 

Proponents of soy claim that it has many health attributes, such as heart disease and cancer prevention. Anyone who also has environmental concerns about meat production may also want to consume soy in place of meat and dairy as a way to decrease their ecological footprint on the Earth. However, soy milk, tofu, soy veggie burgers, and other soy products may not be as healthy or environmentally friendly as previously thought.

If you are seeking acupuncture in Del Mar, CA, then you are probably conscientious of your diet and try to make healthy choices at least most of the time.

Like corn, gluten, and tree nuts, soy is also a common food allergen or substance that our bodies react negatively to. It finds its way into just about everything on the grocery store aisles: milk substitutes, baby formulas, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, chocolate, cakes, cookies, low carbohydrate bread, nutrition bars, nutrition drinks/shakes, and even body care products and candles! Most factory farmed animals are also fed a formula containing some soy, so some soy proteins may make their way into your meat. Here are the top 4 reasons why that is not a good thing.

1. Over 90% of the soy grown in the US is genetically modified using gene splicing in a lab.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are much different from hybridization in that the modification occurs under laboratory conditions. The gene from a bacteria is inserted into the DNA of the seed of the soybean to make the crop resistant to high doses of pesticides. If this doesn’t sound very appetizing to you, then avoiding soy on your plate should be a top priority. If you absolutely must have soy, choose soy products that are labeled organic and the many are now also touting the official label of being “Non-GMO”.

2. Soy contains estrogen mimickers.

Too much estrogen (often referred to as estrogen dominance) can create a variety of premenstrual and menopausal symptoms in women. In men, it can cause gynecomastia or “man boobs.” In both men and women, too much estrogen is associated with cancers of the reproductive system. It’s probably not a good idea to be getting a dose of estrogen in your food, especially since we also have other estrogen mimickers in our environment such as plastics. Soy-based infant formulas are quite worrisome, especially since we’re now seeing some female infants get their first “period” and experience breast development.

3. If you have a gluten sensitivity, you probably also have a soy sensitivity.

On a molecular level, soy protein closely resembles wheat protein (gluten). Therefore, if you have sensitivities to gluten, it’s likely your body will react similarly to soy. If you’ve gone gluten-free and are still having unusual, vague symptoms, check all your foods and supplements for soy ingredients.

4. Soy can kill your thyroid.

Soy is one of the most goitrogenic (goiter causing) foods on the planet. It blocks your thyroid gland’s ability to absorb iodine, making it impossible to produce enough thyroid hormone to power your body’s cells and regulate your metabolism. If you’re getting acupuncture for weight loss and still not losing weight, ditch the soy. Your thyroid will thank you.