Joseph Mercola, D.O. Workout and Diet
Medical Doctor
Born: 1954
Joseph Mercola received his medical degree from Midwestern University. He is a licensed physician and surgeon in the state of Illinois. Mercola is also trained in traditional and natural medicine and began to prescribe changes in diet and exercise when he saw drugs were not working.He has been on several TV shows, including TheToday Show, Dr. Oz, ABC’s World News Tonight, CNNand The Doctors. He has also been interviewed by Time and Forbes magazines, as well as been on dozens of national radio broadcasts. Mercola has written several books, including the best-selling The No-Grain Diet and Effortless Healing. Mercola has millions of followers on social media.
Known For:
Joseph Mercola, D.O.’s Diet
Summary
Mercola is a proponent of the ketogenic diet. He says that fat is completely misunderstood and that basically the food pyramid needs to be turned upside down, with grains and sugar being eaten only sparingly and high-quality fats constituting 50-75% of your calories. It is also important to be conscious of what you are eating and avoid all processed foods that are loaded with additives, chemicals and genetically-engineered ingredients that put your health at risk.
Estimated Macros
- Low Carbs 15%
- Medium Protein 25%
- High Fat 75%
Diet Details
Start at the Baseline
Mercola thinks everyone should have their insulin resistance checked so that you know where you’re starting from. Normal fasting level should be below 5. If yours is above, you are at risk for diabetes and need to cut way back on sugars and grains, including whole grains, until your numbers improve. Fasting blood sugar level should be below 100 mg/dl.
Measure the Waist
Waist size is a good indicator of how much fat you’re carrying around, and it’s easier to measure than BMI. It can also help to determine how much intra-abdominal fat (dangerous fat surrounding your internal organs) you have. For men, 37-40 inches is overweight; above 40” is obese. For women, the numbers are 31.5 inches for overweight; 34.6” for obese.
Cholesterol Is Not Evil
Contrary to popular opinion, cholesterol is not bad. It is necessary for hormone production, to make bile acids, and for proper brain function, amongst other things. More important numbers to watch are your HDL (you want a high number) and triglycerides (low).
Pick Your Own Keto
Standard keto, cyclic keto, restricted keto or high-protein keto, the choice is up to you. Mercola says you should try them on for size and decide which one works best. Consult with a doctor first if you have health issues.
What to Eat
High-quality Fats
Olive Oil
Organic, Pastured Eggs
Avocados
MCT Oil
Coconut Oil
Raw, Grass-fed Butter
Raw Cacao Butter
Organic Fatty Meats
Leafy Vegetables
Raw nuts/nut Butters
Animal-based Omega-3s
Coffee, Tea
Seeds
Fruits
What to Avoid
Sugar
Grains
Chemical Additives
Fruit Juice
Genetically-Modified Foods
Junk Food
Refined Foods
Processed Foods
Mercola on the Standard American Diet
‘Increasing numbers of people around the world are suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, and the main culprit is usually the food they eat.’
Mercola on Weight Loss
‘If you’re trying to lose weight, then a ketogenic diet is one of the best ways to do it because it helps access your body fat so that it can be shed.’
Mercola on Cancer Treatment
‘What most people don’t know is that cancer cells are mainly fueled by glucose. In this regard, the ketogenic diet may be the best answer.’
Joseph Mercola, D.O.’s Workout Routine
Weekly Routine
The 4-Minute Workout
The Nitric Oxide Dump workout is a type of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It hits all major muscle groups and can be done in just 3-4 minutes. It’ll work best if repeated 3x per day, but that’s still only 12 minutes total.
Squat Your Way To Better Health
Humans have been squatting at least since hunter-gatherer days and squats are a great functional exercise. They build and strengthen muscles throughout the body, improve balance and mobility, prevent injury, and enhance athletic performance.
HIIT It
Mercola is a fan of high-intensity interval training because it has been shown to offer more health benefits than ordinary aerobic exercise and reduces your risk of diabetes. It also encourages the body to naturally produce HGH (human growth hormone) which is also called the ‘fitness hormone.’
Strength Train For The Win (Against Type II Diabetes)
Strength training and HIIT have both been proven to be the most effective types of exercise against diabetes, but any physical activity helps.
Rise Up
Mercola says sitting is bad for your health. The mere act of standing improves many of the body’s functions, and walking around is even better. Any kind of functional exercise will improve your health.
Walk (or Run) Barefoot
Mercola says ‘grounding’ or ‘earthing’ (walking barefoot) strengthens your feet and legs, improves your balance, and recharges your body from the Earth’s energy.
Peak Fitness
Mercola used to run, but gave it up for Peak Fitness, which is a form of HIIT in which you do 30-second sprints followed by a 90-second recovery, and repeat for a total of 8 cycles. Note: beginners will do fewer cycles, and build stamina over time.
Nitric Oxide Dump
Another HIIT exercise Mercola likes is the nitric oxide dump. Nitric oxide is a free radical that can make your mitochondria (cells’ energy producers) work harder, in a good way. These exercises can be done in just minutes, and give you the same benefits as an hour at the gym.
Exercise Style
Dr. Mercola’s Nitric Oxide Dump Workout
A typical session entails 4 sets of 10 reps of each exercise, but you can increase your reps to 20 if you’d like.
Hand weights are not necessary or recommended for beginners, but you can add them in later if you so choose.
Warm up by stretching to open the shoulders and prevent injury. Cool down with some Ankle Grabbers.
Breathe through your nose, keeping your mouth closed.
Squats: works legs (glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, as well as the abs). Perform 10 standard squats: feet hip-width, toes pointing forward, body weight evenly distributed between ball and heel. Do the squats as quickly as you can. Speed is more important than depth. If your knees bother you, do a chair squat against the wall and hold it for 30-60 seconds, or until your thighs begin to ache.
Tin Soldiers: works shoulders (deltoids & triceps)
Swing 1 arm forward to a 90-degree angle, then return it to your side, alternating arms. Repeat 10 times on each side.
Standing snow angel: works back (lats, traps, deltoids, rotator cuff)
Begin with arms in front of pelvis, fists touching. Keeping arms straight, swing them up to touch fists overhead. Circle back down & repeat 10 times. If your shoulder/rotator cuff does not like this motion, you can start with prayer hands in front of chest, raise them overhead, then swing them out to the side, returning to prayer to start again.
Military Press: works shoulders & arms (traps, deltoids, triceps, neck)
An invisible pull-up. Start with fists at shoulder level. Press arms straight above your head. Return to beginning position and repeat 10 times.
Do 3 more sets of each of the 4 exercises. Then relax and shake it out. You may feel tingling in your fingertips and a little puffy for the next 20 seconds. That’s the nitric oxide effect.
Wait at least 2 hours before repeating the sequence to allow your body to replenish its supply of nitric oxide.
Mercola on Exercise & Fasting
Exercising while fasting is crucial to your fitness plans as it allows your body to effectively shed fat[…]’
Mercola on HIIT Exercise
‘Other than allowing you to burn more calories in less time, HIIT workouts have been shown to produce greater health benefits overall than conventional aerobic training, as well as…increase your body’s production of human growth hormone, also known as the ‘fitness hormone’.’
Mercola on Barefoot Walking or ‘Grounding’
‘The Earth is negatively charged, so when you ground, you’re connecting your body to a negatively charged supply of energy. And since the Earth has a greater negative charge than your body, you end up absorbing electrons from it.’
Joseph Mercola, D.O.’s Supplements
Multivitamin
A multivitamin can fill any nutritional gaps. Dr. Mercola’s high-potency mulitvitamin is made from whole foods and contains an exclusive blend of antioxidants.
Get it here
Probiotics Chondroitin
A healthy gut is necessary for a healthy body. Probiotics promote gut health, thus overall health. Dr. Mercola’s probiotic formula contains 100 billion CFUs of 10 different probiotic strains.
Curcumin
The bright yellow spice turmeric contains curcumin which has many health-promoting properties, including cell development, joint flexibility, digestion, reducing oxidative stress, and supporting memory and concentration, amongst other things.
Antioxidant
Astaxanthin is a special antioxidant that can cross the blood-brain barrier and the blood-retinal barrier, helping to protect your eyes, nervous system, and brain.
Joseph Mercola, D.O.’s Lifestyle
The Necessity of Sleep
Mercola says adults need 7-9 hours of sleep. Insufficient sleep leads to neuron degeneration, which can lead to dementia. Also upsetting your circadian rhythm disrupts your entire system, from raising blood pressure and blood sugar to increased inflammation, stress, risk of cancer and more.
Sustainable Global Food
Mercola encourages everyone to engage in gardening. It not only saves you money and provides you with healthier food, it also promotes biodiversity and protects precious topsoil.
Emotional Freedom Technique
Mercola says emotional health is as important to physical health and wellbeing as diet and lifestyle. EFT is a type of psychological acupressure, but no needles are used. Simple tapping is used to input energy while you think about your problem and voice positive affirmations.
Just Say No to Laser Eye Surgery
Mercola is a proponent of the Bates Method to strengthen vision. He is not a fan of laser vision correction, or even wearing glasses.
Recommended Products
Ketone Energy MCT Oil
Cassava Bars
Pure Power Protein
Miracle Whey
Ketofast
Fat for Fuel
The No-Grain Diet
Effortless Healing
Hungry for Change DVD
Back Pain: The Primal Posture Solution DVD
Foundation Training DVD
Air purifiers
References
https://articles.mercola.com/ketogenic-diet.aspx
https://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2017/11/03/4-minute-daily-workout.aspx
http://www.drmercola.com/exercise/squats-worth-adding-workout/
http://www.mercolafastdiet.com/blog/intermittent-fasting-hiit-workout.aspx
https://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2019/03/29/best-exercise-for-diabetes.aspx
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/29/why-do-you-need-sleep.aspx
