The OFM Pyramid
No one element is compartmentalized in biology. For this reason the OFM Pyramid provides a way to navigate the complex, dynamic and inter-related components of the OFM Program in an intuitive yet holistic way. It also facilitates the personalization of OFM in the context of the individual's needs, situation and dynamics, rather than force them into a “one size fits all” program.
This not only achieves desired results, but does so on a long-term sustainable level. When an individual achieves “The Zen of OFM,” OFM becomes effortless and intuitive fostering consistent optimal performance and health.
The OFM Pyramid is broken down into 7 fundamental elements, which combine to form the OFM Program. Each element is broken down further into related sub-sections. Every sub-section is intricately interrelated with the others. The pinnacle is OFM, what we term “The Zen of OFM”, however, it is first necessary to start with a solid foundation, the “Fat-Adapted” Metabolic State.
“Strategic” carbohydrates are a key tool in OFM. This is because the use of concentrated carbohydrates yields that performance push thus the hormetic stress necessary for the adaptive signaling to build mitochondria and for cells to become more efficient and robust in every way. This is why OFM athletes can build the metabolic capacity to metabolize fat at unprecedented levels.
Our perspective of concentrated forms of carbohydrates is that we view them as a "Legal PED" because they fit the description. Used strategically carbohydrates are a vital tool for achieving both your health and performance potential.
OFM was originally developed as an outgrowth of supporting VESPA athletes to achieve their potential. While VESPA is not mandatory to achieve robust health, if you are looking to optimize your performance potential and metabolic capacity it is essential. VESPA is also a fantastic tool for streamlining the process of reaching the OFM state because it ‘jump starts’ your fat metabolism.
Hydration is the most dynamic aspect of OFM and critical to both health and performance. It is crucially important if you want to experience the superior performance OFM provides.
The science of hydration is complex and imperfect. There is no ‘precision hydration’ formula. However, by understanding some basics and being aware of the signals, learning how to master your hydration needs makes executing hydration an intuitive task both in sport and life.
Because Training & Lifestyle are so intricately intertwined they occupy a single Tier of the OFM Pyramid, however, we break them down into two sub-categories each with several areas of actionable content to address to achieve “Higher Health & Peak Performance”:
Training: The multidimensional concept for “OFM Disruptive Periodization Training”
Lifestyle: Various areas of Life which impact OFM and how to make doable changes within the context of your life so they are sustainable
Stomach & Gut Health is intricately tied to whole body health and performance which OFM breaks down into three principal components:
Epithelium composed of epithelial cells and mucous membrane
The Biome composed of bacteria, fungi and archaea which reside in the Epithelium
Function of stomach acid and gall bladder
Stomach & Gut Health is crucial for:
Digestion and absorption of nutrition
Conversion of nutritional elements in food to critical building blocks for life
Breaking down of foreign proteins and other potentially harmful elements
Mitigating excess carbohydrate/sugar consumption
Minimizing D-Lactate synthesis due to gut dysbiosis
Energy delivery of fat, ketones & glucose
Hormonal balance
Immune system health / prevention of the development of auto-immune disease
Prevention of localized and systemic inflammation
Disease prevention
Longevity
Mental & Emotional health
Focusing on the Nutritional elements necessary to build and fuel the body are critical to any health, wellness or performance nutrition plan, however, by optimizing your fat metabolism, you optimize nutritional uptake and utilization thus minimize the metabolic loads of excess calories and nutritional imbalances.
The “Fat Adapted” Metabolic State forms the foundation of your Metabolic Health and Performance because fat metabolism:
- Is the principal aerobic energy source that your body is meant to use to power you.
- Fat Metabolism (also termed as 'Lipid Metabolism') is the metabolic pathway that makes you, you! Every element in your body (cells, mitochondria, hormones, enzymes, DNA, RNA etc.) are built via fat based metabolic pathways.
