A pill for every ill and a drug for every bug

I am constantly amazed at how many internet, print, and television ads there are for prescription drugs.  Many with a very long list of side effects including liver damage, stroke and death. There has been a lot of debate in the recent past and some still on going about the need to reform the U.S. Healthcare system and I agree there is a need, although my idea of change is radically different. In January 2011 it was announced that the US government was going to spend 1 Billion dollars to start it's own drug research center. 45.8 Billion is already spent privately each year through the big drug companies.
I am not much of a conspiracy theorist however, when I look at how much money and energy is spent on researching, producing, and selling prescription drugs on both the private and governmental side I start to wonder "what would happen to our economy if our society was healthy and relatively drug free?" Would our economy collapse? Is this what the U.S. economy produces, sick people, drugs and new medical procedures?
If I could reform our entire medical system I would take the 1 Billion governmental dollars and invest it in health education. I would change the way we educate young doctors at the medical school level and then work up to continuing education for current medical practitioners. Now I'm not saying we should not continue to work on and research tools and procedures that are life saving. By all means our medical life saving procedures are important and worth while but the treatment of symptoms from disease instead of  the causes of disease leave us with what?
An article by Mark Hyman MD,contributing editor of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine discuses the failure of treating risk factors for prevention of chronic disease. Dr. Hyman points out that large drug companies have attempted to prove that treating risk factors such as lipid or glucose levels with prescription drugs reduces the risk of chronic disease endpoints such as cardiovascular events, diabetes, and mortality.  "Despite the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on this research, aggressive risk factor treatments of the two most important targets -lipids and glucose- has consistently failed to show benefit in primary prevention." Dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension are risk factors for chronic disease, they are not the causes of the disease.  Drugs mask these symptoms but don't treat the cause and help us live longer. In two large trials, the NAVIGATOR and ACCORD studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that "lipids, glucose, and blood pressure were all effectively reduced in the drug trials.  But there was no reduction in morbidity and mortality in any of the trials reported and there was significant side effect." Side effect that include myopathy, elevated creatine phosphokinase, sexual disfunction, liver damage, nerve damage, and others were reported in 10-15% of patients.  So they reduce the symptoms, cause damaging side effects, but they don't prevent cardiac problems or diabetes? Why are we taking these drugs?  A study published in the Lancet in 2004 named the INTERHEART study followed 30,000 people and found that changing lifestyle could prevent at least 90%of all heart disease!!
The cause of the symptoms indicated in cardiac problems and diabetes is the environment influencing our gene expression.  The way we eat, how much we exercise, how we deal with stress, how much stress, the effects of environmental toxins all interact with our genes and change the way the gene phenotype.
So if I could make changes to our healthcare I would educate and research comprehensive approaches to treating body systems not symptoms.  If we were all informed about comprehensive approaches to treating systems using a whole-food, plant based diet, rich in omega 3 fats, antioxidants, and phytonutrients; supplements, exercise, stress management,and  treating low level toxicity we would be a lot healthier.  But what would take the place of that 16% of our GDP currently spent on healthcare?

No state of mind exists that is not reflected in the immune system

No state of mind exists that is not reflected by a state of the immune system. Body and mind are one, the body is the actual outward manifestation, in physical space, of the mind. Candace Pert's work "Molecules of Emotion" brilliantly proves the mind body connection which unfortunately today is still not always considered in U.S. Medicine when offering treatment options. The mind is a very complex organ which has as it's primary goal to survive.

Physically it's important to understand, our brain is made up of molecules containing receptors and ligands which are neurotransmitters, steroids, and peptides. Our brain is constantly receiving information through our senses and responding to the cells in the rest of the body through our thoughts and emotions. No two brains are the same and our brain will not be the same from birth to death. Our brains experience two large growth periods, one in early childhood and then again in adolescence. Once hormones are introduced reproduction, as a basic instinct, takes center stage in our behavior until we are older and hormones diminish. Once hormones diminish clearer thinking will return.

Our environment is constantly changing and our brain is always directing our body in how to react. These reactions are recorded experiences and our expressed emotions are fundamentally survival adaptive responses. We must learn to recognize these adapted behaviors and forgive some of the behavior we and others engage in, realizing these learned behaviors are how we cope with what threatens us.

Our Limbic brain is where information from the senses is stored, translated, and sent up to the higher brain for action. It is often referred to as the emotional brain because it is the axis where sensory information is converted to survival adaptive responses shown as behavior. The Limbic brain contains a high concentration of receptors and peptides. Candace Pert states” Neuropeptides and their receptors thus join the brain, glands, and immune system in a network of communication between brain and body, probably representing the biochemical substrate of emotion.” It could be that spontaneous healing is the result of the Limbic brain receiving a healing message so clearly that the peptides alter the direction of cells in the immune and endocrine system.

A lot of study has been done on neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and many others as a pathway for drugs both illegal and prescription. In these studies it has been shown that altered neurotransmitter levels can be the cause of addictions. If your neurotransmitter levels are low in the body using certain drugs can release stored neurotransmitters until eventually you are depleted. This is how an addictive cycle is set up with drugs such as extascy, cocaine, and heroine. A big release happens when the pathway is opened and after the high there is a an extreme low so addicts get high again trying to feel the same way. Neurotransmitters can become low without the use of heavy illegal drugs. Much of our American diet leads to low serotonin levels and many antidepressants and other prescribed drugs can also deplete neurotransmitter levels.

Spiritually, we can impact our emotions and our immune system by exposing ourselves to goodness. There have been studies such as the “Mother Theresa effect” that show a bolstered immunogloblin 1A just by the presence of goodness or a study that found people diagnosed with a disease lived longer if they had a support network. The value we put on ourselves and our relationship with others can have a positive emotional and immunological response.

Our bodies and mind are one. “All emotions are healthy, because emotions are what unite the mind and body. Anger, fear, sadness, the so-called negative emotions, are as healthy as peace, courage, and joy. To repress these emotions and not them flow freely is to set up a dis-integrity in the system, causing it to act at cross-purposes rather than as a unified whole.

You control your health. It is your responsibility!

Nutrition and lifestyle can make a bigger difference on our health than any medication and a relatively few number of people are actually taking advantage of this avenue for health. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are not just a fact of getting older and the causes are primarily not genetic. It's time the public was informed that they have real control over their health. Getting one of the diseases that plague our society today is not arbitrary! It is in direct relation to how we live our lives. We own the responsibility of caring for ourselves and we can not rely on the miracles of modern medicine to keep us healthy. Modern medicine can not keep us healthy! It can keep us from death for an extended period of time but it can not keep us healthy. Most of us are born with health. We have all we need to live a long healthy life but we do not care for our health and nurture it.  So how do we care for our health?

1) Engage in physical activity- A minimum of 30 minutes a day 7 days a week at a medium to rapid pace. Start a walking group, take a dance class, buy a bicycle, learn tennis, anything that keeps us moving. Remember, what is in motion stays in motion. It doesn't have to be hard exercise, it could be two 15 minute walks.

2) Eat Healthy - Nutritional information seems to be all over the map depending on who you ask but since our health is directly linked to our survival and our quality of life, I would encourage everyone to make an effort to seek out the truth about what to eat. Should we seek the truth from RJR-Nabisco or Phillip Morris-Kraft? They would have no reason to bias any information, right? Even the USDA advice should be looked upon critically since their primary roll is to support big meat, big dairy, and big grain processes. I encourage everyone to seek information from sources that are not supported or funded by anyone with something to sell. Seek the evidence of pure research or speak with people who have done the research and you will find that we need to:

• remove complex carbohydrates in the form of processed food (no cookies, crackers, bread, bagels, waffles, candy, ice cream, soda, etc.) from our diet
• remove trans-fats from the diet (and yes that means goodbye fried food)
• include three servings of whole grains a day (brown rice, quinoa, spelt, oats, barley, wheat berries)
• eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as you want
• include 3 servings of lean protein a day
• use good oils (olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil, avocado oil)
• eat nuts
• eat fish
• restrict dairy to one serving a day or less
• limit red meat to 2 servings a week.
• Take fish oil and a multivitamin

  3) Think Spiritually - What is it that we value? What do we want to embody? What we eat contributes to the essence of who we are and what we value. Do we value a disease free body, fit capable body, or a pure body and then we must think about the choices we make and do the correspond with what we value.

4)  Go Green - There are many environmental factors that impact our health such as chemicals in our; food, body products, plastic containers, and air. We should seek to remove as many of these chemicals from our lives as possible so they are not endocrine disruptors. Get back to products that are natural, good for the earth, and good for us. There is wisdom in how our ancestors lived and what they shared with us.

5) Stress is another BIG environmental factor in our health that we should seek to limit. Continuing to release stress hormones causes vitamin and mineral deficiencies and wears our body down. Many times stress is a value system problem.  We may be stressed because we are being asked to act in a way that is in conflict with what we value. Meditation can be a great way of relieving stress or simply setting aside 15 minutes a day to sit alone quietly and breath deeply.

 

What exactly is the mind body connection?

No state of mind exists that is not reflected by a state of the immune system. Body and mind are one, the body is the actual outward manifestation, in physical space, of the mind. Candace Pert's work brilliantly proves the mind body connection which unfortunately today is still not always considered in U.S. Medicine when offering treatment options. The mind is a very complex organ which has as it's primary goal to survive.

Physically it's important to understand, our brain is made up of molecules containing receptors and ligands which are neurotransmitters, steroids, and peptides. Our brain is constantly receiving information through our senses and responding to the cells in the rest of the body through our thoughts and emotions. No two brains are the same and our brain will not be the same from birth to death. Our brains experience two large growth periods, one in early childhood and then again in adolescence. Once hormones are introduced reproduction, as a basic instinct, takes center stage in our behavior until we are older and hormones diminish. Once hormones diminish clearer thinking will return.

Our environment is constantly changing and our brain is always directing our body in how to react. These reactions are recorded experiences and our expressed emotions are fundamentally survival adaptive responses. We must learn recognize these adapted behaviors and forgive some of the behavior we and others engage in, realizing these learned behaviors are how we cope with what threatens us.

Our Limbic brain is where information from the senses is stored, translated, and sent up to the higher brain for action. It is often referred to as the emotional brain because it is the axis where sensory information is converted to survival adaptive responses shown as behavior. The Limbic brain contains a high concentration of receptors and peptides. Candace Pert states” Neuropeptides and their receptors thus join the brain, glands, and immune system in a network of communication between brain and body, probably representing the biochemical substrate of emotion.” It could be that spontaneous healing is the result of the Limbic brain receiving a healing message so clearly that the peptides alter the direction of cells in the immune and endocrine system.

A lot of study has been done on neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and many others as a pathway for drugs both illegal and prescription. In these studies it has been shown that altered neurotransmitter levels can be the cause of addictions. If your neurotransmitter levels are low in the body using certain drugs can release stored neurotransmitters until eventually you are depleted. This is how an addictive cycle is set up with drugs such as extascy, cocaine, and heroine. A big release happens when the pathway is opened and after the high there is a an extreme low so addicts get high again trying to feel the same way. Neurotransmitters can become low without the use of heavy illegal drugs. Much of our American diet leads to low serotonin levels and many antidepressants and other prescribed drugs can also deplete neurotransmitter levels.

Spiritually, we can impact our emotions and our immune system by exposing ourselves to goodness. There have been studies such as the “Mother Theresa effect” that show a bolstered immunogloblin 1A just by the presence of goodness or a study that found people diagnosed with a disease lived longer if they had a support network. The value we put on ourselves and our relationship with others can have a positive emotional and immunological response.

Our bodies and mind are one. “All emotions are healthy, because emotions are what unite the mind and body. Anger, fear, sadness, the so-called negative emotions, are as healthy as peace, courage, and joy. To repress these emotions and not them flow freely is to set up a dis-integrity in the system, causing it to act at cross-purposes rather than as a unified whole.

Is dairy in the U.S. safe to consume?

Is dairy in the U.S. safe to consume? The USDA recommends adults have three servings a day and our children are pushed to drink milk by their parents, doctors, and schools but the milk of today is not at all the same as the dairy our ancestors ate.  The growth hormones and estrogen given to cows cause rapid cell division and the hormones end up in the milk. According to a Harvard School of Public Health researcher, Dr. Walter Willett, No one is manning the shop keeping track of exactly how much of these hormones ends up the milk.  He and colleagues have done studies that show there may be more harm than good done from dairy consumption, that it may be better to take calcium supplements, and that low vitamin D may be the real health problem.  Below is a link to an article about some U.S. dairy and the cancer link.

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/12.07/11-dairy.html

The Science of how High Fructose Corn Syrup Can Kill You!

Dr. Mark Hyman is a family physician who has spent his career looking for the root causes of chronic diseases and medically treating people as whole humans not individual diseases.  He writes a great article about the propaganda campaign the Corn Refiner's Association is underwriting to tell Americans that High Fructose Corn Syrup is the same as sugar and that used in moderation it is not a health risk.  In the article he outlines the science of how the molecular structure of HFCS is different than simple sugar and the health risks that it poses.  If you are unsure of whether you should STAY AWAY from High Fructose Corn Syrup read this article,

5 Reasons High Fructose Corn Syrup Will Kill You

What happens when we engineer food?

If you have not paid much attention to what is happening to the food production in the U.S. you might want to start now. According to the Human Genome Project, a government initiative out of Oak Ridge National Laboratories, 53% of the crops grown in the US are genetically modified.  Since 1996 genetically modified food has exploded in corn, cottonseed, and soybeans to name a few.  I would be very suspicious of GM food since we also have more people than ever suffering from food allergies, autoimmune diseases, autism, and behavioral problems. Below you can read some of the reasons there is an effort to get the Millions Against Monsanto campaign going. If you are not sure about what the problems with GM food are, read on:

#1 Monsanto's Bt-toxin, in its Bt-producing GMO corn and cotton (used in food in the form of cottonseed oil), was found by Canadian doctors in the blood of 93% of pregnant women and 80% of the umbilical blood of their babies.

#2 The authors of the Canadian study conclude that the women and their babies were exposed to Monsanto's GMO Bt-toxin through a "normal" non-organic Canadian diet, including non-organic (so-called "natural" and "conventional") meat, egg, and dairy products from animals fed Bt corn.

#3 Monsanto's GMO "Bt" corn and cotton plants are engineered to produce a insecticide in every cell of the plant that kills insects by breaking open their stomachs.

#4 Mice fed Monsanto's Bt corn had elevated levels of immune system substances that are also higher in humans who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, cancer, allergies, Lou Gehrig's disease, autoimmune disease, and colitis.

#5 Young mice in the same study had elevated T-cells, which are increased in people with asthma, and in children with food allergies, juvenile arthritis, and connective tissue diseases.

#6 Monsanto's GMO Bt-toxin has properties of known allergens - it actually fails the World Health Organization's allergen screening tests.

#7 Monsanto's GMO Bt-toxin has been found to bind with the small intestines in mice and with intestinal tissue in rhesus monkeys.

#8 In addition to its GMO "Bt" crops which are engineered to produce insecticide, Monsanto also produces GMO "RoundUp Ready" crops, engineered with a bacterial DNA that allows it to survive otherwise deadly doses of its herbicide RoundUp.

#9 In the only human feeding study ever published on GMOs, Monsanto's GMO "RoundUp Ready" soybeans were found to transfer Monsanto's "RoundUp Ready" DNA to the bacteria living inside human intestines.

#10 According to Jeffrey Smith of the Institute for Responsible Technology, the transfer of Monsanto's GMO Bt DNA to human digestive bacteria could create a "living pesticide factory" that could be responsible for the "increase in gastrointestinal problems, autoimmune diseases, food allergies, and childhood learning disorders - since 1996 when Bt crops came on the market."

Is exercise really necessary? Can't we just eat better and be healthy?

The short answer is, yes we need exercise not just better eating to attain better health. Here is the long answer of why. 

Our muscles use ATP as their sole source of fuel and ATP is made in the muscle cells by anaerobic respiration. Oxygen determines how much ATP will be made in the muscles so fitness is how much oxygen can be consumed in the muscle cell mitochondria. Regular exercise has a major impact on the ability to be healthy and stay healthy. Regular exercise lowers blood lipids, strengthens and makes the heart bigger, lowers blood pressure, increases the size of the muscle mitochondria for better metabolism, decreases the rate of fatigue, strengthens the bones, and shifts your body composition from fat to lean muscle mass reducing metabolic syndromes. There is no down side to exercise so it must be part of any healthy lifestyle.

Nutritionally, carbohydrates and fats can both be used to make energy and using fat sounds good but carbohydrates are more efficient and better for performance. It takes about 30 minutes of exercise for fat to start supplementing the carbohydrates for energy. Most people aren't running marathons although some do and so I illustrate that we only have 1500 calories of stored carbohydrate energy and if we burn about 100 calories per mile we will run out of carbohydrate fuel after 15 miles and have to utilize our 70,000 calories of stored fat energy. Which is harder and it's called hitting the wall when your body makes the switch. More glucose during the race is needed.

Emotionally, exercise improves mood by releasing endorphins, the feel good neurotransmitters. According to a Mayo Clinic study it also helps improve mood by reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression and it elevates body temperature which has a calming effect It also makes you happier throughout the day if you're not as fatigued by each stressor. You feel better if you accomplished something and you did something good for yourself.

Environmentally, you want to exercise where the air is as clean as possible since you will be sucking a lot into your lungs. Also you want to train where you will be competing if you are an athlete. If you are running a race in Denver the oxygen percentage in the air is lower or if you train in New England and then run a race in Texas it's important to realize how your body will react and what alterations you might need to make.

Some religions claim the body is a temple. I think this is a good way to think about the vessel that allows our spirit to inhabit it. Each spirit is on this earth for a limited amount of time in this body. If we respect our spirit we must respect our body. Taking good care of our our spirits' vessel requires proper nutritional fuel and oxygen to make the muscles work. Exercise makes use of the great food we eat and allows us to consume more oxygen, making the vessel strong. It's important to respect our essence, our unique spirits and the body that carries it.

Beware of Osteoporosis Medication that Inhibits Breakdown of Bone | Columbia University Medical Center

Breakdown of Bone Keeps Blood Sugar in Check, New Study Finds

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/news/breakdown-bone-keeps-blood-sugar-check-new-study-finds

 

Research May Lead to Better Drugs for Type 2 Diabetes

July 22, 2010

NEW YORK (July 22, 2010) – Researchers led by Columbia University Medical Center have discovered that the skeleton plays an important role in regulating blood sugar and have further illuminated how bone controls this process. The finding, published in Cell, is important because it may lead to more targeted drugs for type 2 diabetes.
Led by Gerard Karsenty, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Genetics and Development at Columbia University Medical Center, the researchers found that the destruction of old bone during normal skeletal regrowth – a process known as resorption – is necessary to maintain a healthy level of glucose in the blood.
While resorption is a process that occurs throughout life to make way for new bone, Dr. Karsenty’s team discovered that it also acts to stimulate the release of insulin into the bloodstream and improve the uptake of glucose by cells in the entire body.
The findings suggest that, for some people, diabetes may develop from changes in the skeleton, and that drugs designed to stimulate the bone-insulin pathway may lead to better drugs for type 2 diabetes.
The first clue that the skeleton may have an important role in regulating blood glucose came in 2007 when Dr. Karsenty discovered that a hormone released by bone – known as osteocalcin – can regulate glucose levels. Osteocalcin turns on the production of insulin in the pancreas and improves the ability of other cells to take in glucose. Both of these processes are impaired in type 2 diabetes.
The new paper reveals that osteocalcin cannot work until cells that degrade bone start working and begin the resorption process. As the cells degrade bone, inactive osteocalcin is converted to its active form by the increase in acidity around the bone.
“Remarkably, insulin was discovered to favor bone resorption. Hence, in a feed-forward loop it favors the activation of osteocalcin, which in turn favors insulin synthesis and secretion,” said Dr. Karsenty. “Insulin is a street-smart molecule that takes advantage of the functional interplay between bone resorption and osteocalcin, to turn-on the secretion and synthesis of more insulin.”
By identifying the tight connection existing between energy metabolism and skeleton physiology – in this case between insulin and osteocalcin – this new study further underscores the wealth of physiological function exerted by the skeleton. The finding further strengthens the idea that diabetes could be treated by increasing the level of osteocalcin in the body.  In addition, the researchers suggested that since most drugs to treat another condition – osteoporosis – work by inhibiting bone resorption, the drugs may decrease the activation of osteocalcin and cause glucose intolerance in some patients.

Insulin signaling in bone favors whole-body glucose homeostasis by activating osteocalcin. (1) Insulin signals osteoblasts, bone cells responsible for bone formation, which (2) tell osteoclasts, bone cells responsible for resorption, to destroy old bone. Next (3), the acidic (low pH) conditions created by the osteoclasts activates osteocalcin inside the bone. Finally (4), the active osteocalcin released from bone travels to the pancreas and stimulates the release of more insulin. © Image provided by Columbia University Medical Center.

“This research has important implications for both diabetes and osteoporosis patients,” said Dr. Karsenty. “First, this research shows that osteocalcin is involved in diabetes onset; secondly, bone may become a new target in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the most frequent form of diabetes, as it appears to contribute strongly to glucose intolerance; and, finally, osteocalcin could become a treatment for type 2 diabetes.”
“And for people with osteoporosis, the concern is that a common treatment, bisphosphonates – which work by inhibiting bone resorption and therefore may increase glucose intolerance, could push someone with borderline glucose intolerance into full-fledged disease onset. Although, more research is needed to study this further,” said Dr. Karsenty.

###

This work was supported by a fellowship from the Fond de la recherche en santé du Québec (M.F.) and grants from the National Institutes of Health (G.K.) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (P.D.).
Authors of the paper are: Mathieu Ferron¹,⁵, Jianwen Wei¹,⁵, Tatsuya Yoshizawa¹,⁵, Andrea Del Fattore², Ronald A. DePinho³, Anna Teti², Patricia Ducy⁴ and Gerard Karsenty¹*
Affiliations: ¹Department of Genetics & Development, and ⁴Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; ²Department of Experimental Medicine, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy; ³Department of Medicine and Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; ⁵These authors contributed equally and were placed in alphabetical order.
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the M.D. degree and is now among the most selective medical schools in the country. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the most comprehensive medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest in the United States. Columbia University Medical Center is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the nation’s largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital provider. For more information, please visit www.cumc.columbia.edu.

Those amazing bones

Muscles and bones contribute to our overall well being in many different ways. They are important to our physical protection, our survival, our beauty, and our immune systems. We often forget about our bones, relegating them to the limited care of calcium and vitamin D supplements.. When in reality they are living organs that provides us with life. Red and white blood cells are made in the bones along with the immune cells phagocytes. Bones regulate how much calcium is in the blood stream and calcium is needed in the blood for many metabolic functions. So if bones not only give us shape, but also play a role in metabolism and immunity, we should learn to take good care of them. Taking care of the bones does start with adequate calcium intake however, I am leery of the store bought supplements. Because a proper balance of enzymes and vitamins, are required for calcium absorption I recommend getting calcium through raw vegetarian sources in the diet and whole food supplements. Vitamin D is still being studied extensively and the US RDA keeps creeping up but we do know that it helps with calcium absorption and may play a part in preventing several other diseases. So my recommendation is 15 minutes outside and 600IU everyday. Keeping the bones strong also means we need to do some weight training. Moderate resistance training 3 times a week will improve the amount of calcium being deposited into the bone. Limited caffeine and alcohol consumption will help increase calcium absorption as well as lowering emotional stress levels. Lowering emotional stress is important because we know that when we chronically stress our body in any way our body releases cortisol which sets up hyper nutrient metabolism and tells the cells not to bother storing nutrients for later.

Our muscles are not only there to help us move and make us look good and they are not independent of the bones. Muscles are the communicators between the bones and the nervous system. Studies have shown that in induced muscle paralysis there is rapid degradation of bone. The papers indicate that even very minor localized muscular deficits can have dramatic effects on bone re-absorption. Muscle derived cells contribute directly to bone healing. So if we are going to take care of our bones we need to take care of our muscles. Taking care of our muscles means we need to eat plenty of proteins and polyunsaturated fats, take essential fatty acid supplements, and do some strength training 3 times a week. Really, a well balanced diet of whole foods, some supplements, and moderate exercise will help to keep our bones and muscles working well. They are much less demanding than our digestive or endocrine systems yet essential to living well.

Since everything is connected to everything these recommendations will undoubtedly have other benefits to the body and provide little to no interference.

Dr. Hyman on the dangers of our drug system

If your taking Zetia this is a must read!

The Dangers of the Medical Industrial Complex
YOUR DOCTORS THINK they make decisions based on medical evidence. But they don't!
In fact, half of medical evidence is hidden from your doctors. And the half that's hidden is the half that shows drugs don't work.
The bad news is that drug companies are not policed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the way they should be. A drug should be proven both effective and safe BEFORE it is prescribed to millions of people. Sadly, that often isn't the case.
Let me share with you two recent examples that highlight the dangerous collusion between drug companies and our government agency. They show why the FDA should really stand for "Federal Drug Aid."
First, we now know that the cholesterol-lowering drug Zetia actually causes harm and leads to faster progression of heart disease DESPITE lowering cholesterol 58 percent when combined with Zocor.
This challenges the belief that high cholesterol causes heart attacks and shakes the $40 billion dollar cholesterol drug industry at its foundation.
Second, it's come to light that nearly all the negative studies on antidepressants - that's more than half of all studies on these drugs - were never published, giving a false sense of effectiveness of antidepressants to treat depression.
I'm not telling you to blame your doctor. Instead, blame deceptive scientific practices and industry-protective government polices. Let's talk a closer look at these findings and their implications.
Get the story 
http://drhyman.com/the-dangers-of-the-medical-industrial-co...

Coca-Cola rejects growing calls for bisphenol A disclosure

Coca-Cola is facing mounting pressure on bisphenol A (BPA) after 26 per cent of its shareholders called on the company to reveal its plans over the continued use of the chemical in its packaging.

  http://www.foodqualitynews.com/Public-Concerns/Coca-Cola-rejects-growing-calls-for-bisphenol-A-disclosure?utm_source=AddThisWeb&utm_medium=SocialAddThis&utm_campaign=SocialMedia

Of course they don't want to admit they are causing gene mutations in millions of people and they certainly don't want to have to change that because it costs money.  You can read in my earlier posts about the problem with environmental toxins on weight loss but Bisphenol A is also a known carcinogen.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid for weight loss: it's no magic diet pill

Conjugated Linoleic Acid for weight loss: it's no magic diet pill

I recently wrote about Conjugated Linoleic Acid on my blog as a way to lose fat along with taking GLA and DHA supplements. In this article they say that people who took CLA and did nothing else lost 2-4 pounds a year and that since that is not significant weight loss it's not important.  So I want to make some comments about the article here,

1)  2-4 pounds a year is what most people gain. So if we could stop the gain isn't that worth taking a pill that has as it's only ingredient something that is essential to our body?  We can't function properly without it and 80% of Americans are deficient in this ESSENTIAL fatty acid.
2) GLA Targets stomach fat!! If you could loose 4 pounds of stomach fat a year wouldn't that be great?  Stomach fat is known to be more metabolically active  and dangerous that other fat.
3) I would never suggest someone who is over weight take only a pill.  This supplement in combination with a balanced diet and light to moderate exercise could aid in more than 2-4 pounds of weight loss a year.
4) Other studies have shown that people who took CLA lost 9% body fat.

Bottom line is take 5 grams of each DHA, GLA, and CLA supplements a day.  They all help us metabolize fat better, reduce inflammation, are essential for health, reduce risk of heart attack, improve memory, and many other positives. The negatives?  Umm there aren't any.

Support your weight loss

Potential reasons for global weight gain

1. Environmental toxins
2. Viruses and Bacteria in the gut
3. Fear of fats
4. Toxic Liver
5. Water logged tissue
6. Excess Insulin and inflammation
7. Stress - producing cortisol
8. Lack of Support

One of the main reasons people state their diets fail is lack of support.  This is also why organizations like weight watchers have been so successful in helping people lose weight.  Support is always important, studies have shown that people who have wider support and social circles have lower stress levels, healthier immune systems and live longer. Add lose more weight that list. Support for weight loss is important because presumably when you are trying to lose weight there are life style changes you will be making.  Some of which may affect others in your life. Here are some ways to make your weight loss more successful,

• Ask your family to be your morale supports
• Start or join  a group - this could be a group at your place of worship or at your office
• Support your body with the correct supplements
• Pamper yourself often with a massage, facial, or some sort of relaxation
• Reflect on the positive changes you have made in your life
  

The Amazing Liver

Potential reasons for global weight gain

1. Environmental toxins
2. Viruses and Bacteria in the gut
3. Fear of fats
4. Toxic Liver
5. Water logged tissue
6. Excess Insulin and inflammation
7. Stress - producing cortisol
8. Lack of Support

 Our liver is probably the most under appreciated organ in the body and actually it is really quite amazing.  The liver performs over 400 functions in the body one of which is the detoxification for our body of chemicals, OTC and Rx meds, Alcohol, and hormones. It converts the toxins into more easily eliminated water soluble forms for disposal.  Liver toxicity from acetaminophen poisoning is by far the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States.  The liver produces bile which helps to emulsify fats in the small intestine.  Fats are one of the most difficult nutrients for the body to digest. As I mentioned, the liver performs over 400 functions and you can not live without it. Unfortunately the liver is so strong that we would not know there is a problem until 75% of the tissue is damaged.  It has no way to signal us unlike the heart or the lungs.  It's probably safe to assume that our livers are over worked considering how little we think about them and often we abuse them.  Here are some things you can do to support your liver before it's too late.

• Take a complete multi-vitamin every day
• Make sure your supplements include zinc, selenium, maganese, glutathione, glutamine, and taurine
• Drink lemon and water, a bile thinning beverage
• Reduce over the counter meds
• Mix a little cranberry juice in you water, cranberry opens up the detox pathway
• Consider taking milk thistle or dandelion supplements
• Eat plenty of vitamin c rich foods

There IS a magic bullet for abdominal weight loss!!

Potential reasons for global weight gain

1. Environmental toxins
2. Viruses and Bacteria in the gut
3. Fear of fats
4. Toxic Liver
5. Water logged tissue
6. Excess Insulin and inflammation
7. Stress - producing cortisol
8. Lack of Support

 Our diet has changed considerably in the last 50 years for several reasons; 

• Increased food processing abilities.  
• The USDA and many others have championed a low fat diet, especially animal fat
• How we farm and what we feed our animals has changed

These three changes have had a big impact on the food chain and I could go on at length about why I think they are not for the public good. But I will restrain myself and focus my post today on the consumption of fats as a way to lose weight.  Ok, so there are fats that we call Essential Fatty Acids.  They are essential because we must consume them, our bodies can not make them and if we don't have them in the body other systems will malfunction. These essential fatty acids are required for biological processes not only for fuel. A study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that an estimated 80% of Americans are deficient in essential fatty acids.  Some of the biological processes performed by essential fatty acids are 

• Carry fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K through the blood stream
• Activate the flow of Bile (bile helps break down other ingested fats so it can be used)
• Help your body conserve protein (building lean muscle mass)
• Slow absorption of carbohydrates to balance blood sugar levels
• Provide building blocks for hormone production
• Govern serotonin, the "feel good" neurochemcial that controls cravings and elevates mood.

 So what are the essential fatty acids and what do they do?

1. GLA-Gamma Linolenic Acid: found in Borage oil, evening primrose oil, black current seed oil. GLA stimulates the metabolic to burn up to 50% more of the bodies calories. And guess what it's also good for skin, heart, joints, eyes, and PMS!
2. CLA- Conjugated Linoleic Acid: Found in sunflower seed oil.  Tonalin in a good brand name that you can get at any health food store or vitamin shop.CLA reduces the amount of fat your body stores and utilzes stored fat as energy for muscles increasing lean muscle mass.  CLA targets abdominal fat!! Studies have shown adults taking the supplement lost 9% of their body fat and kept it off. In addition to managing body fat CLA fights free radicals, manages diabetes, improves immune system, increases energy, and decreases atherosclerosis. Wow! Our intake of CLA used to come from cream and butter when cows used to eat free range grass. Now they are fed corn and grain and the nutritional quality has changed.
3. DHA and EPA- Found in Fish oil. DHA increases oxidation of fat, reduces the number of fat cells especially in the abdominal region, and improves insulin response.  In addition DHA and EPA are good for the heart, brain, blood vessels, blood vessels, joints, respiratory systems, eyes, and skin.

Wow, right? If we need these acids and they only do positive things for us why aren't more people talking about them?  Probably because there is no big Pharma money, but that's another post.  If you want to lose weight especially in the abdominal region, I am going to prescribe a magic bullet. 

Magic Bullet for weight loss, especially abdominal weight.

• GLA - 4 grams a day
• CLA - 5 grams a day
• EPA & DHA 5 grams a day

A Hidden Trigger of Obesity: Intestinal Bugs

Potential reasons for global weight gain

1. Environmental toxins
2. Viruses and Bacteria in the gut
3. Fear of fats
4. Toxic Liver
5. Water logged tissue
6. Excess Insulin and inflammation
7. Stress - producing cortisol
8. Lack of Support

Viruses and Bacteria in the gut are extremely hot research topics right now there is even a term Infectobesity.  Do a search on the web for gut bacteria and weight and a plethora of articles come up.  One from Time magazine in 2010, A Hidden Trigger of Obesity: Intestinal Bugs, examines how gut bacteria can trigger the bodies inflammatory response causing insulin resistance.  This resistance makes adequate nutrition harder to obtain so people feel hungry more often and eat more.  A study released today that was done in Europe looked at infant rats that were fed probiotics versus infant rats that were put in contact with e-coli viruses. The Rats with healthier gut flora showed lower weight and fat gain.  There is a virus it is called the AD36 gut virus that can cause your body to replicate fat cells and you can get a blood test to determine if you have had this virus. Parasites although rarer than viruses in the gut can cause increased appetite, inability to lose weight, and malnourishment. Parasites can come from raw fish, undercooked meat, non properly washed vegetables, and your pet.  What to do about it?

•  If you are having a hard time loosing weight or are gaining weight at a rapid rate consider asking your doctor for a virus and parasite panel.  
• Take care of your small intestine by taking a probiotic and prebiotic supplement every day.
• Consider doing a one month herbal anti parasite, anti microbial cleanse.  Use microbial supplements on the weekends and probiotics during the week.

Can't lose that weight? 8 reasons other than calories consumed!

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that obesity is a health crisis in the United States and many other developed nations.  The World Health Organization estimates there are 1 billion over weight adults and of those 300 million are obese. Everyone I know has been on some sort of "diet" at one time or another. Well the crisis may be about more than how much we eat and how little we exercise.  Below I list 8 factors that cause excess weight to hang around or even put excess weight on us. I have written about stress and insulin in past posts so every day for the next 6 days I will write briefly about the other factors listed.

Potential reasons for global weight gain

1. Environmental toxins
2. Viruses and Bacteria in the gut
3. Fear of fats
4. Toxic Liver
5. Water logged tissue
6. Excess Insulin and inflammation
7. Stress - producing cortisol
8. Lack of Support

There is a reason Environmental toxins is at the top of the list.  They come in many forms and are a part of our lives.  They can contribute to everything from psoriasis to cancer and did you also know that they may be disrupting your hormone systems and causing you to be over weight? Environmental toxins have been called Endocrine disruptors, chemical calories, and obsegens. They come into our everyday lives in the forms of chemicals and synthetic hormones. Chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are found in everything from produce to beauty products. Pesticides such as DDT are called organo-chlorine's. DDT hasn't been used for 50 years in the U.S. but it's still in the soil and guess what, we manufactured DDT here in the U.S. until the 1970's and then sold our manufacturing plants to countries where it was not banned. It now comes back to us in the produce from countries like India. Currently we use different organo-chlorines but they are all endocrine disruptors.  
Other chemicals we see on a daily basis are things like Bisphenol A, found in plastic containers, and phthalates, found in shampoo's, nail polish, and soap. Bisphenol A is a nasty estrogen mimicking chemical which happens to be one of the top 50 produced chemicals in the world and can cause everything from cancer to birth defects.  Phthalates cause obesity and insulin resistance and are absorbed through the cuticle.
Other than Chemicals we also come in contact with drugs such as DES, the pill, and hormone replacement therapy. These drugs are synthetic hormones that can wreak havoc on our hormonal systems. Non Organic raised cows are implanted with a synthetic estrogen chip to allow them to produce more milk and meat rapidly. The excess estrogen in cows has lead to more weight gain especially around the middle. We eat this estrogen in the meat.  Our society is estrogen and androgen (male estrogen related hormone) overloaded and this is not good; too much estrogen causes cancer and weight around the middle .  
One study found that Infants are now born with up to 260 toxic chemicals in their blood that have never been found before in newborns. So how do we avoid these endocrine disruptors?  

• Buy organic produce. Check out www.foodnews.org to get a list of the best produce to buy organic.  There are some that are safe to buy non organic.
• Buy only organic grass fed meat.  
• Swap your plastic containers for glass. Never buy anything bottled in plastic with a number 7 or 3 on the bottom.  Buy only Paraben-free nail polish, shampoo, soap, and cosmetics
• Stop having your nails done unless they use Paraben-free products.

Can we unplug and tune in?

Today in our society there are many people under a great deal of chronic stress, our society almost demands it. Our very economic system is built on competition. Technology has enabled companies to expect more from their employees, employees are plugged in with corporate laptops and blackberries. You have to raise your kids right and take them here and there, go to their soccer games while working on your blackberry. This pressure to perform and compete follows us around via our phones dinging and chirping every couple minutes to let us know someone wants something. Our stress response evolved thousands of years ago and has not changed all that much. The constant plugging in is today's equivalent of a saber tooth tiger following us around snarling every couple minutes. Surely we can see this constant being plugged in creates stress but we can't unplug, society and corporations will crumble! Or will they?

What is the cost of stress on our own health?

Of people who visit the doctors yearly 90% have chronic problems and many of these chronic problems either stem from stress or are made worse by stress. The physical changes that occur during stress, inhibited immune system, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, inhibited reproduction, increased blood flow to the major muscles, decreased blood flow to the organs, halted digestion, and inhibited insulin action, are great for having the edge during an acute stress situation. However, our bodies were not made to operate this way long term. Here are just a few medical conditions that are caused by or are accelerated by stress, heart attack, stroke, asthma, high blood pressure, poor digestion, diabetes, metabolic disorders reproductive problems, memory loss, depression, accelerated aging. Some people many think, “Stress is all in the mind” and this is actually not correct. There are neuropeptides all over the body that are constantly communicating. Information is going back and forth between the endocrine system, brain, and immune system all the time. Others do not understand the full potential of the negative impact of stress saying “oh well we are all going to get old, get ill, and die anyway so what if I loose a year, two, or three at the end of my life” To that I would say, “it is not about when you die, it is about the quality of your life. By quality of life I mean your health, your tuning in and living in the moment, your connections with society, your appreciation, and your love.” We all have choices to make about our lives but I would suggest that we take a step back and look at where we are headed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Do we like what we see? Are there changes we can make to live a quality life?

What is the cost of stress on our society that breeds it?

The Occupational Safety and Hazard Association (OSHA) says we spend $300 billion annually on diseases related to stress, a Canadian Study found that stress accounts for the highest percent of health insurance costs in big corporations, a 1992 British study estimated the amount totaled 10% of their GDP. Graham Clarke, the National Health, Safety & Environmental Manager states, “80% of all modern diseases have their origins in stress.” These are just few of the stress related costs to our society, then there's the diseases that go along with stress and these not only drain the healthcare system but the people as well. Migraines, depression, insomnia, digestive disorders, addictions, irritable bowel syndrome, and arthritis (just to name a few) hurt the quality, happiness, and fulfillment of life for our neighbors, family members, and friends. Are we ready to just drudge along through life with decreased enjoyment and health? I'm not.

What are the benefits to tuning in and alleviating stress?

Above I outlined all of the negative things associated with chronic stress so clearly the benefits to reducing stress are improved health, improved quality of health, lengthened lifespan, lowered medical cost to yourself and society. But in addition to these benefits, learning stress coping techniques and reducing stressors in our lives will give us time to “Tune in”. When we tune into our lives we recognize the beauty in our life, the love we give and receive, our values, our wisdom, and our strengths that make up our soul and we can develop a mind body connection that gives us peace and happiness.

Ways to alleviate stress

We know that stress is any event that requires us to adapt or change. You can't get away from stress it is a part of our lives. What you can do is learn how to deal with it effectively reducing your risk of medical conditions, that shorten your lifespan or reduce the quality of your life. Here are some ideas of activities that can help you cope with stress.

• Breathing
• Stretching
• Meditation
• Visualization
• Self hypnosis
• Diet
• Exercise
• Music
• Aromatherapy
• Laughter
• Thought field therapy

You can also work to develop a stress hardy personality. There are some people who seem to deal better with prolonged stress in the study it was noted that they all had commitment to their lives and themselves, they felt they had a sense of control even if directives were given, they looked for challenges to grow and be stronger. Perhaps knowing these three things can help us deal with stress. We are conditioned to respond to stress the way we have for a long time however, if we can recognize when stress occurs and try to refocus on the idea that we still have some control and see it as an opportunity to learn and grow we may be far better off. Scientists have know for a long time there is a connection between health and personality type.

I submit that with all the information we have about stress it may be wise for each of us to find a way to unplug every once and a while and learn several stress coping strategies.

1. Take those two weeks vacation each year without the blackberry.
2. Join your companies HR sponsored work-life balance team.
3. Try to get a room for meditation that can be used at certain times throughout the day.
4. Have a yoga class at lunchtime on site.
5. Once an hour take 10 deep cleansing breaths.
6. Talk to HR about getting a chair massage person in once a month.
7. Have aromatherapy oils in your office.

Is there anyone who doesn't want to live happy and healthy? Healthy living involves engaging in a healthy nutritional plan, socially active lifestyle, regular exercise, sufficient rest and sleep, and finally, proactive strategies to reduce the impact of chronic stress. And healthy lifestyles are a good foundation for a happy life as well.

* It should be noted here that I wrote primarily about chronic stress that we put on ourselves, put on each other or have put on us through our job and job position. There are many other kinds of stress such as death of a loved one, traumatic childhood events, or stress that happened to us prenatally like the “winter hunger”children. I do recognize that there are other kinds of stress by the benefits of alleviating stress and ways to do that remain the same.

* Also I obviously wrote only about Distress not Eustress but recognize that although different both can be stressful

Which way to Zen?

In our current society many of us are under a great deal of stress on a regular basis. If you're anything like me the word Zen conjures up an idea of enlightened peace, a meditative calm, and an overall feeling of contentedness. But as we are rushing to get the kids ready for school, getting ourselves out the door looking some what presentable, and rushing to work for a day of deadlines and sales goals  is Zen really possible and how do you get there?  In my last post I discussed the problems that arise when we go day to day being stressed and don't learn how to properly deal with it. Unfortunately there is no magic pill, they don't prescribe Valium anymore. So I guess the path to calm is paved with work.
Things to know about stress,

• Emotionally it stems from fear - fear for your survival. 
• Physically it is about adaptation - you need to adapt quickly
• Nutritionally you need more nutrients - your body is metabolizing differently
• Environmentally your body's lower brains are always taking in data - this can stimulate autonomic nervous system
• Spiritually it stems from a lack of trust that there is order to the universe.

So if we recognize where stress comes from and why we get stressed we can then choose how we respond to psychological stress.  For instance if your company is doing lay offs you might start to consider the possibility that you could get laid off but there are two very different reactions. The stress inducing reaction is "Oh my God I can't lose my job, I have bills, how will we eat, where will we have to live" or we can choose a reaction that controls the stress "Ok I might get laid off but there is order to the universe, a door doesn't close without a window opening, if I get laid off I can take this as an opportunity to reevaluate my current path." Many times long term stress is a value system problem. 
Emotions and survival adaptations are produced and recorded in our mammalian brain.  How we have reacted to stress in the past has unfortunately conditioned the way we interpret information and respond today.  The way we have been conditioned to think and respond depends on how healthy we are and how healthy we are conditions  how we respond.  All of that being said, it is important to recognize that we can change the way we respond but it takes work.
In addition to working on our responses to stressful situations there are other things that we can do to help keep our adrenal glands from becoming over used and wearing out,

• Eat protein each morning by 8am and every 5 hours after while awake - helps keep cortisol in balance
• Avoid sugar and starch
• Avoid foods you are sensitive to
• Maintain correct posture and avoid prolonged sitting
• Control pain when you have it
• Go to bed by 10pm
• Get a good nights sleep

The last suggestion may seem easier said than done when you are under stress but here are some suggestions for getting a good nights sleep.

• A few drops of 100% pure Lavender Oil on your pillow
• Calcium 500-1000mg and magnesium 250-500mg at bed time
• Add 5-HTP 50-200mg at bedtime - Do not take 5-HTP if you are taking anti-depressants
• Add inositol 500-3000mg after dinner
• Add phosphatidyl serine 100-200mg at bet time
• Add Taurine 500-1000mg after dinner
• Add GABA 500-1000mg after dinner or if you wake up in the middle of the night

If you have been or are currently stressed for an extended period of time your hormones may need some additional support. Consider adding some of these supplements also,

• A good multi vitamin and mineral supplement
• Extra omega-3 fatty acids to help with chemical reactions in the body
• Stress B complex if you have a lot of stress
• Carnitine an amino acids that helps burn fats for energy improves mood and lowers triglycerides levels
• Chromium (not a picolinate form) to help with insulin problems such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity
• Coenzyme Q-10 and antioxidant to protect against heart disease and raise energy and mood.  A must if you are taking Statin drugs for Cholesterol
• Glutamine an amino acid that helps with carbohydrate cravings and heals the intestinal lining
• Lipoic Acid a strong antioxidant that helps repair and improve energy use.  Important in treating insulin resistance conditions
• Taurine an amino acid to improve insulin sensitivity and help rid the body of excess water
• Vitamin C an antioxidant to improve immunity and help under times of stress
• Vitamin E a strong antioxidant for heart and brain health

Are you stressed? So what's the big deal isn't everyone?

Did you set an alarm this morning? Rush out of the house? Run into Traffic? Have a deadline you are rushing to meet?  A stressor is anything that knocks us out of homeostatic balance. A stressor could be skipping breakfast, a 101 degree summer day, anger, lack of sleep, too much work, trauma, allergies, infections, medical procedures, and excessive exercise (serious athletes are putting stress on their body and it is not healthy. If moderate exercise is good more is not better).  Side note here is that in humans we also can have anticipation and denial as stressors.

Stress is a daily occurrence.  It is normal and without stress response our bodies could not operate. The problem is not the small stressors we encounter each day but how we handle these stressors and the chronic stress we encounter.  Note: The biggest stressors in humans and primates are being low on the social ladder and not being able to change an undesirable situation.  The stress response from the Adrenal Glands is the body trying to reestablish homeostasis. It does this by secreting certain hormones, inhibiting others, activating particular parts of the nervous system. What is interesting is that no matter the stressor, whether we are running from an attacker, playing at the park on a hot afternoon, or stuck in traffic, we all turn on the same stress response. The core of our stress response is built around the fact that our muscles will need to work like crazy and we will need lots of energy right now not stored away for body rebuilding later (acute stress). 

Adrenal Glands have two parts the Cortex which is the outer part and the medulla, the middle. The Cortex produces hormones Cortisol and Corticosteroids whose primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis; suppress the immune system; and aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. This is so your body will have all the energy it needs to react fast to a stressful situation.

The medulla or middle produces epinephrine and nor epinephrine which increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates air passages and participates in the “fight or flight” part of the sympathetic nervous system. All of this is in response to the possibility that we will need our muscles to operate at peak performance. If the muscles are to work their best they will need glucose so the body releases it into the blood stream and if there is not enough in stored supply then fat and protein can be converted. Our digestion is stopped, so all energy can be focused on the muscles. Our heart rate goes up so it can pump blood to the muscles faster, the lungs dilate so more air can be brought in, our pupils dilate so we can see better at night, our blood pressure goes up so blood can get to the muscles rapidly. In addition the pituitary gland and hypothalamus release endorphins and enkephalins to block pain should we get into a fight and clot the blood should we be wounded.

So what happens if we don't have an acute stressor but instead a long term stressor such as a tough family relationship, a boss we can't stand, or just too much work? Obviously we can not sustain the elevated levels of epinephrine and nor epinephrine that we would see if someone started chasing us down the street so in prolonged stressful situations the Gluccocorticoids (specifically cortisol) comes to back up the sympathetic nervous system. So now you have the sympathetic nervous system in control and the Gluccocorticoids to help the body stay in stress longer term. The Gluccocorticoid families primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis suppress the immune system, and aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. It also decreases bone formation.

We know that elevated levels of Gluccocorticoids is a problem on several fronts.

• Gluccocorticoids will keep the blood sugar levels higher so the pancreas secretes more insulin and then blood sugar goes higher and sets up a vicious cycle. Also elevated levels of Gluccocorticoids counteract the release of insulin. Fat, protein, and carbohydrates are not stored but metabolized so the cells are not receiving adequate nutrition for regeneration.
• Elevated Gluccocorticoids weaken the immune system. The adrenal gland cortex produces cortisol and cortisone which are immune suppression anti-inflammatory steroids. Cortisol prevents proliferation of T-cells by rendering the interleukin-2 producer T-cells unresponsive to interleukin-1 (IL-1), and unable to produce the T-cell growth factor. Cortisol also reduces bone formation, causes calcium to leach from the bone, and reduces calcium absorption in the intestine. Cortisol also has been shown to shrink the thymus gland.
• Elevated levels of cortisol reduce reproduction function. In males the hormone system that stimulates sperm production and testosterone levels is inhibited. In females cortisol can shut down androgen production from the adrenal gland which is where where 5% of our estrogen comes from. Also in women stress can shrink fat cells telling the body there is not enough nutrition to support reproduction and finally ovulation is decreased.

The cortex of the adrenal glands produces the corticosteroids but the medulla of the adrenal glands produces Epinephrine and nor epinephrine under stress. These two hormones activate the sympathetic nervous system and are responsible for shutting down digestion, increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow, and increasing oxygen in take. In other words your heart is pounding, your breathing fast, your hands are sweating and shaking.

• Elevated levels of epinephrine and nor epinephrine are a problem for several reasons.The over stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system causes uneven wear on the bodies systems which leads to other hormones being disrupted, exhaustion, and fatigue of organs and hormone systems. This causes the desire for stimulants which cycles back into stimulating the adrenal glands.
• If the sympathetic nervous system is activated then digestion is slowed down. So the glucocorticoids are suppressing insulin and metabolizing your nutrient intake and now your digestion is slowed down so you may not be absorbing properly. You need more nutrients now to keep yourself healthy.
• If epinephrine and nor epinephrine are pumping through your body that means your heart is beating faster and working harder. Veins are constricted causing blood to return to the heart with more force. Your arteries are dilated so more blood can get to your muscles but a dramatic decrease in blood flow to non essential parts of the body like digestive tract and skin. If you have chronic stress than it stands to reason that you will have higher blood pressure or hypertension. Also though over time the blood returning to your heart with force will cause the left ventricle to thicken causing it to swell. This puts you at greater cardiac risk. And to make matters worse epinephrine makes circulating platelets more likely to clump together which can lead to atherosclerosis plaque. 

As you can see chronic stress is a major problem on the entire body. Tomorrow I will write about ways to improve your response to stress stimuli and ways to eliminate stress.

Are Carbs More Addictive Than Cocaine? The Body: Details.com

Check out this article about how addictive carbohydrates can be to our body, featured in mens Details magazine

Are Carbs More Addictive Than Cocaine? The Body: Details.com

Insulin isn't the problem; lack of Insulin is the problem!

Lifestyle is a word that gets thrown around a lot in our society. Are you a city slicker, red neck, or hillbilly? Are you a religious zealot, faithful, or agnostic? What kind of house do you live in? What kind of car do you drive? Are you affluent, middle class, low income? Are you a slacker or a workaholic? There are books, TV shows, and movies about lifestyle that people love to take in. Like Lifestyles of the rich and famous or people magazine. There is a lot of noise about our lifestyles but most of it is around superfluous things. What actually matters when we talk about lifestyles is what we do on a day-to-day basis with regard to our physical, emotional, nutritional, environmental, and spiritual needs.

With regard to our physical and nutritional needs I want to correct a notion that I had and I believe many people have and that is, "Too much insulin is the cause of diabetes and metabolic syndromes."  This is actually incorrect, it is the opposite.  

Metabolic Syndrome and type II Diabetes are hormonal problems whereby Insulin is not able to do it's job because cells are over filled with energy, or Insulin is being negated by counter-regulatory hormones.  And in type II diabetes there is also not enough Insulin being made by the Pancreas to lower blood sugar sufficiently. Insulin is not the problem, it is the lack of Insulin or lack of Insulin action that is the problem. Insulin is an anabolic hormone that builds up the body. It does this by transporting Glucose, Amino Acids, and Fatty Acids into the cells, breaking down sugar even further to pyruvate for better absorption, suppressing the liver from making excess sugar, dilating the arteries so more oxygen can reach the cells, and regulating testosterone production.

Glucagon, Catecholamines and glucocorticoids are the counter regulatory hormones. Catecholamines include Epinephrine, Nor epinephrine, and Dopamine. Dopamine, nor epinephrine and epinephrine are the major blood circulating catecholamines. Dopamine is involved in the control of your movements. Epinephrine acts with the sympathetic nervous system to initiate a quick response to stressful situations. And nor epinephrine is a key neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and sympathetic divisions of your autonomic nervous system. Glucocorticoids are naturally-produced steroid hormones that inhibit the process of inflammation and includes Cortisol. Cortisol's primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis (the process whereby the liver makes more sugar); suppress the immune system; and aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. But both Catecholamines and Glucocorticoids stop insulin from being able to store energy in the cells.  (The reason for this will be discussed in a later post)

 

So if STRESS is causing an Insulin resistance problem for many Americans, what kind of stress? Well, that would be Nutritional stress, Physical Stress, Emotional Stress, Chemical stress (aka Environmental), emotional stress, and even spiritual stress. Nutritional stress could be skipping meals or over eating regularly. Physical stress can be from over exercising, lack of sleep or our job if it demands us to be physical. Emotional stress can come from the stress of our relationships or the loss of a relationship. Environmental stress can be from the chemicals in the air or water, tobacco, alcohol, additives in our food. Spiritual stress can be the stress that comes from trying to always be a good person and not acknowledging that we are a whole person good and bad or the stress of feeling like we are always being judged on whether we are a good person, or simply a lack of faith that could be needed to get us through the rough times.

How many of us Americans have some of these stressors? I would venture to say all of us. We can't go on skipping meals, loosing sleep, eating chemicals and preservatives, neglecting relationships, and trying to be perfect expecting our health will be fine. When we do these things day-to day and year-to-year we set up a tug-of-war between Insulin and the 3 counter-regulatory hormones that leads to hormone escalation and on to decomposition when the Pancreas can no longer keep up Insulin output. It's really no wonder we have a diabetes crisis in America and other industrialized nations. We go through four or five stages on the metabolic continuum until we end up very sick. The stages are,

• Stage 1- Insulin sensitive: too much energy input. (too much food) but Insulin and response to Insulin is still functioning normally
• Stage 2- Insulin Sensitive: Cells every where but muscle cells are able to take up insulin. Weight gain starting
• Stage 3 – Insulin resistance: Muscle and Fat cells can not take in Insulin but the Liver is still insulin sensitive. High Fasting Insulin, High triglycerides, increased visceral fat, normal blood sugar
• Stage 4- Insulin resistance in the muscles, fat, and liver. No new weight gain low insulin levels, high triglycerides, high blood sugar.

During the healing process it's important to remember that we didn't damage our body overnight so we can not heal overnight. There are stages that we went through getting ill and will have to go back through those stages on our path to health.

Although the number of people in America with Insulin Resistance and Diabetes is high and expected to keep rising there may be hope for slowing progression with education and coaching. As a coach it will be my job to recognize the signs that someone may be headed for Insulin resistance. In order to intervene in this progression without causing more damage I need to work a 5 step program and help clients alleviate stressors.

1. Nutritional stress: It is important to feed people who are Insulin Resistant because if their Insulin is being blunted by the Counter-regulatory hormones they are malnourished. So this first step is a balanced healthy diet with a lot of supplements.
2. Emotional stress: After a proper nutrition program is in place it is important to manage emotional stress. This is a tough one. First the person has to be honest about what stressors they are under. Then once the stressors are identified a plan for how to deal with these stresses needs to be established.
3. Physical Stress: After the nutritional and emotional stressors are dealt with it's time to deal with the physical stress of things like not sleeping, exercising too much or not at all. If dealing with the nutritional and emotional stressors still have not helped reduce the physical stressors like not sleeping, more counseling may be needed.
4. Environmental: After Nutritional, Emotional and Physical stressors have been eliminated one must eliminate environmental (chemical) stressors and these include preservatives, sugar substitutes, caffeine, soda, alcohol, tobacco etc.
5. Spiritual: Finally, then it's time to address the spiritual stressors. Everyone needs to feel they have made a mark, they are important and they are good. It's at this time, after all the other stressors have been dealt with, that people can determine whether they have been true to themselves and what why or why not.

As a health coach it will be my job to identify current health issues and potential health issues and guide my clients through the journey to wellness. Understanding the five aspects of health and how they intertwine is imperative to bringing a client to full whole health. The interconnectedness of our bodies, our mind, our soul, and the environment must be focus when diagnosing and healing.