Fat....

When I was reading Engine2 Engine, I was a little confused on his assertion that we should avoid all fats, good or bad, because they have so many calories.

Everything I have read about having a higher metabolism, balanced diet, good skin and antioxidants is that we need that good fat.

Dr. Hyman says...

"We should obtain the bulk of our antioxidants from food – namely whole, real, unprocessed plant foods. And we should take antioxidants as a team, not individually.

Whew! That’s a lot of biochemistry and physiology, and I really would go into so much detail if it weren’t so important.

So here’s what to do to protect your mitochondria and prevent rusting.

• Eat less processed, junk food, sugar and empty calories. In fact you should really avoid them altogether
• Detoxify – get rid of environmental and internal toxins
• Address inflammation
• Balance your hormones

Here are things to boost and protect your mitochondria:

• Exercise – interval training increases the efficiency and function of the mitochondria, and strength training increases the amount of muscle and number of mitochondria
• Eat whole real, colorful plant food – 8-12 servings of fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains every day full of antioxidants and phytonutrients
• Take mitochondria protective and energy boosting nutrients such as acetyl-L-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, n-acetyl-cysteine, NADH, D-ribose, resveratrol, magnesium aspartate
• Increase omega 3 fats to help build your mitochondrial membranes"

Brendan Brazier says...

How important are fats, what forms should you be consuming and in what quantities? It wasn’t long ago when then medical community was advocating the avoidance of all fat, even in the form of nuts or an avocado. Long gone are the days of neglect and dismissal when it comes to fat. We have made great progress drawing more clear lines between raw plant based sources that are good for you, even anti-aging, and those that are harmful such as cooked, animal based, and processed saturated and trans fats......

How important are fats, what forms should you be consuming and in what quantities? It wasn’t long ago when then medical community was advocating the avoidance of all fat, even in the form of nuts or an avocado. Long gone are the days of neglect and dismissal when it comes to fat. We have made great progress drawing more clear lines between raw plant based sources that are good for you, even anti-aging, and those that are harmful such as cooked, animal based, and processed saturated and trans fats.

Bad fat

A deficiency of healthy fat runs prevalent throughout the modern day North American diet with the majority of people consuming too many of the detrimental bad fats including saturated fats in meat and dairy, and processed polyunsaturated fats or hydrogenated trans-fat from cooking oil and margarine used in processed foods. Consuming too many of these and not enough of the good fats contribute to stroke, heart attack, chronic inflammation, cognitive impairment, allergy, auto immune diseases and ultimately premature death.

Many of the oils we think are doing our bodies good are in fact causing further damage. The processing of oil can be the difference between good and bad. Some extraction methods for cheaper oils involve high heat, which can actually cause the oil to convert to trans fat. Other extraction methods use chemical solvents to separate the oil, usually done with low-grade oils.

Good fat

The health benefits of consuming a sufficient amount of fat in the right forms and proper proportions has been shown to be immensely important in an endless number of areas impacting the state of body and mind. Among other things, it can strengthen the immune system, enhance brain and nervous system function such as mood, intelligence and behavior, greatly reduce cardiovascular disease, increase energy and performance, grow healthy skin, hair, and nails, regulate body weight, and improve organ and gland function.

Essential Fatty Acids

Omega-3 and Omega-6 are the two essential fatty acids (EFAs), “essential” meaning that the body cannot produce them — they must be ingested, by eating foods rich in EFA. EFAs are a type of fat known as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and an important dietary component of overall health. Lending support to the healthy function of the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems, they also play an integral role in promoting cell health. Repair and regeneration of the cellular membrane is vital for keeping the body biologically young and enabling it to retain mobility and vitality throughout life. Contributing to our cells’ ability to receive nutrition and eliminate waste, EFAs help keep the cellular regeneration process moving. Our body’s ability to fight off infection and reduce inflammation is in part dependent on having an adequate supply of EFAs in the diet. In fact, healthy and efficient brain development in children has been linked to a diet rich in EFAs.

In addition, a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs are vital for skin health. Dry skin is commonly treated topically with a moisturizer, leaving the cause of the problem unaddressed. A diet with adequate EFAs will keep skin looking and feeling supple.

The present day American diet contains an excess of omega-6 by10 to 25 times with almost no omega-3. This imbalance among other things has been shown to contribute to stroke, heart attack, chronic inflammation, cognitive impairment, allergy and auto immune diseases. Excellent sources of omega-3 to help restore the natural balance are flaxseed and hemp oil as well as walnuts.

GLA

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) – is a difficult to attain omega-6 EFA with potent anti-inflammatory properties via production of hormone-like substances called eicosanoids. These help soothe skin, promote healing and regulate water loss. GLA’s anti-inflammatory properties expand blood vessels enabling better blood flow. It is known as an immune booster, cancer fighter, cholesterol reducer, arthritis reliever and supple, beautiful skin. Evening primrose, borage and hemp seed oils are the best sources of GLA.

MCTs

Another healthy yet underrated fat are Medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs, found in large amounts in coconut oil. They are unique in that they are a form of saturated fat, yet have many health benefits. Their digestion is near effortless and, unlike other fat, MCTs are utilized in the liver and are easier on the pancreas, liver, and digestive system. Within moments of MCTs being consumed, they are converted by the liver to energy which make it an excellent source of energy during an intense workout or race. It has been shown to promote heart health, a strong immune system, a healthy metabolism, weight loss and youthful skin. 

PHYTONUTRIENTS

Healthy fats like raw unprocessed plant based oils also carry hundreds of phytonutrients such as chlorophyll, phytosterols, Carotenoids, Lignans (Phytoestrogens), tocopherols, tocotrienols, Flavonoids (Polyphenols) among others. Flax oil, for instance, when extracted properly can retain high levels of cancer fighting lignans, while hemp oil is rich in many phytonutients, in particular receiving a lot of attention for its high levels of immune boosting, alkalinizing, and cleansing chlorophyll. 

Antioxidants

Plant based oils can also be a great source of antioxidants. Chlorophyll found in hemp oil has antioxidant like properties while berry seed oils are packed with antioxidants in a highly concentrated form. Raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate seed oils are among the best. They can be hard to find in stores and are expensive, but they will deliver an extra dimension to a high-quality oil blend. A mixture containing all these oils is the ultimate essential fatty acid and antioxidant combination.

What to look for

A good fat should generally come from an organically grown plant based source with minimal processing to preserve their “raw”, nutrient rich state. Look for oils that are cold-pressed and have not undergone a distillation or purification process. Also try to avoid those that are exposed to heat and light as they can result in oxidation.

I use hemp oil as the base for salad dressings, sauces, shakes and many other recipes that do not require cooking at high heat. This is because hemp offers exceptional flavor and nutrition. Using only hemp oil as your primary oil source is a good way to go; however, a blend of about 80 percent hemp oil, 10 percent flaxseed oil, and 10 percent pumpkin seed oil is an optimal balance of essential fatty acids. Fats play a pivotal role in ones health and longevity.

Hemp seed oil, flax seed oil, antioxidant oil blend (green tea seed oil, pomegranate seed oil, black cumin seed oil, black raspberry seed oil, blueberry seed oil, cranberry seed oil), pumpkin seed oil, coconut oil.

Dr Caldwell Esselstyn says...

Oils and Fats

Along with cutting out animal-based foods, this diet recommends eliminating all oils, including olive oil and canola oil. You also need to avoid nuts and avocados since these plant sources contain high amounts of fat. Dr. Esselstyn explains that these oils and fat sources may contribute to high cholesterol levels, which in turn, may increase your cholesterol levels. You do require some amount of fat in your diet, and the diet recommends having 1 tbsp. of flaxseed each day. This provides heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, offering the amount of fat your body needs to function properly.

Dr. Esselstyn is the father of Rip Esselstyn (Forks over Knives and Engine 2 Engine)  he is a cardiologist who has had great success with patients eating his plant based diet.  Rip is a firefighter who has adopted and is doing a real good job of promoting his dad's diet plan. He says ...no avocados, nuts, olive oil...all the things that we have been told produce health.  I am more confused.  I think that my decision for me will be to limit my healthy fat.  Make sure that I have that tbsp of flaxseeds every day and curtail the rest.  I will have to go back and check some more.  It seems like it is the cardiologists who have the most rigid and controversial diets.  Adkins, Esselstyn and Agatson are three of those Dr's and they all have different approaches.   

 

5 month report...........

On January 1, 2011 I gave up meat, dairy, gluten, processed foods, processed sugars and miscellaneous foods that I have tested allergic to.  Most of my food is raw...uncooked. 

I have studied the masters....

Dr. T. Colin Campbell
Dr. Esselstyn
Rip Esselstyn
Kris Carr
Dr. Barnard
Brendan Brazier


Well this is the state of my vegan lifestyle 5 months in....

It is not one that should be chosen lightly.  Vegan eating excludes most social outings.  I went to a potluck dinner last week and I could not even eat the vegetables because there was bacon in one and cream in the other....the deserts and side dishes had wheat and dairy.  I ate my fruit salad. 

I work 100 times harder to eat.  I do my own grocery shopping.  I prepare my own meals and I eat alone.  I always eat alone.

I explain my choices to people.  I know enough now about the diseases caused by most normal diets to worry about the people I love and the way they eat. 

It is worth it.  I am worth it.

I am tired sometimes.   To be honest, more than when I ate meat, wheat and dairy.  I need to work on that.   I don't have the energy I had before and I have been sick a lot.  I may have been even sicker if I had not been eating as healthy as I am.

I started juicing.  I drink smoothies for 2 meals.  I make protein bars.  I have maintained the carb/protein/fat combination and right times and portions.  I eat whole/raw foods. 

I have lost weight and expect that weight won't ever be a problem again.  I learned more about nutrition than I even knew there was to know.

I had my blood tested.  My allergies are down.  My c-reactive protein is back to normal. My liver is healthy.  I have become healthy by changing my lifestyle. 

So why am I not feeling full of life and energy?  I am not sure.

The supplements I take....
vit d  (that was low in my blood test)
probiotics...critical care
vegan multi vitamin
enzymes
holy basil

the only prescriptions I take....bio identical hormones
                                                vicodin for migraines

I still get migraines...either induced by physical or emotional stress.  Yep, a really good work out or a stressful week...right as I start to settle down to relax...my eyes start seeing sparklies...and thank goodness for vicodin.  I know I hit my 10 when I get a migraine.

I drink FRS...I have since my husband had cancer.  He would not drink it...so I did and I like the energy...now I like the vit B12.

I have not taken an antibiotic in 2 years.  I haven't taken a sleeping pill in 2 years.

I made a decision at the beginning of this year to take responsibility for my health.  I am eating and moving to facilitate a healthy body.  I am not having any medical tests done unless I am absolutely positive that the tests are for my welfare and not to cover the behind of a doctor afraid of a lawsuit.  I even thought of not paying for health insurance.  My health insurance has become outrageous since my husband had cancer.  You can't be without it though.  For one thing my insurance company has negotiated down all the medical fees  and I would be paying 2-10 times more without their rate deduction.  I also can't bear the thought of Gary not being cured if we didn't have insurance.  I even thought about getting a part time job that offers benefits....but I can make more in 2 hours of one day than I can make in 40 hours of a part time job.  So, I am just working harder.

I have no stomach problems.  I can't wait to see how much time I cut out at the next marathon by not having to stop at every single port a potty and wait in line.  This improvement came within 24 hours of eating a plant based diet.  I am vegan because I am finally living a normal life.  I can get up and go any time I want to.  I am not chained to the bathroom.  (I know...more information than your required)...if it helps you answer a problem...you should know.

The funny thing...or not so funny, is that a Dr. told me all this in 2006.  I didn't trust her because she was goofy on hormones.  She wanted me to rub hormone cream into any fatty part of my body .......are you ready for this?.....16 times a day...like I wanted to spend the whole day thinking about my hormones.  She was also convinced that my headaches were caused by hormones.   Since she didn't know what she was talking about in hormones...I discounted what she said about diet and my gi situation.  She was right on target.

In my ministry class the thing that they taught us was not to tell people how to solve their problem...but to work through processes so that they could solve their own in their own time.  This is very apparent in my lesson with this Dr.  I had the information...I knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do....but it took 5 years until I brought myself to the point where I wanted to make the radical changes that were necessary to live a healthy life.  I didn't really think about it too hard.  I spent a few days getting my 2 week menu ready...and then I didn't prepare all the meals...because that is not who I am.  I don't like spending all day on my food and it already seems like I am shopping, mixing, munching, processing and eating...all day long.

Vegan/raw is not an easy way to live.  It is not popular and is often heckled.  It is also kind of cool...and smart.  I am not embarrassed about eating this way.  Funny, my ministry leader wanted to be able to feed me something.  He went all those weeks with cheese puffs, cookies, candy and even lasagne and chicken...he never had anything for me to eat.  Tonight I met with him and he was so happy...he had gluten free crackers in his desk and he wanted to be able to feed me something...lol...I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wasn't eating processed foods either.  I ate a cracker tonight to make him happy: )  (People are lovely aren't they?!)  He calls me an earth mama....lol....that is pretty funny.

There is a new movie out..."Forks over Knives"...meaning eat correctly and you can skip surgical remedies.  I am going to drive to KC to see it.  I am a cool vegan foodie with my FOK t shirt.  The only t shirt I ever purchased besides my transformation t shirt.

How do I feel about meat?  I ate fake meat and almost threw it up.  YUCK.  I also ate meat once....this year.  It was when I went to visit my parents.  My dad was recovering from a stroke and trying to remember the steps to make his chicken.  He was so proud of his production that I ate it for him.  I am not sorry...but I am not in a hurry to do that again, ever.  I ate a scone on the weekend at my granddaughter's BFF tea party....her mom was so proud of her authentic British tea party that I ate it for the fun....it wasn't fun the next day: )

I have a new lifestyle.  I eat and I drink and it is all doing something good to nourish my body.  I have fun with my family in other ways than to eat.  I love my new lifestyle.  But if you see me sharing my recipes and new found info and reasons...I am not trying to push anyone into it.  This is not something to enter into lightly.  It is a major commitment...and it is sooo worth it.

Cultivating happiness....

I found this and thought it was a good reminder.

It leaves out a couple of steps....in taking care of yourself.  I added on my list that I think need to be just as important as the other strategies listed here.


Cathy's # 1,2 & 3 for Happiness

#1  Attend to your health needs.  Know your #'s...that your hormones, blood and vit levels are correct and balanced.  Make sure you are taking multi vitamins and supplements your #'s indicate.
#2  Eat for your health, not entertainment or comfort.
#3  Get exercise daily.

Happiness Strategy # 1: Don't Worry, Choose Happy

The first step, however, is to make a conscious choice to boost your happiness. In his book, The Conquest of Happiness, published in 1930, the philosopher Bertrand Russell had this to say: "Happiness is not, except in very rare cases, something that drops into the mouth, like a ripe fruit. ... Happiness must be, for most men and women, an achievement rather than a gift of the gods, and in this achievement, effort, both inward and outward, must play a great part."

Today, psychologists who study happiness heartily agree. The intention to be happy is the first of The 9 Choices of Happy People listed by authors Rick Foster and Greg Hicks in their book of the same name.

"Intention is the active desire and commitment to be happy," they write. "It's the decision to consciously choose attitudes and behaviors that lead to happiness over unhappiness."

Tom G. Stevens, PhD, titled his book with the bold assertion, You Can Choose to Be Happy. "Choose to make happiness a top goal," Stevens tells WebMD. "Choose to take advantage of opportunities to learn how to be happy. For example, reprogram your beliefs and values. Learn good self-management skills, good interpersonal skills, and good career-related skills. Choose to be in environments and around people that increase your probability of happiness. The persons who become the happiest and grow the most are those who also make truth and their own personal growth primary values."

In short, we may be born with a happiness "set point," as Lykken calls it, but we are not stuck there. Happiness also depends on how we manage our emotions and our relationships with others.

Jon Haidt, author of The Happiness Hypothesis, teaches positive psychology. He actually assigns his students to make themselves happier during the semester.

"They have to say exactly what technique they will use," says Haidt, a professor at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville. "They may choose to be more forgiving or more grateful. They may learn to identify negative thoughts so they can challenge them. For example, when someone crosses you, in your mind you build a case against that person, but that's very damaging to relationships. So they may learn to shut up their inner lawyer and stop building these cases against people."

Once you've decided to be happier, you can choose strategies for achieving happiness. Psychologists who study happiness tend to agree on ones like these.

Happiness Strategy #2: Cultivate Gratitude

In his book, Authentic Happiness, University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman encourages readers to perform a daily "gratitude exercise." It involves listing a few things that make them grateful. This shifts people away from bitterness and despair, he says, and promotes happiness.

Happiness Strategy #3: Foster Forgiveness

Holding a grudge and nursing grievances can affect physical as well as mental health, according to a rapidly growing body of research. One way to curtail these kinds of feelings is to foster forgiveness. This reduces the power of bad events to create bitterness and resentment, say Michael McCullough and Robert Emmons, happiness researchers who edited The Psychology of Happiness.

In his book, Five Steps to Forgiveness, clinical psychologist Everett Worthington Jr. offers a 5-step process he calls REACH. First, recall the hurt. Then empathize and try to understand the act from the perpetrator's point of view. Be altruistic by recalling a time in your life when you were forgiven. Commit to putting your forgiveness into words. You can do this either in a letter to the person you're forgiving or in your journal. Finally, try to hold on to the forgiveness. Don't dwell on your anger, hurt, and desire for vengeance.

The alternative to forgiveness is mulling over a transgression. This is a form of chronic stress, says Worthington.

"Rumination is the mental health bad boy," Worthington tells WebMD. "It's associated with almost everything bad in the mental health field -- obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety -- probably hives, too."

Happiness Strategy #4: Counteract Negative Thoughts and Feelings

As Jon Haidt puts it, improve your mental hygiene. In The Happiness Hypothesis, Haidt compares the mind to a man riding an elephant. The elephant represents the powerful thoughts and feelings -- mostly unconscious -- that drive your behavior. The man, although much weaker, can exert control over the elephant, just as you can exert control over negative thoughts and feelings.

"The key is a commitment to doing the things necessary to retrain the elephant," Haidt says. "And the evidence suggests there's a lot you can do. It just takes work."

For example, you can practice meditation, rhythmic breathing, yoga, or relaxation techniques to quell anxiety and promote serenity. You can learn to recognize and challenge thoughts you have about being inadequate and helpless.

"If you learn techniques for identifying negative thoughts, then it's easier to challenge them," Haidt said. "Sometimes just reading David Burns' book, Feeling Good, can have a positive effect."

Happiness Strategy #5: Remember, Money Can't Buy Happiness

Research shows that once income climbs above the poverty level, more money brings very little extra happiness. Yet, "we keep assuming that because things aren't bringing us happiness, they're the wrong things, rather than recognizing that the pursuit itself is futile," writes Daniel Gilbert in his book, Stumbling on Happiness. "Regardless of what we achieve in the pursuit of stuff, it's never going to bring about an enduring state of happiness."

Happiness Strategy #6: Foster Friendship

There are few better antidotes to unhappiness than close friendships with people who care about you, says David G. Myers, author of The Pursuit of Happiness. One Australian study found that people over 70 who had the strongest network of friends lived much longer.

"Sadly, our increasingly individualistic society suffers from impoverished social connections, which some psychologists believe is a cause of today's epidemic levels of depression," Myers writes. "The social ties that bind also provide support in difficult times."

Happiness Strategy #7: Engage in Meaningful Activities

People are seldom happier, says psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, than when they're in the "flow." This is a state in which your mind becomes thoroughly absorbed in a meaningful task that challenges your abilities. Yet, he has found that the most common leisure time activity -- watching TV -- produces some of the lowest levels of happiness.

To get more out of life, we need to put more into it, says Csikszentmihalyi. "Active leisure that helps a person grow does not come easily," he writes in Finding Flow. "Each of the flow-producing activities requires an initial investment of attention before it begins to be enjoyable."

So it turns out that happiness can be a matter of choice -- not just luck. Some people are lucky enough to possess genes that foster happiness. However, certain thought patterns and interpersonal skills definitely help people become an "epicure of experience," says David Lykken, whose name, in Norwegian, means "the happiness." From Web MD....

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake:

• 3 CUP carrot, finely grated
• 2 Scoops Vanilla Chai Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer
• 2 CUP pecans
• 1 TSP nutmeg
• 1 TSP ginger, ground
• 1 TSP cinnamon
• 1/2 TSP orange zest
• 1/2 CUP coconut, dried and shredded
• 1 CUP fresh dates
• 1/2 CUP orange juice, freshly squeezed
• (1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground corriander)

 

Vanilla Cashew Icing:

• 1 1/2 CUP cashews
• 1/2 CUP water
• 2 TBS agave syrup
• 3 TBS coconut oil
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 1/4 TSP salt

 

1. Soak cashews and pecans in separate bowls with water for 2-4 hours. Drain, rinse and place the nuts onto separate kitchen towels to gently roll them dry.
   
2. Add dates and orange juice in a food processor and blend into a smooth paste. Set aside.
   
3. Making sure your food processor is dry, add the pecans and chop until crumbed.
   
4. Peel and grate the carrots finely and place in a bowl. Except for the icing ingredients, add everything in with the grated carrots, including the 'date paste' and chopped pecans.
   
5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and spread the mixture to about 1 1/2cm in thickness. Cover and chill for hours.
   
6. Vanilla cashew icing, blend all the 'icing' ingredients until creamy and smooth. Place in a container and refrigerate for a few hours to thicken up. Keep the icing and cake separate until serving. 

This recipe is courtesy of Brendan Brazier (Vega)

Juicing

This was delicious.  It smelled like I left grass clippings in the kitchen.

Moving toward a higher level of health...

 This is 7 Steps of Ultra Wellness from Dr. Hyman.  I am going to just go through the steps and not blame or make excuses for myself of Doctors I have worked with in the past.  I have some good stories though!
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL INPUTS

• What is the quality of your diet? Do you eat whole foods? Is yours a plant-based diet? Or are you following a disease-promoting SAD (Standard American Diet) that makes you malnourished and unable to self repair, regulate and heal?
• What are the stressors in your life: your relationships, work, societal pressures, family, money?
• Have you been exposed to toxins in the air, water or in food and has that disturbed the balance of your health?
• Have you experienced physical trauma?
• Do you misuse or under use your body and not provide the regular benefits of moving, stretching, and strengthening that allows your organs, joints and muscle to function as they were designed?

These are all questions from Dr. Hyman's website.  I have my own code system; blue is a good answer, red is trouble, yellow is possibly or could be better.

I have my food in control...I totally eat for health.  

I have a lot of stress...I used to enjoy the stress (and still do a little), it is one of those self employment things.  I would never gamble in a casino...but in life...well ...maybe.  I am working on quieting my thoughts and I always have handled stress pretty well....unless others around me are smoking from the ears...I have been working on not letting that be an influence on me.

I am really careful about water, food and chemicals.  I live in an older home and sometimes wonder about mold.   The person who owned my home before me was not only a stock broker...but he worked on engines on the side.  When we first moved into the house black soot rained in the basement (where he did his work).  It is finished off now...so we get no more rain, but I have to wonder if there is "stuff" caught between the main floor and the basement ceiling. I also work around fabrics that have chemicals added.  My husband also had cancer that is usually caused by heavy chemicals.  I should have the house checked...I put it off because it costs about $1000.00...I guess that is still lots less than Dr. bills.

No physical trauma.

I do weight bearing exercise (heavy as I can bear: ).  I run, ride my bike and walk too.  I do not stretch enough.  I will work on that.

Now I know what to work on.  Thanks Dr. Hyman!

Inflammation 

When I take inflammation tests the lights flash bright red!  My C reactive protein levels were ridiculous...and I didn't need a test to tell that...all you need to do is look at me. 


I had an aneurysm.  I visited with a neuro surgeon...he looked at me and said "if I were you, from the looks of your pictures here, I would worry more about those sinuses than your aneurysm."  It is true.  I have every single indication of inflammation.  

I have  a very nasty sounding diagnosis of "leaky gut syndrome."  I am allergic to almost everything...healthy or not healthy and I develop allergies to things that I eat for more than 2 days in a row.

7 ways to avoiding inflammation (Dr. Hyman)

Once you figure out the cause and get rid of it, how do you live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle? Here is what I recommend. It’s disarmingly simple, but an extraordinarily effective way to achieve UltraWellness:

1. Eat a whole foods, high fiber, plant based diet which is inherently anti-inflammatory. That means unprocessed, unrefined, real food and high in powerful anti-inflammatory plant chemicals called phytonutrients. Nothing full of sugar or trans fats.
2. Get an oil change. Eat healthy fats from olive oil, nuts, avocados and omega 3 fats from small fish like sardines, herring, sable, and wild salmon.
3. Exercise. Do I need to say more?
4. Learn to actively relax to engage your vagus nerve, the powerful nerve that relaxes your whole body and lowers inflammation, by doing yoga, meditation, deep breathing or even taking a hot bath.
5. If you have food allergies, find out what they are and get stop eating them.
6. Take probiotics (“good bacteria”) daily to help your digestion to improve the healthy bacteria in your gut, which reduces inflammation. (Look for those that contain 10 billion CFU of bifidobacteria species and lactobacillus species. Choose from reputable brands.)
7. Take a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement which helps reduce inflammation.

Taking a comprehensive approach to inflammation and balancing your immune system will help address one of the most important systems of the body.

Yay me!!!  I score 100% doing everything right on this list!

There was one thing that troubled me..."Common treatments such as anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen or aspirin), or steroids like prednisone, though often useful for acute problems, interfere with the body’s own immune response and lead inevitably to serious and deadly side effects. As many people die from taking anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen as die every year from asthma or leukemia. Stopping the use of these drugs would be the equivalent to finding a cure for both."  

I used to get prednisone regularly for my sinus problems.  I also still take vicodin when I get migraines.  The eye disturbance comes, I take a vicodin and I never feel the headache.  I have figured out that my migraines are caused by physical or emotional stress.  I am going to work harder on relaxing and see if I can eliminate my headaches altogether.  I did quit taking prednisone at the same time I quit taking antibiotics.

HORMONES AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS

HOW DO YOU FEEL today? Seriously, how do you really feel on various scores like this:

• Does your mood and energy level swing up and down?
• Do you crave sugar or salt?
• Are you overweight and putting on more and more belly fat?
• If you are a woman do you have premenstrual syndrome, painful or heavy periods and low sex drive?
• Are you depressed?
• Do you sleep poorly?
• Do you feel tired but wired?
• Do you have to live on coffee in the morning and a few glasses of wine at night just to wake up and calm down every day?

YAY!!!  another good test...this one is just because of the lifestyle choices I have adopted over the last 3 years.

My goal is to make your metabolism more efficient, to make your cells more intelligent and cooperative, not resistant. In other words, you will need much less insulin to accomplish the task of balancing your blood sugar.
While I want to tell you how to balance your stress hormones, thyroid function and all your sex hormones, and all your brain and mood chemicals that will take a few more lessons! For now I want to show you how you can reset your metabolism of sugar and insulin by stopping the things that knock you off balance, and providing the things that put you balance in balance allowing you to thrive.
Here is what to do:

• Stop eating flour and sugar products, especially high fructose corn syrup.
• Don’t have liquid calories – your body doesn’t feel full from them so you eat more all day!
• Stop all processed, junk or packaged foods. If it doesn’t look like the food your great-great-great grandmother ate, then stay away.
• Stop eating trans or hydrogenated fats.
• Slow the rate of sugar uptake from the gut through balancing your meals (low glycemic load) with healthy protein (nuts, seeds, beans, small wild fish, organic chicken), healthy carbs (vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains) and healthy fats (olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocadoes, fish oil)
• Rough it up: eat plenty of soluble fiber (30-50 grams a day)
• Eat smaller more frequent meals
• Get an oil change: Make your cells smarter by giving them an oil change with omega-3 fats, fixing the cell membranes so that they can more readily receive the messages from insulin.
• Move your body: exercise improves your cells ability to work better, respond to insulin better and burn sugar faster.
• Relax! Stress reduction also helps improved blood sugar control.
• Make your cells smarter through increasing specific nutrients such as chromium, vanadium, magnesium, vitamin E, biotin, the B vitamins, zinc, bioflavinoids and some newer compounds including alpha lipoic acid, arginine, and carnitine.
• Herbs may also be of benefit including Panax ginseng, ginkgo biloba, green tea, fenugreek and gymnena sylvestre, bitter melon and garlic.

Just balancing this one hormone, insulin, can have wide-ranging effects on all your other hormones and brain chemicals so just start there.

 I guess I need to work on my herbs.  I also am going to make a point of getting more magnesium for stress reduction...

Stop Draining Your Body of Magnesium

• Limit coffee, colas, salt, sugar, and alcohol
• Learn how to practice active relaxation
• Check with your doctor if your medication is causing magnesium loss (many high blood pressure drugs or diuretics cause loss of magnesium)

Eat Foods High in Magnesium

Include the following in your diet as often as you can:

Kelp, wheat bran, wheat germ, almonds, cashews, buckwheat, brazil nuts, dulse, filberts, millet, pecans, walnuts, rye, tofu, soy beans, brown rice, figs, dates, collard greens, shrimp, avocado, parsley, beans, barley, dandelion greens, and garlic

GUT 


What are they?

• Our low fiber, high sugar, processed food, nutrient poor, high calorie diet that makes all the wrong bacteria and yeast grow in the gut leading to a damaged ecosystem.
• Overuse of medications that damage the gut or block normal digestive function – things like anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, acid blocking drugs, steroids.
• Chronic low-grade infections or gut imbalances with overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine, or yeast overgrowth or parasites, or even more serious gut infections.
• Toxins damage the gut such as mercury and mold toxins.
• Lack of adequate digestive enzyme function – which can come from acid blocking medication use, or zinc deficiency.
• Stress can alter the gut nervous system causing a leaky gut and change the normal bacteria in the gut.

This has ALL changed since the beginning of the year.  My choice to go vegan, give up processed food and sugar, dairy and wheat has eliminated all of these problems.  I am still working on rotation of food for the last.


How to get gut health
So how do you keep your gut healthy?

• Eat whole unprocessed foods with plenty of fiber: vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Eat real food, mostly plants, as Michael Pollan, author of the Omnivore’s Dilemma, so simply put it.
• If you think you have food sensitivities try an elimination diet. Cut out gluten, dairy, yeast, corn, soy and eggs for a week or two and see how your gut feels and what happens to your other symptoms.
• Treat any infections or overgrowth of bugs like parasites, small bowel bacteria or yeasts.
• Take digestive enzymes with your food.
• Take probiotics, healthy bacteria for your ecosystem.
• Take extra omega 3 fat supplements, which help cool inflammation in the gut.
• Use gut-healing nutrients such as glutamine and zinc.

I will need to check on glutamine and zinc.

DETOXIFICATION

• I have hard, difficult to pass movements every day or every other day
• I am constipated and only go every other day or less often
• I urinate small amounts of dark, strong smelling urine only a few times a day
• I almost never break a real sweat
• I have one or more of the following symptoms: fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, concentration and memory problems
• I have Fibromyalgia or Chronic fatigue syndrome
• I drink tap or well water
• I dry clean my clothes
• I work or live in a “tight” building with poor ventilation or windows that don’t open
• I live in a large urban or industrial area
• I use household or lawn garden chemicals or get my house or apartment treated for bugs by an exterminator
• I have more than 1-2 mercury amalgams
• I eat large fish (swordfish, tuna, shark, tilefish) more than once a week
• I am bothered by one or more of the following: Gasoline or diesel fumes, perfumes, new car smells, fabric stores, dry cleaning, hair spray or other strong odors, soaps, detergents, tobacco smoke, chlorinated water
• I have a negative reaction when I consume foods containing MSG, sulfites (wine, salad bars, dried fruit), sodium benzoate (preservative), red wine, cheese, bananas or chocolate, even a small amount of alcohol, eating food with garlic and onions
• When I drink coffee or caffeine containing substances I feel wired up, an increase in joint and muscle aching or have hypoglycemic symptoms (anxiety, palpitations, sweating, dizziness)
• I regularly consume any of the following substances or medications: acetaminophen (Tylenol), acid blocking drugs (Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid, Prilosec, Prevacid), hormone modulating medications in pills, patches or creams (the pill, estrogen, progesterone, prostate medication), ibuprofen or naproxen, medications for Colitis or Crohn’s disease, recurrent headaches, allergy symptoms, nausea, diarrhea or indigestion
• I have had jaundice (turning yellow) for any reason or I have been told I have Gilbert’s syndrome (an elevation of a liver test called bilirubin)
• I have a history of any of the following conditions: Breast cancer, smoking induced lung cancer, other type of cancer, prostate problems, food allergies, sensitivities or intolerances
• I have a family history of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) or other motor neuron diseases, or multiple sclerosis

It is important to understand why we are toxic and how we can detoxify. I will explain how you can detoxify a little later, but first I want to tell you about where toxins come from and how we are overloaded.
How much toxicity is too much
To understand toxicity you must understand the concept of total load.
This is a total amount of stressors on your system at any one time and what happens like glass filling over with water. It takes a certain amount to fill the glass and then, after a certain point, you put more in and it overflows.
When our detoxification system is overwhelmed, is overloaded, that’s when we start getting symptoms and get sick, but it may take years of accumulated stress and toxins to get to that point.

• The total load includes the load of things like heavy metals, mercury and lead, petrochemicals, residues, pesticides and fertilizers.
• It includes food allergies, environmental allergies, molds and toxins from molds.
• It includes a SAD (standard American diet) diet.
• It includes stress — the mental, emotional and spiritual toxins that affect us, the isolation, the loneliness, the anger, the jealousy, hostility, which all translate into toxins in our system.
• Medications can sometimes be toxins. Often we need medications, but the reality is that most of us are over-medicated and use medications for things for which there are better solutions such as lifestyle and diet.
• Lastly, there are internal toxins, things like bacteria, fungus, yeast, that are inside our gut that may be affecting us, as well as hormonal and metabolic toxins that we need to eliminate.

Now why aren’t we all sick given this incredible load of toxins?
It is because each of us is genetically and biochemically unique. Some of us are good at getting rid of toxins and waste, and others are not. I am not. That is why I developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
I became overloaded with mercury and I couldn’t get rid of it because I am missing a gene for GSTM1 – a critical detoxifying enzyme for mercury. But by learning to support my system and learning how to detoxify I was able to cure myself from an incurable condition.

How to detox
There are five key steps to optimal detoxification. Here they are:

• Identify and Get Rid of Toxins
• Fix Your Gut – a source of toxic load for many
• Get Moving – to help your blood and lymphatic circulation do its job
• Get Your Liver and Detox System Working
• Detox your mind, heart and spirit

But let me make it more practical for you. I can summarize them into ten basic principles that you can start now.

1. Drink plenty of clean water, at least eight to ten glasses of filtered water a day.
2. Keep your bowels moving, at least once or twice a day. And if you can’t get going, then you need some help and this can include taking two tablespoons of ground flax seeds, taking acidophilus and extra magnesium capsules in the form of magnesium citrate. If you have any chronic diseases or problems you have to be careful about taking supplements, you should work with your doctor.
3. You should also eat organic produce and animal products to eliminate the toxins in our food.
4. You should eat eight to ten servings of colorful fruits and vegetables and specifically include, every day, the family of the cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, collards, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, as well as the garlic family, garlic and onions, which help increase sulfur in the body and help detoxification.
5. Avoid stimulants, sedatives and drugs, such as caffeine, nicotine, and try to reduce alcohol intake.
6. Exercise five days a week with focus on conditioning of your cardiovascular system, strengthening exercises and stretching exercises.
7. Get rid of the white menace, which is white flour and white sugar.
8. Sweat profusely at least three times a week, using a sauna, steam or a detox bath.
9. Take a high-quality multivitamin and mineral.
10. Relax deeply every day, to get your nervous system in a state of calm, rest and relaxation.

The comprehensive program outlined here will help to correct problems caused by toxicity, maximize your body’s own detoxification capacity, and help you safely eliminate stored toxins.
Depending on your symptoms, genetic predispositions and environmental exposures, you each may need different levels of nutrients and types of treatment. But remember, getting rid of toxins and learning how to optimize your detoxification system is essential for creating UltraWellness.

I highlighted this because I want to make a special point of detoxifying.


ENERGY, MITOCHONDRIA AND OXIDATIVE STRESS

So here’s what to do to protect your mitochondria and prevent rusting.

• Eat less processed, junk food, sugar and empty calories. In fact you should really avoid them altogether
• Detoxify – get rid of environmental and internal toxins
• Address inflammation
• Balance your hormones

Here are things to boost and protect your mitochondria:

• Exercise – interval training increases the efficiency and function of the mitochondria, and strength training increases the amount of muscle and number of mitochondria
• Eat whole real, colorful plant food – 8-12 servings of fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains every day full of antioxidants and phytonutrients
• Take mitochondria protective and energy boosting nutrients such as acetyl-L-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, n-acetyl-cysteine, NADH, D-ribose, resveratrol, magnesium aspartate
• Increase omega 3 fats to help build your mitochondrial membranes

The Mind/Body & Body/Mind Effect

Just consider these facts:

• 95% of all illness is caused or worsened by stress
• Low socioeconomic status is associated with poorer health outcomes and risk of death from all causes. This not related to poorer health habits, but to feelings of powerlessness and loss of control
• Internalized racism and stress are associated with high amounts of belly fat
• Stress hormones damage the hippocampus – the memory center in the brain causing memory loss and dementia
• In a study of people who volunteered to have cold viruses injected into their noses, only people with a high level of perceived stress got colds
• Women with metastatic breast cancer survived twice as long if they were part of a support group
• Belonging to a group – a religious group, a bowling club, a quilting group – reduces risk of death from all causes and increases longevity despite health habits.
• In a study of doctors, those who scored high on hostility questionnaires had a higher risk of heart attacks than those who smoked, were overweight, had high blood pressure or didn’t exercise!

Here is what we know about how to influence the mind body and the body mind system:

• Find the biological causes of problems with the mind by working on all the keys to UltraWellness I have outlined in the last 7 lessons. It could be mercury toxicity or magnesium or B12 deficiency or a toxic gut chemical or gluten allergy that is changing your brain. So by changing your body you can change your mind!
• Learn how to ACTIVELY relax. To engage the powerful forces of the mind on the body you must DO something, you can’t just sit there watching television or drink a beer.
• Try learning new skills such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga, biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation, take a hot bath, make love, get a massage, watch a sunset, walk in the woods or on the beach.
• Exercise is a powerful way to burn off stress chemicals and heal the mind – well studied and well proven – just do it! It has been proven better than or equal to Prozac for treating depression.
• Clean up your diet from mind robbing molecules like caffeine, alcohol, refined sugars, and eat regularly to avoid the short-term stress of starvation on your body.
• Take a multivitamin and nutrients to help balance the stress response such as vitamin C, the B complex vitamins including B6 and B5 or pantothenic acid, zinc, and most importantly magnesium, the relaxation mineral.
• Use adaptogenic herbs (herbs that help you adapt and be balanced in response to stress) such as ginseng, Rhodiola rosea, Siberian ginseng, Cordyceps, and Ashwaganda
• Take a hot bath or a sauna to help your body deeply relax and turn on the relaxation response.
• Examine your beliefs, attitudes and responses to common situations and consider reframing your point of view to reduce stress
• Consciously build your network of friends, family and community. They are your most powerful allies in achieving long-term health.

Now we have come to the end of my introductory lessons about the revolutionary changes happening in medicine today.
I have introduced you to a set of new ideas and concepts that have the power to transform your health personally and to transform health care. It is no small job personally or for our society, but it is essential to stem the impending tsunami of ill health and economic burden facing us, our children and our children’s children.
The solution is UltraWellness, a fundamental change in our world view about health – a view that helps us get to the core of illness, to learn self-care, to take control and empower ourselves for transformation our own health, and to transform our sick care system to a health care system.
Each of us can contribute and makes small changes that will have a big difference and we can move as individuals and as a community toward UltraWellness.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978), Dr. Mark Hyman  
(I was going to cut this last part out...but I figured I would leave the mission statement, in respect, for such great information right on his website!)