What is Stress: Part 2

What is Stress: Part 2

Type 1 Diabetes: A Holistic Approach

Type 1 Diabetes: A Holistic Approach

Question: I was hoping you may be able to answer a question, Does Diabetes type 1 have any effect on the bodies ability to burn body fat? Answer: In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar (glucose), starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Conditions associated with type 1 diabetes include hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis and celiac disease. Having type 1 diabetes increases your risk for many serious complications. Some complications of type 1 diabetes include: heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and kidney damage (nephropathy). Learn more about these complications and how to cope with them. (American Diabetes Association) There are many things that you can do with someone who has DM 1 when it comes to training. As well, you need to focus on the nutrition and lifestyle side of it as well. As balance or homeostasis, on a minute-by-minute basis is the key factor. Lets focus first on some exercise recommendations and then we will move on to nutrition and lifestyle: 1. I find that most people who have DM 1 try to train like everyone else and never really understand how THEY are supposed to train. Keep in mind this can change per person, as each one has a different allostatic load to begin with. I find either way, that most overtrain, which will have a profound affect on their blood sugar levels, energy levels and fat burning capabilities. When you overtrain, research has shown that after about 30-45 min the body keeps producing cortisol (fat storing hormone), but starts to decrease the production of ALL GH. You see most people doing 45-60 min of cardio and working out/kicking their butt with anything and everything that will make them sweat and be sore the next day. In my opinion, this is one of the many reasons why some people have trouble loosing weight. So, my recommendation would be to: a. Cardio: Use burst type training, use sprints with rest, short boughts of cardio (jump roping, etc) to get more of a GH-anabolic response, rather than cortisol-catabolic response. b. Training: First off, you or the client needs to be assessed to find out their overall allostatic load, their goals, any postural issues, and skill level, as well as to find out exactly what needs to be stretched and what needs to be strengthened. From there, I would design a workout program that either does not exceed 30 min OR design some type of mini-circuit or circuit program (that does not exceed 30 min keeping intensity=weight lower and reps higher). c. I find that most that do overtrain under eat! There has been a lot of research showing that the right type and amount of exercise is good for DM1 clients, but proper nutrition each day as well as moderate healthy weight gain prolong s the life of that individual. 2. Another area to look into to make sure someone with DM 1 is close to homeostasis is “stress.” We all have many stressors (chemical, EMF, nutritional, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual), but it all depends on the person and how they adapt to them. If we are constantly bombarded with theses stressors all the time, this creates sympathetic overload (increasing overall allostatic load), which puts us I in a catabolic state. The gland involved in this is the adrenal glands, which produce mineral corticoids, Glucocorticoids (we will focus on these) and androgens. When the body is stressed, you release cortisol to help fight inflammation, help to regulate BP and blood sugar levels! So to make a long story short, the more stressed one is or the less one adapts to ones life, the more cortisol is pushed out. Which has a profound effect or stress on the pancreas, because every time cortisol goes up, insulin is supposed to go up. The longer this keeps on going, the less and less cortisol the body can push out and the body starts going through the many stages of Adrenal Fatigue. What you start seeing is a person in a catabolic state (flabby and no muscle tissue), someone who heals slowly and is frequently sick, and someone who has energy problems, low BP issues, hypoglycemic issues and more! Another important issue is protein and fat to carb ratios. If you look at most Americans diets, they predominately eat carbohydrates of all sorts. AS you know, this is not a good situation for a DM1 client. Find the right ratios by working with a Licensed Nutritionist, Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor or a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3 is key. Why you ask? Lets keep it simple: a. Carbs: These foods are essential for the fuel of our body. But when over eaten, create weight gain, blood sugar fluctuations, nutrient and hormonal deficiencies. At the same time, guess what breaks them down mostly….insulin! If you have DM1, you have trouble breaking down these sugars, which leads to weight gain and high blood sugar levels which can lead to neuropathy, macular degeneration amputation and more! b. Protein and fats: These are the most under eaten and most understood foods in our society. They are the building blocks to who you are, to every hormone (including insulin) in your body, to the building of your organs, NS, bones, teeth and eyes. They are also the building blocks to all the cells of your body. At the same time, when you eat protein and fats, you decrease the amount of insulin output, as well as increase the amount of bile and other enzymes to break them down. Bile is not fat storing, so..it takes eating good “fats” to loose “fat.” The bottom line here is this: a. Search the web and research the work of Hans Seyle b. Read or reference the books The Cortisol Connection and Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome c. Read and APPLY the principles in the book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek d. Work with an MD at BioHealth Diagnostics to get an adrenal lab (#210) done (www.biohealthinfo.com). 3. Nutrition and Lifestyle: Gluten /Gliadin What exactly is sub-clinical gluten intolerance? Sub-clinical gluten intolerance refers to exposure to the gliadin molecule and to a specific inflammatory reaction-taking place in the small intestine of afflicted individuals. In fact, gliadin intolerance would be a more scientifically accurate term than gluten intolerance to refer to this condition. This subject is confusing and there is much misinformation about gluten and gliadin. To clarify: gliadin, the molecule that causes the problem, is present in some, but not all gluten containing foods. People with this problem must avoid glutens from the grains of wheat, rye, barley, oats, kamut, spelt, quinoa, amaranth, teff and couscous. Some of these grains, like oats, have lower concentrations of both gluten and gliadin than wheat does, but any food containing this specific gliadin, even from a lower concentration food source, is not tolerated by people with sub-clinical gluten intolerance. This dietary restriction eliminates bread, pasta, bagels and cereals. There are rice and almond based breads available, usually found in the refrigerated section of your local health food store. There are also rice and corn-based noodles, cereals and crackers as well as other gluten free substitutes on the market. Eating gluten causes an array of issues with the immune system, hormonal system, detoxification system, GI system and respiratory system. Once again this puts more stress on the body, causing each system to work overtime, thus stressing every other system in the body. There are nutritional, hormonal and many GI disorders that are associated with gluten intolerance such as Vitamin A and E, progesterone/estrogen/DHEA and testosterone, folic acid, calcium, B12, leaky gut syndrome, other food intolerances and blood sugar fluctuations. So the bottom line is to either do some research on this to see if you are, get a lab done to see if you are intolerant (www.biohealthinfo.com) or just start eliminating for 90 days and see how your body responds. I have seen most clients that I work with that have DM1, DM2 or insulin resistance have severe intolerances to gluten. I am not saying this is the cause, but it is just another piece to the healing puzzle. Josh Rubin www.eastwesthealing.com References: Dr. Dan Kalish at www.dankalish.com

Diffuculty Breathing After Cardio Workout

I have been doing a lot more cardio training recently compared to the past 6 months and I’ve been suffering from these very hacking, dry coughing fits in the middle of or after the end of my workouts that last for hours. Even this morning my chest still feels a little tight and like I need to cough, and that is from last night. I’m sure its related to the dry air where I live (I’m not sick and I’m not a smoker), but I was wondering if the research team had any suggestions?

ANSWER:
I have some questions for you, to ask yourself, before we begin into what could possibly be causing this. As most of the time, the answer is always in the question!:

1. How much cardio are you doing and how little were you doing?
2. What type of machine are you using?
3. Do you do any other types of exercise, cardio, movement, etc?
4. How many hours do you sleep per night, what time do you go to bed/get up, do you sleep soundly?
5. How many hours do you work per day, is your job stressful, do you have any hobbies?
6. How much water do you drink per day and how much caffeine, coffee, juice do you drink?
7. Did something traumatic just happen in your life recently that has affected you emotionally but not really have taken the time to let it out to learn from it?
The reason I am asking you these questions are 1) the best way to learn/heal is from your own spoken words 2) when I work with clients, the more I know about them and assess them, the more I can individualize why they have certain symptoms/complaints and 3) most of the time, it is not what you are doing that is causing your issues at hand (Ex. Cardio is just facilitating it), but it is something that you are not doing in your everyday life that is the real issue at hand.

I am going to give you some insight into what might be causing your coughing, chest pain and discomfort. But it is up to you to figure out why YOU have these issues in order to individualize WHY and WHAT to do to treat it.

1. If you are doing more cardio than you have in the past, how much more are you doing? Are you doing too much? How long are you doing it? If you are doing more cardio, doing it for a much long time, doing it more times per week, etc, you may be putting your body into a increase stressed (sympathetic) state.

Most people get to bed late, up early, eat little to no breakfast, have a coffee, eat a high carb lunch, drink more coffee and eat more carb snacks all day and then go to work out. So, you are already in a sympathetic state and then you add to it by doing more cardio than you have in the past. This just adds more fuel to the fire and puts you deeper into a catabolic (tissue breakdown) state. My first insight would be to try to work on the above principles of sleep, hydration, food quality and quantity, and the right amount of movement. Try cutting back on the amount of time you are doing cardio and the number of days. Start simple and see if cutting back helps

2. It sounds like you might have some sort of respiration issues, such as exercise-induced asthma. This can happen from the below:
a. Breathing with your mouth during exercise
b. Doing cardio at too high a skill level for the persons respiratory system
c. Forward head posture and decreased first rib angle
d. From eating foods that have a lot of additives and preservatives
e. Being chronically dehydrated
f. Eating foods high in sugar, eating too much sugar or eating too many carbs in relation to protein and fat
g. You can view my: Breath of Fresh Air Q & A to learn more as well. AS well, JP Sears has a 2 part article series called Breathing for Optimal Health

3. Most Americans have chronic inflammation going on inside their body. This happens from eating a diet too high in carbs and/or sugar, eating conventional grain fed meats, which are higher in bad fats and Omega 6 EFA’s, from taking over the counter or Rx meds, from chronic emotional/physical and financial stress. The body reacts to these is the same way. But the main important one to focus on is the Omega 6 to Omega 3 EFA ratio. Each time we eat them, if there is an imbalance, this triggers the immune system to release one or the other, or both from the cell membrane.

We will keep it simple, Omega 3 EFA’s release anti-inflammatory leukotrines (which relax the airways, blood vessels and increase circulation) prostaglandins PG 3 and PG1 (which improve circulation, relax the blood vessels, relax muscle spasms, and reduce blood clotting). Omega 6 EFA’s release leukotrines (which constrict the airways, promote inflammation), thromboxane (which constricts the blood vessels and airways, increases clotting and reduces circulation) and prostaglandin PG2 (which increases swelling, clotting and fever). So to make a long story short, you can eliminate grain fed meats from your diet, increase the amount of Omega 3 EFA’s through supplementation and/or do the Fatty Acid Profile lab through Metametrix to find out exactly what your ratios are. Click on this link to watch a 15 min clip on Essential Fatty Acids:

http://www.metametrixinstitute.org/post/2009/03/10/The-Importance-of-Fatty-Acids.aspx

4. “It has been recognized that asthmatics have an increase in histamine content of their lung tissue and that is the histamine that regulates bronchial muscle contractions (Batmangheligdji, 115). Dehydration is one of the many major stressors that we can inflict upon our body. I would have to say that 100% of the clients that walk through my door are dehydrated. As well, when they start drinking the recommended amount of half your body weight in ounces of water a day (1), most of their aches and pains are alleviated. When we are dehydrated, the body releases more histamine to regulate who and what gets water and where it goes. When you are short of breath, the histamine is causing vasoconstriction in the lungs preserving water for the lungs. When we breathe, water is evaporated in the lungs. But when there is an increase in histamine, there is constriction and less water evaporation, which is a natural conservation of the body’s water. So if you have asthma, have a client with asthma, or know anyone with this disorder, one of my first recommendations is to drink water!
The next thing I want to talk about in relation to water is potassium. Many Americans, young and old, drink OJ in the morning secondary to the belief that it contains lots of vitamins???? The OJ of today is just enriched, full of sugar, and full of harmful pesticides, herbicides and fungicides from the GMO Oranges that are used. My recommendation is to stay away from it either way. As well, OJ contains high levels of potassium. According to Dr. Batmangheligdji in Your Bodies Many Cries for Water he states, “high loads of potassium in the body can promote more than usual histamine production (Batmangheligdji, 119). As you know, histamine causes vasoconstriction, which will exacerbate your client’s symptoms. The only thing are body was designed to drink was water. Drinking water in the morning will not only aid in the healing process of asthma, but also aid with digestion and much much more.

For more information on the benefits of water and its hidden secrets, read:
1. How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek
2. Your Bodies Many Cries For Water by Dr. Batmangheligdji
3. Hidden Messages in Water and The True Powers of Water by Masura Emoto
The last topic in relation to water is salt. I am not talking about our toxic and bleached table salt (NaCl). I am talking about Celtic Sea Salt, which is taken from the ocean, dried naturally and then sold without being chemically altered. When you are dehydrated, you body begins to conserve salt (1). The problem is that with the C.R.A.P diet of America today, people are either eating too much NaCl or they are on a salt free diet of some sort. So when it comes to dehydration and the conservation of salt, this can be a problem. How does salt relate to water in the body, as well as asthma? Well, when we breathe in and out, the body needs water to keep the lungs and airways passages moist. When we are dehydrated, the bodies produce mucous to protect the lungs and the airways. Over a period of time and dehydration, there is more mucous build up and air has trouble going in and coming out. The end result is chronic asthma and a life of constant phlegm. Well, this is the point that salt comes in. First off, salt is a natural antihistamine, as well as a mucous breaker. In order for the body to be reassured, there must be water and salt present before there is relaxation and secretion of the mucous. “A pinch of salt on the tongue after drinking water fools the brain into thinking a lot of salt has arrived in the body. It is then that the brain begins to relax the bronchioles (Dr. Batmangheligdji, 120). Instead of placing salt directly on the tongue, what I recommend my clients to do is to put a pinch of the salt in every water bottle they drink. For the asthmatic client, I recommend two pinches.

For more information on this great product, go to www.celticseasalt.com to learn more.

Works Cited

1. F. Batmangheligji, M.D. Your Body’s Many Cries for Water. Second edition. Global Health Systems, Inc. 1997

Joshua Rubin

www.eastwesthealing.com

Aspartame: The Silent Killer

Aspartame...nutrasweet, equal, Equal-measure…call it what you want, like many silent killers this additive has many alias’ and proves itself to be one of the most dangerous substances ever foisted onto an unsuspecting public. As early as 1974 after several studies conducted on rats and monkeys clearly identified the dangerous effects of this substance with side effects including: brain tumors, gran mal seizures, and even death due to cardiac arrest from an over stimulated nervous system, the FDA still approved it for YOUR consumption!

In 1974 after much reveiw and several studies by scientists and researchers such as Dr. H.J. Roberts, Director of the Palm Beach Institute for Medical research, and Dr. John Olney of Washington University, the FDA did actually put the use of aspartame on hold. At that same time the FDA set up a panel of doctors to study the effects of aspartame, and once again after 5 years of study, in 1980, the panel unanimously ruled aspaprtame unsafe for human consumption! Will someone please explain to me WHY it is that 29 years later over 6000 products on your local grocery store shelves contain aspartame…a chemical poison? Clearly this is not a science issue…this is a political issue! More importantly, as Dr. H.J. Roberts states,”this is an ignored epidemic!”

What is Aspartame?

Aspartame was discovered in 1965 on accident and later developed by the company G.D. Searles. This chemical concoction is made up of 2 amino acids and the chemical poison methanol that when ingested by the human body, converts to formeldahyde. Although amino acids have several purposes within the function of the human body, phenylalanine and aspartic acid, when presented in excess and unaccompanied by other amino acids become neurotoxins and are often referred to as “excitotoxins” …literally stimulating the neural cells to death! Additionally, excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain from long term consumption of aspartame or the inability to metabolize phenylalanine (PKU) have shown to influencee the decrease of seratonin in the brain leading to emotional disorders such as depression.

A few other chronic illnesses associate with long term exposure to “excitotoxins” include: MS, memory loss, hormonal problems, hearing loss, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, hypoglycemia, AIDS dementia, brain lessions, and neuroendocrine disorders. Methanol, a known carcinogenic, when broken down will convert to formic acid and formaldehyde, another deadly neurotoxin! The absorption of methanol in the human body is sped up considerably when free methanol, created from aspartame, is ingested. The EPA suggests a limit on methanol consumption per day of 7.8mg…one liter of an aspartame sweetened beverage contains 56mg of methanol! Listen up…if you eat ANY processed foods, foods that claim to be LOW FAT or consume soft drinks…on average you could be consuming up to 250mg of methanol daily…32x the EPA limits!!

In addition formeldahyde is known to cause retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication and has been linked to certain birth defects.

The #1 most common symptom of methanol poisoning are headaches but can also include:ear buzzing, vertigo, gastrointestinal disturbances, chills, memory loss, numbness or shooting pains in the extremities, behavioral disturbances, dizziness, and nausea. Diet foods and low fat products are everywhere…….they may as well swap the word “diet” or “low fat” with “aspartame” at least then you know what you getting!

Don’t be fooled!

1. researchers believe that any kind of sweet taste signals the body and readies itself for high glucose foods when this doea not occur your body will crave that sugar or high-calorie carbs that it was expecting to get in the first place.

2. it fools you into thinking you can eat more…major problem with most diet foods! Unfortunately, food no matter how you cut it has calories…don’t be the one that orders a double cheeseburger, fries and a diet coke!

According to Dr. H.J. Roberts, people getting off aspartame completely lose an average of 15 pounds. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms I recommend substituting your sweetener with a more natural option such as stevia, xylitol or agave syrup. These are all sweeteners your body can recognize and digest without the harmful side effects. One more thing…if you are eating processed foods, sodas, cookies, cereals, iced teas, pudding, even childrens vitamins…you and your child could be ingesting this stuff and you don’t even realize it!

Read your labels…it is hidden everywhere!

At EastWest Healing we strongly believe that education is empowerment! Each day we realize how little people really know about the effects food can have on the body…you now have a choice…what are you gonna do?

Jeanne Cuevas

www.eastwesthealing.com

Is Fluoride Safe?

Is Fluoride Safe?