We have to begin to recognize that it is the elements against us. Dirty air, dirty water and dirty soil are just a few reasons we are witnessing such a huge decline in health. It is these very things that disrupt the very systems  designed to protect us. The health of our GI system plays a huge role and dictates our level of health and vitality. It is important to understand that how stress impacts you (in whatever face it presents itself to you) will be very different then how that exact stress affects or does not affect another. In fact, one might find this to be quite annoying at times! What is important is taking the time to discover how your environment and lifestyle are impacting you!

Over time, if we are not conscious of the affects of these stressors we become highly vulnerable.  I am here to remind you that although there are certain things out of our control, there are many things still in our control. Taking control begins through understanding the impact your environment may be having on you and a great place to start is in taking the time to better understand a little more about what goes into your mouth.

Here is a great interview about the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids by Ray Peat that really breaks down WHY unsaturated fats in our diet really do need to be reconsidered. Better understanding and elimination of these foods from your diet is a very simple way to begin restoring your metabolism, increasing your energy, healing your GI system, balancing your hormones, etc.

In addition to the facts that Dr. Peat presents in this interview on unsaturated fats there is one other factor around certain foods containing these fats that I find to be quite interesting and useful in understanding how confused we are about what “healthy” food really is.

I am speaking specifically about cruciferous vegetables. These include all your leafy greens (kale, chard, romaine, broccoli, cauliflower, etc) As I mentioned above, just because we are told something is “healthy” does not mean it was meant for us.

We as humans did not come equipped with what is called a rumen. Cows, goats, horses, sheep, giraffes, bison, phytoplankton along with many others are known as ruminant animals as it is the rumen that provides the tools necessary for the digestion of cellulose. These Herbivores, unlike human beings, dogs and pigs, are able to convert the cellulose in plants to protein and the polyunsaturated fats in plants to saturated fats to be used by the body. This very difference between human beings and ruminant animals is a major area of concern as there are many factors around the ingestion of Polyunsaturated fats that, according to Dr. Ray Peat, is one of the leading causes of insulin resistance.

Click here to learn more about unsaturated fats and how they are affecting you!

Once food particles begin to slip through the intestine, you will also begin to overload the liver through the portal vein. With this inflammation, there is reduced blood flow, which once again just perpetuates the inflammatory cycle within the intestine. As the liver becomes overloaded, it is unable to detoxify estrogen, other toxins, etc and becomes burdened. This will lead to thyroid issues (as most of the conversion of T4 to T4 happens in the liver and is selenium and glucose dependent), skin issues, hormonal issues, mood issues and more.

Carageenan also:

a. down regulates macrophages within the immune system

b. down regulates cytochrome P450 in the liver which helps to detox medications, supplements, foods, etc

c. interacts with the bacteria in our gut to produce premenstrual symptoms and auto-immune disease such as lupus

d. will interact with estrogen and unsaturated fats to increase liver toxicity

e. will interact with endotoxin to increase NO, inflammatory prostaglandins and toxic free radicals

There are many ways to eliminate it. We have gotten great success with clients who have had severe GI issues (IBS, IBD, UC, etc), thyroid and hormonal issues using our nutritional philosophy, as well as eliminating Carageenan. The first step is to read labels, as it is in many products that we eat and put on our skin: soy, dairy, coconut milk, ice cream, beer, hot dogs, toothpaste, sexual lubricants, etc….if you put it on your skin…you are eating it!

Here are some links where you can learn more about Carageenan, what it does and how to eliminate it:

a. http://www.notmilk.com/carageenan.html

b. http://raypeat.com/articles/nutrition/carrageenan.shtml

c. YouTube on Carageenan

Josh Rubin and Jeanne Rubin

www.eastwesthealing.com

Please call now to set up your consultation! We have clients all over the world!

The environment along with our personal lifestyles and surroundings present many types of “stress” that influence every “body,” and how that “body” is capable of interpreting a stress is highly dependent upon that individuals current level of vitality !

This is important to you because there are many ideas out there as to what is “healthy” and what is “not healthy.” What I observe as painfully obvious is that not only are we severely misinformed and confused about these issues, we are completely unaware of what might be present within our own environment that could potentially and/or presently be weakening our foundations.

In addition to this idea, and more in alignment with what I am sharing with you today, I also want you to consider that certain things suggested as “unhealthy” might not be all that bad and it is the way that they are being incorporated that may not be optimal. Meaning that with a few shifts these things can actually assist in the healing process!

As suggested by Ray Peat in his article, “Caffeine: A vitamin-like nutrient or adaptogen,” he states, “any of the essential nutrients, if used in isolation, can be used as a drug for a specific effect on an organism that it wouldn’t normally have when eaten as a component of ordinary food.”

As a caffeine drinker I find this point very important because this very idea is one of the bigger issues when it comes to drinking coffee. How many of you wake up in the morning, get ready, pass up breakfast and head to the nearest coffee shop for a 24 oz cup of joe in preparation for the day and as a comfort tool for the drive into work? This is a problem on many levels and fully embraces what I discussed earlier…is it the actual coffee or how it is being consumed that presents the issue?

Caffeine increases the metabolic rate which increases the consumption of glucose (our bodies main source of energy).

What does that mean to you?

When we wake up in the morning we have to remember that our bodies have been fasting for anywhere from 6 hours to 8 hours and that within this time a huge demand for energy (glucose), necessary for rebuilding and repairing, has been placed on the body.  Any energy output by the body (keeping in mind that every function of the body requires energy, just like your vehicle requires gasoline, oil, and other fluids to run optimally) requires energy input by way of the nutrients we receive from the foods we eat. If these nutrients are not provided in the right amounts at the right time and are not the right type, the body stimulates a stress response as a back up mechanism for energy production.

This back up plan stimulates the release of cortisol and adrenaline, which assists in the mobilization of energy in the way of stored glycogen from the liver to increase blood sugar (fight or flight). When glycogen stores are depleted, and/or our bodies are being challenged by an inability to absorb sugar into our cells (diabetes, hypoglycemia, etc.), the release of adrenaline will cause fatty acids to be drawn into the blood from fat stores. Cortisol on the other hand, causes tissue protein to be broken down in to amino acids, and then to fat and sugar for use as energy.

This introduces an entirely new issue at hand as many people limit the intake of protein into their diets or due to chronic stress become protein deficient. If the diet does not contain enough protein to maintain the essential organs, especially the heart, lungs, and brain, they are supplied with protein from the skeletal muscles. This is important when considering your bodies ability to interpret and manage stress, whether it was initiated from caffeine or another source in your environment.

Because of the amino acid composition in muscle proteins, their destruction stimulates the formation of additional cortisol, to accelerate the movement of amino acids from the less important tissues to the essential ones.

The amino acid tryptophan, from the catabolism of muscle tissue protein, as well as from dietary protein, is a precursor to the production of seratonin. Seratonin activates the pituitary stress hormones, increases cortisol, intensifies catabolism and leads to the release of more tryptophan from muscle tissue! IT’S A VICIOUS CYCLE AND THIS IS ONLY PART OF IT!!!

On a more positive note, caffeine stimulates the uptake (inactivation or storage) of seratonin, increases metabolic energy and tends to improve mood, which is one reason why coffee drinkers may have a lower incidence of suicide then non-drinkers. It is the excess seratonin (produced through the chronic stress) that causes several features of depression, such as learned helplessness and reduced metabolic rate.

Why is this a problem?

Because…everything challenges our ability to maintain blood sugar and when it comes to how we are starting each and every day, we are not getting started on the right foot! When this cycle has been initiated it becomes very difficult to shift it as the body is stuck in playing catch up. When we are unable to stop the cycle we increase our susceptibility to disease.

How can caffeine assist in reversing this vicious cycle?

First let me again reiterate myself by saying that caffeine (according to many studies and presented quite well in Ray’s article that I have provided you) is not the culprit. Mismanagement of blood sugar by not eating frequently (refueling first thing in the morning), not eating the right foods in the proper ratio and the proper amounts for you, not taking the time to rest, not taking care of yourself mentally and physically and other lifestyle factors are!

So if you are like me and enjoy a little caffeine, be sure that you are taking care of yourself and that you are not turning something good into something that could potentially kill you!

Few things to consider if you are a coffee drinker:

1. Schedule time in to eat something as soon as you wake up in the morning to help in restoring your depleted energy supply

2. Limit yourself to a reasonable amount of coffee in the morning and take your time while drinking it. Coffee can bare a negative effect when consumed in large doses over a short period of time.

3. Always avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach.

4. Eat more frequent meals and always include a balance of healthy carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Click here to read more about all the many benefits of caffeine!

Jeanne Rubin

•    Many doctors think of anemia as necessarily indicating an iron deficiency, but that isn’t correct. 100 years ago, it was customary to prescribe arsenic for anemia, and it worked to stimulate the formation of more red blood cells. The fact that arsenic, or iron, or other toxic material stimulates the formation of red blood cells doesn’t indicate a “deficiency” of the toxin, but simply indicates that the body responds to a variety of harmful factors by speeding its production of blood cells. Even radiation can have this kind of stimulating effect, because growth is a natural reaction to injury. Between 1920 and 1950, it was common to think of “nutritional growth factors” as being the same as vitamins, but since then it has become common to use known toxins to stimulate the growth of farm animals, and as a result, it has been more difficult to define the essential nutrients. The optimal nutritional intake is now more often considered in terms of resistance to disease, longevity or rate of aging, and even mental ability.

•    An excess of iron, by destroying vitamin E and oxidizing the unsaturated fats in red blood cells, can contribute to hemolytic anemia, in which red cells are so fragile that they break down too fast. In aging, red cells break down faster, and are usually produced more slowly, increasing the tendency to become anemic, but additional iron tends to be more dangerous for older people.

•    Anemia in women is caused most often by a thyroid deficiency (as discussed in the chapter on thyroid), or by various nutritional deficiencies. Estrogen (even in animals that don’t menstruate) causes dilution of the blood, so that it is normal for females to have lower hemoglobin than males. Q. What should I do if my doctor tells me I’m anemic? Is there any situation in which a person needs to take iron supplements?

•    Iron deficiency anemia does exist, in laboratory situations and in some cases of chronic bleeding, but I believe it should be the last-suspected cause of anemia, instead of the first. It should be considered as a possible cause of anemia only when very specific blood tests show an abnormally low degree of iron saturation of certain proteins. Usually, physicians consider the amount of hemoglobin or of red cells in the blood as the primary indicator of a need for iron, but that just isn’t biologically reasonable.

•    If a large amount of blood is lost in surgery, a temporary anemia might be produced, but even then it would be best to know whether the iron stores are really depleted before deciding whether an iron supplement would be reasonable. Liver (or even a water extract of wheat germ) can supply as much iron as would be given as a pill, and is safer.

By Ray Peat

We find that most people that come into see us and say they are anemic, are really not anemic. Having iron deficiency anemia is very rare and it is more common for people to have Pernicious Anemia or B12 Anemia. Pernicious anemia is actually being deficient in intrinsic factor in the stomach and B12 anemia is…well begin deficient in B12. Commonly this is due to:

1. Lack of protein intake or lack of the right types of protein intake

2. Diet too  high in protein which contains high amounts of iron and inflammatory markers such as tryptophan that we have trouble breaking down and store too much of

3. A diet that is completely void of protein such as Veganism

4. Pathogens in the stomach such as a parasite or bacterial infection that disrupts the acidic pH of the stomach

5. HCL deficiency in the stomach from stress, overtaking supplements, diet deficient in protein, excess inflammation, H.Pylori, etc. HCL keeps the stomach pH very acidic which sets the stage for the rest of the GI system, but also initiates protein breakdown and absorption of B12

6. Large intestine: pH issues from hepatobiliary stasis or deficiency, inflammation, low n-butyrate, swelling in the colonocytes, low bifidobater

7. Over consumption of probiotics which can create systemic acidosis

8. Over consumption of Antacids (Tums), being on H2 blockers (Zantac or Pepcid) or being on a Proton Pump Inhibitor (Prilosec)

There are many more reasons, but when it comes down to it…it is all about figuring out why YOU are anemic and what kind! We have helped many people get over this battle with simple nutrition and lifestyle modifications!

EastWest Healing and Performance

760-597-9727

Leptin, a protein hormone is produced by our body’s adipose tissue (fat cells). Our adipose tissue is actually an endocrine system that manufactures many protein hormones as well as insulating the body and storing energy. It sends a signal to the brain to let us know we are full. Ghrelin is a growth hormone that is produced in the stomach and pancreas that stimulates hunger. When our body’s energy reserves are low or even depleted, ghrelin make the body store fat to conserve energy. It slows down the breakdown of fat stores so that energy is not further depleted.

The hypothalamus is sensitive to these hormones. Leptin and ghrelin are part of a balancing act. They act in opposing ways when the level of one is low and the other is elevated. It’s a delicate scale dictated by balancing our blood sugar levels.

These hormones are also very sensitive to sleep patterns that impact our eating habits. When we are hungry, leptin tells the hypothalamus that blood sugar levels are very low and the body needs glucose, so we must eat. The liver, which converts food into glucose, signals the lateral hypothalamus to prompt us to either enjoy an organic apple and some raw cheese, or go visit a fast food drive-thru. Leptin will send a signal to your brain to let you know you have eaten enough food; satiety sets in to tell you to stop eating. In some studies leptin is more sensitive to starvation than to actually overfeeding, their levels will fall significantly during starvation but do not rise significantly due to overeating.

Ghrelin appears to behave independently of leptin due to sleep deprivation, which increases our appetite, especially for high-carbohydrate foods. This is why we see people snacking on chips, cookies or go to the diner for their cheese-fries fix after staying up late. Sleep deprivation is responsible to about forty percent decrease in blood glucose tolerance, which is associated with decreased insulin sensitivity. Despite the considerable research on ghrelin, scientists are still not sure the exact nature of the relationship between levels of this hormone and obesity.

The problem I see with overweight individuals is that they have other systems out of sync. Their inability to burn excess fat is due to factors like insulin-leptin resistance, a toxic liver and the constant consumption to sweetened beverages and processed foods. Studies have show people who are insulin resistant are also leptin resistant. The hypothalamus fails to recognize the satiety response created by high leptin levels. This is why overweight individuals continue to eat because their bodies cannot tell when they have eaten enough. This malfunction in the hypothalamus-leptin-ghrelin pathway is a condition called “hypothalamic-obesity”.

One of the best to take control of these hormones is to eat small meals through the day that contain healthy sources of proteins (organic meats, gelatins, broths), carbohydrates (root and non-starchy vegetables, ripened tropical fruit), and saturated fats (coconut oil, butter, ghee) in combination with each other. These foods will assure you balanced blood sugar levels throughout the day that will help control hormonal balance and weight control.

Chris Dillon
http://www.nuhealthstrategies.com