Monday, August 23, 2010

THE METABOLIC ADVANTAGE

There is a metabolic disadvantage from eating carbs, particularly high glycemic ones. They are directly converted into glucose, which raises insulin. Too much insulin output is the culprit hormone of weight (fat) gain and heart attacks. Yes, insulin is atherogenic (causes blood vessels to clog up and "harden"). Not only does insulin transport glucose into our cells for fuel, but it prompts the liver to make and release fat (triglycerides) as well as encourage its storage in our adipocytes (fat cells). This not only makes us fatter, but also causes the adipocytes to release their toxic cytochymes promoting chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Unlike carbs which are 100% burned or stored, with fats and proteins, it costs our metabolism about 10% more to convert it to usable glucose. With time our poor pancreas becomes overtaxed and cannot keep up with the insulin demand of our foolish brain for over consuming those lousy carbs and it starts to fail. That is the real beginning of the end with the rise of blood sugar that denatures our living tissue with AGE (Advanced Glyciated End products), ALE (Advance Lipid End products), and APE (Advance Protein End products). This is before we even get diabetes which, with a carb-based diet, is inevitable. Although Agriculture was an important part of the survival of our species, time will show it was the worst mistake of human history for our personal longevity and the primary cause of degenerative disease. Not only, cardiovascular, but dementia, arthritis, and cancer is caused by awful carbs.

HIGH glycemic carbs and prepared foods are indeed weapons of mass destruction. Fructose is particularly sweet and dangerous. Half of every sugar molecule and over half (55%) of high fructose corn syrup, the most abundant sweetener in our society, is treacherous fructose. As noted above it is not the calorie, but from where the calorie comes that determines its health benefit or detriment. ALL CALORIES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL! It is not how many calories we consumed but what our body does with these calories that count! Of course there are ADIPOGENIC (fat producing) Risk Factors-that include birth weight, age, sex, genetic metabolism, friends, activity and endocrine balance.

Indeed we are all biologically different. But despite this we can loose weight if we really want. No matter a how much you imagine you eat, if you wish to lose weight you must eat less. And no matter how much you imagine you exercise, to lose weight you must exercise more. It can be done, but for some with Adipogenic Risk Factors one must eat like a bird and exercise like a horse. But don’t despair, there is good science to help and I will detail ways to successfully not only loose weight, the somewhat easier part, but to keep it off which is the harder part. There is no magic diet, but suggestions for a lifestyle that will guarantee success, not just for looks but also for health and longevity in your future.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

THE ULTIMATE DIET

There is no best diet, only fundamental nutrition. There is an ideal diet for any individual for a given time, depending on their genes, biology, age and their environment. Having an understanding of this new nutrition will enable a person to choose the correct foods for both health and longevity. The following information should help you make the right choices.

The underpinnings of our food and drink is for what we were genetically adapted. However, there are rarely two of us who are exactly alike in how we look, how we act or metabolically. Our genes have been in existence since the very beginning of life on earth but our current chromosomes have been here for 2.4 million years and have sustained man as a species for the last two hundred thousand years. But eating habits, desire and in particular food availability have determined what consumption in Homo sapiens was best for their, and now our, health and fitness. This time line represents 99% of our evolutionary history.

It is only in the last 25 thousand years that we evolved from gathers, pickers, fishers, pluckers, and ghouls* to hunters. As a species, we hunted small game and fish with hands and cunning for eons. With the advent of tools such as nets, spears and clubs, big game became obtainable for hunting groups about 15 thousand years ago. In the last 10 thousand years agriculture and animal husbandry developed. Most importantly, in the dawn of the industrial revolution refined foods became available. But our metabolic machinery was not prepared for this. We are still in a state of evolution and may never be prepared for the junk we consume in the name of food!

No one would argue that an infant needs a different diet than an adult, or a Type 1 diabetic a dissimilar diet from a “healthy” individual or an elderly person different fare than a younger person. But a female diet being different from a male may be a stretch for some. In the broader sense, scientists and pseudo scientists organized special diets for metabolic types based on Blood type, body shapes (apples vs. pears), personalities, or anthropomorphic measurements such as arm span and variations of tooth anatomy. In the future, we will be able to look at ones genes and give a precise diet for ones best health.

The best recommendation for diet is the new VAP (Vertical Athrogenic Profile), which in the last two months was priced at less than $100 so that everyone, even those not insured could afford to know about them. With the right information, one can predict their own destiny in what could cause them disease and when it will happen. The premise of the VAP is the detection of not just the good HDL cholesterol, but also its division of inert HDL and the active HDL for reverse cholesterol transport. Also included are the small dense nefarious lousy LDL and the not so bad light fluffy LDL. These and the glucose/insulin ratio gives the best metabolic indicator of both cancer and cardiovascular disease. The Metabolic Syndrome in which insulin resistance is the genetic predisposition for poor health and an early demise (which is now epidemic in America) can be detected before it starts to impact our health. This is added to some basic truths for human food consumption and life and a few more for a healthy existence:

• The human body (and most mammals) has a given requirement for protein and fat, but none for carbohydrate other than disposable energy.

• Carbohydrate is a fuel that is converted to glucose for immediate usage or is stored in the liver as animal “starch”, glycogen.

• Micronutrients (Vitamins, Macro-minerals, Trace minerals) are needed in adequate amounts for proper metabolism.

• Essential Fatty acids are necessary for both structure and function of the organism.

• Essential Amino Acids are also obligatory for formation and working of the living being.

• Glyconutrients (on cell walls for inner communication) from sugars can be internally produced from non-carbohydrate foodstuffs.

• Enough water is required to maintain the shape and flow in our life form.

• Fiber is needed to give substance to the food in our alimentary tract to properly propel it forward and to feed our gut flora.

• Bacteria (Probiotic) and its food (Prebiotic), which is soluble fiber, are required to complete our digestion and to produce micronutrients such as Vitamin B12.

*Ghoul- Early man ate bone marrow and brains from carrion because he had rocks and the ability to open bones.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

SILVER

Silver has been used since antiquity for its healing and preserving powers. The ancient Greeks kept their medicinal liquids (and expensive foods) free of contamination by placing them in the silver jars. Since the Middle Ages, silver was a staple for cooking ware and eating with silver pans, plates, and utensils. Silver and its salts have been used for centuries for disease treatment, one hundred-fifty years ago for syphilis, in the last hundred years for eye and nose drops, gargles, douches, and the recent 40 years topically for burns, skin ulcers, and impregnation into the material from which medical devices are made including urinary and venous catheters as well as surgical instruments by mainstream physicians.

Silver and its compounds have an electrical/oligodynamic effects that are toxic for bacteria, algae, and fungi and some parasites. The is typical for heavy metals like lead and, mercury. Among the elements that have this, silver is the least toxic for humans. The medicinal action of silver is dependent on the electrical aspects of the silver ion, which irreversibly damages key enzyme systems in the cell membrane of certain pathogens to include staph and the internal organization of some viruses.

Today colloidal silver is made in ultramicroscopic particles in a solution suspended naturally in deionized water by natural electromagnetic charges. This ultra fine 99.999% silver has a particle size from 0.0001 to 0.001 microns (1 to 100 ug). A red blood cell is a giant compared to this being 7 microns or 7 million times bigger! After ingestion, this metal enters the blood stream within 20 minutes and all over our body Colloidal silver can be obtained for less than $4 an ounce at health food stores. Or with equipment costing less than $100, one can make gallons of it for $5. Since it is light sensitive, the silver should be kept in darkly tinted glass bottles in a cool place. Plastic containers magnetize easily and the silver particles will stick to the sides. Also keep it away from magnetic fields such as electronics or motors since they will interfere with the ions, holding the colloid in solution. If placed in the refrigerator, the silver may fall out of solution.

Colloidal silver is predictably safe. As a pre-1938 medicinal it is out of the control of the FDA. In general, silver exhibits low toxicity in the human body, and minimal risk is expected due to excess intake. Argyria is usually benign and limited to blue skin discoloration. There are isolated reports of more serious neurologic (seizures), renal, or hepatic complications, as well as headaches, stomach distress, fatigue, and skin irritation. Colloidal silver may react with certain drugs, such asthyroid, and antibiotics (quinalones and tetracyclines). The reference dose, published by the EPA, is the daily exposure that is unlikely to incur a appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime, is 5 µg/kg/d; meaning 5 micrograms of silver per kilo of weight per person each day – about 1 liter of 10 ppm colloidal silver per month for a 66kg person.

In order to guarantee the effectiveness of colloidal silver, it is necessary to buy a product that provides 10 particles of silver per million of water. Do not consume more than a quart daily for safety sake. Review the label or the specifications in the literature with the product. It is essential to get this health supplement from suppliers that have good feedback from customers and the above specifications. Some products like American Biotech Labs combines oxygen with purified silver, which is said to disrupt the pathogen’s ability to produce energy even more and increases the bioavailability of the silver particles.

My opinion on Colloidal Silver is not as bullish as it has been a decade ago. There has never been a good randomized double blind study to support it in Evidence Based Medicine, but in my experience (Experience Based Medicine), it should be considered in mild infections when antibiotics are not only more expensive but more dangerous! It should also should be considered in hard to eradicate infections along with other therapies such as HIV and Lyme Disease. No doubt it is very helpful when used topically in wounds. Again watch the label for 10 ppm and 5 ng particle size and no more than a quart a day! My colleagues may not agree with me but to those that believe no evidence is necessary and to those that do not believe no evidence is sufficient.