Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

 

 

Mark Mattson is the current Chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging. He is also a professor of Neuroscience at The Johns Hopkins University. Mattson is one of the foremost researchers in the area of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

INTERMITTENT FASTING IS ASSOCIATED WITH MANY HEALTH BENEFITS

Intermittent fasting is associated with many health benefits. I have seen many of my clients improve their symptoms during a fast. Fasting has been shown to improves Multiple Sclerosis(M.S) symptoms in animals. The good news is that the benefits of fasting is not limited to Multiple Sclerosis. Autoimmune diseases and Chronic degenerative diseases of all kinds can improve.

 

 

FASTING CAN IMPROVE MANY BIOMARKERS OF HEALTH

 

Fasting may help normalize insulin, leptin (satiety hormone), and ghrelin (hunger hormone) levels.
It can lower triglyceride levels, reduce oxidative stress, and initiate human growth hormone production which is necessary for building new cells.


Here is some excellent articles to get you started:

How Intermittent Fasting Might Help You Live a Longer and Healthier Life

How Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Live Healthier, Longer



Disclaimer: Before you try a fast make sure you learn how to do it correctly. Always ask your healthcare provider before you attempt to undergo one.

We Are Making Changes

 

A wave of good news is sweeping the health community.

 

This week Chipotle announced that they will use mostly NON GMO ingredients in their food. It is remarkable that a fast food chain was able to do this. They realized that in order to separate themselves from the competition and gain the trust and respect of young health conscious people they would have to step their game up.

 

While Chipotle announced this we also heard news of McDonald's losing revenue and closing hundreds of stores !! 

 

Due to the power of the internet people have been able to obtain information that was not available to them in the past. Corporations with the help of bought off media outlets were able to conceal information and mislead the masses. Times have changed. They are not able to cover up information like they used to. Thanks to online activists (Food Babe), alternative media (natural news, Infowars), and social network sites (Facebook, twitter) real information is getting out to the people.

 

If this wasn't exciting enough there are 2 more breakthroughs.

 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer ( a branch of the World Health Organization)

just declared that glyphosate (the most commonly used herbicide in the world) is probably carcinogenic to humans.  This is a huge announcement because GMO crops are sprayed with tons of glyphosates because they are resistant to them. This is done so that weeds around them die. So when you eat GMO food you are eating residues of chemicals that are probably carcinogenic.

The next big announcement this week was by the Department of Health and Human Services which recommended lowering the fluoride levels in drinking water by almost 50%.

Although I am not satisfied until fluoride is completely removed from our drinking water, this is a step in the right direction.

We must continue to voice our opinions, share information, get involved in our community, and most importantly vote with our dollars !!
 

 

Whey Protein Smoothie Recipe

Whey protein is an amazing source of nutrition. It contains compounds that are highly building and immune enhancing. If that was not enough it is an excellent way to lose weight because it has the ability to shut off the hunger center in the brain.

Make sure to avoid most commercial brands since they often contain toxic sweeteners and preservatives.  Many of them are also created with high temperatures which destroy the whey.

My favorite brand is Whey Factors. It is the most quality brand that I know of and is the one I personally use.

Add about 2-3 oz of water into a blender.
Add 1 scoop of chocolate Whey Factors Whey Protein
Add one frozen banana (freeze banana overnight)
1/4 teaspoon vitamin c powder or 1 teaspoon Camu powder
sprinkle in some cinnamon powder.
Add a handful of raw walnuts and unsalted raw peanuts.
1 Tablespoon virgin coconut oil (I like adding udo's oil blend and coconut oil)

* I like my shake thick like the consistency of a thick milk shake.

Blend and Enjoy :)

How Carbohydrates Raise Cholesterol Levels

Most people know that the hormone insulin is involved in the regulation of blood sugar. When you eat a carbohydrate or sugar, insulin is secreted from the pancreas into the blood stream in order to store the extra sugar into the muscles and liver.

What many people don't know is that insulin is actually a growth hormone. It is involved in building the body. The problem with eating too many carbohydrates is that the body gets fooled into thinking
it should be building.

Building means creating new cells.

One of the components that is needed to make new cells is cholesterol !!

Cholesterol is needed for the creation of every cell membrane.

Insulin is also turned on during growth phases. Babies, teenagers, pregnant women, and people who exercise all benefit from the growth hormone insulin. Insulin turns on the enzyme in the liver that produces cholesterol so that more cells can be made.

So the most effective strategy to naturally lower your cholesterol levels without using toxic pharmaceutical drugs is to reduce your intake of insulin activating foods.

All refined carbohydrates should be dramatically reduced. Bread, pasta, grains, potatoes, sweetened drinks, and even fruits and fruit juices.

Fruits have many beneficial components but we have to be careful not to eat too many of them.
Have a half a banana instead of a whole one, a slice of pineapple instead of half an entire pineapple.

We should be getting most of our carbohydrates from vegetables which contain complex carbohydrates.

P.S Eating cholesterol containing foods will not effect your blood cholesterol, so you can still eat cholesterol :) In fact you should go out of your way to eat cholesterol because it is one of the most building nutrients that you can eat !!

I have mentioned in a previous post that cholesterol does not cause heart disease, but high levels of cholesterol can be indicative of bad blood sugar regulation (in people other than babies, teenagers, pregnant woman, and people who exercise). So stabilizing your blood sugar is important in order to prevent diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and many other conditions.

 

Disclaimer

 

This blog is for educational purposes only. Nothing written here is meant to cure, treat, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been approved by the FDA

Mammograms Another Medical Failure

We have all been conditioned to believe that mammograms save lives and that they are part of every woman over the age of 49's annual duty. Women have been led to believe that getting a mammogram is the best proactive way to prevent breast cancer. But is it?

STUDY: MAMMOGRAMS DO NOT REDUCE BREAST CANCER MORTALITY

According to one of the largest and longest studies ever conducted on mammograms, where 90,000 women were observed over the course of 25 years, annual mammograms had no impact on breast cancer mortality. What is even more concerning is that the same study found that 22% of mammogram detected as "invasive breast cancers" were false positives and resulted in unnecessary treatment. This means that 106 woman in the study who were screened were given chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or a combination of these !!

MAMMOGRAMS RESULTED IN A 30% INCREASE IN UNNECESSARY TREATMENTS

In a 2009 Meta Analysis researchers found that mammogram screenings caused a 30%  rate of over diagnosis and unnecessary treatment. Using the study's data, for every 2,000 women who are screened using a mammogram, only 1 will not die from breast cancer, while 10 healthy women will be incorrectly diagnosed with breast cancer and unnecessarily treated for it.

 MAMMOGRAMS ONLY SAVED 0.0024 OF THOSE SCREENED !!

A study in Norway which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2010 showed that out of 100,000 people only 2.4 people (0.0024 %) were saved as a result of mammogram screenings.

HIGHER RATE OF BREAST CANCER IN THOSE SCREENED MORE OFTEN  

A Swedish Study that was published in 2011 in The Lancet Oncology concluded that a 4 year incidence of invasive breast cancer was significantly higher in the screened group (982 per 100,000) than it was in the control group (658 per 100,000).

Not only have annual mammograms shown to NOT reduce mortality from breast cancer, but they have resulted in unnecessary life threatening treatments for cancer (radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery) which can ironically increase the rates of cancer. Further more some data has shown a higher rate of breast cancer in those who were screened more often.

Sources

Twenty five year follow-up for breast cancer incidence and mortality of the Canadian National Breast Screening Study: randomized screening trial.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24519768?dopt=Abstract

Screening for breast cancer with mammography.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23737396?dopt=Abstract

Effect of screening mammography on breast-cancer mortality in Norway.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20860502

Natural history of breast cancers detected in the Swedish mammography screening programme

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21996169

Disclaimer

This blog is for educational purposes only. Nothing written here is meant to cure, treat, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been approved by the FDA

Boost Your Vitamin D Levels In A Cool Way

Many People know that Vitamin D plays an important role in bone formation but not to many people are aware of Vitamin D's other important roles. Over the last couple of years scientific research has been piling up on Vitamin D's other roles like immune enhancement, cardiovascular health, mental health, reducing the risk of diabetes, and preventing autoimmune diseases.

The best way to get Vitamin D is from the sun (without sun screen) This is how we were designed to get it.  Our skin acts like solar panels which convert ultraviolet energy into biochemical energy !!

During the fall and winter this poses a problem for us since most people are not living in sunny regions. Many people resort to Vitamin D3 supplements which are ok, but I prefer a better way; Full spectrum lights.

 

 

Check them out on Dr. Mercola's site

http://shop.mercola.com/product/30w-compact-full-spectrum-light-bulb-120v-1-bulb,93,0.htm

I just bought some Full Spectrum Lights and they feel amazing !!

 

Disclaimer

 

This blog is for educational purposes only. Nothing written here is meant to cure, treat, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been approved by the FDA

Sources

 

https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/influenza/#

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/vitamin-d-vital-role-in-your-health?page=4

http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/news/20100823/vitamin-d-linked-to-autoimmune-diseases

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17179460

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18180395?dopt=Citation

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20219962

https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/depression/#

http://www.nephrologynews.com/articles/110293-raising-low-vitamin-d-levels-lowers-risk-of-prediabetes-progressing-to-diabetes-in-study

 

 

Gluten Free Vegetable Spaghetti

 

 

photo credit:

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/5695132949/zucchini-spaghetti-zoodles-meatballs

 

 

Use a spiralizer or a stainless steel julienne peeler to make spaghetti that is gluten free and low carb.

 

After you make vegetable spaghetti (I like using a mix of zucchini & carrots) you can sauté it for a few minutes in butter. Use any spices that you wish (I like himalayan salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh onions, fresh garlic, and fresh cilantro) Accompany it with a meat sauce and some parmesan cheese.