World Diabetes Day - A Day of Hope

November 14th was World Diabetes Day- which I just happened to have a pageful of notes looking into Diabetes.  The two classes had a very different look into the subject- but one thing stood out very clear.  It is an increasing problem, and the standard care is not sufficient.  13 Million people are affected in the United States which causes 35,000 deaths annually- making it the seventh leading cause of death in the US. It is a matter that needs to be looked at. I just wanted to share a general information about diabetes mellitus- and what can be done that not many people know about.


Type 1 Diabetes-  This is often a childhood development in which insulin is not produced from the pancreas.  Insulin is important for glucose transportation into the cells.  This can be a genetic disposition or be caused be a viral infection, but most likely it is an auto-immune disease in which the body attacks certain proteins which have similar structures to the cells that produce Insulin, and therefore the cells get destroyed too.  There are certain proteins found in cows milk that can trigger the attack - showing an association with milk and juvenile diabetes.


Diabetes is very serious and hard to manage.  Often very serious complications occur, commonly neuropathy of the feet which then can lead to other conditions such as blindness, coma, and death.  In fact, doctors label it as  "Incurable"  - You really believe this is incurable? The standard care is insulin shots with a poor suggested diet that has very little effect when there are obvious alternatives that have proven to eliminate diabetes.  To get my point, you may need to read to what I am not saying more than what I am saying (Hint:  What I am not saying is the Medical Profession is a business.  What I am not saying is that there are proof of alternatives and the American Medical doesn't want to accept it.  What I am not saying is that each insulin prescribed, each oral medication taken, each beta blocker given is money in their pockets.  What I am not saying is that it is hard to let a profitable business die out)


It was just today that I thought, if it is the pancreas that has been effected- what if there was something that could help support the pancreas.  I've heard of liver support and adrenal support, it just seemed reasonable to provide support to the pancreas.  That's when I saw this website- http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_n4_v58/ai_18178322/ I am not suggesting gymnema sylvestre exactly, but rather to show that even though a cure looks bleak- there are alternatives out there to look into that may provide an answer and more importantly- HOPE


Type 2 Diabetes - This is a less severe type that is often diagnosed later in adults.  In Type 2, there is insulin, but the receptors on the cells are resistant to it.  This type is easier to manage and not as severe, but sadly this is often mismanaged with a poor diet restriction and insulin shots.  This mistreatment from both the patient and the care provider can easily induce serious complications as well.  The standard diet given to a diabetic consists of 20% protein, 40% fat, and 40% carbs.  In your mind, I want you to circle the 40% fat- really? 40%?  the China Study http://www.hidden-diabetes-cures.com/index.html focuses more on a fat intake problem than a carbohydrate problem.  This makes sense when understanding that this isn't an insulin problem, it's a resistance problem and understanding what may cause the resistance.  Research shows that muscle lipids are associated insulin resistance- along with several studies done eliminating fat instead of carbohydates.


One book suggestion is Dr. Fuhrman's, Eat To Live.  A very recommended book.  His suggestion is not a low carb diet, but rather a high carb diet.  This doesn't make practical sense to a diabetic, but we have to understand that this isn't a carbohydrate problem, this is a fat problem.  Here is a list of a suggested diet.  The first two points are key and the rest are added additional support

1. Greens- fruits and veggies, especially the leafy green veggies are the main source of carbohydrates necessary, along with antioxidents and immune support and fiber
2. Beans- contain lignins that bind to sugar to effectively reduce blood sugar levels
3. Chromium- this takes several months to take effect, but it increases insulin sensitivity
4. Vanadyl Sulfate- also increases insulin sensitivity
5. Cinnamon- a great source to lower blood glucose levels - http://diabetes.about.com/od/whatsonthehorizon/qt/cinnamon.htm
6. Magnesium- increases carbohydrate metabolism
7. Garlic- decreases cholesterol and triglycerides
8. Gymnema Sylvestre- reduces blood sugar levels and supports the pancreas
9. Avoid refined sugars and starches and oils- we need to decrease fat
10. Exercise- A known importance to a diabetic, but it has been shown that 10 min of exercise daily helps decrease glucose insulin

One last thing I wanted to share.  There is a hope for diabetes.  It has been shown to be "curable", even Type 1, but the information isn't readily out there.  Here is a website to check out. http://www.rawfor30days.com/index4.html

Please look thru and share.  It is vital information.  This is what motivated me to try the raw diet for a week, and has helped me gain a greater appreciation and knowledge of our health choices.  Our health choices have a great power and helps us be in control of our health again.  There are some amazing results- and it is out there for us

Detox

This was from a special lecture from Curt Hamilton, the same doctor who spoke at the seminar on male and female hormones.  This lecture was a very informative look into detoxification.  This is very important to understand when it comes to the basics of chiropractics.  We treat the physical stresses on the body, but we also need to treat the chemical stresses on the body.  This is done mainly with proper nutrition and body awareness, but there are many toxins we are not only exposed to, but stay within us. It is important to detox ourselves from these harmful chemicals.

First, it is important to rid of the unwanted material in a proper timely fashion.  This goes back to the concept with Estrogen.  Any Estrogen taken in needs to eventually be put out.  This goes with many things we take in our body and if they are not being rid of sufficiently, they will be released back into the bloodstream in toxic forms, often stored in fat cells and most likely forming cancer.  There is no coincidence that at a time where cancer is so prevalent, almost common, that we are a society consuming and exposing ourselves to so many chemicals, from our food to our hair dyes to our make up.  And that's added upon that we are exposed to constant stress which slows down our digestive metabolism, we lack necessary fiber in our diet, and we commonly suffer conditions that slow down our metabolism like Hypothyroid.

The main organ that helps our body rid of toxic waste is the liver.  The liver is a vital organ that we take advantage of. It's like that friend that always bails us out after we make stupid choices. The liver uses a pathway to convert toxic materials into nontoxic forms that the body can either utilize or easily rid.  An important part to this pathway is Glutothione.  If the liver is unable to convert the toxins, due to toxin overload, they will get stored into our tissues.  These toxins have a great effect on our body, often resulting in Obesity, Immunodeficiency, Chronic fatigue, Cancer, and several unexplained or chronic illnesses.  There are some natural foods that can help us detox our body.

1. Improving Gastrointestinal function

                  Limit stress in our lives (exercise), a Fiber rich diet, cruciferous veggies, and Apple Cider Vinegar

    2.  Support the Liver

                 Milk Thistle, Hepatic-trophorestoration, Tumeric, Garlic, Green Tea, Spanish Black Radish

   3.  Increase Glutothione

                 Whey Protein, Red Clover, Rosemary, Sage

There are several other things that can help improve the detoxification pathway and support our liver.  It basically comes down to eating proper nutrition, limit stress, and exercise.  It may need to include more when it comes to the specifics.  Many of these things mentioned have their specific properties that can do great things.  Spanish Black Radish has been used to fight off cancerous agents, as well as Tumeric has been used to protect the liver from smoking chemicals. There are also certain diet protocols that can be used that have seen great results, you can look up Standard Process for their protocol.  I enjoyed the lecture, and it is something I would enjoy looking into and learning more to utilize in my office and with my patients.  Too many people are going around not really sick, but just not feeling well.  We have overloaded our body with toxins.  We need to Remove and Restore our body back to how it should be, to start feeling GOOD again.

Recipes To Try

For a while now I've been wanting to post any recipes that might be fun to try.  I believe many people want to eat healthier, but two problems occur.  First, they don't buy the right things and so they eat what they buy.  Second, they don't know any good recipes, or like me, think that any healthy recipe is worth skipping.  As I have mentioned before, I have been trying to look for new recipes, healthy or not, and see what I can do to make it healthy or to just try them.  There have been two that I have been wanting to try and I did tonight, one very healthy and the other not so much, but beats the alternatives.

No Sugar Chocolate Recipe (Got this from a fellow student so I just copied is notes- this is a very good recipe as it is and healthy.  For my extra taste, I even added some coconut to it.  Loved it.  It's a little time consuming, but great to make for get together, especially to eat with fruits like strawberries, pineapples and bananas.  It's good enough to be proud to say you made it, and to add that its good for you)

 

1 bar of 100% organic cacao (I got all my ingredients at central market)

1 can of organic coconut milk...full fat

3/4 cup ground flax seed

2 or 3 tablespoons of fresh ground cinnamon

1/4 cup raw honey

 

little paper baking cups

 

Remember...we do not want a lot of heat, just enough to melt and mix.  As such, I fill a pot with water and put my sauce pan on top, so as to steam the bottom of the sauce pan.

 

Melt chocolate first and then add ingredients and mix with a spatula.

 

Pour finished product into a measuring cup (to facilitate the pour....:).. and distribute to baking cups (optional)

 

Refrigerate or freeze

 

Homemade Ranch Dressing (Got this from the Food Nanny.  It's not all healthy, but beats the alternatives that add sugars, gums, and preservatives and who knows what else.  Home made is always better and this is a great recipe.  I was surprised by how well it turned out.  This is a good example of what people can do to eat healthier.  If we learn that something isn't good for us, don't get discouraged, just learn how to make it yourself and you have control of how healthy it can be)

¾ cup mayonasse

½ cup buttermilk

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp pressed garlic

¼ tsp oregano

½ tsp minced onion

¼ tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in a blender- store in a tight container up to 1 wk (since it has no preservative, it is better to make in smaller quantities)

Hopefully this helps, or least gets some people thinking of what they can do to try new recipes.  There are plenty more recipes out there, that can be healthy, but doesn't have to taste "healthy". If there are any to share, please feel free.  I would love to try more.

Would you rather have a Heart Attack or Calcium?

Here is a link to an article recently published.  Now we can truly see the Diary Company's agenda.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/us/07fat.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=homepage

"The department acknowledged that cheese is high in saturated fat, but said that lower milk consumption had made cheese an important source of calcium."


Cheese an important source of calcium? They pretty much acknowledge that cheese is bad for you and can cause heart disease . . . but it's okay because it has a little bit of calcium for our diet.  So does Kale and Spinach, but I don't see them causing heart failure in our society.  Seriously

Results

About two months ago, I decided to try the Health Questionnaire Appraisal and see the effects.  I took the questionnaire, which was categorized eleven groups with each one having several subgroups.  I felt healthy and I felt like I was in good condition and ate well. And I believe  the questionnaire shares the same results.  There was no big surprise.  In adding up the points and putting them on the graph, there weren't any that reached High Priority.  However, there were a handful that did enter into the Moderate Priority range with Adrenals and Dysglycemia being my two highest scores.  I was curious to see how changing my diet would effect these areas of concern.

I didn't have any High Priority marks, so I didn't feel any need to be real strict, but I did want to make an effort.  One thing I wanted to try was a Raw diet, eating all uncooked fruits, vegetables and nuts.  This was quite the experience.  Unfortunately, I didn't make it completely.  After the first day, I felt hungry, cold, and not well.  I knew there would be some symptoms as my body cleansed itself from the toxic chemicals as it replaced it with the proper nutrients, but I just didn't have the will power.  I still ate 90% raw, but my dinner had a small portion of some sort of prepare chicken.  I just needed something a little more solid at the end of the day.  However, the next couple days were interesting.  The raw vegetables that I often avoided began to actually be tasteful.  I often made smoothies with fruit (which I would usually would add sugar to sweeten it).  After a couple smoothies without any sugar added, the smoothies began to taste sweet on their own.  My body began to taste and even crave the natural flavors again.

After the week of eating raw, I wanted to introduce more healthy choices.  The next week, I bought all Whole Grain bread, pasta, and flour and replaced it with the regular pasta and flour in our meals.  The next week, I bought some Coconut Oil in which I blogged about and was very satisfied.  And last week, I bought some Stevia (a natural sugar from the Stevia plant) to replace regular sugar.  That is what it is all about.  I believe people look at changing their diet and read about what they should be eating and they get overwhelmed.  No one should dramatically replace their diet in a day, but do it little by little.  Try little things and see how they are, and stick with it and you try a little bit more.  There are some simple things that can help maintain a healthier diet.

1. Incorporate more fruits and vegetables in each meal.  I have made a greater effort this last month to always take multiple fruits and vegetables for lunch, and make it a rule to eat my fruit and vegetables before anything else.  I haven't been perfect on that, but I have been eating my fruits and vegetables more often
2. Change how you shop.  I think this is key, and I got this idea from my wife when she told me that she now spends more time in the produce section than anywhere else in the store.  I believe that is key.  To change our eating habits, we need to change what we eat.  To change what we eat, we need to change what is available in our home.  To change what is available, we need to change what we buy.  Spend more time in the produce section and bulk up on the fruits and vegetables, and then quickly pick up any accessory items.
3. Learn about each fruit and vegetable.  This may be due to me taking Nutrition class, but I think it can help if someone puts the effort.  I know I have enjoyed the knowledge of what I am putting in my body.  This can be done one by one, learn about a certain fruit and as you eat it, review in your mind what nutritional benefit it has for you.  I think it is important in learning about a great variety of fruits and vegetables.  There are so many out there that people don't know about.  Go explore.
4. Eat at home.  This will not only save you from the unhealthy food from eating out, but it can also save you money.  Also, this will help expand your knowledge of food and give you better control of healthy options.  I have enjoyed finding recipes that I would like to try and look to see what I can change to make it healthier.  I often make home made pizza on the weekend.  Not only has this saved us from the unhealthy take out pizza (We haven't ordered pizza for almost a year) but it gives me control of healthy options.  I have been adding more peppers and other vegetables as toppings, and two weeks ago I made it with Wheat flour which surprisingly the kids ate it up without knowing any difference.  Eating at home gives us great control of our healthy choices.

So after almost two months of trying different healthy options, what are the results?  I would like to post the graph some how, I will try to find out how, but I have retaken the questionnaire and the results are amazing.  The two main categories, Adrenals and Dysglycemiaimpact on the quality of our life.  Lets Get Back to Health

Hypertension

Hypertension is becoming common in society, so much that they are changing what is normal.  And what is given for this from the medical world?  In an instant, beta blockers are given to lower blood pressure and statins are given to decrease cholesterol.  Not only are these only 30% effective, they also present very serious and significant side effects.  How about methods that are 100% effective without any negative side effects?  Here is what we can do to prevent and reduce hypertension

1. Diet- This is a vegetarian or a near vegetarian diet (or simply eliminating refine carbs and animal protein).  Sadly, this often turns people away and towards drugs, all because they don't want to change.  But it is necessary.  Diet alone can reduce hypertension dramatically.  A vegetarian or a near vegetarian diet not only provides nutritional components that will lower blood pressure, but will also reduce body weight and improve our Potassium to Sodium levels which also have effects on our blood pressure. But simple changes can make a great impact.  It has been shown that eating 2 carrots a day will reduce cholesterol levels, and also eating 4 oz (one stalk) of celery will lower blood pressure. Changing our diet alone will do greater good in our blood pressure than any drug.
2. Chiropractic Adjustment- This blog is more than just chiropractic, but I can't ignore the fact that an adjustment has a great effect on lowering blood pressure.  There are plenty of videos and articles out there, but here is just one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBwJIZTq8Yg&feature=fvw
3. Exercise- low intense/high repetition exercise is best (walking for an hour is better than running for 30 minutes)
4. Supplements- These include taking a  good multivitamin, omega-3, and Coenzyme-Q10
5. Herbs-Tthere are some great herbs we can include in our diet, including garlic, abana, and coleus root

Osteoporosis Is A Good Thing?

Yes, Osteoporosis is a good thing . . . well, considering the alternative- Death.  I state it this way to first attract attention, but also to show how our body truly works.  As I have mentioned before, we need to maintain a proper balance to function.  One balance we need is a good Calcium to Phosphorus ratio, which is about 2.5 :1.  We need a little more than double the amount of Calcium than Phosphorus.  When this ratio is altered, meaning if we have more Phosphorus than Calcium, it is toxic to our body.  So what does our body do?  It brings in more Calcium.  Where does it get more Calcium?  99% of our Calcium is stored in our bones.  The excess Phosphorus activates the parathyroid which then sends Parathyroid Hormone to take Calcium out of our bones. It is a life saving mechanism, unfortunately at the expense of our bone tissue.

So the simple thing to do would be to drink more milk, right? (pretend that you didn't read my blog on Dairy)  Cow's milk has plenty of Calcium, but sadly it also has plenty of Phosphorus, almost a 1:1 ratio along with excess protein, counteracting the Calcium.  Research has shown that those who drank more milk (3 extra glasses a day) showed no reduction of bone loss.  But isn't Calcium good for our bones?  Think of it this way.  Imagine a hole in the ground, and it is your job to fill it up.  You keep putting in dirt, shovel after shovel, but after an hour you look in and the hole looks the same.  So you shovel in more and more dirt as fast as you can.  After another hour you look in the hole and it's still as big as it was originally.  Finally you look up and at the other side, you see someone shoveling dirt out of the hole.  That is what we are doing to our bodies, especially concerning our Calcium intake.  We don't need much Calcium (400 mg/day) to maintain strong bones.  It's not that we don't have enough to fill the hole, it's what we are doing to take it back out.  There are several things in our diet that is taking the calcium out.  Let's take a look at a few

1. Animal Protein- A China Study has shown that women in china who had lower calcium intake had stronger bones.  But their diet also showed that they consumed less protein, especially Animal Protein. Of their total protein, only 7% was from animal.  In the USA, about 70% is from animal.  Big difference.  Our animal meat proportions have grown out of hand
2. Excess Phosphorus- contained in animal proteins which stimulates the parathyroid hormone
3. Tobacco- women who smoke reach menopause about 5 years earlier (we'll discuss the significance of this)
4. Alcohol/Caffeine- dissolves bone, increases Calcium excretion
5. Antibiotics- increases Calcium excretion
6. Corticosteroids- decreases Calcium absorption
7. Hyperthyroid- excess thyroxin increases Calcium excretion

So what can we do to help maintain good bone quality?

1. Eat Vegetables- Green leafy vegetables are great sources of Calcium and also prevent bone loss.
2. Vitamin D- increases Calcium absorption
3. Vitamin K- decreases Calcium excretion
4. Vitamin B6- helps with production of Progesterone.
5. Moderate protein intake
6. Avoid alcohol/smoking/caffeine
7. Exercise- weight bearing exercise strengthens bones (research has shown that 50 jumps/day has great effect on bone strength)

I do not suggest Hormone Replacement Therapy, but there are things that can help maintain proper hormone balance. This is important.  Estrogen has been shown to slow down osteoporosis, but it doesn't stop it. Progesterone has been shown to increase bone growth.  Women in menopause (decrease in estrogen and progesterone) are at greater risk.  The loss of these two hormones increases the rate of bone loss dramatically.  Let's stop digging ourselves in a hole, and lets help out our body instead of putting it into position to choose Osteoporosis over Death.