These articles explore the body, the mind, the environment, and the systems that shape human health. Each piece is written to make complex ideas easier to understand, whether the topic is training, nutrition, sleep, stress, digestion, symptoms, physiology, disease, or the way modern life affects how we feel and function.
Strength, Health, & the Art of Living Well
9 NATURAL WAYS TO REDUCE INSULIN RESISTANCE
1. Turmeric.
In a groundbreaking study published in the American Diabetes Association’s journal, Diabetes Care,*= 240 prediabetic adult patients were given either 250 milligrams of curcumin or a placebo every day. After nine months, none of the participants taking curcumin had developed diabetes, but 16.4 percent of the placebo group had, suggesting that curcumin was 100 percent effective at preventing Type 2 diabetes.
* Somlak Chuengsamarn et al., “Curcumin Extract for Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes,” Diabetes Care 35, no. 11 (November 2012): 2121–27, https://doi.org/10.2337/dc12-0116.
2. Ginger.
In a 2014 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 88 volunteers with diabetes were divided into two groups. Every day one group received a placebo while the other received three one-gram capsules of ginger powder. After eight weeks, the ginger group reduced their fasting blood sugar by 10.5 percent, but the placebo group increased their fasting blood sugar by 21 percent. In addition, insulin sensitivity increased significantly more in the ginger group.* In another study, researchers demonstrated that 1,600 milligrams per day of ginger improves eight markers of diabetes, including insulin sensitivity.** Since 1,600 milligrams amounts to about a quarter teaspoon, the results show you don’t necessarily need a high dose to get impressive results.
* Hassan Mozaffari-Khosravi et al., “The Effect of Ginger Powder Supplementation on Insulin Resistance and Glycemic Indices in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial,” Complementary Therapies in Medicine 22, no. 1 (February 2014): 9–16, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2013.12.017.
** Tahereh Arablou et al., “The Effect of Ginger Consumption on Glycemic Status, Lipid Profile and Some Inflammatory Markers in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus,” International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 65, no. 4 (June 2014): 515–20, https://doi.org/10.3109/09637486.2014.880671.)
3. Cinnamon.
Cinnamon has been used for millennia as both a spice and a “warming” medicine to improve the blood. The Journal of Medicinal Food published a meta-analysis of eight studies that concluded that cinnamon (or cinnamon extract) lowers fasting blood sugar levels.* One way it works is by keeping your stomach from emptying too quickly after eating. Sprinkling just a half-teaspoon a day onto your meals or into your smoothies can reduce blood sugar levels, even if you have Type 2 diabetes.** Look for cinnamon labeled as Ceylon cinnamon, from the ancient name for Sri Lanka (Ceylon), where it was originally harvested. Anything else is likely not cinnamon at all but cassia, a mere cousin to real cinnamon.
* Paul A. Davis and Wallace Yokoyama, “Cinnamon Intake Lowers Fasting Blood Glucose: Meta-Analysis,” Journal of Medicinal Food 14, no. 9 (April 11, 2011): 884–89, https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2010.0180.
** Joanna Hlebowicz et al., “Effect of Cinnamon on Postprandial Blood Glucose, Gastric Emptying, and Satiety in Healthy Subjects,” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 85, no. 6 (June 2007): 1552–56, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/85.6.1552.)
4. Olive leaf extract.
University of Auckland researchers proved that olive leaf extract increases insulin sensitivity. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 46 overweight men were divided into two groups. One group received capsules containing olive leaf extract, and the other group received a placebo. After 12 weeks, olive leaf extract lowered insulin resistance by an average of 15 percent. It also increased the productivity of the insulin-generating cells in the pancreas by 28 percent. Supplementing with olive leaf extract yielded results “comparable to common diabetic therapeutics (particularly metformin).” *
* Martin de Bock et al., “Olive (Olea europaea L.) Leaf Polyphenols Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Middle-Aged Overweight Men: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial,” PLOS ONE 8, no. 3 (2013): e57622, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057622.)
5. Berries.
If your meal includes berries, your body will need less insulin after eating. In a study of healthy women in Finland, volunteers were given white and rye bread to eat, either with or without a selection of pureed berries. The glucose level of the women who ate the plain bread spiked quickly after eating, but the women who ate the bread with berries had a much lower spike in their after-meal blood sugar. *
* Riitta Törrönen et al., “Berries Reduce Postprandial Insulin Responses to Wheat and Rye Breads in Healthy Women,” The Journal of Nutrition 143, no. 4 (January 30, 2013): 430–36, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.112.169771.)
6. Black seed (Nigella sativa).
Black seed is also known as Roman coriander, black sesame, black cumin, and black caraway. Just two grams of black seed each day can significantly reduce blood sugar and glycation end-product formation. The same dose can also improve insulin resistance. *
* Abdullah Bamosa et al., “Effect of Nigella sativa Seeds on the Glycemic Control of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus,” Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 54 (October 2010): 344–54; and Reza Daryabeygi-Khotbehsara et al., “Nigella sativa Improves Glucose Homeostasis and Serum Lipids in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” Complementary Therapies in Medicine 35 (December 2017): 6–13, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2017.08.016.)
7. Spirulina and soy.
Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that’s an excellent source of protein, calcium, iron, and magnesium. It can be eaten as a food, though in the United States, it’s most often consumed in powder form and added to smoothies or shakes. In a study in Cameroon, spirulina and soy powder went head-to-head, as researchers tested which is better at controlling insulin sensitivity. In this randomized study consisting of volunteers suffering from insulin resistance related to treatment with antiretroviral drugs they were taking, one group received 19 grams of spirulina a day for eight weeks, while the other received 19 grams of soy. At the end of the trial, the soy group increased its insulin sensitivity by 60 percent, which is relatively good, but the spirulina group’s insulin sensitivity leaped by an average of 224.7 percent. And although 69 percent of the soy volunteers experienced increased sensitivity to insulin—which, again, is relatively good—all the volunteers in the spirulina group saw an improvement. * This is a strong endorsement of spirulina’s healing power, even when it’s under an extreme challenge such as living with adverse effects related to taking HIV drugs.
* Azabji-Kenfack Marcel et al., “The Effect of Spirulina platensis versus Soybean on Insulin Resistance in HIV-Infected Patients: A Randomized Pilot Study,” Nutrients 3, no. 7 (July 2011): 712–24, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu3070712.)
8. Berberine.
Perhaps the bitterness of berberine, a compound found in the roots of plants like goldenseal and barberry, is a clue to its effectiveness in stabilizing blood sugar. In a Chinese study of 36 patients, scientists found that three months of treatment with berberine was just as effective as metformin in bringing down blood sugar.* It should be noted that special caution should be taken with herbs like berberine, which, while generally far safer than pharmaceutical compounds, are not without side effects, and therefore should be used under the guidance of a medical herbalist or experienced integrative medical practitioner.
* Hui Dong et al., “Berberine in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012 (October 15, 2012): 591654, https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/591654.)
9. Resistant starches.
Unlike other foods in their class, resistant starches are far lower on the glycemic index because they are broken down slowly in the large intestine. This “resistance” to digestion means that they are unlikely to cause spikes in blood sugar. And they have time to ferment, giving the beneficial gut bacteria of your microbiome an opportunity to flourish. As a source of fermentable fiber, resistant starches can help improve insulin sensitivity* and reduce body fat.**
* Gijs den Besten et al., “The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in the Interplay between Diet, Gut Microbiota, and Host Energy Metabolism,” Journal of Lipid Research 54, no. 9 (September 2013): 2325–40, https://doi.org/10.1194/jlr.R036012.
** Jolene Zheng et al., “Resistant Starch, Fermented Resistant Starch, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids Reduce Intestinal Fat Deposition in Caenorhabditis elegans,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 58, no. 8 (April 28, 2010): 4744–48, https://doi.org/10.1021/jf904583b.)
Resistant Starches to Include in Your Diet:
Amaranth
Cassava
Chickpeas
Millet
Muesli
Soaked beans (all varieties)
Unprocessed oats
Unripe bananas
How to Make Better Humans — Optimizing Baby Making! (Info Drop)
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
In my quest to make better humans, I have found it easier to build strong children, than to repair broken men. The following is a collection of notes I’ve gathered over the last year. Please Read, Comment, and Share. Let’s make stronger and healthier versions of ourselves.
The Healing Nutrients Within by Eric Braverman
Tryptophan recommended dosage: infants four to six months old require 21g a day, while children aged four to twelve need only 4g
Histidine and taurine are also essential amino acids for early growth and development in premature infants and possibly for all neonates. Preterm babies are also known to require cysteine because the fetal liver cannot convert methionine to cysteine.
as long as the diet contains enough methionine or cysteine, Glutathione levels are likely to be adequate. the exception to this rule is in infants, whose bodies cannot yet manufacture cysteine from methionine, so their cysteine needs are supplied by breast milk. (Cows milk is not an adequate source of cysteine.)
Taurine is critical and preterm in newborn human infants where it is essential for normal growth and development
threonine is an essential amino acid and so it cannot be manufactured in the body… infants four to six months old require 6-8g a day
Brain Maker by David Perlmutter
Pregnant and planning your birth experience? Speak with you doctor about using the so-called “gauze technique” if, for whatever reason, you undergo a C-section. Dr. Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello has presented research suggesting that using gauze to collect a mother’s birth-canal bacteria and then imparting them to babies born by C-section by rubbing the gauze over their mouths and noses does help make those babies’ bacterial populations more closely resemble vaginally born babies. It’s not a substitute for having a vaginal delivery, but it’s better than a sterile C-section.
Plan ahead, too, for giving you baby the best nutrition possible. How effective are infant formulas that contain beneficial bacteria? The benefits of human breast milk are so well established that formula companies strive to make their product resemble breast milk as much as possible — although the old adage still rights true: breast is best. What about supplementing traditional formulas with porticos designed for babies? The science in this area is still growing, but some studies have already shown that providing probiotics either through formula or as a supplement can have positive effects. They can reduce colic and irritability and lower the risk of infections that call for antibiotics. Certainly, they should not be considered a substitute for breast milk.
What can I give a baby?
colicky infants who took Lactobacillus reuteri saw results within one week. By the fourth week, these babies were crying for only 51 minutes a day on average, compared with 145 minutes a day for the infants who were given simethicone, the active ingredient in many over-the-counter antigas products.
the probiotic group Lactobacillus (specifically Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, or LGG) has been shown to be effective in treating infection diarrhea in children. And in an ongoing Finnish study published in the Lancet, infants whose family members had a history of eczema or allergies were given either LGG or a placebo prenatally (that is, their mothers took the dose while pregnant) and until they were 6 months old. Researchers found that the children who took LGG were half as likely to develop eczema as those who took the placebo.
Until children are able to consume solid foods that contain probiotics it is smart to keep probiotics on hand.
DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that makes up more than 90% of the omega-3 fats in the brain. Fifty percent of the weight of a neuron’s membrane is composed of DHA, and it’s a key component in heart tissue. The richest source of DHA in nature is human breast milk, which explains why breastfeeding is continually touted as important for neurologic health. DHA is also now added to formula as well as hundreds of food products.
Cracking the Metabolic Code by James LaValle
Center of Science and the Public Interest (CSPI), a nutrition advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., issued a warning that pregnant women should not eat more than two 6oz servings of canned tuna per month since tuna contains high levels of mercury. A better suggestion might be to avoid eating tuna more than once a month — especially fresh tuna steaks — in addition to other fish particularly high in mercury such as pike, swordfish, shark and walleye.
Maternal iodine deficiency and thyroid dysfunction, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy, is a serious threat to fetal brain development. A pregnant woman exposed to high levels of mercury, therefore, may be placing her unborn child at greater risk for congenital neurological defects
Fat Chance by Robert Lusting
Developmental Programming: we now assume that a hostile intrauterine environment (undernutrition, over nutrition, or maternal stress) transmits some signal to the fetus, which converts information about future threat: It’s a tough world out there, kid; best be ready for it. This drives the infant to store extra energy and increase its fat after birth when there is no need to do so, to the ultimate detriment of health later on. Such a baby’s intrauterine and postnatal environment are mismatched. The child is “programmed” for survival at the expense of longevity.
David Barker first postulated that prenatal biological influences could affect postnatal outcomes for obesity. He observed that maternal nutrition affected the fetus. Small for Gestational Age (SGA) infants (very small at birth) were at an increased risk for future obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. This finding was corroborated by the Dutch Famine Study. At the end of WW2, for a four month period, the official daily rations in the Netherlands were between 400-800 calories per person. Those who were undernourished as fetuses developed obesity and metabolic syndrome in middle age.
Several studies of SGA newborns demonstrate that they exhibit rapid catch up growth in the early postnatal period and develop obesity, persistent insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome in childhood. An analysis of newborns born in Pune, India, versus those born in London demonstrated that despite the fact that those born in India weighed 700 grams less at birth, their insulin levels were markedly elevated. After adjustment for birth weight, the Inda-born babies demonstrated increased adiposity four times higher insulin, and two times higher leptin levels than their London-born counterparts. Because these babies were already insulin and leptin resistant at birth, they were predestined to develop obesity and metabolic syndrome.
premature babies also manifest insulin resistance…. its assumed that some aspect of prematurity leads to alteration in developmental programming. This is often compounded by well-meaning pediatricians, who prescribe high-calorie formula to rapidly increase the baby’s weight gain. The infant is then at enormously high risk for metabolic syndrome in childhood or adulthood.
but the converse is also true. Babies born large for gestational age (LGA) also end up with obesity and metabolic syndrome in later life. They’re also hyperinsulinemic and insulin resistant, but for a different reason. Most babies are LGA due to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a type of diabetes that occurs in approximately 5% of pregnant women. The high blood glucose of the mother leads to high blood glucose of the fetus, and high insulin levels, which drive fat cells to grow. These GDM babies have 3 times the chance of obesity and diabetes later in life. In general, the “vertical” transmission of diabetes from mother to child has been documented in studies of the Pima, a Native American tribe in Arizona. Clearly, this is the “gift that keeps on giving"
However, GDM isn’t required to produce obesity. LGA babies without GDM also have double the chance of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Animal studies show that both fetal undernutrition and over nutrition can change epigenetics, making it less likely that beta-cells (cells in the pancreas that make insulin) will keep dividing. LGA children have a limited insulin reserve. As they gain weight over their lives, diabetes will be the final outcome. But this can be prevented: obese women who underwent bariatric surgery between their first and second child reduce both the chance of LGA in the second child and the second child’s future risk for obesity. Fix the mother, fix the offspring.
Why does this happen? Generally, as the fetal brain develops, the hormone leptin (coming from the fetal fat cells) tells the hypothalamus to develop normally, defending against obesity. However, either lack of leptin (as in the undernourished SGA baby) or insulin antagonism of leptin action (seen in SGA, GDM, LGA, and premature babies) may prevent normal hypothalamic development and generate a baby whose brain never gets the right signal. His brain always sees starvation! The infant will eat more and exercise less right from birth, which will predispose him to obesity in later life, especially given our current overabundant food supply.
Wired to Eat by Robb Wolf
The infant gut is naturally permeable, which allows the large, intact proteins found in breast milk to make their way into the infant body, tuning the immune system and setting us up for schuss. Early exposure to foods other than brest milk dramatically increases the likelihood of allergies and reactivity to foods, as the highly permeable infant gut is ill prepared to deal with these novel foods. Wired to Eat, p72
Happy Gut by Vincent Pedre
Children are probably the most sensitive of all to the ravages of dysbiosis in their guts. A bacterial imbalance will be seen as a change in their behavior or personality. This is partly due to an incompletely evolved blood brain barrier, making them more susceptible to toxicity arising from the gut…. the child all of a sudden starts getting into trouble at school for his/her behavior, by underlying the problem behaviors is a drastic change in the gut microbial flora. Instead, the child is diagnosed as having attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, or mental health problems. Inevitably both patron and child suffer as they are shuffled through a medical system that is not designed to look for the root causes.
Studies in children with developmental problems (like autism) have confirmed the presence of toxin-producing bacteria in their guts. As is the case with all diseases, certain children are more susceptible than other because of their genetics, environment and diets. IF they are also eating the Standard American Diets, high in sugar, wheat, and dairy, they are causing even more damage to their gut lining. This perpetuates the problem, continuing to fuel the “fire” in their guts that fuels the “fire” in their brains.
Head Strong by David Asprey
DHA is in great supply in human breast milk because it is essential for a baby’s growing brain. Even before a woman is pregnant, her body stores extra DHA in her hips and rear end. Some research suggests that men have evolved to prefer curvy body types because those curves signal a woman’s ability to have healthy children. By the time a woman gives birth to her second child, her supply of DHA has often dwindled. Some theorize that this is why, on average, firstborn children score higher on aptitude tests than their younger siblings.
Toxin Solution by Joseph Pizzorno
A study published in 2015 notes, breast feeding is an important exposure pathway for PFASs. The greater the frequency of breast feeding, the higher the concentrations of PFASs in infants and babies studied at ages 11 months, 18 months and 5 years.
a recent study of a group of women found that children born to women who had the most phthalates in they robes have an IQ that is lower by 6.7 points
LEAD
the “safe” blood lead levels (BLLs) used to be 60ug/dL (micrograms per deciliter) of blood.
the CDC determined that lead in the rage of 5.0-10ug/dL is highly problematic for children…
Children who have whole blood lead concentrations of less than 5ug/dL (supposedly safe) have a measureably lower IQ. 24 million US children have BLLs between 5.0-9.9ug/dL
Fish are a common for source of PCBs. This is of real concern for women planning to have children. The more fish a woman eats (as measured by omega-3 fatty acids in her blood), the higher her levels of PCBs. Unfortunately, a woman’s PCB load doesn’t stop with her. The good news is that breast-feeding lowers the mother’s blood levels of PCB, OCPs, and other toxins. PCBs concentrate in breast milk, so nursing rids her body of these toxins. The bad news is that when her baby drinks that milk, the child takes in those toxins.
A recently published Seattle study measured the toxin levels in children. The study compared the toxic load of children who ate organic food from the Puget Consumers Co-op with that of those eating food from a regular grocery store. The neurotoxic pesticide levels of the children who ate conventionally grown foods were nine times higher.
C. L. Curl, R. A. Fenske, and K. Elgethun, “Organophosphorus pesticide exposure of urban and suburban preschool children with organic and conventional diets,” Environmental Health Perspectives 111 (2003): 377-82.
Several studies have shown that when infants with jaundice are massaged, the bilirubin that turns them yellow is eliminated 20% more quickly after just four days of twice-daily 20 minute massage. Clearly the massage is getting the bilirubin in the tissues back into circulation so it can be better eliminated.
M. Basiri-Moghadam, K. Basiri-Moghadam, M. Kianmehr, and S. Jani, “The effect of massage on neonatal jaundice in stable preterm newborn infants: A randomized controlled trial,” Journal of Pakistan Medical Association 65, no. 6 (2015): 602–6.
The Salt Fix by James DiNiicolantonio
low salt intake during pregnancy and/or lactation leads to increased fat mass, insulin resistance, and raise levels of “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides in the offspring, which may carry over into adulthood.
Health agencies and government bodies seem to have forgotten that dietary iodine requirement increase by 50% or more during pregnancy and lactation, and that iodized salt has been an important way to prevent iodine deficiency for decades.
One myth that persists is that too much salt during pregnancy can lead to preeclampsia, a dangerous condition characterized by hypertension that can endanger both mother and child and lead to premature birth, among other complications. Over fifty years ago, a study published in the Lancet of more than two thousand pregnant women found that a low salt diet, as compared to a high salt diet, caused more miscarriages, premature babies (born prior to 34 weeks gestation), stillbirths, perinatal and neonatal deaths, edema, preeclampsia (previously known as toxemia, and bleeding. And since there was less preeclampsia in those on a high salt diet, it was decided later that cases of preeclampsia would be treated with extra dietary salt. Between the end of May and the end of September 1957, 28 women were diagnosed with what was then known as “toxemia of pregnancy.” Eight were not given extra salt, while the other 20 women treated with extra salt improved and all gave birth to healthy, full term babies. An account of the study said, “ the larger the dose of salt taken, the quicker and more complete was the recovery. The extra does of salt had to be taken up to the time of delivery; otherwise the symptoms of toxemia recurred.” In other words, giving more salt treated preeclampsia rather than causing or worsening it (a common misconception).
Certain side effects were also noted in the eight women who followed salt restriction, such as:
severe backache, some complained of irritation of the skin of arms, legs, or abdomen, and some of weariness and stiffness in the limbs. Others complained of falling because their legs suddenly gave way under them. Sometimes this was so severe that they were afraid of going out of their houses or of crossing the road, in case they fell. These symptoms did not develop in the group given salt, and if they were present at the first examination they disappeared as soon as the women took more salt
The Possible Harms of a Low-Salt Diet in Pregnancy or Those Trying to Become Pregnant
Reduced chance of becoming pregnant
Increased chance of a miscarriage
Increased risk of premature delivery
Increased risk of infant mortality
Increased risk of bleeding in the mother
Increased risk of preeclampsia
Increased risk of low-birth-weight babies who will become chronic salt cravers with higher risk of obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and compromised kidney function
EpiPaleo Rx by Jack Kruse
This extra fat allows fetal brain development to finish outside of the mother because the constraints of the human pelvis require birth before the baby’s head grows too large. Also, the human brain is an energy hog and the extra fat at birth allows for the brain’s energy requirements. A tremendous amount of subcutaneous fat helps the child form ketone bodies, an alternative fuel source for the brain. Ketones are important in infancy for another reason. The yet undeveloped infant brain lacks the protective myelin coating on the brain’s main nerve fiber tracts. This is why an infant cannot walk or be self-sufficient. In fact, infants are born with primitive reflexes to compensate for this lack of myelination. Also, ketone bodies from infant fat help form brain-specific cholesterol and fatty acids vital to continued neurological development. Because ketones can’t be stored they go straight to use for energy or construction, both of which are in high demand by the infant. A baby puts on most of its fat through the placenta in the last trimester of pregnancy.
The most interesting thing about the human infant brain is its specific nutrient requirements. Infant brains are very sensitive to deficiencies in iodine and iron, sensitivities that remain until early adulthood. Early postnatal deficiencies in these nutrients can result in cretinism or developmental delay. Today, 20 percent of the earth’s population has iodine or iron deficiencies and the further away from the oceans people live the more common these deficiencies are.
during the first six years of life. The most interesting thing about the human infant brain is its specific nutrient requirements. Infant brains are very sensitive to deficiencies in iodine and iron, sensitivities that remain until early adulthood. Early postnatal deficiencies in these nutrients can result in cretinism or developmental delay. Today, 20 percent of the earth’s population has iodine or iron deficiencies and the further away from the oceans people live the more common these deficiencies are.
Survival of the Sickest by Sharon Moalem
The current focus in human epigenetics is on fetal development. It’s now clear that the first few days after conception—when a mother may not even know she’s pregnant—are even more critical than we’ve understood. That’s when many important genes are switched on or off. And the earlier that epigenetic signals are transmitted, the more significant the potential changes are in the fetus. (In some ways, the womb may be like a tiny evolutionary laboratory, examining new traits to see whether they’ll help the fetus survive and thrive; if they won’t, the mother miscarries. Researchers have certainly noted that many miscarried fetuses have genetic abnormalities.)"
Children whose parents are overly stressed are more prone to depression and have less self-control. Children whose parents are relaxed and available tend to be happier and healthier.
"Identical twins share the same exact DNA—but DNA isn’t fate. And one of the reasons is methylation.
an expectant mother’s mental state can trigger physiological or epigenetic events that can affect her pregnancy and the relative viability of male or female fetuses. Good times mean more boys. Tough times mean more girls. And epigenetics means we’ve got more—much more—to learn."
Gut Brain Secrets by R.D. Lee
there’s startling evidence fetal ultrasounds physically stress out baby’s tight junctions, and injure them, after repeated exposure.
In the population of children with learning, behavioral and cognitive disabilities (i.e. GAPS conditions), almost 100% of their mothers have deeply disturbed gut flora. Virtually 100% of affected individuals have gut dysbiosis themselves. Their grandmothers do most of the time. And it’s exceedingly common for the fathers to have a gut dysbiosis too.
baby’s GI tract gets lightly populated by limited species of microbiota in-utero as a primer, before the real colonists arrive from the birthing process and from feeding (i.e. colostrum and milk). In birth, as baby travels through the birth canal, it swallows its first full-spectrum mouthfuls of bacteria and other microbiota. This inoculates baby with microbial starter cultures that colonize its entire intestinal tract, k kkgklkhkand body, over the course of its first month or two. So whatever microflora lives in the mother’s vagina will become the bulk of the baby’s microbiome. Other sources in baby’s environment make up the rest. Breast feeding is the next biggest contributor to the establishment of baby’s new microbiome. In the course of breastfeeding, baby touches and suckles mom. And microbes, whether good or bad, are taken in from the surrounding environment. What’s interesting is, some indigenous cultures have intentionally used the breastfeeding process to help baby establish a health microbiome: Mothers will spread a thin layer of yogurt (or other probiotic cultures) on the nipples to suppress yeast growth and inoculate baby with probiotic organisms it needs.
Breast milk is basically a mother’s whole blood with the red blood cells removed. So mother’s milk is made up mostly of (1) a large percentage of cholesterol and other fats that supply the building blocks for the rapidly developing brain and nervous system. It contains (2) white blood cells, (3) nutritional components, and (4) immune factors.
Breast milk
lactating mothers excrete toxins through their breast milk. Breast milk is basically mother’s whole blood with the red blood cells removed, and a variety of immune factors added. So virtually everything floating around in mother’s bloodstream gets passed to baby at feeding time in her milk. That includes toxins, undigested food (e.g. gluten, cow’s milk casein, and partially digested protein), pathogens, stress hormones, and more.
Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell-McBride
a baby is born with an immature immune system. Population of the baby’s digestive tract with healthy bacterial flora plays a crucial role in the appropriate maturation of its immune system. If establishment of balanced gut flora does not take place around the first 20 days of life, then the baby is left immunecompromised.
Breastfeeding is essential for appropriate population of the baby’s gut with balanced, healthy gut flora. Babies are born with a sterile gut. Breastfeeding is the one and only opportunity we have in our lives to populate the entire surface of our gut with a healthy mixture of bacteria to lay the very basis of our future health.
As far as science knows, an unborn baby is sterile. Its body has no bacteria, viruses or fungi living in it. When the time of birth comes, as the baby goes through the birth canal, it gets its first dose of microbes. Its skin, eyes and mucous membranes in the mouth and nose acquire their first micro-flora. Through swallowing liquids in the mother’s vagina the baby’s digestive system gets its first population of bacteria, viruses and fungi. SO, whatever lives in the vagina of the mother is what the baby would get.
A mother with abnormal gut flora will have a whole host of toxic substances, which are produced by pathogenic microbes in her gut and maldigested foods absorbed into her bloodstream. These toxins will be excreted in there breast milk and fed to her baby.
Following all the scandals around vaccinations it is no surprise that a lot of people around the world believe that we should abandon childhood vaccinations altogether. What these people forget is that before the vaccination era it was quite normal for every family to lose one, two, three and sometimes even more children to childhood infections, like measles, rubella, mumps and other. This is the natural selection law, which mother nature has imposed on all living creatures on earth. No animal would have all of its young survive. In fact, in many species most babies in the litter die, with only the strongest surviving. This law of natural selection ensures that the planet is populated by the bst and the fittest in each species. In our moderns world we humans are not prepared to obey this law. No mother would allow her child to perish, when there are ways to let the child lie, despite the fact that this child may not be the best and the fittest she can produce. Childhood infections are one of the tools of natural selection. Children who survive them come out healthier with stronger immune systems; weak children are not supposed to survive them. Vaccinations are one of those ways we humans have invented to allow our weaklings to survive. SO we cannot abandon vaccinations altogether unless we are prepared to obey the law of Nature. We have to come up with a more rational approach to vaccinations.
No vaccinations at all. An infant born to a mother with ME, fibromyalgia, digestive problems, asthma, eczema, severe allergies, autoimmune disorder or neurological problems should not be vaccinated. An infant presenting with eczema, asthma, digestive problems or any other disorders which would indicate compromised gut flora and immunity should be a red flag to NOT vaccinate.
90-98% of all bacteria living in the bowel of a healthy baby are Bifidobacteria. In an adult gut they are about seven times more numerous than Lactobacilli
Probiotic Dosages
An adult should have around 15-20 billion of bacterial cells per day.
An infant up to 12 months of age can have 1-2 billion
A toddler from 1-2 years of age can have 2-4 billion
A child form 2-4 years of age can have 4-8 billion
A child from 4-10 years of age can have 8-12 billion
From the age of 12-16 we can increase the dose to 12-15 billion per day
once he patient has reached the therapeutic dose feel it should be maintained fro around six month on average. It takes at least this length of time to remove the pathogenic flora and start reestablishing normal gut flora.
Sexy Brain by Lindsey Berkson
Female babies produce more estrogen, and have more verbal and emotional brain circuitry right from the start
Brain cells feminized by estrogen promote genes that encourage faster brain development. This continues through puberty, during which time girl brains develop about two years earlier than boy brains.
Male babies have higher levels of testosterone that potentially tamp down verbal and emotional circuitry.
Female babies immediately begin studying faces more intently than male babies, which further shapes their brain development and encourages more empathy, communication, gut feeling, emotional memory, and anger control.
The emotion-processing center of the brain, the amygdala, reachers its full development about one-and-a-half years earlier in the female than the male. The amygdala plays an important role in the response of fear and courage as well as certain types of memory.
Studies show that giving oxytocin during labor can negatively affect breastfeeding and possibly even create issues in the infant
Primal body, Primal mind by Nora Gedgaudas
C.H. Irvine and colleagues wrote, “Infants exclusively fed soy infant formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least 5 birth control pills a day” (Irvine et al. 1998)
In male infants, the estrogenic effects of soy interrupt the testosterone surge that occurs in the first few months, when testosterone levels can be as high as those of an adult male. Interruption may cause inhibition of male characteristics and sexual organs (Ross et al. 1983)
Children should never be put on a low-fat or low-cholesterol diet.
Studies have shown that the younger the child the more critical fat and cholesterol are to the brain and nervous system’s development.
Breast milk is especially rich in omega-3 fats, saturated fat, and medium-chain triglycerides, an important component of some saturated fats, such as coconut oil
Cerebral ketone use is prevalent, for instance, in newborn infants nursing on fat-rich mothers milk. The switch to dependence on glucose does not occur until carbohydrates are introduced into the child’s diet.
Newborn babies are showing a couple hundred toxic chemicals systemically when tested...
A study released in January 2011 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives revealed that essentially 100% of the 268 pregnant women tested were contaminated with highly toxic synthetic chemicals.
“The percent of pregnant women with detectable levels of an individual chemical ranged from 0 to 100%. Certain PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, PFCs, phenols, PDBEs, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and perchlorate were detected in 99 to 100% of pregnant women” (Woodruff et al. 2011).
Estrogeneration by Anthony Jay
Parabens do, however, alter thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy.72
(72. Aker, A. M., Watkins, D. J., Johns, L. E., Ferguson, K. K., Soldin, O. P., Anzalota Del Toro, L. V., Alshawabkeh, A. N., Cordero, J. F., and Meeker, J. D. (2016) Phenols and parabens in relation to reproductive and thyroid hormones in pregnant women. Environ Res 151, 30-37)
US infants far exceeded the EPA’s maximum threshold phthalate levels in blood tests.77
(77. Serrano, S. E., Braun, J., Trasande, L., Dills, R., and Sathyanarayana, S. (2014) Phthalates and diet: a review of the food monitoring and epidemiology data. Environ Health 13, 43 )
phthalates are associated with “long-term attention deficit” in children.91 This attention deficit may be due to phthalate induction of neurotoxicity, discovered in 2016.92 Or perhaps it is due to phthalates derailing aspects of brain development (such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF]).93
(91. Tasker, R. C., and Sharpe, R. M. (2016) Dealing with phthalates in medical devices: a case of primum non nocere (first do no harm)? Intensive Care Med 42, 602-604 Back to text.
92. Wojtowicz, A. K., Szychowski, K. A., Wnuk, A., and Kajta, M. (2016) Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)-Induced Apoptosis and Neurotoxicity are Mediated via the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) but not by Estrogen Receptor Alpha (ERalpha), Estrogen Receptor Beta (ERbeta), or Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARgamma) in Mouse Cortical Neurons. Neurotox Res Back to text.
93. Ponsonby, A. L., Symeonides, C., Vuillermin, P., Mueller, J., Sly, P. D., and Saffery, R. (2016) Epigenetic regulation of neurodevelopmental genes in response to in utero exposure to phthalate plastic chemicals: How can we delineate causal effects? Neurotoxicology 55, 92-101)
Pregnant women using perfume have been found to have 167% higher urine concentration of phthalates than those women off “the juice”.96
(96. Chen, D., Kannan, K., Tan, H., Zheng, Z., Feng, Y. L., Wu, Y., and Widelka, M. (2016) Bisphenol Analogues Other Than BPA: Environmental Occurrence, Human Exposure, and Toxicity-A Review. Environ Sci Technol 50, 5438-5453)
Hyperactivity in children, once again, is connected to BPA exposure.105
105. Ejaredar, M., Lee, Y., Roberts, D. J., Sauve, R., and Dewey, D. (2016) Bisphenol A exposure and children’s behavior: A systematic review. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol)
Plastics are everywhere. In fact, there is even a recent, eye-opening scientific report on bad phthalate “emissions” from vinyl flooring and crib mattresses.19
19. Liang, Y., and Xu, Y. (2014) Emission of phthalates and phthalate alternatives from vinyl flooring and crib mattress covers: the influence of temperature. Environ Sci Technol 48, 14228-14237 )
think of all the plastics in the modern indoor child “care” facilities. Check out this study, for example, showing that phthalate exposure in child “care” facilities “exceeded cancer benchmarks” before the age of 2 years in California20. . . the same California, where warm weather abounds and children could simply play outdoors. But real grass? Dirt? Some people would prefer your children play on “chemgrass” or some other artificial cushioning material. . . which contains phthalates.20
20. Wan, Y., Xue, J., and Kannan, K. (2015) Occurrence of benzophenone-3 in indoor air from Albany, New York, USA, and its implications for inhalation exposure. Sci Total Environ 537, 304-30)
in one recent Canadian study, not only were phthalates found in the breastmilk of over 50% of women, but maternal-baby transfer was explicitly shown.56
56. Arbuckle, T. E., Fisher, M., MacPherson, S., Lang, C., Provencher, G., LeBlanc, A., Hauser, R., Feeley, M., Ayotte, P., Neisa, A., Ramsay, T., and Tawagi, G. (2016) Maternal and early life exposure to phthalates: The Plastics and Personal-care Products use in Pregnancy (P4) study. Sci Total Environ 551-552, 344-356 )
“Fetal exposure to five parabens was investigated due to their endocrine-disrupting potential and possible impact on fetal development,” explains authors of a research journal, rationalizing their study.5 “This study”, they went on to note, “is the first to report the occurrence of parabens in human umbilical cord blood. Maternal exposure to parabens is widespread.” Umbilical cords are basically the life blood from mother to fetus. How many u-cords contained parabens? Well, depending on the specific paraben of the five they looked at, 97.4% of the umbilical cords had one type, 94.75% had another type. . . and all five of the tested parabens were present in more than 40% of samples.
(5. Pycke, B. F., Geer, L. A., Dalloul, M., Abulafia, O., and Halden, R. U. (2015) Maternal and fetal exposure to parabens in a multiethnic urban U.S. population. Environ Int 84, 193-200 )
pregnancy is especially associated with lupus attacks because, according to researchers, “estrogenic hormones possess both immunostimulating and immunosuppressive properties.”
Soy, too, has been studied in regards to the human immune system. Soy has even been investigated regarding children’s immune systems. Researchers in a 2003 edition of the Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health comment about soy consumption in infancy and childhood, saying: “There is an increasing number of recent reports that suggest adverse effects with respect to [. . .] immune function and thyroid disease.”8 The title of that paper was “Soy, infant formula, and phytoestrogens”.
8. Tuohy, P. G. (2003) Soy infant formula and phytoestrogens. J Paediatr Child Health 39, 401-405)
What is scary with BPA, however, is that cancer risk continues long after the BPA exposures. For example, in studies of fetuses exposed in the womb to BPA, offspring had an increased propensity to develop breast cancer during adulthood.58
58. Paulose, T., Speroni, L., Sonnenschein, C, and Soto, A. M. (2015) Estrogens in the wrong place at the wrong time: Fetal BPA exposure and mammary cancer. Reprod Toxicol 54, 58-65)
In a 2004 study of over 2,500 children around the age of 6, urine samples were collected. From these samples, 93% were positive for BPA.59 In other words, as those children become adults, they are still more likely to develop breast cancer from that early BPA exposure.
59. Fillon, M. (2012) Getting it right: BPA and the difficulty proving environmental cancer risks. J Natl Cancer Inst 104, 652-655)
learn about “Natural Family Planning” (NFP) for postponing pregnancy. It is also called the “Fertility Awareness Method” (FAM) and is more than 99% effective.5 A class or a book like Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach (Kippley) might also help get you started. There is even an NFP app called “Natural Cycles” which is also side-effect-free.5
(5. Pearson, C. (2015) The app that could be a 99 percent effective form of birth control. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/15/contraceptive-app-natural-cycles_n_6472642.html. )
Dental Diet by Steven Lin
The best example is a baby who is breastfed as opposed to bottle-fed. A newborn that latches on to a mother’s breast is naturally induced to use its tongue muscles to push the nipple to the roof of its mouth. Because the roof of the mouth is soft like wax, this action will flatten and broaden the palate, making space for the upper teeth. Children who don’t breastfeed are more likely to have a high palate and crooked teeth.15
15. Peres, Karen Glazer, Andreia Morales Cascaes, Marco Aurelio Peres, Flavio Fernando Demarco, Iná Silva Santos, Alicia Matijasevich, and Aluisio J. D. Barros. “Exclusive breastfeeding and risk of dental malocclusion.” Pediatrics 136, no. 1 (2015): e60–e67.
When children are taught to breathe through their nose, their jaws develop as they should and, as a result, their teeth grow in straighter.
For that to happen, the child’s tongue must sit at the top of the mouth, against the palate, which puts pressure on the palate to expand and grow.17 The child must also breathe through the nose. The flow of air through the nasal passage stimulates the maxilla to keep growing outward and helps to lower and broaden the palate.18
17. Enlow, Donald H., and Mark G. Hans. Essentials of facial growth. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1996.
18. Gungor, Ahmet Yalcin, and Hakan Turkkahraman. “Effects of airway problems on maxillary growth: a review.”European journal of dentistry 3, no. 3 (2009): 250.
birth itself is designed to deliver a “starter” pack of microbes to a newborn child; the first microbes it encounters are those in the mother’s vagina.18
18. Neu, Josef, and Jona Rushing. “Cesarean versus vaginal delivery: long-term infant outcomes and the hygiene hypothesis.” Clinics in perinatology 38, no. 2 (2011): 321–331.
The beginning of the child’s life serves as a kind of crash course introduction to the world of microbes and how to deal with them. Breast-feeding plays a key role in this. Immune cells from a mother’s gut can migrate to her mammary glands, and as a result, her breast milk will contain antibodies for certain microorganisms.19
19. Jost, Ted, Christophe Lacroix, Christian P. Braegger, Florence Rochat, and Christophe Chassard. “Vertical mother–neonate transfer of maternal gut bacteria via breastfeeding.” Environmental microbiology 16, no. 9 (2014): 2891–2904.
Breast feeding: Nature’s perfect food?
Keep the jaw, face, and airways healthy and strong.
Breast-feeding gives babies facial exercise at the earliest stage of life. Breast-feeding is trigged by the rooting reflex, which engages five cranial nerves. Babies learn to use their tongue muscles, which helps support their airways. The tongue posture helps develop their autonomic nervous system, in particular the vagus nerve, which is crucial for digestive balance in the body.2
In order to extract milk from the breast, babies learn to use their tongue to push the mother’s nipple against their palate, which helps to develop their upper jaw and prevent crooked teeth.3 Breast-feeding also teaches babies to breathe through their nose. This is extra important since nasal breathing mixes the air we take in with nitrous oxide, which helps our body absorb more oxygen.
Give the mouth the nutrients it needs (with a focus on calcium and the fat-soluble vitamins).
Breast milk is exquisitely designed to give a baby’s growing body the nutrients it needs. The mother’s body makes careful calculations of how much of the nutrients she can spare. When there’s a sufficient amount of a certain nutrient, it gets passed to the baby through the breast milk. When there isn’t a sufficient amount, the baby may suffer from the deficiency as well.
For instance, if a woman with a vitamin D deficiency breast-feeds her baby, there’s a good chance the baby will have a vitamin D shortage as well.4 This is likely also the case for vitamins A and K2. Many traditional societies would make sure that a mother’s prenatal diet had plenty of fat-soluble, vitamin-rich foods. This would ensure that a mother had plenty of stores for both herself and her child.
Keep the microbiome balanced and diverse.
Breast milk does an excellent job of establishing the microbiome of the baby. Breast milk was long thought to be sterile, but recently we’ve learned that it transports bacteria from a mother’s gut to her child’s oral and then gut microbiome. It’s full of both prebiotic factors and live microbes that serve as the starter pack for the newborn’s developing digestive and immune systems.5
Eat food with healthy epigenetic messages.
The composition of breast milk varies during the lactation period, but it’s not the macronutrient composition of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins that changes. Instead, the bioactive components, including immunological factors and fatty acids that send epigenetic messages, evolve. This suggests that a mother’s body is sending different environmental—and epigenetic—growth signals to the child.6
References…
2. Porges, Stephen W., and Senta A. Furman. “The early development of the autonomic nervous system provides a neural platform for social behaviour: a polyvagal perspective.” Infant and child development 20, no. 1 (2011): 106–118.
3. Peres, Karen Glazer, Andreia Morales Cascaes, Marco Aurelio Peres, Flavio Fernando Demarco, Iná Silva Santos, Alicia Matijasevich, and Aluisio J. D. Barros. “Exclusive breastfeeding and risk of dental malocclusion.” Pediatrics 136, no. 1 (2015): e60–e67.
4. Mulligan, Megan L., Shaili K. Felton, Amy E. Riek, and Carlos BernalMizrachi. “Implications of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy and lactation.” American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 202, no. 5 (2010): 429–e1.
5. Jost, Ted, Christophe Lacroix, Christian P. Braegger, Florence Rochat, and Christophe Chassard. “Vertical mother–neonate transfer of maternal gut bacteria via breastfeeding.” Environmental microbiology 16, no. 9 (2014): 2891–2904.
6. Verduci, Elvira, Giuseppe Banderali, Salvatore Barberi, Giovanni Radaelli, Alessandra Lops, Federica Betti, Enrica Riva, and Marcello Giovannini. “Epigenetic effects of human breast milk.” Nutrients 6, no. 4 (2014): 1711–1724
Healthy Gut, Healthy You by Michael Ruscio
Did you know that children who grow up in households that use a sponge to clean dishes have fewer allergic diseases than those growing up in households that use a dishwasher?3
3 Bill Hesselmar et al., “Allergy in Children in Hand versus Machine Dishwashing,” Pediatrics 135, no. 3 (March 1, 2015): e590–7, doi:10.1542/peds.2014-2968.
the world of bacteria that will be with you the rest of your life (your gut microbiota) develops to a large extent by the second to third year of life.1 The colonization starts while a mother is pregnant and seems to be mostly complete by age two or three. It also appears that your immune system develops in tandem with this, because your early microbiota is crucial in developing a healthy immune system. The importance of early life on development of the immune system cannot be overemphasized. It has been well documented that early life exposure to dirt, germs, and bugs aids in the development of your immune system, and if you have robust exposure, you’ll be less inflamed and have a healthier immune system later in life. It has been theorized that problems with this early life development is one of the major reasons industrialized countries have higher levels of inflammatory and autoimmune/immune diseases.2
1 Akihito Endo et al., “Long-Term Monitoring of the Human Intestinal Microbiota from the 2nd Week to 13 Years of Age,” Anaerobe 28 (August 1, 2014): 149–56, doi:10.1016/J.ANAEROBE.2014.06.006.
2 Scott T. Weiss, “Eat Dirt—The Hygiene Hypothesis and Allergic Diseases,” New England Journal of Medicine 347, no. 12 (September 19, 2002): 930–31, doi:10.1056/NEJMe020092.
another asthma study found that antibiotics were still a problem when used after one year of age but were significantly less problematic (over 50% less).15 It was also shown that the more antibiotic the child used, the higher the child’s risk of asthma.
15 Kristen Wickens et al., “Antibiotic Use in Early Childhood and the Development of Asthma,” Clinical and Experimental Allergy 29,no. 6 (June 1, 1999): 766–71, doi:10.1046/j.1365-2222.1999.00536.x.
When children are born, they are exposed to a massive dose of bacteria as they pass through their mothers’ vaginal canals. In fact, some researchers now think that the stress of labor causes temporary leaky gut in the mother, which then allows the mom’s gut bacteria to colonize the child.23 It has been clearly documented that children who are born vaginally have different bacterial colonization than those born by C-section. Those birthed vaginally have bacteria that resemble their moms’ bacteria; those born by C-section have bacteria that reflect the delivery room.
I hope you’re asking, “Well, OK, but what does this really mean in terms of real-world effects?” Fortunately, we have some good data here. In 2008, researchers published a meta-analysis of observational studies. This is high-level scientific data because it analyzed the twenty available studies to see what the consensus of the data was. They also attempted to control for other variables that could confound the findings. For example, maybe older mothers were more prone to having C-sections, and, therefore, the study findings could have been due to increased maternal age and not because of the C-sections. After attempting to isolate for other variables like this, it was found the C-section babies have a more than 20% increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes.24
One additional paper found birth by C-section increases risk of chronic inflammatory conditions—celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, asthma, and obesity—compared to vaginal birth.25 In yet another study, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, lower respiratory tract infection, juvenile arthritis, and asthma were more common in C-section babies compared to vaginal birth after following over 750,000 children for fourteen years.26
23 Raakel Luoto et al., “Reshaping the Gut Microbiota at an Early Age: Functional Impact on Obesity Risk?,” Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 63 Suppl 2 (2013): 17–26, doi:10.1159/000354896.
24 C. R. Cardwell et al., “Caesarean Section Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies,” Diabetologia 51, no. 5 (May 22, 2008): 726–35, doi:10.1007/s00125-008-0941-z.
25 Ibid.
26 Kim Kristensen and Lonny Henriksen, “Cesarean Section and Disease Associated with Immune Function,” Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 137, no. 2 (February 1, 2016): 587–90, doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2015.07.040.
When breastfed infants were compared to bottle-fed infants, breastfed infants had27, reduced risk of infection;, improved cognitive development; decreased occurrence of celiac disease, asthma, and high cholesterol later in life; decreased occurrence of type 2 diabetes and obesity later in life.
27 C. R. Cardwell et al., “Caesarean Section Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies,” Diabetologia 51, no. 5 (May 22, 2008): 726–35, doi:10.1007/s00125-008-0941-z.
When a pregnant woman is under high amounts of stress, her child’s microbiota is negatively affected.34
34 Maartje A. C. Zijlmans et al., “Maternal Prenatal Stress Is Associated with the Infant Intestinal Microbiota,” Psychoneuroendocrinology 53 (March 1, 2015): 233–45, doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.01.006.
Some studies show day care attendance decreases allergic diseases, and other studies show it increases allergic diseases.47 One study found if a child attended day care before the age of two and was breastfed, the risk of type 1 diabetes decreased.48 However, if the child attended day care before the age of two and was not breastfed, there was an increased risk of type 1 diabetes. Perhaps a child needs the immune-developing breast milk to successfully handle the immune system training provided by the bombardment of bacteria from day care.
47 C. Svanes et al., “Early Exposure to Children in Family and Day Care as Related to Adult Asthma and Hay Fever: Results from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey,” Thorax 57, no. 11 (2002): 945–50, doi:10.1136/thorax.57.11.945.
Prebiotics might be especially important for young children because breast milk is high in oligosaccharides and other prebiotics.66 For infants especially, prebiotics likely play an important role in establishing a healthy microbiota. The studies of prebiotics used in infants show promising results. In one study, either a placebo or prebiotic was given to infants during their first six months of life. The infants were then tracked to see if there was a difference in allergic diseases diagnosed within the first two years of life. Less wheezing, hives, and upper respiratory tract infections were seen in the prebiotic group.67 A similar study used the same prebiotic in the first six months of life. The children receiving the prebiotic experienced less seasonal/environmental allergies, and the effect lasted up till five years of age.68
66 Sertac Arslanoglu et al., “Early Dietary Intervention with a Mixture of Prebiotic Oligosaccharides Reduces the Incidence of Allergic Manifestations and Infections during the First Two Years of Life,” Journal of Nutrition 138, no. 6 (June 1, 2008): 1091–95, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18492839.
67 Ibid.
68 Sertac Arslanoglu et al., “Early Neutral Prebiotic Oligosaccharide Supplementation Reduces the Incidence of Some Allergic Manifestations in the First 5 Years of Life,” Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents 26, no. 3 Suppl. (2012): 49–59, www.researchgate.net/profile/Paola_Tonetto/publication/258972795_JBRHA26-3S/links/00b49529879926cd7a000000.pdf#page=51.
Another RCT examined children with celiac disease who were given probiotics (Bifidobacterium longum CECT 7347). The children on the probiotics achieved better height than the children on a placebo, possibly from increased absorption of nutrients.48
48 Marta Olivares et al., “Double-Blind, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Intervention Trial to Evaluate the Effects of Bifidobacterium Longum CECT 7347 in Children with Newly Diagnosed Coeliac Disease,” British Journal of Nutrition 112, no. 1 (2014): 30–40, doi:10.1017/S0007114514000609.
Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan
low iodine can lead to maternal goiter and infant malformation
When a farmer or a racehorse breeder or a rare orchid grower see obvious disruptions in healthy growth, they naturally consider the nutritional context in which the specimen was raised. If a prize-winning mare gives birth to a foal with abnormally bowed legs, the veterinarian recognizes that something went wrong and, often asks the logical question, What was the mother eating? But physicians rarely do that, even when life-threatening problems show up right at birth. And we continue to neglect the nutrition-development equation when our patients develop scoliosis, joint malformations, aneurysms, autism, schizophrenia, and so on later in life. If doctors and nutritionists were as willing as other professionals to use their basic senses, every child would have a better chance to grown up healthy.
Our desire for beauty is no simple matter of vanity. The way we look speaks volumes about our health because of the fact that form implies function. Less attractive facial forms are less functional. Children with suboptimal skull structure may beed glasses, braces, or oral surgery, whereas children with more ideal architecture won’t. This is because suboptimal architecture impairs development of normal geometry, leading to imperfectly formed facial features, be it the eyes or ears or nose or jaw or throat. For example, narrow nasal passages irritate the mucosa, increasing the chances of rhinitis and allergies. When the airway in the back of the throat is improperly formed, a child may suffer from sleep apnea, which stares the brain of the oxygen needed to develop normal intelligence.
Children with growth anomalies are the group most often found to have genetic diseases and internal organ malformations, and they frequently develop learning disorders, socialization disorders, and cancer.
unless the mother gives herself ample time (generally at least three years) and nutrients for her body to fully replenish itself, child number two may not be as healthy as his older sibling. And so, while big brother goes off to football practice, or big sister get a modeling job, the second sibling will be spending time in the offices of the local optometrists and orthodontists. It’s not that they got the “unlucky” genes. The problem is that, compared to their older sibling, they grew in a relatively undernourished environment in utero.
One study shows that overall, 74% of women “are falling short on nutrients from their diet."
Dr. John Durnin, of Glasgow University, describes the mechanism vividly: “The fetus is well protected against maternal malnutrition — that indeed it behaves like a parasite oblivious to the health of its host. If mom’s diet is deficient in calcium, it will be robbed from her bones. IF deficient in brain-building fats the fats that make up the mother’s own brain will be sought out and extracted. Pregnancy drains a woman’s body of a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and other raw materials, and breastfeeding demands more still. As you might expect, the demands of producing a baby draw down maternal stores of a spectrum of nutrients, including iron, folate, calcium, potassium, vitamin D, vitamin, A and carotenoids, magnesium, iodine, omega-3, phosphorus, zinc, DHA and other essential fatty acids, b12 and selenium. To the placenta, mom’s central nervous system, for instance, is simply a warehouse full of the kinds of fat needed to build baby’s central nervous system. Studies show that maternal brains can actually shrink, primarily in the hippocampal and temporal lobe areas, which control short-term memory and emotion. These brain regions are not responsible for basic functioning, like breathing or blood pressure regulation, and so are relatively expendable. This marvelous nutrient scavenging ability of a human placenta means that even in conditions of insufficient maternal nutrition the first child may come out relatively intact. Meanwhile, mom’s body many be depleted to the point that before and after pictures reveal her spine to have curved, her lips thinned and she may have trouble remembering and learning new things, or feel anxious and depressed — as in postpartum depression.
the consequences of not getting enough nutrients and the introduction of toxins are primarily brought to bear through changes in the infants epigenome. The epigenome consists of the set of molecules that attach themselves to DNA and other nuclear materials that control when a given gene is turned on or off. These genetic switches inform every aspect of our physiologic function. Diseases previously assumed to be due to permanent mutation — from cancer, to diabetes, to asthma, and even obesity — most often actually result from mistimed genetic expression. And since the proper timing of gene expression requires specific nutrients in specific concentration, if a second sibling gestates in a lessor nutritional environment than the first, their epigenetic expression will be suboptimal and growth and development will be impaired.
Previous studies have shown that births less than eighteen months apart increase child mortality and in some cases stunt growth
Proper nutritional refortification requires time
The vast majority of americans aren’t merely malnourished, but severely malnourished. Which should make you wonder: Doesn’t that mean we’re all suffering from some degree of symmetry shifts? Most of us are, which is why there seems to be so few genetic lottery winners walking around. And what explains them? How did they, raised by parents who, presumably followed the same advice my parents did, and ate the same steady diet of frozen canned, and vitamin poor fruits and vegetables, mystery meat from poisoned animals, grains, grown on mineral-depleted soils, margarine, and everything else that makes our modern diet unhealthy, curry Mother Nature’s favor? They didn’t. Their great-great-grandparents did, by eating such nutrient-rich diets that they imparted the family epigenome with genetic momentum, the ability of genes to perform well with suboptimal nutrient inputs for a finite amount of time. And their placentas did, by sending an especially urgent message to mothers bones, brain, skin, muscles, glands, and organs to release every available raw material for the benefit of the baby. In these on-in-a-million cases, the fetal genome operating in mom’s belly can do what it’s been doing for a hundred thousand years; create the miracle of a perfectly symmetrical homo sapient baby.
pre-eclampsia (an immune system disease causing mothers body to partially reject the baby and give birth prematurely)
a large study completed in the US showed that pregnant women using their prenatal pills still develop “combination deficits of niacin, thiamin, and vitamins A, B6 and B12 that persist throughout each of the three trimesters. Other studies show that prenatal vitamin pills don’t solve many nutritional problems.
Vitamin D Deficiency: in studies which over 90% of participants took prenatal vitamins, 56% of white babies and 46% of black babies were vitamin D insufficient. Insufficiency in early life increases the risk of schizophrenia, diabetes, and skeletal disease.
Long Chain Essential Fatty Acids: As of the date of this writing, there is no recommendation about how much of these to consume and most people who don’t supplement get almost none. But supplementing with cod liver oil during pregnancy has protective and lasting effects on the baby’s intelligence
Choline: gestational deficiency of choline is associated with life-long learning deficits. One survey showed 86% of college-age women were lacking adequate dietary choline. Choline is not part of any prenatal vitamin supplement commonly marketed in the united states.
We are told to accept the idea that facial deformities — even relatively minor changes — occur randomly, all products of the whimsical nature of the “genetic lottery"
Physiologic deficiencies occur for a reason and most can be easily prevented
Most women have no idea that the prenatal vitamin pill works best when taken before conception because it helps to boost a woman’s vitamin levels to prepare for the first ten weeks of pregnancy, the time when the most fundamental decisions about how to shape the baby’s body are made. After that window of opportunity has shut, though it can still improve birth weight, the vitamin pill can do little to prevent most major birth defects
Our society does not encourage strategizing to optimize a child’s health. The medical community is missing the opportunity to prepare mothers bodies with sold nutrition, giving their babies’ genes the materials they need to compose their physiologic masterpiece. Of course, that would involve more than taking a pill. It would require improving the nutrient content of mothers’ food.
There may be over 100 isomers of vitamin E, but only about 16 are put into tablets. The processing of synthetic vitamins necessarily involves the creation of incidental molecular byproducts, the effects of which are largely unknown. About half of the content of vitamin E tablets are isomers that don’t exist in nature, which might explain why some studies show that taking synthetic vitamin E pills increases mortality. Without the proper carrier nutrients in the right balance, many vitamins are not absorbed. Many vitamins work synergistically with other nutrients in way we don’t fully understand. Who knows what else is in that pill? The entire supplement industry is essentially unregulated, and supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic compounds including lead or dangerously high levels of copper. But again, there is some benefit to taking certain supplements, especially in pregnancy, because the food supply is so bereft of nutrients when compared with foods from only 70 years ago.
The general idea is that, whatever our mom can’t provide to her baby through whatever she’s eating, the prenatal vitamin pill can, thus implicitly giving her permission to continue with the standard diet and expose her body to foods that could not be better engineered to deprive a growing child
Studies showing how poorly nourished we actually are have presumably been conducted so that perinatologists and other specialists can familiarize themselves with, and begin to address, childhood disease and physiologic deficiencies that result from malnutrition. However, taking action based on what a given study recommends would require personal initiative on the part of individual healthcare providers. But as corporate culture goes, so goes medical culture. We live in the age of consensus and groupthink, where otherwise curious and capable professionals avoid being singled out by huddling in the center of the herd. The herd, in turn, waits for an authority figure to lead the way. So if theres no authority figure acknowledging the importance of a given articles findings, nothing happens. Its as though it were never written.
When social workers examined how these traditions eroded, they uncovered an explanation not entirely irrelevant to us: Westerners, including mine owner, state officials, missionaries, and doctors working with these groups, judged the traditional practice of spacing childbirth to be at odds with their long-term goals of expansion and did not support its continuation. “Intimate Colonialism: The Imperial Production of Reproduction in Uganda, 1907-1925” suggests rather provocatively that when companies need workers, they care more about sheer numbers than the quality of workers’ lives or their longevity. Such concerns become irrelevant given a large enough pool of potential workers to draw from. And so the systematic spacing of children that was once an “important feature of the control of excellence of child life” is tossed aside as an anachronism, a fractured artifact of female empowerment. But it is not just a women’s issue, and it extends beyond the political. We all gain from children’s good health, which requires giving mom’s body at least three — preferably four — years to refortify her tissues with a generous supply of nutrients.
This latest generation of children has accumulated the epigenetic damage of at least the three previous generations due to lack of adequate nutrition along with the over-consumption of sugar and new artificial fats found in vegetable oils.
Can diminutive parents who want big strong baby’s? Absolutely. This potential is encoded in our genetic memory. We’ve all heard that we used to be a lot shorter, how few of us could fit into one of those little suits of armor worn by medieval knights. But around the world, accumulating evidence suggests that thousands of years prior, our Paleolithic predecessors were at least as tall, if not taller, than most of us are today. Even in the early Middle Ages, 1000 years go, European men were nearly as tall as they are now. What caused the temporary skeletal shrinkage? As the population grew, crowding reduced access to nutrients until stature reached all-time lows in the early 1700s. Improvements in agricultural technology, most notably the series of inventions attributed to lawyer-turned-farmer Jethro Tull, revolutionized the process of tilling soil, vastly increasing productivity. By the late 1700s, having recovered some of its former nutritional inputs, the European genome rebounded — and with it the average European’s height. But it would probably have dipped again, so that a tall man today might measure just over five feet, were it not for the early 20th century invention of refrigeration. The ability to freeze food meant that fisherman could travel as far as they needed and fill their hulls to the brim. Refrigeration also meant that even during winter, wealthy countries could reach down to the tropics for summer fruits and vegetables, making it profitable for millions of acres of rain forests around the globe to be converted over crop production. For the past 100 years, industrialized nations have had consistent access to enough nutrition to achieve our Paleolithically pre-programmed height. Of course, height doesn’t equal health. But generally speaking, when a genome has access to a surplus of complex nutrition it is far better positioned — and may be said to have a built-in preference — for the production of offspring with more robust, larger frames.
Getting kids to eat better
Lead by example
when introducing new foods, offer small pieces and ask kids to jut try a taste
don’t make them finish anything if they don’t want to
be gently consistent. it can take several dozen tries for a kid to start liking a new food
don’t use food or drink as a reward for good behavior, especially not sweets
Breastfeeding: I find that if I cut carbs too much, or lengthen time between meals, my milk supply decreases. Do you have advice to increase milk production?
Breastmilk contains sugar, roughly 7 grams per 100 milliliters (but it varies widely). So if you’re producing a liter of milk for your baby each day, that’s 70 grams of sugar your body needs for milk production alone. While your liver can make sugar you need out of protein if your diet is high enough in protein, that seems like a waste of good protein. You mightt as well get the carbs you need from your favorite carb-rich foods, whole grains, root vegetables, beans and peas or fruits. Just try your best to mix it up; variety is always important.
Your Genius Body by Andrew Rostenberg
On a related note, FUT2 has also been shown to influence how the gut develops infants. When babies are breastfed by mother carrying FUT2 SNPs, it takes longer for the good bugs to grow and become established in the gut. In 2015, researchers found that women with FUT2 genes produced less oligosaccharides in their breast milk, and the infants they fed took longer to grow a healthy population of Bifidobacteria (Lewis, Z.T., S.M. Totten, J.T. Smilowitz, et al. Maternal fucosyltranserase 2 status affects the gut bifidobacterial communities of breastfed infants. Microbiome. (2015) 3:13.). Human milk oligosaccharides are used by Bifidobacteria as a fuel source, so when mother with FUT2 genes produce breast milk, there is less food for the healthy Bifidobacteria to eat.
A study published in 2015 showed that post part depression is caused by a surge in the expression of MAO-A. Immedieately after delivering a baby, a woman’s body goes through a profound decline in estrogen. This rapid loss of estrogen, no longer necessary since pregnancy has ended, causes a reflexive increase in the speed of MAO-A. As MAO-A speeds up, it detoxifies neurotransmitter much faster, leading to depression and other signs of postpartum depression such as apathy and excess crying.
Sacher, J. P.V. Rekkas, A.A. Wilson, et al. Relationship of monoamineoxidase-A distribution volume to postpartum depression and postpartum crying. Neuropsychopharmacology. (2015) 40(2): 429-35
Superfuel by James DiNicolantonio
Women sometimes lose a great deal of blood during childbirth, for instance, but one study found that pregnant women who had consumed about 2.7 grams of omega-3 daily did not have increased blood loss during delivery.42
42. Olsen SF, Sorensen JD, Secher NJ, et al. Randomised controlled trial of effect of fish-oil supplementation on pregnancy duration. Lancet. 1992 Apr 25;339(8800):1003-7.
A high adulterated omega-6 intake, which we’ve established is bad news for your heart and overall health, may be especially undesirable during pregnancy because it reduces the amount of long-chain omega-3s available to the developing baby.12 A high omega-6-to-3 ratio in pregnant mothers may lead to developmental problems in their babies, and supplementing premature infants with oils rich in DHA has been shown to reduce this risk.13 Proper formation of the brain, and the healthy cognitive function this enables, doesn’t only affect childhood. These nutritionally influenced processes at the very earliest stages of life have implications throughout adolescence and into adulthood,14
(12. Al MD, Badart-Smook A, von Houwelingen AC, et al. Fat intake of women during normal pregnancy: relationship with maternal and neonatal essential fatty acid status. J Am Coll Nutr. 1996;15(1):49-55.
13. Carlson SE, Werkman SH, Peeples JM, et al. Long-chain fatty acids and early visual and cognitive development of preterm infants. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1994 Aug;48 Suppl 2:S27-30.
14. Hornstra G. Essential fatty acids in mothers and their neonates. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 May;71(5 Suppl):1262s-9s.)
Women of childbearing age have the greatest capacity to convert ALA to EPA and DHA. This may be influenced by their higher estrogen levels, and it’s likely yet another feature of human evolution and biology that persists with us to the current day: developing fetuses and newborn babies require a great deal of long-chain omega-3s, so mom better be getting plenty in her diet, or be able to make them from ALA, both during pregnancy and immediately after, to make sure there’s enough in her breast milk after the baby is born. The average conversion rate of ALA to EPA and DHA in most people is about 0.2 to 8 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively, but it’s as high as 21 percent and 9 percent, respectively, in young women.15
(15. Burdge GC, Wootton SA. Conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in young women. Br J Nutr. 2002 Oct;88:411-20.)
The International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids recommends that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding consume 300 mg per day of DHA. But the average pregnant or nursing woman’s DHA intake is a paltry 60 to 80 mg a day—about 25 percent of the recommended amount.16
(16. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Monograph. Altern Med Rev. 2009;14(4):391-9.)
That women of childbearing age are so much better than men and older women at converting ALA to EPA and DHA suggests that these fats are particularly important to a growing fetus. DHA in particular is crucial for healthy development of the brain and the eyes, as it is the most prevalent polyunsaturated fatty acid in the central nervous system. The accumulation of DHA in babies occurs primarily during the third trimester17 and continues into the first 6 to 10 months after birth.18
(17. Hornstra G. Essential fatty acids in mothers and their neonates. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 May;71(5 Suppl):1262s-9s.
18. Barcelo-Coblijn G, Murphy EJ. Alpha-linolenic acid and its conversion to longer chain n-3 fatty acids: benefits for human health and a role in maintaining tissue n-3 fatty acid levels. Prog Lipid Res. 2009 Nov;48(6):355-74.)
While a woman’s overall diet can alter the fatty acid composition of her breast milk (the higher her omega-3 intake, the more omega-3 her milk will contain), on average the fats in breast milk are 0.5 to 1 percent ALA (omega-3), 0.4 to 0.7 percent arachidonic acid (an omega-6), 8 to 17 percent linoleic acid (LA), and just 0.3 to 0.6 percent DHA.19 However, research suggests that for DHA levels in infants to reach their peak, breast milk should contain a bit more DHA—around 0.8 percent.20
(19. Barcelo-Coblijn G, Murphy EJ. Alpha-linolenic acid and its conversion to longer chain n-3 fatty acids: benefits for human health and a role in maintaining tissue n-3 fatty acid levels. Prog Lipid Res. 2009 Nov;48(6):355-74.
20. Gibson RA, Neumann MA, Makrides M. Effect of increasing breast milk docosahexaenoic acid on plasma and erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acids and neural indices of exclusively breast fed infants. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1997 Sep;51(9):578-84.)
women carrying twins need even more omega-3.21
(21. Hornstra G. Essential fatty acids in mothers and their neonates. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 May;71(5 Suppl):1262s-9s.)
Getting the balance of fats right isn’t important only when a baby is in the womb. Babies’ brains and nervous systems continue developing after they’re born, and they need to have the right building blocks. The formation of neurons is complete before birth, but synthesis of several other types of cells is essential for proper brain function to continue after birth.22 The formation of synapses—the spaces between neurons and the actual sites of cellular communication in the brain—depends on an adequate supply of DHA, as does synthesis of myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds and protects neurons like the rubber or plastic that insulates electrical cords on the appliances in your home.23 It appears that babies will develop better cognitive performance when given DHA in their first few months.24
(22. Barcelo-Coblijn G, Murphy EJ. Alpha-linolenic acid and its conversion to longer chain n-3 fatty acids: benefits for human health and a role in maintaining tissue n-3 fatty acid levels. Prog Lipid Res. 2009 Nov;48(6):355-74.
23. Youdim KA, Martin A, Joseph JA. Essential fatty acids and the brain: possible health implications. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2000 Jul-Aug;18(4-5):383-99.
24. Willatts P, Forsyth JS, DiModugno MK, et al. Effect of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant formula on problem solving at 10 months of age. Lancet. 1998 Aug 29;352(9129):688-91.)
Neurons don’t just orchestrate cellular communication in your brain. They also connect your brain to your muscles, which is what allows you to walk, run, throw a ball, blink, and even breathe. So the proper formation of neurons and the synapses between them—which is dependent on sufficient DHA25—is important for more than just your central nervous system. At the most basic level, this process is essential just to enable you to think and move.
(25. Youdim KA, Martin A, Joseph JA. Essential fatty acids and the brain: possible health implications. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2000 Jul-Aug;18(4-5):383-99.)
According to one group of researchers, “All together, the evidence provided by studies in human infants indicate that despite the fact that the ALA-supplemented infant formula contributes efficiently to the maintenance of the omega-3 status in premature newborns, they have a modest impact on DHA levels and that these levels do not reach those observed in breastfed infants.”26
(26. Barcelo-Coblijn G, Murphy EJ. Alpha-linolenic acid and its conversion to longer chain n-3 fatty acids: benefits for human health and a role in maintaining tissue n-3 fatty acid levels. Prog Lipid Res. 2009 Nov;48(6):355-74.)
Because DHA mostly accumulates during the third trimester, babies born prematurely miss out on their most important exposure to DHA. Breast milk contains DHA, so breastfed babies may be able to catch up—especially if mom’s diet is high in DHA. Preemies who are breastfed have higher developmental scores at 18 months compared to those who are formula-fed, and preterm infants who are given breast milk for four weeks or longer have significantly higher IQ at seven to eight years of age compared to those who were fed exclusively with formula.27
(27. Lucas A, Morley R, Cole TJ, et al. Breast milk and subsequent intelligence quotient in children born preterm. Lancet. 1992 Feb 1;339(8788):261-4.)
Breastfeeding also leads to better outcomes in cognitive development, vocabulary, visual-motor coordination, and behavior.28,29,30 These are benefits that persist throughout childhood: breastfeeding, whether for preemies or full-term babies, is associated with better cognitive ability and educational achievement and fewer neurological abnormalities at nine years of age.31,32
(28. Rodgers B. Feeding in infancy and later ability and attainment: a longitudinal study. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1978 Aug;20(4):421-6.
29. Taylor B, Wadsworth J. Breast feeding and child development at five years. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1984 Feb;26(1):73-80.
30. Rogan WJ, Gladen BC. Breast-feeding and cognitive development. Early Hum Dev. 1993 Jan;31(3):181-93.
31. Horwood LJ, Fergusson DM. Breastfeeding and later cognitive and academic outcomes. Pediatrics. 1998 Jan;101(1):E9.
32. Lanting CI, Fidler V, Huisman M, et al. Neurological differences between 9-year-old children fed breast-milk or formula-milk as babies. Lancet. 1994 Nov 12;344(8933):1319-22.)
it’s not always possible for women to breastfeed. Be aware, though, that many commercial infant formulas provide only LA and ALA. This may be why babies fed formula lacking omega-3s have a higher incidence of learning disabilities later in life compared to breastfed babies.33,34,35
(33. Menkes JH. Early feeding history of children with learning disorders. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1977 Apr;19(2):169-71.
34. Rodgers B. Feeding in infancy and later ability and attainment: a longitudinal study. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1978 Aug;20(4):421-6.
35. Taylor B, Wadsworth J. Breast feeding and child development at five years. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1984 Feb;26(1):73-80.)
generous intake of omega-3s and cutting back on adulterated omega-6 helps keep blood pressure at a healthy level. Many pregnant women are at risk for pregnancy-induced hypertension and a related condition called preeclampsia. Higher amounts of long-chain omega-3s in their diet might reduce this risk. Inuit women living near the sea and consuming more omega-3s are almost three times less likely to develop hypertension in pregnancy compared to Inuit women living farther inland.36,37 A lower maternal omega-3 index (the amount of omega-3 in red blood cells) is associated with greater risk of preeclampsia.38 According to one study, a 15 percent increase in the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats in red blood cells was associated with a 46 percent reduction in risk of preeclampsia, so even a modest change in the diet can yield a big benefit.39
(36. Hornstra G. Essential fatty acids in mothers and their neonates. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 May;71(5 Suppl):1262s-9s.
37. Popeski D, Ebbeling LR, Brown PB, et al. Blood pressure during pregnancy in Canadian Inuit: community differences related to diet. CMAJ. 1991 Sep 1;145(5):445-54.
38. Williams MA, Zingheim RW, King IB, et al. Omega-3 fatty acids in maternal erythrocytes and risk of preeclampsia. Epidemiology. 1995 May;6(3):232-7.
39. Ibid.)
To be fair, another study showed that pregnant women at high risk for developing hypertension had no significant benefit from supplementing with EPA/DHA.40 The dose of omega-3 used in the study—2.7 grams—was pretty generous, but it’s possible that the women had a typical high intake of omega-6, so even this amount of omega-3 may not have been enough to correct the imbalance.
(40. Onwude JL, Lilford RJ, Hjartardottir H, et al. A randomised double blind placebo controlled trial of fish oil in high risk pregnancy. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1995 Feb;102(2):95-100.)
DHA and EPA Recommendations for Pregnant Women and Breastfeeding Mothers
Pregnant women should supplement with at least 300 mg of DHA per day. Greater amounts of marine omega-3s may be needed in women pregnant with twins or multiple babies and for women who have had multiple pregnancies, particularly if the pregnancies are close together (to ensure her omega-3 supply has been made replete since the previous pregnancy).
Consuming high-quality fish oil or other marine oils like krill oil may be a safer strategy than consuming fish, as high-quality marine oils are in general processed to remove mercury and other harmful compounds.
Breastfeeding mothers should supplement with DHA and EPA (especially DHA), particularly if their baby was born prematurely. We recommend at least 500 to 1,000 mg of EPA/DHA.
Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers should limit intake of adulterated omega-6 fats and industrial trans fats by reducing consumption of margarines, soybean-oil-based salad condiments, sandwich spreads, and processed foods containing soy, corn, cottonseed, and safflower oils.
Formula-fed infants should get supplemental DHA or DHA and EPA if the formula does not contain adequate amounts of DHA (0.2% to 0.5% of total fat). You can add these fats to infant formula by poking a hole in a fish or krill oil capsule and squeezing the oil into the formula, or adding a very small amount from a bottle of liquid marine oil (fish oil or algal oil).
Hibbeln found an inverse correlation between postpartum depression and total seafood intake as well as DHA in mother’s milk in 22 countries: the higher the seafood intake, and the higher the DHA in women’s breast milk, the lower the incidence of postpartum depression.58
58. Hibbeln JR. Seafood consumption, the DHA content of mothers’ milk and prevalence rates of postpartum depression: a cross-national, ecological analysis. J Affect Disord. 2002 May;69(1-3):15-29.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects anywhere between 4 percent and 15 percent of school-aged children in the U.S.; and for many people, it continues into and throughout adulthood.75 Children and adults with ADHD have lower levels of DHA and EPA, and this correlates with behavioral and learning problems, including poor conduct, hyperactivity and impulsivity, anxiety, tantrums, temper, and sleep difficulties.76 A double-blind randomized controlled trial conducted in Japan showed that children with ADHD-like symptoms who were given omega-3 fortified foods (providing around 510 mg DHA and 100 mg EPA per day) were rated as having improved by their parents and teachers.77 Another double-blind trial showed that compared to placebo, an omega-3 plus evening primrose-oil supplement significantly improved attention, behavior, and oppositional defiant disorder in children with ADHD-like symptoms.78
75. Kidd PM. Omega-3 DHA and EPA for cognition, behavior, and mood: clinical findings and structural-functional synergies with cell membrane phospholipids. Altern Med Rev. 2007 Sep;12(3):207-27.
76. Ibid.
77. Hirayama S, Hamazaki T, Terasawa K. Effect of docosahexaenoic acid-containing food administration on symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder - a placebo-controlled double-blind study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;58(3):467-73.
78. Stevens L, Zhang W, Peck L, et al. EFA supplementation in children with inattention, hyperactivity, and other disruptive behaviors. Lipids. 2003 Oct;38(1):1007-21.
Children with autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) have also been found to have low DHA and total omega-3 fatty acid levels.79 One report found DHA and EPA deficiencies in virtually 100 percent of ASD cases,80 and 90 percent of patients with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) have been found to have deficient DHA and EPA levels in their blood.81 One double-blind trial in children aged 5 to 17 diagnosed with ASD found improvements in hyperactivity and stereotypy (persistent repetitive actions) when given 1.54 g a day of supplemental DHA and EPA.82
79. Vancassel S, Durand G, Barthelemy C, et al. Plasma fatty acid levels in autistic children. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2001 Jul;65(1):1-7.
80. Kidd PM. Omega-3 DHA and EPA for cognition, behavior, and mood: clinical findings and structural-functional synergies with cell membrane phospholipids. Altern Med Rev. 2007 Sep;12(3):207-27.
81. Ibid.
82. Amminger GP, Berger GE, Schafer MR, et al. Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation in children with autism: a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study. Biol Psychiatry. 2007 Feb 15;61(4):551-3.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies determined that pregnant women may be able to reduce their children’s risk for allergic diseases by consuming adequate EPA and DHA.141
141. Best KP, Gold M, Kennedy D, et al. Omega-3 long-chain PUFA intake during pregnancy and allergic disease outcomes in the offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Jan;103(1):128-43.
Compared with consistent high fish intake during pregnancy, not eating fish at all is associated with a 30 percent increased risk of asthma in offspring by age five. It’s also correlated with a 46 percent increased risk of a child being hospitalized for asthma and a 37 percent increased risk for being prescribed medication for asthma by age five.143 A higher maternal dietary omega-6-to-3 ratio in pregnancy is associated with a 37 percent greater risk for allergic rhinitis in children by five years of age,144 and consuming about 7 ounces or more of fish per week during pregnancy is associated with a 43 percent reduction in the risk of eczema in offspring.145 Compared to never eating fish, eating fish even just once a week during pregnancy was shown to correlate with a 43 percent reduction in eczema and a 72 percent in hay fever in children at five years old.146 It’s true that “you are what you eat,” but it’s also true that you are what your mother ate, or if you’re a pregnant woman or a woman looking to conceive, your children will be what you eat.
143. Maslova E, Strom M, Oken E, et al. Fish intake during pregnancy and the risk of child asthma and allergic rhinitis - longitudinal evidence from the Danish National Birth Cohort. Br J Nutr. 2013 Oct;110(7):1313-25.
144. Nwaru BI, Erkkola M, Lumia M, et al. Maternal intake of fatty acids during pregnancy and allergies in the offspring. Br J Nutr. 2012 Aug;108(4):720-32.
145. Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Maugeri U, et al. Effects of prenatal and perinatal exposure to fine air pollutants and maternal fish consumption on the occurrence of infantile eczema. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2011;155(3):275-81.
146. Willers SM, Devereux G, Craig LC, et al. Maternal food consumption during pregnancy and asthma, respiratory and atopic symptoms in 5-year-old children. Thorax. 2007 Sep;62(9):773-9.
In humans, mothers with high blood levels of omega-6 had children with increased body fat at four and six years of age, whereas higher maternal omega-3 levels were correlated with greater lean mass.33
33. Moon RJ, Harvey NC, Robinson SM, et al. Maternal plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid status in late pregnancy is associated with offspring body composition in childhood. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Jan;98(1):299-307
A study called Project Viva showed that a higher omega-6-to-3 ratio in the maternal diet and in cord blood correlates with increased child obesity.34
34. Donahue SM, Rifas-Shiman SL, Gold DR, et al. Prenatal fatty acid status and child adiposity at age 3 y: results from a US pregnancy cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Apr;93(4):780-8
Infants, particularly ones who are not breastfed, may benefit from GLA or DGLA supplementation. Breast milk contains these special fats, but commercial formulas don’t, and D6D activity is thought to be insufficient during this early stage of life, which would deprive formula-fed infants of these fats.55 Symptoms of GLA/DGLA deficiency include dry, thick skin, skin eruptions resembling eczema, and growth failure.56
55. Horrobin DF. Nutritional and medical importance of gamma-linolenic acid. Prog Lipid Res. 1992;31(2):163-94.
56. Hansen AE. Essential fatty acids and infant nutrition; Borden award address. Pediatrics 1958 Mar;21(3):494-501.
The Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Nasha WInters
In their “Fourth National Report of Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals” (2009) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared that the average person living in the United States had at least 212 synthetic chemicals in their system. At birth, many new borns in the United States already have over 200 toxic chemicals in their bodies that entered via the mother’s placenta. The types of chemicals detected in humans include toxic metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, dioxins, organophosphate pesticides, herbicides and pest repellents.
Vaginally born babies care colonized by bacterial communities similar to their mothers vaginal microbiota, mainly Lactobacillus. Following first, colonization of the baby microbiota continues through contact with the environment and breastfeeding. Microbes are collected from what babies eat, touch, and put in their mouths – an evolutionary way that babies self-populate their individual immune-regulating microbiomes. Children who grow up around dogs have different microbiome than those who do not. From age six month to three years, the number of species continues to increase, numbering about a hundred species in the gut of young infants to about a thousand in adults, and their functions also change. Babies have folate-producing microbes (needed for methylation), while adults have more folate-harvesting microbes. By age three years, a child’s microbiome looks a lot like an adult’s and it becomes much more stable.
In 2013 the CDC reported that food allergies among children had increased approximately 50% between 1997 and 2011. Our missing microbes are largely to blame. A powerful example of this came in January 2015 when Australian researchers cured 80% of their study population of peanut allergies with courses of the Lactobacillus rhamnosus probiotic, while gradually increasing doses of peanuts themselves.
Threats to the Microbiome
Cesarean Delivery:
it’s faster, more lucrative, and more easily scheduled. In 2013 payment for cesarean delivery is about 50% higher than average payments with vaginal births ($27,866 versus $18,329). It’s no wonder rates of cesarean births increased in the US by 50% between 1996 and 2001.
infants born by cesarean delivery have an increased risk of developing asthma, allergies, and autoimmune disease in later childhood. Compared with babies delivered vaginally, those delivered by cesarean were 26% more likely to be overweight and 22% more likely to be obese.
Diet: Breastfeeding, GMOs, and Low Fiber Diets
breastfeeding has been associated with a host of positive health outcomes ranging from fewer ear infections to lower risk of leukemia.
Researchers in Sweden discovered that a substance found in human breast milk called HAMLET (human alpha-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells) has elective ability to kill cancer cells
Breast milk is rich in living white blood cells, immunoglobulins, and oligosaccharides that feed a particular strain of beneficial bacteria from the genus Bifidobacterium.
The preferred foods to first feed a baby are liver, egg yolks, avocado, and pureed greens
In 2014 the average daily dietary fiber intake was 16 grams per day, despite the recommended 38 grams. In 2009 the USDA’s Economic Research Service found that in American adults a mere 3% of calories a day came from fruits and 5% of calories from vegetables (the majority of which were potatoes). This is a very far cry from the fiber-rich and plant-centered diets humans ate up until the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s.
Unfortunately, our modern diets are filled with microbiome-altering foods. Sugar and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin have been found to alter microbial communities in such as way that the body’s usual blood sugar controls are disrupted. Refined flours and cereal grains feed the harmful, abnormal bacteria and microbes in our gut. Consumption of gluten-containing grains like wheat and barley triggers the release of zonulin, a protein that leads to leaky gut, intestinal wall damage, and autoimmune reactions. Researchers have also discovered that overconsumption of alcohol directly damages cells along the digestive tract, driving inflammation in the gut. Last but not least, emulsifiers, detergent-like food additives, alter the composition of the gut’s microbiota leading to increases in inflammation and other various health conditions including metabolic syndrome and colitis. All of these factors and more can contribute to what is known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition that has increased rapidly in the past few decades.
Research has found that infants exposed to stress, lack of emotional nurturing, or overactive stress responses can transmit these epigenetic marks to future descendants — including the trait of maternal nurturing.
You Can Fix Your Brain by Tom O’Bryan
PCBs, for example, are an entire family of toxic chemicals that are also endocrine disruptors. Originally used industrially, PCBs have found their way into the food chain. They are known to bind with estrogen receptors. There is a high concentration of estrogen-loving cells in breast tissue, where endocrine-disrupting chemicals can accumulate. When a pregnant woman delivers a baby, the mammary cells in the breasts become activated to produce first colostrum and then breast milk. For most women today, especially in their first pregnancy, that colostrum and breast milk is loaded—not just laced, but loaded—with PCBs. A nursing baby will immediately become exposed to huge amounts of PCBs, which are toxic to the brain, affecting both brain development and brain function. Could this be one of the contributing factors to the ridiculously high increased level of autism we’re seeing today? The answer is yes, it could be. Although researchers have identified that these toxic chemicals have an effect on brain development and thyroid, estrogen, and immune function, the consensus among pediatricians is that the benefits of breastfeeding still far outweigh the risks of exposure.29 From that perspective, whenever a mom can lower her risk of exposures to these toxic chemicals, there will be less of a toxic load in her breast milk. I also strongly believe every woman of child-bearing age needs to detoxify her body before she becomes pregnant. By doing so, you are ensuring a higher likelihood that your future baby will have every opportunity to have a well-developed brain.
29. Longnecker MP, Rogan WJ. Persistent organic pollutants in children. Pediatric Research 2001 Sep;50(3):322–3.
if Mom had elevated BPA levels during pregnancy (nowadays that’s almost a given), a boy’s testes may not develop properly in utero, and years later that boy has problems making enough sperm, leading to infertility. Or if the baby was a girl, her breast cells do not develop properly, and years later she has a much higher risk of breast cancer. This is the horrible reality today of what we are doing to our newborns, our next generation.
practically every newborn child today has BPA in their urine. It came from Mom’s exposure during pregnancy. And then babies start accumulating their own exposures with plastic baby bottles and sucking on plastic pacifiers.
Plastic baby bottles pose another problem. Parents often heat baby bottles in a microwave, leaching plasticizer chemicals into the milk and, at the same time, killing most of the nutrients. This is why it’s always better to use glass bottles. Mothers who choose to breast-feed (a smart idea because it’s critically important for baby’s health) have to recognize that they likely have accumulative levels of BPA, PCBs, and dioxins that have been building up in their bloodstream for years, which can transfer to the baby while nursing. Look at the graph below of the amount of these toxic chemicals children get in the first 5 years of life. The shocking numbers in the first 6 months of life are due to breast milk secreting the toxins that have been accumulating in Mom’s breasts over her lifetime.
35. Tiwari SK, Agarwal S, Chauhan LK, Mishra VN, Chaturvedi RK. Bisphenol-A impairs myelination potential during development in the hippocampus of the rat brain. Molecular Neurobiology 2015;51(3):1395–416. doi: 10.1007/s12035-014-8817-3. Epub 2014 Aug 2.
When a woman has measurable levels of BPA in her blood during pregnancy, the developing area of the baby’s brain that controls hormones and the stress response throughout life does not mature properly. In 2015, researchers identified a deficiency of the myelin protective coating around the hypothalamus connected to BPA exposure:35 For the baby in utero, this means that a crucial area of the brain that controls hormones and emotions will not work as well as it’s genetically designed to. This can manifest as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
all women of child-bearing age should make detoxing a priority before they get pregnant. Moms and dads, it’s time to model making less harmful choices in front of your children.
PURCHASING BABY BOTTLES
✓ Avoid clear plastic baby bottles and containers with the recycling number 7 and the letters “PC” imprinted on them. Many contain BPA.
✓ Choose bottles made of opaque plastic. These bottles (made of polyethylene or polypropylene) do not contain BPA. You can also look for the recycle symbols with the number 2 or 5 in them.
✓ Glass bottles can be an alternative, but be aware of the risk of injury to you or your baby if the bottle is dropped or broken.
✓ Because heat may cause the release of BPA from plastic:
» Do not boil polycarbonate bottles.
» Do not heat polycarbonate bottles in the microwave.
» Do not wash polycarbonate bottles in the dishwasher.38
38. Adapted from American Academy of Pediatrics, Shelov SP, ed. Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age Five (Bantam, 2009).
The most protected tissue in the human body is the fetus as it is developing inside the mother. Nothing gets to baby that hasn’t gone through every detoxification and filtering pathway a mom has. Thus it gives you a sense of the scope of the problem when I tell you a fetus will absorb mercury from Mom’s blood and have concentrations 40 percent higher than Mom, especially in the brain—a disaster for a developing neurological system. Most of that mercury comes from Mom’s fillings.
42. Vimy MJ, Lorscheider FL. Dental amalgam mercury daily dose estimated from intra-oral vapor measurements: a predictor of mercury accumulation in human tissues. Journal of Trace Elements in Experimental Medicine 1990 Jan;3:111–23.
Mold can cause infections anywhere in the body. For example, one study showed that 100 percent of children with high eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) or ear infections with effusions (runny ears) were found to have mold infections in their ears.50 For these children and others who have recurrent ear infections, antibiotics won’t work, because they will not destroy a mold infection. It can grow inside of your gut, in your nostrils, and on practically any body tissue, although it doesn’t show up on standard blood tests.51
50. Murakami A, Tutumi T, Watanabe K. Middle ear effusion and fungi. Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology 2012 Sep;121(9):609–14.
51. Brewer J, Thrasher JD, Hooper D. Reply to comment on detection of mycotoxins in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Toxins 2013;5:605–17 by John W. Osterman, MD. Toxins (Basel). 2016 Nov 7;8(11).
In children, the number of antibiotics taken before the age of 5 has a direct effect on their IQ.57
57. Slykerman RF, Thompson J, Waldie KE, Murphy R, Wall C, Mitchell EA. Antibiotics in the first year of life and subsequent neurocognitive outcomes. Acta Paediatrica 2017 Jan;106(1):87–94.
a 2017 study published in the International Journal of Cancer showed that a mother’s exposure to insecticides during pregnancy increases the possible development of childhood brain tumors by 40 percent.22
22. Vidart d’Egurbide Bagazgoïtia N, Bailey HD, Orsi L et al. Maternal residential pesticide use during pregnancy and risk of malignant childhood brain tumors: a pooled analysis of the ESCALE and ESTELLE studies (SFCE). International Journal of Cancer 2017 Sep 26. doi: 10.1002/ijc.31073. [Epub ahead of print.]
if a mom smoked during pregnancy, there is a 79 percent increased risk of the child developing asthma.23 When fathers smoke cigarettes before conception, their children have a 68 percent increased risk of developing asthma.24
23. Zacharasiewicz A. Maternal smoking in pregnancy and its influence on childhood asthma. ERJ Open Research 2016 Jul 29;2(3). pii: 00042-2016. eCollection 2016 Jul.
24. Svanes C, Koplin J, Skulstad SM et al. Father’s environment before conception and asthma risk in his children: a multi-generation analysis of the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe study. International Journal of Epidemiology 2017 Feb 1;46(1): 235–45. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyw151.
The majority of scientists, the EPA, and the FDA are in agreement that pregnant women, women who might become pregnant, breastfeeding women, infants, and young children need to be extremely cautious in their fish selection and volume consumed. For babies in utero, there is convincing evidence of serious problems for the developing brain from mercury exposure (methyl mercury, to be exact), which continue after birth. The same type of brain and nerve development problems occur in infants and young children exposed to fish high in mercury. Dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls present in contaminated and farm-raised fish may also increase the risk in both infants and young children for developing “poor expressive language skills”31 and language delay.32
31. Caspersen IH, Aase H, Biele G et al. The influence of maternal dietary exposure to dioxins and PCBs during pregnancy on ADHD symptoms and cognitive functions in Norwegian preschool children. Environment International 2016 Sep;94:649–60.
32. Caspersen IH, Haugen M, Schjølberg S, Vejrup K, Knutsen HK, Brantsæter AL, Meltzer HM, Alexander J, Magnus P, Kvalem HE. Maternal dietary exposure to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is associated with language delay in 3 year old Norwegian children. Environment International 2016 May;91:180–7.
another study published in the Journal of Nutrition: “Young children, women of child-bearing age, pregnant women, and nursing mothers concerned with health impairments such as reduction in IQ and other cognitive and behavioral effects can minimize contaminant exposure by choosing the least contaminated wild salmon or by selecting other sources of (n-3) fatty acids.”35
35. Foran JA, Good DH, Carpenter DO, Hamilton MC, Knuth BA, Schwager SJ. Quantitative analysis of the benefits and risks of consuming farmed and wild salmon. Journal of Nutrition 2005 Nov;135(11): 2639–43.
DHA plays a major role in fetal brain development and the retina of the eye during the first 2 years of life... when you supplement with fish oils rich in omega-3s, you can raise a child’s IQ by more than three points (that’s substantial).
an analysis of early unpublished data shows just how much higher the electromagnetic radiation absorption rates are in a 5- and 10-year-old’s brain versus that of an adult. Electromagnetic radiation, the data shows, can penetrate almost straight through the entire brain of a 5-year-old child! A child’s skull is much thinner than an adult’s, so it provides less of a filter. Why is this so troublesome?
Because more energy from a phone penetrates a child’s skull, children will absorb more radiation.
Children’s cells are reproducing more quickly than adults’.
Children’s immune systems (their protection) are not as well developed as those of adults.
Children have a longer potential for lifetime exposure, thus a higher risk.
Further, there is more than an 80 percent increased risk of a child having behavioral issues if his or her mother used a cell phone during pregnancy. When moms used a handset just two or three times a day during pregnancy, it was enough to raise the risk of their babies developing hyperactivity and difficulties with conduct, emotions, and relationships by the time they reached school age. Later on, when the children began using cell phones themselves, they were:
80 percent more likely to suffer from behavioral difficulties
25 percent more at risk to suffer from emotional problems
34 percent more likely to suffer from difficulties relating to their peers
35 percent more likely to be hyperactive
49 percent more prone to have problems with conduct20
20. The Independent September 21, 2008: EMF & Health: A Global Issue. September 8-9, 2008, The Royal Society of London.
Genius Foods by Max Lugavere
Researchers have observed that children with lower intakes of omega-6 fats perform significantly better in regard to their executive abilities.21 And for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is often described as an executive function problem,* as well as for typically developing children, attention has been shown in some studies to improve with omega-3 supplementation.22
(21.Kelly Sheppard and Carol Cheatham, “Omega-6 to Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio and Higher-Order Cognitive Functions in 7- to 9-year-olds: A Cross-Sectional Study,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 98, no. 3 (2013): 659–67.
22.M. H. Bloch and A. Qawasmi, “Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation for the Treatment of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptomatology: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry 50, no. 10 (2011): 991–1000; D. J. Bos et al., “Reduced Symptoms of Inattention after Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation in Boys with and without Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder,” Neuropsychopharmacology 40, no. 10 (2015): 2298–306.)
Saturated fats are essential to life—they provide support to your cell membranes and serve as precursors to a variety of hormones and hormonelike substances. Saturated fat is the most abundant type of fat in human breast milk—arguably nature’s ideal food for a newborn.32
(32.W. M. Fernando et al., “The Role of Dietary Coconut for the Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: Potential Mechanisms of Action,” British Journal of Nutrition 114, no. 1 (2015): 1–14; B. Jarmolowska et al., “Changes of Beta-Casomorphin Content in Human Milk During Lactation,” Peptides 28, no. 10 (2007): 1982–86.)
during this period of rapid brain growth, what some refer to as the “fourth trimester,” that our fat serves as an important ketone reservoir for the brain, which can account for nearly 90 percent of the newborn’s metabolism.10 Now you know: baby fat isn’t just there for pinching. It’s there for the brain.
(9.Hasselbalch, “Changes in Cerebral Blood Flow.”
10.Jean-Jacques Hublin and Michael P. Richards, eds., The Evolution of Hominin Diets: Integrating Approaches to the Study of Palaeolithic Subsistence (Springer Science & Business Media, 2009).)
Counting Sheep by Paul Martin
the foundations of our individual sleep patterns are laid down very early in life, long before birth.
individuals differ considerably in their characteristic sleep patterns. Some people are quite happy with only 7 hours of sleep, while others need 9 to feel human
Amother's sleep problems can begin even before she becomes pregnant. The quality of a woman sleep very somewhat according to the menstrual cycle, with some women experiencing more noticeable fluctuations than others. Sleep tends to be at it's best early in the cycle, just after menstruation, and worse during the premenstrual phase. some women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome experience notice for sleep disturbances during the premenstrual phase of their cycle. These symptoms can include more frequent awakenings during the night, hide and mental activity on awaking, nightmares, failure to wake at the expected time in the morning, and daytime tiredness. Oral contraceptives also ultra sleep patterns. Women taking the pill have less slow-wave sleep and more of the shallow or stage 2 sleep than naturally cycling women...
Sleep patterns change during pregnancy... There is usually a marked reduction and sleep, slow-wave sleep during pregnancy. Pregnant women typically spend around 5% of their total sleep and slow wave sleep, compared to around 25% when they are not pregnant. This drop in slow-wave sleep is accompanied by an increase in REM sleep and therefore and dreaming. Dreams tend to be more vivid during pregnancy, in part because there are simply more of them. And the later stages of pregnancy, Brute mechanical effects such as the need to urinate during the night can often disrupt sleep.
the same research discovered that heavy snoring during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and giving birth to a growth retarded baby
the pregnant women who snored were also found to be at greater risk of developing preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous form of pregnancy induced high blood pressure. Preeclampsia is currently the main cause of death in illness and pregnant women and their fetuses and of admissions to neonatal intensive care units.
By about 4 to 6 weeks after birth, infants exhibit a distinctive circadian rhythm in their activity, heart rate and body temperature. A basic circadian rhythm is present before birth, but this becomes more pronounced between 1 and 3 months of age sleep occurs in fewer but longer episodes as the infant grows older. The total time spent asleep falls during the first year from around 14 to 16 hours a day to about 12 hours while the number of separate episodes of sleep drops by half. By 6 months of age infants are sleeping for 12 to 14 hours a day, mostly in 1 long block augmented by one or more substantial naps. The frequency of nighttime awakenings usually falls between 3 and 6 months of age. Even so, a national survey of English mother has found that 1/4 of 1 year olds were still waking during the night at least five nights a week.
by 3 months of age infants tend to be awake during the late afternoon and early evening. At this stage, REM sleep occurs mainly during the night, and the infant spends less of its daytime sleep in rem. By 6 months, REM sleep has dropped from 50% of sleep to the adult level of around 25%. The length of sleep cycle also increases, from about 60 minutes at birth to 90 minutes. strictly speaking, fetuses and very young babies do not display the full-fledged EEG patterns of NREM sleep stages 1-4 and REM sleep. instead, their sleep consists of 2 precursor forms known as Active Sleep, which develops into REM sleep, and Quite Sleep which develops into NREM sleep.
evidence shows that infants who are allowed to fall asleep on their own or more likely to go back to sleep by themselves if they subsequently awake during the night. Mini childcare experts recommend placing babies in their cots when they are sleeping but still awake, rather than waiting until they have falling asleep.
The Gut Balance Revolution by Gerard Mullin
breast milk contains bifidobacteria
breast milk enhances the growth of biofilms — layers of friendly flora that adhere to and line our gastrointestinal tract, protecting against pathogens and infection.
microbial imbalances my last up to 7 years after delivery.
Salminen S, Gibson GR, McCartney AL, Isolauri E. Influence of mode of delivery on gut microbiota composition in seen year old children. Gut 2004;53:1388-89.
researchers found significant differences between the gut microbes of infants who were strictly formula fed and those who were breastfed. For example, formula-fed infants had higher levels of the pathogenic organism. Clostridium difficile, which can potentially cause an aggressive course of diarrhea.
Sicker Fatter Poorer by Leonardo Trasande
Lower birth weights are a major concern because babies with lower birth weights are more likely to have cognitive and cardiovascular problems later in life.
The neurodevelopmental experts I brought together in 2014 looked at three carefully conducted long-term human studies, one of them by Ginny Rauh and her team at Columbia, another in New York City, and one from a farmworker community in California.101 They all gave the same interpretation: As exposure to these insecticides during pregnancy went up, the child’s IQ went down; the only question was by how much. The data suggested that for each tenfold increase in pesticide level, the effect ranged from 1.4 to 5.6 points.102
(101. This project would not have been possible without the support of two leading scientists who have played crucial roles in our understanding the effects of chemicals on thyroid hormone and brain development in animals. Tom Zoeller is a professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and was a leader in the group that wrote the World Health Organization and United Nations Environment Programme report in 2012 that put endocrine disruption on the global public health map. Barbara Demeneix is a British biologist and endocrinologist at the Museum de la Histoire Naturelle, the Parisian version of the American Museum of Natural History. We were joined in this project by French economist Martine Bellanger and Danish epidemiologist Phillipe Grandjean, who splits his time between the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and the Southern Denmark University.
102. Bellanger M, Demeneix B, Grandjean P, et al.)
In 2007, a study of breast milk and placental tissue in mothers of Danish and Finnish boys with cryptorchidism, as well as a similar group without the condition, were used to assess exposure in the earliest phases of life. Consistent with Niels’s TDS hypothesis, PBDE levels in breast milk were much higher in the mothers of boys with cryptorchidism compared to the others. There were not differences in placental levels of the flame retardants. However, PBDE is very fat soluble, meaning it accumulates much less in the placenta, making differences in this study harder to detect than for breast milk.
Acetaminophen is well-known as the only pain medication obstetricians deem safe for pregnant women to take. But, like many drugs in pregnancy, while there have been studies of acetaminophen in animals, the safety of acetaminophen has not been fully assessed in pregnant women. When researchers started to recognize the effects of phthalates on the male reproductive tract, they also realized that acetaminophen and phthalates have a lot in common in their chemical structure. And, unfortunately, studies have begun to raise the alarm about acetaminophen and other analgesics commonly used in pregnancy.268
(268. Konkel L. Reproductive headache? Investigating acetaminophen as a potential endocrine disruptor. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2018;126(3):032001.)
In animals, acetaminophen exposure shortens the anogenital distance in males. Human studies have identified higher rates of undescended testis in boys whose mothers took acetaminophen, particularly when exposure was in the second trimester.269,270 Not all studies of pregnant women have confirmed this phenomenon,271 but most of these studies have relied on questionnaires that ask mothers to recall their use of analgesics over a relatively long period in pregnancy, 6 to 8 weeks or so. Acetaminophen does not produce a long-term reduction in pain and fever because it is excreted from the body quickly, and so exposures in pregnancy are short and vary in their timing. That timing may matter for the male reproductive organs as they develop.
(269. Kristensen DM, Hass U, Lesne L, et al. Intrauterine exposure to mild analgesics is a risk factor for development of male reproductive disorders in human and rat. Human Reproduction. 2011;26(1):235–244. [back]
270. Snijder CA, Kortenkamp A, Steegers EA, et al. Intrauterine exposure to mild analgesics during pregnancy and the occurrence of cryptorchidism and hypospadia in the offspring: The generation R study. Human Reproduction. 2012;27(4):1191–1201. [back]
271. Kristensen DM, Mazaud-Guittot S, Gaudriault P, et al. Analgesic use—prevalence, biomonitoring and endocrine and reproductive effects. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 2016;12(7):381–393.)
The United States has one of the highest rates of preterm birth worldwide. You might wonder if environmental factors contribute to this important predictor of child health. The evidence suggests that they do: a study in the hospital where Martin was born, published by Kelly Ferguson (now at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) and her colleagues, documented strong associations of a phthalate used in food packaging, DEHP, with higher odds of preterm birth, especially preterm birth precipitated by early labor or rupture of the membranes.276 It’s complicated to sort out whether phthalate-induced preterm birth is happening by an endocrine mechanism. Phthalates also induce inflammation and oxidative stress, which can make the placenta not function as well as it should.
(276. Ferguson KK, McElrath TF, Meeker JD. Environmental phthalate exposure and preterm birth. JAMA Pediatrics. 2014;168(1):61–67.)
Remember that chemical exposures in a pregnant woman can affect at least three generations: the exposed mother, her child, and her children’s children. Germ cells, the cells in the testis or ovary that contribute to a child, are programmed from the time the mother (or father) is in her (or his) mother’s womb. Add in the complexity that signals for gene expression (without changes in the code) may get passed even farther down the family tree, and you can see the many ripples from the tsunami.
Unstoppable by Ben Angel
According to research from the University of Calgary, prebiotics may even assist in the fight against childhood obesity by helping to “reduce body fat in children who are overweight or obese by altering their gut microbiota.”27
(27. “Prebiotics Reduce Body Fat in Overweight Children,” ScienceDaily, June 7, 2017, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170607123949.htm.)
A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2005 indicates that children who previously were malnourished experience an increased rate of behavior-related disorders and behaviors as they age. Could this be one of the root causes of individuals giving up on their goals, their community, and themselves?
Circadian Code by Satchin Panda
A 2016 study on 600 children showed that children who have increased screen time are more likely to have poor sleep quality and problem behaviors.6
(6 J. Parent, W. Sanders, and R. Forehand, “Youth Screen Time and Behavioral Health Problems: The Role of Sleep Duration and Disturbances,” Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 37, no. 4 (2016): 277–84.)
researchers safely covered premature infants’ cribs for a few hours during the night, blocking bright light.10 This simple adoption of a light-dark cycle accelerated the babies’ growth and development to such an extent that it reduced their hospital stay by as much as 30 percent. The babies gained weight faster (a faster body weight gain correlates with better overall brain development) and their heart rate was more stable.
(10 S. Vásquez-Ruiz et al., “A Light/Dark Cycle in the NICU Accelerates Body Weight Gain and Shortens Time to Discharge in Preterm Infants,” Early Human Development 90, no. 9 (2014): 535–40.)
The Perfect Health Diet by Paul Jaminet
human babies at birth have the largest percentage of body fat of all three. And why? Because body fat supports the growth and development of the brain, much of which happens in the first five years of life. And it is that ability to store body fat that helped us ascend the evolutionary ladder.
Breast-fed infants experience many health benefits compared to formula-fed babies. The mortality rate from infectious disease is far lower in breast-fed babies. A study from Brazil found that non-breast-fed babies were 14.2 times more likely to die of diarrhea and 3.6 times more likely to die of respiratory infections than exclusively breast-fed babies. Partially breast-fed babies were 4.2 times more likely to die of diarrhea and 1.6 times more likely to die of respiratory infections than exclusively breast-fed babies.4
(4. Victora, C. G. et al., “Evidence for protection by breast-feeding against infant deaths from infectious diseases in Brazil,” The Lancet 2, no. 8554 (August 8, 1987): 319–22, http://pmid.us/2886775.)
Some benefits of breast-feeding are long-lasting. In the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT), children whose mothers had participated in a World Health Organization program that encouraged them to breast-feed had a substantially higher IQ at age six—5.9 IQ points higher—and better academic ratings from teachers than children whose mothers had not participated.5 Another study found that breast-fed infants had IQs that were 8.3 points higher at age 8 than formula-fed infants.6
(5. Kramer, M. S. et al., “Breastfeeding and child cognitive development: New evidence from a large randomized trial,” Archives of General Psychiatry 65, no. 5 (May 2008): 578–84, http://pmid.us/18458209.
6. Lucas, A. et al., “Breast milk and subsequent intelligence quotient in children born preterm,” The Lancet 339, no. 8788 (February 1, 1992): 261–64, http://pmid.us/1346280.)
The Composition of Human Milk
Along with water, the main constituents of milk are:7
The sugar lactose (which is composed of the simple sugars glucose and galactose). Human milk typically has 70 grams of lactose per liter.
Fats, typically 40 grams per liter.
Human milk oligosaccharides—special sugars that, like fiber, are indigestible by humans but feed gut bacteria. Human milk typically has 15 grams of oligosaccharides per liter.
Protein, typically 8 grams per liter.
(7. Zivkovic, A. M. et al., “Human milk glycobiome and its impact on the infant gastrointestinal microbiota,” issue supplement 1, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108 (March 15, 2011): 4653–58, http://pmid.us/20679197.)
How Cholesterol Phobia Spoiled Infant Formula
One would think the designers of infant formula would try to make an exact copy of human breast milk. Alas, they don’t. Infant formula is cholesterol-deficient. Formula typically has only 10 to 30 milligrams per liter of cholesterol, one-tenth the amount in human breast milk.17 This deficiency has consequences. Breast-fed babies reach normal serum cholesterol levels by age six months, while formula-fed babies are severely cholesterol-deficient at age six months.18 Cholesterol is important for neurological function and immunity, so this could be a reason why formula-fed babies have lower IQs and higher rates of infectious disease mortality.19
(16. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids (macronutrients) (Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2005), 547, www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10490&page=547.
17. Ibid., 546, www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10490&page=546.
18. Isomura, H. et al., “Type of milk feeding affects hematological parameters and serum lipid profile in Japanese infants,” Pediatrics International (March 21, 2011), http://pmid.us/21418403. Jaminet, P., “Low serum cholesterol in newborn babies,” July 14, 2011, http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=4079.
19. For discussions of the role of serum cholesterol in immune function, see Jaminet, P., “HDL and immunity,” April 12, 2011, http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=3112. Jaminet, P., “Blood lipids and infectious disease, part I,” June 21, 2011, http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=3836. Jaminet, P., “Blood lipids and infectious disease, part II,” July 12, 2011, http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=4066.)
At birth, a baby’s body is only about 5 percent of adult size, yet the infant’s brain already weighs fully 28 percent of its adult weight. By age 1, the infant brain weighs 75 percent of its adult size and by age 6, 90 percent.20 So the infant brain is not only very large compared to its body, it also grows faster than the rest of the body throughout the first year of life. The infant brain uses a lot of energy. At birth, the infant brain accounts for 11 percent of body weight but fully 74 percent of calorie consumption. By comparison, the adult brain accounts for just 2 percent of body weight and 23 percent of calorie consumption.21
Because pregnant women donate nutrients to their developing babies, mothers may become malnourished during pregnancy. Postpartum depression, for instance, is linked to iron deficiency.8
(8. Albacar, G. et al., “An association between plasma ferritin concentrations measured 48 h after delivery and postpartum depression,” Journal of Affective Disorders 131, nos. 1–3 (June 2011): 136–42, http://pmid.us/21130499.)
We know from other studies that breast-fed babies have IQs 6 to 8 points higher than formula-fed babies,18
(18. Kramer, M. S. et al., “Breastfeeding and child cognitive development: New evidence from a large randomized trial,” Archives of General Psychiatry 65, no. 5 (May 2008): 578–84, http://pmid.us/18458209. Lucas, A. et al., “Breast milk and subsequent intelligence quotient in children born preterm,” The Lancet 339, no. 8788 (February 1, 1992): 261–64, http://pmid.us/1346280.)
It is common for children of obese mothers to experience stunted growth.22 The children are malnourished, but not for lack of calories. They lack micronutrients: vitamins, minerals, and other biological compounds.
(22. Garrett, J. and M. T. Ruel, “The coexistence of child undernutrition and maternal overweight: Prevalence, hypotheses, and programme and policy implications,” Maternal and Child Nutrition 1, no. 3 (July 2005): 185–96, http://pmid.us/16881899.)
Choline makes babies smarter. Pregnant mothers need to take special care to get adequate choline. Maternal choline deficiency leads to lifelong memory and learning deficits in the child.26
Choline prevents folate deficiency. Choline can perform many of the functions of folate, and relieves folate deficiency.27
Choline is better than folic acid for preventing neural tube defects. Taking a multivitamin with folic acid cuts the risk of neural tube defects in half.28 But in California mothers, the incidence of neural tube defects in the bottom quartile of choline intakes was seventeen times higher than in the top quartile; among the median group the risk was seven times higher.29
26. Zeisel, S. H., “The fetal origins of memory: The role of dietary choline in optimal brain development,” issue supplement, Journal of Pediatrics 149, no. 5 (November 2006): S131–36, http://pmid.us/17212955.
27. Niculescu, M. D. and S. H. Zeisel, “Diet, methyl donors and DNA methylation: Interactions between dietary folate, methionine and choline,” issue supplement, Journal of Nutrition 132, no. 8 (August 2002): 2333S–35S, http://pmid.us/12163687.
28. Thompson, S. J. et al., “Periconceptional multivitamin folic acid use, dietary folate, total folate and risk of neural tube defects in South Carolina,” Annals of Epidemiology 13, no. 6 (July 2003): 412–18, http://pmid.us/12875798.
29. Shaw, G. M. et al., “Choline and risk of neural tube defects in a folate-fortified population,” Epidemiology 20, no. 5 (September 2009): 714–19, http://pmid.us/19593156.)
That last statistic is worth pondering. Completely saturating the body with folate cuts the rate of neural tube defects in half. Partially relieving choline deficiency cuts the rate by a factor of 17. (Remember, most of the women in that top quartile were getting less than the U.S. Adequate Intake level of choline.) It seems likely that neural tube defects are a result of choline deficiency, and folic acid is a poor way to relieve choline deficiency
At the moment of birth, infants have extremely low LDL levels and a total serum cholesterol level of about 72 milligrams per deciliter.25 (Low LDL levels prevent babies in the womb from forming antibodies against their mom.) As a result of low LDL levels, infants have a limited ability to form antibodies and their immunity is impaired.
(25. Mishkel, M. A., “Neonatal plasma lipids as measured in cord blood,” Canadian Medical Association Journal 111, no. 8 (October 19, 1974): 775–80, http://pmid.us/4370703.)
In breast-fed infants, serum cholesterol rises rapidly, reaching 163 milligrams per deciliter at age one month and 194 milligrams per deciliter at age six months.26 This serum cholesterol level, around 200 milligrams per deciliter, is where immune function is normal. Cholesterol rises more slowly in formula-fed infants, reaching only 140 milligrams per deciliter at age six months27—one reason formula-fed infants suffer more frequent infections.
(26. Isomura, H. et al., “Type of milk feeding affects hematological parameters and serum lipid profile in Japanese infants,” Pediatrics International 53, no. 6 (December 2011): 807–13, http://pmid.us/21418403. 27. Ibid.)
To get in sync, circadian clocks require a small “nudge” from physical activity to inform them that it is daytime, not night. It is this “nudge” that extends life. An indication that daytime exercise promotes good circadian rhythms is its effect on sleep quality. For every additional hour of physical activity during the day, children fall asleep three minutes more quickly and sleep twenty minutes longer.59 The same pattern holds in adults.60
(59. Nixon, G. M. et al., “Falling asleep: The determinants of sleep latency,” Archives of Disease in Childhood 94, no. 9 (September 2009): 686–89, http://pmid.us/19633062. A hat tip to Anahad O’Connor, “The claim: Exercise more during the day, and you will sleep better at night,” The New York Times, November 30, 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/health/01really.html.
60. King, A. C. et al., “Moderate-intensity exercise and self-rated quality of sleep in older adults. A randomized controlled trial,” JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association 277, no. 1 (January 1, 1997): 32–37, http://pmid.us/8980207.)
Dirty Genes by Ben Lynch
During pregnancy, your body is methylating even more than usual to support the developing baby and its placenta. Nausea, vomiting, or gallbladder issues—all common during pregnancy—are frequently caused by poor methylation. And did you know that neural tube defects and congenital heart defects are not results of a folic acid deficiency, as we so often hear? They are results of a methylation deficiency. Most health professionals aren’t aware of this either—but now you are. So if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, make sure that you and your partner are both getting all the nutrients you need to methylate properly
Another NOS3 danger is birth defects. During fetal development, your baby is growing rapidly and needs you to form new blood vessels to nourish his or her developing cells and tissues. If a dirty NOS3 slows down your ability to form these blood vessels, your baby’s heart won’t get the support it needs and he or she could develop a congenital heart defect—which, as it happens
During pregnancy, women experience high levels of estrogen and nitric oxide. In fact, estrogen stimulates NOS3 to work better and to produce more nitric oxide. This additional nitric oxide is essential for forming new blood vessels, preventing blood clots, and increasing blood flow to the developing baby. If you have a dirty NOS3 during pregnancy, you’re at increased risk of recurrent miscarriage, congenital birth defects, and preeclampsia. I want you to know about these risks ahead of time so that you can support your NOS3 as needed and prepare for a safe pregnancy.
Researchers have found that mothers who consumed more choline during pregnancy have babies with improved memory and learning abilities, while mothers with a lower-choline diet during pregnancy tend to have children with decreased memory and more learning disabilities. A number of studies have found that most pregnant women in the United States are choline-deficient, so please work with a naturopathic physician or integrative/functional medicine doctor to make sure that you and your baby are getting all the choline and methylfolate you need.
Peak by Marc Bubbs
Your brain is 60 percent fat. One-third of this amount is made up of the long chain omega-3 fat DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which plays a critical role in supporting membrane fluidity and structure, cell signaling, inflammation cooling, and nerve growth (via BDNF) in the brain.44 During fetal development, the long chain omega-3 fat DHA and the omega-6 fat AA (arachidonic acid) accumulate in the central nervous system, whereas only very small amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are found there. Experts assume these highly unsaturated fats are continuously exchanged throughout our lifetime, but very little is actually known about the transfer across the blood–brain barrier. In animals, supplementing with DHA increases the concentration of DHA in the central nervous system, and the supplemental omega-3 shows improved cognition, reduced neuronal edema, increased dendrite growth, and stabilization of brain energy levels.45
44. Daniella Tassoni et al., “The role of eicosanoids in the brain,” Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition 17, Supplement 1 (2008).
45. James D. Mills et al., “Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and reduction of traumatic axonal injury in a rodent head injury model,” Journal of Neurosurgery 114, no. 1 (2011), https://doi.org/10.3171/2010.5.jns08914.)
NOURISHMENT by Fred Provenza
In humans, the flavor of breast milk varies from one mother to another and from one day to the next, depending on the foods eaten in a meal. When mother eats a variety of foods, breastfeeding — unlike monotonous formula feeding — can provide an infant with a rich source of sensory variety. As a result of early and varied flavor experiences, breasted infants are more willing to eat similarly flavored foods at weaning. Assuming teh mother diet is diverse, varied sensory experiences with food flavors in mothers milk may explain why children who are breastfed tend to be less picky and more willing to try new foods during childhood.
J. A. Mennella and J.C. Trabulsi, “Complementary Foods and Flavor Experiences: Setting the Foundation,” Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 60 (2012): 40-50
nowadays, many offspring are “prepared” in utero to eat a highly processed diet, even to the extent of being born with a suite of metabolic disorders.[56] Maternal obesity and diabetes during pregnancy increase the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in offspring.[57] Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas of a fetus of a diabetic mother are stimulated to grow in size and number due to high levels of blood sugar in mothers diet. That, in turn, causes the fetus to produce more fat, which causes gat babies in a malicious cycle. The greater a woman’s weight gain during pregnancy, the higher the risk her child will be overweight by three years of age and will continue to be overweight into adolescence and adulthood.[58] With each passing generation for the last century, these maternal effects have accumulated, and they have led to the twin-epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Boundless by Ben Greenfield
Calcium
Kids produce new bone tissue on a daily basis. In fact, minimizing the effects of age-related bone loss begins during childhood and particularly puberty, when bone tissue undergoes massive spikes in growth. Kids from four to eight years old need 1,000 mg of calcium per day, and kids from nine to thirteen years old need 1,300 mg per day. It is crucial that calcium be accompanied by adequate levels of vitamin D and vitamin K.
In raising my own children, I have realized that kids (and adults) digest organic raw dairy, goat’s milk, camel’s milk, and A2 dairy (dairy that doesn’t have A1 protein, which some people are sensitive to) far more easily than commercial cow’s milk, and without risk of gut damage unless a true food allergy is present. The best sources of calcium are sardines with the bones, hard cheeses like cheddar and pecorino, raw milk, full-fat fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir, and dark leafy greens like collard greens, kale, and Swiss chard.
Iodine
Iodine is an essential nutrient (meaning it is not produced by the body; it must be ingested from an outside source) and is necessary for proper thyroid hormone production. Thyroid hormone regulates growth factors, such as growth hormone, that contribute to cognitive and physical growth. Iodine deficiencies are associated with stunted height as well as lower IQ scores. Kids from four to eight years old need 90 mcg per day, while kids from nine to thirteen years old need 120 mcg per day. The best sources are seaweed (kombu, kelp, and nori have the highest content) and milk. For example, my children often strike off to school with sardines, anchovies, mackerel, or herring wrapped in nori.
Iron
Iron supports neurological development and blood cell formation. Kids from four to eight years old need 10 mg per day, while kids nine to thirteen years old (for girls, prior to menarche) only need 8 mg per day. The best sources are red meat, organ meats such as chicken liver, and shellfish (especially clams, if your kid has a taste for shellfish). Meat is a better source than plants because the iron bound to heme—the non-protein part of hemoglobin and the molecule that carries oxygen in the blood—is more bioavailable than iron that is not bound to heme. Iron from non-meat sources, such as spinach, lentils, beans, and cashews, should be combined with high sources of vitamin C, such as citrus fruits and dark leafy greens, to improve the bioavailability of the iron. For example, another frequent lunchbox item for our children is thinly sliced chunks of steak; organic elk, bison, buffalo, or beef jerky; braunschweiger; pemmican; or headcheese; along with kiwis, orange slices, and steamed greens.
Zinc
Zinc supports physical growth and immune system development. Research suggests that 5 to 6 mg of supplemental zinc per day can reverse delayed growth in kids. Other research suggests that zinc supplementation in zinc-deficient kids under the age of five can reduce diarrheal infections and pneumonia. Kids from four to eight years old need 5 mg per day, while kids from nine to thirteen years old need 8 mg per day. The best sources are red meat (particularly lamb), oysters, crab, and lobster.
Vitamin A
Severe vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness and permanent blindness and mild deficiency increases the risk of upper respiratory tract infection, while adequate amounts can enhance eye health, bone health, and balanced hormones. Kids from four to eight years old need 400 mcg per day, while kids from nine to twelve years old need 600 mcg per day. The best sources are liver, cod liver oil, eggs, full-fat dairy, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, and carrots. A mess of scrambled eggs with cheese, sweet potatoes, and kale is a typical breakfast for our kids, and dinners include roasted carrots, yams, or steamed greens.
The B12
The requirement for kids from four to eight years old is 1.2 mcg per day, while for kids from nine to thirteen years old, it’s 1.8 mcg per day. The only sources of vitamin B12 are animal products like red meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish, so if you are raising a plant-based eater, they will definitely need to supplement with B12.
Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 is responsible for the proper absorption of calcium and for shuttling calcium into your teeth and bones. Effective doses for adults tend to range between 50 and 200 mcg per day, and since vitamin K2 is very safe to consume, it is fine for kids to consume the low end of that range. The best sources are natto (a Japanese fermented soybean dish), egg yolks, grass-fed butter (particularly Green Pastures X-Factor Butter Oil), cream, ghee, liver, gouda cheese, kefir, sauerkraut, and emu oil. (Emu oil contains over fifty times more vitamin K2 than chicken liver or cheese, four times more than duck fat, twenty-five times more than cream and butter, and ten times more than ghee and egg yolks. Walkabout Australian Emu Oil is a good brand.)
Choline
Choline assists the liver with processing fat and toxins and acts as a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, making choline a critical part of enhancing memory formation and skill acquisition. Kids from four to eight years old need 250 mg per day, while kids from nine to thirteen years old need 375 mg per day. The best sources are egg yolks and liver. (Getting the impression yet that your child should be eating eggs and organ meats?)
Additional information:
Children generally absorb twice the amount of radiation as adults (and their bone marrow alone absorbs up to ten times more!): Leeka Kheifets et al., “The Sensitivity of Children to Electromagnetic Fields,” Pediatrics 116, no. 2 (August 2005): 303–13, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2004-2541.
Exposure to radio frequency radiation from WiFi and cellular phones can disrupt normal cellular development, especially in babies and children. Several studies… the disruption of protein synthesis is so severe that the authors of one study noted, “This cell property is especially pronounced in growing tissues, that is, in children and youth. Consequently, these population groups would be more susceptible than average to the described effects: Myung Chan Gye and Chan Jin Park, “Effect of Electromagnetic Field Exposure on the Reproductive System,” Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine 39, no. 1 (March 2012): 1–9, https://doi.org/10.5653/cerm.2012.39.1.1; Diana Henz, Wolfgang I. Schöllhorn, and Burkhard Poeggeler, “Mobile Phone Chips Reduce Increases in EEG Brain Activity Induced by Mobile Phone-Emitted Electromagnetic Fields,” Frontiers in Neuroscience 12 (April 2018): 190, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2018.00190.
When pregnant women are exposed to air pollution, it can cause preterm births and is associated with asthma, autism, lower IQ, and worse performance on standardized tests in their children: Tara Kerin et al., “Association Between Air Pollution Exposure, Cognitive and Adaptive Function, and ASD Severity Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 48, no. 1 (January 2018): 137–50, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3304-0; Ying Liu et al., “The Association between Air Pollution and Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight in Guangdong, China,” BMC Public Health 19, no. 1 (January 2019), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6307-7; Frederica P. Perera et al., “Prenatal Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure and Child IQ at Age 5 Years,” Pediatrics 124, no. 2 (August 2009): 192–202, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-3506; Tara Kerin et al., “Association Between Air Pollution Exposure, Cognitive and Adaptive Function, and ASD Severity Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 48, no. 1 (January 2018): 137–50, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3304-0; Yulong Chen, “Air Pollution and Academic Performance: Evidence From China,” SSRN Electronic Journal, November 2018, 1–36, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3341008.
CNN reported on a major study showing that the same air pollution that results in cognitive decline now affects 95 percent of humans worldwide: Jason Kilian, and Masashi Kitazawa, “The Emerging Risk of Exposure to Air Pollution on Cognitive Decline and Alzheimers Disease – Evidence from Epidemiological and Animal Studies,” Biomedical Journal 41, no. 3 (July 2018): 141–62, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2018.06.001; James Griffiths, “Air Pollution Is Making Us Dumber, Study Shows,” Cable News Network, August 28, 2018, https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/27/health/air-pollution-cognitive-abilities-intl/index.html.
In one test of furniture for a baby’s nursery, a rocker put off seven times more formaldehyde than the State of California considers safe, the paint for the nursery contained five times the amount of chemical gases as the recommended limit, and more than one hundred chemicals wafted from the crib mattress, including alcohols and industrial solvents: Tunga Salthammer, Sibel Mentese, and Rainer Marutzky, “Formaldehyde in the Indoor Environment,” Chemical Reviews 110, no. 4 (January 2010): 2536–72, https://doi.org/10.1021/cr800399g; Environment California Research & Policy Center, Travis Madsen and Rachel Gibson, “Toxic Baby Furniture: The Latest Case for Making Products Safe from the Start,” Environment California Research & Policy Center, May 6, 2008, https://environmentamerica.org/sites/environment/files/reports/Toxic-Baby-Furniture—The-Latest-Case-for-Making-Products-Safe-from-the-Start.pdf
Precision Nutrition
Nutrition and pregnancy
Most people recognize that during pregnancy, the mother's habits can affect the health of her offspring. Thus it's important that clients know what to eat and what to avoid when pregnant. To begin with , pregnancy is a period of anabolism, or growth. Women should eat more when pregnant than they typically do, and recognizethat the resulting weight gain is a critical part of a healthy pregnancy. Studies show that low gestational weight gain (in other words, not gaining enough weight when pregnant) often results in infants with low birth weights, who may experience delayed development. The mother's weight determines fetal weight. if she does not gain enough weight, the fetus may remain small simply to protect Ihe mother's bodyweight. Here are some guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy,
Underweight women should gain between 25 and 35 Ib
Overweight women should gain no more than 15 to 25 Ib
Women 5'2" or shorter should gain between 10 and 25 Ib
To achieve this weight gain, women should ingest an additional 300-500 kcals per day, and closer to 500 if exercising regularly. This means total intake could climb to 2500 or 3000 kcal per day during pregnancy. Of course, if the food choices are sound during this increased intake, the pregnant wom an will also benefit from an increase in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. This is also critical to the mother's health as well as the health of the developing fetus. Without this adequate calorie and micronutrient intake, the rapidly developing fetus can be subject to a host of birth defects. Inadequate nutritional status during development can also have consequences for the child's later life, even as an adult. poor nutrition during fetal development can lead to eventual cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and Type II diabetes yea rs later.
During pregnancy, women should avoid the following,
Alcohol and caffeine (more than 300 mglday); high intakes of alcohol and caffeine can lead to birth defects and spontaneous abortion
Tobacco
Cured/deli meats, raw eggs, and raw seafood, all of which can carry harmful bacteria
Artificial sweeteners
More than 6 ounces of fish per week, because of potential heavy metal contamination. In particular, women should avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, which are known to be high in mercury.
Empty calories (i.e., junk food containing processed ingredients, sugar, and little nutrition)
Nutrient Status
Folate
Folate (vitamin 89) is essential to prevent neural tube defects. Intake is most critical within the first few weeks of pregnancy. Dark green leafy vegetables and legumes are good sources. Many other breads and cereal are fortified. Those of child bearing age should include ample folate and typically, a folic acid supplement is recommended by many doctors.
Vitamin D
A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to minimal calcium absorption and a low infant birth weight. Vitamin D is found in small amounts in many foods as well as in several fortified foods. Sun exposure (20-30 minutes, 2-3 times per week) is the ideal source for vitamin D
Calcium
Calcium intake can be important for the prevention of a condition known as pre·eclampsia . Pre-eclampsia leads to hypertension and protein in the urine of pregnant women . Calcium needs are increased dUfing pregnancy. Good sources include dark green leafy vegetables, bok choy, tofu, legumes, figs, seeds, nuts, fortified milks and fortified cereals
Iron
Iron is essential for many processes, especially during pregnancy. Legumes, dark green vegetables, dried fruits, molasses, nuts, seeds, whole grains and animal foods contain iron. When one consumes vitamin C with iron-containing foods, absorption is enhanced.
Zinc
Zinc is important not only for athletes but pregnant women. Its role in growth and development is critical in the developing fetus. Legumes, nuts, whole grains, cereals and animal foods are good sources of zinc. Deficiency can lead to congenital malformations.
Protein
Overall protein intake should be increased by at least 25 grams during the second and third trimesters. This can be obtained by increased overall energy intake via whole foods or by ingesting natural, unsweetened protein supplements. This protein becomes part of the fetus' structurat development, as approximately 2.2 Ib (l kg) of protein are incorporated mto the development of the fet us and the placenta ,
Fatty Acids
Since most women are advised to limit intake of large fish (e.g., tuna) due to potential environmental pollutants, toxins, and contaminants during pregnancy, pregnant women should get an ample amount of omega-3 fatty acids from other foods including flax, walnuts, canola oil , hemp, small fish (e.g., herring), algae, green leafy vegetables and seaweed. Supplementation with omega-3 fish oil rich in EPA and DHA has also been shown to be beneficial for both mother and child. Supplementation improves infant brain development during pregnancy and can reduce the incidence of post-partum depression in the mother after giving birth. It's important, though, to avoid oil that comes from the liver of the fish, such as cod liver oil, as this is high in potentially toxic vitamins A and D….Several macronutrients and micronutrients are critical for ensuring the health of both the pregnant mother and her child. Indeed, nearly 35% of major fetal cardiac defects could be prevented by maternal use of vitamin and mineral supplements rich in folate before conception and during the post-conceptual period. In addition to proactively seeking out the best foods, foods high in the vitamins and minerals listed above, it's a good idea to take a multivitamin/multimineral supplement (especially one designed specifically for pregnancy).
Psychobiotic Revolution by Scott Anderson
Some studies show that children delivered by C-section may lack important Bacteroides species for up to the first 18 months of life, making them more likely to suffer from asthma and allergies. New studies suggest that babies born by C-section react differently to stress, and may even be more susceptible to depression and anxiety — all hypothetically correlated to gut and microbiota health. Not all studies are so downbeat, though: New research has shown that at around 6 weeks, the microbiota of most of these children has normalized, with some of the true to breast-feeding.
Breast-feeding
mother’s milk contains sugars that baby cannot digest, which seems like a waste of maternal energy, but these sugars aren’t for the baby. They are probiotics designed to feed the accompanying microbes in mother’s milk. And the microbes, in return, produce food for your in the form of fatty acids like butyrate. That makes mother’s milk both a prebiotic and probiotic drink.
These probiotics not only feed the starter microbiota, they also reduce the release of the stress hormone cortisol, keeping you happy and content
The first milk produced right after delivery is called colostrum and is packed with hundreds of species of bacteria. It is also full of maternal white blood cells and antibodies to establish a newborn’s foundational immune system — kind of an immune system transplant, designed to provide instant protection for your defenseless body. For such an innocuous-looking substance, milk packs an astounding immunological punch.
after around 6 months of breast-feeding, the bacteria in your mother’s milk start to change. Instead of bacteria that are expert at digesting milk sugars, teh new milk microbiota starts to look a lot like your mother’s own oral bacteria. This transformation helps prepare you for solid food, because a lot of the work of digesting starts in teh mouth.
Probiotics to use:
Bifidobacterium breve (1205)
It improves gut health in both premature babies9 and those born by cesarean delivery,10 often with a lifelong impact
10. Jian-jun Ren, Zhao Yu, Feng-Ling Yang, Dan Lv, Shi Hung, Jie Zhang, Ping Lin, Shi-Xi Liu, Nan Zhang, and Claus Bachert, “Effects of Bifidobacterium breve Feeding Strategy and Delivery Modes on Experimental Allergic Rhinitis Mice,” PloS One 10, no. 10 (2015): e0140018, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140018.
Bifidobacterium bifidum
If you were born vaginally, B. bifidum will be one of your oldest bacterial friends. Newborns typically pick it up as they pass through the birth canal. It competes with pathogens including E. coli and yeasts such as Candida and helps prevent diarrhea. B. bifidum in combination with L. acidophilus and L. casei (in capsule form) for eight weeks has been shown to help people with major depressive disorder.17
17. Ghodarz Akkasheh, Zahra Kashani-Poor, Maryam Tajabadi-Ebrahimi, Parvaneh Jafari, Hossein Akbari, Mohsen Taghizadeh, Mohammad Reza Memarzadeh, Zatollah Asemi, and Ahmad Esmaillzadeh, “Clinical and Metabolic Response to Probiotic Administration in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial,” Nutrition 32, no. 3 (March 2016): 315–20, doi:10.1016/j.nut.2015.09.003.
Miscellaneous
Infantile colic is the medical diagnosis when babies cry for hours each day, usually between the ages of 3 weeks and 6 months. This produces severe strain on the family, and is a common cause of visits to pediatricians and family physicians in the first year of life. The general belief appears to be that the cause and treatment are unknown.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COLIC
An online search turns up some useful recent articles. In a 2015 review (1) of the literature, authors reiterate that the “cause” of infantile colic is not known, but that it is benign and “self-limiting” (goes away by itself) and that parents should be reassured.
However, the laboratory findings they report in the review article contradict that conclusion, and the most recent research is even more concerning. The immune system of babies with colic is impacted – babies are inflamed, all over their bodies, as demonstrated by blood tests (3). We know that excessive and prolonged inflammation is harmful, and a precursor of most chronic illnesses from allergies, to autoimmunity, cardiovascular disease, mental illness, learning difficulties, arthritis, some cancers, and eventually neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. In fact, some research have tied colic to the later development of migraines (5). We need to figure out what can be done about colic, and then do it.
WHAT CAUSES COLIC?
Based on a 2017 article, it appears now well understood that most cases of infantile colic involve “dysbiosis”, or problems with the baby’s gut bacteria (2). Accordingly, many babies respond to treatment with probiotics, and a frequent laboratory anomaly, an elevated fecal calprotectin, improves along with the baby’s behavior (3). In that study, normal babies had a calprotectin level of 100, while colicky babies were up to 900, and came down to at least 600 as their symptoms improved in response to probiotics.
The calprotectin is a component of white blood cells, the body’s immune cells charged with fighting problem situations. In the functional medicine understanding, calprotectin is likely to increase if something causes the gut to feel “under threat.” This can include infections, unsuitable food, excessive stress, parasites, toxins from present or past mold, and other toxins such as heavy metals and pollution.
To take a step back, it is important to realize that our gastrointestinal tracts are in effect “outside the body”. That is, there is continuous “tube” that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus, and this tube is completely exposed to the environment, the way a donut hole would be for a donut. The body has taken advantage of this to park a majority of the immune system along the intestine, so that the environment can be sampled and processed continuously, and the cells of the immune system can transmit the information to the rest of the body.
The intestine is also tasked with being the organ that absorbs nourishment from food, which is in a sense the opposite from protecting the body from harmful environmental impacts. This makes our intestine a likely location for problems to arise. Hippocrates evidently said “all disease starts in the gut.”
INFLAMED BABIES
When the body is exposed to infections, or toxins, or harmful foods, the immune system sounds the alarm; the individual may experience abdominal cramping and perhaps flu-like symptoms – fatigue, headache, feeling poorly, and feeling grumpy. It’s interesting that infantile colic occurs in the evening, which happens to be a time when the body’s major anti-inflammatory hormone, cortisol, begins to drop off towards nighttime low levels (but that is a guess on my part).
All babies of course are exposed to many environmental impacts, especially from germs and other allergens, and must learn to “tolerate” the vast majority of these influences (since only a very small fraction of germs are dangerous). The “education” of the immune system occurs thanks to “beneficial bacteria” the baby acquires during the first few moments of life, as he or she (hopefully) comes down the birth canal. One of the most abundant and clinically important vaginal bacteria are called Lactobacillus reuteri, and that is one probiotic that works well to improve or resolve infantile colic (2).
HOW SHOULD WE TREAT COLIC?
If we understand this sequence, we can derive many of the likely treatments and prevention for colic. A healthy vaginal biome is the first step – it also plays a role in preventing premature labor and delivery, and chorioamnionitis, a placental inflammation that raises the risk for pregnancy complications and autism spectrum disorder. A healthy vaginal biome prevents bacterial vaginosis and yeast vaginitis. It is depleted by douching, antibiotics, stress, and altered by oral contraceptives in ways not entirely understood (4).
Next, the baby has to be exposed to this biome. The relevant bacteria are not acquired as efficiently in babies delivered by C-sections. L. reuteri can be taken by mouth, in quantities that successfully repopulate the vaginal tract for mothers, and it can be given to babies.
When colicky babies are given L. reuteri, at least 65% of breastfed babies respond with reduced crying and reduced calprotectin (3). The calprotectin level decreases more in the babies that do respond, confirming that there is a group of babies whose calprotectin is high basically because they are low on the L. reuteri.
CHANGING THE DIET
Another treatment that apparently has acquired conventional medicine support is dietary restriction. For exclusively breastfed babies, this means that mom must restrict her food intake. Many foods have been found to be at fault, and in the conventional medical world, where increased gut permeability is not a well-understood phenomenon, there is no attention to restoring mom’s proper gut function.
The treatment of increased gut permeability is poorly defined by research. In the alternative and functional realm, a number of interventions are thought to be helpful in healing a leaky gut. These are summarized as the “5R” protocol, which consists of removing, restoring, repairing, reinoculating, and rebalancing. Basically you need to remove irritants, restore proper digestive juices, repair the barrier with nutrients, reinoculate with probiotics, and rebalance patient’s (usually) overstressed lives.
To take another step back, leaky gut has been a contentious issue between allopathic or conventional medicine on the one side, and naturopathic and unconventional practitioners on the other. However, in this case, one side clearly won, as the junction between intestinal cells was found, on close inspection, to be made up of pores and portals. The body intends for the gut to be permeable at times, most likely to allow gut immune cells to flood into the bloodstream when needed, and relay messages throughout the body. Unfortunately, there is a food that causes leaky gut, at least temporarily in all creatures, and that is the protein gliadin, the main peptide in gluten, which is found in wheat and other grains.
LEAKY GUT
So, to return to the thread of this argument, if a mother has an overreaction to gluten, or another reason for excessive IP, then poorly digested proteins from the foods she eats commonly will find their way into her bloodstream. These proteins will elicit an immune response, because the immune system does not “like” to see poorly digested proteins – it assumes they are dangerous without investigating. These poorly digested proteins presumably make their way into breast milk and are passed down to the baby, who is overreacting due to dysbiosis or toxins.
The baby then becomes inflamed. About 10-40% of babies suffern from colic, depending which source you read. This represents a massive failure on our part to foster the optimal development of the most vulnerable among us.
Baby's gut wall doesn't close until age 2
VITAMIN D STATUS
Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy can contribute to childhood obesity
A study that followed 532 mother-child pairs from early pregnancy through age six found an inverse correlation between maternal vitamin D levels and child obesity. One-third of the women in the study had very low 25(OH)-vitamin D concentrations as measured in the first half of pregnancy. Measurements of obesity markers obtained at age four showed significantly increased body mass index and waist circumference in the children of very low vitamin D mothers. This outcome was slightly increased at age six, at which time body fat percentage was measured and also found to be higher among the children in this group. A proposed mechanism follows studies showing that vitamin D can inhibit the conversion of pre-adipocytes into mature fat cells, suggesting that children exposed to very low vitamin D in early gestation might develop a higher adipose cell count. This study highlights the importance of monitoring vitamin D levels, especially during pregnancy. Contributed by Sheena Smith, MS
Daraki V, Roumeliotaki T, Chalkiadaki G, et al. Low maternal vitamin D status in pregnancy increases the risk of childhood obesity. Pediatr Obes 2018 Jan 28. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12267. [Epub ahead of print] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijpo.12267/abstract
Infants born to vitamin D-deficient mothers might be at risk for neonatal brain injury
A review article published in Neonatology explores the neuroprotective role of vitamin D in the brain development of neonatal and pediatric populations. The authors call attention to several preclinical trials that show infants born to vitamin D-deficient mothers are at a high risk of developing neonatal brain injury. Specifically, the authors identify clinical studies that show neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) tend to be vitamin D-deficient. Although there is some clinical evidence to support use of vitamin D supplementation to reduce size and severity of brain infarcts, such studies have been performed on animal models or adult humans. To date, there is limited data available on whether additional prenatal or postnatal vitamin D supplementation might influence the prevalence or severity of neonatal HIE. This article raises awareness of the need for further investigation in this area. Contributed by Mario Roxas, ND
Stessman L, Peeples E. Vitamin D and its role in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Neonatology 2018;113(4):305-312.
CESAREAN DELIVERY
it’s faster, more lucrative, and more easily scheduled. In 2013 payment for cesarean delivery is about 50% higher than average payments with vaginal births ($27,866 versus $18,329). It’s no wonder rates of cesarean births increased in the US by 50% between 1996 and 2001.
infants born by cesarean delivery have an increased risk of developing asthma, allergies, and autoimmune disease in later childhood. Compared with babies delivered vaginally, those delivered by cesarean were 26% more likely to be overweight and 22% more likely to be obese.
BREASTFEEDING, GMOs, and LOW FIBER DIETS
breastfeeding has been associated with a host of positive health outcomes ranging from fewer ear infections to lower risk of leukemia.
Researchers in Sweden discovered that a substance found in human breast milk called HAMLET (human alpha-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells) has elective ability to kill cancer cells
Breast milk is rich in living white blood cells, immunoglobulins, and oligosaccharides that feed a particular strain of beneficial bacteria from the genus Bifidobacterium.
The preferred foods to first feed a baby are liver, egg yolks, avocado, and pureed greens
In 2014 the average daily dietary fiber intake was 16 grams per day, despite the recommended 38 grams. In 2009 the USDA’s Economic Research Service found that in American adults a mere 3% of calories a day came from fruits and 5% of calories from vegetables (the majority of which were potatoes). This is a very far cry from the fiber-rich and plant-centered diets humans ate up until the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s.
if a child is exposed to gluten within the first 5 months of life the probability of celiac goes up 500%, if exposed working the first 7 months it's 178%... Baby gets whatever mom eats
RANDOM ADVICE
The best way to set up young children to be strong is to lay them face down when they're a baby. They will have to do what equates to a push up to investigate what is going on around then which will improve the neck extensors strength... https://youtu.be/tFJy73EtFus
You achieve 90% of your coordination by age 12. Children should be exposed to as much variety in sports and their environment as possible. Before age 12 it is a priority that kids have fun in whatever sport or endeavor they enter
Children develope technical skills at the rate with which they develope strength
To convey important information in a way that will get through to your children, recruit someone they respect. Eg the football coach... Because most of the time they will not listen to you because you're their parent
Exposure to RF-EMFs and ELF-EMFs during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood is particularly concerning since the rate of cell growth and maturation is highest during these developmental stages. Growing cells are much more sensitive to environmental toxins such as EMFs, compared to established cells. Research has indicated that EMF exposure to growing cells could not only affect an individual cell’s ability to grow and reproduce naturally, but also lead to functional complications. A healthy cell is the foundation for healthy organ function and therefore, when cells are not able to mature properly, the organ’s ability to function optimally is also compromised, leading to poor health outcomes.
INOSITOL IMPROVES PREGNANCY RATES
According to a recent review published this month in Medicine, researchers demonstrated that myo-inositol supplementation can increase pregnancy rate by increasing oocyte and embryo quality during an in vitro fertilization (IVF) program.
Inositol acts as second messenger which regulates several hormones such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid stimulating hormone, and insulin.
Previous studies have shown that an inositol deficiency is common in individuals with insulin resistance and PCOS. There appears to be a reduced ability to process, metabolize, and effectively use inositol from foods, which is a distinctive characteristic feature of insulin resistance. As a result, the nutritional requirements of these patients may not be met by a simple change in the diet, and inositol should be considered a conditionally essential nutrient in these women.
Although inositol is an insulin sensitizing agent commonly used for those with PCOS and insulin resistance, it also has some roles in reestablishing menstrual regularity and ovulation.
This review consisted of 7 studies including 935 women. The average dose of myo-inositol was 4 grams/day over a 3 month period before and during controlled ovulation induction. Myo-inositol supplementation was associated with a significantly improved pregnancy rate in infertile women undergoing an IVF program.
Since inositol plays a role in the regulation of FSH, it is critical for FSH signaling, oocyte maturation, and embryo development. Oocyte and embryo quality are considered to be the main challenge of IVF in assisted reproduction. Inositol is safe, inexpensive, and can have a therapeutic approach for women with fertility issues.
It is important to note that the conversion of myo-inositol to D-chiro-inositol is impaired in individuals with PCOS and insulin resistance, so supplementation in these individuals should take the form of both D-chiro-inositol and myo-inositol.
Also, one must keep in mind that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) including bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, PCBs, PBBs, PBDEs, pesticides, and heavy metals may also contribute to infertility. It is important to minimize further exposure by eating organic produce, drinking filtered water, using household products that are fragrance-free and free of phthalates and BPA, and replacing non-stick pans with glass, ceramic, or cast iron. Nutrients that support detoxification pathways include n-acetyl-cysteine, glutathione, calcium D-glucarate, milk thistle, and sulforaphane.
By Michael Jurgelewicz, DC, DACBN, DCBCN, CNS
A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH FOR BREASTFED BABIES
I propose that the correct treatment of infantile colic is this:
Start the baby and mom on L. reuteri. Mom could start on women’s probiotics, such as Metagenic’s Women’s Probiotic, or even Jarrow’s (though the Jarrow version has lower numbers of bacteria). For the baby, the preparation used in the research studies (6) contained 100 million units daily of L. reuteri. I have not investigated brands for this yet, but it appears widely available.
Start mom on an elimination diet, hopefully as part of an investigation for leaky gut. Ideally one would figure out the 5Rs. What needs to be eliminated (foods, harmful organisms)? What does mom need for efficient digestion, for efficient gut membrane repair, for an improved gut biome? How can we provide her with the support and guidance she wants to improve the stress level in her life?
If the baby’s symptoms do not resolve, investigate the baby and mom for toxins, heavy metals, mold, and chronic infections.
Above all, we must stop saying that colic is some kind of inevitable temporary problem that no one understands or knows how to treat. It likely is of importance to the baby’s and mother’s future health. Colic represents an opportunity to address a breakdown in intestinal function.
References…
Am Fam Physician. 2015 Oct 1;92(7):577-582. Infantile Colic: Recognition and Treatment Johnsno, JD, Cocker K, Chang E
Pediatrics. 2015;135(suppl 1):S5–S6. In: Abstracts from the 6th Excellence in Pediatrics Annual Conference, December 4–6, 2014, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Fecal calprotectin during treatment of severe infantile colic with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938. Savino F, De Marco A, Ceratto S, et al.
J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2017 May;64(5):691-695. Infantile Colic Is Associated With Low-grade Systemic Inflammation. Pärtty A1, Kalliomäki M, Salminen S, Isolauri E.
AIDS. 2013 Aug 24;27(13):2141-53. Hormonal contraception decreases bacterial vaginosis but oral contraception may increase candidiasis: implications for HIV transmission. van de Wijgert JH1, Verwijs MC, Turner AN, Morrison CS.
Iran J Child Neurol. 2017 Summer;11(3):37-41. Is Infantile Colic an Early Life Expression of Childhood Migraine? Tabrizi M1, Badeli H1, Hassanzadeh Rad A1, Aminzadeh V1, Shokuhifard A1.
Pediatrics. 2010;126:e526-e533. Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 in infantile colic: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Savino F, Cordisco L, Tarasco V, et al.
Images
Which probiotic do i choose?
Photo by Daily Nouri on Unsplash
There is a giant — and ever expanding — world of probiotics out there to choose from. The following is a a short list from the book The Psychobiotic Revolution along with some of their benefits.
Also for the lazy, I have included a quick start reference for your next trip to Whole Foods!
Quick Start Reference
Anxiety
Probio’Stick, L. helveticus, L. plantarum, B. breve, B. longum
Depression
B. bifidum, B. breve, B. longum + L. helveticus, L. acidophilus, L. brevis, L. casei, L. delbrueckii, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. salivarius, L. lactis, S. thermophilus
IBS
B. bifidum, B. infantis, B. animalis, B. lactis, L. plantarum, Mutaflor
Ulcerative colitis
F. prausnitzii, B. breve + galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS), VSL#3, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. reuteri ATCC 55730, L. delbrueckii + L. fermentum, Mutaflor
Crohn’s disease
S. boulardii, Mutaflor
Diarrhea
B. bifidum, B. infantis, B. longum, L. rhamnosus, S. thermophilus
Antibiotic-induced diarrhea
B. lactis, S. boulardii, L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. casei
Bifidobacterium longum (R0175 & 1714) or Bifidobacterium infantis (35624)
B. longum inhibits pathogens in the large intestine, reducing inflammation and helping to prevent diarrhea. It also helps mitigate lactose intolerance and food allergies. Some research has shown that it can lower cholesterol and can act as an antioxidant. Via the neuroendocrine system and the vagus nerve, B. longum reduces anxiety and cortisol levels.3 Through its effects on hippocampal growth factors, it can reduce depression as well. It can also improve cognition, and so might be useful for healthy people who want to improve performance.4 Under stress, it can improve your coping skills. It has been tested on humans5 and the results track those found in mice and rats.
In a clinical study, we tested whether psychobiotic consumption could affect the stress response and cognition in healthy volunteers. Our results indicate that consumption of B. longum 1714 reduces the perception of stress, reduces morning cortisol levels, and improves memory.6
B. longum boosts the amount of available tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin, which can have an antidepressant effect. This is the same neurotransmitter involved with SSRIs. B. longum is now considered to be technically the same as B. infantis, and the strain numbered 35624 is known to be a potent anti-inflammatory. You may see it listed as either longum or infantis on an ingredient list.7 Along with L. helveticus, it is naturally found in yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut.
Bifidobacterium breve (1205)
B. breve has shown results similar to B. longum, but with slight differences. It seems to have a greater influence on anxiety than depression.8 It prevents the growth of E. coli, as well as Candida albicans, the fungus behind yeast infections. Its strong antipathogen effect may explain why it helps in the fight against diarrhea, IBS, and allergies. It improves gut health in both premature babies9 and those born by cesarean delivery,10 often with a lifelong impact. In addition, B. breve has long been known to alleviate problems associated with antibiotics.11
In our laboratory, we found that both B. longum and B. breve helped to lower anxiety in a mouse bred to be anxious. Whereas B. longum acted as an antidepressant, B. breve lowered anxiety. Both species compared well against the antidepressant escitalopram (marketed as Lexapro or Cipralex) to reduce anxiety and depression. In our lab B. longum reduces perception of stress and morning cortisol levels in healthy volunteers.
These results also suggest that each bacterial strain has intrinsic effects and may be beneficially specific for a given disorder. These findings strengthen the role of gut microbiota supplementation as psychobiotic-based strategies for stress-related brain-gut axis disorders.12
Bifidobacterium animalis (DN 173 010, BB-12, Bi-07) or Bifidobacterium animalis lactis (HN019, DR10)
B. animalis, another member of the Bifido genera that includes the subspecies B. animalis lactis, has proven a benefit to people with ulcerative colitis.13 It has been shown to improve both constipation and diarrhea associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).14 B. animalis is friendly with other psychobiotics, including various Bifido and Lacto species. It causes their numbers to increase, giving you extra bang for the buck.15 B. lactis has been shown to improve mood when used in combination with L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, and L. lactis.16
Bifidobacterium bifidum
If you were born vaginally, B. bifidum will be one of your oldest bacterial friends. Newborns typically pick it up as they pass through the birth canal. It competes with pathogens including E. coli and yeasts such as Candida and helps prevent diarrhea. B. bifidum in combination with L. acidophilus and L. casei (in capsule form) for eight weeks has been shown to help people with major depressive disorder.17
Lactobacillus acidophilus (ATCC 4356)
L. acidophilus is the most popular bacteria in probiotic and psychobiotic formulations. It has a long history of safety and is found in fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kefir. It helps to prevent diarrhea and is useful in treating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). It not only lowers inflammation but also increases opioid and cannabinoid receptors, acting as an analgesic and mitigating gut pain.18
L. acidophilus is a potent fighter against Campylobacter jejuni, a pathogen that causes gastroenteritis and anxiety. L. acidophilus outcompetes jejuni and prevents it from sticking to and infecting the cells lining your gut.19 This antipathogenic behavior is a major contributor to its antianxiety effect.
Lactobacillus delbrueckii (bulgaricus) or Lactobacillus helveticus (R0052 & NS8)
L. bulgaricus is found in yogurt and kefir and is often found with other Lacto and Bifido species in these products. It has been shown to improve mood when used in a mix with other milk fermenters. Because it ferments lactose, it can help with lactose intolerance. Human studies have shown it to improve immune function and to moderate the response to emotional stimuli. Recently, L. delbrueckii has been reclassified as L. helveticus.
L. helveticus is a popular addition to cheese cultures, as it inhibits bitter flavors. It has been shown to reduce blood pressure as well as depression and anxiety. Recent studies report that increasing the level of Lacto in the gut lowers the blood pressure of people with hypertension.20 Its main mode of action is to lower inflammation and enhance serotonin signaling. In animal models of liver disease, L. helveticus helps prevent anxiety and cognitive impairment.21 Studies have shown that L. helveticus can mitigate the inflammation and anxiety involved with eating a Western diet.22 Although most of these studies have been done in mice, human studies have shown that L. helveticus enhances nutrient absorption, removes allergens, and fights pathogens.23 Its use in cheesemaking ensures that it is safe for human consumption.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus (IMC 501, JB-1, GG)
L. rhamnosus has been found to be useful for treating peanut allergies, diarrhea, dermatitis, and obesity. It has been shown in animal studies to reduce both depression and anxiety, possibly by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter GABA. The effects depend on the vagus nerve, and if it is severed, the effects disappear.24 L. rhamnosus can alleviate obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in mice. It lowers levels of corticosteroids, which reduces levels of stress, and it produces short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate, that both feed and heal the gut. Butyrate can also penetrate the BBB, where it acts as an antidepressant.
In laboratory testing it was shown that regular treatment with L. rhamnosus induced region-dependent alterations in GABA throughout the brain in comparison with controls. Alterations in GABA expression are implicated in the “pathogenesis of anxiety and depression, which are highly comorbid with functional bowel disorders.
Importantly, L. rhamnosus reduced stress-induced corticosterone and anxiety- and depression-related behavior. Moreover, the neurochemical and behavioral effects were not found when the vagus was severed, identifying the vagus as a major modulatory communication pathway between the gut bacteria and the brain.25
L. rhamnosus is found in yogurt, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, kefir, fermented sausage, and fermented soy cheese. Note: Use caution with this psychobiotic if you have an impaired immune system, such as what accompanies HIV or lupus, as it could trigger sepsis.
L. rhamnosus GG (LGG) is contained in products, including Culturelle, Nutramigen, LGG, and others. It is one of the best studied strains of L. rhamnosus and has been shown to be effective in treating IBS,26 a disease associated with depression and anxiety. However, in tests with healthy volunteers, it was not shown to reduce stress or improve cognitive performance.27
Lactobacillus reuteri
L. reuteri is one of the most ubiquitous species of gut bacteria, present across a wide spectrum of animals and always with a positive effect on health. In mice, it has been found to correct problems in pups born to mothers on a high-fat diet, including problems socializing.28
L. reuteri produces antibiotics against pathogenic bacteria, yeasts, and protozoans, making it a potent probiotic and an anti-inflammatory. It colonizes in the gut quickly. It improves skin tone, along with reproductive fitness, lowers inflammation, and increases oxytocin levels in both mice and humans.29 It increases levels of leptin (the satiety hormone) and decreases levels of ghrelin (the hunger hormone), potentially decreasing your caloric intake.
L. reuteri has been shown to reduce visceral pain, which can reduce pain-related anxiety. Interestingly, this deadening effect is similar whether the L. reuteri is killed or alive.30 L. reuteri can also lower levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and inflammation, helping to prevent heart disease.31
Lactobacillus plantarum (299v, PS128)
L. plantarum is found in many fermented foods, including pickles, kimchi, brined olives, and sauerkraut—all great ways to consume this psychobiotic. It has been shown in humans to attenuate soy allergies and reduce inflammation. In animal studies it has been shown to enhance memory, even reducing age-related memory loss.32 Some popular products for bowel support contain only this species of bacteria.
L. plantarum strain PS128 competes with Clostridia and Enterococcus species, so it not only boosts Bifido levels, it also knocks down those potential pathogens.33 L. plantarum inhibits inflammation and has been shown to reduce gut pain in patients with IBS.34
Lactobacillus casei (Shirota, DN-114001, Immunita)
L. casei, like other Lacto species, is used in cheese- and yogurt-making and enjoys the company of L. acidophilus. It has been found to be useful in preventing antibiotic-induced diarrhea and C. diff infections, both of which are strongly associated with anxiety. When patients are on antibiotics, many doctors today will prescribe yogurt to help mitigate the inevitable damage of these drugs on the microbiota, and it’s thanks to the L. casei in the yogurt that it has beneficial effects. Studies in humans with depression showed an improvement in mood after 10 days of consuming yogurt containing L. casei.35
Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome had less anxiety and better gut health after eating L. casei.36 Interestingly, L. casei caused numbers of Bifido to increase, which likely contributed to the effect—an example of how many of the psychobiotics listed here can work as a team.
Lactobacillus paracasei (IMC 502)
L. paracasei is commonly found in fermented milk products and is common in probiotic mixes. It has been shown to lower levels of pain and intestinal distress caused by antibiotics and is a good adjunct when taking those drugs. In combination with L. rhamnosus, it has been shown to minimize the oxidative stress associated with intense physical activity.37 L. paracasei has also been shown to reduce the liver damage resulting from chronic alcohol consumption.38
Streptococcus thermophilus
S. thermophilus may not sound like a psychobiotic—after all, strep throat is caused by its cousin, S. pyogenes—but this species is a good gut citizen and has been used in fermented foods for centuries. S. thermophilus is a bacteria found in yogurt and kefir, and is often a fellow traveler with L. delbrueckii. They are synergistic: The S. thermophilus provides folic acid to Lactobacillus bulgaricus, thus improving the numbers of that psychobiotic. Women who consumed S. thermophilus in a yogurt formula showed less response to negative emotional stimulation, which is used as a rough determinant of anxiety.
Saccharomyces boulardii
Saccharomyces boulardii is the only psychobiotic on this list that isn’t a bacterium. It is instead a yeast and as such is not recommended for anyone with a compromised immune system or sensitivity to yeast. For others, however, this fungus has a long history of treating diarrhea. Given with antibiotics, it helps to reduce the chances of C. diff infection. Some studies have shown it to be effective with IBS and its attendant anxiety. It has also been shown to be effective in treating the two manifestations of IBD: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s.39
References:
3. Premysl Bercik, Elena F. Verdu, Jane A. Foster, Joseph Macri, Murray Potter, Xiaxing Huang, Paul Malinowski, et al., “Chronic Gastrointestinal Inflammation Induces Anxiety-Like Behavior and Alters Central Nervous System Biochemistry in Mice,” Gastroenterology 139, no. 6 (December 2010): 2102–12.e1, doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2010.06.063
4. H. M. Savignac, M. Tramullas, B. Kiely, T. G. Dinan, and J. F. Cryan., “Bifidobacteria Modulate Cognitive Processes in an Anxious Mouse Strain,” Behavioural Brain Research 287 (2015): 59–72, doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2015.02.044.
5. Michaël Messaoudi, Robert Lalonde, Nicolas Violle, Hervé Javelot, Didier Desor, Amine Nejdi, Jean-François Bisson, et al., “Assessment of Psychotropic-Like Properties of a Probiotic Formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in Rats and Human Subjects,” British Journal of Nutrition 105, no. 5 (March 2011): 755–64, doi:10.1017/S0007114510004319.
6. A. P. Allen, W. Hutch, Y. E. Borre, P. J. Kennedy, A. Temko, G. Boylan, E. Murphy, J. F. Cryan, T. G. Dinan, and G. Clarke. “Bifidobacterium longum 1714 as a Translational Psychobiotic: Modulation of Stress, Electrophysiology and Neurocognition in Healthy Volunteers,” Translational Psychiatry 6, no. 11 (November 1, 2016): e939, doi:10.1038/tp.2016.191.
7. “Friedrich Altmann, Paul Kosma, Amy O’Callaghan, Sinead Leahy, Francesca Bottacini, Evelyn Molloy, Stephan Plattner, et al., “Genome Analysis and Characterisation of the Exopolysaccharide Produced by Bifidobacterium longum Subsp. longum 35624TM,” PLOS ONE 11, no. 9 (September 22, 2016): e0162983, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0162983.
8. H. M. Savignac, B. Kiely, T. G. Dinan, and J. F. Cryan, “Bifidobacteria Exert Strain-Specific Effects on Stress-Related Behavior and Physiology in BALB/c Mice,” Neurogastroenterology and Motility: The Official Journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society 26, no. 11 (November 2014): 1615–27, doi:10.1111/nmo.12427.
9. Yudong Li, Toshiaki Shimizu, Atsuto Hosaka, Noritsugu Kaneko, Yoshikazu Ohtsuka, and Yuichiro Yamashiro, “Effects of Bifidobacterium breve Supplementation on Intestinal Flora of Low Birth Weight Infants,” Pediatrics International: Official Journal of the Japan Pediatric Society 46, no. 5 (October 2004): 509–15, doi:10.1111/j.1442-200x.2004.01953.x.
10. Jian-jun Ren, Zhao Yu, Feng-Ling Yang, Dan Lv, Shi Hung, Jie Zhang, Ping Lin, Shi-Xi Liu, Nan Zhang, and Claus Bachert, “Effects of Bifidobacterium breve Feeding Strategy and Delivery Modes on Experimental Allergic Rhinitis Mice,” PloS One 10, no. 10 (2015): e0140018, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140018.
11. R. Fuller, “Probiotics in Human Medicine,” Gut 32, no. 4 (April 1991): 439–42.
12. “H. M. Savignac, B. Kiely, T. G. Dinan, and J. F. Cryan, “Bifidobacteria Exert Strain-Specific Effects on Stress-Related Behavior and Physiology in BALB/c Mice,” Neurogastroenterology and Motility: The Official Journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society 26, no. 11 (November 2014): 1615–27, doi:10.1111/nmo.12427.
13. Yezaz A. Ghouri, David M Richards, Erik F Rahimi, Joseph T Krill, Katherine A Jelinek, and Andrew W DuPont, “Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics in Inflammatory Bowel Disease,” Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology 7 (December 9, 2014): 473–87, doi:10.2147/CEG.S27530.
14. D. Guyonnet, O. Chassany, P. Ducrotte, C. Picard, M. Mouret, C. H. Mercier, and C. Matuchansky, “Effect of a Fermented Milk Containing Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010 on the Health-Related Quality of Life and Symptoms in Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Adults in Primary Care: A Multicentre, Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial,” Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 26, no. 3 (August 1, 2007): 475–86, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2007.03362.x.
15. M. Ahmed, J. Prasad, H. Gill, L. Stevenson, and P. Gopal, “Impact of Consumption of Different Levels of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 on the Intestinal Microflora of Elderly Human Subjects,” Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 11, no. 1 (February 2007): 26–31.
16. Ryan Rieder, Paul J. Wisniewski, Brandon L. Alderman, and Sara C. Campbell, “Microbes and Mental Health: A Review,” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (January 25, 2017), doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2017.01.016.
17. “Ghodarz Akkasheh, Zahra Kashani-Poor, Maryam Tajabadi-Ebrahimi, Parvaneh Jafari, Hossein Akbari, Mohsen Taghizadeh, Mohammad Reza Memarzadeh, Zatollah Asemi, and Ahmad Esmaillzadeh, “Clinical and Metabolic Response to Probiotic Administration in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial,” Nutrition 32, no. 3 (March 2016): 315–20, doi:10.1016/j.nut.2015.09.003.
18. Christel Rousseaux, Xavier Thuru, Agathe Gelot, Nicolas Barnich, Christel Neut, Laurent Dubuquoy, Caroline Dubuquoy, et al., “Lactobacillus acidophilus Modulates Intestinal Pain and Induces Opioid and Cannabinoid Receptors,” Nature Medicine 13, no. 1 (January 2007): 35–37, doi:10.1038/nm1521.
19. Raffaella Campana, Sara Federici, Eleonora Ciandrini, and Wally Baffone, “Antagonistic Activity of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 on the Growth and Adhesion/Invasion Characteristics of Human Campylobacter jejuni,” Current Microbiology 64, no. 4 (April 2012): 371–78, doi:10.1007/s00284-012-0080-0.
20. Pedro A. Jose and Dominic Raj, “Gut Microbiota in Hypertension,” Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension 24, no. 5 (September 2015): 403–09, doi:10.1097/MNH.0000000000000149.
21. Jia Luo, Tao Wang, Shan Liang, Xu Hu, Wei Li, and Feng Jin, “Ingestion of Lactobacillus Strain Reduces Anxiety and Improves Cognitive Function in the Hyperammonemia Rat,” Science China Life Sciences 57, no. 3 (March 2014): 327–35, doi:10.1007/s11427-014-4615-4.
22. Christina L. Ohland, Lisa Kish, Haley Bell, Aducio Thiesen, Naomi Hotte, Evelina Pankiv, and Karen L. Madsen. “Effects of Lactobacillus helveticus on Murine Behavior Are Dependent on Diet and Genotype and Correlate With Alterations in the Gut Microbiome,” Psychoneuroendocrinology 38, no. 9 (September 2013): 1738–47, doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.02.008.
23. Valentina Taverniti and Simone Guglielmetti, “Health-Promoting Properties of Lactobacillus helveticus,” Frontiers in Microbiology 3 (2012): 392, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2012.00392.
24. Javier A. Bravo, Paul Forsythe, Marianne V. Chew, Emily Escaravage, Hélène M. Savignac, Timothy G. Dinan, John Bienenstock, and John F. Cryan, “Ingestion of Lactobacillus Strain Regulates Emotional Behavior and Central GABA Receptor Expression in a Mouse via the Vagus Nerve,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108, no. 38 (September 20, 2011): 16050–55, doi:10.1073/pnas.1102999108.
25. Ibid.
26. Natalia Pedersen, Nynne Nyboe Andersen, Zsuzsanna Végh, Lisbeth Jensen, Dorit Vedel Ankersen, Maria Felding, Mette Hestetun Simonsen, Johan Burisch, and Pia Munkholm. “Ehealth: Low FODMAP Diet vs Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” World Journal of Gastroenterology 20, no. 43 (November 21, 2014): 16215, doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i43.16215.
27. John R. Kelly, Andrew P. Allen, Andriy Temko, William Hutch, Paul J. Kennedy, Niloufar Farid, Eileen Murphy, et al., “Lost in Translation? The Potential Psychobiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1) Fails to Modulate Stress or Cognitive Performance in Healthy Male Subjects,” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 61 (March 2017): 50–59, doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2016.11.018.
28. Shelly A. Buffington, Gonzalo Viana Di Prisco, Thomas A. Auchtung, Nadim J. Ajami, Joseph F. Petrosino, and Mauro Costa-Mattioli, “Microbial Reconstitution Reverses Maternal Diet-Induced Social and Synaptic Deficits in Offspring,” Cell 165, no. 7 (June 16, 2016): 1762–75, doi:10.1016/j.cell.2016.06.001.
29. S. E. Erdman and T. Poutahidis, “Probiotic ‘Glow of Health’: It’s More Than Skin Deep,” Beneficial Microbes 5, no. 2 (June 1, 2014): 109–19, doi:10.3920/BM2013.0042; Bernard J. Varian, Theofilos Poutahidis, Brett T. DiBenedictis, Tatiana Levkovich, Yassin Ibrahim, Eliska Didyk, Lana Shikhman, et al., “Microbial Lysate Upregulates Host Oxytocin,” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 61 (March 2017): 36–49, doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2016.11.002.
30. T. Kamiya, L. Wang, P. Forsythe, G. Goettsche, Y. Mao, Y. Wang, G. Tougas, and J. Bienenstock. “Inhibitory Effects of Lactobacillus reuteri on Visceral Pain Induced by Colorectal Distension in Sprague-Dawley Rats,” Gut 55, no. 2 (February 2006): 191–96, doi:10.1136/gut.2005.070987.
31. Douglas B. DiRienzo, “Effect of Probiotics on Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease: Implications for Heart-Healthy Diets,” Nutrition Reviews 72, no. 1 (January 2014): 18–29, doi:10.1111/nure.12084.
32. J. J. Jeong, J. Y. Woo, K. A. Kim, M. J. Han, and D. H. Kim, “Lactobacillus pentosus Var. plantarum C29 Ameliorates Age-Dependent Memory Impairment in Fischer 344 Rats,” Letters in Applied Microbiology 60, no. 4 (April 2015): 307–14, doi:10.1111/lam.12393.
33. Kamini Ramiah, Carol A. van Reenen, and Leon M. T. Dicks, “Surface-Bound Proteins of Lactobacillus plantarum 423 That Contribute to Adhesion of Caco-2 Cells and Their Role in Competitive Exclusion and Displacement of Clostridium sporogenes and Enterococcus faecalis,” Research in Microbiology 159, no. 6 (July 2008): 470–75, doi:10.1016/j.resmic.2008.06.002.
34. K. Niedzielin, H. Kordecki, and B. Birkenfeld, “A Controlled, Double-Blind, Randomized Study on the Efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum 299V in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 13, no. 10 (October 2001): 1143–47.
35. D. Benton, C. Williams, and A. Brown, “Impact of Consuming a Milk Drink Containing a Probiotic on Mood and Cognition,” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 61, no. 3 (March 2007): 355–61, doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602546.
36. A. Venket Rao, Alison C. Bested, Tracey M. Beaulne, Martin A. Katzman, Christina Iorio, John M. Berardi, and Alan C. Logan, “A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study of a Probiotic in Emotional Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,” Gut Pathogens 1, no. 1 (March 19, 2009): 6, doi:10.1186/1757-4749-1-6
37. “Alison C. Bested, Alan C. Logan, and Eva M. Selhub, “Intestinal Microbiota, Probiotics and Mental Health: From Metchnikoff to Modern Advances: Part III—Convergence Toward Clinical Trials,” Gut Pathogens 5 (March 16, 2013): 4, doi:10.1186/1757-4749-5-4.
38. Noriko Komatsuzaki and Jun Shima, “Effects of Live Lactobacillus paracasei on Plasma Lipid Concentration in Rats Fed an Ethanol-Containing Diet,” Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 76, no. 2 (2012): 232–37, doi:10.1271/bbb.110390.
39. L. V. McFarland and P. Bernasconi, “Saccharomyces boulardii. A Review of an Innovative Biotherapeutic Agent,” Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 6, no. 4 (January 1, 1993): 157–71, doi:10.3109/08910609309141323; Mario Guslandi, Gianni Mezzi, Massimo Sorghi, and Pier Alberto Testoni, “Saccharomyces boulardii in Maintenance Treatment of Crohn’s Disease,” Digestive Diseases and Sciences 45, no. 7 (July 1, 2000): 1462–64, doi:10.1023/A:1005588911207.
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Ballin' on a Budget? Here's the best bang for your buck
Marty Kendall over at OptimisingNutrition.com put a bunch of data together to show you how to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to shopping for the most nutritious foods!
Cost vs maximum nutrient density
As a starting point, the picture above shows cost vs nutrient density. As a general rule, foods that are more nutritious tend to be more expensive. But if funds are tight, you can get a better nutritional bang for your buck by focusing on foods towards the top by keeping to the left.
Some quick tips for interpreting the charts:
Foods towards the top are more nutritious.
Foods towards the left are cheaper.
Foods towards the right are more expensive (on a calorie for calorie basis). For example, it would cost you more than $100 per day to live on 2000 calories of fresh blueberries or asparagus. However, it might only cost you $1 per day to live on vegetable oil, sugar and oatmeal.
Foods towards the bottom left of the chart (e.g. fats, oils, flour and sugar) are cheap but are nutritionally very poor. While we don’t eat these foods by themselves, they often end up as ingredients for high profit margin processed foods.
The foods towards the bottom right are not a good investment in terms of either nutrient density or cost.
If you want to look at more popular foods check out the Tableau chart here (you’ll need to be on a computer with a screen not a phone for this, sorry).
If you’re super eager and want to check out ALL the data for all the foods that we have collected price and nutrient data you can check it out here.
Concussion Protocol (CTE)
1. Dynamic Brain Restore Powder….first 2 months take 1 scoop twice daily (earlier in the day as it is a nootropic). Then for the following month take 1 scoop per day. For prevention purposes after the first 3 months, take 1/2 a scoop per day. This combo has been shown to heal the brain, increase the dendritic lengthening creating improvement brain cell communication. Improves neuronal glucose metabolism and brain energy.
2. Brain Support…..first 2 months take 2 caps twice daily. Then take 1 capsule twice daily for another month. For preventative purposes, take 1 capsule daily. This formula will reduce brain inflammation and oxidative damage.
3. DHA Liquid Omega Liquid….first 2 months take 1 tablespoon twice daily. The following two months take 1 tablespoon per day. For ongoing brain health and prevention, take 1-2 teaspoons daily. The brain is made up of 60% fat, with 40% of that being DHA. Fish oils reduce axonal and neuronal damage, decreases depression/anxiety because it supports neurotransmitters, reduces neuronal apoptosis, inflammation/edema, and oxidative stress. Also increases BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor).
4. Magtein….first 2 months take 2 capsules 2-3 times daily. The following month take 2 caps twice daily. For preventative purposes take 2 capsules daily. This form of magnesium (magnesium threonate), is the only form of magnesium to substantially cross the blood brain barrier as a signaling molecule for controlling synaptic density and plasticity. Improves sleep and mood.
5. This supplementation along with a Ketogenic Diet high in vegetables, quality protein, and try to eliminate sugar, gluten, and dairy as they are inflammatory and reduce the healing of the brain. Check out the following Keto Food Matrix from Robb Wolf’s Keto Masterclass to create an easy meal.
Optimizing Vegetable Selection
All food is not created equal! Appearance matters when it comes to selecting the most nutritious foods at the super market. Use the following tips to select and prepare your veggies.
Artichoke:
The Globe or French artichoke is the most common variety as well as one of the most nutritious.
Artichokes are one of the highest antioxidant valued vegetables in the supermarket. You would have to eat 18 servings of corn or 30 servings of carrots to get the same benefits.
Due to their high respiration rate, it is important to buy the freshest artichokes you can find as both their flavor and health benefits decline with each passing day.
If you must store them, place them in the crisper drawer as soon as you get home and eat them within 1 or 2 days.
It’s not often that the inside of a vegetable is as nutritious as the outside but recent research has shown hat the artichoke heart is as nutritious as the leaves.
Steaming artichokes retains more nutrients than all other cooking methods.
Canned or jarred artichoke hearts are nutritious as well.
Asparagus:
When selecting asparagus, choose the bunch with the straightest spears. When asparagus is stored in a dark warehouse for a week or more, the spears length and bend upward in search of light giving them a contorted appearance. Additionally, if tips are starting to separate, have a yellowish cast, or mushy consistency these asparagus have been stored far too long. Once you select healthy looking spears, flip the bunch over; the cut end of the stalk should be smooth and moist.
Green asparagus has 7x more antioxidant than the colorless white variety.
Asparagus has a high respiration rate, similar to broccoli or artichokes. It loses much of its flavor and nutritional value within a day or two of harvest.
Cooked asparagus is more nutritious for you than raw. If you steam asparagus it will increase the antioxidant value by 30%.
For storing asparagus for more than a day, it is best to place the bunch in a microperforated bag and keep them in the crisper drawer.
Beets:
Beets are more nutritious after you steam, microwave or roast them.
If you cook them with the skin on and remove after they will retain more nutrients. The skin acts to keep water-soluble nutrients inside the beets.
Beet greens are more nutritious than the beets themselves, add them to salad or in a green smoothie.
Broccoli:
To increase nutrient absorption use Extra Virgin Olive Oil as part of your cooking of vegetables or as a dressing for salads will increase the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
Whole heads of broccoli are more nutritious than the pretrimmed florets. Sectioning broccoli into florets doubles its respiration rate, using up much of its antioxidant reserve in response to the “injury” of being cut into pieces. This leaves little for you, so buy whole head and trim them yourself before cooking.
Eating broccoli raw will give you 20x more of the compound called sulforaphane than cooked broccoli. Sulforaphane has been shown to reduce inflammation, slow again and fight cancer.
Frozen broccoli is convenient but is less nutritious.
Cooking broccoli in boiling water will cause half the nutrients to leach out into the water. Microwaving isn’t a good idea either as you can destroy have the nutrients in two minutes.
The best cooking method to retain the most nutrients for broccoli is to steam it for about 4 minutes. Or sauté them in extra virgin olive oil, this way they don’t lose any water-soluble nutrients because they are in contact with oil, not water.
If you keep broccoli for more than a day, place it is a resealable plastic bag, prick 10-20 small holes and then store in the crisper drawer for the best retention of nutrients and flavor.
Brussels Sprouts:
When selecting Brussels Sprouts, look for bright green, tight heads. Browning shows their age and reduced nutrient value.
Brussels Sprouts respire rapidly so treat them as you would Broccoli. Purchase them as needed. Use them when you get them or store in the refrigerator for the next day.
Frozen Brussels Sprouts have been shown to only contain 20% of the beneficial compounds of fresh Brussels Sprouts.
The best cooking method for the preservation of nutrients is to steam them for 6-8 minutes. Brussels Sprouts become less sweet and more bitter the longer they cook.
Cabbage:
Cabbage is lower in antioxidant than other crucifers, however still nutritious. The deeper the color the more nutritious.
Cabbage does not respire quickly and as such can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or two without losing many of its nutrients.
The longer the storage, the more compromise comes in flavor. In only a few days of refrigeration, 30% of its sugar will be gone along with the freshest flavor.
Prepare cabbage by cutting it and steaming it briefly to reduce odor and increase nutrient yield.
Carrots:
Deeper colored carrots are more nutritious than fairer varieties. Purple carrots have more antioxidant activity and potentially more health promoting benefits than the beta-carotene in orange carrots.
For the freshest, most nutritious and flavorful carrots, select those with their green tops still attached. Before refrigerating, cut the tops off to preserve the moisture in the carrot. Be weary, of purchasing carrots without the top as they are often several months old which will give them less flavor and nutritional content overall.
Baby carrots, while convenient, are just larger misshapen carrots that have their outer-skin whittled away. Like potatoes or Apples, the skin or outermost part of the vegetable or fruit is the most nutritious because it has to pump up the phytonutrient and antioxidant content in that regions to defend against UV rays, mold, insects, fungus and disease. When the outer most part of a carrot is whittled away, 1/3 of its phytonutrients go along with it.
Cooking carrots whole, then chopping them before plating will allow the carrots to hold onto more nutrients than if you chopped them beforehand.
Cauliflower:
Colorful varieties are higher in antioxidants than less colorful varieties. Purple cauliflower has been shown to have 2.5x more antioxidants, and Romanesca cauliflower has as much as 4x glucosinolates — the beneficial sulfur-containing compound that gives cruciferous vegetables their bitter taste and high nutrient density — than the standard white variety. However, white cauliflower has more cancer fighting compounds than either green or purple.
Frozen cauliflower, like most frozen vegetables has fewer nutrients than fresh varieties. The processing and freezing of cauliflower can destroy up to 40% of their phytonutrients.
Prepare cauliflower as you would broccoli, by steaming for 4 minutes or sautéing with a quality extra virgin olive oil.
Chives:
Garlic chives have more antioxidants than the most potent of onions
Corn:
Go for organic corn as it will have 50% more phytonutrients than conventionally raised corn.
Choose colorful varieties if possible; look for deep yellow, red, blue, black or purple as they are higher in phytonutrients than pale yellow or white corn. The same goes when searching for cornmeal.
Frozen corn has the same nutritional content as fresh yellow corn. It is better to steam frozen corn without thawing to retain more nutritional value.
Steam, grill or microwave corn but don’t boil it as nutrients will be lost in the water. Corn cooked in the husk will retain the most nutrients overall.
If you have no time for prep, canned corn can be as nutritious as fresh corn. The canning process reduces the vitamin C content, however it does not alter the phytonutrients with some even becoming more potent. Studies show that during the process of canning, the heat applied transforms certain phytonutrients into more active forms, making them easier to absorb. This may explain why canned corn has higher carotenoid content than fresh corn.
Garlic:
There has been no concerted effort to improve garlic for conventional farming and selling practices, therefore it contains most of its wild nutrients and anything you come across at the store is a great find. Look for garlic with plump, firm cloves with a tight outer wrapper.
Optimizing the nutrients of garlic is dependent on how you prepare it. To get the full benefit of garlic it is best to chop, crush or use a garlic press, then let the garlic rest for 5-10 minutes before use. Different enzymatic reactions occur when garlic is prepared this way allowing for the powerful compound called allicin to have it’s full effect.
Allicin has been found to have health promoting effects on atherosclerosis, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Kale:
Kale is one of the few vegetables that exceed the nutritional values of some wild greens.
Red-leaved varieties have a higher antioxidant value than green-leaves.
For those who are prone to kidneys or gallstones, the variety known as “Dino Kale” or Lacinato Kale are lower in oxalates.
Lettuce:
The most nutritious lettuce greens aren’t green, but red, purple, or reddish brown and then dark green — the deeper the hue the higher the phytonutrient content.
The arrangement of leaves on a lettuce plant plays a role in the phytonutrient content. Tightly wrapped plants like iceberg lettuce have less phytonutrient content than plants with loose or open leaves like romaine or red lettuce. If given a chose seek out the looseleaf varieties
As soon as you get home, separate the individual leaves, rinse and then soak them for about 10 minutes in very cold water. In addition to increasing the internal moisture of the greens which allows them to remain crisp longer, the cold water will reduce their temperature, slowing the aging process. Next, it is important to dry them, with a dry paper towel or salad spinner, as any moisture left on the surface will hasten their decay. Store in a plastic bag with 10-20 tiny prick holes, then place in the crisper drawer.
If you tear your greens into bite-sized pieces it will increase the antioxidant content, however if you do this make sure to eat it within a day or two.
Whole heads of greens are always fresher than bagged greens, this goes for all varieties. The longer the leaves stay in a bag the greater the reduction in antioxidants. If you do buy greens in a bag, look for mixtures that contain both red and dark green varieties. Be sure to check the “use-by” date and reject anything that has yellow, brown or withered leaves.
Onions:
The more strongly flavored the onion, the better for your health.
Red and Yellow onions pack more nutrients than White onions
Small onions have more nutrients per pound than their larger siblings
Potatoes:
The most colorful potatoes with the darkest skin and flesh — blue, purple, and red — will give you more antioxidants than yellow potatoes.
The Purple Peruvian potato has 28x more bionutrients than the Russet Burbank and 166x more than the Kennebec white potato
However, the Russet Burbank potato is still a good choice as it is higher in phytonutrients than most white potatoes.
Another good option is the Purple Majesty. It has been said that this potato has twice the anthocyanin amount of any other fruit or vegetable
Don’t peel your potatoes, if you do you’ll lose 50% of the antioxidant value
Store your potatoes in a cool dark place with plenty of ventilation. New potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or two but after than find a cool dark storage area with a temperature between 45-50° to prolong nutritional life of the potato.
Scallions (Green Onions):
Scallions are more like wild onions than any other variety, as such they are more nutritious than most other allumins
The long green leaves have a greater concentration of nutrients than the small white bulbs
Shallots:
Ounce for ounce shallots have six times more phytonutrients than the typical onion.
Spinach:
Bunches are fresher than bagged leaves. Spinach that’s been in a bag for only one week has just half the antioxidant benefits of freshly harvested.
Mid-sized leaves have more phytonutrients than baby spinach or large spinach leaves.
Compared to Spinach, Dandelion Greens have eight times more antioxidants, twice the calcium, three times the vitamin A and five times more vitamin K and E. Try mixing in Dandelion Greens to your next salad, just be careful as adding too much can make the salad a little too bitter for some. If this is the case add come acid from balsamic vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon.
As soon as you get home, separate the individual leaves, rinse and then soak them for about 10 minutes in very cold water. In addition to increasing the internal moisture of the greens which allows them to remain crisp longer, the cold water will reduce their temperature, slowing the aging process. Next, it is important to dry them, with a dry paper towel or salad spinner, as any moisture left on the surface will hasten their decay. Store in a plastic bag with 10-20 tiny prick holes, then place in the crisper drawer.
Sweet Potatoes:
Sweet potatoes are higher in antioxidants than regular potatoes.
The most nutritious varieties have purple and dark orange flesh, but remember you still need to consume the skin for the full benefits.
Avoid storing sweet potatoes in the refrigerator as they can develop a distinctly “off” flavor. Like normal potatoes, store sweet potatoes in a cool dark location.
Tomatoes:
Choose tomatoes that are deep red in color, they will have more antioxidants than yellow, gold or green tomatoes.
Size is equally as important as color, when selecting tomatoes. Small, dark red tomatoes are sweeter and more flavorful as well as having the most lycopene — the phytonutrient that gives tomatoes their red color and has been show to have benefical effect on the heart, blood pressure, osteoporosis and skin — per ounce. The red-colored cherry, grape and currant varieties are the most flavorful and carry the highest amount of lycopene. Additionally, smaller tomatoes will have more vitamin C than their heftier relatives.
Storing tomatoes in the refrigerator is not a good idea because when the internal temperature drops below 50°, it stops producing and exacerbates the loss of flavor and aromatic compounds. The longer the duration of refrigeration will make the tomatoes increasing less sweet and more bitter. Store at room temperature to preserve taste.
The longer you cook tomatoes the more health benefits you get. The heat breaks down cell walls and transforming nutrient compounds making them more available and easier to absorb. Just 30 minutes of cooking can double the lycopene content.
As such, canned tomatoes are the most nutritious sources of lycopene, due to the heat required in the canning process. Canned tomatoes are also more flavorful than what you would find in the produce section because they are picked when ripe and then processed immediately. Therefore, no flavor is lost along the way.
Tomato paste is the most concentrated source of lycopene you can find, with up to 10x more than a raw tomato.
New Research Shows Benefits of Collagen for Skin Conditions
Not all collagen is considered equal. Supplementation sources can vary from porcine, bovine or marine — all variations in quality and molecular weight can affect absorption and efficacy.
Collagen is broken down in the digestive tract, whereafter it enters the bloodstream and accumulates in various tissues depending on it's molecular weight. For superior absorption, a collagen supplement with low molecular weight is key.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, making it the most prevalent structural material in the human body after water. This is important when we understand that collagen is a necessary component for building beautiful skin. As much as 75% of the extracellular matrix is comprised of collagen.
In a recent research review the efficacy of collagen supplementation was tested for dermatological applications. The researchers looked at 8 studies using collagen hydrolysate (which has a low molecular weight) at doses ranging from 2.5-10 grams per day for a period of 6-24 weeks. These studies found a reduction of wrinkle volume, improved skin elasticity, increased skin moisture and a significant reduction in the degree of cellulite.
Additionally, The use of collagen has also expanded into treating such dermatological conditions as atopic and allergic contact dermatitis. The aforementioned review also looked at one 12-week study that sought to examine the effect of collagen supplementation with atopic dermatitis with a dose of 3.9 grams a day. Those who supplemented with collagen saw a significant decrease in immune response and inflammation after 12 weeks. Severity of skin eruption areas, skin hydration and itchiness were all reduced with collagen supplementation.
Collagen is effective in supporting various dermatological conditions such as wound healing, skin elasticity, and suppleness. Other applications for collagen supplementation include osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, improving blood pressure and insulin resistance. As with all things, quality is important. It is necessary to use a high-quality collagen supplement that is supported by clinical research and is of a low molecular weight in order to optimize absorption and intended results.
Source: Choi FD, Sung CT, et al. Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systemic Review of Dermatological Applications. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019 Jan 1;18(1):9-16.
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Calm Down! CBD Oil for Anger and Stress
Guest post authored by Madeline Taylor from SundayScaries.com
Emotions are part of human life and throughout the course of our lives, we will go through the entire spectrum of feelings. There are some emotions that are directly related to events such as post-traumatic stress disorder and others that seem to pop up from nowhere. Anger and stress are two of the most powerful feelings that we can experience and if one is present, the other will be too.
Stress and anger are often accompanied by underlying anxiety and this is what makes it difficult to find an appropriate treatment. When these three emotions are all present in someone’s life, things can get out of control rather quickly and your quality of life is in jeopardy, especially if you don’t seek treatment. It is easy to overlook the fact that your anger could be a side effect of anxiety, especially if you haven’t been eating or sleeping properly and you may find that even the smallest of issues will suddenly seem like the end of the world is nigh.
Stress shouldn’t be taken lightly as, in severe cases, it can kill you. It causes hypertension, affects your nervous system, and can lead to depression. Furthermore, as there is still a stigma attached to those who seek medical treatment for seemingly minor emotional issues, many people choose to ignore the symptoms of stress and anger and hope that they will go away on their own.
The Effect of Pharmaceuticals on Mental Health Issues
When we feel like we are under a high level of stress or anxiety, there will likely come a point where a friend or colleague will point us in the direction of a physician to help us address our issues. It could be caused by a social anxiety disorder, increased stress levels through work, Post-traumatic stress (PTSD), or even because of chronic pain. And one of the most commonly prescribed treatments for anxiety is a benzodiazepine like Xanax. These pills will treat your symptoms almost immediately, but they are accompanied by a long list of harmful side effects—especially when used for long periods of time. Benzodiazepines are highly addictive and they can cause the following symptoms:
Nausea
Depression
Dry Mouth
Incontinence
Headaches
Shaking
Paranoia
Loss of appetite
Acne
How CBD Works for Anger and Stress
The past couple of years have seen the rise of alternative medicines such as CBD products like hemp seed oil, cannabis oil, and medical cannabis becoming increasingly popular. Medical marijuana and hemp oil (and all their derivatives) have been proven for use as an efficient and effective natural treatment for disorders like anxiety, depression, and stress and it is currently a hot topic in the medical industry. This has led to more studies being performed on cannabinoids and its potential therapeutic uses, as well as much more research scheduled to take place in 2019. While CBD oil is relatively new to the medical market, it has been used in ancient traditions for thousands of years to cure illness and provide relief from emotional issues like anger, stress, and anxiety.
Here are some of the ways that CBD is thought to alleviate the symptoms of anger and stress:
CBD is thought to cause pleasure hormones in the body to be released. These particular hormones are incredibly powerful, as they are responsible for inducing feelings of calm, reducing stress, and eliminating underlying anxiety.
Research has shown us that CBD positively affects the basolateral amygdala receptors that we naturally have in our bodies in order to process most of our sensory information.
The hippocampus is the part of our brain that is basically an emotional control center. CBD interacts with receptors in the hippocampus to stimulate positive emotions and the necessary chemicals to provide us with therapeutic comfort.
A daily dose of CBD oil has been found to reduce cognitive impairment.
CBD has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that help eliminate the effects that stress can have on our heart and arteries.
Another major factor to take into account, when looking at CBD as a viable treatment for emotional disorders, is the effect that CBD has on Serotonin levels in the brain. Science and anecdotal evidence have both demonstrated the positive effect that CBD has on the mood-enhancing chemicals in our brain. It triggers the release of these necessary chemicals and works to ensure that they are balanced in an entirely natural way. As an added bonus, it is not accompanied by any nasty side effects.
CBD Is not Addictive
CBD oil is a cumulative substance, meaning that it builds up in our body and works away behind the scenes. This is why it should be taken as a routine supplement each day, instead of when you are right in the clutches of a panic attack. Good quality CBD oil is extracted and processed in a way that allows it to override the psychoactive effects of THC (another important compound in the cannabis plant—the one that gets you high) this means that you won’t be walking around like a zombie and CBD oil is perfectly safe to take at work and it won’t impair your ability to drive or be productive. One of the primary risks of treating anxiety with traditional pharmaceuticals is an addiction and this, in turn, contributes to even more stress! CBD is completely non-addictive and you can take as much or as little as you like, without experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
Final Thoughts
While CBD oil is an incredibly powerful natural substance, not all oils are created equal. Before making a purchase, always check that the oil you are looking at is full spectrum and extracted in a chemical-free process. One of the biggest appeals of using CBD oil is the fact that it is completely non-toxic, so making sure that it is as pure as possible is going to be the key to success. It is also not a quick fix and should ideally be taken as part of a balanced diet and combined with exercise, which is also another incredibly effective way of eliminating stress from our lives. Finally, know that it is completely safe to experiment with dosage. What works for one person, might not be effective for another. Therefore, always start by taking a lower dose and increase it until you notice a positive change with regards to your anger and stress.
SOURCES:
Additional Notes on CBD:
While THC, the psychoactive chemical found in cannabis, is a restricted substance that is not legal in several states and countries, the compound cannabidiol is: Mary Barna Bridgeman and Daniel T. Abazia, “Medicinal Cannabis: History, Pharmacology, And Implications for the Acute Care Setting,” Physical Therapy 42, no. 3 (March 2017): 180–188, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5312634/
CBD is a cannabinoid that composes up to 40 percent of the marijuana plant: Alline Cristina Campos et al., “Multiple Mechanisms Involved in the Large-Spectrum Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol in Psychiatric Disorders,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 367, no. 1607 (December 2012): 3364–3378, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2011.0389
CBD acts as an antagonist of THC by turning off or turning down anything that would activate the receptors through which THC exerts its effects. CBD itself does not, like THC, attach to receptors associated with addiction, so it is neither addictive or habit-forming: Shenglong Zou and Ujendra Kumar, “Cannabinoid Receptors and the Endocannabinoid System: Signaling and Function in the Central Nervous System,” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 19, no. 3 (March 2018): 833, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19030833; Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, “Cannabidiol (CBD) Critical Review Report,” World Health Organization, June 2018, https://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/CannabidiolCriticalReview.pdf
CBD also has no psychoactive effects, and there is a growing body of research to support CBD use for recovery: Bridgeman and Abazia, “Medicinal Cannabis: History,” 180–188, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5312634/
CBD is particularly potent against inflammation, which is one of the leading contributors to conditions like heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and nephritis: Natalya M. Kogan and Raphael Mechoulam, “Cannabinoids in Health and Disease,” Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience 9, no. 4 (December 2007): 413–430, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3202504/; Martin Frisher et al., “The Role of Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Diabetes,” The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease 10, no. 6 (2010): 267–273, https://doi.org/10.1177/1474651410385860; Claudia Ho, Dan Martinusen, and Clifford Lo, “A Review of Cannabis in Chronic Kidney Disease Symptom Management,” Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease 6 (2019): 2054358119828391, https://doi.org/10.1177/2054358119828391
CBD is also effective against acute inflammation, which you might encounter, say, after a long day of racing or working out… CBD can also reduce levels of the inflammatory compound interleukin-6: Prakash Nagarkatti et al., “Cannabinoids as Novel Anti-Inflammatory Drugs,” Future Medicinal Chemistry 1, no. 7 (October 2009): 1333–1349, https://doi.org/10.4155/fmc.09.93
The problem with CBD is that it is not naturally highly bioavailable because CBD oils, capsules, and powders are not water soluble. Considering that your body is over 60 percent water, you have to find a way to overcome this problem to enjoy the benefits of this cannabinoid: Natascia Bruni et al., “Cannabinoid Delivery Systems for Pain and Inflammation Treatment,” Molecules 23, no. 10 (October 2018): 2478, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23102478
Turmeric plays a significant role here because the isolated curcuminoids (which are the active ingredients of a high-curcumin-containing turmeric plant) mix with the cannabinoids and terpenoids of CBD, causing their bioavailability to explode: Bruni et al., “Cannabinoid Delivery Systems,” 2478, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23102478
When you take CBD with curcumin or turmeric high in curcumin, you can get five to ten times the effects: Grant Hosking, “The Synergistic Effects of Turmeric and CBD,” Modern Nature, February 12, 2019, https://modernnature.com/blogs/articles/the-synergistic-effects-of-turmeric-and-cbd; Kelly Harrington, “Combining Hemp Extract and Curcumin,” Healthy Goods, April 12, 2019, https://healthygoods.com/blog/combining-hemp-extract-and-curcumin/
CBD topical lotions can be just as effective as or more effective than oral CBD supplementation for spot-targeting joints: D.C. Hammell et al., “Transdermal Cannabidiol Reduces Inflammation and Pain-Related Behaviours in a Rat Model of Arthritis,” European Journal of Pain 20, no. 6 (July 2016): 936–948, https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.818
recommend just 10 to 20 mg of CBD if you have never used it before: Kerstin Iffland and Franjo Grotenhermen, “An Update on Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol: A Review of Clinical Data and Relevant Animal Studies,” Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 2, no. 1 (2017): 139–154, https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2016.0034
Take Your Vitamins!
“Do you know that most of us today are suffering from certain dangerous diet deficiencies which cannot be remedied until depleted soils from which our food comes are brought into proper mineral balance? The alarming fact is that foods (fruits, vegetables and grains) now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contain enough of certain minerals are starving us — no matter how much of them we eat. The truth is that our food vary enormously in value, and some of them aren’t worth eating as food… Laboratory tests prove that the fruits, the vegetables, the grains, the eggs, and even the milk and the meats of today are not what they were a few generations ago.”
— 74th Congress, 2nd session (senate document no. 264) 1936
It has long been thought we can eat a balanced diet and remain healthy, yet, increasing rates of illness and disease have proven otherwise. The Department of Agriculture has estimated that 99% of Americans have some type of nutrient deficiency. This becomes important when we understand that our body’s require adequate nutrition to simply stay alive and significantly more nutrients if we wish to optimize our health and lifespan in this increasingly stressful and polluted world.
Why has this happened? Very simply, the food we eat — fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. — is being grown in soil which has become depleted in minerals from modern agricultural practices. In turn, our soil has become so impoverished that it has negatively effected the nutrient yield of the foods we consume. Research from the Life Extension Foundation in 2001 showed the vitamin and mineral content of several foods has dropped dramatically between 1963 and 2000. For example: Collard greens were shown to have a 62% loss of vitamin C, 41% loss of vitamin A, 29% loss of calcium, 52% loss of potassium and an 84% loss in magnesium! Furthermore, in 2004 the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found similarly significant declines in the vitamin and mineral content of over 43 crops grown in US markets.
Adding proof to the claims of nutrient insufficiency through dietary intake, lets take a look at a 2002 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The authors examined several nutrients including vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, Folic Acid and Carotenoids to which they concluded that the current US diet, while sufficient to prevent acute vitamin deficiency diseases, such as scurvy and pellagra, is inadequate to support long-term health. Continuing the theme, in a 2006 study from the journal Advances in Therapy it was stated: “Only supplementation was able to significantly boost nutrient levels and confer beneficial effects on general welfare, physical performance, and resistance to infections. Therefore, it appears that nutritional supplements are advisable for everyone.”
How can we optimize our nutrient intake? Along with eating as fresh, local and wild as possible, the incorporation of a high-quality, nutraceutical grade supplementation program is warranted. It is essential to find a supplement company which guarantees both potency and purity of their products, can provide proof of their effectiveness in human trials, with all ingredients are Generally Recognized As Safe. A good place to start is with The Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements by Lyle MacWilliam. This provides a comprehensive review of over 1,300 products in the United States and Canada.
What should I take? The following is a list of fundamental recommendations to get you started:
MultiVitamin
Most people do not meet their vitamin and mineral needs through diet alone, and as we have learned above, it would be hard to get all the nutrients we need from food alone. Supplementing with a MultiVitamin is essential to optimize health and performance, however most multivitamins you find in retail stores contain inefficacious, synthetic forms of vitamins and mineral that aren’t readily absorbed (or even usable) for your body. Therefore, it is imperative to find quality brands like NutriDyn or ATP.
Fruits & Greens Powder
A 2014 meta-analysis of 16 studies found that “higher consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, particularly cardiovascular mortality.”* However, less than 10% of Americans consume sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables per day. The NutriDyn Fruits & Greens provides 20+ servings of fruits and vegetables in a single scoop and tastes great.
Magnesium
Magnesium is the second most abundant mineral inside human cells, or at least it should be. It is essential for over 700 enzymatic reactions in the body, such as normal nerve and muscle function, supporting the immune system, keeping a steady heart beat, helps bones remain strong and it is also needed to regulate blood glucose levels. According to Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, as much as 80% of Americans are magnesium deficient. This is largely due to unsustainable farming practices and the use of Roundup which binds magnesium, removing 50% of what little is left in the soil.
EPA/DHA Fish Oil (Omega-3)
The majority of animal protein — beef, poultry, pork — in America is fed an unnatural diet of grains containing soy/corn. The downstream effect of this is inferior quality meat that is higher in inflammatory Omega-6’s and lower in Omega-3’s. On top of this, the Standard American Diet consists of highly processed foods, also high in these same inflammatory oils. Historically, it has been estimated that humans evolved eating a diet close to equal in Omega-6 and 3 fatty acids**. However, the current ratio in the Western diet is closer to a 15:1 to 30:1 ratio. This is cause for a host of inflammatory diseases. Improving your Omega-3 ratio can improve insulin sensitivity, lower triglycerides, mitigate the effects of stress, and has the ability to turn on lipolytic genes (fat burning genes). Additionally, out of 14 omega-3 trials, which followed patients for an average of 2 years, the overall reduction in mortality was almost twice as good as statins, 25%. This is significant for at least 2 reasons: 1) that is a huge difference, and 2) the studies only lasted 2 years on average, meaning that the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are fast-onset and robust. In other words, statins take ~50% longer and are only ~50% as good as omega-3 fatty acids.
References:
* https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6426a1.htm
** Simopoulos AP. Omega-3 fatty acids in health and disease and in growth and development. Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Sep; 54(3):438–63.)
You're Not Fat, You're Pre-Skinny! Tips to Get There
Fat is the common enemy, we all share, in modern society. Beach season is coming! We can’t live without it, as it is a necessary component of our health, yet we shun its existence at every glance. The issue of moderating weight gain, more specifically fat gain, is no longer thought to be as simple as “calories in, calories out.” Fat Chance by Robert Lustig addresses the full spectrum of how fat gain (a.k.a. obesity) is a combination of several factors: physics, biochemistry, endocrinology, neurology, psychology, social circles and environmental surroundings. The complexities around why we gain fat are far more complex than the weight loss industry would have you believe. That said, I want to give you my top take-a-way’s from this book:
Diet coupled with weight training works better for weight loss.
When you go on a diet to lose weight, do you know what you are losing? You lose some fat, but you’re actually losing more muscle unless you lift weights while you’re dieting in order to prevent muscle loss. Maintaining, and even adding muscle, is beneficial for weight loss because it improves your body’s ability to use incoming calories to fuel muscle instead of being stored as fat.
Our body seeks balance in order to maintain our current weight.
Therefore, a reduction in calories in an effort to lose weight will be unsuccessful as energy expenditure is reduced to meet the decreased energy intake. On a caloric deficit you will, at the onset begin to lose subcutaneous fat (the fat underneath the skin), however in a primal effort to save you from starvation, your body’s leptin (fullness hormone) levels will fall. This will create an overpowering sensation to reduce the activity of your metabolism and find something to eat. This is often why starvation diets do not work for very long—the body is looking to restore weight balance.
Evolutionarily, the metabolism of fat and carbohydrates developed separately.
We possess the ability to thrive on diets at opposite ends of the spectrum. The hunters ate fat, whereby the liver would beta-oxidize (the process by which fatty acids are broken down by the mitochondria) what it needed for its use and would then export any excess LDL to be taken up by the adipose tissue. Conversely, the gatherers ate carbohydrates (glucose) and upon absorption, the liver would extract what it needed. Insulin would clear the rest out of the bloodstream and drive it into the muscle for energy or adipose tissue for energy storage. Each system worked for the energy that came in, but when our modern diet combines these it is easy to get a caloric surplus.
Our entire society likes to consume both fats and carbohydrates at the same meal, for no other reason than it tastes good. Who doesn’t like steak and potatoes?! As food became more readily available, we began to overload both sides of our metabolic pathways with the breakdown of fat and the glycolysis of carbohydrates in the same meal. Both of these metabolic processes convert the food we eat into fuel for our mitochondria—the furnace that drives our metabolism—in the form of the compound acetyl-CoA. Our hypercaloric diet is wreaking havoc on the mitochondria as fuel is pouring in from both directions too fast to process efficiently. A single high-fat, high-carb meal is no problem but to keep this up for ten thousand meals in a row is most likely the cause of your creeping weight gain.
Alter your environment for systemic change.
The environment is what drives biochemistry—the hormones of insulin, ghrelin, PYY and cortisol—therefore, if you want to affect your weight you have to change the environment.
a. Get your insulin down to reduce your body fat and improve leptin resistance. You can do this by lifting weights to increase muscle mass, as well as by consuming whole foods that contain fiber.
b. Get your ghrelin down to reduce hunger. Start the day with a high protein (e.g., grass-fed meats) and fat (e.g., nuts or avocados) meal. This will reduce ghrelin and stabilize your blood sugar more than a meal consisting of high carbohydrates, so you will feel satiated longer and burn more calories just sitting. The protein has a higher thermic effect, than carbohydrates, which means that the body uses more energy to metabolize the protein we consume.
c. Get the PYY up to hasten your satiety. Putting food in our stomach lowers your ghrelin but doesn’t stop you from eating more. The signal for satiety, or the switch to turn off the meal is Peptide YY. Between the stomach and the PYY cells are a lengthy twenty-two feet of intestine. It takes time for the food to get there, so instead of shoveling the food down, practice patience. If you are still hungry at the end of the meal try waiting 20 minutes before going for seconds.
d. Get the stress down, to reduce your cortisol. Cortisol is your short-term friend by your long-term enemy. A stressful environment liberates stored glycogen, which in turn raises blood sugar that begins the cascade of insulin and eventual insulin resistance. Any bit of exercise will have a beneficial affect on your cortisol levels.
The moral of this story is that, there is way more to process of gaining and losing weight than those weight loss commercials would have you believe. If it were that easy, we would all be famous instagram models, however it is not. So don't beat yourself up if you haven't found the right process to get you where you want to be. It is out there and I'd be happy to help.
Nutrition Primer: How to Start Eating Better
It hard to know where to start when it comes to bettering your health, but step one is always going to be about improving your nutritional habits. Take a look at the following questions to get an idea of where you should start.
Question #1: Where do I start when trying to improve my nutrition?
The first thing people often do is choose a diet they have be researching or one that their friend recommends, but jumping into any diet is not always the best choice. Food provides the body with energy, as well as information, and if you completely change what you are consuming chances are you are going to have a hard time adapting. Headaches, digestive issues and wild cravings are generally the mainstay of radical changes in diet. So instead of jumping on the Paleo, Ornish, low-fat, Mediterranean or vegetarian bandwagon, first address the issue of eliminating nutritional deficiencies.
Most people will be surprised to find out that they, in fact, have any deficiencies at all, but the research shows that more than 80% of the population has at least one. And who knows, the very reason you have sought out to read this article – weight gain, sleep disturbance, digestive issues, etc. -- could be rectified with a simple adjustment of your diet, without rushing into a full overhaul.
To eliminated any underlying deficiencies it is best to start with the following:
- Adding more quality proteins by using less lunch meat and favoring more free-range, wild caught or grass-fed meats
- Increasing vitamins and minerals by choosing a colorful variety of vegetables and fruits
- Allowing room for sufficient healthy fats by using coconut oil to cook, olive oil in salads, full-fat dairy or avocado as a snack
- Drinking more water. Try adding a cucumber or lime slice for some flavor.
Establishing optimal eating habits are done one step at a time. By making small changes over time you are positively altering your environment, ultimately creating a lifestyle change that is much better than any crash diet you can subscribe to.
Question #2: What’s the Best Diet to Follow?
There really is no “best diet.” What works best for one person, is probably not going to work for another. Those who have found success with a low-fat/high-carb diet (Jenny Craig) would probably find success with the equally restrictive high-fat/low-carb diet (Atkins). Macronutrient (carbohydrate/fat/protein) restrictive diets work well for weight-loss because they limit one of the body’s main sources of fuel — fat or carbohydrate. However, due to their intensive restrictions, when the majority of start to slip with temptation they tend to slip all the way off the diet and regain the weight.
A better way to ask the question would be; “What is the right nutritional approach that will create a positive long-term, systemic change in my life?” It is definitely a much harder question to answer correctly, which is why it is often not asked. As stated in question one, making small nutritional changes can have that positive affect and allow for insight as to what makes your body work more efficiently. The caveat to that is we all have limitations, whether they be financial or health related that will need to factor in to your nutritional choices. In the end, the best diet is one that is going to allow the individual to thrive in every endeavor.
Question #3: Is Counting Calories Important for Weight Loss?
No, counting calories is not something you should spend your time on when it comes to weight loss. Eating should be enjoyable, not reduced down to a math problem. When we choose to count calories with the intention of losing weight, the general approach is to take in less calories than we’re used to. Calories-in, calories-out right? Well, it’s not that simple as energy expenditure would be reduced to meet the decreased energy intake. So a calorie is not really a calorie because your caloric output is controlled by your body and is dependent on the quantity and quality of the calories ingested.
Besides, by counting calories you are essentially outsourcing appetite awareness to the food-label gods. Instead, think about regaining control of your portions with the hand-measuring system. Here is how it works:
- Your palm determines your protein portion
- Your fist determines your veggie portion
- Your cupped hand determines your carb portions
- Your thumb determines your fat portions.
Question #4: Should I Avoid Carbs?
Avoiding carbs is not necessary for weight management, nor achieving optimal health. However, if the majority of your dietary carbs come from a box – pastas, cereals, donuts, pizza – it would be best to reevaluate your choices in order to reach your goal. The quality of your carbohydrates is important in terms of nutritional content and the toll it play on our body.
When we eat a food containing carbohydrates, the digestive system will break them down into sugar allowing it to enter the blood. This causes our blood sugar to rise and in response the pancreas secretes insulin – a hormone that shuttles sugar out of the blood and into the cells to be stored at energy. When this happens we blunt our ability to burn fat and instead use the easily accessible energy within our blood.
Sugar is the biggest offender especially if it enters the blood stream as glucose, which doesn’t need to be broken down by enzymes, so it’s absorbed immediately. Starch can be in the same boat when it comes to raising blood sugar, sometimes worse if it's in the form of gluten-containing, nutrient-depleted grains (e.g., pastas, cereals, donuts, pizza). So where does that leave us?
Do not avoid carbs. Instead make better choices. The following is a list of possible replacements for when you are meal planning:
- Low Starch Vegetables such as baby corn, jicama, kohlrabi, rutabaga, water chestnuts, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, turnips, green beans, cucumber, bean sprouts, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, artichokes, okra, zucchini, green peppers all have a high ratio of fiber and nutrients compared to the content of carbs present.
- Moderate Starch Veggies like sweet potatoes, beets, or carrots are still reasonable but it is wise to watch the serving sizes.
- Low-Sugar/Low-Fructose Fruits such as Kiwifruit, Blueberries and raspberries, Grapefruit/lemons/limes, melons, pears with skin, and coconuts are decent choices that have their place in a season context, however avoiding fructose altogether is likely a safe bet for most people especially those who are obese.
- Gluten-free grains are acceptable for people who have the genetic ability to process carbs, but grains often irritate the digestive system as well as blood sugar control mechanisms for a significant amount of people.
If you found these helpful and would like answers to more questions feel free to contact using the links below:
Weapons of Mass Construction: Amino Acids
Adapted from Eric Braverman's The Healing Nutrients Within
What do carnivores, vegetarians and omnivores all have in common? They all require protein in order to sustain and optimize life. Protein is the second most abundant substance in our bodies after water. It constitutes ¾ of the dry weight of most body cells. It is involved in the biochemical structure of genes, blood, tissue, muscle, collagen, skin, hair, and nails, and is a major constituent of all the many hormones, enzymes, nutrient carriers, infection-fighting antibodies, neurotransmitters and other chemical messengers in the body. This continuous process of building and regeneration is necessary for life and requires a non-stop supply of protein.
All protein is made up of different combinations of amino acids – essential or nonessential – that are consumed as part of our diet. The body breaks down these dietary proteins into individual amino acids and then reassembles them to build the specific structures needed within the body. Like carbohydrates and fat, protein is composed of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon, Yet, protein also contains nitrogen, which provides it with the ability of bodily repair and construction.
People do not realize how busy the human body is and to make it worse the need for quality protein intake often goes unrecognized in our hypercaloric environment. To illustrate, every second bone marrow makes 2.5 million red cells; every four days the lining of the gastrointestinal tract is renewed; and every 24 days a person has the equivalent of new skin. All this continuous repair work requires the building blocks of protein; amino acids.
The liver has the ability to produce about 60% of the amino acids we need, while the remaining 40% must be obtained from our diet. At present, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is between 44 to 56 grams per day. Yet, in America most people eat two to three times that amount and even vegetarians consume upwards of 80 to 100 grams a day!
So one would think that as long as we are eating adequate amounts of protein, containing the essential amino acids, we should be covered, right? The answer to that question is dependent on the individual person. The body’s requirement for essential amino acids is determined by our age group, degrees of stress, energy requirements, digestive capabilities, infection, trauma, environmental pollution, processed foods and one’s personal habits such as smoking and drinking. All these factors influence the need and availability of protein and its amino acid constituents. Additionally, one has to factor in nutrient deficiencies as there are multiple vitamins, namely pyridoxine (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and niacin (vitamin B3), that act as cofactors (a substance important for the activity of the enzyme) which are instrumental in the metabolism of amino acids.
It is for these reasons that while we adequately meet our recommended daily amount of protein, it may by no means be broken down and used efficiently. This is extremely important to recognize when we understand that each amino acid is designed for a specific purpose and cannot be interchanged. If our diet fails to provide, or our lifestyle uses up, any given essential amino acid problems can arise. The following list is taken from Eric Braverman’s The healing Nutrients Within to illustrate how different amino acids play a large role in our overall health and wellness:
- Arginine has been shown to act similar to and in some cases replace viagra for restoring erectile function and a sagging libido. It has also been found to increase sperm count
- New research measuring the breakdown products of bone in hydroxyproline may prove more advantageous for assessing bone loss than the standard bone density test
- Scientific evidence shows that boosting energy levels in the brain with phenylalanine and tyrosine is key to weight loss
- Melatonin and tryptophan have established themselves as multipurpose nutrients to improve sleep, defuse anxiety and slow down the aging process. Recent studies show promise for the use of tryptophan in the treatment of autism
- Homocysteine has gained recognition as a major independent risk indicator for cardiovascular disease. New research suggests it may also pretend neural tube defects, sickle cell disease, rectal polyps, and liver failure, and may contribute to depression, dementia and loss of brain function in the elderly
- Tyrosine can help cocaine and alcohol abusers kick their habits and combat the effects of stress, narcolepsy, chronic fatigue, and ADD
- Amino acid blood levels are increasingly serving as important indicators of physical and mental illnesses. They provide major nutritional and biochemical clues for more effective treatment
- Carnitine has been shown to offer significant protection against the common side effects of Depakote (a popular drug used for seizures and psychotic disorders). Its derivative N-acetyl-carnitine may surpass the metabolic potency of carnation in the brain, where it has been found to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease
- Scientific evidence continues to mount showing N-acetyl cysteine… to be perhaps the most powerful detoxifier in the body. It is now found in every emergency room as an antidote to overdose cases and as well can render harmless everyday environmental toxins.
- New, modified GABA compounds such as gabapentin (Neurotin) and tigabine (Gabitril) are producing improved uptake in the brain and appear to be important products in the control of seizures and anxiety disorders. Early studies indicate GABA may also be correlated to a decrease in benign prostatic hypertrophy.
- Research with serine compounds show that blocking serine metabolism may serve to prevent autoimmune activity present in psychoses
- Glutamic and Aspartic acids create additional neurotoxic damage in the brain following stroke. New drugs that block the action of the excretory amino acid transporters (EAATs) have recently been approved.
- BCAAs promote optimal muscle growth and improve performance… additionally they also offer promise for staving off muscle loss as we age.
As the research in the area of amino acid therapy continues to grow we can firmly apply the idea of Pfeiffers Law: if a drug can be found to do the job of medical healing, a nutrient can be found to do the same job.
Dr. Chris Bump: Magnesium—The King of Minerals
In this presentation Dr Christopher J Bump discusses the value of magnesium supplementation for those individuals who experience anxiety, poor quality of sleep and acute joint pain. Magnesium is critical to muscle relaxation, energy metabolism and protein synthesis and in the US over 55% of adults are deficient in magnesium.
Link to Video Presentation
Can You Retrain Your Taste?
Sugar consumption and your tastebuds
A 2016 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the effect of reduced simple sugar intake on a group of “healthy” men and women. The study broke the participants up into two groups, with one group assigned a low-sugar diet and the other group continuing to eat their usual high-sugar diet. After 3 months of this, both groups were left to eat however they pleased for yet another month. Each month during the study, participants were asked to rate the sweetness and “pleasantness” of vanilla puddings and raspberry beverages that varied in sugar concentration.
After the third month of dieting, the low-sugar group rated the pudding to be around 40 percent sweeter than the control group, regardless of how much sugar the pudding contained. The conclusion was simple: “changes in consumption of simple sugars influence perceived sweet taste intensity.” Meaning that the less sugar you eat over the long term, the more things taste sweeter and, therefore, tastier.
Researchers found that the low-sugar group took on average two months for their tastebuds to recognize any difference in sweetness and pleasantness—and yet another month for that sweetness to intensify.
The takeaway here? A little patience will yield long-term dividends.
But what about salt addiction?
If you’re a bit of a salt junkie, you might be keen on learning how to break the habit. It’s a perfectly reasonable goal to have, particularly if you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension. (You might want to find out if you’re among the “salt-sensitive” in the population—about 50% of those with hypertension by some estimates— before chalking up your high blood pressure to salt intake.)
Similar to sugar, lowering intake of sodium-rich foods has been shown to decrease your reliance on salt. An impressively long 1-year study found that “reduction in sodium intake and excretion accompanied a shift in preference toward less salt.” Researchers surmised that the mechanisms behind this reduction in salt addiction were varied, and included physiological, behavioral, and context effects. Not the ultra-conclusive reasoning you were hoping for, but it looks as if particularly overzealous salt cravings should drop significantly when you switch to a naturally salt-moderated, low processed-food diet.
Still, let’s not neglect some stubborn truths.
While the health and scientific community continues to hate on salt, very few studies have examined the importance of salt for maintaining a healthy body. While these studies may be relatively few, evidence suggests that salt may play an essential role in excreting cortisol (the “stress hormone”) from the body, thereby improving recovery time from stressful events and situations.
Salt has also been shown to decrease strain during exercise by increasing hydration. Studies indicate that knocking back a sodium-rich beverage prior to exercising increases plasma volume, which in turn reduces the strain on your body during exercise and helps you reach higher levels of performance.
And all those other clever uses…
And then there’s the point that salt just makes food taste better…. Just make a point of sticking with the good stuff—high quality sources like Himalayan pink salt, Real Salt, and Celtic sea salt. These natural, unrefined versions provide all of the taste of salt and, unlike table salt, still include all the essential minerals your body needs to rehydrate those cells and help to evenly distribute all that sodium.
The factors behind taste
If your body has been inundated with sugar-intensive processed foods for the last few years/decades, it may be a little confused as to what it actually wants to taste. Rewiring your tastebuds, then, is no small task for both your brain and your digestive system.
Luckily, all that’s required of you is to stay the course of good eating. That said, it’s helpful as always to understand the bigger picture.
Gut Health
There isn’t much it seems the gut isn’t involved in, and taste is no exception apparently. A team at the Department of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine discovered that the taste receptor T1R3 and the G protein gustducin are located in the gut, as well as the mouth. These taste receptors are essential to tasting sweetness in the foods we eat, and we now know that they play an important role in sensing glucose within our gastrointestinal tract.
This role goes far beyond simply “tasting” carbohydrates and other sugary or sweet foods within your gut. When you eat these foods, the sweet-sensing taste receptors in your large intestine activate the release of hormones that promote insulin secretion and regulate appetite. This means that if your gut health is lacking, its ability to sense carbs and produce insulin may be impaired.
Obesity
A 2012 study published in the British Medical Journal found that obese kids develop an insensitivity to taste. Researchers examined close to 200 children between the ages of 6 and 18, half of whom were a normal weight and half classified as obese. Each of the participants was asked to place 22 taste strips on their tongue, simulating each of the five levels of taste at varying intensities.
Obese children found it significantly more difficult to differentiate between the different taste sensations, and were particularly insensitive to salty, umami and bitter tastes. Children who were obese also gave lower intensity ratings to sweet foods, meaning they needed more sugar in foods to achieve the same sensation of sweetness.
The take-away is simple: the more weight we put on, the less likely we are to enjoy the food we eat or to recognize the mounting sugar or salt levels we likely take in for the same taste experience. There may be more of a lag time in rejuvenating full taste sensitivity if we’re reversing obesity as well as shifting our diets, but the end point is the same.
By Mark Sission
Nutrient Depletions from Prescription Drugs
Prescription drugs have side effects. That is, they have effects which are besides the intended effect. This can vary from person to person.
The intended effects of drugs are mostly to stop a process in the body, hence the “anti-” designation: anti-inflammatory, anti-biotic, anti-hypertensive. These altered processes are most likely produced as the body’s compensation for an imbalance somewhere. When you stop a natural process with a drug, like the stomach producing acid, there are consequences. The symptom – heartburn – may be gone, but the body does not function the same, and over time will result in compromised health.
One way to understand some of these side effects is that the drugs cause certain nutritional deficiencies when taken over time. Prescription drugs can deplete nutrients through many mechanisms, including impaired nutrient absorption, storage, transport, metabolism, or even excretion.
There are a large number of studies in medical literature which report the nutrient depletion of certain drugs. I’m sure your drug package insert does not list these, and most doctors who prescribe the drugs are not aware of them. I believe that everyone would serve themselves by becoming informed health consumers.
To that end, here is a list of nutrient depletions for common prescription drugs. This is meant to simply be a starting point, with common brand names of drugs listed. There are several handbooks (see resources at the end), so you can look it up in more detail. If you feel that it is in your best interest to take your prescribed drug, then you will probably have a better health outcome and reduce the risk of the drug’s side effects by supplementing with the listed nutrients.
5-Aminosalycyclic acid (for bowel inflammation)
Sulfasalazine, Colaza1, Mesalamine
Depletes: Folic acid
Anemia
Aranesp, Epogen, Procrit, Neulasta
Depletes: None reported
Antacids (H2 Blockers, Proton Pump Inhibitors)
Nexium, Prevacid, Protonix, Maalox, Mylanta,Tagamet, TUMS, Pepcid, Zantac
Depletes: Calcium, Vitamin B12, Phosphorus, Vitamin D, Folic acid, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin B1
Antibiotics
Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Pennicillin, Tetracycline, Cephalosporin, Ciprofloxacin
Depletes: Bifidobacteria, Lactobaccillus, Biotin, Potassium, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, Vitamins C, E, K, Inositol, Magnesium, Zinc
Anticoagulants
Warfarin
Depletes: None reported
Anti-Depressants (SSRI)
Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil
Depletes: Folic acid, Vitamins B6, B12, D, Essential Fatty Acids, Sodium
Anti-Diabetics
Actos, Metformin, Glucotrol, Avandia
Depletes: CoQ10, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12
Low magnesium levels may predispose to this condition.
Anti-histamines
Singulair, Zyrtec
Depletes: Essesential Fatty Acids
Anti-Hypertensives (ACE inhibitors, Beta-Blockers)
Toprol-XL, Norvasc, Lisinopril, Furosemide, Chlorthalidone, Clonidine, Propanolol
Depletes: CoQ10, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc, Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin B1
Anti-Inflammatories
Aspirin, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Naproxen
Depletes: Folic acid, Iron, Potassium, Sodium, Vitamin C, Glutathione
Bronchodilators
Advair Diskus, Singulair, Albuterol
Depletes: Potassium
Cholesterol-Lowering (STATINS)
Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, Cholestyramine, Colesevelam, Fenofibrate
Depletes: CoQ10, Beta-carotene, Calcium, Folic acid, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamins A, B12, D, E, K
Corticosteriods
Prednisone, Hydrocortisone, Prednisole, Bethamethasone
Depletes: Calcium, Folic acid, Magnesium, Potassium, Selenium, Vitamins A, B6, C, D, K, ZInc
Diuretics
Furosemide, Hydorchlorothiazide, Triamterene
Depletes: Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Vitamins B1, B6, C, Zinc, CoQ10, Folic acid
Gout
Colchicine
Depletes: Vitamins A, D, B12, Folic acid, Iron, Potassium
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Estrace, Premarin, Prempro, Alora
Depletes: Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, C, Magnesium, Biotin, Pantothenic acid
Laxatives
Metamucil, FiberCon, Citrucel, Colace, Glycolax, Milk of magnesia, Dulcolax
Depletes: Vitamins A, D, E, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium
Oral Contaceptives
Ortho Cyclen, Ortho Novum, Ortho TriCyclen, Triphasil, Seasonale, Yasmin, Ethinyl Estradiol plus Norgestrel
Depletes: Beta-Carotene, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, Folic acid, Biotin, Pantothenic acid, Magnesium, Zinc, Tryptophan, Tyrosine
Psychotherapeutics
Seroquel, Risperdal, Zyrexa, Haldol, Amitriptyline
Depletes: Vitamin B2, CoQ10
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Enbrel, Remicade, Methotrezate
Depletes: Folic acid
Sleep Aids
Ambien, Lunesta, Restoril, Sonata
Depletes: None reported, but those that act on the GABA-A receptor may deplete Biotin, Calcium, Folic acid, Vitamins B1, B12, D, K
Thyroid
Synthroid, Levothryoxine sodium
Depletes: Iron
All drugs have a hidden side effect that is rarely mentioned. They use up and deplete nutrients. Since they are a chemical, they use up vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and other nutrients in the works of metabolizing and detoxifying the drug. Therefore, all drugs cause nutrient depletion. And they rob us of nutrients that we could have used to heal our body.
Fundamentals of Food
Fundamentally speaking, food is energy and we use the calories in food along with vitamins and minerals to carry out specific tasks like digestion, regeneration and repair (sleep), detoxification as well as managing our stress. All these things require energy to power their actions which is why when it comes to sitting down to a meal, thinking about what you're eating is such a profound aspect of your decision making process. It would be best to have a diet tailored to you specifically but not everyone has access to a professional to undergo a consultation. Therefore it is my intent to give you a guideline of how best to make decisions that optimize your health when it comes to deciding what to eat.
What will it do to my blood sugar?
When we eat a food containing carbohydrates, the digestive system will break them down into sugar allowing it to enter the blood. This causes our blood sugar to rise and in response the pancreas secretes insulin, a hormone that prompts cells to absorb blood sugar for energy. When this happens we blunt our ability to burn fat and instead use the easily accessible energy within our blood.
Sugar is the biggest offender especially if it enters the blood stream as glucose, which doesn't need to be broken down by enzymes, so it's absorbed immediately. Starch can be in the same boat when it comes to offending blood sugar, sometimes worse if it's in the form of gluten-containing, nutrient-depleted grains. So where does that leave us?
The best choices are always based upon the following criteria: Low starch vegetables (baby corn, jicama, kohlrabi, rutabaga, water chestnuts, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, turnips, green beans, cucumber, bean sprouts, brussel sprouts, asparagus, artichokes, okra, zucchini, green peppers) have a high ratio of fiber and nutrients compared to the content of carbs present. Moderate starch veggies like sweet potato, beets, or carrots are still reasonable but it is wise to watch the serving size. Low-sugar/low-fructose fruitssuch as Kiwifruit, Blueberries and raspberries, Grapefruit/lemons/limes, melons, pear with skin, and coconuts are decent choices that have their place in a season context, however avoiding fructose altogether is likely a safe bet for most people especially those who are obese. Lastly some gluten-free grains are acceptable for people who have the genetic ability to process carbs, but grains often irritate the digestive systemas well as blood sugar control mechanisms for a significant amount of people.
Does it contain quality protein?
Many foods from both animal and plant origin contain protein, but not all protein is created equal. Protein from high quality animals, think grass-fed, free-range or wild-caught, contain a superior nutrient profile containing essential amino acids as well as essential nutrients like B-12, Omega 3's and Carnitine that are often lacking in a vegetarian diet but are necessary for optimal health.
Protein is broken down into organic compounds called amino acids. There are 13 essential, meaning they cannot be produced from other substances and must be consumed, and there are 12 that are considered nonessential. A protein is considered complete when it has the appropriate quantities of amino acids for optimal absorption. Meat and fish are considered complete proteins; foods such as rice and beans are considered incomplete proteins because they are lacking in certain amino acids. As such vegetarians need to pay special attention to combining their foods so they their amino acid profiles complement each other -- an example of a good combo would be rice combined with beans or chickpeas.
This is whymeat consumption becomes superior as most forms of vegetable proteins are needed to be accompanied by large quantities of carbohydrates to achieve complete protein status. Getting quality protein at every meal is important to not only maintain healthy blood sugar levels but to supply your body the amino acids needed for structural repair.
What kind of dietary fat does it supply?
This is generally the most misunderstood aspect of optimizing your diet. To give you the basics there are 3 types of fats you should include in your diet; saturated (Eggs, Butter, Ghee, and Dairy Fat, Fresh (not processed) Meat), mono-unsaturated (Macadamia Cashew, Almond, Pecan Brazil and other varies of nuts or seeds, avocado, olives/olive oil, peanut and canola oil) and poly-unsaturated (wild-caught fish ). Under all circumstances avoid trans-fats (deep fried foods, margarine, donuts, fast foods).
The ratios have long been debated as to how much you should consume, and there is probably not ever going to be one absolute answer. So look at it like this: if you are on a low carb diet make sure you include a decent amount of saturated and mono-unsaturated fat as they are good for your energy metabolism and saturated fat and cholesterol help maintain healthy cell repair mechanisms. Poly-unsaturated should be included at lower quantities as they are sensitive to oxidation, but they include specialized roles to help optimize cell function, cognitive behavior and inflammatory modulation. Avoid the toxic range of omega 6 oils (palm, soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower) never cook with these poly-unsaturated fats.
Fats are the best source ofenergy for human metabolism, help provide the raw materials for all sex hormones and don't influence blood sugar. Important tip: eating high carb and high fat at the same meal is not a good idea as insulin promotes fat storage in the wrong environment!
Monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds. Polyunsaturated fats are found in many vegetable oils, including safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils, as well as in nuts and seeds. The omega-3 fatty acids can be found in flaxseeds, walnuts and some fatty fish, such as salmon and herring, while omega-6 fatty acids found in pecans, Brazil nuts and sesame oil.
What is the Nutritional Status?
This description does not refer to calories or macronutrient (protein/fat/carb) breakdown but instead refers to vitamins, minerals antioxidants and phytonutrients. These are the specific nutrients that run the machine that is our body. All chemical reactions taking place in our bodies require vitamins, minerals are building blocks for structural components in our bodies, antioxidants and phytonutrients influence genetic expression while protecting us from excessive damage potential free radicals may create. They also have specific benefits under circumstantial conditions. For example, brassica vegetables help hormone metabolism in the body, turmeric and ginger help modulate inflammation processes and specific bitter foods help optimize digestion processes.
Here is a simple criteria to follow:
Start with a foundation of low starch, high fiber vegetables with different colors
Add in quality proteins from wild or properly raised conditions
Utilized high quality fats as a primary energy source and as a way to enhance nutrient absorption from other foods in the form of good oils
Consistency is the key with diet, and the more time you take to research and consider your options, the better your decision making criteria will be.
Book Notes: Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life by Claudia Welch
“If you can’t explain a concept to a six year old, you don’t fully understand it” — Einstein
PART ONE
Hormones — Ambassadors of Yin and Yang
if we can understand yin and yang, we have a simple framework for understanding the function of any hormone in the body and specifically the complex stress hormones (yang) and sex hormones (yin)… Whether we are talking about a liver cell, heart cell, fingernail cell, brain cell, or carbon molecule, each has form and substance. This is Yin. Each also has an energy that organizes, transforms, and directs the substance. This is Yang. Yin is mostly about mass, yang is mostly about energy. Yin is the thing operated on, yang is the operating force.
Women’s dominant sex hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, have a predominantly yin influence in the body, whereas stress hormones, like adrenaline or cortisol, have a predominantly yang influence.
we are affected physically and emotionally by every quality with which we come into contact. The general rule is: like increases like.
Sex Hormones — The Ambassadors of Yin
estrogen is more yin than progesterone
These are the three main estrogens and their glads of origin:
Estradiol is produced in the ovaries and in the adrenal glands. It is considered the most potent of the three main estrogens. After about the age of 50, or after surgery to remove the ovaries, it becomes the job of our adrenal glands to supply some of our estrogen, in the amounts we require (or to provide the biochemical precursors that our bodies can use to synthesize estrogen)
Estrone is produced by the placenta during pregnancy, by fat tissue, and to a much lesser extent by muscle tissue. Estrone is the major estrogen for post-menopausal women, even though they will not be growing placentas, because the liver can transform estrone into estradiol and vice versa
Estriol is produced by the placenta and, to a lesser extent, by the liver. It is some times called the “pregnancy estrogen” and is not a major player after menopause
Progesterone, testosterone and other hormones can serve as estrogen precursors. These precursor hormones are synthesized in the ovaries, adrenal glands, and throughout the entire body in fat, bones, muscle, skin, brain, and other tissue. Thus precursor hormones, body tissues, and even ovaries continue to provide estrogen after menopause. In fact, it is possible for an overweight woman to have more estrogen after menopause than a thin woman has before menopause, simply because of the amount of estrogen in her ample fat tissues.
To make estrogen, we also require aromatase and estrogen receptors. Aromatase is an enzyme that can instantaneously transform even precursor hormones, like testosterone, into estrogen. Like estrogen, aromatase decreases after menopause; but happily, it also becomes more potent. Also like the estrogen precursors, aromatase is widely available in our bodies before and after menopause. It is found mostly in fat and muscle tissue, but also in bones, blood vessels, brain tissue, and breasts.
If we have too little estrogen (yin), we may get vaginal dryness, dry skin, hot flashes and night sweats
“Good vs Bad” Estrogen
We have seen that estradiol is the most potent estrogen produced in our bodies. It is created in the ovaries and adrenal glands. From there the body converts it to ether good estrogen (2-hydroxyestrone) or toxic estrogen (16-apha-hydroxyestrone). I have not encountered an explanation in Western medicine about why the body would choose to convert it to bad estrogen. According to Eastern medicine, whether the conversion is to good or bad estrogen depends on whether the liver, the body metabolic processes, and the body’s qi are functioning optimally. Bad estrogens are longer lived than good ones and stimulate breast cell proliferation, so they can be a factor in developing breast cancer, which is associated with an increased rate of cell production. There is also some indication that when estrogen is not metabolized in our bodies in a timely manner, it stagnates and becomes problematic or “bad” estrogen
Progesterone: Yang within Yin
the yin hormone that is more yang than estrogen. Progesterone prepares the uterus for the fertilized egg and maintains pregnancy, but perhaps its main function is to keep estrogen in check in a woman. It is produced in the ovaries until after menopause, in the adrenal glands of both men and women, and in the testes of men…
estrogen follows progesterones lead. for example, the body can make estrogen from progesterone, but it can’t make progesterone from estrogen
estrogen stimulates the growth of uterine lining, progesterone serves to hold the lining in place
Excess estrogen increases body fat, fluid retention, blood clotting and great cancer, and creates other problems — each of which progesterone serves to counteract
if progesterone levels are low, we may experience some symptoms similar to those of estrogen deficiency. This may be because there is not enough progesterone for the body to use as raw material to make estrogen.
Estrogen can be made in any tissue in the body and serves to build and nourish us both before and after menopause. Progesterone serves to support estrogen and to act as the check in nature’s check and balance system, so that estrogen’s influence does not become dominant.
Stress Hormones — The Ambassadors of Yang
Sex Hormones are the major yin hormones; stress hormones are the major yang hormones.
Adrenaline and cortisol are the two major players of yang
DHEA — a prohormone that balances cortisol much like progesterone balances estrogen
Adrenaline and cortisol are closely related. In fact whenever adrenaline increases, cortisol levels rise. Adrenaline provides a short term stress response and decreases quickly. Cortisol increases when adrenaline does, but stays active longer
If high stress becomes a way of life, cortisol becomes a permanent guest in the bloodstream.
there are substances that serve to counteract the effects of cortisol. One is DHEA, the “yin within the yang” and balances the negative effects of cortisol
two other yang hormones are Oxytocin and Prolactin
Cortisol: Yang within Yin
Cortisol is a yang stress hormone produced in the outer portion of the adrenal glands. It controls the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and protein and plays an important role in infection fighting, blood sugar balance, immune response, thinking, and other healthy functions. In excess, cortisol can cause problems. It is a risk factor for depression, osteoporosis, weight loss or gain problems in the cardiovascular system, high blood pressure, and a host of other issues. There is a strong link between increased cortisol and depression and solid evidence of lower bone mineral density in women with increased cortisol.
If a woman is pregnant, another source of stress can come from her developing child. Studies have shown that an unborn baby’s adrenal glands may enlarge substantially in utero to supply its mother with the stress hormones that her body is demanding. This can create problems for the mother and for the child. If a child is born with already overtaxed adrenal glands, Eastern medicine would suspect that she may have a naturally lower tolerance for stress and be especially prone to a hypersensitive nervous system and its related hormonal dysfunction from her day of birth onward.
the more cortisol we have in the bloodstream, the more sensitive we become to stressful events
too much cortisol circulating in the body leads to overall hormone resistance, including thyroid resistance. This means that the body becomes desensitized to these hormones and more may be required to do the same job. Eastern medicine would suggest that this winds up taxing the organs or glands that produce these hormones. Excess cortisol also hinders the optimal function of many other essential hormones, such as sex hormones. Further, it promotes the breakdown of all yin in the body, including the bones, skin, muscles, and brain. In excess it can lead to protein breakdown, which in turn leads to muscle-wasting and osteoporosis, and blocks progesterones ability to support bone density. And it decreases libido. Many women mistakenly think that excess cortisol is directly responsible for their weight gain. This is not the case. Cortisol by itself actually breaks down tissue and can cause weight loss, but it can hinder the optimum function of insulin in a process that leads to the weight gain around the waist that many women find so heard to lose.
If cortisol is too high for too long, it causes accelerated aging, even when normal amounts of estrogen and progesterone are circulating in the body. When cortisol is high, it relegates the body’s resources to the extremities and keeps them on standby so that the body can be ready to run or fight. This starves the body’s vital organs of energy and compromises the immune system. This process contributes to increased blood sugar, high cholesterol, heart disease, memory loss, and osteoporosis. A weakened immune system can also play a role in the development of cancer and recurring infections, especially of the respiratory system.
After a time, or after a particularly traumatic experience, this process exhausts the adrenal glands. Rather than responding to stressors by secreting stress hormones they collapse and can no longer produce enough cortisol. Now or cortisol is too low rendering us lethargic numb achy and vulnerable to infections, viruses, and other malignant influences. We may also develop allergies and diabetes. Put colloquially, we may feel like shit when our cortisol is either too low or too high and or hormonal balance is subsequently disturbed
DHEA: Yin within Yang
DHEA serves to buffer, balance, or antidote increased cortisol in the body. Like cortisol, it is also made primarily in the adrenals. It can act as a weak estrogen and can be used to make estrogen or testosterone. It is said to reduce “bad” cholesterol, increase muscle mass and energy, and build and repair protein. These are all qualities that are yin in nature and balance the negative effects of increased cortisol in the body, which we can consider the main job of DHEA
Oxytocin and Prolactin
Oxytocin and Prolactin are naturally occurring hormones in both men and women, but are found in higher levels in women, which allow us to have different options for stress response than men. Although both men and women experience a fight or flight response to stress, women have these bonus hormones that offer an alternative plan of action.
Understanding How Yin and Yang Hormones Interact
Survival Always comes First
Basically, the body works the way a hospital does. Emergencies get priority. Comfort is nice, but it’s secondary to survival. This means that although the body enjoys the nourishing influence of yin hormones, it grants priority to yang stress hormones that will help us survive a crisis—run away from a lion. We must first survive in order to reproduce. The bottom line is: sex hormones are nice but stress hormones are essential. As you can imagine, immediate survival is a far greater priority than having supple skin, plump breasts, or even a healthy, non irritable bowel. This is how our body’s natural intelligence views things. If we run low on sex hormones or stress hormones or both, and there’s not enough raw material available to make both, a choice must be made. and the body makes it. It prioritizes stress hormones.
We have seen that progesterone can be used to make estrogen when needed, but it can also be used to make cortisol. This is not a reciprocal relationship. Stress hormones cannot return progesterones’s favor by shape-shifting into progesterone when the body requires more sex hormones. This reflects the body’s priorities. When we are under chronic or extreme stress, any available resources are allocated to support the body’s stress response instead of its reproductive function.
This strategy of putting the needs of our survival systems first might work as a short-term arrangement, but for many of us, it becomes a way of life. Herein lies the problem. The adrenal glands have already had to work overtime to produce all the stress hormones getting triggered buy our modern lives. Then they have to pump our sex hormones or DHEA to reestablish the balance between yin and yang, which was thrown out of whack by all the stress hormones in the first place
Little by little, we deplete both our sex hormones and our stress hormones. And because all these hormones—estrogen, progesterone, HDEA, and cortisol—are produced directly or indiscreetly in the adrenal glands or ovaries, it is not surprising that these organs burn out. They are not bottomless reservoirs that can subsidize a stressful lifestyle indefinitely without consequence. They have limitations, as do the rest of the endocrine organs, like the thyroid gland and the pancreas, for example. All endocrine glands secrete hormones, and when stress hormones are too high for too long all the endocrine glands are at risk. When they burn out the result is that or bodies cannot produce enough sex or stress hormones. The stage is then set for difficulties and discomfort. This is true at any age, but is especially pronounced during and after menopause.
At age 35, progesterone naturally begins to decline. At around 50, sex hormones decrease significantly. A postmenopausal woman produces 40-60% of the sex hormones that she did before menopause. Additionally, by the time she is 80, a woman has only 10-25% of the stress tampering DHEA that a 20 year old does.
Take Home Messages from Part One
Eastern medicine considers that there are two fundamental operating principles of nature around us and within us: (1) a nourishing and calming principle called yin and (2) an energizing, mobilizing, and activating principle called yang.
within our bodies sex hormones are predominately yin and stress hormones are predominantly yang
both yin and yang hormones are essential to the maintenance and preservation of our bodies as well as or species
Living a life that has a good balance between yin and yang—this is between nourishment and activity—leads to balances hormone levels before, during and after menopause
too much yin or too much yang throws off the balance in our minds, bodies and hormones
when we live too stressful a life we put a great demand on our yang stress hormones and the main organs or glands that generate or secrete them. this creates a relative increase of yang in relation to yin
when our stress hormones are in danger of running low our sex hormones can snap shift into stress hormones to meet the demand. this drains our sex hormones and results in hormone imbalance.
chronic hormone imbalance of this sort is at the root of most health problem women have, both pre and post menopause
synthetic hormones, whether in the form of hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills, increase the risk of breast cancer heart attack stroke and all forms of dementia.
bioidentical hormones may not carry the same risks but are still best used as a stopgap measure while improving one’s diet, lifestyle and stress management.
PART TWO
Feeling Crummy—Our Best Early Warming System
Considerations
Avoid eating too many flour products, especially ones made form refined white flour. Many of us begin our day with toast and cold cereal made from flour, have a sandwich for lunch, eat cookies or a pastry for a snack and for dinner have pasta and a flour based dessert, such as cake. Although flour is a convenient quick way to satisfy craving and appetite, having a lot of it tends to clog the digestive system and smother the digestive ability.
In addition to lowering your intake of white flour, avoid alcohol, refined sugar and more than one caffeinated beverage (8 to 12 ounces) daily. These items often hinder the digestive process or aggravate the nervous system and end up acting like poison in the body.
If you drink coffee, buy organic
Make a list of the processed foods you now eat. See which can be most easily eliminated or can be replaced by a whole grain substitute. IF you do buy processed foods like cookies and breads, at least read the ingredients list. The fewer ingredients the better. The more mystery ingredients—the ones that sounds like chemicals instead of food—the less the chance that you are purchasing anything that could be called “whole"
Buy organic meat and dairy products. Buy organic produce and grains whenever possible
Top 10 foods to buy organic: any meat, any dairy, celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, spinach, kale, and potatoes. The Environmental Working Group [EWG] regularly updates their “dirty dozen” list of fruits and veggies with the most pesticide residue: LINK
Avoid hydrogenated fats (lard, shortening, margarine) and never eat trans fats
Artificial sweeteners are okay—for killing ants
Avoid iced drinks with meals as they hinder the digestive process.
Improve Your Lifestyle
Wake as early as you can
Slow down in general. Stop multitasking. It dissipates energy. Studies have shown that multitasking has a detrimental effect on mental processes even when you are not engaged in it. Do one thing at a time. This will encourage focused calmer energy.
Menstruation
Why We Have Cycles
When yin and yang are out of balance in quantity or quality, she may suffer painful, heavy, scanty or irregular periods, headaches, skin breakouts, or extreme emotions accompanying her cycle
Menstrual blood is rich in immune cells and is the only blood in the body that doesn’t clot. This means that when menstrual blood flows, it freely bathes and cleanses the uterus, cervix and vagina with its antibacterial, antiviral properties.
Eliminating Cycles
the more cycles a woman has in her life, the greater her overall exposure to monthly surges in estradiol
Side Effects of Eliminating Cycles
Depo-Provera (form of birth control through injection of synthetic progestin) causes bones to leak calcium, possibly predisposing a woman to osteoporosis after menopause. Don’t take longer than 2 years
Eastern Medicines Take on Menstruation
Western medicine believes it can control a woman’s cycles and health better than nature can. From an Eastern perspective, intentionally stopping a woman’s period will lead to stagnation in her reproductive organs and to adulteration of the natural intelligence of the body—both conditions that lead to health concerns ranging from irregular heavy bleeding to endometriosis, tumors, and endocrine disorders.
If a woman’s yang hormones are balanced her cyclic timing is regular. When her yin hormones are balanced, she has both good quality and quantity yin and her cycle is neither scanty or too heavy.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda agree that a woman’s cycle should naturally be about 28 days from the first day of her period to the first day of her next period. Her cycle should be three to five days and have healthy, moderately bright red blood in a moderate amount. She should have no cramps or discomfort and no emotional upset before, during or after her cycle.
Menstrual Difficulties
Scanty or Absent Periods
as yin relates to substance, a scanty cycle usually indicates a lack of good quality yin—or good quality nutrition most commonly due to not eating enough or exercising too much
it is well documented that a woman’s period may become scanty or irregular, or even disappear if she engages in strenuous athletic activities or if she has insufficient nutrition. Intense physical training consumes a lot of yin. It is important for a woman to replace that yin, otherwise her nourishment in general and her sex hormones in particular will diminish
When estrogen is reduced due to excessive exercise over a prolonged period, it not only affects the menstrual cycle but may also contribute to increased risk of heart disease and dangerously low bone density
Eastern Medicine on Scanty Periods
a scanty menstrual flow is usually an indication of blood deficiency. Chinese medicine sees blood as a subset of yin, so we say that there is insufficient yin to support a woman’s menstrual flow. A woman will usually develop insufficient yin for one of two reasons. The first is that she is not consuming enough. The second is that she is burning through food, drink, and rest faster than she is replenishing it.
What Should You Do?
nourishing herbs that promote yin
Ayurvedic: shatavari, vidari, or ashwagandha
TCM: dang gui, shan yao, sheng di huang, and shu di huang
Heavy or Painful Periods
when menstrual flow is too heavy or painful, conventional medicine may diagnose uterine fibroids, endometriosis, or dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are hard or soft masses of muscle tissue that can appear in any layer of the uterus and are most always benign. They may exist without any symptoms, or can cause abdominal, back or menstrual pain; a feeling of wight or pressure in the lower abdomen or bladder; frequent urination; constipation; infertility; and most commonly heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding.
Uterine fibroids range from microscopic in size to 3 pounds or even larger, expanding the uterus as if there was a full term pregnancy. If they are small, that may cause not problems, however if they are large or in a crucial spot they can block fallopian tubes, prevent implantation of the embryo or otherwise hinder conception. As many as 80% of women may get uterine fibroids, and the risk is increased by obesity—a sign of excess, poor quality yin. Fibroids are estrogen dependent and hormone sensitive, and their growth can be stimulated by estrogens and even by progestins (synthetic progesterone hormones) designed to counter some of the negative effects of estrogen.
Endometriosis
a condition whereby cells that belong to the uterus lining migrate outside the uterus, invading local tissues and organs and sometimes migrating as far as the lungs or even the nose. When a woman’s uterine lining sloughs off each month, creating her cycle, endometrial cells that have migrated outside of the uterus do so too, but unlike the cells inside the uterus, they don’t have an ext path. The resulting internal bleeding can cause inflammation, cramping and sometimes incapacitating pain and scarring that may lead to infertility. Endometriosis is stubborn. It can even recur after a hysterectomy, so it is useful to try to resolve it without surgery. It is exacerbated by estrogen and exposure to estrogen like pollutants like dioxin.
a german study showed that women with endometriosis were more likely to have higher levels of PCBs
Eastern Medicine on Heavy Bleeding
When we are stressed out, we often hold our breath and clench our bodies. Where we clench varies. Some women hold their stress in their shoulders, others in their abdomen and other sin their reproductive organs. Eastern medicine teaches us that bodily tissues will coalesce around what the body’s energy is doing. IF your life force is flowing smoothly, your blood and tissues will be healthy and supple. If it stagnates, blood will stagnate and you will get ischemic muscles (muscles with decreased blood flow). The longer qi and blood stagnate the more stubborn the pain will be and greater the chance that masses, fibroids, or endometriosis will develop. In case of reproductive stagnation, a woman may have a pattern of holding stress in that area or there may be something in her life that is encouraging stagnation there.
Castor oil has an astounding ability to penetrate through the tissue, dissolve obstructive masses and relax and open vessels. In this case, castor oil packs, can break up the stagnation in and around the uterus, relax the tissues and blood vessels and support free movement of qi.
What Can You Do?
Herbal formulas
Yong jing wan is a good common formula.
Tailor a formula from tian san qi, churn xiong, hong hua, shan yao, and dang gui
Eastern Medicine on Irregular or Missed Cycles
If qi stagnates in the reproductive organs, there will be an obstructive influence in the channels of blood or qi, and we would treat it similarly to how we treat heavy bleeding. If deficient yin is the problem, we would ensure that the woman’s diet and lifestyle support proper nourishment, and we would treat it similarly to how we treat scanty periods
Birth Control
Breast Cancer — one study showed that after less than a year of using synthetic progestin only pills, there was a 60% greater risk of breast cancer. If a woman develops breast cancer before age 44, the chances are good that she has used combined oral contraceptives, meaning synthetic estrogen combined with progestin. If she uses the Pill before age 20, her risk of breast cancer may double.
Higher Levels of CRP — Higher levels of C-reactive Protein have been linked to women’s taking oral contraceptives. Higher levels of CRP are associated with increased risk of heart disease. When the liver detects inflammation in the system, it produces CRP, which is not found in the blood under normal circumstances… If birth control is taken before a woman is 20, there is evidence that birth control pills reduce levels of important vitamins such as b6 and folic acid and increase the risk of breast cancer
Books for further reading
Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control by Weschler
The Pill: Are you sure its for you by Bennett
Fertility and Conception — Four Crucial Elements
a woman’s cycle and therefore her fertility are negatively affected by exposure to environmental toxins, low sperm counts, infection-related scarring in the reproductive organs, hormonal irregularities, diet, low body fat, smoking, drug and alcohol use.
A team of scientists at the University of Rochester found that even minimal exposure to numerous chemicals was linked to higher risk of genital abnormalities in baby boys. The team, which examined 134 boys, found that women with higher levels of phthalate-related chemicals in their blood were more likely to give birth to boys with undescended or small testicles, small penises or a shorter distance that usual between the genitals and the anus
A study at the University of Missouri has experts concerned that chemicals in oral contraceptives and some man-made chemicals, like ethinylestradiol and bisphenol A may lead to fetuses having damaged prostates and urethras.
Between 1938 and 1991, men’s sperm counts in 21 countries including the united states plunged an average of 50%, while testicular cancer tripled… this is due to the men having exposure in utero and as newborns to estrogen like chemicals in their mothers blood and milk
A Canadian study in 2002 revealed that mice living in a polluted environment passed on twice as many DNA mutations to their offspring as did mice that lived in cleaner environments
The Reproductive System
if a woman doesn’t have enough stored energy in the form of good quality yin, she may have difficulty ovulating, lose her period altogether, or be unable to sustain a pregnancy. If she has excess poor-quality yin, problems such as obesity or blocked passageways may hinder the conception process
poorly digested food are considered poor quality yin
unsaturated fats increase insulin sensitivity and calm inflammation in the body, trans fats do the opposite
Good quality sleep and relaxation promote a calm spirit and support nourishment essential to health and conception but too much sleep or lounging may serve to increase yin beyond a healthy level, if there is already adequate yin
Eastern Medicine on Conception
Panchakarma is a unique aspect of Ayurvedic medicine. It is a detoxification regimen designed to rid the body of toxic material
Breast Health
Estrogen like pollutants, aptly called endocrine disruptors have detrimental effects in the body
breast tissue is rife with estrogen receptors and so may be particularly vulnerable to the nasty effects of chemical pollutants
If reducing avoidable exposures to xenoestrogens [by-products of industrial or chemical processing that have estrogen-like effects] were to make it possible to avert even 20% of breast cancers every year (four times more than are caused by inheritance of flawed genes), at least 36,000 women — and those who care about them — would be spared this difficult disease
Alcohol
One of the ways that alcohol leads to an increased cancer risk is that it interferes with estrogen metabolism. Healthy kidneys and liver (which is taxed by alcohol consumption) are vital to maintain a proper estrogen balance. A healthy liver break down excess estrogen in the blood and sends it to the kidneys, which flush it from the body. If alcohol compromises liver health, the liver may not break down excess estrogen efficiently. Instead, the excess estrogen will get reabsorbed into the blood and continue to circulate.
Radiation (Mammograms)
The US Preventive Services Task Force is an independent panel of experts that analyzes data and then advises the medical community on appropriate medical protocol. From 2002 until November 2009, they encouraged women to have yearly mammograms beginning at age 40. Their message was heavy on the “early detection saves lives” line. In November 2009, after analyzing the most current data available, they reversed their recommendations. Now regular mammograms are recommended only for women fifty and over, and even then only every other year instead of annually. The task force concluded that although these new recommendations would provide nearly the same protective benefits as the old ones, the negative effects would be roughly halved. The negative effects cited are the increased risk of unnecessary treatments, such as biopsies and treatment of cancers that are so slow growing they would never threaten a woman’s life and the significant anxiety and physical discomfort related to such procedures and treatments.
Additionally you can do nothing or opt for Self Breast Examination, but upon further analysis it is not clear that the SBE method is particularly helpful. In fact, it may present more problems than solutions. In a trial in China, conducted over about 10 years, 266,000 women were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One groups received regular periodic instruction in the SBE method and frequent reminders to practice it. The control croup received no instruction or reminders. After 10 years, the number of deaths due to breast cancer was almost identical. The group that practiced SBE had more women who had benign breast biopsies. This would seem stop show that women did find more lumps, but the lumps were benign and it might have been preferable not to find them in the first place than be subjected to the subsequent sometimes costly and ultimately unnecessary fear-inducing procedures that determined their benign status
Synthetic Hormones
for most women, the most important risk factor for breast cancer is lifetime exposure to estrogen. With each menstrual cycle, a woman is exposed to a surge in estradiol, the most potent of the three main types of estrogen. Therefore, the more cycles she has in her lifetime, the greater her overall exposure to estradiol. This means that the later a woman’s menarche, the earlier her menopause, the more pregnancies she has, and the more she nurses, the less she is exposed to the surges in estradiol that accompany her cycle. Indeed, less breast cancer is seen in these women than their sisters with early menarche, late menopause, fewer pregnancies and less nursing.
Eastern Medicine on Breast Health
Toxic Sludge (Ama) — Ama is a sticky, toxic sludge created from poorly digested matter. It is also a by product of exposure to pollutants… Ama arises from toxic external chemicals that have an affinity with breast tissue, from ingested chemicals that have the same affinity from poor-quality food, or from poorly digested food. In each case, ama circulates in the bloodstream and lodges in the breasts if there is stagnation in the chest area.
Healthy digestion and elimination reduces the amount of ama that circulates in the bloodstream, and hence the levels of ama that are available to pollute breast tissue.
Soy is easier to digest if it is cooked well, consumed as warm soy milk, tamarin, tofu, miso, or tempeh and preferably eaten with fresh ginger.
Stagnation — we encourage stagnation by hold our breath, breathing shallowly and not having physical movement of our breast tissue
We rarely get cancer of the biceps, the hearth or other muscles. Eastern medicine would explain this by observing that energy and blood get pumped through muscles on a regular basis, bringing nutrition and acting as an efficient waste removal system. For example, even if we are not bench pressing weights, the muscles in our arms get used multiple times every day and blood pumps through them, brining nutrition and removing waste debris. This self cleaning system is not as efficient in breast tissue, which has less blood flow because unlike muscles our breasts are only mostly comprised of the more passive adipose (fat) tissue.
Throughout our lives breast tissue remains relatively stagnant compared to muscles. To further ensure a lack of healthy flow of prank through our breasts, we should our breath, pack our breast into bras (often underwire — which serves to hinder the flow of prank to them), apply antiperspirants that hinder the flow of prank and sweat and we get massaged by masseurs who avoid touching our breasts. We rarely perform the tidy, finger-tipped breast self exams we are taught and when we do they are hardly stimulating. Aside from a little foreplay our breasts may never see much action. With one notable exception: breastfeeding.
Getting Rid of Stagnant Sludge
Panchakarma — ayruvedic detoxification — studies have shown that within a few days about 50% reduction in fat-soluble toxins associated with chemical pollutants were seen without negative effects. Fats and lipids in the body store fat soluble lipophilic toxins, whose half-lives may be several years, but panchakarma practices use healthy fats in such a manner as to loosen and remove those toxins.
Additionally, it is important to ensure that diet, lifestyle and stress level are appropriate for each of us so that the digestive fire is strong. Then further ama formation is not fostered and any ama is eliminated from the body, little by little over time.
What to Do
Avoid use of antiperspirants. Deodorants my be fine, but antiperspirants discourage toxins from exiting the skin in the armpits, thereby causing an undue concentration of toxic material near the breast. Be sure your deodorant doesn[t contain triclosan or phthalates (Fragrance is often code for phthalate!!)
Avoid caffeine, especially coffee. If you have coffee, make sure it is organic and try to limit it to one cup daily made with half decaf. Coffee is grown in places outside the US that use very strong pesticides and chemicals, which are estrogenic in nature and so are not good for women’s reproductive and breast health. Coffee itself, even organic coffee, tends to have an affinity with breast tissue and often has a negative effect on it and other reproductive tissue. When you couple this natural affinity with the malefic effects of the chemical residue associated with nonorganic coffee, it is likely to be an unhealthy brew… haha
Massage your breast. Because breasts are mostly adipose tissue, they do not have at the quantity of blood flow available in many other parts of our bodies where there is more muscle tissue with blood pumping through. So the ama that has collected in the tissue over time is allowed to stagnate and putrefy, or the tissue simply becomes denser.
Keep a bottle of castor oil, Banyan Botanical’s Breast Balm, untested sesame oil or other appropriate massage oil in the shower. Each time you take a shower, warm some oil or balm in your hands and massage it vigorously into the breast tissue and around the area of the breasts including the armpits. In general if your breasts are lumpy, castor oil is better. If not, Breast Balm is particularly pleasant
if you have any lumps, it is best to avoid massaging them until you determine with your health care practitioner that it is safe to do so
Then follow up with a self exam of the breasts as taught by a qualified healthcare practitioner. This works in the oil further, as well as allows you to become familiar with the feel of your breast tissue at different times of the month
Then let the hot water of the shower rinse off the oil. Don’t use soap. Ayurveda teaches that it is good to leave a little oil on the skin.
Perimenopause and Menopause
Menopause is when it has been a year since our last period, and it is driven and accompanied by more dramatic changes with our sex hormones. Perimenopause is considered to last anywhere from a couple years to twelve or more before menopause and although this is not implicitly stated the term tends to be applied more to women who are experiencing discomfort with the transition
At menopause there is a more drastic change in our levels of sex hormones, but this isn’t necessarily a problem. Since we not longer make and bear babies, we no longer need to maintain the potential to nourish another being. We still require nourishment ourselves, however and provided we have not consumed too much yin in our earlier years by plowing through life’s obstacles our bodies can still provide us with what we need. Postmenopausal women still produce 40 to 60% of their premenopausal levels of hormones, that estrogen falls only 40 to 50% at menopause, and that we have the ability to synthesize sex hormones sufficient for our natural postmenopausal needs via the adrenal glands and our various bodily tissues. We have also seen that to make estrogen, we need estrogen precursors and aromatase — the enzyme necessary to convert precursors into estrogen — and we have both of these just about everywhere in our bodies even after menopause. SO we have great potential to synthesize sufficient estrogen.
Estrogen deficiency may simply be due to a long term excess of stress hormones draining our sex hormones. Adding more estrogen via hormone replacement therapy without calming the stress in our lives is like pouring water into a bucket with a hole in it.
Stress renders us less responsive to normal amounts of hormones and pretty much ensures hormonal imbalance. For example, a woman with excess cortisol but normal amounts of estrogen may get hot flashes or other symptoms typically associated with estrogen deficiency. IF this woman were to treat these symptoms with estrogen replacement therapy, she would possibly then develop estrogen dominant symptoms such as weight gain, water retention, and mood swings. This is also the case with other sex hormones (or thyroid hormone) and if this goes unchecked long enough it creates a general resistance to our own hormones…. The main problem is, by the time we reach menopause many of us have already drained our reserves of yin sex hormones in the service of our yang stress hormones. Now when our ovaries are producing a smaller quantity of sex hormones, our adrenal glands are supposed to kick in and produce more of the hormones and hormone precursors we need. But what if these glands are already burnt out from producing lots of stress hormones to manage our stressful lives over the last 20 years and by producing the DHEA required to assuage the effects of excess cortisol? Answer: They will be tapped and tired out and unable to deliver our postmenopausal hormonal requirements.
If yin is deficient we may not have enough nourishing qualities to keep us grounded, cool calm and lubricated.
Hot flashes are a good indicator of hormonal imbalance. About 80% of menopausal women will experience at least one hot flash, making this a significant symptom accompanying menopause. Generally the more intense they symptoms of menopause the more out of balance the hormones are.
Eastern Medicine on Perimenopause and Menopause
if you focus on treating insomnia, for example, without addressing its cause (hormonal imbalance due to excess stress), you will have to treat it forever.
As we age, our yin hormones decrease. Menopause marks the most dramatic drop. From this point onward, a woman has less of a buffer against physical or emotional stress
Ayurveda considers that menopause marks a major turning point for a woman. Its a time of transition when she is naturally suited to begin an inner journey. Up to now in her life, it was natural for her to educate herself, raise a family, develop her profession and engage fully in the world. Menopause is the time to reverse the momentum of her involvement in the activities of the world, turn this energy inward and begin to plumb the depth of her soul.
What to Do
herbal supplements:
shatavari, 3 to 5 parts (unless you have uterine fibroids or fibrocystic changes in your breasts, in which case I would omit it)
vidari, 3 to 5 parts
dang gui, 3 to 5 parts
shan yao, 3 to 5 parts
licorice, 2 to 3 parts (unless the woman has high blood pressure
sheng ma, 1 to 3 parts
if you suffer from insomnia, try taking two tablets of Banyan Botanical’s I Sleep Soundly an hour before bed
Heart Health
Women’s vs Men’s Heart Health
One study found that the top six signs of a heart attack in women are unexplained or debilitating fatigue that doesn’t go away with sleep, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath, indigestion, nausea, and tightness and pain in the back arms jaw or neck
women's heart disease is often different from men’s. Women can be more likely, for example, to have clear coronary arteries but have microvascular disease, where there is a constriction or stiffening of the smaller arteries that nourish the heart, leading to oxygen deprivation to the heart muscle
women who took an estrogen-progestin supplement had a 26% higher risk of heart disease. And estrogen replacement therapy alone instead of reducing the incidence of congestive heart disease as hoped, increases the risk of gallbladder diseases and clot related problems such as stroke and pulmonary embolism
Eastern medicine would say that Nancy (who had it all. was slim, ran five miles a day, never smoked had “perfect” blood pressure, a family history of longevity, watcher her diet and was only 39, yet developed microvascular disease and was prescribed four heart medications) not only had it all but had too much. Too much ambition too much pushing beyond her natural limits. In general she had too much activity that depleted her yin, the nourishing element in life.
running is one of the exercises that can deplete yin
One good way to build yin is to nap — Occasional napping carried a 12%lower mortality rate, whereas regular nappers enjoyed a 37% decreased risk.
How could yin deficiency lead to microvascular stiffness? Generally, insufficient yin in the body can lead to a reduction in the flexibility of blood vessels, increased heat that dries and stiffens vessels, or constriction of vessels.
Inflammation and Heart Health
inflammation occurs when the body detects infection and dispatches white blood cells to the site. For example, white blood cells may respond to deposits on blood vessel walls as a threat and arrive on the scene to remove them. Inflammation is a natural defense mechanism of the body, but is not meant to be on the job 24/7
Stress
when we experience physical or emotional stress, stress hormones are increased in the body and sympathetic nervous system is overstimulated. When this happens, hormone-like substances called eicosanoids also become imbalanced. Their imbalance is associated with tissue inflammation.
Ongoing Low Level Inflammation
C-Reactive Protein, a protein not found in the blood under normal circumstances. The liver produces CRP when it detects inflammation in the system. Chronic low grade infections associated with such conditions as gum disease, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic tissue injuries, or colitis increase CRP.
In women, CRP seems to be a better predictor of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes, than LDL cholesterol. Persistent inflammation may lead not only to heart attacks but possibly to colon cancer, Alzheimer’s and many other diseases as well.
Environmental Toxins
One substance that has been shown to block the body’s inflammatory process is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is found in marijuana. HOWEVER, before you run out to score some weed to protect your heart, it is important to know that the study was on mice that were fed THC. Smoking cannabis may actually damage the heart.
Exercise
Can you touch your toes? If you can, your cardiac arteries are likely more flexible than those of someone who can’t. Why would that matter? because supple arteries allow blood to move more freely through the body than stiff ones, which require the heart to work much harder, possibly leading to a greater risk for heart attack and stroke.
Emotions
The heart is a remarkable organ. Modern medicine is only beginning to realize its importance and relationship to stress and emotions. In 1983, the heart was reclassified as an endocrine organ because it produces and releases a number of mood-altering hormones, including dopamine, oxytocin, norepinephrine and atrial natriuretic factor, which affects blood vessels, the kidneys, adrenal glands and the brain. Remarkably, we find oxytocin levels in the heart as high as concentrations in the brain. Our thoughts become biology as these hormones have far-reaching effects in physiology.
Alcohol
A 2006 Danish study including 27,000 men and nearly 30,000 women determined that although men reduced their chances of heart disease with one drink daily, women did better with one drink weekly.
Osteoporosis
A woman’s risk increases if she has vision problems (especially with depth perception), if she is tall or weighs less in her fifties than she did at age 25, or if she has had broken any bones (wrists, ankles, hips) after age 20. Her risk also increases if her mother experienced broken bones. If a woman has a hip fracture before she turns 80, chances that her daughter may suffer a similar fate increase roughly threefold
the most critical time to precent bone loss is during the first 5 years after menopause. This is the time in a woman’s life when she will lose bone mass most quickly, between 1 and 2% per year. In general, women gain bone mass until they are 25 years old, level off until age 35, then lose about a half a percent per year until menopause. After the 5 year post menopausal drop, bone loss slows down to about 1% per year and back to half a percent again after age seventy.
There are 2 major reasons for excessive bone loss. The first involves a process whereby specialized cells called osteoclasts dissolve the old bone cells too fast. This process is catalyzed by too much yang, which occurs when the body is marinated in stress hormones. The second is an insufficient number of fresh, healthy bone cells —osteoblasts— coming in to rebuild the bones. Eastern medicine would say that this is a result of not enough yin, or substance (i.e. bone mass) relative to yang.
Hormones and Bone Loss
Stress hormones are crucial for survival: however, in excess they promote the breakdown of all yin in the body, that is, all structural material including the bones, skin, muscles, and brain. This leads to a double assault on bone health. First bone mass is decreased by high levels of cortisol. Second, many tissues that produce estrogen are depleted, resulting in decreased production of estrogen. Estrogen slows the development of osteoporosis, and it has been common for doctors to prescribe synthetic estrogen (balanced with a progestin if the woman has a uterus) to combat osteoporosis.
Calcium, Diet, Exercise
The origin of calcium is not milk, it’s in the soil and it gets taken up through the root systems of plants, which are then eaten by cows. So, to get enough calcium, what we really need to eat are plants.
Some sources show that increased protein hinders calcium absorption.
We need hydrochloric acid and vitamin D to get calcium from the stomach to the blood stream. Then we need micronutrients, progesterone or testosterone, and exercise to get it from the blood into our bones. If nutrients are available but don’t get circulated via the bloodstream and absorbed into the body and its deeper tissues, they are wasted.
Yin (structural material, like nutrients) and Yang (movement and exercise) support each other
When women engaged in simple strength training exercises designed by the Tufts scientists, they gained about 1% bone density in their hips and spine over the course of a year, their balance improved and bone fractures were prevented.
Osteoporosis Drugs
When taking a bisphosphonate pill, it is important to drink a full glass of water and to sit or stand for a while afterward so the medication doesn’t irritate, ulcerate, or otherwise damage the esophagus. Esophageal troubles caused by bisphosphonates may lead to other problems and end up all but incapacitating women who had been otherwise active and healthy. When we are elderly, we can be especially vulnerable to a pattern where initial harmful evens trigger a whole series of negative reactions
this drug has the potential to affect anyone’s digestion in a negative way, leading to poor-quality yin in the body. If poor-quality yin feeds the bones, the resulting bone quality will be inferior as well
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
although modern science does not know what causes Alzheimer’s disease, it does know that people with Alzheimer’s have protein deposits in the spaces between their nerve cells (called plaque) or within the nerve cells (called tangles). Plaque or tangles may hinder free communication between nerve cells or directly affect their health.
if we change our behavior, our bodies and minds change too
Eastern Medicine on Alzheimer's
there are at least two major causes for buildup of plaque or angels (which Ayurveda would include under the umbrella term ama, or toxic sludge in the body). One cause is underlying heat or inflammation, which causes the body to create a buffer to protect its tissues from being affected. This buffer can be ama. Another cause is the inefficient digestion of all that we ingest—food, drink, and environmental pollutnats such as insecticides and pesticides. The resulting ama circulates in the body and lodges in the heart, brain and other vulnerable tissues. In either case, the ama can manifest as plaque, tangles or other sticky material. Western medicine is beginning to suspect that plaques and tangles exist in response to other factors
PART III
Importance of Diet and Lifestyle
A recent study of the effect of lifestyle and diet on longevity revealed an interesting connection with an enzyme called telomerase, which guards against age related cellular damage. Telomerase repairs and lengthens the protective ends (called telomeres) of our chromosomes. If these catlike ends shorten, they leave our chromosomes more susceptible to damage or death, which quickens the aging process. Factors like smoking, obesity, and sedentary lifestyles are known to be associated with shorter telomeres, and evidence suggests that telomeres and lower telomerase levels are risk factors for heart disease and cancer. Appropriate diet and lifestyle appears to increase telomerase levels by about 29%
Quality and Quantity of Food
Pippali, a common herb in Ayurveda, related to the black pepper we use in cooking is warming and supports digestive function if there isn’t enough heat in the body
In Ayurveda, digestive capacity and strength (or “fire”) is called agni and is very yang.
Ayurveda says that it is desirable to have a good appetite because that means our digestive fire is strong enough to transform what we eat into the energy and refined biological substances that our body needs to maintain health. Poor appetite indicates low digestive fire, which means that when we do eat, our food will not be well digested and become ama and excess, poor quality fat.
There is also an Ayuvedic remedy to increase the digestive fire and create true appetite: Take a slice of fresh ginger about an eighth of an inch thick. Put a pinch of rock salt on it, with a few drops of lime juice. Chew this about 30 minutes before meals.
Food, Medicine, and Poison
He that takes medicine and neglects diet wastes the skills of the physician —chinese proverb
Ayurveda teaches us that food—nourishment—is anything we ingest that is digested well, nourishes us, and passes through the body without any negative effects. Medicine is that which enhances digestive ability and poison is that which hinders it. IF we can’t digest what we are eating even if it is the organically sprouted and juiced nectar of the gods, then it is considered poison to us.
It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has — Hippocrates
Ama, or Toxic Sludge
How does poor digestion lead to the formation of ama and subsequently to disease? We ingest stuff. It gets broken down into smaller and smaller particles, is absorbed into the blood stream and does to nourish and build our tissues. If what we ingest is digested well and completely, the molecules absorbed are high-quality, refined, biologically useful building material for strong, healthy tissues. If either what or how we eat is problematic, the food stuff will be poorly digested and the resulting molecules are sticky, toxic sludge molecules
The vulnerable areas of the body are called khavaigunyas in Ayurveda
Ayurveda teaches us that if digestion is weak, it affects not only the transformation process in the digestive tract, but also the transformation going on in other tissues in the body, such as the muscles, bones and organs. Either our own digestive and transformative processes are strained due to a history of poor dietary or lifestyle choices or we have been over exposed to toxic chemicals.
Eat in a Calm environment — A full third of the nervous system is associated with the guts. IT is impossible to digest our food well when we are stressed out. When we are calm, our digestive organs are relaxed. When relaxed, they are more likely to function optimally.
What to Eat
Enzymes and compounds in fruits and veggies
Phytochemicals, such as lutein, beta-carotene, allicin (in garlic), isoflavones (in soybeans), lycopene (in tomatoes), flavanoids (in green and black teas), sulforaphane glusosinolate (SGS; in broccoli and especially in broccoli sprouts), and lignans (in flaxseeds)
Inducers (eg sulforaphane) of enzymes that do useful things like detoxifying carcinogens
Glucosinolates, which are found in cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli sprouts but also Brussel sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower
Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants
High fiber, which may prevent colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease
Eastern medicine focuses on whole foods rather than any particular component of that food (focusing on the benefits on any individual vitamin, mineral, antioxidant that a given whole food has is more of a sales tactic to generate revenue than anything else)
Chocolate
The Journal of the American Medical Association has reported the healthy effects of dark chocolate (however, white chocolate and even dark chocolate with milk didn’t make the grade.) It’s plant phenols — specifically the cocoa phenols — seem to be responsible for lowering blood pressure and delivering megadoses of antioxidants
A daily does of Triphala (a mixture of 3 herbs) is a common practice in Ayurveda, and can help maintain a healthy digestive tract, provided you have no acute illness or diarrhea, are not preggers, do not have your period or have other contraindicated conditions. Trifle helps support a healthy gastrointestinal tract and provides a very gentle daily detox to counteract exposure to unavoidable environmental pollutants. (available at banyanbotanicals.com)
Meat
I’ve often thought there out to be a manual to hand to little kids… called “Welcome to Earth” and one thing I would … tell them about is cultural relativity… A first grader should understand that his or her culture isn’t a rational invention; that there are thousands of other cultures and they all work pretty well; that al cultures function on faith rather than truth; that there are lots of alternatives to our own society… Cultural relativity is defensible, attractive. It’s a source of hope. It means we don’t have to continue this way if we don’t like it. — Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
If someone is weak, it is often due to a weak digestive system that dos not digest or absorb food completely or well.
meat contains substances that cause an increase in homocysteine levels, which in turn is associated with increased risk of heart disease. High homocystine levels irritate the linings of arteries, increasing the likelihood that they will clog, whereas the folate and vitamin b6 found in vegetables and grains reduce homocysteine levels — another reason to minimize the meat and maximize the veggies is that meat is a source of excessive phosphorous which causes a loss of calcium in the body.
Blood follows qi (energy) and qi follows shen (spirit). If spirit is disturbed, energy will become disturbed and then the body will immediately or ultimately become disturbed.
What Not to Eat
many fast foods have high levels of acrylamide, a substance the EPA defines as colorless, crystalline solid that is probably a human carcinogen. It induces gene mutations and stomach cancer in animal tests and is known to cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous system.
the New York Times reported on a study by researchers at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, wherein it was demonstrated that the cardioprotective effects of fresh garlic on rats were decreased if the garlic was crushed and left two days to dry. The drying process allowed volatile chemicals to dissipate, apparently diluting their potency
When we feed ourselves substandard edibles and process them in extreme ways, we provide our guts with substandard building blocks of nutrition. Poor quality building blocks lead to construction of poor tissues. Poor tissues construct a feeble body.
Acai berries are said to have 10 times the amount of anthocyanin (antioxidant pigments) that red wine has and yerba mate is sed to contain more antioxidants than red wine.
Cola — the phosphoric acid in cola beverages binds to calcium in the but and prevents it from being absorbed
It is curious to note that much of the practice of using pesticides and insecticides can be traced back to WWII. During the war, chemicals were developed for use in chemical warfare. After the war, when they could no longer be used toward such a sinister purpose, the companies were able to find a new use for the chemicals: insecticides and pesticides. This Allowed them not to waste the chemicals and instead to find financial reward in their continued use. Using the same chemicals that were designed to cause human beings suffering to spray on what they eat seems like an odd logic
Essential Elements of a Healthy Lifestlyle
Wake Up Routine
Wake early ( at the same time every day)
Clear your face, teeth and mouth. Brush your teeth, scrape your tongue and gargle with warm water. The tongue accumulates bacteria overnight. This helps diminish their numbers.
Drink a glass of warm water. This stimulates a bowel movement and cleanses the gastrointestinal tract
Eliminate
Apply cooling salve or cool water to the eyes. This refreshes the eyes
Gargle with salt water and use a net pot to irrigate the nail cavities with salt water. These steps should only take bout 3 minutes. Put 1/4 teaspoon of nonionized sea salt in the bottom of your net pot, fill with warm water and follow the clear directions that come with the pot. We are all exposed to a multitude of pathogens everyday especially if we work or live with a lot of other people. Being exposed to pathogens is not the problem. The problem is problemeration of the pathogens, which often occurs in the nasal passages or throat. Rinsing the nasal passages and gargling with salt water helps us avoid proliferation of bacteria and viruses that we are exposed to and prepares us nicely for doing some breaking exercises.
Meditate, engage in quit contemplation or read inspiration material for 15 to 60 minutes. If
Sleep — too little sleep contributes to diminished yin. It creates a relative excess of yang, leading to excess circulating of stress hormones
Improving sleep:
make sure to exercise at the same time every day and outdoors if possible. This is helpful in aligning with natures rhythms and may benefit the pineal gland functions which support our natural biorhythms
Apply warm bhringraj oil to the soles of your feet and your scalp before bed.
Environment
Since WWII, environment polluting chemical many of which are termed endocrine disruptors have become increasingly widespread in our environment, in certain pesticides, drugs, fuels, stain resistant clothing and furniture treatments, lawn care products, personal care items, cleansing products and plastics among other sources. As DuPont used to say about Teflon, “its everywhere”… And probably in everyone too. In one survey of 27 body burden studies (body burden is the term to describe the amount of environmental pollutants that are found in a persons body) every single participant was found to have PCB’s and organochlorine pesticides in their bodies, even people who were born after PCB’s were banned. Even unborn babies where found to have “hundreds of chemicals in their little bodies.” It turns out that the human body is like a sponge, soaking up water is permeating its environment.
Pesticides and Chemicals
Some that are more commonly heard of are 2, 4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (also called 2,4-D, this is a pesticide used on lawns and an active ingredient in Agent Orange); phthalates (used as plastic softeners and cosmetics, among other things); DDT (now banned); ozone destroying CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons); bisphenol A (BPA); various chlorinated and brominated compounds such as polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs, used as fire retardants and close cousins of PCBs); dioxin, triclosan (an ingredient in many antibacterial products) and many others. Some like POPs (persistent organic pollutants) include many halogen (chlorine, bromine, fluorine, or iodine) atoms that have long half-lives (between 2 and 10 years) in the bodies of animals and humans and in the environment.
When the US began to phase out leaded gasoline in the 1960s, one of its additives —ethylene dibromide (EDB)— needed a new home. So Great Lakes Chemical Corporation, the largest supplier of EDB, began to supply it to farmers as a pesticide. When the EPA abruptly suspended all agricultural uses of EDB in 1983 because of evidence that it was carcinogenic and a mutagen that was contaminating groundwater, EDB was reincarnated as a flame retardant. Back in the day, flame retardants were marketed as protection against the dangers of fire due to cigarette smoking. Flame retardants have increased in use ever sine. So now they’re ubiquitous. They’re on our clothes, furniture, car upholstery or otherwise in contact with our bodies. EDB is not the only chemical used as a flame retardant, nor is it the only toxic one.
Many of these chemical can cause inflammation in the body. When the liver detects this inflammation in the system it produces C-Reactive Protein. High levels of CRP are an indicator of increased risk for heart disease.
Endocrine disruption caused by these chemicals can result in decreased follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), decreased natural progesterone, and blocked function of aromatase and decreased estradiol levels
Modern science knows that the higher an organism is on the food chain the more concentrated these chemicals become in its body. For example, small fish exposed to chemicals in plant food are algae are eaten by bigger fish. They in turn are eaten by even bigger fish. Then a human consumes this bigger fish so that the pollutants are most highly concentrated in the human at the top of the food chain. The only organism higher in the good chain that this human being is the breastfed infant. Breastmilk can be a concentrated delivery system for environmental toxins. For Example in 1970 the Environmental Defense Fund found that the levels of DDT in great milk were up to 7 times greater than in cow’s milk sold in stores.
Avoiding Chemicals
try to use pots and pans and utensils that are made of stainless steel, cast iron, heat resistant ceramic, glass or wood, to avoid leading out toxic chemicals into hot food and liquids
avoid nonstick cookware
avoid using plastic “to go” cups, especially with hot liquids
always read labels
don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t put in your mouth. The skin is the largest organ in the body and will absorb chemicals as well as anything else applied to it
store food in glass, stainless steel or ceramic containers
avoid using plastic wrap, especially on hot food
if you are a meat eater, buy organic
buy organic food and drinks whenever possible
avoid canned soft drinks — they are lined with BPA
Avoid PVC products (vinyl plastics or polyvinyl chloride) or products that are associated with phthalates. PVC products are often identified with the number 3, the letter V or the letters PVC inside or underneath the universal recycling triangle. They also may have a distinct odor, like that of vinyl shower curtains.
Try cloth shower curtain rather than PVC vinyl ones
if it smells toxic it probably is — whether it contains PVC, phthalates or some other chemical and therefore try to minimize smelly stuff in your building and living choices as well as in choices related other aspects of your environment
Go green, literally with plants: English ivy, Gerbera daisies, Madagascar dragon tree, potted mums, and variegated snake plant are just some examples
Avoid personal care products that list “fragrance” or “parfum” as an ingredient
Stress Management
Stress has at least 3 readily observable causes. The first cause is a mixture of multitasking, too much ambition and too much activity. This combination robs us of time for contemplation, relaxation, and cooking healthy food. The second cause is related to the first. It’s the illusion that we are in control of everything and that if we don’t keep juggling all the ball, the show will end in humiliation and disaster. This self-imposed perspective leads to an overblown sense of responsibility and tremendous fear of impending doom. A third sources of stress is unavoidable external circumstances, like some illness, accidents, or the sickness or death of parent or children.
Basic Deep Breathing
lie on your back with a pillow under your knees. Place your hands on your lower abdomen. Breathe through your nose throughout the entire exercise. Close your eyes. Imagine your torso is like a vase. Just when you fill a vase with water, the water fills the bottom of the vase first and gradually and fills the middle and then the upper portions of the vase, feel your breath filling first your lower abdomen then middle and then upper body.
Breath will follow prana and prana will follow your focus. They are as inseparable as a show from a tree. As breath fills your lower abdomen, prana irrigates the organs of elimination and reproduction. As it fills the middle portion of your torso, prana irrigates the digestive organs. As it fills your upper torso, it irrigates the lower, middle and upper lobes of the lungs and heart
as you inhale your breath very slowly fills first the lower, then the middle then the upper portions of your torso, and finally rises to about 8-10 inches above your head. Keep the attention here for a few seconds and then allow your exhale (through the nose) to very slowly surrender your breath back down the path it took on its way up. Prana will follow the breath back down through the upper, then middle portions of the torso and return to the lower abdomen.
Continue breath like this for about 5 minutes, keep your hands on your lower torso. You should feel your lower abdomen rise as you begin your inhale. As your breath fils your middle torso, it will rise too. When it fills your upper torso, your entire torso should feel expanded. Likewise each section should relax as you exhale your prana down through each section
If you feel any tight areas in your body as you are breathing, you can try “breathing into” those areas until they feel free and easy. If you don’t experience the feeling of “breathing into” an area, place your hand over that tight areas and imagine there is a straw that reaches into that area from outside your body. Imagine that you are not breathing through your nose but through that straw directly into that tight area. As the breath enters the tight area, the area quickly releases and becomes free. Engage in this releasing process for about 5 minutes. Then go back to breathing fully through the entire torso. If emotions come up, continue to focus on the breath, rather than on the emotions
Allow your breath to return to normal. Bring your attention back to the room you are in and slowly open your eyes.
Changing Lifestyles, Changing Lives
Scientists once thought brain damage was irreversible and that memory loss and metal atrophy were an inevitable side effect of again. In recent years however, breakthroughs in the field of neuroplasticity have revealed the brain’s ability to form new nerve connections to compensate for disease or injury, to rewire, repeater and adapt to new or changed environments
Some mentors are fond of saying: “it is wise to live with reality, otherwise reality will certainly come to live with you.” If we are constantly trying to change what is, constantly pushing for things to be different, we can injure ourselves. Many of us are the habit of chasing our ambitions, for example, even beyond the point where the body has reached its limits. We push and push and being to get headaches; we take painkillers and push on. We begin to get constipated; we take some laxatives and keep on. We get anxious; we take Prozac or St. John’s wort, and press on. We ignore the body’s SOS signals to stop whatever it is we are doing to damage it. Renaissance physician Paracelsus said, “Man is ill because he is never still.” Some of us need to hit the wall — have some significant crisis or illness — before we respond. Even when we finally turn our attention toward healing body and spirit, we may do so reluctantly.
“Perhaps more souls are lost to heaven by the sense of duty to earth than by downright sin and evil” — Kirpal Singh
Take Home Messages About Diet
eat meals at regular times everyday
eat in a calm, clean environment. if you are upset or distracted you could eat perfect goods yet not digest them well
eat only when hungry. if you never have a true appetite, increase your exercise, especially in the early morning, and take the following remedy a half hour before meals: thoroughly chew a then slice of fresh ginger with a pinch of rock salt and a spray of lime juice
eat right quantity of food. Eat almost to the point of satisfaction so the digestive fire is never overly taxed
Chew food thoroughly. Take a deep breath and a moment of quit after swallowing your last bite and before you go on to your next activity
eat most foods warm. cold food is more difficult to digest. if you are going to eat raw or cold food or drinks, it is best to consume them at midday or in hot weather, when the warmth of the atmosphere can support you digestive fire
enjoy drinks at room temperature, warm or hot. cold drinks hinder digestive capacity
consume organic foods and drinks whenever possible
eat simple food when life is complicated. the more complicated your physical or emotional life, the more simple your food should be.
Enjoy mostly whole, freshly cooked foods including cooked grains, beans, veggies, and some fruit. If you are too thin, favor more nourishing heavy dense foods like yams, squashes, stews, some beans, dairy — if you can tolerate it, and whole grains. If you re too heavy, favor more lightening motivating foods like greens, light soups some spices some beans and less grains.
enjoy beans which are equally nourishing and motivating. They are often difficult to digest if not prepared well. To make them more digestible ask them in cool water overnight and then cook them until they are mushy, preferable with a piece of kombu and spices like cumin, coriander or ginger, and a pinch of asafetida (also called hing), which aids digestion. When the beans are finished cooking you can discard the seaweed if you don’t like the taste or texture.
In general, when you eat heavy foods like grains, beans dairy, or mashed potatoes or squashes, consider adding some turmeric, black pepper, and ginger to them in the cooking process. Cumin, coriander, and fennel are also suitable for most people. Considering that as you may well be eating grains, legumes, or dairy on a regular basis, you will also be reaping the benefits of these amazing spices
be a vegetarian that eats a first size portion of organic, grass fed, or wild caught meant. Be sure it is organic as any meat concentrates environmental pollutants more than dairy and much more than vegetables and fruits. When eating meat, you should consume it in a form that is easily digestible, such as in a soup
Eat lost of veggies
Veggie sprouts, especially broccoli sprouts are packed with vitality. Have two to three tablespoons of broccoli sprouts daily, if you have access to them and can digest them. If you can’t digest them well raw, you can add them to stir-fried veggies, steamed veggies and soups, when they are finished cooking
Eat some dark chocolate daily, if you know you can tolerate it. Having a small square or a piece the size of a truffle, except when you are sick or have poor digestion. Skip it if it give you migrants, menstrual pain or any other uncomfortable symptom
Drink unrefined or “cloudy” varieties of fruit juice at least three times a week.
Use extra virgin olive oil and other cold pressed high quality oil.
Use pots, pans, and utensils made of stainless steel, cast iron, heat-resistant ceramic, glass, and or wood to avoid toxic chemicals leaching into hot food and liquids
store your food in glass, ceramic, or stainless-steel containers instead of plastic, to avoid estrogenic chemicals leaching into your food
Diet Related things to Avoid:
foods that cause you to have uncomfortable digestive symptoms. If you have gas, bloating, heartburn, intestinal noise, diarrhea, or constipation, you are not digesting well. You will need to change fighter what or how you are eating.
frozen, canned, or leftover food. It is considered old and harder to digest than freshly cooked foods
refined sugar. there is nothing inherently wrong with the sweet taste. It is nourishing for the body, provided it is associated with naturally sweet foods like apples, yams, grains, or natural sweeteners like raw honey, maple syrup or barley malt, and it is taken in moderation. But refined sugar is highly processed and like other highly processed foods, comes with nasty side effects. For example: over the past 20 years, the US per capita consumption of sugar has increased from 26 to 135 pounds a year. No surprisingly, diabetes has increased 70% in the past decade alone.
Cold food is harder to digest than warm foods. Some cold food, like ice cream or salad is okay in the middle of the day or in warm weather when environmental heat supports your internal digestive fire. This is why we tend to enjoy salads and ice cream more in the summer, and hot chocolate and soups in the winter
Cold or carbonated drinks tend to hinder digestive capability
Raw food (fruits, veggies, salads) especially 9in the morning and evening. They are okay to have in the middle of the day or in summer
Highly processed or fast foods, and products made with refined white flour such as pasta, white bread, cakes, pastries, cookies, and breakfast cereals.
Highly processed or cold forms of soy, like soy isolate powered ( especially if it is consumed cold), soy shakes, soy based fake meats or soy ice cream. Especially avoid these in the morning, evening or cold weather, when there is no environmental heat to support the capacity of your digestive fire, as they are difficult to digest. Also avoid them in you have symptoms of estrogen dominance, like uterine fibroids or fibrocystic breasts.
Saturated fat and trans fat. Avoid deep fried foods. It is heavy to digest
Caffeine, especially in coffee. If you do drink coffee, be sure it is organic. Non organic coffee is grown with chemicals that can disturb hormonal balance
Alcohol. It interferes with calcium metabolism, healthy breasts and sound sleep. It is also associated with increased risk of many cancers, including breast cancer.
Phosphates. They decrease calcium absorption. Foods that contain phosphates include cola, root beer, alcohol, coffee, and meats.
Non organic meat, fish, and dairy. Meat contains the highest concentration of estrogen-like chemicals. The higher on the food chain, the more true this is. Dairy contains lower concentration than meat, but more that fruits and vegetables.
Non organic food in general, especially if you are pregnant or nursing. The estrogen like chemicals that go into its production cause hormone sensitive disorder in the body, and fetuses and infants are especially vulnerable to their damaging effects.
Freaking out if you have to eat nonorganic foods sometimes. The stress of being rigid and fearful may well outweigh the negative effect of a little nonorganic food
Eating while anxious, upset, emotional, bored or distracted. It disturbs digestion.
Eating on the go. IT also disturbs digestion.
Excessively spicy foods, unless you are positive that you are someone for whom this is a healthy practice
Heating, eating or storing food or drink — especially if they are hot — in plastic or styrofoam containers or plastic “to go” cups, because estrogenic chemicals may leach into your food and drink. IF you have to use plastic containers or lids, be sure your food is at room temperature before covering or storing it.
Using plastic wrap on your food, especially hot food.
Lifestyle
emphasize overall health over symptom management.
Have a daily routine. This allows the nervous system to relax. Your routine should incorporate all the important elements of your life. Try to include the most important ones early in the day, before other events of life obstruct your efforts
Have an exercise routine that is appropriate for your current condition. Start by learning how to feel qi or prana. Then choose a 20 min daily exercise routine that is good for you. In general, if you are too thin, a mental stretch from of yoga, tai chi, qi gong or other mental routine is best. If you are too heavy, more vigorous forms of exercise like strenuous forms of yoga or logging are more appropriate. Look to improve or maintain your flexibility so that at a minimum, if you are sitting on the floret your legs strain in from of you you can bend from your hips and touch your toes. In addition to your regular exercise routine, add a brisk 20-30min outdoor walk at the same time every day. Outdoor exercise is beneficial to support your internal natural rhythms.
Include at least a little meditation or quite contemplation in your daily routine. This allows a minimum of a few minutes a day when you feel free of responsibility. It also affords a sense of communion with yourself and the divine.
If you are extra stressed, and have no contraindications, practice some mental pranayama (breathing exercises) daily. Like abhyanga, it has a quieting effect on the nervous system, and a balancing effect on the mind and hormones.
Learn how and when it is okay to cheat on your diet or in your lifestyle habits. As a general rule, cheat only a little and only when you feel healthy and rested. We can least afford to learn on vices when we most want to. In times of stress, we need to eat and live as well as possible.
Use disciple to achieve balance and then employ awareness to keep it there. Don’t trust your craving until you are balanced and healthy.
Educate yourself on your current condition and the appropriate lifestyle and dietary choices of you.
Digest emotions as you do food. Buried, denied or unprocessed emotions become mental ama in the same way that undigested food becomes physical ama.
End or improve any toxic or strained relationships, including the relationship with yourself.
Eliminate any poisons in your life, to the extent possible. If this means pharmaceutical drugs, first improve your diet and lifestyle, then look to eliminating or lessening medications.
Respect your body’s natural urges. When you are truly hungry, eat. When you are truly thirsty , drink. When you are truly tired, rest. Surrender the pace and needs of your body
Laugh
Engage in mentally stimulating burt not stressful activities
Do less multitasking and give more full attention to one thing at a time.
Watch less than 10 hours of TV a week
Avoid environmental pollutants like PVC, BPA, phthalates, and dioxins
Avoid organic chemicals that have “cholera” as part of their name, such as chlorophenol weed killers (e.g. 2,4-D, which is used by some commercial lawn services)
If you have to be exposed to environmental pollutants, surround yourself with houseplants like English ivy, gerber daises, Madagascar dragon trees, pot chrysanthemums, and variegated snake plants.
Only put on you skin what you would consider putting in your mouth. Avoid chemical-packed lotions from major department stores.