Is swimming a good form of exercise?

Recently, I've been on a vacation away from the city. Surrounded by beach and nature, the goal is to calm down the nervous system and reboot my adrenals. The mind and soul play a huge role in health, a holistic getaway is needed after all the stress from regular lifestyle, and I believe that everyone requires a 'adrenals-reboot' vacation once in a while, preferably every couple years or so.

When I was sun-bathing in the sea, one thing came across my mind. Swimming. There have been a number of people who asked me about this physical movement, is it good or bad? From my honest point of view, it is good but could be bad if executed in a wrong way. How can swimming be bad? Well, the fact is, swimming itself, is a good form of exercise if it's performed safely in nature, meaning, swim in sea, lake, waterfall or river. In other words, to swim in god-made water environment, and not man-made pool. 

How could swimming in man-made pool be bad? Well, it's simple. Swimming pool, typical contaminated with chemicals and toxins such as heavy metals, pesticides, fluoride, chlorine, etc. Some water supply which fill the pool, may contain even pharmaceutical drugs. As scary as it sound, this is the hidden truth which most people are not aware. As I've blogged about chlorine and fluoride previously, both these neurotoxins are potent and harmful to humans. Chlorine is shown to damage vital organs such as lungs, eyes, hair, skin, liver, etc. And fluoride has been shown in countless studies to cause long list of serious health effects including lowered IQ, increased risk of bone cancer and fractures. 

Imagine going for a routine or regular swimming sessions in the pool. An hour of presumably relaxing dip in the pool may cause more harm then good to the body one can imagine. Have you wondered how humans were evolved to swim for thousands if not millions of years? Yes, we dip, wash, bath and swim in the sea, lake, river and waterfall. Clean, non/low contaminated water, loaded with minerals which has healing effects to the body. We used to sun-bathed in the sea, soaked in Vitamin D, stimulate the nervous system in AM, boosting the reproductive systems and blood flow, and the list of the benefits goes on. 

Swimming, is part of human evolution. The movement simulate the natural contralateral pattern which we were born to physically interact. Swim, run/sprint, walk, swinging from trees, all these movements are primal, and it involve how our t-spine, hip, glutes, obliques and the entire core system work in sync. Can you imagine if you are taken back to caveman era, how would you survive and move? From trees swinging to barefoot walking, sprinting while hunting or getting away from predators, and mountain climbing to perhaps swimming in deep sea to catch sea animals or even just a routine bath. Non of that typical bicep curls, tricep extension nor steady state cardio activities. 

If you are passionate about swimming, ensure you spend most of your time in nature-based water. Find a cleaner, lower-contaminated sea or river and enjoy your dip or diving skills. Unless you are training for a competition or sports, you will most likely need to train in swimming pool. There are some pools which uses saline water, a cleaner form of water, but most commercial pools are loaded with chlorine and other nasty chemicals. 

For whoever cant swim in the sea, I've list down some of the 'workouts' drills you can enjoy while you dip yourself in chest-height water level. I've tried these drills myself while having some fun in the sea, and you will be surprise the sweat dripping down from your forehead. Give it a try, and let me know if you like it. Happy sea workout! 

Drill 1: Underwater sprint

Think of sprinting, but you will be doing it underwater at chest-height. Ensure both your legs moves really fast and paddle both your shoulders and arms too at the same time. Repeat as many times as possible, with 10 secs intervals. 

Drill 2: Chest Flyes & Explosive Push

Instead of typical dumbells flye done in the gym, you will be crossing and opening both arms as fast as possible. As soon as the flye movement of 10 reps completed, go straight into explosive chest pushing movement of 10 reps. Ensure both palms are facing away from you, and perform the repetitive pushing movement as explosive and fast as possible without stopping. In conclusion, it will be a combination of 20 reps both flye and pushing in the least amount of time. To perform as many rounds as desired. 

Drill 3: Iso-Hold Floating Reverse Plank

You need to be in a shallower water level, about upper tricep to shoulder height (when you are on a reverse plank both palms pressing and anchoring the surface of the sand). Embrace your core muscles and ensure your glutes and legs do not touch the surface of the sand. The wave will continously shaking you off balance and your entire arms, abs and core muscles will fight hard to keep it afloat while your elbows are locked the entire period.

Drill 4: One leg iso-hold

One leg standing on the base of the sea, preferably at chest-height. The goal is try to be on one leg as long as possible, 60-180 seconds. Your muscle stabilizers and core muscles too will be on fire the entire time due to waves in the water constantly trying to throw you off balance. 

Bone Health: What is your risk of bone fractures? (Part 3)

Approximtely 1.6 million people suffered from hip fractures each year worldwide. By year 2050, it is estimated to hit 4.5 million to 6.3 million. A shocking statistic, how can so many people break their hip bone in a year? Up to 20% of patients die in the first year following hip fractures according to a study back in late 1993, but up to 20% of patients who survived after the year end up in nursing homes. Meanwhile, up to 10% of patients suffered reoccurance hip fracture within the 3 years period. Research has shown that bone fractures mostly occured within one year period, especially those who is diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis. 

The good news, sort of, CDC, WHO and The National Osteoporosis Foundation have all recognized the main focus of osteoporosis treatment is to reduce the risk of bone fractures, and not only increasing bone density of an individual. WHO has launched an online tool FRAX, which is an assessment tool to measure fracture risk (link below). 

FRAX tool: 

http://www.iofbonehealth.org/frax

In today's post, I will further discuss about diet, nutrition and Vitamin K. Why nutrition and diet is so important in the role of building strong healthy bones. Do you think by drinking milk or taking calcium supplementation will enable strong bones and prevent fractures? As naive as it sound, this is far from the the truth. If milk and calcium supplements can prevent bone fractures, there would be virtually zero incidence globally. The focus on bone density is barely half of the whole story here. 

I've personally met many people, who drink couple glasses of milk daily, combined with poor diet. I've also bumped into folks who take calcium supplement daily, and eat a high crap diet. Most of these people I met, are sedentary and exercise to them is not a priority. "As long as I eat anything i want, and as long as I take my calcium supplement or drink milk and be a couch potato, I will have strong healthy bones".  I can literally hear that ridiculous thought in your mind, and I would not be surprise if you suffered from bone fractures in few years from now. As absurb as these people may think, and as blunt as I may sound, the risk of bone fractures is expectedly high for these folks. The question is, "When will it happen and which bone?"

There is another common question which some folks asked me before, "If my bones are big and heavy, does it mean that my bone density if high and I have strong healthy bones?". The answer is NO. The same thing apply for an individual who is heavy or overweight, the muscle mass and health status not necessary mean good or even optimal. I know it is not exactly the same, but you get what I meant. 

Back to nutrition. I want to discuss a couple of nutrients which are vital to building strong healthy bones. In particular, Vitamin K, a powerful nutrient which is not fully commercialized yet. Perhaps one or two years from now, the supplement industry will commercialized it and make a fortune out of this nutrient. There are primarily two main forms of Vitamin K, they are K1 and K2. This fat soluble vitamin, arguably, the most powerful nutrient in bone health, especially rebuilding factor of the connective tissues. Vitamin K1 can be converted to K2 in the small intestines by bacteria. Vitamin K1 is primarily used by the liver to maintain a healthy blood clotting system. As for Vitamin K2, it is vital for brain health and other organs, it protect against oxidative stress. One of the key functions of Vitamin K2, is to stimulate the production of connective tissues in the bone. Bear in mind, taking certain antibiotics can wipe out gut flora (good bacteria) to more then 70%. 

There are primarily different forms of Vitamin K2. We have MK4 and MK7. If you heard of Natto, this fermented food contain high amount of Vitamin K2, in the form of MK7. If you love consuming Natto, your body is getting loads of Vitamin K2. However, only MK4 is shown in studies to have the ability to reduce risk of bone fractures.  Clinical trials have shown that as little as 45mg of MK4 daily, it has the ability to reduce the fracture risk to a whopping 87%. Imagine if you combined this protocol with proper exercise and diet. 

This nutrient, triumphed Vitamin D and calcium, in terms of effectiveness and ability to prevent bone fractures. But, Vitamin D is very important for bone health too, as this hormone help to absorb calcium. Vitamin D and calcium, both nutrients have been well known for the importance of bone health for quite some time now. But bear in mind, with Vitamin D allowing calcium to come in to the body and bones, but with deficiency in Vitamin K2, you could be facing the risk of clogging of the arteries, due to excess of calcium deposits. Vitamin K2, play a role in directing calcium to bones, instead of solely to the arteries.  That is why coronary artery disease (a form of heart disease), relates to calcification of blood vessels, and taking solely calcium supplements increase an individual risk of heart disease. Imagine taking a supplement thinking that it will prevent osteoporosis, but at the same time increasing risk of heart disease. How does that sound to you? You are better off not taking calcium and Vitamin D supplements at all, if you are deficient in Vitamin K2. Things will get worst and you are setting yourself up for heart disease. 

Now, let's talk about exercise. Another factor which will complete the puzzle of building strong healthy bones. Which form of exercise is most effective in building strong bones and improve bone density? The answer is weight-bearing exercise. Yes, ladies, pick up the weights and start lifting. Most women still have the perception of lighting weights make them look bulky and 'froggy'. That's just silly. The ladies do not realize that the production of testosterone in females are so much lower then men, thus, it would be virtually impossible to achieve such physical stature. Unless, you train hours daily, 6-7 days a week, within bodybuilding parameters, and overdose yourself with synthetic growth hormones and testosterone supplements. The only way to build lean muscle mass and look 'toned', is incorporating weight training regularly, and not walking or jogging on that treadmill. 

If you have read about Wolff's Law, the study showed that by stressing the muscles and bones with weights, it force the body to produce greater stimulus, thus, better growth of the muscles and bones. In this case, the bones will be more dense. There are other form of exercises which could improve bone density such as plyometrics and strength training, both are equivalent ideal, but ensure you check with your doctors before enrol in such training programs. 

In conclusion, where do I start and what should I do to build strong healthy bones? Well, the question everyone should be asking, "What is my risk of bone fracture?". Instead of focusing solely on bone density based on DEXA scan result, you need to look at the entire picture. Get rid the idea of drinking milk or taking calcium supplement, and avoiding ingesting foods and toxins or doing things which leech vital minerals and nutrients from the body. Ensure your diet rich in vegetables as magnesium and Vitamin K is vital. Dietary cholesterol and exposure to sun getting adequate Vitamin D is equally as important. Start lifting weights consistently, we were never meant to be sedentary. Lastly, ensure your hormones are regulating properly, chronic stress levels will affect your bones directly, and women will suffer more likely then men, as shown in studies. 

Journals: 

http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(00)00396-3/abstract

http://www.nbihealth.com/t-mk7-hip-fractures.aspx

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15309455

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20808041

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17906277

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18374202

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15018483

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16469998

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15447922

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16190315

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16801507

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7607844

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7674066

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19818443

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1652961

http://www.jci.org/articles/view/28084

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12239242

http://joe.endocrinology-journals.org/content/201/2/241.full

http://www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-statistics

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12137611

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11850308

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7967758

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7895417

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10750566

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15664003

Hip Fractures (journals):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8166806

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16467975

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2254671/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004072/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8472408

Bone Health: What is your risk of bone fractures? (Part 2)

Bone density mineral assessment, predicts only up to 44% for risk of suffering from bone fractures. Barely half the overall assessment for bone health and risk of breaking a bone in the body. The 44% prediction is for women, and only 21% for men. Is bone density scan the best predictor for bone fractures? What can one do to reduce bone fractures? 

In previous post, I've discussed about the role of hormones in bone remodelling, and a little bit about osteoporosis drugs, how it interfere with natural bone remodelling activities and could end up making our bones becoming from bad to worst. Today, we will discuss about dairy products and diet. We will focus particularly on milk and the whole story behind this idea of 'drinking milk keeps our bones strong and healthy'. 

Want some milk? Does any of you drink milk on regular basis? Do you still think drinking milk or consuming dairy products will prevent you from developing osteoporosis or bone fractures? When one think of calcium, milk and dairy products come into mind, a far-fetch perception, and a misleading recommendation from the media and so called health professionals. From the list I provided below, you will realize that there are many foods which are loaded with calcium, apart from dairy products. Besides, calcium is only one of the many components which build strong healthy bones. We have been mislead to believe that calcium will make our bones strong and we have to drink more milk and consume more dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt. 

Does anyone even know what's in your milk? Most people think that they need to consume milk in order to be healthy. Commercial milk and dairy products, are loaded with nasty growth hormones and antibiotics. The milk from fedlot sick diseased cows are fed with grains, soy, corn, waste materials, and contaminated water supply. Do take note that most of these cows are fed GMOs crops too. These cows are not the ones you imagine grazing on the lush of mountain or happily spending hours daily under the sun enjoying fresh air and pesticide-free grass. Those poor sick cows are locked away from its natural environment and fed toxic foods which is not its' natural diet. Dairy food products, have been known to cause food-allergies and sensitivities since many years back. It is arguably the one of the main causes for allergic and immune reaction from food, and most people are still not aware of it. 

How about raw organic milk? Or perhaps yoghurt, butter or cheese made from organic raw milk? Is it safe and beneficial? The answer is YES. But again, one man's medicine can be another man's poison. Always learn to listen to your body. I personally consumed yoghurt, butter and cheese from raw organic unpasteurized milk, and these foods taste delicious and fantastic. But again, in terms of calcium based foods, you do not need to rely on milk or dairy products, and you need to fully understand all other factors which enable and build strong healthy bones, preventing fractures. Calcium is not the only answer.

Calcium-rich foods (non dairy products)

- Kale

- Sardines

- Dark leafy greens

- Broccoli

- Almonds

- Salmon

- Sesame seeds

- Sunflower seeds

- Figs

- Tuna

The calcium lie, which goes back to more then possibly 20-30 years ago, was commercialized in the mainstream when I was a small kid. Of course I don't expect my parents to know about this whole dietary scam, many more people are tricked into believing this whole 'calcium prevents osteoporosis' idea. Availability of milk and dairy products have been more then ever, people have been consuming these products, boasting dairy industry sales and making themselves sick in the process. I love organic raw milk and raw dairy products, but I have to say that pasteurized commercial dairy products are to avoid at all cost. If you love cheese, yoghurt or butter, at least buy from organic (ideally unpasteurized and unhomogenized) sources. I have to admit, there are very limited organic free range unpasteurized dairy products in my country. 

What about infant milk formulas? Is it a good source of calcium nor is it even an ideal food for babies? The answer is NO. Commercial infant milk formulas are loaded with synthetic hormones, pesticides and harmful toxic chemicals and preservatives. Imagine infants or babies with immature immune system ingesting these so called 'foods' and causing severe immune reaction. Babies and children are falling sick more often then ever, compared to couple generations ago. A more common sense question parents should be asking themselves, "What did babies consume before these milk formulas were invented and introduced to us?" If you know the answer (if you still have common sense), and if every parent stop feeding their babies or children these toxic formulas, infant milk formula industry will be very unhappy and suffer huge loss. 

Most of us have lost touch with how our ancestors eat, live and move. We have derailed from a holistic approach to a  non common sense ideas and recommendations. Some of the conventional wisdoms are just complete hogwash and absurdity. Do we even know what our ancestors eat for countless generations? The foods and diet which kept them so healthy and reproductive, so that we are born and live till today. 

What about diet? The foods we eat daily to keep us alive and functional. I will not discuss about calories in calories out hypothesis, but let's review which foods is essential and beneficial to bone health. Apart from that, we would also want to focus on factors which causes the body to loose minerals faster then expected. Phytic acid, binds to minerals and could cause depletion of minerals in the bones and body. Foods which contain high amount of phytates or phytic acid may cause malabsorption of minerals in the body including the bones. Apart from that, high amount of caffeine ingestion may also have diuretic affect causing some of the minerals lost from excessive urination. An occasional one cup of organic coffee few times a week should not impair minerals absorption but for women or people who are suspected to be suffering from adrenal fatigue or adrenal disorder, you may want to be careful on coffee dependency. Heavy metals, also bind to these minerals causing even further deficiency. Most importantly, diet which is minerals and collagen deficient, is one of the main factors in bone health. In this case, Vitamin K is extremely important. 

Not yet a superstar amongst other vitamins, Vitamin K is arguably one of the most powerful nutrient which benefit the body in so many ways. I will explain more about this nutrient's role in bone health in next post. Stay tuned. 

Bone Health: What is your risk of bone fractures? (Part 1)

Most of us are obsessed with how we look outside, but how many of us really concern about our inner body, how are we doing physiologically, how our hormones are regulating, our gut flora or perhaps even our joints and bones health. Do most people care about the 'inside' body, more then the appearance in front of the mirror? Maybe not, perhaps not many people. From my experience and encounters with people I met, most people care more about how they look from the outside, if her tummy is too flabby, or his arms are big enough, or her legs are too huge.

Almost every people I met, have some form of obsession with their physical appearance. From hair to face, arms to chest, butt and of course abdominal area, people pay attention to their outlook more then what is even more vital to their health and body, the physiological aspect and what is silently regulating and happening inside. Most of us have forgotten what is keeping us from being sick and diseased, what is enabling us to be healthy, functional and happy. 

In today's topic, I will discuss about bone health, and I hope to enlighten you about the myths and truths of our bones and how to build and maintain strong healthy bones to prevent fractures. I will discuss about dairy products (or drinking milk and calcium intake), osteoporosis drugs (BONIVA and FOSAMAX), importance of hormones of bone remodelling, dietary factor and also supplements or certain vital nutrients which are crucial to achieve strong health bones. 

From years of experience meeting with clients and people I know, bone fractures or similar form of injuries have been noticeable. From metatarsal bone to hip fractures, it is becoming more common, but not normal. The question is, "Is bone density is best predictor for fracture?", or "Would osteoporosis drugs decrease the risk of bone fractures?. Finally, the most popular question of all, "Would consuming more calcium (and no changes in other lifestyle and dietary factors) reduces the risk of bone fractures?". The answer is a big NO. 

For years, all of us have been bombarded by the insanity of calcium consumption for osteoporosis. We have been told drinking milk and increasing calcium intake will prevent osteoporosis. Guess what, the consumption of milk and dairy products have soared but the rates of bone fractures have increased. As I've blogged previously about calcium and bones relationship, calcium is only one of the many minerals which build the density of the bone.  Our bones do not only consist of calcium and the absurd recommendation by the media and so called 'dietary experts' or doctors have mislead us all along. 

Now, in this post, I will first talk about the foundation of bone framework. Let's clear some of the misleading advises and myths we have been told all these years. 

Bone Health & Prevention of Osteoporosis Myths:

1) Increasing calcium intake will prevent osteoporosis

2) Drinking milk (or more milk) or consume dairy products will improve bone density and prevent osteoporosis

3) Our bones are made of calcium
4) All exercises will strengthen bones and prevent fractures or osteoporosis
5) Prescription drugs such as Fosamax and BONIVA will prevent or reduce risk of bone fractures
6) Taking calcium supplements will prevent or reduce risk of osteoporosis or bone fractures
7) Bone density assessment is the best predictor for risk of bone fractures
8) Anyone with high bone density is considered safe for suffering from bone fractures

I know, I know. Some raised eyebrows and I expect to be lashed out by the firm believers of 'milk lovers' to it me in the face and doctors crucifying me verbally. What do we all expect from conventional wisdom which regard to health? A fraction, possibly a laughable statistic. Diseases rates have sky-rocketed exponentially as we were mislead by conventional wisdom and recommendations by so called doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, fitness experts or trainers, and whatever claimed health experts. 

Let's talk more about our bones, particularly the 'framework'. Apart from plentiful of minerals, fats, protein, water and other nutrients which build strong bones foundation, most of us do not realized that the connective tissues is part of the whole 'framework' of bones. The connective tissues aka bone collagen play a vital role in building strong health bones. Bone collagen give the bone the flexibility and ability to withstand the force of an impact or fall. It is true that minerals give bones the hardness and density, but it is not the entire puzzle of building strong healthy bones. 

Some of us may ask, "Does bone health or risk of fracture only concerns elderly?". The answer is NO. There are many people amongst the younger adults suffer from poor bone health and have high risk of bone fractures. Most of my clients who suffered from joints injuries or bone fractures are primarily at the age of 20's and 30's. Of course, elderly people may have higher risks of bone fractures but prescription drugs for osteoporosis will not prevent bone fractures nor build strong bones. Yes, I'm talking about the popular FOSAMAX and BONIVA drugs you are taking regularly as advised by your doctor. 

I know your doctor, health magazines or even TV advertisements tell you that these so called 'osteoporosis prevention drugs' can improve your bone density, but it is far from the truth. As I will discuss about how hormones cortisol, progesterone and estrogen play a crucial role in bone health, these dangerous drugs will be part of the equation too, how these drugs work, and how this 'medication' interfere with human's natural bone remodelling. 

First of all, none of any pharmaceutical drugs are designed to heal or fix anything when it comes to health or human body. We are still clouded with the mindset of chasing the symptoms and using pills and drugs to mask the signs your body is signalling to you. The hormones in our body, particularly cortisol (primary stress hormone), and estrogen (sex hormone), regulate the natural equilibrium of the bone remodelling. The osteoclasts and osteoblasts relationship determine a huge factor in bone health, and how our primary hormones cortisol and estrogen maintain that balance ratio or bones remodelling. Osteoblasts build bones, and osteoclasts break bones down. How does it work? How does both these major hormones work in bone remodelling? 

Cortisol, as some of you might have known by now, is a primary stress hormone. It suppress the osteoblasts, the mechanism which trying to build new bones. Why is this important to you? Well, if you have a hectic stressful lifestyle or job, you may want to pay attention to this piece of information, unless having bones fracture or broken bones is not relevant to you. As we are living in a modern face-paced lifestyle and environment, most of us are quite stressed out and adrenal fatigue is becoming more common. Unless you are a zen monk living on a mountain top, I assume you have some form of stressful lifestyle (or job). The more stressful one is, the more secretion of cortisol the adrenal produces, thus, inhibit and slow down the building of new bones in the body. Bad news. 

What about estrogen? Well, One of its' vital role is to suppress the osteoclasts activity, which slow down the breaking down of the bone cells. For women, as long as you are still menstruating, your monthly surge of estrogen levels will suppress this activity. That's good but for those who have irregular or missed menstruation cycles, the natural bone remodelling of the body will be affected and have increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. That is why having regular monthly cycle is so important, but many women are suffering from endocrine disorders. Wonder why doctors give estrogen therapy to women who is menopausal? "It's good for your bones" said the doctor. Partially true, but the side effects are far more devastating then what we have been told. 

Now, what about osteoporosis drugs? The ever popular FOSAMAX and BONIVA is the top of the list drugs which is believed to 'build bone density'. But, the truth is, it poison the osteoclasts cells and make it stick to the bone. Not only this drug interfere with the natural activity of the bone remodelling, but it also interfere with other nutrients which is to be absorbed by the bone. The poisoned gunk which glued to the bone does NOT genuinely improve bone density. These drugs stop the natural process of bone remodelling, and having abnormal accumulation of new bone cells, the bone becomes fragile overtime. 

What about progesterone? Most women think of this hormone as ovulation, pregnancy and menstruation. This major female hormone, stimulate the production of osteoblasts. What a beautiful equilibrium, estrogen and progesterone, both hormones maintaining a dynamic balance of bone remodelling in the human body. For women who is deficient in progesterone, this will pose a problem for bone health. So, in this post, I've debunked the 1st part of the 'calcium-osteoporosis' hypothesis. Stay tuned.

Fluoride, Chlorine, Bromine - Connection to thyroid dsyfunction

Two discussions came up with my clients about a week ago. Toothpaste and shower filter. Some of them were asking, "Which toothpaste brand is safe to use?".  Are commercial toothpaste brands safe for humans, and what's the ingredients hidden where most people are not aware? Another question came up, "Is shower filter necessary during showers?" Let's find out.

As I've blogged previously about fluoride, some of you would have known about this neurotoxin. A lot more people start to realize about this dangerous toxin, but are you exposed to fluoride from other sources apart from toothpaste? Well, fluoride is found in many sources especially treated municipal water supply. In my country, the household water supply is loaded with tons of toxins and chemicals. Fluoride is one of them. We have been told that fluoride is safe and can prevent tooth decay, but this is another fat lie from the government and dental industry. Almost every commercial toothpaste products contain sodium fluoride, and our water supply is contaminated with fluoride and other toxins such as chlorine, lead, aluminum, cadmium, pesticides, and even pharmaceutical drugs! Imagine our body ingest or absorb nasty pharma drugs such as statins and SSRI? It is as scary as it sounds, we are loading our body with even more toxins then we already did. 

In today's post, I would like to discuss about 3 toxins, which will impact thyroid health, thus, leading to a whole host of other health complications and diseases. Fluoride, chlorine and bromine. Most people have heard about chlorine, but probably not much about fluoride and bromine. Apart from water supply and toothpaste products, what are other sources of fluoride? Well, if you dine regularly outside, ensure you are drinking RO or distilled water. Unless the restaurant can confirm you are drinking purified or distilled water, you are ingesting tap water (including fresh juices or teas and coffee). Soft drinks is another common source of fluoride, and the accumulated fluoride ingestion will bind to fat cells, bone cells and neurological tissues. Thyroid gland, is one of them. Some of you may ask, how can I then dine outside drinking beverage without ingesting fluoride? Well, the goal is to eliminate as much of this neurotoxin as possible whenever you can. You could bring your own water bottle and that would pretty much lessen the worry. 

How about chlorine? Most people heard about this dangerous potent toxin. When you spend time in swimming pool, you bath yourself with high level of chlorine, apart from absorbing other chemicals. Most people think swimming is a good exercise, and I have to agree, but not swimming in toxic commercial pools. We were never evolved to swim in the pools, and dipping in the lake, river and sea, would make more sense, if you love the nature and swimming is your passion. Wonder why your hair and skin become so dry and damage after one swim in the pool? Or maybe after your shower time in the toilet? Most people tend to filter drinking water, but how about shower filter? Most people forget about the substance or products which we apply on our skin, and the air quality that we breathe. Clean diet and water, is a good protocol to be integrated in our daily lives, but whatever we apply on our skin and body (externally), some of it (if not most of it) will be absorbed into our body and blood stream. And shower water, is one of the most common source of chlorine, which can damage the skin, hair, liver, lungs, etc. 

As I'm trying to educate most of my clients to filter their showers, it could be one of the most important health investment one could make. Merely 10 mins of  hot shower is equivalent to drinking a gallon of unfiltered tap water. Do the math yourself. The chlorine vapor in the toilet which we inhale, damage our lungs and nervous system, while some of the vital organs including our skin suffer from it. Remember, any shower filter is ideal, else, your body will be the filter! Meanwhile, applying skin moisturizer will only add up the load of toxins and chemicals in your body, further overloading your liver function, due to harmful ingredients in most products. Unless, coconut oil is your only preference for skin health, which I doubt. 

I've personally tried setting up triple filtration system at home, and performed chlorine water test. You can notice a significant amount of chlorine level from 1st, 2nd and 3rd filtration. There is also a huge difference between unfiltered and filtered water shower. Results? Skin and hair become less dry and manageable. The reduction in fluoride reduced tremendously too, but there is no way we could totally remove all the fluoride and chlorine in the water.

Now, how about bromine? Not many people heard of this toxic compound. Where is this substance found? It is commonly found in baked goods, soft drinks and even vegetable oils. If you love baked goods, good luck. If you drink tons of fruit flavored beverages or soft drinks, good luck again. This chemical is highly toxic, and there is no safe level for human consumption. The food industry do not need to label this toxic ingredient in any of their food and beverage product, and most people are ingesting tons of it on regular basis. 

By now, you must be asking, what do these 3 substances have in common. Apart from being a dangerous toxin, these compounds bind to thyroid tissues and cause a long list of health problems. From weight loss to cold hands and feet, and fatigue to sluggish metabolism, the negative consequences are just plentiful. Thyroid dysfunction/disorder, is commonly misdiagnosed condition by most doctors, especially thyroid autoimmune disease. Thyroid cancer, is the currently fastest growing cancer of all cancers, and thyroid medications is the 4th most prescribed drugs in USA. 

If you suffers from any thyroid related problem, go get 2nd opinion, and working with naturopathic doctor or certified clinical nutritionist would be a better option. In women, thyroid disorder is very common, and autoimmune thyroid disease is on the rise, and more people is suffering from it. For people who work so hard trying to lose weight or body fat, exercising more and reducing calories may not be the way to go. Remember, every cell in the body has receptor site, and that will determine he efficiency of metabolism and ability to utilize energy. With poor thyroid functions, or if you suffer from thyroid disorders, you will expect poor gut motility, and digestion, assimiliation and elimination will suffer too. Please bear in mind that thyroid hormones also strongly influence the tight junctions in the stomach and small intestines. Your thyroid, is crucially important to achieving efficient metabolism and digestion, as well as maintaining optimum health. Without functioning thyroid, you will never be healthy again. 

Journals (Thyroid- Gut Motility)

- http://gut.bmj.com/content/12/2/172.full.pdf

- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1940412

- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3929142/

- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12269922

- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15788986

- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20351569

- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11710797

- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12741459

- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6706068