Maintaining fitness of a lifetime, and better health - Overtraining & Adrenal Fatigue (Part 11)

This person is depressed, always tired, often anxious, craves alcohol almost as much as coffee. This person also craves carbohydrates and always seems to be snacking. This person may simply try to live on his or her artificial nervous energy and caffeine boosters throughout the day instead, punctuated by the occasional bagel or donut and skipping real, regular meals. This person has what practitioners of mainstream natural medicine call adrenal exhaustion or burned-out adrenals.

It just so happens that this particular person also has food sensitivities plus parasitic and chronic viral infections. He or she has a lot of chronic personal stress, is drinking too much, and isn't getting enough rest. He or she is commonly awakens in the middle of the night with what feels like a surge of adrenaline, which may relate to her body's way of compensating for insufficient cortisol at these times. The question is, does this sound familiar to what you are experiencing? 

As high cortisol production has been getting more publicity and primary discussion, but how about if a person is running low on cortisol production? What if that someone is losing ability to produce cortisol on daily basis? What will actually happen to that individual? What would his or her symptoms be? 

There are several possible causes of this person's low cortisol level. For starters, and from a brain-based perspective, her food sensitivities and infections are generating inflammatory cytokines, which adversely alter the paraventricular nuclear (PVN) cells of her hypothalamus and are likely effectively dampening their output. It is known that certain inflammatory cytokines adversely modulate brain neurotransmitters and the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. These conditions, and the other causes of her low cortisol problem, need to be addressed individually and not with a bunch of adrenal supplements. 

That said, when cortisol is chronically depressed, there is a particular supplement called licorice root extract (not the candy!), that can help preserve the half-life of cortisol and help extend its activity. It doesn't affect actual cortisol production but rather helps maintain what little cortisol happens to be available and allows your body to use it more effectively. 

Now, let's pause for a moment and take a look at some of the symptoms of chronically low cortisol.

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF CHRONICALLY LOW CORTISOL/ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY

• Chronic fatigue 
• Decreased tolerance to cold or stress 
• Poor circulation 
• Low blood sugar symptoms (hypoglycemia). This is NOT a dietary sugar or starch deficiency! 
• Craving caffeine, sugar, and stimulants 
• Carb (and/or alcohol) cravings in general 
• Low blood pressure 
• Apathy or depression 
• Poor libido 
• Poor stamina 
• Joint aches and pains 
• Muscle weakness 
• Salt cravings 
• Needing excessive amounts of sleep and/or awakening to anxiety-provoking adrenaline surges in the middle of the night 
• Low resistance to infection 
• Having a possibly subnormal basal body temperature 
• If adrenal deficiency is coupled with a loss of DHEA production, hair loss in pubic and underarm areas can occur. 

You know the symptoms, and you will be asking questions, "What's my next step? How should I deal with it?". Let's look at a list of considerations to tackle low cortisol production, but each individual may vary in terms of effectiveness and time frame of improvement.

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOUR CORTISOL IS TOO LOW?

• First, you need to determine and address all potential sources of inflammation or infection. 
• Have your ferritin levels tested. Ferritin is the best measure of your iron levels, and you need iron to produce cortisol. Large amounts of an iron-containing protein are present in the adrenal cortex, and are involved in the synthesis of corticosterone. If your iron is low, you will also tend to have a low cortisol level and what appears to be adrenal fatigue. Also, the thyroid and adrenal glands tend to work best when your ferritin level is somewhere between 80-110 ng/mL. If it gets much higher, I start worrying about iron overload. If it is much lower than about 40, you may have chronic anemia. Women will routinely complain of hair loss when their ferritin levels are between 40-60 ng/mL, fatigue and light-headedness occur when between 20-40 ng/mL, and a level of 20 ng/mL or lower can manifest in heart arrhythmias, breathlessness, irritability, nerve pain, or restless legs syndrome, to name just a few symptoms. 
• Take licorice extract in the morning and early afternoon (if needed) to make the most of the cortisol you have. Use it with caution if you have an issue with high blood pressure. Don't use it late in the afternoon as it can interfere with your sleep. Follow the recommendations on the label to start, then increase the dose as needed for feelings of improvement. 
• Control your blood sugar or switch to a fat-based diet. 
• Take turmeric/curcuminoid supplements to help dampen potential inflammation/neuro-inflammation. 
• Evaluate symptoms for neurotransmitter deficiencies 
• Taking certain specific amino acid precursors together with needed accessory nutrients may help at least temporarily relieve your symptoms. This can at least make you more comfortable while you are finding the cause of your low cortisol or otherwise depressed neurotransmitter levels. 
• Get a proper evaluation of your pituitary health through a qualified health care provider. Severely impaired ability by your pituitary to produce ACTH is most commonly caused by a tumor, though simple prolonged chronic stress may also lend itself to diminished secretion. Evidence for this can sometimes show in depressed TSH plus depressed total serum T4 (thyroid hormone) levels. See your doctor for more thorough testing. 
• If your depressed cortisol levels are related to adrenal autoimmunity, know that some people have found supplementing with high quality neonatal bovine adrenal glandular supplements significantly helpful. 

Stay tuned for next post. 

BOUGHT - The truth about vaccines, Pharmaceuticals and GMOs

Have you always been curious and wanting to know the truth about vaccines and the science and politics behind it? Or are you still having doubt after even reading the book titled 'Bad Pharma' by Dr. Ben Goldacre? Do you want to know more about GMOs foods and what it can do to our body and health? Then watch this very important documentary BOUGHT, if you genuinely want to protect your kids and find out a whole load of truth bombs about vaccines, pharmaceutical drugs and GMOs foods.

You can watch the entire movie for FREE until 6th March 2015, but I still recommend everyone (especially parents) to watch this documentary even if you have to purchase the DVD. Remember, the physiological and muscoloskeletal growth of a child, or behavioral state of your son or daughter, or perhaps the risk of recurrence infections and diseases, is within the control and final decision are made by the parents or guardians. The innocent child or kid, will not know which foods are bad or if pharmaceutical drugs will rob off minerals and nutrients from the body or damage gut health and a long list of other side effects. 

Website: www.boughtmovie.com 

Cholesterol is no longer a 'deadly food'? - 60 years of wrong dietary guidelines!

Stay away from eggs! Stay away from seafood! Stay away from red meat! In fact, stay away from any food which contain cholesterol. It will kill you and give you heart attack, remember? Oh wait, really? Isn't it considered the villain in our diet? The latest breaking news from USA dietary guidelines have now removed the warning of this 'deadly substance' from our diet. For the 1st time in the last 60 years or so, dietary cholesterol is no longer a bad nor deadly substance. I know how this sound, and almost everyone is confused! Is it bad? Or is it harmless? Or is it a vital nutrient for our body? Many years ago, our great grand parents used to consume tons of saturated fats and cholesterol in their diet for generations. Then approximately 60 years ago, major shift in dietary guidelines made us all think that cholesterol is bad and evil. And now it's considered harmless? That sounds like "We were damn wrong for more then 60 years!".

For years people have been led to believe that cholesterol is some kind of evil substance that somehow gets into the blood stream where it doesn't belong. Since everyone is being taught to fear cholesterol, we ought to know something about it. Today's post will therefore describe what it is, what it does in the body and the many factors which cause it to increase or decrease in the blood. I know for some of you readers out there, you have read my previous posts about cholesterol and heart disease, but let's say recap some of the 'in a nutshell' and fundamentals of this vital nutrient. Besides, it's a great day today with blue sky and lot's of sun! 

Now, let's talk a little bit about biology of this substance. Cholesterol, is actually a crystal of solid alcohol known as a steroid. It is absolutely essential to health and is located in every cell of the body, especially the brain. The body contains about 5 oz of cholesterol and only about 7% (one-third oz) circulates in the blood. Cholesterol is necessary in the membranes of cells where it regulates the exchange of nutrients and waste products. It is necessary in the growth and development of the brain and nervous system and acts as a conductor of nerve impulses. It is a necessary component in bile acids which promote the digestion of foods. Without cholesterol, complex fats could not be absorbed into the blood stream. And without complex fats, vitamins A, D, E and K, which are soluble only in fats, also could not be absorbed.  

Cholesterol is a necessary substance for the manufacture of adrenal, sex and pituitary hormones. And it is a necessary substance in the skin which is converted to vitamin D by sunlight and which produces a barrier in the skin, preventing water and other fluids from entering the body through the skin. By far, the major producer of cholesterol is the body itself. It is mainly manufactured in the liver and intestinal wall but it is also synthesized, when necessary, in every cell of the body except nerve tissue.

If you consume cholesterol in your diet, your body reduces its manufacture, if you don't consume dietary cholesterol, your body increases its manufacture. In other words, one's blood cholesterol level remains almost constant, whether one eats a little or a lot of dietary cholesterol. Bear in mind, your body will know how much of cholesterol to produce by the liver or gut, and day to day total cholesterol serum varies from time to time. As I mentioned earlier, doesn't matter if you eat 6 whole eggs a day, or lots of seafood, your body knows how much it need for cellular repair, brain functions, production of sex and stress hormones, conversion of Vitamin D, and other important bodily functions. Well, if you are concern about mood and sex, ensure you are you eating your fats and cholesterol regularly. And yes, drop the refined carbs and sugars.

Cholesterol and fat travel together in tiny little "taxis" composed of protein. Since cholesterol and fat are two types of "lipids," the little "taxis" are called lipoproteins. There are five kinds of lipoproteins. When a sample of blood is drawn and the cholesterol content of all lipoproteins is measured, the value is known as total cholesterol. It is this total cholesterol that the public has heard about over the years. However, in recent years, the media have been emphasizing two specific lipoproteins, namely, "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, HDL) and "bad" cholesterol (lowdensity lipoprotein, LDL). But "good" and "bad" are improper descriptors because all cholesterol is exactly the same. There is no such thing as good or bad cholesterol. 

When a person consumes food, the liver secretes bile acids into the intestine. These bile acids have heavy concentrations of cholesterol. About 50% of this cholesterol combines with ingested fats and the two are absorbed into the intestinal wall where they are loaded onto the largest of all lipoprotein particles. This lipoprotein delivers the fat to cells of the body and then heads for the liver where it is dismantled and its cholesterol is deposited. In the meantime, the remaining 50% of the bile acid cholesterol travels through the intestine and is excreted in the feces. Therefore, the body loses cholesterol several times a day through the digestive process. 

When a person consumes food containing cholesterol, that cholesterol's fate is identical to the cholesterol in the bile acids. Some of it enters the blood as a lipoprotein and the rest is excreted in the feces. Because cholesterol is used by all cells of the body and also is continuously lost in the feces, the body continuously manufactures it. Whether or not a person consumes cholesterol, the liver manufactures it, loads it and also some fats onto an LDL particle and sends the latter into the blood stream. When muscle or fat cells are in need of cholesterol, those cells completely absorb the LDL particles. When cells are not in need of cholesterol, the LDL particles return to the liver where they are dismantled. The above process occurs no matter what kind of food is consumed.

And now, check out what Steve Nissen said in USAToday. 

Steve Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, told USA Today:5 “It’s the right decision. We got the dietary guidelines wrong. They’ve been wrong for decades.” This message was echoed in Time Magazine, which recently reported that:

“[I]n the latest review6 of studies that investigated the link between dietary fat and causes of death, researchers say the guidelines got it all wrong. In fact, recommendations to reduce the amount of fat we eat every day should never have been made.”

Low-fat diets saw a real upswing in 1977, but according to research published in the Open Heart journal,7 led by Zoe Harcombe, PhD, there was no scientific basis for the recommendations to cut fat from our diet in the first place.

What’s worse, the processed food industry replaced fat with large amounts of sugar, While Dr. Harcombe shies away from making any recommendation about how much dietary fat might be ideal, she suggests that the take-home message here is to simply “eat real food.”

I have to say, it’s refreshing to finally see that message being repeated in the mainstream media. As reported by Time Magazine:8

“The less adulterated and processed your diet is, the more nutrients and healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates your body will get, and the less you’ll have to worry about meeting specific guidelines or advice that may or may not be based on a solid body of evidence.”

         abstract article : mercola.com

On 28th February 2015, marked an important day in the history of diet and health. The premier of Statin Nation II, to be screened in Central London, kudos to Justin Smith and his team for successfully completing this movie. There will surely be loads of truth bombs in this documentary. Be sure to watch part 1 prior to this new release, and I'm very happy as a fitness coach and health mentor, to celebrate the recent news about removal of cholesterol from dietary guidelines and released of Statin Nation II. 

 EMBRACE CHOLESTEROL, IT IS OUR FRIEND, NOT FOE 

References:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/10/new-dietary-cholesterol-advice/23174871/

http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-BINDER/meeting7/docs/DGAC-Meeting-7-SC-1.pdf

http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015.asp#overview

http://time.com/3702058/dietary-guidelines-fat-wrong/#3702058/dietary-guidelines-fat-wrong/

http://www.statinnation.net/statin-nation-ii/

Journals:

Seelig, R.A. Cholesterol, a brief review, Part I. United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable

Association Monthly Supply Letter, Washington, D.C., February 1977, 7

Miller, R.W. On being too rich, too thin, too cholesterol laden. FDA Consumer,

July/August 1981,1

Brown,M.&Goldstein,J.L. Lowering pi asm a cholesterol by raising LDL receptors.

New England journal of Medicine, 1981, 305,515

People with normal LDL receptor genes can acquire defect similar

to familial hypercholesterolemia. Internal Medicine News, 1987, January 15, 38

Glomset,J.A. Cholesterol metabolism. In The Heart Arteries and Veins. (Hurst, J. W.,

Ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1982,951

Peters, W.L. &Goroll, A.H. Theevaluation and treatment of hypercholesterolemia

in primary care practice. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 1986,1,183

Pinckney, C. & Pinckney, E.R. The Encyclopedia of Medical Tests. New York:

Facts on File, Inc.* 1982, 53

Vitale,J.J.&Ross, R.N. Critique of NIH report on lipid research. Consultant, March

15,1985,141

Maintaining fitness of a lifetime, and better health - Overtraining & Adrenal Fatigue (Part 10)

When we hit the gym or doing any form of exercise (workout), cortisol is not a common term being described by most people, including fitness professionals. But we have all heard about burning calories, losing weight, building muscles and getting fit. Doesn't matter which commercial gym you visit or join, big or small, it's primarily about weight loss or getting into a better shape, sort of. More then half of the so called personal trainers in these gyms don't even know what they are talking, let alone being examples of a taxed out adrenals with intoxicated gut and perhaps poor posture alignment too. Do you recall your trainer doing bench press and sit ups day in day out as if his life depends on it? Or those trainers who always advocate you to drink as much protein powders and train as often as you can? How many fitness professionals ever listen to their own bodies? The truth, extremely rare. Reason? Bulk up, six pack abs and bigger biceps and arms.

With more gyms opened from time to time, more fitness professionals and trainers are certified or born. We have so many more people wants to be fitness professionals  or personal trainers, but how many are actually into really helping their clients and not money driven, and 'walk the talk' type of role model? I have met personally tons of personal trainers who live on toxic commercial protein powders, energy bars, wheat and grains and processed foods. A walking toxic time bomb who advocates his or her clients to eat and live healthy and exercise more? 

The fitness industry is blooming, but is it focus more on profit or primarily helping clients to build health, restore better posture and losing fat and maintaining optimal fitness level in a long term sustainable way? With each gym opened, more people are getting fatter and sicker, the statistics should reflect otherwise. 

If only losing body fat and achieving good health is as simple as burning more calories then consumed, or 'joining a gym membership', my workplace and shopping malls would not have swamped with obese and seriously overweight, diseased homo sapiens. I recalled a recent banner advertised by a popular slimming centre in my place of stay, it says "Get a free trial kit of anti-obesity". That sums up the health and fitness industry which is evolving globally. 

In today's post, I will lay out the so called 'villain' cortisol stress hormone, how it can alter the stress pathway and response, and how it can directly impact your energy levels, brain functions and fitness level too. A certain amount of elevated cortisol and adrenaline enhances the memory and retention of emotionally charged material. However, the adverse effect of too much cortisol, though, is dramatic, particularly in the hippocampus, which is the part of our brain most susceptible to degeneration in the presence of excess cortisol. Other areas of the brain that are especially vulnerable to the ravages of cortisol tsunamis include the amygdala, plus the frontal lobes of the brain. The amygdala is especially affected by stress hormone release, since it's the part of your brain that records your fear response. The amygdala is also very quick to learn and very slow to unlearn. Too much stimulation of the amygdala can kindle unhealthy hypervigilance. 

Cortisol tends to have a bad reputation, but in fact, our body needs this hormone for various functions but it's important to recognize that this is all relative and that it;s all about complex interrelationships and balance. 

Chronically elevated cortisol secretion can rapidly lead to a situation of diminishing returns. In your body it leads to immune system impairment and tissue breakdown. If you are constantly driving with your pedal to the metal and running your engine too hot, doesn't it make sense that the central computer in your car might just try to adjust the idle by dialing it down? In blood chemistry tests of people with chronically elevated cortisol, it is often seen a functionally or clinically depressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) coupled with depressed T3 and T4 thyroid hormones.

SYMPTOMS OF CHRONICALLY ELEVATED CORTISOL

• Feeling tired even after sleeping well 
• Difficulty recovering from physical activity 
• Abnormal weight loss (through catabolism) or weight gain as a result of insulin resistance 
• Fatigue after meals mainly related to insulin resistance 
• Having chronically elevated fasting glucose and/or elevated hemoglobin A1C, both possible indications of diabetes/pre-diabetes 
• Excessive nervous energy 
• Sleeping poorly and feeling not well-rested in the mornings 
• Gastrointestinal symptoms related to impaired digestion 
• Adverse thyroid effects, such as depressed T3 together with possibly low TSH and/or low T4. One might also find elevated thyroid-binding globulin in cases of secondary low thyroid function. Both of these types of findings are commonly associated with chronic stress. 
• Experiencing neurodegenerative changes, such as chronic difficulty learning or remembering things 

Now, imagine, if you are constantly feeling tired throughout the day, and hitting the gym after work for some kind long cardio routine or perhaps RPM class, it is just a perfect recipe for shooting your adrenals and suppressing your immune system. With night time of elevated cortisol, your sympathetic nervous system is always switched on, and there is no way your para-sympathetic nervous system could calm down and enable your mind and body for deep REM sleep and proper repair and recovery.

Most people thought that a sudden weight loss after joining the gym or started an exercise program is a good thing. But, there are many cases where weight loss of individuals are due to catabolism, meaning, loss of muscle mass. That's of course is bad news, as your muscles are metabolic tissues, which in a way, determine the state or efficiency of your body's metabolism.

Excess cortisol effectively increases your blood sugar levels, too, even if you are eating a low-carbohydrate diet. It also decreases protein synthesis and increases protein breakdown, which can lead to muscle wasting. Remember, your heart is also a muscle, and muscle loss due to excess cortisol may be one reason why marathon runners are notorious for dropping dead due to heart failure.

Excess cortisol also invariably leads to neurodegenerative changes in the brain. You may notice you seem to be prone to tip-of-the-tongue syndrome, that is, "Now, what was I going to say?" Or you are constantly losing your car keys or you can never find what you did with your cell phone. Or you find yourself forgetting the name of someone you have known for years. This might seem a little bit funny or inconvenient, but if you don't catch these changes early, they may not be reversible. It is no laughing matter.

And, finally, excess cortisol suppresses immune function, interfering with healing and regeneration. It causes lymphatic tissue to shrink, subsequently diminishing lymphocyte numbers and function, and depresses production of the immunoglobulin SIgA, which is the first line of immune defense in your gut and lung tissue. 

Now, I would like to bring up the condition called Cushing's Disease. For some people, they may have heard before, especially a member in their family or friends is a sufferer or patient of this health condition. According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), Cushing's disease is a condition in which the pituitary gland releases too much adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

Although Cushing's disease is a pituitary disorder and not a primary adrenal disorder, it is one more way that one may experience significantly elevated cortisol levels in a manner that may require medical intervention. Cushing's disease is caused either by a tumor or other growth that enlarges the pituitary gland, leading to an excess of ACTH. Since ACTH stimulates cortisol production and release, the disease tends to cause pathologically excessive cortisol levels.

The NLM website lists many symptoms associated with Cushing's disease, including:

• Upper body obesity (above the waist) and thin arms and legs 
• Round, red, full face (moon face) 
• Slow growth rate in children 
• Mental changes, such as depression, anxiety, or changes in behavior 
• Fatigue 
• Headache 
• Increased thirst and urination 

Skin changes often seen include:

• Acne 
• Infections 
• Purple marks (1/2 inch or more wide), called striae, on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, and breasts 
• Thin skin that bruises easily 

Muscle and bone changes may include:

• Backache with routine activities 
• Bone pain or tenderness 
• Fat accumulation between the shoulders (buffalo hump) 
• Thinning of the bones, leading to rib and spine fractures 
• Weak muscles 

Women often have:

• Little or no sexual desire 
• Excess hair growth on the face, neck, chest, abdomen, and thighs 
• Menstrual cycle that becomes irregular or stops 

Men may have:

• Little or no sexual desire 
• Impotence 

Treating Cushing's disease typically involves surgery to remove the tumor if possible, which often results in a return to normal pituitary function. (However, it is possible for the tumor to grow back.) Some temporary hormone replacement therapy may be involved to aid recovery following surgery. I mention Cushing's disease here, since it can certainly impact the adrenals and cause pathologically high levels of cortisol production. If the above symptoms relate to you in any way, consult a qualified and knowledgeable licensed health care provider about ruling out Cushing's disease. 

Meanwhile, below are some of the tips for tackling high level of cortisol production. 

WHAT TO DO FOR SOARING CORTISOL?

The first step is one that you can't ignore, get your life stressors under control! Along with this are some other ways to help bring your cortisol levels back down to earth:

• Make stress management a top priority. 
• Follow an exercise plan that allows for high intensity and short duration. 
• Consider B vitamin supplements, such as vitamin B5 to help down regulate excessive cortisol secretion. 
• Take extra fish/krill oil, plus extra DHA to help modulate cortisol secretion. 
• Be sure you are getting enough magnesium. It's absolutely essential for effective physiological stress management. How much you need depends on your symptoms and your level of stress. 
• Incorporate drinking Tulsi herb daily/nightly

Maintaining fitness of a lifetime, and better health - Overtraining & Adrenal Fatigue (Part 9)

In today's post, we will discuss about the 'third eye'. The term 'third eye' was named historically and yes, it plays an important role in achieving and maintaining fitness, long term. This may be due to the fact that the pineal gland is a source of  DMT, which is commonly associated with visionary or mystical experiences. Also perhaps relevant is that the cells of the pineal gland, called pinealocytes, have characteristics that are strikingly similar to photoreceptor cells in the human retina. As some of you might have known here is more than one way to disturb your circadian rhythm, and one of the most common and least recognized is calcification of the pineal gland, the brain structure that produces melatonin. Fluoride is a major culprit. Remember what's in your toothpaste and tap water? 

The pineal gland is a pea-sized, pine-cone-shaped gland located deep within the brain where the two brain hemispheres join. Unlike the rest of the brain, though, it is not protected by the blood-brain barrier, which makes it especially vulnerable to dietary fluoride exposure. More than a decade ago, a researcher at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom found that fluoride deposits in the pineal gland accumulate with age and are associated with gland calcification. The author of the study, Jennifer Luke, wrote "There was a positive correlation between pineal fluoride and pineal calcium, but no correlation between pineal fluoride and bone fluoride". By old age, the pineal gland has readily accumulated fluoride and its fluoride-to-calcium ratio is higher than bone. This is one scary finding.

In the study, it was suggested by the author that the pineal calcification could be an indicator of decreased melatonin production and could become an indicator for circadian rhythm vulnerability and useful for assessing the need for melatonin replacement therapy. In fact, Luke and her co-authors thought that the degree of pineal calcification could be a better indicator of melatonin deficiency than measuring the amount of melatonin circulating in the blood. Furthermore, she said, the decrease of melatonin production, might lead to a disturbed circadian rhythmicity in the sleep-wake cycle, with the principal symptom being daytime tiredness. Other researchers have found evidence that fluoride-induced pineal calcification is a risk factor for schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, stroke, Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome, insomnia, and melatonin circadian dysregulation.

It is important to be sure you are getting your vitamin D along with a relative balance of other critical cofactors, such as vitamin A (retinol) and vitamin K2. This can help balance vitamin D and its effects in the body and help avoid problematic nutrient imbalances. With all the hot press and hype concerning the near-miraculous benefits of vitamin D, an all-too-commonly overlooked fact is that no nutrient functions in a vacuum away from the need for other nutrients. Too much of one nutrient can create serious imbalance with others, and this may cause very real problems. bear in mind, there are two receptors of Vitamin A for every one Vitamin D receptor in a cell. Liver is the best source for this critical fat-soluble nutrient, but supplementing with superfoods such as fermented cod liver oil can do the job, too. Well, although I won't mention any specific brand and I will let you do your own homework.

Magnesium deficiency can additionally and very commonly lead to undesirable calcium imbalances. We are all far more likely to be deficient in magnesium than in calcium, and restoring healthy magnesium levels is critical for managing appropriate calcification of things in your body that are meant to be calcified and minimizing the calcification of things that were not meant to be calcified. As I've mentioned how critical this mineral is in previous post, it is needed for more then 300 different bio-chemical functions in the body. 

Vitamin K2 regulates calcification. Deficiencies in vitamin K2 (all too common nowadays due to the fact that most people fail to eat enough organ meats) can readily lead to calcification of soft tissues and inadequate calcium in the places where it most belongs in your bones and teeth! In fact, poor vitamin K2 levels can additionally make you prone to poor bone health and dental caries, as well as harden your arteries and calcify your heart muscle. Add these dietary fat-soluble nutrient imbalances to fluoride exposure, and you find your pineal gland over time in a delightful calcium-rich crust. It's real bad news, and most of the time, conventional doctors may end up misdiagnosed this specific condition.

SO HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT REVERSING OR AVOIDING PINEAL CALCIFICATION? 

Try these:

-Avoiding all sources of fluoride (including toothpaste, tap water, packaged, bottled or canned drinks, non organic teas, etc)

-Avoiding supplements with any form of calcium 

-Maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D3, together with its critical cofactors, vitamins A (retinol) and K2  (sun is your friend, spend more time outdoor)

-Taking magnesium L-threonate, which has specificity for the brain and by maintaining healthy intracellular levels of magnesium elsewhere in the body 

-Taking vitamin K2 (natural dietary MK-4 and supplemental/dietary MK-7) and/or adding more organ meats plus 100 percent pastured raw butter (if you can find). You may also opt for Grass-Fed Organic Cultured Ghee. 

If you are having melatonin-related circadian rhythm issues, avoiding fluoride makes good sense. There are a number of health problems associated with fluoride and none realistically linked to having too little of it. No human being living and breathing anywhere suffers from any sort of fluoride deficiency, this is absurd. This is a highly controversial subject, and you may hear from your dentist telling you that it's not safe and fluoride can prevent tooth decay. Tell that to the primitive tribes who don't even use fluoridated toothpaste for hundreds of years, and they have strong perfect set of teeth, with no dental cavity or decay. I recommend buying a water filtration system that can effectively do the difficult job of removing fluoride. Also, avoid fluoride-containing toothpaste, mouthwash, and other fluoride-containing oral care products as well as canned or bottled beverages and some of the non organic teas. Keep in mind, too, that fluoride may be a common component of certain medications as well. Just one example of a fluoride-based pharmaceutical is fluoxetine (also known by the trade names Prozac, Ladose, and Fontex), among close to about two hundred others. Yes, you read it right, fluoride found in the prescbribed drugs by your doctor. 

As I will not discuss on calcium supplements and Vitamin D3 (read my previous posts), it is critical to take note that both magnesium and Vitamin K2 is extremely vital in this case. Magnesium is another essential cofactor for calcium metabolism. It is much more common to be deficient in magnesium than in calcium. One form, magnesium L-threonate, is a form that is thought to be most active in the brain. Another way to ensure it is absorbed and utilized in the body effectively is by applying magnesium oil on your skin, and oral typical magnesium supplements sold in pharmacies are waste of money. 

This is one of the most important and most frequently overlooked calcium cofactors. It is incredibly important for reversing or avoiding calcification of your soft tissues, including your heart, cardiovascular system, joints, and pineal gland. Vitamin K2, which is found in animal-source foods or synthesized from bacteria also has a key role in improving cardiovascular health by preventing or even reversing arterial or heart related calcification; boosting bone health and density in children, post-menopausal women, and others; and supporting healthy, cavity-resistant teeth, more so than the plant-based vitamin K1, which is more primarily associated with blood clotting and less with bone health.

The MK-4 form of vitamin K2, found naturally in animal sources as opposed to synthetically from vitamin supplements, tends to be easy for most people to incorporate into their diet. It is found in grass-fed organ meats and is especially rich in butter and ghee made from the milk of exclusively grass-fed cows. The MK-7 variety is bacterially derived from a fermented form of soy called natto. But for guys and also children, you may want to be careful on the consumption of soy based foods, even though it is fermented. You know what I meant.

Pineal calcification isn't the only potential source of depressed melatonin production, of course. Depressed serotonin production, either through the neuroinflammatory suppression of hypothalamic output or through the deficiency of dietary tryptophan, can also lead to depressed melatonin production in some people. In this instance, one usually would exhibit symptoms normally associated with serotonin deficiency, for example, depressed mood, worry and anxiety, negative thinking, anger or aggressiveness, shyness or fearfulness, loss of pleasure in things one used to enjoy, and cravings for carbohydrates.  Stay tuned for next post. 

Journals/References:

http://www.icnr.com/articles/fluoride-deposition.html

http://www.lef.org/magazine/2008/8/Beyond-Sleep-New-Medical-Applications-for-Melatonin/Page-01

http://www.slweb.org/luke-1997.html

Glycemic Index, Blood Sugar, Starchy-carbs

I just had an interesting conversation lately with a client of mine, who drives a nice car (about the same price of Honda Civic in my country). I found out that he eats Roti Canai (made of wheat) almost every morning for breakfast. So, being curious myself, I asked him, "Why do you choose this food instead of others?". I told him I expect an honest answer.

With 5 seconds paused, "It's because it's cheap and convenient", he answered. With a meal of RM2 or less for breakfast, it is obvious he go for cheap foods, and no preparation involved. Well, to be honest, most people in my country are having almost the same mentality. Cheap foods, taste good and convenient. A food which is highly inflammatory (prepared with either margarine or vegetable oil), and causing intestinal permeability and immune reaction, and of course, storing fat, bloating, inducing appetite, joint pains, migraines, etc. 

But, there is a positive point taken from his confession for breakfast. I'm now able to identify the reason he chooses that food almost every morning. Within a RM2 budget to be spent on eating this food which wreck havoc in the body, I proposed a much healthier, less reactive foods for him. It's organic, whole foods and does not spike blood sugar even a single bit. Best of all, he needs only 3-5 mins to prepare that foods at home, without even having to drive out to get that wheat based food. 

Now, in today's post, I would like to share with you guys about glycemic index and how your body react to any foods or meal you eat at any point of time. Be it breakfast, lunch, tea time, dinner or supper. I had so many discussions with my clients and people I know, debating about glycemic index for specific foods, but some experienced a poor response from the so called 'medium or lower glycemic index foods'. 

Remember we were told that whole foods and fruits are alright to eat and healthy? Conventional dietary wisdom has lead us to believe that eating even starchy-based carbs (whole foods) is healthy, including corn, yam, potatoes, pumpkin, rice, etc. In the world of vegan or vegetarian, these foods are supposedly healthy and acceptable in their daily diet. How much truth is that?

Before I present to you my own observation and blood sugar testing of a clean healthy meal, let me remind all of you the glycemic goals for diabetic patients. A shocking guideline, The American Diabetes Association proposed diabetic patients of allowed meal less then 180mg/dl. Meaning, if the blood sugar rise to 170 mg/dl, it is alright! That's way high my friend, especially for a diabetic patient. A typical fast food meal will easily spike your blood sugar passed the 180 mark. And guess what, 2 pieces of whole wheat bread (with nothing else), will give you some surprising result you never expect. Same with drinking a glass of so called healthy "100% fruit juices", which will make your pancreas scream out loads of insulin flooding your bloodstream. Hard to believe? Test yourself to find out.

Moment to ponder....

"The American Diabetes Association suggests the following targets for most nonpregnant adults with diabetes. More or less stringent glycemic goals may be appropriate for each individual."

• Before a meal (preprandial plasma glucose): 70–130 mg/dl
• 1-2 hours after beginning of the meal (Postprandial plasma glucose)*: Less than 180 mg/dl

References: 

http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/checking-your-blood-glucose.html#sthash.Rj06bbLW.dpuf

As I've sampled tons of many healthier single-ingredient whole foods for my daily meals, i decided to try an average 3 different days of lunch time readings and share it with your guys. I would agree that others who test their blood glucose levels with the same exact meal may have mixed results, arguably higher in the glucometer reading. Below is the sample of a moderately clean whole foods meal, but loaded with starchy-carbs (yam).



Sample meal: 
- Steam yam (about 120-130g)
- 1 tablespoon of grass fed butter
- steam shrimps ( small amount)
- 1 duck egg (whole)

1st meal reading : 8.6 ~ 154 mg/dl
2nd meal reading : 8.7 ~ 156 mg/dl
3rd meal reading : 9.2 (slightly more yam) ~ 165 mg/dl
Average result : 8.8 ~ 158 mg/dl

I know for the fact that The American Diabetes Association claimed that it is alright if 'after meal' glucose reading of below 180 mg/dl for diabetic patients, but for the sample meal I tested myself, an average of 158 mg/dl, it is definitely not ideal, and the goal here is control the amount of insulin release in the body as much as possible. Insulin is a biomarker for cardiovascualar disease, and if chronically abused, insulin resistant is a big health problem for most people right now, and being diagnosed with diabetes is inevitable, doesn't matter your age, young or old.

In a nutshell, if a meal or food causes immune reaction and treat it as antigens or toxins, it's bad. And, if whatever you are eating forces your pancreas to release high amount of insulin and spike your blood sugar level, it's a definite NO NO, doesn't matter what USDA or American Dietitian or Diabetes Association claimed or endorsed. The glycemic index table is based on an average of tens of thousands of people. No one will get the same fix number of glucose reading of two different people eat the same foods at the same time. The question is, is yam or other similar starchy-based foods bad for us? Maybe no, but bigger portion consumed may force your pancreas to secrete more insulin, depending on that individual's body ability to handle blood sugar regulation. There are other awesome benefits of eating foods such as yam or sweet potatoes, but one has to determine if those foods cause poor blood sugar spike and perhaps also immune reaction. Meanwhile, below are the ideal glucose readings for 'before and after' meal (approximately 40-45 mins after meal).


Before meal : 75-95 mg/dl
After meal : Below 130 mg/dl 


Starchy Carbs Whole Foods : (Triggers insulin release in moderate to higher amount)
- Yam
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Corn
- Rice

Maintaining fitness of a lifetime, and better health - Overtraining & Adrenal Fatigue (Part 8)

Imagine when you are driving along the highway cruising with your favorite music playing, as you start to crash mildly, after a high glycemic meal. With heavy eyes and high secretion of insulin burst, your para-sympathetic nervous system stimulated, your body says "It's time to rest and digest". There are many accidents that happened with sleep deprived drivers, with minority victims were sleep apnea patients. In this case, 'crashing' severely from a poor blood sugar dsyregulation and over stimulation of the 'night cycle' of autonomic nervous system, could lead to a ill-fated long distance trip. 

Without realizing what may hit you during this smooth ride, your brain goes into an immediate 'fight or flight' situation with adrenaline and norepinephrine pouring out instantly, when you go into panic mode as a dog or animal run into your driving path out of sudden. Survival mechanism activated, glycogen from the liver dumped into your bloodstream, as glucocorticoids hormones flooded your muscles ready to flee or fight, prepping the body to be in emergency state. Except in this situation, you are not confronting a sabretooth or a predator. Similar situation with roller coaster ride, or bumped into someone in the dark, all stimulating the exact stress response in the body.

Most people realize the brain and the adrenals connection in terms of stress regulation, but it is the mesencephalic midbrain which is the key player here. The midbrain controls what you can think of as the amplitude or strength of your adrenal/cortisol response. This region of the brain is also especially sensitive to inflammation. It has the richest repository of interleukin-6 receptors anywhere in the brain. IL-6 is a particularly nasty inflammatory cytokine, a protein is primarily produced at sites of acute and chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammatory states can activate this part of the brain and readily lead to chronic anxiety. Calming neuro-inflammation here is critical to help wind this process down.

When the reticular activating system is stimulated, it fires off in different directions, and at times particularly strong emotional reactions to events can become stuck in a self-perpetuating feedback loop. In other words, particularly pronounced reactions to traumatic or stressful events can cause the brain to become hardwired for stress. This can also lead to long-term anxiety-related issues.

The overactivation of this area of the brain, say by a particularly upsetting, traumatizing event, can lead to a chronically exaggerated stress response. A person may become hypervigilant and have an exaggerated startle response or possibly other symptoms similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He or she may have an overactive mind that won't shut off and this may even lead to what are called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

The midbrain immediate response to what it perceives as a life-threatening circumstance is to release your brain version of adrenaline, or norepinephrine. The residual hypervigilant effect from a traumatic event following the initial stressor can also be a result of chronically excess cortisol. Some people may see something that is upsetting to them and let go of that concern quickly once the threat has passed. Those with an overactivated midbrain, however, may hang on to this residual perceived stress for days or much longer.

Bear in mind, people with this type of brain dysregulation frequently tend to wear sunglasses more than usual, even on cloudy days or early in the morning. They also tend to be sensitive to loud noises and may have an exaggerated startle response. When you say, 'Woi', and they practically unravel or looked to be having shock of their lives. They can be more easily freaked out by life events and perceived stressors. They often dislike crowds and being in close proximity to others. Trying to talk someone like this into going with you to a crowded music festival or nightclub can be pain in the ass, similar to trying to convince an Eskimo to buy an ice cube factory, or forcing a cat taking a cold shower. Sorry, but this is very unlikely going to happen.

There are some people who might have overreaction of this part of the brain. The primary inhibitory, or calming, neurotransmitter for this part of the brain is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). When this part of the brain is over activated, it can respond well to GABAnergic enhancers, such as L-theanine and valerian root. For those who know about the GABA test, it is also a 'one stone kills 2 birds' test, where you will likely to find out about the health and status of your blood-brain-barrier.

Persistent low trickling (and ultimately depleting) serotonin levels are also typical with this type of brain dysregulation due to the brain adaptive response to the perceived underlying trauma. Now, another helpful (not to mention very cheap) practice is a specific diaphragmatic breathing exercise that helps preserve carbon dioxide (CO2). The common tendency in a stressed person to forcibly sigh can help generate and make sympathetic, fight-or-flight overactivation much worse, creating a self-perpetuating crisis. Deep breathing exercises commonly recommended for people who are stressed also may be counterproductive without appropriate CO2 preservation through slow, controlled exhalation. For most people, these folks are not breathing correctly and stressed out individuals often suffer from digestive disorders, sleep problems and also poor libido/reproductive problems.

Remember, when we breathe in oxygen, it immediately binds to hemoglobin, which hangs on to it like a pit bull as it circulates throughout our tissues and brain. What makes the oxygen available to any tissue (including the brain) is the relative retention of CO2. The inability of hemoglobin to release oxygen properly to our cells as a result of too little CO2 is known as the Bohr effect.

Do take note that overbreathing causes vasoconstriction that can reduce O2 availability by 40 percent. Think of it as panic attack as one good example. People who are stressed tend to sigh a lot or hyperventilate, or both, which has the unintended effect of oxygen deprivation and sympathetic over-arousal by exhaling too much CO2. In the field of breathing physiology, this state of poor CO2 retention is referred to as a state of hypocapnia. Even mild hypocapnia can deprive your brain of oxygen up to 40 percent!

Now, some of you may wonder, how can proper breathing technique relate to fitness or staying fit? It has everything to do with it! The amount of oxygen that reaches your brain is dependent on the amount of CO2 you retain while you are breathing. It doesn't matter how hard you train or how regular you visit the gym, if your body suffers poorly from proper breathing, your autonomic nervous system will be thrown out of balanced, and it will also affect the quality of training or workout, and focus in competitions amongst pro-athletes too.

DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

Calmly and gently breathe diaphragmatically that is, breathe in through your nose and inhale down into the deepest part of your lungs, gently and naturally. After inhaling, allow for a natural pause, and exhale using lips as if blowing through a tiny cocktail straw, slowly releasing your breath until the air is fully expelled. If you repeat this four or five times, you can typically restore parasympathetic dominance for a more relaxed state if you are anxious. Diaphragmatic breathing that involves a very slow exhalation can be extremely calming in the moment when you feel frustrated or stressed, since it also activates receptors in the diaphragm that help promote calm, parasympathetic functioning. 

If you think you experienced above symptoms of stressed, anxiety, overbreathing or sighing, you can try this breathing technique to slowly help balance out the ANS, incorporating into your daily lifestyle, and listening to your body from time to time. You can start off with 3-4 minutes for the first week of so, gradually increase to 5-7 mins the following weeks. Ensure you are not being disturb and practice it in a quiet room, perhaps before you go to bed. And you know what? It's free, no drugs involved and it's effective.