Category Archives: Healthy Eating

Take Fish Oil to lose weight

 
Fish Oil

 

Fish oil has been shown to benefit the human body, from improved cognitive abilities to the heart’s pumping efficiency — but it may be it’s ability to alter an individual’s gut bacteria that makes it an ideal weight loss treatment.

 Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that fish oil supplements are an easy way to protect the heart, ease inflammation, and even improve mental health and lengthen a person’s lifespan. Omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies, fish oil’s main ingredient, have been linked to heart disease, certain cancers, mental health disorders, and arthritis. Despite all of fish oil’s benefits, researchers still didn’t expect it to change the gut microbiome community into a powerful weight loss and anti-inflammatory treatment.

Omega-3 fatty acid is truly ‘laakh dukhon ki ek dawa’!

Why getting Your Nutrition Only from Food is A Bad Idea

Dave Asprey

The idea that you can get all your nutrients from food is fine in theory, but virtually impossible in practice.  Soil and water depletion, food and environmental toxins, poor absorption, pesticides, exercise, and lack of calories can all cause nutrient deficiencies.  There is evidence that consuming nutrients from food is more beneficial than supplements, which is why you should focus on a nutrient rich diet first.  However, it’s rarely enough.

supplementsAll your life you’ve eaten a “healthy” diet.  You’ve followed the USDA Food Pyramid from the beginning, and were always told supplements were unnecessary as long as you ate a balanced diet (whatever that means).

Maybe you’re wiser now, and are following a higher nutrient diet.  Either way, one of the most repeated beliefs among health conscious people is that you can – and should – get all of your nutrients from food.  Taking multivitamins often make people think they can eat even worse, which isn’t exactly productive.

In any case, you’re not dead yet, so you must be getting the right nutrients.  Supplements are unnecessary… right?

 11 Reasons You Should Take Supplements
1. You Eat Crap a Standard Diet

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Grains, legumes, and most forms of modern dairy are not food.  The purpose of consuming food is to nourish the body and mind.  These foods do the opposite.

First of all, grains, legumes, and conventional dairy are nutrient deficient (or void).  They contain extremely small amounts of nutrients, most of which are malabsorbed.  Grains and legumes deplete nutrient stores and interfere with nutrient absorption.  They are toxins in themselves, which increases your nutrient needs.  Grains and legumes both cause intestinal damage which further decreases your ability to absorb nutrients.  Even if you’ve stopped eating these foods, you may be in nutrient debt or have lingering intestinal damage which is interfering with nutrient absorption.

Conventional dairy also contains mycotoxins which are extremely damaging.

2. Soil Depletion

Improper farming practices deplete the soil of nutrients.  When plants are repeatedly grown on the same land, the soil loses nutrients faster than they can be replaced.  Over time, the plants have fewer nutrients to grow.  Fertilizer contains just enough nutrition for the plant to survive until harvesting, but not enough to support human health.  This results in plants that have 75% fewer micronutrients. In addition, most plants are not harvested fresh.  They sit on trucks, shelves, and counters for weeks before being eaten.  Over time, the nutrient content of these plants decreases.

Most modern fruits and vegetables are grown to increase their sugar content, not their nutrient value.  As a result, most of the common fruits and vegetables are artificially high in fructose and sugar and lower in key nutrients.

When plants contain fewer nutrients, the animals that eat these plants are also malnourished.  A study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Health found copper levels in the UK have dropped by 90% in dairy, 55% in meat, and 76% in vegetables.

3. Water is Depleted of Minerals

Water is also depleted of minerals due to modern production methods.  There is a huge variation in the mineral content of bottled and tap water, with tap water generally having more.  Water filters remove important minerals such as magnesium, which was a main source of magnesium for early humans.  If you don’t use a filter and you don’t have a well, it’s likely you’re consuming dangerous amounts of fluoride and/or are deficient in magnesium.  This could explain why people who drink water higher in calcium than magnesium develop more myocardial infarcts and ischemic heart disease.

4. Low Calorie Diets Are Low Nutrient Diets

Starving yourself is bad.  Consuming a low calorie diet means you’re consuming fewer total micronutrients.  Humans are designed to consume a large amount of calories, and it doesn’t make you fat.  When you eat less (as everyone says you should), it’s easy to become malnourished.  When you’re consuming low quality foods, you have to eat even more to obtain the right amounts of nutrition.  This is one more example of why food quality matters.

 According to this study most diets require 27,575 calories to supply all the essential micronutrients.  If you’re eating less than that, you’re deficient in nutrients.

Pesticide-treated vegetables are lower in phenolics than organic ones.  This is because polyphenols are produced as a defense against bugs and pathogens.  When there is no reason to defend themselves, the plant stops producing polyphenols.

There is also evidence that glyphosate – RoundUp herbicide – chelates minerals in crops on which it is sprayed. It’s safe to avoid GMO foods for a variety of other reasons.

6. Grain-fed Meat & Conventional Dairy

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Compared to grass-fed meat, grain-fed meat is abysmally low in antioxidants, micronutrients, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins.

Raw, unpasteurized, unprocessed, full-fat dairy can be good for you, but the kind most people buy at the grocery store is not healthy.  The majority of nutrients in milk are found in the fat (cream).  When you remove or reduce the fat, you are removing and reducing the nutrient content.  Pasteurization destroys some of the nutrients in both skim and full fat milk.  Conventional dairy is also high in aflatoxin and other mycotoxins that were in the cattle’s feed.

If you eat grain-fed meat or conventional dairy – supplementation is a good idea.

7. Toxin Exposure

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Your body needs nutrients to deal with toxins.  When more toxins are present, you need more nutrients.  If you’re living in a cave or the garden of Eden, this will be less of a concern.  If you’re like the rest of us mortals – you’re exposed to a litany of toxins on a daily basis.

Here are just some of the things your body has to contend with:

    1. Xenoestrogens (plastics, BPA, some molds, petroleum products).
    2. Industrial solvents and cleaners.
    3. Unnatural lighting
    4. Food toxins.
    5. Stress and lack of sleep.

There are hundreds of other sources of unnatural stress that increase the body’s need for proper nutrition.  Even if you’re doing everything right in terms of diet – it’s almost impossible to get all of your nutrients from food.

8. Nutrient Absorption Declines With Age

Several studies have shown kids need more nutrients to support growth, and older people need more nutrients due to malabsorption.  As people age, they often begin taking medications which can interfere with nutrient absorption.  This means you need to take more nutrients in the most absorbable form possible.

9. Exercise Increases Nutrient Needs

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Athletes often think tons of exercise is the key to a long and healthy life (it’s not). I don’t advocate high amounts of exercise, but this is an important point.  If you’re doing enough exercise to substantially deplete energy reserves, you’re also using more nutrients for energy production and recovery.  As a result, athletes are at an even higher risk of nutrient deficiencies.

10. Supplementation May Help You Live Longer

Aging is a natural process, but being ancient may not be fun.  If there are supplements than can delay this process, why not take them? There is good reason to believe a higher intake of nutrients may prolong life.  If supplements can buy you a few more years of quality life, why not take them?

11. Expense & Health

Taking care of our health is the best health insurance there is. Staying healthy and productive, free of health worries, is any day cheaper than expensive treatments for avoidable diseases.

We live in a stressful, toxic world, and it’s a normal, healthy, optimized human behavior to understand the toxins and counteract them whenever possible. Hiding your head in sand won’t make the effects of these toxins go away. Neither will eating some vegetables.

How chronic inflammation causes chronic disease

Victor Marchione, M.D.

Inflammation is the body’s way of protecting itself from harm, but it typically gets a bad reputation. Although inflammation can be a shield, it can harm our health as well. When it lasts for months or even years, it becomes chronic and that is the type you want to avoid.

Inflammation is often seen as a symptom in many illnesses including arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and many coronary conditions like heart disease. Chronic inflammation results when the body is unable to remove whatever is threatening it. Inflammation can also be a sign of an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis, where the body wrongfully attacks itself causing inflammation as a means to protect it. Lastly, chronic inflammation can result from a persistent irritant of low intensity.

There are four signs to pay attention to when it comes to deciding if you have chronic inflammation or not.

4 signs which reveal chronic inflammation

Joint pain
Rheumatoid arthritis is a form of inflammation which targets the joints. It is a type of autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack itself in error, resulting in inflammation. This inflammation can result in pain, stiffness and swelling.

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Depression
Research has shown that although not always a cause, inflammation can play a role in the onset of depression. In studies which observed heart patients with depression, markers of inflammation were higher compared to heart patients without depression.

Earlier this year another study came to light revealing clinical depression in association with a 30 percent increase of inflammation in the brain. The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry and it involved researchers examining brain scans of 20 depressed patients and 20 control patients. The brain scans revealed higher amounts of inflammation in those who were depressed.

If you suffer from depression, odds are you have higher levels of inflammation as well.

Stomach pain
There are endless causes for stomach pain. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has inflammation right in its name because it is a sure-fire sign of a problem in the digestive tract.

Symptoms of IBD include constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and a somewhat constant stomachache. Irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease are also considered to be caused by inflammation.

If you have been experiencing an upset stomach for quite some time, you may want to take a closer look to uncover if inflammation is the root cause.

Chronic fatigue
We all feel tired, but usually after a restful night’s sleep or some relaxation, we can have that get-up-and-go feeling once again. If you have chronic inflammation you may feel more tired than energized – no matter how much sleep you get.

Inflammation can affect the nervous system, resulting in fatigue. The Arthritis Foundation suggests that fatigue is a symptom associated with arthritis, revealing that where there is inflammation, energy can become zapped.

If eight, 10 or even 12 hours of sleep doesn’t seem like enough, you may have inflammation to blame.

Foods to combat inflammation
Inflammation can impede your health, so in order to reduce it try enjoying foods which work to minimize it. Here are some of the most helpful foods you should enjoy to reduce inflammation and stay healthy.

  • Fatty fish
  • Whole grains
  • Dark leafy greens
  • Nuts
  • Soy (speak with your doctor before you begin consuming more soy)
  • Low-fat dairy
  • Peppers
  • Tomatoes
  • Beets
  • Ginger and turmeric
  • Garlic and onions
  • Olive oil
  • Berries
  • Tart cherries

These are just some of the foods you can start enjoying today in order to combat your inflammation and start feeling better.

Traditional treatment  using anti-inflammatory medication cannot address the situation because

  1. The medications have serious side effects and cannot be used long-term.
  2. They do not go to the root cause of treating the cause of the inflammation.

This is where Integrative Medicine comes in. By identifying and treating the root cause, all through natural means, the underlying condition is addressed and there is long-term relief.

Stay Healthy!

Image Courtesy Google

Leptin, The Fat Hormone

Ronald Grisanti

Leptin, a recently discovered hormone, regulates body weight by suppressing food intake and/or increasing energy expenditure.

Leptin is a very powerful and influential hormone produced by fat cells.

Science has discovered that leptin is the most powerful metabolic regulator that tells your brain whether you should be hungry, eat and make more fat.

Basically, leptin is the way that your fat stores speak to your brain to let your brain know how much energy is available and, very importantly, what to do with it.

In a perfect world, as you gain weight, you secrete more leptin from your fat cells. This in turn tells your brain you have enough stored fat so it reduces your appetite sending messages to help you burn fat.

But there is a problem!

Unfortunately many people have something called “leptin resistance”. This means that no matter how much leptin you create from your fat cells, the brain doesn’t see it.  This leads to a cascade of your brain thinking you are starving => you burn fewer calories =>your appetite goes into overdrive and finally every bit of food you eat gets stored on your belly!

Until you address leptin resistance, you’re not going to lose weight!

Optimal Leptin Levels

Your goal is to keep your leptins below 12, however, not too low. Researchers have discovered that leptin too far to the low side has been associated with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

A leptin above 12 is not considered healthy.

Leptin levels can now be measured with a simple blood test. Levels above 12 are linked to weight gain, accelerated aging, increased risk of infertility, diabetes and heart attack.  In addition, high leptin levels are associated with belly fat and numerous cancers

Leptin rises if you don’t sleep well, and if you have any kind of perceived stress.

Thyroid Connection

If you are having difficulty losing weight, you should get your leptin checked. Remember you want it under 12.  From a thyroid perspective, if your leptin is above 12 you will commonly see low T3 (the most metabolically active thyroid hormone) and elevated reverse T3. This is not good for those trying to lose weight. The thyroid medication Levothyroxine is aT4 medication and should be used with some level of caution when high leptin levels are seen. The take away from this thyroid connection is the fact that reverse T3 means T4 is not being effectively converted into the metabolic workhorse hormone, T3.

The Solution:

You become leptin resistant by eating the typical American diet full of sugar, refined grains, and processed foods. The solution is to eat a diet that emphasizes good fats and avoids blood sugar spikes. Basically a diet that emphasize healthy fats, lean meats and vegetables, and restricts sugar and grains.

For a full thyroid/leptin work-up, I recommend a practitioner knowledgeable in Integrative medicine.

Stay Healthy!

The 5 Best Healthy Fats for Your Body

Best healthy fats - Dr. Axe

Are you afraid of fats? If so, you’re not alone. Fat in foods has been vilified for the past few decades, as low-fat and non-fat foods became the norm, and we were told that a low-fat diet would help us get the body we want. In fact, it’s one of the biggest nutrition lies that the public’s been told.


How Did We Get Here?

How did fats get on the naughty list to begin with? Post-World War II, research began emerging that seemed to link foods with saturated fats, like eggs and red meat, to coronary heart disease. By the 1960s, the American Heart Association had recommended that people reduce their fat intake, and in 1976, the U.S. Senate held a series of committee meetings, “Diet Related to Killer Diseases,” on the topic. Subsequent food guidelines advocated eating less saturated fat and more carbohydrates. The war on fat had begun.

While the guidelines advocated for more carbs in the form of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, what the average American understood was that carbs — any kind of carbs — were good (even refined carbohydrates!) while fat was bad. The food industry pounced: High-carb, low-fat foods became the norm. Grocery store shelves and refrigerators were soon lined with low- and no-fat items that were packed with sugar — because without any natural fat, a lot of favorite foods just didn’t taste good anymore. Not coincidentally, both a sugar addiction as well as an obesity epidemic in America began soon after low-fat diets became the standard recommendation.

The problem? None of the studies actually linked high-fat diets to heart disease. The science just wasn’t there. In fact, numerous studies have since debunked the myth. It’s been proved there is no evidence that dietary saturated fat increases a person’s risk for coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease.

Additionally, a seven-year study of more than 48,000 women showed that low-fat diets don’t lead to more weight loss or less disease. And yet another study found that, when subjects ate either a Mediterranean diet, low-fat diet or low-carb diet, those following a high-fat, low-carb meal plan not only lost the most weight, but also drastically reduced their bad cholesterol levels.

It turns out our ancestors were right all along: Healthy fats can be good!


The 5 Best Healthy Fats for Your Body

Not all fats are created equal, but the ones below pack a lot of punch. From lowering bad cholesterol and helping shed excess weight to giving you shiny hair and healthy nails, your body will reap the benefits of these healthy fats.

1. Avocados

The benefits of avocados are so numerous that they’re one of the healthiest fruits you can consume. They’re rich in monounsaturated fats, which raise levels of good cholesterol while lowering the bad — talk about a double-whammy. Avocados are also packed with the benefits of vitamin E, which help prevent free radical damage, boosts immunity and acts as an anti-aging nutrient for your skin.

Plus, it’s chock-full of healthy protein; in fact, it has more than any other fruit. For pregnant women, avocado is also one of the great folate foods, as this vitamin can help reduce the risk of birth defects.

Get more avocados in your diet and try one of these avocado recipes. Or use it to cook with by adding avocado oil into your kitchen. It has a mild taste that won’t overpower dishes the way other oils might. Its high smoke point of about 520 degrees means that it’s suitable for grilling or frying. And because it isn’t solid at room temperature, it’s a tasty choice to drizzle on salads, sandwiches or veggies.

2. Butter

We’re all familiar with “butter-like” substances; margarine, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and all those other “vegetable oil spreads” found in stores. But real butter — preferably raw or from grass-fed, organic sources ­— is what you should reach for.

Another victim of the war on fat, butter’s experiencing a comeback as a healthy fat as the benefits of butter become more widely known. The  omega-3 fatty acids found in butter help your brain function properly and improve skin health. More importantly, these fatty acids are considered essential, meaning the body needs them but can’t produce them on its own; they must be derived from food sources. Butter’s also rich in fat-soluble vitamins and trace minerals, including beneficial selenium, a powerful antioxidant.

Because of its low burning temperature — about 250 degrees Fahrenheit — butter is not great for cooking at high temperatures. To use it at high temperatures safely, butter must be emulsified by melting the butter over low heat until the milk and butterfat separate, and then pouring out the milk solids. Since much of butter’s decadent taste comes from the milk solids, however, the downside of emulsifying is that the taste just isn’t the same.

If you want to save yourself the trouble and still get that buttery flavor, instead use butter in baked goods and spread on fresh-baked bread (including gluten-free varieties) or add a dollop to roasted veggies.

Meanwhile, the Indian version of butter is quickly becoming a favorite across continents. Ghee, or clarified butter, is simmered to bring out butter’s naturally nutty flavor, leaving it with a high smoke point, making it ideal for cooking at high temperatures. Ghee benefits include being loaded in fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. These types of vitamins are best absorbed by your body when they’re in a fat substance and then stored in your gastrointestinal tract, keeping your metabolism and digestion on track.

Another ghee benefit? It’s lactose- and casein-free. If you suffer from lactose sensitivity or intolerance, ghee is a fantastic alternative to butter. Its high levels of vitamin K2 also helps strengthen bones, while the fatty acids found in it improve digestion and reduce inflammation. No wonder it’s been used for thousands of years!

You can make your own ghee or buy it in stores. When purchasing it commercially, look for organic or grass-fed cultured ghee. This healthy fat remains fresh for several weeks at room temperature. Increase its longevity and keep it spreadable by storing it in the refrigerator.

3. Coconut Oil

One of my favorite oils because of its numerous benefits — did you know you can use coconut oil on your skin and coconut oil for your hair — the benefits of coconut oil are many. It’s rich in medium-chain fatty acids, which are easy for your body to digest, not readily stored by the body as fat and small in size, allowing them to infuse cells with energy almost immediately.

These fatty acids also improve brain and memory function. Plus, the high amount of natural saturated fats in coconut oil mean that it increases good cholesterol and promotes heart health, while the antioxidants found in coconut oil make it an effective anti-inflammatory food and help reduce arthritis.

Adding coconut oil to your diet is easy; I love using it for cooking and baking, or even applying it directly on my skin. Beware that when cooking directly with coconut oil, the flavor can be a bit overpowering for some. If that’s the case, try using less of it. It’s also important to note that, at room temperature, coconut oil is solid, so it’s not the best choice when you need a healthy fat in liquid form, like as a salad dressing.

When choosing a coconut oil, I recommend extra virgin varieties, as refined or processed coconut oils can eliminate many of the health benefits.

Guide to healthy fats infographic - Dr. Axe

4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil benefits are so profound that any diet should include it. First, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is great for heart health. In fact, a 2013 study found that when people supplemented a Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil, it reduced the incidence of heart attack or dying of heart disease, probably due to its high levels of monounsaturated fats. The high amount of antioxidants in EVOO means it protects your cells from damage. It also helps improve memory and cognitive function, and works as an anti-inflammatory. Since so much disease stems from chronic inflammation, this is a biggie!

Unfortunately, buying this healthy fat isn’t as easy as just grabbing the first bottle you see. First, note that I recommend only extra virgin varieties of the oil. This means no chemicals are involved when the oil is refined. Unfortunately, many common brands are fake olive oil! A 2011 study by UC Davis found that many top-selling brands failed the standards for extra virgin olive oils; lawsuits against olive oil companies have followed suit.

Some tips for recognizing real EVOO are to beware of any brand that costs less than $10 a liter; look for a seal from the International Olive Oil Council; check the harvesting date on the label; if it’s labeled as “light,” “pure” or a “blend,” it isn’t virgin quality; and finally, opt for dark bottles, as they protect the oil from oxidation.

EVOO isn’t recommended for cooking at high temperatures because of its low smoke point, but it’s terrific for making salad dressings or drizzling over breads or cooked foods.

5. Omega-3s

Why are omega-3 fatty acids considered essential? Because the body isn’t capable of producing them on its own. Therefore, we must rely on omega-3 foods in our diet to supply these extremely beneficial compounds.

There are actually three different types of “omega-3s”: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). The preferred sources of omega-3s are DHA and EPA, the kinds found in seafood sources like nutritious salmon and sardines. ALA, on the other hand, is found in some plant foods, including certain nuts and seeds, as well as high-quality cuts of meat like grass-fed beef.

The human body is able to turn ALA into usable DHA and EPA to some degree, but this isn’t as efficient as getting DHA and EPA directly from food sources that provide it. Even after extensive research, it’s not totally clear how well ALA converts into EPA and DHA or if it has benefits on its own, but health authorities, like those at Harvard Medical School, still consider all sources of omega-3s crucial in the diet.

Historically, we’ve seen that populations that consume the most omega-3 foods, like people in Okinawa, Japan, live longer and healthier lives than people who eat a standard diet low in omega-3s.

The best omega-3 nuts to consume are walnuts while seeds with the most significant omega-3 nutrition include chia seeds and flaxseeds. Many vegetables, especially green leafy ones, are good sources of ALAs. Some of the vegetables highest in omega-3s include Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach and watercress.

Because there is such debate over waters being contaminated with toxins and pollutants like mercury, many people find it hard to get enough omega-3s from eating fish, nuts, seeds and veggies only. This is one reason why some people prefer supplementing with fish oil in addition to eating some omega-3 foods.

The difference between “fish oil” and “cod oil” can be confusing. Fish oil is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, but it doesn’t have much vitamin A or D. On the other hand, cod liver oil is lower in omega-3s but very high in vitamins A and D.

What is the ideal kind of fish oil if you want to supplement your diet? I believe that the best form of omega-3 fish oil contains astaxanthin (a powerful antioxidant that also helps stabilize fish oil), so my preferred choice is fish oil made from wild-caught pacific salmon, which has high levels of DHA/EPA and astaxanthin.

So, when it comes to getting enough omega-3s into your diet, I recommend eating plenty of omega-3 foods and also supplementing in most cases. Through a combination of both, my advice is to make sure you’re getting at least 1,000 milligrams a day of EPA/DHA and about 4,000 milligrams of total omega-3s (ALA/EPA/DHA combined).

With so many choices and benefits available, healthy fats are primed to become a staple in your diet.

Stay Healthy!