Brain food

Good news! I have recently started a new job at a health and wellness center, and I am very optimistic about my future there. Bad news, my blogging time has become temporarily limited. I am hoping to have some time in a week or two to sit down and really put the time in for a good solid entry. In the meantime, I have been thinking of some things that I would like to share with you all.
We have been putting a lot of focus on the importance of eating well. We should all know how important it is to get out there and move your body. Exercise is so beneficial, even if it's just a short half hour walk every day. We will discuss more on this in the future. It's easy to put focus on these two things and glance over the importance of what you are feeding your mind.
While I truly believe that by eating and moving well, the positive thinking tends to come naturally; I also believe that negative thoughts are sometimes all that stand in the way of making positive changes and advances in your life. This makes your mind a very powerful tool, and if you use it to your advantage, the possibilities are endless.
As a yoga instructor, I am always trying to think of ways to give my class a new way to look at the life before them. After a battle with depression and anxiety, it was yoga that started me down prescription-free path to health and wellness. I have felt the power of what proper thinking can do, and mixing it with the right food and exercise can make a person one step short of bulletproof. Today, I would like to share some of the lessons and perspectives that have helped me over the years. Some I have found in books and magazines, others I have written myself. Each has played a role in the person I am working to become; a person who will never stop growing, learning and changing. Otherwise, what is the point?

Feed your Mind

1. The mind is the most complex organ in your body. It sends billions of signals to your entire body, and it needs to be taken care of. You have the power to change your view, you are in control of how you see the world. 
2. Stop and listen to your inner dialog and ask yourself if you like what you hear.
3. Negatives get in the way of a happy life. Choose what you give your energy to and don't let it go to waste. Sometimes all that needs to change is your perspective.
4. Believe in yourself. Your true belief is revealed in the smallest moments. If you tell yourself that you will do something, do you do it? When you promise to set boundaries for yourself, do you set them? These are small, defining moments; they define your ability to believe in yourself. When you can count on yourself to follow through with even the smallest details, you will be able to love stronger, face adversity with clarity and generate peace in yourself through all interactions.
5. Approach life with love, patience and grace. Accept compliments and feedback, listen you your loved ones and slow down your haste. Don't fall back to doubt, it is a powerful destabilizer. 
6. Learning to let go of the things you cannot control is the only way to gain control of your own life. Don't waste time and energy being angry with things occurring around you. Acknowledge them and let them pass on by. Grasp onto the things that bring you peace. Let them keep you grounded, dig in, plant your roots and see what grows.
7. Self realized change is the only sustainable change. This can only come from focused, inner work. Set goals and follow them! 
8. Don't dwell on guilt, acknowledge it, learn from it, move past it.
9. Live in the balance. There are shades of gray we must apply to our lives. Whether it is taking a pause to gather your thoughts before answering a question, or accepting that things do not always have to go as expected. Live in these pauses, these between times. Yes, they can often be uncomfortable, but we can learn so much about ourselves in these moments. Embrace these shades of gray.
10. Take responsibility for your own happiness and unhappiness. All beings are responsible for their own actions. Suffering or happiness is created with your relationship to the experience, not the experience itself. Although you may wish only the best for yourself, happiness or unhappiness depends on your actions, not your wishes. May you not be caught in reactivity.

~Namaste

Let the Sun Shine

"Keep your face always towards the sunshine  - and the shadows will fall behind you."

-Walt Whitman-

I wanted nothing more than to sleep in this morning, but my dogs had other evil plans. I lay in bed thinking about how much I hate 5:30 a.m. but grateful that the sun was at least up. Summer is my absolute favorite time of year. In light of the season before us, I decided to get up and take a moment to discuss getting the maximum benefits from what the sun has to offer. 

Vitamin D is necessary for optimal health, but there are very few food sources for this vital nutrient; so we evolved to absorb and use the suns UVB rays to produce it. 
Unfortunately, modern society has us terrified of the sun. Most people spend all day inside with artificial light, and then when we do get outside, we layer on clothes or sunscreen to "protect" ourselves from the sun. 
Most of us know that vitamin D plays a role in keeping our bones healthy. We also now know that it also plays a role in reducing the risk of things like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and depression (seasonal depression in particular). Humans have become significantly deficient in this nutrient, because we try to obtain it all from food and supplement sources. 

The fact is, unless you are eating a ton of wild caught salmon or knocking back a couple of tablespoons of cod liver oil every day (which I wouldn't recommend in this dose...), you are probably deficient in vitamin D. Are you for sure deficient? The only way to know for sure if to get your blood vitamin D levels tested. Personally, I am opting to save a buck, assume that I am deficient, and take advantage of the summer sun. 
The trick is to be smart about it. Humans are meant to get sunlight, not to get sunburned. Gradually increase your exposure, and cover up if you feel like you are getting too much sun. Optimizing your diet will in turn, optimize your skin condition. Our sun protection is meant to work from the inside, out. I really encourage you to check this post from Mark Sisson. He gives great details on how your body can work to naturally protect you from sunburns. I also recommend giving Dr. James Chestnut's post about sun exposure a read.
In the meantime, get outside and enjoy natures powerful medicine!

A few tips for getting vitamin D:

* Supplementation - make sure you are taking D3, not D2, and research the source of your supplements! (I have run into info that talks about taking it with a serving of fat for optimal absorption, and/or   taking it at night for possibly optimizing your sleep...do what like with these tidbits.)

* Go for wild caught salmon, not farm raised. If buying canned, buy it with bones in it.

* Spend at least 10 minutes a day, letting the sun hit your skin.

* Read/research your info, question everything and never stop learning!

•Note:  The information on this blog is for informational use only and is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical conditions or to take the place of your physician. Always consult the appropriate health care professional when you have health problems that you feel might require professional attention, or when adding supplementations, while taking existing prescriptions. 


References:


http://robbwolf.com/2011/09/03/let-a-little-sunshine-in/


http://www.wellnessandprevention.com/index.cfm/2011/7/14/Sun-Exposure-Cancer-Preventing-or-Cancer-Causing


http://www.marksdailyapple.com/8-natural-ways-to-prevent-a-sunburn-and-sunscreens-not-one-of-them/#axzz1wRgvedFL


http://www.westonaprice.org/cod-liver-oil/cod-liver-oil-basics

Perspectives

"Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness."

-Hippocrates

Cancer is something I have long since thought of as a dirty word. When someone you love first tells you they have cancer, something indescribable happens to your insides...no matter what details and information follow, all that resonates is the initial statement; "I have cancer."
I have been on the receiving end of this statement more than I care to recall; then in-turn, watched it claim the lives of several people I loved. It is a devastating, life altering experience. My perspectives on cancer, however, have changed several times over the the years. It has become as equally devastating to me to learn that so many cases of cancer are entirely preventable.
The treatments used to kill cancer cells, while often effective, also bother me. Chemotherapy and radiation wreak havoc on a body that is already expressing obvious immune deficiency. I can't help but wonder - as we continue to spend money on cancer research, and question if there will ever be a cure - if we have been following a misguided path and asking the wrong questions for years.
I don't want to undermine the importance of cancer research. We need to know as much as possible about how it works and develops in our bodies. This knowledge has even allowed man to developed a way to kill cells when the cancerous ones get out of control. But what if more time and money went into developing concrete studies on prevention?  I truly believe that the real cure for cancer is simply in prevention, through optimal health. Keeping your cells in homeostasis, if you will, automatically creates an unfit environment for the majority of cancer cells to develop. Hippocrates understood this 2000 years ago! (Refer to quote at the top of the page)
I want to take a quick look at some numbers.


Even with all of the advancements, research and spending that is done, The American Cancer Society estimates that 1,638,910 people in the US will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Of these, 577,190 people are expected to die from cancer. Thats over 1500 people every day. 


These statistics are upsetting, but what gets me even further worked up, are the percentage of these cancer cases that are PREVENTABLE! I have read a few different articles on cancer from the PubMed Central® archives, with results that do vary. One may say that 90-95% of cancers are due to environment and lifestyle, while another may claim that 80-90% should be avoidable, BUT there is one thing that obviously stands out. The odds are in our favor! 

This is good news, it means we don't have to get cancer! We can take control of our own lifestyle choices, we can educate ourselves. The kicker here is to find trustworthy information. Now I am obviously not a doctor, and I would never tell anyone to go against what their physician says. What I will do is encourage people to ask questions, and look at the source of where all of your information comes from. To elaborate on this, I want to use one of the best analogies I have ever read.

The Fire Department Analogy 

(Chestnut, 2004. - a brief look, not taken word-for-word)

Your mind and body represent your house. Renters and homeowners alike should know that if you don't maintain and take care of your house, it will begin to fall apart. You sometimes might have to call a plumber to fix a leak or a roofer to repair shingles; these guys help keep your house in working condition. Unfortunately, crisis does occur and say your house catches fire. You now have an emergency, who do you call? The roofer or plumber? Of course not, now you need the fire department. 
Enter firemen, armed with their axes and fire hoses, chopping down doors and walls, soaking the entire house, and hopefully putting out the fire as quickly and efficiently as possible. Now you are looking at what is left of your house. The fire department has done their job, the flames are out, you are safe for the time being, but your house is in bad shape. Charred, soaking wet, with axed out holes. Who will you call now? The fire department is only armed with axes and firehouses, they can't restore your house to livable conditions. 
Now we call on restoration and maintenance! They are armed with wood, hammers, nails and paintbrushes; the tools needed to help restore your home. Is one better than the other? Of course not, they are both important services, armed with tools of their trade, to be used when appropriate.

In congruence with the topic in discussion, I want to point out that houses don't catch fire because they are deficient in axes and hoses any more than we develop cancer because of lack of chemo or radiation. Pretty much everyone walks around with abnormal cells in their body that, given the right environment, can mutate into cancer. Usually, your immune system keeps things in check, but again, in a toxic environment, your immune system weakens and these cells can mutate and take over. It seems natural and logical to, in turn, create an environment that is inhospitable to these cancerous cells; A nutrient rich environment that strengthens your immune system and optimizes your genetics. Thus we have reached the core of my drive to seek optimal health.
What I want to offer you are some of my suggestions to help make your life and your body the best it can be, based upon the time when our genes were evolving and developing into what they are today. Evolution moves slowly, the basics still remain. Take and do what you want with them, I can only encourage you to give it a try. So many things in our enviroment are toxic and out of our control. I only hope to encourage you to take control of anything and everything you can. Science changes and new things are learned each day. Arm yourself with knowledge, never stop learning and always ask questions.

A Recipe for Optimal Health

(with a focus on preventing/deterring cancer cell growth)

• Remove all foods that weaken the immune system. This includes starchy foods and anything with sugar. 
• If you are paying special attention to cancer, sugar is like a catalyst to cancer cells, they thrive on it. Remember that fruit has sugar in it and it would be beneficial if eliminated, or at least limited. 
• Fill yourself up on the healthiest foods possible. Tons of fresh veggies (organic whenever possible), lean animal protein (properly fed their natural diet whenever possible), and healthy fats from these animals or other healthy sources (which can be found in my fat blog, and the links included in it.) 
• When you shop, shop the outer perimeters of the grocery store. Be wary of foods that do not spoil...that usually just means that even mold is smart enough not to eat that crap.
• Foods with flour or grains of any kind should be eliminated, or at least extremely limited. This includes cookies, pasta, corns, whole wheat and whole grains. Your body converts this into sugar very easily. Sugar is bad, grains are bad. Not only are you feeding possible cancer cells, grains contain things like phytates, which actually inhibit the absorption of minerals in your body. So much for that good source of fiber.
• Go for clean, filtered water, and keep yourself hydrated.
• Get some sun! Sunlight doesn't cause cancer, sunburns cause cancer. If you start to feel like you may burn, don't lather chemicals on your body, cover up or go inside. People have been living under these rays since the dawn of man, just be smart about it. We need vitamin D, and keeping your levels up is very important to your health.
• Get good sleep, preferably in total darkness. We need the battery charge and artificial light interrupts the natural cycle of our bodies.
• Exercise your body! Do yourself a huge favor, take a half hour out of your day and go for a brisk walk. That leaves you 23 and a half hours to do whatever else you need/want.
• Exercise your mind! This one is so often glanced over. I truly believe your can change your entire life just by not feeding into negative thoughts. Change your perspectives. When something bothers you or annoys you, acknowledge it and let it pass. That guy that flipped you the bird is the one having the bad day, it is nothing personal.
• Surround yourself with positive thoughts and positive people, because some people can also be toxic to your health.

Thanks to all of my readers for sticking with me, especially on this long-winded post! Comments, questions and concerns are always welcome. I would like to briefly mention that cancer is only being targeted here, simply because of the effect it has had on my personal life. Optimal health (proper diet, proper exercise and positive thinking) is the answer to so much more than cancer. It applies to all chronic illness, from obesity, to diabetes, to heart disease, to depression, to autoimmune. 

•Note:  The information on this blog is for informational use only and is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical conditions or to take the place of your physician. Always consult the appropriate health care professional when you have health problems that you feel might require professional attention.

References:


Chestnut, James L. The Innate Diet™ & Natural Hygiene. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: Wellness Practice-Global Self Health, 2004. Print


http://www.cancercompass.com/cancer-guide/your-diagnosis/how-cancer-develops.html. Retrieved May 17, 2012


Preetha Anand, Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakara, Chitra Sundaram, Kuzhuvelil B. Harikumar, Sheeja T. Tharakan, Oiki S. Lai, Bokyung Sung, Bharat B. Aggarwal. Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes. Pharm Res. 2008 September; 25(9): 2097–2116. Published online July 15, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2012


Getoff, David J. If You Have Cancer. Retrieved May 17, 2012.


The American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2012.

A follow-up

For anyone thinking I may be riding the crazy train after my last fatty posting, I have at least discovered that I am not the lone passenger. :)

Check out this link for a great read on butter!

Until next time...

Don't Fear the Fat!

If common knowledge has ever gotten anything wrong, it is on the subject of  fat; specifically the saturated kind, which has been demonized for years. Initially, this was a tough one for me. I lost count of the internal debates I had with myself during the course of my acceptance of high fat in my diet.
We have been "taught" for so long that the plethora of low fat options offered to us are the healthy choices. This message is presented so strongly that they even make 'fat-free' fat. (Refer to the peanut butter shelves and margarine selections at the store)
The standard American diet gravitates us right to low-fat, high-carb choices. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has had years of government endorsed food pyramids, and now, the new My Plate, suggesting what and how we should eat.
Fortunately, they are just suggestions, and often not well researched suggestions. It just seems to me that USDA and the American Dairy Association have a pretty vested interest in marketing the benefits of grains and dairy, so their opinions on what we should and should not eat mean pretty much nothing to me.
What nobody mentions is that the high carbohydrate, sugar filled alternatives placed in front of us are not the optimal source of fuel the human body. (Check out my previous entry Sugar High for more details on this). Something else that seems to get overlooked, are the cheap chemical fillers used to put flavor back into the products. (I use the term "product" in favor of the extended "food like substance.")
In hindsight, I am not sure what my hangup was. I was basically getting permission to add extra butter to everything and eat bacon whenever I wanted...and I was hesitating?!?! I have yet to meet a person who can complain about more butter or bacon.
I have digressed. Let me reiterate; low-fat does NOT equal health food. Low-fat equals things like chemical alterations, fake flavor, pseudo sugars and the ever-evil high fructose corn syrup.
I want to address what you may be thinking...perhaps something like "eating fat will make me fat" or that "saturated fat will clog my arteries." While this may seem logical, the reality is that fats only turn to fat in the body in the presence of carbohydrates. Fat also isn't water soluble. A quick Google search tells us that our blood is over 80% water, so the suggestion that saturated fat can enter and clog arteries begins to make less sense. Let's take a quick look at some details:

Saturation: one method used to classify fatty acids. We have saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

• Saturated fat is made solely of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), meaning that all of its bonds are filled. There are no open holes, it is fully saturated, which means nothing foreign can get in and cause it to spoil. This makes the fat resistant to high heat, gives it a long shelf life, is solid at room temperature, and is compatible with and essential to many functions in the human body. Half of human cell membrane structure is made of saturated fat, and it is used by the body as a source of energy. (Sisson, 2009). Your body actually converts and stores excess carbohydrates as saturated fat for later use; humans are fat burners by default.
• Monounsaturated fats have just one (mono, single, solo) double-bond in their fatty acid chain. These are generally accepted in conventional wisdom as a heart healthy fat, often containing many vitamins and minerals, and have been linked to improving blood-cholesterol levels. The one double-bond makes this fat liquid at room temperature, becoming more solid when chilled. More double bonds equals more fluidity to the fat (Sisson, 2008).
• This leads me to polyunsaturated fats. As you may have guessed, polyunsaturated fats have more than one double-bond in their fatty acid chain. These pretty much remain in liquid form, even when chilled. This volatile liquid form makes them unstable, particularly when heated, which will actually make the fat go rancid (Sisson, 2008). This was great information for me, as I had been cooking with olive oil for years thinking I was making a healthy choice. 
• Trans fat rules the bad fats. Trans fats are unsaturated fats that have been through a hydrogenation process; meaning the oils have had hydrogen atoms added to them to make them thicker at room temperature. (think margarine and shortening) A seemingly simple process that may have began with good intentions, but unfortunately, this man-made operation unleashes havoc in our bodies.

We could spend paragraphs picking apart good and bad fat sources, so in an effort to not bore you, check out this link for a good guide to fats. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and get rid of all the vegetable and seed oils in your cupboard, and if you see anything that contains the word "hydrogenated" on the label, run as far away as possible.

A lot of conventional wisdom and basic assumptions will tell us that glucose (which comes from carbohydrates) is the preferred source of energy for the body; but the body can only hold so much glucose for energy, before it begins to store it as body fat. The liver (and other glucose burning organs) can only hold about a days worth of glycogen for energy use. The muscles can store enough to fuel about 90 minutes of reasonably intense physical activity (Sisson, 2011). 

I feel it may be important to state at this point that I am not afraid of carbohydrates. I do take into consideration that some people might run better off of carbohydrates. Personally, I notice a difference in my athletic performance and energy if I have a higher carb intake. Depending on my activity level, I tend to feel better when I eat more sweet potatoes, squash or bananas. I just try to pay attention to my body and choose smart carbs to fuel my more intense workouts. This leads me to another major problem with conventional carb intake; The cheapest and most available sources of carbohydrates are from processed grains and sugar. Educating yourself and making smart choices really does make all the difference. 

In his 2011 blog posting (referenced below), Mark Sisson referred to the Carb Paradigm as "an unsustainable and ridiculous literal and figurative treadmill." As someone who used to run miles on this treadmill, I am inclined to agree. Sisson gives us excellent details in the aforementioned article, and I highly recommend giving it a read.
Now there are always exceptions to this. I am sure we all have that friend or relative who can eat whatever they want and don't seem to gain a pound. Does this make them healthy? Does this mean they are running in the most efficient way possible? It just seems to me that this "Carb Paradigm" causes more problems that it does good. Of the three macronutrients, carbohydrates are the only one that humans can live without. As long as you are getting a good supply of fat and protein, you can lead a long and healthy life with little to no carbs in your diet. If you were to cut either fat or protein from your diet, you would end up getting sick and dying (Sisson). 
Thank you all for your time, please share any questions or comments. Your feedback is welcome and appreciated!

To conclude this post, I would like to share a brief list of some of my favorite fat/energy sources:

• Avocado - An excellent monounsaturated fat source, these are one of my go-to favorites. Avocados are a very healthy fat source, loaded with vitamins, mineral, and antioxidants. I also find them a very filling compliment to bacon, eggs, salads and burgers.
• Coconut and Coconut Oil: Perhaps a future blog post on its own; This fairly unique fat source is a medium chain triglyceride, which essentially means that it is easily absorbed and put directly to use, energizing our bodies. This easily digested oil is my favorite to cook with, the milk is excellent in soups and dips, and shredded coconut meat makes a great snack.
• Animal meat: Comes in many forms, flavors, and with tons of other nutrients to boot. Humans need it, and thrive on it. Go grass fed on your beef, pasture raised on your chicken, and wild caught on your fish whenever possible. This will help to avoid harmful antibiotics and hormones.  
• Ghee: Clarified butter adds an excellent flavor to sautéed vegetables or fried eggs.
• Olive Oil: My favorite to drizzle on salads or on top of a bowl of soup. Just to reiterate, olive oil turns rancid easily if heated, so this is best used added to cold or cooked food.

Main Resource:


Sisson, Mark. Is Saturated Fat Healthy?(2009). / Why Fat, Not Carbs, Are the Preferred Fuel for the Human Body (2011). / The Definitive Guide to Fats (2008). Posted to Marks Daily Apple, Retrieved April 29, 2012

Guacamole Deviled Eggs

Tried these out for the first time today, make adjustments or additions to suit your own tastebuds. Let me know if you find any delicious modifications!

One dozen hard boiled eggs
2 Avocados
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika (+ more for sprinkling on top)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
crushed red pepper - to taste
juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon

Cut eggs in half. Mix yolks with avocado and all other ingredients, whipping with fork until smooth. Fill egg halves and sprinkle with paprika.

The Meat of the Matter

After reading about a New York Times essay contest, I spent maybe 10 minutes trying to think of an angle I could use to write about why I think eating meat is ethical. This was their prompt..."Just tell us why it's ethical to eat meat." The rules specifically state not to talk about organic versus local, personal choice or preferences. A tough question, now made tougher, with a 600 word limit to boot.
Approximately 3 minutes into the thought process, I started wondering how I would finish the essay while staying within their "guidelines." Seven minutes in and I started to ask myself why I was even considering validating my eating habits to a panel of biased judges. At the 10 minute marker, I decided my thoughts on the matter would be better received if I just shared them with my own readers. So here it goes...

Why I Believe Eating Meat is Ethical

Ethics have always played a huge part in my life. I am personally ruled by my heart and try to live by what I feel is right and moral. Any movements outside of the principles of my conscience can send my whole life spinning out of control - awakening unnecessary anxiety and the ever-useless emotion of guilt.

I have considered that I actually apply ethical value to my dietary habits, albeit in a roundabout way. I am extremely passionate about health and nutrition; I place very high value my personal health, as well as the health and well-being of my loved ones. If I were to eat something that I know to be toxic or bad for me, it would be outside of my personal values and ethics. Therefore, eating something that I know to be good for me is well within my ethical standards.
I completely understand someone's ethical decision not to eat meat, and will get along fine with those who have made this choice, as long as they are not trying to tell me that it is the healthiest choice. In fact, I would probably be a vegetarian, if I thought that it was an even remotely healthy option for me. I absolutely hate the fact that an animal has to die in order for me to get valuable nutrients.
What upsets me even more is the way that over-farmed monocrops are destroying our land and topsoil. So many animals may have made their homes where that corn or soybean field now lies. What I truly hate is that we are depleting the environment of everything it has to offer, in order to produce more and more, faster and faster. It seems a very fine line to me. 
What further devastates me are the hormones, antibiotics and grains used to raise cattle in unhealthy and unsanitary conditions, in order to mass-produce conventional beef. 
Because of this, I choose to buy my meat from grass fed, humanely raised and slaughtered sources. I believe in working with the environment and following the natural order of things wherever possible. I I believe that the value of the nutrition in meat is worth some sacrifices. I will even go cliche` and call it the "circle of life." This is simply part of what I need in order to keep my mind and body in prime working condition. I want to be an active participant in this life and I want to enjoy my time on this earth as much as possible.
So is eating meat ethical? As long as I value my personal health and well-being, then it is the very core of ethics. Killing myself to save an animal is what seems unethical.

This really is just one of those tough questions there will never be a concrete answer for, as long as we are graced with freewill. I can only hope that we apply common sense and self-education to our choices. Please share any thoughts on this?

Thank you Mark Sisson, for the heads up on this, and the chance to be heard!