60 Day Turnaround

The Sun is Shining… Time to Get Some Vitamin D!

Read this DAILY SPROUT for more info!

Well, hopefully this summer proves to be sunnier than the last, as we’ve all had a long winter!  Yea, it was long in the sense that we got hit with a double whammy this year, but winter is always long in the sense that our skin doesn’t soak up very much sun for an extended period of time.  The weather is cold, so we bundle up and hide every inch of our skin. This happens every year, but luckily our bodies can ride out the famine of sunshine, knowing that it will get a recharge come springtime.  A necessary recharge… Actually, so necessary, that when we don’t get our recharge we start developing symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency, or “sun deficiency”. Symptoms, that lead to disease over time.

Vitamin D plays an important role in a seemingly wide array of different processes in the body including proper gut function, immune function, cardiovascular health, blood pressure regulation, bone health, mental health… and truth be told? There are just too many benefits to name here, many of which have yet to be discovered!  Vitamin D has been linked to over 3,000 of your 24,000 genes.  I’d say it’s pretty darn important!

The main functional storage site of Vitamin D is in your liver. The liver can actually store this vital hormone for up to a few months!  So, be sure to recognize when the last time you got in the sun was. If it’s been 60 days, chances are you are running dangerously low and you’ll need to sunbathe or supplement.  Knowing a little bit more about how and why to sunbathe will be useful in your pursuit of health… because after all, doesn’t the sun cause skin cancer?

Well, it’s interesting that a growing body of research is pointing to the opposite truth.  The sun is actually therapeutic for melanoma aka skin cancer, provided that you are doing the right things.  Also, it should go without saying that there would be no life on earth without the sun.  The human race has done fine for thousands of year without the aid of chemically ridden sun blocks.  You may be thinking, “but what about the hole in the ozone?” This may be true to an extent, but it’s definitely not as bad as we have been led to believe.  Doctors are still prescribing smart sunbathing, and are still getting the expected benefits from it. So, it’s important to a few things about smart sunbathing.

First, know the difference between UVA and UVB.  UVA rays are the more deeply penetrating rays that reach the lower layers of your skin and cause free radical damage. You’ll want to stay out of the early and late day sun to avoid these rays and you’ll want to avoid getting burned.  These are the rays that have been causally linked to cancer.   Easiest way to avoid them…. Don’t get burned.  In contrast, UVB rays are your friends.  These rays will increase your Vitamin D that is necessary for everything from proper digestion, to good mental health.  The best time to receive these rays is from the midday sun.

Sunlight exposure on the skin causes a photosynthetic reaction to occur between UVB rays and the oil on the skin. There is a type of cholesterol that is universal to us humans and is located in the skin that is a precursor to Vitamin D. A series of chemical reactions occur in the liver and in the kidneys to produce the final and functional form of Vitamin D, called Calcitriol. This is a slow process.  It is vital to know that the photosynthetic reaction that occurs on your skin, is still happening after you’ve gone out of the sun.  With this being said, it is important that you do not shower with soap for a period of at least 6 hours afterward sunbathing.  Rinsing with water will not affect your Vitamin D levels.  However, washing with soap will wash off the photosynthetic complex on your skin.

Smart Sunbathing

1. Are you exposing enough skin to sunlight?  If this photosynthetic process were to ever occur it needs direct sunlight on the skin.  If you think just going outside and getting sun exposure on your hands and face is good enough… think again.  You need to expose as much bare skin as possible to the sun.
2. Sunscreen.  Commercial sunscreens contain nasty chemicals that can actually leech into your body through your skin.  They have also been known to help facilitate the growth of the very cancer cells they are supposed to prevent!  Also, there are natural sunscreens available for the longer periods of sun exposure.
3. Avoid burning.  Time of day and time of direct sunlight exposure are both important here.  Sunburns are ultimately the cause of damaged basal layers of your skin leading to cancer.  20 minutes of sunbathing should suffice in the midday sun to get proper Vitamin D levels, and it shouldn’t be enough time to cause burning.

Some of the diseases that are linked to Vitamin D deficiency are:  Crohn’s Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Inflammatory bowel disease, Type-2 Diabetes, Lowered Immunity, Dental Cavities?!?, Cardiovascular disease,  Osteopenia, Osteomalacia, up to 16 different types of cancer… The list goes on.

Bottom line?  Go get some sun!

For more information on natural forms of sunscreen for the times when sunburns are inevitable, visit this page on Dr. Mercola’s website.

It took a bad rap.  Well, all saturated fat has in the last few decades.  Funny how strong it is coming back.  A few well placed studies, and the fired up group of wellness providers like myself who read it, and we quickly see the medical model as the culprit once again.

You might think it is the food industry that has hurt coconut and its oil, but the reality is that just like cholesterol, coconut oil and saturated fat have been hurt by the medical doctors of the world.  Now, they are questioning that.  For example, this article by Harvard Health opens with the statement – “It’s time to end the low-fat myth. That’s because the percentage of calories from fat that you eat, whether high or low, isn’t really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat you eat.” Sadly, the article goes on to say all the wrong things in the next few bullet points, but I would expect nothing more from a school who is funded more by large corporation money than anything else.

The other day I had a patient tell me that I am a genius.  She said so because I have been saying EAT FAT for a number of years now.  The sad truth however, is that the genius’ are those who have blazed the path with the studies.  Honestly, I think those who discovered omega 3’s for what they really were, and then published out of The University of Minnesota Medical School in 1929 (George and Mildred Burr) the importance of these as EFA’s, (Essential Fatty Acids), were the first to turn the tide.  But if they were turning the tide in favor of fat, why did low fat begin to win the argument, 4-5 decades later?

A need for medication.  Drug companies wanted to attack the heart disease world, and they didn’t have much of a direction, but as early as 1960, there were signs of the anti-fat movement coming from pharmaceutical and big food company supported resources.  The sad reality, is that today the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association – ADA) is the primary driver of poor nutrition information, and it is From this Authority Nutrition article –

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) is “the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals” and formerly known as the American Dietetic Association….

Who Sponsors The AND?

It is scary that this highly influential health organizations, which educates Registered Dietitians (RDs) and grants them their licenses, is heavily sponsored by companies that sell the unhealthy foods that are making people fat, sick and diabetic.

The corporate sponsors of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

• The Coca Cola Company
• Pepsico
• Kellogg’s
• General Mills
• Hershey’s
• Truvia
• SoyJoy
• Abbott Nutrition
• National Dairy Council
• Unilever

The real pressure against cholesterol began when the first statin drug, pushed out to the market in 1987 by Merck, was born.  Mevacor – you wonder why none of these drugs have ever actually reduced the incidence of heart disease.  You should definitely question the value of any statin drugs, for any level of cholesterol concern.  Which brings us into this discussion of saturated fat.

Coconut is perhaps the best source of saturated fat.  The medium chain triglyceride (or medium chain fatty acid), is of great value to the body as a source of boosting metabolic function and rate (wikipedia – Some studies have shown that MCTs can help in the process of excess calorie burning, and thus weight loss.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]} ).  Bodybuilders have been using coconut oil as a means of burning off excess fat for decades, and the anecdotal evidence is significant.

These benefits are great in that they induce ketogenesis (creating ketones due to fatty acid breakdown), which most people need a boost in.  Depending on your metabolic function, this could be the key to getting you over the hump of switching from a sugar burner to a fat burner.  Something that we spoke about in the first Fat Module in this series.  In addition to ketogenesis, their has been promise of MCT’s in their ability to assist nuero-degenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.  This evidence is highly anecdotal at this time, but the theories behind it are sound.  Which makes this writer recommend you eat more coconut oil.

http://homestead-and-survival.com/333-heathful-ways-to-use-coconut-oil/

Most saturated fat comes from sources other than vegetarian, in the typical American diet.  Cream, cheese, butter (dairy basically), as well as meats.  In addition to coconut, you can find saturated fat in cottonseed, palm oil and chocolate.  I am very fond of the value of pasture raised dairy, as well as coconut oil.  This is simply because a pasture raised cow (grazing on grass is what you should think of when you hear “pasture raised”), produces medium chain fatty acids as well as a high volume of omega 3 fatty acid.   This moves dairy from the category of questionable and inflammatory, to healthy and valuable in many disorders.  It still might be contraindicated for some people, and possibly unhealthy for others (lactose and casein issues), but for most has great value.

So your next step should be to incorporate some coconut oil into your diet.  It does well at medium high heat, so cooking with it is a good first step.  I mix it with almond butter and simply eat it straight, I add it to smoothies, and even enjoy it in some coffee every so often.   But be sure to eat it, regardless.

Be well and Be blessed!  – Dr. E

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quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent l

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent

Luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit.

Praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.

Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius.

Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima.

Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.

Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.

Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.