The Story of Fat – Part 1

Fat is a truly remarkable compound.  One that has been misunderstood for years, thanks to the aggressive yet inappropriate push in our culture to move away from its consumption.  Over a series of articles, I plan on helping you understand what it is, why you need it, and how to get it… in a healthy way.

We could write volumes on what fat is, and that would be really cool to get you through all of that, though by the time we did, we would all be glossy eyes, and likely would have forgotten what we started with.  But, it is important to get to a certain level of understanding.  First off, you will see the term fat, oil, or lipid used when referencing fat.  Therefore, when I tell you that your cells are surrounded by a phospho-lipid-bi-layer, what I am saying, is that you have a dual layer of fat, surrounding your cells, with phosphates mixed in.  This layer is actually true of almost all living things.

almond butter

Reason  – impermeable to water soluble molecules.  So fat is the reason you don’t wash away in the shower.  Kind of cool.  For this reason, fat is also a highly needed molecule in the body.  You are using grams of fat on a regular basis to build and replace tissues, to make hormones and other specific compounds.  Therefore, pushing the “low fat” hypothesis, is a bad idea before we event get started; and, all science is supporting this statement.

Dividing up the fats.  There are different ways to look at fat, from unsaturated to saturated, from omega classification (omega 3, 6, 9), and from their specific named molecules in the body such as cholesterol.  These fats crossover in distinction, so we’ll get a little deeper into that understanding as well.  For now, lets move deeper into the why, and then the how.  And we’ll stop at what is really a cursory understanding for now.  And we can take it deeper as we go.

We touched on the why already, simply understanding what you are building on a daily basis should give you cause to stop and consider how important fat is.  But lets look at it from a creation standpoint.  Consider… why would a fat molecule have 9 calories per gram, when a protein or carbohydrate molecule is at only 4 calories per gram.  With that increased level of potential energy, it sure seems like a great molecule to burn for energy.

On adventure races where I am left to fuel for 10-30 hours straight, carrying most if not all of that fuel for the entire time.  Hypothetically, if I needed 200 calories per hour, and was out for 30 hours, that would be 6000 calories. If I carried it all in carbohydrate, we are looking at 1,500 grams that i need to carry to accomplish that.  3 1/4 lbs of food.  If I chose to use nothing but fat, I am at only 1 3/4 lbs of food.    My point, fat is an efficient source of energy from the perspective of mass.  It is also an efficient source of energy, if you haven’t screwed up your hormones to badly… which is why you hear the leptin discussion so often out of us.  More on that in a future part of the series.

Lastly for today, the how to get it.  Nuts and seeds, lean meats that are organic and grass fed, free range, wild caught, etc.  More in their natural state basically.  Though organic distinction is not always available, but if you are able to get it, you should with meats first.  Nuts not so much.  But this is where you should be pushing for fat.  Coconut oil (saturated, don’t worry), almonds and other tree nuts.  Avocados, and olives.  You want to push for more Omega 3, which comes from grass fed beef and dairy in the form of ALA, and in the more coveted forms of EPA and DHA in fish.  Cold water fish are best.

For now, this is where we stop.  Review and be sure you understand this.  And we’ll drive forward from here!  All for health! Be well and Be blessed!  – Dr. E

 

LEARN ABOUT THIS AND MORE AT OUR NEXT RECIPE NIGHT – MAY 8th – THURSDAY NIGHT AT 7:00PM – Eat and Learn, $12 for Patients, $10 for Guests, or have a patient bring a guest for $20 total (save $2).

Every Single Time…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a premise in chiropractic, one that relates to the relationship between a subluxation, and an adjustment.  The relationship is one that started when DD Palmer discovered chiropractic, and it was further developed under his son BJ Palmer.

The premise – that we as chiropractors, doctors, nurses, individuals, etc.  Do not control the outcome of the body’s response to positive influences, but we are simply here to deliver positive influence, and the body will do the rest.  Now, I need to clarify this some.

Our current medical practice in the US does not necessarily look at the body this way, actually, we don’t look at it that way at all.  Most doctors are being taught from day one that they DO control outcomes.  That there is no concern for what manner of influence is placed on the body, as long as they can control the outcome.  In many cases this appears to work, but at what expense to the long term health of the body?

They hypo the hyper, and hyper the hypo.  There is no focus on balance, there is no comfort with the idea of letting the body respond as it will, but rather a bend towards an attempt at control.  If you are finding yourselves lost at this point, stop and consider what I am saying.  Medical practice attempts to control whether the body heals or not.  BUT they do not measure based on true healing, their measure is based on feeling.

Sid

The premise of chiropractic is that we do not control any of that.  The human body is beyond our control, and the complexity of it is so deep that there is no hope for us to control it, it is only up to us to assist it with positive influence.

I find drugs and chemicals to fall at the top of the list of negative influences.  You take your meds and might think you are helping yourself, but the reality is you are adding hypo or hyper to a mess.  You are limiting your healing, and removing health further from the equation.  Talk to your doc, tell them you want to get off of them.

So the premise in chiropractic.  Every single time an adjustment is made to a SUBLUXATED spine, then positive happens.  This is a good time for an aside.  If you come in asking to get an adjustment in just the right place, in just the right location, because you feel it.  You are probably wrong.  Most subluxations do not provide pain, the pain is secondary, so trust us to adjust what needs to be adjusted.  So back to the discussion. It is so rigid, that positive will happen, that it is like dropping keys.  Every time, they will fall.  And as sure as gravity, an adjustment makes a positive change.

Does it mean you will feel better?  No.  Does it mean your hypo, will become hyper… no.  All it is, is a space for healing.  A place where your body can now be in better harmony with your brain.  That is the job of an adjustment, and the most famous person in chiropractic for demonstrating the constant positive of an adjustment, is Dr. Sid Williams, in the picture, founder of Life University.  He would repeatedly drop his keys to demonstrate the constant of gravity, as being universal with the constant of an adjustment.

So for good or bad as far as your symptoms go, the adjustment is good as far as your health goes.

It is not our job to make you feel good so you can go into the world and die.  It is our job to make you function good so you can go into the world and live.  Period.  Be well and be blessed!  – Dr. E

 

Asthma? Furry Pets!!

Here you go – A really cool abstract on asthma – and furry pets.

Basically – treatment early was of no consequence, even though many parents are told it is really important to get their kids treated ASAP for wheezing.  (dig in my annals in my office, and find my daily sprout when I refused to take Ansley to the ER because i knew they would want to treat, and when I said no, they probably would have tried to take her from me, so I adjusted, and we waited it out, and everything was fine)

The coolest thing about this article is that the presence of a “furry” pet (no, not a wookie or ewok) had the greatest positive influence on NOT getting asthma later on after having an experience of wheezing early on.  My point, the fact that you have 10% of your body weight, in the form of micro-organisms.  In other words, you cannot be “clean” no matter what you do.  So you should get comfortable being dirty, as it will build your resilience to everything!

Be well and be blessed!  – Dr. E Toby_Charlie

SOURCE: Reijonen TM, et al. Predictors of asthma three years after hospital admission for wheezing in infancy. Pediatrics 2000;106:1406-1412.

ABSTRACT: 
Recurrent bronchial obstructions and asthma are commonly encountered after hospital admission for wheezing. Some of these children do not go on to develop asthma while others do. The cause of wheezing in young children can be from narrow airways obstructed by mucus and edema during respiratory infection or in atopic children, eosinophilic inflammation typical of asthma in their airways. This is the first study to examine long-term outcome after early anti-inflammatory therapy in wheezing infants. A few reports exist concerning the predictive value of allergic sensitization in the development of asthma after infantile wheezing. This study aimed to evaluate the 3-year outcome after hospital admission for wheezing in infancy.

The authors determined that early anti-inflammatory therapy (nebulized cromolyn sodium or budesonide) had no influence on the occurrence of asthma or on the need for maintenance medication 3 years later. There were some factors noted that predicted the presence of asthma 3 years after the primary hospital admission for wheezing. Children who were more that 12 months of age at study entry increased significantly the occurrence of asthma. Positive skin prick test (SPT) 8 months after the initial episode of wheezing was also a predictor of asthma. SPT reactions to indoor allergens, especially dog or cat dander were very prognostic; all patients who tested positive for reactions to these substances developed asthma. There was no significant association between having a furred pet at home during infancy and SPT reactivity to animal dander.

Identification of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at entry as well as the presence of a furred pet at home during infancy actually decreased the risk of later asthma. Only 22% of patients with RSV infection on entry, compared to 61% of patients without RSV, developed asthma by the age of 4 years. History of wheezing and atopic dermatitis on study entry were also significant predictors of asthma. There was no predictive value to family history of atopy or asthma, male sex, passive smoking during pregnancy or in infancy, number of siblings, living area in early childhood, and elevated IgE serum.

Children with asthma more often had current atopic manifestations like atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis than their non-asthmatic counterparts. Current reactivity to outdoor allergens was present in one third of asthma patients and only in one tenth of those without.

COMMENTS: 
This study, a prospective 3-year follow-up in infants, shows that early anti-inflammatory therapy for 4 months has no bearing on whether or not the children will develop asthma 3 years later. The result that early medication did not prevent the development of asthma concurs with 2 recent studies on wheezing infants.

It is interesting that the wheezing patients in this study who had RSV infection had a much better prognosis than those patients without the infection. This finding contradicts a prior study that found that RSV infection was a major risk factor for later asthma. It would seem that early childhood wheezing with other than RSV etiology has the highest risk for later asthma. The authors of this study hypothesized that the outcome after infantile wheezing is partly dependent on the invasiveness of the causative virus. Invasive viruses like RSV are able to induce wheezing and transient but reversible impairment in pulmonary function also in children with no susceptibility to asthma.

SPT sensitivity to indoor allergens is strongly associated with the development of later asthma in wheezing infants. On average positive SPT predicted a 10-fold risk for the development of asthma compared to those with a negative result. There was no significant negative association noted between early pet contact and SPT reactivity to animal dander. A surprise finding in this study, though, was that furred pet exposure in early life seemed to protect children from the development of asthma , a correlation that has never been reported in previous studies with wheezing infants however parallel results have been reported recently in school-aged children.

This study’s main weakness was that the follow-up study was not blinded; the investigators knew the clinical data of each patient when making decisions at follow-up visits. The study was also hospital-based and thus offers only information about the severe form of wheezing in early childhood that necessitated a hospital visit.

Chiropractors are asked by their patients to offer opinions on the use of medication for childhood ailments. They also offer treatment alternatives to medication for conditions asthma such as nutritional agents and dietary advice. Responsible chiropractors will know the natural course of a condition and make recommendations as to whether or not chiropractic can alter that course positively or if standard medical treatment would prove superior. In this case, if the standard medical treatment is anti-inflammatory therapy for 4 months given to infants with a presentation of wheezing, any other non-invasive procedure would likely be of equal or greater benefit.

LABEL GMO PRODUCTS!

Written by: Dr. Mike April 14th, 2014

 

Last week Dr. Eric posted an article on our Healthsprout’s Facebook page about GMO labeling.  I want to break this article down a little bit more so that we are all aware of what is going on in the Biotech industry, and how little they care about our health.  Most of you have probably heard by now that our foods are being genetically altered. These foods are called Genetically Modified Organisms.  Many crops have been modified genetically, but the crops we typically think of when we think GMO are corn and soy crops.  Science has provided us with evidence that these crops have an array of negative effects on human health.  In fact, the mountain of evidence has risen so high that GMO foods have been banned countries like Germany, Ireland, Austria, Greece, France, Mexico, Switzerland, and Australia.  Restrictions on GMO’s have been made in at least 60 countries worldwide.

 

Unfortunately, despite this ever growing mountain of evidence that links GMO foods to tumors, premature death, organ failure, gastric lesions, liver damage, kidney damage, and allergic reactions… The FDA and the USDA have been pushing them on us anyways. In recent years, America has fought back trying to make mandatory labeling on foods that have been altered.  This makes sense because it would at least give consumers like ourselves, the chance to avoid buying any foods containing genetically modified organisms.  You would think that would be a fair request, right?  It hasn’t been easy. The result has been a political battle for the right to know what is in our foods. Here is an excerpt from the article posted last week.

 

“(NaturalNews) A proposed new federal law just introduced by Rep. G.K. Butterfield (a Democrat) and Rep. Mike Pompeo (a Republican) would outlaw state-enacted GMO labeling laws. The new law, ridiculously called the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, is actually an last-ditch, desperate effort by the biotech industry and the GMA to forever bury the truth about GMOs so that consumers don’t know they’re eating poison.

 

According to mainstream media reports (1), the bill would require the FDA to mandate GMO labeling only if those foods “are found to be unsafe or materially different from foods produced without biotech ingredients.”

 

Because the FDA and USDA have already decided, against all scientific evidence, that GMOs are “safe” and “not materially different” from other foods, this requirement is nothing but sheer sleight of hand and a pandering to idiocy. In truth, this new bill, if passed into law, would allow food companies to permanently and insidiously hide GMOs in all their products forever, nullifying the numerous state-based GMO labeling laws which are on the verge of passing.”

 

This is a tough situation, because we do not hear about any of this in mainstream media.  We have to actively seek out this type of information.  Right now, the power is still in the people’s hands to make GMO labeling a law… but we have to continue to stay informed.

www.naturalnews.com www.mercola.com  www.naturalrevolution.org

 

Also, we will be talking about GMO’s and other important topics at our recipe night on Monday, May 12th! Join us, and bring your friends!

The Subtle Things COUNT

This Daily Sprout is all about stability and loading of the spine.  What?  “Stability and loading” you might ask, what is that?  Obviously stability is exactly as it sounds, how stable your spine is.  Loading however, refers to how stable it is under load, or under stress.

If you have ever carried an awkward item yourself… a piece of furniture perhaps, or a heavy landscape item, large suitcase hanging from one side of your body… you should understand that stability is put into question when you are not balanced, or carrying a symmetrical load.  Thus, the greater the underlying stability of your spine, the more resilient you will be to injury.  This is different than “strength” mind you.  But strength comes into question of course, as strength is one component of stability.

The other components lie in both the nervous system, as far as proprioception and neurological tone.  The first is how well your brain controls and organizes the position of your joints, the second is how well your brain can organize muscles to contract to oppose forces.  The last component, is simply alignment.  Also a function of your brain and spinal cord working together to control muscular tone, but this is much more effective when the spine is straight from front to back, and curved in three 43 degree curves from the side.

The X-Ray below is an athlete’s lumbar spine.  A man who is very strong, and can perform high intensity exercise very fast and continuously without much rest ever needed.  He is fit.

First

 

This x-ray was taken at the start of care.  He had never been adjusted before in his life, and he was completely unaware of this curvature (this x-ray is straight on, thus should be a straight spine, and he is looking away from us, so left on the left, right on the right).  The measure says 10 degrees, which demonstrates the angle created by the tilt on L2 (lower one) compared with T12 (upper one).  It is only over three bones, so a very short distance involved.

Now, picture placing a load, on the left side of this person’s body.  Have him hold a suitcase that weighs 50 pounds with his left arm only.  The resulting force will further bend the spine towards the left.  Causing collapse of the disc on that side, and protrusion of that disc towards the right.

If we loaded the spine straight down, with a barbell across the shoulders for example.  The even load would still cause displacement of the spine towards the left.  Not as much, but the total acceptable load by the nervous system would be less, than if the spine were straight.  Meaning – I could carry more weight without concern if I were straight.  What does this mean to you?  Less risk of injury, and the ability to do more work.

Second

 

In the second image, we see the spine is straighter.  This is after approximately 4 months of care.  It isn’t perfect, but it is better.  The acceptable load will have increased, and the ability to simply do more work has gone up.  Thus, he is more functional, and more resilient to injury.

I had another young athlete as a patient a few years back who had some positive changes in his spine.  He competed in the fitness world, and was very successful shortly after he began getting regular adjustments.  These examples are a great way to see how the very subtle changes in the nervous system, and spinal position, can create lasting improved function and health.

Get corrected, stay the course, be wise for your future!

Be Well an Be Blessed! – Dr. E

Real Heroes

I occasionally like to write about the real life situations that drive us to be inspired… motivated to take on new challenges.  You might recall my recap of Aron Ralston’s book, Between a Rock and a Hard Place.  The Daily Sprout, entitled Up Against A Wall (http://www.healthsprout.com/up-against-a-wall/) goes through all of the amazing details of his 127 hour ordeal ending with him amputating his arm.

This vacation, I read Lone Survivor, the story by Marcus Luttrell of 4 Navy SEALS entering an area of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan in search of a Taliban/Al Qaeda leader Ben Sharmak.  This was one of those rare occasions, where instead of success, the decision for humanity made by “Murph” and his team, resulted in these four highly trained SEALS being put under attack by close to 200 Taliban fighters.  The four fought hard, cutting the enemy forces in half before three of the four men fell in the battle (yes, they are that good at what they do).

Marcus is the one, lone, survivor.  Who under an incredible turn of fate, which he rightly credits to God in my mind, ends up surviving for days under the protection of a local village.  The story is exactly as Marcus lived it in 2005, with all of the details of the firefight that led to the deaths of his friends, as well as all of his near death experiences.

lt-michael-murphy-memorial-day-murph

The reasons I chose to write about this book are two-fold.  First, you were made to be in the middle of an adventure.  Not perhaps to run off to hunt terrorists, but to do something outside of the box (and yes, it might be to run off and fight terrorists).  I am gearing up for another 30 hour adventure race, this stuff is necessary because I know that fire in me would want to pick up a sword if not a compass (if you want to pick up a sword, try North ATL Fencing Center – http://northatlantafc.wordpress.com/ ).  Fighting an uphill battle with my calf along the way, but it is time for me to get back out into the woods and go nuts for 30 hours straight.  Wild at Heart (John Eldridge) is such a good starting place for any man who hasn’t found their wild self yet, a Biblical view on why  God made you to want the adventure.

The second reason, is that there is a need to understand the plight of the soldier.  Especially the specialist.  The guy who was been trained to his physical limits, to the level that the smallest fraction, of the smallest fraction are successful in completing their training.  As I typically write only about health, I feel the need to write about our duty to at least be aware of these soldiers, and what they go through in the name of freedom.  I know I cannot necessarily convince you that you should support the war on terror, but I am sure you would agree we should support the soldier.

Over the last eight years, I have learned more about individual special forces agents who have given their lives, than I ever would have thought.  The reason I have become so deeply entrenched in the world of heroes, is due to CrossFit naming workouts after fallen heroes.  I honestly believe the single most important movement to bringing knowledge and concern for the American Hero, has been CrossFit naming WOD’s after fallen heroes.

Murph is a name that I have come to associate with heroism and pain.  Heroism because I read his story years ago.  Pain, because the point of the workout is to put you through pain.  So, as I read through the story of how Lt. Michael Murphy died, as told by his best friend, who stood beside him through his last breaths, I felt attached to him, perhaps because I have done a workout in his honor more than a half dozen times in the last few years.  Run 1 mile, do 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups and 300 squats, then run 1 mile.  Do it as fast as you can… and oh yeah, wear a 20# weight vest while doing it.  Yeah, I did it two times three days apart a few years back.  Wanted to test it doing the 100, 200, 300 in order, vs. doing 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats 20 times to get the totals.  I was nine minutes faster three days later when I partitioned it.  Both times I thought of Murph during the work.

But more often, I found myself in conversation with God… “Thank you for the sacrifice of Michael and so many others… for those who have worked to track down evil, and to end it… for those who are preparing themselves already for the pursuit of the next king of evil who steps into the spotlight… bless them and their families, and receive them into your kingdom”.

I think of so many tragedies when I think of the hero workouts, and there is sometimes a moment when the question comes, “is it worth it?”  Which is the question that becomes questionable.  I think the better question is, “will another 2,977 people die in a moment of terror if these men do not go out… willing to give their lives”.  I think 9/11 changed a lot.  There were people who were giving their lives to the battle to pursue freedom across the world before, and after.  But we have all been re-directed to the reality of what this battle could mean.  All since 9/11.

With that, I hope it leaves you inspired to at least do what you can for the benefit of our country.  To believe in the importance of the pursuit of freedom and safety for all.  I don’t believe it will ever happen.  I am Biblical in my approach, so I truly believe it has already been written.  But in that writing, I believe we are all called to love without end.  And to do that, we must identify those who need to be loved because of their oppressors.

Be Blessed and Be Well! – Dr. E

 

Sunburn – Vitamin D – Skin Cancer… what to do?

I hate getting sunburn.  I also really hate MOST sun protection.  I have questioned for years the parabens in different products because of their risks associated with cancers, and breast cancer spcifically as stated in this medical journal published study (Journal of Applied Toxicology).

In addition, skin cancer risk may be directly correlated to other compounds in sun protection, according to this article by The Environmental Working Group.

Laboratory studies of several sunscreen chemicals indicate that they may mimic hormones and disrupt the hormone system (Krause 2012, Schlumpf 2001, 2004b, 2008).  Some research on animals suggests that oxybenzone and two other sunscreen chemicals – 4-MBC and octinoxate – are toxic to reproductive systems or interfere with normal development.  (See Table 1)

Experts caution that the unintentional exposure to and toxicity of active ingredients erodes the benefits of sunscreens (Krause 2012, Schlumpf 2010). But most conclude that more sensitive tests are needed to determine whether these ingredients pose risks to sunscreen users (Draelos 2010, Gilbert 2013).

The most problematic of the sunscreen chemicals used in the U.S. is oxybenzone, found in 80 percent of chemical sunscreens. EWG recommends that consumers avoid oxybenzone because it can penetrate the skin, cause allergic skin reactions and may disrupt hormones (Calafat 2008, Rodriguez 2006, Krause 2012). Preliminary investigations of human populations suggest a link between higher concentrations of oxybenzone and its metabolites in the body and increased risk of endometriosis and lower birthweight in daughters (Kunisue 2012, Wolff 2008).

The Article goes on, and is cautious not to make generalized broad sweeping claims, but as I read through the list, I understand why it is a common concern among the health conscious leaders that sunscreen could increase risk of cancer.  The words “may disrupt hormones” from the three references, is a concern… a cancer concern.

But I would agree, there needs to be more studies to be certain.  I also understand that between 2000 and 2009 melanoma increased its incidence 1.9% annually (http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2009_pops09/).  Not a sky rocketing move, but an increase.  One that I believe can be attributed more readily to the increase in toxic skin products than it can to anything else.  Why?  Because the fear of the sun has grown exponentially in that time, and the number of pre-emptive biopsies, and subsequent removal of questionable skin, has also increased two and a half times over a 15 year period (’86-’01 – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16081427).

In other words, we aren’t “missing” it.  We are finding it more often, because it exists more often.  And don’t get caught up in the “well maybe its increasing because we are biopsying more often, so its just that we are better t finding it” mentality.  If that were the case, then you are also say coroners weren’t able to scratch a cell off of someone’s skin and put it under a microscope in the year 2000.  Guess what, that’s flawed.

So, in the end, we have a conundrum.  Now, lets poor some gasoline on it, and consider that currently there are up to 85% of Americans who are deficient of Vitamin D (http://www.mercola.com/downloads/bonus/vitamin-d/report.aspx).

  • The authors of a 2006 article in the American Journal of Public Health state, after a review of more than 60 studies on Vitamin D and Cancer, found cancer occurrence and death could be reduced with improved levels of Vitamin D in the body. The incidence of breast cancer could be reduced by 50% and colon cancer by 80%.
  • 50% of women with hip fractures were shown to have osteoporosis and Vitamin D deficiency.

Given these stats, you are now stuck with the “What in the world should I do” syndrome.  Much like the “I am not going to eat anything again… ever” syndrome that followed watching Food Inc.  The problem is, you are going to go outside, so what will you do?

I have a plethora of products in my home for sun protection.  From Dr. Mercola Natural Products, to California Baby, to Trader Joe’s, to plain old Coppertone/Australian Gold brand (these are never clean, but not all are made equal).  It comes down to reading the labels of each.

Sunscreen

For this vacation, we shot down from Atlanta to Pompano Beach (Ft. Lauderdale), which means we went from pretty cool still, to nice and hot in a pretty quick step (one day in Orlando to acclimatize).  So, my plan – knowing that I must be Vitamin D deficient, even though I have been loading up daily since October, was to get a HIGH dose of sun, then cover up.  And continue on this plan.  Dose for 15 minutes, cover.  And when I say cover, I mean a strong amount of coverage.

In the photo, there are some Mercola products on the right, the front two on the left are other organic, and Trader Joe’s are the yellow and blue in the back (they use the oxybenzone ingredient, where Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide are the key ingredient in every other product here.  That is why we prefer these, cleaner and more effective as Zinc Oxide is the best for blocking the UVA rays (don’t cause burns, just damage).  Clean, and effective, but there are some difficulties at times.

Back to the beach, so after an afternoon in the sun at Gaylord Palms water park in Orlando (this hotel is pretty cool, check it out next time you are there); I was ready for a full day of sun at Pompano Beach.  We set up on the beach, then I dug into my book (Lone Survivor, be sure to read the upcoming Daily Sprout on that one).  I waited only five minutes, then put the Mercola SPF 15 on (you should learn about SPF grades if you think that isn’t enough <http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/whats-wrong-with-high-spf/>  also – good to understand the importance of reapplication.

So, I got all covered up with the 15, but it was hard to rub in, and accumulated and clumped in areas.  Only 30 minutes later I decided to cover up again.  This seemed better.  Well, in the end, I was wrong, and decided that my burn (yep I am totally burned) was entirely due to the ineffective spreading of this lotion.  I used Mercola’s 30 and 50 at other times, and these were decidedly better at covering, as I was able to halt all further reddening or otherwise measurable damage to my skin.

I did however comment to my family, “If you could figure out how to get a spigot in me, I think you could drink all the Vitamin D you would need!”  So, my Dermatologist is pulling her hair out reading this because of the burning, yet I am not so sure that the burn is worse than the lack of Vitamin D, or the paraben and oxybenzone absorption that would have occurred in 95% of the population avoiding the burn.

My best suggestion.  Do exactly what I was going to be doing, but cover up with something that rubs in smoothly, so you know that coverage is happening.  Skip the lotion for the first 5-15 minutes every time, so you get Vitamin D production.  You don’t produce it through sunscreen coverage.  So you need the time without, and as you develop more of a tan over time, you can handle greater time without coverage, thus gain more Vitamin D.

In pursuit of truth and health!  Be well and Be blessed! – Dr. E

A Glimpse at Leptin

Posted on April 2nd, 2014 by Dr. Mike

 

A Glimpse at Leptin

 

 

Have you ever tried to go on a diet, and you ended up shedding some of those unwanted pounds… but then you reached a plateau where you just couldn’t seem to lose anymore? This will happen more often than not with calorie restrictive diets.  We have been under the impression for a long time that the amount of fat on our bodies is proportional to the amount of calories taken in our diet. As a nation, we’ve focused so much on calories in weight loss, that we’ve actually been counting calories.  Counting the amount of calories we eat, and then subtracting the amount of calories we ferociously burn off on the treadmill.  Creating a math problem out of weight loss is a gross oversimplification, and an erroneous approach to weight loss.  While weight loss should never be your primary focus in your overall health, there is a smart way to go about it.  We look to your hormones.

 

Leptin is a hormone that was discovered in the mid 1990’s, and it can be thought of as your “fat burning” hormone.  It was once thought that fat cells were just fat cells, and played no significant role in communication with the brain.  Surprisingly, in 1994 it was discovered that every fat cell in the human body is in constant communication with the brain via the hormone leptin.  Leptin is released by fat cells when the body has received sufficient nutrition. Imagine that your fat cells “call” your brain throughout the day and deliver the same message every time.  This message says “Relax, fat stores are available to burn and turn into energy. Also, you can stop eating”.  The brain will then take that message and begin to take action by actively using your fat cells as a source of energy, AND it will turn off hunger.

 

Now, let’s take a look at what happens when we have low levels of leptin. The brain recognizes this as another motivating message “Hey brain, fat stores are low… it’s time to go look for food, and turn some of that food into FAT” This is an excellent system of communication and comes in very handy during times of famine, because if you have fat cells that can be used for energy, it would be useful for the brain to know about them so that you can survive long enough to withstand the famine. Our problem today is that many of brains have hearing problems… they don’t hear the message.  So, imagine if you were the brain and never got the message that fat stores were available for burning and turning into energy.  You’d never know to take action and burn fat.  You might have a 100 pounds of fat just waiting to be turned into positive energy for the body, but instead of burning… you would do the exact opposite, store more fat.

 

Here is where the calorie counting theory takes a nose dive.  Cutting calories is like taking a voluntary famine. And, in times a famine your body naturally wants to conserve energy. So, ask yourself this… “would it make sense to expend a whole lot of energy trying to burn off calories on the treadmill if we need to be saving all the energy we can get our hands on at this point?” This will never work because when the calories are restricted, energy is low and more importantly leptin is low.  Remember, low levels of leptin are constantly telling your brain you need to eat something! I’m hungry!  So, inevitably when you give into sugar cravings your body instantly goes into fat storing mode and the pounds come right back!   It’s silly, but it’s what we’ve done for a long time, contributing greatly to the failed diets and obesity epidemic.

 

Naturally, the more fat cells you have, the more leptin you have in circulation. Chronically high leptin levels are an indicator that your brain is not hearing leptin.

 

I could get technical here and explain all about how your brain gets this “leptin hearing” problem…but for purposes of making this a bit more simple to look at, I will just focus on how to get the hearing problem fixed.

 

The 3 top reasons our brains begin to have this hearing problem:

 

Sugar

Toxins

Bad fats

 

#1. Avoid foods with a high glycemic index.

#2. Avoid toxins… detoxing is necessary in today’s society.

#3. Cut out all man made fats, and stock up on good healthy fats. Man-made fats adhere to cell membranes and are structured in a way that is unrecognizable to the brain and body.  Bottom line, they make it impossible for you to hear high leptin levels and burn fat.

 

It is essential to add good fats to your diet.  These will be the new make-up of your cells membrane receptors, and your body will be able to re-gain its hearing.

 

The best way to take all this in without any confusion?  The answer is the ADVANCED plan in the maximized nutrition book. Pick it up on your way out and begin the healing diet!

 

 

 

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