New Drug Appears to Cause Cancer Cells to Self-Destruct

According to the American Cancer Society, the odds you'll develop cancer in your lifetime are one in two, if you're a man, and one in three, if you're a woman.¹ But an experimental cancer drug shown to shrink tumors by correcting metabolic oddities in cancer cells shows promise in the fight against this deadly disease. The synthetic drug DCA (dichloroacetate) DOES indeed kill cancer cells, both in the lab and in human beings. However, whether it can reverse tumor growth without harming you in other ways remains to be seen.
The first clinical trial, although small, involving patients with brain cancer (glioblastoma) was encouraging, and the results were published in Science of Translational Medicine in 2010² . However, there is still a great deal more work to be done before DCA can be pronounced a safe and effective cancer treatment.
An interesting aspect of DCA is that it's an inexpensive, non-patentable molecule, which makes it of minimal value to pharmaceutical companies that profit by patenting expensive new drugs. Therefore, clinical trials are slow to get going due to lack of funding by Big Pharma. Researchers must await sufficient money to trickle in from government sources and public donations before moving forward.
In the paragraphs below, my aim is to give you information from both sides of the story—the potential benefits as well as the possible risks.

Rats Fed DCA Showed Dramatic Tumor Regression

The impetus behind most of the DCA research has been cardiologist Evangelos Michelakis of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. In 2007, Michelakis and his colleagues sparked a firestorm of interest when they announced rats fed DCA showed rapid tumor regression without any apparent side effects. Michelakis has been the first to say these results are preliminary and cautions cancer patients to refrain from running out and buying the drug, prior to clinical trials.
Yet, many desperate cancer patients with few remaining options are doing just that, and side effects ARE being reported.
There are currently three clinical trials involving use of DCA to treat cancer that are currently recruiting participants³. Some of these studies plan to combine DCA with other chemotherapy drugs and radiation, all known to have damaging effects in your body.  However, if you have cancer and are tempted to participate, there are some things you should know in order to make an informed decision about the risk versus the benefits of this experimental treatment.

Cancer Cells and Healthy Cells Have Different Metabolic Processes

In order to understand how DCA kills cancer cells, it is necessary to understand a bit about how the cellular metabolism of cancer cells differs from that of your normal, healthy cells. Cancer cells have very different metabolic processes than normal cells, in terms of how they derive their energy.⁴ It's a rather complicated distinction, so please bear with me as I try to explain it in the simplest terms possible.
There are two major pathways your cells use to covert sugar into energy: glucose oxidation and glycolysis:

1. Glucose oxidationis the primary energy metabolism in normal cells and takes place in your mitochondria, which are the little "power plants" inside your cell; it requires the presence of oxygen, as its name suggests. This is why you breathe and your heart beats to circulate oxygen throughout your body. Glucose oxidation is sometimes referred to as cellular respiration.
2. Glycolysis takes place in your cell's cytoplasm. It can occur without the presence of oxygen. Glycolysis is less efficient for normal cells, but it is acancer cell'spreferredmeans of energy metabolism, and it depends on the availability of sugar.

So, when your cells are oxygen-starved they have a backup plan. They can extract energy from sugar without the presence of oxygen, by glycolysis.
Pyruvate is required for glucose oxidation. There is an enzyme (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, or PDK) that acts as gatekeeper to regulate the flow of pyruvate into the mitochondria. If PDK is active, it suppresses the transport of pyruvate into the mitochondria, and your cell is forced to rely on glycolysis, even if oxygen is available. If PDK is inactive, pyruvate is shuttled into the mitochondria, even if oxygen is low.
Unlike normal cells, cancer cells are masterful at deriving energy from glycolysis—they have very active PDK. The way to make a cancer cell unhappy is by suppressing PDK, forcing the cell to use glucose oxidation, instead of glycolysis. This is called the Warburg theory of cancer, or the Warburg hypothesis⁵.
This is where DCA comes in.

DCA Instigates Mass Suicide among Cancer Cells

DCA suppresses PDK (the mitochondrial gatekeeper), and this fires up the cell's mitochondria. Not only does this force the cancer cell to abandon its preferred metabolic process, but it flips the cell's "suicide switch" as well. This happens because mitochondria are the primary regulators of apoptosis, or cellular suicide—they are loaded with sensors that react to abnormalities by pushing the cell's self-destruct button.
When a cancer cell's mitochondria realize it's a cancer cell, it spontaneously kills itself. This is the reason chemotherapy and radiation result in such terrible side effects—your healthy cells actually die much more easily because of this self-destruct button.
The reason cancer is so fast growing is that the mitochondria have been deactivated, so the cells evade apoptosis, as well as being able to grow in the absence of oxygen (glycolysis)⁶. DCA reverses this.In effect, DCA directly causes cancer cell apoptosis and works synergistically other cancer therapies, such as radiation, gene therapy, and viral therapy. A number of scientific studies have been performed to date, and most are encouraging.

DCA--Cancer Research Review

Most of the studies thus far have been done on cell cultures in the lab (in vitro), as opposed to on cancer patients themselves (in vivo). Yet the results are impressively consistent across the board, suggesting DCA is effective against a wide variety of cancer types. The DCA Site⁷ has a good list of all clinical studies through 2011.
The study that sparked the DCA excitement appeared in Cancer Cell in January 2007⁸ According to an article in the Edmonton Journal⁹ in the 2007 rat study, DCA killed lung, breast, and brain cancer cells but left healthy cells alone. The rats' tumors decreased by up to 70 percent in three weeks of DCA treatment, without negative side effects.
This announcement led to a cyclone of excitement from cancer patients everywhere who scrambled to get their hands on the new "cancer cure," in spite of warnings from Michelakis himself (and others) against prematurely self-medicating with the compound.
Several more studies soon followed, including the first clinical trial2 involving brain cancer patients. In that trial, the research team selected five glioblastoma patients with a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer. They treated them with oral DCA for 15 months.
Tumor tissue was compared before and after DCA treatment in three of the five patients. In all three, there were signs that the tumor growth had slowed, and more cancer cells were undergoing programmed cell death after the treatment with DCA. Unfortunately, one of the five patients died. Another had "debulking" surgery before completing the full course of DCA treatment.Below are some of the other DCA cancer studies, all within the past five years. (Note that none of these involved human subjects.)

• Endometrial Cancer: DCA causes apoptosis in endometrial cancer cells.¹⁰
• Prostate Cancer: DCA produces significant cytotoxic effects in prostate cancer cells¹¹
• Breast Cancer: DCA has anti-proliferative properties against breast cancer cells and caused apoptosis of those cells¹²
• Colorectal Cancer: DCA reduced colon cancer tumors by 20 to 40 percent¹³
• Cervical Cancer: Researchers concluded DCA is a quick and effective cure for advanced cervical carcinoma¹⁴

For comprehensive information about DCA's method of action, history, and related scientific research, refers to The DCA Site7, and to this 2011 article in the International Journal of Cancer¹⁵. It should be noted that caffeine may radically increases the effects of DCA¹⁶. In fact, this effect is so pronounced that some researchers are working on developing a "DCA-caffeine" cancer treatment protocol.
Now that you're aware of DCA's cancer-fighting effects, let's take a look at the adverse effects identified thus far.

DCA's Side Effects Can Be Daunting

DCA is not a natural agent—it's a chemical produced in the water chlorination process. It's a small molecule, which accounts for one of its major advantages: DCA is easily absorbed by your body and can reach areas other drugs can't, such as your brain, which is why it's of particular interest for treating brain cancers. This, however, can be a two-edged sword, because any compound that easily permeates your brain can exert all sorts of unexpected and worrisome neurological effects.
DCA is a byproduct of another chemical called trichloroethylene (TCE), a volatile organic compound believed to cause cancer. TCE is used mainly as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts, but is also used in adhesives, paint removers, and typewriter correction fluids. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reports TCE is "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" and may cause birth defects. They state TCE may also cause the following¹⁷:

• Skin rashes
• Nerve, kidney, and liver damage
• Impaired heart and immune function
• Unconsciousness
• Death

When DCA is added to the drinking water of laboratory mice, it causes liver cancer. While DCA may offer hope and a novel approach to treating cancer, it is far from a "miracle cure." Of course, chemotherapy drugs are quite toxic as well!
DCA has been used successfully in children with metabolic disorders, with no signs of toxic poisoning. But adults appear to suffer more adverse effects—especially peripheral neuropathy and encephalopathy, such as the case described in a letter to the editor of the Journal of Neurology¹⁸. According to a survey performed by The DCA Site¹⁹, there are a fair number of serious side effects reported by those taking DCA, many of them neurological. Research suggests the side effects are at least somewhat dose-dependent, but safe dosing guidelines have not yet been established.
In the online survey, the side effects reported by DCA users include:

Tingling and numbness in the fingers, toes and lips; peripheral neuropathy	Leg weakness	Hand tremors	Ankle swelling	Increased urination
Mild nausea	Anxiety and depression	Dizziness	Sleepiness	Breathing "heavier" than usual

In some studies, under some circumstances, DCA seems to actually make cancer cells stronger. For example, an in-vitro animal study²⁰ published in May 2010 revealed that some types of colon cancer cells are actually protected by DCA when grown under anoxic conditions or as xenografts in mice (xenografts are tissues transplanted into one species from a dissimilar species). And when DCA is combined with frontline drugs, it sometimes interferes with their effectiveness. The neurological side effects are compounded when DCA is used with other anti-cancer drugs, which are also neurotoxic.
So, if you're already using a cancer medication, DCA's effects are going to be unpredictable and potentially dangerous. This underscores the importance of fully understanding the mechanisms of action of an agent before it enters clinical trials.

A Safer Alternative: FOODS that Cause Cancer Cells to Self-Destruct

What if there were natural agents that induced cancer cell suicide, without the side effects of DCA? As it turns out, these agents DO exist—and you may already have some in your kitchen pantry or supplement cabinet. Here are a few²¹:

• Co-Q10/Ubiquinol
• Curcumin (the active agent in the spice turmeric)
• Capsaicin (the compound that makes hot peppers hot)
• Se-methylselenocysteine aka methylselenocysteine (found in garlic and broccoli)
• Ellagic acid (from pomegranates and other fruits)

There are many all-natural cancer-prevention strategies, and research shows they may cut your risk in half. Consequently, by implementing multiple strategies, you can radically lower your risk of cancer as well as other chronic diseases.

Lifestyle Factors that Influence Your Cancer Risk

A healthful lifestyle encourages proper gene expression, as the science of epigenetics has shown. We now know you are in control of your genes, instead of being controlled by them. You actually have tremendous power to shape and direct your health! Your thoughts, your environmental exposures, and your food choices all directly affect your gene expression.
The best "cancer cure" is to prevent it from taking hold in the first place. Cancer cells are circulating in everyone, all the time. The stronger your immune system is, the less likely your cellular function will run amok. Your diet is extremely important in keeping your immune system strong. One of the primary cancer-promoters is sugar. Cancer cells love sugar and use it to fuel their rapid proliferation (by glycolysis, as discussed earlier). This includes ALL forms of sugar, including fructose and grains. The higher your blood glucose level, the more prolific the cancer cells will be.
According to breast cancer expert, author, and board certified surgeon Dr. Christine Horner:

"To me, sugar has no redeeming value at all, because they found that the more we consume it, the more we're fuelling every single chronic disease," Dr. Horner says. "In fact, there was a study done about a year ago… and the conclusion was that sugar is a universal mechanism for chronic disease. It kicks up inflammation. It kicks up oxygen free radicals. Those are the two main processes we see that underlie any single chronic disorder, including cancers. It fuels the growth of breast cancers, because glucose is cancer's favorite food. The more you consume, the faster it grows."

Your diet is the one of the best ways to either feed or prevent cancer. Processed foods, soft drinks, red meat from CAFO-raised animals, trans fats, and any food containing or contaminated with xenoestrogens promote cancer growth. Plant foods, particularly cruciferous vegetables and flax seeds, as well as many herbs and spices are cancer-preventive. Beneficial fats of particular importance for cancer prevention are omega-3 and omega-9, which effectively slow down tumor growth in estrogen-sensitive cancers, such as those of the breast, prostate and colon.
Generally speaking, your diet should focus on fresh, whole, unprocessed foods (vegetables, meats, raw dairy, nuts, and so forth) that come from healthy, sustainable, local sources, such as small organic farms. For the highest nutrient content, you will want to make raw food a significant portion of your diet.
Personally, I aim to eat about 80 to 85 percent of my food raw, including raw eggs and humanely raised organic animal products that have not been raised on a CAFO (confined animal feeding operation).
For more information about which foods to eat and which to avoid, please consult my comprehensive nutrition plan.

Vitamin D May Cut Your Cancer Risk in Half

There's overwhelming evidence pointing to the fact that vitamin D deficiency plays a roll in cancer development. If there were something close to a silver bullet for cancer, vitamin D would be it.
If you currently have cancer, evidence shows that higher blood levels of vitamin D—probably around 80-90 ng/ml—are beneficial. If natural sun exposure is not practical, then a safe tanning bed or oral supplement are the next best things. Just keep in mind that it's BEST to get your vitamin D from natural sun exposure. It appears vitamin D may play an important role in sulfur metabolism, and taking it orally may not provide the same benefit as deriving it from the sun. To learn the details about how to optimize your vitamin D, including dosage and blood testing, please review our comprehensive vitamin D article.
Vitamin D has been found to offer protection from cancer by several mechanisms, including:

• Regulating genetic expression
• Increasing apoptosis of defective, mutant cells thereby reducing cancer cell replication
• Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)
• Choking off the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous

Exercise Can Also Slash Your Cancer Risk

If you are like most people, when you think of reducing your risk of cancer, exercise doesn't immediately come to mind. However, there is some fairly compelling evidence that exercise can slash your cancer risk. One of the primary ways exercise lowers your risk for cancer is by reducing elevated insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment—and remember, cancer cells LOVE sugar! Additionally, exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. Consider integrating exercise with intermittent fasting to greatly catalyze your healing and rejuvenation.

Restore Your Sleep

Getting proper sleep is critical, both in terms of getting enough sleep and sleeping during the right hours. According to Ayurvedic medicine, the ideal sleeping hours are between 10 pm and 6 am. Modern research has confirmed the value of this recommendation as certain hormonal fluctuations occur throughout the day and night, and if you engage in the appropriate activities during those times, you'll "ride the wave," so to speak. Working against your biology by staying awake when you should be sleeping, or vice versa, interferes with these natural hormone rhythms.

Manage Your Stress

Research tells us that if you experience a traumatic or highly stressful event, such as a death in the family or loss of a job, your risk of breast cancer is 12 times higher in the five years that follows. It is imperative to your health and longevity that you address your emotional well-being. Stress has a direct impact on inflammation, and inflammation drives many of the chronic diseases that kill people prematurely every day.
Meditation, prayer, yoga, and EFT (an energy psychology tool) are all viable options that can help you maintain emotional/psychological equilibrium. I'm sure you can think of others—the bottom line is, find what works best to de-stress yourself and practice it daily.

Avoid as Many Chemicals, Toxins, and Pollutants as Possible

Just as stress is toxic to your emotional health, chemical overload is toxic to your physical health, and both can weaken your immune system. Get rid of as much toxic junk as you can. This includes harsh chemical household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, insecticides and the rest. Replace them all with green, non-toxic alternatives.

For more suggestions about how to prevent and heal from cancer, please refer to the cancer section of our website, which contains a wealth of free, research-based information.

TRAIN WITH WAYNE BRINGING YOU THE BEST HEALTH AND FITNESS INFORMATION

Obesity Surpasses Smoking in Terms of Ill Health Effects

This may come as a surprise to some, but data collected from over 60,000 Canadians show that obesity leads to more doctor visits than smoking.
The idea that being overweight can be worse for your health than smoking is likely to make many balk, considering how "normal" it has become to carry around extra pounds, but in terms of overall health effects and subsequent health care costs, it's likely true.
The study estimates that if obesity were not a factor, doctor visits in Canada would decrease by 10 percent. The decrease would be even greater if you take into account problems related to type 2 diabetes, which is also directly related to obesity and poor diet.
With the obesity epidemic putting pressure on health care systems everywhere, this news may trigger financial penalties or incentives to get people to lose weight, according to Medical News Today [1].

"Just as smokers have higher life insurance premiums, people who are obese could also be made to pay more for health insurance. The complication is that obesity tends to be more prevalent among people with low income, making this solution difficult to implement," Medical News Today said.
... "The fact that obesity is more serious than smoking helps people understand the gravity of the problem because they already have some kind of intuitive understanding of how bad smoking is," says [lead researcher, James] McIntosh.

Excess Weight is a Gateway to Chronic Disease

Canadian and American obesity statistics are neck-to-neck, with about one-quarter to one third of adults in the obese category. A staggering two-thirds of Americans are overweight. This does indeed place a heavy burden on the health care system. It's important to realize that a large number of diseases are directly attributable to obesity, including:

Diabetes	Polycystic ovarian syndrome	Urinary incontinence	Pickwickian syndrome
Cancer	Gastro-esophageal reflux disease	Chronic renal failure	Depression
Congestive heart failure	Fatty liver disease	Lymph edema	Osteoarthritis
Enlarged heart	Hernia	Cellulitis	Gout
Pulmonary embolism	Erectile dysfunction	Stroke	Gallbladder disease

Most Adults and Teens Not Exercising and at High Risk of Disease

Physical activity and good health go hand-in-hand. The problem is most adults and teens aren't physically active enough to stay healthy and maintain ideal weight. According to a series in the journal Lancet on physical activity and health, not exercising is leaving around a third of adults (1.5 billion people) and 4 out of 5 adolescents at a 20-30 percent greater risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer.
Reported by Medical News Today [2]:

"Investigations revealed that the recommended activities, known as moderate-intensity activities, like walking for 30 minutes at least 5 times a week, or running for 20 minutes 3 times a week, is not being done by approximately 3 out of 10 adults worldwide."

Worse yet, an estimated 80 percent of 13 to 15 year olds are not getting the recommended one hour per day of physical activity! According to one of the Lancet reports [3], lack of exercise causes as many as 1 in 10 premature deaths around the world each year — roughly as many as smoking...

Too Much TV Linked with Thicker, Weaker Kids

There can be little doubt that our modern lifestyle is at the heart of the problem. We eat poorly and don't exercise enough. The results of this sedentary, under-nourished lifestyle are evident in today's children. Today, one-third of all American children ages 2-19 are overweight or obese. Most of these children will become diabetic.
Spending hours in front of the TV or playing video games is of course a hallmark of a sedentary lifestyle.
If you needed any more proof that too much time in front of the TV is not good for kids, then you'll be interested in a new study that not only affirms that TV-time is linked to sleep problems and weight problems, but also to weaker muscles [4]. The new study, published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity [5], shows that the number of hours in front of the TV during preschool years is linked to increased waist size and decreased leg strength.
According to the authors:

"Watching television excessively in early childhood may eventually compromise muscular fitness and waist circumference in children as they approach pubertal age."

This is significant, the study's authors said, because it not only could affect performance in sports activities, but also cardiovascular health and susceptibility to injuries.  TV programming also expose your children to commercials promoting health-harming junk foods; literally programming them from infancy to have a skewed understanding of what to eat. Just as you don't want your child exposed to ads for cigarettes during Saturday morning cartoons, neither should your kids be bombarded by non-stop commercials for sugary foods and snacks.

Tips for Raising Healthy Weight Children

If you have children who are overweight or obese, I highly suggest you pick up a copy of my book Generation XL, which is packed with tools to transform the health of your children. In the meantime, I would recommend getting started on these crucial lifestyle changes right now:

1. Set strict viewing limits for TV, computer and video games
2. Make exercise a part of your family's daily schedule. Remember, children model your behavior more than anything else
3. Get rid of the junk food and sweetened drinks
4. Set family meal times and prepare home-cooked meals for your family
5. Reward your children with kind words, not food

Where Americans Spend Grocery Money, 1982 vs. Today

Overall, about 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food is spent on processed foods [6]. This includes restaurant foods (i.e. food away from home) and processed grocery foods that require little or no preparation time before consuming.
When looking at the ratio of money spent on store-bought groceries only, Americans spend nearly a fourth of their grocery money on processed foods and sweets—twice as much as they did in 1982—according to Department of Labor statistics [7]. Pricing of meats, sugar, and flour has had a great influence our spending habits. These items have actually seen a decrease in price per pound, which has had an inverse effect on Americans' spending habits, in that cheaper prices encourage people to buy more.
The result is obvious. Compared with shoppers 30 years ago, American adults today are twice as likely to be obese, and children and adolescents three times as likely to be overweight. Pediatric type 2 diabetes—which used to be very rare—has markedly increased along with the rise in early childhood obesity. According to previous research, early onset type 2 diabetes appears to be a more aggressive disease from a cardiovascular standpoint [8].

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Credit: Lam Thuy Vo / NPR [9]

Soda—One of the Greatest Threats to Your and Your Children's Weight and Health

According to the 2010 Report by the Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans [10], the top 10 sources of calories in the American diet are:

1.    Grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars) 139 calories a day	6. Alcoholic beverages
2.    Yeast breads, 129 calories a day	7. Pasta and pasta dishes
3.    Chicken and chicken-mixed dishes, 121 calories a day	8. Mexican mixed dishes
4.    Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks, 114 calories a day	9. Beef and beef-mixed dishes
5.    Pizza, 98 calories a day	10. Dairy desserts

Between the previous graphic showing where the majority of food dollars are spent, and this listing detailing the top sources of calories in the American diet, it's easy to recognize that the dietary roots of the American weight problem is linked to carbs—sugars (primarily fructose) and grains—in the form of processed foods and sweet drinks. You've often heard me state that soda is the number one source of calories in the US diet, which it was, based on the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The updated NHANES survey above covers nutritional data from 2005-2006, placing grain-based foods in the top two slots.
Still, soda comes in at number four, and I still believe many people, particularly teenagers, probably still get a majority of their calories from fructose-rich drinks like soda.
Needless to say, obesity and its many related chronic health problems will also take a toll on your lifespan, and soda is a major culprit driving these sad health trends. Term Life Insurance may have an alternative motive for creating and posting an infographic online showing soda's effect on your body [11], but in this case the industry managers are actually trying to help you out while simultaneously adding to their bottom lines.

Image source: Term Life Insurance

Basic Tenets of Optimal Health

Leading a common-sense, healthy lifestyle is your best bet to achieve a healthy body and mind. And while conventional medical science may flip-flop back and forth in its recommendations, there are certain basic tenets of optimal health (and healthy weight) that do not change:

1. Proper Food Choices: For a comprehensive guide on which foods to eat and which to avoid, see my nutrition plan. Generally speaking, you should be looking to focus your diet on whole, ideally organic, unprocessed foods. For the best nutrition and health benefits, you will want to eat a good portion of your food raw.
Avoid sugar, and fructose in particular. All forms of sugar have toxic effects when consumed in excess, and drive multiple disease processes in your body, not the least of which is insulin resistance, a major cause of chronic disease and accelerated aging.
I believe the two primary keys for successful weight management are severely restricting carbohydrates (sugars, fructose, and grains) in your diet, and increasing healthy fat consumption. This will optimize insulin and leptin levels, which is key for maintaining a healthy weight and optimal health.

2. Regular exercise: Even if you're eating the healthiest diet in the world, you still need to exercise to reach the highest levels of health, and you need to be exercising effectively, which means including high-intensity activities into your rotation. High-intensity interval-type training boosts human growth hormone (HGH) production, which is essential for optimal health, strength and vigor. HGH also helps boost weight loss.
So along with core-strengthening exercises, strength training, and stretching, I highly recommend that twice a week you do Peak Fitness exercises,' which raise your heart rate up to your anaerobic threshold for 20 to 30 seconds, followed by a 90-second recovery period.

3. Stress Reduction: You cannot be optimally healthy if you avoid addressing the emotional component of your health and longevity, as your emotional state plays a role in nearly every physical disease -- from heart disease and depression, to arthritis and cancer.
Meditation, prayer, social support and exercise are all viable options that can help you maintain emotional and mental equilibrium. I also strongly believe in using simple tools such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to address deeper, oftentimes hidden, emotional problems.

4. Drink plenty of clean water
5. Maintain a healthy gut: About 80 percent of your immune system resides in your gut, and research is stacking up showing that probiotics—beneficial bacteria—affect your health in a myriad of ways; it can even influence your ability to lose weight. A healthy diet is the ideal way to maintain a healthy gut, and regularly consuming traditionally fermented foods is the easiest, most cost effective way to ensure optimal gut flora
6. Optimize your vitamin D levels: Research has shown that increasing your vitamin D levels can reduce your risk of death from ALL causes. For practical guidelines on how to use natural sun exposure to optimize your vitamin D benefits, please see my previous article on how to determine if enough UVB is able to penetrate the atmosphere to allow for vitamin D production in your skin
7. Avoid as many chemicals, toxins, and pollutants as possible: This includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, and insecticides, just to name a few, and replacing them with non-toxic alternatives. 
8. Get plenty of high quality sleep: Regularly catching only a few hours of sleep can hinder metabolism and hormone production in a way that is similar to the effects of aging and the early stages of diabetes. Chronic sleep loss may speed the onset or increase the severity of age-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and memory loss

By Dr. Mercola

           train with wayne

Banishing Belly FAT Forever

 Diseases That It Creates:  heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes…just to name a few!

Medical technology and services have exploded in the last 40 years causing Medical Health care spending to consume an increasing share of economic activity.  In 1970, total health care spending was about $75 billion, or only about $356 per person.  In less than 40 years these costs have grown to $2 trillion, or $6,697 per person.  As a result, the share of economic activity devoted to health care has grown from 7.2 percent in1970 to 16.0 percent in 2005.  By the year 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) projects that health spending will be nearly one-fifth of GDP (19.6 percent), a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country in the world.

And yet according to the New England Journal of Medicine 2010, our health care system is ranked 37th out of 191 countries in performance, with more Americans suffering from chronic illnesses today than ever before. In fact, it is common for American people to be burdened by more than three chronic illnesses simultaneously, and there is a syndrome that explains why.  Metabolic Syndrome is an underlying cause of obesity, heart disease, (including high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure) arthritis, and type 2 diabetes.  It is a syndrome caused by poor lifestyle choices and a syndrome you seldom hear about on the evening news.

The chronic disease escalation has contributed to a significant increase in out-of-pocket medical expenditures for many Americans because prescription drugs are often not completely covered by health insurance policies.  The average annual out-of-pocket expense increased from $427 per American in 1996 to $741 in 2005.  After adjusting for inflation, this is a 39% increase in this type of spending per person over that period of time.

Unfortunately, these expenditures are significantly higher for the elderly.  An elderly person insured through Medicare with three or more chronic illnesses pays an average of $2,588 in out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Avoid Becoming a Statistic

The truth is we live in a time of accelerated aging.  Our cells are aging faster than our years and our bodies are creating diseases of aging at much higher levels and much lower ages.  Diseases that used to be equated with the age once we were actually old, are occurring even our children especially obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and osteopenia.

By now we’ve all heard the importance of making healthy food choices but having knowledge and applying knowledge can be different. So let’s look at the consequences of making unhealthy food choices or regularly skipping meals?  At the very least, we make ourselves vulnerable to metabolic syndrome, also referred to as syndrome X or insulin resistance.

Metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common in the United States; an estimated 80 million Americans have it.  This syndrome is characterized by a group of metabolic risk factors that occur in a person.  They include:

• Abdominal obesity (excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen)
• High blood fats, high triglycerides and high LDL cholesterol
• Low HDL cholesterol
• Elevated blood pressure
• Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (the body can’t properly use insulin or blood sugar)
• Pro-inflammatory state (for example, chronic pain or elevated C-reactive protein in the blood) which stresses the immune response.
• Waist measuring 40 inches or more for men, and 35 inches or more for women

The dominant underlying risk factors for this syndrome appear to be abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a generalized metabolic disorder in which the body can’t use insulin efficiently as the cell wall becomes resistant to insulin released by the pancreas.  (This is why metabolic syndrome is also called Insulin Resistance Syndrome.)

Fat is not inert tissue, it is a source of silent pain and inflammation. It is filled with arachidonic acid and environmental toxins.  As you metabolize fat, organochlorides are released and interfere with your thyroid gland often times causing a stall in weight loss.  This creates the plateau that so many people struggle with that sends them back to their old ways of eating.  It is also why the use of Medical Foods can be important for removing these organochlorides and environmental toxins.

Remember, when starting a weight loss program it is important to monitor the type of tissue you are losing to ensure you are losing fat and not lean muscle mass.  There are many seemingly skinny-fat people – meaning they have a high percentage of body composition that is inflammatory fat.  Remember all degenerative diseases involve and are contributed to by inflammation.

You Are Not a Victim

This inflammation begins with a high insulin lifestyle habits:

Initially, symptoms may include common things such as feeling sluggish after eating, experiencing dull headaches related to certain foods and excess weight gain, especially around the abdomen.  These symptoms are created by the dysregulation of blood sugar levels from:

• Poorly balanced high carbohydrate meals
• Skipping meals
• Lack of proper exercise
• Overuse of stimulants
• Lack of stress management
• Micronutrient/Vitamin mineral imbalance
• Hormonal imbalance

and can ultimately lead to obesity, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) fluctuations, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high blood fats and, worst of all, Type 2 diabetes.

America has the fastest growing adolescent population of Type 2 diabetics, which is largely driven by obesity.  Clearly, obesity is on the increase with our children; an estimated 16 to 33 percent of children in the United States are obese, and 60 percent of adults are overweight or obese—totaling 108 million people.  It’s not difficult to figure out why childhood obesity has become a national epidemic. Youngsters spend sedentary hours each day in front of TVs, video games and computers.  Schools either no longer require or have greatly reduced physical education classes, and potentially dangerous streets keep our kids inside rather than outdoors playing sports and exercising.  Coupled with the proliferation of fast food and sugar-laden snacks, our children’s bodies are facing even greater challenges.

One major obstacle to children’s health is the easy availability of zero-nutrient beverages such as carbonated sodas, sweetened juices and caffeine-laden “sports” drinks.  According to a recent study published in The Lancet, a leading medical journal in the United Kingdom, children (and adults) who consume these beverages are at a greater risk for developing obesity. If you are a parent of young children, it’s important to know that a recent Harvard University study concluded that the odds of becoming obese increases 1.6 times for every can, bottle or glass of sugary beverage consumed daily.

Remember it has been determined that one-third of our children born since the year 2000 will become diabetic.  What is shocking about this statistic is over 90% of type2 diabetes is attributed to habits and forms of behavior that are knowingly high risk and therefore preventable through low risk behavior and healthy lifestyle habits as discussed in this brochure.

Also remember that diabetes is a horrible disease accounting for nearly 73,000 deaths in America alone and with the potential and probable long-term ramifications being loss of sensation, eyesight, stroke, heart disease and at times amputation of limbs and kidney failure.  They have even discovered a connection between Diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.  This is not a disease that we, as good parents, intentionally inflict upon our children.  When we don’t take control of the dietary habits within our own households, we leave not only ourselves but our children vulnerable to this disease and other hazards of accelerated aging.  The difference between our generation and younger generations is that their aging process will be so severely accelerated that they are estimated to be the first generation that will not live as long as their parents. Is this really the legacy that we wish to leave for our children—an inheritance of disease and early death?

Choose Health And Lose That Belly Fat Forever!

Start by making simple changes one or 2 changes per week will create a new you in just a few months.  If you need help, simply call us and work with one of our certified coaches.  Avoid falling prey to these daunting statistics by taking some simple actions.  First, remember that in your own home you determine the quality of food and drinks that are available to everyone to consume.  Instead of having sugary beverages in the kitchen, offer filtered water to your family.  When your children are thirsty, they will drink what is available, and if only water is available, that is what they will reach for.

Have some bowls of chopped carrots, celery, broccoli or whole fruit on the counter and you will be amazed at the little fingers that will grab it each time they walk by, so will you!  Try it . . . it really does work, and soon yours and your child’s taste buds will be programmed to enjoy healthy food.

I find it interesting when I hear parents say that their child will not eat vegetables or will only drink soda.  It amazes me because I have yet to see a three-year-old jump in the car and go to the store to buy his or her groceries!  As adults, it is our job to set an example for our children.  They may be little people, but just like all other humans, children’s bodies are designed to eat when they are hungry and drink when they are thirsty.  Our job is to ensure that they have healthy foods within easy reach whenever they are hungry or thirsty.

When it comes to fluids, aim for a daily formula of two-thirds of an ounce of water for every pound of body weight; in other words, take .66 times your current body weight and you will know the exact amount of water (in ounces) that your body requires. If you live in a dry environment or exercise intensely, you may require more. If you are on a fluid-restricted diet, I suggest that you speak to your doctor about this.

It is important to make sure the quality of the water you drink is clean and pure. Recently while traveling with my mother, I was purchasing high-quality filtered water when she said to me, “You know, Kath, we live in America.  You can drink the water.”  I laughed because I begged to differ.  In fact, several times a year I give presentations about the devastating effects of environmental toxins on our health. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), perchlorate (a solid rocket fuel chemical that interferes with thyroid and brain development in children) has been found in our water.  Pharmaceuticals that we flush or eliminate through our urine also end up in our drinking water, not to mention fluoride and a host of other pollutants.  Trust me; America’s water supply is not as safe as you may like to believe.

You can, in moderation, mix things up with limited amounts of fruit juice, preferable who and with the pulp.  Here’s the deal, sugar feeds the bad bacteria, yeast and candida in your intestines.  Fiber feeds the good bacteria in your intestines.  Over 70% of your immune response comes from your intestines so the healthier your gut, the healthier your body.

Keep in mind that it takes approximately five apples to make a glass of apple juice. How long would it take you to eat five apples?  Quite a long time, and you would be getting all of the natural fiber that the Creator put in there to slow down that blood sugar absorption.  On the other hand, it takes only minutes to drink the glass of juice.  We no longer have the fiber present, and it will spike our blood sugar and feed the bad guys in your intestinal tract.  (Remember, spiking blood sugar is what begins the downward spiral of insulin resistance.)  My suggestion is that you dilute your fruit juices that are not whole, with an equal amount of water and have it as a treat.

Unfortunately, even healthy drinks such as green tea do not substitute for our necessary water intake.  They are good and have health benefits, but only water is water, so enjoy it abundantly.  I always tell my patients, “If you wouldn’t shower in it to clean your body on the outside, don’t expect it to clean your body on the inside.” Adding lemon or slices of fruit to your water can enhance its flavor, and it looks so refreshing.  Lemon has an extra cleansing benefit, as well.

Jim, age 55 is a perfect example of unchecked metabolic syndrome. When Jim entered our office, he was a broken man—depressed, anxious, moody and unable to sleep.  He was overweight, constantly fatigued and suffered from pain in his chest, muscles and joints.  Jim had all of signs of metabolic syndrome: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and an unhealthy waist-to-hip ratio.  He had already had a heart attack and two stents, and was taking multiple medications—from Neurotin to Lipitor to Vicodin.  If we didn’t get Jim’s metabolic syndrome under control, his future health picture would be grim.

Jim began the Fit, Fun and Fabulous program weighing 238 pounds; his body fat percentage was 25.7, or 65.8 pounds of fat, which is essentially inflammatory tissue.  Less than a month into the program, Jim had 18 pounds of weight loss, some of which was water weight due to the toxicity load on his body, but nine pounds of which was fat.  Within nine months, he had lost 47 pounds—nearly 20 pounds of it was fat tissue—and was down to 23 percent body fat.  Jim’s intracellular water now exceeded his extracellular water, indicating a great decrease in toxicity.  But most importantly, Jim was feeling young again.  He was able to begin exercising regularly with very little discomfort.  Now, Jim has much more energy and vitality than he ever thought possible.  Looking back, he clearly sees how metabolic syndrome was stealing his good health.

To recap the perils of metabolic syndrome, it is characterized by the following indicators, which accelerate the aging process:

• High blood pressure
• Abnormal cholesterol metabolism
• High triglycerides
• High insulin levels
• Increased body fat
• Increased waist-to-hip ratio
• Decreased muscle mass
• Decreased strength

You can begin today to make better choices with your food, drinks and the frequency of your meals that will work towards balancing your blood sugar, thereby moving you away from metabolic syndrome . . . not just for yourself, but also for those you love.

If you would like to begin a program, would like to know more about medical foods or would like some coaching support, please visit http://drkathleenhartford.com/services/about-fit-fun-and-fabulous/

Hypothyroidism and your health

HYPOTHYROID (Part 1 of 3)

Are you unable to lose weight? Feel anxious or depressed? Experiencing hair loss? Low energy levels? Overly sensitive to cold weather? Is the outer 3rd of your eyebrow thinning? If so, you may have a sluggish thyroid.

Your thyroid is vital to your health---the master gland of your metabolism. It is your body’s internal thermostat, regulating temperature by secreting two hormones, T3 and T4 that control your ability to burn calories and use energy. The thyroid controls your weight, body temperature, heart rate, energy levels, menstrual regularity and muscle strength.

The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped, hormone-producing tissue the size of a walnut located at the lower front of the neck just below the Adam’s apple. Every cell in your body needs small amounts of thyroid hormone to function optimally.

Hypothyroidism is a health condition in which there’s insufficient thyroid activity, and very often undiagnosed. Approximately 27 million Americans are experiencing a thyroid disorder, and <25 a="a" an="an" been="been" diagnosed="diagnosed" have="have" href="http://thepowerof4-paula.blogspot.com/2010/01/do-you-have-underactive-thyroid_09.html" of="of" or="or" properly="properly" some="some" target="_blank" those="those" thyroid="thyroid" treated.="treated." underactive="underactive" with="with">early symptoms

are mistaken for fatigue, anxiety, or aging. Untreated hypothyroidism dramatically increases your risk of serious health concerns and degenerative diseases.

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is secreted by the pituitary gland in your subconscious brain. In early stages of hypothyroidism, the pituitary gland releases more and more TSH, causing elevated TSH levels. This causes the thyroid to work overtime to secrete more thyroxin (T4) and T3, the biologically active form of thyroid. Most of the T4 produced is converted to T3 by your liver. If the TSH is >0.5 and <3 .0=".0" 90="90" a="a" anterior="anterior" hypofunction.="hypofunction." is="is" it="it" p="p" pituitary="pituitary" probability="probability" s="s" there="there">

Measuring different hormones in the blood can determine if the thyroid gland is working properly, however subjective indicators should not be overlooked. To most effectively screen for hypothyroidism and other thyroid imbalances, Dr. Galitzer recommends that doctors also request blood tests that also include thyroid antibodies. It’s recommended that all individuals be tested for hypothyroidism by the age of 50 as well as women who are or are planning to become pregnant in order to detect thyroid problems.

Most doctors only test TSH. TSH alone is not a thorough screening of thyroid function. Data from a study of 25,000 participants whose TSH was measured argued that the ideal TSH level is 1.4 or less, not the usual 5.5 limit still cited by some labs. Ugh!

One study showed that individuals with TSH values >2.0 have an increased risk of developing clinically significant thyroid deficiency over the next 20 years (Vanderpump MP et al 1995). Other studies show that TSH values >1.9 indicate risk of autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland (Hak AE et al 2000). Another study showed that TSH values >4.0 increases the likelihood of heart disease in postmenopausal women (Hak AE et al 2000).

“Thyroid blood panel without symptoms is useless. 90% of the time the patient is normal on the lab test. If you know the symptoms, numbers become useful.” ~ Harry O. Eidenier Jr., Ph.D.
Suggested Thyroid Testing   (Download the List of Labs )

• At Home Thyroid Test  Before going to bed, set a thermometer on your nightstand. The moment you wake up, place the thermometer under your left armpit for 10 minutes. (This would be the perfect time to set your intention for the day). Monitor your temperature for 5 consecutive days. Total the number. Divide by 5 for an average temperature.

A morning temperature consistently <97 .3=".3" em="em">may

suggest hypothyroidism, whereas temperatures consistently <97 .0=".0" are="are" font="font" function="function" highly="highly" low="low" of="of" probable="probable" thyroid="thyroid">

• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). Beware most all of the so called “normal” ranges are simply dead wrong. The ideal level for TSH is between 1 and 1.5 mIU/L.
• T4 panel
  • Free T4 – The normal level of free T4 is between 0.9 and 1.8 ng/dl.
  • T4 Thyroxine – optimal levels are 8-12.5
  • Free Thyroxine Index – optimal levels are 1.5-5
• T3 Panel
  • Free T3 – Optimal ranges are between 1.8-5.4
  • T3 Uptake – optimal levels are 27-37
  • T3 Total – optimal ranges are 72-170
  • Reverse T3
• Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody – optimal ranges are 0-19

Low Adrenal Function: Cortisol levels (8 a.m. and 4 p.m.); DHEA and DHEA-S; Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) and ACTH.

Rule out Candida and Heavy Metal Body Burdens – Both Candida and Heavy Metal Toxicity are very common in those with hypothyroid

Homocysteine Clinical research has shown that homocystinuria is found with many cases of primary and secondary thyroid hypo-function.

Read Part 2     Conditions and Symptoms of a Sluggish Thyroid

Read Part 3     Natural Solutions for a Sluggish Thyroid 

Paula Owens knows your health better than you do. She is one of the best at what she does.

TRAIN WITH WAYNE

Probiotics for Anti Aging and ovrall Health

Gut Microbes Might Reflect Health, Diet of Older Americans

By Dr. Mercola

Probiotics, along with a host of other microorganisms, are so crucial to your health that researchers have compared them to "a newly recognized organ." In fact, your microflora – a term used to describe the bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microbes that make up your microbial inner ecosystem – impact far more than your digestive tract.
Mounting research indicate the bacterial colonies residing in your gut may play key roles in the development of cancer, asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and even brain-, behavioral- and emotional problems like ADHD, autism and depression.
Recent research also shows that your diet, and subsequently the microorganisms present in your gut, can affect how well you age.
The study was published in the journal Nature¹, and some of the findings were surprising: the microflora in persons in long-term care not only was less diverse, but significantly correlated with measures of frailty, co-morbidity, markers of inflammation and other factors that contribute to aging and death. According to the authors, the implications of these findings are that senior citizens may need certain dietary supplements to improve their microbial health.

Probiotics Become Increasingly Important as You Age

Previous research has shown that around age 60, there is a significant drop in the number of bacteria in your gut. According to Dr Sandra McFarlane from the microbiology and gut biology group at the University of Dundee, people over 60 typically have about 1,000-fold less "friendly" bacteria in their guts compared to younger adults, and increased levels of disease-causing microbes², making them more susceptible to gastrointestinal infections and bowel conditions like IBS.
As you age, your cellular immunity also declines.³ These are the white cells that are absolutely critical to your ability to fight infection and life-threatening diseases such as cancer. A nine-week long New Zealand study⁴ of seniors between the ages of 63 and 84 found that consumption of the probiotic strain known as Bifidobacterium lactis resulted in increases in both the number and disease-fighting capacity of white cells. In fact, the greatest improvement was seen in seniors with the worst immune system responses prior to the study.

Your Gut Bacteria Help Protect Against Food-Borne Illness

Other recent research has found that Lactobaccilus reuteri, one of the more than 180 species of Lactobacilli, commonly found in the human gut, can help protect against foodborne infection⁵. However, just because a study has not been done with a particular strain does not mean it is not effective.  These studies need to be paid for and most are not done unless there is a potential to commercialize a strain.  Nevertheless, according to an article in the Arizona State University news blog:

"Their results demonstrate that this beneficial or probiotic organism, which produces an antimicrobial substance known as reuterin, may protect intestinal epithelial cells from infection by the foodborne bacterial pathogen Salmonella. The study examines for the first time the effect of reuterin during the infection process of mammalian intestinal cells and suggests the efficacy of using probiotic bacteria or their derivatives in future therapies aimed at thwarting Salmonella infection.
... The results of this study may provide fundamental knowledge for development of new probiotics and other functional food based strategies... Intestinal infections by non-typhoidal Salmonella strains induce diarrhea and gastroenteritis, and remain a leading source of foodborne illness worldwide. Such infections are acutely unpleasant but self-limiting in healthy individuals. For those with compromised immunity however, they can be deadly and the alarming incidence of multi-drug resistant Salmonella strains has underlined the necessity of more effective therapeutics.
The use of benign microorganisms offers a promising new approach to treating infection from pathogens like Salmonella and indeed, L. reuteri has been shown to help protect against gastrointestinal infection and reduce diarrhea in children."

Remember, 90 Percent of the Genetic Material in Your Body is NOT Yours

For every cell in your body there are about ten bacterial cells. The microflora in your gut plays an active role in a wide variety of diseases, and, naturally, it stands to reason they affect your health status throughout your life. For the reasons mentioned above, the importance of probiotics increase with advancing age, but maintaining a healthy gut is really essential from birth onward.
If you want to dig into the research, check out the Human Microbiome Project (HMP)⁶, whose goal is to characterize microbial communities found at multiple human body sites and to look for correlations between changes in the microbiome and human health. There you can find 15 demonstration projects investigating the role of microflora and conditions like psoriasis, Crohn's disease, obesity, acne and more. A recent article in The Hindu quotes Dr. Julie Segre, senior investigator at the U S National Institute of Health⁷:

"The Microbiome project is a process of discovery. We need to start thinking of ourselves as super-organisms. This is the second genome – the bacterial genomes as well as the human genomes, all of that is part of the true genetic content of a human."
... The hope is that this research will pave the way for more personalized treatments which could help get our bacterial communities get back on the right track. The Microbiome project sees any one person's microbes as one community. So rather than studying them individually, they are studying the microbes and their genetic material collectively."

Microbes Affect Your Health in a Myriad of Ways

Researchers have also discovered that your gut bacteria play key roles in:

1. Behavior: A study published in Neurogastroenterology & Motility⁸ found that mice lacking in gut bacteria behave differently from normal mice, engaging in what would be referred to as "high-risk behavior." This altered behavior was accompanied by neurochemical changes in the mouse brain. According to the authors:

"Bacteria colonize the gut in the days following birth, during a sensitive period of brain development, and apparently influence behavior by inducing changes in the expression of certain genes."


2. Gene Expression: Your gut flora is a very powerful epigenetic variable. As noted above, researchers have also discovered that the absence or presence of gut microorganisms during infancy permanently alters gene expression.
Through gene profiling, they discerned that absence of gut bacteria altered genes and signaling pathways involved in learning, memory, and motor control. This suggests that gut bacteria are closely tied to early brain development and subsequent behavior. These behavioral changes could be reversed as long as the mice were exposed to normal microorganisms early in life. But once the germ-free mice had reached adulthood, colonizing them with bacteria did not influence their behavior.
In a similar way, probiotics have also been found to influence the activity of hundreds of your genes, helping them to express in a positive, disease-fighting manner.

3. Diabetes: Bacterial populations in the gut of diabetics⁹ differ from non-diabetics, according to a study from Denmark. In particular, diabetics had fewer Firmicutes and more plentiful amounts of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, compared to non-diabetics. The study also found a positive correlation for the ratios of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes and reduced glucose tolerance. According to the authors: "The results of this study indicate that type 2 diabetes in humans is associated with compositional changes in intestinal microbiota."
Sugar nourishes pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungi in your gut, which may actually harm you more than its ability to promote insulin resistance.  One of the major results of eating a healthy diet (low in sugars and grains; high in whole raw foods and fermented or cultured foods) is that it allows your beneficial gut bacteria to flourish, and they secondarily perform the real "magic" of restoring your health. There are other studies that show optimized gut flora can help prevent type 1 diabetes.

4. Autism: Establishment of normal gut flora in the first 20 days or so of life plays a crucial role in appropriate maturation of your baby's immune system. Hence, babies who develop abnormal gut flora are left with compromised immune systems and are particularly at risk for developing disorders such as ADHD, learning disabilities and autism, particularly if they are vaccinated before restoring balance to their gut flora.
To get a solid understanding of just how this connection works, I highly recommend reviewing the information shared by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride in this previous interview.

Download Interview Transcript
5. Obesity: The make-up of gut bacteria tends to differ in lean vs. obese people. This is one of the strongest areas of probiotic research to date, and you can read about a handful of such studiesin my previous article, Probiotics May Help Fight Obesity. The bottom line is that restoring your gut flora is an important consideration if you're struggling to lose weight. Studies have also documented the beneficial effects of probiotics on a wide variety of disorders, including the following¹⁰:

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)	Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)	Constipation and diarrhea
Colon cancer	Eradication of H. pylori infection, which is associated with ulcers	Vaginal infections
Strengthened immune response	Eczema	Rheumatoid arthritis
Cirrhosis of the liver	Hepatic encephalopathy	Chronic fatigue syndrome

How to Optimize Your Gut Flora

A healthy diet is the ideal way to maintain a healthy gut, and regularly consuming traditionally fermented or cultured foods is the easiest way to ensure optimal gut flora. Healthy options include:

Fermented vegetables of all kinds  (cabbage, carrots, kale, collards, celery spiced with herbs like ginger and garlic)	Lassi (an Indian yogurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner)	Tempeh
Fermented raw milk such as kefir or yogurt, but NOT commercial versions, which typically do not have live cultures and are loaded with sugars that feed pathogenic bacteria	Natto	Kim chee

Just make sure to steer clear of pasteurized versions, as pasteurization will destroy many of the naturally occurring probiotics. For example, most of the "probiotic" yogurts you find in every grocery store these days are NOT recommended. Since they're pasteurized, they will be associated with all of the problems of pasteurized milk products instead. They also typically contain added sugars, high fructose corn syrup, dyes, and/or artificial sweeteners; all of which are detrimental to your health.
Consuming traditionally fermented foods will also provide you with the following added boons:

• Important nutrients: Some fermented foods are excellent sources of essential nutrients such as vitamin K2, which is important for preventing arterial plaque buildup and heart disease. Cheese curd, for example, is an excellent source of both probiotics and vitamin K2. You can also obtain all the K2 you'll need (about 200 micrograms) by eating 15 grams, or half an ounce, of natto daily. They are also a potent producer of many B vitamins
• Optimizing your immune system: Probiotics have been shown to modulate immune responses via your gut's mucosal immune system, and have anti-inflammatory potential. Eighty percent of your immune system is located in your digestive system, making a healthy gut a major focal point if you want to maintain optimal health, as a robust immune system is your number one defense system against ALL disease
• Detoxification: Fermented foods are some of the best chelators available. The beneficial bacteria in these foods are very potent detoxifiers, capable of drawing out a wide range of toxins and heavy metals
• Cost effective: Fermented foods can contain 100 times more probiotics than a supplement, so just adding a small amount of fermented foods to each meal will give you the biggest bang for your buck
• Natural variety of microflora: As long as you vary the fermented and cultured foods you eat, you'll get a much wider variety of beneficial bacteria than you could ever get from a supplement

How to Identify a High Quality Probiotic Supplement

That said, if you don't enjoy the taste of fermented foods, taking a probiotic supplement is definitely advised. However, before you give up on fermented foods, it is best to start with small amounts like half a teaspoon and use them as a condiment integrated with your food, like as a salad dressing.  If you still don't want to use them then it is important to note that while I do not generally advocate taking a lot of supplements, a high quality probiotic is an exception. I recommend looking for a probiotic supplement that fulfills the following criteria, to ensure quality and efficacy:

• The bacteria strains in the product must be able to survive your stomach acid and bile, so that they reach your intestines alive in adequate numbers
• The bacteria strains must have health-promoting features
• The probiotic activity must be guaranteed throughout the entire production process, storage period and shelf life of the product

Through my years of clinical practice, I've found that no single probiotic supplement works for everyone. However, more people seem to respond favorably to Lactobacillus sporogenes than any other probiotic, so when in doubt, that's a great place to start.

Fueling Prior to Training or Competition

Carbohydrates: Fueling for Performance

  

Eating prior to training or games serves the primary purpose of maximizing energy stores for activity, with glycogen being of main concern. This should be of a concern not only in the hours before training, but also in the several days prior. Studies of glycogen synthesis have shown that stores can be normalized by 24 hours of rest and adequate consumption of carbohydrates. Intakes between 7 and 10g/kg bodyweight per day of carbohydrates are sufficient to maximize glycogen saturation. This would correlate to a 100-kg (220 lb) football player consuming 700 to 1000g of carbohydrates in the 24 hours prior to competition. The needs of the athlete…. may be slightly lower than the given values, as an athlete with a larger percentage of body fat, and a lower percentage of metabolically active tissue, will require less carbohydrates than these values show. The stores created by this range are adequate for the muscle fuel needs of events lasting less than 60 to 90 minutes in duration. Values above this, such as with carbohydrate loading, do not enhance performance in events of this duration.

Research examining the effects of carbohydrate consumption on maximal power and resistance training has also shown correlations with glycogen stores. Strength and power are not only products of the exercise stimulus, but also to the stimulus created through nutrition, particularly with recovery. If optimal intakes do not occur between training sessions, recovery, and as a result, performance in the subsequent training series will be negatively affected.

The typical resting values for muscle glycogen in trained muscle are 100-120 mmol/kg net weight. A typical glycogen synthesis rate is ~5 mmol/kg/hour and therefore 24-36 hours should be set aside following the last training session in order to allow for maximal glycogen re-synthesis. An example of this would be to either eliminate exhaustive practices in the 1 to 2 days prior to competition, or to taper training to only movements that do not significantly elevate an athlete’s heart rate.

Consuming carbohydrates prior to training or games should also be a factor in the hours prior to the event. A significant factor involved with whether the athlete chooses to consume a meal prior to sports participation is comfort. Many athletes are not accustomed to eating or taking supplements prior to heavy exercise and the meal could cause gastro-intestinal or psychological discomfort. The goals of the pre-event meal are to:

1) Continue to fuel muscle glycogen stores if they have not fully restored since the last training session

2) Restore liver glycogen content, particularly for events in the morning where liver stores are depleted from an overnight fast

3) Ensure the athlete is well hydrated

4) Prevent hunger, but avoid gastrointestinal discomfort during training

Through research of glucose metabolism and exercise performance it has been determined that the optimal range of carbohydrate intakes in the hour prior to training should be between .6 and 1.0 g/kg bodyweight. Liquid carbohydrate supplements are sometimes preferred over solid foods, due to their decreased gastrointestinal transit time (time in the GI tract) and increased absorption.

Fueling During Training or Competition

The purposes consuming carbohydrates during training is to maintain elevated blood glucose and preserve muscle and liver glycogen. If blood glucose levels begin to fall, glycogen reserves will be used to maintain these levels to sustain the high work rates. When hypoglycemia occurs, glycogen reserves become utilized to a greater extent and can become diminished. Work rates must then decrease to a point in which beta-oxidation, or the metabolism of fats for fuel, can produce the ATP needed. During sports, it is important to maintain blood glucose levels above 2.5 mmol/L. Below this level, physiological and psychological consequences may occur that impede athletic performance. Several of the common symptoms include dizziness, disorientation, and nausea, and most importantly fatigue.

The type of carbohydrate most preferred is in the liquid or in semi-liquid form, either as sports drinks or carbohydrate gels. A list of commonly used supplements is displayed in the previous section. Many studies have looked at the rates of carbohydrate oxidation during intense exercise, as this will help determine optimal timing of intakes and volumes. In general, during short-term intense exercise, such as during football, it is recommended that athletes consume 6-8 oz of 5-7% glucose solution or electrolyte drinks. This equates to approximately 20g of carbohydrates every 15 minutes, or 1 to 2 small cups of a sports drink during rest periods on the sidelines⁸. Caution must be taken because although carbohydrate intakes may be sufficient, an athlete’s fluid needs may not be adequate. Fluid intakes are recommended of 1.5-2.0 mL/kg bodyweight every 20 minutes. An example would be a 100 kg (220 lbs) athlete needing 150-200 mL of water every 15 to 20 minutes. In addition to carbohydrate replacement drinks, water should be ingested at regular intervals to prevent the onset of thirst or hypo-hydration.

Fueling After Training or Competition

The immediate replenishment of fuel reserves after training is strongly correlated with an athlete’s abilities to adapt to the stresses of training. If recovery is sub-optimal, these adaptations will be hindered, and the increased development of strength or power capabilities will be affected. A significant amount of research looking at recovery from exhaustive, repetitive exercise has formulated several guidelines with regards to fuel replenishment. They are listed below.

1) Initiate carbohydrate feeding immediately (within 1 hour) after exhaustive exercise

2) Consume high glycemic carbohydrates (0.7g glucose or sucrose/kg bodyweight or 50g carbohydrate) every 2 hours for the first 4-6 hours. Manipulation is required during pre-season training with multiple practices

3) After 6 hours, low glycemic carbohydrates should be consumed totaling approximately 500-700g, or ~7g/kg bodyweight⁹.

In conclusion, the importance of carbohydrates can be found in most studies to be paramount before, during, and after workouts. The pre-workout optimal range of carbohydrate intakes in the hour prior to training should be between .6 and 1.0g/kg bodyweight and in the form of liquid or semi-liquid form to ensure the athlete will maintain hydration and increase the glycogen stored and used for exercise. Equally as important is utilizing carbohydrates right after exercise in the form of high glycemic carbohydrates (0.7g glucose or sucrose/kg bodyweight or 50g carbohydrate) every 2 hours for the first 4-6 hours to replenish glycogen stores and help with recovery.

Download Paper

 By

Evolution Nutrition

References

1. Friedman JE, Neufer PD, Dohm GL. Regulation of glycogen resynthesis following exercise. Dietary considerations. Sports Medicine. 1991;12:313.
2. Febbraio MA, Keenan J, Angus DJ, Campbell SE, Garnham AP. Preexercise carbohydrate ingestion, glucose kinetics, and muscle glycogen use. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2000;89:1845-51.
3. Haff G, Lehmkuhl MJ, McCoy LB, Stone MH. Carbohydrate supplementation and resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2003;17(1):187-96.
4. Kuipers H, Fransen EJ, Keizer HA. Pre-exercise ingestion of carbohydrate and transient hypoglycemia during exercise. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 1999;20:227-31.
5. Thomas DE, Brotherhood JR, Brand JC. Carbohydrate feeding before exercise: Effect of the glycemic index. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 1991;12:180-6.
6. McConell GK, Canny BJ, Daddo MC, Nance MJ, Snow RJ. Effects of carbohydrate ingestion on glucose kinetics and muscle metabolism during intense endurance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2000;89:1690-8.
7. Tsintzas K, Williams C. Human muscle glycogen metabolism during exercise. Sports Medicine. 1998;25(1):7-23.
8. Steensburg AV, Gerrit K, Charlotte O, Takuya S, Peter P, Bente S, et al. Muscle glycogen content and glucose uptake during exercise in human: influence of prior exercise and dietary manipulation. Journal of Physiology. 2001;541.1:273-81.
9. Wolinsky I,  Hickson J. Nutrition in Exercise and Sport. CRC Press, Boca Raton: 19