A Minnesota study using frozen blood samples taken from Air Force recruits 50 years ago found that gluten disorder, a debilitating digestive condition, is four times more common today than it was in the 1950s. (Gluten is a protein composite found in grass-related grains such as wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and kamut.)

According to the Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist who led the study, he believed that the rising prevalence of gluten disorder is a result of the rapid changes in our eating habits and food processing over the last half century. Not only are we consuming much more bread, cereal, pasta, and pizza than previous generations, modern wheat is also very different from the wheat our ancestors ate.

Wheat breeding

Due to hybridization or crossbreeding, the proportion of gluten protein in wheat has increased enormously.

Yet, our genetics have changed very little since the days our hunter-gatherer ancestors roamed the planet. Our bodies have not developed the capacity to handle these "foreign" proteins. A modern diet that is heavily grain-based is dramatically different from what our stone-age ancestors used to eat - fresh-picked greens, berries, nuts, seeds, eggs and whatever they could catch or kill. For some of us, eating a diet that deviates from our evolutionary blueprint can lead to dire consequences.

Wheat Allergy, Celiac Disease, And Gluten Intolerance

The three common disorders that arise from gluten are wheat allergy, celiac disease, and gluten intolerance.

Wheat allergy is one of the top eight food allergies in America. The immune system releases histamine (IgE antibody) in response to the wheat that you consume, much like a peanut allergy. One molecule of allergic food can result in anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening type of allergic reaction that develops within seconds or minutes.

Symptoms of wheat allergy may include tightening of the airway, rash, wheezing, lip swelling, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. People suffering from wheat allergy usually can identify it without testing. This is because the reaction occurs every time and shortly after they eat the allergic food.

Celiac disease, or celiac sprue occurs in people whose bodies cannot digest gluten. The undigested protein triggers the body's immune system to attack the tiny, finger-like protrusions called villi, which lines the small intestine. Normally, the villi allow nutrients from food to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. But when the villi are damaged or flattened, a person is less able to absorb nutrients such as iron and calcium, which in turn may eventually lead to anemia, osteoporosis, infertility, and a whole host of other health issues.

Normal villi vs. Damaged villi

Additionally, celiac disease is associated with leaky gut syndrome, also known as permeable intestines. Undigested gluten moves through the damaged intestinal wall into the bloodstream, creating systemic inflammation throughout the body.

Symptoms of celiac disease vary from person to person. They may occur in the digestive system and/or other parts of the body. Common digestive symptoms include abdominal bloating and pain, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool, and weight loss.

Non-digestive symptoms include fatigue, bone or joint pain, arthritis, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, tingling numbness in the hands and feet, seizures, canker sores in mouth, and an itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis.

Currently, an estimated one out of 133 people suffer from this autoimmune disease. The number may be as high as one out of 33 in at-risk populations. You are more likely to have the disease if you have any of the following:

• a close relative with celiac disease
• European descent
• unexplained iron deficiency anemia
• premature osteoporosis and osteopenia
• unexplained reproductive disorders
• irritable bowel syndrome
• lupus
• type 1 diabetes mellitus
• rheumatoid arthritis
• autoimmune thyroid diseases (Hashimoto's, Grave's)
• microscopic colitis
• liver disease
• Down Syndrome

The onset of celiac disease can occur at any time in a person's life. Diagnosis of celiac disease includes antibody blood tests (IgA and IgG antibodies) for gluten and wheat, small intestinal biopsy (performed endoscopically), and genetic testing of the HLA DQ2/DQ8 genes.

Gluten intolerance, also called non-celiac gluten sensitivity, is very similar to celiac disease except that it is not immune-related. There is no clinical diagnostic test for gluten intolerance; however, if you go on a gluten-free diet and your symptoms disappear, you are likely to have gluten intolerance.

Going Gluten-Free

The only treatment for celiac disease and gluten intolerance is to abstain from any foods that contain gluten.

Grains to avoid:

• barley
• couscous
• farro
• kamut
• malt
• oats (unless labeled gluten-free)
• rye
• semolina
• spelt
• teff
• triticale
• wheat

Hidden sources of gluten:

• candies
• canned tuna fish
• cereals
• caramel coloring
• cold cuts
• coloring
• corn starch (may contain anti-caking ingredient)
• emulsifiers
• flavorings
• hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)
• hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
• ketchup (vinegar may contain gluten)
• malt and barley malt
• maple syrup (unless labeled 100% pure)
• medications
• modified food starch
• preservatives
• rice syrup (unless labeled gluten-free)
• sauce mixes
• soy sauce
• soups, ready-made
• spices (may contain anti-caking ingredient)
• starches
• texturized vegetable protein (TVP)
• vegetable gum
• vinegar

Gluten-free grains, seeds, and flours:

• amaranth
• almond flour
• buckwheat
• coconut flour
• corn (only eat non-genetically modified corn)
• flax
• millet
• quinoa
• rice
• sorghum
• soy (not recommended as a health food)

Additional Tips

• Be patient. When you start out on a gluten-free diet, you may begin to feel better almost immediately. But for some people, it may take up to a month or two before the inflammation subsides. After all, it needs almost 9-12 months for the lining of your small intestine to heal.
• Probiotics. One way to expedite the healing process is to incorporate the use of probiotics, which are the beneficial bacteria that reside in your gut. Many people with leaky gut have a bacterial imbalance - too much of the "unfriendly" bacteria and too little of the "friendly" bacteria. Probiotics have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory potential and help alleviate the severity of celiac disease. Natural probiotics include fermented vegetables such as kimchee and sauerkraut, unsweetened kefir (fermented milk) and yogurt, and natto (fermented soybeans, a traditional Japanese food). Another option is to take a high quality probiotic supplement with your meal.
• L-glutamine. This amino acid is found in abundance in the entire gastrointestinal tract. It plays a key role in the metabolism, structure and functioning of the gut and its extensive immune system. Supplementation of L-glutamine will help promote intestinal healing.
• Digestive enzymes help to break down food into their smallest molecules and enhance absorption of nutrients, which is a major problem for people with celiac disease.
• Omega-3 fatty acids help to promote intestinal healing, support the immune system, and reduce inflammation. Good sources of omega-3 are found in cold water fish such as wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, and herrings. Another alternative is to take a high quality omega-3 supplement derived from mercury-free fish.
• Last but not least, when you go gluten-free, make sure you are not swapping whole grains for refined, processed foods. One study of people with celiac disease who followed a gluten-free diet found that over 80% gained weight after two years. Just because a food is gluten-free doesn't automatically make it healthy or promote weight loss. Instead, substitute your gluten grains with lots of vegetables and avoid gluten-free foods that are refined, processed, or loaded with sugar.

© Carol Chuang 2012

About 50 million people in the U.S. have some form of arthritis. Arthritis is a general term that means inflammation of the joints and is often accompanied by symptoms such as redness, swelling, stiffness, and pain. 

There are more than 100 types of arthritis with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis being the most common. Causes vary depending on the type of arthritis. However, in all arthritic conditions, the degeneration of joints involves some ongoing biochemical processes which negatively alter the metabolism that is essential for maintaining healthy joints. 

In the following, we will review some common forms of arthritis, their causes, and important factors that may help prevent and relieve your arthritis. 

Common Forms Of Arthritis

Here is a brief explanation of some frequently diagnosed forms of arthritis:

Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative arthritis or wear-and-tear arthritis, is the most prevalent type of arthritis affecting over 20 million Americans. OA is the degeneration of the cartilage within a joint. The synovial fluid that keeps the joint lubricated and cushioned is typically reduced as well, eventually leading to abnormal bone changes. OA is the most common form of arthritis. It is not a systemic condition and does not spread throughout the body. It affects only the joint(s) where the deterioration has occurred, of which most common are the knees, hips, spine, hands, and toes.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease which manifests itself in multiple joints of the body, especially the fingers, wrists, feet, and ankles. It primarily affects the lining of the joints (synovial membrane), leading to erosions of the cartilage and bone and sometimes, joint deformity. RA may also affect nearly every other part of the body. It is an autoimmune disease, which means the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy tissues. RA usually affects joints on both sides of the body equally and is often associated with fatigue and prolonged stiffness after rest.

Gouty arthritis is a defective metabolic disease of uric acid crystals depositing in the smaller bones of the feet and is usually accompanied with acute pain. Uric acid is a metabolic product of fructose and purines  (nitrogen compounds) found in meats and organ meats.

Juvenile arthritis refers to all types of arthritis that occur in children.

Adkylosing spondylitis affects the spine. Due to inflammation, the bones of the spine grow together.

Fibromyalgia affects the muscles and attachments to the bone. It is most commonly found in women.

Infectious or septic arthritis is infection of one or more joints caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. In some cases, infectious arthritis can occur as a manifestation of Lyme disease, which is transmitted through the bite of an infected deer tick.

Psoriatic arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis that is associated with the autoimmune skin disease called psoriasis. 

Systemic lupus erthematosus (lupus) is an autoimmune disorder that can inflame the skin, joints and connective tissues, kidneys, brain and other organs throughout the body.

Causes Of Arthritis 

The causes associated with inflammation of the joints depend on the form of arthritis. They may include:

Age: The older you are, the more likely you are to develop arthritis, especially osteoarthritis.

Autoimmunity: Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and lupus arthritis are examples of autoimmune disorders in which the body’s tissues are attacked by its own immune system.

Heredity: Scientists have discovered that the genetic marker HLA-DR4 is linked to rheumatoid arthritis, and HLA-B27 to ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. Although having the gene doesn’t mean that you will absolutely get this form of arthritis, you can if the conditions are right.

Infections: Some forms of arthritis are the result of bacteria, viruses, or fungi that can either cause the disease or trigger it in susceptible people. Lyme arthritis comes from bacteria transmitted by the bite of a deer tick. Rheumatoid arthritis may be triggered by a virus in people with a certain genetic marker. 

Metabolic abnormalities: Gout, which affects mostly men, is the result of a defect in body chemistry, and in this case, the metabolism of uric acid.

Overuse: Repetitive motions can put tremendous strain on joints. Sustaining an injury to a joint further increases the odds of developing osteoarthritis in that joint.

Eat Right To Beat Joint Inflammation

Check for food sensitivities

Researchers found that rheumatoid arthritis and many other autoimmune disorders are highly related to food sensitivities, one of which is gluten. Gluten is a protein composite found in grass-related grains such as wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and kamut. 

When the immune system misidentifies certain foods as “foreign”, chemicals are released from immune cells to destroy these “invaders”. As a result, tissue inflammation and damage occurs. 

Overtime, food sensitivities compromise the integrity of the gastrointestinal lining and lead to a condition called “leaky gut syndrome”, whereby molecules that are usually too large to exit through the gastrointestinal lining escape to the bloodstream, causing systemic inflammation and in some cases, joint destruction.

If you have autoimmune-related arthritis, you should get a blood test, such as the Mediator Release Test (test for IgG, IgM, C3, C4), for food sensitivities. You can contact me if you need to do this test. Once you have determined your reactive foods, abstain from eating them for 3-6 months. The best way to be sure that a reactive food is safe again to eat is to challenge it by having it three times a day for three consecutive days. If no adverse symptoms appear, you are no longer sensitive to it.

More Omega-3, Less Omega-6

Cyclooxygenase or COX is an enzyme your body produces that regulates prostaglandins, which are mediators and messengers. There are two different COX enzymes - COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 is an enzyme that regulates prostaglandins that maintain the health of your stomach and kidneys. COX-2 is an enzyme created when there is inflammation.

When you take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen to treat pain and inflammation, it inhibits the production of COX-2, hence, reducing pain and speeding up the recovery. However, one of the side effects of NSAID is that it also inhibits COX-1. Since COX-1 keeps your stomach lining healthy and affects blood clotting, NSAID has the tendency to cause stomach irritation and ulcers.

Fortunately, there is a non-drug way to cut down your inflammation. Researchers learned that COX-2 enzymes become more active and cause more inflammation when you take in too much omega-6 fatty acids relative to omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.

Omega-6 fatty acids are abundantly found in corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, sunflower, and vegetable oils. Beware that many processed foods, snack foods, deep fried foods, and restaurant foods are prepared with such oils, so you want to keep consumption of these products to a minimum.

Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are fatty, cold-water fish such as Alaskan salmon, anchovies, sardines, and herrings and meats from grass-fed animals. Numerous studies have shown that omega-3 fats are remarkably effective in combating inflammation-related disorders, including arthritis.

Lastly, you should never use canola oil although it has been marketed as “heart-healthy” and is higher in omega-3 and lower in omega-6. The reason is that canola does not come from a natural plant but instead, the genetically engineered rapeseed plant. What’s more, a recent study indicates that canola contributes to vitamin E deficiency, a vitamin that’s essential for a healthy heart.

Eat Your Vegetables

Have generous servings of organically grown vegetables every day. They are low in sugar and full of antioxidants which help reduce tissue damage from inflammation.

However, when you have arthritis, you should avoid the nightshade vegetables (eggplant, all kinds of peppers, white potatoes, and tomatoes). They contain a substance called solanine, to which some people are highly sensitive. Solanine interferes with enzymes in the muscles and may cause pain and discomfort.

Other Nutrients For Joint Health

Astaxanthin

• Belongs to a group of natural pigments in the carotenoid family. Sea creatures with a red or pinkish color such as salmon, lobster, shrimp, and crab get this color from a diet of krill and other small organisms that eat astaxanthin-rich algae and plankton.
• Research found that astaxanthin is the strongest natural antioxidant known. It is many times more potent than vitamin C, E, beta-carotene, lutein, or pycnogenol. However, you need a higher concentration than what you normally get in seafood to reap the benefits.
• Astaxanthin is a very effective remedy for joint pain from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
• If you have arthritis, start with 2 mg a day and gradually build up to 8-10 mg a day. Make sure your astaxanthin supplement is derived from marine algae and not synthetic. 

Vitamin D

• Cartilage loss, one of the distinctive signs of osteoarthritis, is associated with low levels of vitamin D. If you have joint pain due to osteoarthritis, get a blood test for your vitamin D level. The optimal is between 50-70 ug/ml.

Glucosamine

• Provides joints with the building blocks they need to help repair the wear-and-tear on cartilage.
• Takes a few months to build up enough to see a benefit. If you have arthritis, you need to take up 2-3 grams a day. 
• Many glucosamine supplements come with chondroitin or MSM (methylsulfonylmethane). Studies on the effectiveness of chondroitin and MSM have been inconclusive.
• Glucosamine supplements are always attached to salt. If your body is sensitive to salt, you should be careful with it.
• Most of the glucosamine on the market is derived from shellfish. If you are allergic to shellfish, you should avoid it.
• Some studies found that glucosamine may raise blood sugar levels in some people. If you are diabetic, you should be very cautious. 

Concentrated tart cherry juice

• Most effective for gouty arthritis. Drink several tablespoons per day.

Exercise To Keep Joints Healthy & Flexible

Exercise is a must when you have arthritis. It helps build muscles, increase joint flexibility, and improve your general sense of well-being. If you have not been exercising regularly, start slowly and build up to higher activity levels to prevent injuries. Avoid intense activities that may strain the affected joint(s). 

Your goal is to keep moving and commit yourself to regular exercise that includes these three types of activities:

• flexibility exercises (such as stretching, tai chi, yoga)
• weight training to strengthen surrounding muscles that support and protect the joint(s)
• aerobic exercises (such as walking, swimming, stationary cycling) 

If you have significant pain with movement, you should consider working with a physical therapist or qualified personal trainer who can develop a safe and effective workout program for you.

Lose Weight If You Are Overweight

One of the benefits of exercise is its ability to help you achieve and maintain your ideal weight. Arthritis rates are more than twice as high in obese people as those who are normal weight. If you are overweight or obese, you have a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis. Each additional pound of body weight increases the compressive load over your knee by roughly four pounds. Fat cells also produce cytokines which are proteins that encourage inflammation. The more fats cells you have, the more inflammation in the body.

© Carol Chuang 2012

By Carol Chuang, MS, CNS, CNBC, CHC

The Biggest Nutrition Myth Of The 20th Century

A misguided fallacy that persists to this day is the belief that saturated fats cause high cholesterol, clog your arteries, and increase your risk of heart disease. How did this come about? This totally flawed theory, called the Lipid Hypothesis, can be traced back to the 1950s and a researcher named Ancel Keys.

A hypothesis is a tentative explanation for an observation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point. Then, it has to be tested by experiments or trials that will "objectively" show whether or not the hypothesis hold true under the scrutiny of science. In most instances, a hypothesis is presented with the full intent of conducting the science to prove or disprove its validity. However, "bias" often becomes part of the equation. This was the case with Ancel Keys.

Keys had put forth that a high fat diet, particularly one high in saturated fats, was a major contributor to high cholesterol, plaque build-up, and heart disease. He collected data from 22 countries to prove his correlation. However, in the end, he decided to cherry-pick data from just six countries which supported his Lipid Hypothesis. He then published his analysis in the "Seven Countries Study" - they were the United States, Japan, Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Finland, and the Netherlands.

Subsequent and independent analysis shows that Keys had omitted a significant amount of data that showed there was actually no correlation between dietary fat, in particular, saturated fats, and heart disease. Furthermore, what Keys tried to establish was merely a correlation between two phenomena, not a causal link. This left open the possibility that something else might have caused the heart disease. Could it be the huge amount of sugar or refined carbohydrates that we consume, or some nutrition deficiency, or a sedentary lifestyle, or some other factors?

Nevertheless, all these factors have been ignored. This may sound too bizarre to be true, then again, politics and big businesses played starring roles in this hoax. After demonizing saturated fats, the edible oil industry started promoting vegetable oils derived from corn and soybean to become the new star. Bear in mind that corn and soybean are two of the biggest subsidized crops in America. As a result, not only are we making oil from them, we are also feeding them to our cows and chickens that are never intended by nature to consume these foods.

The truth is that some 60 years later, there is yet new evidence that supports the Lipid Hypothesis. Nevertheless, this faulty data is still accepted as true by the government, health organizations, and the media.

Last but not least, studies have found that lowering cholesterol with statin drugs in healthy individuals do not prevent heart disease nor extend life, and they come with considerable side effects such as diabetes, memory loss, muscle weakness, stomach distress, and aches and pains. Most people don't need statins and keeping cholesterol as low as it will go is usually not beneficial for your health. Statin drugs only benefit people with known heart disease to help prevent recurrent heart attacks. To understand more about this topic, please read my previous newsletter on Critical Facts About Heart Disease Prevention.

Why Are Vegetable Oils Bad For You?

Vegetable oils are generally liquid at room temperature, whereas fats are solid. They are in the category of "polyunsaturated" oils. It is a big fancy term but what's important to know is that they have many carbon-carbon double bonds and they have unpaired electrons in their molecular structures that make them highly reactive and

unstable.

Because of this, polyunsaturated oils should never be exposed to heat, otherwise, they oxidize and go rancid. Unfortunately, all vegetable oils that you get in the grocery stores have already been refined, bleached and deodorized under high heat. So they are practically rancid even before you consume them.

What's more, in the 1950s, the edible oil manufacturers started adding hydrogen gas to the oils during the high heat refining process. This turned the liquid oil into solid trans fat, which was more suitable for use in the budding fast food and snack food industries. Not only are these processed hydrogenated fats rancid, they also have altered molecular structures that are different from the natural fats. When we eat them, they damage our DNA, initiate plaque buildup in the blood vessels, and increase the risk of heart disease.

Finally, polyunsaturated vegetable oils are very high in omega-6 fat. When you consume too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3, you increase the omega-6 to 3 ratio in the body. Humans have been eating foods containing omega 6 and omega-3 in the ratio of about 2:1. But in the last 50-60 years, the ratio in America has gone up to 20:1. Too much omega 6 and too little omega-3 promotes inflammatory diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Now you can see why the "polyunsaturated" vegetable oils are so deadly for your health.

Animal fats and their dairy products (butter, milk, yogurt, cheese, and cream) are some of the oldest types of fats in human history to be used as food. Compared to other types of fats and oils, they are typically higher in saturated fats. But the beauty about saturated fats is that they have no double bonds and do not have any unpaired electrons. Hence, they are extremely stable and suitable for cooking.

However, one very important factor to bear in mind is that the animal fat is only as healthy as the animal itself. A cow that is raised in a confined feedlot, eats corn or soy meal laced with pesticides, and shot full of antibiotics and hormones is completely different from a cow that is allowed to graze on green pasture and never given any antibiotics and hormones.

Grass-fed beef is so much healthier than corn or grain-fed beef because:

• It contains 2-3 times more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which reduces tumor growth, body fat, plaque buildup in arteries, and the onset of diabetes.
• It has 60% more omega-3 fats and provide a much more favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
• It contains 10 times the beta-carotene of grain-fed beef. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A which is important for normal vision, bone growth, reproduction, cell functions and the immune system.
• It contains 3 times the vitamin E of grain-fed beef. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant in the body and protects against cancer development.

If you are eating meats and dairy products from factory-farmed animals, it is advisable to avoid the fatty cuts and full-fat dairy because toxins such as pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones tend to accumulate in the fat.

Avoid These Bad Fats & Oils

Any fats from factory-farmed animals that were fed antibiotics and hormones. If you have no better alternatives, it is best to choose leaner cuts of meats and their fat-free dairy products to avoid eating the toxins accumulated in the fat.

Canola oil is relatively inexpensive but it's not a natural oil. Canola is genetically modified from rapeseed, which is not suitable for human consumption. High heat processing turns the oil rancid. Research shows that canola depletes the body's store of vitamin E that is essential for heart health. Beware that many restaurants use canola, even Whole Foods use it for their prepared foods and other food products.

Corn, cottonseed, and soybean oils come from mostly genetically modified crops and are often partially hydrogenated during the refining process, making them rancid before consumption. They are also high in omega-6 fat.

Grapeseed oil is derived from the seed of grapes, a by-product of the wine industry. It is a very low-yield oil, so toxic solvents like hexane are often used to extract the oil and traces remain in the final product. Grapeseed oil is a polyunsaturated oil that is very high in omega-6, that means it is unstable even though it has a high smoking point. When you use it in cooking, it gets oxidized before it starts smoking.

Margarine and Mayonnaise - usually hydrogenated and made with some combinations of vegetable oils.

Peanut oil. It is high in monounsaturated fat and its omega-6 content, though high, is much lower than the other bad oils mentioned here. Peanut oil is quite resistant to rancidity even at high heat. The major problem with peanuts is that they contain low levels of aflatoxin, a carcinogen produced by a fungus that can lead to liver cancer at high dosages. Although we have yet to know the dangers of long-term exposure at low levels, regular consumption is not recommended.

Safflower and sunflower oils. There are two varieties, one high in omega-6 (linoleic acid) and one high in omega-9 (oleic acid). The high oleic variety was developed through mutation breeding and has been promoted as healthy because its composition is similar to olive oil. However, it is very difficult to find truly cold-pressed and unrefined versions of these oils.

Please note that expeller-pressed only means that it uses the mechanical hexane-free extraction method and no external heat is applied during the pressing, however, the temperature can reach up to 470 degrees F depending on the hardness of the nut or seed. Cold-pressed, on the other hand, means the temperature of the unrefined oil is kept at below 122 degrees F.

Walnut oil is high in omega-6. Avoid even the unrefined version unless it is recently pressed and stored without exposure to heat, light, or air. Never use it for cooking.

© Carol Chuang 2012

By Carol Chuang, MS, CNS, CHC, CMTA

Conventional nutrition advice says eating fat will make you fat. In order to prevent weight gain and stay healthy, you should eat a low-fat diet. This school of thought is fully embraced by many nutritionists, dietitians, personal trainers, doctors, and even our government agencies.

The truth is that there is no evidence that healthy fats are bad for you, as a matter of fact, they are essential for your body functions. Eating foods high in healthy fats doesn't mean that you will get fat.

Weight gain/loss is not just about the calories because all calories are not created equal. Well, in terms of the energy in the calories, yes. But in terms of the fate of the nutrient (protein, fat, or carbs) downstream, the same amount of calories of different nutrients produces dramatically different effects.

It wasn't until the last 30-40 years that Americans have become so fat phobic and eaten so much low-fat and fat-free foods, yet Americans are getting fatter and heavier. Why? What does research say about the mechanism behind weight gain? What can we do to lose the fat?

Changes In The American Diet

In the last few decades, the American diet has gone through dramatic changes. Americans now eat less home-cooked meals but more processed foods, fast foods, and restaurant meals. The American diet consists of considerably greater amounts of grains and sugars, in particular, those derived from corn.

• Consumption of grain-based products (wheat, rice, corn, oats) went up 45% from 1970 to 2000, with most of it being refined grain.
• Consumption of sweeteners increased 23% during the same period, of which corn sweeteners (high fructose corn syrup, glucose, dextrose) surged 224%!

If you look at what Americans have been eating, these statistics are hardly a surprise. We are eating increasingly bigger bagels, muffins, doughnuts, scones, ice cream cones, pretzels, cookies, pizzas, wraps, and slices of bread. Restaurants appear to give better value for your money by serving humongous portions of pasta and rice, and unlimited quantities of bread, just because flour and rice are cheap. (Corn, cotton, wheat, rice, and soybeans are the five most heavily subsidized crops in the U.S.)

We are eating more sugar because food manufacturers have turned to sugar as the number one food additive. With the advent of low-fat and fat-free foods, manufacturers started adding sugar to compensate for the lack of flavor from the fat. These days, you may find sugar in the most unlikely places, such as peanut butter, mayonnaise, salad dressings, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, soup, boxed mixed rice, hot dogs, luncheon meats, canned vegetables, bread, pizza, and crackers.

We are also consuming more sugar and high fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverages, including soft drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, and enhanced waters. These days children don't even like to drink water because it has no flavor.

Consequently, such dramatic transformations in our diet are being reflected in changes in our physique.

• Nowadays, the average American is a whopping 25 pounds heavier than 40 years ago.
• About 34% of adult Americans are overweight and 34% are obese.
• About 17% of children and adolescents (2-19) are obese.

Excess Carbs Lead To Weight Gain

We all know that eating too much sugar is bad for our health; it leads to weight gain, obesity, and diabetes. But what about grains, especially whole grains, the so-called "good" carbs which are supposed to be wholesome and fat-free?

The truth is that grains, no matter whether they are refined or whole, are carbohydrates that eventually break down to simple sugars like glucose. Eating foods high in sugar, including starchy foods and grains results in a rise in blood glucose. The pancreas responses by secreting the hormone insulin, signaling cells in the liver, muscles, and fat tissues to take up excess glucose from the blood. Then, insulin tells the body to store fat and stop using it as an energy source.

Hence, if you are always eating sugar and a lot of grains, your body is constantly producing insulin to counteract the rise in blood sugar from the carbs. As a result, you are also changing the way the body regulates fat storage. Overtime, you will accumulate more fat and gain weight.

Weight Gain Is More Than Just Calories

Research finds that if you eat the same amount of calories from carbs, or carbs and protein, or carbs and fat, or protein and fat, you are going to have entirely different metabolic fates. And that metabolic fate is going to determine the hormonal response that regulates, among other things, how much fat you accumulate.

Protein and fat have minimal effect on the hormone insulin. In fact, eating healthy fats as part of your meal is conducive to weight loss as the fats slow down your food absorption so that you can go longer without feeling hungry.

Carbs, on the other hand, triggers the secretion of insulin, which tells your body to store fat and stop using it as an energy source. Thus, you can say that eating too much carbs will eventually make you fat.

Confusion About Fructose And The Glycemic Index

The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood sugar levels. It uses a scale of 0 to 100, with higher values given to carbs that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar. As a reference point, pure glucose is 100 on the scale; refined white sugar (half glucose-half fructose) is 65.

Fructose doesn't trigger a rapid rise in blood sugar and has the lowest glycemic index (19) of all natural sugars. This leads to its skyrocketed popularity in the last 30 years.

• In the 1980s, the American Diabetes Association started recommending its use by diabetics due to its small effect on blood glucose levels.
• Corn refiners pounced on this opportunity and came up with high fructose corn syrup (55% fructose, 45% glucose), which was marketed as a healthier sweetener than sugar. It's widely used in processed foods, baked goods, and sweetened beverages.
• Again, in the last 10 years, agave nectar producers jumped on the same bandwagon and claimed that agave is a healthy sweetener because it's 75-90% fructose and has a very low glycemic index (20-30). You can find agave in many supposedly "healthy" cookies, energy bars, and desserts.

There has been much debate about whether fructose contributes to the obesity epidemic in the U.S. After years of research, studies found that excessive fructose is far worse than glucose and other kinds of carbs! The reason is that fructose has its unique metabolic pathway.

1. When you eat glucose, it enters the bloodstream and your body releases insulin to help regulate it. When you eat fructose, it has to be processed by the liver. If the liver cannot process it all fast enough for the body to use as sugar, it is converted to fat and stored in the liver or sent off to the bloodstream as triglycerides.
2. Fructose bypasses some of the important steps involved in satiety, such as the secretion of the satiety hormone leptin and suppression of the hunger hormone ghrelin. This is why a high fructose intake is likely to result in overeating and weight gain.
3. Excess fructose consumption may eventually lead to insulin resistance.
4. Fructose is eight times more likely than glucose in its contribution to glycation, a process by which sugars attach to proteins in the body, altering their structure and resulting in dysfunction of the cells. Glycation is associated with chronic inflammation, aging, cataract formation, diabetes complications, and cardiovascular problems.

Therefore, if you have any of the following conditions, you should significantly reduce your intake of grain carbs and sugar, in particular, fructose:

• overweight
• obesity
• diabetes
• insulin resistance
• non-alcoholic fatty liver
• high triglycerides
• high LDL ("bad") cholesterol
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• high uric acid
• heart disease 

Tips For Losing Fat 

• To lose weight in the long-run, you need to adjust your eating habits permanently and adopt a new, healthier lifestyle. When people go on a "diet", they tend to severely cut calories, restrict food intake even if they are hungry, skip breakfast, eat lots of salads, and shuns virtually any food that's high in fat. Such short-term sacrifice may yield result but once they are off the "diet", most people eventually regain the weight.
• A truly healthy diet is one that's satisfying and energizing, or else you can't do it in the long-run. You should feel completely satiated after a meal and you don't have the desire for anything else, including sweets. Very often, you won't even need to snack until the next meal.
• Eating the right type of calories is crucial to successful weight loss. Counting calories alone is not enough because calories from different nutrients (protein, fat, and carbs) have different effects on your hormonal response that regulates fat storage. Depending on your body type, some people may have a higher tolerance for carbs. However, excess calories from sugar (especially fructose) and grain carbs will signal the body to store fat and stop using it as an energy source.
• Be aware that fruits are high in fructose. If you drink fruit juice, ounce for ounce, you are taking in as much sugar as sodas. Also, watch out for high fructose corn syrup and agave nectar in processed foods, cookies, energy bars, desserts, and sweetened beverages.
• Replace excess carbs with vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats. These nutrients have minimal effect on your insulin, which promotes fat storage.
• Eating healthy fats is conducive to weight loss as they slow down your food absorption and keep you feeling satiated longer. Examples of healthy fats include coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, raw nuts and seeds, fats from grass-fed animals, and their full-fat dairy products (butter, cheese, milk, yogurt).
• Exercise is important for weight loss, in particular, the right type of exercise. Doing regular aerobic cardio is good but if you want to substantially boost your metabolism and increase fat burning, engaging in 2-3 times of high intensity interval training every week is the most effective. Additionally, strength training is important for weight loss because it helps change your body composition by gaining lean muscles and losing fat. Exercise helps the cells in your body regain insulin sensitivity. With less circulating insulin, your body will be storing less fat.
• Make sure you get 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night. Chronic sleep deficit often results in weight gain. The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is the hormone that tells you to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, your body produces more ghrelin. Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, your body has less leptin. More ghrelin plus less leptin equals to weight gain. 

© 2012 Carol Chuang

The human brain is an extremely complex organ. Despite rapid scientific progress, the knowledge about how the brain works in still evolving.

The brain contains about 100 billion neurons, which are highly specialized nerve cells responsible for communicating information throughout the body. For each neuron, there are roughly anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 synapses. A synapse is the connection between neurons that permits a neuron to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron. Hormones and neurotransmitters are examples of chemical signals.

The old adage of humans only using 10% of our brain is not true. Every part of the brain has a known function. Humans continue to make new neurons throughout life in response to mental activity. When you learn something new, your brain undergoes physical changes. The brain keeps growing in the frontal and temporal lobes well into middle-age, which can be associated with better emotional development and wisdom.

The brain is, in fact, very much like a muscle which can be "bulked up" through exercise. Hence, it is possible to stimulate and challenge your brain as you get older to promote its continued growth. This means that the opposite also holds true - drug use, poor nutrition, or other assaults on your brain can interfere with its development and health. This may be the explanation why Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia cases are skyrocketing in the U.S. and many developed countries.

So even if you haven't been leading the healthiest lifestyle thus far, making some positive changes now may still provide your brain what it needs to stay healthy as you age. The following are tips on how to keep your brain young and healthy.

Control Your Blood Glucose Levels

Latest studies show that people with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's compared with people who are non-diabetic. There is increasing evidence that even pre-diabetics are already at increased risk of cognitive decline.

Diabetes is normally associated with insulin resistance, a condition by which the cells in the body have become unresponsive to insulin. Recently, researchers have discovered a new type of insulin resistance called brain insulin resistance.

In this case, the brain is unable to access the insulin in the blood. As a result, brain cells are unable to utilize glucose which is its main source of fuel, causing them to degenerate and die. As neurons in the brain are lost, the brain shrinks, and memory and cognitive skills decline. Scientists are now labeling this new type of brain insulin resistance type 3 diabetes.

Lifestyle choices are a major contributing factor to insulin resistance. Being overweight, consuming excess foods loaded with carbohydrates (sugar, fruits, grains, legumes, starchy vegetables), and being sedentary are all known factors leading to insulin resistance.

Lose Your Spare Tire

There is a connection between abdominal fat and your brain. The deeper layer of visceral fat cells around your waist is like an active organ producing hormones that can cause higher insulin levels.

The brain has a lot of insulin receptors and they are concentrated in the hippocampus, which plays important roles in the consolidation of information from short-term to long-term memory and spatial navigation. Scientists found that the enzyme that breaks down insulin also breaks down beta-amyloid, the sticky protein that mucks up the brains in people with Alzheimer's.

However, this enzyme prefers to break down insulin. So if you have excess insulin, the enzyme will work on the insulin rather than the beta-amyloid, resulting in its accumulation. For this reason, in Alzheimer's patients, the hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage. Memory problems and disorientation often appear among the first symptoms.

Exercise

Research finds that with dementia, there is a shrinkage of the dendrites (branched projections of a neuron) that connect the neurons. There is also less production of neurotransmitters and the hippocampus gets smaller.

Numerous studies found that aerobic exercise encourages your brain to work at optimum capacity by causing nerve cells to multiply, strengthening their interconnections, and protecting them from damage. For older people, aerobic exercise is very effective in boosting executive skills that includes planning, scheduling, multi-tasking, dealing with ambiguity and working memory (the ability to store short-term memory and process the information). So, if you want to boost your brain size, go for a brisk walk every day.

Eat A Clean, Healthy Diet

Like the rest of your body, your brain depends on clean, healthy foods to function. While protein is the main source of fuel for your brain, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals from fresh vegetables are just as important, as is limiting sugar intake.

Nutrients that benefit your brain:

• Omega-3 fats are essential for the health of the protective myelin or sheath (which is made of 60% fat) that covers the communicating neurons. Wild Alaskan salmon is a rich source of omega-3 fats. If you take a supplement, make sure the fish is sourced from clean, pristine, and uncontaminated water.
• Vitamin B12 is critically needed to form healthy myelin and prevent brain shrinkage. B12 is available in natural form only from animal sources (meats, eggs, dairy products). Many supplements and fortified foods use the synthetic form of B12 which is not as well absorbed by the body.
• Coconut oil. Brain cells of people with Alzheimer's don't utilize glucose well. Glucose is the brain's primary fuel, enabling neurons to produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter necessary for coherent thought. Without acetylcholine, you experience mental confusion and memory loss. Coconut oil provides ketones as an alternative fuel source to glucose that feeds the brain, restores and renews neurons, and prevents brain shrinkage.

Avoid these neurotoxins in your diet:

• Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame
• MSG
• Pesticides and herbicides
• PCBs (common in farmed salmon)
• Heavy metals such as mercury (dental amalgam fillings, many fish species), aluminum (antiperspirants, aluminum cookware), lead (paint, lead pipes), and copper (copper cookware, copper pipes)
• Trans fat (hydrogenated polyunsaturated vegetable oils) 

Get Sufficient Vitamin D

Researchers have uncovered strong links between low levels of vitamin D and increased risk of cognitive impairment. In addition, there is ample evidence that suggests vitamin D is neuroprotective by reducing inflammation and promoting healthy brain development and function.

Since most people, especially the elderly, don't get much sun exposure or are always wearing sunscreen, it is vital to take a vitamin D3 supplement. Dosage will vary from person to person but it is generally safe to take up to 10,000 IU per day. The only way to know is to get a blood test for your 25(OH)D level. The optimal range is between 50-70 ng/mL.

Protect Your Brain From Cell Phones

The World Health Organization has recently announced that radiation from cell phones is a possible carcinogen to the brain. The agency found evidence of increased glioma (brain tumor) and acoustic neuroma (tumor on your auditory nerve) for mobile phone users. It now lists mobile phone in the same "carcinogenic hazard" category as lead, engine exhaust, and chloroform.

• Don't hold the phone next to your ear, instead, use a wired earpiece or the speakerphone function. The further the phone is from you, the less radiation is absorbed.

• Cell phones emit the most radiation when they are attempting to connect to cell towers. A moving phone or a phone in an area with a weak signal has to work harder, emitting more radiation. To reduce your radiation exposure, avoid holding cell phones close to your head in elevators, buildings, and rural areas.

Challenge Your Mind

The brain is like a muscle. If you challenge it, it will get stronger. Mind-training activities stimulate blood flow, strengthen the synapses between neurons, and keep your brain fit as you age. 

• Reading challenging books
• Learning a new language
• Playing a musical instrument
• Playing games such as crossword puzzles, Scrabble, and sudoku
• Mastering a new hobby
• Engaging in friendly debates

Limit TV

Last but not least, when you watch TV, your brain goes into neutral. People watching TV have increased alpha brain waves, meaning their brains are in a passive state as if they are just sitting in the dark. It is no wonder that too much TV watching has been linked to low achievement.

© 2011 Carol Chuang

Increasing evidence is piling up that not saturated fats but sugar, is the main culprit behind the skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and even cancer. Yet, we still hear from mainstream media and the medical profession that saturated fats are harmful but sugar is "OK" in moderation.

This is all misguided information. We now know for a fact that eating saturated fats do not lead to an increased risk of heart disease. Recently released studies have proven that.

However, can sugar be possibly that bad? Is sugar really toxic to the human body and causes all those diseases? Let's look at the statistics:

• In 1980, about 1 in 7 Americans were obese and about 6 million had diabetes. Sugar consumption then was 75 pounds per person per year.
• Nowadays, 1 in 3 Americans are obese and almost 26 million are diabetic! Sugar consumption has soared to 135 pounds per person per year!

There is no accident that childhood obesity is at a record high - at least 15% of U.S. school children are obese - and life expectancy for the youngest generation is, for the first time, lower than that of their parents.

Sugar is the cause of many evils. Learn why sugar is extremely addictive, makes you more hungry, promotes fat accumulation in the liver and arteries, cause you to gain weight, and lead to many degenerative diseases.

Sugar Is Highly Addictive!

Many people have a "sweet tooth" or an addiction to sweets. Research finds that sugar may be even more addictive than cocaine, which is one of the most addictive substances currently known.

In a study when rats were allowed to choose either sweetened water or cocaine, an astonishing 94% of rats chose the sweetened water. Even rats that were addicted to cocaine quickly switched their preference to sugar once it was offered as a choice.

Sugar triggers production of your brain's natural opioids, which is a key to the addiction process. Your brain becomes addicted to its own opioids as it would to cocaine, heroine, or morphine.

Strong sweet cravings are usually the result of a complex hormonal reaction. Every time you eat, the body produces a satiety hormone called leptin which suppresses appetite, increases fat burning, and reduces fat storage.

However, research discovers that people who have diminished feelings of satiety and continue to eat sweet foods tend to have leptin resistance. Leptin is produced by the fat tissue, and the amount circulating in the body is directly proportional to the amount of fat you have. When your body is aways exposed to too much leptin, yours cells eventually become desensitized. Leptin resistance is, therefore, quite common with people who are overweight or obese.

What Really Happens When You Eat Sugar

We all know that sugar is empty calories and has little nutritional value, but the problems of sugar go far beyond the calories. Sugar comes in many different forms but the most common type is refined table sugar, which is made of 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Glucose and fructose are processed differently by the body.

When you take in glucose, it is rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream and your pancreas responds by secreting the hormone insulin to bring the blood glucose back to a normal range. If you are always taking in a lot of glucose, over time your cells become desensitized to the circulating insulin and you develop insulin resistance and eventually diabetes, meaning your blood sugar level stays abnormally high all the time.

Fructose, unlike glucose, does not trigger the rapid rise in blood glucose. However, the entire burden of metabolizing fructose falls on your liver. Fructose is turned into fat (VLDL and triglycerides) that is deposited in your liver, arteries, and throughout your body. As mentioned above, people who are overweight or obese also tend to have leptin resistance that diminishes their feelings of satiety and make them overeat and store even more fat.

Therefore, excess consumption of glucose and fructose have detrimental effects on your health. It leads to:

• Weight gain, abdominal obesity, increased LDL ("bad") cholesterol, decreased HDL ("good") cholesterol, increased triglycerides (fat in blood), elevated blood sugar, and high blood pressure - the classic metabolic syndrome.
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Insulin resistance. One in three Americans have insulin resistance, this includes the pre-diabetics and the diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetics.
• Elevated uric acid, (a by-product of fructose metabolism which is related to gout, kidney stones, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and heart disease) and chronic inflammation in the body.

Food Sources Of Fructose And Glucose

• All forms of sugar contain varying percentages of fructose and glucose. Refined sugar is 50-50. High fructose corn syrup used in sodas is 55% fructose, 45% glucose. Agave nectar, a highly processed sweetener derived from the plant that makes tequila, contains up to 90% fructose. Given the detrimental effects of eating too much fructose, this so-called "healthy" sweetener should be absolutely avoided, even if it has been touted as "organic" or "raw".
• Fruits are high in fructose. Therefore, even though fruits provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, it is not wise to over consume. Fruit juices are loaded with fructose and can be as damaging to your body as sodas. A can of soda has about 40 grams of high fructose corn syrup or 22 grams of fructose. A glass of fresh orange juice with 3-4 medium oranges in it has 18-24 grams of fructose!
• All starches, such as potatoes and grains break down to glucose, no matter whether it is refined, whole, sprouted, or organic. For this reason, it is extremely important to watch your portions of starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, cereals, pasta, and rice. Too much "good" carbs (from whole grains) is still bad for you.
• Be aware that processed foods often contain hidden sugars. Processed foods are usually loaded with unsavory ingredients. If you choose to buy them, at least read the ingredients list. Even if you don't see the word "sugar", it can still be disguised as barley malt, caramel, corn syrup, dextrose, golden syrup, honey, maltodextrin, maltose, malt syrup, maple syrup, molasses, rice syrup, sorghum, or treacle. Look for the number of grams of sugar per serving. Every teaspoon is equivalent to 5 grams.
• Diabetics should refrain from eating sugars, fruits, and starchy foods until their blood sugar levels return to normal.
• Your best source of carbohydrates is above ground, leafy vegetables. They are very low in glucose and fructose and high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber and can be safely consumed in high quantities.

Sugar's Connection To Cancer

Cancer researchers found that you are more likely to get cancer if you are obese, diabetic, or insulin resistant. The connection is sugar.

When you eat sugar, your blood sugar rises and the pancreas secrets insulin to mop up the excess sugar in the blood. With the insulin, your body also secretes a related hormone called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) which promotes tumor growth and inhibits cell death. In fact, many pre-cancerous cells would never acquire the mutations that transform them into malignant tumors if they were not being driven by insulin to take up more and more blood sugar and metabolize it. Insulin promotes many of the most common cancers, especially the hormone-dependent cancers, like breast, colon, and prostate.

There is more than enough evidence that sugar causes havoc to your health. So stay away from sugar and high fructose sweeteners such as agave nectar, refined grains, baked goods, candies, and sugary beverages.

How To Kick Your Sugar Addiction

First of all, to break the addiction, you need to stop eating sugar. Studies find that people who eliminate sugar (including artificial sweeteners), limit their intake of carbohydrates (including fruits and whole grains), and eat a diet higher in protein and fats have substantially reduced sweet cravings.

The finding makes sense because when you eat lots of sugar, the sugar gets metabolized to fat and is stored as fat in your cells, which in turn releases surges in leptin. Over time, if your body is always exposed to too much leptin, you will become leptin resistant (just as your body can become insulin resistant).

When you are leptin resistant, you can no longer hear the messages to stop eating and burn fat. You feel hungry, you crave sweets, and your body stores more fat. To stop this viscous cycle, you need to avoid high glycemic foods that rapidly raise your blood sugar and increase protein and fats (which are low glycemic) in your diet.

Secondly, if you are an emotional eater, you need to consciously find healthier ways to cope with your stress. Research suggests about half of the Americans turn to food in times of boredom, stress, and loneliness. People who feel a lack of emotional support in their lives tend to use food as a coping mechanism. If you have a hard time resolving this yourself, look for professional help.

Thirdly, cardiovascular exercise decreases sweet cravings. By and large, when your insulin levels are elevated, you tend to have sweet cravings. However, after a good workout, there is a dramatic reduction in insulin levels and as a result, cravings often simply disappear. In addition, doing interval training (short bursts followed by recovery) 3-4 times a week has been proven to be very successful in improving insulin sensitivity. If you are not used to exercising, consult a professional before engaging in vigorous exercises.

Finally, sweet cravings are a sign of imbalance in the body. If you have tried all of the above and are still struggling with a sugar addiction, seek help from a health care practitioner who is knowledgeable in addressing conditions like adrenal fatigue, yeast or Candida overgrowth, systemic viral, bacteria, or fungal infection, and hormonal imbalances as these may be the underlying causes of your problem.

© 2011 Carol Chuang

In June 2011 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) replaced the "Food Pyramid" with a "Food Plate" urging Americans to eat a more plant-based diet of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and lean protein, together with fat-free or 1% milk.

At a cursory glance, this Food Plate is already leaps and bounds ahead of both the 1992 and 2005 Food Pyramids. It is not a pyramid but a food plate, which is much easier to visualize at the dinner table. The Food Plate no longer emphasizes that grains should make up the majority of your diet and it increases the recommended amounts of fruits and veggies to half of your plate.

However, the Food Plate is still far from an ideal meal plan that supports optimal health. If you are trying to follow the guidelines of the Food Plate, you should be aware of its shortcomings mentioned below.

The Missing Fats

The entire fats group is practically non-existent on this new Food Plate which endorses a diet low in fats. Apart from a small amount in the lean protein and low-fat dairy, there is no recommendation of any additional fats.

For one, fat is essential for many body functions. Human beings cannot survive without fats in the diet, especially the essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and 6, which cannot be produced by the body and have to be obtained from the food. Dietary fats:

• help you stay full and even out your blood sugar fluctuations,
• are needed for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and minerals,
• are the building blocks of cell membranes and a variety of hormones,
• serve as an important energy store for the body,
• play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, and
• are necessary for the normal functioning of the brain.

The Food Plate fails to mention any of the following healthy fats or warn against the consumption of the unhealthy ones.

Healthy fats

• Contrary to conventional advice, saturated fats from organic, grass-fed animals (meats, butter, and dairy) are actually good for you. Latest long-term studies show there is no evidence that saturated fats lead to higher risk of heart disease. However, be aware that saturated fats from conventionally-raised animals are of much lower quality as they are generally injected with hormones and antibiotics that tend to accumulate in the fat.
• Monounsaturated fats from olive oil and avocados. As olive oil has a low smoking point, limit its use to salads and low to moderate heat cooking.
• Omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish caught in clean, pristine waters. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sardines, herrings, and anchovies are fish with minimal levels of mercury.
• Omega 6 fatty acids from raw nuts and seeds. Raw nuts are better than roasted nuts as the fats in the nuts are fragile in nature and tend to go rancid at high temperatures.

Unhealthy fats

• Trans fats found in processed foods and fried foods, such as French fries, fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, pastries, and crackers. This type of fat, as opposed to saturated fats, raises LDL ("bad") cholesterol, lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol, clogs your arteries, and leads to increased risk of heart disease.
• Refined oils made from corn, soybean, canola, safflower, and sunflower. These oils have been processed under high temperatures and are practically rancid. In addition, most corn, soybean, and canola come from genetically modified crops that have been heavily sprayed with pesticides.

Low-Fat Dairy Not Your Healthiest Choice

Unfortunately, based on the misguided information that saturated fat is bad for you, the new Food Plate recommends Americans to consume low-fat and non-fat dairy. Numerous studies have now proven that the fats in organic dairy, in particular, the raw version, are in reality beneficial to you.

Research shows that full-fat dairy may help reduce your risk of many diseases:

• Diabetes. Palmitoleic acid in dairy fat protects against insulin resistance and lowers risk of diabetes.
• Heart disease. Palmitoleic acid results in healthier levels of blood cholesterol and inflammatory markers.
• Cancer. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in dairy fat reduces tumor growth and lowers risk of cancer.
• Weight management. A 9-year study of 19,000 normal weight, middle-aged women found that those who ate at least one serving of full-fat dairy a day gained 30% less weight than women who did not.

Best type of dairy

The healthiest is raw, organic, full-fat dairy from grass-fed animals. Raw dairy does not go through pasteurization or homogenization.

Pasteurization is a process of heating the milk to a high temperature for a short period of time and then cooling it immediately. This process destroys enzymes, vitamins B6, B12, and C, kills beneficial bacteria, and denatures fragile milk proteins.

Homogenization is a process that breaks down the butterfat globules by forcing the milk through a series of screens at high pressure so that they become the same size particles as the rest of the milk. The resulting fat particles become so small they stay in suspension rather than rise to the top of the milk.

Some studies showed that homogenization makes the fat more susceptible to rancidity and oxidation and that homogenized fats may be one of the contributing factors to heart disease.

Your next best choice is dairy from organic, pasteurized but non-homogenized milk.

Too Much Fruits

The new Food Plate suggests making half the plate fruits and vegetables. Emphasizing on more vegetables is indeed a step in the right direction, however, making fruits almost the same amount as vegetables is probably too much for a lot of people.

It is true that fruits are a good source of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, but fruits are also high in fruit sugar, or fructose. Fructose is metabolized differently from glucose. (Sugar is 50% glucose, 50% fructose.)

The entire burden of metabolizing fructose falls on your liver, whereas with glucose, your liver breaks down only 20%. Besides, every cell in your body uses glucose, so unless you consume in excess, it gets burned up by the body.

Fructose, on the other hand, is turned into fat (VLDL and triglycerides) and deposited throughout your body. Over consumption of fructose has far reaching effects on your health. It leads to:

• Weight gain, abdominal obesity, increased LDL ("bad") cholesterol, decreased HDL ("good") cholesterol, increased triglycerides (fat in blood), elevated blood sugar, and high blood pressure - the classic metabolic syndrome.
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Insulin resistance. One in three Americans have insulin resistance, this includes the diagnosed and undiagnosed pre-diabetics and diabetics.
• Elevated uric acid (which is related to gout, kidney stones, kidney disease, high blood pressure, or heart disease) and chronic inflammation in the body.

Knowing this, it is not wise to over consume fruits, in particular fruit juice. For those who are already insulin resistant, you should avoid fruits all together but instead eat plenty of above ground vegetables. You will get the same vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber without the negative effects of fructose.

How do you know if you are insulin resistant? You can get a blood test for your fasting insulin level and see if it is over 5 uIU/ml. If you are overweight, have diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, it is a reasonable bet that you may have insulin resistance.

Eat More CLEAN Veggies

A smart choice for your health is to substantially increase your vegetable consumption (except corn and potatoes). Yet, bear in mind that many vegetables are loaded with pesticides which are carcinogenic and damaging to your immune, endocrine and nervous systems.

For the following veggies, you should definitely buy organic as they retain high levels of pesticides:

• Carrots
• Celery
• Cilantro
• Cucumber
• Green beans
• Green onions
• Hot peppers
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Spinach
• Sweet bell peppers

Less Grains

The new Food Plate recommends grain consumption to be about 30% of your diet and suggests making at least half your grains whole grains. This is a huge improvement over the previous Food Pyramids which recommended grains to be the majority of your diet. However, since two-thirds of the Americans are either overweight or obese, eating this much grain is the last thing you want to do to lose weight.

Many people are still being misled that the so-called "good" carbs like whole grains or fruits won't make you fat. The truth is: whether it is whole grain, sprouted grain, or refined grain, all grains break down to sugar. Over consumption of any grains or fruits will lead to insulin resistance and weight gain.

Bottom Line

• Make sure you include some healthy fats in your diet. They include saturated fat from grass-fed animals, monounsaturated fat from olive oil and avocados, omega-3 from fish caught in clean, pristine waters, and omega-6 from raw nuts and seeds.
• Best dairy is raw and full-fat from grass-fed animals. Second best is organic, pasteurized but not homogenized dairy.
• Regular over consumption of fruits and grains, be it whole or refined, may lead to insulin resistance, weight gain, and many chronic diseases.
• Eat plenty of clean veggies.

© Carol Chuang 2011

By Carol Chuang, MS, CNS, CMTA, CHC

For the last 60 years, conventional medicine has been recommending non-fat or low-fat dairy products as it is believed that saturated fat led to heart disease.

However, this is old and misguided information. New studies show that there is NO significant evidence that saturated fat in the diet is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. (See below for the latest research.)

Moreover, if you have been eating non-fat or low-fat dairy products, you are missing out on the many health benefits that come with full-fat dairy. 

New Light Shed On Saturated Fat   In early 2010, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition released the result of 21 studies that analyzed nearly 348,000 healthy participants during a period of 5-23 years. The investigation found no difference in the risk of heart disease between individuals with the lowest and highest intakes of saturated fat.   What's interesting is that in the last few decades, while doctors and nutritionists are recommending non-fat and low-fat foods, people have swapped their fat calories for additional sweeteners, especially high-fructose corn syrup, and refined carbohydrates. The reason is food manufacturers often add more sugar to non-fat and low-fat foods to compensate for the loss of taste from the fat. Most people also end up eating more when they eat non-fat and low-fat foods.   In a study released in April 2010 (by Emory University and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention), it showed that sweeteners appear to lower levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol and raise triglycerides (fat in blood), both of these effects increase the risk of heart disease.   What's more, sugars and refined carbohydrates, through their direct effects on insulin and blood sugar, are probably the main dietary cause of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

By Carol Chuang, MS, CNS, CMTA, CHC

Importance Of Water In The Body

Water makes up about 55-60% of the body weight of an average human being. The lungs are nearly 90% water, blood is 83% water, brain and lean muscles are 75% water, bone is 22% water, and body fat is 10% water. 

Therefore, a person can survive for up to 4 weeks without food but no longer than 3 days without water. Water performs many vital functions in the body, it:

• moistens tissues such as those in the eyes, nose, and mouth,
• regulates body temperature,
• protects body organs and tissues,
• lubricates joints,
• helps prevent constipation,
• lessens the burden on liver and kidneys by flushing out waste products and toxins,
• transports nutrients and hormones around the body, and
• maintains the delicate balance of mineral concentrations within the cells.

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine, and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish your water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

The 2011 Sleep in America poll (National Sleep Foundation) found some rather astounding statistics about how well Americans are sleeping:

• Sixty percent of the Americans (ages 13-64) say they experience a sleep problem every night or almost every night (i.e. snoring, waking in the night, waking up too early, or feeling un-refreshed when they get up in the morning).

• Sixty-three percent of Americans say their sleep needs are not being met during the week; most say they need about 7½ hours of sleep to feel their best but report getting less.
• Almost everyone surveyed (95%) uses some type of electronics like a TV, computer, video game, or cell phone at least a few nights a week within the hour before bed.
• About one in five of the 13-29 years olds say they are awakened after they go to bed by a cell phone call, text message, or email at least a few nights a week.
• When asked to evaluate the day after getting inadequate sleep, 85% said it affects their mood, 72% said it affects their family life or home responsibilities, and 68% said it affects their social life.

If you are one of those who often have difficulty sleeping at night or feel sleepy the next day,  you need to address your sleep problem as chronic sleep deficit will cause havoc to your health. Below are some suggestions that may help enhance your sleep.

Why Sleep Is Critical To Health

Sleep is one of the great mysteries of life. Although we are learning more about it every day, we still don't fully understand the purposes and mechanisms of sleep. However, we do know that good sleep is one of the cornerstones of good health.

In humans, the sleeping clock is controlled by your circadian rhythm, which has evolved over hundreds of generations to align your bodily functions with your environment. Your body clock is set to sleep at night and stay awake during daylight hours, just like your ancestors did. Therefore, if you are a night-shift worker, this upside-down schedule can eventually take a serious toll on your health if you continue to live out of synch with your daily surroundings.

Most adults require 7-9 hours of sleep, while teens (10-17 years) need 8.5-9.25 hours and school-age children (5-10 years) 10-11 hours. If you seldom get enough sleep during the week, sleeping in on weekends can relieve some of the symptoms of sleep deprivation. 

However, cumulative sleep debt cannot be repaid by merely a couple nights of catching up. A chronic deficit of high quality sleep changes your hormone production and metabolism and has far reaching effects on your immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems. 

Dramatically weaken your immune system

• Studies show that sleep-deprived mammals have lower white blood cell count, which is essential in fighting diseases.
• Your body produces less melatonin, a sleep hormone and an antioxidant. Melatonin helps suppress free radicals that can lead to cancer; that's why tumors grow faster when you sleep poorly. 

Increase your risk of diabetes

People who are sleep deprived tend to crave more sweet and starchy foods. These cravings stem from the fact that your brain is fueled by glucose or blood sugar. When there is not enough sleep, your brain searches for carbohydrates and makes you feel hungry, even if you have already eaten. Sleep deprivation can also impair your insulin sensitivity and put you at a higher risk for diabetes.

Hypertension and heart disease

Chronic sleep loss may not only hasten the onset but also increase the severity of these age-related ailments.

Weight gain

When you are sleep deprived, your body decreases production of leptin (hormone that signals fullness) and increases levels of ghrelin (hormone that signals hunger). You end up feeling more hungry and eating more.

Accelerated aging

Sleep deprivation prematurely ages you by interfering with the production of growth hormones. Growth hormones are secreted during deep sleep and they make you look and feel younger.

Seriously impair your brain function

Even a single night of poor sleep can impact your ability to think clearly the following day. It impairs your performance on physical and mental tasks, decreases your problem solving ability, and affects your memory.

In short, if you are not getting enough sleep or not sleeping well, you need to address the cause of your problem. The following are some suggestions on how to improve your sleep.

Healthy Sleep Advice

The secret to getting good sleep every night may vary from person to person; what works for some may not work as well for others. The key is to experiment and discover your personal sleep-promoting techniques. With improved quality of sleep, you can strive to get the right amount of sleep so that you will be able to function at your best.

Change Your Sleep Habits And Environment

• Go to bed before 11 p.m. as your body (particularly your adrenal glands) does most of its recharge work during the hours between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Your liver also works to remove toxins during the same period. If you are awake, you can disrupt many important rejuvenating functions in the body.
• Set and stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on weekends.
• Avoid external stimulation an hour before bed time. Turn off the TV and put away your work, computer, cell phone, and video games. Use this time to relax, wind down, and prepare for bed. Taking a hot bath, listening to relaxing music, or meditating are good ways to clear your thoughts before bed. You may also keep a journal by your bedside to write down all your thoughts and unload your mental burdens.
• Sleep in complete darkness or wear an eye mask. The tiniest bit of light can disrupt your internal clock. Therefore, close your bedroom door, cover the windows with blackout shades, switch off the light on the clock radio, and get rid of night-lights.
• Keep the bedroom temperature between 60-68 degrees. A cooler bedroom is more conducive to sleep as it mimics your body's natural temperature drop while you sleep.

Change Your Diet And Lifestyle

• Avoid stimulants like caffeinated beverages, chocolate, and tobacco in late afternoon and evening. However, for some people who do not metabolize the caffeine efficiently, a cup of coffee in the morning can still lead to compromised sleep at night.
• Avoid alcohol at dinner time. Alcohol helps you fall asleep quickly and deepens sleep initially, but later on it disrupts sleep and causes middle-of-the-night wake-ups. Alcohol also affects women more than men as women do not metabolize the alcohol as efficiently.
• Avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Try to make dinner earlier in the evening. Fatty foods take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up.
• Avoid eating sugar and refined carbs before bed. The rise in blood sugar may inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low, you may wake up and not be able to fall asleep again.
• Eat a high-protein snack 1-2 hours before bed. The protein provides the tryptophan that is needed to produce melatonin which promotes sleep. The old adage of drinking a glass of milk before bed is indeed helpful.
• Be aware that many prescription and over-the-counter drugs adversely affect sleep. Discuss with your healthcare professional about other natural and non-drug alternatives if the drugs are affecting your sleep.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise improves sleep, however, don't exercise too close to bed time as it may keep you awake.
• Learn to relax. If you are having trouble falling or staying asleep because your mind is racing or you are emotionally overwhelmed, practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery (or visualization), meditation, yoga, or tai chi to relieve stress. A soothing massage will also help to release any tension in your body.

Other Health Considerations

• If you are overweight and have a snoring problem, check for sleep apnea. This sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing during sleep can severely impair your sleep.
• If you suffer from any gastrointestinal problems such as bloating, gas, and heartburn, check for food sensitivities.
• If you are peri-menopausal or menopausal, your hormonal changes may cause sleep problems. Check with your healthcare professional regarding the use of herbs, supplements, and/or bio-identical hormones for symptom relief. 

Bottom Line

• Sleep is vital to your well-being. 
• Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
• A sleep debt cannot be repaid by just a couple nights of catching up.
• Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to diabetes, weakened immune systme, hypertension and heart disease, weight gain, accelerated aging, and impairment of your brain function.
• If you want to improve the quality of your sleep, you need to examine your sleep habits and environment as well as your diet and lifestyle.

© 2011 Carol Chuang

So you have heard a great deal about the enormous health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Indeed, there is overwhelming evidence supporting these claims. But what are omega-3s in the first place?

Omega-3 fatty acids consist of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). The magic source of omega-3s is the fat of cold water fish such as salmon, sardines, herrings, mackerel, black cod, and bluefish. Omega-3s are essential for our bodies to function normally. Since we cannot produce them internally, they have to be consumed through diet or supplementation.

There is much confusion when it comes to choosing the best fish to eat or buying a good omega-3s supplement. Can you take flax oil to get your omega-3s? Or should you be taking an omega 3-6-9 blend instead? Read on to find the answers.

Omega-3s Health Benefits

Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) are the building blocks for hormones that control immune function, blood clotting, cell growth as well as components of cell membranes. Omega-3s are crucial to human health because they are potent inflammation suppressors and inflammation is the cause of most chronic degenerative diseases. 

Unfortunately, modern day diet is way too low in omega-3s and too high in omega-6s, which tend to promote inflammation. Omega-6s are found abundantly in seeds and nuts and refined vegetable oils made from canola, corn, soybean, safflower, and sunflower. Most processed foods, fast foods, and restaurant foods are prepared with these refined oils. 

Although our bodies need some omega-6s for proper functioning, too much omega-6s contribute to inflammation. The more omega-6s you eat, the more omega-3s you need to maintain optimal health. It is now well understood that a deficiency of omega-3s leads to many diseases and disorders, many of which improve when omega-3s supplementation is used. These include:

• Arthritis (osteo- and rheumatoid)
• Asthma
• Immune disorders
• Brain disorders (depression, anxiety, mood swings, bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, Alzheimer's, ADHD, and ADD)
• Cancer (breast, prostate, testicular, and ovarian)
• Crohn's disease and inflammatory bowel disorders
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Premature birth and low birth weight
• Skin disorders (acne and psoriasis)

Getting Your Omega-3s From Fish

Fish like tuna, mackerel, lake trout, salmon, anchovies, herrings, and sardines have the highest concentration of omega-3s. Unfortunately, most fish, especially the larger ones, are heavily contaminated with mercury.

Mercury can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages. It is especially toxic to unborn babies and young children.

Therefore, the only recommended fish for regular consumption are wild-caught Alaskan salmon (not the farmed salmon), anchovies, herrings, and sardines. If you want to get your omega-3s from eating fish, make sure the fish is a wild-caught, non-threatened specie that is low on the food chain and came from pristine, clean waters; otherwise, you may run the risk of mercury poisoning in the long-run.

Aside from seafood, another option is to eat meats from grass-fed animals. Studies show that grass-fed beef contains omega-3s in 7% of its fat, versus just 1% in grain or corn-fed beef.

Is Flax A Good Source Of Omega-3s?

Many vegetarians prefer to consume flax to get their omega-3s. Flax seed contains ALA (alpha linolenic acid), a precursor to EPA and DHA in omega-3s, which means the body has to convert the ALA to make EPA and DHA.

Though flax seed is omega-3-rich, in reality, the biological effects of ALA is not equivalent to the omega-3s found in fish oil. Many people, especially vegans and those who are not in good health, are not efficient in the conversion. This results in excess levels of ALA in the body, which may not be beneficial. Therefore, flax should not be consumed in excess.

What's more, flax seed oil goes rancid easily and has to be stored in opaque, airtight containers in the refrigerator. You should only buy cold-pressed, unrefined flax oil and it should never be used in cooking. If the oil has a noticeable odor, it has probably turned bad and should be discarded.

In short, unless you have an allergy to fish, it is much preferable to consume the omega-3s from fish oil. If you are a vegan, there are DHA supplements derived from algae. However, you should also pair it with flax to get the ALA and EPA.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America. An estimated 81 million American adults, or more than 1 in 3, have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, including:

• high blood pressure,
• atherosclerosis (build up of cholesterol, fat, and fibrous tissue in the walls of the arteries),
• coronary heart disease - narrowing of the arteries to the heart muscle, reducing blood supply to the heart, and resulting in angina pectoris (chest pain) and myocardial infarction (heart attack),
• heart failure, and
• stroke (interruption of blood supply to the brain).

For more than two decades, cholesterol has been vilified as the culprit for heart disease. You have been told by doctors and the media to keep your cholesterol as low as possible. Consequently, a low-fat diet is endorsed and foods like eggs and animal (saturated) fats that are high in cholesterol are banished.

In reality, cholesterol is vital for your body. It is found not only in your bloodstream, but also in every cell in your body, where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids for fat digestion. Moreover, cholesterol is essential for your memory and brain function.

Eating foods high in cholesterol does not simply translate to high blood cholesterol. In reality, one of cholesterol's roles is to repair injuries. When the liver receives signals that there is damage in the lining of the arteries, it transports cholesterol to the area to do the repair work. High levels of cholesterol often indicate that you have sustained much damage.

So what causes damage in the lining of arteries in the first place? Latest research shows that insulin and leptin resistance are the strong causal link to such damage leading to cardiovascular disease. Insulin and leptin resistance is the result of eating too much sugar and refined carbs over an extended period of time.

In this case, how come so many doctors are still prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) to their patients? What are the side effects of statins and are they truly effective in lowering your risk of heart disease? Read on to learn more.

High blood cholesterol does not necessarily mean that you have a higher risk of heart disease. Find out how to assess your heart disease risk from your blood test results.

Finally, like other degenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease is mostly preventable by good dietary and lifestyle habits. Learn ways to naturally lower your risk of heart disease.

Is cholesterol The Cause Of Heart Disease?

75% of the cholesterol in your bloodstream comes from what your liver is manufacturing and distributing. That's why the cholesterol that you eat plays little role in determining your cholesterol levels in the blood. 

The cholesterol that's being made by the liver and deposited in your arteries is called LDL (the "bad" cholesterol), and the cholesterol that's being taken away from the arteries back to the liver is called HDL (the "good" cholesterol). The reason cholesterol is taken back to the liver is that it can be conserved and recycled for future use.

One function of cholesterol is to keep your cell membranes from falling apart; it acts like a super glue. When the lining of your arteries are damaged, inflammation occurs, just like when you cut your finger. The liver is notified to send cholesterol to the damaged site to do repair work. This is a deliberate process that takes place in order for your body to produce new, healthy cells.

A common problem is that there is damage occurring in your body on a regular basis. In this case, you have chronic inflammation, which leads to accumulation of cholesterol in your arteries (called plaque) and an increased risk for high blood pressure and heart attacks.

Hundreds of scientific studies have now linked insulin and leptin resistance, caused by eating too much sugar and white carbs, to damage in the lining of arteries and cardiovascular disease. That's why people with diabetes (a disease characterized by insulin and leptin resistance) have a much higher risk of heart disease than people with normal blood sugar levels.

To make things worse, insulin and leptin resistance also result in a greater number of small, dense LDL cholesterol (as opposed to bigger and less dense LDL) which can squeeze between the cell lining inside the arteries and get stuck, potentially oxidize (turn rancid), and cause more inflammation and plaque formation.

Are Statins The Cure For Heart Disease?

If you have high cholesterol, it means that you have chronic inflammation in the body. The cholesterol is there to help your body heal and repair. 

By taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, yes, you are lowering your cholesterol levels and reducing plaque buildup in your arteries but you are not addressing why your body needs to produce the extra cholesterol in the first place. Besides, with less cholesterol to do the repair work, how do you heal the damage in the lining of the arteries?

Statin drugs have proliferated in the market. In America, it is the second most common class of medications prescribed, after antidepressants. Many doctors prescribe them to lower their patients' cholesterol, not understanding that they are only dealing with the symptoms but not the underlying disease. 

In addition, they are exposing their patients to a series ofmajor side effects, including:

• muscle and tendon problems,
• cognitive impairment, including memory loss,
• depressed immune function,
• pancreas or liver dysfunction,
• sexual dysfunction, and
• cataracts.

Statins also lower your CoQ10, which is an antioxidant that mops up free radicals and a biochemical that transfers energy from food to your cells to be used for the work of staying alive and healthy. Statins, by blocking the pathway involved in cholesterol production, also blocks the same pathway by which CoQ10 is produced.

The loss of CoQ10 leads to loss of cell energy and increased free radicals which further damage your DNA and accelerate aging. The heart is usually the first to feel the statin-associated CoQ10 depletion because of its extremely high energy demands. The longer you are on the drug, the more complications you may have. These can range from chronic fatigue to cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease) and congestive heart failure.

Hence, if you are on statins, you need to supplement with CoQ10. If you are over 40, you should take the reduced version called ubiquinol as your body is less efficient in converting it. Unfortunately, most doctors don't tell you this.

Given all these unpleasant side effects, are statins really effective in lowering your risk of heart disease? Many studies show that the result is inconclusive for people who have not had a heart attack. 

Even BusinessWeek did a story on this topic in the January 17, 2008 issue. It reports that in Pfizer's own newspaper ad for Lipitor, the drug company boasts that Lipitor reduces heart attacks by 36%. But there is an asterisk next to it and in smaller print underneath, it says: "In a large clinical study, 3% of patients taking a sugar pill or placebo had a heart attack compared to 2% of patients taking Lipitor." 

What this means is that for every 100 people who took Lipitor over the test period, 3 people who were on placebos had heart attacks, versus 2 people on Lipitor. Not a significant achievement to brag about!

Other studies on Zetia and Vytorin (which is a combination of Zetia and Zocor) also fail to show that the drugs reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Therefore, unless you have already had a heart attack, were born with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, or are high in heart disease risk factors (see below), you should carefully weigh the risks and benefits before taking statins.

Alternatively, you may consider taking niacin (vitamin B3) to raise your HDL, and lower small, dense LDL and triglycerides (fats in blood). The major side effect of high-dose niacin is flushing of the skin and itching. Unfortunately, the non-flush niacin that's available in the market seems to be ineffective for this purpose.

Make sure the niacin is nicotinic acid and not other related forms as they are not as effective. Start with 500 mg of sustained release niacin every other day and slowly work up to 2 grams per day to minimize side effects such as upset stomach, headache, and dizziness.

Take niacin with a big meal like dinner and 2 glasses of water to reduce the hot flush. Sometimes, it is necessary to take an uncoated aspirin 30 minutes before taking the niacin. Also, don't drink alcohol or hot fluids around the time of the dose.

Do not take niacin if you have chronic liver disease, diabetes, or peptic ulcer. Always consult with your physician before taking high-dose niacin.

How To Assess Your Risk Of Heart Disease 

Except for people whose total cholesterol is 340 or higher, your cholesterol number is not necessarily the most accurate measure of heart disease risk. The following are indicators from your blood test results that provide a better assessment of your risk:

• HDL/Total Cholesterol - ideally, this ratio should be above 0.24. 
• Triglyceride/HDL - ideally, this ratio should be below 2. Triglycerides tend to rise from eating too much sugar and refined carbs, being physically inactive, smoking, excessive drinking, and being overweight or obese. Elevated levels increase heart disease risk.
• Small, dense LDL - a high number is linked to a higher risk.
• Homocysteine - too much of this amino acid in the blood is associated with buildup of plaque in arteries and tendency to form clots.
• C-Reactive Protein (CRP) - a marker for chronic inflammation in the body.

Small, dense LDL, homocysteine, and CRP are not part of your typical blood cholesterol tests. You have to specifically request for these additional tests.

Please note that some people with high cholesterol may not have a high risk of heart disease and should definitely not be taking statins. On the other hand, some people with low cholesterol are actually at risk for heart disease. The next section discusses ways to prevent heart disease through heart-healthy dietary and lifestyle habits.

How To Naturally Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Disease

The goal here is not to reduce your cholesterol as low as it can go because cholesterol, as explained, serves some very important functions in the body. Rather, you want to avoid chronic inflammation which raises your risk of heart disease as well as many other degenerative diseases.

• Optimize your insulin levels. 75% of your cholesterol is produced by your liver, which in turn, is influenced by your insulin levels. Sugar, through a process called glycation, causes damage in the lining of your arteries. Therefore, if your HDL/Total Cholesterol ratio is too low, your should aim to eliminate sugar, fruits, and grains from your diet. Then, gradually reintroduce a small amount of fruits and whole grains when your cholesterol improves.
• Make sure you get plenty of high quality, mercury-free fish oil. It contains omega-3 fats which help cut down inflammation, lower your total cholesterol and trigylcerides and increase your HDL cholesterol. Studies show that omega-3 is just as effective as low-dose aspirin in preventing heart disease, without any long-term side effects of the drug.
• Avoid oxidized fats or trans fats. Stay away from refined vegetable oils which are high in polyunsaturated fats. These fats are easily damaged and oxidized during high heat processing or cooking. Oxidized fats are characterized by the presence of free radicals that cause inflammation in the body. Do not use canola, corn, soy, safflower, or sunflower oils. Be aware that they are commonly used in fast foods, restaurants, and processed foods. 
• Avoid charring your meats.
• Eat right for your Metabolic Type. Protein types tend to require more fat and protein (in particular, red and dark meats) and less carbs than the Mixed and Carb types. By eating the right proportions of fat, protein, and carbs for your body, it will be like giving an engine the right mix of fuel to run in the most efficient manner.  If you want to find out your Metabolic Type and the best foods for your specific body, please contact me.
• Heart-healthy fats include olive oil, coconut oil, organic dairy products (butter, cream, cheese, etc.), organic free-range eggs, avocados, raw nuts and seeds, and organic grass-fed meats.
• Optimize your vitamin D levels at 50-70 ng/ml. Research studies find that vitamin D deficiency is associated with stiffening of the arteries, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
• Reduce your homocysteine levels. Folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and choline are nutrients that lower homocysteine. These nutrients are found mostly in eggs, meats, and green leafy vegetables.
• Check your thyroid. Poor thyroid function (hypothyroidism) often results in high cholesterol levels. Low thyroid function can be due to a diet high in sugar and low in fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. Use natural sea salt, not the refined iodized salt, for a balanced intake of minerals.
• Exercise daily. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and blood flow throughout your body. Even 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day can improve your cardiovascular health.

• Drop the excess weight. Carrying extra pounds increases your risk of heart disease. Even a little weight reduction will raise your HDL levels.

• Avoid smoking. Smoking constricts your blood vessels and raises your risk of heart attacks.
• Don't drink alcohol excessively. Limit to one drink a day.
• Address the sources of stress in your life. Reduce them or learn ways to cope with them. 
• Get plenty of restorative sleep every night.

© 2011 Carol Chuang

The odds are very high that you or someone you know had cancer or had died from it. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, after heart disease. Men have slightly less than a 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer, while for women, the risk is a little more than 1 in 3. 

All cancers involve the malfunction of genes that control cell growth and division. Every cell in the body has a program that tells it what to do, called the DNA or the genetic code. 

If the cell DNA code gets changed a bit by hormonal imbalance, chemicals, or free radicals, mutations occur. The cells with mutated DNA no longer look like the original cells we were born with. Also, mutations accumulate with age, that's why about 78% of all cancers are diagnosed in persons 55 years and older. 

About 5% of all cancers are strongly hereditary. However, most cancers do not result from inherited genes but from damage to genes occurring during one's lifetime. 

We all have a few cancer cells in our bodies, which are normally suppressed by our immune system. We need about a billion cancer cells to get to the lump or bump stage, which means a tumor takes years to develop. 

Cancer is, by and large, a man-made disease. There is a lot you can do now to significantly reduce that risk. Be aware of the multiple factors that can bring on this disease as well as the many nutritional interventions that can reduce your cancer risk.

Factors That Can Cause Cancer

1. Constant Emotional Stress

Negative emotions are the most powerful aspect of creating illness. Even the CDC (Center for Disease and Prevention) states that 85% of disease is caused by emotions. If you are constantly stressed or harboring angry, fearful, worrying, cynical, depressed or pessimistic emotions, the body can generate free radicals that promote DNA damage. 

• Look closely at your life and identify anything that is out of balance. If you have a hard time addressing and resolving it yourself, seek professional help (such as a life coach or therapist).
• Are you always looking at a glass half empty? Changing your attitude from negative to positive can influence a situation and emotional outcome.
• Learn to honor your feelings and be truthful to yourself instead of suppressing them by saying things like "I'm just fine". People who are capable of releasing their emotions alleviate tension in the body and are generally happier.
• Having a support system along with healthy outlets for stress (such as exercise or playing a musical instrument) are ever so important for emotional wellness.
• Live your life with purpose, passion, and gratitude.

2. Toxins Accumulating In The Body

In modern days, we are continually exposed to numerous environmental and dietary toxins. Once these toxins enter the body, they tend to accumulate (especially in the fat cells) and produce enormous amounts of free radicals which in due course, damage the DNA. Hence, it is crucial to recognize and avoid them in the first place.

Environmental toxins:

• Use of tobacco products and exposure to secondhand smoke
• Air pollution
• Excessive sun exposure
• Toxic chemicals in household cleaners, air fresheners, bug sprays, soaps, personal hygiene products, and cosmetics.
• Radiation exposure from diagnostic exams such as CT scans, X-rays, and mammography. Try to minimize having such exams or if you can afford it, opt for MRI.  A much cheaper and effective alternative is thermography, which detects precancerous and cancerous tissues that are hot in contrast to benign lesions that are cool. Unfortunately, most insurance policies still don't cover it yet.
• Electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and cordless phones. Two recently released long-term studies found that radiation from cell phones substantially increase the risk of salivary gland and brain tumors. For this reason, it is safest to use the speaker, wired headsets, followed by bluetooth headsets (lower radiation than cell phones). Try not to hold wireless phones directly to the ear.

Dietary toxins:

• Pesticides and herbicides in conventionally grown produce
• Antibiotics and hormones in factory-farmed meats and farmed fish. If possible, choose organic, grass-fed meats (second best is organic meats) and wild-caught fish from pristine, cold water. Fish caught from clean waters are void of mercury which is a toxin to the brain.

• Genetically modified foods (GMO) such as canola oil and soy products
• Preservatives and additives in processed foods
• Nitrates and nitrites in processed and smoked meats
• MSG
• Oxidized or rancid fat from refined polyunsaturated oils made from soy, cottonseed, corn, sunflower, and safflower. These oils are high in omega-6 fats and promote inflammation in the body. They are often found in processed foods, fast foods, and restaurant foods. 
• Carcinogens from charred or burned meats. Avoid frying or charbroiling. Instead, boil, poach, steam, or roast at 300 degrees F or below.
• Artificial sweeteners
• Toxic gases released from Teflon and other nonstick cookwares
• Harmful chemicals from plastic water bottles leaching out and contaminating the water. If you leave the bottle in a hot car or reuse it, the exposure is magnified.

3. Extra Pounds

It is crucial to maintain a healthy weight throughout life. Two-thirds of the Americans are either overweight or obese. Click here for the Body Mass Index Table to see if you are normal weight, overweight, or obese.

Extra pounds raise the risk of many cancers, including breast, colon, esophageal, kidney, pancreatic, and uterine. If you need help and support in losing weight healthily, contact me for a complimentary phone consultation regarding theMetabolic Typing Nutrition Program.

4. Hormonal Imbalance

We all have cancer-protective genes in our bodies, they are like light switches. Sadly, when we age, these switches get turned off as our hormonal production declines. Of course, by not managing stress, eating badly, and consuming and living with chemicals, we put even more stress on our entire hormonal system.

To reinstate these cancer-protective genes, we need to live and eat better and restore the hormones to proper balance. When you replace your hormones, it is critical that you use bio-identical hormones that are exactly the same as those produced by the body, not the synthetic hormones manufactured by drug companies as they have been shown to cause cancer. Please consult a healthcare professional who is familiar with bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).

Below are some hormones that have a direct effect on cancer growth:

• DHEA is a key hormone that decreases the quantity of an important enzyme involved in the pathway that feeds energy to cancer cells. By keeping DHEA at the right level, this pathway becomes less active. People who are constantly stressed and have fatigued adrenals have lower DHEA levels, which means they are more prone to stimulating the growth of cancer cells.
• Estriol by itself is a weak estrogen. But in the presence of other estrogens such as estradiol or estrone, it becomes an anti-carcinogen and is cancer-protective. As we age, the body makes less estriol, supplementing with proper amounts can reduce cancer risk.
• It is crucial to have the right balance of 2-hydroxyestrogen and 16 alpha-hydroxyestrogen, both are estrogen metabolites (by-products of estrogen in urine). If there is more 2 than 16, breast cancer risk is lower. If it is the other way round, more 16 than 2, the risk is higher. This 2/16 ratio is the single greatest factor impacting estrogen-sensitive cancer risk and is also totally modifiable through dietary interventions (see below).
• 2-methoxyestradiol (another estrogen metabolite) is a very potent anticancer hormone that the body manufactures. It also inhibits the growth of fibroid cells in the uterus.

5. Excessive Alcohol Intake

Studies show that women who drink more than 2 drinks a day significantly increase their free iron (iron not bound to protein) concentrations in breast tissue. Free iron triggers intense inflammation and free radical generation.

However, one's iron intake does not correlate with risk of breast cancer. It is high alcohol intake and excessive estrogen that lead to a higher incidence of invasive breast cancer.

6. Too Much Or Too Little Exercise

Exercise is crucial as it increases oxygen supply to the cells. Normal, healthy cells require sufficient oxygen to function well, whereas, cancer cells can only multiply and flourish in an anaerobic (no oxygen) environment. What's more, when you sweat, it carries away a lot of toxins accumulated in the body, especially the toxins in the fat cells. 

Having said that, too much exercise is not beneficial either as the body becomes constantly stressed, producing a vast amount of free radicals that can eventually lead to DNA damage.

Diet That Reduces Cancer Risk

• Limit sugar intake as cancer cells ferment sugar to create energy to grow and spread. Sugar also produces excess insulin which acts as a second stimulant for cell growth, cell division, and ultimately multiplication of cancer cells. Therefore, pay attention to how much sugar and refined carbs (which acts like sugar) you consume at one time as increased blood glucose level means more insulin in the body.
• Vitamin D3 (from sun and/or supplements) is the most powerful vitamin in preventing new cancer and inhibiting established cancers by stimulating and strengthening the immune system. When you increase your D3, make sure the body has adequate vitamin K as they work together as a team. Good dietary sources of K are green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, turnip greens, mustard greens, brussels sprouts, and broccoli.
• Brassica vegetables boost the body's level of 2-hydroxyestrogen in reducing breast cancer risk. Eat 3 or more servings a week of broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, Kohlirabi, rutabaga, turnips, bok choy and mustard greens. You can also get the benefits of these vegetables in a supplement called indole-3-carbinol.
• More omega-3 fats and less omega-6 fats as their ratio influences the rate of cell proliferation through hormones called prostaglandins. Omega-3 fats reduce inflammation while omega-6 fats increase it. Good sources of 3s are fish caught in pristine, cold waters and grass-fed meats. Unfortunately, most cows in the U.S. are corn-fed, so their meat and dairy products are much higher in omega-6 fats instead.
• Eat a large variety of vegetables and fruits to get a balanced dose of different antioxidants which protect against the free radicals. Do not over focus on just one  particular antioxidant.
• Natural folic acid from green leafy vegetables are far superior in boosting the body's natural defenses against cancer than the synthetic folic acid in fortified refined flour products. In addition, make sure you have enough vitamin B12 as it works with folate to protect DNA from damage. Vitamin B12 is not found in plant foods but only in animal products, including calf's liver, meats, poultry, shellfish, fish, and dairy products.
• Drink enough clean, filtered water every day as it keeps the lymphatic system clean and helps the body detox. For an average person, drink 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses a day.
• Have adequate protein at every meal and snack throughout the day, which will help the liver eliminate toxins through the bile and stool. Protein also helps to maintain an even blood sugar level.
• Increase fiber (soluble and insoluble) intake to reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Aim for 40-50 grams a day which is more than double what an average American eats every day.
• Lastly, there is also compelling anticancer evidence for resveratrol(in red wine but only drink in moderation), curcumin (in turmeric), green tea, grape seed extract, pomegranate extract,quercetin (in onions, apples, and grapes), Conjugated Linoleic Acid(in grass-fed meats and its dairy),luteolin (in celery, green pepper, carrots, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano), and ginger.

Osteoporosis, a disease characterized by porous and fragile bones, is a serious problem in the U.S.:

• 44 million Americans have compromised bone density (osteoporosis or osteopenia).
• 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in his or her lifetime. 
• Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually, costing a total of $14 billion every year.

Conventional wisdom says our bones are made of calcium, so by drinking lots of calcium-fortified milk and taking calcium supplements, we should be able to prevent osteoporosis. Backed by the U.S. dairy industry, America is the only culture that encourages milk drinking way beyond the infant years. 

If we are taking in this much calcium in our diet, how come osteoporosis is so prevalent in America? 

Are the osteoporosis drugs such as Fosamax, Actonel, Reclast, or Boniva really effective in treating osteoporosis?

What is the real truth about taking calcium for osteoporosis?

We have a diabetes epidemic in America. 

The latest statistics indicate that 24 million people, or about 8% of the total U.S. population, have diabetes. However, the picture looks much grimmer if the 57 million pre-diabetics are also included - about 26% of adults over the age of 20 and 35% of seniors over the age of 60 are pre-diabetics. 

That means a total of 81 million people, or 1 in 4 Americans, has either pre-diabetes or the full-blown disease!

Diabetes is not something to be taken lightly. It is a very debilitating disease which can lead to:

• amputation below the knees,
• blindness,
• kidney disease,
• strokes,
• heart disease, and
• cancer.

Be that as it may, do you know that type 2 diabetes is completely avoidable and reversible without the use of drugs as long as you are willing to make some diet and lifestyle adjustments? 

In this newsletter, we will look at what diabetes is and the non-drug way to prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes.

Growing old is a natural course of life. However, it doesn't mean that you have to accept diseases like diabetes, heart disease, or cancer as a "natural" progress of aging. 

At present, scientists have yet to find ways to reverse aging. But increasingly, studies show that you may be able to stay fit and healthy through your later years by merely making some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle. 

In the following, you will find 7 strategies that have a material impact on your longevity and youthfulness.

About two-thirds of the Americans are overweight or obese. The average American woman:

• has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28. BMI of 25-29.9 is overweight and over 30 is obese. BMI = (Weight in pounds x 703) / (Height in inches)²,
• has a 37-inch waist, and
• weighs nearly 165 pounds.

Do you know that in 1960, the average American woman weighed only 140 pounds? If continued at this rate, in 50 years, the average American woman would weigh 190 pounds.

Without doubt, America is in dire need of a diet and lifestyle change. You know that you should lose weight but every so often, the difference between what you weigh and what you want to weigh just seems too daunting and insurmountable.

Do not despair. A little goes a long way when it comes to weight loss.

Studies show that by merely losing 5-10% of your weight, you can achieve tremendous health benefits - you can reduce the risk of deadly diseases, alleviate daily pain, and improve the quality of your life. Read on to learn what you have to gain by losing just 5-10% of your weight.

Reduced Risks For Heart Attack And Stroke

These twin killers are the leading causes of death and disability for both men and women in the United States.

• If you are an "apple" shape that stores excess fat in the abdomen rather than the hip (waist greater than 34" for women and 40" for men), you are at a greater risk for heart disease. Fortunately, this fat is also easier to lose and you will see dramatic health improvements with a little weight loss.
• By losing 5-10% of your weight, you can reduce your "bad" LDL cholesterol that deposits plaque in your arteries, narrowing them and leading to heart attack or stroke.
• Through exercise and a healthy diet, you can increase your "good" HDL cholesterol that stops LDL from depositing on your artery walls.
• By having less plaque buildup in your arteries, you can lower your blood pressure. High blood pressure thickens the walls of the heart, leaving them stiff and prone to heart problems. As the heart works harder and harder, blood vessels in the kidneys can be damaged too, resulting in kidney failure.

Reduced Risk For Type 2 Diabetes

The more excess weight on your body, the less sensitive your cells are to insulin, the hormone that manages the transfer of sugar from your blood into the cells. If this condition persists, your body's cells eventually become resistant to insulin and cannot function properly.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with many long-term complications that may threaten your life. By exercising, improving your diet, and losing weight, you can enhance your cells' sensitivity to insulin and have better control over your blood sugar levels.

Reduced Joint Pain

Being overweight puts huge pressure on your aging joints. An extra 10 pounds equates to 30 pounds of pressure on your knees. Over time, this force wears away your cartilage and increases your odds of developing osteoarthritis.

By losing weight, you decrease the pressure on these areas and allow the cushioning between the bones to rebuild. If you have pain in your knees, hips, and lower back, losing some weight will likely alleviate the symptoms.

Reduced Risk For Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is most common in people who are overweight. When you are overweight, extra tissue thickens the wall of your windpipe, narrowing the airway.

During sleep, the airway may be blocked by the tonsils or simply collapse. When you try to breathe and squeeze air past the blockage, it causes a loud snort. At times when your brain doesn't get enough oxygen, it will shock your body awake. If you have severe sleep apnea, you can be woken up hundreds of times a night.

Losing weight can widen your windpipe and reduce or eliminate this problem. You will get a better night's sleep and feel more energized in the morning.

Reduced Risk For Cancer

There are several kinds of cancer associated with being overweight. In women, they include cancer of the breast, cervix, ovary, uterus, gallbladder, and colon. In men, they include cancer of the colon, prostate, and rectum.

Although the exact cause remains unclear, it is possible that fat cells release large amounts of hormones like estrogen, insulin, and insulin-like growth factors that can fuel cancer growth. By losing weight, you can significantly reduce the levels of such carcinogenic hormones.

Reduced Risk For Dementia

When you have too much visceral or abdominal fat, it releases inflammation-causing chemicals in the body and increases your chance of developing dementia. High blood pressure and cholesterol also increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia.

Therefore, by losing your pot belly, the fat that surrounds your internal organs, you will gain tremendous health benefits.

The Bottom Line

• Losing weight should not be only about how good you look on the outside, but also how healthy your body is inside. Even a modest 5-10% weight loss can substantially reduce your risk of many debilitating diseases.
• Losing weight can give you the confidence to love your body, stop putting yourself down, and enjoy social interaction again. So even if the overall goal seems large, see it as a journey rather than just a final destination.
• Forget about "dieting" and instead, learn new eating habits and incorporate regular physical activity into your lifestyle. Over the long haul, these habits will help you maintain your weight loss, while the fad diets won't.
• Sometimes, it is just too daunting to embark the journey on your own. Team up with a friend/partner who is also ready to lose weight. Trade healthy recipes or go food shopping together. Discover new physical activities that you both enjoy doing.
• Be aware of your nutrition environment. Read food labels and stock your kitchen with healthy ingredients. Always plan ahead and bring nutritious food with you when you are on the go.
• Last but not least, identify the emotional reason that led to your weight gain and address the root cause of the problem. If you think that you need professional help, don't hesitate, because unless you deal with the deeper issues, you will remain vulnerable to falling back into your old habits.

© Carol Chuang 2010

Canola is originated from Canada and it is the nation's most valuable crop, with annual exports of canola seed, oil, and meal totaling over $3 billion.

• Cholesterol and trans fat free.
• Lowest in saturated fat (7%) among all dietary fats.
• High in Omega-3 fat (11%), an essential fatty acid that is needed but not made by the body.
• Has a moderate level of Omega-6 fat (21%), also an essential fatty acid that is needed but not made by the body.
• Relatively high in monounsaturated fat (61%), though olive oil has the highest.

Potential Problems With Canola

Although the canola industry markets it as "healthy", there are certain aspects of canola oil that raises much concern.

Not natural

Canola oil is not a natural food, it is a modified food. There is no natural oil/fat that has similar fatty acid composition as canola. Humans have never consumed such oil until the last few decades.

Genetically modified and herbicide-resistant

Roughly 90% of the canola crops in America are genetically modified (GM) so that they are resistant to herbicides like Monsanto's Roundup or Bayer's Liberty Link. That means these GM canola crops are doused in toxic herbicides.

What is the long-term effect of eating oil derived from GM canola crops that have been heavily sprayed with Roundup or Liberty Link?

The canola industry as well as the herbicide manufacturers touted its safety. However, various studies on rats and humans have challenged its alleged safety, with complaints ranging from hormonal disruption, impairment of liver and kidney function, to genetic damage.

The truth is, at present, we have not seen any long-term studies on the effects of such GM canola on human health.

Highly processed and refined

In contrast to extra virgin, cold-pressed olive oil which is made by merely squashing the olives, canola oil has to go through a great deal of processing.

First of all, the oil is obtained by mechanical pressing and solvent extraction. A toxic petroleum solvent called hexane is often used to extract the oil. Even after considerable refining, traces of the solvent still remain in the final product. 

What's more, the oil goes through high temperature processing, deodorization, and refining by steam distillation, resulting in the destruction of a substantial portion of its essential fatty acids. Omega-3 and Omerga-6 fats are very vulnerable to high heat, which makes them rancid and harmful to health. As a result, some of the essential fatty acids may be transformed into trans fat.

Depletion of Vitamin E

In animal studies, regular consumption of canola oil leads to the depletion of vitamin E, a key factor in cardiovascular health. Canola increases the rigidity of membranes, causes lesions in arteries, and increases the size of platelet cells - thus increasing the risk of stroke, heart attack, and much more.

Dangerous for babies

Canola is not totally void of erucic acid; it still contains about 1-2%. This is precisely why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibits the use of canola in baby formula because it can cause a buildup of fatty deposits in the heart. If canola is not good for the babies, can it be that great for adults?

Sulfur content

Canola oil also contains traces of some unique sulfur compounds. Baked goods made with canola develop molds rather quickly.

The Bottom Line

• As seen from above, despite all the hype about how good and healthy canola oil is, there are many potential health issues associated with it. Canola oil remains to be time-tested that it is truly safe for human consumption. In the meantime, it is not worthwhile to be a guinea pig.

• The best oils to use for cooking are unrefined coconut oil and saturated fats from organic, grass-fed animals. Yes, recent studies have confirmed that saturated fats do not cause heart disease; it is trans fat that is the culprit. Saturated fats are much more stable and do not go rancid as easily as the vegetable oils made from corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, and sunflower.

• Olive oil is great for salads and should only be used for low to moderate heat cooking.

• Peanut oil is a good cooking and frying oil because it is quite resistant to rancidity. However, since peanuts are often heavily sprayed with herbicides, it is best to use organic peanut oil.

• Sesame oil is also quite stable and not easily subject to rancidity.

• Be aware of processed foods that contain canola oil. Quite often, the front label will boast "Made With Olive Oil", but when you read the ingredients on the back label, you may discover that canola is listed as a major ingredient!

• 27 million Americans have underactive or overactive thyroid glands, and over half are unaware of it.
• More than 8 out of 10 people with thyroid disease are women.
• Eighty percent of the people diagnosed with thyroid disease have hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid.

• Are you depressed, lethargic, chronically fatigued, and easily chilled?
• Do you gain weight easily or have difficulty losing weight?
• Do you have dry skin, hair loss, eczema, or adult acne?
• Do you have constipation?
• Do you have PMS or menstrual abnormalities? Is your libido low?
• Are your legs and feet swollen and your nails brittle?
• Do you have cold hands and feet?
• Do you often get colds and flu?

 

What Is Hypothyroidism?

 

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in the lower part of your neck. It produces hormones that influence essentially every organ, tissue, and cell in the body. It is the master regulator of your metabolism.

 

The thyroid has the only cells in the body capable of absorbing iodine. The iodine is combined with the amino acid tyrosine to produce T4 (thyroxin) which is then converted to T3 (triiodothyronine). T3 is the biologically more active hormone and is also several times stronger than T4.

 

Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland fails to produce enough hormones, resulting in a slowdown of metabolism. Hypothyroidism may be caused by:

• Overconsumption of isoflavone-rich soy products, such as tofu, soy milk, soy protein, and soy supplements.
• Overconsumption of raw goitrogenic foods, such as brussels sprouts, broccoli, rutabaga, turnips, kohlrabi, radishes, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and millet.
• Overconsumption of iodine-rich supplements such as kelp and bladderwrack or shortage of iodine in the diet.
• Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the most common form of hypothyroidism.
• Surgical treatments for thyroid cancer, goiter, or nodules.
• After effect of radioactive iodine treatment for Graves' disease (the most common form of hyperthyroidism).
• Imbalance of female hormones may trigger a thyroid problem. Estrogen inhibits thyroid hormone activity, while progesterone and testosterone support the thyroid. Hypothyroidism occurs predominantly in women around the time of menopause when estrogen is high relative to progesterone.

Some people have a higher risk of developing hypothyroidism. Factors include:

• Having a family member with a thyroid, pituitary, or endocrine disease
• Having a family member with an autoimmune disease
• Having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Having Fibromyalgia
• Having been treated with lithium
• Having just given birth to a baby
• Being female
• Approaching or have attained menopause
• Smoking
  

The most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease.

 

In Hashimoto's, antibodies react against proteins in the thyroid gland, gradually destroying the gland itself making the gland unable to produce the thyroid hormones the body needs. In the beginning, there can be periods where the thyroid sputters back to life, even causing temporary hyperthyroidism, then a return to hypothyroidism. This cycling back and forth is rather characteristic of Hashimoto's.

 

Symptoms Of Hypothyroidism

 

Symptoms usually go with a slowdown of metabolism and may include:

• Lethargy and fatigue
• Forgetfulness
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Low libido
• Heavy menses
• Constipation
• Dry, coarse hair
• Dry, coarse skin
• Eczema or adult acne
• Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
• Hoarse voice
• Cold hands and feet
• Muscle cramps or frequent muscle aches
• Vulnerability to infections 

How Hypothyroidism Is Diagnosed

 

There are a number of blood tests to detect the function of the thyroid gland. The one that your doctor is most likely to check annually is the TSH. If a thyroid problem is suspected, subsequent tests like the free T3, free T4, and thyroid antibodies will be needed.

 

TSH

Thyroid stimulating hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland. Since the pituitary controls the release of thyroid hormones, the level of TSH indicates how hard the pituitary has to work to get the thyroid to produce whatever levels of thyroid hormones are present in the blood. A high TSH may indicate low thyroid levels.

 

Free T3 and Free T4

These tests are used to determine the level of thyroid hormones in the body. Free means it is biologically active and unbound to protein. Low free T3 and T4 will indicate low thyroid hormones.

 

Thyroid antibodies

Autoimmune thyroid diseases, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, occur when the thyroid gland is attacked by the body's own immune system. If this is suspected, blood tests for thyroid antibodies will validate the diagnosis.

 

The medical definition of hypothyroidism is TSH higher than the normal range and T3 and T4 below the normal range.

 

Note:

It is possible that some people may have normal lab results, yet experience hypothyroid symptoms. This is because the reference range of 0.45-4.50 uIU/ml for TSH is fairly wide and a given person may require higher or lower levels to feel well and function optimally. If you are in this early stage of hypothyroidism and remain untreated, you can experience the symptoms of the disease for months to years before it progreses to full-blown hypothyroidism.

 

Treatment For Hypothyroidism

 

The treatment for hypothyroidism is usually with synthetic thyroid hormone medications containing:  

• T4 (generic name: levothyroxine) or
• T3 (liothyronine) or
• A combination of T4 and T3 (liotrix)

Different brands of medication may have different fillers, dyes, and potential allergens. If you have a bad reaction to a certain brand, ask your doctor to switch to another one.

 

An alternative is to use desiccated natural hormones derived from the thyroid gland of pigs, such as Armour Thyroid or Nature-Throid, which contain both T4 and T3. These can be prescribed by your doctor.

 

Lifestyle Approach    

• Stress exacerbates all thyroid problems, particularly those with an autoimmune component, like Hashimoto's. Stress reduction improves the entire hormonal system, including the thyroid gland. There are many types of mind-body approaches to relaxation, such as meditation, guided imagery, yoga, etc. Find something that you enjoy doing.
• Aerobic exercise helps burn calories and weight-bearing exercise helps build muscles, which is critical to raising metabolism.

Diet Approach

• If you are around menopause and a saliva hormone test confirms that you have high estrogen relative to progesterone, using progesterone supplementation can help balance the female hormones.
• If your hypothyroid condition is not autoimmune in nature, it is helpful to consume more iodine-rich foods or use iodine-rich supplements, such as kelp and bladderwrack.

• If you have an autoimmune thyroid disease, avoid iodine-rich supplements such as kelp and bladderwrack, as they can aggravate the symptoms. However, many people with autoimmune thyroid disease find that they can still eat some iodine-rich foods such as seafood and seaweed without any adverse symptoms.

• Selenium can help rebuild the immune system and reduce thyroid antibodies. Brazil nuts have a very high amount of selenium, so just eating a few everyday will be sufficient.
• Avoid consuming soybean-related foods such as tofu, soy milk, soy protein, and soy supplements. The isoflavone in soy suppresses the thyroid.
• Avoid consuming raw goitrogenic foods, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, rutabaga, turnips, pinenuts, walnuts, millet, peaches, spinach, and strawberries. Goitrogens tend to decrease thyroid function, but cooking usually deactivates most of the goitrogens.
• Avoid sugar, artificial sweeteners, refined carbohydrates, and stimulants including caffeine and nicotine.
• Eat more fiber and make sure you have enough protein in your diet. Drink plenty of clean filtered water, half your weight (lbs) in ounces per day. If you weigh 128 lbs, drink 64 ounces (or 8 cups) of water a day.

 

 

© 2010 Carol Chuang