Myth #1: Increased sun exposure increases your risk for cancer.

Actually, logging more hours of fun under the sun actually decreases your risk of developing cancer.  A study conducted on 49, 261 women in Sweden found that women who spent more time sunbathing had a greatly reduced chance of developing lung cancer and breast cancer.  Numerous studies have found that increased levels of vitamin D in the blood (produced upon exposure to the sun) reduce the risk of all types of cancer.

Myth #2: Saturated fat (primarily found in red meat, cheese, and coconut) increases your risk of developing cancer.

Saturated fat has never been found to cause cancer.  However, polyunsaturated fat (found primarily in nuts, seeds, and the oils obtained from those foods), as well as monounsaturated fat (found in olive oil, macadamia nut oil, and avocados) have both been found to raise your risk for developing breast cancer.  Another interesting study found that coconut and red chilis might be protective against colon cancer.

Myth #3: Coffee is bad for your health.

Coffee lovers and caffeine fiends, rejoice!  Coffee and caffeine have both been found to possess health-promoting properties that usually outweigh any risks.  (The same cannot be said for alcohol, which is probably riskier than beneficial.)  One study found that women who drank coffee had much less incidence of stroke than women who drank little to no coffee.  Also, people who drank around 200 – 300 mg of caffeine per day in a case-controlled study did not develop Alzheimer’s Disease.  Study participants who did develop Alzheimer’s had a history of not drinking much caffeine, if at all.

Over the past several years, I’ve had numerous conversations with many different people on the topic of wheatgrass.  In fact, wheatgrass juice has become so ubiquitous in my life that sometimes I forget that there are still those who have never even heard of it — and many more who have never tried it simply because “grass” is just about the last thing on anyone’s list of favorite foods.

Wheatgrass juice became popular as a cure-all back in the 1960′s, and those who promoted it typically attributed its healing properties to an abundance of chlorophyll.  Others falsely stated that wheatgrass is a rich source of B vitamins, including B12.  Claims that wheatgrass juice helped many people heal from cancer and other illnesses haven’t been taken seriously by conventional medicine because chlorophyll can be found in a variety of other plants and because the claims about certain vitamins in wheatgrass are erroneous.

However, there is some recent solid scientific research that strongly suggests that wheatgrass does indeed have some powerful healing properties.  One study at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center found that regular usage of wheatgrass significantly reduced signs and symptoms of ulcerative colitis in study participants.  Another study found that children with thalassemia (a hereditary type of anemia) showed a reduced need for blood transfusions when they drank 100 ml of wheatgrass juice daily.  Breast cancer patients who drank wheatgrass juice showed a decreased need for medications.  In vitro studies have found that wheatgrass kills leukemia cells.

In my conversations with people about wheatgrass, I have found that those who have tried it either love it or hate it.  Nobody is ever on the fence about what they think of wheatgrass!  And honestly, most people say they hate it; the mere smell of the stuff sends chills down their spine and makes them feel like they’re gonna puke!  In my experience with wheatgrass, I’ve definitely gotten nauseated after drinking it a time or two — especially when it’s wheatgrass from Jamba Juice or the Whole Foods juice bar.  I couldn’t help but wonder: “Why is it that sometimes wheatgrass can feel so energizing and taste so smooth and sweet, while other times it tastes bitter and nauseating?”

It turns out that wheatgrass that is grown indoors on trays is highly susceptible to being contaminated with mold.  If you’ve ever tried wheatgrass juice and then felt sick after drinking it, chances are that you got a hefty dose of mold in your grass.  Pretty gross.  The good news is that you don’t have to start growing your own outdoor wheatgrass in order to get the benefits of wheatgrass without the toxic mold.  PaleoGreens has wheatgrass (as well as a bunch of other great stuff) in it, and each batch is tested for mold contamination (as well as gluten contamination from the incidental grain of wheat).  Another great thing about PaleoGreens is that it comes in three great-tasting flavors (lemon-lime, mint, and original) that you can add to a 16 oz. glass bottle of water for a quick and refreshing juice with only 35 calories.

I’ve gotta have my PaleoGreens every day.  It’s the first food that goes into my body when I wake up in the mornings and probably the reason why I never “need” coffee or caffeine to up and at ‘em like the energizer bunny!  (Yes, the one side effect of drinking PaleoGreens as soon as you wake up every day is that it might make you a slight nuisance to friends and co-workers who don’t “do” mornings.  Whatever you do, don’t hide their donuts.)

What you don’t know about gluten might be causing you to suffer unnecessarily from fatigue, muscle and joint pain, headaches, arthritis, thyroid disease, depression, brain fog, memory impairment, skin problems, and more!  Read on to separate myth from fact and save your health.

1.  Gluten-free is just a marketing trend/fad diet/way for picky eaters to turn down cake at parties.

The number of people eating a gluten-free diet is growing as awareness about the dangers of gluten continues to rise.  Gluten-free is by no means a fad that is going to go away.  Many of the chronic health problems that people seek prescription drugs for can actually be avoided by eating a gluten-free diet.

2.  Gluten sensitivities and celiac disease are problems that people develop as children.

Gluten sensitivities and celiac disease can occur at any time of your life.  You may develop a sensitivity to gluten as an adult even though you had no problem with gluten as a child.  No one really knows for sure what causes the onset of celiac disease, though some suspect that exposure to genetically modified foods may permanently alter your body and start a cascade of autoimmune processes.

3.  Sensitivities to gluten are allergic reactions.

Gluten sensitivity and celiac disease is not a food allergy.  Allergies cause immediate reactions that may include hives, sneezing, itching, or even anaphylaxis.  Common allergens include pollen, mold, cat dander, peanuts, chocolate, and shellfish.  In contrast, gluten sensitivity and celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks itself every time it is exposed to gluten.  You may not notice an immediate reaction after eating a piece of wheat bread, for instance, but one week later you may develop a headache or swollen joints. In If your body attacks its own intestinal villi, you can develop a malabsorption problem that could cause you to suffer from B12 deficiency, anemia, or other vitamin/mineral/macronutrient deficiencies.  Some people notice mucus in their stool as a result of eating gluten, but pass this off as meaning they need to stop eating meat or do a colon cleanse or liquid diet to get rid of the mucus.  In actuality, they just need to stop eating gluten.

4.  If a food is wheat-free, it doesn’t contain gluten.

Gluten is present in a variety of grains, including wheat, barley, rye, kamut, spelt, triticale, and malt.  It may also contaminate some oats, rice, corn, soy, beans, nuts, or any other foods that were processed in a facility that also processes gluten-containing grains.  Any prepared foods that are rolled in flour or contain gravies or sauces containing flour also contain gluten.  Some vegetarian “faux meats” such as seitan and Quorn use gluten as a source of protein.  Always read the labels of any processed foods before purchasing them to make sure questionable ingredients have not been added.

5.  Eating a gluten-free diet is too expensive.

There are many gluten-free breads, pancake mixes, cake mixes, cookies, desserts, and other “treats” made from rice flour, soy flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, cassava, and other gluten-free starches available in stores nowadays.  These products can be highly overpriced!  I don’t generally recommend these products because they are typically highly processed items with very low nutritional value, and tend to be loaded with high-glycemic carbohydrates that can send your blood sugar soaring — then then crashing down two hours later — making you crave more.  If you feel that you absolutely have to eat bread, cookies, cakes, and other treats, you can easily make your own with coconut flour, almond flour, nut/seed mixtures, and even vegetables & fruits that you can process into “flours” using a food processor and a food dehydrator.  There are plenty of free recipes for “grainless raw bread,” for instance, that you can find on the internet.  With a little creativity, you can make everything from pancakes to pasta without having to resort to grains or overpriced commercial foods ever again.

6.  Only a small number of people suffer from celiac disease.

While the “official” estimate is that about 1 out of every 100 people has celiac disease (autoimmune disease diagnosable by identifying damage to the intestinal villi through endoscopic examination), this does not include those who merely have a gluten sensitivity (autoimmune reaction to gluten that doesn’t include damage to the intestinal villi).  And because both celiac disease and gluten sensitivit y are often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, depression, eczema, hypothyroidism, or any other illness that occurs as a result of the gluten intolerance, many sufferers don’t know they have it.  If they would just stop eating foods containing gluten, the health imbalances caused by eating gluten will typically go away within six months to a year of consuming a 100% gluten-free diet.

7.  When gluten causes a health problem, it is a digestive problem.

Gluten sensitivity may give rise to over 300 different symptoms!  While constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, mucus seen in bowel movements, diarrhea, heartburn, GERD, and other gastrointestinal symptoms may occur as a result of gluten intolerance, many sufferers may not have any digestive symptoms at all.  Chronic pain, diabetes, weight gain, mental and psychological problems, and even cancer can result from eating gluten.

8.  A gluten-free diet causes weight loss.

While celiac disease and gluten sensitivity can disrupt thyroid function, make you too tired/sore to exercise, cause blood sugar fluctuations, and other conditions that may lead to weight gain and difficulty losing weight, going gluten-free is not just another fad diet for weight loss.  As you begin to experience more energy and vitality on a gluten-free diet, you may be able to shed unwanted pounds that you had previously been unable to get rid of.  However, if you are already at your ideal weight and body composition, you can still maintain your weight on a gluten-free diet if you simply eat enough food!  Since you won’t be getting your calories from wheat bread, breakfast cereal, pancakes from IHOP, and hamburger buns, you’ll need to get your calories from other foods such as nuts/seeds, coconut, vegetables, butter, cream, fish, meat, fruit, and other delicious, nutrient-rich, wholesome foods.

9.  If you’re gluten-sensitive, just one bite of birthday cake or fresh-baked sprouted grain bread won’t hurt.

Eating just one bite or one small treat is not a “cheat.”  It’s self-mutilation.  If you react to gluten, there is no such thing as a safe level of gluten exposure.  Even if you made your own wheat flour from soaked, sprouted grains, and baked your own bread or cake with LOVE, that one bite of gluten can set you back 6 months in your healing process. Giving gluten up entirely is the only safe course of action.

A 100% gluten-free, grain-free diet saved my life and has worked for me for over 8 years.  Therefore, I take the word “gluten-free” very seriously and don’t see it as a marketing term or passing fad.  I make sure that ALL products in the Holistic Chinese Herbs Store are gluten-free and from reputable companies with stringent quality control measures to make sure what’s on the label is actually what you’re getting in the product.  This includes facial and body care products, too, because I believe that what you put on your skin can and is absorbed by the body just like anything you eat or drink.

Recently, there has been a debate throughout the blogosphere about the role of carbohydrates in thyroid function.  Bloggers and health practitioners alike claim that low carbohydrate diets cause reduced thyroid function, and there is some reference to “scientific studies” proving this fact.  However, no references to such studies are given.  Because of the rumors that low carb may cause hypothyroidism, some people have started adding potatoes, orange juice, and even rice krispies to their diet in hopes that this will improve their thyroid function and get them over a weight loss plateau.

I’m not trying to say that potatoes, orange juice, and rice krispies are “bad,” and I’m not trying to personally criticize anyone who has blogged about this and claimed that consuming these foods has helped them in some way.  However, I would like to point out that when I went digging for the science behind the claim that low carb causes hypothyroidism, I actually found the opposite.  Low carb may prevent decreased thyroid function during long-term calorie restriction.

Below, you can see what I found.  The bold print is my emphasis, and the red is my own personal remarks.

1. http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/91/8/3232.full

Healthy, lean people on a nutrient dense, calorie restricted diet show a slight decrease in T3 hormone, but no increase in rT3.  These people were eating 250 grams of carbohydrates per day!  Some studies suggest that a low-carb calorie restricted diet may prevent having reduced T3 hormone. Patients who have chronic systemic inflammation have a reduction in serum T3 levels, and it is suspected that inflammation — rather than a low-carb diet — is to blame for long-term reduction in T3 hormone.

Mean serum T₃ concentration was significantly lower in the CR group than the EX or WD groups, whereas serum T₄ and FT4, and TSH concentrations were not significantly different among groups (Table 1⇑). Mean serum free T₃ concentration (normal range 1.45–3.48 pg/dl) was significantly lower in 10 CR subjects who had the lowest serum total T₃ concentrations than in 10 age- and sex-matched sedentary WD subjects (1.08 ± 0.46 vs. 1.68 ± 0.72 pg/ml; P = 0.04). However, serum rT₃ concentration (normal range 19–46 ng/dl) in 10 CR subjects who had the lowest serum total T₃ concentrations was normal and not significantly different from 10 age- and sex-matched sedentary WD subjects (26 ± 11 vs. 19 ± 4 ng/dl, respectively).

Data from a series of studies have shown that short-term (2 wk to 6 months) fasting or severe CR decreases serum T₃ and transiently increases serum rT₃ concentrations in obese subjects who are actively losing weight (9). Similar findings have been reported in a study of eight nonobese individuals who unintentionally underwent moderate CR and intense physical labor (70–80 h/wk) for 21 months (3). In addition, the results from some studies (9, 10, 11) suggest that a low-carbohydrate intake (50–120 g/d) can prevent the fall in serum T₃ and particularly the rise in serum rT₃ concentration induced by CR. Carbohydrate intake in our CR subjects was approximately 250 g/d, which may have contributed to their normal serum rT₃concentrations. Therefore, our findings provide evidence that long-term CR in sedentary lean, weight-stable subjects causes similar but persistent changes in thyroid hormones as previously reported during short-term fasting or CR in obese subjects who were continuing to experience active diet-induced weight loss.

Patients who have the sick euthyroid syndrome also have low serum T₃ concentrations (12). However, these patients have systemic nonthyroidal illnesses, such as cancer, myocardial infarction, severe infections, and major injuries (6, 12). Therefore, it is likely that inflammation, rather than decreased calorie intake, is responsible for the reduction in serum T₃ concentrations in patients with sick euthyroid syndrome (13). In fact, infusion of proinflammatory cytokines in human subjects decreases serum T₃ concentration (14, 15). Moreover, the decline in serum T₃ concentration induced by illness is blunted in IL-6 knockout mice, which supports the notion that cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of the sick euthyroid syndrome (16). The mechanism responsible for this response is probably related to a cytokine-induced reduction in type I iodothyronine-5′-monodeiodinase expression, which results in decreased conversion of T₄ to T₃ in extrathyroidal tissues and decreased serum T₃ concentrations (6, 13, 14, 15, 16). In contrast, low serum T₃ concentration was not associated with an increase in inflammatory cytokines in our CR subjects. In fact, markers of systemic inflammation, serum CRP and TNFα concentrations, were low in our CR subjects. These findings are consistent with data from CR studies conducted in rodents and monkeys, which showed that CR caused a marked decrease in markers of inflammation and a reduction in serum T₃ concentration (7, 8, 17, 18). The combination of decreased serum T₃ and reduced systemic inflammation could alter the aging process by reducing metabolic rate, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation (1, 19, 20).

2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3702673

In this study, the low carb participants lost significantly more weight than the high carb participants even though all particiants were consuming a 1,000 calorie diet.  Serum T3 decreased more in the low carb group than in the high carb group, but the low carb group still lost the most weight.  Serum T3 and serum rT3 also returned to baseline following one week of the diet.

Twelve obese women were studied to determine the effects of the combination of an aerobic exercise program with either a high carbohydrate (HC) very-low-caloric diet (VLCD) or a low carbohydrate (LC) VLCD diet on resting metabolic rate (RMR), serum thyroxine (T4), 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3), and 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (rT3). The response of these parameters was also examined when subjects switched from the VLCD to a mixed hypocaloric diet. Following a maintenance period, subjects consumed one of the two VLCDs for 28 days. In addition, all subjects participated in thrice weekly submaximal exercise sessions at 60% of maximal aerobic capacity. Following VLCD treatments, participants consumed a 1,000 kcal mixed diet while continuing the exercise program for one week. Measurements of RMR, T4, T3, and rT3 were made weekly. Weight decreased significantly more for LC than HC. Serum T4 was not significantly affected during the VLCD. Although serum T3 decreased during the VLCD for both groups, the decrease occurred faster and to a greater magnitude in LC (34.6% mean decrease) than HC (17.9% mean decrease). Serum rT3 increased similarly for each treatment by the first week of the VLCD. Serum T3 and rT3 of both groups returned to baseline concentrations following one week of the 1,000 kcal diet. Both groups exhibited similar progressive decreases in RMR during treatment (12.4% for LC and 20.8% for HC), but values were not significantly lower than baseline until week 3 of the VLCD. Thus, although dietary carbohydrate content had an influence on the magnitude of fall in serum T3, RMR declined similarly for both dietary treatments.

3. http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/42/1/197.abstract?ijkey=50812b0d7f50c91cab21125195bd842445b3df05&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

In this study, the subjects consumed only 800 calories per day during the non-fasting period of the study.  Those consuming ZERO carbohydrates did show a decline in T3 hormone, but no increase in rT3.  Those consuming 50 grams of carbohydrates per day did not show a decline in T3 or increase in rT3.

To evaluate the effect of caloric restriction and dietary composition on circulating T₃ and rT₃, obese subjects were studied after 7–18 days of total fasting and while on randomized hypocaloric diets (800 kcal) in which carbohydrate content was varied to provide from 0 to 100% calories. As anticipated, total fasting resulted in a 53% reduction in serum T₃ in association with a reciprocal 58% increase in rT₃. Subjects receiving the no-carbohydrate hypocaloric diets for two weeks demonstrated a similar 47% decline in serum T₃ but there was no significant change in rT₃ with time. In contrast, the same subjects receiving isocaloric diets containing at least 50 g of carbohydrate showed no significant changes in either T₃ or rT₃ concentration. The decline in serum T₃ during the no-carbohydrate diet correlated significantly with blood glucose and ketones but there was no correlation with insulin or glucagon. We conclude that dietary carbohydrate is an important regulatory factor in T₃ production in man. In contrast, rT₃, concentration is not significantly affected by changes in dietary carbohydrate. Our data suggest that the rise in serum rT₃ during starvation may be related to more severe caloric restriction than that caused by the 800 kcal diet. 

I think the main thing that people want to know is if a low carb diet will cause thyroid problems for them, and if adding carbohydrates to a low carb diet will assist in weight loss.  Based on the studies and based on what I have seen clinically, a zero carb diet may be problematic for many reasons besides just a decrease in thyroid hormone.  A low carb diet containing at least 50 grams of carbs per day might reduce serum T3 for about a week, but over the long-term it will probably not affect T3 or rT3 to the point of hindering weight loss or sense of well-being.  If a person does experience a reduction in T3 and a rise in rT3 while consuming a low carb diet, it would be a good idea to investigate whether it is chronic inflammation — rather than the diet — that is causing the altered thyroid hormones. 

Have you ever experienced steady progress or growth in an area of your life only to see the “progress” come to a screeching halt?  If you’re like me, you most likely have experienced this in many different areas of your life at one time or another.  It’s as if you’re traveling on an unimpeded highway, reaching various destinations along the path, stopping for a while to explore, then moving right along to see what’s ahead, and suddenly finding the road blocked by a concrete wall that you can neither climb over nor go around.  The only way to progress is to break through the concrete!  My guess is that some people may stand behind this concrete wall for months, years, or even a lifetime, because when we hit the wall, we can’t see a way around it based on our current perspective.

In order to break through the concrete and continue to grow in any area of your life, you may need to let go of old “things” that are denying you of your own power to chisel through the wall.  This may mean letting go of old habits, beliefs, behaviors, material goods, physical toxins, or relationships that don’t serve you.

Over the past three months, I’ve had to let go of fake friends.  I’ve had to change up my daily routine, establish new habits, and develop a new vision statement.  By taking these actions which pulled me out of my comfort zone, my body broke through physical “concrete” and opened up to two new backbending poses that I had never even thought would ever be possible for me. 

The point is that whenever your personal growth and progress come to a halt, you must let go of something in order to proceed.  If you don’t clear the clutter yourself, something will likely happen in your life that will shake things up a bit until you learn to let go of those relationships, habits, beliefs, or material objects that are keeping you from realizing what you are truly capable of.  No one and nothing can hold you back if you refuse to make them a part of your life.

In Chinese Medicine theory, when you hit a wall or a plateau in any area of your life (including healing), this is a symptom of “qi stagnation.”  If qi (commonly translated as energy, though there is no exact synonym in the English language) becomes stagnant, it can physically manifest as pain, discomfort, menstrual irregularities, irritable bowel syndrome, or lethargy.  If it remains stagnant for a long period of time, it can transform into “blood stagnation,” which can physically manifest as heart disease, cancer, endometriosis, infertility, Alzheimer’s disease, fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, or any kind of chronic pain. 

The Chinese Herbal Medicine way to address qi stagnation is to use qi moving foods, herbs, and movement exercises to unblock the qi.  For blood stagnation, very potent blood moving herbs are used.  Moving the stagnation on the physical level can help you break through stagnation in other areas of your life such as your career, relationships, financial situation, or faith.

Likewise, changing some situation in your life such as starting a new career, renewing your faith in God, letting go of toxic people in your life, or manifesting change in your finances (setting a budget, paying off debt, donating money to charity, etc.), can help you break through physical stagnation in your body (stalled weight loss, health challenges, slowed athletic progress, injuries, etc.).

One way to move qi stagnation on the physical level is to do a cleanse that will assist your body in detoxifying from a variety of chemicals including Bisphenol A and phthalates(found in plastic), polychlorinated biphenyls (a banned substance used in oils, adhesives, and paints), insecticides, herbicides, mycotoxins, obesogens, and other substances you come into contact with every day.  These substances get stored in your fat cells when your body’s natural detoxification methods gets overwhelmed by the amount of chemicals you encounter.  When toxins that you have been storing for years finally get released from your fat cells and eliminated through your sweat, stool, and urine, physical stagnation is cleared and oftentimes long-term health conditions also get released.  The cleanse that I recommend is a combination of six products described here: http://www.paleocleanse.net/21-day-detox-and-cleansing-program/.  The products taste good and are loaded with whole foods nutrition to keep you from feeling hungry.  They assist in detoxification by providing massive amounts of nutrients that support all three phases of detoxification involving the liver and kidneys.

This month I have gotten a huge number of questions from facebook friends and likers of the page, as well as from coaching clients.  It seems as though many are confused about my stance on particular health topics, so I want to clear up any of the confusion here in case you also had some of the same questions about previous blog entries or anything I’ve said via social media.

Question #1: Why don’t I advocate vitamin D supplementation?
Answer: I do advocate vitamin D supplementation through natural food sources such as cod liver oil, organ meats, and grass-fed dairy products (unpasteurized if available).  In the summertime, your body may produce adequate amounts of vitamin D if you spend quite a lot of time in the sun without sunscreen, but most people still need to supplement natural vitamin production with vitamin-D rich foods.  Instead of blocking healthy sunlight with toxic sunscreens that can lead to skin cancer and other types of cancer, taking 4 – 8 mg of astaxanthin daily can also help protect your skin from sun damage without blocking vitamin D production.  Vitamin D pills are typically synthetic vitamin D, and no one really knows how your body may react to long-term usages of synthetic hormone precursors such as synthetic vitamin D.

Question #2: Why don’t I advocate folic acid supplementation even for pregnant women?
Answer: Similar to my stance on vitamin D, I do not advocate folic acid supplementation because folic acid is a synthetic ingredient that may raise your risk of developing various types of cancer.  However, I do advocate supplementation with folate, which is a natural vitamin found in foods such as leafy greens, eggs, and liver.  While most nutritional supplements are still formulated with synthetic folic acid because it is cheaper and easier to obtain, the Designs for Health line of products including PaleoMeal and PaleoCleanse are formulated with natural food-based folate, which is known to prevent cancer rather than cause it.

Question #3: Aren’t I aware that a high protein diet can cause osteoporosis and kidney damage, and that meat (especially meats high in saturated fat) causes cancer and heart disease?

Answer: First of all, I do not advocate a high protein diet, Atkins Diet, or Dukane Diet.  These are dangerous fad diets that cannot be sustained over the long term or else you may run into problems from a lack of antioxidant-rich vegetables and fiber in your diet.  However, there is plenty of evidence that suggests that animal protein does not leech calcium from bones or contribute to osteoporosis.  In fact, animal protein may prevent osteoporosis, while plant-based protein can contribute to reduced bone density.  Saturated fat coming from animal sources such as butter, tallow, and lard has never been found to contribute to heart disease or cancer.  Dairy fat is even known to be protective against metabolic syndrome.  Numerous studies have found an association between high intake of red meat and increased incidence of disease and premature death, but this is because people who eat a large amount of red meat typically also eat too much food in general and are overweight, sedentary, and smokers and/or alcoholics.  People who lead a healthy lifestyle tend to avoid red meat simply because they’ve been told by the TV and by the doctor that it’s unhealthy.  Therefore, people who eat less red meat tend to live longer, happier lives than those who eat several servings of red meat per day.

That’s it for now.  I don’t want to bore you!  If you do have any questions for me to answer here, just leave a comment below.  Thanks!

P.S. Don’t forget the 21-Day PaleoCleanse starts April 1!  Will you be joining me and the rest of the group in a bi-annual cleanse of all the toxic pollution that we breath in everyday from car exhaust, jet fuel, smog, herbicides, VOCs, PCBs, and whatever else they’re spraying in the sky?

Get 10% off all the PaleoCleanseproducts with discount code 10 when you place your order BEFORE April 1.

Let’s face it.  We’re living in a toxic world.  Every day we take in PCBs, insecticides, VOCs, ozone particles, car exhaust, and other pollutants in through our lungs, skin, and in our food and water.  Our bodies have built-in detoxification mechanisms, but they aren’t meant to deal with the large amount of toxins we encounter in our modern world on a daily basis.  We can do our best to minimize toxins such as eating organic foods, drinking reverse osmosis or distilled water (and then adding the minerals and electrolytes back in before drinking it), using non-toxic cleaning products, avoiding cosmetics and shampoos that are made with petroleum and other chemicals, using a water filter in the shower, or pretty much just living in a bubble! Obviously we can’t avoid all the toxins if we are to live a halfway normal and sane life!

When our natural detoxification methods become overwhelmed with too many toxins, we can experience ill health — everything from sluggish thyroid function to skin problems, lack of energy, weight loss resistance, post-nasal drip, headaches, and muscle soreness to mental fatigue, brain fog, and moodiness.  I recommend doing a full body detox at least every 6 months (every 4 months if you live in a heavily polluted area or suffer from some kind of chronic health problem) to assist your body in getting rid of toxins.  One of the best detox regimens I have found so far is the PaleoCleanse made by a company called Designs for Health.

I’m going to do a 21-day detox with PaleoCleanse starting April 1st and I would love to have you join me.  There will be a private facebook support group specifically for people who are doing the cleanse.  Being able to participate in an online forum helps keep you accountable and motivated to complete the entire 21-day cleanse.

Please note that this is not a fad diet such as Master Cleanse, which can be dangerous and doesn’t really even support your body’s detoxification mechanisms.  Making yourself have violent diarrhea (drinking cayenne pepper lemonade on an empty stomach tends to do that) and starving yourself is NOT a method of detoxification!  It’s called an eating disorder!

The PaleoCleanse is jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and important co-factors needed for detoxification.  You will be able to work, play, exercise, and carry out your usual daily activities without feeling like poo.  You might even experience A LOT more energy than you normally do, especially during weeks 2 and 3 as well as AFTER you complete the 21 days.

For more details on PaleoCleanse, read this post.

Do it!

Our bodies detox continuously as a natural function. It’s only when our detox mechanisms become overloaded that the process becomes less efficient and symptoms may occur.  Some of the first symptoms of an overwhelmed detoxification system can include sore muscles, tiredness or sluggishness, weight gain, difficulty sleeping, constipation, post-nasal drip, or skin problems.

Toxins may be internal (endogenous) or external (exogenous) in origin. Pollution or pesticides in our food source put undue stress on our detox organs, the kidneys and liver. Improper digestion and imbalanced gut ecology provide internal forms of toxins in the way of metabolic by-products stemming from certain bacteria which have toxic side effects and therefore impact negatively on overall health by compromising detox pathways.

It has been suggested that toxic overload contributes to more serious conditions such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory/rheumatoid arthritis and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The goal of an effective detoxification method is to gently and slowly cleanse your body of toxins that add an extra burden so serious diseases like these can be avoided. This program should turn your liver into a healthy, cleansing machine.

Symptoms which may be relieved by following an effective detox program include:

Digestive problems

Bad breath
Fatigue

Irritability
General malaise

Constipation
Headaches

Itchy skin
Skin rashes

Joint pain
Weight loss resistance

Poor concentration

What a carefully planned detoxification program can offer you:

Anti-aging effects

Clearer skin and eyes
Increased productivity

Greater motivation
Weight loss and creativity
Reduction of allergic symptoms

Mental Detoxification:
The cleansing of our mind of negative thought patterns is essential to health and physical detoxification and can aid in this process. Emotionally, detoxification helps us uncover and express hidden frustrations, anger, resentments and fear and replace them with forgiveness, love, joy and hope.

Nutritional Supplements for Gentle Cleansing/Detox
To stimulate an effective detoxification process that will leave you feeling vibrant and energized instead of deprived and depleted, I recommend the use of the following nutritional supplements:

Detoxification Support Packets
We are being inundated with toxins on a daily basis. Our ability to handle these toxins is dependent on our body’s ability to detoxify them. Cleaning up our diet is a great first step. Less toxins going in means less toxins that have to come out. The following supplements are crucial for preventing toxins from getting partially detoxified into more harmful compounds and then being dumped back into the bloodstream. Therefore, these packets are just as important to the success of this cleanse as is the dietary changes. Each packet contains:
• Detox Antiox (1) (antioxidants to protect the cells from toxins)
• LV-GB Complex (1) (liver/gallbladder support)
• Amino-D-Tox (3) (prevents toxins from getting stuck in the body)
Dose: Take 2 packets daily (1 am packet and 1 pm packet).

PaleoCleanse
A comprehensive functional food powder that is the backbone of support for the detoxification program. PaleoCleanse is available in either a plant derived base of pea protein isolate, or in a whey protein base for those who can tolerate dairy. Its nutrients and herbs fuel detoxification pathways and promote liver function. PaleoCleanse also contains a full multivitamin/mineral and antioxidant complex.
Dose: Titrated up and down to a maximum of 2 scoops 3 times a day.

PaleoMeal
A complete protein powder used as a meal replacement. The nutrient combination in PaleoMeal is ideal for use within a detoxification program. It provides protein and minerals that are in greater demand while one is detoxifying, and helps to prevent muscle loss. It comes as either a whey (dairy) or or a dairy free version made with Peatein,TM a natural food-grade pea protein concentrate.
Dose: 1 scoop per meal, as desired for meal replacement.
Dairy-free PaleoMeal dose is 2 scoops per serving.

PaleoFiber
This blend of soluble and insoluble fibers from nature will aid regularity as well as move toxins out of the gastrointestinal tract quickly.
Dose: 1 Tbs per day in water or with PaleoCleanse.

PaleoGreens & PaleoReds
  PaleoGreens and PaleoReds are combination of vegetable, fruit and berries high in antioxidants and polyphenols to help prevent disease processes caused by oxidation and inflammation.

5 Fun & Easy Tips for Enhancing the Detox

Drink 1 liter of hot water with apple cider vinegar (about 2 teaspoonfuls), lemon juice (from one whole lemon), and stevia (to taste) first thing upon waking (on an empty stomach).  You will be amazed by how much this one simple strategy will improve your day and your overall well-being.

Use a ‘skin brush‘ to massage your entire body before getting into the shower. Use a circular motion and work towards the heart. Then shower or bathe. This facilitates circulation and toxic elimination through the skin.
Take a warm bath with Epsom salt added to soothe, relax and detox. Additionally you may rub on the salt with a warm, wet washcloth in bath or shower-very invigorating.

Jump on a rebounder (mini trampoline) for 3-5 minutes at a time. This shakes up your whole body and is particularly useful for stimulating your lymph drainage system, thereby moving those toxins OUT!
Try your own ‘hydrotherapy’ in the shower by alternating hot/cold. This stimulates circulation and your immune system. You can also do a sauna/cold shower/sauna etc., if you belong to a gym. This is not for the faint of heart! You’ll feel like a million bucks when you’re done. Of course, just a sauna and a shower are beneficial as well.

Detox Program Guidelines

Follow these guidelines THROUGHOUT the 21 Day Detoxification Program (including precleanse week):

•   Drink one ounce per pound of body weight of purified water each and every day for the entire 21 day program.  Remember to not use tap water that has been chlorinated or medicated with fluoride.
  

•   Take two Detoxification Support Packets each day, one first thing in the morning and one before bed at night.

• Eliminate sugars, desserts & artificial sweeteners. Natural low-impact sweeteners, such as stevia & polyols
  

xylitol & erythritol) are allowed.  Remember to avoid agave nectar.

•   Eliminate dairy products such as milk, cheese and ice cream. If you feel healthier when you consume some dairy, you may use organic, unsweetened, live culture yogurt and low-heat-processed whey protein products.  If you have access to raw dairy, this is recommended over pasteurized dairy.

•   Eliminate gluten by avoiding foods which contain wheat, oats, rye, spelt, kamut, bulgur, couscous, and barley, as well as seitan and other “faux” meat products.  Just one bite of gluten is enough to off-set the detoxification process and provoke symptoms.
  

  Remember to avoid pastas, bread, crackers, cereals, and other products made from grains.  Quinoa, buckwheat, and rice are okay to consume on a limited basis.

•   Choose lean, clean quality protein. Organic/grass fed meat & poultry are allowed. Cold water fish (preferably wild instead of farm-raised) is acceptable.

•   Eliminate all alcohol and caffeine-containing beverages including coffee, tea and soda.

]]> http://www.holisticchineseherbs.com/uncategorized/spring-detox-for-a-better-mind-body/feed/ 0 http://www.holisticchineseherbs.com/weston-price-2/the-1-cause-of-allergys-headaches-thyroid-dysfunction-depression-heart-disease-osteoporosis-and-more/ http://www.holisticchineseherbs.com/weston-price-2/the-1-cause-of-allergys-headaches-thyroid-dysfunction-depression-heart-disease-osteoporosis-and-more/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:06:52 +0000 Jamie http://www.holisticchineseherbs.com/?p=4281

About nine years ago when I was in graduate school, I came across some information that completely changed my life and the state of my health.  After having dealt with asthma, allergies, headaches, tiredness, poor athletic abilities and inability to build lean muscle, dry skin, and other seemingly “minor” problems that I thought were just “normal,” I discovered the underlying cause of all these problems and was able to completely eliminate them.  Without all the encumbrances, I literally feel like a different person in a different body.  Oftentimes when I recommend that somebody make the simple change that I made so they can release their chronic health problems, enhance their athletic and cognitive performance, feel happier, look better, and prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and osteoporosis, they look at me like I’m a 3-headed purple unicorn.

Why?  Because the solution involves a specific dietary change that you have to adhere to for the rest of your life.  This might seem like an impossible task, but once you get started and begin feeling better you realize there is so much more to life than eating the foods that make you sick.  Through this one simple change, you discover HUNDREDS of great-tasting foods that enhance your health rather than deplete it.  And you meet new people and make new friends who share a similar healing path as yours.  To learn more about this entirely new way of living, eating, and feeling absolutely amazing 24/7/365, check this out.

Some of my favorite herbs for people who love to work hard and play harder:

Ashwagandha (for balancing adrenal and thyroid hormones)

Shilajit(the conqueror of mountains and destroyer of all weakness)

Curing Formula (antidote for food poisoning, travel woes, and cruise ship pandemics)

Coffeeberry(keeps the fat goblins away when you’ve overindulged in the chocolate cake)

Focus Fizz (for producing laser focus to get stuff done fast and efficiently)

]]> http://www.holisticchineseherbs.com/weston-price-2/the-1-cause-of-allergys-headaches-thyroid-dysfunction-depression-heart-disease-osteoporosis-and-more/feed/ 0 http://www.holisticchineseherbs.com/weston-price-2/the-problem-with-folic-acid-supplements-and-why-you-should-avoid-fortified-foods/ http://www.holisticchineseherbs.com/weston-price-2/the-problem-with-folic-acid-supplements-and-why-you-should-avoid-fortified-foods/#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:16:52 +0000 Jamie http://www.holisticchineseherbs.com/?p=4269

A few years ago, folic acid was in the news for potentially increasing your risk of breast cancer as well as a variety of others cancers.  And most recently, multivitamins were linked to an increase in mortality from all causes.  While correlation doesn’t equal causation, these findings do present some concerns over vitamin supplementation.  My goal in this post is not to present you with a doctoral dissertation about the usage of vitamin supplements, but rather to give you a brief explanation about how folic acid (and any mutlivitamins or fortified foods containing it) can raise your risk of developing some serious health problems.

I want to cut right to the chase here and tell you that your body has no requirement for folic acid, nor does it even recognize what to do with it.  This is because folic acid is a synthetic compound that was first isolated in 1943; its use in food fortification and vitamin supplementation began in 1998.  Folate, on the other hand, is an essential B vitamin found in moderate amounts in dark green leafy vegetables, liver, dairy products, eggs, and orange juice.  Deficiencies in folate can cause high levels of homocysteine, which is associated with heart disease.  During pregnancy, a lack of adequate amounts of folate in the diet can lead to neural tube defects and cleft palate in the developing fetus.

Because folic acid (the synthetic compound pteroylmonoglutamic acid) is cheap in comparison to actual folate (tetrahydrofolate) derived from food sources, nearly all supplement and food manufacturers use synthetic folic acid in their products instead of the natural foods-based folate.  This is a problem because the human body often fails to metabolize synthetic folic acid, causing a buildup of folic acid in the circulatory system, even at dosages less than 400 mcg (100% of the RDA).  This is a huge science experiment because we don’t quite know what all the repercussions of this include, but we are fairly certain that a buildup of unmetabolized folic acid does promote the growth of cancers.

Since you definitely do need adequate amounts of folate in your diet to prevent problems such as birth defects, cognitive decline, periodontal disease, heart disease, depression, sleep disorders, and cancer, it would be a great idea to include folate-rich foods in your diet on a daily basis.  You can obtain the RDA of folate by consuming 7 cups of romaine lettuce, 2 cups of cooked spinach, 4 ounces of calf’s liver, just over a cup of lentils, ten medium-sized oranges, or about 3.5 cups of beets each day.  Unless you are regularly juicing abundant amounts of leafy greens, beets, and/or oranges each day, or consuming either a cup of lentils or 4 ounces of liver on non-juicing days, you’re probably running low on folate.

Because of a mild to moderate folate deficiency, you might have elevated homocysteine (which doesn’t produce any symptoms but can raise your risk of developing heart disease), low energy levels, a failing memory, or an increased susceptibility to cancer.  These are things that can largely go unnoticed for months or even years, until you’re suddenly diagnoses with a disease.  For this reason, supplementation with natural folate might be a smart idea.  By supplementing with the natural form of folate found in food, you can avoid the problems that can occur when you supplement with synthetic folic acid.

There are only a few companies that use natural foods-based folate in their formularies, mainly because synthetic folic acid is cheaper and partly because few consumers really know the difference between folic acid (synthetic) and folate (natural).  One foods-based multivitamin that I really like and find to be a safe, effective, high quality formulation is the Designs for Health Multi with Copper (see below).  Besides the fact that the nutrients in this supplement are foods based, rather than synthetic, the company also includes both vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 in this multi, which is rare to find.  (I have written about the benefits of vitamin K2 in the past, and how it serves a different purpose in the body than vitamin K1.  Namely, it prevents calcification of the arteries and joints, while halting loss of calcium from bones.)  Scroll down to the bottom of this post for more information on the Designs For Health Multi.

Another good supplement that provides a variety of B vitamins, including folate, is a grass-fed whey protein powder called PaleoMeal.  It comes in several flavors that taste really good, and I like to use PaleoMeal when I can’t always obtain raw milk for breakfast.  I just mix it with ice, frozen berries, a raw egg, sea salt, and about a tablespoon of coconut oil, and then make it into a smoothie using a cheap blender from Target.

Click Here to Purchase Yours Today!

DFH Complete Multi with Copper 180 vcaps
Dietary Supplement
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 6 Capsules
Servings per Container: 30
Amount per Serving
Vitamin A (as mixed carotenoids from palm tree fruit) 7142 IU
Alpha Carotene 24 mg
Beta Carotene 70 mg
Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 600 mg
Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol) 1000 IU
Vitamin E (total natural tocopherols) 300 mg
as d-gamma 205 mg
as d-delta 60 mg
as d-alpha 25 mg/37.5 IU
as d-beta 10 mg
Vitamin K 550 mcg
(as vitamin K1-phytonadione 500 mcg; vitamin k2-menaquinone-7 50 mcg)
Thiamin (Vitamin B-1)(as thiamine HCl) 75 mg
Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2) 75 mg
Niacin (Vitamin B-3)(as niacinamide) 75 mg
Vitamin B-6 (as pyridoxine HCl) 50 mg
Folate (NatureFolate blend) 400 mcg
Vitamin B-12 (as methylcobalamin) 500 mcg
Biotin (as d-biotin) 500 mcg
Pantothenic Acid (as d-calcium pantothenate) 250 mg
Calcium (TRAACS calcium glycinate chelate) 100 mg
Iodine (as potassium iodide) 200 mcg
Magnesium 200 mg
(TRAACS magnesium glycinate chelate buffered)
Zinc 25 mg
(TRAACS zinc glycinate chelate)
Selenium (as selenium glycinate complex) 250 mcg
Copper (as TRAACS copper glycinate chelate) 2 mg
Manganese 1 mg
(as TRAACS manganese glycinate chelate)
Chromium 200 mcg
(as TRAACS chromium nicotinate glycinate chelate)
Molybdenum 100 mcg
(as TRAACS molybenum glycinate complex)
Potassium 100 mg
(as potassium glycinate complex)
Trimethylglycine 200 mg
Choline (as citrate) 100 mg
Inositol 100 mg
Quercetin DiHydrate 25 mg
Rutin 25 mg
Alpha Lipoic Acid 10 mg
Hesperidin 10 mg
Boron (as boroganic glycine) 2 mg
Vanadium 100 mcg
(as TRAACS vanadium nicotinate glycinate chelate)
Other Ingredients: Vegetable stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide.
Recommended Use: As a dietary supplement, take six capsules daily, two with each meal, or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.