Life Challenges Bring Clarity

I woke up in a bit of a fog this morning.  I was not sure why but decided to go on a walk and clear my head.

Life throws us challenges which can turn the course of our lives.  That is what happened to me 8 years ago today.  January 14, 2003 I was riding my bike and got hit by a car.  The vapor cleared and I remembered.  At 8 am I was laying on a gurney at UCLA and now I was walking in the sunshine.

Usually I remember a week or two before or a few days ahead.  Last year I woke up in the middle of the night in a dream remembering the incident.  This time I remembered today showing how time can heal. 

However, this blog is not about the past but what the experience did for me.  First of all, I would not take it back.  Why?  I learned about real emotional and physical pain in a way that I could never have otherwise. I know what it feels like to be traumatized, how to work through the physical and emotional trauma, and help others.  I can now sit with clients and friends and hold the pain with them - something I did not know that much about before.

What life challenges helped you become the person you were meant to be?  Have you been diagnosed with diabetes, cancer or had an accident or death of a loved one?  These occurrences are never expected or welcome and come at inopportune times, interrupting the flow of our lives.  Or do they?

I was a bit of a workaholic trying to save the health of the world without really balancing mine.  My AA clients taught me an expression:  “God does for you what you cannot do for yourself.”  Through the accident I learned more balance in work and home life, to take more breaks, to experience friends and nature.  I learned what really matters most, who my friends were, and to do what makes me happy versus what I “have to do.”

A life challenge can put you in a fog for a while but when the haze clears ask yourself what’s important?  Is your “to do” list really necessary?  Who do you want to spend your time with?  What will really matter in the end?  Is there something you’re meant to do to help the human race?  Being on this planet is not a mistake.  The pain of the interruption may reset your life course to an unexpected journey of health and new life.

Should you be concerned about Vitamin D?

In a word – YES.  Vitamin D may be the new buzz but for good reasons.  Not only is Vitamin D necessary for your bones but low levels are now linked to increased risk of autoimmune diseases, diabetes, heart disease, mood disorders and even the common cold.

How can Vitamin D influence so many things?  For starters, every cell in the body has a Vitamin D receptor and it is thought about 2000 genes are regulated by Vitamin D.  Vitamin D is actually a hormone rather than a vitamin and has more important functions than scientists ever imagined.

According to biochemist and endocrinologist Michael Holick, M.D., Ph.D., author of The Vitamin D Solution, the average levels measured ranged from 22-28 ng/ml.  Although the cutoff for normal is 30-35 most researchers state optimal levels should be over 60 ng/ml.

Higher levels of Vitamin D have been linked with 60% reduction in cancer, and 50% reduction in getting a cold or the flu.  76% of pregnant and lactating women who were taking a prenatal vitamin and drinking 2 glasses of milk per day were vitamin D deficient and 81% of their newborns at birth.  This scenario makes rickets a comeback, something we want to keep as history only.

What is the best strategy for achieving optimal Vitamin D levels? 

• Have your physician check your Vitamin D levels
• Take a minimum of 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day
• If your levels are below 45 increase your supplement by 1000 IU for every 6 points you need to raise it
• Monitor your levels yearly as they change depending on your circumstances

Even if you are in the sun chances are you are not getting enough Vitamin D.  In addition, the darker your color of skin the more risk you are at for deficiency since your skin blocks the absorption - raising your risk of medical issues.

Take home message – Vitamin D for health.  Your life may depend on it.

Green Tea and Me

If you had asked me 2 months ago if I drink green tea I would have replied:  I only drink black tea and avidly drink a pot a day.  Although I know green tea was better for your health, it was not as appealing to me.

All that changed recently when I got a bad allergy attack with sinus issues.  For some odd reason my black tea did not interest me.  We had a few packets of green tea from the Naturals Food Expo so I tried them and felt better.  In fact, I felt so much better I went out and bought a few boxes of green tea and haven’t looked back.

What are the studies showing regarding green tea?  It contains important polyphenols called Catechins.  Polyphenols are antioxidants that are known for reducing heart disease and cancer since they can lower cholesterol levels and inflammation in the body.

Green tea also contains a bonus polyphenol called EGCG which has been associated with reduced risk of prostate, stomach and colon cancer.

A few studies show a slightly elevated metabolism from drinking green tea although this benefit is still under investigation and questionable.  I’m not questioning the studies since my clothes are fitting looser.

This week I posed the question on twitter:  what is your favorite green tea? Of all 730 people I received one response- proof that not many people are drinking it.

So far the brands I preferred are Tazo Zen, Allegro Organic Decaf and Pomegranate and Matcha green tea which is supposedly the cream of the crop type in Japan and considerably more expensive.  A usual box of green tea is 3-5 dollars and the Matcha was 20 dollars although it came it a beautiful tin and I savored each cup.

Give green tea a try – hopefully you won’t have to be sick to be willing.  The benefits are compelling.  And if you want a few months of black tea give me a call – I have a stock of it I won’t be consuming anytime soon.

An Omega 3 per day Keeps the Doctor Away: Will Omega 3 or Omega 6 Fats Win the Race in your Body?

What would you do if there was a supplement or food that could lower all forms of inflammation in your body, decrease risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke, and make you smarter?

That supplement/food is omega 3 fats.  Omega 3 fats came into fashion a few years back, but many did not realize its critical significance for health and longevity.

Lowering Inflammation

Omega 3 fats lower inflammation in the body, and omega 6 fats increase inflammation.  When animals eat grass, we receive omega 3 fats as a result of consuming them, and when they eat corn or grains we receive omega 6 fats.

Since omega 3 and omega 6 fats compete for first line in the body, whichever is more prevalent will win the race.

The 3 omega’s are ALA, DHA, and EPA.  DHA is essential in brain development.  It also can lower cortisol and stress levels in the body. 

ALA is found in ground flax seed and is important for hormone stabilization.  Studies show the lignan found in flax seeds rids the body of bad hormones which can lead to cancer.

EPA can lower risk of disease states including diabetes and heart disease.  It is imperative to get three omega’s to have the most benefit in the body.

Studies show omega 3 fats:

Lower depression
Increase IQ in children whose mother’s took omega 3’s during pregnancy
Lower violence in general
Lower risk of autoimmune diseases
Lower insulin resistance, heart disease and diabetes

The list of positives is fairly long.  If you go to the search engine pubmed which shows abstracts of major studies, and type in omega 3’s, you’ll find at least 20,000 studies in their database.

Are we getting enough omega 3’s?  100 years ago we did not have to worry about getting enough omega 3’s.  Our animals ate grass and pre-packaged processed foods did not exist.

In the last few decades our government and control of farms geared our food supply away from the natural way animals ate, which increased our intake of omega 6 fats.

In addition, the food supply is filled with soybean and cottonseed oils, omega 6 “seed oils” that require industrial processes to extract the oils, and did not exist 100 years ago.

The hard drive of your body starts in the brain – the way you walk, move, hormone function, etc.  If the brain does not get the food it needs, these systems can become compromised.

What can you do for the Omega 3 fats to win the Race in your body?

1. Eat grass-fed beef, pastured poultry and eggs
2. Eat Wild Fish a few times a week
3. Avoid prepackaged processed foods
4. Use at least 1 tablespoon per day of ground flax seed
5. Take an omega 3 supplement with at least 500 mg. each of DHA and EPA
   
6. Use an oil high in omega 3’s such as extra-virgin olive oil and lower intake of omega 6 oils such as soybean, cottonseed, corn, vegetable, safflower, and sunflower

Your brain and body will thank you and you’ll spend less time visiting your doctor.  Maybe the old adage should say “an Omega 3 per day keeps the doctor away."

What about Omega 3 Supplements?

Omegas 3’s have made it into the mainstream of lifestyle importance.  Until about four years ago I recommended omega 3’s to only those with heart disease.  Research exploded exponentially linking increased intake of omega 3’s to lowered risk of not only heart disease, but other types of inflammation such as arthritis, insulin resistance, diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, hormonal disorders, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition, the fish oil/flax seed combination is helpful for symptoms associated with PMS, menopause, and hormone stabilization in general.  ADD and ADHD can also be helped.

How can one simple thing help so many medical problems?  Feeding your body starts with adequate food for your brain.  Since a large percentage of your brain is fat, feeding and lubricating the brain with enough fat can restore the rest of the systems in your body to balance.

The 3 Omegas

There are 3 types of omega 3 fats:  ALA, DHA and EPA. 

Ground Flax Seed

ALA is found in the highest concentration in ground flax seed.  One tablespoon per day meets your needs.  I like Spectrum brand since it has a nice taste.  Put it on your morning yogurt or cottage cheese.  The flax seed has to be ground in order to obtain the ALA.  Otherwise, it goes through your system as fiber.

Fish Oil

Fish oil contains the remaining 2 omega 3’s:  DHA and EPA.  What type of fish oil is best?  Many times the brand of a supplement is not all that significant.  However, with fish oil it IS important.  Proper storage and quality brands are important for freshness, avoiding rancidity and avoidance of PCB’s.  Several brands were sued in the last few months due to PCB’s.

The brand of fish oil I usually recommend is Carlson.  A recent study showed higher amounts of omega 3’s greatly lowered many health risks.  Therefore, having at least 1000 mg. of both DHA and EPA is recommended.

Since a typical gel capsule contains only 200-300 mg. of each it requires taking at least 5 capsules per day.  One teaspoon of the Carlson Lemon Fish oil contains 800 mg. of EPA and 500 mg. of DHA.  Taking one tablespoon is sufficient for the day.  It tastes like lemon oil and has the highest level of absorption.

One tablespoon per day each of ground flax seed and fish oil and less risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s?  It’s a slam dunk to me.