Recent lectures and reading that I have done point to statistics that cognitive decline is on the rise and surpassing other ailments in costs and concern over the utilization of resources in the future. The brain and the nervous system once damaged is hard to treat and return to normal, and studies are showing that development of these structures in the womb is influenced by nutritional factors that will set the course for the individual’s life. Never has it been truer as wisely stated by Ben Franklin in his Poor Richard’s Almanac that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Researchers are putting more attention on diet and how it influences health as well as expression of good genes and bad genes. It is showing more and support that you are what you eat. There are studies that are showing that the highest carbohydrate diet is linked to a 90% increased risk in dementia and the highest fat diet is linked to a 44% decreased risk in dementia. A recent study looking at 3 groups of diets, the first allowing people to eat anything they wanted, the second eating a Mediterranean diet high in lean meats, vegetables, fruits, olive oil, and the third group eating a Mediterranean diet plus extra good fats, showed that the third group had a 30% reduced risk of heart attack, stroke and death compared to the other two. The researchers ended up stopping the study since the results were so significant in preventing heart attack, stroke and death, that they wanted to make sure the other two groups could also benefit from the third diet. Another study looked at long term effects of high carbohydrate diets and found that in 10 years, diabetes and obesity tripled. Some people are considering Alzheimer’s to be a form of diabetes of the brain, which doesn’t allow the fuel of the brain, glucose, to get into the cells and hence causes death of the brain cells. Higher levels of cholesterol are also being shown to be associated with lower risk of dementia, so much so that the FDA is now requiring pharmaceutical companies to put warnings on statin medication that lowers cholesterol since these are putting people at risk for dementia. There is also an increased risk of diabetes for women who are post-menopausal who are taking statins. Statins also reduce the body’s ability to produce co-Q 10, which is important for muscle energy production, hence the warning of muscle weakness as a side effect with statins. The heart and the brain uses a lot of co-Q 10. Cholesterol is also the raw material for developing vitamin D, which is now touted as the number 1 vitamin since it is important for bone health, immune function and acts more like a hormone than a vitamin. Gluten is a pro-inflammatory protein that is found in wheat, rye, oats, barley and spelt. It has been associated with muscle cramps, bone and joint pain, leg numbness, chronic fatigue, foggy brain, eczema/rash, gastrointestinal symptoms and depression. Gluten is like glue and interferes with the intestinal tract in absorbing nutrients. Since the gastrointestinal tract is also important in producing much of the neurotransmitters that are needed for brain function, this may be one reason for foggy brain. Exercise is a great way to produce antioxidants in the body that help give a protective effect for the damaging effects of free radicals, which can damage cells, cause accelerated aging, and can contribute to inflammation. Lifestyle habits can lead to health or illness. My experience has shown that it is not easy to make changes in your daily routine, but it can be done and done with great results. Find a way to make positive steps in the right direction, no matter how small a move you make. Be consistent and surround yourself with a good support system, helpful information and keeping your motivation high. Start eating more fruits and vegetables, take more walks, laugh more often and robustly, sleep more and drink more water. Don’t wait until you “have to do something or else you will die.” Do it now, while you are in the pre-disease state. You will live healthier and happier and will live a fuller life.
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“Why bother worrying about what we ate? Nothing is safe. Everything is bad for you.” Is it any wonder people feel this way? Articles on tainted lettuce, toxic chemicals in our drinking water, steroids and antibiotics in dairy and meat products, preservatives in foods and many other discouraging topics fill our magazines and newspapers.
Unfortunately, we live in a world relying heavily on chemical interventions to make products more convenient and easier to store, with a longer shelf life and the ability to ship farther from their place of origin, supposedly making our lives “better.” Along with the benefits, chemical additives also bring dangers – a higher incidence of cancer, an earlier onset of puberty, congenital deformities and lowered immunity, to name a few. What about the air we breathe and the various chemicals in household cleaners, soaps, fabrics, building materials and personal hygiene products? Electronic devices and man-made electromagnetic currents also produce harmful effects. Negative thoughts and emotions likewise take a toll on the body by putting stress on the immune system and eventually may lead to heart disease, digestive disorders, mental distress and caner. All of this makes one feel quite powerless. Fortunately there are things you can do to improve your quality of life. There is hope. Some general guidelines for minimizing toxicity overload include:
Many other avenues help reduce the risk of toxicity. These are just a few. You can make a difference and improve your health merely by educating yourself and incorporating new habits into your lifestyle. You may also find you start to think more clearly and your appearance may improve. You could have a much more enjoyable life. I recently watched a documentary called “Food Fight” and it brought up some interesting facts about MSG.
Being third generation Japanese-American, I was brought up on MSG, otherwise known as Ajinomoto. Later, I found out that this was MSG, or monosodium glutamate, and was told it was not even a food but rather a food additive that changed your perception of taste. I also learned that it was not a good thing to eat, so I quit cooking with it and tried to avoid it. From my research, I learned that the Japanese started using naturally occurring MSG from seaweed to flavor their foods in 1908. MSG started showing up in American foods from manufactured sources in the 1940s. The Japanese labeled a 5th sense “umami” from what MSG does to the taste buds. MSG is often made from fermentation of food starch from cereals or molasses that comes from sugar beets or sugar cane. MSG stimulates taste, smell and hunger. In 1968, Dr. John Olmey was doing research on MSG in mice and found that all mice fed MSG became grossly obese. Mice are often used in studies since they react similarly to human beings. MSG causes a 40% increase in appetite in mice and all mice who ate MSG became obese. It is believed that human sensitivity to MSG is 5 times greater than mice and 20 times greater than rhesus monkeys. In the documentary “Food Fight,” they state that MSG is found in 85% of all processed foods and this food additive is probably meant to encourage eating and thus contributes to weight gain. Only about 15% of the population is sensitive to MSG and the symptoms produced by ingesting MSG are short lived. MSG has 1/3rd the sodium of table salt. MSG originally came from seaweed in its natural state, but now most MSG is manufactured. Other foods with naturally occurring MSG include ripe tomatoes, Parmesan and Roquefort cheeses, mushrooms, peas, broccoli and corn. Symptoms of MSG sensitivity include numbness and pressure in the face, heart palpitations, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, headaches, sweating, wheezing, shortness of breath, throat swelling, asthma and burning sensations. Foods that commonly have added MSG include canned soups and vegetables, frozen foods, processed meats, sausage, fast food, Asian food, chips, artificial cheese flavoring, onion soup mix, bouillon, snack crackers and salad dressings. Be aware that MSG is also known by other names such as glutamate, monosodium L-glutamate, L-glutamic acid, monoammonian L –glutamate, monpotassium L-glutamate, yeast extract, hydrolyzed protein, caseinate, natural flavors, vegetable protein extract, gelatin, malted barley, maltodextrin, modified food starch, textured protein and caramel. Most processed foods contain MSG. The obesity problem in America is serious and MSG in processed foods may be one contributing factor. Eating fresh, organic, naturally raised meats, vegetables and fruits may be our best bet in combating obesity and other health problems. Approximately 33% of Americans produce more insulin than is healthy to maintain normal blood sugar. The National Institute of Health reports about 60% of Americans are overweight. These statistics could be lowered by simply eating healthier foods to break this cycle of increasing blood sugar thereby increasing insulin release, which produces fat storage and increases the appetite, which goes back to increasing blood sugar. Sugar makes you fat, so avoiding foods that create high blood sugar such as Halloween candy and cookies, potatoes, white rice, sweetened cereal, soda and white bread, will decrease fat production and use up fat stores more effectively. Exercise, particularly walking, helps utilize fat as a fuel. Fat is a very concentrated fuel source and needs lots of oxygen to break it down. Trick-or-Treating can be good exercise for you and your kids. Walking one mile, no matter how fast you go, burns 100 calories. A pound of fat produces 3500 calories. So you can burn off a pound of fat in 17.5 miles of walking. Walking 2 miles per day, you can lose a pound of fat in about 9 days. Eating the right foods can also minimize excess fat storage and unhealthy food cravings. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated: “In 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.” This might be a good time to add a few non-candy items to the kiddies’ treat bags to help reduce the temptation to pig-out on sweets. If you do choose to give out candy, choose non-chocolate varieties with fewer calories like hard candies or licorice. Try raisins, pretzels, juice boxes, mini water bottles, plain cookies and crackers, popcorn and low fat granola or cereal bars. A trip to the party store can yield numerous non-food items that kids love. Look for small inexpensive gadgets and things kids collect such as pencils, rubber balls, erasers, small toys like ghosts, goblins, witches, or maybe waxed lips, glow sticks, stickers, key chains, bubbles and art supplies like chalk, coloring books and crayons. Making some changes on this fun holiday might lead to better health habits all year long. Chinese medicine regards the brain as a very special organ, which relies on the health of all the other organs. When you think about it, it makes sense. Oxygen, needed for life, is supplied by the lungs. Oxygen and other nutrients need to get to the brain via the circulatory system, which is powered by the heart. These nutrients circulate with the blood, made by the spleen and bone marrow. Nutrients are obtained through food, and food needs to be broken down by the digestive system. The digestive system comprised of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum, interfaces with the liver, gall bladder and pancreas. The body needs to be detoxified by the liver, kidneys, intestines and bladder. Each and every organ has an important function, and all contribute to a healthy body.
Qigong, an ancient Chinese form of exercise, focuses on healthy organs, leading to good health and longevity. Qigong has been around for about 3,000 years. Initially, qigong information was kept secret, shared only with the ruling and scholarly classes of society. Since the end of the Cultural Revolution in China around 1976, qigong has been more available to greater numbers of people in China and around the world. Qigong focuses on moving the vital life force, or chi, through the body. Although similar to acupuncture, qigong does not require the use of needles. Acupuncture and qigong both attempt to remove blocks of stagnant chi in order to restore the body’s own self-correction and thus improve a healthy flow. Once the chi moves, then the blood moves. Think of stagnation causing algae, putrefaction, cloudy water and smelly odors. Once the water gets moving again, all these signs of decay disappear. Qigong differs from other forms of exercise in that it focuses on the messaging system. The chi circulates messages in our bodies, similar to the way the hormonal system coordinates functions between the various organs. The way you think and the messages that you circulate can influence organ function and many other aspects of the body. Studies support the benefits that qigong provides, such as improving immune factors in the blood, improving mood, reducing blood pressure, balancing cholesterol, increasing bone density, decreasing joint pain and improving sleep. Practitioners often recommend it for reducing stress. Qigong is older than tai chi, easier to do and has more instantaneous health benefits. The practice can be done daily and will continue to provide benefits if continued. Practicing qigong not only reverses unhealthy conditions, but can also prevent disease from occurring in the first place. Here is another tool to add to your box of health remedies, one that not only helps with brain function, but also helps to improve all of the organs in your body. |
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