DIABETES NUTRITION GUIDE with 31 Expert Tips for Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Compiled by Dr

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This guide is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice and treatment from your personal physician. Readers are advised to consult their own doctors or other qualified health professionals regarding the treatment of medical conditions. The author shall not be held liable or responsible for any misunderstanding or misuse of the information contained in this program manual or for any loss, damage, or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by any treatment, action, or application of any food or food source discussed in this program manual. The statements in this program manual have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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2 INTRODUCTION

What does it mean to “Reverse Diabetes”?

People often ask what it means to reverse diabetes. Is there a cure?

Diabetes is not a disease, like tuberculosis or the flu. There is no way to expect a magic pill, diet, or physical activity program to wipe out the enemy and make everything better. It doesn’t exist and it never will.

Diabetes is a state of dysfunction and this type of condition, much like heart disease, cannot be cured. That might be bad news for some people. But, there is good news also. Diabetes (specifically, type 2 diabetes) can be controlled, and the condition can improve to a degree that will allow you to enjoy life the same as someone without diabetes.

Unfortunately, most people with diabetes will get worse year by year, not better. The blood glucose levels will gradually creep up, medications will need to be increased, and many times if not properly controlled, complications will develop. Most people following the standard doctor recommendations will eventually develop eye problems, neuropathy in the feet and toes, kidney issues, and accelerated heart and vascular damage. The condition is considered chronic and degenerative, because that is what typically happens. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Reversing diabetes is about stopping that progression and turing it around. Think about cruising down the highway going the wrong direction. That’s the way most people are treating diabetes. You need to gradually slow down the car, stop, and put it in reverse. It doesn’t happen overnight, but with persistence and direction, you’ll eventually get back to your destination, which is the health that you deserve.

Complications such as atherosclerosis (blood vessel damage), retinopathy (eye damage), and even neuropathy (nerve damage) and be improved. Reversing diabetes is about getting healthier over time, rather than getting worse. Many people are able to work with their doctor to gradually decrease medications as they improve their diabetes through diet, lifestyle, and functional support. Most importantly, blood glucose levels can be improved and normalized to protect your body and your health into the future.

It’s not easy, but diabetes does not have to be a death sentence. It doesn’t have to ruin your life. In fact, it can be the impetus to make a longterm lifestyle change that can drastically improve your health and your life forever.

3 WHAT CAUSES TYPE 2 DIABETES

What causes diabetes? First of all, what is diabetes?

Diabetes Mellitus means “sweet urine”. It was first described in an Egyptian manuscript from 1500 BCE. The disease is diagnosed today, not by urinary glucose, but by measuring glucose in the blood serum. The current diagnostic criteria uses blood glucose of 126 or greater to indicate diabetes. In addition, the hemoglobin A1c test, which measures the percentage of glycated (sugar-coated) hemoglobin in the red blood cell, is diagnostic of diabetes at 6.5% or greater.

So, while diabetes is technically just a subcategory of hyperglycemia (too much sugar in the blood), the condition is much more complex than that.

Diabetes is really blood sugar dysregulation. The body has lost it’s ability to regulate and control blood glucose levels. This can occur during a resting state, an active state, fasting, or post-prandial (after eating). It can be affected by sleep quality or disruption, physical activity level and fitness, stress, hormone balance, immune health, organ function such as liver, thyroid, and kidneys, digestive system, and the structural integrity of the cell membrane and mitochondria (energy producing element of each cell).

Ultimately, the cause of type 2 diabetes is a loss in the ability of the body to regulate the complex blood sugar system. The reasons this may happen vary greatly from one person to the next. That is why a personalized approach always works best when working to find and correct the cause of diabetes.

One of the most common patterns in type 2 diabetes involves the hormone insulin. Each hormone or chemical in the body has a job (usually several jobs). The job of insulin is to cause the storage of macronutrients into the tissues. In particular, insulin is released in the presence of glucose and amino acids in order to open the door to the cells and allow them to soak up these important nutrients for energy production. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin, so without this hormone, the cells are not able to soak up the glucose from the blood. The cells starve, while sugar accumulates in the blood stream. This is dangerous and can lead to significant damage to the blood vessels and body tissues if not corrected. The only answer is to provide insulin from the outside. Fortunately, in the 1920’s, insulin was isolated and we’ve had the benefit of this tool since then.

Type 2 diabetes, however, is completely different. Typically, the pancreas is producing plenty of insulin. In fact, most type 2 diabetics are hyperinsulinemic, which means they have too much insulin in the blood. So, what’s the problem?

4 The problem in type 2 diabetes is called insulin resistance. The cells (liver, muscle, kidney, fat, etc) have become resistant to the effects of insulin. They have become desensitized, almost like your hearing does when you are in a loud room. From years of eating too many carbohydrates, too much sugar, not enough physical activity, the toxic burden from our environment and food supply, and inflammation, the cell receptors for insulin stop working. Think of insulin like a key that opens a lock. With insulin resistance, the lock is “gummed up” or damaged, and the key no longer works as well.

The body’s response to insulin resistance is to produce more insulin. If you are at a load party and the person you are speaking to can’t hear you, the most logical thing to do is to talk louder. So, the pancreas continues to produce more and more insulin to overcome the resistant state. This may work for a while and continue to keep the blood glucose levels down. But, at some point, the body will reach it’s breaking point where it just can no longer keep up.

Once the blood sugar levels rise above 100 mg/dl, you are said to be in a state of pre- diabetes. In reality, there is no such thing as pre-diabetes. It’s like being a little bit pregnant. Once your blood sugar starts to rise, you are losing control of blood sugar regulation, which is diabetes.

At this point, the process has been developing for many years. Diabetes doesn’t develop over night. It typically takes decades to go from normal blood sugar metabolism to insulin resistance to blood sugar dysregulation. The body wants to stay healthy and in control, but it can only take so much abuse.

The diagnosis of diabetes or pre-diabetes can and should be a wake up call for many people. It’s not too late, but time is wasting. The longer the disease progresses, the harder it is to correct and the less correction possible. However, knowing that you are losing or have lost the ability to regulate and control your blood sugar levels is that all important first step.

In some ways, diabetes can be a blessing in disguise. While it would certainly be better to change before you develop diabetes, if you make to necessary lifestyle changes quickly, it may prevent you from developing heart disease, cancer, alzheimer’s disease, or having a stroke. It can be the impetus for change and that may end up saving your life.

5 THE OPTIMAL EATING STRATEGY

What is the perfect diet to prevent and reverse diabetes? Unfortunately, there is no such thing. At it’s best, nutritional therapy is customized to the individual and is dynamic and evolving, rather than a static set of rules.

There are, however, some guidelines which are important for anyone to follow, especially those with diabetes, pre-diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance. From here, the optimal diet can be adjusted to the individual based on blood sugar response, inflammation, energy, immune health, sleep quality, physical activity level, organ function or dysfunction, and overall health.

An optimal diet begins with whole foods. As Sean Croxton says, “JERF: Just Eat Real Food”. That’s a good start. But for blood sugar control, unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. Whole, real foods are things like plants and animals. It’s the only food that we would have access to if it were not for technology and agriculture.

There are some foods that should not be eaten by anyone. Let’s start with the easy ones.

•Candy like starburst, skittles, snickers, m&ms, chocolates, and licorice. •Anything that comes in a snack package, like potato chips, pretzels, crackers, cheese curls, cookies, pastries, and granola bars. •Dessert-like foods such as donuts, pancakes, waffles, pastries, cakes, cookies, pie, ice cream, sorbet, and mousse. •Refined flour-based foods like bagels, bread, pasta, and muffins. •Sweetened (or naturally sweet) beverages like sweet tea, sweetened coffee, soda, sugary drinks (vitamin water, gatorade), and fruit and vegetable juice. •Processed meat and meat products such as hot dogs, bologna, salami, and deli meats •Fried foods and foods containing partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils

For optimal blood sugar regulation, there are a few additional types of food that should be avoided. These foods typically raise blood because they rapidly break down to sugar in the body. The blood sugar rush, and resulting insulin surge will interfere with proper blood sugar control.

•Grains, such as oatmeal, wheat, rice, quinoa, and barley as well as any products made from these foods.

6 •Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, corn, and parsnips. •Moderate-high glycemic fruits such as bananas, grapes, mango, papaya, melons, and pineapple, as well as dried fruits including raisins. •Lactose-containing or sweetened dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and ice cream.

Now, let’s focus on what to eat. The optimal diet for blood sugar control includes a wide variety of whole, real foods. The two main rules are simplicity and diversity. Keep things simple. Elaborated meal plan can be fun and interesting down the line, but in the beginning, can invite temptation and lead you astray. Apply diversity within the scope of foods you’ll be eating. There are dozens of acceptable vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, animal proteins, and beverages. Mix it up, focusing on a variety of colors so that you are getting a wide range of vitamins, mineral, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.

•Fibrous Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, greens, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, and celery. •Low glycemic fruits such as avocado, coconut, olives, berries, cherries, and apples. •Animal protein such as grass-fed beef, free-range poultry, wild-caught fish, and organic eggs, as well as shellfish and organic pork in moderation. •Nuts and seeds, such as macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachio, sunflower seed, flax, chia, and hemp. •Bean and legumes such as black bean, pinto beans, white and red kidney beans, as well as green peas and chickpeas in moderation. •Healthy fat sources such as olive, coconut, avocado, nuts, organic meat and eggs, and butter from pastured cows.

In addition, there are certain foods that may be acceptable in limited quantities for some people, but may create problems in others. This largely depends on blood sugar response, food sensitivities, and inflammatory factors.

•Organic (preferably raw) dairy products with little to no lactose, such as cheese, whey protein, milk protein, cream, and butter from pastured cows. •Alcohol is typically acceptable in limited quantities, particularly one serving of dry red or white wine or hard alcohol such as gin, vodka, or whiskey. •Artificial sweeteners are generally not recommended, however, consuming then in chewing gum, mouthwash, and sugar-free breath mints in low moderation is probably safe.

7 There are a few other guidelines that are helpful to follow as well to ensure optimal success in controlling blood sugar and preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes.

It’s best to eat two to three moderately sized meals per day rather than eating five to six meals, which is sometimes recommended. Continually eating throughout the day by “grazing” or eating frequent meals keeps the blood sugar, insulin, and leptin levels elevated and interferes with the healing and correction process. Instead, spread the time between feedings out at least 4-5 hours to allow insulin and leptin levels to reset.

While it may be difficult at first, it’s best to avoid snacking between meals and before bed. For the same reason just discussed, snacking keeps the blood sugar and insulin elevated and interferes with the correction process. Snacking also reinforces food craving and emotional eating, which can be an issue for many people with blood sugar regulation problems.

Experiment with intermittent fasting (I.F.). I.F. involves going an extended period of time without food to allow blood sugar, insulin, and leptin levels to reset. During this fasting period, the primary nutrient the body uses for fuel is fat which improves metabolic efficiency and causes an up-regulation of insulin receptors on the cell membranes. One simple way of accomplishing this is to skip breakfast 1-2 days per week.

As covered throughout this book, it’s extremely important to limit carbohydrate consumption. A good starting point for most people who want to prevent or reverse diabetes in 50-100 grams of carbohydrate per day. While this is a broad range, there are many differences based on size, condition, and physical activity level. Eventually, you may want to consider reducing your non-fiber carbohydrate consumption to less than 50 grams per day for optimal blood sugar control.

Low carb does not mean high protein, and it’s also important to limit protein to a moderate level. Again, this is largely based on size, lean mass, and physical activity level. Generally, it’s recommended to limit protein to 50-75 grams per day and no more than 25 grams per meal. As stated, this can be adjusted based on lean body mass, size, sex, and physical activity.

Drinks lots of water and eat high-water content foods. Water is essential for life and many people are chronically dehydrated. If you feel hungry, try drinking 12-16 ounces of water and waiting 20 minutes. Don’t wait until you are thirsty. Start the day with a glass of water and sip water, herbal tea, and green tea throughout the day. Squeezing a lemon or lime wedge in the water is acceptable, and using carbonated water in moderation in fine as well.

8 Another important, but often overlooked strategy is to eat with intention and focus on nourishment, rather than entertainment. Sure food can be delicious and a great source of enjoyment, but if you are depending on food to fill some need other than nourishment, it’s going to be nearly impossible to eat for health. When you eat, close your eyes, and savor the texture, taste, and flavor of the food. Eat with a sense of gratitude and be fully present while dining. Do not eat while watching television, sitting at your desk, talking on the phone, or playing cards.

Use food for nourishment. Find other ways to entertain yourself through hobbies, books, friends, and community groups. Think like an animal in nature and just eat to fuel your body. If you do this, you will be less likely to be “hungry” an hour after you eat or to feel deprived because you can no longer eat your “favorite foods”. It’s time to break the bad habits that got you where you are and it starts by changing your relationship with food.

9 IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CARBS (ALMOST)

Diabetes is a condition of impaired blood sugar and insulin metabolism. It starts when the cells get overwhelmed with excess sugar and insulin, damaged by inflammation and oxidative stress, and starved of the important fats and nutrients they need to function optimally.

Once the cells become insulin resistant and blood sugar starts to rise, the situation gets further exacerbated by the toxic effects of elevated glucose (glycation).

To reverse the effects of diabetes, it’s essential to heal the cell membranes, improve hormone balance, reduce the toxic burden on the body, and reduce inflammation. This starts with reducing blood glucose and insulin levels. Keeping sugar levels down reduces the need for insulin, which will allow the body to up-regulate insulin receptors and improve insulin sensitivity.

Combined with good core nutrition, healthy fat consumption, physical activity, stress- reduction, reduced toxicity, and neutralizing oxidative stress with plant-based phytonutrients and antioxidants, a low carbohydrate diet is a key component to preventing and reversing diabetes.

Carbohydrates, whether they are simple or complex carbs, all break down into simple sugar through the digestive process. This starts in the mouth with an enzyme called salivary amylase, and continues through the small intestine with pancreatic enzymes that complete the job. This process is slowed by fiber, which can reduce the glycemic response, but eventually all carbohydrate becomes sugar. To reduce blood sugar, it’s imperative to reduce carbohydrate in the diet.

Eric Westman, MD from Duke University says, “It’s simple. If you cut out the carbohydrates, your blood sugar goes down, and you lose weight, which lowers your blood sugar even further.” In a study he completed at Duke, he found that the low carb group was able to lose weight, lower their blood sugar and A1c, and 95% were able to reduce or eliminate medications.

Why does reducing carbohydrates in the diet work? According to Joseph Mercola, DO, it’s because the combination of low carbs and exercise “corrects and restores the body’s insulin and leptin signaling”. He goes on to say, “For the last 50 years or so, Americans have followed the dietary recommendations of a high complex carbohydrate, low saturated fat diet—the exact opposite of what actually works”.

For all the logical reasons to avoid sugar and the good research that shows the importance of following a low carbohydrate diet for diabetes control, there is still much confusion and contradiction in the media. In

10 one article, for example, the author of an ADA-approved book on diabetes diet says, “Gone are the days when sugar is strictly off limits. All carbohydrates break down into glucose in the same way. Your body doesn’t recognize whether the carbohydrate is a cookie, slice of bread or a potato.”

While the latter statement is true, the conclusion is ridiculous. Carbohydrates and sugar will raise your blood glucose levels and exacerbate insulin resistance and diabetes. It’s as simple as that. So, what exactly is a “low carbohydrate diet”? How many carbs are too many and are some carbs better than others?

These distinctions are important. No food is 100% carbohydrate, fat, or protein. Foods are a combination of these three macronutrients, plus fiber, water, and micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, and other compounds. Determining which foods should be included in a healthy diet for preventing and reversing diabetes is about balance.

Foods that are high in carbohydrates and low in fiber should mostly be eliminated. Grains, especially processed grain products like breads and cereals, will spike blood sugar and insulin levels in most people with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Starchy vegetables, like potatoes and parsnips should be avoided. Certain fruits should also be avoided due to their low fiber, high sugar content, such as mango, papaya, grapes, and bananas. Also, dried fruit and fruit juice should be strictly eliminated.

Carbohydrate-rich foods that are also high in fiber may be more tolerable for some people with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Beans, legumes, and some root vegetables such as beets and carrots fit into this cate- gory. These foods should be tested using a blood sugar challenge test to check individual response. High fiber carbohydrate-oriented foods such as non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, -as paragus, spinach, and high-water content vegetables like bell peppers, cucumber, and celery are ideal foods. Nuts and seeds are also excellent in moderation due to their high fiber, low carbohydrate profile. It’s also important to focus on foods high in healthy fats such as avocado, olive, coconuts, organic beef, fish, and poultry, butter or ghee from pastured cows, and nuts and seeds in moderation. Fats stabilize blood sugar and are important for healthy cell membrane, brain function, nerve protection, and hormone production.

Lastly, protein foods are essential to help preserve and maintain lean body mass, for normal cellular energy production, and for detoxification. It’s important not to overeat protein, however, because a percentage of protein consumed can get converted to glucose, especially if physical activity is not adequate.

There are a wide variety of factors involved with blood sugar regulation and diabetes. While it’s important to address each one of these, until the diet in corrected and carbohydrates are reduced to a tolerable level, it will be difficult or impossible to control blood sugar and reverse diabetes.

11 15G CARBOHYDRATE LIST

It’s important to remember that all non-fiber carbohydrate sources break down to simple sugar in the digestive tract. So, whether you are eating an apple, a lifesaver, or a potato, eventually, they all become sugar. There is a difference in how quickly they are absorbed and broken down which is reflected in the “Glycemic Index”, but essentially, all non-fiber carbs should be treated like sugar.

Equally important to keep in mind is that carbs are not inherently “bad”. In fact, some of the healthiest foods like berries and broccoli are mostly carbohydrate. That said, when you have diabetes or blood sugar problems, it’s important to limit carbohydrates and to focus on real food, low glycemic options. We typically recommend limiting carbohydrates to no more than 15-20g per meal from simple, real food, healthy sources. This should be customized based on your individual carb tolerance.

The carbohydrate options listed below are all 15g, making it easy to choose the right amount of food to consume. Be aware of all the carb sources in your meal, and be sure to limit the total net carbohydrates to no more than 15-20g per meal, based on your individual carb tolerance.

VEGETABLE SOURCES All fibrous vegetables are 1 1/2cups cooked or 3 cups raw Artichoke Mixed Vegetables (without corn, peas, or pasta) Asparagus Mushrooms Beans (green, wax, Italian) Okra Bean sprouts Onions Beets Pea pods Broccoli Peppers Brussels sprouts Radishes Cabbage Salad greens Carrots Sauerkraut Cauliflower Spinach Celery Summer squash Cucumber Tomato (canned, sauce, juice) Eggplant Turnips Green onions or scallions Water chestnuts Greens (collard, kale, mustard, turnip) Kohlrabi Watercress Leeks Zucchini © 2015 copyright SweetLifeTM Diabetes Health Centers, LLC

12 FRUIT SOURCES Fruits listed below are 15g per serving size Apple, unpeeled, small 1 (4 oz.) Banana, small 1 (4 oz.) Blackberries 3⁄4 cup Blueberries 3⁄4 cup Cantaloupe, small 1/3 melon or 1 cup cubes Cherries, sweet, fresh 12 (3 oz.) Grapefruit, large 1⁄2 (11 oz.) Grapes, small 17 (3 oz.) Honeydew melon 1 slice (10 oz.) or 1 cup cubes Kiwi 1 (3 1⁄2 oz.) Mango, small 1⁄2 fruit (5 1⁄2 oz.) or 1⁄2 cup Orange, small 1 (6 1⁄2 oz.) Papaya 1⁄2 fruit (8 oz.) or 1 cup cubes Peach, medium, fresh 1 (6 oz.) Pear, large, fresh 1⁄2 (4 oz.) Pineapple, fresh 3⁄4 cup Raisins 2 Tbsp. Raspberries 1 cup Strawberries 1 1⁄4 cup whole berries Watermelon 1 slice (13 1⁄2 oz.) or 1 1⁄4 cup cubes

STARCHY CARBS Carb sources listed below are 15g per serving size Bread, white, whole-wheat, pumpernickel, rye 1 slice (1 oz.) English Muffin 1⁄2 Roll, plain, small 1 (1 oz.) Oats 1⁄2 cup Pasta, cooked 1/3 cup Rice, white or brown, cooked Beans and peas 1/3 cup Lentils (cooked) 1/2 cup Corn on the cob, medium 3” Peas, green 1 (5 oz.) Potato, mashed 1/2 cup Squash, winter (acorn, butternut) 1 cup Plain, low-fat or nonfat yogurt 3/4 cups Popcorn, popped 3 cups Hummus 1/3 cup © 2015 copyright SweetLifeTM Diabetes Health Centers, LLC

13 THE SUGAR CONNECTION

While it may seem obvious to many that a high sugar and high carbohydrate diet significantly contributes to the development of insulin resistance and diabetes, there are still opposing views on whether sugar is to blame for the diabetes epidemic.

The ADA (American Diabetes Association) says it’s not so simple. They claim that it’s bad genes and weight gain that are the main culprits, and that the cause of weight gain is overeating, not carbohydrate consumption. In other words, it doesn’t matter what type of food you eat, it’s the amount of calories that are important.

This point of view is seriously flawed. First of all, there are many people who have a family history of diabetes that never develop diabetes themselves, and many diabetics have no family history of diabetes. Second, many type 2 diabetics are normal weight or just overweight, not obese. There are also may overweight and even obese individuals who never develop diabetes.

Calories are not all the same. In fact, the calculation of calorie (a measure of heat from the breakdown of food) is also seriously flawed. Research has made it clear that low carbohydrate, low sugar diets out perform low calorie diets every time when it comes to blood sugar control and weight loss.

The truth is that eating too much sugar is not the cause of diabetes. However, it can be a significant player. At the root of type 2 diabetes in a condition called insulin resistance. This condition is caused by impaired hormonal signaling pathways at the cellular level. There are many factors that can influence this including toxic overload from our environment and food supply, chronic systemic inflammation, oxidative damage to cell membranes, and micronutrient deficiencies. Another significant factor leading to insulin resistance is the down-regulation of insulin receptors from repeated insulin surges and hyperinsulinemia (too much insulin in the blood). This results from a diet high in non-fiber carbohydrates and sugar.

One study, published in early 2013 from Stanford University School of Medicine found that the more sugar present in a population’s diet, the higher the rates of diabetes.

This study examined 175 countries over the past decade. Robert Lustig, MD, pediatric endocrinologist at UCSF Children’s Hospital said this study “places sugar front and center” as an agent that may be a contributing factor for diabetes.

It’s not just simple sugar, of course, that leads to diabetes. All forms of processed carbohydrates, starchy vegetables, and grains eventually break down into sugar. To prevent the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes or to reverse diabetes at it’s source, avoiding sugar and foods that turn in to sugar is not only important, it’s absolutely essential. It seems like a pretty simple question, doesn’t it? On the sur

14 THE MANY NAMES OF SUGAR

WHAT IS SUGAR? It seems like a pretty simple question, doesn’t it? On the surface, it is. However, digging deeper, there is much more to the question, and the answer. What is called “sugar” is a short or medium chain (1-9 molecules) of simple sugar molecules. The two main simple sugars are glucose and fructose. Glucose enters the blood stream through the digestive tract, while fructose is metabolized by the liver. Starch, by comparison, is much longer chains of glucose molecules, which must be broken down through enzyme reactions. This process starts in the mouth and continues through the digestive tract. Since most starch is easily broken down into glucose, starch and sugar will have a similar impact on blood glucose levels.

NAMES FOR SUGAR AGAVE NECTAR BARLEY MALT BARBADOS SUGAR BEET SUGAR BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES BUTTERED SYRUP BROWN SUGAR CANE JUICE CRYSTALS CANE SUGAR CAROB SYRUP CARAMEL CASTOR SUGAR CONFECTIONER’S SUGAR CORN SYRUP SOLIDS CORN SYRUP CRYSTALLINE FRUCTOSE DATE SUGAR DEXTRAN DEMERARA SUGAR DEXTROSE DIASTATIC MALT ETHYL MALTOL DIATASE EVAPORATED CANE SUGAR FLORIDA CRYSTALS FRUIT JUICE FRUCTOSE FRUIT JUICE CONCENTRATE GALACTOSE GLUCOSE SOLIDS GLUCOSE GOLDEN SUGAR GOLDEN SYRUP HIGH-FRUTOSE CORN SYRUP GRAPE SUGAR HONEY ICING SUGAR LACTOSE INVERT SUGAR MALT SYRUP MALTODEXTRIN MAPLE SYRUP MALTOSE MOLASSES MUSCOVADO PANOCHA ORGANIC RAW SUGAR RAW SUGAR REFINER’S SYRUP SORGHUM SYRUP RICE SYRUP SUCROSE SUGAR TURBINADO SUGAR TREACLE YELLOW SUGAR © 2015 copyright SweetLifeTM Diabetes Health Centers, LLC THE PROBLEM WITH SUGAR Fructose or sugars high in fructose, such as agave, are often recommended for people with diabetes because they don’t directly raise blood sugar. This process is deceiving, however. In fact, many researchers, such as Robert Lustig, MD, feel that fructose is actually worse than glucose-rich sugars. In fact, high consumption of fructose is associated with fatty liver disease, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol and triglycerides), gout, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

15 DON’T BE AFRAID OF FAT

If you talk to most dietitians, doctors, or diabetes educators about diet, they will likely tell you the most important focus is to avoid fat, especially saturated fat. This advice has been endorsed by the American Heart Association, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the new name for the American Dietetics Asso- ciation), and of course, the good old American Diabetes Association.

Unfortunately, this is bad advice, and it’s dead wrong. Here’s why.

Fat is an absolutely essential nutrient for the body. In fact, without fat, our cell structure would completely collapse, our brain would shrivel up, our nerves would short-circuit, and we wouldn’t be able to produce our hormones.

Let’s start with the brain and nerves. In his ground-breaking book “Good Calories, Bad Calories”, science and medical writer Gary Taubes states, “Our brains are 70 percent fat, mostly in the form of a substance known as myelin that insulates nerve cells and, for that matter, all nerve endings in the body.” One of the most common side effects of statin drugs, which deplete cholesterol from the body is cognitive impairment. This happens because fat and cholesterol is essential for brain function.

Fats are also important for healthy cell membranes. Taubes went on to say, “Fat is the primary component of all cell membranes. Changing the proportion of saturated to unsaturated fats in the diet might well change the composition of the fats in the cell membranes. This could alter the permeability of cell membranes, which determines how easily they transport, among other things, blood sugar, proteins, hormones, bacteria, viruses, and tumor-causing agents into and out of the cell.” Healthy cell membranes are essential for proper insulin signaling, which allows glucose to enter the cell to be broken down into energy. Damaged, unhealthy cell membranes lead to insulin resistance, which leads to type 2 diabetes.

Other important functions of fat in the body include hormone production, vitamin D synthesis, blood sugar control, nutrient absorption, and metabolic health.

In fact, according to Donald Jump, PhD of the Linus Pauling Institute, fat has some wonderful health benefits. First, it is important in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E, and K. These vitamins have important roles in metabolism, health, and blood sugar regulation. Without adequate fat intake, it’s difficult to achieve and produce optimal levels of these nutrients. He also echos the importance of fats for the health of the cell membranes and hormone signaling. Lastly, he adds that fat tastes good, adding flavor to food, without raising blood sugar, and creating a sense of fullness and satiety.

16 So, fats clearly have benefits. But, doesn’t eating fat cause us to gain weight and store more fat? Appar- ently not. Since the low fat push of the 70s, 80s, and 90s has become mainstream and spread across the globe, we have become heavier, seen increased rates of obesity and diabetes, and created more nutritional confusion than ever before.

Let’s be clear: eating fat does not make you fat. Low fat diets, loaded with substituted sugar and chemicals make you fat. In fact, the more healthy fats you consume in the absence of sugar and carbohydrates, the more fat you burn. It takes a minute to get passed all the low-fat, nutritional dogma, so let that sink in. Eat fat, burn fat.

The metabolism is wired to burn either sugar as it’s primary fuel or fat as it’s primary fuel. If you want to encourage your body to burn the stored fat in your adipose tissue instead of storing more fat, you need to re-train your metabolism to burn fat. What’s the secret? Stop eating sugar and carbohydrates and eat more healthy fats.

When trying to control blood sugar and insulin levels, it’s even more essential to use fat as a primary energy source. Fat is the only macronutrient that does not raise blood sugar levels. All carbohydrates eventually break down into sugar, and a portion of the protein you eat will also get converted to sugar. Fat stabilizes blood sugar and does not require insulin to metabolize it. Therefore, increasing fat consumption will improve both insulin and leptin (an important hunger hormone) sensitivity, and help to control and reverse diabetes.

How much is too much? Fortunately, fat consumption is typically self-limiting. When avoiding carbohydrates, most people will find it difficult to overeat fat. When evaluating the macronutrient breakdown of an optimal blood sugar control diet, fat will typically constitute 60-75% of total calories.

Not all fats, of course, are beneficial for health. Trans fats and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, in particular, are not recommended. Trans fats are commercially manipulated vegetable oils (hydrogenated) that are used as stabilizers for packaged foods and are very difficult to metabolize in the body. Therefore, they are more likely to be stored and less likely to be burned for fuel and have long-term risks.

Fried foods are also not recommended as the oils are typically heated at very high temperatures which oxidizes the oil and turns it toxic. These damaged vegetable oils lead to inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, which contributes to disease.

Polyunsaturated omega 6 vegetable oils should be limited because they can accumulate in cell membranes, are easily oxidized, and are considered pro- inflammatory. A moderate level of nut and seed oils in the diet is important, but it’s easy to overdo it, so be careful.

17 Polyunsaturated omega 3 oils are found in cold water deep sea fish, and are concentrated in some nuts and seeds, such as walnuts, chia seed, flax seed, and hemp. Omega 3 oils are important because of their anti-inflammatory nature and their ability to keep cell membranes fluid and flexible. These are often lack- ing in the diet, especially for people who do not consume large amounts of fish, and should be supple- mented. Omega 3 oils are also easily oxidized, however, and should be kept away from heat, light, and air (refrigerating is a good option).

Monounsaturated fats are probably the most non-controversial form of fat. They are found in large quantities in the Mediterranean diet and are neutral in their inflammatory profile. These oils are found in avocados, olives, nuts (especially macadamia nuts), and in animal products like chicken skin and bacon. Monounsaturated fats are more stable and can be heated at low temperatures, but are best used in their raw, natural state.

Saturated fats are perhaps the most controversial and misunderstood of all the fats and oils. Since the 70s, 80s, and 90s, saturated fats have been vilified as unhealthy, artery- clogging, obesity-causing foods. This is simply not true. In fact, saturated fats may be one of the healthiest types of foods that you can consume, especially for blood sugar control. In addition, saturated fats are much more stable, resisting oxidation, and are, therefore, excellent for cooking.

Even the New York Times is starting to publish articles rescuing the damaged reputation of this essential nutrient. In 2011, Melissa Clark wrote an article called “Once a Villain, Coconut Oil Charms The Health Food World”. She quotes Thomas Brenna, a professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University as saying, “I think we in the nutrition field are beginning to say that saturated fats are not so bad, and the evidence that said they were is not so strong”.

Saturated fats are not all the same, however. They come in different lengths based on how many carbons are bonded together in a chain. The longer chains, like the ones found in commercially-raised animal products, are more difficult to metabolize and therefore, more likely to get stored. The shorter chain saturated fats, like the ones found in coconut, palm, and to a lesser extent, butter, are quickly transported to the liver and burned as fuel. These are the fats that can be the most helpful in stimulating the metabolism and helping the body to burn fat for fuel.

Somewhere along the way, fats got a bad reputation. This has been reinforced by a misinformed and misguided segment of the nutrition community and led to disastrous results for our health. It’s time to free the fats and enjoy them as part of a healthy diet. Eating less carbohydrate and more fat will lead to better blood sugar control, better insulin sensitivity, and an improved likelihood of preventing and reversing diabetes.

18 THE FAT SPECTRUM

19 BE CAREFUL WITH PROTEIN

It’s important to realize that low carbohydrate does not mean high protein. There are many low carb diets available, but one of the most common mistakes someone can make for proper blood sugar control is overeating protein.

Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle, are important for detoxification, and make up the structure of many hormones and neurotransmitters in the body. Just like glucose, but to a lesser extent, amino acids require insulin to enter the cell. If the amino acid content of a food is high or the amino acids are quickly absorbed, it can lead to an insulin surge, even in the absence of carbohydrates that cause aggravate insulin resistance.

Amino acids are the only macronutrient that cannot be stored by the body. Glucose gets stored as glyco- gen in the liver and muscles, and fat can be stored in the adipose tissue if necessary. Because they cannot be stored, extra amino acids from overeating protein get converted in the liver to sugar. This process is called gluconeogenesis and it can lead to blood sugar elevations in people with diabetes and blood sugar regulation problems.

Requirements for protein vary greatly from person to person, largely related to physical activity level, lean muscle mass, size and weight, and sex. Men may require slightly more protein and those with more lean mass and who are bigger obviously need more protein to maintain their mass. Athletes or people who engage in resistance training may also require more protein to prevent the breakdown of their own muscle, especially during recovery.

A general rule is to consume one gram of protein per kilogram [lb/2.2] of body weight. This should be based on your ideal weight. If a man has an ideal weight of 175 pounds, he would require about 80 grams of protein. For a sedentary person, subtract 5-10 grams, and add 5-10 grams for someone who is athletic or engages in resistance training.

It’s also important to not overeat protein at eat sitting. The body can only utilize a certain amount of protein at any given time and overdoing it will cause the body to convert the amino acids to glucose and raise insulin and blood sugar levels. The ideal amount of protein at each meal is between 15-25 grams depending on daily allowance.

While limiting carbohydrates is by far the most important factor in controlling blood sugar, improving insulin resistance, and reversing diabetes, it’s essential to be aware of protein consumption as well. Keeping protein to a moderate level will protect lean muscle mass, allow for rebuilding and repair, enhance detoxification, and limit conversion of amino acids to sugar.

20 THE IMPORTANCE OF DETOXIFICATION

What is detoxification? More specifically, “hepatic biotransformation” is the conversion of toxicants into water-soluble waste products that can be easily eliminated. Examples of toxicants include medications, hormones, agricultural chemicals, food additives, cosmetics, household cleaners, environmental pollut- ants, bacterial or viral endotoxins, and cellular waste. The body excretes this waste through bowel and bladder, breath, skin, mucous, and menstruation.

The process of body cleansing and detoxification has been practiced for thousands of year (probably much longer), and is an integral part of most traditional healing practices.

While the liver is naturally capable of detoxifying the body, it can become overburdened and overwhelmed. This can lead to a variety of signs and symptoms such as fatigue, high cholesterol and triglycerides, inflammation, brain fog, allergies, bloating, thyroid dysfunction, adrenal exhaustion, low- grade infections, dysbiosis and digestive problems, hormone dysregulation, and blood sugar imbalance.

There are two phases to liver detoxification. Phase one converts fat-soluble toxicants to intermediary metabolites, which are actually more toxic and reactive than their predecessors. The liver then converts these toxic intermediaries into water-soluble metabolites to be excreted. There are six main pathways of liver detoxification and each one requires key nutrients and co-factors to happen properly. These include: Sul- fation, Glucuronidation, Glutathione conjugation, Acetylation, Amino acid conjugation, and Methylation.

Here are some rules to help you follow a good detoxification program:

1. Don’t fiddle around - Make a clean break

Imagine a cocaine or heroine addict just trying to “cut back” a little, or doing the drugs “in moderation”. What are the chances that they would ever break their addiction? According to research, food addiction can be just as powerful and even acts on the same parts of the brain.

When you are changing your diet and lifestyle, don’t play around. Go for it. That means no testing the water with your toe - dive in head-first. Pick the foods that you or your practitioner think are causing the biggest problems for you and get rid of them.

We encourage our clients to have a “food funeral”. Put some of those toxic, inflammatory, trigger foods

21 to rest for good and choose healthy, life-giving, energizing foods instead. Make the break now before it’s too late!

2. Focus on eating the right foods

Instead of worrying and mourning over the foods that no longer serve your goals, pick foods that are nutritious and delicious. Find creative ways to prepare foods in a way that you look forward to eating them. Foods that are high is nutrients, high in flavor, and high in healthy fats will fill you up and satisfy you much more than the nutrient depleted, high carb junk that permeates the standard American diet. Don’t worry about what you are no longer choosing to eat. Focus on the good stuff.

3. Eat less

Most of us, even if we eat the “right” foods, simply eat too much. Those of us living in the industrialized world have become accustomed to eating so much that we stretch our stomach to the point of fullness. Un- fortunately, there is no way to use all those calories; and what we don’t use, get converted to sugar and raises blood glucose levels or gets stored as fat.

When you sit down for a meal, set your intention to stop eating before you are full. Construct your plate so that there is rooms between each type of food, and make sure the bulk of what you’re eating is in the form of fibrous vegetables.

If you are at a restaurant, under order. Choose half portions or appetizers, or split your meal with your spouse or partner. Eating less will lessen the burden on your digestive system, hormone system, make glucose regulation much easier, and prevent excess sugar and fat production.

4. Support the detox

In addition to eliminating toxic, inflammatory foods, there are some important strategies that can be used to encourage detoxification.

Sweating is a great way to speed the elimination of toxins from the blood. This can be accomplished through exercise, hot yoga, saunas, and steam baths. In addition, epson salt baths and professional massage sessions are a great way to reinforce your detox efforts.

5. Get plenty of rest and sleep

Detoxification can be stressful on the body. This is not the time to push it, staying up late, and skimping on sleep. Your body needs lots of rest, especially when it’s going through an intense healing process like 22 detoxification. Go to bed earlier than usual. Rest on the couch or lie on the floor. Go the the park and relax in the grass. Sit under a tree and read. This is a time for restoring, relaxing, reflecting, and rejuvenating.

6. Cool it on the exercise

Exercise has its place during a detoxification program, but be careful not to over-do it. Moving the blood, squeezing the muscles, and sweating out toxins can all be helpful, but if you work too hard, exercise can be counterproductive.

7. Take the right supportive nutrients

Supplementation can be an important component of a good detoxification program. The liver needs many key nutrients to support phase 1 and phase 2 biotransformation. Amino acids, glutathione, B vitamins, flavonoids, phospholipids, minerals, coenzyme Q10, thiols, and other nutrients are all needed for proper detoxification.

Using a well bio-engineered medical food (protein powder) and other supportive nutrients can make or break a detox program. Don’t go cheap and just pick up something off the counter. Antioxidants, like lemon and acai berry are beneficial, but incomplete, and will only fill part of the body’s vast nutritional requirements.

It’s best to work with a knowledgeable nutrition specialist or doctor trained in functional medicine and who can guide a thorough and safe medical detoxification program.

Ultimately, detoxification can be one of the most important steps you take to improving or recovering your health. We start virtually all of our patients on a supervised, medical biotransformation program because of the importance of this strategy. Done incorrectly, it can have little to no benefit and has the potential to do harm. With the right guidance and proper approach, detoxification can bio-transform your life.

23 CORE FOOD PLAN TYPE 2 DIABETES

Eat 3 meals per day

Skipping meals consistently, such as breakfast, can lead to increased food consumption throughout the day, can aggravate food cravings, and has been shown to increase night time eating habits. Eating more than 3 meals per day is unnecessary and can lead to constantly elevated blood sugar and insulin levels. Eat every 4-5 hours and give your digestion system a break between meals.

Eat first meal within one hour of waking up

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but the importance lies in what you eat and when you eat it. A protein rich meal in the morning within one hour of rising will stabilize blood sugar and opti- mize metabolic health.

Do not overeat

Most people have a tendency to each too much food. Finish your meal when your stomach feels about half full; when you are no longer hungry, but could easily eat more. Distention of the stomach and small intestine from over eating will trigger insulin, amylin, and glucagon release, leading to elevated blood sugar and aggravating insulin resistance.

Avoid snacking

Snacking is a bad habit, plain and simple, and can be disastrous for blood sugar and insulin control. Eat your meals, then stop eating. If you absolutely must snack, choose a high protein, low carbohydrate option such as a hardboiled egg, one serving of healthy jerky or nuts, or some celery sticks.

Keep it simple

Sure it’s fun to go out for dinner sometimes, but remember, you are “in training”. So, keep your meals simple and consistent. Eating a variety of vegetables, animal proteins, nuts, and healthy fat sources can be valuable, but be careful not to use food as a source of entertainment. Food is for nourishment, and the wrong food or too much food can be poison.

Limit your carbs to 50 - 75 grams per day

24 Eat a maximum of 75 grams per day of digestible carbohydrates and spread them out throughout the day, but weighted so that you eat less carbs at night. This should make up about 15-20% of your daily caloric intake. Undigestible fiber has a negligible impact on blood sugar and can be subtracted out to calculated net carbs (total carbs - fiber = net carbs). Sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol, which are not generally recommended, also have a limited impact on blood sugar and can be counted as half (10 g of sugar alcohol = 5 g of sugar). Try to avoid sweet-tasting foods, even if they are low in sugar or calories. Do not use powdered artificial sweeteners (stevia leaf is okay), and strictly limit products which contain artificial sweeteners, such as splenda and nutrasweet.

Cut your calories by 25%

Eating less volume of food is one of the most effective ways to control blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity. Decrease your calories to 75% of your adjusted basal metabolic rate (BMR). Estimate your adjusted BMR using an online calculator (search “BMR calculator”) and subtract 25%. Spread your calories out so that you eat 20-30% in the morning, 40% at lunch, and 30-40% at dinner (25/40/35 is ideal).

Write down what you eat and drink

One of the most helpful exercise is to record everything that you eat and drink over a 2 week period. While some people will choose to continue this approach long term, it is most important in the beginning to gain an understanding of how to compose meals optimally. Use a free online food tracker (these are also available for smart phones) such as fitday.com or caloriecount.com, and be sure to log everything that goes in your mouth.

Be careful not to overeat protein

Too much protein per day or per meal will be easily converted to sugar and stored as fat, especially in people with insulin resistance. Excess protein in also insulinemic, which further aggravates insulin resistance. Set your optimal protein consumption and spread it out between your meals so that you don’t overeat protein at any one time. Protein intake can be calculated in grams by taking 50-75% of your lean body mass, depending on fitness level and blood sugar control. Lean body mass can be determined using a body fat scale and subtracting fat weight from total weight. This typically accounts for 15-25% of daily caloric intake.

Don’t be afraid of fat

Consumption of healthy fats will not make you fat. It’s fat combined with refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats such as trans and partially-hydrogenated fats, and overeating that raises blood sugar, stimulates

25 insulin resistance, increases triglycerides and cholesterol, and makes you fat. Healthy fats, such as monounsaturated fat, omega 3, and medium chain fatty acids, are important for cell membrane health and repair, and actually stimulate fat burning. Fat is the only macronutrient that has little to no impact on blood sugar and insulin release, and will serve as a buffer for the protein and carbohydrates in your diet, slowing absorption of glucose and amino acids and helping your body regulate sugar levels. If you do this right, healthy fats will make up 55-70% of your daily caloric intake.

Don’t expect to be perfect

While it’s important to set the right intentions from the beginning and strive to follow the food plan as closely as possible, perfection is highly unlikely. Setting expectations too high can lead to a sense of failure and frustration. This isn’t meant to be a free license to eat whatever you want, but dietary transgres- sions will happen. When you fall off track, there’s no need to beat yourself up. The important thing is to get back on track as quickly as possible and to avoid falling into a 3 day or 3 week binge.

Let go

It likely took years or decades for you to lose control of your blood sugar and become diabetic. It’s going to take time to adjust your eating style, habits, and lifestyle. Don’t make it harder on yourself by creating an internal battle regarding foods. Thoughts and statements such as “everything is okay in moderation” and “you can’t deprive yourself”, or “I deserve to have a little bit of this” are easy justifications that are ultimately self-defeating and destructive. As someone with a personal history of diabetes and blood sugar problems, you need to focus on eating a healthy diet for the rest of your life. Accept it, live it, and let go of the resistance. It will make the process much easier and more enjoyable.

26 THE SWEETLIFE FOOD PLATE

FOOD PLATE Most likely, you’ve seen the USDA recommended “My Plate” dietary guidelines. This is the latest evolution of the much maligned “Food Pyramid” designed to visually depict government nutrition recommendations. Although helpful in some ways, unfortunately, the USDA misses the mark again here, recommending a high carb, low fat, processed, and inflammatory food diet. We created the SweetLifeTM Food Plate, based on real food nutrition, specific to those with blood sugar imbalance. There are two versions: one based on food volume and the other based on calorie distribution.

27 ESTIMATING PORTION SIZES

PORTION CONTROL Does size really matter? Well, sort of. If you eat the right foods (real food), calories are less important, but it’s still possible to overeat. Weighing and measuring is annoying, inconvenient, and typically unnecessary. Using these strategies to estimate portion sizes can help keep protein, carbohydrate, and calorie consumption under control.

28 SUPPLEMENTING THE DIET

Reversing type 2 diabetes is a process that requires patience and persistence. The primary factor is a healthy diet designed to improve blood sugar and insulin metabolism with reduced carbohydrates, moderate protein, and high in healthy fats. Other factors include physical activity, stress management, sleep quality, reducing toxicity, inflammation, and oxidative stress, and improving hormone balance.

Another key factor to preventing and reversing diabetes and blood sugar dysregulation is eliminating nutrient insufficiencies and supplementing the diet with key botanical agents to improve insulin and blood sugar metabolism.

Plant-based medicinal supplements can be very effective at helping to regulate, control, and improve blood sugar levels long term, but addressing the root cause, insulin resistance. There are dozens of vitamins, minerals, and plant extracts which have been studied using controlled clinical trials, and have shown positive benefits.

Here are some of the most effective and promising nutrients:

Chromium Polynicotinate - Chromium improves insulin sensitivity, reduces insulin resistance, and improves glucose uptake. Dozens of studies have shown the benefits of chromium on blood sugar and diabetes.

•Recommended dose: up to 1,000 mcg per day

Biotin - Combined with chromium, biotin has been shown to improve carbohydrate metabolism, reduce blood sugar levels and create more insulin sensitivity. It addition, it has been shown to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

•Recommended dose: 2-9 mg per day

Vanadyl Sulfate - Improves glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and mimics the activity of insulin directly stimulating insulin receptors.

•Recommended dose: 50-100 mg per day

Omega 3 fatty acids (DHA, EPA) - Reduces inflammation, protects the lining of the blood vessels, prevents

29 blood clots, enhances circulation, improves hormone sensitivity, lifts mood, improves attention, and nourishes the brain.

•Recommended dose: 2-4 grams per day of combined EPA and DHA

Gymnema Sylvestre - Ayurvedic herb used for blood sugar regulation since 600 BCE. Decreases absorption of glucose in the blood, blocks the taste of sugar and may help wit appetite control and sugar cravings. Studies have shown a possible effect of regenerating beta cells in the pancreas.

•Recommended dose: 400 mg per day

Alpha Lipoic Acid - Powerful antioxidant for both fat and water soluble toxins. Enhanced energy production and carbohydrate metabolism. Improves insulin sensitivity, prevents against glycation from elevated sugar. Effectively improves the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

•Recommended dose: 1200 - 1800 mg per day

Bitter Melon (gourd) - Contains compounds that improve blood sugar metabolism, and transport glucose into the cells. Inhibits enzyme that breakdown carbohydrates into smaller pieces for absorption. Improves insulin resistance and prevents diabetic complications.

•Recommended dose: 2-5 g per day

Cinnamon extract - Slows the gastric emptying time, delaying the glycemic response. Improves insulin sensitivity, reduces insulin resistance, and acts as an antioxidant protecting the cell membranes. Contains a bioactive component with “insulin-like” properties.

•Recommended dose: 2-4 g per day

Berberine - Plant alkaloid that is used in chinese and Ayurvedic medicine to reduce blood sugar levels. Helps prevent and treat type 2 diabetes, by activating AMPK, which stimulates uptake of sugar and improves insulin sensitivity. Also reduces glucose production in the liver.

•Recommended dose: 500-2,000 mg per day

Banaba Leaf - Medicinal plant that lowers blood sugar by producing an insulin-like effect.

•Recommended dose: 32-48 mg per day

30 Green Tea extract - Rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that reduce inflammation, increase insulin activity, and prevent type 2 diabetes. Also helps to reduce blood pressure, improve metabolism, reduces glucose absorption in the gut, and limits the liver’s production of glucose.

•Recommended dose: 250-500 mg per day

Using these agents individually or in combination has been shown through various trials to have documented benefits. It’s important to work with a doctor trained in functional medicine or a diabetes educator with a working knowledge of diet and effective supplement support and how these may interact with medications. It’s important to discuss any changes to your health regime, including dietary changes or supplements with your personal physician so he’s aware of the changes and can treat you accordingly.

31 DAILY SUCCESS JOURNAL TODAY’S INTENTION What is your intention for today? ______FOOD JOURNAL Breakfast: Lunch: ______

Dinner: Snack: ______SELF INVENTORY How was your slelep? Did you do any physical activity? Excellent Good Fair Poor What kind: ______Bed time: ______How long: ______Wake time: ______How did it feel: ______

How was your mood and energy? How was your digestion: Excellent Good Fair Poor Excellent Good Fair Poor Comments: ______Comments: ______

Did you have any specific challenges or successes today? ______

32 NUTRITIONAL JOURNAL

33 31 EXPERT TIPS For Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Sometimes there is more to normalizing blood “glucose than diet alone. Here is a case that was able to reverse type 2 diabetes by healing the gut, removing offending foods, and balancing immune function. “ “Our journey to better health started when my husband and I began gluten free a year ago to see if that would help his IBS. We saw enough improvement that I considered the possibility of a more holistic strategy to resolve the multiple chronic conditions I have had for many years, if not most of my life.

I came across Dr. Amy Myers and Austin UltraHealth and took a leap of faith that this might be the solution I had been looking for. After extensive testing, it was found that I actually had multiple food sensitivities as well as extensive candi- da overgrowth.

After just a few weeks on The Myers Way and treatment, I no longer needed to take insulin for diabetes, my cholesterol tested normal without being on a statin, 20 pounds melted off, my energy improved dramatically, cystic acne, aches, pains, canker sores and headaches all disappeared. We continue to work on my autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with testing and possibly additional treatments, but I am confident that too will eventually come under control.

I can honestly say that I feel I am the healthiest I have been in at least 20 years.” - Susan

AMY MYERS, MD Amy Myers, MD is a renowned leader in Functional Medicine and New York Times Bestselling author of The Autoimmune Solution. She received her Doctorate in Medicine from LSU Health Sciences Center and spent 5 years working in emergency medicine before training with the Institute of Functional Medicine.

She has helped thousands around the world recover from chronic illness through her dietary-based program, The Myers Way®, and she has created multiple interactive eBooks and eCourses to guide readers through her revolutionary approach to health. Her blog and website serve as a beacon of hope to the many sufferers of chronic disease and autoimmune conditions.

Her book, The Autoimmune Solution, a 30 day program to prevent and reverse the full spectrum of inflammatory symptoms and disease, is now available at all book retailers. http://www.amymyersmd.com

35 Diabetes Care is “Designed to Keep you Diabetic for Life For many years, the protocol for treating patients with pre-diabetes or existing diabetes has been to practice careful control over“ blood sugar levels. Physicians have been using diabetes drugs to drive blood sugar levels down to more acceptable levels for quite some time, but only recently has new research come out that expands the population of people who can be prescribed diabetes drugs, especially those with pre-diabetes but not yet fully developed diabetes.

In 2008, two new studies state that those with pre-diabetes could be treated with drugs if diet and exercise didn’t do enough to lower blood sugar. Upon this news going public, thousands of people started taking medications that were intended to control blood sugar. 30 new medications have hit the market and their sales have soared from 2008 to 2013.

However, there is a big problem with this. According to the article, “A Bittersweet Diabetes Economy” from Med page Today, as of now, none of the 30 new diabetes drugs have been proven to improve key outcomes for people suffering from pre-diabetes or diabetes.

For those with pre-diabetes, these medications haven’t been proven to stop the development of type 2 diabetes. And for people with type 2 diabetes, the medications have not been effective in reducing complications including heart attacks or strokes, blindness, or other dangerous symptoms.

In fact some recent research has shown that attempting to tightly control glucose, particularly with oral medications, may actually do harm. Many people have been hospitalized for having episodes of hypo- glycemia, seizure, unconsciousness, and more. While the FDA has labeled these drugs as safe for now, they are still being fully tested and understood. Some doctors feel that the new drugs and the expanded definitions for diabetes and pre-diabetes has led to an over-medicalization which is dangerous and not as effective as fixing the underlying problem. These medications are useful in controlling blood sugar levels temporarily, but not solving the actual causes of diabetes. Diet, physical activity, and lifestyle modification are still proven to be much more effective at preventing pre-diabetes from developing into type 2 diabetes. This approach also helps address the root cause of type 2 diabetes and may even be able to reverse the condition. Best of all, a personalized lifestyle approach is cost-effective, completely safe, and the only side effect is great health!

36 DR. BRIAN MOWLL, DC, CDE, IFMCP Dr. Brian Mowll is the founder and medical director of SweetLife® Diabetes Health Centers and serves clients worldwide as The Diabetes CoachTM. He is a certified diabetes educator (CDE) and was one of the first doctors to be certified to practice functional medicine by the prestigious Institute for Functional Medicine.

Since 1998, Dr. Mowll has been helping people with all forms of diabetes properly manage their complex health conditions. Additionally, with type 2 diabetes, pre- diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, his goal is to not just manage, but to reverse these conditions using a natural, personalized lifestyle approach.

Dr. Mowll has spent over 20 years studying and applying clinical nutrition, physical activity, lifestyle management, functional medicine, and diabetes self-management education. He is the host of the popular “Diabetes World Summit”, as well as a prolific writer, blogger, and speaker.

In addition, he has written hundreds of articles about diabetes and natural health, and has been a featured speaker and contributor on diabetes. Dr. Mowll treats clients locally in the greater Philadelphia area and nationally through his acclaimed Diabetes CoachTM program.

http://www.drbrianmowll.com

37 B12 Deficiency: A Silent “Epidemic with Serious Consequences What do all of these diseases have in common? “ • Alzheimer’s, dementia, cognitive decline and memory loss (collectively referred to as “aging”) • Multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders • Mental illness (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis) • Cardiovascular disease • Learning or developmental disorders in kids • Autism spectrum disorder • Autoimmune disease and immune dysregulation • Cancer • Male and female infertility

Answer: they can all mimic the signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.

B12 deficiency isn’t a bizarre, mysterious disease. It’s written about in every medical textbook and its causes and effects are well-established in the scientific literature. However, B12 deficiency is far more common than most health care practitioners and the general public realize. Data from the Tufts University Framingham Offspring Study suggest that 40 percent of people between the ages of 26 and 83 have plasma B12 levels in the low normal range – a range at which many experience neurological symptoms. 9 percent had outright deficiency, and 16 percent exhibited “near deficiency”. Most surprising to the researchers was the fact that low B12 levels were as common in younger people as they were in the elderly. That said, B12 deficiency has been estimated to affect about 40% of people over 60 years of age. It’s en- tirely possible that at least some of the symptoms we attribute to “normal” aging – such as memory loss, cognitive decline, decreased mobility, etc. – are at least in part caused by B12 deficiency.

Why is B12 deficiency so under-diagnosed?

B12 deficiency is often missed for two reasons. First, it’s not routinely tested by most physicians. Second, the low end of the laboratory reference range is too low. This is why most studies underestimate true levels of deficiency. Many B12 deficient people have so-called “normal” levels of B12.

Yet it is well-established in the scientific literature that people with B12 levels between 200 pg/mL and 350 pg/mL – levels considered “normal” in the U.S. – have clear B12 deficiency symptoms. Experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of B12 deficiency, like Sally Pacholok R.N. and Jeffery Stewart D.O., suggest treating all patients that are symptomatic and have B12 levels less than 450 pg/mL. They

38 also recommend treating patients with normal B12, but elevated urinary methylmalonic acid (MMA), homocysteine and/or holotranscobalamin (other markers of B12 deficiency).

In Japan and Europe, the lower limit for B12 is between 500-550 pg/mL, the level associated with psychological and behavioral manifestations such as cognitive decline,dementia and memory loss. Some experts have speculated that the acceptance of higher levels as normal in Japan and the willingness to treat levels considered “normal” in the U.S. explain the low rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia in that country. What is vitamin B12 and why do you need it?

Vitamin B12 works together with folate in the synthesis of DNA and red blood cells. It’s also involved in the production of the myelin sheath around the nerves, and the conduction of nerve impulses. You can think of the brain and the nervous system as a big tangle of wires. Myelin is the insulation that protects those wires and helps them to conduct messages.

Severe B12 deficiency in conditions like pernicious anemia (an autoimmune condition where the body destroys intrinsic factor, a protein necessary for the absorption of B12) used to be fatal until scientists figured out death could be prevented by feeding patients raw liver (which contains high amounts of B12). But anemia is the final stage of B12 deficiency. Long before anemia sets in, B12 deficiency causes several other problems, including fatigue, lethargy, weakness, memory loss and neurological and psychiatric problems.

B12 deficiency occurs in four stages, beginning with declining blood levels of the vitamin (stage I), pro- gressing to low cellular concentrations of the vitamin (stage II), an increased blood level of homocysteine and a decreased rate of DNA synthesis (stage III), and finally, macrocytic anemia (stage IV). Why is B12 deficiency so common?

The absorption of B12 is complex and involves several steps – each of which can go wrong. Causes of B12 malabsorption include:

• intestinal dysbiosis • leaky gut and/or gut inflammation • atrophic gastrits or hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) • pernicious anemia (autoimmune condition) • medications (especially PPIs and other acid-suppressing drugs) • alcohol • exposure to nitrous oxide (during surgery or recreational use)

This explains why B12 deficiency can occur even in people eating large amounts of B12-containing ani-

39 mal products. In fact, many of my patients that are B12 deficient are following a Paleo diet where they eat meat 2-3 times a day.

In general, the following groups are at greatest risk for B12 deficiency: • vegetarians and vegans • people aged 60 or over • people who regularly use PPIs or acid suppressing drugs • people on diabetes drugs like metformin • people with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac or IBS • women with a history of infertility and miscarriage

Note to vegetarians and vegans: B12 is found ONLY in animal products

B12 is the only vitamin that contains a trace element (cobalt), which is why it’s called cobalamin. Cobal- amin is produced in the gut of animals. It’s the only vitamin we can’t obtain from plants or sunlight. Plants don’t need B12 so they don’t store it.

A common myth amongst vegetarians and vegans is that it’s possible to get B12 from plant sources like seaweed, fermented soy, spirulina and brewers yeast. But plant foods said to contain B12 actually contain B12 analogs called cobamides that block intake of and increase the need for true B12.

This explains why studies consistently demonstrate that up to 50% of long-term vegetarians and 80% of vegans are deficient in B12.

The effects of B12 deficiency on kids are especially alarming. Studies have shown that kids raised until age 6 on a vegan diet are still B12 deficient even years after they start eating at least some animal products. In one study, the researchers found:

...a significant association between cobalamin [b12] status and performance on tests measuring fluid -in telligence, spatial ability and short-term memory” with formerly vegan kids scoring lower than omnivorous kids in each case.

The deficit in fluid intelligence is particularly troubling, the researchers said, because: ...it involves reason- ing, the capacity to solve complex problems, abstract thinking ability and the ability to learn. Any defect in this area may have far-reaching consequences for individual functioning.

I recognize that there are many reasons why people choose to eat the way they do, and I respect people’s right to make their own choices. I also know that, like all parents, vegetarians and vegans want

40 the best for their children. This is why it’s absolutely crucial for those that abstain from animal products to understand that there are no plant sources of B12 and that all vegans and most vegetarians should supplement with B12. This is especially important for vegetarian or vegan children or pregnant women, whose need for B12 is even greater than adults.

Treatment of B12 deficiency

One of the greatest tragedies of the B12 epidemic is that diagnosis and treatment is relatively easy and cheap – especially when compared to treatment of the diseases B12 deficiency can cause. A B12 test can be performed by any laboratory, and should be covered by insurance. If you don’t have insurance, you can order it yourself from a lab like DirectLabs.com for $60.

As always, adequate treatment depends on the underlying mechanism causing the problem. People with pernicious anemia or inflammatory gut disorders like Crohn’s disease are likely to have impaired absorption for their entire lives, and will likely require B12 injections indefinitely. This may also be true for those with severe B12 deficiency causing neurological symptoms.

Some recent studies have suggested that high dose oral or nasal administration may be as effective as injections for those with B12 malabsorption problems. However, most B12 experts still recommend injections for people with pernicious anemia and advanced B12 deficiency involving neurological symptoms.

Cyanaocobalamin is the most frequently used form of B12 supplementation in the US. But recent evidence suggests that hydroxycobalamin (frequently used in Europe) is superior to cyanocobalamin, and methylcobalamin may be superior to both – especially for neurological disease.

Japanese studies indicate that methylcobalamin is even more effective in treating the neurological sequel- ae of B12 deficiency, and that it may be better absorbed because it bypasses several potential problems in the B12 absorption cycle. On top of that, methylcobalamin provides the body with methyl groups that play an role in various biological processes important to overall health.

If you suspect you have B12 deficiency, the first step is to get tested. You need an accurate baseline to work from. If you are B12 deficient, the next step is to identify the mechanism causing the deficiency. This is something you’ll probably need help with from a medical practitioner. Once the mechanism is identified, the appropriate form (injection, oral, sublingual or nasal) of supplementation, the dose and the length of treatment can be selected.

So, next time you or someone you know is “having a senior moment”, remember: it might not be “just aging”. It could be B12 deficiency.

41 CHRIS KRESSER, M.S., L.Ac Chris Kresser, M.S., L.Ac is a globally recognized leader in the fields of ancestral health, Paleo nutrition, and functional and integrative medicine. He is the creator of ChrisKresser.com, one of the top 25 natural health sites in the world, and the author of the New York Times best seller, Your Personal Paleo Code (published in paperback in December 2014 as The Paleo Cure).

Chris was recently named by Greatist.com as one of the 100 most influential people in health and fitness, along with Michelle Obama, Michael Pollan, Dr. Andrew Weil, Tim Ferriss, Mark Sisson, Robb Wolf and Dr. Mercola—and his work is frequently cited in national publications such as Time, The Atlantic, and NPR, and on Dr. Oz and Fox & Friends, where he has appeared as a guest.

http://chriskresser.com

42 Diabetes and Cognitive Decline “One of the most important concepts described in my book Grain Brain, focuses on the fundamental role of elevated blood sugar as it relates to brain degeneration. We explored in-depth,“ scientific literature that demonstrates a significant increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia if a person carries a diagnosis of type II diabetes.

This relationship was amplified recently by a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that demonstrated significantly increased risk for cognitive decline with mild elevations of blood sugar, well below levels that would indicate diabetes.

In a recent report, published in Clinical Interventions in Aging, Japanese researchers again solidified our knowledge base about the relationship between diabetes and cognitive decline. The report, “Type II Diabetes as a Risk Factor for Cognitive Impairment: Current Insights“, focuses on not only statistics relating diabetes to cognitive decline, but also the mechanisms by which that happens.

The researchers describe a variety of factors relating type II diabetes to brain dysfunction including impaired neurogenesis which is the process by which we are able to grow new brain cells, specifically in the brains memory center, hippocampus. This is compromised in diabetes.

Blood brain barrier dysfunction is also noted to occur in diabetes. This sets the stage for entry of otherwise excluded proteins and even bacteria into the brain leading to nerve cell damage. Diabetes is known to enhance inflammation, and inflammation is indeed a cornerstone of Alzheimer’s type dementia.

Hyperglycemia, describes an elevation of blood sugar, which has direct and toxic effects of brain cells, but also indirectly leads to damage by increasing both inflammation as well as free radical activity through the process of protein glycation, meaning proteins binding to sugar.

Insulin resistance also is associated obviously with type II diabetes. Insulin plays an important role as a trophic hormone in the brain meaning important for health and vitality of brain cells. And when the brain becomes insulin resistant with type II diabetes the function of insulin is compromised.

Finally, it is well known that diabetes is associated with compromise of vascular function, throughout the body, and particularly in the brain. Vascular issues are associated with cognitive decline.

43 So again, a central theme of my book, Grain Brain, is to prevent becoming a diabetic at all cost. That means the diet should be one that is exquisitely low in sugar as well as carbohydrates. We emphasize physical activity, and eating a diet high in fiber based upon above ground vegetables.

These lifestyle recommendations fundamentally focus on regulation of blood sugar which this report clearly supports as playing a critical role in brain preservation.

DAVID PERLMUTTER, MD, FACN, ABIHM Dr. Perlmutter is a Board-Certified Neurologist and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition who received his M.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine where he was awarded the Leonard G. Rowntree Research Award. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals including Archives of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and The Journal of Applied Nutrition, and is a frequent lecturer at symposia sponsored by such medical institutions as Columbia University, Scripps Institute, New York University, and Harvard University. He serves as Associate Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Dr. Perlmutter has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated television programs including 20/20, Larry King Live, CNN, Fox News, Fox and Friends, The Today Show, Oprah, The Dr.Oz Show and The CBS Early Show. He is the recipient of the Linus Pauling Award for his innovative approaches to neurological disorders and in addition was awarded the Denham Harmon Award for his pioneering work in the application of free radical science to clinical medicine. He is the recipient of the 2006 National Nutrition- al Foods Association Clinician of the Year Award and was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year award from the American College of Nutrition in, 2010.

Dr. Perlmutter is the author of seven books including the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Grain Brain, The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs and Sugar - Your Brain’s Silent Killers, now published in 27 countries.

His new book, Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain–for Life, is now available nationwide and is a New York Times Bestseller.

http://www.drperlmutter.com

44 Compassionate Eating: “The Food of Love Perhaps there is no greater food than love. Human beings thrive on it. The meaning of the word “love” can be stretched out to a long continuum, going all“ the way from romantic love to platonic love to familial love. Without a doubt, the heart is front and center of our lives. In fact, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the heart is referred to as the “sovereign,” or the ruler of the body, and is claimed to house the spirit of the person.

All the emphasis that has been placed on the intellect for so many years is now proving to be misplaced. Research from the HeartMath Institute shows that the heart generates a more significant field than the brain, making it the “most powerful electromagnetic field produced by the body.”[1] In fact, a 2014 study suggests the heart may even be “smarter” than the brain because of its precognitive abilities. “Pre- stimulus information” is processed and decoded by the heart before it is relayed to conventional sensory channels in the brain.[2]

Our heart is our inner fulcrum, bringing joy to our eating expe- riences. In many cultures, food is used to express love. Dating couples typically spend their time together eating a meal. Moth- ers bake for their children. The message being delivered on many levels is that if we care about someone, we share food with them, whether preparing it for them, serving it, or even eating with them. Our love travels not only through the act of sharing food, but through the act of consuming it. The act of eating and what we eat shows how much we value and love our bodies. Eating behaviors often reveal how connected we are to the greatest form of love – self-compassion. Through loving ourselves, we are able to form a healthy relationship with food.

Many suffer from disordered eating – over-eating, starvation, or fixated eating – and have a damaged self-image that doesn’t allow them to love their bodies. Obesity is a global epidemic and anorexia continues to be one of the leading chronic illnesses among adolescents.[3][4] Is it time to be concentrating an equal amount of attention on the emotional aspects of eating and not just the quality of food itself?

Cultivating compassion is a primary focus in current research on disordered eating. Low self-compassion was the strongest predictor in eating disorder pathology in several recent studies.[5][6][7] Additionally, building self-compassion has been shown to be the most effective means by which to prevent disordered eating.[8] Feelings of shame, failure, self-disgust, resentment, and contempt are commonly exacerbated in those with eating disorders and in turn food is used as punishment rather than nourishment.[9] The “I’m not good enough” outlook has been mediated with techniques like Compassion- Focused Therapy (CFT), shown to not only help to cultivate compassion for the self, but for others as well.[10][11]

45 Here are a few easy ways to cultivate more compassionate eating on a daily basis:

Tune into the love you have for you. We live in a culture that tells us that focusing on ourselves means that we are selfish. However, nothing can be further from the truth. When we come from a place of self-love, we might make better choices for ourselves when it comes to our eating. Poor dietary choices have been directly linked to issues with self-esteem. The less regard ones holds for his or herself the more likely he/she will engage in unhealthy eating habits and behaviors.[12] Disordered eating research high- lights how self-criticism is one of the leading causes of dysfunctional eating behavior.[13] When we hold ourselves in high regard, we are less likely engage in behaviors that could potentially hurt our health. It would also follow that we can more effectively care for others with a foundation of love within.

Share meals with others. Love grows when we share it. Invite others over to eat and try new recipes. Eating in a communal setting is important for us as human beings as we are interdependent. Studies show that our social networks can determine what we eat[14] [15] [16], so we need to pick our tribes carefully. Living arrangements, frequency of social contact, and relationship/marital status have all been shown to impact level of fruit and vegetable intake.[17]

When we build walls of isolation or separation around us, we close off the heart. Eating with others has the potential to fill the heart with joy, especially when the meals are prepared and eaten together. Sharing meals has been used as a therapeutic modality in the treatment of eating disorders among adolescents because, among other things, it creates a sense of belonging.[18] Studies have shown that sharing meals benefits elderly populations as well. Out of a group of 130 elderly adults, those who more regularly shared meals with others or ate in a social setting had the best overall health and nutrient intake.[19] Those with the lowest nutrient intake maintained a more isolated lifestyle in the community.

Eat plant foods for circulation and expansion. On a nutritional level, plant foods are nourishing to the heart because of the phytonutrient complexity they provide. Green foods contain high levels of thousands of antioxidant plant compounds like chlorophyll. Select green vegetables also contain dietary folates, which help in lowering levels of homocysteine in the blood, an important marker to consider in those with cardiovascular disease risk.

[1] McCraty, R., Atkinson, P. D. M., & Tomasino, D. (2003). Modulation of DNA conformation by heart-focused intention. HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath, Publication, (03-008), 2. [2] McCraty, R., & Atkinson, M. (2014). Electrophysiology of intuition: pre-stimulus responses in group and individual participants using a Roulette paradigm.Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 3(2), 16-27. [3] Speakman, J. R. (2014). If Body Fatness is Under Physiological Regulation, Then How Come We Have an Obesity Epidemic?. Physiology, 29(2), 88-98.

46 [4] Lang, K., Stahl, D., Espie, J., Treasure, J., & Tchanturia, K. (2014). Set shifting in children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa: An exploratory systematic review and meta‐analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 47(4), 394-399.

[5] Goss, K., & Allan, S. (2014). The development and application of compassion focused therapy for eating disorders (CFT?E). British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 53(1), 62-77. [6] Gale, C., Gilbert, P., Read, N., & Goss, K. (2014). An evaluation of the impact of introducing compassion focused therapy to a standard treatment programme for people with eating disorders. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 21(1), 1-12 [7] Kelly, A. C., Vimalakanthan, K., & Carter, J. C. (2014). Understanding the roles of self-esteem, self-compassion, and fear of self-compassion in eating disorder pathology: An examination of female students and eating disorder patients.Eating Behaviors, 15(3), 388-391. [8] Idbd. [9] Goss, K., & Allan, S. (2014). The development and application of compassion focused therapy for eating disorders (CFT?E). British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 53(1), 62-77. [10] Idbd. [11] Gale, C., Gilbert, P., Read, N., & Goss, K. (2014). An evaluation of the impact of introducing compassion focused therapy to a standard treatment programme for people with eating disorders. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 21(1), 1-12. [12] Lachance, L., Martin, M. S., Kaduri, P., Godoy-Paiz, P., Ginieniewicz, J., Tarasuk, V., & McKenzie, K. (2014). Food insecurity, diet quality, and mental health in culturally diverse adolescents. Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care, 7(1), 14-22. [13] Noordenbos, G., Aliakbari, N., & Campbell, R. (2014). The Relationship Among Critical Inner Voices, Low Self-Esteem, and Self-Criticism in Eating Disor- ders.Eating disorders, (ahead-of-print), 1-15. [14] Fletcher, A., Bonell, C., & Sorhaindo, A. (2011). You are what your friends eat: systematic review of social network analyses of young people’s eating behaviours and bodyweight. Journal of epidemiology and community health, jech-2010. [15] Conklin, A. I., Forouhi, N. G., Surtees, P., Khaw, K. T., Wareham, N. J., & Monsivais, P. (2014). So- cial relationships and healthful dietary behaviour: Evidence from over-50s in the EPIC cohort, UK. Social Science & Medicine,100, 167-175. [16] Pachucki, M. A., Jacques, P. F., & Christakis, N. A. (2011). Social network concordance in food choice among spouses, friends, and siblings. American Journal of Public Health, 101(11), 2170-2177. [17] Conklin, A. I., Forouhi, N. G., Surtees, P., Khaw, K. T., Wareham, N. J., & Monsivais, P. (2014). So- cial relationships and healthful dietary behaviour: Evidence from over-50s in the EPIC cohort, UK. Social Science & Medicine,100, 167-175. [18] Ogden, J. (2011). The psychology of eating: From healthy to disordered behavior. John Wiley & Sons. [19] Davidson, C. S., LIVERMORE, J., ANDERSON, P., & KAUFMAN, S. (1962). The nutrition of a group

47 of apparently healthy aging persons. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 10(3), 181-199.direct and toxic effects of brain cells, but also indirectly leads to damage by increasing both inflammation as well as free radical activity through the process of protein glycation, meaning proteins binding to sugar. Insulin resistance also is associated obviously with type II diabetes. Insulin plays an important role as a trophic hormone in the brain meaning important for health and vitality of brain cells. And when the brain becomes insulin resistant with type II diabetes the function of insulin is compromised. Finally, it is well known that diabetes is associated with compromise of vascular function, throughout the body, and particularly in the brain. Vascular issues are associated with cognitive decline. So again, a central theme of my book, Grain Brain, is to prevent becoming a diabetic at all cost. That means the diet should be one that is exquisitely low in sugar as well as carbohydrates. We emphasize physical activity, and eating a diet high in fiber based upon above ground vegetables. These lifestyle recommendations fundamentally focus on regulation of blood sugar which this report clearly supports as playing a critical role in brain preservation.

DEANNA MINICH, PhD, CNS Dr. Deanna Minich is an internationally-recognized lifestyle medicine expert, creative visionary, and author of five books. Her twenty years of experience in the nutrition and functional medicine fields led her to develop an integrated, “whole self” approach to nutrition called Food & Spirit.

In 2014, she launched the Certified Food & Spirit Practitioner Program to provide health professionals with a practical way to apply the Food & Spirit principles into clinical medicine.

Dr. Minich has had a diverse, well-rounded experience in the field of nutrition including clinical practice, research, product formulation, marketing, writing, and education.

She is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition (F.A.C.N.), a Certified Nutrition Specialist (C.N.S.), Certified Nutritionist (C.N.) by the Washington State Department of Health, a Certified Functional Med- icine Practitioner, (I.F.M.C.P.) and a Registered Yoga Teacher (R.Y.T.). She is the author of four books on health and wellness, and over fifteen scientific publications.

Currently, she is adjunct faculty for the Institute for Functional Medicine and two universities. Her passion is teaching a whole-self approach to nourishment and bridging the gaps between science, spirituality, and art in medicine. http://foodandspirit.com

48 It’s important to limit your carbohydrate intake at “each meal rather than simply staying below a certain range per day.

This helps prevent high post-meal blood glucose levels that place a heavy burden on the beta cells of your pancreas to produce large quantities of“ insulin. What should your carbohydrate limit per meal be? I recommend starting with 20 grams of net carbs at each meal and testing your blood sugar 1 to 2 hours later to see how you respond. If your blood sugar level is higher than you’re comfortable with, adjust your carb intake down by about 5 grams per meal until you achieve your post-meal goal.

FRANZISKA SPRITZLER, RD, CDE Franziska Spritzler is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator who takes a carbohydrate-restricted, whole-foods approach to managing diabetes and insulin resistance.

She works in private practice in Huntington Beach, California, and has been following a low- carb lifestyle since early 2011. Franziska is also a freelance writer whose articles have been published online and in diabetes journals and magazines, and in January of 2015 she published her first book, The Low Carb Dietitian’s Guide to Health and Beauty.

Her website is Low Carb Dietitian, http://www.lowcarbdietitian.com

49 Get serious about breakfast. “Get serious about breakfast. One of the quickest ways to get diabetes is to skip breakfast- this can put your body on a blood sugar rollercoaster for the rest of the day! Eating a “ carbohydrate heavy breakfast is another short-cut to diabetes. Be sure to eat a breakfast that’s packed with plenty of good fats, protein and fiber. Cut your consumption of carbohydrates like breads and bagels, and eat fruit in moderation, preferably later in the day. For breakfast on the go, I like to recommend a smoothie with coconut milk, a clean protein (like pea or hydrolyzed beef), an avocado, chia seeds and plenty of veggies to get you on the right track to even-keel blood sugar levels.

IZABELLA WENTZ, PHARM.D., FASCP Izabella Wentz, Pharm.D., FASCP is a passionate, innovative and solution focused clinical pharmacist. She has had a passion for health care from a very early age, inspired by her mother, Dr. Marta Nowosadzka, MD.

Fascinated by science and the impact of substances on the human body, Izabella decided to pursue a degree in pharmacy with a dream of one day finding a cure for a disease. An avid learner and goal-oriented student, she received the PharmD. Degree (Doctor of Pharmacy) from the Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy at the age of 23.

After graduation, she excelled at numerous roles including working as a community pharmacist, a clinical consulting pharmacist and later a medication safety pharmacist. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, and holds certifications in Medication Therapy Management as well as Advanced Diabetes Care.

After being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis in 2009, Dr. Wentz was surprised at the lack of knowledge about lifestyle interventions for Hashimoto’s, hypothyroidism, and autoimmune conditions. She decided to take on lifestyle interventions as a personal mission in an effort to help herself and others with Hashimoto’s.

After two years of researching Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism, she decided to combine emerging knowledge with her quality improvement expertise to run rapid tests of change on herself that led her to discover the root cause of her condition. She has summarized three years of research and two years of testing in her book: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause. http://www.thyroidpharmacist.com

50 Treatments that Cure Type 2 Diabetes. “It surprises some people that there are, indeed treatments that cure Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Bariatric surgery is one such treatment. Fasting protocols have been known for close to 100 years to cure“ diabetes as well. Very Low Carbohydrate (sometimes also called ketogenic diets) can also sometimes cure T2D.

Consider a recent case that I saw. A 27 year old physiology student was diagnosed with T2D when she showed up for her routine medical check up. Her bloodwork had shown a HgbA1C of 10.4%. That is pretty bad. Normal is less than 6.0% and T2D is diagnosed at 6.5%. So she was well, well within the range of diabetes.

Her physician immediately started her on 3 medications. However, being so young, she didn’t want to take them. So she searched around on the Internet and decided to start a ketogenic diet. Three months later, her A1C was 5.5% even off of all her medications! Her T2D was, in fact, completely cured.

You may also have heard of a recent case of a Texan 3 year old with T2D. Yes. A 3 year old. Her diet consisted mostly of candy, sugary drinks and fast food. The toddler was initially placed on metformin, a drug commonly used in adults for T2D. However, with proper diet, she was able to stop her medication and her sugars returned to normal. After 2 years, it might be argued that proper diet ‘cured’ this patients diabetes.

This doesn’t seem too difficult to figure out, really. Refined carbohydrates are well known to be one of the worst offenders for raising blood sugars. They also don’t have any redeeming nutritional qualities. You know, nasty without good qualities. So reducing refined carbohydrates like sugar and flour should, in fact lower blood sugars. If you reduced them a lot, your blood sugars should go down a lot. It is also well known that fats do not raise glucose at all.

51 So it seems pretty clear from these cases that T2D is not really a chronic and progressive disease as the The American Diabetes Association (ADA) always claim. After all, suppose that your friend comes up to you and says “I was told I had T2D, but I lost 60 pounds. My diabetes has gone away, and I’ve stopped my all my medications” You would probably congratulate your friend on a job well done.

You wouldn’t, for instance, scream at him “The ADA says T2D is a chronic and progressive disease, so you must be a dirty filthy liar. Eat your 50% carbohydrate meal and take your insulin!”

So, it is indeed obvious, to anybody who thinks about this question for more than a few minutes, that T2D is actually a reversible and curable disease. So why all the hyperbole about progression?

Well, there are many treatments for T2D that do NOT lead to a cure. Insulin and other diabetes pills, for example. Have you ever heard anybody say, “I started on insulin (or pills), and that made me all better, so now here I am, off all medications with normal blood sugars. Bless that insulin! I love the extra 10 pounds around the waist, too!” Ummm... No, I can’t remember anybody saying that to me. And remember, I used to put people on these meds all the time. I’ve done it at least 500 times in my prescribing lifetime.

How about the standard 50% carb, low fat diet? I’ve put lots of people on this, too. I don’t really remember anybody getting better on this diet either. But you don’t have to take my word for it. The proof is in the pudding.

Consider this. The Low Fat diet is the standard diet of the ADA. It is recommended as the first line treatment of T2D in all cases. If it was an effective treatment, do you think the graph would look like this?

You can just imagine the conversation ADA: “Oh, we’ve been telling people to eat low-fat for the last 20 years and in that time we had a raging diabetes epidemic that threatens to overrun our health care

52 system”

Government “Keep up the good work, ADA. That’s a really powerful diabetes diet you got there”

You cannot underestimate the power of ignorance. Consider the recent case of Jennifer Elliott. She is a lovely dietician in Australia with 30 years of experience who advised that patients follow a diet that is lower in carbohydrates. There is lots of studies that support this dietary advice. It also makes sense to reduce grains and sugars since these raise blood sugars a lot. Yet. for her trouble, the Dietitians Association of Australia expelled her and prohibited her from practicing. Dissent is certainly not tolerated.

Anyhow, we can think about the issue this way. There are treatments for T2D that lead to a cure. There are also treatments for T2D that DON’T lead to a cure. You will never guess, of course, which way our current treatment protocols and research are heading.

Doctors choose to treat patients in a way that guarantees that they will not be cured. They are not even shy about telling you this shit. They come right into your face, look you in the eye and say stuff like “You have T2D. You’ll always have it. You’ll eventually go onto insulin and go blind and onto dialysis. There’s nothing you can do about it. Get used to it.” Because that’s what they were taught by the ‘experts’ . Because they have the ADA to back them up on these blatant lies.

They are especially dangerous because they are telling people that they shouldn’t even try to get better. They are saying “Give up all hope, now, you mangy dog. Send us your money and take your insulin”. They are trying to instill learned helplessness into the population. I mean, consider the sheer idiocy of these statements. “Using insulin...is a good thing, not a bad one”. What planet are they living on? Either they think we are crazy, or they are. Who would ever say that going onto insulin is a good thing?

53 That is like saying that “Oh, the fact that your cancer has spread all over your body is a good thing, not a bad one. – that is just the natural progression of the disease”. You’ll die, but it’s OK because that is the natural progression.

The truth is, which is plainly obvious to anybody with two neurons connected by a spirochete, that if you are taking insulin, your T2D is worse than it has even been before. Which is very, very, very B.A.D. news. Because T2D is the leading cause of blindness, amputations, kidney disease, nerve damage etc.

So let’s juxtapose these two incontrovertible facts together: Fact #1: Type 2 Diabetes is a fully reversible disease.

Fact #2: Almost all patients under conventional treatments are getting worse.

There are only two possibilities. First, the conventional treatment is good, but patients are not following it. Well, this is easy to prove false. You only have to look at the number of prescriptions for insulin and other medications to know that patients are taking the treatment. So there is only one other possibility – that the conventional treatment does not work. This is the only one that makes sense.

So, why do these doctors lie to us that T2D is chronic and progressive? Well, they are actually lying to themselves. If they face the cold, hard facts, then the only conclusion is that the doctors are giving really bad advice. But this is a psychologically very difficult thing to do – to realize that you totally suck despite years of medical training. It is impossible for them to face the truth. Imagine that you have spent 12 years in medical training and another 20-30 years treating patients only to realize that you have not helped a single patient in your entire career. That your patients could get better, but under your care, were all getting worse. You would need to face the hard truth that you were not helping people, you were hurting them.

54 Instead, they must lie to themselves that T2D is actually a chronic and progressive disease. That means the doctor is doing the best the he/she can, but the disease is really bad. This is psychologically much, much easier. So that’s what they do. The doctors lie to themselves, and actually believe that T2D is chronic and progressive. They have to. No, the psychic damage would be terrible. Since the doctors influence the ADA and other associations, they soon put out utterly ridiculous statements on their websites. Anybody foolish enough to speak the truth became as popular as a turd in a punchbowl. (I wonder why nobody at the ADA invites me to speak?)

Saving their egos, these doctors have helped millions to their graves. Instead of raising patients hopes of a cure, they have crushed it beneath the heavy boots of the Diabetes Associations. All because they forgot this one lethally simple fact. Drugs cannot help a dietary disease.

JASON FUNG, MD Dr. Jason Fung completed medical school and internal medicine at the University of Toronto before finish- ing his nephrology fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles at the Cedars-Sinai hospital. He know has a practice in Ontario, Canada where he uses his Intensive Dietary Management program to help all sorts of patients, but especially those suffering from the two big epidemics of modern times: obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Fung uses innovative solutions to these problems, realizing that conventional treatments are not that effective in helping people.

http://www.intensivedietarymanagement.com

55 The 5-Minute Meal “that Makes You an All-Day Fat Burner “After pulling my kids together for school, searching for car keys, calling the plumber for a suddenly stopped-up toilet, and the million other demands morning creates, who has time for breakfast?”“ a read- er once asked me.

As a single mom of two teenage sons juggling two businesses, I understand how hectic mornings can become. Among the frenzy, breakfast often lands on the backburner. Skipping isn’t the answer, but neither are the high-sugar impact desserts (looking at you, banana nut low-fat muffin) that pass as sustenance. Breakfast sets your day’s metabolic tone. Skipping and sugar both set you up for all-day hunger, cravings, and overeating.

If you’re short on time and simply don’t “do breakfast,” a protein shake makes an easy, simple, healthy breakfast that takes about the same amount of time as pouring cereal and milk.

I’ve had clients do nothing else but swap breakfast for a protein shake and they lost weight. My favorite recipe blends All-in-One Powder with avocado, kale, frozen raspberries (unless you’re in cycle 2 of my Sugar Impact Diet), freshly ground flaxseed or Extra Fiber, and unsweetened coconut or almond milk.

Protein shakes create amazing portability, whether you’re rushing to the airport or just scrambling to get to work. I never travel without my protein powder, little containers of coconut milk, and a small portable blender. (Talk about saving money over those continental breakfasts!)

A protein shake becomes ideal at breakfast, but you can whip up a second one for lunch or dinner to balance your blood sugar and give you steady energy for hours. For fast, lasting fat loss and optimal health, here are five reasons to make breakfast (and maybe a second meal) a protein shake:

1. Convenience. Manufacturers know reaching for a box of cereal with skim milk (a high-sugar impact catastrophe masquerading as healthy) takes less effort than fixing a mixed-vegetable omelet. They also know among the morning craziness, you’ll probably take the path of least resistance at breakfast. A protein shake offers you the same convenience without cereal’s empty carbs that spike and crash your blood sugar.

2. Steady, sustained energy. That high-sugar impact muffin and latte raises your insulin levels, which

56 means you’re due for a mid-morning crash that will leave you running for the nearest bagel cart. A protein shake provides sustained, all- morning energy and focus while crushing hunger and cravings. That means no 11 a.m. donut cravings and no snapping at your coworkers once your blood sugar levels crash. 3. Inexpensive. Tally up how much you spend on biscuits, muffins, and other high- sugar impact breakfast foods. Surprised? My All-in-One Powder provides a cost- effective alternative. Even when you load it with good stuff like unsweetened coconut milk, you’re talking about three bucks. For less than a designer coffee, you get high-quality, fat-burning protein that keeps you full and focused for hours.

4. Time-saving. You know all those reasons for not having breakfast? They don’t work with a protein shake. In less time than it takes to brainstorm reasons you can’t fix breakfast, you can whip up a delicious, filling protein shake.

5. Fat burning. You can custom-load a protein shake with good fat, fiber, antioxidants, and of course high-quality protein that boosts your metabolism and helps burn fat. One study protein shakes “can safely and effectively produce significant sustainable weight loss and improve weight-related risk factors of disease.”

You can literally have a different protein shake every day of the month with a little creativity. Take my protein shake challenge. For two weeks, substitute a shake for your typical breakfast and determine whether that becomes your needle mover for feeling great all morning and fast, lasting fat loss.

JJ VIRGIN, CNS, CHFS Celebrity Nutrition and Fitness Expert JJ Virgin is the four-time NY Times bestselling author of JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet Cookbook: 150 Low-Sugar Recipes to Help You Lose up to 10 Pounds in Just 2 Weeks, JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet: Drop 7 Hidden Sugars, Lose Up to 10 Pounds in Just 2 Weeks, The Virgin Diet: Drop 7 Foods, Lose 7 Pounds, Just 7 Days, and The Virgin Diet Cookbook: 150 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Lose Weight and Feel Better Fast.

JJ specializes in weight loss resistance related to food intolerance and has helped hundreds of thousands of people finally lose the weight and feel better fast. She shows people how to identify sneaky sugars, crush sugar addiction, and shift from being a sugar burner to a fat burner.

She is a board Certified Nutrition Specialist, board certified in Holistic Nutrition and a Certified Nutrition and Fitness Specialist, has completed 40 graduate and doctoral courses and continues to learn every day to keep her audience up on the latest science. http://www.jjvirgin.com

57 Don’t buy the cholesterol myth that everyone with “diabetes should take a statin drug “The Great Cholesterol Myth” is actually a series of related myths. “ Here are eight of my favorites:

MYTH: High cholesterol is the cause of heart disease.

FACT: Cholesterol is a fairly insignificant player in heart disease. MYTH: High cholesterol is a good predictor of heart attacks.

FACT: High cholesterol is a lousy predictor of heart attacks. Half the people admitted to hospitals with heart disease or for heart surgery have normal cholesterol, and plenty of people with elevated cholesterol have perfectly healthy hearts.

MYTH: Lowering cholesterol with statin drugs will prolong your life.

FACT: There is no data showing statins have any impact on longevity. In virtually all of the studies, the people taking statins have a couple of less deaths from heart disease and a couple of more deaths from other causes like cancer, making the total number of lives saved... let’s see.. that would be zero.

MYTH: Statin drugs are perfectly safe.

FACT: Statin drugs have significant side effects, including loss of memory and libido, muscle pain and fatigue, and approximately 65% of doctors don’t report those side effects. (1)

MYTH: Statin drugs are appropriate for men, women, children and the elderly.

FACT: The only group in which statins have been shown to have even a modest effect is in middle-aged men who’ve already had a heart attack. If you’re not in that group, you’ve got no business on a statin drug. (2)

MYTH: Saturated fat is dangerous.

FACT: Saturated fat is mostly neutral and may even have some health benefits. Recent peer-reviewed studies have shown no association of saturated fat with heart disease. (3)

58 MYTH: The higher your cholesterol, the shorter your lifespan.

FACT: In the Framingham Study, the people who actually lived the longest had the highest cholesterol. (4) MYTH: A high carbohydrate diet protects you from heart disease.

FACT: Diets that substitute carbohydrates for saturated fat actually increase the risk for heart disease. (5) For much, much more, check out “The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Cholesterol Won’t Prevent Heart Disease and the Statin-Free Plan that Will”.

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, aka “The Rogue Nutritionist”TM, is a board-certified nutritionist and co-author (with cardiologist Stephen Sinatra, MD) of “The Great Cholesterol Myth”.

REFERENCES • http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17696579 • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-430928/Statins-wont-prevent-women- getting-heart-disease-claim-doctors.html • http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20071648 • http://chriskresser.com/cholesterol-doesnt-cause-heart-disease • http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/80/5/1175.abstract? ijkey=6f0b7d9fbbf501ff2f16776c8c3745870fa45394&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

JOHNY BOWDEN, PhD, CNS Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, (aka “The Nutrition Myth Buster”) is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He is a board-certified nutritionist with a master’s degree in psychology and the author of fourteen books on health, healing, food and longevity including three best-sellers, “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth”, “Living Low Carb” and “The Great cholesterol Myth” (co-authored with Ste- phen Sinatra, MD).

http://www.jonnybowden.com

59 How to Reverse “Diabetes Naturally... In 30 Days or Less “Alarm bells are ringing. The CDC estimates that one third of all Americans will develop diabetes“ and will live 15 years less and lose quality of life. No public health problem compares in scale.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz

According to top medical doctors, nutritionists, scientists, and now even the media type 2 diabetes is a completely reversible condition. Yet, millions of people all over the world are being told that diabetes is “genetic” and that they have to live with it the rest of their life.

But there’s good news! In this article I will go over the exact steps you need to take to reverse type 2 diabetes naturally and improve type 1 diabetes. In most cases, type 2 diabetes can be reversed in less than 30 days. I also layout a sample eating plan and supplement regimen that you can follow or share with someone you love who needs this information.

I will also address the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes and differences in treatment.

25% of the Population is Pre-Diabetic... And They Don’t Know It

Diabetes has grown to “epidemic” proportions and the latest statistics revealed by the US Centers for Dis- ease Control (CDC) state that 25.8 million Americans have diabetes. Also, research from the ADA shows that 79 million Americans have pre-diabetes, which is 25% of the US population!

The cost of diabetes to our nation is a staggering $245 billion dollars a year as of 2012. That’s $176 billion in direct medical costs and another $69 billion loss in productivity.

60 Aside from the financial costs of diabetes the more frightening findings are the side effects and the fact that diabetes is the 7th leading disease killer in America today. The most common side effects of diabetes include: high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, neuropathy, Alzheimer’s and amputation. So let’s discuss what actually causes diabetes and the difference between type 1 and type 2.

The Cause of Diabetes

Diabetes is an illness related to elevated blood sugar levels.

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the insulin- producing beta cells in the pancreas. The damage to the pancreatic cells leads to reduced ability or complete inability to create insulin. Some of the common causes that trigger this autoimmune response may include a virus, GMO organisms, heavy metals, vaccines, or foods like wheat, cows milk, and soy.

The reason foods like wheat and cows milk have been linked to diabetes is because they contain the proteins gluten and A1 casein. These proteins can cause leaky gut which in turn causes systemic inflammation throughout the body and overtime can lead to autoimmune disease. In order to reduce the autoimmune response and improve type 1 diabetes, I suggest you implement the advice in this article and follow the steps I layout for you here: 4 Steps to Heal Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Disease.

Type 1 Diabetes is rarely reversed but with the right dietary changes major improvements in blood sugar levels can be seen and a person can often reduce their dependence on insulin and medications.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is caused by insulin resistance. It is a metabolic disorder that is caused by high blood sugar. The body can keep up for a period of time by producing more insulin, but over time the insulin receptors sites get burned out.

61 Now, we know the main causative factors in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes include foods that spike blood sugar levels and cause intestinal inflammation. Next, let’s go over the top foods you MUST get out of your diet to reverse type 2 diabetes and support overall health for type 1 diabetes.

Foods You Must Remove to Reverse Diabetes Naturally

Refined sugar rapidly spikes blood glucose and soda, fruit juice and other sugary beverages are the worst culprits. These forms of sugar enter the blood stream rapidly and can cause extreme elevations in blood glucose. Even though natural sweeteners like raw honey and maple syrup are better options, they can still affect blood sugar. Your best option is to switch to stevia.

Grains, especially gluten containing grains like wheat, contain large amounts of carbohydrates which are broken down into sugar within a few minutes of consumption. As discussed earlier, gluten can cause intestinal inflammation which affects hormones like cortisol and leptin, and can lead to spikes in blood sugar. I would remove all grains from your diet for your first 90 days on this healing program and after that time you can introduce back in sprouted ancient grains in small amounts.

Conventional cow’s milk, should be eliminated especially for type 1 diabetics. Dairy can be a fantastic food for balancing blood sugar if it comes from goat’s, sheep, or A2 cows. Stay away from all other forms of dairy because the A1 casein produced by conventional cows will harm the body and trigger an immune response similar to gluten. When buying dairy, only purchase raw and organic from pasture raised animals.

Alcohol can dangerously increase blood sugar and lead to liver toxicity. Beer and sweet liquors are high in carbohydrates and should be avoided.

GMO corn, soy, and canola have been linked to kidney and liver disease and may promote diabetes. I suggest removing all GMO foods and all packaged foods from your diet. Also, remove hydrogenated oils from your diet including vegetable oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, and canola oil.

Top Foods to Cure Diabetes

If you want to reverse diabetes quickly or prevent diabetes I suggest you add the following foods into your diet.

High fiber foods help slow down glucose absorption. Aim for at least 30g of fiber per day from vegetables, avocados, berries, nuts, and seeds.

62 Foods high in chromium can improve GTF glucose tolerance factor in your body and naturally balance out blood glucose levels. Broccoli, raw cheese, green beans and grass-fed beef are all high in chromium, however broccoli has the highest amounts by far.

MCFA’s found in coconut and red palm oil can help balance blood sugar levels and be a preferred fuel source for your body rather than sugar.

Wild-caught fish contain Omega-3 fats and reduce inflammation which can help counteract some of the negative effects of elevated blood glucose.

Foods with a low glycemic load tend to not spike blood sugar as much as high glycemic foods. Low glycemic foods include vegetables, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut, organic meat, eggs, wild caught fish and raw pastured dairy.

Sprinkling herbs like cinnamon, turmeric, and parsley on your food may also help balance blood sugar levels.

The 5 Best Supplements for Balancing Blood Sugar

1. Chromium Picolinate (600 mcg daily) Helps improve insulin sensitivity. 2. Cinnamon (2 tsp daily) Add to food, smoothie or tea to help improve blood sugar control. 3. Fish Oil (1,000 mg daily) Omega-3s are necessary for proper insulin function. 4. Alpha-Lipoic Acid (300-1200 mg daily) Improves insulin sensitivity and reduces symptoms of neuropathy. 5. Fiber Powder (10 g) Fiber from vegetables and seeds can control blood glucose. I recommend finding a supplement that contains sprouted chia and flaxseeds.

Other supplements that may support diabetes include: magnesium, rhodiola, green coffee extract, bitter melon, and gymnema sylvestre.

63 30-Days to Reverse Diabetes’ Eating Plan

If you want to balance your blood sugar and see results quickly, then follow this plan as closely as possible. I want you to focus on getting plenty of protein, healthy fat, and fiber in every meal.

Exercising Balances Your Blood Sugar

Exercise is another crucial part of improving insulin sensitivity. It naturally supports metabolism by burning fat and building lean muscle. To prevent and reverse diabetes I recommend getting outside and walking 20-30 minutes a day. This has been shown to be especially beneficial following meals.

In addition to walking, you also need to do interval training cardio (like burst training) or weight training 3 to 5 days a week for 20-40 minutes.

Burst training can help you burn up to 3x more body fat than traditional cardio and can naturally increase insulin sensitivity. You can do this on a spin bike with intervals or you can try my BurstFIT home training program. Burstfit has a variety of workouts for all levels of fitness.

64 Strength training using free weights or machines is also recommended because it helps you build and maintain muscle, which supports balanced blood sugar and sugar metabolism.

References CNN. Reversing Diabetes is Possible. http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/28/ reverse.diabetes/ (accessed September 2013).

American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Statistics. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/ diabetes-statistics/ (accessed September 2013).

Monetini L, Cavallo MG, Manfrini S, Stefanini L, Picarelli A, Di Tola M, Petrone A, Bianchi M, La Presa M, Di Giulio C, Baroni MG, Thorpe R, Walker BK, Pozzilli P. Antibodies to bovine beta-casein in diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. Hormone and Metabolic Research 2002; 34(8): 455-9.

Hansen D, Brock-Jacobsen B, Lund E, Bjørn C, Hansen LP, Nielsen C, Fenger C, Lillevang ST, Husby S. Clinical benefit of a gluten-free diet in type 1 diabetic children with screening-detected celiac disease: a population-based screening study with 2 years’ follow-up.. Diabetes Care 2006; 169(21): 2029-32.

Wein S, Wolffram S, Schrezenmeir J, Gasperiková D, Klimes I, Seböková E. Medium-chain fatty acids ameliorate insulin resistance caused by high-fat diets in rats. Diabetes Metabolism Research and Reviews 2009; 25(2): 185-94.

Kalman D. Chromium picolinate and type 2 diabetes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2003; 78(1): 92.

Khan A, Safdar M, Ali Khan MM, Khattak KN, Anderson RA. Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2003; 26(12): 3215-8.

Ziegler D, Ametov A, Barinov A, Dyck PJ, Gurieva I, Low PA, Munzel U, Yakhno N, Raz I, Novosadova M, Maus J, Samigullin R. Oral treatment with alpha-lipoic acid improves symptomatic diabetic polyneu- ropathy. Diabetes Care 2006; 29(11): 2365-70.

Little JP, Gillen JB, Percival ME, Safdar A, Tarnopolsky MA, Punthakee Z, Jung ME, Gibala MJ. Low-volume high-intensity interval training reduces hyperglycemia and increases muscle mitochondrial capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Applied Physiology 1985; 111(6): 1554-60.

65 DR. JOSH AXE Dr. Josh Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine and clinical nutritionist with a passion to help people get healthy by using food as medicine. Dr Axe also has a doctorate in chiropractic. In 2008 he started Exodus Health Center, which grew to become one of the largest natural healthcare clinics in the world.

Dr. Axe has created one of the top 10 most visited natural health websites in the world at www.DrAxe.com which has over 2,000,000 monthly visitors, where the main topics include nutrition, natural medicine, fitness, healthy recipes, home remedies and trending health news.

Dr. Axe has authored several books and programs, including The Real Food Diet Cookbook, The Secret Detox and Healing Leaky Gut. These books and programs combine the power of advanced nutrition with recipes, superfoods and cleansing to help people reach their optimum level of health, all in addition to his acclaimed natural health website.

As a syndicated radio show host with a popular podcast in the Dr. Axe Show, he interviews the world’s leading health experts and answers common health questions along with covering the latest natural health news. He’s also a highly sought after speaker and conference leader in communities, churches and businesses.

He is co-founder of the BurstFIT interval training program that is known as one of the fastest and most effective ways to burn body-fat. He is also a regular on the Dr. Oz Show and has been seen on NBC, FOX and CBS.

http://www.draxe.com

66 Replace as many beverages as possible with “water to reduce/eliminate liquid calories. Drinking water helps hydrate the body, turn off the hunger signal (that is “ actually dehydration), flush out toxins, and helps with satiety (the sense of fullness).

Meanwhile, you’ll be consuming less sugar and artificial sweeteners, both of which create metabolic imbalances that can lead to or aggravate diabetes.

Options: add to your water fresh lemon, lime, cucumber, other fresh fruit, or add a splash of Hint water which has no sweeteners just the essence of fruit (comes in delicious flavors like Blackberry, Mango Grapefruit, Strawberry Kiwi, Watermelon, etc).

MARCIE PETERS, CHHC Marcie Peters, CHHC is America’s Whole-Life Coach, a thought leader in nutrition and health, and the founder/visionary behind The Health and Happiness Guide and Transform Your Health World Summit. Marcie is committed to empowering others to live COURAGEOUSLY with vibrant health. She is absolutely passionate about helping others with chronic illness find restored health, as she was able to do after her own history of 16 years of chronic debilitating illness.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and attended Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), studying all the major dietary theories.

With a passion for health and nutrition, Marcie provides valuable education and coaching aimed at transforming/reversing the symptoms of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis, leaky gut, digestion issues, sleep issues/insomnia, excess weight, diabetes, and compromised immune system by focusing on food as medicine along with other lifestyle and health modalities for optimal healing and vitality.

http://thehealthandhappinessguide.com

67 Seven Steps to Reverse “Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes It is well known that massively obese patients“ can reverse their dia betes within a few weeks of getting a gastric bypass, even if they haven’t lost that much weight. Why? Because food is medicine and when you take disease producing food out and put the right food in the healing happens quickly. I recently had a patient lose 45 pounds and get off 54 units of insulin and all his diabetes medication. I implement these seven strategies every day with patients to prevent, treat, and reverse diabesity without drugs and surgery.

1. Pull the sugar. A diet full of empty calories and quickly absorbed sugar, liquid sugar calories, and refined carbohydrates – all of which convert to sugar – creates high insulin levels, eventually leading to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. Among the many problems of chronically high insulin levels include inflammation, high blood pressure, poor sex drive, increased risk for cancer, and depression. The most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity or reversing its impact is to eliminate or dramatically reduce sugar in all its many disguises.

2. Stock up on whole, unprocessed foods. Whole, unprocessed real foods balance your blood sugar, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, and improve your liver detoxification to prevent or reverse insulin resistance and diabetes. Choose a rich variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, plenty of omega-3 fats, coconut butter and olive oil, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Whole, real foods turn on all the right gene messages, promote a healthy metabolism, reverse insulin resistance and diabetes, and prevent aging and age-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

3. Get the right nutrients. Supplements make your cells more sensitive to insulin and more effective at metabolizing sugar and fat. Combined with the right diet and lifestyle modifications, they can help you balance blood sugar and reverse or prevent diabetes. At the very minimum, I recommend:

1 A high-quality multivitamin and mineral 2 One to two grams of omega 3 fatty acids 3 1,000 – 2,000 IUs of vitamin D3 4 300 – 600 mg of alpha lipoic acid twice daily 5 200 – 600 mcg of chromium polynicotinate

68 6 5 to 5 grams of PGX, a unique type of fiber that controls appetite and blood sugar, before each meal with eight ounces of water

Other nutrients also play a role in balancing blood sugar and normalizing insulin levels, and I’ve discussed these more fully in my book, The Blood Sugar Solution or on this page.

4. Get the right exercise. You needn’t spend hours at a gym to get exercise’s benefits. Even a 30-minute walk can help. Vigorous is the key for effective exercise that helps balance blood sugar and lower insulin levels. Get your heart rate up to 70 – 80% of its maximum capacity for 60 minutes, up to six times a week. Step it up a few notches with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training.Studies show HIIT can benefit Type 2 diabetes2 and obesity3. Best of all, you can do it in just minutes a day.

5. Get sufficient sleep. Lack of sleep or poor sleep damages your metabolism, spikes sugar and carb cravings, makes you eat more, and increases your risk for numerous diseases including Type 2 diabetes. One study among healthy subjects found even a partial night’s poor sleep4 could induce insulin resistance. That’s why you must prioritize sleep so you get eight hours of solid, uninterrupted shuteye every night. Create a sleep ritual that includes herbal therapies, creating total darkness and quiet, and relaxing with my UltraBath.

6. Control stress levels. In the face of chronic stress, our levels of insulin, cortisol, and inflammatory compounds called cytokines all increase. This drives the relentless metabolic dysfunction that leads to weight gain, insulin resistance, and eventually Type 2 diabetes. The links between stress, weight gain, mental disorders, and blood sugar imbalances show that managing stress becomes a critical component of obesity and diabetes management. You can’t eliminate stress, but you can learn to control it. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, massage, laughing, and dancing are among the best ways to manage stress and reverse Type 2 diabetes.

7. Measure to improve. Research shows that people who track their results lose twice as much weight and do twice as well. Begin by getting a journal to track your progress in. That could be as simple as a pad of paper, a notebook, a spreadsheet in your computer, or whatever is convenient and works for you. Now, what should you track? In addition to what you eat, you’ll want to get a baseline of all measurements: your weight, weight, waist size, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (optional).Many patients become inspired when they see their results on paper.

69 MARK HYMAN, MD Mark Hyman, MD, believes that we all deserve a life of vitality—and that we have the potential to create it for ourselves. That’s why he is dedicated to tackling the root causes of chronic disease by harnessing the power of Functional Medicine to transform healthcare.

He is a practicing family physician, a nine-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in his field.

He is the Director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. He is also the founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center, chairman of the board of the Institute for Functional Medicine, a medical editor of The Huffington Post, and has been a regular medical contributor on many television shows including CBS This Morning, the Today Show, CNN, The View, the Katie Couric show and The Dr. Oz Show.

http://www.drhyman.com

70 The evidence is quite clear on this: the “accumulation of excess liver fat leads to hepatic insulin resistance which precedes the onset of type 2 diabetes.

To prevent type 2 diabetes, then, a person has to prevent accruing excess liver fat. That’s easier said than done, of course. But it’s not as“ hard as you think. You just have to identify the causes of excess liver fat and avoid those.

Cause: Excessive carbs, especially fructose-containing carbs, increase de novo lipogenesis (creation of new fat from carbs) in the liver.

Solution: Avoid excess carbs. If you’re training hard (CrossFit, sprints, regular strength training, lots of running), you can handle — and likely require — more carbs than the person who leads a sedentary life. If you’re going to the gym a few times a week but spend most of your week sitting down at your desk, you don’t really need a ton of carbs, and you really don’t need refined sugar.

Most people need far fewer carbs than they eat. Reducing carbs also lowers insulin, high levels of which further promote liver fat.

Cause: Excessive calorie intake causes fat accumulation in the liver.

Solution: Eat a diet that limits hunger. For many people, this is a reduced-carb, higher- fat-and-protein diet. Fat and protein tend to promote greater satiety than carbohydrate, so you end up eating the right number of calories without forcing the issue or consciously counting them.

Cause: Physical inactivity increases liver fat by promoting energy excess and hepatic insulin resistance. Solution: Regular physical activity, including strength training, interval training, and frequent movement throughout the day (walking, fidgeting, standing rather than sitting), increases hepatic insulin sensitivity and prevents liver fat accumulation. Coincidentally, the prevention is also the resolution. Though resolving the disease takes longer, the same strategies that prevent the accumulation of liver fat (and type 2 diabetes) can also reduce existing liver fat and resolve type 2 diabetes.

71 MARK SISSON Mark Sisson is the author of a #1 best-selling health book on Amazon.com, The Primal Blueprint, as well as The Primal Blueprint Cookbook and the top-rated health and fitness blog MarksDailyApple.com. He is also the founder of Primal Nutrition, Inc., a company devoted to health education and designing state-of- the-art supplements that address the challenges of living in the modern world.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com http://www.primalblueprint.com

72 Blood Sugar Blues? “Too many type 2 diabetics are taking drugs when simple“ diet and lifestyle changes may be just as effective

The statistics on the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes are staggering—it is now estimated that one-half of all American adults will develop the disease by 2020. Currently, one out of every five United States federal health care dollars is spent treating people with diabetes. The average yearly health care costs for a person without diabetes is $2,560; for a person with diabetes, that figure soars to $11,744. Much of that increase is related to the costs of drugs.

Conflict of Interest?

Recently, the journal Diabetes Care published the American Dia- betes Association’s (ADA) Standards of Medical Care for type 2 diabetes, which are quite disturbing for their over-reliance on the pharmaceutical management of diabetes while all-but-ignoring nutritional support. The problem is that pharmaceutical interventions don’t impact the progression of type 2 diabetes, and in many cases, they can accelerate the disease process. Yet this approach is the only one offered by conventional medicine, perhaps for dubious reasons.

In an article published in the September/October 2012 issue of the Annals of Family Medicine, researchers from Michigan State University recommended that doctors with financial conflicts be excluded from developing medical guidelines for diabetics, regardless of disclosure. They also suggested that physicians should be discouraged from meeting with drug company representatives. After analyzing how physicians treated patients with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure in 44 primary care centers, the authors described “a common scenario: patients began medications after having moderately elevated test results (often at levels considered normal just a few years ago), developed additional symptoms, were found to have values falling outside reference ranges on other tests, and were prescribed more drugs. They were expected to continue these medications permanently: their target laboratory levels could be achieved only through continued use of these drugs.”

The consultations the researchers observed “focused heavily on” medications with little or no discussion of other treatment paths, including diet and exercise. The authors also noted that clinicians are exposed to heavy marketing efforts by pharmaceutical companies, and that this may be contributing to the emphasis

73 on prescriptions. Of the 53 clinicians willing to discuss pharmaceutical marketing, 38 (72 percent) reported having regular contacts with pharmaceutical representatives.

The patient interviews were also enlightening, as almost 70 percent said they had experienced significant symptoms of adverse drug reactions from diabetes or hypertension medications, a much higher percentage than is expressed by the drug companies.

The Real Type 2 Diabetes Cure

The key issue being ignored by the ADA is that diabetes drugs are only biochemical Band-Aids. One fundamental truth is rarely explained to the patient: type 2 diabetes, in almost every case, is caused by poor diet and lifestyle choices. Findings from the U.S. government’s Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey clearly support this statement: of individuals with type 2 diabetes, 69 percent did not exercise at all or did not engage in regular exercise; 62 percent ate fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day; and 82 percent were either overweight or obese.

Among patients with pre-diabetes, a minimum of 150 minutes per week of physical activity was associated with a 58 percent–reduced risk of developing diabetes. In the same study (known as The Diabetes Prevention Program), the drug metformin was found to reduce diabetes risk by only 31 percent.

Although lifestyle changes are important, diet alone can be effective in treating and reversing type 2 diabetes. The most scientifically proven approach is a diet low in refined carbohydrates. Not only does such a regimen lower blood glucose levels, but it also helps with conditions such as high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.

Supplements for Diabetes

Here are key supplements to consider adding to your daily regimen if you have type 2 diabetes or want to prevent it:

• PGX (2.5–5 grams at meals) is one of the centerpiece supplements for treating type 2 diabetes. PGX is a highly purified fiber that lowers the glycemic index of foods and helps promote satiety.

• A high-potency multivitamin and mineral formula is a must and should provide 200–400 mcg of chromium, a trace mineral that plays a key role in the proper utilization of insulin.

74 • Alpha-lipoic acid (400–600 mg) not only helps improve insulin action, but also helps prevent and reverse diabetic nerve disease.

• Flavonoid-rich extracts such as bilberry, grape seed, or pine bark are extremely important in protecting against the long-term complications of diabetes.

• Onions and garlic have demonstrated blood-sugar-lowering action in several studies and help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

• Mulberry extract, cinnamon extract, or extracts of Gymnema sylvestre have all been shown to produce results in improving blood sugar control.

MICHAEL T. MURRAY, ND Dr. Murray is one of the world’s leading authorities on natural medicine. He has published over 30 books featuring natural approaches to health. His research into the health benefits of proper nutrition is the foundation for a best-selling line of dietary supplements from Natural Factors, where he is Director of Product Science and Innovation. He is a graduate, former faculty member, and serves on the Board of Regents of Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington.

http://doctormurray.com

75 Do the Medications you “Take Depiete Nutrients from Your Body? Many commonly prescribed medications can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb and utilize nutrients. For example, Lipitor, which“ is commonly prescribed to help lower cholesterol, can deplete the body of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). A CoQ10 deficiency can cause high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. Thus treating high cholesterol with this type of medication may increase the risk of heart disease.

Commonly prescribed pain medications interfere with folic acid, iron, and vitamin C. These nutrients are necessary for your body to repair joint cartilage and reduce the chemical inflammation that leads to pain.

Below is a chart of commonly prescribed medications and the nutrients that can be depleted while taking them.

Commonly Prescribed Medications and Their Nutritional Side Effects

76 Why Didn’t My Doctor Mention This to Me?

Unfortunately, nutrition is not a topic commonly taught in traditional medical curriculum. Many doctors are unaware of this problem and therefor fail to mention it. Next time you visit your doctor, make sure to ask about drug induced nutritional deficiencies. Don’t blindly accept a medication without knowing the nutritional side effects involved.

DR. PETER OSBORNE Dr. Peter Osborne is the clinical director of Town Center Wellness in Sugar Land, TX (just southwest of Houston). He is a doctor of chiropractic and a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist. He is licensed with the Pastoral Medical Association and is a Doctor of Pastoral Science and Medicine.

He is an expert in orthomolecular and functional pastoral medicine. He has been practicing since 2001. His clinical focus is the holistic natural treatment of chronic degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. He is an expert in the relationship that gluten sensitivity and food allergies play in chronic inflammation. He has helped thousands of patients recover from chronic painful conditions.

He founded Gluten Free Society in 2010 to help educate patients and physicians on the far reaching effects of gluten sensitivity. He is the author of Glutenology, a series of digital videos and ebooks designed to help educate the world about gluten. He founded MyFunctionalMedicineDoctor.org to help patients find healthcare providers with a functional nutrition background.

http://drpeterosborne.com

77 Burn Fat, Not Sugar to Lose Weight “ When we talk about what to eat, we must first realize who,“ or rather what, is eating. In fact, we, ourselves, are not really doing the eating. It is our cells that eat. When we put food in our mouth, that is just a contin- uation of the transport of food from the farms to the grocery store then into our mouth; the food is then transported to our cells by our bloodstream. It is our cells that really do the eating and that need the fuel and the parts to regenerate themselves. And cells can only eat two kinds of food for fuel. They can eat sugar or they can eat fat, and their health and your health will be determined by the primary fuel that they burn.

I have been asked to summarize in a single sentence what would best promote health. It is this: Health and lifespan is determined by the proportion of fat versus sugar people burn throughout their lifetime. The more fat that one burns as fuel, the healthier the person will be, and the more likely they will live a long time. The more sugar a person burns, the more disease ridden and the shorter a lifespan a person is likely to have.

Becoming a Fat Burner

How does one learn to, and how does one become a fat burner? How does one change their primary fuel from sugar to fat? One gets good at most anything by doing it frequently. You can become a good tennis player by playing tennis frequently and a good golf player by golfing frequently. Likewise, your body becomes adapted to burning fat by burning fat frequently. However, most people become very adapted at burning sugar; your body continues to want to “keep playing” sugar, to burn more sugar, even when you are not eating. When you’re sleeping at night, your body then prefers to burn sugar and it gets that sugar by breaking down proteins in your body, which means lean body mass, which includes muscle and bone. I call that metabolic momentum.

Your body continues to like to do what it has become accustomed to doing. If you have burned sugar throughout the day, you prefer to burn sugar at night even when you are not eating. Your body does not store very much sugar and prefers to hold onto much of it and, therefore, you’ll continue to manufacture sugar by a process called gluconeogenesis from lean body mass. You store fat -- and, in many people, lots of it -- in your “cupboard” and not very much sugar, because fat is the fuel that your body would prefer to store and later to burn to stay healthy.

78 However, when you eat sugar and fat together, your body will burn sugar first. I believe that it burns the sugar off because that is one way to get rid of it. Sugar causes damage by glycosylation and having it around too long is extremely damaging and accelerates aging. Therefore, your body might get rid of sugar to minimize the damage caused by keeping it around. You’ll have to burn off almost all the sugar that you eat before you can start burning fat and, in most cases, that means that the fat you have eaten with sugar gets stored. Your body continues to become adapted to burning sugar and not fat. People get fat not so much because they eat fat, but because they have forgotten how to burn it, and because of poor hormonal communication.

RON ROSEDALE, MD Ron Rosedale is an Internationally known expert in nutritional and metabolic medicine whose work with diabetics is truly groundbreaking. Very few physicians have had such consistent success in helping diabetics to eliminate or reduce their need for insulin and to reduce heart disease-both without drugs or surgery.

Dr. Rosedale was founder of the Rosedale Center, co-founder of the Colorado Center for Metabolic Medicine (Boulder, CO USA) and founder of the Carolina Center of Metabolic Medicine (Asheville, NC). Through these centers, he has helped thousands suffering from so-called incurable diseases to regain their health.

One of Dr. Rosedale’s life goals is to wipe out type II diabetes in this country as a model for the world. He also has written a book, “The Rosedale Diet”, covering his proven treatment methods for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, osteoporosis and other chronic diseases of aging.

http://www.drrosedale.com

79 Ten Shocking Facts About How Hormones “Disrupt your Health, Metabolism and Weight Here are 10 shocking facts about how hormones disrupt your health, metabolism, and weight, so that you can start to connect the dots and “ get back into hormonal balance. These problems apply to both men and women.

1. Want the receipt? Forty percent of retail receipts are coated in bisphenol A, a plastic also used to line canned food and make water bottles, according to research by the Environmental Work- ing Group. (1) Retail workers carry an average of 30 percent more BPA in their bodies than other adults, according to an EWG analysis of biomonitoring data from the federal Centers for Dis- ease Control and Prevention (CDC). Bisphenol A (BPA) disrupts your estrogen, thyroid, and testosterone levels, which means that it can be linked to obesity, diabetes, endometriosis, and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Women with the highest BPA levels show reduced fertility, and men with the highest BPA have decreased sperm count and decreased testosterone. BPA- free may not be any better, because the chemical industry assumes their new products are innocent until proven guilty. We need to apply the Precautionary Principle instead: Guilty until proven innocent. Next time, either decline the receipt or take it in the bag. Find out if your local retailers use receipts coated in BPA, and ask them to remove it.

2. Hormones dictate what your body does with food, and the impact is stronger than calories alone. I used to be obsessed with calories, but they are only part of the equation when it comes to nutrition and weight loss. Approximately 99% of weight gain is hormonal—indeed, resetting your hormones is often the missing ingredient for successful weight loss.

3. Is that lead in your lipstick? High lead can turn weaker stress hormones into stronger stress hormones. That’s what was happening to me when my cortisol was high for no apparent reason. I found out that my lead level was high, probably from my lipstick. Did you know that women eat about 10 pounds of lipstick over their lifetime? In fact, the average woman applies 515 synthetic chemicals to her body each day. It’s time to swap the conventional lipstick for organic.

4. Stressed? High cortisol, the main stress hormone, is the boss of your other hormones and will affect their production and function, In fact, high cortisol could be slowing down your thyroid, raising your blood sugar and causing sugar cravings, blocking progesterone (your body’s Valium) and creating estrogen

80 dominance, and growing your belly fat. When I was in my twenties and thirties, I rarely gave my stress a second thought. I went to the occasional yoga class and tried Transcendental Meditation, and figured that was enough. Then I gave birth to two daughters in my thirties, and couldn’t lose the baby weight with my old tricks. Additionally, I suffered with PMS and low sex drive. I went to my doctor, who told me: “Exercise more and eat less.” That didn’t seem right to me, so I left his office determined to apply my medical knowledge to my own situation. I checked my hormones: My cortisol, the main stress hormones, was triple what it should’ve been. I didn’t have a tumor; I had high stress and I wasn’t managing it well. I weighed 25 pounds over my goal weight. It took me 21 days to reset my cortisol, but it got all my other hormones back into place. Result? I lost weight, and graduated from couple’s therapy.

5. Diet soda may be worse than regular soda. New research shows that diet soda may harm your metabolism (the rate at which you burn calories) more than regular soda. That’s probably because artificial sweeteners disrupt the microbiome, the aggregate microbes in your gut and their DNA. Ideally, break the diet soda habit, and remove all sugar and sugar substitutes from your food plan.

6. Eating meat raises estrogen. It’s not yet clear if it’s just meat from Concentrated Animal Feeding Oper- ations (CAFO) or if it also applies to grass-fed, grass-finished meat, but meat eaters have higher estrogen levels compared to vegetarians, plus a greater risk of endometriosis, diabetes, breast, and colon cancer in observational studies. (2) The mechanism may be that meat messes with the subset of your microbiome that controls your estrogen levels, known as the estrobolome.(3) While it’s not yet clear that grass-fed meat is a better choice, it does have a better fatty acid profile—that is, more omega-3s and less omega-6s. Given the estrogen pollution you encounter, I recommend a periodic reset by removing red meat and increasing fiber to 35 to 50 grams per day (slowly—don’t increase more than 5 grams per day to avoid gas and bloating). (4) Make sure to eat one pound of vegetables per day so that you can follow the golden rule of estrogen: use it, then lose it. Don’t keep recirculating estrogen like bad karma, because that allows it to do a back flip and increase your risk of estrogen-dependent health problems.

7. An apple a day no longer keeps the doctor away. I grew up with a great-grandmother who was a bit of a radical: she was a whole foodist who practiced yoga daily and believed that the answer to health was not found in the bottom of a prescription pill bottle, but in how your architect your lifestyle. She was born in 1900 and loved to eat apples, but they were small, green, and tart. They contained about 2 grams of fructose, or fruit sugar. Today’s apples have been hybridized by Big Food to be large sugar bombs, and often contain 20 grams or more of fructose. Fructose overload has been linked to problems with the liver and leptin—the hormone of satiety that tells your brain to put down your fork when you’re full. When your metabolism is slow, it may be helpful to limit fructose and choose low-fructose fruit, such

81 as avocados, coconut, and olives.

8. Stop the chronic cardio. I used to go to the gym and run on the treadmill or read a book on the elliptical for an hour. Now we know that chronic cardio can raise your cortisol and prematurely age you. A better choice is more adaptive exercise such as Pilates or barre fitness, mashed up with burst training. Burst training improves stress resilience rather than driving cortisol high and keeping it there.

9. Pringles, anyone? So we know toxins are bad, how do we get rid of them? Last year, a group of 28 residents in a town in Alabama with high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, used as a fluid cool- ant in electrical systems, and known to cause high blood pressure and diabetes) were studied to see if fat-free Pringles could reduce their body burden. In fact, the randomized trial showed that fat-free Pringles containing olestra reduced their level of these endocrine disruptors by 25 percent or more. (5) But Pringles are a highly-processed fake food invented by Proctor and Gamble; how can this be the solution? A more palatable alternative is to improve your body’s detoxification pathways with periodic removal of the most common toxins and the pulsing of supportive supplements, such as fiber and N-acetylcysteine, a precur- sor to glutathione —your most potent anti-oxidant and scavenger of free radicals in your body.

10. Hangovers hitting harder? Life is busy, and cocktail hour is a welcome reprieve. A glass of wine or two, a beer—they may seem like just what the doctored ordered. Uh, not this doctor. The very thing you’re seeking from alcohol—solace—may be the opposite of what you’re getting. Alcohol raises cortisol and temporarily slows metabolism by more than 70 percent. If you’re drinking daily, that’s a serious decrement in your rate of burning calories, and it may be tying up your liver so that it can’t keep your other hormones in balance. I’m not saying you need to become abstinent, but if you struggle with weight or fatigue, or sleep is not what it used to be, drink less but better quality. Once every six months, I recommend getting off alcohol for 21 days. You’ll sleep better and decongest your liver. If you can’t do it, you may have a sticky relationship with alcohol and need additional help to moderate.

SARA GOTTFRIED, MD Sara Gottfried, MD is the New York Times bestselling author of The Hormone Cure and The Hormone Reset Diet. After graduating from Harvard Medical School and MIT, Dr. Gottfried completed her residency at the University of California at San Francisco. She is a board-certified gyne- cologist who teaches natural hormone balancing in her novel online programs so that women can lose weight, detoxify, and slow down aging. Dr. Gottfried lives in Berkeley, CA with her husband and two daughters. http://www.saragottfriedmd.com

82 Why is Exercise so Important? Let’s get one thing straight: exercise is not about “burning calories”. The amount of calories you actually burn“ exercising compared to sitting and doing nothing is not really that much. “ It certainly adds up very slowly when you consider that 3500 calories is equivalent to one pound of stored energy. If you want to lose weight, focus on your diet (see my post Tips and Tricks For Losing Weight). But, while diet changes will make the largest contribution to weight loss, it’s important not to ignore exercise! However, think of exercise as your hormone management, not your calorie burning.

Hormones are chemical messengers in contact with virtually every cell in your body, sensitive to the demands of your cells, sensing changes in your body’s chemistry, and responding rapidly to ensure that the cells in your body get everything they need to stay healthy. Exercise has a profound effect on every hormone system in your body. Whether that exercise is aerobic or anaerobic, cardio intensive or strength training, low- intensity or high-intensity, and short duration or long duration, changes how that exercise affects each hormone system. It also matters what time of day you exercise, whether or not you exercise in a fasted state, and what other stressors are present (mental stress, lack of sleep, poor quality diet, etc.). However, what is uniformly true is that exercise is beneficial to hormone regulation.

Some of the benefits of exercise are obvious. Increasing muscle mass causes an increase in metabolism, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight. Most people like the way they look better when they have bigger and more defined muscles (I do!). And it’s just plain handy to be stronger, faster, more flexible and more agile. But there are some additional benefits that you might not immediately think of as you contemplate adding more or different types of activity to your life. The field of exercise endocrinology (how exercise affects hormones) is enormous and I will be tackling many key areas in upcoming posts. In particular, I will touch on each of the following benefits to exercise:

Appetite and Weight Control: Exercise is known to regulate key hunger hormones such as leptin and ghrelin (I have a whole post on hunger hormones coming soon!) and may even promote healthier digestion through hormone regulation. It is not necessarily true that exercise makes you hungrier, although it may feel that way. In fact, for many people (and depending on the type of exercise), exercise makes it easier to naturally consume fewer calories in an entire day (even if you eat a bigger meal right after working out).

83 Not only does exercise regulate your appetite, but many people find that they naturally crave more nutrient-dense foods. I myself crave fish and vegetables after an intense workout and while I feel famished, I actually fill up much more quickly than on days that I don’t exercise as much or as intensely. Exercise is also believed to help lower your bodyweight “set-point” (a controversial idea that basically says that there is a weight which your body “wants” to be, which is determined by your hormones, which are in turn influenced by diet and lifestyle).

Metabolism and Insulin Sensitivity: Exercise helps to improve insulin sensitivity through a direct action on the glucose transport molecules in the individual cells of your muscles. It also affects the full range of hormones related to accessing stored energy and regulating how that energy is used. This “boost” in metabolism is one reason why exercising can make you feel more energetic throughout the day.

Body Composition and Bone Health: When you exercise, your muscles get stronger (and sometimes bigger, depending on the exercise). This is one contributor to increased metabolism. And very importantly for long-term health, exercise (especially weight-bearing exercise) stimulates your body to make stronger and denser bones. Exercise or lack thereof is, in fact, a bigger determinant of osteoporosis risk than diet. Stress Management: Exercise is very effective at modulating cortisol levels. This is a bit of a double-edged sword because exercising too intensely for your body can increase your cortisol level too high and lead to adrenal fatigue. However, if you keep exercise to a more appropriate duration and intensity for your fitness level (and appropriate for how well you eat, sleep and manage stress in other areas of your life), exercise becomes very potent at reducing and normalizing cortisol levels (which can also help reduce inflammation and promote healing). This makes it easier to burn stored energy (especially fat), improves your sleep, and makes you feel more relaxed and able to cope with life’s surprises.

Sleep Quality: Beyond its effect on cortisol, exercise regulates several key hormones related to circadian rhythms. This means that when you exercise during the day, you fall asleep easier, sleep more soundly, and experience more restorative sleep so you wake up feeling more refreshed (providing you allot adequate time for sleeping). Sleeping better positively affects just about everything in your body, from your cortisol levels to your body’s ability to heal and resolve inflammation. This is another double- edged sword because exercising too intensely too late in the day can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Mood: Beyond its effect on the stress hormone cortisol, exercise releases endorphins which has a direct reflect on several key neurotransmitters that are related to mood. This means that making time to exercise can help fight depression and anxiety and improve your general outlook on life. Exercising also increases blood flow to the brain which can help reduce inflammation in the brain (which also has the net effect of

84 boosting your mood), which is an important strategy for those with gut-brain axis problems.

What exercise is best? There are different benefits of exercise, depending on type, duration and intensity, but with the exception of over-training (exercising more too intensely or for too long of a duration for your body and current fitness level), all exercise is extremely beneficial. What exercise is best for you depends on your goals and your current health status. As I delve into the specific effects of different types of exercise on different hormone systems in upcoming posts, hopefully you will find enough information to guide your decision making when it comes to prioritizing one activity over another. But, what matters most is that you do something—even just a gentle stroll. And even better, do something you enjoy (for me, that’s yoga!). If you enjoy your activity, you are far more likely to keep doing it.

SARAH BALLANTYNE, Ph.D. (a.ka. The Paleo Mom) Sarah Ballantyne, PhD is the blogger behind the award-winning blog www.ThePaleoMom.com, cohost of the top-rated and syndicated The Paleo View podcast, and New York Times Bestselling author of The Paleo Approach and The Paleo Approach Cookbook.

Sarah has always had many interests and talents, which is reflected in the diversity of this blog. Here, you will find explanations of the science behind the Paleo diet and lifestyle, along with a strong focus on modifications for autoimmune disease sufferers, articles related to the practical implementation of a Paleo diet and lifestyle, detailed discussions relevant for paleo families and kids’ health, and recipes that span the gamut from kid staples, to comfort foods, to quick & easy meals, to gourmet dishes, to treats for special occasions, to snacks and nut-free baking, to recipes compliant with the autoimmune protocol for those who suffer from autoimmune diseases (like Sarah). http://www.thepaleomom.com

85 Ginger: The Enemy of Type 2 Diabetes “ Ginger has been studied to have value in over 150 health conditions with type 2 diabetes top on the list. With anti-diabetic drugs linked“ to increased cardiovascular mortality, natural alternatives are needed now more than ever.

While ginger is widely used as a spice today, its role as a healing agent is often overlooked in modern society despite its thousands of years of documented use as a powerful medicine. Modern science, however, is finally catching up to the wisdom of the ancients. For instance, there are over 2100 published studies on the medicinal properties of ginger in the scientific literature, and the Greenmedinfo.com database contains evidence that it has value in over 170 different health conditions, and has over 50 different beneficial physiological effects.

Notably, of all the conditions the research on ginger we have indexed reveals its therapeutic value for, type 2 diabetes is top on the list, with seven studies on our database providing proof of its efficacy. And the research keeps coming...

Half a Billion At Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder dominated by high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), but with inflammation and oxidative stress driving the damage most directly linked to morbidity and mortality associated with the condition. It is our belief that this condition is driven primarily through a combination of an evolu- tionarily incompatible Western diet, inactivity, gut dysbiosis and multiple, cumulative chemical exposures, and yet rarely do physicians know how or care to address these root causes and reverse them, opting for pharmaceutical intervention and a fatalistic attitude that serves no one’s best interest.

It is estimated that half a billion people will be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes globally within the next two decades. The primary conventional treatment approaches using oral anti-diabetics and synthetic (GMO) insulin actually increase the risk of death, making it of vital importance to find safer, more effective alternatives.

New Study Finds Ginger a Power Anti-Diabetic Agent

86 A new study published in the journal Complementary and Integrative Medicine, “The effect of ginger (Zin- giber officinale) on glycemic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes,” confirms that ginger is a serious contender for addressing some of the root causes underlying this devastating condition.

Iranian researchers conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial on 20–60 -year-old patients with type 2 diabetes who were on oral anti-diabetic drugs but not on insulin. Partici- pants in the intervention and control groups received 3,000 mgs of powdered ginger or placebo (lactose) (in capsules) daily for 3 months. Blood sugar (glycemic) indices, markers of oxidative stress (TAC , MDA, serum paraoxonase, HbA1c) and inflammation (CRP), dietary intake and physical activity were measured at the beginning and end of the study, and after 12 h fasting.

Comparison of the indices after 3 months showed the ginger intervention group improved in the following eight ways:

• Serum glucose dropped significantly (–19.41 ` 18.83 vs 1.63 ` 4.28 mg/dL, p < 0.001) • HbA1c percentage (a marker of glucose/oxidative stress mediated amage to red blood cells) dropped significantly (–0.77 ` 0.88 vs 0.02 ` 0.16%, p < 0.001) • Insulin dropped significantly (–1.46 ` 1.7 vs 0.09 ` 0.34 μIU/mL, p < 0.001), • Insulin resistance dropped significantly (–16.38 ` 19.2 vs 0.68 ` 2.7, p < 0.001) • High-sensitive CRP (a marker of inflammation) dropped significantly (– 2.78 ` 4.07 vs 0.2 ` 0.77 mg/L, p < 0.001) • Paraoxonase-1 (a marker for reduced oxidative stress) increased significantly (PON-1) (22.04 ` 24.53 vs 1.71 ` 2.72 U/L, p < 0.006) • Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) increased significantly (0.78 ` 0.71 vs –0.04 ` 0.29 μIU/mL, p < 0.01) • Malondialdehyde (MDA) (a biomarker of oxidative stress) dropped significantly (–0.85 ` 1.08 vs 0.06 ` 0.08 μmol/L, p < 0.001)

This study is actually almost identical in its findings to one we reported on last year in an article titled, “A Modest Dose of Ginger Improves 8 Markers of Diabetes Type 2,” where an even smaller dose of ginger (1600 mg), also administered for 3 months, resulted in significant reductions in the following parameters:

• Fasting plasma glucose • HbA1C (aka glycated hemoglobin) - a measurement of how much damage is being caused by sugars to red blood cells in the body, reflective of body wide damage

87 caused by chronically elevated blood sugar • Insulin • HOMA (the homeostatic model assessment) – which measures insulin resistance and beta-cell function (the pancreatic cells that produce insulin) • Triglycerides • Total cholesterol • C-reactive protein (CRP) - a marker of inflammation • Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) – a marker of inflammation

Clearly ginger provides a wide range of side benefits beyond simply lowering blood sugar. Oxidative stress, inflammation, chronically elevated levels of insulin and/or resistance to it, all contribute to the primary cause of morbidity and mortality associated with condition: cardiovascular disease. Whereas conventional drug treatment for type 2 diabetes focuses on lowering blood sugar and HbA1c, even though both oral antidiabetic drugs and insulin appear to raise the risk of heart attack, ginger appears to do reduce the blood sugar and the cardiovascular disease risk, effectively freeing two birds with one hand. Over 150, Evidence-Based, Anti-Diabetic Substances Exist

While amazing, ginger is not the only natural remedy for type 2 diabetes that has compelling research to support it. You can peruse our type 2 diabetes database and you’ll find over 180 natural substances that have been studied to have potential value in the condition. You’ll also see research there on therapeutic activities like exercise and problem substances like fructose and pesticides that contribute to the condition.

SAYER JI Sayer Ji is founder of Greenmedinfo.com, on the Board of Governors for the National Health Federation, and Fearless Parent, Steering Committee Member of the Global GMO Free Coalition (GGFC), a reviewer at the International Journal of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine.

http://www.greenmedinfo.com

88 Four Secrets for “Preventing Diabetes and Controlling it Many people think of diabetes and heart disease as two separate conditions, but they’re closely related. The most common problem is atherosclerosis—the hardening of the arteries that usually“ starts before full-blown diabetes is diagnosed. The accumulated plaque typical of atherosclerosis can rupture or break apart, causing blood clots and blockages that can lead to either a heart attack or a stroke.

Additionally, insulin is known to have anti-inflammatory properties. However, when the body becomes resistant to insulin, there is a corresponding increase in inflammation in the body—which, in turn, contributes to a decline in cardiovascular health. In other words, heart disease almost always starts to develop during the pre-diabetes stage known as “insulin resistance.” In fact, diabetes is one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Since November is American Diabetes Month, I wanted to take this opportunity to give you the facts about diabetes and cardiovascular disease, along with how to stop diabetes before you get it.

What Are the Signs that You Could Be Developing Diabetes? Because of the serious health problems that can develop from insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, it’s important to know what signs of trouble to look for:

1 Dry mouth 2 Increased thirst 3 Frequent urination 4 Increased hunger (particularly after you’ve already eaten) 5 Feeling weak or tired 6 Blurred vision 7 Headaches 8 Loss of consciousness (this is a rare sign)

Plus, there are two key symptoms that can also tell you if you’re experiencing insulin resistance and head- ed toward developing diabetes:

1. Blood pressure increases. Insulin promotes smooth-muscle growth in blood vessel walls, which then contributes to the formation of plaque. The buildup of plaque causes arteries to thicken and become rigid.

89 Blood pressure then rises because more pressure is needed to force blood through arteries that have become stiff and narrow due to excess insulin. Additionally, excess insulin can cause blood vessels to go into spasm.

2. Weight increases. As a result of the body’s ineffective use of blood glucose, carbohydrates get stored as fat.

The Good News Is You Can Prevent (and Control) Diabetes, naturally.

If you suspect your blood sugar is going up, ask your doctor to order a hemoglobin A1C blood test, which is like doing three months of finger stick tests, all at one time. If your HbA1C is above 5.9 it’s an early warning sign that you could soon develop diabetes. Another red flag that you could soon develop diabetes is if your HDL “good” cholesterol numbers are down and your triglyceride levels are elevated. Even if you’re in the “diabetes warning zone” you can knock it out, before it develops. Plus, if you already have diabetes, the exact same steps can work to help you control your blood sugar.

1. Lose weight. Shedding extra pounds is the single most effective way to keep diabetes at bay. To help stabilize your blood sugar and lose unwanted pounds, you want to lower your carbohydrate intake, including avoiding products made with white flour and sugar. If you want to sweeten your coffee or tea, add ribose which is sweet, but has a negative glycemic effect. Plus, add blood sugar stabilizing healthy proteins to your diet including organic eggs, wild salmon, buffalo, organic chicken, and lamb.

2. Make these 5 foods part of your low-carb diet: avocados, nuts (macadamia nuts, walnuts, and almonds), chick peas, lentils, and broccoli. All of these foods require very little insulin for your body to process, and they help to slow the release of glucose into your bloodstream.

3. Exercise your way out of trouble. Daily exercise, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking, not only helps you shed extra pounds, it helps to build muscle. More muscle helps your insulin receptors to function far more efficiently. Don’t like to walk? Yoga, Pilates, tennis, and golf (without a golf cart) are great options as well. The best exercise you can do is one that you enjoy and will do regularly.

4. Supplement your way to better blood sugar. Cinnamon helps to supports insulin sensitivity and function, I recommend eating 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon a day. Gymnema sylvestre extract (300 mg daily) slows the release of glucose into your bloodstream. You can also help to protect against the oxidation of excess blood sugar with alpha lipoic acid (ALA) (100-300 mg daily). If you already have diabetes, the exact same steps can work to help you control your blood sugar.

88 DR. STEPHEN SINATRA Dr. Stephen Sinatra is a highly respected and sought-after cardiologist whose integrative approach to treating cardiovascular disease has revitalized patients with even the most advanced forms of illness.

His expertise is grounded in more than 35 years of clinical practice, research, and study beginning as an attending physician at Manchester Memorial Hospital (Eastern Connecticut Health Network). His career there included nine years as chief of cardiology, 18 years as director of medical education, seven years as director of echocardiography, three years as director of cardiac rehabilitation, and one year as director of the weight reducing program. In 1987, Dr. Sinatra founded the New England Heart Center. Through it, he became a well-known advocate of combining conventional medical treatments for heart disease with complementary nutritional, anti-aging, and psychological therapies.

Today Dr. Sinatra is active primarily as an author, speaker, and advisor for the research and development of nutritional supplements. He joined the Healthy Directions family of experts in 1995.

http://www.drsinatra.com

89 How Chile Relieves “Diabetic Neuropathy and Nerve Pain It is very ironic that something so hot as chile could provide such amazing pain relief to millions of people. Sometimes you see“ it spelled as chili or chilli but no matter what culture you live in the same thought comes to mind: HOT!

Chile gets it’s heat from an alkaloid compound called “capsaicin” which mostly in the seeds of the pepper. That reminds me, if you don’t want your guacamole hot, leave out the seeds from the jalapeño.

There’s actually a method of classifying the heat in peppers, based upon the work of Professor Wilbur Scoville, a chemist who worked for the drug company Parke Davis in 1912. It’s called “Scoville” units, and sweet bell peppers measure out at zero Scoville units, compared to the bum-burning potential of a Ghost pepper of 1,000,000 Scoville units! Lightweights like me enjoy Habanero which rolls in at approximately 300,000 Scoville Units. Pure capsaicin ranks in at 15,000,000 Scoville units.

Capsaicin preparations may be able to help you if you have nerve pain, which is termed “neuropathy.” This nerve pain sometimes goes hand in hand with syndromes like post- herpetic neuralgia (PHN), autoimmune disorders or diabetic neuropathy. Now let’s talk about how putting the ‘flame’ on pain helps reduce it!

When capsaicin is applied to the skin it causes a brief initial sensitization, where you might feel some pain, but if you do it properly, it shouldn’t be painful. After a few applications, there is a desensitization of the local pain nerves. In other words, the pain may still be there, but you don’t feel it because your nerves are a little numb to it. This effect occurs through repeated stimulation of TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid-1) nerve fibers. These heat-sensing fibers alert you when you’ve put your finger on the stove!

A study in Diabetes 2012, tested the hypothesis that dietary capsaicin (yes dietary, as in eating foods prepared with peppers, or using liquid extract supplements, etc), regulates glucose homeostasis by waking up these TRPV1 receptors. It’s like a football pass, it’s not actually the TRPV1 receptors... it is more that those ‘pass the ball’ and signal GLP-1 secretion from your intestinal cells/tissues (your digestive tract). The animal study showed how mice fed a capsaicin-enhanced diet for about 6 month and experienced

90 increased GLP-1 and insulin secretion. It improved insulin levels, lowered blood glucose and improved glucose tolerance. This study suggests there’s a promising approach for diabetes with hot stuff.

Does it mean you want to take cayenne extract every day? I don’t think so, although you can. I have that at my house just in case a visitor ever has a cardiac issue. But this capsaicin story speaks to something broader that we can all do. Sprinkle cayenne in your guacamole. Put habanero in your scrambled eggs, and maybe take that blackened chicken a little hotter next time.

As it pertains to shingles or Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN), capsaicin seems counter- intuitive because your skin already hurts. Blisters from this virus can be excruciating and can last for months in some people. The prescription Qutenza 8% Patch is available, however it is derived from a synthetic form of capsaicin. There are OTC patches available in all pharmacies.

In a human study of 250 patients with diabetic neuropathy, half were given capsaicin cream and half were given a plain moisturizing placebo cream. Patients receiving capsaicin cream enjoyed a nearly 70 percent reduction in neuropathic pain symptoms (after the initial transient burning of course).

A 2013 study in Current Medicinal Chemistry showed that resveratrol eases diabetic neuropathy too, but this herb is taken orally, it’s not a cream. Resveratrol was once thought to sweep up free radicals, and that’s all but today we know it activates SIRT1 and Nrf2 antioxidants, while shutting the flood gates to your pain-causing NF Kappa B pathway. I described this in my book, “Diabetes Without Drugs” in 2010. Over time, resveratrol protects against pins and needle sensations, numbness and neuronal cell death. Resveratrol is one ingredient in GlucoScript capsules, my patented supplement intended to protect you from the ravages of insulin dysfunction and elevated blood sugar.

SUZY COHEN, RPh Suzy Cohen, America’s Pharmacist has been a licensed pharmacist for 25 years and is a functional medicine practitioner for the last 15. She devotes time to educating people about the benefits of natural vitamins, herbs and minerals. In addition to writing a syndicated health column, “Dear Pharmacist,” which circulates to 20 million readers each week, Suzy Cohen is the author of many different books on natural health. You may have seen her on The Dr. OZ Show (6 different appearances), The View, The Doctors, Good Morning America Health and hundreds of morning shows.

http://www.suzycohen.com

91 Are you the Half That Should Avoid Dairy? “Fifty percent of the population has a food sensitivity to dairy. The other half have adapted and can enjoy it freely, though some forms of dairy can still be problematic for this population. Learn about the different forms of dairy and which you may be able to tolerate.

Many Paleo diet plans recommend avoiding dairy simply because we never ate diary until animals were domesticated and milked very recently in history, roughly 10,000 years ago. True. Humans lived for millions of years without dairy. However, this is not a good enough reason to avoid it. Just because they lived without dairy doesn’t mean you must do the same. The Modern Paleo Diet says go for it if you’re one of the lucky that has adapted.

Dairy poses problems for a lot of people for many different reasons. Many people are lactose intolerant, meaning they don’t possess the enzyme to digest milk sugars called lactose. Others have a casein – dairy protein – allergy. Others can’t handle whey. Some people simply cannot tolerate pasteurized milk. The key is figuring out which elements you may have a problem with so you can learn which types of dairy you can enjoy. Let’s start with reviewing the different categories of dairy: Conventional, organic, grass fed and raw. Raw dairy is in a class by itself! Conventional Dairy Contains Cow Crack

Most people are guzzling conventional, nonorganic dairy and it’s making them sick. Eighty-five percent of nonorganic milk sold in the US contains rGBH, AKA cow crack, which is a genetically modified synthetic growth hormone made by Mon- santo, used to increase a cow’s milk production.

These poor cows are on crack!! These hormones double their milk production. When you eat conventional dairy, these hormones wreak

92 havoc on your hormones, too. rGBH is shown to increase inflammation markers in humans.

You may not have a problem with dairy – just a problem with the hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, GMO feed, pasteurization, and homogenization characteristic of conventional dairy. Forget the proteins in milk, the GMO’s alone can cause allergic reactions. This milk clearly contains toxins and is going to be far less nutrient dense compared to milk from a cow that is allowed to eat grass and produce milk at a normal rate. Just buy organic, grass fed milk already! Organic Organic milk is one step up from conventional, but still has its problems. The cows are usually fed grains, unless specified on the label, leaving the milk with too much omega-6, contributing to inflammation. The grains may not be GMO, but the cows are not eating a natural diet and the milk has less nutrition as a result. All organic milk is also pasteurized, which we’ll get into in a minute.

Not all organic dairy is created equal. I would avoid Horizon brand milk, which I do not consider organic. Their ‘farms’ have up to 20,000 cows and are run very much like factory farms. Additionally, the omega-3 in the milk is not from healthy fats naturally found in the milk but is from a synthetic, laboratory-produced version of DHA derived from microalgae species. This synthetic DHA oil is not on the organic standards list of acceptable ingredients. It is synthetic. Created in a lab by a big Biotech firm, it is added to milk and all infant formulas that claim ‘Rich in omega-3’ or ‘Plus DHA’ on the label. This omega-3 oil has never been tested for safety and can cause adverse reactions in infants, including excessive gas, diar- rhea, and vomiting. (5) Just get your omega-3 from grass fed milk!

Grass Fed

If you’re going to eat dairy I can only recommend eating dairy from cows that ate grass. Eating grass fed dairy underscores the whole point of going Paleo – eating whole nutrient dense foods from animals eating their natural diet. The milk is going to have more omega-3 and less inflammatory properties than conventional milk from cows fed grains. Eating grass will confer the most nutrition to their meat and milk.

Raw Dairy

Raw dairy is in a class by itself. Raw dairy is a whole food, while pasteurized dairy is a processed food. These are completely different foods with greatly differing nutrient profiles. They cannot be thrown under the same dairy umbrella.

When I eat dairy, I eat raw, unpasteurized organic diary. I’ll admit when I first tried it, I was a bit freaked

93 out by the potential for bacteria in raw milk, but I’ve never had a problem with it. The only catch is it goes bad in about a week. It’s fresh! No preservatives! This is the price of fresh food. Frankly, the pasteurized milk that lasts for a month or more in the fridge freaks me out.

Salmonella, E. coli and many other bacteria cannot survive in raw milk; beneficial bacteria, enzymes, and immune complexes naturally present in raw milk destroy bad bacteria. If these pathogenic microbes get into pasteurized milk, however, they thrive because the enzymes and beneficial bacteria have been destroyed by pasteurization. If you can’t bear the thought of bacteria in your milk, you can kill it with a few drops of 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide, but this will kill the probiotics as well.

The statistics aren’t too worrisome either. About 1 in 90,000 people are hospitalized by drinking contaminated raw dairy, while 1 in 880,000 people are hospitalized by contaminated pasteurized dairy. So, you have about a nine times increased chance of being sickened by raw milk. This is a risk some aren’t willing to take, but I am happy to ‘risk’ it given raw milk’s far superior nutritional gifts.

Why drink raw milk? People are drinking raw milk because pasteurization and homogenization destroys so many nutrients in milk. Proteins and fats in the milk are deformed, making them very unhealthy and difficult to digest.

Raw dairy, especially raw butter, contains essential fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, most of which are destroyed during pasteurization. These fat-soluble vitamins are necessary to absorb vitamins and minerals. Because vitamin D is destroyed during pasteurization, synthetic vitamin D2 is ironically added back to the milk! That’s why it’s called vitamin D milk. Synthetic vitamin D2 is not absorbed very well, while natural D3 is readily absorbed. Needless to say, pasteurized milk in not a great source of vitamin D for this reason. Without adequate fat-soluble vitamins, needed to absorb minerals yet destroyed in pasteurized milk, we can make ourselves more vulnerable to osteoporosis – even if we eat plenty of dairy.

Why does the US drink the most dairy and yet still has one of the highest osteoporosis rates in the world? This is because the pasteurization of dairy renders calcium in the milk biounavailable. It turns it into a form that is not readily usable by our bodies so the body then stores it or gets rid of it in the tissues and joints, calcifying them. Ever wonder why you have stiff, tight muscles and achy joints and arthritis? It’s calcifica- tion of your tissues in part caused by pasteurized milk. (6) Of course, there are other causes to these ail- ments, but the biounavailable calcium in pasteurized milk is a biggie. This is caused by lack of magnesium as well that directs calcium on where to go in the body. Most are magnesium deficient.

94 Raw dairy almost always comes unhomogenized. Why? Homogenization damages milk severely. Ho- mogenization forces the milk through tiny tubes at extremely high pressure to break the fat in the milk into smaller sizes. The process can involve extreme heat, so it is akin to a second pasteurization. It causes the fat particles to be surrounded by whey and casein, which is unnatural. These tiny fat particles may be absorbed directly into the blood stream without being digested because they are so small. (6) When food is not digested properly before absorption into the body, it can contribute to milk allergies, inflammation, and other health issues, plus it is unnecessarily taxing on the immune system.

Raw milk can be usually be tolerated by people who thought they had a dairy intolerance. Raw milk is a whole food that has everything you need in it, including lactase, to digest the milk. I am amazed at how much better I tolerate raw milk. I still have to limit my consumption, but I’m far less reactive to this whole food.

95 Are you dying to try raw milk now? You won’t find raw dairy products in major stores. You’ll have to buy it at farmer’s markets, your local dairy farm, or small natural health food stores. For a list of organic raw dairy farmers and retailers in your area, see www.realmilk.com.

Dairy Intolerance

Fifty percent of the world is intolerant to dairy for a couple reasons. It’s interesting that dairy intolerance decreases the farther away we get from the equator. The need for vitamin D may account for why some people – especially northern Europeans – became able to digest milk, a very recent mutation. Many theorize this is because people get more sun, and thus more vitamin D production, closer to the equator. African-Americans and Asians tend to not tolerate dairy because their ancestors generally lived close to the equator. As people moved farther away from the equator, their skin got lighter and they developed the ability to digest dairy as an adaptation to obtain vitamin D.

Then there’s the science of epigenetics. Genes are turned on and off according to diet and lifestyle. For this reason, it is absurd to suggest the epigenome of modern humans is identical to that of our Paleolithic ancestors given the substantial changes in environment and food that have occurred since that era. Epi- genetic changes can happen relatively quickly. One such quick change is called lactase persistence or the ability to digest lactose into adulthood, which began about 8000 years ago. This is roughly 2,000 years after we began domesticating and milking animals.

Chris Kresser of Chriskresser.com eloquently stated:

I know a study in 2007 where researchers looked at DNA from skeletons of people who died in northern or central Europe about 7000 to 8000 years ago, and there were zero, none of them had lactase persistence at that time. And then another study from the Bronze Age, about 3000 years ago, with a similar population found that about 25% had the allele for lactase persistence, and then today in some Scandi- navian countries, I think, like Sweden and Denmark, lactase persistence has reached about 95% pene- trance in the population. And the cow herding tribe, the Tutsi tribe in East Africa, I think, has about 90% lactase persistence. So that’s a huge genetic change in a short period of time, but even that period of time is incredibly long compared to how quickly some of these epigenetic changes can happen.

A traditional Paleo diet warns to avoid dairy because our ancestors at it, but that it not completely accurate given the evidence above. Thus, The Modern Paleo Diet was born. It makes more sense to use the Paleo diet as a template and adjust it according to one’s individual tolerances.

96 Find the Forms of Dairy You Tolerate

The key to eating dairy is finding the forms that work for you. For instance, I found that I can eat raw milk and cheese – though I tolerate hard cheeses the best. And I have no problem with butter, cream or fermented dairy like yogurt and kefir. You have to test each form and see which work for you. While it’s true that some people react to the casein proteins in milk, most who are sensitive are reacting to the sugar in milk: lactose. Lactose intolerance is one of the most common food intolerances, affecting up to 65% of the world’s adult population. Most stop producing lactase around 3 to 4 years of age. If you’re sensitive to dairy, you need to figure out the element in dairy to which you’re sensitive. If you have an issue with the lactose, you can still enjoy just about any dairy product except for milk. You can enjoy hard cheeses that have almost no lactose. You can enjoy fermented dairy because it has almost no lactose. And you can enjoy butter and very often cream. If you’re casein intolerant, that’s a little harder because a lot of cheese has significant amounts of casein. The casein is concentrated in cheese.

A food elimination diet is the final word in determining what you react to more than a lab panel. The lab panel might be able to tell you you’re generally allergic to dairy or give you ideas about what you should avoid, but the testing for dairy sensitivity is not terribly accurate. Even with testing, you still need to remove the different forms of dairy and reintroduce to see if you react. The food elimination method is still the gold standard that the top people use in the food allergy and immunology field. For more information on how to do a food elimination diet, see my blog post Food Sensitivities Make you Fat and Sick.

Milk

A lot of people have an issue with milk because it contains ALL the things that people can react to, including casein and lactose. In a sign of nature’s wisdom, raw milk contains lactase, the enzyme needed to digest dairy.

If you’re drinking conventional milk, you have to contend with all the other irritating ingredients it contains. You may not have a problem with dairy — just a problem with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, GMO feed, pasteurization, and homogenization.

Raw unpasteurized grass fed organic unhomogenized milk can usually be tolerated by people who cannot tolerate pasteurized milk because it contains lactase needed for its digestion (destroyed during pasteurization).

97 Cheese

The same rules apply here as with milk above. Organic cheese does not have the antibiotics and hormones, but it has all the problems that go along with pasteurization. Some find that they cannot tolerate soft cheeses but they can do hard cheeses. Hard cheeses usually have very little or almost no lactose. Others find they can tolerate goat milk and sheep’s milk cheeses because they are more easily digestible than cow’s milk. You have to find what works for you. If you’re casein intolerant, cheese is likely not on the menu for you. Cheese has significant amounts of casein. These proteins are concentrated in the cheese.

Cream

Cream contains small amounts of lactose. Most people, even if they don’t tolerate milk, can tolerate butter and very often can tolerate cream.

Cream contains casein so that’s out if you’re casein sensitive.

Butter

Butter is almost casein and lactose-free. The least problematic macronutrient in dairy is the fat. This means that since butter and cream are mostly fat, most people can tolerate them even if they have a sensitivity to dairy.

Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Ghee, or clarified butter, is the runner up for the least problematic form of dairy. Many that have a problem with dairy can eat ghee. It is technically casein and lactose-free.

Yogurt and Kefir

Fermented and cultured raw organic dairy products like sour cream, yogurt, and kefir work for many people, as the lactose proteins have been broken down making them easier to digest. The longer the fermentation, the less lactose the product contains. These dairy foods are also high in probiotics.

If you’re casein intolerant, fermented dairy is likely not on the menu for you. The fermentation process might improve tolerance of dairy for people that are casein- intolerant, but probably not completely.

98 Whey

Whey is the least problematic nutrient in dairy. Whey is 99.9% lactose-free. Many love to make whey protein powder smoothies. I’m not a huge fan of these processed powders, favoring whole foods. You can never emulate the power and nutrition of whole foods. If you are addicted to your quick and easy protein powder, whey protein is the best. Whey intolerance is almost unheard of. It is the least reactive nutrient in dairy. It does contain small amounts of casein, but still does not cause problems for many. Non-fat vs. Low-fat vs. Full-fat (Whole) Dairy

I would only eat full-fat, whole milk dairy. This study shows that people who ate the most full-fat dairy had a 69% lower risk of cardiovascular death than those who ate the least. (3)

Non-fat and low-fat dairy may have lower fat, but they also have powdered milk added to give them body. This results in low-fat and fat-free dairy containing more allergenic casein proteins. In order to make dried milk powder, milk is forced through tiny holes at a high pressure. During this process, the cholesterol in the milk becomes oxidized and other fats become deformed, resulting in milk powder that damages arteries, raises the risk of heart disease and cancer, and can cause liver damage. Because it’s considered an industry standard, even in organics, to use milk powder, milk processors aren’t required to list it on the ingredient label. These processed milks should generally be avoided as they can cause sensitivity issues where whole milk may not.

Unhealthy Guts Don’t Like Dairy

Another reason dairy causes problems boils down to gut health. If someone has compromised intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut”, it’s more likely that their immune system will respond to potentially allergenic components in milk. When their gut is healed, they are able to tolerate dairy and other foods to which they were previously sensitive. Milk proteins commonly cross-react with gluten, so if you react to gluten, it’s more likely you will have a sensitivity to dairy.

In the same vein, people with small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) – one of the major causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – may be more likely to react to milk because the bacteria in their small intestine aggressively ferments lactose, the sugar in milk, causing gas, bloating and other intestinal symptoms.

99 By healing a leaky gut and taking certain kinds of probiotics you may be able to tolerate dairy. Consum- ing fermented dairy on a regular basis can also improve or eliminate lactose intolerance. Consuming lactase from dairy products can promote the growth of these bacteria in the colon. Over time, this can lead to greater lactase content in the gut, improved lactose digestion, and eventually the elimination of intolerance symptoms. Start by taking probiotics and small amounts of raw and fermented dairy. Work your way up.

Dairy is incredibly nutritious, full of healthy fats, probiotics (if raw or fermented), protein, calcium and lots of vital minerals and vitamins. I would never recommend avoiding it unless you had a sensitivity to this incredibly nutritious, luscious treat. If you eat a Western diet, it is difficult to meet your calcium needs without the inclusion of dairy in your diet. We don’t absorb enough from fish and green leafy vegetables. Sardines are a great source of calcium, but when was the last time you popped open a can of sardines? That’s what I thought.

You don’t have to eat dairy to meet your calcium needs. Many traditional peoples never consumed dairy and they were perfectly healthy. Some cultures have adapted to a low calcium diet. (4) Others ate animal foods that are high in calcium, such as fish heads, bones, skin and ground crustacean shells. Yum! Just eat these foods and you don’t need dairy. Problem solved!

References

1. Chris Kresser Podcast. RHR: What Science Really Says About the Paleo diet — With Mat Lalonde. June 13, 2012. http://chriskresser.com/rhr-what-science-really-says-about-the-paleo-diet-with-mat- lalonde

2. He T, Priebe MG, Zhong Y, Huang C, Harmsen HJ, Raangs GC, Antoine JM, Welling GW, Vonk RJ. Effects of yogurt and bifidobacteria supplementation on the colonic microbiota in lactose-intolerant subjects. J Appl Microbiol. 2008 Feb;104(2):595-604. Epub 2007 Oct 9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/17927751

3. M Bonthuis, et al.Dairy consumption and patterns of mortality of Australian adults. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2010) 64, 569–577; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2010.45; published online 7 April 2010. http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v64/n6/abs/ ejcn201045a.html

4. Seller, Elizabeth, et al. Adaptation of Inuit children to a low calcium diet. CMAJ • APR. 29, 2003; 168 (9). http://www.cmaj.ca/content/168/9/1141.full.pdf

100 5. Cornicopia Instutute. Official Adverse Reaction Reports Filed With the Food and Drug Administration. http://cornucopia.org/DHA/AdverseReactionReports.pdf

6. Wilson, Lawrence, MD. Dairy Products. August 2012. http://www.drlwilson.com/ Articles/DAIRY.htm

WENDY MYERS, FDN, CHHC Wendy Myers, FDN, CHHC is the founder and head writer of Liveto110.com. She is a functional diagnostic nutritionist and certified holistic health coach in Los Angeles, Ca. She attended the Institute for Integra- tive Nutrition in New York and has a degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern Califor- nia.

She is certified in Hair Mineral Analysis for the purpose of designing Mineral Power programs for clients to correct their metabolism and body chemistry with customized targeted nutrient therapy. She is currently seeking her masters in clinical nutrition.

Wendy hosts the weekly Live to 110 Video Podcast and the Modern Paleo Cooking show on her Live to 110 Youtube Channel. Look for Wendy’s new book coming soon, The Modern Paleo Survival Guide.

http://www.liveto110.com

101 How to Sugar Detox: A Simple 7-Day Blueprint “Most people are already aware that sugar is bad. But when people talk to me about sugar and I tell them “ that they need to get it out of their lives, they usually have at least one of these things keeping them from doing it:

• they don’t know how bad sugar really is • they don’t think they consume very much sugar • or they’ve tried to quit and just found it too hard.

But here are the facts. Sugar is actually horrible for you and it’s killing people every year. You’re probably consuming far more sugar than you think. You can do a complete sugar detox faster and more easily than you think. I’m going to tell you how, but first I’m going to tell you why.

Why Sugar is So Bad

A lot of people think that sugar really isn’t so bad, because...how bad can a natural food be? But there’s a huge difference between naturally-occurring sugars in foods like fruit and “natural” sugar that’s been highly refined and added in huge quantities to almost every processed or packaged food in the supermarket.

Think about it this way – water is essential for good health and you should drink lots of it. But you can kill yourself by drinking more than your body can handle.

An excess of sugar has been directly or indirectly blamed in numerous research studies for everything from heart disease to behavioral disorders to cognitive issues and of course Type 2 diabetes. Sugar is directly connected to weight gain, and has even been linked to degenerative bones and connective tissue. Sugar is harmful because it causes it’s own cycle of chronic cravings. You don’t lose bone density overnight. You don’t get fat because of one piece of candy. But feed your sugar cravings over a lifetime, and you’ll start to see serious health effects after just a few years. If you’re here, considering a Sugar Detox, you’re probably already familiar with this Sugar Craving Cycle. On the outside, it goes something like this:

102 That looks pretty familiar, doesn’t it? The external cycle that we feel is actually due to internal events. When you eat sugar–especially straight-up sugar, not fruit with fiber to slow that sugar down, but refined sugar and/or refined white flour, your body has to kick itself into overdrive. On the inside, the cycle looks like this:

The most harmful part of sugar, perhaps, is that it’s been touted as a substance that’s okay to eat. In fact, more than touted, it’s been turned into a multibillion dollar market that is lauded, celebrated, and cher- ished in Northern American culture. We’ve become so addicted to sugar, there are entire industries dedicated to getting us more of the sugar we want, whenever we want it. Many breakfast cereals (marketed

103 to kids, no less) contain 27 grams of sugar per serving– (that’s the equivalent of a chocolate candy bar). Commericals proffer candy as a midday pick- me-up snack, and companies hock treats to after-dinner dessert lovers. Sugar has made it’s way into our entire day, and somehow, we’ve been taught to think that it’s okay.

How Much Sugar are You Really Eating?

Even if you eat a fairly healthy diet, making sure you watch the calories and getting at least some fresh veggies every day, you’re probably getting a lot more sugar than you think.

The average Westerner eats about 152 pounds of sugar each year. That’s about 22 teaspoons each day, every day for every person living in the US. But the situation is even worse with our children.

Kids consume an average of 34 teaspoons of sugar daily every day and for the first time in history, children as young as nine years old are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. In fact, an estimated 25% of our teenagers are either pre-diabetic or diabetic. Even if you don’t eat a lot of sweets or add sugar to your tea or coffee, you’re probably still eating plenty of sugar and if you eat bread, cereal or processed foods, you’re also getting a ton of flour.

You may not know this, but a slice of bread (even whole wheat bread) actually raises your blood sugar more than table sugar does. In fact, all refined flour has the same effect and we are eating it in huge amounts. Americans consume about 146 pounds of flour a year, per person. So that means we’re eating about one pound of sugar and flour combined for every person in the US.

How Healthy Can a Drug Be?

Do you know why it’s so hard for you to quit sugar? Because studies have shown that sugar is 800% more addictive than cocaine.

How many people do you know who eat a vegan diet, work out every day and snort coke between meals? Not too many. But I’ve seen plenty of otherwise health-conscious people who stash chocolate in the freezer and have a cola with their lunch because they “have a sweet tooth.”

No, you have an addiction. Sugar and flour addiction is very real and it’s not an emotional reliance on sweet treats or bagels. It is a recognized and well-documented physiological disorder involving both your neurotransmitters and your hormonal system. In a recent study at Harvard, researchers discovered that a

104 very sugary milkshake didn’t just cause a huge spike in blood sugar and insulin levels; it also stimulated huge changes in brain activity. In short, the brain becomes addicted to that spike. I realize that this makes it sound even harder to get sugar out of your diet, but the truth is that you can do it.

The addiction to sugar and flour might be powerful, but studies have shown that our bodies and our neurological systems can be free of the addiction within a week to ten days of going cold turkey. Of course, you first have to get through that 7-days and you’ll need help to do it. So here are ten steps that will get you there, plus a customized 7-Day Detox Blueprint to help you through.

STEP 1 Get all sugar and flour out of your house and out of your diet.

The easiest way to do this without having to spend hours reading labels is to eliminate anything that is packaged, canned, frozen (with a few exceptions, like frozen organic berries) or pre- cooked. Even potato chips have sugar in them. There are so many names for so many common forms of sugar that it could take you forever to weed them out by reading labels, so just commit to eating fresh, whole foods and nothing else. That means meats, eggs, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.

STEP 2 Drink only water, unsweetened, fresh greens drinks and unsweetened herbal tea or decaf coffee Sugar in liquid form is even worse for you than sugar in a Twinkie, because it goes almost immediately into your bloodstream. What makes it worse is that a sugary beverage like soda doesn’t fill you up and the energy only lasts a short time, so you drink another very shortly after. Even if you don’t drink soda, your beverages may be loaded with sugar. Gatorade has 14 teaspoons of sugar per bottle. That’s only one less than a 20-ounce Coke. One of the problems is that sending this much sugar flying into your bloodstream at once actually inhibits the liver’s own fat-storage mechanism, leading to additional fat storage in the belly.

Not only that, but almost all sugar is 50% glucose (which spikes your blood sugar) and 50% fructose. The latter is just as problematic and often overlooked. Fructose (especially in hidden or liquid form) is bad news because it must first be metabolized before the body can use it as glucose. However, because this is a “rate-dependent” process, too much fructose at once causes your liver to spit out triglycerides into your blood. Many of those TGs are also trapped in your liver, which can overtime lead to problems like “fatty liver disease”.

STEP 3

105 Eat a high-protein meal first thing in the morning

You’ve been fasting all night and that means that your carb levels are low and your insulin levels are high. This is the main reason so many people reach for something sweet first thing in the morning. Combat this by getting plenty of protein instead. Not only will it fill you up without spiking your blood sugar, but it will also re-train your body to use protein as energy. You also want to make sure you get some healthy fats into your body as early as possible. Try a protein shake or have some eggs and a handful of walnuts.

STEP 4 Get plenty of healthy carbs

Not all carbs are the devil. We need carbs to function well and even to survive. But you have to eat the right carbs. That means non-starchy, low-sugar vegetables (in other words, no white potatoes or corn ever and skip the beets, winter squash and sweet potatoes just for this detox period. When you want something sweet, help yourself to fresh berries and the lower-sugar fruits like apples, pears, and plums. By the way, during these ten days, you shouldn’t limit your consumption of produce at all. Eat until your eyes pop out if you have to. All the crunch will satisfy you during the first few days of cravings and you’ll probably drop a few pounds as well.

STEP 5 Eat enough healthy fat

Fat is not to blame for obesity – sugar and flour are. Fat actually helps steady your blood sugar levels, keeps you feeling satisfied and is even used to transport vitamins and minerals throughout your body. You should have both protein and fat at every meal. The best fats are nuts and seeds, nut butters (except for peanut butter), olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, avocadoes and the Omega-3 fats from pasture-raised meat and eggs and wild-caught seafood.

STEP 6 Keep healthy snacks with you ALWAYS.

It’s as sure as Murphy’s Law. You will get your worst cravings when there isn’t a farmer’s market, fruit stand or healthy restaurant within five miles. In fact, there will probably be five fast food restaurants, three vend- ing machines and a donut shop just within sight. So be prepared. Keep plenty of healthy snacks in your desk, in your car, in your laptop case and anywhere else you can stash them. Rely on nuts, seeds, apples, jerky, celery with nut butter, berries and other portable treats. It’s best to have a combination of protein,

106 carbs and fats in every snack.

STEP 7 Lower your stress level

There’s a reason why stress makes many people reach for the junk food. Stress raises your cortisol level, causing hunger and stimulating fat storage at the same time. But de-stressing actually reverses that process. Studies have shown that just doing some deep breathing can stimulate the Vagus nerve and change the focus of your metabolism from storing fat to burning it. Take a fun fitness class, go dancing, call a friend or watch a funny video. Have a nice long shower or curl up with a cat, a book or both. Whatever it takes, even just for a few minutes, to help you unwind and refocus.

STEP 8 Get plenty or regular sleep.

Lack of sleep or even sleeping at erratic times also raises your cortisol level. It also interferes with your leptin and ghrelin levels, the hormones that control hunger and satiety. Get at least eight hours every night and try to go to sleep at roughly (within an hour or so) at the same time every night. Many people find that doing this one thing ramps up their fat loss enough for them to lose weight without restricting calories.

STEP 9 Start an exercise plan that includes strength training.

Strength training can not only help you on your sugar detox, but also help keep your blood sugar levels steady for good. When you use your muscles, they require more glucose, which means less glucose in the bloodstream to elevate your blood sugar and fewer cravings for sugar later on when your blood sugar begins to crash. The more lean muscle you have, the better your body is at getting blood glucose out of your bloodstream and into your muscles. Exercise also release those feel-good endorphins so that you’re not so vulnerable to mood eating.

STEP 9 Reduce inflammation from food sensitivities

Inflammation has been shown to cause unhealthy blood sugar levels and lead to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. But illness or injury are not to blame for most inflammation – food sensitivities are. The most common problem foods are gluten and dairy, so just for this first ten days, kick them out of your diet

107 as well. You may not even realize you have a problem with one or both of these until a few days later, when you suddenly have a great deal more energy and far fewer symptoms such as bloating, gas, headaches and nausea. Doing a sugar detox may seem a little extreme to some and reasonable but incredibly difficult to others. But research supports the idea that we all need to get sugar and flour out of our diets for good. With this 10-step, 7-day plan, you can do it much more easily than you think, I promise. The first three days are the hardest, but if you follow all of these steps, you’ll start feeling amazing in no time.

My 7-Day Sugar Detox Blueprint

To help you start that “”cold turkey” week without sugar, I’ve designed a simple plan that supports your body on all sides. My 7-day plan is designed to help your body survive the withdrawls and cravings that traditionally keep people from going cold turkey by:

• Filling You With Healing Foods: You’ll never make it through a detox without food. Sugar craving can lead to feelings of excessive hunger, so I’ve designed a 7-day plan which gives your body the superfoods it needs, while also offering satiating fats, and naturally sweet recipes to help you slowly ease away from those sugar habits.

• Prescribing Daily Movement: Adding brisk exercise to your week will help you transition from sugar in several ways. 1) Movement creates energy, so getting out for a workout can actually give you a natural energy boost; 2) Movement can supress cravings, sitting around the house will only get you more hungry, so we’re going to get you outside and get your mind off of the detox; and 3) adding movement as a new way to deal with cravings will help you retrain your brain with a healthier habit–a powerful way to really kick the sugar habit.

• Setting The Schedule: Adding healthy routine is the fastest way to successfully change unhealthy habits. This 7-day schedule will help you see and feel what it’s like to eat right and exercise right.

• Adding Sufficient Daily Rest: Sometimes the best way to deal with sugar cravings is just–go to bed. This blueprint includes daily meditations and early bedtime hours because this rest gives you energy. When you have energy, you’re excited, renewed, and able to take on the world. Get exhausted, however, and your body will go into survival mode, begging for quick-energy carbs and candies to keep it up and running.

108 Keep a Food Journal As you work through your 7-Day Sugar Detox, I suggest you keep a Food Journal.

In this journal record how you feel each morning, what you’ve eaten throughout the day, and how you’re feeling after you eat. Tracking your food and feelings helps you connect your eating to your emotions. Notice your patterns. If you feel hungry in the morning, add a quick walk or workout at sunrise, or sip slowly on a cup of hot herbal tea to soothe your stomach. If evenings find you dying for dessert, add a brisk post-dinner walk to your schedule then head straight to bed. Watching your eating & emotional patterns can help you adjust your diet, schedule, and sleep to more optimally fit what your body needs to thrive.

Going cold turkey from sugar won’t be easy. Prepare for the Day 3 burnout, when withdrawal symptoms tend to be at their worse. Brace yourself for the mental angst that comes as you reteach your mind and body newer, healthier habits. The next 7 days won’t be easy, but they will be worth it.

YURI ELKAIM Yuri Elkaim is a health and fitness expert, “energy nutritionist”, and author of “The All-Day Energy Diet”. Other than his charming good looks :), he’s most famous for helping people enjoy all-day energy and amazing health in a very short period of time without radical diets or gimmicks.

He’s also a former pro soccer player, and served as the strength & conditioning and nutrition coach at the University of Toronto for 7 years. He’s on a mission to transform the lives of more than 10 million people by 2018.

For more,visit http://www.alldayenergydiet.com http://yurielkaim.com

109 Healthy Fats - The Fat That Makes you Skinny Coconut oil comes from the meat of mature coconuts and has been con- “ sumed by tropical populations for thousands of years with no detrimen-“ tal effect. In fact, studies have shown traditional populations that use coconut oil as a dietary staple demonstrate trim bodies and excep- tional health, despite the high level of saturated fat contained in the oil 1. For years health officials have warned that consuming saturated fat contributes to obesity, but it is a lie that is killing America. The naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil, un- like man-made hydrogenated saturated fat (i.e. trans fat), is key to good health and a component in making coconut oil one of the most effective natural weight- loss tools.

Coconut oil contains a high percentage of medium chain fatty acids or Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs). It is the richest source of MCTs on earth. Most vegetable oils like canola and soybean, on the other hand, contain long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) which are bigger molecules and a challenge to break down. The body metabolizes MCTs differently than LCFAs due to their smaller size. The liver efficiently converts MCTs into clean fuel which is then absorbed for instant energy. Due to the fast absorption and fuel conversion, MCTs are not stored as fat like LCFAs. As a result, MCTs aid in boosting metabolism which in turn leads to weight-loss. And not only do MCTs boost your energy, a study suggested 2 they can also reduce appetite by increasing satiety when replacing LCFAs in the diet. Coconut oil seems to be more sat- isfying than other types of fats, and by making the swap you could save calories without even realizing it. Coconut oil also has a unique thermogenic (or “heat burning”) property and can increase your energy more than the same amount of calories from other fats like LCFAs 3. This means coconut oil can help you burn more calories, more efficiently. Athletes have been consuming MCTs in the form of coconut oil for years because it improves overall physical endurance and athletic performance. But you don’t need to be an athlete to benefit from MCTs; coconut oil can positively impact your energy level when consumed regularly. If you’re feeling the “mid-day slump,” take a heaping spoonful of coconut oil for a quick and easy energy boost. What’s more, it does not cause a spike in blood sugar levels, so is beneficial for diabetics or the many struggling with blood sugar issues.

Another benefit of coconut oil is it supports the thyroid gland by raising basal body temperature while increasing metabolism. This can lead to weight-loss because low thyroid function slows metabolism which results in weight gain. Thyroid conditions are a massive modern epidemic, with many unknowingly suffering the effects of an under performing thyroid, including the inability to lose weight. The unique fat ratios in coconut oil make it particularly supportive of the thyroid gland. Common fats consumed today in

110 the form of hydrogenated vegetable oils are highly damaging to the thyroid and are contributing to the epidemic. By replacing toxic vegetable oils with coconut oil you support the health of your thyroid and encourage weight-loss.

Multiple studies have shown coconut oil may also help with losing abdominal fat, the most dangerous place to store fat on the body 4, 5. Abdominal fat lies deep in your midsection crowding between the spaces of your organs. Fat accumulated here is linked to metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, all of which are triggered by inflammation. Coconut oil can help because of its anti-inflammatory properties 6. Reducing abdominal fat will not only positively impact your overall health and body image but will dramatically lower your risk of developing inflammatory, chronic disease.

In addition to promoting weight-loss, coconut oil is anti-microbial 7, can help with yeast issues like candi- da 8, may improve good cholesterol 9 and reduce epileptic seizures 10. Dr. Mary Newport also used it to treat her husband’s Alzheimer’s disease, which improved his brain function. Without a doubt, coconut oil is the healthiest oil for regular consumption, and is excellent for use in cooking due to its high smoking point.

To Review: Some ways that coconut oil can help you lose weight:

MCTs in coconut oil boost metabolism MCTs are not stored as fat like LCFAs in vegetable oils Increases energy Reduces appetite Regulates blood sugar Supports thyroid function Helps with abdominal fat loss

Coconut oil is a high grade fuel that helps your entire body function better from the cellular level, and is proven to enhance weight-loss efforts. Not all coconut oil is created equal, however. There are many coconut oils sold that have been refined, bleached, and deodorized to be more palatable. Some are even hydrogenated. When shopping, look for an oil that is unrefined, cold-pressed, virgin (made from the first pressing of fresh coconut), pesticide-free and raw. My favorite kind is Skinny and Co. It is wild harvested and the only 100% raw coconut oil on the market. It also has higher levels of MCTs in comparison to other coconut oils. I use it for cooking, as a healthy fat in smoothies, applied topically as a skin moisturizer and sunscreen, swirled into my coffee, or take a plain spoonful as an anytime energy boost. See below for a delicious “fat bomb” dessert recipe that is loaded with good fat from coconut oil and is Cellular Healing Diet approved. Enjoy!

111 DR. DANIEL POMPA, D.PSc. The people of Africa have a saying that before one can have authority, one must first experience victory. Having battled and emerged victorious over a debilitating battle with chronic fatigue syndrome, Dr. Daniel Pompa, D.PSc., has embraced his God-given mission to assist others who face similar challenges.

Dr. Pompa completed his undergraduate education at the University of Pittsburgh in 1988 and earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Life University’s College of Chiropractic in Marietta, Georgia in 1995 where he graduated second in a class of 150. His journey back to health continued to lead him to a vora- cious passion to research and learning beyond what is often readily understood.

He and his wife Merily live in Park City, Utah with their 5 children and avidly bike, ski and enjoy every day in their next chapter of life after moving from their hometown of Pittsburgh, PA in 2012. Their passion for leading others to what they have learned as well as their trust in God drives their journey.

http://drpompa.com

112 The Hemoglobin A1c (or HbA1c) test looks at “our average blood sugar over the course of the last three to four months of our lives, which makes it a great screening test for prediabetes.

Many doctors do not routinely give this test, and unfortunately, this means they don’t find diabetes until it’s full-blown. A great step you can take for preventing diabetes is to ask your doctor“ for this test next time you go in for an exam.

JEN LANDA, MD Jen Landa, MD, is a respected authority on the subject of women’s health, hormones and functional and regenerative medicine. As author of The Sex Drive Solution for Women, co-written with Virginia Hopkins, and creator of the Rewire Your Desire and Three Weeks to Endless Energy programs, she has helped thousands of women regain their energy and drive.

Dr. Jen specializes in helping women and men balance their hormones, restore their energy, and replenish their sex lives. At the heart of her practice is the belief that maintaining one’s health is hard work, and she encourages her patients to make lifestyle changes that will result in increased health and energy.

Dr. Jen is a frequent contributor to the media, with appearances in Cosmopoli- tan, Men’s Health Magazine, and the Dr. Oz. Show, as well as a regular medical column on Fox News, to name a few.

http://drjenniferlanda.com

113 What are you REALLY Hungry for?

“ Has this ever happened to you? You’ve just enjoyed“ a wonderful meal at a restaurant with friends - your belly is sufficiently full. Yet, you still have this nagging feeling in your gut of wanting more? So then you order some dessert...but it still doesn’t do the trick. You drive home, open your fridge to fill that remaining emptiness, yet nothing sounds appealing? If your answer is yes, you are not alone.

Our bodies have hunger on many levels beyond simple physical hunger. We have emotional and spiritual hungers as well. We have a hunger for feeling excited about waking up everyday. We have a hunger for feeling satisfied with our day-to-day undertak- ings. We have a hunger for knowing what we are passionate about, and for creating a life in which we are allowed to live out that passion...

Yet, often these hungers have been ignored and suppressed for so many decades that they express themselves as feeling ‘hungry,’ even when our bellies are full. Or perhaps your hunger is for yet another new outfit, or another glass of wine, or another cigarette, or to surf the internet... for the fourth time today... Many people in today’s fast paced lives are out of touch with how to satisfy these other natural hungers. A favorite quote of mine is, “Most people today spend more time planning a vacation...to escape from their stressful lives...than on planning their life itself.”

So here is my invitation to you...carve out some time to simply ask yourself the question, “What do I love about life? What makes me happy? What do I get excited about?” Even if its just 5 minutes scribbling on a napkin. If these questions create fear in you of not knowing the answer, then its even more of a reason for you to regularly carve out time in your life to discover your answers.

As you become more in touch with your answers, the energy you create by doing this will direct you towards how to bring more of what you want into your life. Why not do it right now? Your exuberant life is waiting.

114 JODY STANISLAW, ND My passion for helping others achieve optimal well-being stems from my success in overcoming the health challenges of living with Type 1 diabetes since the age of seven.

One of the benefits of living with this condition for the past 30 years is that optimal nutrition and regular exercise have always been an integral part of my life. One of my core beliefs is everything that happens in one’s life is a teacher, full of rich opportunities for personal growth.

Even when the lessons are hard to see, they’re there. Whatever challenges you may present to me, this empowering perspective is a key element that I will incorporate into working with you, along your path to optimizing your health.

http://drjodynd.com

115 Super Tips for Diabetes “Prevention Even if you Already Have it This is s high-impact program. Incorporating any of these tips will be beneficial in helping the body maintain healthy blood-sugar levels“ and incorporating all of them would be nothing short of extraordinary.

Increase clean proteins to 3/4g - 1g per pound of ideal body weight per day (if you are overweight or underweight, then estimate ideal body weight).

Minimize or eliminate sugars, flours, grains, and white carbohydrates including fruits, fruit juices and artificial sweeteners. Eat tons of veggies especially dark greens.

Consume healthy fats, oils, nuts and seeds daily including avocado, coconut, pumpkin, macadamia, almond, olive, chia.

Upgrade at least one meal per day to a Living Fuel whole-food super meal. Take 10g - 15g of full-spectrum SuperEssentials® Amino Acids 3x-4x per day (upon awakening, before each meal and at bedtime). THIS IS A LITTLE-KNOWN SUPER HIGH-IMPACT TECHNIQUE.

Take 8-10 gel caps per day of SuperEssentials® Omega - Antioxidant EFA. Exercise daily beginning with walking at least 10,000 steps per day and working up to higher intensity exercise.

116 KC CRAICHY

KC Craichy is a health advocate, researcher, and recognized expert on natural health and performance nutrition. His extensive study of leading-edge health research and collaborative work with top medical and nutritional practitioners and researchers to solve his wife Monica’s health problems—anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts—led him to the answers for Monica’s healing and to the founding of Living Fuel, Inc. As a result of overcoming this health crisis, KC and Monica have helped numerous people become overcomers in their own health situations. Together they are now cohosts of the popular Internet TV program LivingFuelTV.

KC is committed to changing lives through multimedia, super health lifestyle education combined with super healthy, high impact superfoods. He is a Performance Nutrition Specialist and serves on the Nutrition Advisory Board for Titleist Performance Institute. KC also served on the Clinical Nutrition Review Board (the certifying body of the International and American Association of Clinical Nutrition) for seven years. A frequent natural health and performance nutrition guest on various TV and radio programs as well as a frequent contributor to national magazines and blogs, KC has been featured recently on multiple episodes of The Truth About Cancer series and the Preventing and Reversing Diabetes World Summit. KC was also a featured speaker at the Comprehensive Treatment Plans for Chronic Conditions Innovative Conference with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. KC lives in Orlando, Florida, with his wife, Monica, and their five children.

https://www.livingfuel.com

117 How to Reduce the “Glycemic Index of Safe Starches I thought I’d delve into the factors affecting blood glucose response to meals, and how to minimize the rise in blood sugar.“ It’s a topic of general interest, since hyperglycemia might have a mild detrimental health effect in nearly everyone; but of special importance to diabetics, since controlling blood sugar is so crucial to their health.

Fat Reduces GI

J Stanton has noted that adding a little fat to a starch is very effective in lowering its GI. In a post titled “Fat and Glycemic Index: The Myth of Complex Carbohydrates,” JS states that:

• Flour tortillas have a GI of 30, compared to a GI of 72 for wheat bread, because tortillas are made with lard.

• Butter reduces the glycemic index of French bread from 95 to 65.

• A Pizza Hut Super Supreme Pizza has a GI of 30, whereas a Vegetarian Supreme has a GI of 49.

JS suggests that the reason fat does this is that it lowers the gastric emptying rate, and cites a study which showed that adding fat to starches could increase the gastric emptying time – the time for food to leave the stomach – by 50%. [4]

What’s interesting to me here is that what we really care about is not the glycemic index, but the peak blood glucose level attained after a meal. It is blood glucose levels above 140 mg/dl only that are harmful, and the harm is proportional to how high blood glucose levels rise above 140 mg/dl. So it’s the spikes we want to avoid.

But another paper shows that gastric emptying rate is even more closely tied to peak blood glucose level than it is to glycemic index. From [5]:

So combining a starch with fat may reduce peak blood glucose levels even more than it reduces the glycemic index; which is a good thing. Dairy reduces GI Dairy is effective at reducing GI: Dairy products significantly reduced the GI of white rice when consumed

118 together, prior to or after a carbohydrate meal. [6]

It is not likely that dairy fat alone was responsible, because whole milk worked better than butter. Howev- er, low-fat milk only reduced the GI of rice by 16%, while whole milk reduced it by 41%. So clearly dairy fats are part of the recipe, but not the whole story; whey protein may also matter.

Fiber Reduces GI

Fiber is another meal element that reduces the rise in blood sugar after eating. Removing fiber from starchy foods increases their glycemic index [7]; adding fiber decreases it. For instance, adding a poly- saccharide fiber to cornstarch reduced its GI from 83 to 58; to rice reduced its GI from 82 to 45; to yogurt from 44 to 38. [8]

So it’s good to eat starches with vegetables – the foods richest in fiber.

Acids, Especially Vinegar, Reduce GI

Traditional cuisines usually make sauces by combining a fat with an acid. Frequently used sauce acids are vinegars and citric acid from lemons, limes, or other citrus fruits. It turns that sauce acids can substan- tially reduce the GI of meals. The best attested is vinegar. From a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition [6]: In the current study, the addition of vinegar and vinegared foods to white rice reduced the GI of white rice. The acetic acid in vinegar was thought to be responsible for the antihyperglycemic effect. The amount of acetic acid to be effective could be as low as that found in sushi (estimated to be about 0.2–1.5 g/100 g).

The antihyperglycemic effect of vinegar is consistent with other studies performed earlier (Brighenti et al, 1995; Liljeberg & Bjorck, 1998). Although vinegar could lower GI vales, the mechanism has rarely been reported. Most studies accounted the mechanism to be due to a delay in gastric emptying. In animal studies, Fushimi (Fushimi et al, 2001) showed that acetic acid could activate gluconeogenesis and induce glycogenesis in the liver after a fasting state. It could also inhibit glycolysis in muscles. [6]

Other acids also work. Pickled foods, which are sour due to lactic acid released by bacteria, reduce the glycemic index of rice by 27% if eaten before the rice and by 25% if eaten alongside the rice. [6]

Wines, especially red wines, are somewhat acidic. I haven’t seen a study of how drinking wine with a meal affects glycemic index, but it is known observationally that wine drinkers have better glycemic con-

119 trol and, often, long lives. [9]

So What’s the Healthiest Way to Eat “Safe Starches”?

One way to limit the likelihood of reaching dangerous blood sugar levels after a meal is by eating a relatively “low carb” diet. But the manner in which carbs are eaten may be just as important as the amount.

References

[1] Brand JC et al. Food processing and the glycemic index. Am J Clin Nutr. 1985 Dec; 42(6):1192-6. http://pmid.us/4072954. [2] Bahado-Singh PS et al. Food processing methods influence the glycaemic indices of some commonly eaten West Indian carbohydrate-rich foods. Br J Nutr. 2006 Sep;96(3): 476-81. http://pmid. us/16925852. [3] Dodd H et al. Calculating meal glycemic index by using measured and published food values compared with directly measured meal glycemic index. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Oct;94(4):992-6. http://pmid. us/21831990. [4] Thouvenot P et al. Fat and starch gastric emptying rate in humans: a reproducibility study of a double-isotopic technique. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59(suppl):781S. [5] Mourot J et al. Relationship between the rate of gastric emptying and glucose and insulin responses to starchy foods in young healthy adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Oct; 48(4):1035-40. http://pmid. us/3048076.

[6] Sugiyama M et al. Glycemic index of single and mixed meal foods among common Japanese foods with white rice as a reference food. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003 Jun;57(6): 743-52. http://pmid.us/12792658. Full text: http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v57/n6/ full/1601606a.html. [7] Benini L et al. Gastric emptying of a solid meal is accelerated by the removal of dietary fibre naturally present in food. Gut. 1995 Jun;36(6):825-30. http://pmid.us/ 7615267. [8] Jenkins AL et al. Effect of adding the novel fiber, PGX®, to commonly consumed foods on glycemic response, glycemic index and GRIP: a simple and effective strategy for reducing post prandial blood glucose levels–a randomized, controlled trial. Nutr J. 2010 Nov 22;9:58. http://pmid.us/21092221. [9] Perissinotto E et al. Alcohol consumption and cardiovascular risk factors in older lifelong wine drinkers: the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010 Nov;20(9):647-55. http:// pmid.us/19695851.

12 0 PAUL JAMINET, Ph.D.

Paul Jaminet was born in San Diego, California, grew up in Connecticut, received degrees in philosophy and physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California at Berkeley, and became an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He left physics to become a software entrepreneur during the Internet boom, and now provides strategic advice to entrepreneurial companies while pursuing research in economics (see www.pauljaminet.com for more information).

Paul’s experience overcoming a chronic illness taught him the importance of diet for health, and motivated him to share what he learned in seven years of research.

http://perfecthealthdiet.com

121 Are you Getting Enough Protein? “ One of the most frustrating things about getting older is how much harder it is to lose weight. “ One of the main reasons for this? The loss of muscle mass. Beginning at age 30 (yes, 30!), most of us lose about 1% of muscle each year, as the body starts tearing down old muscle at a faster rate than it builds new. This is due to a host of reasons: a dampened ability to utilize protein to support and synthesize muscle, changing hormones and, for many, reduced physical activity.

And since muscle keeps your metabolism humming, the less of it you have, the tougher it is to lose weight and the easier it is to pack ON pounds. Even when you’re eating the same way you always have.

Frustrating!

And it’s not just weight that gets the shaft. When you lose muscle, you lose strength. That means that lifting groceries out of the car, opening a jar of peanut butter or reaching for a pair of pants on a high shelf will be tougher and tougher as the days progress.

If left unchecked, this loss of muscle mass can lead to a whole host of issues later in life, including loss of bone density, increased risk of fractures, insulin resistance, disability and even an early death.

The magic formula

There is something amazing in your diet that may help you build muscle as you age. And according to a study published in the American Journal of Physiology- Endocrinology and Metabolism, the current U.S. guidelines may not be high enough, particularly if you’re over 50.1

Researchers studied the effect on muscular health for 4 different eating plans with this hidden gem of a nutrient.

Group #1 ate according to the current guidelines, dividing the nutrient up equally among breakfast, lunch and dinner.

122 Group #2 ate according to current guidelines, eating the majority of the nutrient at dinner.

Group #3 ate double the current guidelines, dividing the nutrient up equally among breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Group #4 ate double the current guidelines, eating the majority of the nutrient at dinner.

Who had the most success at building muscle?

Groups #3 and #4.

So, what is this miracle nutrient that helped them build muscle?

Protein.

Yes, no matter what the timing of consumption, the more protein participants ate, the better their bodies were at building muscle.

Why is protein so paramount?

The amino acids in protein are the building blocks of muscle and work by stimulating muscle protein synthesis. And it didn’t take long to see the muscle-boosting effect. In the study, participants had higher rates of protein synthesis within just 4 days!

Real muscle building for grown ups

You might be wondering what the current RDA recommendation for protein is. You know, the guidelines you may want to double — especially if you are over 50.

The current recommendation is to consume about 10 grams of protein for every 25 pounds of body weight. That means if you weigh 150 pounds, you need at least 60 grams of protein.

This is what we currently recommend in our Fat Loss Fast Start program. We also recommend including at least 20 grams of protein at every meal. This will help you control your appetite until your next meal and ensure that you get enough total protein to protect your lean muscle mass while dieting.

12 3 However, this new study shows us that, if you’re over 50, your body is less efficient at synthesizing muscle protein. It also indicates that increasing your protein intake to double the RDA (about 19 to 20 grams of protein for every 25 pounds of body weight) helps counteract this age-related decline and triggers more protein synthesis in your muscles.

Yes, we may modify our recommendations based on this new research ... stay tuned.

When choosing your protein, pick healthy sources. Low-fat dairy, fish, lean meats and vegetables — yes, vegetables — are all good sources of protein.

And when snacking, make it a point to reach for foods with protein — hard-boiled egg, low-fat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or hummus and vegetables — to boost your protein intake. And, if I might add, a protein-rich shake made with our product, RealMeal GF, with 17 grams of protein per serving, is an ideal way to boost your daily protein intake.

12 4 STEVEN SISSKIND, M.D. As a practicing physician, “Dr. Steve” has cared for general surgery and general medicine patients. In addition to his work as a medical doctor, he worked for the U.S. Congress’ Office of Technology Assess- ment and at the U.S. Congress, performing research on health care, medical technology and drug-related issues.

Dr. Steve received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, his bachelor’s degree from Stan- ford University and his master’s degree in manufacturing engineering from UCLA. So you could say he is a doctor with an engineering mind.

Dr. Steve is focused on creating evidence-based nutritional supplements that actually do what they claim. The problem currently on the top of his mind is figuring out the right combination of natural supplements, optimal diet and behavioral changes that will help people get a handle on their weight and health issues. He is the proud father of 4 children all under the age of 10, and is active in the New York City community. He loves Frank Sinatra, and if you get him in a really good mood, he just might sing you a tune.

http://www.realdosenutrition.com

12 5 Compiled by Dr. Brian Mowll, The Diabetes Coach™ www.drbrianmowll.com 800-747-3270 [email protected]