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One of the common questions that are raised surrounds the approval of supplements by the FDA. While the FDA is responsible for overseeing a range of various items the primary area that you hear this organization mentioned is in relation to mostly food products and drugs. As for the FTC, they are a federal agency which regulates all advertising, excluding prescription drugs and medical devices, to ensure that advertisements are truthful and not misleading for consumers. Based on the above information one would assume that supplements of any type would fall under one if not both of these federal agencies.

By virtue of the fact that natural supplements are not a drug they are not regulated by the FDA which most people would naturally see as a bad idea. However, in light of the recent history of a number of drugs that have been approved by the FDA and subsequently led to the death of thousands of people, maybe regulation by the FDA is not all that it is supposed to be. Most recently a drug, Avandia, prescribed for patients with Diabetes has come under fire due to new findings that clearly show that there is a substantial increased risk for heart failure when taking this drug. More surprising is the fact that with in weeks of these findings the FDA has recommended that the drug remain on the market with stronger warnings.

More surprising is the fact that it was recently reported that, health authorities were aware of heart risks linked to GlaxoSmithKline diabetes drug Avandia and another competitor nearly five years ago.  More importantly it has been noted that researchers reported Avandia, or rosiglitazone, raises the risk of cardiovascular-related death by 64 percent and the risk of heart attack by 43 percent and yes this product is back on the market. Is any of this starting to sound vaguely familiar? Perhaps this sounds very much like another drug, Viox, was ultimately pulled from the market after being linked to thousands of deaths.

If by now you are starting to wonder why a drug with such a high risk has been placed back on the market, your in luck – follow the money and you’ll find the answer. During the quarter in which the news was released regarding the risks of heart related problems surrounding the use of Avandia worldwide sales of the drug dropped 22% and in the U.S. sales fell an even more to 31%. Now to get a real sense of what that means in terms of real money keep in mind that Avandia sales worldwide are in excess of 300 million dollars. Needless to say when sales drop by such large percentages there are loses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

There are countless cases in which products, especially drugs, are kept on the market when logic tells us that they should have long been pulled for the well being of the consumer. While this article has not even scratched the surface of this problem, rest assured that there is an overwhelming amount of data supporting the fact that money plays a very large role in the approval process of these products and as such logic is not always the determining factor.

With those details in mind why would the general public have any faith in the fact that a product that has been approved by the FDA is actually safe for use. Granted there are a lot of less than ethical companies that provide vitamins, minerals, and various supplements to the general public that would not stand up to any type of testing for numerous reasons. Many products simply do not contain all that they are listed to contain. In some cases the products simply do not contain the levels of all the nutrients that they claim to contain, others are missing components all together and lastly the manufacturing process of some supplements simply end in a product that your body can not completely utilize.
As such it would be much more advisable to find a reputable company that is grounded in science, stands behind their products and lastly has third party validation that their products provide what they claim to provide. With solid science and a reputable company providing validation of the products you are much more likely to have products that will provide you with the healthy lifestyle you expect well into your advancing years. With a little research on your own, recommendations from a knowledgeable colleague, or a medical professional that takes a holistic approach to healing versus expecting a government agency such as the FDA to watch out for you, you are far more likely to end up with good products.

References:

1) FDA Website

2) FTC Website

3) MSNBC:

4) MSNBC:

5) RTT News:

In an attempt to keep anyone from wasting their time reading an article that does not apply to them we need to clearly define the subject of this article. If you are comfortable with waiting for a miracle drug to cure cancer, expecting that early detection through any number of exams at your physicians’ office followed by chemotherapy in an attempt to kill the now detectable cancer cells, then this article is not for you. If however, you would prefer to avoid cancer totally by preventing it before it starts, then please read on.

When addressing nutrition and the prevention of cancer one of the hottest topics in this arena at this time are antioxidants. The primary reason that antioxidants have received increasing attention is based on the very nature of cancer cells themselves, how they are started and more importantly how they can be eliminated before becoming detectable. For most forms of cancer, they get their start when your cell’s DNA becomes damage in some form. Keep in mind that your body is generating new cells on a daily basis and that these new cells are being created based on the blue print of how they should be constructed. That blue print is your DNA. When your DNA has become damaged or during the creation process of these new cells they come in contact with free radicals they are damaged. Unchecked that damage begins going through an uncontrolled growth and at some point this once damaged cells has now become a tumor.

While there is a lot of talk about antioxidants we really need to define what they are. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from the damage caused by molecules known as free radicals. Antioxidants are capable of stabilizing free radicals and therefore prevent some of the damage free radicals otherwise might cause. Free radicals are unstable molecules caused by incomplete electron shells which make them more chemically reactive than those with complete electron shells. There are a number of environmental factors, including tobacco smoke, over exposure to the sun, pollution, toxins in our water, pesticides used in the growing of our vegetables and various other factors can also lead to free radical formation. The most common form of free radicals is oxygen – that’s correct the simple act of breathing that is required to keep us alive is the most common cause of free radical production in our bodies. When oxygen molecules become electrically charged or “radicalized” it tries to steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage to the DNA and other molecules. Over time, such damage may become irreversible and lead to various diseases including cancer. Antioxidants are often described as “mopping up” free radicals, meaning they neutralize the electrical charge and prevent the free radical from taking electrons from other molecules. Some examples of common antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C, E, and A, just to name a few. While not an antioxidant another very important mineral is Selenium, which is actually a component of antioxidant enzymes.

While diet and nutrition are beginning to get more attention we still have a long way to go, based on a number of statistics surrounding the average diet of more Americans. A simple search of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition will provide clinical research based on Diet, Nutrition and Cancer. While that may not be a big shock to you, you may be surprised to find that this particular entry has a copyright date from 1976. As a leading cause of death in the United States, one that is very preventable, one would expect to hear more about the impact of Diet, Nutrition and Exercise as it relates to the prevention of cancer. More often than not, if you pick up a newspaper or catch the news you are going to hear about the latest advances in chemotherapy, the newest drug for the treatment of cancer, the latest technology for improved mammograms and the list goes on. If you truly want to do something about the prevention of cancer you can’t wait on the news media and unfortunately not even your family physician to educate you on adopting a healthy lifestyle. Please don’t misunderstand that last comment as being a slam on doctors, because it is not. Every doctor that I know works extremely hard and puts in some very long hours.

Unfortunately, the way that our healthcare system is structured they do not get paid to educate you on a healthy lifestyle, nutrition, exercise or any of the things that you need to adopt as a comprehensive wellness program. The sad truth is that our healthcare system is setup to fix you after you’re broke, not to prevent you from getting to that point. It is truly up to YOU to take a proactive approach to learning what you need to know in order to adopt a overall healthy lifestyle/wellness program. It is important to note that a comprehensive wellness program leading to an overall healthy lifestyle is not something that you get to do for a week, a month or even just over the next year and then you’re done. This is a life long endeavor.

For those of you that are more of the do it yourself type people there are a large number of resources available to help you. From the internet to a staggering number of books that are published each year on the subject of healthy living, diet, nutrition, anti-aging. A very comprehensive guide to an overall healthy lifestyle that is very practical, pack with references to clinical research and an overall easy read is “The Metabolic Plan”, by Stephen Cherniske. The good news is that there is something for everyone. If you would prefer not to wade through mountains of information there are an increasing number of centers dedicated to Wellness, Healthy Lifestyles, and many of these facilities provide life coaches to help keep their clients accountable and on track. Even for the most dedicated person having an accountability partner of some type is a good idea to help during those stages of life where the motivation level just is not where it should be. Lastly, there are an increasing number of physicians that take a holistic approach to healing that includes a balanced approach which is one of the best approaches. In a perfect world our health would always be controllable through a balanced diet, good supplementation and exercise. However, the stark reality is that there are times that even our best efforts are not enough and we are forced to turn to a pharmaceutical to keep us in the game of life. In short all forms of healing have their place – there is not a one shoe fits all solution that will work for everyone, all the time.

Lastly, there are some well documented things that we can do to help prevent cancer.
- If you smoke – STOP
- Eating foods prepared with HIGH heat especially fried foods should be eliminated or reduced as much as possible.
- Increase the number of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Ideally 70% or more of your daily caloric intake should come from fruits and vegetables. If possible organically grown.
- Find a reputable supplements company grounded in science with products proven through strict clinical trials such as Univera LifeSciences. Even the best diet in the world is going to short on the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that we need in a comprehensive wellness/anti-aging program.
- Exercise – We were built by our maker to move. Keep moving and stay active. Does the term use it or loose it mean anything to you? The American Cancer Society has a great section on their website titled “The Complete Guide to Nutrition and Physical Activity”
- Reduce your exposure to chemicals and toxins. Use biodegradable products when cleaning as they are much less harmful to you and the environment.
- Reduce the fat in your diets, but increase the essential fatty acids that are required by each of us – especially your brain and your joints.
- If you are overweight and/or obese reduce your weight as this is a very well documented cause of accelerated free-radical activity.

References:
1) Diet, nutrition, and cancer: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 29, 1035-1047, Copyright © 1976 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc, EN Alcantara and EW Speckmann, http://www.ajcn.org/

2) Nutrition and Cancer Prevention: New Insights into the Role of Phytochemicals:  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 76, No. 1, 259, July 2002 © 2002 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

3) Nutrition and Activity Quiz: Are you living smart? - American Cancer Society

4) The Complete Guide— Nutrition and Physical Activity, American Cancer Society

5) Stephen Cherniske, M.S., The Metabolic Plan, The Random House Publishing Company, 2003, ISBN: 0-345-44102-8

For any of you that may have caught the news yesterday there was an amazing revelation that a single soda per day could lead to increased chance for heart disease. While it is good that something that is as common place as breathing, such as soft drinks and has so many potential health risks, is getting some negative press when will people really stop and listen.

We have for some time now known that there are a number of health risks associated with drinking soft drinks (soda), but with the fantastic marketing of the various manufacturers there has been a continual increase in the consumption of these drinks. To make mattes worse there are countless numbers of people that live with a soft drink of some time next to them throughout the entire day. There is little surprise that as a nation we are in the top rankings worldwide when it comes to being unhealthy – in the top 10. That ranking is based in large part because of the percentages of our population that are considered over weight and/or obese (65% +), are diabetic, malnourished, fighting arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, and anemic just to name a few.

For women a VERY big one is the fact that osteoporosis being a big concern is further exasperated by soft drinks.

While you may be thinking that you have dodged that bullet by drinking diet soft drinks think again. Much of the research, including the announcement yesterday, has found no distention between those drinking the diet soft drinks and those drink the sugar filled variety. If you are drinking more than a couple soft drinks per week please take some time to reconsider that habit and try replacing it with something to give your body the nourishment that it is screaming for. While an entirely different topic, but closely related, if you drink anything that is packed with sweeteners or sugar of any kind you really want to give your body a break. Your pancreas, adrenals, kidneys and liver to name a few would greatly appreciate it.

Carol Simontacchi
The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry Is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children
“One liter of an aspartame-sweetened beverage can produce about fifty-six milligrams of methanol. When several of these beverages are consumed in a short period of time (one day, perhaps), as much as two hundred fifty milligrams of methanol are dumped into the bloodstream, or thirty-two times the EPA limit.”
“What may happen, in the face of day-to-day, continuously high levels of sodium in the diet and the bloodstream, is that we experience a type of acute hypernatremia—not enough to kill us or cause the myelin sheath to lose its integrity, but enough to keep our sodium potassium pump slightly dysregulated and throw off the electrical system of the brain…. Americans drink soft drinks that are often loaded with more sodium and which further unbalance the mineral stores.”

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James A Howenstine M.D.
A Physician’s Guide to Natural Health Products That Work
“In an interesting experiment the sugar from one soft drink was able to damage the white blood cells’ ability to ingest and kill gonococcal bacteria for seven hours.”
“Soft drinks also contain large quantities of phosphorus, which when excreted pulls calcium out of the bones. Heavy users of soft drinks will have osteoporosis along with their damaged arteries.”

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James Duke PhD
The Green Pharmacy : The Ultimate Compendium Of Natural Remedies From The World’s Foremost Authority On Healing Herbs
“And watch out for cola soft drinks, which are very high in bone-dissolving phosphorus.”

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Marion Nestle
Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (California Studies in Food and Culture)
“Soft drinks are the single greatest source of caffeine in children’s diets; a 12-ounce can of cola contains about 45 milligrams but the amounts in more potent soft drinks can exceed 100 milligrams— a level approaching that found in coffee.”
“Soft drinks have replaced milk in the diets of many American children as well as adults. School purchases reflect such trends. From 1985 to 1997, school districts decreased the amounts of milk they bought by nearly 30% and increased their purchases of carbonated sodas.”
“The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times.”
“Adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone fractures three to four-fold higher than those who do not.”
“Sugar and acid in soft drinks so easily dissolve tooth enamel.”
“Americans drink 13.15 billion gallons of carbonated drinks every year.”

In doing some research on another article I came accross an article written by Dr. Henry Lodge called “You Can Stop Normal Aging”. As I have mentioned numerous times aging is a choice and we have the power to control that aging process. Below is further confermation of this truth as I have included Dr. Lodge’s article addressing the fact that aging really is a choice.

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By Dr. Henry S. Lodge
Published: March 18, 2007
Parade Magazine

From your body’s point of view, “normal” aging isn’t normal at all. It’s a choice you make by the way you live your life. The other choice is to tell your cells to grow—to build a strong, vibrant body and mind.

Let’s have a look at standard American aging. Barbara D. had a baby when she was 34, gave up exercise and gained 50 pounds. Exhausted and depressed, Barbara thought youth, energy and optimism were all in her rearview mirror. Jon M., 55, had fallen even farther down the slippery slope. He was stuck in the corporate world of stress, long hours and doughnuts. At 255 pounds, he had knees that hurt and a back that ached. He developed high blood pressure and eventually diabetes. Life was looking grim.

Jon and Barbara weren’t getting old; they had let their bodies decay. Most aging is just the dry rot we program into our cells by sedentary living, junk food and stress. Yes, we do have to get old, and ultimately we do have to die. But our bodies are designed to age slowly and remarkably well. Most of what we see and fear is decay, and decay is only one choice. Growth is the other.

After two years of misery, Barbara started exercising and is now in the best shape of her life. She just finished a sprint triathlon and, at 37, feels like she is 20. Jon started eating better and exercising too—slowly at first, but he stuck with it. He has since lost 50 pounds, the pain in his knees and back has disappeared, and his diabetes is gone. Today, Jon is 60 and living his life in the body of a healthy 30-year-old. He will die one day, but he is likely to live like a young man until he gets there.

The hard reality of our biology is that we are built to move. Exercise is the master signaling system that tells our cells to grow instead of fade. When we exercise, that process of growth spreads throughout every cell in our bodies, making us functionally younger. Not a little bit younger—a lot younger. True biological aging is a surprisingly slow and graceful process. You can live out your life in a powerful, healthy body if you are willing to put in the work.

Let’s take a step back to see how exercise works at the cellular level. Your body is made up of trillions of cells that live mostly for a few weeks or months, die and are replaced by new cells in an endless cycle. For example, your taste buds live only a few hours, white blood cells live 10 days, and your muscle cells live about three months. Even your bones dissolve and are replaced, over and over again. A few key stem cells in each organ and your brain cells are the only ones that stick around for the duration. All of your other cells are in a constant state of renewal.

You replace about 1% of your cells every day. That means 1% of your body is brand-new today, and you will get another 1% tomorrow. Think of it as getting a whole new body every three months. It’s not entirely accurate, but it’s pretty close. Viewed that way, you are walking around in a body that is brand-new since Christmas—new lungs, new liver, new muscles, new skin. Look down at your legs and realize  that you are going to have new ones by the Fourth of July. Whether that body is functionally younger or older is a choice you make by how you live.

You choose whether those new cells come in stronger or weaker. You choose whether they grow or decay each day from then on. Your cells don’t care which choice you make. They just follow the directions you send. Exercise, and your cells get stronger; sit down, and they decay.

This whole system evolved over billions of years out in nature, where all animals face two great cellular challenges: The first is to grow strong, fast and fit in the spring, when food abounds and there are calories to fuel hungry muscles, bones and brains. The second is to decay as fast as possible in the winter, when calories disappear and surviving starvation is the key to life. You would think that food is the controlling signal for this, but it’s not. Motion controls your system.

Though we’ve moved indoors and left that life behind, our cells still think we’re living out on the savannah, struggling to stay alive each day. There are no microwaves or supermarkets in nature. If you want to eat, you have to hunt or forage every single day. That movement is a signal that it’s time to grow. So, when you exercise, your muscles release specific substances that travel throughout your bloodstream, telling your cells to grow. Sedentary muscles, on the other hand, let out a steady trickle of chemicals that whisper to every cell to decay, day after day after day.

Men like Jon, who go from sedentary to fit, cut their risk of dying from a heart attack by 75% over five years. Women cut their risk by 80%—and heart attacks are the largest single killer of women. Both men and women can double their leg strength with three months of exercise, and most of us can double it again in another three months. This is true whether you’re in your 30s or your 90s. It’s not a miracle or a mystery. It’s your biology, and you’re in charge.

The other master signal to our cells—equal and, in some respects, even more important than exercise—is emotion. One of the most fascinating revelations of the last decade is that emotions change our cells through the same molecular pathways as exercise. Anger, stress and loneliness are signals for “starvation” and chronic danger. They “melt” our bodies as surely as sedentary living. Optimism, love and community trigger the process of growth, building our bodies, hearts and minds.

Men who have a heart attack and come home to a family are four times less likely to die of a second heart attack. Women battling heart disease or cancer do better in direct proportion to the number of close friends and relatives they have. Babies in the ICU who are touched more often are more likely to survive. Everywhere you look, you see the role of emotion in our biology. Like exercise, it’s a choice.

It’s hard to exercise every day. And with our busy lives, it’s even harder to find the time and energy to maintain relationships and build communities. But it’s worth it when you consider the alternative. Go for a walk or a run, and think about it. Deep in our cells, down at the level of molecular genetics, we are wired to exercise and to care. We’re beginning to wake up to that as a nation, but you might not want to wait. You might want to join Barbara, Jon and millions of others and change your life. Start today. Your cells are listening.

Dr. Henry S. Lodge is on the faculty of Columbia Medical School and is co-author of Younger Next Year.

References:

1) Parade Magazine: You Can Stop Normal Aging

It is a known fact that vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients are essential to good health. If this world were perfect we would get all these nutrients from the food we eat on a daily basis. However, because this does not always happen, there are some convincing reasons to consider taking vitamin, mineral or micro-nutrient supplements.

Vitamins can help us overcome our lifestyle problems. On the whole, we are not very responsible when it comes to healthy habits. Many people play with their lives by smoking, drinking alcohol to excess, not getting adequate exercise or sleep, making poor choices in foods, and many other activities that lead to poor health. By taking vitamins every day, some of these negative effects may be counteracted.

Women in particular have special vitamin needs related both to osteoporosis and pregnancy issues. Although men can also have osteoporosis, it tends to attack women more and cause them greater suffering. By supplementing with calcium on a daily basis, much of the risk for osteoporosis can be offset and some of the latest research is showing that vitamin D plays a significant role in the prevention of osteoporosis. For women who are pregnant or considering having children, folic acid is an essential supplement. This B vitamin can prevent birth defects such as Spina Bifida in newborn babies. Lastly for pre-menopausal women there is overwhelming research showing that a large percentage of the population are iron deficient.

Men, too, have issues that can be fought through proper vitamin intake. Cardiovascular problems are thought to be reduced by taking vitamin E supplements. They are believed to play an important role in keeping the blood pressure and cholesterol levels low in most males aged forty and over. Keeping the arteries clean is an important factor in preventing heart attacks and vitamin E has been shown in research studies to accomplish this task.

Dieters have special supplementation needs of their own. Many young girls diet on a regular basis and consume far too few calories to accommodate their vitamin needs. While the wisdom of going on particular weight loss diets is a topic for another discussion, anyone on such a diet should look to vitamin supplements to avoid malnutrition and other maladies. Inadequate nutrition can cause a person to be vulnerable to various ailments and a weakened immune system.

Another great reason to consider vitamin supplementation is the potential cancer prevention some vitamins are believed to provide. Research has suggested that vitamin E and vitamin A prevent skin cancer. Many studies in recent years have found that other types of cancers may be similarly prevented by taking certain vitamins.

While there is never a fail proof plan when it comes to vitamin supplements, the evidence does suggest that risk may be reduced and conditions may be improved through supplementation. Due to all of the possible benefits, supplementation is definitely worth considering. Lastly, while I have not even scratched the surface of the benefits and the various nutrients that we need to optimize our body’s ability to rebuild and repair itself on a daily basis please take the time to ensure that you are getting these vital nutrients on a daily basis for a long healthy life.

References:

1) The American Society for Nutritional Sciences

2) PubMed Articles: Zinc Supplementation

3) American Heart Association: Antioxidants

4) American Heart Association: Homocysteine

Sushi is one of the healthiest foods in the world, popular for centuries in Japan, has become immensely popular in the Western world in recent years. You may soon find yourself invited to enjoy sushi with friends at a sushi bar or restaurant. Despite the common reaction of distaste at the prospect of eating raw fish, sushi is actually a simple and delicious food that can easily be enjoyed by even the extremely squeamish.

Some of the various types of Sushi that you may come across when visiting your local sushi bar are:

Nigiri-Sushi - fresh raw fish (sushi-grade) with sticky rice

Nori-Maki: prepared with sushi rice, crab meat, shrimp, salmon, tuna, avocado, asparagus, red bell pepper, carrots, and wasabi

As you can see from the descriptions above sushi is made ingredients all low in calories, high in high-quality proteins and other vital nutrients. Sushi is a very healthy meal made mostly with rice, fish and vegetables. As a note however, sushi should always be made with fresh ingredients, not only for the safety of the eater but for the flavors. The delicate flavors of rice, vegetables and fish are enhanced with healthy soya sauce, ginger and wasabi

As for the health benefits of eating sushi, some of the things you may want to know follows:

The thin, toasted seaweed sheets, called Nori, used in rolled (maki) sushi are high in Vitamin A, B-complex, Niacin, Vitamin C and also good for digestion.

The rice used in making sushi is low in fat and sodium free while also being a complex carbohydrate which is needed as fuel for your body.

The various fish or meats used in sushi are excellent sources of protein and minerals.
Whether you’re eating vegetarian sushi or it is mixed with fish, the fresh, uncooked vegetables provide the vitamins and other nutrients you look for in a healthy diet.

Taurine vs. Cholesterol
Taurine is an amino acid, named because it was discovered in the bile of the ox, found much in fish, octopus, cuttlefish and shellfish, and effective for lowering the cholesterol level in blood and preventing arterial sclerosis.

Some mollusks and shellfishes contain fairly high cholesterol, though they also have higher amount of valueable taurine, so that the content ratios (T/C = Taurine/Cholesterol) of those is a great concern.

White-meat fish (shiro-mi-zakana) have only a small amount of taurine generally, 60 mg/100 g with a ratio of 1.7 for sablefish (blackcod or ‘gin-dara’) except sea bream or yellowtail, on the other hand, blue-meat fish (ao-mi-zakana) have the ratio of 3.5 - 4.0 in average like mackerel and horse mackerel.

All shellfish have an extreamlly high content of taurine, 550 mg for clams and 670 mg for eyes of scallop, except for freshwater clams. Squid has a high content of both taurine and cholesterol, and sea urchin contains more cholesterol than taurine.

Beef has the ratios from 0.6 (loin) to 0.2 (liver), and pork is 0.8, these figures mean that cholesterol content is higher than taurine.

Even the condiments served with sushi have health benefits.

While soya sauce has come under attack for certain additives that pose a potential health risk, naturally fermented soya sauce does not have this danger. Soya, the main ingredient in soya sauce, has been linked to lower breast cancer and fewer menopausal symptoms in Asian cultures who use soy as a staple in their diets. Soya is a source of high quality protein, low in saturated fats and is cholesterol free. Soya sauce is high in salt although low sodium versions are also available for those who require it.

Ginger, called ‘gari’, is often served alongside sushi and helps with digestion while also fighting bacteria. This is especially of interest to those concerned with the bacteria found in uncooked meat.

Wasabi, Japanese horseradish, can also kill bacteria found in raw fish and is often provided alongside sushi servings as a garnish or is included as in nigiri sushi.

Looking for a fast-food meal that is healthy for you? Give sushi a try and you’re sure to enjoy the flavors and you are sure to benefit from the vast amount of nutrients provided in a low calorie meal.

While for a long time I did not understand the scientific foundation for why my sweet-tooth seemed to always win out I knew very well that was a battle that I would eventually always loose. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but my willpower could only hold out so long and then I would succumb to the temptations of sweets. In order to fully understand this we need to take a little trip through history.

Now the history I am talking about is more like ancient history, more specifically pre-historic history, because that is were this whole problem started. In all fairness for millions of years it wasn’t a problem because much like any animal in the wild we never knew when our next meal would be. If you have any doubt about that statement, just take an hour or so and watch one of those animal shows on your television. Often they talk about the fact that a pride of lions for example may not make a kill for a couple of weeks. The problem here is, if they don’t kill something many times they don’t eat. Imagine going for a week or two weeks before you had a chance to sit down for a good size meal.

What do you think you would do once you were able to sit down to that meal? More than likely it would be a long while before you would get up from the table. That is the way you are wired at the genetic level. Deep down in your DNA you are wired to eat as much as you can, when you can, simply because for millions of years you had no way of knowing for sure when you were going to get your next meal. That same genetic code is what drives you today, because your DNA does not know that you have a surplus of food waiting at every corner today.

Worse than that, our genetic wiring has us programmed to eat foods that are sweet and/or high in fat. Why - you ask? When you don’t know where your next meal is coming from it is very important that you take in the maximum amount of calories possible to sustain your bodily functions until such time that you get another meal. Not only are the calories important, but the type of calories. While the news media and all the hype about foods high in fat give fatty foods a bad name, the truth of the matter is that your body needs fats to function. These essential fats are very important for your brain functions, your nerves, and the list goes on. Again if you are going between long periods of time between meals, you are programmed to desire the tastes of foods high in fat. If you are starting to feel like the odds are stacked against you, you are correct, but the good news is that as you understand more about what is going on in your body you can eat foods that are good for you, but will turn off the alarms that drive you to eat the foods that are not so good for you.

I am sure that you all know that there are parts of the brain that process feelings of pleasure and thus when something triggers that portion of the brain we tend to remember that and what to repeat that feeling of pleasure. Most notably, sexual experiences set off these triggers in the brain and as such there is no problem with keeping the human species alive and well. Needless to say, food also plays an integral part in the pleasure centers of our brain, in conjunction with the parts of the brain that tells us when we are full. Without getting in to all of the details of the biochemical signals that play a role in that series of communications that tell us we are full, that brownie was really good, or hey you really want more of that ice cream, I will tell you that there are a series of chemicals (Ghrelin, Leptin, Cholecystokinin, PYY) that control all of these essential communications. While I’ve covered this in-depth in another article I will mention that it is well documented that some of these chemicals measure lower than they should in over weight people leading researchers to believe that this flaw in their chemical makeup is leading to their weight problems.

By now you are starting to understand why your willpower to stay away from that second helping, to avoid the fatty foods or to simply pass on dessert is under constant attack. Would you be surprised to know that the fast food industry, the manufactures of processed foods, and the food industry as a whole have known this information for a long time. As a matter of fact that understand everything that I have just mentioned and exactly how all these chemicals interact to bring the most pleasure to that all important section of our brain. As a matter of fact the food industry and those responsible for marketing these products study this at length, many times in the form of study groups or taste tests. Armed with this information they make sure that they can maximize the response all the way from your taste buds in your mouth right to the point of when you body is going to tell you that you have had enough and worse yet, all the way to the point when your body is going to start a craving for more of what you just finished.

With what seems to be all of the odds stacked against us there are still many things under our control. Additionally, you can take heart in the fact that you are not in this battle along. By many estimates close to 70% of the US population is overweight to some degree and yet with all of the information that is known about appetite, diet and our biological make-up we seem to have no solution to the problem. You may or may not be aware of the fact that when it comes to track records the group of drugs with the worse record of all are weight-loss drugs. The reason being is that people will loose weight for a given period of time and then our genetic programming kicks in and we are right back to where we started before. Unfortunately, we have become a society of instant gratification which is not a good way to approach any kind of weight-loss program. In short we don’t gain weight over night and as such we should not expect to be able to get the weight off over night. Combine all of the weight-loss drugs on the market and the 50 million or so diets programs that are available to you on the market today and in short you have a fantastic recipe for total confusion.

While there is nothing sexy or mysterious about the real answer there is one available to all of us. That answer is to eat a highly varied natural foods diet. That means eating lots of unprocessed foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, fish and when possible eat those fruits and vegetables in their raw uncooked state. Additionally, eating much smaller more frequent meals is one of the best things that I have ever done. If you think about it that makes a lot more sense in that you body has to deal with smaller quantities of food and as such you body is much better equipped to take full advantage of the calories and nutrients that you have taken in. Not to mention as a bonus I just feel like I get to eat more, but in reality I have eaten less total calories. For me I personally the best way of eating is more of a Mediterranean type of diet. When traveling through the Mediterranean regions all of the meals typically focused on lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains/whole grain breads, lots of seafood combined with some red meats and for the most part most of the foods that I ate where all organic foods. As you now know we are preprogrammed genetically to really like the fatty and sweet foods, but by sticking with a highly varied natural foods diet our genetics will not rule our waistlines.

References:

1) Wikipedia: Appetite -

2) Time Magazine: Science of Appetite

3) FAQs.org (Appetite)

4) Stephen Cherniske, M.S., The Metabolic Plan, pg 79-86, The Random House Publishing Company, 2003, ISBN: 0-345-44102-8

5) Wikipedia: Blood Sugar

6) Wikipedia: Glucose

7) Paul Zane Pilzer, The New Wellness Revolution, pg 62 – 76, John Wiley & Sons, 2007 ISBN: 9780470106181

Wikipedia: Cholecystokinin (CCK)

9) Wikipedia: Ghrelin

How often have you been in the presence of some child that is running around the room like the energizer bunny rabbit and someone has commented that they would love to have that kind of energy again? One of my favorites is, how can we bottle some of that energy? I heard that one often when growing up.

While I would love to talk about all of the gory details about where energy starts, how it is created and why we seem to have less and less of this precious commodity as we get older, I’ll spare the details. However, with that said I can tell you emphatically that energy does NOT come from caffeine and it certainly does NOT come from refined carbohydrates and/or refined sugars. Why do I bring this up? Well how often do you or someone you know pick up an Energy drink or stop at their favorite coffee shop to get a boost during the day? Caffeine has become the number one drug of choice in the US and my guess is (based on my travels) that is the case pretty much world wide. Unfortunately caffeine is little more than a chemically induced stress which our bodies misinterpret as energy.

The serious part of this equation is that stress is the number one killer in the US. Now for those of you that are looking at a list of the top diseases, or causes of death you are not going to see stress listed there. Why? Basically it boils down to the fact that stress is a silent killer. Stress is Mother Nature’s way of weeding us out without having to rely on a catastrophic event to wipe out a large number of people. The reason behind this very effective tool that Mother Nature has is that stress simply provides the environment in which our bodies are not at their peak thereby allowing a multitude of diseases to take root, setting us up for a Heart-attack, a stroke, and this list goes on. In short stress drains our immune system (and a multitude of other bodily functions) to the point where we can no longer fight off things that should be of little to no consequence.

To make matters worse Energy Drinks are one of the hottest items on the market today. Now you can rest assured that those with the added vitamins and nutrients are much better for you – NOT! What little nutritional value they have is so far out weighed by the caffeine, the sugars, etc, etc that their nutritional value is non-existent. What’s more is that they give you a false sense of energy for a short period of time until you coming crashing back to earth. What do most people do once they hit this low? Reach for another energy drink and I really use that term loosely and only because that is the popular term that they are marketed under. If you hear nothing else, hear this: ENERGY DRINKS DO NOT GIVE YOU ENERGY. Primarily due to the fact that your energy level is not low because of a caffeine deficiency.

In short energy drinks are little more than a typical soda that you have been drinking your whole life. What do energy drinks provide you with:
- Large amounts of caffeine
- Large quantities of sugar
- Other herbal stimulants such as guarana and ginseng
- A roller coaster ride that severely stresses your adrenals,

The possible health risks involved with the consumption of energy drinks is very lengthy. The stimulating properties of these drinks typically boost the heart rate, increase blood pressure, add to the dehydration of the body, and, like other stimulants, prevent sleep. Unfortunately, there has been little testing with regards to some of the biggest concerns. In short it is not nearly enough is known about the effects caused by the combination of ingredients in energy drinks. To further complicate matters there are many of these drinks that are used in combination with alcohol as mixers.

Natural Energy
As you may or may not know, energy is created via a very complex process known as the Kreb Cycle and as we age our Kreb cycle begins to be less efficient at that energy creation process. The good news is that recent scientific research has discovered the rate limiting factors that prevent us from creating energy the way that we did when we were kids.

If you really would like to have the unlimited supply of energy that we all had at one time it is now possible. Maybe not to the point of being 5 years old again, but what about simply not feeling like you need to take a nap in the afternoon. What if you could get to the end of the day and still have energy to spend on your favorite hobby, take a walk with the love of you life, or …….. you fill in the blank?

You in fact have millions of energy factories throughout your body and they are a section within the cells of your body known as the mitochondria. What has been discovered is that over time the by products of the energy creation that we so desperately need to get through the day actually begins to damage the mitochondria and as such the energy creation process becomes less efficient. One of the biggest causes of this slow down in the creation of energy is caused by free radicals that are those by-products that I just mentioned. Research has shown that by increasing the amount of acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid available to your cells our energy production can be rejuvenated.

Now please take note that I have very much simplified the discussion of what needs to take place here in order to get the full benefits of these two supplements, but what I really wanted to point out is that you do NOT have to rely on huge doses of sugar and caffeine to fool you body in to thinking it has energy. Further more to get the maximum benefits available to you in a well planned anti-aging regimen you want a product that is going to provide the nutrients that are needed and any additional components required for you body to fully utilize what you are putting into it. Personally, for me the best thing on the market is AgelessXtra.
References:

1) Wikipedia (Kreb Cycle)

2) Wikipedia (Energy Drinks)

3) Alternative Medicine

4) Brown University: Health Education

5) Stephen Cherniske, M.S., The Metabolic Plan, The Random House Publishing Company, 2003, ISBN: 0-345-44102-8

While I have titled this Chapter 1: Foundations it is really a combination of the Introduction to the Metabolic Plan and Chapter 1.

From the start Stephen Cherniske does a great job of simply putting things (life & aging) into perspective. As we all know, when we were in our twenties we are all immortal. Well more like we don’t think about our immortality. This all changes when we reach forty and then when fifty rolls around we really come face to face with the fact that life is half over – the fun half. Unless you’ve been living in a cave by yourself, you realize that that the second half of life for many is filled with progressive degeneration, pain and limited mobility and finally death.

In spite of the fact that anti-aging is a relatively new science Stephen Cherniske  has spent a life time studying aging and the aging process in multiple arenas:
- Traveling to six countries
- Teaching clinical nutrition at UCLA
- Directing the first FDA licensed clinical lab
- Advisor to the US Olympic Track and Field team
- Serving on the faculty of the American College of Sports Medicine
All this time spent studying aging, because as it turns out aging is very closely related to human performance.

Through “The Metabolic Plan” Stephen wants us to learn/understand that the chronology of aging is very different from the biology of aging. If we improve the biology of our aging process, suddenly the number of years past is not nearly as important as one once believed. Some of you may be thinking that genetically you didn’t really get the genes that you would have picked out for yourself. The good news is that genes only account for about 35% of the aging process, which means that you have control over 65% of your aging. The real question that Stephen Cherniske wants each of us to take a hard look at is: What are you going to do with your 65%? One of the things that I am very impressed with is that Stephen himself being a very busy individual is very focused on minimal effort for maximum results. However, there are some key points to that statement:
- It takes some effort on your part
- Secondly, he is talking about a lifestyle change – This isn’t for a day, a week, or even a year. Anti-aging is about life long changes.

Foundations
Did you realize that our energy, vitality, sex drive all reach a peak at about 20? From there aging really begins. How about the fact that our prime of life lasts for only about 15 years from 15 to 30? Would you be interested to know that Stephen Cherniske and his team have found that we can have a prime of life that lasts into our 60s? The Metabolic Plan is about more than learning about nutrition, healthy eating, and exercise. The Metabolic Plan is more about getting you to understand a paradigm shift.

Old: Aging = degeneration
New: Aging is a dynamic process that we control

Old: Your body wears out.
New: Your body has Miraculous powers of regeneration.

Old: Life expectancy of 76.7
New: Life potential of 120+

So the next question you need to answer is: What are you going to do with the extra years? Keep in mind that your body replaces 300 billion cells daily and better cells mean improved chemical makeup, improved strength, immunity, mood, sex drive, memory – you fill in the remainder.

I’m sure that it is not a news flash to you, that Stephen notes that for many physical fitness has been forgotten. Much of this is to blame on the many advances we’ve made over time. However, with all of our advances our bodies have not changed at the cellular/DNA level for millions of years. Therefore we are still programmed if you will to stay physically active. You ever hear the statement: Use it or loose it. I think that applies here.

Additionally, we have six major glands responsible for the vast number of hormones (chemical messengers) required to keep our bodies functionally properly. Of all these hormones these there are some 3000+ studies showing that DHEA is a critical key to our anti-aging quest. Restoring DHEA to optimal levels should be at the top of your list.

In closing you need to know that The Metabolic Plan is a comprehensive and proven system for rewinding your biological clock. Unlike much of the confusion that has been created around metabolism by the multitude of stimulant, weight-loss products that are highly catabolic (damaging to our bodies) The Metabolic Plan is focused on Anti-aging. To get our understanding of anti-aging in perspective we need to understand what it is and what it is not. Eating well, exercising, minimal drinking, not smoking, etc, etc are NOT anti-aging. These are all prudent things to do in an attempt to live a healthy lifestyle. Anti-aging is about reducing the amount of catabolic damage that takes place in our bodies on a daily basis and shifting our bodies into a more youthful, anabolic (rebuilding/repairing) state.