Dealing with Modern Stress & Illness through Life-Systems Engineering Science
May/June 2009
Unprecedented Stresses
The collapse of Lehman Brothers and Wall Street. Unprecedented housing foreclosures. The Bernie Madoff scandal. An average loss of over 30% of all worldwide investments. Layoffs on a scale never before experienced. Chrysler filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. GM on the verge of bankruptcy. Food prices rising dramatically. Salaries frozen, bonuses cancelled. Cancer rates rising in spite of billions of dollars pumped into the "war against cancer". Heart disease and diabetes numbers skyrocketing. Workers being forced to take on more responsibility with less support, and less pay. The recent "swine flu" pandemic scare striking fear into our minds.
Governments around the world call this an "unprecedented economic situation never experienced in the past 100 years." Add to this the fact that the US government has just released details showing that the Social Security and Medicare, the government's largest public programs are heading toward insolvency unless dramatic changes are made, and we have a recipe for unprecedented stressful situations that will surely lead to an increase in illness, and a decrease in the ability to take care of our own health by normal means!
Just as our parents' generation was likely the last generation to be able to retire completely on pension funds without any intervention on their own and now retirement is up to us to take care of our selves, the complete belief that our government will take care of our health and well-being is no longer a realistic assumption to make. We NEED to look after ourselves!
One of the best ways to accomplish this is by managing our stress levels. It is well documented that with a deterioration of health comes increased stress for a myriad of reasons, which can lead to further physical, emotional and mental deterioration.
Not that "Comforting"
When our stress levels are high we tend to slip back into the old, comfortable habits such as relying upon comfort foods to get us through "rough spots". Thanks to the world governments misleading us concerning diet and what is and is not healthful, we have ingrained in our minds that carbohydrates are "good" for us and "fat" is bad. Even though this is slowly changing, it is not getting out to the masses quickly enough.
If you look around, you will see that the majority of "comfort foods" are cheap, easily affordable carbohydrates. In fact, the proteins that are required by the human body for proper growth and good health are more expensive than most carbohydrates. With food prices on the rise and salaries frozen it becomes even more difficult to buy the good nutrition even when we know what it is! Add to that the majority of supermarket meats are laced with growth hormones and antibiotics that certainly do not do us any benefit we are even further at risk for ill health. Who can afford to only purchase meats at organic food stores when they are 30-40% more expensive than the big supermarkets? Many of the food additives that go into our diet are known carcinogens. How do we avoid these? Are our foods containing the proper amounts of minerals we need on a daily basis when land is over farmed to produce ever-increasing quantities? This is another issue that should concern us for minerals and vitamins are the building blocks for the hormones and enzymes that keep the human biochemistry operating smoothly.
This vicious downward-spiral lifestyle which most North Americans are stuck in is extremely difficult to get out of unless we understand some simple, but not well-publicized facts about how the body processes foods and what benefits and detriments they have to the body. Here is one you may not have known about carbohydrates: Carbohydrates Lower Immune Systems was Known as early as 1977.1
The "Carbohydrates are good for your health" Myth
That's right! Carbohydrates suppress the activity of your immune system. Analyzing blood drawn from subjects, white cell activity was measured before and after various doses of carbohydrates (sugar): 6, 12, 18, and 24 teaspoons worth. The average American consumes at least 70-100 teaspoons of sugar equivalents (carbohydrates) a day, often consuming over 20 teaspoons of sugar at a single meal. DECREASED white blood cell activity was directly correlated with carbohydrate consumption. The group consuming the 24 teaspoons had virtually complete immobilization of white blood cells within an hour after eating. The immunosuppression occurred for up to two hours with adverse effects of blood cell activity continued for up to five hours.
Carbohydrates cause our bodies many other stresses that all affect our overall well-being: increased fat storage (leading to obesity and all the illnesses related to that)2; an increase in insulin excretion (which causes the adrenal glands to overproduce testosterones which can wreak havoc with women's natural hormone cycle)3; blood clotting (leading to blocked arteries and heart disease)4; decrease in growth hormone (bad!)5; an instability in mood (the opposite of our belief that sugars give us a "feel good" stability)6 and more!
What does this mean in real life terms? It means that following the popular nutritional advice to eat 5-6 times a day with a carbohydrate-based diet can cause IMMENSE DESTRUCTION to your immune system and if you cannot afford to treat your family illnesses, do you really want to take those chances?!?
If you want to decrease your chances of becoming stressed and ill, decreasing your carbohydrate content is an excellent way to do this.
The "Exercise keeps you healthy" Myth
So, what about exercise and good health? Isn't that supposed to boost our immune system? Well, yes and no. Our government keeps raising the "daily exercise requirement". First of all, when we have to work longer more stressful hours than ever before, who has time to exercise every day for 30 - 60 minutes a day? That's unrealistic in a society in which even children have daily planners and have to schedule play times with their friends and classmates.
The hazards of overtraining guide was published in the medical reference book, Biochemistry of Exercise & Training, Ron Maughan, et al., Oxford University press, New York, 1997. On page 203 they state:
"Athletes engaged in heavy training programmes particularly those involved in endurance events appear to be more susceptible to infection. For example, sore throats and flu-like symptoms are more common in athletes than in the general population, and once infected, colds may last longer in athletes. There is some convincing evidence that this increased susceptibility to infection arises from a depression of the immune system function."
Relying upon exercise to keep us healthy and free of cancer and heart disease is a dangerous gambit to play: the real life results show us that just as many athletes die of cancers and heart disease as non-athletes, effectively killing the theory (guess) that exercise is good for the heart.
Vital Nutrition Facts
Here is what you really need to understand about "vital nutrition", because this is where you will be able to make major headway in maintaining good health and reducing stress in your life:
Due to over-farming and food processing, today's foods are lacking in essential nutrients. Without these vital nutrients, our bodies don't get what they need -- our bodies become "short-circuited." So what is missing?
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
The most important missing nutrients are the Essential Fatty Acids -- "parent" omega 6 and "parent" omega 3. These "parent" EFAs are vital because every cell in your body needs them to function properly. EFAs play a direct roll in many of your body's biochemical processes -- including incorporation into each of your 100 trillion cell's membranes!
EFA "derivatives" are made from the parents in small quantities as needed. That is why fish oil is so harmful. The proper balance of these "parent" EFA oils is extremely important to your body's delicate balance. There is not much real understanding of this in the world of nutrition or medicine. The fact is an improper balance can lead to illness, rather than improve your health.
Truly-Chelated Minerals
Another vital set of nutrients missing in many of today's foods are Minerals. Due to high costs, farmers can't afford to use organic fertilizers as Nature intended. Because of over farming there is insufficient quantities of essential minerals in our foods. Be wary of so-called "fortified" foods that contain added minerals. The minerals may be "in there" but there are no guidelines requiring food manufacturers to use a bio available (usable) form. The proper form that a mineral needs to be in is one that the body recognizes, and is termed "truly-chelated."
This term means that a protein is bonded to the mineral - they become one - the way minerals are in protein foods like meat, chicken, and fish. The cell "welcomes" the protein, and along with it, the mineral. Scientifically, you need to know that the popular colloidal minerals are too big to enter the cell. Just because it is "suspended" in liquid (the definition of a colloid), doesn't mean it can be utilized at the cellular level.
Protein
Another vital nutrient that we're told to keep to a minimum is first-class animal-based protein. We're (mis)led into believing that a serving of tofu is better for us than a steak. This is COMPLETELY and scientifically WRONG! No matter what you have been told, soy is food for a farm animal, like a pig. There is so little (50% at best) bio-available protein in tofu that you'd have to eat four-times the normal amount of tofu to get the equivalent of an average size steak. The human digestive system is far more similar to that of a wolf (carnivore) than a sheep (herbivore). We need to recognize this fact and respond accordingly. Visit the following site for a comparison of carnivores vs. herbivores: www.scienceofhealthindex.com/images/herbivorecarnivorechart.jpg
Natural Fats
Natural dietary fats like the fat on meats, cheese, butter and cream are wrongly labeled "bad" by most "professionals" in the medical and nutritional fields. Fortunately, the understanding of these natural fats is slowly changing for the better. For the past 50 years or so, all dietary fats were lumped in together and given the "bad for you" label. Now finally the term "good fats" is beginning to circulate on the news and with nutritionists and doctors who understand science. There is still a real misunderstanding of saturated fats, but at least it's becoming common knowledge that trans-fats are the real deadly fats and should be avoided as much as possible. Bottom line, natural dietary fats are nutrients that your body needs. I've published the truth over 8 years ago, but the deception continues. You need to know this.
Gentle Herbal Detoxifier
We've paid a large price for our modern conveniences -- especially in food! Contamination from toxins (preservatives, pesticides, and hormones) that our bodies aren't equipped to handle is killing us. Pesticide toxins in our soil, pollution in our air, and adulterated oils and additives in food processing, are all nearly impossible to avoid, even if you use organic foods. These toxins are harmful and may cause low energy or lead to other health problems.
There exists a time-tested blend used for close to 100 years by the Iroquois & Ojibwa Indians. This formula is unrivaled for gentleness and effectiveness. It can be used to help combat the negative effects of food additives. It works from the cellular level to help optimize your biological systems in minimizing the damaging effects of toxins.
Vitamins
Vitamins aren't missing from our foods the way minerals and EFAs are. Another important fact is that vitamins are still available in foods AND protein and natural fats contain plenty of them. Bottom line is that when eating properly by making protein the foundation of your diet, rather than vegetables and grains, you get all the vitamins you need. It is not necessary to take a vitamin supplement, especially when following a low-carb lifestyle. Remember also that there is no guarantee how bio-available (usable by your body) most vitamins are. A lot of vitamin pills simply pass right through you, giving you no benefit at all. If you are eating a sufficient amount of animal-based protein, you are getting plenty of vitamins and don't need to take vitamin supplements. Also, animal-based protein provides you with all the iron you need, so taking additional iron is not necessary when eating properly.
Key Points to Excellent Health & Reduced Stress Levels
Doesn't it make good sense to take your health into your own hands, and do whatever you can do to keep your body operating in peak performance? By decreasing your carbohydrate intake, increasing your meats and natural fats you can go a long way to improve your health.
However, that may not be enough. Seriously consider supplementing your diet with the proper ratio of parent essential oils (PEOs), minerals that are truly-chelated and will be taken up into the cells and used as they should, and a natural detoxifier that will help to reduce, or negate the majority of chemicals, toxins, hormones that we can no longer avoid in our diet.
References
1. "Saying No to Vaccines", Sherri Tenpenny, D.O., NMA Media Press, Cleveland, Ohio, page 171, 2008. Ref.: "Depression of lymphocyte transformation following oral glucose ingestion," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1977;30:613.
2. Textbook of Medical Physiology, pgs. 869, 871, 936; Basic Medical Biochemistry--A Clinical Approach, pgs. 24, 394.
3. Beyond Pritikin, page 7.
4. Journal of American Medical Association; 2000; 283:221-228. Mail Inquiries: Unified Service Center, American Medical Association, PO Box 10946, Chicago, IL 60610-0946.
5. Basic Medical Biochemistry: A Clinical Approach, pg. 702. Dawn B. Marks, Allan D. Marks, Colleen M. Smith, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, August, 1996, ISBN: 068305595X.
6. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, Oct. 21, 1997; (10):860-864, International Association for the Study of Obesity/Stockton Press, ISSN: 0307-0565, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
This Month's Low-Carb Recipe: Petite Beef Skewers, Marinated
INGREDIENTS
1 pound beef top round steak
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
18 cherry tomatoes
Several leaves dark Romaine Lettuce of Tops leaves of Bok Choy stalks
18, 6 inch water-soaked wooden skewers
PREPARATION
1. Cut beef into 1/8-inch crosswise strips and place in large plastic storage bag.
2. Combine beef strips with soy sauce, sherry, oil and garlic, seal bag, turning to coat the beef strips well. Marinate in refrigerator for at least half an hour and up to 2 hours before cooking.
3. Soak the 18 skewers in water for about 20 minutes.
4. Drain the steak and discard the marinade. Put beef on skewers accordion style and place on rack or on boiler pan.
5. Place beef on broil about 4 to 5 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes then turn skewers over and broil for another 2 minutes or until there is barely any pink showing.
6. Garnish each skewer with a tomato and place them on the bed of Romaine lettuce or Bok Choy leaves.
7. Serves 4 - 6
Enjoy!
Pinnacle Press, PO Box 56507, Houston, TX 77256, USA
If you have any questions of comments about this month's newsletter please e-mail the professor at: prof-nutrition@sbcglobal.net
