For the sake of convenience: Commercial sources of prebiotic fibers

Our efforts to obtain prebiotic fibers/resistant starches, as discussed in the Cureality Digestive Health Track, to cultivate healthy bowel flora means recreating the eating behavior of primitive humans who dug in the dirt with sticks and bone fragments for underground roots and tubers, behaviors you can still observe in extant hunter-gatherer groups, such as the Hadza and Yanomamo. But, because this practice is inconvenient for us modern folk accustomed to sleek grocery stores, because many of us live in climates where the ground is frozen much of the year, and because we lack the wisdom passed from generation to generation that helps identify which roots and tubers are safe to eat and which are not, we rely on modern equivalents of primitive sources. Thus, green, unripe bananas, raw potatoes and other such fiber sources in the Cureality lifestyle.

There is therefore no need to purchase prebiotic fibers outside of your daily effort at including an unripe green banana, say, or inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), or small servings of legumes as a means of cultivating healthy bowel flora. These are powerful strategies that change the number and species of bowel flora over time, thereby leading to beneficial health effects that include reduced blood sugar and blood pressure, reduction in triglycerides, reduced anxiety and improved sleep, and reduced colon cancer risk.

HOWEVER, convenience can be a struggle. Traveling by plane, for example, makes lugging around green bananas or raw potatoes inconvenient. Inulin and FOS already come as powders or capsules and they are among the options for a convenient, portable prebiotic fiber strategy. But there are others that can be purchased. This is a more costly way to get your prebiotic fibers and you do not need to purchase these products in order to succeed in your bowel flora management program. These products are therefore listed strictly as a strategy for convenience.

Most perspectives on the quality of human bowel flora composition suggest that diversity is an important feature, i.e., the greater the number of species, the better the health of the host. There may therefore be advantage in varying your prebiotic routine, e.g., green banana on Monday, inulin on Tuesday, PGX (below) on Wednesday, etc. Beyond providing convenience, these products may introduce an added level of diversity, as well.

Among the preparations available to us that can be used as prebiotic fibers:

PGX

While it is billed as a weight management and blood sugar-reducing product, the naturally occurring fiber--α-D-glucurono-α-D-manno-β-D-manno- β-D-gluco, α-L-gulurono-β-D mannurono, β-D-gluco-β- D-mannan--in PGX also exerts prebiotic effects (evidenced by increased fecal butyrate, the beneficial end-product of bacterial metabolism). PGX is available as capsules or granules. It also seems to exert prebiotic effects at lower doses than other prebiotic fibers. While I usually advise reaching 20 grams per day of fiber, PGX appears to exert substantial effects at a daily dose of half that quantity. As with all prebiotic fibers, it is best to build up slowly over weeks, e.g., start at 1.5 grams twice per day. It is also best taken in two or three divided doses. (Avoid the PGX bars, as they are too carb-rich for those of us trying to achieve ideal metaobolic health.)

Prebiotin

A combination of inulin and FOS available as powders and in portable Stick Pacs (2 gram and 4 gram packs). This preparation is quite costly, however, given the generally low cost of purchasing chicory inulin and FOS separately.

Acacia

Acacia fiber is another form of prebiotic fiber.  RenewLife and NOW are two reputable brands.

Isomalto-oligosaccharides

This fiber is used in Quest bars and in Paleo Protein Bars. With Quest bars, choose the flavors without sucralose, since it has been associated with undesirable changes in bowel flora.

There you go. It means that there are fewer and fewer reasons to not purposefully cultivate healthy bowel flora and obtain all the wonderful health benefits of doing so, from reduced blood pressure, to reduced triglycerides, to deeper sleep.

Disclaimer: I am not compensated in any way by discussing these products.

How Not To Have An Autoimmune Condition


Autoimmune conditions are becoming increasingly common. Estimates vary, but it appears that at least 8-9% of the population in North America and Western Europe have one of these conditions, with The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association estimating that it’s even higher at 14% of the population.

The 200 or so autoimmune diseases that afflict modern people are conditions that involve an abnormal immune response directed against one or more organs of the body. If the misguided attack is against the thyroid gland, it can result in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. If it is directed against pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin, it can result in type 1 diabetes or latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). If it involves tissue encasing joints (synovium) like the fingers or wrists, it can result in rheumatoid arthritis. It if involves the liver, it can result in autoimmune hepatitis, and so on. Nearly every organ of the body can be the target of such a misguided immune response.

While it requires a genetic predisposition towards autoimmunity that we have no control over (e.g., the HLA-B27 gene for ankylosing spondylitis), there are numerous environmental triggers of these diseases that we can do something about. Identifying and correcting these factors stacks the odds in your favor of reducing autoimmune inflammation, swelling, pain, organ dysfunction, and can even reverse an autoimmune condition altogether.

Among the most important factors to correct in order to minimize or reverse autoimmunity are:


Wheat and grain elimination

If you are reading this, you likely already know that the gliadin protein of wheat and related proteins in other grains (especially the secalin of rye, the hordein of barley, zein of corn, perhaps the avenin of oats) initiate the intestinal “leakiness” that begins the autoimmune process, an effect that occurs in over 90% of people who consume wheat and grains. The flood of foreign peptides/proteins, bacterial lipopolysaccharide, and grain proteins themselves cause immune responses to be launched against these foreign factors. If, for instance, an autoimmune response is triggered against wheat gliadin, the same antibodies can be aimed at the synapsin protein of the central nervous system/brain, resulting in dementia or cerebellar ataxia (destruction of the cerebellum resulting in incoordination and loss of bladder and bowel control). Wheat and grain elimination is by far the most important item on this list to reverse autoimmunity.

Correct vitamin D deficiency

It is clear that, across a spectrum of autoimmune diseases, vitamin D deficiency serves a permissive, not necessarily causative, role in allowing an autoimmune process to proceed. It is clear, for instance, that autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes in children, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are more common in those with low vitamin D status, much less common in those with higher vitamin D levels. For this and other reasons, I aim to achieve a blood level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D level of 60-70 ng/ml, a level that usually requires around 4000-8000 units per day of D3 (cholecalciferol) in gelcap or liquid form (never tablet due to poor or erratic absorption). In view of the serious nature of autoimmune diseases, it is well worth tracking occasional blood levels.

Supplement omega-3 fatty acids

While omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, from fish oil have proven only modestly helpful by themselves, when cast onto the background of wheat/grain elimination and vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids compound anti-inflammatory benefits, such as those exerted via cyclooxygenase-2. This requires a daily EPA + DHA dose of around 3600 mg per day, divided in two. Don’t confuse EPA and DHA omega-3s with linolenic acid, another form of omega-3 obtained from meats, flaxseed, chia, and walnuts that does not not yield the same benefits. Nor can you use krill oil with its relatively trivial content of omega-3s.

Eliminate dairy

This is true in North America and most of Western Europe, less true in New Zealand and Australia. Autoimmunity can be triggered by the casein beta A1 form of casein widely expressed in dairy products, but not by casein beta A2 and other forms. Because it is so prevalent in North America and Western Europe, the most confident way to avoid this immunogenic form of casein is to avoid dairy altogether. You might be able to consume cheese, given the fermentation process that alters proteins and sugar, but that has not been fully explored.

Cultivate healthy bowel flora

People with autoimmune conditions have massively screwed up bowel flora with reduced species diversity and dominance of unhealthy species. We restore a healthier anti-inflammatory panel of bacterial species by “seeding” the colon with high-potency probiotics, then nourishing them with prebiotic fibers/resistant starches, a collection of strategies summarized in the Cureality Digestive Health discussions. People sometimes view bowel flora management as optional, just “fluff”–it is anything but. Properly managing bowel flora can be a make-it-or-break-it advantage; don’t neglect it.

There you go: a basic list to get started on if your interest is to begin a process of unraveling the processes of autoimmunity. In some conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica, full recovery is possible. In other conditions, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and the pancreatic beta cell destruction leading to type 1 diabetes, reversing the autoimmune inflammation does not restore organ function: hypothyroidism results after thyroiditis quiets down and type 1 diabetes and need for insulin persists after pancreatic beta cell damage. But note that the most powerful risk factor for an autoimmune disease is another autoimmune disease–this is why so many people have more than one autoimmune condition. People with Hashimoto’s, for instance, can develop rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis. So the above menu is still worth following even if you cannot hope for full organ recovery

Five Powerful Ways to Reduce Blood Sugar

Left to conventional advice on diet and you will, more than likely, succumb to type 2 diabetes sooner or later. Follow your doctor’s advice to cut fat and eat more “healthy whole grains” and oral diabetes medication and insulin are almost certainly in your future. Despite this, had this scenario played out, you would be accused of laziness and gluttony, a weak specimen of human being who just gave into excess.

If you turn elsewhere for advice, however, and ignore the awful advice from “official” sources with cozy relationships with Big Pharma, you can reduce blood sugars sufficient to never become diabetic or to reverse an established diagnosis, and you can create a powerful collection of strategies that handily trump the worthless advice being passed off by the USDA, American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, or the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Among the most powerful and effective strategies to reduce blood sugar:

1) Eat no wheat nor grains

Recall that amylopectin A, the complex carbohydrate of grains, is highly digestible, unlike most of the other components of the seeds of grasses AKA “grains,” subject to digestion by the enzyme, amylase, in saliva and stomach. This explains why, ounce for ounce, grains raise blood sugar higher than table sugar. Eat no grains = remove the exceptional glycemic potential of amylopectin A.

2) Add no sugars, avoid high-fructose corn syrup

This should be pretty obvious, but note that the majority of processed foods contain sweeteners such as sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup, tailored to please the increased desire for sweetness among grain-consuming people. While fructose does not raise blood sugar acutely, it does so in delayed fashion, along with triggering other metabolic distortions such as increased triglycerides and fatty liver.

3) Vitamin D

Because vitamin D restores the body’s normal responsiveness to insulin, getting vitamin D right helps reduce blood sugar naturally while providing a range of other health benefits.

4) Restore bowel flora

As cultivation of several Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species in bowel flora yields fatty acids that restore insulin responsiveness, this leads to reductions in blood sugar over time. Minus the bowel flora-disrupting effects of grains and sugars, a purposeful program of bowel flora restoration is required (discussed at length in the Cureality Digestive Health section.)

5) Exercise

Blood sugar is reduced during and immediately following exercise, with the effect continuing for many hours afterwards, even into the next day.

Note that, aside from exercise, none of these powerful strategies are advocated by the American Diabetes Association or any other “official” agency purporting to provide dietary advice. As is happening more and more often as the tide of health information rises and is accessible to all, the best advice on health does not come from such agencies nor from your doctor but from your efforts to better understand the truths in health. This is our core mission in Cureality. A nice side benefit: information from Cureality is not accompanied by advertisements from Merck, Pfizer, Kelloggs, Kraft, or Cadbury Schweppes.

Cureality App Review: Breathe Sync



Biofeedback is a wonderful, natural way to gain control over multiple physiological phenomena, a means of tapping into your body’s internal resources. You can, for instance, use biofeedback to reduce anxiety, heart rate, and blood pressure, and achieve a sense of well-being that does not involve drugs, side-effects, or even much cost.

Biofeedback simply means that you are tracking some observable physiologic phenomenon—heart rate, skin temperature, blood pressure—and trying to consciously access control over it. One very successful method is that of bringing the beat-to-beat variation in heart rate into synchrony with the respiratory cycle. In day-to-day life, the heart beat is usually completely out of sync with respiration. Bring it into synchrony and interesting things happen: you experience a feeling of peace and calm, while many healthy phenomena develop.

A company called HeartMath has applied this principle through their personal computer-driven device that plugs into the USB port of your computer and monitors your heart rate with a device clipped on your earlobe. You then regulate breathing and follow the instructions provided and feedback is obtained on whether you are achieving synchrony, or what they call “coherence.” As the user becomes more effective in achieving coherence over time, positive physiological and emotional effects develop. HeartMath has been shown, for instance, to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure, morning cortisol levels (a stress hormone), and helps people deal with chronic pain. Downside of the HeartMath process: a $249 price tag for the earlobe-USB device.

But this is the age of emerging smartphone apps, including those applied to health. Smartphone apps are perfect for health monitoring. They are especially changing how we engage in biofeedback. An app called Breathe Sync is available that tracks heart rate using the camera’s flash on the phone. By tracking heart rate and providing visual instruction on breathing pattern, the program generates a Wellness Quotient, WQ, similar to HeartMath’s coherence scoring system. Difference: Breathe Sync is portable and a heck of a lot less costly. I paid $9.99, more than I’ve paid for any other mainstream smartphone application, but a bargain compared to the HeartMath device cost.

One glitch is that you need to not be running any other programs in the background, such as your GPS, else you will have pauses in the Breathe Sync program, negating the value of your WQ. Beyond this, the app functions reliably and can help you achieve the health goals of biofeedback with so much less hassle and greater effectiveness than the older methods.

If you are looking for a biofeedback system that provides advantage in gaining control over metabolic health, while also providing a wonderful method of relaxation, Breathe Sync, I believe, is the go-to app right now.

Amber’s Top 35 Health and Fitness Tips

This year I joined the 35 club!  And in honor of being fabulous and 35, I want to share 35 health and fitness tips with you! 

1.  Foam rolling is for everyone and should be done daily. 
2.  Cold showers are the best way to wake up and burn more body fat. 
3.  Stop locking your knees.  This will lead to lower back pain. 
4.  Avoid eating gluten at all costs. 
5.  Breath deep so that you can feel the sides or your lower back expand. 
6.  Swing a kettlebell for a stronger and great looking backside. 
7.  Fat is where it’s at!  Enjoy butter, ghee, coconut oil, palm oil, duck fat and many other fabulous saturated fats. 
8.  Don’t let your grip strength fade with age.  Farmer carries, kettlebells and hanging from a bar will help with that. 
9.  Runners, keep your long runs slow and easy and keep your interval runs hard.  Don’t fall in the chronic cardio range. 
10.  Drink high quality spring or reverse osmosis water. 
11.  Use high quality sea salt season food and as a mineral supplement. 
12.  Work your squat so that your butt can get down to the ground.  Can you sit in this position? How long?
13.  Lift heavy weights!  We were made for manual work,.   Simulate heavy labor in the weight room. 
14.  Meditate daily.  If you don’t go within, you will go with out.  We need quiet restorative time to balance the stress in our life. 
15.  Stand up and move for 10 minutes for every hour your sit at your computer. 
16. Eat a variety of whole, real foods. 
17.  Sleep 7 to 9 hours every night. 
18.  Pull ups are my favorite exercise.  Get a home pull up bar to practice. 
19.  Get out and spend a few minutes in nature.  Appreciate the world around you while taking in fresh air and natural beauty. 
20.  We all need to pull more in our workouts.  Add more pulling movements horizontally and vertically. 
21. Surround yourself with health minded people. 
22. Keep your room dark for deep sound sleep.  A sleep mask is great for that! 
23. Use chemical free cosmetics.  Your skin is the largest organ of your body and all chemicals will absorb into your blood stream. 
24. Unilateral movements will help improve symmetrical strength. 
25. Become more playful.  We take life too seriously, becoming stress and overwhelmed.  How can you play, smile and laugh more often?
26.  Choose foods that have one ingredient.  Keep your diet simple and clean. 
27.  Keep your joints mobile as you age.  Do exercises that take joints through a full range of motion. 
28. Go to sleep no later than 10:30pm.  This allows your body and brain to repair through the night. 
29. Take care of your health and needs before others.  This allows you to be the best spouse, parent, coworker, and person on the planet. 
30.  Always start your daily with a high fat, high protein meal.  This will encourage less sugar cravings later in the day. 
31. Approach the day with positive thinking!  Stinkin’ thinkin’ only leads to more stress and frustration. 
32. You are never “too old” to do something.  Stay young at heart and keep fitness a priority as the years go by. 
33. Dream big and go for it. 
34.  Lift weights 2 to 4 times every week.  Strong is the new sexy. 
35.  Love.  Love yourself unconditionally.  Love your life and live it to the fullest.  Love others compassionately. 

Amber B.
Cureality Exercise and Fitness Coach

To Change, You Need to Get Uncomfortable

Sitting on the couch is comfortable.  Going through the drive thru to pick up dinner is comfortable.  But when you notice that you’re out-of-shape, tired, sick and your clothes no longer fit, you realize that what makes you comfortable is not in align with what would make you happy.   

You want to see something different when you look in the mirror.  You want to fit into a certain size of jeans or just experience your day with more energy and excitement.  The current condition of your life causes you pain, be it physical, mental or emotional.  To escape the pain you are feeling, you know that you need to make changes to your habits that keep you stuck in your current state.  But why is it so hard to make the changes you know that will help you achieve what you want?  

I want to lose weight but….

I want a six pack but…

I want more energy but….

The statement that follows the “but” is often a situation or habit you are comfortable with.  You want to lose weight but don’t have time to cook healthy meals.  So it’s much more comfortable to go through the drive thru instead of trying some new recipes.   New habits often require a learning curve and a bit of extra time in the beginning.  It also takes courage and energy to establish new routines or seek out help.  

Setting out to achieve your goals requires change.  Making changes to establish new habits that support your goals and dreams can be uncomfortable.  Life, as you know it, will be different.  Knowing that fact can be scary, but so can staying in your current condition.  So I’m asking you to take a risk and get uncomfortable so that you can achieve your goals.  

Realize that it takes 21 days to develop a new habit.  I believe it takes triple that amount of time to really make a new habit stick for the long haul.  So for 21 days, you’ll experience some discomfort while you make changes to your old routine and habits.  Depending on what you are changing, discomfort could mean feeling tired, moody, or even withdrawal symptoms.  However, the longer you stick to your new habits the less uncomfortable you start to feel.  The first week is always the worst, but then it gets easier.

Making it through the uncomfortable times requires staying focused on your goals and not caving to your immediate feelings or desires.  I encourage clients to focus on why their goals important to them.  This reason or burning desire to change will help when old habits, cravings, or situations call you back to your old ways.
Use a tracking and a reward system to stay on track.  Grab a calendar, journal or index card to check off or note your daily successes.  Shoot for consistency and not perfection when trying to make changes.  I encourage my clients to use the 90/10 principle of change and apply that to their goal tracking system.  New clothes, a massage, or a day me-retreat are just a few examples of rewards you can use to sticking to your tracking system.  Pick something that really gets you excited.  

Getting support system in place can help you feel more comfortable with being uncomfortable.  Hiring a coach, joining an online support group, or recruiting family and friends can be very helpful when making big changes.  With a support system in place you are not alone in your discomfort.  You’re network is there for you to reach out for help, knowledge, accountability or camaraderie when you feel frustrated and isolated.  

I’ve helped hundreds of people change their bodies, health and lives of the eleven years I’ve worked as a trainer and coach.  I know it’s hard, but I also know that if they can do it, so can you.  You just need to step outside of your comfort zone and take a risk. Don’t let fear create uncomfortable feelings that keep you stuck in your old ways.  Take that first step and enjoy the journey of reaching your goals and dreams.  

Amber Budahn, B.S., CSCS, ACE PT, USATF 1, CHEK HLC 1, REIKI 1
Cureality Exercise Specialist

The 3 Best Grain Free Food Swaps to Boost Fat Burning

You can join others enjoying substantial improvements in their health, energy and pant size by making a few key, delicious substitutions to your eating habits.  This is possible with the Cureality nutrition approach, which rejects the idea that grains should form the cornerstone of the human diet.  

Grain products, which are seeds of grasses, are incompatible with human digestion.  Contrary to what we have been told for years, eating healthy whole grain is not the answer to whittle away our waists.  Consumption of all grain-based carbohydrates results in increased production of the fat storage hormone insulin.  Increased insulin levels create the perfect recipe for weight gain. By swapping out high carbohydrate grain foods that cause spikes in insulin with much lower carbohydrate foods, insulin release is subdued and allows the body to release fat.

1. Swap wheat-based flour with almond flour/meal

  • One of the most dubious grain offenders is modern wheat. Replace wheat flour with naturally wheat-free, lower carbohydrate almond flour.  
  • Almond flour contains a mere 12 net carbs per cup (carbohydrate minus the fiber) with 50% more filling protein than all-purpose flour.
  • Almond flour and almond meal also offer vitamin E, an important antioxidant to support immune function.

2. Swap potatoes and rice for cauliflower

  • Replace high carb potatoes and pasta with vitamin C packed cauliflower, which has an inconsequential 3 carbs per cup.  
  • Try this food swap: blend raw cauliflower in food processor to make “rice”. (A hand held grater can also be used).  Sautee the “riced” cauliflower in olive or coconut oil for 5 minutes with seasoning to taste.
  • Another food swap: enjoy mashed cauliflower in place of potatoes.  Cook cauliflower. Place in food processor with ½ a stick organic, grass-fed butter, ½ a package full-fat cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add optional minced garlic, chives or other herbs such as rosemary.
3. Swap pasta for shirataki noodles and zucchini

  • Swap out carb-rich white pasta containing 43 carbs per cup with Shirataki noodles that contain a few carbs per package. Shirataki noodles are made from konjac or yam root and are found in refrigerated section of supermarkets.
  • Another swap: zucchini contains about 4 carbs per cup. Make your own grain free, low-carb noodles from zucchini using a julienne peeler, mandolin or one of the various noodle tools on the market.  

Lisa Grudzielanek, MS,RDN,CD,CDE
Cureality Nutrition Specialist

Not so fast. Don’t make this mistake when going gluten free!

Beginning last month, the Food and Drug Administration began implementing its definition of “gluten-free” on packaged food labels.  The FDA determined that packaged food labeled gluten free (or similar claims such as "free of gluten") cannot contain more than 20 parts per million of gluten.

It has been years in the making for the FDA to define what “gluten free” means and hold food manufactures accountable, with respect to food labeling.  However, the story does not end there.

Yes, finding gluten-free food, that is now properly labeled, has become easier. So much so the market for gluten-free foods tops $6 billion last year.   However, finding truly healthy, commercially prepared, grain-free foods is still challenging.

A very common mistake made when jumping into the gluten-free lifestyle is piling everything labeled gluten-free in the shopping cart.  We don’t want to replace a problem: wheat, with another problem: gluten free products.

Typically gluten free products are made with rice flour (and brown rice flour), tapioca starch, cornstarch, and potato flour.  Of the few foods that raise blood sugar higher than wheat, these dried, powdered starches top the list.

 They provide a large surface area for digestion, thereby leading to sky-high blood sugar and all the consequences such as diabetes, hypertension, cataracts, arthritis, and heart disease. These products should be consumed very rarely consumed, if at all.  As Dr. Davis has stated, “100% gluten-free usually means 100% awful!”

There is an ugly side to the gluten-free boom taking place.  The Cureality approach to wellness recommends selecting gluten-free products wisely.  Do not making this misguided mistake and instead aim for elimination of ALL grains, as all seeds of grasses are related to wheat and therefore overlap in many effects.

Lisa Grudzielanek MS, RDN, CD, CDE
Cureality Health & Nutrition Coach

3 Foods to Add to Your Next Grocery List

Looking for some new foods to add to your diet? Look no further. Reach for these three mealtime superstars to encourage a leaner, healthier body.

Microgreens

Microgreens are simply the shoots of salad greens and herbs that are harvested just after the first leaves have developed, or in about 2 weeks.  Microgreen are not sprouts. Sprouts are germinated, in other words, sprouted seeds produced entirely in water. Microgreens are grown in soil, thereby absorbing the nutrients from the soil.

The nutritional profile of each microgreen depends greatly on the type of microgreen you are eating. Researchers found red cabbage microgreens had 40 times more vitamin E and six times more vitamin C than mature red cabbage. Cilantro microgreens had three times more beta-carotene than mature cilantro.

A few popular varieties of microgreens are arugula, kale, radish, pea, and watercress. Flavor can vary from mild to a more intense or spicy mix depending on the microgreens.  They can be added to salads, soup, omelets, stir fry and in place of lettuce.  

Cacao Powder

Cocoa and cacao are close enough in flavor not to make any difference. However, raw cacao powder has 3.6 times the antioxidant activity of roasted cocoa powder.  In short, raw cacao powder is definitely the healthiest, most beneficial of the powders, followed by 100% unsweetened cocoa.

Cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than blueberries, red wine and black and green teas.  Cacao is one of the highest sources of magnesium, a great source of iron and vitamin C, as well as a good source of fiber for healthy bowel function.
Add cacao powder to milk for chocolate milk or real hot chocolate.  Consider adding to coffee for a little mocha magic or sprinkle on berries and yogurt.




Shallots


Shallots have a better nutrition profile than onions. On a weight per weight basis, they have more anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins than onions. Shallots have a milder, less pungent taste than onions, so people who do not care for onions may enjoy shallots.

Like onions, sulfur compounds in shallot are necessary for liver detoxification pathways.  The sulfur compound, allicin has been shown to be beneficial in reducing cholesterol.  Allicin is also noted to have anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal activities.

Diced then up and add to salads, on top of a bun less hamburger, soups, stews, or sauces.  Toss in an omelet or sauté to enhance a piece of chicken or steak, really the possibilities are endless.  

Lisa Grudzielanek,MS,RDN,CD,CDE
Cureality Nutrition & Health Coach

3 Band Exercises for Great Glutes

Bands and buns are a great combination.  (When I talk about glutes or a butt, I use the word buns)  When it comes to sculpting better buns, grab a band.   Bands are great for home workouts, at gym or when you travel.  Check out these 3 amazing exercises that will have your buns burning. 

Band Step Out

Grab a band and place it under the arch of each foot.  Then cross the band and rest your hands in your hip sockets.  The exercise starts with your feet hip width apart and weight in the heels.  Slightly bend the knees and step your right foot out to the side.  Step back in so that your foot is back in the starting position.  With each step, make sure your toes point straight ahead.  The tighter you pull the band, the more resistance you will have.    You will feel this exercise on the outside of your hips. 

Start with one set of 15 repetitions with each foot.  Work on increasing to 25 repetitions on each side and doing two to three sets.



Band Kick Back

This exercise is performed in the quadruped position with your knees under hips and hands under your shoulders.    Take the loop end of the band and put it around your right foot and place the two handles or ends of the band under your hands.  Without moving your body, kick your right leg straight back.  Return to the starting quadruped position.  Adjust the tension of the band to increase or decrease the difficulty of this exercise. 

Start with one set of 10 repetitions with each foot.  Work on increasing to 20 repetitions on each side and doing two to three sets. 



Band Resisted Hip Bridge

Start lying on your back with feet hip distance apart and knees bent at about a 45-degree angle.  Adjust your hips to a neutral position to alleviate any arching in your lower back.  Place the band across your hipbones.  Hold the band down with hands along the sides of your body.  Contract your abs and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips up off the ground.  Stop when your thighs, hips and stomach are in a straight line.  Lower you hips back down to the ground. 

Start with one set of 15 repetitions.  Work on increasing to 25 repetitions and doing two to three.  Another variation of this exercise is to hold the hip bridge position.  Start with a 30 second hold and work up to holding for 60 seconds.

Response from Nature Made

Response from Nature Made

Here's the response from Nature Made when I emailed them about my concern that there appears to be no vitamin D in their vitamin D gelcaps.

It is the usually CYA corporate-speak that says nothing. The grammatical errors make it clear that this was a "canned" response.



Date: April 9, 2010
From: Marissa Reyes, Consumer Affairs Department
Subject: Reference #346236

Dear William Davis, MD:

We recently received your e-mail regarding Nature Made products. We regret to
hear that the quality standards of our company. [?]

Our company is called Pharmavite, and we manufacture Nature Made nutritional
supplements. We have been in business since 1971. We are committed to quality
control, and have very high quality standards. Our Quality Control personnel
sample and test all raw materials as they enter our plant, and again assay the
finished product, before final packaging.

Dietary Supplements are regulated under the FDA through DSHEA (Dietary
Supplement Health & Education Act of 1994). The United States Pharmacopoeia
(USP) establishes standards for the composition of drugs and nutritional
supplements. This voluntary non governmental organization was set up in 1820
and has officially been recognized by federal law since 1906. Standards
established by USP for products are legally enforceable by the FDA. At
Pharmavite we participate in the USP Dietary Supplement Verification Program
(DSVP). Many of our products have earned the DSVP seal and additional products
are currently being evaluated. Our DSVP certified products will have the DSVP
seal on the product label.

Our Nature Made Vitamin D 400 IU tablets have been reviewed by the USP and bears
the DSVP symbol on the label. Although the USP has not reviewed all of the
Nature Made Vitamin D supplements, all of our products go through the same
rigorous quality testing at Pharmavite. The products which have earned the seal
help us to demonstrate the high quality of our products.

We would like to look into the product(s) your patients have been using. If you
could provide the UPC and lot numbers of the product(s), we will be happy to
review our records. In addition, if you would like us to test the product(s)
that you currently have, we will be pleased to send a prepaid postage mailer so
you may return the product(s) to us so that our Quality Control Department can
examine it. Please let us know if you would like us to send you the prepaid
postage mailer.

We thank you for contacting us and hope that you will continue to use and enjoy
Nature Made products with complete confidence.

Sincerely,
Marissa Reyes
Consumer Affairs Coordinator
Pharmavite, LLC
MR:346236-10



Patients who come to the office do not provide me with the bottles nor lot numbers. In past, when I've gone to the trouble of doing this (with other companies, not Nature Made), it has come to nothing helpful. The information gets passed on to the company and we hear nothing and never learn if there was a problem, or receive some more corporate-speak letter saying everything was fine. This is obviously a liability-avoidance tactic: Admitting that something was wrong would open them up to legal risk. So, frankly, I can't be bothered.

So we are left with the unsatisfying experience of relying on street-level experiences.

For now, my advice: Avoid Nature Made vitamin D. Too many people have had blood tests demonstrating that they are not obtaining any vitamin D.

By the way, the Nature Made brand of fish oil is among the very few problem brands of fish oil we've encountered. Fish oil should be only mildly fish in smell and generally should not cause stomach upset and excessive belching if properly purified. Nature Made is excessively fishy when you smell it, suggesting oxidation. We've had repeated (dozens) of patients who have experienced difficulties with this brand. Rather than dealing with the frustrating gobbledy-gook of this company, just avoid their products.

Comments (31) -

  • Tony

    4/10/2010 1:40:39 PM |

    I've been using the NatureMade fish oil because it's frequently 2-for-1 at Rite Aid. My VAP cholesterol test was excellent while on the product, but I suppose that doesn't ensure that the product is doing anything. Thanks for the info.

  • Anonymous

    4/10/2010 3:06:53 PM |

    Fresh fish does not smell like fish. Only when the fish tissue starts to decompose does it start to smell like "fish".

  • Impudent_Observer

    4/10/2010 3:31:05 PM |

    First of all, Doc, thanks for taking the time to do this blog. It's great to have such an expert "in the trenches" practitioner helping ordinary people like me make much better decisions on keeping my heart going!
    Specifically on this post, when you write these companies, I'd suggest writing a letter and sending it by post right to the CEO.
    I've found that usually gets a better, more personalized response to my concerns.

  • gindie

    4/10/2010 3:44:38 PM |

    What is a person with very low Vitamin D levels, but prone to kidney stones, to do?

  • whatsonthemenu

    4/10/2010 4:34:04 PM |

    I wonder if that letter was generated by a worker at an overseas customer service center who, as you suggested, just opened a file and inserted text.  How many hits does your blog get?

  • Anonymous

    4/10/2010 5:36:51 PM |

    I've wondered if the USP seal on vitamins actually means anything -- apparently, it doesn't count for much.

    I have had a company actually admit to a problem with their supplements once (Jarrow), where their Ubiquinol gelcaps were leaking (found goo at the bottom of my bottle). They admitted the capsules were faulty and they planned to change the manufacturer of their gels, and even sent me a replacement bottle. So... some companies will actually admit to problems and take care of them, but that is still probably the minority.

  • Gary Wu

    4/10/2010 5:45:05 PM |

    Hi Dr. Davis,

    Have your patients had any experience with CostCo's 2000 IU vitamin D3 gelcaps?

  • Painlord2k

    4/10/2010 5:55:53 PM |

    In Italy, Vit D3 drugs are available over the counter at pharmacy. They are ultra cheap. I go for an injection every 2 months as 5 vial cost less than five €.
    What prevent US consumers from going to a pharmacy and buy registered drugs instead of supplements?
    Quality control for drug companies is surely a bit harsher than for supplement companies.
    Then, regulation can be different.

  • Nancy

    4/10/2010 8:11:24 PM |

    good to know, I used to buy Nature Made all the time... now I am wondering if the "gummy bear" vitamins and vitamin D I give my kids actually are vitamins.  What if they are just candy.  How can you tell for sure?

  • Dr. William Davis

    4/11/2010 1:04:57 AM |

    Impudent--

    Great idea.

    Perhaps I will send future emails and say that there are thousands of people reading this blog who will await their response!

  • Dr. William Davis

    4/11/2010 1:05:51 AM |

    Gary--

    Because we have only one Costco (i.e., only one store), we have had too few people buying this product to say with any confidence.

    It never hurts to have your blood level checked.

  • rhc

    4/11/2010 1:40:53 AM |

    You might consider me 'weird' but  I actually like to chew my fish oil capsules - I like the taste of the oil and the capsule itself. This has an added important benefit: I can taste if it's fresh BEFORE I swallow. I must say I've never had a rancid one yet. Presently am using Spring Valley from Walmart. I often do the same with my liquid vit D3 caps as well.

    Dr. Davis, thank you so much for all the info you put out for us.

  • Anonymous

    4/11/2010 1:54:25 AM |

    I am a fan of your blog, but honestly this is a very low standard of "proof" that you are using. If you feel strongly about it why not get a certificate of analysis done yourself?

  • Daniel Schroeder

    4/11/2010 4:00:08 AM |

    I'm a psych NP. My patient took 7000iu Naturemade tabs with no effect on blood level after 2 months. Have heard tabs don't absorb, so have stearing people away from them. Thanks for the info on their softgels.

  • Dr. William Davis

    4/11/2010 1:05:50 PM |

    If I had to get a "certifcate of analysis" performed for every supplement I questioned, we'd go bankrupt just on the testing.

    I'll be interested to see what organizations like Consumer Lab, who test a broad range of supplements, come up with.

  • TedHutchinson

    4/11/2010 7:41:25 PM |

    I subscribe to Consumerlabs.

    When they tested vitamin D3  (1/18/10) they only tested up to 1000iu/d capsules/tablet/liquid and also some combination products.

    I'm sure readers here are all aware  1000iu/daily can, at best, only raise 25(OH)D 10ng/ml = 25nmol/l.
    Most readers require significantly more than that to reach >50ng/ml+ ensuring their body has an emergency stored reserve supply of Vitamin D3.

    People who are overweight or suffer diabetes, Celiac or any other inflammatory condition will generally require even more than 1000iu/daily/D3 per 25lbs weight.

    The LEF report Startling Findings About Vitamin D Levels in Life Extension® Members By William Faloon shows IN PRACTICE 5000iu/daily/D3 averages only just above 42ng/ml so if we are trying to achieve a level that does more that just meet our daily requirements but also enables the body to store Vitamin D for emergencies, then we require MORE THAN just 5000iu daily/vitamin D3.

    At latitude 52 with a BMI just under 25 I take 5000iu/daily + regular short full body prone uvb/winter/sun/summer exposure
    My 25(OH)D stays @ 64ng/ml.

    I am not convinced Consumerlabs testing of tablet formulations of 400iu or even up to 1000iu has any relevance to correcting vitamin D insufficiency.

  • Douglas Jones

    4/11/2010 11:10:00 PM |

    Dr. Davis

    My name is Douglas Jones, I am with in Corporate Communications at Pharmavite the makers of Nature Made Vitamins.  We take your comments very seriously and need the information that Marissa asked for in her e mail.

    All of our products are tested fully before they are shipped to our customers.

    Please feel free to contact me directly at djones@pharmavite.net

    Thank you

  • Dr. William Davis

    4/12/2010 11:34:16 AM |

    Thank you, Mr. Jones.

    Because I identify these cases one by one over months, I don't have my patients bring in their bottles.

    I have to say that I am also impressed that I got beyond the girl in the cubicle on this one.

    In future, I will ask patients to bring the bottles in. If I know this leads somewhere, then it's worth the extra effort.

    However, I remain confident that there is a problem.

  • Heather Brandt

    4/13/2010 10:10:58 PM |

    Do you recommend multivitamins and/ or Vitamin D brands?

    I am 34 years old and at an ideal body weight but had moderately low HDL when blood work was done...Just following your blog and trying to figure out ways to raise my HDL and to help prevent heart disease (My mother is in her 50s and has been on statins for bad cholesterol, a path I don't want to follow).

    heatherlbrandt(at) verizon (dot) net

  • Anonymous

    5/18/2010 10:34:01 AM |

    I had been using NatureMade fish oils for years and no belchback. I got a batch that both my wife and I had bad belching with fish taste. Called the company and they said I had been using the enteric coated. I bought some of the enteric and they don't belch back, they also are not what we had been taking. Looks like I will be switching to a different company too.

  • dining tables

    7/6/2010 3:44:11 AM |

    My friends have been using NatureMade fish oil for over a year now. She told me that it is very effective. I think I am guess I will giving it a try.

  • Trem papers

    8/16/2010 10:25:23 AM |

    Hi, nice post. I have been thinking about this topic,so thanks for sharing. I will likely be coming back to your blog. Keep up the good work
    termpapers99@gmail.com

  • dlrose123

    10/19/2010 2:03:49 AM |

    In Nature Made's defense, I've been using 2,000 Vitamin D from Nature Made for the past 6 months, and my Vitamin D levels have risen about 20 points.  I've been very happy with the result, so I just started using their fish oil. I'm sitting here with a brand new bottle of their fish oil enteric coating 1200 mg pills, and smell no odor at all.  This doesn't mean other people haven't had different experiences, but it might be very dependent on your individual body chemistry, and I would suggest doing blood tests every 6 months to determine if the Vit. D you are taking is working for you.  And no, I do not work for Nature Made, and have no connections to them Smile

  • auto insurance quotes

    3/9/2011 1:13:12 AM |

    I just have to say that letter show what they think of customers and how they have made made their mind to deal with any complaints. They did not even bother to get a competent person who could write a letter. Forget that. They did not even bother to prepare a template response.

  • Anonymous

    3/17/2011 5:35:13 PM |

    There is interesting research on omega 3 bioavailability.

    After mixed results with various fish oil capsules resulting in low-tide burps or flatus, i moved to Coromega.  Wonderful product.

    Re Costco 2,000 iu oil capsules, i've raised my serum levels to 88 ng/ml with them.

    However, given the wide range of factors that affect D uptake/utilization, titrating to standard is the only useful methodology. Blind dosing, especially at very low serum levels, might not raise serum levels at all.

  • Anonymous

    3/17/2011 7:03:36 PM |

    Omega-3 structure may affect bioavailability: Study

    By Nathan Gray, 14-Jan-2011

    Related topics: Research

    The type of omega-3 we take may have a distinct affect on how much is actually absorbed, according to new research.


    The study, published in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, suggests that omega-3 concentrates – such as triacylglycerides – have much better bioavailability than purified fish oild

    The team of Spanish researchers said that the study contributes to knowledge on the intestinal lipolysis of omega-3 sources, which can be found in many commercial forms, from purified fish oil to concentrates of free fatty acids and ethyl esters.

    They said that despite differences regarding their intestinal metabolism, there is lack of information about the specific composition of the absorbable fraction from omega-3-TAG or omega-3-EE concentrates.

    “This comparative study showed that the in vitro bioaccesibility of omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) seems to be better as omega-3-TAG concentrates than purified fish oils,” said the researchers, led by Dr. Diana Martin from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.

    Fish oil

    Consumption of fatty acids from the omega-3 family – particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – have been advised due to their beneficial role as anti-thrombotic, anti-inflamatory, and hypolipidemic fatty acids.

    The authors noted, however, that in many populations consumption of fish is quite low and does not achieve levels adequate for reaching the minimal intake level of EPA and DHA. They added that because of this, an easy way of increasing omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake is by the fish oils supplements oils.

    They said that recent studies have produced contradictory evidence for the in vitro metabolism of fish oils and omega-3-concentrates,

    The new study compared the in vitro bioaccesibility of omega-3-oils from different sources. The researchers tested salmon oil, tuna oil, enriched-omega-3 oil as triacylglycerols (omega-3-TAG), and enriched-omega-3 oil as ethyl ester (omega-3-EE).

    Study details

    Dr Martin and colleagues reported the rate of hydrolysis of omega-3-TAG concentrates was continuous throughout the time of reaction, whereas the digestion of salmon oil and tuna oil was initially faster but stopped after 10 min.

    They added that poor hydrolysis took place for the enriched-omega-3 oil as omega-3-EE.

    The breakdown of omega-3-TAG oil, salmon oil, and tuna oil mainly consisted of free fatty acids (FFAs) and monoacylglycerides, whereas the breakdown from digested omega-3-EE oil consisted of free fatty acids and undigested ethyl esters.

    “This comparative study showed that the in vitro intestinal digestion of omega-3 (EPA and DHA) sources as fish oil, triacylglycerides, or ethyl ester concentrates was different,” said Martin and colleagues.

    “The highest degree of hydrolysis and inclusion of lipid products … was found for the omega-3-TAG oil, but compared to fish oils long times of digestion were required,” they added.

    Source: European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology
    Volume 112, Issue 12, pages 1315–1322, doi: 10.1002/ejlt.201000329
    “Intestinal digestion of fish oils and ω-3 concentrates under in vitro conditions”
    Authors: D. Martin, J.A. Nieto-Fuentes, F.J. Señoráns, G. Reglero, C. Soler-Rivas

  • Anonymous

    3/17/2011 7:04:21 PM |

    http://www.adajournal.org/article/S0002-8223(09)00293-4/abstract

  • Anonymous

    3/17/2011 7:15:55 PM |

    Re vitamin D uptake & utilization, diet (taking D with a meal doubles uptake), existing D levels (see Holick re substrate starvation), D form (D2 v D3), exposure, lifestyle, age (over 50 produce less in skin), obesity (excess bf sequesters D), co-factors (affect utilization), genes, bathing (bathing strips oils off skin), etc. affect D serum levels.

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/38595990/D2-D3

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/37319962/Vieth-Vit-D

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/36940698/D-Test-and-Treat

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/45004628/D-review

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/49369766/Garland-021811

    "Vitamin D has co-factors that the body needs in order to utilize vitamin D properly. They are:
    magnesium
    zinc
    vitamin K2
    boron
    a tiny amount of vitamin A
    Magnesium is the most important of these co-factors. In fact, it is common for rising vitamin D levels to exacerbate an underlying magnesium deficiency. If one is having problems supplementing with vitamin D, a magnesium deficiency could be the reason why."

  • K.N.O.W. (Kids Need Our Wisdom)

    3/27/2011 9:30:17 AM |

    Dr. I came across your site while looking for someone who was having the same problem w/ their Vitamin D levels and not finding a solution.  In fact, the brand you mentioned has done nothing for me in any of the vitamin area!  However I did come across a vitamin that has taken care of my Vit D problem and other problems.  Honestly I think the brand I am taking is the ONLY brand that is actually helping people.  Everyone I know who gets on them has had great results!  Rob Dillon - rdillon4@cox.net

  • Study in UK

    4/14/2011 7:54:42 AM |

    Incidentally, I like the way you have structured your site, it is super and very easy to follow. I have bookmarked you and will be back regularly. Thank you

  • gareth

    9/7/2011 10:13:45 PM |

    i too have suffered from kidney stones. i did a 24 hour urine test and my calcium urine level was 3 times normal. shock horror all round.
    i began to take 5000iu of vitamin d3 daily and in a few weeks my calcium urine level was normal, my urologist was amazed that this had happened but i did not tell him why because english doctors do not believe in supplements and he would have had a hissy fit!!.
    since then, no more stones!

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