For the sake of convenience: Commercial sources of prebiotic fibers

3. May 2015 William Davis (0)
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

20. April 2015 William Davis (0)

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

4. April 2015 William Davis (0)
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

7. March 2015 William Davis (0)


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

7. November 2014 Amber B (0)
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

25. September 2014 Amber B (0)
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

25. September 2014 Lisa G (0)
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!

25. September 2014 Lisa G (0)
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

25. September 2014 Lisa G (0)
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

15. August 2014 Amber B (0)
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.

Myocardial infraction

Myocardial infraction

15. January 2012 William Davis (45)
I've seen a few heart attacks this past year . . . but none in the people who follow this program.

I saw a heart attack in a priest, a wonderful man who was unable to say "no" to his parishioners who insisted on bringing pies, cakes, and cookies every day.

I saw an impending heart attack in a 74-year old man, a football coach who thought the whole wheat-free, low-carb thing was some wacko trend. Four stents later, he's changed his mind.

A 69-year old woman had to be hospitalized for heart failure due to partial closure of an artery. She repeatedly told me that she simply could not follow the diet because it was "too restrictive."

There were a few others. Interestingly, all felt they were eating healthy, minimizing junk foods and avoiding fatty foods. None were wheat-free nor restricted carbohydrates.

In other words, in the people who follow the basic advice of the Track Your Plaque program to do such simple things as eliminate wheat, don't indulge in junk carbohydrates, normalize vitamin D status, supplement omega-3 fatty acids, supplement iodine and correct any thyroid dysfunction . . . well, they have no heart attacks.
Tags :

Comments (45) -

  • Gretchen

    1/15/2012 3:01:22 PM |

    What's your opinion of the study showing that vitamin D levels above the low end of the normal range were associated with elevated CRP levels?

  • Linda

    1/15/2012 3:19:34 PM |

    Correct Spelling:  Myocardial Infarction

  • Helen Howes

    1/15/2012 4:19:31 PM |

    Er, Joke, sweetie..

    HH

  • Kokoboulis

    1/15/2012 4:34:48 PM |

    What an extremely informative article.

  • Anne

    1/15/2012 5:06:26 PM |

    In 2000 I had cardiac bypass after multiple failed stents. In 2003 I thought I was dying. I was short of breath and had pitting edema and many other health problems. My doctor told me I was probably reblocking and suggested a cardiac cath.

    I did not know about a connection between wheat and the heart but I did find a connection between my peripheral neuropathy and gluten. Up to the time I stopped gluten, I was carefully following the AHA dietary guidelines for a healthy heart. I even followed the Ornish diet for about a year. All I did was get sicker and sicker.  Dropping my favorite food(wheat) and all gluten was what made the big difference in my health. My PN is no longer painful or progressing. I also had complete resolution many other symptoms including the pitting edema and  shortness of breath. It has been over 8 years and my heart is still doing great.

    Of course there are other factors to consider which Dr. Davis addresses on his websites. Vitamin D, blood sugar, thyroid to name a few. I am a work in progress.

  • Teresa

    1/15/2012 7:52:30 PM |

    Dr. Davis
    I am not trying to say you are wrong, Quite the opposite, I think you are on the right track with your program.  But, have you had enough people in your program long enough to make a statistically significant sample?  I am sure there are more people in the world who don't follow your program than do.  That alone would make it more likely for the non-followers to have a heart attack.

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    1/15/2012 10:44:04 PM |

    MI (myocardial infarction), usually a sequel of ischemia,  is often preceded by episode(s) of angina. In many resilient people the angina event offers the heart a chance to deploy inherent plasticity in what is called "pre-conditioning". Many  who have angina episodes 1-3 days before suffering a full on MI  seemingly paradoxically recover with less serious subsequent arrhythmia ,and for the next 1-5 years have lower susceptibility for in hospital dying (statistically).

    "Pre-conditioning" is a likely explanation for Doc's preventative MI protocol for many middle-age & up adults. Ischemia (felt as angina)causes a heart cell mitochondrial response, and also surface of that cell response. This involves channels & potassium Kiss with the same name in those respective membranes, but depending on which part is involved the level of reaction differs. And of course, there are isoform variations of this potassium Kiss ion channel that responds to ATP molecules (K-ATP).

    Mitochondrial K-ATP (mtKatp) is only discussed here. Ischemia results in some heart muscle cell not being able to sustain ATP output. In healthy heart cells it is  normal levels of ATP that keep the channel mtKatp closed. Healthy mitochondria don't ideally let in too much K because it makes them osmoticly swell inside, among other side effects.

    Potassium Kiss flooding into a mitochondria from a channel mtKatp opening up does several  significant things. One is keeping detrimental calcium (Ca++) from getting into the cardiac cell which is being forced to deal with a ischemic event. Otherwise Ca++  instigates unwanted pore openings in that mitochondria's membrane; letting the inside/outside balance of that mitochondria & the cytosol interact detrimentally.

    In other words a significant up-stream "pre-conditioning" benefit is from mtKatp channel opening in response to when that heart muscle cell is unfortunately suddenly challenged by ischemia. Doc tries to prevent high blood sugar (hyper-glycemia) like in metabolic syndrome & t ype II diabetes because hyper-glycemia itself opens mtKatp channels; but this is at the wrong time.

    Meaning the hyper-glycemic individual, despite having mtKatp channels quite open, has lost a large part of their potential heart cell plasticity (ie: recovery despite ischemia) because they can't turn on their  crucial natural "conditioned" response to ischemia . They lose an important preventative mode; since, for them,  the protective "pre-conditioning" dynamic can't flip "on" into action because it wasn't  kept primed in the "off" position. When young this doesn't usually matter because time hasn't set them up for ischemia yet.

  • Conan

    1/16/2012 3:17:01 PM |

    Dear Dr. Davis,
    Many people have confusion about who to believe on this issue like myself.  I have followed the low carb, no wheat diet for over a year.  HDL went up to 58 from 42.  I am a big fan of yours and convert to this lifestyle. The confusion happens like this:  I shared your book and forum with our family doctor, and told him about the results I had.  He seemed interested.  I saw him a few weeks later at a social event and his responses were this.
    1. LDL size is insignificant.  If he sees a patient with elevated cholesterol with pattern A LDL, he will still put them on a statin to stop Plaque progression, he sees it as insurance.
    2.   He says they are proven to stop plaque progression.
    3.  A person gets enough vitamin d from diet and walking to their mailbox everyday.
    4.  The only thing that matters to him is reducing total LDL to 50 or below for at risk patients.
    5.  If you have heart disease, than there is no need for a heart scan, because we already know you have heart disease.

    I think many people read your forum, get excited to hear about your approach, and then go talk to their primary care physician and get shot down on it.  It can be confusing and discouraging to say the least.

  • Kent

    1/16/2012 6:08:31 PM |

    Conan,
    That's the standard lingo fed down the medical pipeline. I've heard all of those as well. Plus this one; "there is nothing we can do to lower LP(a), so there is no since in testing for it".

  • Dotslady

    1/16/2012 8:20:35 PM |

    I've wanted to ask you to write about dairy and the heart since my heart attack, and now that you're done with Wheat Belly.   I talked with people years ago about your blog and about gluten-free (to no avail), and now they're telling ME about your book like it's a new discovery (how soon they forget!).  Funny.  

    I was dx celiac 2-06 at the almost age of 46.  I'm obese and initially gained 22 lbs going gluten free because I turned to Yoplait yogurt when I didn't know what to eat (+ learning to substitute SAD diet with gf SAD diet).  I learned about insulin via Jenny's Bloodsugar101 blog, and I've whittled away at changing my diet ever since.  So many bloggers have changed my life, and I'm so grateful because I'm getting some QUALITY of life I never knew before.  

    I was almost Paleo with a lot of cheating, and I continued having dairy until last year when I had a heart attack at age 49 after running my first 5K (trying to get healthy and lose weight).  

    I won't go into the history of why, but I was not taking my usual omega3 supplement.  I was supplementing with 5-HTP (100mg) along with other neuro support based on urine testing from ND/MD because I was still a bit depressed (how would I know?  I've only known depression, and I thought most of my depression abated going gf).   While most of my symptoms abated going gluten-free, I was and am still trying to overcome fibromyalgia.   Fibro: lack of energy.  Muscle fatigue.  Actually, for years I had a-fib on and off.  Sometimes it was my thyroid (I have Hashimoto's, and it was in range at the time of the MI, though they didn't do a panel of labs), most of the time it wasn't.  

    The year before my MI I went to cardiologist and I told him when I ate dairy (I'd gone from Yoplait full of rBGH at- the-time & sugar, to organic Greek full-fat plain) I had palpitations.  "Is it the calcium?" I asked.  "No, but here's an Rx for statins, hmm, though they'll exacerbate your fibro... How about some beta-blockers?"  I said I'd look into it (throwing the script into the trash).   I wore the Holter monitor and took EKGs, etc.  End of appt and relationship.  I continued to try to research online the best I could.

    The day before my first 5k, I was in a weird place emotionally - anxious.  I ate and couldn't fill myself.  I had 3,200 calories where I usually eat between 1,500-1,800.  I considered it "carb loading" before the race even though I never researched what that really meant (too busy researching everything else).  Here's my food log for the day before the MI:

    Bfast: Stonyfield cream on top plain full fat yogurt w/strawberries, blueberries, banana, flax meal, Member's Mark gf Spinach Asiago sausage.
    Lunch: Stonyfield gf English muffin, 3.25oz gf deli turkey, 8g butter.
    Dinner:  2 Amy's gf cheese enchilada dinners, 2 mangoes
    Snacks:  46g (unpopped) organic popcorn & 1 stick butter, 1 banana, 20g sunflower seeds, decaf coffee w/15g heavy whip cream.  I was about a month into going caffeine-free.
    Processed carbs:  148g, Fruit/other carbs: 154g Total:  302g
    Fat:  184g
    Protein: 101g
    Fiber: 39g

    My cholesterol at the time of MI:  
    TC: 206  
    Tri’s: 74  
    HDL: 49  
    LDL: 142
    A1C: 5.5 which translates to an avg bg 111
    BG: 118 (I'd been doing morning fasting tests, and it was hovering around 100, and I knew that wasn't good - hence the 5k.  I'd been walking for years though I was struggling to be consistent w/energy to exercise, something not uncommon w/fibro sufferers.)  
    BP: 150/82
    hsCRP: 3 (down from 6 which was down from 11 or 12 ~a year before)
    Heterozygous for Factor V Lieden discovered when I had a Boston Heart Lab cholesterol study ~a year before.  
    It was May, overcast, and not overly hot outside, more like the mid-60s - ideal even.

    Thyroid lab early May:  TSH .7
    Vitamin D:  tba. I have to look it up, but I have a history of tracking it and supplementing; it has been above 40 for years at least.  It's currently 65.

    I had one cup of water before the race.  After the race I ate a banana and 4 c water (+ water provided via Dixie cups along the route which were a pittance).  I was red faced and hot.  I drove home to take a long, HOT magnesium bath, and went to bed due to fatigue.  I don't remember if I drank more water, or much more than that.  I was actually having the heart attack that night, but at the time I didn't realize it.  I awakened around 5 a.m. from a long, unfit sleep, even though EXHAUSTED.  I tried to eat a sweet potato for bfast but had anxiety - I had a bite or so, but kept putting the fork to my mouth and down to the plate.  I had a hard time catching my breath.  My left arm felt like a blood pressure cuff was stuck on inflate.  I called doctor neighbor who didn't answer, then called out-of-state husband who told me to take an aspirin.  I hadn't thought of it.  Oh dear - I had to find a gf aspirin, which I luckily had some expired gf baby aspirin, and took one.  In 20 minutes it was lessening my arm pain.  

    I got to the ER, and THEN had to navigate the health care system as to what gluten was.  They thought I was crazy to worry if they're high dose aspirin or sublingual nitro had gluten - this, from two nurses with "IBS" ... the cardiologist has a regimen of drugs to give prior to the heart cath and I had them looking into the gluten ... the hospital DID have a gf menu (wonders!), but got the order wrong a few times and had to redo the meals.  I'm so glad I had my wits about me.  I lost two pounds in the hospital eating strictly Paleo. ;0)

    A few months prior to this, I'd seen a hematologist to figure out my mysterious leg pains.  Most of my fibro pain went away with gf diet change, trying to balance my hormones, TRYING to get more sleep, exercise, etc.  But I couldn't shake the pain in my largest muscles.  I'd read about rhabdomyolysis and asked him to do a CK test as a base for when I wasn't in pain.  Sure enough, it was normal.   Whenever I'd try to jog hard I'd get horrible pain in my legs which took about 5-6 days to recover.  There were a few times I exercised so hard they seized up, esp the day after and it was all I could do to get to the bathroom - sitting was an ordeal!   It wasn't normal for as long as I'd been exercising, to have this pain.  I know people who run and never have pain, so it bothered me I had this and couldn't push harder.  

    Sure enough after the 5k my quads were killing me.  The ER checked my CK, CK-MB, and troponin.  All were elevated.  When I brought up my theory about fibro and CK to the cardiologist he said everyone's CK goes up after exercise.   What am I to think?  Am I naive?  My heart cath was clear.  I was given marching orders to followup with my GP.  He told me to take a baby aspirin daily, but I'm trying to heal a leaky gut and don't do that.  I have taken fish oil again non-stop though.  

    I read about dysautonomia, rhabdo/dehydration, hypoglycemia, and electrolyte imbalance.  I can't help but think my lack of energy had something to do with my heart attack.   I contacted a neurologist who said he didn't believe in fibro, and then tested/probed my muscles (they were responsive).  

    Then I heard a podcast between Dr. Rosedale by Jimmy Moore.  Dr. Rosedale said (my words) that saturated fat covers your cell and energy can't get in (you need a balance of fats for cell membrane integrity).  Well, I'd been unbalanced.  I took a special, new blood test* and found my body reacts to dairy fat like gluten (which is hard on the adrenals therefore pushing cortisol? - my thoughts).  

    I quit dairy completely and my daily, constant nagging quad/ham leg pain went away, I sleep better, my palpitations went away, my depression got, yet again, better, AND I lost 25 lbs EASILY (which is not something to which I'm accustomed).  

    FWIW, I am very lactose TOLERANT.   When you hear about giving up dairy in the celiac community, it's often because a person is lactose intolerant not because of other food intolerance symptoms.   I was stubborn in giving up dairy because I was dependent on the negative drug-like effect it had on me.  I STILL crave it now and then, too.  You don't realize it until you give it up completely: not 90%, not 99%, but 100%.

    I am just now trying a boot camp and have better exercise tolerance; my pain is still more exaggerated but I recover in time to exercise again in two days.  

    Thanks for letting me share my story, and I appreciate all that you contribute to the awareness of heart health.  I've been a reader since 2006.

  • jhailstone

    1/16/2012 8:24:26 PM |

    I don't think wheat is that bad. If you have been eating a lot of white flour products then you can become gluten sensitive. But, if you use sprouted wheat bread and find out about wheat grass juice, you can have awesome health. I think it is the GMO wheat to watch out for the most.

  • Dotslady

    1/16/2012 8:47:34 PM |

    oops, forgot:
    * Cyrex Labs Array 4 for Cross-Reactive Foods, info here:  http://bit.ly/thedrxreactivitypdf or www.thedr.com (Gluten World tab).

    I responded to "milk butyrophilin" which is a milk fat protein.  Upon Googling around, I find it's associated with Multiple Sclerosis (http://bit.ly/ze5xOI).  I have enough autoimmune diseases, and will continue on my happy Paleo path.

  • Dotslady

    1/16/2012 9:11:44 PM |

    Sorry, one more thing:  I am a slow caffeine metabolizer which apparently makes me more prone to heart attack:  http://bit.ly/zbc8L0 (even though I'd been off caffeine for a month or so, I thought it was interesting).

  • Joanna

    1/16/2012 10:54:01 PM |

    Gluten is gluten, whether it is in white flour or whole wheat or several other grains like barley.  Ask anyone who is gluten sensitive or a full blown celiac - and I know several,  any gluten will make them very sick.  It is a protein that their body cannot digest.  And it doesn't matter whether it is from GMO wheat or not.

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    1/17/2012 1:03:51 AM |

    Hi Dotslady,
    For seratonin's (5HT) 16 different receptors to work they have to take routes that are paths which result in an increase in Calcium (Ca++) in that cell interior (cytoplasm).  Seratonin is an amine molecule. In humans there are 9 different trans-glut-aminase enzymes that when turned on by Ca++ binding  can also process the amine seratonin.

    "Seraton-ylation" is the result of action by trans-glut-aminase enzymes causing seratonin metabolites that then interact with other cellular processes. Thus "seraton-ylation" of fibronectin results in more smooth muscle cells being produced & in another relevant instance induces platelets to put out proteins that foster coagulation.

    2007 Japan  researcher  Miyazaki, et.al. (J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2007 Apr;49(4):221-227) blocked seratonin & relieved symptoms of peripheral artery disease (PAD). Leg pains you suffer may be  PAD endothelial dysfunction from too much Ca++ influx into muscle cell's cytosol. And your 5HTP (precusor of seratonin) supplementation could be contra.-indicated.

    Dairy has tryptophan & the calcium needed to process it into seratonin; yet your doctor told you dairy's calcium content was not the problem. Your depression bio-chemistry suggests altered seratonin metabolism. One's genetic variants of seratonin routing pathways are a jumble of factors, including particulars of calcium (ie: calcium channels in that cell's membrane & the site of stored Ca++ already inside that cell ); all modulated by seratonin reception peculiarities.

    Your blood pressure of 150/82  may be due to "seraton-ylation" of fibronectin proliferating too many arterial cells (hyper-plasia) leading to stiffer blood vessel making for more tension (hyper-tension) as lcse ideal  contraction/rebound.(for geeks: 5HT2a receptor & transglutaminase induce serotonylation of a GTPase RhoA affecting proteasome's down of GTPase in a way that upregulates Akt thereby engendering proliferation of arterial smooth muscle cells resulting in diminished contraction capacity). Breathing problem you described is also precisely researched as  part of the "seraton-nylation" sequel involving trans-glutaminase using seratonin as an amine, not a hormone.

    Normally people with elevated seratonin in circulation have a natural protective response whereby the number of seratonin receptors perched waiting in the cell membrane is reduced. But your vascular smooth muscle cells actually seem over receptive to seratonin & you've been innocently topping up with 100mg 5HTP daily (how long?) .

  • Dr. William Davis

    1/17/2012 2:28:25 AM |

    I think you will find a hailstorm of opposition to that notion, jhail.

    I would invite you to read my book, Wheat Belly, that exposes modern wheat for the fraud it is.

  • Dr. William Davis

    1/17/2012 2:32:18 AM |

    Wow, Dots.

    A revealing story. I'm glad you found your answer . . . despite your doctors.

    Yes, dairy is a big problem for select people. I pick on wheat because it is a HUGE problem. But, for some, dairy can be a substantial second.

  • Dr. William Davis

    1/17/2012 2:34:47 AM |

    Yes, it is, Conan.

    I can tell you that your doctor is reading the commentary and editorials in the medical journals and what we call "throwaways," the low-grade magazines that physicians are sent that are really thin disguises for advertising. It means he is not reading the primary literature, nor gaining an experience, nor is he thinking. He is simply regurgitating the superficial thinking of those who write these pieces. These pieces tend to be CYA with a slant towards drugs.

    We are making progress, but it is painfully slow!

  • Dr. William Davis

    1/17/2012 2:42:10 AM |

    Informally, Teresa, there are approximately 1000 patients in the office who follow the diet, about 300 who do not. (The rest have non-coronary syndromes that are not relevant.) This was not a comparison to a population outside the office.

  • Dr. William Davis

    1/17/2012 2:43:03 AM |

    Hi, Anne-

    Yes, but you have come a long way, much on your own intelligence, strength of character, and persistence!

  • Dr. William Davis

    1/17/2012 2:43:59 AM |

    No.

    I meant myocardial "infraction."

    It was a joke.

  • Craig

    1/17/2012 7:52:43 AM |

    Even if you're lactose intolerant, milk in the US and Europe contains mainly A1 casein, while milk in Africa and Asia contains A2 casein. If anyone can't live without dairy, they should try to make sure they get it from an A2 cow such as a Guernsey.
    More info: http://www.betacasein.org/?p=heart-disease

  • Galina L

    1/17/2012 3:01:17 PM |

    @ Might,
    I noticed that people differ by how much they need to eat milk products. I don't  particularly care about anything made out of milk with the exception of butter and heavy cream for my coffee, even cheese (I eat it anyway because I keep buying it for other family members, but I would always choose some deli meat over a cheese) Does it mean their preference may depend on which path their serotonin takes? Some people actually crave such tasteless things like cottage cheese and plain yogurt.  It feels like there is some physiological difference besides taste preference..

  • jp

    1/17/2012 7:54:16 PM |

    Al- epic as usual. thanks so much for your posts. I don't have the background to truly comprehend much of what you say but I do love reading it. And it does help in an over-all general knowledge kind of way.
    Doc- Thanks again for taking the time. It's tragic that too many of us (myself included) don't find out about this stuff until AFTER we've been stented OR WORSE. I only got here by innocently trying to find out about possible side effects for the 80mg/day of lipitor  they put me on no questions asked or answered. I'm still pissed about the quality of care I get from any cardiology related people I've seen. Yet I'm still afraid to  not take my meds.

  • jhailstone

    1/17/2012 8:19:13 PM |

    In reply to the above comments - I'm aware that people who are gluten sensitive should stay away from all gluten products. However, for the rest of us, it's best to try to choose whole grain products. I have a friend who was a food science major, who told me that people become gluten sensitive from having eaten too many white flour products in their life. But, I know people who are gluten sensitive who can have sprouted grain breads and sprouted grain drinks. Everyone should avoid the GMO products though.

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    1/17/2012 9:41:42 PM |

    Hi GalinaL,
    Others here have pointed out eating dairy give us a caseo-morph (ie: opiate like molecule) & this engenders an opiate brain response; so probably one's  real time response of contentment from eating dairy.  Then too dairy's tryptophan/calcium combo producing a bit of extra seratonin in popular legend is supposed to be how warm milk relaxes some into sleep.
    "Seraton-ylation" is less about seratonin in a nerve synapse.  It is  how different  tissue cells' internal processing is modified after interaction with the unique amine characteristics of seratonin  (as opposed to any neuro-endocrine functions of seratonin). Your idea of dairy lovers sounds more like a conditioned response anticipating caseo-morphs; much like Doc says modern wheat can condition some people's neuro-physiology to crave wheat.

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    1/17/2012 11:52:59 PM |

    Hi jp,
    Depression is unfortunately common after MI (myocardial infarction); which you may know from fellow patients or first hand. Long term ( not short duration use) of anti-depressant drug SSRI (selective seratonin re-uptake inhibitors) is associated with less MI fatatlity. First this was assumed to be due to SSRIs side effect of  reducing platelets (ie: thinner blood circulating) but 2011 published research disproved that mechanistic linear explanation.

    The "Baltimore ECA Follow-up Study" (1981-1994) noted a higher incidence of heart disease for the depressed and those notably sad beyond +/- 2 weeks straight. Curiously, the depression link was more of a significant  factor for younger women followed up on. And most statistical reports concur that those with continual depression after an MI show an increased rate of fatality.

    Seems there is an interplay between one's  "seraton-ylation" ( seratonin amine metabolism) quirks in the heart muscle cells (or other tissues) and the useable seratonin neuro-endocrine metabolism in the brain cells. I have a simplified explanation for this paradox (SSRI= good; yet seraton-ylation = risky) ; but nuances aren't detailed here & I may (!) be mistaken.

    In true depression seratonin isn't performing normally in nerve synapses (ie: seratonin plucked back from the synapse action site too fast, precisely what re-uptake inhibitors slow down) so there is no need to contribute so many seratonin molecules to building up a reserve pool of seratonin for nerves to have ready to put into action (ie: pool always full enough since seratonin just pulled back in right away; or seratonin rarely even leaves pool to action site). This under-functioning leaves the depressed individual without the normal programming prioritizing seratonin  for nerves. In a sense their seratonin  may be more readily programmed to be used in non-nerve situations (ex: seraton-ylation leading to excess calcium in heart cell) in that individual.

    The prolonged use of drug SSRI (ie: keeps seratonin lingering in the nerve synapse) indirectly favors seratonin getting put into the back-up nerve seratonin pool. The nerve cells in due time  register  they can/need to top up with seratonin. This is a variation of  "use it , or lose it" - and the individual re-programs to "fill" the nerve seratonin pool  with an accompanying down-shift of  some of the less important "seraton-ylation" farther away from the brain.

    Unfortunately, not everyone's genetics will be able to re-organzize to prioritize nerve dynamic. Some might be stuck favoring  "seraton-ylation" in vascular smooth muscle cells, no matter how long the SSRI make the nerve seratonin pools ideal to orientate seratonin programs around.

  • Galina L

    1/18/2012 1:23:27 AM |

    Thank you.

  • PHK

    1/18/2012 5:39:45 AM |

    Mighty-Al,
    this is the 1st time i heard that angina as "pre-conditioning" of MI hence improving the survival/recovery rate!
    your other comment equally awesome
    thanks!

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    1/18/2012 6:39:00 PM |

    Hi PHK,
    Pre-conditioning phenomena can be from other triggers other than occlusion of heart (ischemia). In ischemia the heart cell(s) affected tries to cope in quick time by instigating  the 1st stage(s) of pre-conditioning. This last for up to 3 hours. (The dynamics other than mitochondria Potassium, mtKatp, are quite convoluted.)

    Then there is a delayed 2nd stage while that cell tries to switch over to put out the altered proteins that will act to limit any damage (minimize extent of infarct). This requires enough time for  that cell nucleus to get working on new program of suitable proteins ; the cell nucleus can preventatively shut down for hours without that cell dying.

    Ideally after 12 hours the last stage of  pre-conditioning kicks  into gear and that gives cardio-protection for up to 3-4 days. This span of  protection corresponds to statistic of hospitalized myocardial infarction (MI) patients who had episode of angina 1-3 prior showing better prognosis.
    Once the 2nd (late) of pre-conditioning in effect a lot of the benefit is from greater mitochondrial anti-oxidant levels up and running. This MnSOD keeps nitric oxide (NO) from being depleted by interactions with the reactive oxygen (ROS) on the loose as the heart cell tries to get back to using oxygen inside that cell normally.

    ACE inhibitor drugs & dietary providers of that same inhibition (ex: mycelial/fungal fermented soy bean ACE inhibiting hydrolized by-products like miso and japanese "touchi"- black soy bean  enbedded in aspergillus  oryzae +/- 1 year) afford protection from infarct damage via molecular action just like 2nd stage pre-conditioning does. They do this by acting on the bradykinin molecules a challenged heart puts out; and then downstream there is more MnSOD available to take on the ROS load in order to not waste NO in reactions with those ROS.  

    Exercise benefit to the heart is partly because it increases mitochondrial MnSOD; creating a predisposition for late stage pre-conditioning. One of the paradox of exercise is that it induces more inflammation molecules. The cytokines TNF-alpha & IL-1B acting in synergy (not stand alone drivers) induce cascades downstream that make muscles put out more MnSOD.

    "Warm-up Angina" is a long recognized phenomena which is akin to an exercise ischemia. The push from one's resting heart wave and subsequent time recuperating  are suggested to be a version of  early stage pre-conditioning. This conditions one so that there is more time before same amount of exercise would drive you to hit an ischemia challenge; and also one would have to get hit by a greater degree of oxygen drop to trigger any ischemia challenge. The plasticity of the heart gets trained.

  • Joanna

    1/18/2012 9:14:27 PM |

    Another cause of post MI depression was pointed out to me by a friend who was familiar with the drugs prescribed after an MI.  One of the most common is a beta blocker which is designed to lower blood pressure and slow down the heart (I believe I got that right), so that the heart can heal.  One of the side effects (which nobody mentioned when prescribing the drugs) is that they make you feel physically lethargic due to the decrease in heart rate which can then lead to a perception of being depressed (rather than the type of serotonin related depression AL was talking about) because you don't feel like doing your usual level of activity, you may not even feel like getting off the couch - and you may not even realize why!  The lack of information about what to expect and the side effects of all the various drugs used was astounding.

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    1/18/2012 11:31:10 PM |

    Permit me to revisit Dotslady's myocardial infarction (MI, heart attack):
    marathon over & by 5 a.m. she  suspects an MI. Thus, after  usual interlude of 12 hours any 1st phase of pre-conditioning did not manifest enough (any?) 2nd phase pre-conditioning to prevent her hospitalization for MI.
    She had labored breathing after 12 hours instead. Pulmonary artery smooth muscle has the enzyme trans-glut-aminase II in between it's elastin & collagen "cables" layers.
    The pulmonary artery cells' seraton-ylation (via trans-glut-aminase II) make for a version of  contraction (calcium influx & possibly cyto-skeletal filament actin alters). The increased resistance forced her pulmonary artery to struggle (labor) just to keep up with the base line need for oxygenated blood by the brain & vital organs.
    Nitric oxide (NO) is capable of influencing the trans-glut-aminase enzyme and even keeps less amount of that enzyme being  deployed. But without the 2nd phase of pre-condtioning's MnSOD too much NO is busy being wasted interacting with ROS. And considering how Prozac (fluoxetine, traditionally used as a brain SSRI seratonin tweaker) inhibits trans-glut-aminase II enzyme we can see how an appropriate doseage of it (ie: enough fluoxetine drug to infuse relevant tissue cells other than the brain) helps in panic/anxiety to relieve breathing. Prozac blunts the ability of seraton-ylation to go forward in the pulmonary artery by an additional independant avenue than how it is otherwise acting in the brain.
    Looks like Dotslady's dys-functional seratonin (ex: depression) hard wiring apparently did let some pulmonary artery seraton-ylation go forward after 12 hours. And then elsewhere seraton-ylation seems to have progressively gotten worse in some cardiac artery smooth muscle cells adding to the occlusion afflicting (attack) her heart muscle myocyte cells.
    She is even a young, doctor guided & low-carb exerciser. Which suggests to me that seratonin quirks in some individuals can unfortunately over-ride the ability to get into play the 2nd phase of pre-conditioning.

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    1/19/2012 5:52:36 PM |

    Dr. Davis gave succinct MI advice (above) : "...supplement iodine and correct any thyroid dysfunction...." Just in case anyone misses that connection to my layman comments  I'll specify the relevance.
    Low thyroid has (for decades) been clinically  associated with depression & Doc  is very concerned with adult onset hypo-thyroid. Examples of Prozac (fluoxetine) were given because drugs illustrate the seratonin factor.
    My references to SSRI anti-depressant drugs  do not negate Doc's protocol for preventing MI.  Part of his clinical success may be how protocol limits adverse seraton-ylation.

  • PHK

    1/20/2012 8:58:42 AM |

    Might,
    awesome! thanks!
    pam

  • Dotslady

    1/20/2012 7:26:42 PM |

    Hi Might o'chroni AL:  
    I appreciate your response, and I understood a lot of it.  I will reread it to understand more as time goes on.  FYI: the date of the heart attack was May 16, 2010.  

    I had to look up my notes on how long I took the 5-HTP.  I took a formulary supplement: Travacor by Neuroscience (http://bit.ly/zhayn2), which I understand from my MD/ND had 100mg of 5-HTP for about 5 months.  

    When I took my first dose it alleviated my leg pains(yay!), but I had side effect of a piercing headache in the back of my cerebellum area for a few hours while awakening, and in the morning.  However, after that few hours of pain, I was jubilant because I felt a sense of contentment I'd never felt before.  MD/ND told me to cease the supplement for a week, then titrate the dose to prevent the headaches.  I learned serotonin is also in your cerebellum, and even your eyes.  When I titrated the dose I never got back the lack of leg pain, nor the sense of contentment.

    Anyway, I continued taking them, and by the time I had the heart attack, I was up to 2 pills.  By May 10, I'd added L-tryptophan (Jarrow, 500mg) for about 3 weeks with no effect, so I stopped that, and then added 50mg 5-HTP.  I noted I slept somewhat better.  That was for about 6 days before the heart attack.  I made no note of it, but I may have even tried taking 2-50mg 5-HTP for a few nights trying to sleep better.  

    All the while, all I had to do was give up dairy.  At your suggestion, I've looked into PAD, but can't imagine it as I associate it with calf pain.  I will bring it up with my doctor nonetheless.  Thank you again for your response.  

    Dr. Davis:

    I agree.

  • Dotslady

    1/20/2012 8:03:16 PM |

    If that were true, would babies have celiac disease?  Or is that because their parents ate too much gluten?  

    Having an HLA-DQ gene predisposes a person to autoimmune disease.  Even then there are people without the genes we KNOW about for celiac in particular, HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8, who don't tolerate gluten.  Up to 80% of the population has at least one HLA gene according to Dr. Fine of www.enterolab.com.   Approx. 30% of people of European descent have celiac genes in particular.  Autoimmune disease is triggered by stress (psychological or physical, chronic or sudden), virus, surgery, or pregnancy (which are all stresses to the body).  It's also triggered by eating gluten - whole grain or otherwise.  I wonder if you have the gene, or have stress in your life.

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    1/21/2012 12:06:25 AM |

    Hi Dotslady,
    Your 5HTP supplement link shows it includes taurine. Taurine is pretty basic - yet your genetics seem to challenge a few basics.
    Since  published in 1997 "Taurine Depletion, a novel mechanism for cardioprotection from ischemia" (see AJP-Heart, Oct. 1997; vol.273, No,4:H1956-H1961) has  influenced  research (2001 example is http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/298/3/1167.full).
    Anyway, you took 5-HTP supplement with added in taurine. Taurine can accumulate in a heart cell  myocyte provoking unwanted conditions.
    Beta-alanine molecule (which can not build up residually in a cell) is the crucially protective end-product from the Meditteranean Diet's high % of poly-amines per calorie of food volume ingested. Ignobly named, spermine, spermidine & putrescene are key poly-amines that we mammals can process into  Beta-alanine, which is what  counter-acts excess taurine in cells & thus protects heart muscle (ie: why Med Diet is heart healthy despite the dietician "No-No" items eaten) .

  • Peggy Holloway

    1/21/2012 1:56:47 AM |

    I got it!

  • Runner2012

    1/23/2012 5:07:55 PM |

    Dr Davis:

    I've been supplementing with Vitamin D3 for the last couple of years since a test revealed a level of 31 ng/dL. I'm now at 48 ng/dL. However I saw this recent finding that is of concern to me:

    American Journal of Cardiology
    Volume 109, Issue 2 , Pages 226-230, 15 January 2012
    Relation Between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and C-Reactive Protein in Asymptomatic Adults (From the Continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001 to 2006)

    "In conclusion, from this cohort of asymptomatic adults, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, we observed a statistically significant inverse relation between 25(OH)D at levels <21 ng/ml and CRP. We found that 25(OH)D at a level ≥21 ng/ml is associated with an increase in serum CRP. It is possible that the role of vitamin D supplementation to reduce inflammation is beneficial only among those with a lower serum 25(OH)D."

    http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149%2811%2902748-2/abstract

  • sete

    1/23/2012 5:47:20 PM |

    Runner2012,

    The references for that article might give you some more helpful information. I thought these were good for adding more perspective to the study and its conclusions;

    Michos ED, Streeten EA, Ryan KA, Rampersaud E, Peyser PA, Bielak LF, et al. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are not associated with subclinical vascular disease or C-reactive protein in the old order Amish . Calcif Tissue Int . 2009;84:195–202;

    Pittas AG , Harris SS , Stark PC , Dawson-Hughes B . The effects of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on blood glucose and markers of inflammation in nondiabetic adults . Diabetes Care . 2007;30:980–986;

    Jorde R , Sneve M , Torjesen PA , Figenschau Y , Gøransson LG , Omdal R . No effect of supplementation with cholecalciferol on cytokines and markers of inflammation in overweight and obese subjects . Cytokines . 2010;50:175–180.

  • Dr. William Davis

    1/31/2012 2:33:00 AM |

    This was a flawed study with only so much potential to extract conclusions. The design of the study makes it hypothesis-generating, at best.

  • Lee

    2/29/2012 10:40:04 PM |

    Your doctor isn''t current. You are better informed than he is.
    I''d find a new doctor.

  • dotslady

    6/21/2012 4:36:11 PM |

    Dear Dr. Williams,

    An update:  I figured out my fibro pain source:  I'm amine intolerant (histamine and likely tyramine - I'm working on an elimination diet).  I was on to something about the dairy, but it's more about fermented dairy, i.e. yogurt.  If you look at the diet journal I shared from the day before my heart attack, it was full of histamine:  yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, banana, sausage, deli turkey, frozen meals w/cheese and spicy tomato/enchilada sauce, mangoes (I know now if I have two that it's one too many), sunflower seeds.  Histamine levels fluctuate w/dose ingested and what the body can clear/process.  There's no testing in the USA that I know of for the enzymes responsible for clearing histamine (DAO and NMNT), hence the next best Rx: elimination diet.  My recent serum histamine and tryptase level was in normal lab range, but as I know from gluten intolerance this is not reason to not try diet.  I have joggled three days in a row 6.5 miles and without pain!   I asked my cardiologist at my annual checkup if histamine could have caused my heart attack.  He said he hadn't heard of it.  I know there are histamine receptors on the heart.  Yes, I've tried anti-histamines (don't work), and I've used with SOME affect a product called Histame.  Like with celiac disease I didn't have the "usual" GI symptoms.  My symptom would have been migraines .. in my LEGS (not my head); and I have two distinct pains - 1) hamstring aching and sometimes the striated muscles feel like taught piano strings, and 2) aching like a pushed and pulsating bruise above my left knee.  The more histamine I ingest the pain grows to the right leg (the hamstring pain always seems to start in the right hams).  Fermented foods cause the bruise-type ache above the knees; palpitations, and ankle edema (exacerbated by stress - always starts in the left leg and the more histamine I ingest it moves then also to the right ankle).  Too strenuous exercise is a stress btw.  Emotional stress also causes left ankle edema.  Could exercise stress, food allergy stress, emotional stress cause my heart attack?  I think so for me anyway.  I would REALLY appreciate your cardiologist thoughts about this as it affects 1-5% of the population (like celiac/gluten intolerance), and they don't know.  Since we have mast cells all over our body, everyone's symptoms are different.   Typical symptoms for histamine intolerance involve the GI or migraine/headaches, but until I read something about palpitations I never considered it.   DAO enzyme is made within a healthy intestinal mucosa.  I remember having these symptoms the year my Hashimoto's was dx in 1996 and attributing it to hypothyroidism.   I recently had a repeat Cyrex Labs Array 2 Leaky Gut test to assess my healing.  My first test I was still leaky, and this year it's mostly within normal limits.   I'm healing with gluten/grain/dairy/egg white/corn/legume/mostly nightshade  free diet (I have recently reintroduced potatoes, unfortunately that also includes chips!).  I'm experimenting w/elimination diet.   The crux of this?  Gluten damaged my gut and my health steadily went downhill.  I'm on the mend and excited for the first time since my celiac dx in 2006.  Thanks - have been reading your book - it's a great book!

  • dotslady

    6/21/2012 4:50:27 PM |

    edit to correct:  the second histamine enzyme acronym is HNMT not HMNT as written above.  It stands for Histamine N-methyltransferase (I've also read it as HMT).  DAO is diamine oxidase.  http://bit.ly/daohistamine

  • Dairy infraction | Youtoobelong

    9/24/2012 12:33:51 AM |

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