It is one thing to hear and agree to doing the grain free, sugar free way of eating called GAPS and it is another to do it. I know it is a powerful way to heal so many serious illnesses and it doesn't work if you don't follow it to the letter.
But where to start? Or if you have started you may find that you are having some difficulties. You may find out that the store bought gluten free ice-cream that you eat once a month, is adding to your risk of heart disease and or it is slowing down your recovery from depression, for example. Now what do you do!
For resources, I have recommended-
1. The book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Campbell-McBride.
2. the web site www.gaps.me
3. GAPS certified (by Dr. Campbell- McBride herself) nutrition therapists in your area, or online, .
And you have another choice.
The Weston A. Price Foundation " Wise Traditions" 2014 conference has finished and you can sign up to on demand access to one of four packages of lectures. All include the "Step by Step Healing with GAPS diet". They are priced at US$ 30.00 up to the full conference at US$ 89.00.
Go to this link to see your amazing choices of high quality lectures from beginner to more advanced needs: http://www.fleetwoodonsite.com/ppSD2/catalog.php?id=14.
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara
Monday, September 22, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
Gluten Sensitivity, Vitamin D, and Cavities
Worldwide, 60–90% of school children
and nearly 100% of adults have dental cavities, according to the World Health Organization. What makes this statistic so concerning is that oral health is
essential to general health and quality of life. Something many are unaware about
is the connection between gluten sensitivity, vitamin D, and oral health.
A study conducted in 2012, confirmed that gluten causes the body to produce an immune
reaction against one of the main proteins responsible for producing enamel on the
teeth. The lack of enamel causes excessive cavities, tooth wear and tear, and
thus the premature destruction or loss of teeth.
Vitamin D, on
the other hand, produces two proteins (cathelicidins and defensins) which have antibacterial effects to fight the bacteria that cause cavities. Vitamin D deficiency is proven to be a cause of tooth decay within clinical trials involving 3,000 children. What Dr. Hujoel found was that an increase in vitamin D levels reduced cavities to 50
percent.
Gluten sensitive people, eating a normal diet with gluten have low vitamin D from many different mechanisms, including their skin has trouble making vitamin D. Eliminating gluten from the diet stops further destruction, but does not in most cases heal. For that you need to heal the gut, and do a GAPS diet.
Gluten sensitive people, eating a normal diet with gluten have low vitamin D from many different mechanisms, including their skin has trouble making vitamin D. Eliminating gluten from the diet stops further destruction, but does not in most cases heal. For that you need to heal the gut, and do a GAPS diet.
In light of
this information, I have a few recommendations to improve the quality, mineralization and
health of your pearly whites.
- Commit to a GAPS diet, which
consists of eating fermented foods, probiotics, and foods high in vitamin D
while eliminating grains, dairy, legumes, and sugar. A GAPs diet helps increase the
absorption of nutrients, minerals, and fat soluble vitamins, such as vitamins
K, D, E, and A.
- Take silica supplements that can be
found as liquids, powders, or tablets.
- Drink green and black tea frequently (without any sweeteners, milk, or cream) as it reduces plaque buildup and suppresses bacteria levels in your mouth
- Brush your teeth with baking soda with or without peroxide and then rub a small amount of xylitol powder (corn free, made from birch or any hardwood tree on your
teeth. Commercial toothpaste contains glycerin, which prevents the
mineralization of your teeth.
- “Oil Pulling”, an ancient art
popularized by Dr. Bruce Fife, involves rinsing your mouth with a few teaspoons
of oil. I recommend coconut oil and unpasteurized butter for the oil used, for whiter and healthier
teeth!
- Avoid the “dirty dozen” as described by the Environmental Working Group, which include, seed oils, farmed fish, and chemical exposure of all kinds (creams, toothpaste, tap water with fluoride, ‘Raid’, baby shampoo, etc).
- Keep your vitamin D serum levels above 100. You will need a blood test to determine your vitamin D level.
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
The Implications of Low Cholesterol in Depression and Suicide- Dr. Greenblatt, MD
After fatigue, the most common symptom of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity is probably
depression if one were to include mild depression. Low levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and essential fatty acids (EFAs) are intimately linked to depression. Understanding the consequences of deficiencies in essential fats and cholesterol is important for the effective treatment and response of depression. Whether low cholesterol is drug induced, genetic, or the result of a leaky gut and poor digestive enzyme production or low bile production from chronic gluten ingestion in a gluten sensitive person, low cholesterol impairs optimal brain function and often prevents successful recovery.
James M. Greenblatt, M.D.
For the last quarter century, we have been told that cholesterol is dangerous for our health and were advised to avoid it in order to live a healthier life. However, cholesterol is essential in maintaining good mental health. The brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ in the body, and depriving the brain of essential fatty acids and cholesterol can lead to detrimental health problems. Lower levels of cholesterol in the blood are associated with a heightened risk of developing major depressive disorder, as well as an increased risk of death from suicide. A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that depressed men with low total cholesterol levels (less than 165 milligrams per deciliter [mg/dL] or less than 4.14 nmol/l) were seven times more likely to die prematurely from unnatural causes such as suicide and accidents.
Most recently, the continued allegation that cholesterol is dangerous came under scrutiny. A meta-analysis published in the March 2014 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine found that there's not enough evidence supporting the claim that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease. After reviewing 72 different studies, researchers did not find that people who ate higher levels of saturated fat had more heart disease than those who ate less. Researchers came to the conclusion that instead of avoiding fats, which are essential to maintaining brain health, scientists are identifying the real villains as sugar and highly processed foods.
Low Cholesterol and Depression
Several studies have linked low cholesterol levels to an increased risk of developing depression. Consider the following examples:
1. 1993 paper published in the Lancet reported, "Among men aged seventy years and older, categorically defined depression was three times more common in the group with low total plasma cholesterol . . . than in those with higher concentrations."
2. 2000 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers compared cholesterol levels to depressive symptoms in men ranging in age from forty to seventy. They found that men with long-term, low total cholesterol levels "have a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms" compared to those with higher cholesterol levels.
3. Women with low cholesterol levels are also vulnerable to depression.
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| cholesterol |
Some gluten sensitivity researchers say that if a person has low cholesterol, low triglycerides, or low essential fatty acids on an initial assessment, then that is enough to give the person the diagnosis of gluten sensitivity. I have found 50% of people on initial assessment who end up with positive gluten sensitivity diagnosis, have low levels of each, cholesterol or triglycerides or EFAs. Fixed only when the bowel issues are fixed. (Grain free, dairy free, sugar free way of eating called GAPS (www.gaps.me) seems the only way to fix it.)
James M. Greenblatt, M.D.
For the last quarter century, we have been told that cholesterol is dangerous for our health and were advised to avoid it in order to live a healthier life. However, cholesterol is essential in maintaining good mental health. The brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ in the body, and depriving the brain of essential fatty acids and cholesterol can lead to detrimental health problems. Lower levels of cholesterol in the blood are associated with a heightened risk of developing major depressive disorder, as well as an increased risk of death from suicide. A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that depressed men with low total cholesterol levels (less than 165 milligrams per deciliter [mg/dL] or less than 4.14 nmol/l) were seven times more likely to die prematurely from unnatural causes such as suicide and accidents.
Most recently, the continued allegation that cholesterol is dangerous came under scrutiny. A meta-analysis published in the March 2014 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine found that there's not enough evidence supporting the claim that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease. After reviewing 72 different studies, researchers did not find that people who ate higher levels of saturated fat had more heart disease than those who ate less. Researchers came to the conclusion that instead of avoiding fats, which are essential to maintaining brain health, scientists are identifying the real villains as sugar and highly processed foods.
Low Cholesterol and Depression
Several studies have linked low cholesterol levels to an increased risk of developing depression. Consider the following examples:
1. 1993 paper published in the Lancet reported, "Among men aged seventy years and older, categorically defined depression was three times more common in the group with low total plasma cholesterol . . . than in those with higher concentrations."
2. 2000 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers compared cholesterol levels to depressive symptoms in men ranging in age from forty to seventy. They found that men with long-term, low total cholesterol levels "have a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms" compared to those with higher cholesterol levels.
3. Women with low cholesterol levels are also vulnerable to depression.
Of note, the reverse seems true, that more cholesterol is protective of depression. In a 2008 meta-analysis, higher total cholesterol was associated with lower levels of depression.
Low cholesterol has other serious health implications such as cancer, infertility and lower immune health and you can get more info here and here.
If you have high cholesterol and are worried about it causing heart disease, see a balance article here describing how cholesterol levels are not the focus of "heart care'' in the recent guidelines.
If it is hard for you to introduce more saturated fats and give up the poly unsaturated fats because you believe they will lower your rate of heart attacks, then you should watch the gripping movie called Oiling of America. Everyone in your family should see it.
To Your Health.
Dr. Barbara
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Olive Oil Fraud “Widespread” Warns New Yorker Magazine- But You Can Get The Real Thing. Here is How!
I've been reminded by this article by Fresh Pressed Olive Oil.com that I need to dig deeper into how people choose the olive oil they eat, if there is unremitting inflammation. The person may be consuming fake olive oil.Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is probably the number one fake food out there. And the fake stuff has oils that are in the omega 6 category and I recommend reducing the omega 6's in an anti inflammatory diet. Some people may be keeping their omega 6 oil levels up without knowing it when they eat and make foods from just any old EVOO. Here is what I wrote about the evidence for the rampant adulteration of EVOO found in North American stores and some suggestions for finding the real thing.
Scientists at UC Davis found that 69% of the imported extra virgin olive oils they tested were fake, adulterated, stale, or so subpar that they failed to meet international and USDA standards for being labeled “extra virgin.”
From freshpressedoliveoil.com:
This Is Outrageous!
This [amount of fraud] is an outrageous shame because authentic extra virgin olive oil—the real stuff—is so healthy for you. Medical science has determined that it is one of the healthiest foods you can consume. For example:
Scientific studies have shown that authentic extra-virgin olive oil lowers “bad” cholesterol and cuts your risk of heart disease and stroke. It helps protect against cancer, especially cancer of the breast, prostate, and colon. It’s a godsend for arthritis sufferers because it can cool inflammation and ease joint pain without any side effects.
It has also been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of diabetes, and may even help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. If you want to avoid osteoporosis, it’s outstanding because it enables the calcium in your food to be better absorbed into your bones. Finally, it’s loaded with some of the most powerful disease-fighting antioxidants and polyphenols known to science, which fortify your immune system and help it protect every organ of your body against disease.
Way back in the fourth century BC, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was way ahead of his time. He loved his Greek olive oil and considered it beneficial for over 60 therapeutic uses, hailing it as “the great therapeutic.”
This Is Outrageous!
This [amount of fraud] is an outrageous shame because authentic extra virgin olive oil—the real stuff—is so healthy for you. Medical science has determined that it is one of the healthiest foods you can consume. For example:
Scientific studies have shown that authentic extra-virgin olive oil lowers “bad” cholesterol and cuts your risk of heart disease and stroke. It helps protect against cancer, especially cancer of the breast, prostate, and colon. It’s a godsend for arthritis sufferers because it can cool inflammation and ease joint pain without any side effects.
It has also been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of diabetes, and may even help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. If you want to avoid osteoporosis, it’s outstanding because it enables the calcium in your food to be better absorbed into your bones. Finally, it’s loaded with some of the most powerful disease-fighting antioxidants and polyphenols known to science, which fortify your immune system and help it protect every organ of your body against disease.
Way back in the fourth century BC, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was way ahead of his time. He loved his Greek olive oil and considered it beneficial for over 60 therapeutic uses, hailing it as “the great therapeutic.”
Read the whole article to find out how to avoid the second issue with buying EVOO and that is how to tell when it was bottled. It is best to consume the EVOO by six months of it being bottled.
There is another three ways to buy authentic EVOO.
One is to check the Consumer Reports which has a list of EVOO products that were found to be authentic, found at the first link above.
The other is to find a source of single estate (family farm) EVOO at your local farmer's market or ethnic shop. You have to ask questions until you are satisfied it is the real thing.
One last word. In the US, there appears to be only one certified label for EVOO and it is for Californian olive oil, so look for the seal with California Olive Oil Council ( COOC).
After going to all this trouble to find the real extra virgin olive oil, treat it gently to maintain its health benefits. Please don't apply high heat to it. If you are sauteing or frying use an oil like coconut oil that withstands higher heat and does not lose its goodness, and pour some olive oil over the meat, fish, eggs or veges as you are serving it.
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara
After going to all this trouble to find the real extra virgin olive oil, treat it gently to maintain its health benefits. Please don't apply high heat to it. If you are sauteing or frying use an oil like coconut oil that withstands higher heat and does not lose its goodness, and pour some olive oil over the meat, fish, eggs or veges as you are serving it.
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
WHO- 85% of Adult Cancers are Preventable: Beyond Celiac
We are so busy every day we often forget that we are what we eat and other lifestyle habits. Simple ( but not necessarily easy) changes make a very large difference in our future health.
Let us all be mindful when we choose our food for the day. Planning our lunches that we take to work or making food on Sunday in preparation for the week goes a long way to being healthier.
Walking is great exercise and with a few sprints added in for the cardio and you will help keep the blood flowing rather than stagnating.
Choose your food wisely. More to come on this topic.
If you eat inflammatory foods like grains, and you have inflammatory lifestyle habits like smoking or a sedentary life, you will encourage inflammatory responses in your body which include, but is not exclusive of, cancer.
The Cytokine Research Laboratory published an article entitled "Cancer is a preventable disease that requires major lifestyle changes" which can be summarized by saying reduce inflammation/cytokines with lifestyle changes.
The WHO has put out a paper declaring 85% of adult cancers of preventable and known risk factors are overweight, obesity, malnutrition and infection, all of which are higher in gluten sensitive persons. Here is an excerpt.
Cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx and oesophagus. In developed countries the main risk factors for cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx and oesophagus are alcohol and tobacco, and up to 75% of such cancers are
attributable to these two lifestyle factors (5). Overweight and obesity are established risk factors specifically for adenocarcinoma (but not squamous cell carcinoma) of the oesophagus (6--8). In developing countries, around 60% of cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx and oesophagus are thought to be a result of micronutrient deficiencies related to a restricted diet that is low in fruits and vegetables and animal products (5, 9).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that 85 per cent of adult cancers are entirely avoidable and, of these, around half are related to nutritional deficiencies in the Western diet. A recent government report showed how nearly 70,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year by simply improving the UK's diet.
Another study carried out by Brigham Young University professor Steven Aldana, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, March, 2005, found that a combination of 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day along with a switch to a healthier diet dropped the participants’ health risks for diabetes, cancer, and heart disease dramatically in just 6 weeks.Let us all be mindful when we choose our food for the day. Planning our lunches that we take to work or making food on Sunday in preparation for the week goes a long way to being healthier.
Walking is great exercise and with a few sprints added in for the cardio and you will help keep the blood flowing rather than stagnating.
Choose your food wisely. More to come on this topic.
Besides eliminating inflammatory foods and lifestyle habits, how can reverse inflammation and encourage anti inflammation?
-Keeping our microbiota healthy by eating and drinking fermented foods (like water Kefir) and supplementing with good probiotics.
-Eating fish three times a week, and supplementing with fish oils to keep our omega 3 levels as high as possible.
-avoiding grains and seed oils and other sources of omega 6's, because the average persons levels are too high.
-Keeping serum homocysteine levels below 8 with B vitamins and Betaine
-Keeping ones serum high sensitivity CRP ( a blood test ordered by your doctor) below 2.
-flossing your teeth and seeing a biological dentist for assessment and care.
-moderate exercise, slightly more if you need to lose weight.
-keeping your waist/hip ratio below .75 for women and below 1.0 for men and
-keeping the waist measurement below 30 inches for women and below 35 inches for men.
To Year Health
Dr. Barbara
Friday, July 25, 2014
There is Still Time to Sign Up for Dr. Tom O'Bryan's Lecture Friday July 25th-available 48 hours
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Thursday, July 17, 2014
Fish to Avoid Due to Mercury Toxicity: Natural Resources Defense Council
Learn more about mercury and its effects at the Natural Resources Defense Council web site here:
PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY
Consumer Guide to Mercury in Fish
The list below shows the amount of various types of fish that a woman who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant can safely eat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA recommendation is based on body weight and is, therefore, dependent on a person's size. The guidance below is based on a 6 oz serving of cooked fish for a 130lb/60kg woman. People with small children who want to use the list as a guide should reduce portion sizes. Adult men, and women who are not planning to become pregnant, are less at risk from mercury exposure but may wish to refer to the list for low-mercury choices. For a more personalized recommendation, use NRDC's mercury calculator.
Protecting yourself -- and the fish: Certain fish, even some that are low in mercury, make poor choices for other reasons, most often because they have been fished so extensively that their numbers are perilously low. These fish are marked with an asterisk (read more below).
HIGH MERCURY*
Eat less than four servings per month:
Bluefish
Grouper
Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
Sea Bass (Chilean)
Tuna (Canned Albacore)
Tuna (Yellowfin)
HIGHEST MERCURY**
Avoid eating:
Mackerel (King)
Marlin
Orange Roughy
Shark
Swordfish
Tilefish
Tuna (Bigeye, Ahi)
* High mercury: From 0.3 to 0.49 parts per million
** Highest mercury: More than .5 parts per million
source: http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/guide.asp
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