Hello! As many of you know, my 26 year old brother Jeffrey has brain cancer. He's undergone 2 huge surgeries already to remove 2 separate tumors from his brain. He is recovering so well and his faith is incredible. There is an event going on THIS SATURDAY, Oct 23rd, as a benefit to him to raise money and support his fight in this battle. He has been married 2 years to Amanda and has a 6 week old beautiful baby girl, Lucy.
This saturday at Maranatha Church in Forest Lake, starting at noon, the event begins. This is going to be huge with tons of family friendly things to do and see.
Please check out the website for more info: jeffhaugenbenefit.com
Also, my great hubby Ryan found this website that looks to have lots of great info also:
http://chrisbeatcancer.wordpress.com/
Blessings to you and your loved ones.
Elizabeth
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Cholesterol, a necessity to life
Did you know that cholesterol is needed by the body for many functions? In today's America, when we think about cholesterol, most of us also think: heart attack, plaque, and just plain bad! In reality, this is not true. While we don't want cholesterol to be too high, we also don't want the levels to be too low.
According to Mary Enig, PhD, world renowned biochemist and researcher in the area of fats and lipids, "Cholesterol is essential to life." Even my pathophysiology textbook from PA school states, "Cholesterol and triglycerides are useful lipids." Did you know that your liver makes the majority of cholesterol that is in your body? AND did you know that when you eat a food with cholesterol in it, your body knows this and tells your liver to calm down its own production? AND, did you know that when your body needs to make new healthy tissue or repair damaged tissue, it needs cholesterol to do so? Doesn't it make sense then, when your body is going through recovery from illness or injury that your cholesterol levels would naturally go up until healing has been completed?
What? How can this be?? From Dr Enig's book, Eat Fat, Lose fat, here is a list of the many important reasons why our bodies need cholesterol:
1. to make hormones for dealing with stress
2. for protection against chronic disease
3. to produce sex hormones
4. to help your body make vitamin D which is crucial for good health
5. to make bile salts for digestion
6. to act as an antioxidant (this fights against those free radicals in our body that wreak havoc on our tissues)
7. for proper functioning of serotonin receptors (if cholesterol is too low, you are more prone to depression)
8. an important ingredient in breast milk for an infant's brain and nervous system development
9. to maintain a healthy intestinal wall allowing you to absorb important nutrients from your food
10. to repair damaged tissue at the cellular level (all cells have cholesterol in their cell membrane)
Most doctors are aware of the Framingham study that began in 1948 and studied thousands of men over several years. This study is one frequently used to support the idea that high cholesterol causes heart disease. When in fact, a 30 year post anaysis report states, "For each 1mg/dl drop in cholesterol, there was an 11% increase in coronary and total mortality." This goes against everything we have ever heard in the media and even through our doctors. Why and how did this discrepancy occur? Unfortunately, those who financially support many research studies and the specialists that sit on our government run health committees are the drug companies who make cholesterol lowering medications. At one point in time, Lipitor was the number one selling drug in the world!
I am not against good medicine and good drugs when they are used appropriately and for good honest reasons. What we need to remember is that our bodies were designed to survive and it will do whatever it can, given the proper tools, to heal and repair itself. By lowering cholesterol levels too low, you are diminishing one of the essential tools that the body needs for survival. Have you ever been amazed that a simple cut on your skin can heal without any remnant of leftover existence? Do you have to tell your eyelids to blink or your diaphragm to move so you can breathe? Do you have to tell your heart to beat or your hamstring muscles to move so that you can walk? Your body is amazingly designed and created so when something goes wrong, find out why. Get to bottom of why your body is doing what it is doing and try your best to give your body the tools (nourishment) it needs to function well and balanced!
Cheers!
According to Mary Enig, PhD, world renowned biochemist and researcher in the area of fats and lipids, "Cholesterol is essential to life." Even my pathophysiology textbook from PA school states, "Cholesterol and triglycerides are useful lipids." Did you know that your liver makes the majority of cholesterol that is in your body? AND did you know that when you eat a food with cholesterol in it, your body knows this and tells your liver to calm down its own production? AND, did you know that when your body needs to make new healthy tissue or repair damaged tissue, it needs cholesterol to do so? Doesn't it make sense then, when your body is going through recovery from illness or injury that your cholesterol levels would naturally go up until healing has been completed?
What? How can this be?? From Dr Enig's book, Eat Fat, Lose fat, here is a list of the many important reasons why our bodies need cholesterol:
1. to make hormones for dealing with stress
2. for protection against chronic disease
3. to produce sex hormones
4. to help your body make vitamin D which is crucial for good health
5. to make bile salts for digestion
6. to act as an antioxidant (this fights against those free radicals in our body that wreak havoc on our tissues)
7. for proper functioning of serotonin receptors (if cholesterol is too low, you are more prone to depression)
8. an important ingredient in breast milk for an infant's brain and nervous system development
9. to maintain a healthy intestinal wall allowing you to absorb important nutrients from your food
10. to repair damaged tissue at the cellular level (all cells have cholesterol in their cell membrane)
Most doctors are aware of the Framingham study that began in 1948 and studied thousands of men over several years. This study is one frequently used to support the idea that high cholesterol causes heart disease. When in fact, a 30 year post anaysis report states, "For each 1mg/dl drop in cholesterol, there was an 11% increase in coronary and total mortality." This goes against everything we have ever heard in the media and even through our doctors. Why and how did this discrepancy occur? Unfortunately, those who financially support many research studies and the specialists that sit on our government run health committees are the drug companies who make cholesterol lowering medications. At one point in time, Lipitor was the number one selling drug in the world!
I am not against good medicine and good drugs when they are used appropriately and for good honest reasons. What we need to remember is that our bodies were designed to survive and it will do whatever it can, given the proper tools, to heal and repair itself. By lowering cholesterol levels too low, you are diminishing one of the essential tools that the body needs for survival. Have you ever been amazed that a simple cut on your skin can heal without any remnant of leftover existence? Do you have to tell your eyelids to blink or your diaphragm to move so you can breathe? Do you have to tell your heart to beat or your hamstring muscles to move so that you can walk? Your body is amazingly designed and created so when something goes wrong, find out why. Get to bottom of why your body is doing what it is doing and try your best to give your body the tools (nourishment) it needs to function well and balanced!
Cheers!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Terrible Two: #2: HFCS
Okay, I know it's been a while since the last post, so in case you have forgotten, the Terrible Two #1 was trans fat, that is, any type of hydrogenated oil.
Now for #2: HFCS which is high fructose corn syrup.
Why is this bad, you ask? If you've seen the commercials for this substance, they have reassured you that it is just another type of sweetener and that in moderation, this is perfectly fine. However, those ads are sponsored by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) and they are quick to tell us that this substance is safe because it is one of the lifelines of their business. Corn is a huge crop in America and many farms receive government subsidies to grow it! The CRA website is sweetsurprise.com, if you are interested.
However, I'm telling you that this substance is proving more and more to be very detrimental to our health. A recent study found that pancreatic tumor cells were "fed" by fructose and the tumor cells used this sugar to grow and multiply. Cancer Research August 1, 2010;70:6368.
According to Dr. Linda Ojeda PhD, author of Her Healthy Heart and Menopause Without Medicine, fructose can "profoundly affect the cardiovascular system." She reports a 1993 USDA study finding that fructose increased LDL (bad) cholesterol. Also fructose, like any excessive amount of sugar, is easily converted into triglycerides which increases risk for heart disease. Her Healthy Heart, Hunter House Inc. Publishers, 1998.
In his book, Anticancer, A New Way of Life, Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, states about HFCS, "This concentrate is to sugar a little like what opium is to poppies. Removed from its natual matrix (there is fructose in all fruits) and mixed with glucose, it can no longer be handled by the insulin our bodies produce, at least not without collateral damage. It then becomes toxic."
Because HFCS is such a concentrated form of sweetener, plus it is incorporated into MANY packaged foods, our bodies are overwhelmed with the sugar overload. This, in turn, causes high insulin levels and the release of IGF (insulinlike growth factor). This promotes fat storage, cell growth and inflammation. Tumors develop from an abnormal cell that is fed and allowed to grow without inhibition. We have a new generation of children who eat most foods from a box or the freezer and heated in the microwave. Most of these are filled with sweeteners and products that are meant to increase the shelf life. Can we possibly conclude, then, that this is part of the cause for rising rates of cancer, especially in our children and young adult populations? Research is ongoing, but very suggestive.
In his own research, Dr Joseph Mercola has found a link between a high fructose intake and high levels of uric acid. This combination, he states, is related to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease. (mercola.com) We know that high uric acid levels are associated with gout as well.
Please do your best to cut back sugars and foods that come from a package, and if at all possible, avoid hydorgenated oils and HFCS.
Now for #2: HFCS which is high fructose corn syrup.
Why is this bad, you ask? If you've seen the commercials for this substance, they have reassured you that it is just another type of sweetener and that in moderation, this is perfectly fine. However, those ads are sponsored by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) and they are quick to tell us that this substance is safe because it is one of the lifelines of their business. Corn is a huge crop in America and many farms receive government subsidies to grow it! The CRA website is sweetsurprise.com, if you are interested.
However, I'm telling you that this substance is proving more and more to be very detrimental to our health. A recent study found that pancreatic tumor cells were "fed" by fructose and the tumor cells used this sugar to grow and multiply. Cancer Research August 1, 2010;70:6368.
According to Dr. Linda Ojeda PhD, author of Her Healthy Heart and Menopause Without Medicine, fructose can "profoundly affect the cardiovascular system." She reports a 1993 USDA study finding that fructose increased LDL (bad) cholesterol. Also fructose, like any excessive amount of sugar, is easily converted into triglycerides which increases risk for heart disease. Her Healthy Heart, Hunter House Inc. Publishers, 1998.
In his book, Anticancer, A New Way of Life, Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, states about HFCS, "This concentrate is to sugar a little like what opium is to poppies. Removed from its natual matrix (there is fructose in all fruits) and mixed with glucose, it can no longer be handled by the insulin our bodies produce, at least not without collateral damage. It then becomes toxic."
Because HFCS is such a concentrated form of sweetener, plus it is incorporated into MANY packaged foods, our bodies are overwhelmed with the sugar overload. This, in turn, causes high insulin levels and the release of IGF (insulinlike growth factor). This promotes fat storage, cell growth and inflammation. Tumors develop from an abnormal cell that is fed and allowed to grow without inhibition. We have a new generation of children who eat most foods from a box or the freezer and heated in the microwave. Most of these are filled with sweeteners and products that are meant to increase the shelf life. Can we possibly conclude, then, that this is part of the cause for rising rates of cancer, especially in our children and young adult populations? Research is ongoing, but very suggestive.
In his own research, Dr Joseph Mercola has found a link between a high fructose intake and high levels of uric acid. This combination, he states, is related to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease. (mercola.com) We know that high uric acid levels are associated with gout as well.
Please do your best to cut back sugars and foods that come from a package, and if at all possible, avoid hydorgenated oils and HFCS.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
What Is trans Fat?
Trans fat, also called partially hydrogenated oil, is the first of the "Terrible Two" that I suggest you avoid at all costs! Even Ancel Keys, one of the founders of the theory that cholesterol causes heart disease, stated in 1958 that trans fatty acids were to blame for heart disease. Basically, trans fats are manmade fats. These fats are made when an oil or type of fat undergoes a process called hydrogenation. During this process, hydrogen is added to the oil which then changes the actual structure of the oil molecule. This causes the molecule to then change shape from its natural state to a twisted formation. Through this process, the oil is changed to a solid which is then more stable and gives a food-product a longer shelf life.
So then, what's so bad about that? Research has now shown that these trans fats cause much havoc in the body. They have been proven to reduce your HDL (good cholesterol), raise your LDL (bad cholesterol), raise insulin levels (which contributes to fat storage) and make insulin not work as well (causing high blood sugar), negatively affect crucial enzymes in the body, and take the place of otherwise healthy fatty acids that the body needs. Trans fats in a mother's diet can decrease vision in infants, cause lower birthweight infants and lower the cream content of breastmilk. Interestingly, trans fats will raise the level of a substance called Lp[a] (this contributes to plaque build-up), yet saturated fats actually reduce this substance! All this is only half of the list of the negative effects of trans fats that I have sitting in front of me!
Dr. Mary Enig, a world renowned biochemist and researcher in the area of fats and oils since the 1970s, states that the most dangerous fats and oils are those that have been hydrogenated. As a result of this process, free radicals are formed that are toxic to the body and cause widespread damage.
The take-home message, then, is AVOID all trans fats/partially hydrogenated oils (and fully hydrogenated for that matter). The tricky part here is that you cannot rely on the front of the box when it says NO TRANS FAT. You NEED to look over the list of ingredients, and if you see it, put it back. Take inventory of your cupboards too!
As I mentioned before, your food should be as natural as possible. The more processing that is done to make a product, the more damaged it has become. When you eat or drink this damaged food-product, your body can't use it as well as the real natural food. Internal injury occurs and with injury comes inflammation (this is response to injury and the start of healing). Chronic inflammation will lead to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, thyroid problems, cancer, you name it!
Eat well and have a great week!
Resource: Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer, Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., Bethesda Press, Silver Spring, MD, 2000.
So then, what's so bad about that? Research has now shown that these trans fats cause much havoc in the body. They have been proven to reduce your HDL (good cholesterol), raise your LDL (bad cholesterol), raise insulin levels (which contributes to fat storage) and make insulin not work as well (causing high blood sugar), negatively affect crucial enzymes in the body, and take the place of otherwise healthy fatty acids that the body needs. Trans fats in a mother's diet can decrease vision in infants, cause lower birthweight infants and lower the cream content of breastmilk. Interestingly, trans fats will raise the level of a substance called Lp[a] (this contributes to plaque build-up), yet saturated fats actually reduce this substance! All this is only half of the list of the negative effects of trans fats that I have sitting in front of me!
Dr. Mary Enig, a world renowned biochemist and researcher in the area of fats and oils since the 1970s, states that the most dangerous fats and oils are those that have been hydrogenated. As a result of this process, free radicals are formed that are toxic to the body and cause widespread damage.
The take-home message, then, is AVOID all trans fats/partially hydrogenated oils (and fully hydrogenated for that matter). The tricky part here is that you cannot rely on the front of the box when it says NO TRANS FAT. You NEED to look over the list of ingredients, and if you see it, put it back. Take inventory of your cupboards too!
As I mentioned before, your food should be as natural as possible. The more processing that is done to make a product, the more damaged it has become. When you eat or drink this damaged food-product, your body can't use it as well as the real natural food. Internal injury occurs and with injury comes inflammation (this is response to injury and the start of healing). Chronic inflammation will lead to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, thyroid problems, cancer, you name it!
Eat well and have a great week!
Resource: Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer, Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., Bethesda Press, Silver Spring, MD, 2000.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
What Is The Sunshine Vitamin?
VITAMIN D! Traditionally called the sunshine vitamin because your skin can make it, vitamin D is actually much more complicated and extremely important to your health. New research is showing that vitamin D is actually a hormone involved in bone formation, kidney function, digestive function, and the immune system. As reported by Gregory Plotnikoff, MD, MTS, FACP, Senior Consultant at Allina's Integrative Medicine Clinic, "Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk for nearly all major human diseases such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in addition to diseases of reproduction and birth."
Studies have shown:
Also, consider that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which means you need to have a source of fat with your food or supplement in order to absorb it. How much nutrition then are you getting from your nonfat yogurt and nonfat milk? If you have no fat, you won't absorb vitamin D, then you won't absorb your calcium! Be sure your fat source is a natural fat, preferrably an animal based fat such as organic milk, cheese, butter, eggs and nothing processed (low-fat or hydrogenated). In small portions, this is OKAY! If you are uncomfortable with this, keep checking in because I will have more on this topic later. :)
So it is very hard to keep your body's level of vitamin D in a healthy range with today's lifestyles, limited sun, slathered on sunscreen, and typical low-fat diet! You can feel very safe taking 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D daily, then double your dose in the winter months November through March. Ideally, you'll want to get your vitamin D level checked through a blood test, the healthy range is 50-70, at some point in the summer and the winter months. Personally, I take 4000-5000 IU daily because I don't get much sun at all.
This is a lot of info to take in, but if you get anything out of it, know that taking vitamin D supplements are necessary and so important for your health and longevity and disease prevention.
Studies have shown:
- better insulin function and less resistance with adequate vitamin D, therefore improved blood sugars
- low vitamin D levels are associated with higher risk of heart attack and high blood pressure
- less pregnancy complications with adequate vitamin D levels
- decreased chronic pain with adequate vitamin D levels
- low levels of vitamin D are associated with a recent upper respiratory tract infection, especially prevalent in those with asthma or COPD
- higher rates of death due to any cause in people with vitamin D deficiency
Also, consider that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which means you need to have a source of fat with your food or supplement in order to absorb it. How much nutrition then are you getting from your nonfat yogurt and nonfat milk? If you have no fat, you won't absorb vitamin D, then you won't absorb your calcium! Be sure your fat source is a natural fat, preferrably an animal based fat such as organic milk, cheese, butter, eggs and nothing processed (low-fat or hydrogenated). In small portions, this is OKAY! If you are uncomfortable with this, keep checking in because I will have more on this topic later. :)
So it is very hard to keep your body's level of vitamin D in a healthy range with today's lifestyles, limited sun, slathered on sunscreen, and typical low-fat diet! You can feel very safe taking 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D daily, then double your dose in the winter months November through March. Ideally, you'll want to get your vitamin D level checked through a blood test, the healthy range is 50-70, at some point in the summer and the winter months. Personally, I take 4000-5000 IU daily because I don't get much sun at all.
This is a lot of info to take in, but if you get anything out of it, know that taking vitamin D supplements are necessary and so important for your health and longevity and disease prevention.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
EGGS!
Did anyone have to return the eggs they bought because they were recalled due to salmonella? I just saw a news story on Fox about a gal who returned her recalled eggs and bought some new eggs only to find out when she got home that the new eggs were still the contamintated eggs! Until she made a fuss, the store was continuing to sell the contaminated eggs. I have a hard time believing this was a mistake and it confirms my fears that we should not rely on someone else to make our healthy food choices for us. Don't forget to check your eggs!
Doesn't it seems that the news is repeatedly reporting on some type of contamination in our food? Here is one headline from a report I receive in the Medical Watch newsletter published by the American Academy of Physician Assistants: "Leading Carriers of Food-Borne Illness Appear to be Poultry, Beef, Leafy Greens."
All this confirms my decision to buy organic whenever you can and your budget allows. The more demand, the lower the price will be. Check out your local farmers' market, ask about how they farm and produce the fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and poultry that they are selling to you. A great website that can help you with this is: eatwellguide.org.
DID YOU KNOW?
Grass-fed animals have a much healthier balance of fatty acids, including the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3. Mass produced animals are corn fed, but they were not meant to digest corn so this disrupts their whole system. Plus, this gives you, the consumer, a higher amount of omega 6 fatty acids. Research now confirms that a high level of omega 6 fatty acids combined with a low level of omega 3 fatty acids is damaging to the arteries and contributes to heart attack and stroke risk! This is why fish oils (omega 3s) are now "all the rage" and are proven to help reduce your risk of disease. They also help decrease inflammation, but more on this later...
Doesn't it seems that the news is repeatedly reporting on some type of contamination in our food? Here is one headline from a report I receive in the Medical Watch newsletter published by the American Academy of Physician Assistants: "Leading Carriers of Food-Borne Illness Appear to be Poultry, Beef, Leafy Greens."
All this confirms my decision to buy organic whenever you can and your budget allows. The more demand, the lower the price will be. Check out your local farmers' market, ask about how they farm and produce the fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and poultry that they are selling to you. A great website that can help you with this is: eatwellguide.org.
DID YOU KNOW?
Grass-fed animals have a much healthier balance of fatty acids, including the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3. Mass produced animals are corn fed, but they were not meant to digest corn so this disrupts their whole system. Plus, this gives you, the consumer, a higher amount of omega 6 fatty acids. Research now confirms that a high level of omega 6 fatty acids combined with a low level of omega 3 fatty acids is damaging to the arteries and contributes to heart attack and stroke risk! This is why fish oils (omega 3s) are now "all the rage" and are proven to help reduce your risk of disease. They also help decrease inflammation, but more on this later...
Sunday, August 22, 2010
WELCOME!
Hello! I am starting this blog as a way to help educate family, friends, and others about the world of information that I have discovered and feel is so important to share. There is a lot of misleading information, misunderstood information and just plain confusing information out there. My goal is to find natual, healthy living in a world of technology, chemicals, and mass-produced food.
Here is a hint of topics to come: INFLAMMATION, GOOD CHOLESTEROL AND FAT, VITAMINS, TOXICITIES, HORMONE IMBALANCE, THE TERRIBLE TWO (high fructose corn syrup and trans fats), HEALTHY PROTEIN, ACIDITY VS ALKALINITY, and the list goes on and on and on!!
Here is a hint of topics to come: INFLAMMATION, GOOD CHOLESTEROL AND FAT, VITAMINS, TOXICITIES, HORMONE IMBALANCE, THE TERRIBLE TWO (high fructose corn syrup and trans fats), HEALTHY PROTEIN, ACIDITY VS ALKALINITY, and the list goes on and on and on!!
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