As a clinician, it is imperative that I understand all different types of unique health problems and metabolic challenges. On a biochemical level what may be a superfood for one individual may be poison to another. Histamine intolerance is an area where this is the case.

People who are unable to effectively metabolize histamines must restrict their consumption of many foods that I typically recommend on a regular basis. If you have a histamine intolerance, consuming histamine rich foods can lead to chronic health issues such as allergies, asthma, sinus problems, eczema, chronic pain, menstrual problems, and much more.

I always wondered about what was happening with individuals who told me they were “allergic to the sun.” Interesting research is indicating this is a histamine response, as UV light can trigger histamine release. Other research is indicating that those susceptable may have problems with high-intensity exercise, especially done in a warm environment. Individuals with periods of high estrogen may have higher than normal histamine responses and high stress increases histamine levels and decreases the bodies ability to metabolize the histamine.

What is Histamine?

Histamine is an in important neurotransmitter and immune messenger molecule. It is involved in processes involving hydrochloric acid secretion for digestion, triaging water reserves to key areas of the body and the inflammatory response. Histamine receptors are located all over the body and have many important functions including:

• Histamine H1 receptors: Smooth muscle and endothelial cells affecting skin; blood vessels (Benadryl and Claritin block activity of these receptors)
• Histamine H2 receptors: Cells in the intestines control acid secretion, abdominal pain, and nausea; heart rate
• Histamine H3 receptors: Central nervous system controlling nerves, sleep, appetite and behavior
• Histamine H4 receptors: Thymus, small intestine, spleen, colon, bone marrow and white blood cells; inflammatory response

One of the major effects of histamine is causing the blood vessels to swell and dilate. When the body senses that it is threatened, it will secrete higher amounts of histamine. This allows the white blood cells to quickly move through the bloodstream and find the potential threat or infection. This is an important component to a healthy immune response.

When Does Histamine Become a Problem?

Histamine only becomes a problem when we have metabolic disturbances that do not allow us to effectively metabolize histamine properly. When histamine is formed it is broken down by specific enzymes. In the central nervous system it is metabolized by hitamine N-methyltransferase (HMT), while in the digestive tract it is broken down by diamine oxidase (DAO).

The experts state that DAO is the major enzyme involved in histamine metabolism. The enzyme converts the histamine into imidazole acetaldehyde which does not trigger any sort of reaction in the body. DAO is responsible for ensuring a steady histamine level required for the balance of numerous chemical reactions taking place in the body.

Some individuals have altered DAO production due to a number of different factors including:

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) – some gut microbes produce high amounts of histamines as a byproduct of their metabolism.

Copper, Vitamin C, and B6 Deficiency: Copper and Vit C are crucial components of the DAO enzyme and B6 is a key cofactor that enables DAO to degrade histamine.

Leaky Gut Syndrome: Intestinal permeability creates major inflammatory stress in the body which can contribute to poor DAO function.

Genetic Polymorphisms in DAO enzyme – this can be seen on the 23andme SNP’s. A homozygous DAO would make someone more susceptible to developing a histamine intolerance.

Use of Certain Medications

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, aspirin)
• Antidepressants (Cymbalta, Effexor, Prozac, Zoloft)
• Immune modulators (Humira, Enbrel, Plaquenil)
• Antiarrhythmics (propanolol, metaprolol, Cardizem, Norvasc)
• Antihistamines (Allegra, Zyrtec, Benadryl)
• Histamine (H2) blockers (Tagamet, Pepcid, Zantac)

According to expert Dr. Amy Myers MD, “Histamine blockers, a class of acid-reducing drugs, seem like they would help prevent histamine intolerance. These medications can actually deplete DAO levels in your body.”

According to Chris Kresser L.AC, “Histamine is different than typical food sensitivities or allergens in that it is a cumulative problem.” So we begin to have symptoms when we either take in too many histamine molecules or we reduce the DAO enzyme to the point where the histamines overload the system. These symptoms will last until the body metabolizes the histamines and removes them from the system.

Who Has Histamine Intolerance

According to available research, histamine intolerance manifests in approximately 3% of the population. In up to 20% of these cases the symptoms occur mostly when histamine containing foods are used in combination with DAO inhibitors such as alcohol. Approximately 80% of individuals with histamine intolerance are women and most of them are over 40.

The three biggest factors involved with histamine intolerance include leaky gut syndrome or related disorders such as Crohn’s disease, Irritable bowel, celiac, gluten sensitivity, etc. The second factor is a genetic polymorphism with the DAO enzyme. Heavy alcohol and/or medication usage is another strong risk factor.

Diagnosing Histamine Intolerance

This is a challenging condition to diagnose for a number of reasons. The first is that there are so many popular foods, many of which are considered health foods, that are high in histamines. Also, some individuals have a unique gut flora that is producing high histamine levels.

Most doctors are not familiar with histamine intolerance and never consider this as a contributing factor in the individual’s health challenges. In fact, many physicians including myself, typically recommend a diet high in histamine containing foods. This includes fermented foods which have incredible health benefits for those with adequate histamine metabolism.

Research has also shown that people react quite differently to elevated histamine making it that much harder to pinpoint. As a clinician, I have learned that when individuals react very poorly to fermented foods it is a sign of histamine intolerance. Most people respond very well to small amounts and gradually increasing levels of fermented foods. Individuals with histamine intolerances often break out with hives, eczema, rashes, puffy eyes, headaches, etc.

Common Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance Include:

• Headaches/Migraines
• Difficulty falling asleep, easy arousal
• Hypertension
• Vertigo or Dizziness
• Arrhythmia, or accelerated heart rate
• Difficulty regulating body temperature
• Anxiety
• Nausea, Vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Flushing
• Nasal Congestion, Sneezing, Difficulty Breathing
• Abnormal Menstrual Cycle
• Hives
• Fatigue
• Tissue swelling

Histamines travel throughout the bloodstream and therefore can effect the gut, lungs, skin, brain and entire cardiovascular system. This is why there are such a wide array of health problems associated with it and it is quite challenging to pinpoint and diagnose if you are not aware of the condition.

Testing For Histamine Intolerance

The 23andme genetic test will look at genes associated with DAO enzyme production. When an individual has a homozygous mutation they will most likely struggle with histamine metabolism. This may not occur until after a stressful season of their life when their gut barrier breaks down and their adrenal glands are unable to keep up with the demands placed upon them. This creates a vicious cycle of chronic inflammation and inflammatory stress that depletes the body of vital reserves and exposes the genetic weaknesses of the individual.

There are lab tests that can be done that analyze the ratio of histamine/DAO. A high histamine/DAO ratio indicates that one is ingesting too much histamine and is not producing enough DAO to effectively metabolize it.

Without getting the blood test you could do a histamine challenge by consuming a number of different fermented foods and high histamine foods and see if this aggravates your symptoms. If so, try a low-histamine diet for a week and if you notice significant improvements you most likely have histamine intolerance.

To improve your tolerance to histamine, it is critical to heal the gut and address the dysbiotic issues that are at the root of the problem. I would recommend working with a qualified health practitioner to assess and create a specific plan to address the bacterial imbalance.

Foods High in Histamines:

Some foods naturally have more histamine content while others accumulate histamines while they age. Fermented and dried foods typically have the highest levels of histamines. A low histamine diet must be focused around getting foods at their peak level of freshness. Here is a list of high histamine foods:

• Fermented alcoholic beverages, especially wine, champagne and beer
• Fermented foods: sauerkraut, vinegar, soy sauce, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, etc
• Vinegar-containing foods: pickles, mayonnaise, olives
• Cured meats: bacon, salami, pepperoni, luncheon meats and hot dogs
• Soured foods: sour cream, sour milk, buttermilk, soured bread, etc.
• Dried fruit: apricots, prunes, dates, figs, raisins
• Most citrus fruits
• Aged cheese including goat cheese
• Nuts: walnuts, cashews, and peanuts
• Vegetables: avocados, eggplant, spinach, and tomatoes
• Smoked fish and certain species of fish: mackerel, mahi-mahi, tuna, anchovies, sardines
• Processed foods of all types – Preservatives are high in histamines

Histamine-Releasing Foods

These foods do not necessarily contain histamine but they block the action of DAO and therefore they potentiate the effects of elevated histamines.

• Alcohol
• Bananas
• Chocolate
• Cow’s Milk
• Nuts
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Shellfish
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Wheat Germ
• Many artificial preservatives and dyes

DAO-Blocking Foods

• Alcohol
• Energy drinks
• Black tea
• Mate tea
• Green tea 

Low Histamine Foods

• Freshly Cooked Meat & Poultry (frozen or fresh)
• Freshly Caught Fish
• EV Olive Oil
• Pasture-Raised Eggs
• Gluten-Free Grains: brown rice & quinoa
• Fresh Fruits: Other than citrus, avocado, tomato, pineapple, bananas and strawberries
• Fresh Vegetables (except spinach and eggplant)
• Coconut Milk, Rice Milk, Hemp Milk, Almond Milk
• Coconut Oil & Grass-fed Butter/Ghee
• Organic Coffee
• Almond Butter
• Leafy Herbs
• Herbal Teas

Unique Variables with Histamine Intolerance

People with histamine intolerance react in a multitude of different ways as shown in this study. Some people cannot handle any high histamine foods while others can handle certain types but not others.

As an example, an individual may tolerate avocados, berries, and lemons quite well but have significant reactions with any sort of fermented foods or wine. You will have to find the unique ways that you react and understand what triggers reactions and what doesn’t.

Overtime, as histamine content is reduced and the individual improves their gut health, reduces inflammation, improves liver function and stabilizes their adrenals they will be able to handle more of the histamines. For some, this will mean they will be able to incorporate small amounts of all the higher histamine foods. For others they will only be able to handle certain foods while others will continue to trigger reactions.

What This Means to You

If you struggle with major symptoms listed above when you have the various high histamine foods you may have this problem. In particular, if you struggle with fermented foods and probiotic supplements this is a classic sign of histamine intolerance.

Chances are you do not have this problem, but you may come across a friend or a client (for those of you who are health coaches and doctors) who will have these signs and symptoms. If so, have them try a low-histamine diet for a week and see if it makes a difference. If so, then continue on the diet and work with a functional medicine practitioner to support the gut and detoxification systems.

If you are suffering from an acute histamine reactions, taking 10 grams of liposomal vitamin C and taking DAO enzymes or high dose proteolytic enzymes can help to reduce the effects of this. A diet rich in the flavoinoid luteolin has been shown to reduce mast cell activation. This is found in carrots, bell peppers, thyme, rosemary, peppermint, oregano, romaine lettuce, artichoke, pomegranate, chocolate, rooibus tea, buckwheat sprouts and cucumbers among other things.

Sources For This Article Include:

• http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11175/everything-you-need-to-know-about-histamine-intolerance.html
• http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/85/5/1185.long
• http://lsialab.com/gb/Histamine_Intolerance_Test
• http://healthypixels.com/?p=1044
• http://www.dramymyers.com/2013/10/03/everything-you-need-to-know-about-histamine-intolerance/
• http://www.iainfoctr.com/articles/histamine.php
• http://www.foodintolerancetest.ae/what-is-food-allergy.php
• http://lewyland.blogspot.com/2013/09/health-revolution-part-1-diving-into.html
• http://drsaulmarcus.com/mentalillness/neurotransmittertesting.html
• http://www.therootofhealth.com/food-allergies-intolerances/

Burn Fat and Build Muscle with a Cyclic Ketogenic Diet

What constitutes an optimal physique?  This is different based on each individual’s unique genetic potential but researchers would agree that we should have a moderate to thin structure and good muscular development.

While many have sought after a thin physique, the mantra of the 21^st century is that strong is the new thin!  We want to have a good body fat percentage (6-15% for men and 15-30% for women) and have developed well-toned musculature.

Ketogenic Diet and Fat Metabolism

A ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate, moderate protein, and high fat based nutrition plan.  A ketogenic diet trains the bodies metabolism to run off of fatty acids or ketone bodies.  This nutrition plan has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation.  This leads to improved muscle development and fat metabolism.

The ketogenic diet is built around good fats such as grass-fed butter, coconut products, avocados, nuts/seeds, pasture-raised animal products and extra-virgin olive oil.  This diet should also focus on low-carbohydrate fruits, vegetables and herbs as staple components.  The fat levels will be between 60-80% of calorie intake.

How Ketones Are Formed?

The body has two major energy sources, it burns glucose or ketone bodies.  The majority of people burn glucose primarily because they are constantly supplying a steady form of sugar, starches, and proteins that can be turned into blood sugar.  When one either fasts or goes on a low-carb, moderate protein, and high fat diet they switch their energy source to fat.

In particular, the fatty acids are broken down into ketone bodies.  The three major forms ketones produced in the body include Acetoacetate, Acetone and Beta-HydroxyButyric acid.  These are released into the blood from the liver when insulin levels are low and hepatic liver metabolism is increased.

Healthy Cell Membrane

The cell membrane is the double outer layer of fatty acids.  This structure is made up of a blend of saturated, monounsaturated and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs).   The cell membrane and particularly the HUFAs are very susceptible to free radical damage.  This free radical damage causes something called “lipid peroxidation” and negatively effects hormone sensitivity.

Elevated lipid peroxidation leads to issues like insulin resistance and poor blood sugar metabolism.  Insulin resistance and poor blood sugar metabolism leads to fat storage and muscle tissue breakdown.  This is the antagonist to healthy aging and a desirable physique.

The two biggest dietary factors that reduce lipid peroxidation include

1. The Anti-oxidant Content of the Diet
2. Carbohydrate Level of the Diet

Research has shown that a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet reduces oxidative stress in the body¹.  The reduction in oxidative stress on the cell membrane allows for the formation of healthy insulin receptors and normalized blood sugar regulation.  This improves insulin sensitivity which further reduces inflammation and fat storage in the body.²  The more sensitive the body is to insulin, the less stress it puts on the rest of the system and the easier it is to build muscle and burn fat.

Protein Sparing and Healthy Muscle Tissue

A healthy body is not thin and weak.  A desirable physique is strong and has well-developed muscle tissue that is genetically congruent for the individual.  The antagonist to this is again poor blood sugar sensitivity and insulin resistance.

High carbohydrate diets increase the level of muscle cell inflammation and reduce protein synthesis.  For many body types this leads to a catabolic or cannablistic state where the body eats up the muscle tissue.  This leaves the individual with a very thin and under developed physique.

A properly formed ketogenic diet maintains circulating branched chain amino acids (BCAAs).  These BCAA’s (leucine, isoleucine and valine) and especially leucine are critical for protein and muscle synthesis in the body.  Blood leucine levels, a powerful regulator of muscle protein synthesis, increases on a ketogenic diet.  Meanwhile, insulin levels decrease on a ketogenic diet as does muscle inflammation ³

The result of this is that the muscle cells will have an environment that promotes proper development and optimal function.  The keto-adapted state improves the efficiency of protein utilization.  The   greater economy of protein allows for less to be consumed while still maintaining healthy blood leucine levels for proper muscle development and recovery.

Practical Considerations

There is a popular idea that the body needs carbohydrates and protein immediately after exercising in order to properly recover.  However, with the application of a properly formulated ketogenic diet to achieve a keto-adapted state this is not necessary.  Keto-adapted individuals can often fast for periods after a short high intensity workout and see improvements in strength and muscle development.

In my late teens and early twenties, I would eat around 5,000 calories a day with over 200 grams of protein.  I used to have to eat before and after I exercised.  My diet was probably 50% carbohydrate, 25% protein and 25% fat.  This nutrition plan resulted in good strength gains but also destroyed my gut, desensitized my cells to insulin leading to blood sugar instability and chronic inflammation.  The elevated carbohydrate and protein levels also promoted the development of cancerous growths in my body.

This resulted in severe health problems and a 5+ years of learning better strategies to improve my health.  I noticed incredible improvement with the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting.  I also learned to focus on super hydration with anti-oxidants in the morning hours.  I typically drink 64oz of water before 12pm and use anti-oxidant extracts such as lemon and/or anti-oxidant supplements in the morning hours.

Now, I eat 2 meals a day between a 4-8 hour eating window and consume around 3500-4000 calories with approximately 60-70% fat, 20-25% protein and 10-15% carbohydrates on average.  Some days, it is 70%, 25%, 5% while other days it is 60%, 20%, 20%.   I work out intensely in the morning and NEVER eat afterwards.  I eat my meals between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. on most days.

The results – I am stronger in my upper and lower body and feel significantly better than I did in my teens and 20’s.  The pic below is not me…haha!

What This Means to You

As a clinician, I believe that everyone on the planet will benefit from a well-formulated cyclic ketogenic diet.  This will look different for each individual.  Some will do great with 80% fat, 15% protein, 5% carb.  Some will need a more carbohydrate and protein, or maybe just one or the other, etc.

I am not strict about counting calories or percentages of macronutrients and the numbers I provided were approximations based on the foods I typically consume.  I would encourage you not to be dogmatic with macronutrient counting but instead be strongly considerate of the quality of fuel you are putting into your body and you should categorize it as primarily fat, primarily protein, protein/fat, protein/carb or primarily carbohydrate.

There are many key variables that play a role in the proper formula for success.  These include your unique genetics, your exercise, activity and stress levels, your sleeping habits, levels of inflammation and the health of your thyroid, adrenals and liver/gallbladder.

By cyclic ketogenic diet, I am referring too a state of cylcling in and out of ketosis.  I will typically have a larger carbohydrate meal (using healthy starches like sweet potato, quinoa, brown rice, or a good sweetener like fruit, raw honey, or coconut nectar) once a week.  This pulls me out of ketosis for a short period and then I enter right back in the following day while I am doing my morning fast.

Some individuals do well with the inclusion of a higher carbohydrate meal 2 or 3 times a week while others will do better staying in ketosis for a month at a time.  You will have to experiment to find what you feel best with.

Would love to hear about your experiences with a cyclic ketogenic diet in the comments box below.

Sources For This Article Include:

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17009256
• http://www.sott.net/article/249143-Ketogenic-Diet-high-fat-low-carb-Has-Neuroprotective-and-Disease-modifying-Effects
• http://www.jissn.com/content/1/2/7
• Volek J, Phinney S.  The Art & Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance.  Beyond Obesity LLC.  2012.  Pg 32-33.
• http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/cyclical_ketogenic_diet.htm
• http://biohackme.net/blood-sugar-insulin-ketosis/
• http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sclark91.htm
• http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto.htm

Many in the natural health community point to the laws against raw milk as an example of how our healthier choices are being stripped away from us. For most of us, it’s no secret that pasteurizing and homogenization of milk turns it into a product that feeds parasites, causes allergies, and should be avoided. But within our natural health community there is considerable debate about whether or not raw milk is good for you. Some say it is a powerful super-food that can cure what ails you. Others say that we were not meant to ingest milk products as adults, and any and all animal milks are bad for you. Another common and very logical argument is that humans should drink human milk and cows, with their multiple stomachs and radically different digestive systems, should drink cow milk. End of story. It certainly makes sense that cow’s milk is formulated for cows and this is why cow’s milk is bad for humans. But raw milk advocates say that when milk is pasteurized and/or homogenized, the enzymes needed for humans to digest cow’s milk are destroyed. They argue that raw milk is easy to digest and very beneficial.

Podcast: Green Divas Interviews Michael Edwards about Raw Milk

Is Raw Milk Dangerous?

It certainly can be! When you are drinking cows milk from a conventional dairy farmer, you are drinking milk that was often contaminated with e-coli, salmonella, and a host of other pathogens. Not to mention puss, antibiotics, growth hormones, and many other ingredients you don’t want any part of. This is milk from cows that are stuck in a small pen virtually their whole lives, fed acidifying grains, injected with a wide array of drugs, and continually impregnated, while having it’s calf taken away at every birth. Factory farming practices are the source of e-coli and salmonella outbreaks, and these mutated superbugs do not exist naturally in nature. Raw milk from a conventional farmer is not fit for human consumption, and is in fact very dangerous. It should be illegal. But, for that matter, many of the conventional farming practices we use should be illegal.

It’s a whole other story when you drink raw milk from a healthy cow. If the cow was grass fed, and is healthy, the milk is healthy. If you have not developed an allergy to milk (due to consuming conventional milk), raw, whole  milk from a small farm that does things the right way can have amazing health benefits. And yes, we mean whole milk, not skimmed. The fat has nutrients needed to help digest the milk, and the fat is very beneficial to us. But it’s not easy to find raw milk. Even if you can find it, you may not be able to just walk up and buy it. Many people get their raw milk legally by purchasing a share of a cow, and therefore take their share of the milk produced. In some states there is a loophole allowing people to purchase raw milk for animal consumption only. Below is a chart showing raw milk laws as of May 2014, information courtesy of  Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund.

Where and How Can You Buy Raw Milk?

For more information on raw milk sales, check out State-by-State Review of Raw Milk Laws. Please verify your own state’s laws before purchasing raw milk. This information is not legal advice. If you choose to consume raw milk, we ask that you do your best to ensure a higher level of humane treatment is given to the animals. For conventional farms, and many organic farms, a dairy cow’s life is an incredibly sad existence. The practice involves continually impregnating the cow, taking away her children, and taking all of her milk for sale. This is simply inhumane. My conscience would feel better about eating a steak than drinking a glass of milk from this kind of farm. When shopping for raw milk, whether it be from cows, goats, or sheep, pay a higher price for the healthiest and most humane product you can find. And regardless of how powerful you think the health benefits of milk are, don’t forget, nothing beats a diet with a foundation of raw fresh produce.

When someone shows interest in natural health, the first question is often, “Where do I start?” Organic food is often prohibitively expensive or hard to find, and there are thousands of supplements pushed, each marketed with its one promise to magically cure what ails us. It can be overwhelming, and getting started is, for many people, the toughest part.

I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that there are some very easy, relatively inexpensive steps almost anyone can take to holistically improve their health.

The bad news is that health and vitality is not to be found in a bottle or some other form of packaging.

I, the owner of Green Lifestyle Market, a company that sells supplements, am here to tell you that if you’re looking for a quick fix, an item you can purchase and consume to allow you to continue living a toxic lifestyle, this is the wrong article. And anyone who tells you that you can get all of your daily nutrition in one shake, smoothie, pill, or powder is only trying to sell you something.

Drink Lots of Good Water

I weigh 210 pounds and I try to drink a gallon of water a day. I need less water when I eat more raw produce, but I still shoot for a gallon of water a day. I get spring water when I can, fresh from a spring that I trust. But if you don’t have access to a spring, or if you have a seriously compromised immune system, distilled water could be a better choice, initially. Just make sure you’re not drinking a gallon of tap water a day. Tap water is toxic, and fluoridated water is a crime against humanity.

Sometimes just plain water is boring. I usually make cranberry stevia lemonade. I take fresh lemons and pure bottled cranberry juice and sweeten it with stevia. For more, check out our Stevia Lemonade with Cayenne within our Cheap and Easy Detox Diet Plan article.

I find that this lemonade is easier to drink when I am not feeling particularly thirsty, and there are tons of health benefits! The lemon and the cranberry help flush out toxins and balance the body’s pH while providing you with electrolytes and other nutrients.

Eat More Raw Fresh Produce

I eat a huge salad almost every day. If I make rice and beans, I add avocados, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, and shredded carrots right on top. If I eat soup I add shredded and diced vegetables right before eating. When I snack, I choose fruit and vegetables. I eat red bell peppers like other people eat apples. Approximately 80% of my diet (by bulk) is raw fresh produce. Check out my salad recipe in that article, too.

As the editor and chief of Organic Lifestyle Magazine, I am telling you that “organic” is not the most important thing.

When you’re shopping for produce, if you can afford it, and if it is available, buy organic. By all means, this is very important and you will feel the difference. But when choosing between organic frozen carrots and fresh conventional carrots, I’m picking fresh almost every time. I draw the line at genetically modified foods. To understand what foods to be aware of in order to avoid GMOs, read our Foods that are GMO article.

Cut Out These Foods

GMOs

Soy should not be consumed unless first fermented and not genetically modified. Over 99% of the soy we consume is terrible for our health. Soy naturally has enzyme inhibitors that wreck havoc on our hormones. The way Asians were eating it for thousands of years included fermentation, which nullifies the enzyme inhibitors. This is why health nuts soak and sprout their nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Like soy, conventional corn and potatoes that you find in your grocery store are almost always GMO and should be avoided.

Gluten

There are two problems with wheat. The first problem is that through our farming practices we have genetically modified the gluten protein. This is not to be confused with what we call GMOs. Hybridization is the practice of cross-pollinating plants. For instance, the bananas we eat today are hybrids. They are nothing like the bananas of our ancestors. So, at a genetic level the bananas and every other food we eat today are actually genetically modified, but this is not the same thing as what we refer to as GMOs.

So while our hybrid practices has made much of our food more palatable and more nutritious, it has changed the gluten protein in wheat into something we cannot properly digest.

In addition to the modified gluten, we also do not make bread the way we used to. Our technique for making bread included a fermentation process using lactobacillus bacteria that broke down the gluten proteins and rendered the wheat digestible, or we would soak and sprout the wheat before making the bread.

For most people, cutting out wheat in their diet yields amazing vitality. Try it for a week and you’re bound to notice a difference.

Refined Foods

Your food should give you nutrition. But refined foods rob your body of nutrition. Consuming white rice, for instance, is acidic. Your body uses minerals to balance out the acidity in order to keep your body’s blood at a slightly alkaline pH. If not, you’re dead. So every time you eat white rice, you’re robbing your body of alkalinizing minerals to maintain this balance. Brown rice has these alkaline minerals. This is true for white flour, white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and almost any other refined food. Eat whole foods that have all of their nutrition. Once your taste buds adjust, you won’t even be able to stand the refined crap everyone else ingests. It’s very much like quitting smoking. You wonder how you ever put up with the smell, because now it makes you sick!

Dairy

Some people tolerate raw (unpasteurized, un-homogenized) cow’s milk from grassfed healthy cows very well. Others don’t.  But nobody does well on conventional dairy products. It’s not natural. And milk is a very poor, toxic source of calcium. If you’re looking for calcium, eat green vegetables.

Squat

We are meant to squat. We squatted to go to the bathroom, we squatted to hide from prey, we squatted to hide from predators, we squatted to keep our asses off the ground while relaxing, we squatted many, many times day. In the wild, if we couldn’t squat, we didn’t have much more time to live. Squatting is the most important exercise you can do. It even helps detoxify the body. It puts gentle pressure on your organs while aligning them properly to help eliminate waste. Squatting can even help with several ailments including constipation, kidney infections, back pain, and even baby malposition during labor.

We should all be able to do 100 squats in a row, going all the way down. Most people can’t do 10.

If you cannot squat, try get-ups. Lay down on the floor. Get up. Lay back down on the floor.  Alternate the leg you use to get up.

If you can’t do get-ups, sit in a chair, and stand, and sit, and stand some more. Try to use your legs as much as possible while using your arms and momentum as little as possible.

Conclusion

Many people read an article like this and ask with disdain, “So what can I eat?” There are so many choices out there. But the problem is not so much a lack of choice as it is a lack of convenience. You’re not going to get healthy nutrition from packaged, processed, easy foods. If you want fast food, that’s what fruit is for. But if you’re making dinner and you want to prepare a healthy meal, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and make a meal from scratch using whole, unadulterated foods.

There are so many other things you can do for your health. For instance, a huge step you can take is growing your own food. If you can do this, the return on your investment will be a bit slow, but hugely rewarding once realized. But for most people, nothing else need be done until these steps are first realized. If you suffer from serious health issues, you may want to see Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases, and checkout and bookmark this list of “Foundational Articles.”

Recommended Supplements:

• Total Nutrition Formula

Further Reading:

• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included
• Total Nutrition – Make Your Own Homemade Nutrition Formula
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Gardening has been largely a lost art form with plots drying up and being replaced in favour of lawns, parking lots, and other commercial endeavours. People have decided to completely forego the skill of gardening in favour of completely depending on large scale farming operations to produce their food. The implications of this trend are now starting to be seen, and they could be disastrous. It’s time to shift back to our agrarian roots. It’s time to understand how gardening can save us and the world.

Fresh and Organic Food

When one relies on the conventional food system, it is difficult to find food that is both fresh and organic. Organic food is becoming more mainstream in many parts of the world, but it is still a very small percentage of the overall food that is made available. Fresh is a near impossibility for most, as the elapsed time between harvest and consumer availability is often anywhere between 2-4 weeks.

The only way to help solve this problem is to either produce some of your own food, and/or rely on local organic farmers markets to get your food both fresh and organic. With good food management and preservation skills, this seasonal activity could help feed you and your family for several months, and even up to a year.

Once a person gets a taste of organic and fresh food, they will have little to no desire to go back to the conventional system. Not only that, fresh organic food is at the peak of its nutritional value and can deliver multiplied benefits that could literally save someone’s health.

Known Origin of Food

Another issue with the food on most people’s plates today is that they have no idea where that food originated and what has happened to it from the farmer to the fridge.

Is the food you are eating TRULY organic? What type of soil was it grown in? Where has it been stored, and how has it been transported? How long has it been from harvest to your plate? Has there been anything done to preserve it, and if so, what?

These are all questions that are easily answered when someone decides to grow their own food or puts their faith in a farmer that they personally know and trust, and can visit! Anything outside of these methods leaves the consumer in the dark and creates forced faith.

When one knows the origin of their food, they know its wholesomeness with little question, and that can be a game changer in optimizing one’s health.

Gardening is Therapeutic

Anyone who has spent a short time in a garden will quickly realize how therapeutic it can be to the mind, body, and soul. The fresh smells, sights, and sounds that can be picked up around a garden is something to envy.

Simply being at one with nature and its miracle, along with the act of physically connecting to the soil (also known as grounding), is very healing and can provide a gardener with multiple benefits that can never be obtained from picking up your food from the local supermarket.

Get in a garden, get grounded, and express gratitude. This is a simple process that can help you regain your health.

Gardening Develops Survival Skills

One thing that seems to be lacking in today’s society is survival skills. In the last 30 years, we have been taught survival skills such as clipping coupons, looking for sales, and refrigerating food.

Gardening is a core skill that should never be lost. The ability to produce food is something that should never be taken for granted, as it is a skill that may be required in times of financial hardship and supply disruptions. If one doesn’t know how to garden, either situation could be catastrophic.

Gardening is clearly an activity that could save a family, and many like them, should either scenario occur.

Gardening is Sustainable

Industrial farming practices have placed the burden on a very small percentage of people to produce food for the rest of the world. As a result, engineered seeds, chemicals, pollution, resource and soil depletion, as well as farmer burn out has occured.

There is no need to put that amount of pressure on such a small number of producers, and it can’t be continued. The best case scenario is that production doesn’t fall off, but the world ends up with food that is denatured, toxic, and completely malnourishing. This could take a terrible toll on the world and could spell the end of civilization as we know it.

Gardening is much more sustainable. Even the ability to produce up to 10% of our own food needs could dramatically reduce that burden and create more natural agricultural practices that are working with nature, not against it.

This may be one of the most important acts we can do in our lifetime, to save ourselves and the planet.

In my experience, vaccines are a touchier subject than politics or religion. If you take on an anti-vaccine stance, you probably know what it’s like to be ridiculed, called names, condemned, and shamed.

The pro vaccines people believe that the non-vaccinated are putting everyone at risk. The anti crowd believes that the immunization risks far out way the benefits.

I see both sides. Clearly. I get it. I’ve done a ton of research and I’ve debated many, many times. But I do not vaccinate. I do not vaccinate my dog or my child.

I think it’s possible that vaccines have their place. On the other hand, I also believe that a very healthy person is at a much greater risk from vaccine injury than any disease. But I am under the radical assumption that when the body is fed properly and not overburdened with toxins, the body is not susceptible to pathogens. I also believe in the crazy notion that illness, including HIV, cancer, and almost every other disease, is curable through natural means. I understand that this sounds crazy to most people.

I see times changing. I remember when people looked at me like I should be locked up for eating organic. It wasn’t long ago that most of us believed GMOs where going to save the planet and feed all the hungry. Even many of my tree hugging friends were under the impression that GMOs where the only way to produce enough food to feed all of us.

I see the vaccine debate moving in the same direction as GMOs. I predict that most everyone will be anti-vaccine or at least hesitant to vaccinate with anything more than just a few immunizations. I bet the flu shot will fall out of favor very soon. I think vaccines are ineffective, dangerous, and cause much more harm than good.

But, I admit I could be wrong. I could be wrong about all of it.

So let’s assume I am. Vaccines do more good than harm. Now let’s take it a step further and pretend that almost all of us crazy non-vaxers decide to come on over to the inoculation side. And everyone trusts Merck. And we all vote that vaccines are mandatory for everyone in the U.S.

What then?

Would Merck remain this trustworthy, innocent corporation? No. Because there is nothing trustworthy about them now. Merck and many other vaccine manufacturers have committed heinous crimes against both adults and children. One of many examples is in this proceeding YouTube video where Bayer and the U.S. Government knowingly gave HIV tainted vaccinations to children. And we all heard about laws they tried to pass in Texas that force children to vaccinate against an STD. Pharmaceutical companies, like almost every other corporation in this country, put profits above everything else. And we all know what corporations are perfectly willing to do to our children in the name of profit. This includes the medical companies. It happens all the time, and is even reported (usually very briefly) in mainstream media. They cannot be trusted!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg-52mHIjhs

Vaccine companies have already made it almost impossible to sue them. They are trying to make it illegal not to use their product. And they have been proven to commit crimes against people in the name of profit.

Furthermore, at least for the informed, it is no longer a debate as to whether or not vaccines can cause autism or other damage. Even vaccine manufactures are acknowledging this. The argument is about how often vaccine injuries happen, and if they are a benefit to society.

Without those crazy anti-vaccine guys, where would we be right now? Imagine if nobody stood up and said GMOs are bad news. Imagine if we all still took antibiotics every single chance we could. Imagine if those crazy advocates for lead free gasoline, paint, and other products didn’t exist?

My point is, we need this opposition to keep greed in check. It’s the “crazy” and “radical” progressives that got us safer working conditions, cleaner air to breathe, etc.  Even when they’re (we’re) wrong, the opposition often keeps greed in check. If nobody questioned the safety and efficacy of immunizations, I can only imagine how much less safe they would be today. It took our voices just to get some of the mercury out of a few of the vaccines.

Debate is healthy. It’s absolutely necessary. Right or wrong, we need it to keep people and corporations in check.

Further Reading:

• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• Influenza Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness of the Flu Shot
• The MMR Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview Of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness
• How Plumbing, Not Vaccines, Eradicated Disease
• Autism and Vaccines: CDC Whistleblower Exposes Vaccine Dangers, Lies, and Cover-ups

I used to weigh 368 pounds. I had a 58 inch waist. I was 46% body fat. In addition, I was often sick and had many allergies. My body hurt. Moving was becoming more and more difficult. I was only 17.

I was one of the targets at my school. I was ridiculed and picked on incessantly. The name that everyone knew me as was Fat Ass or sometimes Pillsbury.  And I did have a fat ass. It was huge. I did not store my excess fat in a manly way. It was all badonkadonk!

I was beat up regularly, and I felt tortured. < ahref="https://www.phentermineonline.com/phentermine-before-and-after">Before age 17 I had been in about 75 fistfights, none of which I started. I would get jumped by someone, and if I won, I got jumped by three of his friends. I was the laughing stock of the school and the punching bag for anyone looking to get some fight cred, or to just take out their anger.

I was rarely taken seriously, and the few friends I had were younger than me, as no one my age would be seen with me. While I appreciated the friends I did have, I was still the punch line for many of their jokes. All this simply led to more eating.

On top of all of this, I had a very hard time with social skills. Looking back and talking with some doctors, it became clear I suffered from undiagnosed Asperger’s syndrome, as well as a host of other developmental issues. I was tactile defensive and had a very hard time properly communicating with people. Looking people in the eyes was (and at times still is) extremely difficult.

How I Got in Shape

I owe that weight loss to a beautiful woman I had a huge crush on. She was older than me and absolutely stunning. I had to be with her. It was the best motivation a 17-year-old virgin could hope for.

The day after I saw her, I rode my bike to the YMCA. I worked out, lifting weights and using the Stairmaster. I ate more fruits and vegetables and stopped eating entire packages of hot dogs, whole blocks of cheddar cheese, and half gallon containers of yogurt. As much as I loved to tell people that I was genetically predisposed to obesity, the reality is I ate like there was no tomorrow.

I remember that first day I went to the gym. It was a Tuesday. Then came Wednesday. The only difference between that Wednesday and every other Wednesday that preceded it was that I went back to the gym, and I continued to eat better.

I didn’t do everything right, though. I didn’t know any better. I drank Sprite like it was going out of style. I followed the old food pyramid model, so bread was the foundation of my diet. But I quit binging, and I exercised every single day like a man possessed. I lifted weights 5 days a week, played basketball 6 days a week for 2 hours every day, and I ran 6 miles every Sunday. I could not be stopped.

The more I lost, the better I felt. The better I felt, the more I listened to my body. I noticed that the more produce I ate, the better I felt. I ate more produce and fewer packaged foods. When I finally gave up Sprite (after learning how bad refined sugar is for you), my allergies went away! Food allergies, pet allergies, seasonal allergies, allergies I had lived with for years and thought I was stuck with forever, disappeared. But they quickly came back as soon as my diet went off track.

At almost one year to the day, I got my weight down to 215 pounds. I still had a little chub, but I was in incredible shape. I ran 30 miles just to see if I could run a marathon without stopping.

The Difference

Obviously, I was not made fun of the way I used to be. I wasn’t picked on. I was able communicate better, to socialize, and to be more comfortable with eye contact and touching. A couple of times, some of the people who used to torment me tried to pick a fight, and I was able to scare them into backing off. After all the fights I had been in, my new found confidence, my ability to communicate, assert myself, and intimidate, as well as a massive amount of real world experience with fighting, I was easily able to convey to people that I was no longer an easy target. The few guys that decided to try me anyways got put in their place, and that only increased my confidence.

Oh…and I got the girl.

It actually felt like I could have had any woman in that town. At age 18, I knew what it felt like to be popular for the first time in my life. I dedicated my life to putting a stop to bullying. It was a rough town I grew up in, and my friends and I (and I had many more at that time then I ever did in my life) went around looking for people who were being picked on. We would stop the bullying. If need be, I did it by force. Then I moved away, and my vigilante days were over. Well, for the most part. I’ll still fight the good fight if someone is in need.

Relapse

I still, to this day, struggle with my weight. It is an ongoing battle. Some people need to throw out the scale. I need to weigh myself every single day. If I don’t, I quickly notice my pants getting tight. My weight fluctuates by about 25 pounds. I’m 6’3”, so that’s not as extreme as you might think, but it’s still a lot.

About 10 years ago, I ballooned back up to 290. I knew much more about health at this point, as I had been studying naturopathy for many years, but I had not been practicing what I preach. I was engaged to what is commonly referred to as a “chubby-chaser” and we ate and ate and ate together. I loved to cook, we both loved to eat, and she was a tiny little Asian woman who could eat almost as much as I could and not put on a pound. We ate a lot of starchy Asian foods like sticky rice and fried noodles. It was easy to put on the weight with her. But eventually I wanted to get back in shape. Not because I was being picked on, not because people didn’t respect me, and not to “get the girl.” I wanted to get in shape for me this time. As I lost weight, I noticed once again a tremendous difference in how I was treated. I hadn’t even noticed the decline in how people looked at me as I gained the weight, but as it came off, everyone seemed to respect me more and more. My ideas at work were given more consideration, and people wanted to ask my opinion more often. I was invited out more. And that chubby-chasing girl friend of mine? Even she changed her tune. She was digging the new me, a version of the old me that she found a new appreciation for. (And ever since then she has preferred men in good physical condition, so I guess I cured her of that).

How I Lost 50 pounds

I worked out, of course, but this time I had a job and a life, so working out to the extent I did before was not an option. I cut out all of the refined foods. I severely limited the starches. I got down to 220. My diet was 80% raw fresh fruits and vegetables, mostly vegetables. I ate a huge salad every day for breakfast. It filled me up for hours and eliminated my cravings for the rest of the day. Instead of my famous pesto pasta, salads became my specialty.

I also drank a gallon of stevia sweetened lemonade with cayenne every day. This helped to reduce my appetite considerably as well, and it also flushed toxins. A healthy liver facilitates healthy weight loss.

My snacks were produce, usually vegetables. Not just celery and carrots like most people think about when they think of snacking on veggies, I ate kale, collards, chard, beets, peppers–any vegetable that could be eaten raw. I was known for a being the guy who ate vegetables the way people eat fruit. “He’s eating that bell pepper like it’s an apple!” they’d say, bewildered.

Those are my three biggest recommendations: A gallon of stevia sweetened cayenne lemonade with made with clean pure drinking water, a big salad every single day, and snack on produce as well. If money isn’t too tight, I would also say to get SF722 and FloraMend to fix the gut which can radically help reduce bad food cravings.

Stress Eating

Then my whole life changed. It was turned upside down. These words don’t do it justice. My life was shaken up like a snow-globe. I was arrested. I was charged with a crime I did not commit. I went to jail for a month. I bailed out. Then I awaited trial for a year out on bail, and I put back on the weight. I am and always have been a stress eater, and starches are my biggest weakness. I ate and I ate and I ate because I couldn’t cope. I was looking at 30+ years and a lot of other crap that I could not handle. I guess I did handle it, as I’m here. But the way I handled it was with food. I got back up to 310 pounds.

How I Lost 100 Pounds

I went to jail.  My bond was revoked, and I spent another year waiting for trial, but this time in jail. I had nothing to do in jail but read and work out. It’s a bit harder to binge eat in jail, though I certainly saw some people doing it. But I was determined to come out of that situation better than I went in, and one of the ways to do that was to get fit again, once and for all.

I traded my deserts, juices, milks, and starches for vegetables, and got as many donated to me as I could. I could even put together a decent salad. The diabetics traded my candy for their oranges. They hate fruit. That explained the diabetes.

The only problem with this is I ended up with a jail cell full of people who decided to follow my lead. I was very popular in that dorm and become sort of the jail doctor for my fellow inmates. Any ailment, they’d come to me, and I could almost always fix it. I was honest, so people said, “What can I do to get healthier?” and I’d tell then, eat vegetables! So the price of vegetables skyrocketed like gold has done in the last few years. Suddenly, I was having to get money from my family to buy store food to trade for vegetables. Eventually even this quit working and almost all 60 of those inmates wanted to eat their veggies. Even the diabetics wanted their fruit!

So I switched dorms. Well, actually, I got into a fight with a bully, and was moved to another dorm. Then I realized I could just repeat this pattern whenever the price of produce got too high. So that’s what I did, and when I got out a year later I was 205 pounds. I wouldn’t say I was healthy. I aged considerably in jail. It’s not like the vegetables there had an ounce of nutrition, but they were certainly the best choice I had. For the first time in my life,  I knew what it felt like to be fit and unhealthy at the same time.

Stretch Marks and Loose Skin

When I got into my best shape, which was 210 and very strong, I tightened my skin considerably. The bouncy, loose, flabby skin went away. When I took systemic enzymes and really got strict on my diet, the stretch marks faded. You can still see them, but only if you look closely. I believe that most cases of loose skin that people complain about after weight loss can be alleviated by getting down to a very low body fat, and then adding on some weight if desired. I don’t think it’s loose skin as much as loose fat.

Supplements for Weight Loss

I also took vitamin D and Total Nutrition. I found this helped speed my weight loss and noticed a difference immediately, compared to not supplementing.

Conclusion

So we have three distinct methods here:

• Workout like a man (or woman) possessed in order to lose your virginity
• Eat right, drink a lot of water, and workout regularly
• Go to jail

I recommend the second one. But also, find your motivation, and focus on it. And see yourself as healthy. Appreciate your body. Know that it’s brought you this far no matter how you treated it, and love it for this. Love yourself. It’s hard to treat yourself well when you don’t.

Today, at this very moment, I weigh 212 pounds. At 204 I start to get that elusive six-pack. I only had it for a very brief moment. I’m working on it. But I’ve never gone over 235 since that last time before I got arrested, and at 235, I’m just a little pudgy.

I still eat for stress, but I started practicing my gallon a day routine again, I am back at the gym, and I am aiming for that six-pack. I want it.

If you’ve been overweight for a long time, and you’re ready to get in shape, check out Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones and Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases.

Related Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease
• Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid
• 8 Easy Steps to Health