Boost Your Liver Function Naturally

The liver is one of the most important of all our vital organs.  The liver is responsible for filtering and detoxifying environmental toxins and pathogenic organisms.  Unlike many organs, a failing liver is unable to be surgically fixed or replaced.  Improve your liver health with natural strategies.

The liver is a vital digestive organ that converts nutrients from the food we eat into essential blood components.  It helps to store vitamins and minerals and produces key proteins and enzymes that maintain hormonal balance in the body.  The liver helps the immune system fight infections and removes microorganisms from the blood stream.  It also produces bile which is essential for digesting fats in our diet.

What Harms The Liver?

The most harmful things for liver health include environmental toxins, infectious organisms, alcohol, and poor diet.  Exposure to environmental toxins and chemicals can backlog the liver as it tries to neutralize and deactivate these poisonous molecules.  These chemicals include xylene, benzene, disinfectant byproducts, heavy metals, pesticides, and cigarette smoke.

Infectious organisms are a major cause of liver stress and inflammation.  The most well-known organisms are the hepatitis viruses with the hepatitis B & C viruses being the most dangerous.  Any sort of chronic infection in the body such as lyme, influenza, aflatoxin and other mycotoxins have the ability to inflame and damage the liver as well

Poor Diet Damages The Liver

Alcohol and poor diet damage the liver as well.  Alcohol must go through the liver’s detoxification cycle to be metabolized and deactivated in the body.  Chronic alcohol consumption depletes the liver of valuable glutathione, sulfur compounds, and methylating elements such as zinc, riboflavin, B6, folate, and B12.

Poor blood sugar signaling and a diet high in processed foods that contain toxic additives, preservatives, pesticides, GMO’s, etc. drain the liver of valuable glutathione,sulfurcompounds, and methylating elements.  Often times, individuals who consume a diet high in alcohol and processed foods are not consuming the key nutrients they need to produce glutathione, sulfotransferases, and methylating agents.

The Liver Health Nutrition Plan

Foods that are challenging for the liver should be eliminated.  This includes processed and refined foods and common food sensitivities such as gluten, soy, peanuts, pasteurized dairy, and corn.

Foods that are high in mycotoxins must be minimized as well.  This would include most legumes and nuts which should only be consumed in small moderation.  Be sure to get your organic, mold-free coffee and raw cacao and refrigerate it to prevent mycotoxin formation.

Anyone with liver challenges should be vigilant about using only certified organic, chemical free products.  This includes all food choices, personal hygiene products, and household cleaning agents.  Reducing toxin exposure from the environment including water and air filtration is very important.

Liver Detoxification Lifestyle

A lifestyle that supports liver detoxification includes reducing toxic exposure while simultaneously enhancing immunity, rebuilding glutathione levels, sulfur compounds and methylation.

We use the phrase, “Bitter is good for the liver,” to help us remember that bitter herbs are especially good for the liver and the body’s detoxification process.

Using detoxification techniques such as Epsom saltbaths, coffee enemas, oil pulling, dry brushing, intermittent fasting, water flushing, and infrared sauna are especially helpful for strengthening the liver.  These should be done whenever possible along with consuming liver healthy foods.

Best Foods For Liver Health

Some of the best liver benefiting foods include those that are rich in B vitamins, vitamin C, and trace minerals.  This would include lots of raw veggies like celery, spinach, cucumbers, and romaine lettuce and steamed veggies such as the cruciferous family.  It is also especially advisable to juice your veggies to better absorb the nutrients.  Citrus fruit and berries are especially good for the liver.

Using herbs such as ginger, milk thistle, cilantro, watercress, wormwood, mint, horseradish, sorrel, radish, peppermint, parsley, dandelion, coriander, garlic, and turmeric are especially good for liver health.  A great juicing recipe for liver and kidney health is spinach, celery, cucumber, lemon, and ginger.  Another favorite is kale, cucumber, parsley, celery, and lime.

Eating liver from an organic, pasture-raised animal provides powerful nutritional support for liver health.  This would include grass-fed beef liver, fish liver, wild-game liver, or pasture-raised chicken liver.  Pasture-raised eggs are also an incredible source of liver supportive nutrients such as sulfur compounds, methylating elements, and glutathione precursers.

Clean liver foodsBoosting Phase I Liver Detox Support

This is the Cytochrome P450 enzyme phase that transforms the toxins into a chemical form for further metabolism in phase II.  These P450 enzymes depend upon amino acids, vitamin A, B2, B3, C, E, folate, iron, calcium, copper, zinc, magnesium, and selenium.  Deficiencies in these nutrients slow the transformation of specific toxins.  The top threats to these deficiencies include blood sugar imbalances, a deficient diet and poor gut function that hampers nutrient absorption.

The best foods for these key nutrients include dark green leafy veggies, citrus fruits, berries, carrots and organic nuts & seeds such as Brazil nuts, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds among other things.  Consuming pastured eggs and liver from pasture-raised animals are a fantastic source of many of these key nutrients.

Boosting Phase II Liver Detox Support

Phase II liver support is when the various toxins are conjugated into water soluble forms.  The conjugation reactions involve multiple pathways.  The key nutrients needed to boost phase II liver detoxification include methylating agents, glutathione and sulfur compounds.

Methylation depends upon high levels of vitamin B2, B3, B6, Folate, and B12 as well as trimethylglycine and choline.  We get these nutrients from dark-green leafy veggies, organ meats and pasture-raised eggs among other sources.

Glutathione boosting agents include milk thistle, turmeric, non-denatured whey protein, pasture-raised eggs, onions, and cruciferous veggies.

Sulfur compounds such as cysteine and methionine are found in onions, garlic, pasture-raised eggs, and cruciferous veggies.

Boosting Phase III Liver Detox Support

This process transports the transformed, conjugated toxins out of the cells and into a shuttle to get it into the urine or bile for excretion.  This depends upon enzymes that are formed from nutrients we described above.

Additional support comes from nutrients that improve bile flow, blood purification, and soluble fiber sources.  Bile Flow support comes from ginger, yarrow, artichoke, dandelion, cumin,and fennel.  Blood purification comes from chlorophyll rich foods such as wheat grass, oat grass, chlorella, and spirulina along with regular consumption of dark, green leafy veggies.

Soluble fiber sources such as chia, flax, hemp and pumpkin seeds are a tremendous help to the liver detoxification process.  These fibers bind up the excreted bile and deactivated toxins.  Insoluble fiber sources such as fruit and veggies help to sweep fiber/bile/toxin compounds out of the system through the bowels.

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3 of The Biggest Paleo Diet Mistakes

As a clinician and leading voice in the Paleo/Primal movement, I attract a lot of clients who have started following the Paleo/Primal nutrition plan.  Most of these people have seen significant health benefits by following the traditional Paleo nutrition plan.  However, many continue to struggle with chronic health issues including low energy, digestive issues and hormonal imbalances.

I have been tweaking these real food based nutrition plans to help people find their unique balance for years.  Here are three of the most common mistakes I see many individuals making as they follow the real food nutrition plan.  You will also see a great video I did with Garage Games Media on this very topic.  Enjoy it…it is quite informative and full of humor!

3 Biggest Paleo Nutrition Mistakes

Eating Too Much Natural Sugar

The real food/Paleo nutrition plan eliminates all processed and genetically modified forms of sugar but the general plans allow fruit, honey and coconut nectar.  These are natural sweeteners and have health benefits but they also have drawbacks.  The high fructose content in these sweeteners can put a burden on the liver and hamper its ability to detoxify effectively.  This will result in hormonal challenges and adrenal issues.

These sugars also provide the fuel for unwanted microorganisms such as yeast and parasites.  As these microorganisms take over the locust of control in the gut they will release endotoxins that inflame the body.  They will also create gut inflammation that damages the intestinal membrane setting us up for leaky gut syndrome.  This will both affect the adrenals and sex hormones which can lead to energy problems and hormonal imbalances.

Reducing sugar content by minimizing the use of coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc. is very critical to maximizing energy, liver detoxification, digestive function and hormonal control.  Stay off the high sugar fruit such as bananas, melon and pineapple and stick with small quantities of low-glycemic fruit such as lemons, limes, grapefruit and berries.   Limit yourself with the popular fruit & nut bars as they may be convenient but they contain a lot of fructose that will disturb your hormone balance.

Eating Too Many Nuts:

The paleo/primal nutrition plan eliminates the consumption of grains and reduces starchy carbohydrate consumption.  As we look elsewhere to get our calories, nuts are an easy solution.  We are typically quite familiar with nuts as most Americans consume nuts regularly throughout their lives and they are easy to get in any grocery store in North America.

In many health food stores, bulk nuts and nut butters are so popular that they have their own sections.  Almond flour is also a very popular non-starchy flour alternative for baking.  Many of us crave baked goods and we end up using heavy amounts of almond flour for the various pies, pastries, breads and muffins we make.

Anti-Nutrient Content in Nuts:

Nuts can be quite hazardous when consumed in heavy amounts.  They contain phytic acids that bind to major minerals like zinc, calcium and magnesium.  High amounts of phytates in our diet can lead to mineral deficiencies.  These minerals are important for energy production and hormonal balance.

There are also enzyme inhibitors present in nuts that block normal enzyme activity in the body.  This can cause digestive challenges and energy problems.   Soaking or sprouting nuts and seeds helps to reduce phytate and enzyme inhibitor counts and makes the nuts and seeds more bioavailable.

Many nuts and seeds are also very high in omega 6 fatty acids.  Most people in society are already in a state of omega-6 dominance.  Taking in more omega 6 fatty acids only promotes this imbalance and leads to chronic inflammation.  Taking in less omega-6 rich nuts and seeds such as almonds, cashews, pecans and sunflower seeds would be the right move.  They could focus on higher omega 3 content in walnuts, hemp, chia, flax and pumpkin seeds.

The Bottom Line:

Many individuals with digestive challenges have food sensitivities to many different nuts and seeds.  When they consume these foods they increase inflammatory activity and drive up stress hormones.  This drains the body of vital resources and leads to adrenal burnout over time.  For these individuals they need to completely eliminate these from their diet and heal their gut and immune system before reintroducing them.

For most individuals they can consume nuts and seeds in moderation.  A handful of almonds and cashews two or three times a week should not be a problem.  Eating massive quantities of nuts, consuming a jar of almond butter each week and/or making tons of almond flour bread and pastries each week can cause the problems discussed.

Avoiding Raw, Grass-Fed Dairy:

Many individuals who have been following the paleo/primal nutrition plan have completely taken dairy out of their diet.  I agree that this is a great step for a period of time.  Nobody should be consuming typical processed, grain-fed dairy that is a staple of the Western cuisine.  This form of dairy is highly inflammatory as it is loaded with omega 6 fatty acids, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics.

The only kind of dairy that I recommend is 100% grass-fed dairy that is ideally in the raw form.  I am also very leery of any dairy that is not free of A1 beta Casein.  A1 beta casein is in most cow dairy in the US.  Only special breeds of cattle – Bos Indicus do not produce A1 beta casein.  Beyond Organic is a company that has fantastic grass-fed dairy that is free of A1 beta casein.

Great forms of dairy include Beyond Organic raw cheese, Amasai and fermented whey products.  Grass-fed butter or ghee is naturally free of all casein as it is simply milk fat and has no protein so this is a great food to eat.  Grass-fed goat and sheep dairy is also fantastic.

Some individuals are able to thrive on dairy that contains A1 beta casein but many struggle with it so you will have to experiment for yourself.  Some people cannot handle any dairy including the Beyond Organic due to deep intestinal permeability and hyperactive immunity.  These individuals need to heal their gut and modulate their immune system before reintroducing dairy.

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The Benefits of Grass-Fed Dairy:

Grass-fed dairy tastes amazing and offers a great nutritional option for those who tolerate it well.  It has many extraordinary health benefits as it is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoid anti-oxidants, and major minerals like zinc and magnesium.  Cheese has complete protein and tons of branched chain amino acids and CLA which help promote a lean, fit physique and healthy hormones.

Fermented dairy such as Amasai, kefir and whey can greatly improve the health of the intestinal tract.  These foods contain trillions of healthy microbial organisms, live enzymes and L-glutamine which is the major amino acid that is needed to produce healthy intestinal cells.

I recommend for those who are dairy free without a known dairy sensitivity to try grass-fed fermented dairy and grass-fed butter and see how their body tolerates it.  These are really fun and enjoyable foods to include in your nutrition plan and they offer powerful health benefits to those who can properly digest them.

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Toxins You Touch Daily – Top 12

We are surrounded by toxins. We get it. The thought of how many toxins we encounter every day almost makes us want to vomit (and in some cases, probably does). Although every toxin is something you want to avoid, in many cases, it is simply not possible. However,  you can start to eliminate the more serious toxins you touch daily to significantly lighten your toxic load.

Water

Most people start their day by waking up on their chemically treated mattress, glancing at their EMF emitting cell phone, while considering how many more minutes they can wait before they hit the shower.

This is where the toxin onslaught begins.

More than 2,100 toxic chemicals have been detected in America’s water systems, with fluoride, chlorine, and VOC’s being the main culprits. These chemicals have been linked to behavioral, brain, and thyroid problems as they bio-accumulate in your tissues. These chemicals have also been known to create allergies and increase cancer death rates.

So if you are of the majority who showers in treated water with no filter to remove these contaminants, you are slowly absorbing these toxins through your skin on a daily basis. Don’t be fooled into believing the dose is not harmful; over a period of time these toxins will take their toll.

Personal Care Products

Now that you are all cleaned up (using soap, shampoo, and possibly conditioner in the shower) , it’s time to finish making yourself fit for interaction with other human beings. This process could include any number of personal care products. The typical applications include deodorant, hair products, cologne/perfume, and skin lotions.

The majority of personal care products contain a number of chemicals and preservatives like phthalates, parabens, aluminum, and petroleum distillates, just to name a few. These chemicals are known hormone disruptors and can cause allergies, attention deficit disorder, and breast cancer.

Consult the Environmental Working Group and their skin deep database to determine the safety of your personal care products, and make better choices if necessary. There are many companies producing organic soaps, shampoos, and personal care products.

Coffee

Now it’s time for what we have been looking forward to ever since we woke up – coffee. Nothing seems to make our heart sing more than the anticipation of the sight, smell, and boost that is our morning coffee.

Too bad most coffee drinkers are completely contaminating themselves.

Coffee is one of the most heavily, chemically treated crops and coffee is highly acidic, with a pH often ranging between 4.5 and 6 (alkaline is closer to 7.4). If your non-organic coffee is not toxic enough for you, the refined white sugar (or worse, HFCS flavourings or artificial sweeteners) and dairy you add to it is sure to add another layer of contaminants that gives your gut a serious knockout punch. Oh, and don’t forget the toxic tap water that is the main ingredient.

If you drink coffee, make it organic and consider drinking it black or with better sugar and dairy alternatives to reduce the toxic load.

Corn

Seriously, is there anything on the shelves that doesn’t have corn in it nowadays? This crop really needs to take a rest and remove itself from a lot of our food supply.

Corn is largely GMO, and is difficult to digest for most people, which automatically makes it a toxic choice. But if GMO corn in the produce aisle wasn’t enough, nearly every other aisle contains it.

Corn can be found in pork, beef, bread, sodas, chicken, fries, chips, cereals, and spaghetti sauces. The only way you can really avoid GMO corn is to buy only organic corn and corn products.

To learn more about how GMO corn gets on your plate without you knowing, watch the documentary, King Corn.

Rice

A staple in many people’s diets, rice has also found its way onto our plate and in our cups on a daily basis. The only problem is with the source and the contaminants that cannot be easily cleaned up.

The majority of rice production takes place in China and India (the top 2 rice producing countries in the world), and accounts for up to 40% of production. This isn’t necessarily a problem until you factor in the major pollution problem these two countries are dealing with and the fact that it directly affects soil composition and makes even “organic” a difficult label to apply.

Recent reports have shown that products containing rice sourced from China are riddled with heavy metal contaminants–lead, tungsten, cadmium, and mercury at far beyond acceptable limits. This makes eating rice in any form from these regions very risky, as heavy metal toxicity is a major health compromising factor.

terraced rice fields in chinaCleaning up soil in a heavily polluted environment is a task that takes decades. Until these limits come down to acceptable levels, choose organic rice from reliable producers outside of those regions.

To learn more about the issue with rice, and a supplier that can help you get around it, check in with this report.

Soy

Although soy was once considered the darling of all things healthy, research now suggests otherwise. Soy in its most common forms is actually detrimental to our health.

GMO soy shows up in a variety of packaged foods, most notably soy sauce, soy milk, and soy protein isolate that is found in the majority of protein and meal replacement shakes, as well as protein bars and snacks. These products are difficult to digest and disrupt your hormones to the point that they can cause breast and other cancers related to the hormonal system.

If you choose to consume soy, make it organic (non-GMO) and fermented (like miso and tempeh) to almost completely alleviate the toxic load.

Refined Wheat Flour

Wheat has been the poster child of all things bad, and the gluten free movement has gained more momentum than any other health concern.

Even it its whole form, wheat causes severe toxicity issues. The digestive system is not set up to handle copious amounts. Gluten is very difficult to digest, especially with our deficiency of good gut bacteria. Then you strip it of any remaining nutrients to make it white, and wheat ends up being a better insecticide than food because any bug that tries to live off it eventually dies.

In addition, wheat appears to be making some headway as a fully blown GM crop thanks to Monsanto announcing new research into GM wheat in 2009, with industry groups jumping on board. Thankfully, there has been push back by consumers that has stalled some of their efforts.

Refined wheat is found in nearly every packaged product. If you do choose wheat products (even though it is not recommended), ensure that they are organic and sprouted to limit the toxic load.

Refined Sugar

Sugar is one of the most difficult foods to avoid due to our own cravings and the fact that it is found in nearly every packaged product in the grocery store.

Aside from being largely GMO (sugar from sugar beets), refined sugar is literally feeding the candida outbreak that is silently ruining people’s health through hundreds of different disease labels, from arthritis to cancer. Yet, we can’t seem to keep this food out of our diet as it shows up in a variety of forms in packaged foods, as well as our coffee, tea, and baked goods.

If you choose a sweetener, make sure to reference this chart to make a better decision.

Dairy

Even though dairy has also received widespread attention as a gut menacing food or beverage, it still has a stronghold in people’s diets across the world.

If you aren’t putting it into your coffee, cereal, baking, or sauces, you still have to deal with it in chocolate, yogurt, dressings, cheese, shakes, soups, and many packaged and fried foods (often disguised as whey or casein).

The main issue with dairy is that it is largely pasteurized (making it a “dead” food”), and loaded with hormones and antibiotics. Combine that with natural sugars like lactose that are very hard to digest, and you have a

toxic touch point that makes it into many people’s diets everyday.

Animal Meat

Most of us have grown up eating animal meat in one form or another. This daily habit is now more toxic than ever.

Meat is not as simple as it once was. Meat production has become a huge industry infatuated with pumping out as much product as cheaply and in as little time as possible. The cost to us is tainted meat that introduces a variety of toxins into our physiology.

Most of the animals are raised in horrible, inhumane conditions.  On top of this, they are often fed toxic animal parts and low quality grains laced with elements like arsenic to fatten them up quicker at a reduced cost (this is most prevalent in the chicken industry). In addition to these horrific acts, these animals are injected with or fed hormones and antibiotics, which ends up on your plate, now creating a health issue for you. According to data from 2011, more than 80% of the antibiotics produced were fed to livestock.

If you choose to eat animal meat, look for labels saying organic, free from, grass fed, and free range. Even better, know your farmer and understand their operation so you know they are being treated respectfully, fed well, and naturally maintained.

Alcohol

Another common habit, alcohol use has been perpetuated as a way to really enjoy yourself. Although alcohol may seem to help, beer, wine, whiskey and other spirits have created a host of health problems associated with the gut and liver.

Alcohol does not promote health. Although there may be some useful nutrients associated with wine and beer, they are overshadowed by the toxicity created from the alcohol, grains, sugar, and yeast that are present in them. This combination puts a serious smack down on your gut and your liver, two parts of your body that contribute largely to your livelihood.

If you do choose to drink alcohol, exercise moderation and choose organic.

Prescriptions

Most people have caught on by now that prescription medications are some of the most toxic things you can put in your body. With that being said, it certainly isn’t stopping many as it is now estimated that 70 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug, and more than half take two or more. Antibiotics, antidepressants, and painkillers are the most prescribed drugs.

The unfortunate part of this bandaid solution is that it creates a massive array of complications, with the most damage being inflicted to the intestinal system and liver. This creates a wide variety of symptoms. Just listen to a drug commercial; 10-15 seconds is dedicated to listing the side effects, a clear indicator of just how toxic the side effects can be.

Until an individual is able to come off of prescriptions, there will always be an onerous toxic load from this one act alone.

The Rabbit Hole Goes Deep

Although these daily toxic touch points make up a large portion of your daily intake, there are hundreds of others that make their way into our lifestyle. The list is so pervasive, unless you have done hundreds of hours of research, you can’t even begin to imagine the bombardment our bodies are subjected to over a course of a day.

The safest way to avoid these daily toxins is to buy whole, fresh, and organic foods that do not come in a package. For those that do, ensure the ingredients are minimal and clean, and be mindful of the origin of the product. Choose more natural personal care products, and keep your water clean for hygiene and drinking purposes.

If your health and happiness is worth it, why not get started today?



Is Coffee Healthy?

Coffee is big business. Over 1 million cups are served daily in North America alone, and it is the most consumed beverage after water and the second most traded commodity after oil. Coffee is not just a habit, it’s an addiction, and research studies are backing up people’s desire to find nothing but good in the black elixir. It’s very clear that coffee isn’t going away anytime soon, but what isn’t clear is if coffee is actually healthy. It’s time to fully examine all sides of this contentious debate.

Congratulations! If you have made it this far, you actually want to know more about your coffee habit and the health implications (positive and negative). Either that, or you decided to take a peek during your coffee break to validate your coffee habit by browsing through this article to see all the good that pops up, while ignoring the rest.

It’s okay; it’s human nature. We typically don’t like our habits to be questioned in any shape or form, and we often look for evidence to validate them. However, in this article, we are going to explore both sides of the coffee habit, and evaluate whether it is generally a good habit to have, not healthy at all, or if it depends on the individual.

Kudos if you are still with me…

So without further ado lets take a look at one of our greatest addictions, come to a conclusion on our coffee consumption, and explore any alternatives available to help us break the regular habit for good.

Coffee Consumption – The Good

There has been plenty of research of late suggesting coffee consumption (in specific moderation) has several health benefits, which not only make it safe, but beneficial to drink on a consistent basis. Some of these health benefits that are being touted include:

  • Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
  • Protective effect against type 2 diabetes
  • Reduces risk of stroke
  • Enhanced brain function
  • Improved athletic performance

One of the key health components with coffee that helps with these conditions is its high antioxidant content.

Antioxidants are organic compounds such as vitamin A, C, and E, as well as beta carotene, lycopene and selenium, which are found in foods. Antioxidants are beneficial to the human body as they are scavengers of free radicals, which cause many systemic and health debilitating issues, such as chronic inflammation.

Coffee has also been shown to temporarily elevate energy and mood, as well as burn calories. Elson M. Haas M.D., author of The New Detox Diet states:

“A dosage of 50 to 100 mg caffeine, the amount in one cup of coffee, will produce a temporary increase in mental clarity and energy levels while simultaneously reducing drowsiness. It also improves muscular-coordinated work activity, such as typing. Through its CNS stimulation, caffeine increases brain activity; however, it also stimulates the cardiovascular system, raising blood pressure and heart rate. It generally speeds up our body by increasing our basal metabolic rate (BMR), which burns more calories. Caffeine also increases respiratory rates, and for people with tight airways, it can open breathing passages. Caffeine is also a diuretic and a mild laxative.” 

Dharma Singh Khalsa M.D., author of Brain Longevity, states the following about caffeine:

“Caffeine, in fact, is the most widely used cognitive-enhancement product in our society. Numerous tests have proved that, when used in moderate amounts, caffeine boosts concentration and alertness. Because it is a stimulant, it increases output of adrenaline, and can temporarily improve memory and mood.”

This is certainly the good news for coffee drinkers, but now, what about the side effects?

Coffee Consumption – The Bad

There has always been plenty of empirical data that conclusively shows that coffee consumption is generally not a good thing. For years, doctor would tell patients who were experiencing various symptoms that they should ‘cut back on the coffee’. This was just sage advice, and the patient typically knew that this is what they needed to do because their favourite addiction was causing a number of problems, including:

  • Caffeine jitters and crash
  • Inability to sleep properly
  • Kidney and bladder problems (due to the diuretic effects of the caffeine)
  • Adrenal fatigue, which is caused by stimulation and suppression of various hormones, that ultimately leads to severe hormonal imbalance and more serious health issues like prostate and breast cancer

The most significant issue created by coffee is adrenal fatigue due to the triggering of stress hormones in your body. This triggering makes your muscles tense, elevates blood sugar, speeds up pulse and respiration rates, and increases your state of panic and alertness.

To some of you, this may appear to be a good thing, but over a period of time, it is quite detrimental. Consider the following analogy by Stephen Cherniske, author of Caffeine Blues:

“Imagine you lived in a country that was always under threat of attack. No matter where you went, there was a perpetual state of alert. Not only that, but your defenses were constantly being depleted and weakened. Does that sound stressful? Caffeine produces the same effect on your body, like fighting a war on multiple fronts at the same time.”

Cherniske calls your body’s constant state of alert “caffeinism,” which is characterized by fatigue, anxiety, mood swings, sleep disturbance, irritability, and depression.

Ironically, most people drink coffee due to the energy it provides them on a daily basis. However, over the long term, it actually depletes your energy, which is a seriously ironic kick in the pants. Pat Goudey, author of The Unofficial Guide to Beating Stress, states:

“Caffeine doesn’t add energy to your system, it just burns up your reserves at a faster pace. You get a short-term boost at the expense of long-term jitters and fatigue.”

But that’s not all that coffee negatively effects. Michael Murray, N.D., points out:

“Caffeine depletes the body of B vitamins, which you need for proper brain and nervous system functioning and for converting food to energy, says Michael Murray, N.D., a naturopathic physician in Seattle and author of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Getting Well Naturally. To make matters worse, it also prevents iron absorption, says Dr. Murray, which can lead to anemia, a condition in which you have too few oxygen-carrying red blood cells and which is a major contributor to fatigue.”

Mark Mayell, Author of Off the Shelf Natural Health: How To Use Herbs and Nutrients To Stay Well, piggybacks on Michael Murray’s findings, stating the following:

“Although relatively safe, long-term use (of caffeine) in excess of 250 to 300 mg daily may cause numerous health problems. Caffeine has been known to raise blood-cholesterol levels, deplete B vitamins, irritate the stomach and bladder, exhaust the adrenals, and possibly lead to breast and prostate problems.”

This may not be an issue for those who drink only one cup of coffee a day, or is it? Cherniske writes:

“Careful research conducted by the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine shows that low to moderate caffeine intake (as little as one 14-ounce mug per day) can quickly produce withdrawal symptoms,” writes Cherniske.

With withdrawal symptoms, comes more chronic use. People would simply rather deal with their coffee habit, than try to deal with the headaches and migraines that can come with trying to kick the coffee habit. This roller coaster leads to long term coffee consumption, which continues to deplete the delicate adrenals, which throws hormones out of balance causing energy swings, fatigue, irritability, poor sleep, and breast and prostate issues.

So now that we have seen both sides of the argument, how do you make a logical, unemotional decision (which is difficult in a state of hormonal imbalance) about your coffee intake? You can attempt to examine your particular health situation soberly, and determine whether coffee is a habit you can safely continue.

People Who Can Drink Coffee in Moderation

There are certain people who can enjoy moderate (3-4 cups a week) coffee consumption. They are typically noted by the following characteristics:

  • Emotionally and physically balanced, with little to no hormonal problems (characterized by a constant and healthy level of energy, good sleep, pleasant disposition, and healthy weight)
  • Consume a diet rich in organic fruits and vegetables (75% or more), that creates an optimal body pH and provides an abundance of various vitamins and minerals (to offset the acidity of coffee, and vitamin and mineral depletion)
  • Consumes adequate amounts of quality water, that offsets the dehydration caused by the diuretic effects of caffeine

With these characteristics in place, the word moderation is still in effect. From the Textbook of Natural Medicine by Joseph E. Pizzorno and Michael T. Murray:

“Although acute caffeine consumption provides stimulation, regular caffeine intake may actually lead to chronic fatigue. While mice fed one dose of caffeine demonstrated significant increases in their swimming capacity, when the dose of caffeine was given for 6 weeks, a significant decrease in swimming capacity was observed.”

Due to this and many other observations, it’s crucial that your caffeine uptake is limited.

It should be also noted, that adding refined sugars, conventional dairy, or artificial sweeteners puts a serious damper on any benefits you are receiving from your coffee. So go black or use healthier sugars and alternative dairy solutions for flavour.

People Who Should Severely Limit or Eliminate Coffee

There are also certain people who should limit or drop the habit altogether (or look for alternatives that limit the uptake of caffeine). They are typically noted by the following characteristics:

  • Emotionally and physically unbalanced, with more prevalent hormonal (adrenal) problems (characterized by poor energy or swings, inconsistent sleep, crankiness or irritability, anxiety, and an unhealthy weight)
  • Consume a diet rich in grains, dairy, and meat (75% or more), that creates an acidic body pH
  • Consumes inadequate amounts of quality water, exacerbating dehydration
  • Has digestive issues, signalled by stomach pain, flatulence, bloating, and constipation (less than 1 well formed bowel movement a day)

How do you know if you have adrenal problems? Consider the following symptoms:

  • Morning fatigue – you can’t seem to ‘wake up’ for the first couple hours (which is why you need coffee)
  • Mid-to-late afternoon low
  • Sleepy at 9 to 10 p.m., but you often resist going to sleep
  • You get second wind to stay up past 11 p.m., and usually end up going to sleep closer to 1 a.m.
  • Crave foods high in salt and fat (fast food is a common choice)
  • Depression
  • Lack of energy
  • Can’t handle stress
  • Weak muscles
  • Light headed when getting up from sitting or laying down
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Frequent sighing

In addition to that, you can try the pupil dilation exam you can do at home with a flashlight and a mirror. Simply look into the mirror and shine the flashlight into the pupil of one eye. It should contract. If after 30 seconds it stays the same, or even worse, it dilates, you can be reasonably sure you have adrenal fatigue.

Turns Out, Coffee Can Be ALL Good

Enema

Perhaps this is not the orifice you were planning on using for your coffee intake. Coffee enemas can be quite beneficial for your health when done properly. Some of the benefits include:

  • Reducing systemic toxicity up to 700 percent
  • Cleansing and healing the colon and digestive tracts, and improving peristaltic action
  • Boosts energy levels and increases mental clarity and mood
  • Helps eliminate parasites and candida
  • Helps detoxify and repair liver damage
  • Relieves chronic pain, eases die off symptoms related to cleansing and detoxifying regimens
  • Heals and prevents chronic illness

Perhaps they need to offer another service at the coffee shop to offset the effects of caffeine. I can hear it already…”Would you like another cup and an enema bag with that Americano?”

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Beat Seasonal Allergies Naturally

Seasonal allergies, often called hay fever, are symptoms that occur during specific times of the year.  Symptoms usually occurs at times when outdoor molds release their spores or when plants release tiny pollen particles into the air to fertilize other plants.  Allergies are an indication of a malcoordinated immune system.  Natural strategies cn be used to beat seasonal allergies once and for all.

In the mid-Atlantic states, tree pollination occurs between February and May, grass pollination occurs in May through June, and weeds pollinate from August through October.  Mold spores usually increase between mid-summer and fall.  Stronger symptoms during one of these periods helps to identify the particular allergy.

Malcoordinated Immunity

Allergies occur when the immune system is uncoordinated.  This can occur from some major bodily stressor that interferes with the natural maturity and function of the immune system.  Due to environmental challenges early in life, many individuals never develop a normal immune response and are prone to allergic reactions throughout their life.  Others encounter some sort of an immune insult during the course of their life that throws their immune system out of control

The most common immune insults include physical trauma that damages the upper cervical spine.  This form of trauma could include a slip or fall, a car accident, bad sleeping habits, or poor posture.  This leads to an upper cervical (neck) subluxation that puts pressure on the brain stem.  Upper cervical subluxations lead to badly coordinated immunity and allergic reactions in many individuals.

Family Strategies to Reduce Risk of Allergies

There are some great strategies a family could take to ensure that children will not develop allergies.  Before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and during lactation moms should optimize their vitamin D3 levels to 60-100 ng/ml.  They should also boost their microbial friends by eating raw fruits and vegetables and fermented foods and by taking probiotic supplements.  They should stabilize their omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid ratios by eating grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish and purified fish oil supplements.  SAnd, of course, they should completely avoid processed foods and foods cooked with inferior vegetable oils.

The newborn baby should be exclusively breast fed for at least the first 6 months and ideally the first 12-18 months.  Mother’s milk provides valuable immunoglobins early in life that play an enormous role in supporting the infant’s immune system as it matures.  Mother’s milk is also a rich source of medium chain saturated fats such as lauric acid that help feed and strengthen immune cells.  Mother’s milk provides IgA and probiotics which inoculate the baby’s gut and give it a defense against dangerous intestinal microbes that can cause damage to the gut lining.

Vaccinated Children and Allergies

Vaccinated children are much more susceptible to allergies.  In fact, a 2010 study found that 40% of vaccinated children reported to have at least one allergy, whereas less than 10% of children who were not vaccinated reported an allergy.  The same study showed that almost 11% of vaccinated children have seasonal allergies whereas only 2.5% of non-vaccinated children have this condition.

Beating allergies includes an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle.  This is done by rebuilding the intestinal wall with probiotics and fermented foods.  De-inflaming the body also involves avoiding inflammatory foods and consuming whole foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants.  Finally, optimizing vitamin D levels and drinking ample amounts of purified water is very important.

Chiropractic Care for Optimal Immunity:

Chiropractic care to remove upper cervical subluxations and restore proper structural and neurological function to the spine and nervous system is especially critical.  This includes very specific adjustment applied to release pressure on the brain stem region and specific exercises to maintain this correction and improve postural abnormalities.

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Fermented Foods Optimize Your Health

Our ancient ancestors’ utilized fermentation as a means of food preservation , creating probiotic enriched foods that were eaten on a regular basis. Many ancient medicine men and physicians began utilizing fermented foods to treat certain ailments. These probiotic enriched foods are one of the most important attributes of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

In the early 20th century, Nobel Prize winning scientist Ilya Ilyich Mechinikov attributed the remarkable health of a group of Bulgarian people to their daily consumption of probiotic enriched foods. He named the unique bacterial species that made up much of their fermented products Lactobacillus bulgaricus. He theorized that probiotic bacteria could have a much greater impact on human health than the much feared pathogenic strains of bacteria.

Every culture around the world has their own unique fermented foods. The Europeans use cabbage, beets, and cucumbers to make foods like sauerkraut, kvass, and pickles. The Koreans make a spiced, fermented cabbage they call kimchi. Asians ferment soy to form products such as tempeh, miso, and natto. They also created a fermented drink known as Kombucha. Many different cultures also made their own fermented sourdough style breads.

Traditional Fermented Foods

Sauerkraut is made by fermenting cabbage, oftentimes in vinegar. Raw cabbage naturally contains probiotics and enzymes that are exponentially multiplied during the fermentation period. Fresh (not canned) sauerkraut is a fantastic source of living enzymes and active lactobacillus and pediococcus strains of probiotics.

Kimchii is most commonly made with Chinese cabbages. There are also other variations of kimchii using cucumbers, eggplants, leeks, radishes, and other seasonal veggies. Often these are prepared with a combination of fermented veggies, giving it among other things, unique antioxidants, live enzymes, and the special organism lactobacillus kimchii.

Fermented soy comes in three major forms: miso, tempeh, and natto. Miso and tempeh often incorporate brown rice and barley fermentation with two unique probiotic yeast species. These yeasts enhance the bioavailability of the amino acids and produce high amounts of B vitamins. The bacillus subtilis bacterium is used to produce natto, which is rich in proteolytic enzymes and vitamin K2.

Fermented Dairy as a Staple of a Healthy Diet

Almost every region has their own fermented raw dairy products. The Bulgarians eat yogurt, the Indians eat Lassi, the Africans have Amasi, and the Eastern Russia/Slovakia areas have kefir, to name a few. Each of these dairy products are fermented with lactic acid based bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Leuconostoc, among others.

These raw, fermented dairy products share many of the same bacterial strains. In particular, they share the lactic acid based lactobacillus family of bulgaricus, kefir, parakefir, brevis, casei, etc. Raw, fermented dairy also provides a variety of healthy yeast saccharomyces species. These include saccharomyces unisporus, turicensis, cerevisiae, and exiguous.  Finally, these dairy products contain one of the most potent probiotic strains, bacillus coagulans. The combination of these probiotic organisms’ works in synergy to repair and protect the gut and destroy even the harshest of opportunistic organisms, such as the Candida yeast species.

Many individuals struggle to digest the milk sugar lactose and the protein casein. Fermented raw milk products such as those listed above have not only metabolized lactose but provide large doses of the enzyme lactase to assist in digestion. Most individuals who are naturally lactose intolerant do very well with fermented raw milk products.

Milk coming from cows that produce Beta Casein A1 can be problematic even after undergoing fermentation. It is best to purchase fermented, raw dairy from 100% green-fed animals that are completely free of Beta Casein A1. These acceptable animals would include goats and cows that have been selectively bread to no longer produce Beta Casein A1.

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The Extraordinary Health Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea is a common Asian drink that has picked up popularity throughout North America.  Many are choosing green tea as a healthy alternative to coffee and other warm drinks.  Research has shown that green tea is rich in polyphenol anti-oxidants that have extraordinary health benefits.

Green, black, and oolong tea are all part of the same species called Camellia sinensis.  Local growing conditions create variability and a multitude of distinctive leaves.  The processing of the leaves plays the biggest role in the creation of the three types of teas.  The length of time they are processed dictates the color, taste, and nutrient content of the different varieties of tea.

Green Tea is Highest in Anti-Oxidants

Green tea is the least processed of the three and contains the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity) of the three teas.  Green tea is rich in the polyphenol anti-oxidant catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).  This anti-oxidant is thought by most to be responsible for the health benefits linked to green tea consumption.

ECGC is considered to be one hundred times more potent than vitamin C and twenty-four times stronger than vitamin E.  The powerful ability to scavenge free radicals makes green tea one of the best anti-aging herbs.  ECGC is one of a handful of unique anti-oxidants that has shown an ability to influence mutant DNA formations to reverse chronic disease states.

Green Tea Lowers Mortality Risk

A September 2006 study in the Journal of American Medical Association showed that drinking green tea lowers the risk of mortality from all causes including cardiovascular disease.  This was an eleven year study following 40,530 adults ranging in age from 40-79 in the northeastern region of Japan.  Eighty percent of this population drinks green tea and over half consume at least three cups per day.

Those who drank five or more cups a day had a significantly lower risk of death from all causes than those who drank less than one cup of green tea daily.  Men had a 12% lower risk of mortality, 22% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and 42% lower risk of dying from stroke.  Women had a 23% lower mortality rate and 31% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and 62% lower risk of dying from stroke.

Green Tea and Cancer

A metanalysis of thirteen studies that was published in Carcinogenesis July 2006 demonstrated that women who drink green tea have a 22% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who do not drink green tea.

A study published in December 2004 in Cancer Research discussed how ECGC in green tea was able to decrease insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) while increasing levels of IGF binding protein-3, which binds IGF-1.  This reduces the risk of breast, colon, prostate and lung cancer.  It also inhibits key cancer survival proteins and reduces the expression of compounds associated with cancer metastasis.

A study published in Cancer Research in March 2005 showed that ECGC inhibits the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), which cancer cells need in order to grow.  In fact, DHFR is a common target of many expensive and toxic cancer drugs such as methotrexate.  ECGC does not bind as strongly and is not as powerful as methotrexate , but it does not have the negative effects on normal cells found with methotrexate use.

Green Tea Boosts Immunity and Prevents the Flu

A November 2005 issue of Antiviral Research demonstrated how EGCG inhibits the flu virus from replicating in a cell culture.  Scientists found that it blocks the hemagglutinin enzyme in the virus which inhibits its ability to infect other cells.  It also suppresses viral RNA synthesis by altering key properties of the viral cell membrane.

ECGC has been shown to suppress the pathogenic viruses such as Epstein Barr, herpes simplex, HIV-1 and the influenza virus.  Green tea contains high levels of L-theanine which has been shown to activate human gamma-delta T lymphocytes to proliferate and make interferone gamma If-G.  If-G is a potent antimicrobial cytokine that is the first line of defense in the blood stream against infection.

Green tea also contains small amounts of alkylamines which are also present in pathogenic organisms.  When we drink green tea, the alkylamines present act as relatively weak antigens that don’t fully activate the immune system but get it in a ready state.  This primes the immune system against bacterial and viral invaders.

Green Tea as a Th2 Immune System Stimulator

Some natural health practitioners have labeled green tea as a Th2 stimulating agent.  Although this hasn’t yet been proven through research, there are various case studies indicating that green tea may have this effect.  This herb would be particularly effective for individuals with a Th1 dominance as it will help balance out the immune system.

It is advisable for individuals with Th2 dominant conditions to do a supplement challenge where they intentionally see how their body responds to green tea or another Th2 stimulating compound before they begin indiscriminately using it .  If it is shown through a cytokine blood test or through an herbal or supplemental challenge that the individual has a Th2 dominance, then it is best to avoid green tea.

Green Tea Caffeine Content and ContraIndications

Green tea contains caffeine, but it is less than half of that found in coffee.  The amount of caffeine found in green tea  varies depending upon the amount of tea used, the brand, and the quality.  The first infusion of green tea leaves is the highest quality and has the most amount of caffeine.

It is extremely important to get organic green tea since the conventional tea may be highly sprayed with toxic pesticides and herbicides.  Many coffee shops and big companies carry green tea that is commercially produced and contains an abundance of environmental toxins.  This is not healthy and should be avoided.

Pregnant women and newborns shouldn’t drink large amounts of green tea as its ability to bind to DHFR may increase the risk of folate deficiencies in the newborn and increase the risk of spina bifida or other neural tube disorders.

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