How Gluten can Affect Your Brain, Gut, and Skin

Ditch Gluten to Improve Your Brain, Gut and Skin

Most people associate gluten sensitivity issues with digestive problems such as Celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome.  While gluten does have a very negative effect on the digestive system, it also inflames other regions of the body.  The other regions that are often most effected are the brain, joints, and skin.

It is estimated by many researchers, including Dr Kenneth Fine, PhD, that 81% of the population has some level of gluten sensitivity.  This means that the body produces antibodies to some sort of gluten derivative.  This could be to the protein gliadin and its various forms or to a mechanism called molecular mimicry where the body produces antibodies to proteins that are similar to gliadin in its various forms.

Many researchers and health care practitioners believe that everyone on the planet is better off removing gluten from their diets.  When individuals remove gluten they notice significant improvements in brain function, energy levels, breathing, immunity, pain levels, and skin health.

Kicking Gluten Improves your Brain

When we eat foods containing gluten, we increase a protein molecule called Zonulin.  Zonulin works as a gatekeeper in both the intestine and the blood-brain barrier.  The more zonulin in the gut, the more permeable the intestinal cells become and the risk of developing leaky gut syndrome increases.

High levels of zonulin also loosen the tight junctions in the epithelium of our blood cells.  This allows toxins and other molecules to slip through the blood-brain barrier.  When the blood brain barrier is permeable, it activates an inflammatory response in the brain.

Leaky Gut glutenYour Brain Doesn’t Feel Pain but It Still Suffers

The brain itself does not feel pain and chronic inflammation is experienced with symptoms such as brain fog, slow mental processing, anxiety, depression, emotional disturbances, etc.  Over time, a brain that is chronically inflamed leads to neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.

Individuals may also form specific antibodies to gluten molecules that mimic other regions of the body.  One of the most common of these molecular mimicry patterns is Glutamate Decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies.  GAD is an enzyme that helps metabolize glutamate and it is key for energy production in major regions of the brain.

Individuals with GAD antibodies often form cerebellar ataxia where they are unable to maintain balance and have very poor coordination.  GAD antibodies are also implicated in type I diabetes, adult auto-immune diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and stiff-man syndrome.

When we metabolize gluten, we produce the opiates gluteomorphin and prodynorphin as a result. These opiates have an addictive effect and can often lead to food addictions to sugar and gluten containing carbs.  People often struggle to come off of these foods due to the addictions.

Dropping Gluten Gives You More Energy

A gluten sensitive individual will constantly be triggering their adrenals to pump out stress hormones every time they consume gluten.  The immune system has to crank up and go into hyper-inflammatory mode, which utilizes a lot of vital resources as well.  This taxes the body of raw materials and sets it up for adrenal exhaustion and chronic fatigue.

By eating an anti-inflammatory diet that takes out food borne stressors like gluten, genetically modified foods, sugary foods, and pasteurized dairy, you allow the adrenals to come down.  This results in better sleep, more energy, and improved stress and emotional balance.

Cutting Gluten Improves Breathing, Joints, and Skin Health

One of the patterns of molecular mimickry is antibodies to transglutaminase.  Transglutaminases are enzymes found throughout the body that bind proteins together and they are also key to the digestion of wheat.  When the body forms an immune response to the gluten molecule, it often creates sensitivity to transglutaminase molecules as well.

Transglutaminase-2 (TG-2) is found in the intestinal lining and antibodies to TG-2 are a marker for celiac disease.  TG2 is a well-known marker for osteoarthritis as well.  This is one of the reasons why individuals with celiac disease also have advanced degeneration in their spine.  Many individuals with non-celiac gluten sensitivity also have major problems with joint pain, rheumatoidism, and osteoarthritis.

Transglutaminase-3 (TG-3) are found in the skin and antibodies can lead to chronic acne, eczema, and dermatitis.  Transglutaminase-6 (TG-6) is found throughout the central nervous system and antibody formation leads to neurological disorders.  Transglutaminase-7 (TG-7) is found in the lungs and antibody formation leads to asthma and other pulmonary challenges.

Give up Gluten and Look and Feel Better than Ever

When you give up gluten and sugar and minimize grains and other inflammatory agents you will notice that you look and feel significantly better.  Your skin will get clearer, your hair will be shinier, your joints will be stronger and your brain will be sharper . Your memory will improve and you will  feel more emotionally balanced.

The benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet far outweigh the momentary glutinous or social benefits associated with eating gluten, sugar, and other inflammatory foods.  Your greatest asset is the body God gave you, and you have to take proper care of it to live out your full potential in life!

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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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The Top 5 Worst Pet Food Ingredients

It should come as no surprise that the cheapest and most widely available pet foods are just as unhealthy as cheap, widely available human foods.  Unfortunately, most mainstream foods for cats and dogs are overly processed and don’t even meet animals’ basic nutritional needs.

When we assess pet food, we look for products that most closely mimic what the animal’s diet would be like in the wild.  Cats and dogs are both carnivores – in nature their daily diet is high on protein and low on carbohydrates.

Despite the fact that this is widely known, many of the most common pet foods feature recipes that are exactly the opposite – low in protein and high in carbs, chemicals, and preservatives, which are just as bad for your pets as they are for you.

No pet owners intentionally feed their pets unhealthy food; if a dog or cat’s diet is lacking in nutrition, it’s almost always because their owner is either uninformed or cannot afford to regularly buy healthier options.  Whichever the case, you should at least avoid buying foods with these 5 harmful ingredients.

Meat “Products”

 In a natural setting, your dogs and cats would be eating fresh prey, like rabbits and mice, which are unadulterated, high quality protein.  That’s why it’s such a shame that so many brands stuff their foods with extremely low quality meat “products.”  Meat by-product and meat and bone meal consist of ingredients that not legally allowed to be put into human food.  However, like most harmful ingredients, these products are much cheaper than the real thing.

Both meat by-product and meat/bone meal are made up of all animal parts, such as bones, lungs, feet, heads, intestines and blood.  The worst part is that these parts can be taken from any and all animals, including the 4 D’s:  dead, dying, diseased, or disabled at the time of slaughter.  This meat is almost entirely unregulated and can be contaminated or diseased.  No pet owner wants to be feeding their beloved pet such polluted food.

Animal Fat 

Animal fat is sometimes known as “tallow” and is derived in a pretty nasty process.  When an ingredient is just listed as “animal fat,” and not as a specific type of animal, it is often a generic mix of animal parts, grease from restaurants, or other oils that wouldn’t be allowed to be used in products for humans. The rendering process that results in this fat involves boiling any and all animal parts available along with used restaurant grease.  The top layer of fat is skimmed off and used in many pet foods.

Beef tallow is also a common ingredient – it’s used to make low-quality pet foods taste better, but offers no nutritional value.   You want to look for pet foods that include specific types of animal fats, such as chicken or poultry fat, which is derived and preserved in a healthy manner.

 Corn

 Corn and grains constitute large amounts of low-quality pet foods, despite the fact that dogs and cats would not be ingesting corn or grains in the wild.  These inexpensive ingredients are used as a cheap filler that helps add substance to the paltry amount of actual protein in the recipe.  The corn or grain products are high in calories, so they make dogs and cats feel full, but don’t give them what they need to stay healthy.  Given too many carbohydrates, dogs and cats can develop obesity and diabetes

There are many excellent brands on the market that don’t contain any corn or grain fillers.  Granted, they are a bit pricier, but that’s because they actually contain high-quality ingredients, which cost more.  These options are much easier on animals’ digestive systems and will not cause allergic reactions the way foods with fillers will.  Though it may be hard to find these at your standard grocery or convenient store, they’re readily available online or in specialty pet stores.

Sugar

 There is absolutely no reason for any type of sweetening agent to be included in your pet’s food.  The only reason it’s used at all is to mask the unpalatable quality of the other ingredients and provide empty, cheap calories.  Keep an eye out for any version of sugar:  cane molasses, corn syrup, sorbitol, fructose, glucose, or propylene glycol.  Be sure to avoid any product that lists sugar in the first several ingredients.

If the food has to include sweeteners, you should ask yourself why the food isn’t appetizing enough as is.  If it contains high-quality proteins, you won’t be able to keep your furry friends away from it.  Also, if pets are regularly fed high-sugar recipes, they can become dependent on sweet foods, making it difficult to transition them to healthier options.  Not to mention that excessive sweeteners can eventually cause serious medical problems such as obesity, hypoglycemia, arthritis, tooth decay, and allergic reactions.

Preservatives

Are you starting to see a pattern here?  Many of the qualities that make pet food unhealthy are the very same ones that make processed human food unhealthy.  Methods of producing food cheaply are very similar across the board, except pets have it even worse.  Most common, inexpensive pet foods on your grocery’s shelves feature chemical preservatives like propyl gallate, ethoxyquin, BHT, and BHA.  The last two, in fact, cannot legally be used in human products in many countries, but are still legal in the U.S.

All of these chemicals have been associated with dangerous illnesses such as cancer and liver disease.  Fortunately, there are some effective preservatives that don’t cause health problems.  Look for foods that include natural preservatives: rosemary oil, vitamin E (tocopherols) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

Navigating the pet food aisle can be just as challenging as making sense of the rest of the grocery store.  Organic?  All natural?  Low fat?  Fat free?  Translating food labels is not for the faint of heart.  But, you should invest a bit of time finding a high quality pet food that’s convenient and affordable for you to buy on a regular basis.

The best possible option is a BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet, which consists of raw meats, organs, bones and even raw eggs.  Following this diet takes some commitment but has a huge payoff:  your pets will have far fewer health problems and enjoy their food much more.  You can always start the transition by incorporating some raw foods into what you’re already feeding your pets.  Check out BARF World to learn more about getting started.

Given that your bet is a beloved member of your family, it only makes sense to take special care in deciding what goes in his little body so that he can stay healthy and happy for many years to come



5 Natural Pest Remedies for Your Garden

We all need a chance to wind down and relax after a long day of work or caring for our families. Gardens are a backyard getaway of sorts, allowing us to enjoy nature and take pride in our ability to better the world around us. However, when pests invade, that peaceful little oasis can turn into a battleground. Rather than purchasing costly and potentially dangerous pesticides, give natural pest control a try. It often works just as well as chemical products, and it is better for you and the environment. These five remedies will help you get your garden back.

Prevent Pests from Invading

Don’t wait for pests to become an issue. Keep them from coming to your yard in the first place by ridding your garden of any weeds or debris, two places where insects like to breed. In addition, get rid of infected or failing plants. Finally, focus on building healthy soil so your plants can thrive. Engage in mulching and composting, and use natural fertilizer to top-dress your soil.

Create a Garlic Spray

If you are dealing with aphids, whiteflies or spider mites, a garlic oil spray should take care of the problem. Soak 10 cloves of minced garlic in two teaspoons of mineral oil. Allow it to sit for at least one full day. Using a strainer, separate the garlic and mineral oil. Mix the garlic with two and a half cups of water and one teaspoon of liquid dish soap. Combine and add to a spray bottle. Put the mixture on all of your plants for best results.

Attract “Good” Insects

There are certain insects, like ladybugs and lacewings, which prey on the pests you want to keep out of your garden. There are two ways to get these helpful creatures on your side: you can purchase them and bring them in yourself, or you can add specific plants to your garden to attract the helpful insects that you need.

Ladybugs, for example, eat mites, aphids and whiteflies. They like yarrow, tansy or daisy plants. Lacewings also help control aphid populations, and they are attracted to goldenrod, yarrow, and asters. If you are having a caterpillar problem, plant carrots, Queen Anne’s lace, or even parsley. These plants will draw in chalcids and brachonids, which should eliminate your caterpillar population.

Mix a Soap Solution

If the garlic spray mentioned above requires too much preparation for you, try mixing up a soap solution instead. It will also help with aphids, whiteflies and spider mites and involves just two ingredients: soap flakes and water. Pour eight and a half cups of warm water into a container and allow two tablespoons of soap flakes to dissolve inside. Measure the soap out carefully; too much could damage your plants. Take the solution and apply it to the problem areas once a week.

Set Up Traps and Barriers

Jumbo Single Grow ClocheThere are a number of traps and barriers that can help in your battle against bugs. A cloche protects your young plants from pests; it resembles a small greenhouse. Yellow flypaper works well when it comes to whiteflies and aphids. And, there are pheromone traps available as well, but since they are very effective at attracting insects, you only want to use them along the perimeter of your garden.

Natural pest control is a great alternative to pesticides. With a little bit of work, you can reclaim your garden and get back to doing what you enjoy.

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The Health Benefits of Liposomal Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most widely recognized and used anti-oxidants in the world.   This anti-oxidant plays a critical role in helping the immune system, joints, and arteries heal and function properly.  Liposomal vitamin C is a technological breakthrough in nutrient assimilation and offers incredible health benefits.

Much of our physiology is based on the movement of electrons from one compound to another.  Unstable molecules that are missing an electron are called free radicals and they are catabolic to the body.  These free radicals are formed in a cycle called oxidative stress that creates damage and instability in cells, tissues, and organs in the body.  Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant that acts to donate an electron to neutralize free radicals and restore peace and harmony to the body.

The Health Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C plays an important role in the health and function of the immune cells.  White blood cells depend upon vitamin C in order to survive and withstand the attack of pathogens and free radicals.  Vitamin C also plays an important role as an antihistamine and reduces inflammatory conditions associated with colds, fevers, flu’s, and allergies.

Vitamin C also plays an important role in the production of collagen which is the major constituent in ligaments, bones, discs, tendons, and skin.  High dose vitamin C has been shown to improve the healing process of burns, cuts, wounds, sprains/strains, and broken bones.  It is also extremely important for the health of the eyes and many experts believe that as little as 1,000 mg of liposomal vitamin C daily may stop cataracts all together.

Vitamin C and Cancer

Environmental toxins damage cells and intracellular organelles leading to altered cellular metabolism and genetic mutations.  Vitamin C has powerful antioxidant properties that protect against the oxidative stress against the cell.   High doses of vitamin C are even more important when large cancerous growths already exist within the body.  Oral vitamin C does not directly attack cancer, but it helps to keep the immune system strong and empowers it to destroy the cancer.

IV dosage of vitamin C acts as a pro-oxidant that forms hydrogen peroxide and acts as a chemotherapy type of agent that destroys cancer cell formation.  Liposomal vitamin C acts to prevent the oxidative stress that alters intracellular organelles and genetic mutations.  It also acts to prevent the chronic inflammation that allows mutant cells to develop into fast growing cancerous tumors.  This should never be used alone as a cancer therapy but as an adjunct in conjunction with a full-fledged natural or traditional medical protocol.

Vitamin C and Heart Disease

Vitamin C helps to protect the arterial walls throughout the body.  The blood vessels that are most important and under the most stress are the coronary arteries that feed the heart muscle.  Vitamin C helps reduce infections and other forms of oxidative stress that affect these blood vessels.  It also prevents the oxidation of cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Vitamin C also improves lung function and overall oxygenation within the body.  Asthmatics tend to have a higher need for vitamin C and doses of 2000 mg per day lessen the body’s production of histamine and lung associated inflammation.

Vitamin C also improves blood sugar stability which is particularly important for individuals with heart disease and diabetes.  When blood sugar is elevated and not properly monitored in the body, the sugar molecules bind to proteins in the body and form advanced glycolytic end products (AGE’s).  These AGE’s create rampant amounts of tissue damaging oxidative stress in the body.  Dosages of 1,000-3,000 mg per day drives down AGE formation and improves circulation and tissue oxygenation.

Best Delivery System for Vitamin C

Much of our biological chemistry is based around water and fat solubility.  Just as water and oil do not mix, there are challenges involved with bringing a water soluble nutrient into a fat soluble matrix such as the cell membranes.  This incompatibility leads to lower rates of nutrient uptake and utilization within the cell.

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and it doesn’t interact particularly efficiently with the cell membrane wall, which is made up of fatty acids.  Estimates are that oral vitamin C intake has a 20% absorption rate into the bloodstream with the other 80% accumulating in the colon.  Oral vitamin C intake is also associated with unpleasant digestive complaints such as cramping and diarrhea because it draws water into the colon.

What are Liposomes

Liposomes are tiny “nano-size” fat soluble vehicles for carrying nutrients to the body’s cells.   Dr Alec Banham, a hematologist at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, UK, discovered the liposomal technology.  “Lipo” is Greek for fat while “soma” means body.  These are a double layer of fatty materials which is similar to the phospholipid bilayer of the cell membranes in the body.

Liposomal vitamin C is packaged like a bodily cell so it passes through the digestive barrier and delivers the nutrient directly to the bloodstream.  This has a much higher absorption rate with over 90% of the cells being bathed in vitamin C.  This is even vastly superior to IV vitamin C ,which is an expensive but effective procedure that is done quite often in hospitals and alternative health clinics.

The Correct Liposomes

Liposomal size plays an important role in its ability to hold the greatest volume of vitamin C.  The correct size should be between 100 to 400 nanometers in size.  They should be quality tested at a FDA regulated facility to ensure safety and quality.

The best carrier for liposomal vitamin C is phosphatidyl choline (PC) which helps to hold the liposomes together.  Ideal ranges should be between 250-500 mg of PC per dose in a liposomal vitamin C formula.  This PC should be derived from a non-GMO sunflower lecithin rather than a soy based lecithin.

Case Study Shows Powerful Effects of Liposomal Vitamin C

New Zealand dairy farmer Alan Smith had a miraculous recovery from a coma induced by leukemia and severe double lung pneumonia.  Doctors were ready to pull the plug on him when the family begged them to try high dose IV vitamin C.  Alan began showing positive results after the doctors administered 50-100 grams of IV vitamin C.

Unfortunately, the doctors at the hospital who were relatively uneducated on vitamin C were concerned about any possible complications with the high dose IV vitamin C.  They dropped the dosage to 2g of vitamin C and Alan began to struggle for survival again.  His family began giving him 6 grams of oral liposomal vitamin C and within weeks he was significantly better and was discharged from the hospital.

IV Vitamin C versus Liposomal Vitamin C

Some experts in the field of vitamin C such as Dr Thomas Levy, are saying that 6 grams of liposomal vitamin C is equivalent to 50 grams of intravenous vitamin C.  Intravenous vitamin C elevates blood levels of vitamin C significantly higher, however, without the liposomal membrane this water soluble vitamin C is unable to efficiently penetrate the cell membrane.

Oral vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to reduce oxidative stress in the body.  Intravenous vitamin C is a pro-oxidant drug that helps produce hydrogen peroxide which targets cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed.  So it does have great benefits in advanced cancer patients.

The cell membrane blocks much of the vitamin C that is in the bloodstream from getting into the cell.  The liposomal membrane is able to fuse with the same material and configuration that resides on cell walls.  This results in a lower minimal necessary dosage and saves a tremendous amount of money and stress to the consumer.

Intravenous vitamin C treatments cost between $125 – $160 a session.  Typical sessions last around two hours.  A daily dosage of 6g of Liposomal vitamin C costs less than $5 per day and takes no time at all.  It does not require a doctor or needles and is very easy and user friendly as we are all familiar with swallowing a pill.

Liposomal Protocols

For an individual with no major symptoms or diagnosis that wants good general health

1-2 grams is optimal               Take 1,000 mg   1-2 x daily

Extreme Athlete or Individual with Major Health Challenges:

4-6 grams is optimal              Take 2,000 mg  2-3x daily

Extreme Disease – Late Stage Infection, Cancer, Heart Disease, etc.

8-12 grams is optimal             Take 4,000 mg  2-3 x daily

With liposomal vitamin C, I like to be aggressive so I would take the upper dosage and if you notice any complications (such as high or low blood pressure, dizziness, nausea, cramping, diarrhea, etc.) try cutting down to the lower dosage and observe for any changes.

Contraindications

One of the contraindications for vitamin C usage is a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.  This is an inherited condition where the individual doesn’t have the G6PD enzyme.  G6PD helps the body to function normally and very high dose vitamin C infusions or very high dose liposomal vitamin D has a possibility of causing hemolytic anemia.

Micro Liposomal COther contraindications would include allergens to the liposomal compounds such as sunflower lecithin as discussed here.  Individuals who are pregnant, young children, and anyone taking blood-thinning medications should use smaller dosages.  It is always advisable to discuss vitamin C therapy with your doctor before beginning although most doctors have very little experience with this.

Those with iron overload should understand that vitamin C increases the absorption of iron into the body, especially in the heart where it can cause problems.  Ferritin levels should ideally be less than 80 and transferrin saturation should be less than 40%.  If you are above those levels, donating blood would be a great idea.  Also, wait 2-3 hours after taking the liposomal vitamin C before eating red meat or anything else that is high in iron if iron levels are high.

Proper Protocol

A PET scan usually is a guidepost. If the PET is positive, the tumor usually responds to the vitamin C. If the PET is negative, but there is an active tumor present, vitamin C is less effective in most cases. Vitamin C therapy works best in the early stages of cancer when used in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation. It is not intended as a stand-alone treatment or as a last effort treatment for patients in the late stages of cancer,

However, when considering the multitude of benefits associated with oral liposomal vitamin C supplementation and the costs associated with getting a PET scan, one may choose to just opt with the vitamin C supplementation.  At the very worst, it may not have much influence on the particular tumor but will enhance all other bodily systems.  The net effect will be well worth the time and financial investment in taking the liposomal vitamin C.

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Basil Pesto with Spirulina Recipe (Raw Food & Vegan)

Pesto is that dish.   It’s simple, yet complex.  It’s cheap, but healthy.  And most of all, it’s your comforting friend on a quiet night that easily doubles as a crowd pleaser when unexpected guests turn up.

This is a “throw-together” pesto recipe that’s bursting with nutrients, including Spirulina; the most concentrated protein source on the planet.  Spirulina adds a level of richness to the pesto and has numerous health benefits, keeping you fuller for longer, regulating energy levels, normalizing thyroid and adrenal gland function, and supporting healthy hormones.

Serve it drizzled over veggies or meat or simply stirred through cooked quinoa or pasta.

Ingredients

  • 100 grams of basil (1/4 pound)
  • 50 grams of baby spinach/rocket/kale (1/8 pound)
  • 50 grams of raw pine nuts
  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped finely (or more for a little extra zing)
  • 1 teaspoon of spirulina powder

 Instructions:

  1. Put basil leaves, spinach/rocket/kale, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, nuts and salt in a blender and blitz until smooth
  2. Stir in spirulina
  3. Store in a glass jar in the fridge