What 1 Change Can You Make With 8 Amazing Benefits to Your Body and Mind?

If you are a patient of mine you know that I talk about eating fat a lot. The more research and study I do on fats the more I realize that eating the right fats is one of the smartest things you can do to be healthy. In fact, this blog may be one of the most important ones I have written.
 
Very few people are eating the best types and amounts of fat with the most benefits. It’s not our fault, really. Blame the Standard American Diet and the Big Food companies. The wrong fats are cheap.
 
Finding out the fats your body really needs can make all the difference to normal weight, physical healing, hormone balance, mental clarity and memory, energy, blood-sugar balance, longevity, and living a pain-free life.
 
Whew! That is quite a list of benefits. We can get so used to grappling with body ailments and not feeling all that great. Just the avoidance of a serious disease state seems like a miracle these days. And the common reality is that it is just a matter of time before each of us falls prey to illness and symptoms that run in our families or fall from the trees.
 
Lately, it has been hard not to eye those around us as potential carriers of a mysterious new disease that must be everywhere, based on the fact that we are instructed to walk around looking like we were just transferred to the infectious disease unit of our local hospital.
 
And, by the way, it is not the virus that is killing people. It is the inflammatory over-response from the immune system that is lethal. Getting inflammation under control is the key to recovery.
 
Vibrant health is not a pipedream. But it is certainly not a given, either.  Right now, if you have anything less than perfect health, a smart place to start is by examining the types and amounts of oils and fats in your diet.
 
Fat, fat, fat. First of all, we have to get past the word "fat" itself. We hate being fat, even as we are, collectively, fatter than any previous generation by miles. You know analytically that not all fats are equal and that some are “good” and some are “bad”.
Since so many bad fats taste good, it can get pretty crossed up when it comes time to choose the sides that come with a burger at every restaurant in America.
 
So, let's look at fat through a fisheye lens The healthy fats from marine and ocean sources are pretty phenomenal.  These amazing fats are Omega 3’s. Omega fats have a certain type of bond in the fat chain, which is composed of particles called fatty acids. What is important to know is that these are “essential fats” that we can’t make inside our bodies, but have to get from our foods.
 
Omega 3 fats lower triglycerides, the fats formed by the liver when you eat starches and sugars. High triglycerides are associated with heart risk. Omega 3’s have been shown to reduce depression.  Two grams of fish oil per day may reduce anxiety.

 
These O-3’s can reduce pain and inflammation, quite dramatically.
They aid healthy blood sugar balance and cut sugar cravings to help normalize weight, reduce risk of all disease, and help with memory and mental sharpness. This will often lead to better sleep, more energy, and beautiful skin. Quite a package.
 
The protective envelope around nerve cells needs Omega 3 fatty acids. Nerve cells are not just vital to the brain, but act as an information highway in the body.
 
Omega 6 Fats are also essential. Vegetable oils are used in every type of processed and fast foods. These are Omega 6 fats, and often the fats are altered through industrial processes or frying, which alters the fatty making them into trans-fats. These may contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and inflammation.
 
It is easy to see why so many Omega 6 fats are used in processed foods because vegetable sources are cheaper than marine/fish sources.
 
Too much Omega 6 fat, from foods like vegetable oils and land animals, may bring on pain and inflammation, add weight, increase cravings, and contribute to the risk of heart disease and cancer. They may increase risk of Alzheimer’s, and cause premature aging, rough, scaly skin, and facial wrinkles.
 
Humans do need fats from sources like meat, eggs, dairy, some (unrefined) vegetable oils, and grains, which contain Omega 6 fats. It is just that we are eating too much fat from these Omega 6 sources and not enough fat from Omega 3 sources. Wild game, such as our ancestors ate before we started taking our animals to the feedlot to fatten them up, contained a better ratio of Omega 6’s to Omega 3’s.
 
The usual American diet is 20:1 Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats. The ideal ratio is 4:1. Simple math says cut back on Omega 6’s and bump up the Omega 3’s. When the ratio is off, and the diet is weighted towards Omega 6’s, obesity risk increases.
 
The important thing to take away from this is that changing your ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats may be one of most important changes you can make for improved quality of life and reduction of disease risk.
 
Best dietary sources of Omega 3 ‘s are fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, and anchovies, walnuts (raw) and cod liver oil or other “clean” fish oil supplements.  Flaxseed and Chia seeds are another source. Small amounts can be found in pasture-raised meats and eggs.
 
Corn oil, Sunflower oil, and soybean oil contain the highest amounts of pro-inflammatory Omega 6. All of these other plant-source oils should also be avoided: Cottonseed oil, Canola oil, Rapeseed oil, Sesame oil, Grapeseed oil, Safflower oil, Rice bran oil.
 
Coconut Oil, butter, palm oil, lard (bacon fat) and olive oil are all relatively low in Omega 6’s. These oils can be used for cooking.
 
Other plant sources of Omega 3 fats include organic hemp seeds, Brussels sprouts, Algal (from algae.)
 
Three or more servings of fatty fish per week are recommended for general maintenance. If fish is not your thing, or to treat mood, pain, or inflammation, I suggest fish oil supplementation. You can’t afford to miss out on the benefits of the ideal balance of Omega 3’s to Omega 6’s. Suggested adult dosage is 1 gram per day for general health.
 
In my next blog I will explain more about the types of Omega 3’s and recommended dosage so you can use them to handle specific symptoms you may be having.
 
The worst of our modern chronic diseases appear to be linked to inflammation.

So, if we can decrease inflammation just by increasing Omega 3’s and reducing Omega 6’s, it seems like a no-brainer to make these small changes for a better life.

Which of the Four Elements are You and Which One is Best?

We all have various reactions to challenges and events in our lives. How we respond may depend on how we view the world and ourselves. Each type of elemental (natural forces) response has a time and place and may be appropriate for a given situation. But being stuck in one type of elemental response may limit our flexibility and adaptability.
 
Please don’t take this all too seriously! This is just a fun way to take a look at how we all respond to things, based on some ideas that have roots in historical theories about human behavior.
 
Earth. You are grounded and have your feet firmly planted on solid beliefs and behaviors. You want things to stay the same and you plan for the long-term duration. You like to live in one place and build your nest. You hang on to things and save things for the future, whether it is old clothes or your kids’ drawings. You like others who are like you and think and act like you.
 
You are not very flexible and you do not like to have your stability threatened. When things get tough you dig in and wait it out.
 
Wind. You are very flexible. Your bags are packed and you like to travel. You don’t mind changing locations or ideas and you want to hear about new things, which you may adopt and try out. You don’t collect things because you like to travel light.
 
You are a bit mercurial. You try on new ideas but you are not sure if any ideas or viewpoints are correct. You do not like to take a stand on an issue and risk offending someone. You resist being predictable. You like to introduce change and inject other ideas into situations.
 
Fire. You are passionate and attach yourself to causes that inspire you. You are dramatic and certain about being right. You have a great deal of energy and will channel it towards your interests. You can inspire and uplift people, and your warmth can be very charming.
 
You are not always diplomatic about someone else’s ideas. You have difficulty understanding when others do not share your passions or see your point of view.
 
Water. You are the most changeable of all the elements. You are sometimes hard and cold as ice, and maybe a bit unforgiving. Sometimes you may be as sweet as a flowing stream, and sometimes you are as hard to pin down as a mist. Your friends and colleagues may not know what to expect from you, and you may not know yourself. You can be constant and consistent and wear down opposition, or you may decide on a whim to switch to a new job, project, or hobby. When you are involved in something you can move things along and your participation is valuable.
 
Lately, I have seen many different responses to the current restrictions imposed by the pandemic.  All of the elemental types have a positive side. And they all have a negative side, too. None of these elemental responses are imposed and fixed by nature, DNA, training, or our education. Our individual reactions to life rest on how we view the world, and how we think we will better handle challenges so that we hang in there. Some will ride challenges out and others will grab the reins and harness them for a better future.
 
Which element is best? There is no better one. At times it is smart to dig in and plan for the long-term and be grounded. At other times it works best to be able to travel light and move out of a situation that is not working out. Passion can be a wonderful trait, as long as it allows others to have their own ideas and activities. Being able to flow is a great trait, or we may find that being as hard as ice or as light as mist is necessary.
 
Balance is the key to health, and it is a key to success in life, also. If you can move easily among the elemental types, and you can tolerate the same types in others, you will avoid getting stuck in a single way of doing things that may trap you or leave you behind.
 
Never before in our recent collective history has it been more important to stay flexible. Drugs, medicines, alcohol, and electronic media all numb us, stifling our creativity and crushing the ability to use our wits. Fear and uncertainty kill us, bodies, minds, and souls, and people can make bad decisions when afraid. A person who is mentally, emotionally, or spiritually afraid will have difficulty being healthy physically.
 
The people who will be able to make the best of the social disturbance and economic challenges ahead will be those who can bend like the wind, move forward passionately like fire, hold their ground like earth, and flow like water. In other words, we all need to be stable and ready for action, so we are not held back, even if we are held at home.
 
Let me if you had some fun with this and how I can help you to do well.

Knowledge is Power. Find Out What a Virus is and How to Prevent the Harmful Ones

I have been chatting to quite a few people about their concerns about the current virus scene and many of them don’t understand what a virus is and how it works in the body. So, this article will give some simple information and may help you to know more about protecting yourself from any harmful virus.

We think of germs as tiny living things that can cause illness. Did you ever hear your Mom tell you not to touch something because it had germs? Germs are microorganisms, which means they are very small. How small? A grain of sand harbors from 10,000 to 100,000 microorganisms!

Most microorganisms are harmless to humans, and some are vital to us because they are helpful and assist digestion and our immune system. Some cause illness. It is the job of our immune systems to sort out which are good for us and which need to be eliminated.

Viruses are a special class and different from bacteria. Bacteria cells divide and replicate, creating more bacteria. Bacteria need a food source to survive. Antibiotics can kill them because they are “alive”.  Some bacteria are killed by viruses, so not all viruses are bad for us. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/05/friendly-viruses-protect-us-against-bacteria

Viruses do not divide and reproduce, so are not alive in the same sense. When a virus invades a host body it has to hijack the machinery of a cell to make new viruses. So the cell, instead of reproduce copies of itself, is forced to make new viruses which causes the cell to burst open and release more new invading viruses. https://eol.org/docs/discover/viruses

Viruses are probably the most abundant type of biological entity on earth. About 5000 different ones have been noted but probably a million types exist. We breathe in about 100,000,000 viruses any normal day! There are many different types. For example, viruses called bacteriophages attack bacteria, and this has some promise for treating bacterial infections and is being investigated as a cancer treatment in Eastern Europe.

There are several types of Coronavirus. They are called that because they have crown-like spikes when viewed under a microscope. Corona means crown. Other Coronaviruses include SARS, MERS, and the common cold 

So, now that you know a bit more about viruses, and you know that you cannot avoid them, let’s consider how to let them make you sick.

Medical doctors are trying to figure out why some people get sick and others don’t, when exposed to the same virus. This seems fairly easy to understand from a natural medicine point of view. Each person has unique strengths and weaknesses in their body and immune system.

Understanding that pathogenic viruses are sneaky devils, offers an opportunity to prevent them. You know all about the advice being blasted by the news media. Some of it is commons sense and some of it is designed to scare the living crap out of us, which only makes us more susceptible to getting sick.

All viruses are opportunistic. Their survival depends on “opportunities” to hijack living cells just like a car hijacker steals someone’s car. Since they cannot survive by themselves, they must use a cell in a live body to reproduce. And once they invade a living body they must take hold quickly before the host immune system mounts an attack.  Click here to see a video about how viruses invade cells and how the immune system stops them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpj0emEGShQ

So, there are two ways to evade a virus. Since there are millions in the air on any given day, it does make sense to avoid people who are sneezing and coughing. Of course, many of those people have seasonal allergies, so it is hard to know who is sick and expelling cold and flu viruses, and who isn’t.

But, even better is to help your cells to resist the attack. One way to do that is to be sure you have plenty of minerals in your diet. And you need strong digestion to absorb minerals. Calcium and magnesium and zinc are some of the most important minerals, but that does not mean you should chew rocks. Vegetables are good sources of minerals. A low dose supplement may help. Make sure your stomach acid is strong. Apple cider vinegar, diluted in water, with a little raw honey added, is an old remedy during cold and flu season. Fresh squeezed lemon juice with some honey, diluted in water, is another good choice. If you are sugar sensitive you can use stevia or monk fruit instead.

The other way to ward off viruses is to make sure that your immune system is alert. Generally speaking, refined sugar suppresses the immune system. White blood cells become less active for five hours after we eat sugar. But there is some evidence that the sugar in fruit is helpful to the gut microbes that make up part of the immune system. https://blog.bioticsresearch.com/does-sugar-weaken-the-immune-system

Common sense in nutrition prevails. Eat clean and healthy, and support your immune system so that it is ready and alert when needed.

See my next blog for specific ideas you can implement now.