Have you ever wondered why a particular thing happened, or why or how you became involved in a particular situation? I know I have.

Some times the situations turns out to provide the most wonderful experience, to provide success, fame and even fortune and sometimes it works out just the opposite way. More often than not the way it turns out can hinge on a really fine line.

Ever caught yourself saying “Gosh, I wish I had taken that opportunity – look how it’s turned out now”?

Just how fine the line is was brought home to me just the other day when I was listening to a CD and the speaker was talking about a group of people that had worked in the Twin Towers building and that had got together to discuss how it was that they were not in the building at that particular time – an unusual occurrence. Their responses indicated just how fragile life is and how fine the line can be:

• One lady said that the phone rang just as she was leaving home and she decided to go back and answer it so it was the call that delayed her
• One man said that it was his son’s first day at kindergarten and he decided that he wanted to be there for that
• One man said that he had bought a new pair of shoes and decided to wear them that day. While walking to work he got a blister and stopped at a pharmacy to buy a plaster and that delayed him
• One lady was delayed because of an accident on the highway
• It was one man’s turn to buy the donuts for the office that day so he had stepped out of the office to buy them

The point I am getting to is that so much of the way life turns out comes down to the choices we make.

A good way to illustrate this is with a story.

Two shoe salesman from the city were sent to a very rural area to see if there was possibly more business to be had in that area. After being there for a day the 1^st salesman calls Head Office and  says “There’s no business to be had here, no one wears any shoes” and the 2^nd salesman calls and says “There’s great business to be had here, no one wears any shoes“!

So, very often our approach to life boils down to perspective. Now, how our perspective develops is a story for another time, however, if you get the chance to read a book titled ‘Beyond Illusions – the magic of positive perception’ by Brad Barton (ISBN 978-0-615-46836-5) do so, as he will offer an interesting perspective on the whole matter.

One of my favorite sayings is, ‘When you master your thoughts, you’ll master your destiny’.

My personal opinion is that we are all too quick to judge and usually judge negatively. The world seems to be driven by skepticism, mistrust, doubt and disbelief. In reality, if we are totally objective there really is as much positivity, success, opportunity and fortune in the world today – we just have to take our blinkers off, sometimes be prepared to think laterally and be prepared to alter our limiting perceptions about life.

So, here’s a challenge for you all –

• see the glass as half full ALWAYS
• see the opportunity, not the obstacle ALWAYS
• say “I can”, rather than “I can’t” ALWAYS
• seek solutions, not conflict ALWAYS
• and if you can’t change the situation, change yourself ALWAYS.

Remember, life works in mysterious ways, so where ever you are in your life is for a very good reason.

I would definitely infect the world with the the power of positive thinking.

Let me begin my explanation by introducing a little biochemistry in order to set the scene. Essentially our bodies function as a large chemistry set. Everything that happens, internally, is mediated via the production of chemicals, hormones, enzymes – it is these chemical messenger substances that direct operations in our bodies, affecting every cell, organ, and body system.

All of these chemical messenger substances rely on us providing the raw materials for their production. These raw materials come in the form of the foods we eat, the supplements we take, the water we drink AND the verbal, emotional and vibrational messages we bombard ourselves with.

Now, there are basically 2 types of raw material, in the broadest sense. There are the raw materials that send pro-life messages and there are the raw materials that send pro-death messages to our cells, organs and body system.

Pro–life messages come in the form of natural, fresh, whole grain, unrefined foods, food state supplements and clean, contaminant free water. In addition, there’s another whole category of pro–life messages that impact our cellular system just as significantly as the food we eat and those are the types of thoughts, feelings and emotions with which we bombard our bodies.

I love Mark Twain’s comment, ‘I’m an old man and I have known many great troubles, but most of them never happened’

Put another way, 5% of the things that we worry about ever happen, so we spend 95% of our lives worrying about 5% of the things that may happen!

Worry, negative thoughts, conflict, anger, guilt, jealously, all send strong pro–death messages to your cells. Apart from being an exercise in futility, these types of pro–death messages have been shown to contribute to the aging process by stimulating the production of strong stress chemicals in the body. These cause the release of additional chemicals (adrenalin, noradrenalin, cortisol, for example), which, if released in excess by on going pro–death stimulation, cause dis–ease and, eventually, disease.

So, the next time you find yourself indulging in negative self talk (e.g. “I’m so worried about…. , the meeting, the presentation, the kids, the exams…” and I’m sure you can add lots more things to the list!) just think about the effect it’ll be having on your entire body.

Try to visualize the pro-death message(s), the negative thoughts, the worry and anxiety over nothing, literally causing your cells to ‘take on’ sad faces and be aware that your cells WILL eventually die as a result of the bombardment by these pro–death messages!

Rather decide to see everything in a positive light. Remember 95% of the things you worry about NEVER happen, so don’t waste valuable energy on anything less than the positive.

Here’s a daily affirmation that you may want to repeat daily, in fact, multiple times a day:

I FEEL HAPPY, I FEEL HEALTHY AND I FEEL TERRIFIC…

It’s predicted that by the end of the 21st Century 75% of all deaths, world wide, will be as a result of chronic degenerative diseases such as heart and vascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, etc.

It has also been suggested, actually more like proven, that 80 – 90% of all of these diseases are as a result of poor lifestyle choices. If you ever get the opportunity to read ‘The Biology of Belief’, by Dr Bruce Lipton, I suggest you do. Dr Lipton clearly indicates how important making healthy choices will, at the end of the day, allow for healthy aging.

What then are some of these healthy choices we should all be making?

1. Ensure your diet is filled with nutrient dense foods

Nutrient dense foods are the non- processed, unrefined foods, including fresh vegetables, fruits, salads, lentils, legumes, chicken, fish and lean cuts of meat.

Anti – nutrient type foods include the sugary foods, processed and ‘fast’ foods, refined foods and foods containing high amounts of saturated and trans fats.

2. Get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night

Sleep time is when our natural batteries re-charge. Sleep deprivation (not getting enough sleep, broken sleep) will cause an up – regulated stress response in your body, leading to the production of stress chemicals which will affect your immune system and hence your general state of well being.

3. Reduce stress

Stress has been likened to a ‘silent killer’. Living in a state of constant stress put’s immense pressure on every system in your body and has the potential to cause serious health challenges.

4. Exercise

Exercise should include both aerobic, resistance and stretching type exercises. 30 – 60 minutes, 3 times a week is now pretty much accepted as the optimum exercise duration to have the desired therapeutic effect on your body.

5. Drink healthy, clean water

Your body is made up of around 66% water. It just makes sense to ensure that this water that surrounds all our trillions of cells, is clean and pure. Normal tap water, and often even bottled water, is contaminated with toxin like chlorine, bacteria and other organisms.

6. Supplementation

Even with best will in the world it is nigh impossible to get sufficient of the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, omega oils and amino acids that our bodies require from our diet. Supplementing with food state supplements will make the difference between cellular functioning and optimum cellular functioning.

7. Healthy Relationships

Ensure you are getting healthy doses of meaningful friendship, intimacy, humor, creativity, community involvement and real quality family time

Studies have clearly shown that people that experience all of the above live longer, happier and more fulfilled lives.

Adopting the above suggestions, even if only in part, will improve your chances of enjoying the aging process. It would be nice if we didn’t have to age, however the aging process is one of the ‘givens’ in life. So, if aging is a given, it make sense to make the process as easy as possible.

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When a newly pregnant mom–to–be goes to her gynaecologist for the first visit, after all the medical components have been dealt with (BP, iron levels etc.) the total extent of the discussion around Mom’s health is usually, ‘Make sure you are eating a healthy, balanced diet, avoid excessive ‘junk’ food’ as we don’t want you putting on excessive weight, avoid smoking, alcohol and sushi, and exercise in moderation’. A prenatal multi-vitamin and extra folic acid are usually recommended as well.

Science, through the study of genomics, is now showing us that our genes are not written in concrete. Rather they are responsive to the environment in which they dwell (Dr Bethany Hays, Prenatal Programing in Adults). This means that once the egg and the sperm meet, the transfer of the genetic material that occurs at that point is not the end of the story.  Should the fetus be exposed to a single major, or multiple minor insults, at a particularly vulnerable time in it’s development, serious long term consequences may ensue.

Research is now clearly indicating that optimum maternal health, right down to a micro cellular level is crucial to optimum fetal development and that a less than optimum environment may have serious consequences either early on, or much later in life.

In 1986, David J Barker (1) advanced the idea that long term health begins in the womb.  His research seemed to indicate that it was not only ischaemic heart disease, but also diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and depression, that may all have their origin in the womb and may be the result of a less than optimum intra-uterine environment.

As a Functional Nutritionist (functional nutrition is about the understanding of how and why cells communicate with each other and what are the potential factors involved in the prevention of normal healthy inter, and intra, cellular communication) I see many patients complaining that they feel that they are simply not functioning at full potential. They are fatigued, experience mood fluctuations, bowel dysfunction, weight gain, susceptibility to recurring infections, sleep disturbance and the list continues.

On consulting with their physicians a range of blood tests are usually requested that may, or may not, show irregularity. If they do have, for example, raised insulin levels or lowered iron levels the treatment is to prescribe medication to reverse the condition and rarely is an attempt made to ask, ‘why did the body get that way in the first place?’

Asking ‘Why’ is the primary concern of a functional nutritionist.

If no abnormal results are found, then more often than not the diagnosis of stress is made. Very often an antidepressant is prescribed to again suppress the symptoms rather than an attempt being made to assist the patient with the effective management of their stress.

It is now well accepted that our environment plays a major role in our well-being. It also makes sense, then, that preconception is such an important time to ensure that the environment (i.e. the mother) that the fetus arrives into, both physically and mentally is as pristine as possible.

What am I really referring to when I say the mother’s environment?

First, lets briefly  discuss the external environment. We are all constantly bombarded by toxins in the air we breathe (pollution), the water we drink (chlorine, xenoestrogens, bacteria) and the foods we eat (antibiotics, growth factors, additives, preservatives).

The constant intake and absorption of these substances from the outside has a direct effect on the mother’s internal environment. Her innate, self – healing capabilities are constantly on ‘alert mode’, trying to maintain homeostasis.  This results in the up–regulation of many chemicals trying to manage the internal environment.

Second, coming down to micro level, each and every cell in the body has it’s own internal and external environment, both of which are crucial for optimal inter and intra-cellular communication and hence optimal function.

The mother’s psycho-social-spiritual state has also been found to have a marked effect of fetal development. The mental preparation on the part of both partners has a very profound effect on the way the fetus develops and the likelihood of  problems occurring either during or after pregnancy. (2)

In essence, my message in this brief discussion is that I used to think that it was ok to just make a decision to have a baby and that nature would be all you’d have to rely on to ensure that the baby would develop normally and perfectly. That’s definitely what I did with my 2 girls.

My understanding and practice of Functional Medicine now clearly shows that there is so much more that prospective parents can, and in fact should be doing, to ensure both the short term success (fertilization and gestation) and long term successful and healthy development of a child right into adulthood.

It would be so rewarding if prospective parents would take a way more in depth look at what they should be doing to ensure the optimal environment for conception and development of their baby. Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition are the most significant and all encompassing approaches to offering the correct information and guidance to prospective parents and will, I’m sure, in time, become the baseline approach in pregnancy management.

1. Barker D, Osmond C. Infant mortality, childhood nutrition and ischaemic heart disease in England and Wales. Lancet. 1986; 1 (8489) 1077- 1081
2. Infertility – A Functional Medicine Approach, Dr Bethany Hays (30BF303115FE48BEA9C62FD3540564FA.ashx)

Just as an aside, La Maison Cairn is a beautiful, 4 star B&B with the most magnificent views across what must be one of the most spectacular bays in the world, False Bay. Mr Weatherman certainly obliged us on the day with amazing weather – windless and buckets of sunshine!!! Have a look at La Maison Cairn if you are thinking of a visit to the Southern Peninsula area.

Ok, so now back to the point, and that’s not Cape Point!

My presentation on the day was titled, ‘How to beat accelerated aging and ill health’.  Tall order you may think, but in reality there are numerous studies that highlight just how well the human body responds to simple interventions from the point of improving health and slowing down the aging process.

My objective on the day was to get three main points across:

1. Know your numbers

There are numerous ‘modifiable risk factors’ for chronic degenerative disease that we can identify and that are, once identified, usually modifiable. It is, obviously though, necessary to objectively identify these so that we can target them with the appropriate nutrition and supplementation.

• Know you blood pressure – it used to be thought that 100 + your age was the ideal BP. This is no longer accepted as appropriate. Blood pressure should be maintained at or below 130 / 80 and no more.
• Know your full lipogram details – just knowing your cholesterol is not enough. The optimum HDL, LDL and Triglyceride levels are crucial to ensuring ideal cardiovascular management.
• Know you homocysteine level – homocysteine is a recognized marker for cardiovascular risk, but more than that it gives us a good indication of liver function as well.
• Know your insulin level – high blood insulin is a diagnostic marker for insulin resistance, a risk factor for many of the chronic degenerative diseases, as well as diabetes.
• Know your Vit D status – Vit D deficiency is becoming more and more of a routine finding today, in spite of  our sunny climate in S Africa. Vit D deficiency is well recognized as a risk factor for many of the chronic degenerative diseases.
• Know yours cortisol and DHEA levels. These are very good indicators of  how badly your body is being affected by the ravages of stress.
• Know your BMI (body mass index) – there is a direct correlation with increasing BMI and the chronic degenerative diseases.
• Know your fat to lean (muscle weight) ratio. Again, as with all of the above numbers, an increasing fat weight vs lean weight ratio correlates directly with accelerated aging and ill health.

2. Covert your diet from the typical SAD diet (that stands for the South Africa Diet) to the Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean diet simply says that EVERY plate of food should look like this:

• The type of carbohydrate is extremely important – complex, unrefined carbs are the rule, definitely not the exception.
• The type of protein is also important – plant protein (nuts, seeds, soya, legumes, pulses) first, then fish, then chicken and only small amounts of red meat.
• When it comes to the veg and salad part – go for variation and as many different colours as you can fit on your plate.
• You’ll note that dairy products are not mentioned and this not by mistake. Reduce dairy to the bare minimum.

3. Manage your stress levels at all costs

Stress really is a killer. I don’t go along with this ‘there’s nothing I can do about my stress’ story. There is ALWAYS something that you can do about your stress. Even if it’s only changing the way you think about your stress – there is something you can do about it.

It may not always be easy, and more often than not, really managing your stress and making ‘healthy’ choices about managing your stress may well create an initial feeling of  ‘dis – ease’, but think more long term.

Chronic stress is a serious contributor to accelerated aging and ill health.

At the end of the day, maintaining heath, as opposed to managing sickness, is really all about making healthy choices. It’s not rocket science, but it still amazes me how many people suffer needlessly from day to day, just because they refuse to ‘re-calibrate their mind set’!

Please feel free to email me for more advice.

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