Health F Y I . . .

Cavities Healed !! . . . ?

2010-05-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

So it's looking like I might have healed two cavities over the past year!

I told my dentist last June "No thanks" when he told me I had a cavity to fill. I was motivated to do this after I came across the theory and science, then the testimonials, then the x-ray evidence that showed a Paleo diet and adequate Vitamin D intake can REVERSE TOOTH DECAY!

Let me describe the scenario one year prior in about June '08. My dentist had found a cavity and I went to get it filled in. He proceeded to fill it then sat down and sighed disappointingly at my X-Rays.

ME: "What is it?"
Dentist: "Well, I just found a cavity here that I had not seen before . . . "
ME: ?
Dentist: "I have time to fill it now if you want me to go ahead and take care of it."
ME: After weighing the hassle of leaving, rescheduling, coming back, etc. I say, "OK, I guess we might as well do it."

The dentist rested his hand on my cheek, I tasted metal and latex gloves, the drill whined at an unnerving high pitch, my skull vibrated and vision blurred yet again as the dentist went to work. I began to wonder if this was really a necessary experience . . . Later the cavity was filled and the dentist left the room. I was now alone with the hygienist:

ME: "So where were those cavities we filled in?"
Hygienist: "Well the first one was here," she pointed to a spot on my X-ray that was barely more shadowed than the rest . . . . "And the 2nd one . . . well, we drilled here" she pointed, "so . . . it must be . . . thhhere" she said skeptically and pointed to a spot no different then any other, ". . . do you see it?"
ME: Awkwardly, " . . . yeah, I think"

I left the dentist feeling disappointed yet again as I'm not used to having cavities, although I had let preventative care slip for a few years during college and thought maybe my dental health was changing for the worse as I grew older. This dentist had seemed to find cavities once a year for the last 2 years . . . But I was also skeptical.

June '09 Checkup
After my X-rays I'm told by the dentist that a cavity was found so I schedule an appointment for one week later. The day before the appointment I get the standard reminder voice mail, "This is So-and-so from Dr. X's office and I'm just reminding you of your appointment tomorrow. Oh, and the dentist found a 2nd cavity on your X-ray that he hadn't noticed before so you'll be getting two cavities filled."

I was really skeptical now, and since I'd started eating Paleo in January about 5 months before this appointment I had expected better results. I called back and left a message, "I'm going to cancel my appointment and I'm actually going to try a cavity healing technique I've read about so I don't need to reschedule." A few days later the dentist returned my message, "I understand you're going to try and take something for the cavities and wanted to know what that was exactly and to explain dentistry's scientific point of view on it." I thought of calling him back but wanted to do more research . . .

After a year went by I realized that I should probably take advantage of my insurance coverage and find a new dentist and get a cleaning. The new dentist took my x-rays (May '10). "Well you can see here that everything looks great," she says showing me my x-rays on a flat panel monitor. "Do you have any questions?" I was completely surprised, elated, and relieved and thought of creating a small town dentist battle by telling her I expected to have 2 terrible cavities which have been growing for the past year but decided not to get into it so I said, "No," and left.

Backup Data:
I know my Vitamin D level was much higher in the May '10 appointment than it was at my checkup last year in June '09 and I have been eating paleo most of the time. So did my cavities heal like so many others testified above in Dr. Guyenet's blog or was my dentist a scam artist or incompetent?

Vitamin D levels (ng/mL)
4-'09: 20
6-'09: 43.8
4-'10: 53

So, after checking out the links to Dr. Guyenet's blog above, check out his other posts explaining why malocclusion (wisdom teeth and crooked teeth problems) are a "disease of civilization" and a result of our modern diet.

Nutrition and Intermittent Fasting

2009-10-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

I wanted to add some more key resources I used (and still do) when getting in shape:

Robb Wolf explains protein sources and why dairy is not an ideal source.
I printed off several copies of the "Paleo Foods" tab of this spreadsheet and put it on my fridge, shopped with it etc. to get an idea of what and how much to buy for my meals.
I also worked out fasted in the morning to increase HGH (per an Eat Stop Eat) video (I can't locate the one I had in mind but basically in the other video it was the same graph in the linked video except he drew another line that showed that those that exercised fasted had higher hgh then those that even ate carbs). Also Art Devany's Evolutionary Fitness paper talks about your body learning to conserve protein/muscle-mass when you workout fasted if I remember right.
I was/am experimenting with Intermittent Fasting
I fasted (still do a lot of time) for an hour after workouts to improve my insulin sensitivity per these posts:

The hormonal changes that occur during and after a workout greatly improve insulin sensitivity. However, if you eat high density carbohydrates within 30 minutes of a workout, you ruin the insulin sensitivity that you’ve gained. You recover quickly, but your insulin sensitivity probably doesn't improve – which should be your big picture goal. In this instance, here is what I would recommend… If you are at a competition or event where you are performing multiple workouts, eat protein and carbohydrate (no fat, no fiber) immediately after your workout. Under normal circumstances where you will not be working out for another 12 to 24 hours, don't eat until at least one hour after your workout.

Another good post from Melissa on this subject . . .

Evolutionary Fitness vs Endurance Training . . .

2009-09-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

I feel like I did not give Crossfit it's well deserved credit in the improvement of my physique in the weight loss post. I definitely believe it is the reason some friends have burst out, "You look ripped!" after seeing me without a shirt.

My ~20 minute WOD is much different form the 45 minutes of jogging and "healthy cardio" I used to do and get no results. And I've noticed I'm not the only one. As I drove around Seattle this morning I noticed the streets are flooded with runners. I would probably be out there with them had I not joined the crossfit gym and learned about evolutionary fitness. I wonder if so many people would continue long sessions of endurance training if they knew it was accelerating their aging (see "stamina" link below) and that there is a suspiciously high rate of cancer among marathoners. The founders of Crossfit Endurance think they have found a healthier training alternative by working on improving stamina.

I read this article by Mark, a former triathlete and marathoner and have never looked at endurance sports the same. Just look at his body composition as an endurance athlete compared to now on his "Primal Blueprint" training method. I had no idea that training for long periods of time can cause an increase in body fat. Until recently I used to feel like triathletes were as healthy as a person could possibly be and thought it would be a worthy sport to pursue, but I've become skeptical as it's looking like health and well-being are not interchangeable with fitness. I still have immense respect for endurance athletes and their accomplishments, but I'm not so sure it aligns with my well-being and body composition goals anymore.

"Eat Fat" . . . (like a Caveman)

2009-09-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

I don't know where to begin here. I have put links below to some information I have come across in my searches that was enlightening and motivating. There is so much great information and personal testimonials out there it is incredible! contrarian

This former Lipid-phobe found amazing results when she started replacing garbage grains and sugars with fat :

My girlfriends were skeptical until they noticed my second new wardrobe and the fact that my skin had cleared to the point that it appeared to be permanently airbrushed. (Was it my lowered cholesterol and blood pressure that made them jump on the chew-the-fat bandwagon? Was it the double-digit reduction in body fat? Was it the complete and utter disappearance of migraines, mood swings and bloat? Was it the, ahem, newfound “regularity”? No. It was the 20 pounds and the four dress sizes. I mean, come on.)

And Richard Nikoley has made huge progress on the "primal" diet as well. Dr. Eades explains sound reasoning behind a healthy ketogenic diet.

"carb restriction was the norm for most of our existence as upright walking beings on this planet"

This post explains why simple summary statements of medical results are not to be interpreted literally. It explains how we can keep hearing the false claim that "low carb diets are not more effective than low fat diets" again and again.

Particularly motivating to me in starting to eat healthy was this data that shows waistline fat is not just an issue of vanity, it actually ages you. This post about body fat creating more estrogen in men is also interesting. That brought me to Dr. Davis's blog and I can definitely relate to the hunger pains he mentions when I used to eat wheat-based meals.

For anyone interested in more info here are a few great posts:

Change Your Life in 30 Days, by Melissa Byers

Check out Robb Wolf's success in leaning out on a ketogenic diet and a great explanation and more reasoning behind ketogenic diets. (Use the Zone calculator to find your block numbers, then use 42 ways to skin the Zone to bring your carbs to below 50g/day for men, 30g for most women. Adjust fat upwards appropriately for calorie maintenance and when you need to up calories overall for maintenance..) Here is a link to "42 Ways to Skin the Zone."

If you are drinking the crossfit kool-aid (or even if not for that matter) the Crossfit Journal (CFJ) is well worth the $24/year subscription and gives you access to all the video lectures and articles. These are some good starters: Hyperinsulinism and Diet, Nutrition. On that note, this is one of my favorite lunches. This free CFJ video lecture by Barry Sears (creator of the zone diet) explains why obesity and diabetes have skyrocketed in America, how our current SAD (Standard American Diet) also accelerates the ageing process, explains that inflammation (not cholesterol) is the number one cause of heart disease and how fish oil (omega 3's) can prevent it, fish oil dramatically improves inflammation and therefore: tumors, bipolar disorder, ADHD, multiple sclerosis, and even a brain-dead miner!!

Human Health now Measured by Height

2009-09-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

One of the more interesting health tidbits I've learned recently is that the health of a human population can be and now is measured by the average height. It's a little offensive to some, when I bring this up many people get all up in arms. I learned of it when someone on my vanpool mentioned this article in the New Yorker and my curiosity was sparked. Most people I talk to absolutely do not believe the evidence that any population can grow as tall as any other in the time span of a couple generations given adequate nutrition and quality of life.

I found this wikipedia page on human height to back it up:

Genetics is a major factor in determining the height of individuals, though it is far less influential in regard to populations. Average height is increasingly used as a measure of the health and wellness (standard of living quality of life) of populations. Attributed as a significant reason for the trend of increasing height in parts of Europe is the egalitarian populations where proper medical care and adequate nutrition are relatively equally distributed.

. . . Most intra-population variance of height is genetic. . . .

Here is an excerpt from the New Yorker article linked above:

The Netherlands, as any European can tell you, has become a land of giants. In a century's time, the Dutch have gone from being among the smallest people in Europe to the largest in the world. The men now average six feet one—seven inches taller than in van Gogh's day—and the women five feet eight. The national organization of tall people, Klub Lange Mensen, has considerable lobbying power. From Rotterdam to Eindhoven, ceilings have had to be lifted, furniture redesigned, lintels raised to keep foreheads from smacking them. Many hotels now offer twenty-centimetre bed extensions, and ambulances on occasion must keep their back doors open, to allow for patients' legs. "We will not go through the ceiling," the pediatrician Hans van Wieringen assured me, after summarizing national height surveys that he had coördinated. "But it is possible that we will grow another ten centimetres."

. . . Height variations within a population are largely genetic, but height variations between populations are mostly environmental, . . By and large, though, any population can grow as tall as any other. . . .

Dr. Eades has his own theory that America's recent decline in height is a direct result of the increased consumption of soft drinks among the still growing youth along with the physiological explanation to back it up.

Of course I suspect the low-fat/high-carb diet hypothesis pushed onto us by vegetarians in government has a large impact on American's average height as well. (See Fat Head the movie for an enteraining history on that subject).

Believing Everything You Hear on the News?

2009-09-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

People have been in disbelief when I tell them what I have learned recently about bogus scientific studies and false reports we all see on the news resulting in everyone having meat and fat phobia. It really is disturbing how misinformed we all are. I get most of these examples from Dr. Eade's blog and thought I would post some examples:

Atkins diet is unhealthy: A lot of people I talk to about my diet say, "That sounds like the Atkin's diet and we all know that it is unhealthy!" This sheds light on exactly what ridiculous study the news references when talking about it's flaws. (more on Atkins diet.)

Fat in a large meal goes straight to your arteries and stresses the heart: In this report, some people eat a fatty meal and their heartbeats and blood results are measured and show negative results immediately afterwords. The reporters and doctors tell you it's from the fat in the meal, but actually you would see exactly the same results from eating a low-fat high-carb meal. It is a simple explanation, check it out.

Fat in fast food kills! 18 people eat fast food for a month and the result is body-fat gain and liver destruction, among other things. The data and scientists show it was all the carbs in this fast food diet that did it. ABC tells us all that it is the fat!

Exercise equals weight loss: Several people lose weight on low carb diets and in every case the media does not mention the low-carb diet, but attributes it all to "walking" and exercise. Part II

There are many more examples of the media reports you've heard that prove Atkins and low carb diets are unhealthy on the blog tagged "Bogus Studies" and "Media Bunkem" if you are interested in more. I find them very entertaining (and as I said before, a little disturbing).

You lost 30 lbs. eating meat and fat?

2009-09-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

People have been commenting that I look good lately and ask if I've lost weight. When I tell them I lost about 30 lbs they are pretty shocked. I didn't think I would lose 30 lbs either but it does feel good and my strength in crossfit WOD's (power) has gone up as well. This post is to answer the question that inevitably comes next:

How did you do it?

First, some background:
I've always wanted to tone up a little bit. I am 5'9" and was 195 lbs. Since graduating college and becoming gainfully employed I decided I didn't have any more legitimate "I'm poor" excuses to eat unhealthy and cheap, (i.e. fast food). So I spent my free time after work jogging the 5k around Green Lake 2-3 times a week in addition to the mountaineering and snowboarding I did every weekend and began applying the diet principles everyone is taught in public school (the food pyramid). I made sure to get proportionally more grains than fruits/vegatables than meat than fat than sugar . . . I worked and worked and worked and nothing happened. After a year I became frustrated and some standard research on the web told me it was calorie restriction that was the key to weight loss. So I began to eat less, after all, if I'm overweight I must be eating too much! I was hungry nearly all the time and it was painful. I also cut out fat since I believed it was only a negative addition and would only slow down my progress. I fought threw the pain believing that I must just be "weak" and anyone who looked really fit was always much hungrier than I was so if they could do it than so could I.

When I got my cholesterol checked the total numbers were OK (low) but my HDL was low (41). The nurse explained this was due to a lack of exercise and advised me to go walking or jogging 2-3 times per week. Frustrated, I explained to her I was active over 5 days per week and she said "Well, that is not consistent with the numbers I'm seeing here."

So now what? Two years of diligently trying to live a healthy lifestyle and I was hungry and miserable and had only lost about 6 lbs.and was told by the nurse I was not healthy and better change my ways if I expected to be healthy especially later in life. But I was doing everything right! What could I do? Go to a doctor and get some kind of prescription? I really did not like the idea of a lifetime on pills.

What works:

That's when my roommate and I joined the crossfit gym in our neighborhood and one of the trainers sent us e-mail with some advice and this link to information. Robb Wolf's FAQ and blog were my main resources for laying down the foundation for my Paleo-Zone diet. Robb's FAQ linked to Michael Eade's blog which was critical in curing my fat and meat phobia.

With those resources at my fingertips I threw out everything the media and public school education had taught me about health and nutrition and dove headfirst into a much healthier Paleo-Zone, low carb, fatty delicious eating.

Between crossfit and the diet the weight shed off at about 8-9 lbs/month for 3 1/2 months. People were impressed and they could not believe I had done it on a relatively high fat diet. Here is my log of some of my recorded meals and weights on my free fitday account. To top it off I had my bloodwork done and my total cholesterol was about the same as 1 year prior (~190) but the HDL had improved from 41 to 57! My doctor congratulated me on the weight loss and the cholesterol improvement and asked me to explain what Paleo-Zone and Crossfit were, (he seemed confused and I'll never know if he looked into them or not).

That is the jist of it. Some may say, "Well crossfit is insane and you were doing it 3-6 times/week, it wasn't the diet." I agree that the 20 minutes/day and evolutionary fitness philosopy of crossfit definitley played a part in my shedding of fat, but most experts agree "that 85% of fat loss is nutritional based"

I will also add a plug for Fat Head the Movie. This movie does an awesome job of explaining how and why we gain weight and how to lose it. This is a great video on the Fat Head blog about why fat in the diet is good, especially for weight/fat loss.

The Skin-Cancer/Sunscreen Dilemma - Why you should not rely on sunscreen.

2009-05-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

The research and data in this video totally changed what I've always been taught about sunscreen, (it's a little long, and painful but I thought it was worth watching). What I got out of it was that:

Sunscreens block the "good" UVB (vital to creating pigment and more importantly Vitamin D) and not the "bad, damage causing UVA.
Zinc oxide and titanium oxide will block the full spectrum UVA & UVB because they are opaque.
In conclusion it is recommended to wear clothes and hats to deal with over exposure to sunlight rather than sunscreen. (I did not get a feel for what is "too much," maybe I need to watch it again to pick that up.)

Here is another great sunscreen blog post by Mark that essentially restates what the video stated. Dr. Eades agrees here and again here:

I don’t like sunscreens because the vast majority of them only block the UVB spectrum of sunlight, the spectrum that causes sunburning. Most people use sunscreens so that they can stay out in the sun longer than they should without burning. Problem is, most sunscreens don’t block the UVA spectrum of sunlight very well, and UVA is the spectrum that causes the development of melanoma, an extremely virulent skin cancer. So if you slather on the sunscreen and hit the beach on vacation for a week, you don’t get burned, but you get ungodly amounts of UVA. It is exactly these people who develop melanomaâ€”people who normally work indoors then have massive amounts of sun exposure over the short term. People who work in the sun and have a tan have a much lower incidence of melanoma. A good tan, which you get from graduated exposure to the sun, blocks both UVB and UVA.

Eades again here (three years after the above quote):

It has been shown that vitamin D is protective against colon, breast and prostate cancers so going out in the sun and getting vitamin D helps you avoid a host of common cancers. But, supposedly (I don’t believe it, but let’s accept it for this argument’s sake) sunlight causes melanoma. What no one ever tells you is that there is one melanoma for every 200 of these other cancers, so by avoiding the sun you increase your risk for common cancers to prevent an extremely uncommon one.

I got turned onto this from one of the blogs I follow about the enormous benefits of Vitamin D and why you should get tested. Also interesting were the different personal experiences from Vitamin D supplementation.

I then got my Vitamin D level tested out of curiousity and found I was deficient with a level of 20 ng/mL, far below the recommended 40-60 ng/mL, (this doesn't surprise me given I am an office worker in Seattle, it is pretty difficult to get adequate sun/skin exposure.) Since then I've been supplementing the recommended 2000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day.

A couple years ago I came across this info about the majority of sunscreens being unhealthy, I also remember reading that sunscreen absorbs radiation, then that radiation-filled sunscreen is then absorbed into your body and later passed out of your body through urination (interesting!)

I am definitely going to try and use clothing and hats to block "excessive" sunlight, I will however try to get an adequate amount for Vitamin D production, which I am attempting to find from this calculator linked by Dr. Eades in his Vitamin D Debate De-bunked post linked above. It looks like "10 minutes" is the answer for a couple of different values and days/times I input for Seattle lat/long in August. The calculator assumes you are exposing a quarter of the skin area (hands, face and arms). Now I'm working on finding the Ozone thickness. So far I've found this page.