Stress causes the release of certain hormones (called adrenalin – also referred to as epinephrine and norepinephrine) into the blood stream.  Adrenalin enhances the bodies’ performance; increasing heart rate and breathing, elevating blood pressure, improving eyesight, directing more blood to the muscles and releasing stored sugar into the blood for quick energy.  Adrenalin prepares the body for the “fight or flight response”.  In addition to adrenalin, the body releases cortisol into the blood.  Cortisol is a hormone that is released from the adrenal glands on a daily basis, even when there is no “fight or flight response”.  However, in times of excess stress, the adrenal glands release additional cortisol.  Like adrenalin, cortisol helps the body deal with stress, but more on a long-term basis.  Adrenalin only lasts for a short period of time.  These hormones are often referred to as the “stress hormones”.

Cortisol, the stress hormone

Cortisol is a steroid hormone very similar to cortisone.  It is different than the anabolic steroids that many bodybuilders use.  It is essential to the normal function and development of the body.  Cortisol is one of the hormones that help to wake you up in the morning.  It assists in regulating the blood pressure.   It is responsible for maintaining the glucose (sugar) level in the blood so you have the necessary energy between meals and during exercise.  In times of injury or disease, cortisol helps to control inflammation and immunity – keeping the body from over-reacting.  It is a normal and necessary hormone that without it, we could not survive.

During the continual stress that most people deal with on a daily basis, the adrenals are hard at work, pumping out excessive amounts of cortisol.  While this cortisol helps the body deal with the stress, the long-term effects are detrimental, causing or leading to a multitude of physical and psychological disorders including:

* Ulcers
* Osteoporosis
* High blood pressure
* Insomnia
* Acne
* Headaches (migraines)
* Menstrual irregularities
* Cataracts
* Decreased growth in kids
* Digestive problems
* Weight gain
* Loss of muscle mass
* Slow healing of wounds
* Easy bruising
* Depression
* Anxiety
* Type 2 diabetes
* Thinning of the skin
* Continual infections
* High cholesterol and triglycerides

Aging

I find it disheartening that so many people see aging as a natural transition of a healthy body into a deteriorating body; one that is wrinkled, overweight, with weak bones and muscles and plagued with aches and pains, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  This process is not aging; it is simply the poor management of health.  And, much of it is attributed to long-term high stress resulting in high cortisol.  Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that breaks down the body.  High amounts of it in the blood over long periods of time deplete muscles and bones, thin the skin, and weaken the linings of the lungs and gut.  High cortisol robs and steals from virtually every part of the body leaving it in a diminished and fragile state.  Additionally, because cortisol suppresses the immune system, the weakened body is now a prime target for an infectious and/or life-threatening disease.  It is not aging that makes us look and feel old, it is the long term result of too much stress in our lives.

Lose the stress and lose the fat

It was mentioned above that cortisol helps maintain the glucose (sugar) level in the blood for a constant source of energy to the cells of the body.  Sugar is stored primarily in three places; the liver (as glycogen), the muscles (as amino acids) and the fat (as triglycerides).  Normally the liver supplies a sufficient amount of sugar to maintain blood levels.  However, under excess stress, more than the usual amount of cortisol is pumped into the blood causing blood sugar to rise.  In this case, cortisol is forcing the body to produce so much sugar that the liver is not able to keep up with this demand for sugar.  Therefore, the body is forced to breakdown muscle and fat to be converted to sugar.  This sounds really good – breaking down fat.  However, unlike our ancestors who used all that newly converted blood sugar hunting for food or running from a bear, we stay sitting at our desks, in our cars or on the couch.  All of this inactivity means our bodies have no need for the sugar in the blood.  As a result, much of it is converted back to triglycerides to be stored as body fat.  So, even though stress does cause the breakdown of fat, it produces even more in the end – leaving most people with more fat and less muscle.

In an attempt to lose body fat, some people do aerobic exercises (like running, biking, swimming, aerobics, etc.) after getting home from a stressful day at work.  For many, this type of exercise does not decrease body fat, especially if the diet remains unchanged.  Exercise is a form of stress.  And, as with all other types of stress, cortisol is pumped into the blood in an effort to increase blood sugar for energy.  The only problem is that after that long day at work, the blood already has high quantities of cortisol and sugar.  Exercising aerobically only further increases the amount of cortisol and sugar in the blood without creating enough demand by the muscles for the circulating blood sugar.  So, again, that excess sugar is converted into fat and it’s back to square one.  The better exercise for a high stress, over weight individual would be to engage in an activity that would lower cortisol output and raise the demand by the muscles for sugar.  Weight lifting (anaerobic exercise) and some forms of yoga are two activities that accomplish both – reducing cortisol output and utilizing a greater amount of blood sugar.  The end result is less fat storage and more muscle production.  The ultimate goal, however, is relaxation.  Relaxation substantially reduces cortisol levels and that alone can have a profound effect on weight loss.

Adrenal deficiency

There is a point when the adrenals can no longer sustain the output of cortisol under conditions of long-term excess stress.  As with every organ that is subjected to long periods of overwork, the adrenals begin to fail and cortisol levels drop below the normal.  Excessive cortisol causes a series of symptoms and diseases (listed above) that can dramatically decrease the quality of life.  But, adrenal failure or the lack of cortisol can be life threatening.  Fortunately, for most, the adrenal glands are very hardy organs and will usually show signs of deficiency long before they fail entirely.  A person experiencing adrenal deficiency will usually experience at least one or more of the following:

* Loss of energy (fatigue)
* Dizziness
* Weight loss
* Loss of appetite
* Difficulty waking up in the morning
* Inability to concentrate* Low blood pressure
* Light-headedness when standing up from sitting or laying down
* Abdominal pain
* Muscle weakness

There are lab tests available that can test cortisol levels to determine the degree of adrenal deficiency.  Be leery although, there are many tests available that do a poor job evaluating cortisol.  Typically, the better tests will require urine or saliva samples over an extended period, around 12 to 24 hours.

Despite the growing popularity and number of diet plans and fitness clubs, the number of Americans that are overweight or obese is continuing to increase each year and at an exponential rate. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention “30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older—over 60 million people—are obese”. And “The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980”. “Among children and teens aged 6–19 years, 16 percent (over 9 million young people) are considered overweight.”

Most doctors put much attention into treating obesity due to its numerous complications. There are many risks associated with obesity, some include:

* Diabetes
* High blood pressure
* Heart disease
* Stroke
* Gallbladder disease
* Cancer

B.M.I

Many physicians use BMI (Body Mass Index) to determine whether someone is obese.  BMI is a calculated value that takes into account both height and weight.  A Body Mass Index greater than 30 (BMI > 30) is defined as obesity.  Normal BMI is between 18.5 and 25.  Be leery of your BMI score however.   A BMI is only intended to give you an idea of your proportionate weight to height .  It is not always accurate because it fails to take into account many of the factors that determine your weight.  For example, a body builder with virtually no body fat could have a BMI that would classify him/her as overweight or obese.  This is caused by a higher than average density of muscle mass.  Some people have genetically more dense muscle tissue, even without weight lifting, or heavier than normal bone mass or retain a greater than average amount of water weight.  Any of these factors could distort the BMI giving a completely inaccurate assessment of your condition.

Weight loss plans…

Many overweight people have tried various weight loss plans, some with minimal to no success and some with great success.  However, most people seem to put the pounds back on shortly thereafter.  Differently from what most of the fad weight loss diet plans suggest, there is no one weight loss diet for everyone.  Diet plans need to be tailored to the individual by taking into account different body types, blood types, metabolisms and varying needs and goals.  In my practice, I have seen tremendous results with certain weight loss programs, like the hCG weight loss program.  But even the hCG diet is not for everyone, and when it is, it needs to be adjusted to each individual.  Exercise, for example, is one of the most misunderstood aspects of many weight loss plans.  Although exercise can enhance weight loss, many vigorous and aerobic-like exercise plans can actually serve to increase fat production and nullify the benefits attained through diet.

Causes of obesity

Weight loss is not always as simple as diet and exercise.  There are many factors involved in the underlying causes of obesity and these factors vary between individuals.  Certain diseases, like hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) or Cushing’s disease (excess stress hormone) can contribute almost exclusively to obesity.  These diseases can typically be easily identified with certain clinical and/or lab tests.  Other diseases or conditions that contribute to obesity, may not be as apparent on a typical physical exam or lab test and often require closer examination and testing to determine their presence.  Some of these conditions are as simple as:

*Stress, which causes the release of excess stress hormone which increases fat storage
*Aerobic exercise, especially after a long day at work, can actually create more fat than it burns
*Nutrient deficiencies
*Menopause or Andropause
*Hormone imbalances
*Environmental toxins, like those in pollution, plastics, foods, etc.
*Mental / emotional causes

The list of the possible causes for weight gain is extensive.  It is not always as simple as overeating and lack of exercise.  It is important to discover and address the true cause or causes of obesity.  This awareness makes weight loss not only more effective but also more permanent.  Naturopathic Doctors specialize in getting to the root of the cause of obesity.  An extensive patient history can often reveal the cause(s) and there are lab tests available that can help as confirmation.

Germs…It seems they are everywhere.  They are on every surface imaginable, including our counter tops, clothes and skin.  We breathe in thousands of them every hour.  They line the mouth, throat, lungs and entire digestive tract. Germs are unavoidable and it’s a good thing, because without them, we could not survive.  There are many different types of germs and each serves a different function. The germs or bacteria that line our skin and lungs consume the millions of dying cells that our bodies slough off each day. The ones in our digestive tracts help us digest our food and in the process, they produce vitamins and minerals that the body needs. Every type of germ has an essential purpose, even those that seem to be associated with certain infectious diseases.

Germs are the scavengers of nature. They clean up the waste. In a normal healthy person, this process of scavenging waste goes on without the production of any uncomfortable symptoms. However, in people with unhealthy lifestyles (poor diets, lack of exercise, excess stress, etc…), these scavengers multiply in an effort to keep up with the over-production of waste. And, when germs over-multiply they can augment the symptoms of a disease.  It is important to understand that germs do not cause diseases any more than flies cause garbage or mosquitoes cause stagnant water. Germs are the result of disease.  Their purpose is to clean up. Germs feed on waste. They do not affect healthy cells. They only grow where the terrain or tissue is diseased, dying or dead.

Rudolph Virchow – the father of Cellular Pathology stated later in his life:
“If I could live my life over again, I would devote it to proving that germs seek their natural habitat —diseased tissue—rather than being the cause of the diseased tissue”

Louis Pasteur – founded the Germ Theory and developed Pasteurization, stated on his deathbed:
“The terrain is everything, the germ is nothing”

The germ theory, which states that disease is the result of germs (microbes) invading the body, is at the foundation of modern western medical science. This theory has drawn much attention to the destruction of these little microbes.  It started the unending war of humans versus germs. The elimination of germs has become a trillion dollar industry in the form of anti-microbial products like soaps, hand-washes, and household disinfecting and cleaning solutions. Most of the money, however, is put into the research and development of antibiotics and vaccines. It is baffling to think that all of this effort is put towards destroying organisms that we cannot live without.  To reiterate, germs feed on waste, not on healthy cells.  The cure for “infectious diseases” lies not in the development of better antibiotics and vaccines, but in the attainment and maintenance of better health.  This explains why, for example, when two people are exposed to the same “disease causing” germ, one becomes ill and the other does not.  What many people don’t realize is that the germs or microbes that are thought to cause disease are a normal part of our bodies’ natural flora.  For example:

Group A Streptococcus, Pneumococci, Neisseria, and Staphylococcus Aureus – are thought to cause Strep throat, Pneumonia, Scarlet fever, Gonorrhea, Meningitis and various serious and sometimes fatal skin, ear, eye and blood infections.

These organisms are all part of the normal flora of the skin, throat, and nasal passages.  The only reason they are associated with serious diseases is due to the fact that, like other microbes, they multiply on dead and diseased tissue or unhealthy terrain.  Again, the disease was already present – the microbes are only there to clean up the mess.

Antibiotics

There is no question about the value of antibiotics.  They have helped many people with acute, life-threatening conditions.  The major concern however, lies in them being over-prescribed.  Many doctors give them out like candy unaware of the dangers of their long-term and frequent use.  Most “infectious diseases” are well managed by the bodies immune system.  “Infectious diseases” are very rarely life threatening in normally healthy people.  If the body is given the opportunity to run the full course of a disease, without the intervention of antibiotics, it is left in a higher state of health.  After all, the bacteria are there to clean up.  If these microbes are allowed to complete their task then the body becomes free of waste and toxins, and is subsequently healthier.  However, when the bacteria are destroyed by antibiotics and not allowed to consume the diseased tissue then the infection just returns or another even more serious infection can, and more often does occur.  This is why lifestyle is so essential.  Reducing the waste production of the body through healthier living will reduce the need for the over production of bacteria and other microbes.

Another problem created by excess antibiotic use is the introduction of other microbes, like yeast or Candida.  Antibiotics only destroy bacteria.  The lack of bacteria to consume the diseased tissue means other organisms are free to move in and do the work of the bacteria.  The main concern is that fungal infections (like Candida) are often more persistent than bacterial infections.  They produce more long-term uncomfortable symptoms and are more difficult to eliminate.  Anti-fungal medications usually need to be taken for longer periods of time than antibiotics and have many more side effects including liver damage.

The most serious concern in regards to antibiotic overuse is mutation.  Bacteria, like all living organisms have the potential to mutate (that is, to change forms over generations in an effort to better survive).  Bacteria have a much shorter life cycle than most other living things so the mutations occur very rapidly – like within hours to days.  The goal of bacteria, as with all living things is to survive.  This means they must adapt to the changes in the environment.  If the environment is ridden with chemicals (like antibiotics) that destroy bacteria, then the bacteria are forced to change or mutate and produce new strains that are unaffected or resistant to the antibiotics.  This keeps scientists constantly working on new antibiotics to deal with the newly mutated bacteria.  Unfortunately, for science, the bacteria are winning the battle.  These microbes are changing more rapidly than new antibiotics can be created.  With no antibiotics to control these new strains of bacteria, people with poor immune systems are at great risk.

The last point about antibiotics is their affect on probiotics.  Probiotics refer to those germs or bacteria that serve a positive and constructive purpose to the body.  While this may truly constitute most all bacteria, the ones that fall under the category of probiotics are often called the “friendly” or “good” bacteria.  These bacteria assist in the digestion of food, produce necessary vitamins and minerals for the body and prevent the multiplication of less friendly microbes.  These “friendly” bacteria actually prevent more serious “infectious diseases”.  Most antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum antibiotics, kill the “bad” as well as “good” bacteria.  The lack of “good” bacteria can lead to digestive problems (causing malnutrition), vitamin and mineral deficiencies, food allergies, yeast infections (including Candida), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), and even irritable bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis.

More recent studies are now suggesting that antibiotics can actually suppress the immune system.  This means people are more susceptible to repeated infections.  The studies are focused in particular on children with ear infections.  Those children treated with repeated doses of antibiotics for their ear infections have significantly higher returning ear infections than those not treated with antibiotics.  This is also seen in other “infectious diseases” like Strep throat and pneumonia.

The advent of the first antibiotic, penicillin, in the 1940s changed the face of medicine forever.  It helped save the lives of many seriously ill people.  But the over-prescribing and overuse of all the antibiotics is driving them into near extinction.  Their effectiveness is decreasing (due to mutation of bacteria) and their assault on health is increasing (causing more serious diseases and nutritional deficiencies).  Unfortunately, this paves the way for the over-prescribing of much more noxious substances, like vaccines.

Vaccines

Most people would agree that their health and the health of their families is one of the most important things to them.  Taking every opportunity to avoid serious diseases is a primary goal.  This is where vaccines come into play.  Vaccines work on the premise of injecting into the body, certain germs assumed to be responsible for “infectious diseases”.  The germ within the vaccine is, of course, in minimal quantity or in a weakened state, but attempts to introduce enough of the disease agent to the immune system to establish some immunity or resistance.  It is a truly fantastic theory – to establish immunity to a disease without actually having to experience and suffer through the disease.

In many cases, vaccines do indeed help to establish some degree of immunity to “infectious diseases”.  Unfortunately, this comes at a cost to long-term health.  And, for infants, especially, it has the potential to create some serious complications.

Babies

Newborn babies are under a considerable amount of stress adapting to their new environment.  Their immune systems are in high gear attempting to cleanse their bodies of the many impurities they experience outside the womb.  In fact babies have an immune organ, called the thymus gland, which is highly developed and very active. The thymus gland in an infant weighs as much as 7 times that of the thymus in an adult.  The thymus gland acts as a boost to the immune system giving healthy babies and children the needed edge to deal with essentially any disease.

The fear of contracting some life-threatening illness is what motivates parents to vaccinate their babies.  However, the decision to vaccinate is one that should be made with as much awareness as possible because of the many side effects of the various vaccines on the market today.  Vaccinating babies adds to the amount of stress their immune systems are already under.  Vaccinations actually suppress the babies’ immune system.   This is why most physicians advise against vaccinating when a baby is ill.

Breast milk is high in certain immunoglobulins.  The immunoglobulins are a type of antibody that serves as the bodies’ main defense to foreign and unwanted substances.  Therefore, the mother is essentially sharing her immune system with the baby.  If the mother is healthy than the baby has a strong defense.  However, in a mother with a weak immune system, babies that are fed conventional formulas or those living in an environment with poor hygiene, there is always a risk to these babies of contracting an “infectious disease”.  In these situations, vaccinations have the potential to spare the baby a life threatening condition, barring any serious immediate side effects and at a cost to long-term health.

Side effects

Vaccinations present a series of complications to health, the first of which are the side effects.  Some of the most common side effects are mild.  They include fever, irritability, tiredness, cough, runny nose, and pain and rash at the site of the injection.  More serious side effects, although rare, vary depending on the vaccination.  The most serious side effect associated with most vaccines is, of course, death.  It is highly uncommon, but nonetheless, does occur.  In the past couple decades there have been strong correlations between vaccinations and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

SIDS was less prevalent prior to vaccinations.  It is highest in the same months corresponding to the initial vaccination regimens (from 2 to 4 months).  There are studies funded by the vaccine manufacturers that show little to no correlation between vaccinations and SIDS.  However, there are also equally as many studies (peer reviewed), by independent researchers that show strong connections between vaccinations and SIDS.

Additional serious side effects to the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), HiB (H. Influenzae) and DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus) include:

Anaphylactic shock
Permanent neurological damage
Seizures
Convulsions
Meningitis
Diabetes
Encephalopathy (brain fever)
Mental retardation
Multiple sclerosis
Guillain-Barre syndrome (paralysis disease)
Arthritis*

Additives

Another concern with vaccinations is the additives.  Vaccinations contain some chemicals and heavy metals, which act to preserve, inactivate, and stabilize the disease agent or germ.  The additives vary depending on the type of vaccination.  Many of these additives are extremely poisonous to humans causing irreparable damage to body tissue.  Oddly, some of these harmful chemicals and metals are added to vaccinations in quantities that even exceed the FDA limitations.  They include the following:

Long term health

The serious and immediate side effects to the vaccines and short-term reactions to the additives are an issue by themselves.  However, the long-term effects of vaccinations should be added to the list when considering whether or not to vaccinate.  Vaccinations offer only temporary immunity, this is why people need to receive booster shots throughout their lives.  Vaccinations are injected into the blood and bypass one of the most crucial parts of the immune system – Immunoglobulin A  (special antibodies that line the respiratory and digestive tract).  Most people with healthy immune systems gain full immunity to most all “infectious diseases” through Immunoglobulin A, yet vaccinations completely over look these antibodies.  Another advantage to including Immunoglobulin A in the immune response to an “infectious disease” is, when immunity is gained, it is permanent.

Most “infectious diseases” are mild, especially in healthy children.  One of the risks of vaccinations is that they delay diseases to adulthood.  For example, chickenpox, although irritating, is a mild disease in a child.  When the disease is allowed to run it’s full course naturally, permanent immunity is gained.  However, when vaccinations for chicken pox are given, only temporary immunity occurs.  Therefore, an adult vaccinated as a child is at risk of contracting chickenpox later in life.  For an adult, chickenpox can be a serious condition.  The point in our history when “infectious disease” was harmful is when people were much less healthy.  Most “infectious diseases” were on the decline decades before the introduction of vaccinations.  Their decline was the result of improved nutrition, sanitation and hygiene.

Chronic diseases (like cancer, asthma, heart disease, etc.) are becoming more and more prevalent.  They are continually increasing as vaccinations are being constantly added.  Cancer, especially in children has been on the rise since the introduction of mass vaccination programs, and it is still rising.  Cancer, just like other chronic diseases, is the result of the excessive buildup of toxins in the body.  Vaccinations add to the toxic load of the body in many ways, as discussed above.  This buildup takes time – years and often decades.  But, eventually, these toxins catch up and play a serious toll on health.

The CDC (center for disease control) does not deny that serious side effects exist and that vaccinations have a certain level of toxicity associated with them.  Just like with all pharmaceutical medications, there is a “risk to benefit” ratio – that is, does the risk associated with the negative side effects of vaccinations outweigh the benefit of reducing the chance of contracting an “infectious disease”.  People that suffer and even die from “infectious diseases” are those with weakened immune systems usually attributed to poor lifestyle choices.  Healthy people simply do not suffer the same fate.

This ongoing war with germs is one that people are loosing.  Germs are more resilient and more adaptable than any living organism on earth.  There is a harmony that nature intended between microbes and all other living things, including people.  But, this harmony only exists for people when they are in an overall state of good health.  Riding on the premise that people need drugs, like antibiotics and vaccines, to remain healthy suggests that nature is flawed.  Whether made by creation or evolved over millions of years, the immune system is perfectly adapted to this environment – it is part of the ecology.  Therefore, it is perfectly capable of dealing with whatever “infectious disease” may come its way.  The only responsibility that people have is to maintain as high a state of health as possible and allow nature to do its part.  When medical science realizes the true benefit of all germs and the sanctity of all life, is when medicine will be in harmony with nature and will become truly effective.

Learn more about antibiotics and vaccines from the following sources:

Beyond Antibiotics by Dr. Lendin Smith and Dr. Keith Sehnert

The Sanctitiy of Human Blood by Dr. Tim O’Shea

www.vaccination.inoz.com/ingredie.html

www.mercola.com/2003/jul/12/vaccine_procedure.htm

www.tuberose.com/Germ_Theory.html

www.mercola.com/2003/jul/12/vis_brochure.pdf

According to the American Diabetes Association, almost 21 million Americans (7% of the U.S. population) currently have diabetes and over 6 million of these people are unaware that they have this condition.  According to the Center for Disease Control, Diabetes kills over 200,000 people per year, due to complications, making it the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.. The statistics are frightening, but what’s even more alarming is that these numbers are rapidly increasing.  It is currently estimated that between 40 and 50 million Americans have pre-diabetes, a condition also referred to as Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X.  Metabolic Syndrome is actually a group of conditions including:

Insulin resistance (the body’s inability to correctly utilize insulin which causes variations in blood sugar levels)
High levels of blood fats (high LDL “bad cholesterol”, high triglycerides and low HDL “good cholesterol”)
High Blood pressure
Obesity (especially truncal/abdominal obesity)

The concern with metabolic syndrome is not only that it predisposes people to diabetes, but it is also a major risk factor for heart disease (the #1 cause of death in the US).  There are certain lab tests that can be run to help determine the presence of metabolic syndrome and aid in reducing the risk of developing Diabetes altogether.
The common symptoms of Diabetes include:

Excessive thirst
Excessive hunger
Frequent urination
Unexplained weight changes
Poor wound healing

Type 1 Diabetes: (also called Juvenile Diabetes or Insulin Dependent Diabetes) the body’s inability to produce insulin (the hormone responsible for allowing sugar to pass from the blood into the cells to be converted into energy). Type 1 constitutes about 5 10% of all cases of Diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes: (or Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes) the body’s inability to properly use insulin (insulin resistance) combined with insulin deficiency.  Type 2 makes up the majority of cases of Diabetes, from 90  95%.  Although Type 2 Diabetes is also called Adult Onset Diabetes, it is becoming increasingly prevalent in children.

Gestational Diabetes: Diabetes acquired during pregnancy.  About 4% of pregnant women are affected with Gestational Diabetes and many progress to Type 2 Diabetes within 10 to 20 years.

All types of Diabetes are cause for concern.  Diabetes, especially in its late stages, often results in irreparable damage to the blood vessels, nerves, eyes (retina), kidneys and developing fetuses.  This is why it is so important to keep Diabetes, that is, the blood sugar, under control.

Conventional treatment

Conventional treatment for Diabetes (especially Type 2 Diabetes) typically includes prescription medications to improve insulin sensitivity.  In some cases of Type 2 Diabetes, certain medications may be necessary for a short period of time to help get blood sugar levels under control.  However, these diabetic medications should be avoided where possible to reduce the risks to long-term health and avoid the potential harmful side effects, like increasing the risk of coronary heart disease and kidney and liver problems.

The good news…

Both Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes, which makeup the vast majority of people with Diabetes, can often be entirely managed by lifestyle changes and without the need for any kind of Diabetic medications.  Additionally, patients with Metabolic Syndrome (those prone to develop Type 2 Diabetes) would more likely never develop Type 2 Diabetes simply by making changes to their diets, activity levels and stress management.

Education is the key to controlling and often completely avoiding Diabetes.  Even the number of Type 1 Diabetics, which once acquired requires a lifetime of insulin injections, could be better managed reducing the amount of needed insulin.  Diabetes prevention ideally starts early in life, especially for those people genetically predisposed.  For those people taking prescription medications for their Diabetes, it is often possible to reduce and even eliminate the need for these medications through proper nutrition, exercise and other natural alternatives.

An Apple a Day…

An old adage and most doctors have been asked at least once; does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Patients often approached me with this very question, light-heartedly perhaps, but for some reason it sparked my interest – “was there any truth to this saying or was it entirely based on a fairy tale”.  Actually it started as a nursery rhyme:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Apple in the morning – Doctor’s warning
Roast apple at night – starves the doctor outright
Eat an apple going to bed – knock the doctor on the head
Three each day, seven days a week – ruddy apple, ruddy cheek

After reading the research of numerous pomologists (fruit scientists) and nutritionists on the nutritional value of apples I was amazed to learn how truly remarkable this fruit really is.  Apples contain one of the greatest diversity of nutrients found in any single food. Well rounded in minerals and vitamins and chalk full of fiber.  Apples even offer a fair amount of some of the essential amino acids (the building blocks of the body).

Minerals

One of the most important things in aiding the body’s immune system is maintaining a more alkaline state (as opposed to an acid pH created by high protein and refined sugar intake).  This may help reduce the risk of cancer as well as creating an environment less susceptible to infections (like the flu).  One of the major contributors to alkalizing the body is a good mineral intake (including calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus).  Apples, like dark leafy green vegetables, contain all of these minerals as well as trace amounts of iron and zinc.

Glycemic Index

Many people on a low carbohydrate diet steer clear of apples because of their high carbohydrate content.  What most people don’t realize is that the carbohydrate content of a food is irrelevant.  What matters is the Glycemic Index (how much the blood sugar level rises in response to certain foods – a higher Glycemic Index means a higher blood sugar response).  This is absolutely imperative to a person with Diabetes, but also plays an important role in weight loss.  Apples, despite their high carbohydrate content, have a low Glycemic Index relative to most other foods.  Compare an apple to a slice of wheat bread; an apple has around 20 grams of carbohydrates, which is about the same as a slice of bread. However, the Glycemic Index of a medium sized apple is about 28, where the Glycemic Index of that single slice of bread is about 2 ½ times that, at 70.  How can that be?  It’s all in the fiber

Fiber

Apples contain more dietary fiber than most any other food.  In fact, a single apple contains as much dietary fiber as 3 cups of raw spinach.   Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet.  It serves a plethora of essential functions to the digestive tract as well as to the rest of the body.  Fiber binds carbohydrates in the digestive tract slowing the absorption of sugar into the blood stream.  That’s why an apple has a much lower Glycemic Index than a slice of bread.  There are two different kinds of fiber; soluble fiber (fiber that can absorb water) and insoluble fiber (fiber that can’t absorb water).  Apples, as well as most other fruits and vegetables contain both.  Soluble fiber, that’s the fiber responsible for reducing the Glycemic Index, has been shown to lower cholesterol and LDL and may decrease and even reverse atherosclerosis.  In 1998, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) authorized the use of the following statement on labeling foods containing soluble fiber:

“diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 7 grams of soluble fiber per day may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol”.

That’s a bold statement coming from the FDA and one that most naturopathic physicians, nutritionists and other holistic health care providers have been aware of for decades.  Soluble fiber also contains the food necessary to maintain the digestive tracts’ probiotics (the beneficial intestinal microorganisms).  Maintaining these probiotics is important.  They are an essential part of the guts immune system, via decreasing the growth of unfriendly microorganisms.  Additionally, they serve to produce vitamin Bs and vitamin K for the body and convert fiber into short-chained fatty acids (SCFA), which is a direct fuel source for the cells in the colon.

Insoluble fiber has also been shown to have a significant part in maintaining and improving health.  Every good physician knows that good health cannot be attained without a healthy gut.  The gut is responsible for the absorption of nutrients and the elimination of waste.  Good absorption and good elimination mean improved health.  Insoluble fiber acts like a scrub brush on the intestinal walls, keeping the gut clean and free of toxins.  It also adds bulk to the stool, which stimulates peristalsis (the normal contractions of the digestive tract) and thereby decreases transit time (the time it takes food to move from one end of the digestive tract to the other). Food is essentially dead or dying matter and as it sits around it begins to rot and putrefy.  This occurs in the gut especially in people with long transit times.  The toxins from the putrefying food get into the blood and compromise health on many levels.  This is why a good transit time is important to good health.

Antioxidants

Most people are familiar with antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin A.  The purpose of antioxidants is to eliminate or scavenge free radicals (destructive molecules that are made during metabolism and more often during exposure to environmental toxins like pollution).  Too many circulating free radicals can damage body cells and have even been implicated in the cause of some cancers.  Most fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants.  Apples, in addition to having vitamin A and C, are high in an antioxidant called quercitin.  Quercitin has been gaining much notoriety as an antioxidant more powerful than even vitamin C.  It is highest in red apples (as well as blueberries and onions) and most concentrated in the skin of the apple.

Toxins

In addition to containing the highest amount of antioxidants, the skin of the apple is where much of the insoluble fiber and minerals concentrate. The only dilemma is that the skin of the apple also acts as a barrier to all the pesticides and herbicides (like the organophosphates and DDT metabolites) that are sprayed during cultivation.  Mothers were wise to suggest washing apples before eating them.  However, washing can’t remove the chemicals that were absorbed into the skin.  Research has only begun to reveal the many deleterious side effects of the long term consumption of these sprayed toxins.  I almost feel that it would be more beneficial to remove the skin before eating the apple in an effort to avoid the ingestion of these toxic chemicals.  The best solution is to always buy organic apples, that way the skin can be consumed along with all the nutrients contained within it.

So there you have it.  The apple; decorative, sweet and nutritious.  It is truly an incredible work of art by nature. However, the question still remains; does an apple a day really keep the doctor away?  Well, it certainly sounds like a great way to start.

Lack of activity

Driving by a park you will usually see numerous children running, jumping or swinging from the monkey bars. Typically, the adults are sitting on a park bench. We begin to establish habits of inactivity shortly after elementary school. Starting with high school, going into college and/or getting a job; more time is spent sitting and less time being active. Activity is necessary for the development and maintenance of healthy muscles and bones. As people age, they become more and more inactive. As a result of the inactivity, muscles and bones begin to atrophy. This atrophy creates serious obstacles to health. Healthy muscles and bones are essential to the body. Without them there is a decrease in the circulation and production of blood. The muscles and bones are also an important part of our immune system. When they are weak or atrophied, the immune system is compromised and our bodies are more susceptible to diseases.

Osteoporosis

Diseases like osteoporosis were virtually non-existent 100 years ago. Reports of people falling as a result of spontaneous bone breaks was unheard of. People were much more active. There were fewer desk jobs. Instead, they were outside hunting, farming, riding horses, chopping wood, or playing. And, televisions did not exist. Osteoporosis is a disease of the late 20th and early 21st century. It is a new disease and a direct result of our lack of activity and exercise as we age. Activity and exercise, especially weight bearing exercise, influence bone health.

The bones are adaptable and change as our living habits change. The bones of an astronaut are a perfect example. After spending numerous days in space, the bones of an astronaut become soft and weak. This condition arises because the lack of gravity places little demand on the bones. Upon returning to earth and to full gravity, an astronaut has to be cautious for several days not to fall, as their bones are softer and more likely to break. The opposite is true of most body builders and power lifters. Their bone densities are markedly higher than the average person. Weight bearing exercises encourage the production and release of growth hormone, even in older people. The growth hormone indirectly acts upon the bones causing them to grow and strengthen. This result is why staying active is so important to bone health.

Another important part of bone health is diet. Long standing diets high in red meat and refined sugars act to acidify the body. In response, the body borrows calcium from its main stores – the bones. The calcium helps to neutralize the acid state of the body attempting to bring it back to a more balanced pH or less acidic state. If the body were allowed to remain in an acidic state it would become more vulnerable to various infectious illnesses and chronic diseases (including cancer). Unless the diet is changed, the bones eventually become deficient in calcium. Without calcium, the bones grow weak and brittle.

Supplements and foods high in calcium are usually taken to help increase the amount of calcium available to rebuild the bones. But, these supplements are essentially useless to a person with much stress in their lives. Excess stress causes the body to release cortisol, which is a steroid hormone that decreases the absorption of calcium. Simply taking supplements without a change in diet or lifestyle does not correct the problem. These supplements basically just pass through the digestive system unabsorbed and unused until stress is reduced.
Stress

The high cortisol produced from high stress not only affects bone health, but it also suppresses the immune system. This makes people more susceptible to “infectious” and chronic diseases. Cortisol additionally thins the skin and linings of the respiratory and digestive tract. The skin, respiratory and digestive linings serve as a barrier to separate the body from the outside world. Without this healthy barrier, foreign particles can get into the blood and cause problems such as allergies. These linings also serve as organs of elimination (in fact the skin is the largest organ of elimination). When these linings are not healthy, then waste is not being adequately eliminated from the body. Waste build up in the body is the precursor to a plethora of disorders, including cancer. Other affects of thinning of these linings include the appearance of premature wrinkling on the outside. Inside, the reduced linings of the digestive tract create digestive problems (which lead to nutritional deficiencies) and predispose people to ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, food allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and colon cancer. Compromised respiratory linings often result in allergies, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and lung cancer. The list of complications and diseases created by long-term high cortisol is continuous. Stress is a major component influencing health and aging.

Diet

You are what you eat…you really are. Food is the building blocks for the body. The most appropriate diet is the one that is tailored to the needs of the individual. It depends on the body type, blood type and goals of each person. As a general rule, diets high in refined sugar and processed and overcooked foods build an unstable and weak foundation. Like building a house out of straw. These kinds of foods also acidify the body. It was mentioned above that high acidity weakens the bones but it also weakens the body as a whole. High acidity means low oxygen. Low oxygen means body cells have to undergo fermentation (breakdown of sugar without the use of oxygen) to produce energy. Fermentation produces more waste than regular metabolism. This method of processing increases waste buildup in the body. The buildup of excess amounts of waste is yet another precursor to premature aging and diseases.

After eating, blood sugar rises and insulin is released. Release of insulin is a normal and necessary process. It allows body cells to make energy. However, excess amounts of insulin in the blood can create many problems. The body releases an excess amount of insulin when subjected to a diet of refined sugar and a stressful lifestyle. Elevated insulin is now considered one of the main hormones responsible for “aging”. In other words, it is causing premature aging and the diseases associated with aging. Elevated insulin causes premature aging and age-related diseases by suppressing the release of growth hormone. Remember, growth hormone is one of the youth hormones, encouraging the growth of new cells, even in older people. Growth hormone also stimulates the immune system. Another way elevated insulin causes premature aging is by causing inflammation throughout the body. Initially, inflammation may show up as arthritis or gastritis or some other form of …itis. Prolonged inflammation not only results in chronic pain but it wears and tears the body down sending it into a downward spiral of rapid aging, disease, and death.

Calorie restriction is another important aspect of health and aging. Americans simply eat too much. This overeating is a major contributor to the increasing incidence of age-related chronic diseases. Animal research has long shown that reduced calorie diets extend lives and grant better health. Recently, a major research study called CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy) began in an effort to substantiate that the claims are also true for people.

Centenarians

Centenarians are the population of people 100+ years old. Scientists at Boston University School of Medicine started a large-scale research study called the New England Centenarian Study. The goal of this study was to discover how centenarians are able to live past 100 years of age. Centenarians have baffled doctors by markedly delaying and even completely escaping all of the diseases associated with old age, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. So, what do these centenarians have in common? What are they doing that helps them live so long?

Many people believe it is just good genetics that grant longevity. However, the New England study revealed that genetics is only a small part. The greatest factor is lifestyle. Centenarians usually have no history of smoking and no history of obesity. The main contributor, according to the study, was the ability to handle stress. Centenarians almost always have personalities that allow them to deal with stressful situations better than the average person. Things just seem to role off their backs more easily. For some, managing stress is just a natural trait, but for others, it has to be learned…and it can be learned.

Probably the most impressive population of centenarians is on a Japanese island called Okinawa. Okinawa has one of the highest percentages of centenarians of any place in the world. These people are not only living longer, but they are healthier.

For these centenarians, it is largely due to lifestyle. Okinawans consume up to 60% fewer calories than Japanese on the main island. Japanese already consume far fewer calories than Americans. Okinawans eat almost no refined sugar and consume high quantities of fiber, fresh, and raw foods. These people remain extremely active throughout their lives, avoid alcohol and smoking and have a stress-reducing psycho-spiritual outlook. Apparently, “moderation” is a key cultural value among Okinawans. The treatment of illnesses is another key factor contributing to the longevity of the Okinawa centenarians. Okinawans still maintain the use of herbs and acupuncture as their primary modalities of medicine.

Many scientists and physicians claim that the organs of the body begin to fail after age 60. This may be the case for a typical American on a typical American diet, with limited amounts of activity, taking regular medications and overwhelmed with stress. However, for the truly healthy individual, this simply is not true. There is no doubt that the body begins to slow down with age, but this is a normal and healthy process. Other than that, there are no diseases or symptoms associated with healthy aging. Death for centenarians is not a slow degenerative process. Most of these people enjoy their full health until the end. It was observed in the centenarian studies that most centenarians experience rapid terminal declines. In other words, they die quickly. And they die old.