March 2014 Newsletter - Here Comes "March Madness"

Your Own Personal “March Madness”

It comes every year at this time.  The NCAA basketball tournament  - better known as “March Madness” for its unpredictability, buzzer beaters, and crazy upsets. As we watch the games we become excited or calmed, happy or anxious, focused or have marginal interest.  Basically what happens to us on a daily basis every day of our life.

What makes all this happen? It’s not only the game – it is your neurotransmitters. Our own personal “March madness.” As I’ve mentioned many times previously neurotransmitters are amino acid based, meaning they come from protein.  If you are not eating and metabolizing sufficient protein, you may have your own variety of “March madness.” To learn more about neurotransmitters see the article below.

Also for some exciting news on the Standard Process Purification Program see below.  They’ve made a few changes and clarifications along with some excellent new materials, including a book that you can download that has recipes for each day! This makes it easier than ever to do the cleanse.  Perhaps you may even consider it for the upcoming (yes it will soon be here) Spring!

At a local level, our Weston Price Foundation chapter had our first meeting of the year and we learned about the magic of broth.  The meeting included recipes, demonstrations, and best of all a taste test.  If you’d like to be on our group e-mail list please let me know.  Also, if you’d like a copy of the recipes let me know that too!

Neurotransmitters – What Makes You Feel Good, Happy, and Focused

Ever wonder what really makes you feel good? 

While many people will answer “sugar” because they notice the “high” as sugar is flowing into their blood stream and giving them energy.  Of course, we all know what follows - the “low” as the sugar runs out and we crave more sugar to feel good again.  As you may have guessed, the correct answer is protein and the neurotransmitters which are made from it.  Neurotransmitters help you feel good for the long haul. To read the rest of the article click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2014/02/neurotransmitters-what-makes-you-feel.html

For your importance of protein refresher click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-purpose-of-protein.html

Old Reliable Gets Better

As I mentioned briefly above the 21 day Purification Program from Standard Process keeps getting better!  For those of you who have done it in the best there are some new refinements.  They finally mention quinoa as a key food and call it a “pseudo” grain.  It has replaced brown rice as an allowable food.  For the new and revised guide book click here: https://www.standardprocess.com/Standard-Process-Document-Library/Guides/purificationguideL2605.pdf

Even better is a new book available called 1 Degree of Change.  I strongly encourage you to download a copy. It has lots of great information including day by day recipes with each day featuring a specific food.  It is a great guide to insure you are getting variety during the program.  It also contains many new and flavorful shake recipes.  For a free downloadable copy of the book click here: https://www.standardprocess.com/Standard-Process-Document-Library/Books/PurificationCookbookB0980.pdf

Neurotransmitters – What Makes You Feel Good, Happy, and Focused

Ever wonder what really makes you feel good?  

While many people will answer “sugar” because they notice the “high” as sugar is flowing into their blood stream and giving them energy.  Of course, we all know what follows - the “low” as the sugar runs out and we crave more sugar to feel good again.  As you may have guessed, the correct answer is protein and the neurotransmitters which are made from it.  Neurotransmitters help you feel good for the long haul.  

We can certainly see the physical nature of proteins – a healthy and strong body contributes to how we feel.  But that alone does not do it.  We need the mind as well.  This is where the neurotransmitters come in to play - the “messengers” from the brain to the body.  Protein is essential for building neurotransmitters and their receptor sites on cell membranes.  

Think of receptor sites as parking spaces and the neurotransmitters as cars.  Without a place to park you just keep driving around in circles.  Once you are parked you can go about your business.  The same goes for neurotransmitters and receptor sites.  You need the message to be sent and for it to reach its destination – the cell.

Quite simply – neurotransmitters give us the ability to be happy, alert, remember, and focus.

 

There are two types of neurotransmitters.  Excitatory neurotransmitters energize, excite, and stimulate us helping us to focus, learn, and remember.  Inhibitory neurotransmitters keep us happy, relaxed, and peaceful.  As with most areas of life, it is all about balance. 

There are six key neurotransmitters: For focus - dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine; for learning and remembering – acetylcholine; for feeling relaxed – GABA; and for being happy - serotonin.

Perhaps the most significant of all is serotonin, the “feel good” neurotransmitter.  Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression.  The major anti-depressant medications (Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro) are known as SSRIs (or serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors).  These drugs work by making serotonin last longer in the nervous system so that you feel good longer.  

Of course this is not addressing why one would be low in serotonin in the first place.  Low serotonin is also linked to cravings, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, aggressive behavior, and headaches.  

Another important feature of serotonin is that it converts into melatonin.  This hormone regulates sleep and is an important antioxidant.  Some sleeping disorders may be from lack of melatonin.  Serotonin is made from the amino acid tryptophan which is found primarily in turkey and seafood.  Also note that serotonin is depleted by high sugar (carbohydrate) diets.

Dopamine is our pleasure and reward neurotransmitter.  It is responsible for keeping us focused and alert (thus allowing us to receive our reward!).  Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine which is found in poultry, fish (particularly tuna), eggs, beans, nuts and seeds.  

Epinephrine and norepinephrine work with dopamine and are stimulating and energy-giving.  They are made from the amino acids tyrosine and phenylanine.  Low levels of dopamine are associated with attention and behavior disorders (such as addiction).

Acetylcholine supports our memory, attention, and ability to think.  One of the key ingredients is choline - found in highest quantities in eggs, beef, and beef liver, but also in broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

GABA is our calming neurotransmitter.  It is made from the amino acid taurine.  Taurine is a non-essential amino acid that can be manufactured from cysteine in the liver, but vitamin B6 must be present.  Taurine is found naturally in seafood and meat.  Low levels of GABA are associated with panic attacks, anxiety and insomnia.

As you can see protein (and mainly animal based protein) is a key source of the nutrients required to build our neurotransmitters.  Unfortunately, many of our diets lack sufficient protein.  Does yours?  This is one of the many reasons I recommend protein is consumed with each meal.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

The Power of Food for a Healthy Heart

This month is Valentine’s Day – the holiday of love and the heart.  To be there for the ones we love it helps to have a healthy heart.  Yet heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in America for both men and women and continues to increase.  To prevent heart disease the mainstream advice is to avoid saturated fats and cholesterol.  Fortunately other voices with a different view have persisted in communicating their beliefs and are now being heard and successfully applied. These are the beliefs that I teach.

I thought it best for you to hear not from me, but a real life story.  Meet Paula.  She attended a workshop and this was her real experience. The books she lists are all books I highly recommend.  What she did is not a secret. The food plan she followed you can find on my web site on the Private Clients/Getting Started page near the bottom – The Page Food Plan.

Remember – she did this all with food!!

Here is her letter…

I've been wanting to write you for some time now. I want to share my health changes since attending your "Calories Are Bull$@%*" workshop at Field of Yoga on December 1, 2012. Since it's the one year anniversary of my healthy eating journey, I thought I should just get this letter done.

I came to that workshop looking for ways to change my eating so I could lose weight and feel better. I was twenty pounds overweight and was taking cholesterol and blood pressure meds. I was exercising 6-8 hours a week and not losing weight. As a matter of fact, my waistline was continuing to expand. I felt bloated all the time, my knees hurt, I lived with constant muscle and joint pain, was tired most of the time and just didn't feel good. Your workshop started with a description of my symptoms and the negative effects of statin drugs. Light bulbs were going on and bells were ringing. I knew I was in for an education that would totally change how I look at food and medication.

I made the commitment to change my eating and get off medications. I called my doctor and told her what I was doing and that I was going off my cholesterol meds immediately. This was strongly discouraged but I did it anyway, agreeing to come in at the end of three months to see how I was doing. Within three days I was eating non-processed, whole foods. No more cereal, hello protein shakes for breakfast. No more reduced fat diet food. Instead of focusing on what I couldn't eat, I focused on what I could eat. I let myself have unlimited protein, fruits, and vegetables. I severely restricted carbs and sugars. I started reading nutrition and health books, including The Great Cholesterol Myth, Wheat Belly, Sugar Nation, The Omnivore's Dilemma, Grain Brain, and Salt Sugar Fat. I continued with my 6-8 hours of weekly exercise, adding the 5 Tibetans I learned at your workshop.

Many of my symptoms listed above were significantly improved within days. I was amazed at how fast the bloated feeling and knee pain went away. I started feeling better in general and the inches seemed to melt away. The weight came off slower at about two to four pounds a month but I felt so much better it didn't matter. Other health changes I noticed include a clearer complexion, fewer headaches, no more joint pain and more energy than I have felt in years.

There were a few missteps with my medication and other health issues. At about week seven of healthy eating I developed diarrhea that lasted three months. I worked with a gastroenterologist who could find no reason for the on-going diarrhea. I was a day away from an exploratory scope when I was in for a cholesterol check with my regular doctor and I complained of low blood pressure.  She agreed to stopping my blood pressure meds and I cancelled the scope for the next day. My digestive tract was completely normal within days. One med done! After 3 months of no simvastatin, my cholesterol numbers were terrible and I reluctantly agreed to go back on cholesterol meds. This time it was Crestor but only twice a week. My previous symptoms returned almost immediately. By this time I had lost 20 pounds and had been eating clean for six months. After a month on the Crestor my doctor agreed to another three month trial with no cholesterol meds. This time my numbers came back in very normal ranges.

So, where am I one year after starting this journey? I am down 20 pounds, no blood pressure or cholesterol meds, no knee, joint or muscle pain, only the occasional headache, my energy levels are good and my skin looks better than it has in years. I went from a size 12 to a size 6. And while I have not missed a single day of doing The 5 Tibetans, I still have gray hair. I love the way I eat now and plan to maintain it as a lifestyle.

I am so appreciative of the Calories Are Bull$%&* workshop. Your presentation changed my life.

Happy and Healthy,

Paula Goetz

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

February 2014 Newsletter: Have A Healthy Heart for Valentine's Day

A Healthy Heart for Valentine’s Day

Coming soon is Valentine’s Day – the holiday of love and the heart.  It only makes sense that to be there for the ones we love it helps to have a healthy heart.  Yet heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in America for both men and women and continues to increase.  To prevent heart disease we are told by the mainstream medical profession to avoid saturated fats and cholesterol.  If you’re reading this newsletter you are likely aware that is not quite true. You know in fact the opposite is true.  We need healthy sources of saturated fat as part of our diet and there is no proof that cholesterol causes heart disease.  Note, I am not saying cholesterol is not associated with heart disease, I am saying it does not cause it.  These are two separate ideas.  The first article of this newsletter features a collection of the top sources of information for you on this topic.

This past month I finished writing the hormone series.  Links to these are in the second article.  This is important because it means I continue to make progress on the book.  And, I had a very interesting meeting just yesterday in Madison with regards to the book.  I don’t want to say anything yet, but I sense you’ll be hearing more soon regarding The Dick Diet!!

The Cholesterol Myth Continues

We often hear warnings about eating foods that contain cholesterol. We are told eating these foods will lead to cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. From this we often form the conclusion that cholesterol is bad. In fact, we are told there is “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol. Yet, the simple truth is that cholesterol is an essential component of human biochemistry - our body requires it and uses it continuously. To read the rest of the article click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2007/10/cholesterol-why-your-body-needs-it.html

This article explains how cholesterol is the mother of all the steroid hormones: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2014/01/steroid-hormones-part-1-introduction.html

This is from the Weston Price Foundation on the new 2010 food guidelines and why they will lead to more disease rather than less! http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/06/usda-dietary-guidelines-for-2010-press.html

This is a link to my good friend Dr. Jonny Bowden’s presentation to the American Nutrition Association about the cholesterol myth: http://jonnybowdenblog.com/american-nutrition-association/

And, if you want a great book on the subject I encourage you to read Dr. Jonny’s book entitled The Great Cholesterol Myth.

And, one more and..Remember you can do it all with food.  Here’s that heart-warming testimonial again that I received last Thanksgiving: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2013/11/thanks-for-wonderful-thank-you.html

The Steroid Hormones

Cholesterol is the precursor of the all important steroid hormones which we now turn our attention. The sex hormones are a subset of the steroids.  These hormones are made in a variety of organs and their production is linked with sex and life cycle.  We will briefly discuss Pregnenolone, DHEA, and Cortisol, while our main emphasis will be on Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone (the sex hormones).  We will learn how these hormones are impacted through both the male and female life cycle. And we will better understand the involvement of the ovaries, testicles, and adrenal glands in producing these hormones. For the rest of this article click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2014/01/steroid-hormones-part-1-introduction.html

Here’s links to the rest of the series:

http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2014/01/steroid-hormones-part-2-cortisol-and.html

http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2014/01/steroid-hormones-part-3-introduction-to.html

http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2014/01/steroid-hormones-part-4-female-and-male.html

http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2014/01/steroid-hormones-part-5-hormonal.html

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.