June 2017 Newsletter: Some Thoughts on Graceful Aging, Intermittent Fasting, and MSG

Thanks for all the enthusiasm for last month’s Open House! It was awesome! Once again we managed to get over 30 people accommodated comfortably in the office.  And once again special thanks to my wife, Susana, for preparing lots of yummy and healthy food for the event!

We had great discussion about graceful aging and anti-inflammatory diets. The two main takeaways:

• Graceful aging depends on a multitude of factors chief among them are the health of the endocrine system/hormonal balance and diet. We learned about the main endocrine glands and hormones and natural ways to support them. (See below for more information and links to articles I’ve written on the subject.)

• There are many different “anti-inflammatory” diets out there. They have certain commonalities as most are gluten and dairy free, limit other grains, sugar, and processed food. Then you get more specifics – Paleo, Westin Price, histamines, FODMAPS, GAPS, SCD, salicylates, phenols, oxalates, glutamates, etc. In some of these diets we see that foods that are generally considered to be healthy (such as fruits and vegetables) contain certain chemicals that disturb select people. This leads to the possible conclusion that it is less about the food and more about the health of the digestive system.   

Because of this….

I am pleased to announce the next Open House which will be Thursday, July 20 at 7:00 PM at my office. The featured topic will be Digestion. After May’s Open House I had multiple requests for this subject. While it is important to eat a healthy diet it is also critical to digest it properly!

One of the main points I made about the variety of anti-inflammatory diets is that many people have something disturbing their digestion, which is the reason they are inflamed by so many foods. We’ll explore signs of dysbiosis (poor digestion), how digestion is supposed to work, what can go wrong, and what to do about it! I hope you can join us. Watch for the official announcement and registration in early July.

The office will be closed on Wednesday May 31 and Thursday June 1 in observance of Shavuot. The office will also be closed on Tuesday June 13, Wednesday June 14, and the morning of Thursday June 15 as I will be moving my residence. Please keep those dates in mind.

The Key to Graceful Again - Meet Your Hormones

One of the major determinants of how graceful we age for both women and men is the health of our endocrine system and the hormones it produces. Many experts agree that your body’s most important functional system is the endocrine system. It is composed of glands (the endocrine glands) that produce hormones that control everything happening in the body. So, it’s time to meet your hormones. Or, as one of my favorite clients called them: her “horror-mones!”

Hormones are very powerful biological chemicals produced in very small amounts by the endocrine glands. Hormone levels are precisely and carefully monitored and controlled by the body. They are released into the blood stream and carried to specific cells to initiate specific activities; regulating, controlling, and coordinating all body functions. Many hormones are made at additional tissue sites as well as their “parent” gland. You can think of this as your body’s own inherent back-up system.

For the rest of this article click here: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=68

Here are links for the series of articles on hormones:

The second part of this article: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=67

The Thyroid Gland: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=65

The Adrenal Glands: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=64

Steroid Hormones Part 1: Introduction, Cholesterol, Pregnenolone, and DHEA: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=63

Steroid Hormones Part 2: Cortisol and Stress: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=62

Steroid Hormones Part 3: Introduction to Testosterone, Estrogen, and Progesterone: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=61

Steroid Hormones Part 4: Female and Male Life Cycles: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=60

Steroid Hormones Part 5: Hormonal Imbalances: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=59

What’s the Best Way to Lose Weight?

This is one of the great questions of our times and one I am asked quite frequently. Many of my clients (and myself) will use the “cleanse” (the Standard Process 21-Day Purification Program) or another version of that program. Another technique which seems to get more and more press all the time is intermittent fasting. Dr. Mercola is a big believer. Sometimes I’m skeptical about some of the things he pushes, but in the Spring 2017 Wise Traditions from the Weston Price Foundation there was an article about it.  Here’s the link: https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/couch-potatoes-marathon-runners/. Here’s a link to the Mercola website for more details on how to do it: http://www.mercola.com/infographics/intermittent-fasting.htm

I’ve never tried it myself. I am strongly considering it so I can have some actual experience with it, and perhaps lose a few extra pounds myself!  Have any of you ever tried this or are doing it? If so, I’d love to hear about your experiences! Please send an email and I can share them in next month’s newsletter.

Added Bonus Article - The Dangers of MSG

This article was also in the Spring 2017 Wise Traditions. I always knew MSG was dangerous. I have an allergy to it and remember many migraines from Chinese food until I figured it out. This article links MSG to weight gain and obesity. I believe you’ll find it interesting and informative.

Here’s the link: https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/msg-three-little-letters-spell-big-fat-trouble/