Beyond Your Type 2 Diabetes Symptom

Just because you don't have the symptoms doesn't mean you
don't have. This may not always be true though and
understanding the true nature of a type 2 diabetes symptom
may help save your life.

The Figures

Having the condition means that the cells in your body are
not reacting properly to the work of insulin which is
supposed to open up the cells to glucose. Without glucose in
your cells you will have no clear source of energy.

More people suffer from Type 2 diabetes than type 1 diabetes.
It is estimated that at least 90% of diabetics belong to
the type 2 category. The sad fact though is that more than
6% of diabetics are not aware that they have the condition.
The lack of awareness may be due to a dismissal of seemingly
harmless type 2 diabetes symptoms or a total lack of warning
signs.

Different Symptoms

Although type 2 diabetes is more common than type 1, the
former is much easier to deal with since it does not involve
the pancreas and insulin production. Despite the difference
in cause however, both types of diabetes share the same
symptoms. A diabetic might begin to feel frequently tired,
thirsty and may have occasionally blurry vision and wounds
that do not heal quickly.

The main difference between the two types is in the onset of
the symptoms . A type 1 diabetes symptom can develop rapidly
and worsen in the span of a few weeks. Even with the rapid
symptom development however, cell damage may already have
been occurring for some time before type 1 diabetes is
finally discovered. A type 2 diabetes symptom on the other
hand is not as obvious and as bad as a type 1 symptom.

Effects of No Symptoms

Effects of not detecting or not having a type 2 diabetes
symptom may be drastic. The key to effectively managing this
chronic disease is early detection. Once you fail to detect
a type 2 diabetes symptom however, you can suffer from
complications that are even more difficult to reverse. Some
diabetics only realize that they have type 2 diabetes
because of complications like retinopathy, heart ailments,
kidney problems and nerve deaths. A complication is
therefore their only type 2 diabetes symptom.

Uncommon Risk Factors

A family history of diabetes and one's weight should be
enough to warn you about the condition. You should however
also consider yourself at high risk of developing diabetes
if you are over 45 years old, had a baby over 9 pounds and
had a history of gestational diabetes or pre diabetes. For
undetermined reasons, individuals who are Asian, African,
Hispanic and American are at greater risk of developing
diabetes.

What Has to be Done

Naturally, you would need to consult experts in diabetes to
help you manage your condition or your type 2 diabetes
symptom. There are however basic things you should remember
on your own. You should monitor your glucose levels, take
your medication as prescribed, follow your diet and exercise
plans and watch and manage your weight.

Introducing Snap Shots From Snap.com

I just installed a nice little tool on this site called Snap Shots that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, interactive excerpts of Wikipedia articles, MySpace profiles, IMDb profiles and Amazon products, display inline videos, RSS, MP3s, photos, stock charts and more.

Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave the site, while other times it lets you "look ahead," before deciding if you want to follow a link or not.

Should you decide this is not for you, just click the Options icon in the upper right corner of the Snap Shot and opt-out.

The Importance Of Whey Protein In Building Muscle

You may be wondering why whey protein is important for
building muscle. You have probably heard about this supplement
from some of your bodybuilding friends or from your personal
trainer, and wondered what exactly it was. If you are
wondering whether or not you need to supplement your diet
with whey protein, here is the information that you need to decide.

Whey protein is a really good source of protein for
bodybuilders, because it is really high in quality. In fact,
whey is about 30% to 90% protein, which means that it is
going to be a really good source of protein. You don't have
to fill up your diet with other foods to get a lot of
protein.

You may be asking yourself whether or not whey is for you,
and the answer is going to depend on what your diet looks
like. The first step is to decide whether or not you need
additional protein. If you are working out, you are going
to need a lot more protein to keep your body moving, so
supplementing with a bodybuilding supplement is going to be
important.

Whey is going to be a good choice for those people who are
interested in getting a lot of pure protein and without getting
a lot of chemicals and other minerals in their supplements.
The only people who probably shouldn't use whey protein are
people who are sensitive to dairy products because it is made
from the byproducts of cheese.

There are three different types of whey proteins:
concentrates, isolates, and hydrolysates. There are some
differences between these three main types of whey proteins.
For example, whey protein concentrates are going to be low
in fat and cholesterol but they are only going to contain
between 30% and 90% of protein by weight.

Isolates are going to be processed to get rid of the fat in
them and are higher in protein than concentrates, but
some people report that they have a bad taste.

Hydrolysates are going to be able to be easily absorbed by
your body, but they are pricier than the other two types of
whey protein. The hydrolysates also tend to taste bad,
and you may have to mix this type of whey powder with
something else like juice to be able to stomach it.

So what exactly is whey protein going to do for you? The
answer is simple, its going to increase your muscle mass,
help you to recover faster and going to give you energy.
If these are things that you are looking for, you might want
to try adding whey protein to your supplement regimen. Whey
protein is something that not a lot of people know about,
but if you want to try it, it is going to help to improve your workouts.

Seafood and Vitamin K2

In his travels around the globe, Dr. Weston Price found that the most robust groups were often those who had access to marine and freshwater foods. For example, Polynesian groups had a tooth decay prevalence as low as 0.6% of teeth. That's roughly one in 5 people with even a single cavity, in a population that doesn't brush its teeth, drink fluoridated water or go to the dentist. These individuals had broad dental arches, straight teeth, and fully erupted wisdom teeth as well.

As soon as they adopted white flour and sugar as dietary staples, the tooth decay prevalence of Polynesian groups went as high as 33.4% of teeth, or about 11 cavities per person. This represents a 5,600% increase in the prevalence of tooth decay. The next generation to be born also suffered from characteristic facial and skeletal abnormalities that are common in modern societies to varying degrees.

This leads me to ask the question, what is unique about seafood that allows it to support excellent development and maintenance of the human body? Seafood has a lot of advantages. It tends to be very rich in minerals, particularly iodine which can be lacking in land foods. It's also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and low but adequate in linoleic acid (omega-6). This impacts development and maintenance in a number of ways, from fat mass to dental health.

As I wrote in the last post and others, I believe that one of the major determinants of proper development and continued health is the diet's content of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K2. K2 in particular is rare in the modern diet. We're also deficient in vitamin D because of our indoor lifestyles and use of sunscreen. Polynesians didn't have to worry about vitamin D because they spent much of the day outside half naked.

How about K2? Is seafood a good source? At first glance, it doesn't appear to be. Mackerel is the best source I came across on NutritionData, with one serving delivering 5.6 micrograms of vitamin K. It wasn't specified, but only a portion of that will be vitamin K2 MK-4, with the majority probably coming from K1. Most other types of fish have very low levels of vitamin K.

But we have to probe deeper. Nutrition information for fish refers to muscle tissue. Muscle is a poor source of K2 in mammals, could that be the case in fish as well? It turns out, the organs are the best source of K2 MK-4 in fish, just as they are in mammals. It's most concentrated in the liver, kidneys, heart and gonads. This loosely resembles the situation in mammals, which also retain MK-4 in their kidneys and gonads (along with pancreas, salivary glands, and brain).

I don't know how frequently traditional non-industrial cultures ate fish organs. My guess is they discarded most of them as do modern cultures, because they smell funny and putrefy rapidly. There are some exceptions, however. Certain traditional cultures ate fish livers, cod for example. Price described a dish eaten by a healthy, isolated Gaelic group in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration:

An important and highly relished article of diet has been baked cod's head stuffed with chopped cod's liver and oatmeal.

Gonads are one of the richest sources of K2 MK-4 in fish, containing 5-10 micrograms of MK-4 per kilogram of tissue in a few different species (according to this paper). Even that is not really an impressive concentration.

One thing that is universally relished by traditional groups is fish eggs, which of course develop from the gonads. A number of cultures dried fish eggs, sometimes trading them far into the interior. Although they haven't been analyzed for MK-4 content in modern times, Price found fish eggs to be a rich source of K2. Speaking of vitamin K2, he said: "its presence is demonstrated readily in the butterfat of milk of mammals, the eggs of fishes and the organs and fats of animals". Unfortunately, Price's assay was not quantitative so we don't have numbers.

As mainstream medicine slowly catches up to the importance of vitamin K2 MK-4 that Price described in the 1940s, more foods are being tested. I think we'll see values for fish eggs in the near future. This will allow us to discriminate between two possibilities: 1) seafood is a good source of K2, or 2) the human requirement for K2 is not particularly high in the context of an otherwise healthy diet.

Heart Health - Talk To Your Doctor

An essential step in preventing and managing heart disease
is being open with your doctor about your questions and
concerns. You're not alone when it comes to difficulties in
talking to a medical practitioner about your health
concerns. But when it comes to heart wellness no question
should be left unanswered.

There are those who hope that their questions will be
answered through the course of an examination, rather than
having to actually voice them. Physicians don't always have
as much time as they would like with each patient due to
their demanding schedules and long waiting lists. In
particular, women need to voice their concerns, since heart
disease isn't as readily associated with women, even though
they are equally at risk.

Questions that you should ask your doctor include what your
blood pressure is recorded as and what is normal for you.
Glucose and cholesterol levels need to be checked to see if
they're in an acceptable range. Ask your doctor which tests
are suggested for people of your age, both currently and in
the future.

If medication has been prescribed, do not hesitate to ask if
there are side effects, what the drug is supposed to do, and
whether you should take other medication, even over the
counter, with your prescribed medicine. Also find out if
this is a long term medication or temporary. Tests to
monitor the effects of the medication you are taking should
be conducted at a later date if it is recommended by your
doctor. The liver is one organ that most doctors consider
testing when a patient is on certain medicines.

If you always get home and remember something that you
forgot to ask the doctor, make a "need to know" list and
take it with you on your next visit. Do not forget to bring
with you the medications that you are presently on as well.
This is essential if you are under the care of more than one
health care practitioner.

Add to your list any surgeries or relevant illness that you
have had and been treated for in the past few years. This
should be in your medical chart so that the doctor can be
aware of anything that might cause a problem.

In conclusion, if you think that you may forget what you
physician has told you, you can always write it down or
record the appointment for later referral. Do not be afraid
to check around for a second opinion if you are not
comfortable with the treatment that your doctor recommends
or if you do not feel that he or she listened to your
worries or questions.

How To Cleanse Your Colon With Food

Frequently people rely on a healthy diet to keep their colon
clean. A healthy diet is an alternative to more invasive
therapies, such as colonics, or colon hydrotherapy, but a
combination of diet and some form of colon flushing remedy
is a better alternative. There are many foods that help keep
the colon clean, consumed in combination they can have a
more powerful effect.

Juice Fasting. One of the most effective ways that foods can
cleanse the colon is really the lack of foods, or a fast.
You can fast and refrain from eating most foods to help the
body purge itself of built up feces in the colon. Juice
fasts are popular, as they will provide you with the
nutrients your body needs during the fast. Make sure to
consult your doctor before going on any type of diet or
fast.

Leafy Green Vegetables. There is a reason your mother
tried so hard to persuade you to eat your spinach.
Studies show that leafy green vegetables such as broccoli,
spinach, and kale can have a positive effect on the colon.
You can eat these types of fresh vegetables in a salad or add
them to your favorite meal.

Fruit. Fruit is one of the best foods that cleanse the colon
quickly and efficiently. The natural fibers found within
fruits help to promote regularity. Many fruits, including
prunes and grapes, actually serve as a laxative and can help
break up constipation.

Whole grains. Whole grains act like little brushes in the
colon. To get the cleaning action from whole grains, add
whole grain breads, and whole wheat pasta, or any other
whole grain to your diet.

Avoiding the wrong foods is as much a part of colon
cleansing as adding healthy foods is. You should eliminate
fried or fatty foods including fast food, burgers and french
fries. Cook with olive oil instead of vegetable oil or
butter and use sparingly.

High calorie foods devoid of nutrients such as ice cream,
cakes, cookies and candy should be avoided as well. By
avoiding some unhealthy foods, adding some healthy foods,
and getting regular exercise you'll come along way in
keeping your colon clean.

Vitamin K2 and Cranial Development

One of the things Dr. Weston Price noticed about healthy traditional cultures worldwide is their characteristically broad faces, broad dental arches and wide nostrils. Due to the breadth of their dental arches, they invariably had straight teeth and enough room for wisdom teeth. As soon as these same groups adopted white flour and sugar, the next generation to be born grew up with narrow faces, narrow dental arches, crowded teeth, pinched nostrils and a characteristic underdevelopment of the middle third of the face.

Here's an excerpt from Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, about traditional and modernized Swiss groups. Keep in mind these are Europeans we're talking about (although he found the same thing in all the races he studied):

The reader will scarcely believe it possible that such marked differences in facial form, in the shape of the dental arches, and in the health condition of the teeth as are to be noted when passing from the highly modernized lower valleys and plains country in Switzerland to the isolated high valleys can exist. Fig. 3 shows four girls with typically broad dental arches and regular arrangement of the teeth. They have been born and raised in the Loetschental Valley or other isolated valleys of Switzerland which provide the excellent nutrition that we have been reviewing.

Another change that is seen in passing from the isolated groups with their more nearly normal facial developments, to the groups of the lower valleys, is the marked irregularity of the teeth with narrowing of the arches and other facial features... While in the isolated groups not a single case of a typical mouth breather was found, many were seen among the children of the lower-plains group. The children studied were from ten to sixteen years of age.

Price attributed this physical change to a lack of minerals and the fat-soluble vitamins necessary to make good use of them: vitamin A, vitamin D and what he called "activator X"-- now known to be vitamin K2 MK-4. The healthy cultures he studied all had an adequate source of vitamin K2, but many ate very little K1 (which comes mostly from vegetables). Inhabitants of the Loetschental valley ate green vegetables only in summer, due to the valley's harsh climate. The rest of the year, the diet was limited chiefly to whole grain sourdough rye bread and pastured dairy products.

The dietary transitions Price observed were typically from mineral- and vitamin-rich whole foods to refined modern foods, predominantly white flour and sugar. The villagers of the Loetschental valley obtained their fat-soluble vitamins from pastured dairy, which is particularly rich in vitamin K2 MK-4.

In a modern society like the U.S., most people exhibit signs of poor cranial development. How many people do you know with perfectly straight teeth who never required braces? How many people do you know whose wisdom teeth erupted normally?

The archaeological record shows that our hunter-gatherer ancestors generally didn't have crooked teeth. Humans evolved to have dental arches in proportion to their tooth size, like all animals. Take a look at these chompers. That skull is from an archaeological site in the Sahara desert that predates agriculture in the region. Those beautiful teeth are typical of paleolithic humans and modern hunter-gatherers. Crooked teeth and impacted wisdom teeth are only as old as agriculture. However, Price found that with care, certain traditional cultures were able to build well-formed skulls on an agricultural diet.

So was Price on to something, or was he just cherry picking individuals that supported his hypothesis? It turns out there's a developmental syndrome in the literature that might shed some light on this. It's called Binder's syndrome. Here's a description from a review paper about Binder's syndrome (emphasis mine):

The essential features of maxillo-nasal dysplasia were initially described by Noyes in 1939, although it was Binder who first defined it as a distinct clinical syndrome. He reported on three cases and recorded six specific characteristics:⁵

• Arhinoid face.
  
• Abnormal position of nasal bones.
  
• Inter-maxillary hypoplasia with associated malocclusion.
  
• Reduced or absent anterior nasal spine.
  
• Atrophy of nasal mucosa.
  
• Absence of frontal sinus (not obligatory).
  

Individuals with Binder's syndrome have a characteristic appearance that is easily recognizable.⁶ The mid-face profile is hypoplastic, the nose is flattened, the upper lip is convex with a broad philtrum, the nostrils are typically crescent or semi-lunar in shape due to the short collumela, and a deep fold or fossa occurs between the upper lip and the nose, resulting in an acute nasolabial angle.

Allow me to translate: in Binder's patients, the middle third of the face is underdeveloped, they have narrow dental arches and crowded teeth, small nostrils and abnormally small sinuses (sometimes resulting in mouth breathing). Sound familiar? So what causes Binder's syndrome? I'll give you a hint: it can be caused by prenatal exposure to warfarin (coumadin).

Warfarin is rat poison. It kills rats by causing them to lose their ability to form blood clots, resulting in massive hemmorhage. It does this by depleting vitamin K, which is necessary for the proper functioning of blood clotting factors. It's used (in small doses) in humans to thin the blood as a treatment for abnormal blood clots. As it turns out, Binder's syndrome can be caused by a number of things that interfere with vitamin K metabolism. The sensitive period for humans is the first trimester. I think we're getting warmer...

Another name for Binder's syndrome is "warfarin embryopathy". There happens to be a rat model of it. Dr. Bill Webster's group at the University of Sydney injected rats daily with warfarin for up to 12 weeks, beginning on the day they were born (rats have a different developmental timeline than humans). They also administered large doses of vitamin K1 along with it. This is to ensure the rats continue to clot normally, rather than hemorrhaging. Another notable property of warfarin that I've mentioned before is its ability to inhibit the conversion of vitamin K1 to vitamin K2 MK-4. Here's what they had to say about the rats:

The warfarin-treated rats developed a marked maxillonasal hypoplasia associated with a 11-13% reduction in the length of the nasal bones compared with controls... It is proposed that (1) the facial features of the human warfarin embryopathy are caused by reduced growth of the embryonic nasal septum, and (2) the septal growth retardation occurs because the warfarin-induced extrahepatic vitamin K deficiency prevents the normal formation of the vitamin K-dependent matrix gla protein in the embryo.

"Maxillonasal hypoplasia" means underdevelopment of the jaws and nasal region. Proper development of this region requires fully active matrix gla protein (MGP), which I've written about before in the context of vascular calcification. MGP requires vitamin K to activate it, and it seems to prefer K2 MK-4 to K1, at least in the vasculature. Administering K2 MK-4 along with warfarin prevents warfarin's ability to cause arterial calcification (thought to be an MGP-dependent mechanism), whereas administering K1 does not.

Here are a few quotes from a review paper by Dr. Webster's group. I have to post the whole abstract because it's a gem:

The normal vitamin K status of the human embryo appears to be close to deficiency [I would argue in most cases the embryo is actually deficient, as are most adults in industrial societies]. Maternal dietary deficiency or use of a number of therapeutic drugs during pregnancy, may result in frank vitamin K deficiency in the embryo. First trimester deficiency results in maxillonasal hypoplasia in the neonate with subsequent facial and orthodontic implications. A rat model of the vitamin K deficiency embryopathy shows that the facial dysmorphology is preceded by uncontrolled calcification in the normally uncalcified nasal septal cartilage, and decreased longitudinal growth of the cartilage, resulting in maxillonasal hypoplasia. The developing septal cartilage is normally rich in the vitamin K-dependent protein matrix gla protein (MGP). It is proposed that functional MGP is necessary to maintain growing cartilage in a non-calcified state. Developing teeth contain both MGP and a second vitamin K-dependent protein, bone gla protein (BGP). It has been postulated that these proteins have a functional role in tooth mineralization. As yet this function has not been established and abnormalities in tooth formation have not been observed under conditions where BGP and MGP should be formed in a non-functional form.

I think there's a good case to be made that most people in modern societies exhibit some degree of "Binder's syndrome" due to subclinical vitamin K2 deficiency during growth. I believe the evidence suggests that prenatal vitamin K2 MK-4 deficiency is behind narrow dental arches, crooked teeth, underdevelopment of the face and jaw, underdevelopment of the sinuses with mouth breathing in some cases, and poor tooth development resulting in a high susceptibility to dental cavities.

These symptoms are so common they are viewed as normal in industrial societies. There is no other single factor that so elegantly explains these characteristic changes in cranial form. Rickets (vitamin D deficiency during growth) also causes cranial malformations, but they are distinct from those caused by K2 deficiency.

Humans do not efficiently convert K1 into K2 MK-4 (unlike rats), so we require a ready source of K2 in the diet. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had a relatively high intake of K2 MK-4 from the organs of wild animals (particularly brain, pancreas, and marrow), insects and seafood. Our food supply today is depleted of K2, due to our avoidance of organ meats and poor animal husbandry practices. K2 MK-4 is found only in animal products. Pastured dairy is the most convenient source of K2 MK-4 in the modern diet, just as it was for the villagers of the Loetschental valley when Dr. Price visited them. Dairy from grain-fed cows contains much less K2.

Price felt that to ensure the proper development of their children, mothers should eat a diet rich in fat-soluble vitamins both before and during pregnancy. This makes sense in light of what we now know. There is a pool of vitamin K2 MK-4 in the organs that turns over very slowly, in addition to a pool in the blood that turns over rapidly. Entering pregnancy with a full store means a greater chance of having enough of the vitamin for the growing fetus. Healthy traditional cultures often fed special foods rich in fat-soluble vitamins to women of childbearing age and expectant mothers, thus ensuring beautiful and robust progeny.

LASIK Eye Surgeries - A Few Important Facts

By Vincent Tanita

LASIK eye surgery is a procedure which uses a specialized
laser and treats refractive errors of the eye. After the
surgery, you can expect to have improved vision without the
need for spectacles and contact lenses. This is the
overwhelming reason for most people who think about having
the procedure, because their occupation or way of life is
compromised by wearing glasses. In some occupations, you are
disallowed if you need to wear glasses or contacts.

Some, but not all, can be helped with Lasik surgery.
"Refractive error" occurs when there is an incorrect
alignment of the two elements responsible for correct focus
- the cornea and the lens in the eye. The result for the
patient is blurred vision, either close up or at distances.
Spectacles are prescribed to correct the problem which
allows the person to see normally. Lasik surgery corrects
the refractive error permanently.

Wavefront Lasik treatment, which uses a Wavefront laser, is
the latest and most popular type of Lasik eye surgery. This
system uses calculations based on the eye prescription of
the patient and the thickness and curvature of the cornea.
Each procedure is finely calculated to the individual
patient. It is effective in reducing the side effects
previously common in conventional Lasik surgery, though they
can still occur.

The first question most people ask is about side effects.
Lasik eye surgery has been performed on thousands of
patients over the years, and has proven itself to be
effective, with most patients happy with their results. As
with any surgical procedure, however, there are risks
involved.

Some of these risks can include inaccurate results causing
over or under correction. Resulting effects of the surgery
may not be permanent. Vision problems can be caused like
double vision, halos, sensitivity to light and glare, hazy
vision. A dry eye condition is also possible, which can be
very uncomfortable. There is also the possibility that the
surgery could make the vision worse than before.

Specialist clinics have been established to offer the Lasik
procedure and are staffed by qualified doctors. Prices can
vary greatly between clinics so it is wise to shop around.
Find out what exactly is covered in the price quoted and if
there are any additional costs. You can expect Lasik eye
surgery to cost you between $1,600 and $2,400 per eye.

Research will help you find a doctor to perform your
surgery. Look for an eye clinic or doctor who is experienced
in Lasik procedures and has earned a good reputation. Make
an appointment with more than one clinic or surgeon and ask
all the questions you have and discuss the procedure fully.
A good doctor will have no problem with this strategy.

Preventative Health Can Save Billions

Dr. Paul Zane Pilzer, and economist, predicted the internet
revolution and he predicts that the wellness industry will take
over from the sickness industry as the next trillion dollar
market. That was a few years ago. I think we are well on our
way to achieving this but still more needs to be done.

It is no secret we will likely live longer then our grandparents
did. This fact makes the need for preventative health care a
necessity. We must remain proactive if we do not wish to suffer
in our later years. Preventive care has been proven to promote
healthy lives.

The key to combating chronic illness is to nip them before
they get a chance to take over. A preventative exam can
point out these illnesses before they have a chance. You
can make changes before they become a real problem.

If symptoms are caught early enough some major problems can
be prevented. For instance, what if you have high blood
pressure. This, if not addressed with early treatment can lead
to a massive heart attack. Doesn't it make perfect sense to find
it before it becomes a problem.

With early detection thousands of dollars can be saved.
Think about how much more a acute illness versus a chronic
illness costs. This alone should motivate you to be
proactive when it comes to your health.

Many health care experts believe that preventative
measures can help save the health care industry. The
industry losses billions each year due to the high cost of
treating chronic illnesses. Those billions saved could be
used to lower premiums for the consumer.

Experts say that only about 10% of people that have
preventative benefits utilize them. That number is
staggering! It is one of the most important benefits you
may have. And did you know your insurance company usually
pays 100%. That tells me they know the facts! They know
how much it saves in the long run.

Don't hesitate, schedule your annual preventative exam today
if you have not had it this year. Start exercising, eating
right and stop bad habits. Make this commitment to good
health. Your body and your bank account will thank you.

Don't just think about how it will benefit you either.
Think about how it will benefit your friends and family if
you encourage them to do the same. And if you plan on
having some grandchildren they will thank you for your
efforts and you will be a perfect example of good health.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: The Final Word

Over the course of the last month, I've outlined some of the major findings of the Tokelau Island Migrant study. It's one of the most comprehensive studies I've found of a traditional culture transitioning to a modern diet and lifestyle. It traces the health of the inhabitants of the Pacific island Tokelau over time, as well as the health of Tokelauan migrants to New Zealand.

Unfortunately, the study began after the introduction of modern foods. We will never know for sure what Tokelauan health was like when their diet was completely traditional. To get some idea, we have to look at other traditional Pacific islanders such as the Kitavans.

What we can say is that an increase in the consumption of modern foods on Tokelau, chiefly white wheat flour and refined sugar, correlated with an increase in several non-communicable disorders, including overweight, diabetes and severe tooth decay. Further modernization as Tokelauans migrated to New Zealand corresponded with an increase in nearly every disorder measured, including heart disease, weight gain, diabetes, asthma and gout. These are all "diseases of civilization", which are not observed in hunter-gatherers and certain non-industrial populations throughout the world.

One of the most interesting things about Tokelauans is their extreme saturated fat intake, 40- 50% of calories. That's more than any other population I'm aware of. Yet Tokelauans appear to have a low incidence of heart attacks, lower than their New Zealand- dwelling relatives who eat half as much saturated fat. This should not be buried in the scientific literature; it should be common knowledge.

Overall, I believe the Tokelau Island Migrant study (among others) shows us that partially replacing nourishing traditional foods with modern foods such as processed wheat and sugar, is enough to cause a broad range of disorders not seen in hunter-gatherers but typical of modern societies. Changes in vitamin D status between Tokelau and New Zealand may have also played a role, due to the more indoor lifestyle of migrants.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Background and Overview
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Dental Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Weight Gain
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Asthma
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Gout

Quick Weight Loss Begins With A Sound Diet

When you're ready to lose weight shoot for the first 10
pounds. Your first focus is to pay attention to the amount of
food you're eating. Eliminate those unnecessary sugar and
fatty foods from your meals while making delicious meals and
snacks that keep your palate happy.

A not difficult, balanced and flexible weight loss program is
best. Plan to focus on the first 10 pounds of weight loss
and the rest will follow.

One of the top secrets to lose weight is to keep track of
everything you eat and drink. No need to estimate calories
just write down the type of food or beverage and the amount.
Cut your fat intake in half, that means half as much
margarine or butter on toast, vegetables and your muffin,
half the mayonnaise on your sandwich, and half the oil in
the pan when you saute foods. You get the idea!

Use skim milk and make a habit of drinking tea. If you insist
on using whole milk at least use two percent milk in your
diet. This helps cutting down on your fat intake.

Be certain to include legumes, peanut, cottage cheese,
chicken, fish, eggs or yogurt. Try to curb your sugar treats
to a few times a week max. Eat one or more meatless lunches
and dinners each week.

Eat at least two servings of fresh fruit every day. Choose
whatever type of fruit is in season. Instead of fruit juice
for breakfast or snack, drink water. Add a slice of lemon or
lime for zest. Include two servings of vegetables with lunch
and dinner, for a total of at least four servings per day.

Kill the thought of eating food or snacks while watching
TV. Many studies show that people watching TV and eating
tend to eat more and opt for higher calorie snacks high in
fat and sugar.

Don't consume liquids teeming with calories by drinking them.
That means cutting out soda and high-calorie fruit juices and
drinking tea or water instead. Plan ahead what you are going to eat.
Last-minute planning tends to veer you off your diet.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Gout

Gout is a disorder in which uric acid crystals form in the joints, causing intense pain. The body forms uric acid as a by-product of purine metabolism. Purines are a building block of DNA, among other things. Uric acid is normally excreted into the urine, hence the name.

On Tokelau between 1971 and 1982, gout prevalence fell slightly. In migrants to New Zealand, gout prevalence began at the same level as on Tokelau but increased rapidly over the same time period. Here are the prevalence data for men, from Migration and Health in a Small Society: the Case of Tokelau (I don't have data for women):

This paper found that the age-standardized risk of developing gout was 9 times higher in New Zealand than on Tokelau for men, and 2.7 times higher for women.

Gout is usually treated by taking drugs and avoiding purine-rich foods. According to Wikipedia's entry on purines, these include:

sweetbreads [calf thymus or pancreas], anchovies, sardines, liver, beef kidneys, brains, meat extracts (e.g Oxo, Bovril), herring, mackerel, scallops, game meats, and gravy. A moderate amount of purine is also contained in beef, pork, poultry, fish and seafood, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, green peas, lentils, dried peas, beans, oatmeal, wheat bran and wheat germ.

Those include some of the most nutritious foods available! The idea that the human body would not have evolved to tolerate most of the foods listed above is beyond comprehension, given our species' carnivorous tendencies. As a matter of fact, the only controlled trial I found suggests that a diet high in purines from animal protein has no effect on the uric acid concentration in the blood, because the body simply excretes any excess. In any case, like cholesterol, the majority of purines in the body are synthesized on-site, rather than coming from the diet. The only thing I found in support of the purine-gout hypothesis was a prospective study from 2004 that found an association between dietary purines and gout. I think we need to consider other possibilities.

Is there anything else that elevates uric acid in humans? Ah, sugar, one of my favorite punching bags. You never let me down, old friend. Refined sugar (sucrose) increases serum uric acid under controlled conditions, as does fructose when compared to starch. This has never been demonstrated for purine-rich foods that I could find.

Another clue comes from a disorder called "hereditary fructose intolerance". These patients are missing an enzyme required for metabolizing fructose, and must avoid it or risk becoming very ill. Some of the relatives of these patients are "heterozygous" for the mutation, meaning they have one mutated copy of the gene and one normal copy. They can metabolize fructose, but at a slower rate than someone with two functional copies. And they also have a very high incidence of gout.

Tokelauan migrants to New Zealand consumed significantly more sugar than Tokelauans on Tokelau during this study period (13 vs. 8 percent of calories in 1982). This explanation makes much more sense to me than the idea that gout is caused by the very foods that have sustained us as long as our species has existed.

There is one piece that doesn't fit, however. If sugar is causing gout, then why didn't gout incidence increase on Tokelau as their sugar consumption increased? I don't know. Perhaps there is another factor involved as well. Any thoughts?

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Background and Overview
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Dental Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Weight Gain
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Asthma

What Are The Top 5 Energy Foods?

Many of us find that we are a bit low on energy, especially
if we are dieting or we have had weight loss surgery.
Dieting seems to take a lot out of us because we are consuming
less food, we are not taking in caffeine like we used to,
and there is also the fact that the body can be deprived of
certain nutrients. Although many dieters feel that they are
eating the right foods, the question is if they are eating enough
of the right foods and if they are taking a dietary supplement
to help them along.

The dietary supplement

A good dietary supplement is great to take each day so that
you can have more energy. However, it cannot work alone in
providing your body with the natural nutrients it needs to
create an adequate amount of energy to help you through your
day.

However, a good supplement that will help you along will
contain Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin,
Vitamins B6 and B12, Folate, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid,
Calcium, Iron, and Phosphorus. Some supplements are now
including tri-Amino blends that include L-Taurine,
L-lutamine, and L-Carnitine. These are great for helping
provide a little extra energy.

Foods

And now that you know a dietary supplement can't do it all
on its own, it is very important that you be made aware of 5
good energy foods and vegetables that will help in providing
you with the energy you need. It doesn't matter if you are
on a weight loss mission, have had weight loss surgery or if
you just want to have more energy, these are foods that you
should eat because they work in making you healthier.

Those 5 foods are:

1. Wheat and barley - Anything containing these two food
items will be high in energy. This explains why runners and
other athletes will eat pasta the day before a competitive
event. However, this is not something that you should eat a
lot of. You must portion this. If you have had weight loss
surgery such as lap band, this is something that your doctor
will review with you.

2. Fruits - Take into consideration that the earth bears
fruit and fruit is good for us. High energy fruits include
bananas, strawberries, and pineapples. Stick to the organic
fruits, which have not been treated with herbicides,
pesticides and other chemicals.

3. Vegetables - Amongst vegetables, some of the most high
energy foods that are great for those on weight loss endeavors
are green leafy vegetables. Cabbage and spinach have been
pinned as the two that create the highest degree of energy.
Use the same criteria when acquiring vegetables as for fruit above.

4. Chicken - Chicken is high in protein and is great for
weight loss. However, it must be skinless chicken or it will
defeat the purpose.

5. Yogurt - Dairy is the tricky one for the fact that it is
the dairy foods that are high in fat that provide the most
energy. However, you can have yourself a cup of yogurt and
provide yourself with some extra energy. There are dairy
products out there that will enable you to energize and
still achieve weight loss.

A balanced diet

It mainly comes down to having a balanced diet. If you have
lap band surgery or another weight loss surgery, your doctor
will talk to you about portions and eating the right foods.
Even if you are trying to lose weight the old fashioned way,
the success lies in the foods that you eat. You also have to
exercise and consider weight loss support.

These two things make for a super weapon against weight
gain. In the meantime, you will shed the pounds and have the
energy to do it, which means a better quality of life for
you.

These 5 Chemicals Are A Danger To Your Skin

Skincare products boast a lot of claims these days. Some of
these products however, contain substances that may not
agree with your skin and could cause problems. Before
purchasing one of the many beauty products on the market,
check to see if they contain any chemicals from the list
below.

1. Alcohols: Alcohol is a drying agent. If you have dry skin,
alcohol will make your skin feel even drier. Alcohols go by
many names so look closely at the label for words ending in
-ol. Drying agents will further strip your skin and hair of
necessary moisture.

2. Parabens: What are these products? It is a chemical that
inhibits the growth of bacterial in products like lotions
and creams. When we pour or pump lotion from the bottle, our
skin may come in contact with the top. It is a potential
source of contamination to the product especially if several
people use it. Parabens work to stop that, but can cause
skin irritations in many users.

3. Perfumes: Companies work hard to produce a new scent that
people will like. Even though you may like the smell, it can
cause skin irritations or allergies if the right chemicals
are mixed together. A rule of thumb is to avoid skincare
products that are scented. Look for words like
hypoallergenic when buying skincare products.

4. Phthalate: Look at the ingredient list on your lotions
and soaps the next time you are in the store. If you see the
word phthalate (pronounced thal-ate), put it back. These
chemicals have a poor reputation and they are harmful to
animals.

5. Dyes: Ever wonder where the color comes from in your
skincare products? It adds flare to the packaging to entice
the consumer but it does more than that. Read your labels.
Dyes can dry out your skin or cause rashes and other nasty
skin irritations for those with sensitive skin or allergies.

Reading labels is important. The more that you know about
what you are buying, the less likely you are to purchase a
skincare product containing one of these chemicals. Since
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't regulate
skincare products, it is up to us to police them.

We hope that manufacturers wouldn't sell us a bad bill of
goods but it happens more often than you think. The only
thing that these manufacturers are required to do is list
ingredients on the label according to how much is included.
Even with skincare products claiming to be all-natural,
check the label to validate their claim.

Want To Stop Suffering From Back Pain?

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems that
Americans tend to suffer from. The internet is one of the
first places that people come to try to find information on
how to treat back pain.

With today's technology and advanced medicine; you may be
wondering why is back pain such a huge issue? One of the
biggest factors and reasons that people seem to suffer from
this problem is because they do not know how to properly
take care of their body to prevent this issue.

Do you want to know what you can do to prevent or get rid of
your constant aching back pain? Well then, here are a few
useful tips to improve your mobility and avoid back pain.

1. Posture: The truth is that we do not take proper care of
our posture and therefore it tends to show when we begin
having back problems. If you are not watching how you sit or
stand then you can begin to experience back pain later on
in life.

2. Elderly: People tend to believe that as they age they are
expected to have back problems. The truth is that if you
give your body the right types of food and exercise then you
can avoid these types of issues as you become older.

3. Daily Diet: Our diet will always play a huge role in whether
we will begin to experience back pain or not. In fact if you
are currently overweight then most likely that may be one of
the reasons that you are having these issues.

4. Exercise: Exercise and diet are extremely vital for
helping our bodies and bone structure become strong and able
to do our everyday activities without having to worry about
being in pain.

Try this: When you walk, tuck in your stomach and push your
shoulders forward and your chest out. Also keep your chin up.
This is the correct posture when walking. Tough to maintain
isn't it? especially when you have been slouching all your life.

Taking care of your back should become one of your biggest
priorities; so that you can avoid future pain as you become
older.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Asthma

Asthma is another disease of civilization. Between 1980 and 2001, its prevalence more than doubled in American children 17 years and younger. The trend is showing no sign of slowing down (CDC NHANES surveys).



The age-standardized asthma prevalence in Tokelauan migrants to New Zealand age 15 and older, was 2 - 6 times higher than in non-migrants from 1976 to 1982, depending on gender and year. The highest prevalence was in New Zealand migrant women in 1976, at 6.8%. The lowest was in Tokelauan men in 1976 at 1.1%.

A skeptic might suggest it's because these adults grew up around certain types of pollen or other antigens, and were exposed to new ones later in life. However, even migrant children in the 0-4 age group, who were most likely born in NZ, had more asthma than on Tokelau.

What could contribute to the increased asthma prevalence upon modernization? I'm not particularly knowledgeable about the mechanisms of asthma, but it seems likely to involve a chronic over-activation of the immune system ("inflammation"). In the case of Tokelauans, this could result from wheat gluten, an excessive sugar intake, and/or insufficient vitamin D. All three are potential culprits in my opinion. Stress may also play a role.

Anecdotally, many people report freedom from asthma and allergies after adopting a "paleolithic"-style or low-carbohydrate diet. I feel that's consistent with the effects of a good diet on inflammation. If you reduce or eliminate the chief offenders-- wheat, sugar, industrial vegetable oil and other processed food-- you will most likely reduce your level of chronic inflammation, which seems to be tied to many modern disorders.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Background and Overview
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Dental Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Weight Gain
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study data in this post come from the book Migration and Health in a Small Society: The Case of Tokelau.

Thanks to the EPA and Wikipedia for the graph image (public domain).

Drug Addiction : Prescription Drugs

When you hear people talking about drug addiction problems,
what do you think of immediately? It's probably cocaine,
alcohol, or maybe some other harmful drug.

These drugs kill a lot of people, but what about drugs that
were actually meant to help people? What about prescription
drugs?

Hospitals use prescription drugs all over the world for many
reasons. There are pain relief drugs, drugs for disorders of
the psyche, and many other applications.

Prescription drugs are designed to help the sick or injured,
but when they are abused, they are just as harmful and
addictive as any other type of drug.

One factor that adds to the addictive nature of prescription
drugs is that they are designed to help. This often creates
a psychological trap for people.

Everyone knows that cocaine and cigarettes kill people
everyday. But the pain medicine your family doctor gives you
for your back problems is far less intimidating, and thus it
is easier for people to fall into abusing them.

That also means it is more difficult for the person
suffering to get help. If their doctor gave them the drugs
it is hard for them to see that they have a problem.

It also makes it hard to see how dangerous they are. But
most deaths caused by prescription drug abuse happens the
first time the person abuses them. That means most people
only have to do it one time and they could die.

If you or one of your loved ones has a problem with prescription
drugs, seek help immediately.

Find help with
(http://www.prescription-drug-rehab.com/rx-addiction.html)
Prescription drug addiction treatment centers Seek
professionals at (http://www.prescription-drug-rehab.com)
Narconon Vista Bay

Energy Drinks Are Not Healthy

How can energy drinks be healthy? They are usually full of
artificial caffeine, HFCS (ref:
(http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html)
Double Danger of HFCS), Taurine and of course, to somehow
validate everything, synthetically produced vitamins. This
cocktail of chemicals will do more harm than good. It
already has.

More and more people that consume the traditional energy
drink regularly or even daily have already or are destined
to eventually suffer from stomach, kidney, liver or heart
problems. Not to mention the effects these chemical
cocktails can have on one's teeth (premature enamel
degradation) or skin (dehydration related blotching).

An entire new generation is coming into adulthood without
their parents' coffee routine, but with a morning, afternoon
or evening energy drink. Sometimes all three. Many spend
hours online gaming, instead of exercising, which
accentuates the problem with energy drinks, introducing type
2 diabetes and other sedentary diseases.

Why should we be concerned about this new variety of mental
stimulant? A cup or two of coffee every day has never caused
serious health effects. The big difference relates to where
the buzz comes from: natural coffee beans vs. laboratory
produced synthetic caffeine.

Just like with any other product found in nature, the
caffeine in the coffee beans comes with many by-products
which are not easily separated from the pure caffeine
elements. natural caffeine comes with fibers and other
organic substances which reduce the absorption of the
caffeine into the bloodstream.

In most energy drinks, the caffeine is synthetically
produced in a factory. This synthetic caffeine has one
advantage over natural caffeine: it is extremely potent.
All of the natural byproducts that come with natural caffeine
from coffee beans or Guarana are not present with laboratory
caffeine. It is also much cheaper to produce than natural
caffeine, another great thing, from the manufacturer's point
of view. Unfortunately, from a consumer's point of view, this
concentrated caffeine blast is absorbed into the bloodstream
almost as soon as it hits the stomach.

Natural products like the actual coffee from coffee beans,
Guarana seeds or tea leaves, are absorbed more gradually by
the body. They are also not as concentrated and therefore
less toxic than the chemical caffeine in most energy drinks.

Here are some advantages of natural caffeine (whether it be
in coffee, tea or Guarana). Firstly, the increased mental
alertness is longer. Instead of the instant high you get
from most energy drinks and then the subsequent downfall,
you get a sustained feeling of mental clarity for a few
hours and the effect eventually wears off more naturally and
gradually.

Secondly, continuous exposure to synthetic caffeine over
saturates our nervous system. If this excessive exposure
continues, our nerves go haywire. This is Mother Nature's
way of telling us to be careful. Our hands may quiver,
nervous habits develop; our body starts to show signs of
stress not different from those related to anxiety or
depression. Not recommended for anyone.

With guaranine or tea or natural coffee beans, our digestive
and circulatory system can easily eliminate the excess
quantities without unduly affecting the nervous system. But
even with natural stimulants, they must be used carefully
and not in excessive amounts. It is best to stick with one
cup per day; of coffee (not the grande which is really like
6 coffees) or one 12 oz can of a natural energy drink or
unsweetened cold tea.

Organic coffees don't contain any of the chemicals used in
large farming operations. (http://www.wholefoods.com) Whole
Foods Markets has a wide variety of these.

Some natural energy drinks that are recommended :
GURU Energy Drinks and Syzmo. They are both made with
natural caffeine from Guarana and/or coffee. What's good
about GURU is that it is entirely natural, has no
artificial sweeteners or vitamins. Sysmo is made from good
ingredients but is more costly, and is an acquired taste.

Both of these are available on the
respective companies' website and at
(http://www.wholefoods.com) Whole Foods Markets.

With regards to teas; cold, brewed teas will provide the
best combination of anti-oxidants and natural caffeine. A
good brand is ITOEN, from Japan. Itoen Teas seems to be
the purest, unsweetened product out there. The Zen taste
grows on you after a couple of bottles. Another cool brand is
the US based Honest Tea, but they recently sold out to Coke
and now it seems they're selling out to the sweeter American
taste buds.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes

This post will be short and sweet. Diabetes is a disease of civilization. As Tokelauans adopted Western industrial foods, their diabetes prevalence increased. At any given time point, age-standardized diabetes prevalence was higher in migrants to New Zealand than those who remained on Tokelau:


This is not a difference in diagnosis. Tokelauans were examined for diabetes by the same group of physicians, using the same criteria. It's also not a difference in average age, sice the numbers are age-standardized. On Tokelau, diabetes prevalence doubled in a decade. Migrants to New Zealand in 1981 had roughly three times the prevalence of diabetes that Tokelauans did in 1971. I can only imagine the prevalence is even higher in 2008.

We don't know what the prevalence was in Tokelauans when their diet was completely traditional, but I would expect it to be low like other traditional Pacific island societies. I'm looking at a table right now of age-standardized diabetes prevalence on 11 different Pacific islands. There is quite a bit of variation, but the pattern is clear: the more modernized, the higher the diabetes rate. In several cases, the table has placed two values side-by-side: one value for rural inhabitants of an island, and another for urban inhabitants of the same island. In every case, the prevalence of diabetes is higher in the urban group. In some cases, the difference is as large as four-fold.

The lowest value goes to the New Caledonians of Touho, who are also considered the least modernized on the table (although even their diet is not completely traditional). Men have an age-standardized diabetes prevalence of 1.8%, women 1.4%. At the other extreme are the Micronesians of Nauru, affluent due to phosphate resources, who have a prevalence of 33.4% for men and 32.1% for women. They subsist mostly on imported food and are extremely obese.

The same patterns can be seen in Africa, the Arctic and probably everywhere that has adopted processed Western foods. White rice alone (compared with the combination of wheat flour and sugar) does not seem to have this effect.

The data in this post are from the book Migration and Health in a Small Society: the Case of Tokelau.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Background and Overview
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Dental Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Weight Gain

The 3 Main Categories Of Exercise

Exercise is the central ingredient of good health. It tones
the muscles, strengthens the bones, and makes the heart and
lungs work great. It increases your physical reserve
and your vitality. Exercise eases depression, assists the
function of the bowels, leads to sound sleep, and aids in
every activity of your daily life. Exercise helps prevent
heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and many more
diseases. Exercise for the body comes in three
different types:

Strengthening Exercise

Strengthening exercises are the traditional body building
exercises that build stronger muscles. These exercises can
be very helpful in improving function in a particular body
part after surgery where it's necessary to rebuild strength.
They also help to strengthen your bones, since bones react
to stress by becoming stronger; they can help strengthen
bones even at advanced ages. When using strengthening
exercises you should never use anabolic steroids or any
other drugs because you may damage your future health.
Examples of strengthening exercises are squeezing balls,
lifting weights, and doing push-ups or pull-ups.

Stretching Exercise

Stretching exercises are designed to help keep you loose.
These exercises are truly important and everyone should
be doing them everyday. Stretching can be of great
benefit, like if you have a joint that's stiff because of
arthritis or an injury. There's nothing strange about the
stretching process. Any body part that you can't completely
straighten or bend needs to be frequently and repeatedly
stretched. A good rule is at least twice daily. Over weeks
or months, you can often regain motion of that body part.
An example of a stretching exercise is like toe touching
without the bounce.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercises is the most important of the three. It's
the key to fitness and vitality. The word aerobic means
that during the exercise period, the oxygen that you breathe
in balances the oxygen that you use up. A number of good
things happen while doing this exercise. Your heart speeds
up to pump larger amounts of blood. You breathe more
frequently and more deeply to increase the oxygen transfer
from the lungs to the blood. Your body develops increased
heat and compensates by sweating to keep your temperature
normal. At the same time you build endurance which improves
the function of all the cells of the body where you become
more fit. The best form is interval training.

It's never too soon to develop the habit of lifetime
exercise. It's never too late to begin an exercise program
and to experience the dramatic benefits. If you haven't
been exercising for some time, start at a lower level of
physical activity than a more active person would until you
build yourself up.

Crunches - Not The Answer For Six Pack Abs

The truth about crunches! We all seek answers to achieving
ripped abs. The truth about crunches is that they are good
for our abdominal muscles, but they will not give you the
ripped abs that you want. To get ripped abs, you need to
work on fat burning exercises that will burn overall fat,
watching what we eat and eliminating stress from our lives.

Doing crunches may be stopping you from getting six pack abs
because it doesn't focus on what needs to be trained.
Crunches strengthen, stabilize and develop the abdominal
area. But to get six pack abs, we need to focus on overall
fat burning.

Overall fat burning exercises are activities that allow us
to train our whole body to increase our metabolism. By
increasing our metabolism, we are better able to burn fat
and utilize the excess belly fat, which results in more
visibility of the abdominal muscles.

Resistance training has been shown to increase metabolic
activity and help the body to consume more body fat.
Increasing lean body mass through resistance training allows
us to utilize more fuel for our muscles.

Watching what we eat is important as well. By eating quality
foods, which are rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates,
vitamins and minerals, we fuel our body to function better.
Instead of eating 3 big meals per day, we can increase our
meals to 5-6 and decrease the meal portions. This will allow
us to maintain our energy and blood sugar levels throughout
the day.

Stress affects our bodies in a way that makes our bodies
react in an emergency mode. When our bodies are in a
stressful situation, Cortisol is released and causes fat to
be stored in the abdominal area.

There are several ways to decrease the amount of stress in
our lives. Activities like deep breathing, tai chi, and
yoga, have ways of calming the body down and help to reduce
stress.

Crunches, in truth, are good for you but to achieve defined
ripped abs, we need to focus on other factors. Activities like
resistance training, watching what we eat and eliminating stress
from our lives, will help us achieve our ripped six-pack abs.

Natural Remedies For Arthritis : Exercise And Supplements

Many people are turning to natural treatment of arthritis to
avoid taking medications that have dangerous side affects.
There are many anti-inflammatory medicines out there that do
help arthritis sufferers to cope. However, there are always
some risks associated with these drugs. However there are natural
remedies that have proven helpful to arthritis suffers and
give relief without the risk of side affects.

Help Your Body Help Itself

Natural arthritis pain relief supplements are extremely
popular nowadays, and the two compounds glucosamine and
chondroitin, which are found naturally in the body can help
in giving pain relief to your joints as well as repairing
them. A sulfur compound called MSM is another natural
arthritis pain relief and has the same pain relief factors
as any other anti-inflammatories, and can reduce swelling to
a great extent.

Two other natural supplements that have been proven very
effective are niacinamide and manganese. Niacinamide,
commonly referred to as Vitamin B3 helps repair and
strengthen tissue and cells and therefore diminishes the
pain that arthritis can cause. For those who suffer from
osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis manganese is very
helpful. This antioxidant helps to slow down the affects of
aging on muscles and joints.

Other options for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
sufferers are turmeric and ginger extract. These are natural
supplements that reduce swelling in joints and muscles and
therefore reduce the severity of pain. Arthrit-Eze is a
supplement made especially for arthritis sufferers that
pulls all of these natural supplements together to fight the
crippling affects of arthritis.

Take Care of Your Body

Most people who suffer from arthritis must take some kind of
medication in order to cope. However, taking good care of
your body can really help relieve much of your suffering as
well. Eating right, daily exercise and getting the proper
amount of rest will contribute to better health and less
suffering. Keep in mind that the type of exercise you do
should be based on the type of arthritis you suffer from.

For natural arthritis pain relief exercising is vital, as it
helps arthritis patients to increase the flexibility of
their joints. It also helps to increase bone vigor and also
increases the strength of their muscles and energy levels.
In this way they can control their weight and indirectly
protect their heart. The patients should not choose
exercises programs on their own, but ask their doctor which
exercises are recommended for their type of arthritis.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Weight Gain

Between 1968 and 1982, Tokelauans in nearly all age groups gained weight, roughly 5 kilograms (11 pounds) on average. They also became slightly taller, but not enough to offset the gain in weight. By 1980-82, migrants to New Zealand had become especially heavy, with all age groups weighing more than non-migrants by about 5 kg (11 lb) on average, and 10 kg (22 lb) more than Tokelauans did in 1968.

The body mass index (BMI) is a rough estimate of fat mass (although it can be confounded by muscle mass), and is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters [BMI = weight / (height^2)]. A BMI of 25 to 30 is considered overweight; 30 and over is considered obese.

The graphs I'm about to present require some explanation. The data in each graph were collected from the same individuals over time (15-69 years old). That means some weight gain is expected, as this population normally gains weight into middle age (then loses weight). What's interesting to note is the difference in the rate of weight change between migrants and non-migrants. The first two data points in 1968 are baseline, and compare non-migrants with "pre-migrants" still living on Tokelau. The second two data points in 1981-82 compare the same individual migrants in New Zealand with the same non-migrants.
Unless they all decided to become body builders, migrants to New Zealand gained more fat mass than Tokelauans between 1968 and 1982. The rate of weight gain in New Zealand was more than twice as fast for men and more than 50% faster for women than on Tokelau.

Why did Tokelauans and especially migrants to New Zealand gain weight? I can't say for sure, but this is a blog so I get to speculate. I've noticed an interesting association between the appearance of wheat and weight gain in a number of cultures, even if it replaces another refined carbohydrate such as rice. Sugar, although it may not cause weight gain directly, contributes to insulin resistance and leptin resistance, which may interfere with the body's ability to regulate weight. The introduction of wheat and sugar, at the expense of coconut and traditional carbohydrate sources, was the main change to the Tokelauan diet during this time period. See this post for a graph.

Finally, there's the question of exercise. Did a change in energy expenditure contribute to weight gain? The study didn't collect data on exercise during the time period in question, so all we have are anecdotes. During this time, men living on Tokelau progressively adopted outboard motors for their fishing boats, replacing the traditional sails and oars. Their energy expenditure probably decreased.

But what about women? Tokelauan women traditionally perform household tasks such as weaving mats and preparing food. Their energy expenditure probably didn't change much over the same time period. Since both men and women on Tokelau gained weight, it would be hard to argue that exercise was a dominant factor.

How about migrants to New Zealand? Here's a quote from Migration and Health in a Small Society: the Case of Tokelau:

Overall it is our belief that most of the migrants expend greater energy in their work than is currently the case in Tokelau.

I don't think exercise is the key to reaching or maintaining a healthy weight. The key is maintaining the biological feedback loops that normally keep fat mass in a tight range. They function by regulating the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure. I believe they are most influenced by diet, although exercise also contributes. I'll write more about this another time.

How Do You Get Rid Of Loose Flabby Arms?

As we age, many people are stricken with loose and flabby
skin under their arms. Many people are looking to lose some
weight in that area to give them back the toned muscle that
they once had, but there is no way to target a weight loss
in just that area. It seems as though the problem is more
common in women, but there are men who suffer from the same
problem. The question becomes, how do you get rid of loose
flabby arms?

As we age we lose much of the collagen and elastin our body
produces. Some people just genetically have extra fat there
in their upper arms. When we were kids, they were called
"Grandma Arms". Do not despair, you have options and can get
rid of those loose flabby arms.

This part of the body is not the easiest to lose weight in
so you should recognize this problem before you get started.
You also will not be able to target this specific area of
your body for weight loss. There have been some gels and
creams that have come on the market that are designed
specifically to reduce the fat in this area. However, there
is still not enough information on whether these products
actually work.

Surgery is an option for people who want to eliminate the
extra skin and fat in the upper arm area. The cosmetic
procedure that is used to work on this area is called
brachioplasty or an arm lift. The surgery is done with
general anesthesia and you will be able to go home the same
day. There is a two to six week recovery time and you will
most likely be given pain medication for use at home.

Liposuction is another, a little less invasive surgical
procedure to take the fat out of your under arm. Many times
they do a combination surgery with the brachioplasty and
liposuction. After surgery you will have pain and be given
medication. You will probably be out of the work force for
at least a week.

The most sensible and safest way to get rid of that loose
weight under your arm is to try and build muscle there.
There are a some exercises that you can do at home or at the
gym.

A push up is the most common exercise that you can use for
this part of your body. You can choose to do a regular push
up or a wall push up that will tone the muscles under the
arms.

Dips may be another good exercise that will work on this
part of your body. You sit on a chair or bench and lift
yourself off of the chair with your arms and dip below the
chair and then back up again. If you work with these
exercises, you might find that you are able to build the
muscle under your arms in no time at all.

Start Walking To Get Fit And Healthy

Walking is good for the body and the mind. It is a
pleasurable way to improve ones health and it is easy on the
bones and joints. Those who walk for at least 30 minutes or
more four to five days a week can witness a variety of
health benefits.

Start your program slowly as your need to allow your body to
adjust at a gradual pace. Keep yourself well hydrated as you
walk and pay close attention to your posture. To start a
walking program you need to find the motivation to get off
the couch and then you need to dress in comfortable clothes
and put on a pair of walking shoes.

Walking shoes are not the exact same as running shoes as
they have less cushioning. If you walk often then you need
a proper pair of walking shoes. Always try both shoes on at
once and shop in the late afternoon. Shoes should not have to
be broken into to fit comfortably.

Increasing the speed you walk is one way to go, as is
walking uphill. Carrying some type of weights in both hands
will also help you to burn more calories. You can burn
plenty of calories when you walk if you do certain things.

Taking 10,000 steps a day can give your level of health a
tremendous boost. Unfortunately most people only take 3,000
steps daily. I suggest you get a pedometer which measures
how many steps you take and also how many calories you burn.

How successful a walking routine is, often has to do with
motivation. Everyone can feel less than motivated from time
to time.

How fast a person walks has to do with a number of factors,
one of which is their gender.

The most important thing about a walking program is that you
begin. Walking will make you feel better and fell better
about the new healthy you.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health

Let's get right to the meat of this study. It's a direct test of the idea that saturated fat is a cause of cardiovascular disease. If you were to design the perfect experiment to determine if saturated fat causes heart disease, and ethics were not a concern, how would you do it? You would stuff one group of people with as much saturated fat as they would eat for their entire lives, while feeding far less to a genetically identical group. Ideally, you would keep everything else about the diet and lifestyle the same. Then, you would measure some marker of cardiovascular disease, or even better, count actual heart attacks.

The Tokelau Island Migrant study isn't a perfect experiment, but it's about as close as we're going to get. Tokelauans traditionally obtained 40-50% of their calories from saturated fat, in the form of coconut meat. That's more than any other group I'm aware of, even topping the roughly 33% that the Masai get from their extremely fatty Zebu milk.

So are the Tokelauans dropping like flies of cardiovascular disease? I think most of the readers of this blog already know the answer to that question. I don't have access to the best data of all: actual heart attack incidence data. But we do have some telltale markers. In 1971-1982, researchers collected data from Tokelau and Tokelauan migrants to New Zealand on cholesterol levels, blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) readings.

The Tokelauan diet, as I've described in detail in previous posts, is traditionally based on coconut, fish, starchy tubers and fruit. By 1982, their diet also contained a significant amount of imported flour and sugar. Migrants to New Zealand had a much more varied diet that was also more typically Western: more carbohydrate, coming chiefly from wheat, sugar and potatoes; more processed sweet foods and drinks; more red meat; more vegetables; more dairy and eggs. Sugar intake was 13 percent of calories, compared to 8 percent on Tokelau. Saturated fat intake in NZ was half of what it was on Tokelau, while total fat intake was similar. Polyunsaturated fat intake was higher in NZ, 4% as opposed to 2% in Tokelau. I don't have data to back this up, but I think it's likely that the n-6:n-3 ratio increased upon migration.

Blood pressure did not change significantly over time in Tokelau from 1971 to 1982, if anything it actually declined slightly. It was consistently higher in NZ than in Tokelau at all timepoints. Men were roughly three times more likely to be hypertensive in NZ than on Tokelau at all timepoints (4.0% vs. 12.0% in the early 1970s). Women were about twice as likely to be hypertensive (8.1% vs. 15.0%).

On to cholesterol. Total cholesterol in male Tokelauans was a bit lower on average than in New Zealand, but neither was particularly elevated (182 vs. 199 mg/dL). LDL was also a bit higher in NZ males (119 vs. 132 mg/dL). Get these guys on Lipitor!! Triglycerides were lower in Tokelauan men than in NZ (80 vs. 114 mg/dL). There were no differences in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol or triglycerides between Tokelauan and NZ women.

These data would make Dr. Uffe Ravnskov smile (actually I'm sure he's aware of them). Much of the hoopla surrounding saturated fat is due to the fact that in controlled clinical trials, it seems to elevate blood cholesterol (by elevating both LDL and HDL). What Dr. Ravnskov and others have pointed out is that the correlation between saturated fat intake and blood cholesterol is weak, and in any case, so is the correlation between blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. This study lends support to the idea that saturated fat is not a major determinant of total cholesterol or LDL.

But does it cause heart attacks? The best data I have from this study are ECG readings. These use electrodes to monitor the electrical activity of the heart. There are certain ECG patterns that suggest that a person has had a heart attack (Minnesota codes 1-1 and 1-2). The data I am going to present here are all age-standardized, meaning they are comparing between groups of the same age. On Tokelau in 1982, 0.0% of men 40-69 years old showed ECG readings that indicated a probable past heart attack. In NZ in 1980-81, 1.0% of men 40-69 years old showed the same ECG readings. In Tecumseh U.S.A. in 1965, 3.5% of men 40-69 years old showed the same ECG pattern. I don't have data for women.

These data don't prove that no one ever has a heart attack on Tokelau. They do sometimes, and they also have strokes (at least in modern times). But they do allow us to compare in quantitative terms between genetically similar people living in two different environments.

This is consistent with what has been observed on Kitava and other traditional Pacific island cultures: a vanishingly small incidence of cardiovascular disease while they retain their traditional diet and lifestyle (and sometimes even when some processed Western food has been introduced). When diets and lifestyles become modern, there is invariably a rise in the incidence of chronic disease.

I don't believe that saturated fat contributes to cardiovascular disease. The best data available have never supported that hypothesis, even from the very beginning. The Tokelau Island Migrant study, among many others, should have put it out of its misery long ago. Tokelau underlines the fact that the most important determinant of health is a diet based on whole, natural foods that are familiar to the human metabolism, prepared in traditional ways that maximize their digestibility and nutritional value.

Unless otherwise noted, the data in this post are from the book Migration and Health in a Small Society: the Case of Tokelau.