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1. An Alkalizing Cocktail for the Summer
2. The Myth about Blood Sugars and Diabetes, part 1 - What is Diabetes? By Dr. Eric Berg, D.C.
3. The Science Behind Using Supplements for nerve damage.
4. Energy Drinks? Are they good for you?
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An Alkalizing Cocktail for the Summer
Here is a wonderful drink that a health practitioner enjoys every day and wanted to share.. It's especially helpful in this hot weather because it alkalizes your body and hydrates it. It is delicious as well.
Here's the recipe:
In a 1 qt. bottle or pitcher, add the following:
1 cup pure organic cranberry juice
3 cups of good water (at least distilled or spring water)
2-3 Tbs of raw apple cider vinegar (I like Bragg's brand)
The juice of 2-3 limes (preferably organic)
Just mix it together and pour it into a glass with ice.
Drink 8 ozs in the morning and 8 ozs at night. It's very refreshing and deliciously alkalizing and hydrating at the same time. If you like it sweeter, just add a few drops of Stevia.
BTW, sometimes I put this cocktail in a wine glass. It makes it even better.
Cheers...Here's to a healthy & fun summer!
The Myth about Blood Sugars and Diabetes, part 1 - What is Diabetes? By Dr. Eric Berg, D.C.
As most people know, diabetes is caused by excessive sugar consumption. It's no wonder, then, that diabetes is on the rise! Americans consume about 149 pounds of sugar per year, and our bodies simply aren't designed for that. Sugar isn't just the obvious stuff like candy and baked goods: it is added to almost everything, from baby food to whole grain cereal.
What exactly is diabetes?
Diabetes is an inability to regulate the body's blood sugar levels. A healthy blood sugar level is approximately 100, but it can fluctuate between 80 and 110. 100 is the ideal, and the body will do everything it possibly can to keep blood sugar as close to 100 as possible. Too low, and your body is in a state of hypoglycemia. Too high, and your body is in a state of hyperglycemia.
What organs are responsible for regulating blood sugar?
The liver and pancreas are the main blood-sugar regulating organs.
The pancreas is the small, insulin-producing organ that regulates your blood sugar when you are eating. As sugar enters you body, the pancreas produces insulin to address the influx of sugar. If sugar is not used immediately for energy, one of two things will happen: the sugar will be stored in reserves in the muscles called glycogen, or it will be stored as fat. The primary responsibility of the pancreas and insulin is to get sugar out of your blood, thus lowering your blood sugar.
The liver is the large (very large- three and a half pounds!) organ on the other side of your body that regulates blood sugar when you aren't eating. The liver uses a hormone called Insulin-Like Growth Hormone to raise your blood sugar. The liver will use glycogen first, and fat second. Fat is a last resort source of sugar for the body, and will only be burned if you have no sugar from food and no glycogen reserves.
What is the difference between Type I and Type II Diabetes?
Type I diabetes : is the more serious form of the disease, and affects the pancreas. With this form of diabetes, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin become exhausted and cannot do their job anymore. If you cannot produce insulin, your blood sugar will spike whenever you eat. The only treatment is lifelong insulin injections to replace what your body isn't making.
Type II diabetes affects insulin-receptivity of the cells in the liver. Each cell in the liver has about 200,000 insulin receptors, and when these are damaged, the liver doesn't know how much sugar the blood needs. Drugs like Metformin or Glucophage are used as treatment. These drugs help to lower blood sugar, but if your blood sugar is already low, these drugs will obviously make the situation worse.
How can I support my liver and pancreas?
The first thing you can do is obvious: eat less sugar! Easier said than done, sure- sugar is almost everything, as we've discussed. Start reading labels. Make yourself aware of how prevalent sugar is, and do your best to avoid eating hidden sugars that add up so easily.
Be good to you liver by limiting alcohol and junk food, and eating plenty of bitter, cruciferous vegetables. Alcohol and junk food tax the liver, while cruciferous vegetables heal and support the liver.
Your body also needs plenty of potassium in order to store sugar as glycogen and not fat. I say it so much it might as well be my catchphrase: eat seven cups of vegetables a day to make sure you get enough potassium. Every sugar molecule needs a potassium molecule, but they aren't adding potassium to everything we eat, are they?
Physical fitness is an important piece of the puzzle as well. Exercise- periodic, short bursts of intense exercise if you can handle it, especially!- keeps your levels of Insulin-Like Growth Hormone healthy. This hormone regulates blood sugar on top of burning fat and protecting collagen and proteins (it's an anti-aging hormone, too!), and production declines as you age. This is one you really want to keep going!
The Overlooked Liver
In the above part of this article, I discussed the basic physiology of diabetes, and the affected organs, the pancreas and the liver. I devoted deceptively little space to the liver, though. The liver’s importance in the management and prevention of diabetes is critically overlooked. So often, when we talk about diabetes, we think of insulin, we think of Type I diabetes, we think of patients carefully rationing sugar and food; we think, in short, of symptoms associated with the pancreas and not the liver.
Why is the liver underestimated?
The pancreas produces insulin. The liver produces insulin-like growth hormone (or factor, also known as IGF). Both hormones are responsible for blood sugar regulation, but they are measured in different units. This can make IGF seem relatively unimportant and secondary to insulin.
And yet IGF does one hundred times the work of insulin. This means that increasing liver function by just 20% can take up to 80% of the stress off the pancreas! Like most things in the body, the pancreas doesn’t operate on its own. Damaging the liver damages your blood sugar regulation, and in turn your pancreas.
What harms the liver?
If supporting the liver is so important to the prevention and management of diabetes, how can we avoid hurting it?
Well, there are some pretty easy common-sense dietary choices that will benefit your liver.
Alcohol is one of the better known enemies of the liver. Excessive alcohol consumption can also translate to excess sugar (mixed drinks and wine both contain quite a bit of sugar), making it a double-whammy. Scaling back your alcohol consumption is rarely a bad idea, whether or not you’re concerned about diabetes.
Heavily cooked proteins like red meat can also tax the liver, as can fried foods and junk foods. Diabetes prevention: yet another reason to limit these foods!
It’s not necessarily fair, but you will be more susceptible to issues like this as you age. Your IGF levels will also be affected. Aging can be a risk factor on its own!
How can I support my liver?
The liver is an incredible organ, as it can completely heal and regenerate itself, but it does take time - three years to completely regenerate. Start supporting your liver today. A good first step is to add more cruciferous vegetables to your diet.
Bitter vegetables help to clear the liver of toxins. They are very low in natural sugars and contain potassium, which will help to stop sugar cravings. When you eat cruciferous vegetables, you are not only supporting your liver, but also preventing something that can fatigue the pancreas.
You’ll also want to work on keeping your levels of growth hormone high as you age. If you can handle it, interval training exercises are one of the best ways to do this. I recommend that my patients base the intensity of their exercise routine on the quality of their sleep, so if you aren’t sleeping well and can’t handle interval training, take a step back on work on your sleep. Better sleep has independent benefits, on top of allowing you to be more physically active.
Getting enough restful sleep will keep your growth hormone levels to stay up, and is related to a cascade of other health benefits. It may very well be that all you need to start sleeping better is five minutes of stress-relieving acupressure at night.
It is important to note, in general, that as you age, your dietary choices, sleep, and physical fitness will have a greater impact on your quality of life and health. Adjust your expectations accordingly, and start taking those extra, small steps to maintaining your health and happiness.
Not getting enough vegtables – Organic Cruciferous Foods
The Science Behind Using Supplements for nerve damage.
There are many reasons for nerve damage - too much sugar in the blood, chemotherapy, some cholesterol drugs, injuries, etc. etc. etc. The damage to the nerve cells create some common side effects of burning, numbness, tingling, sharp pains and cramps, etc. etc. You can read about it here neuropathy
Not matter the cause of the nerve damage, the symptoms are similar and the supplements needed by the body to build healthy nerves is the same. But, where is the original science that supports this. We could tell you success after success, but thought you might like to see the original clinical trials that came up with this.
In order to show this, I'm referring you to a website on the internet that publishes the trials done in the research.
I've given you the titles, but also the exact terms you need to put into the search bar on the website so you can view the original work done.
Go to: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez
Findings: Nerve Regeneration with Methylcobalamine
Search under: Ultra-high dose methylcobalamin promotes nerve regeneration in experimental acrylamide neuropathy.
For: Methylcobalamine and Diabetic Neuropathy
Search under: Clinical usefulness of intrathecal injection of methylcobalamin in patients with diabetic neuropathy.
For: Benfotiamine Slowing and Blocking Diabetic Complication and Retinopathy
Search under: Benfotiamine blocks three major pathways of hyperglycemic damage and prevents experimental diabetic retinopathy.
For: Benfotiamine and Improvement in Nerve Conduction Velocity
Search under: A benfotiamine-vitamin B combination in treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy.
Energy Drinks? Are they good for you?
Energy drinks claim to provide people with increased energy levels that will keep them active & alert. People who use them say it is very effective. But are they good for you or even safe to drink? What do you need to know about and Energy Drink before you use them.
Do you know what's in Energy Drinks?
Energy drinks can be a deceptive combination of soft drink and nutritional supplements.
Most energy drinks contain at least as much caffeine as a standard eight-ounce cup of coffee (~80mg). In addition to large doses of caffeine, most energy drinks contain excessive amounts of sugar & legal herbal stimulants.
Energy drinks will give you a boost of energy, but it usually won’t last. Energy drinks containing these high amounts of sugar and caffeine are in amounts that can be dangerous, but, a common complaint of energy drink users is the same as any other sugar or caffeine-based product: the "crash" they experience after the energy "buzz" wears off.
Dangers of Drinking Energy Drinks
You can't substitute energy drinks for water in the system while doing exercise because of the caffeine can leave a dehydrating effect on the body.
While many of the ingredients are common among the different drinks, each energy drink has its own little twist to it. And reading the labels of these drinks isn't going to help the average consumer much if they don't know what to look for.
Caffeine
Caffeine is acts as both a stimulant and a diuretic.
When consumed in large or regular quantities, caffeine can also make you jittery or irritable. As a diuretic, caffeine causes your kidneys to remove extra fluid from your body. If you consume energy drinks while sweating, these effects can be particularly dangerous because you can become severely dehydrated quickly.
Many younger people have started mixing energy drinks with alcohol because it makes them feel alert and energetic, even when they are drunk. Because alcohol and caffeine dehydrate our bodies, especially after a night of dancing. There have been many instances, where energy drinks mixed with alcohol has caused severe dehydration.
Energy drinks used during exercise or other strenuous activity compounds the problem of dehydration, and does nothing to provide the body with any necessary nutrients or fluids.
Common Energy Drink Ingredients:
Herbs
The main concern with the use of the herbs in these drinks is their source. The mass manufacturers of energy drinks are not required by law to list whether or not the herbs they use, have been sprayed with toxic pesticides, irradiated or watered with contaminated water supplies, so there is no telling what other toxins are contained in these drinks and whether or not these herbs will have a negative effect on the body.
These drinks must be taken properly because the ingredients used in it are powerful enough to affect your body.
With any herb, if you are taking medication, you should check with your pharmacist to see if the herb effects the medication negatively (pharmacists have database programs to check..this).
Ginseng – A root that is believed to help reduce stress and increase energy levels.
The dosage often used in research studies is 200 mg a day of a standardized ginseng extract. Some traditional herbalists recommend using ginseng for no more than three weeks at a time, followed by a one to two week rest period.
Pregnant or nursing women or children should avoid ginseng. People with hormone-dependent illnesses such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or cancers of the breast, ovaries, uterus, or prostate should avoid Panax ginseng because it may have estrogenic effects.
Panax ginseng may decrease the rate and force of heartbeats, so it shouldn't be used by people with heart disease unless under the supervision of a healthcare providers.
Ginseng may lower blood sugar levels, so it shouldn't be taken by people with diabetes unless under a doctor's supervision. Ginseng may worsen insomnia.
Side effects of ginseng may include nervousness, agitation, insomnia, diarrhea, headaches, high blood pressure, and heart palpitations.
As with any herb, if you are taking medication, you should check with your pharmacist to see if the herb effects the medication negatively (pharmacists have database programs to check..
Gingko Biloba – Created from the seeds of the gingko biloba tree, it has been shown to enhance memory.
Constituents in ginkgo leaves may affect blood clotting, so ginkgo leaf extracts shouldn't be used by people with bleeding disorders. People with epilepsy (or anyone with a history of seizures) should avoid ginkgo, because it may increase the frequency of seizures.
Ginkgo leaf products may affect blood sugar levels, so people with diabetes should only be used under the supervision of a health care provider.
The safety of ginkgo in pregnant or nursing women and children isn't known.
Inositol – A member of the B-complex Vitamin that assists in the relaying of messages between cells. Inositol is not a vitamin itself.
Guarana Seed Extract – A stimulant that grows in Brazil & Venezuela which contains high levels of caffeine.
Guarana - which is a very popular ingredient in many energy drinks, is a central nervous system stimulant that contains. What you need to know is that consuming these drinks and then mixing them with drinks containing ephedrine or diet pills can be very dangerous. Guaraná reduces fatigue, sharpens perceptions, reduces appetite and relieves muscle tension and hangover effects.
Amino Acids:
Taurine
Taurine is a free form amino acid contained in foods and manufactured in the body from the amino acid cysteine. It was first discovered in the bile of bulls, and now produced synthetically by the truckload. Studies have implicated synthetic taurine in illnesses ranging from high blood pressure to strokes and seizures to heart disease. Any ingredient in an energy drink needs to be natural.
Carnitine – An amino acid that helps to metabolize fatty acids. Again, you need to know that it is natural.
Low Carb Energy Drinks
Some energy drinks use artificial sweeteners and call themselves "low carb". The sweeteners used is Splenda and Ace-K or acesulfate potassium.
Splenda - A study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, found even further disturbing news besides weight gain. Splenda:
- reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent
- increases the pH level in your intestines, and
- affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you’re on certain medications
They also found unmistakable evidence that Splenda is absorbed by fat, contrary to previous claims.
It’s truly disturbing that Splenda can destroy up to 50 percent of your healthy intestinal bacteria, as these bacteria help maintain your body's overall balance of friendly versus unfriendly micro-organisms, and support your general health. Many people are already deficient in healthy bacteria due to choosing highly processed foods.
Ace-K: acetoacetamide, a breakdown product, has been shown to affect the thyroid in rats, rabbits, and dogs. Administration of 1% and 5% acetoacetamide in the diet for three months caused benign thyroid tumors in rats. The rapid appearance of tumors raises serious questions about the chemical's carcinogenic potency."
Both don't seem like something you'd want to ingest.
When it comes to energy drinks, you need an all natural energy drink that will not use your reserves and end with a crash, but one that supports the body's natural energy production at the cellular level.
For information about Real Energy, an Energy Drink that gets your body to produce its own energy.
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Sidebar:
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