Tag Archives: fat

It’s all about metabolism

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A higher metabolic rate translates to a higher quality of life. – This guy

What does metabolic rate have to with leading a quality life? Well, everything really. We know that the metabolism is the main calorie-burning epicenter – the body’s ability to turn food into biological energy and heat at a rapid rate AND with efficiency. We know that people like to boost their metabolism with shots of caffeine, energy pills, extracts, protein shakes, amino acids, steroid hormones, and hours in the gym. What good does this all do if the mechanisms which fuel bodily activities are not understood? I mean, why are people constantly taking shots in the dark when they have absolutely no physiological clue as to how their body actually runs, responds, reacts, digests, assimilates, regenerates, rebuilds, eliminates, converts, produces, reduces, or, the all-encompassing, metabolizes? I can take green coffee bean extracts all damn day long because it’s supposed to increase my metabolic rate (so then I’ll burn calories quicker, eliminate body fat, eat whatever I want and be “ok,” etc.), but how do I really know whether or not it’s working?

I’d say the best approach to elevating the metabolic rate is to understand what is actually involved in the metabolism. For starters, metabolism involves hormones and a lot of ‘em. The hormones involved require a balance with one another – within homeostasis. For example, in male’s there must be a greater ratio of Testosterone:Estrogen and in females there must be a greater ratio of Progesterone:Estrogen (yes, excessive estrogen levels for women is actually BAD). When those ratios are imbalanced and there exists a greater amount of [unopposed] Estrogen then the metabolic rate will likely decline because of the anti-metabolic affects of excess Estrogen (which can trigger stress-hormone reactions, hypoglycemia, muscle loss, weight gain, bacterial imbalance, encourage cell division, water retention, and also cause organs to become “sluggish”). We’ll go into Estrogen’s true-colors role within the body in another blog, but my point is to show how a simple imbalance can create an opportunity for a weaker metabolic rate – that is, a weaker functioning body. Other hormones involved include thyroid (T4, T3), pituitary, progesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, cholesterol, DHEA, estrogen, serotonin (tryptophan), prolactin, insulin, glucagon, cortisol, adrenaline, and aldosterone (to name a few). 

So-to-speak, metabolism fuels the body and hormones fuel the metabolism. So what fuels the hormones? Well, hydration, nutrition, and rest, of course! Let’s keep it simple and focus on nutrition (because I tend to throw in hydration as part of nutrition since water should always have a mineral content, i.e. nutrition). Nutrition can be broken down into two categories: Macronutrients (Fats, Proteins, and Carbohydrates) and Micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals). Macro’s can be further broken down into Saturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats, Polyunsaturated Fats, Animal Proteins, Plant Proteins, Simple Carbohydrates, and Complex Carbohydrates. Micro’s go further into Fat-Soluble Vitamins A, D, E, and K, Water-Soluble Vitamins B and C, and Minerals such as Calcium, Copper, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Selenium, Zinc, Iron, Phosphorus, Iodine, and Maganese.

Phew. 

Sleep is next in line as a essential platform to allow your body some time to rest, recover, and rebuild from a day-in-the-life. Whether or not you did anything today, your body is still working, digesting, assimilating, producing, excreting, and being a living organism that’s just trying to do what it needs to do to survive.

Alright, so I have thrown a lot of information at you and your probably waiting on me to tell you to do this, that, and voila – you’re metabolism is as good as new! Well, that can exist and the approach can be viewed as a metabolic recovery rather than a metabolism-boosting scheme (like we’re marketed) because, in my perceived reality of many people whom I interact with on a daily basis, most people are in need of a recovery – to get back what their body used to be, what their body used to be able to do, and how their body used to function with efficiency. Ever hear someone say, “I used to be able to eat that when I was younger” or “I was very active when I was younger so I could eat whatever I wanted.” While those statements may be true of the past, the mindset that the opportunity no longer exists in the present should not hold water. Throughout our American-way lifetime we are bombarded with metabolism-weakening opportunities: gluten, grains, processed foods, unsaturated fats, trans fats (spoiled unsaturated fats), inflammatory proteins, artificial sweeteners, additives, preservatives, chemicals, toxins, heavy metals, alcohol, dehydration, resulted constipation, antibiotics, vaccines, and you name it. It’s no wonder our bodies can’t do it anymore because the metabolic rate, the metabolic processes, and the metabolic efficiency cannot continuously work at top speed because of all the crap we put our body through and put through our body.

Take your body into perspective with metabolism: any physical imbalance is likely a result of a hormonal imbalance which is likely a result of a nutritional/sleep imbalance (minor lifestyle details aside). Boom.

If you’d like to discuss this perspective along with other health-related insights, please contact me for a FREE Conversation.

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Sunday wrap up august 5th

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Miss any posts this week?

Check out the blog archives for all posts!

If you’d like to discuss these perspective along with other health-related insights, please contact me for a FREE Conversation.

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Cholesterol is wrongly accused

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Some food for thought…

“In mammals, not only is cholesterol to be found in every cell but also present in each cell are enzymes for the local production of the compound when needed. Obviously, cholesterol must be a vital material or these enzymes would disappear.

In humans, at the time of birth, even the brain contains the enzymes for producing cholesterol and as a child develops much more cholesterol is added to the central nervous system.”

“If too much cholesterol accumulates in the blood, the liver normally breaks down some of the excess into bile salts which are excreted in the bile. Attempts to lower levels of cholesterol in the blood through fat-free diets or use of polyunsaturated fats may have only a temporary effect since enzymes of the body will synthesize more cholesterol as need arises.

Cholesterol can be formed from the simplest foods, whether they are carbohydrates, proteins, or fats … The rapid synthesis of cholesterol is, in fact, one of nature’s wonders. It appears that by making it possible to start synthesis with simple building blocks nature guarantees that cholesterol will always be available when needed, and a necessary material it is in many ways.”

“Cholesterol is the starting material for the synthesis of adrenal hormones needed for the maintenance of mineral and glucose metabolism and to ready the body for quick action in emergency situations.

“Although the brain and spinal cord account for only 2 percent of total body weight, they contain almost one-forth of the total cholesterol in the body … The skin is also rich in cholesterol, containing about 10 percent of total body stores. Sunlight converts this cholesterol to vitamin D…

Cholesterol is also to be found in the marrow within the bones where blood cells are formed. As it is for the adrenal gland hormones, it is also the starting point for sex hormones.

It is hardly surprising that, since cholesterol is so essential in the body, an attempt… to lower cholesterol levels in the blood by interfering with synthesis of the compound in the body led to blindness and death.”

“Cholesterol is not present in abnormal amounts at the beginning of degenerative processes, only after the processes are well along.”

“Scientists recently have scrutinized the animal feeding experiments done in the past in the light of important new knowledge. They have found that in none of the experiments where the animals fed the large amount of cholesterol in the form in which it occurs naturally in food but instead in the form of crystalline cholesterol or heat-dried egg yolk powder … That makes a vital difference. Once such crystalline or powdered cholesterol is exposed to air, it is changed chemically to form other compounds, some of which are injurious to the lining of arteries.

A significant discovery of modern research is that when an artery lining is normally healthy, cholesterol in the blood moves in and out of the lining, but when the lining is damaged, cholesterol can move in more readily than it can move out, and this happens even when blood cholesterol levels are extremely normal.”

My take…

Cholesterol is an essential nutrient to the livelihood of the human body. Yes, the body can produce it on its own and many argue that is a major reason why we do not need it from the diet, but then there’s the perspective that dietary cholesterol and the lack of it have a great effect on the body’s production of this anti-oxidant (yes, it has protective features!). Furthermore, the diet and lifestyle habits as a whole affect cholesterol production and because of its ability to protect – the shittier the diet, the higher the cholesterol (as one possible example).

Cholesterol isn’t to blame, nor should it be feared and it DEFINITELY shouldn’t be avoided within the diet… unless you want a one-way ticket towards creating disease and self-destruction. Learn more about the body and its defense mechanisms before you go passing judgements based off of false claims and biased research just to sell a few extra statins and cash crops (soy, wheat, corn – what’s up the rise in heart attacks since the early-1900′s introduction of these foods into our diets and the simultaneous avoidance of “artery-blocking” saturated fats… such bullshit).

Quotes: Broda Barnes “Hypo-thyroidism: the unsuspected illness” pgs 169-171

 

If you’d like to discuss this perspective along with other health-related insights, please contact me for a FREE Conversation.

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Define: Free Radicals

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Free radicals are dangerous, right? Here’s what all the hoopla is all about via an excerpt from Bruce Fife’s The Coconut Miracle (and my follow-up)…

“Research over the past three decades has identified free radicals as a key player in the cause and development in degenerative disease and aging. Simply put, a free radical is a renegade molecule that has lost an electron in its outer shell, leaving an unpaired electron. This creates a highly unstable and powerful molecule entity. Free radicals will quickly attack and steal an electron from a neighboring molecule. The second molecule, now with one less electron, becomes a highly reactive free radical itself and pulls an electron off yet another nearby molecule. This process continues in a destructive chain reaction that may affect hundreds and even thousands of molecules.

“Once a molecule becomes a radical, its physical and chemical properties are permanently changed. When this molecule is part of a living cell, it affects the function of the entire cell. Free radicals can attack our cells, literally ripping their protective membranes apart. Sensitive cellular components like the nucleus and DNA, which carry the genetic blueprint of the cell, can be damaged, leading to cellular mutations and death.”

“Today some 60 or so degenerative diseases are recognized as having free-radical involvement in their cause or manifestation.”

“We are exposed to free radicals from the pollutants in the air we breathe and from the chemical additives and toxins in the food we eat and drink. Some free-radical reactions occur as part of the natural process of cellular metabolism. We can’t avoid all the free radicals in our environment, but we can limit them. Cigarette smoke, for example, causes free-radical reactions in the lungs. Certain foods and food additives also promote destructive free-radical reactions that affect the entire body. Limiting your exposure to these free-radical-causing substances will reduce your risk of developing a number of degenerative conditions. In this regard, the types of oil you use have a very pronounced effect on your health, because many oils promote the formation of free radicals.”

What kind of oil is Bruce Fife referring to? Polyunsaturated fatty acid oils, of course! The more unsaturated an oil, the greater an opportunity to form or harbor free radicals. Any exposure to oxygen, light, and [prolonged] heat can oxidize the highly unstable fat molecules in [poly]unsaturated fats. When oxidation occurs, free radicals form.

Take into account all of the highly-unsatuarted oils that are quite possibly in your daily diet: Soy [oil], corn oil, vegetable oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, crisco, canola oil, hydrogenated oil, nuts, seeds, and most raw, above ground vegetables. Check out all of your ingredient labels (food AND drinks) and find out what your frequented restaurants use for cooking oils. How many free radicals do you experience on a daily basis?

You can do the best you can to eliminate free-radical-encouraging-foods from your diet OR another way to slow down their oxidation rate once ingested is by adding a saturated fat to the meal, i.e. coconut oil, butter, beef fat, dairy fat, or palm oil.

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Lita Lee’s diet do’s and don’ts

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Today’s post highlights Lita Lee’s diet recommendations from her free monthly newsletter along with my perspectives in plain text…

Avoid

  • Synthetic vitamins, minerals and isolated substances. Agree. Most of the vitamins added to our foods are impure, shipped-from-overseas, made-in-a-lab, laced-with-metals, I-guess-you-can-call-them vitamins. Purchase non-fortified or non-”added to” foods/drinks.
  • Junk foods, refined foods, fast foods, and fake foods, especially fake sugars (NutraSweet, Splenda or Sucralose, Sacharin, etc.). Agree. All sweeteners are chemicals and toxins to the body. People think they’re “healthier” by avoiding sugar and opting for sugar-free, but they’re just making their body work harder and burdening it more. The body can use sugar – no matter what the source – but it has a shitty time digesting or utilizing fake foods.
  • PUFA (all omega-3 and -6 oils) – all oils that are liquid at room temperature (such as flaxseed, fish oils, borage, Canola, and all seed, nut and bean oils, etc.). Avoid all foods containing PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) such as most bread, most cereals, vegetable juices, etc. When you suck the juice from a vegetable, you get various amounts of toxic PUFA with no protection from the mother fiber. Agree. Polyunsaturated fats are highly toxic and unstable on a molecular level. These can convert into trans fats and are found EVERYWHERE in our food supply – even “healthy” foods contain toxic PUFAs. Avoid omega-6 as much as you can. Omega-3′s are healthy, but should not be heated as they are unstable molecules under pressure. To protect yourself in an PUFA meal – add some saturated fat (animal fat, butter, dairy, coconut oil) to the meal to slow down the oxidation (rancidity, inflammation) of the fat molecules within the body. 
  • Farmed fish and argibusiness animals – all are fed soy, chemicals and drugs. Agree. They are fed unnatural diets, which completely compromises their immune system, so since they’re sick 24/7 they must be administered antibiotics and other steroids to keep them “healthy.” Humans experience this wild reality, too, ya know. 
  • Deli meats containing by-products of the meat industry. Agree. A lot of deli meats are the scraps and leftovers pressed into a slab of meat. Then they’re dressed in nitrates, artificial flavorings, and nutritionally-void salt. No bueno.
  • Avoid or use rarely: all gluten and high PUFA (omega-6 and -6 oils) foods which include seeds, nuts, nut butters, beans (except green), wheat, rye, barley. Raw seeds and nuts are even more toxic than roasted seeds and nuts because they contain protease inhibitors which stress the kidneys. Sprouted seeds contain various amount of cyanide. Eating 100 grams of alfalfa sprouts can be lethal. Agree. Gluten can “burn” through the mucosa intestinal lining and create holes within the digestive organs. Most nuts and seeds contain a high PUFA content and they also yield anti-digestive properties (this is a natural defense mechanism to ward off animals from eating the crops prior to harvest – the same goes for grains, too!). The alfalfa thing is wild – I’ve never heard of it but damn if that’s true. Death by alfalfa!
  • Raw cruciferous vegetables – they must be cooked to destroy the thyroid inhibitors (goitergens). These include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, Chinese broccoli, kohlrabi, bok choy, turnip root and greens, and rutabaga. Fermenting cruciferous vegetables does not destroy goitergens. Not all good things are necessarily “good” and in the case of cruiciferous vegetables… raw isn’t too good. I wouldn’t avoid this all together, but just make sure they’re thoroughly cooked before consumption if you want to keep your metabolic rate in tip top shape (hint: metabolism and thyroid function are bros). 

Seek

  • Organic whole foods as best you can. Whole milk. The whole egg. The whole grain. Agree. I get that organic is “expensive” but you are investing in yourself. People will spend so much on clothes, cars, toys, houses, etc. but they consider the fuel that keeps them alive to not be a worthy investment if a gallon of milk is 6-8 bucks. Those who are not-so-well-off – do the best that you can.
  • Organic, pastured, grass fed, soy-free animal protein. Most chickens, turkey and pork are fed soy (in the US) even if they are labeled organic and free range. Same with eggs. Agree. Eggs are tricky. “Vegetarian fed” eggs are still fed grains and soy, and not a chicken’s natural diet of insects and worms. So you do your best with what you know. If organics aren’t around, try local to minimize the transport time and possible greater toxin exposure.
  • Organic oats, rice, and corn are good. Also, heirloom grains are good (spelt, quinoa, kamut, amaranth, etc.). Make sure the heirloom breads contain no PUFA. Agree and disagree. Some people can’t do grains at all for many reason: their digestive system can be compromised from years of irritation and inflammation, they can have a food intolerance, a food allergy, and their digestive system simply may not be able to handle the grain. Always soak and wash rice thoroughly prior to consumption. Make sure your corn is non-GMO because 86%+ of the U.S. corn (26% world-wide) is an unregulated, government-backed science experiment. 
  • Carrots, beets, onions, cucumbers, squash and eggplant. Agree. Root vegetables are naturally anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic because they must protect themselves while growing in the earth. This protective quality translates when they are digested within the body and can help balance intestinal bacteria. Carrots should be eaten raw and consumed on a daily basis as they’re extremely protective against pathogens and increased estrogen hormones produced within the intestinal tract from stress. 
  • Fresh salad greens (except for head lettuce). Yes and no. I’m not too well-versed on greens aside from their vitamin content. I’ve heard that raw greens are high in PUFAs so they should be avoided for that reason but they’re also high in vitamins/minerals and when cooked down in water it can be consumed as a natural “vitamin water.”
  • Fruits and potatoes are the only two foods that do not contain PUFA. Fruit juices are high in salicylates so it’s like drinking organic aspirin (very anti-inflammatory). Potatoes are the best vegan source of protein and have an excellent protein efficiency ratio. Agree. Sing it, sister.
  • Use only coconut oil in you rcooking. This is the healthiest fat you can eat and very prothyroid. Butter and olive oil are healthy, too, but not for cooking. Choosing/consuming the right cooking oil is the key to avoiding rancid (trans) fats and limiting an inflammatory response. Coconut oil is 98% saturated fat and is extremely stable at high temperatures and pressures. It is the go-to cooking oil for everything and anything. Try it and love it. Butter has a tendency to burn and it also is not a pure saturated fat; its unsaturated fats are prone to spoiling, too. Olive oil is definitely all it’s cracked up to be… just not when it’s heated. Use it topically and keep it in a dark bottle in a dark, cool place. 
  • Non-iodized white sea salt and coconut water. Avoid colored salts. The color is either dirt or toxins. For example, pink or orange color in Himalayan sea salt is toxic inorganic iron. Agree aaaand I’m still understanding iron’s role within the body. Salt isn’t unhealthy, but its source and processing play a big role. From what I gather, iron can be highly toxic in excess. The body has an extremely hard time of eliminating excess iron because it doesn’t have a true mechanism to get rid of the stuff. There are some tricky diet approaches to get iron out, but the best approach is to avoid iron-rich foods all together, one of those being a deep sea salt [that's colored or moist].
  • Organic dairy products, raw if possible: whole milk, kefir, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese. Agree and disagree. I love me some dairy, especially milk and cheese. The yogurt recommendation gets me because it’s lactic acid content, which is an inflammatory/stress response from cells, can do more harm than good (especially in an compromised metabolism or digestive system). If people are eating dairy to provide the gut with good bacteria… what about the concept of just balancing the bacteria that’s naturally in there now? If you think that you have more bad than good bacteria, then take a look at the diet. Treat the cause with a diet and lifestyle shift, not the symptoms with a band-aid.
  • Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) from lanolin is one vitamin I recommend for everyone. Agree. Vitamin D is huge for immune health and is a synergist for calcium.
  • Turmeric (from New Chapter) is an important herb I also recommend. I’m not well-versed in Turmeric but I am familiar with its ability to aid in digestion.

Pro-thyroid Diet

  • 4 oz (25 grams) organic animal protein 3x/day, fruits 3x/day, fresh fruit juices 3x/day, carrots daily, white sea salt on all foods and in juices, coconut oil as your main oil and Great Lakes Gelatin as the best protein powder. NOTE: this is the adult amount and would be less for a child. This is a pretty standard and generic recommendation. Three meals may not be ideal for those on a broken metabolism, which will require someone to eat more frequently so their blood sugar doesn’t drop and create a stress hormone response. A high amount of animal flesh protein can actually be anti-metabolic and highly inflammatory, which isn’t what anyone wants and isn’t available in small orders. Great Lakes Gelatin is an extremely pure and beneficial protein, but it’s expensive. Carrots should be raw and consumed in between breakfast and lunch to aid with digestion and detoxification for the remainder of the day into the next.
  • Eat ripe fruits (except grapefruit) and drink fruit juices (except apple or grapefruit juices) daily. In a ripe fruit (bananas, pears, peaches, nectarines, etc.), the starch is converted into healthy sugars. Agree. Fruit is your friend. Grapefruit juice can contain a high amount of phytoestrogens, which are nay bueno when the goal is to increase metabolic rate and efficiency.
  • White sea salt (not commercial salt) is very important and should be consumed on all foods and in fruit juices. Agree. Salt your juices. It sounds wild but it works synergistically with the sugar and mineral content. A small pinch of salt will do just fine.
  • Drink organic coffee (not decaf) with milk, cream or 1/2 & 1/2. Green, black, and white teas absorb lots of fluoride from water, air, and soil – I don’t recommend them. Agree. Most decaf coffees are treated with formaldehyde to strip the caffeine content. If you’re a tea-lover, make sure you’re drinking it with pure water: get yourself a good filtering system or purchase glass-bottled water and heat it up on the stove as needed.
  • Do not drink water from plastic bottles. Not only do they contain endocrine disruptors, but many brands are tap water plus added synthetic vitamins/minerals and tons of plastic bottles are contaminating our oceans and killing our marine life. Avoid RO and distilled water – it’s dead and destructured. Agree. It’s wild what most companies try to sell as “healthy” water when it’s really just science.
  • Carbonated water is good for you if it doesn’t contain fluoride. My favorite brands include Perrier and Pellegrino, both of which come in glass bottles. Agree. The CO2 (carbon dioxide) provides the body with energy on a cellular level – it’s an energy-antagonist! On top of that, most carbonated waters are mineral waters so there isn’t a need to add salt! Good stuff.
  • Use an ion exchange filter to remove fluoride and all the other impurities from your sink and your shower. I recommend Tim Hickey of Friends of Water. Agree. And I recommend Tyent. I had access to one for a while. It was awesome.

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The no-detox-diet approach to detox

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A friend recently asked me about Detox Pads and if they’re legit or not. I’ve heard of them through my sporadic late-night-half-asleep-trying-to-fall-back-asleep infomercial viewing parties, but I couldn’t tell you a damn thing about them until I embarked on a Google session. Just as I suspected – crap! I don’t think they’re crap because they don’t work or they’re a waste of money or because there are better-spent detox mechanisms. No. They’re crap because that’s not how the freaking detoxification system is meant to function!

There are TONS of detoxes that claim to work: detox diets (only 1 day, no 2 days, no 3 days, no 5 days, no 7 days, no 14 days, no only 30 days to detoxify possible years upon years worth of toxin exposure!), detox liquids, detox pills, detox powders, detox machines, detox baths, detox exercises, detox retreats, detox this, and detox that. Some of these platforms may yield results, some may do nothing, and some could make matters worse without a good idea of why there’s a need to detox in the first place. The bottom line is: a true detox occurs when the body is operating at a high metabolic rate, is at a 98 F or slight above temperature, is digesting, assimilating, and excreting properly, and is balancing hormones accordingly. 

Question: Does anyone really know how the detoxification system works? Because the last time I checked, the detoxification system is one of the most intricate and intelligent systems on this planet and it knows damn well what it is doing. It knows how to detoxify in a pro-metabolic environment, but it also knows how to keep itself sustained in a highly toxic, anti-metabolic, and/or an over-burdened not-so-ideal living environment that prevents it from fully doing its job in a timely and effective manner. Ya with me?

A detoxification system that cannot fully/properly/efficiently/effectively detoxify is a SYMPTOM to a greater cause. The detox system isn’t the problem, it can be found within an imbalance, unawareness, irresponsibility, or neglect of the following:

  • Daily caloric intake - Eating enough daily calories to sustain your body’s daily needs to operate daily, function daily, and perform daily human body activities… daily (the detox organs need energy, too, ya know!)
  • Hydration - Consuming enough water, salt, potassium, magnesium, and sugar which provide cellular energy, nutrient delivery, and flush the body of [cellular] waste
  • Environmental toxins - Avoiding plastics, BPA, phytoestrogens, gases, smoke, mercury [fillings] [fish], lead, arsenic, all fluoride, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, inhalation or skin exposure to various chemical-based sprays, lotions, or applicants (household sprays, cosmetics, deodorants, sunscreen, perfume, etc.)
  • Digestive and immune health - Maintaining a balanced ratio of good:bad intestinal bacteria. Maintaining an acidic stomach pH to prevent pathogens, fungi, parasites, and harmful bacteria from entering the body. Consuming a diet high in fat-soluble vitamins to build immunity. Increasing dietary saturated fats while decreasing pro-inflammatory polyunsaturated fats/omega-6. Limiting food allergens and irritants such as lecithin, carrageenan, added gums, added cultures, added [synthetic] vitamins, unfermented [gmo] soy, [gmo] wheat, gluten, and [gmo] corn (hfcs, maltodextrin, dextrose).

Maintaining metabolic health through pro-metabolic diet and lifestyle choices while simultaneously limiting one’s exposure to anti-metabolic circumstances is crucial in maintaining not only detoxification system health, but overall the-body-is-a-system-of-systems health! 

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Sunburn: The sun isn’t the problem – you are

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Sunburn sucks. Some of us are genetically blessed that we don’t burn easily or at all, but for most of the unsaturated-fat-eating and vitamin-D-deficient population of the world it’s fairly easy to burn.

Wait, what? How does unsaturated fats and vitamin D have anything to do with sunburn?

Ev-ery-thin-g.

Let’s look at the body on a cellular level…

A cell prefers saturated fat and the accompanying cholesterol to build its walls. Why? Because saturated fats are impermeable (cell can regulate what comes in and out), are stable (will not spoil or collapse at high temperatures such as 98.6 F body temp), and are very sturdy (saturated fats are strong like bull to maintain cell structure).

Not only do saturated fats yield all of these beneficial aspects, but they also absorb (and often provide) vitamin D efficiently. Vitamin D reacts in the skin when it is exposed to light – it is often synthesized from the cholesterol naturally found within the cells (aka saturated fat).

So, where do unsaturated fats fit into the picture?

Unsaturated fats are very unstable at high temperatures and can burn (turn rancid) very easily… get where I’m going here?

The more unsaturated fats than saturated fats in the diet, the more likely a person is to experience sun burn. It’s not a crazy concept considering most of our foods are jam-packed and prepared with crisco, canola oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and peanut oil. Olive oil is up there, too, although it is slightly more stable as it is a monounsaturated fat. In a high unsaturated fat diet (more-so the very unstable polyunsaturated fats), a cell has little choice but to build its cell walls with unstable fat molecules (it can use naturally-made cholesterol but it’s not an efficient process when the synthesis is encouraged by a wrong or low fat diet). These unsaturated molecules create a permeable environment AND they can burn easily when exposed to ultra-violet light and/or high temperatures.

When you experience sunburn you are literally cooking your unsaturated-made skin cell walls, oxidizing the fats, and turning them rancid… hence the burning/reddening effect. This also creates a vitamin D deficiency because there isn’t a proper platform for the body to synthesize vitamin D nor absorb it from the sun.

As for sunscreen… take a look at the Banana Boat’s and the Coppertone’s out there and try to read the ingredient list. Whatever you put on your skin you are absorbing right into the blood stream for the liver to detoxify and eliminate through the skin (sweat), breath, or digestive system. This isn’t a good idea… at all… especially for those sun screens that stay put for hours and clog the very pours that are trying to release the crap that’s constantly being absorbed (consumed) by the skin. Put it this way, would you drink the same stuff that you put on your skin or hair? 

Going further with sun screen nazi-ism: A lot of people think they get tired from just sitting in the sun all day, but they fail to realize that they’re also making their body work over time to fight the good fight against the oxidized fats and constant toxin (re)absorption while they’re “relaxing” (that is if they have a diet high in unsaturated fats and use commercial topical applications). This can also create a hypoglycemic state because the body is stressed, and when it’s stressed it rapidly consumes sugar and releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline in an attempt to keep the lights on. I know that may sound extreme to some, but it can easily hold water.

There are a few ways you can approach the situation…

  • Add more saturated fats into the diet such as coconut oil and butter
  • Decrease or eliminate intake of unsaturated fatty acids such as vegetable, nut, and seed oils
  • Add saturated fats to an unsaturated fat-based meal to slow down the natural oxidation of the unsaturated fats from the body’s high temperature (i.e. coconut oil, butter, animal meat, whole dairy)
  • Apply coconut oil topically as a sun screen (this will need to be reapplied every hour or so). This is my go-to.
  • Find yourself a better sun screen alternative than the commercial crap out there
  • Limit your time wearing sunglasses – the eyes absorb vitamin D very efficiently and sunglasses block that natural opportunity
  • Stay hydrated with sugar, salt, and/or carbonated-based drinks throughout the day to combat a hormonal stress release (Soda can go a long way on a hot day).

The sun isn’t the problem - you are the problem. We are organisms designed to live under the very thing that helped create us. 

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Get healthy to lose weight or lose weight to get healthy?

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Last week I was going through my usual internet routine of watching new YouTube’s and reading new articles when I came across a recent Josh Rubin video about Nutrition Timing and Exercise. So I’m watching, I’m nodding, I’m agreeing, and he throws this line out there… “Do you get healthy to lose weight or do you lose weight to get healthy?” A small part of me inside of me died. I have been feeding into this concept for the past two years by slowly… gradually… baby-stepily understanding what this means through my own research, trials, errors, and hindsights… but I never had a short, one-liner that made it all this health-mush that I’m piling up by the day mold complacently together.

Not too long ago I was under the impression that in order to be healthy I had to lose weight; not the other way around. My perspective went something along the lines of… How the hell can I be healthy and have body fat? Doesn’t body fat correlate to being unhealthy? So, that’s simple… burn fat and get healthy… because if I look healthy then I will damn sure be healthy! Time to do calorie-burning squats after calorie-burning squats.

Ahhh, those were the days… and I have the massive thighs to prove it (thank you, genetics and my ego).

It may take a bit of time, personal experience, and understanding for the statement to truly sink in, but as the kids say these days… it’s #realtalk.

Get healthy to lose weight.

I love it.

What does this statement mean for you? For your lifestyle? For your nutrition? For your mental and emotional state or attitude? For your actions and reactions? For your beliefs, programed thought patterns, habits, and current personality? For your sleeping patterns? For your work and school schedule? For your internal and external stressors? For your perspective? For your goals and dreams? For your path?

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Sunday wrap up June 17th

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Miss any posts this week?

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Can sugar be healthy?

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Sugar is bad for health. Sugar causes weight gain. Sugar causes insulin resistance. Sugar causes diabetes. Sugar will rot your teeth. 

What if Sugar wasn’t bad? What if Sugar increased fat-loss and built the immune system. What if Sugar protected teeth? What if Sugar was a vital nutrient to life?

Sugar has obviously fallen victim to the ever-increasing obesity epidemic in the US. There are many sugar-based blames: from soda to energy drinks to ice cream to fresh fruit to juice to white potatoes to white bread to mocha joe latte’s. So0o0o, why are these bad? Is it possible that these foods can actually promote health and that Sugar isn’t solely to blame?

What is the source of sugar? Does the sugar contain any nutritional value? Is the sugar treated and laced with chemical sprays? What about the individual consuming Sugar? Is their digestive system assimilating and eliminating properly? Hormones responding accordingly? How well can they detoxify – liver and kidney function? Is their thyroid functioning well? What is their body temperature in the morning, before/after lunch, and before bed? What is their pulse at the same times? What about their body’s ability to utilize and store sugar efficiently? What about the rest of their diet? Do they consume other nutrients along with sugar – fat, protein, vitamins, minerals? Does this person exercise or consistently move? What are their sleeping patterns? Do they become stressed very easily? How often are they stressed? What happens physically and emotionally when they become stressed?

I’m getting at context. Context is everything for everything and, in this particular case, sugar is very well-deserving of a context when it comes to labeling it as healthy or unhealthy.

Am I hinting at the fact that Sugar can actually promote health? Yes. Sugar can be healthy, therapeutic, stress-relieving, metabolism-boosting, homeostasis-promoting, hormone-balancing, and even fat-burning! But, again, placing sugar intake and its need into context of the individual is important to understand how and why sugar can be healthy.

Some further reading supporting sugar to help provide some more perspective on my craziness…

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