Tag Archives: science

Life’s energy reserves

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Throughout Selye’s book, “The Stress of Life,” he refers to a type of “energy reserve” with which each person is born. This so-called “Adaptive Energy” serves as a reservoir that can support and adapt to whatever life’s daily wear and tear from stress may bring – individually-speaking, of course. He places a theoretical limit on this reserve, “It is thought, at birth, each individual inherited a certain amount of adaptation energy, the magnitude of which is determined by his genetic background, his parents. He can draw upon this capital thriftily for a long but monotonously uneventful existence, or he can spend it lavishly in the course of a stressful, intense, but perhaps more colorful and exciting life. In any case, there is just so much of it, and he must budget accordingly.”

When I first came across this only 65 pages into his 306-page book, I had my eyebrow raised in intriguing fashion with this new, yet familiar perspective. As I read further about his General Adaptation Syndrome theory, his experiments with stress hormones, and the removal of organs or glands to “fix” a stress-related disease I began to question if his hypothesized limit for Adaptation Energy really held ground because, and I may be bold here, the scientific solutions of his lab-based experimental problems were merely fixing the symptoms, not the cause. He focused on the internal responses and symptoms of stress-induction. His mechanisms to support his theory were rather limited because he had to prove that stress was a real thing and that it had a physiological effect on the body via specific stressors. While he was successful in proving his theory, there are many grey areas that can be found between the fine lines.

Now would be a good time to provide his definition of Adaptation Energy: “The energy necessary to acquire and maintain adaptation, apart from caloric requirements.” The ending is what has me pump the brakes on the limits of Adaptation Energy. If we were to run off of absolutely zero caloric energy, we would die. Yes, we can fast (go without food and live solely on water) for an extraordinary amount of days, but it is my understanding that this can only be done with a well-rounded reserve of nutrients, glycogen stores, muscle tissue, and fat stores; that is, a reserve of energy stored and then converted from calories. In a state of caloric deficiency (aka stress), the body will release stress hormones which can tap into stored “energy” to maintain life (adrenaline to use up stored sugar/glycogen in the liver and muscles, and cortisol to convert muscle tissue/proteins/amino acids into sugar). So what if we didn’t have those foundational stores? What if the caloric energy was comprised of non-nutritious foods that created more of a stress environment? What about external factors such as climate, relationships, personal happiness? How is energy created if there’s nothing to create it?

I do back the theory of Adaptation Energy as a form of reserve energy which the body can tap into in times of [great or average] need via stressful situations (dietary, exercise, emotional, mental, etc.). However, I do not full buy into the concept of a defined limit with which we are born and must “use wisely” throughout our lifetime because once it’s gone then sayonara life. The body is a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant machine, so-to-speak, in the sense that it has the power to rejuvenate and recover itself under the most wild circumstances because of its ability to, in the words of Gunny Highway, “improvise, adapt, and overcome.” But those very mechanisms it uses to adapt to such situations are ever-so precious and must be built upon a sturdy foundation to take on anything – that foundation, as I see it in my current understanding of health, is a combination of hydration, nutrition, rest, and mental strength. I wish it were as simple to say it’s just caloric energy, but that would overlook the incredible importance of sleep and mentality; how creating energy is parallel with expending energy (yin and yang) and the mind-body connection, respectively.

Selye does come around at the end of the book to chalk one up to possibility, “Still, we have not fully excluded the possibility that adaptation energy could be regenerated to some extent, and perhaps even transmitted from one living being to another…” Given his theories were published in 1956 and new perspectives have since developed, it doesn’t write off the fact that Seyle was onto something universally important and has left a solid foundation for understanding the mechanisms of stress, wear and tear on the body, disease, and possible underlying causes.

 

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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Why low-carb diets *cough* work

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Gluconeogenesis

Say it with me… Glu - Co - Neo - Genesis

Gluconeogenesis is the conversion of protein to sugar for energy. Not just dietary proteins… muscle is made of protein, too, ya know!

This conversion occurs as a stress reaction. When in a state of stress (dietary – low carb, exercise – too much, mental – #life, sleep – not enough/irregular, etc.) the body burns through sugar like there’s no tomorrow (because it wants to survive so there can be a tomorrow). This can cause the body to become hypoglycemic and, because all of the sugar supplies are depleted, other sources of energy must be tapped into. Adrenaline and Cortisol are two stress hormones that “kick-in” to run the body while reserves are being put into place. Those reserves are found through the conversion of proteins to sugars (Gluconeogenesis!). The body wants to run on sugar. It NEEDS to run on sugar because sugar is the body’s most useful and quickest-acting form of energy. Unfortunately, if there isn’t enough dietary protein then the body can turn to muscle for energy. The body will store (or spare) fat in a stressful state to stay alive – fat is a form of protection. The body should not run on fat – it’s very a rare occasion and it’s a very inefficient way for the body to convert energy (this process is known as Ketogenesis).

The body mainly stores dietary sugar in the liver and muscles. Once digested, converted, and stored, the sugars are known as Glycogen. Ideally, glycogen can be stored for about four to six weeks. When many low-carb diets begin they experience a quick rush of weight loss, of getting cut/lean, boosted energy levels, and are shaving inches off of their waist! Yes, this can all happen, but by no means is it healthy or long-lasting. Muscle weighs more than fat, remember? Sugar is the body’s primary form of energy, remember? The body will burn muscle and store/spare fat, remember? Once that four-to-six-week mark hits people can plateau, burn through muscle, put on weight, their brains can become foggy (because the brain uses sugar, too!), their libido/sex-drive can become extinct, and their muscles can become “cut” (but really they’re just being eaten alive).

For those who carve Low-Carb diets in stone, be aware that most dietary proteins are being converted into sugars and are not being used the way nature (or you) intends. Not to mention that Glucagon is constantly secreted to make up for the lack of dietary carbohydrates (the primary mechanism for protein to enter cells is by way of carbohydrate transport and Glucagon increases blood sugar levels by pulling from reserves). On the other hand, low-carb diets are a much better alternative to all of the commercial carbohydrate crap that’s available today in grocery stores and restaurants (bread, pasta, grains, etc.). Rather than attributing success to a healthy diet, first consider the massive amount of unhealthy foods that have been eliminated. Oh, and we can’t forget that intestinal bacteria thrives off of sugar and when there isn’t enough food for them to consume they search elsewhere (hence, chronic bacterial infections, sinus infections, thrush, intestinal inflammation, bloating, gas, irregular bowel movements, etc.)

Perspective? EAT MORE SUGAR a.k.a. good, clean, organic, nutrient-dense, natural carbohydrates – potatoes, fruit, OJ, milk, cane sugar, and even SODA. If you have blood-sugar handling issues and that’s the reason that you low-carb then consider the issues as a symptom to a greater cause – replacing an issue with a new issue just adds more problems, confusion, and sadness to “Why can’t I be normal?!.” Perspective to blood-sugar-issue people… EAT MORE SUGAR.

Yes, it’s possibly to live a healthy lifestyle sans carbohydrates, but how is “healthy” truly defined? More power to feeling good, being happy, sleeping well, having great bowel movements, having a high sex-drive, a full head of hair, and being resilient to stress, but how are those achieved by each individual? What are the habits, mechanisms, and double-checks that confirm “healthy”? Suggestion? Lab Tests such as Thyroid, Hormones, Mineral, Vitamins, and Stool can provide a great perspective.


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Reduce stress and disease by removing morons

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So I’m reading through an article on Epilepsy and I come across this excerpt in the article – had to blog it…

By manipulating the diet and environment, [humans] can be made more or less [disease]-prone, and it happens that the changes that affect the brain affect all other organs, in ways that are now fairly well understood. Examining the cellular events associated with a [disorder] is useful for therapy and prevention of [disorders]… It is now clearly established that stress can cause brain damage, as well as other diseases. Now that our public health establishment has eliminated smoking from public places, maybe they can find a way to reduce stress and disease by removing morons from positions of power.

-Ray Peat

Fats101: What makes a Fat UNhealthy?

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This is a huge subject for me (and I’m sure it is for other health fact debunking enthusiasts) because I believe that there is a lot of false or misinformation out there that’s hurting more than helping the American people. Specifically, we are told that Saturated Fats (Butter, Dairy, Meat) are unhealthy and rampantly causing disease, while we are promoted and marketed to consume Polyunsaturated Fats (Vegetable, Nut, & Seed Oils) as a part of an “anti-inflammatory” and “heart-healthy” diet.

Marketing, ad campaigns, published medical journals, government recommendations, controlled [insert asian country name here] studies, health benefits, and nutritional values aside… let’s look at the molecular structures of Saturated and Unsaturated Fats, and how their structures are effected by heat or pressure…

Saturated Fatty Acid
Examples: Butter, Coconut Oil, Dairy Fat, Egg Yolks, Animal Fat

  • One chain of Carbon and Hydrogen atoms
  • No double bonds on the chain
  • Very stable structure due to the lack of bonds (no weak points)
  • Stability = High heat and high pressure threshold
  • Not susceptible to turn rancid, spoil, oxidize or become a Trans Fatty Acid

Monounsaturated Fatty Acid (Omega -3)
Examples: Olive Oil, Macadamia Nut [Oil], Egg Yolks, Fish, Nuts, Seeds

  • Two chains of Carbon-Hydrogen atoms
  • Contains one Carbon-Carbon double bond on the chain
  • Moderately stable due to one double bond (weak point)
  • Stability = Moderate heat and moderate pressure threshold
  • Is susceptible to turn rancid, spoil, oxidize or become a Trans Fatty Acids

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (Omega -6)
Examples: Vegetable Oils, Fish, Nuts, Seeds, Above Ground Vegetables

  • Three or more chains of Carbon-Hydrogen atoms
  • Contains two or more Carbon-Carbon double bonds on the chain
  • Low stability due to two or more double bonds (weak points)
  • Stability = Low heat and low pressure threshold
  • Highly susceptible to turn rancid, spoil, oxidize, or become a Trans Fatty Acid

What about Trans Fatty Acids?

Take a look at the last bullet point for each Fatty Acid and tell me which Fats are capable of becoming a Trans Fatty Acid… ONLY the Unsaturated Fatty Acids. Why? Because UFAs structures are much less stable than a one-piece Saturated Fatty Acid due to the double Carbon bond(s). In Fats’ case, bonds are weak points, thus encouraging a susceptibility for change (or mutation if you want to be real about it). Trans Fatty Acids are predominantly man-made (with few occurring naturally within Ruminant animals), and TFAs are primarily a result of heat and pressure. When an Unsaturated Fat is heated or pressurized beyond its threshold, the molecule mutates so that the Hydrogen atoms located at the double bond shift to opposite sides, which creates an unnatural molecular structure… aka Trans Fat. The more double bonds a Fat molecule yields, the more susceptible its structure is to become mutated (i.e. Polyunsaturated Fats – but that doesn’t fully discount Monounsaturated Fats!).

I’ll end with this…

Are the molecules the real problem or does the problem lie within how the molecules are used, treated, heated, cooked, pressurized, pasteurized, packaged, stored, ingested, and react? Not only are Unsaturated Fats unstable when they experience an oxygen-exposed, pressurized, tumultuous, and prolonged high-heat manufacturing process, but they are equally unstable when they experience an oxygen-exposed, pressurized, tumultuous, and prolonged high-heat digestive process. Think about that for a bit and get back to me…

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Liver Love

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The liver is the only organ that has the capacity to rebuild itself ONLY when the environment is suitable. Limiting the amount of toxic load on the body will promote a good environment for the liver to work properly and efficiently. This isn’t rocket science: Eating crap foods, drinking alcohol, drinking unfiltered water, and using chemical-laced substances (cosmetics, cleaners, plastics, etc.), to name a few, are not good for the liver. 

Go organic, go green, go natural, go holistic, go straight-edge, go whatever you want to call the process of creating a healthier environment for a healthier body.