Category: HEALTH

Many people, who pride themselves on being vegetarian, think they are eating a healthy diet. To them and to the rest of us, I offer this thought-provoking quote:

‘Vegetarianism’ was coined in 1842 and has in fact nothing to do with vegetables. It comes from the Latin ‘vegetare’ meaning ‘to enliven’. – The Vegetarian Society

True vegetarians therefore are those that include ‘living’ and ‘raw’ foods in their diet. What are ‘living’ and ‘raw’ foods? These are foods that contain enzymes. In general, the act of heating food over 47 degrees C destroys enzymes. (Enzymes start to degrade in temperatures as low as 41 degrees C). All cooked food is devoid of enzymes. Furthermore, cooking changes the molecular structure of food and renders it toxic. Living and raw foods also have much higher nutrient values than foods that have been cooked. In India, we cook foods to death.

Most people are aware of the importance of vitamins. Many even take vitamin supplements as insurance against disease. What they fail to realize is that vitamins are actually co-enzymes, which means they are just enzyme helpers. All the vitamins in the world won’t do you any good if you don’t have the necessary enzymes for them to ‘help’.

An enzyme is a huge protein that speeds up chemical reactions. Without enzymes, chemical reactions would happen so slowly that life would not be able to exist at all. The human body has over 3,000 enzymes and over 7,000 enzymatic reactions.

Most people have not heard much about enzymes. Those that have, think of enzymes as only being involved in digestion. That is one of the last things that enzymes do. Of all the enzymes in the body, the protein-cleaving (cutting) ones are the most important. These perform 4 primary functions:

1. Reduce inflammation
2. Balance our repair mechanism and prevent fibrosis (the buildup of scar tissue)
3. Clean the blood
4. Modulate the immune system

The Enzyme Problem

The human body produces a finite amount of enzymes. According to the pioneering research of Dr. Max Wolf, enzyme production begins to decline in people from the age of 27. In other words, old age begins at 27!

Here’s what happens from then on…

From ages 27-35, enzyme production drops and most of our aches, pains and arthritic changes begin to set in (though we may not realize it then). Fibrosis (scar-like tissue) begins building in the organs, blood vessels and muscles. Immune function begins to deteriorate, further complicated by high-stress lifestyles. Blood begins to become thicker and harder to circulate.

From 35 to 45, the drop in enzyme production and stress cause a reduction in the all-important sex hormones – testosterone and progesterone. Sex drive, mental drive, zest for life, bone density, muscle mass and overall energy start going down significantly.

At 45, we begin to have trouble absorbing the nutrients we need to maintain the 4 types of tissue we have in our bodies, (epithelial, connective, muscular and nervous tissue). These tissues begin to break down and malfunction. The lack of proper eating and exercise, complicated by smoking or air pollution, causes our blood to thicken like ketchup. Blood circulation is poor and oxygen doesn’t get to important areas…especially up to our brains.

From 50-60, we lose an estimated 10% muscle mass a year. By 60, we have minimal muscle mass needed for movement. Getting up from a chair or out of bed becomes a difficult task.

From 60 onward, our internal organs (including the brain), begin to shrink and malfunction. The brain is 60 to 70% cholesterol. The absence of good fats in the diet, (along with enzyme deficiency), exposes a person to cognitive dysfunction, senile dementia and eventually Alzheimer’s disease. (If you look at an MRI of an Alzheimer patient’s brain, it looks like a dried, shrunken, cracked, old cauliflower). Alzheimer’s, a disease which was once considered rare, is all too common nowadays.

Note for Men: Starting around ages 35-45, men’s (masculine) testosterone levels go down while their (feminine) estrogen levels go up. This causes the medial amygdala, (a part of the brain) to shrink, resulting in reduced zest for life and mental energy. A man in his 50’s has more estrogen than his wife! High estrogen levels may cause depression, anger, weight gain, lack of libido, mood swings and erectile dysfunction.

Note for Women: Before and after menopause, progesterone levels drop to almost zero, causing similar ill effects as in men; i.e. lack of mental drive, depression, moodiness, loss of bone and muscle mass, weight gain, etc. For decades doctors have concentrated on estrogen after menopause. While it is true that estrogen levels in menopausal women are lower than before, their progesterone and testosterone levels are practically nonexistent, making them estrogen dominant despite the low estrogen levels. Estrogen is the fuel that sparks fibrocystic breast disease, breast cancer, uterine fibroids and cervical cancer.

Stay tuned…to learn…how to stop this degeneration…

#Vegetarianism #vegetarian #enzymes #vitamins #coenzymes #enzyme #supplements #progesterone #estrogen

1. Replace Enzymes that have been lost through years of eating ‘dead’ food, by eating germinating, sprouted and raw foods in sufficient quantities. Don’t forget to include papayas (which are rich in the enzyme “papain”) and pineapples (rich in the enzyme “bromelain”). Juicing (fruits, vegetables and cereal grasses) is an excellent way to consume nutritionally dense foods.

For healthy digestion, optimal absorption and efficient elimination, here are some guidelines for proper food combining:

• Fruit:

Do not combine with other foods. Eat only on an empty stomach and wait 30 minutes before eating other foods.

• Fats:

(Nuts, seeds and their sprouts; avocado and coconut): Avoid mixing these foods. Combine only with non-starchy vegetables. The one exception is avocado, which can be combined with any vegetable.

• Starches:

(Potato, squash, corn, carrots, grains): It is okay to mix these foods. You can combine them with any type of vegetable, except tomatoes.

• Bean Sprouts and Grain Sprouts:

Avoid mixing these foods. It is okay to combine these with any type of vegetable, except tomatoes.

Supplements containing combinations of amylase, lipase and protease (along with other enzymes) can also be helpful. These come in the form of digestive, pancreatic or proteolytic enzymes. Another class of enzyme supplements called Super Oxide Dismutase and Catalase, can reduce oxidative stress (cellular damage), in the body.

2. Oxygenate the body through healthy breathing practices (such as pranayama). All disease states are either caused by or complicated by a lack of oxygen. Oxygen feeds tissue, kills viruses, singes bacteria, destroys yeast and dissolves cancer. All bugs hate oxygen. Cancer cells feed on glycogen (anaerobic respiration) and die in the strong presence of oxygen. Part of a healthy immune system is to have good circulation, rich red blood cells and clean thin blood needed to carry oxygen throughout the body to kill anything that may be festering due to the lack of sufficient oxygen. Good breathing habits can accomplish all of this.

3. Strength Training builds lean muscle, mineralizes bones and restores hormonal balance. To achieve all this, aerobics, cardio, walking or other such exercises will not do. A physiological law states: “Mineralization is laid into bone along axial lines of stress”. What that means is that unless we compress hard and tug hard on a bone, it will not absorb minerals well or maintain its mineral mass. Some doctors think this law can be fulfilled by simple weight bearing exercise such as walking, but research has proved them wrong. For one thing, while walking, the arms, shoulders and mid-back bear no weight. How can they benefit from walking? For another, the first principle of exercise is that a muscle prefers to get its exercise in its primary range of motion. It also prefers as great a range of motion as it can safely handle. This will stress the bones sufficiently to produce the adaptive response needed for mineralizing. Walking has a mere 13 degrees range of motion at the hip and knee. The hip is capable of a range of 160 degrees and the knee, 135 degrees. So how much exercise can 13 degrees give? Not much. For walking to be a good exercise in bone building for the pelvis and lower extremity, you would have to go very fast both uphill and downhill. That’s not likely to happen.

The energy we use for everything in our lives is produced by mitochondria. It is these furnaces of the cells where Adenosine Tri Phosphate is produced (ATP). ATP is the fuel that powers everything in our bodies. Most of the ATP in the body is made in the muscles.

The brain uses 33% of the body’s daily energy, the eyes 33% and the remainder is used by the rest of the body. If we have fewer mitochondria, as in diseases such as Mononucleosis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or due to age and loss of muscle, then all of our energy is significantly reduced and we are in a fog. The only thing that can significantly increase the number of mitochondria in our bodies is STRENGTH TRAINING (through lifting weights and/or doing body weight exercises).

Putting it all together:

Eating ‘dead’ foods leads to enzyme deficiency which in turn leads to physical degeneration, starting as early as age 27.

• If we don’t replace the enzymes that we have lost, our body cannot perform basic functions such as fighting inflammation and disease, repairing damaged tissue or circulating blood (oxygen).
• If we don’t maintain high levels of circulating oxygen, bugs will grow and fester throughout our bodies and we will have low energy and a shortened life span.
• If we don’t raise our declining levels of sex hormones such as progesterone and testosterone, we cannot stop or reverse bone and muscle loss; we’ll also become depressed, gain fat and have no zest for life.

All these issues can be taken care of just by eating (and drinking) live and raw foods, breathing correctly and strength training. In the process, we will undo the effects of premature aging and dramatically hold back the years.

Some of the most common health problems people complain about these days are:

• Low energy levels
• Digestive distress
• Weight gain
• Aches and pains
• High cholesterol
• High/low blood sugar

Other common complaints are:

• Poor sleep
• Easy bruising
• Feeling bloated
• Kidney problems
• Slow wound healing
• Frequent bouts of illness

All these varied problems could have one common cause: A toxic liver!

The sad truth is: If you have any of these symptoms, the very medicines and/or herbal supplements you may be taking to feel better, could actually be making these problems worse!

Why?

Read on, and the reason will become apparent.

Your liver performs more than 500 critical biological functions, makes more than 13,000 beneficial chemicals and hormones and manages more than 50,000 enzymes and compounds that you need to stay healthy.

Here are some of the myriad functions the liver performs…

Purifies your blood of dangerous toxins: Breaks down harmful or toxic substances from food, air, water—or anything else you come in contact with. Without your liver, these toxins would keep moving around in your bloodstream and make you sick in a matter of hours.

Digests fats by making bile: This yellowish fluid “emulsifies” or breaks down fats. It works just like dish washing liquid breaks down the grease from your dinner dishes. Bile is what enables you to enjoy a heavy meal without suffering digestive woes later.

Regulates cholesterol levels: Rids your body of excess cholesterol naturally so your levels of bad “LDL” cholesterol and triglycerides don’t shoot through the roof. Your arteries remain clear and clog free.

Regulates blood sugar levels: Stores the right amount of sugar so you don’t suffer from blood sugar that’s too high or too low—and experience a mid-morning energy “crash.”

Energizes the body by releasing sugar and fat molecules—your two main sources of fuel. Your liver is how you can make it through your busy day and still have energy left to enjoy your night.

Promotes healthy hormone balance by putting triglycerides to work. Fatty triglycerides are what your body uses to make testosterone and estrogen in proper amounts. Your liver is at the source of fueling your libido so you feel vigorous, happy and healthy.

Boosts immune system: Stores lymphocytes and natural “killer” cells (NK cells), to protect you against dangerous invaders.

Heals wounds: Makes “clotting factors” to stop excessive bleeding so your body can start repairing itself right away no matter what the injury is.

Nourishes the body: Your liver, (not your stomach), feeds your body. It collects nutrients from your food, drink and supplements. Then, it processes them and distributes them to your organs and cells so you stay wonderfully healthy from head to toe.

As you can see, the liver is critical to overall health.

So, what can we do protect ourselves from today’s most common health complaints?

Firstly, if you’ve taken your liver for granted this long, STOP!

Good health is IMPOSSIBLE without a healthy liver.

Steps to take to maintain a healthy liver:

• Clean out your liver by doing a liver flush. There are various methods available. Consult a good naturopath.
• Eat fresh, whole foods in their natural state and avoid processed foods.
• Eat good fats such as omega 3 flaxseed oil, reduce your intake of omega 6 fatty acids (such as the ones found in vegetable oils). Avoid transfats such as vanaspathi, hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated fats. Avoid the oils you get at the supermarket. These are called RBD oils (Refined, Bleached and Deodorized). Regardless of what the ads tell you, these fats are unhealthy. Always go for unrefined oils in their natural state.
• Hydrate yourself. When it comes to drinking water, frequency is more important than quantity. Try to drink at least 1 glass of water very hour. Avoid extreme regimens such as drinking 4 liters of water early in the morning at one time.
• Exercise regularly. Movement helps to circulate adequate blood to the liver and to other organs.
• Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum (if at all).
• Get adequate sleep.
• The herb ‘Milk Thistle’ is wonderfully effective in healing a damaged or ailing liver.
• Last, but not least, maintain an even temper. Anger is very damaging to the liver…and to the being at large.

A Shakespearean pun ties it all up rather neatly: “What’s life without the liver?”

#healthyliver #toxicliver #weightgain #poorsleep #bruising #kidneyproblems #slowwoundhealing #lowenergylevels #steptomaintainahealthyliver #liverflush