Countdown to Fitness

In my previous article, “Age-Related Macular Degeneration & Supplements,” I talked about AMD and its prevention by eating lots of leafy green vegetables and other low glycemic carbs, besides taking some supplements.

I’m grateful to Paula for making a comment about the research she and others are doing in research labs at Washington University School of Medicine.  They’ve found that there is an autoimmune component.  While I had never before read about an autoimmune connection to AMD, I wasn’t surprised because I’ve read many articles and books that link inflammation and autoimmune problems to diseases  such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, asthma, obesity, allergies, cancer, etc.  As Jack Challem wrote in his book The Inflammation Syndrome, “Chronic inflammation underscores and promotes virtually every disease, affecting millions of people, and yet inflammation also is a symptom rather than the fundamental cause of these diseases.”  Chronic inflammation can lead to autoimmune problems, and there is a genetic predisposition to such conditions.  He goes on to say that “chronic inflammation is caused by an injury to the body combined with nutritional imbalances or deficiencies.”  We’ll see why leafy greens and other low glycemic carbs are very beneficial versus the high-glycemic diet that is the typical American fare. (more…)

Do you have high blood pressure, cholesterol, or triglycerides?  Are you diabetic?  Do you want to lose weight? Maybe you have arthritis or some other auto-immune disease.  Perhaps you are just looking to eat healthily.  Maintaining good health and a healthy weight is all about managing your insulin levels.  The master hormone insulin is key to regulating energy and glucose metabolism, which comes from eating carbs.  Insulin, when dominant in your body, tells your body to store food as fat, to make cholesterol, and to do other functions, which, when working properly is fine.  However, our Western diets, high in carbs, create an overabundant amount of insulin in the body, leading to health problems, like an overabundant amount of body fat, cholesterol, triglycerides, among the other health problems mentioned above.  Therefore, managing your carbs is key. (more…)

Magnesium Citrate - Builds Strong Bones and Teeth

I made an interesting observation of my blood pressure (BP) this morning after I started taking 5 dietary supplements this week (magnesium citrate, coQ10, alpha-lipoic acid, vitamin E, and lemon-flavored cod liver oil), based on the recommendations in the book The Protein Power Lifeplan by Michael Eades, M.D., and Mary Dan Eades, M.D.  My BP was the lowest I’ve observed since I started taking it back in May.  In fact, it was about 10 points lower on both the top (systolic) number and bottom (diastolic) number — 97/60.  Wow!  This is without taking any high blood pressure medication and without exercise.  (I’m not proud of that latter one.) (more…)

Plants Fight Back with Toxins

Anti-Nutrients and Toxins in Seeds (Grains, Legumes, Nuts, and Others)

Grains, legumes (beans, peas, lentils, soybeans, peanuts, etc.), nuts, and other seeds have developed anti-nutritional factors and toxins for various reasons.  These substances are used, in part, to prevent animals and insects from eating them. (more…)

A friend and I were emailing each other, and she said her fibromyalgia was making her feel horrible. My first thought about the fibromyalgia was that it was a nutrition-based health problem, like so many other health problems that I’ve been reading about.  (This article is dedicated you, my friend.  I hope you find some relief from your very painful condition.) (more…)