The sex hormone Progesterone is also balanced by estrogen’s sexy Smart Fats:

• High lignan flax seeds and flax oil
• Chia
• Walnuts

If there was ever a “magic bullet” hormone therapy on the planet, natural progesterone comes really close. Many women’s bodies are simply not producing enough. Either because they are not ovulating regularly—although many are still menstruating—so there is no corpus luteum to create progesterone, or because their bodies are converting progesterone into other hormones like cortisol, estrogen or testosterone.

It is deficient in practically EVERY female I test from 18 to 80. Whether you decide to use a topical progesterone cream or nutrient precursors, like zinc, vitamin C and vitamin B6, or herbs like chaste berry or wild yam, you owe it to your brain to make sure your progesterone is in place.

Progesterone is well recognized as the “feel good” hormone because we have 20 times more of it in the brain than in the bloodstream. As a natural anti-depressant and diuretic, it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, control mood swings and can prevent those whiskers on your chin.

If you do have an excess of facial hair, chances are you do not have enough progesterone. When your levels are raised, the facial hair can start to disappear. Without sufficient progesterone, the adrenal cortex can secrete the androgen hormone androstenedione as an alternative chemical precursor for the manufacture of progesterone. This steroid is associated with some male characteristics, one of which is male pattern baldness. But when your progesterone level is raised with natural progesterone cream, your androstenedione level will gradually decline and the excess facial hair will become finer and begin to disappear.

Progesterone also contributes to activating osteoblasts, the bone builders critical for a strong stature and graceful appearance.

Smart Tips: Progesterone

How do you build up your progesterone levels?

1. Jump on the flax bandwagon. Whatever you do to modulate estrogen will have an equalizing effect on progesterone too.
2. Think zinc! Eating zinc-rich foods like pumpkin seeds, pastured eggs, and grass-fed beef can help shore up progesterone levels while the vitamin B6 in non-gluten grains and beans and vitamin C in citrus, squash, tomatoes, and potatoes can also help.
3. Avoid stress. Easier said than done, I know. Coping with stress successfully will negate the possibility that precious progesterone will be used to make stress-managing cortisol. That’s why I don’t leave home without my Bach Flower Rescue Remedy!

The sex hormone testosterone can be reset with more sexy Smart Fats:

• Saturated fats
• Monounsaturated fats
• Saw Palmetto Oil, Even though “low T” is generally thought of as a male issue, both men and women need the hormone of desire for many reasons. This potent sex regulator governs sex drive, bone mass, fat distribution, muscle size and strength, and red blood cell production. And it starts to drop by about two percent each year, beginning at age 30, for both sexes.

In men, low-T is characterized by erectile dysfunction, libido drop, hair loss, and weight gain. In women, flabby muscles, as well as low sex drive and even osteoporosis, can rear its ugly head. Regardless of gender, excess fat turns muscle-generating testosterone into estrogen, which only causes a nasty cycle of more fat to be stored, usually in your abdomen. Since overweight men are more likely to have low testosterone levels, it is crucial to increase hormone levels for maximum weight loss results.

Too Much Testosterone
Elevated testosterone may signal insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and/or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), so I suggest that you follow a well-balanced diet to keep blood sugar levels steady and allow passion to return to the bedroom. Traditional testosterone replacement therapy is laden with alarming side effects, which include prostate cancer, increased risk of stroke and heart attack, and liver toxicity. Thanks, but no thanks.

Smart Tips: Testosterone

Here is a better way to keep your testosterone levels at an even keel.

1. Consume saturated and mono-unsaturated fats. Research shows that in order to have healthy testosterone levels, men need a diet of at least 40 percent fat, and saturated fats, as well as monounsaturated fats, are the best sources. Since I have already covered many of the benefits and sources of these Smart Fats in other articles, I am simply including a list of the best ones to boost testosterone levels: pastured butter and ghee, coconut and coconut oil, olives and olive oil, avocados and avocado oil, raw nuts such as almonds or pecans, grass-fed meats.
2. Saw Palmetto Oil. Saw palmetto is a remarkable supplement best known to support prostate health, but it can also even out testosterone. As a thyroid balancer, it stimulates metabolism. And, it has been shown to both decrease estrogen and increase testosterone. Saw Palmetto is filled with beneficial fatty acids and contains chlorophyll, lutein, and lycopene. With this power charged supplement, you will receive the lipophilic benefits of oleic acid and lauric acid with beta-sitosterol as the base ingredient.
3. Do note that excess progesterone (which is not the norm, but does occur) can be converted into testosterone. If you are using a topical bio-identical progesterone cream or taking herbs such as wild yam or chaste berry, you will need to temporarily discontinue use to bring your progesterone and testosterone levels into balance together.
4. If levels are too high, drink spearmint tea. One to two cups a day should suffice.
5. Testing, testing, testing. Consider a salivary hormone test to keep tabs on your T levels.
6. Consume plenty of zinc if you have lower than normal T levels. This mineral is just as important for testosterone production as it is for progesterone. In studies, it has been shown that taking zinc supplementation for as little as six weeks will cause a great improvement in testosterone among men whose levels were previously low. Zinc, of course, is also crucial to proper immunity and reproductive health in both men and women.What you need to know about zinc is, it is associated with both progesterone and testosterone as a precursor. Zinc is related to these hormones the way copper is connected to estrogen levels. In tissue mineral analysis, we like to see an eight-to-one ratio in favor of zinc.Elevated copper levels and a zinc deficiency have been associated with hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, violence, and depression. Lack of zinc can also produce acne, eczema, sensitive skin, sunburn, headaches and white spots on the fingernails.

   Enjoy plenty of these protein-packed foods to get more zinc in addition to the zinc-rich eggs, pumpkin seeds, grass-fed beef, oysters, lamb, kelp, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, raw cheese, poultry, seafood, beans, yogurt or kefir.

7. Increase Your Vitamin D. This steroid hormone (yes, you read that right) increases levels of testosterone. According to one study, overweight men who were given vitamin D supplements for one year had a significant increase in testosterone levels. The best way to optimize your vitamin D levels is to get a healthy amount of sun exposure. If getting out and playing in the sunlight is not an option, then vitamin D3 should be taken as a supplement. Research shows that you will need to take about 8,000 IUs of vitamin D per day in order to increase testosterone.

What’s the Next Step?
Now that you can better appreciate the way food and environmental toxins evoke a hormonal response, it’s time to maximize your weight loss results. In the upcoming articles, you will find some helpful tips and recipes for integrating Smart Fats, powerful proteins, friendly carbs, fiber-rich seeds, and Smart Sweeteners, Sips and Seasonings into your daily meals, or adapting your current regimen to the Eat Fat Lose Weight approach and philosophy.

All of this is designed to help you accomplish basic nurturing of your body for painless weight control and lasting hormonal balance. Give yourself permission to enjoy the full gamut of self-care, from stress relief to proper sleep and targeted exercise, as well as satisfying food. As my grandfather Aaron liked to say, “May you live and thrive ‘til 120—but only in the very best of health.”

The post Smart Tips: Progesterone and Testosterone appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

It turns out that our DNA is exquisitely sensitive to even the minutest amount of non-ionizing (non-heating) electromagnetic radiation from wireless technology. Our bodies respond to this type of radiation in a number of ways including the secretion of heat shock proteins—around 20 to be exact—with a corresponding elevation of cortisol.

Out of control cortisol levels and non-stop stress can send your health into a downward spiral resulting in a series of negative consequences besides stockpiling on tummy fat. Practically every single disease known to man is due to unmanaged stress. Your brain can actually shrink; the happy hormone serotonin can take a nosedive, your bone density and strength can diminish, and mental illness can set in.

The two hormones that are most impacted by various types of stress are the ultimate fat promoting cortisol and insulin. Remember, the stress hormones, more than any other hormones, will inhibit your ability to lose weight even if you are on the best diet and exercise program!

STRESS HORMONE # 1 – CORTISOL

This fat storage stress hormone is blocked by omega-3 rich oils:

• Walnuts and walnut oil
• Camelina (wild flax) oil
• Fish and fish oil

When cortisol—your main stress hormone—is behaving itself, it truly is your BFF hormone. It gives you that “get up and go” and provides you with just the right surge of energy in emergency situations whether you are emotionally upset or physically challenged or suffering from low blood sugar. But when you can no longer hit the pause or refresh button, and that cortisol surge won’t quit, then you run the risk of some very unpleasant side effects—including weight gain.

The human brain contains more than 60 percent fat. It also happens to need more omega-3 fatty acids than any other organ or system in the body. The EPA and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) fats are major players in regulating emotions, mood and warding off depression. These Smart Fats can help to reduce aggression and hostility in a number of clinical studies. They can help to fortify your system so you can mentally handle and cope with stress more efficiently to minimize the damage created by elevated levels of cortisol.

OMEGA-3 FATS EASE STRESS
According to the National Institute of Health, omega-3s help to balance stress hormone levels and provide direct weight loss benefits. They can be supplied by ALA-rich walnut and walnut oil, Camelina oil, as well as fatty fish and fish oil.

Walnuts and walnut oil contain high levels of the omega-3 plant-based ALA, which have many added benefits besides their ability to regulate stress hormones. Camelina oil is also a rich source of ALA, but contains an amazingly high amount of stable monounsaturated fatty acids (omega-7s), as well as vitamin E, which makes it a very beneficial oil for medium-heat cooking. Due to its high antioxidant content, it’s known as the “better” flax. Of course, an even more direct source of the omega-3 fatty acids is fatty fish like wild caught salmon, sardines, anchovies and mackerel.

Walnuts, however, unlike fish or fish oils, are rich in trace minerals like zinc, selenium, calcium, copper, and manganese. Walnuts and walnut oil also pack a serious dose of vitamins B1, B2, B3 and vitamin E— all notably worthy vitamin stress relievers that soothe the nervous system. Walnuts are also one of the richest natural sources of melatonin—second only to tart cherries. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates your body’s sleep-wake cycle. It ensures that you get the sleep you need for restorative rest that also prompts weight control.

Omega-3 rich foods right before bed—like a couple of walnuts or walnut oil in a smoothie—will come in very handy when you consider that just one night of poor sleep can raise cortisol by 45 percent.

As it turns out, sleep and cortisol are intimately entwined. Chronically high cortisol levels disturb sleep, and lack of sleep can make you fat.

SLEEP: THE SECRET WEIGHT LOSS AID
Sleep deprivation has reached epidemic proportions here in the US. Approximately 7 out of 10 Americans report sleep-related problems. Lab tests show that cortisol levels are much higher in sleep-deprived people. A landmark study in 2000 by the University of Chicago’s Department of Medicine revealed that not only does sleep deprivation affect tiredness and immunity, but too little sleep impairs the way your body actually handles food, creating impaired glucose tolerance. This can result in insulin resistance and obesity.

And it’s not just cortisol and insulin that become out of whack without proper rest. A lack of quality sleep also impedes surges of growth hormone, resulting in increased fat tissue and reduced muscle mass—just what you don’t need. Growth hormone is released while you sleep, raising gradually from about 10 PM and peaking at about 2 AM. It also prompts your body to burn fat in order to repair the tiny tears in your muscles caused by exercise. This gives you a higher muscle-to-fat ratio, which boosts your metabolism, helping you to lose weight and keep it off.

In order to boost growth hormone, even more, eat a light cortisol-containing snack of walnuts or a smoothie with walnut oil or even an omega-3 deviled egg—providing your gallbladder can tolerate eggs—just before you retire.

CORTISOL AS FAT MAKER
Cortisol is such a primary fat storage hormone because it activates enzymes to store fat when it comes into contact with any and all fat cells. Abdominal fat has four times the amount of cortisol receptors than any other fat cells and so is a telltale sign of cortisol imbalances that your body can’t hide.

High cortisol levels over a long period of time have huge consequences, such as chronically high blood pressure, memory changes, depression, insomnia, slow wound healing and diabesity (diabetes + obesity, a term coined by my buddy, the late, great Dr. Atkins).

Elevated cortisol levels also depress thyroid function, interfere with progesterone (your body’s natural anti-depressant), raise blood sugar and cause your body to break down muscle tissue to be used for energy—a big setback for weight loss since muscle is a natural calorie burner. The less lean muscle mass you have, the lower your metabolism and the easier you gain weight.

In contrast, extremely low cortisol levels are associated with thinning skin, brittle bones and fibromyalgia—probably due to burned out adrenals. Maintaining balanced cortisol levels that are not too high and not too low is truly a lifetime balancing act and one I find my most challenging!

Cortisol has a nasty habit of making you wake up in the middle of the night. Intermittent frequent awakenings—especially at 3 AM or 4 AM in the morning are often related to cortisol surges, which should be lower to allow you to sleep through the night. When melatonin levels naturally rise, cortisol should be lower. Taking melatonin before bed or drinking several ounces of diluted tart cherry juice may help neutralize excess cortisol and prevent it from keeping you up at night—when you need to be stacking ZZZs and snooze to lose.

FLOWER POWER FOR EMOTIONAL STRESS CONTROL
Repressed emotions can trigger over-eating and bingeing as many of us know. Also, this can impede our best weight loss efforts unless we can learn to cope with emotional issues. Impatience, discouragement, bitterness, frustration, and anger are often common triggers. Granted for many psychotherapy may a viable solution. For those that want to either augment this therapy or find a natural alternative, I would recommend the Bach Flower Remedies. They are a kind of energy medicine similar to homeopathy that offsets emotional turbulence that can be at the root of physical disorders. Developed in the 1930s by Dr. Edward Bach, an English immunologist, the most renowned formula, Rescue Remedy is a five-flower extract combo that is used to help alleviate trauma, whether emotional, physical or psychological.

COMMUNITY CALMS CORTISOL
Women, in particular, benefit from the support of others in being able to handle all aspects of life including stress. A landmark study from UCLA proves something that many of us have already suspected: a unique bond forms between women. A circle of friends makes life brighter and the tough times easier.

The researchers at UCLA demonstrated that women that were under stress produced brain chemicals that opened them up to making and maintaining friendships with other women.

It was generally assumed that when a person experiences stress, the hormonal release creates the typical “fight or flight” response. Women have a very distinct response to stress, as opposed to men. In women, the hormone oxycotin is released which acts as a buffer to cortisol and encourages females to gather with their girlfriends. Men do not have this response because of the high amounts of testosterone they produce. So, when men are stressed they tend to go off by themselves, and when women are stressed they gather others around them.

SMART TIPS: CORTISOL

Here are some smart tips to balance cortisol levels and tame the stress hormone monster so it can’t scare away your best weight loss efforts:

1. Eat walnuts and enjoy walnut oil. This omega-rich nut can be popped into salads and side dishes. The oil—when roasted—is absolutely delicious (one of the tastiest oils I have ever used) and packs serious health benefits. Roasted walnut oil will lift an ordinary salad to the sublime with a basic mix of Romaine lettuce, chopped green onion, cilantro, celery and Celtic sea salt. Serve one tablespoon of roasted walnut oil per salad.
2. Count on Camelina! Camelina is also an excellent oil for those with heart issues—because of its high vitamin E content, it works wonders for blood clots! It’s a tasty salad dressing and can be used in medium-heat sauteing.
3. Eat fatty fish and take fish oil supplements. Try to consume some wild caught fish at least twice per week and also supplement with fish oil on a daily basis to help manage stress better. Just make sure that the fish oil you buy is molecularly distilled and free of heavy metals. Do be aware, however, that fish oil is a natural blood thinner so caution should be taken if you are also taking blood-thinning meds. Choose the newer orange and lemon flavored fish oil liquids or softgels, which seem to be better tolerated.
4. Shake MORE salt. Yes, you heard that right. Most of us are sodium deficient and the right type of salt (I like Celtic sea salt) can support adrenal function and help your body better cope with stress. It may then indirectly balance elevated or depleted cortisol levels. I would recommend at least 1/4 teaspoon in warm water first thing in the morning. Gargle with this and then swallow, as the salt is anti-bacterial to your mucous membranes.
   For an extra boost, try my Adrenal Cocktail. I have used this for years for my over-stressed and overworked clients. It’s best taken mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon. Mix four ounces fresh squeezed orange juice, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt. Take a blood test to actually measure your serum sodium so you can better take care of your body’s sodium needs. Without sodium, muscles become stiff and hardened. Sodium relaxes soft tissue and is incredibly important when you are under stress.
5. Lights out! Let’s talk sleep—a key underlying cause for stress fat. Do try to be in bed by 10 PM when your cortisol levels diminish to their lowest levels (three hours after sunset), and to give muscle-building growth hormone a fighting chance to properly release. Ideally, your body will start to lower cortisol between midnight and 4 AM. If this important cycle is interrupted at all, you can kiss the prospect of ever melting that belly fat goodbye!
6. So, by all means, shut off lights and start to dim them after dark to prepare your body for sound sleep and melatonin activation. Unplug all electronics and keep digital gadgets out of the bedroom to reduce invisible EMF stress. Disable wireless routers before bed and put your cell phone on airplane mode. Aim for seven to nine hours of peaceful, restorative rest.
7. Eschew the blue—at night that is. On the light spectrum, blue light is great for helping you stay alert. One reason: studies show it suppresses melatonin production. As you get ready for sleep, it becomes increasingly important to filter out blue light to keep melatonin production at its peak. That’s why dimming lights before bed may be so helpful to protect melatonin so it can do its job. And, that also means that you should avoid the blue light emitted from computer screens, iPads and your smartphone at night—especially in the hour or two before bedtime.
8. Go barefoot. Going barefoot on your lawn or on the beach for at least 15 minutes a day can help your body get grounded. When you are grounded you discharge chaotic electromagnetic energies and absorb healing electrons from the earth through the body. These healing electrons can start to repair stress damage from elevated cortisol and curtail inflammation and pain by quelling free radicals.
9. Curb the caffeine. Caffeine is an underestimated cortisol spiker that gives you instant energy in the short term but will come back to haunt you later. It also makes you lose key minerals like calming magnesium and calcium due to its dehydrating effects. It is a known blood sugar disruptor and contributes to anxiety and sleepless nights. While a tablespoon of high MCT oil like coconut can help regulate coffee’s blood sugar peaks and valleys, it is even better to opt for a decaffeinated green tea or dandelion root tea, both of which will help give you energy without the crash and fall effect. If you MUST drink your Morning Joe, however, along with that coconut oil, you can spike your coffee with vanilla whey protein powder for a dose of Smart Fats and healthy protein to prevent cortisol spikes.
10. Axe the alcohol. It can raise cortisol and dial down metabolism by greater than 70 percent. You may hate me for this, but alcohol (yup, even wine) makes it difficult for your liver to keep up with its other metabolic duties so it’s not able to balance the rest of your hormones properly.
11. Walk, don’t run AWAY stress. If you are a fitness buff, then you know that intensity, not duration, is the current exercise hot button. Yet, any type of daily movement with deep breathing is a terrific combo to beat stress. Think yoga, Pilates or Tai Chi. But, DO give up that long-distance running. It elevates cortisol—as will any continuous exercise over a two-hour stretch. Burst running is a different story though, so mix it up. As far as I am concerned, I prefer brisk walking or jumping on my mini-trampoline to get my lymph flowing and thoughts in order. At least 20 minutes a day—and 40 minutes is even better—of consistent movement and frequent breaks from sitting at the computer are in order here. Exercise can help you cope with stress more effectively while you rev your metabolism, increase lean muscle mass, burn off belly fat, improve bone mineral density and reduce insulin resistance. You can’t afford NOT to move.
12. Take supplements to relieve tension. In this regard, the very best dietary supplement of all, which controls over 350 bodily processes, is magnesium. It literally acts like a tranquilizer in a bottle. You can take an Epsom Salt Bath (two cups to a tubful of water) to relax your muscles, or consider an easily absorbable magnesium supplement. I am especially a fan of magnesium formulas, which contain a mix of the best co-factors for absorption like the glycinate, malate, taurinate and orotate forms that target blood sugar, muscles, cardiovascular health and ATP energy. I am also a fan of adrenal tissue glandulars and pair this with the highest quality Rhodiola (an adaptogenic herb from Siberia), ideally taken at 7 AM, 11 AM and 3 PM —the times when blood sugar can be at a low ebb, creating physiological stress.

Some of my clients also swear by phosphorylated serine—taken at least four hours before bed—to dampen cortisol surges that disturb peaceful sleep.

The post How Smart Fats Reset Stress Hormones appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

For the first time in 25 years, the book that ignited a diet and lifestyle phenomenon has been fully updated.

Ann Louise Gittleman, the award winning New York Times bestselling author once again challenges conventional dietary wisdom to rewrite the rules of nutrition. A trendsetter for decades, her Fat Flush Plan revolutionized weight loss by helping tens of thousands of people recognize the critical role the liver plays in the detox/diet connection and overall health. Now, The New Fat Flush Plan follows in that same bold path. With the primary focus still on the liver’s role as the #1 fat burning organ, The New Fat Flush delves deeper into the latest research-based causes of weight loss resistance and expands into the 10 Hidden Weight Gain Factors. Ann Louise presents targeted regimens to correct sneaky saboteurs that are frequently overlooked like missing magnesium, fattening chemicals, a messy microbiome, hidden hitchhikers, and a sluggish or non-existent gallbladder.

Fat Flush stands apart from Paleo, Primal, Ketogenic and Vegan diets by making the case that diet without detox is doomed to failure thanks to the unprecedented amount of current toxins and hormone disruptors we face every day. The book promotes a daily detox eating plan that features surprisingly delicious Fat Flushing fruits, vegetables, oils, quality proteins, cleansing Fat Flush water, Fat Flush bone broth, and healing spices–all showcased in four weeks of easy menus and tasty recipes for the whole family.

Fat Flush has a time-tested and proven track record of success, with thousands of individuals who have lost weight and achieved overall health and relief from autoimmune and degenerative disease as a byproduct. The New Fat Flush Plan builds on this success for even more effortless weight loss.

In addition, the New Fat Flush presents:

• NEW Three-Day Ultra Fat Flush Tune-Up for quicker cleansing and results
• NEW health revelations linking the gallbladder and liver to thyroid health
• NEW hidden weight gain factors that explain why it’s not your fault you’re fat
• NEW meals, menus, and shopping lists
• NEW tips for managing insulin, hormone, and stress levels
• NEW slimming smart fats and sweeteners
• NEW gluten-free tips for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance

Join the millions who have made Fat Flush one of the top diet programs in the world today. You’ll retrain your metabolism, shed pounds and inches from your waist, hips, and thighs, feel stronger and fitter than ever before–and do it while cleansing your liver and improving your overall health. With more easy recipes and up-to-date nutrition advice, The NEW Fat Flush Plan will:

• Cleanse your system with the THREE-DAY ULTRA FAT FLUSH TUNE-UP. Kick off your weight loss with a quick-start liquid detox and see significant results in just three days. Set the stage for fat loss with a metabolism booster, skinny smoothies, and slimming spices and fats.
• Continue the process with THE TWO-WEEK FAT FLUSH. Cleanse and build quality bile–the key to fat breakdown and removal of built-up waste from the system. Purge “false fat” and watch the pounds slip away.
• Reshape your body with THE METABOLIC RESET. Take your progress to the next level. Reintroduce friendly and gluten-free carbs while still losing weight, but enjoying the foods you love.
• Maintain with THE LIFESTYLE EATING PLAN. Master the new rules of food combining. Learn how to integrate special occasion ingredients for a happier and healthier you.

The NEW Fat Flush Plan eases you gradually into tried and true lifestyle eating. You’ll find meal plans, Fat Flush fitness, brand new lifestyle rituals, and over 75 recipes that are more easy-to-follow and family-friendly, plus an updated brand name shopping list. You’ll finally eliminate those “triggers” that put the weight back on.

Best of all, you won’t have to cut out your favorite foods forever or maintain a strict daily routine permanently. You just need to know the basic principles of The NEW Fat Flush Plan to achieve your dreams of a slimmer, stronger, healthier new you.

The New Fat Flush Plan is available now!

The post The New Fat Flush Plan appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

We’re a nation of addicts to be sure. Whether it’s coffee, caffeine, sugar, or even the Internet, we’re hooked. But alcohol seems to be everywhere we look. Ordering a drink with dinner or checking out the best happy hour menus in town is the new norm.

In fact, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in 2014, 71 percent of people reported having had a drink during the past year and 56.9 percent during the past month.

But for some, “5 o’clock somewhere” turns into a life-threatening problem and the serious issue of alcoholism presents itself. A truly upsetting statistic from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that approximately 88,000 people each year die from excessive alcohol use. That number should be zero.

Alcohol Rehabilitation
Any program focusing on helping people recover from alcoholism and regain their life merits respect. However, many of these programs focus solely on the emotional and psychological aspects of alcoholism. While these are certainly important, it’s missing the sizeable portion of the puzzle that is the biochemical roots of this addictive behavior and providing a true detox—both mentally and physically.

Don’t Trade One Addition For Another
When nutrition is overlooked on the road to recovery, one addiction might be swapped in for the previous. For instance, you could begin to have a soda in place of an alcoholic drink, quickly becoming addicted to caffeine and creating the habit of reaching for a lesser evil—soda—instead of creating new, healthy habits.

In this situation, though you no longer drink alcohol, your body chemistry is still totally out of whack. Cravings for alcohol and the resulting mood swings and depression are likely to remain. In truth, you can claim to have overcome addiction only when you are no longer dependent upon ANY harmful substance.

Real recovery is about nourishing your body, freeing it from dependency upon drugs and other damaging substances— including sugar and caffeine—that can be addictive. The negative mental state that gives rise to chemical dependency is itself brought on largely by nutritional deficiency, which is then deepened with drugs. Drug therapy for drug addiction may mask symptoms, but it doesn’t correct their cause.

Restoring And Recovering
An amazingly effective approach to drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers around, you guessed it—nutrition. Specifically chosen vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbs, along with a balanced, wholesome diet sets a path to long term recovery.

Coupled with addiction counseling, this is a healing holistic protocol that helps ease withdrawal symptoms and eliminate cravings. Using nutrition as a key to take back charge of your life can help you or a loved one kick the habit, whether the addictive substance is alcohol, nicotine, sugar, caffeine, prescription drugs, heroin or crystal meth.

There are many substances that can help break addiction.

Your Healthy Road
Below are my suggestions for the most effective program. Do note that since there are over ten nutrient suggestions, you may wish to select those that are most appropriate for your condition and symptoms that you exhibit.

High Protein, High Fat Diet
First and foremost, choose a high protein/high fat diet combined with specific amino acids that help to repair nerve synapse damage and provide a natural energy boost. Paleo, ketogenic and Fat Flush, we’re looking at you!

This approach is designed to increase blood and oxygen supply to the brain, stabilize blood sugar, and provide antioxidant protection.

Eliminate all sugars, soft drinks, processed carbs and reduce fruit consumption to two servings of low-fructose fruits per day (like berries).

Daily Exercise
Engage in 30 to 40 minutes daily to properly oxygenate the system with a combination that includes weight-bearing, stretching and cardiovascular activity.

Although I recommend that caffeine in the form of coffee drinking be relegated to one to two cups daily, I do recommend the use of coffee for a coffee enema to detoxify the body. The caffeine in the coffee stimulates the liver and colon and, absorbed into the portal system, coffee can help flush out the bile in the liver, lightening its toxic load.

The same results are not achieved by drinking coffee, due to chemical changes that occur in the stomach. To prepare the enema, boil four heaping tablespoons of ground coffee in two cups of water for ten minutes. Dilute with cold water to make 1½ to 2 quarts, and adjust the temperature as needed. Pour into an enema bag.

Nutrient Supplementation

In addition to a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, also focusing on the following elements will supply the basis for rebuilding an exhausted but over-stimulated body.

Adrenal Extract
Adrenal extract combats adrenal exhaustion caused by drugs, medications, caffeine, and alcohol. This kind of exhaustion is characterized by low blood sugar, fatigue, lethargy, depression, irritability, inability to concentrate, weakness, and poor appetite. I like a product that contains at least 30–100 mg of adrenal cortex.

B Complex
A yeast-free methylated B complex vitamin contains a team that works together to help combat depression, fatigue, and weakness, and to defend the body against the ravages of stress. I like at least 50 mg once or twice per day to help rebuild the nerves.

Dimethylglycine (DMG)
Dimethylglycine (DMG) is an amino acid derivative that improves oxygen utilization at the cellular level, combats fatigue, and increase endurance. Start with 250 to 500 mg daily in the morning.

Gotu Kola
Gotu kola is an herb that has sedative properties. It’s also a tonic herb that can strengthen and energize the brain. Research recommends 50 to 250 mg per day.

L-Cysteine
L-Cysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, helps destroy harmful chemicals in the body, such as acetylaldehyde and the free radicals produced by smoking, drinking, and the body’s everyday metabolic processes. It protects the body against the effects of radiation, heavy metals, and other harmful substances. I recommend 600 mg daily.

L-Glutamine
L-Glutamine is the only amino acid substance, other than glucose, that can serve as fuel for the brain. This amino acid helps improve intelligence, fight fatigue and depression, and control cravings for sugar and alcohol. Can be taken between meals as instant brain fuel or before meals for instant energy. I like three grams of L-Glutamine power at least three times per day.

Lecithin
Lecithin is a nutrient derived from non-GMO soy that contains choline from which the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is derived. Acetylcholine is responsible for nerve transmission, and it regulates the activity of the muscles, and is required for memory, appetite, sexual behavior, and the ability to sleep. I suggest two TBSP of powdered lecithin granules per day in smoothies or sprinkled on salads.

Magnesium
Magnesium helps eliminate muscle cramping and twitching. It is known to be a natural tranquilizer and muscle relaxant. I suggest 400 to 1200 mg magnesium per day.

Passionflower
Passiflora (passionflower) is sedative herb. One type of passionflower—Giant Granadilla—has been found to contain serotonin. It helps to calm the body by promoting transmission of subtle nerve impulses, and is useful in combating insomnia, nervous tension, fatigue, and muscle spasms. I suggest 90 mg daily.

Phenylalanine
The amino acid phenylalanine is a precursor of tyrosine. It creates a natural feeling of wellbeing, aids in overcoming depression, increases mental alertness, improves memory, and helps suppress appetite. 500 to 1500 mg three times a day is the ideal amount especially for pain control.

Selenium
The mineral selenium is an antioxidant that protects against free radicals. Its presence is required to activate vitamin E. Take 250 mcg daily.

Tryptophan
Tryptophan helps to offset depression by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. It has an anti-anxiety effect and helps combat insomnia. 5HTP is the precursor to tryptophan and 400 mg can be taken once daily before bed.

Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an amino acid that’s derived from phenylalanine, and is involved in the manufacture of adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, and thyroid hormones. It also helps overcome depression, increase mental alertness, and improve memory.

In a cocaine-detoxification program conducted at Columbia University in New York, investigators reported that 75 to 80 percent of those treated with tyrosine were able to stop cocaine use completely or decrease their use by at least 50 percent. I suggest up to 1,000 mg a day.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that offsets free-radical damage and helps preserve the antioxidant nutrient vitamin E. It plays a key role in the production of neurotransmitters in the brain, helps soothe anxiety and insomnia, and supports the adrenal glands. I suggest 3 g of time-released vitamin C daily.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that facilitates oxygen utilization, calms the nervous system, and restores function of a damaged liver. The recommended daily dosage is 400 IU.

Keep in mind that one size doesn’t fit all. The bottom line is that it’s imperative that you couple addiction counseling with a healing diet and supplements to restore your body, mind and spirit.

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Two Latin American researchers—a psychologist who works with drug addicts and an EMF expert—in a paper published in March 2007 suggest a plausible explanation for why teens go into withdrawal when they can’t use their phones:

Cell phone use, like drugs and alcohol, may act on the reward centers of the brain which contain opiate receptors. When the brain gets its perceived reward—whether it’s heroin, chocolate, or the fun of texting two thousand times a month on average—it wants a do-over, again and again and again. Suddenly, a behavior is born.

In fact, they note, Henry Lai, Ph.D., of the University of Washington has found that microwaves increase the activity of the feel-good hormones known as endorphins and the brain’s own happy chemicals—neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Lai further ties EMFs to addiction: using a drug that quashes heroin cravings, he blocked these effects in rats exposed to RF waves.

Psychologists who have studied cell phone use, particularly texting, by teens, report that it’s leading to anxiety, behavioral problems, distraction in school, repetitive stress injury, and sleep deprivation.

If your teen is addicted, he’s not going to stop on his own. You may need to enforce the age-old rule that the one who pays the bill (at fifteen cents apiece for texts, likely no small figure) gets to decide how and how often a phone is used. Curb kidsf cell phone use. In Russia, scientists and government officials have advised that anyone under the age of eighteen should not use a cell phone. In France, there’s a ban against marketing mobile phones to young children. In the United Kingdom, Sir William Stewart, chairman of the National Radiological Protection Board, was quoted as saying, “I don’t think we can put our hands on our hearts and say mobile phones are safe.” In the United States? Not much . . . yet. In an ideal world, you would never buy your child a cell phone. But if you did that, you might never hear the end of it because all their friends now own them. Besides, in our two-career families, those cell phones equate to peace of mind. But since you’re the parent, you can set the rules for cell phone use.

First, do not buy preschoolers cell phones. It is far too dangerous a device to put into their hands—and especially for them to put up to their ears. There are studies suggesting that, in addition to brain tumors, children’s cell phone use could result in hearing loss (if they use it an hour a day or more) and the death of auditory nerve cells. One Indian study found that cell phone users who were on the phone for sixty minutes a day over four years experienced damage to the DNA in roughly 40 percent of their cells.

If you absolutely must equip your little one, look for phones without dial pads. Those will have buttons that you can program to speed dial emergency numbers only. And insist they be carried in shielded cases.

Cell phones are just as dangerous for your tweens and teens as they are for your preschoolers. But now, peer pressure really kicks in. As long as parents are paying for cell use, however, you have the power of the purse. Parents of both preteens and adolescents will need to establish clear guidelines as to their cell phone use, while understanding your kids’ needs for independence. Your children will be even safer if they obey these rules:

• Text rather than call.
• Use a safe headset.
• No phoning or texting while driving. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that teen drivers on cell phones have slower reaction times than teens not on the phone while behind the wheel. British scientist Andrew Goldsworthy has suggested that it’s not just inattention that triggers car accidents involving cell phone use, but the false signals our nerve cells send out when they leak, as they do when exposed to EMFs. The brain hyperactivity that results may also be at the root of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, he speculates.
• No phones in the bedroom. Many teens already have sleep problems, and a constantly beeping or buzzing phone. and friends just a text message away—won’t help. (While you’re at it, move all the electronics from sleeping areas to avoid EMF exposures when kids are most vulnerable.)
• Teach kids to keep phones away from the body while they’re turned on. Those incoming calls and texts cause a burst of RF emissions that can penetrate the body, so have them stash the phone in a purse or backpack.

As a parent, the more you can do to set a good example with your own cell phone use—making calls on a land line at home, for example—the more likely your kids are to follow suit. Don’t be afraid to ground any child’s cell phone use—by taking it away for a day or two if she ignores reasonable rules!

The post Are Teens Addicted to Cell Phones? appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

Just ask anyone who’s gone through the adventure of ruling out a food allergy. Meeting dietary requirements is not easy when you’re at a business meeting, traveling, or even just visiting friends and family. While the ideal situation would be for you to bring your own healthy and clean ingredients from home all the time, this is usually impractical. Instead of holing up in your hotel room with a box of gluten-free crackers, try a few of these strategies to stay safe when you’re on the road.

These tips are vital when traveling overseas.

1) Use hand sanitizer before every meal. A gel that contains more than 60 percent alcohol is adequate to ensure you don’t accidentally contaminate your own meal.

2) Only eat well-cooked foods. Be certain it was cooked while you waited for it, and it is piping hot when it gets to you. Even food that was cooked well, once left to sit at room temperature, becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.

3) Skip the salad—and the salad bar. Eat your vegetables, but only those that are well cooked. When overseas, assume both raw vegetables and fruits are risky—that includes peeled fruit, except for bananas. As for salad bars, even in developed countries, these can be pathogen and germ buffets.

4) Avoid dairy. Cheeses can be contaminated with shigella, but it’s good to rule out all dairy anyway when you’re reestablishing gut health.

5) Choose healthful ethnic foods. Italian, Greek, Moroccan, Turkish, Lebanese, and Indian cuisine are all rich in pathogen-fighting garlic, oregano, and cayenne.

6) Request organic meats. Non-organic meats often contain antibiotic residues that are hard on your probiotic balance.

7) Eat and drink before the plane flight, but not on the plane. Eating beforehand raises your blood volume, which helps your body cope with pressure changes. Pumpkin seeds are an especially appropriate snack, as they not only parasite-proof your body but contain fats, protein, and carbs for blood sugar regulation as well. Once on the plane, food and drink can be questionable depending on the country it originated from.

8) Drink bottled drinks with recognizable brands or brewed beverages prepared with boiling water. Whenever possible, drink straight from the bottle, and don’t ask for ice. Use bottled water to brush your teeth too.

9) Prepare and maintain your gut with a probiotic supplement. Again, the brand I recommend is Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics 12 PLUS. The product is fermented at room temperature, so the probiotics do not need to be refrigerated—especially handy when traveling! Take the recommended dose (1 cap in the morning, 1 in the evening) prior to traveling and during the trip. If you run into a bug while out and about, take a higher dose until symptoms are alleviated.

Of course, don’t let all of this travel advice scare you from enjoying and exploring that wonderful world out there. Yes, more than ever, you do need to be aware. But increased knowledge of the possible dangers empowers you to take proactive steps to guard your health. With common sense, preparation, and protection, you’ll come home healthier and wiser about our ever-shrinking global village.

You can learn more about “Gut Health on the Road” in Dr. Gittleman’s book The Gut Flush Plan.

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