Tag: health

My Battle with Guillain Barre Syndrome

My Battle with Guillain Barre Syndrome

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment
In May of every year since 2010 I reflect inward and look back on the hardest journey of my life, I faced death but God had more plans for my journey. It is important to me to share this in hope that someone who is affected by a life challenge may gain strength and inspiration to continue to fight for their mental, emotional and physical health. There are many people with much worse conditions than mine and have much more powerful stories of triumph. This is my story. Please never give up!

The Journey

Many that know me do not know this part of my life. I do not talk about it much because it was incredibly hard to face possible death and paralysis. During this event I tried to pretend it wasn’t happening. I did not want to believe I was losing my ability to function. I had just gotten my health back and now to be knocked down was devastating.

I told my wife (Gwen) she couldn’t tell anyone and if they found out to say it wasn’t a big deal. We were both afraid that I would not make it through the next few hours … We fought this war together, Gwen by my side all the way. The doctors quietly told her I might die that night. She stayed all night in the ICU waiting room in and out checking on me. When I was awake she would kiss my head and tell me You Got This!!..God’s not done with us yet! It was effecting my heart, blood pressure and pulse. It looked very dim at this point of what was going to unfold over the next hours, days, and weeks. I was strong, a fighter, defiant and wasn’t about to believe what they were saying.

As a preface to this true story, you need to know I had lost 230 pounds, reversed diabetes and many other adverse health conditions and was living life on top of the world physically and emotionally before this event. For over two decades I was a prisoner to obesity and I had finally gotten my life back. Only to have it jerked out from under me.

In May of 2010 I was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). GBS is a form of temporary paralysis that effects the Central Nervous System (CNS). In addition to causing a severe weakening of the muscles in the arms, hands, legs and torso it can affect pulse, breathing, heart rhythm and blood pressure. I was admitted to the ICU and spent four (4) days in the Cardiac Care Unit because my pulse, heart rhythm and blood pressure were going crazy.  They wouldn’t stabilize.

The paralysis stopped at my diaphragm, however, it was having spasms. I was very fortunate because many people with GBS are put on ventilators. I had to closely monitor my respiration rates several times daily. Eventually, they stabilized enough to move me out of the ICU.  GBS kills a small number of those it touches every year. God had other plans for this man!!

I will tell you I was very blessed. I had the slow form and I did not have paralysis of my lungs. I did lose function of my legs and hands and it also greatly affected my autonomic system. I was in great physical shape before it started and I do believe that certainly helped prevent my death and allowed me to heal faster. As soon as I could sit up on my own and had enough strength return to my hands arms and fingers ….then came the long hard battle to learn how to walk again and all at the same time. From wheelchair to walker and we would walk together in the local church parking lot to get outside in fresh air, build more strength and walk further for longer periods of time then it was to the park and as I was getting stronger I needed more. I had Gwen balance me on my exercise bike we had set up in our living room.  I just tried to pedal and slowly began moving my legs. It was a very slow, painful and long process but by asking my muscles to move, my brain began to rebuild the myelin sheath quicker because I had placed a demand on them. In a few months, with therapy, I was walking with a walker and by the end of a year walking but with poor balance. Still during all this time I continued working on my hands and fingers relearning how to use them . It was a long very painful journey and worth every struggle I had to face.

They do not know the exact cause of GBS but it is suspiciously tied to a bacterial infection that can come from a particular family of bacteria found on chicken and it can be caused by different viruses. They also know there is a connection with the ingredients in vaccines and GBS. It can also happen after a stomach or respiratory infection.

I had to re-learn to do the simple things we do to live everyday; like walking, ties shoes, eating, buttoning a shirt, bathing, putting clothes on. Hopefully you get the picture.  Additionally the pain caused from nerve damage was unbearable at time. I am grateful there are medications that help relieve that pain. I could not have lived with that pain.  Today I am medication free.

It took me three years to recover 95% of my normal functionality. GBS was the biggest battle of my life and I was determined to overcome it! Actually, I was very angry that I had worked so hard to get the weight off, get in great physical shape and then to be robbed of all of it in a 3 week period. I was determined it wasn’t going to keep me down! I am a fighter and it took everything I had, the support and Love from my wife Gwen and Gods help to overcome GBS. I was not going to sit back and just become a statistic of GBS.

Two Years Later

We had bought a couple of run around town bikes a year or so earlier and we rarely took them out to ride around our beautiful little South Carolina town. Our town is small enough to think of it as Mayberry like, very quaint and friendly.

After two years of recovery from GBS I was walking but my strength and balance was still poor. I wanted more from my exercise I wanted more from my body! Prior to GBS I was in great shape and spent a lot of time walking, hiking and exercising at the gym.

With some excitement, I decide to pull the old bike out and see if I could even ride it. I was very nervous because my balance was still not very good. GBS greatly affects the small muscles that are so essential for balance. As I took the bike out of the shed and dusted it off I remember mumbling “Okay Lord here we go, I pray you give me the strength and balance to keep this thing upright!” As I pushed off; picture the first time you remember seeing a little one beginning to ride a bike. I was all over the place, handle bars swaying left and right but I was upright and moving forward. It was struggle to keep the handle bars straight because the GBS left me with some hand tremor and arm weakness but I made it 1/4 mile to the end of the street. I stopped with tears in my eyes and said a thank you to God and turned around and headed home.

I can do this! Yes I can do this!! Something inside me said this is the recipe for my full recovery. I knew that the body adapts to the demands being placed on it. I needed to demand more of the nerves in my arms, hands, legs and feet to improve my condition. If I am not showing my body my nerves need to work better by putting them under demand they are not going to improve as quickly or maybe not as much or not at all. My body needed to be told what it needed to fix. Cycling was going to send the message.

Gwen and I continued riding the bike around town. One mile, two miles, three miles. I was ecstatic!! The addiction to cycling was happening. Later that month I bought us both Giant touring bikes and we rode those until I had to have a little more speed. I saw people speeding by us with ease and I wanted to push my body more. As I would mention getting a new bike Gwen would just look at me and smile. She saw my competitive spirit returning and that meant I was healing! I learned to listen to my body. It was not going to recover from exercise like a normal persons would. The recovery process was slower. However, as I continued to build my health slowly, my recovery time got better and better.

Each year my ability to ride further and tougher routes has increased. Since 2015 I have ridden my bicycle over 6,000 miles each year, climbed numerous mountains, participated in dozens of rides over 60 miles long and even did more than ten 100 mile rides. I have participated in dozens of charity cycling events. We even participated in a charity event called A Ride to Remember (supports the Alzheimer’s Association) which covers 252 miles across the state of South Carolina in 3 days in the middle of the summer (4 times). I am not bragging. I want you to see the healing potential if you don’t give up and continue to focus on better health.

Out of the horrific condition  called GBS has blossomed a team of more than 40 cyclist that ride together every chance we get. We cover all adult age groups and sectors of life. We focus on peddling our bikes to help others in need. We all share the same passion of cycling and enjoy this great sport. Our team is called Team Vive.  We celebrate life and every moment it brings.

Even today I still have lingering effects from GBS. I have hand tremors, at time very bad and sometimes it is just a small amount. I have consistent burning and tingling in my hands and feet. The best way to describe what I feel 95% of the time, imagine having gloves filled with sand up to your elbows and socks filled with sand up to the top of your ankles that’s how my hands, arms and feet feel. For unknown reasons sometimes that grit feeling …turns to a burning sensation. At time my balance is off and I run into walls as a turn a corner in a hall way. In some miraculous way it doesn’t happen on my bicycle!

My body has a vibration sensation 100% of the time. It is the same feeling you would get sitting in a chair with built in massage but it follows you everywhere. I have a very high pitched shrill noise in my ears 24/7. At times when I go to sleep, as soon as I close my eyes I have bright flashes of light. It is very much like watching a dim fire works display. To top it off my muscles do not recover from intense exercise like a normal person would. Because of the damaged muscle nerve fibers it effects muscle power and repair. Even with this I am blessed. I can still move, I can exercise, I can work, I can do most things. I praise God everyday for all things!

If you are or have battled GBS the following information may be important for you.

What worked for me may not work for you. We are all biologically unique. But have faith that a recovery will happen.  Always get your doctors approval before starting any new supplements or lifestyle routines.

Nutrition

Nutrition is also key to overcoming GBS. I was blessed to have a strong background in nutrition as a Nutrition and Health Coach and knew the right supplements and foods to help rebuild my myelin sheath and nerve fibers. A clean healthy diet is important for recovery of GBS. B Vitamins (particularly B1, B3, B6 and B12), Omega 3, 6 & 9 fatty acids, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and the minerals zinc (should always take a little copper with zinc), and magnesium are important to help heal. There are other nutrients as well that I was taking which are key. Borage oil, Alpha lipoic acid and Phosphatidylcholine in the form of lecithin.  The myelin sheath is 80% fat and 20% protein so these fatty acids are important in repairing it. The nutrients in our diet are those building blocks. Before taking any supplements check with your doctor and do your own research. There are many studies proving certain nutrients help repair the myelin sheath. I have a list of those nutrients if you want them.

Exercise

Exercise is important when you are in the healing phase. Be careful not to overdo it. Pace your self and allow time for naps and rest. Everyone heals at a different pace. Be patient with your progress. Trying to exercise the effected muscles lets the brain know that they need to be fixed. The body has many ways to monitor when things are working or not. I know if you do not try to move them they will not heal. Just as if you sit instead of moving, muscles will atrophy because it gets the message that you don’t need them. Exercise such as strength training and cardio is equally important. Until I could go outside I had a course inside my house that I used the walker to exercise with. My wife was so supportive. The pain medication I had to take had bad side effects and one was constipation. Exercise also helps stimulate bowel movements.

Sleep

Sleep is also essential for recovery and healing. Our body builds muscle, repairs tissues and organs, restores supplies of hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitter compounds, immune system compounds and heals when we sleep. However, it takes building blocks (nutrition) to do this work. Sleep is your friend. If you are tired rest, nap and get long deep sleep everyday until you feel more energy.

What to avoid

Eliminate as many artificial sweeteners and food coloring from your diet as is possible. Try to limit or eliminate as much processed food as possible. They are full of unnatural chemicals that overload the immune system. With GBS your immune system is already out of balance. Processed foods stress the digestive system and immune system. Toxic processed foods, stress, lack of sleep and exercising your body to much is harmful for your recovery.

IF YOU HAVE HAD GBS PLEASE THINK VERY HARD BEFORE GETTING VACCINES! If your doctors tells you to get the flu vaccine or any vaccine please tell them you have had GBS. It can cause a relapse of GBS. This is information my doctor gave me.

Do not push your self to hard. I learned the hard way that doing too much to soon will set you back. Take your recovery in baby steps.

GBS Flares

Don’t be alarmed or surprised if you occasionally have GBS flares. They happen for me about once a year and last a month to 6 weeks. A flare is minor symptoms of GBS and fatigue not a complete relapse. Flares can be scary, just pull back on activity (don’t stop exercising, just reduce it), nourish your body more and get more rest.  With GBS its important to listen to your bodies needs. If you feel a relapse happening seek medical attention immediately.

You are strong, be determined to get you life back, get up and do something about your condition, DO NOT LET YOUR CONDITION DEFINE YOU! Your attitude about your life ends up telling your life story. Make it a great one!

Please contact me with any question about GBS.

I hope for you a long and healthy life!

Wally Bishop C.N.C  I.N.H.C.

Nutrition and Health Coach

www.wellnesswithwally.com

Vive shake

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We recommend that you do your own independent research before beginning a new lifestyle routine or purchasing anything. Please consult with your physician or health care provider if you have medical issues and before changing your diet or lifestyle or taking herbal or dietary supplements. Never start an exercise program with getting your doctors approval. Never quit taking medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.  Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs.

Are You Searching for Health?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment

The majority of illness in America is self-induced by the choices we make.

Let me guess, for some of you year after year you make health goals and maybe fitness goals. You get part of the way to them or reach them only to see them vanish within a year or so. What’s missing from your ability to meet and maintain your health goals? Obviously this doesn’t apply to everyone but a huge percentage of you should relate to my point.

Do you get sick often (colds, allergies, infections), get more fatigued, have headaches and body pains, develop an illness or disease and blame it on genetics because mom or dad had it.  To be bluntly honest, most genetic conditions are preventable with a lifestyle change and some are not, but those genetic conditions that are not preventable, are very rare.  Don’t blame your osteoarthritis, heart disease or type 2 diabetes on genetics.  And don’t get mad at me I am just giving you the straight truth.

Medications instead of lifestyle

I meet people and have friends and family that are suffering with major illness (a large majority of American’s are sick). Most of them will not listen to anything but popping a pill from the pharmacy. Is it because their doctor didn’t say change your lifestyle behavior and stop eating the crap? They opt for the simple and convenient way of popping a pill or 2 or 10. Pills do not fix the problem, they manage symptoms.  At the time of my sister’s death 5 years ago she was on 32 medications. Many were needed from the side effects of the previous drugs. I am not against medication when it’s needed. Medication is necessary sometimes for acute care, disease and even life support. I once needed medication in my life but thankfully I am now medication free. It should be our goal to become medication free if possible. At least that’s my view on this. I believe many of my friends that are MD’s would also agree with this.

Fad’s

American’s love to jump on the next great diet and health fad. In the past it was fat free, then Atkins’ low carb diet, then sugar free (the heavy use of artificial sugars came out at this time).  The new fads are sugared up smoothies from these commercial drive through smoothie places (not the kind you make at home), gluten free, grain free, high protein, low carb, all fruit diet, Paleo, Intermittent Fasting  and Ketogenic.  With exercise it’s Cross Fit, HIIT (high intensity interval training), LISS (low intensity stead state), tough mudders, triathlons, duathlons, cycling, Spartacus events and color runs are just a few.

Most fad diets focus on eliminating areas of vital nutrition (like leaving healthy carbohydrates out), which may eventually cause other health issues.  Theses fad diets work for a while but most eventually fail. Great health requires balance in all areas of your life. Not surprisingly, 95% of American’s that set weight loss, health and fitness goals never maintain them once they are met. That’s a 95% failure rate. However, most never even meet their goals. I have absolutely no problem with any of these approaches if they work for you and put you in a state of better health permanently.

I will also tell you Google University is not the answer. There is too much confusing and conflicting information for you to trust about health on the Internet. How do you know who has the correct info? I recently found peer-reviewed studies saying sugar in any amount is okay and although it doesn’t add any additional health benefit added sugar does not promote illness or disease. Really? I found studies saying red meat does not cause heart disease or cancer and many that said it does. Which is right?

Who are some of the sponsors of these sugar studies?  Let’s just say they are big producers of sugar filled products. I think they have a definite interest in what the studies say.

In the past few years smoothie joints have opened that are providing liquid sugar in a cup.  This is seriously bad for you. Some of their drinks have 100 grams of sugar. That’s 25 teaspoons of sugar! Gluten free products have also become popular. No one looks at the ingredients in them. Many of them are junk!! Corn chips, potato chips, rice cakes, corn muffins, ice cream and snickers bars are gluten-free. Being gluten-free does not mean its healthy, in fact they can be very unhealthy.

Have you been chasing good health for a long time, grab it for a while, only to see it slip out of your grasp again? Have you made health goals, get close to them to only see them fade away? Then you do it all over again and again and again……?

I have had very poor health and currently have great health. I can tell you with all sincerity having great health is fantastic. Today, the world is my playground and it can be yours too.

Warning!

Please, get your health information and guidance from a qualified health professional, check their references and background. There are too many people claiming to be something they are not qualified to be.  If they claim to be a Health Coach check their credentials to be sure. Your health and safety is in their hands.

In the next blog we discuss how to find the missing pieces of your health puzzle.

Healthy wishes,

Wally Bishop  I.N.H.C.

Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

Schedule your free appointment with me today.

www.wallybishop.com

Wellness With Wally

Viveshake

@WallyBishopCNC

The contents of the email or written communication are not medical advice and should not be considered as such!  This blog is for informational purposes only. Please consult with your physician or health care provider if you have medical issues and before changing your diet or lifestyle or taking herbal or dietary supplements. Never start an exercise program with getting your doctors approval. Never quit taking medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.  Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs.

Busting That New Years Resolution

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment

Live it! Don't Make it a Resolution
Live it! Don’t Make it a Resolution

It’s that time of year again, yes, New Years Resolutions. If you are like most Americans you will be repeating some of the same resolutions as last year.

It’s time to self assess, why do you need to repeat your resolution again? What stopped you from achieving  your goal?

If your resolution is health related, its time to stop repeating it.

About 95% of Americans have weight loss or better health as one of their health goals. I am sure that’s not surprising to you.

Almost everyone has some form of health improvement on their list. Losing weight tops the list, shocking right? Why?  Because almost 70% of Americans are overweight. Additionally, more than 50% of Americans are suffering from a preventable chronic health condition.

If you are not motivated enough and serious enough about your goal the chances of achieving your goal are slim.

It’s seems around the beginning of March something happens. The wellness warrior becomes the wellness whiner.  I notice that the gym has fewer people, the number of people attending my class get smaller and clients and friends begin to avoid me because they don’t want me to know they are off of the new plan.  I am glad they feel a sense of accountability to someone. I promise it doesn’t have to be this way.

stick to itThis year as part of your New Years Resolution make this declaration“ I am sticking to the goals I have set, I will not quit”.  If it’s important enough to have it as a goal, its important enough to finish it? Really, doesn’t this make sense? Why put all of this effort into your goals for two or three months and then give up.

I am going to tell you how to keep your weight loss goal going forever. I want you to have what I have. I want you to lose all the extra weight you have gained and keep it off forever.

Most goals are never reached because the goal is not important enough, the goal is unrealistic and there was not enough planning.

The Formula for Success, Reaching Your Health Resolutions

Forget the word “DIET”. Remember the new phrase “LIFE STYLE CHANGE”.

1)  Set your date to begin your change, begin the change.

  • Circle your date on the calendar.
  • Develop positive affirmations to affirm your future success. Place them in your house, car and office. Don’t just read them, you must say them.
  • Do a pantry makeover! Get rid of bad foods in your house. Buy healthy foods for meals and snacks. Get rid of the white bread, white rice, cookies, crackers, pastries and cereals. Put some real food in the house.
  • If possible, enroll in a nutrition program like my Fat to Fit 12 week program.

2)  Tell your friends and family what you are doing. This sets up a level of accountability for you. Ask your friends to support you or even join you in this new lifestyle.

3)  Be realistic about your diet and weight loss goals. Set goals for weight loss in 10 pound increments. The first goal is 10 pounds, the second is 10 pounds. Do you get it? This makes the goal very achievable and builds confidence.

4)  Calories. If you eat healthy 80% of the time you do not need to count calories. However, this means the majority of your diet is going to be real foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds. If most of your diet is coming from a box or package or made for you at a restaurant you are not eating healthy. The amount of chemicals, fats and sugars in these foods will cause your body to store fat even if you exercise like crazy! However, the only time you need to be aware of calories is to never eat less than 1200 calories per day.  Eating less than 1200 calories per day consistently, will cause your metabolism to stall, you will not lose weight and it can cause hormonal imbalances.

5)  Understand that to lose weight you must exercise.  If you have not exercised in a long time start slowly and consult with your doctor. If you can only walk for 10 minutes, then walk for 10 minutes and work your way up to at least 1 hour.  You can even break up the walking and exercising into 20 or 30-minute sections and do them multiple times per day. This actually keeps your metabolism burning fat at a higher rate for more hours in the day.  This translates to faster weight loss.

6)  Never deprive yourself of any food. If you must have that brownie eat just 1 and be happy. The next time you eat, it should be healthy. If you eat healthy 80% of the time it will allow you to indulge or splurge 20% of the time. This will keep you happy and help you lose weight by not binging.

7)  Never beat yourself up for having an unscheduled indulgence. Look at it as a treat because you have done so well. The next time you eat, make healthy choices.

8)  Eat a lot of plant foods like vegetables, fruits, lentils, beans and nuts and seeds. Most plant foods are very low in calories and very high in nutrient content. Plant foods also have a plenty of fiber, which is satiating and filling. However, limit your fruits to 3 servings per day. They have a lot of sugar in the form of fructose that can interfere with your weight loss if you eat to much. The best fruits for you are berries, apples, peaches, pears and plums.

9) Every week increase your servings of vegetables. You should set your goal for 7 to 9 servings of vegetables daily, 3 servings of fruits, 3 servings of whole grains (only those listed below), 2 ounces of nuts and seeds, 1 cup of beans or lentils. If eating animal foods in place of beans or lentils you can have 4 ounces of free range organic poultry or 6 ounces of wild caught cold water fish (the best are salmon, cod, halibut, Alaskan whiting, trout, steel head and sardines). Try to buy organic when possible.

10)  Limit your grains to whole grains and then even limit those to no more than 4 servings per day. Grains cause cravings and can raise blood sugar levels. The grains being grown today are not the same as they were 100 or more years ago. They have been hybridized to a point that most are highly inflammatory. The best grains to eat are real wild rice or black rice, steel cut oats, buckwheat (it’s not related to wheat) and quinoa. As with all foods choose organic when you can.

Grains that have been ground into a flour are no better for us than table sugar. Think of flour from grains as table sugar. Flour and sugar are a starch and have the same blood sugar effect. Use almond flour and coconut flour in place of grain flours. They have a much lower blood sugar impact and are actually anti-inflammatory!

11) Make sure you drink plenty of water. Water is necessary to breakdown fat and create cellular energy. The general rule is to consume ½ your weight in fluid ounces of water per day.  If you weight 150 pounds you would need 75 ounces of fluid per day. If you exercise, are ill or sweat a lot you may need more fluid.

There are two items I use everyday that make this easy for me. First is a product called Vive (rhymes with give) it is a whole food drink mix that I use twice per day. It is the best tasting shake mix out there and is highly nutritious. The next is my NutriBullet blender. Vive is formulated to make the nutrients easier to absorb from the blended foods. Vive makes great smoothies. One of my favorite meal replacement smoothie recipes is:strawberry spinach smoothie

  • 8 ounces unsweetened almond milk
  • 4 ounces spring water
  • 2 scoops Vive Energy Spice
  • 1 large handful organic spinach or broccoli florets
  • 1 cup strawberries or blueberries
  • handful (about 1/4 cup) raw pumpkin seeds or walnuts
  • 1/2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (you may like less if you are heat sensitive)
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

I want you to have great success and I do not want weight loss to be on your list next year. So, please start planning, get excited about the new body you are going to have, the new health you are going to enjoy, the new clothes you get to buy!

It’s simple; plan, execute, do it, lose it, and keep it off by continuing to live a lifestyle of wellness and health.

Healthy Wishes for a new year!

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

Do You Want Health and Vitality?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment

Nutrition Makes Healthy Bodies!
Nutrition Makes Healthy Bodies!

Many of my clients typically come to me once they or a family member face a major health crisis.   It frustrates me because most of these issues could be prevented. I do not want to see that happen to you, so, let’s not wait for the health problem let’s get in front of them so we don’t need to face them later.

You have probable heard these keys to health a hundred times before but they are always worth repeating, particularly starting the New Year.

As we go through life, hopefully we hit a point at which we say, “I want better health! Most of the time it hits us hard when we have family and friends that we see fighting health issues like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Being a witness to this hopefully becomes our wake up call or rallying point. This is the first step in their new journey. It starts with a thought and then action. However, many people think it but don’t follow through. I have tried many times to understand why they won’t follow through and can only come to one conclusion. They love the food and unhealthy lifestyle more they fear disease and illness. I have had clients with stints from blockages; insulin dependent diabetes and high blood pressure say they would rather take their medication and keep living their lifestyle.  At this point we go our separate ways and I am always left confused and saddened.

After several years of counseling people about health and nutrition I remain as confused as ever by the human psyche! I just can’t fathom why someone doesn’t want better health.

If you will follow a few of these health building principles you can prevent many health issues. The more you can incorporate the better. It doesn’t guarantee a perfectly healthy life but is does mean you greatly reduce your risk of future disease and illness and a quicker recovery if you do face illness.

Don’ts and Limits

  • Avoid refined and processed foods as much as possible. They may contain preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, antibiotics, hormones and food colorings all of which are anti-nourishing.
  • Avoid all commercially raised red meat, poultry and fish.
  • Limit the intake of red meats and pork.
  • Avoid all artificial sweeteners. They cause a disruption in our neurotransmitters and nervous system and can cause major health issues.
  • Avoid all dairy from cows. It’s highly inflammatory and associated with many adverse health conditions.
  • Avoid any trans fats (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils), they cause heart disease and cancers
  • Avoid vegetable oils other than olive oil and coconut oil for cooking (others are inflammatory).
  • Avoid sugary drinks and foods that turn to blood sugar quickly. Sugar is high inflammatory and cause hormonal imbalances and lowers our immune system. Flour based foods turn to blood sugar quickly.
  • Limit grains to no more than four servings per day. They cause cravings when eaten to often. The best grains are oats, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat and wild rice.
  • Avoid gluten as much as possible. Glutens are very inflammatory.
  • Stop the sedentary lifestyle, move more.

Do’s

  • Eat fresh organic produce often. This includes mushrooms!Veggies in a blender
  • Try to eat every color of the plant world everyday; red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, green, and white (they are healing foods)
  • Reduce simple sugar intake this includes limiting high sugar fruit intake to limit fructose intake. The best fruits are berries, green apples, peaches, pears, plums and bananas that have green tips and are bright yellow.
  • Eat more omega 3 foods (chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, salmon, herring, sardines)
  • Make nuts and seeds a part of your daily diet. They are highly nutritious and heart protective. Eat walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds etc…
  • Make beans and lentils a part of your regular diet. They are a great source of protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber and many nutrients.
  • Use spices often. They are some of the most powerful and healing foods we can eat. Some of the best are raw cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, mustard seeds, clove, ginger, garlic, oregano, thyme, cayenne, cardamom, basil, sage, coriander, cumin, turmeric, curcumin and black pepper.
  • Drink green tea’s (give Matcha tea a try) and hot chocolate made with raw cocoa. They are very rich in powerful antioxidants and nutrients.
  • If eating meats and fish make sure they are free range, organic and the fish are wild caught.
  • Drink at least 80 ounces of pure water every day. Drink even more if you sweat a lot.
  • Get adequate sunshine.
  • Get a good nights sleep!
  • De-Stress, stress is a silent killer. Try yoga, exercise, massage, positive affirmations, water aerobics, positive thinking and a healthy diet to help manage stress.
  • Exercise at least 5 days a week. Exercise doesn’t have to be hard, just consistent. Our body needs exercise to be healthy. It boost our immune system, removes toxins, helps balance hormones, improves our insulin response, helps regulate weight, gives us energy, improves mental focus, improves our balance and makes our heart and vascular system healthier.
  • Make it a point to do a random act of kindness for someone. It will greatly enrich your life.

Summary

If you avoid foods man has altered and stick to foods, as they exist in nature you can’t help but be healthier! Additionally, sunshine, sleep, water, exercise, stress management and a positive attitude can work wonders for your health. I also recommend making Vive!™ part of your daily dietary routine.. Vive!™  will nourish your body from head to toe providing optimal nutrition for optimal health.

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

Vive

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

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Eating for Athletic Performance

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment

cyclistI had the opportunity to work at a cycling event recently. As many riders from the 80 mile mountainous ride were coming in, one serious cyclist came to our booth and said “I need calories, please anything”. Obviously, we hooked him up with a Vive!™ shake. He chugged it and then another half of one 10 minutes later. He explained that 15 miles back he had bonked (depleted glucose and glycogen stores causing extreme muscle weakness) coming up the last hill. Can bonking be prevented or delayed nutritionally? Yes absolutely!
Certainly training is essential for endurance particularly to push back the anaerobic threshold so you don’t bonk as easily, however the role of your nutritional intake is 3 to 4 times more important than any other part of your regimen. Many runners and cyclist will take glucose gels and electrolytes drinks during their event to replenish their lost blood sugar and electrolytes, which is necessary. Some will add supplements containing L-Tyrosine, L–arginine and Beta Alanine to aid performance and they can help. However, to turn glucose, fat and protein into readily available energy is a highly complex process that involves many metabolic actions requiring enzymes, and the cofactors and factors, vitamin and minerals. In the metabolic pathway many vitamins and minerals are necessary to convert the energy source (foods) into energy molecules such as Phosphocreatine, ADP and ATP. Additionally the antioxidants contained in vegetative foods is very important at protecting muscle cells from the heavy oxidative damaged caused by intense exercise. They help speed up recovery as well.

You cannot overcome a nutritionally poor diet with supplements. However you can supplement a nutritionally rich diet and increase performance potential. Refined and processed foods are nutrient thieves. They deplete your body of more nutrients than they provide.

Nutrients (factors and co-factors) and their effects on energy metabolism pathways.

Enzymes are required to make energy and cannot do their jobs without factors and cofactors! If you do not get the nutrients from your diet the body robs them from muscle and organs to produce the energy you demand.  Continued nutrient depletion leads to slower recover and less than optimal performance potential and eventually illness and disease.  Vive!™ provides an abundance of factors and co-factors!

Vitamins
Thiamine (B1)
B1 is an essential cofactor (required for enzymes to do their job) in the conversion of carbohydrates to energy. B1 is needed for normal muscle function.
Riboflavin (B2)
B2 is a cofactor and helps in the release of energy from fats and carbohydrates. B2 is part of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) oxidation reaction in the cell to make energy. B2 is very important in the conversion of fat to energy.

Nician, Nicotinic acid, B3
B3 is a cofactor and is transformed into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and NADP, which play a key role in cellular energy production.

Pantothenic acid (B5)
B5 plays an essential role in the Krebs cycle (one of three energy major energy pathways) as a component of coenzyme A (a critical enzyme needed to make energy).
Pyridoxine B6
B6 helps in the release of energy from carbohydrates fats and proteins. B6 is used as a cofactor mainly in protein and amino acid metabolism and is involved in over 100 enzymatic reactions.

Biotin (B7)
B7 is a cofactor involved in metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids and utilization of B vitamins.

Folic acid, Folate (B9)
Folates function as a family of cofactors required for methylation reactions. Folate is essential for metabolic pathways involving cell growth and replication.

Vitamin B12
B12 is essential for metabolism of fats and carbohydrates and the synthesis of proteins. B12 is required for folic acid metabolism.


Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for synthesis of carnitine (carnitine transports long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria). Vitamin C increases can triple the absorption of non-heme (iron from plants) iron and the synthesis of cortisol.

Minerals
Calcium
Calcium is essential for the contraction of muscles and activation of nerves. Calcium activates a series of reactions including fatty acid oxidation for use in the mitochondria.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a structural component of the nucleotide coenzymes creatine phosphate, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). All of which are required in the mitochondria for energy to be produced.
Magnesium
Magnesium is essential for the relaxation of muscles and nerves. Magnesium is used in over 300 enzyme reactions. Required by all enzymatic reactions involving the energy storage molecule ATP.
Trace minerals
Copper
Cooper is involved in the making of some enzymes. Copper is also involved in iron metabolism.
Chromium
Chromium promotes insulin action, thus promoting glucose (blood sugar) uptake by the cells.
Iron
Iron is essential in hemoglobin for transporting oxygen and for storing oxygen in the muscle and releasing it when needed during muscle contraction. Iron facilitates the transfer of electrons in the cell energy pathway and is important in ATP actions.
Manganese
Manganese is a cofactor of several enzymes involved in metabolism of carbohydrates and gluconeogenesis. Gluconeogenesis is the making of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources. It involves the tearing down of muscle to turn certain amino acids and glycerin into glucose. This begins when you bonk as glucose and glycogen stores are depleted. This is very hard on the body and you want to avoid it.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential part of more than 100 enzymes, some of which are involved in the cell energy pathway.
If you want to optimize your performance, beginning today you need to ensure you are adding a bounty of nutrients to your nutritional stores daily. Ideally, you should be eating a minimum of 7 servings of vegetables, 3 servings of fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and limited whole grains. Vive!™ boost your performance potential by giving you a bounty of energy producing and recovery enabling nutrients!

Additionally, if you are meat eaters include free range lean meats, wild caught fish, free-range organic poultry and eggs. Anytime you can make your food selections organic, wild caught and free range you reduce the risk of contamination from pathogens and potentially increase your nutritional intake.

This website can give you a great list of which foods are the best sources for which nutrients.  http://www.whfoods.com/nutrientstoc.php
Eat great to perform great.
Healthy Wishes,
Wally Bishop C.N.C.
WebND

Developer of Vive!™

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Is Nutrition Really Important?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment

Nutrition Makes Healthy Bodies!
Nutrition Makes Healthy Bodies!

Hold the cheese! Wait hold the Mac-n-Cheese! Say what?

Our bodies amazingly can live for a long time on little nutrition but over time the nutrient reservoir in our body shrinks if we don’t refill it.  At some point because your cells are not being fed adequate nutrition or because your cells no longer have the nutritional reserves to protect and repair themselves they become sick and then replicate in a sick or diseased state. Eventually the cell can mutate into a cancerous cell. Normally a body with plenty of nutrition will have cells that can repair themselves or they will self-destruct. Additionally, you will have an immune system that is able to recognize the sick or mutated cell and kill it. This is why nutrition and nutrient absorption is so important. Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids, amino acids and antioxidants are vital for building a healthy body. Every tissue and bone of your body, every chemical that your body makes, every blood cell, every hormone and immune system compounds, EVERYTHING requires a certain amount of nutrients.

Cells don’t live on French fries, cheeseburgers and mac-n-cheese. The body breaks down what we eat, searching for macronutrients and micronutrients.  Macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats and protein.  Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids, amino acids, antioxidants and other phytonutrients.  Hold up, you just said macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats and protein and  that is exactly what French fries, cheeseburgers and mac-n-cheese provide, right? Well yes, it is in fact very rich in these but has very little of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids and antioxidants which are in fact what makes cells function.  Think of carbohydrates, fats and proteins as part fuel and part nutrient delivery system. The job of carbohydrates, fats and proteins is to provide calories for energy and provide vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids, amino acids and antioxidants are vital for building a healthy body that the body needs to operate, build and repair.

The average adult has approximately 100 trillion cells and every cell in your body operates like a miniature city or country. Wow that’s hard to comprehend! Each cell has it’s own waste removal and trash disposal system (lymphatic system) It has it’s own defense system (immune system) with Army’s to destroy invaders and internal threats (cancer cells) and it’s own engineers and maintenance system to rebuild and repair what ever needs it. In addition, it has it’s on monitoring system (endocrine system) to sense when any part of your body has a need and direct the action. It has workers (enzymes) that make every task happen.

Cells make up organs and tissues in our bodies.  And even though they are in a most amazing way self-sufficient they also work in harmony together to make organs, muscles and tissues work. Just imagine making a fist with your hand. All of those muscles in your arm and hand had to operate together and in perfect harmony to make that fist. Additionally, your brain had to send signals through the nervous system to tell every cell exactly what to do. This requires your body to have healthy nerve cells and have the ability to make neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that make those signals happen.

Your body has power plants in each cell that deliver the needed energy to sustain life and operate it’s own internal systems while fueling the bigger picture of muscles, organs and systems. It takes many vitamins and minerals to make energy possible. It takes the vitamin’s A, C, D, K2 and the minerals magnesium, boron and strontium to make healthy bones. Follow me so far?

Body building, protecting and repairing nutrients come from real foods and the richest foods in nutrients is by far and away plant foods. Processed and refined foods are absent enough nutrition to support and build a healthy body.  In fact processed and refined foods are anti-nutrients. They rob much-needed nutrients from our nutritional reserves. The SAD (standard American diet) is the biggest cause of disease and illness across our planet. Our diet has migrated across the globe and is now inflicting its participants with alarming rates of disease and illness.

It’s never to late to make your body healthier if you are willing to make the change. Many times disease and illness can even be reversed through a highly nutritious diet and being more physically active.

Vive is full of nutrition from plants that build healthy bodies. Vive supports healthy body functions. Making Vive a daily part of your diet can enrich your life by helping you build a healthy body with plenty of energy.

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

Vive Developer

Viveshake.com

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

This product has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not used as a cure, treatment or diagnosis for any disease or illness.

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Organic Foods vs Commercial Foods, Does It Matter to Your Health?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.1 Comment

Guess Who Would Love to Stop All Organic Farming?
Guess Who Would Love to Stop All Organic Farming?

Should I really buy Organic? I am asked this question often and have read study after study. The debate will continue forever. The studies from commercial growers say there is no difference yet the organic growers say yes there is a difference.

Just the facts

So, let’s just look at this from a purely logical point of view, OK?  The real question you must ask yourself after reading this is, which one has the potential to make me sick and increase my risk for illness and disease? If one does, do your best to limit or avoid them.

What does organic mean? Organic means that the produce (plants) isn’t exposed to commercial toxic fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides and the crops are rotated and managed to promote soil and land conservation. Organic soil is fertilized with natural fertilizers such as peat and manure and may have close to 100 different nutrients. Guess how many nutrients traditional commercial fertilizers have?  Get this, only three (3). Commercial fertilizer consists of nitrogen, phosphorous and potash (potassium). In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides, and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic. Organic produce has a 5 digit code beginning with the number 9. An organic vegetable would have a code like “94639”.

Plants get minerals from the soil which allows them to make other nutrients. Also plants that grow under natural controls for bugs, weeds and fungi versus that of commercial pesticides, herbaacides and fungicides produce more antioxidants and phytonutrients. They have to produce more of these healthy compounds to protect themselves for their natural enemies. So would you rather eat plants grown in soil with three (3) minerals or close to 100? Remember you are what you eat.

Organic Livestock isn’t given hormones, antibiotics, or exposed to pesticides, fertilizers and fungicides and are allowed to eat natural foods from their environment. Free-range organic livestock means that the animals have the ability to roam about and eat what is naturally in their environment in addition to no exposure to those nasty chemicals. Commercial livestock is given  commercial feed which is made from various commercial grains, other animal parts and food like chemicals. I would equate commercial livestock feed to fast food for us humans. Commercially raised animals also have much higher rates of bacterial and fecal contamination.

Review

Organic produce is grown in soil with close to 100 different nutrients and commercial produce is grown in soil with only 3. Organic produce is not exposed to toxic chemicals. Commercial produce is exposed to many toxic chemicals that you can absorb. These toxic chemicals are stored in your fat and can be hard to detox. They stay in your body for years and continue to accumulate potentially causing disease and illness. .

Organic free-range livestock is fed natural foods grown in organic conditions and not exposed to toxic chemicals. They also have much less stress. Stock animals under stress release stress hormones and histamines that you absorb when you eat them. Commercially raised animals have much higher rates of contamination.

Here are some key differences between conventional farming and organic farming:

Conventional Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth. Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray synthetic insecticides to reduce pests and disease. Spray pesticides from natural sources; use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use synthetic herbicides to manage weeds. Use environmentally-generated plant-killing compounds; rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth. Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

If you buy commercial produce please wash them very well.

Studies have linked pesticides to the following health conditions.

  • Cancer
  • Fertility problems
  • Brain tumors
  • Childhood leukemia
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • Birth defects
  • Irritation to skin and eyes
  • Hormone or endocrine system problems
  • Nervous system damage

These are the foods you should buy organic if possible. They are the ones most often sprayed with pesticides.

  1. Peach
  2. Apple
  3. Sweet Bell Pepper
  4. Celery
  5. Nectarine
  6. Strawberries
  7. Cherries
  8. Kale
  9. Lettuce
  10.  Grapes – Imported
  11.  Carrot
  12.  Pear
  13.  Collard Greens
  14.  Spinach
  15.  Potato

Always wash your produce, even organic just to be sure to remove any unwanted critters or chemicals!

MINERAL COMPARISON OF FOODS GROWN  ORGANICALLY  VS. CONVENTIONAL CHEMICAL (SYNTHETIC FERTILIZER) PRODUCTION

The amount of each chemical element is expressed in milligrams per 100 grams dry weight for the first four elements, then in parts per million for the three trace elements.  The Table below is based on research at Rutgers University, NJ, USA. source, http://www.wellnesschronicles.com/

Nutrients Organic vs Commercially Grown
Nutrients
Organic vs Commercially Grown

The choice is yours. I am just the messenger.

Healthy Wishes,

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

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Frustrated With Weight Loss?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.1 Comment

Wally's Before and After Profile Pic
What Healthy Living Did for Me!

Let’s face the truth! Most people make losing weight much too complicated. It doesn’t need to be. Listed below are the pitfalls most people make when trying to lose weight.

Doing anything temporally will give you temporary results! You have to get this, a diet is temporary.

  • Change your diet gradually– Many people jump right in and and totally change their diet to the extreme. They go from the typical American diet rich in processed foods to a very restrictive diet. Any time you make sudden change in your diet and lifestyle you highly increase your risk of failure. Make the change slowly. Instead of taking foods away try adding healthy foods to your diet. You will begin to crowd out the harmful foods with healthy foods. Replacing breakfast with a nutritious balanced meal replacement drink like Vive is a great way to begin the change.
  • Stop Stressing about life and losing the weight.  Because we make it so complicated we get overly stressed. If you have stress from work or home you need to manage it or remove the source. Stress will make it almost impossible to lose much weight. In addition stress kills!
  • Eat enough calories– Many people begin by drastically cutting food intake thus calories too much. If you go below 1200 calories for more than a couple of days your body senses a famine has arrived and it lowers your metabolic rate to conserve energy. You can even gain weight if you cut calories to much. If you stay in a severe calorie reduction under (800 calories or less, like anorexia) you body shifts to the catabolic effect of starvation and your body will begin to consume muscle and organs for its nutrition needs.
  • Do Not Skip Meals! You need to eat at least 5 times per day. It keeps blood sugar balanced and energy available. It also keeps the metabolism boosted. A healthy meal replacement shake is an option and can serve your body well. I recommend Vive, it was created for weight loss and energy and is packed with an abundance of nutrition!
  • Drink plenty of water– Many will not drink enough water. It takes water to release and burn fat for energy. Water is so important for your health!
  • Exercise– If you are obese you can lose weight for a short time by just cutting calories, however that will eventually slow and then stop. You must move more. Exercise does many wonderful things for our body. One benefit is that it speeds up our metabolic rate causing us to burn more calories through out the day! Just walking is a great exercise. Increase your speed and time as your fitness and health improves. Before beginning any exercise program please consult with your doctor for their approval. Walk twice per day to speed up the weight loss!
  • Stop weighing everyday! You weight can change up or down five or more pounds in any given day. You will set your self up for disappointment by weighing all of the. Weigh your self every two weeks. Do it first thing in the morning immediately after waking up and after your first urination.
  • Stop beating your self up! No body is perfect. Treats are allowed, even unscheduled ones. The next time you eat make a healthy choice. Bashing your self, will make you eat more.
  • DO NOT DIET!  It is our mindset to use the word diet and when we do we automatically set up in our mind that we will change our diet and lifestyle for a period of time and then come back home to that awesome food that got us fat to begin with. Plus because you have starved your body (both calories and nutrients) before, your body senses this and begins to subconsciously increase your desire for fatty and sugary foods. Sure you lose 30 pounds and then you gain 50 back. Dieting will only make you fatter one diet at a time! Think lifestyle change!
  • Nutrition Nutrition Nutrition!!!!  When you body is getting loads of nutrients it begins to clean and detox getting rid of toxic materials you have stored for years. Your body does not like to let go of fat unless it can detox adequately. Your body stores toxins in your fat. Depleted nutrient stores in your body get filled up and topped off. Then the bodies systems begin to come back into harmony with one another. Blood sugar begins to balance,cravings begin to disappear, energy improves, thinking improves, your hair and skin begins to glow. Your body starts regenerating itself to a new healthy one.

The bottom line is that weight loss and health do not come from a “diet” they comes from living a healthy lifestyle. That’s it. Adopt a healthy way of living and watch your body change!

Healthy Wishes.

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

Sugar! the Poison We Can’t Resist!

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.2 Comments

Sweet Poison

I am not sure why we Americans don’t see it. Sugar is the biggest threat to our health but we keep consuming it is excessive amounts. Plus, food manufacturers love it because it makes you eat more and more and more of their sugary foods.  We American’s simply can’t resist it! Doctors love it because it’s a guarantee most of you will be seeing them in the near future .

It’s Poison, also, Sugar makes us fatter.  When you eat refined sugar, if you don’t quickly use it as energy, insulin turns it into fat! It’s addictive,  accelerates aging, reduces immune function, impairs mental and neurological function, can destroy your brain, heart and organs, creates systemic inflammation, gives some people a buzz and destroys bodies. Does this sound healthy??

Not all sugar is bad. Sugar from plants foods like carrots, beets, strawberries and bananas can be good for us if they are eaten in their whole form. Healthy sugars are important because our brain and central nervous system rely totally on sugar or glycogen (stored sugar in the body) for their energy. Our muscles love sugar or glycogen to produce energy for high energy needs.  Fruit juice is very high in sugar so even though nutritious it is too high in sugar, eat the whole fruit.

People get addicted to sugar. They love the taste and the quick energy it releases. However they can’t see the pervasive damage being done to their blood vessels, brain, heart and other organs.

This may shock you, but I believe sugar and sugar like foods (processed flour products) are probably the biggest cause of all illness and disease. It creates so much stress on the body, lowers the immune system, wrecks havoc on the hormonal system and creates systemic inflammation. The harm being caused is wide-spread and long-lasting.

Sugar has made its way into almost every food stuff man is processing and refining. Sugar is added to bacon. luncheon meats, mayonnaise, peanut butter, dried fruit, fruit juices, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, prepared foods, cereal, granola, cookies, flavored milk, soft drinks, coffee drinks and hundreds if not thousands of other foods. Milk has about 3 teaspoons of sugar per 8 ounce glass.

The purpose of the added sugar is to make you eat more of the food it is in. It’s all about money. If you keep buying it, the food manufacturers will keep selling it. Stop buying it and they will begin to make healthier foods.

Your best defense is learning to read food labels and being able to find all the different names of sugar. When reading the food label pay special attention to the serving size and the grams of sugar per serving. Try to limit the amount of sugar you consume to 6 grams or less per serving. Look for foods that have 3 or more grams of fiber per serving.

Sugars Many Names

When reading the food ingredient list on the food label look out for these names. I would also include agave nectar as a sugar to avoid. It is higher in fructose that HFCS and is a processed sugar.

  1. Barley malt
  2. Beet sugar
  3. Brown sugar
  4. Buttered syrup
  5. Cane juice crystals
  6. Cane sugar
  7. Caramel
  8. Corn syrup
  9. Corn syrup solids
  10. Confectioner’s sugar
  11. Carob syrup
  12. Castor sugar
  13. Date sugar
  14. Demerara sugar
  15. Dextran
  16. Dextrose
  17. Diastatic malt
  18. Diatase
  19. Ethyl maltol
  20. Fructose
  21. Fruit juice
  22. Fruit juice concentrate
  23. Galactose
  24. Glucose
  25. Glucose solids
  26. Golden sugar
  27. Golden syrup
  28. Grape sugar
  29. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
  30. Honey
  31. Icing sugar
  32. Invert sugar
  33. Lactose
  34. Maltodextrin
  35. Maltose
  36. Malt syrup
  37. Maple syrup
  38. Molasses
  39. Muscovado sugar
  40. Panocha
  41. Raw sugar
  42. Refiner’s syrup
  43. Rice syrup
  44. Sorbitol
  45. Sorghum syrup
  46. Sucrose
  47. Sugar
  48. Treacle
  49. Turbinado sugar
  50. Yellow sugar

Flour Based Products

Flour (ground up grains) turns to blood sugar as rapidly as does white table sugar! Most breads, cereals, cookies, crackers and pastries have a high glycemic value. They raise blood sugar rapidly. Not all grain based products have higher glycemic load values. Whole Grains when eaten in their natural form release sugars slowly.  Steel cut oats have a lower glycemic load value that rolled oats.  Enriched and refined flours have little fiber allowing the starch to turn to blood sugar rapidly. Even whole grain breads can cause a quick release of blood sugar because part of the bodies digestive process has already been performed.  To my knowledge the lowest glycemic bread is Ezekiel Bread.

Use Natural Sweeteners like stevia and raw honey. They offer health benefits and do not impact blood sugar levels as severely as refined sugars do.

In summary, to reduce your risk of developing a sugar related disease or adverse health condition avoid or limit simple carbohydrates by eating more vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains (limit to 4 servings per day). Stay away from non natural sweeteners like Splenda and aspartame. Use natural sweeteners, however, learn to enjoy foods that are less sweet. Break that sugar addiction, kick it to the curb and enjoy life. I recommend stevia or raw honey as the healthiest sweeteners.

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

Related articles

Magnesium the Wonder Mineral!

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.1 Comment

Cocao (dark chocolate) is one of the richest sources of magnesium!
Cocao (dark chocolate) is one of the richest sources of magnesium!

I commonly hear fellow athletes or my clients complain of muscle cramping, muscle fatigue and a lack of good sleep. They seldom think they could be deficient in magnesium. However, odds say it may be!  They up their magnesium and issues are solved in many cases.

Magnesium is a macro-nutrient, which means we need more of it than some of the other minerals and we need magnesium daily. Minerals are critical for our health, however magnesium is required in over three hundred (300) different body functions making it a mineral you need readily available in your body. 

Of all the minerals, it is my opinion that for Americans, magnesium seems to be one of the most important because it is required in so many body functions. You can go several days or even weeks before needing certain vitamins, however you must have some intake of most minerals at least every couple of days. If you are really active, ill or sweating a lot you will need them everyday.  Minerals are used by the body and excreted easily.  If you are using diuretics, exercising intensely or sweating profusely, a diet deficient in the electrolytes, magnesium, potassium, sodium and chloride can cause severe health problems requiring a sudden need for emergency medical treatment.

How Does a Magnesium Deficiency Affect the Body?

Do you get adequate magnesium in your diet? More than half of Americans are deficient in magnesium and some sources say nearly 80% of Americans are deficient.

Most troubling is the result of a study of 7,764 people over 10.5 years.  It found those with the lowest magnesium levels have a much greater risk of dying from ischemic heart disease “Men and women whose urinary magnesium was among the lowest 20% of subjects had an increase in the risk of ischemic heart disease that was 60% higher than the remainder of the participants, and a risk of fatal ischemic heart disease that was 70% higher.  Additionally, magnesium helps inhibit platelet aggregation and enhance the synthesis of nitric oxide, which helps relax the blood vessels. Furthermore, increased magnesium intake has been associated with a lower risk of diabetes—a disease that significantly elevates the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Magnesium is a nutrient that is essential to more than 300 activities in our bodies. Magnesium provides your muscles the ability to relax, it moves calcium out of your blood and into bones, it is required to keep blood circulating and the heart beating and it is essential to keep your nervous system and brain healthy. It also helps reduce anxiety.

If you have muscle cramps, particularly at night, the odds are great that you may be lacking magnesium; if you have trouble sleeping you may be low in magnesium, if you are fatigued it could be a lack of magnesium. If you have high blood pressure it may be due to insufficient magnesium, if you are diabetic, low levels of magnesium may be involved, magnesium is critical for carbohydrate fat and protein metabolism to create energy. Magnesium helps keep the heart in a healthy rhythm and is necessary for cellular reproduction.

Magnesium is required for good bone health. Magnesium moves calcium out of the blood and into bones making them stronger. In fact, a large percentage of the magnesium in your body is in your bones. Magnesium is critical for heart health. It helps blood vessels relax reducing blood pressure and is also required to make certain detoxing compounds and for a strong immune system.

The role magnesium plays in the body is so diverse that it is difficult to find a body system that is not affected by magnesium deficiency. Our immune system, cardiovascular system, digestive system, nervous system, muscles, kidneys, liver, hormone-secreting glands, and brain all rely on magnesium for healthy metabolic function.

What Affects Magnesium Absorption?

Magnesium absorption is reduced by many factors including colas, coffee, salt and caffeine. Also certain medications like diuretics will deplete magnesium from our bodies. Refined and processed foods also deplete our bodies of magnesium.

Good Food Sources of Magnesium

  • Spinach
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Swiss Chard
  • Oat Bran
  • Rice Bran
  • Pumpkin Seeds
  • Halibut
  • Soybeans
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Almonds
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Black Beans
  • Cashews
  • Cantaloupe
  • Black strap molasses
  • Mustard Greens
  • Turnip Greens
  • Collard Greens
  • Green Beans
  • Salmon
  • Flax Seeds
  • Sea Vegetables
  • Kale
  • Celery
  • Bell Peppers

 

To ensure you get adequate magnesium daily, a diet rich in a variety of foods is key.  The NutriBullet unlocks nutrients in a way other blenders or juicers cant can’t so load it up with magnesium rich foods every day.

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The contents of this blog are not and should not be considered as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

Related articles