Dawn Lisa Borowski, CHHC, BHC, AADP | Certified Health and Wellness Coach

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The Skinny on Fats: Omega-3's
Dr. Ariel Policano by Dr. Ariel Policano

Omega-3's: Making healthy hormones, preventing heart disease and promoting weight loss!

When we think of fat in our diet, there often seems to be confusion surrounding the types of fat and the amount of fat that is beneficial. Some say fats are important, some say it should be no more that 10% of your diet. Fats are really crucial for optimal human health, so cutting back on them excessively does not make good sense. Some of the areas that fats play a role in are memory and brain health, preventing cardiovascular disease, creating healthy hormones and maintaining health at a cellular level.

Research shows that longevity and the reduction of illnesses like cancer and heart disease come as a result of consuming plant-based sources of fats (as in nuts and seeds). Saturated fats are typically those that come from meat and dairy and can promote inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation in the body is now associated with heart disease and cancer. A notable exception to saturated fats causing inflammation is coconut oil, which actually has anti-inflammatory properties.

Some form of saturated fat is needed in the human diet, and I will cover that in more depth in future articles. Until then, let me give you some quick advice: Consume coconut oil! Especially vegans. This is a healthy form of saturated fat, which is needed by the cell membrane and helps to give you a complete spectrum of necessary fats for good health.

Unsaturated fats are beneficial for our health because they act as healthy building blocks for hormones as well as our cells. An important part of each cell in our body is the cell membrane. This allows nutrition into the cell and effectively allows waste to be pumped out of the cell. The health of this cell membrane is determined to some degree by the fats that we consume, and our overall health is of course related to the health of our cells. The brain is also made up in large part of fats, and many of these unsaturated fats are instrumental in creating good health.

There are polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. Flax seeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds are all a form of a polyunsaturated fat. The nature of a polyunsaturated fat makes it highly reactive. Don't ever heat polyunsaturated fatty acids because they oxidize very rapidly. This means that by heating or cooking with them, they produce free radicals. Flax seed oil should be consumed as close to the date it was pressed as possible. Similarly, grind your flax seeds right before consuming them, if possible.

Monounsaturated fats are somewhat more stable than polyunsaturated fats. Olive oil is an example of a monounsaturated fat.

People often wonder about the root of the names for the unsaturated fats - omegas 3, 6 and 9. The names take their cue from their chemical structure. This is a bit technical, so hold onto your hat. The location of a double bond, which connects two carbon atoms, determines the name of these essential fatty acids (EFAs). "Omega" tells us that when we start to count the double bond, we start from the end (the right hand side). The "3" indicates where the first double bond occurs along the chain. The point is that it is the location of double bonds that causes omega-3s to behave differently in the body compared to other fatty acids.

Let's take a look at some of the omega-3 essential fatty acids. One of that we hear about a lot is called ALA, or alpha linolenic acid. ALA is found in flax seeds and hemp seeds. Then there is EPA (eicosopentanoic acid), which is typically found in fish and DHA (docosohexanoic acid) which is also found in fish like salmon and others. However, marine phytoplankton contains both EPA and DHA! This is truly amazing because these two omega-3 fatty acids are very anti-inflammatory and have been used as key therapeutics in reducing the risk of heart disease. Fish oil has been the knee-jerk recommendation to many people who have or are at risk of developing heart disease. It is wonderful to have an alternative to fish and fish oil to derive the same benefits.

It makes sense that the phytoplankton would be more bio-available because it is the source of EPA and DHA for the fish. The fish eat the plankton and then we eat the fish, so we have quite a task then of extracting the oil from the fish. If we consume the fish oil, there are then other questions. Is the oil truly fresh? With the processing, transport time and the time it sits in a gelatin cap on the shelf of your health food store, does it have a chance to become rancid? Is the fish safe in terms of being free from heavy metal contamination? Marine phytoplankton does not carry any of those concerns. The plankton are very small and are easily broken down and assimilated.

Here is a summary of recommended foods and oils that contain omega-3 fatty acids: flax (seeds and oil), hemp (seeds and oil), chia seeds, walnuts and marine phytoplankton.

The benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids support the health of the immune system and may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

One of the most important benefits of omega-3 fatty acids is that they reduce inflammation. The omega-3 fatty acids are the ingredients actually change chemical reactions to produce fewer substances called leukotrienes and prostaglandins. These substances will tend to increase aches and pains in the body. When we compare these to saturated fats, the saturated fats actually promote inflammation. Chronic inflammation, as measured in the blood with markers like C-reactive protein, is now known to be associated with cancer and heart disease.

One of the most interesting things about omega-3 fatty acids is that they do not make you "fat" in the way that saturated fats (as from meat and dairy) do. The omega-3 fatty acids help your body and your metabolism to function much more effectively. And when your body and brain function better, you feel better. Your cardiovascular system functions better because of the effects on the bloodstream.

And finally, here is an amazing key to maintaining healthy weight! By consuming foods that contain omega-3's like flax and hemp, the body secretes a substance called leptin. The leptin will help you to feel more satisfied with less food. It also improves the body's ability to respond to insulin. If you process insulin more effectively, you will also regulate blood sugar and manage your weight much more easily. High levels of circulating insulin tell the body "store fat!" and literally block the biochemical pathway that breaks fats down. The secretion of these leptins in response to omega-3 fatty acid consumption will reduce these circulating insulin levels. Pass the hemp seeds, please!

Enjoy the fats listed below in moderation and you will likely experience fewer aches and pains, better mood and memory, better hormonal health and maybe even some weight loss! After all, now you have the skinny on fats.

Joint Health Rejuvenation

by David Wolfe, JD

Introduction

Joint pain and inflammation are symptoms that will concern nearly each and every one of us eventually. Arthritic pain and inflammation are not peculiar to humans, but also affect other mammals - even wild mammals that eat only natural food. This evidence along with research compiled by Douglas Muhall in his book The Calcium Time Bomb indicates that joint pain and inflammation may be caused by infectious organisms that reproduce slowly and become more pronounced with age.

Because we know that certain foods, superfoods, herbs, and supplements fight infectious organisms (e.g. garlic fights viruses, pau d'arco kills fungus, coconut oil dissolves certain types of bacteria) we may deduce that correctly chosen foods, superfoods, and herbs may fight the organisms that affect our joints.

We also know that certain foods, superfoods, herbs, and supplements supply enough minerals to get us out of deficiencies and actually fortify our bodies and protect us from degeneration. A Little Background

Our joints are some of the least oxygenated regions of our body. Very few capillaries interface with the tissue in and around our joints. Therefore, due to low blood flow, our joints are subject to low oxygenation and an inability of white blood cells to reach our joints to fight infections.

I believe this basic weakness of mammal biology is something we can defend, fortify, and rejuvenate with the correct nutrition strategy.

Here are the nutrients we should be looking for in our food, superfoods, herbs, and supplements that support and defend our joints (either directly or indirectly):

Minerals

Sulfur
Silicon
Ormus Gold

Vitamins

E
C

Polysaccharides

Beta 1,3 Glucans
Beta 1,4 Glucans
Beta 1,6 Glucans
Mannose
Fucose
N-Acetylgalactosamine
N-Acetylglucosamine
N-Acetylneurominic Acid

Fats and Oils

Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids (ALA, DHA, EPA, GLA)

Antioxidants
Alpha-mangostin
Gamma-mangostin
Garcinone E
Blue Phycocyanin

Amino Acids

Phenylalanine
Tyrosine
Lysine

Foods, Superfoods, Herbs, and Supplements to Protect our Joints

Listed below are the basic components of the program. These foods, superfoods, herbs, and supplements contain the critical nutrients necessary to nourish and defend our joints. These foods, superfoods, herbs, and supplements are to be ADDED to your diet.

We assume that refined sugar, trans-fatty acids (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils), regular table salt, soda, fast food, pasteurized dairy products, cooked conventional wheat and corn products, drugs, and other excesses have been (or are being) removed from your diet. Let's review these foods, superfoods, herbs, and supplements briefly:

HEMP PRODUCTS (seeds, protein powder, oil):

HEMP SEEDS:

Hemp seeds are considered by leading researchers and medical doctors to be one of the most nutritious food sources on the planet. Shelled hemp seed is packed with 33 percent pure digestible protein and is rich in iron and vitamin E as well as omega-3 ALA and omega 6 GLA. Hemp also contains three times the vitamin E contained in flax. A recent report funded by the Canadian government states that hemp protein is comprised of 66 percent high-quality edestin protein, and that hemp seed contains the highest percentage of this of any plant source. Edestin contains the following amino acids in significant quantities: tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and lysine.

In 1915, the Journal of Biological Chemistry discussed edestin at length. A later issue published a vegetable protein study. In the study, edestin was considered suitable as a sole protein source for animals. The study also stated that "the relatively large amounts of lysine present in the...hempseed...is especially noteworthy."

HEMP PROTEIN POWDER:

Hemp protein powder, is made from raw, hemp seeds (cold-processed at less than 85 degrees). It is super finely milled to contain 37% protein, with much of the oil removed. Hemp Protein is a balanced, "whole" protein, rich in essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.

Hemp's superior 66% edestin and 33% albumin protein structure is the highest in the plant kingdom, making it the Gold Standard of Plant Protein.

HEMP OIL:

Hemp is one of very few plants that contains both of Omega 6 (GLA) and Omega 3 (ALA) an even rarer fatty acid. Hemp oil normally contains about 80% polyunsaturated fatty acids, with Omega 6 and 3 in a ratio of 3:1.

MSM (powder or capsules:)

MSM is a naturally occuring form of dietary sulfur found in fresh raw foods that are involved in the cycle of rain. MSM is deficient in foods grown in greenhouses or in foods grown through irrigation. MSM is volatile and destroyed by cooking. In the body, MSM softens leathery internal tissues by rebuilding connective tissue with elastic sulfur bonds. This is how MSM lives up to its reputation of building collagen and maintaining healthy joints. This is also why MSM increases flexibility (good for yoga), hastens recovery time from sore muscles, and is excellent for recovery from athletic injuries.

Because of its collagen-building properties, MSM creates smooth skin, thick lustrous hair, and strong nails. MSM makes the tissues more permeable so that they may move nutrients in and toxins out with greater ease. MSM has a remarkable effect at neutralizing foreign proteins (i.e. allergens, toxins, undigested food) making it anti-inflammatory. MSM works particularly well in conjunction with vitamin-C rich foods.

MSM LOTION:

Get your MSM from the outside in! What you put on your skin is just as important as what you take into your body via food. MSM lotion/cream does more than just soften and moisturize your skin, it helps restore and rejuvenate dry, rough skin, leaving it smooth and silky. This pure cream delivers all the value of MSM directly to the skin surface. Because a past or present MSM deficiency may have created scar tissue and wrinkles, this cream should be applied daily directly to damaged skin. Also, great to apply to the joints directly or to sunburns, mosquito bites, and/or most any type of skin irritation. Excellent for shaving!

KELP POWDER:

Ground kelp granules are a convenient way to get your sea minerals and polysaccharides on a daily basis. They are "salty" yet low in sodium, thanks to their rich complement of other mineral salts. Kelp granules are an especially rich source of fucose (polysaccharide), potassium, iron, iodine, vitamin B6, riboflavin, and dietary fiber, and also contain a natural substance, glutamic acid, that enhances flavor and tenderizes fibrous foods. Phytochemicals in kelp have been shown to absorb and eliminate radioactive elements and heavy metal contaminants from our bodies.

TOCOTRIENOLS:

Tocotrienols are the most potent source of vitamin E and a rich source of B vitamins. Until recently, Vitamin E was thought to be composed of several TOCOPHEROLS, the most powerful form of which is ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL. Vitamin E is of great nutritional importance. All body tissues, especially the adrenal and pituitary glands, have high concentrates of Vitamin E, but storage is mainly in the muscles, fatty tissues, and liver. Recently, a new class of compounds related to the TOCOPHEROLS has been discovered, and these compounds are called TOCOTRIENOLS. According to a noted expert in the field of Vitamin E research, ALPHA-TOCOTRIENOL is 40-60 times more potent than ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL. At the present time, there are four named TOCOTRIENOLS. An additional 20 unnamed TOCOTRIENOLS have been discovered. By way of example, DELTA-TOCOTRIENOL is 200 times more potent than ALPHA-TOCOTRIENOL. This bottle contains alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocotrienols.

BLUE MANGOSTEEN:

The key active ingredients in the mangosteen rind are a group of antioxidants called "xanthones." Thus far, at least 40 different xanthones have been identified in the mangosteen, each with a different array of healing properties. The three most well-studied mangosteen xanthones at this time are: alpha-mangostin, gamma-mangostin, and garcinone E.

Catechin and other polyphenol antioxidants similar to those found in cacao beans are present in the mangosteen rind. Soothing polysaccharides similar to those found in aloe vera, noni and medicinal mushrooms are also found in the mangosteen rind.

Blue Mangosteen also contains a unique proprietary blue-pigment spectrum extract of Klamath Blue-Green Algae (Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae). This extract contains significant amounts of the health-enhancing, blue antioxidant, phycocyanin and the extract also contains mental-focus supporting phenylethylamines (PEA's). The rare, blue phycocyanin helps fight inflammation and it also helps the body to produce more rejuvenating stem cells. Research on the health-enhancing effects of phycocyanin may be found in the book: Primordial Food by Christian Drapeau, MSc.

CHUCHUHUASI TEA: Chuchuhuasi is the bark of a giant Amazonian climax rainforest tree that can reach a height of greater than 30 meters. Chuchuhuasi tea is used to specifically alleviate arthritic joint pain and most types of back pain. As an herb of extraordinary power, Chuchuhuasi also has other healing properties such as immune system improvement, tension relief, and adrenal support.

A wonderful Chuchuhuasi joint healing bark tea recipe could include: Chuchuhuasi (10 grams) Pau D'Arco (5.0 grams) Cat's Claw (3.5 grams) Goji Berries (20 grams) 1 raw vanilla bean (This makes 2.5 liters of healing tea)

ORMUS GOLD: Ormus gold is a mineral product containing Ormus gold, silicon, and distilled water. This products is the result of over ten years of research by David Wolfe and his team. Research into Ormus gold was initiated by David Hudson's rediscovery of unique minerals which he called monoatomic elements and which have since become known and elaborated upon through the internet community as Ormus. B

ecause Ormus gold is a mineral that is present in the joints, the use of Ormus gold may provide radical relief from joint pain and defend against joint degeneration.

IMMUNE BUILDER:

Immune Builder by Mushroom Sciences is a powerful blend of medicinal mushrooms, all of which are notable for their high content of the immune system supporting, connective-tissue building, joint healing, and skin youthening molecules known as beta glucans. Beta glucans is a specific type of polysaccharide (glyconutrient) similar to those found in yacon, goji berries, kelp, and aloe vera.

Each of the mushrooms in Immune Builder contains beta glucans with unique shapes, allowing each of them to fit into special receptor sites on different immune cells in the human body. Once the 'key' of a beta glucan fits into the 'lock' of the receptor site on an immune cell, a specific immune response is generated. The different shapes of these beta glucans produce a wide array of immune responses.

Immune Builder contains the following polysaccharide-rich ingredients: Agaricus blazei fruit body extract, Cordyceps sinensis Cs-4 mycelium extract, Coriolus versicolor PSP extract, Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) fruit body extract, Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) extract, Standardized Patented Extract derived from Maitake Mushroom (Grifola frondosa).

ALOE VERA:

Aloe vera is a desert succulent native to East and South Africa which is now grown all over the world. The leaf contains a mucilaginous gel. This gel contains mannose and other polysaccharides that immediately decrease inflammation and pain. Aloe vera is also an excellent source of sulfur and ormus minerals.

OCEANS ALIVE MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON:

Marine Phytoplankton are tiny ocean dwelling micro-algae (very tiny plants) that form the basis of the Earth's entire food chain. Gram-for-gram, Oceans Alive Marine Phytoplankton is likely the most nutrient-dense, alkaline superfood on Earth.

Ocean's Alive Marine Phytoplankton is a raw, original, enzyme-rich living superfood product. Marine Phytoplankton is:

• The best plant-based source of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids (DHA, EPA).
• A natural source of plant-based vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, polysaccharides, and protein. • A complete protein source. In fact, Marine Phytoplankton is over 60% protein by weight. Oceans Alive contains tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and lysine.