What's In Your Coffee?

Going out for coffee may be hazardous to your health, as you can see from the photo, courtesy of FoodBabe.com. This proves that trendy and tasty do not equal healthy, even in a world where organic and gluten-free are the fastest growing food market niches.

So many of us are avoiding dairy and soymilk is a poor choice if you value your thyroid health, but we want something to put in coffee. For me, Almond milk does not cut it and has too much almond flavor, and coconut creamer is not rich enough, and often has added ingredients like carageenan that may be a concern.

Carrageenan is a seaweed extract that is used in the natural food industry to thicken foods and beverages. Degraded carrageenan has been shown to cause cancer in lab animals. It seems to be destructive to the digestive tract. Undegraded carrageenan may not cause cancer, but it is still linked to leaky gut and damage to the gut lining. So, it may compromise your immune system.

The other dilemma is how to get more good fats in your diet, like butter, especially if you are cutting down on bread and grains.

Bullet-proof coffee or tea solves both problems!  Add a pat of butter (or coconut oil) and swirl your coffee or tea in a Bullet or blender to mix and emulsify the fat. Now you have the creamy texture of coffee or tea with milk or half and half, without the concerns about dairy reactions. If you are super-sensitive to dairy, you can use ghee, which is butter that has been heated to remove all the milk solids an leave just the fat, known as clarified butter in French cooking.

Coffee is a herb, like tea, and has antioxidants. For most people, in moderate amounts, coffee is safe to drink. It is dehydrating, so be sure to increase your water intake and don't substitute coffee for water! For even more antioxidants, add an organic green tea bag to your fresh hot brew.

So, now you can have rich coffee, without milk or oream, and get more butter in your diet. Butter has natural A and D and with all the concerns about Vitamin D, butter is a natural source. Notice that Nature always pairs Vitamin D with Vitamin A, as in fish oil. And butter is a great fat for hair and skin.

Let me know how you like Bullet-Proof Coffee. There is even a new coffee shop in Culver City called Bullet Proof Coffee, so butter as an alternative is spreading and maybe we will see it at Starbucks. Always choose organic butter or a grass-fed butter like Kerrygold from Ireland to avoid hormones and pesticides.

Have a great week!

How Much Sugar Is Too Much- Part 2

See Part 1 https://anne-dunev-gqev.squarespace.com/natural-health-and-nutrition-blog/2015/9/19/how-much-sugar-is-too-much

10. Maple syrup is mainly sucrose, but contains some minerals and amino acids (building blocks of proteins) because it is made from boiling the tree sap from Maple Trees.

11. Honey is flower nectar acted upon by enzymes that make is suitable for long-term storage by the bee. To further assist the storage the bees fan the honey to speed up the evaporation process, making the honey thicker. Beeswax, a secretion from the abdomen of the bee, is used to seal the honey into the comb. Honey will keep indefinitely once the process is complete. Honey is 82% sugar and 40% of the sugar is fructose. Honey has trace minerals and antioxidants. Honey will raise blood sugar, but not as much as white sugar. It also appears to lower inflammation. Honey should only be eaten raw and it is antibacterial and safe to put on a wound for healing (but should not be used on a puncture wound.)

12. Xylitol is made from birch trees. It contains 30-40% less calories and is slowly absorbed compared to other sugars. Xylitol can reduce cavities and is a good choice for chewing gum. It has also been shown to reduce the incidence of middle ear infections in children. Xylitol is a better choice for individuals who are suffering from hypoglycemia or Diabetes. It may cause gas and diarrhea if consumed in high quantities. It is toxic for dogs.

13. Coconut sugar is also made from tree sap. Coconut tree sap is heated until the water has evaporated and the crystals are left. Coconut sugar contains trace minerals and a fiber called inulin, a prebiotic, which helps feed healthy gut flora. It contains the same calories as refined white sugar.

14. Stevia is an extract of a South American plant leaf. It is not technically a sugar, but it stimulates the sweet receptors on the tongue and is perceived as sweet. It is 200-300 times sweeter than white sugar, so should be used in small quantities. It is safe for Diabetics to use.

Americans consume over 19 teaspoons of sugar per day, on average, not including fruit juice. This is added sugar, and does not include the sugar Nature provides in fruits, vegetables and grains. Regular soda contains one teaspoon of sugar per ounce.

We obviously enjoy the sweet stuff. And the body was designed to extract the sugar from whole foods and use glucose for fuel. When we consume refined sugars, the sugar does not have to be extracted, but transports directly into the blood, and that is what creates havoc. In a sense the body can become drunk on sugar, just as too much alcohol causes inebriation. Either too much sugar at one time, or not enough sugar when we skip meals or starve, throws off the balanced flow of energy to the cells. Too much sugar sends our pancreas and livers into over-drive to try and compensate for the deluge. There is a delicate mechanism to maintain a correct balance of sugar so the brain, as the central computer system, works optimally. Sugar has a “burning” effect on cells and may well be the main cause for inflammation in the arteries leading to heart disease. Cancer and candida cells love sugar and feed off sugar. Excess sugar is quickly converted to fat cells and does not just get deposited at waist and hips. Fat deposits in the liver interrupt normal liver function.

So, basically there is nothing helpful or healthy that comes from eating too much sugar. There is nothing healthy about eating any processed, refined sugar at all. We may be able to handle a few teaspoons a day, but we don’t need any added sugar in our diets. If you are trying to lose weight, eliminate fruit also, and see if your body lets go of excess pounds more easily. Think of bread and pasta as sugar, also, since the body will metabolize (break down) grains and starches as sugars.

To end sugar cravings, you have to eliminate it. Just like alcohol (which also breaks down to sugar) you have to go on the wagon to stop the cravings. Add in more protein and healthy fats, and that will help. Get your adrenals checked, as both sugar and salt cravings are indicators of adrenal fatigue.

Do our 10-day Sugar Detox program and see how good you can feel off sugar! Have more energy, sleep better and tame the sugar monster, while also doing a detox. Book a free 15 minute consultation to find out more. 818-562-1400.

How Much Sugar Is Too Much?

We know that there is an epidemic of Diabetes around the Western World.  Why now? Sugar has been around since 509 BC Emperor Darius of Persia invaded India and discovered sugar cane, “the reed which gives honey without bees.

When the Arabs spread their culture through in the 7th Century they discovered sugar in Persia and the secret of the sweet spice was out. Sugar was first recorded in London in 1099. The Venetians first refined sugar in the 15th Century. Columbus took sugar cane plants to the Caribbean and a new industry was born in the New World.

By 1750, there were 120 sugar refineries in Great Britain. Beets were identified as a source of sugar in 1747, but not used in quantity until the Napoleonic Wars caused the British to blockade sugar cane to the rest of Europe. Sugar beets became the main source of sugar to Europe, as a result. Today about 40 million tons of sugar are produced worldwide. Sugar has been big business since England built refineries and the government was able to tax and control the business of sugar. http://www.sucrose.com/lhist.html

In today’s world sugar comes in many other forms: agave, high fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup to name a few. Which is the healthiest choice for you?

Here are some definitions and descriptions to help you sort out the sweets.

1.     White sugar or pure refined sugar. It is 99.9% sucrose, which is a double sugar molecule and the body breaks it down into glucose and fructose.

2.     Caster sugar means smaller granules of refined white sugar.

3.     Icing sugar or powdered sugar-dissolves better in liquids or egg whites.

4.     Raw sugar-similar to white sugar in nutrient value, but brown colored.

5.     Brown sugar is sucrose with 5% molasses added. This gives a tiny amount of minerals and nutrients.

6.     Fructose, the fruit sugar, is metabolized differently. It is a single sugar molecule. Pure refined fructose is converted to body fat more easily than glucose. It is released more slowly when consumed with the fiber from whole fruit.

7.     Glucose is the form of sugar that your body actually uses for cellular energy. It is also a single sugar molecule. Athletes will take pure glucose (called Dextrose) for extreme athletic events. If not utilized by the body for energy it will be converted to fats (called triglycerides) by the liver and then stored as body fat. http://foodwatch.com.au/blog/carbs-sugars-and-fibres/item/7-types-of-sugar-which-is-healthier.html

8.     Agave nectar or syrup is 90% fructose. It is not more nutritious than sugar, despite its reputation.

9.     High fructose corn syrup is made from cornstarch and contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Because it is made from corn, a government subsidized crop, it is much cheaper than sugar, but just as sweet. Regular corn syrup is glucose (called Dextrose on food labels) and is not as sweet. High fructose corn syrup requires a number of chemical processes to convert part of the glucose into fructose. This fructose is not necessarily natural because of the chemical processing and may alter the taste in foods, despite the sweetness.

See my next blog for more about the different types of sugar and how much is too much.

Frustrated with Feeling Stressed, Nervous, or Restless?

If this applies to you, there may be something you can do, without taking medication that will only mask the symptoms.

The body was designed for quick responses to stress. Something threatening appears, and the body goes into hyper-drive to avoid the danger. When the danger passes, the body should return to a set point of relaxation.

But when you have constant stressors, from deadlines, traffic, interrupted sleep, toxins, sugar and junk food and the emotional ups and downs of relationships, some people are living in a tornado of constant stress. The body never has a chance to relax and reset.

The body cannot differentiate between physical stress (tigers and traffic) or emotional stress (break-ups and arguments). Stress is stress is stress and the response, particularly from the adrenal glands, is the same. Cortisol is produced and excess cortisol will cause that hyped-up feeling of nervousness and anxiety. It will also interfere with sleep, make you crave sugar and carbs.

Too much cortisol in your system over time ruins your figure and causes weight gain around the middle. It may also cause muscle-wasting when it continues on over-drive.

The liver also does not function well. A congested liver, over-burdened with toxins, will not work correctly, and that can make you feel worried and anxious.

When humans ate organ meats like liver, brains and hearts of animals, they got plenty of B vitamins that are vital for adrenal function. Barley and brown rice grains have B’s, but they are high carb and will cause weight gain if you are not active enough to burn off the starch that turns into sugar when grains are digested.

One solution is to add Nutritional Yeast to your diet. It has a pleasant nutty taste, and can be added to shakes, soups or mixed in sauces. Nutritional yeast is gluten-free, full of B vitamins including B12, contains iron and is a complete protein. Brewer's yeast is another type of nutritional yeast with B vitamins. It is a by-product of beer production, and not gluten-free.

You can buy Nutritional Yeast at a Health Food Store or online.

Using Nutritional Yeast will take some time to work.  If you feel that the stress and anxiety is really making life difficult, there is more you can do. For a faster recovery to ease your stress add in Standard Process Cataplex B and Cataplex G. Together these provide a whole spectrum of natural B’s that you will not find in any other supplement on the planet. Commercial B complex only has 5-6 B’s, but Nature makes a couple of dozen B vitamins. All of them work together to give your body what it needs to perform vital functions and a lack of even one of the B’s can inhibit body function. Over time this can develop into a broken system.

We often make the mistake of expecting our body to “run on empty”. We neglect the nutrients that are needed and then wonder why we feel terrible, or get sick. If you want your body to stop being a source of distraction, pain and frustration, first give it the food source nutrients that make it work properly. If you aren’t providing all the vital minerals, vitamins and proteins, you cannot be surprised when things begin to break down. There is a Cause and Effect factor here, just as there is with maintaining your car or your house.

So, many of your uncomfortable sensations may be helped by getting your body better and providing what the body needs to heal and repair.

Helping you sort this out is what we do. From exercises to relieve muscle tension to detoxification programs to assessments to determine what you need to get your body parts working correctly, Natural medicine is the answer to your frustrations about how your body is treating you. Call us and find out how to get your body to chill so you can get on with your life.

Warmly;

Anne

Anne Dunev, PhD, C.N. has over twenty years experience helping people feel better by finding the root cause of what is not working well in the body. Addressing that with the correct natural and nutritional medicine is her strength. By restoring the function of specific parts of the body, thousands of people are living happier, healthier lives. Her office is located in Burbank, CA. Reach us at 818-562-1400.