Diabetes – The Holidays 4B

“Everyone Knows Someone Who Needs This Information!” (TM)

Last week I tried to connect the need for moderation with the Holidays, celebrations, exercise and the Globesity Epidemic and said there’s reasons to make this a personal and family Quest, immediately. Let’s start, right!

Before New Year, you can mitigate the “damage” of holiday parties, so there’s less “need” for New Year Resolutions or for being behind the 8-ball with lots of holiday weight gain. You want a better outcome, right!

Last week I showed numbers that almost ALL of humanity is getting seriously fat, as a species. You can read additional stats here, and at Global Obesity Statistics.

More nations in perspective — some new:
Worst — American Samoa. 94% of population is obese

Kiribati is at 82% overweight.

French Polynesia – 75% overweight

Saudi Arabia — 74% overweight

Panama — 67.5%

United States — 66.9% of us are overweight

Germany — 66.5% are fat

Egypt —  66%

Kuwait —  64% overweight

Bosnia and Herzegovina — 63%

New Zealand —  62.7% overweight

Malta —  62.3%

Israel — 61.9% fat

Croatia —  61.4%

Bahrain  and the United Kingdom —  61% overweight

Australia — 60.8%

Macedonia and Barbados —  60.4% fat

Seychelles —  60.1%

Chile —  59.7%  overweight

Canada —  59.1%

Italy  — 57.4% fat

Spain —  55%

Brazil —  54.7% overweight

France —  46.5%

China — 41.1% fat

India —  37.5% overweight

Japan — less than 30% are overweight

Laos and Ghana — Best

 

Where does this leave us and why?

What I’ve learned in researching this over the years is that knowledge and behavioral choices count!

The French are, I believe, keeping their weight down successfully because overweight is so taboo there. Women are savvy about eating healthfully on small amounts of food, so much so that it is an art form, especially necessary in the upper classes.

Contrary to being “good” numbers, even though at the bottom rankings, those of China and India are huge wake-up calls to the governments of those countries. The numbers of overweight people in those statistics are massive (and would be enough for whole country populations, elsewhere). Their future health care will bankrupt them. Nutrition education; farming practices for healthy food for everyone; return to heritage foods and meals; not too many empty, deleterious carbs (like white rice, grain flours or sugar) is necessary to instigate as progressive, immediate change.

The Campbell studies in China point out a massive problem, and as affluence arrives, it will only be greater. And, with the massive pollution plaguing the land, more obesity will happen as individual bodies try to cellularly protect themselves from the toxins, by using “fat” to segregate them. Pollution causes tissue pH acidity — the cause of disease. This is a massive problem in the making.

India has begun to have an out-of-control, huge diabetes problem, even though the obesity stats are not as bad as many countries. It’s a crisis for the country and is almost exclusively caused by rampant sugar use from candies and desserts, from upwardly-mobile Indians getting better paychecks. Losing this affluent class would be an economic blow, so educate them. Only if they are healthy people as the spearhead of all your economic hopes can you have a future!

The Samoans have had representation from several individuals on The Biggest Loser, because their culture lauds big bodies — possibly as an acknowledgment of famines or long sea journeys in the past, where only the fat and fit survived.  This may be a version of  Wilson Syndrome OR of the Thrifty Gene Theory.

Wilson’s Syndrome is discounted by some, but that’s self-serving, when the accuracy of blood tests for thyroid hormones is seriously questioned by just as qualified practitioners! And, when people are treated for Wilsons and FEEL better and can lose weight better, that counts, more than anything!

Groups most at risk for Wilson’s Syndrome are those who have experienced repeated episodes of famine. These groups include: Jews, Russians, Scots, Welsh, Irish and Native Americans. And, if your ethnicity combines several of these, become much more aware of what Wilson’s is all about! Regardless of ethnicity, 80% of victims are female. Anyone can get Wilson’s. Read more about the work of Dr. Broda Barnes, too. (I think you’ll find reference in my archive.)

Stress is at the Core of the obesity problems in many countries, and with this huge economic downturn, and personal finances in decline, I expect a lot more obesity and a lot more diabetes to surface. Stress makes more adrenaline hormone and that affects how much insulin hormone we are dealing with!

It doesn’t matter if the stressor is war — as it was in Central Europe (like the numbers from Bosnia, Croatia etc.,)  or famine or lack of food or less nutritious food (for the Native Americans).

The work of Dr. Barry Sears, PhD and his Zone Diet Program, along with the work of Dr. Robert O. Young, PhD and his pH Alkaline systems are central, as is understanding your ethnically optimal diet, which can be elucidated somewhat in the work of Dr. Peter D’Adamo, ND.

Countries are putting forth their most beautiful young people as “typical” and that’s before the statistics just claim them as more victims. There are barely any countries that are doing a decent job, citizen by citizen. Most are either thin because they’re poor and / or malnourished, rather than successfully managing their normal, healthy weight themselves.

Even those beautiful Scandinavians are not exempt.

So, that’s the reason to laud those who are doing the needed steps for health.

Among those, I include the Okinawans on traditional dietary foods (they are the main reason the Japanese stats look so good).

And, I include the Native Americans who have embraced a return to their ancestral foods and meals, eschewing the modern foods which were killing them from amazing rates of diabetes and heart disease. Those tribes include the Pima Tribe — highest in diabetes, worldwide (50+% of tribe members).

Native Americans and Alaska First Nations who have embraced modern foods have at least double the diabetes incidence of other Americans!

Most cultures with large numbers of fat people also tend to NOT be good at distinguishing when they start on the obesity path themselves. This is a scientific fact borne out in statements by participants in The Biggest Loser.

And, we know that people “start” getting fat, on a cellular level, with aberrations of metabolism etc. beginning 7 years before one starts to “look” fat.

Diet — portions and access to fresh vegetables and fruit as diet basis; enough fresh water daily; moderate exercise and stress reduction techniques  are the key to solving this Globesity Epidemic.

More, next time.

Best to all — Em

Please read my archive (link above), and please send this article to your favorite Web 2.0 network site (icons are below). Thanks!

(c)2010 Em at http://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com

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Diabetics, Iodine and Health – 2

“Everyone Knows Someone Who Needs This Information!” (TM)

Last week I shared the incredible importance for diabetics and everyone else to have optimal blood levels of iodine and iodide — for successful metabolism, weight-loss, robust immunity and to cure or alleviate many afflictions, including both kinds of DIABETES! You need to Read Diabetics, Iodine and Health – Part 1, here! Now, here’s Part 2.

Many people do not realize that soda pop, in addition to the dangerous sugars or high fructose corn syrup, also contains bromine (in Mountain Dew, Fresca and even orange Gatorade, among others). Bromine takes over your vital receptors meant for iodine.

Mainstream bakery products and pesticides are other large sources of contaminating bromine. Check artisan breads as they are less likely to use dough “conditioners” as they tend to let dough rise naturally and get the proper texture from Time and Temperature after kneading.

Chlorine and Fluorine do the same thing, blocking receptors for Iodine’s use. In fact, the very Iodine you desperately need is actually excreted, if the receptors have already been occupied by the other Halogen Family members, Chlorine, Bromine or Fluorine.

If your municipal water is chlorinated and / or fluoridated, stop drinking it! Use a dechlorinator* in your bath / shower too, as much of the contaminant is chlorine as gas breathed in with the steam. To drink, use spring waters or professionally filtered waters, in the hope that they are removing the fluoride and chlorine.

Then, become an advocate to prevent the fluoride, a toxic by-product from the aluminum industry, from being used (for NO good reason) in YOUR water. There’s no proof it helps with dental cavities, when you look at the hard science studies.

The application of chlorine serves a safety purpose while water is traveling to your home, but it should be removed just before you use your water to bathe or drink.

Other Iodine robbers include Iodine-depleting prescription drugs and over-the-counter preparations (OTC), e.g. aspirin, coumadin / warfarin and steroids. If you have been taking these drugs, you must take the Dr. Broda Barnes, MD Temperature Protocol test at home, to more-accurately check your thyroid function! See below.**

Now that we’ve tried to erase the environmental saboteurs, back to Iodine, itself!

Living in the Pacific Northwest, with large Asian populations and beaches where seaweed is actively harvested, I come to this discussion with a very positive view of seaweed consumption. I truly enjoy all the different seaweeds which I’ve eaten. I use many regularly, and the unique ones I’ve tried were tasty, too.

Nori, Ao Nori, Kombu, Wakame, Dulse, Kelp and Hijiki are my favorites. But, there are many more for me to try! More on sources, below.

Dr. Ryan Drum, PhD, is a former university professor and researcher in cell biology and chemistry. Now, he teaches herbology at Seattle’s famed Naturopathic Medical School – Bastyr University. Ryan is a practicing medical herbalist who conducts workshops in his specialty, seaweeds.

Seaweeds are important as they are the best natural Iodine / iodide sources, and as at least 1 in every 10 women in America have already been diagnosed with thyroid problems, Iodine is vital.

And, this thyroid epidemic is actually much worse, as mainstream medicine’s blood “tests” do NOT truly show the problem. Some endocrinologists say 1 in 4 women have over-active or under-active thyroids. Women are more at risk because female thyroids are automatically twice as large as males’, so women need much more Iodine in their diet! So, diabetic women can have a double-whammy, and need Iodine, for sure.

And, stress, for anyone, also creates the need for more dietary Iodine for your thyroid. Many ethnic groups are also at increased risk — read more about Wilson’s Syndrome.

About 17 years ago, my naturopathic physician introduced me to this next test, and I have always been “borderline”. But, as my symptoms are worsening, I have begun to use much more seaweed than before. My doctor explained the only accurate way for you to monitor your thyroid yourself is using famed endocrinologist Dr. Broda Barnes, MDs temperature protocol. It will accurately assess your thyroid’s well-being. See below.**

Dr. Ryan Drum knows the most about how the iodine in seaweed can improve your thyroid’s function. Seaweed’s good form of Iodine (isotope 127) protects you against the harmful Iodine (isotope 131 form) which we absorb from our environment thanks to the Nuclear Industry – from above-ground nuclear testing and also from nuclear power plants. The only protection is to stop absorption if we breathe it in. How do you do that?

Diabetics, and everyone else, needs to learn to eat seaweed! You cannot overdose on Iodine when it is eaten as food.

Seaweed’s good Iodine isotope 127 is also protective:
___ before and after having Cat Scan and X-ray radiation
___ being the first line of defense in the Iodine 131 environmental pollution
___ for breast cancer, ovarian and endometrial cancers. Low iodine increases the production of estrogens and your lifetime exposure amount of estrogen factors into your cancer risk. Obese people have more estrogenic activity (men make estrogen too, source of “man boobs”).
___ and helpful in all the conditions you learned about in Part 1, including diabetes!

70 years ago, the average American ate 500 – 800 micrograms of Iodine a day in their usual diet. In 1995, the average American only ate 135 micrograms! Good iodine foods were being eliminated and / or people vastly increased the iodine-depletors, as well as the nuclear age happening, with it’s harmful Iodine 131 pollution to latch-on to our body receptors.

Dr. Drum personally uses 5 – 10 grams of brown and red seaweeds daily! That’s about 1.75 ozs. Aim to work up to getting about one Tablespoon of powdered kelp a day , either by sprinkling on food or in capsules (buy filled or do it yourself), over the next few weeks. Seaweed is an alkaline pH food, and that is another reason that it is SO important and healthful for us! See note below if you are already on thyroid medication.

Brown seaweeds like the kelps (especially the Fucus species) are highest in Iodine. Hijiki is also good. Brown kelps contain 500 – 1,500 parts per million of Iodine. Nori has 15 ppm of Iodine — big difference. Nori is the seaweed used in sushi wraps. I suggest using powdered kombu (a kelp), in just about everything. It is the seaweed used in Japanese dashi soup-stock which is a basic component of healthy Japanese diet choices. Heating does not affect Iodine content.

The red seaweeds, including Dulse, Nori and Gracellaria are also helpful. Nori is easy to find in health stores. Get organically farmed seaweeds or those harvested in pristine areas. You will not find the organic, clean ones in Oriental Groceries; they are of unknown origin.

All seaweeds are edible says Dr. Nan Fuchs, PhD. But seaweed from polluted waters is NOT safe to eat!

Get your seaweed only from reliable sources, from people who harvest them in the cleanest waters possible, like the ones I mention below. Much seaweed is sourced from China these days. BEWARE of any Chinese foods; they have heavily polluted their land, waters, sea and air, without regulations or cleanup, so their products are unhealthy!

SOURCES: Use these as part of a healthy diabetic food plan.

Dr. Drum harvests seaweed and brokers it through another well-regarded sales outlet mentioned on his site.

James Jungwirth offers powdered seaweeds in capsules — Fucus species and 5 other red and green seaweeds from Oregon. P.O. Box 150, Williams, Oregon, USA. Phone: 541-846-7995.

Ocean Harvest Sea Vegetable Company in Mendocino, California have recipes on their website and sell online. I have tried some alaria and sea palm from them and some pickled seaweeds I purchased in Mendocino may have been theirs, too. Ocean Harvest Sea Vegetable Company in Mendocino. They sell the seaweeds in as little as 1 oz. packages, so you can try LOTS of different kinds easily.

This is the source of the Organic seaweed products which I have used for 30 years. They also have a recipe book.
Maine Coast Sea Vegetables Company: lab-certified organic seaweeds

and I have also used these products for at least 30 years. Eden Organic Foods – Seaweed choices

The protocol for using seaweed for those who are already on thyroid medication is different and you and your physician might arrange a telephone consultation with Dr. Drum to understand the procedure. Contact Dr. Drum at his website; he does his phone consultations between 6 am and 10am Pacific Coast Time.

ARTICLES:
About Maine Sea Coast Vegetables.
Seaweed Superfoods

* for dechlorination:
Rainshow’r products

** Dr. Broda Barnes. MD procedure for home-testing.
If you have severe arthritis, this test may not work as well for you as minute muscle twitching may raise your temperature on the thermometer; in this instance, if your temperature ins above 98.2F during the test, get more guidance from a properly trained naturopathic physician.***

*** I regard properly trained naturopathic physicans to have degrees from College of Naturopathic Medicine, Portland, Oregon, Bastyr University, Seattle, Southwest College of NM in Scottsdale. Arizona, the Naturopathic medical colleges in Toronto, Canada and in Connecticut, USA. Naturopaths trained in Australia are usually well-trained as are German and Swiss naturopaths. Often, naturopathic physicians have several medical degrees.

Best to all — Em

(c)2009 Em at http://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com
If you desire to quote from or use my material, please write for permission to the About Me tab on the upper navigation bar. Thanks.

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