New Food Pyramid For Seniors – Ages 50, 70 and Beyond – Part 2A – Adding B Vitamins: Biotin, B5, Folic Acid

“Everyone Knows Someone Who Needs This Information!” TM

We know human’s should be able to have MUCH longer life-spans than we do achieve, so what’s missing?! Answering this question is imperative for diabetics as diabetes can already carve away 15 years off your life, if you don’t get it stabilzed and / or reversed, soon enough. Many seniors lose the game as they age, surrendering needlessly to diabetes.

In last week’s post and this one, we are seeing that the newly released USDA Senior Food Pyramid still is too succinct a graphic to tell us all we need to know, even though it has made progress. Here I am going to begin to fill in some of the other remaining “blanks” in your senior nutrition needs agenda, and then it is up to you!

If you are a care-giver or advocate for an elder relative, then please pay special attention for Elders DO have special-needs, and family meals are not always what they need, as their appetities are small, and nutrition needs are often unfulfilled – due sometimes to these smaller appetites, and other times to a Senior’s differing needs for a nutrient, than the younger family members’ requirements.

This information is from my diabetes diet plan and largely originated in the research from the respected hallowed halls of the famed Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.  http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/olderadultnut.html and from the also well regarded http://www.whfoods.com/nutrientstoc.php  and www.nutritiondata.com Bear in mind that these sources are not specifically targeted to diabetics.

And you can read Part 1 of this series at:

https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/new-food-pyramid-for-seniors-ages-50-70-and-beyond-individualizing-food-options/

In this post, we are going to learn about a group of “FABULOUS B’s”!

Stress-fighting B Vitamins become imperative for Seniors, and especially diabetic seniors, as I believe Elders lead much more stressful lives than in decades past, with less familial and social safety-nets in industrialized societies and more potent isolation than we might imagine. So here are the first of the B-complex dietary recommendations.

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BIOTIN – Biotin aids your body to:

___   make efficient use of blood sugar

___    make the necessary and proper amount of fat needed by each cell

___   continue a healthy supply of energy in your nerve cells.

Raw egg white prevents its absorption; check meringue recipes as well as classically-made mayonnaise recipes, caesar salad dressings etc. as they may have raw egg white (hiking in incomplete separation of white and yolk) in these recipes which often use raw yolks. I do not recommend  using raw eggs at all.

Biotin is an expensive ingredient to use, so few supplements ever include much of it. You may have to just buy it separately. If you know your Senior’s intake is not sufficient, most supplements will give at least 30 mcg (micrograms) and no toxicity occurred at daily doses of 60 mcg.

According to Linus Pauling Institute (LPI), seniors do not have an automatic biological need for more than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of biotin, but as I said, social and financial stresses may up their need for some additional percentage of B’s. You have to assess your individual need.

Deficiency symptons such as: skin-related problems, pain on physical exertion and muscle cramping, seizures, lack of co-ordination or good muscle tone or hair loss may indicate need for more biotin.

Although it is tolerant of exposure to light, oxygen and heat, acidic environments denature Biotin and imbalanced flora in the gut cause reduction in any self-made Biotin! So, if you are “acidic” in pH, (as Dr. Robert O. Young, PhD would state diabetics always are), chances are you need to pay attention.  Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) also works with Biotin, so you need to be sure your Senior’s levels of it are adequate.

As an aside, for family members who are thinking about pregnancy, up to 50% of pregnant women are (or become) deficient in Biotin, and it results in much increased potential for birth defects in the baby.

SOURCES (alpabetical):

Excellent sources of Biotin include: carrot, chard, romaine lettuce and tomatoes.

Very good sources include: almonds, cabbage, cauliflower, chicken eggs and onions.

Good sources includes cow’s and goat’s milk, halibut, oats, raspberries, strawberries and walnuts.

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PANTOTHENIC ACID – Vitamin B5:

This B Vitamin helps turn fats and carbohydrates into the energy you must have to live. It also aids your adrenal glands as they help you to deal with stress.  Along with Biotin, B5 helps each of your cells get the healthy fat it needs, internally.  Seniors may not need extra according to LPI — normal minimum RDA requirement is 5mg daily. However, as we need excellent digestion to release B5 from food, it is possible that many Seniors do not do this process well and need to look at how to best supply it beyond food.

Also, many diabetics have numbness, tingling and / or burning sensations in their feet. This can be a symptom of too little B5. Even though it is found in many foods, which is an indication of Nature’s view that it is important, there are few really strong sources.  So you must supplement (especially if you have a small appetite) and please, also eat a varied diet.

Other signs of B5 deficiency are fatigue, weakness and / or listlessness.

Many of the best sources of Panthothenic Acid are problematical in my opinion.

___   One of the good ones is calves liver, but it is expensive and organic calves liver is not readily found. As this is the organ assigned the herculean job of detoxifying any body, it is important to use organic, young sources, if at all.

___   An excellent B5 source is the common brown “Crimini” mushroom found in markets, but Dr. Robert O. Young, PhD, a renowed microbiologist and originator of the pH Miracle, says we should NOT use fungi (including mushrooms) at all. He says they are opportunistic life-forms, like yeast is, and both of which have their own agenda to implement it IN OUR BODIES! And don’t think that these “plucked” forms don’t still have life-energy, as they are entirely different “life-forms” than we usually relate to as “living” beings. 

___    Sunflower seeds, cauliflower and broccoli can all affect thyroid function, and if you already are overweight, you should get your gland checked before using them, even moderately.

___   Most of the corn in the USA is already Frankenfood GMO or is made so by pollen floating on the wind from Genetically-Modified-Organism corn.

The page at  www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=87 gives a great synopsis of the myriad of ways that B5 morphs in your body doing many different steps giving you healthy cell structure and cellular energy. It’s worth reading in detail and is reasonably written for non-scientists. But the take-away for me is that I have read that research has shown that the diabetic’s mitochondria  (cellular furnaces where all your energy is made) are much smaller!  (That’s documented in one of my articles here, not sure which one.) So, if diabetics’ mitochondria are smaller, I would think we need to help them even more with Vitamin B5 and the nutrients to make more mitochondria, as well as have them work optimally.

Pantothenic Acid works best internally when your body is able to combine it with sulfur to make CoEnzyme A (known as CoA). So that makes fresh onions a very useful source of both nutrients (and fresh, raw garlic is also a great sulfur source).

As CoA form, B5 has a crucial and pivotal role in transporting and metabolizing (releasing) the energy from carbohydrates (i.e. sugars and starches) and from fats. CoA has another job — creating vital cellular fats — which requires multiple-stage, back-and-forth chemistry using B5. 

B5 also provides acetyl groups to acetylate certain cellular proteins to protect them from disbandment and destruction. The acetylation process paves the way for a protein to become a hormone, and B5 is an important player in how adrenal hormones are made to deal with a stressful life.

I do not know if B5 plays a role in this same hormone-building process for insulin, but by making adrenal hormones, which in turn do impact release of insulin, B5 is important to diabetics. 

Vitamins B1 and B3 are needed, along with B5 to alleviate burning-foot syndrome. Generally, for B5 to operate well, levels of Biotin, B12, Folate from green veggies, and Vitamin C are needed.

The cysteamine form of B5 where the Panthothenic Acid is already bonded to a sulfur molecule may be the best bet as a B5 supplement for older people, to insure that step has occurred rather than hoping it will happen in their body.

Adequate amounts of B5 are needed to help cure or alleviate:

___   adrenal insufficiency

___   burning-foot syndrome

___   cataracts

___   CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and generalized “fatigue”

___   high blood fat levels (hyperlipidemia) (high triglycerides)

___   osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Pantothenic acid is definitely unstable when we try to process food — whether by cooking, freezing or canning. Losses of 50% – 70% are not uncommon, so you need to get as many fresh, raw sources as possible.

SOURCES: In addition to the problematical sources listed above, good rather than excellent sources are, in alphabetical order: 

chard, chives, collard greens, eggs, grapefruit, hickory nuts, kanpyo gourd strips (in sushi sometimes), ancho and pasilla peppers, sesame seed tahini (ground seeds), SMOKED: red, wild sock-eye salmon and DRIED wild chum salmon, spirulina, strawberries, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, turnip greens, black walnuts, winter squash and yoghurt.

fair amounts are also found in:

apricot, avocado, broccoli, buffalo, chestnuts, cooked eggs, endive, gingko nuts, hazelnuts, leeks, peas, radish sprouts, shallots, sprouted beans, sweet potato, snow peas, wild raw  silver, chum, chinook and red sockeye salmon, dried whey

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FOLIC ACID (FOLATE, FOLACIN):

Folic Acid is mostly found in green leafy veggies and a major reason why these vegetables are so valuable as food. All primates concentrate their food-search for leafy greens including:       1) the elusive, almost-hounded-to-extinction Bonobo, the gracile chimpanzee *a surprise in our group of “FABULOUS B’s!”. Bonobos are the last, most recent group of primates science discovered (only 70 years ago), and they are the closest primate to humans (their DNA is even better than the common chimp’s ) AND            2) Human gatherers and urban dwellers also need copious amounts of gathered greens, so these Paleo-Diet veggies are a foundational and tasty food in my diabetes diet plan.

Folic Acid is an important B Complex Vitamin responsible for helping our bodies make internal skin linings and also red blood cells which carry oxygen deep inside us to provide the environment for cellular energy production.

It also aids actual blood circulation by reducing homocysteine, which triggers dangerous clotting. And, Folic Acid is vitally importantly for diabetics, as Folic Acid reduces homocysteine, a major cause of inflammation in tissues, organs and circulatory system, leading to much of the illness associated with diabetes and heart disease and neurological concerns in all populations.

Like many B’s, Folate helps your brain and nerves, bones and joints, as well as protecting dopamine-capacity to fight-off Parkinson’s disease and synthesizing the neurotransmitters to run your nervous system properly.

More Folate foods are indicated when women are pregnant (to protect the baby from birth defects)and when people have the symptoms: insomnia, muscle fatigue, mental and general fatigue, depression, forgetfulness and irritability, restless leg syndrome, periodontal disease, cleft palate, vitiglio (loss of skin pigment) and some cancers and when their lab tests show an acidic pH or high C-Reactive Protein or high homocysteine levels.

Folic Acid is one of the most complex vitamins – both in structure and in its internal chemical action in your body.  It has 3 components: PABA, Glutamic Acid and Pteridine. Enzymes in your gut must alter the Folate in the foods you eat in order to make it bio-available to you, and even in an optimally-efficient gut, only 50% of Folic Acid can be utilized. So, for Seniors, who may have digestive issues, this conversion could be problematical, and this is why we need to pay attention.

Additionally, for Folic Acid to work its magic on homocysteine, it needs adequate amounts of Vitamin B12 (also often needed by Seniors) and also Vitamin B6. Using this trio can diffuse homocysteine time-bomb and turn it into useful products for your body, instead. 

Vitamins B1, B2 and B3 and amino acids glycine and serine (from protein foods) are needed to recycle Folate, so their levels must be adequate to do so. If you do not take in enough protein, then the protein binding factor needed to absorb Folate in your intestines will be problematical. Seniors on fixed incomes (and starving students!) may fill their belly, but unless you are vegetarian, animal protein sources are becoming increasingly expensive, so malnutrition easily happens.

Excessive alcohol use, smoking and coffee drinking all contribute to depletion and deficiency of Folic Acid. Many prescription drugs affect levels of Folate negatively. These include birth control drugs, many cholesterol lowering drugs, Metformin for diabetic treatment, many anti-inflammatories, some diuretics and some antibiotics. So, really  discuss this with your physician and pharmacist!

Adequate amounts of Folic Acid will prevent problems listed above and aid the following: alcohol rehab, hardening of arteries, cervical anomolies, Crohn’s disease, glycogen storage disease 1, inflammatory bowel disease (IBS),  ovarian and uterine tumors, non-senile dementia, schizophrenia and myelopathy.

SOURCES:

The suggestion is to eat at least 5 of these higher sources a day for a dosage of 400 – 600 mcg (micrograms).  Problems have been seen at doses of 1000 – 2000 mcg when the source is the synthetic folate found in supplements. In supplements, Folinic Acid is a preferred form.

Natural Folate from animal sources is generally stable if cooked, but plant foods are best raw, as at least 50% – 70% of the folate is lost if cooked.

In alphabetical order – excellent sources are: asparagus, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, organic calves liver (problematical as indicated in B5 paragraph above), lentils, sprouted lentils, mustard greens, parsley, romaine lettuce (best, over all), spinach, turnip greens.

Very good sources include: arrowroot, beets, Brussels sprouts, black-eye peas, black beans, edamame (freshly steamed young soybeans), endive, garbanzo beans, kelp, onions, papaya, pinto beans, squash, string beans, wakame seaweed.

Good sources: artichokes, arugula, Chinese broccoli, chives, cucumber, fennel, okra, radish (use its greens), radish sprouts, red bell pepper, spirulina, taro leaves, tomato.

I’ll include more nutrients after the opening week of the Olympics, and next time is a surprise.

    IMPORTANT         The other “FABULOUS B”.             

* ABOUT BONOBOS. Morris Goodman, at Wayne State University in Michigan, and other scientists say that Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are SO close to human DNA and skills that we should seriously consider giving Bonobos human-rights status – especially seeing they have been hunted to near-extinction, for their meat, as we speak! They suggest that we are really Pan sapiens or that we should re-categorize Bonobos as the only other living Homo species, becoming Homo paniscus if we decide to keep our Homo sapiens label.

The more aggressive Common chimpanzees are Pan troglodytes, and are not candidates, except for being included in the Primate Rights Declaration which also allows gorillas, orang-utans and some smaller primates. The Spanish Parliament recently adopted the Primate Rights Declaration. Hopefully other countries will soon follow. Get your country involved.

Bonobos are the only primates which have a matriarchial society, and with this group-female leadership structure, it is a peaceful one where co-operation rules and trouble is diffused by pleasurable sex or close cuddling and / or feasting communally by sharing of food. Sounds good, doesn’t it!

These primates are often bipedal, traveling and working upright, and have also proven themselves to be excellent, forward-thinking, tool users. Bonobos have successfully passed the psychological “mirror-tests” for self-awareness!  They are being taught to communicate with humans, excellently, in some labs already.

See some of the research at: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12856714 and other links at Reference section below.

In 1996, authors Richard Wrangham and Dale Peterson wrote:
“Chimpanzees and Bonobos both evolved from the same ancestor that gave rise to humans, and yet the Bonobo is one of the most peaceful, unaggressive species of mammals living on the earth today. They have evolved ways to reduce violence that permeate their entire society. They show us that the evolutionary dance of violence is not inexorable“.

Because of Humans, there are only 10,000 Bonobos left in the wild, at most — maybe far fewer.

They have been ravaged in their sole, war-torn habitat in Congo, as well as being regularly hunted as bush-meat. And, only a few are in “captivity” (which is also a totally unsuitable solution!). The Hope is that the world will help to provide them with a totally-protected Reserve and educate the Humans nearby to prevent their slaughter. You can help!

If we were down to the last 10,000 Humans, we’d expect something drastic to be done to help us, Homo sapiens — so why is Homo paniscus any less valuable? It’s no different!

Please learn more about what you can do to save Bonobos! Apart from being a sovereign species, they give us a valuable window into the past that may reflect a lot of Ourself and help us to see new possibilities for our own societal development.  www.greatapeproject.org/declaration.php   www.greatapeproject.org/help.php  www.bonobo.org and links in Reference below.

Best to all — Em

P.S. To read more of the Total Archive, please click on the Titles Tab on the upper Navigation Bar. Enjoy and Learn!

REFERENCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Ape_Trust

www.4apes.com   www.4apes.com/bonobo

www.bushmeat.org

www.bonobo.org

www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=63#foodsources

www.cnpp.usda.gov      
www.cnpp.usda.gov/MyPyramidTracker.htm  
www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov

PHOTO REFERENCES:

Change: New York Times 4-08

Modern, Obese David statue: www.arthurdavany.com via DrMercola.com

Bonobo with sugar-cane: www.4apes.com

Bonobo portrait – www.bonobo.org

(c)2008 Em https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com

If you desire to quote from or use my article, please respect my copyright and include it and my website address with your article or site. Thanks!

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New Food Pyramid For Seniors – Ages 50, 70 and Beyond – Individualizing Food Options

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

Earlier this year, under continued pressure from health professionals and scientist researchers, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) came out with new guidelines for eating, especially for Seniors aged 70 or beyond, but fully useful for those over 50 years old to lead into healthier decades ahead, in the scientists’ and dieticians’ opinion.  Even if you are not at this age, you have loved ones who are, and who may not be computer-savvy, so please pass this information along! (Double-click on the graphics to enlarge them.)

In light of the new science behind targeted individualization of dietary needs, as expressed in my recent post and response at: https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/coming-home-to-a-real-inspirational-life-journey-from-the-heaviest-person-in-the-world/ it becomes problematical to give “General Guidelines” like any Food Pyramid does, without further tutelage, as I try to do on my Diabetes Diet Plan, but this new USDA Senior Food Pyramid attempt is much better than their previous information — and here’s why!

Seniors cannot use the general, all-purpose USDA Food Pyramid. It is inappropriate for them due to:

___   Seniors’ ability to digest their food often lessens and changes over time, with implications for their continued good Health due to malabsorption or too little appetite and thirst signals.

___   In these decades, many people live alone with increasing financial needs to stretch their money.  

___   Often, people at this stage of life are dependent on others to help them drive and shop at the market and may need food supplies earlier than someone will help them. Also, the weather or other reasons, including personal strength and mobility, stops them from being able to do these jobs whenever they want or need to.

___   They may need simple foods that require little preparation if no-one can help them in the kitchen.

So, the Senior Food Pyramid attends to these needs by:

___   Giving options for multiple ways to store and use foods e.g. fresh vegetables or fruit and frozen vegetables or fruit; both count equally for these purposes. I still would not recommend canned!

___   Paying attention to getting nutrient dense foods into their diet so that people with small appetites will not be as likely to be undernourished.

___   Teaching Seniors that as their bodies change, they must relate to hunger and thirst differently. They are NOT getting the same signals, and so must critically understand how much of which kinds of foods will help them be nourished and must drink mechanically, by amount and by the clock, as most seniors become very dehydrated due to impaired signals.

___   Showing seniors some of the supplements they need to help digestion and to compensate somewhat for lack of exposure to sufficient sunshine all year. Finally acknowledging that Seniors DO need supplements is a big deal (but they must be in the forms seniors can digest — many pills are impossible for them to utilize; not enough detail on the Pyramid for that fact, unfortunately).

 ___   Encouraging Seniors that it is imperative to stay active, and giving physical activity and water the 2 most important parts of the Pyramid — the vital Foundation section. Another Pyramid for all ages was also suggested by Dr. Walter Willett, PhD of Harvard’s School of Public Health; in 2001, he shows a Pyramid that encapsulates many changes that USDA still needs to use!  I think Dr. Willett would object to this USDA new Pyramid has such small emphasis and positioning for healthy fats, and still way too much emphasis on dairy and grains. See more of Willett’s Pyramid by clicking on the interactive graphic at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2001-07-26-food-pyramid-usat.htm and in the original, easier-to-see, larger-scale graphic of the Tufts University’s version of the Senior Pyramid, (differently presented than the one I chose at the top of the page here). The Tufts graphic especially shows active pursuits that are enabling. See: http://nutrition.tufts.edu/1197972031385/Nutrition-Page-nl2w_1198058402614.html

___   Providing simple ways and food-stuffs to make meals.

BUT, I personally think that there’s still lots of room for improvement in making further adjustments to the Senior’s Food Pyramid, however, it has been worthwhile to alert the general public and to give them the computer program access to track progress.

For those of you who want to help the Elders in your circle of friends and family, many of whom may not be computer-savvy or have ready-access to a computer, then spend time with them to get their weight, height and personal activity level, so you can plug that information into USDA’s computer program to then print-out a Personalized Diet Plan based on the Senior USDA Food Pyramid. Notice, that there are also worksheet pages, so your Senior can start keeping a Food Journal, to help everyone understand how things are going.

Access all of this at:

http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx
www.mypyramid.gov/
www.mypyramidtracker.gov/

There’s lots you and they can learn there, but DO realize that USDA is definitely prejudiced! For example, there is too much emphasis on dairy, period, and there is not one source for calcium mentioned that is not dairy related!

USDA and Big Agribusiness are definitely bed-fellows and this Pyramid reflects too traditional foods with few or no alternative views’ choices mentioned!

I also think this Pyramid allows far too many acidifying grains and not enough Healthy Oils (EssentialFatty Acids like Omega-3) or enough fresh food, especially vegetables. Additionally, except in winter, I would not encourage packaged or canned food at all, and even then they should only be for an emergency stash. These Big Business products are not healthy. Get cook books that encourage simple preparation of fresh foods, and help your Seniors make new recipes that are healthy and possible for them to fix themselves, as much as you can.

I was surprised to see my 85 year old Mum’s calorie requirements not any different than my own, (and she is not overweight by much — maybe 10 pounds), but due to tremendous hip pain, she is very sedentary. As she hardly has any appetite or thirst, I am shocked to see that, somehow, I have to intensify what I manage to get her to eat to the degree I must. I am going to continue to make sure that she has many smaller meals of nutrient-dense, interesting food, as much as I can.

She has a very tiny appetite, and up until now, I have aceded to her wishes for small portions most times, as I do not want her to gain weight that will worsen her hip situation and cause her to lose more mobility.

Frankly, I think we will be continuing to spend more money on very easily-assimilated  supplements, (especially Vitamin B12, Calcium citrate or ascorbate, natural Vitamin D and some digestive enzymes or Bromelain, some Magnesium citrate and Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids from hemp oil [none of these last 4 are on the Pyramid] as the minimum) to provide a better safety-net for her.

I will also continue to buy Organic foods as much as our budget allows, as in Organic foods, nutrition is doubled, for less than double the price (this is important for a senior’s small appetite!). To know how to spend your Organic Food Dollar wisely, use the following website’s chart of most-pesticided residue foods. It includes a wallet card of the worst offenders, so you can understand what is necessary to buy Organic for best Health.

http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

Meanwhile, please do watch out for your Elders. Their quality of Life depends on being Healthy. Anything you can do in this regard will be a good deed. One day, hopefully, others will do this for you, too.

You can read part 2 of this series at:

https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/new-food-pyramid-for-seniors-ages-50-70-and-beyond-part-2a-adding-b-vitamins-biotin-b5-folic-acid/

Best to all — Em

To read more: Please use the Titles Tab on the Navigation Bar at the top of this page.

(c)2008 Em https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com

If you desire to use or quote from my article, please respect my copyright and do include the copyright citation and website address in your article. Thanks!

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Coming Home To A Real Inspirational Life-Journey From The Heaviest Person In The World!

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

As part of my diabetes diet plan, I want to tell you about Manuel Uribe-Garza from Monterrey, Mexico who should be an inspiration to all of us, even while he is still known as the World’s Heaviest Man. Originally, Manuel weighed in at least an amazing 1240 pounds, especially due to 2 failed surgeries, which interrupted his lymph system’s ability to drain and detoxify his body properly.  He has been bed-bound for 5 years, but in the past 2 years, using The Zone Dietary Plan, Manuel has succeeded in losing 418 pounds — just 1/3 of his weight, but if he continues at the present rate, next year he is likely to have lost more weight than anyone has ever lost. (Present official Guinness record-holder is recently deceased Rosalie Bradford of Florida, unofficially, it’s Carol Yager of Michigan, also deceased.)  So I hope his story will inspire you to do whatever you need to regain your own Health, for this is an example of the true power of each human’s Spirit.

My diabetes diet plan has also always been inspired, in part, by the revolutionary work of Dr. Barry Sears, PhD, developer of The Zone Diet, whose plan I started long before he ever published a book, when I sent my husband  to meet him in the early 1980’s, while I stayed home to mind our toddler. He came back with a stack of photocopied pages, and I soon found out how wonderfully effective The Zone Diet is at modifying blood sugar — I came right back down to the 80’s (“normal” range) after being consistently at about 116, then (pre-diabetic). When I adhered to The Zone, my blood sugar levels were great. http://www.zonediet.com/PYRAMID/WellnessPyramid/tabid/106/Default.aspx

Barry developed The Zone Diet protocol as he was trying to save his own life and his brother’s (their family history would have had them die in their early 40’s) and then he wanted to get the word out about how basic biochemistry is affecting your ability to control your weight and to maintain healthy hormonal balance. The Zone especially emphasizes how to control insulin hormone’s wide-ranging effect and impact on your daily Health, whether you are diabetic or not.

Among other issues, The Zone Diet highlighted that the American Diabetes Association’s dietary guidelines were 180 degrees wrong, for decades, especially in allowing as much as 70% of a diabetic’s diet to come from “complex carbohydrate” and then they espoused getting it mostly by emphasizing high amounts of acid-forming grains, rather than by using alkaline vegetables and few or no grains (as in the successful pH Miracle dietary protocol).

Dr. Sears and Manuel’s physicians are vocal about The Zone Diet’s ability to have effected such radical change for even a person in such dire straits as Manuel is at the moment, and his success is due to his own perseverance using a dietary system designed to control insulin and its wide-ranging impact on Health, for everyone.

As with all systems, it is important to consult with a knowledgeable physician (many receive very little formal training on any of this in medical school), especially if you are diabetic, as The Zone Diet, even though it is a hormonal-balancer, still may include too much protein for your diabetic kidneys (however, The Zone Diet has been used successfully, years ago, in a Texas HMO’s clinical study with its highest-risk members — including diabetics and heart patients).

Now, back to Manuel. Surprisingly, he eats only a Zone-balanced 2,000 calorie diet (21 Zone-blocks), the same amount that he will eat 2 years from now, when he hopes to be a normal-weight of 250 pounds. This is because your dietary quotas are always based on your lean muscle mass NOT your total weight. And, even though he is still bed-bound, Manuel has acquired tremendous new fat-burning capability by building-up his muscle mass via arm-cycling exercises.

His dedicated personal-trainer and husband-wife physician team (Dr. Silvia Orozco, MD and Dr. Gustavo Orozco, MD) applaud  Manuel’s tenacity and are happy to announce that this Heaviest Human is possibly the Healthiest Human in North America! Yes, you read that correctly! How can that be???

Yes, there IS a total disconnect between how obese a person may LOOK and how Healthy that person actually IS!

And, that’s is what is so desperately wrong about how obese people are treated, automatically, in our ignorant, discriminatory society.

Using The Zone Dietary Plan, Manuel’s lab tests show natural, healthy numbers (no-medication needed, or used), numbers that will put most skinny people to shame.

___   His blood sugars are normal.

___   His resting heart rate is 56 (equivalent to that found in the best-trained athletes).

___   Manuel’s blood pressure is 110/60 (that of a healthy teenager). 

___   His cholesterol levels are normal range.

Here is a sample of one of Manuel’s daily meal plans. He is constantly under the care of his physicians who supervise his 2,000 calories per day meal plan, which is really a life-change regimen, that he will continue himself for the rest of his life, once he reaches normal weight in 2 years.

Here is a sample meal plan for one day:

Breakfast:
6 egg white scrambled eggs
¾ cup melon, ½ grapefruit, and 1 cup strawberries
3 tablespoons guacamole

Lunch:
3 ounces tuna salad with avocado and cucumber
½ grapefruit
3 cups vegetables

Snack:
Protein Shake (3 scoops Zone Protein Powder in water, 18 peanuts, 3 peaches or 1 cup mandarin oranges, blended)

Dinner:
Chicken Fajitas (3 oz. chicken, onions, peppers, and [1] 6″ tortilla)
2 cups vegetables

2nd Dinner:
Fish Filet in Green Salad (4 oz. white fish, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, pumpkin, green beans, squash, and cucumbers)
3 tablespoons avocado
1 apple

Snack:
Protein Shake (1 cup 2% milk, 3 scoops Zone Protein Powder, 9 almonds, Splenda, ½ cup strawberries, and 1 cup melon)

In addition to this food, because of Manuel’s lymphatic needs, he is on a huge supplementation of specific healthy oils. Learn more at:

http://www.zonediet.com/OurFaithfulZonerManuelUribe/tabid/181/Default.aspx#

There are things that I disagree with on this particular set of menus and I will describe them below. It is one reason why I no longer include completely random-food choice as the basis for Zone-eating or on my diabetes diet plan for Type 1 or Type 2 diabetics.  The Zone still allows acidic food-combinations and artificial sweeteners that my diabetes diet plan does NOT, but The Zone Diet does form a generally healthy foundation, and is even more effective if you make mostly alkaline food choices and those modified for Blood-Type — which is most of what my long-term, sustainable Diabetes Diet Plan is designed to do.

My comments:

___   Melons should always be eaten at least 20 minutes before any other food, including other fruits. They are so excellently alkaline that their digestive needs do not jibe with those of other foods, and if eaten other than described, all the foods will not be digested optimally or even well. Have ALL fruits 20 minutes before the rest of the meal, and melons 20 minutes before that (!).

___   I never agree with the use of artificial sweeteners, even for diabetics, (Manuel is not diabetic). There are healthy, low glycemic alternative sweeteners like agave nectar and prickly pear cactus syrup  or stevia which your body will recognize as food. You can even use a touch of real, organic, raw honey if in the proper Zone-block portion (not for children under 3 years old due to possible botulism spores in any honey) in a Zone-constructed meal. Artificial sweeteners alter your biochemistry in deleterious ways; it is especially hurtful of your brain chemistry and artificial sweeteners make you FAT.

___   I do not recommend peanuts at all, but only those grown in Deaf Smith county Texas are free of aflotoxin mold, which is incredibly injurious to your liver. Arrowhead Mills brand and Marantha are 2 brands that I believe qualify by using this acceptable source. Check that information is still current. Marantha Organic Almond Butter is much more nutritious, without the danger of the molds. Raw almonds are the healthiest nuts (they are increasingly difficult to get, except online, as California, the world’s largest producer, recently has mandated irradiation and still allows labeling them as “raw”!).

___   The Zone Diet’s protein powder has been soy-based (I think) in the past. I am not a fan of fractionalized, dehydrated soy. Although touted as healthy, there is a dark-side to soy, and you need to read more about it. I prefer a micronized whey protein powder which has been processed to be free of the allergenic components of milk, if you must use such powders. Learning the Zone-Block system will give you protein-equivalents, so those could be used as stand-alone foods instead of any protein powders, in the same meal, alongside the smoothie made with any equivalent zone-block liquids or the ones already listed.

___   It is not necessary to have huge amounts of animal protein to stay healthy, if being vegetarian is compatible with your Blood Type, but there should always be some animal protein so that your body does not lose its ability to process these proteins. It will lose that ability if you are vegan. Being a lacto-ovo vegetarian should help, but the enzymes that you need to process animal flesh may still be “lost” (check with your doctor about that), and it’s very easy to become over-acidified on constant amounts of milk, cheese and eggs, and even easier for carnivores on regular amounts of animal flesh, especially land-animal meats.

I suggest eating fish at least once a week to maintain your body’s enzymatic ability; so, consider putting your “philosophy” aside for one meal. And, I also believe you, as parents, do not have the right to take this natural digestive ability away from your children and impede their future choices or needs in a civil emergency.

There are at least 3 short-term vegan diets (one “pH Miracle For Diabetes” by Dr. Robert O. Young, PhD and the other Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MD’s “30 Days Raw to Cure Diabetes” and the program by Shane Ellison, MS at The People’s Chemist) that have been successful, but I stand by my own statements above, for eating at least one fish meal a week if you are otherwise vegetarian, (after you finish the diabetes-cure diet protocols, if you use them), for the reasons given above and because I believe that fish is another basic, foundational human food, supported by the anthropological and archeological evidence. And, fish is definitely brain and heart food, better than just about any other.

Dr. Young says freshwater fish are less acidic than ocean fish; for both, you must know the environment where they were fished, as that is paramount, to have safe fish. If not using cold-water ocean fish, then it is important to read about finding safe fish-oil supplements below.

My husband and I were vegetarians for decades, as was my child, but we were never vegan. We followed the Blood Type Diet since 1980, and we finally found that we were the always-vegetarian blood-type A sub-group that needed “some” fish protein, as described in Dr. James D’Adamo, ND’s second adaptation of his original Blood Type Diet (now continued research is by his son, Dr. Peter D’ Adamo, ND). See his site and blog online at www.dadamo.com and listen to the audios etc.(especially the interview Peter did with renowed heart-surgeon and health advocate Dr. Memet Oz, MD at http://www.dadamo.com/B2blogs/blogs/index.php/the-genotype-diet-podcasts/?blog=24

as well as the very informative post at www.dadamo.com/B2blogs/blogs/index.php/2008/07/13/the-queen?blog=24 .).

In including fish, it is important to understand which species are at risk (use the chart at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s endangered list) and also know some species of fish put you at-risk because of ecological contamination. Tuna is on Manuel’s Zone menu above, but IF you use tuna, you should have tuna only a maximum of twice a week (once for children; none for pregnant or lactating women), as it is the top of the food chain and has huge mercury levels for you, if you eat it too often. You keep the toxic mercury in your body, period. The only way to get rid of mercury is to go on a physician-assisted, formal chelation program. So, choose the right fish, harvested to help our planet (which also means no shellfish).

Dr. Sears also makes the point many times that the vast majority of suppliers of “molecularly-distilled” fish oil are NOT doing this critical process properly or well. The heart-healthy, inflammation-reducing, healthy Omega-3 fats from cold-water fish need proper processing as all the ecological toxins are harbored in the fat of any animal. See reference section for University-tested acceptable fish oil sources.

Hemp oil is a fabulous vegetarian source of the same Omega-3 healthy fats. Flax and avocados are also worth mentioning. 

I use both hemp oil, hemp seeds and also avocados instead of the more-expensive, wild, cold-water fish, most of the time and Dr. Robert O. Young, PhD, suggests the use of up to 3 healthy, preferably organic, avocados a day and a (vegan) diet of 50% fat (especially because healthy fats do not impact insulin levels like carbohydrates do, and healthy fats support needed, natural anti-inflammatory production).  There is a target 30% fat on The Zone Diet (40% complex carbohydrate, 30% protein, 30% healthy fats). It is well-known science that says ‘you must eat the healthy Omega-3 fats to: 1) lose weight’ 2) have natural anti-inflammatories being made by your body (to help prevent arterial damage and for pain management) and 3) provide the chemicals to maintain your brain and Health.

OK, I have to stop this post. I am off to the eye doctor for my check-up and I have forms to fill out. Make sure you keep getting your eyes checked, too, consistently by the same practitioner so any “changes” can be noted, and make sure your eyes are dilated, so your retinas can be examined properly!

Best to all — Em

REFERENCES:

University of Guelph – IFOS – documenting brands of fish oil for safety

http://www.nutrasource.ca/ifos_new/index.asp
http://www.nutrasource.ca/ifos_new/index.asp?section=ifosconsumer
http://www.nutrasource.ca/ifos_new/index.asp?section=ifosconsumer&ifossection=5%20Star%20Rating%20Reports

Dr. Robert O. Young, PhD – Alkaline Diabetes protocol

www.phmiracleliving.com  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-EmCBVJXow  

http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com

http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2007/11/ph-miracle-for-diabetes-works.html

Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MD – Raw Foods Diabetes protocol

http://www.rawfor30days.com/Site/Simply_Raw.html

http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/32119/reversing-diabetes

http://www.treeoflife.nu/diabetes 

Shane Ellison, MSc – The People’s Chemist: Multi-Faceted 90 Day Diabetes Cure Protocol

http://www.trans4mind.com/counterpoint/ellison.shtml

http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/2008/01/diabetes-and-the-drugs-to-control-it-could-shorten-your-life/

http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/2007/11/new-research-tips-the-scales-in-favor-of-fat/

http://www.healthmyths.net/

http://www.healthmyths.net/ecourse.php

http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/2007/08/the-cancer-fighting-fat-that-vegetarians-are-missing/

Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Guide:

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp

Dr. Barry Sears, PhD: www.zonediet.com   www.drsears.com

Dr. Peter D’Adamo, ND: www.dadamo.com

http://www.dadamo.com/B2blogs/blogs/index.php/the-genotype-diet-podcasts/?blog=24

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(c)2008 Em at https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com

If you decide to use or quote from my article, please respect my copyright and include my full copyright citationand website address in your article. Thanks!

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An Update From Heat Central!

As I write, the temperature is 109 degrees Fahrenheit outside. There are severe heat warnings in place for Northern California. It gives me the chance to mention that everyone must keep up their fluids in the summer heat, and it is critical to watch young and elder members of the family who depend on others to bring them what they need. Thirst signals diminish with age, and so you must drink water by the number of glasses and not “thirst”. Adults may need even more than the usually prescribed 64 oz. a day. Only water counts.

If you drink other liquids, you will have to drink more than the usual 64 ozs. of water, too, as it robs your body of water to digest any other liquid than water, although juices are almost as good. Milk, alcohol etc, dehydrate you.

Also, in the heat, remember to replace the electrolytes you lose in perspiration. Use Celtic sea salt in dishes; it has all the minerals you need without the fancy “sport” drinks’ colorings, sugars etc. Hylands homeopathic cell salts will also help.

I’ll be driving back to the Pacific Northwest over the next few days, so this is a short post that I may update later.

I’m looking forward to the ocean fog and cool breezes, and I hope the fires will abate soon and not effect us as we travel nearby. Everyone should do their best to stay safe on our planet which is expressing it’s pain and imbalance for all the harm reckless people have perpetrated. Severe thunderstorms and all kinds of crazy weather is going on all over. Do what you can to push for change, and especially do everything you can to be progressively involved in leaving a small carbon footprint. Recycle, and encourage your industry to be innovative in this regard, far more than they have.

Meanwhile, take the chance to read more of the archive at the tab on the upper navigation bar.

Best to all — Em

(c)2008 Em https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com

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Patriotism and Em’s July 4th “Fireworks Potato Salad”

I’m in the process of heading home to the Pacific Northwest, and while I love watching the fireworks display over the lake at my Mum’s home, at this time of year, I also remember driving along the main North – South freeway on July 4th, in years past, watching fireworks light the skies from town to town, as America celebrates. It’s a really different, special and holistic perspective than just being in one town that night.

As families get ready to party together, here’s a healthier version of the usual potato salad, and in my diabetes diet plan, remember, don’t be afraid to use as much extra-virgin organic olive oil as you need to lightly moisten the salad properly; use the designated oil rather than mayonnaise, for several important health reasons.

The fats in the avocado and olive oil will also NOT impact your blood sugar because the oils slow-down the “spike” from the carbohydrates as you digest the meal more slowly. The recommended diet guidelines from Dr. Robert O. Young, PhD’s pH Miracle dietary plan and many other researchers now prefer a higher percentage of calories from “healthy” monosaturated and Omega-3 oils (NOT from polyunsaturated oils!) rather than from the heavy carbohydrates: grains and sugars, or even fruit.

So, I made this recipe originally for July 1, to celebrate what would have been my parent’s 65th wedding anniversary, but it works wonderfully for your celebrations for July 4th or later for Guy Fawke’s Day in the Commonwealth. And, by posting it today, you still have time to shop for the ingredients, prepare and chill it — how “cool” is that! I’m organized in the midst of apparent chaos!

Surrounded by 1,400 fires already in Northern California, I urge you to use good sense when using fireworks, including to refrain from using them, if conditions demand it!

Have a safe and sane holiday, and have fun with your multi-generational family, if at all possible. Maintain strong family ties and build memories together.

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Also, please remember the sacrifices so many have made, and are continuing to make, on our behalf. We live in what can be a great country, but we have to continually re-invent ourselves, while retaining our core values, in an ever-changing and provacative world.

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Be a Patriot. Please don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Do work for much-needed Change. There are many ways to be brave and to serve your country well.

Be proactive. Be vocal. Don’t accept the status quo. Make positive Change happen – for our country and for our planet – and do so in spite of the sad politics-as-usual offerings or short, eclipsed view of The Future. Be a participant.

Now more than ever, your country needs you and your original ideas.

Best to all — Em

P.S.

READ THE WARNING SECTION BELOW!

REFERENCES:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/dyk.html
http://www.fireworksafety.com
How to photograph fireworks successfully and Photo Credit for picture above:
http://photo2.si.edu/firew/firew.html

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Em’s July 4th “Fireworks Potato Salad”

Serves 4 – 6 small portions

___ 1 to 1 1/2C spelt or rice macaroni elbows, cooked, but not overly soft, just to “al dente”
___ 1 sweet potato, unpeeled, washed and scrubbed, 3/4″ chunk cross-sections*, steamed but firm, approx. 7 – 10 minutes. Prick-test with a fork.
___ 3 medium to large red potatoes, unpeeled, washed and scrubbed, 3/4″ cross-sections*, steamed, approx. 7 – 10 minutes. Test with a fork.
___ ½ dill pickle, diced small
___ 3 stalks of celery heart, sliced thinly and diced
___ 3 – 6 T extra-virgin,organic olive oil
___ generous sprinkle of organic garlic powder
___ 1/16t mild curry powder ( I always use Sharwood’s – http://www.sharwoods.com )
___ organic sea salt – to taste
___ organic black pepper – to taste

___ Optional garnish:
“melon” balls of avocado tossed in lemon juice
confetti squares of red bell pepper
minced parsley
organic, cage-free hard-boiled egg/s, chopped, to “edge” the bowl

Make sure NOT to over-cook anything. The pasta and potatoes need to be slightly under-cooked or “just” cooked in order to survive, with their shapes intact, when GENTLY tossing the salad. As soon as all ingredients are dressed and tossed in a large container, add the garnishes for color and nutrition, only in the final presentation. Chill it well. If it is served outside, put it in a chilled bowl of ice, if possible, but never leave it out any longer than 60 – 90 minutes, depending on the day’s temperature.

*Optional: use a star cookie cutter to cut shape, before steaming the slices.

___ The spelt or rice pasta is usually OK for people with gluten intolerance or wheat allergy and if this is a public party, it is important for it to be labeled “gluten-free” if made with rice and the grain-source listed, if spelt, so they can decide whether to taste it, and people know it is safe for them.

___ The sweet potato is a highly alkaline food, offsetting some of the pH acidity from the grains. It also is a high fiber – low glycemic index food and is a fabulous source of Vitamin A.

___ The red potatoes must be served with their skins to be alkaline food and to maintain their vitamin content. Red potatoes are the best to use for potato salads as they have the best consistency to survive tossing — thank you Martha Stewart for that information that has always worked well.

___ Although an acidic food, I included the dill pickle, as it is traditional, but I down-played it’s quantity. I wanted the sweetness from the sweet potato to have only a whisper of a counter-point, in the hope that it’s sweetness will satisfy your brain’s endorphin receptors, and that you will not crave other “sweets” as much, or at all, during this meal.

___ The celery is traditional, provides fiber that slows the glycemic “load” of the recipe, provides needed “crunch” as well as substances that help calm you a little on an evening already “sparked” with too much adrenaline rush.

___ The olive oil and avocado provide healthy fats as mentioned above, and they help to modify your appetite by providing satiety, without a blood sugar cost, and with a moderate caloric cost. Research also shows that you require adequate amounts of the “healthy” fats – monsaturated and Omega 3’s – to lose weight or to avoid obesity.

___ The garlic and turmeric in the curry powder provide natural antibiotics to help keep the dish safer if it sits on a buffet table, as well as providing flavor. The curry spices are also used in hot countries to “spark’ a little perspiration, which will help you to “cool down” on a hot day or evening.

___ The red bell pepper provides Vitamin C.

___ The minced parsley provides some of the essential B Vitamins.

___ The organic, whole sea salt contains all the vital minerals and electrolytes to replace on a warm / hot day that are lost thru perspiration. The organic black pepper provides a little chromium to help blood sugar by letting insulin act more effectively.

___ The organic, free-range chicken egg/s provides extra protein and boosts the vegetable proteins. It would still be an acceptable dish for all vegetarians except vegans (they would object to only the eggs, so remove their portion before garnishing with the eggs).
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WARNING!

According to the female dermatologist I saw on Good Morning America this morning (nothing on their webpage 7.3.08), insect repellent and sunblock should NOT be mixed!

This is not general knowledge, and as some of you will be partying all day and into the night, or are on camping trips, it is important to know that you must stage the application of these products.

You can read a bit more about the health issues in the links below, but the gist is that sunblock increases the absorption rate of the insecticide into YOUR body … as much as 630% more, according to Canadian studies, if a combined application or product is used.

SO, use sunblock during the day, and at dusk, make sure than the sunblock has disappeared well or been washed off, then apply your repellent. The GMA dermatologist says NO DEET sprays or insecticide creams for children under 12 years old! For children, diabetics, and senior adults, skin is automatically thinner, so more absorbable. For these groups, then, especially children, use a natural insecticide preparation like Burt’s Bees or “Don’t Bite Me!”, she said.

I am not sure how dermatologists would prefer you deal with tics, biting midges etc., which can bite you in the daytime. Please discuss this with your physician in more detail.

REFERENCES:
http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat.asp?newID=2417
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=02a33c52-c5ff-452c-bb21-2e7176088465
http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SubCategoryDisplay?catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&langId=-1&subCategoryId=-139

http://www.dontbitemepatch.com/contactus.htm

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/safe-bug-repellent.html

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(c) 2008 Em https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com
If you decide to use my article or quote from it, please respect my copyright and include my copyright citation and website address in your article’s reference section. Thanks!

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