Proof in the Pooping

This stinky subject is necessary.  Your bowel movements and the quality of stools is a significant indicator of health:

• Chronic diarrhea is a sign that you are sick.  Think of it this way: it is your body throwing-up at the other end.  Something is wrong if it last more than a few days and having episodes several times a week is not a good.  It needs to be addressed.
• Since memory serves, I have experienced chronic diarrhea my entire adult life.  I estimate that it occurred 2-4 times a week.  I also had a lot of gas.  The guys in college always poked fun at me; “Pete has the smelliest…”.
• I got my sh*! together by eliminating grains and sugar:
  • Chronic Diarrhea Solved – I seldom have loose stools; less than five times in the last two years.  I can trace those events to food I ate.  I also never have been constipated since eating Paleo / ketogenic.
  • No More Gas – problems with gas actually peaked when I followed the conventional treatment for diverticulosis to add lots of fiber
  • No More Stink – yep, the embarrassing foul smell is gone
  • Normal Stools
  • Normal Frequency
  • Normal Pressure – pooping is now easy!  I sit down on the toilet, I go and I am finished within a few minutes.  No pressure, pain or discomfort.
  • No More Irritation
• I am convinced that my past Irritable Bowel Syndrome (since teen years) and diverticulosis (2009) was caused by the consumption of grains:
  • Am I gluten intolerant?  Yes.  I have not been tested, but if I consume gluten products I can feel my digestive system speed-up and I experience gas and bloating.
  • Do I consume supplemental fiber?  No.  I get plenty of fiber from greens and vegetables.

Links:

• What Your Poop Says About Your Health (11 Slides)
• The Answer to Your Health is in your Poop (TEDx Video)

Fiat Lux

Fiat Lux –  Let There Be Light

Does artificial light contribute to chronic health issues? In the last 100 years most of the light that incidents on our eyes and body is artificial:

1. We are Living In Modern Caves
   1. Most people work in an office or factory under florescent lights and drive home under the roof of car and then dash into the house. Many people seldom experience natural daylight.
2. Evening /Night
   1. We now spend most nights staring at the displays of televisions, computers, tablets and smartphones, even in the bedroom.
   2. Backlit tablets that are loaded with the blue spectrum are replacing books.
   3. These artificial light sources disrupts circadian rhythms and suppresses the hormone melatonin which is important to induce sleep.
3. Sleep
   1. Night lights cast blue spectrum in many houses and bedrooms
   2. Blue spectrum is emitted from many LED alarm clocks
   3. The blue spectrum from street lights illuminate bedrooms through windows

Articles / Videos

• AMA – Light Pollution: Adverse Health Effects of Nighttime Lighting
• Warning: Is artificial light shattering your productivity?
• Artificial light harmful to our health? (Audio)
• Sleep Disorders – Health Matters (Video)
  

 

Finding the time…

How do you get going?  How do you keep going?  How do you find the time and gain the motivation?

What really helps me is listening to podcasts during my commute time and evening walks.  I find them very informative and I gain a sense of being supported.  It keeps me connected to the community.

1. I bought these headphones for the Smartphone.  I love these headphones because I can still hear the world around me, especially while walking outside
2. I download a boat load of podcasts to the Smartphone so they don’t freeze-up due to cell tower drops, etc.
3. This Droid app allows you to pre-load Podcasts: DoubleTwist

Some of the Podcast I have listened to (many I have listened to more than once):

• Dr. Ron Rosedale On Low-Carb, Leptin And Lipolysis
• Lipid Expert Dr. Chris Masterjohn Examines Traditional Diets
• Primal Legend Mark Sisson Gives The Blueprint For Living
• Paleo Expert Nora Gedgaudas Extols Low-Carb, High-Fat Diets
• David Perlmutter Blames Carbs For Brain Health Decline In ‘Grain Brain’
• Dr. Kate Rhéaume-Bleue Shines A Light On Vitamin K2 And The Calcium Paradox
• Dr. William Davis On Low-Carb For Heart Health
• Dr. Terry Wahls Uses The Paleo Diet To Heal Her Body From Multiple Sclerosis
• Food Matters with James Colquhoun
• How Real Food Improves Your Performance with Joel Salatin
• Everything You Need To Know About Saturated Fat & Cholesterol with Chris Masterjohn
• How To Upgrade Your Brain with Coconut Oil & Ketones
• Mark Sisson on Relaxation, Depression Meds & the Future of Health
• Dr. Rodney Ford on Gluten’s Impact on the Brain and Moods
• Food Quality & How Living Healthy Is Simple 

Got Statins? Stop!

If you are taking statins  like Lipitor, Crestor or your doctor has recommended them, you need to watch these videos:

• Cholesterol Drug War
• The Great Cholesterol Myth
• The Straight Dope on Cholesterol

Mayo Clinic – Statin Side Affects

From WebMD

• Headache
• Difficulty sleeping
• Flushing of the skin
• Muscle aches, tenderness, or weakness (myalgia)
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Abdominal cramping and/or pain
• Bloating and/or gas
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Rash

“Natural” Flavors

• “Natural Flavors” is a code word for chemical additives with the intent by the manufacturer to get returning customers (i.e., addicted)
• Video: 60-Minutes on the Flavorists.  Inside an international chemical manufacturer that employs over 9,000 people to produce “Natural Flavors” that are added to nearly everything we eat today.
• News Article – discusses food industry’s use of  the label “Natural”

My Guidelines:

1. Avoid “Natural Flavors” on the ingredient label.  They are flavors manufactured using processes designed in laboratory
2. Skip the splashy claims and read the Ingredients
3. Beware if there are more than a few ingredients listed
4. Beware if you cannot pronounce an ingredient
5. Spend a few minutes at home doing Internet research on unfamiliar ingredients.

Book that helped me:

Rich Food Poor Food: The Ultimate Grocery Purchasing System (GPS)

Government and Diet Recommendations

Videos:

• Heart Of The Matter – Part 1
• Heart Of The Mater – Part 2
• Why We Get Fat
• Sweden Becomes First Western Nation to Reject Low-fat Diet
• Fat Head – The Movie  – if you don’t want to watch the entire 1 hour, 40 min movie,  jump to the 52 minute mark.

An Oyster a Day…with Sardines!

Oysters and Sardines are two super foods for the brain.  Eat them several times a week!

Facts About Oysters:

• Rich in calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, selenium and Omega-3
• Good source of Vitamin A, B, C and D and contain tyrosine, an amino acid that supports brain function

I buy these Oysters  already shucked in the refrigerated seafood section at the local Publix store for $5.

Facts About Sardines:

• They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium.
• They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.

I buy sardines with the skin on.  Avoid skinless and boneless because many excellent nutrients are contained in the skin and bones.  I get these Trader Joe’s Sardines, packed in water.  The Amazon price at this link is expensive.  The local Trader Joe’s sells a can for $1.29.