“A study published July 11 by Swiss scientists found that BPA transfers readily from receipts to skin and can penetrate the skin to such a depth that it cannot be washed off (Biedermann 2010). This raises the possibility that the chemical infiltrates the skin's lower layers to enter the bloodstream directly. BPA has also been shown to penetrate skin in laboratory studies (Kaddar 2008). EWG collected 36 receipts and commissioned the University of Missouri Division of Biological Sciences laboratory to investigate their BPA content. This laboratory is considered one of the world's foremost research facilities in its capability to detect environmentally relevant BPA concentrations. The Missouri scientists found that the total mass of BPA on a receipt is 250 to 1,000 times greater than the amount of BPA typically found in a can of food or a can of baby formula, or that which leaches from a BPA-based plastic baby bottle into its contents. These data should not be interpreted to suggest that policymakers shift their focus from BPA contamination of food, which is widespread, to receipts. BPA exposure from food sources is ubiquitous and should remain the first priority of U.S. policymakers. However, a significant portion of the public may also be exposed to BPA by handling receipts. Since many retailers do not use BPA-laden thermal paper, this particular route of exposure is easy to correct.” Read the full report on Environmental Working Group site here: https://www.ewg.org/research/bpa-in-store-receipts
Read MoreWhy you can get fatter from fasting and eating late in the day
Everything in life is about timing. We know this intuitively - we can have the right credentials, but if we present ourselves to a potential business opportunity at the wrong time, we lose out. We can meet “the right person” at “the wrong time” - and we miss out.
I’d say the most important thing in life is neither talent nor hard work, but mastering the art of timing.
This essentially means we can get away with working smarter rather than harder in life at whatever goal it is we want. This doesn’t mean lazy, it just means understanding how to roll with resistance and surf on the waves, rather than swim against them and end up utterly burnt out. Which is, inevitable what many A-type personalities do: they keep at it til they are completely beyond exhaustion. While hard work can be admirable, there is nothing admirable about working yourself through to the bone. Life is supposed to be fun and we want to thrive.
And if we want that, the single most important thing to learn is how everything in life revolves around timing.
This applies especially to our body - how it secretes digestive enzymes and hormones at certain times throughout the day. How eating too much too late can interfere with proper detoxification at night and deep sleep. These are proven today to be irrefutable facts according to modern science and its study in circadian rhythm. Ironically this advice has been around since ancient time according to Ayurvedic teachings.
Read MoreI'm LIVE: talking with personal trainer Rocky Snyder
I'm talking to personal trainer Rocky Snyder about how mental health, hormone imbalance and men's health issues more than ever is tied to toxicity issues (also lots of crazy facial expressions going on here, but hey, I just had a double-dipped chocolate croissant, so probably a sugar-high, what can I say).
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Please don’t do “Coke light”, if I may add.
Why you do NOT want to consume "light" or "sugarfree"
I’ve never been a fan of light products. It’s just counterintuitive to common sense: the body counts calories partly based on taste in combo with calorie density, and if we mess with food, that will very likely have an impact on our appetite-satiety switch, which is the worst thing ever to mess with, if we wish to have a healthy relationship with food, body and weight. It is true: we don’t have science to support that drinking artificial sweetened products can be tied to serious diseases. However, I think that is pretty much besides the point. Just because you don’t get cancer from one single life-style factor, it doesn’t make it harmless.
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You. On coffee.
It is critical to understand that coffee should be consumed no more than 3-4 x weekly, in order to keep performance optimization in tact from caffeine. If we take in high amounts of caffeine daily, we deplete our adrenals and actually lower our baseline performance. In this case, coffee only serves to help us feel somewhat normal over time, rather than the over-performer we aim to be. So go check your coffee habits. Click on to get the studies.
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Study finds that 62% of us weigh 10-12 lbs more due to "hidden chronic constipation".
A European medical study found that approx. 62% of adults whom doctors examined had an average of 10-12 pounds of residual fecal matter buildup in their large intestines and rectums. Even people who had a bowel movement daily were at risk for accumulating old fecal matter. The majority of my clients I start of putting on a variety of herbal supplements including mimosa pudica which literally scrubs the gut and gets rids of old fecal matter and biofilm. It smells utterly disgusting the first couple months when people go to the restroom, because old bacteria and rotten fecal matter is being expelled. But better that, than having this stuff inside our gut, creating chronic inflammation and inhibiting our ability to absorb nutrients. We are NOT what we eat, if we can’t absorb it. And if the walls of our gut is insulated with a layer of old fecal matter, we have created a haven for inflammatory conditions, pathogenic bacteria, parasites etc. If we do not remove this, but rather focus on treating the situations created by this toxic environment, we will never get to the root of the cause. We will stay stuck in symptom-management: taking stuff for our bacteria balance, getting rid of fungus growth or focusing on killing the parasites etc. All of which need to be addressed, but if the environment in which these things thrive is not cleaned up, it is all in vain, and will not last in the long-term whenever we stop “treatment”. We are NOT supposed to be stuck in need of constant treatment - we are supposed to treat the core issues and then be able to finally live a normal life. Read the study here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16009067/
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WEBINAR: The Essential role of detoxification in modern life (English only)
How do we navigate a toxic world and what is most important? Join Christina Santini, Human Nutrition and Biological Medicine practitioner to find out what it is our bodies actually need to detox from and how to do it.
ASMALLWORLD Members are invited to join an online webinar on "The Essential Role of Detoxification in Modern Life" with guest speaker Christina Santini as part of our ASMALLWORLD Webinars Series.
Tune in to this Zoom Webinar for ASmallWorld members on Tuesday, March 2nd at 20:00 CET (20:00 Zurich, 19:00 London, 14:00 New York).
To join live click here (membership required).
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Is keto good for low thyroid?
Low thyroid tends to affect the mitochondria negatively, when you then eat a keto diet, all the energy from ketogenesis goes directly to the mitochondria (which are often malfunctioning), to produce energy. This will worsen energy levels and weight for the majority. You are taking the fatty acids of fat and transporting that into the mitochondria, and if there are any issues with the carnitine-shuttle, then there are going to be problems. On top of that, then you are doing a fatty acid oxidation, so you are breaking that down in to acetyl-CoA and making it go through Krebs cycle and the electron-transport chain. This results in a very poor energy outcome in cases, where there is mitochondrial malfunction. Typically, when our thyroid is not working, we are struggling with chemical, infectional and/or heavy metal load, which is affecting the mitochondrial function. We do not want our energy production to have to go through this malfunctioning pathway then - we want to focus on glycolysis instead. The key here to understand is, that as our body changes with time, so do our dietary needs. And healthy eating is only healthy, if we are eating right for our body’s needs.
Read MoreRunning vs. walking for maximum fatloss
In a study published in the Journal of Obesity, researchers investigated the hormonal regulators of appetite in female runners and walkers to see which group was more likely to overeat following a 60-minute workout. Walkers ate 50 calories more than they burned during exercise, while runners ate 200 fewer calories than were lost during exercise. Runners also had higher levels of peptide YY in the body — a blood hormone that suppresses appetite. Walkers, on the other hand, had no increase. This appetite suppression among runners is key to understand the fat-burning effect of running over walking. Click on to read the full study.
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Is aspartame really harmless just cause it doesn't cause cancer?
Just because something doesn’t cause cancer, doesn’t mean it’s harmless - that should be pretty obvious for all and sundry. Yet that is often the argument these days people use to promote the use of artificial sweeteners like aspartame. I am no fan of anything that mimics calorie intake yet tricks the brain by not containing calories. This is the baseline of how we learned as babies to count our calories naturally: sweet taste = energy intake. When we mess with this fine-tuned system, we risk messing with our appetite-hunger switch and spiralling into yo-yo diets. Click to read on about how aspartame is linked to accelerated aging.
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Why lack of sunlight makes you fatter (study shows).
In the study researchers found that the white unhealthy type of fat cells shrink under sun’s blue light. This breakthrough helps explain why we tend to pack on the pounds in winter regardless of no change in diet/activity. And this may very well lead to light-based treatments for obesity and other related issues like diabetes. Read the full study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5703708/
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Why stool testing for parasites is nonsense.
Parasites do not just inhabit the stool - thus testing for parasites is highly inaccurate through stool-testing. Easily we will be told that we are parasite-free, when fact is - it is more likely we have parasites than not. According to CDC 33% of Americans have parasites - and probably more. I recommend simply treating parasites 3 months with botanicals. 70% of parasites are microscopic, so you won’t see them in the toilet, but if you happen to be the lucky host of other types, they will be visible. Everybody who has travelled, eaten sushi or undercooked meat, has pets etc. they should do a parasite cleanse. And obvious symptoms are digestive issues, bloating, skin rashes, and extreme difficulty gaining weight in some cases (only if you have a tape-worm infection though). I have seen quite a few underweight men, who simply cannot gain weight for the life of them regardless of strength training - and turned out they had a most unwelcome guest in the form of a tape-worm eating up all their nutrition. A stool-test will not be accurate in detecting this in most cases - simply treat it, and see what ends up in your toilet in the next 3 months time. These critters are opportunistic and thrive in body’s with a high toxic load, and can impair liver, kidney and gallbladder functioning. Here is a study explaining how parasites inhabit different parts of our body, and thus why testing for parasites in stool is similar odds to winning the lottery (obviously no one wants to win this lottery, but hey, it is what it is) Download the study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6842148/pdf/13071_2019_Article_3791.pdf Okay, that’s all for now folks. Moving on to a more appetizing topic. Cupcakes anyone?
Read MoreNot just what you eat but WHEN you eat matters (article link) →
Not just what you eat but when you eat. I’ve written an article on how meal-timing is key for hormone regulation, weight-loss and blood sugar: https://www.healthwebmagazine.com/healthy-living/blood-sugar-and-hormone-regulation/ And this is also why intermittent fasting is not for everyone long-term: especially women’s hormones are sensitive to fasting over 12-14 hours and will see negative impact on metabolism, estrogen and adrenals if longer fasting is practiced long-term.
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NEW testing for fluoride
The WHO considers safe levels of fluoride in drinking water to be <1mg per liter. Studies find just 1.5mg/L of fluoride in water is linked to a reduction in the thyroid hormones T3, T4, and TSH. We know very little about whether everyday products like fluoride-filled toothpaste is an issue health-wise - is the dosage to small to matter or is it a dealbreaker in long-term use? We don’t know, because we have not been able to test for it til now. And we can’t really treat what we can’t test for, unfortunately. Low thyroid function is epidemic today. Part of the reason may be heavy metals in addition to halogenic chemicals, like fluoride, and the other part is typically related to mineral deficiency, such as iodine (also opportunistic viruses, such as Epstein-Barr often is implicated in thyroid issues). According to WHO 40% of the world population live in areas where iodine is deficient. I just now got hold of a new testing method for fluoride, which has been on my wish-list for the last decade. In this test we will be testing all minerals, heavy metals, certain vitamins and now also fluoride. I am super excited that I am able to offer clinically proven test method for this compound. Book the “heavy metal + mineral analysis” in the online booking calendar to get your fluoride levels checked.
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Why you get fatter when you sleep later
The no. 1 thing that has personally affected my weight the most in my life has not been my eating or exercise habits, but times when sleep has been sketchy - I could literally feel myself gaining weight from week to week during poor sleeping periods. We can’t eat or exercise our way out of lack of sleep. The only cure for lack of sleep is sleep. Here is a study exploring the connection between weight issues and poor sleep: “Late bedtimes and late wake up times are associated with an unfavorable activity and weight status profile, independent of age, sex, household income, geographical remoteness, and sleep duration.” Read the full study in: Sleep. 2011 Oct 1; 34(10): 1299–1307. Published online 2011 Oct 1. Sleep Duration or Bedtime? Exploring the Relationship between Sleep Habits and Weight Status and Activity Patterns Tim S. Olds And so the next question is how do we reset our circadian rhythm?
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Are vegetarians more at risk for mental disorders/depression/anxiety?
“Conclusion: Vegetarian men have more depressive symptoms after adjustment for socio-demographic factors. Nutritional deficiencies (e.g. in cobalamin or iron) are a possible explanation for these findings, however reverse causation cannot be ruled out.” There has been a lot of studies on health benefits of vegan/vegetarian diets - both pro and con. Some show improved health aspects and some do not. Many of the health benefits are likely associated with simply choosing whole foods over processed foods and not exclusion of meat. Otherwise there would be no case for the carnivore diet which is currently trending.
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Full-fat dairy (but not low-fat) protects against diabetes type 2
“Decreased Diabetes type 2 risk at high intake of high- but not of low-fat dairy products suggests that dairy fat partly could have contributed to previously observed protective associations between dairy intake and diabetes type 2”
Read the full study here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25832335/
And keep in mind that what shows up as the most allergenic compounds when we doo food allergy testing are casein and lactose - both very low in butter and cream, hence the reason small amounts of these full-fat items carry health benefits to them, especially as they contain butyric acid which is key for healthy gut flora.
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Low-fat diets do not result in greater fat-loss than higher-fat diets
“Findings from our systematic literature review and meta-analysis of RCTs fail to support the efficacy of low-fat diet interventions over higher fat diet interventions of similar intensity for significant long-term clinically meaningful weight control. Previous trials comparing low-fat diet interventions with “usual diet” or minimal intensity control groups have mislead perceptions of the efficacy of reductions in fat intake as a strategy for long-term weight loss. In fact, comparisons of similar intervention intensity conclude that dietary interventions lower in total fat intake lead to significantly less weight loss compared with higher fat, low-carbohydrate diets. Health and nutrition guidelines should cease recommending low-fat diets for weight loss given the clear lack of long-term efficacy over other similar intensity dietary interventions. Additional research is needed to identify optimal intervention strategies for long-term weight loss and weight maintenance, including the need to look beyond variations in macronutrient composition.”
Read the full study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667723/ and remember that all this seemingly confusing back and forth research basically taps into our need for both fat, protein and carbs - too much or too little of anything is never a good thing in the long run.
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Long-term consequence of keto
Overall, our current data demonstrate that maintenance on a KD may impair glucose tolerance over time and have detrimental effects on the ability to mount a sufficient insulin response to a high-carbohydrate meal. The effects on glucose homeostasis, however, are rapidly reversible upon resumption of a high-carbohydrate diet. Finally, despite the effects of a KD on peripheral insulin and glucose tolerance, responsivity to the anorectic effects of central insulin is enhanced. The results of these studies underscore the necessity to fully examine how dietary macronutrient manipulation affects multiple metabolic parameters to identify potential consequences.” Read the full study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2903931/ The main take-away being that because something is good short-term, that doesn’t mean it’s good long-term.
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Should you cut out carbs, protein or fat?
Obviously this will depend on what else is going on - some of us may have times in our life when we have a higher need for one specific macro-nutrient group based on our lifestyle, current health issues and goals.
However the war on carbs, protein or fat has got to end.
We all need a variety of macros, and there is not one group which is solely responsible for poor health or weight gain.
A seasonal diet will naturally fluctuate in carbs, proteins and fats throughout the year and this seems to be what the body prefers. But many of us are not living a seasonal diet - we are living off heavy Fall foods: grains, dairy, red meat etc. And this lack of variety creates the baseline for the extreme diets to counteract the way we tend to live.
However, extremism is not the solution - variety is.
“Healthy diet, regardless of macronutrient emphasis, directly mitigated subclinical cardiac injury and inflammation in a population at risk for cardiovascular disease. These findings support dietary recommendations emphasizing healthy foods rather than any one macronutrient.” Read the full study in International Journal of Cardiology. Healthy diet reduces markers of cardiac injury and inflammation regardless of macronutrients: Results from the OmniHeart trial Lara C. Kovell et al.
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