How Are Decisions Made?… Your Thoughts?

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How Are Decisions Made?… Your Thoughts?

Have you ever taken a few minutes to think about how you actually make decisions or do you just “make” the decision and move on with your life? Not that you need to take time to think about this, but if you did, then you may end up perceiving the world in an entirely different perspective. No one really knows how decisions are made, but there are numerous studies on the nervous system and the brain and how they are key players in the decision making process. With that in mind, I’ll offer up my thoughts on how decisions are made. Before you agree or disagree with me, you should consider everything I’m about to discuss, and then make your decision. Or would that be me making the decision for you? Now, I really messed you up didn’t I? And got you more intrigued… Or maybe I lost you for good and you don’t really care.

Because no one really knows how decisions are truly made, that doesn’t exactly leave me a good starting place. Throughout my years of research, studying, and observations I think it is best to start with our Nervous System, including both the Central and Peripheral Nervous System. A quick filler to catch you up is necessary before diving into the depths of the discussion. The human framework consists of a musculoskeletal system that includes bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles and a vascular system of blood vessels so blood can travel to all areas of the body and of course the nervous system. Within the spinal cord is the Central Nervous System (CNS for short) and as it travels up into the head it becomes the brain stem and opens up into the limbic system and then the cerebral cortex. The spine has many small openings for the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS for short) that branch out like roots of a tree to all parts of the body. The PNS is otherwise known as the Sensory Nervous System, which is composed of our senses. This is the entirety of what I’m about to discuss on how decisions are made.

Humans have 5 major sensory systems for how we perceive the world – Vision (Sight), Auditory (Sound), Somatosensory (Touch), Olfactory (Smell), and Gustatory (Taste). These can be broken down into different categories. I am going to break them down into what I would deem the dominant senses and non-dominant. This does not mean one has more importance over the others; I am simply using the words dominant and non-dominant to discriminate between their frequencies of use in every day life. The first 3 I mentioned of Sight, Sound, and Touch will fall under the dominant category, and the other 2 of Smell and Taste will fall under the non-dominant category. You use your eyes, ears and sense of touch to learn and protect yourself from danger nearly every moment of each day. The chemical senses under the non-dominant category are clearly not used as frequently. Although, one could argue that you constantly smell different molecules in the air that help protect us from danger. However, I am going to leave it how it is, because as I said it is my way of categorizing them and I also have other reasons such as them being “chemical” in nature for why I categorized them the way I did. The 2 chemical senses have more input regarding what goes on inside the digestive and immune system, whereas the 3 non-chemical ones help us learn. Regardless of how you want to view them, they are all important and all have a role in memory, recalling of information, and learning capabilities.

With that in mind, let’s move to the actual point of this discussion – how are decisions made? Decisions aren’t actually “made” if you will. Decisions are “made” as a result of information received from a combination of our senses. So, decisions are more unconscious rather than conscious. Sorry to disappoint you about making that “big decision” to buy a house or to get married. Your body was primed for that decision through a series of sensory events.

Humans receive information from our surroundings and we must process it, which forces the body to “make” the decision of what happens next. It truly is a result of how you perceive your surrounding environment. Whenever I thought I was right as a kid my Dad used to hand me an imaginary world in his hands and would say, “Here’s your world, you can rule it however you want.” That used to make me so mad as a kid, but now that I’ve grown up, the reality is that he was kind of right. We all control our own world, we just happen to all share the same giant rock of minerals that we call Earth. You control your own destiny, not anyone else. However, enough of the tangent, let’s get back to the reception of information from our senses.

Whenever we see something for example, that information (light reflected from that object) gets processed by photoreceptor cells in our eyes, which then sends an electrical signal through the optic nerve and into the CNS of the brainstem to further process it. Once it is processed, the CNS sends the processed information back out to the PNS and ultimately “makes” the decision of whether we need to stay and witness the object (or event) or if it could cause danger (or fear) and force our muscles to contract, creating movement for us to escape the danger and increase our chances of survival. What if that decision-making system was flawed? What if the information you received was processed and told you to stay and witness a wild animal attacking you (no fear) rather than creating a sense of fear and telling you to run away? So, did you really “make” that decision, or was it simply a cascade of information processing that “made” the decision for you?

The same principle goes for the other senses as well. Without going into detail to reiterate what I just stated, I’ll provide similar examples where the only difference is the sensory system. Rather than vision, let’s go to the sense of sound. Why is it you like certain sounds or noises and dislike others? Why do some sounds create joy and happiness when others create fear and panic or even disgust or sadness? The same thing happens where we hear a sound at a certain frequency. The information hits cell receptors in the inner ear, it gets processed, sent to the brain and CNS, and then gets sent back out to the rest of the body resulting in an emotional and/or behavioral response. The decision was “made” for us, we are simply responding to the information that our brain and nervous system automatically processed. Again, when we “respond” to an object (whether it touched us or we touched it), the information from our cell receptors in our skin must be processed so a decision can be made on how to proceed with the current situation. Of course, the same information processing has to occur for different tastes and different aromas. All 5 of the senses humans have processed information and spit it out so the body can respond accordingly. The reality is that you don’t have much control when it comes to decision-making. However, the one part you do have control over is the type of environment that surrounds you, which leads me into how memory, information recall, and learning work.

So how do memory, information recall, and learning come into play here? Great question! I am sure you have heard the phrase, “There’s always a first for everything.” There is a lot of truth in this statement. The first time we are exposed to something our senses have no idea how to process the information. This will lead to a response that could be harmful, causing pain, or a response that could be beneficial, causing happiness. Having pain receptors is a critical component to survival. If one could not sense pain, he/she would not survive very long. Pain is part of learning as is failure. One could even put pain and failure in the same category, however this does not mean they are same thing by any means. Not all pain signifies failure, and not all failure signifies pain. Nevertheless, both are a part of the learning process for humans.

After the first exposure, our brains and the cells of our body have memory. The brain stores the information received from the exposure for later use. Every time we see an object/event, hear a sound, touch an object, taste food, or smell an aroma, our brain stores this information once it has been processed and categorized into good, neutral, or bad. The next time we need to process similar information regardless of which sense or senses we used, the memory is in store and we must recall that information so that we “make” a better decision. This could be worded as having a “better response” rather than “make a better decision.” Our systems become more efficient at processing similar information and therefore more efficient at responding so that we can survive another day. Remember, the ultimate goal is survival. This naturally leads to how humans learn.

We learn by storing processed information from our senses and then being able to recall that information to respond to the current situation. For example, if a past experience caused pain (say, you touched something hot), then next time you were in a similar situation and around something hot, you probably wouldn’t touch the object, thereby protecting you from that danger. Likewise, if a past experience created the emotion of happiness, you are very likely to repeat that particular experience. This is the part that we can ultimately control when it comes to decision-making. The more positive experiences we have throughout our life, the more likely we are to repeat those experiences and to ultimately stay away from negative ones. However, one must learn from negative experiences to know not to put him/herself in that type of environment in the future. The bottom line here is that we CAN control our surrounding environments, but CANNOT control the information processing of those environments. This is why they say wisdom comes with age! My piece of advice: listen to your elders, because they have “been there, done that.” However, I am a believer in that humans should learn the hard way. By taking advice from those who have “been there, done that” doesn’t always award your own brain the memory of the particular experience to draw on later in life. This is also why the phrase, “one man’s treasure is another man’s trash” exists. By taking someone’s word for something, you are forced into making assumptions that may not lead to something beneficial for you as a human. If you didn’t experience the event or object yourself, then how could your brain and CNS possibly know how to respond to that event? It can’t! That person may have had a bad experience with the event whereas you may experience something great and profound. However, this is not to say that you cannot learn from your elders who have “been there, done that.” For example, if you have been in a similar situation and you have a current situation at your hand and your brain doesn’t know how to handle it completely, you could learn from the elder who has been in your current situation. They could spare you pain and failure. Or you may choose not to listen to them and try the event anyway because you may feel and think that you can accomplish what they couldn’t. Maybe you are stronger, bigger, faster, or taller and those characteristics would help you accomplish the feat they couldn’t. Again, everything depends on your own perception of this Earth and your willingness to succeed and survive. I’ll leave you with this, “Great success ONLY comes with great risk.” Meaning, if you want to truly be successful in life, you must take big risks, otherwise you will be another person in the pack. And if you ask me, I’m not trying to follow the pack, I’m trying to lead and be great and make a difference in this world. I want to pass away knowing I had no regrets in life and knowing that I tried and learned everything I possibly could. You only have one life and it’s pretty damn short in the grand scheme of things, so why hold anything back? The Isley Brothers once said, “It’s yo’ thing, do what you wanna do.” So as long as you think twice before doing anything, I say, “F*** that. Do your thing, go for it!”

That’s just my perception of the world and how I think decisions are made. What are your thoughts?

Fatty Acids, Gene Expression, And Increased Lifespan… Your Thoughts?

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Fatty Acids, Gene Expression, and Increased Lifespan… Your Thoughts?

While many studies are currently going on regarding aging and increased lifespan, there is one in specific that caught my attention. The only thing I could think of was to write about it from my perspective. Coming out of college, my brother got me involved with the “Paleo” movement. I started out all in with the movement, but eventually shifted over to a modified version of it based on my studies of chemistry, nutrition, and physiology. When viewed through an unbiased “Paleo” lens most peer-reviewed articles and studies conclude that human nutrition is pretty simple to follow. Our ancestors ate the basic foods of wild or grass-fed meats and seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, water, and healthy cooking oils. Having a deep understanding of why is where the difficulty lies. The reality is that you don’t need to know why, you just need to eat foods in their natural state, rather than “foods” that have been manufactured, produced, and tinkered with by man.

If we significantly limit the sugars, or carbohydrates, in our diets, you have no other option to increase your fats and proteins. According to the Greeks, the word protein means of highest importance. The current American standard way of eating speaks to the tune of the diet being a majority (more than 50%) of carbohydrates. This would mean proteins and fats are limited since they have to make up the rest of the diet.

Let’s say, currently it’s 60% carbohydrate, 25% fat, and 15% protein (probably not too far off from what it actually is in America). Wouldn’t this contradict the meaning of the word protein, according to the Greeks? Why are you disrespecting the Greeks like that? They’ve been around much longer than Americans. The “Paleo” movement would laugh at those numbers. So, let’s change them to something I believe is much more accurate to what our ancestors of 15,000+ years ago would have been consuming. It was probably more along the lines of 20% carbohydrate, 40% fat, and 40% protein. Now it’s of highest importance.

Fatty acids and protein helped provide long lasting energy for endurance events such as hunting and traveling as well as provide insulation for the colder temperatures throughout the year. Carbohydrates are only necessary for quick bursts of energy and there wasn’t a high demand for that. Therefore our genes were used to expressing themselves optimally under these conditions way back when. Today, we live in such a fast paced, up and down world, that we assume our food choices should reflect that, so we started eating a lot of sugars and carbohydrates. But there’s the problem…

When these sugars come in contact with Oxygen and get oxidized, or combusted, they produce AGEs (Advanced Glycation End products). AGEs speed up the aging process significantly by producing excess toxins that the body cannot eliminate quick enough. I find it ironic and pretty funny that the acronym for Advanced Glycation End products spells AGE… Naturally, it would make sense to limit your sugar and carbohydrate intake for this reason specifically.

Another way to think about AGEs is by picturing Crème Brulee. This dessert is made by putting high heat on sugars to make them caramelize and very sticky. The same thing goes on inside the body. Sticky things are hard to clean up, causing degeneration to occur at a faster rate because the body struggles to clean itself and eliminate toxins.

This brings me to my next point. Recent studies have found that cooler mice live longer. No studies have been done on humans, but genetically speaking, mice and humans are pretty damn similar. I’m going to say it probably has the same affect on humans as it does on mice. How do you cool your body down? Great question.

When we moved around a lot performing what we’ll call endurance exercise (long walks, with moderately intense bouts of resisted training every so often – lifting logs, rocks, animal meats) the human body responds by breaking down fat cells for energy. These fat cells are no longer “trapped” and end up circulating through the blood stream. The process of mobilizing fatty acids for energy has been linked to the up-regulation of a protein that causes the hypothalamus (the body’s internal thermostat) to over heat. This in turn forces the hypothalamus to send out signals to the body telling it to lower its core body temperature.

When humans have a lower core body temperature, it slows down the growth rate and ultimately slows down the aging process. If you think about it, logically it makes sense. Ever heard of cryogenics? Basically liquid nitrogen freezes things in time, where as Oxygen heats things up. Cryogenics freezes cells forever and when they get heated back to normal “living” temperatures the cells operate again. This same process is going to apply to the human body – if the core body temperature is lowered, then it slows down the “heating up” or “aging” process.

The bottom line here is that if we limit our sugars, and increase our proteins and fats through foods in their natural state, we will signal to the hypothalamus to slow down. The hypothalamus also controls the pituitary gland and therefore our hormones and many other processes in the body.

Increasing your intake of healthy omega-3s to regain a balanced Omega-3:Omega-6 ratio, plus having a sufficient amino acid pool for proteins such as the one that triggers the hypothalamus to over heat, will help you slow down your aging process and ultimately increase your lifespan. Now that’s what I’m talking about! If you keep your water intake at a sufficient level as well so that these fatty acids and proteins can perform their jobs, everything will naturally fall into place.

What are your thoughts on increasing your lifespan?

Resources Used:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014579304006167

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/24468/title/Cooler-mice-live-longer/

Snake Oil: Rapeseed Oil (Canola) And Soybean Oil… Your Thoughts?

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Snake Oil: Rapeseed Oil (Canola) And Soybean Oil… Your Thoughts?

The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry has recently produced a peer-reviewed article on farmed Atlantic salmon that had been raised and fed on soybean and rapeseed oil. Rapeseed oil is also known as canola oil. Even though all animal species are different (clearly, a human and a fish do not look similar), it is pretty safe to say that in the grand scheme of things all animals are relatively similar. All living things at or near Earth’s surface need food, protection, sunlight, water, etc. It would be easy to say that the digestive systems of fish and humans are different and you would more than likely be correct. I am going to approach this differently. Most studies are done on animals and not on humans, but this doesn’t mean that you cannot draw conclusions from these studies. There is the assumption that if something negatively affects the animal, then it MIGHT NOT affect a human the same way. This is where I would disagree. Based off the fact that there are 16 major chemical elements on the Earth and all animals eat foods that contain these elements, or minerals, I would say that if something negatively affects an animal in a study, then it is more than likely going to negatively affect a human.

All animals have to utilize the food source they consume and if parts of the food source are toxic, then the animal is going to pay the consequence in order to rid the toxin from its body. The consequences can range from mild to severe and will be slightly different for each individual. For humans, this could be a watery, itchy eye to a bad skin rash to anaphylactic shock or even death.

What this particular study found was that farmed raised salmon fed soybean oil and canola oil as part of their diets were then fed to mice and the mice ultimately showed signs of elevated liver inflammation. Mice and humans are pretty similar when it comes to our genetic code, so anything that negatively affects a mouse is going to have an extremely high probably of negatively affecting a human. With that in mind, let’s move forward as to a break down of the study and how it affects the human population. The study specifically revealed elevated levels of arachidonic acid in the livers of the mice and arachidonic acid is what causes inflammation in humans as well.

Arachidonic acid is part of the Omega-6 fatty acid family. Science has shown many times that when there are too many Omega-6 fatty acids in the human diet in relation to its Omega-3 counterpart, humans quickly show signs and symptoms of inflammation throughout the body, especially in the liver. Omega-6 fatty acids are known as linoleic acids and are the precursor to arachidonic acid, which promotes system wide inflammation. Because both Omega-3s and Omega-6s utilize the same energy pathways in the body, there is a constant battle as to which one “wins.” There is a necessary balance for optimal health, but when the scales tip towards the Omega-6 side, that is when we pay the consequences. Fatty acids help the nervous system and the brain operate efficiently and effectively, ONLY when they are in balance. In human nutrition, it can be difficult to consume enough Omega-3s and easy to consume an excess of Omega-6s and therefore it is critical for each of us to be careful in our consumption of the different types of oils.

Over the years throughout the Industrial Revolution, humans found it was very easy to manufacture oils in large quantities. Two of the easiest to manufacture are canola oil and soybean oil because the plants that produce these oils are abundant around the world. The US government realized how cheap it was to produce these oils and this is why you will find them in most foods on grocery store shelves and currently in probably 90% of all restaurants you visit. What I’m saying is that the US government is sneaky and ultimately going to kill us all by the mandates they put in place when it comes to human nutrition. Lobbyists and organizations that are part of the Food Industries will not tell you the truth; they will simply scoot around all the important questions to keep information “vague.” If they told us all the truth, there would be absolute chaos and many of them would lose their jobs, because the reality of healthy eating is simple. They made it out to be this complex web of lies so the American people couldn’t possibly understand what is going on and are then forced to listen to and do what the government wants. This is absurd and ridiculous if you ask me!

For those out there that seem to have mysterious illnesses that doctor after doctor cannot figure out what the cause is, my suggestion is to review what you are eating and see how much canola and soybean oil is actually in your diet. If you eat out 2-3 times per week or more, you have too much of these oils in your body, which are readily inflaming every organ as you read this. If you eat at home, do you use canola oil or soybean oil because it is cheap? If so, yet again, you have systemic inflammation going on inside your body right now. If you eat boxed ready-made meals, take a look at the ingredient list and see what type of oil is used to make that meal. If it doesn’t say, then I can almost guarantee you it is one of these two “snake oils” I have been discussing throughout this post because they are cheap to make. And I hate to break it to you, but that’s the name of the game… how can I make this cheaper so I can make a bigger profit? It is all about money people! Do yourself a favor and start buying higher quality oils such as Olive oil, Avocado oil, Walnut oil, Coconut Oil, Sunflower oil, and other nut and seed oils. Pay the extra dollar or two up front and save yourself thousands of dollars on the back end in medical bills. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, medicine in the US Healthcare system is a laughing joke and quite possibly one of the greatest scams in United States history! Don’t get me wrong, there are times when the healthcare system has its positive benefits, but for the most part it is ridiculous, absurd, full of stupidity, and without a doubt, money driven.

What are your thoughts?

Please check back soon with Nourish Wild for the next addition of… Your Thoughts?

Resources used:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286315000212

http://www.naturalnews.com/034733_canola_oil_rapeseed_food_labels.html#

Fluoride (Resist Decay, Stay Young)

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Fluoride

Fluorine can be a difficult element to write about because there really isn’t a whole lot of information out there on it in comparison to the other elements like Oxygen, Carbon, Potassium, and Sodium. Nevertheless, it is a critically important element the human body needs for survival. It falls under the Halogen category of elements on the Periodic Table along with Chlorine, Bromine, and Iodine. However, as we know Chlorine is poisonous to humans as is Fluorine. In order for humans to utilize this element, it must evolve to a higher “vibrational” level that can only be accomplished by other plants and animals before human consumption. Humans are able to utilize Fluoride, rather than Fluorine. Because it is part of the Halogen family, its properties are similar to that of Chloride and Iodine regarding human health. They all help with cleansing and protecting our cells and aid in an efficient metabolism. Fluoride is most well known for its role in resisting decay. Most notably, it helps prevent cavities and other dental problems. This is why you hear dentists all over the world talk about getting enough Fluoride in our diets. Most dentists will promote toothpastes that proclaim they have Fluoride in them, but I’m going to be honest with you, this synthetic Fluoride doesn’t really do any good. In fact, some studies say it could cause more harm than benefit. This is because once it is exposed to the slightest bit of heat, the element vanishes into the air. No elements that have been made in a chemistry lab or manufacturing plant are going to benefit humans because they have been exposed to heat or light and are synthetic. Humans simply cannot absorb these synthetic substitutes. Humans MUST get Fluoride in a highly evolved form that came from plants and animals, or food sources that are in their untouched state. Fluoride has a strong connection to Calcium, which is why it is crucial for the health of our bones, including teeth. Fluoride can provide the protective covering so Oxygen will not erode the bony and cartilaginous tissue, including joints and joint tissue. Fossils that have been found and appear to be relatively well preserved probably have a high amount of Fluoride in them. Because this element can resist decay, it allows humans to remain youthful looking. For those Ponce De Leon people out there, the fountain of youth actually comes from within our own bodies and is credited to certain preservative elements such as Sodium and Fluoride. Those that have a high Fluoride count, but not in excess, are very resistant to viruses, inflammation and dis-ease. This naturally brings me to the question of how humans can receive this highly evolved element in its natural untouched state. Some of the best sources for this wonderful element are, to name just a few, avocados, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, dates, garlic, raw fish such as sushi, seaweed, and raw (unpasteurized) goat and sheep’s cheese/milk. The more foods you can eat in their raw state the better. If you must cook, and some foods do need to be cooked, you should aim to steam, or cook with low heat in stainless steel pots and pans.

Sulfur (What’s That Smell?)

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Sulfur

OK, who let one rip? That smells awful! Ugh! This comes from a compound of hydrogen and sulfur, which smells like rotten eggs. Somewhere in the digestive system was an excess of sulfur and in forming a compound with hydrogen, because we always have hydrogen (the water element), it came out and probably came close to dropping everyone to the floor like a bad habit. Sulfur is a very unique element in that it is extremely expulsive. If I say sulfur, what comes to mind first? Probably volcano or sulfuric acid. When talking about volcanic eruptions, sulfur is a key element during this type of reaction. It is an element in the Earth’s crust and by nature it is eruptive. If we take this same concept and stick it inside the body, the result is exactly the same. This element can be found in many foods, including meats, eggs, garlic, onions, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts to name a few. During the process of cutting onions, it is part of a chemical reaction that causes many humans to secrete tears. Our body’s natural defense to this chemical reaction is to cry in an attempt to flush out the sulfuric compound the onion releases. Sulfur can reach to the deepest of cells throughout the body and cause each individual cell to “erupt” and eliminate whatever toxins are being stored within the cell. After this occurs the toxins are met by other cells in the bloodstream that are able to attach to the toxins to shuttle them to our elimination channels. Many times excess sulfur will cause too many eruptions and the result is a volcano on our skin, which we all know as pimples, pustules, and acne and it ain’t pretty! Ever look closely at a pimple – it forms a mound, and when enough pressure is built up underneath, it can be squeezed and erupt – sounds pretty damn similar to a volcano doesn’t it? My point is, everything on Earth is interconnected and many things have similar concepts that can be viewed on different scales ranging from microscopic to macroscopic. Sulfur is known as a heating element and is part of how the nervous system sends electrical signals. Electricity obviously releases heat due to its high temperature, so every time we send signals through the nervous system, which is constantly, we are using this critical element. Most “winter vegetables” are high in sulfur due to the heat. These are the vegetables we need to eat to maintain a healthy brain and nervous system. In addition to what I named earlier, other “winter vegetables” are cauliflower and asparagus. This does not mean, you can only get these foods in the winter season, it simply means it allows many of these foods to survive a cold and bitter environment. Sulfur and Phosphorus are two elements, or minerals, that are attached to many proteins throughout the body. These two elements plus Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Hydrogen, are why life on Earth exists and is able to sustain itself for a certain length of time, since everything seems to have a beginning and an end. At the end of the day, without Sulfur, the brain and nervous system will deteriorate and the physical body will degrade back into the dust and minerals of the Earth.

Iodine (Iodine-ing On Seafood Tonight?)

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Iodine

Iodine is quite possibly the most important element for all humans. It is only necessary in very trace amounts and can be found in algae, seafood, eggs, tropical fruits, and in varying amounts in many other green leafy vegetables, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and carrots. Regardless of how you get, I would obtain it from seafood, eggs, and algae to make sure we are getting plenty of it. One must reduce their toxic load, or else this element will get used up quickly and never get replenished. The thyroid is a gland located in the cervical region of the body (where the larynx is located just below the jaw). The thyroid produces two secretions, Triiodothyronine and Thyroxin (T3 and T4 on a blood test) as a way to regulate the metabolism. Manganese is another element that works closely to maintain an efficient Thyroid gland, but let’s keep this about Iodine. Iodine helps to break down toxins before they can cross over the Blood Brain barrier, which obviously protects our brain and nervous system from toxins. Clearly, Iodine is an important element. Our emotional and physical stresses from daily living require significant amounts of Iodine to break down the toxins produced by excess stress. To be blunt about it – if you don’t get enough of this every day, you are screwed! We become fatigued, prone to infection, have a poor healing ability, a slow metabolism, and live in a constant state of fear. Not my idea of fun! When the Thyroid becomes depleted of this element it must enlarge itself to filter more Iodine out of the bloodstream in order to keep the body running as effectively and efficiently as possible. The enlargement of the Thyroid is known as a goiter. As you can tell, when you deplete these Iodine stores and fail to replenish them, you begin to break down at an alarming rate. As the Thyroid speeds up to find more Iodine in the blood, it is called Hyperthyroidism. Over time, if it is not replaced, Hyperthyroidism turns to Hypothyroidism, because the gland gets tired of working over time and finally decides it is just easier to slow down the metabolism and immune system. Another reason why Iodine is crucial to our health is that it regulates the Calcium in our body. In addition to obtaining Vitamin D from the Sun’s energy and having enough Cholesterol in the body for this process to occur, Vitamin D and Iodine allow Calcium to perform it’s role in the body. Calcium, under tight regulation of the Iodine from the Thyroid, is then allowed to combine with Phosphorous to make bones dense and strong. Calcium is also secreted from the nervous system to cause a contraction of our muscles thereby keeping our posture in a fully lengthened position against gravity. Speaking of a fully lengthened posture, let’s discuss the importance of this on the Thyroid, and therefore on Iodine. If we lose our posture and our spinal extensor muscles cannot activate then we will flex forward in the upper body and put pressure on the cervical spine. This process will compress the Thyroid causing it to work harder and pump out more Iodine. Until you correct your posture, this is a vicious circle. It is relatively easy to stay away from this circle by eating plenty of seafood (or some other whole food source) and strengthening the muscles that aid in the full extension of our posture. Iodine is able to combine with many of the elements, which means it helps in the transporting of Oxygen via the Iron-centered protein, Hemoglobin. The more we can reduce stress levels and the more whole foods (especially some that are raw/fresh) we consume, the more we can conserve this vital element and ultimately protect our health and immune system. As we begin to clean up our eating habits and lifestyles, the quicker we see a turn around in our health and the more we are able to focus on the truly happy things in life. Sufficient Iodine and good posture sounds like a winning combination to me!

Copper, The Human Liver, And Excess Sugar Intake… Your Thoughts?

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Copper, The Human Liver, And Excess Sugar Intake… Your Thoughts?

So, what do these 3 things have in common? Anybody got any thoughts? I do. I am specifically writing this as it pertains to my wonderful and loving mother, but I know many of you all out there will be able to relate to it. My philosophy on food is that all healthy foods in their natural state, meaning untouched by humans and coming straight from the Earth (meats, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, the occasional whole grain), will give us the vital chemical minerals in the correct ratios. When we want a quick fix and reach for supplements, synthetic chemicals, injections, processed foods, etc. we interfere with our body’s ability to absorb these crucial minerals. The 16 major chemical minerals are Calcium, Carbon, Chloride, Fluoride, Hydrogen, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Silicon, Sodium, and Sulfur. There are also additional trace minerals that are necessary for these 16 minerals to work efficiently. Some of these trace elements include Copper, Zinc, Chromium, Selenium, Cobalt, Molybdenum, and maybe a few others. Before getting carried away talking about all these minerals, let’s focus on Copper, Iron, Sugar, and the human liver.

Let’s move on to the point of this post – the relationship between Copper, the liver, and excess sugar intake. I don’t want to get too carried away because I know I’ll lose many of you and this is quite simple to explain. Copper is a critical component to many enzymes that are in the human liver. Humans need a certain amount of glucose for energy, but we don’t need all that much. That is a huge myth, so please don’t let someone tell you that we need a lot of carbohydrates (sugar) for energy. You get much longer lasting energy from healthy fats (lipids) and protein than you do from sugars. Sugars only create inflammation throughout the body including in the liver. Beef, veal, and oysters are the 3 highest sources of Copper. Beef will provide a good amount of Iron as well. If you stop eating beef, you will become Copper deficient and probably Iron deficient as well. Humans evolved to eat meats due to their heat producing properties caused by excellent complete protein content. This will help keep you warm during the cold months of the year! It’s why a bowl of chili is a wintertime favorite.

There is such a thing as having too much Iron in the liver. However, when humans have a Copper deficiency, the liver can no longer regulate its Iron content. This means it basically gets stuck in the liver and has no place to go. Obviously, this is a huge deal because a “heavy” liver with too much Iron will cause the liver to malfunction, therefore creating an inability to regulate sugar levels. This leads to overproduction of insulin by the pancreas, which brings on insulin resistance because our body fails to get the sugars in our muscles for energy. When we fail to utilize these sugars circulating in our blood stream, the results on your blood tests will show up as “diabetic” or “pre-diabetic” with an A1C number over 5.0. For those that don’t know what I’m talking about, a Fasting Glucose number signifies your blood sugar for that particular day in your life. A1C signifies a 3-month history of the sugars in your blood. Many things can cause a spike on a fasting glucose test, so it is important to pay more attention to your A1C since it talks about your blood history, not just 1 day’s worth. Some doctors might say an A1C between 5.0 and 6.0 is OK, but that means its “trending” towards diabetes. Screw that, let’s just go big and get it under 5.0. You’ll feel much better about yourself than if it were between 5.0 and 6.0, which will naturally create stress since you’ll be thinking about it. Simply thinking about it will create higher levels of Cortisol, the stress hormone, which eventually leads to a nervous system that over fires and a brain that never shuts down. Over firing of the nervous system and a brain that never shuts down to sleep is a beautiful recipe for INFLAMMATION, DIS-EASE, and ILLNESS.

I personally feel that there is a reason why humans are supposed to eat meats and this is definitely one of them that I have just discussed. Beef has about 1/3 (for women) and 2/3 (for men) of our daily Iron intake, but it has nearly twice as much Copper than it does Iron. Let’s think about the mathematics of that. If Copper is necessary to regulate Iron, it would be smart to have a little more Copper than Iron in a single source of food. That’s my idea of efficiency. Why try to get these elements in the correct ratio by eating 2+ food sources when you can easily get them in 1 food source. Listen people, I’m all about efficiency and effectiveness when it comes to my foods and my health. If you want vibrant health and a life free of inflammation, then you need to strive for the highest levels possible of both efficiency and effectiveness. Life is both short and a journey, so if I were you, I would do whatever I could to make the most of it. Who wants to live a life of misery and be surrounded by negative energy all the time? NOT ME!

Bottom line… Eat some wild or grass fed beef because humans were meant to do so. And while you’re at it, add some healthy vegetables and fats so that your liver can operate the way it should. At the end of the day the liver is the only organ that will process EVERYTHING you consume, be it foods in their natural state, processed foods, supplements, injections, or synthetic chemicals. Oh, and don’t forget lots of filtered water to stay hydrated too, because this helps the liver out tremendously when trying to process and regulate our minerals and energy.

Remember, these are my thoughts. I have written these posts as a thought-provoking tool to get humans to think outside the box with a focus on the previously mentioned minerals. NOT on “counting calories” or “getting enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats.” That is an old school way of thinking. Clearly, thinking inside the box with old school philosophies is not working! If it was working, then riddle me this… over the last century, humans have seen exponential increases in levels of inflammation and dis-ease, why? People don’t want to think outside the box (probably because they are lazy) and think that Big Brother and Big Pharma can solve all of their problems with a “quick fix” solution. Guess what folks? Our genes (you know, our DNA) are hundreds of thousands of years old and cannot be “quickly fixed.” The Earth has provided all of these minerals and elements for all animals to consume to fuel our energetic needs on a daily basis. These minerals and our genes need time to configure themselves so that we can experience a vibrantly healthy life free of inflammation, dis-ease, and illness.

What are your thoughts?

Resource used: The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry Volume 26, Issue 10, October 2015, Pages 996–1006. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286315001084

The Age Of Electronics… Your Thoughts?

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The Age of Electronics… What are your thoughts?

This can be a very touchy subject for some and for others it’s easily a laughable matter. However you feel about it, humans are beginning to understand its consequences. If you wrote down a list of Pros and Cons for today’s age of modern electrical devices and the technology they provide, it would take you quite some time. It would also spark endless controversial debate. And that’s exactly why it should be discussed on this next installment of …Your Thoughts?

I am not going to break down a list of Pros and Cons for you here, because that would take years to do and I don’t feel like investing years for a simple thought provoking post. Fortunately, there are people out there who have researched countless hours in the study of Electromagnetic Fields and the effects these fields can have on human health. The research of Martin Blank was intriguing enough for me to theorize about the damage my cell phone could be doing to me late at night regardless of whether I was staring at it or was simply within a certain distance of it. In high school physics, I remember learning that electricity had a magnetic field as well as the amplitude of damage it could cause when lightning struck an organic object. Martin Blank’s research logically made sense about keeping all electrical devices at least 6 feet away from you during sleep.

If you move to the Silicon Valley in California, USA, you will find a lot of technology. This means you are going to find a lot of microchips. When you break apart these microchips you are ultimately going to find that they are made of the element silicon, hence the name of this booming place in California. What is so special with silicon? This is where chemistry comes. We all hear of the underdog sports stories where the team had better chemistry even though the opponent was bigger, faster, stronger, but the real gift of chemistry is everything on this Earth. Everything needs the correct “chemistry” if it is going to operate at peak efficiency and effectiveness. It is no different for the human body and for microchips. The only difference between humans and microchips in regards to silicon is the amount of silicon each has. Silicon easily combines with Oxygen to form Silicate, which is a crystallized structure that can produce a spark of electrical current (a signal) due to its chemical properties. Because of this property, it is why solar powered units can run forever as long as there is enough sun light energy striking the object made of silicon. It is why electrical devices, including cell phones, monitors, and data tracking devices can even operate in the first place. Depending on the purpose of the Silicon based device, it could potentially use any type of energy to keep it running, not just from sunlight. As for humans, we have a certain amount of silicon that keeps us healthy and moving, just like a sunlight-powered watch.

Remember, the nervous system sends an electrical signal that forces a muscle protein to contract thereby causing movement. But what if I don’t always want to move? The brain and the body need to sleep during the night and allow plenty of time to eliminate all of the built up toxins from the day’s activities. If we don’t get the required 7-9 hours of sleep every night, we will not have the full amount of time to eliminate all such toxins. Even at our oldest of ages, the body still requires 7+ hours of good uninterrupted sleep in order to fully eliminate all toxins. Think about it this way. If our daily activities combined builds up 1000 toxins, and let’s say it take 7-9 hours to eliminate 1000 toxins, then we would have a break even point for our toxicity levels, right? 1000 in = 1000 out. However, let’s say we only get 5 hours of sleep Night 1, which only allows time for 750 toxins to be eliminated. When we wake up on Day 2 we are starting with 250 toxins still in the body. Then we add another 1000 toxins cause you survived Day 2 and you’re now at 1250 total. If you get 5 hours of sleep again on Night 2, then your count goes from 1250 – 750 = 500 toxins still in the body starting on Day 3. If you continue down this process of being in debt 250 toxins each day/night it will add up significantly over time and you will feel like you are constantly being tormented with illness, inflammation, and dis-ease.

Let’s get back to the effects of electronic devices, especially cell phones, when using them before we go to sleep. If we are looking at the screen we have a constant stream of light particles hitting our eyes, which signals to our brains that we need to “stay awake.” This causes the brain to release neurochemicals, which produces more of the stress hormone, cortisol, throughout the body. This process interferes with our sleep cycle and we will never be able to eliminate all of the toxins completely. Staring at an electrical device’s screen after 9pm will only delay the amount of sleep you can possibly get. It will take roughly an hour or two for a healthy brain to wind down before it will shut down. It is not like we can just flip a switch and our brains cut off for the toxin elimination process to begin. The point here is no type of project or work is worth sacrificing your health. Work performance, be it physical or mental, will suffer greatly with even 1 night less than 7-9 hours. For me personally, I always feel the significant positive difference when I get the required amount of sleep.

Let’s be clear here: It’s not just staring at a screen that can have an effect on the body. If the electrical device can receive or transmit a signal, then the energy coming from the EMF produced by the device can cause damage to the human body. This can and will disrupt our sleep cycle, eating habits, how we think and store memory, and even wreak havoc on our professional and personal relationships throughout your lifetime. However, if the electronic device is far enough away from your body or the device cannot transmit a signal because it is in airplane mode or turned off completely, then there will not be current flowing and therefore no electromagnetic field around the device – a simple solution to a growing health concern.

I’ll leave you with this: If performance suffers greatly after only 1 night of sleep deprivation, what happens when you are 1 hour deprived of the required amount of sleep every day for 20 years?… Based on my above example, your toxic load would be nearly 2,000,000 (20 years x 365 days x 250 excess toxins per day).

Inflammation 1. Body 0. Your thoughts?

Essential Fatty Acids For Human Health… Your Thoughts?

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Essential Fatty Acids for human health… What are your thoughts?

Many humans are well aware that we need the 3 major macro-nutrients of Protein, Fats, and Carbohydrates. However, this is where most humans fall off the knowledge cliff and are left in the dark. At this point, they are forced to listen to what everyone else says about human nutrition. By everyone else, I am talking about Government agencies, Health organizations, dietitians, nutritionists, etc. You might even feel like a trapped wild animal at this point and feel as if others are making decisions for you. I don’t know about you, but I’m trying to make my own decisions about MY life. I was given one shot at life and I want to make the most of it. I do not want to listen to a bunch of bullshit from people, most of whom don’t even know what they are talking about. Newsflash to all humans out there who are reading this: pull your head out of your ass and start doing your own research. Don’t let anyone else control your destiny by telling you what to do. Unless of course, you just want to be spoon-fed your whole life. If that is the case, then please stop reading and do your thing. If you are like me and take matters into your own hands and aren’t afraid to say “No” to people, then please keep reading and make your own decisions. This is strictly informative. It is an attempt to break through all the confusing research. So let’s get this straight, I AM NOT TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO!

Let’s move on and discuss the importance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. What the #$%* am I talking about, right? Good question!

I am talking about the essential, or necessary, fatty acids that humans must consume in their daily foods to protect their health. There are a few fatty acids that exist in human nutrition, but there are 2 that humans cannot manufacture and must obtain from food sources. Hence why they’re called ESSENTIAL fatty acids (EFAs). These 2 are Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. To date, there are 2 others known as Omega-7 and Omega-9, both of which are non-essential and can be manufactured by humans.

A quick break down of these 2 EFAs. Omega-3 is also known as alpha linolenic acid (α-linolenic acid) and is considered to be anti-inflammatory by nature. Omega-3s are produced in foods where 18 carbon atoms have formed a chain. 3 of these carbon atoms have a double bond with the carbon immediately next to it in the chain link. Whenever you hear that carbons have a “double bond,” it means 2 carbon atoms have a bond that can only be broken by heat (cooking). What does this have to do with its importance? A lot. Because most humans do not understand biochemistry however, I’ll keep this simple. Omega-3 fatty acids are obtained through fish, eggs, and other lean meats. Humans need Omega-3 fatty acids for brain, heart and nervous system health. If you do some research on the Internet, you will find that EPA and DHA are Omega-3s that are critical to our health. These can only be obtained through single food sources of fish, eggs, and lean meats, NOT through supplements that are made in a chemistry lab. Please do not go running to your nearest grocery or health food store to buy supplements after reading this – you’re wasting your money! I like to call it “expensive urine.”

Omega-6 on the other hand is known as linoleic acid and is considered to be pro-inflammatory by nature. Omega-6s are also produced in foods where 18 carbon atoms have formed a chain. The difference is that only 2 of these carbon atoms have double bonds. Omega-6s can be found in many plant sources, such as vegetable, nut and seed oils.

These 2 EFAs are the Yin (3) and Yang (6) of human health. Both are necessary to human health, but only in a good ratio. You want to shoot for maybe a 1:2 ratio of Omega-3:Omega-6. I’m saying maybe, because it can be different for each human. However, current research shows that most Americans, and probably many humans world wide, have some crazy ratio of like 1:15. When Omega-6 heavily outweighs the Omega-3 we show signs and symptoms of this imbalance. Our bodies produce excess inflammation and you may see that your skin is dry, scaly, or itchy. The brain begins to degenerate and sends out an excess of neurochemicals because it is malfunctioning. The nervous system cannot handle the load and over fires, which can cause all sorts of issues. The nervous system gets overloaded because there is no insulation for the electrical signal to travel down the entire pathway. What do you think happens when you put an electrical device in water? On top of all of that, if you are even slightly dehydrated, you are really up shit creek without a paddle. When your EFAs are out of balance the body literally begins to decompose in front of your own eyes and it ain’t pretty! The point is that we need a balance of Omega-3s to Omega-6s for insulation and lots of water so the nervous system, brain and heart can operate effectively and efficiently.

To sum this whole thing up regarding food choices, it’s pretty simple. Drink lots of water. Eat eggs, fish, and lean meats for the Omega-3s. Eat and cook with the oils derived from vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds for your Omega-6s. Throwing in the occasional whole grain (oats, quinoa, rice, etc.) will round out human nutrition. If you can manage to do all of that and live a healthy, low-stressed lifestyle that incorporates movement and meditation, then you are on your way to excellent health. If that doesn’t work, then you’re truly an enigma and I got nothing for you.

The bottom line is this. Vibrant health is obtained through a wide spectrum of all the food sources including meats, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and oils. And when enough water is supplied, the biochemical elements from the foods get a chance to do their thing.

Thank you and remember to check back soon for the next … Your Thoughts? to help you nourish your wild side!

Manganese (Memory Enhancer, Metabolism Booster)

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Manganese

Another element that is critical to animal life is Manganese. Not to be confused with Magnesium, Manganese must be in correct balance if a higher level of intellect is wanted due to its necessary role in the maintenance of brain and nerve health. This mineral has been linked to having good memory! It gives humans a strong nervous system, but because nerves are constantly firing, it can be difficult to keep our manganese levels elevated. Manganese is a critical part in the breakdown of proteins and sugars, or nucleic acids. DNA, or Deoxyribonucleic Acid, naturally needs this mineral for good health. Without it, our DNA would not be able to replicate itself and pass on the genetic information to the next generation of cells. To control our metabolic demand, the Thyroid needs Manganese in order to produce Thyroxin, which helps with this crucial process. Metabolism is one of the most primitive survival mechanisms humans have, thereby making this element beyond critical to humans. Manganese works similar to Iron in that it binds with Oxygen to deliver needed nutrients to all parts of the body. This element is hard to come by, making many, if not most, humans deficient. It is found in foods truly in their natural state – raw nuts still inside their shells on the trees, wild berries, pineapple, steel-cut oats, and in almost all raw green leafy vegetables. Let me be clear here, you cannot COOK greens because you want them more appetizing. Heat will destroy this element, which means humans need to eat lots of raw green leaves every day. Animals and our ancestors from 15,000 years ago and earlier ate leaves straight from the plant, so stick your hand in a bucket of kale or swiss chard and put it in your mouth (or use a fork). The point is you need Manganese for a healthy brain and nervous system, and nuts contain anti-nutrients that prevent mineral absorption. This means that raw, dark green, leafy vegetables are your best bet in getting this far too important mineral. As you know by now, assuming you have read the Magnesium post, green leaves are high in fiber and help with relaxing the digestive system so that we have normal bowel movements that are not strenuous. Both Magnesium and Manganese are critical for healthy digestive tracts, healthy nerves, and healthy brains. My suggestion: grab yourself a home made salad with a mixture of dark green leaves and repeat this process every day for the rest of your life. Unless of course you don’t mind making trips to different doctors and complaining about an overactive nervous system, not being able to stay focused, having too stress, and having issues with your Thyroid.