Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.  The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering yet under-appreciated researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

Dr. Campbell, a nutritional scientist at Cornell University, was concerned in the late 1960′s with producing “high quality” animal protein to bring to the poor and malnourished areas of the third world.  While in the Philippines, he made a life-changing discovery:  the country’s wealthier children, who were consuming relatively high amounts of animal-based foods, were much more likely to get cancer.  Dr. Esselstyn, a top surgeon and head of the Breast Cancer Task Force at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, found that many of the diseases he routinely treated were virtually unknown in parts of the world where animal-based foods were rarely consumed.

These discoveries inspired Campbell and Esselstyn, who didn’t know each other yet, to conduct several groundbreaking studies.  One of them took place in China and is still among the most comprehensive health-related investigations ever undertaken.  Their research led them to a startling conclusion:  degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and several forms of cancer could almost always be prevented – and in many cases reversed – by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet.  Despite the profound implications of their findings, their work has remained relatively unknown to the public.

The filmmakers travel with Drs. Campbell and Esselstyn on their separate but similar paths, from their childhood farms where they both produced “nature’s perfect food”, to China and Cleveland, where they explored ideas that challenged the established thinking and shook their own core beliefs.

The idea of food as medicine is put to the test.  Throughout the film, cameras follow real patients who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes.  Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary treatment approach – while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.

The film features leading experts on health, examines the question “why we don’t know”, and tackles the issue of diet and disease in a way that will have people talking for  years.

Fork Over Knives features the following professionals:

• Dr. Neal Barnard – physician, author of “Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes” and Founder and President of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington DC
• Dr. T. Colin Campbell – co-author of “The China Study“, Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University and Project Director of the China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project
• Dr. Junshi Chen – Senior Research Professor at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
• Connie B. Diekman, MEd, RD, FADA – Director of University Nutrition, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri and former President of the American Dietetic Association
• Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn – author of “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” and former internationally know surgeon, researcher and clinician at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
• Dr. David Klurfeld – National Program Leader, Human Nutrition, USDA
• Drs. Matthew Lederman and Alona Pulde – physicians, authors of “Keep it Simple, Keep it Whole: Your Guide to Optimum Health” and founders of Exsalus Health and Wellness Center, Los Angeles, California
• Dr. Doug Lisle – psychologist, co-author of “The Pleasure Trap” and Director of Research, TrueNorth Health Center, Santa Rosa, California
• Dr. Terry Mason – Commissioner, Department of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois
• Dr. John McDougall – physician, author and founder of Dr. McDougall’s Health and Medical Center, Santa Rosa, California
• Dr. Pam Popper – Founder and Executive Director of the Wellness Forum, Columbus, Ohio

* It will be screened here at a conference led by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Pam Popper in September.  I’m going to book this as soon as I have the funds available.

This is of course the basis of holistic health – it’s all connected.  When we realize that, the notion that we need a different doctor for every part and system of our bodies seems ludicrous, especially when these doctors don’t work as a team!  It’s like having a different conductor for every section of an orchestra.

In my case, the first significant problem is my hormonal (endocrine) system.  Along with the central nervous system, the hormonal system control every process in our bodies and therefore a problem could impact our health profoundly.

The hypothalamus sits at the base of the brain and is in charge of hormone production (mine is rather wonky).  It produces regulating hormones which all act on the pituitary and it also controls:

• body temperature
• hunger and thirst
• body weight
• fluid balance
• sexual function

The pituitary dangles from the hypothalamus by a little stalk.  The pituitary can be described as the Managing Director of the the endocrine system and as such regulates all the other glands – the thyroid gland, the parathyroid glands, the pineal gland, the thymus, the adrenals, the pancreas and the reproductive glands.

The pituitary gland is directly responsible for:

• helping the body utilize fats for energy (this affects weight and energy levels)
• proper function of the liver and kidneys (remember, my liver is sluggish)
• the production of growth hormone (which promotes healthy weight balance)
• the formation of bone and cartilage
• and plays a big role in ovulation  in women and in men the production of sperm and testosterone production .

If this gland doesn’t work properly (as is the case with me), not only will these functions be compromised, but all the other glands in the system will be affected to some degree.  A good example is the thyroid gland – the hormones that regulate this important gland (both stimulating and inhibiting) are manufactured in the pituitary.

So what does the thyroid do?  It is responsible for:

• mental composure and alertness
• strong and steady heart function, blood circulation, blood lipid levels
• balancing the appetite (another thing that affects our weight)
• bowel function (affects the liver if not working properly)
• metabolism (affects body weight)
• fluid balance (hello water retention!)
• muscle strength
• the ability to fight infection (remember those immune system issues I have?)
• and for controlling calcium levels in the blood.

The pineal gland’s main function is to produce serotonin and melatonin, two neurotransmitters that make you feel good and sleep well (another problem for me).

The thymus gland produces the white blood cells needed for a healthy immune system (once again a problem for me).  Good quality sleep releases growth hormone from the pituitary and this hormone stimulates the the thymus to renew, repair and rejuvenate cells (but I’m not getting good quality sleep and my pituitary is not working properly).

When we talk about the adrenal glands, most people think about the fight-or-flight response, but these two glands have many other important functions.  They are responsible for:

• helping to control sodium and potassium levels (which affect fluid balance)
• regulating blood pressure
• helping to control blood sugar levels (affects appetite and weight)
• helping to mobilize fats for energy (as opposed to fat storage, which once again affects weight)
• controlling inflammation and immune responses (back to the infections I have)

The chronic fatigue I have been experiencing can be attributed to the fact that my adrenals are probably not working very well.

The main job of the pancreas (both a gland and an organ) is to control blood sugar levels through the production of insulin.  It works together with the adrenal glands to prevent either low blood sugar or diabetes.   When you are insulin resistant (as I am), this part of the endocrine system is not working properly.  The pancreas has a powerful effect on appetite and therefore weight.  Another important function is the production of digestive enzymes.

So, the fact that my hypothalamus and pituitary glands aren’t working properly already explains a lot about my struggle to lose weight, my low progesterone levels (progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum after ovulation, but if ovulation is not taking place…), my poor liver function, my tendency to retain water, my insulin resistance, the various infections in my body, my depressive episodes and my chronic fatigue.

Speaking of the liver, it too has many functions.  It:

• synthesizes proteins to help maintain the volume of blood
• synthesizes, stores and processes fats, including the essential fatty acids without which our bodies cannot function, and cholesterol (which is needed in the body to synthesize vitamin D)
• metabolizes and stores carbohydrates, which are essential for the functioning of red blood cells and the brain
• forms and secretes bile that aid in the intestinal absorption of fats and the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K (remember, I have an absorption problem)
• eliminates by metabolizing and/or secreting waste from the many processes in the body, for instance the bilirubin from the breakdown of old red blood cells
• detoxifies the body by metabolizing and/or secreting drugs (legal and illegal), alcohol, environmental toxins and food additives

When the liver is not functioning properly (as is the case with me) toxins are left circulating in the body, and they have a negative impact on the glands of the endocrine system, with the result that the body’s processes are affected, including the ones that control our weight.

This is just a simple overview of the significance of two of my health problems and how they cause so many of the others.  As you can see, everything is indeed connected.

Tomorrow I will fill you in on some of the other problems and their significance.

Sources:

-  Perfect Weight: The Natural Way by Mary-Ann Shearer

- Natural Solutions to Infertility by Marilyn Glenville

- The Truth about Hormones by Vivienne Parry

- MedicineNet.com

I think there are few things we fear more than hearing the words, “You have cancer“.

What we may not realize is that there is a lot we can do to reduce our risk of getting cancer, because only about 5% of cancers are caused by genetic factors, and even then, lifestyle plays a huge role. 95% of cancers are directly related to lifestyle and exposure to toxins, which means that there are lots of ways we can protect ourselves.

Evita, from Evolving Wellness, has written an excellent article, listing the Top 13 Risk Factors for Cancer.  It is well worth the read.

Scientists are finding more evidence that the “seeds” for certain cancers (most notably breast cancer) are laid in adolescence already.  So, if you’re a parent it is most important to instill good, healthy habits in your kids early on.  It can save them a lot of pain and misery later in life.  This tweet says it all:

@SmashFit: It’s ok to say NO to your kids and moniter what they eat. Our job is to keep them healthy FIRST, happy second.

Always remember that cancer is an abnormal cell in a toxic environment.  Clean up the toxic environment and cancer has no habitat in the body.

Let’s get, and stay, healthy!

We are forever bombarded by paparazzi images of stick-thin celebs with lumpy “orange peel” on their legs. The medical profession generally dismisses the notion that cellulite is anything other than normal fat, but these women exercise religiously and have very little fat on their bodies.

There is a direct relationship between cellulite formation and body toxicity.  Cellulite-prone women are found to have the following in common:

- incomplete removal of wastes from the colon, i.e. digestive problems like constipation, etc.

- poor lymphatic drainage, which means that wastes which lie in the spaces between the cells are not effectively eliminated.

- poor circulation.

- contraceptive hormones and hormone therapy.

The correct approach to dealing with cellulite would therefore have to involve removing the toxins, healing the underlying conditions that contribute to its formation and preventing recurrence.  You can buy all the amazing creams and preparations on the market, but if your body’s ecosystem is not clean, you’re not going to beat cellulite (although you will be a lot poorer).

The first and most important aspect is diet.  Making raw fruit and vegetables the basis of your diet (at least 75%) will not only help sort out any digestive problems over time, but will provide the necessary bio-flavenoids to strengthen the capillaries, which in turn will stimulate lymphatic flow, thereby more effectively removing toxins from the body.  Eating high raw also provides plenty of pure water to the body.  This is exactly what the rich and famous are fed at those posh “rejuvenation” spas and they emerge looking younger, firmer and healthier.

Of course, it’s no use eating 75-80% high raw, and 20-25% junk.  It is also important to remove the following from the diet:  heated fats (use only cold-pressed and don’t heat it), caffeine, alcohol, food additives, artificial sweeteners, HFCS, sugar and dairy (if you insist on dairy it should be raw and organic).  If you’re sensitive to gluten, it should be excluded too.  These are poisons and cause far more problems that just cellulite in the body.

The second step is exercise.  Any exercise is better than no exercise, but some are far more beneficial when dealing with cellulite.  Dancing, walking and lunging are good, while running seems to aggravate the condition in some women.  Swimming and water aerobics are very helpful, since the massaging action of the water helps stimulate the lymphatic system.  But the best exercise for getting rid of cellulite is rebounding. (I’m still too heavy for a rebounder, but one day I’ll get one!)

Regular body brushing is another effective weapon in the fight against cellulite.  It stimulates blood circulation in the trouble spots and helps to give the skin a smoother appearance.  The mistake a lot of women make is that they only brush the affected area, instead of the whole body.  In order to remove the toxins you have to start at the extremities and move towards the heart.  Read more about body-brushing here.  Follow up with contrast showers (hot→cold→hot→cold) – it feels amazing!

Body massage is also beneficial and helps stimulate not only blood flow but also lymphatic flow.  If you have the resources, a Swedish body massage or a lymphatic drainage are best.  Otherwise, just rope in your significant other or do it yourself, using firm but gentle pressure.

While exercise, brushing and massage are helpful, they will not make much difference if you do not address your diet.  I know that for most people eating this way is a radical shift, but the health benefits are so astounding that people who have made the changes never look back.  I particularly like Kristen Suzanne’s story, told without any sensationalism or wild claims.

As for me, when I’m eating high raw my cellulite (which sits on top of the other fat on my thighs) diminishes.  Last year during my 80-day Juice Feast I was amazed at the speed at which it “dissolved”.  When I slip and eat badly for a while, it comes back (along with acne, rashes, PMS, etc.)  It’s as simple as that.

Disclaimer: This is not me!

- Our bodies can’t function without dietary fat.  In fact, you can’t lose weight without dietary fat, since all systems in the body, including the hormonal system – which controls weight, fluid-balance and metabolism – need fat in order to work properly.

-  We must make sure to consume Omega 6 (found in fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds) and Omega 3 (flax and hemp seeds and oils, leafy green vegetables and oily fish) fatty acids on a regular basis.

-  Processing fats with heat and chemicals denatures them and renders them dangerous to our health.  You can buy the best quality oil, but if you heat it, you are changing the molecular structure and creating a very dangerous and harmful product.  Roasting nuts has the same effect.

-  Most of the fats used in processed foods are highly processed themselves – another reason why whole foods are healthier.

My way of dealing with these facts had been to avoid cooking with oil or fat as far as I could.  That meant frying in stock or water and dry-roasting and then adding the olive oil afterward to coat, if needed.  I make my own salad dressings using cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil.  We buy only raw nuts and seeds.

But this past year I’ve been researching coconut oil and it has made my life a lot easier.  Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so it can be heated to higher temperatures than other fats before it gets damaged.

Since it is primarily a saturated fat, coconut oil was discredited along with all other saturated fats a few decades ago.  But it’s making a wonderful comeback because research has shown that it does not cause the same health problems as animal fats.  In fact, coconut oil is very good for our health and I myself am very pleased with the results so far.

The first thing we need to understand is that coconut oil is predominantly made up of medium-chain fatty acids and some short-chain fatty acids.  Short-chain fatty acids have 2 to 6 carbon atoms, medium-chain fatty acids 8 to 12, while long chain-fatty acids have more than 14.  The length of the carbon chain is a key factor in the way dietary fat is digested and metabolized and how it affects the body.

The vast majority of fats in our diet are composed of long-chain fatty acids.  When we eat these fats they are broken down into individual fatty acids and converted into lipo-proteins, which are then sent into the bloodstream and deposited into our fat cells.  Medium-chain fatty acids are digested and utilized differently.  They are not converted into lipo-proteins and do not circulate in the bloodstream.  Instead they are sent directly to the liver where, like carbohydrates, they are converted into energy.  (Unlike carbohydrates, they do not affect blood sugar.)  Long-chain fatty acids contain 9 calories per gram, while coconut oil contains 6.8 calories per gram.  Furthermore, medium-chain fatty acids stimulates the thyroid, thereby raising the metabolism.  This means that coconut oil, being a medium-chain fatty acid helps control weight gain and fat deposition, as has been demonstrated in numerous human and animal studies.

Most of the criticism aimed at coconut oil in the past was based on the fact that it is a saturated fat and therefore implicated in raising cholesterol levels and promoting heart disease.  Research has shown, however, that because of the way it is metabolized, it has a neutral effect on cholesterol.  Similarly, it does not contribute to platelet adhesiveness (blood stickiness) associated with heart disease since it does not circulate in the bloodstream.  In fact, it may indirectly help prevent heart disease, since it is a powerful anti-viral and anti-microbial agent and research is showing more and more that chronic inflammation and low-grade infection may be instrumental in the formation of arterial plaque.

Coconut oil helps kill viruses that cause mononucleosis, influenza, hepatitis C, measles, herpes, AIDS and bacteria that causes pneumonia, ear and throat infections, dental cavities, food poisoning, UTI, meningitis and gonorhea.  It has been shown to be effective against yeast and fungal infections like candida, ringworm, athlete’s foot and diaper rash.  It is also used to help expel or kill tapeworms, giardia and other parasites.

Coconut oil aids in the absorption of nutrients and therefore greatly benefits people suffering from diabetes, obesity, gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, Crohn’s disease and some forms of cancer.   Premature and sick babies, whose digestive organs are underdeveloped are able to absorb medium-chain fatty acids with ease.  In fact, breast milk contains significant amounts of MCFA, predominantly in the same form as coconut oil – lauric acid.

I don’t only consume coconut oil, I also use it on my skin as a moisturizer.  It is absolutely amazing.  I clean my face using the Oil Cleansing Method and then rub coconut oil into it.  Until a year ago I had an oily skin.  Not anymore!   The anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties of coconut oil are also especially helpful for the skin.  I haven’t tried using it as a hair-treatment yet, but I hear it’s amazing!

Interestingly enough for me, I have not had a gallbladder attack since I started using coconut oil regularly, and I used to get them increasingly often last year.  Apparently it helps the body deal better with other fats too.  Furthermore, I only had one cold all year and no flu.  Craig has been just as blessed.

I have converted all my recipes to coconut oil* and even use it to grease oven-dishes and pans.  And although you can cook and bake with coconut oil, it should never be heated to its smoking point.

As with all other oils, quality is very important.  Your coconut oil should be made from fresh coconuts (not “copra”, as some cheaper oils are), there should be no heat processing or refining, no chemicals added, no bleaching, no deodorization and no hydrogenation.  Even here in South Africa good quality organics brands are readily available in pharmacies and health food stores.

I love coconut oil!  I even add it to pre-workout smoothies for an energy boost (a trick I learned from Brendan Brazier, professional triathlete and author of Thrive).

How about you?  Do you use coconut oil?

*  I have also substituted all dairy milk and cream in recipes for coconut milk and cream and it works perfectly.  I’ve even succeeded in making sour cream from coconut cream by adding lemon juice and paprika.

Resources:

The Coconut Oil Miracle – Bruce Fife

Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill – Udo Erasmus

Dr. Mercola