Adrenal Output

MINERALOCORTICOIDS (Zona Glomerulosa)

• Endogenous produced by zona glomerulosa.
• Aldosterone and others regulate intravascular volume and blood pressure.
• Aldosterone works on renal tubule.
• Aldosterone; Na+, bicarbonate (chloride) and H2O retention, decreasing resorption of potassium.
• Clients with Addison's disease have low minieralocorticoid production.
• Aldosterone levels are increasing in Conn's syndrome.
  

Formation of Mineralcorticoids

Physiologic Effects of Mineralocorticoids

Mineralocorticoids play a critical role in regulating concentrations of minerals - particularly sodium and potassium - in extracellular fluids. As described above, loss of these hormones leads rapidly to life-threatening abnormalities in electrolyte and fluid balance. Hyposecreation can lead to decreased blood volumethat can result in decreased cardiac output and hypotension. Hypersecreation can result in increased volume of extracellular fluid which leads to increased volume of the blood which can increase cardiac output ultimately resulting in hypertension.

The major target of aldosterone is the distal tubule of the kidney, where it stimulates exchange of sodium and potassium.

Three (3) primary physiologic effects of aldosterone:

1. Increased resorption of sodium: sodium loss in urine is decreased under aldosterone stimulation.
2. Increased resorption of water, with consequent expansion of extracellular fluid volume. This is an osmotic effect directly related to increased resorption of sodium.
3. Increased renal excretion of potassium.

Knowing these effects should quickly suggest the cellular mechanism of action this hormone. Aldosterone stimulates transcription of the gene encoding the sodium-potassium ATPase, leading to increased numbers of "sodium pumps" in the basolateral membranes of tubular epithelial cells. Aldosterone also stimulates expression of a sodium channel which facilitates uptake of sodium from the tubular lumen.

Aldosterone has effects on sweat glands, salivary glands and the colon which are essentially identical to those seen in the distal tubule of the kidney. The major net effect is again to conserve body sodium by stimulating its resorption or, in the case of the colon, absorption from the intestinal lumen. Conservation of water follows conservation of sodium.

Control of Aldosterone Secretion
Control over aldosterone secretion is truly multifactorial and tied into a spider web of other factors which regulate fluid and electrolyte composition and blood pressure. If the major effects of aldosterone are considered, it is rather easy to predict factors which stimulate or suppress aldosterone secretion.

The two (2) most significant regulators of aldosterone secretion are:

1. Concentration of potassium ions in extracellular fluid: Small increases in blood levels of potassium strongly stimulate aldosterone secretion.
2. Angiotensin II: Activation of the renin-angiotensin system as a result of decreased renal blood flow (usually due to decreased vascular volume) results in release of angiotensin II, which stimulates aldosterone secretion.

Other factors which stimulate aldosterone secretion include adrenocorticotropic hormone (short-term stimulation only) and sodium deficiency. Factors which suppress aldosterone secretion include atrial naturetic hormone, high sodium concentration and potassium deficiency.

GLUCOCORTICOIDS (Zona Fasciculata)

• endogenous released on diurnal cycle from zona fasciculata.
• exogenous are most potent anti-inflam medications available.
• synthetic drugs mb 20-100x more potent than endogenous cortisol.
• cortisol is principle endogenous one.
• binds to cell receptors;changes gene transcription and behavior of cells.
• promotes gluconeogenesist; increasing blood sugar to deal with stressor (trauma, infection, disease).
• regulates metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids.
• causes mild increase in blood pressure thru vasoconstriction.
• increase in circulating of neutrophils, HGB, RBC's.
• decrease circulating of lymphs including T cells, eosphils, basophilss, monosites, and macrophages.
• pharmacologic doses dramatically reduce accumulation of leukocytes and inhbits chemotactic signalling.
• also inhibits access of leukotrines to inflammation sites, intereferes with fixation of leukotrines and fibroblasts.
• inhibition of phospholipase A2; blocks release of arachadonic acid; no new prostaglandins or leukotrines.
• anti-inflammation effect due to decreased production of prostaglandins.
• also suppresses histamine release and kinin activity.
• metabolized by liver microsomal oxidizing enzymes.

Control of Cortisol Secretion
Cortisol and other glucocorticoids are secreted in response to a single stimulator: adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary. ACTH is itself secreted under control of the hypothalamic peptide corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). The central nervous system is thus the commander and chief of glucocorticoid responses, providing an excellent example of close integration between the nervous and endocrine systems.

Virtually any type of physical or mental stress results in elevation of cortisol concentrations in blood due to enhanced secretion of CRH in the hypothalamus. This fact sometimes makes it very difficult to assess glucocorticoid levels, particularly in animals. Observing the approach of a phlebotomist, and especially being restrained for blood sampling, is enough stress to artificially elevate cortisol levels several fold!

Cortisol secretion is suppressed by classical negative feedback loops. When blood concentrations rise above a certain theshold, cortisol inhibits CRH secretion from the hypothalamus, which turns off ACTH secretion, which leads to a turning off of cortisol secretion from the adrenal. The combination of positive and negative control on CRH secretion results in pulsatile secretion of cortisol. Typically, pulse amplitude and frequency are highest in the morning and lowest at night.
 
 

ACTH binds to receptors in the plasma membrane of cells in the zona fasiculata and reticularis of the adrenal. Hormone-receptor engagement activates adenyl cyclase, leading to elevated intracellular levels of cyclic AMP which leads ultimately to activation of the enzyme systems involved in biosynthesis of cortisol from cholesterol.

Physiologic Effects of Glucocorticoids

There seem to be no cells that lack glucocorticoid receptors and as a consequence, these steroid hormones have a huge number of effects on physiologic systems. That having been said, it can be stated that the best known and studied effects of glucocorticoids are on carbohydrate metabolism and immune function.

Effects on Metabolism

The name glucocorticoid derives from early observations that these hormones were involved in glucose metabolism. In the fasted state, cortisol stimulates several processes that collectively serve to increase and maintain normal concentrations of glucose in blood. These effects include: 

•Stimulation of gluconeogenesis, particularly in the liver: This pathway results in the synthesis of glucose from non-hexose substrates such as amino acids and lipids and is particularly important in carnivores and certain herbivores. Enhancing the expression of enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis is probably the best known metabolic function of glucocorticoids.

•Mobilization of amino acids from extrahepatic tissues: These serve as substrates for gluconeogenesis.

•Inhibition of glucose uptake in muscle and adipose tissue: A mechanism to conserve glucose.

•Stimulation of fat breakdown in adipose tissue: The fatty acids released by lipolysis are used for production of energy in tissues like muscle, and the released glycerol provide another substrate for gluconeogenesis.

Effects on Inflammation and Immune Function

Glucocorticoids have potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. This is particularly evident when they administered at pharmacologic doses, but also is important in normal immune responses. As a consequence, glucocorticoids are widely used as drugs to treat inflammatory conditions such as arthritis or dermatitis, and as adjunction therapy for conditions such as autoimmune diseases.

Other Effects of Glucocorticoids
Glucocorticoids have multiple effects on fetal development. An important example is their role in promoting maturation of the lung and production of the surfactant necessary for extrauterine lung function. 

Several aspects of cognitive function are known to both stimulate glucocorticoid secretion and be influenced by glucocorticoids. Fear provides an interesting example of this. Fear-inducing stimuli lead to secretion of glucocorticoids from the adrenal gland, and treatment of phobic individuals with glucocorticoids prior to a fear-inducing stimulus can blunt the fear response.

Excessive glucocorticoid levels resulting from administration as a drug or hyperadrenocorticism have effects on many systems. Some examples include inhibition of bone formation, suppression of calcium absorption and delayed wound healing. These observations suggest a multitide of less dramatic physiologic roles for glucocorticoids.

Next: Catacolemines the Forgotten Adrenal Hormones..............................................

The Adrenals - Introduction

This is a multi part piece about: The Adrenal Gland Function, Assessment and Resolution.

GENERAL

The two adrenal glands are located immediately anterior to the kidneys, encased in a connective tissue capsule and usually partially buried in an island of fat. Like the kidneys, the adrenal glands lie beneath the peritoneum.

CIRCULATION

• tied with thyroid for greatest blood supply/gram of tissue
• up to 60 arterioles enter each adrenal

Inspection of an adrenal gland that has been sectioned reveals two distinct regions. The medulla and the Cortex.

• An inner medulla, which is a source of the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine. The chromaffin cell is the principle cell type. The medulla is richly innervated by preganglionic sympathetic fibers and is, in essence, an extension of the sympathetic nervous system.

• An outer cortex, which secretes several classes of steroid hormones (glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, plus a few others). Histologic examination of the cortex reveals three concentric zones of cells that differ in the major steroid hormones they secrete.

Despite their organization into a single gland, the medulla and cortex are functionally different endocrine organs, and have different embryological origins. The medulla derives from ectoderm (neural crest), while the cortex develops from mesoderm.

They sit on top of kidneys, make corticosteroids (cortisol), mineralocorticoids (aldosterone) and catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine), also sex steroids (DHEA, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone).

• Surrounded adipose capsule and the renal fascia
• Located at about T11-12
• right side lower due to liver taking up space.

Removal of the adrenal glands leads to death within just a few days. Observation of such an unfortunate subject would reveal several key derangements:

•The concentration of potassium in extracelluar fluid becomes dramatically elevated.
•Urinary excretion of sodium is high and the concentration of sodium in extracellular fluid decreases significantly.
•Volume of extracellular fluid and blood decrease.
•The heart begins to function poorly, cardiac output declines and shock ensues.

These phenomena are a direct result of loss of mineralocorticoid activity, and can largely be prevented by replacement of salts and mineralocorticoids. Clearly mineralocorticoids are acutely critical for maintenance of life!

In contrast to loss of mineralocorticoids, failure to produce glucocorticoids is not acutely life-threatening. Nevertheless, loss or profound diminishment of glucocorticoid secretion leads to a state of deranged metabolism and an inability to deal with stressors which, if untreated, is fatal.

In addition to their physiologic importance, glucocorticoids are also among the most frequently used drugs, and often prescribed for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties.

Adrenal Gland

The zona fasciculata and zona reticularis, which are both normally activated by ACTH from the anterior pituitary, would atrophy, so that you'd have less adrenal production of cortisol and sex steroids. The glomerulosa (produces aldosterone) and the medulla (produces dopamine, epinephrine and nor-epinephrine) would be unaffected.

Medulla
The adrenal medulla is really an extension of the central nervous system and secretes the catecholamines norepinephrine (noradrenalin) and epinephrine (adrenalin) in response to stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. These substances aid in the "fight or flee" reaction in response to immediate stress. When these catecholamines are released into the general circulation, their effects last from 30 seconds to two minutes.

Chromaffin cells (derived from neural crest) are main source of catecholamines.

• Main source of Dopamine, precursor of Epinephrine & Norepinephrine.
• Catecholamines are water soluble, derived from amino acid tyrosine.
• Adrenal medulla is from ectoderm tissue in embryo.
• Considered specialized ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system.
• Releases hormones into the blood.

Cortex Three (3) Layers of Cortex: Zonas
Makes corticosteroid hormones from:

HPA axis controls cortisol/corticosterone synthesis

• Normal production: 35–40 mg of cortisone acetate per day
• Also makes androgens: testosterone
• Also regulates water and electrolyte concentrations via aldosterone
• Cortex regulated by neuroendocrine hormones from pituitary gland and by renin-angiotensin system (Aldosterone)

Cortex Zonas

• Zona Glomerulosa makes mineralocorticoids (aldosterone)
• Zona Fasciculata makes glucocorticoids (cortisol)
• Zone Reticularis makes sex steroids (DHEA)

ZONA GLOMERULOSA

• Mineralocorticoids including aldosterone
• Aldostone release provoked by RAA system, triggered by low blood volume
• Aldosterone; distal convoluted tubules excrete K+, reabsorbtion Na+ and H2O--> increase volume and blood pressure.
• Licorice works to increase blood pressure by increasing mineralocorticoid production

ZONA FASCICULATA

• glucocorticoids including cortisol and corticosterone
• stimulated by ACTH from anterior pituitary-->increased cAMP
• some cortisol secretion persists even when there's not ACTH

ZONA RETICULARIS

Makes DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) in response to ACTH signal from anterior pituitary which is controlled by hypothalamic signaling and other sex steroids too: estrogen, testosterone.

next Mineralcorticosteriod & Glucocorticosteroid..............................

Confessions of a Big Pharma Rep

Please watch this 6 min video.

Video

Don

Gary Taubes in Action

This was sent to me by a friend of mine Gerald.......................

Taubes 1 hour lecture on April 2010


In 2002, Gary Taubes, Dr. Oz & Dr. Dean Ornish (the MD with a goiter) go at it.

At minute 7:55 in the 5 of 5 clip, Ornish claims to consult McD's & Pepsi on their food... hahaha

The McD's happy meal project by Sally Davies. Imagine a Happy meal at day number 220

My favorite line by Gary is when he whispers, "Dean, be honest" Calm, collected, eloquently articulate... the dude is a bad*ss.

Don

Page Diet - Eating Frequency and Supplemmentation

Eat smaller amounts more frequently Eating a smaller amount reduces the stress of digestion on your energy supply. Eating small meals conserves energy. Give your energy generator a chance to keep up with digestion by not overwhelming it when you eat a large meal. Avoid overwhelming your body with too much to do at one time. If you don’t digest your food – indigestion, yeast overgrowth, gas, inflammation, food reactions, etc. result.

Another reason for eating smaller meals is to prevent the ups and downs of your blood sugar level so you end up craving less sugar. As mentioned earlier, you can overwhelm your digestive capacity. You can also overwhelm your body’s ability to handle sugar in the blood. Since the body will not (or should not) allow the blood sugar level to get too high, insulin and other hormones are secreted to lower the blood sugar. Often times, the insulin response is too strong and within a short period of time insulin has driven the blood sugar level down. As a result of the now low blood sugar, you get a powerful craving for sugar or other carbohydrates. You then usually overeat, and the cycle of up and down, yo-yo blood sugar results. Eating a small meal will virtually stop this cycle.

Eating smaller meals also has advantages for your immune response to ingested food. It turns out that a small amount of food enters the blood without first going through the normal digestive pathway through the liver. As a result, this food is seen by the body not as nourishment but as a threat and you will stimulate an immune reaction. Normally, a small immune reaction is not even noticed, but if a large amount of food (or if a food is eaten over and over again), the immune reaction can cause symptoms. Over time, disease develops.

By eating smaller amount, the size of the reaction that occurs is small and inconsequential. A large meal, and thus a large assault of the immune system, could cause many symptoms of an activated immune system including fatigue, joint aches, flu-like symptoms, headaches, etc. This reaction was called the Metabolic Rejectivity Syndrome by the late nutritional pioneer, Arthur L. Kaslow, M.D. Through thousands of his patients’ food diaries, he compiled a list of high-risk foods that is much the same as Dr. Page’s. Dairy and wheat products were at the top of his list.

I realize that eating five smaller meals is not always practical. After all, you do have a life. One concern with eating your meals too far apart is you may tend to get too hungry and overeat when you do get a chance to eat. A small (healthy) snack between the main meals of the day is like an ounce of prevention. If you’re an individual who says "once I start eating, I can’t stop," then you will most likely require additional help with nutritional supplementation, at least initially.

Supplementation
In reviewing the many diets used all over the world, there are pros and cons to each. For example, the vegetarian diet tends to minimize tissue degeneration but may not support tissue rejuvenation due to a lack of complete protein and fats found primarily in animal products. The major concern I have had with the Page program is that most people do not eat enough vegetables and therefore do not get adequate amounts of minerals. Since the fats and proteins tend to promote acid production in the body, it is very important to get enough alkalizing minerals to buffer the acid load. For this reason, minerals that are specific to your needs should be taken to get you healthy…

Final Note:
When in doubt, don’t eat it. If it isn’t on the list, wait and ask the doctor or nutritionist. The diet plan is designed to help you to optimal health just as it has for tens of thousands of
Dr. Page’s patients, many of whom are in their later years without signs of degenerative diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, etc. The Page Diet is not intended to make you suffer or sacrifice, in fact quite the opposite. As you attain balanced body chemistry, you will be delighted with the physical and emotional improvements you experience from the food your body was designed to run on optimally. And what you eat or drink at the occasional party or evening out is not going to be significantly harmful to your nutritional balance in the long run, so enjoy it.

Lastly, as with all things that are beneficial to your health, it’s hard to start, but the longer you use this diet, the greater the benefits that you will realize from it.

Don

Page Diet - Liquids

Milk Products: Forget pasteurized cow milk products (milk, certain cheese, sour cream, half & half, ice cream, cottage cheese and yogurt). If you only knew all the potential problems from pasteurized milk, you’d swear it off forever. Dr. Page found out that pasteurized milk was actually more detrimental than sugar for many people. Avoiding dairy will make it much easier for you to attain your optimal level of health and hormonal balance. Raw butter, however, is an excellent source of essential nutrients and vitamins. Raw goat’s and sheep milk products are better alternatives because their genetic code and fat content is apparently more like humans. I’d still be cautious with these, however.

There has been a lot of hype about using soymilk and rice milk to replace dairy. While they sound like healthy alternatives, what they really are is highly processed foods that are primarily simple carbohydrates. You are better off doing without these as well. Of course Vitamite®, Mocha Mix®, and the other dairy substitutes are highly-processed nutrient-depleted products that honestly should not be considered a food.

Liquids: Water is the only substance that qualifies as an ideal liquid. Most diseases could be explained on the basis of dehydration. It should be considered the first and largest part of your food plan. The minimum number of ounces of water to be consumes is ½ your body weight in pounds. It should be consumed in small amount throughout the day rather in large glasses sporadically. You might set your water glass or bottle near you to be sipped frequently. All water consumed should be chlorine and fluoride free. Spring water that has a low mineral content seems to be best for most people’s needs. Tap water, even when purified by charcoal and reverse osmosis, is often not as pure as it should be in terms of mineral content. Nevertheless, it is more important to consume water of even modest quality than it is to substitute it for other liquids.

Avoid all soda and especially those with artificial sweeteners. No coffee until you are fully recovered, and then only in moderation if you have the metabolism for it. For every cup of coffee, you need to drink an extra equivalent amount of water since coffee is a diuretic. Fruit juices are forbidden because of their high fructose content and dumping of sugar into the blood stream. An occasional small glass of vegetable juice with a meal is probable okay, but I hope you’ll feel the difference that using water in adequate quantity throughout the day will be enough to convince you how much better water really is…

The most important life-giving substance in the body is water. The daily routine of the body depends on a turnover of about 40,000 glasses of water a day. In the process, your body loses at a minimum of 6 glasses a day, even if you don’t do anything. With movement, exercise, and sugar intake (that’s right) etc. you can require up to over 15 glasses of water a day. Consider this – the concentration of water in your brain has been estimated to be 85% and the water content of your tissues like your liver, kidney, muscle, heart, intestines, etc are 75% water. The concentration of water outside of the cells is about 94%. That means that water wants to move from the outside of the cell (where it is diluted) into the cell (where it is more concentrated) to balance out things. The urge water has to move is called hydroelectric power. That’s the same electrical power generated at hydroelectric dams (like Hoover Dam). The energy made in your body is in part hydroelectric. I just know you wouldn’t mind a little boost in energy.

If you enjoy wine or beer and still insist, there are some guidelines. First, drink only with meals. Red wine has less sugar and probably more of the beneficial polyphenols than white wines. Most of the good foreign beer is actually brewed and contains far more nutrients than the pasteurized chemicals called beer made by the large commercial breweries in the United States. Trader Joe’s usually has a good selection. Less is better. Occasional rather than regular. Because coffee and alcohol force you to lose water, you’ll have to drink more water to compensate.

Part III ..................

Page Diet - Intoduction

In the book "Why We get Fat" Gary Taubes states that insulin and blood glucose level determine why we get fat and develope disease over time. He suggests a low carbohydrate diet to control insulin and ultimately how fat we get. I suggest using the Page Diet to achieve this goal.

This food plan is designed to assist your body in its ability to create and maintain "balanced body chemistry." Dr. Melvin Page’s food plan is not only extremely helpful but in many cases essential to control blood sugar and hormone imbalances and balance all types of imbalanced body biochemistry. At the famous Page Clinic in Florida, blood chemistry panels were done every three to four days on all patients. Dr. Page based his food plan from the research of Drs. Price and Pottenger, who showed the relationship of diet to health, both physical and emotional. The diet plan was proven true when blood chemistry panels of thousands of patients normalized without any other intervention. Many of today’s popular diets are based on Dr. Page’s work.

Dr. Page emphasized removing absolutely all refined carbohydrates (such as sugar and processed flour) and cow’s milk from the diet. On the food list sheet attached, notice the percentage of carbohydrates is indicated. Dr. Page felt that it was not only important to eat quality proteins and fats, but quality carbohydrates as well.

The longer you are on this program and the more closely you follow it, the easier it will be to stick to it. This will result in your feeling and looking so much better than you did on your old way of eating. As you become healthier, your cravings for those foods that are not the best choices for you will diminish. Old habits are hard to break, so take your time to change your diet habits so you don’t slip into your old way of eating.

Foods to Eat and Not Eat

Proteins: Eat small amounts of proteins frequently. It is best if you have some protein at each meal. It need not be a large amount at any one time. In fact, it is best if you eat smaller amounts (< 3-4 ounces of meat, fish, foul, or eggs at a time). Both animal and vegetarian sources of protein are beneficial. Animal proteins contain all the essential amino acids and they do so in the ratios that maximize their utilization to humans. Choose a variety of meat products and try to find the healthiest options available, i.e. free range and organic, whenever possible. This is any meat with the visible fat trimmed away. Meat is a particularly concentrated source of vitamins A, E and the entire B complex. Vitamin D and B12 are found only in animal products.

Wheat contains all the essential amino acids; but to get enough of the ones that are scarce in supply: for a man weighing 175 lbs (80 kg) he would have to eat 3.3 lbs of white bread vs 0.75 lbs of meat to reach the same safe levels of protein.

There is concern about pork because of its similarity to humans and an inability of pigs to sweat that result in an accumulation of toxins that is independent of their diet. About 70% of the chickens grown for meat in the U.S. are fed roxarsone, which contains arsenic. Some of the arsenic is retained in the chicken meat you eat. Organic chicken should be free of arsenic additive. Beef and lamb should be grass-fed and organic - grass provides healthier fat than the grain fed meat (no risk of “mad-cow” either). For most people, eggs are a high quality source of protein. Eat the whole egg; the lecithin and other nutrients in the yolk are essential to lower blood fat and improve liver and brain function. With any protein, the way in which you prepare it is critical. For beef, lamb, and fish, the closer to raw or rare the better it is for you.
Avoid frying. Grilled, broiled, steamed, soft boiled, or poached is best.

Vegetables: Eat more, more, more! While almost everybody can eat more vegetables, it is an especially important for you. Eat a variety vegetables as outlined in the chart you received, although make the green leafy type your preference. This includes spinach, chard, beet greens, kale, broccoli, mustard greens, etc. Sorry, chocolate is not a vegetable.

As above, the quality of your produce (fresh and organic preferred), and the method of preparation is important. The vegetables should be the vegetables that are in season. Raw is preferred with lightly steamed or sautéed as your second choice for the all vegetables. Get your children to have vegetables with a dip if necessary. The goodness in the vegetable outweighs most of the negatives of the dip.

Sauté only in butter or olive oil; or both in combination the oil will keep the butter from burning. Use lettuces with a rich green color, sprouts and raw nuts for salads. Iceberg lettuce is one of the least nutritious types. Don’t make salads your only choice for vegetables. Substitute nuts for croutons.

While vegetable juice does sound healthy, the act of chewing is important. Chewing activates the part of your brain that controls your appetite and prepares your GI tract for digestion. Wheat grass and the "green food" products should also be mentioned. For many people who are depleted in nutrients, these seem to provide a lift. But large amounts of green foods can be irritating to your colon and should be used sparingly as well. Remember that man is not designed to be a grass eater. Trying to outsmart the maker with "super foods" may not only be ignorant but arrogant as well.

When clinicians discussed plant food they would allow in there diets, they typically did so on the basis of carbohydrate content:

• Bread can be up to 60% carbohyrate by weight if toasted 
• Potatoes are nearly 20% carbohydrate by weight
• Green peas and Artichokes are 15% vegetables
• Onions, Carrots, Beets, and Okra are 10% vegetables

 Most of the green vegetables:

•  Cucumbers, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, kale, lettuce are 5% vegetables

They allowed only 6% vegetables; which ruled out All starchy vegetables.

Most importantly ALL forms bread contain large proportion of carbohydrate, varying from 45-65%; and the percentage in toast as high as 60%.

Fruits: In addition to the advantages with chewing your food, there is an even more important reason not to drink fruit juice. Fruit juice is loaded with the simple sugar, fructose, which is shunted into forming triglycerides and ultimately stored as fat. Without the fiber in the fruit, juice sends a rapid burst of fructose into the blood stream. When you do eat fruit, only eat one type of fruit at a time on an empty stomach; second, avoid sweet fruits (like very ripe bananas and the tropical fruits on the food Phase 2 list available at the office); and third, eat only fresh and organic when possible. Wild berries are a good choice for fruit intake.

Carbohydrates: This is a very tricky area. Most people classify carbohydrates as either complex or simple/processed. Unfortunately, for most patients suffering with imbalance problems almost any carbohydrate is a no-no. It is a physiological fact that the more carbohydrates you eat the more you will want. Craving carbohydrates is a symptom of an imbalance; use this craving to monitor your progress. Overall, eat vegetables as your carbohydrate choice and limit grains (even the whole grains can be trouble). When you do eat whole grains, only have in moderation and only at dinner. If you start the day with carbohydrates, you are more likely to crave them throughout the day, and then you’ll eat more and it’s down hill from there. Absolutely stay away from breads (100% rye only bread is the least of the evils), muffins, cookies, candies, crackers, pastas, white rice and most baked goods. All forms of bread contain a large portion of carbohydrate, varying from 45-60 percent.

Green vegetables are the carbohydrate of choice – including lettuce, cucumbers, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, kale; which al constitute only five percent carbohydrates by weight.

There’s another dark side to carbohydrates that isn’t talked about much – the connection to weight gain, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, and cancer. You don’t even need to know the details to get the idea how much trouble are carbohydrates.

No more than 80-100 calories (20-25 grams) of carbohydrate at each meal coming from green vegetables.

Grains: There has been a tremendous amount of debate regarding grains. Whole unprocessed grains can be rich sources of vitamins and minerals, but with soil depletion and the special strains of grain that modern agriculture has developed, it isn’t clear what nutrients remain. When scholars study disease patterns and the decline of various civilizations, many of the degenerative diseases developed when cultivation of grains became part of their culture. Allergic reactions, chemicals naturally found in certain grains, lack of the appropriate enzymes, and the carbohydrate content of grains make them a source of trouble for many individuals. My opinion at this time is to minimize grains such as wheat and barley. Unprocessed rye, rolled oats, and brown rice can be considered on occasion to give you more variety. Some of the Danish and German brown breads like pumpernickel seem to be nutritious. Sprouting or soaking grain in water overnight seems to alter its character to a more valuable and probably safer nutrient. Reminder corn is a grain.

Sweeteners: Use only a small amount of raw Tupelo honey or Stevia as sweetener. Absolutely no Nutra-Sweet, corn syrup, or table sugar. Although Dr. Page did not allow raw cane sugar, it does provide the nutrients to aid in its metabolism. If you cheat, be smart. Use only raw cane sugar (called Succanat or Sugar In The Raw® in the brown bags) in small amounts and only with a meal. Saccharin and Sucralose in small quantities are the lesser of the sugar-free evils, but the “need for sweet” suggests that there is an imbalance in your biochemistry. Aspartame creates more problems than it solves because it stimulates the tongue as being sweet, which in turn stimulates brain receptors for anticipation of sweet. When it does not arrive, you crave sweets to satisfy what the brain expected to receive. It will take 12-18 months to reprogram your brain to stop craving sweets! It is no wonder that studies show that more calories are consumed by those who use artificial sweeteners than those who consume whole foods that are natural sweet.

Fats: You may be surprised that most Americans are actually deficient in fat – specifically fats called essential fatty acids. So please use olive oil (cold pressed, extra virgin), walnut oil, flaxseed, coconut, sesame and grapeseed oils. These are all actually beneficial. Cook only with raw organic butter, sesame oil or olive oil. Avoid all hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats – margarine, crackers, chips, fried foods, etc. They are poisons. Because peanut butter, even if raw and without the typical hydrogenation, is actually 28% carbohydrate, use peanuts and peanut butter sparingly. Eat as many avocados and raw nuts as you wish.

If you think eating fat will make you fat, think again. When you eat fat, a chemical signal is sent to your brain to slow down the movement of food out of your stomach. As a result, you feel full. It is not surprising that recent research is showing that those who eat "fat-free" products tend to actually consume more calories than those who eat foods that have not had their fat content reduced. In addition, fats are used not only for energy, but also for building the membrane around every single cell in your body. Fats also play a role in the formation of hormones, which of course make you feel and function well. It is far worse to be hormone depleted from a low fat diet than it is to over eat fat. The sickest patients I see are the ones who have been on a fat-free diet for a long period of time. Like carbohydrates, choose your fats wisely – this program is not suggesting fried or processed foods.

Part II next...............

Book Review - "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes

Just finished this book. Read this and you"ll be clear on what's necessary to lose weight and keep it off. Insulin and carbohydrates are everything.





you can purchase the book here.

Building upon this critical work in Good Calories, Bad Calories and presenting fresh evidence for his claim, Taubes now revisits the urgent question of what’s making us fat—and how we can change—in this exciting new book. Persuasive, straightforward, and practical, Why We Get Fat makes Taubes’s crucial argument newly accessible to a wider audience.

Taubes reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, none more damaging or misguided than the “calories-in, calories-out” model of why we get fat, and the good science that has been ignored, especially regarding insulin’s regulation of our fat tissue. He also answers the most persistent questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat, and what foods should we avoid?

Packed with essential information and concluding with an easy-to-follow diet, Why We Get Fat is an invaluable key in our understanding of an international epidemic and a guide to what each of us can do about it.

Source: Amazon
 
About the Author

Gary Taubes is a contributing correspondent for Science magazine, and his writing has also appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, and Esquire. His work has been included in The Best of the Best American Science Writing (2010), and has received three Science in Society Journalism Awards from the National Association of Science Writers, the only print journalist so recognized. He is currently a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator in Health Policy Research at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. He lives in Berkeley.

youtube interview with Taube.
 
Interview with Taube Part One:

Interview with Taube Part Two:

Interview Taube Part Three:

Don

The Battle of the Diets: Is Anyone Winning (At Losing?)

This is a 2008 presentation by Christopher Gardner PhD for the Stanford School of Medicine lecture series. He has compelted the largets and longest ever comparison of four popular diets using real world conditions; the lowest carbohydrate diet came out on top.



The main findings of this weight loss study, presented in a previous report, indicated that while all three diet groups lost modest amounts of weight, the Atkins group at 12 months lost approximately twice the weight of the other groups. The findings presented here indicate that weight loss in the lowest tertile [third] of adherence was negligible in all three diet groups, and more pronounced in the highest tertile of adherence for each diet group. It appears that substantial differences in proportions of dietary macronutrients play only a modest role in weight loss success, and that success is possible on any of these diets provided there is adequate adherence. Getting individuals to adhere to whatever diet they choose to follow deserves more emphasis. It remains to be determined to what extent there is a need for dietary weight loss programs that are easier to adhere to vs identifying and addressing individual barriers to adherence, or both.