Healthy World Digest, #19, September 2010

"Healthy nuggets of information to keep your motor humming."

Welcome to the 19th issue of our newsletter.

In this issue:

October, 2010

* Insulin, friend of fat

* Sugar, exercise and weight gain

* Obesegens

* Dr. Oz revisits dehydration

* Herbal remedies for constipation & ulcers

It's likely the number one wellness topic in the developed and developing world, practically an epidemic.

Simply put, we earthlings are becoming fatter. The ordinary person is about 20 - 30 pounds heavier than 30 years ago.

Working in a city school for a few years, I noticed approximately 1/3, maybe 1/2 of our students were overweight. This contrasts to the 2 or three kids per class who appeared to be heavy when I was a public school student a few moons ago.

On a moderately funny note, I recalled how the heavy kids were teased about being fat. It was unfortunate and I must confess I was an active participant. But, at the schools that I worked in recently, being fat didn't seem to be much of a negative. No way the kids have become nicer but I guess so many kids were fat that it didn't stand out.

* Insulin, friend of fat

You may have noticed that I lean towards a low carb diet. I am certain that much fat gain as we get older can be decreased by eating fewer carbs, especially sugar.

Here are some specifics. When you eat carbs, your body releases a hormone, insulin, to help usher the sugar out of your body. That's because the sugar is treated as a poisonous substance by the body.

As this occurs, your body also becomes very mindful of the presence of sugar in the system which can be used for fuel. Sounds good right?

Not really because your body ceases using fat for fuel. So, the fat is then stored. That's one way to put on unwanted fat and weight.

When insulin is not present or active, another hormone, glucagon, kicks in. That's good because it signals the body to use up stored fat.

But glucagon is very shy in the presence of insulin. To embolden it, make sure to avoid too many carbs especially simple sweets.

* Sugar, exercise and weight gain

More on sugar and weight gain.

After you exercise, typically within two hours, what you eat can have a huge impact on the health benefits you gain from your exercise.

Taking in sugar within this post-exercise window, will negatively impact both insulin sensitivity and human growth hormone (HGH) production.

So what?

Well, a new study finds that consuming a low-carbohydrate meal after aerobic exercise enhances your insulin sensitivity. This is very beneficial, since reduced insulin sensitivity, or insulin resistance, is the fundamental cause of type 2 diabetes and a crucial risk factor for other chronic diseases, such as heart disease. And, as explained above, weight gain.

In addition, eating fructose or other sugars, including that from fruit juices, within this two-hour window will quash your natural HGH production.

What's so bad about that?

If you miss reaching HGH release during working out, you will still receive the calorie burning effect from the workout. However, you'll miss the HGH "synergy bonus" of enhanced fat burning for two hours after working out.

And you will not tone up or put on the muscle you should gain via working out.

This is a highly crucial fact to remember if you want to tone up, put on some muscle, cut body fat and spend a few pounds.

* Obesegens

Again, I need to acknowledge Dr. Oz, this time for bringing the concept of obesegens into the public forum on a recent health programs.

Obesegens are believed to be substances, like chemicals, that make you and keep you fat. So, even if you are not overeating and are moderately active, such nutrients still force your body to store fat especially as you age.

This is not a wholly new idea. As often occurs, alternative media was onto this before mainstream media hooks in.

Obesegens are more and more seen as chemicals and nutrients that, in addition to increasing fat storage also increase appetite while decreasing metabolism. What an unfortunate trinity of effects.

High fructose corn syrup, essentially a sugar, is cited as an omnipresent obesegen. This cheap stuff is poured and folded into everything, just read package ingredients.

Pesticides and hormones in meat and fish are also believed to be obesegens.

Also, many other sources including our site, Healthy Water, observed years ago, chemicals in the water system are also thought to result in physical damage on us including weight gain.

This newsletter isn't the proper vehicle for getting into the reasons for the effects of these chemicals on our bodies. For more, just type the term, "obesegens" into search engine and you will get many good links on subject.

For now, do whatever you can to reduce chemicals, pesticides, hormones, artificial anythings, from your life.

You don't have to become obsessional about it. Do what you can.

An example of what can be done is what I've done. I drink filtered water only, buy organic produce whenever I can, in addition to organic bread and natural, organic soaps.

Is it a little difficult to find organic stuff? Yeah, a little. Is it more expensive? Yeah but as I've cut out a lot of takeout food and fast food, I find that I am actually spending less on foods.

Here's a concrete example example.

A bottle of water or soda costs about a dollar. Designer drinks can run a couple of dollars. Using organic produce bought in NYC, a pretty expensive proposition, I can still make a glass of organic, fresh juice consisting of carrots, celery, beet and ginger for about a dollar a glass. Can you possibly compare a $1.50 Snapple to a glass of fresh organic veggie juice?

* Easy herbal remedy for constipation

South Americans with little access to modern medicines use this simple herbal strategy for dealing with constipation. They simply take a wedge of lemon, sprinkle a little salt on it and eat it.

Most people have a bowel movement within ½ hour of eating this.

This piece of info about a great herbal remedy did not suggest why it works but I suspect that taking the lemon with its volatile oil undiluted may do the trick.

For more on lemons, click -> health benefits of lemons

For more on constipation, click -> herbs for constipation

* Simple herbal remedy for ulcers

Fresh cabbage juice has been shown to effectively treat ulcers. A study showed 91% of persons taking a small glass of green cabbage juice daily reported their ulcers cleared up.

* Dr. Oz revisits dehydration

I'm not obsessed with Oz. No, really. But he does have a good show. Some months ago, there was a segment on Dr. Oz that essentially derided the idea of the importance of water and the health problems dehydration can present to us. Very disappointing.

Well, on the same obsegen program just a few days ago, Oz had a segment that essentially reinforces what we have presented in Healthy Water, on the importance of staying hydrated. Well, done Oz!

For more, visit our site on healthy water

P.S. on Dr. Oz

As I just said, Oz presents a good program on health that maintains a fine balance between being alternative or conventional, soothing or alarming.

But, there was a particular program on antiaging which was disturbing to me. Not because of the specific advice but rather the sense that the guests on the program, dermatologists, were on to encourage the use of their cosmetic surgery services.

This commercialization of what should be good health info is something that we face all the time. But it really is quite disgusting. I can't imagine any of us turn on a program like that to have botox pushed on us.

Well, that's all folks. See you next month.

Comments? Ideas? Feedback? I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to Healthy World Digest and tell me what you think.

See you next month!

Sal

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