Why are fermented foods good for health?

Fermented foods are good for the digestive system which is extremely important as this system controls 85% of the immune system.

The digestive system has about 100 trillion bacteria which need to stay balanced between good and bad bacteria in order to function best.

The stomach is very acidic, and designed to kill off bad organisms (fungi, viruses, worms, bad bacteria, parasites) so that only acid-tolerant-good microbes move through into the small intestine where nutrition absorption takes place.

Stomach acidity declines with age, meaning that more and more bad microbes pass through into the small intestine as peoeple age. Studies are now linking dementia, age related disease to pathogenic microbes found in the small intestines.

Fermented foods are acidic and help the stomach maintain it's acidity. They also help with keeping the stomach detoxified so that it can do it's job better. Fermented foods also have a very high level of probiotics (good bacteria) which pass through into the small intestine.

Fermented foods also help produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter which helps with bowel movements, and therefore help prevent constipation.

Fermented foods also help prevent obesity and diabetes, regulate fat absorption, and help with mineral absorption.

Why are diets so hard to stick to?

A public health researcher at the University of Buffalo recently looked into the question of why follow through on diets is so difficult.

He found that maintaining a diet is a "thinking" event requiring planning, scheming, will power, etc. which are all cognitive skills.

But follow-through on a diet requires good "feelings" in  order to be successful. If one doesn't enjoy the foods in a diet, the diet will fail. A successful diet needs to have a very strong emotional component. If the "thinking" and the "feeling" of a diet are not congruent, the health change will fail.

So the key issue, in designing a new diet, is much more than what's healthiest to eat....but also what are the most enjoyable as well as the healthiest foods to eat. 

What is Pyroluria?

Pyroluria is a genetic error in B6 and Zinc metabolism; Zinc and B6 are needed in the production of GABA and Seretonin.

People who are not effectively producing GABA and Seretonin have poor stress control, anxiety, mood swings, poor short term memory, explosive tempers, and depression.

Pyrolurics also have poor dream recall, abnormal fat distribution, and sensitivity to light & sound. 

What is Magnesium?

Magnesium is a chemical element needed for over 300 chemical reactions in the body. It's also known as an anti-stress mineral and natural tranquilizer.

Magnesium is depleted in people whose diets consist of processed foods, baked goods, soda, more than 7 alcohol units/week, caffeinated drinks, calcium supplements.

Magnesium is also depleted in people who are under alot of stress and who have poor diets.

Lack of magnesium looks like hyperexcitability, muscle weakness, sleepiness, aggression.

Studies done with high risk youth have found diets rich in magnesium are associated with reduced aggression and for reduced ADHD symptoms.

Magnesium can be found in dark, leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and cocoa.

What is GABA?

GABA is a neurotranamittor which controls fear and anxiety when neurons become overexcited.

A deficiency of GABA can help explain why some people have anxiety disorders or panic attacks.

GABA is also directly responsible for the regulation of muscle tone.

GABA does not cross the blood-brain barrier which is why supplementation is probably ineffective.

The amino acid L-glutamine is the precursor to GABA production.

Zinc and B6 also help in the production of GABA.

Some foods can stimulate the body to produce more GABA; such as oolong tea, cherry tomatoes, anything fermented (kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh).  

Does chewing gum help promote weight loss?

Studies have shown that chewing gum can help promote weight loss.

In a University of Rhode Island research study, gum chewers ate 68 fewer calories at lunch, plus burned 5% more calories than non-gum chewers.

A Louisiana State University (Dr Paula J Geiselman) study, found  that chewing gum helped control appetites and decreased daily intake of food by 40 calories.

Cutting 100 calories a day can result in loosing up to 10 pounds a year.

Reaching for a piece of gum instead of high caloried junk food, can help you loose up to two pounds a year.

What is the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) for Depression?

Studies are showing the healthy lifestyles can be just as effective as pharmaceuticals for the treatment of depression. The following six have been identified as being particularly useful for healing from depression. Depression is an illness of decreased motivation; so the challenge is how to sustain these lifestyle changes until depression is erased or reduced.

1) Social connection.
2) Enhanced sleep.
3) Sunlight exposure.
4) Physical exercise.
5) Engaging activity.
6) Omega-3 fatty acids.