Herbal Medicines

Dig In

The New England Journal of Medicine has just come out with perhaps the most definitive comparison of low-fat, Mediterranean and low-carb diets ever, and the findings dovetail very nicely with what we’ve been discussing here recently about the merits of the Primal Blueprint. I think it also addresses some of the concerns shared about the so-called “restrictiveness” of my PB plan.

This study looked at over 300 people who followed their assigned diets strictly for two years, making this one of the longest diet studies in recent history. The bottom line was that the low-carb diet was hands-down the most impressive at improving health in all areas. Those on the low-carb plan lost more weight, experienced a greater reduction in the dangerous C-reactive protein, lowered their triglycerides, raised their HDL cholesterol and dropped their A1C more than those on either the Mediterranean or the low-fat diets, although the Mediterranean was a close second most of the time. Of course, for those who read MDA religiously, you’ll be interested to hear that the low-fat diet was “restricted” to only 1500 calories per day for women and 1800 for men, as was the Mediterranean diet, but the low-carb diet was “unrestricted”, meaning those participants could eat all they wanted of non-carb foods (fat and protein, people). They started out at only 20 grams carbs a day for two months, then eased up to 120 grams a day maintenance at the end. Compliance was fairly high, too: of the 109 people assigned to the low-carb plan, 85 finished the entire two years.

For those of you asking for more “evidence” that the way Grok ate was healthful, I can now add this study to the ever-increasing body of work. Of course, we here at MDA can speculate (and do we ever) on why carbs are not-so-great from purely a gene-expression POV, on why fats are our “healthy friends” from an evolutionary biology perspective and why proteins should form the basis of a fat-burning, muscle-building Primal eating program. But it sure helps that a study like this – with zero attachment to any evolutionary rationale - comes up with a parallel conclusion. This quote is taken from the paper:

The similar caloric deficit achieved in all diet groups suggests that a low-carbohydrate, non–restricted-calorie diet may be optimal for those who will not follow a restricted-calorie dietary regimen.

When will guys like Dean Ornish and John MacDougal realize they have gone way too far down the wrong low-fat path?

joshbousel Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

Definitive Guide: The Primal Blueprint

Mark Sisson is Not Afraid of Fat

The Context of Calories

Definitive Guide to Fat

The Best Low-Carb Fruits (and Worst)

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Acupuncture was developed in China many centuries ago. The Chinese call acupuncture Zhue Jiao, which means "needle heat". The needle regulates an inner force called "Qi", which is responsible for the health of the body. The regulation of Qi using acupuncture can restore physical health, give a release from stress, or improve physical or mental health in other ways. A very healthy person should have Qi energy flowing freely in several distinct pathways, and these pathways are like the roads for maintenance crews. Freely flowing energy distributes everything the cells need, and take away what waste is produced. This produces not only physical, but also mental, health. If Qi is stopped at some point, there will be some symptoms, often a physical illness. The acupuncturist will determine where the needles should be placed in order to return the flow to normal, or as close to normal as is possible. This might happen in one treatment, or a series of treatments. Many Chinese get acupuncture treatments regularly in order to stay healthy, to keep their Qi flowing at a nearly ideal level. In several places in China, a practitioner of acupuncture gets paid only as long as their clients remain healthy, not when they get sick.

Nearly all acupuncture techniques use needles, though there are varieties that also use electric stimulation, burning, and herbs. The needles used are solid needles, not hollow tube needles like Western doctors use. In America, certified practitioners of acupuncture use pre-sterilized disposable needles. There is usually no medicine on the needles, for the needle itself acts on the Qi energy to make the change in the flow. The practitioner may use a particular angle to insert a needle, or may manipulate the needle a little (such as a small rotation) to get the best results for a particular client.

If you think like the Chinese, you may want to visit your acupuncture clinic regularly to maintain an optimal flow of Qi, and to maintain really good health. A particular health or emotional problem may need only one or two visits, or might require a series of up to eight visits or more, depending on the problem. During a visit, the acupuncturist may insert several needles, and not necessarily at the same points from visit to visit. As the condition improves, a different set of locations might be chosen to affect a change in Qi flow to move even more quickly to good health. Sometimes the needles are inserted just underneath the layer of the skin, while at other times some of the needles may be inserted up to a depth of three inches. Insertion of the needles usually does not hurt at all. Some clients remark on an occasional pinching sensation when a needle is inserted. Once the needle is in place it can easily be forgotten. Sometimes there is a pleasant relaxing or warm sensation around the insertion point, which is an indication that the Qi flow is being redirected in the right manner.

Acupuncture is a very good way to correct a number of illnesses, and one of the best ways to maintain health on a regular basis. This introduction gave a brief overview to encourage you to consider acupuncture as a health option. More and more insurance companies are giving coverage for visits to an acupuncture clinic, and this should be explored.

Last weekend, I followed my MIL to the clinic for a regular check up. It surprised me to see so many people in the clinic on a Saturday and most of them are waiting in line for their prescription. Sometimes I wonder how do these older folks afford these expensive medicines. I know the cost of these medications since my MIL spends a substantial amount on hers every month. Perhaps, the introduction of patient assistance programs may be of help to people who are on regular and long term medication. This may help ease their burdens.

Though I’m a strong believer of alternative treatments and natural therapies, there are situations where prescribed medications are necessary for certain health conditions. Always find out what you have been prescribed and be an informed patient. That way, you may avoid over consuming medications which you don’t even need at all.

Almost Too Perfect

Though many of us here tend to frequent farmer’s markets or CSA co-ops for a lot of our regular shopping, we inevitably end up at the grocery store for a few miscellaneous things. Comparing the experiences of the market versus “super”-market has become an interesting exercise in consumer research. Besides the strange and overflowing array of boxed or bagged, artificially flavored wonders that fill the aisles in the average grocery store, we’ve all agreed that there’s something else rather “twilight zone”-esque about our forays into the supermarkets. Specifically, has anyone noticed the mammoth size of fruit sold at the grocery store? What’s more, this Amazonian “beautiful” fruit just doesn’t taste the same, does it?

A few of us here grew up in farmland or at least had close relatives whose farms we visited. Most of us had something growing in our childhood backyards, and the same goes for our yards today. As a result, we’ve seen (and tasted) fruit in its natural and often wild state: Mark’s memories of small, tart and succulent Maine blueberries, others’ wild blackberry bushes, local strawberry “self-pick” farms, grandparents’ backyard apple orchards. Seriously, are conventional farmers all doing the Miracle Grow challenge or what?

Remember back to those earlier days - and those old time fruits. Small, really. But so flavorful. And, yes, admittedly less attractive than the perfect waxed models lining the refrigerated aisles. Would Grok even recognize anything in the produce section? Would he like it?

It likely happened gradually, surreptitiously, but consumers over time have come to associate large size, uniform shape, bright color and sugary sweet with quality. As for Grok? He’s out foraging for the small, the slightly varied, the deep color, and the richer but less sugary flavor. What did he know that we don’t?

Physical anthropologist, Katherine Milton, from the University of California, Berkeley has an interesting angle on that question. She’s studied primate diets in the wild and the nutritional differences between foods chosen by primates and those of cultivated fruits. Her findings: in addition to the dramatic variety of the primates’ diets, the primates selected leaves and fruits that contained more glucose and fructose (hexoses, like honey) but less sucrose (disaccharide, like table sugar).

Cultivated fruits, she notes, are engineered for a strong sugary taste that comes as sucrose and less as other sugars - exactly opposite of what our wild relatives seek out. Likewise, our cultivated fruits reflect a modern preference for low fiber and little to no seed content. Because pulp fiber and seeds can slow the digestion of the fruits sugar content, wild fruit choices result in less of a blood sugar spike than cultivated fruits. Interestingly, Milton also found that the wild fruit was much higher in protein, vitamin C, and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. In some cases, the mineral content was 10 times greater in the wild fruits than in cultivated varieties.

It seems our modern tastes and aesthetics have cost us much in terms of nutrition. Beyond the different sugar composition, fiber content, and lower levels of many nutrients, cultivation for size differential comes with a likewise hefty price. Fruits cultivated for higher yield and/or larger size are further “diluted” nutritionally (PDF).

This means we either end up seriously short-changed on the nutrient front, or we need to eat more of a fruit (more calories and likely more sugar) to gain the same nutritional benefit. Hmmm. (And a couple side notes: to make it through long transport times, cultivated fruits are bred for tougher exteriors and are usually picked long before they’re actually ripe. As a consumer at the end of the line, you’ll get the sugar without much taste or the natural fleshiness of wild versions.)

Because fruits naturally contain sugars of some kind, the Primal Blueprint recommends including them “judiciously.” This means more than sparingly. Certainly, we prioritize low GI options like berries, but there’s more to the picture. In light of research on nutrient density (wild versus cultivated, etc.), we suggest going for the most nutrient packed fruit varieties.

But this doesn’t mean you need to go foraging in the woods with Dr. Milton’s apes or even our good man Grok. “Wild” varieties of many fruits are sold in both farmer’s markets and grocery stores. Co-ops and stores like Whole Foods tend to carry more wild fruit than conventional supermarkets, but it’s worth a look anywhere you go. Wild berries are easier to find than other fruits. Check the frozen foods section if the produce aisle is a dead end. This is the time to buy and deep freeze for the year ahead. How about some old school nostalgia? Some garden centers and co-ops sell “wild” variety fruit trees and berry bushes as well. Check out SeedSavers.org or SeedsOfChange.com for wild/heirloom varieties of both fruits and veggies that carry an old-time nutritional punch and natural pest defense.

If wild isn’t an option, we recommend organic. In terms of nutrient density, it wins over conventional hands down with some estimates at over 50% added nutrition. Why? Left to their own devices, fruits (and vegetables) naturally produce substances known as phenolics to defend themselves against various pests when they sense an “assault.” A plant’s anti-oxidant levels rise with the amount of phenolics produced. Conventional agriculture, with its use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides, blunts the production of phenolics. The plant experiences less pest assault to respond to with the release of phenolics.

Finally, if neither is an option, we suggest foraging farm stands and pick-your-own local farms. You’ll likely find varieties that aren’t as “cultivated.” (Hint: they’ll be of a more realistic size and appearance. A little uglier, but a whole lot more flavorful and likely more nutritious.) Sometimes, good old commonsense and a penchant for substance over “style” goes a long way.

Do you have stories of wild foraging to share? Nightmares about fruit monstrosities taking over your kitchen or ruining your summer potlucks? Responses and suggestions for going more Grok in your fruit selection?

feministjulie, Martin LaBar, Zoe52, Chris Campbell Flickr Photos (CC)

Further Reading:

What do those produce stickers really mean?

Genetically Modified Foods: Super Solution or Franken Future?

How to Shop a Farmers’ Market

Wild/Natural Fruit vs. Modern/Cultivated Fruit

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I took an interest in the medical profession and various medical programs after visiting a health education website: http://www.sblandover.com/.

Perhaps, the term Cardiovascular Disease covers a large number of diseases that directly affect the heart and the blood vessel system. It especially affects the veins and arteries that lead to and from the heart. Research has suggested that women who suffer with cardiovascular disease usually suffer from forms that affect the blood vessels. While men usually suffer from forms that affect the heart muscle itself. Other known or associated causes of cardiovascular disease include diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

Heart disease and strokes are other common cardiovascular diseases. Two independent risk factors that have a major impact for heart diseases, cardiovascular diseases, are high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.

Today heart disease does not have to be a death sentence. There are healthy lifestyle choices that can be made and science has come a long way in the early detection of heart disease.

This article is part of The Virtuous Human Series.

Just getting back from Israel I’ve learned some incredible lessons from some of the worlds most renowned Rabbis. Unlike the birthright trip to Israel that I went on last year, this wasn’t about sight-seeing, it was about having a spiritual experience and acquiring ancient wisdom.

Honesty — Truthful; sincere; not lieing or cheating.

Truthfulness — Corresponding to reality; true.

What I’ve learned is that honesty and truthfulness are two distinct terms, and honesty is only the proper choice if it is upholding truthfulness at the same time. When honesty goes against truthfulness, it takes away from the essence of who you are, and serves as a hindrance in your personal growth.

It might seem counter intuitive at first glance that giving up honesty could possibly be a good thing. Furthermore, it might seem paradoxical to give up honesty for being truthful. Aren’t these two words synonymous?

While honesty is the act of not lieing, truthfulness involves upholding a deeper level truth, even if it takes some lieing to make it work. This is a lesson I learned from Rabbi Tversky in Jerusalem, and I’ll give you a couple of examples.

When Lieing Is Truthful

The first example he gave was of a Jewish man renting a room in the apartment of a Christian woman during the holocaust. The Nazis’ were going around from house to house looking for Jews to arrest and kill. Sometimes when a non-Jewish person opened the door it was enough for the Nazis’ to hear “there are no Jews here” in order for them to move on to the next house.

Sounds easy enough. The Jewish man and Christian woman were on very amiable terms. There’s no reason for her to become a conspiritor in his murder. Wrong. The woman said “I am an honest Christian, I have never lied in my life, and if the Nazis’ ask me if there are any Jews in my apartment, I will have to tell them about you.”

As you can imagine the Jewish tenent was very distraught upon hearing this from his landlord. It meant certain death for him. Thinking quickly on his feet he came up with a solution that would work for the both of them. He told the woman that since he was renting the room it was technically his, and if the Nazis’ were to ask, she could safely say that “there are no Jews in MY apartment.” And so she did, and the Jewish tenant was safe. This truthfulness, to being a good person, and not a conspirator in the Nazi murder went above and beyond honesty.

Another example that I heard from Rabbi Jonathan Shippel is of breaking the news to someone in bad health. Particularly telling an elderly sick person about a calamity that is occuring with someone near and dear to them. At one point Rabbi Shippel was faced with a situation where a doctor was to tell a 93 year old woman of her husband’s cancer. To make a long story short, she died two days after hearing the terrible news, while her husband lived for several more years in good health.

The doctor had basically killed this woman by communicating this information to her, against what the Rabbi had advised him to do. The doctor was just doing his job, and being honest, but he wasn’t being truthful to the greater cause, which is making sure people are living healthy.

When honesty fails to be on the same wavelength as truthfulness it must be abandoned. In this way, a lie will be the truth.

If you have any stories of where you had to tell a lie to uphold truthfulness please share it in the comments below.

This post is part of The Virtuous Human Series. There will be many articles in this series — make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss a thing!

 

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