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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Expensive fuel helps curb obesity?

This is the fourth day of my juice fast, and I'm feeling great. Last night, dinner was six carrots, three stalks of broccoli, one full beet green (root and leaves), and a jalapeño pepper (yes, I like some spice). This morning, breakfast was an apple, a pear, some strawberries, and several bunches of grapes.

I've had quite a few people inquire about what a juice fast is, why I would do it, what the benefits are, etc. So I will be writing an article hopefully in the next day or so to post and answer all of your questions! It is NOT the same as a "Master Cleanse" and I don't do it directly for weight loss ... stay tuned.

Since I was diagnosed with hypothyroid, I've been doing quite a bit of research. The problem is that diagnosis of this condition is difficult because not every agrees what the "proper" levels are. Some even believe lower levels like the ones I had are actually normal and part of the regular variance between individuals. Here is a great discussion with lots of information about hypothyroidism.

In an interesting twist, it looks like belly fat may impact your liver function, according to this article.

Are you tired of high fuel prices? According to this article from Australia, high fuel prices may help fight obesity. It's an interesting twist.

The other day, I reported a controversial study that claimed a decline in energy (exercise, etc) was not responsible for the obesity epidemic. I had a hard time swallowing it, and now I follow up with this analysis that says exercises DOES still combat obesity. Whew. Seems like the balance has been restored.

On my last note, "speaking of exercise," have you ever wondered how you can possibly burn those extra calories when you're stuck behind a desk or in a cubicle all day at the office? Your answer just might be here ... why not ask your boss to get you one of these?

Until next time,

Jeremy Likness

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posted by Jeremy Likness | 7:32 AM | 0 comments


Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Does green tea cure cancer?

Protein continues to wave the flag as the "key" macronutrient. Not only are amino acids, or components of protein, the building blocks of muscle, tissue, even precursors to hormones in the body, but the effort it takes to digest protein creates a "thermic effect" that raises metabolism. In addition, it appears protein may be the key signal to control hunger. Read how protein shakes quell hunger pangs with different results. We have a comprehensive guide to protein on the website, along with a list of high protein foods in our healthy shopping guide.

While people still continue to debate whether being overweight in and of itself is dangerous (in fact, some even claim the obesity epidemic is a myth — although the if you read the linked article, you have to ask "doesn't it just mean some people are willing to drive farther for their fix?"), a recent study discovered that body fat cells contain a mechanism to fight inflammation. The problem is that excess body fat may cause this mechanism to backfire, triggering chronic inflammation and increasing the risk of various diseases often associated with overweight.

As someone diagnosed with hypothyroid and learning about the disease myself, I found this press release about health data intriguing. While it is more a hook to invest in the aggregate data, the interesting statistics make great bait. What I found very interesting was the percentage of people with hypothyroid, and especially the number on medication to treat it who still show hypothyroid conditions in their blood markers. I'm curious to see how my very small dose over the past few weeks has impacted my own levels while I diligently research alternatives to traditional medicine to treat the condition as well.

Apparently green tea is popular to use as a cure for breast cancer. The problem is that while it is the most commonly used "alternative treatment," there is no evidence to suggest it actually works (along with vitamins, soy, and omega-3). Unfortunately, the green tea industry isn't as well funded as the pharmaceutical industry and probably won't be conducting many clincial trials on the topic (but I'm sure if Big Pharma can spin something prescription out of the leaf, they'll jump all over it).

For news of someone who's alternative approach apparently IS helping impact his cancer in a positive way, read about how this man's natural regimen appears to be curing his prostate cancer.

Speaking of "alternative medicine," I've long been a fan of Vitamin C supplementation. I believe it is the perfect example of why the USRDA (United States Recommended Daily Allowance) is so misleading. Most people mistake the RDA for a "recommended" amount to take. What they don't realize is that RDA is an incomplete sentence ... it should be RDAFS (recommended daily allowance ... FOR SURVIVAL). In other words, it is often set as the minimum amount with a small cushion to prevent certain illnesses or disease. This is important because it has nothing to do with the tolerable upper limit (maximum amount you can safely take) — I often have people tell me they are concerned because they are exceeding the RDA — and it really has no connection with what may be optimal for good health.

Vitamin C is metabolized or created in the bodies of all mammals except humans. If you look at the amount of Vitamin C created in mammals compared to their body weight, we are grams behind the curve. I try to take in at least 2 - 3 grams per day. Some people call these "mega-dosing" while I call it "good health insurance." Check out this finding that daily Vitamin C supplementation may reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 5 percent.

Speaking of an alternative approach ... after having a good, long conversation with my wife, I've decided it's time to cleanse both my body and my mind next week and embark on a juice fast. I look forward to journaling it. It's NOT with a goal of weight loss, but with a goal of helping me get cravings under control and clear my thoughts to focus on a more strict nutrition regimen afterwards.

I'm looking forward to it!

Until next time,

Jeremy Likness

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posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:51 PM | 1 comments



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