Tag Archive for: diabetes

Obesity – too much salt not enough water?

Two surprising reasons behind the obesity epidemic: Too much salt, not enough water

Salty french fries may taste good, but they just contribute to dehydration and obesity.
William Voon/EyeEm via Getty Images

Richard Johnson, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Scientific studies and media coverage are rife with warnings on how sugar, carbohydrates, saturated fat and lack of exercise contribute to obesity. And tens of millions of Americans are still overweight or obese in large part because of the classic Western diet and lifestyle.

As an educator, researcher and professor of medicine, I have spent more than 20 years investigating the causes of obesity, as well as related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease.

Throughout my many years of studying obesity and related health conditions, I’ve observed that relatively little is said about two significant pieces of this very complex puzzle: lack of hydration and excessive salt intake. Both are known to contribute to obesity.

Lessons learned from a desert sand rat

Nature provides a clue to the role these factors play with the desert sand rat Psammomys obesus, a half-pound rodent with a high-pitched squeak that lives in the salty marshes and deserts of Northern Africa. It survives, barely, by eating the stems of Salicornia – the glasswort – a plant that looks a bit like asparagus.

Although low in nutrients, the glasswort’s fleshy, succulent sap is filled with water that’s rich in salt, at concentrations as high as what’s found in seawater.

Recent studies have provided new insights into why the desert sand rat might crave the salty sap of glasswort. Although this has not yet been proven specifically in the sand rat, it is likely that a high-salt diet helps the sand rat convert the relatively low amount of carbohydrates it’s ingesting into fructose, a type of sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, honey and some vegetables.

This helps the animal survive when food and fresh water are sparse. This is because fructose activates a “survival switch” that stimulates foraging, food intake and the storage of fat and carbohydrates that protect the animal from starvation.

However, when the rat is brought into captivity and given the common rodent diet of about 50% carbohydrates, it rapidly develops obesity and diabetes. But if given fresh vegetables low in starchy carbohydrates, the rodent remains lean.

A desert sand rat, with prominent whiskers and a brown and white coat, takes a look outside its burrow.
The desert sand rat, also known as the fat sand rat, is actually a gerbil. It’s found in Asia as well as Africa.
Kristian Bell/Moment via Getty Images

My research, and the research of many other scientists over the decades, shows that many Americans unwittingly behave much like a captive desert sand rat, although few are in settings where food and water are limited. They are constantly activating the survival switch.

Fructose and our diets

As mentioned, fructose, a simple sugar, appears to have a key role in activating this survival switch that leads to fat production.

Small amounts of fructose, like that found in an individual fruit, are not the problem – rather it is excessive amounts of fructose that are problematic for human health. Most of us get our fructose from table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Intake of these two sugars totals approximately 15% of calories in the average American diet.

These sugars encourage people to eat more, which can lead to weight gain, fat accumulation and prediabetes.

Our bodies also make fructose on their own – and experimental studies suggest it may be enough to trigger the development of obesity.

A spoonful of sugar, surrounded by sugar cubes, on a wooden table.
Table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are two of the culprits that can cause weight gain and obesity.
ATU Images/The Image Bank via Getty Images

Since fructose is made from glucose, production of fructose increases when blood glucose levels are high. This process happens when we eat a lot of rice, cereal, potatoes and white bread; those are carbs that rapidly release glucose into the blood rapidly.

And notably, fructose production can also be stimulated by dehydration, which drives fat production.

Fat provides water

Fat has two major functions. The first one, which is well known, is to store calories for a later time when food is unavailable.

The other major but lesser-known function of fat is to provide water.

To be clear, fat does not contain water. But when fat breaks down, it generates water in the body. The amount produced is substantial, and roughly equivalent to the amount of fat burned. It’s so significant that some animals rely on fat to provide water during times when it’s not available.

Whales are but one example. While they drink some seawater, they get most of their water from the foods they eat. And when they go for extended periods without food, they get their water primarily by metabolizing fat.

Hold the fries

The role of dehydration as a contributor to obesity should not be underestimated. It commonly occurs after eating salty foods. Both dehydration and salt consumption lead to the production of fructose and fat.

This is why salty french fries are especially fattening. The salt causes a dehydration-like state that encourages the conversion of the starch in the french fry to fructose.

What’s more, studies show most people who are overweight or obese don’t drink enough water. They are far more likely to be dehydrated than those who are lean. Their salt intake is also very high compared with lean people’s.

Research shows that people with obesity frequently have high levels of vasopressin, a hormone that helps the kidneys hold water to regulate urine volume.

But recent studies suggest vasopressin has another purpose, which is to stimulate fat production.

For someone at risk of dehydration or starvation, vasopressin may have a real survival benefit. But for those not at risk, vasopressin could drive most of the metabolic effects of excess fructose, like weight gain, fat accumulation, fatty liver and prediabetes.

Drinking more water

So does this mean drinking more water can help us lose weight? The medical community has often scoffed at the assertion. However, our research team found that giving mice more water slowed weight gain and the development of prediabetes, even when the mice had diets rich in sugar and fat.

There is also increasing evidence that most people drink too little water in general, and increasing water intake may help people who are obese lose weight.

That’s why I encourage drinking eight tall glasses of water a day. And eight is likely enough; don’t assume more is better. There have been cases of people drinking so much that “water intoxication” occurs. This is particularly a problem with people who have heart, kidney or liver conditions, as well as those who have had recent surgery or are long-distance runners. It’s always good to first check with your doctor about water intake.

For the desert sand rat, and for our ancestors who scavenged for food, a high-salt and limited-water diet made sense. But human beings no longer live that way. These simple measures – drinking more water and reducing salt intake – offer cheap, easy and healthy strategies that may prevent or treat obesity.The Conversation

Richard Johnson, Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


Read another blog post – on food sensitivity testing, here: https://kinesiologyzone.com/how-to-test-foods-with-kinesiology/

Boost your Health with Apple Cider Vinegar



Boost your Health with Apple Cider Vinegar

There is tons of stuff on the internet about apple cider vinegar and alot of conflicting information so we wanted to keep it simple. We know people just want practical ways to get healthier and simple ways to feel better.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is an age-old ingredient for healthy living. Drinking it can bring a number of health benefits. Apple cider vinegar is loaded with 17 amino acids, vitamins like potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus and minerals like B1, B6, and B12

Apple cider vinegar is an apple cider that’s been fermented. The sugar allows the fermentation process  to start allowing the sugar to turn into something called an organic acid. That organic acid levels the pH within your body.

High levels of stress, poor sleep, processed foods, too much coffee and alcohol can all make the body too acidic. The body starts to use its valuable minerals such as calcium, iodine, and magnesium to bring pH back into balance. If you are suffering from heartburn, poor digestion, headaches,poor bone health high blood pressure, low thyroid,  insomnia, muscle cramps, tiredness, weight gain—and poor skin, maybe your PH is out of Balance. That’s why adding apple cider vinegar can offer benefits to your Health balancing your PH levels.

 

Apple Cider Vinegar helping Diabetes

A study published in Diabetes Care looked at men and women with type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that when the participants downed two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed with a snack (one ounce of cheese). They had lower blood sugar levels the next morning, compared to when they ate the same bedtime snack paired with two tablespoons of water.

Whole-wheat bread and other ‘healthy’ foods diet experts avoid. Another study published in the same journal compared the effects of apple cider vinegar on healthy adults, people with pre-diabetes, and people with type 2 diabetes.

Study participants in all three groups had better blood glucose readings when they consumed less than an ounce of apple cider vinegar with a high-carb meal (a white bagel with butter and orange juice), compared to when they the had the same meal and drank a placebo.

People with pre-diabetes improved their blood glucose levels with vinegar by nearly half. While people with diabetes cut their blood glucose concentrations by 25%. – www.cnn.com

Which brand of ACV is best?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It should be made from cider or apple juice and should have a pale to medium amber color. Pretty much any brand will do: Bragg and Heinz are two of the better-known ones.

If you want to experiment with drinking vinegar to soak up any of the benefits listed above. The safest and most effective way is to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vinegar to one glass of water and drink it on an empty stomach immediately before eating. Don’t even think about drinking it undiluted. Mkae sure to dilute 1 tablespoon in at least 1 cup of water. Your esophagus isn’t designed to withstand all the acidity. Some people like to add lemon or cinnmon to their mixture.

Don’t overdo it, as you can see the benefits with one tablespoon, and significant effects with two. But there’s never a time when more than that is better.

Protect your tooth enamel with baking soda.
It’s not a bad idea to brush your teeth immediately before and after you drink ACV. Alternatively, rinse your mouth with a mixture of water and baking soda, which will counteract the acidity in your mouth and protect your teeth.

Hear more from Thomas De Lauer about balancing your body with ACV. – www.ThomasDeLauer.com

'Anecdotal remedies might have some merit — if it's been around for centuries, it's probably working,' says Carol Johnston, PhD, a registered dietitian Click To Tweet

To learn more about helping and healing the body with natural holistic treatments, come along to our Taster events or find out more about our Balanced Health course. Visit www.Kinesiologyzone.com

Health Show Episode #14 – World Diabetes Day



”His Blood Sugar levels were dramatically reduced”

”After three treatments Francis blood sugar levels are down to 45”

 

Living with Diabetes is a huge challenge in today’s society. Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic condition in Ireland, increasing at a faster rate than other chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. The total number of people
living with diabetes in Ireland is estimated to be 225,840.

By 2020, it’s predicted, the figure will have climbed to 233,000 people with the condition – and by 2030, it’s predicted, it will be at 278,850.

Emotional and behavioural factors can contribute towards your sugar level, outside of the poor choices people make like poor eating habits, no exercise, excess sugar in the diet and alcohol consumption.

Often not dealing with stress, anger or anxiety can be the underlying problem of diabetes diagnosis for some people.

Stress affects people with diabetes, including type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes  and prediabetes . And managing stress isn’t as easy as just telling yourself to relax and get through your to-do list.  When you have diabetes, stress can affect your blood glucose level, so managing stress when you have diabetes is just another way to work on managing your blood glucose level.

Type 1 Diabetes is rarely reversed but with the right dietary changes major improvements in blood sugar levels can be seen and a person can often reduce their dependence on insulin and medications.

Hear how Finola helped Francis Brenna with health issues including diabetes, he recently chatted to Ryan Turbidy about his treatments with Finola and how Kinesiology treatments have improved his health.

Listen in around the 14 min mark.

Steps Finola would recommend –

* Take a look at your diet. Reducing sugar intake is a must.
* Reduce or remove bread.
* A visit to a Kinesiologist will allow them to look at the way sugar is stored in the body and not allowing it to turn to energy. Sometimes toxins are affecting this pathway which can be treated with herbs. Minerals and vitamins can be introduced to improve the energy production cycle.

People can reduce their risk of developing or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes by eating healthy, becoming more active and losing excess weight. To learn more join us this Wednesday on our Health Show where we will talk about defeating diabetes and controlling your blood sugar using natural medicine.

Click here to register –https://www.kinesiologyzone.com/free-talks-about-kinesiology/

 

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