Robyn O'Brien at TedXAustin on GMO's, our food supply and what we can do!

Robyn shares her personal story and how it inspired her current path as a "Real Food" evangelist. Grounded in a successful Wall Street career that was more interested in food as good business than good-for-you, this mother of four was shaken awake by the dangerous allergic reaction of one of her children to a "typical" breakfast. Her mission to unearth the cause revealed more about the food industry than she could stomach, and impelled her to share her findings with others. Informative and inspiring.

About this speaker

Robyn authored "The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It." A former Wall Street food industry analyst, Robyn brings insight, compassion and detailed analysis to her research into the impact that the global food system is having on the health of our children. She founded allergykidsfoundation.org and was named by Forbes as one of "20 Inspiring Women to Follow on Twitter." The New York Times has passionately described her as "Food's Erin Brockovich."

http://allergykidsfoundation.org

http://twitter.com/unhealthytruth

Before we released our speaker's names, we featured a series of Speaker Teasers. Here, Robyn's:

Real food, is that too much to ask;

Big industry, I take to task;

It's time that we reclaim our plates;

from food forced into altered states.

Lustig on Sugar and Chronic Metabolic Disease

Another very important video from Dr. Robert Lustig from the kids obesity unit at UCSF.

I really admire Robert Lustig's clarity, his scientific background and his stand for people's health and continuing to speak out about the obesity crisis, despite mass apathy and media-driven confusion.  

Here are some highlights from this excellent video:

(On whether obesity is just due to behavior)

"How do you explain obesity in six-month-olds?  They don’t diet and exercise.

Obesity is occurring in countries that still have malnutrition.  This looks much more like an exposure, than it actually does, like changing behavior.

There’s really no such thing as behavior.  There’s really just biochemistry.   Biochemicals change in the brain, driving behavior.

In obesity, what is driving that behavior?  I can sum that up in one word:  Insulin.  Insulin does two things:  Drives energy into fat cells, thereby increasing the amount of energy stored, therefore the obesity.  But, the other thing that Insulin does is it blocks the signal in the brain that would normally convey satiety and signalling energy adequacy.  That signal is called Leptin, and Leptin is a hormone that’s made from your fat cells, goes to your brain and tells you you’ve had enough.  But insulin blocks that signal.  So by doing peripheral changes which drive energy deposition and inducing central changes that drive starvation at the level of the brain you can see how that would turn into a vicious cycle of consumption and also disease.  So what we have learned is that Insulin is the bad guy in this story.

Q: So what can families and individuals to do change their biochemistry, or is this not something they shouldn’t be worried about at all?

The question is, what caused the Insulin rise?  If you look at studies from the 1970’s  in terms of how high your insulin went in response to a glucose challenge, maybe 50 microunits per ml.  Now we’re up to 100, 150, sometimes even 250 microunits per ml (for the same test), in kids.  So the question is how come kids are releasing twice or 3 times the insulin they were before.  And that is the crux of the obesity question. 

So, what’s changed during that time?  Certainly our genes have not changed.  But our diet has clearly changed.  And, what makes insulin go up?  Sugar.  But what kind of sugar.?  Well, there are three molecules that constitute the standard sugars.  There’s glucose, which is absolutely essential for life.  It’s so important that if you don’t get any, your body makes  it in order to keep your blood glucose level up.   There’s galactose, which is in milk sugar, which is immediately converted to glucose in the liver… 

And then there’s the last one - Fructose.  Fructose is the sweet part of table sugar.  It’s in sucrose.  It’s in hfcs, it’s in maple syrup, it’s in agave nectar and it’s the thing we seek, virtually every caloric sweetner,  it’s the thing we like.  The problem is that fructose is not glucose, never was, never will be.  Glucose is a 6 membered ring, fructose is a 5 membered ring.  Glucose is regulated by insulin.  Fructose is not regulated by insulin.  Glucose goes to glycogen or liver starch in the liver for storage and that is a non toxic storage form of energy in the liver, which is good, and it’s what you want to make, so you have ready energy for exercise, so if you’re glycogen depleted from either starvation or from severe exercise, you can rebuild glycogen with fructose.  

But, what happens if you’re not.  What happens if you’re at rest… and you take in a large sugar load, say a soft drink or a sports drink, or one of these energy drinks, which has an enormous bolus of sugar.  What happens is that the fructose is not converted to glycogen.  It has no choice to go down to the energy mitochondria, the little energy burning factories in the cells.  They overwhelmed, these mitochondria, and they have no choice but to take the extra energy that’s been provided by the fructose and turn it into liver fat.  Liver fat drives all the other chronic metabolic diseases, by inducing insulin resistance in the liver, liver fat drives cardiovascular disease, lipid problems in the blood, hypertension, diabetes.  And possibly cancer and dementia as well.  So that’s where the problem is.  The overload of Fructose to liver mitochondria, driving chronic metabolic disease. 

....

Q: What do you recommend that the patient who is concerned about the health risks of obesity do?

I can sum it up in three words: eat real food.  Real food has fiber and real food is primarily low in sugar.  … The problem is, when we purify [food] the stuff, that concentrates the dose and ultimately leads to an over-the-threshhold effect, and once you achieved the threshold in the liver for fructose, you start getting disease.  The question is where is that threshold.  And it’s probably different for different people.  It seems to be lower for latinos.  Anything you can do to increase your threshold would be good.   One of those things is fiber and the other one is exercise.  And that’s what we say.  Eat properly.  Eat real food.  Exercise.  And you’re good to go.   And that’s what I espouse as well.  But I do it based on the science.

A couple of points I got from this video that hadn't occurred to me before: 

1. Adding fiber to foods doesn't really work.  Fiber, as it occurs naturally in food, is a combination of soluble and insoluble, and they are together that way for a reason.  Watch video for more details, but basically, foods with fiber added and taking supplemental fiber is not the same as eating food with fiber intact.

2. Making a smoothie out of a fruit destroys the fiber in it.  Eat the fruit, don't drink it, even as a smoothie (goes for juicing too).

  

The GMO Menace

I hate to be all doom and gloom, but this GMO thing is getting way too real:

1. The evidence is piling up fast that Glyphosphate really does present as big a risk to health as we had feared (or bigger).  

 AND

 2. Monsanto is doubling down, rapidly increasing the numbers and percentages of dangerous crops that are landing in our grocery stores.  

Here's some wonderful, dense science about the glyphosphate threat.  In the video below, researcher Jeffrey Smith interviews Dr. Stephanie Seneff about the dangers of glyphosphate.  They really get into it - connections to autism, cancer, the gut biome, it's all there.  Dr. Seneff is absolutely brilliant and concerned about the future of our planet.  She's so clear, and honest - a breath of fresh air!

I consider it my duty to KNOW about this and to TALK about it, to protect my health, and that of my family, my friends and my clients.  I think it's going to take all of us who are concerned about making our bodies healthy for future generations and the future of the Earth to fix this dangerous situation.  

Also, please remember that we are not powerless in the face of giant Monsanto.  No matter what the government, or big business or your neighbor does...

HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS: You still have the power to choose what goes in your shopping cart, and what goes in your mouth!  Nobody can take that from you. 

Check out my article on How to Avoid GMO Foods for more details.  Hidden bonus:  Some of the same measures you can take to avoid GMO's will help keep your body healthier over all, for the long haul!



RESOURCES

Glyphosate Found to Fuel Cancer Cell Growth, Pose Carcinogenic Threat

How the Farm Bill could undermine the future of GMO labeling by individual states 

Organic farmers go to war with Monsanto in court and lose - but this fight is not over!

Genetically-modified eggplant found to be unsafe for human consumption, environment 

Sleep... How much do you Really Need?

Sleep is a great big health issue that many people are – unconscious – of.  You can have great eating habits, exercise regularly and be free from emotional stress, but if you aren't sleeping well, it is virtually impossible to be really healthy.

How much sleep do you need for optimal health?

In this valuable interview with Dr. Joseph Mercola, Dr. Rubin Naiman, an integrative doctor who specializes in sleep and dreams – discusses this question.

Like everything else, the exact answer for each person depends on a large number of highly individual factors. The general consensus seems to be that most people need somewhere between six and eight hours of sleep each night.

There's compelling research indicating that sleeping less than six hours may increase your insulin resistance and risk of diabetes. And recent studies show that less than five hours of sleep at night can double your risk of being diagnosed with angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke. Interestingly enough, the same appears to be true when you sleep more than nine hours per night.

Dr. Naiman's recommendation is to simply sleep

    "enough hours so that your energy is sustained through the day without artificial stimulation, with the exception of a daytime nap."

I would add to that guideline, however, the suggestion to watch out for physical or biological symptoms.

For example, when I push myself and don't get high quality sleep or enough sleep, I'm predisposed to hypoglycemia. In other words, I have low insulin resistance so when I sleep poorly, it doesn't take much sugar or carbs for it drop my blood sugar—which also makes me really sleepy.   When I get enough sleep, I'm far less susceptible to it.

Dr. Naiman also discusses this, stating that there's solid data showing the connection between insulin resistance and sleep. When participants slept three or four hours less than normal for just a couple of days in a row, they saw a dramatic spike in insulin resistance.

Insufficient Sleep Puts Your Health at Risk

"There is really interesting data," he says. "I think the data is very strong showing that if you don't sleep enough, you're in trouble."

However, it's important to differentiate between occasional lack of sleep, and a chronic pattern. Everyone loses sleep here and there, and your body is typically resilient enough to allow for that. However, when poor sleep becomes a constant, there's no question your health may be at risk.

To Nap or Not to Nap…

According to Dr. Naiman, we're actually biologically programmed to nap during the daytime, typically in the middle of the afternoon. Some European countries still adhere to the daily siesta and close shop for a couple of hours in the middle of the day when the heat is also at its most pressing. Most employers in Western countries, however, do not accommodate daily snoozing, so when the natural tendency to get drowsy sets in, you may try to alleviate it with coffee, or simply fight the urge to take a nap.

The problem is, you're now training your body to resist the urge to sleep, which can then lead to being unable to easily fall asleep at night.

There are nuances with sleep just as there are with waking. There are so many different ways of being awake, different kinds of experiences. Light sleep is fine. Being half awake and half asleep is fine. In fact, I really believe that in any moment in time during the day and at night, it's a mixed percentage. Right now, you and I are talking; we're probably 98 percent awake. I'm just making up a number. There is a restful part of us. We might say we're 2 percent asleep. Closer to bed time it might be 50/50.

What we call being sleepy is being 'part of awake, part asleep.' In the middle of the night when we get up to use the bathroom, we might be 95 percent asleep still and 5 percent awake just to find our way there. We need to allow a mix of these different forms of consciousness."

Can You Catch Up on Lost Sleep?
This is another area fraught with confusion. Can you make up for lost sleep by sleeping longer on certain days? According to Dr. Naiman:  "First of all, you can't really bag sleep any more than you can bag oxygen. We just need to replenish it. If you're well slept, you'll be more resilient… If you've under slept and you throw in jetlag on top of that, it gets a lot worse.  In terms of making up for sleep, it is a very common pattern in our world that people short sleep during the week and then sleep in [on the weekend]. It's considered delicious. For me, it's kind of funny. It's like starving yourself during the week and then pigging out on the weekend. It's not the best way to eat, as we know.

You can make up for some lost sleep on the weekend but here is the price: it throws off your circadian rhythm.  Again, the infrastructure of our sleep is this rhythmic drum beat of day and night, of light and darkness, of sun and melatonin and so on. What most people do on the weekend is actually go to bed later and sleep in much later. You really confuse the poor brain. It's almost like shifting it to another season. It's almost like a little bit of stationary jetlag. You're yanking your circadian rhythm around. It's not something that's recommended."

Sleep Timing—Does it Matter?
A common natural health understanding is that every hour of sleep before midnight is equal to two hours after midnight. But is that true?  According to Dr. Naiman, this notion is likely more metaphoric than factual.

“[R]oughly the first third to first half of sleep is when we get most of our true deep sleep," he says. "… We spend most of the first part of the night truly sleeping, most of the latter part of the night dreaming… In Chinese medicine, they say the best time to get to sleep is roughly 9:00 or 9:30 pm… roughly a couple of hours after sunset, when there have been enough melatonin raised in our brains that will naturally put us out… [But] I've never seen really hard scientific data. I've seen a lot of anecdotal experience. And there is data that suggests that there is a window of heightened opportunity for falling asleep, which can vary depending on your personal circadian rhythm."

The most important aspect of sleep timing appears to be the consistency of going to bed at the same time every night.

More Information

Dr. Naiman also has a great website, www.DrNaiman.com, where you can read more about all things sleep related. You can also find information about his lectures, which is a wonderful way to learn more about the mystery of sleep, and the most effective solutions.


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Is Gluten bad for Non-Celiacs?

Should a Non-Celiac be gluten-free?  
This used to get you laughed out of a doctors office but the idea that gluten sensitivity is real has recently received some validation the in research.  Which is great news for all the Non-Celiac’s who have been telling their doctors this for years.  This past Sunday a gluten expert panel spent an hour covering these ideas and more common questions about gluten. 

The panel was hosted by an FDN named Ameer Rosic and featured Dr. Tom O’ Bryan, Nora Gedgaudas  and Steven Wright.  Dr. Tom is an amazing doc who founded the Gluten Practitioner Program.   

For those who want some of the most in-depth training available to date on gluten check out this program on gluten sensitivity. 

No Celiac, No Care?
The burning question that so many of us have:  
"I hear that gluten is bad for you, but I feel fine if I eat a little now and then.  So do I need to worry about completely eliminating gluten?   In other words, if my body was having trouble with gluten, would I be able to tell?"

The more you listen, the more it sounds like none of us can really digest gluten, regardless of whether we have noticeable symptoms.   And trying to wiggle around this, by eating other things like sprouted bread or ancient species of wheat, is not going to fool our gut.  It's still wheat.

If you’ve never taken time to read any of the research studies on gluten then this video can save you about 6 months of your life as it covers most of the highlights.

Mark Hyman TedMed Talk: The Future of Medicine

Awesome talk from Tedmed 2010.  This is what it's all about!

"Our current approach to treating disease is like using hacksaws to treat trauma...

You can take the green pills and the red pills and the blue pills, and go to specialist after specialist and get diagnosis after diagnosis,
Or you can step into twenty first century medicine and look at the causes that connect everything together...

Functional medicine is a disruptive technology that's going to overthrow the tyranny of the diagnosis"

Inspirational!

Adrenal Dysfunction Video with Reed Davis

Reed Davis, Founder of FDN, talks about adrenal dysfunction, an extremely common hormonal imbalance that often lies at the root of health challenges. Unfortunately, most doctors completely ignore it.  Testing for adrenal dysfunction is one of the cornerstones of FDN.

Watch this video on Youtube