Mushrooms - Key for Improved Health, Longer Life, and Increased Exercise Capacity!

 

Multiple studies have confirmed amazing benefits to the regular consumption of mushrooms:

1.     Eating two or more servings of mushrooms each week has been shown to reduce your risk of cognitive impairment by more than 50%.

2.     Regular mushroom consumptions boosts your immune system and reduces your risk of infections.

3.     Mushrooms can boost cardiovascular health by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation and lipid peroxidation.

4.     Mushrooms can help improve atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

5.     Mushrooms can help protect skin and mitochondrial DNA from UV-Related damage.

6.     Mushrooms can promote eye health and protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and vision loss by reducing free radicals in the retina.

7.     Mushrooms can protect and maintain the health of your central nervous system by promoting neuronal steam cell differentiation.

8.    Mushrooms can lower your risk of cancer – including breast and prostate cancer.

9.     Regular mushroom consumption has been shown to lower all cause mortality.

10.Mushrooms can dramatically boost exercise capacity.   The supplement Peak 02, which combines six forms of organic mushrooms, has been shown to improve oxygen utilization and work capacity!   Research on Peak 02 shows it significantly increased peak power, maximum oxygen consumption and lowered lactate levels in response to intense exercise.   For more information go to https://youtu.be/Fw3ld1M2QOs?si=O1oLA__Ag7pEquag  Peak 02 can be purchased on Amazon and is a very reasonably priced option!

Key Mushroom Compound

While there are many beneficial phytochemicals in mushrooms one that is particularly potent and relevant is called Ergothione.   Ergothione is a powerhouse for promoting health and longevity.  Out of 112 measure plasma metabolites, ergothione is the one most associated with lower risk of heart disease, stroke and death of all causes.

Scientists have discovered that we actually have a specific transporter for Ergothione which suggests that we are designed to eat mushrooms which are the source of this potent compound!   While all edible mushrooms have significant Ergothione levels – Porcini, Shiitake, Oyster, Maitake, King Oyster, and Lion’s Mane varieties contain the highest levels.

Cooking mushrooms actually boosts the absorption of key mushroom compounds – and Ergothione levels are NOT affected by cooking.    So, make sure to eat your mushrooms!

 

How to Prevent Sleep Problems from Fall Time Change!

 

It’s that time of year again – on November 5th we will be setting our clocks back one hour.  Resetting clocks in devices is simple.  Unfortunately, your body clock is not nearly as easy to reprogram.  This comes with some serious health consequences.  An hour time shift does not seem like a lot, but your body runs on a tight schedule and this one-hour change throws us off.

Scientists have documented that the shift to daylight saving time in the spring, when we lose an hour of sleep, is linked to an a much higher rate of attacks and car accidents.  Although we gain an hour to sleep during the fall time change – the change throws off the sleep cycle and that is where all the problems come from.

Over the last 20 years, scientists have documented that, in addition to the master clock in our brains, every cell in our body has a circadian rhythm and time-keeping mechanism. The body and cell’s circadian rhythm help regulate important functions such as sleep and metabolism. And increasingly, there's evidence that when our habits — such as when we eat and sleep — are out of sync with our internal clocks, it can harm us.

When we disrupt our routines with erratic sleep or eating habits, it can increase the risk of metabolic disease. For instance, overnight shift workers are at much higher risk of developing diabetes and obesity. Research also shows that kids who don't have set bedtimes and mealtimes are also more likely to become overweight.

As days get shorter with less daylight, it's easy to fall into bad habits, and regulating light exposure is key to regulating circadian rhythm.    

Maximize Exposure to Bright Light During the Day

Maximize your exposure to daylight in the morning hours since it gets dark so early in the evening.   This simple step is every bit as powerful as avoiding blue light at night.   Ideally get outside immediately upon waking – just five minutes of outside light can do the trick!    

Outdoor sunlight is about 1500 lux on a cloudy and 100,000 lux on a sunny day while indoor lighting typically maxes out at 500 lux!    Bright OVERHEAD light is the primary signal to shut-down melatonin production and wake up.    

If it is too cold to go outside consider buying a 10,000-lux UV free light – ideally one that you can set to shine down on your face from above you.    

Minimize Evening and Nighttime Light

Exposure to light and electromagnetic fields from computers, phones, tablets, and T.V.’s all act as a stimulant, so it is important to minimize nighttime light exposure and blue light exposure in particular.  Blue light comes from artificial lighting.   Blue wavelengths – which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood – are disruptive at night.   Energy efficient lighting is packed with blue light as are our electronics.

Turn off lights or dim them as much as possible.   If you must use a computer or your phone install blue light filtering programs on both that will adjust the amount of blue light emitted by your computer, phone, and tablets.    Flux – https://justgetflux.com is a free program for your laptop or tablet and the Twilight app for your phone.   Both allow you to set times and adjust blue light output of your devices automatically based on time of day! 

You can also buy blue blocking glasses to use in the evening.   This may seem gimmicky but there is very well-done research supporting the effectiveness of reducing blue light in the evening through these and other measures!

For night-time bathroom trips use a red-light nightlight as redlight does NOT disrupt sleep which is why you see it used by the military on ships and submarines!

Avoid Alcohol!

Alcohol intake is extremely disruptive to sleep and for many just eliminating it results in much higher sleep quality within a week. Consider cutting down or completely eliminating alcohol intake particularly during the work week!

Stop all food and beverage by 8pm!

Ideally stop all food and beverage intake 3 hours before bed – late food intake can create digestive issues and late beverage intake can force bathroom trips disrupting your sleep.

Stay on a consistent sleep/wake cycle!

Get up and go to bed at the same time each day – this trains the body and mind.   It is NOT a good idea to sleep in on weekends – this just disrupts your circadian rhythm.

Minimize Caffeine intake after 10am!

There are slow and fast caffeine metabolizers and if you are a slow metabolizer it is critical to stop any and all caffeine intake by 10am!   

Exercise!

Yes – it’s true – for many a consistent exercise habit will dramatically improve sleep quality and duration!

Finish your morning shower with a cold shower!

While this may seem unpleasant at first cold showers dramatically ramp up the secretion of norepinephrine which is the brains primary stimulant.  See this blogpost for the many benefits of cold showers:  http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2022/04/can-cold-showers-improve-exercise.html

Your Genetics are NOT Your Destiny!

 

We all see and experience the reality of how genes from our parents produce specific characteristics such as eye color, hair color, height, weight, etc.  Based on this experience most of us conclude that our genes determine our destiny, but is that really true?   The short answer is an emphatic NO.  While there are genetically determine characteristics that not alterable and fixed from birth, gene expression is actually quite variable and changes based on your lifestyle.

The process of gene expression is what determines which genes are actually expressed by cells in your body.  The key to gene expression is epigenetics which consists of physiological mechanisms that silence or activate genes, and encompasses process which alter gene function without changing the sequence of nucleotide base pairs of our DNA.   There are many such physiological processes which are activated by changes in our environment caused by many factors including exercise, diet, medications, sunlight, smoking, meditation, etc.  

All of your lifestyle choices play into your risk of disease through epigenetics.  Nearly all cancers, respiratory illnesses, autoimmune disorders, and cardiovascular disease are controlled through epigenetic changes.  Simply put – genes load the gun but the environment (your lifestyle) pulls the trigger!

Most disease-causing gene expression is activated by epigenetic factors meaning you CAN control it!  In fact, the Centers for Disease Control states that genetics account for only 10% of diseases.

Transgenerational Inheritance of Epigenetic Change

Amazingly epigenetic changes that occur in one generation can be passed down to future generations.  For example, it is known that changes in fertility initially causes by chemical exposure caused epigenetic changes can be handed down to the next generation.  This is also true of traumatic experiences.   

Characteristics of a parent’s sensory environment that occur before conception can remodel the sensory nervous system and neuroanatomy in future conceived generations.  An example of this is the fact that descendants of holocaust survivors show abnormal stress hormone levels which put them at greater risk for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Lifestyle Choices Count for you AND the next Generations

Realize that the air we breathe, the food we eat, the thoughts we allow, the toxins to which we are exposed, and the experiences we undergo may be passed on to our descendants.  Our genes are not our destiny – the choices we make are!

Does Aspartame Really Cause Cancer?

 

Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (the IARC) – a branch of the World Health Organization announced it had designated the artificial sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”   This sounds ominous but the truth is much less scary!

There are 5 different classifications that relate to the potential cancer causing properties of a given substance:

Carcinogenic to Humans

Probably Carcinogenic to Humans

Possibly Carcinogenic to Humans

Not Classifiable as to its Carcinogenicity

As such the designation of Aspartame as “Possibly Carcinogenic to Humans” does NOT mean it is a clear and definite cancer causing agent at any dose!   It just means that there is reason to study this further.

Like all potential carcinogens the details matter such as how much of a substance do you need to be exposed to in order to initiate cancerous cellular changes.   Keep in mind our bodies are constantly exposed to poisons both natural and man-made, and our bodies have evolved to handle this or none of us would be here today.

For example – alcohol from alcoholic beverages – is a known carcinogen at high doses on a regular basis!  On the other some research shows that small daily doses may in fact be beneficial.

So the take home message on Aspartame is it is smart to consider how many artificially sweetened beverages you take in on a regular basis and try to limit them daily.    

To get a detailed review of the science on aspartame and cancer check this great article out from Dr. Peter Attia:   https://peterattiamd.com/aspartame-and-cancer/?utm_source=weekly-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=230806-NL-aspartameandcancer&utm_content=230806-NL-aspartameandcancer-email-nonsubs&mc_cid=044a15ec2a&mc_eid=c0f54eddcb

How Cardio Exercise Can Decrease Your Dementia Risk by 90%!

 

Yes – it’s true - cardio is a very powerful tool for preventing and mitigating dementia!

For example, researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden showed that women with the highest cardiovascular fitness had an 88% lower risk of dementia than those with moderate fitness.  Further, women with the lowest fitness had a 41% greater risk of dementia than those of average fitness.

The authors of the study stated:

"These results suggest that cardiovascular fitness is associated with the sparing of brain tissue in aging humans. Furthermore, these results suggest a strong biological basis for the role of aerobic fitness in maintaining and enhancing central nervous system health and cognitive functioning in older adults."

Similar findings have been found by other scientists. For example, one observational study that followed more than 600 seniors starting at age 70 found that those who engaged in the most physical exercise showed the least amount of brain shrinkage over a follow-up period of three years.

Exercise increases the production of BDNF aka brain-derived neurotrophic factor.  BDNF is like Miracle Grow for your brain.  It not only preserves existing brain cells - it also activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons and effectively makes your brain grow.

Research confirming this includes a study in which seniors aged 60 to 80 who walked 30 to 45 minutes, three days per week, for one year increased the volume of their hippocampus by 2%.  The hippocampus is a region of your brain important for memory.  Higher fitness levels were also associated with a larger prefrontal cortex.

In another study, patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, who participated in a four-month-long supervised exercise program had significantly fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with the disease than the control group that did not exercise.

Another study showed that brisk walking program for at least 150 minutes each week was associated with improvements in functional ability in people with early Alzheimer's disease.

Among some of the participants, the walking program also led to improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, and this was in turn associated with improved memory performance and even increases in the size of their brain's hippocampus.

Exercise also triggers a change in the way amyloid precursor protein is metabolized, thus slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer's. However, while exercise can lower your risk of dementia and chronic disease, it's possible to overdo high intensity exercise.

When doing true HIIT training short workouts done just two or three times a week is all it takes to reap the benefits!

 

Can Eating too Little Really Prevent You from Losing Weight?

 

It can seem like this is true when you are trying to do everything you can to lose weight and nothing seems to be happening.  But is this really the case?    The short answer is NO!

So what is going on when you are eating a lot less and still not losing weight?   You have probably heard the phrase “calories in, calories out” many times but doubt its truth.  In fact the balance of calories burned and taken in DOES determine bodyweight and there are no exceptions even though it can seem like this is not the case.

In every case when scientists tightly control or measure intake and output of calories – the balance between calories in and out DOES cause changes in bodyweight.   

Factors that affect calories burned

There are many factors that affect how many calories you burn daily, and the tricky part is that your body is designed specifically to adjust calorie output based on environmental conditions.  For example, prolonged low calorie intake WILL slow down your metabolic rate resulting in a significant drop in calorie burn.

By the same token if you are exposed to cold temperatures consistently your metabolic rate will increase in order to create heat necessary to keep your body functioning properly.

Another very important factor affecting your metabolic rate is your activity levels including exercise AND non-exercise movement or NEAT for short.  NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis and refers to the fact that ALL movement requires caloric energy.   

When scientists have studied people and used sophisticated techniques to monitor movement, they have discovered that the levels of NEAT vary considerably between people, and NEAT can make all the difference in the world between being fat or lean.

Factors that affect calories consumed

Calorie consumption is also affected by many factors including appetite which is very complicated in humans and strongly affected by psychological factors including stress and upbringing which influence our perception of hunger.   Other factors include macronutrient percentages in the diet referring to the percentage of protein, fat, fiber, sugar and starch in the diet along with meal frequency and size.

Why does it seem like calories in and calories out does not work?

We are not very good at correctly judging how much we are eating and burning!  Well-controlled studies show that people (even trained professionals!) consistently underestimate calorie intake and over-estimate calorie burn by up to 50%.

What about hormones?

Hormones like insulin, glucagon, growth hormone, testosterone, and others influence metabolism, lean mass, and fat mass, BUT they do not invalidate the energy balance equation.   

So What Can You Do?

Measure your food intake – use whatever tools you like including scales, measuring spoons, pictures, food logs, portion estimating tools, etc.   The key is getting a handle on what you are consuming by tracking EVERYTHING you are consume for a full week – the results will probably surprise you!

Track your daily activity levels – including exercise and non-exercise movement for a week using a movement tracker or app on your phone.   While far from perfect this also gives you a window into what you are doing which most of us are completely unaware of consciously. 

Choose whole, unprocessed foods – like eggs, meat, fish, vegetables and fruit.  That is where all the micro-nutrients (Vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant chemicals!) you need come from, and if you follow through on this you may find yourself losing weight without so much effort.

Adjust your proportion of protein, carbs, and fat – some people respond better to more carbs and fewer fats while others may respond better to less carb and more fat and protein.   There is no single diet that is best for everyone!

Get a Professional Coach – making consistent changes in your eating and activity habits can be very challenging – especially when you try to do it all by yourself.  Seek out a qualified and compassionate coach who can help you navigate these tricky waters.

How to Deal with Fall Allergies Naturally!

 

It's fall allergy season again and this can mean dealing with pretty severe symptoms in sufferers.    Treating allergies with nutrition and nutrition supplements can have big advantages over using medications.   

Allergy medication most commonly comes in the form of Antihistamines, and there are some big problems with long-term use of these medications.     It is now known that prolonged use of antihistamines decreases levels of acetylcholine which is a key neurotransmitter involved in memory and other important functions.   In fact, long-term use of antihistamine use increases the risk of senility, dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease in older adults.

What are Allergies Anyway?

Allergies are abnormal immune reactions to specific agents (proteins) known as antigens/allergens, which include many substances such as foods, drugs, pollens, dust mites, animal danders, feathers, along with many others. 

Allergies may also develop when an otherwise innocent substance has significant contact with an already inflamed surface (known as sensitization).  For example, when sick with a respiratory illness, respiratory surfaces are already inflamed and substances present at this time may be “remembered” as being foreign.  This can also occur with chemical substances known as “haptons” which are combinations of self and non-self which can lead the immune system to attack the self. 

Since there are multiple pro-inflammatory substances involved with allergies it is rare to obtain adequate control with single products/medications.  The most potent chemical mediators in allergies and asthma are leukotrienes.  Some leukotrienes are one thousand times more potent than histamine as stimulators of bronchial constriction and allergy. 

Interestingly, many medications that reduce one inflammatory pathway actually boost leukotrienes.  For example, Aspirin and other NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs like Ibuprofen) result in the production of excessive levels of leukotrienes in sensitive individuals although they decrease prostaglandins associated with inflammation and thereby relive pain.  So long term they can create a much more severe problem.

Asthma is linked to allergies and can be a severe and life threatening condition.   Do NOT try to self-treat Asthma – see a physician!

Strategies for Allergies

Try to avoid allergens by using air filters, regularly cleaning all surfaces and vacuuming and keeping your air-conditioning system on while regularly changing filters to filter out as many allergens as possible.   Remember your car cabin filter as well, and take showers and wash clothes after being outside for long periods of time.

Change your diet to reduce inflammation.    Dramatically reduce your intake of refined carbohydrate – sugar and starch which drive insulin which drives inflammation.  At the same time increase your intake of low glycemic, organic fruits and vegetables such as berries, broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc.   These plant foods contain polyphenols which are potent anti-oxidants and help to reduce inflammation and allergies without side effects.

Increase your intake of Omega 3 Fatty Acids from cold water fish such as Alaskan Wild Salmon and/or take an Omega 3 Supplement such as Krill Oil.    Omega 3 fatty acids will always reduce inflammation if taken in sufficient dosages so this should be a primary strategy for allergy sufferers because they produce many side benefits.   The only exception is people taking any type of medication to thin blood and reduce clotting like Coumadin.   In this case the combination can be dangerous!

Nutritional Supplements for Allergies

There are several highly effective nutrition supplements for allergies including some key herbs.

Local Raw Honey – it MUST be local and must be raw because it will contain small amounts of local pollen and works by getting the body used to pollen much like an allergy shot.     A Tablespoon a day is as much as you need.   Many people swear by this simple and safe remedy!

Stinging Nettle Extract – this herb has a long history of effective use for allergies and freeze dried preparations seem to work the best and are best taken BEFORE allergy season even begins to put a damper on symptoms before they start – this is true of all nutritional approaches to allergy by the way!

Euphrasia Officianalis – aka “Eyebright” is an herb which name says it all – it is highly effective for eye allergy symptoms.

Quercetin – is a flavonoid contained in high amounts in apples, peppers, red wine, dark cherries and berries, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and sprouts, and raw red onions.   To treat allergies taking supplemental quercetin is the way to go and the best Quercetin Supplements are Quercetin Phytosome supplements. An excellent product is Mercola Quercetin and Pterostilbene which can be purchased on Amazon.  Two 250mg capsules a day is a good dose. Quercetin is proven to decrease your chance of contracting a viral illness like the cold or flu by 9 times!

Boswellia Extract – Boswellia aka Frankincense (yes the herb mentioned in the bible!) can be highly effective for allergies and other forms of inflammation including arthritis because it blocks the formation of leukotrienes!    To get the benefits you must take 5-loxin which is a specific extract.   Note that in some individuals 5-loxin can cause or exacerbate heart burn so it is not for everyone, but when it works it can be highly effective!

Butterbur Extract – this plant extract can be highly effective for inhibiting leukotrienes and allergy symptoms or side effects.   You need to take a standardized extract with standardized levels of Petasin and Isopetasin) and free of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids aka PA.  High quality brands include Life Extension, Swanson, and Enzymatic Therapy to name a few.   This product can also help many migraine sufferers and is a well-researched, proven treatment.

NAC – N-Acetyl Cysteine - helps thin mucus naturally and boost levels of the body’s most important antioxidant Glutathione – every allergy sufferer should be taking 600 – 1,200mg per day!

You will also find combination of these ingredients in particular products, and it is worth experimenting a bit because if you find the right product or combination of natural products you can find relief without sedation and without the side effects associated with antihistamines and more potent drugs like steroid nasal sprays or oral steroids.

Isometric Exercise - The Most Effective Exercise for Lowering Blood Pressure!

 

You heard that right – isometric exercise is superior to all other forms of exercise for lowering blood pressure.   Many studies have shown this including a large meta-analysis which showed that isometric exercise was comparable to standard blood pressure drugs for lowing blood pressure.   

The reason isometrics are so much more effective than other forms of exercise for blood pressure is that isometrics compress the blood vessels (particularly the veins which hold over 60% of your blood).     If you think of your blood vessels as a garden hose think of what happens when you pull on both ends of a rubber hose – the inside diameter actually SHRINKS – and this means increased pressure is required to get the same amount of fluid/blood through the center.   However if you push both ends of the hose towards the center (like isometric exercise) the diameter actually increases and you need less pressure to move the same amount of blood!

In addition, properly done isometric exercise has side benefits – not side effects like drugs!   For example – isometrics improve joint health, improves muscle imbalances, improve performance, are very safe, and super time efficient!

A simple routine done 3 times per week can provide big results.  Just doing the following 3 exercises 3 – 5 times per week holding each one for 30 – 90 seconds can be very effective:

Wall Sit Exercise

Plank Exercise

Side Plank Exercise

To learn how to do these simple exercises and more check out this short article with links to videos of each exercise:   https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/isometric-exercises#exercises-to-try or here:  https://redefiningstrength.com/isometrics/

Key focus: BREATH - do NOT hold your breath and as always check with your physician before starting any new exercise program.    People with severe uncontrolled high blood pressure should NOT perform isometric exercise.

The Many Benefits of Honey!

 

Honey is an amazing substance – especially when you consider how it is made by bees. It is a complex mixture of sugar, trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids.  Honey has many health benefits when used in moderation (assuming you're healthy).

Honey Production Process

It takes about over 50,000 bees traveling up to 50,000 miles and visiting up to 2 million flowers, to gather enough nectar to make one pound of honey!  Bees stores the nectar in their extra stomach where it mixes with enzymes, and then the bees pass the nectar  to another bee's mouth. 

This process is repeated until the nectar becomes digested and is then deposited into a honeycomb where it becomes honey after the bees fan it with their wings to evaporate some of the liquid it contains.   The bees then seal the honey comb with secretions from their abdomen.   In this way honey can be stored almost indefinitely as it is sealed away from air and water.

Honey is infused with many chemicals from the different flowers bees visit which accounts for the extremely wide variation in color and taste of different honeys collected in different regions.

Health Benefits of Honey

Honey is excellent cough medicine, and research has proven that honey works as well as dextromethorphan, a common ingredient in over the counter cough medications.

Honey can treat wounds and was commonly used to prevent and treat wound infections until the advent of antibiotics.   Today it is being used again more and more as research shows it can be an extremely potent and safe way to treat serious skin infections.    One specific type of honey – Manuka Honey – is specifically used for creating wound and burn dressings.

Manuka honey is made from the flowers of the Manuka bush, and research have shown that Manuka honey is effective in combatting more than 200 clinical strains of bacteria, including anti-biotic resistance strains such as:

◦ MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)

◦ MSSA (methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus)

◦ VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci)

Honey releases hydrogen peroxide through an enzymatic process, which explains its general antiseptic qualities, but Manuka honey contains and unknown unique factor that makes it far superior to other types of honey when it comes to killing off bacteria.

Even so, research shows that any type of unprocessed honey helps wounds and ulcers heal.

Honey Is Great for Your Scalp: Honey diluted with a bit of warm water can significantly improve seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff and itching.

Honey is a Great Energy Booster: Honey is a great energy booster before a workout, and this is particularly true for athletes.

Honey Can Safely Dramatically Reduce Allergy Symptoms: Local honey, which contains a wide variety of pollen from local plants, introduces a small amount of allergen into your system. This can act like an allergy shot and gradually condition your immune system to stop reacting to allergens.

Dosage is a teaspoon-full of locally produced honey per day, starting a few months PRIOR to the pollen season, to allow your system to build up immunity.

One study on local honey and allergy showed that, during birch pollen season, compared to the control group, the patients using birch pollen honey experienced:

◦ 60 percent reduction in symptoms

◦ Twice as many asymptomatic days

◦ 70 percent fewer days with severe symptoms

◦ 50 percent decrease in usage of antihistamines

Honey can Combat Herpes

Honey helps fight herpes sores by:

• Drawing fluid away from the sores

• Suppresses microorganism growth

Honey may help fight cancer by limiting certain cancer cell proliferation, inducing cancer cell death and inhibiting tumor growth. It's been shown to lower the risk for cancer of the skin, cervix, colon, prostate and breast, among others.

Honey has been shown to have anxiety reducing, anti-depressant, anti-convulsant and anti-pain properties.

Using High Quality Honey is Important!

The antibacterial activity in some honey is 100 times more potent than in others, while processed refined honey will lack many of these beneficial properties altogether. Most honey found in your grocery store is probably highly processed.

The best honey is unprocessed, and a great source is locally produced raw honey purchased directly from a beekeeper, farmers markets, co-ops, and natural stores like Trader Joe's. When choosing honey, be sure it is raw, unfiltered, and 100% pure, from a trusted source.

Honey Should Be Consumed in Moderation

Honey is high in fructose. Each teaspoon of honey has nearly four grams of fructose, which means it can be inappropriate for anyone with diabetes and too much can make pre-existing insulin resistance worse.

Exercise Beats Depression!

 

Everybody knows exercise is good for you in many ways, but for many of us the most important benefit is psychological.  Simply put exercise makes us feel better.  But how?

Molecular Mechanisms involved Exercise and Depression

A key player in the anti-depression effects of exercise is biochemical called kynurenine which is created from the amino acid tryptophan.  Kynurenine can be turned into kynurenic acid which is a neuroprotective agent OR quinolinic acid which is a neurotoxin and associated with depression.  Exercising muscles take up kynurenine which prevents it conversion to quinolinic acid and thereby help prevent depression.

Another biochemical involved in the anti-depressant effects of exercise is called brain derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF for shot.  BDNF is key to neuroplasticity which is the ability of the brain to restructure itself.  Neuroplasticity is limited in depression and other mental disorders.  Exercise increased BDNF and helps the brain remodel and adapt to stress which is key to preventing and treating depression while improving cognition.

Exercise also boosts endocannabinoids which reduce anxiety and the perception of pain.  The now infamous CBD from hemp and marijuana is one of many cannabinoids, and scientists have identified an entire cannabinoid system in humans.

At the same time exercise boosts endogenous opiates – yes your body makes its own versions of opiates to help control pain.  One class of the opiates produced by the body are the well-known beta endorphins.

Another key anti-depressant mechanism in exercise is that vigorous exercise increases the levels of norepinepherine and dopamine and helps the brain balance its stress response.   Both of these neurotransmitters have potent ability to prevent and reverse depression. 

These multiple biochemical pathways likely work synergistically to produce the amazing anti-depressant effects of exercise.

It is critical to remember that exercise is not a substitute for clinical treatment of depression.     While effective exercise is not 100% effective and depression is often a prelude to suicide.    Always seek a licensed health care professional for long-standing depression that does not relent.