Probiotics more efficient than antidepressants.

Probiotics have time and time again been found to be more efficient that antidepressants. Simply because the main neurotransmitter involved in happy mood - serotonin - 95% is found in your gut. Depression is directly related to malabsorption, food allergies etc. Changing what you eat, changes how you feel - naturally and long-term. 
One of my favorite breakfasts is berries with raw sour cream or just plain yogurt - raw yogurt has higher probiotics contents and thus the antidepressant effect is that much more potent. If I'm on the go I'll layer in a jar - so pretty.

We have the right to know what's in our food.

Because food is love. Food is family. Food determines your future.
If you're in California, vote yes to proposition 37.
GMO is already illegal in 61 countries.

RED ALERT: Over 90% of supplements contain this POISON!!!

“Stearic Acid inhibits T-cell dependent immune responses. Plasma membrane integrity is significantly impaired, leading to a loss of membrane potential and ultimately cell function and viability.”

Tebbey PW, Buttke TM, “Molecular Basis For The Immunosuppressive Action

of Stearic Acid on T cells”, Immunogy, 1990 Jul; 379-86

Stearic acid - same as magnesium stearate; pure poison.
In the trashcan it goes!

Over 90% of the vitamin/mineral products consumed today contain magnesium stearate, also known as stearic acid. Why is this a problem? Because research has shown that stearic acid suppresses T cells (your natural killer cells) which are a key component of your immune system.
This filler also stimulates your gut to form a biofilm; acting as a barrier to absorb every other nutrient that you ingest! Naturally, you are taking supplements to gain health, yet if you are taking a supplement containing magnesium stearate, you are getting the opposite end result - leading to malabsorption issues ironically; partly explaining why we are experiencing an epidemic of gut-related illnesses.

The FDA is looking into making magnesium stearate illegal as use for a supplement filler - until that happens, double check your label my friend!

Autistic Kids: It's A Nutrigenomic Issue!

Cute kid. Unfortunately, the stereotypical breakfast
of milk and cereal is one of the top triggers
of autism and the associated not-quite-so-cute behavior.
A breakfast overflowing with opioids found in milk and wheat gluten
- whole grain or not, besides the point here.

When kids suffer from behavioral disorders, looking into food allergies and nutrient therapy is crucial. Genetic traits and brain chemistry imbalances are hereditary and gradually worsened through generations; so if you haven't taken care of yourself by matching your lifestyle to your unique metabolic type, you can be sure to see a worsening of your vulnerabilities showing in your kids.

Autism have become one of the most widespread issues amongst kids these days; however, it is very easily treated if you understand how autistic symptoms relate to brain chemistry and triggered by opioids found in common food products.

So what characterizes the brain of a kid suffering with autism?
Autistic children generally have high levels of serotonin in their blood platelets, but LOW level of “free” serotonin. This may mean high serotonin in blood cells, but low serotonin in brain!

Research also comments on the fact that autistic children have high beta-endorphin levels. The literature does not reference baseline beta-endorphin but talks about an exaggerated stress response. Measuring beta-endorphin evokes stress, so the high levels they see may be a function of the exaggerated stress reaction. Stress evokes BE, and generally serotonin modulates the spike. If the serotonin system is impaired, there could be nothing to tone the beta-endorphin spike down so there would be a constant spiking and crashing.

BE is designed to kill pain, it creates “numb”. This can be life saving in a crisis, but it does not do well for bonding. Researchers used a drug called Naltrexone that sits in beta-endorphin receptor sites and does not allow the heightened BE reaction to charge the system; thus the kids treated had fewer autistic symptoms. However, this method does nothing but treat the symptoms temporarily (you can't be on these drugs forever - as with anything, there are side effects that only worsen over time causing a multitude of other health problems); it does not target the underlying issue.

Sugar, wheat gluten and dairy contain opioid peptides and raise BE levels more. So we know there is a direct link between the biochemistry imbalances that are associated with autism and that which are dietary related!

What to do now? 

Well, if your kid suffers with autism, even if you don't have the financial means to have a brain chemistry and metabolic typing done (contact for more info), you will want to try this out for 28 days (my experience is that in 90% of cases this solves the issue): move your kids to a food plan that has no wheat, no hard-core dairy (whey protein powder is ok because it does not have casein), and no sugar.

Anderson, G. M., D. X. Freedman, et al. (1987). Whole blood serotonin in autistic and normal subjects. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 28(6): 885-900.

Anderson, G. M., A. W. Zimmerman, et al. (2004). Autism clinical trials: biological and medical issues in patient selection and treatment response. CNS Spectr 9(1): 57-64.

Blum, I. , Y. Vered, et al. (1992). The influence of meal composition on plasma serotonin and norepinephrine concentrations. Metabolism 41(2): 137-40.

Buitelaar, J. K. (2003). Why have drug treatments been so disappointing? Novartis Found Symp 251: 235-44; discussion 245-9, 281-97.

Bursztejn, C., P. Ferrari, et al. (1988). Metabolism of serotonin in autism in children]. Encephale 14(6): 413-9.

Cazzullo, A. G., M. C. Musetti, et al. (1999). Beta-endorphin levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and long-term naltrexone treatment in autistic children. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 9(4): 361-6.

GI disorders on the rise: The case for WHITE rice.

Of course the Asian cultures with their influence

from Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine

have chosen to make white rice a stable part of their diet for a reason.

And now the West is finally beginning to grasp a grain

of what they have known and implemented for centuries: white rice is better than brown!

Just don't expect your health care practitioner to recommend this tomorrow

- as with all break-throughs in medicine it takes decades for it to reach the mainstream.

Just when you thought there were certain things in the health field that would never change - i.e. a pint of Haagen dasz is never going to be on the bottom of the food pyramide nor is anything white: white flour, white rice, white sugar... and so on.
After all, all things white is the reason why the West is getting fatter yet more malnourished by the minute, is it not.

Well, turns out it's not that simple - and cutting out white rice in exchange for brown may only be leading to further GI disorders. Now hang on a second before you just write this off as wish-washy alternative nonsense.

Let's start from the beginning.

Gastro intestinal disorders and gluten intolerance issues have reached epidemic proportions.
This is a catastrophe, because our knowledge of gluten intolerance is still at a baby stage and conventional medicine simply does not know how to treat (and much less properly diagnose!) inflamed gut and damaged villis.

Many of the meds you may be taking for secondary reasons are preventing your gut from healing by thinning the mucosal lining along with the fact that every Rx leads to your blood pH being more acidic. Now I'm not saying that Rx is always a no-no, it is always a question of pros vs. cons. However, in cases of inflamed gut you will have a load of symptoms that are all secondary: Osteoporosis, low T3, hormonal imbalance, mood disorders etc. etc. And they will continue to be present until you heal the primary reason for your disease - which is your gut.

With GI disorders every other disease under the sun follows, which is why it is critical to first heal your gut and then focus on any other issues you may be having. Simply because if your gut isn't healed step 1, whatever goes into your body either adds toxins and ferments due to indigestion or simply just exists your system without you having absorbed any nutrients at all.

Now back to the white stuff. Brown rice (which Asian cultures only use for the poor or to feed the pigs) contains something called phytic acid. Phytic acid binds to minerals in foods and limit our digestion of the minerals.

What about the fiber you ask? Well, turns out that more fiber is not the cure we thought it once was. Especially not the sort of roughage that stems from grains - bran, which is a typical recommendation to bulk up your fiber intake, literally tears your insides to shreds and prevents nutrient absorption (mind you, you still have to eat your fruit and veggies - it is only the grain roughage that is an issue). Brown rice is white rice with a thick hull around it. It is kind of like eating a walnut and not taking the shell off. There are nutrients in the hull, but they have a very poor bioavailability. Our bodies spend a lot of time and effort trying to break down the shell, which will use up energy and slow our metabolism.

Ever been on a juice diet where you actually consume zero fiber? Point: You do not get constipated from lack of roughage in your diet, you get constipated when you eat things your system cannot digest properly - i.e. most conventional casein a1 milk products and gluten (if this does not match your genotype).

(White) rice is one of the least allergenic foods there is on the grain side, and it is especially great as part of your diet for people low on serotonin as they need some quicker carbs to help boost insulin so that it can transport competing aminos out of the blood stream to the muscles, leaving the larger molecule tryptophan (precursor of serotonin) free to enter the brain-blood barrier.

Note: Also why a strict vegan or high protein diet is a disaster for people with low serotonin - first diet does not contain the building blocks for serotonin, and the second contains too many competitors so tryptophan will never be converted into brain-serotonin - and that's why some people experience crazy carb cravings on the Atkins diet (only those low on serotonin)!

..And is there anything more comforting 

than eating a bowl of steaming hot 

Indian spiced basmati rice glistening 

with pasture butter. And then we can get into 

the whole discussion of why saturated fats 

are not all created equal etc. - that's for another post!

Bottomline: You are what you absorb - so eat your rice WHITE like the Asians do!
I recommend the long-grain variety as they are slightly more nutritious.

If you want a great easy-read on why white rice is better (yesyes, I know you're almost suffocating there on your coffee reading this, admittedly it took me some time to get comfortable enough to finally put this down in writing even), then I recommend you grab the book by Jason Bussell  MSOM, Licensed Acupuncturist, The Asian Diet: Simple secrets for eating right, losing weight, and being well.
Mind you, this book is not a magic key per se, and admittedly I'd have preferred some more brain chemistry explanations and insights to be included, as this is always a pet-peeve of mine when determining if something is worth it - that said, it is still great on getting insight on why white rice indeed is better than brown from a gut-perspective!

And if switching from brown to white makes all your alarms go off due to the glycemic index, then read my case for why the gi index is a useless tool.

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Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2009 Dec;60(8):688-93.
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Trinidad TP, Mallillin AC, Sagum RS, Briones DP, Encabo RR, Juliano BO

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Miwa H

BMC Gastroenterol. 2008 Sep 23;8:43.
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