Healthy by Nature radio show this week: This should be fun. Nurse and investigative journalist, Tana Amen, author of The Omni Diet, will talk about what to eat to lose weight, reverse disease and fight inflammation. Call the live show with questions at 1-800-281-8255. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and how to listen nationwide.
 
Telowhat?
I mentioned “telomeres” last week while discussing the problems associated with excess iron storage in our bodies and brain. I promised to explain why they are important. In the simplest terms, telomeres protect the ends of our chromosomes (which contain our DNA and genes). Telomeres can gradually disappear. Then, no longer protected by telomeres, chromosomes themselves can become shortened. With genes damaged or lost, cells cannot repair our tissues as they did when we were young. Both chronic disease and accelerated aging are the result. It is understandable that scientists use telomere length as an indicator of biological age (more important than calendar age). Telomeres have been compared to the plastic protector that keeps the end of a shoelace from unraveling.

Although there are many things (like excess iron storage and toxins) that shorten telomeres, fortunately there are also factors that lengthen them. For example, persons who take a multivitamin have been shown to have longer telomeres. LINK. Another study showed benefit from reducing the omega-6 fats and increasing the omega-3 fats. LINK. (As noted below, this ratio is more of a challenge for vegetarians.) In a third study looking at the effects of diet, researchers concluded that men who ate the most butter and the least fruits had shorter telomeres. Women who ate the most vegetables had longer telomeres. LINK.

I keep hoping to find a study proving that chocolate chip cookies lengthen telomeres, but so far, no such luck.
 
Is it the veggies in or the meat out?
Last week I planned to talk about vegetarianism but the iron theme took too long. No doubt about it, eating plant-based foods is good for your health. That vegetarians eat lots of them may be an even more important health builder than the fact that they do not consume animal products. (Side note: remember as we’ve discussed before, animal products are available in all levels of quality and healthfulness.) Vegetarians who plan well (and don’t just become “grainiacs” existing mainly on starchy carbs) are able to get sufficient protein. However, they can become deficient in some vitamins (like B₁₂) and minerals (like zinc) and so may need to supplement. Also, it is easier to end up with imbalanced fatty acids, e.g. get too many of the pro-inflammatory omega 6 fats (e.g. from vegetable oil) and too little of the anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats (fish is a good source).

I mentioned that folks with type O blood seem to fair better on animal protein. Likewise, persons with blood type A seem to handle the vegetarian diet better. Something in our inherited chemistry seems to make them us adapt better to one diet over another.

Author Lierre Keith was a passionate and outspoken vegetarian until she found that she just could not get well on that diet. After investigating all the nutritional, environmental, political and humanitarian justifications for vegetarianism, she found that not all is as it appears. Her book, “The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability” is very interesting and helpful. It calls a lot of popular dogma into question. If you have felt pressure to be a vegetarian or are one who is not feeling great, you might be interested in two interviews I had with Lierre. Look for them on this page of the archives. The dates are April 10th and May 29th.

What’s Up?   
In last week’s show I didn’t make enough of a point about the value of the hairbrush attachment that Ezzi-lift was offering with purchase of one of their non-surgical facelift devices. It costs $150! And they are giving it FREE. I also didn’t give out the discount code enough. It is HBNshow. I asked them to extend the deal until May 13. Here is a link to their website.

  Last Week
LINK to Archive. It seems unusual for a chiropractor to talk about how he helps his patients look better and younger. Dr. Brian Nimphius does. Educator Tim Mount of the collagen company, NeoCell, discussed avoiding (and perhaps reversing) some of the less desirable aspects of aging: wrinkles, thinning hair, frail bones, weak joints and pain.

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My first book : Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers. Subtitle: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments.

My latest book: Aloe Vera-Modern Science Sheds Light on an Ancient Herbal Remedy

The information contained in this newsletter has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The contents are for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Copyright 2013 Martie Whittekin, CCN