What does it mean to biotransform you ask? Biotransformation is the $5 word for detoxification used in the medical literature. This is why a lot of traditionally trained clinicians raise their eyebrows in suspicion when someone speaks of detoxification. Rightly so, as a lot of the ways that detoxification (from here on out to be used synonymously with biotransformation) is recommended are questionable and do not follow the defined ways in which we know that our body rids itself of toxins.

Yet, before we delve into what you need to do to detoxify, it is important to understand why you need to detoxify. The short answer is that we are exposed to toxins on a daily basis, and at a growing rate. Toxins such as heavy metals, PCB’s and dioxins are found in the air we breath and on the food we eat. And don’t forget the toxins that we produce in our bodies on a daily basis as part of normal metabolic function. These must be equally eliminated as well.

Now that you know that toxins are a consistent part of your environment, both external and internal, it is critical that you realize that the design of the body accounts for the need to detoxify. As part of our inherent physiology, we are able to break down toxins, most of which are fat-like in nature, into water-like substances that are easily excreted. To detox is not that difficult, but does require the availability of the proper nutrients and foods and avoidance of known toxins. You can learn more about this by watching “Detoxification Explained” .

Is it the right time for you to detox? Detox has been traditionally recommended during the change of seasons as the best time to perform. As we find ourselves transitioning into another season now, detoxification and rejuvenating your body should be a strong consideration on your path to wellness.

Just this morning on the news, a doctor was being interviewed about the continued problem of so many Americans being overweight, including our youth. Moreover, the interviewer noted that in spite of knowing of this problem for several years now, it has only gotten worse. The doctor being interviewed made a very sticking point, that while indeed we do have the knowledge of how to make a difference in our abdominal girth, the Standard American Diet as a whole has not changed.

Some estimates suggests that as much as 75% of the SAD diet comes from grains and dairy. More awareness is being given to this by such trends as the need to go “gluten free”, but this is hardly enough. Gluten is the focus of the inflammation that is creates and the negative impact that it has on the immune system. The problem with all grains goes beyond just gluten, and is in fact one of the primary reasons that we as a society are overweight.

Grains are ubiquitous in our society. When you go to a restaurant now, you have to ask that bread not be brought to the table if you don’t want it. Otherwise, it is delivered by the server without even asking. Grains truly are a staple of the diet, but they are also the most metabolically destabilizing food category. Apart from sugar, which is not technically considered a food category, no other food group disrupts blood glucose levels as much as grains.

The metabolic disruption plays out like this. You consume a grain, which often is consumed in significant quantities. This grain is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract creating a spike in insulin. Insulin, being the storage hormone that it is, stores glucose where it can, with the abundance going to fat cells. The more fat we pack on, the less sensitive we become to insulin, ultimately causing more fat accumulation. From here you can see the vicious circle that is created. This is the metabolic rollercoaster that grains put us on. Sure, some of this can be offset by exercise, adequate consumption of fats and proteins, yet over-consumption of grains will catch up with you.

The key is to find eat those foods that are metabolically stablizing. These would include real, whole foods as found on the Paleo Diet.

Food allergies are becoming more and more prevalent among the population. I can remember growing up it seemed like the only food that someone might react to on occasion was shellfish. Now however, it seems like the list of foods that are common reactants in the population continues to grow. This has become such commonplace, that many don’t even really pay attention to its significance anymore.

The seemingly most common food allergen appears to be gluten. We have entire sections of the grocery store now dedicated to “gluten free” foods. It hardly ends here however. Peanuts are being restricted from airlines and some public schools have mandated children no longer bring them on school grounds. This is all due to the extreme reaction that some develop from just being in the general proximity of the allergen. But why seemingly are some reacting so much stronger than others to these foods? And does it just end with foods?

The growing theory that is being used to explain the rise of allergic reactions to foods, environmental factors and almost anything else, is “toxicant induced loss of tolerance“. That’s a lot of verbage, so let’s break it down to better understand the concept of how these reactions begin to develop.

Our tolerance to anything foriegn to our bodies begins with our barrier systems, or the structural “walls” that we have between the inside of our bodies and the external environment. The most obvious one is our skin. If we have a break in our skin from a cut, we know that bacteria and potential other harmful entities have access to the inside of our bodies. However, the skin is far from the only barrier system. Others include the gastrointestinal membrane, the lining of the lungs, and the protective barrier around the brain. These barriers should be completely sealed off. Yet, when they develop gaps in them, it becomes like having a hole in a wall. The barrier can now be breached. A breached barrier means your immune system starts to become exposed to things that it no longer recognizes as normal such as your body’s own tissue and digested food particles. But what causes this breach in the barrier?

There are many possible causes for a breach, but let’s take only the toxicants in our environment. These toxins include such names as heavy metals, PCB’s, benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These are just a few of the toxins that are increasingly prevalent in our environment. The repetitive exposure of such toxins leads to weakened barriers resulting in an immune system that is dysfunction and lacking the necessary constituents to keep it healthy. This is a real problem that all of us face since we all live in an environment where we can no longer hide from these toxins.

However, while you should be proactive in minimzing your toxin exposure, keep in mind that our body has systems in place to help us overcome the damage from toxins. Two steps that everyone can benefit from would include continuously supporting their detoxification systems and secondly building up the barrier systems by providing the specific nutrients that they require. Routine detoxification is beneficial and is typically advised about twice each year. Not only does this help take away possible insults to our barrier system, but it also sets the stage for building up our barriers. To further support this process, identifying the specific nutrients necessary to rebuild the barrier is also helpful.

When the detoxification systems and barrier systems are strong, the immune system is not chronically overstimulated. Less stimulation leads to greater immuno-competency and less sensitivity to foods.

We all know that produce, or vegetables and fruits, is beneficial for us. However, most of these foods are sprayed with herbicides and pesticides. Yet, these chemicals do not penetrate every form of produce equally. Some hold these chemicals more than others. With this noted, it is a good idea to know which vegetables and fruits should definitely be purchased organic.

The MOST contaminated Vegetables and Fruits
- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet Bell Pepper
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Grapes (imported)
- Carrots
- Pears
- Collard Greens
- Spinach
- Potato

Produce Containing the LEAST amount of residue from chemicals
- Onion
- Avocado
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Asparagus
- Sweet Peas
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Eggplant
- Papaya
- Watermelon
- Broccoli
- Tomato
- Sweet Potato

EWG’s Shopping Guide

If you have followed my blog, you know that the Paleo style diet is a superior diet to the Western diet or “Standard American Diet”. We have shown numerous references to medical articles and I have even mentioned a few case studies of patients seeing phenomenal results in relatively short periods of time. However, I don’t think I have ever laid out the simplicity of the Paleo diet such that you can see directly how it compares to the standard diet.

Here are the key points of why the Paleo Diet is better.

1. Glycemic Load – Glycemic load is the impact that consumption of a carbohydrate has. It takes into account 2 things, the type of carbohydrate and the rate at which it stimulates secretion of insulin. Whole foods such as vegetables and fruits have a relatively low glycemic load as compared to refined foods which tend to be not only high in sugars, but also responsible for surges of blood glucose and insulin.

2. Fatty acid composition - Let’s talk about meat as our source of food on this one, specifically one of American’s favorite, beef. Beef from grass fed cattle have a higher amount of anti-inflammatory omega 3′s. The grass they eat contains omega 3′s which are in turn incorporated into their meat. In opposition, the flavorfully tauted grain fed beef is high in omega 6′s that are inflammatory. The most common grain fed to cattle at feed lots is corn, which is known for its high omega 6 content.

3. Macronutrient composition – The composition of the typical meal has changed notably over the years. The Paleo Diet of pre-modern man that focused on higher amounts of protein shows better metabolic stablizing and satiating effects than does the current dietary pattern of most people which places less emphasis on protein. Protein has been shown to have greater than 3 times the impact of increasing the metabolism as compared to fat and carbohydrate.

4. Micronutrient density - Have you ever looked at the label of a snack food or any other highly processed food. Usually within the first few ingredients you will find “refined” product X. This may be wheat or some other source of carbohydrate. We have become desensitized to this type of label, but what it truly says is that the nutrients, or vitamins and minerals, that were once in this food no longer remanin. This amazing also holds true for foods that are listed as fortified as only a fraction of the nutrients that were originally removed are replaced. In contrast, consider raw or lightly cooked vegetables and fruits where the nutrients within that food have been preserved. These nutrients are the key to an efficient metabolism.

5. Acid-Base Balance – Acid forming foods are meats and refined foods such as cereals and grains. Alkaline foods include fruits, vegetables, root plants, nuts and seeds. A diet concentrating on mostly alkaline forming foods has been shown to inhibit the onset and progression of such conditions as osteoporosis, age related muscle wasting, high blood pressure and kidney dysfunction.

6. Sodium-potassium ratio - The balance between the amount of sodium found in the diet as compared to the amount of potassium has switch with the introduction of more modern eating habits. This is related to the introduction of salt into refined foods as a flavor enhancer as well as the reduction by most of those foods high in potassium, mainly produce. The reversal of the sodium to potassium ratio is responsible for conditions such as osteoporosis, stroke, high blood pressure and insomnia just to name a few.

7. Fiber content - Constipation is a common ailment and many are far from the ideal 2-3 bowel movements per day. There are many possible reasons, but clearly one resounding reason is the lack of fiber in the diet. Just as refined foods have the nutrients removed from them, so to is taken away the fiber. From a different perspective, those foods that are often talked about as high fiber, in particular whole grains, come with other concerns such as possible immune system stimulation and a high carbohydrate content. The offerings of the Paleo diet are far superior as sources of fiber include vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. The true benefit to these foods is not only their ability to provide a good fiber source, but to be able to provide other health promoting benefits while eliminating the health deteriorating effects spoken of with refined foods.

Call it any name you will, the principles of the Paleo Diet are proven at supporting health and providing the foundation upon which wellness can be achieved.

Sometimes I am amazed at the inherent intelligence of the body. Upon researching recently, I came across an article showing that omega 3 fatty acid, like those found in fish oils, have the ability to lower homocysteine. As many of you know, homocysteine is associated with inflammation and tissue breakdown. It has classically been addressed by administering B12 and folate.

Recent evidence though suggest that B12 and folate are not the only nutritional factors that can influence homocysteine levels. The routine use of omega 3 fatty acids positively impacts the genes that control the enzymes associated with homocysteine metabolism. This makes omega 3′s a must for many that having higher than ideal homocysteine levels.

To learn more, visit a recent blog post that I wrote for SpectraCell Laboratory.

A New Twist on a Common Supplement: Using Omega 3’s to Lower Homocysteine