You need to know that problems associated with a B12 deficiency may occur long before a diagnosable case of pernicious anemia occurs. Pernicious anemia does not just affect the blood. The gastrointestinal tract and the peripheral and central nervous systems are affected as well. The first indications of anemia are a sore tongue and numbness and/or tingling or burning sensation in the hands or feet. Sufferers tend to be pale and white-lipped. A variety of abdominal difficulties include: gas, constipation or diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, pain, and poor appetite.

Other signs include ringing in the ears, spots before the eyes, chronic fatigue, drowsiness, and irritability.  Vital organs become starved for oxygen because not enough red blood cells are being formed. The liver and spleen often become enlarged, and neurological damage increases as the disease progresses.  Severe anemia may lead to heart failure.

Next time, we will discuss psychiatric abnormalities associated with B12 deficiency.

Several causes may lead to a B12 deficiency, but the usual reason one develops pernicious anemia is the inability to absorb the vitamin. The natural means of obtaining vitamin B12 is by way of the foods we eat, but B12 is not found in plants. You must eat protein foods such as liver, whole milk, eggs, oysters, pork or chicken, and its complex structure makes it much more difficult to absorb in comparison to other nutrients. In addition, the stomach secretes a substance known as “intrinsic factor” which binds to the B12 allowing it to be absorbed through the intestinal walls.

 An absence of vitamin B12 in the diet is seldom the cause of a vitamin B12 deficiency. It is much more common to find deficiencies in individuals who fail to absorb the vitamin from the intestine. This failure to absorb the vitamin results in pernicious anemia. The gastric parietal cells are responsible for the synthesis of a glycoprotein (a combination of carbohydrate and protein), called the “intrinsic factor”. When these cells are destroyed, the intrinsic factor is no longer produced and absorption of vitamin B12 is no longer possible.  Furthermore, as we reach the age of 50 and beyond, the stomach begins to produce less hydrochloric acid as well as less “intrinsic factor.” This is the condition that causes the elderly to have the inability to completely break down the protein in their diet, thus they are unable to free the protein-bound B12. This in turn creates the B12 deficiency.

 If an individual is missing or under producing “intrinsic factor,” it is not possible to absorb B12 regardless of how much one eats. The availability of “intrinsic factor” can also be affected by any type of stomach surgery, iron deficiency, pregnancy, aging, and intestinal disorders (like Crohn’s disease). Because of all these factors, many more people than generally recognized suffer from some level of B12 deficiency. 

 The “good news” to this is that when taking a sublingual B12 supplement, it does not matter whether or not you have any “intrinsic factor”, or even Crohn’s disease for that matter. The B12 will be absorbed directly into the bloodstream, thus by-passing any dependency on stomach hydrochloric acid or the production of the “intrinsic factor”.

 Next time, we’ll discuss how devastating a B12 deficiency can be.

I’m sometimes asked if vitamin B12 is really that important and if there is any difference between sublingual B12 and a regular B12 supplement. So, in the next few posts, we’ll look into these questions.

Not too long ago in the United States, a diagnosis of pernicious anemia was like a death sentence. Now, picture this, the first therapy for pernicious anemia was the eating of repulsive amounts of raw liver! Patients had to eat a half pound or more per day just to continue living. The thought of that makes me gag!  Fortunately, that is no longer required because in 1947 vitamin B12 was isolated from liver and found to be the factor that alleviated pernicious anemia.

The discovery of vitamin B12 led to the knowledge of both the cause of and the cure for pernicious anemia. This form of anemia develops due to a shortage or lack of B12 in the body. It will cause damage to both the blood-forming process and the nervous system.  As a result of the B12 deficiency, the bone marrow produces abnormally large red blood cells. The life span of these affected blood cells is only one-half that of normal cells.

 The bone marrow turns red and jelly-like. This results in a decrease of both the red and white blood cell count. The normal count for red blood cells is 5,000,000.  One suffering from pernicious anemia may experience a red blood cell count of only 1,000.  The white blood cell count may fall to 3,000 as compared to a normal range of 5,000 to 10,000.  Blood cells suffer from both arrested development and rapid destruction. These two factors prevent many blood cells from ever reaching the bloodstream.  Harm to the nervous system can range from a tingling sensation in the fingers to permanent impairment to the nerves; 40 to 95 percent of pernicious anemia victims suffer some degree of neurological damage.

Next time, we will look into “intrinsic factor”, another significant factor involved with B12 anemia.

The best defense is a good offense, right!  Especially, when it comes to your immune system. By practicing healthy lifestyle habits and reducing exposure to infection (offense), you can better help protect against illness (defense).

Why you get sick or not - or not?
Louis Pasteur and Antoine Bechamp were both keenly aware of the same things you and I experience every year: during the cold and flu season, some people get sick and some people don’t.

Pasteur devoted his life looking for what makes sick people sick, and Bechamp spent his looking for what keeps healthy people healthy - and how we can be like them! Both men settled their argument with the discovery that illness visits people with poor habits much more frequently than those who care for their health.

As the beast in nuture prefer to pay on the weak, so microbes prefer to wreak their havoc on people with compromised immune systems.  Even simple things can compromise our immune system, including:

• An imbalanced diet
• Alcohol and caffeine consumption
• An argument with someone you love

Pasteur and Bechamp discovered, more than a century ago, that our health depends more on a healthy lifestyle than on the virulence of a microbe.

Help protect against illness
The phrase that describes our vulnerability or resistance to disease is “biological terrain.” Your genetics, your environment and, most importantly, your lifestyle make up the terrain of your health. Vigorous application of the 10 Essentials yields the healthiest, most disease-resistant terrain. Skipping even one of these principles will change your terrain and leave you vulnerable to infection.

• A base of healthy nutrients
  Establishing a base of healthy nutrients can provide a very resilient terrain. The more dense the base is, the more disease-resistant your terrain will be. Taking a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement every day is an excellent start. Many physicians recommend an Omega-3 supplement as well. If your terrain is being remodeled by stress, you may need adaptogens to help you cope while remaining disease-resistant. Indeed, the long-term studies of adaptogens in Russia clearly demonstrated that these plants help you resist infections and speed healing.
• Vitamin C
  Vitamin C is a favorite for protecting against and even treating viral infections. Russell Jaffe, MD, former director of the National Institutes of Health, recommends a loading dose of Vitamin C: one teaspoon of Vitamin C crystals every 15 minutes until you “flush.” By this, he means a complete bowel evacuation. After the flush, he recommends a daily serving of Vitamin C (for one month) that is equivalent to 75% of the amount it took you to flush. This should really improve your terrain!
• Echinacea
  Echinacea is used in a similar way. Significant medical research from Germany suggests that an hourly dose of Echinacea will help reduce symptoms and may help shorten the duration of a virus infection. Taking a gram of Echinacea every hour for three days may even “abort” an infection that has already begun. Continue taking Echinacea three times daily for up to two weeks afterward to protect against a relapse.

Reduce your exposure
Here are some great recommendations for reducing your exposure to infection:

• Wash your hands
  First, the largest contributor to infection is unwashed hands. Washing your hands with soap every few hours will reduce the chance for pathogens to gain access to your system. You should also make sure they are completely dry. Then, use the disposable towel to open the door out of the washroom. Many ugly microbes lurk on door handles - usually from people who have not properly washed and dried their hands.
• Clean surfaces
  Next, disinfect surfaces that are shared by many people. For instance, public telephones bring you within kissing distance of hundreds or even thousands of people. Who knows what their hygiene habits were? In a typical day we may be exposed to germs from as many as 150 countries or more!
• Reduce stress
  Reduce stress. Stress decreases the effectiveness of your immune system. Your immune system may begin to overreact or not react in time to stop an infection when you are under stress. The source of the stress really doesn’t matter. Job stress and an injury may seem like entirely different stresses to your mind but they are treated exactly the same way by your body.

Remember, building up your terrain and reducing your exposure are keys to a great offense… which will help improve your defense!

                                              Take Charge of Your Health

• Aggressively apply the 10 Essentials
• Take a “base” of nutrients:
  • A multiple vitamin and mineral supplement
  • An Omega-3 fatty acid supplement
  • A stress-specific antioxidant supplement
  • Vitamin C
• Reduce your exposure
  • Wash your hands every few hours and dry thoroughly
  • Disinfect common area surfaces

Learn More… The proper way to wash your hands

We find in the Aloe vera plant at least six antiseptic agents: lupeol, salicylic acid, urea nitrogen, cinnamic acid, phenol, and sulphur.  These substances are all recognized antiseptics. Their presence explains why Aloe has the ability to eliminate many internal and external infections. Lupeol, salicylic aced and another ingredient, magnesium, are highly effective analgesics.  They make Aloe vera an effective pain killer.

Aloe vera contains at least three anti-inflammatory fatty acids (cholesterol, campesterol and B-sitosterol), making Aloe an effective treatment for burns, cuts, scrapes and abrasions, as well as for rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever and ulcers of all kinds, both internal and external. The presence of these fatty acids may explain why some experts feel Aloe is highly effective for many inflammatory conditions of the digestive system and other internal organs, including the stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, kidney and pancreas. The presence of these fatty acids, B-sitosterol in particular, could explain why Aloe vera juice is a treatment effective for allergic reactions and acid indigestion, and why it helps, in association with a low fat diet, to lower harmful cholesterol levels.

It’s this synergistic relationship between the elements found in the plant that explains why Aloe works, and why through the ages lay persons and physicians alike have proclaimed that Aloe vera has the ability to heal, alleviate, eliminate, or even cure, a monumental list of human diseases and disorders, and deserving the name “medicine plant.”

Essential #4 encourages us to eat nutritiously. This requires a little education about the difference between a nutritious food and an “empty calorie.”  Considerable information about the way particular foods impact diabetes is found in the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load.

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
A chart based on the impact of carbohydrates on a person’s blood sugar was developed by a group of researchers several years ago. It was created to help people with diabetes select foods that would have the least impact on their disease. The Glycemic Index (GI) measures the impact of foods on blood sugar when compared against pure sugar: glucose. The higher the GI number, the greater the impact on blood sugar and the worse a food is supposed to be for a person with diabetes. The GI is also used as a tool for weight loss and cardiovascular health.

To find a truer nutritional value for food the Glycemic Load was deveoped to refine information from the Glycemic Index. For instance, the Glycemic Index may rate the carbohydrate value in a food as very high. This would seem to make the food unacceptable for people who want to restrict sugar. However, the Glycemic Load gives us a more global value of your food beyond sugar content.

Glycemic Load takes into account the fiber, fat and water content of a food. Let’s look at the example of parsnips:

Parsnips are creamy-colored root vegetables in the carrot family. They taste greate and have a therapeutic value as well. Parsnips have a GI rating of 97, compared with pure glucose at 100. This would seem to make parsnips “bad” - unacceptable as a healthy carbohydrate source. However, parsnips contain so much fiber and water (and protein and fats) that they have only a tiny impact on the total load of carbohydrates (the Glycemic Load). Because of their protein and fat, they help keep your appetite satisfied longer. So, you may even eat less at your next meal. Therefore, parsnips are really very healthful despite their high GI number.

Potatoes have become taboo in most low-carb diets. Yet, potatoes have attributes similar to parsnips. They are good for you, unless you deep-fry them and load them with bacon, sour cream, gravy, cheese and other high-calorie, high-fat condiments.

Compound carbohydrates - the true “bad” carbs
Though many fruits and vegetables are high on the Glycemic Index they are “good” complex carbs because they are low in Glycemic Load. Refined starches, such as pastries, pastas, pudding and pancakes, as well as gravies and similar sauces are a different story.

These foods:

• Contain low amounts of water and fiber
• Contain high amounts of “bad” carbohydrates and bad fats
• Quickly turn to sugar in your bloodstream
• Trigger insulin and inflammation
• Increase your risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes

These are truly sources of “bad” carbohydrates. They are examples of “compound” carbohydrates: foods which have been processed beyond recognition from their original whole food sources. They are never good in any amount.

Diabetes epidemic
In conclusion, the way to place yourself in the lowest risk category for type 2 diabetes is to eat whole foods which minimally impact your blood sugar. But that’s not all; did you know that stress alone may cause diabetes? Breathing deeply breaks the cycle of stress. And, since type 2 diabetes and obesity are related, getting enough sleep is essential. Add in the lessons from all 10 Essentials and you have a bulwark of protection against the epidemic of type 2 diabetes.

Take Charge of Your Health

Get 7-1/2 to 9 hours of sleep every night

Eat a nutritious diet

• 7 fruits and vegetables for women
• 9 fruits and vegetables for men
• High quality protein every day
• Take your healthy aging nutrients
• Help balance carb cravings with GlucoBalance
  and Leanology

Get active doing the things you love

• Volunteer
• Mentor younger one
• Never stop learning

Tip
Agave nectar is similar to honey, but with a lower Glycemic Index. For example, honey is between 55 and 85, depending on how many solids remain in the honey. Agave nectar is as low as 27. This means that Agave nectar absorbs slowly into the bloodstream, which allows your body to allocate it to the appropriate areas. Since it’s four times sweeter than sugar you can use a lot less when using it as a sweetener.

Which is better for weight loss: low fat or low carb? I’m asked this question reguarligy. Well, the answer to this queston neither … and both!

As it turns out, calories are the key. Whether they are from fat or carbohydrate is not as important as the total number of them. To lose weight and keep it off, you adhere to the simple rule of “calories in, calories out.”  It’s than simple. It’s really doesn’t make much difference which diet you’re on.  You only lose weight when you consume fewer calories than you burn.

Be cautious about cravings
Your body is designed to communicate nutrient needs through cravings. You need protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and water to be healthy. These are called macro-nutrients because they are large categories of food that contain smaller categories called micronutrients. A micronutrient is something we need in a very small quantity, like salt (sodium). We crave what we need.

Food manufacturers create products to tempt these cravings the way a fisherman uses a lure to catch a fish. We can be induced to buy one food over the other because of added ingredients. Three common additives that tempt our taste buds are:

• Sugar
• Fat
• Salt

Hidden calories
Are you monitoring your calorie intake? Use these tips when looking at labels:

Watch out for added-sugar foods. Recommendations for carbohydrate intake range from 60 to 250 grams daily for the average adult. Get your carbohydrates from whole foods to avoid the “empty calories” of added sugar. If the label lists “sugar” as an ingredient, select another food without the added sugar.

Watch out for added-fat and high-fat foods. Fat contains very few nutrients. While it is a good source of energy, a little goes a long way. Protein and carbs contain four calories per gram, yet fat contains a whopping nine calories per gram. Fat is often added to improve the “mouth-feel” of foods. If a label lists the daily value (DV) at 20% or higher, it is a high-fat food. The DV should be between 2% and 10% for a single serving, and Never eat trans-fats.

Conclusion
Selecting your diet is both a science and an art. Take a little time to learn the science behind food selections and then you can enjoy the endless, artistic variety of foods. Remember, moderation is the key!

Take Charge of Your Health

• Get your nutrients from plant-based foods
  • 5 servings of fruits and vegetables for children
  • 7 servings of fruits and vegetables for women
  • 9 servings of fruits and vegetables for men
• Take Leanology to help curb cravings
• Take VitaDaily AM/PM, Daily Men or Daily Women to fill in nutritional gaps

So, you feel too tired to do much more than read this article; there’s no need to feel alone. Doctors tell us that up 85% of their patients who visit for any reason also complain of being chronically tired. It seems that we are in the middle of an energy crisis that has nothing to do with motor fuel!

When we talk about energy we are talking about the feeling of being energetic, not about survival. We want to have the energy to dream and then have the energy to live those dreams. We want to feel our best every day. Is that possible?

Energy comes from the way your body burns nutrients such as fats, protein and carbohydrates. These nutrients must be metabolized to produce any energy. Proper metabolism requires a balanced intake of these nutrients.

A balanced diet must include:

• 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables (for adults)
• 30+ grams of high quality protein
• 20 to 35 grams of fiber

Sugars from the foods you eat provide ready energy, but it doesn’t last very long. Proteins are converted to energy at a much slower pace and provide a more stable supply of energy - five times more than sugar.

However, fat is the recognized champion when it comes to providing energy, and it provides us with stamina. Fat burns slowly and steadily up to eight times longer than sugar.  So for stamina that lasts all day and into the evening hours, you want to select foods high in “good” fats.

Many experts suggest getting as much as 30% of your total calories per day from fat. This may mean more than 70 grams of fat for a 2,200 calorie per day diet. That’s a lot of fat! But, I didn’t say French fries! You see, all foods contain fat. So, select “good” fats from foods that are known for high energy, such as:

1. Nuts
2. Seeds
3. Olives
4. Avocados (guacamole)
5. Fatty fish

All foods (including vegetables and legumes) contain some fat.

Fuel your metabolism by eating high-energy foods, and include at least 30 minutes of exercising most days of the week.  Start with a healthy breakfast and, above all, be crystal-clear about your reasons for wanting more energy. Follow these simple steps to feel your best every day!

Take Charge of Your Health

• Include these good fats in your diet:
  • Mono- and poly-unsaturated oils (e.g. olive and sesame)
  • Nuts - be sure they are not rancid (spoiled)
  • Fish - salmon, halibut, tuna and other cold-water fish
  • Olives - a whole-food source of olive oil and Vitamin E
  • Avocado - nutritious and filled with antioxidants
• Avoid the bad fats:
  • Trans fats
  • Hydrogenated fats
  • Saturated fats: a little is OK but never over 20% DV (Daily Value)
• Take your supplements:
  • A multiple vitamin/mineral
  • Sublingual B-12
  •    Vitamin C
  • Essential Fatty Acids

Friends and enemies
Free radicals are your skin’s enemies. These naturally occurring inflammatory substances  can overwhelm and harm your skin.  The result can be looser, weaker, less elastic and drier skin. Remember this important point. When collagen and fat loss is making your skin look bad, it is also aging your entire body.

Your skin is like a battlefield between free radical damage and nutrients supporting healthy skin. Trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress all create free radicals. Antioxidants from your diet and dietary supplements can neutralize free radicals.  Skin disorders can begin when nutrient reserves fail. The most common skin disorders include eczema, psoriasis and seborrhea dermatitis.

Read more…

Coronary artery disease (CAD) usually progresses slowly over many years. The first sign of CAD is often a fatal heart attack. Because CAD is silent, it becomes imperative to practice preventive medicine such as testing for C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as blood pressure and cholesterol. However, another form of heart disease progresses quite rapidly. It is called “single-artery disease.”

Single artery disease clogs a single artery while all or most other blood vessels remain clean. It can happen when injury or infection creates inflammation in the absence of disease:

• Dental infection: One of the most common bacteria comes from a dental infection. Bacteria from inflamed gums can escape into the bloodstream and attack a single blood vessel in or near the heart.
• Inflammation: Inflammation in the gums attracts white blood cells by means of protein messengers called cytokines. Some of these messengers leak into the bloodstream and attract white blood cells. White blood cells infiltrate the infected area because of the messenger cytokines. Cytokines that leak into the bloodstream and enter the heart may send the wrong message. It may also result in white blood cells attacking an artery in the heart. This is the beginning of single artery disease: white blood cells attracted by cytokines penetrate a single artery in the heart and cause blockage.

Smoking increases the number of bacteria in the mouth and causes LDL cholesterol to become stickier. This bad habit also increases inflammation in the entire body. Bacteria, LDL and inflammation make for a lethal combination for CAD and single artery disease.

Mental illness comes in a variety of different forms: from anxiety and bipolar disorder to depression, schizophrenia and beyond. Among the common manifestations of these disorders is lack of attention to dental care. Irregular brushing and flossing will lead to a buildup of potentially lethal bacteria. As a result, cardiovascular disease is a common companion of mental illness.

Other aspects of personal care suffer from this same inattentiveness, including diet, exercise and rest. As you know, these habits are foundations for physical and mental health. Without these essentials in place, the health spirals downward and heart failure is one of many possibilities.

It seems that illnesses such as CAD and heart failure are much more complex than we ever imagined. Emotional distress, dental neglect, smoking and inflammation may all combine to create vascular disease. Constant attention to the 10 Essentials of Health and Wellness and normal biological needs like dental care can help us avoid many triggers for CAD and heart failure.

Essential #4 concerns nutrients that every body needs. Essential fatty acids like those found in OmegaPrime can help protect against inflammation. Vitamin C can also help reduce inflammation by cooling oxidative stress and Sublingual B-12/HCY Guard helps reduce inflammatory homocysteine. I especially like Adaptogen 10 Plus because it helps reduce the impact of stress while providing antioxidant protection. Nutrients and nurturing – including proper dental care – give us the best foundation for a life of meaning and purpose.