Download Copyright Ó Geraldine Richard 2001

2
Copyright  Geraldine Richard 2016
Except as provided by the Copyright Act 1968,
No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the author.
This book is a reference work based on research by the author.
Information provided in this book is intended for
information purposes only and in no way is intended to replace the
advice of a physician. Always seek the professional advice
of a physician before starting any diet program to ascertain
if there are any physical reasons why you should not follow the
program, particularly if you take medication for an illness or
condition. This is also true when starting a new exercise
program. It is especially important for persons with
Diabetes to be under close medical supervision because in many
cases, following this program will necessitate lowering the amount of
insulin medication taken as the insulin levels decrease.
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
3
“Diet Free … At Last!” Presents:
Natural Anti-Aging Strategies …
What Causes Aging & How To Fight It!
Table of Contents
1. Anti-Aging: Is It Really Possible? ......................................... 5
2. Lifestyle Factors That Increase Aging .................................... 8
2.1 Stop Smoking, Drinking Alcohol and Prescription Drugs ...... 9
2.1.1 Smoking ................................................................. 9
2.1.2 Alcohol ................................................................. 11
2.1.2.1 GLA Deficiency ................................................. 11
2.1.2.2 Serotonin and Beta-Endorphin ........................... 11
2.1.2.3 DHA Deficiency ................................................ 12
2.1.3 Excessive Use of Prescription Drugs ......................... 14
2.1.4 Environmental Toxins ............................................. 14
2.2 Poor Liver Function & Fatty Liver ................................... 15
2.2.1 Following a Detox Program Will Help to Support Your
Liver
18
2.3 Eating Too Little Healthy Fats ....................................... 22
2.4 Free-Radical Damage ................................................... 22
2.5 Inflammation and Pain ................................................. 23
2.6 Glycation … What is it and how can it age us? ................. 28
2.7 Hormonal Imbalances .................................................. 31
2.7.1 Hormones That Promote Anti-Aging ......................... 31
2.7.2 Human Growth Hormone ........................................ 32
2.7.3 Adrenal Hormones ................................................. 33
2.7.4 DHEA Hormone ..................................................... 34
2.7.5 Thyroid Hormone ................................................... 36
2.7.6 Melatonin Hormone ................................................ 37
2.7.7 Serotonin & Beta-Endorphin Hormones ..................... 38
2.8 How Does Stress Accelerate Diabetes … and Cause Weight
Gain? 40
2.8.1 What are some other health conditions that are affected
by Stress?........................................................................ 41
2.9 Caffeine ..................................................................... 43
2.10
High Cholesterol & Triglycerides ................................. 43
2.11
Sun Exposure ........................................................... 44
2.12
Dehydration ............................................................. 44
2.13
Candida increases the aging process ........................... 45
2.14
How Does Inflammation Affect Aging … and How to
Reduce It! .......................................................................... 46
2.14.1
Inflammation and Environmental Toxins ................ 48
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
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2.15
Food Intolerances ..................................................... 52
2.16
High cortisol and stress ............................................. 54
3. Improve Health through Nutrition & Exercise ........................ 59
3.1 Follow one of the Diet Free … At Last! Detox Programs to
Promote Anti-Aging!............................................................. 59
3.1.1 Eat Adequate Essential Fatty Acids ........................... 60
3.1.2 Not All Fats Are Created Equal! ................................ 61
3.2 Increase Organic Fruits and Vegetables to decrease FreeRadical Damage .................................................................. 62
3.3 Exercise and Weight-lifting ........................................... 63
3.4 Yoga and Tai Chi ......................................................... 66
4. Anti-Aging Strategies That Reduce the Risk of These Common
Lifestyle Diseases ................................................................... 68
4.1 Lowering & Controlling High Blood Pressure .................... 68
4.2 Arthritis, Osteoarthritis or Stiff Joints ............................. 69
4.3 Candida ..................................................................... 71
5. Defy Aging with Vitamins & Supplements ............................. 73
5.1 Vitamins and Supplements ........................................... 73
5.2 Anti-Aging Secret Weapons .......................................... 73
6. Promote Anti-Aging with Aromatherapy ............................... 78
6.1 What is Aromatherapy? ................................................ 78
6.2 What are the most common methods of administering
aromatherapy? .................................................................... 78
6.3 Aromatherapy and the Lymphatic System ...................... 84
7. Look & Feel Younger ......................................................... 86
7.1 The Aging Process ....................................................... 86
8. Check out these great Secrets to Anti-Aging......................... 90
9. Back to Basics .................................................................. 93
10. Appendix of Safe Usage of Natural Remedies ........................ 96
11. Glossary: ....................................................................... 100
12. Bibliography:.................................................................. 105
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
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1. Anti-Aging: Is It Really Possible?
We all hear the about the medical breakthroughs on the news every
day, but we often ask ourselves if it is really true … is anti-aging
really possible?
I think that scientists have made quantum leaps in the areas of
science and medicine, especially genetics and new breakthroughs
are being discovered every day. More and more we are coming to
understand how the human body works and what causes it to age
faster and how we can reverse this aging.
Unfortunately, a lot people aren't listening to these reports! And
the reason is probably because we have become bombarded with
facts over the years … a lot of it conflicting … and people have come
to a point where they don't know who to believe anymore.
This is unfortunate, because there is a lot of extremely valuable
information out there that can help us to improve our health and
turn back the clock on aging. I think one of the things that
frustrate people is that it is difficult to sort through all the scientific
reports and jargon to try to understand what it all means.
That is where this e-book comes in.
I've spent countless hours sorting through medical reports and I
wanted to write a book that would encapsulate this information in
an easy to understand format that used everyday layman's terms
instead of scientific jargon. (And I've included a short glossary to
give an explanation of medical and scientific terms that I have to
use!)
It is true that we have an incredible amount of prescription drugs
and medications available now to treat almost every imaginable
illness, but I am hoping that if we can return to a more "back-tobasics" approach to life that we can avoid many of these
medications and surgical interventions. (Although of course there
are times when these interventions are necessary and appropriate
… at these times you should always seek advice from your medical
practitioner.)
The lifespan of the average human is much longer than ever in the
history of our civilization. And yet, although we live longer, has our
quality of life really improved? Lifestyle diseases such as diabetes,
heart disease, high blood pressure, and more …are rampant and
ever-increasing …
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
6
Thanks to modern technology, we no longer work as hard as our
ancestors physically, but even with all the time-saving and worksaving gadgets we have, everyone is working longer hours and
living under more pressure and stress than ever before.
Instead of our lives becoming easier, they have become more
complicated … with stress and pressure the norm in our lives.
On top of that, let’s add the increase in environmental toxins … and
let’s not forget our diets that are mainly junk foods, convenience
foods and highly processed foods.
We smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol and coffee and eat foods that
have virtually no nutrient value …
And somehow we expect through all this that our bodies will
continue performing for us efficiently, healthily and with lots of
energy and vitality! We complain about our “bad luck” when our
bodies start to give out on us … developing diseases … or even just
making us look and feel older than our time.
Bottom line?
It's up to each one of us to take personal responsibility for our own
health and welfare. If we want to be healthier and look and feel
younger, we have to take the steps to make this happen. It won't
happen for us. It's our choice and we have to make it happen.
My personal opinion is that knowledge is power and if we have the
knowledge we need to improve our lives and our health, then we
also have the power to do it.
And there are definitely things we can do to defy aging … we can
take back control of our life and make the choices that will enhance
our health … mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
This book does just that …
You will notice a lot of references in this e-book to the “Diet Free
… At Last!” Detox Programs. That is because this book is a
complement to these programs.
There are two Detox Programs, one that is specifically for anyone
suffering from Fibromyalgia called “Detox Diet for Fibromyalgia” and
the second one is the “Fatty Liver Detox Diet”, which is suitable for
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
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anyone wanting to improve their health and lose weight by
detoxing.
Make the choice and commitment to live your life to the fullest, with
strength, energy, vitality and good health … just as nature
intended!
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
8
2. Lifestyle Factors That Increase Aging
Let's face it … we can't get away from aging, it happens to all of us
every day. But some of us definitely age quicker than others.
Nowadays, we can look and feel healthy, fit and vibrant well into
our twilight years, but so many of us are not feeling or looking as
young as we would like to.
Chronological age and biological age are two completely different
things. Have you ever noticed that some people look so young for
their age and other people look far older than they actually are?
We usually say that they have inherited great genes, but heredity is
only a small part of the picture. You can inherit the greatest genes
in the world, but if you live your life in a way that accelerates aging,
that will take precedence over the heredity factor every time.
I don't know about you, but I would much rather be a 50 year old
that looks and feels like a 30 year old than a 30 year old that looks
and feels like a 50 year old!
And although people always talk about cosmetic surgery as the
answer to aging, I think that we can definitely do things that will
eliminate the need for surgery, at least hopefully for a very long
time!
So now the question is, how can we slow down the aging process?
Well, the first step we have to take is to look at what causes us to
age before our time.
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
9
2.1 Stop Smoking, Drinking
Prescription Drugs
Alcohol
and
Let’s cover the most obvious things that age us before our time
right away …
Yes, it’s true … smoking, drinking alcohol and excessive use of
prescription drugs and environmental toxins will take years off your
life!
I think this has been drilled into us over the years and we are all
quite well aware of the health problems associated with each one.
There has been so much research done on this that I don’t think
anyone disputes the validity of these claims.
So … why are we still doing it?
2.1.1 Smoking
I’m an ex-smoker so I know exactly how difficult it is to quit
smoking. I tried to quit 5 or 6 times before I finally succeeded.
And even then, I picked the habit up again after being smoke-free
for 3 years!
Luckily, I only smoked for 2 months before I became disgusted with
myself and quit for good. It’s now been over 25 years that I’ve
been smoke-free and it’s like I’ve never smoked in my life. I have
zero desire to smoke and hate the smell of it now. But I still
remember how difficult quitting was and the cravings I battled …
but it was well worth it.
But if you are having trouble finding enough good reasons to quit
smoking, try this one: Smoking ages the skin very quickly and
accelerates wrinkles due to damage to the elastin and collagen
tissue in our skin caused by a reduction of blood flow to the skin.
It’s bad enough that smoking has numerous negative effects on our
health, but on top of that, it will also make you look as old as you
feel. How’s that for adding insult to injury!
There are many different quit-smoking aids on the market, from
nicotine patches to natural remedies like herbal mixtures you get
from Naturopaths, to acupuncture to hypnosis.
But whatever
method you choose, your willpower and commitment to quitting will
be the most important factor.
Eating healthy and taking vitamins, especially Vitamin C, helps
tremendously with coping with detox and withdrawal symptoms.
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
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(Studies have shown that drinking orange juice clears nicotine from
your body faster by making your urine more acidic.)
What other strategies can help you to cope with cigarette
withdrawal?
Munch on cut up vegetables, fruit, drink fruit juices (especially
orange juice), and eat healthy snacks like low fat protein and
complex carbohydrates. This can help because you will find that
your mouth will be very dry when you quit smoking.
Drink lots of water and fruit juices.
Stay away from bars and social situations where you will be
surrounded by smokers, at least for the first few weeks while the
withdrawal cravings are the strongest.
Keep your hands busy. One of the most common complaints
of ex-smokers is that they don’t know what to do with their
hands. If you are watching TV and feel the need to keep your
hands busy, try taking up knitting, crocheting or any type of
needlework. If you are a male, you may want to take up a
hobby like building models or tinkering with electronics or
engines. Reading is also a good way of taking your mind off of
smoking.
Increase your level of exercise, especially exercises that take
you outdoors like cycling or walking. If you are feeling restless
and are fighting the urge to smoke, a nice walk outside in the
fresh air could be just what you need to take your mind off it.
Organised sports are also a lot of fun and can take your mind off
your cravings.
Eat a healthy nutritional diet, high in vitamins and nutrients
Decrease or eliminate caffeine and alcohol consumption
Increase Omega-3 essential fatty acids by eating more fish
and flaxseeds. (If you don’t like to eat fish or flaxseeds, you can
take it in supplement form. Note: Check with your doctor
before taking in supplement form, especially if you have high
blood pressure or if you are taking anticoagulants (blood
thinners.)
Decrease your intake of trans-fats and hydrogenated oils
(margarine, fried foods, processed snacks, etc.).
If you have food intolerances, make sure you eliminate these
foods from your diet.
Studies have shown encouraging results from taking
supplements such as Tyrosine, L-Glutamine, Vitamin C and BComplex Vitamins.
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
11
2.1.2 Alcohol
I’m sure you’ve heard it said that alcoholism is a disease. There are
many people who don’t believe this and think that people with an
alcohol addiction have no willpower. This is not true.
Alcoholism is a disease, just as much as diabetes is a disease.
Diabetes and alcoholism are similar in that they are both diseases
caused or exacerbated by a physiological imbalance in the body.
Research is being conducted which shows that many alcoholics have
a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. Of course, individual choice
means that even if you have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism
you can make the choice to either abstain from drinking or be very
careful to keep your drinking moderate and controlled, thereby
decreasing or eliminating the possibility of becoming dependent on
alcohol.
This is particularly true in cases where alcoholism runs in families.
If a person sees parents and / or siblings succumb to alcohol
addiction, the likelihood that they may also develop alcohol
dependency is increased.
The choice is then theirs to be careful about their drinking habits or
not. If they choose to be careful, they need never become addicted
to alcohol. When a person drinks on a regular basis, alcohol
cravings are triggered, both physically and behaviorally.
2.1.2.1
GLA Deficiency
There are 2 main genetic defects that predispose a person to
alcoholism. One of them is a genetic defect in making GLA (gamma
linolenic acid).
Alcoholics crave alcohol because for a short time drinking alcohol
makes them feel normal. Unfortunately, the more they drink, the
more they deplete their limited supply of GLA. Studies have shown
that taking Evening Primrose Oil supplements, which contain readymade GLA is also very beneficial to alcoholics.
2.1.2.2
Serotonin and Beta-Endorphin
The second genetic defect seems to be low levels of serotonin and
beta-endorphin in alcoholics and children of alcoholics. These brain
chemistry imbalances increase high GI refined carbohydrate and
alcohol cravings, which make it hard to resist these cravings. (Your
“just say no” ability is impaired.)
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
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Add to this the fact that these low levels of serotonin and betaendorphin cause negative emotional responses like low self-esteem,
lack of confidence, fear, anger and depression, and eating high GI
refined carbohydrates and drinking alcohol temporarily alleviates
these moods and makes you feel good, and you can see why it is so
difficult to resist food and alcohol cravings.
The good news is that even though your genetic pre-disposition
works against you, there are tools you can use to combat this.
2.1.2.3
DHA Deficiency
Another physiological problem that alcoholics encounter is the fact
that drinking alcohol leaches DHA (docosahexanoic acid) out of the
brain. (The brain relies heavily on Omega-3 fatty acids in the form
of DHA).
The old wives’ tale that fish is brain food is absolutely right. The
best source of DHA for the brain is cold-water fish such as tuna,
salmon, sardines or mackerel.
Given how important DHA is to the brain, the brain will not easily
part with DHA, but when a person drinks alcohol, their brain will
lose DHA within a few hours.
Encouraging results are being found in research where alcoholics
are taking fish oil supplements or eating more fish in order to
replace the DHA lost due to drinking alcohol.
Studies have shown that alcoholics who increase fish consumption
or take fish oil supplements are finding their cravings for alcohol
have diminished or disappeared totally.
All of these factors work against the person with alcohol
dependency making it very difficult to overcome alcohol addiction
by pure willpower alone.
The body sends out overwhelming
cravings, which are very difficult to resist. Of course, alcoholism is
an addiction that is also strongly based on behavioral conditioning
as well as a physical imbalance in brain chemistry.
For this reason, balancing the body’s physical chemistry and brain
chemistry is only one step to overcoming alcoholism. First of all,
the alcoholic has to want to stop drinking.
If the alcohol addiction has a strong psychological basis, then
mentally the alcoholic may not be prepared to let go of the alcoholic
crutch they are using to cope with life.
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
13
If this is the case, removing physical alcohol cravings may help, but
it may not be enough to overcome the mental and behavioral
addiction to alcohol.
If a person doesn’t want to stop drinking, for whatever reason, then
nothing will help him or her to quit. In some cases, a person will
have to hit rock bottom before making the decision to change his or
her life. That is where support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous
come in.
If a person makes the decision to change their life and commits to
it, then following the AA program will give them the tools to make
this change permanent.
Taking supplements that can help to reduce alcohol cravings are
also valuable tools that can be used in conjunction with the AA
program to increase the odds of success in overcoming alcohol
addiction.
Instead of just approaching alcoholism as an issue of willpower
alone or a learned behaviour to be overcome, understanding that
alcohol addiction may be partially rooted in basic physiological
imbalances in brain chemistry allows us to use tools to re-balance
our body and overcome the addiction and powerful cravings.
Just like the insulin resistant or sugar intolerant person who
overcame strong food and refined carbohydrate cravings, alcohol
cravings can be vanquished as well. The first step is to balance
your blood sugar and brain chemistry imbalance.
Supplements* that help to reduce food and alcohol cravings
and stabilise your blood sugar levels are:

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Chromium Picolinate
Biotin
L-Glutamine
Pantothenic Acid (B5)
Zinc
Evening Primrose Oil
Fish Oil / Flaxseed
Vitamin C
Vitamin B complex
*Refer to Section 11 for safe usages and possible side effects
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
14
2.1.3 Excessive Use of Prescription Drugs
A lot of people don’t consider that taking prescription drugs cause
any problems. We have been conditioned as a society to reach for a
painkiller if we have a headache or various aches and pains.
We think nothing of taking these chemicals because they are so
widespread and common. But these are still very powerful drugs
and we should respect that.
These drugs are still toxins and our liver has to work to detoxify our
body of these chemicals. It’s okay to take them once in a while if
they are really needed, but we shouldn’t be so quick to pop them
without exploring other ways of relieving pain.
For instance, mild headaches will often go away if you increase your
water intake. (In this case the headache was caused by something
you ate that your body was trying to detoxify.)
Even just going to sleep will often alleviate small headaches.
Another thing that helps headaches and various aches and pains are
chiropractic adjustments.
Another type of prescription drug that is overused is antibiotics.
Anti-biotic use has become so widespread that we are becoming
immune to them and their effectiveness is decreasing.
Also, a lot of people don’t realize that increased use of antibiotics
kills the friendly bacteria in our intestines.
This allows the
unfriendly bacteria, parasites and yeasts (Candida) to multiply
unhindered.
In particular, if you have an overgrowth of yeasts (Candida), this
can cause a lot of health problems … resulting in accelerated aging.
2.1.4 Environmental Toxins
Again, we are so used to using chemicals every day we just don’t
think about it anymore. We are surrounded by chemicals. They are
in the food we eat as preservatives, additives and pesticides on our
fruits and vegetables.
They are in our homes in cleaning agents, insect sprays, and carpet
cleaners, etc. They are in our gardens as chemical fertilizers and
pesticides.
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
15
Even the meat we eat is full of steroids and hormones used to make
the meat more tender or get the animals to grow faster.
Although, it is not feasible to remove all the chemical toxins in our
lives, we should try to reduce as many as we can. In particular,
reducing the chemicals and toxins in our food helps the most.
This would include …
Eating food in as natural a state as possible. (That is, eating
whole foods instead of processed foods and eliminating
processed foods like hot dogs, liver pate, salami, deli meats and
packaged food.)
Eating organic fruits and vegetables if possible
Eating organic meat that is steroid and hormone free
Reducing the amount of environmental toxins in your life makes a
difference in your health because your liver will have fewer toxins to
try to detoxify.
One of the most problematic results of environmental toxins is how
these toxins mimic estrogen (known as xenoestrogens).
This creates an atmosphere of estrogen overload in the body, which
in turn can cause a number of health and beauty problems including
increased facial hair, PMS symptoms, Candida, skin problems
including dry, flaky skin, darkened skin pigmentation, water
retention and weight gain (especially around the abdomen and
hips).
Xenoestrogens also interfere with the metabolism of tryptophan,
which affects serotonin production. Decreasing levels of serotonin
trigger food cravings leading to excess fat storage.
Excess estrogen also interferes with the thyroid gland and with
insulin secretion, again resulting in food cravings. Research has
shown that B-Complex vitamins and Zinc are very effective in
countering estrogen overload and supporting adrenal function and
the detoxification process of the liver.
2.2 Poor Liver Function & Fatty Liver
The liver is one of the most important organs in our body because it
is not only responsible for fat, protein, estrogen and carbohydrate
metabolism, but it also processes and detoxifies our bodies of any
toxic substances we ingest.
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
16
The liver also cleanses the body of waste products such as those
formed from the breakdown of protein.
Years of poor diets including the over-consumption of fatty foods,
sugars and refined carbohydrates, as well as chemical overloads
such as antibiotics, painkillers and environmental toxins all
contribute to overworking your liver. Your liver is faced with the
tremendous job of processing all these toxins and as the years go
by, it becomes less and less effective at its job.
Poor diets in particular make your liver work overtime to process all
the fat and high GI refined carbohydrates and over time this often
leads to gallbladder disease and gallstones, as well as problems
associated with blood sugar metabolism such as insulin resistance,
hypoglycemia and diabetes.
The liver is responsible for turning glucose into glycogen and storing
it in the liver. If blood sugar levels drop too low, the liver releases
the glucose to meet the body’s needs.
When your liver is working optimally, it burns fat and pumps fat,
toxins, estrogen and cholesterol out of the body through the
intestines via bile.
When your diet has adequate fiber, the fat is excreted through the
intestines quickly and the chances of having the fat, toxins,
estrogen and cholesterol reabsorbed and filtered through the liver
again along with the bile is reduced.
When your diet doesn’t include enough fiber, the waste products
move through your intestines too slowly and a large proportion of
the fat, toxins, estrogen and cholesterol are re-absorbed through
the intestines and sent back to the liver to be processed again.
By increasing fiber in your diet, you decrease the overall amount of
estrogen in your body, which in turn reduces your risk of high
cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke,
cancer, and obesity and much, much more.
As time goes on and your diet doesn’t improve, your liver becomes
less able to cope with filtering out toxins and burning fat and your
liver function becomes impaired.
At that point, the liver doesn’t regulate fat metabolism very well
and instead of burning fat or eliminating fat and cholesterol through
the intestines, the liver starts to become a fat-storer.
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
17
When the liver has progressed to the stage of “fatty liver”, then it
develops deposits of fatty tissue in the liver and its function is
impaired.
If the liver function is impaired, it cannot process or metabolise
circulating fat in the bloodstream, so this fat gets deposited in many
areas of the body, including in organs and under the skin.
If the liver function has become impaired, it is essential to restore
the liver to its previous state of health where its functions include
carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism.
When the liver is functioning properly, it will be able to process and
metabolise fat and eliminate fat, toxins, estrogen and cholesterol
through the intestines efficiently. At that point, your body will be
re-balancing itself to be a fat-burner and fat-releaser instead of a
fat-storer.
How do you know if you have impaired liver function?
Impaired (or Sluggish) Liver Function impedes weight loss through
reduced fat metabolism, one of the liver’s main functions. The
more of the following symptoms that apply to you, the more likely
you have Impaired Liver Function:
Some symptoms of mild liver dysfunction include:

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











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Headaches and migraines
Lack of mental alertness, confusion, mental fogginess
Fatigue
Bad breath
Hypoglycemia and unstable blood sugar
Weight gain (particularly around abdomen)
Indigestion, heartburn, reflux, bloating
Depression, mood swings
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Allergies (asthma, rashes, hives and hay fever)
Food cravings
Gallstones and gallbladder disease
High blood pressure
Decreased sex drive
Dry itchy eyes
Fluid retention
Improving liver function not only helps you to stabilise blood sugar
and insulin levels, but a wonderful side benefit of optimal liver
function is an overall sense of well-being, as well as feeling and
looking the best you can.
 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com
18
The thing that many people forget is that a youthful physical
appearance has more to do with a person’s internal health than it
does with what creams and potions we put on the surface of the
skin.
When you have successfully detoxified your body, re-established
healthy liver function, fortified your immune system and adrenal
function through proper nutrition and adequate supplementation,
and increased blood flow and oxygenation to your body’s cells
(including skin, hair and nails) through increased exercise, you will
find the results amazing, not only in increased health and wellness,
but also in outward beauty.
You will find skin problems disappearing, leaving smooth, silky,
glowing skin. As well, your nails will become strong and healthy
and problems like thinning, dull, dry hair will be a thing of the past,
with beautiful luxurious, silky hair becoming the norm (as it should
be!). And you will also find yourself losing any excess weight that
may have been plaguing you!
2.2.1 Following a Detox
Support Your Liver
Program
Will
Help
to
Following a detox program like the "Fatty Liver Detox Diet Program"
will help to support liver function and accelerate fat loss. This detox
program teaches you how to detoxify your body (especially your
liver) of years of buildup of toxins and fat, as well as increasing the
vitamins and nutrients you eat so that you nourish not only your
body, but improve your brain chemistry as well.
If you do a detox program to support your liver before you start a
weight loss program, you will find that your metabolism speeds up
much quicker and you will lose weight quicker, right from the start.
This detox program is so easy to follow and so safe that you do not
have to worry about being hungry or eating too few calories and
triggering food cravings.
In fact, this detox program will eliminate food cravings making it
easier to follow a healthy eating regimen. This detox program is so
safe, you can continue doing a modified version of it throughout
your weight loss program.
So what is a Detox Program and why do it?
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First of all, we are not talking about a drug or alcohol detox
program, but rather a program that helps us to detoxify our bodies
of years of unhealthy living.
This includes unhealthy eating, environmental toxins like
insecticides and pesticides, as well as prescription drugs and all the
chemicals that surround us every day in the air we breathe, in the
water we drink, in the food we eat and everywhere in our homes,
especially in our cleaning products.
All these things put a tremendous pressure on our detoxification
system. And what organs are included in our detoxification
system?
The most well known are our lymphatic system, liver, kidneys,
lungs, bowel and what may be surprising to some ... even our skin
detoxifies our bodies! All these systems work hard every day to try
to clear toxins out of our bloodstream and tissues.
When you do not eat healthy food or drink enough water or eat
enough fibre in your diet, this elimination system is sorely strained.
And what happens if they can't release these toxins? They get
deposited into our tissues, especially our fat tissues.
This is how naturopaths believe that cellulite is formed. It is a
popular belief that these toxins get trapped in fatty tissue and this
is the underlying cause of cellulite. (So it stands to reason that
detoxifying our bodies will also help to eradicate cellulite.)
In particular, out of all these systems, our liver tends to take the
biggest brunt of trying to cope with all of these toxins.
It seems to be getting more and more common for people to suffer
from off-shoot symptoms of poor liver function like…
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gallstones and gallbladder disease,
digestive problems,
difficulty processing fat,
excessive abdominal fat (commonly known as pot belly or
beer belly)
bad breath,
foggy brain,
anemia,
bloating,
poor digestion,
frequent and excessive urination (especially at night), and
much, much more.
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You don't have to have liver disease to have a liver that is not
functioning optimally. There are many names for liver dysfunction
... sluggish liver, impaired liver function, or the more commonly
known term "Fatty Liver".
So why is having a Fatty Liver a problem?
Because many bodily functions do not work properly including
removing toxins from the body and processing and metabolising fat,
proteins and carbohydrates.
This causes your body to slow down its metabolism and this in turn
makes it very easy to gain weight and very hard to lose weight. As
time goes on it becomes harder and harder until it can seem
virtually impossible to lose weight even though you may be
following a very low calorie diet or doing a lot of exercise.
Put in its simplest context ... clean up your liver and watch the
pounds start to melt away!
When you have Fatty Liver, you will probably have a lot of bloating
and fluid retention, especially in your ankles, legs, arms, wrists and
abdomen.
Just before I followed this detox program, I was feeling so
amazingly bloated, especially my ankles, calves and abdomen. (I
was so bloated that my calves felt like balloons ... my skin felt so
tight and painfully stretched.)
Within 48 hours of following the detox program, I noticed that the
swelling in my legs had reduced (I lost 1 inch off my ankles and a
1/2 inch off my calf!)
I also noticed that my watch which was always tight was very loose.
Within 1 week of following the detox program I had the following
results*:
 Lost 1 inch off my bust
 Lost 1 ½ inches off my abdomen
 Lost ½ inch off each of my hips, thighs and calves
 Lost 1 ½ inches off my ankles
 Lost ½ inch off my wrist
 Lost 5 ½ pounds (2.5 kilos)
*Remember that everybody is different and your results will
undoubtedly be different than mine, depending on what your
current weight and level of health is. Also, a lot of my loss was fluid
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loss because I was very bloated and had a lot of fluid to lose. If you
are not very bloated or have much fluid retention, you obviously will
not have these kind of results so quickly.
I know that most of the weight loss was water loss, but given how
bloated I was, that made me very happy. I felt like for the first
time in years my lymphatic system and all the other detoxification
systems (especially my liver) had been working properly to
eliminate all the built up toxins in my tissues.
The other exciting thing about this detox program is that it is
specially formulated to support not only the liver, but to increase
your intake of Essential Fatty Acids, especially Omega-3 EFA's,
which have many different health benefits including weight loss,
reduction of inflammation and decreasing loose sagging skin that
often comes with weight loss (especially those unhealthy loseweight-fast diets).
That is one of the worst things about losing weight too quickly ...
your skin doesn't have the chance to return to normal and you are
left with a lot of loose, sagging and wrinkling skin.
By losing weight in a slow and healthy manner, and by eating a
good amount of healthy essential fatty acids, you can help your skin
to retain its firmness and decrease sagging and wrinkles.
You will find your skin much healthier, softer and firmer thanks to
the miraculous power of Essential Fatty Acids, especially Omega-3's.
And last, but not least, you will find this Detox program so easy to
follow because food cravings will be eliminated and you will not be
hungry.
Why?
Because the more nutrients you eat, the more your brain chemistry
will be balanced, which in turn causes food cravings and hunger to
disappear.
So as you can see, improving your liver function has far-reaching
health benefits and is a major strategy in reversing aging, helping
you to feel and look much younger. And the best way to do that is
to follow the “Fatty Liver Detox Diet Program” …
 Geraldine Richard 2016
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2.3 Eating Too Little Healthy Fats
Now I know what you're thinking ... "But I thought all fat was bad
for you!”...
That's not true...
A moderate amount of fat is essential to continued good health.
As a matter of fact, healthy “good” fat is as essential to health as
vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants!
People have become so scared of fat that they have stopped eating
healthy sources of fat, leading to Essential Fatty Acid
deficiencies …
Some symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency include dry skin,
hair loss, excessive thirst, dry mouth, dry and brittle hair and nails,
food cravings (particularly for fatty foods), weight gain,
inflammation, dry eyes, and accelerated aging …
One misconception generated by the “low-fat” diet craze is that
eating fat makes you fat. This may be true if you are eating a diet
high in “bad” fats (trans-fats, hydrogenated fats, etc.)...
Eating a moderate amount of “good” essential fatty acids and
decreasing or eliminating the amount of “bad” fats in junk food ...
can re-establish a healthy level of essential fatty acids in your
body...
Which actually helps to stabilise blood sugar and insulin
levels and promote fat loss…
2.4 Free-Radical Damage
When we talk about aging, we think about the gradual decline of
our body’s tissues and cell regeneration. When we think about
cellular damage, free-radical damage is at the forefront and as
such, is a major factor of aging.
What are free-radicals?
Here is a very simplistic explanation: the body needs to use oxygen
to burn glucose and fat as fuel for energy for the body and in the
process, the oxygen molecules lose an electron, producing freeradicals.
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Because there should always be two electrons, these free-radicals
steal an electron from other molecules, setting off a chain-reaction
that is very unhealthy and destructive.
Evidence is growing to suggest that many diseases such as
arteriosclerosis, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer and
impaired immune function have at their roots free-radical damage.
As well as increasing the risk of disease, free-radical damage also
increases the incidence of wrinkles.
This is caused by the
breakdown of collagen and elastin in the deeper layers of the skin.
How do we fight free-radical damage?
Taking anti-oxidants like Vitamins A, C, E and Coenzyme Q10 is the
most effective way to combat free-radical damage, as well as
following a balanced, nutritious, healthy eating program centered on
eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole, natural food and
decreasing processed foods and junk food.
Eating lots of fruits and vegetables in particular increases your
intake of anti-oxidants. Just one example of the healing properties
of anti-oxidants is lycopene, which is found in tomatoes and is
known to heal sun-damaged skin.
Free-radical damage has been widely accepted as the pre-cursor of
many diseases and life-style conditions and it is a well-known fact
that free-radical damage speeds up the aging process. Therefore, it
is very important to combat free-radical damage by taking these
anti-oxidants, which in turn helps to reverse the aging process.
2.5 Inflammation and Pain
Out of all the Lifestyle factors that increase aging, I would say that
this is one of the most important ones.
How can we possibly feel and look young, fit and vital when we are
in constant pain caused by inflammation?
Inflammation covers a whole gamut of health conditions including
arthritis, rheumatism, stiff joints, allergies, tendonitis, bursitis,
asthma, muscle pains, myalgia, fibromyalgia, plantar fasciitis, back
pain, stomach pain including reflux and ulcers, and much, much
more.
There are many causes of inflammation including histamines,
smoking, obesity, over-eating, eating junk food and trans-fats,
insomnia and poor sleep, food intolerances, Candida, high blood
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sugar and insulin levels, stress, essential fatty acid deficiency, toxin
overload, bacteria, viruses, and hormonal imbalances, particularly
adrenal exhaustion.
Keep in mind that if you are overweight or obese, you are pretty
much guaranteed to have inflammation that will trigger many of the
above conditions.
Why?
Because in order to be overweight in the first place, there must be
imbalances in your system that cause food cravings and cause you
to eat foods that are extremely unhealthy (ie. Junk food, fried and
fatty foods, sweets, pastries, processed foods, etc.).
And eating unhealthy foods is a sure-fire way of triggering many
health problems, including inflammation (especially inflammation
that triggers pain like arthritis, fibromyalgia, muscle pains, etc.).
There are many drugs and medications on the market to combat
pain and inflammation … this is a multi-billion dollar industry!
But obviously, if we can find ways to reduce pain and inflammation
naturally, it is much better than taking drugs that can cause a
variety of side-effects.
And luckily, there are many natural ways we can use to combat pain
and inflammation. Here are just a few…
Essential Fatty Acids
What many people do not realize is that eating too little healthy fats
is very bad for your health. The low-fat diet craze has made people
so afraid of eating fat that they have taken virtually all fat, including
good fat, out of their diets.
Essential Fatty Acids are just that … essential to our health. Our
bodies cannot manufacture it and it must be eaten in our diet. But
it is important to know what is healthy fat and what is not.
Unhealthy fats are trans-fats, hydrogenated fats, saturated fats and
margarines. Almost all other commercially produced oils are heated
at temperatures that destroy their nutritional and biological value,
making them toxic.
Hydrogenation is the process used to give oils a longer shelf life.
Hydrogen atoms are added to unsaturated oils making them more
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saturated. This process postpones rancidity for months. This
process is used to produce margarines because hydrogenated oils
are more solid at room temperature.
This hydrogenation process has become very widespread in
commercially processed snack foods and is the main reason why
these products are so unhealthy.
Always read the nutritional
analysis panels on processed foods and stay away from anything
that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated.
So what are healthy fats?
There are 2 types of essential fatty acids: Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic
acid or LNA) and Omega-6 (linolenic acid or LA). Omega-3 fatty
acids are found in fish, walnuts, flaxseeds and dark green leafy
vegetables. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in nuts and seeds,
pulses, grains and avocado.
If a person doesn’t get enough of these essential fatty acids in their
diet, their body sets up food cravings, particularly for fatty
foods, in the hope that these essential fatty acids will also be
eaten.
The problem is that in our society it is very easy to eat too much of
the unhealthy fats found in fried foods, pastries and desserts. (In
years past, people did eat desserts and pastries, but these were
usually homemade and did not have the hydrogenated fats that the
manufactured ones have today.
Unfortunately, with the hectic lifestyles we have today, very few
people bake these treats at home anymore. Instead, more and
more, we have succumbed to the “convenience” of store bought
treats … and have paid the price with our health.)
So if we want to help to reduce pain and inflammation, it is
important to eat an adequate amount of healthy essential fatty
acids, especially fish and fish oils, because they also include DHA
(Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), which
have a very powerful anti-inflammatory affect.
Other important essential fatty acids to take are:
1) Evening Primrose Oil or Borage Oil which have high levels of
EFA as well as GLA (Gamma-linolenic Acid) … another
powerful anti-inflammatory
2) Flaxseed Oil or ground flaxseeds have a high level of Omega-3
EFAs
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3) Nuts and seeds are rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs
4) Avocadoes
5) New research shows Extra Virgin Olive Oil has powerful antiinflammatory properties and is one of the best oils to use for
salad dressings and stir-fries (Omega-9 EFA)
6) Dark leafy green vegetables such as collard greens, mustard
greens, dandelion salad mix greens, and spinach are rich in
Omega-3 EFAs
Another extremely important side-benefit of increasing your intake
of Omega-3 essential fatty acids is that they activate fat-burning
processes (called thermogenesis which means burning calories by
increasing heat) and decrease insulin resistance by making the
insulin receptors work more efficiently.
That is why increasing your Omega-3 EFA intake helps accelerate
weight loss and fat loss. Here is why increasing Omega-3 helps
to accelerate weight loss:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
It decreases inflammation
It improves insulin sensitivity
It increases fat burning and thermogenesis
It can decrease cortisol, which protects us from excess stress.
Because it decreases cortisol, it can decrease the abdominal
fat that comes from excess stress and cortisol production
It decreases appetite and increases satiety
It eliminates food cravings
It increases and maintains healthy serotonin levels
It increases energy levels
Other natural herbs and supplements that are
powerful anti-inflammatories are …
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Chondroitin
Glucosamine sulfate
Calcium & Magnesium
Green Tea
Garlic
Ginger
Berries (blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc.)
DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone)
MSM (Methyl-sulfonyl-methane)
Tumeric
Bromelain (found in pineapples)
Vitamin E
Quercetin
Arnica
Comfrey
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Peppermint
White Willow Bark Extract
Milk thistle
Aloe Vera juice
Chamomile
Slippery elm
Spirulina
Chlorella
Licorice
Olive leaf
Zinc
Vitamin C
Anti-oxidants, especially Alpha lipoic acid
Strategies to combat pain and inflammation:
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Lose weight if overweight
Eat more fruits and vegetables
Eliminate junk food, especially deep fried foods
Make sure you drink enough water … dehydration worsens
inflammation
Exercise gently
Get plenty of rest and sleep
Stop smoking and drinking caffeine
Follow a Liver Detox program to eliminate toxins and fluid
retention
Decrease sugar and highly processed carbohydrate intake,
and decrease overall intake of carbohydrates.
This
decreases glycation, which in turn decreases inflammation.
Eliminate Candida, as it increases toxins that cause
inflammation
Avoid foods that you think you may be intolerant to (the
most common culprits include wheat, dairy, soy and corn)
Avoid food additives and preservatives
Support adrenal glands by decreasing stress (licorice will
also help to reduce pain)
Adding papaya, pineapple and banana to smoothies also
helps with pain management (papaya helps to cleanse
intestinal walls of waste, helping with detoxification)
Repair "leaky gut syndrome" if you suspect this may be a
problem. (Avoid food you have an intolerance to. Aloe
Vera juice and L-Glutamine also help to heal the intestinal
walls.)
So, as you can see, being overweight can trigger many health
problems, especially pain and inflammation, and changing how we
eat can not only help us to lose weight in a healthy way, it also
stops food cravings and eliminates pain and inflammation.
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If you have been suffering from chronic pain and inflammation for
years, of course this process won't happen overnight. But it is
important to understand how this condition happened so that you
can take steps to reverse it.
It may take a while, but know that every positive step you are
taking is moving you in the right direction. Eating a healthy diet,
especially one high in healthy Essential Fatty Acids like Omega-3
(especially fish oils), is a very powerful way of improving your
health and decreasing pain and inflammation … and as a bonus you
will definitely lose weight and fat!
Although it is tempting to turn to those "lose weight quickly" diets
to try to shed the pounds fast, but please don't do it. In the long
run, these diets only exacerbate the problem and leave you
unhealthier than before.
It is definitely time to change the focus from losing weight to
improving your health. And when you work on improving your
health, you will find that you will naturally lose weight.
And you will find that your skin, hair and nails have never looked
better, thanks to the increase in healthy Essential Fatty Acids like
Omega-3, especially fish oils. (If you don't like to eat fish, you can
take a good quality fish oil supplement.)
2.6 Glycation … What is it and how can it
age us?
Glycation is when sugars bind to proteins, which stiffen and damage
tissues and can lead to inflammation and autoimmune responses.
When these sugars bind to proteins they cause AGEs (advanced
glycation end products).
These AGEs in turn damage cells and accelerate aging. They cause
a vicious circle of free radical damage and cellular degeneration.
These free radicals damage the mitochondria in the cells and cause
inflammation.
A simple explanation is that when these proteins are cross-linked
they are no longer able to perform their required tasks. For
instance, elastin is a component of skin and tissues that is very
elastic in nature and when it is stretched, it automatically wants to
go back to its original shape.
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Unfortunately, when glycation occurs, the elastin becomes stiff and
rigid and is unable to snap back into shape, leaving wrinkled,
sagging skin or stiffened tendons that easily tear and are damaged
or blood vessels that are stiff and inflexible.
Many aging factors including damage to eyes, kidneys, nerves,
heart disease, joint problems, inflammation, chronic fatigue, loss of
muscle strength and even wrinkles, brown age spots and sagging
skin can be attributed to AGEs. AGEs causes proteins to cross-link,
interfering with their processes and causing inflammation and pain.
This process is accelerated when a person is insulin resistant or
diabetic, due to high levels of blood sugar and insulin. That is why
there are so many degenerative diseases associated with diabetes
and insulin resistance.
Glycation also triggers a vicious cycle so that high blood sugar
triggers AGEs, which in turn triggers high blood sugar levels,
causing more and more cellular degeneration.
Glycation is also the process of browning foods at high
temperatures. That is why it is not healthy to eat burnt foods like
BBQ foods, especially when they are cooked with sweet BBQ
sauces.
New research states that it is healthier to cook foods quickly (like
stir-fries and steamed foods) rather than roasting, baking or
barbequing foods. (Note: Stir-fries are good, but not when we
include sweet sauces like teriyaki sauce on them.)
Glycation is also happening when we bake desserts and sweet
foods, especially when these foods are highly processed. Again,
eliminating excess carbohydrates, especially sugars and highly
processed high GI carbohydrates, helps to prevent AGEs.
When you are insulin resistant or diabetic, eating too much sugar or
high GI carbohydrates triggers high blood sugar levels.
This
triggers a release of insulin to clear the glucose out of the blood into
the muscles, however, with insulin resistance, this process doesn't
work very well. This means the body has to release a large amount
of insulin to clear the glucose out of the blood.
High levels of circulating blood sugar and insulin contributes to fat
storage and inhibits fat burning. This means it is much easier to
gain weight and very difficult to lose weight.
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High insulin levels also trigger the liver to produce bad cholesterol
and high triglyceride levels, which increase the risk of heart disease
and many other lifestyle diseases. Eating a diet high in sugar also
decreases bone density and causes osteoporosis.
Drinking a lot of soft drinks (even sugar free) also decreases bone
density. So as you can see, eating a diet high in sugar and highly
refined carbohydrates can be very aging.
So how do we prevent AGEs and AGEs related degeneration?
1. Of course, the first line of defense is to reduce sugar and
highly refined carbohydrate consumption.
2. Another powerful strategy is to increase your intake of Alpha
lipoic acid, either in the foods you eat or as a supplement.
Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful anti-oxidant and antiinflammatory, protecting you from free radical damage. It
helps to prevent glycation and may even reverse the process.
It boosts energy production in your cells and helps the body
to metabolise and burn off the sugar, preventing its buildup.
Good food sources of alpha lipoic acid are beef, broccoli, dark
green leafy vegetables like spinach and collard greens,
tomatoes, Brewer's yeast, kidney, liver and heart organ
meats. (Of course, supplementation of 25 to 50gr.up to about
100 gr. per day gives you more of this antioxidant than can
be had by eating food.) ALA helps to protect the mitochondria
and boosts glutathione levels, which in turn supports liver
detoxification and the immune system.
It also helps to
prevent nerve degeneration.
3. Another supplement that is good to take, especially in
conjunction with ALA is Acytyl L-Carnitine.
Both these
supplements help to prevent glycation and are also antiinflammatory.
4. Increase your anti-oxidants to fight Free Radical production.
(See Free Radical section for a list of powerful anti-oxidants)
5. Research also shows that Green Tea is not only a powerful
anti-oxidant, it may also inhibit glycation and AGEs.
6. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are also known to prevent
glycation.
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7. Limit browned or charred foods, especially roasts and
barbequed meats, and don't add sweet sauces to stir-fried
foods.
8. Get regular, moderate exercise, at least 30 to 45 minutes
every day.
9. Increase your intake of whole natural foods and decreased
your intake of refined foods.
2.7 Hormonal Imbalances
This is another major factor in aging. As we age, it’s normal that
our hormone function declines. This is characterized by lower
energy levels, fatigue, lowered sex drive, bone loss and loss of
elasticity of the skin … to name but a few.
The endocrine system is what produces hormones and it is
important that we support hormone function through our nutrition,
exercise, and stress reduction practices. High levels of stress
exhaust your endocrine system and compromise hormone function.
This is especially true of the adrenal glands, which handle stress by
releasing the stress hormones adrenalin and cortisol. One way the
adrenal glands become exhausted is when your blood sugar level
fluctuates constantly through eating too much high GI refined
carbohydrates. (This is caused when blood sugar plummets and the
body releases adrenal hormones that trigger the liver to release
stored glucose.)
2.7.1 Hormones That Promote Anti-Aging
The lack of exercise and poor nutritional diets that are so prevalent
in our society are key elements in the decline of these hormones,
and this in turn speeds up our aging process.
Keeping these hormones balanced and healthy helps to defy the
aging process. Which hormones play the most important part in our
aging process? …
1. Human Growth Hormone
2. Adrenal Hormones
3. DHEA Hormone
4. Thyroid Hormone
5. Melatonin Hormone
6. Serotonin & Beta-endorphin Hormones
7. Estrogen & Progesterone Hormones
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There is a lot of on-going research on the effects of these hormones
and how, if your hormone levels are decreasing, taking hormones
can reverse the aging process.
Because there is still so much controversy surrounding these
research studies, with both sides citing research to back up their
claims, I think we should err on the side of caution until more
conclusive research has been done.
As such, I think it’d be better to find natural and safe ways of
increasing these hormone levels through diet and exercise and
natural supplements of vitamins and amino acids rather than taking
actual hormones.
All the above hormone levels can be increased through natural
methods except thyroid hormones. It is true that in cases where
your thyroid levels are low because of low levels of iodine, taking
kelp supplements that are high in iodine can increase thyroid levels.
But in western society, it is unusual to have hypothyroidism caused
by low levels of iodine because our diets usually include a high level
of iodized salt.
If your doctor finds you have low levels of thyroid hormones, he will
prescribe the appropriate thyroid medication to correct the problem.
It is very important to consult a physician to run the appropriate
tests if you think you may have a problem with low thyroid levels.
2.7.2 Human Growth Hormone
Human growth hormone is the hormone that is prevalent during our
growing years and is the driving force behind bone growth and
muscle growth … it is essential for building protein, tissue repair,
keeping our hair, skin and nails healthy and strong and for burning
fat.
Human growth hormone is a powerful anti-oxidant that prevents the
tissue destruction caused by free-radicals … and it repairs and
regenerates damaged cells, helping to defy aging. Other important
functions of human growth hormones are …
Increased sexual vigor and drive,
Increased fat-burning capabilities,
Improved immune function,
Increased bone density,
Increased muscle mass,
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Improved sleep, and
Reduction of wrinkles, sagging skin and even cellulite
As we age, our levels of human growth hormones decline … which is
why we experience lowered sex drive, less energy and vitality,
decreased immune function, decreased muscle mass and bone
density and increased wrinkles as we age.
How do we increase human growth hormones naturally and safely?
Intense aerobic exercising and weight-lifting is an important way to
increase this hormone.
Foods high in amino acids that enhance this hormone’s production
are cashews, rolled oats, cottage cheese, sunflower seeds, lentils,
spinach, almonds, soybeans, and mung bean sprouts.
Some
vitamins and supplements that trigger production of growth
hormones are:
Chromium Picolinate
Arginine (Amino Acid)
GABA
B-Complex Vitamins which include Niacin
2.7.3 Adrenal Hormones
As mentioned before, it is imperative that we support our adrenal
glands and help them to cope with the overload of stress that our
western society places on us every day.
The adrenal glands secrete the stress hormones that help us to deal
with stress, as well as secreting hormones that trigger the release
of stored glucose when our blood sugar levels drop.
Adrenal
exhaustion is very common given our current lifestyle.
Some symptoms of adrenal exhaustion include:
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Lightheadedness, fainting, dizziness
Lack of mental alertness, confusion, mental fogginess
Fatigue
Chronic yeast infections
Hypoglycemia
Tendency to startle easily
Indigestion, heartburn
Heart palpitations
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Bright lights hurt eyes
Cravings for sweet and salty food
Lack of thirst
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When our adrenal glands don’t function optimally, they secrete less
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a hormone used to produce
testosterone and estrogen. This results in a decreased production of
estrogen and testosterone.
Research has shown that decreased testosterone levels in men can
result in erectile dysfunction and lowered sperm count. Another
very important benefit of increased levels of DHEA is improved
sexual vitality.
When stress levels are increased, DHEA is decreased and sexual
vitality is impaired and the libido is suppressed.
Taking the following supplements helps to support our adrenal
glands, which in turn promotes an increase in DHEA production:
B-Complex Vitamins, Vitamin A, C & E
Zinc
Magnesium
Coenzyme Q10
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)
Flaxseed Oil (or ground flaxseeds) and Evening Primrose Oil
2.7.4 DHEA Hormone
There is much on-going research to study the effects of the
hormone DHEA on the aging process of the body. DHEA is a
hormone produced by the adrenal glands, and as such, when levels
of DHEA are elevated, it is easier to cope with stress.
As with most hormones, DHEA levels naturally decrease as we age.
Researchers are studying the effect of decreasing DHEA levels … in
particular they are studying the increased risk of diseases like
cancer, heart disease, obesity and loss of muscle mass when DHEA
levels go down.
What effect does stress have on DHEA levels? …
Stress is a common occurrence in our daily lives. It is becoming
more and more the “norm” for people to be under constant stress
from various sources such as their jobs, relationships and finances.
When we are under stress, the adrenal glands release the stress
hormones (particularly adrenalin and cortisol) to cope with the
stress.
Insulin resistance plays an important role in declining levels of
DHEA, because as insulin levels rise in the body, DHEA levels
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decrease.
That’s why reducing sugar and insulin has such a
profound anti-aging effect:
stabilising blood sugar levels and
reduces insulin levels results in naturally boosting DHEA levels and
reducing stress levels.
Some ways of coping with stress and boosting DHEA levels are …
1) Using methods of stress release such as meditation, prayer,
yoga, tai chi, and walks in nature … even petting animals is
known to reduce stress. Getting enough sleep is also very
important in coping with stress.
2) Using exercise and nutrition to combat the effects of stress in
your life. Exercise and nutrition are the most effective ways of
reversing loss of muscle mass and rebuilding muscle mass.
Essential fatty acids are used as the building blocks to produce
DHEA. (Exercise also triggers human growth hormone which
helps to build up muscle mass.)
3) Supporting the adrenal glands through supplementation is also
very important. (See the suggested supplements above in the
“Adrenal Hormone” section)
Another very important benefit of increased levels of DHEA is
improved sexual vitality. The adrenal glands produce DHEA, which
is used to produce the male and female sex hormones estrogen and
testosterone. When stress levels are increased, DHEA is decreased
and sexual vitality is impaired and the libido is suppressed.
Also …
DHEA has an anabolic effect, increasing muscle mass
& lean body mass, which increases metabolism and
increases fat-burning.
Exercise stimulates DHEA production
Increased DHEA increases energy and vitality
Soy products increase production of DHEA hormone
Diets rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty
acids provide the building blocks required to
manufacture DHEA (and other hormones). This means
eating nuts, seeds, avocado, cold-water fish, olive oil,
and flaxseeds help to increase levels of DHEA in the
body.
Decreasing stress levels helps to increase DHEA
levels
Increasing DHEA levels enhances immune system
function and inhibits free-radical production.
Studies are being conducted to explore the possibility
that increasing DHEA can decrease the risk of diseases
like cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s
disease.
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So as you can see, DHEA has a powerful effect on aging and the
best ways to boost DHEA naturally are to follow a healthy, balanced
nutrition plan and exercise regularly, as well as managing stress in
your life.
2.7.5 Thyroid Hormone
The thyroid gland is situated in the front part of your neck, just
below the Adam’s apple. The main function of the thyroid gland is
to regulate metabolism, as well as temperature control and
hormones.
Hypothyroidism is the term used for an under-active thyroid,
euthyroidism is a normal thyroid and hyperthyroidism is an
overactive thyroid.
Hypothyroidism causes your metabolism to slow down and often
results in weight gain and makes losing weight difficult.
Our hormones, including thyroid hormones, affect nearly every
system in our body so any imbalance in the thyroid gland can have
repercussions felt throughout our body including our immune
system, energy levels, sex drive, muscle and joint flexibility and
emotions.
Even a mildly under-active thyroid will exhibit many different
symptoms. The more common symptoms include:
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fatigue
low energy levels
needing more than eight hours sleep
cold hands and feet
overweight or difficulty losing weight
reduced sex drive
headaches
depression
poor concentration and memory
mental sluggishness and absent-mindedness
problems focusing
high cholesterol
trouble swallowing pills
dry hair, brittle nails
pale skin
hair loss and premature graying
hypoglycemia
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heart palpitations
muscle spasms
constipation
auto-immune conditions such as diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid
arthritis and Candida
If you suspect that Impaired Thyroid Function may be at the root of
your problems, ask your physician to test your thyroid function.
Keep in mind, however, that often the standard thyroid tests will
show results in the medically defined “normal” range even though
you may exhibit clear symptoms of hypothyroidism.
If this happens to you, you may need more extensive testing to
substantiate your condition. A test you can do yourself at home is
measuring your Basal (underarm) temperature first thing when you
wake up in the morning.
Place the thermometer under your armpit for ten minutes and do
this for 3 – 5 mornings to get your average temperature. For
women, doing this during menstruation gives the most accurate
readings because your temperature rises during ovulation. If your
temperature is consistently below 36.5o C or 97.8o F your thyroid
may possibly be under-active. Physicians have used this method of
testing for many years.
2.7.6 Melatonin Hormone
Melatonin is the hormone that regulates our body’s rhythms of sleep
and wakefulness. Research done on body rhythms puts forth the
supposition that melatonin is responsible for the major human
growth cycles like puberty, reproductive cycles and menopause.
Studies show that melatonin levels decrease as we age, triggering
the aging process.
(For instance, research is studying the
possibility that as the melatonin levels decrease as we age, this
may trigger the adrenal glands to slow down their production of
estrogen, which in turn triggers menopause.)
This has prompted research into the possibility that increasing
levels of melatonin can reverse the aging process.
The amino-acid tryptophan is used to synthesize serotonin, which is
later converted into melatonin … therefore it can be supposed that if
we increase our levels of serotonin, then our levels of melatonin will
also raise.
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It is not advisable to take melatonin supplements due to the lack of
research of the possible side effects and effects of long-term usage.
It is known that melatonin may interact with different types of
medication, including hormone replacement therapy.
There are also many conditions that may be adversely affected by
melatonin including high blood pressure, heart disease, and certain
autoimmune diseases.
A safe and easy way of increasing melatonin naturally is by sleeping
in a darkened room or by wearing a sleep mask. The darkness
triggers the release of melatonin; even a streetlight or moonlight
streaming into the room can decrease the amount of melatonin
produced. Alcohol consumption also interferes with the release of
melatonin.
Studies are exploring the possibilities that increasing levels of
melatonin can produce the following benefits:
1. Enhanced immune system function by increasing levels of
anti-bodies which fight infections and diseases
2. Studies have shown that melatonin is a very powerful antioxidant that is very successful in eradicating free-radicals.
3. By reducing free-radicals, melatonin plays a part in protecting
our DNA, which is very susceptible to free-radical damage. It
is also thought to protect our DNA by helping it to repair any
anomalies before they have a chance to damage our tissues.
4. Melatonin is thought to improve sleeping patterns in
insomniacs, which has a profound anti-aging effect given that
much healing, tissue repair and rejuvenation and regeneration
happens during sleep, so the better we sleep, the more
energetic and younger we look and feel.
5. Melatonin is credited with improving jet-lag.
6. Research is being conducted to study the use of melatonin to
treat cancer, arthritis, and heart disease.
2.7.7 Serotonin & Beta-Endorphin Hormones
Have you noticed that you are particularly drawn to sweets,
especially if you eat sweets on a regular basis? There are
people who find that eating sweets, especially high GI refined
carbohydrates like cakes, doughnuts and pies, triggers intense
cravings for more sweets.
These people have an intolerance to high GI refined carbohydrates
combined with sugar. This means that your body doesn’t process
high GI refined carbohydrate sweets as well as someone who has no
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problem with sugar metabolism. (You may also find the same
reaction from eating high GI refined carbohydrates that don’t
include sugar, like white bread and wholemeal bread.)
People who are sugar intolerant have different brain chemistry than
people who have no problem with high GI refined carbohydrates.
When they eat high GI refined carbohydrates, their bodies release a
larger amount of insulin than so called “normal” people do.
This in turn clears the blood glucose out of the blood stream very
quickly, which produces a state of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar,
which in turn triggers food cravings, especially for high GI refined
carbohydrates.
People who are sugar intolerant (particularly alcoholics or children
of alcoholics) have naturally low levels of serotonin in the brain. So
called “normal” people have adequate levels of serotonin in the
brain which means they can easily control impulses to eat sweets,
starches and alcohol (they don’t usually have to deal with food
cravings and where sweets are concerned they can “take it or leave
it”).
The low levels of serotonin in “sugar addicts” cause intense high GI
refined carbohydrate cravings that are very difficult to ignore. In
particular, these food cravings trigger impulse eating that is difficult
to control with willpower alone.
When the level of serotonin in the brain is at an ideal level, you feel
relaxed and at peace with the world and yourself. When your levels
are too low, you are no longer relaxed and have very little willpower
to say no to the increased level of high GI refined carbohydrate
cravings and impulsive eating patterns.
Low levels of beta-endorphin produce similar reactions. Your ability
to cope with problems is decreased and negative emotions such as
anger, anxiety, depression and paranoia are increased. These
negative emotions are based in physiological imbalances of brain
chemicals and don’t improve with counseling.
Beta-endorphin increases positive emotional stability including
enhanced self-esteem, self-confidence and generally feeling
comfortable with your place in the world and your ability to cope
with life’s difficulties. Just a few natural ways of increasing betaendorphin are exercising, meditation, music, laughter and prayer.
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2.8 How Does Stress Accelerate Diabetes …
and Cause Weight Gain?
Stress has a very powerful negative influence on weight. In this
day and age it is impossible to live without stress, but it is possible
to learn how to cope with stress so that we can remove its negative
impact on our health.
Stress generates a physical response (accelerated heart rate and
blood pressure, sweating, rapid breathing, tense muscles,
butterflies in stomach, etc.) to a real or imagined threat as your
body prepares itself for “fight or flight”.
If you have been coping with high levels of stress in your life, then
one side effect of this stress that most people don’t relate to is that
stress can make you gain weight and gain fat!
When you are under stress, your body releases cortisol. One of the
jobs of cortisol is to trigger the liver to release stored glycogen and
fatty acids to prepare the body’s muscles for “fight or flight”.
This release of stored glycogen triggers the insulin
response and in the person who is insulin resistant or
diabetic, it sets off a chain reaction in the body.
The insulin clears the glucose out of the blood, which drops the
blood sugar level which triggers the brain to send out a signal
to the body to eat by way of food cravings, which in turn raises
blood sugar which releases insulin, which starts the process all over
again.
This vicious cycle is triggered by many things which increase blood
sugar and as time goes on, the insulin resistance gets worse until
the body’s cells refuse to take up the glucose, resulting in
diabetes.
Also, sharp fluctuations in blood glucose levels trigger the adrenal
glands to secrete adrenalin in order to facilitate the release of
glycogen.
When this happens over the long term, adrenal
exhaustion occurs which impairs our stress-coping abilities.
When the muscles don’t use the glycogen and fatty acids, it is then
stored as fat, usually in the abdominal area because it is easier
accessed when it is needed.
As a matter of fact, the fat cells in the abdominal area
have more cortisol receptors than other areas and as
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such are one of the first areas the body will deposit fat
that is being stored due to excess cortisol production.
Because the cortisol is still circulating in
continues to trigger the release of stored
triggering your appetite with food
carbohydrate foods to replace the glycogen.
vicious cycle that is hard to break.
the bloodstream, it
glycogen as well as
cravings for high
This in turn triggers a
The more stressed you are, the greater the chances are that
your body will try to store up as much fat as it can in order to
cope with future stress.
So why is it a bad thing to deposit fat in the abdominal area?
Because studies have shown that fat stored in this area increase
your risk of many diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure
and diabetes.
This is one good reason why it is so important to learn to manage
your stress levels. But how you manage it is also very important.
For example, when some people are stressed out, they incorrectly
think that things like smoking, drugs, alcohol, or even coffee will
help them to cope with the stress. Unfortunately, these things end
up exacerbating the problem and keep you trapped in the vicious
cycle.
Why?
Because all these things actually trigger cortisol production, as well
as other stress hormones and chemicals. This in turn perpetuates
the vicious cycle by triggering the release of stored glycogen and
fatty acids, followed by food cravings.
2.8.1 What are some other health conditions that
are affected by Stress?

Insulin Resistance. When you are under stress, your body
releases cortisol. One of the jobs of cortisol is to trigger the
liver to release stored glycogen and fatty acids to prepare the
body’s muscles for “fight or flight”.
This release of stored glycogen triggers the insulin response
and in the person who is insulin resistant, it sets off a chain
reaction in the body.
The insulin clears the glucose out of the blood, which drops
the blood sugar level which triggers the brain to send out a
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signal to the body to eat by way of food cravings, which in
turn raises blood sugar which releases insulin, which starts
the process all over again.
This vicious cycle is triggered by many things which increase
blood sugar and as time goes on, the insulin resistance gets
worse until the body’s cells refuse to take up the glucose,
resulting in diabetes.
Also, sharp fluctuations in blood glucose levels trigger the
adrenal glands to secrete adrenalin in order to facilitate the
release of glycogen.
When this happens over the long term, adrenal exhaustion
occurs which impairs our stress-coping abilities, as well as
aggravating menopause symptoms because the adrenal
glands secrete the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Cholesterol. Interestingly enough, all the stress hormones
and sex hormones are made from cholesterol, so maintaining
the proper balance of good and bad cholesterol in the body is
important. (That explains why people on cholesterol-lowering
medication often complain of a decreased sex drive.) The
majority of cholesterol is manufactured in the liver so it is
important to maintain healthy liver function.
Impaired liver function interferes with the manufacture of
cholesterol, resulting in the adrenal glands producing less of
the sex hormones including estrogen and progesterone.
Adrenal Exhaustion and excessive stress also decreases levels
of DHEA.

Allergies / Food Intolerances. Adrenal exhaustion can
also trigger allergies / food intolerances because adequate
levels of the stress hormones block the histamine response to
allergens. When the adrenal glands are exhausted, there is
not enough production of the stress hormones to do this.
Increasing your intake of Vitamin C can also help with Adrenal
Exhaustion.

Immune System. But the worst effect of stress on the body
is that stress suppresses immune function, which affects
every aspect of our health and wellness, leaving us wide open
with no defense against diseases.
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Other various symptoms. Prolonged exposure to stress
causes the body to be in a constant state of preparation, but
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it seldom gets the chance to release these physical responses
by taking real action. This in turn causes many physical
symptoms of illness such as impaired digestion (flatulence and
belching, constipation, diarrhea and heartburn), heart
palpitations, decreased sexual desire, and muscle tension, to
name but a few.
So as you can see, stress is a much more important aspect of our
health than people give it credit for. Excessive stress levels can
have a very negative effect on our health, weight, immune system
… basically it affects every part of our lives. So it is important for
us to learn how to manage stress.
2.9 Caffeine
The old adage, “everything in moderation” is quite true, especially
where caffeine is concerned.
It’s fine to drink caffeine in moderation, as long as it doesn’t
become an addiction. Too much caffeine has a truly negative effect
on your health. It is quite well known that caffeine is a central
nervous system stimulant, as well as a diuretic.
Because caffeine is a diuretic, it increases the output of urine. This
in turn increases the excretion of calcium, which can increase the
possibility of osteoporosis. Too much caffeine is also known to
cause dehydration, trigger heart arrhythmias and heart problems.
A healthier alternative to drinking coffee is to drink herbal teas or
green tea. Green tea is an especially good option due to the high
anti-oxidant properties in green tea.
2.10 High Cholesterol & Triglycerides
High Cholesterol and High Triglycerides are a definite indication of
poor health and an acceleration of the aging process.
Contrary to what most people think, most of the cholesterol in our
bodies is manufactured in our liver rather than coming from the
foods we eat.
And the amount of cholesterol that is produced in our liver is mainly
determined by the state of our health, lifestyle and eating habits. It
is not so much that eating certain foods that are high in cholesterol
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increases our cholesterol levels, but rather that eating junk food
and leading a sedentary lifestyle interferes with optimal liver
function, which in turn interferes with optimal cholesterol
production.
So the best way to improve anti-aging through improved cholesterol
production is to live a healthy lifestyle eating nutritious food and
exercising regularly.
2.11 Sun Exposure
Sun exposure increases aging in 2 ways…
Firstly, sun exposure affects the appearance of your skin and
damages the elasticity and moisture levels, increasing the
appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and age spots.
As time goes on, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays damage the elastin
fibers in the skin, causing the skin to stretch and sag. As you age,
your skin loses its elasticity and ability to snap back after
stretching, triggering fine lines and wrinkles. Sun exposure also
robs your skin of moisture, leaving your skin dry, flaking and
leathery in appearance.
Sun exposure also causes increased freckling, increased
pigmentation discoloration, and small blood vessels under the skin
to dilate.
Secondly, sun exposure increases your chances of developing skin
cancer, which obviously not only affects your outward appearance
with tumours and unsightly moles, but it also decreases your
lifespan due to the spreading of skin cancer to essential organs like
your liver, brain, lungs, etc.
Of course, the best course of action is to try to avoid prolonged
exposure to the sun and use sunscreens and cover up as much as
you can, or as the saying goes … Slip, Slop and Slap! Slip on a
shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat!
2.12 Dehydration
It is quite common to hear about the importance of drinking water
for health, and yes, it is very important. In today’s society, most
people drink coffee and soft drinks which actually rob your body of
hydration.
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It is extremely important to try to increase your intake of sugar free
drinks like herbal teas, fruit juices, vegetable juices and of course,
the best of all, water. The medical community recommends a
minimum of 8 to 12 cups of water or natural juices and herbal teas.
Dehydration causes many health problems including dry skin, dry
hair, dry and brittle nails, constipation, problems with your liver,
kidneys and blood pressure and circulation.
In particular, if you do not drink enough water and instead drink too
much sugar-laden drinks and alcohol, you will trigger many health
problems and increase your aging process ... plus, of course, in
most cases this will cause weight gain, which again triggers health
problems and increase aging.
2.13 Candida increases the aging process
So what is Candida?
Candida is a yeast infection that has grown out of control because
the good bacteria that keep it in check have been destroyed by
things like antibiotics or Birth Control pills.
When the Candida has overgrown and outnumbered the good
bacteria, they trigger many different symptoms, mainly due to the
fact that the Candida has sent root-like structures (called rhizoids)
through the intestinal walls, leaving microscopic holes. These holes
allow toxins to leak through the intestinal walls into the
bloodstream.
Once this happens, it triggers a syndrome called Leaky Gut
Syndrome, which again has many of the same symptoms as
Candida.
The most effective Candida Cleanse ...
 eradicates or kills the Candida
 detoxifies or eliminates the dead Candida from your body so
that the toxins don't get re-absorbed
 increase the good bacteria in your intestines so that they can
prevent the Candida from multiplying out of control again
 heals the intestinal walls of the microscopic holes caused by
the Candida. These holes trigger a condition called Leaky Gut
Syndrome (you can read more about this in the Detox
Programs.
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The thing that a lot of the Candida programs on the market forget is
that it is not only important to do a Candida Cleanse, but it is
essential to re-populate the intestines with good bacteria so that the
Candida don't grow out of control again.
And just as important is to heal these microscopic holes in the
intestinal wall so that the toxins don't get into the blood stream and
create many different health problems, inflammation and food
intolerances.
If you've had Candida for a while, I'm sure you know what I mean.
Candida overgrowth can cause many different annoying symptoms.
One of most common causes of Leaky Gut is Candida. Candida is a
yeast-fungal organism, whose roots grow into and through your
intestinal tract looking for food. These roots break through the
intestinal lining and cause the leaky gut!
As with many other health conditions, symptoms of yeast infection
are a clue that your body is suffering from different imbalances,
which in turn can trigger many off-shoot conditions.
These off-shoot conditions often form a vicious cycle where weight
gain is usually one of the unfortunate results. In particular, the
symptoms of yeast infection that affect weight gain the most are
food cravings and digestive problems, especially Leaky Gut
Syndrome.
Candida thrives in an acidic environment that is low on nutrients.
In particular, make the environment more alkaline by eating more
vegetables, and the Candida find it difficult to survive.
Candida thrives on foods high in sugar and carbohydrates, like
candy, sweets, chocolate, pastries, cakes and even bread. By
following the Candida Cleanse Detox Diet, you will be eliminating
the foods that Candida lives on and increasing foods like vegetables,
which help to eradicate the Candida.
2.14 How Does Inflammation Affect Aging …
and How to Reduce It!
The anti-aging strategies in this book are based on sound nutrition
and getting back to basics and trying to reduce the chemical impact
of our environment on our bodies.
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The more you can support your body and try to detoxify it of toxins,
especially from the foods you eat, the better chance your body has
to heal itself of the wide-spread inflammation that is triggering the
pain, fatigue and aging.
And another main focus of this antiaging program is that it
concentrates on reversing Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency by making
sure you get enough healthy Essential Fatty Acids in your diet.
The healthy Essential Fatty Acids are the Omega-3 and Omega-6,
but you have to make sure you try to increase the Omega-3
because it is rather easy to get Omega-6 in our modern day diet.
Many people are so concerned with losing weight or not gaining
weight that they drastically reduce the amount of fat in their diet.
And although it is important to reduce "bad" fats, it is equally
important to increase "good" fats in your diet.
As a matter of fact, new research is pointing to a lack of
healthy Essential Fatty Acids as a possible trigger for
inflammation and aging. Many people will favourably react
to increasing healthy EFAs in their diet and will notice a
decrease in pain and inflammation.
As a society, we have to change our attitude towards food. We
should be looking at food as a fuel for our bodies and strive to eat
the most nutritious foods we can to act as building blocks to build a
healthy body, rather than just eating foods that we think “taste
good”.
And interestingly, in many cases, we don’t actually really even have
an accurate idea of what tastes good anyway. Our tastes change
over time.
I love to eat sweets, and yet if I go for a certain length of time
without eating sweets, the next time I eat something sweet, I will
find it to be too sweet, almost sickeningly sweet! And yet, if I
continue to eat it, it won’t seem so sweet anymore.
So, yes, nutrition does play an important part in reducing
inflammation and aging and if you eat a diet that is high in
nutritious foods and also take supplements to make up for any
deficiencies, you will naturally detoxify your body and support the
many intricate systems that determine your health and free you
from pain and inflammation.
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2.14.1
Inflammation and Environmental Toxins
Inflammation, especially chronic systemic inflammation (which
means affecting your entire body), also plays a big part in aging.
The two often go hand in hand, although it can be difficult to
ascertain which came first.
So what problems does inflammation cause?
Inflammation triggers many different health conditions like arthritis,
digestion problems, asthma, leaky gut, fibromyalgia, food
intolerances and allergies and it now being thought that
inflammation plays a key role even in conditions like heart disease
and cancer, and yes, you guessed it … obesity. (And the more fat
you have, the more inflammation you have … another never-ending
vicious cycle.)
This is an extremely important part of the puzzle that most of the
diets out there do not take into account.
Most diets propose that weight gain is simply a matter of balancing
the number of calories eaten against the number of calories burned
off, and as I’ve said before, this is a much too simplistic view of
weight gain.
Our bodies are much more sophisticated than that. In particular,
the hormone Leptin, amongst other hormones, plays a very
important part in balancing our weight. And inflammation also
plays a very important part in this delicate balance.
There are many different things that can trigger chronic
system-wide inflammation in the body, but one of the
biggest causes is toxic overload, caused by eating processed
junk food, food that is high in chemicals, preservatives and
additives, and food that is high in sugar and fat content.
And surprisingly enough, even eating so-called “low-fat diet food”
can also exacerbate this problem, because most of these foods are
very low in vitamins and nutrients and very high in chemicals and
sugar. (That's why following a Liver Detox Diet is so great ... unlike
these low-fat diets, this program encourages you to eat healthy fat,
especially Omega-3, which in turn helps to decrease pain and
inflammation. Definitely a "win-win" situation!)
Toxic overload is also a by-product of living in our 21st Century
world with all the pollution we are surrounded by. We are assaulted
by chemicals in the air we breathe, the water we drink and in
everything around us.
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Our bodies work extremely hard to detoxify us of all these
chemicals. Our detoxification pathways eliminate as many toxins as
they can through our bowels, kidneys, liver, lungs and even our
skin. But with the high levels of toxins assaulting us every day, our
bodies cannot eliminate them all.
Our survival mechanisms are very strong and these toxins are
actually poisons to our body, so in order to survive our body stores
away these poisonous toxins in the only place that is safe to store
them until we have a chance to eliminate them through our
detoxification pathways.
And this storage place is in our fat tissues.
When we get caught up in this vicious cycle of weight gain and toxic
overload, the body stores more and more of these toxins in our fat
cells and we create more and more fat cells to use as toxic storage
sites.
Unfortunately, the fat cells that store these toxins usually reach a
point where the cell becomes very unstable and begin to leak and
break open.
When this happens, white blood cells called macrophages are called
in to clean up the mess. These macrophages are the immune
system’s scavengers or “garbage collectors”. Sounds good so far,
but unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there.
Once these macrophages are in the fat cell, they trigger
inflammatory chemicals (like pro-inflammatory cykotines,
tumor necrosis factor-alpha TNF-alpha, interlukin 6 and Creactive protein) and these inflammatory chemicals actually
interfere with our built-in mechanism to speed up
metabolism and burn off fat.
Once this happens, that delicate balance is destroyed and we are
caught in an endless loop of slow metabolism, fat-storage,
increased food cravings, hunger and increased appetite and of
course the end result of this is endless weight gain and acceleration
of the aging process.
And, as if the weight gain were not enough to contend with, a
serious by-product of all this is chronic system-wide inflammation.
This inflammation causes many, many health problems including
asthma, bronchitis, fibromyalgia, swelling, bloating, water retention,
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nerve damage, digestive problems, susceptibility to catching colds,
flus and viruses, and much more.
If you are suffering from chronic system-wide inflammation it will
affect every part of your body. Your immune system will be
working overtime trying to cope with putting out all these internal
fires and as time goes on, you will get sicker and sicker.
I think inflammation is a major reason why we are faced
with an epidemic of obesity and life-style diseases like
diabetes, insulin resistance, syndrome x, heart disease,
accelerated aging and much more.
We may be living longer than we ever have in our history, but I
don’t believe we are living those extra years with a high quality of
life.
I know that in my personal case, the last 25 years have been
extremely difficult.
I have battled with yo-yo dieting and many health problems
including digestive problems, food intolerances, food cravings
especially for sugar, increased appetite, swelling, bloating, water
retention, hair loss, hot flashes, memory problems and mental
fogginess, fatigue, insomnia, fibromyalgia, and peripheral
neuropathy in my feet that causes a very painful burning sensation
and numbness in my toes. (And this is only a partial list! There are
actually too many symptoms to list!)
What I noticed was that when I developed the Fatty Liver Detox
Diet, that all these symptoms improved and most disappeared. And
I not only lost weight, but my food cravings stopped, my hunger
stopped and I was able to eat normally without feeling hungry all
the time.
I have also included a list of anti-inflammatory foods that I
encourage you to eat as many of as you can. These foods
are a natural defence program against inflammation and will
boost the detoxification power of the Detox Diet For
Fibromyalgia.
The Fatty Liver Detox Program is focused on reducing the
inflammation in your body that in many cases triggers the pain.
There are many foods that reduce inflammation and many foods
that increase inflammation.
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This program has been formulated to take advantage of these foods
in a safe and natural way.
The reason why these foods are Anti-inflammatory are because they
decrease the acidity in your body and increase its alkalinity. There
are many alkaline foods that decrease inflammation. As a matter of
fact, I have listed below some of the best Anti-inflammatory
"Superfoods" I've found that reduce pain and inflammation...
And yes, I've suffered from pain and inflammation myself, so
I wanted to put this information in this free ebook so that,
regardless of whether or not you wanted to try this program,
you could start eating these foods and benefit from their
inflammation-reducing capabilities.
But please remember that it is not enough to eat these
foods, but then continue eating junk food, because eating
junk food will cancel out these benefits.
Eating these foods in a well-balanced healthy diet will have
the biggest impact on your health, and your pain levels...
Best Anti-Inflammatory “Superfoods”
Unsweetened
Juice:
Blueberry,
cherry
(especially
tart),
pomegranate, vegetable (especially carrot, celery, and beetroot)
Tea: Green tea*, dandelion tea, ginger tea (add cinnamon to any
tea to increase anti-inflammatory properties)
Seeds and Nuts: Pretty much most seeds and nuts (not peanuts),
but especially almonds, hazelnuts*, brazil nuts*, flaxseeds*,
walnuts*, sesame seeds* and cashews
Fruit: Most fruits, but the stars would be: apple*, kiwi*, pear,
avocado, cherries (especially acerola or West Indian), pineapple*,
guavas, pomegranates, oranges*, grapes*, nectarines*, rhubarb,
lemons and limes, berries such as blueberries*, raspberries,
cranberries*, and bilberries*
Vegetables: Most vegetables, but especially carrots, celery,
beetroot, collard greens, cauliflower*, pumpkin*, green beans,
olives, sweet potatoes, onions*, garlic, spinach*, leeks, cabbage*,
tomatoes*, bell peppers*, broccoli* and broccoli sprouts, brussel
sprouts, bok choy and romaine lettuce.
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Fish: Most fish, but especially wild salmon*, rainbow trout, tuna*,
mackerel*, clams and sardines*
Spices: The best anti-inflammatory spices are black pepper,
cilantro, cinnamon, licorice, mint, tumeric, garlic, ginger (both
ground and fresh ginger root), parsley, rosemary, thyme, curry
powder, cloves, cocoa, cardamom and basil
My top ten picks: My favourites are: cinnamon, turmeric, garlic,
ginger (both ground and fresh ginger root), (unfortunately I can no
longer eat garlic or ginger as they are high on my list of food
intolerances, but they are still excellent anti-inflammatory foods),
salmon, flaxseeds, cherry, green tea, brazil and hazelnuts.
*These foods
inflammation
also
help
to
decrease
pain
as
well
as
2.15 Food Intolerances
A very common side-effect of Inflammation is that the inflammation
often triggers food intolerances and allergies.
These food
intolerances trigger many health conditions like asthma, bronchitis
and leaky gut syndrome and very often cause various aches and
pains, like fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy.
And yes, these conditions definitely accelerate the aging
process…
When you eat food that you are intolerant to, the body reacts by
attacking the food as a foreign substance. In the process, it also
attacks our own tissues, which causes many health problems and
symptoms.
I have outlined below an excerpt from my e-book “How Leaky Gut
Causes Weight Gain”. (This e-book comes free with each Detox
Program.) Leaky Gut is another condition which forms a vicious
cycle with food intolerances, inflammation and Leaky Gut …
Many people are sensitive or intolerant to various foods that are
commonly eaten and they don’t even know it. These foods may
even be favourite foods that are eaten on a regular basis.
People with food sensitivities exhibit a wide variety of symptoms
including fatigue, digestive disorders (constipation, diarrhoea,
flatulence, heartburn, burping, bloating), water retention, food
cravings, headaches and migraines, skin rashes and eczema, sinus
infections, nasal congestion, ear throat infections, ADD, ADHD,
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tantrums, irritability, bed-wetting, asthma, constantly clearing
throat, muscle aches, and much more.
There are different ways to test if you have food intolerances. One
way is to follow an elimination diet for 4 weeks and then reintroduce the suspected problem foods one at a time to see if the
symptoms reappear.
If so, then you know that this particular food should be avoided in
the future or eaten no more than once every 4 – 5 days, as in a
rotation diet. (Some people who have food intolerances can’t
tolerate the offending food at all, whereas other people can often
tolerate the food as long as it is not repeated in a 4 – 5 day period.)
In many cases, the offending food actually causes an allergyaddiction pattern. This is caused by withdrawal symptoms that are
relieved when you eat the food again.
Since you feel temporarily better when you eat the food, a vicious
cycle is set up where you crave the food and never stay away from
it long enough to overcome the withdrawal symptoms to see if you
feel better when avoiding the food.
The only problem with using an elimination diet to test for food
intolerances, is that it is virtually impossible to identify the many
different foods you may have a problem with, especially if Leaky
Gut is what has triggered the intolerances.
The best way to test food intolerances is to do a blood test where
they actually test many different foods to see which ones trigger
intolerances. This is not the same as a skin prick test for allergies.
They tested for 90 of the most common food intolerances and I
came back with 30 foods I had an intolerance to, ranging from mild
to severe. I would never have been able to do an elimination diet
that was this precise.
I did do an elimination diet a while back, but I was only able to
conclude that I had a dairy intolerance, which my blood test
confirmed, but I also found out through the blood test that I have a
severe intolerance to eggs, garlic and ginger which I would never
have dreamed I had a problem with, as well as many other foods I
had never suspected.
There can be many causes of food intolerances, including
hereditary, but a common denominator in many cases is the
presence of Candida or yeast overgrowth.
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It is thought that the Candida damages the intestinal walls causing
Leaky Gut Syndrome which allows toxins and incompletely digested
food to enter the bloodstream causing food sensitivities and other
problems, including depressed immune system.
(Candida and
Leaky Gut seem to have a bit of a “chicken and egg” syndrome
happening, where it is hard to tell what came first, but regardless, it
is often the case of where there is one, the other is not far behind!)
When toxins and undigested food particles permeate the intestinal
wall and get into the bloodstream, the immune system produces
antibodies that attack these foreign substances called antigens.
These antibodies in turn end up in the tissues and cause arthritic
symptoms and inflammation, which are very common symptoms of
aging.
Research has shown a correlation between the increasing
dysfunction of our digestive system as we age (particularly in the
areas of leaky gut syndrome which permits more and more toxins to
enter the bloodstream through weakened intestinal walls) and the
increase of inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, inflammatory
joint disease, rheumatism, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain and just
general stiffening of the joints.
The most common foods that cause allergic reactions are dairy
products, wheat and gluten products, sugar and corn.
Dairy
products, especially milk, are mucus forming and inhibit optimal
digestive health.
Candida sufferers are also often sensitive to foods derived from or
containing yeast or fungi such as bread, cakes, cookies,
mushrooms, black tea, cheese, dried fruits, vinegar, pickled foods,
monosodium glutamate or any fermented foods such as soy sauce,
tamari, teriyaki, steak sauce or beer and alcohol.
As you can see, all these symptoms and health conditions make us
feel older than our actual age and increase the aging process.
Counteracting this will make us feel younger, more vital, with lots of
energy to do the activities we love.
2.16 High cortisol and stress
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is one of the main stress hormones that is released by the
Adrenal Glands when we are under stress. And not just the "fight
or flight" type of stress, but also the everyday, chronic levels of
stress that we are all under these days.
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More and more, our lives are filled with stress and sometimes seem
to spin out of control. That is the main complaint that most people
seem to have: everything is too fast nowadays and there never
seems to be enough time to do everything we have to do!
So how does Cortisol and stress trigger aging? Surprisingly
enough, high levels of Cortisol and Stress have a lot in
common ... both conditions have a lot to do with
inflammation levels in the body.
Cortisol is a glucocorticoid, which means that it effects the
concentration of glucose in the blood, which in turn affects fat
metabolism. During times of stress, cortisol triggers the glucose
production in the liver.
This is because in ancient times, stress usually meant you would
have to run or fight off some threat. Nowadays, however, most of
our daily stress is not the “fight or flight” type, but rather the ongoing stress of daily living and working.
What this means physiologically is that as cortisol levels are kept in
artificially high levels due to our lifestyle, the increased amounts of
glucose travelling around our body end up being deposited into our
tissues as fat deposits, especially in the abdominal area, since fat in
this area can be accessed the fastest by our bodies in times of
need.
Ongoing elevated levels of glucose also predispose us to insulin
resistance and diabetes, which again triggers fat to be stored rather
than burnt off. This is because cortisol has the opposite effect of
insulin: insulin’s job is to facilitate the entry of glucose into our
cells and cortisol’s is to stop glucose entering our cells.
This keeps our blood sugar levels high and when it doesn’t get
burned up, it is then converted into fat for future use.
On top of that, stress and cortisol shuts down other bodily functions
that would interfere with the “fight or flight” response, in particular,
it triggers the breakdown of protein (catabolism), which means your
body does not engage in its normal activities of cell growth or
repair.
When this goes on for too long, many different health conditions
and symptoms, including pain and inflammation occur.
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When you are under a lot of stress your body produces high
levels of cortisol …
Now, interestingly enough, cortisol does have a very positive job in
all this and that is as an anti-inflammatory agent. This is very
important, because cortisol is the main way our body tries to
counteract the effects of inflammation and reduce inflammation.
The problem however, happens when inflammation becomes chronic
(as in Leaky Gut Syndrome), because this chronic inflammation is a
physical stress on our body and it continually triggers the release of
cortisol.
Cortisol also causes stress to the digestive system by diverting
blood away from digestion, because blood would be needed in a
“fight or flight” situation. The intestinal wall continually replaces
itself every 24 hours.
This means that it uses more blood than any other organ, however,
when the cortisol diverts blood away, then the intestinal wall will be
starved for blood and will not be able to renew or repair itself
properly and will be impaired.
It is interesting that the medical community is finally acknowledging
the importance of chronic systemic inflammation and more and
more doctors are now testing for it.
So what are the main causes of inflammation?
Leaky Gut Syndrome would be one of the most prevalent causes,
and this includes factors that may cause Leaky Gut Syndrome like
NSAIDs
(Non-steroidal
Anti-inflammatory
Drugs),
aspirin,
antibiotics, the birth control pill, food intolerances, candida, poor
nutritional diets of junk food that is full of preservatives and
chemicals and trans-fats.
How does Leaky Gut Syndrome trigger inflammation?
Mainly this is caused by the immune system targeting the toxins
and partially digested food particles as foreign substances (or
antigens) and attacking them, which as time goes on often triggers
auto-immune diseases where the body is attacking its own tissues.
It is also complicated by the fact that high cortisol levels suppress
the immune system and makes it harder to do its job.
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On top of that, the body’s detoxification organs (liver, kidneys,
lungs, skin, etc.) can’t keep up with the increased levels of toxins
travelling around the body, which means these toxins get deposited
in tissues, accelerating inflammation.
This increased amount of inflammation triggers more cortisol to try
to decrease inflammation.
Higher levels of cortisol, especially at night, triggers insomnia,
which means your body can’t repair itself during sleep as it should
be. (The high cortisol usually causes you to wake up around 2:00
to 3:00 in the morning, while it can take you anything from one
hour to several hours to fall back to sleep because your mind just
won’t shut down.)
The cortisol also triggers food cravings, especially for sweets due to
insulin impairment, as well as salty foods, due to interfering with
sodium / potassium levels controlled by the adrenal glands.
This causes you to eat uncontrollably, which of course, causes
weight gain. And let’s not forget that you can’t comfortably
exercise because of the high levels of pain and inflammation you
have, which of course again makes it harder and harder to control
your weight!
And we haven’t even looked at vicious cycles caused by Candida,
Estrogen Dominance and hormonal imbalances, and much, much
more.
So what symptoms do high levels of cortisol and stress have
in common?
There are actually many symptoms that high levels of cortisol and
stress have in common including inflammation, food intolerances,
chronic fatigue, insomnia, foggy brain, digestive problems,
fibromyalgia, Hypoglycemia symptoms, high blood sugar levels,
insulin resistance and diabetes, increased thirst, impaired liver
function and much more.
Now, the flipside to high cortisol levels is adrenal exhaustion, as we
will cover next…
What is Adrenal Exhaustion?
Adrenal Exhaustion typically happens after an extended period of
time of continual stress and high cortisol levels, where the adrenal
glands become overworked and exhausted.
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The first stage is where cortisol levels are high and DHEA is usually
normal. The next stage is where the DHEA levels drop too low, but
the cortisol still remains high. The final stage is where the adrenal
glands are worn out and both cortisol levels and DHEA will drop too
low.
Is there a link between the adrenal glands, which produce
cortisol and fibromyalgia?
When your adrenal glands become exhausted and produce less
cortisol, you will suffer from fatigue, sugar cravings, irritability,
muscle weakness, difficulty exercising, suppressed immune system,
increased susceptibility to infections and viruses and much, much
more. (All of these symptoms and more are symptoms of low
cortisol and fibromyalgia.)
You will also find it very difficult coping with everyday stresses and
become overwhelmed very easily. On top of that, you will also feel
depressed and have feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
So what is the relationship between low levels of cortisol and
stress?
The relationship between low levels of cortisol and stress is
inflammation. Cortisol is known as a natural anti-inflammatory.
When you get to the point of adrenal exhaustion, cortisol levels
drop to a very low level. This in turn triggers inflammation.
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3. Improve Health through Nutrition &
Exercise
3.1 Follow one of the Diet Free … At Last!
Detox Programs to Promote Anti-Aging!
Following the principles of the “Diet Free … At Last!” Detox
Programs goes a long way to promoting anti-aging due to its
heavy focus on healthy eating and exercising. Each of the detox
strategies promotes anti-aging, particularly since these strategies
support the immune system and decrease free-radical production.
Just a few things that make a big difference in the anti-aging
process are...
Following basic principles of healthy nutrition and exercising
Taking supplements to make up for nutrition deficiencies and
to help to decrease free-radicals
Increasing the anti-aging hormones
These things alone make a big difference in promoting health and
strengthening your immune system ... increasing your lifespan, not
only in years, but also in quality of life.
How does the “Diet Free ... At Last!” Detox Programs promote antiaging? ...
It promotes eating healthy, nutritious food including fruits,
vegetables, fish and whole foods
It recommends decreasing the consumption of processed
foods and chemicals
It eliminates food cravings
It stops yo-yo dieting
It stabilises blood sugar levels
It increases Essential Fatty Acids
It recommends decreasing trans-fats and junk food
It encourages exercise
It promotes taking Vitamins and Supplements when needed
It reduces insulin and improves insulin resistance
It increases levels of melatonin, serotonin and beta-endorphin
through natural means
It improves the immune system by eradicating Candida,
controlling food intolerances, improving liver function ... and
more
It decreases free radical production
It speeds up metabolism and fat-burning capabilities
It lowers cholesterol and triglycerides to healthy levels
It controls Type II Diabetes
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It supports and increases anti-aging hormones
And much more
All these points are powerful anti-aging strategies. Being able to
reverse problems associated with aging such as … lack of energy
and vitality, decreasing sex drive, muscle and bone loss, skin
problems, dry skin, memory loss, weight gain, and increased risk of
diseases like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure … may
seem impossible ...
But it's not...
Imagine feeling strong, healthy, vital, and energetic ... with healthy
skin, hair and nails ... and improved memory and concentration.
It can be done...
It just takes making the choice and commitment to live your life to
the fullest ... by using the tools at your disposal ... and one of your
most powerful tools in the anti-aging war is the “Diet Free ... At
Last!” Fatty Liver Detox Program...
3.1.1 Eat Adequate Essential Fatty Acids
Amazingly enough, many beauty problems such as dry skin, dull
lifeless, thinning hair and brittle, splitting nails are caused by a
deficiency in healthy essential fatty acids.
That’s right … not eating enough fat can be
beauty problems! Not all fats are bad for
acids are exactly that: essential to human
these fatty acids cannot be manufactured by
be obtained through our diet.
causing many of your
you. Essential fatty
life and like vitamins,
the body and can only
If a person doesn’t get enough of these essential fatty acids in their
diet, their body sets up food cravings, particularly for fatty
foods, in the hope that these essential fatty acids will also be
eaten.
The problem is that in our society it is very easy to eat too much of
the unhealthy fats found in fried foods, pastries and desserts.
The typical western diet contains a high amount of damaged fats
and junk food and not enough healthy essential fatty acids.
This imbalance causes an essential fatty acid deficiency that has
been linked to a number of diseases including insulin resistance,
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heart attack, asthma, cancer, obesity, lupus, arthritis, depression
and many more.
This detox program outlines the “bad fats” to avoid and the best
fats to eat for optimal health … and healthy weight loss!
3.1.2 Not All Fats Are Created Equal!
The latest nutritional craze has advocated low-fat diets as the
answer to over-weight problems. They tell us that the more dietary
fat we eat, the fatter we become.
I don't know about you, but I've followed lots of low-fat diets. In
trying to be "good", I ate as little fat as possible ... but
unfortunately I took out almost all fats ... including the “good”
fats from my diet …
A moderate amount of fat is essential to continued good health.
As a matter of fact, healthy “good” fat is as essential to health as
vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants!
People have become so scared of fat that they have stopped eating
healthy sources of fat, leading to Essential Fatty Acid
deficiencies …
Some symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency include dry skin,
hair loss, excessive thirst, dry mouth, dry and brittle hair and nails,
dry eyes, loss of muscle tone, mental disturbances, food allergies,
food cravings (particularly for fatty foods), phrynoderma
(goosebump-like pimples mainly found on upper arms, thighs and
buttocks) and atopy (which is the inherited tendency to develop
allergies such as asthma, hay fever and sometimes even
migraines.)
Some diseases associated with Essential Fatty Acid Deficiencies are
ageing, alcoholism, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes,
food intolerance, food addictions, heart disease, high blood
pressure, osteoporosis, overweight, and premenstrual tension.
Increasing healthy EFAs in your diet helps to alleviate all these
conditions!
One misconception generated by the “low-fat” diet craze is that
eating fat makes you fat. This may be true if you are eating a diet
high in “bad” fats ...
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If, however, you eat a moderate amount of “good” essential fatty
acids and decrease or eliminate the amount of “bad” fats in junk
food ... you can re-establish a healthy level of essential fatty acids
in your body ... which actually promotes fat loss …
As a matter of fact, research has shown that eating a diet high in
“good fats” will promote fat loss when compared to a diet that has
the exact same calorie and fat intake of “bad fats”.
From a beauty point of view, increasing your intake of healthy
Essential Fatty Acids has a dramatic effect on skin, hair and nail
problems.
You will find that your skin becomes softer, silkier, with a youthful
glow; thinning, dull, lifeless hair becomes transformed into thick,
luxurious, silky hair; and brittle, splitting nails become stronger and
healthier.
3.2 Increase Organic Fruits and Vegetables
to decrease Free-Radical Damage
Again, here’s something we’ve been told our entire lives … eat your
fruit and veggies! Our moms were right on the money when
imparting this piece of wisdom to us.
Eating fruits and vegetables (organic of course) is one of the most
important things we can do for our health and beauty.
The vitamins, minerals and fibre found in fruits and vegetables
provide us with a powerful weapon in the anti-aging war, in
particular, with regards to fighting free-radical damage. The antioxidant properties of fruits and vegetables go a long way to
eradicating free-radical damage in our bodies.
As previously mentioned, free-radical damage plays a major part in
the aging process, robbing us of our energy and vitality, upsetting
the delicate balance of health in our bodies, resulting in countless
skin, hair and nail beauty problems.
Research has shown that fruits and vegetables obtain their healthgiving powers from nutrients called phytonutrients.
(Some
phytonutrients you may have heard of are carotenoids, flavonoids,
isoflavones, and lignans. These phytonutrients and many more can
be found in many fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and
are very important in decreasing free-radical production and
protecting your inner health and outer beauty.)
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Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is very important in
order to obtain as many phytonutrients as possible. Phytonutrients
have also been known to protect the body against cancer through
free-radical damage control.
3.3 Exercise and Weight-lifting
Again, we have all heard over and over again the benefits of
exercising.
And it’s all true…
Because of all the timesaving and energy-saving machines we have,
we don’t work as hard physically as our ancestors did. If we went
back in time a couple of hundred years and told the farmers of that
time that they had to work-out and exercise for their health they
would have laughed at us … they worked out and exercised every
day of their lives!
But because we no longer have to work like our ancestors did, we
have to replace that physical activity with something. Our bodies
were just not meant to sit around doing nothing every day.
Physical activity makes all the systems of our bodies work better.
And the wonderful thing is that, for the first time in history, we can
choose to take our physical activity in fun ways! We can play
sports, swim, bicycle … the list goes on and on.
And still we resist! …
Exercise is one of the most powerful anti-aging weapons we have.
As a society, we just have to change our mindset and perception of
exercise from difficult to fun. Children run and play and love it …
they don’t consider it work or exercise!
It came home to me what a privilege it is to be able to exercise
when I injured my foot and couldn’t exercise for months. I love
walking and I was miserable because I couldn’t go for a long walk
like I wanted to. At that time, I swore to myself that when I was
able to start exercising again, I would appreciate it and just do it,
and not find excuses to avoid it.
We all know the advantages of exercising … this is only a small list:
Increases energy and vitality
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Increases strength
Increases muscle mass
Decreases aches and pains
Increases cardiovascular strength
Decreases the risk of many diseases such as diabetes, heart
disease, high blood pressure …
Decreases circulating insulin
Improves insulin resistance
Improves sugar intolerance
Improves sex life
Alleviates depression
Improves health
Improves self-esteem and happiness
Decreases stress
Sends oxygen to all systems in the body
Improves flexibility
Releases fat … increases fat-burning
Improves blood circulation, which brings much-needed
nutrients to the skin’s surface. This triggers cell rejuvenation,
which in turn improves the skin’s texture, leaving your skin soft
and silky, with a glowing complexion.
Triggers human growth hormone … the true anti-aging agent
And the list goes on and on …
The amazing thing is that it takes a lot less exercise than we
previously thought to bring about these health improvements. You
don’t have to exercise an hour a day to be healthy.
And believe it or not, the more overweight and out of shape you
are, the less you should exercise! (That doesn’t mean not to
exercise, that means exercise for a shorter period of time, more
gently and more regularly.)
Studies have shown that exercising even as little as 20 to 30
minutes per day using gentle exercises like brisk walking or
swimming is more beneficial for people who are very overweight
than more intense exercise.
Some advantages of gentle exercises like walking over intense
exercises like gym workouts are:
 When you are very out of shape, if you throw yourself into
intense exercise too quickly, you will often injure yourself
(pulled, strained or sprained muscles)
 Aches and pains can be a huge deterrent to exercising –
human nature is that we often find excuses to avoid doing
things that cause us pain … quite understandably!
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


It is difficult to keep up a commitment to exercise if you have
to devote a large amount of time and effort to it. (It is not
just the amount of time you exercise that counts. If you go to
a gym, you have to factor in the amount of time it takes you
to get there, get undressed, shower afterwards and drive back
home. The more time all this takes, the more likely it is that
you may start making excuses to put off exercising.
)
Walking on the other hand can be done almost anywhere and
anytime.
There is also a huge cost factor to take into consideration if
you decide to join a gym (or even buy workout machines for
home use). Walking on the other hand is free and the only
cost you would incur would be a good pair of walking shoes.
It is much easier to fit 20 – 30 minutes of walking into our
very busy lifestyles … and the easier something is, the more
likely we are to make it a part of our daily lives on a
permanent basis. Remember, our aim is to make a lifestyle
change we can maintain forever.
Please note that I am in no way saying that it isn’t good to workout
at the gym … I’m just saying that often people don’t keep up the
commitment to work out because of time constraints. The more
convenient we can make our workout efforts, the better chance we
have of incorporating it into our lifestyle permanently.
I also want to make the point that many people think that the only
exercise that has any effect on our health and weight loss is intense
exercise for a long period of time and that is just not true.
If you have not bothered following a regular exercise routine of
walking, cycling or swimming because you felt it was a waste of
time … think again! All exercise has incredible health benefits …
and regular, gentle exercise is especially beneficial for anyone who
is very out of shape or overweight.
It is very difficult to maintain a commitment to exercise if it is very
difficult or time-consuming. Sooner or later, life steps in and other
commitments start taking over. Before you know it, you let the
exercise go completely.
If instead you made a commitment to only 20 or 30 minutes per
day, it then becomes much easier to make regular exercise a part of
your daily life … and you would achieve more health benefits in the
long run.
Of course, if you really are able to exercise a bit more on a regular
basis … go for it!
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3.4 Yoga and Tai Chi
Yoga and Tai Chi have become very popular in the last few years in
Western Society. Here are two examples of East meets West where
East is definitely bringing with it ancient wisdom to help us to
increase our health and well-being.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is very gentle form of exercise, focusing mainly on
performing a series of gentle, graceful movements that focuses on
using breath in conjunction with these movements to increase
energy and vitality. Tai Chi helps us to cope with energy blockages
caused by sedentary lifestyles and too many hours stuck behind a
desk.
It concentrates on increasing breath and conscious awareness of
our bodies, gently freeing up trapped energy in our bodies. It
increases our bodies’ flexibility and limberness, improving our
posture and overall making us look and feel younger and more
energetic. These exercises also have a meditative quality, which
quiets our mind and releases stress. They are highly recommended
for their anti-aging power.
Yoga
Like Tai Chi, Yoga is a very gentle, yet powerful, form of exercise.
It involves using stretching exercises and various postures, as well
as breathing techniques to promote relaxation. These movements,
when used in conjunction with focused breathing, relieve tense and
stiff muscles and promote increased oxygen and blood circulation,
which in turn improves detoxification and digestion.
As your flexibility improves you will find that you will also improve
your balance and co-ordination, as well as your strength and
stamina. Some people mistakenly think that they have to wait until
they are fit before attempting a demanding exercise routine like
yoga, but that is not true.
There are different types of yoga and you should be able to find a
class teaching beginning yoga postures especially meant for people
who have never tried yoga before and may not be as flexible as
they would like.
As a matter of fact, there are many people who have only begun
practicing yoga in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and some even in their 70’s!
As long as you start off slowly and build your way up, you will find
that you can easily master the exercises and postures.
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Older people who have been practicing yoga for a while have
experienced incredible improvements in their flexibility, and in many
cases have also experienced a significant decrease in pain brought
on by stiffening joints, back and neck injuries, arthritis and much,
much more.
They often find a significant increase in their range of movement
which makes their day-to-day activities much easier to perform and
more pleasurable.
As we age, it becomes more and more apparent that our joints
begin to stiffen up through decreased movements; we start to
hunch over with poor posture as our spine starts to shorten and
become rounded, and we become prone to osteoporosis.
All of these things make us look older than we are, as well as
making us feel old before our time as we struggle with pain
management drugs and try to cope with the inevitable signs of
aging.
But it doesn’t have to be that way …
Practicing yoga can help to reverse all these signs of aging and
much more. We will find ourselves starting to stand taller and
prouder as we continually feel stronger and more flexible. These
exercises also have a meditative quality, which quiets our mind and
releases stress.
The stretching and strengthening yoga postures coupled with the
meditative powers of the breathing techniques can tremendously
improve the quality of your life and is highly recommended for it’s
anti-aging power.
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4. Anti-Aging Strategies That Reduce
the Risk of These Common Lifestyle
Diseases
4.1 Lowering
Pressure
&
Controlling
High
Blood
High blood pressure is a very serious condition and is often an early
warning sign of increased risk of heart disease and kidney disease.
Because there are no obvious symptoms in the early stages of high
blood pressure, many people don’t realize they have it until they are
diagnosed with it during routine medical checkups. A reading of
140/90 is considered borderline high blood pressure.
Although people usually associate high blood pressure with
increased risk of stroke, heart attacks and heart disease, it also
increases your risk of kidney disease and even eye damage,
including blindness.
The lifestyle factors that increase your risk of high blood pressure
are the same as for diabetes and insulin resistance:
1. Family history,
2. Obesity,
3. Yo-yo dieting,
4. A sedentary lifestyle,
5. Smoking,
6. Drinking alcohol,
7. Poor nutritional diets deficient in vitamins and nutrients and
high in fat and highly refined carbohydrates.
Another factor that increases your blood pressure is salt or sodium.
This is because sodium makes you retain water, which in turn
increases the volume of blood in the body.
The more blood, the harder your heart has to work to pump it
through your body. Studies have also shown that sodium can
damage the walls of the blood vessels, increasing the incidence of
clogged arteries.
High blood pressure is caused mainly by the narrowing of blood
vessels, which is caused by accumulating plaque on the blood vessel
walls.
If a piece of this plaque breaks off and blocks a coronary artery,
blood flow to the heart can be impaired, causing a heart attack.
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High blood pressure causes kidney disease due to reduced blood
flow to the kidneys.
What lifestyle changes can you make to reduce the risk of high
blood pressure or lower your blood pressure if it is already high? …
Lose weight
Eat a healthy nutritional diet, high in vitamins and nutrients
Exercise
Reduce salt intake
Take calcium & magnesium supplements and Vitamin C
Increase potassium intake by eating bananas, spinach, orange
juice, corn, broccoli, cabbage or potatoes.
Eliminate caffeine, smoking and alcohol consumption
Increase “good fats” and decease “bad fats”
Increase your intake of beans, peas, legumes, oatmeal, lentils
and pulses, which increases fibre intake.
Lower cholesterol and triglycerides levels
Control Diabetes and Insulin Resistance
Reduce Stress
Stop yo-yo dieting. Yo-yo dieting increases your risk of heart
disease and high blood pressure because often fat is gained back
as abdominal fat. If your measurement around your stomach is
more than 80% of your hip measurement, you are at increased
risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Reducing your blood pressure to normal levels is very important in
the anti-aging war because this alone has a tremendous effect on
reducing the risk of lifestyle diseases like heart disease, kidney
disease, stroke and blindness … all of which can take years off your
life and substantially decrease your quality of life.
Bottom line? …
Control your high blood pressure and promote anti-aging in the
process.
4.2 Arthritis, Osteoarthritis or Stiff Joints
There are more than 100 types of arthritis, but the most common
one is osteoarthritis and is caused mainly by injury, excess weight
or just basic “wear and tear”, resulting in the cartilage in the joints
deteriorating.
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The cartilage forms a cushion between the bones and when this
breaks down, the subsequent rubbing of bone on bone results in
pain and inflammation.
Arthritis has historically been thought of as an “old person’s”
disease. We seem to accept that arthritis is just the price we have
to pay for getting old. The problem is that arthritis or a stiffening of
your joints can happen to you at any age, and often starts to
become more common after the age of 40 to 45.
When arthritis strikes younger people, it can be quite devastating
and can cause severe depression. Your health is also affected
negatively since many people will stop exercising because of pain in
the joints.
This of course impacts all areas of your life, since as you become
less and less fit, weight gain invariably follows, which in turn puts
more pressure on the joints, resulting in a vicious downward cycle.
So how can you decrease your risk of developing arthritis or if you
already have it, how can you reduce the pain and inflammation?
Here are some effective strategies:
Lose weight to reduce strain on joints
Eat a healthy nutritional diet, high in vitamins and nutrients
Exercise moderately. If you are in pain, you can try exercises
that are less stressful on the joints like swimming. Weight lifting
is also beneficial as long as you don’t overdo it … keep the
weights light and increase repetitions.
Eliminate caffeine, smoking and alcohol consumption
Increase “good fats” which in turn reduces inflammation.
Increase your intake of Evening Primrose Oil. The GLA in
Evening Primrose Oil plays an important role in reducing pain
and inflammation. (Note: Again, check with your doctor before
taking EPO supplements, especially if you have high blood
pressure or if you are taking anticoagulants (blood thinners.)
Decrease your intake of “bad fats”, which increase
inflammation
Increase your intake of beans, peas, legumes, oatmeal, lentils
and pulses. These foods increase your fibre levels, which in turn
help to eliminate the bad fats, bile acids, toxins, estrogen and
cholesterol from your body.
Lower cholesterol and triglycerides levels
If you have food intolerances, make sure you eliminate these
foods from your diet as they can trigger inflammation.
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Studies have shown encouraging results from taking
supplements such as Glucosamine Sulfate, which helps to rebuild
cartilage and reduce pain.
Studies have also shown that
turmeric can boost the healing properties of Glucosamine
Sulfate. The anti-inflammatory substance curcumin, found in
turmeric, can be purchased in capsules. The combination of
curcumin and Glucosamine Sulfate has been found to be very
effective in reducing pain and inflammation, more so than either
one taken alone. (Note: do not take turmeric or curcumin if you
have ulcers, gallstones, or excessive stomach acid.)
Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger can be
eaten fresh by adding it to foods or as a tea, or if you don’t like
the taste of ginger, you can take it in supplement form. (Seek
the advice of a physician if you have gallstones because ginger
may increase bile secretion.)
Applying heat and ice packs alternately to the inflamed areas
can also help in immediate pain relief.
Note: Refer to Section 11 on safe usage and possible side
effects of vitamins and supplements.
4.3 Candida
What is Candida Albicans (or Candida for short)?
Candida is the name given to yeast that lives in the bodies of each
and every one of us. These yeasts are generally found in the
intestinal tract and the vaginal region.
Under normal conditions, our body is easily able to cope with the
presence of these yeasts and our natural defense system and
beneficial bacteria control the spread of yeasts.
Unfortunately, there are certain situations that destroy our body’s
beneficial bacteria which keeps the yeasts in check and when this
happens, the yeasts can spread to areas that are normally out of
bounds.
The introduction of contraceptive pills and antibiotics in particular
have played havoc with our body’s natural defense system of
beneficial bacteria and have contributed greatly to the increase of
Candida in Western society.
Couple this with the abundance of refined carbohydrates, sugar-rich
foods and junk foods our typical western diet is composed of and
you get the perfect environment for the proliferation of yeasts.
Doctors can administer tests for Candida, but most practitioners
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administer a questionnaire in order to determine if a person has the
common symptoms associated with Candida. (Dr. William Crook
has an extensive questionnaire in his book “The Yeast Connection”.
This book covers all aspects of Candida extensively and is highly
recommended reading.)
Candida sufferers are often sensitive to foods derived from or
containing yeast or fungi such as bread, cakes, cookies,
mushrooms, black tea, cheese, dried fruits, vinegar, pickled foods,
monosodium glutamate or any fermented foods such as soy sauce,
tamari, teriyaki, steak sauce or beer and alcohol.
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5. Defy
Aging
Supplements
with
Vitamins
&
5.1 Vitamins and Supplements
Although taking supplements should never take the place of eating
a healthy, nutritious diet, there are definitely times when
supplementation is important.
Even when we do eat a healthy diet, it is often wise to include
supplementation because the soil that grows our food is often
depleted of nutrients. As this means that much of our food is
nutrient-deficient, it is important to include vitamins and
supplements to pick up the slack.
Certain vitamins and supplements are quite effective in alleviating
certain conditions, while others are just overall beneficial,
particularly for supporting the immune system.
The “Diet Free … At Last!” Fatty Liver Detox Program outlines
vitamins and supplements that are quite effective in combating
fluctuating blood sugar levels, Essential Fatty Acid Deficiencies,
Candida, Adrenal Exhaustion, sugar intolerance and insulin
resistance, as well as generally supporting the immune system.
These supplements, combined with the “Diet Free … At Last!” Fatty
Liver Detox Program, go a long way to promoting anti-aging …
giving you softer, silkier skin, stronger nails, thicker and healthier
hair and increased energy and vitality.
There are also many other vitamins, supplements and minerals that
play an important role in anti-aging. In the next section, I have
included just a sample of such anti-aging supplements.
5.2 Anti-Aging Secret Weapons
Lactobacillus Acidophilus
The most important feature of acidophilus is its ability to maintain
the integrity of beneficial bacteria in the intestines.
Why is this important?
Because if the good bacteria become overwhelmed by the “bad”
bacteria in our intestines, many different problems occur, one of the
worst being the flare up of Candida and internal parasites.
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As such, taking acidophilus supplementation plays an important role
in the anti-aging war.
L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine is known to aid the release and metabolism of fat,
particularly in conjunction with aerobic exercise. Taking L-Carnitine
supplementation before exercise can improve stamina and
endurance and promotes fat-burning. Research has also shown that
L-Carnitine may help in preventing heart disease, Alzheimer’s
disease and lowering cholesterol and triglycerides.
Cinnamon
Studies have shown that that cinnamon (as well as turmeric and
cloves) help to reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as
having an inhibiting effect on Candida. Keeping blood sugar levels
stable decreases circulating insulin, which has a substantial antiaging effect on the body.
Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is another supplement that can have a positive
effect on the immune system, particularly in the area of retarding
free-radical production through its anti-oxidant properties. This in
turn has a positive effect on all areas of anti-aging, in particular by
helping to protect the heart and prevent heart disease, cancer, high
blood pressure and a number of other diseases.
Dandelion & Milk Thistle
Two powerful anti-aging weapons are the humble dandelion herb
and the supplement milk thistle. They both work by supporting the
liver and improving liver function, as well as just generally
improving digestion.
The liver is one of the most important organs in the body, in
particular because of its ability to detoxify the body and metabolise
carbohydrates, estrogen and fat.
Many people have impaired liver function due to widespread poor
nutritional habits and high fat diets. One of the side effects of these
diets is gallbladder disease, which in turn places a strain on the
liver.
Eating dandelion leaves in salads or drinking dandelion tea, as well
as taking milk thistle supplements, has a very beneficial effect on
supporting the liver and its functions. (Note: seek the advice of a
physician if you have gallbladder or liver disease)
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Dong Quai
Some of the possible benefits of Dong Quai that researchers are
studying are:
Preventing heart disease by reducing blood pressure
Improving menopausal symptoms of hot flashes and vaginal
dryness
Stress reduction
Improving blood sugar levels thereby decreasing the risk of
diabetes
Essential Fatty Acids
EFA’s are important in maintaining soft, silky skin, luxurious,
healthy hair and strong nails. EFA deficiency is one of the most
common causes of beauty problems, including dry, flaky skin, dull
and lifeless hair, hair loss and brittle, splitting nails.
Evening Primrose Oil
Evening Primrose Oil is most notably known for its success in
decreasing symptoms of PMT such as breast pain, bloating,
headaches and mood swings.
It is also known to be helpful in reducing menopausal and premenopausal symptoms like hot flashes. Studies have also tested
the possibility that taking evening primrose oil might:
Lower blood pressure, cholesterol and lower the risk of stroke
and heart attack
Normalise fat metabolism in diabetes and decrease the
amount of insulin required and
Improve the condition of hair, nails and skin.
Ginkgo
Ginkgo is another powerful anti-oxidant, rich in flavonoids. It is
known for protecting the body against free-radical damage and
oxidation, which in turn supports the immune system and promotes
anti-aging. Ginkgo is also known for improving circulation and
blood flow to the brain and organs, as well as a memory booster.
Ginseng
Ginseng is known for its energizing qualities. It is also known to
have a stimulating effect on mental performance and memory, as
well as lowering stress levels and cholesterol levels; all anti-aging
benefits. Ginseng also has anti-oxidant properties, which fight freeradical damage, improving immune system function.
Grapeseed Extract
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Grapeseed Extract contains bioflavonoids and is another supplement
that is a powerful anti-oxidant, and works especially well in
conjunction with Vitamin C.
Studies have shown that its anti-oxidant properties fight free-radical
production, which supports immune function, helping to fight cancer
and reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also known to reduce
inflammation, which may help with allergies and arthritis.
Vitamins:
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an important vitamin in the fight against many skin
problems including acne, dry skin, wrinkles, large pores and
blackheads. It also plays a big part in maintaining beautiful,
healthy hair and nails.
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
The old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” owes its
veracity to the amazing properties of vitamin C. Extensive research
has been done into the incredible benefits of vitamin C … and the
list is very long.
Its most important anti-aging benefit is its ability to fight freeradical damage and support immune system function through its
important anti-oxidant properties.
Added to that, it is attributed with helping to prevent colds, flues,
protecting against heart disease, cancer, cataracts, and promoting
healthy skin as it is used in the formation of collagen (which is very
important in maintaining youthful looking skin).
B-Complex Vitamins
B-Complex Vitamins have many health-promoting functions in the
body, but two of the more important ones are:
1) They
strengthen
nails,
skin
and
hair,
(particularly, thinning, dull, lifeless, or grey
hair), and
2) They alleviate stress symptoms by supporting
the adrenal glands. This in turn increases levels
of DHEA, which improves sexual vitality. The
adrenal glands produce DHEA, which is used to
produce the male and female sex hormones
estrogen and testosterone. When stress levels
are increased, DHEA is decreased and sexual
vitality is impaired and the libido is suppressed.
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Zinc & Copper
Many people have problems associated with an excess of copper
(caused primarily by copper water pipes, copper IUD’s, multivitamins, chocolate, tea and soy products) and zinc deficiency.
Often an excess of copper causes a zinc deficiency, which in turn
causes problems with hair, skin and nails.
Other problems associated with too much copper are low levels of
Vitamin C. This means increased free-radical damage, affecting the
elasticity of our skin through weakened collagen and elastin.
Too much copper can also cause darkened skin pigmentation.
Taking zinc supplementation can help considerably with these
problems by re-balancing the zinc / copper balance in the body.
Vitamins to the Rescue
Some beauty problems that can be alleviated by Vitamins A, C, E,
B-Complex, Zinc and the Essential Fatty Acids (especially Evening
Primrose Oil and Flaxseeds) are:
Acne
Blackheads
Loss of elasticity and skin tone
Dry skin
Thinning, dull hair; split ends
Dandruff
Hair loss
Brittle, splitting nails
Hang nails
Note: Refer to Section 11 on safe usage and possible side
effects of vitamins and supplements.
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6. Promote
Anti-Aging
Aromatherapy
with
6.1 What is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is a natural therapy that uses your sense of smell to
alleviate conditions not only of your physical body, but also your
mental, emotional and spiritual bodies.
To do that, flowers, plants and herbs are processed to remove their
natural essential oils. These essential oils are then added to a
carrier oil like almond oil or grapeseed oil and used in different
methods such as massaging it into the body or putting it in an oil
burner with water and inhaled (called inhalation method).
These essential oils are specially processed and are very different
from simple fragrances. When buying essential oils, it is imperative
to buy genuine essential oils. Because these oils are pure they are
more expensive than simple fragrances, but the results you get are
well worth the expense.
This section gives just a simple overview of basic
aromatherapy principles and takes a brief look at the
different aromatherapy essential oils and what they can do
for you … there are also many excellent books on the market
that go into great detail about each essential oil and their
optimal use.
However, due to the powerful nature of essential oils, it is
highly recommended that you consult with a qualified
aromatherapy practitioner who can assist you in tailormaking a program suited to your individual needs, physically
as well as emotionally and spiritually.
6.2 What are the most common methods of
administering aromatherapy?
1. Bath:
Add essential oils to baths or foot baths. Use
about 10 drops of essential oil in a bath and about 6 drops in
a footbath. (Some practitioners advise that you should not
use more than 3 drops of certain essential oils in a bath.
They are:
black pepper, cedarwood, eucalyptus, ginger,
lemon, peppermint, spearmint, thyme, and turmeric.)
2. Inhalation: Add about 7 – 8 drops of your chosen essential
oil to a bowl of very hot water. Inhale deeply for a couple of
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minutes, using a towel draped over your head to form a tent,
which stops the vapor from dispersing. Another method of
inhalation is to sprinkle a couple of drops onto a tissue or
cloth.
3. Oil Burner / Vaporiser: Oil burners have a shallow dish to
put the essential oil in and a spot below the dish to put a
candle to heat the oil. Fill the dish with water and add about
6 – 8 drops of your favourite essential oil (or combination of
oils totaling not more than 8 drops).
4. Massage: Pure essential oils shouldn’t be applied directly to
the skin; therefore, you should dilute the essential oil in a
carrier oil base. The recommended ratio is 15 – 25 drops of
essential oil to 60 ml of carrier oil. The best carrier oils to use
are cold pressed vegetable oils such as jojoba, apricot kernel,
sweet almond, evening primrose oil, and avocado oil. Adding
2 – 3 ml of wheat germ oil to the carrier oil will prevent
oxidation.
Essential oils are not usually used in their pure form, but are mixed
with water or carrier oils. Essential oils are usually mixed with
water for use in oil burners and are usually mixed with carrier oils
for use in massages.
Different Carrier Oils:
Rosehip Oil:
This oil has become popular in particular because
of its regenerative ability to help to reduce
wrinkles and the visible signs of aging, especially
from sun damage.
Jojoba Oil:
Jojoba is known for its ability to improve the
appearance of cellulite by helping to release fat
deposits under the skin. Jojoba is different from
other oils in that it consists of liquid wax, not fat
and as such, it resists rancidity. Also, it has a
natural healing effect on dry skin and leaves it
silky and smooth.
Camellia Oil:
Is a popular massage oil because it is absorbed
quickly and is not greasy. It is also very nice
when combined with sweet almond oil.
Sweet Almond Oil:
This is a very nutritious oil and it
rejuvenates and is healing to very dry skin or
sensitive skin.
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Apricot Kernel Oil:
A very popular oil for massage especially
facial massages due to its light texture. It is also
quite effective in treating dry and irritated skin.
Avocado Oil:
This is a very rich oil and as such is very effective
in treating very dry, aging skin.
Due to its
richness, it is usually combined with another
carrier oil rather than used on its own.
Wheatgerm Oil: This oil is too rich to use on its own and as such is
usually used in conjunction with other carrier oils.
It is often added to other carrier oils to prevent
rancidity and oxidation. It is very good for dry,
aging skin due to its richness.
Arnica Oil:
Arnica is usually only used to promote the healing
of bruising, pulled muscles and tendons and
strains and sprains. It works best when applied
as soon as possible to the injured area. Do not
use on broken skin.
Grapeseed Oil: This oil is usually used for massage, possibly
combined with another carrier oil, because it is
lightly textured and has no smell.
Carrot Oil:
Carrot oil is known for its nourishing and
regenerative effect and as such is effective for
very dry, mature skin. In particular, this is due to
its properties of beta-carotene and vitamins B, C,
D & E.
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Essential Oils That Rejuvenate Aging Skin:
As mentioned
on changing
exercise, and
This works on
before, the most effective anti-aging program focuses
your lifestyle to incorporate healthy nutrition and
avoiding smoking, alcohol, drugs and sun damage.
healing and anti-aging from the inside out.
Having said that, aromatherapy and essential oils can also play an
important part in nourishing, healing and helping to reverse the
aging process, both by stimulating and supporting the immune
system as well as nourishing and rejuvenating dry, mature or sun
damaged skin.
Certain essential oils stimulate a quicker turnover of new skin cells
to replace dead skin cells. This is especially important in the antiaging process because the older we get, the slower these skin cells
renew themselves.
This regenerating and rejuvenating process is quite apparent when
lavender oil is used, particularly since it promotes the rapid healing
of burns and reduces scarring. Other essential oils that stimulate
new skin cell turnover and promote rapid healing, (sometimes even
reducing stretch marks) are:
Rosewood
Neroli
Carrot
Yarrow
Patchouli
Frankincense
Myrrh
Sandalwood
The best carrier oils to use with these essential oils to promote antiaging for mature skin are:
Carrot oil
Jojoba oil
Rosehip oil
Avocado oil
Wheatgerm oil
Evening primrose oil
Essential oils are particularly effective in rejuvenating aging skin
because the molecular size of the oils are small enough to be
absorbed by the skin, allowing the essential oils to:
Help to stimulate the turnover of new skin cells
Help to exfoliate dead skin cells
Trigger the elimination of waste products and toxins through
the skin. The more detoxification that happens through the skin,
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the more support is given to the other elimination organs (lungs,
kidneys and bowels). Essential oils that help in detoxification
and elimination are carrot seed, peppermint, rosemary,
grapefruit and sweet orange. These oils help to stimulate the
lymphatic system.
Improve blood circulation, which brings much-needed
vitamins and nutrients to the skin, promoting healing and
reversing aging. Some essential oils that help to improve blood
circulation are rose, geranium, and German chamomile.
Promote anti-aging by reducing stress levels, particularly
emotional stress which has a tremendous aging impact on all
systems of the body. Essential oils that stimulate emotions are:
Calming: lavender and neroli
Anger: ylang ylang, chamomile and rose
Depression:
ylang ylang, clary sage, bergamot,
patchouli
Fear: lavender, sandalwood, frankincense
Grief: rose, chamomile
Worry: geranium, lavender, basil, neroli, bergamot
De-stressor:
clary sage, chamomile, lavender,
bergamot, neroli, frankincense, jasmine, sandalwood,
cedarwood and rose
Some helpful recipes for skin care:
To help to tone and slim thighs: Combine 30 ml base oil
(including jojoba oil in base oil is helpful for releasing fat deposits
and toxins lodged in tissues) with 6 drops each of cypress (good
for firming and toning muscles) and juniper (acts as a diuretic,
improving circulation and detoxification) and 3 drops of lavender.
Taking a bath in 6 drops of juniper oil is also helpful.
If you eat something you are allergic to, Echinacea can help to
purify and cleanse your blood.
Insect bites: apply lavender or tea tree oil, neat
Acne: lemon, tea tree, lavender or eucalyptus oil applied
directly to the spot with a cotton bud can be helpful in clearing it
up.
Dry skin: sandalwood helps to treat dry skin by aiding
moisture retention
Rose Body Rub: Combine 15 drops rose oil, 3 ml jojoba oil
and 30 ml base oil or add 4 drops rose to 10 ml jojoba oil and
massage.
Stretch marks: Combine 15 drops lavender, 3 drops neroli
in 30 ml wheatgerm oil and massage into affected area.
3 Facial Massage Mixtures for Mature Skin:
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1. Combine 5 drops frankincense, 8 drops lavender and 2
drops neroli in 30 ml of base oil (15 ml rosehip oil and 15
ml apricot kernel oil)
2. Combine 2 drops frankincense and 4 drops lavender in 2
teaspoons of base oil (1 teaspoon each of rosehip oil and
apricot kernel oil)
3. Combine 2 drops frankincense and 2 drops neroli in 2
teaspoons of base oil (1 teaspoon each of rosehip oil and
apricot kernel oil)
Note: Refer to Section 11 on safe usage and possible side
effects of essential oils.
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6.3 Aromatherapy and the Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is one of the most important systems of the
body because this is the system that eliminates wastes and toxins
from the tissues and organs.
When your lymphatic system is working optimally it supports your
immune system and helps your immune system to fight viruses and
infections by producing white blood cells and anti-bodies. This in
turn is a very powerful way of defying aging.
If your lymphatic system isn’t working effectively it causes many
problems such as:
 Oedema (swelling and bloating caused by the body’s inability
to properly eliminate excess fluids)
 Cellulite
 Sinusitis
 Bronchitis
 Dermatitis
 Laryngitis and more …
Essential oils can help to promote a healthy lymphatic system by:
 Having a diuretic effect, that is, stimulating waste elimination
through the kidneys …
 Essential oils that promote this are: orange and
tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, cypress, fennel,
mandarin
 Stimulating blood circulation …
 Essential oils that stimulate circulation are:
ginger, rosemary, black pepper
 Increasing production of white blood cells which in turn fights
infection and promotes healing …
 Essential oils that promote this are: lavender,
rosemary, tea tree, lemon, bergamot, thyme
 Stimulating detoxification and elimination of waste products
and toxins …
 Essential oils that promote this are: German and
Roman chamomile, angelica, sweet fennel, carrot
seed, lavender, geranium, rosemary, lemon
 Stimulating lymph circulation which has a purifying effect …
 Essential oils that promote this are: tangerine,
grapefruit, orange, peppermint, rosemary
These essential oils can act on the lymphatic system, either through
massages such as lymphatic massage (using different combinations
of essential oils totaling up to 25 drops in approximately 60 ml of
carrier oil), or through taking a bath with essential oils (using
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different combinations of essential oils totaling up to 10 drops),
particularly if you dry skin brush before you bathe.
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7. Look & Feel Younger
7.1 The Aging Process
As skin ages, it produces less collagen and elastin, which causes the
skin to lose its firmness and elasticity, resulting in thinning skin
which wrinkles and sags easily. Aging skin also becomes dryer,
which accelerates wrinkling.
We’ve all heard about it, but what exactly is collagen? Collagen is a
protein or amino acid. Within collagen is a fibre called elastin and
as the name suggests, elastin determines the elasticity of our skin
and whether or not we will succumb to wrinkles.
These elastin fibres can become impaired and cause the skin to lose
elasticity and start to wrinkle in a number of ways. One is by
exposure to ultra-violet rays from the sun; another is by freeradical damage (also called oxidation).
Following a healthy eating program and adequate supplementation
goes a long way to eradicating free-radical damage which in turn
gives our skin a healthy, youthful glow. As a matter of fact, healthy
EFAs (or “good” fats) are the best beauty aids available. Much
better than anything you can find in a jar!
In particular, eating adequate Essential Fatty Acids has a
tremendous effect on improving your skin tone and elasticity, and
can help to alleviate wrinkling, sagging skin and dry, flaky skin.
Eating adequate Essential Fatty Acids also improves hair condition
(including dry, brittle hair and hair loss) and makes fingernails
stronger and healthier and reduces brittle, splitting fingernails!
Exercise also plays an important part in maintaining youthful skin
because it increases blood flow to the skin. This increased blood
flow carries with it essential nutrients and improves the elimination
of toxic wastes.
Adding moisture to the skin by way of creams and moisturisers
helps to improve the appearance of dry skin and fine lines, but
because the creams only penetrate the top layer of the skin, in and
of themselves creams and moisturisers can’t repair or rejuvenate
aging skin or reverse signs of aging like wrinkles.
They can however, temporarily plump up the skin and add much
needed moisture to the skin and can temporarily erase fine lines
and wrinkles.
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Refer to the “Diet Free … At Last!” Fatty Liver Detox Program
to learn the best foods to eat that will reduce sagging skin
and wrinkles while you are losing weight.
Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA’s)
AHA’s are also known as fruit acids and work by exfoliating and
loosening the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin. Regular
exfoliation helps to trigger the regeneration of new skin cells to
replace the dead cells, leaving skin that is softer, silkier and has a
youthful glow.
Over the counter preparations containing AHA have lower
concentrations and are useful to exfoliate dead skin cells and are
considered safe.
To get higher concentrations of AHA, you must go to a
dermatologist because these higher concentrations cause the skin to
peel and must be administered by a physician in order to monitor
any unpleasant side-effects.
These higher concentration preparations are effective in erasing
superficial wrinkles, improving skin that has been damaged by the
sun, lightening skin that has pigment discoloration and may even
improve the skin’s elasticity by maintaining the integrity of the
underlying collagen and elastin.
Cleansing
In most cases, cleansing the skin once or twice a day is optimum.
Removing make-up at night and applying a moisturiser is a must.
Make-up that is not removed every night can clog pores causing
breakouts and blackheads.
Since of the advent of AHA cleansers and moisturisers which already
have an exfoliating effect, it is no longer necessary to exfoliate with
grain cleansers.
Some people do still like to exfoliate occasionally which is alright as
long as it is not with a harsh cleanser. It is a good idea however to
apply a good facial mask once or twice per week. This leaves the
skin with a healthy glow, caused mainly by increased blood
circulation.
Creams and Moisturisers
In order to exact lasting changes to the skin cell’s structures,
creams would have to be able to penetrate deep into the skin’s
lowest layer – the dermis.
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If a cream were able to do this, it would be classified as a drug by
the Food & Drug Administration and could only be obtained upon a
doctor’s prescription.
That’s why moisturisers and creams are formulated to work only on
the epidermis: at the most they slough away dead skin cells to help
speed up skin cells’ turnover rate, and at the least, they provide
moisture to dry skin which gives a plumper appearance to thinning
skin.
Other than alpha-hydroxy acids, adding things like Vitamin C or E,
collagen or any other special ingredient, even Vitamin A (except for
actual Retin-A or tretinoin preparations which are only available by
prescription) to creams and moisturisers doesn’t have much of an
effect, since it only works on the top epidermis level. (One thing
that Vitamin A may help with are the small hard white lumps that
sometimes show up on the face. Try piercing a Vitamin A capsule
and spreading the oil over your face every day for a month or two.
This can replace your moisturiser if your skin is not very dry, but if
it is you can use your moisturiser on top of it.)
Acne
Of all the skin problems faced by both men and women alike, acne
must be one of the most annoying. Although acne is not as serious
as something like skin cancer, it is very unsightly and embarrassing.
Obviously acne is easier to put up with if we are talking just the
occasional breakout, rather than chronic acne. Applying lemon, tea
tree, lavender or eucalyptus oil directly to the spot with a cotton
bud can be helpful in clearing up the odd breakout.
If you have chronic acne or have more than just the occasional
breakout, cleaning up and balancing your system internally would
be more helpful than topical applications.
What can cause or aggravate acne?
Poor nutritional diets,
especially if these diets are high in “bad fats” and junk food, can
definitely aggravate acne. .
Another factor that might cause acne is a deficiency in Vitamin A.
In this case, taking Vitamin A or beta-carotene and zinc will help to
clear up the acne.
Try to avoid taking antibiotics to clear up acne because not only do
they not work well, they interfere with the delicate balance of good
bacteria, which allows conditions like Candida to flourish.
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Outer Beauty Comes from Inner Changes
Since creams and potions work only on the surface epidermis level,
to stimulate anti-aging at the lowest level or dermis level, you
would have to make lifestyle changes …
Although a person’s overall health determines longevity and quality
of life disease-free, often when a person thinks of youth and
reversing aging, they are thinking more of physical appearance
rather than health.
The thing that many people forget is that a youthful physical
appearance has more to do with a person’s internal health than it
does with what creams and potions we put on the surface of the
skin.
So what determines a youthful physical appearance? Obviously, the
first thing we think of is soft, silky skin that is wrinkle free and
doesn’t sag. Next we think of thick, luxurious hair and strong
healthy fingernails.
So what determines who will age before their time and who will
maintain their youthful looks and energy well into their middle-age?
As health improves ... you look and feel younger and sexier ...
promoting anti-aging ... which in turn...
Gives you more energy to do the things you want, with
friends and family
Increases your self-esteem, making you feel happier and
more relaxed
Helps to alleviate a great number of symptoms of conditions
like adrenal exhaustion, Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency, Candida,
food intolerances, impaired liver function, insulin resistance,
Estrogen Dominance and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
Lowers your risk of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high blood
pressure and heart disease ... to name but a few ... which in turn
increases your lifespan and quality of life
Increases your sex drive and improves your sex life
Increases your vitality and frees up energy that was
previously wasted in yo-yo dieting
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8. Check out these great Secrets to AntiAging
1. Quit smoking:
Due to reduced blood flow to the skin,
smoking adds many years to the face, accelerating wrinkling
and sagging skin. Of course, this doesn’t even count all the
internal health advantages there are to quit smoking such as
reducing the risk of many, many diseases … from cancer to
heart disease.
2. Eliminate or decrease alcohol intake.
3. Reduce the amount of toxins you ingest by decreasing
prescription and non-prescription drugs as much as possible.
(I obviously don’t have to mention eliminating illegal drugs …
that’s a given!)
4. Stop dieting and yo-yo dieting. Keep your weight stable to
decrease stretching the skin as you gain weight. If you have
to lose weight, do it slowly (less than 5 to 10 pounds per
month) so that the skin has a chance to reduce without
sagging. Losing weight too quickly is not only unhealthy, but
will accelerate sagging and wrinkling skin. It is also important
to eat adequate essential fatty acids that improve the skin’s
texture, from the inside out, improving collagen and elastin
levels to help to reduce sagging and wrinkling skin.
5. Exercise improves blood circulation, which brings muchneeded nutrients and oxygen to skin, hair and nails and
removes toxic wastes. This triggers cell rejuvenation, which
in turn improves the texture of skin, hair and nails. Lack of
exercise results in poor blood circulation resulting in a pale,
dull complexion. This happens when skin cells die and do not
regenerate new skin cells quickly enough and the dead skin
cells leave your complexion looking dull. Exercise is very
important to improve your health, but it is better to avoid
exercises that are high impact like running or high impact
aerobics. These exercises make the skin bounce too much,
causing loss of elasticity.
6. As always, use sunscreen and avoid over-exposure to the sun.
This over-exposure greatly ages the skin, promoting wrinkling
and sagging skin and increases your risk of skin cancer.
7. Promote soft silky skin by exfoliating skin either through the
use of Alpha-hydroxy acids or skin brushing. Skin brushing is
also
important
for
increased health by promoting
detoxification through the skin cells.
8. Have regular massages to help promote detoxification.
9. Reduce environmental toxins as much as you can by
decreasing pesticides, chemical fertilizers, insect repellants
and insecticides in your environment, as well as eating
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organic fruits and vegetables and organic meat that is steroid
and hormone free.
10.
Reduce processed foods
11.
Decrease or eliminate caffeinated products.
12.
Eliminate or reduce high GI refined carbohydrates.
13.
Increase fruits and vegetables
14.
Eat 3 small meals plus snacks every 3 – 4 hours if
possible. Don’t wait until you are hungry to eat because your
hunger may cause you to overeat.
15.
Balance insulin and glucagon, by balancing intake of
carbohydrates, protein and Essential Fatty Acids.
16.
Eliminate “bad fats” (ie. Junk food, hydrogenated fats,
trans-fats)
17.
Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of filtered water per day.
(A reverse osmosis filtration system is recommended)
18.
Reduce free-radical damage through vitamins and
supplementation, as well as eating healthy, nutritious food.
19.
Keep your anti-aging hormones balanced and healthy,
and defy aging in the process.
20.
Eradicate Candida
21.
Support your digestive system, in particular, eradicating
leaky gut syndrome, which aggravates food intolerances and
depresses immune system function.
22.
Support and improve your liver function, detoxifying
your body of built-up toxins. As your liver function improves,
it will re-balance itself to be a fat-burner, not fat-storer. Not
only will this increase your health and well-being, but you will
see amazing improvements in your outer beauty as your hair,
skin and nails become stronger and healthier, leaving you
looking younger and sexier. If you think you may have a
problem with Impaired or Sluggish Liver function, follow the
tips outlined in the “Diet Free … At Last!” Fatty Liver Detox
Program to support the liver and promote liver detoxification.
23.
Reduce stress in your life as much as possible
24.
Use Aromatherapy to rejuvenate your skin, as well as
help to reduce stress and alleviate emotional issues in your
life. (See Section 7)
25.
Reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high
triglycerides to normal levels. This is very important in the
anti-aging war because this alone has a tremendous effect on
reducing the risk of lifestyle diseases like heart disease,
kidney disease, stroke and blindness … all of which can take
years off your life and substantially decrease your quality of
life.
26.
Eat adequate amounts of protein and eat better quality
sources of protein such as fish, seafood, eggs, low fat cheese,
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cottage cheese, tofu, nuts, seeds, peas, beans, lentils and
lean cuts of meat.
27.
Eat adequate amounts of “good fats”. This in particular,
has a tremendous effect on improving your skin tone and
elasticity, reducing the incidence of sagging skin and
wrinkling, as well as improving the condition of your hair and
nails!
28.
Maintain
adequate
vitamin
levels
through
supplementation. In particular, you will find increasing BComplex Vitamins in your diet helps to strengthen your
fingernails, alleviating symptoms of dry, brittle, splitting nails
and makes your hair silky and soft and decreases hair loss
due to Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency. As well, it is important
to maintain the proper Copper / Zinc balance to counteract
Zinc Deficiency. Zinc Deficiency brings with it a host of
beauty problems, whereas increasing your zinc intake will
dramatically improve the texture of your hair, skin and nails.
So there you have it!
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9. Back to Basics
It is up to each one of us to take responsibility for our own health
and to obtain the knowledge we need to make intelligent food
choices that promote our health. More and more the old adage
“getting back to basics” is becoming essential in the field of health
and nutrition.
It is evident that the highly processed foods that have been
introduced into our diet in the last 50 – 80 years have caused
unhealthy dietary patterns that are at the root of the increase of
many of the common diseases we face in society today. Eating
foods in as natural a state as possible (whole foods with little
processing) is becoming more and more important.
Although convenience foods may be convenient from a time
perspective, the long-term negative impact on our health makes
them far from “convenient”. Also, changing over to buying as much
organic food as possible (or even better yet, growing your own!) is
another positive step towards health and vitality.
Taking vitamins and supplements can also be an important addition
to a healthy diet, but should never replace eating nutritious natural
foods like fruit, vegetables, grains, protein, and essential fatty
acids.
Decreasing or eliminating such non-nutritious foods like junk foods,
high GI refined carbohydrates, caffeine, alcohol and any foods
processed with hydrogenated oils or trans-fats can only generate a
positive health benefit and will help to reverse the symptoms of illhealth and disease generated by a previously unhealthy diet.
One of the most powerful secrets to permanent weight loss and
bringing your body back to its natural state of health is to eliminate
food cravings so that eating healthy, nutritious food becomes
enjoyable once again.
Once the food cravings are gone it becomes easier to avoid eating
junk food. Your taste begins to change so that eating junk food
ceases to interest you. At that point you can truly feel like you are
taking back control of your life and your health.
Researchers estimate that up to 30% of the population may have a
predisposition to developing insulin resistance and / or diabetes
(and this figure is climbing all the time). This means it’s essential
for optimal health to stabilize blood sugar levels, decrease insulin
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levels, decrease or eliminate food cravings and control appetite, reprogram their body to burn fat, lower cholesterol and triglyceride
levels and re-establish their natural state of health and fitness.
How do you know if you fall into this category? … Check out our
questionnaire in the “Diet Free … At Last!” website.
It’s a Different World …
Let’s face it … this world we live in today is very different from the
one our parents and grandparents lived in. We have to face the
increasing risk of many lifestyle diseases that are closely linked to
the way we live our lives and the modern technology that we insist
has made our lives better. In some ways it has … but in other ways
it has not.
It is very important that we acknowledge the negative effects that
environmental pollution has on our health. The air we breathe, the
water we drink, the food we eat … it is very hard to avoid the
pollutants that surround us every day. But with a little effort, we
can make a huge difference in our lives.
It is our choice to eat the types of food we do. We can choose to
eat organic fruit, vegetables and meats that do not have pesticides
and hormones polluting them.
We can choose to eat healthy, nutritious food in as natural a state
as possible and avoid eating processed foods, highly refined foods
and junk foods full of trans-fats. We can choose to drink filtered
water and we can choose to do our part to decrease air pollution by
driving more environmentally friendly cars.
Enjoy the journey
Allow yourself to be who you are and be where you are at, in your
journey to better health. Don’t compare yourself to others or
measure yourself against so-called “normal” expected health
improvements.
It took many years for your body to get in the state it is now, give
yourself the time to reverse the process, and don’t stress out over
it. Take it one step at a time and remember that this is a journey
to better health and the journey is just as important as the final
result … so enjoy the journey!
All these factors make an incredible difference in promoting health
and strengthening your immune system, which in turn increases
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your lifespan, not only in years, but in improved quality of life … and
after all, of what use is living longer if we don’t live better?
It just takes making the choice and commitment to live your life to
the fullest … by using the tools at your disposal … and one of your
most powerful tools in the anti-aging war is the “Diet Free … At
Last!” Fatty Liver Detox Program …
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10. Appendix of Safe Usage of Natural
Remedies
In most cases, you will be safe if you follow the dosages
recommended on the labels, however, you should always advise
your physician of any supplements you are taking because they are
best able to advise you if the supplements will react adversely with
any medications you are taking or if they will complicate any
existing conditions you have or cause allergic reactions. It is
usually recommended that supplements be taken with food and not
on an empty stomach in order to decrease the incidence of stomach
irritation.
Supplement
Safe Usage / Side Effects
Coenzyme Q10
Seek medical supervision for dosages
above 120 milligrams for more than
20 days. Advise your doctor if you are
taking anticoagulants (blood thinners)
such as warfarin (Coumadin)
Curcumin
May cause heartburn. Avoid usage if
you have gallstones or ulcers.
Omega-3 / Flaxseed / Fish Oil
Do not take these supplements
if you are taking anticoagulants (blood
thinners)
such
as
warfarin
(Coumadin), if you have uncontrolled
high blood pressure or are allergic to
fish or seafood. These supplements
can increase bleeding time in these
circumstances.
Glutamine
Advise your doctor and avoid taking
this supplement if you have liver or
kidney failure.
Isoflavones
Do not exceed 100 milligrams per day
Lecithin
Nausea, diarrhoea and upset stomach
may occur in dosages of approx. 5
grams per day.
To be safe, keep
dosages below 5 grams.
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Lactobacillus acidophilus
Keep within recommended dosages –
amounts over 10 billion viable
organisms
may
cause
digestive
upsets.
Melatonin
Only take this supplement with the
close supervision of a knowledgeable
physician. More research would be
needed to ascertain long-term effects.
This supplement may cause adverse
reactions with various medications,
including hormone replacement.
Seek medical advice if you are diabetic
or have increased stomach acid.
Taurine
Tyrosine
Side effects may include sweating. Do
not take if you have high blood
pressure.
Vitamin E
Take a maximum of 400 IU daily
unless under the supervision of a
physician.
Do not take these
supplements
if
you
are
taking
anticoagulants (blood thinners) such
as warfarin (Coumadin), or if you are
at high risk of stroke, as Vitamin E
acts as a blood thinner.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are considered safe, but they may cause irritation or
allergic reactions in some cases. Essential oils should never be
taken internally. They are usually inhaled or applied topically to the
skin. Essential oils are usually diluted in a carrier oil; however,
there are a few that can be applied directly to the skin such as
lavender, tea tree, rose, sandalwood, eucalyptus and lemon. If you
have sensitive skin, it is a good idea to test any essential oil on a
small patch of skin to see if you have an allergic reaction to it.
Avoid using essential oils if you are pregnant.
This e-book includes just a simple overview of basic aromatherapy
principles and takes a brief look at the different aromatherapy
essential oils and what they can do for you … there are also many
excellent books on the market that go into great detail about each
essential oil and their optimal use. However, due to the powerful
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nature of essential oils, it is highly recommended that you consult
with a qualified aromatherapy practitioner who can assist you in
tailor-making a program suited to your individual needs, physically
as well as emotionally and spiritually.
Essential Oil
Safe Usage / Side Effects
Basil
Avoid if nursing. Use a maximum of 3
drops in bath. Avoid extended use.
Bergamot
Avoid direct sunlight after use.
cause skin to develop sun spots.
Black Pepper
Use a maximum of 3 drops in bath.
Avoid use with homeopathic remedies.
Cedarwood
Use a maximum of 3 drops in bath.
Avoid use for more than 2 weeks.
May cause skin irritation or allergic
reactions.
Clary Sage
Avoid with alcohol consumption. May
induce sleepiness and increase the
effects of alcohol.
Coriander
Use only under supervision of a
qualified physician and for no more
than 2 weeks. May induce lethargy
and
unconsciousness
in
large
amounts.
Cypress
Avoid if you have high blood pressure,
fibroids or cancer.
Eucalyptus
Use a maximum of 3 drops in bath.
Avoid use with homeopathic remedies.
Use only under supervision of a
qualified physician and for no more
than 2 weeks.
Ginger
Avoid direct sunlight after use.
cause skin irritation.
Juniper
Use only under supervision of a
qualified physician and for no more
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than 2 weeks; may be toxic. Avoid
use if you suffer from kidney disease.
Lavender
Be careful not to use around eye area.
Lemon
Avoid direct sunlight after use. Can
cause skin irritation. Use a maximum
of 3 drops in bath.
Myrrh
Use only under supervision of a
qualified physician and for no more
than 2 weeks; may be toxic.
Peppermint
Use only under supervision of a
qualified physician, especially if you
have gallbladder or liver disease. Use
a maximum of 3 drops in bath. Avoid
use with homeopathic remedies.
Rosemary
Avoid if you have high blood pressure
or epilepsy (strong effect on nervous
system).
Sandalwood
Be careful not to use around eye area.
Spearmint
Use a maximum of 3 drops in bath.
Thyme
Avoid if you have high blood pressure.
May cause skin irritations.
Use a
maximum of 3 drops in bath. (Avoid
red thyme – it is toxic)
Turmeric
May cause skin irritations.
Use a
maximum of 3 drops in bath. Use
only under supervision of a qualified
physician and for no more than 2
weeks; may be toxic.
Ylang-ylang
Be careful not to use around eye area.
May cause nausea or headaches if
used excessively.
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11. Glossary:
Adrenal exhaustion
If you have been under continual stress your adrenal glands may be
exhausted. Fatigue and low body temperature are symptoms of
both low thyroid and impaired adrenal functions.
Candida
What is Candida Albicans (or Candida for short)? Candida is the
name given to yeast that lives in the bodies of each and every one
of us. These yeasts are generally found in the intestinal tract and
the vaginal regions. Under normal conditions, our body is easily
able to cope with the presence of these yeasts and our natural
defense system and beneficial bacteria control the spread of yeasts.
Unfortunately, there are certain situations that destroy our body’s
beneficial bacteria which keeps the yeasts in check and when this
happens, the yeasts can spread to areas that are normally out of
bounds. The introduction of contraceptive pills and antibiotics in
particular has played havoc with our body’s natural defense system
of beneficial bacteria and has contributed greatly to the increase of
Candida in Western society.
Cortisol
When you are under stress, your body’s adrenal glands release the
stress hormones cortisol and adrenalin. One of the jobs of cortisol
is to trigger the liver to release stored glycogen and fatty acids to
prepare the body’s muscles for “fight or flight”.
DHEA
There is much on-going research to study the effects of the
hormone DHEA on the aging process of the body. DHEA is a
hormone produced by the adrenal glands, and as such, when levels
of DHEA are elevated, it is easier to cope with stress. As with most
hormones, DHEA levels naturally decrease as we age. Researchers
are studying the effect of decreasing DHEA levels … in particular
they are studying the increased risk of diseases like cancer, heart
disease, obesity and loss of muscle mass when DHEA levels go
down.
Diabetes:
The longer you go on with elevated blood sugar levels and insulin
resistance, the higher your risk of developing Type II Diabetes
becomes. Lowering blood sugar count and insulin levels goes a
long way towards improving your body's resistance to insulin. This
in turn decreases your risk of developing Type II Diabetes.
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Essential Fatty Acids
Not all fats are bad for you. Essential fatty acids are exactly that:
essential to human life and like vitamins, these fatty acids cannot
be manufactured by the body and can only be obtained through our
diet.
There are 2 types of essential fatty acids: Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic
acid or LNA) and Omega-6 (linolenic acid or LA). Omega-3 fatty
acids are found in fish, walnuts, flaxseeds and dark green leafy
vegetables. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in nuts and seeds,
pulses, grains and avocado.
Food intolerances
Many people are sensitive or intolerant to various foods that are
commonly eaten and they don’t even know it. These foods may
even be favorite foods that are eaten on a regular basis. People
with food sensitivities exhibit a wide variety of symptoms including
fatigue, digestive disorders (constipation, diarrhea, flatulence,
burping, bloating), water retention, headaches and migraines, skin
rashes and eczema, sinus infections, nasal congestion, ear throat
infections, ADD, ADHD, tantrums, irritability, bed-wetting, asthma,
constantly clearing throat, muscle aches, and much more.
Hydrogenated fats
Hydrogenation is the process used to give oils a longer shelf life.
Hydrogen atoms are added to unsaturated oils making them more
saturated. This process postpones rancidity for months. This
process is used to produce margarines because hydrogenated oils
are more solid at room temperature.
Hypoglycemia:
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a common condition that goes
hand in hand with insulin resistance. There are different levels of
hypoglycemia. Diabetics who are on medication are at risk of going
into a hypoglycemic coma when blood sugar drops too low. People
who are not on medication rarely have their blood sugar drop so low
as to induce coma, however, insulin resistance causes their blood
sugar to constantly rise too high or drop too low.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is the term used for an under-active thyroid,
euthyroidism is a normal thyroid and hyperthyroidism is an
overactive thyroid. Hypothyroidism causes your metabolism to slow
down and often results in weight gain and makes losing weight
difficult.
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Insulin Resistance:
Insulin resistance causes glucose intolerance, which means your
body does not clear glucose out of your bloodstream fast enough
after eating starch or carbohydrates. Insulin resistance also causes
the cells to resist allowing the insulin to open the door that allows
glucose to enter.
This results in blood sugar staying in the bloodstream for longer
periods of time after eating, thereby increasing the incidence of
Diabetes. The body’s cells become more and more resistant to
insulin, which means less glucose gets cleared out of the
bloodstream and into the body’s cells. This results in the body
releasing more insulin to try to clear out the glucose. These high
levels of glucose and insulin traveling in the bloodstream have very
damaging effects on various systems throughout the body and if left
untreated, often diabetes will develop.
Metabolism
Metabolism is the name given to the burning of energy in order to
run all the involuntary systems of the body such as breathing, blood
circulation, waste elimination, muscle growth and repair, brain and
nerve functions … to name but a few. The energy required keeping
bodily functions running smoothly accounts for over 70% of the
calories we eat in a well-balanced healthy diet.
Omega-3 & 6 essential fatty acids
There are 2 types of essential fatty acids: Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic
acid or LNA) and Omega-6 (linolenic acid or LA). Omega-3 fatty
acids are found in fish, walnuts, flaxseeds and dark green leafy
vegetables. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in nuts and seeds,
pulses, grains and avocado.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome,
This is a syndrome that may or may not include many small cysts
on the ovaries. A simple explanation of a cyst is that it can be
compared to a balloon filled with water. The cysts associated with
PCOS are not cancerous, nor do they indicate a predisposition of
cancer. It is quite normal for ovaries to produce cysts and it is not
usually a problem. In most cases, cysts on the ovary are formed
from follicles that have developed but have not ovulated. PCOS is
a syndrome that is tied into the vicious cycle of insulin resistance
and hormonal imbalances including higher than normal levels of
estrogen and testosterone, and lower than normal levels of
progesterone.
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Serotonin
People who are sugar intolerant (particularly alcoholics or children
of alcoholics) have naturally low levels of serotonin in the brain. So
called “normal” people have adequate levels of serotonin in the
brain which means they can easily control impulses to eat sweets,
starches and alcohol (they don’t usually have to deal with food
cravings and where sweets are concerned they can “take it or leave
it”). Low levels of serotonin cause intense refined carbohydrate
cravings that are very difficult to ignore. In particular, these food
cravings trigger impulse eating that is difficult to control with
willpower alone.
Low levels of serotonin make you feel depressed and attack your
self-esteem and confidence. Exercising willpower and determination
becomes difficult. You give up because you feel you are fighting a
losing battle. Basically, low levels of serotonin attack your ability to
“just say no”.
Sugar intolerance
People who are sugar intolerant (particularly alcoholics or children
of alcoholics) have naturally low levels of serotonin in the brain. So
called “normal” people have adequate levels of serotonin in the
brain which means they can easily control impulses to eat sweets,
starches and alcohol (they don’t usually have to deal with food
cravings and where sweets are concerned they can “take it or leave
it”). Low levels of serotonin cause intense refined carbohydrate
cravings that are very difficult to ignore. In particular, these food
cravings trigger impulse eating that is difficult to control with
willpower alone.
Trans-fatty acids
The hydrogenation process produces trans-form fatty acids. These
trans-fats actually make essential fatty acid deficiency symptoms
worse and act as “anti-essential fatty acids”, that is, they decrease
our essential fatty acid metabolism.
Xenoestrogens
Xenoestrogens are external toxins that mimic estrogen, but in a
negative way. Natural estrogens are broken down by the body and
either used in different bodily functions or excreted by the liver.
Xenoestrogens on the other hand, do not breakdown in the body
and instead, they are trapped in the fat cells where they can stay
for a long time, causing many different negative responses in the
body including interfering with normal hormone function as well as
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being implicated in many lifestyle diseases including many different
types of cancer.
Yo-yo dieting
This is the process of losing weight and regaining it, over and over
again.
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105
12. Bibliography:
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106
Sears, Barry, PhD. The Anti-Aging Zone, Harper Collins Publishers
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 Geraldine Richard 2016
www.weightloss-dietfree.com