We’re home from the Low Carb Cruise – and missing it! If you read my blog and you’re on a weight loss mission, I highly encourage signing up for next years Cruise. If you’re a Health Nut, like me!, I highly encourage signing up for next years Cruise. The speakers were fantastic, the people were wonderful, and then there’s the whole “cruise” part of it – I LOVE CRUISES!!! Theme cruises are the best!
Today I want to give you the blogs of the doctors who spoke to us (information = power over your own health), and some of the facts I learned at the lectures. Most of the doctors who spoke are members of the American Bariatric Physicians ( not bariatric surgeons, that’s different).
Jimmy Moore is the leader and creator of the Low Carb Cruise, and this is the link to his site. You’ll find hundreds and hundreds of free podcasts loaded with information from top doctors and scientists who are literally at the forefront of Real Information ( as opposed to Pharmaceutical Sponsored Information).
Dr Eric Westman, from Duke University led the lectures, he runs a weight-loss/ketogenic clinic at Duke that I’ve been invited to attend and “shadow” this summer – YES!!! Dr. Westman is the current President of the American Society for Bariatric Physicians. Link to his clinic and information here.
Dr. Jeffrey Gerber is Denvers Diet Doctor, check out his blog here. His May 26 blog post contains the pdf link to the Power Point on Cholesterol he presented at our conference.
Dr. Adam Nally hails from Arizona, check out his blog here. I loved this guy and will definitely be following him. He’s incredibly passionate about health, God, and Country.
Col. Phillip Blair, MD, is in Florida. He was a Family Physican for his first 20 years, but now specializes in Chronic Disease and Kidney’s. Read about him here, and then click on the HOME PAGE for the Space Doc site – wow. This one is jam packed with information on cholesterol, fat, the latest studies, etc. Got a question about a statin, your ratios, or what something means, go here.
Dr. Michael Fox, Reproductive Endocrinologist/Fertility specialist, doesn’t have a blog, but here’s a link to a podcast with him. He talks about diet’s role in fertility, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), and hormonal health. Hint: hormones are made from fat and cholesterol !
Dr. Jayson and Myra Carlton run Carlton Nutrition, with an ENORMOUS focus on food quality, and how to do the Real Whole Food lifestyle. Find them here.
There were a few presenting docs who don’t have sites:( , and some professors who didn’t either:(, but these 7 provide more than enough resources to make a difference in your health, or the health of someone you love. I hope you check out their blogs; the only way to make an improvement in your health is by treating the root cause of your symptoms. Band-aiding symptoms with drugs DOESN’T EVER SOLVE A PROBLEM; DRUGS MASK PROBLEMS AND ALLOW THEM TO QUIETLY CONTINUE. These doctors aren’t Main Stream/Pharmaceutical Driven docs who just treat symptoms with drugs. They get to the ROOT OF THE SYMPTOMS!
What I Learned, Part 2. Here’s some bullet points:
– Dr. Blair talked a lot about Glycation; or the dangerous effect high blood sugar has on the proteins in our blood and our body ( proteins form our brain, kidneys, thyroid, joints, etc). He said to picture the outside crust of a grilled cheese sandwich and apply that to the proteins that make your body. FYI, glycation in a nutshell is when sugar/glucose IN-APPROPRIATELY attach to proteins (cells), damages them, and then ruins their ability to function and communicate. Example: Our skin is protein (collagen), the Wrinkles and Age Spots you see? That’s Glycation. That’s happening on the inside too.
– Cancer Cells are LOADED with INSULIN RECEPTORS. If you’re eating carbs, you’re feeding your cancer. That’s simplistic, but accurate.
– Cancer cells LOVE sugar/glucose; and they’re morphed/demented ( what’s the right word?) in their formation so that they absorb MUCH more glucose than normal cells ( thanks to the excess Insulin Receptors). Apparently, we have cancer cells in us all the time, we either feed and nurture them, or we don’t. We have some control over this. Take control.
– Ketones suppress tumor growth. ( from me: Ketones also have “anti-seizure” effects.)
– Every single group in America, the young, the old, different races, the rich, the poor, and the middle class, have GAINED WEIGHT since our government instituted a Low Fat, High Carb paradigm. Despite Unbelievable Failure, the policies continue.
– Number 1 Cause of Obesity: Insulin Resistance ( and what makes the pancreas release Insulin? Carbohydrate.). Number 2 Cause: sedentary lifestyle. Number 3 Cause (5 – 10%): metabolic deficiencies, i.e. thyroid, cortisol, etc. THIS IS SO IN OUR CONTROL.
– Fat Cells make at LEAST 100 Hormones; and the bigger a fat cell gets, the sicker it gets. Some of the hormones? Estrogen, and Inflammatory Cytokines.
– If you are Insulin Resistant, (and there’s a good chance you are if you live in America and eat carbs several times a day), Insulin stays in your blood for up to 12 hours!! When Insulin is in your blood, ZERO FAT BURNING HAPPENS. ZERO. ZERO.
– Alcohol. There’s just no way to make this come out good for us; we’re not French Women or Italian Men. We’re Americans, and we’re metabolically damaged:( Alcohol ALWAYS induces insulin, even if it’s glucose and fructose free; ALCOHOL becomes ETHANOL in the LIVER, the ETHANOL is converted to TRIGLYCERIDES (triglycerides are Fat), and the triglycerides are stored in the liver and fat cells.
– Eat a lot of fruit, or drink fruit juice, or worse, High Fructose Corn Syrup? Fructose always induces Insulin, raises the bad cholesterol, raises the bad triglycerides, and raises blood pressure. This applies TO OUR CHILDREN ALSO. They’re not immune to damage just because they’re young or skinny.
Whew. That’s enough for today. The take away: our health is in our hands. When we get sick, we’re not drug deficient; we’ve messed up our cells. Our body wants – and can – repair and rebuild; but if we’re destroying our body faster than it can fix itself, we’re in trouble.
Repeat to yourself: Real Whole Food, Real Whole Food.