Many of you, since being members of our practice, and experiencing health in a completely new perspective, may have been looked at or called CRAZY when discussing your experience with friends and family, mainly because they are defending their own lack of knowledge or due to surprise, when finding out the truth, but still too new to accept philosophically.  You see, when you say to someone, “Hey Joe, are migranes the result of a lack of Tylenol or Aspirin in your blood?”  Joe (the typical American Mindset) would say “What do you mean?”  Well, Joe, you take either Tylenol or prescription strength IMITREX for your migrane headaches, which your M.D. prescribed you, so since the solution is to take these drugs, then the cause must be a lack of those chemicals in your body.  You could say the same thing for a child with recurrent otitis media (ear infections).  Since the answer from the M.D. is generally going to be ANOTHER round of anti-biotics, then the problem must have been a lack of anti-biotics in the bloodstream.  Now of course, with good logic, most people would read this and start to see how CRAZY that sounds, but the funny thing is THAT is what most people do for their healthcare, or should I say SICKcare.  It is simply a matter of perspective to see truth come out of a previously CRAZY or STRANGE idea.

 In the USA, we are not a healthy nation by any stretch of the imagination.  In fact we currently rank 37^th amoung industrialized nations ranked by the World Health Organization’s quality of health report.  37^th You ask?  Is it really that surprising?  We live in increasingly stressful times, where we barely have time to get home from work to have dinner with the family, in which the dinner probably doesn’t have any vegetables, and if it does they have been sprayed with pesticides and genetically modified.  (Is it any wonder cancer is the second leading cause of death?)  Who has time for exercise, unless they have had a heart attack, and were lucky enough to live, then they May make time.  Then there is the toxicity from drugs: it starts with Tylenol, antibiotics, and if you’re an American, twice as many vaccines as any other kid on the planet (did I forget to say we rank 37^th) , then birth control drugs, Ritalin, Aderol, well-butin and others as tweens and teens, then recreational drugs, then paxil for life stress, Ambien to help sleep, then estrogen replacement therapy….whoops I guess they already figured out that was a bad idea, then Lipitor, BP meds, meds for your bones, and all the other over the counter Dayquill, Nyquills, Afternoonquills, allergy meds, inhalers… should I stop?

Look, when the 3^rd leading cause of death is the side effects to medications, you may start to see that trying to live without medication is NOT such a CRAZY idea afterall.  But how do you do that you may ask?  Well, its not as easy as popping a pill, but it can be done, and a few Americans are doing it, by learning to understand the innate healing ability of the human body, and facilitation its function, rather that taking the batteries out of the alarm with drugs when something is producing a SYMPTOM.  This is why Dr. Arthur and I come to work everyday; to teach how to facilitate healing as well as to remove interference to healing with chiropractic adjustments that restore normal nerve connection.  If you don’t have a good nerve connection, the light bulb doesn’t shine as bright and you are less likely to adapt to stress in a healthy manner. In a society where most are sick, I want to be considered CRAZY in my view;  if I don’t then that means I’m in the norm, which means I’m probably sick too.  They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a DIFFERENT result.  I’d rather be CRAZY than insane!

 Much Love,

Dr. McKinley 

 PS – please forward this to loved ones you know need to hear it, without your voice, NOTHING will CHANGE!

That being said, I do want to spend a little time examining the following question:  “What symptom is bad for you?”  I generally ask this question at some point in all of our lectures, and I get great dialogue and creative answers.  You see, while headaches, fever, insomnia, depression, muscle aches, anxiety, and other symptoms may all “FEEL” bad, they are ALL very SMART alarms and/ or actions the body is innately making as part of a healing process.  Some of you may say, but how is depression good for you?  Well, I would counter, if I found out today a close family member died suddenly, and I felt no despair or depression but instead happiness, then THAT would be bad.  I didn’t say I like depression or sadness, but there are moments in one’s life, where that is the healthy response for the body.  This is the same with a runny nose and fever.  Sure, it feels bad, but it is a process the body must go through to achieve wellness. 

 For too often, we are our own worst enemy, because many of the teachings of our parents, and of western medicine, has taught us that SYMPTOMS are bad, and we should mask them as soon as possible with a chemical to FEEL better.  We see this in kids too!  Before trying natural processes like chiropractic care, parents are accepting diagnosis like asthma and ADHD as inherent problems with their kids , and are resigned to the fact that  their child must be on side effect ridden medications for life!  As babies, we overmedicate young immune systems with more vaccines than any other country in the world, and give a million rounds of antibiotics for ear infections.  All the while, the body was simply doing what it was designed or evolved to do.   

Anyone who exercises will tell you there is a “passage of pain.”  At some point during the exercise in order to grow, to improve, to get better, our bodies hit a point where we become very uncomfortable, to the point where you don’t know if you can go on.  It is at and beyond that point where our greatest growth takes place.  The body is going through the exact same thing when we have symptoms.  It doesn’t mean you are sick, it means your body is healing and getting stronger.  But, unfortunately, the majority of us don’t look these symptoms as a good thing.  We are trained from the time we are kids to avoid discomfort, to avoid symptoms.  So as adults, when we can’t handle life’s stresses, so we pump up with Paxil or Ambien to sleep, or Vicodin for pain, or Xanax for anxiety, or any of the other common presciptions out there.  And then we wonder why the average adult takes 8 prescription meds by the age of 55 (yes, true statistic), and that our health care system is causing us to go broke.   

Ok, now let me make myself clear one more time.  I ALSO do not like to GET symptoms, but I appreciate their purpose and like to listen and respond naturally to their meaning.  This is why I love getting regular adjustments for my family and I, so we have a clear communication pathway to our cells, tissues, and organs through our healthy nervous system.  This provides for a stronger adaptation to the stressors of life and when we do have symptoms our response is always faster than those bodies who don’t have a fine tuning, allowing us to have a better, more appropriate response to life’s stresses – whether that is a virus, an accident, etc.  (And I know that many of you get this as well because every single days we hear stories of children and adults getting sick, or having pain, and their bodies fighting it off much much easier than in the past before they started getting adjusted.  It’s why we come to work each day!  So keep those stories coming!)

Much respect

Dr. M

We have experience this turn of events as adults no doubt, such as our first flight in an airplane, 4G cell phones, or maybe even the idea of the internet itself.  At other times it might not be so obvious.  For example, for me to watch a patient/member of our practice see the this truth with the principle of chiropractic care and the adjustment for the achievement of optimal health through improving the efficiency of the nerves that feed info back to the brain and communicate to all cells of the body.

Someone might not know how they gained control of a paralyzed leg by just getting adjustments, or they might not know how they stopped having years of migranes or asthma through seemingly simple chiropractic care.  Once it happened though, at that point, they Believe it to be true because of the results they see and feel.

You see, you don’t need to know exactly how chiropractic adjustments improve these things anymore than you need to know how Tylenol can cause kidney failure.  Once you see it happen, you believe it to be true.  You may even also go on to study exactly how it happens, but most will be satisfied with just seeing and feeling it, like Nico was with the remote contol.  Once you see it happen, you believe it, and that phenomenon is what then forever changes your actions because of a new belief system.

This country and our world in general need a much better belief system when it comes to health and wellness.  Like many of you reading this, we have seen the truth, and we feel a passionate need to keep spreading it.  Please help us do the same.  Without your voice, enough beliefs won’t change and people will continue to treat their health ills with more pain relievers, antibiotics, anti-depressants, drugs for cholesterol, asthma, acid reflux, allergies, asthma and more.  Better health through better chemistry isn’t working, but because most belief systems are the same, we continue to look for answers in the wrong places.

Keep Spreading the TRUTH,

Much respect,

Dr. McKinley

Dear Doctor:

From the “just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not really out to get you” mailbag – I received a youtube video from constant source of information and inspiration Dr. Barry Warren, featuring a terrifying expose´ about the presence of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) in our milk and dairy products, from injecting cows with the substance to increase their milk production.

The conspiratorial cover-up ranges from tampering with a Fox News investigative report that was squashed over a decade ago to reports that both Canada and Europe had already moved to ban the use of this dangerous chemical. With a little more homework, I found that the effect of this practice is to increase the concentration of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in our bodies, especially in infants, and excessive IGF-1 is linked to colon, breast and prostate cancer.

In fact, while Monsanto, the producers of rBGH (brand name Posilac, also known as bovine somatotrophin) allegedly threatened Fox and drove them to prevent the piece from airing unless they were allowed to eviscerate it and remove words like “cancer” from it, this video also says that Fox tried to contain the reporters, Steve Wilson and Jane Akre, with bribery, threats of termination and other questionable tactics, apparently due to financial pressure from Monsanto.

To me, this is just a symptom of our departure from ”things natural,” and it is obvious that there is a price to pay – for example, our runaway health care costs are fed by such self-serving decision-making, and until we return to a culture that respects nature, evaluates the impact of our actions and errs on the side of health and wellness instead of avarice, we can expect more of this rampant disregard for our safety.

Dennis Perman DC, for The Masters Circle

Do you have the Winter Blues?

It’s March, which means the highly anticipated spring and summer months are right around the corner! However, the dark, cold winter season tends to linger through the spring, especially in the great city of Chicago. Many people might even go as far to say that the winter season wears out its welcome.

During the cold season, we generally stay indoors and crave warming foods, many of which are heavier foods that help keep us insulated and grounded throughout the winter months. In a way, we are in a state of hibernation in which we slow down our lifestyles and isolate ourselves to stay warm. This slower lifestyle and the absence of the warm, bright sun can often have an effect on our mood. Thus, many people get the “winter blues.”

Here are a few quick tips that will help improve your mood and get you ready for the warm summer months:

Exercise

Exercise as much as possible! This may seem like the very last thing you want to do; however, it is one of the most crucial things you can do to improve your mood. Whether it’s running on a treadmill, weight-lifting, exercising to a DVD in your living room or even cleaning your house, keep your body moving and stay off the couch! There are numerous studies that have indicated a drop in depressive symptoms due to exercise. Exercise can improve your self-esteem, lift your mood and increase your energy as well as release stress, anxiety and frustration.

Listen to Music

The power of music is absolutely amazing! Depending on the type of tune, music can put you in a totally different state of mind. You can pick from jazz, country, pop, rock, etc. I encourage you to put on your favorite “happy” tunes to help you escape your “winter blues.” Even better, dance to your favorite tunes to combine the power of music with exercise. Just remember to strive for an uplifting tune that gives you energy and fills you with happiness.

Eat a Healthy Diet

It’s important to eat a healthy diet regardless of time of year. However, the winter season makes it even more important to avoid foods that may lead to feelings of depression. I recommend eating a diet rich in fresh, seasonal foods that are filled with vitamins and minerals, not processed foods that have been stripped of their nutritional value. According to the British Journal of Psychiatry, people have a 58 percent higher risk of depression if their diet is heavily made up of processed foods, such as sugary and fried foods, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products.

Socialize

During the cold months be sure to make an effort to socialize with friends and family. I recommend putting a date on the calendar every week that allows you to escape your winter isolation and enjoy the comfort of other people. You can socialize by talking on the phone, meeting someone for lunch/dinner, or even going to a café. The smallest gesture, such as a smile or hello from someone, can make a significant impact on your mood.

It’s not too late to brighten up your “winter blues.” These quick tips will not only help you through the rest of the season, but they will also help you maintain a happier and healthier lifestyle throughout the year.

Do you have the winter blues? Have you faced challenges getting through the winter season? Share your thoughts below.

Natalie Drugan, Founder of Brumberry and Certified Health Coach

Brumberry is my nutrition and lifestyle coaching practice. I offer coaching (in-person and by phone nationwide) to individuals and groups who want to improve their health and happiness. I empower individuals to make healthy and informed choices that significantly improve their diet and lifestyle.

Fish Oil

As many of you know one of the dietary supplements that we are constantly reminding our patients of the importance of is Fish Oil – Omega 3 Fatty Acids. A number of new studies have come out that re-enforce this view (my comments in italics):

• “Fish oil may help prevent onset of psychosis” – Archives of General Psychiatry
Omega-3 fatty acids make up a large portion of your nervous system including your brain and the coverings of your nerves. It makes complete sense that people who are lacking in Omega 3, and thus need supplementation, are prone to psychotic disorders.

• “Mercury, Fish Oils, and the Risk of Myocardial Infarction” – New England Journal of Medicine,

Conclusions: The toenail mercury level was directly associated with the risk of myocardial infarction, and the adipose-tissue DHA level was inversely associated with the risk. High mercury content may diminish the cardioprotective effect of fish intake.
• Association of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels With Telomeric Aging in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease – Journal of American Medical Association

Conclusion: Among this cohort of patients with coronary artery disease, there was an inverse relationship between baseline blood levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids and the rate of telomere shortening over 5 years.

• Cholesterol Drug Lowers LDL-C Levels But Again Fails to Show Clinical Benefit – Journal of American Medical Association

These studies support the idea that cholesterol levels do not determine risk for heart disease – the inflammatory state of the body does. People with high levels of blood Omega 3 fatty acids benefit from their anti-inflammatory properties – they prevent damage to blood vessel walls. If those walls aren’t getting damaged then cholesterol deposition and plaqueing doesn’t occur. While people with heart disease tend to have high cholesterol, that correlation doesn’t equal causation. This is the reason that the drug doesn’t affect heart disease rates even though it lowers cholesterol levels, yet the fish oil supplements work – the fish oil addresses the true cause, a pro-inflammatory state in the body, while the drug doesn’t. Be sure to comment or talk to us in the office if you have any questions on how to pick the right fish oil supplement for you!

Medical Ethics

• Antipsychotics, Nursing Homes and the Feds’ Case Against J&J from WSJ.com: Health Blog

The feds say J&J paid kickbacks to a big nursing-home pharmacy company to get the company to prescribe more of its drugs, including the antipsychotic Risperdal. The allegation isn’t a huge surprise: The pharmacy company, Omnicare, paid $98 million last year to settle allegations that it had solicited and received kickbacks from J&J in exchange recommending the company’s antipsychotic drug Risperdal.

• “FDA More Pro Industry Than Any Time in 35 Years” By MERRILL GOOZNER, THE HEALTH CARE BLOG
So says Jim Dickinson, editor of FDAWebview, an industry newsletter that closely follows enforcement issues at the agency.

• Feds Accuse Doc of Faking Research On Pfizer & Merck Drugs by Wall Street Journal Blog

Federal prosecutors accused Reuben of health-care fraud for allegedly faking data that suggested after-surgery benefits from painkillers including Merck’s Vioxx and Pfizer’s Bextra and Celebrex, the Justice Department said yesterday. The Justice announcement said he faces as much as a 10-year sentence and a $250,000 fine.

Remember, health care is big business, in fact it is the biggest business. While most doctors want the best for their patients, corporations such as health insurance companies and big pharmaceutical firms have as their sole motivator the bottom line. The ties between government and these businesses run deep. For example, as we talked about in our Good, Bad, Ugly workshop, the most recent head of the CDC, the person who spearheaded the effort to mass vaccinate against the swine flu, recently left to take a position as the head of vaccination for Merck. Is she being rewarded for her efforts? Efforts that made vaccine companies billions as governments were scared into buying vaccines for a “pandemic” that never really materialized. This is why it is best to take your health into your own hands, be proactive, and live a healthy lifestyle so you don’t need to take Vioxx, or Celebrex, or Phen-Phen, or any of the hundreds of other drugs that we find out are ultimately not safe.

Finally to end on a positive note: Here’s a link to five healthy salad recipes to start you on your way! (Note: Those of you on detox/purification will need to modify these to meet your program parameters)

Have you ever heard of a GMO? How about a GMO as it pertains to our food? If you haven’t, you are not alone. GMOs are quite common in our food supply, yet they have a very mysterious way of disguising themselves throughout our grocery store shelves. Thus, I have provided the ABCs to GMOs in hopes of providing a clear understanding to this confusing alphabet soup.

About GMOs

A GMO is a genetically modified organism. Genetic modification is the process of adding or removing genes from an organism’s DNA; these genes can be derived from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals, or even humans. The most commonly genetically modified (GM) foods are soybeans, corn, cottonseed, canola and recently sugar beets; many of these foods have had their natural DNA altered with the insertion of bacterial genes. GMOs make up approximately 70% of our food supply, which are primarily found in processed foods¹.

Basis for GMOs

My optimistic self wants to believe that the basis for GMOs came from good intentions, such as preventing a famine. However, common sense tells me that it’s possibly one of the worst ideas that came true to form. Why you ask? Many genetically modified (GM) foods are created to withstand large quantities of herbicides, poisons that kill unwanted plants, which in turn allow crops to flourish while everything else dies around them. While this method has been known to deliver an abundance of food to our dinner tables, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the healthiest of foods. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to ingest food that survives poison, while every other living thing dies near it. Additionally, I have not been genetically modified to withstand such a toxin nor will I ever want to be for that matter.

Concerns about GMOs

GMOs have been known to cause a wealth of health concerns, including a rise in allergies, especially among young children, weakened immune and digestive systems and organ failure among mammals. According to a recent study, genetically modified corn has been linked to kidney and liver (both detoxifying organs) failure in rats. Additionally, GM foods have not been around long enough for us to truly understand the long term effects they may have on our body.

What is also alarming is that the vast amount of our livestock is fed genetically modified feed, which can not only have adverse affects on the animal, but on us as well. I am constantly reminded by the phrase, “you are what you eat,” and in this case you are what the animal and plant eats – poison. Not only are excessive amounts of poison proven unhealthy, but they are extremely harmful to the environment.

So, what can we do to avoid these type of foods? Unfortunately, we do not have clear labels that easily identify genetically modified foods. However, there is good news!  You can avoid GMOs by eating organic foods – just look for the official USDA organic label. By law, these foods cannot be altered from their natural state. Additionally, you can download the following “non-GMO shopping guide” to assist you on your next shopping trip.

Are you unsure about the foods that are currently in your pantry? Do you have additional questions about GMOs? Would you like support and guidance to improve your health?  Please leave questions and comments below!

Natalie Drugan, Founder of Brumberry and Certified HealthCounselor

Brumberry is my nutrition and lifestyle counseling practice. I offer counseling (in-person and by phone nationwide) to individuals and groups who want to improve their health and happiness. I empower individuals to make healthy and informed choices that significantly improve their diet and lifestyle.

¹Food, Inc.

In last week’s article we highlighted two causes for the pro-inflammatory state:  the stress response and the food we eat.  Let’s talk first about how to promote a proper, balanced, stress response in your body.  We have two general classifications of nervous system stimuli, nociception (negative body thoughts) and mechanoreception (positive body thoughts).  Nociceptive input, or negative body thoughts, are stimuli such as pain, chemicals, inflammation, lack of motion, negative emotions or emotional trauma.  These nervous system stimuli cause a stress reponse in the body, leading to sympathetic effects that we outlined last week: increased insulin resistance, increase blood lipid and cholesterol levels (LDL up, HDL down), etc.  The chronic accumulation of these negative effects leads to the pro-inflammatory state and the eventually development of chronic disease (note that this accumulation occurs even in the abscense of pain or symptoms). 

We are very lucky that are body has given us a mechanism to control nociceptive input.  This mechanism the result of the second general type of stimuli:  mechanoreception (positive body thoughts).  These receptors detect positive body input such as movement, posture, positive emotions, good biochemical nutrients, etc.  Because of nervous system connections in the brain and spinal cord, the stimulation of these mechanoreceptors inhibit or block the effects of the negative stimuli (nociception).  This is HUGE!  It means we have the key to prevent heart disease, diabetes, depression, cancer, and much more!  We don’t need a drug to mask the effects, we simply have to promote healthy mechanoreceptive input in our lives.

In what ways can we promote healthy mechanoreceptive input?  The biggest key is movement, both globally and segmentally.  Global body movement such as exercise stimulates mechanoreceptors in muscle tissue.  The act of contracting and relaxing muscles stimulates the receptors repetitively.  Ever wonder why seemingly every day there is a new article that talks about exercise preventing ______?  This is why:  exercise promotes proper nervous system function! 

Segmental motion is also very important.  Segmental motion refers to motion at specific joints in the body.  Certain joints, like those in your cervical spine, have large numbers of mechanoreceptors.  When we lose motion at one of these joints, we see large negative effects, conversely, when we stimulate or movement these joints we see powerful results.  This is what we are doing with the chiropractic adjustment, and why we see such powerful results with not only pain conditions but chronic diseases such as allergies, asthma, depression, seizures, etc.  The chiropractic adjustment is a very large mechanoreceptor stimulant!  This is why chiropractic care is vital to a wellness lifestyle!

As we mentioned before, the food we eat plays a major role in causing a pro-inflammatory state.  We need to stay away from foods containing white sugar and white flour as these are turned into power inflammatory stimulants in our body.  Almost all processed food contains corn products, which are high in Omega-6 fatty acids (in part 1 we talked about how these fatty acids effect the body).  We need increase our intake of Omega-3 fatty acids:  best done by eating more cold water fish and taking a fish oil supplement.  When we eat meat, we need to eat free range beef or chicken.  These animals eat grass, they have proper ratios of Omega 3: Omega 6.  Farm raised animals are fed feed made from corn – they have very high Omega 6 levels.  Finally we need to eat fruits and vegetables, preferably as raw as possible.  These have excellant anti-inflammatory products in them.  When you cook, try to make sure they retain as much color as possible, i.e. steaming, stir frying (with olive or canola oil).

In the end the science continues to validate what people have instinctively known since Greek times:  how you live you life, your lifestyle, directly determines your health and the quality of your life.  In the last 80 years, with the advances in medicine and pharmacology, we have been sidetracked.  We have looked outward, hoping to find a pill or a potion that will somehow give us health.  The reasons for this we’ll save for another post.  But understand this (this is the key to wellness), your body is smart.  It evolved for millions of years without cholesterol medications, or any other medications.  You have all the tools necessary for health and wellness already in you.  You just have to do the thing necessary to allow your body to use the tools.  You simple have to flip the switch, live a wellness livestyle, and you’ll have the health that you want and need.

As we know heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in this country at over 450,000 people in 2008 accounting for $448.5 billion spent.  Since the eighties we have been taught that the primary cause of heart disease is high cholesterol levels causing plaque in the arteries.  Because of this belief, statin drugs have become the highest selling drugs in history, of which Lipitor is the most popular.  Today, though, we are starting to see a shift in this thinking as more and more people are coming to the realization that while the high cholesterol=heart disease connection is great marketing for the drug companies, we continue to see staggering levels of heart disease even as millions of people take these medications. 

If high cholesterol was the cause of heart disease and millions of people are on medications to lower it, shouldn’t we see less and less levels of heart disease? 

Why do we see countries with high average cholesterol levels have comparatively low rates of heart disease?

The good news is more and more attention is starting to be placed on what I believe is the real cause of heart disease (and many other chronic diseases including cancer and diabetes): a pro-inflammatory state in the body as the result of a pro-inflammatory lifestyle.  MSNBC recently had an article outlining a new $20 million study sponsered by the Federal government that is going to take a look at Fish Oil and Vitamin D supplementation and their effect on heart disease rates.  I suspect that this study will show a decrease in those populations supplementing with Fish Oil and Vitamin D as these supplements have anti-inflammatory properties which help to offset the damage done by the typical American lifestyle.

Let’s take a look at what we mean by a pro-inflammatory state in the body.  We cause a pro-inflammatory state in two ways:  our body’s stress response and food we eat.  First we’ll talk about the stress response.  The autonomic nervous system is the part of your nervous system that controls sub-conscious, visceral function.  It can be divided into two parts, the parasympathetic and sympathetic.  You may have heard the sympathetic nervous system called the “flight or fight response.”  Basically what happens is this:  when we are stressed, whether by a tiger jumping out at us, by a fight with our spouse, or any other negative stimulus, the sympathetic nervous system sends signals to organs and glands causing an increase in catabolic activites (heart rate, blood pressure) and a decrease in anabolic activities (sex glands, digestion, growth, cellular immunity).  The sympathetic nervous system also stimulates the adrenal glands to release catecholamines (adrenaline, epinephrine, etc) and cortisol.  These hormones cause a cascade of actions that, in a short-term stress situation are necessary, but if allowed to continue unchecked can have devastating effects.   Some (but not all) of these effects include:

• increased blood glucose levels and increased insulin resistance
• increase blood lipid and cholesterol levels (LDL up, HDL down)
• increase in body adipose (fat) tissue
• increased clotting factors
• increased vasoconstriction
• increased feelings of stress, fear, anxiety
• and much more.

The chronic accumulation of these effects is the pro-inflammatory state, leading to what is termed high Allostatic Load.  A high allostatic load causes your body to not be able to adapt to stress properly, leading to chronic disease.

The other way we cause a pro-inflammatory state is by the food we eat.  Dr. David Seaman writes extensively on how certain foods we eat are converted into inflammatory products in the body.  His book, Clinical Nutrition for Pain, Inflammation, and Tissue Healing, is a great resource for exactly how this happens.  To summarize, we need to stay away from grains, white sugar, white flour, and especially corn products.  These foods are converted into pro-inflammatory products in the body (we need these products to heal properly, the problem is that most of us have way too much).  One example of how this happens is with Omega-6 fatty acids.  Omega-6 fatty acids are ingested and then converted in the body to pro-inflammatory products.  This conversion is increased in the presense of trans fat and insulin (whose levels are raised due to the Stress Response).  We ingest Omega-6 fatty acids when we eat corn and corn derived products, which is present in almost every processed food we eat as well as most of our meat (beef, chicken, and pork).  A great book on our food supply and its components is “The Omnivores Delimma” by Michael Pollen.

How does a pro-inflammatory state lead to heart disease? The pro-inflammatory state causes the perfect storm when it comes to heart disease.  All of the effects, and then some, that we listed above contribute to damage to our vessel walls.  In a nutshell this is what happens:  the chronic inflammatory products (including free radicals) that are rushing through the blood vessels cause the walls of those vessels to become weak.  The body rushes to fix them using clotting factors.  Fat also becomes trapped in the walls.  Over time this happens enough that the vessels eventually become clogged, leading to a heart attack.

Looking at this process you may ask:  If my vessels walls are becoming clogged with fat (cholesterol) doesn’t it make sense to lower my cholesterols levels?  Furthermore, don’t studies show a correlation between cholesterol levels and heart disease rates? The answer to the first questions is no.  The level of cholesterol in your blood doesn’t matter, the level of damage caused by inflammation does.  You can have high levels of cholesterol in your blood, but if your vessels walls are not being damaged then you will not develop plaque in the arteries.  This is the reason countries like France, despite having high average cholesterol levels, have comparatively low rates of heart disease.  Conversely, lower levels of cholesterol due no good if the vessels wall are damaged due to inflammation.  This goes back to the question we posed in the beginning:  why is our rate of heart disease so high if so many people are taking cholesterol meds?  The answer:  because the cholesterol level doesn’t matter! It’s a fancy number, but unless you’re making lifestyle change to prevent a pro-inflammatory body state you’re still going to be at risk.

The answer to second question,”don’t studies show a correlation between cholesterol levels and heart disease rates?”, is actually true.  The reason is simple, one of the effects of chronically high catecholamine and cortisol levels is an increase in the body’s production of LDL (and decrease in HDL).  Furthermore, people who live a pro-inflammatory lifestyle consume high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, cholesterol, and trans-fat.  In the end though, as we outlined, the problem is not the high cholesterol damaging the blood vessels, it’s the chronically high levels of inflammatory products circulating as a result of lifestyle.

As you can see, heart disease is a completely preventable disease caused by your lifestyle.  You don’t have to be enslaved by a number.  In our next post we’ll talk about what you can do to prevent heart disease in yourself and your loved ones.