"Faux-Oatmeal" and Facts on ASTHMA

What causes asthma? Inflammation of the lungs. What causes inflammation of the lungs...Sugar, starch, "complex" carbohydrates, food allergies, tran-fats...shall I go on?

One reason I will focus on is food allergies, which can develop when food is not properly digested which causes fermentation activated by yeast in the intestines. One reason for the lack of digestion is the "ROUND UP" ready seeds in Monsanto's corn, soy and GMO foods (click HERE to learn more). This process further increases the amount of yeast in the digestive tract. The increase level of yeast causes the increased penetrability of the wall of the intestine, which can cause "leaky gut syndrome". The undesired micro-organisms (yeast) enter the blood stream and attack different parts of the body (lungs, vagina, kidneys, brain, and other organs). This can create asthma, yeast infections, allergies, sinus infections, chronic fatigue, depression...Yikes!

Eating food high in starch (even "complex carbohydrates") are just glucose molecules hooked together in long chains; which increase blood sugar levels. This in turn rapidly increases the problem; yeast LOVES sugar! Sugar and starchy foods cause the blood sugar to rise fast and then plummet to under the normal healthy level. The drop of blood sugar causes the production of serotonin to go down and cause depression. The decrease of serotonin causes the production of histamine, which causes the expansion of blood vessels. Over expansion of blood vessels causes liquid in the blood vessels to leak out. When liquid leaks out into sinus area it causes nasal drip. When it drips into the bronchi, it causes asthma. When it drips into the brain, it causes headaches and migraines.

Another cause of asthma is a diet high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in rich in omega-3 fatty acids. When that balance is out of whack, inflammation can set in.

Many mineral deficiencies can also cause asthma. One of which is magnesium, which is possibly the single most important nutrient for managing asthma because of its multiple effects on the asthmatic condition. It is extremely powerful in the relaxation of bronchial muscle, resulting in a reduction of bronchospasm and increased airways diameter. Magnesium stimulates the production of AMP and ATP, two important mediators that create relaxation of bronchospasm. Magnesium also reduces the histamine response, which calms inflammation. Patients suffering from asthma often have high histamine release from white blood cells, which causes inflammation and bronchoconstriction. Magnesium will dull this response.

If you would like more information on getting rid of asthma through food and therapeutic supplements, please contact me for a consult. Click HERE for more information.

BUT, for now try this recipe which is filled with omega 3's and magnesium! It is also low in starch and sugar. Enjoy and Happy Breathing!

FAUX OATMEAL
1 cup of warm almond milk (or coconut milk)
2 TBS freshly ground flaxseeds OR Coconut Flour
4 TBS vanilla Jay Robb egg white or whey protein
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 drop stevia glycerite
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
Optional: you can add some nuts or unsweetened coconut flakes to this recipe.

Combine warm milk, flax, whey, stevia, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir well and let sit for a few minutes or overnight until the “oatmeal” thickens (if you grind your flaxseed fresh, it will thicken and it will have tons of Omega 3's). Enjoy! Makes 1 serving.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Oatmeal = 187 calories, 29 carbs, 2.8g fiber
"Healthified" Oatmeal = 169 calories, 5 carbs, 4.5 fiber
(The above chart is from Here)

FOODS TO EAT for High Blood Pressure

Are you on a high grain, low fat diet...like most American's? If you are reading my blog...probably not, BUT if you know someone who has high blood pressure, how are they eating?

Most people who are insulin resistant also have high blood pressure, and insulin resistance is directly caused by a high sugar, high grain (even "complex carbs") diet. So high blood pressure and uncontrolled blood sugar go hand in hand.

As your insulin level increases, so does your blood pres­sure. Insulin stores magnesium, but if your insulin receptors are blunted and your cells grow resistant to insulin, you can’t store magnesium so it passes out of your body through urination. Magnesium in your cells relaxes muscles. If your magnesium level is too low, your blood vessels will constrict rather than relax, which will raise your blood pressure and decrease your energy level. Most American's are very deficient in Magnesium. To check for signs check out my book: Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism.

Insulin also affects your blood pressure by causing your body to retain sodium. Sodium retention causes fluid retention. Fluid retention in turn causes high blood pressure, and can lead to congestive heart failure.

To enhance your heart health, the first thing ISN'T to count sodium (WELL, I would get rid of junky table salt and use a quality mineralized salt), it is to remove all grains and sugars, mainly fructose, from your diet until blood pressure and weight is under control. Eating sug­ar and grains (in­cluding ANY type of bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, or ANY type of rice) will cause your insulin levels, and your blood pressure.

Fructose is a sugar that can only be metabolized by the liver, which breaks down into a variety of waste products that are unhealthy for your body, one of which is uric acid. Uric acid drives up your blood pressure by inhibiting the nitric oxide in your blood vessels. Nitric oxide helps your vessels maintain their elasticity, so nitric oxide suppression leads to increases in blood pressure. The average American now consumes 70 grams of fructose EVERY day!

STEPS FOR SUCCESS:
Avoid foods that boost insulin levels. Even whole, organic grains will rapidly break down to sugars, so they too should be avoided. "Complex Carbs" are just glucose molecules hooked together in long chains.



1. Skip the:
Breads, try my "Heathified" BREADS, WAFFLES, BAGELS
Pasta, try my "Healthified" PASTA IDEAS
Rice, try my "Healthified" CAULIFLOWER RICE
Cereal, try my "Healthified" COCOA CRISPIES
Potatoes, try my "Healthified" FAUX-TATOES!
Cookies, try my "Healthified" Oreos

2. INCREASE VITAMIN C: While vitamin C may be helpful, you'll also want to avoid eating too many fruits; the types and amounts being adjusted based on your nutritional type.

3. ADD GARLIC: One food that can be helpful for reducing your blood pressure is crushed, raw garlic.

4. Optimize vitamin D levels – Healthy vitamin D levels can have a powerful effect on normalizing your blood pressure. Low Vitamin D levels is associated with an increased risk for heart disease. Vitamin D has a positive impact on diabetes...it’s all linked together.

5. Balance your omega-6 to omega-3 fat ratio – Most Americans eating a standard American diet have a ratio of 25:1, which is super unbalanced. The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is 1:1. To achieve this, lower the amount of vegetable oils in your diet, and consume high quality, animal-based source of omega-3s.

6. Take a Magnesium Supplement: Taking 400mg of Magnesium Glycinate right away in AM (blood pressure is highest in the morning) AND 400mg just before bed will help your blood vessels relax. Our food supply doesn't have the magnesium that it once did so a supplement is necessary.

Click HERE to find proper vitamins and minerals to help control blood pressure naturally! 

VIACTIV Calcium Chews

I am officially repulsed by advertising! I knew that there would be corn syrup in these "so-called" healthy calcium supplements, but TRANS-FAT! How ridiculous! AND I didn't think that corn syrup would be the first ingredient...no wonder they taste so good. Sugar upsets the calcium/phosphorus ratio in the blood more than any other single factor. It also stresses the adrenal glands and upsets the hormone balance which affects calcium metabolism.

INGREDIENTS: Corn Syrup, Calcium Carbonate, Sugar, Nonfat Milk, Butter, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (soybean and cottonseed), Soy Lecithin, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Glyceryl Monostearate, Carrageenan, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phosphate, Vitamin D3, Vitamin K1

The United States has some of the highest calcium intakes in the entire world, yet we have the highest rate of hip fractures! So why is this??? One reason is that it doesn't supply adequate magnesium. Studies of our ancestors' pre-agricultural diets indicate that magnesium was probably consumed at about a 1:1 ratio with calcium. But now, the Calcium-Magnesium ratio is 12:1 in dairy. Since calcium and magnesium compete for the same absorption mechanisms, the imbalanced intake associated with our modern diet may well lead to magnesium deficiency. One feature of magnesium deficiency is the inhibition of osteoblasts (the cells that build and maintain bones).

Calcium imbalance symptoms may include fatigue, depression, defensiveness, muscle weakness, pain, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, kidney stones and gallstones. Others are bone spurs, rigidity, slow metabolism, constipation, social withdrawal and spondylitis (rigidity and inflammation of the spine). Don't get me wrong, most people need more calcium, BUT we need quality calcium to get into our bones...not just poor quality supplements that are going to cause problems. We need more calcium due to the pasteurization of milk, and the consumption of grains, sugar, and other nutritional imbalances (such as low vitamin D levels and inadequate magnesium intake). In addition, impaired digestion, intestinal infections, and stress all reduce calcium absorption, digestion and utilization.

A diet high in phytic acid, which is found in the bran of whole grains, interferes with calcium absorption. This acid binds to a variety of minerals including calcium, to form insoluble salts, called phytates, which are wasted from the body. Since grains are a relatively new food, from an evolutionary perspective, it appears that we have not yet developed digestive tracts which can break down these phytates.


Some of my favorite calcium filled foods and recipes are:
1. KALE (I LOVE my Kale Chips),
2. Cottage Cheese (Pumpkin Pancakes)
3. Cheddar cheese (BBQ Chicken Lasagna)
4. Sesame seeds (Salad Crisps)
5. Canned Salmon (salmon patties)
6. Pecans/Walnuts/Brazil Nuts (Protein Pecan Sandies)
7. Cabbage (my Pasta)
8. Broccoli/spinach (Italian Casserole)
9. Rhubarb (Bread Pudding)
10. Almonds, almond flour, almond milk (Goldfish Crackers AND most of my recipes:)
11. Brewer's yeast (my homemade POPCORN)
12. Artichokes (Easy Casserole)
13. Shrimp (Coconut Shrimp)
14. Sunflower Seeds (No Bake Energy Bars)
15. Peanuts (Nutter Butters)
16. Eggs (Pizza Bites)

Check out my cookbook Nutritious and Delicious for tons of Calcium-Filled Recipes!

Additional awesome sources of Calcium = kelp, sardines with bones, bok choy, watercress, parsley, ripe olives, romaine lettuce, pumpkin seeds, celery, and fish.

So with all of these options, if you get the grains, sugar, acidic sodas and fruit juices out of your diet...do you really need to chow down on a junk filled calcium chew??? NO, just spend the money on quality food.

To read more on WHAT supplements to take, check out my book: Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism.