Diet & Nutrition

Tried every diet but still cannot lose weight….this might be the cause.

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Have you tried every diet there is including LCHF or the Paleo-diet but still cannot lose weight? Toxins may be the answer. It is well known that toxic chemicals may reduce the reproductive capacity and increase the risk for cancer. What is less known is that the ability to lose weight can be severely reduced by toxic chemicals. Weight loss due to chemicals can become difficult since toxins can interfere with the part of the hormonal system that regulates metabolism. Toxins can also damage fat cells and contribute to increased intoxication syndrome during weight loss since toxins accumulates in fat tissue. In 1982 and 1987, the Environmental Protection Agency did adipose (fat) tissue samples throughout the U.S. 100 % of the samples had solvents and dioxins, 83 % of the samples had PCBs. The Environmental Protection Agency also identified nine other harmful toxins in 90% of the samples.

The toxins send signals to genes in fat cells to generate new fat cells. These new fat cells are often damaged and cannot create the hormone leptin, which is needed for weight loss. Also the risk of type 2 diabetes increases. Toxins can also increase inflammation in the body. Several studies have shown that the toxin PCB increase the risk of diabetes for instance. In addition, toxins affect the thyroid gland which is in charge of the body’s metabolism which will affect weight loss. If you are exposed to these toxins during pregnancy or while breast-feeding, your child’s health can be seriously affected and the risk that your child will be overweight in the future increases. The toxins’ negative effects on the thyroid, can also affect the child’s brain development by the way. Another problem with weight loss is that toxins are released into the blood stream when you lose weight. A study shows that a 12% reduction in body mass increases the number of toxins by about 25-50 % in the blood stream.

What should you do? Do not ever get into Jojo dieting! Instead have a long term and healthy approach to weight loss based on the Paleo-diet. Also have sufficient levels of antioxidants, quercetin and vitamin D that will help with detoxification and simultaneously protect the liver, brain and adipose tissue during your weight loss period. Examples of detoxifying and protective substances are silymarin, alpha lipoic acid, chlorella, vitamin C and vitamin E complex (Vitamin must always have alpha, beta, gamma, delta tocopherols as well as alpha, beta, gamma, delta tocotrienol – look for the brand Innate Response). You should of course not adding more toxins, ie eat organic food, breathe fresh air, drink clean water and avoid unhealthy chemicals in your household and on your skin.

/Patrick

PS. Note that all that you put on your skin will also get into your blood stream and reach all organs in the body. Toxic skin care = toxins in the body. This is one reason why we, at Raison d’Etre, always recommend natural organic skin care to all our clients. In our own spa, Nordic Spa & Fitness in Grand Hôtel in Stockholm, Sweden, we not only sell organic and natural skin care the spa shop, we even have handmade 100 % organic and natural shampoo, conditioner, body wash and face wash in all showers in the wet areas…we take spa, fitness and health seriously.

Based on the article: http://www.wellnessresources.com/weight/articles/why_toxins_and_waste_products_impede_weight_loss_-_the_leptin_diet_weight_l/
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Telomeres – the new hot solution to youth?

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During the Global Spa & Wellness Summit, we had the opportunity to measure our Telomeres (for free!).

Telomeres you might wonder?? Or you are one of those that has followed the very intense discussions the past year??

Advocates says that Telomeres is the answer to many chornic diseases. And given that 80% of the population at the age 65 has at least one chronic disease this is really good news. Would it be true….

Telomeres are two caps at each end of the chromosomes that we have in each cell (see picture). It is said that if we have long Telemores, we are biologically young (er), and if they are short, we are prone to get diseases.

Telomeres are said to be connected to our mental health (isn’t everything??), and if we are stressed and negative, it immediately leads to shorter Teleomeres. Another interesting observation is that if you are one of those that lets your mind wonder, well then you are more prone to depression.

So how can we lengthen our Teleomeres – not that surprisingly, research says that it is the same thing that we should always practice to be healthy, namely eat Omega 3, exercise, sleep well, have social support and practice mindfulness.

Isn’t it strange how everything is connected – or maybe not, as we are one ecosystem within a larger one. Practice the above, and you don’t have to worry about Telomeres.

I also want to say that there is A LOT of discussions if measuring Telomeres actually is valid, and if so in what way. If you have cancer, for example, then the Telemores are very long on the actual cancer cells. The many pills one today can take to lengthen Telemores should most likely be avoided, as if we are prone to have cancer, then we would help it on its way.

If you want to read more about the good, the bad and the ugly – check out Mark Sissons blog http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-tall-tail-of-telomeres/#axzz1xaOcGblt  where he has a very good (and long!)  discussion about Telomeres.

I will let you all know my result when I get it in a about 2 months!

//Anna

Nordic Food – Great Superfoods!

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As most of our readers probably know we have launched a very exciting and actually a state of the art wellness concept called LivNordic. Part of that concept is Nordic Food which has not been promoted as much as many other foods in different diets around the world. However Nordic Food has some great health benefits which has actually been shown in the recent scientific literature. A scientific study published in the April issue of Journal of Nutrition 2011 called “Healthy aspects of the Nordic diet are related to lower total mortality” found that traditional Nordic foods like fish, cabbages, rye bread, oatmeal, apples and pears, and root vegetables lowered mortality. Even though fish, cabbage, apples, pears and root vegetables are probably great health foods (cannot really say the same about oatmeal and rye bread though) this post will focus more on foods that you will probably taste in a LivNordic Spa & Fitness facility: berries. Another study published in the same journal, by the way, showed that three Nordic berries: blueberries/billberries, lingonberries and cloudberries have anti-cancer properties.

Many trendy first movers in the health community have jumped on the super food band wagon. Actually, the Nordic countries offers some of the most healthy super food berries in the world some of which you will be delighted to find in a LivNordic facility. Among the native Scandinavian berries are blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, wild strawberries, elderberries and black currants to name a few. All berries are relatively low in calories but very nutrient dense at the same time. They contain a myriad of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and other health promoting compounds. As mentioned above, there are even anti-cancer compounds in berries. For instance, researchers from the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California have shown that phytochemicals from blueberries inhibits the growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells. Apart from protecting from serious disease like cancer, berries also offer great skin rejuvenation due to its high antioxidant content. This will counteract any free radicals in your skin cells so that your skin will be radiant and beautiful.

Why are Nordic berries richer in nutrients than their equivalent in the southern part of Europe? Well, we pay a price for it; in colder and rainier climates the content of some important nutrients for berries are significantly higher than in a warmer and drier climates. This has also been studied by Finnish researchers for instance for cloudberries.

The world’s easiest Nordic Food Snack!
Instead of a sandwich snack or a cookie between lunch and dinner, next time take 50 grams of blueberries, 50 grams of wild raspberries and 50 grams dl of cloudberries and put in bowl. Eat and enjoy, it is so simple and yet so nutritious and very Nordic! For all nutritional folks out there; at Raison d’Etre we know to keep our fructose to no more than 15-25 grams per day but this snack will only give you approximately 6,5 grams of fructose and a little bit more than 9 grams of digestible carbohydrates but 250 mg of potassium, 32 mg of Magnesium, 35 mg of Calcium, almost 80 mg of Vitamin C as well as almost 320 micrograms of carotenoids.

/Patrick

Research references:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21346102

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20388778

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22083544

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17885012

 

 

Cellulites – no fun but there is a way…

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A cellulite is an irregular change in the structure of the skin occurring mainly on the buttocks or thighs and sometimes on the abdomen and pelvis. Cellulite affects approximately 90% of women and 10% of men. Cellulite is due to several reasons but the hormone estrogen is often associated with cellulites, and men who have cellulite have low levels of androgens (testosterone). Other factors are that the body retains too much fluid, disorders of lymph circulation, circulatory failure and accumulation of fatty tissue inflammation. The worse the underlying problem is the more visible cellulite.

Cellulite does not affect the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) to an appreciable extent, but the dermis, which lies just beneath the epidermis. Dermis contains nerve endings, blood vessels and connective tissue. In the dermis is a layer called a loose connective tissue containing fat, fibroblasts (make new connective tissue) and macrophages (immune cells). If you have cellulites the skin texture, blood vessels and nerve endings in the dermis are affected. In addition, there is a disorder in the loose connective tissue if cellulites are present. The first changes in the body that lead to cellulites, starts before the actual cellulite become visible. When blood vessels in the skin become more permeable due to some form of stress this results in fluid accumulation and pressure on the structure of the dermis and the loose connective tissue. This leads to inflammation and increased free radicals, which in turn damages the connective tissue. Estrogen dominance increase the problem by fixating cellulites into the tissue and now visible signs of cellulite appear. If the problem gets worse the connective tissue begins to form scar like structures in which skin cells clump together to form irregular patterns. New connective tissue that is formed is irregular, draws the fluid and reduces oxygenation to the skin which leads to further skin damage. Estrogen makes the fat cells in the skin to swell, creating more major irregularities. The problem has become a catch 22. There is no “Quick Fix” for cellulite but there are definitely steps you can take to prevent them from becoming worse and possibly improve the condition. Cellulite often starts because of the following stress-related processes and the solution lies in addressing these:

  • Poor diet with too much sugar, carbohydrates and polyunsaturated vegetable oils (soy, corn, food, sesame and sunflower oils)
  • Smoking because it reduces blood circulation to the skin
  • Lack of training as it affects both the circulatory and lymphatic system negatively
  • Constipation and other bowel disorders
  • Obesity as more fat cells leads to increased pressure and synthesize more estrogen
  • High heels as it reduces the lymphatic and blood circulation in the legs
  • Emotional stress as it leads to inflammation in the circulatory and nerve endings
  • Poor vein health due to lack of nutrients (vitamin C and bioflavonoids)
  • The pill, which provides an increased estrogen level
  • Thyroid disorders (hypo and hyper)
  • Menstrual Cycle with much estrogen relative to progesterone (signs: menstruation with PMS, headaches, swollen breasts and tenderness)
  • Pregnancy is great stress on the lymphatic and blood circulation and it may trigger cellulite.

You can have cellulite, even if you are not covered by any of the above points but I dare say that the likelihood is minimal. It is worth noting that the primitive people rarely or never affected by cellulite. In 99.99% of evolution, our genes have never had to adapt to chemical toxins, constant stress, junk food, over consumption, large amounts of simple carbs and sedentary life. So, what would I have do if I or my partner had cellulite?

  • Addresse the first ten points above and have been extremely careful with the first five points
  • Take supplements of 100% whole foods vitamin c which contains natural bioflavonoids, i.e. Innate Response (Never use synthetic isolated vitamins or effervescent vitamin C tablets! They do more harm than good)
  • Taken large doses of proteolytic enzymes because they reduce broken structures in the connective tissue.
  • Take a 100% whole food multivitaminmineral to ensure supply of essential nutrients
  • Take extra probiotics to reduce any intestinal discomfort
  • Take supplements of natural MSM from pine trees – the “beauty mineral”. Compounds of MSM includes as a component of skin and connective tissue.

Cellulite should be fixed from the inside out and it is no quick-fix but with time and lifestyle changes you can accomplish much!

Good luck!

/Patrick

http://www.perfekthalsa.se/allman-halsa/celluliter/

Diet & Nutrition: Eat protein in the morning

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eggIf you have trouble waking in the morning this may be due to a combination of poor sleep, a lot of toxins which will disturb the sleep-related immune system (it works at a too high speed) and low adrenal function.

Coffee is often used to wake up in the morning, but large amounts of coffee can stress the adrenal glands. Over time, a need for coffee, often together with simple and fast carbohydrates is created in order to cope with the day. This may in turn lead to poor sleep and a vicious circle is created.

The adrenals need protein to function well and if you are struggling with low energy levels in the morning, the worst option is a high carbohydrate breakfast or no breakfast at all. A carbohydrate rich breakfast often leads to a drop in blood sugar levels with the consequence that you risk of leaning towards eating sweet or drink more coffee during the day in order to just cope. This contributes to the vicious circle even more. Go for protein in the morning. Try organic eggs with some steamed organic broccoli and spoon of organic extra virgin coconut oil for a couple of months. It will probably do wonders for the adrenals. Chew properly and feel the energy!

/Patrick from www.perfekthalsa.se