Leptin Prescription

READERS SUMMARY:
1.  How do I start?
2.  What are the guidelines to remain mindful of?
3.  The fuel is the food, but how you eat that fuel is more important
4.  How does Leptin tie into the quilt survivability index?

I have been asked by many to put a short post out about how I reverse Leptin resistance in my own clinic for my patients.  After reading all of the comments left here, at MDA, and on Jimmy Moore’s forum, I decided that it was a good idea.

1.  First make sure you really are Leptin resistant (LR) to begin with.
The easiest way to do this if you are heavy is to look in the mirror.  If you’re overweight you definitely are Leptin resistant.  If you still have a large appetite and crave carbohydrates, especially at night, these are also signs that you are likely Leptin resistant.  If you are fit or in decent shape and not sure based upon the above symptoms, I would tell you to go get a blood test and check your reverse T3.  It will be elevated.  I also recommend simultaneously checking a salivary cortisol level.  With LR, you will always see higher cortisol levels later in the day.

2.  To regain Leptin Sensitivity (LS) follow a strict Paleolithic diet as outlined in The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf or The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson.
The type of fuel you eat is important in eliminating the foods that cause Leptin receptors to become nonfunctional.  These two books clearly outline a solid reference point to achieve this.

A.  Try to eat as soon as possible upon rising in the AM, ideally within 30 minutes of waking.  Make sure that breakfast has little to no carbs (less than 50 grams), and has a lot of protein and fat.  I use as a general rule 50-75 grams of protein with most patients.  Some patients can use less and some need more.  The key point of knowing how much is right for you is your hunger later in the day.  If you remain ravenous throughout the day, you need to eat more protein in the AM.  If you can hold off eating until dinner you probably are at homeostasis for you.  If you can skip both meals you likely are overdoing it at breakfast.  As for sources, I suggest pastured or organic eggs first, served with left over dinner scraps of grass fed meats, poultry, or fish. A third option, although less ideal, would be whey protein or protein shakes.

B. Try to limit carb intake to 25 grams if you are overweight by more than 30 lbs.  If you are fit and have a small amount of weight to lose, (less than 30 lbs.) you can titrate up your carb loads.  Even then, I do not advocate potatoes or rice as some Paleo diets allow for.  You will be able to eat them eventually, but try to avoid starches until you have mastered your cravings and hunger.  Do not count calories; it is not needed at this point.  Any time I eat carbs I use liberal amounts of butter, heavy cream, coconut or palm oil.  I do not recommend other oils initially such as olive oils or industrial seed oils.  I would also avoid nut oils at the initial stages.  My personal favorite is coconut oil because of the great metabolic effects of MCT, and how it helps heal the guts of LR folks.

3.  How you eat your fuel is MORE IMPORTANT than any other factor, including the food itself.
A.  Never snack at all.  This is meant initially and forever.  Snacking completely stresses the liver’s metabolism and is just not recommended.  Your liver needs to re-learn how to use gluconeogenesis normally again when you are asleep and awake.  Snacking just destroys the timing and circadian clocks that work in unison with Leptin.
B.  Try to eat three meals a day initially; but as your hunger and cravings fade you can adapt to two a day.
C.  Try to eat breakfast as early as possible from rising.
D.  Do not work out before or after breakfast.
E.  Try to allow 4-5 hours between dinners and sleep time.
F.  If you decide to incorporate working out, do it after 5 PM.
G.  Within an hour of sunset try to make your surroundings as dark as possible.
H. If you have trouble falling asleep I suggest 3-5 minutes of body weight exercises right before bed (pushups or air squats are fine, but avoid this if your PM cortisol is high).
I.  If you’re inclined to, try becoming mindful when you first lay down.  I use transcendental meditation techniques to help me clear my mind and concentrate on improving my thinking.  (Optional; but this is awesome if your PM cortisol is high).

4.  Most people will notice a change in their cravings and hunger within 4-6 weeks. 
Other changes I advise of my patients, is to supplement with prescription grade fish oils.  The dose depends upon their HS CRP and salivary cortisol levels.

5.  Signs that you are becoming Leptin Sensitive (LS) again
A. Men will notice quick weight loss.
B. Women will notice mood changes first (calmer/sleepy) and their sleep will improve.  Their clothes will fit differently but weight may not change drastically initially because of effects on the pituitary.  This will change too if they continue moving forward.
C. You will notice a change in your sweating pattern.
D. You will notice you have better recovery from exercise and your energy levels seem to have risen.
E. Your hunger is gone and so are your cravings.
F. When you awaken you will feel very refreshed like you slept well.
Generally when the signs are all present, I then really push HIIT exercise with heavy weights.

6.  (QUILT SURVIVABILITY) = (Total Energy – Growth and immunity expense) X (RESOURCES) X (efficiency) X (awareness of our environment).
Stated in levee form where:
Cell longevity = LS – IGF-1 + immunity X Food Quality X leakiness of Mitochondria X environmental cues

Source: http://jackkruse.com/my-leptin-prescription/

Note: I've been considering following one these two dietary protocols: Paleo Diet or Primal Blueprint? I am leaning towards Primal Blueprint. Reason: primal Blueprint allows for good fats such as Coconut oil, and butter. Yes, butter, maybe Paula Deen is onto something, Interestingly enough, The Paleo Diet allows for diet soda and Canola oil, two items on the food list which I do not ingest nor stock in my kitchen pantry - and that is my choice and opinion only. I personally use extra virgin olive oil, small amounts of flax seed oil, coconut oil for baking and animal fats (lard or butter) for frying on occasion. 

research shows cancer caused by carbohydrates, sugars, white flour, and corn syrup...

Note: This post came out years ago, but I feel it needs to be brought to light. I heard on the news a few days ago that there is a link between breast cancer, corn and grains in the diet. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a source of information on these new findings - so am posting this for my readers.

A new study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Mile Markers, and Prevention is presenting evidence of the link between the consumption of refined carbohydrates and cancer. This case-controlled study looked at the dietary habits of over 1,800 women in Mexico, and found that those who got 57% or more of their total energy intake from carbohydrates showed a 220% higher risk of breast cancer than women with more balanced diets.

This study shows that foods with high glycemic index values -- that is, foods that more quickly raise blood sugar levels in the human body -- actually accelerate the growth of cancer cells and tumors in the human body. Researchers involved with the study propose that the correlation between the consumption of refined carbohydrates and breast cancer could be related to elevated levels of insulin and the fact that many breast cancer tumors are encouraged and supported by high levels of insulin in the body.

To anyone who has read some of the books about sugar, refined carbohydrates, low carb dieting, or even my own book, called Low carb Diet Warning, none of this should be a surprise. We in the holistic nutrition world have long known that the consumption of processed carbohydrates actually causes cancer, and not just breast cancer, either. It actually promotes many forms of cancer, including colon cancer. Thankfully, new scientific evidence is now appearing that supports these notions.

But many people in the general public still do not know that consuming refined carbohydrates causes cancer, and thus they continue to drink soft drinks containing high-fructose corn syrup, they continue to eat breakfast cereals loaded with sugars and corn syrup, and they continue to eat large amounts of white flour in products like pancakes, breads, pastries, cookies, and crackers, oblivious to the idea that they are actually giving themselves cancer.

Once again, we see that preventing cancer comes down to dietary choice. One of the easiest things a person can do to prevent cancer, based on this research, is to avoid all processed carbohydrates. That means eliminating from your diet refined white flour, refined white sugar, milled grains, and ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup. These ingredients are all man-made or artificially processed ingredients that are not normally found in nature. You don't find refined white sugar growing in the sugar cane fields. You don't see white flour growing on wheat grass stalks in the field. Instead, you see whole grains growing in nature, and it is these whole grains that should be consumed by human beings if they wish to attain a high degree of health.

This research also indicates why low carb dieters and people following the Atkins diet may be doing themselves a huge favor in terms of disease prevention. Avoiding processed carbohydrates reduces your risk of being diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, many low carb dieters, as you may know, end up consuming other cancer-causing ingredients that are present in many low carb foods. Those ingredients can include sodium nitrite, monosodium glutamate, and artificial chemical sweeteners such as aspartame, also known as NutraSweet.

So, the real story here is to avoid processed carbohydrates as much as you can. At the same time, avoid chemical additives that are found in processed foods, especially artificial sweeteners and chemical taste enhancers. The foods that you should be consuming to support outstanding human health are the same ones we've been talking about here for years, and those are natural foods found in nature, such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, and healthy oils.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/001812.html#ixzz1gT7AfdAB

Source: NaturalNews.com

Grains and the Dangers of Mycotoxins

There are many types of toxins that can wreak havoc with your health. Most of these toxins are things that you can’t see, smell or feel when you first come in contact with them, including one of the lesser known but dangerous types: mycotoxins.

Mycotoxins are compounds produced by fungi and literally mean “fungus poisons.” Poisoning caused by a mycotoxin is known as mycotoxicosis.

Mycotoxins can cause a wide range of health problems even if you’re just exposed to small amounts over an extended period of time. Mycotoxicosis can even be lethal if a patient has consumed large quantities of mycotoxins over a short period of time.

Mycotoxicosis symptoms depend on the type of mycotoxin, the amount and length of exposure, the age, health and sex of the exposed individual, and many poorly understood synergistic effects involving genetics, dietary status and interactions with other toxins.

This means that the severity of mycotoxin poisoning can be compounded by factors such as vitamin deficiency, caloric deprivation, alcohol abuse and infectious disease status.

Mycotoxins can also increase a patient’s vulnerability to microbial diseases, worsen the effects of malnutrition and interact synergistically with other toxins.

Dr. Dave Holland, co-author of the bestselling book The Fungus Link, is an expert on the harmful effects of mycotoxins on the human body. Dr. Holland’s list of diseases associated with mycotoxins include:

• AIDS
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Amyloidosis
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Atherosclerosis
• Balkan Nephropathy
• Bechet’s disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Cirrhosis (alcoholic and biliary)
• Crohn’s disease
• Cushing’s disease
• Diabetes
• DIC
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Encephalopathy
• Ergotism
• Familial Mediterranean Fever
• Gout
• Heart failure
• Hyperactivity Syndrome
• Hyperaldosteronism
• Hyperlipidemia (high lipids)
• Hypertension
• Infertility
• IgA Nephropathy
• Kidney stones
• Leukocytoclastic vasculitis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Mollaret’s meningitis
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Nephritis (kidney inflammation)

That’s quite a laundry list of diseases. And because the most toxic forms of fungi and the mycotoxins they produce have become more common in America’s modern and industrialized food supply, particularly in improperly stored, pesticide-sprayed grains which humans and livestock in large amounts in various forms, there lies the danger.

In 1985, the World Health Organization estimated that 25 percent of the world’s grains have been contaminated by mycotoxins. Today, more than two decades later, we can assume that this figure has increased due to an increase in global imports and exports of grains and cereals and the changes in the environment and weather.

If you want to avoid the dangers of mycotoxins, here are the top 10 foods to avoid (hint: most of them are grains):

1. Alcohol – is the mycotoxin of the Saccharomyces yeast (brewer’s yeast). Other mycotoxins besides alcohol can also be introduced into alcoholic beverages through the use of mold-contaminated grains and fruits. Alcohol producers often use grains that are too contaminated with fungi and mycotoxins to be eaten as table foods, so the risk of mycotoxicosis is higher if you are consuming more than just alcohol in your beverage.

2. Corn – is "universally contaminated" with mycotoxins such as fumonisin, aflatoxin, zearalenone and ochratoxin. Fumonisin and aflatoxin are known carcinogens, while zearalenone and ochratoxin cause estrogenic and kidney-related problems, respectively. It’s difficult to get away from corn because it’s everywhere! For example, a typical fast food chicken nugget comes from corn-fed chicken that is covered by a corn-based batter sweetened with corn syrup!

3. Wheat and wheat products – like bread, cereal and pasta. Pasta may be the “safest” because you can remove certain water-soluble mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin), when you drain the boiling water after cooking it. However, traces of the more harmful, heat-stable and fat-soluble mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin, remain. When it comes to bread – it doesn’t matter if it’s organic, inorganic, sprouted, blessed or not – if the grain used has been stored for months in a silo, it can be contaminated with fungi.

4. Barley – is equally susceptible to contamination by mycotoxins because it can also be damaged by drought, floods, and harvesting and storage processes. It’s used in the production of cereals and alcoholic beverages.

5. Sugar (sugar cane and sugar beets) – is often contaminated with fungi and like other grains and fuels the growth of fungi, which feed on carbohydrates.

6. Sorghum – is used in a number of grain-based products for both humans and animals, and is also an ingredient in the production of alcoholic beverages.

7. Peanuts – A 1993 study revealed that peanuts are colonized by at least 24 different types of fungi. The alarming part was that they were found after the exterior of the peanut was sterilized!

8. Rye – What applies for other grains is the same with rye. Also, when wheat and rye are used to make bread, sugar and yeast are added – two other products that worsen the fungi problem.

9. Cottonseed – is usually in the form of cottonseed oil but is also used in grain form for many animal foods. Many studies show that cottonseed is often highly contaminated with mycotoxins.

10. Hard Cheese – Each time you see a mold growing on your cheese, there’s a good chance that there’s also a mycotoxin present.

Rice, oats and beans, which are also sources of carbohydrates, may also contain mycotoxins but these crops are generally more resistant to fungal contamination.

Source: http://www.nograindiets.com/2009/04/grains-and-dangers-of-mycotoxins_24.html