I just finished reading an inspiring letter in the recent Spring 2012 issue of Wise Traditions in Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation. This contribution by Ron Buch from Woodbridge, Virginia is a great example of how lowering carbs and eliminating processed foods is the “slow […]
Tag: metabolism
Lean Muscle and Weight Loss
There is an important corollary to our ongoing discussion on weight loss that needs special attention here. Fundamentally, obesity is a symptom of metabolic derangement. You can’t go long eating a diet full of processed high-carb foods before the “fuel injection system” of your body breaks down. Eating in this way shifts your body away from maintaining lean […]
Cheap Weight Loss Part 5: Comfort Food
Previous posts on weight loss have focused on the physiology of metabolism. Although understanding human metabolism is primary to achieving successful and lasting weight loss, having a firm grasp on our body’s ability to metabolize experiences and emotions is also of key importance. It’s not always about what you’re eating, but what’s eating you. Food […]
Cheap Weight Loss Part 8: The Gut Flora Connection
In a previous post we explored the fascinating world of the microbiome – the symbiotic organisms populating the human gut which provide manifold digestive and immunological benefits. To be optimally healthy, we must make friends with our gut flora, stop beating them down with unnecessary antibiotic drugs and cleaning agents, and give these critters an […]
Infections Part 1: The Landscape
Microbes have been here long before us and will likely continue to thrive long after we are gone. They are the building blocks of life on Earth and it is speculated that their evolution into more complex structures has given rise to the mitochondria organelle found throughout cells of the mammalian body. This would imply […]
The pH Controversy
In nutrition circles, there is an ongoing debate about the importance of pH in the body. In normal human physiology there are variations in acidity or alkalinity in different areas, from the strong acidity of stomach acid to an equally strong alkalinity in the small intestine where bicarbonate is released. Your blood stays at an […]
Cheap Weight Loss Part 7: Sleep & Sleep Apnea
A lack of sleep can cause or contribute to a number of health problems. Sleep isn’t just rest, it is a profound opportunity for healing. Sleep deprivation can also undermine one’s ability to lose weight. When either quality or quantity of sleep becomes compromised, a hormonal imbalance ensues which affects your body’s metabolism. Previously, […]
Cheap Weight Loss Part 9: Inflammation
When it comes to obesity, inflammation and weight gain form a vicious cycle. Either can get the ball rolling and have an overlapping influence, further propelling metabolism toward derangement and increasing weight gain. The basic mechanism underlying this vicious cycle begins with some degree of initial weight gain. It may start with chronic stress, sleep […]