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December Newsletter 2022

Yes, you can reframe the way you think about your aging: I found the following short and pithy quote in my audiologist's office. It resonated with me and as soon as I read it I felt a tension (that I didn't even know I had) release from my body and here it is for you: "Aging is a privilege". So you can stop your whining like I did and start living gratefully like this quote suggests you do...

You SHOULD NAP! Stop feeling guilty about it: I've been napping since my kids were little: They went down, Mommy went down, and now, many years later, I'm still doing it. If I am home I nap on my bed; if I am at the office, I will nap in my big brown chair. Now research tells us that naps are actually good for us and you SHOULD actually embrace napping. Not hours of napping, but 20 minutes will do just fine. "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." (Anne Lamont).

Here's some bad stuff for you to be aware of: They are called anti-nutrients and I will discuss the "Top Five". These are chemicals found in plants (yes, so called "healthy" plants.) and if you continue eating anti-nutrients, especially the ones I find you sensitive to, this can lead to gut issues, inflammation, arthritis, brain fog, dementia and you will probably end up feeling horrible on your way to said destination. Here they are: Lectins, Phytates, Oxalates, Gluten and Glyphosates.

Lectins: These guys stick to your intestinal wall and cause intestinal permeability or Leaky Gut. And yes, there are actual holes in your gut lining. Lectins are ubiquitous and it is impossible to eliminate all of them, nor should you try. The main lectins you are probably the most familiar with are nightshades (white potato, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes). I, of course, can check you out on lectins and the other anti-nutrients I will be mentioning. As for lectins, we are sort of lucky - I have a product on my shelves called Lectin Protect that will become your new best friend and give you a bit of leeway if you run into a tomato that you shouldn't be eating. You can also read anything by Steven Gundry who has written extensively about lectins.

Phytates: Again, Phytates are ubiquitous and would be impossible to eliminate entirely. What these bad boys do is block the absorption of minerals like magnesium (The Queen of minerals IMHO), zinc, calcium and iron. Phytates are in grains (mostly the bran), and also in legumes like kidney beans, lentils and soy. But, it would be helpful if you could at least do this: Skip all the seed oils, like canola and cook with avocado, coconut, or butter. Eat white, not brown rice. Don't eat beans every day.

Oxalates: Your beloved spinach and kale green smoothies may be causing you more harm than good. It can cause burning in the mouth, stomach cramps, muscle weakness and diarrhea. Oxalic acid is found in many plants, like broccoli, radishes, cauliflower and kale as well as chard, spinach, parsley, beets, black pepper, chocolate, nuts, berries and beans. Another unfortunate outcome to an oxalate sensitivity are kidney stones. I can check to see if you have a sensitivity to or a build-up of oxalates in your body and we can go from there.

Glyphosates: These anti-nutrients are the big bad wolf in sheep's clothing in the Agrabiz. We are not being told about these yet glyphosates are used so much and they are so damaging. Here are the worst offenders and you MUST eat these organically: Almonds (the worst), corn, grapes, oranges, sugar beets, sunflower anything and wheat. Good news is that I have a product called Glypho-X Supreme which can mitigate the effects of this evil chemical if some evildoer happens to covertly stuff a glyphosate-tainted almond into your mouth. By the way, do you want to lose weight? Handle the glyphosates stored in your body as they like to store themselves in fat tissue - like a lot of chemicals, inhalants and pesticides - and once they are there they are so happy that they never want to leave.

Gluten: Yes, our beloved nemesis, gluten is an anti-nutrient. Gluten is actually indigestible, not just for celiacs, but for all of us. (The Autoimmune Fix by Tom O'Bryan). And to be even more problematic, gluten is highly addictive because gluten containing grains break down into opioid compounds and trigger the same brain receptors as heroin and other opioid drugs. Gluten is hiding everywhere - in processed foods and foods like soy sauce, beer and processed meats. I find that roughly 75% of us are sensitive to gluten. (As an aside, those of us most sensitive to gluten may also have a zinc deficiency.)

Speaking of dementia: There are certain anti-cholinergic Rx's that are known to be risk factors for dementia and here they are. Just check and see if you are taking one or more and let me know: Antihistamines like Benadryl, anti-anxiety drugs like benzodiazepines, cholesterol lowering drugs like statins, anti-seizure drugs, tricyclic antidepressants, narcotic painkillers, dopamine agonists like those for Parkinson's disease, and hypertension drugs like beta-blockers. (AARP, 2017)

"Our most cruel failure in how we treat the sick and the aged is the failure to recognize that they have priorities beyond merely being safe and living longer; that the chance to shape one's story is essential to sustaining meaning in life; that we have the opportunity to refashion our institutions, our culture and our conversation in ways that transform the possibilities for the last chapters of everyone's lives. Our ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death but a good life to the very end." Atul Gawande in Being Mortal.

(I also like the way Abraham (the disembodied spirit channeled by Esther Hicks) says it: "Healthy Happy, Healthy Happy, Healthy Happy, Healthy Happy, DEAD.")

On a personal note: Here's hoping everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that we all had enough Zypan and Biogest to get through the usual Turkey Day Eatathon. It's pretty normal to kick over all the traces of our good eating habits and eat 1) too much and 2) food we don't usually eat (gluten, dairy) 3) an unaccustomed amount of wine/alcohol and 4) actual sugar (not Swerve, Monk Fruit or Stevia) in the delicious pies and cobblers we ate for dessert! Time to get back on the Healthy Horse, at least until Christmas when we get to do this all over again.


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