They were, basically:

1. Avoiding glycation.

2. Reducing sugar – of all types – in my diet

3. Increasing exercise

In this entry I look briefly at:

2. Reducing the amount of sugar in my diet

After my last blood tests it became clearer to me just how much of my diet consisted of sugar. Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit, sweet vegetables – all had a high proportion of sugar. Juiced fruit is as sugar rich as soda (eg cola) without having the natural fruit fibre to slow absorption down. And a high level of sugar in the diet correlates with Metabolic Syndrome, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

So I did the following:

1.  Virtually cut out potatoes, rice, pasta and bread in daily use.

2. Cut out fruit juices and smoothies with fruit.

3. Chose my cooked vegetables to reduce sweet ones – carrots, peas, sweet corn, swwet peppers, parsnips; and focus on none-sweet – greens, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans.

4. When eating the sweet vegetables, I tried to eat them raw, eg with humus.

This had the effect of my eating fish and salad or chicken and salad for many meals.

Next I look at My Lifestyle Change – Exercise

——————–

Question: What do you think about cutting down all starchy food in your diet? Potatoes, pasta, even rice? Post a comment

My Lifestyle Changes – Sugar is a post from: Living To 150

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Moderate weight training – such as on machines at the gym – has been shown to help maintain muscle bulk as we age – an important factor, as many falls by old people are due to weakened muscles.

The latest research shows an additional benefit of weight training: it reduces cancer.

In this study, scientists led from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, tracked 8,677 men aged between 20 and 82 for more than two decades, and studied their weight training habits.

The results were that men who regularly worked out with weights and had the greatest  muscle strength were 30 to 40 per cent less likely to die from a cancerous tumour.

Exercise Regime

It seems clear that exercise needs to be of two kinds:

1. Aerobic exercise – such as fast walking, swimming, running – any exercise where there is no rest. This should be for 20 minutes or more twice a week.

2. Weight training of the major muscle groups, also twice a week, and perhaps for 45 minutes a time. However, previously, it was thought that this just prevented muscle degeneration with aging.  This study seems to show a protective benefit against cancer too.

Although the study was of men, women should benefit too. Weight training does not have to result in big muscles – your trainer will advise if you don’t want to ‘get chunky’!

Report

Weight Train To Avoid Cancer is a post from: Living To 150

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Pigs are often used in heart research because their heart valves resemble those of humans. The new technique accurately simulates blood flow in the heart by connecting it to equipment on a laboratory bench.

Thus the heart is attached to equipment outside the pig. The results of any experiments carried out can be obtained much, much more quickly and easily.

The new technique will mean that a piece of research might only cost cost $25 instead of around $2500 if it was carried out on a live pig – a massive saving.

Obviously, this means that many more pieces of research will be possible and medical advanced will be multiplied.

Finally, the trauma for the poor animals will be much less.

Article

Technorati Profile

New Technique Boosts Heart Research is a post from: Living To 150

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After cutting down on Omega-6 in the diet, omega-3 supplementation is the top way for most people to reduce their level of generalised inflammation.

The reason for this is that nearly everyone has too many Omega-6 fatty acids in their diet, and too few Omega-3 fatty acids.

If you are taking a 3-6-9 fatty acid supplement: stop now! Why take extra Omega-6 fats when you are already taking too many in your diet? This is a marketing ruse.

Avoid Omega-6

I haven’t found anyone who can tell me why we should need to have extra Omega-6. Omega-6 is the enemy. I really don’t understand why companies sell it as a supplement. We have loads of it in meat, milk, cheese and the common oils – sunflower, safflower and soy.

If I have missed something – tell me in the comments.

Get More Omega-3

Omega-3 is only found in quantity in oily fish and walnuts. Green vegetables have a tiny amount: hemp seeds and linseeds have fair amounts – but it is nothing as accessible as that from oily fish or walnuts.

HOW TO DO IT

To counteract generalised inflammation, which accompanies cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s, do the following to cut down on Omega-6 and increase Omega-3:

• Reduce fatty meat. Focus on low fat meat – chicken and turkey breast are good.
• Avoid or minimise sunflower, safflower and soy oils. (Use olive oil – which has little Omega-6 or Omega-3 – it contains mainly ‘monosaturated’ fats. )
• Eat plenty of oily fish – sardines, mackerel, north pacific salmon (this type has less chance of heavy metal contamination)
• Eat moderate amounts of walnuts.
• Supplement with a top quality Omega-3 supplement. Add up the EPA + DHA delivered  it should preferably be 100mg, or at least 500mg. Many health-shop brands deliver much less.

And do get your blood checked for C-Reactive Protein (CRP). (Hopefully you can persuade your doctor to do it – and save £75 or £100 in the UK – half that in the states!) Then you will know how much of a challenge you are facing – if any. After 6 months, retest the CRP to check how you are doing.

 Book on C-Reactive Protein

Supplementing with Omega-3 Fatty Acids is a post from: Living To 150

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The truth is: we need Omega-3s.

We should generally shoot for a 1:1 balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 in the diet. The problem is, our diets generally contain much too much Omega-6. Thus we need to reduce Omega-6 fats and increase Omega-3 fats.

Inflammation Kills

The main reason to increase Omega-3 fats is: Omega-3 reduces inflammation. Omega-6 fats increase inflammation – it is ‘pro-inflammatory’.

What is wrong with inflammation? ‘Good inflammation’ is designed to help the body to repair damage or counteract infection. It causes redness, pain and heat.

The ‘bad’ sort is generalised inflammation. This type does not cause pain or discomfort. It is insidious: it can be detected by a blood test, but is not felt. This generalised inflammation has been linked to all major degenerative diseases: cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

A good test for generalised inflammation is to test the blood for c-reactive protein (CRP). Some UK doctors will test for CRP. They might tell you that 2-4 times normal CRP is acceptable: but check for yourself what you levels should – don’t trust the doctor’s view. Just twice the normal CRP level can double your chance of a heart attack.

Book on C-Reactive Protein

The top ways to reduce generalised inflammation are by:

1. Reducing intake of food high in Omega-6 – such as milk, cheese, and common vegetable oils, including sunflower (stick to cold-pressed olive oil), and
2. Supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acid; which means – fish oils.  Cod liver oil is fine; and eating oily fish – such as sardines, mackerel and salmon.

CRP is one proven measure of your propensity to develop all major degenerative diseases. You cannot be properly pro-active in safeguarding your own health if you do not know it.

Inflammation article

Take Your Omega 3’s is a post from: Living To 150

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There is on great advantage of consulting with someone like Terry Grossman who is an expert in anti-aging therapies as well as a ‘regular’ doctor. This is that certain conventional diagnoses or treatments may be desirable where is can be judged that the potential for harm is less than the harm which may be caused by not doing them.

The ultrafast CAT scan is, I believe, one of these diagnostic methods.

Heart Symptoms May Be Too Late

Way before any heart symptoms occur, calcium deposits can be detected in the heart muscle and the coronary arteries – the small arteries which feed the heart muscle itself. It has been found that these are the early stages of arterial deposits.

One study of 6,700 people found that those with the most calcium deposits in the coronary arteries suffered ten times the number of cardio-vascular events (eg a heart attack) than those with the least.

An ultrafast CAT scan can detect calcium deposits and thus identify disease – especially coronary heart disease – early. It can then be treated.

Little Radiation

The ‘ultrafast’ part is that the amount of radiation used is much less than for a conventional CAT scan.

No amount of radiation is good; but the information from this scan can be so valuable that you might decide – as I have – to take the risk from the small dose involved.

The machine scans many ’slices’ of the heart and coronary arteries and feeds this information to a computer. The computer is programmed to extract the large amount of information and piece it together.

Treatment With Nutrition

If calcium deposits are discovered they can be flushed out – or at least greatly diminished – by a carefully chosen cocktail of nutritional supplements.

Herbs for the Heart

Meanwhile, I take herbs for the heart every day – a formula based on Hawthorn – as I know from iridology analysis that I have a muscle weakness in the heart tissue.

Hawthorn is a great herb which is safe in use and has been highly recommended by herbalists for centuries.

More info: Ultrafast CAT scan

Checking for Heart Risk Factors is a post from: Living To 150

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So it’s good that Holford is shouting about it.

Insulin Resistance of the Cells

In insulin resistance, our cells become more or less immune to the effects of insulin.

The insulin is produced to make the cells take sugar out of the blood. The result is that the sugar remains in the blood, causing increased inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, is linked to serious disease.

Which Diseases are Caused?

Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance have been closely linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.

All the ‘biggies’, really. This is a vital syndrome to know about. And the crucial point of understanding the symdrome is CUT DOWN ON SUGAR. That means all sugar; and you need to know that pasta, potatoes, bread (of all kinds – even wholemeal) and rice is nearly all sugar.

Holford says Metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance is worse for our health than excessive salt or fat in the diet.

He has a point.

How to Combat Metabolic Sydrome

His answer is to eat ‘Low GL’, or low glycaemic load. This is pretty much the same as low GI – low glycaemic index - which you might have already heard of.

It means that when you eat starchy food – oats, wheat, rice, pasta, bread – make sure it passes into the blood slowly. Eg wholemeal rather than white; porridge rather than popular cereals.

Vegetables, Fats, Protein Way to Go

Certainly – focus on low GI (I mean GL) when you do eat starchy food.

But fundamentally, think ‘low sugar’ with your diet. Eat starchy food rarely. This means cut down dramatically on rice, bread, pasta, potatoes. And sugary food itself, of course.

Pile on the vegetables and salads.

Focus on fish and lean meat – eg turkey and chicken breast.

Minimise sweet fruit, eg apples and mangoes, which are high in sugar; and fruit juices – which are very high in sugar. Do eat berries, though, which are lower in sugar and highly nutritious.

This is probably a very new approach to your diet; but it is essential if you are to avoid the ‘insulin resistance’ epidemic which is hitting us now. Crazy as it may sound, it will greatly help you to avoid the major degenerative diseases.

• More about Metabolic Syndrome
• Article about inflammation
• Patrick Holford’s GL Revolution Tour of 11 UK cities

Metabolic Syndrome Kills is a post from: Living To 150

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While smallpox, measles and HIV recede in many areas of the world, the diseases of Western society – including diabetes – are about to hit them hard.

Thanks to the arrival of of fast food culture in these countries many of the poor can now afford MacDonald’s and other similar high calorie, low nutrition, food. They are feeding themselves up – and making themselves ill. This insidious process is one of the unfortunate by-products of modernisation.

First comes obesity; then diabetes follows in its wake – typically with about a 10 year time lag. Following that comes Metabolic Syndrome – that insidious combination of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure caused by insulin resistance of the cells.

Diabetes is set to achieve epidemic proportions in developing countries including India and China. India now is estimated to have 32 million diabetics – many of them don’t even know they have the disease. China has around 40 million diabetics.

The people in developing countries tend to see Western ideas as sophisticated. For them, it is cool to eat MacDonalds‘ low quality food. They just don’t realize what problems they are storing up for themselves.

(Just as fast-food-eating Westerners don’t realise – or perhaps don’t care enough.)

Diabetes Epidemics Hitting China and India is a post from: Living To 150

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Anthocyanins are a type of a class of substance called flavonoids, which show anti-oxidant activity. Flavonoids produce yellow, red or blue colouration in flowers and fruit. They also offer protection against insects and microbes.

Anthocyanins in particular produce a purple colouration, usually in fruit. Fruits containing anthocyanins include the Vaccinium species – such as bilberries and blueberries and the Rubus species – such as blackberry and raspberry.

Antioxidant Properties Help Indirectly

The first lesson we learn about antioxidants is that they ‘mop up’ free radicals – the oxygen-robbing substances which begin or accelerate cancer, heart disease and aging. However, although anthocyanins – and the flavonoids in general – are antioxidants, the way they help us is not by mopping up free radicals directly. Their benefits are indirect.

Particularly, in some way anthocyanins and flavonoids stimulate phase II of the important two phase liver-detox process. The enhanced Phase II then carries out its normal function of eliminating toxins from the body with extra power.

In this way our DNA can be protected, for example, reducing the likelihood of cancer starting.

Eat Purple Tomatoes – Or Stick With Blueberries?

So – do you want tomatoes modified to be purple; or would you prefer just to stick with eating purple berries which grow naturally?

A purple tomato seems to me to be much like taking an anthocyanin supplement. It has to be easier to get people – eg family members who are not great on fruit and vegetables – to eat tomatoes than to eat blackberries and blueberries every day. Let’s have the choice.

The scientists say at least here is a direct consumer benefit of genetic modification, rather than one designed purely to make money.

Science Daily Article

Purple Tomatoes – Modified For Health is a post from: Living To 150

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New research now questions whether the preventive aspect of taking aspirin works at all.

Heart Study Details

1276 diabetic patients were studied, who had no history of a heart attack, but who had some evidence of artery disease. In other words, they were likely candidates for a future heart attack.

The study was led by Professor Jill Belch at Dundee University, Scotland.

Heart Study Results

After 8 years, patients in the ‘aspirin’ group had experienced 116 heart attacks; whereas those given placebos had suffered 117 heart attacks. Thus there was no significant benefit to taking the aspirin.

Conclusion

In this study, there was no benefit to taking aspirin for prevention of heart attack, but there was an increased risk of intestinal bleeding from taking aspirin.

Therefore, those who have not yet had a heart attack and are taking aspirin purely for protection – the ‘worried well’ – should question whether they should risk taking aspirin.

This study did not consider those who have actually had a heart attack and whether aspirin benefited them.

(Talk with your doctor before changing any medication you are taking.)

Further information:
Press release, Dundee University
MSN News coverage

Heart Benefits of Aspirin Questioned is a post from: Living To 150

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Polyphenols are particularly beneficial for reducing the risk of heart disease as well as for reducing aging tendencies in general.

Professor Williamson, Professor of Function Foods at Leeds University, has published a list of 20 common foods which are particularly high in polyphenols.

The list is:

• Berries:
  • Blackberries
  • Blueberries
  • Cranberries
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
• Apples
• Oranges
• Red Grapes (and red wine)
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Plums
• Broccoli
• Cereal bran
• Cherry tomatoes
• Red onions
• Spinach
• Black tea
• Green tea
• Coffee
• Dark chocolate

Caution

The benefit of dark chocolate will be partly outweighed (sorry about this…) by the sugar content.

Similarly, apples, oranges, cherries, peaches and plums can all be high in sugar so this must be born in mind when eating these foods, as sugar promotes glycation among other things.

Black tea is not so good if taken with milk (eg the omega 6 fatty acids present in high amounts in dairy foods promote inflammation, and need to be minimized in the diet).

However, all things in moderation 

‘Newspaper’ article from the Mail Online

Antioxidants Crucial For Health is a post from: Living To 150

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The technology is capable of being put into a portable hand-held device similar in size to a mobile phone. Different sensors will test for different diseases.

(Didn’t they have a device like this on Startrek?)

Current methods of getting this type of information date back to 70s technology. They are expensive and lengthy.

The new technology will give results in around 15 minutes. Being quick, cheap and convenient it will be a very valuable tool for diagnosis.

More information at Science Daily. The Leeds research team is led by Dr Paul Millner.

Diagnose Disease in 15 Minutes is a post from: Living To 150

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Inflammation is shown, in this image, affecting some of the major joints. We all know and understand this type.

But Generalised Inflammation is something that we all need to be aware of – whether or not we have aches and pains.

Generalised Inflammation is present in many people – and they rarely know about it.

This insidious type of inflammation is implicated in all major degenerative diseases:

• Heart disease
• Artery disease
• Some cancers
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Diabetes

In other words, many studies have shown that a significant number of the people suffering from these diseases

have generalised inflammation, demonstrated by blood tests.

As these diseases occur more as we age, I think we can usefully add:

• Aging

to the list of diseases which inflammation causes.

Measuring Inflammation

Inflammation can be detected by testing the blood for c-reactive protein (molecule pictured left) and fibrinogen. If the levels of these two are high, bringing them down can usually be fairly easily achieved through the right vitamins, nutritional supplements and herbs.

More Information

As well as my more detailed article on Inflammation, here are links to some books on the topic from Amazon UK:

Stop Inflammation Now!
The Inflammation Syndrome
The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan

Essential To Address If We Are To Get – And Stay – Healthy

Inflammation is a crucial issue to address to slow down aging and the onset of degenerative diseases. I find it fascinating that this issue is:

• Easy to measure (through blood tests)
• Usually easy to treat
• Therefore within our individual control

And also that it is:

• Talked about by hardly anyone who is charged with looking after our health.

Inflammation Kills is a post from: Living To 150

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Kidney and liver show no malfunction. There are good to very good signs that cancer, heart disease and arthritic tendencies are not present. Prostate signs are good.

Thyroid indications are good. Vitamins B12 and D are good. Glycation level is good. (If bad, this causes faster aging by speeding up wrinkling of the skin and throughout the body)

Two Areas In Need of Attention

1. Blood glucose is at the beginning of the high range. This is not a great cause for concern; as the insulin tests shows the pancreas is working well; and the are good signs that metabolic syndrome is not present to any degree. However, I would be happier if the level was lower.

2. Both LDL (‘bad’) and HDL (‘good’) cholesterol are high. This means that the ratio between them – which is key – is good. Triclyceride levels – fats in the blood – are good, which lends weight to he view that the fat and cholesterol situation is not dangerous.

However, I would like the LDL to be lower.

Conclusion

LEF say that these two high results could well involve genetic factors. This is strengthened by the fact that my diet is low in carbohydrates and dietary cholesterol, and that no liver malfunction is indicated.

These tests have been extremely useful. I have been able to use some test results to check the implications of others. I feel I have had a very good assessment of my general level of health. Keeping a regular check – say, annual – should help highlight any problems early, for relatively easy treatment.

Tomorrow I will talk about my next steps.

Results Of My Blood Tests For Longevity is a post from: Living To 150

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4 of the main ways we are slowly killing ourselves are:

1. By allowing blood homocysteine to be too high
2. Not addressing low level inflammation in the body
3. Having an excess of glycotoxins (these cause wrinkles – inside the body and out), and
4. Too many free radicals (and too few anti-oxidants to mop them up)

All 4 factors produce aging; and they create disease – especially cancer and heart disease. They can all be addressed.

The first 2 are easily measured by appropriate blood tests. They are usually successfully treated with supplements and herbs. A re-test after a few months will show the progress being made.

For numbers 3 and 4 on the list, the treatment is to change lifestyle and diet to prevent additional free radicals and glycotoxins being formed; and to take supplements to reduce the levels which are present.

For example, sun-bathing creates huge numbers of free radicals so should be avoided; bar-b-q cooked meat is high in glycotoxins and similarly should be avoided. A large amount of fruit and veg in the diet always helps; as does a dramatic reduction in the intake of starchy food.

For supplements, common anti-oxidants include vitamins A, C and E; and to counteract glycation, carnosine is a powerful aid.

Longevity: Staying Healthy While Aging Is One Thing; But Living To 150….? is a post from: Living To 150

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The latest research has pinpointed blood markers which can predict such ailments as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, many cancers, and a whole raft of degenerative diseases, a decade or more before they take hold. Preventive methods are available which can help deal with most of these.

Conspiracy by our doctors? No – just that there is little money in preventing disease; but there is lots of money in curing it; i.e. drug treatment. So what research there is, is heavily slanted towards selling drugs.

One company…

…selling the more useful preventive tests – to company executives – is Biophysical Corp in Austin, Texas. For several thousand dollars you can get a whole battery of useful tests here, which will tell you if you are very, moderately, or slightly at risk. They then tell you what to do about the results.

This is the way medicine is going for the discerning consumer.

Most of us would like some cheaper ways to get the same information. They are around: keep reading.

Sophisticated Health Tests Help You Live Longer is a post from: Living To 150

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