For people with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, psychotic disorders, bulimia, dementia,  or  other psychiatric disorders who prefer not to take medication, don’t improve with medication, can’t tolerate or, only partially benefit from medication, or have bothersome side effects from medication, trying a simple, low-carbohydrate diet is worth a go.

This statement is based on my study of science in combination with my experience with people in the real world.

Low-carbohydrate diets are safe for almost everyone and can lead in many cases to significant improvements in a wide variety of  symptoms. There are many potential benefits. If side effects do occur, they are generally harmless and temporary.

While dietary changes can’t always completely replace medications, they can improve overall health and make good sense as a viable alternative to medication in some cases, or as a complement to conventional care in other cases.

Here are seven reasons to try a low-carb or ketogenic diet for mental health:

1. Reduce inflammation.

High-sugar diets promote excessive, unnecessary inflammation inside the brain, triggering the release of various inflammatory cytokines—tiny SOS signals that recruit first-responder cells to the scene. Inflammation of this type is well established as a root cause of most psychiatric and neurological diseases. Low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to reduce markers of inflammation.

2. Improve blood glucose control.

The higher your blood sugar, the higher your brain sugar . . . each time your blood sugar spikes to unhealthy highs, you’re flooding your brain tissue with excess glucose. There are many ways that high glucose levels are toxic to brain cells, including the formation of sticky, dysfunctional proteins called “Advanced Glycation End products” or AGEs. Low-carbohydrate diets are very effective at lowering blood glucose levels. Protect your precious neurons from glucotoxicity.

3. Lower blood insulin levels.

Persistently or repeatedly high insulin levels can cause the insulin receptors on the surface of the blood-brain barrier to become insulin-resistant, meaning they can become damaged, desensitized, and decrease  in number. With fewer healthy, responsive insulin receptors on the surface of the blood-brain barrier to escort insulin into the brain, insulin levels inside the brain will fall.

Low brain insulin is dangerous, because brain cells require insulin to process glucose and turn it into energy. This sluggish glucose-processing problem is called “cerebral glucose hypometabolism,” and it is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Low-carbohydrate diets can be very helpful in lowering blood insulin levels.

4. Boost antioxidant defenses.

High-sugar diets cause excessive, unnecessary oxidative damage. Flooding cells with too much glucose all at once leads to a flood of oxygen free radicals, which are normally mopped up by our own natural, internal antioxidant molecules (such as glutathione).

There extra free radicals wreak havoc in the brain, damaging proteins, lipids, DNA, and other important cell components. They can even damage the blood-brain barrier, allowing unwanted substances from your blood  into the brain. Low-carbohydrate diets naturally help improve your internal antioxidant capacity.

5. Energise mitochondria.

High-sugar diets damage mitochondria, the energy-generating organelles inside brain cells. As a highly metabolically active, electrical organ, the brain is an energy hog, demanding about 20- 25 percent of the body’s energy. Mitochondria must be healthy to provide cells with a steady supply of energy. Low-carbohydrate diets—particularly ketogenic diets—have been shown to improve the health and vitality of mitochondria.

6. Stabilise stress hormones and appetite.

Refined carbohydrates, like sugar, flour, fruit juice, and processed cereals, place your hormones on an invisible, internal roller coaster. Every time your blood sugar and insulin spike to unnaturally high levels, they soon crash back down, triggering the release of stress hormones, including adrenaline.

Adrenaline surges, which can occur four to five hours after consuming too much sugar, can contribute to panicky, “hypoglycemic” symptoms, like anxiety, sweating, irritability, shaking, difficulty concentrating, and carbohydrate cravings. Low-carbohydrate diets help smooth out the highs and lows in blood sugar that lead to hormonal instability in the first place.

7. Raise BDNF levels.

High-sugar diets can reduce levels of an important molecule called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. BDNF is a key player in neuroplasticity—in other words, BDNF helps the brain cope with, respond to, and recover from stress. Healthy BDNF levels contribute to resilience—something we all need, as stress is a normal part of life. Low-carbohydrate diets—particularly ketogenic dietshave been shown to raise BDNF levels.

Note: A low-carbohydrate diet is not the only nutritional strategy worth considering; improving overall dietary quality with a whole-foods pre-agricultural diet (aka “paleo-style” diet) or a whole-foods post-agricultural diet (aka “Mediterranean” diet) may be helpful for some, especially for those without a significant degree of insulin resistance. However, neither of these approaches typically lower insulin and blood glucose levels as reliably as low-carbohydrate diets do.

Word of caution

People currently taking psychiatric medication (or medication of any kind) or who have a history of serious mental health symptoms, such as suicidal ideation, mania, or psychosis, should not embark on a low-carbohydrate diet without additional information and professional support, as medication levels can be affected, and some symptoms may temporarily worsen during the initial weeks of adaptation.

Take home message 

Most of us have been feeding our brains incorrectly for our entire lives and have no idea how much better we could feel if we ate differently.

A whole-foods, low-carbohydrate diet is a safe and healthy option for most people that can help improve brain metabolism, mental health symptoms, and overall health.

Thank you for reading

The post 7 Reasons To Try A Low Carb Diet appeared first on Sara Pugh Pilates Hypnosis Nervous System Biochemistry Leeds.

Type 2 Diabetes & Insulin

Type 2 diabetes can be summed up as too much sugar in the body, rather than just blood sugar that’s too high. This happens USUALLY by consuming too much sugar and carbohydrates too often and this ends up with the body having no where to put the extra sugar that is eaten. A bit like trying to stuff more clothes in a suitcase that is already full, so the clothes spill out, a bit like the sugar spilling out into the blood, giving high blood sugar which then leads to insulin resistance where the body ‘ignores insulin’.

Insulin lowers blood sugar by moving it into different cells, but if the cells are already full of sugar they can’t take anymore sugar, like trying to get on the tube in London when its packed.

The liver can make this extra sugar into fat which can be stored on the body or in the liver (non alcoholic fatty liver). This means a lot of people with fatty liver which often comes with insulin resistant should be cutting out sugar and carbs, rather than  good fats.

Pre-diabets, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver can be ‘reversed’ by fasting, ketogenic diet or just calorie restriction as it will force the body to use up its sugar supply and help with insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity is where the body responds properly to insulin, rather than ignoring it.

When insulin and sugar levels are high in the body, mTOR is activated and this is the main growth pathway in the body, so it will cause all cells to grow, including cancer cells. mTOR is not bad at all if it is not on all the time, but if mTOR is on all the time and the person is in ‘growth and storage’ mode all day then this makes a favourable environment for cancer to grow in. Cancer is complicated and it is not just about mTOR, sugar and insulin but this is why some people choose to fast, limit calories or sugar for health reasons.

People can also get insulin resistant / Type 2 diabetic due to stress, lack of exercise prolonged poor sleep and lack of/loss of muscle mass so it is not diet alone.

Plant molecules or neutraceuticals

As type 2 diabetes is multi faceted there are certain plant molecules that can help and have other benefits even if you don’t have insulin resistance as long as they are used in conjunction with other lifestyle changes.

Berberine  can modulate autophagy in adipose tissue to help prevent weight gain  and metabolic syndrome (pre diabetes) as well as protect against atherosclerosis (blocked arteries) . Berberine activates AMPK  inhibits mTOR and upregulates PPARγexpression. Berberine helps regulate glucose metabolism by increasing insulin sensitivity. Berberine also increases production of new mitochondria, which are what use fat and glucose in the body to make energy.

Metformin also activates AMPK and inhibits mTOR, which is why some biohackers use it for its potential anti-ageing and anti-cancer effects. Metformin works to inhibit AMPK and lower blood sugar  by slightly different mechanism to berberine.

Metformin has some gut related side effects like diarrhoea and  wind as well as possibly lowering B12 levels, where as berberine can help with some gut issues. Berberine has bad bioavailability so better used in liposomal form.

Cinnamon activates AMPK which then activates glucose utilisation and improves fat burning (if in a calorie deficit or in ketosis). Cinnamon improves metabolism by lowering fasting blood glucose levels and Hemoglobin HBA1c, a measure of average blood glucose levels over time. Cinnamon contains a key bioactive compound, trans-cinnamic aldehyde, which decreases bacterial survival by activating autophagy in microbial invaders, which can help ward off infections.

Milk Thistle is well-known for its liver-protective properties and Silibinin &  silybin from milk thistle inhibit mTOR  Silibinin activates AMPK, and can restore NAD+ levels in non-alcoholic fatty liver as fatty liver and type 2 diabetes come together most of the time.

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Deng Y, Xu J. et al. Berberine attenuates autophagy in adipocytes by targeting BECN1. Autophagy, 2012; 10(10), 1776–1786

Fan A, Wang J. Berberine alleviates ox-LDL induced inflammatory factors by up-regulation of autophagy via AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. Journal of Translational Medicine, 2015; 13(1), 92.

Yao Z, Wan Y. Berberine induces mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and protective autophagy in human malignant pleural mesothelioma NCI-H2452 cells. Oncol Rep. 2018 Dec;40(6):3603-3610

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This blog is about detox and women of all ages. Detox  is one of those words we have all heard but most people don’t know what detox really is or how to do it.

Doing a biochemical detox has huge benefits for women of all ages, including mums who are thinking about starting a family, so before the unborn baby, more like the  level of the ‘unmade baby’.

Biochemical detox is a process that the body does every day at the cellular level up to the levels of organs. This means there are many moving parts in detoxification that have to work together seamlessly to escort the toxins out of the body. Due to many factors, including gut health, liver function, infections, toxin load  and age our bodies often need help with the detoxification process.

Detox is a word associated with green smoothies and getting off drugs or alcohol,  in my view as biochemist this is in part why people get mislead or confused.

Detox 101

To do a biochemical detox the body has to prepared

• You  sufficient vitamins and minerals to perform the biochemical reactions needed to remove toxins
• Your gut needs to be healed and healthy
• Sufficient bile flow is need
• The toxins needs to be ‘pushed out of cells’ using specific compounds  and transported
• The toxins needs to be caught in the gut using binders so they can be removed
• The kidneys and skin need to assist with toxin removal via urine and sweat

Without getting too technical here are some examples of toxins. They all affect the brain and body in unfavorable ways and some people are more sensitive than others. Too many toxins,  not enough nutrients and inflammation are at the root of disease.

• Heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, lead and arsenic
• Pesticides/herbicides
• Plastics, dyes, some ingredients in cosmetics/cleaning products and fire retardants
• Drugs and medications in the water
• Mould toxin, bacterial toxins and endotoxin (made in our own bodies)
• Plant toxins like oxalates

Toxins interfere with metabolism, nutrient absorption, mood, energy levels, sleep, brain function, the immune system as well as creating inflammation which leads to pain and other disease.

It is much better to take out things out of the body  which shouldn’t be in the body first, before adding in medication as lot of problems go away when the toxins go away.

Planning a baby

Firstly, toxins can interfere with hormones in men and women, making it harder to get pregnant. Secondly it is much better to do a detox before getting pregnant as the toxins can be passed to the baby and its hard work being pregnant and many toxins cause fatigue. Thirdly, mercury is a funny toxin in that if mum is exposed to lots of mercury, instead of producing a mercury resistant baby there is evidence that the opposite can happen, which is a mercury sensitive child.

Pregnancy

As doing a detox during pregnancy has not been researched it should be avoided. However avoiding toxins and toxic people during pregnancy will make a big different. That would be avoiding high mercury fish like tuna or swordfish, avoiding excess cosmetics/cleaning products, avoiding high oxalate foods (chard, spinach, potatoes, sweet potatoes, almonds, nuts)  and taking care of gut health to manage endotoxin.

Children

There is a link between toxin load and gut issues and ADHD and autism.  Detoxification can be safely done with children with a practitioner as long as there are blood tests to identify toxin load (some cant be identified like mould or oxalates) and evidence there is leaky gut/gut infections. Its  a good idea to limit the toxins children encounter and there is movement to make sure play areas, toys and children’s cosmetics are low or toxin free, but it’s a good idea to check or choose low toxin.

Teens

As we grow older we naturally accumulate more toxins and teen years have other stresses like puberty, social media and school. Under the supervision of a parent biochemical detoxification is safe for teens and can be very helpful if there are hormone imbalances or mental health concerns. Toxins have adverse effects on the brain and are linked to anxiety and depression. Many teens are on anti-depressants and anti anxiety medication unnecessarily and we don’t know the long term affects of brain chemistry altering drugs on a developing brain.

Young adults

Similar to teens except they now have control over diet and can make their own decisions about health. Many teens/young adults got OTT with alcohol, processed food and drugs. Young women also use contraceptive which are synthetic estrogens and the body can have a hard time removing these when other toxins are present. Lyme disease, herpes, Epstein- Barr (glandular fever), yeast infections   and other microbes can now rear their heads. Microbial detox (viruses, bacteria, yeast, fungi & parasites) goes very well with toxin removal as the protocol is very similar. Toxins weaken the body so the microbes have more control. The microbes interfere with toxin removal, so removing toxins and microbes together is more effective.

30s – 40s

This is the age when ageing can start to show up and very conveniently the detoxification pathway in the body, the glutathione system and nrf-2 strongly link in to the anti-ageing pathway. Lots of the compounds used in detox like quercetin, resveratrol and berberine are known to have anti-ageing properties if they are used in the correct form. Toxins interfere with sleep, metabolism, fat burning and energy production, ‘early middle aged spread or weight gain’ can be avoided. As we age our bodies are less efficient at making glutathione which is our body’s most powerful detox molecule, is a strong anti oxidant and protects the brain. Glutathione is used as standard in a detox, but lots of people carry on using it afterwards during times of stress or just as a supplement.

50s-60s

The menopause can be easy for some and traumatic for others. Some of the plant compounds like gentian, solidago, luteolin  and CBD used in detox are also useful for balancing mood and hormones, making it easier to manage some of the symptoms which arise in the menopause. Toxins and bad sleep on top of hormone issues make the menopause  worse.

Toxins like lead encourage osteoporosis, which is thinning of the bones and women post menopause are more at risk of osteoporosis. During a detox it is necessary to make sure you have sufficient minerals and vitamins, particularly vitamin K2 If someone is at risk of osteoporosis. Lots of people benefit from the pre-tox, which is getting ready to do a detox and this is where people make sure they have a enough nutrients and the body is ‘detox’ ready.

As we age we become more insulin resistant which can then lead to type 2 diabetes and other disease. Some of the symptoms of insulin resistance are weight gain, inability to lose weight, fat around the middle and sugar cravings. Certain nutraceuticals  in the fasting plans contain berberine which is can help with blood sugar and insulin resistance. Fasting is often used along side detox as it makes it more efficient and fasting is brilliant way to control insulin resistance or blood sugar. Older people aren’t as good at something called ‘autophagy’ which is when the body ‘spring cleans’ and gets rid of old and damaged cells. Not enough autophagy is linked to disease so older people need to fast more, so it is perfectly safe if done properly.

70+

You are never too old to start a detox plan. The older you get the more toxins you collects so it makes sense to get them out as they burden the body and it does not deal so well with burdens as we age.  My 74 yr old mother is doing  a detox at the moment. She is not keen on the fasting so she is doing no carbs until evening meal and using something called keto before 6 on those days which contains berberine, milk thistle, cinnamon, resveratrol and quercitin. She is doing a full detox on the other days using something called liver sauce which has toxin push so nrf-2 activators and alpha lipoic acid, immune support and liver support in it, along with binders, some CBD and glutathione. She  is also using H2 elite which is hydrogen producing supplement as hydrogen is an anti oxidant and I also gave her a grounding pillow.

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Marijuana or cannabis  has been used medicinally for thousands of years and offer many health benefits, particularly for inflammation and pain. CBD or cannabidiol is one of the medicinal compounds and it is legal in many countries.

• Chronic pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia
• Autoimmune diseases (inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis)
• Gut disorders (colitis, IBS, Leaky GutCrohn’s)
• Neurological conditions (Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Huntington’s, stroke, traumatic brain injury)
• Metabolic syndrome (diabetes, obesity)
• Neuropsychiatric illness (autism, ADHD, PTSD, alcoholism)
• Cardiovascular dysfunction (atherosclerosis, arrhythmia)
• Skin disease (acne, dermatitis, psoriasis)
• Some cancers

If you would prefer to watch my video all about cannabis and CBD here it is.

Cannabis plants contains lots of alkaloids or ‘active plant molecules like CBD, CBG, THC, CBC and more. Scientists are still discovering new compounds in cannabis.

THC is the compound which makes people high or ‘stoned’
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the more medical compound which offers the health benefits, although THC still plays a role if used in small amounts.

Cannabis Receptors and Endocannabinoids

There are 2 types of cannabis receptors (locks) in the body CB 1 and CB 2. CB1 is mainly in the brain and central nervous system and CB2 is in the rest of the body, particularly the immune cells.

We make our own endo-cannabinoids,  Anandamide and 2-Arachidonly Glycerol 2AG (keys) which go in the CB1 and CB2 receptors.

Anandamide is released in ‘exercise highs’ and ‘flow states’ Mediation causes the body to make more anandamide and CBD increases the pool of anandamide and 2AG. So CBD helps you make your own cannabinoids.

Does CBD work on its own?

By itself THC can only press the getting high button, which are the CB1 receptors.

CBD can’t bind the CB 2 receptors (the healing buttons) or CB1 itself,’ but it makes the CB2 receptor or ‘button sensitive’ so now the THC can press the CB2 button to switch on all the good effects

CBD also helps anandamide and 2AG press the CB2 button

CBD turns on detox genes in the gluthathione system or pathway by activating nrf-2. This natural detox system is also part of anti-ageing system in the body, which can also be activated by fasting. CBD also helps control inflammation by turning down inflammatory genes and turning up anti-inflammatory genes.

CBD can activate AMPK which is a protein or a ‘metabolic switch’. AMPK does lots of useful things including helping to close up leaky junctions like leaky gut. AMPK is activated during fasting and to some extent a ketogenic diet.

THC can only press the CB 2 healing button when CBD is there, THC can’t turn on genes or activate AMPK. So it is a myth that CBD can’t work without THC. But the THC being there does add more ooomf to the system .

CBD and the Brain

When a person is stressed or in fight or flight they DON’T heal, detox or digest properly. The GABA system is associated with relaxation.

Lots of toxins make people stressed by potentiating the GLUTAMATE pathway which then pushes the person into fight or flight. These toxins  are mercury, glyphosate and endotoxins.

This over excitement in the brain  encourages free radical production in the brain which causes  neuro-inflammation. This produces brain fog but also makes all other neurological conditions like Parkinson’s, Dementia and MS worse.

CBD helps balance the GABA – GLUTAMATE systems so this is why it is helpful for people with neurodegenerative conditions, adrenal fatigue and during a detox.

Thank you for reading – Please get in touch if you have any questions or want to book a consultation with me

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This is my opinion on vaccines based on my current knowledge and I think they play a key role in modern medicine. I don’t mind if you view differs.

1. Some vaccines contain ethyl mercury which is less toxic than methyl mercury from big fish like tuna/sword fish or inorganic mercury from amalgams. It is called thimerosal and it’s used as an anti microbial to prevent sepsis which can kill you. Mercury is also an adjuvant to provoke the immune system so the vaccine is more effective. Some flu jabs contain thermisal and 2 childhood vaccines. The amount in vaccines is tightly regulated. The amount in fish isn’t. (I’m not saying don’t eat fish, just comparing)

2. Mercury + bacterial endotoxin, lipo polysaccharide (LPS) together make each other more neuro inflammatory. Endotoxin comes from infections in the body mainly from gut issues but also UTIs and tooth infections. You can be unaware your or your child is harbouring an infection. Activated charcoal binds endotoxin

Loads of foods can irritate/harm the gut e.g thickeners like carrageenan in yoghurts harm the gut. Alcohol harm the gut (to make leaky gut in animals for study they give them alcohol). Certain dishwasher detergents can harm gut.

So don’t get a vaccine after drinking alcohol the night before or you have a bad stomach.

3. Taking paracetamol after a jab will inhibit your body’s ability to produce glutathione, your main detox molecule and anti-oxidant. Glutathione binds to toxins, including mercury to safely move them out. Paracetamol also depletes sulphate and you need that for other detox pathways/ toxins. Just let your body process the vaccine in peace without adding more drugs on top.

4. Having lots of jabs at once can be too much for SOME ppls immune systems and some people already have a Th1 and Th2 imbalance. This is to do with how “accurate” your immune system is as it can get confused and attack your own cells if it’s out of balance.

Lots of things upset the immune system and inflammatory foods are the main culprits. Leaky gut will also upset the immune system as food particles are in the blood and endotoxin.

5. If mum was exposed to lots of mercury then rather than producing a child that’s “mercury resistant” it’s the opposite the child is mercury sensitive. Which is partly why we have different tolerances to mercury.

So as you can see loads of other variables play a role in vaccines so you can’t just blame the vaccine. It multi faceted.

It’s very easy to be safe if you are scared of vaccines as like any drug, they all have potential side effects but easy to avoid if you understand the biology.

Mercury is quite an easy toxin to remove and it won’t kill you. Viruses on the other hand can

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We are socially conditioned to fear hunger, told fasting is dangerous  and we have been told by ‘who knows who’ that we need to eat regularly, to ‘keep our metabolism going’.

This is not only wrong but it is promoting insulin resistance that leads to type 2 diabetes, obesity, hormone imbalances and in some cases cancer. Insulin is released every time we eat and insulin  is a storage and growth hormone and humans are not supposed to be in growth and storage mode all day. There are numerous studies that link calorie restriction and fasting to longevity.

Why Going Without Food For a Bit is A Good thing

• Firstly, it is not possible to burn fat when the body is in storage mode and insulin is high, this has been demonstrated over and over in studies.
• Secondly, if insulin is high all day the body starts to ignore it and become ‘insulin resistant’ which is the 1^st step in becoming a type 2 diabetic, some children as young as 10 are insulin resistant already.
• Thirdly, when food is around or ‘nutrient abundance’ a out bodies main growth switch mTOR is on all the time and mTOR will stimulate the growth of everything, including some cancers. mTOR is not bad at all,  but it is if it is on 12/7.

Our ancestors would have gone without food for up to days at a time and the body makes specific biological changes to adapt to this, so our are genetics are geared for fasting.

• Firstly, during a fast or in the absence of food the body switches from using  glucose to ketones as fuel which come from body fat.  Ketones are not only a great energy source for the brain, but the are also anti-inflammatory. Learn more about ketosis HERE
• Secondly to protect muscle, growth hormone increases during fasting so you don’t ‘waste away’, growth hormone also heals tissue and helps the body break down and burn fat. If our ancestors got weak during times of no food we wouldn’t be here.
• Thirdly, brain derived neutrophic factor (BNDF) increase during a fast and this is our natural anti-depressant and it also improves cognitive functions. Our ancestors needed to keep their mental faculties sharp during food shortages.

Why Fasting Is Good for Your Health

During periods where our body is energy nutrient deprived, autophagy acts a survival mechanism to make energy.

Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2016 for his research on autophagy.

Autophagy is key for

• Removing old damaged cells , organelles & proteins
• Removing damaged mitochondria ‘The power house of the cell’ (Mitophagy)
• Reducing plaques in brain & atherosclerosis
• Lipophagy fat breakdown and connective tissue around fat cells
• Removing unwanted cells eg pre cancerous, rouge immune cells
• Activating longevity genes like FOXO & surtuins

Autophagy is like a spring clean, or ripping out an old kitchen to put a new one in. Not enough autophagy is linked to many diseases, simply because people are constantly in a ‘fed state’

I feel deeply saddened that people have been mis-informed about food and fear fasting or being hungry as it is evident in society the impact of food being forced at us wherever we go.

The post Why banning eating on public transport is a good idea – Hunger Fear appeared first on Sara Pugh Pilates Hypnosis Nervous System Biochemistry Leeds.

Detoxification is a natural process inherent to the human body. It is a complicated biochemical process involving many reactions, a healthy liver, gut, kidneys and a means for the toxins to get out, which is by pooing, weeing or sweating them out. I haves implified it and given suggestions.

Fat stores toxins and anything which liberates fat will release toxins eg fasting, exercising, being ill or losing weight by adopting a lifestyle that works for you. Its just how biology works

Over time, our bodies accumulate a variety of toxins from our environment, cosmetics, plastic, food sources (eg methyl mercury from fish), inorganic mercury from tooth fillings. Inflammation inhibits detox and more toxins create inflammation.

SOME EXAMPLES OF TOXIN OVERLOAD SYMPTOMS

Mercury – Fatigue (slows down energy production), anxiety (ramps up fight or flight system via glutamate), thyroid issues.

Lead – Fatigue, mood disorders, headaches, high blood pressure

Plastics/pthaltes/fire retardants- Hormone disruption (thyroid) and estrogen mimetics (irritability, weight gain, brain fog, inflammation, some cancers)

Bacterial endotoxin (LPS) – From leaky gut, infected root canal. These are bits of broken up bacterial makes body think you have a full infection. Systemic inflammation, brain fog

Efficient detoxification depends on a series of seamless reactions that bind toxins to shuttle molecules and “escort” them out through a series of doors. The glutathione system is the most important of the detoxification systems and includes glutathione and the enzymes that work with it. The detoxification process proceeds in three parts or “phases”, Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III.

BRIEF BIOCHEMISTRY / ANATOMY OF HOW TO DETOX

1. The toxin needs to be pulled out of the cell (alpha lipoic acid helps) or released from fat (do something that burns fat)
2. Glutathione or other molecules bind the toxin and ‘tag it for removal. It gets put into bile. This means the liver needs to be healthy. Fatty liver, leaky liver, stressed liver or glutathione deficient liver will struggle
3. Enough bile needs to be made and this is dumped in the small intestine. There are specific ingredients needed to make the bile ‘flow’ like choline and cholesterol
4. If the gut is inflamed or cant get the bile + toxins out they get reabsorbed and stay in body
5. Using binders such as activated charcoal, xeolites, activated citrus pectin, clay and certain gums will bind to the toxins and then they get pooed out
6. The kidney is quite delicate so should only be allowed a little bit of the toxin load and not all toxins can come out in the wee and sweat.

This is relevant to everybody and it doesn’t mean you can’t use cosmetics, eat fish etc you just need to make sure the detox system is working properly at all phases.

It takes months to get the heavy metals out for example lead likes to go in bones so makes osteoporosis worse as it is liberated as the bones break down and also dumps lead in the blood stream.
Mercury inhibits pretty much all enzymes so goes all over the body.

Detoxing is important to consider BEFORE planning a baby

The hormone disruptors from plastics/household chemical hide in fat so when people fast, do a keto diet, go on a fitness kick etc the toxins come rushing out and either mess up the weight loss or give people fasting flu or keto flu, so they give up.

If you want to learn more about detoxification please get in touch

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Researchers are discovering that inflammation may be at the root of diseases as diverse as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune disease, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease  is the most prevalent form of dementia, but the exact biological mechanism of this disease is not fully understood. Alzheimer’s disease  is highly correlated with neuro-inflammation and oxidative stress in brain causing neuronal loss and cognitive impairment.

Nuclear factor of activated B-cells (NF-κB) is involved in physiological inflammatory processes and thus representing a promising target for inflammation therapy for inflammatory diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Phytochemicals (plant alkaloids or botanicals) are able to interfere with the NF-κB pathway.

These phytochemicals inhibit the phosphorylation or the ubiquitination of signalling, which is like a ‘start inflammation tag’. Blocking this process  inhibits  the degradation of IκB and  NF-κB is unable to go into the nucleus  of the cells or bind to DNA to switch on genes which produce  pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Pro inflammatory cytokines include tumor necrosis factor, interleukins, lymphokines, monokines, interferons, colony stimulating factors, and transforming growth factors produced by monocytes, T-cells, platelets, and endothelial cells. These molecules are part of the body’s defences and are supposed to be for acute inflammation or ‘short term use’.

Problems and disease arises when the levels of cytokines rise when there are no ‘invaders’ in body or stay elevated for long periods of time (chronic systemic inflammation).

A list of some plant molecules have been shown anti-inflammatory effects in Alzheimer’s  models in vitro as well as in vivo.

• Curcumin – Tumeric
• Resveratrol – Coloured berry skins
• Pterostilbene –  Related to resveratrol various Vaccinium berries
• Punicalagin – Pomegranates and bush willow
•  Macranthoin G – Eucommia ulmoides bark  (small tree native to China), is a derivative from chlorogenic acid methyl ester and caffeic acid
•  Salidroside – glucoside of tyrosol found in the plant Rhodiola rosea.
•  4-O-methylhonokiol – It is found in the bark of Magnolia grandiflora
•  lycopene– Lycopene is a carotenoid found in tomatoes
• Obovatol – Isolated from the bark of Magnolia obovata
•  Gallic acid a type of phenolic acid, found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark
•  Galantamine – bulbs and flowers of Galanthus snowdrops  daffodils  .^[
• Glaucocalyxin B, –  aerial parts of Rabdosia japonica
• Tetrandrine –  Stephania tetrandra S Moore,^[1] and other Chinese and Japanese herbs
•  Berberine – Barberry and goldenseal
• Oridonin – Chinese medicinal herb Rabdosia rubescens
• Anatabine –Solanaceae family, including tobacco, tomatoes, and eggplants
•  Tanshinone IIA – Root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge
•  Artemisinin –  Artemisia annua, sweet wormwood
• Dihydroasparagusic acid – Dihydroasparagusic acid is the reduced form of asparagusic acid, from Asparagus plants.
• Geniposide – present in fruit of Gardenia jasminoides.(related to coffee)
•  Xanthoceraside – from the husks of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge
• 1,8-cineole – 1,8-Cineole (11, eucalyptol) is an achiral aromatic component of many plants, including Salvia and Eucalyptus leaves
• Paeoniflorin –  Derived from Paeonia lactiflora

The doses contained in plants alone is not enough for therapeutic effects and because plants contain lots of other compounds, some of which are harmful (oxalates or lectins), toxix or block the absorption of mineral. In addition some plants / fruits contain a lot of sugar so it undoes all the anti inflammatory effects.

In my view it is better to seek out the pure botanical rather than eat the whole plant. In the correct dose these compounds may help with inflammation and neurodegenerative disease, how ever more is not better as they can be harmful at higher doses

Seo EJ, Fischer N, Efferth T Phytochemicals as inhibitors of NF-κB for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Pharmacol Res. 2018

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Ketosis is a perfectly safe metabolic state where the body has shifted from using glucose as the primary fuel source to ketone bodies (ketones). Ketone bodies are made from fat in the liver.

This happens when the liver glycogen (sugar)  stores are used up. The liver stores between 100 and 150g of glycogen or about 2000 kcal of ‘sugar’ energy .

Both carbohydrates (starch and sugar) and fats can be used as fuel. The body will preferentially use carbohydrates because of its easy access and fast absorption, although burning fat is less inflammatory.

When switching to use fat as fuel, a period of adaptation needs to take place. This is called becoming ‘fat adapted’ or ‘keto adapted’ as the body has to break down fat, make ketone bodies and use the ketone bodies. The length of it takes to become fat adapted depends on how dependent a person previously was on glucose and how well their body accepts this new fuel source.

Ketosis occurs either over a prolonged period of fasting or by restricting carbohydrate intake significantly to 20g or less a day (about 5% of daily calories from carbohydrates). Ketosis means your body is using ketone bodies as fuel so there are different levels of ketosis. A mild state of ketosis can be obtained during exercise, sleep (body is in a fasted state) and calorie restriction.

Is Ketosis Safe?

It’s important to not confuse ketosis with medical ketoacidosis, like with untreated Type 1 diabetes which causes the pH levels in the blood to drop and become acidic.

Nutritional ketosis is perfectly safe and a great metabolic state to be in. This process is perfectly normal and is an adaptive response. During periods of famine, going into ketosis enabled humans  to survive and maintain vitality. Instead of relying on glucose for fuel we can to use our own body fat and thrive instead of starving to death.

Ketone bodies have the following properties;

• Suppress appetite
• Are muscle sparing
• Are great brain fuel
• Possess anti-inflammatory properties.

Is it Unnatural To Be On a Ketogenic Diet?

The Inuit in Northern America have no available source of glucose in their habitat and their diet is consists of  mainly fatty fish and meat. The Masai tribe in Africa live on pasture lands and drink raw milk and eat the animals they farm. There is a very low occurrence of disease, obesity and cancer in these indigenous people and they live on ketogenic diet. Fat in of itself is actually a lot better for us, as long as it is not eaten at the same time as carbohydrates, due to something called the ‘Randle Cycle’.

The indigenous people with their unprocessed high animal product diets were perfectly healthy until hey came in contact with refined sugars/starches and processed seed oils from the West. After that cases of tooth decay, obesity, heart disease and diabetes sky rocketed.

In summary there are many benefits to being in ketosis and this is why there are some many benefits associated with fasting and a ketogenic or low carb diet.

Thank you for reading

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Our brain chemistry is based on the balance of neurotransmitters like dopamine, oxytocin,  serotonin and noradrenalin which do play a big role in how we feel and can easily be knocked out of balance leading to addiction, depression and anxiety.

There isn’t and will never be such thing as a happy pill or any compound which can give us all the elements of happiness. The correct balance of neurotransmitters can lead to wonderful experiences like ‘Flow States‘.

In addition different things make different people happy as 50% of our neurological wiring in the brain  is the same and the other 50% the wiring depends on life experiences. This means that different things excite, interest and please different people.

Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter that is involved in what we perceive as enjoyable, but there are other factors. Dopamine is involved  pleasure, learning, movement, motivation, addiction and boredom.

Too much dopamine is bad and is linked to psychotic episodes and too little results in Parkinson’s diseases,  It is about balance or the ‘goldilocks amount’.

Dopamine and Pleasure

When we do something pleasurable,  dopamine is released and our brain learns what that stimulus was and motivates us to do more of it to get more pleasure. Your brain will then prompt you to seek out this enjoyable experience again, which if allowed to go out of control can lead to addiction. Unfortunately your brain can associate all sorts of things with pleasure and some of them are not socially acceptable or healthy.

Cocaine, sugar, exercise, pornography, video games, shopping, sex, gambling, arguing, shouting,  getting likes on social media, eating junk food, smoking cigarettes, giving people gifts, helping people,  watching sport and  extreme sports are some activities which tend to give a good dopamine hit. Not all of these are bad of course, particularly in moderation!

The problems also comes down to dopamine floods and dopamine drips. activities which create a dopamine flood like a sugar rush, cocaine and the exhilaration of gambling are a big problems as the dopamine receptors get used to the flood so you need more and more to get the same effect. Over time things which you used to find fun or pleasing like having a bath, a cuppa and a laugh with friends or a nice walk become boring, as your brain has become de-sensitised to simple pleasures. This will have an impact on your happiness.

The dopamine pool needs time to refill, so there will be a horrible low while this happens after a dopamine flood. You can’t feel exhilarated or totally amazing all the time, our brain chemistry doesn’t have the capacity or resources.

However,  you can feel content and happy most the time if you let the dopamine drip out at a slow steady pace and have the odd dopamine flood now and again for fun. 

That was a little bit about some of the biochemistry of happiness and pleasure.

Do you have an addiction or something you feel might turn into one?

Is your habit impacting your relationships or affecting how you function as a human being?

Is it stopping you from doing other things you enjoy?

Is it making you feel like a bad person ?

Are you keeping secrets about how often or how much you are spending on your habit/hobby from friends and family?

Are you rushing home to have a drink,  a joint, go online or play a video game rather than doing something social?

What do if you think you are addicted to something

You do not necessarily need to see a therapist as you can manage things yourself. In general there is the pulling the plaster off in one go or pulling it off gently, but the plaster has to go.

Fasting does not only apply to food, you can have social media fasts, Netflix fasts,   dry January etc.

Fasting from food  is very helpful for overcoming junk food and sugar addictions as your taste buds and brain will re-sensitise over time and normal food with start to taste amazing again. This is true for other activities if you do them all the time, they are no longer special.

However if you do seek therapy, a good therapist wont judge or laugh and could well have been addicted to something themselves. Therapists specialise in different addictions so you can seek out one who specialises or has experience of yours.

Get in touch if you would like some help

Sara

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