A person with torticolles typically enters my office with his head tilted to one side and is able to turn his head in one direction but not the other. The pain initially is mild but becomes intense as time passes. This can actually happen at any age. Some people are born with it. Torticollis usually has an insidious onset. Sleeping funny or having your head turned to one side for a prolonged period of time. In fact, initially most people think they just have a crick in their neck.
The problem in the majority of cases begins at the spinal joints or facets. When the spine is put into rotation for a prolonged period of time, this causes the affected spinal joints to separate. This separation causes the capsule to stretch. As the spinal joint surfaces get pulled apart, the surrounding capsule can be pulled into the joint due to a negative pressure. Once this occurs, the joints are now able to “pinch” the capsule. This pinching in turn causes the muscled that cross that joint to go into spasm which causes more pinching. This in turn causes more spasm. This is why the pain tends to spread over time and is always on one side. Warning: Get this treated ASAP.
Anybody following the discussions in these pages know that: Limiting carbohydrate intake reduces risk for coronary heart disease and heart attack.
First of all, why do conventional diets advocate restricting saturated and total fat? From the standpoint of surrogate markers of cardiovascular risk, cutting saturated and total fat reduces total cholesterol; reduces calculated LDL cholesterol; and may reduce c-reactive protein modestly (an index of inflammation). It also increases blood sugar and HbA1c (reflecting the prior 60 days blood sugars), increases glycation of the proteins of the body leading to cataracts, arthritis, and hypertension.
Problem: Total cholesterol is a combination of HDL cholesterol, an estimate of VLDL cholesterol (triglycerides), and LDL cholesterol. It is a composite of both “good” things (HDL) and “bad” things (LDL and VLDL). Cutting saturated and total fat results in reduced HDL, increased VLDL/triglycerides, and a reduction in calculated LDL. Pretty weak stuff. The last item, i.e., reduction in calculated LDL, is not even a real phenomenon. In fact, the net effect in most genotypes (genetic types) may be negative: increased heart disease risk.
In contrast, what is the effect of reducing carbohydrate without restricting fat? (In the approach I use, we start with elimination of the most destructive of carbohydrates, wheat, followed by reducing exposure to other carbohydrates, especially cornstarch and corn products, sugar, and oats.) If, say, we cut carbohydrate intake into the range of a truly low-carbohydrate diet of 10-15 grams per meal (“net” carbs, or total carbohydrates minus fiber), then we witness a number of metabolic transformations:
Reduced fasting triglycerides and VLDL
Reduced postprandial (after-eating) triglycerides, chylomicrons, and chylomicron remnants
Increased HDL and shift towards large HDL particles (presumably more protective)
Reduced small LDL particles
Reduced glycation and oxidation of small LDL particles
Reduced hemoglobin A1c
Reduced c-reactive protein and other inflammatory markers
Reduced blood pressure
By slashing carbohydrates, we also witness weight loss from visceral fat, reversal of pre-diabetes and diabetes, and reduced phenomena of glycation. And, if the wheat-free part of low-carb is maintained, you can also see marked improvement in gastrointestinal health, relief from joint pains, relief from leg edema, relief from migraine headaches, improved behavior and ability to concentrate in children with impaired learning, ADHD, and autism, better mood, deeper sleep. You will see multiple inflammatory and autoimmune diseases improve or completely relieved, such as rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis.
Having personally gone down the diabetic path and back by cutting the fat in my diet, now maintaining a HbA1c of 4.8% with fasting glucose 84 mg/d; (without medications), there should be no remaining doubt: Low-carb diets, especially if wheat-free, dramatically reduce the factors leading to heart disease; low-fat diets worsen the factors leading to heart disease.
Why is it that so many people struggle with the same challenges year after year? Most of us have experienced this phenomenon in ourselves or witnessed it in others. A great example of this type of challenge would be our bodies. Did you know that a large percentage of people that go to the gym on a regular basis are frustrated by the fact that they see very little change in their physique?
Why does this happen?
There are a variety of reasons why people fail. Some are physical, most however, are psychological. Most people actually fail before they begin. What do I mean by that? It’s quite simple; they have very little understanding of the p-r-o-c-e-s-s of changing their body. Consequently, they quickly become frustrated and give up. I have written this post specifically for those of you who consistently “hit-the-wall” when it comes to changing the dimensions of your body.
The human Body is an amazing machine. If properly cared for it will function at a high level creating a strong, healthy and lean physique. If improperly cared for it will become weak, sickly and obese.
So let’s begin the story of how you are going to get your body back. The first thing I would like you to know is that your body works with the laws of nature. Like gravity, these laws work 24 hours a day 365 days a year and are predictable.
Changing the shape of your body does not require fancy equipment, a trainer or a $200 DVD program bought on a late night infomercial. However, it does require 3 things:
A Solid Plan
Realistic expectations
A willingness to do certain things over and over again until you get the desired result.
A Picture is worth a 1000 words.
Have you ever looked at pictures that were taken of you through the years and wondered what happened? Those pictures are a historical representation, a visual diary of sorts, of how you have cared for your body up to this point. Are you pleased with how you look or displeased? Most people are displeased.
Understand this… Your body has adapted to your daily thoughts and habits. To change your body you have to change your daily thoughts and habits. The majority of people work on changing one but not both, that is why they fail.
What You Resist… Will Persist!
True change always begins by making a decision and then committing to that decision. Commitment is critical to any worthwhile endeavor. When was the last time you made a commitment to yourself that you kept? Has it been a while? Now is your chance. You are worth it!
“True Commitment is doing that in which you said you were going to do, even though the mood in which you said it has left you.”
Okay so you are now committed to begin the process of changing your body. You know that inspiration and motivation tend to diminish in short period of time. Because of this, in the past you gave up. So why is this time going to be different? Because I’m going to teach you what to expect when using this plan.
A great analogy for making changes in your body is rehabbing an old house. First of all, if you purchased the house you obviously saw potential. You had a vision of what the house will ultimately look like. The same goes for your body. The first thing I want you to do is get a vision of what you will look like when you have reached your goal. I want you to create a very Precise Vision. At night before you fall asleep with your eyes closed, imagine you are sitting in a theater by yourself watching the “you” that “you” are becoming on the screen. It’s important that you create and notice details about the new you that you are becoming. How you eat. How you move. How people look at you differently. Your energy level. Again, the more detail the better. Clarity is power. Have fun with it! By doing this nightly you are creating a mental target or blueprint for your mind and body to follow. This step is critical.
Let time be your friend
Like any process in nature, time is required for change to occur. Choosing a time frame correctly will help keep your expectations in check. You probably know the saying, “A watched pot never boils.” I always tell my clients to allow themselves a minimum time frame of 18 months. Trust me… 18 months goes by quickly if you stay focused on the process of becoming a better version of you. In a span of 18 months, many transforming things occur both physically and psychologically. These gradual changes will not only change the way you feel but also dramatically change your habits.
Take out the garbage
Okay back to the analogy of rehabbing the house. Typically, the first step of rehabbing a house is tearing out all of the old out-dated materials so that new more functional materials can be put in their place. Your old habits and behaviors are to be looked at in the same way. They function but they are no longer useful in helping you to attaining your goal. In fact, they are counterproductive. So from now on, I want you to look at any thought, habit or behavior that is not drawing you closer to your goal as Garbage. Begin the process of eliminating them. Know that in the beginning your mind and body will argue with you. This is great news. Welcome it! This lets you know you are the right track.
Thoughts are things!
I cannot possibly emphasize how important your internal dialogue is when it comes to achieving your goal. The thoughts that you accept are very powerful because they drive your daily behavior. It’s your daily behavior that either moves you towards or away from your goal. When confronted with a decision always ask this question… Is this moving me towards or away from my goal? Then choose accordingly.
Fats & Sugars
Did you know that your body has the amazing ability to burn two types of fuel? Fats and sugars. If you are overweight and have a lot of body fat, you burn mainly sugar. Did you know your body can be coaxed to burn fat by simply changing the way you eat?
It’s a proven fact that the over abundance of carbohydrates in one’s diet causes a variety of problems. For our discussion however, the main problem it causes is weight gain and obesity. To make serious changes in your body you need to begin eliminating carbohydrates from your diet. As you remove carbohydrates begin adding more high quality proteins and vegetables. As your intake of sugar/carbohydrates drop off your body will begin “choosing” fat as a source of fuel. This can take a while but the results will make you very happy.
Are you retaining water?
Did you know your body holds on to water if you are not properly hydrated? Drinking more water is a must. The rule of thumb is half your body weight in fluid ounces per day. Example: If you weigh 100 pounds you should drink 50 fluid ounces of water per day.
Time to get moving
Many people despise exercise. In fact, they equate it with pain. In reality, it is a wonderful tool if properly used and understood. I want you to look at exercise as a tool. Exercise is a very efficient way of putting a specific demand on your body. There are two forms of exercise both will help you to sculpt out a new body. Exercise five days a week.
(Remember: This is an 18 month process start out slow)
Aerobic Exercise
I’d like to teach you the secret of burning fat. To burn fat you have to get your heart rate into a range that is specific for YOU! Ones size does not fit all. Everybody is different!
So how do you figure this out? There are several ways, this I have found to be the easiest. 220 – (your age) X 70%= Your Target Heart Rate. Let’s say you are 30 years old. Here is how the calculation would go 220 – 30 X 70%= 133. So if you were 30 years old, your target rate would be 133 beats per minute. This is basically 70% of your maximum heart rate for your age. When your heart is beating in this zone your body’s chooses fat as a fuel. When your heart rate exceeds this your body chooses sugar as a fuel. We do not want this!
Ideally, you would slowly bring (over a period of 5 to 10 minutes) your heart rate up to your target rate. Once you achieve your target rate, the longer you stay there the better. Start out slow maybe 12 minutes. Over time work up to 15 minutes. Soon you will be doing 45 minutes to an hour.
I always advise my Wellness Clients to buy a Heart Rate Monitor. This is not necessary but it makes monitoring your heart rate much easier. In my opinion Polar Heart Monitors are the best. The heart monitor becomes an invaluable tool. I call it my coach. It will let you know when you are above or below your target rate. It also helps you to create a target zone. Bottom line, it makes doing this EASY!
Anaerobic Exercise
Strength training or weight training typically involves lifting weights or using weight machines. Doing push-ups, pull-ups and squats also can be used to do strength training. The procedure is straight forward try to incorporate several exercises that hit all the main areas of your body. As mentioned above you could do push-ups for your chest. Pull-ups for your arms and back and squats for your lower body. Work your way up to where you can do 3 sets of 12 reps. Over time you will get stronger.
Exercise 5 days a week.
Do aerobic exercises one day and anaerobic exercises the next day. Start out slowly until you develop a good base and then expand on that base.
Discipline is not an end in itself, only a means to an end.
Remember that the past does not equal the future. You failed in the past because you simply did not understanding the process. You now understand that your body works with the laws of nature and by following the above plan, you will be partnering with these laws. I wish you success. If you have questions please leave a comment.
Some people will laugh after reading the above headline, others will eagerly read on. My goal in this post is to simplify the process of digestion, so that you will have a general understanding of not only how it works but also what causes problems. So let’s begin. Our digestive tract is basically a tube inside of us. Each portion of the tube has a specific function. The beginning of the tube is our mouth. This is where digestion actually begins. Chewing. Breaking food up in to small pieces. This is where a lot of digestive problems begin. People simply do not chew their food well enough. Try this! Take a piece of bread and just keep chewing it. Don’t swallow, just keep chewing. What you will find is eventually it will be gone, even though you did not swallow. The food was liquefied and automatically went down your throat into your stomach. The purpose of chewing your food well is to prepare it for the next section of the tube which is your stomach. Once the chewed food particles make it into your stomach specific chemicals are released to further break down the food. Some foods require acid to be released others require alkalines to be released. Many digestive problems occur at this point also. If you drink too much fluid with your meals it dilutes (weakens) the chemistry of your stomach. Consequently, what leaves the stomach is not properly broken down and cannot be absorbed properly by the next section of the tube which is your small intestine. Your small intestine does it’s best to extract what nutrients it can from the semi-digested mass that comes out of the stomach but most of the poorly broken down food goes right on by and ultimately ends up in the final end of the tube or the large intestine. The large intestine has many duties and is full of good bacteria. Billions of bacteria, all of which are hungry. As the poorly digested mass reaches the large intestines the bacteria are very capable of properly breaking down the mass. As the bacteria devour all the sugars in this poorly digested mass they release gas… in some cases lots of gas. Leaving you feeling bloated and eventually causing you to avoid public places.
So if you suffer from digestive problems try the below and you will be amazed.
1. Eat slower. Chew your food better.
2. Don’t drink fluids while you eat. Wait 30 minutes after you eat to drink.
3. If your case is severe read my post on proper Food Combining.
4. Every night commercials try to convince you that your indigestion is due to too much acid. This simply is not true. As we get older we simple do not make enough acid. (achlorhydra)
Let me know how this works for you.
Yours in Health!
Dr. Gould
Often habits of ineffectiveness are rooted in our social conditioning toward quick-fixes or short-term thinking. In school, many of us procrastinate and then cram for tests. I have a question for you, does”cramming” work on a farm? Can you go two weeks without milking the cow, and then get out there and milk like crazy? Can you “forget” to plant in the spring, goof off all summer, and then hit the ground really hard in the fall to bring in the harvest? We might laugh at such ludicrous approach to farming, yet 97% of Americans use this same approach when it comes to maintaining their health.
Habits of the Three Percent
They have a different philosophy than the other 97%. It’s their belief that it is much easier to stay well than to get well. (What a Concept!) They constantly look for ways to drive their health upward to the next level. They understand that medicine has its place, yet they rarely use it. They have a deep understanding that one’s immunity is “everything” and they work at keeping it strong. They don’t worry about the Media’s Latest Health Worry. They understand that true health comes from the inside and so does disease.
“The Microbe is nothing. The terrain is everything.”
Louis Pasteur, said the above on his deathbed, finally recanted his germ theory by admitting that the microbe (germs) is nothing. The terrain (your body’s immunity) is everything. The 3% understand this fact.
The Strategy of the Three Percent
They eat quality foods. Drink pure water. Exercise regularly. Get adequate rest. Exercise stress management. Have their spine’s routinely checked for subluxations. Take quality whole food supplements. Spend time out in nature. Read positive literature.
Sounds simple doesn’t it? However, the numbers suggest that it is not that easy. It all comes down to a choice. Your Choice!
