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Heading Into Summer: Reset Your Rhythm With Ancestral Living
Adjusting to Daylight Saving and Seasonal Rhythm Changes Heading towards summer at a great rate of knots! Hows your planning going? We've just flipped into daylight saving here in NZ and honestly, this first week is always a challenge for me. I'm an early riser and time on my mat in the morning is always the perfect start to the day. I'm blessed not to ever use an alarm to get me up, I let the birds and the morning sun move me out of bed. So my ‘alarm’ hasn't changed, its just now a little later for the mat meeting! Creating a Morning Ritual for Mental Clarity By “mat” I'm really enjoying the silence of the morning, so I can breathe, re-centre and find the bliss so when I step into my day I'm in flow. How Daylight Saving Affects Family Routine and Energy I was wondering this morning about daylight savings and how this first week really messes with our rhythm. It messes with the kids, who need to get up an hour earlier, and it messes with the parents who manage their family, and their job on a daily basis. Using Affirmations to Shift Your Mindset This is a reminder that we can change our groove with a positive mind set. My sister is a great one for affirmations and I love that her gentle reminding can assist me with my mind set change. Some affirmations that I love are: ( oh and do them in the mirror, so you can make eye contact with yourself) I am beautiful I feel love all around me Today is going to be an amazing day I am healthy I embrace ALL that life brings me today. There are lots and I encourage you to find some of your own, or maybe just start with the ones above. The 9 Ancestral Tenets for a Healthy Summer Finally, because we are getting to the season where we will be outside more, and socialising more I'd like to remind you of the 9 Ancestral Tenets: Get some daily SUN MOVE your body CONNECT with the earth. BOND with your people. Maybe reach out and follow life and make new friends Base your food choices around the ancestral principles, EAT local. FIGHT for what you believe in Try some COLD plunges into the ocean SHIELD yourself from the chemicals in our environment Make SLEEP a good habit. Making these a framework for your days will be a great guide for your approach to summer.
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What is Choline and why is it essential for my diet?
What Is Choline? Choline: Often rolls off the tongue when I'm describing the benefits of animal foods in the human diet. But what is it? And why is it so essential? I'm going to explore what Choline is, the best high choline foods and why it is so essential. It is an essential compound. Not a vitamin or mineral. Functions similarly to Vit B The body does produce a small amount but primarily it is sourced from our food. The Benefits of Choline in our Diet Because of its wide-ranging roles in human metabolism, from cell structure to neurotransmitter synthesis, choline-deficiency is now thought to have an impact on diseases such as liver disease, atherosclerosis and possibly neurological disorders. Below is what this miracle compound does: It produces acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that supports memory, learning and cognitive function It is a key component of phospholipids providing cell structure and cell integrity. It helps cells communicate about nutrient transport and cellular waste disposal. In older adults, research has shown it is essential for memory and recall It is involved in DNA replication and cell division It plays an important role in immune response It is essential during and before pregnancy to support the brain development and avoid Neural tube deficiency. What Happens If You Don't Get Enough Choline? Because the presence of choline is so important it is no surprise that the consequences of a diet that lacks it can present a number of impaired processes. Impaired brain function Liver damage and fatty liver disease. Impaired muscle function. Impaired foetal development and lifelong cognitive problems Increased inflammation Increased risk of pregnancy complications Who Is At Higher Risk Of Choline Deficiency? Also other stressors like endurance athletic sports, heavy drinking, or post menopausal can all increase the requirements of choline in the body. Without it in the right amounts the above groups will all show the signs of lacking choline. Foods High In Choline And now for the good news: Choline is easy to get in all our favourite animal foods. The top foods high in Choline are: Beef Liver: 100gm of liver 418.2mg choline Ribeye: 227mg of meat 385 mg Choline Eggs: 1 egg 147 mg of Choline Salmon Roe: 100gm of roe 247.5mg Choline Salmon meat: 170gm of meat 191.4mg of Choline Do Vegetables Contain Enough Choline? Vegetables do contain choline but not enough to be useful!! Best to stick with animal foods and be confident that you are getting the right amounts. Research on Choline and Long-Term Health Choline and Organ Function The importance of choline in the diet extends into adulthood and old age. In a study of healthy adult subjects deprived of dietary choline, 77% of the men and 80% of the postmenopausal women developed signs of subclinical organ dysfunction; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782876/ Choline During Pregnancy and Lactation Pregnancy and lactation are times when demand for choline is especially high and the supply of choline is critical. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15234930/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566660/ Choline and Inflammation Findings from the ATTICA study indicated that subjects whose diets were rich in choline and betaine had the lowest levels of several inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782876/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3252552/ Choline and Breast Cancer Risk High dietary intakes of choline have recently been associated with a decreased risk for breast cancer. Thanks for joining me on this journey. I appreciate your time and your continued support. PLEASE keep spreading the word that ancestral eating is good for you and great for your long term health goals. Nga Mihi Janet
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Dog Treats: Can Too Much Organ Meat Be Harmful for Your Dog?
Do you feed freeze dried beef organs to your dog as a treat?? You may be giving them too much nutrition. This results in overworking hearts, livers and kidneys of these dogs. this can be problematic for their health.
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The Ancestral Lifestyle: How to Embrace Your Inner Hunter-Gatherer"
"Why Embrace the Ancestral Lifestyle?"
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Ancestral Living: How to Achieve Optimal Health Naturally
"Unlocking Life Fulfilment and Optimal Health Through Ancestral Living." Why optimal health and wellbeing is a resource.
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Feed Your Brain For Optimal Health
“Far and away, the people with the post damaged and intractably dysregulated brains and nervous systems I have seen or dealt with in my practice have all been vegans, with strict vegetarians coming a close second” Nora Gedugaudas.
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Too Much Sugar? How Carbohydrates Affect Insulin and Long-Term Health
How Much Sugar Is the Average Person Really Consuming? The average person consumes about 12 teaspoons of sugar per day, which can have serious consequences for our health. Our bodies are not designed to process such large amounts of carbohydrates on a daily basis. How Carbohydrates Increase Insulin and Fat Storage The problem with carbohydrates is that they stimulate the production of insulin, which is the fat storage hormone. They also damage the body and brain through a process called glycation, where the sugars in the bloodstream react with proteins and fats and cause them to deteriorate. Glucose is inherently damaging to cells, organs, and tissues in the body, and the less glucose we have in our bloodstream, the better. Why Ketones Are a More Stable Fuel Source Than Carbohydrates A better source of fuel for our brains and organs is ketones. When fueling our bodies, carbohydrates are like kindling, they are used quickly and need to be replenished regularly. Fat, on the other hand, is like a log on the fire, it takes time to burn and releases energy slowly. Training our bodies to fuel with fats and protein takes time to adapt, but it is worth it for the sake of our health and longevity. The Evolutionary Role of Insulin in Nutrient Storage Insulin evolutionarily has not been there to lower blood glucose levels, we have a few different hormones like cortisol, glucagon, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and growth hormone all designed to regulate glucose in the body. Insulin's role is to store away excess nutrients in case of a famine. How Reducing Carbohydrates Supports Long-Term Health In conclusion, while carbohydrates are a necessary part of our diets, the modern diet often includes far too many of them. By reducing our carbohydrate intake, we can improve our health and longevity. It may take time to adjust to a low-carb diet, but it is worth the effort. If you want more information about diet and nutrition visit our FAQs page.
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Are Saturated Fats Healthy? Why Dietary Fats Support Longevity
Dietary Fats: Rethinking the Saturated Fat Debate Reference: Primal Body Primal Mind Nora Gedguadas The big fat surprise: Nina Teicholz Saturated Fat and Heart Disease: What the Research Says Even though the focus of dietary recommendations is usually a reduction of saturated fat intake, no relation between saturated fat intake and risk of coronary heart disease was observed in the most informative study to date. Walter Willet, Nutritional Epidemiology. So this is where we start. With the science that has debunked the saturated fat hysteria and shown that saturated fats are in fact essential for humans. But still, how many of us are cautious about the fat that we consume? Too much butter? Lean meats? These are still very much part of our conversations around food. Why the Body Needs Fat for Brain and Cellular Function We need fat as fuel for the brain and other cellular activity, and our bodies are so clever that when we don't eat enough fat we can convert carbohydrate (glycogen)into fat. The difference with the two types of energy sources in the body is that the body can store fat for energy but it does not store glycogen efficiently at all. With carbohydrate fueling we use it quickly and we are then looking for more food! Carbs don't fill us up for long periods of time, whereas with a high fat consumption we are sated much quickly and for longer. High Carb Diets, Metabolic Health and Obesity Today in the west we are so inundated with food we very rarely go hungry ( unless we have chosen to fast) so our bodies are always processing food. Mostly carbs. This is why many people are metabolically unwell, obesity is at record rates and we are the fattest and the sickest our species has ever been. Are Saturated Fats Healthy? Understanding Stable Fats Saturated fats have stable carbon bonds and are hard at room temperature, this means they stay ‘good’ for long periods of time and therefore good for us to consume. These fats are all fats that nature has produced for us, Butter, animal fats, avocado and cold pressed coconut oil. The body does need some polyunsaturated fats for the brain and the retina, but in very small amounts, the natural fats above all have polyunsaturated fats in the perfect ratio for us to use. Why Seed Oils and Processed Vegetable Oils May Be Harmful There is no need to add man made oils, like oils made from corn, seeds and other nuts and beans. These are processed and very unstable and are toxic to humans. Short, Medium and Long Chain Saturated Fats Explained All saturated fats are not the same. Short and medium chain saturated fats have potent antimicrobial properties. Their structure makes them unlikely to be stored as fat as all. ( butter, cream) Long chain dietary saturated fats: ( meat, fish, avocado, dairy) Fuel the muscles, including the heart. They give structural integrity to our cellular membranes, Assist in protein metabolism, Assist the brain structure and function become lung surfactant, protecting from air pollutants They also protect the polyunsaturated essential fats from damage, therefore improving their usage. Assist in proper immune function How the Body Converts Carbohydrates Into Fat When the body makes fat from carbohydrate it is generally converted to palmitate and is generally the one we want to get rid of most! Why We Need Natural Dietary Fats for Long-Term Health In conclusion, we need dietary fats, all of the good and none of the bad. Our bodies are finely tuned machines that use fuel adequately and store if there is too much. Humans historically have evolved to the ‘feast and famine’ experience, giving the body an opportunity to fuel and rest and convert. How amazing is this body of ours. Lets give us the best possible chance to live long, unencumbered with disease, and with freedom to move, grow and celebrate health, way into our old age by eating what nature intended us to eat. Healthy good naturally occurring fats, protein and a very very small amount of carbohydrate occasionally. For more on this subject check out this video from Dr. Sten Ekberg on the truth about fats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-_H7zwF2VQ If you have any questions about diet and nutrition do take a look at our FAQs page for lots more information.
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Low Stomach Acid and Digestion: How to Optimise Nutrient Absorption Naturally
Digestion and Nutrient Assimilation: Why Stomach Acid Matters Every system within the body relies on quality digestion. Human stomach pH should be 1.4 This is highly acidic to break down meat and bone. Today a lot of people do not produce enough hydrochloric acid for digestion. This can result in a number of things. Signs of Low Hydrochloric Acid and Poor Protein Digestion Poor digestion of the proteins and amino acids that run the fifty thousand functions in the body. Regulation of mood, maintenance and repair of cells organs, bones and tissues. Poor absorption of key minerals. Calcium magnesium phosphorus boron iron and zinc. Poor digestion stops Vit B12 assimilation which is essential for neurological health. Poorly digested food in the stomach can wreak havoc in the digestional tract. Bloating, reflux, irritation and inflammation eventually lead to leaky gut syndrome. More vulnerable to parasites and food borne illnesses. How Modern Diets Reduce Hydrochloric Acid Production The way we process and cook our food ( denature our food) the less Hydrochloric acid our stomachs make. Gluten from grains, heavily processed soy protein, and pasteurized milk products all contribute to problematic digestion due to a lack of hydrochloric acid. It is produced in the presence of proteins and is inhibited by the presence of starch and sugars. High carbohydrate diets that are combined with low protein intakes are a common cause of low hydrochloric acid. Vitamin B1, zinc, and vitamin C are all needed for Hydrochloric acid production. Overeating at mealtimes, inappropriate food combinations, excess alcohol consumption, and chronic stress, anxiety and over arousal at mealtimes can contribute to ineffective digestion. How Stress and Lifestyle Impact Stomach Acid and Gut Health Our bodies are the most amazing machines when given the correct diet. If we can learn to lower our stress levels with meditation, rest, and relaxation, our digestion can support a healthy body and mind. Giving us the ability to live long and pain free. With this awareness we can make the appropriate steps to correct the imbalances we may have in our gut, simply. How to Naturally Support Hydrochloric Acid for Better Digestion Below are the steps you need to take to keep your body producing hydrochloric acid for good functional digestion: Take time out and rest, relax and be calm at mealtimes. Chew, chew, chew. Consume high quality protein and bovine organs, not soy, cooked as minimally as possible and consume small to moderate amounts at mealtimes. Avoid mixing proteins and carbohydrates at the same time. Consider using fermented dairy and veg at mealtimes: sauerkraut, kimchi Do not fear saturated fats. Avoid Soy! (Soy contains enzyme inhibitors that will eventually ruin your ability to digest and absorb protein). Use a well sourced unrefined salt. Improving Gut Health Through Better Food Choices If we could all be aware of what foods we are eating, and choose ones that give us great digestion, ones that contribute to the amount of good stomach acid in our guts, we will be healthier and happier. Isn't that what we are here for? An amazing life experience with great health. if you'd like to find out more about diet and nutrition visit our FAQs page where we have answers to your questions.
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