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I hear about 30 people a month who ask about weight loss. The question is usually about enrolling in Jiu-jitsu to help them lose weight, or lose bodyf at. They tell me they’ve done the boot camps, the crash diets, the sad, pathetic myths of all the sales pitches on losing weight. I have heard it a million times. Everyone gains a little weight, and adjusts their diet according to research, habits, lifestyle and discipline. Some of the top reasons (or popular excuses) for being heavy or overweight, are here that I got from another website:
1. I’m “Big Boned.”
2. It’s my hormones – they make it hard for me to lose weight.
I have heard better ones. Here are some I really love to hear:
1. I don’t have time. Hmmm, I guess all the going out three times a week, nachos with extra cheese when the friends come over to drink are somehow a mandatory eating for pure nutrition.
2. I hate exercise. Well, I would assume those types hate anything that causes them to lift a finger. They hate walking dogs, they hate studying nutrition, they hate cooking healthy food. I think they hate to lose weight.
3. It costs too much to diet. Oh, right. I suppose all those impoverished people in the world are naturally thin? It has nothing to do with limited calories, right? Of course, it doesn’t cost anything to eat out to dinner every night.
When we were kids, we all heard the big bones jokes. And I really did hear some kids tell me that when I was little. The best one was when I was in 8th grade, a good friend had a heavy Dad, and I didn’t comment or make fun of him, but I could tell he was a little emberassed. My good friend told me his Dad had a lot of muscle under the fat. I couldn’t help but think of the comic book Spider man and his arch enemy The Kingpin who was heavy with solid muscle underneath. Hmm, only in comics. I have heard parents asking me about kid’s camps for BJJ, and Martial arts. I hear a lot about some type of quick weight loss for adults, and that includes men. When I was little, I was lean, but around 3rd grade I wasn’t as active and felt a little soft. I read all about the famous Arnold, and all the Mr. Olympias. I started my own research, and of course what we ultimately need to learn about nutrition is not about fat. It comes down to calories, vitamins, minerals, exercise and rest. I remember in fourth grade I wasn’t active, there were no sports until 5fth grade. When I was a little kid, you were fat if you didn’t have a six pack. When I look at my child pictures, I suppose it would assume I was a little skinny as a kid compared to today. I wanted a six pack. I wanted to get more than all the muscles and the superhero look. Unlike the majority of those who desire the physical traits of the Atlas look, when I was little, I wanted more than that. I worried about my health. I note that kids don’t think about their health anymore. Society in general desires better health, but ultimately there is little action.
Adult Obesity Facts (From CDC website)
- More than one-third of U.S. adults (34.9%) are obese. [Read abstract Journal of American Medicine (JAMA)
- Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death.
Childhood Obesity Facts (From CDC website)
- Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years.1,
- The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.
- In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.
Dear reader, this does not sound positive. So what’s the problem? When we have Xbox 12 hours a day, I guess it doesn’t mean anything about health in society since adults and children do it. What about Diabetes?
Dr. Sherry Rogers, an M.D. (M.D.) does research on the quick pill solution with prescriptions and the side effects. In her book: How to cure Diabetes!, Dr. Rogers notes from medical research (you can order her books on prestigepublishing.com) :
“…the leading diabetes prescription medications have quadrupled the heart attack rate…In fact the leading diabetes medication according to the Journal of the American Medical Association 2010 doubles the heart attack rate….”
“..Furthermore, lowering the main test that doctors use to monitor diabetes (the hemoglobin A1C) with a diabetes drug increases death 22%. As well, diabetes drugs set folks up for blindness from retinopathy, renal failure in 37% which requires dialysis which then leads to heavy metal toxicity, a 33-70 % increase in cancer, 50% get memory loss, and much more…”
“…Even a study in the 2008 New England Journal of Medicine showed that you can give all the best medications to diabetics for 5 years making their blood tests look normal, but it does not change their rate of dying one iota. One in four Americans over 60 has diabetes and three times that number are pre-diabetic with hypertension, elevated cholesterol or triglycerides, obesity. NASH (not alcoholic steatohepatitis or fatty liver disease), and/or Metabolic Syndrome X (insulin resistance). Diabetes is clearly our best example of accelerated aging….”
Where does our society crack this problem? We look at our food, our minerals, vitamins and the caloric intake. Dr. Rogers above also has medical references in her books.
Minerals
I was talking to one of my students who has a high stress job with law enforcement. He asked me after lunch class about discs in our back, and back pain. Dr. Joel Wallach, (BS, DVM, ND) is a researcher on minerals, and how deficiency of certain minerals may cause certain diseases. Wallach is a controversial doctor, and has fought the FDA, and there are other opponents of Wallach that are anti-holistic, and do not support alternative medicine. I have read material against minerals and alternative medicine, but knowing that, I can also compare many of reviews regarding minerals with published journals in the NCBI and PubMed medical journals. Here are mineral reviews from Dr. Yvette Schlussel, Ph.D., and research Scientist under the Dept. of Nutritonal Sciences at Rutgers University :
Mineral deficiencies related to disease:
Diabetes
“…Deficiencies of certain minerals, such as potassium and magnesium, and possibly zinc and chromium, may predispose a person to carbohydrate intolerance. ..”
Magnesium Deficiency in Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is probably the most common disorder associated with magnesium depletion.[lv][55]
More than 30% of ambulatory diabetic patients without renal insufficiency were hypomagnesemic on a multifactorial basis.[lvi][56]
Chromium Supplementation in Diabetes
There have been two randomized, placebo-controlled studies in Chinese diabetic subjects where chromium supplementation has had beneficial effects on glycemia.[lxvi][66]
Other smaller studies have also suggested a role for chromium supplementation in the management of diabetes,[lxviii][68],[lxix][69].
At the present time, benefit from chromium supplementation in diabetic individuals requires further study with more bioavailable forms.
Zinc Supplementation in Diabetes
Another area of current interest in micronutrient supplementation is the role of zinc in diabetic individuals. Small studies in older subjects with diabetes have suggested some benefit from zinc supplementation in healing skin ulcerations.[lxxvii][77],[lxxviii][78]
Calcium Supplementation in Diabetes
The rationale for recommending daily intakes of 1,000-1,500 mg of calcium, especially in older subjects with diabetes,[lxxx][80] is based on the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board[lxxxi][81] and the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Panel on Osteoporosis Prevention, Diagnosis, and Therapy.[lxxxii][82]
This recommendation appears to be safe and likely to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis in older individuals with diabetes. Vitamin D is also required for optimal calcium absorption, and a recommended vitamin D intake of 400-600 IU/day has been established for adults.[lxxxiii][83]
V. CONCLUSIONS
1. A wide range of minerals is essential for human health.
8. Supplementation with minerals has been shown to improve the nutritional status and/or lower risk factors among patients with arthritis, diabetes, cancer, anorexia, and hypertension.
Dr. Rogers and Dr. Schlussel through their medical research along with Wallach have shown a support for minerals in the body.
Disc pain, back pain, joints, etc.
Osteoporosis, Vitamin D deficiency and other subjects to review are from January 2014 Anderson Silva’s broken leg, are athletes mineral deficient? Ask Theo! article, and May 2012 article The Vandry Racehorse Theory deals with joints. My good friend Marcos asked me about discs, when the back has a slipped or bulging, deteriorating disc, as a student of his had an incredible amount of pain from a chronic disc issue. We often hear from our local doctor state that age or wearing down is the problem with degenerative disc disease. This is when back pain from bulging, slipped or other types of disc problems in the back occur. It’s more of a condition than a disease. I told him I would do some research with the medical journals to look at new material such as the January article on Osteoporosis. When we reference the two medical doctors above, we should take a look at our blood sugar and diet. Rogers above quotes from journals the side effect of diabetes, and the reaction of the body.
What causes lumbar disc disease? (From Nebraska Medical Center):
“…Lumbar disk disease is due to a change in the structure of the normal disk. Most of the time, disk disease comes as a result of aging and the degeneration that occurs within the disk. Occasionally, severe trauma can cause a normal disk to herniate. Trauma may also cause an already herniated disk to worsen…”
Ok, so it comes down to three things:
1) Result of aging
2) Degeneration that occurs in the disk
3) Trauma
After the above approach fails, then the next option is surgery. How well does surgery actually work with disk diseases, from neck to waist? Some people have relief from the pain, or other conditions such as bone spurs, etc.. Does disc surgery provide a foolproof way for pain relief? We should look at other side effects:
Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) affects up to 40 percent of patients who undergo traditional open back surgery
(By Michael Perry M.D. from https://www.laserspineinstitute.com/back_problems/fbss/ )
“…After review of the studies published by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the only scientifically defendable statement that can be made about the incidence of failed back surgery syndrome is that the less invasive the spinal surgery, the less likely that FBSS will result…”
Symptoms
Patients with FBSS may experience or develop:
- Continued/chronic pain
- New spine conditions
- Pain above or below the treated level of the spine
- Limited mobility
- Inability to recuperate
- Dull/aching pain in neck, back or legs
- Sharp/stabbing pain in extremities
- Joint immobility
- Spasms
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Dependence on prescription drugs
What is the success rate of spinal surgery regarding discs? Here is some interesting research:
1) Prolonged conservative care versus early surgery in patients with sciatica caused by lumbar disc herniation: two year results of a randomised controlled trial
2) Surgery versus prolonged conservative treatment for sciatica: 5-year results of a randomised controlled trial
(BMJ Open 2013;3:e002534doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002534)
“…Results: There were no significant differences between groups on the 5 years’ primary outcome scores…”
3) Surgery versus conservative management of sciatica due to a lumbar herniated disc: a systematic review
(Eur Spine J. Apr 2011; 20(4): 513–522.)
“…The effectiveness of surgery in patients with sciatica due to lumbar disc herniations is not without dispute. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of surgery versus conservative therapy (including epidural injections) for patients with sciatica due to lumbar disc herniation. A comprehensive search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and PEDro up to October 2009. …One large low-risk-of-bias trial demonstrated that early surgery in patients with 6–12 weeks of radicular pain leads to faster pain relief when compared with prolonged conservative treatment, but there were no differences after 1 and 2 years. Another large low-risk-of-bias trial between surgery and usual conservative care found no statistically significant differences on any of the primary outcome measures after 1 and 2 years. Future studies should evaluate who benefits more from surgery and who from conservative care…”
It just makes you feel really nervous regarding disc surgery or spinal disc surgery, doesn’t it? Granted, there are those who may be in such agony they feel it is their choice and doctor recommendations. There are great doctors that you trust who can determine for you and you then decide what is ultimately best. The main goal with each individual would be preventative medicine. When we live in our senior years, the joints erode, the stiffness, etc.. Does this have to happen this way? Let’s review some alternatives out there.
Are there any nutritional possibilities that may provide a solution?
Our minerals help our body and health in many ways. Above references on diabetes and obesity correlation with mineral deficiency should give us all a review in our nutrition. What about other conditions?
Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory disease that can cause some of the vertebrae in your spine to fuse together. This fusing makes the spine less flexible and can result in a hunched-forward posture. It relates with copper:
– Aiginger P Kolarz G & Wilvonseder R 1978 Copper in ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology 7; 75.
Copper relates with connective tissue metabolism:
– Carnes 1971 WH Role of copper connective tissue metabolism. Fed. Proc. 30; 995
Copper and other minerals are vital. But they do not work separately as well as together. For example, if you take calcium for osteoporosis, you are probably going to cause osteoporosis. Yes, you read it right. Did you know you cannot break down calcium without magnesium?
A 2012 analysis of NHANES data found that consuming a high intake of calcium beyond the recommended dietary allowance, typically from supplementation, provided no benefit for hip or lumbar vertebral bone mineral density in older adults.
(Calcium Intakes and Femoral and Lumbar Bone Density of Elderly U.S. Men and Women: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2006 Analysis)
And a 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that calcium supplements don’t reduce fracture rates in older women, and may even increase the rate of hip fractures.
There are bone density minerals out there, and really you need to be your own Detective. There are so many people in this day or age with Lupus, RA, Cancer or whatever disease they are enduring have the same line: “Don’t want to hear about it, I just listen to my doctor.”
If you have a good doctor, you are lucky, but many doctors do not know everything about nutritional, mineral deficiencies, enzymes, detoxification, or other new technology. Most are too busy to look at the new research. This is why I subscribe to Dr. Sherry Rogers’ newsletter with new medical information and studies.
Coconut oil (See coconutoil.com/diabetes/)
I have heard the myths of how Coconut oil causes heart attacks. It is not a block of cholesterol that is like Crisco. It is a food. Second, it is a medium chain fatty acid. Third, it has insulin improvement factors, which correlates with the above notes on Diabetes.
A study done in 2009 at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia by Dr. Nigel Turner and Associate Professor Jiming Ye demonstrated that a diet rich in coconut oil protects against ‘insulin resistance’ (an impaired ability of cells to respond to insulin) in muscle and fat.(1)
A study was conducted in 2010 “to study the effect of saturated fatty acid (SFA)-rich dietary vegetable oils on the lipid profile, endogenous antioxidant enzymes and glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetic rats.” The study concluded: “The type of fatty acid in the dietary oil determines its deleterious or beneficial effects. Lauric acid present in coconut oil may protect against diabetes-induced dyslipidemia (2)
1. Kochikuzhyil BM, Devi K, Fattepur SR. “Effect of saturated fatty acid-rich dietary vegetable oils on lipid profile, antioxidant enzymes and glucose tolerance in diabetic rats.” Indian J Pharmacol. 2010 Jun;42(3):142-5.
2. Enhancement of muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity and alterations in insulin action are lipid species dependent: potent tissue-specific effects of medium-chain fatty acids. Diabetes. 2009 Nov;58(11):2547-54.
Pain
On pain, remember from a past article referencing medical journals on how NSAIDS can make it worse. What are methods of pain? Well, we all know about the St. Jude’s Miracle oilTM, or also known as ‘Miracle oil’, or ‘Vandry oil’. It is the product my wife and I invented based on a trade secret proprietary blend of 9 essential oils. Our product has been very well received in the USA, and worldwide. We are looking forward to a positive research we did with a Medical Center on PMS and arthritis. We will make this more announced when we receive the actual documents. Regarding pain involving back, spine, nerves and so on, please refer to our April 2013 article with medical journals. The 9 oils we refer to PubMed, NCBI for journals. Here is a quick review of some of the oils potentials from our past article:
“…Wintergreen acts as an anti-inflammatory agent (15-18). The medicinal properties of peppermint oil are analgesic, anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial, among others (19). Lavender has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties (20), and pain relief assessment (21). Eucalyptus Blue has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties (22), Clove bud has anti-infectious properties include: anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal effects (23-24). Geranium has shown temporary relief of neuralgia pain (25). Clary Sage in pain relief on outpatients with primary dysmenorrhea (26). Frankincense was used for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (27) Myrrh oil has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity (28)…”
I have used the oil on my wife’s back and mine. We rub it gently down the spine area, and we find it has an interesting effect. We believe it may reduce inflammation in the spine and discs of the back. Please test an area first, as some may be more sensitive on skin than others.
Weight loss, metabolism, the correct way
Diabetes above is a cause of many other diseases, even above mentioned on the spinal disc degeneration. When obesity, and high blood pressure among other diseases begin, we need to review our nutrition, care, advice from a trusted doctor, and more importantly, we need to discipline ourselves. I have a student that began training at my academy 6 months ago. He was very stressed, and overweight. He had joint pain, was obese, and was 410lbs!! He began training, and he spoke to me about his concern. We looked at his diet, and caloric intake, supplementation and other research. Discipline is the first process of weight loss or improving your health.
410lbs. to work on
He came to class, he adjusted his diet, his meal portions, and we kept track over six months. He may have had a pre diabetic condition, or blood pressure issues, who knows. The point is he came and wanted to do something about it. He now today has competed in tournaments, has adjusted his weight, assists with children’s classes, and we are working on leaning out more for him, and more importantly, he has found the real him, and what potential he really has.
This is my student today. 100lbs. he has lost! Developing diet, looking at our supplementation for joints, for our spinal discs are all part of important health. Research your own references, do your own homework, consult your trusted doctor, but look at your improvement of your own health based on nutrition and fitness, not about excuses such as age or obesity.
Absorb and think,
Prof. William Vandry
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