Our biological clock is ticking – but not the one you are thinking about. “Nature,” the eminent science journal, published an article that a team of scientists found a “clock” in pancreas cells. The pancreas is the organ responsible - when failing - for diabetes.
We used to think that diabetes was a “sugar” disease. Too much sugar (and starches, which are nothing else than one sugar after the other in a row like beads on a necklace) definitely play a role in the worst (and most preventable) disease of our times. Bad fats are the other culprits – mainly trans-fats, fats that are heated (frying!) or hardened (margarine!) – let’s call them h & h fats.
The “Nature” article gives us evidence that WHEN we eat plays a major role, too. Granted, the studies so far have only been done in mice. But I am convinced that it is only a matter of time that the same biological clock will be found ticking in the human pancreas also.
And not only in the pancreas. It is already known that fruit flies (drosophila) have such a clock in every single cell. I can’t believe that our bodies are less sophisticated than fruit flies’; our bodies are just harder to study. Chronobiology is the branch of science called that concerns itself with biological rhythms. From beginning of times, the Earth has indulged her majestic rhythms: ebb and flow, day and night, coming and going, death and renewal - think of compost pile!
What does the biological clock mean for you and me? Nothing new, actually. Natural Medicine has long stressed the importance of enough sleep, regularity and good habits. A little more of one hundred years of electricity has changed the world profoundly. But it hasn’t made a dent in our ancient bodies and primordial souls: They still have the same physiological and emotional needs as they always had.
Yes, you can raid the fridge in the middle of the night, go shopping in the wee hours, or sit at your computer all night long – but in the long run, going against your natural sleep-wake cycle will take a toll on your body – might even trigger diabetes, as we are learning. Read More
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Cravings
October 15, 2010
Some thoughts about cravings:
1. The more you eat, and the more weight you gain, and the hungrier you get. When we lived in caves, this was a survival tool (“Eat the whole mammoth before it spoils!!”). People with thinner bodies suffer fewer hunger pangs. Life is not fair.
2. Food allergies induce cravings, too. And food allergies are on the rise (Why? that is for another article.)
It comes down to this: If you crave something, it could mean either that you NEED the craved food, or you should AVOID it like the plague, because you are allergic to it. It takes a lot of wisdom (or a very good doctor) to tell the difference! Read More
Gluten Intolerance On the Rise
September 28, 2010
Not only is gluten intolerance widely under-diagnosed, it is also getting more common, especially in the elderly.
The reason are still puzzling the researcher. I would venture four explanations (there are very likely more!):
1. Increased use of antibiotics. Antibiotics disturb the fragile balance of bacteria in the gut – there fore it is always good to question your doctor’s wisdom to prescribe and antibiotic. And if you really have to take one, also take plenty of probiotics – but not at the same time: Space it so that you take the probiotic in between antibiotic doses.
2. Increased use of adulterated “foods” – stuff your body doesn’t even recognize as food: additives, preservatives, colorings, prescription and recreational drugs (it is totally beyond me why those drugs are called “recreational’!), “new and improved” food items like Olestra, and so on, and so on.
3. Increase use of milk and dairy products that are highly changed through pasteurization, homogenization and addition of modern “food technology.” Mind, I don’t condone unpasteurized milk for reasons of infection. But I just think milk is for cow babies – and should stay with them.
4. Our eating habits: Not chewing well enough, eating late at night, eating snacks all the time. That way, the body is always busy with digesting – never has time for repair.
On the other hand, it is never too late to clean up your eating act: Eat fresh, unadulterated foods, cook for yourself and your family – there is no pursuit more worthwhile in life! Read More