That Ship Has Sailed: Guilt and Your Health

In the not so distant past the main mode of transportation for worldwide packages and goods was by ship. If, for some reason, you wanted to send a package to the Far East you would rush down to the shipyards to find a vessel headed in that direction. And if you just happened to show up a few hours after the only boat headed that way left you were out of luck for a month, perhaps two. The clerk would inform you “that ship has sailed” much to your chagrin. At this point a person could do one of two things. They could either wallow in misery bemoaning the missed boat or they could endeavor to be timelier and prepare for the next opportunity to send their package. The former’s mental outlook locks them in negativity while the latter’s set them up to move forward positively.

Guilt is defined, in part, as an emotion that occurs when a person feels that they have violated a moral standard. As members of the ever growing world society we should appreciate the guilt associated with pangs of conscience when someone does something wrong. It helps to keep this world from plunging into total chaos. However, chronic guilt has gripped many people causing great mental and physical anguish. The anguish that is caused leads to stressed bodies, minds and families causing a dizzying downward spiral that some sadly never pull out of.

How Guilt Affects Us

Guilt has some very specific physiological effects on the body. These effects can foster very negative health outcomes if left unmitigated:

Adrenal Fatigue – Guilt feelings, especially those that are unresolved, raises the levels of a stress hormone called cortisol. Stress through guilt puts constant demand on the adrenal glands which produces cortisol and they eventually “burnout”. This can lead to fatigue and in some cases it is so extreme that some cannot get out of bed for more than a few hours at time. It also causes other organs in the body to over work eventually leading to their burnout as well.  

Headaches and backaches – One of the initial symptoms of chronic guilt is muscular tension. This usually takes place in the lower back or in the neck region. Tense lower back muscles causes backaches and tense neck muscles can really make the head ache something terrible.

Anxiety and depression – In addition to the fatigue experienced because of adrenal fatigue guilt increases anxiety and depression which in itself leads to more fatigue and general body aches. When one is achy and tired all the time depression increases and so does the feelings of fatigue causing a vicious downward spiral of poor mental and physical health.

In the next article we will explore ways of overcoming guilt to help foster a better mental and physical outlook on your life.

Diabetes - A 21st Century Scourge: The Tests You Need

Diabetes reversal requires a holistic approach and as such it requires a higher level of knowledge about one's body and mind. Part of that increased knowledge is getting accurate information about what is going on in your body. Many test exist that can help diabetics keep accurate track of their progress on the path of diabetes reversal. Listed below are several key test that could be utilized based on individual needs.

The Tests

•  HbA1c Test: measures inflammation and would be used as a gauge for progress and necessary adjustments along with the C-reactive protein test
• Gallbladder Function: poor or no gallbladder function inhibits metabolizing fats disrupting metabolic processes. Products such as Ox bile can assist in breaking down dietary fats
• C-reactive Protein Test: measures the amount inflammation in the body which hinders weight loss, increases weight gain and sets up insulin and leptin resistance.
• Thyroid Blood Test: to assess proper thyroid function to eliminate it as a cause of weight gain or difficult weight loss
• Adrenal gland function: to assess proper adrenal gland function to eliminate as a cause of weight gain or difficult weight loss. Adrenal fatigue is associated with excessive stress
• Indirect Calorimetry: measures the absorption of oxygen, carbon dioxide production and the respiratory exchange rate for an accurate gauge of the body’s metabolic processes at rest
•  ALCAT or Sage food sensitivity testing: food sensitivities contribute to inflammation and weight gain
• Yeast/Candida Testing: Candida increases appetite and cravings and must be mitigated for sustained weight loss
• Vitamin D₃ levels: normal range is greater than 32 ng/ml however 50-100 ng/ml is optimal for great health and diabetes reversal (aids with insulin secretion and preventing or reversing insulin resistance)

To be clear not every test need be done. Individual assessment is necessary to know what to keep an eye on so be sure to seek the advice of a trusted healthcare professional.

Are you familiar with your AGE?

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What's troubling you or a loved one these days? Is it a chronic condition like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, etc. Perhaps it's something like a lack of energy, sex drive or a zest for life. Our lives today involve so much chronic stress and inflammatory foods it is a wonder we survive at all. Our lives are not meant for us to be mere survivors and there is one thing that is for sure; surviving is not thriving. Thriving involves quality of life while surviving focuses on quantity. So what does this philosophical posturing have to do with your AGE? Well, it is your AGE that partly determines how fast you "age" and it is the speed of your aging that helps determine your quality of life.

 What are AGE's?

AGE stands for advanced glycated end-products. They form throughout our lives in varying degrees depending on our aptitude to live healthy. In a nut shell AGE's are molecular trash formed when glucose (blood sugar) molecules bond with free amino groups like proteins, lipids and nucleic acids that may be in the blood at the same time. These free amino groups come primarily from inflammatory foods and when they bond with glucose they change structurally and become nutritionally void and useless. Not only are they useless but they accumulate in the body where they begin to change a person from thriving to surviving (more on this in a bit).

AGE's also attach themselves to LDL cholesterol and once attached the cholesterol oxidizes making it sticky. At this point it is just a matter of time before atherosclerosis and other degenerative cardiovascular conditions begin to set in.

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Where do they accumulate? 

AGE's have the ability to disrupt the life of all people but it is especially true for those who suffer with diabetes. The reason for this is because of where AGE's tend to accumulate. Diabetics suffer from a wide range of "spin-off" ailments such as heart attacks, nephropathy (kidney disease), stroke, neuropathy, eye disease and erectile dysfunction. AGE's find their way into cardiovascular tissues, nerve endings (especially those in the extremities and penis), brain tissues, and eyes. Once there they lodge themselves into the tissues and begin producing free radicals at a rate that is 50 times higher than non-glycated proteins. These free radicals alter the natural state of healthy cells in the body rendering them non-functional or potentially malignant (cancerous). The retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and atherosclerosis are directly correlated to this free radical production free-for-all. You no longer need to wonder why these conditions affect diabetics so specifically anymore. Furthermore, the free radicals produced can cause aging related issues such as thinning and graying hair, deep wrinkles in the skin, bone mineral depletion (leading to osteoporosis), a weakened immune system due to chronic inflammation, and adrenal fatigue causing loss of energy, drive and libido. The aforementioned issues can occur in anyone just in case you were thinking this only applied to diabetics. It's one for the AGE's.

How to avoid them?

High blood sugar levels over an extended period of time leads to increased glycation (associated with AGE's). Blood sugar control through exercise and a healthy eating plan, which would include eating foods that are minimally processed and fresh with low glycemic loads, will go along way in the fight against AGE's. If you are diabetic right now do not rely solely on medication for glucose control. Your blood sugar levels may be within normal range but your AGE's may still be high do to poor eating habits.

A simple way to check your rate of AGE production is through a HbA1c blood test. Traditionally used to check blood glucose levels it is also a way to gauge you AGE.

Source: Reversing Diabetes by Don Colbert, M.D.

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