Patty James M.S., C.N.C.

The ‘fight or flight response’ is our body’s primitive, automatic, hard-wired response that prepares the body to flee or stand and fight from real or perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival. Without our body’s ability to alter bodily functions when we are threatened, humans might not have survived the Saber tooth tiger days!

In our bodies, the stress reaction comprises chemicals like adrenaline and cortisol being released into our bloodstream for quick energy. Our respiratory rate increases, our digestive tract basically stops as the blood is redirected into our muscles and limbs for that quick get-away. Our pupils dilate, awareness is intensifies, impulses quicken and our sight sharpens. We’re ready.

This process is fine and dandy when our lives are threatened by, say, a bear chasing us in the woods, and this type of stress response is acute, meaning it comes on quickly and stops when the threat is gone. It’s instant and was meant to save our lives.

When it’s not acute, it’s chronic, meaning it goes on for days, months or longer, and our health suffers. This fundamental physiologic response forms the foundation of modern day stress medicine. Chronic stress robs the body of certain nutrients, including potassium, zinc, and B-complex vitamins and can put you at risk for heart disease, sleep disorders, obesity, diabetes, memory impairment, and anxiety and depression.

Many people reach for salty, sugary, and/or fatty snacks -comfort foods that temporarily make us feel better. Temporarily being the key word. Caffeine and/or alcohol are common choices for some. These are called ‘food stressors’ because they actually intensify stress inside the body, while ‘food supporters,’ including water, vegetables, fruit, and omega-3 rich oils from flaxseed and fish, can help the body fight stress.

By consuming foods that are less than nutritious during stressful times, you further deplete your stores of B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin A, and magnesium, thereby increasing your stress level and upsetting your nervous system, tensing your muscles, and raising your blood pressure. It’s a dangerous cycle and one you can stop.

There are some things that can help us reduce the effects of stress in our lives:

• Remove labels of what you think you can or can’t do, tell yourself you can be and do anything you set out to do. Self-talk with positive intentions is powerful.

• Be aware of your thoughts and feelings: if you are aware, then you can change-if need be-and improve. Part of this is learning to express yourself in positive ways. Check in with your feelings and decide if they are appropriate for the circumstances.

• Pursuit of purpose: find what your passion is, what drives you and live that life. Sometimes we don’t find our purpose, it finds us. Be cognizant and open.

• Think positive thoughts: you’ll be healthier and happier as will those around you.

• Be of service: you feel good when you help others.

• Develop resilience. People with resilience are able to cope with stress in healthier ways. Sometimes that means just putting things in perspective and counting our blessings.

• Calm your mind and body. Relaxation methods, such as meditation, exercising, stretching or breathing deeply can help.

• Take care of yourself! To have good emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body by eating regular, healthy meals, getting enough sleep and exercising to relieve tension. Avoid overeating and don’t abuse drugs or alcohol.

Just looking at this photo is calming for me. What works for you?

That was the question my daughter Olivia asked me after she took L-Glutamine for two days and her sugar cravings stopped. I explained that I didn’t give her drugs… geez. L-Glutamine is not a drug, but is the most widely circulating amino acid in the body. I realized that she wasn’t listening to anything else I said, as all she cared about was that she was no longer stuffing sugar- in its many available forms- in her mouth.

This is one sentence

One of my favorite things is to read a scientific study and find a way to explain it to people who don’t read them all the time. Does this sentence give you chills, or is it just geeky me?

“Individuals possessing a paucity of serotonergic and/ordopaminergic receptors and a increased rate of synaptic DA catabolism due to a high catabolic genotype of the COMT gene are predisposed to self-medicating with any substance or behavior that will activate DA release, including alcohol, opiates, psychostimulants, nicotine, gambling, sex, and even excessive internet gaming, among others.”

In other words, not enough (paucity) serotonin (serotonergic) or ordopaminergic (having to do with dopamine) will make you crave things you shouldn’t—sugar, alcohol and everything else they named. Genetics is a factor, as it is in almost everything. L-Glutamine suppresses insulin to stop further decline of blood sugar levels and stimulates glycogen (a stored form of glucose, your body’s main fuel source) to be released which helps increase blood sugar to normal levels. Blood sugar stabilization decreases sugar cravings-makes sense, right?

L-Glutamine has been noted to help with other health issues besides sugar cravings:

• Helps to promote healing of impaired gut mucosa (your gut lining-think bowel function)
• Improves brain function
• Helps maintain acid/alkaline balance
• Helps with protein metabolism

L-Glutamine is generally taken with the pyridoxal-5-phospahte, the active form of vitamin B6, which regulates the absorption, metabolism and conversion of amino acids. Take L-glutamine before and between meals. If it’s an emergency, say you’re about to eat the whole cake, open the pills and pour right on your tongue for faster absorption. Whew…that was close. Remember that adequate protein intake is an important factor when developing a sugar reduction plan.

This is just the tip of the amino acid therapy iceberg. There are some contraindications with certain amino acids. Please see your health practitioner for advice.

You might have noticed palm oil or palm kernel oil on a food label on cookies you picked up at the store, or perhaps on that bar of soap you just purchased. If you are like most, you didn’t think anything about it.

Here are some reasons why you should.

Palm oil comes from the palm fruit, while palm kernel oil is extracted from the palm seed, generally extracted using a gasoline-like hydrocarbon solvent. A third product, further down the production line, is fractionated palm oil, which is used by food manufacturers who like the melting qualities and stability. All are saturated fats, but there are some health benefits in organic palm oil, which is lower in unsaturated fats and high in antioxidants, particularly vitamin E. Saturated fats are not the devil in small amounts, but when you begin to see this commodity food in everything, it becomes a problem for your health.

The big concern and connection to your health—and the health of many endangered animals—is the environmental impact of palm oil production.

When the U.S. government regulation required that trans-fat be listed on food labels, the use of palm and palm kernel oil increased dramatically. The palm plant is grown primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia on land that has been cleared for its production—namely rainforests and carbon-rich (think oxygen) peat-swamps. The production of this oil is responsible for the destruction of enormous tracts of land that is habitat to many already endangered species, such as the Sumatran orangutan, the Sumatran tiger and other species.

What can the average person do to help? Limit or eliminate your purchase of food and products that contain palm or palm kernel oil. Vote with your dollar and help to leave some air for your grandchildren!

I have several acid/alkaline (or base) charts, but I found this one this morning while researching for an article. I hope you find is useful. Just remember, you need to keep alkaline for good health!

Acid Base Values for 114 Foods
The following table lists the acid, base values for 114 common foods. Base-producing foods are fruits and vegetables, whereas grains, meats, fish, cheese and salted processed foods are acid-producing.
PRAL (Potential Renal Acid Load per 100 grams)
(Negative numbers indicate base or alkaline-producing foods and positive numbers are acid-producing foods)

Beverages
Beer, draft -0.2
Beer, pale 0.9
Beer, stout bottled -0.1
Coca-cola 0.4
Cocoa, made with semi-skimmed milk -0.4
Coffee, infusion 5 minutes -1.4
Mineral water (Apollinaris) -1.8
Mineral water (Volvic) -0.1
Red wine -2.4
Tea, Indian infusion -0.3
White wine, dry -1.2
Fats and Oils
Butter 0.6
Margarine -0.5
Olive oil 0.0
Sunflower seed oil 0.0
Fish
Cod fillets 7.1
Haddock 6.8
Herring 7.0
Trout, brown steamed 10.8
Fruits and Fruit Juices
Apple Juice, unfiltered -2.2
Apples, 15 varieties flesh & skin, average -2.2
Apricots -4.8
Bananas -5.5
Black currants -6.5
Cherries -3.6
Grape juice, unsweetened -1.0
Kiwi fruit -4.1
Lemon juice -2.5
Orange juice, unsweetened -2.9
Oranges -2.7
Peaches -2.4
Pears, 3 varieties flesh and skin, average -2.9
Pineapple -2.7
Raisins -21.0
Strawberries -2.2
Watermelon -1.9
Nuts
Hazlenuts -2.8
Walnuts 6.8
Grain Products
Bread, rye flour mixed 4.0
Bread, rye flour 4.1
Bread, wheat flour mixed 3.8
Bread, wheat flour whole meal 1.8
Bread, white bread 3.7
Cornflakes 6.0
Crispbread, rye 3.3
Noodles, egg 6.4
Oat flakes, rolled oats 10.7
Rice, brown 12.5
Rice, white, easy cook 4.6
Rice, white, easy cook, boiled 1.7
Rye flour, whole 5.9
Spaghetti, white 6.5
Spaghetti, whole meal 7.3
Wheat flour, white plain 6.9
Wheat flour, whole meal 8.2
Legumes
Beans, green/French beans -3.1
Lentils, green and brown, whole, dried 3.5
Peas 1.2
Peanuts, plain 8.3
Meat and Meat Products
Beef, lean only 7.8
Chicken, meat only 8.7
Corned beef, canned 13.2
Frankfurters 6.7
Liver sausage 10.6
Luncheon meat, canned 10.2
Pork, lean only 7.9
Rump steak, lean and fat 8.8
Salami 11.8
Turkey, meat only 9.9
Veal, fillet 9.0
Milk, Dairy Products
Buttermilk 0.5
Camembert cheese 14.6
Cheddar cheese, reduced fat 26.4
Cheese, Gouda 18.6
Cottage Cheese, Plain 8.7
Creams, fresh, sour 1.2
Fresh Cheese (Quark) 11.1
Full fat, soft cheese 4.3
Hard cheese, average 4 types 19.2
Ice Cream, dairy, vanilla 0.6
Whole milk, evaporated 1.1
Whole milk, pasteurized 0.7
Parmesan cheese 34.2
Processed cheese, plain 28.7
Yogurt, whole milk, fruit 1.2
Yogurt, whole milk, plain 1.5
Eggs
Eggs, chicken, whole 8.2
Egg white 1.1
Egg yolk 23.4
Sugar, preserves and sweets
Chocolates, milk 2.4
Honey -0.3
Madeira cake 3.7
Marmalade -1.5
Sugar, white -0.1
Vegetables
Asparagus -0.4
Broccoli, green -1.2
Carrots, young -4.9
Cauliflower -4.0
Celery -5.2
Chicory -2.0
Cucumber -0.8
Eggplant -3.4
Leeks -1.8
Lettuce, average 4 varieties -2.5
Lettuce, iceberg -1.6
Mushrooms, common -1.4
Onions -1.5
Peppers, green -1.4
Potatoes, old -4.0
Radish, red -3.7
Spinach -14.0
Tomato juice -2.8
Tomatoes -3.1
Zucchini -4.6

This table adapted from:
Remer T, Manz F. Potential renal acid load of foods and its influence on urine pH. J Am Diet Assoc 1995;95:791-797.

Recently I was asked for my opinion for an article that was being written about the health benefits of various juices. I was given the titles—the best juice for—type-thing, and I filled in the blanks. I am not a big juice fan personally unless the juice includes pulp and contains vegetables.

Best pick-me up juice

No! not an ‘energy’ drink that temporarily revs your engine and then later you crash. True energy to get you through your day comes from nutrient-dense foods such as complex carbohydrates-our bodies’ main fuel source, healthy proteins and good quality fats. Raw foods that have been juiced are easily absorbed into your body for quick energy.

Here are some key ingredients to get you moving!

Coconut water contains electrolytes to replenish you and the natural sugar gives a little burst of energy. Fruits, including the skins, and veggies contain natural carbohydrates that you need to keep putting one foot in front of the other. More veggies than fruit is always best as most (non-starchy) veggies don’t spike your insulin levels.
If you add a little nut butter to your juice, (then it’s more of a smoothie) then you just added some healthy fats and protein. Be sure to use raw, not roasted nuts. Don’t forget wheatgrass juice-it’s a wonder drink and will have you dancing down the street.
Energy Drink-in the real sense of the word:

2 cups coconut water
1 cucumber
1 carrot
1 apple
Small piece of fresh ginger or 1 clove garlic, peeled, if you dare!

Best sweet-tooth craving substitute juice

Low glycemic fruits such as berries, cherries, apples and pears may help alleviate your sugar cravings while providing you various antioxidants and dietary fiber. Balance the addition of these naturally sweet fruits with a handful of bitter greens. Try putting a handful of watercress or endive in your smoothie.

Certain amino acids such as L-Glutamine have been shown to help alleviate sugar cravings. Consuming protein at every meal is important as well.
Sugar Buster:
Be sure to use a juicer that saves all the pulp from the fruit, such as a VitaMix

2 cups coconut water or pure water
1 ½ cups mixed berries
1 apple
½ bunch watercress
1 tablespoon hemp or flax oil

Remember to consume adequate protein that helps with sugar cravings.

Best cellulite smoother

Seriously, this was one of the titles. There is no magic cure for cellulite.

Get enough exercise, (circulation is important) and drink enough water. Genetics comes into play, as do hormones. There are no quick fixes and no amount of massage will get rid of cellulite permanently.

Two juices have been show to temporarily decrease the look of cellulite. Just sip them, unsweetened and preferably diluted. They are grapefruit and cranberry.

Please note that grapefruit and its juice has been shown to interact with certain prescription drugs, so before you drink a lot of grapefruit juice to help that cellulite, check with your doctor.

Best juice to curb hunger

I might have been a little smart-alecky with my next sentence.

Food is helpful to curb your hunger! That said vegetable juice could temporarily satisfy your body’s need for fuel. A few raw nuts would be helpful to eat after you drink your veggies for a protein and healthy fat source.

Some top anti-hunger veggies are carrots, celery, and cucumber. Add in some fresh lemon juice for a little flavor kick and to add another level of alkalinity to your body, imperative for good health.

Best juice to boost your immune system
Shitake mushrooms are great for your immune system, but in juice form? Maybe not so palatable.
Your immune system loves vitamin C, E, the carotenoids, bioflavenoids, zinc and that much-loved member of the allium family, garlic. Here is a great combination for you to try.

Immune Booster:
2 tomatoes
1 celery stalk
2 cloves garlic
½ cucumber
Juice of one lemon

(No, this is not a recipe for a Bloody Mary, so don’t add vodka!)

Best libido booster juice
Sexual health depends on our mental and physical well-being. Good circulation is also a big part of sexual fitness, so be sure to exercise regularly.
Here are the top libido booster foods in liquid from.
Celery contains an ingredient that increases those well-known pheromones in men that send out signals to women saying here I am.
Watermelon helps to relax blood vessels that increase sex drive
Bananas and avocado contain potassium. Avocados also contain a B vitamin, which is said to boost male hormone production. These ingredients would make it more of a smoothie than a juice.
Libido Juice:
Start with 2 cups of pure water or coconut water and add:
Celery-2 stalks, ginger-a small piece, 1/2 bananas, ½ avocado, a handful of fresh basil, 3 figs
Foods included in this list are raw oysters-high in zinc, which is important to men’s prostate health, asparagus and artichokes. Chocolate could also be included in this list much to many people’s delight.

Best juice for clear, glowing skin

High-nutrient, high-water content vegetables and fruits support healthy skin. Food containing vitamin A and beta-carotene are helpful for skin health as are zinc and silica-rich foods.
Yellow-orange veggies are fruits are generally good sources of vitamin A and beta carotene: Sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, pumpkins, cantaloupes, apricots, mangoes, but also dark leafy greens such as kale, beet greens, romaine lettuce, collard greens and spinach.
Healthy Skin Juice:

2 cups pure water
2 large carrots
2 kale leaves or one large collard leaf
Handful of spinach
2 apricots
½ mango

Sip and enjoy, then eat some raw pumpkin seeds, a few Brazil nuts for your zinc intake. Have a salad for lunch full of silica rich foods such as green beans, leeks, cucumbers and garbanzo beans.

Remember that essential fatty acids are vital to skin health and can be found in cold-water fish such as salmon and sardines, and also olive, hemp and flax oil. Adequate water consumption is key as well. Also, remember your colon! A high-fiber diet consisting of copious amounts of veggies-mostly non-starchy such as kale and broccoli, and whole grains and legumes keep your bowels moving which prevents the absorption of toxins in your system that leads to problems with the skin.

Best anti-aging juice
The best way to fight the clock is to reduce chronic stress, obtain adequate exercise, drink enough pure water and eat antioxidant rich foods to counteract free-radical damage, which can result in premature aging. It’s also important to stay away from foods and habits that increase free-radical production such as such as smoking (horrible for your skin and the rest of your body!) and consuming refined and pesticide laden-foods.
There are many antioxidants, some more active than others and some that work to recycle others. Mother Nature is amazing! They are vitamins E, C, A, Carotenes, Uric acid, glutathione, lipoic acid, Coenzyme Q10, B vitamins, selenium and sulfur, to name some of the most active. The following fruits and veggies are high in antioxidants and can be easily juiced. Other foods, such as beans and legumes might not taste so good in juice form….

Antioxidant Juice
Pick 2 from each category and juice!

Fruits:
Blueberries
Cranberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Plums
Oranges
Prunes

Veggies:
Kale
Spinach
Sprouts
Beets (raw)
Red Bell Peppers
Corn (raw)