Tag: Life

February 3, 2021

Doc Holiday Was Right . . .

Toward the end of Tombstone, one of my favorite movies, Wyatt Earp tells his long-time trusted friend, Doc Holiday, that he just wants to live a “normal life.” The doc’s response has resonated with me for years. His answer pierces the façade that society and civilization try to sell each of us.

“There is no such thing as a normal life. There is just life,” Said Doc Holiday.

Wyatt Earp & Doc Holiday in Tombstone.

In my 20+ years of medical practice, and almost 30 years of marriage and family, I have come to realize that the wisdom shared by this young tuberculosis infected physician was correct. What most people mean by a “normal life” is actually a calm, even, unchallenged life with neither great victories or disappointing defeats. This “normality” has a very seductive charm. A life that lacks pains, frights and failures is often dreamed of by the masses and is often portrayed on the big screen. And, in that portrayal, it emphasizes the want of challenge, opportunity and the delight of victory.

Yet, such a “normal life” is simply non-existent. Disruptions, explosions, setbacks, failures combined with celebrations and victories small and large are all part of life. The individual or family that mistakenly believes there is some way to play it safe, some private sanctuary where they can insulate themselves, has failed to take into account the mortality of an aging body, the prevalence’s of cancer, and the imperfect genetic codes we inherited. We fail to consider global financial collapse, war, and the sins and failings of a civilization of humans, each having their own moral agency. That is life. That is “real” life. We live within a test-tube of filth, mire and ever changing chaos.

We even fail to recognize the destruction that good things bring to a “normal life.” Consider an infant. The newborn baby has no respect for “normalcy.” As wonderful as the newborn child is, they seem intent on creating chaos around themselves until their needs are met, destroying the “normal” peaceful life and sleep of it’s parents.

Life Is Life

Life is life. In fact, life frequently sucks, and then we die. However, in between, there are some really joyful and momentous events that make living in this test-tube of filth and mire worth the struggle. This life was never meant to be lollipops, roses and sunshine. Days are hard, Relationships are hard. If they aren’t hard, you’re not growing. (That’s not to say abuse should ever be tolerated).

Take a relationship like marriage. Relationships are made, they don’t just happen. They are made and grow as two people strive for many of the same goals. The problem is most people don’t communicate their expectations, and frequently don’t even know what their expectations from a relationship actually are. Most people are afraid of commitment because they expect that the relationship should provide sunshine on the other side of the wedding ring and yet are shocked when that sunshine leaves a sunburn. Not knowing what their expectations should be, they leave when they don’t feel frequent pleasure and happiness.

The “normal” happy life is a façade. Most people raised on participation trophies misunderstand that the paradox of life is seeking pleasure from a relationship or a job first. That’s the most effective way of missing it. Lasting joy in life, a job, a relationship or a family occurs when one seeks that joy outside of one’s self, daily directing one’s focus on the principle of filling your life with purpose.

So, shall we call Doc Holiday prophetic? I don’t think he was a prophet, but, as a physician suffering from a chronic disease that would eventually end his life, he was correct in his assessment of life in general. The determination to create and cling to a “normal life” will result in frustration, cynicism and even bitterness because it cannot be done. In Doc Holiday’s experience, the brave doctor contracts a terminal illness like tuberculosis in his attempt to help others. The disruptions of “normalcy,” even the good ones, that affect us day to day become obstacles to the “normal.” This can cause resentment of the irritable baby, the spouse, the job, the co-worker, the daily routine and even those we desire to help.

The disruption may become such an obstacle to the facade of normal that a parent, for example, may resent the baby. Seeing that a baby, one of the most noble things a mother can bring into this world, can disrupt and even threaten the ease of someone’s “normal” life, the noble disruption may even lead one to consider aborting it. Society today worships at the alter of “normal.” Hence, the pursuit of the myth of the “normal life” actually allows the horrific to become normal.

Is there an antidote? There is. Life should be meaningful. Life should be purposeful. What brings meaning and purpose in a test-tube of mire and struggle?

All the Things We Experience Make Life Better

The Apostle Paul, in his letters to the Roman saints, gives the most expansive, all-encompassing statement about life in all of the religion and philosophy that I’ve ever read. “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

All things, . . . not just the good stuff -not just the easy, normal stuff work for our good. It is the combination of good and bad that make this life meaningful. Seeing the meaning in your life takes an antidote against the cynicism and and bitter taste that the bad often leaves behind.

The antidote comes in a few steps:

Improve your health

As a doctor, I’m a huge advocate of improving your health which plays a dramatic role in happiness. Losing as little as 10 lbs has been shown to improve energy, decrease your risk for major disease, improve sleep, improve sex life, and decrease inflammation. Improvements in any of those areas will reduce stress and anxiety and increase happiness so you can imagine while improvements in ALL of these areas could dramatically change your life.

As an advocate of the ketogenic lifestyle, I’ve found that the majority of my patients are able to lose 5-15 lbs each month for the first three months using this approach. They average 2-5 lbs pf weight reduction each month there-after while following a ketogenic approach over the long term. Understanding that this is one of the long term keys to success in happiness I want to make sure you know that I’ve developed some custom strategies to help with this and will share them with you below. This lifestyle decreases risk for diabetes by 75%, improves mental clarity, and slows the aging process. (Who wouldn’t want those side effects while eating bacon?)

Use food as an antidote

A number of studies have demonstrated that a ketogenic diet increases gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a key neuro-hormone signaling satiety and pleasure, in the brain. GABA increases sensations of happiness and euphoria. (Yes, this is why eating bacon makes you and I happier. It’s probably why the thought of bacon in the video above made you smile.) Shifting into a ketogenic state at least periodically has the effect of increasing your sense of happiness throughout the day. It is actually the ketone that does this. Whether you get into ketosis through diet alone, or through the use of exogenous ketones, both methods are effective in aiding you in your quest for happiness.

Savor daily experiences and record them

Savor the daily experiences. We live our lives at such a high speed, we often neglect to take time to enjoy the experiences around us. A trip to down town Amarillo, Texas, a few years ago brought me to the front doors of a restaurant that served cream-cheese & sausage stuffed, bacon wrapped, jalapenos (try saying that 5 times fast). I had a bit of time and decided to try them. It was the first time in 3-4 days that I actually had the chance to slow down and savor the place around me, the flavors of the food, and the atmosphere of the restaurant.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno’s & Happiness

Just taking a bit of time to savor these things made this experience a very memorable and happy experience that to this day I have not forgotten.

Take 3-5 minutes today to just think about where you are. Savor the smell of a rose, the color of the sky, the shape of the clouds or the sight of a bird. These sensory images can, and will, leave indelible memories and release dopamine and serotonin naturally in the brain. Savoring the daily experiences of life can be part of the process of meditation we will talk about below.

Volunteer

Doc Holiday could have groveled in the sadness of his illness and pain. But, instead, he risked his life to save the life of Wyatt Earp in Texas. Then, in 1879, he joined Earp in Las Vegas, New Mexico and then rode with him to Prescott, Arizona, and then to Tombstone. In Tombstone, local members of the outlaw Cochise County Cowboys repeatedly threatened Doc Holiday and spread rumors that he had robbed a stage. On October 26, 1881, Holiday was deputized by Tombstone city marshal Virgil Earp. The lawmen attempted to disarm five members of the Cowboys near the O.K. Corral on the west side of town, which resulted in the famous 30-second shootout, and the legendary stories and movie Tombstone.

Get involved and volunteer in meaningful activities around your neighborhood, church & community. Research shows that voluntarily giving of time increases happiness in the giver. It also allows one to see, participate with and help those around you who may be less fortunate. Volunteering your time and energy regularly increases your gratitude we will discuss further below.

Express gratitude

Expressing gratitude daily has been shown to dramatically increase your sense of well-being and happiness. Expressing gratitude requires awareness. It requires you to take inventory of everything around you (something you will already be doing if you are savoring your daily experiences). Gratitude can be expressed in a journal, through prayer & meditation, or directly to those around you. However, expressing gratitude requires effort.

In the Judaeo-Christian view, expressing gratitude is actually a method of expressing faith. The 17th chapter of Luke holds a biblical example of this concept. When the leper returned to express his thanks to Jesus Christ for being healed, he wasn’t told “Your gratitude made you whole.” Christ told him, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” He implied that the act of expressing gratitude is a demonstration of faith, a necessary and essential process in human development.

Recognize personal value

I’m not talking about your bank statement or personal financial statement. I’m talking about recognizing the value of your soul. The only successful non-medication based program to help people overcome addiction is the 12-Step Program through Alcoholics Anonymous. The essential second step of the twelve is recognition that a power greater than ours is involved in our lives. Whether, you believe in God or a greater universal power, recognition of your value is an essential perspective to gaining happiness. This has been demonstrated thousands of times through the 12-Step Programs.

Often, the feeling we have of our personal worth is based on the love and interest we receive from those around us. Yet, this love is sometimes lacking. The love of men is often imperfect, incomplete, or selfish. What if you looked at yourself with the same benevolence, love, and confidence that God does? Imagine the impact it would have on your life to understand your eternal potential as God understands it. If you could view yourself through His eyes, what influence would that have on your life? Recognition of this principle is essential to making any lasting change.

Look for the growth in who you are

The celebrated Greek poet, Pindar, said, “Become who you are.” This is confusingly paradoxical. How does one become who they already are?

Many of the younger generation grew up to the sounds and images of The Lion King. You probably remember the scene where Simba receives a visit from his father, Mufasa, the deceased king. After his father died, Simba fled from the kingdom because the guilt he felt about his father’s death. He wanted to escape his responsibility as heir to the throne.

His father appears to him and warns him: “You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life.” Then this invitation is repeated several times: “Remember who you are. … Remember who you are.”

Simba, completely shaken by this experience, decides to accept his destiny. He confides in his friend, the shaman monkey, that it “looks like the winds are changing.”

The monkey replies, “Change is good.”

And Simba says: “But it’s not easy. I know what I have to do. But going back means I’ll have to face my past. I’ve been running from it for so long.”

Recognizing and accepting our past for what it was brings happiness. Hiding or running from our past prevents us from experiencing true joy.

Meditate

Meditation and prayer have been shown to actually change areas of the brain that relate to stress management and mood regulation. People who meditate regularly over long periods of time have better ability to find and maintain positive states like joy and compassion. Richard Davidson and his colleagues found that meditation increases brain activity in areas related to happiness as well.

The ability for a person to access the subconscious mind and to address aberrant thinking errors attached to powerful emotions confers advantages that cannot be acquired through any other medical medium. Wholeness of the mind, body and spirit are ultimately the goal. Meditation & hypnotherapy change fragmented, unhappy people into integrated, happy people by simply helping people to identify and repair the broken subconscious thought patterns that can occur in all of our day to day lives. Check out Dr. Nally’s information on mind-body medicine here.

Improve the quality of your relationships

Happiness has been linked to quality relationships as well. Robert Wallinger, psychiatrist at Harvard University, conducted a 75 year multi-generational study on happiness. He found that the quality of the relationships was powerfully connected to happiness. Lonely people were less happy and had poorer health. People with higher-quality relationship or social ties were the happiest.

However, it wasn’t just having a relationship, but having one with a stable and consistently caring person that made the difference. Having lots of acquaintances or being in a relationship with an unreliable or abusive partner did not make people happier. Amazingly, listening (savoring shared experiences) and complimenting (expressing gratitude) improve the quality of relationships. (

Don’t know where to start? Start by sharing some bacon . . .

Allow others to help

I know you are probably familiar with the phrase “it is better to give than receive,” but did you know there is evidence to support the reverse mantra is also true? Happiness also comes from allowing others to help. Think about it. When you are helping others, especially when they appreciate it, you feel happiness or joy. Others experience those same feelings when they are able to help you. Think of a child that wants to make you a meal. No matter what it looks like when it gets to you, you smile and feel happy at the effort, the child smiles back proud at their success. There is happiness in giving and receiving.

So today’s your chance to receive. As a doctor, I find myself shying away from sharing this information with you directly because I never want anyone to feel like my efforts are about me. I’ve spent years learning and understanding the benefits of a Ketogenic lifestyle and spent additional years researching products that work and my local patients are experiencing tremendous results! A friend told me that not sharing this information with people directly was actually being selfish. (Ouch!) “When you know someone has a problem that you can solve, shouldn’t you share it and then let them make their own decisions?”

Although that was painful to hear, it helped me commit to being more direct about how I can help all of you to feel better. If you are ready to change the way you feel and want to live a happier, healthier life, the time is NOW. Put these 10 steps in action, click the link and get a copy of my diet. Then, enjoy the benefits of a Ketogenic or Carnivorous Lifestyle.

If you want to know more about what I do, keep reading my blog, join my weekly newsletter by signing up below. Then, watch my videos every week on YouTube and listen to my Podcast giving you free tips and tricks to stay healthier. I even developed my own line of vitamins and supplements specifically for myself and my patients. If you know you are ready for a change, and you want to see how I can help, check out the variety of Ketogenic programs I offer to help you find the meaning in your life.

February 26, 2018

Dr. Nally’s Twenty Two Tough Truth’s

Sunday’s are my day of rest, . . . if a physician ever really rests? I’m sitting out under the stars very late on this Sunday evening, into the wee hours of Monday morning. (It’s our turn for flood irrigation at 2 o’clock in the morning). But, I appreciate these times of solitude. It is on Sunday’s that I’ve been able to work on twenty two life lessons (tough truths) that make life better. I do my best to treat Sundays as a “sacred” or “holy day,” a day of rest from my temporal labor, to contemplate the word of God, to pray & meditate, to participate in public worship and focus on where I am at in my personal spiritual development.

Yes, I know. I’m a physician; and yet, I believe in God.

No, it is not a contradiction. (I can already see my in-box filling up with agnostic castigation.) Friends of mine claim atheism or agnosticism. Yet in the day to day trenches of life, I find there is no real atheism. There is no such thing as not worshiping. When it comes down to it, we all worship something. We each have the choice of what we worship. Worship being defined as giving adoration, reverence or homage to someone or something.

We have the choice of worshiping the God, a god (however you may define god), spiritualism, truth, ethical principles, nature, football, money, your body, someone else’s body, power, fame, etc. You and I know this on a basic level, we just have to come to grips with what it is we hold on a pedestal, and to which we “pay homage.”

There comes a point, when one deals with life and death on a daily basis, that a person must question the very existence of God, and come to terms with who or what we actually pay homage. I’ve sincerely asked that question . . . I’ll leave that story for another time.

It’s during my Sunday afternoons, that I’ve been able to contemplate and attempt to re-apply the “tough truths” of life that seem to challenge me. So, instead of sharing some bacon with you this evening, I thought I’d share twenty two of the truths that I am working on improving in my life. (Though . . . they’re almost as good as bacon!)

Twenty Two Tough Truth’s that I’ve Learned & Had to Re-Learn in Life:

There is much about life over which we have absolutely no control. You cannot control everything that happens in life, but you can control how you respond. Your response is your greatest power. “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives, and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” (Russel Nelson)
It’s not about the cards you’ve been dealt, it’s about how you play the hand. (Randy Pausch)
W. C. Fields said, “Smile first thing in the morning and get it over with.” My expectations often make me utterly unhappy. Happiness is letting go of what you assume your life is supposed to be like right now, and sincerely appreciating it for everything that it actually is.
In mortality, we will always be incredibly imperfect. If you wait until you’re perfect before you share your stories, ideas, talents and gifts with the world, no one will ever hear from you.
A moment spent worrying is a moment wasted. Worrying will NEVER change the outcome. Do more, worry less. Train your mind to see the lesson in EVERY situation, and then make the very best of it. Liberating ourselves from our fears, automatically gives people the ability to do the same around you.
The best lessons often come from the very hardest days. If you are having a hard day, stand strong, there is a lesson here. Sometimes you have to experience a low point in life to learn a good lesson you couldn’t have learned any other way.
Success easily gets to our heads, and failure easily gets to our hearts. Our true character is usually revealed at our highs and lows. Be humble at the mountain top, steadfast in the valley’s and faithful in between.
We often confuse being busy with being productive. What you pay attention to grows. So, focus on what truly matters and let go of what does not. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” (Jim Rohn)
More money left un-managed just creates more problem. Yes, we need money to live. Earn it. Save it. Invest it. But, avoid spending money you haven’t earned, to buy things you don’t need, to impress folks you don’t even know. Manage your money so it doesn’t end up managing you.
Most of us don’t need more to be happy – we need less. When things aren’t adding up in life, begin subtracting. Life gets much simpler when you clear away the physical and mental clutter that makes it complicated.
Our fancy gadgets (phones, computers, tablets, radios, etc.) often get in our way and dehumanize us. We all need to learn to be more human again. Don’t avoid eye contact. Don’t hide behind the gadgets. Smile often. Ask about people’s stories . . . And, then, listen.
We don’t always get what we give. You will end up sadly disappointed if you expect people will always do for you as you do for them. Not everyone has the same heart you do.
Most arguments we have with one another are pointless. Be selective in your battles. Peace in this moment may be better than being right. You actually don’t need to attend every argument into which you’ve been invited. “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every barking dog.” (Winston Churchill)
I’ve never met a strong and confident person with an easy past. Be grateful for your scars. Be thankful for the emotional muscle and physical strength you gain from standing against the winds of life.
The only way to completely avoid pissing people off is to do nothing of importance.
The true definition of “Hell” is to meet the person you could have become on your last day on earth.
Just because you fell off the ketogenic wagon today, doesn’t give you license to drag it into the woods, set it on fire and use the insurance money to buy Twinkies.
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” (Mae West)
Ignoring your passion in life creates anxiety. Ignoring the anxiety, creates panic and hopelessness. Never ignore what moves you. Mold your work around the lifestyle that brings you passion, don’t mold your passion around your career.
The human body tends to move more or less in the direction of your expectations. This is why it is so important to know that the attitudes of confidence and determination you feel and hold are just as much a part of your treatment program as medical science and technology.
The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those, who in times of great moral crises, maintained their neutrality. (paraphrased from Dante Alighieri)
A man would do well to carry a pencil in his pocket, and write down the thoughts of the moment. Those thoughts that come unsought after in the moment are commonly the most valuable, and should be secured by recording them, . . . because they seldom return. (Brigham Young)

Over the years, I’ve carried a leatherbound little notebook with me and I write down thoughts or quotes I hear into that little note book. Among these thoughts and quotes I’ve collected, I’ve found that on Sundays, I can let my mind chew on them.

One of the things that I’ve learned over the years is that observing a weekly “day of rest,” or “holy day,” is that this behavior is one of the most important safeguards to health and wellness. I’ve learned this from my personal experiences during periods when I didn’t observe the “day of rest” and periods where I have closely guarded that “day of rest.” I’ve found that observing the Sabbath has truly become a “delight” as spoken of by the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah.

Science Demonstrates Importance of Day of Rest

What is fascinating, is that science has recently demonstrated how this works. In early 2000, Marcus Raichle from Washington University demonstrated that the human brain demands 20 percent of the body’s energy and uses only 5-10 percent more when solving calculus problems, reading a book (or this blog post, for that matter) or writing a letter. However, they noticed that some areas of the brain became notably less active when concentrating on a mental challenge, but fired synchronously when laying flat in an MRI scanner, allowing their thoughts to wander (1).

This was confirmed by a number of other researchers who noted that there was a coordinated communication between diverse areas of the brain when people were “resting.” This mysterious coordination between different parts of the brain during “daydreaming” has become known as the default mode network (DMN). In the last few years, we’ve learned there are actually five different “resting state networks” that coordinate vision, hearing, movement, attention & memory. However, the DMN is the most researched and appears to be the most important.

Dr. Immordino-Yang reviewed the research on the DMN and found that downtime is an opportunity for the brain to make sense of what it has recently learned. It is during this “day of rest” that the mind coordinates unresolved tensions, conversations we had earlier in the week, re-writing verbal blunders, and practicing standing up to those that intimidate us. Our minds shuffle through the neglected to-do lists and post-it notes on the mental refrigerator of our brain, searching for solutions and answers. It moves back and forth through childhood scenes and futuristic adult hopes and dreams. It is during this time that our brain looks at the moral connotations of our performance with others (3).

Other research demonstrates that the mind solves very tough problems during this period of rest and day-dreaming. You may have experienced something like this when you solve a problem while in the shower. (I hate to admit it, but many of my problems get solved in the shower.) When the mind isn’t actively working or learning something new, it can accumulate, memorize and rehearse recently learned skills, actually transcribing them onto new brain matter (4). Recent research demonstrates that this recording of new memory and skill, called “sharp-wave ripples” actually occurs more often during “rest periods” than during sleep (5).

Meditation and the Day of Rest

Meditation and/or prayer have been shown to strengthen connections between regions of the DMN. Those that observe a day of rest with meditation develop a more intricate wrinkled cortex, the outer layer of the brain that gives us the ability to perform abstract thought and introspection. Meditation appears to increased both the volume and density of the hippocampus, the area of the brain essential for memory storage and the frontal cortex that allows us to control or rein in emotions. Fascinatingly, meditation and observance of a “day of rest” slows the natural “wilting” of the brain regions required for sustained attention that normally withers as we age (6, 7, 8, 9).

How soon does observing a rest day or “keeping the Sabbath” become effective? A number of studies show that noticeable changes occur within a couple of weeks. More importantly, daily meditation has been show to be more effective in the long run than the total hours of meditation over one’s lifetime (10,11).

As a physician and a clinical hypnotherapist, I personally use and recommend daily meditation. If you want a free copy of my self-guided meditation program for relaxation and weight loss, CLICK HERE.

Now, what I want to know, is does bacon intake during the rest day have any effect on the hippocampus, frontal cortex or wrinkle cortex? I guess we’ll have to wait for that research to be completed. In the mean time, check out my membership page to see what we do know about the use of fat and cholesterol does to help attention and energy.

References:

1. Raichle ME, MacLeod AM, Snyder AZ, Powers WJ, Gusnard DA, Shulman GL. “The maturing architecture of the brains default network.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jan 16; 98(2):676-82.

2. Moussa MN, Steen MR, Laurienti PJ, Hayasaka S. “Consistency of Network Modules in Resting-State fMRI Connectome Data” PLOSone. 31 Aug, 2012. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0044428.

3. Immordino-Yang MH, Christodoulou JA, Singh V. “Implications of the Brain’s Default Mode for Human Development and Education.” Perspectives on Psychological Science. 29 Jun, 2012. 7(4): 352-364.

4. Payne, JD. “Learning, Memory, and Sleep in Humans.” Sleep Medicine Clinics. Mar 2011. 6(1):15-30. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1556407X10001220.

5. Perlow LA, Porter JL. “Making Time Off Predictable – and Required.” Harvard Business Review. Oct 2009. https://hbr.org/2009/10/making-time-off-predictable-and-required.

6. Zeidan F, Johnson SK, Diamond BJ, David Z, Goolkasian P. Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: Evidence of brief mental training.” Consciousness and Cognition. Jun 2010. 19(2): 597-605. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810010000681#]

7. Luders E, Kurth R, Mayer EA, Toga AW, Narr KL, Gaser C. “The unique brain anatomy of medication practitioners: alterations in cortical gyrification.” Front Hum Neurosci. 29 Feb, 2012. online. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00034/full

8. Pagnoni G, Cekic M. “Age effects on gray matter volume and attentional performance in Zen meditation.” Neurobiology of Aging. 28(10): 1623-1627. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458007002436

9. Luders E, Toga AW, Lepore N, Gaser C. “The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation: Larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter.” Neuroimage. 15 Apr 2009. 45(3) 672-678. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184843/

10. Chiesa A, Clati R, Serretti A. “Does mindfulness training improve cognitive abilities? A systematic review of neurpsychological findings.” Clinical Psychology Review. 1 Dec 2010. 31: 449-464. http://psy.fgu.edu.tw/web/wlchou/perceptual_psychology/class_pdf/Advanced%20Perceptual/2011/2011week15_HaoChen_paper.pdf

11. Chan D, Woollacott M. “Effects of level of meditation on experience on attentional focus: is the efficiency of executive or orientation networks improved?” J Altern Complement Med. 2007. Jul-Aug. 13(6): 651-657. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17718648.

January 31, 2016

Ketogenic Lifestyle Rule #2: Life Begins at the Edge of Your Comfort Zone

We have been taught for over 50 years that the minimum carbohydrate intake necessary to maintain health is 130 grams per day, with the average diet of 2000 calories per day containing around 300 grams per day based on 1977 recommendations that 55-60% of are dietary intake should come from carbohydrates. This value was initially established during World War II by a committee of scientists tasked with determining dietary changes that might effect national defense (1). These “guidelines,” originally called the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) and accepted by many as the gospel truth, have been modified every ten years and in 1997 changed to the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI). However, the recommended carbohydrate values have not changed other than “avoiding added sugars” in the most recent 2015 recommendations.

In light of the fact that there are NO actual diseases caused by lack of carbohydrate intake, most dietitians and physicians still preach the carbohydrate dogma originally outlined by the RDA. I say dogma, because these recommendations are based on a diet that vilifies fat, particularly animal fat like red meat. Say the words “red meat” around a dietician these days you’d think Voldemort (“He Who Shall Not Be Named”) had returned.

I bring up the carbohydrate quandary because it is a question that I am asked every single day. The question that seems to be asked of me, more and more, is what exactly is a carbohydrate?

Let’s make it simple. There are really only three types of carbohydrates:

Sugar
Starch (known as complex carbohydrates)
Fiber

Let’s start with Sugar. The simple form of carbohydrates, and the form that spikes your blood sugar and insulin rapidly, are called mono-saccharides (glucose, galactose, fructose & xylose). When two of these mono-saccharides are bound together they form disaccharides like sucrose, also known as “table sugar” (glucose + fructose), lactose found in milk (glucose + galactose), and maltose found in cereals and sweet potatoes (glucose + glucose).

Milk Sugar or Lactose (glucose + glucose)

The simple monosaccharides or disaccharides are easy broken into their mono-saccharide form in the blood stream and require the body to produce insulin to be used. The person with insulin resistance, impaired fasting glucose or type II diabetes often produces 2-10 times the normal amount of insulin to correctly use these mono-saccharides (see why this is a problem in: The Dreaded Seven: Seven Detrimental Things Caused By High Insulin Levels). Remember, fruit is also simple sugar containing the mono-saccharide fructose . . . which we call “natures candy” in my office.

“Yea, I know sugar is bad for me, but Dr. Nally, I just eat the good starches.”

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve herd that phrase . . .

We’ve become comfortable with shunning fat and “simple sugar,” but in the process we’ve been eating more “good starch.” But the “good starches” are also saccharides – just in longer chains of more than three glucose molecules bound together. Our gut easily breaks the bonds between the glucose links and turns these starches into mono-saccharides to be used as fuel. It takes a bit longer than the simple sugars above, so the release of insulin is slower (which is why it has a better glycemic index score), but whether you produce the insulin in the first hour or the second hour after eating it, insulin is still insulin. In the case of insulin resistance, the damage is still done.

These good starches make up “comfort food” like bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, corn, grains & oats. To the patient with insulin resistance, impaired fasting glucose or type II diabetes, the higher insulin response stimulates increased weight gain, rise in cholesterol, shift in hormone function and progression of atherosclerosis (vascular and heart disease). See the recent article on Why Your Oatmeal is Killing Your Libedo.

What about “resistance starches?” These are still starches and I am finding clinically that they still cause a rise in insulin and push people out of ketosis (See Common Ketosis Killers).

Finally, Fiber. Fiber is a carbohydrate, however, it is the indigestible part of the plant. Fiber has double bonds between the saccharides that human gastrointestinal tracts cannot digest. In most cases, fiber passes right through the intestines without being digested. It actually acts like a broom for your colon, helping the intestines to move nutrients through the system. This is why I recommend 1-2 leafy green salads a day for most patient’s following ketogenic diet. Fiber does help to promote bowel function.

The Leafy Greens

Fruit, non-green vegetables, pasta, grains and breads do contain good sources of fiber, however, these foods also have absorbable starches making them problematic as noted above.

The take home message is this, the use of starch or simple carbohydrate will be problematic for weight loss, cholesterol control, blood sugar control or blood pressure control in a patient with insulin resistance.

Therefore, the ketogenic lifestyle truly begins at the end of your comfort zone.

November 3, 2015

Principles of Life for Consideration

Over the years, I have collected quotes, bits of wisdom, quips of life and principles of living. I have taken them from a number of sources, friends, family and thoughts that have just come to me while reading, pondering or out riding my horse with my family. I have made a point to try to write these down and I thought that I would share them with you today. Some of them apply to health, obesity, weight and others just apply to being a gentleman. Some of these I struggle with and maybe you do too. Some of them I am good at, and some of them I need to work on. Let me know what you think:

Ponder each night upon the events of the day, and make a goal for tomorrow.
Never cancel dinner plans by text message.
Every action in public should be done with some sign of respect to those present.
When entrusted with a secret, keep it.
When in the presence of others, do not sing to yourself, hum to yourself, or drum fingers or feet.
If you cough, sneeze, sigh or yawn, cover your mouth.
Being old is not dictated by your bedtime.
Strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the opposite: its starting point.
Of all the things a leader should fear, complacency should head the list.
The great man is not only responsible for harvesting his own success, but for cultivating the success of the next generation.
Vitality is shown not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over.
Smile when you pass a stranger.
Know the words to your national anthem.
Even if your dance moves aren’t the best, making a fool of yourself is much more fun than sitting on the bench.
A suntan is earned, not purchased.
Don’t sleep when others are talking, don’t sit when others stand, don’t talk when you should hold your peace, don’t walk when others stop.
Don’t remove your clothes in the presence of others or leave the privacy of your home half dressed.
Don’t bite your nails in the presence of others.
Avoid turning your back on someone who is speaking.
Don’t lean upon or kick the table upon which someone is reading or writing.
Always be the first to remove your hat, salute, or extend your hand to your equal or superior.
Let your speech with men of business be short and comprehensive.
Whenever writing or speaking, give to every person his due title according to his degree and the custom of the time.
Let your recreation be manful, not sinful.
Don’t talk with food in your mouth.
It is the duty of the senior ranking official within the group or company to unfold his napkin and begin eating first; however, that same official should begin with-in time and demonstrate enough dexterity that the slowest may have the necessary time allowed him to partake of the meal.
Avoid strife in disagreement with a superior, but always submit your judgement to others with modesty.
Associate yourself with men and women of good quality if you esteem your reputation, for it is better to be alone, then in bad company.
Don’t point.
Keep your promises.
The only things that evolve on their own in any organization are disorder, friction, and nonperformance.
Morale is really only faith in the man at the top.
No great invention was ever made without true exercise of imagination.
All bleeding stops . . . eventually.

August 18, 2015

Three Life Rules . . .

May 15, 2015

Essential Life Facts for Growing Older

Nine Facts About Growing Older

1. Death is the number one killer in the world.

2. Life is sexually transmitted.

3. Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

4. Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach that person to use the Internet and they won’t bother you for weeks, months or even years.

5. Health nuts are going to feel a little sheepish someday, just lying on a hospital bed, dying of nothing.

6. All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays absolutely no attention to criticism.

7. In the 60’s, people took acid to make the world feel weird. Now, the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it feel normal.

8. Life is essentially carbohydrate induced. . . This all started because someone was tempted into eating an apple.

9. Don’t worry too much about old age; it doesn’t last that long.

What is the “Fountain Of Youth” as We Know It Today?

A ketogenic or carnivorous diet placing one into ketosis regularly slows aging and reducing the risk of dementia dramatically (1, 2).
Berberine Plus 500mg twice a day if you are at all insulin resistant has been shown to stop progression to diabetes and insulin resistant, improve weight loss, reverse symptoms of PCOS and has notable research demonstrating anti-inflammatory properties (3) all of which are know to slow aging.
Vitamin D 1000-5000 IU Daily (4.)
6-8 hours of restful sleep nightly (5.)
At least 15-30 minutes of HIIT exercise 5-6 days per week.
Stress reduction through journaling, meditation, hypnotherapy or story telling/reading.
Daily expression of gratitude, Doc Holiday was right . . .

Check out my recent video talking about this an answering over 100 of your ketogenic related questions:

References:

Veech RL, 2004, “The therapeutic implications of ketone bodies…,”Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids, 2004 Mar;70(3):309-19.70
Ott A, Stolk RP, Hofman A, van Harskamp F, Grobbee DE, Breteler MM. Association of diabetes mellitus and dementia: the Rotterdam Study. Diabetologia. 1996 Nov;39(11):1392-7. doi: 10.1007/s001250050588. PMID: 8933010.
Yin J et al., Efficacy of Berberine in Type II DM, Metabolism, May 2008
Gallagher JC. Vitamin D and aging. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2013 Jun;42(2):319-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2013.02.004. Epub 2013 Apr 9. PMID: 23702404; PMCID: PMC3782116.
Scott, S.B., Graham-Engeland, J.E., Engeland, C.G. et al. The Effects of Stress on Cognitive Aging, Physiology and Emotion (ESCAPE) Project. BMC Psychiatry 15, 146 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-015-0497-7