Monthly Archives: June 2009

Confessions of a (couple of) Meat Eaters

We are meat eaters by choice. Ever since I remember, I had, have and probably, may continue to enjoy a liking for it. It applies equally to a preference for the item and that the preference is enjoyed by a certain mass.

Meat eating is not bad, contrary to what the modern health-world says. The required (read necessary) brutality comes from meat-eating habits and that keeps us going in this world. Sometimes, it seems the medical world has lost its power to analyze. Why else they would spread a propaganda (marketing rules say here: one size fits all) that would cost many their lives (don’t get emotional; we are discussing it the physiological way, not focusing upon meat-eating being our way to live)?

Usual arguments would follow supporting complete vegetarianism being the way to living healthy, but are you aware of the term genetic? The modern prescription to healthy living is close to that; it’s only the fifth-letter mismatch that’s giving rise to arguments.

Let’s make it clear before anything that follows: I won’t present any statistical data. I’m not writing a research paper; we all come here to loosen our minds.

As we spoke before, I noticed with my dog the genetic tolerance for nutrition. I got him quite an adult, around a year and three months, always on the edge of rage. A big caliber, always loaded; cocked and with a hair trigger response. It’s different that I brought him down from 65 kilos of flab to 52 kilos of sheer muscle and bone mass (to get the difference, compare a .38 S&W with a .357 M) and managed putting in the transfer safety bar (if I may apply it here), but a change in his food habits (though the transition was spanned over several fortnights) made me undergo a few lessons. The theory proved itself: Don’t force your body to exist upon something it is not used to, all in a sudden. Sadly enough, I came to know later that the duration of sudden varies according to a lot of factorss.

Right from day one, I kept my Rottie on steamed beef, curd, hard-boiled eggs (with beef soup), big and oily fishes and vegetables (beans, carrots, beetroot, garlic and cabbage; sometimes, pumpkins) – one item to go with the curd and brown rice everyday and repeating. I was also sprinkling extra amino acid powders on the food. But as the seasons changed, so had to the quantity. To avoid frequent feeding, I shifted him to an upmarket dog food, replacing the brown rice and the amino powders. He still had four more months to grow, so that also proved better. The sad part is, it was better only initially.

 It was too much of protein for him; I learnt later that he was fed only a medium-grade dog food once a day and plain rice and organ meat (the heart, the ears, intestines, spleen, kidneys and liver) in the late evening. The timings were irregular; often, he skipped a meal or two since people used to forget about him. It was natural, for he stayed locked in a room at the back portion of the house of his former owner. He loved him, but didn’t know what to do with him; he appointed a fellow later who was in charge of his well-being. He, occasionally (once a week), in order to prove that the dog is bursting with energy (thanks to his care), used to keep him unfed over long hours while pricking on him and beatings, at times, not lethal enough to break the bones but enough to get him furious. All in all, Adolf was not used to good food and it did him bad. The extra protein in the blood gave rise to kidney troubles, allergies and a mouth ulcer that never seemed to heal. However, may the Indian herbal science reach lofty heights, it worked wonders for him. The tapering is on since then; now it is the reverse tapering that has started. The threshold is set every three months and he shall be on a complete BARF diet (apart from the boiled eggs and dog food in breakfast) from September 2010 onwards.

 Let’s end this discussion with what we got it started: Many meat eaters are currently shifting to vegetarianism. We spoke about the sufferings due to a sudden change in food pattern; so apply a bit of reverse engineering: That you are a meat eater is inscribed in your genes. Turning it a hundred and eighty degrees around all in a sudden shall do nothing but corrupt the genetic code. Those who are purely vegetarian, are so since ages; their body has been programmed to derive everything necessary from a vegetarian diet. For us, it’s not; therefore, eat meat setting the threshold (250-400gms/days), for too much of anything is bad.

Function of the Liver in detoxification: Ways to boost the process (part 2)

We know by now that the liver filters (or tries filtering) anything harmful present in the blood and also distributes nutrients, proteins and cholesterol to the other parts of the body. We shall now discuss about the remaining functions of the liver that are essential to living.

Oxygen-rich blood enters the liver through the hepatic artery (from the aorta, a major vessel in the heart) while blood containing digested food from the small intestine through the portal vein (vena portae). Both of these blood vessels further subdivide into capillaries inside the liver, each leading to a lobule. The liver tissue is a collection of a great number of these lobules; the lobules themselves are made of hepatic cells, the cells that are responsible for the liver’s own metabolism.

The liver breaks down fats, transforms glucose to glycogen, produces urea, manufactures certain amino acids, stores vitamins A, D, K and B12 and minerals and keeps the glucose levels balanced in the blood. It also produces cholesterol and meets 80% of what the body demands.

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So once there are more toxins in your body (especially alcohol), the liver stresses more upon getting them out while putting less effort on other essential functions; as a result, it’s the entire system that suffers. This is where the herbs come in.

  • Himsra (Capparis spinosa): The Caper Bush, as known in English, it is the bark of the plant that’s used. It is bitter to taste and has diuretic properties. Thus, it is effective against spleen and renal infections apart from its power to deal with hepatic complaints like acute viral hepatitis and cirrhosis of liver.

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  • Kasani (Cichorium intybus): Kasani, or Chickori is effective against all sorts of gastro-intestinal tract inflammations; thus, it also cures digestive problems. Kasani removes the obstructions of liver and gall bladder, is highly useful in treating jaundice and also has the power to treat all cases of poisoning, constipation, indigestion, diarrhea and dysentery.

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  • Mandur bhasma: This is Ferric Oxide Calx, prepared by purifying oxidized iron rust. Apart from hepatic and splenetic disorders, Mandur Bhasma also cures diarrhea, chronic bowel complaints, dyspepsia and intestinal worms. An effective treatment against hemolytic jaundice.

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Combined together with Kakamachi (Solanum nigrum) comprising Vitamin C, Beta Carotene and glyco-alkaloids as active ingredients, the above have been found to help liver restore its own health. The herbs themselves function as the liver while allowing it to rest and repair itself, resulting in a stronger physiology and boosted psychological functions.

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Function of the Liver in detoxification: Ways to boost the process (part I)

Studies prove accumulation of synthetic chemicals and heavy metals starts taking place way before a human is born, at its embryo stage. The correct terminology for this phenomenon is chemical body burden that we must focus on, to comprehend what damages it inflicts and how our liver fights them back. We shall also see what the body loses in this fight.

 Chemical body burden is an even mix of toxic chemicals, the total amount of which remains present in the human body at a given point in time. Single chemical body burdens involve considering a specific and single chemical, with lead, arsenic and mercury poisoning being the highest. They are available naturally or produced artificially as by-products or derivatives that often find way into the human body. Inhalation is one mode for taking them in; next, it’s through contaminated food or water, the latter also through the skin. All that makes pregnant women susceptible to passing the toxin onto the developing fetus. Some of these chemicals also create metabolites (any substance involved in metabolism, either as a product of metabolism or as necessary for metabolism), which the body can take care of and excrete within a short while. But a continuous exposure creates a persistent chemical body burden.Â

For example, while it’s 72 hours for Arsenic, for Uranium, it’s virtually infinite (the half-lives of uranium isotopes are 244 thousand years for 234U, 710 million years for 235U and 4½ billion years for 238U). There are also others that vary between the abovementioned. A midpoint could be chlorinated pesticides (e.g. DDT); these may remain in the body for 50 years. They all usually accumulate in blood, the adipose or fat tissue, in semen, muscle, bone or the brain-tissue. Minute amounts also accumulate in the rest of the organs. And there are approximately 80,000 of those chemicals used in the US, all or almost all becoming heavy for the limit set for the chemical body burden. An average set by the scientists is 700 contaminants, mostly industrial chemicals, with many of them yet to be studied.

A large majority of these contaminants enter through the digestive track and get filtered by the liver – in fact, any contaminant that may stay present in blood. The liver detoxifies blood (about two quarts each minute), produces bile and breaks down toxins to excreta. At its optimal stage of function, the liver filters 98% of all the toxins brought to it. Being a gland (organs synthesizing substances needed by the body and releasing it through ducts or directly into the bloodstream), it also secretes a fluid (bile) that aids in digestion, in the metabolism of protein, carbohydrate and fat; produces Vitamin A and anticoagulation agents and also separates the played out red blood cells or erythrocytes. The process is further aided by fiber rich foods eaten regularly; it helps in flushing the toxins out from the colon, preventing a reabsorption, but we shall discuss that later. The liver also neutralizes or decreases a toxin’s potency by transforming it to a more water-soluble form and expels it through urine.

Most of these extremely toxic metals also enter our body through drugs such as common cold medicines, alcohol and penicillin. A proper support for the liver is thus must and it should also aid in cleaning the liver itself apart from boosting its capabilities.

Ayurveda or the Indian Herbal Science has the remedy to it.

A few of the herbs and concoctions boosting the liver functions as well as detoxifying the whole body are: Himsra (Capparis spinosa), Kasani (Cichorium intybus), Mandur bhasma, Kakamachi (Solanum nigrum), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), Kasamarda (Cassia occidentalis), Biranjasipha (Achillea millefolium) and Jhavuka (Tamarix gallica). Together, they protect the liver from the effects of hepatotoxins that render the liver weak. For patients of viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver diseases, pre-cirrhotic and early cirrhotic conditions and protein energy malnutrition, the herbs have given wonderful results. Another symptoms these herbs rectify is loss of appetite while patients undergone radiation and chemotherapy-induced liver damage has recovered at a higher than expected rate. But what are the liver-processes these herbs boost? We shall see them in the next part.

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Drug and Alcohol Addiction: The Two Main Reasons triggering a relapse

Let’s begin in a fashion as simple as the two major causes that drive ex-substance abusers towards picking things up over and over again. While the first reason is definitely a psychological dependence (this one is the tougher nut to deal with), the second one is simply a physical craving for which, the drug residues inside the body stay responsible. These two factors coined a term – The Biochemical Personality, which has been derived from the thought processes drug addiction gives rise to; in the long run, it also makes an addict adopt to a lifestyle that gets them travelling down one labyrinthine hellhole. Together, the situations feed each other and unless both are recognized, addiction cannot be gotten rid of completely.

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To see things in brighter lights, we must concentrate on what these residues are and their mode of function. This help to analyse the cycle of addiction, as done by L. Ron Hubbard (American science fiction writer; founder of Scientology; 1911-1986) several decades ago. It’s through him the medical world was enlightened about the biochemical aspect of drug addiction, a breakthrough that initiated the most successful approaches to rehabilitation, as we know it now.

Hubbard noted how drugs, used over a certain span, refuse to leave the body entirely; it’s the traces that reside in the fatty tissues, since most of the drugs are fat-soluble. These residues or drug Metabolites re-enter the system to trigger the cravings and it’s the Biochemical Personality that gives in at this point. Therefore, it’s the metabolites that give rise to the biochemical personality and not the other way round, a concept that needs to be cleared first. Most of us think that everything has fallen into the right place once an addict has stopped substance abusing, but this is where things start. Unless these cravings are dealt with proper measures and the residues are gotten rid of, a de-tox program is of little use. A relapse, thus, becomes imminent. And it may occur after as long as five years!

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Or better said, the residues create an underlying, low-intensity stress. The process starts when the residues find way to the liver and the brain centers through the bloodstream, stimulating a flashback, which is as simple as the brain asking for its food. It’s a situation that needs to be dealt carefully by making the brain get used to the lower levels of the metabolites until it comes back to its normal set of activities without the influence of any external factors. Till then, future stays, at best, an inaccessible and impossible phenomenon.Â

Alternate Fuels and North America

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It’s a long-standing fact that the European preferences differ (and sometimes, differ a lot) from the North American mindset. Something as basic as an affinity for red meat is enough to be presented as a witness; even for the drinking habits, for Europeans, red wine surpasses the consumption of beer, the staple for North Americans. A look at the gas-guzzling machines also reveals the fact; it’s the alternate-fuel vehicles that dominate the European roads.

So what does North America really think about the hybrid cars and the alternate fuels? To know that, let us consult one of the reports from A.N.E. (Automotive News Europe).

In Italy, the count regarding propane and CNG (compressed natural gas) powered vehicles have gone up by 30 percent, which are not new automobiles hitting the roads but old cars with their engines replaced for burning natural gases. It is a step that has reduced the overall CO2 emissions, besides making the owners eligible for incentives between €1,500 and € 2000, while petrol and CNG combos have earned it in the range of €1,500 to €3500.

But, according to Sir Issac Newton and his third law, the sale of clean diesel nose-dived by a flat 15%; whether it is a greener bent of mind or an easy availability of the factory-built gassers is still a subject of debate (it seems both), fact remains that US is lagging far behind in either. We cannot expect every American to go for the Honda Civic GX CNG, the only natural-gas-car built on purpose or to go for a CNG or propane conversion – if it’s not time consuming, then much expensive an affair.

But mindsets are changing and that has rekindled the hope for North Americans joining the Green Brigade and it’s the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to be thanked; it’s their relentless trials on making people understand the need to regulate co2 emissions is finally bearing the fruits. People are slowly coming to understand the dangers of global warming and the adversities pollutant induce both into the environment and our bodily system; now it depends upon the Federal government how soon may they sweeten the deal and make compulsory the usage of propane and CNG as an alternative way to burn the expressways.

Ayurveda and Age-reversal – A myth or a dilemma?

That’s a tough question to answer if the person asking is not well accustomed to the basic idea of Ayurvedic or herbal treatment. Herbs are just good enough to put a stop effectively to the natural wear and tear age brings upon us and boosts the system to keep up with it after filling in the deficits; by no means it’s a hocus-pocus that makes a 60-year old person look like a 20-year old youngster. It shows your age but in a healthier light than the rest and helps you stay that way as long as you do not miss out on your daily dosages. That means a 60-year-old person who looked 20 years elder shall gain back the looks he/she is supposed to sport at that age.

The secret lies in the capabilities of certain herbs to slow down the aging process, which means, they also prevent degeneration and depreciation of the bodily tissues and keep the hormones up to their normal level. That way, the mind and the body function with optimum synchronicity, so you age at a slower rate and without any complications. Now that the concept has been cleared, let us have a look at the herbs that make it possible.

Balancing the cardinal modes

In the Ayurveda terminology, these are the Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which, if out of balance, bring over the agonies of ageing. Setting them back in a perfect equilibrium increases both vitality and longevity in an individual. The following are a few herbs that are known to work wonders in the realms of anti-ageing treatment.

Herbs known to slowdown the ageing process

i.  Ginseng: Apart from reducing stress and relaxing the system, it stimulates an overall psychosomatic activity; it’s an adaptogen that also reduces blood sugar and cholesterol besides boosting immunity.

ii. Tribulus Terrestris: The body loses on its power to produce testosterone leading to a number of complications like muscle degeneration and prostrate gland enlargement. Tribulus stimulates the secretion of LH and restores back the lost power.

iii. Rhodiola Rosea: The chief ingredient being phyto- supplement, it reduces stress and increases the energy level and stimulates the immune system as well, boosting the body’s power to fight toxins. Overall, it’s a mental and physical performance booster.Â

iv.  Ashwagandha: A good remedy against infections; it strengthens the immune system and relieves stress, fever and amnesia. Also a natural antioxidant, it helps in the regeneration of axons and dendrites.Â