Chiropractic Elk Grove

You may have heard that eating fish is a healthy option. That’s a true statement, but in most cases today, it’s only a partially true statement. The reality of where our fish comes from is of paramount importance for our health! There is a vast different between wild caught fish and farmed fish.

Fish farms produce supermarket protein with high concentrations of antibiotics, pesticides and lower levels of healthy nutrients. Research has found that farmed fish has less usable omega-3 fatty acids than wild-caught fish and a 20% lower protein content. A USDA review confirmed the findings. Farmed fish are fattier and have a high concentration of omega-6 fatty acids. Imbalances in the levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids create inflammation in the body.

Farm-raised fish are given antibiotics to stave off disease that results from crowded conditions and are also treated with pesticides to combat sea lice. Sea lice from fish farms kill up to 95% of migrating juvenile wild salmon.

The pesticides used to treat sea lice in fish farms circulate throughout the ocean. Pesticides that have been banned for decades have concentrated in the fat of much marine life.

This fat is used in the feed that fish farms use, and studies by the Environmental Working Group, along with those done in Canada, Ireland and the UK, have found that cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exist in farm-raised salmon at 16 times the rate of wild salmon.

Dibutyltin is a chemical used in PVC plastics. Dibutyltin can interfere with normal immune responses and inflammation control in both animals and humans. A 2008 study found that dibutyltin may be contributing to the rise of allergies, asthma, obesity and other metabolic and immune disorders in humans. Scientists have found that dibutyltin in farm-raised mussels is more than 6 times higher than that of wild mussels.

Researchers have also found levels of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), a chemical used as a flame retardant, in high levels in farm-raised fish. PBDEs are endocrine disruptors that are thought to contribute to cancer. Scientists believe that both fish feed and increasing concentrations in the open oceans are contributing to high PBDE levels in fish and humans.

Another study, conducted at the University of New York at Albany found that dioxin levels in farm-raised salmon are 11 times higher than those in wild salmon.

Dioxins are one of the “dirty dozen,” says the World Health Organization (WHO) because they are highly toxic and are stored for a long time in the body: their half life in fat cells is 7 to 11 years.

Dioxins impair the endocrine, immune, nervous and reproductive systems and are carcinogens.

Canthaxanthin is a synthetic pigment that is used to add a pink color to farm-raised salmon. Wild salmon get their color naturally by feeding on krill. Canthaxanthin is a compound found in sunless tanning pills. Studies have found that canthaxanthin can affect pigments in the retina of the eye, leading to a ban of its use in the UK—but not the US.

University of British Colombia professor Daniel Pauly calls aquafarms “floating pig farms” because tremendous amounts of fish feed and fish waste accumulate on the sea floor because of them, creating a perfect breeding ground for bacteria that threaten other marine life.

Researchers from the George Mateljan Foundation say that “a good sized salmon farm produces an amount of excrement equivalent to the sewage of a city of 10,000 people.”

Fish farms threaten other sea life in other ways too. Fish farms don’t really combat overfishing: they contribute to it. Salmon, for instance, are carnivores. It takes about 2 ½ to 4 pounds of other fish to create the salmon chow needed to produce 1 pound of farm-raised salmon. The overfishing of wild sardines, anchovies, mackerel, herring and other fish upset natural ecosystems. “We are not taking strain off wild fisheries,” says agricultural economist Rosamond L. Naylor. “We are adding to it. This cannot be sustained forever.”

Another fear many scientists have is about dwindling biodiversity of fish. What makes the food supply more sustainable is the wide variety of fish and other species and their genetic make-ups. Diversity=survival.

About 1 million farm-raised salmon have escaped from holes in nets from farms in the Puget Sound alone. Biologists fear that farm-fish escapees may out-compete wild fish for food and territory, contributing to the demise of many fish species.

Interbreeding between escaped fish and wild may also dilute the wild salmon gene pool.

Drugs that could reduce farmed-fish growing times have also begun to arise. These drugs alter genes in fish so that they produce growth hormones and grow six times faster than normal fish, increasing the danger that wild species will be overcome.

Benefits of Wild Caught Fish

This information is certainly sobering and should be enough to convince you to stay away from conventional farmed fish. These practices are even affecting the population of fish in the wild.

That’s why I don’t recommend eating fish–even wild caught fish–on a daily basis. But the health benefits of certain wild caught fish like salmon just can’t be ignored.

Wild caught salmon is very high in Omega 3 fatty acids. These fats are known as essential fatty acids. Our bodies don’t produce them, so must obtain them through our food. Wild caught salmon also has a healthy balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids. When you have too many Omega 6 fatty acids in your body, inflammation occurs.

Cold water fish such as salmon are a good source of Vitamin D-an extremely important nutrient that is essential to wide variety of bodily functions. The sun is your best source of Vitamin D, but since most people don’t get enough sun in the winter months, wild caught salmon is a great way to add more of it into your diet.

Also found in wild caught salmon are healthy protein, selenium, niacin, vitamin B12, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin B6.

Sources:

The George Mateljan Foundation 2010

Environmental Health News 2008

CBS News 2004

World Health Organization 2007

1. Avoid farm raised fish at the grocery store and at restaurants. If it doesn’t say it’s wild caught, chances are it is farm raised.
2. Find a high quality wild caught canned salmon and try out one of my favorite recipes: Salmon Patties

Most of us never consider the acid/alkaline balance of our blood, but a proper pH is a crucial aspect to health. Many doctors stress the importance of pH because a balanced pH protects us from the inside out. Disease and disorder, they say, cannot take root in a body whose pH is in balance. It is an imbalance of acidity and alkalinity that allows unhealthy organisms to flourish, damages tissues and organs and compromises the immune system.

So what is proper pH?

What we call pH is short for the potential of hydrogen. It is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of our body’s fluids and tissues. It is measured on a scale from 0 to 14. The more acidic a solution is, the lower its pH. The more alkaline, the higher the number is.

A pH of 7 is perfectly neutral. The healthiest pH is one that is slightly alkaline. Optimally, we want a pH of 7.365. This number will fluctuate throughout the day, but the normal range is between 6 and 7.5.

What affects pH?

Normally, the kidneys maintain our electrolyte levels, those of calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. When we are exposed to acidic substances, these electrolytes are used to combat acidity. High degrees of acidity force our bodies to rob minerals from the bones, cells, organs and tissues. Cells end up lacking enough minerals to properly dispose of waste or oxygenate completely. Vitamin absorption is compromised by mineral loss. Toxins and pathogens accumulate in the body and the immune system becomes suppressed.

What causes acidity in your body?

• Alcohol and drug use
• Antibiotic overuse
• Artificial sweeteners
• Chronic stress
• Declining nutrient levels in foods due to industrial farming
• Low levels of fiber in the diet
• Lack of exercise
• Excess animal meats in the diet (from non-grass fed sources)
• Excess hormones from foods, health and beauty products and plastics
• Exposure to chemicals and radiation from household cleansers, building materials, computers, cell phones and microwaves
• Food coloring and preservatives
• Over-exercise
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Pollution
• Poor chewing and eating habits
• Processed and refined foods
• Shallow breathing

What are the effects of acidity on health?

• Allergies, asthma and congestion
• Fatigue
• Frequent colds
• Headaches
• Inflammation
• Joint and muscle pain
• Skin problems
• Ulcers
• Weight gain

Over the long term, acidosis can lead to:

• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Fibromyalgia
• Heart disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Osteoporosis
• Stroke

How Can You Achieve a Proper pH?

Even though there are many sources of acidity and toxicity in our environments, the biggest contributor to unbalanced pH is our diet.

Fruits and vegetables contain potassium, a natural buffer to acidity. The western diet contains little in the way of fresh and raw fruits and vegetables.

Processed foods contain tons of sodium chloride–table salt–which constricts blood vessels and creates acidity.

Eating too much animal protein causes sulfuric acid to build up in the blood as amino acids are broken down.

All grains, whole or not, create acidity in the body. Americans ingest most of their plant food quota in the form of processed corn or wheat.

Our problem is more a matter of not taking in enough alkaline-promoting foods rather than taking in too much acid.

Calcium-rich dairy products cause some of the highest rates of osteoporosis. That’s because they create acidity in the body! When your blood stream becomes too acidic, it will steal calcium (a more alkaline substance) from the bones to try to balance out the pH level. So the best way to prevent osteoporosis is to eat lots of alkaline green leafy veggies!

Acid-Forming Foods

• Cold cuts
• Corn flakes
• Eggs
• Lentils
• Oats
• Conventional Meats: beef, chicken and pork
• Milk
• Pasta
• Peanuts and walnuts
• Rice
• White bread
• Whole wheat

Certain foods on this list, like eggs and walnuts, might be acidic in your body, but don’t let that scare you away from eating them. They contain a host of health benefits like antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. A healthy balance is what we are shooting for where pH is concerned–it is possible to become too alkaline.

Alkaline Foods

Fruits, mushrooms and vegetables (especially citrus, dates, raisins and spinach) promote an alkaline pH.

Strangely enough, acidic fruits such as grapefruit and tomatoes don’t create acidity in the body. They do just the opposite and contribute to an alkaline environment.

Raw foods

Uncooked fruits and vegetables are said to be biogenic or “life-giving.” Cooking foods depletes alkalinizing minerals. Increase your intake of raw foods, and try juicing or lightly steaming fruits and vegetables.

Alkaline Water

Alkaline water has a pH of 9 to 11. Distilled water is just fine to drink. Water filtered with a Reverse Osmosis filter is slightly acidic, but it’s still a far better option than tap water or purified bottled water. Adding pH drops, lemon or lime, or baking soda to your water boosts alkalinity.

Green Drinks

Drinks made from green vegetables and grasses in powder form are loaded with alkaline-forming foods and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is structurally similar to our own blood and alkalizes the blood.

How to test your own pH

You can test your pH by purchasing strips at your local health foods store or pharmacy. You can measure your pH with saliva or urine. Your second urination of the morning will give you the best results. You compare the colors on your test strip to a chart that comes with your test strip kit.

During the day, the best time to test your pH is one hour before a meal and two hours after a meal.

If you test with your saliva, you want to try to stay between 6.8 and 7.2.

Sleep is one of the most undervalued essential practices in modern society.  In 1910, an average night’s sleep was 9 hours. By 1975, it was down to 7.5 hours. From 2000 to 2002, polls found that it had fallen to 6.9 hours. Today, many people average just 5-6 hours of sleep per night.

At the same time, obesity rates have doubled! Sleep and the neuroendocrine system are intricately entwined. Chronic lack of sleep is thought to be linked to diabetes, hypertension, obesity and memory loss. Lack of sleep increases blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.

A recent study by the University of Chicago found that cutting sleep from 8 hours to 4 hours a night for less than one week produced physiological changes that resembled the effects of advanced aging and early diabetes.

Those changes happened in less than one week!

The study’s participants took 40% longer to regulate their blood-sugar levels after eating and their ability to secrete insulin and respond to it decreased by 30%.

Lack of sleep affects the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone and increased levels of the “stress hormone,” cortisol.

The study found that recovery occurred and above-average functioning occurred when the subjects slept more than 8 hours a night.

So how does sleep affect weight?

Sleep affects the release of hormones by the hypothalamic-pituitary axes (HPA) and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Sleep triggers or inhibits the production or release of various hormones.

Growth hormone is affected by sleep. You can work out for hours, but if you don’t get enough sleep your body is not going to turn fat into muscle.

Lack of sleep raises the level of cortisol which triggers the fight-or-flight response. During stress, our body shuts down normal maintenance. It activates fat storage and releases lots of sugar (for instant energy) into the bloodstream. It depletes the body of nutrients and triggers cravings for simple carbohydrates and sugar. Chronic stress promotes insulin resistance.

Leptin and ghrelin are two very important appetite-controlling hormones that are linked to sleep. Leptin suppresses appetite and ghrelin increases it. When people are subjected to sleep loss, leptin levels fall and ghrelin levels rise. Even when they received plenty of nutrition, people that didn’t get adequate sleep were compelled to eat more. Because leptin levels were low, their brains just didn’t get the message that they were satiated—instead they just kept getting the message: “Hungry! Eat!” When deprived of sleep, study participant’s desire for high-carbohydrate and calorie-dense foods increased by 45%.

A joint study conducted by Stanford University and the University of Wisconsin measured leptin and ghrelin levels, body fat and sleep amounts in 1000 people. They found that those who slept less than 8 hours a night had low leptin levels, high ghrelin levels and higher levels of body fat. The participants that slept the fewest hours a night weighed the most.

Another study, presented at the 2006 American Thoracic Society International Conference, came up with some confounding information. 70,000 middle-aged women were studied for 16 years.

The study found that:

• Women who sleep 5 hours or less weigh more than those that sleep 7 hours.
• Women who sleep 5 hours per night are 32% more likely to experience weight gain of 33 pounds or more and 15% more likely to become obese than those that sleep 7 hours.
• Women that sleep 6 hours a night are 12% more likely to gain 33 pounds or more and 6% more likely to become obese than those that sleep 7 hours.

What was confounding in this particular study is the fact that the women that slept less did not eat more.

“Prior studies have shown that after just a few days of sleep restriction, the hormones that control appetite cause people to become hungrier, so we thought that women who slept less might eat more,” says the study’s leader, Sanjay Patel. “But, in fact, they ate less. That suggests that appetite and diet are not accounting for the weight gain in women who sleep less.”

So even though leptin and ghrelin levels might affect appetite, it is more likely that the hormones that affect the metabolism of glucose and insulin-response are behind weight gain during sleep deprivation.