May we all age gracefully and youthfully!

After my lecture on the “Underlying Causes of Chronic Diseases” in northern Philippines, I was approached by a 105 year old woman with several questions. Before answering her questions, I asked her, “What is your secret?” She replied, “I eat paksiw (fish and ampalaya) cooked in Ilocos vinegar for breakfast, lunch and supper.” We both laughed. She is a wonderful example of the traditional culture in the Philippines of valuing and maintaining central roles for older people. They remain physically active and are emotionally, intellectually and mentally much more involved within the family and community. Valuing the elderly is a beautiful tradition that we should cherish and propagate, especially in the face of cultural messages from the West that once you are old you are useless.

She was also a wonderful example of the importance of eating well. None of us knows how many years we have ahead of us, but we all know one thing: we want those years to be as happy and healthy as possible.

There are many end products of glycation. Few are benign, but most are extremely reactive. Glycation can be directly linked to virtually every age-related disease, such as Type l and ll diabetes (beta cell damage), increased cholesterol production, high blood pressure, facial hair in women, advanced skin damage, Cushing’s syndrome, adrenal fatigue, cardiovascular disease, cancer of every type, uric acid production (kidney stones) ovarian cysts, and hormonal imbalances especially in women. High cholesterol actually increases testosterone in men, proven to be the leading cause of prostate cancer. Alzheimer’s has also now been identified as insulin resistance of the brain.

Let me take a moment to explain the sequence of events that transpires from when we eat our food to that food becoming energy for our bodies. First, you eat a meal consisting of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The carbohydrates enter the stomach and are broken down into sugars called glucose. Glucose then enters the bloodstream through the small intestines. As blood sugar levels increase, a signal is sent to the pancreas to disperse insulin into the blood. Think of insulin as the hand that removes sugars as well as proteins and fats, and stores them internally and externally.

Let us also understand how insulin works. The cells of the body have receptor sites, which are the areas that receive and accept insulin. There are only three places on the human body where insulin attempts to store blood sugar: the muscles, liver and, most often, FAT cells. When a higher amount is released, insulin stores the nutrients as fat. When a lesser amount is released, insulin stores nutrients into the proper targeted area. In fact, this is the sole metabolic process that every creature on earth uses to store fat. Without enough insulin, fat can never be stored.

With anything we put in our body, even that single cup of coffee we drink every morning, the body will adapt to it as it will the caffeine. A second cup will soon be needed. Using a drug addict as an example, after a while the individual will have to consume more of the desired drug in order to achieve the same high. We humans eat food from the time we are born until the time we die. Over time, the receptor site loses its sensitivity to insulin and does not allow nutrients into the muscle. Whether it is insulin or heroine, it is virtually the same scenario. By age 30, if we ate just three meals and one single snack each day, we will have attempted to send insulin into the cell over FORTY THREE THOUSAND TIMES. It is inevitable that the cell no longer has the capabilities to receive insulin as it did in its teens. At this point, the body will begin signaling for more insulin to allow entry into the cell. You are now in the initial stages of insulin resistance or Type II diabetes, and it only gets worse from there. We already understand that fat is only stored with enough insulin present. For everybody that questions middle age weight gain, now we know its EXACT cause!

The process of glycation will inevitably occur in the body with each meal once you exhibit the slightest bit of insulin resistance. It is the “on” switch that stops our bodies from growing bigger and stronger, and signals it to begin to die.

Let us look at how we can reduce the AGEs content of foods that we eat every day by simple modification of culinary technique:

REMEMBER, you replace about 1% of your cells every day. That means 1% of your body is brand-new today, and you will get another 1% tomorrow. Think of it as getting a whole new body every ninety to one hundred twenty days. If there is one herb or spice or food that will tremendously slow down the aging or can reverse it is TURMERIC. Start today and join our green community. Your cells are listening and waiting to be nourished. Let us add more years to life and more healthy life to years.

Meanwhile, here is the Green Secret’s “A shot of Age-less Tonic”. (Make sure to scrub and wash all ingredients well before juicing). It is a MUST to use organic ingredients only.

• 1 cups Moringga (Malunggay) leaves

• ½ cup Ampalaya fruit or leaves

• 2 inches Turmeric

Juice all ingredients in your masticating juicer. Stir and serve at room temperature or chilled, as desired. Join the Green Secret in celebrating Healthy, Happy Holidays next month!

For more information or questions, email me at [email protected]. Thank you IAJ WELLNESS for making this information public.

Christine E.V. Gonzalez is a doctor of naturopathic medicine and holds PhDs
in holistic nutrition and natural medicine. LLM (MS Environmental Laws & Labor)
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