#Ancestral Diets and Herbal Medicine.

[altogetherwellness]

Roots & Futures: The Afro American Wellness Journey

Introduction

In the heart of urban landscapes across America, a powerful movement is taking root among African American communities—a resurgence of ancestral health practices that promise not just physical well-being, but profound healing benefits, energy renewal, and a deeper connection with love. This revival pays homage to the rich heritage of African ancestral traditions, adapting them to the rhythm of modern urban life. As we delve deeper into the essence of urban ancestral health, we uncover a holistic approach to wellness that intertwines the physical, emotional, and spiritual, offering transformative benefits that have stood the test of time.

Historical Context and Relevance

The journey of African American health practices is a testament to resilience and adaptability. Traditionally, African ancestors relied on a deep understanding of nature and spirituality to maintain health and heal ailments. This wisdom, passed down through generations, was not just about curing diseases but fostering a harmonious balance between the body, mind, and spirit. The great migration and urbanization presented new challenges and adaptations for these practices. Yet, the essence remained—rooted in a profound connection with ancestral wisdom.

In urban environments, where the hustle and bustle can detach individuals from their roots, the relevance of ancestral health practices becomes even more pronounced. They serve as a bridge, connecting urban dwellers with their heritage, offering solace and healing in the concrete jungle. This link to the past empowers African Americans to reclaim a sense of identity and wellness that urban life often strips away.

Health Benefits

Ancestral health practices offer a holistic approach to physical well-being, emphasizing prevention and natural remedies. Central to this is the traditional diet, rich in whole foods, plants, and herbs, mirroring the eating habits of ancestors who consumed what the earth naturally provided. This diet is not just about nutrition; it's a form of medicine, reducing the risk of modern diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart conditions that disproportionately affect African Americans.

Herbal medicine, another cornerstone, utilizes plant-based remedies to treat and prevent illnesses. These natural concoctions, steeped in tradition, have been validated by modern science for their healing properties. For instance, the use of bitter leaf, moringa, and ginger in traditional remedies is now supported by research highlighting their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting effects.

Healing Benefits

Beyond physical health, ancestral practices offer profound mental and emotional healing. The African American tradition of storytelling, for example, serves as a powerful tool for emotional catharsis and resilience building. Sharing stories of struggle, triumph, and hope within the community not only preserves historical memory but also fosters a sense of belonging and identity.

Community gatherings and traditional ceremonies provide a space for collective healing, allowing individuals to connect, share experiences, and support each other emotionally. These practices, deeply spiritual in nature, help heal the wounds of isolation, stress, and urban life, reinforcing the community's fabric and individual's sense of self-worth and belonging.

Energy and Love

The concept of energy in ancestral health practices transcends the physical, encompassing spiritual and emotional dimensions. Practices such as meditation, yoga (with roots in ancient African spirituality), and dance are not just physical exercises but rituals that cultivate life energy, or "chi," promoting harmony and balance within and with the world.

Love, in the context of ancestral health, is both self-love and communal love. It manifests through practices that nurture the soul, affirm one’s identity, and reinforce connections with others and ancestors. This sense of love and belonging is fundamental for mental health, combating the feelings of alienation that can prevail in urban environments.

Modern Adaptations and Incorporations

In today’s urban settings, African Americans are ingeniously adapting these ancestral practices to fit contemporary lifestyles. Urban gardens and farms reclaim the tradition of growing one’s own food, connecting with the earth, and fostering community through shared spaces. Workshops and social media platforms have become modern-day storytelling circles, spreading knowledge of herbal remedies, traditional recipes, and healing practices, making them accessible to a wider audience.

Call to Action (CTA)

As we embrace the wisdom of our ancestors, let us integrate their practices into our daily lives, enriching our health, healing, energy, and love. Share your stories, explore traditional remedies, and join community gatherings. Let’s foster a movement towards holistic well-being, grounded in the rich heritage of ancestral health practices.

We invite you to comment below with your experiences or ancestral practices you’ve found beneficial. Follow us on social media and sign up for our newsletter for more insights into ancestral health. Together, let's embark on a journey of healing, empowerment, and connection.

Conclusion

As we conclude our exploration of "Roots & Futures: The Afro American Wellness Journey," it's clear that the legacy of our ancestors provides a profound blueprint for holistic health and well-being. This journey from the ancestral lands of Africa to the urban landscapes of America has not only preserved a rich heritage of natural remedies, dietary wisdom, and spiritual practices but has also adapted these traditions to meet the challenges and opportunities of modern life.

The resilience and creativity of the African American community have ensured that these ancestral health practices continue to thrive, blending seamlessly with contemporary wellness movements. By embracing the lessons of the past, we unlock the potential for a healthier, more sustainable future. This journey underscores the importance of community, sustainability, and wellness as pillars of our collective well-being.

As we celebrate Afro American Month, let's commit to honoring our heritage by integrating these timeless practices into our daily lives. Whether through the foods we eat, the remedies we use, or the communities we build, we pay homage to our ancestors and their enduring wisdom. Together, we can create a legacy of health and wellness that will empower future generations.

"Roots & Futures" is more than just a reflection on the past; it's a call to action for the present and a vision for the future. It's a reminder that, in the tapestry of African American history, each of us has a role to play in weaving a healthier, more vibrant future. Let's carry forward the torch of ancestral wisdom, illuminating the path toward holistic health and wellness for all.

FAQ on Urban Ancestral Health Among African Americans

Q1: What is urban ancestral health?

Urban ancestral health refers to the practice of integrating traditional African health and wellness practices into modern urban lifestyles. It involves adapting ancestral knowledge of diet, herbal medicine, spiritual practices, and community engagement to improve physical, mental, and emotional well-being in the urban context.

Q2: How can urban dwellers incorporate ancestral health practices into their lives?

Urban dwellers can incorporate ancestral health practices by:

Adopting diets rich in whole, natural foods similar to those eaten by their ancestors.

Using herbal remedies for preventive health care and healing.

Engaging in traditional physical and spiritual practices such as yoga, meditation, and dance that connect with African roots.

Participating in community gatherings and storytelling sessions to strengthen communal bonds and mental health.

Q3: Are there any scientific studies supporting the benefits of ancestral health practices?

Yes, numerous scientific studies support the benefits of ancestral health practices. For example, research has highlighted the nutritional value of traditional diets, the effectiveness of herbal medicine in treating various ailments, and the positive impact of community and spiritual practices on mental health. These studies validate the holistic approach to wellness that ancestral practices promote.

Q4: Can these practices make a difference in communities facing health disparities?

Ancestral health practices have the potential to significantly impact communities facing health disparities by offering accessible, affordable, and culturally relevant ways to improve health outcomes. They encourage self-care, community support, and a return to natural, preventive health measures that can help address issues such as chronic diseases, mental health, and access to healthcare.

Q5: How can I learn more about my ancestral health practices?

Learning about ancestral health practices can start with:

Researching historical and cultural resources about African health traditions.

Talking with elders in the community who can share knowledge and experiences.

Participating in workshops, courses, or groups focused on traditional African health and wellness practices.

Exploring books, documentaries, and online platforms dedicated to ancestral health and African heritage.

Q6: Are there any risks associated with adopting ancestral health practices?

While many ancestral health practices offer benefits, it's important to approach them with care, especially when it comes to herbal medicine. Some herbs may interact with medications or be inappropriate for certain health conditions. It's advisable to consult with a healthcare professional, ideally one knowledgeable about traditional practices, before incorporating new health routines.

Q7: How can urban communities foster a greater connection to ancestral health practices?

Urban communities can foster a greater connection to ancestral health practices by:

Creating spaces for the sharing and practice of traditional health and wellness activities.

Organizing events and workshops that educate and engage community members in ancestral practices.

Supporting local urban gardens and farms that grow traditional foods and herbs.

Developing community programs that focus on holistic health, incorporating physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Lower health care costs.

[jeanjauthor]

While the storylines eventually veered into weirdness (and according to a few fellow readers I know, the author even ends up violating the canon of her own characters' established thoughts & behaviors), Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series, starting with the book Clan of the Cave Bears, does actually provide quite a lot of solid research-based evidence in the worldbuilding she did for the two races in the story.

These are the "Clan" (presumed to be Homo neanderthalensis) and the "Others" (Homo sapiens). The author chose to create a "men as hunters only / women as gatherers only" culture for the Clan, establishing the root cause of this lies in the "inherited memories" of each gender, where they can meditate and learn from the ancestral memories of those who came before them in their biological lineage.

In this case, the daughter of the best medicine woman, who in turn was the daughter of the best medicine woman, stretching back into antiquity, would therefore have an instinctive knowing of herbal & primitive medical techniques as well as whatever she was directly taught, with this direct teaching reinforcing the biologically retained ancestral memories. However, because of the weight of these inherited memories (enhanced instincts), it is actually quite difficult for the Clan to learn new things.

The Others, on the other hand (pun not intended), are presented as being much more mentally flexible. Both women as well as men hunt, both men as well as women gather, and because they are not limiting who does what, they literally have more manpower to gather & process both kinds of resources at any given point in time.

It's a very interesting literary / worldbuilding choice, since while it's clear that Clan and Others are close enough biologically that they can interbreed, they're still presented as being culturally very distinctly different from each other. The Clan (Neanderthals) had gender-segregation based activities that were reinforced by their own biology, while the Others (Modern Humans) were far more flexible, and thus far more able to adapt to wildly fluctuating circumstances. If a Clan family's males were too injured to hunt, they would get no meat. If the females were too injured to gather, they would get no plants to eat. (Both, by the way, are necessary for a truly healthy diet, since all primates in the Homo genus are omnivores.)

However...I do not believe this was the case in actual prehistoric times. I don't know for absolute certain about Homo neanderthalensis, (the studies like the ones above aren't always clear if they're only talking H. sapiens or if they include other branches of humanity) ...but I'm pretty sure both males and females hunted. In fact, it would be necessary, since according to several lines of published research, H. neanderthalensis ate diets that were very animal protein-heavy.

It should also be noted that gender-segregated societies of "hunting vs gathering" are more likely to be found in areas where both game and gatherable edibles are plentiful. If it's easier to hunt and gather, then you can specialize all the more. We know this is the case with groups that develop agriculture, because once a society develops a calorie surplus, their members can specialize all the more. This is most easily done through farming & herding, but it can also be done in areas where there is simply that much abundance.

(The cultures of the Coastal Salish tribes here in Western Washington were quite complex and did indeed arise from a significant calorie surplus each year based on quasi-agricultural farming of tending plants growing in the wild wherever they were found--they had plenty of easily attained food most years, and thus had the leisure time to develop their culture. The main reason why their technology did not advance was due to a lack of understanding of metalsmithing. They did have rare access to metal tools, iron axe blades and the like that had been traded from group to group all the way across the Pacific Rim, from the Chinese to the Aleutians to the Haida to the Salish, etc...but they didn't have knowledge of finding ore, smelting it, and forging tools of their own.)

...The reason why I point out Auel's storytelling is because these books, The Clan of the Cave bear, The Valley of the Horses, etc, started coming out in the 1980s.

Yes, the '80s.

Researchers knew prehistorical women had been buried with hunting tools, and Auel found this information during her masses & oodles of research all the way back then, and incorporated it into her storytelling. Again, I'll say that she made a literary choice to portray the Clan (Neanderthals) as strictly males-hunt-and-females-gather...but her portrayal of Others (Humans) as both genders can hunt and gather was spot-on.

The problem was when she released this information in her novels. the 1980s were literally butted up against the Women's Liberation Movement of the 1970s. Prior to this point, the whole misogyny / toxic masculinity / toxic patriarchy mindset had stolidly established the false narrative that men-hunted-and-women-gathered...which was based on Victorian attitudes & mindsets when people began trying to study anthropology a bit more seriously....bringing a LOT of prejudices into their observations.

...Basically, if anything is based on research coming from the 1800s, eye it at arm's length with great suspicion, because in most cases it will be biased to hell and back.

These days we have been working for literal decades to try to remove those inherited / inherent biases. These days, we have instructors actively trying to teach how to stop your own biases from impacting your observations. They didn't have that in the early days of anthropology & paleoarcheology & archaeology, etc, etc etc.

This is why Auel's assertions, based on a craptonne of research that she did, literally talking to a wide number of experts, visiting archeology digs, so on & so forth, were so revolutionary...and so overlooked at the time.

The climate for accepting that the majority of hunter-gatherer societies aren't gender-segregated still wasn't quite there just yet, back in the 1980s. So here we are, 40 years later...and people are finally beginning to accept the truth that the archaeological record shows.

We have always hunted. Just as we have always fought. Who gets to record history will always have that recorded history come with biases, unless the historian is very careful about excluding those biases...and we have only been focusing on trying to get more people to do that for the last handful of decades.

Lastly, it should be noted that most modern hunter-gatherer societies will have been influenced at least somewhat by the often patriarchal agricultural societies they interact with on the fringes of their territories...which in turn were influenced by other cultures, etc. It's either a very strong or a very isolated culture that will be able to resist all or most outside influences.

To be frank, a lot of men have over the millennia found a genuine thrill in being able to "lord it over" the other genders, believing that "might makes right" and taking advantage of literal physical strength to impose that social control on others. (Power can corrupt, and all that...and if you let the sociopaths get into positions of power, they will alter the culture around them to stay in power.)

In contrast, in societies where every single member is taught to consider others' needs as dearly as their own, you'll find most of those societies are far more egalitarian than patriarchal, gender-wise. And it's also far easier to be egalitarian when everyone has to pitch in to survive, because it's obvious that everyone is contributing. It is harder for sociopaths to be tolerated in those situations, because they aren't going to share resources with others if they don't have to...but in hunter-gatherer lifestyles, they do have to share, and will be socially punished far more quickly if they don't, compared to agriculturally based societies.

Anyway...researchers have known about women being found in graves with hunting tools for literal decades. The research was strong enough that it was incorporated into a popular pre-history fiction series decades ago. (Admittedly in a "rah rah, H. sapiens is superior to all!" sort of way, but it's not like there are any living H. neanderthalensis around to glare and protest.)

It's just that it's now becoming accepted on a wide scale. So my point to my long-winded ramble is this:

Progress is often only made in baby steps across literal lifetimes, folks...but it is progress.

I genuinely believe that Auel's novels had a definite positive impact on budding archaeology & paleoarchaeology students, and yes, even anthropology students. She put it in writing that women hunted alongside men, and men gathered alongside women, in a series of novels that were based on a lot of actual real-world research. (Social & other details were made up, but whatever could be based on archaeological findings was based on actual findings.)

What we write can impact the world, in both fiction and non-fiction.

Analysis of data from dozens of foraging societies around the world shows that women hunt in at least 79% of these societies, opposing the widespread belief that men exclusively hunt and women exclusively gather. Abigail Anderson of Seattle Pacific University, US, and colleagues presented these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on June 28, 2023. A common belief holds that, among foraging populations, men have typically hunted animals while women gathered plant products for food. However, mounting archaeological evidence from across human history and prehistory is challenging this paradigm; for instance, women in many societies have been found buried alongside big-game hunting tools. Some researchers have suggested that women's role as hunters was confined to the past, with more recent foraging societies following the paradigm of men as hunters and women as gatherers. To investigate that possibility, Anderson and colleagues analyzed data from the past 100 years on 63 foraging societies around the world, including societies in North and South America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and the Oceanic region. They found that women hunt in 79% of the analyzed societies, regardless of their status as mothers. More than 70% of female hunting appears to be intentional—as opposed to opportunistic killing of animals encountered while performing other activities, and intentional hunting by women appears to target game of all sizes, most often large game. The analysis also revealed that women are actively involved in teaching hunting practices and that they often employ a greater variety of weapon choice and hunting strategies than men.

These findings suggest that, in many foraging societies, women are skilled hunters and play an instrumental role in the practice, adding to the evidence opposing long-held perceptions about gender roles in foraging societies. The authors note that these stereotypes have influenced previous archaeological studies, with, for instance, some researchers reluctant to interpret objects buried with women as hunting tools. They call for reevaluation of such evidence and caution against misapplying the idea of men as hunters and women as gatherers in future research. The authors add, "Evidence from around the world shows that women participate in subsistence hunting in the majority of cultures."

[restorationwellnessinc]

How to Easily Detox Your Body Today

In today's world, our bodies are constantly exposed to environmental toxins, processed foods, and stressors that take a toll on our overall well-being. Detoxification—or the process of eliminating harmful substances from the body—is essential to maintain optimal health and vitality. While the idea of detoxing may seem daunting, conjuring up images of strict diets and extreme regimens, it doesn't have to be complicated or grueling! In this blog, we’ll explore simple and effective ways you can start to detox your body now! 

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! 

One of the easiest and most effective ways to detox your body is through proper hydration. Water is essential for flushing out toxins, maintaining organ function, and supporting overall health. Make it a habit to drink at least eight glasses of water daily. For an added detox boost, you can infuse your water with lemon slices or cucumber to enhance its cleansing properties. And, adding hydrogen tablets to your drinking water works to decrease inflammation and aid in the body’s recovery.  

Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods 

Replace processed and unhealthy foods with nutrient-dense options that support your body's natural detoxification processes. Load up on fresh fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens, which are full of chlorophyll; integrate grass-fed beef, beef liver, and cod liver oil into your diet. These foods are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that aid in neutralizing and eliminating toxins. Following an ancestral diet promotes proper organ and digestive function, which helps to naturally regulate detoxification. 

To learn more about this nutrient-dense way of life, I recommend the book Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food by Dr. Catherine Shanahan.  

Drink Herbal Teas 

Herbal teas such as green tea, dandelion root tea, and ginger tea are excellent detoxifiers. 

Green tea is packed with antioxidants 

Dandelion root tea supports liver function 

Ginger tea aids digestion and reduces inflammation 

Swap your regular coffee (and any other sugary or caffeinated drinks) for these soothing teas to give your body a gentle detoxifying boost. 

Move Your Body 

Exercise isn’t just essential for physical fitness; it also plays a significant role in detoxification. When you move your body, you increase blood circulation, which helps transport toxins to organs like the liver and kidneys, which are responsible for their elimination. And this doesn’t mean you need to run a marathon! Simply engage in any activity you enjoy—whether that’s yoga, walking, dancing, or swimming—that gets your body moving regularly. 

Prioritize Sleep 

Sleep is an often overlooked yet vital part of detoxification. During sleep, the body repairs and regenerates, aiding in the elimination of waste products. Aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night. 

Schedule a Foot Detox Treatment 

Another way to detox your body is to book one of my programs or treatments today! One of the most powerful services I offer is ionic foot detoxing; this involves soaking your feet in a foot bath machine that produces positive and negative ions which ionize the water and give the hydrogen a positive charge. This hydrogen—one of the best, most potent antioxidants you can possibly get—stimulates your cells and works to pull out toxins through your feet. I also offer aroma touch therapy and nutritional coaching. You can learn more about all of these services here.  

Detoxifying your body doesn't have to be overwhelming. By incorporating these simple and effective practices into your daily routine, you can support your body's natural detoxification processes and achieve optimum health. Here at Restoration Wellness, I want to help you become the healthiest version of you through natural medicine and a holistic approach to wellness! Contact me today at 508-769-3682 to consult about my offerings, or better yet, come visit my wellness center in person. I can’t wait to get you started down the path toward a healthier, toxin-free you! 

[onwacollective]

Womb Healing Masterpost

 Please share far and wide.

With the increase of hormonal imbalance as a result of the collective being fed constant cycles of stress through the media, I’ve felt called to organize info that’s been useful to me on healing the womb and healing hormonal imbalance. While menstruation pain has been normalized, it is not natural to regularly be in pain during your cycle. Consistently painful cycles are the body’s way of communicating that something is wrong and that the womb needs attention.  I’ve provided some tools below to help.

I’ve broken the info up into three categories: energetic, physical, and gut health. I’ve found it to be true that womb related issues are always energetic first. Fixing the physical issue without addressing the emotional/energetic wounding will cause the illness to manifest in the body in another way. The physical category focuses on how to address womb imbalance by making changes to diet and behavior. The gut health category is gut specific healing because many hormones are created in the gut or called into creation by the gut microbiome. If you have hormonal issues it’s likely you have gut health issues as well.

The most important element of healing your womb is discernment. Use your discernment when moving through this information. Some things will be helpful and relevant to you and some will not. Everyone’s body is unique. Honor that on your journey to healing.

**note: some of these resources advise restrictive dieting (example vegan, low/no carb or otherwise) to heal the womb. While using these diets to detox for a little while may be beneficial, I’ve personally found restrictive diets to be more damaging long term. I’ve found the most benefit from prometabolic eating or eating ancestrally.  With any dietary info provided in these resources, use your discernment and prioritize listening to your body’s unique needs.**

Energetic

VIDEOS

Caroline Myss: Why People Don't Heal

The Truth About Uterine Fibroids In Melanin Dominant Women (Black Women) - Dr. Jewel Pookrum

5 Mindset Shifts That Have Completely Transformed My Health Journey

PODCASTS

S3E07. HOW TO GIVE YOUR BODY A “SOFTWARE UPDATE” - the art of updating your physical body on emotional breakthroughs for better lymphatic drainage, emotional release, and brain-body connection w/ Julie Tracy

BOOKS

You Look Like Something Blooming: A Memoir of Divination Seeds to Cultivate Your Feminine Garden Temple by India Ame’ye (you can also check out India’s tumblr HERE)

Sacred Woman: A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind, and Spirit by Queen Afua

Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab

Physical

VIDEOS

HOW TO V STEAM AT HOME | DIY Yoni Steam

The Goddess Collection aka KrystalTheHealthAdvocate YouTube Channel

DIY Castor Oil Pack Tutorial | How to Castor Oil Pack for Fertility, Fibroids and Liver Health

BOOKS

In the FLO: Unlock Your Hormonal Advantage and Revolutionize Your Life by Alisa Vitti

Hormone Intelligence by Aviva Romm, MD

PODCASTS

S3E02. FROM WELLNESS EXTREMES TO A HEALTHY FOUNDATION - why getting back to basics, saying no to fads and fueling our bodies is the medicine women need with Nina Passero, FDN-P

S3E05. BEYOND BIRTH CONTROL - tracking your menstrual cycle, reproductive empowerment + ways to take control of your fertility and health with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack

S2E12. PCOS: WHY ARE SO MANY WOMEN SUFFERING? - a conversation about carbs, body temperature, metabolism, stress and phone addiction with Amanda Montalvo, RD, FDN-P

S2E2. WHY HORMONE IMBALANCE IS ON THE RISE - Dr. Aviva Romm shares tangible solutions for endo and PCOS

BLOGS/INSTAS/WEBSITES

What is Yoni Steaming?

Herbal Tea Nourishment - https://thealkalinegoddess.com

@thegoddescollection on insta

@JessicaAshWellness on insta

https://www.jessicaashwellness.com/

Gut Health

BOOKS

Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride

Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar by Jessie Inchauspe

BLOGS/INSTAS/WEBSITES

@GlucoseGoddess on Instagram

@JessicaAshWellness on insta

How to make your own Saurkraut

How (and why) to do an Enema

PODCASTS

S2E13. THE LIVER GUT CONNECTION - Dr. Asia Muhammad on why fatty liver is exploding, leaky gut, and the root of most health concerns

APPS

Monash University FODMAP diet (for locating food sensitivities)

I’ll add to this list as I continue to find and remember resources that have been supportive. If we let it, womb healing can be a beautiful initiation into feminine power. Be gentle with yourself 💗

[artoflifehealingarts]

Conscious women's circles are about unity.

They are about discussing the issues of today that affect #women. A space to talk about & educate on The causes that concern our needs and well being, our #equality and value set by others.

It is not a space to bring in hatred, despair or fear.

You are invited to bring into the space, on to the table, only the *lessons* learned from the past and to simply present them with the intent to find common bonds or present a #perspective that might serve another sister. Not the hate or regret.

If you are fearful of each other, others will determine your fate.

Your position in this simulation, new world or new time.

It is not a space for who's going to be here?

It is a space for

"What part of me am I going to find here?"

A space to share, of yourself.

Think about, contemplate ..

"What lesson of value, what gift, what poem, what hobby, what do you have to give? What did you come here to give another? What questions do want to ask another/s?"

And contemplate how we once were heads of unions and places if gatherings whether it be political or social.

We can not go back to the old purpose, for we have changed. No matter how far off grid we go, the divine feminine has changed

We must integrate our spiritual paths whatever they may be, into our daily self care, family and community lives. Feel the connections again. You are

Life itself.

One week may be a type of yoga if that is what a goddess chooses to offer, another week business management, another herbal medicine, gardening, dating advice, grandmother ancestral advice, #positivesexuality stocks and investing, cooking, vegan diet, dating, coping with stress, violence against women, child abuse, rape, gender related questions, experts or neighborhood

#female entrepreneurs

A space to flow to another space and go for art nights, a space to decorate and give to each other, of #nonjudgment a place to allow yourself to be

Be the change.

There is no time.

#Bethechange

☀️For info

Consciouswomensgroup@gmail.com

18+

@gagaoverkava

#WinterPark #fernparkfl #casselberry

#womenempowerment #communitylove

#ilovewinterpark

#centralflorida

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shakti Durga Healing Arts (@shaktidurga_me)

[stagandmoonak]

Wild Harvesting Basics

Herbalism is an ancient form of witchcraft both because of its medicinal use and ease of access. This is one of the oldest entry points for folk medicine and occult products. Our ancestors passed down practices of collecting indigenous crops to supplement their diet as well as for use as powerful healing and spiritual tools. Wild harvesting, also called wildcrafting or foraging, is when plants or portions of plants are collected from lands kept in a natural state and not agriculturally cultivated or otherwise maintained.

The range of uses and ways of processing wild collected crops is wide and varies with region, but before we plunge our hands into this practice let’s cover the basics! Today I’ll introduce the importance of the mentorship tradition, Green Allies, how to be prepared before and after you harvest, staying safe while harvesting, knowing what to look for in a harvestable area, being responsible while cropping, and cleansing your produce.

Finding a mentor is truly what helped me grow my knowledge and confidence in foraging and identification. If you are exploring herbalism and wild harvesting the first thing you need to do is find a way to expand your knowledge base with a source you trust. I find it totally necessary to explore plants by myself, but the history of this medicine and magic has a culture of shared knowledge going back as far as we can see. I have learned so much more by speaking with my elders and teachers about plants than I have ever learned alone. Walking in foraging spaces with them provided priceless expertise and familiarity, as well as connected me to the heritage of wild harvesting. This was also vital to me learning to classify poisonous plants from safe plants and discovered helpful phrases like “Leaves of three, Leave them be!”

Green Ally is a term I found and adapted through one of my mentors Susan Weed to try and learn and digest the timeless knowledge of herbalism one plant at a time. This way you can absorb the fundamentals of the practice as a whole from one guide, and then expand your knowledge from there. It’s also a way to spiritually connect with the crop you are harvesting, creating a channel that respects the plant and its environment. To get your first Green Ally, find a plant that is directly around your home- it can be any plant, potted or wild, but close so you can work with it every day. If you do not know what the plant is, try to identify it, but it isn’t totally needed to develop a connection. The point is to develop a special caring, nurturing, relationship with your Green Ally. Spending time with your Green Ally will give perspective on it’s environment and assist in centering your mind for your intentions in herbalism.

Being prepared is not only knowing what plants are safe to harvest but also arranging your tools. This can be simple at first and expands as your skill grows. Before I harvest I always do a few things;

-Check the season

-Collect foraging tools

-Prepare for processing

It’s important to know what to harvest when, so when you go out to harvest it is a good idea to know what is in season. Wild plant field guides are a great resource exploring what plants to gather when and will describe their growing season and locations.

Foraging tools can be as simple as a pair of scissors and a plastic bag, or as complicated as fanny-pack decked out with a trowel, sheers, hand lens, and secateurs, depending on your identification skill and crop. If you only know a few wild plants it is good to go out with a plan on what to harvest and stick to it. As your ability to correctly differentiate plants grows so will your frame for harvesting.

Processing plants is a vast skill, so it’s wise to plan ahead for your gathered crop. Often after even a few hours of harvesting I can find myself tired, so I’ve developed a practice of organizing all the processing equipment I’ll need before I leave the house. There is nothing more exhausting to me than spending a day acquiring a bounty only to find I can’t process it immediately when I get home and have to make a trip to the store.

Staying safe while harvesting is imperative, but it can be hard to remember to “Keep your head up” when foraging on the forest floor. This is a space where I use my witchcraft to practice mindfulness and gratitude simultaneously. Many places that are still wild enough to forage from are home to not only flora are not safe, but fauna that shares that space and resource. Here in Alaska it’s very common that the plants we can use are also consumed by local animals. Your head should be on a swivel for moose and bears for sure, but also hunters and other people using the wild space, doing your best not to cause a startle or accident.

Knowing your harvest area will help keep you safe, so this is also a critical asset in foraging. Explore the area before you decide to crop and make sure you know who owns the land, abide by local laws, and if the area is polluted or contaminated. Some places like national parks or state owned land can require a subsistence permit or cannot be foraged from at all. Also, always seek permission for privately owned property to avoid confrontation and theft. It does require a little research to know if an area is clean, but looking for spaces away from agricultural developments and urban areas ensure that there are no pesticides used. I also avoid picking near busy roadways and highways to safeguard against harmful chemicals.

Being responsible while cropping is a practice that is both relevant to witchcraft and your environmental impact. When I start harvesting I will survey the plant and space to try and estimate the prevalence on the species I’m harvesting. There are a few basic guidelines for ethical gathering;

-Do not strip a plant from an area

-Avoid collecting endangered flora

-Gather invasive over native

The general rule of thumb is to take only what you need, and never more than a third of a plant. You want that species to thrive in the area as well as the animals that might rely on it. This also goes for plants that are struggling to survive in their natural spaces, and it’s critical to impact them as little as possible and follow laws in regards to harvesting threatened plants. Also, you can aid your wild harvesting spaces by focusing on invasive species and finding uses for plants that might be choking out less stable growers. This in itself is a gratitude practice for the restoring and maintaining our native Green Allies.

Cleanse your crop after you harvest first by shaking out any potential insects, second by rinsing with water, and third by fully drying the gathered crop to avoid deterioration of quality. This is also where it’s important to know ahead of time what you will gather and how you will process it to prepare the plant and tools to the best of your ability ahead of time. In my practice the ritual of cleaning my crop flows with my intention towards gratitude for the abundant privilege I’m afforded when I access these wild foods and appreciation for my own hard work.

Exploring wild harvesting both with guidance and mindful curiosity gave me such connection to my witchcraft, to my diet, and gave me courage expanding my plant medicine knowledge. Learning to identify, gather, cleanse and process plants also really called me to envelope myself in my ancestral teaching and reach out to elders who gave me so much more than I ever expected. I look forward to sharing more and more as my own proficiency expands to continue the tradition and hopefully contribute to the collective effort in conscious consumption of our Green Allies. Join me next week for more tips and the very first processing method I ever learned!

[paleorecipecookbook]

A Nutritionists Answers Your Top 10 Questions About Autoimmunity

Chances are that you know someone with an autoimmune condition, or perhaps you’re one of the estimated 20 percent of the population affected by autoimmunity. (1) By the young age of 30, I had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, alopecia areata, autoimmune hypothyroidism, and eczema…all autoimmune diseases. I was told I’d need lifelong medications to control my symptoms, but I wasn’t willing to accept drugs as a solution, so I started doing some research.

I went back to school and obtained my Master of Science in Human Nutrition, writing my master’s thesis on the connection between diet and autoimmune disease, citing research that’s based in antiquity, yet unknown by most doctors today. What I learned is that all autoimmune disorders are intimately connected to gut health. Moreover, the gut/disease connection has been known for over 2,000 years! As the father of modern medicine (Hippocrates) said all those years ago: “All disease begins in the gut.”

Using what I learned, I changed my diet (abandoning nearly 25 years of vegetarianism) and went Paleo. The results were undeniable, and nearly a decade later I’ve been able to keep my autoimmune conditions in remission by using the wisdom of Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

Top 10 Questions About Autoimmune Disease

As a clinical nutritionist at PaleoPlan, I have the pleasure of helping thousands of people across the globe to also reverse their autoimmune conditions by modifying diet and lifestyle. Here are the most common questions I’m asked about autoimmune disease.

1. What is autoimmunity?

Stated simply, autoimmunity happens when the immune system gets confused and turns against us. Normally, the immune system keeps us healthy by attacking anything foreign that gains access into the body. When you catch a cold, your immune system produces antibodies and inflammation to destroy the infection. In autoimmunity, this immune response won’t turn off, which results in the production of chronic (long-term) inflammation and the destruction of healthy tissues. If left unchecked, it can cause serious damage, and even death.

2. How common is autoimmunity?

Autoimmune diseases are extremely common these days. When considered collectively, they are the most common diseases in the United States—and possibly worldwide. (2, 3) Some clinicians speculate that nearly everyone has some degree of autoimmune activity occurring in their body. Women are affected much more than men (likely due to hormones) and make up more than 75 percent of all autoimmune cases. (4)

3. How many different autoimmune diseases are there?

To date, nearly 100 different autoimmune diseases have been identified and theoretically, an endless number could exist because the immune system can attack virtually any part of the body. All autoimmune diseases involve an overactive immune system attacking healthy tissue, and what distinguishes them is the part of the body currently under attack.

For example, rheumatoid arthritis happens when the immune system attacks the joints. Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune thyroid conditions are the result of damage to the thyroid gland. Lupus is when your body’s organs are the victim. Psoriasis and eczema occur when your immune system attacks your skin. Multiple sclerosis is when the myelin sheath surrounding nerves is the target, and type 1 diabetes results from an autoimmune attack of the pancreas. While these conditions are very different in their outward manifestations, they share a common root cause: an immune system that won’t turn off. The resulting chronic inflammation is a key characteristic of all autoimmune disorders.

4. Can you have more than one autoimmune disease?

It’s very common to have more than one autoimmune disease, and they tend to occur in clusters and also run in families. (5) When the immune system is revved up and producing inflammation and antibodies, virtually any and all healthy tissues can fall under attack. In many cases, the first sign of autoimmunity is a malfunctioning thyroid. (6)

5. What causes autoimmune disease? Is there a cure?

The medical community is in conflict about what causes autoimmunity to develop. A number of different theories exist, and while researchers don’t agree on the exact details, they all share the belief that something from the environment is triggering these conditions. (7) This external trigger could be a virus, bacteria, another pathogen, a toxin, or something we ingest that gains access to our body by leaking through the gut wall.

Many people are told autoimmunity is genetic and other than medications, there isn’t much that can be done about it. A more integrative approach to medicine would argue that while autoimmunity is indeed influenced by our genes, it’s possible to turn these genes “off” so they are not actively expressing disease.

A new theory set forth by Dr. Alessio Fasano suggests a trio of triggers must be simultaneously present in order for autoimmune disease to be active, and if any one of these triggers is removed, it will go into remission. (8) This trio of triggers includes:

a genetic predisposition to autoimmune disease

a leaky gut

one or more triggers causing the leaky gut

While we can’t remove genetic predisposition, we can turn these genes off by addressing the other two factors of the trio, which boil down to healing leaky gut. While there is technically no “cure” for autoimmune disease, many people have achieved remission simply by restoring their gut health.

6. How does a leaky gut trigger autoimmunity?

The gut lining is only ONE single cell layer thick, designed to allow the passage of nutrients while preventing the entrance of toxins. Nature put 80 percent of our immune system beneath the gut wall to protect us from any “bad guys” that manage to sneak through the gut and into the body.

During leaky gut syndrome, tiny holes develop in the gut lining and stuff enters your body that shouldn’t be there (like bad bacteria, undigested food particles, toxins, etc.) In response, the immune system produces inflammation to combat these foreign invaders. If the leaky gut never heals, inflammation can become chronic (long term) and cause widespread tissue destruction. This chronic inflammation also flips on the gene switch for autoimmunity, causing the disease to express itself in a vicious cycle. To achieve remission, we must turn off the genes and the inflammatory response by healing the leaky gut.

7. What causes leaky gut (and subsequently, autoimmunity)?

Two main triggers have been shown to produce leaky gut in everyone (not just people with autoimmunity): (9)

Gluten and similar proteins found in grains and beans (and nuts and seeds to a lesser extent)

Dysbiosis (imbalanced gut microflora)

Our collective gut health has been on a steady decline since the mid-1900s due to the increased consumption of refined and processed foods, grains, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, and carbohydrates, coupled with a decrease in saturated fats, fermented foods, food variety, and nutrient density. (10) By returning to an ancestral diet (how people ate only a few generations ago), the gut can heal, which disengages the immune system and stops the autoimmune attack.

8. Can Paleo reverse autoimmunity?

The Paleo diet naturally excludes the main triggers of leaky gut (grains, beans, common food allergens like dairy, refined and processed foods, excess carbohydrates, etc.), while including a higher percentage of healing fats and fibers. Paleo is beneficial for many autoimmune patients who often start experiencing relief from their symptoms within days or weeks. Depending on the severity, it can take longer, and some people need to take things a step further to fully heal their gut and reverse autoimmunity.

9. What is the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol)?

The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is a stricter form of Paleo that removes other potential gut irritants like nightshades, egg whites, nuts, seeds, and more. The AIP also encourages the consumption of bone broth, collagen, fermented foods, and other gut restorative measures.

People often wonder if they have to follow the AIP forever to keep autoimmunity in remission. Because the AIP restricts so many foods, it’s not ideal (and often unnecessary) to remain on it long term. When someone is new to Paleo, I recommend starting with strict Paleo for at least six weeks to allow for more variety and a gradual detox period. Paleo alone can do wonders to reverse autoimmunity and several other chronic conditions. If you’re still having symptoms after six weeks, then consider following the AIP for up to a year. Some people benefit more by following a GAPS/SCD approach to healing the gut, whereas others end up needing herbal antibiotics or probiotic support to treat underlying infections, or nutrient supplementation to correct underlying deficiencies.

10. Does anything other than diet trigger autoimmunity?

Other factors, such as stress, alcohol, medications including NSAIDs, infections, and other stressors can also influence gut permeability and instigate autoimmunity (although diet seems to play the biggest role for most people). We call Paleo a “lifestyle” rather than a “diet” because of its holistic approach addressing all of the essential lifestyle factors necessary for achieving optimal health.

The Bottom Line

If you suffer from an autoimmune disease, please know that there is hope! Many people achieve and maintain remission from their autoimmune (and other) chronic conditions simply by following an ancestral way of living and eating, and tending to the health of their gut.

Need help fixing your gut to reverse autoimmunity and other chronic conditions?

Ready to rid your body of inflammation so you can look and feel your very best?

If you’d like help hacking your health, I’d love to help you out! My guided 30-Day Paleo Challenge starts soon—click the link below for more details and I hope to see you there:

Join the 30-Day Paleo Challenge HERE

In good health,

Kinsey Jackson, MS, CNS®

PaleoPlan Nutritionist

The post A Nutritionists Answers Your Top 10 Questions About Autoimmunity appeared first on PaleoPlan.

Source: http://bit.ly/10qRbxJ

[meditationadvise]

Take Your Detox to the Next Level with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Many people focus on detoxing our bodies from the many ecological and metabolic chemicals that block us up via practices like alcohol consumption water, or taking sitz bathrooms, however from a Conventional Chinese Medication (TCM-based) theory, if we are really feeling slow-moving or sick, we've obtained a blood as well as or Qi deficiency.

The 10,000 Diseases All Have an Origin in Imbalanced Blood/Qi

Masters of Chinese Medicine comprehend that we just prosper in our full wellness when we improve and balance the yin (blood) and yang (qi) of the energetic/physical bodies. This generally boils down to a deficiency in one, or both. This shortage is what causes a myriad of conditions as differed as negative acne to complete morbidity.

A Little History on the Kinds of Qi

As the Chinese Taoist Sage Lao Tzu as soon as mentioned, " The human body is just Jing (ancestral essence), Qi (energy), and Shen (spirit). These are the 3 prizes. These 3 treasures are total as a human. In order to achieve real health and wellness as well as joy, you need to value them."

Before clarifying extra concerning the best ways to increase blood/qi, we have to understand a little about the types of Qi, or life-force power as it is described in TCM. There are 2 kinds: Congenital Qi which we are born with and Acquired Qi which we could obtain from the food we consume, the air we breathe, exercise, the harmonizing of our feelings, etc.

We can do little concerning Hereditary Qi, gotten from the activities and thoughts of our moms and dads and also grandparents (which shows up as our tendency toward the very same ideas as well as way of living selections), but much about Acquired Qi.

Congenital Qi is believed to be stored in the kidneys, and determines our fundamental constitution. It is made up of the Jing essence and Yuan (Original Qi).

Acquired Qi is a mix of:

Gu Qi - the significance of food we consume,

Kong Qi - the air we take a breath, as well as the way we breathe

Zong Qi - called the gathering Qi, as well as finally

Zhen Qi - a compound of Ying Qi and also Wei Oi (Nutritive and also Defensive Qi), and also finally

The Origins of Blood

Over 4000 years ago Chinese medication claimed, "Blood is the mother of Qi".

According to TCM practitioners, our blood is derived from the gu qi (food qi) created by the Spleen. The Spleen sends out gu qi upwards to the Lungs, and also with the driving action of Lung qi.

Lung qi is after that sent to the heart, where it is changed into blood. The Ling Shu, likewise called the Divine Pivot, an ancient Chinese medical message, states in Chapter 18:

" The stomach is the middle burner. It opens to the top burner, it obtains qi, produces the dregs, evaporates the fluids changing them into a restored significance. This pours upwards toward the lungs, and also is changed right into blood."

Qu Qi is aided by Yuan Qi, a vital substance which has its origins in the kidneys, as well as has the adhering to features:

It encourages the interior body organs as well as is the structure of vitality.

It flows via the body's channels (or energetic meridians) with the energy of the San Jiao (Triple Burner.)

It is the basis of Kidney Qi, dwelling in the Ming Males (Gate of Vitality.

It facilitates making use of Qi by changing it right into usable power, first from Zong Qi after that to Zhen Qi.

It gets involved in the manufacturing of blood by helping with Gu Qi transformation.

It arises and also circulates at the 12 Resource Points (acupuncture factors usually used in Typical Chinese Medication.)

The Importance of the Kidneys

The kidneys store jing which produces marrow: this, then, generates bone marrow which contributes to making Blood.

A doctor of the Qing dynasty, Zhang Lu, in his book Medical Transmission of the Zhang Family (1695), says:

 " If qi is not tired, it returns essences to the kidneys to be transformed right into jing, if jing is not depleted, it goes back to the liver to be transformed into blood."

How Do You Know if Your Blood or Qi is Deficient?

There can be different sorts of blood deficiencies which cause different diseases.

Here's the best ways to inform if you have a liver-blood shortage:

You'll experience insomnia and also extreme dreaming

Your hair and nails are frequently brittle

You could have blurred vision (advances)

You can have uneven menstruations or none at all.

Here's how you can inform if you have a heart-blood shortage:

You could have heart palpitations

You suffer from insomnia

You may have a dull complexion

You may sometimes feel dizzy

You feel mild anxiety

Your memory is poor

Here's how to tell if you have a spleen-blood shortage:

You have a poor appetite

You tend to be thin in build

You are often tired and weak

Your stool is loose

You could have a dull skin and light lips

Additional symptoms can vary:

Frequent miscarriage

Headaches

Tinnitus

Back pain

Sweating

Excessive heat, and more

Someone who is conveniently angered (think of the expression "blood boiling")

In most situations, when a TCM master states we have a blood deficiency, they mean that we have a liver-blood shortage because the liver houses our blood.

As one master explains,

" There are numerous different patterns for these qi indications: the initial one takes place when qi as well as blood are both deficient, or over in the body, the others being when qi is in excess as well as blood is deficient and also vice versa."

In brief, qi as well as blood are so carefully relevant that you can't treat one without affecting the other.

The Super Detoxification to Restore Blood/Qi Balance and also Vitality

Aside from transforming our diet regimen to sustain Gotten Qi, obtaining exercise, and also practicing healthy breathing strategies, there are numerous methods that TCM masters clean the blood and equilibrium our Qi:

Herbal Remedies - Creating extremely personalized tonic natural formulas is an old Chinese technique that requires a large degree of expertise and education and learning, however, natural herbs like ginseng origin, sweet wormwood, astragalus origin, asparagus origin, Chinese cinnamon, Cistanche stem, Cordonopsis origin, cordyceps mushrooms, Dong Quai root, and more.

Acupuncture - Acupuncture is the European term developeded by Willem Ten Rhyne, a Dutch physician that saw Nagasaki in Japan in the early component of the seventeenth century, yet it has been made use of for at the very least 2000 years, and is an extremely tiny part of Conventional Chinese Medication all at once. This ancient recovery technique of putting needles in details locations of the body, lined up with the meridians, and also organ factors helps to removal stagnancy and stimulate slow-moving Qi.

Moxibustion (Moxa) - Mugwort smoke is utilized to help move Qi during acupuncture treatments to aid remove stagnation. Woollen from the artemisia vulgarisor artemisia argyii (Mugwort) plant is melted as charcoal on the end of acupuncture needles as a way to get rid of persistent toxins and also slow-moving energy. Inning accordance with the Lingshu ( Remarkable Pivot, or Spiritual Pivot), one of 2 parts of Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor's Standard of Internal Medicine), the earliest publication created on Chinese Medicine, put together around 305-204 B.C. "A condition that could not be dealt with by acupuncture may be treated by moxibustion."

Cupping and Wet Cupping - Blood contaminants are extracted by putting mugs on the body as well as including suction. Advanced experts use Qi to increase the treatment and additional improve the blood.

Gua Sha- this is a method where a small scraper is moved across the surface area of the skin. It promotes blood circulation, as well as by dilating the pores, pathogenic consider the blood are expelled.

Removal of Bad Blood Making use of Qi Gong - Generally utilized by innovative experts who have discovered how to handle their own Qi, with simply a few hand activities Qigong masters move a great deal of blood as well as generate sufficient power without little motion and also no anxiety. There have been studies showing that the relaxed motion of the blood through the body influences or Qi in different ways compared to if we simply did some exercise.

Utilizing these ancient Chinese healing techniques, one can vastly boost their blood, the Mommy of Qi, as well as discover that their health as well as vitality rise as a result.

[sahanrosblog]

Ayurvedic Medicines Offer A List Of Benefits To All

Ayurvedic medicines are great to get cured of a number of diseases. It is the wisdom of our ancestral process of healing. It is a natural and holistic therapy technique that includes a variety of therapies, herbal supplements, and a set of principles that explain how a person should live their best life. This Ayurvedic way of living helps us avoid sickness and live a healthy and happy existence. In Ayurveda, health is defined as a balanced state of bodily, mental, and spiritual well-being. So, if you are suffering from any disease you can take ayurvedic medicines in Melbourne and get rid of your problem without delay.

Ayurvedic medicines help you to get a healthy and long life ahead. It not only includes medicines but at the same time, it involves rejuvenation therapies, balancing energies meditation, yoga massages, diet and so on. After identifying the root cause of your disease ayurvedic medicines in Melbourne cure you and give a better disease-free life to you.

Though there are different forms of medicines available, you might be thinking why you choose ayurvedic medicines? Well, keep reading the next section to know the benefits. It heals and detoxifies the body, as well as assists us in achieving a condition of equilibrium. Symptoms progressively go away when the underlying reason is resolved. There will be no or very less side effects of taking ayurvedic medicines in Melbourne. It’s cost-effective so that we all can afford it without spending extra expenses.

[cordpolo6-blog]

Self-Care Interview Series: Adriana Ayales

Adriana Ayales is a rainforest herbalist from Costa Rica and the founder of herbal apothecary Anima Mundi. We are in love with Adriana’s world and creations, and so excited to share this interview.

Routine

— Is routine important to you or do you like things to be more open and free?

Although I love the grounded power of routine, I’m living in a phase of being open and free. With kids, and a beyond full time devotion to running a business, I just ride the waves as they come. I’ve learned to surrender that not everything has to look the way it should look. Life’s situations and patterning moves around like the seasons.

— What do your mornings look like? If they differ from day to day, describe your ideal morning.

I love getting up before the kids, and sneaking into the kitchen to make myself a healing cup(s) of medicine. First thing I do is a big ole’ cup of vitamin C rich goodness, sometimes its mangosteen hibiscus with a lemon squeeze, or fresh picked turmeric from the garden grated with ginger, along with camu camu and lemon water. Then I make a seasonal fruit bowl of sorts, with oatmeal, or homemade granola loaded with mineralizing herbs (like nettle or mesquite powder). Followed by my favorite, and not so healthy friend, Coffee. Ah coffee. I can’t tell you how wonderful locally grown heirloom coffee is here, paired with deliciously fresh cacao and medicinal mushrooms and homemade almond.

— Do you have any bedtime rituals that help you sleep well?

Massaging the face, forehead and skull with warm oil at night is one of the simplest and most restorative practices we can do to induce deep sleep. I love using a mix I make at home of jojoba oil, with rosehip, infused with clary sage and a fine sandalwood. Another one of my all time favorites for evening relaxation is blue lotus.

— Do you have any kind of mindfulness practice? 

Sipping tea mindfully in nature, witnessing time in silence is one of my favorite things. I tap into my feelings, breath, mind, and begin to clear energy.

Sustenance

— Do you do caffeine and in what form? If not, what is your drink of choice in the morning?

I do love caffeine. Growing up in Costa Rica has woven me into loving a good cup of locally roasted coffee. Depending on the day, I love adding reishi, or a mix of medicinal mushrooms, raw cacao with mucuna, along with a homemade plant based milk. I also love having an aged puerh, or traditional matcha with added herbs for nourishment, like moringa.

— Do you have a sweet tooth and do you take any measures to keep it in check?

Sometimes I do, especially when I’m tired or running on low energy. When i’m over-worked, or running on stress I definitely crave more carby and sugary things, and this is usually due to skipping a meal, or needing a quick-fix. Some tips I bare in mind during stressful moments that ignite the sweet tooth (or just in general!) are: always go for fruits before you opt for a sugary dessert, always choose low glycemic sweeteners vs. sugar (some faves are coconut sugar, maple syrup, and real stevia extract — not the synthetic ones!) For carbs avoid empty carbs and refined flours, and opt for ones that are more easily absorbed, like coconut, almond and cassava flour.

— Are there any particular supplements, herbs, or tinctures/tonics that you take regularly and find to be helpful with your energy level and general wellness? 

Oh my, so many! I seasonally change my herbal intake, but certainly stick with some favorites. I love having my potent “singles” (single herb tinctures) on me at all times, like shisandra berries and blue lotus. A Brain tonic while I’m working, usually with herbs like gotu kola, ginkgo, brahmi and lion’s mane mushroom. Two that I dose with very often are the Happiness tonic (st johns wort, mucuna, ashwagandha, etc.) and euphoric/mood elevating herbs like catuaba, mucunam muira puama and damiana. I also love our Liver formula for daily cleansing and nourishment, like the moringa, burdock, nettles, chlorella. And of course beauty herbs like He Shou Wu, Mangosteen and more!

Exercise

— Do you exercise and do you have a particular exercise routine that you repeat weekly? 

Absolutely, I love doing a mix between yoga and pilates.

— Do you find exercise to be pleasurable, torturous or perhaps a little of both? How do you put yourself in the right mindset in order to keep up with it?

I love the torture! When I feel a little lazy and not like suffering in an intensive workout, I just remind myself how excellent I feel when I finish it. Not just seeing physical results, but especially the mental peace and happiness after working out.

Beauty

— What is your idea of beauty – external, internal or both?

A feeling of wholeness. When your mood is high, your gut is vibrant, and you feel confident and beautiful. When there is no sense of lack, imbalance or deficiency. When you feel aligned.

— What is your skincare approach – face and body?

I love making my own body and face oils. I usually infuse collagen boosting herbs, and skin strengthening herbs and lather up. I also like to keep things simple, like using cacao butter with coconut oil, or just a fluffy shea butter for deep moisture. 

— Are there any foods, herbs or supplements you find to be helpful to your skin/hair/general glow?

Yes! I’m a big fan of eating herbs and supplements that protect the skin, increase our own collagen receptors and help activate our natural glow. The herbs I designed for the vegan collagen formula have been my go-to’s for quite sometime. Horsetail, He Shou Wu, Calendula, Nettle seed + leaf, Comfrey, and others like Mangosteen, Camu Camu and Hibiscus are great for the skin too.

— Do you have any beauty tips/tricks you’ve found to be especially useful throughout the years?

I love making edible masks. Infusing a high potency extract into a raw clay and avocado, along with an activating source like apple cider vinegar, or more protein like flax, and making a smooth paste to lather all over the face, body and even hair is one of my all time favorites.

Stress, etc.

— Do you practice any consistent routines in order to avoid stress? 

Visualization is huge for me. Sitting in silence and tuning in is vital, along with the help of nervines and adaptogenic herbs that assist in de-compression like skullcap, blue lotus and ashwagandha.

— If stress cannot be avoided, what are your ways of dealing with it?

I like taking a walk or hike in nature, get in the ocean/lake/river or any kind of body of water. I completely unplug from work, the phone, or computer.

— What measures do you take when you sense a cold/general feeling of being under the weather coming on?

Before the cold kicks in, I take strong echinacea extracts in a soothing tea, mixing turmeric, lemon, grated ginger, apple cider vinegar, garlic and aloe in warm water. It works every time. I make a large batch and dose all day long —  even my kids love it! 

— How do you reconcile work-time with free-time? Do those things overlap for you or do you keep them distinctly separate?

This certainly overlaps for me, which can honestly be a bitter sweet reality. I love everything surrounding plants, and its medicinal uses, as well as teaching, and medicine making. I love that my business is all about honoring ancestral ways, plant medicine, the art of herbalism, righteous cultivation, and medicine making. Yet, like any business owner would understand, there are many tasks to the job that are exhausting and certainly not what made you fall in love in the first place. For me personally, I’ve learned to reconcile by doing what I love doing the most, medicine making and wildcrafting. I made a commitment to myself in making space for this no matter what, and not disregarding it by prioritizing business with the things that don’t really matter in life. It’s vital that we take moments in our free time that refine our focus and intention in life, re-align to what inspired the dream, without getting side swept with “busy-ness”.

Motivation

— Describe the actions you take or mindset you try to tap into in order to stay on track with your self-care practice and being nice to yourself?

Over the last couple years I’ve struggled with this because of having babies. Which I’m sure a lot of new moms can relate to this! Every time I get a moment between being a mother, wife and business owner, my priority to feel more self loving (and more human!) is yoga. The simple act of getting oxygen, doing conscious breathing, and distracting the monkey mind from its patterning, you become yourself again. 

— What do you consider to be the single most important change you’ve made to your routine or lifestyle in terms of wellness?

Herbs. Integrating plant medicine into everything has significantly changed my body mind and soul.

— A book/movie/class that influenced your view of self-nourishment or self-care.

Off the top of my head I love these: Healing with Whole Foods with Paul Pitchford, Gabriel Cousens’ Spiritual Nutrition, The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates, and of course The Medical Medium by Anthony William.

Knowledge

— What was your path to becoming an herbalist and starting Anima Mundi?

Growing up I learned closely with curanderos on plant medicine and rainforest herbalism overall. I then attended herbal schools in California where I learned a lot of native, northern and european herbalism. Life somehow took me to NYC (a place I NEVER thought I would ever go to) after living in California for quite some years, and I started practicing privately as an herbalist. I kept noticing the common trends, symptomology and imbalances folks that came in had, and started developing “mother formulas” to be able to make large batches.

— How do you approach sourcing herbs for Anima Mundi? 

First and foremost we try to create a direct relationship with the people/farmers that cultivate. Although we value certification of prime ingredients, there are many ethical wild crafters and farms that do not have special certifications, yet cultivate sustainable practices and have quality products that we also like to support. We are also adamant of supporting local economies as much as possible, particularly with rainforest herbs sourced directly from indigenous people, supporting their craft as well as ethically crafted botanicals.

— What are some of Anima Mundi’s best sellers?

Our plant-based Collagen Booster, Happiness Tonic, Adaptogenic Immortality Tonics, Curam Beauty Elixir, our 100% Coconut Cream Powder, Mushroom Mocha Milk and more…!

Fun and Inspiration

— A book/song/movie/piece of art to feed the soul:

Book – Women Who Run with Wolves Song/Album –  Cuatro Vientos / Danit Movie –  Loving the The OA lately! Piece of Art –  Ayahuasca art by Pablo Amaringo

Photos by Renee Byrd and from Anima Mundi’s IG / This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

Source: https://golubkakitchen.com/self-care-interview-series-adriana-ayales/

[whatstheherb]

First apprenticeship session was like a perfect & encompassing hug from Mother Earth. I promised to learn in silence, but my excitement for education is a bit hard to contain at times. 🌏🤱🏽💛🌿💫 . . First word to learn, digest & operate through entirely: “Nourishment.” I’m adopting that approach to my life, TODAY. I never thought I’d see so many women who LOOKED like me, from all walks of life & backgrounds, on this same sacred journey. Black, hispanic, asian, etc. Representation is important. Ancestral respect & reverence is important. . . Herbalism isn’t a witch kit sold in Sephora.🙄 Herbalism isn’t baseless diets & detoxes.😒 Herbalism isn’t for colonization/corrupt capitalism.😠 & that’s always been the difficulty when looking to further my education in the field. The wrong people have been controlling the narrative in Western medicine influenced by native practices & I’m happy to unlearn all of the compromised (mis)information, frankly. All in all - I’ve found my herb family, my tribe, my community, my co-nourishers. Now this may be out of the sheer excitement for what is changing within me in this very moment, but this has been the most inspiring day I’ve had - probably to date. Left with one question in mind for myself & every connection I have ever had: “Is/Was it nourishing?” - & I arrived at the answer which has landed me where I am today with this class & this incredible mentor. I never thought the day would come. “Is it nourishing?” was the right question to set everything that’s for me apart from that which isn’t meant for me. I’m finally getting what I need & I’m so grateful to be in a space where I may honor that.🌱🙏🏽💚✨ https://www.instagram.com/p/BttuQvgFcGE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1nd5h1vu8l5ft

[naturalhealthtricks-blog]

What is the definition of a Naturopath?

A naturopath is a licensed natural therapy practitioner who does a holistic or whole-body health assessment and applies treatment approaches from a variety of established medical systems. The naturopathic concept holds that the body has its own inherent healing abilities that can be aided by natural care.

Naturopathic medicine examines the full person, including their lifestyle, eating habits and food, exercise preferences, genetic inheritance, previous health history, and current therapies.

The goal of a naturopath is to provide health advice in a variety of areas so that the individual can achieve optimal health. It is also concerned with preventative health, in the sense that it attempts to keep our bodies functioning properly by actively promoting activities and behaviors that improve our well-being. Its goal is to reduce the risk of getting sick.

As a naturopath, I advise my patients to follow a "Wellness Program." This means they take care of their health by including a multivitamin supplement, smart diet, and possibly a tonic herbal mix that targets some of their ancestral vulnerabilities or health concerns in their daily health routine.

You can reduce your overall stress levels and enhance your immune system by practicing relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, or massage. You'll be less likely to get sick if you follow these easy guidelines, and if you do, you'll be more likely to recover fast.

Preventative health attempts to keep our bodies functioning properly by actively promoting activities and behaviors that improve our well-being. Its goal is to reduce the risk of getting sick.

As a Naturopath, I frequently visit clients who are ill, usually as a result of a long-term condition that has not responded to medical or medication treatment. Health can be restored, if not enhanced, in the vast majority of situations. However, it might sometimes necessitate a significant amount of self-discipline, time, patience, and dedication.

People are only just realizing that a health examination by a skilled naturopath can provide analysis and information that can lead to preventative measures that can slow the progression of certain diseases. In terms of dollars, human misery, and inconvenience, this proactive approach to health is unquestionably more cost efficient in the long run.

I recommend that you build a relationship with a local naturopath before you develop a chronic condition, as they will be able to assist you in creating a personalized wellness program that will allow you to live a happy and healthy life.

[jesseneufeld]

The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy?

In my recent debate on the Joe Rogan Experience with Dr. Joel Kahn, I touched briefly on the carnivore diet. I’m a huge believer that meat is an essential part of a healthy diet, but eating an all-meat diet is an entirely different subject, and I think we need to be very careful about assuming that an intervention that works well in the short term will also be safe and effective in the long term.

In this article, I’ll discuss the diets of ancestral populations, how the carnivore diet affects the body, my concerns about the potential consequences of such a restrictive diet in the long term, and alternative dietary approaches that might offer the same benefits without having to go pure carnivore.

Are you considering going carnivore? The all-meat diet is trending, but completely dropping plant-based food off your plate could have a significant impact on your health. Check out this article for a breakdown on the strengths and weaknesses of the carnivore diet. #chriskresser

What Is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is pretty straightforward: eat only animal foods and stay away from all plant foods. This means that you are primarily getting your energy from protein and fat and are consuming close to zero carbohydrates.

Many people who have adopted the carnivore diet report faster weight loss, improved mental clarity, healthier digestion, and even improved athletic performance. I certainly don’t doubt the anecdotal reports of people that have found remarkable relief from debilitating chronic health problems with this diet. For many of these people, nothing else they had tried worked.

However, when considering the health of a dietary or lifestyle intervention, I’ve long believed that we should look at the big picture: historical evidence from other populations, plausible mechanisms that explain its effect on our bodies, and scientific data regarding outcomes.

Were Any Ancestral Populations Carnivores?

Let’s start with a brief look at the diets of some supposedly “carnivorous” ancestral populations. Indeed, many ancestral groups thrived on large quantities of animal products. However, every single one of these groups also took advantage of plant foods when they were available:

The nomads of Mongolia nourished themselves on meat and dairy products, but also gained nutrients from their consumption of wild onions and garlic, tubers and roots, seeds, and berries. (1)

Gaucho Brazilians consumed mostly beef, but they supplemented their diet with yerba mate, an herbal infusion rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. (2)

The Maasai, Rendille, and Samburu from East Africa primarily ate meat, milk, and blood. Young men almost exclusively ate these animal products but also occasionally consumed herbs and tree barks. Women and older men consumed fruit, tubers, and honey. (3)

The Russian Arctic Chukotka subsisted on fish, caribou, and marine animals but always ate them with local roots, leafy greens, berries, or seaweed. (4)

The Sioux of South Dakota ate great amounts of buffalo meat, but they also ate wild fruit, nuts, and seeds that they found as they followed the buffalo herds. (5)

The Canadian Inuit lived primarily on walrus, whale meat, seal, and fish, but they also went to great lengths to forage wild berries, lichens, and sea vegetables. They even fermented some of these plant foods as a way of preserving them. (6)

Every culture we know of that has been studied ate some combination of animal and plant foods. This does not necessarily mean that animal or plant foods are required to remain healthy, but it does speak to the ancestral wisdom of these cultures.

Five Reasons Why the Carnivore Diet Works

When any diet, drug, or other intervention “works,” it’s important to try to understand the mechanism behind it. In the case of the carnivore diet, there are several reasons that might explain the benefits people report.

1. The Carnivore Diet Can Restrict Calories and Mimics Fasting

Ever felt stuffed after you ate a huge steak? Protein is very satiating, meaning it fills you up and sends signals to your brain that you’ve consumed enough food. It’s no surprise that people report not feeling very hungry and start eating less frequently when they adopt an all-meat diet.

Food habituation may also play a role here. When you eat the same thing day after day, your brain doesn’t get as much reward value from food, so you start to eat less food overall—even if the food is usually something you find rewarding, like a big juicy steak.

The ultimate result is unintentional caloric restriction. Caloric restriction sets off a number of changes. When caloric intake drops, the concentration of insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone are significantly reduced. This condition triggers autophagy, which literally means “self-eating”—an internal process of cleaning up old cells and repairing damaged ones. Autophagy is also induced during fasting.

This may be why caloric restriction is so effective at reducing inflammation and alleviating symptoms of autoimmune disease. (7) Of course, caloric restriction also results in weight loss. These are arguably the two primary reasons that people seem to be drawn to the carnivore way of eating, but these effects might also be achieved through simple caloric restriction.

2. The Carnivore Diet Is a Low-Residue Diet

“Residue” is essentially undigested food that makes up stool. A low-residue diet is a diet that limits high-fiber foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. It is often prescribed for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to alleviate symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. (8)

Meat is made primarily of protein and fat, which are absorbed high up in the GI tract, leaving little residue leftover to irritate or inflame the gut. In other words, an all-meat diet is effectively a very low-residue diet and gives the gut a rest.

3. The Carnivore Diet Is Often Ketogenic

If you’re eating large amounts of meat but are only eating once or twice a day and adding extra fat to the meat, your diet is likely ketogenic. A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein diet, with:

60 to 70 percent of energy from fat

20 to 30 percent of energy from protein

5 to 10 percent of energy from carbohydrates

While the carnivore diet has no such macronutrient ratios, it’s likely that some of the benefits that come with eating meat alone are due to the body being in a state of ketosis.

Ketogenic diets have been shown to be helpful for a wide variety of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. (9, 10)

4. The Carnivore Diet Changes the Gut Microbiota

Switching to an all-meat diet can also rapidly alter the gut microbiota. A 2014 study found that putting healthy human volunteers on an animal-based diet resulted in significant changes to the gut microbiota in less than 48 hours. (11) The animal-based diet increased the abundance of bile-tolerant organisms and decreased the levels of microbes known to metabolize different plant fibers.

The gut microbiota has been linked to virtually every chronic inflammatory disease that has been studied, so it’s no surprise that an intervention that drastically changes the gut microbiota could have significant implications for health. (12)

The Biggest Potential Problem with This Diet: Nutrient Deficiencies

Now that we’ve established some of the mechanisms involved, the big question is: is the carnivore diet safe?

The short answer is that we really don’t know, since there are no long-term studies that have tracked large groups of individuals on carnivore diets for any significant length of time. One of my chief concerns about it is that it lacks several nutrients that are crucial for health.

There are four micronutrients that are especially difficult to obtain on a meat-only diet. Based on a typical carnivore diet and the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) established by the Institute of Medicine, these include:

Vitamin C: An antioxidant that boosts immune cell function and is important for stimulating collagen synthesis

Vitamin E: An antioxidant that prevents the oxidation of lipids and lipoproteins

Vitamin K2: A fat-soluble vitamin that reduces the calcification of blood vessels

Calcium: A mineral required for healthy bones, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission

If dairy is included in the diet, this will cover vitamin K2 and calcium. However, if you don’t like organ meats, the number of potential micronutrient deficiencies increases significantly. In that case, you can add to the list:

Vitamin A: A fat-soluble vitamin important for proper vision and maintaining immune defenses

Folate: A B vitamin important for cell growth, metabolism, and methylation

Manganese: A trace mineral needed for the proper function of the nervous system, collagen formation, and protection against oxidative stress

Magnesium: A mineral that supports more than 300 biochemical reactions, including energy production, DNA repair, and muscle contraction

It’s also important to note that vitamin C is extremely heat sensitive, so only fresh or very gently cooked organ meats will have appreciable amounts.

Many carnivore dieters claim that the nutrient requirements for the general population simply don’t apply to them. Anecdotally, I know of several individuals who have consumed a carnivore diet for three or more years without any overt signs of nutrient deficiencies.

Still, we’re lacking data. Currently, the DRIs are the best we have to go off of, and I don’t think we have enough evidence to unequivocally say that this diet has no risk of producing nutrient deficiencies in the general population.

Should We Be Aiming Higher Than the Daily Recommended Intake?

Even if the carnivore diet were sufficient to prevent outright deficiency, we should also consider metabolic reserve. Metabolic reserve is the capacity of cells, tissues, and organ systems to withstand repeated changes to physiological needs. In other words, it’s having enough nutrients “in the bank” to be able to deal with a major stressor, injury, or environmental exposure. (13) So if an all-meat dieter manages to meet a recommended nutrient intake, it still may not be enough for optimal health.

Other Reasons an All-Meat Diet May Not Be Healthy

It Lacks Beneficial Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are chemicals that are produced by plants to protect against environmental threats, such as attacks from insects and disease. They can also have major benefits for our health. Curcumin, beta-carotene, quercetin, and resveratrol are all examples of common phytonutrients.

Some proponents of the carnivore diet suggest that phytonutrients are toxic to humans, and that it’s best to eliminate them completely from our diet. However, many of these “toxins” act as acute stressors that actually make us stronger through a process called hormesis.

Much like resistance training is an acute stressor that leads our muscles to adapt and get stronger, exposure to small amounts of phytonutrients is a hormetic stressor that activates several different pathways in the body, ultimately serving to reduce inflammation, enhance immunity, improve cellular communication, repair DNA damage, and even detoxify potential carcinogens. (14, 15)

It Might Affect Hormones, Fertility, and Thyroid Function

We have zero long-term data about how an all-meat diet impacts hormones, thyroid function, and fertility. I have written before about why carbohydrates are particularly important for female fertility and why very-low-carb diets may not be the best choice during pregnancy.

Carbohydrates are particularly important for supporting thyroid function since insulin stimulates the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone T4 to active T3. In fact, traditional cultures that ate largely animal products and had little access to plant foods often went to great lengths to support fertility, including eating the thyroid glands of the animals they hunted. (16)

My guess is that most modern “carnivores” are not consuming the thyroid glands of animals and are therefore at risk for suboptimal thyroid function and (at least temporary) infertility.

It Could Overtax Your Liver (If You’re Eating Lean Meat)

When you don’t eat sufficient carbohydrates and fat, your liver can make glucose from protein via a process called gluconeogenesis. This process creates nitrogen waste, which must be converted to urea and disposed of through the kidneys.

While this is a normal process that occurs in every human being, there is a limit to how much protein the liver can cope with safely. More than 35 to 40 percent of total calories as protein can overwhelm the urea cycle, leading to nausea, diarrhea, wasting, and, potentially, death. For pregnant women, this threshold may be as low as 25 percent of total calories. (17)

Interestingly, anthropological evidence suggests that hunters throughout history avoided consuming excess protein, even discarding animals low in fat when food was scarce. (18)

In short: When eating meat, it’s important to have a good amount of healthy fats or quality carbohydrates as well.

Is the Carnivore Diet the Ideal Human Diet?

In the last section, I outlined several potential concerns with the carnivore diet. But this leads me to another important question: even if the carnivore diet is safe, is it really the best diet for optimal health?

While you might be able to get away with a vegetarian or carnivorous diet for a short while, the evidence suggests that the ideal diet includes both animal and plant foods. Dr. Sarah Ballantyne broke this down in part three of her series “The Diet We’re Meant to Eat: How Much Meat versus Veggies.”

While you can theoretically get all of your nutrients from one group alone (and potentially supplement with any missing nutrients from the other group), we need both sets of nutrients to be optimally healthy, and consuming animal and plant foods in their whole form is the best way to accomplish this.

Five Alternatives to the Carnivore Diet

Here are some options that might provide the same therapeutic benefits that the carnivore diet can offer—but without as much potential risk.

1. A Low-Carb Paleo Diet

Some people trying a carnivore diet are going straight from the Standard American Diet to pure carnivore. Oftentimes, a low-carbohydrate Paleo template might provide some of the same benefits, including weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and an alleviation in autoimmune symptoms. (19, 20, 21)

2. A Fasting Mimicking Diet

A fasting mimicking diet can reverse type 1 and type 2 diabetes, alleviate age-dependent impairments in cognitive performance, and protect against cancer and aging in mice. (22, 23, 24) In humans, the fasting mimicking diet was found to significantly reduce body weight, improve cardiovascular risk markers, lower inflammation, and potentially improve symptoms of multiple sclerosis. (25, 26)

3. Periodic Prolonged Fasting

Undergoing a 72-hour fasting once every few months could also achieve many of the benefits boasted by the carnivore diet. Prolonged fasting causes organs to shrink and then be rejuvenated as damaged cells are cleared out and stem cell pathways are activated. (27)

4. A Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet has been very well studied and has documented benefits for epilepsy, neurodegenerative disease, and autoimmune disease. Ketones themselves are potent anti-inflammatories. (28, 29)

5. Addressing Gut Pathologies

If a healthy lifestyle coupled with the dietary approaches above is insufficient to control your symptoms, consider working with a Functional Medicine practitioner who is knowledgeable about gut health. If you’re thinking about becoming a strict carnivore because you’re experiencing adverse reactions to even very small amounts of plant foods, that’s likely a sign of an underlying gut infection that should be addressed.

Share this with friends and family who might be considering an all-meat diet, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

The post The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy? appeared first on Chris Kresser.

The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy? published first on https://drugaddictionsrehab.tumblr.com/

[edsenger]

The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy?

In my recent debate on the Joe Rogan Experience with Dr. Joel Kahn, I touched briefly on the carnivore diet. I’m a huge believer that meat is an essential part of a healthy diet, but eating an all-meat diet is an entirely different subject, and I think we need to be very careful about assuming that an intervention that works well in the short term will also be safe and effective in the long term.

In this article, I’ll discuss the diets of ancestral populations, how the carnivore diet affects the body, my concerns about the potential consequences of such a restrictive diet in the long term, and alternative dietary approaches that might offer the same benefits without having to go pure carnivore.

Are you considering going carnivore? The all-meat diet is trending, but completely dropping plant-based food off your plate could have a significant impact on your health. Check out this article for a breakdown on the strengths and weaknesses of the carnivore diet. #chriskresser

What Is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is pretty straightforward: eat only animal foods and stay away from all plant foods. This means that you are primarily getting your energy from protein and fat and are consuming close to zero carbohydrates.

Many people who have adopted the carnivore diet report faster weight loss, improved mental clarity, healthier digestion, and even improved athletic performance. I certainly don’t doubt the anecdotal reports of people that have found remarkable relief from debilitating chronic health problems with this diet. For many of these people, nothing else they had tried worked.

However, when considering the health of a dietary or lifestyle intervention, I’ve long believed that we should look at the big picture: historical evidence from other populations, plausible mechanisms that explain its effect on our bodies, and scientific data regarding outcomes.

Were Any Ancestral Populations Carnivores?

Let’s start with a brief look at the diets of some supposedly “carnivorous” ancestral populations. Indeed, many ancestral groups thrived on large quantities of animal products. However, every single one of these groups also took advantage of plant foods when they were available:

The nomads of Mongolia nourished themselves on meat and dairy products, but also gained nutrients from their consumption of wild onions and garlic, tubers and roots, seeds, and berries. (1)

Gaucho Brazilians consumed mostly beef, but they supplemented their diet with yerba mate, an herbal infusion rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. (2)

The Maasai, Rendille, and Samburu from East Africa primarily ate meat, milk, and blood. Young men almost exclusively ate these animal products but also occasionally consumed herbs and tree barks. Women and older men consumed fruit, tubers, and honey. (3)

The Russian Arctic Chukotka subsisted on fish, caribou, and marine animals but always ate them with local roots, leafy greens, berries, or seaweed. (4)

The Sioux of South Dakota ate great amounts of buffalo meat, but they also ate wild fruit, nuts, and seeds that they found as they followed the buffalo herds. (5)

The Canadian Inuit lived primarily on walrus, whale meat, seal, and fish, but they also went to great lengths to forage wild berries, lichens, and sea vegetables. They even fermented some of these plant foods as a way of preserving them. (6)

Every culture we know of that has been studied ate some combination of animal and plant foods. This does not necessarily mean that animal or plant foods are required to remain healthy, but it does speak to the ancestral wisdom of these cultures.

Five Reasons Why the Carnivore Diet Works

When any diet, drug, or other intervention “works,” it’s important to try to understand the mechanism behind it. In the case of the carnivore diet, there are several reasons that might explain the benefits people report.

1. The Carnivore Diet Can Restrict Calories and Mimics Fasting

Ever felt stuffed after you ate a huge steak? Protein is very satiating, meaning it fills you up and sends signals to your brain that you’ve consumed enough food. It’s no surprise that people report not feeling very hungry and start eating less frequently when they adopt an all-meat diet.

Food habituation may also play a role here. When you eat the same thing day after day, your brain doesn’t get as much reward value from food, so you start to eat less food overall—even if the food is usually something you find rewarding, like a big juicy steak.

The ultimate result is unintentional caloric restriction. Caloric restriction sets off a number of changes. When caloric intake drops, the concentration of insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone are significantly reduced. This condition triggers autophagy, which literally means “self-eating”—an internal process of cleaning up old cells and repairing damaged ones. Autophagy is also induced during fasting.

This may be why caloric restriction is so effective at reducing inflammation and alleviating symptoms of autoimmune disease. (7) Of course, caloric restriction also results in weight loss. These are arguably the two primary reasons that people seem to be drawn to the carnivore way of eating, but these effects might also be achieved through simple caloric restriction.

2. The Carnivore Diet Is a Low-Residue Diet

“Residue” is essentially undigested food that makes up stool. A low-residue diet is a diet that limits high-fiber foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. It is often prescribed for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to alleviate symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. (8)

Meat is made primarily of protein and fat, which are absorbed high up in the GI tract, leaving little residue leftover to irritate or inflame the gut. In other words, an all-meat diet is effectively a very low-residue diet and gives the gut a rest.

3. The Carnivore Diet Is Often Ketogenic

If you’re eating large amounts of meat but are only eating once or twice a day and adding extra fat to the meat, your diet is likely ketogenic. A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein diet, with:

60 to 70 percent of energy from fat

20 to 30 percent of energy from protein

5 to 10 percent of energy from carbohydrates

While the carnivore diet has no such macronutrient ratios, it’s likely that some of the benefits that come with eating meat alone are due to the body being in a state of ketosis.

Ketogenic diets have been shown to be helpful for a wide variety of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. (9, 10)

4. The Carnivore Diet Changes the Gut Microbiota

Switching to an all-meat diet can also rapidly alter the gut microbiota. A 2014 study found that putting healthy human volunteers on an animal-based diet resulted in significant changes to the gut microbiota in less than 48 hours. (11) The animal-based diet increased the abundance of bile-tolerant organisms and decreased the levels of microbes known to metabolize different plant fibers.

The gut microbiota has been linked to virtually every chronic inflammatory disease that has been studied, so it’s no surprise that an intervention that drastically changes the gut microbiota could have significant implications for health. (12)

The Biggest Potential Problem with This Diet: Nutrient Deficiencies

Now that we’ve established some of the mechanisms involved, the big question is: is the carnivore diet safe?

The short answer is that we really don’t know, since there are no long-term studies that have tracked large groups of individuals on carnivore diets for any significant length of time. One of my chief concerns about it is that it lacks several nutrients that are crucial for health.

There are four micronutrients that are especially difficult to obtain on a meat-only diet. Based on a typical carnivore diet and the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) established by the Institute of Medicine, these include:

Vitamin C: An antioxidant that boosts immune cell function and is important for stimulating collagen synthesis

Vitamin E: An antioxidant that prevents the oxidation of lipids and lipoproteins

Vitamin K2: A fat-soluble vitamin that reduces the calcification of blood vessels

Calcium: A mineral required for healthy bones, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission

If dairy is included in the diet, this will cover vitamin K2 and calcium. However, if you don’t like organ meats, the number of potential micronutrient deficiencies increases significantly. In that case, you can add to the list:

Vitamin A: A fat-soluble vitamin important for proper vision and maintaining immune defenses

Folate: A B vitamin important for cell growth, metabolism, and methylation

Manganese: A trace mineral needed for the proper function of the nervous system, collagen formation, and protection against oxidative stress

Magnesium: A mineral that supports more than 300 biochemical reactions, including energy production, DNA repair, and muscle contraction

It’s also important to note that vitamin C is extremely heat sensitive, so only fresh or very gently cooked organ meats will have appreciable amounts.

Many carnivore dieters claim that the nutrient requirements for the general population simply don’t apply to them. Anecdotally, I know of several individuals who have consumed a carnivore diet for three or more years without any overt signs of nutrient deficiencies.

Still, we’re lacking data. Currently, the DRIs are the best we have to go off of, and I don’t think we have enough evidence to unequivocally say that this diet has no risk of producing nutrient deficiencies in the general population.

Should We Be Aiming Higher Than the Daily Recommended Intake?

Even if the carnivore diet were sufficient to prevent outright deficiency, we should also consider metabolic reserve. Metabolic reserve is the capacity of cells, tissues, and organ systems to withstand repeated changes to physiological needs. In other words, it’s having enough nutrients “in the bank” to be able to deal with a major stressor, injury, or environmental exposure. (13) So if an all-meat dieter manages to meet a recommended nutrient intake, it still may not be enough for optimal health.

Other Reasons an All-Meat Diet May Not Be Healthy

It Lacks Beneficial Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are chemicals that are produced by plants to protect against environmental threats, such as attacks from insects and disease. They can also have major benefits for our health. Curcumin, beta-carotene, quercetin, and resveratrol are all examples of common phytonutrients.

Some proponents of the carnivore diet suggest that phytonutrients are toxic to humans, and that it’s best to eliminate them completely from our diet. However, many of these “toxins” act as acute stressors that actually make us stronger through a process called hormesis.

Much like resistance training is an acute stressor that leads our muscles to adapt and get stronger, exposure to small amounts of phytonutrients is a hormetic stressor that activates several different pathways in the body, ultimately serving to reduce inflammation, enhance immunity, improve cellular communication, repair DNA damage, and even detoxify potential carcinogens. (14, 15)

It Might Affect Hormones, Fertility, and Thyroid Function

We have zero long-term data about how an all-meat diet impacts hormones, thyroid function, and fertility. I have written before about why carbohydrates are particularly important for female fertility and why very-low-carb diets may not be the best choice during pregnancy.

Carbohydrates are particularly important for supporting thyroid function since insulin stimulates the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone T4 to active T3. In fact, traditional cultures that ate largely animal products and had little access to plant foods often went to great lengths to support fertility, including eating the thyroid glands of the animals they hunted. (16)

My guess is that most modern “carnivores” are not consuming the thyroid glands of animals and are therefore at risk for suboptimal thyroid function and (at least temporary) infertility.

It Could Overtax Your Liver (If You’re Eating Lean Meat)

When you don’t eat sufficient carbohydrates and fat, your liver can make glucose from protein via a process called gluconeogenesis. This process creates nitrogen waste, which must be converted to urea and disposed of through the kidneys.

While this is a normal process that occurs in every human being, there is a limit to how much protein the liver can cope with safely. More than 35 to 40 percent of total calories as protein can overwhelm the urea cycle, leading to nausea, diarrhea, wasting, and, potentially, death. For pregnant women, this threshold may be as low as 25 percent of total calories. (17)

Interestingly, anthropological evidence suggests that hunters throughout history avoided consuming excess protein, even discarding animals low in fat when food was scarce. (18)

In short: When eating meat, it’s important to have a good amount of healthy fats or quality carbohydrates as well.

Is the Carnivore Diet the Ideal Human Diet?

In the last section, I outlined several potential concerns with the carnivore diet. But this leads me to another important question: even if the carnivore diet is safe, is it really the best diet for optimal health?

While you might be able to get away with a vegetarian or carnivorous diet for a short while, the evidence suggests that the ideal diet includes both animal and plant foods. Dr. Sarah Ballantyne broke this down in part three of her series “The Diet We’re Meant to Eat: How Much Meat versus Veggies.”

While you can theoretically get all of your nutrients from one group alone (and potentially supplement with any missing nutrients from the other group), we need both sets of nutrients to be optimally healthy, and consuming animal and plant foods in their whole form is the best way to accomplish this.

Five Alternatives to the Carnivore Diet

Here are some options that might provide the same therapeutic benefits that the carnivore diet can offer—but without as much potential risk.

1. A Low-Carb Paleo Diet

Some people trying a carnivore diet are going straight from the Standard American Diet to pure carnivore. Oftentimes, a low-carbohydrate Paleo template might provide some of the same benefits, including weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and an alleviation in autoimmune symptoms. (19, 20, 21)

2. A Fasting Mimicking Diet

A fasting mimicking diet can reverse type 1 and type 2 diabetes, alleviate age-dependent impairments in cognitive performance, and protect against cancer and aging in mice. (22, 23, 24) In humans, the fasting mimicking diet was found to significantly reduce body weight, improve cardiovascular risk markers, lower inflammation, and potentially improve symptoms of multiple sclerosis. (25, 26)

3. Periodic Prolonged Fasting

Undergoing a 72-hour fasting once every few months could also achieve many of the benefits boasted by the carnivore diet. Prolonged fasting causes organs to shrink and then be rejuvenated as damaged cells are cleared out and stem cell pathways are activated. (27)

4. A Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet has been very well studied and has documented benefits for epilepsy, neurodegenerative disease, and autoimmune disease. Ketones themselves are potent anti-inflammatories. (28, 29)

5. Addressing Gut Pathologies

If a healthy lifestyle coupled with the dietary approaches above is insufficient to control your symptoms, consider working with a Functional Medicine practitioner who is knowledgeable about gut health. If you’re thinking about becoming a strict carnivore because you’re experiencing adverse reactions to even very small amounts of plant foods, that’s likely a sign of an underlying gut infection that should be addressed.

Share this with friends and family who might be considering an all-meat diet, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

The post The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy? appeared first on Chris Kresser.

The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy? published first on https://brightendentalhouston.weebly.com/

[shapesnnsizes]

The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy?

In my recent debate on the Joe Rogan Experience with Dr. Joel Kahn, I touched briefly on the carnivore diet. I’m a huge believer that meat is an essential part of a healthy diet, but eating an all-meat diet is an entirely different subject, and I think we need to be very careful about assuming that an intervention that works well in the short term will also be safe and effective in the long term.

In this article, I’ll discuss the diets of ancestral populations, how the carnivore diet affects the body, my concerns about the potential consequences of such a restrictive diet in the long term, and alternative dietary approaches that might offer the same benefits without having to go pure carnivore.

Are you considering going carnivore? The all-meat diet is trending, but completely dropping plant-based food off your plate could have a significant impact on your health. Check out this article for a breakdown on the strengths and weaknesses of the carnivore diet. #chriskresser

What Is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is pretty straightforward: eat only animal foods and stay away from all plant foods. This means that you are primarily getting your energy from protein and fat and are consuming close to zero carbohydrates.

Many people who have adopted the carnivore diet report faster weight loss, improved mental clarity, healthier digestion, and even improved athletic performance. I certainly don’t doubt the anecdotal reports of people that have found remarkable relief from debilitating chronic health problems with this diet. For many of these people, nothing else they had tried worked.

However, when considering the health of a dietary or lifestyle intervention, I’ve long believed that we should look at the big picture: historical evidence from other populations, plausible mechanisms that explain its effect on our bodies, and scientific data regarding outcomes.

Were Any Ancestral Populations Carnivores?

Let’s start with a brief look at the diets of some supposedly “carnivorous” ancestral populations. Indeed, many ancestral groups thrived on large quantities of animal products. However, every single one of these groups also took advantage of plant foods when they were available:

The nomads of Mongolia nourished themselves on meat and dairy products, but also gained nutrients from their consumption of wild onions and garlic, tubers and roots, seeds, and berries. (1)

Gaucho Brazilians consumed mostly beef, but they supplemented their diet with yerba mate, an herbal infusion rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. (2)

The Maasai, Rendille, and Samburu from East Africa primarily ate meat, milk, and blood. Young men almost exclusively ate these animal products but also occasionally consumed herbs and tree barks. Women and older men consumed fruit, tubers, and honey. (3)

The Russian Arctic Chukotka subsisted on fish, caribou, and marine animals but always ate them with local roots, leafy greens, berries, or seaweed. (4)

The Sioux of South Dakota ate great amounts of buffalo meat, but they also ate wild fruit, nuts, and seeds that they found as they followed the buffalo herds. (5)

The Canadian Inuit lived primarily on walrus, whale meat, seal, and fish, but they also went to great lengths to forage wild berries, lichens, and sea vegetables. They even fermented some of these plant foods as a way of preserving them. (6)

Every culture we know of that has been studied ate some combination of animal and plant foods. This does not necessarily mean that animal or plant foods are required to remain healthy, but it does speak to the ancestral wisdom of these cultures.

Five Reasons Why the Carnivore Diet Works

When any diet, drug, or other intervention “works,” it’s important to try to understand the mechanism behind it. In the case of the carnivore diet, there are several reasons that might explain the benefits people report.

1. The Carnivore Diet Can Restrict Calories and Mimics Fasting

Ever felt stuffed after you ate a huge steak? Protein is very satiating, meaning it fills you up and sends signals to your brain that you’ve consumed enough food. It’s no surprise that people report not feeling very hungry and start eating less frequently when they adopt an all-meat diet.

Food habituation may also play a role here. When you eat the same thing day after day, your brain doesn’t get as much reward value from food, so you start to eat less food overall—even if the food is usually something you find rewarding, like a big juicy steak.

The ultimate result is unintentional caloric restriction. Caloric restriction sets off a number of changes. When caloric intake drops, the concentration of insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone are significantly reduced. This condition triggers autophagy, which literally means “self-eating”—an internal process of cleaning up old cells and repairing damaged ones. Autophagy is also induced during fasting.

This may be why caloric restriction is so effective at reducing inflammation and alleviating symptoms of autoimmune disease. (7) Of course, caloric restriction also results in weight loss. These are arguably the two primary reasons that people seem to be drawn to the carnivore way of eating, but these effects might also be achieved through simple caloric restriction.

2. The Carnivore Diet Is a Low-Residue Diet

“Residue” is essentially undigested food that makes up stool. A low-residue diet is a diet that limits high-fiber foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. It is often prescribed for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to alleviate symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. (8)

Meat is made primarily of protein and fat, which are absorbed high up in the GI tract, leaving little residue leftover to irritate or inflame the gut. In other words, an all-meat diet is effectively a very low-residue diet and gives the gut a rest.

3. The Carnivore Diet Is Often Ketogenic

If you’re eating large amounts of meat but are only eating once or twice a day and adding extra fat to the meat, your diet is likely ketogenic. A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein diet, with:

60 to 70 percent of energy from fat

20 to 30 percent of energy from protein

5 to 10 percent of energy from carbohydrates

While the carnivore diet has no such macronutrient ratios, it’s likely that some of the benefits that come with eating meat alone are due to the body being in a state of ketosis.

Ketogenic diets have been shown to be helpful for a wide variety of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. (9, 10)

4. The Carnivore Diet Changes the Gut Microbiota

Switching to an all-meat diet can also rapidly alter the gut microbiota. A 2014 study found that putting healthy human volunteers on an animal-based diet resulted in significant changes to the gut microbiota in less than 48 hours. (11) The animal-based diet increased the abundance of bile-tolerant organisms and decreased the levels of microbes known to metabolize different plant fibers.

The gut microbiota has been linked to virtually every chronic inflammatory disease that has been studied, so it’s no surprise that an intervention that drastically changes the gut microbiota could have significant implications for health. (12)

The Biggest Potential Problem with This Diet: Nutrient Deficiencies

Now that we’ve established some of the mechanisms involved, the big question is: is the carnivore diet safe?

The short answer is that we really don’t know, since there are no long-term studies that have tracked large groups of individuals on carnivore diets for any significant length of time. One of my chief concerns about it is that it lacks several nutrients that are crucial for health.

There are four micronutrients that are especially difficult to obtain on a meat-only diet. Based on a typical carnivore diet and the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) established by the Institute of Medicine, these include:

Vitamin C: An antioxidant that boosts immune cell function and is important for stimulating collagen synthesis

Vitamin E: An antioxidant that prevents the oxidation of lipids and lipoproteins

Vitamin K2: A fat-soluble vitamin that reduces the calcification of blood vessels

Calcium: A mineral required for healthy bones, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission

If dairy is included in the diet, this will cover vitamin K2 and calcium. However, if you don’t like organ meats, the number of potential micronutrient deficiencies increases significantly. In that case, you can add to the list:

Vitamin A: A fat-soluble vitamin important for proper vision and maintaining immune defenses

Folate: A B vitamin important for cell growth, metabolism, and methylation

Manganese: A trace mineral needed for the proper function of the nervous system, collagen formation, and protection against oxidative stress

Magnesium: A mineral that supports more than 300 biochemical reactions, including energy production, DNA repair, and muscle contraction

It’s also important to note that vitamin C is extremely heat sensitive, so only fresh or very gently cooked organ meats will have appreciable amounts.

Many carnivore dieters claim that the nutrient requirements for the general population simply don’t apply to them. Anecdotally, I know of several individuals who have consumed a carnivore diet for three or more years without any overt signs of nutrient deficiencies.

Still, we’re lacking data. Currently, the DRIs are the best we have to go off of, and I don’t think we have enough evidence to unequivocally say that this diet has no risk of producing nutrient deficiencies in the general population.

Should We Be Aiming Higher Than the Daily Recommended Intake?

Even if the carnivore diet were sufficient to prevent outright deficiency, we should also consider metabolic reserve. Metabolic reserve is the capacity of cells, tissues, and organ systems to withstand repeated changes to physiological needs. In other words, it’s having enough nutrients “in the bank” to be able to deal with a major stressor, injury, or environmental exposure. (13) So if an all-meat dieter manages to meet a recommended nutrient intake, it still may not be enough for optimal health.

Other Reasons an All-Meat Diet May Not Be Healthy

It Lacks Beneficial Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are chemicals that are produced by plants to protect against environmental threats, such as attacks from insects and disease. They can also have major benefits for our health. Curcumin, beta-carotene, quercetin, and resveratrol are all examples of common phytonutrients.

Some proponents of the carnivore diet suggest that phytonutrients are toxic to humans, and that it’s best to eliminate them completely from our diet. However, many of these “toxins” act as acute stressors that actually make us stronger through a process called hormesis.

Much like resistance training is an acute stressor that leads our muscles to adapt and get stronger, exposure to small amounts of phytonutrients is a hormetic stressor that activates several different pathways in the body, ultimately serving to reduce inflammation, enhance immunity, improve cellular communication, repair DNA damage, and even detoxify potential carcinogens. (14, 15)

It Might Affect Hormones, Fertility, and Thyroid Function

We have zero long-term data about how an all-meat diet impacts hormones, thyroid function, and fertility. I have written before about why carbohydrates are particularly important for female fertility and why very-low-carb diets may not be the best choice during pregnancy.

Carbohydrates are particularly important for supporting thyroid function since insulin stimulates the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone T4 to active T3. In fact, traditional cultures that ate largely animal products and had little access to plant foods often went to great lengths to support fertility, including eating the thyroid glands of the animals they hunted. (16)

My guess is that most modern “carnivores” are not consuming the thyroid glands of animals and are therefore at risk for suboptimal thyroid function and (at least temporary) infertility.

It Could Overtax Your Liver (If You’re Eating Lean Meat)

When you don’t eat sufficient carbohydrates and fat, your liver can make glucose from protein via a process called gluconeogenesis. This process creates nitrogen waste, which must be converted to urea and disposed of through the kidneys.

While this is a normal process that occurs in every human being, there is a limit to how much protein the liver can cope with safely. More than 35 to 40 percent of total calories as protein can overwhelm the urea cycle, leading to nausea, diarrhea, wasting, and, potentially, death. For pregnant women, this threshold may be as low as 25 percent of total calories. (17)

Interestingly, anthropological evidence suggests that hunters throughout history avoided consuming excess protein, even discarding animals low in fat when food was scarce. (18)

In short: When eating meat, it’s important to have a good amount of healthy fats or quality carbohydrates as well.

Is the Carnivore Diet the Ideal Human Diet?

In the last section, I outlined several potential concerns with the carnivore diet. But this leads me to another important question: even if the carnivore diet is safe, is it really the best diet for optimal health?

While you might be able to get away with a vegetarian or carnivorous diet for a short while, the evidence suggests that the ideal diet includes both animal and plant foods. Dr. Sarah Ballantyne broke this down in part three of her series “The Diet We’re Meant to Eat: How Much Meat versus Veggies.”

While you can theoretically get all of your nutrients from one group alone (and potentially supplement with any missing nutrients from the other group), we need both sets of nutrients to be optimally healthy, and consuming animal and plant foods in their whole form is the best way to accomplish this.

Five Alternatives to the Carnivore Diet

Here are some options that might provide the same therapeutic benefits that the carnivore diet can offer—but without as much potential risk.

1. A Low-Carb Paleo Diet

Some people trying a carnivore diet are going straight from the Standard American Diet to pure carnivore. Oftentimes, a low-carbohydrate Paleo template might provide some of the same benefits, including weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and an alleviation in autoimmune symptoms. (19, 20, 21)

2. A Fasting Mimicking Diet

A fasting mimicking diet can reverse type 1 and type 2 diabetes, alleviate age-dependent impairments in cognitive performance, and protect against cancer and aging in mice. (22, 23, 24) In humans, the fasting mimicking diet was found to significantly reduce body weight, improve cardiovascular risk markers, lower inflammation, and potentially improve symptoms of multiple sclerosis. (25, 26)

3. Periodic Prolonged Fasting

Undergoing a 72-hour fasting once every few months could also achieve many of the benefits boasted by the carnivore diet. Prolonged fasting causes organs to shrink and then be rejuvenated as damaged cells are cleared out and stem cell pathways are activated. (27)

4. A Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet has been very well studied and has documented benefits for epilepsy, neurodegenerative disease, and autoimmune disease. Ketones themselves are potent anti-inflammatories. (28, 29)

5. Addressing Gut Pathologies

If a healthy lifestyle coupled with the dietary approaches above is insufficient to control your symptoms, consider working with a Functional Medicine practitioner who is knowledgeable about gut health. If you’re thinking about becoming a strict carnivore because you’re experiencing adverse reactions to even very small amounts of plant foods, that’s likely a sign of an underlying gut infection that should be addressed.

Share this with friends and family who might be considering an all-meat diet, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

The post The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy? appeared first on Chris Kresser.

[denisalvney]

The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy?

In my recent debate on the Joe Rogan Experience with Dr. Joel Kahn, I touched briefly on the carnivore diet. I’m a huge believer that meat is an essential part of a healthy diet, but eating an all-meat diet is an entirely different subject, and I think we need to be very careful about assuming that an intervention that works well in the short term will also be safe and effective in the long term.

In this article, I’ll discuss the diets of ancestral populations, how the carnivore diet affects the body, my concerns about the potential consequences of such a restrictive diet in the long term, and alternative dietary approaches that might offer the same benefits without having to go pure carnivore.

Are you considering going carnivore? The all-meat diet is trending, but completely dropping plant-based food off your plate could have a significant impact on your health. Check out this article for a breakdown on the strengths and weaknesses of the carnivore diet. #chriskresser

What Is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is pretty straightforward: eat only animal foods and stay away from all plant foods. This means that you are primarily getting your energy from protein and fat and are consuming close to zero carbohydrates.

Many people who have adopted the carnivore diet report faster weight loss, improved mental clarity, healthier digestion, and even improved athletic performance. I certainly don’t doubt the anecdotal reports of people that have found remarkable relief from debilitating chronic health problems with this diet. For many of these people, nothing else they had tried worked.

However, when considering the health of a dietary or lifestyle intervention, I’ve long believed that we should look at the big picture: historical evidence from other populations, plausible mechanisms that explain its effect on our bodies, and scientific data regarding outcomes.

Were Any Ancestral Populations Carnivores?

Let’s start with a brief look at the diets of some supposedly “carnivorous” ancestral populations. Indeed, many ancestral groups thrived on large quantities of animal products. However, every single one of these groups also took advantage of plant foods when they were available:

The nomads of Mongolia nourished themselves on meat and dairy products, but also gained nutrients from their consumption of wild onions and garlic, tubers and roots, seeds, and berries. (1)

Gaucho Brazilians consumed mostly beef, but they supplemented their diet with yerba mate, an herbal infusion rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. (2)

The Maasai, Rendille, and Samburu from East Africa primarily ate meat, milk, and blood. Young men almost exclusively ate these animal products but also occasionally consumed herbs and tree barks. Women and older men consumed fruit, tubers, and honey. (3)

The Russian Arctic Chukotka subsisted on fish, caribou, and marine animals but always ate them with local roots, leafy greens, berries, or seaweed. (4)

The Sioux of South Dakota ate great amounts of buffalo meat, but they also ate wild fruit, nuts, and seeds that they found as they followed the buffalo herds. (5)

The Canadian Inuit lived primarily on walrus, whale meat, seal, and fish, but they also went to great lengths to forage wild berries, lichens, and sea vegetables. They even fermented some of these plant foods as a way of preserving them. (6)

Every culture we know of that has been studied ate some combination of animal and plant foods. This does not necessarily mean that animal or plant foods are required to remain healthy, but it does speak to the ancestral wisdom of these cultures.

Five Reasons Why the Carnivore Diet Works

When any diet, drug, or other intervention “works,” it’s important to try to understand the mechanism behind it. In the case of the carnivore diet, there are several reasons that might explain the benefits people report.

1. The Carnivore Diet Can Restrict Calories and Mimics Fasting

Ever felt stuffed after you ate a huge steak? Protein is very satiating, meaning it fills you up and sends signals to your brain that you’ve consumed enough food. It’s no surprise that people report not feeling very hungry and start eating less frequently when they adopt an all-meat diet.

Food habituation may also play a role here. When you eat the same thing day after day, your brain doesn’t get as much reward value from food, so you start to eat less food overall—even if the food is usually something you find rewarding, like a big juicy steak.

The ultimate result is unintentional caloric restriction. Caloric restriction sets off a number of changes. When caloric intake drops, the concentration of insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone are significantly reduced. This condition triggers autophagy, which literally means “self-eating”—an internal process of cleaning up old cells and repairing damaged ones. Autophagy is also induced during fasting.

This may be why caloric restriction is so effective at reducing inflammation and alleviating symptoms of autoimmune disease. (7) Of course, caloric restriction also results in weight loss. These are arguably the two primary reasons that people seem to be drawn to the carnivore way of eating, but these effects might also be achieved through simple caloric restriction.

2. The Carnivore Diet Is a Low-Residue Diet

“Residue” is essentially undigested food that makes up stool. A low-residue diet is a diet that limits high-fiber foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. It is often prescribed for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to alleviate symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. (8)

Meat is made primarily of protein and fat, which are absorbed high up in the GI tract, leaving little residue leftover to irritate or inflame the gut. In other words, an all-meat diet is effectively a very low-residue diet and gives the gut a rest.

3. The Carnivore Diet Is Often Ketogenic

If you’re eating large amounts of meat but are only eating once or twice a day and adding extra fat to the meat, your diet is likely ketogenic. A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein diet, with:

60 to 70 percent of energy from fat

20 to 30 percent of energy from protein

5 to 10 percent of energy from carbohydrates

While the carnivore diet has no such macronutrient ratios, it’s likely that some of the benefits that come with eating meat alone are due to the body being in a state of ketosis.

Ketogenic diets have been shown to be helpful for a wide variety of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. (9, 10)

4. The Carnivore Diet Changes the Gut Microbiota

Switching to an all-meat diet can also rapidly alter the gut microbiota. A 2014 study found that putting healthy human volunteers on an animal-based diet resulted in significant changes to the gut microbiota in less than 48 hours. (11) The animal-based diet increased the abundance of bile-tolerant organisms and decreased the levels of microbes known to metabolize different plant fibers.

The gut microbiota has been linked to virtually every chronic inflammatory disease that has been studied, so it’s no surprise that an intervention that drastically changes the gut microbiota could have significant implications for health. (12)

The Biggest Potential Problem with This Diet: Nutrient Deficiencies

Now that we’ve established some of the mechanisms involved, the big question is: is the carnivore diet safe?

The short answer is that we really don’t know, since there are no long-term studies that have tracked large groups of individuals on carnivore diets for any significant length of time. One of my chief concerns about it is that it lacks several nutrients that are crucial for health.

There are four micronutrients that are especially difficult to obtain on a meat-only diet. Based on a typical carnivore diet and the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) established by the Institute of Medicine, these include:

Vitamin C: An antioxidant that boosts immune cell function and is important for stimulating collagen synthesis

Vitamin E: An antioxidant that prevents the oxidation of lipids and lipoproteins

Vitamin K2: A fat-soluble vitamin that reduces the calcification of blood vessels

Calcium: A mineral required for healthy bones, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission

If dairy is included in the diet, this will cover vitamin K2 and calcium. However, if you don’t like organ meats, the number of potential micronutrient deficiencies increases significantly. In that case, you can add to the list:

Vitamin A: A fat-soluble vitamin important for proper vision and maintaining immune defenses

Folate: A B vitamin important for cell growth, metabolism, and methylation

Manganese: A trace mineral needed for the proper function of the nervous system, collagen formation, and protection against oxidative stress

Magnesium: A mineral that supports more than 300 biochemical reactions, including energy production, DNA repair, and muscle contraction

It’s also important to note that vitamin C is extremely heat sensitive, so only fresh or very gently cooked organ meats will have appreciable amounts.

Many carnivore dieters claim that the nutrient requirements for the general population simply don’t apply to them. Anecdotally, I know of several individuals who have consumed a carnivore diet for three or more years without any overt signs of nutrient deficiencies.

Still, we’re lacking data. Currently, the DRIs are the best we have to go off of, and I don’t think we have enough evidence to unequivocally say that this diet has no risk of producing nutrient deficiencies in the general population.

Should We Be Aiming Higher Than the Daily Recommended Intake?

Even if the carnivore diet were sufficient to prevent outright deficiency, we should also consider metabolic reserve. Metabolic reserve is the capacity of cells, tissues, and organ systems to withstand repeated changes to physiological needs. In other words, it’s having enough nutrients “in the bank” to be able to deal with a major stressor, injury, or environmental exposure. (13) So if an all-meat dieter manages to meet a recommended nutrient intake, it still may not be enough for optimal health.

Other Reasons an All-Meat Diet May Not Be Healthy

It Lacks Beneficial Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are chemicals that are produced by plants to protect against environmental threats, such as attacks from insects and disease. They can also have major benefits for our health. Curcumin, beta-carotene, quercetin, and resveratrol are all examples of common phytonutrients.

Some proponents of the carnivore diet suggest that phytonutrients are toxic to humans, and that it’s best to eliminate them completely from our diet. However, many of these “toxins” act as acute stressors that actually make us stronger through a process called hormesis.

Much like resistance training is an acute stressor that leads our muscles to adapt and get stronger, exposure to small amounts of phytonutrients is a hormetic stressor that activates several different pathways in the body, ultimately serving to reduce inflammation, enhance immunity, improve cellular communication, repair DNA damage, and even detoxify potential carcinogens. (14, 15)

It Might Affect Hormones, Fertility, and Thyroid Function

We have zero long-term data about how an all-meat diet impacts hormones, thyroid function, and fertility. I have written before about why carbohydrates are particularly important for female fertility and why very-low-carb diets may not be the best choice during pregnancy.

Carbohydrates are particularly important for supporting thyroid function since insulin stimulates the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone T4 to active T3. In fact, traditional cultures that ate largely animal products and had little access to plant foods often went to great lengths to support fertility, including eating the thyroid glands of the animals they hunted. (16)

My guess is that most modern “carnivores” are not consuming the thyroid glands of animals and are therefore at risk for suboptimal thyroid function and (at least temporary) infertility.

It Could Overtax Your Liver (If You’re Eating Lean Meat)

When you don’t eat sufficient carbohydrates and fat, your liver can make glucose from protein via a process called gluconeogenesis. This process creates nitrogen waste, which must be converted to urea and disposed of through the kidneys.

While this is a normal process that occurs in every human being, there is a limit to how much protein the liver can cope with safely. More than 35 to 40 percent of total calories as protein can overwhelm the urea cycle, leading to nausea, diarrhea, wasting, and, potentially, death. For pregnant women, this threshold may be as low as 25 percent of total calories. (17)

Interestingly, anthropological evidence suggests that hunters throughout history avoided consuming excess protein, even discarding animals low in fat when food was scarce. (18)

In short: When eating meat, it’s important to have a good amount of healthy fats or quality carbohydrates as well.

Is the Carnivore Diet the Ideal Human Diet?

In the last section, I outlined several potential concerns with the carnivore diet. But this leads me to another important question: even if the carnivore diet is safe, is it really the best diet for optimal health?

While you might be able to get away with a vegetarian or carnivorous diet for a short while, the evidence suggests that the ideal diet includes both animal and plant foods. Dr. Sarah Ballantyne broke this down in part three of her series “The Diet We’re Meant to Eat: How Much Meat versus Veggies.”

While you can theoretically get all of your nutrients from one group alone (and potentially supplement with any missing nutrients from the other group), we need both sets of nutrients to be optimally healthy, and consuming animal and plant foods in their whole form is the best way to accomplish this.

Five Alternatives to the Carnivore Diet

Here are some options that might provide the same therapeutic benefits that the carnivore diet can offer—but without as much potential risk.

1. A Low-Carb Paleo Diet

Some people trying a carnivore diet are going straight from the Standard American Diet to pure carnivore. Oftentimes, a low-carbohydrate Paleo template might provide some of the same benefits, including weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and an alleviation in autoimmune symptoms. (19, 20, 21)

2. A Fasting Mimicking Diet

A fasting mimicking diet can reverse type 1 and type 2 diabetes, alleviate age-dependent impairments in cognitive performance, and protect against cancer and aging in mice. (22, 23, 24) In humans, the fasting mimicking diet was found to significantly reduce body weight, improve cardiovascular risk markers, lower inflammation, and potentially improve symptoms of multiple sclerosis. (25, 26)

3. Periodic Prolonged Fasting

Undergoing a 72-hour fasting once every few months could also achieve many of the benefits boasted by the carnivore diet. Prolonged fasting causes organs to shrink and then be rejuvenated as damaged cells are cleared out and stem cell pathways are activated. (27)

4. A Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet has been very well studied and has documented benefits for epilepsy, neurodegenerative disease, and autoimmune disease. Ketones themselves are potent anti-inflammatories. (28, 29)

5. Addressing Gut Pathologies

If a healthy lifestyle coupled with the dietary approaches above is insufficient to control your symptoms, consider working with a Functional Medicine practitioner who is knowledgeable about gut health. If you’re thinking about becoming a strict carnivore because you’re experiencing adverse reactions to even very small amounts of plant foods, that’s likely a sign of an underlying gut infection that should be addressed.

Share this with friends and family who might be considering an all-meat diet, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

The post The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy? appeared first on Chris Kresser.

The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy? published first on https://chriskresser.com