Thursday, 30 December 2010

The Connectome: TED Talk Summary of Sebastian Seung


Here are my notes from the TED talk of Dr. Sebastian Seung from MIT.   I recommend viewing the presentation--although about 17 minutes long it is entertaining as well as showing some great graphics of the imaging and technology
  • Your genome--your entire sequence of your DNA
  • Small differences in genome make us who we are
  • Are we more than our genes?  I would like to think so.
  • Well what am I then?   I am my connectome
  • C elegant was the worm that had the first mapping of all neuron connections
  • But human brain has 100 billion neurons--many connections between these neurons
  • Maybe our personal memories are coded in the connections
  • I propose this hypothesis:  I am my connectome--my pattern of connections between neurons
  • How do we find connectomes in the human brain?
  • Technology provides some advances in understanding these connections
  • Thin slices of mouse brain can be imaged in three dimensions
  • A three dimensional model allows for imaging synapses--connections between neurons
  • Neurotransmitters provide the chemical message connections
  • How do we move from one synapse to looking for connectomes?
  • One key challenge--who do the brains of men and women differ?
  • Our brains are like spaghetti--each piece touches many other pieces
  • The complexity of these connections make some feel the task is impossible
  • It is easy to despair at the difficulty of the task

  • Some day a fleet of microscopes will be able to see all the neuron connections 
  • Some day supercomputers will use these images to see an entire connection
  • I am working on a small piece of this challenge
  • Our connectomes change over time as we age and develop
  • Synapses are created and eliminated
  • Neurons are created and eliminated
  • What causes these changes?  
  • Some is programmed by your genome but other changes are due to environmental experiences
  • Even genetically identical twins have difference experiences and therefore different connectomes
  • Here is a metaphor for the connectome: Neural activity is the water of a stream--the connections determine the pathway of this stream
  • A connectome is like the bed of a stream guiding the water of the stream
  • However, over time the stream of water changes the river bed
  • Neural activity is the basis of thoughts, feeling and perception
  • Neural activity is the stream and the connectome is the river bed
  • Memories may be chains of connections in neurons
  • The sequence may guide specific memories, i.e. memory of a piano sonata
  • Total length of wires in the brain--I estimate millions of miles, all packed in your brain
  • In truth, we can't see the brain in enough detail to see wiring abnormalities in disease such as autism and anorexia
  • Our research has philosophical implications
  • Death is the loss of your individual neuronal connections: your connectome
  • I propose we attempt to find a connectome in a person who has died (and had brain frozen) to see if it may be still intact and provide re-creation of an individual
  • This voyage of self-discovery is not just for scientists but for all of us.
In a 2009 Neuron paper (direct link) is a more technical summary of some of the research advances in this topic.  He notes that key technique advances have included:

  • fluorescent protein labeling to mark active synapses
  • coupling electron microscopy with serial sectioning techniques
  • automated cutting and processing of brain slices
  • computer-assisted methods to speed up image analysis
Despite these advances, significant challenges remain for advancement of this field of neuroscience

Seung on Twitter: @Sebastian Seung

Seung HS (2009). Reading the book of memory: sparse sampling versus dense mapping of connectomes. Neuron, 62 (1), 17-29 PMID: 19376064

Tuesday, 28 December 2010

2011 New Year's Resolutions: Lose Weight!

Along the same lines as the last blog post - a long-winded and passionate article on getting beyond the pathological fixation on weight, diet, and body image issues affecting modern humans to an unacceptable degree, here is an audio program encouraging you to not TRY to lose weight as a New Year's Resolution.

The focus of any New Year's Resolution should be making a resolution to spend more time doing what you find to be the most fulfilling, satisfying, and enjoyable things in life - establishing a healthy relationship with food and exercise in a way that supports those endeavors instead of functioning as a major distraction, and just letting go and letting the pounds fall where they may.  Enjoy, and feel free to pass it along to anyone you know whose life and aspirations are being undermined by their inner body image, weight loss, and dietary battles.  

Medications in Autism: Resources for Parents

Parents of children with autism face a myriad of decisions regarding treatment options.  Medications can be one component of a multidisciplinary treatment approach.  However, there is limited research to assist in making evidence-based decisions.  The only FDA approved medications approved for autism are risperidone and aripiprazole--atypical antipsychotic medications indicated for the irritability that can be associated with the disorder.

Williamson and Martin from Vanderbilt University and Yale University respectively, recently summarized some practical considerations on psychtropic medications targeted for parents. This review provides an up-to-date summary of research. The review identifies three clusters of symptoms common in autism: irritability, inattention and motor hyperactivity and repetitive behavior. Here is a synopsis of their recommendations:

Irritability
  • Risperidone first FDA approved drug for irritability in autism
  • New England Journal published study found 57% decrease in irritability in children with autism compared to only a 14% decrease in placebo group
  • Aripiprazole is a newer atypical agent with some promise
  • Primary side effects of these agents are metabolic-weight gain, increased cholesterol, increased prolactin hormone levels, increased risk is type 2 diabetes
  • Adding psychoeducation and parental training augments effect of risperidone on irritability outcomes
  • Older typical antipsychotics may be effective--these have less metabolic side effects but higher risk for inducing movement disorders (tardive dyskinesias)
  • Mood stabilizers such as lithium and valproic acid have limited evidence of effectiveness for irritability
  • One small study of 25 children with autism found 40% reduction in irritability with alpha-2 agonist guanfacine
Inattention and motor hyperactivity
  • Symptoms similar to those found in children with ADHD common in autism
  • Stimulants such as methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine very effective in ADHD without autism
  • Stimulants have less effectiveness for inattention and hyperactivity in children with autism
  • Response rates lower in this group--may require trials of several agents before effective response seen
  • Children with autism appear more likely to experience side effects with stimulants
  • Alpha-2 agonists (guanfacine) commonly used for ADHD but limited research in autism populations
Repetitive behaviors
  • Medications studied have typically been drugs that have shown some effectiveness in treating repetitive behaviors in obsessive compulsive disorder, i.e. the selective serotoning re-uptake inhibitors
  • However, randomized trial of the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, citalopram found no benefit over placebo
  • One small study of 13 patients found improvement in repetitive behaviors with the mood stabilizer valproic acid
The authors note one of the best studied drugs in autism is secretin. However, despite initial promise further large well-designed studies found no evidence of effectiveness in autism.

The authors note that parents should consider medication options only in the context of comprehensive treatment programs with a physician who has expertise in pediatric psychopharmacology.   Currently available medications are not a cure, but may substantially improve some target symptoms.   Side effects can be serious and require careful consideration of the risk-benefit profile and careful medical monitoring.

Our understanding of autism has evolved from a disorder once incorrectly considered a result of disordered parenting to a genetic disorder of neurodevelopment.   I agree with the authors closing statement: "Well-informed, engaged and proactive parents will continue to play a pivotal role in the treatment of their own children, and as the past two decades have shown, through their advocacy and involvement, help in the care of all children with autism spectrum disorders."

3 D Model of Risperidone Courtesy of Wikepedia Commons file authored by Ben Webber

Additional Recommended Resources for Parents with a Child with Autism
Williamson ED, & Martin A (2010). Psychotropic Medications in Autism: Practical Considerations for Parents. Journal of autism and developmental disorders PMID: 21170674

Monday, 27 December 2010

Garbanzo Bean Burgers


This is an extremely simple and delicious burger. Top it with all your favorite veggies and enjoy!!

Serves 6
Printable Recipe

1 16 oz. can low sodium garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained - mashed
1 carrot, finely grated
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped finely
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. wheat flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (for cooking burgers in)

Mix all ingredients together (except oil for cooking burgers in). Form flat patties. Fry in oiled pan over medium heat on both sides until golden brown. Serve on a sprouted bun with lettuce, tomato & onion.

Garbanzo beans are one of the top plant sources of protein. A cupful gives a person 15 grams of protein.
Protein is needed for many functions in the body, including building muscle tissue.

Garbanzo beans are also one of the best non-meat sources of iron. A cup of garbanzo beans provides a person with 1/4 the iron needed for the day. Iron is very important for good health. Lack of iron can result in fatigue, anemia, and other health conditions.

Garbanzo beans are also excellent sources of manganese, folic acid, phosphorus, and copper.

Friday, 24 December 2010

Top Ten 2010 Brain Posts


Here's a recap of ten of the most viewed Brain Posts from 2010.  The list comes from the count totals from Clicky and Blogpost stats.

1. Perfectionism as a Risk Factor for Anorexia Perfectionism when combined with other psychological problems (low-self esteem, body dissatisfaction) increases risk for developing anorexia nervosa
2. Why People Believe Weird Things Michael Shermer, the publisher of Skeptic magazine recently presented at TED looking at why humans tend to be open to self-deception. 
3. Vitamin B and Brain Atrophy in Alzheimer's Disease A group of subjects taking a vitamin B complex supplement showed a reduced rate of brain atrophy.
4. REM Sleep Latency in Autism Children with autism show reduced level of REM sleep. 
5. Do Personalities Converge After Marriage? People who get married often share similar personality features, but personalities do not appear to become more similar with time.
6. Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Adult ADHD ADHD is characterized by deficits in brain executive function.  These deficits are often not part of a diagnostic assessment. 
7. Neuroscience of Murder and Aggression, Part 1 Dr. Jim Fallon summarizes results of research into the minds of murders in a TED presentation. 
8. Deep Brain Stimulation for Depression Dr. Helen Mayberg summarizes research into the use of deep brain stimulation for depression at a NARSAD sponsored lecture. 
9. Chocolate Consumption and Depression A cross-sectional study found that people with higher depression scores tended to consume more chocolate.
10. Brain Neurocircuitry in Depression Dr. Wayne Drevets of the Laureate Institute for Brain Research summarizes research into the brain circuitry of depression.  


I want to thank the readers of Brain Posts.  It has been an exciting year in clinical neuroscience research.  I learned quite a bit through reading and posting on this blog.  Best wishes for a great 2011!


Photo of Santa Feeding Fish at the Oklahoma Aquarium Courtesy of Yates Photography.


Wade TD, Tiggemann M, Bulik CM, Fairburn CG, Wray NR, & Martin NG (2008). Shared temperament risk factors for anorexia nervosa: a twin study. Psychosomatic medicine, 70 (2), 239-44 PMID: 18158375


Krummenacher P, Mohr C, Haker H, & Brugger P (2010). Dopamine, paranormal belief, and the detection of meaningful stimuli. Journal of cognitive neuroscience, 22 (8), 1670-81 PMID: 19642883


Smith, A., Smith, S., de Jager, C., Whitbread, P., Johnston, C., Agacinski, G., Oulhaj, A., Bradley, K., Jacoby, R., & Refsum, H. (2010). Homocysteine-Lowering by B Vitamins Slows the Rate of Accelerated Brain Atrophy in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial PLoS ONE, 5 (9) DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0012244


Buckley AW, Rodriguez AJ, Jennison K, Buckley J, Thurm A, Sato S, & Swedo S (2010). Rapid eye movement sleep percentage in children with autism compared with children with developmental delay and typical development. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 164 (11), 1032-7 PMID: 21041596


Humbad MN, Donnellan MB, Iacono WG, McGue M, & Burt SA (2010). Is Spousal Similarity for Personality A Matter of Convergence or Selection? Personality and individual differences, 49 (7), 827-830 PMID:21116446


Kessler RC, Green JG, Adler LA, Barkley RA, Chatterji S, Faraone SV, Finkelman M, Greenhill LL, Gruber MJ, Jewell M, Russo LJ, Sampson NA, & Van Brunt DL (2010). Structure and diagnosis of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: analysis of expanded symptom criteria from the adult ADHD clinical diagnostic scale. Archives of general psychiatry, 67 (11), 1168-78 PMID: 21041618


Mayberg HS (2009). Targeted electrode-based modulation of neural circuits for depression. The Journal of clinical investigation, 119 (4), 717-25 PMID: 19339763


Cadoret RJ, Yates WR, Troughton E, Woodworth G, & Stewart MA (1995). Genetic-environmental interaction in the genesis of aggressivity and conduct disorders. Archives of general psychiatry, 52 (11), 916-24 PMID: 7487340


Rose N, Koperski S, & Golomb BA (2010). Mood food: chocolate and depressive symptoms in a cross-sectional analysis. Archives of internal medicine, 170 (8), 699-703 PMID: 20421555


Price JL, & Drevets WC (2010). Neurocircuitry of mood disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 35 (1), 192-216 PMID: 19693001

Thursday, 23 December 2010

Weight Fixation: "Waist" of Time

“The cruel irony is that although we become totally obsessed with the daily measures of how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ we are (refused dessert = good; didn’t have time to go to the gym = bad), there is no finish line. This weight preoccupation will never lead us anywhere. It is a maniacal maze that always spits you out at the same point it sucked you up: wanting. We keep chasing after perfection as if it is an achievable goal, when really it is the most grand and painful of all mirages.”


“Spontaneity is crucial to health. Listening to when your body is hungry, and for what, is a mindful act anathema to most young women. In fact, the majority of those I interviewed for this book don’t even know how to identify when they are hungry or when they are full. They have so intellectualized the rights and wrongs of feeding themselves that they can’t feel a damn thing.”

-Courtney Martin; Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body

It made a huge impression on me when I first heard Human Behavior expert John Demartini say that you must plant flowers in the garden of your mind or you will be “forever pulling weeds.” Although the guy has a lot of cutesy sayings that fall somewhere in between Cheddar and Provolone, there is no doubt that many of his sayings, like this one, are very well thought out and meaningful.

This saying in particular means that you must fill your life and your mind with what is important to you, and what you are passionate about doing/experiencing/exploring or distractions and annoyances will end up filling your mind and your life – just like a garden with nothing planted in it will quickly be overrun with the stuff you don’t want in your garden. When I first heard this, and the truth of it sank in, it was only a matter of weeks before I purchased 30 health and nutrition books online and started this blog. I’ve been dedicated to filling up as much of my life and mind with what I find to be the most interesting subject on earth ever since. For no other reason than because I really love and enjoy it.

What saddens me is thinking about all our culture’s wasted time and head space that gets wrapped up in “what am I going to eat today” and “gosh life would be better if I lost 20 pounds.” To me, this neurotic and obsessive behavior (that first struck me at around age 14) has become one of the primary diseases of modern humans, no doubt a direct result of being bombarded with a barrage of marketing messages that are totally unrealistic (and of course cloaking serious health problems and eating disorders – because you can’t see those in a picture or commercial) and the yardstsicks of self worth that are generated based on that.

But after researching stress in greater detail, it’s become apparent to me that this fixation on weight, body image, diet, and so forth is a much greater health liability than any known junk food. I also wouldn’t disagree with Shawn Talbott, author of The Cortisol Connection, who states that stressing out about your diet too much is a leading cause of excessive cortisol production. It’s probably an even more prevalent problem than eating a truly crappy diet, and is a problem that humans have probably never immersed themselves in to such a degree until now.

But it gives me great joy to bring my research full circle. In fact, I applied for an LLC name in Hawaii in 2005 called “The Body Trust.” It was based in part on an epiphany I had while starving myself out in the Wilderness, which was the climax of my war against myself to achieve superhuman fitness, leanness, toughness, and self-sufficiency. The name was turned down because the word Trust is apparently off-limits, so I went back to the drawing board and came up with Sacred Self instead – the original name of this blog.

Cheesy I know, and Woo-Woo up to Wazoo, but the meaning behind it was truly revolutionary. My main sermon was to form a pact with yourself, make a conscious effort to avoid feelings of guilt, shame, and remorse in all things in life but most importantly your exercise and food choices (I can still vividly remember how focused I was on enjoying a piece of chocolate cake for the first time instead of beating myself up over it and quickly promising to run 47 miles on my hands the next day), and to fully trust and obey cues for hunger and desires for physical activity.

That’s where this all began, and I even published a few articles in a New Agey publication about self-judgment and an article entitled, “How Much Do Your Beliefs Weigh?” which featured my strong belief that negative self-talk and the binge and repent mindset were the root of excess body fat storage. Author Linda Bacon who you can read more about at the 180 Metabolism Blog in my latest post “Devour Bacon for Christmas” would certainly agree.

All that aside, the big question is how do we overcome our neurotic fixations on body image and our diet, in the name of better health – and more importantly, a better and more empowered and fulfilling life – filled “ful” of flowers and not weeds?

First, we must break down some of the myths surrounding leanness. We clearly have a totally delusional infatuation with it.

Why is leanness attractive? Leanness is attractive because it is more scarce. Scarcity is what gives all things value. At times in history, and in many countries still today like Mauritania which is the most extreme, it was much harder to be big, strong, and full-bodied than it was to have a 6-pack. Being voluptuous was more attractive, not being lean. In some cultures it’s hot to put a big plate inside your bottom lip or get your face really scarred up. Beauty is mostly a subjective matter and is based almost purely on being rare and difficult to obtain – just like diamonds, gold, silver, art, boutique wines, etc.

Shaved (no pun intended) down to its core, attraction is all about VALUE. What makes a person attractive is based on how valuable they are to the prospective “buyer.” The two most common virtues that are valued in today’s society are wealth (and the status and sphere of influence that accompanies it) and physical beauty (which again, is mostly subjective). For mutual attraction to emerge between two people, there has to be a state of value equality between two people… and equal exchange. When the exchange is equal, the two people have matching self-confidence (self-worth, the prime determinant of your attractiveness), and they feel equally lucky to be in the relationship because each possesses something that the other values.

When there is a power shift however, like one person getting a huge promotion or say, being in the National spotlight for overcoming testicular cancer and going on to win a worldwide athletic competition that inspires a billion people, the balance is totally thrown out of whack. When this happens a whole set of instinctual behaviors emerge that try to achieve balance once more. The lesser person in the relationship will often be quite irrational in trying to bring the other down to his or/her level (via resentment, infidelity, depression, alcoholism, abusive and/or combative behavior) or bring himself or herself up in value (by getting leaner, trying to seduce another, more powerful person, plastic surgery, or whatever desperate measures can be conjured up).

I bring this all up because, in today’s day and age, one thing you don’t want to use to attract another person is physical beauty. Physical beauty, unlike most other qualities that can have value and therefore be attractive to someone else, is a DEPRECIATING ASSET. I semi grew up in Aspen, CO for the love of Pete. What I’m about to say is not a stereotype, but a fundamental law of interpersonal relationships…

The more attractive you are based on society’s definition, the higher your probability of attracting people more fixated on physical appearance and less fixated on personality characteristics. Most people probably have a percentage. Some are 10% physically attracted, 90% attracted to other values – some are 90% -10% in the other direction.

And I’m telling you, the more attractive you are, the more likely you are to attract someone whose attraction is more heavily weighted on physical appearance.

In Aspen, the typical scenario goes one of two ways…

Wealthy young man marries hot young woman. This is a common exchange because these are the two most prized “scarce” attributes in modern society. Her accessory is the large diamond she gets out of the exchange and the increasing social status. His accessory is the woman herself and his personal feeling of self-confidence as every man obsessed with physical appearance (there are many) wishes they could be him. Both enter into the top tier in the pecking order for their respective genders (and yes, men and women’s pursuit of stupid leanness is more in competition with people of their own sex for power and thus increased self-worth, not necessarily because it is what the opposite sex finds attractive – but again, self-worth is the overall prime determinant of attractiveness).

Man gets increasingly wealthy. Hot woman becomes increasingly less hot. Woman goes crazy dieting and getting plastic surgery and blowing enormous amounts of money on things that make her feel more attractive and confident (jewelry, botox, designer clothes) trying to maintain equality. Both stop getting along and start becoming unfaithful. It is a mess. Inequality of self-worth cannot exist in a healthy relationship.

Or the man of course just cashes out and seeks out a younger, hotter piece of ass that equalizes his ever-growing self-worth.

You may not see this play out much where you live, but it has taken over places like Aspen and parts of So Cal and South Florida with jaw-dropping consistency. It’s probably no coincidence that Lance moved to Aspen where he can bar tender bartenders.

I bring this all up because being attractive is just as much of a curse as it is a blessing. To be fixated on it as if life will be made better by becoming more attractive is a tragic error. Rather, the more attractive you become the more you attract those who care more about physical appearance than anything else – and as the love you receive from your partner slips away with your beauty over the years, and your partner starts spending lots of time checking out other people and wishing to do a trade in for a younger model, you will get to experience what it feels like to be on the short end of the relationship stick.

So based on the grounds of relationships, or attracting a wonderful mate, there really is no grounds for thinking you need to improve your appearance. Even if physical attraction is important to you, and you want to “tie down” a hottie, you’ll be more likely to achieve it by generating an asset more valuable to a hottie – like material wealth, or being a great musician, entertainer, intellectual, etc (trust me, Orianthi could gain 50 pounds and still be more desirable than any supermodel on earth).

And let’s not forget that…

1) Dramatic attempts to become super lean and hot usually end up with you becoming more fat and ugly with more health problems and more emotional instability.

2) We are usually pretty limited in our ability to change our physical appearance more than slightly – not enough to make any real difference in the grand scheme of things

3) The opportunity cost of being perpetually fixated on your outward appearance, your diet, and your exercise regimen is a huge waste of your time here on earth, keeping you from having more fulfilling experiences in your life, and cultivating self-worth via other means that are NOT DEPRECIATING ASSETS.

4) The more obsessive you become about becoming more attractive, the more insecure, self-conscious, self-critical, narrow-minded, and one-dimensional you become.

5) The more you value physical appearance, the less you will be able to connect with yourself and others and appreciate people, including yourself, for the many, diverse gifts and talents one can possess.

6) Diet obsessiveness is socially crippling and alienates friends and family members

7) Restrained eating is a serious health liability (Linda Bacon claims there were 75 studies that demonstrate this as of 2008).

8) Being worried about how you look is without question the single biggest turnoff to others in the world. Trying on 36 outfits to see which one makes you look the least fat is not “cute.” In my experience, seeing beauty in someone who cannot see it themselves because of some drive for the elusive perfection, is deeply heartbreaking.

9) The universal quest to obtain and express unconditional love (for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse) gets farther out of reach the more you measure yourself up to an aesthetic ideal (which, again, is mostly subjective, and is an elusive fantasy that no one can ever obtain).

10) If you diet down below your weight set point to attract someone, you will create an artificially high standard for your looks in the other person’s eyes which will lead to a lot of disappointment in the person you attract when you gain all that back plus some.

11) There are 7 million Americans, and many more millions worldwide with a diagnosed eating disorder (and an estimated 25% chance of dying from suicide or that affliction directly), and diet and body image fixation is the “gateway drug” to get there.

12) Most of the compiled epidemiological health stats gathered worldwide suggest that being slightly overweight is more healthy, and yields much greater longevity, than if you are a of a “normal” weight or are underweight compared to your fellow countrymen and women.

So I propose something totally different, and hope to post a strong, affirmative presentation before the New Year to help us all frame a much more empowered mindset heading into 2011. And that something different is to take a lot of focus off of diet and body image (weeds) and make a conscious and continuing effort to replace those weeds with the things you want to do, experience, have, learn about, and spend your day doing – not just for your own sense of enjoyment, but to actually cultivate self-worth in areas that don’t depreciate.

Sure, health is important. We all want to feel good, be full of life, have the energy and charisma to do the things in life we want to do, and so forth. Health will always be the foundation for living a truly inspiring and fulfilling life. And our diet and lifestyle is a great backbone for all that. However, this desire to nourish oneself, eat the type of food that makes us feel good and perform at our best instead of for other reasons, and establishing a healthy relationship with our diets, our health, and our physical attributes – is something that stems from total dietary freedom, flexibility, open-mindedness, and lack of restraint of any kind.

You should never allow yourself to feel deprived of something so easily under your control as the food you eat or the amount of rest and/or activity you require to function at your best.

But most importantly, no matter who you are you must swear above all else that you will never betray yourself with self-deprecating thoughts. If you get one thing out of this post, it would be to replace those self-deprecating thoughts and body image fixation with time spent cultivating your greatest skill, fulfilling your greatest pleasure, touching the lives of others with whatever gifts you’ve been given, and begin taking a large dose of the wonder drug Fukitol for additional support with that.

In other words, to quote the movie Little Miss Sunshine, “Do what you love and f#!% the rest.” If you don’t love thinking about and playing around with your diet to see how it can change how you feel and function, then stop doing it. If you don’t love checking yourself out in the mirror 47 times per day and constantly thinking about that little pouch of fat on “x” part of your body, then stop doing it. If you don’t really love engaging in the endlessly interesting health conversation at this blog, then spend your time doing something you love more.  I won't be offended.

In closing, I don’t think there’s anything much more inspirational than this as it pertains to us all trying to overcome the nagging, time-consuming, and disease-causing fixation on body image. Many people allow 100 pounds, 50 pounds, or even as little as 5-10 pounds to get in the way of them doing truly great things with the gifts they’ve been given (or even go on a beach vacation) – or the desire to be more attractive occupies so much time and energy and mental racket that it prevents people from developing valuable knowledge and skills – or even being so much as a good parent, a good friend, or just enjoy a slice of pizza.

Well, you can weigh over 700 pounds, barely be able to breathe, and still be widely loved, adored, respected, appreciated, and honored for the talented and passionate person that you are. IZ (shown above), perhaps the state of Hawaii’s greatest icon – and the only non-government official to have the state flown at half mast after death, was recently recognized by NPR two weeks ago as having one of the top 50 voices in the history of recorded music. 13 years after his death, his most beloved song has had well over 13,000,000 views in just eight months after being posted on Youtube.  I can't embed the video here due to permissions, but you can see it by clicking below.  I highly recommend watching it if you have any image insecurities - with weight or otherwise. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I

The question is, would his time have been better spent dieting, feeling ashamed over how he looked, constantly trying to figure out how to lose weight, looking in the mirror, hiding from cameras, counting grams of trans fats or sugar in his food, and shying away from the public eye for fear of being looked upon as a glutton by a bunch of people who don’t understand the first thing about body weight regulation? If he had a 6-pack would he have been more loved or less loved? If you get that last little bit of cellulite off your ass, and you spend most of your idle time thinking about how you look, will you inspire others and leave a mark on society so profound that someone that you’ve never met will see a random video of you on Youtube 13 years after you die and have tears of inspiration rolling down their cheeks? I kinda doubt it.

In 2011, make it a resolution to first choose Inspiration, then Health (and doing what makes you feel physically good) in that order, and stop trying to lose weight. If you lose weight doing that, great. If you don’t, great. It doesn’t matter. The weight problem is the fixation on it, not the weight itself. And that can be cured in 5 seconds if you really GET what I’m saying in this post.

Besides, I still fully agree with Schwarzbein's proclamation, "you must get healthy to lose weight, not lose weight to be healthy."  But I think it can be taken even further, in that you must cure a weight issue to lose weight, not lose weight to cure a weight issue.  Like a wise man once said, "don't drink to solve your problems, solve your problems before you drink." 

To further help yourself overcome any obesity myths you may be influenced by, I highly encourage everyone (not just Danyelle who has taken the following advice literally!) to DEVOUR BACON FOR CHRISTMAS as explained HERE, regardless of your religious beliefs. See, isn’t Bacon delicious?

“Only through extraordinary effort and education have I been able to free myself from my obsession with weight.”


“As wonderful as food is, it is only one of many pleasures in my life. I am no longer waiting to lose weight before I live my life fully. Having freed up all the energy and time that I spent on dieting or obsessing about my weight or food and having let go of my shame about these, I have greater depth and fulfillment in my life, including deeper intimacy with others. I don’t think about my weight, and it stays fairly consistent. Oddly, after this new eating pattern became firmly rooted, I actually lost about thirty pounds.”


“Fat isn’t the problem. Dieting is the problem. A society that rejects anyone whose body shape or size doesn’t match an impossible ideal is the problem. A medical establishment that equates ‘thin’ with ‘healthy’ is the problem.”


“There is an easy way to win the war against fat and reclaim your pleasure in eating: Just give up. Yes, give up. Stop fighting.”

-Linda Bacon

For more on the futility of dieting or trying to consciously control your calorie intake to lose weight and more,  read 180 Degree Metabolism.

Tuesday, 21 December 2010

Breakfast Casserole

Making breakfast during the work week can be a challenge for me, time-wise. Sometimes it’s a challenge effort-wise, too! One solution is this breakfast casserole. This is the dairy-free version I make so that both Nancy and I can enjoy it.

1 lb bulk pork sausage (can be either breakfast or Italian)
1 lb ground pork
1 10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as possible
8 extra large eggs
½ cup So Delicious coconut milk beverage

Preheat oven to 350° F

Brown the meat.

Spray 8.5”x11” baking pan with olive oil (could be any acceptable oil, but we’re avoiding canola and soy, right?)

With a slotted spoon, transfer from frying pan to baking pan.

Evenly spread the spinach over the meat.


Beat the eggs, add the coconut milk and combine. Pour evenly over the spinach layer.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Test for doneness with by inserting a knife. If it comes out clean, it’s done!

Don’t be worried about the lovely fat bubblin’ around the edges (and even on the top) of the casserole. It will recede as it cools. And fat is the basis of our diet, right? If it seems too much for you, you can drain the browned meat in a colander (instead of using the slotted spoon) to remove more fat.

Once cold, we cut this into 8 servings. It reheats perfectly in the microwave. I add 1 ounce of raw cheddar cheese. Sometimes I garnish with some salsa. This breakfast keeps me going until after noon.

Variations:

If dairy sensitivities are not a concern, you can substitute 1 cup of ½ & ½ or heavy cream for the coconut milk beverage. And you could throw some cheese on top of the spinach layer, too!

How about a bacon cheeseburger version? Instead of the pork, use two pounds of ground beef. Cook and crumple a package of bacon and add it as an additional layer.

Enjoy!

Monday, 20 December 2010

Pumpkin-Sunflower Seed Smoothie


I absolutely love this smoothie because it is so packed with nutrients.  The recipe includes bananas, berries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and coconut based yogurt. It tastes heavenly! Thick, creamy and delicious. Adding the coconut milk yogurt gives you 35% of your daily Vitamin B12 needs as well as  beneficial live bacteria. Below are some benefits of the ingredients:

Pumpkin seeds are one of nature's almost perfect foods. They are a natural source of beneficial carbohydrates, amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids. They contain most of the B vitamins, along with C, D, E, and K. They also have the minerals calcium, potassium, niacin, and phosphorous. They are very high in potassium, and have good amounts of beta carotene and vitamin C.


Sunflower seeds (1 oz.) contains more than 75 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin E ,about 15 percent of the recommended daily values of B vitamins, 6 g. protein and 2 g. fiber. Vitamin E is an antioxidant important for heart health while B vitamins, such as folate and B-12, are essential for heart health and healthy reproduction.


Coconut Milk Plain Yogurt: 35% Daily Vit. B12, 3g. fiber, 30% Daily Calcium, 30% Daily magnesium, 6% iron. Live Active Cultures include: L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, L. Plantarum, L. Rhamnosus, L. Paracasei and Bif. Lactus.

Bananas have 4 g. fiber, 16% Daily Vit. C, 20% Daily B6. Bananas are the most potassium-rich fruit ,an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. It is amazing how many nutrients bananas have. It should be said "a banana a day, keeps the doctor away."

Berries are often described as “super foods,” Research shows that berries are among the fruits highest in antioxidant content and that they are excellent sources of several phytochemicals that seem to help block cancer development. They have health benefits in terms of cardiovascular disorders, advancing age-induced oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and diverse degenerative diseases. Berry anthocyanins also improve neuronal and cognitive brain functions and visual health.

Soaking Nuts and Seeds
1.Gather your raw, organic nuts or seeds.
2.Rinse them in purified or distilled water.
3.Place them in a glass or stainless steel bowl.
4.Cover with twice as much water as the nuts or seeds. (1 cup of nuts to 2 cups of water).
5.Cover the bowl with something breathable like a cloth towel.
6.Drain and rinse the nuts or seeds every 3 or 4 hours.

The soak water will contain the enzyme inhibitors which is very acidic to the body so make sure to rinse your nuts and seeds well.

The Benefits of Soaking Nuts and Seeds

•Enzyme inhibitors get neutralized.
•The amount of vitamins your body can absorb increases.
•Gluten breaks down so digestion is much easier.
•Phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of vital minerals, is reduced.

Pumpkin-Sunflower Seed Smoothie
Printable Recipe

1 banana
1 cup frozen berries -can be any berries that you like
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (soaked at least 7 hours)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (soaked at least 2 hours)
1 cup plain coconut yogurt
Almond milk (if mixture seems too thick)

Blend all ingredients together until thick and smooth. ENJOY!!

Epidemiology of Childhood Adversity

A variety of adverse childhood experiences are linked to higher rates of childhood, adolescent and adult clinical neuroscience disorders.  The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently published a summary of the epidemiology of adverse childhood experiences from a survey of five states.  Their survey queried adults on their childhood experience with eight adverse experiences.
  • Verbal Abuse
  • Physical Abuse
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Mentally Ill Household Member
  • Household Member in Prison
  • Substance-abusing Household Member
  • Parents Separated/Divorced
  • Witness to Domestic Violence
The survey found that 59% of adults reported at least one adverse childhood experience and about 9% reported five or more adverse childhood experiences.  One of the findings stood out to me.  The prevalence of reported adverse childhood experiences is larger in more recent cohorts (those under age 35 have higher rates than those currently 55 years of age or older.  I'm in the 55 years and older group and the survey suggest my generation benefited from a period when these adverse experiences were relatively uncommon.  Below is a chart that demonstrates this trend.  About 57% of those in the oldest cohort were free of any adverse childhood experience.

I consider myself very fortunate to not have experienced any of these events during my childhood.  It looks like my experience was similar to many in the older cohort but less common among younger adults.  Digging into the specific adverse effects, several appear to contribute to rising prevalence rates.  Younger cohorts report higher rates of nearly every adverse experience.  The experiences standing out with a marked younger cohort increase include: having a household member in prison, parents separated or divorced, having a mentally ill household member and experiencing verbal abuse.

Multiple traumatic experiences hold the potential for increased psychological and physical outcomes.  The experience of multiple traumas (3 or more) shows a similar trend.  The chart below summarizes the prevalence of three or more adverse events by age cohort:

 

Traumatic experiences are not destiny.  Many experience multiple adverse experiences and through resilience escape any adverse outcomes.  But I do agree with the conclusions from the CDC about these findings:

"The high prevalence of ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) underscores the need for 1) additional efforts at the state and local level to reduce and prevent child maltreatment and associated family dysfunction and 2) further development and dissemination of trauma-focused services to treat stress-related health outcomes associated with ACEs."

To access the complete CDC report in MMWR go here.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2010). Adverse childhood experiences reported by adults --- five States, 2009. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 59 (49), 1609-13 PMID: 21160456

Inflammation Nation

In the last post we talked about the stress response, and how it seems like the modern human body’s reaction to various stressors is overactive. This overactivation, many believe, is linked to the increasing presence of Arachidonic Acid in our bodies. Arachidonic acid is the precursor to what are known as Series 2 Prostaglandins, a class of predominantly pro-inflammatory (although not all) eicosanoids with undeniably close ties to dozens of inflammatory diseases that have risen with breathtaking rapidity over the course of the last century.

But I think few understand just how much of an inflammatory tidal wave we’ve been hit with, and how it’s increasing at exponential speed. Incidence of asthma for example, has increased like 70-something percent in the last 15 years. Anyone who has kids these days knows that food allergies are the norm, not the exception. Kids aren’t even allowed to bring food to share (like cupcakes) to school anymore due to the liability of it containing allergens that another child might react to. Hypersensitive is really the best word to describe the newest generation.

Although the war cannot be solely won on the Arachidonic acid front, I don’t think there’s any question whatsoever that it is, at very least, highly involved in the inflammation phenomenon. The higher the production of Arachidonic-Acid derived inflammatory molecules, generally the greater the incidence and severity of inflammation-related diseases.  (I also believe that when the body temperature is sub-normal, which is extremely common as you can read about in THIS FREE EBOOK, the enzymes and molecules involved in immunity do not work properly, and may, in part, give rise to a state of overcompensation and hypervigilance on behalf of the immune system - leading to allergy and autoimmunity).

When the body confronts some kind of stressor, like an allergen, an infection, injury, the systemic pounding of running a moron-a-thon let’s say, and potentially various forms of psychological stresses as well, the immune system becomes activated and the manufacture and release of Arachidonic Acid-derived molecules gets switched on. The formula appears to be pretty simple. For example, describing Arachidonic Acid-derived leukotrienes, Floyd “Ski” Chilton, author of Inflammation Nation writes:

“The amount of leukotrienes present at the scene of the white blood cells’ attack influences the scale of that attack.”

Chilton goes on to describe how the composition of the diet goes on to directly determine this…

“…research has proven that a high AA diet has the potential actually to change normal immune responses to abnormal, exaggerated ones. A study carried out in 1997 by Dr. Darshan S. Kelley and colleagues at the Western Human Nutrition Research Center in California showed that people on high-AA diets generated four times as many inflammatory cells after a flu vaccination as people on low-AA diets.”

Joe Blair, who I generally speak of highly, has also crafted a theory that Arachidonic Acid excess is really the key in the development of most diseases. We can all be subjected to stressors, but only those with excesses of Arachidonic Acid in their tissues will trigger a reaction strong enough to manifest as one of dozens of inflammatory diseases. Having low levels of arachidonic acid, which Joe Blair has worked hard to achieve in the conquering of his own health problems, evidently can lead to an excess production of quotation marks…

“The key point in all of this is that arachidonic acid is very unstable and toxic, and is released from cells upon the most minor of stressors. Then it can stress the "germs," which cause "disease" by the "clinging" action, provoking the "inflammatory" process, which is too potent and sustained in people with arachidonic acid in their cells, and then the damage that is called one "disease" or another eventually appears.”

Quite simply… Minor stressors cause big, destructive, disease-causing explosions. Is this not exactly what we were getting at in the last post as we examined stress vs. the RESPONSE to stress?

The big question is, what caused the excesses of Arachidonic Acid in our tissues and what can be done to reverse it?

In the last post I mentioned my growing doubt over the belief that by keeping polyunsaturated fat intake exceedingly low, this overzealous stress response could be lowered to a healthy level. Heck, I’ve eaten a very low omega 6 diet for an entire year now, with, if anything, an increasing inflammatory response.

So the timing was good when I came across Ski Chilton and his 2007 book, Inflammation Nation: The First Clinically Proven Eating Plan to End Our Nation’s Secret Epidemic on the shelf of my local library. Of course, when I see the phrase “clinically proven” I automatically assume someone is peddling something that will yield a seemingly-miraculous health improvement followed by the growth of a 3rd nipple, bloody diarrhea, and an unexpected stroke. But I was willing to give Doc Chilton the benefit of the doubt, as I always strive to do.

Chilton had some insights that would rock the sphincters of the likes of Barry Sears, Ray Peat, and Joe Blair – who seem to be convinced that the consumption of seed oils is the primary culprit in our increasingly-inflammatory reaction. Chilton has a new twist on this. I’m not saying this is the be-all, end-all, or that there aren’t other important reasons to avoid vegetable oils (free radical damage), but it does re-awaken the omega 6 conversation. Note, linoleic acid, or LA as referred to in the quote, is what I typically am referring to when I say “omega 6” or “666” if you will…

“Does this mean that if you want to stop making so much AA, you should stop eating LA? Actually, it doesn’t. A number of recent studies indicate that we convert very little LA into AA. Our bodies aren’t good at the first conversion of LA to GLA. Consequently, eating even a lot of LA (as almost all of us do every day) won’t really have a major influence on AA, or on the number of inflammatory messengers you produce.


We didn’t always know this – for a very simple reason. Not all species so limit this conversion. Rodents, including mice, are actually very good at it, which means that they convert a great deal of the LA they eat into AA. So what? Many of the studies examining how the body processes different fatty acids were carried out in mice, which means that some of the conclusions scientists drew about the connection between dietary LA and elevated levels of AA in humans were incorrect.”

According to Chilton, the problem with AA-overload has a heck of a lot more to do with modern farm animals being fed lots of Linoleic acid in their feed (excluding ruminant animals) than it does humans actually consuming Linoleic acid directly (although that is certainly a contributor, and he has no love for corn and soy oil I assure you).

Also, like Barry Sears, he focuses on insulin being a trigger for the Delta 5 Desaturase enzyme, which triggers greater production of AA out of the LA in our diet and tissues. Of course, this water becomes increasingly murky (insulin resistance is most likely the cause of chronic excessive insulin production, and postprandial spikes are meaningless), as he goes on to recommend a rather high-protein diet just like Sears under the belief that carbohydrates raise insulin more than protein, which is typically not true unless you are talking about refined carbohydrates. Still, he’s all about complete avoidance of refined carbohydrates while eating a diet centered more around unrefined starches, fruit, and vegetables along with fatty fish and shellfish, beef, and dairy products (which are closer to being inflammation neutral).  This is not too far off from MY GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. 

To this he has a fatty acid supplement protocol that is designed to decrease AA production based on some studies that he co-authored and found to be effective, such as the poetically-named…

Addition of Eicosapentaenoic Acid to y-linolenic Acid-Supplemented Diets Prevents Serum Arachidonic Acid Accumulation in Humans

In short, he recommends a high daily level of GLA (borage or evening primrose oil) split into 2 doses of roughly 250mg each, with the use of 1 normal 180mg fish oil capsule (which you can avoid if you eat fatty fish several times per week according to Chilton) taken twice daily along with the borage/primrose. This is very similar to Barry Sears’s pioneering work except that Chilton has focused entirely on the suppression of AA production, which ended up requiring much more GLA than Sears ever recommended along with far LESS fish oil – a recommendation I’m more at ease with.

The AA and inflammation debate is far from over, but is just heating up.  I thought it necessary to share another point of view with you. Brian Peskin, another researcher who seems to have entered his own new paradigm on fatty acids due to his own independent research, feels like the war against AA is a huge misunderstanding – as AA produces some amazing anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer molecules like prostacyclin. I’ll be giving more thought to Chilton’s program (and reading his latest book), as well as reviewing Peskin’s work in the year ahead. The lengths I go to in order to keep myself out of trouble!

Food for thought…

This new persepective could potentially reconcile some of the following things…

1) Nuts, seeds, avocado, sesame oil, olive oil, etc. – high in linoleic acid, are referred to as “healthy fats” by mainstream nutrition authorities, as these foods continue to perform well in reducing the rates of many health problems when subjected to study.

2) Seed oils, in large-scale studies don’t typically produce greater incidence of heart disease, obesity, asthma, etc.

3) Pork fat, perhaps the worst AA offender, is what is used in clinical trials and labeled “saturated fat.” This drives smart people like Chris Masterjohn up the friggin’ wall (UTFW), as pork fat is mostly UNsaturated fat. However, pork fat typically yields a lot poorer results than either unsaturated fats including even vegetable oils, or more saturated fats like beef, coconut, or dairy fats. Perhaps most of the negative findings on saturated fat over the years have been due to Arachidonic acid in pork fat, and has nothing to do with the saturation or lack thereof of the fats involved in the studies. Or it could just be part of the pro-seed oil propaganda of the agriculture and food industry lobbying machine.

4) The unhealthiest part of the United States is, and has been for decades, the American South – with typically higher rates of asthma, obesity, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. A lot more pork is eaten in the American South than anywhere else in the country. African Americans in the area, who have tremendously poor health compared to national and global averages, also have “soul foods” such as pork chitterlings which happened to be the top ranking food item on Chilton’s Inflammatory Index. Variety meats, ribs, barbecue pork, and fried chicken are also known staples to the point of being used as a common stereotype of Southern African American cuisine. These foods, along with just a few others, are the ones assigned the highest inflammatory index ranking of 100 or above on Chilton’s list.

5) Perhaps this is why many report health improvements on vegan diets – particularly low-fat vegan diets, and during fasts, which limit all forms of dietary arachidonic acid (it’s the nutritionally-incomplete diet itself that most likely causes health problems when continued long-term).  Sadly, these initial and sometimes dramatic health improvements are very seductive, and because of the moralist fervor and health propaganda that surrounds vegetarianism, many stay on this diet long after its therapeutic benefits have fizzled and morphed into a major health liability.

Friday, 17 December 2010

Getting Off Xanax or Klonopin

Benzodiazepine drugs such as Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin and other compounds presents a significant challenge.  The benzodiazepines quickly reduce anxiety in a variety of anxiety disorders such as panic disorder and social anxiety disorder.  They can also be effective adjuncts to other agents in providing symptom relief.

However, these agents to have the potential to produce significant withdrawal symptoms.  The withdrawal symptoms appear to be most severe for patients who have needed higher doses for longer periods of use.  Withdrawal can also produce a rebound in the underlying anxiety disorder making discontinuation an even greater challenge.

A variety of pharmacological strategies exist for lessening withdrawal symptoms.  A switch from shorter half-life agents to longer half-life agents can reduce withdrawal.  Using a very slow protracted taper can also increase success rates.  One additional strategy is to use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) during withdrawal to address breakthrough anxiety symptoms.

Michael Otto and colleagues from Boston University and Harvard University have recently published research examining the effect of CBT in benzodiazepines in a series of 47 patients.  This randomized clinical trial had the following key design features:
  • Primary outcome measure: successful discontinuation of benzodiazepine
  • Three randomized treatments: treatment as usual, individual relaxation therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (8 one-hour weekly sessions plus 3 booster sessions)
  • Subjects: majority were women with average age of about 40 years with a diagnosis of panic disorder
  • Benzodiazepine use history: 10 had taken alprazolam (Xanax) with average dose about 2.5 mg/day, 37 had taken clonazepam (Klonopin) with an average dose of about 1.2 mg
  • Benzodiazepine taper schedule: gradual taper over an average of about 6 weeks (up to 9 weeks for subjects taking 6 mg of alprazolam)
Outcome for the three groups:
  • CBT: 56% benzodiazepine free after intervention, 63% benzodiazepine free at 6 month follow up
  • Individual relaxation therapy: 31% success after intervention, 13% success after 6 months
  • Treatment as usual: 40% success after intervention, 27% success after six months
The overall effect of treatment on successful outcome was statistically significant at the 6 month follow up time period. 

The authors note that CBT during benzodiazepine discontinuation appears to have an enduring effect on patient's ability to manage both withdrawal symptoms as well as panic disorder symptoms.  CBT appears to offer specific strategies that help patients manage withdrawal above and beyond the effect of relaxation training.

This study provides evidence that the success rates for benzodiazepine discontinuation improves with concurrent CBT.  There is a need for a larger randomized trial to confirm this finding.  CBT practitioners would benefit from learning about the adaptation of this technique for this clinical population.

3D Molecular Model of Alprazolam (Xanax) from Wikipedia Commons created by Ccroberts.

Otto MW, McHugh RK, Simon NM, Farach FJ, Worthington JJ, & Pollack MH (2010). Efficacy of CBT for benzodiazepine discontinuation in patients with panic disorder: Further evaluation. Behaviour research and therapy, 48 (8), 720-7 PMID: 20546699