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PREVENTION
THE THREE PILLARS THAT PROLONGED LIFE & SELF-HEALING STAND ON:
Diet building blocks
Diet building blocks:
Foods composition - refers to elements such as meats, vegetables..., their content - free from toxins, contain "expected authentic volume" of nutrients - carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and other nutrients,
Daily consumption practice - volume, frequency and the mixture of elements that are consumed in a meal.
These two building blocks cover a very wide spectrum of issues that are dealt with in hundred of thousands of scientific and professional articles.
So how do we find our way and make the right selection of our diet building blocks?
In this section we present some of the topics that we consider as the highlights of constructing the right diet practice. Note that this site contains two pages dedicated to the subject of toxins - Risky Foods, and Toxins at Home.
The Imaportance of Fasting
The Importance of Fasting
Fasting or better said INTERMITTENT FASTING, is most recommended by most of the professionals we learn from, and presented as one of the most important elements, dealing with health and longevity.
Dr. Gundry, in his book "Unlocking the Keto Code" gives a convincing explanation why. To put it briefly, our mitochondria which are the energy producing elements in our cells (1000-2500 of them in each cell) have to deal with positively charged particles/molecules, that are in search of electrons to neutralize their positive charge. Given sufficient time, proper "coupling" is achieved. This way, "Mitochondria processes sugars, amino acids (from proteins), and free fatty acids (from dietary fats) into energy" (copied from page 32 of the book), generating CO2 in the process.
However, not having enough time for the proper coupling process, the coupling of these positively charged particles, ends up with the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxyl ions (OH−), which are highly reactive molecules. These ROS particles generate an oxidative stress that if not treated in time, damages the mitochondria and, as a consequence, the cell!
By adopting the keto diet and the intermittent fasting - two meals a day, 6 - 8 hours in between the meals, no other foods intake in between the meals, and after the second meal, we give the mitochondria enough time to "clean the house" and avoid the accumulation of the destructive ROS and consequentially, the oxygen stress.
Pr. David Sinclair, a professor of genetics and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School, describes in his books and in this video, the effect of intermittent fasting - an increase of 30% and more, of the longevity of various species through the reduction of mTOR and the activation of AMPK enzymes (go to minutes 16:17 to 17:35 of the linked video).
Diet Macronutrients
Diet Macronutrients - Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fat
Although "the ketogenic diet (KD) has gained immense popularity during the last decade" there are many evidences for the side effects and longevity of this diet when adopted for a prolonged period of time. Generally speaking The Keto dietary macronutrients are divided into approximately 55% to 60% fat, 30% to 35% protein, and 5% to 10% carbohydrates. Specifically, in a 2000 kcal per day diet, carbohydrates amount up to 20 to 50 g per day.
In recent years, following numerous studies, this proportion has been changed and the updated recommended proportion is of fat making 30-40% of the calories daily intake and 250 to 300 grams of carbohydrates.
Among the findings that promoted this change is the need for carbohydrates to compensate for the depletion in muscle glycogen by 24-40%, in a single strength training session.
High-fat diet could cause increased fat oxidation, which is linked to cellular senescence, a process where cells stop dividing, contributing to aging and age-related diseases. The shift from glucose to fat metabolism as proposed by the Keto diet accelerates this process.
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ROS are byproducts of metabolism that can damage cells. They play a significant role in promoting senescence, in part through changes in gene expression, which can lead to various age-related conditions.
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Shifting your body’s energy source from glucose to fat can lead to cellular dysfunction and increase your risk of diseases associated with aging.
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Certain drugs can mimic the effects of increased fat oxidation, thereby exacerbating cellular aging and dysfunction.
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Strategies to reduce fat oxidation and promote glucose metabolism could help delay aging and improve overall health.
Carbs composition should be based on your gut health. Good starter options include whole fruits and well-cooked white rice. If using fruit juice, make sure you sip it slowly over time to avoid excess insulin spikes.
If your gut health is good, starches like potatoes and other root vegetables are great
options. For those with severely compromised gut health, use dextrose water,
sipped slowly over time. This approach helps maintain optimal glucose levels,
supporting efficient fat metabolism without overwhelming your digestive system.
Another option to follow, is Dr. Gundry Keto diet recommendations, a diet that provides a more "balanced" supply of ketones. In this article, Dr. Gundry explains: "Brain at full ketosis still needs 30 to 40 percent of its fuel as sugar as glucose instead of ketones". So here is his suggested diet as outlined in his book Unlocking The Keto code:
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Lots of vegetables that contain both prebiotic fiber and polyphenols, used by gut beneficial bacteria to ferment these fiber into Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) compounds which supply about 70% of the energy needed by colon cells and are crucial for maintaining gut barrier integrity. SCFAs protect against colon cancer, support immune function, and help regulate metabolism.
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Nuts and some seeds like Chia Seeds that are rich with Omega-3,
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Pressure-cooked lentils and other legumes,
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Eggs,
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Some wild fish, shellfish, and mollusks,
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Omega-3 supplement
Body use of carbohydrates:
Our digestive system converts carbohydrate elements into glucose, fructose and/or galactose, that are absorbed into the blood in the small intestine.
Cells need glucose for energy. However, most of them are unable to use glucose without the help of insulin.
Insulin gives glucose access to the cells. It attaches to the insulin receptors on cells throughout the body, instructing the cells to open up and grant entry to glucose.
Low levels of insulin constantly circulate throughout the body. A spike in insulin (triggered by high glucose blood level) signals to the liver that blood glucose is also high, and the liver ""responds" by an increase of glucose absorption changing it into storage molecules of lipids and glycogen. Glycogen and lipids are major storage forms of energy (stored in fat tissues called Adipose) that are tightly regulated by insulin and metabolic signals.
Bottom line - to avoid this hyperinsulinemia, daily carbohydrate intake is should not exceed the recommended range of 250-300 grams.
Body Use of Carbohydrates
Fermented Foods
Fermented foods offer numerous health benefits, primarily due to their probiotic content and the fermentation process itself. Here are the key advantages of consuming fermented foods:
Digestive Health - Fermented foods contribute beneficial bacteria to the gut, potentially restoring balance and supporting digestive health. They are easier to digest because the fermentation process breaks down natural sugars and starches. This can be particularly beneficial for people with lactose intolerance, as fermentation breaks down lactose in dairy products [1],[2].
Nutrient Availability - Fermentation improves the availability of nutrients in foods by:
1. Increasing the production of vitamins and minerals
2. Making nutrients more accessible for absorption
3. Removing anti-nutrients like phytic acid, which can inhibit nutrient absorption[1][3]
Immune Function - Probiotics in fermented foods may stimulate proper immune system function and help lower inflammation. This could potentially reduce the risk of inflammation-driven conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer[4][3].
Gut Microbiome - Consuming fermented foods can increase gut bacteria diversity and potentially lower inflammation markers. The live microbes in these foods can become transient or even permanent members of the gut microbiota, competing against detrimental bacteria [4][5].
Mental Health [6]
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Fermented foods have the potential to modulate the microbiota-gut-brain axis, offering neuroprotective benefits by influencing gut and brain communication, immune pathways, and nervous system functions
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Fermented foods contain microbes and molecules with neuroactive potential, which actively influence brain function and mood through the production of microbial metabolites during fermentation
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Long-term consumption of fermented foods is important for achieving mental health benefits, as they help maintain gut and brain barrier integrity, reduce inflammation, and modulate hormone levels like serotonin and GLP-1
Weight Management and Metabolic Health - Certain fermented foods, particularly fermented dairy products, have been associated with weight management and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes[3].
Fermented Foods
Insulin Resistance
Insulin Resistance
Development of insulin resistance is a long process - "our body digests highly processed, high-carbohydrate foods very quickly, which causes our blood sugar to spike. This puts extra stress on our pancreas to produce a lot of insulin, which, over time, can lead to insulin resistance" [REF1] with far reaching health implications [REF2] - diabetes 2 is just one of them.
"Metabolic syndrome is associated with insulin resistance, elevated glucose and lipids, inflammation, decreased antioxidant activity, increased weight gain, and increased glycation of proteins. Cinnamon has been shown to improve all of these variables in in vitro, animal, and/or human studies" [REF3]. Use 2-3 drops of cinnamon oil diluted in 1/2 table spoon of coconut oil to avoid these glucose / insulin spikes when you eat high glucose / sugar foods. Read more about cognitive decline and insulin resistance, Read more here.
Actions to Avoid or Reduce Insulin Resistance
Reduce processed foods: Cut back on refined carbohydrates and packaged baked goods.
Increase fiber intake: Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Choose healthy fats: Replace saturated and trans fats with healthy fats from sources like olive oil, nuts, and fatty fish.
Limit added sugars: Reduce consumption of sweetened beverages and foods with added sugars.
Avoid lectins and gluten
Avoid Lectins And Gluten
Ingestion of the lectins, can result in acute GASTRO INTESTINAL (GI) tract distress. According to Dr. Gundry, and others, gluten is just one variety of lectins. Lectins are a type of protein that occurs naturally, mostly in the skin, of many plant foods and some animal-based foods (grains). Some plant foods contain higher levels of lectins than others, such as legumes and nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers). As for the nightshade vegetables, peel their skin, and remove the seeds, to get rid of this toxic substance. Read more [REF1].
Lectin's toxicity: Gut epithelial cells (the single cell layer that form the luminal surface (lining) of both the small and large intestine (colon)) are constantly exposed to mechanical and other stresses and consequently individual cells frequently experience plasma membrane disruptions. Repair of these cell surface disruptions allows the wounded cell to survive: failure results in necrotic cell death. Plasma membrane repair is mediated, in part, by an exocytotic event that adds a patch of internal membrane to the defect site. Lectins are known to inhibit exocytosis. This study concludes, "Lectins potently inhibit plasma membrane repair, and hence are toxic to wounded cells. This represents a novel form of protein-based toxicity, one that, we propose, is the basis of plant lectin food poisoning."
Diet - Important notifications
Low and High quality fats
Diet - Important notifications:
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Many growers of Meat and Fish are feeding their animals/fish with cultured products, hormones, antibiotics and other artificial products that could make their ingestion more destructive than productive. Many are using avocado and other such fruits as a substitute for animal fat in their diet.
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Use of oils (most recommended - coconut and olive) should also be very selective in terms of being organically certified and cold pressed.
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Sourcing of eggs should be oriented to free-range sources, again - to limit their exposure to antibiotics and various chemicals that were used for the growing of their food.
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Taking Care of Your Gut Microbiome - Well maintained gut microbiome is essential for our brain, thyroid gland, and many other body organs as well as our autoimmune systems - (Read more)
WHAT ARE KETONES? - ketones and ketoacids are alternative fuels for the body that are made when glucose is in short supply. They are made in the liver from the breakdown of fats.
Ketones are formed when there is not enough sugar or glucose to supply the body's fuel
needs.
A ketone is a byproduct of fat being burned it's an alternative and preferred fuel source to glucose it's a more efficient fuel for the brain and the heart and it actually better than than glucose for your metabolism. It's triggered by the absence of carbohydrate so when you get rid of the carbohydrates your body then will transfer over and convert to ketones that are a more efficient fuel source. (Watch more)
Low and High quality fats
Low Quality: All the oils extracted from vegetable seeds (vegetable oils) such as: corn oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, sesame oil and more are simply unhealthy. Vegetable oils wreak havoc on the gut by increasing tight junction permeability.
Tight junctions play an important role in intestinal barrier function by maintaining
selective permeability. Well, unfortunately, "Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are highly susceptible to lipid per oxidation because of their unstable double bonds".
In one study, the omega-6 PUFA rich diet increased host inflammation, oxidative stress,
and gut barrier dysfunction. The study concludes "Various lipids uniquely alter the host-microbe interaction in the gut. While high-fat consumption has a distinct impact on the gut microbiota, the type of fatty acids alters the relative microbial abundances and predicted
functions. These results support that the type of fat are key to understanding
the biological effects of high-fat diets on gut health.”
To complete the picture you will find Here a comparative table of oxidative stability of various cooking oils.
Note! Oils oxidize when overheated. Oxidized oil becomes a detrimental factor to our health. Even healthy, high-quality oils that are warmed, lightened or fried over time will oxidize and completely lose their benefits.
High Quality Fats:
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Oils extracted from fatty fruits such as coconut oil, avocado, and olive oil (cold pressed of course!) are oils whose production process is much more natural for the simple reason that they contain more fat and their fat contains more of the healthy saturated fatty acids as shown in this comparative article. Coconut oil for example is an oil that contains mostly saturated fatty acids that make this oil much more resistant to oxidative damage even when exposed to high heat and therefore this oil is most recommended for use in cooking or frying. The rest of the oils are also recommended but to be used after the cooking or for seasoning of cold dishes.
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Quality butter! Yes, if you are not a vegan, even quality butter is an excellent source of quality and healthy fat that will not make you gain weight and by no means cause you heart problems and clogging arteries as you have probably heard before. It is true that we have said before that we strongly recommend avoiding dairy products altogether but quality butter contains mostly, if not only, fat! And contains almost no protein and milk sugar which are the direct source of problems in dairy products and this is exactly the butter you should look for on the shelf if you are looking for another source of quality fat to enrich your diet with fat soluble vitamins that are very important for our health.
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Nuts and almonds are another excellent source of quality fat but care must be taken that they are organic natural nuts (unroasted). Peel the almond seeds before consuming to avoid the lectins. Also, it is highly recommended to soak them in water for at least 6 hours before eating to remove their phytic acid (phytic acid interferes with the absorption of important minerals like zinc, iron...).
Fatty fruits like avocado and coconut are a wonderful source of quality fat to be eaten almost unlimited! As for the olives, the fat in them is high quality and wonderful but because they are pickled with salt or vinegar we recommend limiting their consumption to a handful or two a day and of course try to find olives that have been pickled in a quality process as much as possible.
Excercise
EXERCISE
Reading the introduction of this study says it all: "Findings from numerous epidemiological studies clearly demonstrate that physical inactivity is associated with a higher prevalence of most cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including abnormal lipids, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and type 2 diabetes [REF1]. Additionally, physical inactivity is linked with increased risk of certain forms of cancers, poor psychological health, and an overall diminished quality of life [REF2]. Moreover, research findings also exhibit a robust inverse relationship between physical activity levels and risk of mortality from CVD and all-causes. Last, it has been estimated that physical inactivity contributes annually to approximately 250,000 premature deaths [REF3]. However, despite its widespread benefits, engagement in physical activities or exercise remains scarce, primarily reported to be due to a ‘lack of time’ [REF4]."
"PE (Physical Exercise) determines positive biological and psychological effects that affect the brain and the cognitive functioning and promote a condition of wellbeing. PE plays an important role in counteract normal and pathological aging. Recent evidences have shown that PE triggers potent neuroplastic phenomena, partly mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. In fact, PE cause profound alterations in gene expression and its protein products in the form of epigenomic manifestations (Fernandes et al., 2017)"
GYM Practices Overview
Over the past decade, the concept of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has captivated the attention of the scientific community due to its superior ability to improve cardiorespiratory fitness [REF5] and cardiometabolic health [REF6,REF7,REF8] for a lesser weekly time-commitment relative to the current exercise guidelines [REF2] of Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT). HIIT involves multiple (~4–10 repetitions) brief bouts (20 s–5 min) of high-intensity exercise (80%–100% peak heart rate (HRpeak)), interspersed with either rest or low-intensity workloads throughout an exercise session. Another prominent form of interval training is known as sprint interval training (SIT), which is characterized by repeated (6–10 bouts) 20–30 s all-out supramaximal sprints (>100% VO2max). This strategy enables unfit individuals to accumulate periods of vigorous to high-intensity exercise that would otherwise not be possible if executed continuously.
Note, recent meta analysis study concludes that "undertaking any amount of resistance training reduced the risk of all-cause mortality by 15%". However, "A maximum risk reduction of 27% was observed at around 60 minutes per week of resistance training (RR=0.74; 95% CI=0.64, 0.86). Mortality risk reductions diminished at higher volumes".
Given the above note, the drawback of the protocols employed in the majority of previous HIIT/SIT studies [REF9] is that they were not actually time-efficient, with most HIIT/SIT protocols requiring a time commitment (~120 min/week).
Furthermore, that is similar to the current recommended exercise guideline of 150 min per week of MICT. Moreover, it has also been suggested that the potential for a negative perceptual response to high-intensity exercise heightens with increasing repetition [REF10]. Thus, for HIIT or SIT to be a feasible option to improve public health, it must be time-efficient by specifically reducing the number of bouts (intervals) performed at vigorous to high-intensity exercise.
Recent research has demonstrated that a modified version of SIT known as Reduced Exertion High Intensity Training (REHIT), characterized by minimal sprint durations and repetitions (2 × 20 s sprints), elicits substantial cardiometabolic health benefits (i.e., CRF and glycemic control improvements) in a more time-efficient fashion relative to traditional HIIT [REF11,REF12]. However, despite the reduced exercise volume evident in this REHIT protocol, its safety still remains questionable given its ‘all-out’ nature. It has therefore recently been suggested that additional future research is warranted to identify safe and effective REHIT protocols [REF9]. It also remains unknown how effectively the REHIT paradigm can be translated to a real-world workplace setting.
Conclusions
There is a wealth of existing research reporting that regular exercise training confers positive effects on CardioRespiratory Fitness (CRF) and numerous other cardiometabolic outcomes related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Accordingly, substantial public health efforts have been aimed at promoting and increasing levels of physical activity.
The finding of this study and others proved that Reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT) is safe and more potent, time-efficient improvements in CRF and cardiometabolic health when compared to traditional Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT). Given that a ‘lack of time’ is the most often cited reason for not exercising regularly, this study provides critical evidence for ‘how’ to implement and translate the SIT paradigm into a real-world workplace setting.
GYM Recommended Practices
The REHIT model as described above provides a single concept of the intense (sprint) 20 sec. exercise targeting cardiometabolic health benefits. This practice and its benefits are presented here, to “prove” that there is no “excuse” not to spend the minimal weekly time required for basic health maintenance practice. GYM exercises are “a world in itself” that is not in the focus of this website.
Try Trampoline Exercise, we thought to bring to your attention one important practice, Plyometric jump training (PJT) that is an extremely time efficient and powerful contributor to cardiovascular health metabolism, bone density, strength, muscle tone, balance and coordination as measured by the Reactive Strength Index (RSI), which is meaningfully associated with independent markers of athletic (e.g., linear sprint speed) and neuromuscular performance.
This 2023 META ANALYSIS (examination of data from a number of independent studies of the same subject, in order to determine overall trends) concludes that PJT effects on the RSI were greater compared with active/specific-active controls, including traditional sport-specific training as well as alternative training interventions (e.g., high-load slow-speed resistance training).
Plyometrics exercise offers less effect on joints than other versions of the training. Due to its low-impact on sensitive joints like knees and ankles, trampolines are actually preferred for people with joint pain or surgery rehabilitation.
Last but not least,
"Without daily exercise, metabolic waste products, toxins, and chemical toxicants can’t move out of your body. Daily exercise will restore balance in your body and your nervous system and connect you to nature and its energetic rhythms and electromagnetic fields. That’s the reason why Regenerate Rx posits that strenuous activity of at least 30 minutes every other day is essential to promoting radical resilience."
GYM Practices Overview
GYM Recommended Practices
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