Alter Life

Your metabolism is like a fire burning within each of your cells.

For many, this fire is smoldering.

But there's no reason why we can't get it roaring again!

Boosting your metabolism is as simple as putting ENOUGH HIGH QUALITY FUEL on the flames to keep the fire burning brightly and efficiently.

There's a few more keys to do it successfully, which leads us into the content of today's episode.

If you are interested in applying this information in your body and life with more guidance and support, join our brand new program, Eat More, Weigh Less - www.alter.health/eat-more-weigh-less

Here are the 7 keys to Boosting Your Metabolism

1. Eat the proper fuel - High-quality carbohydrate-rich whole plants
2. Eat ENOUGH - The metabolism is like a campfire…. you need to keep stoking it with enough high quality fuel to keep it burning brightly.
3. Having good micronutrient status -  vitamins and minerals are cofactors in enzymatic processes that drive the metabolism.
4. Having low toxicity status - Toxins  directly slow down the metabolic rate, a protective mechanism to keep toxins tucked away in cells where they can't cause tissue damage.
5. Maintaining balance in the nervous system - Sleep issues and chronic stress can lead to persistent elevated cortisol levels, which pose a burden to the metabolism and lead to weight gain.
6. Optimal Cellelar Hydration - Dehydrated cells function sub-optimally in many ways, including cellular metabolism.
7. Balanced Regular Movement - Movement helps but is not the end all be all! Regular movement increases and maintains mitochondrial-rich muscle mass on the body, increasing overall metabolic activity in the body.

Links to  more good stuff

- Work With Me - www.alter.health
- GREEN FORCE! - www.visfoods.co (use the code AlterLife for $10 off)
- Check out my favorite products - www.alter.health/products

Answer: No. You don't need to worry about soaking grains or nuts or seeds.

Believe it or not, phytates are actually super beneficial phytonutrients!

We will take a much closer look in today's episode amidst the short series diving into the myth of the plant based "antinutrients." You can learn more about Oxalates in episode #365 and Lectins in episode #366.

So, what are phyates/phytic acid?
What foods are rich in phytates?
What are the alleged problems with phytate consumption?
Should I be worried about eating too many phytates? (answer: NO!)
What sort of health benefits to phytates offer?

These are some of the questions that we dig into in today's episode.

Here are the highlights.

• Phytates are antioxidant compounds packed in the seeds of all plants
• Phyayes have a strong affinity for metals (i.e. minerals) similar to oxalates
• Soaking nuts/seeds/grains is an effective way to lower phytate content in these foods... but maybe think twice before doing that!
• Eating MORE phytates is protective against osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, and more.
• The gut microbiome adapts overtime to increase phytate consuming organisms to aid in mineral balance

We hope this information helps you stick confidently with your whole food plant based eating! If you are looking for more support, check out our offers at www.alter.health

Links to  more good stuff

- Work With Me - www.alter.health
- GREEN FORCE! - www.visfoods.co (use the code AlterLife for $10 off)
- Check out my favorite products - www.alter.health/products

In another episode of debunking the nonsense... we're talking about LECTINS. Have you heard of them ?

If you are clued into nutritional trends, you probably have. Chances are, they've also been represented in a negative light. Like oxalates that we talked about last week (Episode #365), Lectins are another class of plant phytonutrients that get a very bad reputation as being an "antinutrient" blocking nutrient absorption and contributing to health issues.

One of the most famous lectins is RICIN - ricin is a toxic lectin isolated from the Castor Bean that has been used at points throughout history as a poison. During WWI the US Military investigated the use of Ricin as an agent of biological warfare. Ricin’s ability to broadly block protein synthesis is one of the main mechanisms that make it toxic and deadly.

But what about the lectins found in beans, whole grains, nuts/seeds, and other fruits and veggies?

Some of these “lectin-rich foods” have been demonized by many so called “nutrition experts.” Maybe one of the most prominent lectin fearmongers is Dr. Steven Gundry, author of The Plant Paradox, a book that told you how to be afraid of  eating plants and why to eat animals and oils instead… oh ya… and if you follow along, you've got to be sure to also take his supplements if you wanted to be healthy!

In this episode we cover some of the lectin myths as well as the science that actually demonstrates the health-promoting powers of eating lectins (of course I’m not talking about the toxins like Ricin…).

Some highlights from the episode

• The foods that are highest in lectins and why they might get a bad reputation for causing health issues.
• A simple 10-minute strategy for eliminating the majority of lectins from your foods.
• What lectins do to the gut to create numerous beneficial adaptations to the microbiome
• The science proving the anti-cancer, weight optimizing, and immune boosting benefits of lectins 
• What to do if you experience sensitivity to foods like those rich in lectins

Links to  more good stuff

- Work With Me - www.alter.health
- GREEN FORCE! - www.visfoods.co (use the code AlterLife for $10 off)
- Check out my favorite products - www.alter.health/products

Oxalates or oxalic acid are a phytonutrient found in pretty much all plants.

They have become a nutritional supervillain of sorts, getting the blame for all sorts of health issues from mineral absorption issues to kidney stones to vague gut health and systemic inflammatory conditions.

Why is it then that plant eaters who tend to consume far more oxalates than non plant eaters don't actually suffer from these alleged oxalate issues?

Well, as is often the case the science is complex. However, the take away message is simple!

In the context of an acidic environment with dysbiosis of the gut microbiome, oxalates may well contribute to some of these alleged issues!

In the context of an alkalinizing plant based lifestyle, oxalates are never to fear.

Topics covered in this episode:

• What are oxalates, anyways?!
• Which foods are highest in oxalate content (hint: it is NOT Kale!)
• Why high oxalate foods are actually also high in mineral content (and also high in vitamin K!)
• The alleged issues with oxalate consumption and why they may or may not manifest
• Reasons to be mindful of oxalate-rich foods and how to increase consumption healthfully
• How we can create more oxalobacter bacteria in the gut that actually work with us to break down oxalates 

Links to  more good stuff

- Work With Me - www.alter.health
- GREEN FORCE! - www.visfoods.co (use the code AlterLife for $10 off)
- Check out my favorite products - www.alter.health/products

If you've never heard of sulforaphane, you aren't alone. But in the world of nutritional science, it is celebrated for its superpowers!

Sulforaphane is a phytonutrient found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts. By far the highest amount is found in broccoli sprouts - not the full grown vegetable. Sulforaphane has been extensively studied and found to have protective effects against many diseases, including multiple types of cancer, heart disease, and neurological conditions including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, stroke, and others.

When it comes to the brain and nervous system, sulforaphane offers a handful of key benefits.

1. It’s an antioxidant
2. It’s anti-inflammatory
3. It promotes autophagy
4. It promotes mitochondrial function
5. It increases neurogenesis
6. It promotes detoxification

All of these functions of course have broad and systemic benefits as well, beyond the brain!

When it comes to special phytonutrients like sulforaphane, we are big advocates of consuming them in whole food forms, i.e. broccoli sprouts, as opposed to encapsulated supplements. In the whole food, you receive the sulforaphane, but also tons of other phytonutrients as well as vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc. that aid in the synergistic effects of these sorts of healing compounds.

Highlights from this episode

• How sulforaphane support cardiovascular function
• How sulforaphane has been shown to protect again neurological conditions and support overall brain function
• The detox-promoting properties of sulforaphane
• So many more random benefits of sulforaphane that have been studied
• How to increase your intake of sulforaphane in the diet with specific foods and cooking methods

Links to  more good stuff

- Work With Me - www.alter.health
- GREEN FORCE! - www.visfoods.co (use the code AlterLife for $10 off)
- Check out my favorite products - www.alter.health/products

The first time I drank ayahuasca, about 10 years ago now, I recall people talking about purging, i.e. vomiting, as a way of "getting well." At that point in time, I always equated throwing up with being sick, not "getting well!"

Fast forward through the years of naturopathic medical school where I gained a deeper understanding of the self-healing human body.

Since the body always moves towards health given the environment and resources at hand in a moment, the symptoms we experience, however unpleasant they might be, are indeed a sign of health, not "sickness."

In med school, I also learned all about the "immune system" - many concepts constructed within the "germ theory paradigm" that I have since come to seriously question... (especially considering the infiltration of ALL medical institutions by Big Pharma)

In the "post-Covid world," humans have generally become hyper-vigilant around preventing and treating (suppressing) common and universal symptoms like runny nose, cough, sneeze, etc.

Fortunately, some humans have also started to wake up to their responsibility to create health - and also started to question the "germ theory" narrative that permeates society.

In this episode, Dr. Ben discusses the modern phenomenon of being acutely "ill" with the common cold or flu-like symptoms and how our tendency to express these symptoms are not invariably a sign of ill health.

Detoxification is a normal and natural human process, even in a pure and pristine world. In the state of our polluted reality today, an overwhelming intake of toxicity coupled with nutritional deficiency (as well as physical inactivity, poor sleep, high stress, etc) creates the perfect scenario for an overburdened body to express chronic symptoms.

Highlights from the Episode

• Questioning "germ theory" and why invisible particles can't make us sick
• How understanding "terrain theory" helps to explain the reality in which we live where some get "sick" and others do not
• The overlap between the "immune system" and detoxification processes
• Why getting sick (even with extreme symptoms) is a healthy sign of vitality
• The life changing and culture transforming potential of  understanding our innate self-healing potential

Links to  more good stuff

- Work With Me - www.alter.health
- GREEN FORCE! - www.visfoods.co (use the code AlterLife for $10 off)
- Check out my favorite products - www.alter.health/products

In our previous episode on Bone Health (episode #315) we covered some important bone health basics including:
⁃How plants actually contain plenty of Calcium
⁃How eating plants creates an alkaline environment to allow more calcium to be deposited where it need to be in the bone
⁃Why increased dairy consumption actually raises the risk of bone fracture
⁃The essential role of Vitamin D is for calcium absorption
⁃Why we need to get plenty of Vitamin K to guide calcium properly in the body
⁃Other minerals are important…magnesium, strontium, etc.
⁃WEIGHT BEARING ACTIVITY is the most important factor for building strong bones.

In today’s episode, Dr. Susanna discusses a recently published article that compares the risk of bone fracture in vegans vs. omnivores.

Up until the publishing of this 2020 prospective cohort study, there had not been any evidence showing any clinically significant detrimental effects of plant-based eating on bone health, as long as individuals were eating enough calcium and protein.

This newest study concludes that “Non-meat eaters, especially vegans, had higher risks of either total or some site-specific fractures, particularly hip fractures.”

Even though this study takes into account several factors that influence bone health including calcium intake, protein intake, BMI, smoking status, physical activity, etc. there are still some flaws in the study, that Dr. Susanna discusses. She points out how the study has misleading conclusions around plant baed eating.

Highlights from Today's Episode:
⁃ What the research says about plant-based eating and bone fracture risk
⁃ How calcium, protein, and Vitamin D impact fracture risk
⁃ How BMI plays a large role in maintaining bone mineral density
⁃ The nuances in plant-based eating that effect bone health (acidifying foods, etc)
⁃ How balanced WFPB eating in conjunction with other healthy lifestyle practices  actually do increase bone mineral density

Links to  more good stuff

- Work With Me - www.alter.health
- GREEN FORCE! - www.visfoods.co (use the code AlterLife for $10 off)
- Check out my favorite products - www.alter.health/products

The topic of  RAW vs COOKED food is commonly brought up in the plant-based world. Which is superior? Should I be eating more raw food? What if I don't like to eat raw food, is eating mostly cooked okay? Are there any benefits or risks to eating strictly raw?

It's good to be asking these questions! As you probably know, eating a plant-based diet is not entirely fool proof. In fact we work with people everyday, most of whom are "all in" on the plant-based lifestyle, but aren't yet achieving health goals due to the need for some nutritional fine-tuning (or also the need to address other essential determinants of health - air, water, sleep, movement, mind, etc).

The short answer to the question at hand is that "raw" and "cooked" foods each have their benefits, and most people should be eating plenty of both!

We will get into the finer details in today's episode.

RAW vs COOKED Highlights

• Eating raw food can be more hydrating and nutrient dense, therefore helpful in reversing chronic conditions and promoting healthy detoxification
• Eating cooked food gives us access to more calorie dense nutrition like starchy vegetables, legumes, intact whole grains - essential more maintaining energy
• The main risk of a raw vegan diet is mainly malnutrition due to the difficult of eating ENOUGH  - though also associated with amenorrhea and other potential hormone imbalance
• How the synergy of whole food plant based nutrition debunks reductionistic science and the need to micromanage nutrition (WHOLE by T. Colin Campbell is my all time favorite nutrition book)
• Considerations for combining raw and cooked foods for a balanced meal including food combining for digestion 

Links to  more good stuff

- Work With Me - www.alter.health
- GREEN FORCE! - www.visfoods.co (use the code AlterLife for $10 off)
- Check out my favorite products - www.alter.health/products

This episode was inspired by Dr. Ben’s Recent Episode, 11 Reasons Why I’m Plant-Based.

This was my first live podcast appearance since the birth of our daughter Grace. The whole experience of being pregnant, giving birth, and moving through the postpartum phase has made me reflect with so much gratitude on all the health that the Whole Food Plant-Based lifestyle has brought me.

I was not always in such great health. In fact, I went through an extremely difficult period of chronic illness in my early 20’s that  never reach its full resolution until I made the decision to transition to a WFPB Lifestyle!

In this episode, I cover the 10 biggest WFPB health wins that I’ve experienced, including the scientific explanation behind each win.

Here are the wins:

Win #1: Healing of Chronic Digestive Issues ⁃Eating WFPB optimizes the microbiome, which in turn reduces inflammation, creates a strong and resilient gut lining and resolves digestive symptoms.

Win #2: Healing of Chronic Joint Pain ⁃Systemic inflammation is resolved through the healing of the gut from the WFPB lifestyle.

Win #3: Healing of Chronic Skin Issues ⁃Skin issues heals through the optimization of gut health along with the correction of nutritional deficiencies with WFPB eating.

Win #4: Healing of Chronic Fatigue ⁃WFPB eating optimizes energy production through the healing of the metabolism.

Win #5: Healing of Food Sensitivities and My Relationship with Food ⁃Healing the gut will WFPB eating also resolves food sensitivities. This created space for me to heal my stressful relationship with food.

Win #6: Pain Free Menses ⁃WFPB eating balances hormones through optimizing liver function.

Win #7: Balance Immune System ⁃WFPB eating helps to achieve a balanced immune system, creating appropriate immune responses to pathogens and allergens.

Win #8 - Healthy long hair ⁃WFPB eating provides the body with all the essential nutrients for optimal hair growth, and further supporters hair growth via optimize the metabolism and circulatory health.

Win #9 - Fertility - Easy Conception and Pregnancy ⁃WFPB eating is naturally detoxifying to the body, supporting the liver to regulate hormones. It’s also nutrient dense, supporting healthy fetal development.

Win #10 - Easy postpartum recovery ⁃The nutrient density of this lifestyle makes for a quick recovery and easy bread milk production in the postpartum phase.

NEW YEAR'S CLEANSE ANNOUNCEMENT!

The Alter Health Winter Cleanse is starting January 13th!

Join us for the Deeply Nourishing Reset - just $99!

Links to some more good stuff

- Get the Alter Health weekly WFPB Meal Guides: https://www.alter.health/meal-guides
- Cleanse with Us during the next Alter Health Cleanse: https://www.alter.health/cleanse
- Work with us in the Thrive on Plants program: https://www.alter.health/thrive-on-plants

Links to  more good stuff

- Work With Me - www.alter.health
- GREEN FORCE! - www.visfoods.co (use the code AlterLife for $10 off)
- Check out my favorite products - www.alter.health/products

It's that time of year again - the end, and the beginning!

Are New Year's Resolutions still a thing?

According to some statistics, about 50% of people set a New Year's resolution and more than 50% of those resolutions are health related.

I can certainly appreciate how the symbology of turning a page to start a fresh year invites self-reflection, and as a result inspiration for self-improvement.

BUT, we all know that these resolutions never really stick!

Of those who make a New Year’s resolution, about 75% are successful in sticking to it for 1 week, about 70% for 2 weeks, 64% for 1 month, 46% for 6 months, and only 9 % for the whole year.

In this week's episode we'll discuss the key factors that will actually make your goals a reality. Of course this conversation spans far beyond the realm of "health."


 Some highlights from today's episode...

• The short comings of setting "SMART" goals - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound
• The power of focusing on small, little habits to create bigger change
• How the resistance we feel that may tend to hold us back can be leveraged to move us forward
• Finding the inner accountability buddy that can cheer lead you with compassion
• Why having a strong "WHY" is the most significant ingredient to your transformation 

IMPORTANT YEAR END ANNOUNCEMENTS

1) The next WFPB Challenge is coming right up starting December 31st - yes, New Year's Eve!

Learn More & Register for the Free Challenge!

2) The Alter Health Winter Cleanse is starting January 13th!

Join us for the Deeply Nourishing Reset - just $99!

Links to some more good stuff

- Get the Alter Health weekly WFPB Meal Guides: https://www.alter.health/meal-guides
- Cleanse with Us during the next Alter Health Cleanse: https://www.alter.health/cleanse
- Work with us in the Thrive on Plants program: https://www.alter.health/thrive-on-plants

Links to  more good stuff

- Work With Me - www.alter.health
- GREEN FORCE! - www.visfoods.co (use the code AlterLife for $10 off)
- Check out my favorite products - www.alter.health/products