Nourish Balance Thrive

Any discussion of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is fraught with difficulty, not least of which is the definition. The Non GMO Project describes them as "organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering," but there are others, see Leandra's AHS 16 poster for more details.

Leandra Brettner is a PhD candidate at the University of Washington department of bioengineering, and in this interview we discuss artificial selection, DNA delivery methods, integration and mutation breeding together with their safety concerns.

One might argue that GM is a technique, and that each application should be tested for safety. In this interview I argue to Nassim Nicholas Taleb's point that GMOs fall into a special class of problem where the potential harm is systemic (rather than localised) and the consequences can involve total irreversible ruin, such as the extinction of human beings or all life on the planet.

0:04:34 Legislation S. 764.

0:08:30 Sequence-specific nucleases.

0:08:49 I went looking for a Khan video on CRISPR Cas9, and found this terrifying TED talk.

0:09:22 Homologous recombination.

0:14:02 Mutation breeding.

0:16:36 Monsanto Buys Seminis (2005).

0:18:41 Leandra misspoke when she said Monsanto owned the BRCA1/2 gene, it was Myriad Genetics.

0:33:32 Bacteriophage.

0:35:54 Evolutionary computation.

0:38:44 The effect of glyphosate on potential pathogens and beneficial members of poultry microbiota in vitro.

0:40:37 An overview of the last 10 years of genetically engineered crop safety research.

0:43:53 The Precautionary Principle (with Application to the Genetic Modification of Organisms).

How do you approach big parenting decisions? Do you find yourself confused and conflicted with what the “experts” say? Have you wrestled with the idea of “sleep training,” bedsharing, or nursing schedules for your baby?  What if there was a way to approach all of the important topics so you were empowered to make the best choice for you and your family?

My guest Tracy Cassels offers a sound and unique perspective that I think will help a lot of parents. Tracy has an undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science, masters in Clinical Psychology, and PhD in Developmental Psychology. She is the founder and lead author of the site Evolutionary Parenting.

Evolutionary parenting is the idea that we have evolved and coevolved with our infants to create a unique relationship between babies and their caregivers. When we approach parenting challenges with the idea that these co-evolved relationships may, on a lot of levels, be at odds with our modern culture and way of life, it becomes clear that alternative solutions to these challenges may be imperative.

How much do you know about your baby’s basic biology and physiology? Enough to know what’s normal or abnormal when it comes to development? Join us as we dissect infant sleep patterns, how to approach sleep “research,” what ‘normal’ really means, and healthy sleep for modern families, all from the perspective of Evolutionary Parenting.

This podcast is the second part of a series. In the first part, Dr. Shaw and I talked about how to measure metabolism using organic acids. My initial test showed two major problems: yeast and clostridia overgrowth. It's been about six months since I took probiotics and Raintree Formulas Amazon antifungals for two months and the retest shows some but not complete improvement.

The primary focus of this interview is the new Great Plains test for organic (nonmetal) environmental toxicity, something that I think may be a problem for the people that work with us. I won't know for sure until we collect some more data, as always I like to test myself before recommending others do the same, and my result turned out to be "one of the cleanest Dr. Shaw has ever seen." The possible exception is a mild elevation of 2-Hydroxyisobutyric and other metabolites that indicate exposure to petrochemicals I suspect from riding my bike on the road.

About my guest

William Shaw, Ph.D., is board certified in the fields of clinical chemistry and toxicology by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. Before he founded The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc., he worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Use the discount code TOX for $150 off.

0:00:18 Previous interview.

0:03:25 HPHPA (3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropionic acid).

0:03:55 D-Lactate free probiotic.

0:04:37 Vancomycin or Metronidazole.

0:05:03 Results, markers 33 and 34.

0:07:00 Arabinose.

0:07:24 Amazon A-F.

0:10:34 The Role of Oxalates in Autism and Chronic Disorders.

0:13:19 How to Protect Your Family from Environmental Toxicity with Dr. Julie Walsh on the Paleo Baby podcast.

0:13:37 AHS16 - Tim Gerstmar - Obesogens and Endocrine Disruptors.

0:16:44 Succinic dehydrogenase.

0:18:20 Tiglylglycine.

0:19:04 Kearns-Sayre syndrome.

0:20:40 2-Hydroxyisobutyric Acid, MTBE and ETBE.

0:43:12 Sauna + niacin flush.

0:50:18 discount code TOX.

0:57:54 GPL webinar archive.

0:58:08 GPL University upcoming events.

Tim JP Collins is a British entrepreneur and host of The Anxiety Podcast. In a former life as an executive, Tim reached a tipping point onstage during a big presentation and has since turned his life around to overcome his anxiety and is now helping other people do the same.

Looking back Tim realised that he'd created the perfect storm:

• Lots of travel away from home and family.
• Drinking alcohol in excess and too often.
• Staying up late and then waking up with gallons of coffee.
• Years of bodily abuse with bad food & not enough exercise.
• Working in a job that created no meaning.

During this interview, you'll find out how Tim conquered his anxiety.

Tim mentioned:

• Luis Villasenor from Ketogains.
• The Ultimate Guide To Reinventing Yourself by James Altucher.

I mentioned:

• Minimalism, a Documentary About the Important Things.
• The Keto Summit.

Part two of this conversation is on Tim's podcast, where I talk about the connection between chronic inflammation and anxiety, and how some of the changes Tim made may have been measurable in blood:

Anxiety disorders and inflammation in a large adult cohort

• Inflammatory markers included C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-a.
• Elevated levels of CRP were found in men, but not in women.
  • Interleukin 6 is secreted by T cells and macrophages to stimulate immune response, e.g. during infection and after trauma.
  • (TNF)-a is a cell signaling protein (cytokine) involved in systemic inflammation and is one of the cytokines that make up the acute phase reaction. It is produced chiefly by activated macrophages, although it can be produced by many other cell types such as CD4+ lymphocytes, NK cells, neutrophils, mast cells, eosinophils, and neurons.
• Immune dysregulation is especially found in persons with a late-onset anxiety disorder.
• Increasing evidence links anxiety to cardiovascular risk factors and diseases such as atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, and coronary heart disease.
• Chronic stress may initiate changes in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the immune system, which in turn can trigger depression as well as anxiety.

I will send the first 100 people that leave me a 5-star review on iTunes (video instructions) a bar of Fruition 100% dark chocolate. Please send your US shipping address to [email protected]

Chocolate is awesome! Everyone knows that. Less well known is cacao's (we use the terms chocolate, cocoa, and cacao synonymously in this podcast) blood pressure lowering and insulin signalling effects. The interest in the effect of cacoa on blood pressure started with the discovery that an island population of Kuna Indians suffered much lower incidence of hypertension and age-related rise of blood pressure. The people that returned to the mainland enjoyed no such benefit, even after correcting for salt intake. Island-dwelling Kuna Indians consume about 3-4 cups of cacoa drinks on average per day, while the mainland-dwelling Kuna Indians consume up to 10 times less cocoa.

Christopher Columbus in 1502

Explorers like Columbus brought cacoa to Europe but people didn't like the drink without it first being sweetened. Subsequent roasting (up to 120 °C), mixing (conching), alkalising (dutching), adding sugar, milk, vanilla and lecithin emulsifiers make chocolate as we know it today. Unfortunately, much of this processing removes the flavanols that are the compound of interest.

Flavanols are also found in other plant-derived produce, including beans, apricots, blackberries, apples and tea leaves, but in a lower concentration than in cacoa.

More trouble for chocolate

As with many crops grown in third-world countries, there are ethical concerns, especially child labour. "Bean to bar" chocolate may be nothing of sort, and some manufacturers may be in the remelting and wallpaper business.

Know what you're buying!

As with most things in life, you pay for what you get, and the very best is not available in your local supermarket. That's why you should listen to this podcast and consider joining a buyer's club like the Chocolate Garage.

0:00:30 Toréa has been on my podcast twice before [1, 2].

0:02:56 The Functional Diagnostic Nutrition certification program.

0:03:05 Fabian Popa interview.

0:03:57 Jeremy Powers interview.

0:05:33 torearodriguez.com

0:06:30 Video instructions for leaving me a review on iTunes.

0:07:25 Buy Fruition 100% dark chocolate direct from me.

0:09:22 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: Effect of cocoa on blood pressure.

0:10:08 Cocoa, Glucose Tolerance, and Insulin Signaling: Cardiometabolic Protection.

0:11:37 Khan Academy video: Enzyme Linked Receptors.

0:15:32 A randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover showed for the first time that the intake of just 10 g of cocoa with a very low caloric (38 kcal) and flavonol (80 mg) content per day was already significantly ameliorating arterial function in healthy subjects.

0:18:15 PHAT FIBRE MCT oil powder.

0:21:59 Cyrex Array #4 Gluten-Associated Cross-Reactive Foods and Foods Sensitivity.

0:30:58 The Meadow and Cacao in Portland.

0:32:31 Sunita De Tourreil from the Chocolate Garage.

0:33:27 Mutari Chocolate.

0:33:59 Francois Pralus Chocolate.

0:34:27 Domori Chocolate.

0:34:31 Grenada Chocolate.

0:35:01 Marou Chocolate.

0:36:35 Dick Taylor Chocolate.

In this episode we take a detour through a slightly different topic for Paleo Baby. Disordered eating effects many people in many different ways. Eating too little, eating too much, body image, dieting, exercise, are all wrapped up in the definition and treatment of disordered eating. Unfortunately, those seeking help for this issue, and other mental health concerns, are often treated without regard to the person's biology, health challenges, or lifestyle, often leading to a long and bumpy recovery.

At Nourish Balance Thrive, we’ve learned that nothing can be treated in a vacuum. As alternative health care providers, we understand the importance of treating the whole person to get to the root cause. It’s rare to find mainstream practitioners who are willing to concede that diet and lifestyle might contribute to your overall health concerns, especially mental health. As a therapist, Erika Holmes defies the status quo and is a breath of fresh air in this important conversation. Join us as we break down a holistic approach to disordered eating- it’s main drivers, recovery, common questions, and a great discussion about what “normal eating” really is.

From Erika:

I’m a native Californian but now live and work in beautiful Denver Colorado. I have a Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) license in Colorado and California and a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. I graduated with honors as a member of Psi Chi Honor Society. With over 10 years of clinical experience both in agency work and in private practice, I have extensive experience working with clients in a wide range of ages, struggles, and goals.

I believe that therapy is great, but shouldn’t last forever. My goal is for us to work hard, work smart, and then work myself out of a job. I want to empower you to make changes in your life that decrease suffering, increase awareness, and assist you in creating a life worth living and relationships worth having.

Learn more about me and my practice at ErikaHolmesMFT.com or ColoradoCFT.com. Email me at [email protected]

The overall prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men aged ≥20 years was 18.4% suggesting that erectile dysfunction affects 18 million men in the US alone. Among men with diabetes, the prevalence of erectile dysfunction was 51.3%. ED can have a neurogenic, psychogenic, or endocrinologic basis, but the most common cause is thought to be related to vascular abnormalities of the penile blood supply and erectile tissue often associated with cardiovascular disease and its risk factors.

Listen to this podcast to find out about the prevalence of, and solutions for, erectile dysfunction.

0:05:19 Prevalence and risk factors for erectile dysfunction in the US.

0:11:51 The circadian timing system and environmental circadian disruption: From follicles to fertility.

0:15:11 Is Internet Pornography Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review with Clinical Reports.

0:21:36 Fathers have lower salivary testosterone levels than unmarried men.

0:24:21 Physiological consequences of U.S. Army Ranger training.

0:34:14 Irritable bowel syndrome is associated not only with organic but also psychogenic erectile dysfunction.

Jeremy Powers is the current U.S. Cyclocross champion and top-ranked American rider in the world, and he listens to my podcast! I couldn't believe it when I found out. Jeremy emailed me to say hi, and of course, I immediately invited him on so that I could probe deep into the diet, lifestyle, training and racing strategy that has enabled him to be National Champion four times. Our contact was minimal before the interview, and I had no idea that Jeremy has a delicate relationship with carbohydrates, or that he has experimented with the ketogenic diet.

0:04:02 Infectious mononucleosis (mono).

0:04:31 Northampton Cycling Club Elite Team

0:04:37 Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman.

0:05:48 Danny from Jelly Belly cycling team.

0:06:26 Philadelphia International Cycling Classic.

0:07:25 Kirk Albers.

0:08:54 Cross is 30-40 race days per year.

0:08:59 Road is an additional 70-80.

0:11:27 Tubular tyres.

0:11:30 SRAM eTAP wireless shifting, hydraulic brakes and 1X system with clutch derailleurs.

0:17:46 "Just go out there and flap your wings."

0:18:45 "Blackboard technique where I think about absolutely nothing"

0:22:18 Behind the Barriers documentary series.

0:26:28 Very low blood sugar: 40 mg/dL!

0:29:40 Workup at the Mayo Clinic included the blood marker C-peptide.

0:32:12 CHO intake of around 200g on a day included four hours of training.

0:32:48 Cross season is Sep - Feb.

0:32:55 Five week rest break in Feb.

0:33:11 Training 25-30 hours a week.

0:33:36 6-8 weeks of base.

0:36:53 Core, plank, side-plank.

0:37:36 3x12 15-25lb Bulgarian split-squat.

0:38:13 CrossFit style box jumps.

0:45:43 After Chris Froome cut back on carbs for more protein, he lost 20 pounds, started winning the Tour de France, and became a millionaire.

0:45:46 2016 Tour de France second place finisher Romain Bardet.

0:45:52 Breakfast of Champions article by Marty Kendall.

0:47:31 MCT oil. We make a powdered version.

0:51:24 Review: Ketone Bodies and Exercise Performance: The Next Magic Bullet or Merely Hype?

0:51:40 Nutritional Ketosis Alters Fuel Preference and Thereby Endurance Performance in Athletes.

0:55:04 Focus bikes.

0:57:18 Cyclocross camp in August with FasCat Coaching.

0:57:42 Ember: The World's First Non-invasive Haemoglobin Tracker.

0:59:28 Ferritin blood test.

0:59:55 Very low 25-OH-D.

1:01:05 The Daily Lipid Podcast 9: Balancing Calcium and Phosphorus in the Diet, and the Importance of Measuring Parathyroid Hormone (PTH).

1:05:18 JAM Fund Cycling.

1:07:41 Ellen Noble.

1:10:07 www.jpows.com

In January 2014, young and talented Romanian engineer Fabian Popa was feeling fine when pneumonia struck from nowhere. He remembers coming home from work and feeling a burning sensation in his chest. After a short time coping with the coughing, severe fatigue set in and Fabian found himself unable to work.

Having heard about the potential for unwanted effects caused by antibiotics, Fabian held out hoping the coughing would subside. After ten days he relented, and upon listening to his lungs, the doctor said: "Well, you have pneumonia. Take this antibiotic." And that's what he did.

Fabian took Bayer brand Avelox, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. In the United States, similar drugs Ciprofloxacin ("Cipro") and Levofloxacin are more commonly prescribed. Everything was fine for a month, but then things started to go wrong in mysterious ways. The biggest signs that something was wrong were neurological in nature, and he experienced muscle weakness and twitching. Chronic diarrhoea set in and Fabian began to gain weight.

After exhausting his options in Romania, Fabian moved on to to Germany where he eventually got a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

In this interview, Fabian speaks candidly about his recovery from "iatrogenic" injury. Iatrogenesis (from the Greek for "brought forth by the healer"), doesn't necessarily imply an error, but rather an unintended outcome. Had he not taken the medicine, Fabian might not have been here to talk about his recovery. But still, the unwanted effects of the antibiotics were severe.

Fabian's story of recovery is incomplete but still inspiring. As an engineer, he applied his analytical and problem solving skills to blood chemistry, urinary organic acids, and stool culturomics to design a solution that consisted of diet and lifestyle modification and nutritional supplements. At the end of this interview, I asked Fabian: "Let me just check, you are feeling better than before aren't you?" to which he replied: "Yes, of course [...] Maybe next time we talk, I can report that there's autoimmune no more."

0:05:07 Fluoroquinolone antibiotics.

0:07:47 Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

0:18:43 Dr. Grace Liu, PharmD.

0:18:46 Dr. Tommy Wood, MD is the CMO at Nourish Balance Thrive.

0:19:33 Haptoglobin.

0:22:32 Diamine oxidase is one of the two enzymes that break down histamine, the other being Histamine N-methyltransferase.

0:23:06 Complement component 3 blood test.

0:23:59 Tumor necrosis factor alpha blood test.

0:25:37 Fabian used the autoimmune Paleo diet, my favourite guide is called A Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol.

0:29:58 The Marshall Protocol (please don't do this!)

0:30:48 Tim Ferriss podcast.

0:33:58 Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) at the Taymount clinic.

0:37:03 Justin Sonnenburg presentation at the UCSF Paleo Symposium.

0:37:04 Diet-induced extinctions in the gut microbiota compound over generations.

0:38:54 Stool culturomics can be superior to metagenomics [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

0:39:46 uBiome and my report tool.

0:40:32 Iatrogenic injury.

• The elimination diets that we've gotten great results with for our clients travel very well with a little planning.

• Our diet didn't vary from the norm on a recent three week road trip.

• I've been eating a very high fat and fibre, moderate protein, zero acellular carbohydrate (e.g. sugar) ketogenic diet.

• Just before we departed, my blood glucose was 77 mg/dL and blood beta-hydroxybutyrate was 1.4 mmol/L.

• I placed 29/600 in the BC Bike Race, a 7-day race in a very wet British Columbia.

• In over 18 hours of racing, I consumed zero calories and a total of 2L of plain water whilst on the bike.

0:05:06 Julie's videos: Food prep for the BC BIke Race, Truck Stop Gourmet, and How to Shop at an Unfamiliar Market.

0:05:33 Instant Pot pressure cooker.

0:05:41 FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System.

0:09:41 Glass Mason Jars.

0:11:37 Cultured Caveman restaurant in Portland.

0:11:45 Mission Heirloom (podcast).

0:14:18 Wild Planet Wild Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

0:14:49 Artisana Organic Raw Coconut Butter.

0:15:10 US Wellness Meats. I particularly enjoy their liverwurst, braunschweiger, head cheese, pemmican and pork rinds.

0:16:07 Epic All Natural Meat Bar, 100% Wild, Boar With Uncured Bacon.

0:16:22 LunchBots stainless snack box.

0:16:47 SeaSnax Roasted Seaweed.

0:19:38 James Wilson (podcast).

0:24:58 KetoCaNa (podcast).

0:25:04 UCAN Superstarch (podcast).

0:27:12 Gastrointestinal Complaints During Exercise: Prevalence, Etiology, and Nutritional Recommendations.

0:28:52 Carrying two copies of a somewhat common allele of the FMO3 gene, defined as E308G and E258K, has been reported to lead to mild trimethylaminuria.

0:40:33 PHAT FIBRE.

0:42:56 Catabolic Blocker (podcast).

0:43:27 PharmaNAC (podcast).

0:44:03 Podcast: Should You Supplement with Antioxidants?

0:45:05 Meriva and EnteroMend (podcast).

0:50:29 BIOHACKER SUMMIT UK with Pando.

0:51:12 Creatine (article).

0:52:05 NiaCel (nicotinamide riboside) (podcast).