William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 82

Breakfast landmines? Nima testing on the road

I’ve been testing the Nima device for personal gluten residue detection in foods.

This time, I was having breakfast at the Grand Summit Hotel in suburban Summit, New Jersey, where I was conducting some business. A breakfast buffet was provided here, just as in many other hotels: scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, fruit, as well as the usual grain-containing and sugary choices.

Because scrambled eggs have been a source for occasional grain/gluten exposures because of either the addition of pancake mix to the batter and/or cross-contamination of cooking utensils and surfaces, I tested the scrambled eggs. I also tested the bacon, which would provide a potential cross-contamination risk (though I’ve also seen bacon drained of excess oil on slices of white bread).

Both foods proved negative, shown by the smiley face on the Nima device (only one negative result shown):

Given the negative result, I ate the entire breakfast, along with a small serving of sliced fruit, and developed none of my typical signs of wheat/grain re-exposure (which I tend to get within 30 minutes of re-exposure), suggesting that the Nima testing was correct.

I shall continue to test foods in restaurants, as well as foods purchased in stores that are either designated or not designated gluten-free, just to give us a little better insight into what foods are safe, which are not, as well as help illustrate how/where/what foods the Nima device can be helpful for.

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I will be LIVE on the Undoctored Inner Circle Wednesday, July 26th

I shall be LIVE again on the Undoctored Inner Circle Virtual Meetup on Wednesday July 26th at 8 pm Eastern/7 pm Central/6 pm Mountain/5 pm Pacific.

Let’s discuss the Undoctored program: pitfalls, difficulties, and ways to succeed. The Virtual Meetup function allows us to meet as a group to discuss issues or questions via live video. In addition to our open discussion, I would like to discuss how the Inner Circle site is going to help fund and build our Undoctored movement, taking us closer to a world in which healthcare is (almost) free. Let’s also discuss whether this should be the time slot for a scheduled weekly Meetup.

NOTE: A portion of the Meetup may be recorded for promotional uses. If you do NOT want to have your voice or video shared, please mouse over the left lower corner of your Meetup screen to turn off audio and video input (avatars for a microphone and video camera). I will announce when I am recording and when it is turned off.

(The Undoctored Inner Circle is a paid membership site that includes features such as the live Virtual Meetup, webinars, the Undoctored Health Network video collection, Health Tool Product Reviews, and a Discussion Forum.)

To join, go to the Undoctored Inner Circle and sign in.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Pops

Here’s another frozen pop recipe to serve after a summer barbecue or dinner. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter makes this taste like a frozen Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

As with all Wheat Belly desserts, the lack of sugar and grains makes this a healthy treat that you should feel no guilt over serving.

Makes 4 pops

1 can (13.5 ounces) full-fat coconut milk (not “lite”)

3/4 cup peanut butter (unsweetened)

3 tablespoons Virtue Sweetener (or other natural, non-caloric sweetener equivalent to 3/4 cup sugar)

3 1/2-ounce bar 85% or greater cocoa chocolate

In medium saucepan over low heat, stir in coconut milk, peanut butter, and sweetener. Stir frequently until all melted. Taste for sweetness and adjust sweetener, if necessary. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Pour mixture into four pop molds and freeze 4-6 hours. Remove from molds and return to freezer until ready to coat in chocolate.

Melt chocolate in double-boiler or microwave in 25-second increments until melted. Spoon chocolate over each pop, covering both sides. Return to freezer on wax paper-lined plate for at least 20 minutes, then serve.

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Strawberry Coconut Pops

Here’s an ultra-simple recipe for a healthy frozen dessert perfect for summer.

Because no sugar or other unhealthy ingredients are used, serve these Strawberry Coconut Pops without worries. You can also enjoy them yourself without worrying about gaining weight or counting calories.

You can easily modify this recipe by replacing strawberries with other berries or fruit. I used the Tiki Molds I bought at Sur la Table, but many other fun shapes are available.

Makes 4

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

1 can coconut milk (full-fat, not “lite”) or coconut cream

2 tablespoons Virtue Sweetener (or other natural sweetener equivalent to 1/2 cup sugar)

In food processor/chopper, pulse strawberries to coarse puree.Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in coconut milk and sweetener. (If coconut milk is not fully liquefied and lumps persist, use standard or immersion blender to break up.)

Pour mixture into 4 pop molds and freeze for 4-6 hours. Remove from molds and serve.

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The Undoctored Approach to Spectacular Weight Loss

Weight loss can be achieved without calorie counting, deprivation, or extreme exercise. Achieve spectacular weight loss by reverting back to the way humans were supposed to be eating all along. This restores health, reverses hundreds of health conditions, while allowing excess weight to be effortlessly mobilized.

This is part of the Undoctored program for restoring individual health without the obstruction of misguided conventional advice, the blundering of doctors who do not understand nutrition, or the predatory practices of the healthcare system.

About Undoctored:

We are entering a new age in which the individual has astounding power over health–but don’t count on the doctor or healthcare system to tell you this.

We draw from the health information of the world, collaborate, share experiences, collect data, and show how to apply new health tools to achieve levels of health that you may have thought unattainable. We do all this at a time when conventional healthcare costs have become crippling.

The result: personal health that is SUPERIOR to that obtained through conventional means.

Undoctored: Why Health Care Has Failed You and How You Can Become Smarter Than Your Doctor

Available in all major bookstores, Costco, Sam’s Club, and Amazon.

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Why is magnesium so important?

One of the six core strategies in the Undoctored Wild, Naked, and Unwashed program for health and weight loss is restoration of magnesium.

Magnesium deficiency is alarmingly common in today’s world. Why? Our reliance on filtered water that has had all of the magnesium removed, the reduced content of magnesium in modern crops, and the widespread use of proton pump inhibitors—-drugs prescribed to treat acid reflux and ulcers while reducing magnesium absorption.

Remember those darned phytates in wheat and other grains that bind magnesium and other positively charged minerals in the intestinal tract, preventing absorption and causing you to pass them into the toilet? Phytates reduce magnesium absorption by 60 percent, even when consuming just a single bagel or deli sandwich. It means that for years minerals were prevented from being absorbed whenever any phytate-containing grain was in the vicinity, blocking the absorption of even mineral supplements. Advice to include grains in every meal and snack predictably caused deficiencies of positively charged minerals, especially magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc. Add it all up, and sadly magnesium deficiency is the rule, rather than the exception.

Magnesium is at the top of the list of minerals that have been depleted. Have a breakfast of cereal with fruit, and nearly all the magnesium from breakfast is lost in the toilet due to phytates. Have a lunch of turkey breast on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomatoes—and, once again, nearly all the magnesium from this meal was bound and passed. Popular acid blocking drugs (PPIs) like Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium, and others also block magnesium absorption. Those with diabetes and prediabetes typically have the most severe magnesium deficiencies, as they lose magnesium through their urine. Combine the magnesium absorption–blocking effect of grain phytates and PPIs with the removal of magnesium from drinking water via water filtration, both municipal and home, as well as the reduced magnesium content of modern crops, and magnesium deficiency is now the rule. We therefore start the Undoctored process with profound, body-wide magnesium deficiency.

Although the health benefits of restoring magnesium aren’t as dramatic as that of vitamin D restoration or wheat/grain elimination, it can still yield some perceptible and measurable benefits. The fact is, this has real health implications. Because magnesium participates in many essential body processes, depletion is disruptive. Among the effects of magnesium deficiency:

Higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Ironically, the number-one preferred starting treatment for high blood pressure among primary care physicians is thiazide diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide and chlorthalidone, which cause increased urinary loss of magnesium (and potassium) and have thereby been associated with increased sudden cardiac death. In other words, hypertension that is partly to blame on magnesium deficiency is “treated” with a drug that worsens magnesium deficiency–such is the flawed logic typical of conventional medical care.
Higher or erratic blood sugar, since magnesium is required for the body’s enzymes to process blood sugar. Accordingly, each 100-milligram increase in daily magnesium intake decreases risk for diabetes by 15 percent.
Muscle cramps, particularly in the calves and fingers, since magnesium modulates muscle tone.
Heart rhythm disorders, especially premature atrial and ventricular contractions, atrial fibrillation, even life-threatening rhythms such as ventricular tachycardia and torsade des pointes.
Higher risk for sudden cardiac death and heart attack. People with lower magnesium levels have double the risk of people with higher magnesium levels.
Osteopenia and osteoporosis. Since over half of body magnesium is contained in bones and provides a “cross-bridging” function for structural bone proteins, lack of magnesium can have devastating long-term implications for bone health.
Constipation. Ever notice that many laxatives are nothing more than forms of magnesium, such as milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide)?
Migraine headaches, with magnesium injections providing relief in some instances.

The power of magnesium to even be lifesaving in acute deficiencies is evident in hospitals, where it is administered intravenously to subdue life-threatening heart rhythms and does so immediately and dramatically. But we, of course, do not want to allow such acute, life-threatening deficiencies to develop.

Magnesium also plays an important role in prevention or even reduction of kidney stones (calcium oxalate).

As with other Undoctored strategies, restoration of magnesium reaches across numerous health issues because it addresses an intrinsic, fundamental human need, thereby providing outsize, sometimes life-changing, benefits. Because most of us don’t want to drink from a nearby stream or river flowing over rocks and minerals or forage for wild foods, we are left with nutritional supplementation. When done properly, magnesium supplementation can be powerful. When done improperly (which is what most people who supplement magnesium are guilty of), you may be obtaining only the benefit of a laxative without restoration of this essential mineral.

You want to obtain between 400 and 500 milligrams per day of magnesium, often called elemental magnesium (the weight of magnesium only, without the weight of the acid, such as malate). Confusingly, some supplement manufacturers will list the weight of the total capsule or tablet. For example, one 1,250-milligram tablet of magnesium malate provides 150 milligrams of elemental magnesium—the 1,250 milligrams is immaterial; you are only interested in the quantity of elemental magnesium. If you find a brand that only lists the total weight, skip it and find one that lists elemental magnesium.

If you suffer from constipation, choosing a less efficiently absorbed form of magnesium may be preferable. Such forms cause an osmotic effect, pulling water into the intestines, a benign process compared to irritative laxatives like phenolphthalein or senna that exert low-grade damage over time and are even associated with cancer risk. Taking 400 milligrams (total weight of magnesium + citric acid) of magnesium citrate two or three times per day is a good place to start. If nothing happens after 24 hours, one or more doses of 800 to 1,200 milligrams will usually do the trick; then back down to the 400-milligram dose two or three times per day.

Choose the following forms for their greater absorptive potential:

Magnesium malate, in tablet or capsule form (malic acid is a common component of fruit).
Magnesium bicarbonate. This is the most highly absorbed form, but it is available only as a liquid that you make yourself. You will find this recipe here and in my UNDOCTORED book.
Magnesium glycinate. While not absorbed as well as malate, it is a reasonable choice.
Magnesium citrate. This is the preferred form if you desire a modest laxative effect or if you have a history of calcium oxalate stones (as both magnesium and citric acid inhibit formation of kidney stones).
I do not recommend magnesium oxide; although it is the most inexpensive and most common form, very little of it is absorbed and the laxative effect is quite prominent.

Because magnesium deficiency is the rule in modern society, since you cannot obtain sufficient quantities through modern foods or water, and because the health implications of deficiency are so great, everyone needs to restore magnesium. (The only exception is people with kidney disease who abnormally retain magnesium.)

Here are some foods that are high in magnesium content:

Avocados
Bananas and Plantains
Butternut Squash
Dark Leafy Greens
Fish
Nuts
Peas
Seaweed
Seeds (sesame, sunflower and pumpkin)
Yogurt and Kefir
And we had to save this one for last: Dark Chocolate

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Magnesium Water UNDOCTORED Style

The most highly absorbable form of magnesium is magnesium bicarbonate. Because of an unusual tendency to absorb water in dry form (e.g., tablet or powder), no supplement manufacturer sells it. But you can make it in your own kitchen quite easily using readily available ingredients. Use Magnesium Water in place of magnesium supplements—i.e., don’t take both—to avoid long-term magnesium overload.

A 4-ounce (1/2-cup) serving of Magnesium Water provides 90 milligrams of elemental magnesium; 4 ounces twice per day adds 180 milligrams of elemental magnesium to your daily intake. You can drink up to 16 ounces per day (8 ounces, or 1 cup, twice per day), which provides a total of 360 milligrams of magnesium per day, especially useful during the first few weeks of your Undoctored experience to rapidly restore magnesium.

Because of better absorption, Magnesium Water yields faster relief from muscle cramps and migraine headaches, even abnormal heart rhythms. Such benefits are also more likely to occur with the 360-milligram-per-day total dose.

Note that the milk of magnesia used in the recipe must be unflavored, as flavoring will block the reaction creating the magnesium bicarbonate. Label your bottle of Magnesium Water to prevent unsuspecting people from drinking it (which can result in diarrhea). Magnesium Water does not need to be refrigerated if consumed within 1 week. Because the reaction involves carbonic acid (from carbonated seltzer) and magnesium oxide (milk of magnesia), the end result is magnesium bicarbonate and water, with little to no carbonation remaining.

Add several drops of your choice of natural extract, such as orange, lemon, coconut, or berry if desired for flavor. If some sweetness is desired, add a few drops of the flavored stevias available in place of the extract or add your choice of sweetener, such as several drops of liquid stevia or monk fruit, to the mixture. I used 20 drops of berry-flavored SweetLeaf Sweet Drops, which yielded a light sweetness, subtle enough to allow sipping over ice without being overly sweet. And be sure to choose a carbonated seltzer without sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.(This is why we avoid tonic water.)

Yield : 2 liters

2-liter bottle of seltzer (not tonic water)

3 tablespoons unflavored milk of magnesia

Naturally flavored extracts and/or sweetener

Uncap the seltzer and pour off a few tablespoons. Shake the (unflavored) milk of magnesia, and pour out 3 tablespoons. (Most brands come with a handy little measuring cup that works perfectly.) Pour the milk of magnesia into the seltzer slowly, followed by the extract and sweetener.

Cap the bottle securely, and shake until all the sediment has dissolved. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes and allow to clarify. If any sediment remains, shake again. Drink as instructed above.

You will find this recipe and so much more in UNDOCTORED!

 

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I will be LIVE on the Undoctored Inner Circle Virtual Meetup Wednesday, July 19th

I shall be LIVE again on the Undoctored Inner Circle Virtual Meetup on Wednesday July 19th at 8 pm Eastern/7 pm Central/6 pm Mountain/5 pm Pacific.

Let’s discuss the Undoctored program: pitfalls, difficulties, and ways to succeed. The Virtual Meetup function allows us to meet as a group to discuss issues or questions via live video. In addition to our open discussion, I would like to discuss how the Inner Circle site is going to help fund and build our Undoctored movement, taking us closer to a world in which healthcare is (almost) free.

NOTE: A portion of the Meetup will be recorded for promotional uses. If you do NOT want to have your voice or video shared, please mouse over the left lower corner of your Meetup screen to turn off audio and video input (avatars for a microphone and video camera). I will announce when I am recording and when it is turned off.

(The Undoctored Inner Circle is a paid membership site that includes features such as the live Virtual Meetup, webinars, the Undoctored Health Network video collection, Health Tool Product Reviews, and a Discussion Forum.)

To join, go to the Undoctored Inner Circle and sign in.

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Nima for do-it-yourself gluten testing

The people who developed the at-home personal gluten testing device, Nima, recently sent me one of their devices to test. I shall therefore be putting this device to work in coming weeks and posting the results here.

Here is the device with one of the single-use capsules for testing:

The first meal I tested was a Shrimp, Crab, Avocado & Mango Stack ordered at The Chart House in Boston, where my son and I were visiting my sister. My son’s girlfriend, Liz, is an exquisitely sensitive 23-year old with celiac disease and she needs to be vigilant for any cross-contamination at all. (I once served my son and Liz a meatloaf I made with ground beef and pork purchased at the butcher; no grains added, only eggs, onions, small quantity of ground golden flaxseed, pepper, salt. After eating a slice, Liz could barely walk for three days due to joint pain. I learned this lesson the hard way: If a butcher uses his tools or work surfaces to cut processed meats containing any form of grains, you cannot purchase any meats from him and be confidently gluten-free.)

This is the seafood dish that Liz ordered and was billed as gluten-free and described in the Chart House menu as “shrimp and crab meat tossed in remoulade, layered with avocado & mango,” pictured here:

We inserted a pea-sized sample of the food into the single-use Nima capsule, screwed on the top, then ran the test which requires three minutes:

The photo should show a smiley face telling us that no gluten was detected (above 20 parts per million, consistent with the FDA’s definition of gluten-free)–my bad photography fails to show the lighted result, but the dish did indeed prove to be gluten-free. The photo should show something like this:

.

If gluten is detected, then this result would have shown:

Liz ate and enjoyed her dish and, consistent with the negative gluten-testing result, did not suffer her joint pain nor gastrointestinal distress that typically follows an exposure.

I found the device very easy to use. The instructions were straightforward and concise. The few parts made testing quite simple. (The only tripping point was my failure to fully screw on the capsule top, fearing breaking it, and yielding a few “Test error” results. Once I screwed it on properly, tests proceeded as expected.) For someone like Liz who cannot afford any exposure to gluten proteins, having a negative test result even after the assurances of the waitstaff was helpful. The device can only yield a test on the small sample tested, not the entire dish, but it nonetheless can provide some indication of the dish’s safety.

The Nima device is not for everyone. It is most helpful for those who are exceptionally gluten-sensitive, whether for celiac disease, exceptional gastrointestinal sensitivity to grain components such as gliadin and other proteins (in which case the presence of gluten is an indicator of grain contamination), have neurological or other autoimmune grain-based conditions such as cerebellar ataxia, rheumatoid arthritis or type 1 diabetes. It is pricey at $279 for the starting kit that includes 3 single-use test capsules and a micro-USB charging cable, with additional capsules available at around $5 per capsule ($60 for 12 capsules). This therefore adds $5 every time you test a dish at a restaurant, for example.

But for those of you who need/desire the assurance to avoid reactions like those experienced like Liz with celiac disease, this device can indeed be helpful.

I shall continue to provide some more testing examples using the Nima in future.

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Undoctored: DIY Healthcare Success Stories

I am looking for personal stories that describe how you experienced a health problem, then–on your own, without the doctor–tracked a health measure such as blood sugar, blood pressure, sleep phases, etc.–then overcame/corrected this health problem yourself.

I would like to share your story (if chosen) on a national stage to help demonstrate that, if given access to information, online collaboration, and new health tools that allow us to track various measures, an individual can exert enormous personal control over health.

Some examples to illustrate:

Your doctor diagnosed you with type 2 diabetes due to high fasting blood sugars and/or high HbA1c . He/she advised you to begin one or  more oral or injectable medications to reduce blood sugar. Instead, you use a common glucose meter to reverse type 2 diabetes (such as using the strategies in this Wheat Belly Blog discussion).
Your doctor diagnosed you with high blood pressure. He/she advises that you begin a diuretic, beta blocker, or other drug to reduce blood pressure. You decline. You start measuring and tracking your own blood pressure on your own, then taking self-administered steps (change in nutrition, weight loss, exercise, nutritional supplements, better sleep management or tracking, etc.) that reduced blood pressure to normal levels.
You were diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by your doctor, who found no problems during endoscopy and colonoscopy, so prescribed an anti-spasm drug, acid suppressing drug, an antidepressant or other drugs that yielded little to no relief from the frequent and inopportune diarrhea, as well as abdominal pain. You read that probiotics are sometimes helpful, so you add that on your own and symptoms diminished by 50% or more. You identify the dietary triggers of your attacks and find that they are typically triggered by sugars and grains, so you eliminate these from your diet. Within 4 weeks, you are freed of all your symptoms.

I would like to choose a few of these stories to share with an audience. If I choose your story, I shall have a copy of the new Undoctored book sent to you.

To share your story, post it on any of the following:

The Wheat Belly Blog–as a comment (which requires that you provide your email so that I can contact you)

The Wheat Belly Facebook page

The Undoctored Blog–as a comment (which requires that you provide your email so that I can contact you)

The Undoctored Facebook page

As I can only choose  handful of such stories, let me thank everyone ahead of time for taking the time and energy to share your story. This is part of my effort to help spread the word that YOU can take the initiative in personal health and often obtain results superior to that obtained through conventional healthcare.

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