by David Grisaffi

http://www.flattenyourabs.net

By definition “heavy metals” are metals or metallic compounds that
negatively affect the health of humans.  All living organisms
require varying amounts of some heavy metals.  The human body needs
iron, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc for optimal
health and metabolism.  Certain other heavy metals such as mercury,
plutonium, and lead are toxic to humans.  Even those heavy metals
that are beneficial to you can cause harm if they are used or
consumed in excessive amounts.  The main threats to human safety
and health come from the heavy metals lead, cadmium, mercury, and
arsenic.  Each heavy metal affects the human body in many different
ways.  In the remainder of this article you will find information
that will tell you how some heavy metals affect your heart,
breathing, and overall circulation.

Cadmium compounds are mainly used in re-chargeable batteries:
however, cigarette smoke is a major source of exposure, and , to
some extent, food.  Food is affected because of there is very
little recycling of cadmium batteries and it runs off from
landfills into surface water.  Cadmium causes kidney damage, bone
defects, and an increase in fractures.  The kidney damage and
defects in bones and bone marrow will cause circulation problems.
In general, people are exposed to mercury through the foods that
they eat.  Fish is the main food source that contains the methyl
mercury.  To a much smaller extent, dental amalgam can be linked to
mercury exposure. 

The main side effects of mercury exposure are in
the nervous system.  Pregnant women should be especially wary of
freshwater fish that have been caught because of the high mercury
in them.  The mercury will cause birth defects.  Mercury will cause
muscle weakness and loss of muscle control.  The muscle weakness
affects the heart, lungs, and blood circulation.  Lead exposure is
generally found in the air and food in equal parts.  Lead emissions
into the air have caused wide spread pollution.  Gasoline and
lead-based paint are the two major sources of exposure. 

While paint manufactured since 1978 does not contain lead, older
homes may still have walls painted with contaminated products.  An
unexpected source of lead is glazed food containers.  The side
effects of lead exposure are mainly neurological in nature.  They
are very similar to mercury exposure.  Lead can cause kidney damage
and anemia.  Arsenic, the last of the heavy metals, and arguably
the most common, is the most dangerous.  The major sources are
food, drinking water, and work environments. Hard to get away from
isn’t it.  Arsenic can penetrate rubber or latex gloves and is
easily absorbed by your skin. 

Arsenic is especially dangerous because it binds with your
hemoglobin and prevents your red blood cells from absorbing oxygen. 
It will cause your blood cells to rupture and then muscle cells will
begin to die from the lack of oxygen. Your heart muscle will weaken
leading to poor circulation.

Long term, or extreme, exposure will cause heart failure from
oxygen deprivation.  Arsenic has been linked to dozens of different
types of cancer.  The food sources that contain arsenic are too
numerous to list.  Most water sources contain some arsenic because
of run-off of pesticides used in farming or pollution from industry
and fossil fuel use.

All of these heavy metals have one thing in common.  They are a
nightmare for your circulation.  By blocking red blood cells from
picking up oxygen, they essentially strangle your cells and kill
them off.  Thankfully, we are aware of where our heavy metal threat
comes from.  That enables you to minimize your risks for health
damage.  Watching what you eat and knowing the source of the food
are essential.  Stop smoking and avoid second hand smoke.  Check
your local water supply.  The EPA requires testing and the results
are available to the public.  Another good point is that there are
several diets available that focus on the cleansing of your body of
heavy metals.  Severe cases will require medical treatment, but for
most of you a change in lifestyle and diet will prevent heavy
metals from becoming your circulation nightmare.
Feel free to comment or add your thoughts …The blog is for all of
you to participate and get involved!

For the a comprehensive, no-fail plan to get your abs in the best
shape of their lives, check out my book,  “Firm and Flatten Your
Abs.”

Feel free to check out http://www.flattenyourabs.net

David Grisaffi, C. H. E. K. II, CFT, PN
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist II
Golf Biomechanic
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach II

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Caffeine and Coffee:  The Good Side
by David Grisaffi

http://www.flattenyourabs.net

After many years of being a much maligned drink, coffee, and the
caffeine in it, is being seen in its true light.  Many agencies are
seeing the good side of caffeine and coffee.  This lively brew has
recently been re-examined by the likes of the United States Food
and Drub Administration(FDA), the American Cancer Society, the
American Medical Administration, and the Framingham Heart Study,
just to name a few.  All of these agencies have given caffeine a
clean bill of health while showing the good side of caffeine and
coffee.  I would suggest you use only organic blends. Coffee in one
of the most pesticide ladened crops in the world.

According to the results of the recent research endorsed by these
organizations, moderate intake of caffeine does not increase your
risk for several diseases.  Moderate intake is considered to be 3
to 6 cups or 350mg of caffeine per day.  Caffeine was once thought
to contribute to certain types of cancer, heart disease, high blood
pressure, bone loss, and complications during pregnancy.  In fact
the opposite is true in many instances.  The good side of caffeine
is that it can increase physical performance, endurance, and may
protect against heart disease.  Any increase in blood pressure is
short lived.  It is usually the same, or less than, what is seen if
you climb a single flight of stairs. Read more…

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This is a much debated topic.  Various research articles have
propounded theories that gauge the exact amount of sleep required by a
person and how to find out if he is getting enough sleep. The amount
of shut eye necessary can vary from person to person.  Not only does
the quantity of seep count, but so does the quality.  The experts are
in full agreement that the number of hours of sleep required varies
from person to person, but they also agree that there is no minimum
number of hours of sleep for optimum health.  Some people remain
healthy while getting a mere six hours, while still others can not
function without eight consecutive hours.  To remain in good health
you need to progress through the five phases of sleep.

To feel fully rested your brain needs to go through the full cycle of
the five phases of sleep.  Enough time should be spent in each of the
phases so that your brain can rest completely.  Any interruptions in
these phases will lead to feelings of fatigue.  There are times when
the common alarm clock and your body’s internal clock simply are not
on the same schedule.  This can be the issue when you are chronically
not getting enough sleep.  Cases like this can happen to people who
work at night or the overseas traveler who experiences “jet lag” or
“jet daze”.  This lack of synchronization can leave you unable to
enjoy your vacation or unable to make the sale!  Dr. Judith Reichman’s
book - “Slow Your Clock Down:  The Complete Guide to a Healthy,
Younger You” is a great read on this subject.

There are several other conditions that can lead to your sleep cycle
being interrupted.  Three of the biggest are: sleep apnea, periodic
limb movement, and chronic pain and disease.  The signs of sleep apnea
are snoring, gasping, and pauses in your breathing that cause you to
wake.  Sleep apnea can be caused by many things like allergies,
enlarged tonsils or adenoids, and being overweight.  Periodic limb
movement is a common affliction of adults.  One of these type of
ailments is Restless Leg Syndrome.  The constant, unexpected jerking
of your arms or legs can wake you.  Maybe not completely, but enough
to interrupt your sleep cycle.  Pain and chronic diseases such as
arthritis, osteoporosis, congestive heart failure, and even too much
medication can hamper or interrupt the cycle and lead to fatigue and
sleep disorders. Read more…

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Being a new mother is not an easy job. Besides being on call 24×7 for
the baby, your self-image takes a beating as you look at yourself in
the mirror- the svelte pre-pregnancy figure has disappeared and worse,
its showing no signs of returning! Do not fret and do not be too hard
on yourself. Flattening your abdomen after childbirth and getting back
your flat tummy will take dedication and regular exercise but this
should always be done in consultation with your doctor or midwife. It
is even more important to do this if you have had a Caesarian.

Your abdominal muscles get split down the middle during pregnancy and
it is important that they have completely healed before you start on
an exercise regimen. According to doctors weak stomach muscles lead to
poor posture which, in turn, is responsible for lower back pain,
sciatica, joint pain and inflammation. So, flattening your abdomen
after childbirth is not only essential for looking good but is
important for your overall health. Read more…

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The active heat source in all hot peppers is the potent compound
capsacin.  It is also the active compound that makes pepper spray
such an effective weapon.  If you enjoy torturing your tongue you can
try the jalapeno or habenero.  Another case altogether is the Bhut
Jolokia.  It has been certified as the world’s hottest pepper by the
Guinness Book of World Records.  Just in case oral torture is not
your thing, there are the many-fold health benefits of the hot pepper to
consider.  Either way, hot peppers should be part of your healthy diet
and lifestyle.

For many centuries people have used hot peppers as powerful
medicinal aids.  They are used to stimulate digestion, reduce appetite,
increase circulation, pain relief, suppress the common cold, and to
open clogged airways in the nose and lungs.  That is not a bad set of
benefits, but it is just the start.  The health benefits continue on to
include lowering cholesterol, reducing blood clotting and treating the
symptoms of chronic fatigue, asthma, and infections.

Some of the most incredible benefits of hot peppers is for reducing
appetite.  The type of hot pepper may not matter, although some
people claim that red (cayenne) peppers work the best.  The capsacin
is actually the relevant compound for reducing your appetite with hot
peppers.  Capsacin increases blood flow to the intestines and
increases the muscular contractions of the intestinal walls (peristalsis).
It also seems to block the sensory information from the intestine to the
brain. Read more…

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by David Grisaffi
http://www.flattenyourabs.net
with help from Ori Hofmekler

Radiologists and gastroenterologists claim that, after looking at many peoples livers, 50% of middle-aged Americans have a condition called “fatty liver”.  The most common causes are poor diet, excessive use of alcohol, toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and hepatitis.  Liver disease has many symptoms: nausea, vomiting, malaise, fatigue, yellowing of the skin and/or eyes, and a swollen abdomen.  The list goes on and on.  You can easily determine if your liver function is not right by having a blood test.  Luckily, there are many methods of detoxifying your liver.

Before you jump into a liver detoxification process, you should know some of the key nutrients needed to insure its success.  An adequate supply of the antioxidants vitamin C, selenium, beta carotene, vitamin E, and N-acetyl-cysteine(NAC) is very much needed.  The amino acid SAM-E is an important component in lever health.   This article will show the relation of these nutrients and different ways to detoxify your liver, as well as how each of those methods actually works in your body.

Milk thistle is a plant originally from Southern Europe and North Africa.  It can also be found in Southern Russia and Asia Minor.  Its use, as it pertains to liver detoxification, is derived from a flavonoid, called silymarin, found in the seeds.  Herbalists, including a group of scientists known as Commission E, recognize that silymarin protects the liver by altering and strengthening the outer cell membrane of hepatacytes(liver cells).  It also stimulates the natural regenerative capabilities of the liver and helps in the formation of new heptacytes through the activation of the enzyme nucleolar polymerase A. Read more…

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By David Grisaffi
http://www.flattenyourabs.net 

When you think of sugar you think of sugar cane.  Maybe sugar beets.  Extraction of sugar from sugar cane helped to fuel the colonization of the New World.  When you see a field of corn gently swaying in the breeze, do you think of sugar?  Most of us would be surprised to discover that a large percentage of the sweeteners used in food processing come from corn.  The process for making High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS) was developed in the 1970’s.  By the 1990’s the use of sugar had declined sharply.  Today Americans consume more HFCS than sugar by far.

High-fructose corn syrup is produced by adding enzymes to white corn starch.  Simple?  Not really.  First alpha-amylase(1st enzyme) is used to break the cornstarch molecules into polysaccharides.  Next, glucoamylase(2nd enzyme) breaks the polysaccharides into simple glucose molecule chains.  Lastly, glucose-isomersal(3rd enzyme) converts 42% of the glucose into fructose.  After a few more unnatural steps, the syrup contains the 55% fructose that is required to be called High-fructose corn syrup.  The first two enzymes are created from bacteria and fungus.  The third is so expensive that producers will pour the mixture over it and reuse the enzyme repeatedly.  Also, the first two enzymes are both genetically engineered to increase their stability when heated.  As an added treat, the corn used to make the cornstarch is also genetically altered. Read more…

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While it is easy to demonize calories and we often blame them for making us enjoy good food, we must also realize that calories nourish our body and keep us strong and healthy. While we shouldn’t think of calories as the enemy, we must work to find a healthy balance of food that our body needs to thrive, and calories that are contributing to unwanted weight gain.

The number of calories in the food one consumes is a measure of the number of energy units supplied which in turn keeps the body mechanism healthy. Only 4 components in food provide calories: alcohol protein, carbohydrates and fat. Minerals, Photo chemicals, Vitamins, water and fiber do not contribute calories.

Cutting calories one consumes on a daily basis is the cornerstone of loosing excess weight. One pound of fat equals about 3,500 calories. This roughly translates into losing a pound a week or around 500 calories per day. Common sense tells us that restricting your calories is one of the best ways to lose weight.  Read more…

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Trans fat is a generic name for an unsaturated fat that contains transisomer fatty acid.  A trans fat can be either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.  Most trans fats are industrially made.  Unlike dietary fats, trans fats are neither essential to human health nor easily used by your body.  Hopefully, after reading this article, you will understand why trans fats should be considered enemy #1.

Most trans fats consumed are created in the process known as partial hydorgenation of plant oils.  This process was discovered at the turn of the 20th century and was first used commercially in the United States in Crisco.  The ultimate goal of partial hydrogenation is to increase the melting point of the oils.  This makes them more attractive for bakers and increases the shelf life of the product.  Conjugated linoleic acid and vaccinia acid are two trans fats that are naturally occurring in meat and milk.  It is thought that trans fats are carried from mother to child by breast milk. Read more…

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Candida albicans is a form of yeast that naturally occurs in your body.  It feeds of sugars, yeast, mold, and fungi that are in your diet.  The more that you eat the foods that Candida albicans needs the quicker the yeast will spread.  Because of Candida’s need for sugar, it can cause you to crave unhealthy foods that contain large amounts of refined carbohydrates and sugars.  Something in your body could be causing you to be a junk food junkie!  One of the best things to do is to starve the Candida albicans out of you.

There are many foods that need to be either limited or completely avoided when you are on a diet to reduce a Candida infection.  A good rule of thumb is to avoid foods with sugars or yeast.  Reducing these will reduce the number of carbohydrates in your daily intake.  Sometimes a carb restriction of less than 60g per day is required.  It is not easy to eliminate the sources of sugar in your diet.  All of us can recognize sugar in its most common forms(raw, white, and brown), but there are some sneakier types out there.  Honey, turbinado, demerrara, amesake, and fruit.  You definitely need to remove fresh, frozen, and dried fruit, along with fruit juices, from your diet.  Fruit contains natural, simple sugars that yeast can feed on a quickly grow.  Read the label on any food you purchase.  If you see any on of these words put it back on the shelf.  Avoid: Sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, glycogen, glucose, mannitol, sorbital, glactose, and both mono and polysaccharides. Read more…

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