Insulin Resistance– More Dangerous Than High Cholesterol

Contrary to what most people have been told, elevated cholesterol is not the villain it has been made out to be. 

Unfortunately, many people are chasing the wrong criminal when it comes to improving health outcomes.

The medical literature is exploding with the dangers of insulin resistance in increasing cardiovascular disease and other disease entities.

It is reported that chronic insulin resistance is also associated with various types of cancer such as colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, endometrial cancer, and breast cancer.

Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t use glucose from your blood for energy. To make up for it, your pancreas makes more insulin. Over time, your blood sugar levels go up.

Some signs of insulin resistance include:

• A waistline over 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women
• Blood pressure readings of 130/80 or higher
• A fasting glucose level over 100 mg/dL
• A fasting triglyceride level over 150 mg/dL
• Fasting insulin greater than 6
• A HDL cholesterol level under 40 mg/dL in men and 50 mg/dL in women
• Skin tags
• Patches of dark, velvety skin called acanthosis nigricans

Effective Treatment for Insulin Resistance

Carbohydrates such as simple sugars, grains, and starchy vegetables should be avoided as they stimulate insulin secretion. They should be replaced with higher protein-containing foods and non-starchy vegetables.

Adequate vitamin D intake

Aerobic and resistance training–High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been found to be superior to low-intensity cardio. Of course, I suggest that people completely out of shape work their way up to HIIT. Start out slow. Some exercise is better than none.

Get adequate sleep.

Reduce stress– meditation is recommended.

Get adequate magnesium intake.

Take Berberine supplementation.

Conclusion

I recommend one take insulin resistance very seriously. The implications of being associated with increased cardiovascular disease and cancer are overwhelming. The following robust list of peer-reviewed citations should be reviewed. I have provided above a good starting point in reversing insulin resistance.

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP

The Insanity of Disease Prevention

With heart disease and cancer killing 1.2 million annually (the two leading causes of death in the US), should you be fooled into believing that anything is really known about prevention?

If you worry sometimes (or a lot) about getting cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, or other life-altering (or life-ending) diseases, there’s a reason for that:

You aren’t in control of whether you get these diseases, and you are hoping that you get lucky.

Sure, that would worry anyone.

Using cars as an analogy: you climb into the passenger side of a car and look over to see your neighbor’s 16-year-old son getting into the driver’s seat. You are WORRIED! You’re sweating, you’re shaking. So, you get out, evict the kid from the car and drive it yourself. Suddenly, no worries! You’re back in control. It’s not like you are the world’s most talented driver, but you trust yourself to stay out of trouble.

What if you did this for your health worries as well? What if you evicted your doctor from the driver’s seat and made the guy into an advisor instead? What if you stopped buying into the idea that “you can’t know” what to do to stay healthy and prevent disease other than general, inane stuff like “stop smoking.”

Here is an example of the insanity that passes for “Prevention” in our current health care system:

(Actual) “Top Tips for Cancer Prevention:”

1. Don’t use tobacco.
2. Eat a healthy diet.
3. Exercise and avoid being overweight.
4. Get regular medical care and screenings.

Here is my satire of these tips:

Top Tips for Auto Accident Prevention (Medical Version):

1. Make sure your headlights work if you drive at night.
2. Make sure your brakes and tires are inspected regularly.
3. Test your horn.
4. Schedule regular bumpergram imaging for early detection that you’ve already had an accident.

What’s Preventing the Prevention?

Prevention implies that something is being DONE to prevent the bad thing from happening. Current medical prevention includes no hint that you have some control of your own life and health outcome. There isn’t any inkling that you could be responsible for your health.

If you add personal responsibility and the idea that you can have control of your own health into the Tips List, it would look something like this:

Tips for Auto Accident Prevention (Personal Responsibility Version):

1. Pay attention to the road, traffic and your environment.
2. Drive as if the other guy might do something stupid at any time.
3. Don’t do distracting things while driving (phones, radios, kids).
4. Keep your speed and spacing with other vehicles so you have reaction time.

Tips for Cancer Prevention (Personal Responsibility Version):

1. Test your body to find out if anything is inhibiting your immune system and correct it.
2. Test your body to find out what you could do to help your body improve its overall health and do this.
3. Find out what diet restrictions are needed with your body and develop a more ideal food plan to improve and maintain your health.
4. Get tested regularly for cancer risk factors (such as thermography) and handle any that are found.

If you aren’t familiar with these last four tips, you should know that understanding them could be the answer to much of your worry about scary diseases.

To understand how these tips would work, here’s a quick rundown of important health information that is either little known or little understood:

Summary: Your body is intelligent and constantly is working to maintain and heal itself. By accessing information from the nervous system with specific types of testing, it’s possible to let the body be its own doctor. You can find out from it what help it needs and then assist it to heal itself. We have treatment techniques and supplements all designed to be used by the body to repair itself and return to health.

This Information Changes Everything

Working with the body to assist it to heal itself ends the standard trial-and-error methods of conventional medicine. It ends the tyranny of the pharmaceutical treatment model as the ONLY method of treatment accepted as legitimate. It gives you the ability to improve and control your own health, and to kick the teenage driver out of your car for good.

How to increase your energy and motivation.

There are products galore to improve energy and motivation. There are energy drinks, exercise programs, self-help books, therapy, drugs, even coffee!

Here are two practical actions you can take to boost your energy, motivation, and general mood. Neither one will cost you any money, and they don’t take much time.

1. Smooth out your blood sugar:

Your blood sugar is the primary source of energy for your body, including your nervous system. If you eat in a way that creates low blood sugar, you may experience:

• Waking in the night and nightmares
• Brain fog and concentration problems
• Heart palpitations and anxiety
• Hunger, or the reverse: a feeling of aversion to food, even if you should be hungry
• Mood swings and nervousness
• Headaches
• Blurry vision
• Jittery, shaky feelings
• Lightheadedness, dizziness, and loss of balance and coordination

You can have low blood sugar from… eating sugar!

Eating sugar or refined carbohydrates (bread, chips, pasta, cakes, cookies) can put too much sugar into your bloodstream. Your body reacts to prevent high-sugar damage by flooding the bloodstream with a hormone (insulin) to bring the sugar levels down. The high sugar emergency caused too much insulin hormone to be released, and now the sugar drops way too low. You feel terrible and crave sweets, bread, chips—anything that will bring up the low blood sugar. But you overeat the carbs and sugar, and now your blood sugar goes too high. Your body has another sugar emergency, over-produces insulin again, and the whole cycle repeats. “Roller-coaster” blood sugar is a very common scenario and can cause chronic symptoms from low blood sugar. Solution:

1. Avoid eating sugar (cake candy, cookies, ice cream, soda, beer, wine) and limit your carbs intake (bread, pasta, rice, and white potatoes).
2. Eat protein (meat, eggs, cheese, nuts) with every meal and every snack.
3. If you feel jittery, like you have low blood sugar, eat protein and vegetables instead of chips, bread, and sugar. Keep eating protein and veggies (for example, no-sugar peanut butter on celery) until you feel better.

Another way you can have low blood sugar is not eating regularly enough:

Your body runs out of stored blood sugar about four hours after a meal. So if you skip lunch, by dinner time, your body can have to break down protein from the muscles to make blood sugar. This problem is worse if you have fatigued adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands prevent your body from being damaged by stress, so if you’ve been surviving through the stress of the past few years, maybe they’re not in wonderful condition. Solution: Eat frequently enough to prevent running out of blood sugar.

1. Eat within an hour of waking in the morning (you are running out of blood sugar from not eating since the night before).
2. Eat again four hours after a meal.
3. A snack will give you one to two hours to bridge two meals to avoid running out of blood sugar.

My patients often report remarkable improvements from eating this way. They can think more clearly, sleep better, and have more energy.

2. Stop feeling overwhelmed, and be more motivated! Do this simple exercise:

If you have too many jobs, responsibilities, deadlines, and things you are behind on—you may feel overwhelmed. It’s hard to be motivated to do more when you feel like you can’t keep up with what you’re already supposed to be doing. The problem: You are using up too many of your available “attention units.” You can feel irritable and at the end of your rope, or you may just feel tired and unmotivated.

The exercise:

1. Take pen and paper and write out a list of the things you have your attention on. List the things you haven’t finished yet, or need to do. The list can be any length, but try to make it complete.

EXAMPLES:

• Grocery shopping for this week
• Finish next phase of a major project at work
• Take the car in for maintenance
• Catch up on laundry
• Call and visit with a family member
• Buy a birthday gift for a friend
• Get the exterior of the house painted
• (Etc.)

2. Circle the items on the list that you could complete (finish all the way) in the next hour.
3. Get busy and do these tasks right now.
4. Notice any difference in how overwhelmed you feel—do you feel better now?
5. You can continue to work on your list. In general, do the tasks you can complete (finished all the way) first.

The reason that this exercise works: Every item on your list is using up some of your available attention units. If you free some attention units (regardless of the importance of the task), you will have more available for other tasks, plus you won’t be as overwhelmed.

What is a Keto Diet?

What is a Keto Diet?

In the world of weight-loss diets, high-protein and low-carb have ruled for a decade. South Beach, Paleo, and Atkins diets are often considered “ketogenic” or “keto” diets.

True keto diets differ from the most popular high-protein diets because a keto diet is based on fat instead of protein. Fat supplies up to 90% of the calories in a “true” keto diet.

How Does It Work?

A keto diet is designed to force your body into burning a fuel that the liver produces from stored fat instead of using the normal sugars it derives from carbs.

This fuel from your liver is called “ketone bodies.”

To force your body to use this fuel, you must eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per DAY. (One slice of bread, for example, contains 15 grams of carbs). After a few days, your body may reach a state of “ketosis,” where it is creating and burning ketone bodies. However, too much protein can also interfere with the process (usually limited to 75 grams per day).

Keto Risks

Recent research suggests that specific genetic markers can make a keto diet unsafe. (Read THE KETO DIET CAN BE DANGEROUS IF YOU HAVE THIS GENE)

A typical person on a keto diet will eat 170 grams of fat, 50 grams of carbs, and 75 grams of protein. And yes, that is a LOT of fat! Your fruits are restricted to a few berries, and your vegetables are very limited.

This can lead to heart disease risks and nutritional deficiencies. Other potential problems are stress on your liver and kidneys, constipation, and brain fog from the low-carb diet.

The Upside to Keto Foods

I send many of my patients to a local keto bakery. This is not because I want them to go on a keto diet, but because I want them to stop eating sugar.

Keto cookies, cakes, and sweet rolls have almost NO sugar OR carbs! It’s like a miracle! Not everyone likes them, but most people can find some great substitutes to be able to eat a cookie when they want to without messing up their immune system.  (See “Sugar and Your Immune System)

The Problem with Keto (And Other Weight-Loss Diets)

Everyone’s body is different. A diet that works for someone else may fail for you, or even damage your health.

Many patients who come to me for weight loss don’t need a diet. Their weight is coming from hormones, digestive problems, or allergies.

My Advice:

Stop trying to lose weight or improve your health based on trial and error. Stop reading about some “great, new thing” on the internet and thinking, “Hey, I should try this out and see if it works!”

Honestly, what are the chances that any given product or diet would work on your particular body? Also, what does “work” mean? If you lose 10 pounds and then gain it back but now will have much more difficulty losing weight in the future, was this a “success?”

Printout from Heart Rate Variability Testing, shows nervous system function

Testing, An (Apparently) New Idea

I can’t think of any single food, supplement, or treatment that would be appropriate for every patient I’ve had in the past year except for maybe clean water.  Every person is unique in many ways and needs different solutions.

You might ask, “But, how can you tell specifically what I should do?”

In health care today, the concept of TESTING is almost foreign. Most treatments, supplements, and drugs are recommended on a “try it and see if it works” basis.

But if you could accurately test someone to determine what foods, supplements, diets, and treatments would be effective and safe for them—why would anyone make any decisions without testing first?

My Universal Answer

I always have the same answer when asked about diets, supplements, or treatments:

“Why don’t you come in and let me test you to find out?”

After all, the only other option would be to GUESS.

So:

Why don’t you come in and let me test you?

The Gene That Makes the Ketogenic Diet Dangerous

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP

With all the craze about the ketogenic diet it would behoove one to know if they are a candidate for this type of diet.

First for those not familiar with the ketogenic diet here is a short summary:

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in medicine is used mainly to treat hard-to-control epilepsy in children. Here are 8 additional benefits:

1. Triglycerides Tend to Drop Drastically
2. Increased Levels of ‘Good’ HDL Cholesterol
3. Reduced Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels
4. May Lower Blood Pressure
5. Effective Against Metabolic Syndrome
6. A Greater Proportion of Fat Loss Comes From Your Abdominal Cavity
7. Improved ‘Bad’ LDL Cholesterol Levels
8. Therapeutic for Several Brain Disorders (Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease)

Now with all of these benefits the scientific literature has investigated if indeed this type of diet is beneficial for all people.

Well it may ultimately come down to your genes. Most specifically, your APOE genotype.

The three different types of APOE genes are as follows:

APOE2 – Best suited to a High Fat / Low Carb Diet (saturated fats are good)
APOE3 – Suitable For Both
APOE4 – Best Suited For A High Monounsaturated Fat / Low Carb Diet (Avoid Saturated Fats)

Research studies have shown that APOE4 carriers are most effected by high cholesterol, and benefit more from a low saturated fat diet, instead using monounsaturated fats,  low carb diet, whereas APOE 2 carriers suit a high fat low carb diet, regardless of the saturated fats.

So what should you do?

Ask your doctor to order the APOE genotype blood test and see if you are in fact a carrier of the APOE4 gene.

If you are a carrier of the APOE4 gene, I recommend decreasing your consumption of saturated fats and focus more on monounsaturated fats.

Compliments from Functional Medicine University

Introduction:

“I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.” – Flash Rosenberg

Yes, I truly love coffee.

Yes, coffee contains caffeine, which is a drug.

Starbucks says that its espresso shots contain 75mg of caffeine, and 8 ounces of Pike Place medium roast contains 155 mg (of course, Starbucks doesn’t sell Pike in less than a 12-ounce size. Does anyone drink from 8-ounce cups anymore?).

So two espresso shots = the caffeine in one small cup of drip coffee.

Let’s be reasonable

I have had many patients who are caffeine abusers. They stimulate themselves awake in the mornings, drink more coffee to stay alert all day, and stay up late to work or play by consuming even more caffeine. Especially if your adrenal glands are stressed (this is probably most of us after the pandemic), this much caffeine is not healthy.

But, assuming that you have no allergies to coffee or caffeine, you can probably drink a 12-ounce cup in the morning and an occasional second 8-ounce cup later in the day without damaging your health.

Be observant: if drinking coffee past a certain time in the afternoon keeps you awake, listen to your body! If you feel jittery or anxious soon after drinking coffee, that’s your clue to cut back. Caffeine can have adverse effects on the adrenal glands, breast tissue, and other organs and health conditions.

Many of us go to a lot of trouble to become healthy and stay that way to enjoy our lives. Know your body and enjoy this beverage in moderation. Coffee, like so many things, is wonderful when not consumed in excess.

Dr. Melodie Billiot

Coffee-The Pros and Cons

onald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP

Coffee is considered one of the most beloved beverages in the world.

Coffee specialty shops are everywhere.

People love coffee, and most people can’t start their day without their cup (or more) of coffee.

Yes, there are pros well documented showing the benefits of drinking coffee.

Here are just a few:

1: Can Improve Energy Levels
2: Can Help You Burn Fat
3: May Lower Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
4: May Protect You From Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
5: May Lower Your Risk of Parkinson’s
6: May Protect Your Liver
7: Can Fight Depression
8: May Lower Risk of Certain Types of Cancer
9: May Help You Live Longer

With all of these benefits, is there a downside?

The answer is YES!

Coffee is made from roasted seeds and contains a chemical called acrylamide. Acrylamide is classified as a group 2A carcinogen and extremely hazardous. Acrylamide has been shown to cause multiple types of cancers, including renal, endometrial, and ovarian cancers.

Coffee crops are also sprayed with pesticides like glyphosate and 2-4-D. These two chemicals are associated with different cancers and disrupt human biochemistry.

If you drink a lot of coffee, I suggest asking your physician to order a glyphosate test. If your levels are high, it may be wise to re-consider that daily cup of coffee.

One important option to minimize some of these downsides to coffee consumption is to drink only organic and non-roasted coffee.

Do you have severe, long-term, or frustrating health problems?

• Are you exhausted, depressed, anxious, or unable to sleep?
• Do you feel anxious, depressed or overwhelmed?
• Do you have digestive disturbances, joint pain, headaches, hair loss and weight gain?

Do you wonder how you got here? One day you woke up in a complete mess, but can’t for the life of you figure out how it happened?

It’s not your fault, but you CAN fix it.

Here is a way you can start to get your life back—with energy and vitality no matter the stage of your life.

Dr. Melodie Billiot is a doctor who has lived through her own exhaustion and illness, and discovered the answers to her own health.

As a result, she has helped thousands of people just like you to regain their health.

Get Started: Do a complimentary Health Analysis and Consultation

Does Milk Really Make a Body Good? The Other Side of Story

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP

I have to wonder how the government dietary guidelines still recommend consuming three glasses of milk a day. 

Where is there any evidence to support this recommendation?

A 2020 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Walter C. Willett, M.D., Dr.P.H., and David S. Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D. reviewed over 100 top studies on milk. They found that milk consumption is associated with the risks of fracture, obesity, cardiovascular disease, allergies, and various cancers.

This information may be a hard pill to swallow, but the scientific literature proves otherwise.

In other studies, milk consumption has been found to increase insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) which has been associated with several major health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive function in the elderly.

If you absolutely love milk, then I recommend consuming only A2 casein milk products. Most milk products have high levels of the protein A1 casein, which may lead to increased inflammation, allergies, and other health challenges

Populations, which consume milk containing high levels of β-casein A2 variant, have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and type-1 diabetes.

To find sources of A2 milk, go to: https://www.a2milk.com

Compliments from Functional Medicine University

Other Milk Issues:

From my experience of 27 years helping severe cases of chronic health conditions, I have found that eating dairy is second only to sugar in stressing the immune system and slowing the healing process.

• Dairy causes mucous and enhances bacteria and virus growth.
• Dairy contains large amounts of sugar (lactose, milk sugar). Eight ounces of milk contains 13 grams of sugar (the equivalent of over three teaspoons of white sugar) which can raise blood sugar and reduce immune system efficiency by 60%.
• Unless it’s organic, milk tends to contain hormones. Studies show that this is dangerous.

Substitute coconut, almond, oat, or hemp milk, and stay healthier!