Does Meat Rot In Your Colon? No. What Does? Beans, Grains, and Vegetables!

How many times have we all heard this bunk myth repeated?

“Humans can’t actually digest meat: it rots in the colon.” And its variant: “Meat takes 4-7 days to digest, because it has to rot in your stomach first.”
(Some variations on this myth claim it takes up to two months!)

Like most vegetarian propaganda, it’s not just false, it’s an inversion of truth. As the proverb says, “When you point your finger, your other three fingers point back at you.” Let’s take a short trip through the digestive system to see why!

A Trip Through The Human Digestive System (abridged)

Briefly, the function of digestion is to break food down as far as possible—hopefully into individual fats, amino acids (the building blocks of protein), and sugars (the building blocks of carbohydrates) which can be absorbed through the intestinal wall and used by our bodies.

Click the picture for a more in-depth description, courtesy of the University of Cincinnati's biology department.

Here we go!
We crush food in the mouth, where amylase (an enzyme) breaks down some of the starches. In the stomach, pepsin (another enzyme) breaks down proteins, and strong hydrochloric acid (pH 1.5-3, average of 2…this is why it stings when you vomit) further dissolves everything. The resulting acidic slurry is called ‘chyme’—and right away we can see that the “meat rots in your stomach” theory is baloney. Nothing ‘rots’ in a vat of pH 2 hydrochloric acid and pepsin.
On average, a ‘mixed meal’ (including meat) takes 4-5 hours to completely leave the stomach—so we’ve busted yet another part of the myth. (Keep in mind that we have not absorbed any nutrients yet: we’re still breaking everything down.)

Click the picture for more fascinating information on gastrointestinal transit times!

Eventually our pyloric valve opens, and our stomach releases the chyme, bit by bit, into our small intestine—where a collection of salts and enzymes goes to work. Bile emulsifies fats and helps neutralize stomach acid; lipase breaks down fats; trypsin and chymotrypsin break down proteins; and enzymes like amylase, maltase, sucrase, and (in the lactose-tolerant) lactase break down starches and some sugars. Meanwhile, the surface of the small intestine absorbs anything that our enzymes have broken down into sufficiently small components—usually individual amino acids, simple sugars, and free fatty acids.
Finally our ileocecal valve opens, and our small intestine releases what’s left into our large intestine—which is a giant bacterial colony, containing literally trillions of bacteria! And the reason we have a bacterial colony in our colon is because our own enzymes can’t break down everything we eat. So our gut bacteria go to work and digest some of the remainder, sometimes producing waste products that we can absorb. (And, often, a substantial quantity of farts.) The remaining indigestible plant matter (“fiber”), dead gut bacteria, and other waste emerge as feces.
It turns out that pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and our other proteases do a fine job of breaking down meat protein, and bile salts and lipase do a fine job of breaking down animal fat. In other words, meat is digested by enzymes produced by our own bodies. The primary reason we need our gut bacteria is to digest the sugars, starches, and fiber—found in grains, beans, and vegetables—that our digestive enzymes can’t break down.
Now what is that called, again, when food is being ‘digested’ by bacteria…?

rot \ˈrät\ (verb) — to undergo decomposition from the action of bacteria or fungi

In other words, meat doesn’t rot in your colon. GRAINS, BEANS, and VEGETABLES rot in your colon. And that is a fact.

…And That’s Why Beans Make You Fart

It’s easy to tell when your gut bacteria are doing the work, instead of your digestive enzymes: you fart. That is why beans and starches make you fart, but meat doesn’t: they’re rotting in your colon, and the products of bacterial decomposition include methane and carbon dioxide gases. Here’s a list of flatulence-causing foods, and here’s another:
A partial inventory: “Beans, lentils, dairy products, onions, garlic, scallions, leeks, turnips, rutabagas, radishes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cashews, Jerusalem artichokes, oats, wheat, and yeast in breads. Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables…”
One side benefit of a paleo diet is the elimination of the biggest, stinkiest fart producer—beans (due to the indigestible sugar raffinose)—and several smaller ones (wheat, oats, all grain products). And it sure seems like my gut bacteria have less to do now that my amylase and sucrase supplies aren’t being overwhelmed by an avalanche of starch and sugar.

But wait! There’s another punchline! Whenever we eat grains, beans, and vegetables, we’re not digesting and absorbing much of the plant matter…we’re actually absorbing bacterial waste products. Rephrased less diplomatically:
You’re not eating plants: you’re eating BACTERIA POOP.

Supporting Evidence: Where Things Rot

I know I really should have ended this article at the punchlines, but I’ve got more to say. Digestion is fascinating! (And before we go any farther, I am not arguing that we should never eat vegetables: I’m just busting a silly myth.)
First, I’ll footnote the essay above with these references.

J Appl Bacteriol. 1988 Jan;64(1):37-46. Contribution of the microflora to proteolysis in the human large intestine. Macfarlane GT, Allison C, Gibson SA, Cummings JH.
“In the stomach and the proximal small bowel, the microorganisms found as normal flora are a reflection of the oral flora. Bacterial concentrations in this region are 10(2)-10(5) cfu/ml intestinal content. In the colon, bacterial concentrations of 10(11)-10(12) cfu/g faeces are found.”
In other words, there are roughly 10 million times as many bacteria in the colon as in the small intestine. So bacterial digestion (‘rotting’) is not significant anywhere in our digestive tract but the colon.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 Mar;55(3):679-83. Significance of microflora in proteolysis in the colon.Gibson SA, McFarlan C, Hay S, MacFarlane GT.
“Proteolytic activity was significantly greater than (P less than 0.001) in small intestinal effluent than in feces (319 +/- 45 and 11 +/- 6 mg of azocasein hydrolyzed per h per g, respectively).”
That’s a mere 3.4% of proteolytic activity occurring in the feces vs. the small intestine…and that doesn’t count what already occurred in the stomach. If meat were being digested in the colon, we would expect a far greater amount of proteolysis to occur there. And that 3.4% is likely due to dead intestinal bacteria (which make up a significant fraction of feces), not undigested meat.

Then, I’ll add this firsthand experience from an intestinal transplant survivor who spent months with a jejunostomy, watching the contents of his stomach drain directly into a bag.

“Can Humans Digest Meat?”

“Because I had such an extremely short bowel, my output was very high because no absorption had taken place. I was fed and hydrated by infusion and could literally live without eating or drinking at all. Because of my excessive output, we had to make a rig that had a hose extending from the ostomy bag that drained into a one gallon jug. Often the hose would get clogged and my wife or sister would have to use a coat hanger wire to unplug it. Now if vegan pseudoscience is right, we would suspect that the hose was being plugged by pieces of meat.
“Never once did we see any solid chunks of meat. I became so curious about this that I once swallowed the largest chunk of meat I could possibly get down without choking. Because of the shortness of my bowel, it only took about twenty minutes for my stomach to empty into the ostomy. Better than two hours later, there were no signs of any meat chunks. What was always clogging the ostomy tube were pieces of vegetables that were not fully chewed.
“Entire pieces of olive, lettuce, broccoli florets, grains and seeds were found. Yet, large pieces of fat were never witnessed. As a matter of fact, all the fat from the meat was already emulsified by the bile into solution. Over time, fat would coagulate on the side walls of the ostomy bag, but never were there any solid pieces observed.”
(Click for full article: Can Humans Digest Meat?)

Most Vegetation Doesn’t Even Rot In The Colon, Because Humans Aren’t Herbivores

Most of the edible part of a plant is cellulose, a polysaccharide (i.e. a very long chain of sugars) that is very difficult to break down. In fact, no digestive enzyme, in any animal, is capable of breaking down cellulose! So the only way that any animal can fully digest plants is for its gut bacteria to break down cellulose, and its intestines absorb the waste products.

Ruminant digestive system, courtesy of the University of Minnesota. Click for article.

Ruminants, including cattle, bison, deer, antelope, goats, and other red meat, have a special “extra stomach” called the rumen. They chew and swallow grass and leaves into the rumen, ferment it some, barf it back up again, chew it some more (called “chewing the cud”), and swallow it again, where it is digested a second time. Hindgut fermenters, like horses, have an extra-long gut. And rabbits run their food through twice: they eat their own poop in order to get more food value out of the plant matter they eat.
(For a better explanation of herbivore digestion, with lots of pictures, click here for an informative presentation (pdf) from the University of Alberta’s Department of Agriculture.)
Humans, in contrast, don’t have gut bacteria that can digest cellulose. That is why we can’t eat grass at all, why there is so little caloric value for us in vegetables, and why we call cellulose “insoluble fiber”: it comes straight out the back end.
This fact alone proves that humans, while omnivores, are primarily carnivorous: we have a limited ability to digest some plant matter (starches and disaccharides) in order to get through bad times, but we cannot extract meaningful amounts of energy from the cellulose that forms the majority of edible plant matter, as true herbivores can. We can only eat fruits, nuts, tubers, and seeds (which we call ‘grains’ and ‘beans’)—and seeds are only edible to us after laborious grinding, soaking, and cooking, because unlike the birds and rodents adapted to eat them, they’re poisonous to humans in their natural state.

You can demonstrate the purpose and limits of human digestion with a simple experiment: eat a steak with some whole corn kernels, and see what comes out the other end.

It won’t be the steak.

Live in freedom, live in beauty.
And please post this link anywhere you see the bunk myth “Humans can’t digest meat, it rots in the stomach/colon” being propagated.
JS
(Did you enjoy this post? Can it be improved? Are you angry with me? Leave a comment, and use the icons below to share it with your friends!)
You might also enjoy “How ‘Heart-Healthy Whole Grains’ Make Us Fat”, “Why Humans Crave Fat”, “The Myth Of ‘Complex Carbohydrates’”, and the classic “Eat Like A Predator, Not Like Prey: Paleo In Six Easy Steps”.

 

GROW YOUR OWN WHEATGRASS

by Mike Bergonzi

Ok, here is grows...  

   

Spend as little as $1 - $2 per week to have your very own wheatgrass juice at home, all you need is a seperate wheatgrass juicer.  You can grow wheatgrass INDOORS, in a planting tray, flower pot, cup, etc... without mold no matter where you live in the world.  I do suggest always growing wheatgrass in soil rather than hydroponically (no soil).  Growing indoors or outdoors doesn't change the actual grass itself.  Visit our store at the 'STORE' link at the top of the page.  You may order your own "How to Grow" DVD by Michael Bergonzi (updated in 2009) from this website store.  The DVD includes how to grow wheatgrass, sunflower, pea greens and buckwheat.  (Pea Greens can be grown the same way as wheatgrass!)  Seperate sprouting DVD will include all different kinds of sprouts (mung beans, whole lentils, fenugreek, alfalfa, broccoli, clover, garbanzo beans, adzuki, quiona, millet, etc...) all of these are grown hydroponically, without soil.  If you are in need of more help after watching the DVD, phone consultations can be purchased here or he will be happy to answer all your questions via email or from the 'contact us' link above.

   

To begin, you will need some growing trays...  There are the small trays, which are 10"x10" use approx 1 cup (½ pound) of seed and will yield up to 10 ounces of juice or there are the large trays are 17"x17" use up to 2 cups (one pound) of seed and will yield up to 20 ounces of juice per tray.  The large trays should produce almost 2 pounds of wheatgrass.  One pound of wheatgrass = approx. 12 ounces of juice, when using the Healthy Juicer.  don't forget that you can grow wheatgrass in a flower pot as well, or any other container that will hold some soil in it ...some soil of any kind... potting mix, top soil, potting soil, FYI: at times, and organic compost in a bag may be too acid base and your wheat seeds will not grow as well.  Please read in detail about the reason I will always use soil when growing wheatgrass, never hydroponic.  .... and some wheat seeds.  *Remember:  Seeds to grow in soil (with trays, pots, etc...) are hard winter (or spring) wheat seeds for wheatgrass, small black or black oil sunflower seeds for sunflower greens, snow or speckled pea seeds for pea greens and whole buckwheat (with the shell) for buckwheat lettuce greens.  Seeds that you can grow hydroponically are alfalfa, broccoli, clover, radish, garlic, onion, mustard, chia... these will grow into the micro greens and then you can also sprout and eat adzuki beans, mung beans, whole red or green lentils, fenugreek, garbanzo, etc... **SEE HOW TO SPROUT CHART AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.

         

The basics to get you started:

          
1. Soak your hard winter wheat seed (also called wheatberries, please stop calling them berries, they are SEEDS!  thanks!) overnight or 8-12 hours.  Hard spring wheat will also work, however, at times, the winter wheat is a better choice.  They are the same seed, just harvest at the farm a different time of the year.
 
2. Sprout the seed in a jar for the next 16-24 hours, rinsing the seed well three times a day, before work, after work & before bed or before school, after school and before bed... some of you may have gotten that joke and laughing right now!! 

  
3. Plant the seed after a very short "tail" is visable, on top of the soil (basic potting mix or top soil will work fine, peat moss is an important ingredient to look for in your soil, if you have to add peat moss the mix is 1part peat moss/3parts soil) filled half way up the tray.  Do not bury the seeds under the soil, however, you will need to cover them up to keep them wet. 

   
4. Water tray, heavy but gentley, once in the morning and then cover seed to keep from drying out for the first three days.  Another tray can be used that will go right on top of the seed, either empty or full with soil (you won't hurt the seeds), or a black piece of plastic.  The cover is to keep the seeds wet.

   
5. During the first three days of growth, water once a day, heavy but gentle, in the am and really soak the soil (until the tray drips is a good sign you are watering enough) and then lightly mist your seed in the pm, before bed (lift cover off to mist seed). 

   
6. On the fourth day, uncover grass (roots should begin to take over your soil), water heavy once a day and keep the grass in the shade (never direct sunlight).  If you can 'see' in the room where you are growing and do not have to turn on a light, then there is plenty of light for your grass to green up.  In the winter months, if you have to keep the grass inside a room where there are no windows, you may just have to change the light bulbs in that room to full / wide spectrum lights.  Leave them on as the sun would be out.  Visit www.ottlite.com for more details on these lights.

 
7. For mold problems, increase your air circulation with a fan or A/C to keep temp between 60-80 degrees.  Please also visit the 'FAQ' link and read all about MOLD and Wheatgrass.  I have the answers you are looking for!  Trust me!!

  
8. Harvest grass when a second blade of grass appears or when the grass 'splits / joints' toward the bottom of the blade (average growing time is 7-12 days depending on the weather, but still always watch for the second blade of grass as you can never judge by how many days it has been growing or how tall the grass is).  A pair of scissors works great to cut the grass.  Harvest really low and right above the seed.  *Remember it is always better to harvest your wheatgrass sooner rather than later!!  The older it gets, the more bitter it tastes.  Read the blog at 'Michael's Blog' link.

   
9. Only harvest one time... that cut grass will store in the fridge for up to 7 - 14 days, use the 'green bags' (coming soon for sale in our store) and be sure that your fridge is cold, 38-40 degrees.  Once you harvest, then start process all over again with new seed and soil.  It will grow back a second time, however, it will have lost 50-75% of it's nutritional value.  Wheat is an annual seed, so the first growth is the one you want.  The second can be given to your animals!!!  (Or as an implant! and again, some of you are now laughing!!) 

     

This is just some hints on growing, refer to the video for detailed instructions.
 

You can purchase more supplies from the STORE link above to begin growing your own at home (seeds, small & large planting trays, racks and fresh sprouts / grass). 

DAY ONE, sprouted wheat seeds

DAY ONE, close up

DAY TWO, wheatgrass seeds growing

DAY TWO, close up

DAY FOUR, wheatgrass growing

DAY FOUR, close-up

DAY FOUR, even closer, see the roots?

DAY FIVE, wheatgrass growing

DAY FIVE, wheatgrass

Jointing Stage - Time to Harvest

DAY FOUR, even closer, see the roots?

Roots of full grown wheatgrass.

Small Growing Rack - holds 7 trays, 10"x10" 

This is the Easy Way to Sprout Chart.

Growing Sunflower GREENS

(only a few things are different than growing wheatgrass... please refer to the "how to grow wheatgrass" page, first.)


1.  Use small black or black oil sunflower seed. (yes, bird seed is a great second choice if you can't find a good organic source for the sunflower seed)  The large 'white striped' sunflower does not grow as well.

2.  Plant a bit less seed per tray then what you would with wheatgrass.  For a large, 17"x17" planting tray, use 3/4 pound or just over one cup of seed per tray.  For the smaller, 10"x10" trays, use 1/2 cup.

3.  Cover the sunflower seeds (after soaking, sprouting, planting) with a weighted tray.  The weight will allow them to all grow at an even height.  Don't worry, you can't put 'too much' weight on them.  You won't hurt them!!  =)

4.  Keep the weighted tray on top of the sunflower seeds for up to 5 days, water once a day.  (remove cover to water)

5.  After the five days of weight on top (maybe only 4 days in the summer or with a really good seed) or when the sunflower pushes that weighted tray on the floor, then keep dark for two more days, allowing them to grow taller.  Turn an empty tray, upside down, and put back on top of the sunflower.

6.  The sunflower shells (black hulls) should slide off the leaves as they are growing, or you can 'rub' them off when they are wet.  Catch the tray early in the morning, while it is still 'dewy' on the 7th day, and rub your hand across the tops.

7.  Sunflower is ready to harvest when it "joints" at the top, another set of leaves will be visable.
     (average of 10-12 days before harvest time)  After it's cut, it will last 1-2 weeks in the fridge.

http://www.wheatgrassgreenhouse.com/growsunflower.html

Arnold's speech in memory of Jack Lalanne

Te Omoara Scaunul De La Birou?

Te Omoara Scaunul De La Birou?

 Regardless of how often or how hard you work out, there's still a good chance that you're sitting your life away

By Maria Masters

Duceti o viata cu un stil de viata activ sau unul sedentar? Intrebarea este simpla, dar raspunsul nu este atat de firesc precum ati crede.Sa spunem, de exemplu, ca sunteti o persoana ocupata care lucreaza 60 de ore pe saptamana la o munca de birou dar tot reusiti sa va gasiti timp pentru 5 sedinte de antrenament a cate 45 de minute.Cei mai multi experti v-ar eticheta drept o persoana activa.Dar Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., are un alt nume pentru dumneavoastra:leguma de birou.

Probabil “ leguma de birou care se antreneaza” ar fi mai precis, dar Hamilton, un fiziologist si professor la Pennington Biomedical Research, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, tot v-ar clasifica drept o persoana sedentara.

“Oamenii tind sa vada exercitiul fizic dintr-o singura perspectiva. Pe de o parte, ai o persoana care se antreneaza mult, iar pe de alta parte, o persoana care nu face exercitiu deloc. Totusi, ei nu sunt neaparat diametral opusi.

Abordarea lui Hamilton, care este suportata de o crestere continua de dovezi, consta in faptul ca timpul petrecut cu antrenamentele si timpul petrecut pe scaun sunt factori complet independeti de riscul de boli de inima. Dovezi noi sugeareaza, in schimb, ca, cu cat stam asezati pe scaun mai mult timp, cu atat este mai mare probabilitatea de a muri prematur indiferent cat de mult ne antrenam sau cat de definiti suntem. Da asa este: Chiar si un six-pack sculptat nu poate sa te protejeze de scaun.

Dar nu doar inima este supusa la risc de la prea mult sezut; coapsele, coloana vertebrala si umerii ar putea suferii de asemenea.Defapt, nu este deplasat sa spunem ca un stil de viata de  acest tip te poate ruina din cap pana in picioare.

Statistic vorbind, ne antrenam la fel de mult ca si acum 30 de ani.Doar ca ducem vieti sedentare in general. Un studiu din 2006 efectuat de University of Minnesota a conclus ca din 1980 pana in 2000, procentul de oameni care au reportat o activitate fizica in mod regulat, a ramas la fel – dar timpul petrecut de oameni in pozitia de sezut, a crescut cu 8 procente.

Acuma puteti lua in considerare cat de mult timp stam astazi comparativ cu, sa zicem, 160 de ani.Intr-un studiu ingenios, cercetatorii danezi au creat un fel de parc cu tema istorica si au recrutat actori pentru  a juca rolul  oamenilor stabiliti in Australia in  anii 1850, pentru o saptamana. Barbatii au facut totul de la taiatul lemnelor la procuratul hranei, si oamenii de stiinta au comparat nivelul lor de activitate fizica cu cel al muncitorilor la birou. Rezultatul: Actorii au reusit echivalenta a 3 pana la 8 mile de umblat pe jos mai mult decat oamenii de la birou. Acest tip de activitate este probabil chiar mai necesar in natiunile fast-food a zilelor noastre , decat a fost in anii 1800, dar nu doar pentru faptul ca se ard mai multe calorii.

Un studiu din 2010 din “Journal of Applied Physiology” a aratat ca atunci cand un grup the indivizi sanatosi si-a limitat numarul de pasi cu 85% timp de 2 saptamani, acestia au suferit o scadere de 17% din sensibilitatea la insulina, crescanu-si riscul de diabet.” Am facut destule sa tinem oamenii in viata pentru mai mult timp, dar asta nu inseamna ca suntem mai sanatosi”, spune Hamilton.

Astazi rata mortalitatii este cu aproximativ 43% mai redusa decat a fost in 1960, dar pe atunci, mai putin de 1% dintre Americani aveau diabet si mai putin de 13% erau obezi.

Nu confundati:  “Exercitiul in mod regulat nu este echivalent cu a fi activ”, spune Peter Katzmarzyk, Ph.D. , colegul lui Hamilton de la Pennington, principalul centru de cercetare a obezitatii. Katzmarzyk se refera la diferenta dintre activitatea de exercitiu fizic oficiala, precum alergat, ciclism, sau antrenamente cu greutati, si activitatiile de genul : mersul pana la masina, tunsul gazonului sau statul in picioare. “Chiar daca o persoana merge zilnic la sala, dar sta o buna parte a restului zilei pe scaun, acesta este probabil sa nu duca o viata activa per total”, spune Katzmarzyk.

Ati putea spune ca acestea sunt povesti stiintifice, dar statisticile privind consumul de energie confirma teoria lui Katzmarzyk. Intr-un raport din 2007, cercetatorii de la University of Missouri au spus ca oamenii cu cel mai ridicat nivel de activitate fizica de joasa intensitate( dar cu foarte putin exercitiu fizic, sau chiar deloc) au ars semnificativ mai multe calorii intr-o saptamana decat cei care au alergat 35 de mile pe saptamana dar au acumulat doar o cantitate moderata de activitate de joasa intensitate. “Poate fi la fel de simplu ca si statul in picioare”, spune Katzmarzyk.

De exemplu, un muncitor care lucreaza din picioare, sa spunem, un vanzator la tejghea la un magazine Banana Republic – arde aproximativ 1500 de calorii in timpul  serviciului; o persoana din spatele biroului poate arde aproximativ 1000 de calorii. Asta spune de departe, de ce oamenii castiga 8 kg in greutate, in medie, in timpul celor 8 luni de la debutul muncii sedentare la birou, conform unui studiu de la “University of North Carolina at Wilmington”.

Dar caloriile nu sunt singura problema. In 2009, Katzmarzyk a studiat obisnuintele din stilurile de viata a peste 17.000 de barbate si femei si a dedus ca oamenii care au sezut  aproape toata ziua au fost cu 54% mai predispusi la boli coronariene, decat cei care nu au stat pe scaun majoritatea timpului. Nu este o surpriza, desigur, cu exceptia ca nu a contat cat de mult au cantarit oamenii care sedeau tot timpul sau cat de des se antrenau. “

Dovada ca sederea este asociata cu bolile de inima este ferma”, spune Katzmarzyk. “O vedem in oamenii fumatori si nefumatori. O vedem in oamenii care fac sport regulat si cei care nu fac sport regulat. Sederea este un factor de risc independent.

Aceasta nu este defapt o descoperire recenta. Intr-un studiu britanic publicat in 1953, oamenii de stiinta au examinat 2 grupuri de muncitori: soferi de bus si conducatori de troleu. La prima vedere, cele doua ocupatii pareau identice.

Dar in timp ce soferii de bus erau mai predispusi sa stea jos toata ziua, conducatorii de troleu fugeau sus si jos pe scari si pe culoarul dintre scaune a troleurilor cu doua etaje. A reiesit faptul ca soferii de bus aveau probabilitatea de a muri de boli de inima de 2 ori mai mare decat conducatorii de troleu.

O interpretare mult mai recenta a studiului, publicat in 2004, a conclus ca nici unul dintre participanti nu a facut exercitii fizice.

 Dar cele doua grupuri au stat perioade diferite de timp. Analiza a descoperit ca chiar si dupa ce cercetatorii au justificat diferenta dimensiunii taliei(un indicator al grasimii abdominale) soferii de bus tot erau mai predispusi sa moara inaintea conductorilor. Deci soferii de bus aveau un risc sporit nu neaparat din cauza serviciul sedentar care i-a facut sa semene cu Ralph Kramden, dar si datorita faptului ca toata sederea aceea era nesanatoasa.

Hamilton a denumit aceasta zona a stiinteti “fiziologia inactivitatii” in timp ce conducea studii pentru a determina cum afecteaza exercitiul o enzima numita lipoprotein lipaza (LPL). Gasita in oameni cat si in soareci, principala raspundere a LPL-ului este sa descompuna grasimile din sange pentru a fi folosite ca si grasime. Daca un soarec ( sau un om) nu detine aceasta enzima, sau daca enzima nu functioneaza in muschii membrilor inferiori, grasimea este stocata in loc sa fie arsa drept combustibil.

Hamilton a descoperit ca atunci cand rozatoarele au fost fortate sa sada majoritatea orelor de veghe, activitatea LPL-ului din muschii picoarelor a scazut. Dar cand stateau in picioare majoritatea timpului, gena a fost de 10 ori mai activa. Atunci a introdus o sesiune de exercitii la rutina de obicei a soarecilor de laborator si a descoperit ca exercitiul nu a avut nici un efect asupra enzimei LPL. El crede ca descoperirile se aplica deasemenea si la oameni.

“Oamenii stau prea mult, deci trebuie sa tratam problema in mod specific,” spune Hamilton. “Leacul pentru prea multa sedere nu este mai mult exercitiu fizic. Exercitiul fizic este bun, desigur, dar persoanele mediocre nu ar putea face destul pentru a contracara efectul orelor in sir de stat pe scaun.

“ Stim ca este o gena in corp care cauzeaza boala de inima, dar nu raspunde la exercitiul fizic indiferent cat de des si cat de intens te antrenezi,” spune el. “Si totusi activitatea genei se inrautateste din cauza sederii - sau mai exact - lipsa totala a activitatii de contractie din muschi. Deci cu cat faci mai multa acitivitate de joasa intensitate (deci nu sporturi) cu atat petreci mai mult timp in picioare si deci in afara fotoliului. Acesta este adevaratul leac.”

“Corpul tau se adapteaza la ceea ce face cel mai adesea”, spune Bill Hamilton, P.T., C.S.C.S., un consilier Men’s Health si terapeut fizic din Indianopolis, Indiana. “Deci daca stai in scaun toata ziua, te vei adapta mai bine la statul pe scaun.” Problema este, ca te face mai putin capabil sa stai in picioare, sa mergi, sa alergi si sa sari, lucruri pe care un om sanatos cu adevarat le-ar putea face cu competanta. “ Oamenilor mai batrani le este mai dificil sa se miste prin preajma comparativ cu cei tineri,” spune Hamilton. “Aceasta nu este neaparat din cauza varstei; ci este din cauza faptului ca ce faci tu cu consistenta de la o zi la alta se manifesta in timp, in bine si in rau.”

Sezi toata ziua la birou? In mod implicit te expui la dureri musculare, dezechilibru si mobilitate slaba, si dureri de spate, gat si coapse. Dar pentru a intelege de ce , vei avea nevoie sa cunosti ce este fascia, un tesut conjunctiv dur care iti inveleste toti muschii. In timp ce fascia este pliabila, tinde sa se pozitioneze dupa pozitia in care sunt muschii in majoritatea timpului. Deci daca stai majoritatea timpului, fascia se va adapta la acea pozitie specifica.

Acum gandeste unde se afla soldurile si coapsele tale in relatie cu trunchiul in timp ce sezi. Acestea sunt indoite, ceea ce cauzeaza contractia usoara sau scurtarea flexorilor soldului pe partea anterioara a coapselor. Cu cat stai mai mult, cu atat mai mult fascia va tine flexorii soldului scurtati. “Daca ai vazut vreodata pe cineva care umbla inclinat in fata, adesea este datorita scurtarii flexorilor soldului,” spune Hamilton. “Muschii nu se intend asa cum ar trebui sa o faca in mod natural. Ca rezultat, el nu umbla vertical si drept deoarece aceasta fascie s-a adaptat mai mult la sedere decat la statul in picioare.”

Acest efect similar poate fi observant in alte parti ale corpului. De exemplu, daca petreci mult timp cu umerii si spatele superior incovoiati peste tastatura, aceasta in cele din urma va deveni postura ta normala.” Aceasta nu este doar o problema de look; ci duce in mod frecvent la dureri cronice de gat si de umeri,” spune Hartman. De asemenea, oamenii care isi incruciseaza picioarele intr-un anumit fel, pot ajunge la dezechilibrari ale soldului. “Aceasta iti va destabiliza intreg corpul inferior, asta iti va decreste agilitatea si performantele atletice si iti va creste riscul pentru accidentari,” spune Hartman. Aduna toate acestea laolalta, iar o persoana care sede mult este mai putin efficient nu doar la exercitii fizice, dar chiar si la simpla deplasare, sa spunem, de la canapea la frigider.

Dar mai este o problema legata de atat stat pe scaun. “ Daca petreci prea mult timp intr-un fotoliu, muschii fesieri vor uita cum sa arda calorii,” spune Hartman. Acest fenomen este denumit “amnezie gluteala.” O idée de anatomie de baza este de retinut: Fesierii, sau muschii fundului, sunt cea mai mare grupa de muschi a corpului. Deci daca acestia nu functioneaza corespunzator, nu vei fi capabil sa faci genuflexiuni sau indreptari cu greutati mari, si nu vei putea arde destula grasime. Pana la urma, muschii ard caloriile. Si asta face ca fesierii sa fie un puternic furnal pentru grasimi, un furnal care probabil s-a stins daca stai toata ziua pe scaun.

Se inrautateste. Fesierii slabi cat si flexorii soldului incordati cauzeaza predispunerea pelvisului sa fie inclinat in fata. Aceasta va pune stres pe zona lombara, rezultand in dureri ale spatelui inferior. De asemenea iti impinge burta in afara, care iti da un aspect de stomac proeminent chiar si daca n-ai nici un gram de grasime corporala . “Schimbarile care au loc la nivelul muschilor si posturii tale de la sederea prelungita, sunt asa de mici incat nu le vei sesiza la inceput. Dar cand ajungi la 30, 40, 50, si mai mult, acestea se vor inrautati treptat,” spune Hartman, “si mult mai greu de vindecat”

Deci ce trebuie sa faca un jocheu de birou? Sfatul lui Hamilton: Gandestete in termeni de activitati de 2 feluri. Prima reprezinta activitatea considerata ca exercitiu fizic obsinuit. Dar cealalta denota perioada de timp petrecuta sezand versus perioada de timp stand in picioare. “Apoi zilnic, fa micile schimbari care te vor ajuta sa te muti in directia favorabila a spectrului sezand-versus-stand,” spune Hamilton. “Stai in picioare in timp ce vorbesti la telefon. Totul se aduna, si totul conteaza.”

Desigur, exista probleme cu toate acestea: Ne spulbera toate scuzele penibile pentru a nu face sport (lipsa de timp pentru sala de forta, ciuperci pe podelele din cabina dusurilor, o reluare a filmului “The Office” pe care nu l-ai vazut). Acum trebuie sa redefinim “antrenament” pentru a include toate momentele zilei in care suntem treji. Dar exista o recompensa uriasa: mai multe din acelea zile in care sa te bucuri pe viitor.

So get up off your chair and start nonexercising.

 http://www.menshealth.com/health/staying-active

Dupa cum se observa, acesta este un articol Men's Health tradus de mine. Sincer in unele locuri traducerile mi-au pus probleme dar per total a iesit foarte aproape de traducerea ideala si bineinteles ca exista si greseli.
Desi nu sunt fan Men's Health, acest articol mi-a captat atentia si am decis sa-l impart cu voi. Este o informatie ce trebuie sa o stim cu totii in zilele noastre si  este necesar sa constientizam pericolul sedentarismului daca tinem la sanatatea personala.

In continuare atasez o imagine ilustrativa, care schiteaza articolul de mai sus:

Pure, white and deadly

A trecut ceva timp de la ultimul semn de viata pe care l-am dat pe acest blog dar revin cu o postare rapida deoarece nu imi permite timpul in perioada aceasta. Acest videoclip cuprinde o prezentare de dr. Robert Lustig care va soca pe cei mai multi dintre noi, desi se stie de foarte mult timp pericolul care se ascunde in spatele consumului de zahar si zahararuri.

Este o tema care merita sa fie analizata in profunzime pentru a cunoaste si latura "amara" a zaharului care este raspunzator pentru cele mai grave boli la ora actuala, precum cancerul, diabetul, boli cardiovasculare si sindromul metabolic.

Data viitoare cand treci pe la rafturile cu ciocolata, biscuiti si dulciuri ia in vedere si urmatoarea lista cu peste 100 de motive pentru care zaharul poate fi numit otrava:

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
5. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).
6. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose.
7. Sugar reduces high density lipoproteins.
8. Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
9 Sugar leads to cancer of the ovaries.
10. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.
12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
13. Sugar can weaken eyesight.
14. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
16. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract.
17. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.
18. Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease.
19. Sugar can cause premature aging.
20. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
21. Sugar can cause tooth decay.
22. Sugar contributes to obesity
23. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.
24. Sugar can cause changes frequently found in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
25. Sugar can cause arthritis.
26. Sugar can cause asthma.
27. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).
28. Sugar can cause gallstones.
29. Sugar can cause heart disease.
30. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
31. Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis.
32. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
33. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
34. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
35. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
36. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
37. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
38. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
39. Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E (alpha-Tocopherol in the blood.
40. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
41. Sugar can increase cholesterol.
42. Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure.
43. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
44. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar bound non-enzymatically to protein)
45. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.
46. Sugar causes food allergies.
47. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
48. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
49. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children. 
50. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
51. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
52. Sugar can change the structure of protein.
53. Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen.
54. Sugar can cause cataracts.
55. Sugar can cause emphysema.
56. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
57. Sugar can promote an elevation of low density lipoproteins (LDL).
58. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body.
59. Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function.
60. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease.
61. Sugar can cause a permanent altering the way the proteins act in the body.
62. Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide.
63. Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat.
64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65. Sugar can damage the pancreas.
66. Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
67. Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement.
68. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
69. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
70. Sugar can make the tendons more brittle.
71. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraine.
72. Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.
73. Sugar can adversely affect school children's grades and cause learning disorders..
74. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves.
75. Sugar can cause depression.
76. Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.
77. Sugar and cause dyspepsia (indigestion).
78. Sugar can increase your risk of getting gout.
79. Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates.
80. Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
81 High refined sugar diet reduces learning capacity.
82. Sugar can cause less effective functioning of two blood proteins, albumin, and lipoproteins, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol.
83. Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
84. Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness.
85. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance; some hormones become underactive and others become overactive.
86. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
87. Sugar can lead to the hypothalamus to become highly sensitive to a large variety of stimuli.
88. Sugar can lead to dizziness.
89. Diets high in sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress.
90. High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.
91. High sugar diet can lead to biliary tract cancer.
92. Sugar feeds cancer.
93. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
94. High sugar consumption can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents.
95. Sugar slows food's travel time through the gastrointestinal tract.
96. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon. This can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.
97. Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men.
98. Sugar combines and destroys phosphatase, an enzyme, which makes the process of digestion more difficult.
99. Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer.
100. Sugar is an addictive substance.
101. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.
102. Sugar can exacerbate PMS.
103. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.
104. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.
105. The body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.
106. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.
107. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
108. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.
109. Sugar can slow down the ability of the adrenal glands to function.
110. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.
111.. I.Vs (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain.
112. High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung cancer.
113. Sugar increases the risk of polio.
114. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.
115. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.
116. In Intensive Care Units, limiting sugar saves lives.
117. Sugar may induce cell death.
118. Sugar can increase the amount of food that you eat.
119. In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44% drop in antisocial behavior.
120. Sugar can lead to prostrate cancer.
121. Sugar dehydrates newborns.
122. Sugar increases the estradiol in young men.
123. Sugar can cause low birth weight babies.
124. Greater consumption of refined sugar is associated with a worse outcome of schizophrenia
125. Sugar can raise homocysteine levels in the blood stream.
126. Sweet food items increase the risk of breast cancer.
127. Sugar is a risk factor in cancer of the small intestine.
128. Sugar may cause laryngeal cancer.
129. Sugar induces salt and water retention.
130. Sugar may contribute to mild memory loss.
131. As sugar increases in the diet of 10 years olds, there is a linear decrease in the intake of many essential nutrients.
132. Sugar can increase the total amount of food consumed.
133. Exposing a newborn to sugar results in a heightened preference for sucrose relative to water at 6 months and 2 years of age.
134. Sugar causes constipation.
135. Sugar causes varicous veins.
136. Sugar can cause brain decay in prediabetic and diabetic women.
137. Sugar can increase the risk of stomach cancer.
138. Sugar can cause metabolic syndrome.
139. Sugar ingestion by pregnant women increases neural tube defects in embryos.
140. Sugar can be a factor in asthma.
141. The higher the sugar consumption the more chances of getting irritable bowel syndrome.
142. Sugar could affect central reward systems.
143. Sugar can cause cancer of the rectum.
144. Sugar can cause endometrial cancer.
145. Sugar can cause renal (kidney) cell carcinoma.
146. Sugar can cause liver tumors.

Lista continua iar concluzia mea este ca trebuie sa evitam zaharul si sa fim atenti la toatele alimentele din supermarket pentru ca majoritatea contin zahar ascuns in ele.Daca reusiti sa eliminati zaharul din dieta ati facut un pas gigant catre o viata mai sanatoasa.

Drink up!

     Principalul motiv pentru care ar trebui sa nu neglijam consumul de apa zilnic este ca corpul uman este alcatuit din aproximativ 70 de procente apa. O scadere minora de doar 2% poate da  efecte negative pe termen scurt si lung.
     Pe termen lung, in lipsa dozei individuale optime  de apa ne supunem corpul unui stres suplimentar dar ne marim si riscul de a ne imbolnavii de urmatoarele : dezhidratare, iritarea vezicii urinare (concentratia mare de urina), pietre la rinichi, ten uscat, imunitate scazuta dar ne predispunem si  incheieturile (lubrifiere insuficienta) la probleme serioase.
    Pe termen scurt deficitul de apa poate duce la dureri de cap, greata, anemie, energie scazuta, performante fizice si intelecutale diminuate etc.

Iata si alte functii importante ale apei in organism:
-Apa sta la baza formarii salivei
-Apa serveste la lubrifiere
-Apa este un constituent major al lichidelor din jurul incheieturilor 
-Apa regleaza metabolismul
-Apa regleaza temperatura corpului

    Sfatul meu este incepeti sa beti cat mai multa apa (nu alte lichide) si sa nu va fie rusine sa va carati apa cu voi (asa cum fac eu:D). Incepeti cu 2 litri pe zi (minimul, chiar si pe perioada iernii) in doze multe, servite pe tot parcursul zilei, dar inainte de culcare incetati consumul de apa deoarece va puteti trezi din somn. O regula de baza ar putea fi : orice cantitate de apa care iti va dilua urina pana la o culoare albuie; atunci vei stii ca esti in grafic.

    O practica cunoscuta este sa bei o cantitate mare de apa, de la 1 la 2 litri, pe stomacul gol, imediat dupa trezire. Aceasta nu doar  detoxifica tot sistemul ("spaland" toate celulele de toxine) dar asigura tranzitul intestinal pe care foarte multi oameni care sufera de constipatie si probleme de digestie si-l doresc. Pe langa aceasta iti spala si rinichii, risipind sarurile acumulate sau diminuand "pietrele".

    Cei care urmeaza o dieta de slabire sau de castig in masca musculara deasemenea au nevoie sa-si amplifice cantitatea de apa din dieta. De exemplu unele vedete (dar nu de Romania) precum Michael Jai White s-au dus pana la extrem cu un consum de pana la 11 litri pe zi cu scopul de a mari performantele fizice pentru filmarea "Universal Soldier:The Return", desigur ca pe fondul unui antrenament de 4h pe zi so o nutritie bine pusa la punct.

    Referitor la sursa apei pot doar sa va spun sa ca nu trebuie sa ne facem griji pentru apa de la robinet (daca restul conditiilor nu  afecteaza calitatea apei) ci in schimb putem sa fim atenti la apa imbuteliata in plastic care poate fi chiar periculoasa prin unele toxine care le elibereaza "plasticul". Un filtru ar rezolva problema aprovizionarii cu apa si ar marii calitatea apei semnificativ prin eliminarea constituentilor periculosi precum giardia, metale grele (plumb, mercur, cupru, arsen) pesticide, reziduri industriale si alti patogeni.

        Pentru mai multe aspecte privind apa ca si resursa vitala dar si problemele cauzate de ea in unele parti ale lumii va sugerez Flow:For the love of water .