Daily Perricone

When we are obese there is a constant exchange of fat for muscle. However, this is greatly accelerated when we are dieting. One reason is that we tend to have a markedly reduced caloric intake compared to when we are not dieting. Most overweight people, especially the obese, have chronic high levels of insulin that will begin to drop as soon as they start dieting. This is a two-edged sword, as low insulin levels decrease inflammation, which allows us to utilize body fat for energy. However, insulin is required to bring protein into the cells to maintain muscle mass. The overweight or obese person has cells that are insensitive to insulin due to their chronic high levels. That is, their body is so used to the overly high levels, it cannot recognize these new lower levels, thus it is unable to trigger the amino acid uptake needed to maintain muscle mass (insulin is needed to take up both sugar and amino acids into the muscle).

This is why it is critical to take a powerful anti-inflammatory approach to dieting. Remember, it is the inflammatory chemicals, such as NfkB, that block the effects of insulin—whether it is to metabolize blood sugar or to nourish muscles with amino acids. Over exercising can further put us into a catabolic state (in which complex molecules are broken down into simpler ones) because of the higher requirement of nutrients needed for active muscles.
We have long known that having extra weight also increased our risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers have been searching for the common factor between low-grade inflammation, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes. They know that people with extra body fat have higher levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and some of the interleukins. Now they began to turn their attention to the role of transcription factors in obesity. They found that the transcription factor NfkB is activated in obese individuals.

However, it gets even worse. Elevated NfkB is also directly responsible for a condition known as “insulin resistance.” When we are insulin resistant, our insulin mechanism does not work well—we do not use insulin properly. This results in elevated levels of both insulin and blood sugar, raising the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Is your diet contributing to muscle loss?

Cortisol is the one hormone that actually increases as we get older.  We are all familiar with cortisol, because a derivative called cortisone is used in topical and systemic medications and has been part of the pharmacological arsenal for years.  Cortisol is essential; it enables our internal systems to maintain stability and stay in balance during acute forms of stress, such as fear, physical trauma, and extreme physical exertion.  When it is needed during periods of stress, cortisol is produced by the body in the quantities necessary to combat stress.  However, a problem arises when cortisol is present for long periods of time and in excess quantities.  When we measure the cortisol levels of a young person under stress, they rise rapidly, but within a few hours as the stress is relieved, they decline to normal.  However, when we measure cortisol levels in older people, the levels rise rapidly during the stress but tend not to return to normal for days.  Since cortisol levels continue to increase with age, a sixty-five year old has far higher levels of cortisol circulating throughout their system than does a twenty-five year old.

Large amounts of cortisol are toxic when they circulate in our system for prolonged periods of time.  Our brain cells, or neurons, are extremely sensitive to the effects of cortisol.  When cortisol is circulating at a high level, it causes the brain cells to die.  That is why brain shrinkage is associated with senility in old age.

Excessive amounts of cortisol can destroy the immune system, shrink the brain and other vital organs, decrease muscle mass, and cause thinning of the skin which results in prominent blood vessels.  In the anti-aging field, cortisol is known as the death hormone because it is associated with old age and disease.  So, how can you keep your cortisol under control?

• Get good adequate sleep-six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
• Minimize stress-whenever possible, avoid stress-inducing situations.
• Cut out coffee!  Coffee contains a number of organic acids that affect blood sugar and cortisol levels.  This is not due to the caffeine.  For example, you can drink a cup of decaffeinated coffee at 8am and your cortisol levels will still be measurable at 10pm-the same as if you had drunk regular coffee.

Inflammation, which is the response of the body’s immune system to infection or irritation, exists in a very wide spectrum.  At the extreme end it causes visible redness and swelling, such as in sunburn or an injured finger.  On the low end of the spectrum, the inflammation is invisible; we can’t see it and we can’t feel it.  But it does exist, and it causes a host of health-related problems.  The bright red and painful sunburn that exists at the extreme high end is usually present for only a short period of time. Physicians refer to this type of inflammation as “acute inflammation.” The invisible inflammation that exists at the low end of the spectrum is usually present for longer periods of time and is termed “chronic inflammation.”

The question you may be asking is, “If it is invisible, and we can’t feel it, then how do we know that this low-grade inflammation exists?”  The answer is simple: some of this inflammation can be detected under a microscope.  However, low-grade inflammation can also be invisible even with a microscope because it exists on a molecular level, but it can be detected through chemical tests using special instruments.

Research indicated that the effects of this chronic, low-grade, invisible inflammation is at the basis of aging and age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain forms of cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and autoimmune diseases-and even wrinkled, sagging skin.

However, it doesn’t stop there.  I am now categorically stating that this same chronic, low-grade, invisible inflammation is at the very basis of excess body fat, out-of-control appetites, food cravings, food addictions, diabetes, and the inability to lose excess body weight.

If that is the case, you may be thinking, “Why don’t I just go ahead and take an ibuprofen tablet and get thin?” Unfortunately, it is not that simple-especially when you consider this inflammation is not just a one-time event reacting to a one-time cause.  Our bodies are under a constant barrage, a continual assault of physical insults resulting in this inflammation-beginning with that bag of potato chips and ending with the creation of a veritable factory in our body whose one job is to grow more fat cells and produce more inflammatory chemicals.

The answer lies in learning to recognize and avoid the factors that are creating the inflammation in the first place, and then, through natural means, reducing the existing inflammation to successfully lose the excess body fat.  By embracing the anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle, you will not only lose the weight, you will dramatically alter your quality of life-and increase your life expectancy.

The effect of this low-grade, invisible inflammation (also referred to as “subclinical” inflammation) has been at the cutting edge of medical science for the last decade, and it has been the focal point of my own research for the past two decades.  After years of either being ignored or relegated to a “by-product” of the disease process, cellular inflammation is finally coming to the attention of the mainstream media.  What are your questions relating to inflammation?

The health benefits of yoga can be grouped into three categories-physiological benefits, psychological benefits, biochemical effects-and is based on the regular practice of traditional asana, pranayama, and meditation.
Physiological Benefits:

• Pulse rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure decreases
• Cardiovascular efficiency increases
• Posture improves
• Weight normalizes
• Sleep improves

Psychological Benefits:

• Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
• Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
• Anxiety and depression decrease
• Hostility decreases

Biochemical Effects:

• Glucose and Sodium decreases
• Total cholesterol decreases
• Vitamin C increases
• Total serum protein increases

Yoga is a superior form of meditation.  A twenty-minute yoga session will leave you completely relaxed, physically invigorated and enjoying a strong sense of well being.  It is the perfect exercise for people who lead busy, stress-filled lives who want to look and feel their best!  Now that you know some of the benefits, are you going to add yoga into your weekly routine?

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