Recent research indicates that the ingredient in black pepper that gives it its pungent odor and taste (piperine) may help you lose fat. An article in Dr. Whitaker’s Health & Healing (August, 2012) cites research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests that piperine can also prevent fat cells from forming. According to Dr. Whitaker, “previous research had shown that piperine lowers levels of fat and glucose in the bloodstream, but scientists didn’t know that it worked on a cellular level. In this study, piperine interfered with the genes responsible for the formation of fat cells but were not interfering with other cells. Furthermore, it appeared to actually set up a chain reaction that helped keep fat in check. ” I’ve been adding black pepper to my daily turmeric powder since it (piperine) enhances absorption of turmeric by over 2000%! Now this! Nature is pretty cool.
I have a client that is pre-diabetic, meaning her blood sugar (glucose) is a little over 105 in a fasting state. She is pretty discouraged since she re-started her walking program and is being very disciplined about what she eats. I asked her to review her diet, if she had lost any weight (fat), and if her diet had a lot of processed foods. Whole foods such as beans, berries, vegetables, and whole grains are a much better bet. I also suggested that she add interval training to her daily walks-walk faster for two minutes followed by 30 seconds of slow walking, for the duration of her walks. Exercise helps to clear glucose from the blood and lowers the insulin response, thus lowering fat storage. At this point her doctor does not want to put her on an oral glucose medication (metformin) as of yet, which is a good thing. Metformin has side effects, including raising triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, plus it’s not as effective in adults over 45 years old. Berberine, an alkaloid plant product is a much better choice. Dr. Whitaker thinks it’s one of the best new findings for diabetes prevention/cure in the last 20 years. I recommended this to her also-I’ll let you know of her progress.
Scientists’ are looking into certain foods which may lower inflammation in the body. Inflammation is responsible for heart disease, strokes, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and other deadly diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon, flaxseed, chia seeds, herring, sardines, and fish oil capsules, and current research is investigating whether omega-3’s diminish production of inflammatory molecules-the research to date looks promising. In addition, consuming more dietary fiber was associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein, which signals inflammation. Dietary fiber also helps prevent insulin resistance, which can help in the fight against diabetes. There is also some preliminary evidence that patients given 3 and 1/2 servings a day of dairy had reduced inflammation and blood pressure, compared to a group getting half that amount.
A client of mine, Wink Dameron (Blair), recently wrote a book called Conversations With My Grandfather, an account of her talks with her grandfather, an extraordinary gentleman. It’s available on Amazon.com-you can also order it at Orders@Xlibris.com Great job Wink!
Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.