Sirtuin Genes/The Benefits of Legumes/Slowing the 5G Rollout
Sirtuin Genes/The Benefits of Legumes/Slowing the 5G Rollout
The Chocolate and Wine Diet
Those who read my blogs know that I am always thrilled to report how previously “bad” foods (like chocolate, wine, butter, and cheese), are now considered beneficial for health and longevity. Again, there has never been a tastier time to be a “health food nut”.
Now we have the “Sirtfood Diet”, designed by a pair of British nutritionists. Their premise is that certain foods will activate our “skinny gene”, which will then trigger biochemical reactions in the body. leading to “weight loss and improved resistance to disease”. (The Sirtfood Diet)
This concept is based on the principle that, when one fasts, or even dramatically reduces caloric intake, the body’s cells call for energy, which activates “the skinny gene”. This gene is actually a group of genes called sirtuins, and, once activated, sirtuins cause the body to move into survival mode, at which point it stops storing fat, and starts burning it instead. However, while this is great for weight loss, extreme calorie reduction and fasting is uncomfortable, leaving one feeling hungry, tired, often irritable, and can induce some muscle wasting.
Now to the chocolate (70% plus) and red wine.
The authors of The Sirtfood Diet point to the fact that certain polyphenols, found in specific foods, can activate the sirtuin genes, just as fasting will do, leading to the same result of losing body fat (without all the uncomfortable sensations).
The plan also includes reducing calorie intake, but not to an extreme level. However, with moderate calorie reduction (and really we only need to reduce bad calories, which are mostly those from refined carbohydrates, and bad fats), and eating foods which elevate sirtuins, one should, in theory, quickly burn body fat. And this has proven true in mouse studies, which showed activation of the sirtuin 1 enzyme to burn white adipose tissue, however, evidently no studies have yet confirmed this for humans. Nonetheless, there are many followers of the diet who maintain it does work for humans.
More than just aiding in weight loss, sirtuins also show evidence for reducing inflammation, repairing cell damage, preventing cancer, diabetes, and kidney disease, as well as slowing down the aging process.
In aging studies, seven enzymes produced by the sirtuin genes were shown to slow aging in yeast cells, and increase longevity in mice. These studies also showed that the sirtuin enzymes can be activated by both calorie restriction, and by the polyphenol resveratrol, which happens to be a polyphenol found in dark chocolate and red wine. No surprise here, since both have proven to be longevity agents. (For more info see my articles on red wine and dark chocolate.
For those seeking any of the benefits to be gained by activating the sirtuin genes I have two suggestions. First, eat plenty of these “sirtfoods”: buckwheat, celery, cocoa, extra virgin olive oil, green tea (matcha), kale (cooked), medjool dates, parsley, red onion, red wine, soybean products, strawberries, turmeric, and walnuts.
Secondly, incorporate NutriStart’s Liposomal Curcumin/Resveratrol product, as both resveratrol and curcumin (turmeric extract) have been shown to activate the sirtuin genes.
The Benefits of Legumes
Personally, I love beans and legumes and eat them three or four times per week. So I was surprised when I read the results of the 2017 Beans, Lentils, Peas Survey, which showed that fewer than 5% of participants ate legumes daily, and about one-third of those surveys had consumed no legumes in the prior month.
Beans and legumes are a staple food around the world, and with good reason: they contain good amounts of fiber and protein, along with an array of B-vitamins, and minerals (particularly copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc).
And there is a good amount of research supporting the health benefits of eating beans and legumes. Such benefits were detailed in a review article published in Clinical Diabetes (2015), which examined the specific benefits of legumes with regards to various health conditions.
Here is a brief summary, but more information can be gathered by following this link to the study.
Hyperlipidemia: In a meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials, legumes (exempting soybeans) eaten for at least 3 weeks, were shown to reduce total cholesterol and LDL levels
Weight management: One analysis of large-population data showed that those who regularly ate a variety of legumes, had lower over all body weights, compared with those who did not consume legumes.
Hypertension: A meta-analysis found that, in over 500 people (half being overweight, or obese), those who ate about a cup of legumes every day, for 10 weeks, experienced decreases in blood pressure, and decreases in systolic and mean arterial blood pressures.
Type 2 diabetes: The review found many studies which confirmed that consuming legumes regularly dropped hemoglobin A1C ( a benchmark of diabetes), and blood glucose levels.
And it has been well established that diets high in legumes, and low in sugar, refined grains, and processed meats, lower the risk of developing diabetes, as well as improving blood-sugar levels.
For those who find beans hard to digest, I strongly suggest you look at the Blood Type Diet (Dr. Peter D’Adamo). Beans, and legumes, containing lectins offensive to one’s blood type, can actually cause inflammation, and insulin spikes, let alone poor digestion, and gas. For example, my blood type (AB) gets an insulin spike from garbanzo and kidney beans. Thus, not only are these beans hard to digest for me, but literally can contribute to blood sugar imbalance, and even cause weight gain (due to spiking insulin). For type B blood, lentils can contribute to arthritic conditions (for more on this subject read my blog on Arthritis and the Blood Type Diet.
So, if you have a hard time with beans and legumes, don’t give up on them until you have tried those suitable for your blood type.
Questioning the 5G Rollout
Canadians for Safe Technology are presenting a petition to the federal government asking them to slow down the rollout of 5G technology until it can be properly studied to determine if it is safe to expose humans (and animals) to such an extreme increase in electromagnetic frequencies.
Following is their premise: The telecommunications industry is rushing to deploy 5G across Canada, with no prior health and environmental impact assessment, without fully understanding the economic consequences, and without informed consent.
Full 5G rollout will require the installation of hundreds of thousands 1 of new antennas throughout the country on cell towers, hydro poles, lamp posts, buildings and other structures, often within a few metres of where we live and work
RF radiation is scientifically demonstrated to cause or contribute to numerous health effects, including cancers, sperm damage, reproductive harms, learning and memory deficits, and neurodegenerative, cellular and genetic damage.
We rely on the government to ensure our safety. To date, Health Canada and other Ministries have let us down. We urge Canadians to appeal to the Government of Canada to “look before we leap,” to immediately suspend any further 5G rollout, and to press for a safer, more cost-effective and secure alternative — namely fibre optic and wired connections to every home and business.