Can Some Foods Be Aphrodisiacs? Science or Silly? Sexy Nutrition

HOW SWEET IT IS
Valentine's Day is fastly upon us and literally thousands of pounds of chocolates will be heavily consumed in the course of one night. The thing that keeps popping up asks us is " does what we experience with chocolates just all in our heads?" The myth has always been known that chocolates act as a type of aphrodisiac with great powers to seduce! Fact or fiction? Science puts it to the test and has found out that chocolates do contain a stimulant in it called Theobromine. It gets you up with the first bite!This is believed to be due to an amino acid called Tryptophan. This base compound is a major component of the neuro-chemical called Serotonin. Serotonin is the brain chemical that causes addictions and the sensation of ecstacy!

Chocolate appears to increase "opium receptors" of the brain that release Endorphins that reduce pain and helps reduce the inhibition to experience pleasure. Canadian studies have looked at the Flavonoids in chocolate that act as an anti-oxidant as well which can be good for the heart. this is noted particularly in dark chocolates.

Wait there's more. Chocolate contains chemicals like Anadamide, Methylxanthines, and Phenylethylamine(PEA). PEA increases the secretion of pheromones that increase attraction. Hmmmmmmmm. sounds good already! YOu see science can be sexy!

OYSTERS SQUIRT A LITTLE BIT OF SCIENCE
Here is one of the most controversial myths that also may have a lot of science to back it up. We know what it means when the oysters on the half-shell come out on the plate. The subliminal notions are all only to obvious to new romantics. But, that funny sensation with the shellfish may not just be all a fantasy, but actually reality! Yes , that's right! Published studies looked at how the aphrodisiac portion of oysters was due to a chemical in them called NMDA( N-methyl-D-Aspartate) which can stimulate testosterone. This is the predominate sex hormone for men and women.

The higher amounts of Zinc and Iodine in Oysters just might be regulating all sex hormones and could be affecting semen production . Culturally a number of women anecdotally report a certain sensation when eating oysters associated with increased libido. Others describe this effect also when consuming other types of shellfish as well. Is this all coincidence or the subliminal notion being well digested? You be the judge.


WINE NOT?
We've often been told that almost anything in moderation is alright. This might be the case for red wines and certain white wines as well , particularly when it comes to "getting into the mood". It is beyond the fact that wine can "un-wind" you so that you are less inhibited and feel relaxed. There are actual health benefits that you can acquire provided you don't drink over two glasses.

Wine contain antioxidants that actually help us by reducing the inflammatory process of oxidation. Resveratrol acts to reduce heart disease and may help premature aging as well as prevent cancer. Published studies show that resveratrol inhibits two key inflammatory enzymes also known to be involved in severe infection!

Wine can help raise HDL2 which of the HDL types can be cardio-protective. remember that HDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol. Just like exercise it increases their numbers.

So , this Valentines Day drink responsibly, eat in moderation your favorite shellfish and sweeten your palates with the worlds most delicious morsels and let your tongue enjoy. What tingly feelings you experience may not all just be in your stomach or just your head, but somewhere even deeper!

Dr. Marcus Wells is a past Clinical Associate from the National Institutes of Health at the National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (NIH/NIHLBI). He holds a Master's in Public Health from Emory University. He also has served in the Health & Human Service, Public Health Service(PHS) and the Commsioned Corp.

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Cellular Metabolism the New Advantage: Preventing Obesity in 21st Century

Most of us raise our eyebrows, or either get suspicious if not intimidated when we hear the word "challenge". Today life has hundreds of challenges, so just what makes one more better? Most challenges are impedences or act as an encumberance and are part of life's other hurdles. But, a new concept has arisen in the area of health especially when it comes to a challenge. With 100 million people becoming obese and another 100 million being at some stage of overweight, a rising population of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, infertility, immuno-suppression , pediatric obesity, gall bladder problems, pancreatic insufficiency , biochemical and blood fat derrangements, as well as obstructive and restrictive mechanical problems are occuring. What can be more challenging to us today in this country than a healthier lifestyle? All of the diseases mentioned are considered secondary to the problem of obesity in this country. So why isn't the healthcare industry and professionals pushing at prevention, nutritional regimens, exercise prescriptions and Nano-Nutrition like vitamins, anti-oxidants, enzymes, minerals and herbals more than just drugs and surgery?

Today we all know someone directly or indirectly effected by obesity or overweight status if not ourselves. The problem is growing meteorotically and everybody and that includes the pharmaceutical industry, medical professionals, health agencies(private and public), the food industry and restaruant industry should and must pull together a unified effort to create a healthier goal. A type of "nutritional GPS" really is what we need to map out our shortcomings nutritionally.

These same authorities now must ease their power and concede some of their authority to those who are nutritionist, dieticians, botanist, homeopaths , naturopaths, metabolic specialist, fitness consultants, and motivational speakers.

A campaign that is spearheaded , but not necessarily run by the public sector along with ads produced by Wall Street and Madison Avenue with the aid of behavioral scientist can create a "culture" of health that can turn this around.

In the meantime our premiums are rising, long lines in clinics and ERs are growing, drug prices are continuing to rise greatly, what can we do?

THE THERMOGENIX CHALLENGE
There are at least 15( because two are lumped together) factors that you can begin to look at immediately to improve your overall health statistically . This puts you at some chance of improved quality and quantity of life. Life is both of these factors together. But, you have to be up to this challenge which improves overall cardio-pulmonary resistance, boosts energy, lowers cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar and improves your esteem in multiple ways. This is the Thermogenix Challenge. It is a way to stratify risk based on certain daily lifestyle factors that impact us. They are factors that we can control and chose to enhance or eliminate to better our physical and emotional well-being. Without further adeiu here they are and what they could mean to you.

1) Ask your healthcare provider to measure your BMI(body mass index) the height divided by weight squared is a function of mortality and morbidity. You've got to know this number. A BMI over 30 poses a much higher health risk and is considered a overweight status.

2) Ask your healthcare provider to measure you BMR(basal metabolic rate) , which is how fast and how many calories your body consumes at work and rest.It determines if you have a fast, slow or have a mixed-vairable type of metabolism. That determines what foods and exercises you need.

3)Know your body weight , but don't weigh too often. Weekly is enough. Then chart it in relationship to your emotions, what you ate, where you were when you ate and major events related to your life in a journal.

4)Know your Waist Circumference(WC) and Waist-Hip-Ratio(WHR). If the WHR is greater than 0.85 in women or 1.0 in men, you are at higher risk.If the WC is greater than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men , this too is greater risk. Relate these number to percent body fat. In an adult male it should be between 15-22 % in women no more than 32%

5)What is your EQ or Emotional Quotient? Studies indicate that depression is related to obesity as well as over-eating , being more sedentary as well as diabetes type II and obesity. Your emotions play a major role. Record in a journal when you eat. Is it after becoming angry, nervous or depressed. This is all related to the hypothalamic and thalamic centers that control emotion and eating being so close and having some cross-wore effect in the brain. Having compulsive eating is a negative!

6)Do you try to follow the American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine recommendations when it comes to trying to exercise .Even by simply walking 20-30 minutes every other day until you get to doing it daily is a plus? I can not stress enough how exercise improves the heart and lungs in functioning, reduces cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, stabilizes blood sugar, secretes Endorphin and Encephalins to increase pain threshold and feel more euphoric while working out."Just Do It!"

7)Do you drink anywhere from 8-12 glasses of water daily that are from 8 to 12 ounces? Water is what 70 percent of what our body is made up of. Water must be related to the solutes or electrolytes in the body such as sodium, potassium, chloride and calcium. In conjunction they determine much of kidney and heart function. Water on a cellular level is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen. When fuels are "burned" in the face of oxygen, the combustive process derives more energy.

8)Five Fruits and/or Vegetables or incombination are recommended to get the vitamins, anti-oxidants and roughage your gastro-intestinal system needs, but still this may not be enough. Start getting into the habit of eating more organic complex carbohydrates to stabilize your blood sugar and to control the transit time of your lower bowels to sweep away toxins.

9) Fiber comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be as above in fruits and vegetables that are cooked or even better raw "veggies" where enzymes can be consumed along with it. Fiber can come in certain grains and cereals too. Today there are many acceptable commercially available fiber particles(psyllium) that are non-digestable that also can help. These are in most supermarkets, too.

10)Try to get 6 to 8 hours of sleep because most of our metabolism is going on at this time. While we sleep , the body is on auto-pilot with numerus vegetative functions acting. Sleep restores and resets our body's metabolism so that we may meet the next days demands! Try to get to sleep early. Studies are showing that insomnia is related to late night snacking and diabetes.

11)Reward yourself with positive things that motivate you to continue your healthy lifestyle regimen. If you walk a mile daily for a month get new running shoes or a jogging outfit. Reward yourself with a walk to a park you've wanted to get to or go camping . There's nothing like the incentive of something new like a bike or a health food restaurant with Soy, miso, temph, whey , casien, kelp, seaweed, or algae for just a taste.

12) You must keep a journal that outlines activity, emotion and what you eat. It should be detailed as to what you ate, where you ate it and how you ate it. Detail how many calories you think there were and what you ate. Was the time you ate chocolate during menses or after an argument. Did the weather effect you so that you didn't go outside and ended up not exercising at all. Try to then go back a week or month later and analyze your own behaviors and try to anticipate what you will do next time and try to avoid or eliminate the behaviors you think are vulnerable.

13) Check your blood pressure often as possible. The number most us try to reach is anything below 140 systolic and 90 diastolic. Research is inching those numbers down to obtain better health statistically at 135 for the top number and 85 at the bottom. Go for it , but go easy. Do not try to change your lifestyle with extreme measures in diet and activity, drugs or dietary agents too much too fast. All things in moderation.

14) Check your Cholesterol. Cholesterol in and of itself is not bad or dangerous it's the source of it and how much we let it get to that is a problem. Cholesterol is not by itself an absolute determinant of whether you're not healthy. The total cholesterol must be taken into consideration to the LDL , known as the bad cholesterol and in relationship to the HDL or good cholesterol. Try to keep your cholesterol lower than 200mg/dl and keep the bad chleserol below 110 and good cholesterol above 35. this 3:1 ratio is safe.

Remember the good cholesterol or HDL can be raised with exercise, certain red and white wines as well as almonds. The nutrional science still favors onions, garlic and an indian herbal called guggul to help lower high cholesterol.


These are some basic factors you can control before having to result to pharmaceutical therapy or having your situation lead to a chronic disease with irreversible consequences. this "thumb-nail challenge" gives you a "Nutritional GPS" and allows you to know where to start from and like a compass , guides you to where you are and where you want to go. You can always resort to it anytime as you can and should daily.

WHAT DOES THE THERMOGENIX CHALLENGE MEAN TO ME?
If you have a score of doing 9 to 15 of these things your lifestyle is relatively of low risk to the morbidity and mortality associated with premature death. If you have between 5 to 9 you have mild to moderate risk and need to step it up. However 1 to 5 of these , puts you at a higher risk for premature risk of disease and even morbidity.

Dr. Marcus Wells is a past Clinical Associate from the National Institutes of Health at the National Heart , Lung, & Blood Institute(NIH/NHLBI). He holds a Master's in Public Health from Emory University . He has also served in the Health & Human Services(HHS), Public Health Service(PHS), and Commissioned Corp.

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