Our lifestyles and eating choices impact nearly every aspect of our lives, but in particular, these choices directly impact our health and well-being. Poor choices lead to increased inflammation in the body, and the SAD (Standard American Diet) drives inflammation. Refined carbohydrates, sugar, trans fats, empty calories, fiberless foods, and an imbalance of unhealthy fats (partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats, and fried foods) encourage inflammation. Being overweight and sedentary increases inflammation. But what does inflammation actually mean, and why do our TEMT diet choices focus on dousing the flames?
Chronic inflammation is almost always brought on by poor lifestyle choices or choices that simply do not work with your unique biochemistry. Symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, aches, pains, skin issues, weight gain, irritability, weakened or over-reactive immune response, digestive issues; or simply feeling bad, chronically older than you are, weaker than you should be, and looking like you are aging faster. Over time, inflammation left unchecked will lead to a much more destructive and potentially fatal situation. By altering and improving food choices, we can reverse inflammation and the damage it causes.
We are in the midst of an inflammation epidemic in the United States. A consistent state of inflammation can be likened to smoldering embers on a fire: feed it a little, and the flame will rage; douse it a bit, and it goes back to smoldering. Increased consumption of processed foods; genetically modified organisms (GMOs), toxins, and chemicals in our food supply; and sedentary lifestyles have combined to create this current catastrophe of chronic disease, all relative to inflammation.
From heart disease to type 2 diabetes, depression to Alzheimer’s, the relationship between chronic inflammation, disease, and premature death is sobering. The SAD diet—high in sugar, refined starches, and trans fats and low in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids—contributes to the production of inflammatory chemicals that increase the risk of these chronic diseases.1 SAD fuels inflammation; TEMT cools it down. The main dietary strategy of TEMT includes a generous consumption of vegetables; moderate consumption of fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean proteins, and omega-3 fatty acids; and little consumption of saturated fat. Our strategy is in line with the Mediterranean, Okinawan, and anti-inflammatory dietary principles, which are consistent with decreased inflammation.
The inflammation that is silently debilitating millions of lives every day is subtle and insidious. The latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) list the prevalence of obesity (in 2011–2012) at over one-third of adults in the United States (roughly 35 percent). During this time period, over 78 million American adults and 12.5 million adolescents and children were obese.2 Nearly 2 million Americans were diagnosed with diabetes in 2010;3 chronic arthritis affects an estimated 50 million American adults;4 and over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.5 What all of these diseases have in common is that they originate from chronic, systemic inflammation. Chronic inflammation breaks down the body and immune system over time, and incites disease. It contributes to the failure of mind and body and fast-forwards the aging process, leaving you weak, depressed, and more susceptible to a host of life-threatening diseases.
The typical SAD delivers too many calories and not enough nutrition, thus encouraging inflammation. When our eating is out of balance—when we’re eating a lot of fast, processed, and fried foods; excess sugar; and drinking excess alcohol—a cascade of inflammatory prostaglandins (hormone-like compounds) are created, triggering inflammation in the body.
Our bodies are designed to support homeostasis, which is a state of dynamic balance. This includes being able to sustain a healthy balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory states of being. We have thrived for thousands of years with this innate and beautiful chemistry, as our diets have been, for the most part, balanced in nature and practice. In the last century, and really the last few decades, our diets have become based on more convenience and fast food, and we have tipped the balance toward pro-inflammatory compounds.
With this new and unfortunate reality, it would appear we are doomed as chronic disease rates increase like never before; rare diseases experience a resurgence; feelings of depression, fatigue, and hopelessness abound; and we die way before our time from preventable diseases.
Examine your pantry and refrigerator, and see where there is room for improvement. Remove any foods that do not truly nourish and sustain your total well-being. Get rid of cookies; donuts; crackers; and all things containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), artificial sweeteners, coloring, trans fats (anything containing partially hydrogenated oils), and other ingredients that you can’t pronounce. Stop making excuses for why you can’t throw them away or why you brought them into your home in the first place.
After you’ve completed the purge, it’s time to restock with foods that support the anti-inflammatory pathways in the body. Add dark-green leafy vegetables like broccoli, chard, and kale; yellow veggies like squash and cauliflower (yes, we know it’s white); raw nuts like walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, and pecans; and seeds like pumpkin, chia, hemp, and flax. Add whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, oats, brown rice, and wild rice. Add high-antioxidant spices like turmeric, curry, ginger, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and cinnamon; and enjoy pure dark cocoa in moderation to soothe your body and soul. All of these strategies will help put out the fire.
The TEMT Program is plant based and nutrient dense. Nutrient-dense foods pack the greatest amount of nutrition in the smallest packages. In other words, these are foods that contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and essential fatty acids while containing relatively few calories. Fruits and vegetables are the most obvious examples. Dark-green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, broccoli), berries, and cherries are all nutrient-dense power foods. Nutrient-dense foods deliver high nutrition and low drama.
But we cannot live on nutrient-dense foods alone. If we did, our diets would be too low in healthy fats and likely too low in calories as well. In addition to nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, we encourage nuts and seeds, cold-water fish, legumes, beans, and small amounts of sustainably raised animal products. For vegetarians or vegans, we would suggest adding small amounts of organic, fermented soy. And while we know for certain that some authorities will beg to differ when it comes to adding grains to the diet, we know that in the happiest communities where people live the longest, this is how people eat.
Antioxidants and Optimism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FkY8O7HUxg&list=PLDF26DC5254801299
We find the largest population of healthy, long-lived adults in Okinawa, Japan. The traditional Okinawan diet consists of sweet potatoes, green and yellow vegetables, legumes, and a small amount of fish and pork. Okinawans receive plenty of natural exercise and sunlight through gardening, and they stop eating when they are about 80 percent full. They also eat little to no dairy products or eggs.
The Mediterranean diet differs slightly from the Okinawan in a few key areas. Dairy products (mostly yogurt and cheese), unrefined grains, wine (usually red), and olive oil play a major to moderate role. Like the Okinawan diet, the Mediterranean diet (patterned after those living in Greece and Southern Italy) includes a high consumption of fruits and vegetables, a moderate consumption of fish, and a low consumption of meat. Mediterranean residents are probably most widely known for their use and consumption of olive oil, which is naturally high in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. We use olive oil almost exclusively now (in addition to coconut oil), and we’ll talk a bit more about the Mediterranean diet shortly.
Anti-inflammatory diets have been written about and numerous experts have touted the benefits, each giving their own spin on what an anti-inflammatory diet looks like. We’re guilty of this too, teaching our own version of an anti-inflammatory lifestyle for nearly twenty years. What we can all probably agree on is that plant foods and the phytochemicals that they contain decrease inflammation in the body. As we’ve shared, inflammation is one of the primary causes (if not the primary cause) of most modern-day chronic diseases.
An anti-inflammatory diet is quite similar to the Okinawan and Mediterranean diets; it just hasn’t been defined so specifically. In other words, there is no exact definition, but there are several interpretations. The foods we recommend in TEMT and the foods that make up the bulk of our 30-day program are in line with the best practices of Okinawan, Mediterranean, and anti-inflammatory philosophies, combined with our years of personal and professional research and experience. This includes plenty of vegetables and fruits (we recommend at least seven [ideally nine] servings daily [mostly vegetable]); omega-3 fats from cold-water fish; walnuts, chia, hemp, and flax seeds; sesame seeds, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. We recommend the elimination of refined grains like white rice, white potatoes, white flour, and all white-flour products and pastas (made from white or seminola flour). Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, barley, amaranth, oats, and sprouted grains are all part of our anti-inflammatory plan. And spices like ginger, turmeric, curry, cinnamon, cayenne, and garlic are all part of the TEMT Program. Of course, adding olive oil, avocado, and coconut oil (to a lesser degree) and eliminating all partially hydrogenated (trans fatty acids) fats is equally essential to the anti-inflammatory lifestyle and TEMT. While this doesn’t include every ingredient in our program, it should give you an idea of what forms the basis of TEMT.
What the TEMT Program and the Okinawan, Mediterranean, and anti-inflammatory diets have in common is plenty of dietary fiber, monounsaturated fat, lean and clean protein, and powerful phytonutrients that are naturally abundant in plant-based diets.
When you settle for the SAD way of eating, you tend to be overfed yet undernourished. To thrive and achieve optimum wellness, vegetables are non-negotiable—so we want you to connect to a more plant-based diet. The greater the quantity and variety of vegetables and fruits in your diet, the lower the incidence and risk for having a heart attack, experiencing a stroke, and contracting cancer.
To clarify, we are not saying that everyone should become vegan; we are strongly suggesting plant-based or plant-focused eating. And don’t worry; you will not become protein deficient. A protein-deficient American is virtually unheard of, even though this is a common misconception about eating plant based. As a frame of reference (and to support your plant-based peace of mind), let’s look at comparing the protein amounts in broccoli versus steak. There are approximately 5.4 grams of protein in 100 calories of steak. There are approximately 11.2 grams of protein in 100 calories of broccoli. Per calorie, broccoli delivers nearly twice as much on the protein front, and a plant-based protein is more anti-inflammatory compared to animal-based proteins.
If just the thought of letting go of red meat makes you feel like a plant-based lifestyle isn’t for you, we’d like you to consider something: if meat eaters ate less than half a serving of red meat each day, deaths would drop by roughly 8 percent.12 If you choose to eat meat, you have the choice of consuming healthier meat. Look for meat from grass-fed cattle or buffalo, grain-fed poultry, and animals who are humanely raised (free range) and slaughtered. These meats are healthier, containing less saturated fat and more health-promoting fatty acids, such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA may help to reduce body fat and improve immune function. So, just think about what you’re eating when you do choose to eat meat, and make sure you are having plenty of veggies on the side. You will Thrive.
Phytochemicals (phyto means “plant”) are naturally occurring antioxidants in plants. A plant-focused diet helps us to Thrive by
1. serving as our first line of defense against disease, aging, and inflammation;
2. keeping healthy watch over the genes that promote inflammation;
3. reducing the risk of stroke;
4. supporting heart health and helping to fight heart disease on multiple fronts (for example, eating plant foods reduces platelet aggregation and the stickiness of your platelets; the less sticky your platelets the better and healthier your circulation);
5. supporting healthy cholesterol and blood lipid levels;
6. improving cholesterol profile; and
7. helping to reduce blood pressure.
Dr. James on Plant-Based Protein
It probably isn’t new information that our consumption of sugar has increased considerably in the last few hundred years. There are many conflicting statistics out there, but basically, at the turn of the twentieth century, Americans were consuming under 10 pounds of sugar per person on an annual basis. By 1913, that increased dramatically to about 76 pounds per person. Today, the average American consumes about 150 to 170 pounds of sugar in a year.14
Sugar isn’t sweet when it comes to our skin or looking, feeling, and being vibrant. You can Botox your way out of a few wrinkles, but if you continue to over-sugar your life, wrinkles will eventually win out. Enjoying too much sugar encourages something called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and these sweet villains are all about driving disease and premature aging. AGEs are formed when sugar mixes with amino acids. This creates the perfect environment for inflammation, disease, aging, and premature death. The formation of AGEs has been linked to an increased risk for (you’ve guessed it) heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. When you limit and avoid sugar, you starve the AGEs formation process. And guess what else happens? Beauty increases, energy increases, life expectancy increases, and thriving happens!
Of all the molecules that can inflict damage on your mind and body, sugar is one of the worst. Sugar encourages fat deposits around your vital organs (this is a keynote of heart disease and type 2 diabetes); and it drives inflammation, which increases insulin and leptin levels while decreasing the sensitivity to both of these vital hormones. As this insensitivity becomes chronic, we fast-forward the aging process and increase the risks for metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
It is normal for blood sugar levels to rise a bit after a meal; however, it is not normal—or healthy—to have blood sugar levels remain elevated for a long period of time afterward. Too many Americans have created a situation where their blood sugar is chronically and permanently elevated. This chronic elevation makes us overweight, tired, depressed, and sick. Are you ready to feel better and kick the sugar addiction?
Kicking the sugar habit is a life-giving, life-changing decision. What is your why for letting go of sugar? Notice when you tend to crave sugar. Is it when you are you watching TV, hanging out with certain people, doing things that you do not enjoy? Be mindful of how sugar finds its sneaky way into your daily routine, and watch for the subtle triggers that initiate its desire.
Your best bet when it comes to cutting down on sugar in the diet is to stick to fresh vegetables and fruits, and steer clear of added sugars—especially packaged foods and processed sugars (including corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup). Sugar has insidiously found its way into every packaged good on the shelf. One teaspoon of sugar, or 4 grams, equals approximately 16 calories. To figure out how much sugar is in one serving of whatever you are eating or drinking, just do the math: if the product lists 20 grams of sugar, then that means it contains 5 teaspoons of sugar, or 80 sugar-derived calories. Aim to keep total sugar for the day at or below 10 percent of your total caloric intake. So if you are consuming 1,800 calories daily, no more than 180 calories (45 grams) are sugars.
It is challenging to keep your daily sugar at or under 10 percent, so you may want to write things down at first to keep track. Again, remember the math: for every 1,000 calories you consume, no more than 100 calories (25 grams) should come from added sugars. That’s less than the amount of sugar found in a tall Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino, which contains 45 grams of sugar! Many sweetened yogurts, cereals, juices, smoothies, and snack bars contain a lot of sugar, so if you aren’t already reading nutritional facts on product labels, it’s time to start!
Sugar and Your Skin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnBh5WarrI4&list=PLDF26DC5254801299
We are often asked for our opinions on cleansing and detox programs. Though it’s not a cut-and-dry answer, we do believe that periodic cleansing is a smart idea if you want to really Thrive. We usually recommend cleansing with the change of seasons or at least a few times a year. When we refer to cleansing, what we really mean is super clean eating. True fasting, like only consuming water for a length of time, is something that should be done under the supervision of a qualified health professional (with the blessing of your primary care doctor). There is a time and a place for fasting or modified fasting, but that isn’t the purpose of TEMT. The good news is that the TEMT Program is a very clean-eating program to begin with; if you commit to the TEMT style of eating, you’ll be in great shape. However, even a tobacco- and alcohol-free, 100 percent organic lifestyle cannot protect us from environmental exposure to toxins.
In the United States and across the planet, we are overcome and enveloped by toxins, literally marinating in a toxic stew that is playing a major role in our present disease crisis. But you only eat vegan, organic foods? We wish we could tell you that you’re safe from toxins, but the truth is, exposure to environmental toxins—from nonstick skillets and electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) to can linings, and from the air we breathe to the water we drink—is nearly unavoidable. And that’s why it may help to give your body a break every once in a while, to at least decrease the toxic burden and recharge all your vital organs.
James’s detox story: About sixteen years ago, I was experiencing severe neurological symptoms. Along with having a few seizures, I began to experience numbness and tingling in my arms and legs; and I suffered from frequent headaches, mild depression, fatigue, and trouble sleeping. All of my symptoms led me to the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Individuals with MS often respond favorably to supplementation with essential fatty acids and fish oils. I am known for my occasional overzealousness; and I’ll admit I approached my symptoms with serious zeal in the form of fish for breakfast, fish for lunch, and fish for dinner. I was especially fond of frozen Alaskan halibut and wild salmon burgers, so I would have two of one kind for breakfast and pack two for lunch. Then I’d come home to a fish dinner that Debra lovingly prepared. The more my symptoms flared, the more zealous my fish consumption. It became a vicious circle, because it was likely that some of the fish I was eating contained unsafe levels of mercury.
Finally, I decided I should maybe think about seeing a neurologist—but first, I ran a hair analysis to check for heavy metals. My mercury levels were off the charts! I had never seen results come back so elevated. I formulated a detoxification and chelation (the process of removing heavy metals from the bloodstream) program in partnership with a functional medicine colleague of mine, and let me tell you, detoxing from mercury was neither easy nor fun. But I am happy to say I am now symptom free and mercury levels are no longer an issue.
Today, I keep my fish intake in check (no more than once a week), and I will only eat fish that are known to be low mercury carriers. I supplement with fish oils that have been screened and tested for mercury, but I worry about the state of our oceans and how safe our seafood will be, if at all, in the very near future. To keep up on the latest information regarding the safety of seafood consumption, I recommend seafoodwatch.org (from the Monterey Bay Aquarium) and nrdc.org (Natural Resources Defense Council).
So how do we deal with these unavoidable toxins when we are eating as clean and organic as possible? One of the simplest things we can do is to make sure we are drinking plenty of fresh, filtered water. If you don’t know the source of your tap water, it is wise to have it tested for possible contaminants like bacteria or heavy metals. It is quite simple (at least it is for a plumber) to install an under-the-sink carbon (or reverse osmosis) water filter that should make your water more than safe and fit to drink, just be sure to change out the filters regularly. We recommend a minimum water consumption of half your weight (in ounces). So for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking at least 75 ounces of water daily, and more if you are working out regularly.
Cleansing and detox programs are all the rage these days; people are juicing, fasting, doing enemas, and having colonics on a regular basis. Some people cleanse to look better (lose weight, improve skin tone, and so on), some want to feel better, and some want both. Many cleansing programs offer a legitimate opportunity for the body to heal and to decrease systemic inflammation; but some cleansing programs may be too extreme and possibly unhealthy—even dangerous. It can become risky when there is a history of drug (prescription or recreational) or alcohol abuse, diabetes, heart disease, or obesity and you decide to cleanse on your own without being monitored by a doctor. We typically don’t buy in to the “all or nothing” mentality, meaning, you either starve yourself or you binge eat. Our program is meant to support the body’s natural detoxification processes through simple, clean eating. Having said that, we don’t mind a few days of juicing to give the body a break from whatever it is you’ve been feeding it, but we recommend mostly vegetable (as opposed to fruit) juices, diluted 50 percent with pure water, and try to drink something at least every two to three hours to avoid severe drops in blood sugar.
The good news: our bodies are naturally equipped for detoxification; our natural state is not inflamed. Our livers and kidneys are well suited to deal with and discard toxins, and keep us running smooth and clean. When your lifestyle becomes particularly burdensome, or you’ve lived on the more toxic side of life, it can be helpful and wise to offer your body a bit of extra support in getting itself back into balance and vitality.
Toxicity encourages inflammation. When the toxic burden becomes too great, the liver and kidneys cannot keep up. The result: our liver becomes sluggish and fatty, our kidneys become dysfunctional and inflamed, and we begin the steady decline into toxicity, increasing the likelihood for disease and feeling less than great. When your liver is not functioning at its best, you begin to feel fatigued. An inflamed liver is painfully inefficient at processing sugar, and this doesn’t just contribute to weight gain; it also compromises the entire body system. Our cells undergo greater assaults from free radicals, and they are unable to defend themselves.
But toxicity and the subsequent decline in our health, happiness, and well-being doesn’t have to be inevitable. You have an opportunity to make simple lifestyle shifts now that will keep your innate, natural detox systems running strong in spite of what is going on around you. The TEMT Program is all about supporting your liver and every organ system in the body.
Never underestimate the power of healthy eating as a way and means to help your body make daily, effective, and healthy detoxification happen. The TEMT eating plan is designed to nourish your natural detoxification systems. More specifically, TEMT naturally raises levels of glutathione, an important antioxidant that plays a major role in detoxification. Glutathione rules detoxification.
Glutathione is the queen of the antioxidant army, leading the way in healthy detoxification. We can raise glutathione levels in the body by increasing our intake of cysteine-containing (amino-acid) foods, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, poultry, yogurt, red peppers, garlic, onions, oats, eggs, and wheat germ. When you are living a more dramatic lifestyle (i.e., excess alcohol, sugar, tobacco, caffeine, processed foods), you deplete glutathione stores. Other foods that build glutathione include whey protein, asparagus, spinach, avocado, squash, melons, grapefruit, and peaches. Antioxidant-rich strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, bell peppers, and mangoes are particularly high in vitamin C, which also feeds glutathione.
If you are the type that likes to jump-start your life with new ways of being, then we recommend a two-week phase-in prior to embarking on the TEMT lifestyle. This looks like eliminating all forms of sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, tobacco, processed foods, fried foods, flour products, and limiting red meat and dairy products. Again, if you have a history of smoking or excessive intake of alcohol, we recommend you work with a doctor who can take you through the process. Of course we are biased towards naturopathic doctors, who are thoroughly trained and skilled in the area of nutrition and dotoxification. To find a registered or licensed naturopathic doctor in your area, visit naturopathic.org and click on “Find a Doctor.”
Periodic cleansing is a lifestyle choice that pays dividends beyond looks alone. Like all rituals that support being happy, sexy, and strong, you will be a source of leadership and inspiration for all who witness your commitment to living well. Set the intention and goal to keep your heart focused on the bigger story of your motivation, fueled by your desire to lead and serve. You will have all the fuel you need to keep your inspiration alive and very well!
Dr. James on Cleansing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcT-ImNVMYI&list=PLDF26DC5254801299
Three or four times a year, we take time to thoroughly clean house—and this includes food. We’re talking about kitchen cabinets, drawers, the refrigerator, and the pantry. Even though we think we’re really conscious about the food we bring into the house, it’s surprising how much food and snack clutter accumulates. Make it a habit to purge your pantry and refrigerator with the change of seasons. Throw away (or compost) any half-eaten bags of chips or crackers; check the expiration dates on condiments and toss any that have expired; and clean out the vegetable crisper and the cheese drawer (you may be surprised what you find growing at the bottom of the bin!). This is a great opportunity to get rid of the junk food and any other edible distraction that sabotages your mission and vision for your life. Definitely get rid of any products that contain artificial sweeteners, colorings, high-fructose corn syrup, or partially hydrogenated oils.
This exercise is the first step in detoxing your life. Once you’ve cleared the clutter—the expired, stale, spoiled, and unhealthy foods from your refrigerator and pantry—think about restocking with nutrient-dense, plant-based foods. Your body and mind will be so happy you took the time to do this.