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Insulin Resistance: Causes and Solutions
Nutrition for Normal Blood Sugar Level Support
Reducing carbohydrates and exercising are two of the most important steps in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eating too much carbohydrates can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and other health issues. Exercise is also important for weight management and overall health.
Carbohydrates are found in many foods including bread, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables. Eating too many carbohydrates can lead to weight gain, as the body stores the extra carbs as fat. It can also lead to insulin resistance, which is when the body does not respond to insulin properly. This can lead to type 2 diabetes and other health issues.
Exercise is one of the best ways to manage weight and improve overall health. Exercise helps to burn off excess calories, which can help to prevent weight gain. It also helps to reduce stress, improve mental health, and improve cardiovascular health. Regular exercise can also help to reduce the risk of certain diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Whatever level of health that you are at presently, know that your body is seeking balance and harmony within. What you feed it is all that it has to maintain balance/harmony. A healthy diet complemented by nutritional supplementation and exercise goes a long way in helping the body in its creation of energy and in repairing and restoring.
The diets of the industrial countries contain high levels of carbohydrates, the food group that includes sugars and comprises the main source of energy for the body. Too much sugar and simple carbohydrates can eventually lead to excess weight gain and a variety of related health conditions. In this issue, we examine how the body metabolizes sugar and regulates blood sugar, or glucose, levels in the body, including the nutrients that support that process. The concern related to blood sugar balance is not just an issue with adults. It is so important to consider our lifestyles as they relate to our entire families.
NUTRIENTS IMPORTANT IN SUPPORTING SUGAR/GLUCOSE METABOLISM
- Chromium – This so-called “trace” mineral has been shown to influence carbohydrate metabolism, lipid (fat) metabolism, and protein absorption and metabolism. It is also a potentiator of insulin action.
- Unsaturated fatty acids from Flax Seed – Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are needed to form cell structures, particularly cell membranes, and for proper absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). EFAs play an essential role in normal function of all tissues, in normal brain development and function and in the regulation and function of the immune system.
- Iodine – An essential part of thyroxine and triiodothyronine, the thyroid hormones which help maintain the basal metabolic rate.
- Manganese – Promotes enzyme activation in the mitochondria, the energy centers of the cells.
- Niacin – A B-complex nutrient that aids in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.
- Pantothenic acid – Necessary for growth, and the skin. It contributes extensively to energy functions as part of the Coenzyme A molecule.
- Thiamin (also know as Vitamin B1) – Needed for carbohydrate metabolism. Essential for digestion and for heart function.
- Zinc – One of the most important roles this mineral plays in the body is in the production of insulin. It also aids in the digestion of protein and in the metabolism of phosphorus. Necessary for burn and wound healing, prostate gland function and carbohydrate digestion. A critical function of zinc is its role in the structure and function of bio-membranes.
Dr. Michael Schwartz
CLICK HERE to listen to all interviews with Dr. Michael Schwartz
Dr. Michael Schwartz, N.M.D., is president and founder of Michael’s® Naturopathic Programs. He has been a leader in the natural products industry since 1976, as a teacher, naturopathic nutritional counselor, and manufacturer of nutritional supplements. As the host of a mind-body radio program, Michael is also involved in educating the public on holistic wellness through radio and television appearances.
He is a highly respected lecturer, with appearances at doctor and pharmacist conferences, colleges and universities, and health and wellness venues nationwide. Michael’s holistic nutritional consultations continue to benefit people from all walks of life, including world class athletes and elite performers.
Michael also writes on health and the interrelationship with emotions and spirit. Michael has published 18 books as well as articles for numerous wellness magazines and journals. You can read any of Michael’s books for free. Here is the link for his books: https://cutateachings.org/gifts/
Michael’s® Naturopathic Programs
We believe every individual has a responsibility to achieve optimal health to maximize their unique potential. Each of us is called to serve humanity in some way.
This is only possible when we are healthy, not plagued with emotional anxiety or stress due to poor nutrition. We believe everyone deserves to be healthier, no matter their current level of health. It is our mission to provide affordable nutritional supplements that will help people enjoy healthier lives.
Interview Summary
00:06:01 Limit carbs and exercise.
00:10:10 Limit consumption of unhealthy carbs.
00:17:37 Nutrition is essential for health.
00:23:11 Supplement for health.
00:34:36 Eat organic, living food.
00:37:08 Choose a healthier lifestyle.
00:44:37 Question doctor’s advice.
TRANSCRIPT
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
sugar metabolism, carbohydrates, zinc, insulin, insulin resistance, blood sugar, chromium, iodine, niacin, manganese, Michael Schwartz,
SPEAKERS
Michael Schwartz, Steve Lankford
Introduction 00:09
Hello and welcome to Health Quest dedicated to nutrition and your good health support for Health Quest has been provided by some of America’s best nutritional companies and now Health Quest with your host, Steve Lankford.
Steve Lankford 00:30
Hello, and welcome back to Health Quest Podcast. I’m your host, Steve Lankford. Thanks for joining me, I’m glad you’re here, we’re gonna have an interesting discussion today we’re going to be talking about sugar metabolism, the issues with insulin resistance. These are common problems that a lot of people experience. My guest today is Dr. Michael Schwartz. Dr. Schwartz is a regular contributor to Health Quest Podcasts, and you can listen to all of his previous interviews, go to the podcast page, there’ll be links that take you there.
Steve Lankford 01:04
So we’ve had some very interesting discussions in the past on the immune system, how to establish a quick immune response, stress and mood. And our last one was blood pressure. So very interesting discussions, and they’re available for you, anytime you’re interested in going there. Also, you can go to Dr. Schwartz’s site, his supplement site is called MichaelsHealth.com. He’s the founder, the president, the creator of Michael’s Naturopathic Products, and I have used them I’ve recommended them, he’s really an interesting formulator. And this is what we’ve been discussing is his ideas, the nutrients, the strategies for overcoming some of these other challenges.
Steve Lankford 01:49
Michael is also the host of his relatively new podcast started not quite a year ago, Michael’s Naturopathy Today, he’s the host. And he’s been gracious enough to invite me to be a co-host. So the two of us get to have all kinds of interesting discussions. And you get to hear both perspectives on many of these interesting topics. And so I recommend that you check that out, his podcasts are shorter than mine. So they’re easier to listen to, in a short period of time, I know ours tend to operate on the long form. And that’s because I really like to delve deep into these topics, and hopefully eliminate some of the confusion that people have answered some of the questions that people have. So it’s why I turned to experts like Dr. Schwartz, because he has a lifetime of doing this. And he’s done it in a very practical way, not only creating the supplements, but acting as a counselor, for people who deal with these conditions. And one of the problems that many people face is they just don’t know who to turn to where to go, who to trust. Where do you go in this confusing world today where there’s all kinds of information out there, and it’s not all equally reliable. I’m not even sure if 50% of it is reliable, it might not be. So it’s why I do this podcast because I love looking deep into these topics and learning from these experts who have been doing this so diligently for so long. And Michael Schwartz is one of those people. So it’s in that capacity in the discussion of sugar metabolism. I’m pleased to introduce to you once again, Dr. Michael Schwartz, Dr. Schwartz. Welcome Back to Health Quest Podcast.
Michael Schwartz 03:39
Thank you, Steve, it’s always an honor to be a guest and work with you.
Steve Lankford 03:43
Well, we are developing a bit of a history and a bit of a style working together, you and I do different kinds of shows. And people can appropriate those now. And I really enjoy this time that we have together. Because I do think this is a big service to the consumers who are trying to understand these complex issues. We’ve covered your history in the past, we’ve covered Michael’s naturopathic products in the past, and we can recommend that they go to your site, you have also written a lot of different books. And people can access your books, through the internet through your website. And so if they’re interested in some of these topics, many more than what you and I have covered here. You are a resource for them. So we’re not going to go delving into what we’ve already covered. Let’s get right into our topic today. This idea of sugar metabolism, insulin resistance. It’s something that a lot of people deal with. A lot of people are on medications, because their blood sugars are a little high. And so I’m not sure whether that’s the best approach for somebody who just has a modest rise in blood Sugar. I know you believe and I believe that there are better strategies involved. So let’s start our discussion with an overview of sugar metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, what is going on? And why is it becoming such an issue for so many people,
Michael Schwartz 05:18
I think we’re being programmed into obesity. And the reason I say that, Steve, is because if you watch TV at night, there’s two fundamental outside of the political ads. There are two fundamental categories that are being highly advertised eating, and drugging kinds of new prescription drugs out there that they want you on. And unfortunately, there are so many ads for eating this, that and the other, it’s no wonder that we are becoming an obese society. And through all the consumption everything you eat, fats, carbs, proteins, while the carbs and proteins definitely turned to sugar, the fat is already kind of stored energy. Because I say that I’ve never seen a fat person, what I see is a lot of people doing a lot of consuming, putting a lot of fuel into the engine, but they’re not running the equipment, or fuel into the tank, and they’re not running the equipment. So the diet is the main issue. The secondary issue is a lack of exercise a lack of the proper nutrients that the body requires, in order for the metabolic rate to maintain proper weight for the thyroid to function properly for the body to be able to even manufacture insulin correctly so that the cells can utilize the fuel that’s available to them.
Steve Lankford 06:58
A lot of interest these days are on low carbohydrate diets. There’s the keto diet, there’s the Paleo diet, and they seem to exclude to a large degree, all carbohydrates are most carbohydrates, at least that’s kind of the message that I hear. And somehow I think it can’t be quite as simple as that. If it is I’m gonna be in big trouble because I like my fruits. I like my vegetables. I like my whole grains. And it seems like those are carbohydrate groups. Are we in a situation where we are still choosing the wrong foods? Even when we go into a diet that’s designed to reduce carbohydrates? How do you feel about this concept of the best solution is to reduce those dramatically? Is that really the best solution?
Michael Schwartz 07:55
I wouldn’t think so from the point of view that the body requires fats, carbs and proteins, no ifs, ands or buts about it. And because it’s a requirement, because it’s building material, and it’s not something that the body can manufacture, it needs to bring it in from the outside. If choices need to be made, or where there are choices to be made, the best possible choice would be to reduce consumption, period. That’s the problem. We overeat. I mean, you take a look thoughts, Phyllis and I went out to lunch yesterday, and we couldn’t finish what was being served. Now, as our stomachs shrunk any to a degree, however, there’s still a tendency for restaurants, even in this tight economy, to over present, especially when it comes to carbohydrate, your pastas, your Rice’s your breads, it’s all available. So what it really comes down to is being disciplined in terms of consumption, you got to minimize what you’re eating period.
Steve Lankford 09:03
Well, one of the things that I have always embraced and this goes back to my early education in nutrition was not the avoidance of those foods, but choosing the best quality of those foods. So for example, whole grains, whole wheat, brown rice, those were the grains of choice, and I’ve eaten those my whole adult life, I can’t stand white rice, and I can’t stand white bread. And so that was an easy choice for me. And I have always adopted the idea of eating a variety of good foods and choosing the best quality of those foods, and then preparing them well. And that that was a path towards better health, kind of like a Mediterranean diet model. You might say that’s probably the closest to what I embrace. And so this idea of there are good carbohydrates, and you mentioned carbohydrates being necessary. What is it about carbohydrates, then that start to create this problem with glucose and sugar metabolism is it all of these carbohydrates are just some of them that are really the problem.
Michael Schwartz 10:24
It’s some of them, you brought up two fabulous points, the Mediterranean diet actually happens to be one of the healthiest diets on the planet. That’s number one. Number two, in terms of carbohydrates, where the problem lies, is in the rapidly digested carbohydrates versus Whole grain. Brown rice, these kinds of carbs are slow to metabolize. So the body can utilize them more effectively, when you bring in doughnuts and sugar, what you know, whatever, those kinds of things are so rapidly consumed, or digested, that and the body can’t utilize them, because in reality, they’re empty. There’s no nutrient value in those kinds of foodstuff. That’s what turns to sugar. That’s the kind of glucose that’s dangerous. Because it does nothing for the body, it’s really more psychological, in the sense that if you taste something sweet, you like it, you want more of it. Sometimes we indulge in things as our comfort foods. And we’ll run to the sweets to make us feel better, when in reality, what we’re doing is working against our health, by eating low quality food versus good quality food, which is what you brought out by eating the organic 100% grain unprocessed foods, that’s the healthiest.
Steve Lankford 11:51
When people start to have these issues, somebody goes to the doctor, and your blood sugar is above the normal range. And it doesn’t have to be very high above the normal range, they first solution always seems to be well, we have a drug for that. And the implication is that if your sugar is high, higher than what they’re marking it as high to low, and then you take this drug, and it does bring down the sugar level in your blood so that you next blood test it reads in the normal range, have we really even done something that actually improves our health? Is getting blood sugar down through the use of drugs? Is that a way that actually solves the problem? Or is it masking the problem?
Michael Schwartz 12:48
First of all, let me jump back a minute. The reason doctors immediately go to drugs, because that’s their orientation. They’ve known virtually very little, if anything at all, about how the body works from a nutritional point of view. It’s as if saying that natural processes are immaterial to our way of thinking and looking at things. This is strictly a chemical reality. So we’re going to give you a chemical that will block in this case, I would think that what they’re going to do is work on the liver to block the livers function of converting the foodstuff into glucose. So it’s not really lowering your blood sugar, what it’s doing is preventing your body from creating the fuel that it requires. Because you’re bringing in too much you’re not running the equipment. So the concept from a drug point of view is let’s stop energy production period. Well, the problem with that, as with every single medication, is that yes, they do block processes, two they are toxins to the body. And the thing with a molecular structure that the body does not recognize, and doesn’t find it usable. And I’ll correct that statement in a minute. The body considers it to be a toxin. So when that is in your bloodstream and it gets to your liver, well you then your liver tries to nullify it. So you’ve got a harmless liquid gas or solid get it out of the body, so won’t do too much damage. What can’t be rendered harmless is stored in the fat because the body is a divine creation. Even the toxins that are in the bloodstream can be utilized by the body and building new cells in the process of mitosis. Well, the catch 22 There is that it can corrupt the DNA, the whole blueprint of how a cell is supposed to look and act and function that in itself lays the foundation for the aging process, as well as the foundation for disease to manifest.
Steve Lankford 15:06
Do we have a problem with actually metabolizing carbohydrates? Is this any part of the issue? And so I know for example, we have enzymes, we have different vitamins and minerals that aid digestion. Is this a process that we can improve through nutrition? And conversely, here’s one of my added questions here is also important to reduce consumption. If we have improved our nutrition, can we eat the same stuff? If we just take the right nutrients?
Michael Schwartz 15:49
That’s kind of like a quite a trick question. And I’m going to say, No, it can’t happen. Here’s the story. Very quick one, I had a health food store up in Taos New Mexico, oh, I don’t know, 40 years ago, or whatever. And we used to have one guy that would come in with his beer in his paper bag, and he’d buy his vitamins. And sometimes he’d open up a bright there and take them with a beer. That’s who he was. That’s how he was. And I said to him, I don’t know that doing that with beer is helping your situation any, he says, it gets the job done. So I think that the ideal thing is to reduce consumption and increase neutral and nurturing the body, the body runs on enzymes and proteins. And as you brought up the digestive enzymes, yes, if your body has is making enough amylase, then yes, it will digest the carbohydrates without an issue. The problem is people are putting in too much carbohydrates, too much junk, too much bread, too much pasta, too much pastries, too much snacks. It’s just and the teaching, there is a universal teaching Steve now much, I’d like to throw those around. In this one, it’s excess leads to rejection, you bring in more than the body can consume more than the body can utilize. And a lot of it is not building material. And in our podcasts, I had said this, and I’ll say it here, that food will do one of two things for you. It’ll either build you up or break you down. Look at your diet. What are you doing to yourself? We’re not doing it to you. You’re doing it to yourself? Why?
Steve Lankford 17:38
Well, I think that’s such an important point. Because it really gets down to the foundation. So many people, like the person that you’re describing, I had a customer that would walk in with a pack of cigarettes in his pocket. He also smoked a pipe, and was always coughing. And his question was, well, what do you have for my lungs, before he helped me breathing. And unfortunately, nothing I could say to him would ever move him towards the consideration that maybe he should just do something different. I know, smoking is a terrible habit to break. But the idea that you can indulge in a behavior that’s not healthy, and you might be able to then offset some of that damage through targeted nutrition. But nutrition can’t do for you what you won’t do for yourself. And so it’s a limited benefit. But it’s still a benefit, I guess I would say if you’re a smoker, do things that might help protect you, or offer you some kind of benefit, even though you’re indulging in that, to recognize that not all people are going to change. But the foundation, I think the foundations that we’ve talked about here and on MichaelsNaturopathyToday.com is that food is foundational. And the choices that we make are foundational. So we got to start people on the path of choosing better foods, we’ve discussed the Mediterranean diet, that’s a great place to start. And there are a lot of ways to build a healthy diet, and to reduce your consumption of those things, which you know, to be harmful, make better choices with your food. So people can do that. Let’s turn our attention, though to now the nutritional supplemental side because I know this is, to me, one of the important things we need to point people to the fact that nutrients are critical in this process. And if you’re not getting adequate nutrients, you can’t be fully healthy and functional, if you’re deficient. So whether you have a state of health that’s not very good, or you are in good health, you still need to be well nourished. So let’s try and our attention then to these nutrients that are important for sugar metabolism, glucose metabolism, insulin resistance. And maybe we’ve used this term insulin resistance. Let’s describe that for our listeners first. And then we’ll get into these nutrients that are so important.
Michael Schwartz 20:19
First off, in going back to the food choices, when it comes to your food, it’s hard to let go of the foods you like, because and this is why diets fail. Because you have an emotional attachment to the food, the more ethnic and cultural and hereditary that food choices are because this is what you grew up with, the harder it is to change. So my recommendations to my clients, and I think we’ve talked about this on the podcast, is whatever your favorite foods are, instead of eating them as they are grown conventionally seek out an alternative organic food that will be healthier for you. So that’s that with insulin resistance, it’s really interesting that I feel that what the problem is that the body cannot utilize the insulin that’s being manufactured. Because it’s not a complete hormone in the sense that taking zinc and chromium, both of those are essential for insulin, especially zinc, not only in the construction, but it binds to it helps transport helps it being utilized. There are so many demands on the body for zinc as a mineral for skin for burns for the immune system for reproduction. So because there are so many demands on it, it’s like a bank account, if you don’t have enough zinc in your deposits, you can’t draw on it. So if you don’t have enough to draw on, it’s like writing a check. You can’t cover it, something’s going to bounce in this case, because of the demands are called for elsewhere, not in the production of insulin. So now the body is producing an insulin that is un-utilizable. Because the cell so wait a minute, that’s not bringing me exactly what I need, and the way that I needed. So it’s a no go. That’s why supplementation is so essential across the board, especially with zinc.
Steve Lankford 22:36
Well, you mentioned also chromium. And these are nutrients that might commonly be found in a multivitamin. People take a one a day, it’s got chromium in it, if it’s a decent one, and it should have zinc in it. Are those going to be adequate? Or if somebody’s dealing with an issue? Is this where we start to look to say the additional supplementation? I know you have a formula for sugar metabolism. And so this formula, how does that influence what you’re doing? If you’re already taking a vital multivitamin? Is it necessary to add something supplemental beyond that? What are these levels that are necessary for providing the results that we’re looking for?
Michael Schwartz 23:20
So trying to answer this from a legal point of view without my product into a drug? I would say that, number one, you’d have to examine the one a day you’re taking because in reality from going again, I have a very myopic perspective on reality. But from my perspective, on reality, a one a day is depending upon the brand, you’re not getting your money’s worth. Because especially if you’re buying the one a day that they sell in Walmart, Target drugstores, you can get 100 tablets for 699. And it has B1 one milligram B2 one milligram, zinc, maybe one milligram. So in reality, it is more psychological that yes, oh, I’ll get I’m taking vitamins I’m doing a one a day. Well, there’s not enough material, there’s not enough substance to what you’re taking. It’s more window dressing, you’re psychologically saying, I’m doing it, I’m making the effort to be good. But the reality is, you’re not bringing in the enough substance of the material to do you some good. Well, one milligram of this, that or the other does some good. Yes, maybe one time because your body runs on enzymes. B vitamins are technically co enzymes, which tells me that anything less than 25,50 or 100 isn’t going to cut it. It depends on the one a day and again with most minerals in a one a day. They’re more like what I would call window dressing than being substantial. What I tell people to do is buy a separate multi mineral, and take that at night. The other thing, Steve, is that if you are on a program, and you have concerns, that the program is not satisfying your need your concern, do you don’t feel it’s addressing it the way that you should, then yes, a targeted supplement would be a wonderful companion to whatever you’re doing daily, because and especially if you’re dealing with a condition, we’ll go there, because if you’re already doing supplementation, and you have a condition, and there’s no improvement, then either the supplementation is wrong, or you’re not getting enough of what you need, in order for the body to respond and address your concern and or issue.
Steve Lankford 26:02
You made some interesting points there. And I want to go back to the beginning of what you said there about not turning your products into a drug. And this is something that people need to very much understand that all supplement companies are under the constraints of the FDA and the FTC not to make drug claims. And so I often use this disclaimer, I’m sure you’ve heard me say it before. Drugs are not nutrients, nutrients are not drugs. So let’s not confuse the two. If you have a medical condition, see your doctor, if you are on a medication, always discuss with your doctor what your plans are, nutrients nourish the body. So we need to understand this distinction. If you are on an under a doctor’s care and are on a drug, that’s a medical issue. But if you have a medical issue, or you don’t have a medical issue, you still need to be well nourished, and nutrients do exactly that. They’re not drugs, they nourish the body. And even when we see results with what is quote, unquote, a disease state, it’s not that these nutrients have become a drug, it is the wonderful power of the body to appropriate these nutrients and do fabulous things with it. You mentioned zinc, if you don’t get enough of it, the body has a lot of demands on it. And it can’t do this work, if it doesn’t have a sufficient amount of these tools, these nutrients. So I don’t want people to walk away thinking that this discussion is about treating any kind of medical issue it’s not, it’s about being well nourished, and letting your body do what it can to repair, restore, maintain health, the body’s very efficient, it makes sense that it wants to use these different nutrients throughout the body. So I always feel compelled to make that point because I don’t want people to misconstrue what we’re saying, as trying to intrude on medical care and medical treatment.
Steve Lankford 28:15
But it still is critical that people understand that the body needs sufficient amounts of nutrients to do this. And again, the way these drugs work by lowering the marker doesn’t necessarily mean that all of a sudden you’re healthier. But that’s often the implication, oh, your blood sugar’s down, your cholesterol is down, your blood pressure is down, because we’ve given you these drugs, therefore, you must be healthy, because your numbers are in a normal range. And we’re here to say that NO, your numbers might be in the range that the doctors want to see it, but it hasn’t actually made you healthier. And so this is the idea of nutrition as being foundational for making you healthier. So I just always need to get that out there because I believe it’s something that a lot of people do misunderstand. They’ll come into my store, I’m sure they come into your office and say, I need something to treat my diabetes. And right there. Their mindset is treatment as if it is a drug. And so I think when people think that way, they’re going to be disappointed because they’re not drugs, but they are effective at improving health. So you mentioned the B vitamins. You mentioned Chromium. You mentioned zinc, are there some others that play a role in this that you have found beneficial as well?
Michael Schwartz 29:43
Yes, there are. However, before we go there, I want to go back to something that we said or use brought up when people go to seek a physician. Ideally, the first physician they should look for is not necessarily an allopath but a naturopath, because, in reality, and you should discuss this with your doctor, all of you listeners, if you’re not into approaching things naturally well, though, I would think if you’re listening to Steve, you have been you do take that approach, the doctors have a Bible a reference book that they go to, if you show up with a new condition that they don’t have experience with, they will run to what is called a Merck manual, and you should go to the library and look it up and get yourself and sit down and look through the Merck manual. And whatever disease or condition you have, take a look at it and look at the cause. What you will discover is 95% of what’s in the Merck manual, has no known cause. What that tells you is that what they have identified as a dis ease is really the result of malnutrition, you are truly what you think and what you eat, as Steve knows, well, and y’all if you’ve heard me before, you know that I’m very emotionally oriented. I think that all conditions are the result of emotional conflict. That aside, the next contributing factor is your diet. And when a disease has no known cause, then you have to deduct from or deduce from an investigative perspective, that there’s something not functioning properly within my body, that would end up manifesting as this particular disease. And since we’re talking about sugar metabolism, and insulin resistance, so if I don’t have enough of the correct building material, I cannot build the proper amount and or proper construction of the insulin hormone that I need in order to be able to utilize the sugar, the sugar is going to end up pulling in my bloodstream, I’m going to end up with a condition, my body’s going to become too acidic, I could end up going blind, I’m going to create arterial issues, all of that, because I don’t have enough of the nutrients in order to build the proper hormone. In order to utilize the sugar that I keep bringing in to my body. Nutrients are the key.
Steve Lankford 32:32
Have you found any kind of strategy that you recommend to your clients about changing their diet? This is? Of course, we’ve discussed this as foundational. What kinds of tools have you found to be successful in encouraging people motivating them? What do you want somebody to do? If they come to see you? And this is their challenge? What would your recommendations do be for say, embarking upon a dietary re-imagination?
Michael Schwartz 33:08
It’s a good word. Because the hardest thing in the world, Steve, I think we may have discussed this personally in our private conversations. But the hardest thing in the world is to change a person’s belief system. And we can just look to our parents who are so medically oriented, that you can tell them mom here, Dad, this, do this, and this will make you feel good. Oh, but the doctor didn’t tell me I’m afraid of that. People don’t understand that supplementation. And what is it called according to the government food supplements? Why? Because they know that your foods are being processed to the point that they are devoid of nutritional value. So out of guilt. The manufacturers throw in a little bit of this, a little bit of that. And still, you’re not where you need to be from a health point of view. For us to be getting sick in our 30s 40s 50s dying in our 60s 70s and 80s is absurd. You’ve got a piece of equipment that has an ongoing self-correcting mechanisms within the reason you’re breaking down and getting sick is because you’re malnourished, you’re starving to death, you’re not getting the nutrients you need. So my first Suggestions are always think living foods, more salads, more fruit, make sure they are organically grown. Minimize the amount of sweet things that you’re bringing in. It’s like eating a salad. If you eat a conventional salad. Then what most people do is they drown it with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing or French dressing. They drowned it those dressings have a ton of sugar in them. So if you want to do a dressing, you do balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It’s the best dressing in the world. And I think we may have mentioned here once before, that olive oil has a constituent in it, where it will kill cancer cells. So you should be doing olive oil at every single time you eat a salad, don’t drown it. And organic food has true taste. It’s such a difference. If you eat a piece of celery, it’s bitter. But if you eat organically grown celery, it’s doable. It has actually we did our juice this morning. And we always do celery and you can taste the celery. It’s not bitter. So quality of food, living food first and foremost, get control over your sweet addiction. You are 90% of us are addicted to sugar and salt. And it’s a long time and I’m not sure where the sugar comes from. But I’m clear about the salt and the salt is it was a preservative for all the food we brought over on the Mayflower the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, all of those ships, everything was stored in salt, and brine. So as a preservative, so we have that taste. Somewhere along the line, they discovered why sugar will nullify it or kill it altogether. So if we make stuff sweet, we can sell it. So if you can get control over your tongue, not only from what you say to people, but in terms of desiring a salty or a sweet taste, you’ll be a hell of a lot better off from a health point of view,
Steve Lankford 36:49
People really need to pay attention to the ingredients in the foods that they buy. And I have learned this and anybody who shops a grocery store and reads the ingredients will find that most of it you won’t buy if you reject those ingredients, which you know not to be healthy. So certainly artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, chemicals in the food. What that tells me is that manufacturer doesn’t care about my health, he compares only about his profits, because he’s making something that won’t spoil as fast as cheaper to make as fractionated. And so starting to read labels, and making decisions conscientiously about what’s in that food. A good example, when I started in the health food business, you couldn’t buy a whole wheat bread in the grocery store. But it was right at the time when Bran started to become well known and popular everything fiber take more brand and we sell wheat brand as something that people would add to their foods. Well, here’s a loaf of bread on the grocery store shelf and high fiber bread 400% more fiber than whole wheat? Well, I’m intrigued till I picked it up and read that what the fiber was cellulose. So they just put in some, I’m not sure where they get the cellulose from, but they just beefed it up so that they could say more fiber that didn’t really make it better. They co-opted the idea that people wanted better bread, they wanted more fiber. And so they just put that on the label as if that was a healthy bread. So people need to sort of learn these nuances on the label. One that really I’ve seen a big change in lately as so many labels that say non GMO. Okay, that’s fine. But what they’ve also done is it’s non GMO, white flour, non GMO white rice. And so they’re giving up still the important elements, because they’re focused on one aspect, which they now know to be a strong marketing tool. So consumers have to look beyond those labels that are on the front and dig into the ingredients and make choices. This is as much a part of this discussion as anything is making choices to do something better for your body in order to get better results. If you won’t do it, it doesn’t happen. So this idea of choosing better foods can be daunting to people and yet so essentially important. We had started the segment talking about some of the nutrients for sugar metabolism. And you had mentioned B vitamins. Are there others in the vitamin category that you want to bring up that we should mention to our guests or our listeners.
Michael Schwartz 39:45
Yeah, there are a couple of specifics. The one specifically is essential for carbohydrate metabolism. Niacin, we never think about niacin or niacin amide as being part of the digestive process or the metabolic process. First, but it’s actually great for both fats and carbs and proteins, iodine for the thyroid gland, which regulates the metabolic rate of the body. So you need iodine, chromium B six tyrosine. For the thyroid, you want to make sure your livers working better. So there you want to take a look at choline, inositol, lecithin, unsaturated fatty acids because you want the liver to function at optimal level so that everything you eat can be converted l glutamine mine, actually I have L glutamine in my formula, because what glutamine does, it’s really interesting is it reduces the cravings for sugar. It’s also great for alcoholics Kudzu is another thing for alcoholics. That reduces that craving for the sugar of alcohol, cedar berries are really good to stimulate the pancreas to inspire beta cell reproduction division. But it also helps in terms of the process of manufacturing insulin, because it’ll stimulate that goldenseal route is another herb, in fact, come wintertime time we’re in now, kind of more and more people are going to end up buying goldenseal root and echinacea to kill a cold? Well, what no one tells them is that goldenseal root will lower your blood sugar. So on one level, that’s a good thing. The other side of the coin is as an antibiotic is going to kill your intestinal flora. And if you don’t replace the flora with probiotics, then you’re setting yourself up for Candida. So that’s another thing. Another nutrient that I use is vanadium, which is an insulin mimicker. Another thing in fact, I actually introduced into the health food industry. I don’t know maybe 85, 87, 88 Nopali cactus, because in the Hispanic community, they in fact, the natural researchers that I talked to in Mexico, they will use cactus versus anything because there’s a molecule within the cactus that the body identifies and utilizes like insulin, that’s another nutrient. In fact, people can go to a Hispanic grocery store. And they will find nopali cactus leaves there. And you can cut it up and mix it as a vegetable, mix it in with your eggs. So those are just some of the nutrients that I would recommend and utilize?
Steve Lankford 42:33
Well, I know that you’ve got the formula, it’s called sugar metabolism factors. If people want to know more about that, they can certainly go to Michael’s health products, I forget exactly the name of the website, but it’ll be a link on the podcast page. And they can print out this paper that you have written on this topic, and they can learn about these nutrients. But I think that we’re both going to agree that that doesn’t necessarily your best first step, if you aren’t willing to change your diet, if you’re not willing to reexamine what the medications are doing for you, and again, not against medications, but more for understanding what does this medication actually do to my body? How does it exert its effects? Are there any risks or side effects to the medication that I’m should know about, and then supplement with nutrients to make sure that you’re getting what you might not be getting in your food, choosing better foods, choosing a lifestyle that includes exercise, all of these things sort of encompass that, which is going to lead to better health. So it’s not all about just popping a pill as much as that’s the important way to get those nutrients. So encouraging people to take this broader view of how to be healthy. And this is what you do in NaturopathyToday.com. This is why I think we have this affinity that we discuss these concepts, perhaps more in depth on NaturopathyToday.com is the role that these other choices have throughout life. So spirit, mind, body, diet, all of those things are important. So I’ve learned a lot from you, Michael, in these discussions that we’ve had. We’re getting near the end of our time, though, is there anything that we haven’t covered yet that you’d like to make sure our listeners hear in regard to this topic of sugar metabolism?
Michael Schwartz 44:33
Yes. And it’s something you brought up but that’s about the meds and I would take it one step further and talk about concepts in this regard. We have all been conditioned, trained, indoctrinated, molded, to believe that the doctor knows everything, and that he’s the guy. She’s the woman. And that you go to get cured, doesn’t matter that they got a D minus when they graduated, that’s immaterial, they’re still in your mind their God. And the problem is that they’re never taught about nutrition, why you buy into it hook line and sinker is irresponsible, not only should you question the doctor, if you have the courage to do so, and whether or not he has the intelligence to give you a straight answer, as opposed to well, I am the Doctor. And this is the way it is. Whatever meds they give you go to the library, there is a book called The Physician’s Desk Reference. And in there is every single medication you brought up Steve about them, finding out what the meds will do to them, look it up, it will tell you, because if you’re watching TV, as all of us do, and you watch the medication ads, they’re always wonderful. But do you take the time to really listen to what’s being told to you, this will have your liver check, have your lungs checked, this may kill you, this may speed up your immune system, and there’s no turning it off. Educate yourself, you may have a diploma and this that or the other. In tells us that on some levels, you’re an intelligent person you want to know things. Do that for your body, do that for the meds that are being prescribed to you because I can tell you from experience, and having I don’t know if I ever told you this story, Steve and I had my practice where I started the company in McAllen, Texas. And I had a client come in with her child, young baby, and the baby had diarrhea. She said, I went to the doctor, and he gave me this medication and it’s not helping. I said, Well, what med? And she told me the Med and I had my PDR there and I looked it up. And it was for something. Who knows, I don’t even remember what it was known for. And I’m saying so this doesn’t make any sense. Why would he give you that myth. So then I started looking at the contraindications. And one of the side effects was constipation. So he gave a drug to the baby, hoping that the side effect would fix the problem. So I told her the simple thing to do for diarrhea is cheese, carob, powder, banana, any of those will slow down the process. Plus, when you have diarrhea, you really do have constipation. Already, you’re just not getting rid of the matter, just the liquid, so you need to rehydrate. Anyway, read the PDR find out what you’re taking. And if you get scared by what you’re reading good for you then find a naturopathic physician who doesn’t do drugs and who is into nurturing your body so you can come back to balance and harmony, back to homeostasis back to great health.
Steve Lankford 48:13
Well, an important message and drugs simply don’t do that. But that’s what we believe. So it’s not what we don’t know that bothers me. It’s what we think we know that just ain’t so. You’ve heard me say that before. Well, Dr. Michael Schwartz, as always, it’s been most interesting. I always look forward to these conversations. I certainly enjoy meeting with you weekly on Michael’s Naturopathy Today. So folks, check us out, you’ll hear us have all kinds of conversations, we really dig deep, and we go off on some wild tangents sometimes. So it’s a fun show. We think you’ll enjoy it. So Michael, Dr. Schwartz, thank you so much for joining me today. It was most interesting.
Michael Schwartz 48:54
It was my pleasure as always to work with you, Steve. And you all take care of be well and have a fabulous everything.
Steve Lankford 49:01
I wish you the best. Bye.
Michael Schwartz 49:03
Bye, Steve.
Steve Lankford 49:04
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Close 49:56
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