These are the 7 Big Spoons™…..

Balance Eicosanoids	Rein in insulin	Dial down stress	Vitamin D	Sleep !	Culivate microflora	Think champion

The average human has 50 – 75 trillion human cells plus even more bacteria. To function properly, all these cells need to be on the same page and talk to one another. Failure to communicate results in dis-ease.

Cells are continually talking to one another. They use different tools just like we use different tools. Cells can phone eat other on a land line telephone (neurotransmitters), use a cell phone (endocrine hormones) or just chat to the cell next door (paracrine hormones) using a variety of chemicals.Everyone has a unique combination of the different chemicals, which give you, your unique personality, as well as your health profile. When they are in balance you are well, but if they are out of balance, this brings disease or the “old and tired feeling”.

Your exact combination of chemicals is ultimately dependent on your genes. Some diseases are caused by having a faulty copy of a specific gene e.g. cystic fibrosis. But lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, involve genes PLUS environment (epigenetics).

The good news is that our lives are not just a roller coaster ride determined by our genes. We have some degree of control. We can control some of the switches.

To control our genes we need to understand the “master” switches.  Health is about flicking the switches…

The 7 Big Spoons

The 7 Big Spoons™ are “master” switches, which are actually relatively easy to control. But each is a switch, you’ve got to know when to turn it on and when to turn it off – too little is a problem but too much is also a problem. What is “just right”, will depend on your genes and your environment.

Balance the eicosanoids

Eicosanoids are produced from fatty acids. These chemicals are the main way in which cells chat to one another. The way to control them naturally is to manage which fatty acids you eat. You either create “good” or “bad” eicosanoids; you need both, so you have must “balance the eicosanoids”. Drugs such as aspirin, the NSAIDS and corticosteroids also control their production.

Why you need to “Balance the Eicosanoids”

Tit bits  about “Balancing the Eicosanoids”

Rein in insulin

Insulin is one of the main players in regulating metabolism, but there are several other significant metabolic hormones such as glucagon, leptin and adiponectin. The modern diet tends to cause people to produce too much insulin, too much insulin puts on the pounds, but also eventually results in insulin resistance. Insulin resistance brings a host of problems including polycystic ovary disease (PCOS), high cholesterol and diabetes. Reining in the insulin switch, is the key to getting energy metabolism back in balance.

Why you need to “Rein in insulin”

Tit bits  about “Reining in insulin”

Dial down stress

If the energy metabolism is out of balance it results in excess oxidation. Oxidation describes a type of chemical reaction, which produces rather unstable molecules which are eager to participate in further reactions, which cause damage. So it is important to dial down the stress – this can be done by controlling the chemicals produced by stress, such as cortisol, as well as mopping up the unstable molecules with antioxidants.

Why you need to “Dial down the stress”

Tit bits about “Dialling down stress”

Sleep !

Most people tend to think of sleep as being the time when your brain and body is turned off. But this really isn’t true – both your brain and body work hard when you are “off”. Failing to turn yourself “off” creates a huge amount of distress, which leads to poor cognitive performance, as well as poor metabolic performance (heart disease and diabetes). So a master switch, which costs nothing (absolutely free) to trigger is SLEEP !

Why you need to “Sleep”

Increase Vitamin D levels

 

Vitamin D is a chemical which has only popped onto the radar as a master switch in the last few years. It is really a hormone in disguise. Most hormones are manufactured by the body, vitamin D is made in the skin in response to exposure to sun, but it can also be consumed through diet (or supplements) making it a vitamin as well. Initially, vitamin D was seen as being important for bones but scientists have found it has the ability to switch on multiple genes, including genes involved in controlling immunity as well as metabolism. Most people don’t spend enough time outdoors so “Increasing Vit D” through “sun tanning” or supplements is likely to have health benefits.

Why you need to “Increase Vitamin D”

Cultivate your microflora

It is estimated that the average human gut has 1000 different types of bacteria and for every 1 human cell in your body, there are probably 10 bacteria. Scientists are not really sure of exact numbers because we have not “met” all the bacteria yet but we do know they are doing more than just living inside of us. They play a vital role in helping us digest our food and balance out our immune system so it is important to “Cultivate your microflora”. If your environment is not hospitable, you will attract unsavoury characters that can have negative impact on your health.

Why you need to “Cultivate your microflora”

Tit bits about “Cultivating your microflora”

Think like a champion

The last big spoon might actually be the most important of the “switches”. You are what you think ! Your thoughts are able to fire off a host of chemicals. Positive thoughts fire off beneficial chemicals, but negative thoughts tend to unleash the stress suite. The poison package then dials up stress, wipes out the good bacteria, depletes resources, impairs thinking and hinders performance. You need to think like a champion and nurture positive thinking Flicking the switches.

Why you need to “Think like a Champion”

Tit bits about “Thinking like a Champion”

To specifically give your brain a boost visit  Neurotechnology Tips

Flicking the switches

Science is still trying to identify all the genes and figure out what eat one does and how mistakes or variations impact on health. We are only just beginning to understand these genetic switches which control whether a gene is on or off (called epigenetics and referred to as the epigenome).

Everything we do influences these switches. I have identified some of the BIG SPOONS which trigger major switches, but there are lots of SMALL SPOONS as well. Small spoons are no less powerful than the big spoons, but are more person specific. Many people suffer from “hidden hunger” – they are missing key chemicals which are needed to function. The reason they are missing it may be because of a poor diet, but it may be, they just need more of it or don’t manufacture it, as well as someone else.

Visit the “Small Spoons” page to find out a little bit more about some important SMALL SPOONS.

Science you can use

Every day, someone describes a new gene, discovers a new switch or figures out a way to control a switch. A lot of what is discovered is not particularly useful to the man in the street, but some of it is science that can be used to improve your health and well being.

Flicking the light switch, lights up a dark room. Flicking a genetic switch, can light up your health. Small changes can have a big impact on your health. 7 Big Spoons™ blog helps you flick the switches, by explaining the “Why” in plain English bringing you science you can use.

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