The Renaissance offers a great example of how humanity can reach levels of unparalleled beauty and functional symmetry. After 10 or 30 seconds of looking at “The David,” one can only conclude that human potential is limitless. After contemplating “the David” for more than a few minutes, there is one thing that jumps up, even if one is not familiar with the actual definition of masterpieces. What makes a sculpture like the David or even a musical work of art like “the Ninth Symphony,” a masterpiece is mainly one thing only: Purity. Lack of imperfections. We humbly suggest that you free your body from the toxins and defects that prevent it from reaching its full potential. To step into the real and new you, one needs to first free the self from impurities, toxins, and bad habits.
WHAT ARE THOSE TOXINS, YOU ASK? WE FOCUS ON FIVE.
1 | LECTINS
2 | PHYTATES
3 | OXALIC ACID (OXALATES)
4 | GLUTEN
5 | MYCOTOXINS
1 | LECTINS
LECTINS are proteins that cause trouble in your digestive system by sticking to your intestinal wall and creating intestinal permeability.[1] The definition of protein and amino acids are beyond the scope of this book but we give the reader an anchor to this terminology. Humans seek lectins due to a unique flavor they provide to what we eat. When food moves through your GI tract, it bangs into your gut’s lining, causing microtrauma. Usually, your cells repair those bumps and bruises be-
fore they lead to any real issue. Lectins mess up that process. They adhere to the walls of your gut, preventing repair and causing a perpetual low-level inflammation in your GI tract. When you eat a lot of lectins, your gut wall develops holes, and its contents pour into your bloodstream, causing the leaky gut syndrome. There are thousands of varieties of lectins — they exist in most plant spe- cies. Not all of them are toxic or cause intestinal damage. The most common sources of lectins include grains, legumes, and nightshades. These plants contain drastically more lectins than other food sources, which is why wheat, beans, quinoa, peas, peanuts, white potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants are to be avoided as much as possible. The more you eat, the more damage you cause to your body. Instead, concentrate on getting most of your nutrients from foods that come with low risk. That said, lectin sensitivity varies widely from person to person. You might be able to eat lectins morning, noon, and night, and never have a problem, while your friend can’t touch the stuff. You’ll know you have a problem with lectins if you experience inflammation, brain fog, migraines, stomach issues, acne, or joint pain after eating a lectin-rich meal. The lectins in nightshades, in
particular, are a common autoimmune trigger and can cause sensitivities in a lot of people. To test yourself, fill up on a nightshade-heavy lunch — think tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes — and see how you feel afterward. For the most part, you can kill or reduce the number of lectins in your food by cooking it first. Dr. Stephen Gundry (iTunes), renowned heart surgeon, celebrity doctor, medical researcher, and author, just released a cookbook for busy families who want easy meals without the adverse effects of lectins and other antinutrients. He explains how different preparation methods can
reduce lectin content, which minimizes the unwelcome impacts of antinutrients. “The cool thing about pressure cooking is it will do a pretty doggone good job of destroying lectins. The idea of soaking beans with multiple changes of water decreases lectins. Heat decreases lectins,” explains Gundry. “But there are very valid papers that show that’s probably not enough for susceptible individuals.” It’s a good idea to experiment with different foods and preparations to see how your biology reacts. Choose white rice over brown rice, since most of the lectins from rice are found the skin of the grain which gives the grain its brown color. Sweet hull potatoes have drastically less lectin content than white potatoes. Swap in almond butter for peanut butter; the peanuts’ lectins cause an inflammatory response in most people, and they’re not destroyed by heat.
2 | PHYTATES
PHYTIC ACID (PHYTATES) Phytic acid, also known as phytate, is one of the more infamous antinutrients, blocking the absorption of nutrients and minerals magnesium, zinc, calcium, and iron, amongst others. Phytic acid binds to these minerals, preventing absorption, so you get little nutrition from the food. Whole grains, nuts, soybeans, and seeds, are rich in Phytates. Phytate also inhibits digestive enzymes, pepsin, trypsin, and amylase. Amylase is required for the break- down of starch, while trypsin and pepsin are involved in protein analysis. When those enzymes aren’t present in the right amounts, food doesn’t get processed correctly, and your body misses out on crucial nutrients. Think about it like this, if your body has a massive influx of phytate, there are fewer nutrients to go around, but the body is also substantially less efficient at breaking down macronutrients into their components. Your body can handle some amount of phytates, but it’s a good idea to eliminate the primary sources so your minerals will be absorbed. Besides, removing them from your diet would be impossible. Your body needs a certain amount of protein or carbohydrates. However, that amount largely depends on how healthy your gut is. That’s because an optimized digestive system requires less food to fuel the body properly.
OXALIC ACID (OXALATES) Your beloved spinach and kale green smoothies may be causing more harm than good. Oxalic acid is an antinutrient compound found in many plants, like raw cruciferous vegetables — kale, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, and chard, spinach, parsley, beets, black pepper, chocolate, nuts, berries, and beans. When oxalates bind to calcium in your blood, tiny, sharp oxalic acid crystals form and can be deposited anywhere in the body and cause mus- cle pain. When this happens in the kidneys, it causes kidney stones. Oxalates also cause a con- dition in women called vulvodynia, which leads to painful sex because of oxalic acid crystals in the labia. For sensitive people, even small amounts of oxalates cause burning in the eyes, ears, mouth, and throat. Consuming large amounts may cause abdominal pain, muscle weakness,
nausea, and diarrhea. People who eat large quantities of raw vegetables may be particularly susceptible. Like phytates, oxalates can be reduced by cooking and draining the water, or by soaking in acid. Added dietary magnesium and zinc bind to oxalic acid, thus lowering oxalate absorption substantially.[2] Never add raw kale, spinach, or chard to salads or smoothies. Steam them first. When seasoning meals, skip the black pepper to avoid oxalates.
4 | GLUTEN
GLUTEN is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats that can cause intestinal permeability (i.e., leaky gut). “The problem with gluten is that no human can digest it. It’s impossible to digest the gluten proteins that are in wheat, barley, and rye. The infamous human quest for gluten is based on the unique added flavor gluten gives to our meals. To be specific, gluten adds an intense umami flavor to our meals. Certified chiropractic nutritionist Tom O’Bryan, author of “The Autoimmune Fix.” explained. The spectrum of reaction to the indigestibility of gluten places people into two categories: celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, most of the population being the latter. Indigestible substances in the digestive system cause an immune response; immune responses take the form of inflammation. Inflammation is usually the culprit behind our brain fog, gastrointestinal discomfort, and suboptimal nutrient absorption. Gluten-containing grains break down in the gut into opioid compounds called gluteomorphins that trigger the same brain receptors as opiate drugs like heroin, meaning they’re highly addictive. Structurally, gluten is made up of two types of storage proteins, prolamins, and glutelins. Wheat-based glutelins are called glutenins, which consist of high molecular weight (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW) subunits. Wheat products made with higher levels of HMW tend to be more elastic and subsequently chewier (pizza dough or pretzels), whereas lower levels of HMW tend to take the form of pastries. Originally, gliadin (the wheat-based prolamin) was thought to be the main antinutrient contributor to gluten, but it has been shown that glutenin is equally toxic. Just because you are eating something that feels lighter, you are still downgrading your digestive system when you eat any form of gluten. Gluten is hidden in places beyond the distinct sources; products like soy sauce, beer, and even processed meats contain gluten that may be downgrading your performance. Substitute cassava flour for any wheat-based flour you may be used to avoid gluten If you must drink alcohol, skip the beer and reach for potato vodka or gin to avoid gluten in your drink.
5 | MYCOTOXINS
MYCOTOXINES Some new research has explained why the problem of mycotoxins (mold toxins) in our food supply is becoming worse.
Mycotoxines are formed by yeast and fungi, which provide them with an environment in which they can thrive and multiply.
We only learned to detect many of the mycotoxins after 1985. We’re still discovering them, al- though the first known mycotoxin is ubiquitous. It’s penicillin, the mycotoxin that a fuzzy mold on a cantaloupe produced to kill any bacteria foolish enough to try also to eat the fruit. Alexander
Fleming discovered this in 1928, and we’ve been looking for more ever since, and finding them. Another potent mycotoxin is LSD, which is derived from the ergot fungus on grains.
Think about how powerful those are. The tiny antibiotic pill that can cure an infection or the even smaller amount of ergot required to cause potent hallucinations. This should give you an idea of how important some of these toxins are in very small amounts.
We wish we were only dealing with antibiotic-forming molds and hallucinogens in the food supply, but our problems are much worse than that. We are facing extremely potent xenoestrogens that cause rapid weight gain and decimate fertility in all mammals, including people. There are also potent mutagens that cause cancer. On top of that, we have other mycotoxins implicated in a host of cardiovascular and nervous system diseases, and others that depress RNA synthesis. These things are in our food supply, and many are unregulated.
Mycotoxins can have a massive impact on weight gain. Cattle ranchers know about this – they use a purified form of the zearalenone mycotoxin to quickly fatten cattle on less food. (Of course, when you eat those cattle, you will soon fatten too.)
Mycotoxins weren’t always such a problem for humankind. For years, we have used them when we ferment foods and allow the toxins–including alcohol–formed by yeast to preserve our food. The problems we’re facing now began in 1964. That’s when Stauffer chemical company patented glyphosate, the herbicide now commonly known as Round-upTM.
Glyphosate acts by chelating (chemically binding) essential nutrients in the soil or plants, like zinc, iron, manganese, or copper. This is one of the reasons Round-upTM causes skeletal deformations. The problem is that soil is a living organism, a complex system, and the microbes in the soil are affected by glyphosate. Soil microbes are to the planet what probiotics are to your gut. Soil microbes keep pathogenic fungi from becoming dominant. In the past 30 years, we have used glyphosate with reckless abandon, and it has destroyed the balance in the soil.
According to Dr. Don Huber, an agricultural scientist, and expert in microbial ecology, glyphosate destroys protective bacteria in the soil and promotes more aggressive and virulent pathogens.
Fusarium is particularly potent fungi that create havoc in our agricultural system because it contaminates almost all corn and a lot of wheat and other grains. Even worse, it’s on coffee.
Fusarium creates more than a dozen known mycotoxins. The three categories you should be thinking about are:
– Fumonisins are linked to nervous system irregularities and cancer. – Trichothecenes are the most potent and damaging for people.
– Zearalenone is a potent xenoestrogen.
Every person we’ve worked with who has taken the time to reduce their exposure to mycotoxins in their diet and their living environment has experienced significantly improved health and performance. These powerful, mostly invisible chemicals have a significant impact on how we think and feel every day. Fortunately, most of the time, they can be hacked. Removing mycotoxins from your food and environment is key to losing fat, improving your mental performance, living longer, and being more