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INTRODUCTION

My inspiration for writing this book came to me after watching the health of someone very close to me deteriorate. He endured years of inflammation and hypertension, which led to a stroke. Since then he’s experiencing accelerated ageing although to him, this is just ageing. The heart-breaking part is all of this could have been avoided had he been offered the correct health advice. That would have entailed some simple dietary and lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, he didn’t make the appropriate changes and is now on blood-thinning drugs that have harmful side effects. These drugs target the symptoms rather than the cause of the problem, so the illness continues to worsen under the surface.

Both of my parents are around today thanks to life-saving drugs and treatments, and I need to applaud and be grateful to pharmaceutical companies for this. Pharmaceutical companies have done an incredible job saving and prolonging lives, thanks to their research and creation of life-saving remedies.

Having said that, I’ll be offering helpful insight into prescription drugs for common and chronic illnesses.  When intervention is necessary, drugs can be powerful and life saving.  The problem lies in the fact that most, if not all, chronic illnesses can be prevented and reversed with nutrition and lifestyle changes. Almost every single drug comes with serious side effects, which cause other problems in the body. We’re living in a “pill for a pill” society, where one pill is prescribed to mitigate the side effects of the first one, and then another, and then another. I’ve heard of countless stories of people being swapped from one drug to another, when all they need to do is change what they are eating – and move more. I’ll be revealing a few case studies of how people have alleviated life long conditions by eliminating just one staple ingredient from their diet.

Let’s analyse this further. Both of my parents have lived on a conventionally “healthy diet”, yet became ill. They have also lost friends far too early.  How many times have you heard someone say: “They got cancer, yet they lived a healthy diet and/or lifestyle.” You’ll soon discover why conventionally healthy, is not, for the most part, actually healthy. In fact, they’re almost at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The aim of this book is to raise awareness of how our modern diet can and does lead to what is now known to be the hidden health condition that underlies most, if not all, chronic illnesses and diseases including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, depression and lifelong health conditions such as asthma, eczema, IBS and Crohn’s Disease. Very few people are talking about it and it is rarely in the media. Most doctors and physicians (if you’re in the US) and GPs (if you’re UK) are not trained to treat this condition, nor prevent it, and it is now considered by experts to be the foundation for ill health, disease and neurodegenerative decline. It also accelerates the biological ageing process. That means it makes you grow old, faster.

Actually that aim is an understatement. The real aim of this book is to help save lives and dramatically improve the health of people, by explaining nutrition and fitness so anyone can understand it. This book will cut through the smoke and mirrors presented in modern Western medicine.  If you take the daily action steps presented here to avoid or reverse this health condition, you will stand a far greater chance of avoiding most chronic illnesses and diseases, and you will feel an increase in your energy levels leading to a resurgence of vitality and wellbeing.

Please keep an open and curious mind. This means forgetting much of what you’ve been taught and learned to accept as a “healthy way to live.” If you are suffering from some kind of health condition, the first thing to acknowledge is what you are currently doing is not working. As an example, if you suffer from IBS or eczema or asthma, or if you know you are overweight, you may have grown used to this and just endured it, thinking that there is no cure.  There is a cure, and it all starts with what you put inside your body, how you move and strengthen your body, how much you sleep, and how you manage your stress levels.

I know it seems so simple, but making these changes can be challenging unless you have the right motivations in place. As humans, we are resistant to anything that is unnatural to us and against what we already know, especially any type of change. Without good reason, we will rarely make any changes even if we know deep down we will be better off. The psychology of it is 80%, while the actual mechanics is 20%. The mechanics are actually pretty straightforward. The psychology is the fascinating part! Thankfully, I’ve delved deep into human psychology and absolutely love what I have learned about human behaviour, which I will share with you soon. It has enabled me to make changes in areas of my life where I’ve suffered pain and frustration. 

I invite you to really ask questions about what you discover in this book. What is being proposed in here is straightforward and you may just kick yourself for not following these suggestions sooner.

My final aim in this book is to not only make powerful suggestions, but to empower you to take the necessary action steps to effectively improve your health. Something I really believe is that we must each know how our body works. We must essentially become our own doctor. I do not literally mean replace your doctor, I wouldn’t advocate that for a second. They have a critical role to play in keeping you healthy, especially in the case of emergencies.  Unfortunately, most doctors and physicians are not trained in nutrition - they receive a matter of hours, in single figures, of nutrition during their training.  I actually know two people my age who have discontinued their medical training after finding out too much about the ‘medical industry’ in the US. One person pulled out in year 5 and the other qualified and decided to do something else having uncovered the truth. Stay tuned.

In its simplest form, everything we put in our body on a consistent basis makes us stronger or weaker over time. If we don’t work our muscles, our organs, our bones, our joints, they will weaken over time. Muscles either grow, or they shrink, there is nothing in between!

Nutrition and fitness are my passion. I’ve studied these topics over the last four years, diving deep into various health conditions; a few of which I was suffering from myself. Every day, I research nutrition and regularly write about my findings. I’ve watched almost every food documentary, some a number of times, and interviewed experts who have delved into the real science behind nutrition. I have learned a great deal which allows me to make the suggestions I present in this book. This book is a synthesis of all that I have learned over 4 years about this vitally important topic.

It continues to shock me just how much poor advice is given to us from trusted sources. For example, did you know that the Choose My Plate organisation run by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) does not even include dietary fat in the 4 quadrants of the recommended food plate. Fat consumption is a critical component for brain and cell health (our brains cells are made up of 70% fat and our all other cells 50% fat). Fat deprivation (and sugar and carbohydrate overload) is a major cause of neurodegenerative decline and many other health problems.

Fat consumption is essential for hormone regulation and it has many other functions to fuel the human body. The recommended plate includes grains (which you will discover are a leading cause type-2 diabetes, obesity, ADHD and brain health deterioration, to name but a few conditions), proteins, fruits and vegetables. Dairy is also recommended. About 70% of the population is lactose intolerant (the sugar in cow’s milk). There is a reason for this. You will discover some pretty interesting facts about dairy in this book. If you have ever suffered from mucus in the throat, or asthma, or eczema, or acne you may have been advised to remove dairy from your diet. This is because our bodies, for the most part, are not equipped to digest cows’ milk.

Another example is from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), a trusted source for diabetes sufferers, that recommends the consumption of “healthy whole grains.” This is poor advice given that whole wheat bread, for example, triggers a sharper blood sugar response than table sugar. It is consistent exposure to elevated levels of insulin as a result of blood sugar spikes that leads type-2 diabetes in the first place. This will be looked at in greater detail.

Who am I, you must be wondering? I am a health coach and I coach men and women from various cities around the world to get into their peak physical shape. My first book, Mojo Multiplier, teaches men how to increase testosterone completely naturally through nutrition and fitness. I discovered that there are countless toxins in our modern diet and environment that disrupt our hormones, namely, they sabotage testosterone levels. Testosterone levels in men today are 22% lower than they were two decades ago. Something quite frightful is happening today and this book will reveal all. Fear not, it is not all doom and gloom. There is plenty of light at the end of the tunnel! 

As a health coach, I achieve results for people that leave their doctors confused - and impressed. One of my most proud achievements to date has been to coach one of my clients and support her in reversing her pre-diabetic condition (for type-2 diabetes), to normalise her blood pressure and cholesterol levels, for her to shift considerable amounts of body fat and to moderate her fluctuating mood and energy levels. Her friends have reported to her that her skin is now glowing and some are asking her what her secret is.

Nothing gives me greater joy and satisfaction than improving the health and lives of others.  I was recently asked what I would be doing if money were no option and I had an epiphany. My response was: “Exactly what I’m doing right now.”  It actually made me take a step back with self-reflection as I thought to myself: “Wow, I’ve actually discovered my purpose in life!” So writing this has been a pleasure and I’m so happy that you are reading this right now so I can share with you what I know. 

I firmly believe that our physical shape and health, determines how much we get out of life. If we are out of shape, our hormones will be imbalanced and we will be low on energy. If we do not regularly exercise, stress builds up and the stress hormone, cortisol, literally eats away at us.  It also creates acid in the body, and creates a breeding ground for illness. Without regular exercise, fear and anxiety grow, leaving us feeling negative and this causes harm to the body too.

If we do not move and strengthen our body, our immune system does not function effectively. The lymphatic system, the part of the immune system responsible for exporting waste like dead cells and cancer cells, requires movement for it to work. It doesn’t have a pump, like our cardiovascular system does (our heart). When toxins are regularly consumed, our immune system is weakened. In fact, it even attacks itself. Our organs weaken and our musculoskeletal system weakens. This includes muscles, bones, ligaments, joints, tendons and cartilages. We weaken as a whole. We are designed to move and whatever we do not strengthen weakens.

The opposite occurs when we fuel ourselves with clean and wholesome food while moving regularly and strengthening our body. When we are physically fit and full of energy, creativity flows freely, positive thoughts are prevalent, and we are more optimistic in life and in our decision-making. We have more faith in ourselves, and others. We are more productive at work and in a better position to take risks and action on world-changing ideas. We rarely get ill, and we can engage in some of the most fun and exhilarating activities and sports this planet has to offer.

When we are in great shape, we are likely to experience more of the world and live a more fulfilling life. We are more attractive to the opposite sex and have more drive. When we are physically active, we become smarter and our brains actually get larger. This is called neurogenesis, the creation of new brain cells. Neuroplasticity improves which enables us to learn and remember. Last but not least, when we are in great physical shape, we are better company for our friends and our family and we have more energy to give to them. All of the above encompasses what I believe to be vitality.

I hope I can hold your attention and that you enjoy this read. I promise this will be an eye opener and I hope that you share this with those you love. Please allow me to be your health coach as we move towards vitality.

CHAPTER 1: A HIDDEN HEALTH HAZARD

 “I believe the greatest gift you can give your family and the world, is a healthy you” – Joyce Meyer

So, what is this health condition I speak of you ask? It is referred to by experts as ‘the silent killer’; ‘the hidden epidemic that is killing our nation’, ‘what lies beneath’. Let me explain.

This condition is known as Chronic Inflammation or Systemic Inflammation. If you are suffering from it, you may already have an understanding of what it is, or you may not. Either way, I wish to make you more aware of this condition. If you are suffering from it, the likelihood is that you’re taking a prescription medicine or two, and hopefully you’ll have been told to do some sort of daily physical exercise.

In 2004, Time Magazine stated: “Hardly a week goes by without the publication of yet another study uncovering a new way that chronic inflammation does harm to the body.” It’s being dubbed: ‘Inflamm-aging’ because it accelerates the biological aging process.

William Meggs, M.D, PhD, of East Carolina University wrote in his book: The Inflammation Cure: How To Combat the Hidden Factor Behind Heart Disease, Arthritis, Asthma, Diabetes and Other Diseases: “Inflammation may turn out to be the elusive Holy Grail of medicine – the single phenomenon that holds the key to sickness and health.” Let’s think about this statement for a moment, because it holds the key to almost every health problem we face, throughout our lives.

This might be the Holy Grail of medicine. You’re welcome!

Acute Inflammation

Acute inflammation occurs when you injure yourself. For instance, you sprain your knee. Your body warms up the wound causing it to swell. It fills up with all kinds of fluids designed to heal the area, as it becomes painful. This ensures no further damage is done to the injury. This kind of rapid inflammatory response is normally short-lived, as long as the healing process takes place and no further harm is done.

In a similar fashion, when you develop an illness, say a cold or flu, your body’s response is to raise your temperature so you feel ill and want to lie down – a mechanism designed to protect you so no further harm is done. Your body then does what it needs to do to repair you, and once the virus has gone, you’re healed and no further harm is done.

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic or Systemic inflammation is similar to the above two examples in some regard, in that it’s your immune system’s internal response to what it perceives as an attack on it. The reason it is so dangerous is that there are often no symptoms and it lies beneath the surface. It is now believed to be the foundation for almost every single chronic illness and disease including various forms of cancer, type 1, & type 2 diabetes, depression, hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiovascular disease, heart disease, asthma, eczema, arthritis and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s (now being dubbed type-3 diabetes) and Parkinson’s. Chronic inflammation increases our sensitivity to pain and it accelerates biological ageing. This means inflammation makes you age faster. Inflammation accelerates free-radical damage and suppresses healthy immune function. You probably know 50 year-olds who look 60 and 50 year-olds who look 40. I know I do.

Conventional medicine does not have a cure for chronic inflammation, unfortunately. A drug is often prescribed to cover up any symptoms but the damage continues underneath the surface. This is what many people taking the drugs do not realise. They think they’re being saved. Drugs never address the root cause of a chronic condition such as those stated above. The majority of drugs only treat the symptoms.  They are a “Band Aid” (US) or plaster (UK) solution. They are of course often life-saving and we must acknowledge that. Unfortunately, they do not reverse chronic inflammation and drugs always come with side effects such as internal bleeding, and can dramatically increase your risk of deadly cardiovascular events including heart attack and stroke – sometimes the very thing they’re designed to protect you from.  Some drugs often require further medications to address the side effects of the initial medication. Often people experience extreme weight gain – putting their health under additional threat.  I promised this was not doom and gloom…

The Natural Solution

Here is where this book comes into play. There is a variety of really simple lifestyle and dietary changes we can make to avoid and reverse chronic inflammation. We can create the basis for long-term, strong health, and avoid any form of chronic disease. Please don’t be put off by the following section; the solutions are as straightforward as you can get, so fear not.

Awareness & Diagnosis

You might be wondering how you can tell if you already suffer from a degree of chronic inflammation, as it is hidden.  There are tests you can request from your doctor. You’ll need to request these tests, maybe even have to pay for them, as your doctor will probably not have you tested until you are demonstrating symptoms of ill health.  Sadly, the first symptom of inflammation can actually be life threatening – such as a stroke or heart attack. It often goes undetected. I highly recommend getting a blood test for inflammation right now, whether or not you’re displaying any symptoms.

The main tests for inflammation are C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and also TNF Alpha and Plasma Viscosity (PV). High-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is released into the bloodstream when there is serious inflammation in the body.  It’s actually designed to help the body defend itself.  This will be high when inflammation is present. Research has shown that if your CRP is high, you’re 4-7 times more likely to develop heart disease than people with normal levels. CRP has also been shown to be a better predictor of heart disease than LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol or “bad” cholesterol. People with high CRP are also more likely to have a second heart attack.

Also, inflammation is not completely hidden. If you suffer from asthma or eczema, or another form of skin condition, you’ll already be suffering from inflammation disease. The same goes for IBS and Crohn’s disease and more typical life-long conditions. This is major and must be understood right now! Think of these conditions as a gift. Stay with me… These health conditions start with inflammation inside your body. I should know this; I was an eczema sufferer all of my life until recently, and I used to suffer to a certain degree from asthma at a younger age.

The reason that you might consider them a gift is because this is your body’s way of telling you that you have inflammation. It’s like a warning, and you now know that inflammation leads to more serious illnesses down the road. It’s your body’s way of telling you that whatever you’re currently doing, is not working. When you tackle it right now, you’ll be able to prevent more serious illnesses – or at least stand a very strong chance of doing so.

A quick note on asthma – asthma is an inflammatory disease where the airways or passages of the lungs become inflamed and swollen, making it difficult to breathe. The standard treatment for asthma is a steroid inhaler, which is a localised anti-inflammatory drug. This is life saving, but does not address the root cause.  This book will teach you how to treat the root of the condition so you can cure it naturally and no longer require an inhaler.

As an eczema sufferer for most of my life, I’m very aware of the treatments for eczema. The standard solution is a steroid cream, which accelerates the healing, but it comes at a cost. It thins the skin. The moisturising cream I was regularly prescribed was full of nasty chemicals. While both treatments alleviate the condition on the surface and quickly heal the skin, they are not addressing what is happening underneath and create further pain. I have lost the pigment in my skin on various areas where my eczema was the worst and where I applied the steroid cream the most.

The skin is the largest organ. It is also the first organ on the body to indicate that there is a problem that lies underneath. Did you know that acne can be considerably improved and even cured by changing your diet? What do all the TV commercials present to you? “Buy this acne cream; it’ll clear up spots/pimples” - with their enticing videos that make it appear that your skin will clear up. Remove inflammatory foods from your diet, considerably increase your micronutrient intake with vegetable juicing and it might just clear up by itself.

On the subject of cream, I recently heard an expert say that we should not be putting cream on our bodies that we would not consume orally. This is food for thought. For the last year I’ve used coconut oil on my skin. It’s pretty miraculous stuff - and you can eat it, maybe not at the same time. It is great for heating foods at high temperatures, in which to fry your omelettes for example, and it has excellent anti-inflammatory properties as well as a number of other health benefits.

Another visual sign that you suffer from inflammation is excess body fat. Obesity is a cause of inflammation, and being overweight makes inflammation worse. They go hand in hand. The more fat cells you have, and the larger they are, the more inflammatory messengers are produced. Obesity actually has a direct impact on heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, various cancers, gout, osteoarthritis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Another reason excess fat is closely linked to inflammation is due to the fact that you’ll be suffering from insulin resistance, which is continuous over-exposure to the fat-storing hormone, insulin. Chronic exposure to high levels of insulin in the bloodstream is called hyperinsulinemia. Long-term effects of hyperinsulinemia are chronic inflammation, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer. 

I’ll go into insulin in greater depth later. In short, one of insulin’s prime functions is to extract excess sugar (glucose) from our blood or the blood becomes toxic. It then deposits it into any of the liver, muscle or fat storage centres. In today’s fast-paced, yet sedentary lifestyles, the liver and muscle stores are normally full and the fat stores are topped up. They then swell causing body fat retention or “weight gain”.

Insulin is triggered most when we consume sugar in any form (e.g. sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose and galactose). Grains (breakfast cereals, bread and pasta) and pure sugar and the likes of high fructose corn syrup trigger insulin the most. Carbohydrates contain glucose (a primary source of fuel for our cells including brain cells) and the ones richest in glucose are high glycaemic carbohydrates. (High glycaemic carbohydrates will often be referred to throughout this book as high GI carbs. The glycaemic index was created to support sufferers of diabetes in regulating their blood sugars. Simply put, there are three levels of glycaemic levels: Low, moderate and high. Foods with a low glycaemic index trigger a low blood sugar and low insulin response and foods with a high glycaemic index trigger a high blood sugar response and sharp insulin spike. The latter is what leads to insulin resistance and many health problems.)

Examples of high GI carbs are breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, rice and white potatoes. With today’s sedentary lifestyles, we are consuming too many high GI carbs.  If you are prone to storing fat, this is most likely the cause – in addition to the simple sugars and other toxins found in most soft drinks, desserts and sweets/candy.  In fact, today, the food pyramid has changed considerably. Our ancestors would consume 20% protein, 60% fat and 20% carbs. These days, we’re eating 60% carbs (at least) with 20% protein and 20% fat (at most). This has led to a plethora of health problems with a large proportion people in the Western world now “overweight” or obese and with cases of type 2-diabetes having spiralled out of control.

I hope I have your attention.

Causes

Chronic inflammation occurs when your body perceives it is under attack over an extended period of time. It is a result based on a number of absorptions into the body blood stream, of toxins and chemicals unknown to most people. Some come in the form of what I call ‘alien’ foods that are not compatible with the human body. The sad thing is, for the most part, we are not aware of these alien food types, toxins and chemicals. We can also be so blinded by what we have been taught in our cultures, that we do not stop to think about what we are consuming.

In this book you’ll discover the kinds of foods that trigger inflammation and in addition ‘environmental toxins’ and other chemicals, such as in the water supply, cosmetics, deodorants and toothpastes that trigger it. 

Start thinking about what you use and consume on a daily basis. Is it natural or man-made?  If it’s something you consume, do you do so on a consistent basis? Do you consume it once a day, several times a day or several times a day every day? Ask yourself: ‘Is this really fuel for my body, or is it a toxin?’ If you do not recognise an ingredient, then your body will not recognise it either.

Unfortunately, these types of ingredients are what we find in the foods we buy from the supermarket. In the US, 80-90% of processed foods contain hidden toxins that do more to harm to the body than fuel it. Now I must switch gears a little and show you what sort of effects these alien “foods” have on your body.

Effects

As I previously mentioned, chronic inflammation accelerates biological ageing, leading to hypertension, the suppression of our immune system, and creates the ideal environment for chronic health conditions to thrive.

If you have any of the following illnesses, you already have inflammatory disease. There is hope though, my friend! This is reversible with some simple dietary and lifestyle changes. It’s important that you understand all this information that I’ve presented in this chapter, so you can take immediate action. Just remember, these are gifts, if you do suffer from any of these because you now know you can take action to reverse the underlying health condition that leads to more serious illnesses down the road:

·   Asthma

·   Seasonal Allergies or Hay Fever

·   Eczema

·   Atopic (allergic) Dermatitis

·   Contact Dermatitis

·   Rheumatoid Arthritis

·   Lupus

·   Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD or IBS)

·   Gout

·   Crohn’s Disease

·   Ulcerative Colitis

·   Sprue

·   Psoriasis

·   Allergies to pet dander, dust, or dust mites

·   Any disease that requires for you to take medications with corticosteroids in them, such as Prednisolone.

It may come as a surprise that you already have inflammatory disease. I know this is difficult to hear, and I’m sensitive to this since I myself was in the exact same place as you’re in now – but the good news is that the changes you might need to make are not very challenging. They’re actually surprisingly simple, if you are willing to try them.

If you have any of the following conditions, there’s a greater chance you have or will develop inflammatory disease:

·   Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)

·   Chronic Kidney Failure

·   Chronic Hepatitis

·   Chronic Thyroid Disease

·   Chronic Pancreatitis

·   Alzheimer’s Disease (dubbed type 3-Diabetes)

·   Osteoarthritis

·   Chronic Bronchitis or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and/or Emphysema

·   Food allergies

·   High levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

·   Parents or siblings who’ve been diagnosed with one of the diseases in this or the above section

·   Heart attack

·   Stroke

In this final section, if you have any of the following conditions or habits you may have or may develop a risk of inflammatory disease:

·   Chronic high blood pressure that is difficult to control

·   Cancer of the colon, stomach, lungs or breasts

·   Have parents or siblings with any of the conditions in the above section

·   Take drugs to control cholesterol or triglycerides

·   Smoke regularly and have a chronic cough

·   Eat farmed salmon more than 3 times a week

·   Recurring gum problems or gum disease

·   Injured joint or had surgery on a joint

(Chilton, 2006)

Conventional Treatments

I’m going to make a bold statement: DRUGS DO NOT TREAT INFLAMMATION. Ok, I’ve already said it, and I believe it is worth repeating this point. They might alleviate the side effects of inflammation, but they do not treat the primary cause and can come with serious side effects, like internal bleeding.  You may have come across drugs for the treatment of high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels, but these come with a cost. They rarely treat the cause, so the underlying health condition unfortunately continues.

Statins lower both the "good" and "bad" forms of cholesterol and do very little to avoid heart disease. (They're actually both good, the one we are actually concerned with is vLDL.) Side effects include muscle pain, weakness and numbness, chronic fatigue, cognitive problems, tendon problems, testosterone decline, impotence and blood glucose elevations.

I hope this chapter inspired you to start to make the appropriate changes to transform your life. It is my aim to keep you motivated. Let’s move on as we continue down this path of change and discovery.

For bonuses including 8 weeks of meal plans, The Truth About Exercise, and also a very effective method to reduce inflammation every day, head to https://VitalitySecretbook.com/bonuses.

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