fitness

WHAT ARE STEM CELLS?

Age Reversal, Ask Nidal, AskNidal, Cellular health, fitness, HEAL, Health, Live Younger, LiveYounger, love, Mental Health, Relationships, Social Media, Wellness / NIDAL SAKR

We see that the inability of the body to regenerate new cells is central to the process of aging. So, if we introduce stem cells with their striking properties in the body at this point, one would think that the problem is solved. This is true, as studies have proved that stem cells can slow down the process of aging. Stem Cell Rejuvenation is the introduction of stem cells into the body; it not only increases the restorative capacity of the body but also keeps the damaging process of inflammation in check

WHAT ARE STEM CELLS? Read More »

HOW GENES AFFECT HEALTH?

Age Reversal, AskNidal, Cellular health, fitness, HEAL, Health, love, Mental Health, Wellness / NIDAL SAKR

WHY DO OUR BODIES RESPOND DIFFERENTLY TO FOODS AND EXERCISES? There is one in a trillion chances for you to have an exact look-alike of yourself living and breathing somewhere in this wide world. The uniqueness about you, however, does not stop at your facial features. It goes deeper than that and influences the functional aspects of your body. Have you, for instance, ever thought that your perception of smell might be significantly different compared to other people? Or that the taste you perceive might not be what everyone else does as well? Because as it turns out, such differences have been confirmed to exist by Dr. Casey Trimmer in a very interesting research. Taste, it seems, really is subjective. ¹ (To some extent at least) But that is merely the tip of the iceberg. What really has an impact on our day-to-day lives are the differences that exist at the level of metabolism, absorption, digestion, and immune function. These differences give strength to the idea that we should be moving away from generalizations in an attempt to personalize our approach to health and wellbeing. AT THE LEVEL OF METABOLISM AND ABSORBTION We differ a great deal in our response to food intake and the way we absorb and metabolize that food. This concept of unique metabolism is in some ways hard-wired within our genes. This also means that a diet that is easily digested by an individual may produce disease in another individual. We all know how some people are especially lactose intolerant. This is due to the LTC gene which encodes Lactase, an enzyme that digests lactose. A lactose intolerant individual harbors a mutation in this gene due to which he is unable to digest lactose and develops symptoms of bloating and flatulence upon consuming milk. Pretty nasty eh? ² DO WE ABSORB THE SAME AMOUNT OF FOOD? We don’t. Surprise surprise! A study conducted at Cornell University proves that individuals with genetic variants that contain more copies of a certain gene can gain a larger amount of glucose from a particular diet as compared to those who have fewer copies of this gene. This can be attributed to the larger amounts of an enzyme “Amylase”, encoded by that gene, which breaks down a higher amount of starch in the diet. This, in turn, favors the growth of a family of bacteria in their guts that breaks down complex starch (which cannot be degraded by Amylase) into absorbable sugars. Sounds complex? You can read it in more detail here.³ THE UNIQUE CASE OF GREENLANDERS It is a commonly observed fact that the environment influences gene expression to enable an individual to adapt. This principle has brought some startling changes in the genetic makeup of Greenlanders in the way they process food in their intestines. A study of their genetic makeup shows that their intestines lack an enzyme, which breaks down complex sugars. These sugars travel directly to the intestine where they are metabolized to Acetate. Acetate, subsequently, decreases appetite, improves metabolism, and enhances immunity. This can be directly correlated to the fact that for Greenlanders, it’s hard to get fat. Call it nature’s gift if you will. ⁴ OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES People belonging to a certain area have particular food preferences, aversions, and allergies. This can also be attributed to the environmental influence on genes. For instance, some people like eating beets while others perceive their taste to be “earthy” and avoid them at all costs.⁵ Another common example is that Europeans have an increased propensity to develop Celiac disease if they take a diet high in Gluten.⁶ GAINING AND LOSING WEIGHT It’s not all your fault. That’s right. Obesity, in many cases, is a heritable trait. And so is persistent leanness. Eating habits are to blame no doubt, but for some people, it might just be too easy to gain weight. ⁷ That doesn’t make it okay of course. The disadvantages to health that obesity brings with it will be just as impactful regardless of how easy it was for you to gain weight. But knowing that you might have such a propensity may keep you more alert at the dining table. That’s not all though. Knowing how to lose weight might be just as tricky. Some diets may work for others but not for you. Some plans may be great for you but fail for others. For example, the weight-loss high-fiber diet, known as the “New Nordic Diet”, works only for those people who have the right combination of gut bacteria.⁸ Thus it is possible for you to continue to gain weight despite the high-fiber diet if you do not have the right mix of gut bacteria. Nutritionists all over the globe have started to recognize these differences and hence the level of personalization is reaching new heights. At the core of these differences lie the complexities of metabolism and genetics that are not so easy to tackle. However, just having the knowledge that everyone functions differently can broaden your perspective regarding your path to weight loss. TREATMENT OF DISEASES The same principle is followed here as well. Some medicines work better for some people than they do for others. Similarly, some medicines have more severe adverse effects on some people while others hardly suffer. A common example is the anti-TB drug Isoniazid which can cause severe side effects in people who are slow-acetylators i.e. they cannot metabolize the drug fast enough. DOES BLOOD TYPE MATTER? It had been postulated that our blood types can determine the right diets for us. The idea was that certain food products are better suited for people with certain blood types because they differ in the way they metabolize that food. This idea, however, has since been debunked by researchers from the University of Toronto who have stated that blood type has absolutely nothing to do with our diets and nutritional needs.⁹ AT THE LEVEL OF IMMUNE FUNCTION The ways in which we differ from each other regarding

HOW GENES AFFECT HEALTH? Read More »

WHY SLEEP IS MOST IMPORTANT?

Age Reversal, AskNidal, Cellular health, fitness, HEAL, Health, love, Mental Health, Relationships, Wellness / NIDAL SAKR

REVERSE AGE BY SLEEPING How do you feel about jumping into bed after a long and tiring day? I am sure you would look forward to it. Now try to imagine how you feel when you wake up after a dreamless sleep of 8 hours. You don’t feel one bit of the fatigue you felt the night before. You feel energized and motivated. You feel like you have been recharged. You feel fresh and ready to conquer the world. All of this might seem very normal to you because you go through this cycle every day after all. But what I want to emphasize are the unseen events that occur while you are sleeping that bring about such an incredible change! Because let’s be real; anything that can transform us from being exhausted to the bone to being full of energy in merely a matter of hours has to be something incredible! An old Irish proverb goes like “A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” And it’s very close to the truth. Let’s see how… WHAT IS RESTORATIVE SLEEP? The period of sleep where your body heals and detoxifies itself is termed restorative sleep. After a prolonged period of wakefulness, restorative sleep can rebalance the scales and recharge your brain through specific actions upon the nervous system and rest of the body. HOW DOES IT WORK? There are at least 5 different stages of sleep that you go through during the night which consist of Non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) and Rapid eye movement sleep (REM). The first 4 stages are can be categorized under NREM sleep. The first stage (N1) is that of drowsiness which lasts for 1-7 mins only. It is very easy to wake up from. The second stage (N2) begins the process of restoration but lasts no longer than 10-25 mins. Stage 3 (N3) and especially stage 4 (N4) show a pattern of slow waves on EEG and are termed as deep sleep. During this period respiratory and circulatory functions drop to their lowest and muscle tone decreases considerably.¹ This is the period of sleep that is the most restive and restorative and occurs in increasing periods whenever you sleep after a prolonged exhaustive period of wakefulness. What marks this period of deep sleep, in particular, is the cleansing of toxic substances that takes place within the brain. Researchers at the University of Rochester have described a glymphatic system that is mainly responsible for this. CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) is pumped into the brain tissue spaces and this washes away the waste material. This revelation has been extremely significant in understanding the healing and detoxifying properties of sleep on the brain as previously it was not understood how the brain, which is a closed ecosystem on its own, got rid of the waste.¹ This period lasts from 20-40 mins and its duration decreases gradually as the night progresses. How fresh and rested you feel after waking up coincides directly with how much of this deep sleep you got during the night. And if you feel weary and tired after waking up, that probably means that the sleep you had was not very restorative. The fifth and final stage that occurs at the end of every 90 minutes cycle is REM sleep. It has its own benefits as it influences learning, memory, and mood. This is also the stage where most of the dreaming takes place. THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM Every process in this world, whether living or non-living, has a cyclic pattern that has to be adhered to. And the human body is no exception. Countless cycles are being followed simultaneously and anything that disturbs these cycles disturbs the normal balance that keeps us healthy. Just to give you an example, think of the cyclic nature in which our blood cells are continuously replaced in a matter of 120 days. There is a rhythm to this process that is integral to its existence. The sleep-wake cycle that repeats itself daily is another manifestation of this rhythmic nature of life. And just like the other cycles, it must be adhered to. Think about what happens when you skip a night’s sleep. It is disorienting, to say the least. What if you skip two or three nights in a row? You will start feeling like a vegetable. This goes on to show how strictly we must adhere to our natural circadian rhythms.³ But that’s not all. What’s interesting is the fact that our sleep-wake cycle coincides directly with the normal day and night cycle of Earth. Our brains are naturally inclined to go into a restive state during nighttime and become more alert during the day.³ Unfortunately, the morbidly artificial life that the modern man lives doesn’t allow him to follow the natural path that resonates most closely with his body. But synchronizing our sleep-wake cycle with the natural order of day and night is the first step towards ensuring long periods of restorative sleep. BENEFITS OF RESTORATIVE SLEEP Detoxification Restorative sleep helps the body to get rid of harmful substances in the body. During REM sleep antioxidant mechanisms are activated that help the body to detoxify free radicals that produce profound damage. Dr. Mathangi conducted an experiment on rats which showed that REM deprivation led to the accumulation of free radicals and an increase in markers of stress.⁴ “FUNCTIONS OF VARIOUS ORGAN SYSTEMS ARE REDUCED AS SHOWN BY THE DECREASE IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND RESPIRATORY RATE DURING SLEEPING. ” Immune Function A good night’s sleep improves the ability to fight off infections. Chemicals, that promote immune function, and cells, which are responsible for mediating immunity, are increased. Interestingly, sleep also enhances immune memory i.e. the ability of the immune system to mount a protective reaction against the previously exposed pathogen. Dr. Lange in his study proves that individuals who had adequate sleep after Hepatitis A vaccination produced higher amounts of antibodies than sleep-deprived individuals.⁵ Brain Function Restorative sleep is mentally

WHY SLEEP IS MOST IMPORTANT? Read More »

WHAT IS GLUTEN?

Age Reversal, AskNidal, Cellular health, fitness, HEAL, Health, love, Mental Health, Wellness / NIDAL SAKR

IS GLUTEN REALLY BAD? Glutens are a family of proteins that are mostly found in wheat, barley, and rye. They are storage proteins and in previous years were called prolamins. Although, when you want to look at it strictly, gluten refers to proteins that can be found in wheat. However, in medical parlance, glutens are food molecules that contain a combination of two proteins namely; glutelin and prolamin which are found naturally in grains and have the potential of causing health problems for people having celiac disease. Glutens have certain beneficial attributes and have been used for a while in the food industry for instance it gives the bread a stretchy nature that allows it to expand and traps air making it able to swell and retain hydrated at a certain amount. It also makes some foods made from grains have a chewy form.² However, in recent times; consumers are becoming aware of the health implication of having certain levels of gluten in the body system. In this article, you will explore everything there is to know about gluten and how your health may be in for it if you are not careful about what food you consume! Where did gluten come from? The discovery of health problems caused by glutens is relatively new but the consumption of glutens is not new to humanity. For over 10,000, humans have been introduced to glutens via agricultural practices traceable to the Southwestern part of Asia, a region known for its fertility and scintillating landscapes.¹ What common foods contain gluten? Gluten is found in some foods, though they vary in the quantity of the protein substances. They are listed as follows: Foods from cereal or grains include wheat bran, whole wheat, wheat germ, triticale, couscous, semolina, barley, farina, rye, Kamut, etc. Processed foods of grain sources such as pasta, bread crumbs, veggie burgers, bread, cookies, etc. Certain beverages like malt vinegar, soy sauce, barley malt, sauces thickened with flour, etc. How is gluten produced industrially? Although gluten is found in small amounts in wheat and a few other grain crops, it can be extracted industrially. Usually, wheat flour is mixed with water to form a suspension. It is mixed and kneaded by special machines till the gluten content of the dough collects into a lump. The lump would be garnered via the process of centrifugation before it is passed through several continuous processes, one of which is the removal of water from the soaked gluten through a screw press. What is left of the gluten is forcefully sprayed through the nozzle of an atomizer into a chamber where it will receive gentle drying. This is done at a certain temperature that evaporates the moisture content without changing the nature of the gluten. You know, proteins are easily denatured under high temperatures. At this point, you will have a flour-like powder that still has to be milled and sifted to ensure uniformity in the processed gluten.³ What are the health implications of gluten consumption? Some disorders can be traced to the consumption of gluten; they are generally called “Gluten-related disorders”. Popular among these disorders include wheat allergy, dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), gluten ataxia, non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), and the most common of them all; celiac disease (CD).⁴ These diseases are traceable to the peptide content of glutens.⁵ Let us take a closer look at these disorders one after the other. Celiac disease It is a chronic disease that affects the small intestine and is caused by the direct consumption of wheat, rye, oats, barley, or foods derived from them. Interestingly, aside from the small intestine, the disease also affects multiple organs by reducing their immunity levels.⁶ Although it is a gastrointestinal disease, it can exhibit some non-gastrointestinal symptoms. The tricky part is that celiac disease sometimes does not even show symptoms at all.⁷ Asymptomatic people find it difficult to trace their chronic ill health to celiac disease so they become used to a life of bad health however when they change diet to gluten-free foods, they notice an improvement in their health.⁸ It will amaze you to know that about 2% of the world’s population is affected by the disease but most of these cases are undiagnosed or untreated, leaving these people with a high risk of having protracted health problems.⁹ When celiac disease is not treated, it may result in iron deficiency, osteoporosis, malabsorption of food nutrients, reduced vitality, intestinal lymphomas, and even death.¹⁰ Autoimmune diseases associated with celiac disease include dermatitis herpetiformis, autoimmune hepatitis, thyroiditis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis among others.⁹ Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) This disorder was first discovered in 2010 and it describes the health condition involving several symptoms which improve after gluten-free food routine is being administered, which is after wheat allergy and celiac disease are excluded.¹¹ At this time, however, its pathogenesis is still under research study however it is the most prevalent disease of the ‘gluten disorder’ family.¹² NCGS is quite difficult to treat because most people who have the disease are unaware of it even though they have gastrointestinal problems. After all, many specialists are inadequately equipped with the knowledge of the disorder or how to treat it. In many cases, these patients suffer unending consultations without improvement with physicians diagnosing their problems like irritable bowel syndrome.¹³ Aside from irritable bowel syndrome, people suffering from NCGS also experience some health problems that are non-gastrointestinal such as fibromyalgia, neurological diseases, atopic diseases, allergies, etc. In 2017, a research work suggested that NCGS may be regarded as a chronic disorder just as celiac disease is.¹⁴ Gluten Ataxia A disease that affects the brain, damaging the cerebellum and distorting the patient’s coordination, walking, speaking and other complex movements; Gluten Ataxia! Gluten Ataxia is an autoimmune disease caused by the consumption of gluten.¹⁵ The treatment of gluten ataxia depends on the duration between the onset of the disease and the time of diagnosis; this is because dead cells in the cerebellum resulting from gluten exposure can never be revived.¹⁶ Patients

WHAT IS GLUTEN? Read More »

WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

Age Reversal, AskNidal, Cellular health, fitness, HEAL, Health, love, Mental Health, Relationships, Social Media, Wellness / NIDAL SAKR

WHY IS HAPPINESS A DECISION? One of the basic aspirations of mankind is to remain in a state of health for as long as possible. Despite that we are the most intelligent specie which have walked the earth, our wittiness, meticulous studies, Ideally, the modern man is supposed to live an optimum life. I mean, if you lived a thousand years ago, you would do a lot more physically to enjoy a fraction of the basic amenities you enjoy today. However, as easy as life is for the modern man, he seems to be prone to more diseases than his ancestors in older ages. Could there be a missing link that modern advancements, despite their breakthrough in the field of medicine, seem not to get right? In old times, people paid more attention to other aspects of their lives aside from their bodies. This can be traced to ancient religions emphasizing the care for the mind, emotions, and spirit. The Hadith of Muhammad expressed undeniable wisdom towards achieving holistic health when it encouraged the Muslim: “Fast to heal.” Fast, here, was not only prescribed as abstenance from food and drink, rather an entire cleansing practice in the physical, spiritual, and mental context as well. Fourteen centuries later, Yoshinori Ohsumi won the 2016 Nobel Prize in medicine for his discovery on the role of fasting in reversing age through autophagy; a process where cells eat up aging and unhealthy cells and renew themselves. Health, in Islam as well as in most old world cultures and religions, was viewed through the lens of general wellbeing: mind, emotions, spirit, and body. Could it be that this was the reason they lived happier lives? The facts tend to support this hypothesis. It is also possible that life in its completeness surpasses wealth as it must involve happiness, wellbeing, and holistic health. What does holistic health mean? To get a deeper understanding of this subject, let’s get to the fundamental aspects of the subject. The Canadian Holistic Medical Association defines holistic medicine as a system of health care that fosters a cooperative relationship among all those involved, leading towards optimal attainment of the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of health.¹ This means that bodily wellness depended on the wellness of other aspects of the person; emotion, mind, and spirit. Holistic health practitioners believe that a human being is made of a body, a soul, and a spirit and that they are interdependent. “WHILE THERE COULD BE MANY DEFINITIONS TO WHAT HAPPINESS IS, MY FAVORITE IS: HAPPINESS IS CLARITY OF THOUGHTS.. AN YOU ONLY NEED TO THINK OF THE OPPOSITE TO FIND OUT HOW TRUE.” — NIDAL SAKR In modern medicine, however, medicine tends to diagnose the problem in the body alone and seek a cure for bodily wellness without the active participation of the sick person in his or her recovery to health. Modern medicine depends largely on drugs, surgeries, and the interaction of chemicals on the body, however, holistic medicine emphasizes the person’s ability to engage in self-care, a sort of health promotion that is self-directed in such a way that allows a person to be part of his or her healing process. Thomas McKeown, a 20th-century philosopher, and physician proposed a thesis where he stated that medical practitioners placed more emphasis on cure rather than care. He was promulgating an approach that inculcated the principles of holistic medicine. He concluded with a plea for a more humanistic, less technocratic role for the medical profession.² Considering the definition of health as given by the World Health Organization, you would discover that although modern medicine is practiced without interacting with every aspect of the human person, the world governing body on health seems to have a holistic health view. It defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and not just the absence of infirmity.³ Did modern medicine affect the practice of holistic medicine? In 1970, National Geographic traveled to the northern region of Pakistan to learn more about the Hunza people. The longevity and vitality the Hunza people enjoyed first drew global curiosity when Sir Robert McCarrison wrote about them in his famous 1921 book “Studies in Deficiency Disease.” The revelation which unfolded showed the modern world how the deviation from the natural ways of life has cost us in the aspect of health. The Hunzas attribute their longevity and vitality to a holistic health approach to living.⁴ They fed on natural foods such as berries and nuts, breathed unpolluted air, and had rigorous daily schedules which involved climbing mountainous terrains, farming, and domestic chores. In general, they had a way of life that sponsored soulish and bodily happiness and tranquility. No doubt, the worldwide acceptance of modern medicine makes people unreceptive to the administration of holistic medicine. However, Tu Youyou may have changed how the world viewed holistic medicine especially in the field of alternative medicine. In 2015, Tu Youyou won the Nobel Prize for medicine when she extracted a cure for malaria from sweet wormwood. Is holistic health practicable in today’s world? Holistic health or medicine is practiced with reference to some principles. These principles, ten of them, to be precise,⁵ are applicable in everyday life and some of them without the presence of a holistic doctor. For instance, a principle emphasizes the need for personal fulfillment in the pursuit of soulish wellness. In Abraham Maslow’s 1962 book titled “Towards a psychology of being”⁶ he revealed how the fulfillment of personal needs can bring one to a state of true happiness and whole health. He represented those needs in the form of a triangle which is known famously as the Maslow triangle of needs. We may not go deep into Maslow’s work but it is clear that in pursuit of personal happiness, what we subtly practice is a principle of holistic medicine. Conclusion Holistic medicine isn’t a new concept, it is perhaps the oldest recorded form of man’s pursuit of wellness. No doubt, it struggles

WHAT IS HAPPINESS? Read More »

WHAT IS HALAL?

Age Reversal, AskNidal, Cellular health, fitness, HEAL, Health, LiveYounger, love, Mental Health, Relationships, Social Media, Wellness / NIDAL SAKR

Every living thing needs food to support its existence and humans are not left out. Food supplies our body with the necessary chemical energy for our organs to thrive optimally. However, we would not be just in our definition to relegate food to the place of sustaining survival alone. Promulgated by faith and supported by science, we have seen that diet has direct effects on our health. The health of our cells (the basic unit of every life) depends on what we eat and how we eat. Diets are so important to health that even the world’s most popular religions regard it so much to have prescribed how food should be taken, how it should be prepared, and from what source it is to be gotten. A healthy life is what we all are looking for. Sometimes we pay for it, other times we pray for it but isn’t it rather more convenient that we perpetually live in health rather than wishing for recovery? Let us consider how healthy dieting as faith prescribes can give us a life of health. We will look at the principles of Halal and of course Kosher and how we can gift ourselves a life of wellness by following the wisdom they share. What does Halal mean? Halal is an Islamic term for foods that are permitted for Muslims to consume. You can look at it as a set of dietary laws for the Muslim faithful. When you pay attention to the guidelines of Halal, one cannot deny the health and overall life advantages it offers to anyone who keeps its principles. For instance, the consumption of alcohol is forbidden from the diet of the Muslim faithful. This is corroborated by scientific research as excessive alcohol intake has been linked to heart diseases, liver damage, brain, and nervous system problems, anemia, cancer, digestive problems, and seizures among others.¹ This goes to show the level of importance the Islamic faith places on dieting for health’s sake. Interestingly, it does not just hope to make man the benefiting party at the detriment of nature. For instance, the Islamic faithful is instructed to allow animals for slaughter to range freely or at most tied to a leash that permits the animal to move around. Also, the principles of halal recommend that before slaughter, animals should be fed, watered, and soothed.² Where animals must be fed with feed from natural sources without synthetic additives such as hormones and antibiotics. Interestingly, science does not hold a different view about the stance of halal on animal feed and treatment before slaughter. The National Research Council which is a part of the National Academy of Sciences gave an opinion on the effect of antibiotic mix in animal feed on human health. It was deduced that the use of antibiotics in animal feed is linked to the development of resistant microorganisms in the bodies of the animals and that these organisms are transferred to humans as zoonotic pathogens³ and they are largely untreatable sometimes leading to the death of affected humans.⁴ Considering these facts, it is before your very eyes the wisdom in the principles of halal to give you wholesome meat that doesn’t pose any threat to your health. The concept of Halal just proves to us how humans stand a chance of living a life of health if we could inculcate the principles of halal into our dietary codes. Halal also shows us that the Islamic faith links wellbeing to dieting and this cannot be more factual than it already is. A scientific report confirmed that feeding on healthy food helps in the growth of special bacteria that increases the production of neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters are responsible for your brain’s ability to decode neural messages clearly and help keep your mood light and cheerful. The connection between your mental health and your digestive system is so important that your gastrointestinal tract is called ‘the second brain’.⁵ What we eat affects our bodily and mental health truly! Little wonder the Prophet (PBUH) said “The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink, and one third with air.” The Prophet (PBUH) admonished that eating should not be done solely for pleasure but to sustain good health and keep the body active. It is proven that many diseases can be traced to unhealthy eating habits which corroborate the health benefit of His teaching. “A SCIENTIFIC REPORT CONFIRMED THAT FEEDING ON HEALTHY FOOD HELPS IN THE GROWTH OF SPECIAL BACTERIA THAT INCREASES THE PRODUCTION OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS. THESE NEUROTRANSMITTERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR BRAIN’S ABILITY TO DECODE NEURAL MESSAGES CLEARLY AND HELP KEEP YOUR MOOD LIGHT AND CHEERFUL. ” When Yoshinori Ohsumi claimed the Nobel Prize for medicine in 2016 for his findings in the role of Muslim “total starvation” fasting in the renewal of cells through a process called ‘autophagy’, it only showed the recognition by the world’s highest scholarly authority in medicine to the advancement and the still ongoing cutting edge validity of both halal and Islamic medicine. This is because the Muslim fast is an important part of the Halal dietary code. How does Kosher help improve health? Just like Halal, Kosher is a set of dietary rules that guide traditional Jewish meals and how they are prepared. The rules show the potential of keeping one healthy as they prioritize hygiene in the preparation of meals. For instance, equipment used in the preparation of meat is to be separated from equipment used in the preparation of dairy products. This limits the chances of harmful bacteria from the gut of animals from contaminated utensils. Final Thoughts It took modern medicine 400 years to catch up to what has been a conventional practice for over 1400 years to more than a billion and

WHAT IS HALAL? Read More »

WHY AGE REVERSAL NOT ANTI AGING?

Age Reversal, AskNidal, Cellular health, fitness, HEAL, Health, LiveYounger, love, Mental Health, Relationships, Social Media, Wellness / NIDAL SAKR

LEARN HOW OUR BODIES ARE DESIGNED TO BE FOREVER YOUNG The wheel of time turns and drags us along with it until we are thrown off. And that’s what we call death. Despite all the struggles of life, most people are afraid to be thrown off. We want to keep running on the wheel for as long as possible. Modern medicine is working towards that goal in some ways which allow us to drag our withered bones and old bodies along the wheel for a few more years. But it’s never enough because eventually, death comes for all. I want to ask a simple question. Is it really worth it to prolong our lives in such a manner where our worn-out bodies can be kept from dying for a limited time? We all know that the prime of our lives is the time of our youth. We feel the potential to do whatever we want to without our own health standing in our way. That is the time of life that allows us to fulfill our goals, enjoy ourselves and be happy. Old age, in contrast, comes with a lot of problems that diminish our energy and our health. Is it really worth trying to prolong our lives in this old age? That’s what anti-aging is. The idea is to slow down aging, to stall its advance. But all it ends up doing is to give us a sense of delaying the inevitable. Doesn’t sound all that fancy does it? What if we could go in reverse and restore our youths? After all, it is the prime time of our lives. What if we could prolong our youth instead of merely our ages? Valid questions. And the answer lies, not in anti-aging, but in age reversal! Age reversal is the idea of prolonging and restoring our youth. It is meant to restore our health and our energy. It is meant to keep us fit and happy. It is meant to keep us disease-free. It prolongs that phase of our lives which can be the most physically and mentally fulfilling. In doing so, it would keep old age from disturbing the peace of our youth. It is meant not to make us live longer per se, but to live younger and happier till we are eventually thrown off the wheel. Now that does sound interesting, doesn’t it? WHAT DOES AGING REALLY MEAN? Typically, aging is merely associated with its physical manifestations such as graying of hair, wrinkling of the skin, or generally as a decline in health and increased propensity to get diseases. The current efforts to counter aging are only directed towards reducing these symptoms of aging, just to look younger. Aging is actually a cellular process. As the cells start to lose the ability to divide and become worn out, we say that they have aged. These cellular alterations then manifest at a macroscopic level. How do we know that the cells are aging? It’s simple. The DNA in our cells undergoes epigenetic modifications in the form of DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling, collectively referred to as epigenetic markers. Steve Horvath developed an epigenetic or internal clock that measures epigenetic alterations to determine the biological age of cells which closely relates to the chronological age.¹ In addition to epigenetic modifications, other mechanisms that contribute to the process of aging include telomere shortening and cellular senescence. Telomeres are short segments of DNA that progressively shorten with each replication. Therefore, the cell loses the capability to replicate after a certain number of replications and eventually meets death. In addition, various insults incurred upon our DNA and the inability to repair the damage results in accumulation of DNA damage. This coupled with free radical mediated inflammation within our cells and tissues results in damage to our cellular health, which gradually leads to aging. You can read about it in more detail here. All of these changes are closely related to our lifestyle habits, environment and nutrition. Age reversal focuses on these very factors to bring about the restoration of youth which is our goal! CAN AGE BE REVERSED? Research indicates that it can be reversed. One particular experiment showed that the administration of growth hormones along with metformin (a diabetes drug) and other chemicals decrease aging.² There are dozens if not scores of such experiments that indicate that biological ageing can not only be halted but reversed. And this isn’t even a new discovery. And filling yourself up with various drugs isn’t the only way to age reversal. Let’s talk about some other methods that work just as well. NUTRITION Many experiments indicate that calories restriction modulates the activity of signaling pathways which protect the cells from harmful effects of aging. It also leads to the release of chemicals called sirtuins which play a beneficial role in promoting longevity through various mechanisms³. Fasting is a traditional and religious custom that has been a part of many cultures for more than a millennium that serves this very purpose of caloric restriction. Remember what I said about age reversal not being a new discovery? Apart from how much we eat, what we eat matters just as much. Many food products like various fruits, onions, prunes and fish (just to name a few) have anti-oxidant properties which neutralize the free radical mediated inflammation in our cells. Research has shown that this prevents DNA damage and contributes to the health of cells⁴. And that’s not all. Remember telomeres that keep on shortening with every cell division which leads to eventual cellular senescence? This means a cell can no longer divide and hence must eventually die. But believe it or not, in a landmark research many food products (legumes, nuts, and various fruits) have been positively linked with maintaining or increasing telomere length. That means continued cell division and continued supply of healthy cells. Crazy what watching what you eat can get you.⁵ EXERCISE The importance of physical activity and exercising cannot be overstated.

WHY AGE REVERSAL NOT ANTI AGING? Read More »

WHAT IS LOVE?*

Age Reversal, AskNidal, Cellular health, fitness, HEAL, Health, LiveYounger, love, Mental Health, Relationships, Social Media, Wellness / NIDAL SAKR

Love is a word that defies definition. It is an emotion that escapes comprehension. A number of poets, writers, and scientists have tried to come up with an all-encompassing definition of Love but what they have produced caters only to a small part of this vast concept. Some call it a mere purposeless attraction to people or things. Others declare it a primordial emotion programmed into our DNA to ensure reproduction. Some associate it merely with romance. Yet others see it as an attraction to anything, even to abstract ideas. However, one aspect of love that is more or less agreed upon is the pleasant feeling it induces, the positive emotions it elicits, and the healing power it possesses. Modern medical research backs up and affirms these ideas. LOVE; FROM ABSTRACT TO MATERIAL Just like every other emotion, love too takes a material form within our brains in the form of neuropeptides and hormones. It is governed by hormones such as oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, estrogen, dopamine, and norepinephrine.¹ To be more specific, “Love is an emergent property of an ancient cocktail of neuropeptides and neurotransmitters”. ¹ Some of these substances, like oxytocin, elicit the feeling of attraction and attachment. Some make you feel euphoric and happy. Others, through indirect pathways, have far-reaching effects on our mental and physical health. One very interesting research makes the case that since a loss of love or attachment drives our minds to a drastically negative state then it is only logical to imagine that acquiring love would do the opposite i.e.: bring drastic positive change to our mental state of being. Let’s see how such an abstract concept can possess the power of healing. ““LOVE IS AN EMERGENT PROPERTY OF AN ANCIENT COCKTAIL OF NEUROPEPTIDES AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS”.” EFFECT ON BODY Physical Health The feeling of love release dopamine and norepinephrine which lead to feelings of happiness and motivation. A person is more cautious about his physical well-being and is more invested in promoting health through proper diet and exercise. In addition to that, these chemicals promote the balanced functioning of multiple organ systems.² Alleviation of stress Being in love or feeling loved provides a sense of attachment and security that keeps the stress and anxiety at bay. A person is protected from the effects of stress, which suppresses bodily functions, and also from mental diseases such as depression, psychosis, etc. Research comparing two groups of committed and single individuals indicates that people who are in a committed relationship demonstrate a buffered stress response. This is in part due to some function of the vagus nerve.³ Protection from diseases The reciprocal relationship between the brain and the immune system is activated by the chemicals produced in the body as a consequence of the emotion of love. The positive effects of this interaction manifest as enhanced immunity which helps fight off infections.⁴ Moreover, the person experiencing love has better control of blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol. Any derangement in these measures is the root cause of various diseases of Liver, Lung, heart, etc. This advantage of “being in love” is more pronounced through healthy sexual activity, which is associated with the release of oxytocin, testosterone, and estrogen.⁵ Healthy romantic activity is something that I talk about in more detail in my book Lead A Horse To Water.⁶ Pain relief “Love is a painkiller.” This may sound like something a mad lover would say and would be considered insane by someone who abhors such feelings. Surprisingly though, seeing your loved ones does reduce the sensitivity to pain through the production of dopamine which activates the pathways that result in the production of opioids; the natural pain killer.⁷ Cellular senescence On a microscopic level, chemicals produced as a consequence of love promote cellular health. Oxytocin plays a role in decreasing cellular senescence by the release of substances that protect DNA from damage. This reduces the risk of malignant transformation and age-related diseases.⁸ When trying to comprehend the healing power of love, this becomes of prime importance. We know that the key to prolonging youthful longevity is to promote cellular health. Understanding that the emotion of love and all its associated activities can promote this goal is only going to help you along this path. EFFECT ON MIND Sense of Attachment As love evolves, it brings in the feeling of attachment to that person, which culminates in the desire to perpetuate the relationship. It may seem to be a rational, well-thought decision, but actually, it’s the chemicals produced in the brain that prompt this action. Research has shown that oxytocin and vasopressin are predominantly involved in the development of this feeling.⁹ Happiness Norepinephrine; which activates the brain; and dopamine; which stimulates the reward center in the brain; are responsible for all the excitement, surprise, joy, and cheerfulness that accompanies love. Research indicates higher levels of contentment and happiness in married couples compared to single individuals.¹⁰ Read that again. What more does a person want than to be happy and satisfied? The most basic dream that every heart, or mind rather, harbors in this life is to be happy. And love is the emotion that can realize this dream. Loving a person, an object, or an idea can direct you to a path where every living moment gives you happiness. And this is the very definition of “Living in the moment.” Learning and Memory This one might come as a surprise but being in Love can actually stimulate brain activity that results in improved cognition and memory. This effect has been shown through various researches. This won’t make your mind into a memory palace like that of Sherlock Holmes’ but the effect is not insignificant. It is especially pronounced regarding the memory of events related to romantic encounters. ¹¹ Better mental Health Love is associated with positive emotions and lack of stress. It also strengthens our mental capabilities due to the improved functioning of the brain. Having someone to share your feelings with is mentally relaxing and it protects

WHAT IS LOVE?* Read More »

FOOD AS MEDICINE, OR…MEDICINE AS FOOD?

Age Reversal, AskNidal, Cellular health, fitness, HEAL, Health, LiveYounger, love, Mental Health, Relationships, Social Media, Wellness / NIDAL SAKR

Is food really medicine or is it just another cliché strategy used by organic medicine vendors to get your hard-earned money? You’re just about to discover verifiable answers to what is perhaps one of the age-long arguments about health. Buckle your belts fellow; it’s going to be one thrilling ride with knowledge! It was in the year 440 BC when the battle of thought regarding food as medicine became a course for public debate. Hippocrates, probably wielding his famous staff, stood before some scholars in the Forum at Athens and declared “Let food be thy medicine, medicine thy food.” Ever since it has been a war of facts and opinions. When the world was almost forgetting about the Greek’s stance, Islamic physicians Ibn Sina and Ibn Al-Baytar amazed the world of their time when they reignited the concept of food as medicine. Does the concept still hold water in our time? Does food function as medicine, or does it simply quiet the rumbles in our stomachs that tell us we’re hungry? Read on to discover perhaps unpopular truths! Is Food Really medicine? As an enthusiast of holistic well-being, I want us to look at “medicine” not just as a practice for recovery measures against diseases but as a preventive approach to health. We cannot adequately consider medicine in this aspect without understanding how we fall sick and what the body does when we are about to fall sick. Every one of us has a part of our body systems that acts like an army, guarding the territorial borders and sovereignty of our body systems. It picks signals whenever a foreign body that may be detrimental enters our body then it hollers your body’s siren to raise an army against such diseases. This is our body’s first reaction to the microorganisms or physiological changes that make us sick. When our body’s ‘army’ is not strong enough to fight these foreign bodies, we break down into ill health. This ‘army’ is called our immune system and the foreign bodies are chemicals, bacteria, or viruses. The ability of our immune system to either prevent or fight against diseases naturally depends on adequate nutrition. It could be that in the pursuit of overall wellness, a solution may just be staring at us in the eyes. Now that you have discovered the usefulness of food in the prevention of illness, it is only logical that food can also be used in the cure of the same illnesses either as a nutrient therapy or in addition to other forms of medical practices. A question still lingers on the horizon begging for the light of your attention, are all foods usable in the practice of medicine? From ages past, right from the mid paleolithic period down to our time, food has been a material for therapeutic purposes.¹ Despite that all foods have health benefits due to their inherent nutritional properties, some other foods offer higher health benefits – functional foods. In 1994, the National Academy of Science’ Food and Nutrition Board coined a categorization for any modified food or food ingredients that may provide a health benefit beyond the traditional nutrients it contains.² “WHEN OUR BODY’S ‘ARMY’ IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO FIGHT THESE FOREIGN BODIES, WE BREAK DOWN INTO ILL HEALTH. THIS ‘ARMY’ IS CALLED OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM AND THE FOREIGN BODIES ARE CHEMICALS, BACTERIA, OR VIRUSES.” In the years that precede the 1990s, FOSHU began to be a topic of interest when the Japanese began to popularize the use of functional foods and no, it is not some Japanese temple slang. It is an acronym for an approach to medicine where food was utilized in an attempt to prevent or treat an ailment by taking them in quantities akin to what was required for normal feeding purposes. FOSHU, an acronym for Food for Specific Health Uses, isn’t a new concept even though the name is relatively new. In certain cases, medicine in the form of food nutrition is produced in non-food matrixes such as supplements where the nutritive content of food is extracted and administered in doses that are not obtainable when you ingest the food directly. They are called “Nutraceuticals” and the term was first used by Ziesel³ in his 1999 publication, ‘Regulation of “nutraceuticals.” Interestingly, many people are beginning to approach health holistically and are doing so with a turn to more natural means of treatment which is believed to be inexpensive and cause few side effects in comparison to its counterpart, the pharmaceutical drugs. Interestingly, Williamson⁴ confirmed that there are several instances where the ingestion of medicinal food produced better results than equivalent doses of a single extracted nutrient was administered. Research upon research continues to prove that the consumption of some foods or their extracted components which have physiological effects may be linked to a reduction in diseases.⁵ Should we look out for side effects? Generally, the intake of healthy substances may prove unhealthy in unwholesome quantities; a measure used in the cure and prevention of diseases becoming illness-inducing. Willett,⁶ reported that excessive dietary intake of some foods alongside risky lifestyle choices increases the chances of getting a stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. In essence, just as it should be in other areas of our lives, moderation is key in the administration of food as medicine. Is the use of food as medicine a holistic health approach? When I shared my thoughts on the importance of nutritious feeding for anti-aging and general wellbeing⁷ in my book “Lead A Horse To Water”, it was a surprise call for certain persons who are not aware that they can truly live happily in prolonged health without direct use of pharmaceutical products or modern medicine. Holistic medicine approaches your health from the angle of general wellbeing; mind, emotional, spirit, and body. Without a doubt, food doesn’t just feed or heal us; it blends with our body’s physiological system for a long time giving us longer chances of staying healthy. In holistic health practices like

FOOD AS MEDICINE, OR…MEDICINE AS FOOD? Read More »

WHAT IS “ORGANIC”?

Age Reversal, AskNidal, Cellular health, fitness, HEAL, Health, LiveYounger, love, Mental Health, Relationships, Social Media, Wellness / NIDAL SAKR

You may have heard of it, you may have even eaten it, fancied worldwide as probably the safest form of food believed to have health benefits – organic food! Long before humanity became very scientific in its approach to living, people planted crops, cultured the farms, fertilized the lands, and harvested the crops without the use of synthetic chemicals. It is a common belief that this system of agriculture was the reason why older generations lived healthier, had fewer diseases to deal with, and had better environments. If you existed centuries ago, you can be sure that your meal was organic without synthetic compounds believed to have health concerns. However, things have changed since the 1940’s¹ and most of our food today has undergone one or more processes that make them unfit to be called ‘organic’. We all have an idea of what organic food should mean but in our innocent ignorance, there may be some important facts we may be missing out on in defining what is organic or not. What is Organic Food? They are food substances that are produced without the use of synthetic materials such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers during any of their farming procedure and are usually not processed with the use of irradiation, synthetic food additives, or industrial solvents.² Although in the general sense of it, the garden in your backyard which is tended to by natural means only can be said to produce organic food, only an authorized government body can label food produced organic or not especially when it has to be sold in a market place. Several countries like Japan, Australia, India, and Mexico have their respective bodies that are authorized to label foods. In the United States, however, the Department of Agriculture has mandated the National Organic Program with the task of certifying organic foods.³ The importance of these bodies in the definition of what food in the market is organic or not is not far-fetched. They are farm produce that did undergo natural treatments such as being treated with tobacco dust which contains nicotine sulfate and is regarded unfit to be called organic foods. Also, some foods are treated with organic pesticides such as mixtures containing soaps and hydrogen peroxide, yet are eligible to be regarded as organic food. As you have seen earlier, several nations have their respective regulatory bodies so what is organic or not differs between countries, and these regulatory bodies are not only concerned about on-farm activities, even processing methods could determine if the food product is organic or not. Why the hype about organic foods? In many climes, a return to organic farming is seen as the solution to several health and ecological challenges. For instance, many people walk around carrying unhealthy doses of heavy metals from pesticide residues in their body systems. No, they are not cyborgs; rather, they have consumed foods with pesticide residues for a long time and these heavy metals have accumulated in their bodies. Such people have a high risk of getting weak immune systems, brain damage, or even cancer. With the health problem posed by conventional and ‘chemical farming’ as Lord Northbourne called it in his 1940 book “Look to the Land”. It is only expected that experts and people, in general, show a preference for organic foods. If you are a parent or you hope to be a parent someday, the health of your children would be of concern to you. Research has proven that certain residues from pesticides ingested at different levels of exposure by children affected the development of their cognitive abilities adversely. Animal models have shown neurotoxicity when treated with residues from pesticides and some of these residues which can accumulate from eating conventional foods treated with pesticides have been shown to cause an imbalance in the endocrine system.⁴ We cannot separate our health from what and how we eat. What we eat may affect our health directly such as inducing illnesses or indirectly by weakening our immune system which is supposed to help our bodies fight foreign disease-causing substances or organisms. Could it be that our deviation from organic feeding to synthetic agricultural methods is the cause of our plummeting general wellness? There are also certain effects conventional farming causes to the environment and if we continue at this rate will end up reducing the quality of our health, shortening our life span, and making our environments unsafe for healthy living. Impact of Organic farming on the environment From imbalance to the soil ecosystem to fertilization of our water bodies, conventional farming with the use of synthetic chemicals has caused serious environmental problems on a global scale. When water runs from fertilized lands into river bodies, it causes eutrophication. Eutrophication is the fertilization of water bodies beyond normal quantity. This kills our fish, blocks our waterways by making floating plants grow on boat passages. This is not to mention the increase in toxic heavy metal content in agricultural soils. There are speculations that when we shift from conventional ways of farming that use chemicals to a more organic approach, there would be long-term benefits in the areas of soil health, ecosystem sustainability, and preserving micro biodiversity.⁵ Final thoughts Our food choices can either affect us negatively or help our cells in positive ways. They can make our cells age faster or retain youthfulness.⁶ The health benefits of organic foods cannot be emphasized enough. Other than giving us food without disease-causing pesticide residues, organic foods help us strengthen our immune system. For many people, the reason they purchase organic foods is for their health benefits and their nutritional value.⁷ Judging by the reasons we have seen so far, their preference is cogent enough. As a person who believes in general wellness, I believe that you can enjoy a life of consistent health if you take your feeding more seriously, especially in the consumption of foods of organic origin. In holistic, the environment also plays a role in keeping healthy. Organic methods of

WHAT IS “ORGANIC”? Read More »

By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. We use cookies to provide you with a great experience and to help our website run effectively.