Why is Sulfur important for our diet?

Why is Sulfur important for our diet?

Did you know that six chemical elements…oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus make up 99 percent of our body mass?  The next 5…potassium, sodium, sulfur, magnesium and chlorine make up the remaining 1 percent.  One of those elements that make up the 1 percent is sulfur.  Although it seems inconsequential it is in fact the 3rd most abundant mineral in the body and is a vital antioxidant.

Why is sulfur so important?

Sulfur is found in all living tissues.  Our skin, muscles and bones contain half of the sulfur in our body along with the cartilage and connective tissue however they tend to breakdown over time which are some of the more recognizable signs of aging.  These changes are reflective of wrinkles, muscle pain and joint pain which may be an indicator that there is a sulfur deficiency.

Having joint pain which results in hip or knee replacements may start with the need for more sulfur in our bodies.  If you have already had a joint replacement keeping the other joints healthy means paying attention to the daily intake of sulfur.

Sulfur helps to detoxify our bodies and reduce pain and inflammation.  One of the most important antioxidants for our bodies is glutathione.  Without sulfur this antioxidant is considered ineffective or useless.

The scientific community have found that sulfur deficiency may increase the likelihood of Alzheimer’s and dementia in general.  As well there are other studies that show a sulfur deficiency increases the prevalence of heart disease.

Some of the best foods to find sulfur are  vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower along with green leafy vegetables like kale and arugula.  When you cut into cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower there is a pungent odor caused by the release of glucosinolates which are carriers for sulfur.

Scientist suggest that we cut the crucifer foods and let them sit a few minutes before they are cooked to achieve the maximum benefit of the enzyme myrosinase being released which triggers the sulfur containing glucosinlates.

The take home message is that sulfur is a critical element for our joints and so much more.  We can get it by eating crucifer vegetables as well as green leafy vegetables.  Allium vegetables like onions and garlic are also great sources for sulfur.  Other sources of sulfur are organic, pastured eggs, grass-fed meats, nuts and wild-caught Alaskan salmon.  

I eat a diet full of green leafy vegetables along with crucifer vegetables and also take a multi-vitamin multi-mineral supplement called the cellsentials that contains crucifer extracts to help give me the necessary sulfur to aid in joint health.

What are you doing to ensure that your joints are getting the much needed sulfur?  To me it seems pretty simple…pay me now or pay me later.  I had my accident years ago that led me to having a hip replacement, yet had I been aware of the need for more sulfur in my diet who knows what the outcome may have been.  One thing for sure I am taking the proactive approach to protect my other joints by getting lots of sulfur through my diet and supplementation.

Yours in health – One Hip Guy

Earthing/Grounding can make us healthier

Earthing/Grounding can make us healthier

The winter season is finally giving way to spring and then summer.  It is a time for rejuvenation, an awakening of sorts that gives new life to our part of the world.

It is also a time to reconnect to the earth.  For those of us that have been living in the cold climates there has not been any real chance to get “grounded” but now that the seasons are changing we can connect with the earth.

Earthing or grounding is as simple as walking barefoot through the grass or on the beach.  It allows our body to reconnect to the conductive systems that transfer the Earth’s electrons from the ground into the body.

More and more research is showing the tremendous benefits that grounding plays when it comes to our health.  Most of us have lost the ability to connect to the earth because the type of shoes we wear blocks the flow of the earths energy to our body.  Never mind that we live above the ground or wear footwear that are poor conductors.  It has become difficult to find the time to take our shoes off and reconnect with the earth.

Some might ask…”Is it really important at all or is it just some fluff story?

I believe that earthing/grounding is an important part of our overall health.  Scientific studies have shown that grounding 30 minutes a day provided many health benefits.

Reduces inflammation

Reduces pain

Better sleep

Improves mood

Improves energy

Decreases stress

Improves regulation of blood flow in our body

Prevents calcium and bone density loss

Influences thyroid gland function

Anti-aging effects

And much much more

We have become disconnected and lost our electrical connection to the earth which has shown can cause pain, discomfort and chronic illness.

So why not reconnect?  Weather and time permitting spend 30 minutes a day walking on the grass or beach.  Check it out and see if it helps with your mood, stress and anything else that ails you.  Even concrete is a good conductor of the earths energy so if you can’t find grass or sand then walk on the sidewalk with footwear that is conductive like leather sole shoes or even barefoot.  Asphalt is not a conductor and neither is vinyl and wood.

Here is a study that was done just on stress levels and how grounding helped to normalize cortisol.

When grounded, the diurnal rhythm of the stress hormone, cortisol, begins to normalize. Cortisol is connected to your body’s stress response and helps control blood sugar levels, regulates metabolism, helps reduce inflammation, and assists with memory formulation. The figure below shows the results of a study that examined the effects of being grounded while sleeping over the course of eight weeks.

In addition to a normalization of the cortisol rhythm, participants in this study also slept better and woke up feeling more refreshed.

Most people are unable to get the 30 minutes needed to get grounded because their daily life does not allow it to happen.  There are indoor options which can be used while relaxing or sleeping to help get you grounded.  There are chairs, beds, chair mats and more that can be an option for those on the go.  Whatever method you choose your bodies energy field will thank-you for it.

“In all things of Nature there is something of the marvelous.”

– Aristotle

Yours in Health – OneHipGuy

Saving my other hip – Part 3

Saving my other hip – Part 3

In my last two blogs I have been detailing my journey to repair my good hip.  You can read blog one here and blog two here.

Since I last wrote I have maintained my 18 pound weight loss and feel great!

I have detailed how important eating the food that is right for your body type is, however there is so much more to this program than just food.  There is the food category and along with that there are 5 more categories.  Fitness, Mind, Place, Social and Talents are all key components in helping each of us to live in the healthiest state possible.

Upon doing the health assessment each of us gets a report that identifies our food, what type of fitness program is best suited our particular body type, understanding how our mind works and how we react to stress and many other factors, where the best places are to live such as warm dry places or forested locations, etc., how we naturally interact in social environments and what happens when we are forced to interact out of our normal tendencies, and to understand what our natural talents are and how to use them effectively.  Like I said there is so much to this program than just food!

What I discovered is that I prefer to live in warm, dry places with little to no wind.  Places that are windy can suck the energy out of me.  This is interesting since I live in a climate where the weather gets cold in the winter and we have many windy days.  So what do I do?  Move?  For some people this might be an option.  For me, now that I am aware I can set my home environment up so that my place in home is ideal.  I have a warm room with a fireplace that I spend much of my time in during the cold months.  I also travel to warmer climates in the winter to help keep me energized.  I make sure I am dressed warm when venturing out in the cold.

I learned that not all fitness programs fit all people.  As an activator I need to work out in high intensity spurts.  Weight training, competitive games, high intensity training are more my style.  For someone else it might be that their natural tendency is yoga or more focused aerobic exercise.  The time of day is also something that may be different from one person to the other.  For me my preferred workout time is early morning and to be finished by 10 am.  For others it could mid afternoon or even early evening.

So what about you?  If you read this blog then you or someone you know could benefit from knowing the key factors to helping live a more vibrant healthy life.  Consider this as another tool in your health tool box.  In just 3 short months I have felt and noticed a shift in my health that I did not believe was possible.  I have been an advocate of wellness for over 20 years and live everyday helping others with their health choices.  I am thrilled that I added this in my health tool box!

This is such a personalized program that tailors itself to YOU!  I don’t see how I can even describe the program and give it justice. I know I have tried over these 3 blogs.

If you would like to know more about this program please follow the link here and get started on creating a new you!

 

Yours in Health,

 

John – OneHipGuy

 

 

 

 

 

Part 2 My Journey to repair my good hip

Part 2 My Journey to repair my good hip

Two weeks ago I wrote the first in a series of blogs detailing my journey to repair my good hip.  You can read the first blog here.  In my previous blog I promised to share with you the different body types and some of the foods that I am using.

One of the biggest factors to poor health is chronic inflammation.  It contributes to every chronic health issue that modern medicine is attempting to deal with.  This includes joint health!  Our joints are impacted by chronic inflammation within our body and after years of dealing with it begins to lose the battle.  Rid the body of chronic inflammation and you can heal the body.

When my wife Susanne started to delve into the new personalized health program the first thing they asked was to get a profile.  This included measurements over various parts of the body as well as family history and current health circumstances.  Once this health profile is completed it goes into the database and provides an overall view of your body type.  There are 6 key body types.  Guardian, Diplomat, Activator, Connector, Sensor and Crusader.

Based on this profile and the body type that identifies with you the database sets what food are suited best for you and what food are best to avoid.  This seems so simple yet for most people the realization that certain foods are no longer on their “list” of good to eat they can find it very difficult.  It is often hard to let go of past habits to create new ones.  The real question then becomes…just how serious am I about my health and vitality…??

For me I was very serious about my health and vitality!!  I have the mindset that living to 100 should be everyone’s goal.

I was identified as an activator.  Along with that came a new food plan.  I started to eat foods that would help me to rid the chronic inflammation in my body.  Kale and spinach were my new everyday friends along with chives, artichoke hearts, carrots, potatoes and just about any dark green you can think of.  Interesting though, Swiss chard was not one of my new food friends.  In fact it was not recommended at all.  All the foods I have listed would help me to reduce inflammation in my body and as well provide vital nutrients such as vitamins, minerals such as sulfur which helps with joint health.  There are many other benefits such as being anti-fungal, which can help with nail fungus. Eating these foods also helps to create alkalinity which is great for tendons and joints.  Each food has it’s own nutritional super power that are there to help with my specific needs.  There were many fruits that were recommended but not everyday.  Some 4 to 5 times a week and some only once a week.  Protein such as animal protein were recommended only a few times a week.  For instance chicken was suggested to be 2-3 times a week.  Beef such as steak once a week.  Many different types of fish once or twice a week.  I would not go hungry!  Everyday I ate the foods that were rated excellent for me.  Plenty of salads, potatoes, egg whites, sunflower seeds and so on.

One of my favorite ways to get my Kale and Spinach is by making a green smoothie every morning with them in it.  Here is the recipe.

  • Kale 30 grams
  • Spinach 30 grams
  • Artichoke hearts 100 grams
  • Papaya 80 grams
  • Hemp seeds 30 grams
  • Pineapple to taste
  • fresh root ginger 10 grams
  • coconut water or plain filtered water 150 mil
  • egg whites 80 mil
  • grated nutmeg to taste

On the flip side the foods I needed to avoid were processed sugars, alcohol, caffeine, all sweets, junk food, pop, simple carbohydrate foods like white rice, all types of cheese, dairy, bread, chicken livers, and so on. For me it was an easy thing to do because I am highly motivated to have my other hip be healthy.  My “why” when it comes to health is very strong.

There have been times along the way that may have felt a little deprived but it did not take me long to get back on track.  Results helped!

So it began on May 21st, 2017. In the first 2 weeks I started to lose weight very quickly.  My starting weight was 175 and if you looked at me you would think I was at my ideal weight.  After 2 weeks i had lost 5 pounds and was closing in on breaking 170.  I made sure that i was eating lots of food.  My caloric intake remained high and water was an important part of the process drinking at least 8 full glasses of water everyday.  On June 14th I was 165 so in just over 3 weeks I had lost 10 pounds.  My hip was not “firing” like it was only a few short weeks earlier.  I experimented with different ways to cook my excellent foods and found that I started to really like my early morning shakes.  By the end of June I was down another 5 pounds for a total weight lose of 15 pounds!  Remember I was eating like crazy!  My caloric intake was high yet I was losing weight.  It is amazing what happens to the body when it gets the right food.  The pounds were just melting off and my hip was no longer “firing”.

In July I had a birthday and wedding anniversary so I celebrated by having a few of the food and drink that are on my avoid list.  So we celebrated with some champagne and a few beer along with bread and so on. The celebrations were a ton of fun!  It is not what you do once in awhile but what you do most of the time that determines the success or failure of just about anything.  By the end of July I had lost a total of 18 pounds and through the month of August have remained at this weight.  It seems my body has found the right set point and my hip has not “fired” at anytime in the last month.

Losing the weight has been an eye opener for me.  I am at the weight I was 30 years ago.  My hip is feeling better than it has since I started to experience symptoms 18 months ago.  I feel that I am on the right track to full recovery!

In my next blog I will detail other factors this program addresses such as what type of fitness program is right for your body type and what is the best environment for you to live in.  This is a complete personalized health program that is tailored to you and only you!  There are subtle variations for each and every person who does this program.  This is why it works so well.

Yours in Health,

John OneHipGuy

What health group are you?

What health group are you?

Lets face it…having a joint replacement while still young turns people’s head.  Most are so surprised that we get the most peculiar looks and comments.

Some of my favorite comments are:

Were you overweight before?

I thought joint replacements were for old people?

Are you sure you made the right decision?

These seem to be some of the most common comments I hear from people when they find out I have a hip replacement.   I am not sure what is going through the minds of the people making these comments. Perhaps they aren’t thinking at all. Statistically it is no longer uncommon to have hip replacement.  In the US it is estimated there are almost 3 million people who have hip replacements and over 7 million who have some kind of joint replacements.  In Canada the statistics are roughly 10% of the US numbers.

The reality is most people have something going on with their health.

Degenerative disease affects 1 out of every 3 people in the US and Canada.  The most prevalent are heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and brain related illnesses.  In most cases degenerative disease is caused by our own lifestyle choices as I stated in a prior blog.  So what can we do to slow down or even eliminate degenerative disease in our life and those that we love?

Become healthy active.

We all live in one of 5 areas when it comes to health.  The first is the healthy unaware.  This is the McDonald’s fast foodie. Not much thought or education has gone into making their daily health choices from the food they eat to to how much they exercise.  The second is the somewhat aware.  This group of people have read something, watched a program and may even start to consider what they are eating, however they still really don’t take action to improve their health situation.  The third is the healthy aware.  This person is starting to realize the need to look after themselves better and are beginning to pay attention. They start to eat a little better and start to exercise. They even start to take supplements from the grocery store to fill in the missing pieces, however they still eat highly processed foods.  The forth is becoming healthy active.  This person has made it a point to know what foods to eat and what to avoid. They make decisions on their food intake based on knowing what is in it.  This person also views taking a high potency supplement as crucial in helping to fill in the missing pieces safely and effectively.  The fifth and last is the health nut.  This person has gone to the extreme in their health protocol. This requires a lot of discipline to follow and maintain on a daily basis but provides them them the state of health they are looking for. They may be a high level athlete.

Being healthy active is a blend of knowing what is good for you and your family and at the same time have some balance.  It is not what you do in your lifestyle habits 10% of the time…its what you do 90% of the time.  It takes effort to become healthy active, yet it is so worth it.  Do you know how much sugar is recommended in a daily diet?  How much are you consuming? What about your fat intake?  What kind of fats are good for you?  Bad for you?  How much exercise should you get?  What type?  Each of us are unique so our diet and exercise may be unique as well.  There is no one size fits all when it comes to our health. Take the necessary steps to know more and implement it into your daily lifestyle plan.  By doing this you will reduce the possibility of being impacted by degenerative disease.  In essence it is the famous phrase…”pay me now or pay me later”.  There is a price for good health decisions and bad health decisions. .  The price for good health decisions are becoming educated on what is good or bad, staying true to those choices MOST of the time.  Lets face it we all like to let go from time to time.  It is okay to do this.  The results will be a more vibrant you!  The price for bad health decisions…well…lets just say the pay me later will be the biggest price.  There is no crystal ball on what will happen, however we increase the odds of a more healthy and vital life by doing the healthy choices.

 

John One-Hip-Guy

 

Healthy Active Lifestyle

Healthy Active Lifestyle

Lets face it we get some pretty odd comments when people find out that you have a hip replacement.  Some of my favorites are…

…You aren’t very old so why did you get a hip replacement?

…Are you sure you made the right decision?

…Were you overweight before?

These seem to be some of the most common comments I hear from people when they find out I have a hip replacement.   I am not sure what is going through the minds of the people making these comments. Perhaps they aren’t thinking at all. Statistically it is no longer uncommon to have joint replacement.  In the US it is estimated there are almost 3 million people who have hip replacements and over 7 million who have some kind of joint replacements.  In Canada the statistics are roughly 10% of the US numbers.

The reality is most people have something going on with their health.

Degenerative disease affects 1 out of every 3 people in the US and Canada.  The most prevalent are heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and brain related illnesses.  In most cases degenerative disease is caused by our own lifestyle choices as I stated in a prior blog.  So what can we do to slow down or even eliminate degenerative disease in our life and those that we love?

Become healthy active.

We all live in one of 4 areas when it comes to health.  The first is the healthy unaware.  This is the McDonald’s fast foodie. Not much thought or education has gone into making their daily health choices from the food they eat to to how much they exercise.  The second is the healthy aware.  This person is starting to realize the need to look after themselves better and are beginning to pay attention. They start to eat a little better and start to exercise. They even start to take supplements from the grocery store to fill in the missing pieces, however they still eat highly processed foods.  The third is becoming healthy active.  This person has made it a point to know what foods to eat and what to avoid. They make decisions on their food intake based on knowing what is in it.  This person also views taking a high potency supplement as crucial in helping to fill in the missing pieces safely and effectively.  The fourth and last is the health nut.  This person has gone to the extreme in their health protocol. This requires a lot of discipline to follow and maintain on a daily basis but provides them them the state of health they are looking for. They may be a high level athlete.

Being healthy active is a blend of knowing what is good for you and your family and at the same time have some balance.  It is not what you do in your lifestyle habits 10% of the time…its what you do 90% of the time.  It takes effort to become healthy active, yet it so worth it.  Do you know how much sugar is recommended in a daily diet?  How much are you consuming? What about your fat intake?  What kind of fats are good for you?  Bad for you?  How much exercise should you get?  What type?  Each of us are unique so our diet and exercise may be unique as well.  There is no one size fits all when it comes to our health.  Take the necessary steps to know more and implement it into your daily lifestyle plan.  By doing this you will reduce the possibility of being impacted by degenerative disease.

Your One Hip Guy – John