Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Fat-Loss Inhibitors

by Sam Suska

Fat loss is a goal for some of us while only a dream for many others, but with the basic advice from this article you can begin the process of making fat-loss a reality. Noticeable and sustainable fat-loss is not as elusive or as difficult as many people tend to think it is. When one begins to adjust our lifestyle by paying close attention to the following factors (factors that I have found to inhibit fat-loss with wide-ranging research and hands-on experience w/ my profession) they can take control of their body composition (one's percentage of bodyfat and muscle). Fat-loss is the product of improving overall bodily health, mental well-being and even reaching the states of inner peace and happiness.

The intentions with which a man or woman approaches and/or uses in their choice-making process for basic lifestyle necessities is the single most important factor in whether or not fat-loss occurs and more importantly, is maintained. When one applies health-minded intentions to his or her entire lifestyle the fat-loss has been easier to reach (much less stressful) and more sustainable once the initial fat-loss took place. The individuals who apply not only health-minded intentions, but use holistic health-minded intentions (this a focus on mind, body and spirit) have a much easier time losing fat (low stress), keeping it off (due to lasting changes)and even greatly changing their body composition (by adding considerable muscle as well).

Noticeable, sustained fat-loss is the desirable side-effect from the lifestyle I have personally designed and am currently completing a book about; I have entitled this approach to life as 'holistic self-care'. Holistic self-care is designed to help a willing individual improve the connection and deep bond between the mind, body and spirit by addressing the intentions one approaches their entire lifestyle with. Holistic self-care is a highly individualized lifestyle and can help people reach many goals, whether physical or mental by focusing on the most influential factors affecting the goal.

Holistic self-care with a fat-loss focus has been designed to help any willing man or woman achieve noticeable, sustained fat-loss. Holistic self-care is guidance for one to apply holistic-minded intentions (promotion of the mind, body and spirit) for one to make the daily choices that support the basic functions of breathing, thinking, moving, eating, drinking, eliminating, sleeping, grooming and socializing. Holistic self-care with a fat-loss focus provides a specific, measurable goal and asks the willing individual to pay close attention to the following factors that influence whether fat-loss is realized and sustained.

Patience and commitment are the only basic prerequisites to successfully implementing and benefiting from holistic self-care with a fat-loss focus. This holistic-minded approach to lifestyle not only seeks to generate noticeable fat-loss, but more importantly seeks to improve body function, overall health, peace of mind, self-security and sustainable happiness. The underlying thesis is that noticeable, sustainable fat-loss is the result of improved bodily health and connection between the mind, body and spirit. Improve your health to lose your unwanted fat!

The first step towards reaching one's fat-loss goal and thoroughly connecting the mind, body and spirit is actually a state of mind; patience. Excess body-fat is nearly always the result of patterns within the mind and body; patterns that have likely been initiated some time ago and subsisting for quite a while. Occasionally fat may appear to be new (this is likely to be water retention), but the underlying pattern that generates body-fat is ongoing and part of a vicious cycle. The vicious cycle promoting fat-storage or inhibiting fat-loss can be addressed in time with patience and a commitment to addressing the following factors with a holistic self-care lifestyle.

The commitment is to the holistic self-care lifestyle with a fat-loss focus. This guided lifestyle presenting practical options for one to make the 'optimal choices' on a daily basis.
By making the 'optimal choices' with holistic-minded intentions and focusing on fat-loss an individual can greatly improve his or her mindset, health and functional ability of their body and reach a solid spiritual state which promotes the specific goal of fat-loss!

The three aspects of the whole person (mind, body and spirit) are directly affected by the intentions one uses to make choices in daily living. The sources and manners one uses to perform and fulfill the aforementioned 'basic functions' have the ability to connect the mind, body and spirit or promote a dis-connect that may generate harmful patterns which cause the body to slow it's chemical reactions, imbalance it's hormones, oxidize body tissues and reguarly store bodyfat or prevent the "burning" of previously stored bodyfat.

Holistic self-care is a deeply meaningful lifestyle designed to ultimately help one connect their whole 'being' which is represented physically by their body, operated by the mind with a profound impact by the sub-conscious entity we refer to as the spirit.

Many people already take guided care of their body (which may not be guided very well!!), but may be overlooking the many practical ways to support their mind and spirit. The properly balanced lifestyle of holistic self-care with a fat-loss focus can help people push through the sticking points and obstacles which arise and create adversity as one seeks to accomplish noticeable, sustainable fat-loss.

The proper holistic-balance is provided by giving loving care and attention to all three aspects of the whole 'being' (mind, body, spirit) with carefully intended choices. My hands-on experience with my own fat-loss (over 40 pounds of actual fat) and many clients lead me to shift my focus from purely the body to the necessary incorporation mind and spirit. Holistic-minded intentions guide the choice-making process and connect the whole 'being' which creates the mindset and body environment for noticeable, sustainable fat-loss.

The following factors have been concluded through my detailed research (200+ books, a BS in Exercise Science, graduate school in Chinese Medicine, certifications) and personal observations in myself and others (clients, family members, friends and associates I worked with and guided). These appear to be the most common inhibitors for generating and maintaining significant fat-loss. This is not the definitive list, and keep in mind that everybody has a different story complete with individualized patterns that emerge, progress and impact each person's mind and body in different ways.

Holistic self-care with a focus on fat-loss can be truly individualized (e-mail me for more info) to maximize it's power and facilitate quicker results; this is just a brief introduction to the most common overall factors which tend to inhibit fat-loss. In my forthcoming text, "True Health with Holistic Self-Care", the reader has the the option to be an active participant and take assessments which add some individualization to their plan by giving them the ability to choose a focus from fat-loss, emotional stability, detoxification, consistent energy, stress management and athletic performance.


Stress
Over-thinking, worry, depression, anxiety and a feeling of being overwhelmed can be grouped together as 'stress' and this has the potential be the most powerful and confounding factor inhibiting fat-loss. These 'stressful' emotions, feelings and thoughts can initiate or be the result of powerful patterns which stem from the process one uses in thinking. These potentially destructive thought processes tend to emerge over time and require a sincere commitment to alter (change the way one goes about thinking) and with patience, one can overcome these and eventually prosper by instituting and committing to a more positive, rational thought process.

Addressing these 'stressful' feelings, thoughts and emotions begins with commitment to using the rational thought process with a positive outlook that is the hallmark of holistic self-care. Rational thinking is an underlying system of evaluating options, making choices and the entire process of going about the way one thinks. All of which gives one control over how things are considered and what is worth thinking about, not what one specifically thinks.

By addressing how one goes about thinking, holistic self-care can ultimately, with time, address what one uses time and energy to think about, feel and experience emotions. This is because the thoughts and feelings which form emotions are actually the end-result of the process one goes about considering, evaluating and ultimately making choices (especially the subtle choices).

The following link is a very brief introduction to the rational thought process with a positive outlook as put together by Dr. Aldo Pucci, a psychiatrist with years of experience helping people overcome the destructive thoughts and feeling we often refer to as stress. Please take this assessment which comes complete with a somewhat individualized analysis of your answers.


Over-thinking, worry, depression and anxiety use energy and affect the metabolism which can leave a significant amount of acids in the blood. Acids which have the ability to magnify the other, to be mentioned fat-loss inhibiting factors on our body. In addition, these harmful thoughts and feelings have the ability to directly generate the powerful (some say most powerful) fat-loss inhibiting hormone of cortisol; which may be the single most prominent factor in preventing of noticeable fat-loss.

Cortisol is the powerful 'stress' hormone with profoundly negative effects on the overall biochemistry of the body. When cortisol reaches excessive levels the mind and body are negatively impacted; the mind is less sensitive to the leptin hormone and the body is unable to unlock fatty tissue and burn it for energy.

The body needs low levels of cortisol to use previously stored bodyfat as energy, and when a person has lowered sensitivity to the Leptin hormone they tend to overeat because this is generated by the gut to signal fullness. When the mind is less sensitive to it we can understand why many people overeat when 'stressed' out. 'Stress' is probably the main causative factor of excessive cortisol (silent inflammation, which will be discussed next, is a close second), so addressing this always a useful step in fat-loss.

In addition, the mind (in sub-consciousness and consciousness) has the profound ability to control the autonomic nervous system which is like the "wiring" between the brain, gut and fatty tissue. The autonomic nervous system has two separate types of "wires"; the sympathetic nervous system that prepares the body for action, which means it is the response to 'stress'.

In contrast to the 'stressful' sympathetic nervous system the body uses the parasympathetic nervous system which promotes the smooth operation of the body during relaxation. The parasympathetic nervous takes over when the mind is calm and opens up blood supply to the stomach and intestines for digestion to take place and greatly promote overall metabolism.

However, when the mind is 'stressed' the parasympathetic nervous system only functions at a small percentage of it's efficiency as the majority of available energy is shifted to the 'stress'-responding sympathetic nervous system. The results are partial digestion and decreased metabolism which directly lead to the inhibiting of fat-loss and even promotiom of fat-storage.

'Stress' begins with the perceptions, thought processes, feelings and eventual emotions set in motion by the all-powerful mind. This points to the utmost importance of addressing 'stress' first in the process of losing fat, as this can seriously affect one's aspirations to lose fat and improve body composition (by adding muscle as well).

So, a useful early step is to recognizing the present flaws in your thought process by taking the aforementioned 'rational thought process test' followed by instituting the basic suggestions from Dr. Aldo Pucci. One can make notes to take with them throughout their day in order to keep the focus on following the basic advice and instituting a basic rational thought process. Adding simple meditation to your regular daily schedule for just a few minutes at a time, a few minutes per day can really help prevent/relieve 'stress'; here is a solid introduction video:


Here is an article on some potentially 'stress' preventing ideas:

Now you are ready to address the following, possibly less influential factors potentially inhibiting noticeable, sustainable fat-loss.

Excess Blood Sugar
Sugar, in any form is an acid (meaning it has a low pH), toxic (it does not belong in the body) and a product of living matter breaking down. Human body tissue, like plant and animal tissue is matter which is anything that has mass and occupies volume. Living matter (including human tissue) is always building up and breaking down at the same time; this is the duality of nature.
Living matter breaks down, in part to Sugar; so why should we include sugar in our nutrition?

Another important factor to consider about all matter is that it is 99% electrical energy; atoms and molecules are bonded by electrical forces called protons and electrons. These are known as sub-atomic particles which have electrical charges; protons have a positive charge and electrons have a negative charge. This means that all matter contains electrical energy, furthermore this means that the human body is composed of electrical energy; mostly in the form of protons or positively charged ions. These positively charged protons desire and require the negatively charged electrons to react with and generate electrical energy.

The human body is clearly an intricate electrical machine that operates by and with electrical energy; electrical energy we can obtain from the sun (by photons), the air, food and drink. The human body seeks to obtain electrons from these sources for chemical reactions which generate real, long term, useful electrical energy in the human body.

However, the human body always has a back-up plan, and the seemingly invaluable back-up plan many people use to operate (with depleting side-effects) is a positive ion-to-positive ion stimulation. This occurs when positively charged ions (like our body tissues) react with other positively charged ions (like sugar, which is breakdown product of other organic tissues) for immediate stimulation to quickly generate electrical energy in the human body. This is how an acidic, toxic substance like sugar appears to "give" us energy.

Sugar is the product of living matter breaking down (catabolism), and this is why many foods have sugar to some degree (though meats have little as they are from muscles and fats), and why the more a banana ripens the more sugar-dense it becomes! Since all matter contains electrical energy, even partially broken living organic matter still has some. Sugar has electrical energy mostly in the form of positively charged ions; which means that sugar may be a breakdown product of matter but still has electrical energy just not the useful, long-term electrical energy the human body prefers (negatively charged ions).

Sugar (and caffeine as well) can give the body short-term stimulation but leaves people with an overall depleted body (think of sugar crashes) which cannot effectively lose fat because of the cascade of hormonal effects. The immediate result from sugar consumption is increased blood glucose levels, which the body can use to stimulate electrical energy with positive ion-to-positive ion stimulation. Keep in mind the body (including the brain) desires negative ions to react with to generate electrical energy; and these valuable ions can be found in blood sugar, but at a very small percentage.

So, the body will use this insignificant amount of negative ions from sugar while primarily using the high amount of positive ions for stimulation; this prevents the body from using it's own fatty tissue for electrical energy. The human body also has the invaluable ability to subsist on the electrical energy found in it's own tissues; preferably fatty tissues, and this will only happen when the blood sugar is low and the food/drink/sun/air provides a less than adequate supply of negative ions to react with.

For generating and maintaining fat loss the body has to be in a state where the blood sugar level is low and the body has the ability to catabolize (break down) it's own fatty tissue to generate electrical energy. The obvious move here is to remove foods dense with Sugars and starches (these quickly increase blood glucose levels as well) like cereals, deserts, soda's, grains, breads, potatoes, processed drinks and even many fruits from your nutrition.

Replace the foods which increase blood glucose levels with "low-glycemic" whole foods. "Low-glycemic" means that the foods have been found (by testing blood sugar levels) to have a small effect on blood sugar levels by not raising this. Whereas the aforementioned foods (grains, breads, pastas, cereals, even wraps) have been found to raise blood sugar levels and are considered "high-glycemic".

The key here though, is not to focus on "low-glycemic" foods in general, as this can lead you to processed foods and over-consumption of animal foods. Eat food (un-processed), mostly plant-based in whole form like fresh and lightly cooked green vegetables, low-sugar fruits, nuts and seeds and feel free to add in some animal foods and wild seafood and more (check my past articles on nutrition). High quality, cold-pressed oils can also be useful in keeping blood sugar low.

Olive oil, coconut oil, hempseed oil, flaxseed oil, avocado oil, walnut oil and a few other fatty acids that can be purchased in the form of oil have the ability to "stabilize" blood sugar levels by a few different manners. First, they are "low glycemic", which means they have been tested and shown NOT to spike blood sugar levels. Second, and more importantly (and probably why they are considered "low glycemic") is the ability of many of these fatty acids to circulate in the blood and absorb proton-dense substances, take them to the mitochondria and burn them as fuel; thus playing a complementary role in regulating blood sugar levels.

Lots of fresh whole food, lightly cooked whole food, some animal foods and a good amount of high-quality, cold-pressed oils has the ability to stabilize blood sugar levels and promote fat-loss, almost regardless of number of calories ingested (this has to be somewhat reasonable).

Here is the article on Holistic Nutrition:


Silent Inflammation
Silent inflammation is below the pain level and takes place in the blood vessels and connective tissues that surround internal organs and muscles. Silent inflammation is generally the result of excess insulin and excess cortisol.

Insulin is the hormone generated as the body's homeostatic response (a seek to return to normal) to moderate blood glucose levels. Excess insulin may also be generated to deal with moderate amounts of low quality fats like those over-cooked or from processed meats, low quality oils (soybean, corn, vegetable, etc.), heavily cooked nuts and cheeses. Excess insulin prevents the release of electrical energy from fatty tissue to produce the necessary energy for the whole body. Compounding this is the power of insulin to shuttle sugars and low quality fats out of the blood and into previously existing fatty tissues or worse, initiating the creation of new fatty tissue.

There are insulin receptors in muscle cells as well, but these can and will become desensitized when there is insufficient or imbalanced exercise to use all of this blood glucose, with it's positively charged ions, for electrical energy. The result is that muscle cells become resistant to insulin which creates an excess level of insulin that creates and enables the vicious cycle of silent inflammation taking place throughout much of the body.

Excess insulin has now initiated a vicious cycle which also includes an imbalance between hunger and satiety/fullness signaling hormones. These powerful hormones, Ghrelin and the aforementioned Leptin tell the brain when to eat (Ghrelin) and when to stop eating (Leptin); meaning they have the ability to stimulate appetite and cravings for poor food's that are likely to be processed and loaded with sugar.

The vicious cycle of silent inflammation also signals the body to produce cortisol; which as we already know is also generated by a 'stressed-out' mindset foremost. Cortisol is also the body's response to poorly constructed exercise (over-exercise or imbalanced exercising). Excess cortisol has many potentially disastrous effects on the body including the initiation of breaking down muscle tissue for use of electrical energy (catabolism) because the silent inflammation prevents the use of fatty tissue for the necessary generation of energy.

Silent inflammation as a whole disrupts the entire body and creates a breakdown in communication between the gut, mind and fatty tissues which affects the hormones. In terms of fat-loss silent inflammation prevents the body from efficiently using the electrical energy in fatty tissue to produce energy for the whole body and thus 'burning fat' and ultimately losing fat are impossible; even with low calories and excessive exercise.

The key here is to prevent the formation of this vicious cycle by consuming mostly whole foods like green vegetables, low-sugar fruits and nuts/seeds and especially oils. Oils can not only prevent the initiation of the harmful cycle but can actually help break the cycle. Omega 3 fatty acids, which are found in flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, walnuts, wild fish and the revered fish oil should be specifically added to anyone's nutrition plan (by supplements and additional oils) desiring fat-loss.


Low Digestive Power
Low powered digestion is typically the result of the stomach being over-loaded with foods and drinks it does not have the ability to adequately prepare for absorption by the small intestine. When this becomes a pattern it may not matter how much food (even a small amoutn)or drink is put into the stomach because the stomach has become so deficient in necessary nutrients while also having some damage to it's hard-working tissues (which is reversible).

The first step to understanding why digestion power is low is to acknowledge that the primary job of the stomach is to prepare it's contents for absorption by the small intestine. The small intestine requires the food and liquid it receives from the stomach to have a high pH in order to be absorbed by the micro-villi which line it and create 7,000 feet of surface area in this body organ. Once absorbed the liquefied food/drink can be used to generate chemical reactions for electrical energy, nutrients for various body cells and tissues and even give information to the genes for their expressions.

So, we can see how important it for the stomach to raise the pH of the foods and drink inside of it by secreting baking soda (sodium bicarbonate from the cover cells), with it's high pH onto the ingested foods while also churning them to break them down to a liquefied substance. The byproduct of this process is stomach acid which is then intended to be absorbed in the bottom of the stomach (called the gastric pits) and absorbed into the bloodstream so as not to harm the liquefied food with a higher pH.

However when the stomach does not have the ability to raise the pH of it's liquefied contents the small intestine will not be able to appropriately use this for electrical energy, cellular nutrition and genetic expression. So, these foods are stored as bodyfat or worse, they sit in the small intestine or colon; where it is estimated the average American has between 5-12 lbs. of un-digested foodstuff collecting.

The stomach's inability to raise the pH of it's contents is usually the result of a few things; one is over-consumption of foods with extremely low pH (like most processed food and drinks, sodas, coffee, meats, breads, cereals, all dairy, corn and soy oils, etc.) another is a deficiency of pure, organic Salt and the last is damaged tissue in the gastric pits of the stomach (which pulls stomach acid out of the stomach). Pure, organic Salt is from Sea Salt and pure sodium also naturally occurs in many foods, most notably green vegetables. Pure salt cannot be efficiently obtained in the American diet which is full of heavily processed Salt, which is largely in-organic to the human body.

The stomach uses pure salt, along with water and carbon dioxide to form the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) for it's cover cells which then secrete this substance onto it's contents in order to properly prepare them for absorption by the small intestine. When the stomach is over-loaded with food it cannot properly raise the pH of (and this can happen from just a small amount of foods when one is deficient of pure, organic Salt) the digestive power will ultimately suffer and the body will tend to store foods as body-fat if they are absorbed, and if not they may collect in the bowels.

This can be addressed by first consuming less acidic (low pH) food and drinks while adding pure Sea Salt to your meals of fresh green vegetables, low-sugar fruits, nuts, seeds, wild fish and more whole foods. Supplementation with Baking Soda is also useful, as this directly supplies the cover cells with it's needed substance to raise the pH of stomach contents. One can also supplement with Aloe Vera and Chlorophyll which soothe the intestines and promote healing of the tissue in the gastric pits, so as to improve removal of stomach acid.


Cellular Inefficiency
The human body has this wonderful ability to breakdown it's own tissue (catabolism) and use it to meet the daily needs for energy. This is why many people, and specifically diabetics, actually wake up in the morning with higher blood sugar levels than they went to sleep with. However, the human body prefers to break down it's own fatty tissue and use it for energy, and when someone follows the previous advice this becomes possible.

"Fat-burning" occurs at the cellular level in the "powerhouse" of the cell known as the mitochondria. Once an individual takes care of the previously mentioned factors that may inhibit fat-loss he or she has one more potential obstacle to overcome: the number and efficiency of the mitochondria. The mitochondria is where the fatty tissue and circulating fats (from the aforementioned high-quality oils) are "burned" to generate electrical energy for the human body to operate.

People following the American Diet full of processed foods have been found to have significantly less mitochondria than those eating other forms of nutrition plans; and this was with comparable exercise frequency. Furthermore, it has been shown that exercise not only increases the number of mitochondria one has, but also improves the efficiency these 'fat-burners' operate at.

The mitochondria number and efficiency are largely impacted by the surrounding environment of the cell in which they are located. When the surrounding environment is dense with free radicals which create a harmful process that oxidizes cells (partial breakdown), the mitochondria will decrease in overall number and those left will not be able to operate at a very notable level. A lot of oxidation is natural and occurs during general metabolism and operation of the human body; the body can handle this level of free radicals very capably.

But, when one has insufficient levels of exercise, imbalanced exercise (too much of one type of exercising) or more likely consumes the American diet and suffers from high amounts of 'stress' their body will very likely be unable to capably and efficiently handle the oxidation from excessive free radicals. The result of this type of lifestyle are decreased number of mitochondria found in the cells and the one's that are found are likely operating at an inefficient level.

The most profound step we can take at this point is to commit to regular, balanced exercise. Regular exercise is at the very least 3 or 4 times per week for around an hour each time which needs to be properly balanced between cardio, flexibility and resistance forms of training. Cardio training has been found to increase the number of mitochondria more than any other action known to man, so this should take the greatest percentage of one's exercise time.

The absolutely necessary complement to regular cardio exercise is resistance training, which has been shown to increase mitochondria efficiency while building muscles and if properly designed also improve functional ability. Functional ability is anything that promotes the intended posture, muscular balance and regular movements of daily living. Flexibility training is also vital in promoting functional ability and mitochondria efficiency (by helping remove acids in the cellular environment), so it is clear how important regular, balanced exercise is for noticeable, sustainable fat-loss.

Here is the article on Holistic Exercise:


Thyroid Malfunction
The thyroid is the gland which governs our overall metabolism. The thyroid is stimulated by a hormone from the pituitary gland which itself receives a signal from the hypothalamus to generate this thyroid-stimulating-hormone. The chain of thyroid function begins in the brain and appears this level of thyroid function needs adequate amounts of water, omega-3 fats, vitamin B6 and Zinc. So, by consuming these daily you can possibly address this sub-category of fat-loss inhibitor.

The next step of the actual thyroid receiving the stimulating-hormone is crucial and also appears to be heavily dependent on nutrients; pure Salt, Iodine and Selenium being foremost. In addition to these valuable nutrients the thyroid itself has to be free of oxidation (from acidic free radicals which move in our body at various levels depending on health, metabolism, elimination and mitochondrial efficiency) which in this case appears to harm the thyroid most notably from heavy metals like aluminum and mercury.

If the thyroid has low amounts of oxidation with adequate amounts of Iodine, pure Salt and Selenium it will accept the thyroid-stimulating-hormone and generate then secrete it's own hormone known as thyroxin. Thyroxin goes to nearly all of the cells in the human body and must then be converted to a usable form of thyroid hormone in the Liver and at the cellular level; this conversion is vital and requires an alkaline (high) pH of the intra-cellular and extra-cellular fluids that are within and around the cells.

As you can see there are multiple areas where thyroid function can be impaired and the whole body, nearly all of it's cells will suffer from a decreased metabolism. The best approach appears to be naturally by hydrating, eating whole foods and supplementing with the previously mentioned nutrients (pure Salt, B6, Iodine, Selenium, Zinc) that directly impact thyroid function. Furthermore, decreasing intake of poor foods and products with heavy metals (aluminum and mercury) can be vital in addressing thyroid function naturally with lifestyle improvements.

Thyroid malfunction, or "slow" metabolism can be addressed with nutritional supplementation, and the aforementioned 'stress' prevention/relief, whole foods and superfluous amounts of water. This overall approach may take some time to observe and feel as this gland may take a while to regulate and function optimally. But a "slow" thyroid is often times the missing-link to realizing and maintaining fat-loss and can be addressed with commitment to a lifestyle of holistic self-care and additional supplementation.

Holistic Self-Care with Fat-Loss Focus

We are addressing 'stress' by instituting a rational thought process and introducing consistent meditation. We are addressing excess blood sugar and silent inflammation with consistent meals every few hours, "low-glycemic" whole foods and high-quality cold-pressed oils. We are addressing low digestive power and thyroid malfunction with whole foods and effective supplementation. Finally, we are addressing cellular inefficiency with balanced exercise and of course, whole foods. By committing to holistic self-care with a fat-loss focus one is actually beginning their progression through the Stages of Empowerment.


The Stages of Empowerment is the experience one goes through in the process of connecting their mind, body and spirit which improves mental and bodily health and allows one to reach their potential and whatever goal they desire. Happiness, inner peace, self-security and bodily health can be the products of holistic self-care which facilitates noticeable, sustainable fat-loss.

For more information on addressing the fat-loss inhibitors and reaching a state where the mind, body and spirit are happy, balanced and connected please contact me for a copy of my coming text, "True Health with Holistic Self-Care". Or you can contact me for some individualized help in achieving your goal, whether it is fat-loss, happiness, security or peace of mind.

truehealthservices@gmail.com
412-670-8621 Sam Suska

Monday, June 20, 2011

Bibliography of "True Health with Holistic Self-Care"

by Sam Suska

"The Four Agreements" by Miguel Ruiz

"The Power of Intention" by Wayne Dyer

"In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan

"The pH Miracle: Revised and Updated" by Dr. Robert O. Young

"Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes

"The Biology of Belief" by Bruce Lipton



"Cosmic Karma: Understanding Your Contract with the Universe" by Marguerite Manning


"The UltraMind Solution" by Dr. Mark Hyman
"Ultra Metabolism" by Dr. Mark Hyman

"What Intelligence Tests Miss: The Psychology of Rational Thought" by Keith E. Stanovich


"Ignore the Awkward: How the Cholesterol Myths are Kept Alive" by Uffe Ravnskov

"The Hidden Danger of Soy" by Dianne Gregg

"Know Your Fats", by Mary Enig

"Herb, Nutrient and Drug Interactions" by Stargrove, Treasure, McKee

"The Second Brain" by Michael Gershon

"Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon

"The Untold Story of Milk, Revised and Updated" by Ron Schmid

"Salt Your Way to Health" by David Brownstein

"Our Daily Meds" by Melody Petersen

"Energy Medicine: Balancing Your Body's Energies for....." by Donna Eden

"Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" by Weston A. Price

"Your Body Doesn't Lie" by John Diamond

"Essential Atlas of Physiology" by Barron's

"The Foundations of Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive Text..." by Giovanni Maciocia

"Healing with Whole Foods", by Paul Pitchford

"Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning" 3rd Edition

"How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy" by Paul Chek

"Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program...." by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

"The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell

'The Raw Food Detox Diet" by Natalia Rose

"The Paleo Diet" by Loren Cordain

"Emotional Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman

"The No-Grain Diet" by Joseph Mercola

"Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine is Making Us Sicker and Poorer" by Shannon Brownlee

"Critical Thinking: An Applied Approach" by Daniel N. Boone

"Toxic Fat: When Good Fat Turns Bad" by Barry Sears
"The Omega Rx Zone" by Barry Sears

"The Coconut Oil Miracle" by Bruce Fife


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Why We NEED a 3rd Political Party

by Sam Suska

Our society operates on a system of credit provided by banks. Actually this is better stated as: our society runs on a system of credit which is operated by a system of banks who are also the most significant influence on our government.
When the system of credit breaks down we all suffer, even those of us not in debt (there are a few of us not in debt). The majority of people are unaware of how the system of credit works and just how far-reaching the effects of this system are; the system of credit in the US largely determines the value of the dollar in your pocket, the return on your investments, the overall quality of life in the present, economic outlook and most notably the decisions made by politicians "running" the government.

Let's start by discussing the operation of these banks and from here this will begin to make sense to you and how this ties into politics. First, let us consider that banks run on money (how obvious) and nearly all money (about 95%) in existence is created as the principal and interest of loans given by these banks. The promise to repay a loan from regular people like us or domestic businesses (US businesses!) actually creates the great majority of money in the United States and really signifies the growth and function of our economy, but this system is not sustainable.

The principal + the interest = repayment (which goes on to promote this system), or agree to repay and new money is created!!! It is actually the agreement to repay that creates this money, not the actual repayment itself that creates this new money.
This means the existence of money and so-called economic growth are largely dependent on the ability of banks to issue credit to regular people and domestic businesses who simply agree to the repayment.

So, what this really means is that the principal + interest of loans always exceeds the total assets of the regular people or domestic businesses!! As a result our debt is always considerably greater than our total assets and overall actual money in the US. Money is like a figment of our imaginations. This system of illusionary money is not sustainable because debt is always exceeding money, by far in fact, and this is by design from the powers-that-be who run the powerful big central banks.

A conservative overall estimate of credit card debt for US citizens is about $2.5 trillion, and when this is added to the school loans, car loans and mortgages that nearly everyone seems to have or desires for, the numbers become intimidating; the typical individual debt of a US citizen is estimated to be over $150,000. Yes, the 300+ million Americans have, on average a 6-figure debt, which has become commonly accepted over the last 50 years and even expected by many as a means to reach the "good life" with school, car and house loans.

The "American Dream" may be more accurately depicted as "living above one's means" and this appears to fuel the economy and push the debt of not only regular people, but businesses and the government through the ceiling. The system of credit built with loans and resulting debt have facilitated unforeseen growth of the economy,but the "American Dream" is not only un-sustainable, but the regular people are now being exploited by the powers-that-be which use structure of small banks, big banks and government enforcement to maintain this destructive system.

Understanding the established power structure begins with understanding that the creation of money from loans to regular people and domestic businesses enables the entire process to take place. The loan itself is really just an exchange of promises (usually involving a 3rd party in some capacity as well). Banks have the power to create money out of thin air, and expand the economy by loaning to regular people like us.

The bank never actually buys a house or car from the official 3rd party when they issue many of their sizable loans; they come to the transaction empty-handed and have their own "inter-bank" agreements with the other banks and insurance agencies. So the buyer puts a house or car as collateral but they or the bank never actually own the house or car. It is all part of an intricate system of smaller banks, bigger banks, insurance companies and government encouragement/"enforcement" and of course lots of fictional money. The flaws of this system led to the "housing bust" and the requesting from Wall Street to be "bailed out" a few years back.

A large central bank backs these smaller banks that work with the regular people and domestic businesses to enable, maintain and of course enlarge our debt, the fictional money "supply" and the system of credit as a whole. The Federal Reserve System, which by the way is the private bank which makes money for the US (and charges the govt. interest for it) and loans it to the people and government for another small fee, is one of the main central banks for Americans. There is also the Bank of England, which is probably the most powerful central bank in the world, as it is has been operated by and funded by the infamous Rothschild banking family for around 200 years.

The great majority of money in the free market of the US (at least 95% of it) has been created by this system of creating money with loans to regular people and domestic businesses by the smaller banks who have to be 'backed' by the powerful central banks. This also means that nearly all of this created money is not 'backed' by gold, silver or any sort of commodity which represents a value to people.

The aforementioned "inter-bank" agreements are an intricate system which operates at the smaller bank level and rarely involves the actual passing of money between them; it is all about accounting, taxing, agreements to pay and of course, the necessary backing of the central banks. The central banks have this great power and influence over this entire system, and they will exercise this at time they deem necessary (like forcing the US government to "bail-out" Wall Street), which will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the world market and overall society in multiple ways.

For example, in recent years the Federal Reserve System (the private bank which loans money to us) has simply manufactured more and more money (think: inflation) to cover the un-sustainable system of debt; this is actually exploiting regular citizens like us. Money no longer represents value, money now represents debt and the US citizens have lots of debt, more debt than we even know. Debt by us regular people to banks, the powerful central banks which use this debt system to exercise power over society and the politicians that appear to "run" the government.

"Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes it's laws," quote the famous banker Mayer Anselm Rothschild, one of the most powerful humans beings in history. The central banks are operated by people like Mr. Rothschild, whose family at present time is estimated to be worth over $70 trillion dollars, but their wealth is virtually unknown/undetermined because this is the family which operates the Bank of England and sits on the boards of the Federal Reserve System and many of the most powerful global corporations (like defense contractors and food/seed processing companies).

The American government is in the control of the powers-that-be seeking to preserve the system of credit which results in regular citizens like us being exploited in multiple fashions. First, we are willingly flourishing the system where we end up in extreme debt but we also unknowingly preserve this system by electing the same type of people to government power over and over, and these people serve the powers-that-be!

There is a reason the American government is well over $50 trillion in actual debt, but this is just the beginning of the story; some bankers can estimate this to be about $600 trillion when they factor in the inflation of US money from the over-manufacturing of it by the private bank known as the Federal Reserve System.

The system of credit has used our government, exploited the regular citizens all while hiding the reality that this is not sustainable without manipulating the intricate systems between the smaller banks, making dangerous government decisions and even bringing in other outside economies as well, like China. After all, China is whom the government owes the majority of these trillions and trillions of US dollars to; and China is beginning to see that the un-sustainable system of credit is getting closer to it's inevitable collapse.

The willingness of banks to create so much money (and obvious debt) has enabled and encouraged us regular people to recklessly consume; and other countries outside of this economic system got in on this action, most notably China. So, now China is deeply tied into this system of credit as their economy is in large part based on selling products to regular US citizens and US companies while also loaning the government even more money. China has been exchanging promises with our government to preserve and attempt to even swell our economy/debt/consumption, but this is may have brought about the "beginning of the end".

The central banks, China and the top-level bankers at the smaller banks are aware of this and they are motivated to pull strings and make moves on a daily basis just to keep this system of credit from collapsing. They clearly do not want this system to collapse, as their positions of power will be altered, though not finished as they will still be in a much better position than regular citizens. These top-level bankers are working right now all over the country at places like PNC Bank, Wall Street, credit card companies, government lobbyists and at the various Federal Reserve System banks to sustain this system by preventing the inevitable collapse.

The side-effect is that we regular citizens are feeling the coming collapse by the decreasing value of our money. The purchasing power of the US dollar has decreased remarkably over just the past 3 or 4 years. Food prices, utility prices and housing prices in comparison to income and wealth have significantly decreased our standard of living. The general cost of living is up, way up, while wages have remained the same and the amount of people without any income or on government assistance are at incredible highs.

Us regular people can weather the storm and control our individual debt while hoping this system avoids collapse during our lifetime; we can prepare for the worst case scenario (complete collapse) or we can take a moderate approach. I personally recommend the moderate approach where we regular people avoid creating more debt, while not worrying too much about resolving our past debt (this system is past resolution). But that is just the start, what we really need to do at the personal level is considerably reduce our fuel use, utility bills, unnecessary consumption (this is purchasing products and possessions we don't need) all while growing more of our own food, taking better care of our health (Americans spend $250+ billion on prescription drugs per year) and inspiring others to do the same.

We also need to pass on word of how the credit system runs our society at multiple levels; as more people begin to understand that money is debt and this system of debt is un-sustainable then they may begin to take a more careful, mindful approach to life. I personally hope this will inspire people to get out of a possession-oriented lifestyle (where a loaned car and house speak for one's value) and start incorporating a more holistic-minded philosophy and approach to life as a whole which makes personal health and helping others as priorities.

Promoting our own personal health will be a good way to combat the stress of over-inflation and de-valuing of our money; in fact it can help decrease the individual debt (healthcare is truthfully our biggest domestic economy). In addition to this we can alter the present structure by electing politicians who will get the government out of it's role of serving the central banks by making dangerous decisions (like multiple wars) and encouraging regular citizens to increase debt while enforcing/creating the rules/laws that promote the system of credit as a whole.

At present moment the congress, senate and president are really in on this together, regardless of party affiliation because they are serving the powers-that-be who seek to preserve and promote the present system of credit. Keep in mind that we do not want to collapse this system but make fundamental shifts in government and society to alter the system of credit and remove us regular people from the position where we are being so incredibly exploited by the system. We regular people send our loved ones to fight in these economy-stimulating (system of credit preserving) wars while paying considerable taxes on land that we "own" all while losing purchasing power in the money we need to function in society.

A third political party is the necessary step, as both of the present parties are influenced, some may even say controlled by the central banks to maintain the present system of credit by pulling strings in many ways at a few levels to prevent a collapse. When one party takes power they move to further the agenda of the powers-that-be in banking and the global or national corporations which altogether preserves their and our system of credit. But in a few years the public catches on to this and steps up to elect new so-called "leaders" and "decision makers" who just go on to commit the same type of exploiting and overall harmful actions to the regular people.

I personally supported Barack Obama during his rise into prominence and ultimately into "power"; I bought into his push for "change". I believe Barack Obama was, during his rise, genuinely interested in changing the government and helping the people recover from the atrocities previous presidents (most notably Bush Jr, but Clinton and Bush Sr. as well) allowed to happen and in many cases even facilitated . But at some point, and many speculate this was during mid-2008 when he supposedly met with the Bilderberg Group (the powerful top-level bankers and global businessmen), he became influenced by the powers-that-be seeking to preserve the system of credit.

So, Barack Obama "bailed out" the smaller banks (yes, Wall Street is the smaller banks), maintained the two wars we already had going, started a new conflict and even enabled and promoted the over-manufacturing of money by the private Federal Reserve System. This made it clear to me, a man who sincerely cares about civil-rights and the core conservative values that left and right, liberal and conservative, Republican and Democrat are all the same! They are all the same because they maintain the present system of credit which exploits us regular people while serving the powers-that-be who profit and benefit from this.

The civil rights of liberals and the core values of conservatives both greatly appeal to me, but there is a fundamental flaw to this 2-party system. This 2-party system is designed to split the regular people which creates a structure that ultimately serves the system of credit in exploiting the regular people with deception; meaning there is really one option with two names serving the same interest. Issues like abortion, global warming, gay marriage and welfare/social programs are divisive to the public and take our minds and focus off of the deeper issue which is the perverse, infectious power of the system of credit and the far-reaching effects from this; multiple wars, deep debt to communist China, de-value of US dollar, etc.

As I have previously mentioned, both parties have appealing core values, important principles, but they are designed to drive a wedge in the public and support the present political structure that is working for the powers-that-be. We regular people need to focus on the most important issue at hand, which is the system of credit and the powers-that-be seeking to maintain and promote it by harmful means like multiple wars, harmful banking practices (Wall St) and commodity manipulation of most notably oil but gold, silver and copper as well.

We the people must take a stand by empowering a 3rd party to ultimately address this corruption and get out of our current position of being exploited and victimized by the powers-that-be operating the system of credit.

For many of us, especially those with years of loyalty to a party (like to Liberals for civil rights) and/or focus on certain issues (like abortion and religion), it will be tough to make this fundamental shift in political support but this is absolutely necessary to alter the system and empower us regular people. We have to start making some small sacrifices on the personal level now in order to improve our position in the coming years and give our children and young family members a functional American society in which they can prosper.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

True Health with Holistic Self-Care

How to Build a Commitment to Holistic Self-Care

by Sam Suska

Most of us can agree that happiness, inner peace and overall ‘health’ are respectable, widely agreed upon general goals for life. They are meaningful, attainable and rationally determined when we investigate the specific and seemingly superficial goals that many people also report. People tend to report happiness as a direct goal of life or they claim to seek wealth and possessions that facilitates this overall feeling. It appears to be that the pursuit of happiness, which can easily be misguided, is a general approach to life for the majority of the population.

Inner peace is usually not a direct goal of life, as this is a sub-conscious characteristic marked by patience, positivity and faith in self-empowerment; when people lack this trait internal conflict is bound to emerge and negatively impact quality of life. Inner conflict occurs when one's sub-conscious has not fully adjusted to the experiences, 'stressors' and adversity presented to and within the person in the past or present. Inner conflict or the lack of inner peace is generally signified by an inability to focus, frustration, hostility and general negativity among other traits. Inner peace is a deep sense that builds a foundation for the person to maximize potential in life and possibly even reach success in many ways never imagined.

Overall ‘health’ includes the mind and the body and is generally expressed by seemingly endless natural energy or the opposite which includes disorders, symptoms, illness and disease. This implies that most people think of ‘health’ as whether or not someone has noticeable signs that can be described as one of the preceding problems. That is a seriously flawed and highly subjective way to define ‘health’; therefore the first step in building a commitment to ‘holistic self-care’ is by specifically defining 'health' and keeping in mind that this is the focus and intention of this potentially life altering lifestyle.

In order to reach happiness, inner peace and overall ‘health’ one starts by defining ‘health’ followed by taking the next step to form basic holistic-minded principles which promote the holistic-minded definition of ‘health’. We have to analyze the overall goals of life and determine how and why these emerge and persevere. They appear to be dependent on the underlying state of the person, or the state of each aspect of the whole ‘being’.

The whole ‘being’ includes the physical body, the conscious mind and the sub-conscious realm we will refer to as the spirit; these entities work together and integrate to form the overall state of the whole whole 'being'. Therefore, we need to show the whole ‘being’ loving care and attention on a daily basis by making ‘optimal choices’ which promote the specific states of mind, body, spirit that form the optimal state of the whole 'being' enabling happiness, inner peace and overall ‘health’. We will determine the overall state of the person and the individual states of mind, body and spirit that appear to determine happiness, inner peace and overall ‘health’ and whether or not one reaches the goals of life.

At this point we form the entire holistic-minded philosophy we will use to approach life and the choices we have to make in performing and fulfilling the ‘basic functions’. The approach to life is shaped by the holistic-minded intention we apply to ourselves on a daily, continuous basis in order to reach and maintain these deeply meaningful goals in life which have a multitude of positive side-effects including, but not limited to humility, security with one’s self, focus, increased production with helpfulness, kindness and compassion to and for others.

Building familiarity and knowledge of the holistic-minded philosophy is rather simple, practical and realistic for virtually all people with an open-mind and a willingness to take ‘control’ over their health and happiness. Implementing this lifestyle with powerful, happiness and ‘health’ promoting holistic-minded intentions is a well thought process which is detailed in the ‘Stages of Empowerment’.

The progression through the ‘Stages of Empowerment’ is different for everyone, but will always be rewarding with potential to improve quality of life and reach the basic goals of happiness, inner peace and overall ‘health’. As we become more consistent and dedicated to holistic-minded intention we will stabilize our states of mind, body and spirit which work together in forming the overall state of ‘being’ and create and enable an increased quality of life with happiness, inner peace, overall ‘health’ and the positive side-effects like self-security, humility, production and helpfulness and compassion to others.

For the holistic-minded definition of 'health' complete with holistic-minded principles which form the invaluable holistic-minded intentions that shape a holistic-minded philosophy and allow the open-minded and willing individual to progress through the Stages of Empowerment please read my upcoming book, "True Health with Holistic Self-Care". This text has the ability to truly help anyone with the open-mind to read it and willingness to begin the process of implementing the suggested lifestyle to progress through the Stages of Empowerment and reach happiness, inner peace and overall 'health'.

Thank you for reading and please e-mail me at truehealthservices@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments or simply seek more knowledge of holistic self-care. I am always willing and able to explain holistic self-care or help anyone regardless of the situation or circumstances. Every interaction in life is a chance to help someone or improve one's self.