The research team looked at links between measures of lean body mass and diets relatively high in potassiun-rich, alkaline -residue producing, fruits and vegetables. Such diets could help neutralize acidosis. (Foods can be considered alkaline or acidic based on the residues they produce in the body, rather than whether they are alkaline or acidic themselves. For  example, acidic grapefruit are metabolized to alkaline residues.)

The researchers conducted an analysis of a subset of nearly 400 male and female volunteers aged 65 and older. The volunteers’ physical activity, height and weight, and percentage of lean body mass were measured at the start of the study and again, after three years. Their  urinary potassium was measured and their dietary data collected.

Volunteers whose diets were rich in potassium – that is-, high in fruits and vegetables – showed an average of 3.6 more pounds of lean tissue mass than volunteers with half that levels of potassium intake. That almost offsets the 4.4 pounds of lean tissue that is typically lost in a decade in healthy  men and women aged 65 and above, according to the study authors.

Other important nutrients to consider when focusing on building muscle mass or increasing metabolism are calcium and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

Increasing your consumption of produce, calcium-rich foods and adding a CLA supplement to your daily routine will help you not only increase your muscle mass, but also stay healthy and increase longevity.

If you want to find out exactly how to maximize your diet in terms of fat/muscle ratio, consider my FLT Program;  for more info, call the office at 905-884-7965.

Children with an autism spectrum disorder ASD) display a triad of dysfunction involving impaired communication skills, difficulties with social interactions and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior (Strock 2008). ASD is usually diagnosed sometime between 18 months and three years of age (Filipek 1999). Parents often report that they notice subtle problems with their child, typically beginning at birth (Strock 2008). Children with ASDs appear unresponsive to people and may focus intensely on an object for extended periods of time. Some parents notice that their once babbling and engaged  child becomes withdrawn, unusually quiet and uninterested in socializing. Eventually, a pediatrician or a developmental pediatrician gets involved, and a formal diagnosis of autistic disorder or another pervasive developmental disorder is ascribed to the child based on specific criteria found in the Diagnostic and Statistic manual of mental Disorders, 4th edition, text revision.

It is important to distinguish between the clinical terms and descriptions of ASD and our understanding and knowledge of people who live with ASD. We need to understand clinical terms used in medical settings, during diagnosis, and in certain treatment or intervention settings. However, it is wise to keep in mind that these terms may also be seen as limiting labels to some people on the spectrum who feel that ASDs have been “medicalized” to the point where individuals who are unique in their skills, abilities and value to their communities, have been forgotten or eclipsed by the “disorder”.

The prevalence of ASD is rather startling. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that two to six per 1,000 children (range from one in 500 to one in 150) have an ASD, with the risk being three to four times higher in males than females (Strock 2008). Proposed causes of ASD include neurotransmitter dysfunction involving serotonin, dopamine and epinephrine, as well as genetic vulnerability and abnormal brain development beginning sometime during the first few months of an infant’s life (Strock 2008). Other controversial causes proposed include antibiotic use, mercury exposures, frequent vaccinations, soil depletions of vital nutrients, decreased essential fatty acids from the diet, xenobiotic toxins, passage of peptides through the blood brain barrier, electrolyte instability, allergic manifestations and inflammatory gut reactions (Kane 1999, Kidd 2002).

Autism is the most common neurological disorder affecting children and one of the most common developmental disabilities affecting Canadians in general. ASDs change the way the brain processes information and can affect all aspects of a person’s development. Classic autism usually appears during the first three years of life. Autism is four times more common in boys than girls.

Each individual is unique – no one person with an ASD responds or behaves exactly like another with the same diagnosis.

While it is difficult to determine the etiopathology of ASD, parents and caregivers can choose from a variety of natural medicines that have been shown to improve functionality among children with ASD.

Some of the most commonly used natural medicines consider in AS cases are:

Vitamin B-6 – improved eye contact, reduction of self-stimulatory behaviour, increased interest, reduced tantrums, and increased speech.

Magnesium- reduction in irritability, sound hypersensitivity and enuresis

Pangamic Acid/Calcium Pangamate- Improved verbal and speaking

Cod liver Oil-Improved sleeping patterns, better eye contact, increased cognitive and motor skills, and reductions in irritability, aggression, and hyperactivity

N,N Dimethylglcine —- Improved verbal communication, social interaction, increased ability to give affection, increased  energy and a reduction in seizures

Saccharomyces boulardii- Reduction in gastrointestinal symptoms and improvement in neuropsychiatric symptoms

Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG— Reduction in gastrointestinal symptoms and improvement in neuropsychiatric symptoms

Methyl Donor Nutrients– 1 mg of folic acid or 800 mcg of folinic acid, 1,000 mg of betaine, and 2,000-5 000mcg of methylcobalamin- Improvements in speech and cognition.

An often overlooked natural medicine for the treatment of ASD is St. John’s Wort (SJW) extract. There are numerous scientific papers demonstrating an association between ASD and serotonergic dysfunction. In autistic patients there appears to be disequilibrium between the peripheral and central turnover of serotonin and increased glucocoticoid-induced neurotoxicity (Croonberghs 2008). Of significance is the possibility that central serotogenic hypoactivity is involved in the pathophysiology of autism (Croooneneberghs 2007).

Favourable therapeutic   outcomes have been achieved from the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to mitigate serotonergic abnormalities (Kolevzon 2006). The majority of studies utilizing SSRIs have shown significant improvements in global functioning and in symptoms associated  with anxiety and repetitive behavoiurs (Kolevzon 2006).Clinical studies have demonstrated that SJW extract works similarly to mainstream SSRIs with fewer side effects  (Anghelescu 2006, Kasper 2006). SJW extract has also shown efficacy for the treatment of anxiety.

Melatonin is another natural medicine that is being used with greater frequency as a treatment for sleep disorders that often accompany ASD. Melatonin is a natural hormone secreted in the brain by the pineal gland. The production of ,melatonin increase with darkness and induces sleepiness, whereas its production ceases when exposed to bright light. Melatonin thus regulates the sleep/wake cycle, also known as the circadian rhythm. Sleep disorders and deficient melatonin levels are frequently observed in ASD (Bourgeron 2007). In fact, the gens that control circadian rhythms  modulate specific synapsis cell adhesion molecules, and might be involved in the development of ASD (Bougeron  2007). Clinical studies have supported as an intervention for children with both sleep disturbances and ASD (ANdersen 2008, Wasdell 2008, Garstang 2006, Giannnoti 2006). No adverse effects were reported in any with psychotropic medications.

Natural treatments for ASD provide hope and help to caregiver searching for new ways of improving the lives of their loved ones. Although patients with ASD present serious neurodevelopmental  problems, the addition of specific natural compounds can help to “Normalize” the affected child by improving parameters such as speech, eye contact, social skills and cognitive function.

When reading this article you will learn about autistic spectrum disorders and 9 helpful natural remedies.

KEYWORDS

autism spectrum disorders ,ASD, impaired communication, difficulties with social interactions, restricted repetitive and stereotyped  patterns of behaviour, unresponsive to people, focus intensely on an object for extended periods of time, withdrawn, uninterested in socializing, pervasive developmental disorder, neurotransmitter dysfunction, abnormal brain development

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1. You need to know why it’s important to change, and your reason has to matter to YOU, at a deep emotional level.

Too many people resolve to quit smoking or go on a diet because they know they should for their health. The problem is they still feel ok, and the good feelings they get from smoking or eating are so much more positive, clear and strong than the concept in their mind of what it will feel like to be healthier. Those who succeed are either scared by a close call (powerfully emotional), or they are able to attach themselves to a clear, emotional, and positive vision of themselves in a healthier body. That clear vision and positive emotion is the thing that keeps them going as they develop new habits.

2. Get clear on what actions you are willing to take, for how long, and how you will decide whether it’s worth it to keep acting if you aren’t getting results.

The sad thing about most goals is that it takes longer to get results than what you would expect. When you don’t get results, it’s easy to get into a slump of not working as hard, which slows you down even more. One thing that helps is rewarding yourself for effort as opposed to results. When you know you are putting in your best effort, it’s hard to get down on yourself, and easier to keep going until you’ve gathered enough momentum to start seeing results.

3. Detach yourself emotionally from failure, get used to it, and learn from it.

While it’s powerful to be emotionally attached to the vision that drives you forward, it’s painful to be emotionally attached to the little failures along the way. You have to get over being embarrassed about looking like a dork, or comparing yourself to others who seem to be doing it better or faster. The successful people in this world have failed many more times than the failures. Who do you want to be?

4. Develop habits that support your success.

Habits and routines can form a strong foundation for success, helping you maintain consistent behaviors that build on themselves over time. Your brain likes habits, and if you do the same thing enough times in a row it will become automatic. Habits can work for you or against you, and the more habits you can develop to work for you, the easier it will be for you to create lasting and permanent change. This works with meals, exercise routines, sales calls, building your network, managing people, running meetings, and just about anything else.

5. Adopt a mindset that matches your change.

Your mind is powerful. It dictates what you notice in the world, what you decide it means, how you respond, and ultimately what shows up for you. It’s almost lucky that it takes awhile to make most changes on the outside, because if your mind doesn’t catch up, you can easily spiral right back to where you started. The way to prevent this is NOTICE that running commentary in your head and THINK about how that running commentary might be different if you succeed. Instead of “I need a smoke” every time things get stressful, it might be “I need a walk” or “a break” or “ten minutes to think with my door closed and a cup of tea”. Start playing with new ways to think that match the way you want to be thinking about the world once you have succeeded.

6. BONUS – Get a support system!

Studies show that people are three times as likely to make a change when they have a support system in place – usually a group of people who are in it together. You can put together a mastermind group, or join a support group, or even get a buddy to work with you, and the natural synergy and support will propel you forward. I have to make a sales pitch here – JOIN Dr.Anca’s LifeExtention Teletrainings and as long as you show up on the phone calls it’s almost inevitable that you will change. We are continuously learning and working with tools that help you move yourself to the next level, and hearing other people with similar challenges talk about their experiences is invaluable.

It all comes down to this. Do you really want things to change this year? If you do, you will need to do something different. Something that moves you out of your current habitual way of living. It can be as small as joining the community and showing up on calls or as big as moving to a brand new place physically and developing a whole new living routine. But do SOMETHING different – and lay the foundation for real and lasting change.

We all react differently to change:

=> Some readily adapt

=> Some ignore it and hope that life will return to the status quo

=> Others actively seek it out

As a person, your success, or failure, depends in part on how well you adapt to change. Do you run screaming like a banshee towards it, ready to conquer? Or do you go sit in a closet, close your eyes and wait for it to go away, hoping that everything will return to “normal”?

The most successful entrepreneurs not only embrace change, they actively seek it out knowing that greater fulfillment, greater success and greater profits come with constant adaptation to the market.

My personal experience has led me to reengineer my business three times so far with fabulous results; as I start down one path, things have happened that open my eyes to another path — one I may not have been ready or able to see previously.

My business is ever-evolving and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Stagnant 9-to-5, do the same thing every day work, stay in the same company for 20 years work is not for me. . .I’d rather have a root canal without Novocain.

How about you? Are you a:

Dynamic Dan

Dan actively searches for things to change in order to engineer his perfect life. He runs about shaking trees to see what will fall out and how he can use that information to his advantage.

Opportunistic Oliver

Oliver doesn’t particularly love change, but knows to look for the opportunities that abound whenever it occurs. In the corporate world, Oliver is the guy who rises to manager almost overnight and no one knows how or why this happened (he saw an opportunity and JUMPED on it). In the entrepreneurial world, Oliver sells dry wood and hot meals from a cart he pulls through the campground on an unexpected rainy day. He looks at any change and finds the opportunity that lies within.

Scared Susie

Every time change roars its head, Susie can be found hiding and wishing that everything would stay as it was and that she doesn’t need to learn new skills or improve old ones. Susie is usually blaming someone, anyone, else for the change in order to justify her hiding. In her world, change is something to be feared. Susie can often be found working in the same job, in the same company until she is forced out.

Most of us tend to fall into either the “Oliver” or “Susie” personality mode with the occasional “Dynamic Dan” appearance. Change is not going away — if anything, the rate at which it happens is exponentially increasing. In order to succeed, you must be able to anticipate, deal with and adapt to change and the sooner, the better.

One of the most important things is to look at the situation objectively and understand that you have control over your thoughts and how you react to the change.

How you think about the change will determine whether you are an “Opportunistic Oliver” or a “Scared Susie”. It’s your business and your life — take control!

David Bowie once sang “Ch-ch-ch-changes, tryin’ to face the strain”

So in an effort to help you manage change without strain, here are 7 Universal Laws for successfully managing change:

1. The Law of Stagnation

This is also known as first order change.  First order change is a type of change where there really is no change.

How’s that again? Pretty foggy, huh?

Allow me to clear it up for you. Authors Waltzlawick, Weakland and Fisch, in their book “Change: Principles of Problem Formation and Problem Resolution” explain it this way:

“…A person having a nightmare can do many things in their dream – run, hide, fight, scream, jump off a cliff, etc. – but no change from any one of these behaviours to another would ever terminate the nightmare.”

In other words, you can have lots of action and moving around, without any real change taking place.

A good example from the relationship world is the belief that ending one relationship for another will change everything and make you happy. Not necessarily. Remember these profound words of wisdom, “Wherever you go, you take yourself with you.”

2. The Law of Transformation

This is also known as second order change. Again, according to the authors,

“The one way out of a dream involves a change from dreaming to waking. Waking, obviously, is no longer a part of the dream, but a change to a different state altogether.”

In other words, transformation, or put more simply, real change, involves movement from one state to another.

3. The Law of The Clutch

This is also known as the law of conscious attention. Several years ago, the clutch went out on my two year old car. I asked the mechanic why this would happen so soon and he asked me a few questions about how I drive. It turns out I was a champion clutch rider. If it was possible for me to have the clutch in, it was in.

What’s the point? Well, I found myself having to pay conscious attention to something I had been doing, kind of unconsciously,  for years – driving.

There are times in our life where we have to pay conscious and careful attention to what  we are doing and thinking in order to get the changes we want.

4. The Law of Others

Whenever you set out to change someone else, you are doomed to frustration and failure. The only

person we can change is ourselves, and that’s difficult enough sometimes.

5. The Law of Wet Diapers

The only person who always likes change is a wet baby. Sometimes change can be the last thing we want. At the same time, change is an inevitable part of our lives.

6. The Law of Waves

Like change, there are three ways to handle a wave: you can let it knock you down, you can survive it, or you can ride it and thrive. Only the wisest and most creative of people do the latter.

7. The Law of Kaleidoscopes

Remember the kaleidoscopes we played with as kids? You would look through the hole in the tube, turn the end of the tube and watch the colors change. Many times there would be a series of small shifts followed by a big shift in the picture.

That’s often how we change as well. We make a series of small shifts leading to big changes.

So if you find yourself frustrated by only being able to make small changes, remember, big changes can be just one more small shift away.

• Closet Cleanse: Each season, it’s important to review your wardrobe and shed items that no longer fit, you don’t wear, or could be put to better use at a local homeless shelter.  If your duds seem too posh for the castaway pile, try consignment, perhaps using the earned money for a fun, fall purchase.

The fruits of a previous closet cleanse, heading off to Goodwill.  

• Technology Diet: Pratyhara is the fifth limb of Patanjali’s 8-limed yogic path, and I’ve been thinking about this guiding principle a lot lately, especially as it relates to technology.  Pratyhara teaches us a “withdrawal of the senses,” as a way to hone our abilities of delving inward and examining our inner lives.  Before you kick off your newest chapter of 2011, try unplugging for a day or weekend.  Turn off all iPods, iPhones, Blackberries, TVs, laptops, etc., and experience the quiet and clarity that comes from this simple experiment.  You’ll immediately notice that you, as well as your devices, will be recharged afterward.

Recharging at the airport this summer. 

• Natural Supplement: To truly appreciate a change of the seasons, no matter how subtle, get outside!  Be with nature.  Supplement your daily routine with a trip to the mountains, a beach, lakefront, local park, or garden patch.  Even the smallest doses of time spent in nature can clear nervous energy and make you feel rooted.