Introduction
In this part of the series on Metabolic typing we will continue with Prostaglandin Balance, the Endocrine glands the Pineal Gland, Thyroid, adrenals and the Governor of Homeostasis the Hypothalamus.
The Pineal Gland
If you have a normal body type other than what is shown below then it is quite likely that your endocrine system is fairly balanced, but as you can see from the diagram hormone imbalance is directly related to abnormal weight gain, in all the wrong places and well as ‘shape shifting’ your emotions and mood and even sleep.
The most influential endocrine glands in terms of sleep is the Pineal gland.
This tiny gland controls our Circadian rhythms from light exposure on the eyes. When sunlight shines in our eyes this activates the pineal gland to produce sulphate and delivers it to the cerebral spinal fluid via Melatonin to the Third ventricle, so the key purpose of Melatonin is to deliver sulphate to the Cranial neurons at night.
During the day the pineal gland replenishes its Heparan sulphate* in preparation for transport over night since melatonin induces REM sleep, and heparan sulphate in the lysosomes (from previous articles, these are a constituent part of a cell that contain hydrolytic enzymes and are the garbage disposal units of the cell) is critical for the cellular debris recycling function (Autophagy).
*Heparan Sulphate(HS) is a Proteoglycan Polysaccharide ( Carbohydrate with multiple sugars attached) that is found in Extracellular matrices (ECM) where HS allows the ECM capable of withstanding compressional forces from Hydration and pressure due to swelling of the tissue. HS also is used as a means to bind to a protein involved in Angiogenesis ( new blood formation) and blood coagulation keeping the protein place (traps and stores growth factors) allowing profliferation. Furthermore, Proteoglycans possess a new negative charge which attracts positive charged sodium ( Na+) attracting water molecules via osmosis which maintains efficient hydration of the ECM. The ECM is shown below:
The hours of power (when the Pineal Gland releases Serotonin, Arginine Vasotocin (stimulates REM sleep, water balance and diuretic effect), Epithalamin (stimulates melatonin secretion and keeps you young and in good humor) and Melatonin,
The Pineal gland is 10:00 pm to 3am for Summer and 09:00 pm to 2 am for Winter.
So do yourself a favor, try to limit your wearing of sunglasses..trust me you will thank me after a good night sleep. Foods that feed the Pineal gland include SUNSHINE, avocado, beans, lentils, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, tuna and turkey since they all contain Vitamins B-5 (pantothenic acid) and B-6 (pyridoxine).
Sun exposures contains much, much more including Scandium and is essential for optimum functioning of this most important gland.
* ‘A merry heart doth good like a medicine, a broken spirit dries up the bones’
** Make sure your gut flora is in balance because you need tryptophan which is the key amino acid to make Melatonin
Thyroid Health – Vitamin D3
Respecting the omega ratio explained in the section Prostaglandin balance will also help in endocrine balance.
For thyroid health, Vitamin D3 controls overall thyroid hormone production, so ditch the sunglasses, throw off your shoes, go and walk barefoot in the grass or sand, and get some of nature’s life force..sun exposure, and beneficial grounding ( Planet earth has a negative polarity and the creatures the live upon the planet should hold a predominant negative polarity, therefore any positive polarity within our bodys can have an unbalancing affect, so grounding resets our default negative polarity at the cellular level)
Within 1/2 hour-1 hour, all parts exposed (well without getting arrested) between the Vitamin D3 manufacturing hours which is between 10:00am to 15:00pm.
DO NOT BE AFRAID the sun monster will not rain down cancer dust to give you melanoma ( this is a fantasy delivered by all those dermatologists that are hiding in their houses with large brim hats on and overcoats waving their fists and cursing at the sun…lol).
Thyroid Health – Selenium
The thyroid gland that controls our metabolism requires Iodine from our food to make 2 hormones Triiodothyronine (known as T3) and Thyroxine (know as T4); approximately 20% of T3 is made and is the active form, while T4 which makes up the remaining 80% which is the storage form. The body converts T4 to T3 as required since T3 is 4 times stronger than T4.
Be aware, it is Liver that metabolises these hormones in order for the body to utilize them.
The thyroid gland is controlled by the Pituitary gland and the Pituitary gland is controlled by the Hypothalamus.
The T4 to T3 conversion needs the presence of Selenium.
It is important to mention that if your Iodine is low then Selenium supplementation will only exacerbate the problem and vice versa, so it is important that you have adequate Iodine levels. (e.g: teaspoon of Kelp/day).
It is important to note that thyroid problems can emanate from the Thyroid itself, the Pituitary gland or the Hypothalamus and doctors will check the T4 and/or the T3 levels in the blood and thet may prescribe drugs which may not help, if the problem is coming from somewhere else. They are not going to check your selenium levels in your blood, so it is best just to put the fuel that your body needs for optimum function and in the case of the thyroid appropriate levels of Iodine and Selenium. Furthermore, problems with production of these hormones could also be caused by Liver dysfunction.
Adrenal Glands
The Adrenal glands located near the top of each kidney release the bodies anti-inflammatory substance Cortisol during the body’s stress response.
In addition it secretes hormones Epinephrine (Adrenaline) and Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline) to trigger the fight or flight activation response in the Sympathetic branch of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). Epinephrine controls Anti-histamine and shock modulation, while Norepinephrine raises the heart rate, modulates blood pressure, and increases blood sugar for energy production..readying the body to fight or run from the dragon.
Adrenal Gland – Imbalance:
Stress Conditions I
It is absolutely crucial that stress is controlled and eliminated from the body ASAP…WHY?
Because Cortisol is not only beneficial but it’s also very destructive, if allowed to ‘roam around’ in the body for any length of time.
The problem with the hard wiring of the adrenals to the sympathetic ANS is that, there is only one connection via the Solar Plexus which is the ‘On switch ‘ link, but there is no ‘Off switch‘ link. so you can drag accumulative stress around for years and be unaware of the silent destruction going on inside of the body.
Stress is one of the main precursors toward gaining weight.
Imbalance sets in through long term stress, and salt cravings occur because this condition is leeching Sodium from the body, along with Potassium (pulse rate and blood pressure increases) and Calcium loss.
You might feel pain voiding urine because that becomes acidic (ph 4-5 under adrenal stress instead of the normal ph 6-6.5).
Long term inflammation due to stress triggers, Arthritic pain, Tendinitis, Bursitis, Shoulder pain, Neck tension, and Chest pain.
Loose skin ( due to collagen loss ), Low Vitamin D3 levels because that gets leeched out of tissue storage.
If you then do something really stupid and visit your physician you would have to have at least 90% of Adrenal malfunction before it appears on a blood test.
Then you will end up with Pendulous abdomen ( Adrenal belly) as in the picture shown above ( Body types).
This is not the body’s intention to make you even more miserable; it’s building a security fat wall for your benefit..your survival.
Adrenal gland – Imbalance –
Stress Conditions II
Part of this survival mode is GLUCONEOGENESIS (Create new sugar)..what is this ??.
High extended levels of Cortisol can destroy muscle and collagen.
When proteins are metabolised they are broken down into Amino acids for : Neurotransmitter production, Hormones, Immune system replenishment, and the building of bone (Osteoblast), but if Cortisol is high, these amino acids are not broken down, so the bone/muscle, lymph system (immune system) lose out and the proteins instead get transported to the liver causing a condition called Deamination.
This condition causes the liver to break down the protein into: Ammonia, creating UREA(Uric acid) which can cause Gout, and Carbon forming Carbohydrates, raising blood sugar/insulin and body fat (this is why weight gain is associated with high stress), and the production of Hydrogen ions causing Potassium loss, making the body more alkaline, throwing the body into a PH imbalance.
And if things could not get any worse, the thyroid becomes inflamed, and since the lymph tissue has been robbed of the normal protein metabolism, it shrinks making the body more susceptible to viral and bacterial infection.
Balance to the Rescue
‘So now I have put the fear of God into you to make you more stressful..lol.’ I am not here to scare you. That’s the job of the scythe wielding, robe wearing, scream mask allopaths..I am here to educate ya’ll. Now you can appreciate how important it is maintain balance within the endocrine system.
It’s easy for me to say control stress..BUT YOU HAVE TO..even if it means joining a Monastic order, taking Yoga or Tai-chi, or telling your boss to $#$$$$$$. YOU HAVE TO KEEP CONTROL..and CHILL.
So the food for adrenal health is the usual stuff : fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and fatty fish and above all Physiological, Pyschological and Chemical BALANCE.
The Hypothalamus
This is a unique half gland, half nerve system that is the ultimate Endocrine Central Control. Its main, and only purpose is to constantly adapt the body to maintain its survival based on what is going on in the environment. It is the ultimate central control for Homeostasis or systemic balance, The Hypothalamus.
As you can appreciate from the image above, showing the Hypothalamus/Pituitary system, this is one area you don’t want to have problems and its poisonous food, processed food, fast food containing huge amounts of genetically modified substances that have been saturated with endocrine disruptive pesticide put this control centre into a spiral.
It would be like messing around in the Windows registry and not know what you are doing..say goodbye to a functioning operating system, and say goodbye to BALANCE.
Respiration
This was number 7 of our ‘Balance’ list and it concerns our breathing and the inhalation/exhalation of oxygen that affects the body’s PH.
But this simple function that every human has to do which obviously keeps us alive, is crucial for health.
We are designed to move and be active during the day and rest at the end of the day.
Sitting around at a computer terminal ( such as what I am doing now) is not moving, so if this is whats involved in your employment. you need to augment this activity with exercise.
This is non-negotiable, when you exercise you are stressing the body positively by stimulating ‘Autophagy’ (normal cell recycling achieved in every cell), Apoptosis’ (natural cell death), production of ‘Glutathione’ (the body’s most powerful anti-oxidant), and enhanced fluid circulation to every extremity so the Heart/lung/muscles benefit from the movement that exercise provides.
Instead of depressed people taking a mind altering drug, strap on some ear phones, listen to ‘Nine inch nails’ or ‘VNV Nation’, or ‘Within Temptation’ or ‘David Guetta’ or ‘Bach’ and move ya body.
It is the most wonderful thing in the world, breathing in fresh air and pushing your bodies exercise envelope.
So put that game controller down, or that spreadsheet, or turn the TV off and go for a walk, your body will thank you..remember:
‘When you are young your body works for you,
When you are older you work for your body’
Check out the Previous Article in this series:
https://www.extremehealthacademy.com/metabolic-typing-part-1/
https://www.extremehealthacademy.com/metabolic-typing-part-2/
https://www.extremehealthacademy.com/metabolic-typing-part-3/
https://www.extremehealthacademy.com/metabolic-typing-part-4/
References/Acknowledgments:
- The Metabolic typing diet William Wolcott & Trish Fahey (2000)
- Dr Bergs YouTube video The Hypothalamus
- Extracellular matrix, Prosteoglycans, Heparan sulphate Wikipedia
Author: Eric Malouin