SWITCH YOUR METABOLISM

BACK ON

theNatural

Way

ON

“Relying on the wisdom and holistic approach of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Natural Therapies, and a 6000 year unbroken history of Herbal Medicine, I offer a healing system that focuses on the cause of disease, not merely the suppression of symptoms.

My goal is to discover the individuality of your health problem, treat its cause, and stimulate your body to heal itself as soon as possible.”

FELLOW •AustralianAcupuncture&ChineseMedicineAssociationLtd

MEMBER •AcupunctureEthicsandStandardsOrganisation(A.E.S.O.) •FellowAustralianAcupunctureAssociation(A.Acu.A.) •NationalHerbalistAssociationofAustralia(N.H.A.A.) •AustralianTraditional-MedicineSociety(A.T.M.S.)

Personal HistoryDennis Vander Kraatswas born in Toronto, Canada and grew upwith a passion fordistance running.He representedCanadanationally and internationallyon anumberofoccasions, includingthe1979WorldCrossCountryChampionships.Hissuccess inathleticsearnedhimascholarshipfromtheprestigiousUniversityofNotreDame(USA).

AfterarrivinginAustralia,DennisandhiswifeMarionsuccessfullyoperatedahealthfoodstoreandthisstimulatedDennis’sdesiretofurtherhisknowledgeofnaturaltherapies.

After eight more years of study, Dennis graduated from the Melbourne College ofNaturopathyandHomoeopathy,theNanjingCollegeofAcupuncture,andtheAustralianAcupuncture College (Victorian University of Technology) to become a qualifiedNaturopathandAcupuncturist.

Dennis is now in private practice, and the director of Vander Kraats & Associates,evidencebasednaturalmedicineinWesternAustralia.

Dennis Vander KraatsB.A.,N.D.,Dip.Acup.,D.B.M.

AustralianHealthPractitionerRegulationAgencyGovernmentRegistrationNumber:CMR00017122128ChineseMedicinePractitioner

Copyright©2014Allrightsreserved.Reproductioninwholeorinpartwithoutpermissionisprohibited.Ifyouareinterestedinpurchasingadditionalcopiesofthisbookletpleasewriteortelephone:VanderKraats&Associates291WarwickRoad,GreenwoodWA6024Phone:(08)94477868Email:denmar@multiline.com.auWeb:www.vdk.com.au

3

What if you could turn your metabolism back on and lose

weight the natural way?

Disclaimer: IMPORTANT – The information contained in this booklet is intended for educationalpurposesonly.Itisnotprovidedtodiagnose,prescribeortreatanydisease,illnessorinjury.Theauthor,publisher,printeranddistributorsacceptnoresponsibilityforsuchuse.Thoseindividualssufferinganydiseaseorpersistentsymptomsshouldconsultwiththeirphysician.Itishopedthatthisinformationwillempoweryoutomakemoreinformeddecisionsregardingyourhealthandwellbeing.

I used to have a metabolism like a hummingbird...

IrememberwhenIwasyoungandmymetabolismwaslikeahummingbird’s.Icouldrunaroundalldayandplayextremesportsandnotsufferfromachesandpains.

Iusedtosleeplikethedead,aminimumof8hourswithoutwaking.AndwhenIawokemysleepwassodeepitfeltthatmydreamswerechasingmeintoconsciousness.

People used to admiremy complete abandonment of inhibitionswhen it came toeatinganddrinking.Portionsizewasjust“moreplease”.

Foodtastedsogoodandthetastebudsdanced.AfewhourslaterIwasfeastingagain.

Theconceptoflaxativeswasunintelligibletome.MoreregularthanaRolex,complete,withoutfuss,andsatisfying.Heartburn,reflux,bloating,weightgain,arthritis...wellthatwasjustoldpeopletalking.

Thosewerethedays...whenIhadametabolism!

Hummingbirdsarethoughttohavethefastestmetabolismofallanimalseating2to3timestheir

ownbodyweightinaday.Rarelyaretheynoteating!

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What if you could turn your metabolism back on?Whatiftherewasanaturalmedicinewhichworkedwithyourbodyto...

• Acceleratefatburning

• Preserveleanmusclewhileburningfat

• Improvebloodsugarlevels

• Reduceglucoseproductionintheliver

• Reduceinsulinresistanceinthemuscles

• Improveimmunity

• Improveliverfunction

• Improvescirculationandbloodflow

• Improvesenergylevels

Well, now there is....

NO caffeine, artificial stimulants, no elevation of heart rate.

AMPK - the master metabolic switch.

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The AMPK Story

AMPKoritschemicalname,“5’adenosinemonophosphate-activatedproteinkinase”isanenzymethatplaysacrucialroleincellularenergyhomeostasis.

AMPK acts as a metabolic master switch regulating a number of systems insideyour cellswhich control howyourbodyuses energy. IncreasingAMPKstimulatesa biochemical cascade of reactions in the body which improves metabolism. Thisbiochemicalcascadeisextremelycomplexbutcanbesimplifiedinthefollowingchart.

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” Albert EinsteinExplaining how AMPKworks requires a complex understanding of cell biology,physiology,andbiochemistry.Butbyexplainingtwomajormechanismsofhowcellswork,Ithinkwecangetagoodunderstandingconceptuallyofwhatishappening.

Turn on the Switch

Increases AMPK

Improves Metabolism Naturally

Improves Circulation

Increases Fat Burning

Helps Liver Function

Improves Digestive Enzymes

Improves Glucose (Sugar)

Metabolism

Improves Hormone Function

Reduces Inflammation

Improves Pancreas Function

Improves Cell Memory

Prevents Muscle Loss

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Cell signalling:Much of current day medical research is focused on better understanding cellsignallinginthedevelopmentofnewmedicines.Cellsignallingispartofacomplexsystemofcommunicationthatgovernsandcoordinatescellfunction.Cellsneedtolistentowhat’sgoingonaroundtheminordertoreactappropriately.

Whenlisteningtoyourcarradio, ifthestationisnottunedinproperlyor ifyourantennaisbroken,yourradiocannotreceivethemessageorinstructionsfromtheradiosignals.

Inasimilarway,ifthequalityofinstructionsispoor,and/orthecellhasaninabilityto receive the instruction, disease can result. Many diseases such as cancer,autoimmunity, anddiabetes are thought tobe related to errors in cell signalling.AMPKisaveryimportantcellsignallerwhichcannotonly“tuneinthechannel”butalso“turnupthevolume.”

Gene expression:“A gene is just a small part of a chromosome and a chromosome is just a small part of a person’s DNA.”

or...“A gene is like a sentence, a chromosome is like a chapter, DNA is the whole book.”

Geneexpressionistheprocessbywhichinformationfromthegeneisusedtomakethe“spareparts”or“buildingblocks”thatkeepthemachineryof lifegoing. TheoriginalinformationorgeneticcodecomesfromtheDNA.

Justlikeabuilderwhoreliesonanarchitect’sblueprinttobuildyourhome,werelyonourgeneticcodeandgeneexpressiontohaveahealthybody.

Ideally,ourblueprintsshouldbeofgoodqualityso theycanbeeasilyread...whocanreadonethathasbeenchewedbythedog?Likewise,ifourDNAorgenesaredamaged,informationtomaintainandhealthebodywillbecompromised.

Sinceeveryoneatthebuildingsiteneedsacopyoftheblueprints,wehavetomakesurethatthephotocopier isworkingproperly. Thefirststepofgeneexpression,calledtranscription,isthecopyingoftheinformationfromthegenetobeusedinbuildingandrepairingthebody.

AMPK stimulatesmanyof theprocesses involved in geneexpressionwhicharenecessaryforahealthymetabolism.

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Avoid the high carbs and sugars for an athletic bodyAthleteshaveknownfordecadesthatthewaytoshedunwantedfatandmaintainleanmuscleistoavoidthehighcarbohydrateandsugarfoods.HavingasmartdietenhancestheeffectofAMPK.

Theotherimportantprincipleistohaveadequateproteintomakesurethatthebodydoesnotlosemuscleinthefatburningphase.Muscleisobviouslyimportantforstrengthandmobility,butalsoplaysanimportantroleintheimmunesystemandbloodsugarregulation.

Thinkofmuscleasthearmourofthebody...andAMPKhelpsyoukeepit.

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Studies showing the advantages of avoiding high carbohydrate to burn fat and preserve muscle

Very-low-carbohydrate diets decrease fat mass, spare lean body mass

STUDY YEAR DIET SUBJECTS

DURA-TION (DAYS)

EN-ERGY (KCAL)

CHO (G)

BODY MASS CHANGE (KG)

FAT MASS CHANGE (KG)

LEAN BODY MASS CHANGE (KG) METHOD

Benoit et al11 1965 Fasting 7 M, obese 10 0 0 -9.6 -3.4 -6.2 UWWVLCD 10 1,000 10 -6.6 -6.4 -0.2

Young et al9 1971 VLCD 2 M, obese 63 1,800 104 -11.2 -8.4 -2.8 K40VLCD 3 M, obese 63 1,800 60 -12.3 -10.2 -2.1VLCD 3 M, obese 63 1,800 30 -15.6 -14.9 -0.7

Phinnet et al22 1980 VLCD 5 F, 1 M, obese 42 500-750 0 -10.6 -7.1 -3.5 UWW

Willi et al12 1998 VLCD 6, obese 56 650-725 25 -15.4 -16.8 1.4 DXA

Volek et al13 2002 VLCD 12 M, lean 42 2,335 46 -2.2 -3.3 1.1 DXA

Control 8 M, lean 42 2,190 330 0.4 0.0 0.4 DXA

CHO = Carbohydrate, M = male, F = female, UWW = underwater weighing, VLCD = very-low-carbohydrate diet, K40 = potassium-40, DXA = dual energy x-ray absorptiometry

Don’t rely on BMIBodyMassIndexabbreviatedBMI,isamathematicaltoolforassessingbodyshapebased on one’s weight and height. It is determined by dividing your weight inkilogramsbyyourheightinmetressquared.Itisoftenusedmedicallytodetermineidealweightanddegreeofobesity.

Sinceitdoesn’tactuallymeasurebodycomposition,that is,bone,fatandmusclecontent,itisoftenaverypoorindictorofidealweight.Thisisparticularlytrueifapersoncarriesalotofmuscleweightoris“bigboned”.

The Holistic ApproachOthermajorfactorsaffectingmetabolismare...• Thyroidhormones (seeMeasuringBasalMetabolicRate)

• Estrogenandtestosteronelevels

• Cortisol(thestresshormone)levels

• Levelofinflammation

• Qualityanddurationofsleep

• Digestiveandbowelfunction

• Toxicitylevels

• Waterconsumption

• Musclemass

• Exercise

• Healthyglutathionelevels

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Suggestions for enhancing the effects of AMPK• Haveaportionofproteinwitheachmeal.• Sticktothelowtomoderatecarbohydrateandsugarfoodsasmuchaspossible.• Apartfromprotein,therestofyourfoodshouldconsistofvegetablesand salads.Raworlightlycooked.• Eatfruitsparingly.(Berriesarebest)• Avoidallgrainsasmuchaspossible.• Say“NO”toalcohol.• Learntolovegreentea.

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Hypothyroidism; The Undiagnosed EpidemicThevastmajorityofpeoplewhosufferfromthyroidproblemssufferfromhypothyroidism...thatis,anunderactivethyroid.Thethyroidproduceshormoneswhichaffectalmostallthecellsinyourbody.Itisnowonderthen,thatadisorderofthethyroidcancauseliterallyhundredsofdifferentproblemsinyourbodyincluding:

Fatigue, decreased libido, candida, dry skin, premature aging, infertility, constipation, mood swings, frequent infections, headaches, blood pressure problems, endometriosis, diabetes, cancer, nervousness, insomnia, heart attack, weight loss or weight gain, stroke, hair loss, high cholesterol, intolerance to heat, muscle weakness, low immune system, arthritis, gout, depression, osteoporosis, joint pain, muscle pain, heart palpitations, cystic breasts, ovarian cysts, intolerance to cold, insulin resistance.

Whatmakesmattersworse,isthattherearemanypeoplewhosufferfromhypothyroidismthatremainundiagnosed.Thereareanumberofreasonsforthisthatyoushouldunderstandtoempoweryoutotakestepstoseeifyouareoneofthemanywhoaresufferingwithoutknowingthatyourthyroidisunderactive.

ThemostcommonmedicaltestformeasuringthefunctionofthethyroidisabloodtestwhichmeasuresthelevelofThyroidStimulatingHormone(TSHorthyrotropin)thatyouranteriorpituitaryglandproduces.Inasense,thisisaconversationbetweenthepituitaryglandandyourthyroidgland.Whenyourthyroidisbeinglazyandnotproducingenoughthyroidhormones,thepituitaryglandproducesmoreTSHasasignaltoencouragethethyroidglandtostartworkingharderandproducemorehormones.Theconverseisalsotrue.Thatis,ifthethyroidisoverproducinghormonesthepituitaryproduceslessTSHinanattempttodownregulatethyroidhormonesproduction.

ThereareanumberofpotentialshortcomingsoftheTSHasameasurementofthyroidfunction.

Firstly,thereferencerangethatmostAustralianpathologycompaniesuseisoutdatedaccordingtomedicalexpertsoverseas.Thesocalled“normal”rangegoesfrom.4to4andinsomecases,.4to5.Manypathologycompanieshavenarrowedthisrangeto.4to2.5SomedoctorsbelievethataTSHof1.0isidealformanypeople.

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ThismeansthatifyourTSHisgreaterthan2.5andlessthan5,inAustraliayouwouldbeclassifiedas“normal”whereasunderthestricterrangeyouwouldbediagnosedassufferingwithhypothyroidism.Themorenarrowrangecouldbedescribedasthe“ideal”ormosthealthyrange.Arecentstudyof65,000healthypeoplewithoutthyroiddiseasefoundthatthemostcommonTSHreading(Mode)was1.25andtheMedianValuewas1.50(thatis,overhalfthepopulationinthestudyhadareadingbelow1.50).Theaverage(MeanValue)was1.68.Eighty-fivepercentofthegrouphadaTSHunder2.35(SeeChart).

References

1. TBjøroetal,‘Prevalenceofthyroiddisease,thyroiddysfunctionandthyroidperoxidaseantibodiesinalarge,unselectedpopulation.TheHealthStudyofNord-Trøndelag(HUNT).’EuropeanJournalofEndocrinology2000143639-647

2. JStockigt,‘SubclinicalHypothyroidismorMildThyroidFailure:Howimportantisearlydiagnosisandwhattreatmentisoptimal?’InterviewWithSigmaPharmaceutical2001 http://www.thyroid.org.au/Information/Stockigt.html.Accessed30December2001.

ThesecondandperhapsmoresignificantproblemwithinterpretingtheTSHreadingistorememberthatitisonlythe“dialogue”betweenthepituitaryglandandthethyroid.This“dialogue”helpsregulatetheproductionofthyroidhormones,butitprovidesnoinformationastowhetherthethyroidhormonesarebeingeffectiveintheir“targettissues”.Thisiswhere“therubbermeetstheroad!”Tounderstandthis,wemustrealizethathormonesarechemical“messengers”thathaveinstructionstodelivertocells.Thisinstructiontellscellswhattodo.Thetransferof“information”fromthethyroidhormone(indeedallhormones)takesplaceatthecellmembrane(cellwall).Hormonesarelike“keys”thatfitintolocks

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(receptorsites).Whenthe“key”fitsthereceptorsite,theinformationistakenonboardthecelltostimulatecellfunctionandofteninitiategeneexpression.

Theproblemoccurswhenthereareadequateamountsofthyroidhormonescirculatingintheblood,buttheexchangeofinformationandinstructionsdoesnotoccuratthecellmembrane.It’sasthoughthehormonesdon’texistsincethecellsare“resisting”(ienotlistening)tothehormones’instruction.Thisineffectivenessofthehormone’sabilitytotransferinformationtothecellhasbeennamed,“Type2Hypothyroidism”.

Asanaside,asimilarconceptoccurswithinsulinandbloodsugars,knownas“insulinresistance”.Inthiscase,thereisplentyofinsulin(ahormone)inthebloodstream,butpoorreceptorsitehealthatthecellwall,likewiseignoringtheinstructionsofinsulin.

AnotherpotentialundiagnosedproblemoccurswiththelackofconversionofT4toT3.ThemainhormonethatthethyroidproducesiscalledT4.T4isrelativelyinactiveandmustbeconvertedbythebodytothemoreactiveformcalledT3.IfforvariousreasonsT4cannotbeconvertedefficientlytoT3,hypothyroidismcanresult.

Measuring Basal Metabolic RateAnextremelyprevalentsymptomofhypothyroidismisaloweringofbodytemperature.Alowerbodytemperatureisasignofadecreasedmetabolism.Coldhandsandfeetareoftenpartofthesymptompicture.Peoplecanalsofeel“hot”yetstillhavealoweredbodytemperature.

Temperatureshouldbetakenfirstthinginthemorningbeforegettingoutofbed.Excessbedclothingorblanketscangiveahighreadingascananabnormalsleeppatternthenightbefore.Itisidealtomeasureafteragoodoraveragenight’ssleep.

Mercurythermometersarethebestformeasuringbasalmetabolicratebutarenolongermade.Therearealternativeliquidbasedthermometersonthemarketwhicharebetterthanthedigitalones.

Placethethermometerunderyourarmpitfor10minutesbeforerisingfirstthinginthemorning.Digitalthermometersaremuchquicker...justwaitforthe“beep”.

Temperaturereadingsbetween36.6Cand36.8Careconsiderednormal.Anyreadinglowerthan36.6stronglysuggestshypothyroidism.Thistestcanalsobean

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indicationwhenthethyroidhasbeensuccessfullytreatedsincebodytemperaturewillthenrisebackuptothenormalrange.Remembertohaveyourthermometerbesideyourbedsothatyoumoveaslittleaspossiblebeforeandduringtakingyourtemperature.Thereadingsshouldbetakenover4or5daystoseewhattheaverageis.

Mencandothetestanydaywhennotrushedandafteranadequatenight’srest.Women’stemperatureshowever,canfluctuateatdifferenttimesoftheirmenstrualcycle.Day2untilDay6areideal(Day1iswhenthemenstrualbleedingstarts).However,measurementatdifferenttimesofthecyclecanbeimportantforcomparisonandalsoindicationsofhormonefluctuations.

Beforepubertyandaftermenopause,womencantaketheirtemperatureonanyday.

Itisnotrecommendedthatthetemperaturebetakenorally.Oraltemperaturecanbeaffectedbysinusproblems,teethandgumproblems,generalinflammationinthebody,etc.

Low Carbohydrate Food List• Allfish,fowl,eggs,cheese,andmeat.Onlywholefood-nomanufacturedmeats.

• Mostherbsandspicesaslongasnoaddedsugar.

• Allnuts-especiallywalnuts,pecans,brazil,andalmond.Onlyasmallhandful perserve.Nutsarehighincalories.

AlfalfaSprouts Cucumber Radishes

Artichoke Eggplant Rhubarb

Asparagus Fennel Sauerkraut

Artichokehearts GreenStringBeans SnapPeasinapod

Avocados Kale SnowPeas

Bambooshoots Kohlrabi Spinach

BokChoy Leeks Squash

Broccoli Mushrooms Swisschard

Broccoliraw Olive-Green Tomato

Brusselssprouts Olives-Black Turnips

Cabbage Onion WaterChestnuts

Cauliflower Parsley Zucchini

Chives Pumpkin

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Study

AMPK: a key regulator of energy balance in the single cell and the whole organism.

TheAMP-activatedproteinkinase(AMPK)systemisakeyplayerinregulatingenergy balance at both the cellular and whole-body levels, placing it atcentre stage in studies of obesity, diabetes and themetabolic syndrome. Itisswitchedoninresponsetometabolicstressessuchasmusclecontractionorhypoxia,andmodulatedbyhormonesandcytokinesaffectingwhole-bodyenergybalancesuchasleptin,adiponectin,resistin,ghrelinandcannabinoids.Once activated, it switches on catabolic pathways that generate adenosinetriphosphate (ATP),whileswitchingoffATP-consuminganabolicprocesses.AMPKexistsasheterotrimericcomplexescomprisingacatalyticalpha-subunitand regulatory beta- and gamma-subunits. Binding of AMP to the gamma-subunit,whichisantagonizedbyhighATP,causesactivationofthekinasebypromotingphosphorylationatthreonine(Thr-172)onthealpha-subunitbytheupstreamkinaseLKB1,allowingthesystemtoactasasensorofcellularenergystatus.Incertaincells,AMPKisactivatedinresponsetoelevationofcytosolicCa2+viaphosphorylationofThr-172bycalmodulin-dependentkinasekinase-beta(CaMKKbeta).ActivationofAMPK,eitherinresponsetoexerciseortopharmacologicalagents,hasconsiderablepotential toreversethemetabolicabnormalities associatedwith type 2diabetes and themetabolic syndrome.Twoexistingclassesof antidiabeticdrugs, that is,biguanides (forexample,metformin)andthethiazolidinediones(forexample,rosiglitazone),bothact(atleastinpart)byactivationofAMPK.NoveldrugsactivatingAMPKmayalsohavepotentialforthetreatmentofobesity.

Reference:

InternationalJournalObesity(Lond).2008Sep;32Suppl4:S7-12.Doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.116.

Forappointmentsonlycall (08)94477868Forenquiriesemail denmar@multiline.com.au

Webwww.vdk.com.au

ContactVanderKraats&Associatestodayformoreinformation,ortobookanappointment.

Are you interested in switching your metabolism back on?