When Terry Wahls was in college, she loved tae – kwon – do so much that she focused on it until she became a national champion. She later went to med school and pursued an academic career at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City VA Medical Center.
Her life took a sharp detour in 2000, when she developed multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease with no known cure. Wahls went to the Cleveland Clinic and had access to the latest drugs. Yet by November 2007, she was so impaired she could walk only short distances with two canes.
With little hope that standard medicine could halt her decline, Wahls began studying diseases in which brains shrink — MS, as well as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. In all of these, she learned, the mitochondria are impaired.
Wahls found studies showing that a few micronutrients had a powerful impact on mitochondrial health: Coenzyme Q10 increased the rate of electron transport, boosting energy production and protecting the mitochondria from decline. Acetyl-L-carnitine fed energy-releasing molecules, improving their efficiency and preventing damage. Also R-alpha-lipoic acid helped mitochondria reduce production of toxins and cellular waste.
The studies Wahls found were done on mice, so she decided to translate the doses fed to mice into larger doses for herself. For the first time, her decline slowed.
If these few nutrients could do what the best drugs couldn’t, Wahls thought, maybe she could harness the power of nutrition to not only sustain her status quo, but to reverse her decline.
Digging deeper into studies, Wahls discovered other nutrients tagged as important for the brain: sulfur-containing amino acids, kelp for iodine, resveratrol (to mop up toxins), and vitamin D. She took them all and, again, things improved.
Then Wahls decided that perhaps she was missing some essential micronutrients critical for brain health. “If I ate more foods that contained the vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids that I was taking in pill form, I figured I might get other important building blocks not yet identified,” she explains.
Determined to optimize her healing, Wahls looked at other factors, too. She started with food allergies, which had long been associated with a host of psychological and neurological symptoms. She eliminated the most common offenders: gluten, dairy, and eggs.
She then studied toxins, which build up in the body when mitochondria are impaired. There are thousands of chemicals registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, but Wahls knew “there was not one single test to determine which, if any, toxins were being stored in my fat and in my brain.” So, to improve her ability to excrete toxins, she added micronutrients known to bind them and flush them out: methylated folate, vitamin B12, sulfur, amino acids, and more fiber.
“Then,” says Wahls, “the unthinkable — the unimaginable — happened, stunning me, my family, and my physicians.”
Three months after starting her intensive nutrition plan, plus a program of physical therapy that included electrical muscle stimulation, Wahls could walk short distances without her canes. “At five months, I could walk easily, and at seven months, I could bicycle around the block.”
At 12 months, she was able to take an 18-mile cycling tour with her family, and a year after that, she rode a horse in the Canadian Rockies.
Inspired to share her experience and teach the public, Wahls wrote The Wahls Protocol.
“I believe the public will soon be far ahead of the medical community when it comes to understanding the power of food to reclaim and maintain health,” she notes.
7 Ways to Bolster Your Mitochondria
Caring for your mitochondria is one of the best ways to take care of your health — and enjoy better energy, metabolism, and mental focus in the process.
Feeding Your Mitochondria
Mitochondria (singular mitochondrion) may be a long word you tried to forget in secondary school. But they are just so very important to your health and longevity.
So we’ll let you in on a little secret, we’ll tell you more about mitochondria and why they’re important to your health. http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/the-best-foods-for-mitochondrial-health/
Mitochondria are small spherical and sometimes sausage-shaped organs found inside our cells. Biochemists call them the powerhouses of the cells. They produce chemical energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), much like a power station supplying electrical energy to a city. In addition, mitochondria play a role in the control of the cell cycle (the stages of life each cell in your body undergoes) including cell growth, differentiation and death.
If your mitochondria don’t perform these functions properly, certain symptoms and diseases settle in and disturb your health. These diseases include heart failure, mitochondrial disorders, cardiac dysfunction and autism. You read that right, autism.
A recent study found that autistic children have poorly functioning mitochondria. The study discovered that the mitochondria of these children produced a lot more oxygen free radicals which damage DNA (your genetic material) and other components within the cell. Moreover, the cells of these children had a hard time removing these free radicals and produced less oxygen.
There’s no debate here. You must take good care of your mitochondria. How? Follow our guidelines below:
Do’s
- 1. Increase your intake of the following nutrients (either in the form of supplements or through the consumption of foods high in them): alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, acetyl-L carnitine and vitamin D.
- Alpha lipoic acid preserves mitochondrial function. It reduces cellular stress and keeps your mitochondria young and healthy. Consume more organic meats and vegetables like spinach and broccoli which are naturally high in alpha lipoic acid.
- Coenzyme Q10 is integral to the optimal functioning of your mitochondria. Coenzyme Q10 reduces the level of lactic acid in your system, keeping you in balance. Get your supply from organic meats.
- Acetyl-L-carnitine keeps the motors of your mitochondria running smoothly. It allows your mitochondria to use energy efficiently. In addition, it increases the fat burning capacity of your mitochondria by shuttling more fat into this hardworking organ for oxidation. Organic meats and poultry are high in acetyl-L-carnitine. The general rule is that the redder the meat, the more carnitine is contains.
- Vitamin D is one of the fat soluble vitamins. Supplementing with vitamin D may help to enhance energy production in the mitochondria of your muscles after exercise, particularly in those who are vitamin D deficient.
Getting your vitamin D from diet alone is very difficult. Luckily, vitamin D is formed through a series of biochemical processes on your skin when you’re exposed to sunlight. When it’s summer in New Zealand and Australia, you only need a few minutes of sun exposure of your face, arms and legs to generate your daily requirement of vitamin D. But during winter, you need 2 to 3 hours daily to generate the same amount and if you have dark skin, you’ll need even more sun exposure. Luckily we get some vitamin D from our food and many like to supplement with extra vitamin D during the winter months to support optimal mitochrondrial function and overall health.
- 2. Add seaweeds to your diet. New Zealand and Australia are blessed with our own edible varieties of seaweed. Of course make sure you buy them from reliable sources. To read more about edible seaweed click here.
- 3. Increase your protein consumption with intake of organ meats (e.g. liver) at least once a week. But make sure they’re organic as the liver and kidneys filter toxins from the body.
Don’ts
- 1. Stay away from processed meats. They contain nitrites and nitrates which can be converted to carcinogenic compounds during cooking that can mess with your mitochondria. Nitrates are linked to a variety of diseases like cancer.
- 2. Avoid refined carbohydrates and sugars. Lowering your carbohydrate intake will not damage your mitochondria, lowering your protein intake will.
In fact your mitochondria function better on a low carbohydrate diet as they are able to increase energy levels in a stable, efficient, long-lasting way. Don’t force your precious mitochondria to burn junk!
- 3. Remove gluten and soy (unless fermented) from your diet.
Try to feed your mitochondria properly. They’re particularly concentrated in important organs and tissues like your heart, brain and muscles. For example, in a heart muscle cell, 40 percent of the intracellular space is occupied by your mitochondria. The healthier your mitochondria are, the more efficient your cells are in processing fat, carbohydrates and protein. Serve them healthy, nutritious food and they will serve you well.
The Care and Feeding of Your Mitochondria By Pamela Weintraub
Pamela Weintraub is the psychology and medical editor of Aeon. She is also the author of the book Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic.
LymeLight is a Lyme Disease awareness film that serves as an inspirational story for those who have fought to overcome chronic illness and physical setbacks. It delivers a powerful message of the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle on a daily basis.
Angeli VanLaanen is one of the top female freeskiers in the world and a well rounded athlete with expertise in all areas of her sport. She has been featured on the cover of Skiing Magazine and in renowned skiing publi…cations such as Powder Magazine and Freeskier Magazine. Angeli has also competed in high level halfpipe events such as the X-Games and Dew Tour.
LymeLight is a 30 minute documentary film based on Angeli VanLaanen’s battle with Lyme Disease. Angeli, now 27 years old, started showing Lyme symptoms at the tender age of 10. After developing a chronic sinus infection, fainting spells, dyslexia and fatigue, Angeli faced over a decade of misdiagnoses. Through the years, her symptoms fluctuated and progressed into a debilitating chronic illness. In the summer of 2009 VanLaanen was sleeping for multiple days at a time and experiencing crippling body pain.
Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection spread by the bite of an infected Black Legged Tick (commonly known as a Deer Tick). Many children and adults cannot recall a bite because young Deer Ticks can be as small as a poppyseed. If caught promptly, Lyme Disease can be treated in a matter of weeks. Angeli’s story of misdiagnosis is all too common due to the lack of knowledge in our society and in the medical community. After her diagnosis in November 2009, VanLaanen was forced to put her competitive halfpipe career on hold at the peak of her career.
“It’s the lowest I’ve ever felt,” Angeli says. “With no guarantee that treatment would relieve my symptoms, I had very little to hold on to.” Motivated by her struggle, Angeli linked up with Director John Roderick of Neu Productions in November of 2011 to make an awareness piece sharing a raw account of her experience. “Our goal with LymeLight is to educate people about Lyme Disease, where it comes from, what the symptoms are and the challenges people face reclaiming their health,” says Roderick. Neu Productions is a diverse action sports and adventure production company based in Breckenridge, Colorado, producing powerful digital content.
After taking 3 years off from halfpipe for Lyme treatment, Angeli returned to competition and placed 6th at the FIS World Championships and is ranked 9th in the world on the AFP points list for the 2012-2013 season. Halfpipe skiing was also recently added to the list of events to premier at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia 2014. VanLaanen’s dream of becoming an Olympian is possible now that she is symptom free and in remission. https://vimeo.com/65479794
Angeli VanLaanen: angelivanlaanen.com
Cass Ingram Lyme Baseline Protocol Cass Ingram!!
This will take a little research on your part to fully understand it !!! 🙂
“Oreganol, juice of wild oregano P73” OIL, superstrength: 100 drops four times at least for one week, better for two, OregaRESP, 45 per day, Oreganol gelcaps, 60 or more per day, juice, killed a bottle or so per day. https://www.amazon.com/Lyme-Disease-Cure-Cass-…/…/1931078386
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Steve Earley Sage and rosemary
Oil of Oregano 🌿 edible one
Oregaress
Cumin cinnamon turmeric
Chaga
Raw fish 🐡
Hemp extract
Also Liza Field states 10 months ago
It’s almost certainly some kind of parasite or biofilm full of living crud messing w/ the heart vessels. Do a major major parasite cleanse; they work for viruses also. (Mine did–shingles & lyme.) Stuff that worked for me was MSM, barberry, raw garlic, neem with black pepper, thyme, rosemary, sage & diatomaceous earth–lotsa cayenne also, and no refined carbs. Try to get hot/sweaty periodically — really helps — and way more sleep. Tub baths w/ borax & eucalyptus & epsom salts. Inhale eucalyptus on a pillow at night. Also chew cloves, inhale air thru mouth and exhale the fumes thru nose. This will get critters out of lungs also, where they probably are busily involved in your pulmonary problems. (Mine were.) You can do it!
Preview Dr. Terry Wahls on “How to Use the Wahls Protocol Diet”
