Number One Marker of Longevity

by Glen Depke

So who wants to live a long, healthy and happy life into their 100's?

Now I know what some of you are thinking, "I don't want to live that long." Even if you do not have a goal of becoming a centurion, don't you want to live a long, healthy, vibrant and healthy life regardless of what age you check out? Of course you do!

Since becoming a centurion is a goal of mine (actually 105 years old is my goal), I have done much research on those that live past 100. Interestingly enough, there are so many differences. Some drink, some do not. Some eat a lot of vegetables, some don't eat many at all. Some work out, some do not. Some abstain from alcohol consumption, some drink. Some have never smoked, while others smoke until the day they die.

How can there be so many differences and is there a factor that unites all of them? Well, there is one factor that is consistent.

They have all figured out or stumbled upon what works to maintain a low insulin level. This is a huge key for overall healthy, happy and vibrant longevity. 

LOW INSULIN...

Do you know what is even more interesting than this? 

Typically speaking, most conventional docs never even assess insulin levels. Most are only looking at glucose for all the answers with blood sugar. The problem with this though, is that glucose can remain somewhat normal for long durations of time while insulin levels are going off the charts. You don't want your insulin levels off the charts.

So what's off the charts though?

Even if you are lucky enough to have a doc that is looking at insulin, the conventional ranges are necessarily getting you on track. Most labs will suggest that your insulin levels need to be less than 12 and perhaps suggest that 10-11 is an intermediate risk. Often it is suggested that optimal would be somewhere between 3-9.

Let's take this a step further though.

To me, it is important to look at insulin per individual rather than an overall picture. Remember, we are all biochemically different and labs as well as most else require this approach. When I am looking at insulin levels, I always take into account the persons Nutritional ID. Basically this is your biochemical individual need for nutrition. When I look at your Nutritional ID, I would then assess insulin differently for each.

Protein Type insulin as <=2

Mixed Type insulin as 3/4

Veggie Type insulin as 5/6

So to know your optimal insulin level, it is imperative to understand your Nutritional ID. Follow this link to assess your Nutritional ID.

Once you know your Nutritional ID, you can make a proper assessment of your insulin levels. If your insulin is above the optimal level, you can simply eliminate the caution foods or secondary foods from your Nutritional ID meal plan as a way to assist in finding this optimal insulin level. There is a quick and easy way to get your Nutritional ID meal plan at price of less than $10.00. Use this link to get your basic Nutritional ID meal plan and begin the journey toward an optimal insulin level.

So one thing that is important though is to ask your doctor to check insulin the next time you are having a blood draw. If you do not have a blood draw coming up soon, your not comfortable asking your doctor for this or if you do not regularly visit a doctor, you can use outside services to assess insulin for yourself. You can visit Walk-In Lab to order your insulin test online and they will direct you to a blood draw location in your area. This test is only $29.00 yet vitally important for your health, happiness and longevity. Walk-In Lab is an incredible online company that puts testing at your finger tips without breaking the bank.

So what health challenges arise from excessive levels of insulin?

Once you read this list below, it will be easier to recognize the importance of understanding your Nutritional ID and finding your own personal optimal level of insulin.

Aging Process

Excessive Insulin production accelerates the Aging Process.

Cardiovascular System

	Excessive Insulin production increases the risk of Atherosclerosis:
	- Excessive Insulin production decreases the breakdown of Fibrin, increasing the likelihood of abnormal Blood Clotting. - Excessive Insulin production increases lesions in Blood Vessel walls.
	Excessive Insulin production increases the risk of Heart ailments.
	Elevated Insulin levels increase the risk of Ischemic Heart Disease:
	- Elevated Insulin levels increase the risk of Heart Attack.
	Elevated Insulin levels can cause Hypertension.

Immune System

	Elevated Insulin levels can cause Colon Cancer.
	Elevated Insulin levels can cause Endometrial Cancer.

Metabolism

	Excessive Insulin production causes a build-up of Cholesterol deposits.
	Hypoglycemia can be caused by Insulin over-compensating for high Blood Sugar levels and lowering Blood Sugar to the extent that Hypoglycemia results.
	Excessive endogenous production or release of Insulin can cause Insulin Resistance (via a negative feedback mechanism).
	Elevated Insulin levels increase the risk of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2.
	Excessive Insulin production increases the production of endogenous Triglycerides that are stored in Adipose Tissue and contribute to Obesity:
	- Insulin promotes the uptake of Glucose and Fatty Acids from the bloodstream for storage in Adipose Tissue (particularly in Visceral Fat in the abdomen and around the body’s organs).

Nervous System

Excessive Insulin production or release causes the down-regulation of Beta-3 Adrenergic Receptors, causing them to become less sensitive to stimulation by their Agonists) - this process may explain the ability of excessive Insulin to cause Obesity.

Insulin Activates these Potentially Toxic Substances

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Enzymes

Insulin activates Delta-5 Desaturase.

Insulin Interferes with these Substances

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Hormones

Excessive Insulin production or release inhibits the release of DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone).

Are You Working With Half a Brain?

by Glen Depke

Funny that it seems like that at times but did you that this can be close to the truth for so many of us?

Let’s first understand that our brains are in constant development from conception until we are about 18 to 20 years old. During these times our nutrition, stress levels, movement and brain activity play a huge role in this development.  Once we hit the end of this development, the neurons in our brain begin to die off with little to no further development.

So what happens when our neurons begin to die off? Taking a look at this very simply, let’s say that you have three neurons. Neuron number one sends a message to neuron number two and neuron number two sends a message to neuron number three and so on and so on. With this said, what happens when neuron number two dies? Oops! Looks like that communication stops at neuron number two. So what was that communication, what was it directing in the body and to what area?

You probably all recognize the buzz phrase anti-aging. Well in a nutshell what I described in the paragraph above  is simply the body aging based on the aging brain determined by neuron death. Does this help to explain why it seems like we may be functioning with half a brain?

This “half a brain” is tied into poor blood flow to the brain, inflammation in the brain, essential fatty acid deficiencies and toxicity which all accelerate the death of neurons. While this may sound like a grim outcome, there is so much you can do to not only stop this but to reverse it. The key though is to address it now. Don’t wait until you have severe dementia or are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s to do this.

So how do your gauge if you are having any issues right now? Think of the early signs such as fatigue from brain activity such as driving, reading and other brain tasks, depression and/or poor digestion. You can also look at symptoms such as dry mouth, tearing loss, trouble swallowing, and/or constipation. These are all some of the early signs of that your neurons are dying and your brain is aging.

So now you might be thinking, if my neurons are dying and I cannot regenerate these, how do you improve your brain function? Well the simple answer is to feed your brain what it needs, remove what is creating the challenges and enhance your dendrite function.

To understand the role your dendrites play, let’s look at the example above in regard to neuron number one, two and three. Remember that when neuron number two dies, the communication and connection between number one and three stops? Here they come, dendrites to the rescue! If your brain health is taken care of, your dendrites have the ability to reach out like little fingers to continue that connection from number one to number three even if number two dies. Our bodies are so incredibly amazing, as long as we take care of them.

So now, what does it look like to care for your brain function and increase the dendrite function? While it does take some focus, it really is quite simple. First of all, feed your brain! Eat foods such as avocado, olives and flax seed. Those good fats are so important! Add a supplement that contains a high amount of DHA. DHA is the component of omega 3 fatty acids that is truly a deep brain food. I use high ratio DHA supplement for myself and many of my clients to maintain a healthy brain. Don’t forget to move your body. Exercise plays a huge roll in increasing blood flow to the brain as well as many other simulating factors. There are also supplements that can be used to have either an immediate impact or long term impact on increasing this blood flow. I can tell you first hand that the one that creates the immediate increase in blood flow actually makes the whole world look clearer and brighter. Really! Also make sure you use your brain; learn a new language, take up an instrument or play the game we used to as kids. Remember the game with a deck of playing cards called memory?

Follow these tips and you can find that other half of your brain that seems as if it is missing. You and your loved ones will be glad you did.

If you have any questions or comments on this article, feel free to leave a post below and I will be happy to answer it personally. If you are new to Depke Wellness, you can call (949)954-6226 for a complimentary 20 minute phone consult to learn more about our protocols.