Co-enzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance found in the mitochondria of virtually all cells in your body. It’s other name, ubiquinone, comes from the word ubiquitous, which means “existing everywhere.” 

Mitochondria are your cells’ power producers and CoQ₁₀ is essential for the production of ATP, the energy currency molecule of all cells. It’s crucial for the health of all organs and tissues and is particularly important in areas of your body that require high cellular energy, such as your heart, liver and kidneys. In addition to supplying energy, CoQ₁₀ is a powerful antioxidant, thereby helping to prevent free radicals from damaging healthy cells. 

Clinical studies have shown CoQ₁₀ to be beneficial to the nervous system and it promotes cardiovascular health. Research indicates that this nutrient is deficient in heart failure and it can help maintain normal levels of blood pressure. CoQ10 can improve gum and oral health and is being studied for its role in other areas such as the treatment of cancer. 

Although the body produces CoQ₁₀ and it’s available in some foods, these levels often don’t meet the body’s requirements and supplementation may be necessary. Most CoQ₁₀ supplements on the market are in the form of ubiquinone. Your body must convert ubiquinone into ubiquinol, the more active form of this nutrient. Unfortunately, as you age, your body’s levels of CoQ₁₀ decline and its ability to convert ubiquinone to ubiquinol also diminishes, so for certain people it’s better to supplement with ubiquinol rather than CoQ₁₀.

It’s important to start your day with a healthy breakfast; however, many people say that they don’t have time in the morning. So now there’s no excuse. The ingredients for this recipe can be put into a slow cooker (also known as a crock pot) with very little effort and in as little as 15 minutes before you go to bed at night. You’ll wake up to a hearty, healthy and creamy oatmeal that tastes as good as it smells.

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coconut oil or butter
• 1 cup (250 ml) large flake (steel cut) oats
• 3 cups (750 ml) filtered water
• 1 large apple, peeled and chopped
• 1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) unprocessed sea salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped walnuts (optional) 

Use the coconut oil or butter to coat the inside of the slow cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover and cook on the low setting for 6 to 7 hours. Serve as is or with your favourite type of milk. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Notes:

• Be sure to use large flake (steel cut) oats; don’t substitute quick oats or the consistency will be like mush.
• Any leftovers can be refrigerated and quickly reheated on the stove in a saucepan with a bit of your favourite type of milk.
• See this month’s Health Tip for info about slow cookers.

Slow Cookers—Convenient, Time-Saving Appliances

Slow cookers, also known as crock pots, are small electrical kitchen appliances that are great for those who don’t have a lot of time for cooking healthy meals. Typical slow cookers consist of a heating unit on the bottom with a heavy stoneware or ceramic bowl in which the food is cooked. With the more modern slow cookers, the stoneware bowl is removable, which makes it easier for serving food and for cleaning.

One of the best things about using a slow cooker is that you add all your ingredients to it, turn it on and have your dinner ready when you get home from work or once you’re finished other activities, which means less time in the kitchen. Many recipes can be put together the night before and refrigerated in the stoneware bowl. Then all you have to do is insert it into the base in the morning and turn it on. You can also use it to cook healthy oatmeal ready for your breakfast when you wake up—see this month’s recipe for Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal.

Unlike other cooking methods which can dry out the food, slow cooking adds moisture; so it allows you to prepare foods with minimal amounts of added fat because the natural juices from the vegetables and meats are retained. And unlike an oven, the slow cooker uses less electricity and is handy to use during hot weather when you don’t want to turn on your oven and make your kitchen even hotter.

Slow cookers can be used for making many different types of dishes including casseroles, soups, stews, roasts, beans, grains, vegetables and even desserts. Using a slow cooker is easy so you don’t have to have a lot of cooking experience. There are many cookbooks on the market for slow cookers or you can surf the internet for recipes. Just be sure to adapt the recipes to incorporate the principles of the Eating Alive Program.

If you’re one of those people who are struggling to lose weight, even though you’re exercising regularly and eating healthy, you may need to make some changes to your sleep habits. Many people are unaware of the correlation between their weight and the quality and amount of sleep they’re getting. Recent studies have shown that inadequate or insufficient sleep affects a number of hormones in your body which can play a role in gaining body fat, as well as contribute to other health issues.

Melatonin and growth hormone are what Dr. Matsen refers to as your body’s repair crews which do the majority of their work while your body is asleep at night. Melatonin is a hormone that’s responsible for promoting sleep. It’s released when you’re exposed to darkness, causing your body temperature to drop and making you feel drowsy. Melatonin gradually shuts down your adrenal glands and it’s also a powerful antioxidant, neutralizing deadly free radicals in the central nervous system and the intestinal tract. Staying up late watching TV or surfing the internet is counterproductive to getting a good night’s sleep. Besides emitting light, TVs and computers also emit electromagnetic energy, both of which negatively affect your production of melatonin. To help improve the quality of your sleep and your overall health, avoid watching TV or using your computer for a couple of hours before bed so as not to disrupt the production of this important hormone.

Growth hormone, as its name implies, is responsible for stimulating growth in children and adolescents but it also has many other effects on the body. Among other things, it improves bone density and plays an important role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins: it promotes glucose synthesis in the liver, aids in the breakdown of fat and increases protein synthesis (and helps build muscle). Your body releases the most growth hormone while you sleep, especially during deep sleep.

Then there’s the stress hormone, cortisol, which is released by your adrenal glands. Insufficient sleep can lead to elevated cortisol levels, which increases your appetite and elevates your blood sugar and insulin levels causing your body to store fat, particularly in the abdominal area. Cortisol can also make it difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. Both melatonin and growth hormone help to reduce the negative effects of cortisol. The adrenal glands recuperate best between 11 pm and 1 am so do them a favour and try to get to bed by 10 or 11 pm. Your body will also thank you if you establish a regular sleep schedule by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, as much as possible, even on the weekends or your days off.

Two hormones that influence our eating behaviour and are affected by sleep are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is produced in the stomach and is your body’s hunger hormone. It stimulates your appetite, telling your brain that it needs food, and decreases after eating. Research shows that ghrelin may also slow down fat metabolism. Leptin is produced by your fat cells and tells your brain when you’re full and that it’s time to stop eating. When you’re sleep deprived, your levels of ghrelin increase and leptin levels decrease, which can lead to increased cravings for food and lack of satiety—not feeling full. For many of us that can mean eating larger portions and eating more often and still not feeling satisfied. And it can also mean reaching for unhealthy choices such as coffee, chocolate and sugar to give us that energy boost (albeit temporary) that we want when we’re tired.

You can see how deep, restful sleep may play a role in achieving weight/fat loss—along with healthy eating and proper exercise, of course. So if you snooze well, you may lose the unwanted pounds. For more info on sleep and tips to get a good night’s sleep, see the following articles on the Doctor’s Monthly Message page:

• February 2005 “Jeepers Creepers, We Need to Be Good Sleepers”
• January 2005 “Sleep Apnea”
• August 2007 “Sleeping Well When You’re Away From Home”
• March 2006 “Interrupted Sleep”
• June 2004 “Lavender Dreams”

• ¼ cup (60 ml) flour (spelt, oat, whole-wheat, etc.)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) unprocessed sea salt
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) thyme, crushed
• 3 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) coconut oil
• 3 cups (750 ml) chopped mushrooms (about 7 large)
• 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) minced green onions (about 4)
• ½ cup (125 ml) chicken broth
• 4 teaspoons (20 ml)Dijonmustard
• ½ cup (125 ml) Greek yogurt or light sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).

Combine the flour, sea salt, and thyme; set aside 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the flour mixture.

Coat the chicken with the remaining flour mixture. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat; add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the coconut oil. Brown the chicken breasts on all sides and then place them in a single layer in a lightly greased casserole dish.

Return the skillet to the heat; add the remaining coconut oil and the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes, adding a small amount of water if necessary to prevent the mushrooms from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and green onions and sauté for 1 more minute. Sprinkle the reserved tablespoon of flour mixture over top and mix well. Add the chicken broth andDijonmustard and stir well. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Do not overcook or the chicken will not be tender. This is good with brown basmati rice and peas and steamed carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. Serve with the mushroom sauce. Makes 3 to 6 servings (1 chicken breast is usually enough to make 2 servings).

For boneless chicken breasts, reduce the cooking time to approximately 23 minutes.

(This article, except for the first paragraph, is excerpted from my first book, Eating Alive, which was written in 1987.)

My Eating Alive Program is based on getting the digestive system, particularly the liver, working properly because I have found that virtually all diseases are related to sluggish or inefficient digestion. The digestive system gets its nerve energy primarily from the parasympathetic nervous system.

There is another part of the body that is energized primarily by a different nervous system. This is the skeletal muscle system, which gets its nerve energy from the sympathetic nervous system. While the stomach juices are the “spark” for proper digestion, the “sparkplugs” of the sympathetic nervous system are the adrenal glands. The adrenals normally secrete hormones which help maintain mineral and sugar levels. In emergencies, however, they secrete a powerful hormone called adrenalin or epinephrine which shunts energy away from the parasympathetic nervous system (digestive and lymphatic systems), and sends it outwards via the sympathetic nervous system to the skeletal muscles so that you can fight or flee from danger. Obviously, this is call the fight or flight response.

To see how this works in action, picture a zebra out in an open grassland. He can see that there is no danger in the vicinity, so his main energy is concentrated in the central core of his body. The parasympathetic nervous system is dominant, so the digestive and lymph systems are fully activated. He is chewing and the grass goes down into the stomach, which makes digestive juices that stimulate the intestinal tract. In the intestine, the friendly bacteria are busy baking little grass pies. In the lymph system, the thymus gland is orchestrating the white blood cells which quickly deal with any viruses, yeast, fungi, bacteria, parasites or abnormal cells. The skeletal muscles of the legs are used at the moment for little more than props.

Now picture that same zebra with a massive lion barrelling through the tall grass directly towards the zebra, drool pouring from his jaws and a hungry glint in his eyes. Does this zebra care whether there’s a little undigested grass in his intestine? Does he care if there’s a virus or two hiding out somewhere in the lymph system? Emphatically, NO! Forget about those trivialities, let’s get these legs moving, fast! So the adrenal glands fire up, and the energy switches from the central core of the body to the skeletal muscles, and the zebra either kicks the lion in the chops or “hightails” it out of there.

Within minutes, it’s almost all over one way or the other. Either the zebra made good his getaway, or he’s become dinner for Leo and friends. If he got away, within a short time the adrenal glands would stop making fight or flight hormones. The adrenal hormones in the blood would be broken down and the energy would slowly shift away from the skeletal muscles and back to the digestive and lymph system. Within a short time he would be back to grazing. Even if the lion was still within sight, as long as he was outside the zebra’s “safety zone,” the zebra would continue peacefully grazing.

Real physical danger is a rarity in our society. The wild beasts have long since been exterminated from populated areas or locked up in zoos.

However, we have a built-in video screen in our minds on which we are constantly projecting pictures. This has great uses for we can take experiences from the past and present and then project them into the future on our mental screen. From this information we can then anticipate what problems and/or opportunities might arise in the future so that we can best prepare for them.

The problem is that when you project a picture of a potential problem in your mind your body doesn’t know that it is not a real problem, that it is merely an imaginary potential problem. The body reacts exactly as if you were in extreme physical danger. The body energy shifts away from the digestive organs and lymph system and out to the skeletal muscles so that you can run from or fight with this “roaring lion” of the mind. In nature a real situation like this would usually be resolved within minutes. However, our minds have the incredible ability to create more and more and more potential problems.

We spend a great deal of time trying to avoid these problem pictures. We can temporarily obliterate them by using drugs and alcohol. We can avoid them briefly by taking holidays, going fishing, playing cards, sports or other games, watching TV, sleeping in, being too busy, etc., but often as soon as we stop these activities the mind begins to fill again with all the potential troubles that might occur.

Outside sources often contribute to a sense of danger and trouble. Newspapers and TV news exaggerates the amount of real danger that exists in our communities.

Also, we even pride ourselves when we use our minds to our best advantage. If we use our mind to see a situation sooner or clearer than someone else so that we can make a quicker or better deal, then this is something that we boast or brag about. There is, however, a very fine line between practical use of the mind’s creative abilities and using it as a scheming machine.

Even a small real problem can turn into a major health problem by constantly thinking about it rather than doing something constructive to resolve it. Problems should be quickly and decisively dealt with or, if they can’t be dealt with summarily, they should be consciously put aside until they can be dealt with.

Talking about a problem with a good friend or a counsellor may help to shrink it back to its proper size after a runaway mind has exaggerated it out of proportion.

Since during stress the body is shunting energy into the skeletal muscle system for fight or flight, why not follow through with some vigorous exercise. Running, aerobics, cycling, martial arts, swimming, etc., are good ways to burn up accumulated stress and help remove the sense of powerlessness that often accompanies it.

There are softer forms such as tai-chi and yoga, relaxation classes, meditation and breathing exercises that can help rebalance the mind and body.

Water therapy can be very effective at de-stressing. Since the skin is the major sense organ of the body, immersing it in water can give a sense of nurture. Water temperature above body temperature is relaxing for a short period of time. Excess heat can be weakening however, so heat is best followed by cold.

There is a simple technique that can be used to disengage the mental activity from having a negative impact on the body. You touch three fingers from each hand on the corners of the forehead and then pull the skin lightly apart so the skin in the center of the forehead is slightly stretched. With muscle testing it has been found that if you now think about a particular problem it won’t weaken the body. Holding these points seems to work as a clutch to effectively disengage the mental activity from the physical body. If these points are held for a few minutes it takes the “sharper edges” off the problem for hours.

If having a “bad” picture in the mind has a bad effect on the body, even if the picture is not real, then a good picture in the mind should have a good effect on the body, even if it’s not real. This has proven true in many clinical studies. Children with cancer play a game like Pac-Man but on the screen it uses white blood cells chasing cancer  cells. The result is increased activity of their own white blood cells.

Creative visualization is a rapidly growing form of therapy and can be done easily. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. You can start by thinking about a particular problem. However, you have unlimited tools available. You can visualize anything from a machine gun and hand grenades to a magic wand and fairy dust to change the picture on your mind’s video screen from that of a problem into one with a happy ending. If you create an improved picture in you mind your subconscious will immediately swing all its powers into having that picture expressed into physical reality.

Positive thinking is a form of creative visualization. If what comes out of our mouths is indicative of what goes on in our minds then let us speak words of support and encouragement. This is especially important with young children as they are forming much of their self image from feedback from those around them. Everything seen and heard is recorded as reality so until the ability to discriminate is learned it’s especially important to avoid continually berating a child.

Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) filtered water
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) baking soda
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) rice vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon (½ to 1 ml) cayenne (optional)
• 1 pound (500 g) lean beef, cut into 1-inch cubes

Sauce:

• ¼ cup (50 ml) filtered water
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• 4 cups (1 l) broccoli pieces
• half a red, yellow, and/or orange sweet bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) filtered water

Mix together the marinade ingredients, add the beef and stir well. Leave to marinate while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Remove the peel from the broccoli stems; cut broccoli into bite-size pieces. Cut the bell pepper into thin strips. Peel the carrot and cut diagonally into thin slices.

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-low heat. Add the coconut oil, beef, and marinade and brown the beef on all sides. Add the broccoli, bell pepper, carrot, and 1 tablespoon of the water. Cover and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding the other tablespoon of water if needed. Add the sauce and stir until thickened. Serve over brown rice. Makes 4 servings.

Dr. Jonn Matsen, ND will be a keynote speaker at the

Living Well Seminar Stage

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 2:30 pm

Vancouver Convention Centre

East Building–Exhibit Hall B & C

999 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC

For ticket information see: www.thewellnessshow.com

The seasonal flu vaccine primes your immune system to remember a SPECIFIC strain of the flu virus. This is effective only if that strain is PRESENT during the current cold and flu season. An overview of clinical trials suggests that the overall effectiveness of the flu vaccine is only around 50% and it also contains thimerosal (a mercury preservative). For a broader protection against colds and flu, consider a natural immune booster called Pascoleucyn; this contains low-dose echinacea that  enhances your immune system to fight ANY virus that may breach your primary immune defenses this season.

Call 604-986-7774 to book an appointment to receive your Natural Immune Booster for only $12.

For more info, visit Dr. Groenewoud’s blog

We often have patients who are sensitive to dairy or who want to limit or eliminate their intake of cow’s milk. Their biggest concern is what they can use instead of milk. Fortunately, there are a lot of alternatives available now and, in most areas, you don’t have to go to a health food store to purchase them; they’re available on the shelves and in the refrigerated sections of most grocery stores.

You can substitute rice milk, almond milk, goat’s milk, coconut milk, or hemp milk (this one doesn’t taste very good, in my opinion) for cow’s milk. It’s best to choose the unsweetened varieties, if possible. Some of these may have sweeteners added to them to improve their taste but they are typically natural ones.

My favourites include vanilla flavoured, unsweetened almond milk (such as the Blue Diamond brand) and coconut milk. And now you don’t have to get your coconut milk from a can; So Delicious brand makes a variety of Coconut Milk Beverages from organic coconut milk. They’re packaged in 1.89 liter cartons and can be found in the refrigerated section of some grocery stores, either with the other non-dairy alternatives or in the organics/natural foods section. There are probably other brands out there other than So Delicious, I just haven’t seen them yet. Use coconut milk in cereals, baked goods, soups, and smoothies such as in this month’s recipe for Coconut Almond Smoothie.