amino acids – Chew Digest

Energy, Frequency, Vibration, and Electrolytes.

Electrolytes are substances that conduct electricity when dissolved in water. They are essential for the proper functioning of the body’s cells and organs. The principal electrolytes in the human body are sodium, potassium, and chloride. An imbalance of electrolytes can lead to a variety of problems, including:

Dehydration: An imbalance of electrolytes can disrupt the body’s fluid balance and cause dehydration. Electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, help regulate fluid balance in the body. An imbalance can lead to dehydration, which can cause symptoms such as thirst, fatigue, and dizziness.
Heart problems: An imbalance of electrolytes, particularly potassium, can lead to abnormal heart rhythms and potentially life-threatening conditions such as heart attack or stroke. Low potassium levels (hypokalemia) can cause muscle weakness and an irregular heartbeat, while high potassium levels (hyperkalemia) can cause a slow or irregular heartbeat.
Muscle weakness and cramping: Electrolyte imbalances can affect the way muscles function, leading to weakness and cramping.
Nerve problems: An imbalance of electrolytes can affect the functioning of the nerves, leading to numerous symptoms. Particularly sodium, potassium, and calcium, are important for the proper functioning of nerves and muscles. An imbalance of these electrolytes can cause muscle spasms, cramps, weakness, and twitching.
Changes in blood pressure: Electrolyte imbalances can affect the body’s ability to regulate blood pressure, leading to high or low blood pressure.
Changes in mental status: Electrolyte imbalances can affect the brain and lead to symptoms such as confusion, lethargy, and seizures.
Acid-base balance: Electrolytes, particularly bicarbonate, help regulate the acid-base balance in the body. An imbalance can cause acidosis (too much acid in the body) or alkalosis (too little acid in the body), which can cause symptoms such as difficulty breathing, nausea, and confusion.

The acid-base balance in the body is regulated by a variety of mechanisms, including the respiratory system and the kidneys. A diet that supports these systems can help maintain proper acid-base balance in the body. Here are some general dietary recommendations for maintaining acid-base balance:

Eat a varied diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are rich in alkaline compounds that can help neutralize the acid in the body. Aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Limit intake of acidic foods: Certain foods, such as processed meats, caffeine, and alcohol, can increase acid production in the body. Limiting the intake of these foods can help maintain acid-base balance.

Get enough protein(amino acids): The body uses amino acids to help buffer acid in the body by neutralizing excess acid. Getting enough protein in the diet can help maintain an acid-base balance.

When the body produces excess acid, it can lead to a condition called acidosis. The body has several mechanisms for maintaining acid-base balance, including the respiratory system and the kidneys. However, the body can also use protein to help neutralize excess acid.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, which can act as bases (substances that neutralize acid). When the body is in a state of acidosis, some of the amino acids in proteins can be converted into bases to neutralize excess acid. This process helps to maintain acid-base balance in the body.

It is important to maintain a balance of acid and base in the body, as an imbalance can lead to a variety of health problems. However, getting enough protein in the diet is also important to support various bodily functions, including maintaining acid-base balance.

Stay hydrated: Proper hydration is important for maintaining acid-base balance. Aim for 8-8 ounces of water per day.

Limit salt intake: A high-salt diet can disrupt acid-base balance and lead to dehydration. Aim for less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day.

It is important to note that everyone’s dietary needs are different, and it is always good to seek the advice of a professional for personalized dietary recommendations.

Further reading about acidosis.

Acidosis is a condition in which the body has excess acid. A variety of factors, including respiratory problems, kidney problems, and certain medications, can cause it. Acidosis can lead to a variety of problems, including:

Breathing difficulties: Acidosis can cause respiratory problems, leading to difficulty breathing.

Confusion and coma: Acidosis can affect the brain and lead to symptoms such as confusion and coma.

Fatigue: Acidosis can cause fatigue and weakness.

Headache: Acidosis can cause headaches and dizziness.

Nausea and vomiting: Acidosis can cause digestive problems such as nausea and vomiting.

Rapid breathing: Acidosis can cause rapid breathing, which can lead to further respiratory problems.

Rapid heart rate: Acidosis can cause a rapid heart rate, which can lead to further cardiovascular problems.

It is important to address acidosis as soon as possible to prevent complications and restore acid-base balance in the body.

It Takes Time to Turn Life Around

Try to wrap your head around the following statement.

𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴, 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘶 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘵.

“𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦.” -Arnold Ehret

There is no quick fix to a lifetime of egregious error. If one lives for decades filled with toxic environmental exposures, e.g., sugar, candy, junk food, fast food, processed food, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs(prescription or not), one cannot expect to turn their ship around in a short period of time.

I used to be that guy, and I’ve been living a life of recovery for some 6.5 years and counting. I finally, after all this time, feel like I am somewhat headed in the right direction. Not 30, 60, or 90 days of change, but a consistent, long-term, steady leaning in the right direction away from a lifetime of bad decisions. Almost 7 years now. I guess it’s true what they say. Slow and steady wins the race.

If you, like me, decide you want to make some meaningful changes toward a better, longer, and healthier life, remember that the long game is where your focus should be, and a transition will likely be the healthiest way to achieve your life-long change.

In my opinion, the one thing you can do to start that will make the biggest overall difference is to remove sugar, candy, junk food, fast food, and processed food. These are likely the worst offenders that, when removed, will allow your body to start repairing and rejuvenating itself the fastest. Of course, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and any other drugs related to addiction will need to be addressed as they are also a hindrance to recovery, repair, and rejuvenation.

To be fair, alcohol is right up there with these top 5 that I mentioned quitting first and, in some cases, might need to be addressed first. Especially if you were anything like me. I started off by removing alcohol first, and then I removed sugar, candy, junk food, fast food, and processed food a little over a year later. All these things have helped me recover my life. Alcohol is the only one that I quit cold turkey.

Eventually, I even when on to remove all animal-based food sources. But even that didn’t happen overnight. I started off by removing all things dairy. Milk, cheese, and butter in the spring of 2019 followed by beef and pork products later that year. Over the following year in 2020, I ended up removing chicken, turkey, fish, and eggs. But even those were staggered over that full year. First chicken, then turkey. The last form of meat to go was fish, which, frankly, I didn’t eat much of anyways and then toward the end of 2020, I decided to take a break from eggs to see what it would be like to be completely whole-food/plant-based for a month. I never looked back. I have not had any reason to.

At this point, I’ve had no animal-based foods in almost 2 years, and all is well. To my delight, I found out that our body doesn’t need cow, pig, fish, or fowl proteins to live a long healthy life. We need human proteins, and it is our liver that creates these for us if we provide it with all of the building blocks(amino acids) it needs. All of which we can get from plant-based sources along with our body’s own catabolic or recycling processes by which it recovers old cell parts that have completed their normal life cycle, returning previously used amino acids back into our body’s amino acid pool. Our body is totally into recycling…8)

All this to say that any meaningful, long last change is going to take some time and investment, but the reward is well worth the effort as the payoff is more quality and quantity time for our future selves to spend however we best see fit.

And time is our most valuable asset.

Where Do I Get My Protein?

I get this question from people I speak to about my diet quite frequently. It is a question I am quite used to by now.

Where do I get protein?

I get it from the same place you do. My liver. It is probably the most important organ for making protein in my body. It creates millions of molecules of protein each and every day from amino acids for many different purposes. Some of these amino acids are already in my body available for use while others I get from my food.

You see, my body does not need me to eat protein any more than your body needs you to. And it does not need me to eat anything animal to get protein because again it does not need protein. It needs amino acids and our body would benefit the most by doing the least amount of work for those amino acids. At the lowest metabolic cost.

Yes, you can if you so choose, get your amino acids from animal-based sources but it is not necessary.

It is our body that makes the proteins it needs from the broken-down foods we eat. All of them contain amino acids.

As well, all the amino acids we humans need are bound up within our own cells that were formed within our body, so yes our body does store amino acids for later use. As every cell in our body has a limited use window(lifetime), they all will eventually be either sluffed off on the outside or reabsorbed into the vascular system on the inside. These proteins get broken down by the lymphocytes within the lymphatic system and ultimately make their way back into general vascular circulation to be processed by our organs for reuse or elimination if we have more than necessary. We also continually sluff off the lining of our G.I. tract which is also conveniently made of all the amino acids that were previously used to build our proteins the last time around. Our body is very efficient and conservative by nature.

Of course, we still need additional amino acids, most of which can be supplied very easily each and every day even by someone that consumes a raw whole food plant-based diet. The amount we need though is very small compared to the large volume that most people in the Western world consume daily.

How much protein(amino acids) do we need? It would appear that it is much less than most people would believe. What follows is the composition of human breast milk.

86-88% water.
7% carbohydrates, mainly lactose, benefits gut microbiota and aids in calcium absorption.
4% fats for the development of the brain, eyes, and nervous system.
1% proteins for essential building blocks, growth, and development.
0.2% vitamins and minerals
0.5%-2% prebiotics for healthy gut bacteria growth and immune support.

As you can see, even a fully developing baby over its first few years needs only a small amount of high-quality protein.