A Formula for Weight Management (& vitamin D)

With the completion of Clinical Consideration for Essential Oils | Cholesterol | Chronic Fatigue | Narcolepsy I got to thinking about what it would take to begin improving energy, metabolism, immune function and vitamin D levels.

Before accepting the idea that taking a vitamin D3 supplement is the solution, or spending more time in the sun and consuming better food sources of vitamin D protects us from deficiency, take a look at this.

To begin with, Vitamin D is a hormone the body is designed to produce. The process either occurs in the skin via the synthesis of 7-dehydrocholesterol, a precursor to cholesterol, or the hydroxylation of vitamin D3, involving several liver enzymes. According to The Clinical Biochemist Reviews article on Vitamin D metabolism, the measurement of serum 25D is the accepted indicator of vitamin D status. I can’t and won’t accept this mindset. There are two problems with this thought.

1. scientists do not fully understand the full scope of the vitamin D endocrine system

2. this measurement does not stipulate whether or not the body is transporting vitamin D further into the system or for that matter, to what degree..

The vitamin D endocrine system involves a mechanism that relies on the transport of vitamin D for a number of biological functions. It does this via the vitamin D receptor (VDR) for the purpose of circulating calcium and phosphate. These roles include nerve, immune and muscle activity, cell differentiation, proliferation and communication as well as the maintenance of mineralized tissues i.e. bones.

The point is the production and use of vitamin D is far more involved than popping a pill or enjoying a day in the sun. Not to mention, if you use commercial sunblock, you’re inhibiting the body’s natural ability to produce vitamin D and more than likely impacting its use of cholesterol. To bottom line this discussion, the body is a complex series of interdependent chemical reactions that are being disrupted by environmental factors.

Vitamin D has a big role in our overall health. As does calcium, and all the other minerals. How many times have you heard the theory that drinking milk for the calcium helps with losing weight? How many products, besides milk, have you seen ‘fortified with calcium and / or vitamin D’ listed on the package? The marketing gurus tap into this emotional issue. In addition to weight gain, we have trouble sleeping, are experiencing an increase in degenerative health issues, and are told these nutrients are important for overall good health. This is a valid consideration; yet, they know our goals and rely on the available advertisements and marketing websites.to inform and sway our decisions. (I’ll say more about marketing sites at the end of this post … I encourage you to read on as it’s not an opinion, my points are based on personal experience)

Here are a couple facts:

1. calcium is a signaling chemical used to activate immune responses

2. calcium is also needed for blood vessel and muscle contraction, lowering blood pressure, regulating fluid balance as it controls the flow of water into and out of the cells, stimulating enzyme and hormonal secretion, triggering the formation of blood clots, regulating heartbeat, and conducting nerve impulses. I did not mention teeth or bones here because vitamin D is required for mineralization and calcium is needed for nerves, blood vessels and hormones. Teeth are mineralized structures surrounding nerves and blood vessels. Bone marrow is part of the endocrine system and all of it requires hormones. Therefore, getting the most out of vitamin D and calcium requires a stabilization of both the stress mechanism and endocrine system. Taking calcium is not necessary. There’s plenty in our food. The task is to help the body improve its use of it and stabilize the thyroid and parathyroid glands. Otherwise,

3. according to the CDC, in 2017, 18.2 million people age 20 and older have coronary artery disease which is comprised of cholesterol, calcium, fat, fibrin and cellular waste

4. chronic stress, albeit mental, emotional and / or environmental, signals the body’s mechanism of defense also known as oxidative stress and other steroidal hormones that I address in When, Why and How to Block Estrogen It also alters VDR activity (as a side note: essential oils are the result of oxidative stress in plants as they protect the plant in several ways)

5. as of this month, July 2020, it’s estimated that 1 billion people are deficient in vitamin D with the prevalence being 35% higher in the obese. According to the CDC, 6 in 10 people in the U.S. live with one chronic disease, while 4 in 10 have at least 2. When we expand upon this, nearly 50% of the world population reportedly lives with one chronic illness, and roughly 25% live with 2 or more. This is a great deal more than 1 billion which suggests my theory on acceptable blood serum levels of vitamin D not being accurate is on point. Therefore, those testing deficient are in serious need of boosting their system, while the rest of us would do well to focus on helping the body transport vitamin D into the cells, etc.

A side note:

Earlier this year, I had a very low vitamin D level. They placed me on a prescription dose for 6 weeks. I was prematurely excited by the rise in my D levels until I realized this measurement did not take VDR activity into account; so, I asked 2 physicians. The answer I received was ‘we don’t know if your body is using it or not.’.

Hence hours of research and why I went from being my worst client to my best.

In the previous post Clinical Consideration of Essential Oils I mention that lowered energy levels goes along with narcolepsy. It’s also believed there is an unstable (autoimmune) reaction taking place. This is why chronic fatigue and narcolepsy are on the same spectrum as far as I’m concerned.

Low energy includes fatigue, sleepiness, feeling sluggish as well as an inability to release fat. Carbohydrates / sugars give us a rapid shot of energy; so, does caffeine. Caffeine is known to increase cortisol levels. It also influences dopaminergic mesolimbic activity leading to our cravings for carbs. Additionally, an active stress response minimizes digestion and slows down the break down of carbs, protein and fat.

Fat is also used for energy and is necessary for hormone production along with sugars. Yet, the cycle becomes one of immediacy because we don’t realize what’s really going on in the body. As I said, our health is an intricate series of chemical interactions. Each one affecting another. To offset degeneration and lose fat, I feel it takes at least knowing we have more control than we think and it has as much to do with advertising and product promotions as it does with our choices. However, how can we choose differently if we don’t know why this is ‘happening’.

The list is endless of approved chemicals for flavoring. Some of which are plant constituents recognized for their influence on appetite ……

Did I just say that? Yes! Alpha-phellandrene is a recognized appetite stimulant. There are others and these things are being added to our foods. Therefore …

A formula for weight management:

1. reduce your consumption of prepackaged foods! I disagree with premade anything, including essential oil blends because no two bodies are the same and so many chemicals influence hormonal activity i.e. appetite

2. take a coenzymated vitamin B complex

3. take a digestive enzyme and a hydrochloric acid supplement several days a week

4. avoid fermented foods … for now

5. take a probiotic

6. take ashwagandha

7. take a vitamin D3 supplement and pair it with essential oils (see next list)

8. use a magnesium oil as it’s safest to use with medications and helps with hormonal regulation as well as protects the cells from heavy metals. A necessary ingredient for easing the stress response

9. avoid calcium as a supplement or fortified foods as much as possible

General essential oil suggestions …. if you DO NOT take medications

1. ginger root ~ assists with improving the use of acetylcholine in the digestive system, lipid metabolism

2. elemi ~ supports an improved use of cholesterol, the hormonal system and DNA repair

3. black spruce ~ improves adrenal and thyroid function

4. marjoram spanish ~ digestion and cholesterol

5. ylang ylang ~ supports hormonal stability

6. holy basil ~ stabilizes DNA activity and hormonal processes

7. rosemary borneol ~ digestion and cholesterol

8. cypress ~ improves the use of acetylcholine and hormonal stability

9. bitter orange ~ as we relate to vitamin D being sourced by the sun, and oranges being the sunny fruit, this oil supports the transport of vitamin D

As I said, this is a generalized suggestion and by no means the ideal formula for you. If daytime sleepiness is an issue, then I would make some adjustments to fit your specific needs. The same can be said for any symptom / concern. I also do not encourage using any of these oils for more than 4 to 5 weeks at a time. Change is natural which means adapting our choices is essential. (we discuss this topic in greater detail on Zoom)

If you take at least one medication for a chronic health issue, please do not use any of the above. It’s in your interest to consult with me first so that I may determine any potential conflicts and make some alternate suggestions. The reason for this is simple. Essential oil constituents influence CYP450 enzyme activity. Some bind to serum albumin and others affect the sulfation pathway. The very same processes medications interact with. Certain combinations of medications and oils increase the chance of some type of drug injury and knowing which oils to select in order to avoid an adverse reaction or two is in your best interest. I understand this is not the current way of thinking with regards to the essential oil market; yet, it’s highly probable the more authentic the oil. In fact, it’s why I wrote GRAS My Ass No matter what, do not let my cautions discourage you. There are other ways to assist your body with transporting vitamin D …

As for my comment regarding marketing websites / blogs. Just over a year ago, because of my experience with essential oils, I was invited to contribute to a heath related blog. They wanted me to rank essential oils for common ailments, like insomnia. The catch was, although I could put my two cents in on which oil and why, I had to promote essential oils with the highest number of stars from a certain website. These were brands I either never heard of or wouldn’t use them in my laundry, let alone recommend them for health purposes. The rankings were based on lowest price and I could not bring myself to do it. Sure it was a paying gig, but I would have been completely out of integrity with me.

I hope you found this helpful and welcome general questions in the comments below. I also appreciate your donations as this is my life’s work and I devote my heart and soul to bring you accurate and useful methods for assisting your body to restore wellness.