© Primal Thrive 1 “Let Food Be Thy Medicine, And Medicine Thy Food” The famous quote by Hippocrates from Kos, founder and father of “Western” medicine however I don’t agree on this. In Hippocrates’ way of healing and balancing the humors or bodily fluids we see quite some similarities with Eastern Medicine, in particular Ayurvedic medicine that types the person with a specific constitution or Dosha, which is then balanced by the means of diet, movement, nature and herbalism. Another similarity we see in Traditional Chinese Medicine, that doesn’t perceive food merely as calories, vitamins and minerals, but more than that as carriers of several energies which can be cooling, warming, drying, etc. So in order to have a full spectrum understanding of food as medicine, we cannot only reduce food to a scientific point of view, the ancient energetic part must also be included to have a holistic approach. This is what I write about in my series Food as Medicine, combining both Eastern and Western knowledge on nutrition to provide you with a holistic view on how you can use food for yourself or others. It originally began with a provision of information for men to become more knowledgeable about what foods, herbs and supplements aid in testosterone production and which ones to completely avoid. Now, I’m also writing more extensively on other subjects like longevity, mitochondrial health, and of course how foods can help with certain pathologies. © Primal Thrive 2 © Primal Thrive 3 Five Foods as Medicine Apples Get organic apples or go to a farm where you know that they don’t spray those beta making chemicals. So what’s the deal with apples? My number one reason would be that apples support the gut lining. The tight junctions of your gut can be strengthened by eating apples, preventing leaky gut syndrome and supporting the digestive system during the autumn months when most people become sick as their bodies start to cleanse with the seasonal change. Apples also contain pectin, a fibre that helps remove heavy metals and other toxins from the body and the bowels. The pectin is a great protection agains neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimers. Apples help with iron absorption like no other food can. Apples contain Malic Acid – especially the green Granny Smiths – shown to increase the excretion of aluminum (Domingo et al., 1988) and Ursolic Acid for anabolism. The peel of apples contains quercetin, and as you will read further down below, this helps with T production. Quercetin has been traditionally viewed as a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecule. It is now recognized as a phytochemical that can modulate pathways associated with mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial membrane potential, oxidative respiration and ATP anabolism, intra-mitochondrial redox status (source),… in other words, quercetin helps with mitochondrial creation and function = more energy! Apple Seeds The seeds of apples contain small amounts of cyanide precursor also know as laetrile or amygdalin that can convert into cyanide in the presence of a cancer cell. Basically nature’s chemotherapy. © Primal Thrive 4 Ginger Ginger root is a great anti-inflammatory herb for digestive support. Besides that, ginger has been shown to increase levels of LH, FSH and testosterone in infertile man significantly. •Ginger inhibits 5 LO enzymes (5 lipoxygenase), these enzymes are responsible for the food supply of cancer cells within the prostate gland, and by cutting off their food supply (what ginger does) these malignant cells are triggered to undergo apoptosis or cell death. •Ginger also has some of the trace mineral zinc, a key mineral for fertility, intelligence, mood, immunity, testicular and prostate health. It becomes only better: •Ginger increases NGF in the brain. NGF (Neuron Growth Factor) is a protein in the brain that stimulates the growth of neurons, especially in hippocampal region. •Ginger has also anti-fat constituents gingerenone and gingerol inhibiting adipogenesis or the making of new fat cells. To end, ginger can be used when nauseous for instance when you experience travel sickness. It suppresses serotonin in the stomach, a neurotransmitter that is elevated when someone experiences nausea or gut distress. Best taken before or during food consumption. © Primal Thrive 5 Oysters & Pearls The oyster is a very old food in the sense that it is still an original food, similar how it was thousands of years ago. Perhaps the most classic use of the oyster as aphrodisiac in history was by Giacomo Casanova. It is said that Casanova ate about 40 raw oysters every morning for breakfast, although this isn’t quite accurate he ate a lot of oysters. Casanova used this legendary food in his ‘oyster game’ to seduce women. However, this book ain’t a guide on pickup artistry from the 18th century. Besides Casanova, oysters were associated with the the Greek Goddess of love Aphrodite and later with the Roman Goddess Venus. This is because the oyster represented the female’s vulva and it was prescribed as medicine to invoke lechery. So how is it that the oyster is such an aphrodisiac? Oysters contain specific amino acids such as D-aspartic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartate that play a role in hormonal signaling LH and FSH. These amino acids boost temporarily testosterone levels and sperm counts in men, and progesterone in women, naturally increasing libido - hence its aphrodisiac effect. Oysters do contain the amino acid tyrosine which is a precursor to dopamine. When dopamine levels are elevated it naturally correlates with and increase in libido and sex drive. There is a supplement on the market which is an isolated form of D-aspartic acid and I’m not fond of this as it is shown to first increase and then decrease testosterone levels. © Primal Thrive 6 The oyster is very pro-metabolic too, as it contains the necessary minerals and building blocks to make thyroid hormone. Anything that increases metabolism will automatically decrease stress and improve fertility. Oysters are rich in: • Iron, zinc & selenium are the key minerals for activating the enzymes responsible for thyroid hormone production. A portion of oysters can provide up to 600% of the daily recommended intake of zinc which is interesting for men as they lose a lot of zinc reserves after ejaculation. • Copper is a key (antioxidant) mineral needed for iron regulation, cellular oxygen consumption and mitochondrial energy metabolism. Copper is also needed for collagen synthesis which makes the oyster a perfect food to protect you against solar radiation. • Iodine is the building mineral for thyroid hormone and plays a role in testosterone production as well. • B12 is abundant in raw oysters (100g oysters gives you 300% of the RDI). B12 is needed for nervous system, red blood cell synthesis and metabolism. • Vitamin A is needed for iodine uptake, thyroid hormone production and conversion, and testosterone synthesis. Oysters do contain other fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D. • Tyrosine is not only a precursor to dopamine which will make you happy and motivated, it is also the building block for thyroid hormone. • Quality Protein in oysters are tyrosine, glycine & taurine (100g of oysters provides 7g of protein). © Primal Thrive 7 • DHMBA an abbreviation of the antioxidant 3,5-Dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl alcohol which is a phenolic compound that has antioxidant properties reducing oxidative stress. Pearl Powder So if you grind up pearls you get pearl powder. This powder is originally used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for beauty and other treatments. It has been extensively studied from a western point of view too: •Pearl powder improves collagen synthesis and reduces wrinkles. •Other anti aging effects of pearl powder are that it increases the most powerful antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione while it also helps prevents lipid peroxidation. •From and eastern medicine perspective, pearl powder is a Shen tonic, meaning that it calms the spirit and that it reduces anxiety. Pearl contains many minerals mainly: calcium carbonate and magnesium, which accounted for 91%, followed by silica, calcium phosphate, aluminum oxide and ferric oxide as well as some trace elements such as sodium, magnesium, manganese, selenium, aluminum, and copper. It also contains essential and non-essential amino acids such as glycine & tyrosine supporting the metabolism. Protein, peptides, and amino acids contribute to the body’s innate antioxidant defense system: the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione which neutralize free radicals. © Primal Thrive 8 Wild Yam Root Wild yam is a root that contains a substance called diosgenin, which can convert into pregnenolone (the mother hormone), progesterone that benefits the progesterone to estrogen ratio in women, and in the testosterone to estrogen ratio in men. This herb is often used for post menopausal women who experience estrogen dominance because of lowered progesterone levels. This imbalance in hormones causes angriness, irritability and mood swings. However, progesterone is an important hormone regarding many other things. The Mother Hormone Pregnenolone is made from cholesterol and is called the “mother hormone” as all other steroidal hormones originate from pregnenolone. An important thing to know is that pregnenolone is made in the reproductive organs and adrenal glands, but is highly concentrated within the brain. Pregnenolone is made from cholesterol & vitamin A within the mitochondria, which means that a deficiency in both cholesterol and vitamin A and/or a mitochondrial insufficiency could lead to lowered steroidal levels. Pregnenolone is pure brain food and a protective hormone for the brain that exerts many beneficial effects such as improvement in memory, learning, reversing anxiety, ameliorating depression, and prevent and reverse neurodegeneration. Pregnenolone’s anti-aging and anti inflammatory effects doesn’t stop at the brain, it is a systemic hormone with adaptogenic qualities that regulates stress in various tissues, organs and glands. This means that any kind of disease or illness could be related to low pregnenolone, lowered metabolic rate and high stress levels. © Primal Thrive 9 Food as Medicine part 1: The Barbarian Diet for Men's Health and Testosterone You will less likely find a book that talks about which specific foods favour men’s health. The Barbarian Diet will show you what to eat & when to eat it. This oeuvre includes an in-depth summary on certain foods that benefit men in either: • Testosterone production • Fertility & men's health • Muscle building & recovery • Energy and metabolism • Improving sleep quality • & Much more This course includes a holistic approach and describes over 45 foods and herbs that can help you achieve better health. Go to Food as Medicine: The Barbarian Diet part 1 © Primal Thrive 10 Food as Medicine part 2 In Food as Medicine part 2 we will cover some extraordinary but ancient nutritional applications. You will learn: • How you can boost motivation, attention and drive with food • How you can use bee venom • What plant medicines there are for longevity, immune-system, and to make you smarter • Remedies against Lyme disease • How to boost fat loss • Have crazy sex drive through nutrition • How you can increase intelligence + longevity hormones • What foods are best as natural sunscreens • & MUCH MORE Go to Food as Medicine part 2 Learn more about Food as Medicine and discover what foods you can use for your health and hormones: 👉 Get Food as Medicine part 1 here 👉 Get Food as Medicine part 2 here © Primal Thrive 11
