Are You Getting the Nutrients You Need for Good Health?

Health Building Foods



Leading Contributors to Premature Death

Diet and Physical Inactivity 310,000-580,000
Tobacco 260,000-470,000






Essential Nutrients and Their Impact on Our Body

Vitamins and How They Impact Our Health


Vitamin Health Impact Partial list Significant Food Sources (partial list)
Pantothenic Acid Supports energy metabolism widespread in foods

Minerals and How They Impact Our Health

Mineral Health Impact Significant Food Sources






Manganese Facilitates many cell processes widespread in foods
Molybdenum Facilitates many cell processes legumes, organ meats

How Important Is Your Health To You?

Enjoying Life

I must ask you this question. Have you thought about what limitations your current state of health has placed on you? Does your current state of health allow you the luxury of a walk around the lake or park without thinking “are my knees going to hurt or I am not sure I can make it, I’ll be to tired.”  What about taking a 3, 4 or even 6 mile hike in the mountains? The real question is, when it comes down to living life the way you would like to, can you?  If you can’t are you willing to do something about it?

As I look back on my life 5 years ago it was very limited.  My joints ached and walking more than a few hundred feet without looking for a resting spot was impossible. I had to sit on the sidelines and watch my grandchildren play without me.  This was torture.  My wife loved to hike and camp, sadly she had to give it up because I couldn’t.  She didn’t want to go without me.  I love college football, however going to the games was pure misery. This is no longer the case. My body allows me the luxury to do almost anything I would like to do at my age of 54.  If you really want more from your body continue reading. If not,  hopefully you are in great health and do not need this information.

If you want your body to be a magnificent vessel allowing you to have an active and fun life, it’s never to late. Our bodies are amazingly and wondrously made. God provided our bodies with an innate drive for health. Regardless how badly we poison our bodies they continue to fight to live.  If we give our bodies some help they can recover and give us the freedom to really experience life physically the way we desire.

OK, so let’s get right to the point of this blog. How to go from a state of  poor health, illness or even disease to better health, very little illness or even reverse disease.  We are each metabolically and genetically unique. In addition, the exposure to external influences  such as stress, nutritional deficiencies, environmental toxins, injuries, smoking, alcohol and drug intake have a total combined effect that can limit each persons health potential.  For example, If someone suffered an injury in a car accident and had broken their ankle, their ability to do an extreme hike may be limited however they may be able to comfortably do a moderate hike.  Regardless of your current health condition it can always improve.

In addition to the rules below,  learn to live within your energy/calorie budget. If you do not eat enough calories your body will be lacking very important nutrients needed to produce energy and build and repair your body. If you eat too much you will gain weight and open the door for other weight related health issues.

16 Rules of Healthy Living

Following these tips will help in your achievement of optimal health and wellness

  1. Remove all unnatural sources of sugar from your life.  (Table sugar, brown sugar, HFCS, corn syrup, confectioners’ sugar, syrup, etc…) Sugar acts as a poison that causes inflammation to our arteries and veins leading to heart disease, atherosclerosis and of course diabetes. Added sugars upset our normal hormonal balance and lower our immune system. Sugars in natural live foods does not have this effect.  Look for products made with stevia or xylitol. You can also use these as sweeteners at home.
  2. Make changes slowly to your lifestyle. You are more likely to be successful at making the positive changes stick by make change slowly.
  3. Remove or limit all refined and processed foods from your life.  (most boxed or canned flour based products)  Breads, pastas and cereals should be organic whole grain selections. Refined flours (those that say enriched, bleached, flour, wheat flour, bromate, multigrain and unbleached are refined) have the same effect on the body that added sugars do because they are simple carbohydrates and are absorbed into the body as blood sugar very quickly leading to the same disease potential and weight gain. These types of grains can get you into a vicious cycle of wanting to eat more and more of them.  It becomes a carbohydrate addiction that can be hard to break!  Learn the foods with the lowest blood sugar impact at this site. It will teach you everything you need to know about the blood sugar impact of particular foods.
  4. Replace frying with sauteing, baking, grilling or broiling.  Use  olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil or coconut oil.
  5. Replace flour based foods with “Whole Grain” choices.  (first ingredient in the list should say whole grain)
  6. Eat foods as close to nature in their raw state as possible (fresh or frozen).  If you must eat canned vegetables please rinse well.  Strive for 70% raw foods and 30% cooked.
  7. Eat a diet rich in variety. Include as many colors of vegetables (70% of your diet should be vegetables and fruits) fruits and grains, nuts and seeds every day. Limit nuts and seeds to 1 to 2 oz. per day due to calories.  The daily consumption of nuts drastically reduces the risk of heart disease.  Add ground flax-seed to your diet, 2 tbsp. daily to make sure you get plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids. These are essential for heart health, pain reduction, hormone regulation and nerve health.
  8. Limit saturated fats and totally eliminate trans fats from your diet. Include polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats which are very healthy for you in moderation.  Olive oil is a monounsaturated oil and most nuts contain a good source of monounsaturated oils. The Omega 3 Polyunsaturated oils come from walnuts, flax-seed and cold water fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, halibut and cod.  While sardines and salmon are the best animal sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, ground flax-seed is the best sources of vegetative Omega 3 Fatty Acids and in my opinion the best source for it daily.  Flax seed also provides lignans which may help prevent certain types of cancers.  Omega 6 Polyunsaturated fatty acids are very prevalent in our vegetables and are seldom deficient in our diet. You need extra Omega 3 to balance the ration to a 2 to 1 Omega 6 to Omega 3. Your SATURATED FAT intake should not exceed 10% of your calories. Example a 2,000 calorie intake should have no more than 200 calories from saturated fat. At 9 calories per gram of fat that would mean you should limit your intake of saturated fat to less than 22 grams per day.  3.5 ounces of cheddar cheese has 21 grams of saturated fat, 3.5 ounces of cream cheese has 28  grams.
  9. Eliminate or reduce the intake of animal proteins. According to the China Study (the longest running nutritional health study every conducted) the intake of animal protein that exceeds more than 10% of our daily protein intake leads to the potential activation of cancer causing genes.  Interestingly the consumption of plant proteins had no negative effect on genetic expression. Study after study showed that by increasing the intake of casein (milk protein) in the diet to more than 10% of the protein daily intake over longer periods of time the casein activated cancerous genes allowing them the potential to express as disease. When the casein was reduced to less than 10% of dietary intake the cancer promoting gene was turned off and would not express itself. Personally I do not recommend animal proteins. If meat must be consumed then cold water fish such as salmon, halibut, cod, steelhead trout and sardines are the preferred choice.  However understand that you raise your risk of higher mercury levels along with other excito-toxins in older and larger fish such as swordfish, shark and tuna.
  10. Eliminate dairy products (cheese, milk and creams) from your daily diet. Replace with Almond milk or Rice milk. The casein protein in dairy milk is very hard to digest and stays active in the body causing the body’s PH to become to acidic. This causes the body to leach calcium from bones and teeth to lower the PH to a health promoting level. The leaching of the calcium from bone is a leading cause of osteoporosis. I do not consume dairy products and do not recommend them. There are healthy dairy alternatives to choose from.
  11. Get plenty of water every day, 80 ounces over 24 hours. Hydration is very important to health and aids in the removal of toxins and from the body. Water is required in every metabolic activity. If you are ill, exercise intensely or sweat profusely you will need more water.  A good rule of thumb is 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight.
  12. Supplement your diet with a good whole food supplement that addresses the seven key areas of nutrition required for vibrant health. (ask for our suggestions)
  13. Move more every day. Exercise is very important in delivering the nutrients we consume to every cell  in our body and primes the lymph system pumping toxins out of our bodies. In addition exercise increases our metabolic rate helping to burn more calories (weight-loss) and will increase our bodies’ efficiency in using utilizing oxygen, increasing our overall fitness level.  To lose weight and build health we need to have a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days per week.
  14. Get a minimum of 20 minutes of fresh air and sunshine daily.
  15. If you smoke, quit.
  16. Avoid or cut caffeinated and alcoholic beverages from your diet. If you must drink limit them to no more than one alcoholic beverage per day for females and 2 for males.  Other than red wine there is not enough nutritional value in alcoholic beverages to include them in your diet. They actually rob your body of nutrients.  I do not recommend alcoholic beverages.

Healthy Wishes,

Wally Bishop C.N.C.


South Carolina to Cover Obesity Surgery?

Americas Obesity Epidemic

When I heard this it really irritated me.  Instead of spending the money on education to prevent obesity, lets enable bad dietary behavior by surgically shrinking the stomach.  What has the person learned? Nothing! This is a waste of taxpayer money.  Just two weeks ago the N.Y Times released an article stating that obesity rates are still climbing.  Gastric  by-pass and lap band surgeries do not fix the problem.  An analogy might be;  run the car engine without putting oil in the motor, when it burns up lets just replace it.  Does that make sense.  Eat a poor diet, don’t exercise and when you become obese it’s OK we will just cut you open and shrink your stomach.  Maybe you will keep the weight off, maybe not. The problem has not been addressed.

Recent studies make it clear that the current approaches to obesity from western medicine aren’t working.  When I was close to 440 pounds my doctor never recommend a dietary or lifestyle change, he recommended gastric bypass surgery.   I am so glad I did not have the surgery.  I did it the healthy way and lost over 200 pounds and I have kept it off.  The problem got corrected.

It further impresses upon me the need for state or federal program to teach people how to lose weight and live healthy. To change this poor health mentality in our American culture it has to start in our schools.   At an early age we must begin to educate our children on the importance of  healthy eating, healthy lifestyles and the mechanics of how to live of life of wellness.  This has to be ingrained in the minds of our youth.

The cost of educating is cheaper than a surgical fix. We must focus on prevention. We must address the cause of the problem. Lap band surgery or even gastric bypass surgery does not fix the problem and many times there are surgical complications.  Weight is a behavior and education problem.  Less than 1% of obesity is caused by medical conditions or the side effects of drugs.

If you are obese or have weight issues I challenge you to make a stand. Take your life back the right way, the only long-term healthy way, by eating healthier foods, moving more and staying within your calorie budget.

I did it , you can do it.  Please,  for your children, for your wife, for your self, for your friends,  for your health, make a commitment today to do something about your weight.

The first step is making the commitment.

Always consult with you doctor before making dietary or lifestyle changes particularly if your have health issues.

Wally Bishop C.N.C.


The Truth About Muscle Building and Protein Intake

Building Muscles the Healthy Way

Are you trying to build a more muscular body? I bet you didn’t realize that not only does too much protein not build more muscle; it can cause health issues such as osteoporosis, constipation or diarrhea. Don’t miss understand this statement, adequate protein is critical for a healthy body and some people need more than others.

Many nutrients and compounds are needed to build muscles in our bodies. For the sake of article length, I will limit this discussion to protein intake.

Lets explore the metabolism of protein required for building muscles in the human body!

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding the amount of protein needed to build muscle mass. What builds muscle? True muscle growth comes from two different biological effects of weight bearing exercise;

  • hyperplasia which is the increase in the number of muscle cells
  • hypertrophy which is the growth in size of the actual cell.

Both are the result of the stress load on muscle fibers from exercise or strenuous work, which initiates the uptake of amino acids in the form of proteins. Excess amino acids (building blocks used to make proteins) are burned as fuel or metabolized into fat. Your body never likes to use more than 10% of its energy needs from protein. Only so much muscle protein synthesis (MPS) can occur. You can’t force feed muscle cells. The first 3 hours after a workout is the time when the majority of MPS will take place.


Consuming high quality complex carbohydrates is equally important because it keeps the body from burning those ingested proteins for fuel allowing the body to use the proteins for MPS.

Protein synthesis is most effective when the body is fed adequate complex carbohydrates. This allows the body to use the protein for building muscles, hormones, enzymes and other protein compounds.  Without enough complex carbohydrate the body is forced to burn the protein for energy instead.  The body prefers carbohydrates as its major source of energy.  So make sure at least 50% of your calories are from complex carbohydrates. Weight lifting is an anaerobic action, which requires glucose (sugar) for fuel. Sugar is a form of carbohydrate.

Protein is used for many functions not only muscle growth. Protein is required to build and repair muscle cells, hormones, blood cells, enzymes, antibodies and antigens.

The excess intake of protein can cause serious health consequences. The consumption of a high protein diet typically means the person is also consuming excess saturated fats and cholesterol and less fiber. Excess fats and cholesterol increase LDL and total cholesterol levels increasing the risk for heart disease. Taking excess protein in supplements can also cause digestive issues such as constipation, diarrhea and cramping.  Protein metabolism requires a lot of water.  Thus excess protein intake may cause dehydration as well.

In addition, animal proteins, particularly from dairy, promote calcium loss and are a promote of osteoporosis.




American Journal of Epidemiology 1994;139

A high protein diet typically results in a lowered consumption of fiber, which is critical for colon health. There is no fiber in meat. As noted in Clinical Nutrition a Functional Approach pg. 27, adequate fiber intake is cardio-protective, glucose regulating and cancer protective. Fiber in a bottle is never an equal to fiber from vegetative foods. A recent Japanese study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 2002 concluded that as dietary animal protein, fats and oils increase, the incidence of colo-rectal cancer increases. However, colorectal cancer rates decrease as dietary plant protein increases.

As protein replaces vegetative foods the diet could be lacking vital macro and micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients that are contained in plant foods and not found in animal foods.  A lack of nutrients over time can lead to health issues such as impaired immune function, digestive disorders, fatigue, hormonal imbalances and insulin resistance.

The metabolic synthesis of protein causes different acids to be formed. To neutralize the acids the body must release calcium from bone to bring the body’s pH back into balance. Over time a high intake of proteins can cause osteoporosis.  However, certain plant foods that also contain proteins such as grains, nuts and seeds and legumes contain higher levels of potassium which help decrease urinary calcium loss.

For people with decreased kidney function excess protein intake can lead to further impairment of kidney function and even promote kidney disease.


The very high intake of proteins as recommend by many body building and sports health publications and body building organizations is misleading and can cause bodily harm through the dissemination of incorrect dietary information regarding protein intake.

Excess protein, particularly from animals can increase the risk of bone loss, heart disease, obesity, impaired kidney function, cancers and even type II diabetes.  The absence of carbohydrate to provide for adequate glucose or glycogen synthesis to fuel the Krebs cycle, ETC and neurological functions will cause the body to use the protein for fuel thus reducing the amount of protein that can be used for bodily functions that require dietary protein. When protein intake replaces complex carbohydrates the diet can be denied important phytonutrients that promote health and may even lower the risk of certain diseases. Furthermore, protein does not increase muscle mass or strength. The stress load on muscles triggers the body to use amino acids provided by dietary proteins to form specific proteins for building and repairing muscle tissues, MPS.

Research published in The Journal Physiology 2001 states “Overfeeding protein does not increase the size of the lean body mass, and amino acids supplied in excess of the requirements of protein synthesis are simply oxidized (Motil et al. 1981; Price et al. 1994) and their carbon skeletons used for fuel or stored as fat. The rise in plasma urea observed in this study supports this interpretation.”

Some of these people will suffer from serious illness and disease from excessive protein intake. Sadly the illness or disease may be caused by their false belief that a high consumption of dietary protein is superior at building muscle mass and muscle strength compared to current DRI recommendations for protein intake.

Wally Bishop C.N.C., I.N.H.C.

Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

Vive Shake




Anti-Aging, Live Longer and Healthier


How Can We Slow Down Aging?



What Causes Aging?

My opinion is that the biggest causes of aging are:

What Are Telomeres?

In this Illustration The Red Caps Are Telomeres




How do we slow down the aging Process?


Wally Bishop C.N.C.