My Cat’s Diabetes: Research and Our Journey

So I noticed over a few weeks that our oldest and laziest cat, Iggy, was drinking a lot more water, crying to drink the water in my showers and looked as if he lost weight.  So a trip to the vet and I find the issue was diabetes.  Yup I had given or allowed my kitty to develop diabetes.  I can’t believe it.  I asked the vet what this means for him.  Basically it means regular visits to the vet for testing and increasing insulin shots.  We started at .5 units (3/10 a milliliter) once a day and today we are at 4 units twice a day.  Insulin runs at about $160-165 for 100 milliliters.  The costs were adding up and Iggy didn’t seem like himself. 

My Iggy

Iggy is about 8 years old and I hate the idea that this is cutting his life short.  So I turned to the web to research the diagnosis and what the best way to get him healthy, and possibly off the insulin.  There is a good deal of data out there on cat health and diabetes on a few great sites (listed below).  Basically type 2 diabetes occurs in cats and dogs for the same reason it does in humans, poor diet.  However, cats and dogs don’t have the same dietary need as humans do.  They are 100% carnivores.  Their digestive track is short to allow them to process and get the nutrition they need from the animals they eat quickly.  They need to flush the meat from their system quickly so it doesn’t rot within them.  They don’t have a need for many carbohydrates or fiber.  Humans on the other hand have much longer digestive tracks.  We use them to get as much nutrition out of our omnivore diets.  We need the fiber to help us process and push the unused food out of our bodies.  On a side note women have about 1 foot longer small intestine then men.  I hypothesis this is due to our hunter gather history.  As men went off on long hunting trips their bodies developed shorter intestines to process the animal meat they caught.  And as women stayed back in the village they foraged the land for vegetation and to get all of the nutrition from the vegetation they developed longer small intestines.

A little on cat’s nutrition: cats require a high protein, low fat, low carb diet and they get most of their water from their food.  They also require Taurine.  Taurine is an amino acid that is found in animal’s digestive systems and is essential for metabolizing fat.  It is found in many energy drinks for this very reason.  Because cats don’t often seek out and drink water, many people say they feed their pets wet food.  However, the dry food cleans their teeth better.  Even some people make their own pet food.  One lady I read about grinds up rabbit and chickens for her cats and freezes the meat for meals.  As a vegetarian I knew I would not be handling animal carcasses anytime soon.   The 3 articles from Cats.About are a really good read to help you understand what is and isn’t in cat food and what you want to look for and stay away from.  Stay away from the byproducts, the meat meal (chicken meal etc), fiber and corn and soy.  Also you want as much lean protein as possible.  I researched a ton of different foods.  I was feeding the cats Iams then the vet switched us to Hills Science Diet.  I found that both are loaded in fillers and animal products.  I compared all the name brands and those that advertise being healthier (Paul Newman and Blue Buffalo).  The product I found is to be best is Orijen.  It is food fit for people.  All free ranged, free from antibiotics and no fillers and is processed within days of slaughter.  It is a dry food that my local Jack’s carries at about $55.00 for 15lbs.  This is about $10 more than the Hills Science Diet and more than twice the cost of the Iams.  However, it should pay off in happy and healthy cats, reduced vet bills and, fingers crossed, no more need for insulin. 

Here are my cat’s starting weights. I believe that Mya could lose at least a lb.  She is sedentary and chunky.  Nero is lean and athletic but could stand to lose a few ounces.  

Kitty	Weight 7-7-2013
Iggy	12.1
Nero	13.9
Mya	13.3

Iggy is on insulin so I don’t want to make any dramatic changes to his diet.  We are slowly mixing in the new food for about a week.  Next week I take him to the vet to see if his numbers changed.  We will begin to test his blood at home instead of going to the vet regularly.  I know this is a bit more than what most people can handle.  However, there is no easy way to know exactly how much insulin Iggy will need each day without testing his blood sugar.  You can test your cat’s blood sugar with a home testing no different from the ones diabetic patient.  I researched many different devices.  The device is typically the cheapest part and the test strips tend to add up fast.  Look for one that has cheap test strips, high level of accuracy and doesn’t require much blood.   When looking at lancets you will want to find one that is not the largest gauge but not the smallest.  Key is it will be hard to keep your cat still for long enough to get the prick and the blood you need.  So below is what I found through my research.  I chose Target’s Up & Up.

I have high hopes that this diet change will help him and get him off insulin.  More to come!

Resources:

 http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/blood-glucose-meters/buying-guide.htm

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/ingredients.htm

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/tipsforchoosing.htm

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/reading_labels_2.htm

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/blue_buffalo.html

http://petfoodtalk.com/catfoodreviews/orijen/

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism

I am tired…

I am tired of being tired

Tired of feeling my heart race while barely exerting myself

Tired of the stomach aches

Tired of the head aches

Tired of tossing and turning each night

Tired of pressing snooze even more each morning

Tired of thinking I feel better today but then feeling worse minutes later

Tired of unclogging the drain and losing my hair

Tired of watching the scale go up

Tired of being home on Monday and not playing soccer

Tired of watching my volleyball team play without me

Tired of breathing heavy walking the stairs

Tired of reading conflicting information

Tired of hearing “but at least you know”

Tired of food tasting different

Tired of needing a nap after 7 hours of sleep

Tired of weeding out food from my diet

Tired of not being able to drink a few beers and sleep through the night

Tired of feeling like holding my head up is just too much work

Tired of being the slowest hiker

Tired of having not energy to enjoy a sunny day

Tired of wasting the little energy I have on house chores

Tired of hearing myself complaining

Tired of being asked how do you feel today?

Tired of hearing ‘you lost your color’

Tired of feeling faint

Tired of my knees hurting

Tired of itching my scalp

Tired of dry skin and brittle nails

Tired of reading words I can’t pronounce

Tired of knowing that my efforts to stop a pill and start a child is what caused this whirlwind

Tired of being enraged just because I am tired

Tired of wanting to fix things but no energy to fix them

Tired of reading of the horrible things that can happen to me

Tired of telling people it is my body that created this

Tired of hearing ‘but you’re so healthy?’

Tired of the foggy mind and forgetting more than I use too

Tired of crying out of exhaustion, out of feeling alone, out of feeling like I have yet another battle

I am tired of seeing that unbelieving cynical look in people's eyes when I tell them how I feel      

Hypothyroidism

So I guess you can see it has been awhile since I have blogged.  I really want to write once or twice a week but it has not been so easy lately.  In my last blog I was complaining about feeling run down and tired.  I had planned to extend my diet into juicing.  However, I got busy and felt like the life was drained out of me.  I had several symptoms and I could not identify what I had. 

My symptoms were:

Extreme fatigue

Headaches

Backaches

Cold

Itchy skin

Weight gain

Brittle nails

Brian Farts

Glands hurt

Can’t fall asleep

Can’t wake up

Intestinal discomfort

                I did some research and thought I was pregnant, I had mono or I was pregnant.  I continued to take pregnancy test after test and they each came back negative.  I thought for sure I was pregnant so I called my Dr. and asked about the 3 and if I could be tested for all or 2 of them.  I had a simple blood test done for thyroid and pregnancy.  Just over two weeks ago I got the results.  I found out that it was my thyroid.  I was heartbroken that I wasn’t pregnant because I thought all of these symptoms were similar to those pregnant women report.  Turns out Hypothyroidism have some of the same systems. So about 2 weeks ago I began researching like crazy this disorder and talking with my new primary care Dr.  I set up a meeting with a new Dr. that my friend who also has Hypothyroidism recommended.  She said that he is far better than her Endocrinologist.  (If you are on the west side of Cincinnati I totally recommend Dr. Siebert).  I had a ton of questions for my Dr. ranging from can I treat this with nutrition to the symptoms to can I get pregnant.  He was very helpful explaining what a hypo thyroid is.

 In most people it is when the autoimmune system identifies the thyroid as a threat and attacks it.  This damages it and prevents it from creating enough of a certain hormone active, T3 or triiodothyronine.  T3 is similar to a gas pedal for the body.  It tells your brain and there for the rest of your body to metabolize food and produce energy.  With low levels of T3 people report fatigued and weight gain. 

                To understand a bit about the value of your thyroid I copied this. I don’t think I can explain it any better than this.  It is a great summary which I read from several of the resources below.  This one is pulled from Live Strong

The thyroid is “area of the brain called the hypothalamus creates thyrotropin-releasing hormone, or TRH, when levels of thyroid hormone in the blood become low. This stimulates the creation of thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH, from a gland below the brain called the pituitary gland. This, in turn, stimulates the thyroid gland to create and release thyroid hormone. The thyroid produces two types of hormones: thyroxine, or T4, and T3. The thyroid gland produces mostly T4, which is considered the inactive form of thyroid hormone. T3 is considered the active form of thyroid hormone that the body uses. T4 is converted to T3 in tissues such as the liver.”

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/240969-how-does-thyroid-t3-supplement-work/#ixzz2VJ05ae8v

                Now back to my Dr. visit.  He said that there is no way to treat this with nutrition and that basically the damage was done.  So the best treatment is with medication that is a bacterium created T3 and it identical to the T3 your body produces.  I have been on this medication for 13 days.  The medication takes 4-6 weeks to build up and relieve the symptoms.  I can tell you that it has been a super long few weeks.  The symptoms are getting worse but I have noticed that some things I do minimize or maximize the symptoms. 

So as you can imagine there will be more to come on this topic in the future

Resources

http://chriskresser.com/low-t3-syndrome-i-its-not-about-the-thyroid

http://www.livestrong.com/article/240969-how-does-thyroid-t3-supplement-work/

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic/

Why I became a Vegetarian

A few years ago I heard Alicia Silverstone was a vegan and that she wrote a book about her choice and how she lived the choice.  I had always had a strong desire to become a vegetarian but never made the commitment.    When I heard about her book ‘A Kind Diet’ I have to admit I was intrigued to see if the actress that once stared in ‘Clueless’ was able to educate me on vegan living.  In parallel my roommate was reading ‘Skinny Bitch’ which is also a book written on a vegan lifestyle that I have not yet read. 

Vegetarian- is one that does not eat the flesh of an animal.  If you still eat fish you are not a vegetarian.   There are subsets of vegetarians; ovo, lacto and ovo-lacto vegetarian.  I am ovo-lacto vegetarian.  Meaning I eat eggs, dairy, honey etc. but not the flesh of animals.

Vegan- is one that does not eat flesh or any animal products: dairy, honey, some wines, eggs, and gelation.  There are even subsets of vegans but I won’t go into them.  They are not something you will jump into tomorrow.

I purchased Alicia’s book and read it in no time.  It is a quick and easy read and she keeps you engaged with real-life stories of hers and others.  I have to admit I thought it was a great starter book to get me motivated to change.  What I liked is that it gave perspective on why she went down the vegetarian/vegan path.  She shared the reality of how my bacon cheeseburger was raised, feed, slaughtered and processed.  She gave insight on this impact on the planet.  And she gave insight on the reality that you can live and thrive on a vegan diet.  I was like many people.  I liked the idea of my meat not resembling the animal it was and I liked not knowing how it got to my dinner table.  Funny thing is that as I talk to friends and family that is what they always said.

‘I am happy being ignorant, Valerie. Please don’t make me think about and know where my burger came from!!!”

In 2010, however, I felt it was time to begin to face reality and understand what I was doing to my health and the planet’s health.  (I will go into more details in other posts).   So after putting down Alicia’s book I began changing.  I won’t say it was easy because it wasn’t and still is not always easy.  I did have an advantage.  I didn’t eat fish, could care less about having steak and only pork I liked was bacon.  It will be a bit harder if you like all more than I did.  So I slowly cut out food.  At the time I lived alone so it was easy to change my diet and just not have the meat around.  It was a bit harder when we went to a wing joint with friends. My husband still eats meat and it can make meals a bit more complicated.  Oh, I still have 1 meat meal a year, Thanksgiving.  I just can’t give that holiday up.  However, with that said you will begin to notice that you feel different eating less and less meat, you feel cleaner, lighter, healthier, have a bit more energy and a bit happier.  I loved how I felt after I gave up meat for a month or so.    I felt so good in fact that the temptations were no longer temptations.  Another added bonus is I haven’t had a sick day since.  Don’t get me wrong, I have gotten stomach viruses and colds, even the flu but I don’t stay sick for as long, and I feel better when sick.  I can often get a little extra rest and feel like myself again.  (I will admit that I have the luxury that I can work from home on days that I feel under the weather and that allows me to work with a fever). 

So what do I eat that separates me from a vegan?  Well I do my best to reduce the animal products I do consume but I do eat dairy, eggs and honey.   

So I use vegan butter, Earth Balance, which tastes amazing!  Be warned it is all oils.

 I drink almond milk at home and soil milk when I am out. You can make the switch slowly by going for the sweetened kind then the un-sweetened.  I never have the sweetened milk any more

I switched from ranch dressing to balsamic vinaigrette (most of the time). 

I eat less and less eggs and hold the mayo as much as possible and make a few other changes from here and there.

What I noticed is that you will begin to taste things.  I mean really taste them.  They won’t all taste like fats, salt and sugar.  It is great but makes me less than thrilled with most restaurant food but almost all restaurants have at least a veggie burger on the menu.  I love being a vegetarian and have been going back and forth on vegan for some time now.  I imagine that at some point I will make that move too.

Here is a great website that was developed after Alicia Silverstone published her book.

http://thekindlife.com/

Also maybe you will find it interesting to see who else is a vegetarian!!!

http://www.allamericanspeakers.com/Celebrity_Vegetarians.php

Treating Depression with Nutrition

                Depression afflicts many Americans.  Some reports estimate as many as 19 million Americans over 18 suffer from depression.   It afflicts women twice as often men and more Americans suffer from depression than cancer or heart disease.  I think that depression is only natural.  It is the feelings created by situations and lack of nutrients where it is needed.  Depression is often treated by aiding neurotransmitters.  Neurotransmitters transfer messages between brain cells.  I believe that we have the ability to treat most of what afflicts us when we give ourselves what we need.  Often what we need is proper nutrition.  Consider the below to keep you mind healthy

1.       Get your zzzzzs.  Sleep allows you to repair and rebuild your body and processes what you have taken in for the day.  Including food and memories.  You actually burn more calories in these processes than you do watching tv.  So get 6-8 hours a night.

2.       Hydrate.  Your body is about 60% water and you require it for many body functions.  Water helps your kidneys function and clean toxins from the body as well as energizes your muscles.

3.       Get your sweat on. Exercise is great at helping to remove toxins in your sweat and your muscles, good at helping to keep the mind active and great for helping the body to digest and move nutrition through the body.

4.       Maintain a healthy weight.  Fat has a tendency of holding toxins.

5.       Get your essential antioxidants.  Antioxidants such as beta carotene, vitamin C, E, B, B12, iron, zinc and selenium.  Antioxidants are helpful at reducing free radicals’ impact.  Free radicals can be very damaging to your brain. All can be found in Chlorella and Spirulina. 

6.       There are links between the neurotransmitter serotonin and carbohydrates. Eat healthy whole grains and stay away from bleached flour and processed sugars.

7.       Omega 3 Fatty Acids.  Studies show that people who are deficient in Omega 3 Fatty Acids have a higher rate of depression.  Add flaxseeds, nuts, dark leafy greens and avocados to your diet in small doses.  Note when adding flaxseed it is best to grind it up first as the hard shell is not easily digested.

Always consult your doctor and don’t be afraid to talk to friends or family.  Depression affects many and there is nothing wrong with asking for help.

Resources

http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?page_id=050CDCA2-C158-FBAC-16ACCE9DC8B7026C

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/diet-recovery

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/diet-recovery?page=3

Aloe Vera: Your First Aid Plant

            House plants are a great for adding a bit of character and life into your home.  They also cleanse the air and convert the carbon dioxide you exhale into oxygen you inhale. But Aloe Vera is more than just a house plant, it has medicinal properties. This succulent plant can be used to help treat a number of issues when it is applied externally.  Some believe it can even have health benefits when taken internally.  I personally have not made the move to digesting aloe but I use it for a number of skin issues.

Below are a number of the benefits of Aloe Vera

1.      Aloe Vera is great for soothing and reducing pain from burns and sunburns and helps the skin heal.

2.      Aloe Vera helps cuts heal.

3.      Aloe Vera helps reduce scars.

4.      Aloe Vera reduces inflammation when applied to an injury, cut, or burn.

5.      Aloe Vera helps cells regenerate.

6.      Aloe Vera hydrates you skin.

7.      When digested Aloe Vera reduces constipation.

8.      Some research suggests that when Aloe Vera is digested it helps reduce cholesterol.

9.      Some research suggests that when Aloe Vera is digested it helps lower blood sugar.

Why don’t you consider bringing home a Aloe Vera plant too.

Resource

http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/health-benefits-of-aloe/2011/02/22/id/387035

https://www.foreverliving.com/marketing/Page.do?name=benefits

http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-aloe-vera.html

Chlorella: Another Great Algae

I mentioned that I take Spirulina which is blue-green algae.  Well I also take a green algae, Chlorella. When the strong cell wall is broken it becomes one of the most nutritious and easily digestible food and with the highest level of chlorophyll. It is an estimated 45% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbohydrate, 5% fiber, and 10% minerals and vitamins. Chlorella contains vitamin B-12, B-1, B-2, C, K, folic acid,  potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and, in small levels, zinc, manganese, and iodine.  It contains complete vitamins and it great for vegetarians and vegans who often lack vitamin B-12. 

Now let’s look at what that means for your body.  Chlorophyll is plants hemoglobin and helps our hemoglobin to absorb and move oxygen throughout the blood.  Another benefit is of Chlorella are its strong fibers help absorb many containments, including heavy metals, and pull them out of you body.    This is why you find it in cleansing or metal removing products.  This is also why I choose organic; to reduce potential containments I am exposed to.  Actually even Dr. Oz had a segment on the power of Chlorella to remove mercury and decrease fatigue.  I included the link below if you are interested. There are so many more benefits I will just list them

1.       Helps to reduce bad breath

2.       Helps to reduces body odor

3.       Helps reduce side effect from radiations

4.       Helps reduce risk of developing cancer and helps reduce the spread of cancer

5.       Helps to stimulates the immune system

6.       Helps to improve digestion! Don’t be alarmed if you notice a green tint next time you go to the bathroom.

7.       Helpful in treating Crohn’s disease

8.       Helps reduce ulcers

9.       Helps to reduce cholesterol

10.   Helps to increases energy

11.   Helps to relieve PMS

12.   Helps promote mental health

13.   Helps reduce asthma attacks

14.   Helps improve liver functions

15.   Helps remove bacteria, poison and fungi from the body

16.   Helps increase the body’s defense antibodies

17.   Helps regulate you pH balance

18.   Helps regulate blood pressure

19.   Helps regulates blood sugar

20.   Helps reduce arthritis pain

21.   Helps you lose weight

22.   Helps grow and repair tissue

I could go on but I think you get the picture and you are probably interested in trying Chlorella.  You can find it easily on the web or in a nutrition store.  Look for organic, broken cell wall, non-frozen, non-pasteurized Chlorella.  It comes in powder, tablet and capsules so you can choose what works best for you.

This is the brand I found I like

I add resources so if you are interested you can dig a little deeper.

Dr. Oz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tMeQROCdus

http://www.bio-sources.com/chlorellabenefits

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/vitamin-supplements/chlorella.htm

http://holistikhealth.com/blog/superfoods/chlorella

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-907-CHLORELLA.aspx?activeIngredientId=907&activeIngredientName=CHLORELLA

http://www.chlorellafella.com/pages/Chlorella-Benefits.html

http://www.chlorellafella.com/pages/Chlorella-Benefits.html

Jump start your Metabolism. The Power of Green Tea

Google green tea and all you’ll find is diet aids promising you to lose weight with green tea extract.  But there may be some truth to green tea helping you lose weight.  The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study in 1999.  The study notes…“In conclusion, oral administration of the green tea extract stimulated thermogenesis (rate of the body to burn calories) and fat oxidation and thus has the potential to influence body weight and body composition.”(Resource 2) Said a different way “ since thermogenesis (the body's own rate of burning calories) contributes 8-10% of daily energy expenditure in a typical subject, that this 4% overall increase in energy expenditure due to the green tea actually translated to a 35-43% increase in daytime thermogenesis. (Resource 4)

 What does this mean?  Well it looks like the catechins, especially epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), in the tea or tea extract is able to scavenge for free radicals in the body that can damage DNA and are linked to blood clots and cancer.  Also it helps to reduce the damage to the norepinephrine levels which is a vital part of our ‘fight or flight’ response.   I am not a doctor or researcher but I translate this into green tea helps support your body’s natural defense, self-repair, and helps stimulate your minds ability to metabolize fat and use energy. Here are four small studies that are a helpful green tea endorsements.

1.       “One of them, a study conducted in Japan that involved nearly 500 Japanese women with Stage I and Stage II breast cancer, found that increased green tea consumption before and after surgery was associated with lower recurrence of the cancers. 

2.       Studies in China have shown that the more green tea that participants drank, the less the risk of developing stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. A recent analysis of 22 studies that probed the correlation between high tea consumption and reduced risk for lung cancer concluded that by increasing your daily intake of green (not black) tea by two cups may reduce the risk of developing lung cancer by 18%. 

3.       In a study that involved 500 Japanese men and women, researchers found that drinking at least four cups of green tea every day may be related to the reduced severity of coronary heart disease among the male participants.

4.        A Dutch study of more than 3,000 men and women found that the more tea consumed, the less severe the clogging of the heart's blood vessels, especially in women” (resource 3).

So each day I start it off with a glass of green tea. I just microwave a glass of filtered water with a bag of green tea.  I am not a big fan of warm drinks so I add ice and sometimes honey but never sugar… anymore.  I use to have a pop or a glass of iced coffee once a day but wanted to quite this habit.  So I made a slow switch to tea.  I slowly transitioned myself to green tea by using less and less sugar and less and less black tea till now I feel off if I go more than 2 days without green tea.  Another bonus it is more organic material for my compost.  



Just microwave the tea and water for about a minute.





Give it a few minutes and you will have a darker green tea



So go ahead make the switch!

Here are a few resources

1.       http://www.ehow.com/how_4744256_speed-up-metabolism-green-tea.html

2.       http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/6/1040.long

3.       http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea

4.      http://thyroid.about.com/cs/dietweightloss/a/greentea.htm

So why Spirulina?

In my quest to be a healthy vegetarian I found this blue-green algae called Spirulina and I have been taking it for a while now.  First thought was algae? Really?  Isn’t that the stuff you clean out of the fish tank and swimming pool?  But I did my research and found that it is so much more.  It is a super food and has been consumed by many different cultures all over the world for centuries.  Spirulina is 60-70% protein and is high in vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, gamma linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid), and antioxidants that can help protect your cells from damage.   It has more than 10 times the beta-carotene than a carrot. It is low in sodium and low in calories.  This is why it is used for athletes in training to regulate their weight and provide protein for muscle growth.  Some studies have shown that it cleans heavy metals from the body and can reduce your chances of developing cancer.  I was concerned that there are essential vitamins or minerals I am not getting as a vegetarian.  Vitamin B12 is often lacking in vegetarian diets and Spirulina provides all that I need.  You can easily get this product online or from GNC.  Ideally you should look for organic and broken cell algae if you can find it to reduce the potential for contaminates and increase uptake ability.

These are my two brands I have liked.

I pulled the below from another website and really thought the details were worth sharing.

These eight essential amino acids are found in Spirulina:

• ISOLEUCINE: Required for optimal growth, intelligence development and nitrogen equilibrium in the body. Used to synthesize other non-essential amino acids.
• LEUCINE: Stimulator of brain function, increases muscular energy levels.
• LYSINE: Building block of blood antibodies, strengthens circulatory system and maintains normal growth of cells.
• METHIONINE: Vital lipotropic (fat and lipid metabolizing) amino acid that maintains liver health. An anti-stress factor, it calms the nerves.
• PHENYLALANINE : Required by the thyroid gland for production of thyroxine which stimulates metabolic rate.
• THREONINE: Improves intestinal competence and digestive assimilation.
• TRYPTOPHANE: Increases utilization of B vitamins,improves nerve health and stability of the emotions. Promotes sense of calm.
• VALINE): Stimulates mental capacity and muscle coordination.

These are the non-essential amino acids supplied by Spirulina:

Spirulina supplies ten of the twelve non-essential amino acids. "Non-essential" does not mean that these amino acids are not needed by the body, but merely indicates that the body can synthesize them itself if it needs to do so, provided the appropriate nutritional building blocks are available. Nevertheless, the body is better served if these excellent protein components are readily and totally available in dietary sources, since all the amino acids must be on hand as the cells manufacture enzymes, proteins, hormones, brain chemicals and the other products of metabolism. Of the thousands of biochemical substances acting and interacting in the human body, not one is derived in a vacuum; the body is ultimately dependent upon nutrient intake for all of its functions.

• ALANINE: Strengthens cellular walls.
• ARGININE: Important to male sexual health as seminal fluid is 80 percent arginine. Also helps detoxify the blood.
• ASPARTIC ACID: Aids transformation of carbohydrates into cellular energy.
• CYSTINE: Aids pancreatic health, which stabilizes blood sugar and carbohydrate metabolism. Has been used to alleviate some symptoms of food allergy and intolerance. >
• GLUTAMIC ACID: With glucose, one of the principal fuels for the brain cells. Has been used to reduce the craving for alcohol and stabilize mental health.
• GLYCINE): Promotes energy and oxygen use in the cells.
• HISTIDINE: Strengthens nerve relays, especially in the auditory organs. Has been used to reverse some cases of deafness.
• PROLINE): A precursor of glutamic acid.
• SERINE: Helps form the protective fatty sheaths surrounding nerve fibers.
• TYROSINE: Slows aging of cells and suppresses hunger centers in the hypothalamus. Can be synthesized from phenylalanine. Involved in proper coloration of hair and skin, including protection from sunburn.

Vitamins

• PYRIDOXINE or B6 : Involved in breakdown and assimilation of protein. Protects cardiac health, reduces edema and stabilizes female hormone levels. Dr. Carl Pfeiffer has demonstrated that B6, together with the mineral zinc, can cure some forms of schizophrenia.
• BIOTIN : An enzyme that carries CO, during certain biochemical reactions involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Also acts as a co-enzyme in the assimilation of other B-complex vitamins. Biotin is destroyed by eating raw egg whites and some kinds of raw fish.
• COBALAMIN or B12 : The most difficult of all vitamins to obtain from vegetable sources. Spirulina is extremely rich in this rare vitamin, containing 250 percent more than beef liver, previously thought to be nature's richest source. A single serving of Spirulina easily exceeds the Recommended Daily Allowance of 1.5 to 3 mcg daily. A B12 deficiency results in pernicious anemia, nerve degeneration, premature senility, pronounced fatigue and mental illnesses resembling schizophrenia.
• PANTOTHENIC ACID : The "stress" vitamin, used by the adrenal glands, along with cholesterol and vitamin C, to manufacture cortisone and other steroids in response to physical and mental stress. Deficiency encourages sensitivity to allergy, infection and degenerative diseases such as arthritis and rheumatism. Ulcers and hypoglycemia have also been associated with shortage of this vitamin.
• FOLIC ACID : Essential to proper hemoglobin formation in red blood cells. Deficiency results in anemia, poor growth, skin pigmentation disorders and premature graying of the hair.
• INOSITOL: Vital lipotropic nutrient that sustains liver health and helps detoxify carcinogens, particularly excess female hormones. Helps normalize blood cholesterol levels. With choline, inositol is used by the liver to manufacture lecithin. Inositol is the second most abundant vitamin in the body, after niacin. Recent studies indicate that inositol, with biotin, reduces loss of scalp hair.
• NIACIN : Also known as nicotinic acid and niacinamide, which is an alternative form, niacin is essential to mental health. Dr. Abram Hoffer, a renowned pioneer in orthomolecular psychiatry, has completely relieved schizophrenic symptoms using niacin. The Physicians' Desk Reference, a pharmaceutical text used by doctors when prescribing medication, recognizes niacin as an effective cholesterol lowering agent.
• RIBOFLAVIN or B2 : The most common vitamin deficiency is that of riboflavin and results in cataracts, failing vision, watery eyes and uncontrollable eczema.
• THIAMINE or B 1 : A co-enzyme in the breakdown of dietary carbohydrate. Maintains levels of glucose in the blood. Deficiency results in weakness, cardiac damage, abdominal distention and poor oxygenation. Severe shortage results in death; critical toxemia develops from unmetabolized carbohydrate fragments.
• TOCOPHEROL or vitamin E : Spirulina contains more vitamin E per gram than pure wheat germ. This nutrient protects heart and vascular health, promotes oxygenation of cells, and retards aging.

Resources

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/spirulina-000327.htm

http://www.naturalways.com/spirulina-analysis.htm

http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-spirulina.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/276407-chlorella-spirulina-detox-symptoms/#ixzz2HmoNJRrJ