What if I were to tell you that in ten years from now we will have eaten all the strawberries, pears, and almonds? That there will be no more Ice cream flavors such as strawberry or banana split? Would you believe me? Then to add on to things, I tell you the reason is because all the honey bees just mysteriously disappeared. What would you say to that? Well don’t laugh because it’s a serious reality called honeybee colony collapse disorder (CCD).

Honeybee colony collapse disorder is an epidemic that is happening in regions of Europe and parts America. The older worker bees that have the responsibility of going out and gathering pollen are suddenly disappearing from the hive. They are not found dead anywhere around the hive they are just gone entirely. When the hive is examined the only inhabitants are the younger worker bees who take care of the eggs and hive. The queen is also remaining, without her a hive would die. The fact that the queen is still there is what adds to the phenomenon. Bees are responsible for the pollination of such crops as strawberries, onions, broccoli, cabbage, and cashews. The list of foods that relies on entomophily goes on. Entomophily is a form of pollination by which the pollen is distributed by insects, mainly bees.

Some companies such as Haagen Dazs Ice Cream rely on these little bugs for their products. Haagaen Dazs said that 40% of its products rely on the crops pollinated by bees to make its flavors. Without bees, Haagen-Dazs Ice cream wouldn’t have flavors such as strawberry, toasted-pecan, and banana split. To help battle against CCD, Haagen-Dazs has donated 250,000 dollars to Pennsylvania State and California State University to look into this terrible phenomenon. Not only that, but they are also introducing a new flavor called Vanilla Honey Bee in the spring to help promote awareness about honeybee colony collapse disorder. A portion of the profit made from particular honeybee flavors will be donated towards the cause. Katty Pien, the Brand Director of Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream says that this is the first time Haagen-Dazs has adopted a cause like this, and they are taking it very seriously. According to Katty Pien, “it affects not just our brand, but the entire food industry.” According to Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream, one-third of the United States food supply relies on the pollination of bees. Whether we realize it or not this problem, like global warming, could cause us a grave amount of devastation. The human population could not take a third cut of its food supply. This problem continues to baffle scientists as they scramble to find an answer. Scientists say that it must not be any one thing, but a combination of stress factors that is causing honeybee colony collapse disorder. They have contributed causes to pesticides and biotic factors such as varroa mites and insect disease. No research however, has been conclusive. Bee keepers everywhere are reporting a loss in bees from hives and are struggling to keep them. Haagen Dazs Ice Cream is continuing to help battle CCD.

• Metabolic stress occurs when there is an imbalance in the body, usually caused by a decreased amount of glucose
• When enough glucose is not present, the body slows metabolism which makes losing weight harder
• Insulin resistance also increases as a result of metabolic stress as the body tries to make due with what is available

Metabolic stress is one of those hidden defeaters that can cause even the most serious person trying to lose weight to hit a brick wall in their efforts. Most people don’t know what it is or what causes it. But they, unfortunately, experience its damage.

What is Metabolic Stress?

Sometimes known as weight loss stress, metabolic stress is a condition in which your metabolism goes into a kind of shock or fright which is often related to starvation. When there is an imbalance in your metabolism over a prolonged period of time, you can develop metabolic syndrome.

The Effects of the Condition

When you have this syndrome, you are likely to experience some serious health problems. You might have trouble sleeping or reduced energy. You’re also likely to see a dramatic increase in your blood sugar levels which is explained by part of the cause of the problem.

The Cause of Metabolic Stress

The reason the condition is called weight loss stress is because it is often triggered by a reduction in glucose in the body. This happens when someone is starving but also when they are trying to lose weight by reducing their carbohydrate intake. Because the body worries that the food shortage is going to be long-lasting, it takes action and starts requiring less energy to work. The result is that less glucose is needed by the cells and so insulin resistance kicks in, as well.

Insulin resistance causes the body to respond less effectively to the insulin so more is needed to open the cells so they can use the glucose that is present in the body. Over time, that means you’re going to end up with higher blood sugar levels, especially if you slip off your diet temporarily.

Weight Loss & Metabolic Stress

The reason metabolic stress is dangerous for weight loss attempts is because the imbalance leads to two problems which are compounded by one another to create a vicious cycle that prevents you from effectively dropping the pounds.

First, the metabolism slows down in response to the perceived starvation. That means fewer calories are needed to keep the body running and the rest is converted into fat to be stored in the body for later on. If you’re not able to burn up enough calories, you won’t drop any pounds.

Second, as mentioned above, the condition tends to cause a reduction in energy, usually because of the slowed metabolism and the reduced use of the glucose, which is the body’s primary source of energy. Because you have no energy, exercising which could increase your metabolism and cause you to burn off additional calories is not possible.

The consequences are that you end up not losing weight. If you continue to cut back on how much you’re eating, the problem will only get worse because the body will have to continue responding to the perceived starvation.

Breaking the Chain

The best way to avoid weight loss stress is to slowly cut down on your calories and to maintain a balanced diet as you are trying to drop the pounds. By taking this approach, you can prevent triggering metabolic stress.

• Many disorders and diseases are thought to originate on our genes.
• The risk of contracting a disease increases considerably in a person who has or has had close relatives who have had that disease.

All people are very similar at the genetic level. In fact, when genes are examined closely, studies have shown that we are all 99 percent similar. These similarities can also highlight small differences or anomalies. Small stretches of DNA that differ in certain people can sometimes explain or indicate susceptibility to disease.

Research has been carried out, and continues to be carried out by scientists which looks for variations in DNA sequences that are thought to have an influence on health. Studies consider data gathered from thousands of healthy people as well as thousands of people who are suffering from certain types of disease. They can then try to identify “genetic markers” which might be more common among people with a certain illness or disorder.

Many disorders and diseases are thought to originate on our genes. Genes encode proteins, and in doing so, they are thought to be the determining factor in important processes such as how we deal with poisons, how well we process foods and how well our immune system responds to infections or disease. Studies have shown that over 4,000 diseases might lead from mutated genes that are inherited from one or both of your parents. These include most cancers and heart disease which can result from a number of interactions between multiple genes, and also interaction between genetic material and environment factors.

Cells may contain variants or changes in the information they contain in their genes. This is known as a gene mutation, and it can occur as a result of the aging process or when there has been exposure to radiation or certain chemicals. Usually, cells can identify these mutations and they then repair them by themselves. However, mutations can cause illnesses, for example, some forms of cancer. Genetic mutations can also be inherited, or passed from parents to their children, if a mutation is carried in sperm cells or an egg. When genetic material contains a mutation, the protein which is encoded by that gene is then caused to be abnormal. Some changes in protein are insignificant as factors in susceptibility to disease, however, others are disabling.

Diseases such as diabetes, asthma, rheumatic conditions, high blood pressure and psoriasis which are endemic can be caused by a number of different factors and interactions, some of which might relate to a person’s genetic material and some of which might be environmental. Research has shown that heredity genes are a significant factor in contracting many common conditions.

In simple terms, the risk of contracting a disease increases considerably in a person who has or has had close relatives who have had that disease. However, an individual disease is seldom triggered by genes on their own. There is usually a balance between genes that increase the risk of a disease, and genes that protect against it. That balance within a person’s genetic material can be a determinative factor in the question of whether person is more susceptible to environmental elements which might increase the risk of disease.

• What happens in the body with Tay-Sachs is that the body is no longer able to break down a certain type of fatty substance in the body.
• With Wilson’s disease, the liver cannot properly remove copper from the body.
• With Cystinosis, Cystine (a type of amino acid) begins to build up in the body’s organs and forms cystine crystals. These crystals form in various parts of the body, including the muscles, pancreas, brain, eyes, and kidneys.

When most of us think of the term “metabolism,” we think of weight loss. After all, most of us have heard that a faster metabolism is the key to dropping pounds fast. However, fewer of us know about the existence of metabolic diseases. These serious health problems need to be better understood if there is any hope of treatment or prevention in the future.

What are Metabolic Diseases?

Metabolism is the process by which our body converts the nutrients in the food we eat into the energy our body needs to continue functioning properly. Metabolic diseases refer to any type of disorder that causes the metabolic process to stop functioning correctly. In most cases, these diseases are passed on genetically.

Thousands of metabolic diseases have been recognized by the medical community. Thankfully, they are relatively rare. Only about one in every 4,000 people has one of these diseases. For those who suffer from such diseases, the sad fact is that no cure is currently available, although research is ongoing in that direction. Some treatments have become available to help improve the quality of life and longevity of sufferers.

Three Specific Types of Metabolic Diseases

Tay-Sachs disease is one example. What happens in the body with Tay-Sachs is that the body is no longer able to break down a certain type of fatty substance in the body. Because of this, those substances build up in the body over time and end up becoming toxic to the brain. As the buildup increases, the body slowly begins to shut down. Patients go blind, deaf, suffer from respiratory problems, and eventually become paralyzed before dying. For most suffers, the disease is genetic and affects babies at about 6 months of age. Most people who have these types of metabolic diseases do not live more than a handful of years.

Another type of metabolic disease is called Wilson’s disease. With this type of health condition, the liver cannot properly remove copper from the body. As a result, copper levels increase to dangerous levels in the body and in the liver. Over time, the copper causes significant damage to the liver and that causes cirrhosis. At this point, the liver’s ability to work in any capacity becomes compromised. When the copper begins moving through the body because no more can be accumulated in the liver, additional damage can be done to the sufferer’s brain, kidneys, and eyes. Like most metabolic diseases, Wilson’s disease is fatal if diagnosis is not made and treatment is not started as soon as possible.

Cystinosis is another example of a metabolic disease. Like Tay-Sachs, this disorder normally attacks children. Cystine (a type of amino acid) begins to build up in the body’s organs and forms cystine crystals. These crystals form in various parts of the body, including the muscles, pancreas, brain, eyes, and kidneys. Problems can begin showing up in the child as early as 10 months of age. Without the proper treatment, these children develop Fanconi syndrome, which leads to renal failure. Children who have this type of metabolic disease can die by the age of 10.

While you may not be able to control whether or not you will develop these diseases, you can control how you keep your body. To promote a well-working body, you must be sure to get all of the required nutrients which include all kinds of vitamins and minerals. If you feel like you’re not getting an adequate amount in your diet, there are natural supplements to help. Check out products like Take One Multiple and Trace Mineralswhich promote overall health while providing your body with daily nutrients.

• Two groups of causes that produce disorders and diseases are internal and external.
• Internal causes depend on gender, age, mental state (emotions) and a person’s genetics.External causes include all factors produced by the environment and other factors that a person can be exposed to.

The human body can be considered to be the most complex thing creation on Earth. Isn’t it obvious that the way in which it is formed and the way in which it operates is very complicated and not fully known? It’s true that we don’t fully understand who we are or where we came from. This is why the issue of human origin remains open. There are several theories, but as long as none of them can virtually be proven, this issue seems to refer, for majority of people, to philosophical issues only; however, if we knew exactly how and where the human race came from, we would have an advantage in fighting many diseases and disorders.

The human body is a very sophisticated biological machine, or so it has been defined as such by many scientists and doctors alike. When the body is functioning as it should, a person can enjoy his or her life and is considered to be maintaining some kind of balance and harmony in his or her body and mind; however, this harmony can be in danger of many kinds of disorders and diseases. Today, people know much more about diseases and physiology than ever before.

When a person gets sick, we want to know why. Many answers to this question cost us a lot of time, money and the enthusiasm of those who dedicate themselves to medical and scientific vocations. Speaking of the causative factors of diseases, it is needed to say that there are two groups of causes that produce disorders and disease. These are the internal and external.

Internal causes depend on gender, age, mental state (emotions) and a person’s genetics. The connection between emotions and physical health is not fully known, however, traditional Chinese medicine acknowledges this connection as a fact. An obvious correlation is found between emotional life and physical health as each organ depends on specific emotions to function properly.

Genes play a tremendous role in regard to diseases as well. A disease may be inert until a certain moment when it manifests itself. No one knows for sure why some diseases remain inactive and what makes them activate at a certain moments. For example, the aging process is triggered not because of a specific time, but because certain genes are programmed that way. This is an opinion shared by some scientists.

External causes include all factors produced by the environment and other factors that a person can be exposed to. These are wind, cold, dryness, nourishment and other factors. It is considered that human health depends 50 percent on lifestyle, 20 percent on hereditation, 20 percent on environmental factors and only up to 10 percent on the public health system.

There are factors that can be controlled by people and there are some that are completely out of our control. Leading a healthy way of life and avoiding negative emotions can help us avert many disorders and diseases. Treatment should be addressed to combat the root of a disease, but not to fight the symptoms.

• Metabolism is the sum of different processes in the body by which material substances are produced, maintained and destroyed.The word syndrome means a combination or group of different symptoms that characterize a specific disease or illness.
• Two widely accepted definitions for metabolic syndrome exist, provided by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). T

The term metabolic is related to metabolism. Metabolism is the sum of different processes in the body by which material substances are produced, maintained and destroyed.

The word syndrome means a combination or group of different symptoms that characterize a specific disease or illness. What becomes obvious from this explanation is that metabolic syndrome is connected with a group of symptoms caused by the malfunctioning metabolic processes and a link exists to specific diseases.

It is thought that the term metabolic syndrome was used first in the 1950s, but it wasn’t in common use that time, becoming better known later.

Two widely accepted definitions for metabolic syndrome exist, provided by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The only difference between the two definitions is an approach to waist circumference. The IDF doesn’t deem that metabolic syndrome takes place if there is no increased waist circumference, whereas the NHLBI considers metabolic syndrome and its effects based on other criteria. Here is an example of a definition given by the NHLBIs National Cholesterol Education Program:

1. Central obesity: waist circumference ≥ 102 cm or 40 inches (male), ≥ 88 cm or 36 inches (female)
2. Blood pressure ≥ 130/85 mmHg
3. Dyslipidaemia: TG ≥ 1.695 mmol/L (150 mg/dl)
4. Dyslipidaemia: HDL-C < 40 mg/dL (male), < 50 mg/dL (female)
5. Fasting plasma glucose ≥ 6.1 mmol/L (110 mg/dl)

Other definitions exist as well, provided by The World Health Organization, The European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance and others.

Metabolic syndrome leads to an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The etiology of metabolic syndrome is not clear, but provoking factors are aging, lifestyle and genetics. Symptoms of this syndrome are elevated levels of triglycerides, decreased high density levels (HDL) of cholesterol, obesity (visceral), hypertension and fasting hyperglycemia.

Many ideas and strategies have been proposed, aimed at preventing metabolic syndrome. Some of these include increased physical activity and decreasing carbohydrate intake. Sometimes drug treatment is necessary. Different disorders caused by metabolic syndrome are treated separately. Some drugs could be used to diminish the low density levels (LDL) of cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing the presence of HDL of cholesterol.

It’s important to do what you can in order to prevent metabolic syndrome.