Home of Wellness by oriflame

Transcription

“Robert af Jochnick and I met through a common friend of ours,
Professor Sven-Olof Isacsson, and we began our cooperation on
“Wellness by Oriflame” in 2006. Robert and his brother Jonas
are both well oriented within the field of medical physiology
and they follow the development of the biosciences with great
interest. It has been a privilege for me to get to know them and
their families and to recognize them as my friends”.
Igelosa
Home of
Wellness by Oriflame
Stig Steen
Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Lund University
STIG STEEN
IGELOSA
Home of
BY STIG STEEN
FOREWORD
In my entire life as a doctor I have dealt with severely ill patients and
their relatives. During the last five years I have also had the privilege
to meet Oriflame consultants and employees from sixty different
countries. I am overwhelmed by the generosity and love that I have
encountered everywhere and from everyone. To show my gratitude I
have written this book in the hope of promoting health and wellbeing
for all my friends within Oriflame.
Sincerely yours,
© 2012 Igelosa Life Science AB
www.igelosa.com
Published by: Oriflame Sweden AB
Address: Box 1095, 101 39 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: 08-58632300
Photographers: Stig-Åke Jönsson, Matthew Pohl, Lennart Romberg, Ådne Steen,
Björn Wohlfart, Peter Zacharewicz, iStockphoto
Print: xxxx
ISBN: xxxx
Stig Steen
Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Lund University
With grateful support from Hans Gabriel and Alice Trolle Wachtmeister’s Foundation for Medical Research
Copyright © 2012 Igelosa Life Science AB. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without prior consent of the publishers.
Oriflame Sweden AB is not responsible for the content in this book. The
opinions expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the
publisher, nor its employees.
Lund University as a matter of policy does not endorse specific products or
services. Professor Steen’s credentials are for identification purposes only.
All patient stories in this book are examples from real-life. The names have
been changed.
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IGELOSA Home of Wellness by Oriflame
Stig Steen
3
Igelosa
Home of
4
Chapter 1. The fragility of life 15
Chapter 2. A personal awakening 21
Chapter 3. Longevity and happiness 27
Chapter 4. History of the Natural Balance Shake
35
Chapter 5. Inside the WellnessPack 41
Chapter 6. The Natural Balance Soup
47
Chapter 7. “Mother’s meatballs” 55
Chapter 8. The Okinawa Program 59
Chapter 9. Okinawa at Igelosa 63
Chapter 10. Food and physiology 67
Chapter 11. Overweight and obesity 71
Chapter 12. A physiological revolution 75
Chapter 13. Igelosa kitchen insights 87
Chapter 14. On love and life 99
Stig Steen
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Name: Stig Joar Steen Date of birth: 1948-02-07 Place of birth: Tynset, Norway
In 1997, Stig Steen was appointed professor of cardiothoracic surgery (heart
and lung surgery) at Lund University, the largest university in Scandinavia.
Besides Norway and Sweden, Steen has worked in the USA and as a volunteer
surgeon in Africa. During the past two decades he has been involved in scientific
cooperation with leading university hospitals in the P.R. China, where he is
currently honorary professor at three different universities.
Specialty qualifications:
• Medical Degree 1974
• General surgery 1981; Cardiothoracic surgery 1988
• Associate Professor of Surgery, Lund University 1987
• Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lund University 1997
• Honorary Professor in PR. China: Henan Medical University 1997; Zheng Zhou University 2000; Xinqiao Chongqing Medical University 2001
Inventions:
• LUCAS® automatic chest compression device (www.lucas-cpr.com)
• STEEN-Solution™ for ex-vivo lung perfusion, EVLP (www.vitrolife.com)
• Vivoline LS1™ System for EVLP (www.vivoline.se)
• Developer of the Natural Balance Shake and the Natural Balance Soup
Stig Steen lives in Lund, Sweden, with his wife, Ellen. They have five grown up
children.
Stig Steen is instructing visiting surgeons from USA and Japan how
to repair damaged lungs ex-vivo (outside the body) prior to lung
transplantation. This revolutionary method was developed by Stig Steen
and is described in The Lancet (2001; 357:825-829).
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Stig Steen
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IGELOSA LIFE SCIENCE COMMUNITY:
The research centre is located on the open plains that surround the
university city of Lund, in southern Sweden. Scientists travel to Igelosa
from all over the world to learn about new therapies that are being
developed here. During the visits, researchers can stay at the centre and
take all meals in the dining hall together with patients and staff members –
at Igelosa they become part of a community.
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Stig Steen
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A regular day at
Igelosa
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Stig Steen
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In October 2010 H.M Queen Silvia of Sweden visited Igelosa Life
Science Community, the home of Wellness by Oriflame.
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Stig Steen
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The
FRAGILITY
of life
14
CHAPTER 1
Stig Steen
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CHAPTER 1
The fragility of life
I began my studies in medicine in 1968, the year of the student revolutions.
These protests also affected my student life in Bergen, Norway, where I
studied. The revolution movement at that time was inspired by Marx, Lenin
and Mao, figures who were iconic of a world hoped to be liberated from
social injustices. I was young, strong and optimistic about what life had in store
for me.
In the fall of 1970, after two years of pre-clinical studies, my fellow classmates
and I were given the possibility of working as nursing assistants with seriously
ill patients. I applied and was assigned Saturday night duty at the department
of surgery. Here I was immediately confronted with a reality for which I was
not prepared. One of my first patients was a 33-year old woman who did not
have any family members in town. She was a cancer patient whose right breast
had been removed the previous year. Six months later she also had to remove
her left breast. Despite radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the cancer had
spread to her liver and lungs. This time she had been admitted to the surgical
department for yet another relieving operation.
Chapter 1. The fragility of life
This was a new kind of reality for me. I soon learnt that this kind of human
suffering was part of daily life at all major hospitals, where seriously ill patients
are admitted in the hope of being rescued back to life. I began to question
myself. Did I really have what it takes to be a physician? One of my best
friends, a classmate who also watched over dying patients, later committed
suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills. Two fellow students, who saw
how lost I was, included me in their circle of friends. Shortly thereafter I met
an operating room nurse who later became my wife. Our relationship and
the family of five children we formed saved me from a serious existential
depression. I realized that the most important questions in life cannot be
answered by politics or natural science. As important as these activities and
institutions are, they cannot satisfy the deepest human longings in life.
I was shocked when I first saw her. She was very thin, her complexion was
yellowish and she had lost all her hair. My job was to assist her and to keep
her company for the next twelve hours. The instructions I received from the
busy nurses were to keep her warm and dry, as she perspired a lot. During the
first two hours there was no contact between us, even though she was awake.
I kept busy turning her around in bed, changing her wet gown and moisturizing
her lips. Eventually I could see that she appreciated my care. Around midnight
she grasped my hand, gave me a little smile and fell asleep. I must also have
fallen asleep for a while but was suddenly awakened by a strange sensation;
her hand was inert and cold in my hand. After rushing for help, a nurse came
and declared her dead, which was later confirmed by the on duty physician. I
had to return home to a sleepless night.
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Stig Steen
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Anna, 56 years old: the miracles of hope and
emotional support
Anna started to smoke in her teens. She was now on sick leave from her position
as a division manager at a mid-sized company, where she worked long and
stressful hours. Periodically, she smoked up to forty cigarettes a day “in order
to cope with it all”. Anna was the only child of now deceased parents. She had
been married once but after five years of unsuccessful attempts to have children,
her husband asked for a divorce. In the following years she worked even harder.
Over the past four years Anna had developed chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD), a severe lung disease. She was now confined to a wheelchair and
dependent on supplemental oxygen from a mask.This was her condition when I
met her for the first time, in order to assess the possibility of a lung transplant.
Anna was very thin. She had yellowish fingers and smelled of tobacco, which was a
sure sign that she was still smoking. She had grey hair and her face was wrinkled
and pale, except for her blue lips. She had that laboured expiration typical of
COPD patients. Besides her decreased lung capacity, all other tests indicated
normal levels, meaning she was qualified for a lung transplant. Anna, however, did
not want to live any longer. She blamed herself for the disease and believed that
she only got what she deserved. Anna had nothing else to look forward to at this
stage. She had come to see me only reluctantly after being persuaded by the lung
specialist in her hometown.
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Anna’s attitude was typical of many COPD patients.They are often in despair
and have very little to look forward to. Every breath is a struggle, so frightening
to witness, that often their own family, friends or colleagues cannot endure being
in their presence.These patients are often left alone, with their only faithful
companion being an oxygen mask and their fears of slowly suffocating to death.
Considering Anna’s state of mind, it was not advisable to put her on the waiting
list for lung transplantation. Instead she was hospitalized and enrolled in a
rehabilitation program, in the hope that she could find some new motivation. She
was prescribed adequate nutrition and was even fed at night through a gastric
feeding tube. A physiotherapist trained all the muscle groups which could be
activated even minimally and I personally visited her regularly, sometimes several
times a day. During my visits I tried to assure her that she could regain much of
her health after a lung transplant.
It was sometime around Easter. I was on call the entire week and therefore
I had more time than usual. I was just on my way to her room when a nurse
suddenly hurried to inform me that Anna was just back from the hospital’s beauty
parlour and that I should not fail to comment on her new hairdo. No, never! A
little glimpse of hope had been lit. Anna could now be put on the waiting list for
lung transplantation. After some time she received two new lungs without any
post-operative complications. Anna could later return to her work, where she was
warmly received by her colleagues.
Stig Steen
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a
PERSONAL
awakening
20
CHAPTER 2
Stig Steen
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CHAPTER 2
A personal awakening
Chapter 2. A personal awakening
In 1999 the Swedish National Institute of Public Health published a report
on the state of public health in Sweden. This report ranks the diagnoses that
cause the most disease burden and early death in Sweden. The diagnoses are
ranked according to the DALY measure system (disability-adjusted life-years).
It measures the number of years lost due to illness, disability or early death.
Swedish life expectancy statistics, among the highest in the world (83 years
for women and 80 years for men), are used as benchmarks for measuring
lost years and every individual contributes to the statistics. A person who has
been on a one-year sick leave for coronary artery disease (CAD) contributes
with one DALY to this diagnosis. And a man who dies of CAD at age 50
contributes with 30 DALYs to CAD (33 DALYs if it were a woman). The ten
most frequent causes of disease burden and early death are shown in Table
2.1 below.
Table 2.1: Disability adjusted life years in Sweden
MEN
DALY (%)
WOMEN
DALY (%)
1. Coronary artery disease (CAD)
19.2
1. Coronary artery disease (CAD)
13.7
2. Depression and neurosis
6.6
2. Depression and neurosis
10.9
3. Stroke
5.8
3. Stroke
6.9
4. Alcoholism
4.5
4. Dementia
6.3
5. Self-mutilation and suicide
4.2
5. Breast cancer
3.1
6. Dementia
3.1
6. COPD + asthma
2.8
7. COPD1 + asthma
2.8
7. Psychosis (not schizophrenia)
2.6
8. Lung cancer
2.7
8. Back- and neck diseases
2.3
9. Traffic accidents
2.3
9. Respiratory infections
2.1
10. Psychosis (not schizophrenia)
2.3
10. Gynaecological cancer
2.0
1
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1
This information was a wakeup call for me. I knew that coronary artery
disease was the major cause of death in Sweden as it is in the entire
Western world, where it is causing almost a third of all deaths. I have
performed thousands of coronary bypass operations and carried out
many heart transplantations on patients suffering from heart failure after
CAD. What surprised me in the statistics was the high incidence of mental
suffering, including self-mutilation and suicide. According to the World Health
Organisation (WHO) similar statistics is seen on a global level, where five of
the ten leading causes of disability are psychiatric conditions.
My medical perspective, which had so far been mainly surgical, widened and I
began to study lifestyle factors that contribute to a patient’s disease (see Table
2.2). For this purpose Igelosa was built as a medical clinic with guest rooms
and a fully staffed kitchen, so that patients could be included in the research
on a daily basis.
Table 2.2: Lifestyle related risk factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
High blood pressure
Smoking
Bad blood lipids
High blood sugar (diabetes)
Physical inactivity
6. Overweight
7. Stress
8. Sleep problems
9. Alcohol overconsumption
10. Social isolation
The good news is that most of these risk factors can be reduced, or even
eliminated, by an adequate lifestyle change, combined with medical treatment
when needed. Then, even for people with a genetic disposition for disease,
normal life expectancy may be obtained. When looking at the DALY table, it
is striking how much suffering is due to mental disorders. The importance of
good relationships for our health cannot be overestimated.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Stig Steen
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The opera singer, 60 years old: when the lights go
out
She was very elegant and articulate. She came to the hospital in order to
operate a recently discovered cancer tumor in her left lung. It had appeared after
excessive smoking, following her retirement from a lifelong career as an opera
singer.The examination showed that she had a minor tumor in an isolated part
of her lung, but so far it had not spread.The conditions for radical surgery were
therefore very good.The operation also went well, the tissue around the tumor
was removed and the following tests confirmed that the operation was radical, i.e.
all the tumor tissue had been removed.The patient, however, was deeply affected
by the operation and in the following days she was very tired. In addition, she
now gave the impression of being depressed. She asked me if I could contact her
two sons who lived in other parts of Sweden and especially her daughter, who
lived abroad and worked as a nurse to a world-famous liver surgeon. I knew this
surgeon very well personally.The patient was divorced, but she wanted all her
children to come and visit her at the hospital.
I phoned her sons and daughter and explained that their mother could now be
considered cured from cancer and that she had one great wish: that they would
come and visit her at the hospital. I received avoiding responses from all three of
them. Apparently, it was not possible for any of them to come. I tried to explain
this to the patient in the most merciful way possible, but I could see that she was
very disappointed. On the eighth night after the operation the patient was found
dead in her bed.The post mortem examination revealed massive blood clots in
both lungs.This is a cause of death that is not uncommon for people who have
lost all motivation to live and stay passively in the bed most of the time.
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Siri, 90 years old: a mother of three and
the power of family
An elderly woman arrived at the emergency room with a heart valve that was
so narrow that it obstructed the blood from flowing out of the heart chamber.
She had three daughters, all of whom were school teachers. I could see that they
were very close to their mother.They followed her to the hospital to make sure
she received the best medical treatment, insisting that all possible care must be
done for her.The patient had previously been amputated and therefore had an
artificial leg. Besides that, she had no other physical problems and was completely
clear in the head. I decided to prepare for an operation.The patient was given a
new heart valve and three coronary vessels to by-pass the ones that were blocked.
The operation proceeded without complications, but afterwards the patient was
very tired. Her daughters watched over her all the time, helped her with her food
and encouraged her to recover.Within one month she regained strength and could
return to her home, where her daughters continued to look after her.
Exactly one year after the operation, to the day, an elegant old lady entered the
clinic. It was the same woman, now 91 years old, all dressed up and in excellent
condition.This time she had come to pay the clinic a courtesy visit.
Stig Steen
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Longevity
AND
happiness
26
CHAPTER 3
Stig Steen
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CHAPTER 3
Longevity and happiness
I was standing in the spotlights on a stage in front of 10 000 Oriflame consultants
in Kiev, Ukraine. One of them, a middle aged man, had just asked me a question.
A murmur went through the hall, followed by complete silence. I was struck by
the profoundness of his question. Time was short, my mind was on overload. How
could I give a meaningful answer to this man? I could sense that his question was
honestly meant and I knew my response had to be the same:
“Professor, how can I get a happy and long life?”
Since 1970 I have spent the majority of my professional life among severely ill
patients and their families. All these encounters have affected me and shaped
my view on life. Patients with severe diseases often open up and generously
want to share their thoughts on life, suffering and death – but also their hope
that even this part of life might conceal a deeper meaning. All this time, as a
counterweight, I have been devoted to medical science.
When it comes to the science of longevity, many researchers have studied
people who have retained their mental and physical health in advanced old
age. Three things always stand out: adequate nutrition, daily physical activity and
a good night’s sleep. But a long life is not necessarily a happy life. In this chapter
we will look closer at what characterizes both a long and happy life.
Purpose: Each one of us is born with a unique set of genes: a potentiality
of talents, ready to be actualized. Purpose is what gives meaning to life. It
influences every decision we make: how we invest our time, spend our money,
use our talents and value our relationships. Knowing the purpose of our acts
helps us moving through the levels of happiness in life. These are happiness
in things: food, clothes, a new car; happiness in achievements: success at work,
winning a contest, weight loss (if desired); happiness in belonging: to a family,
friends, or a community; and ultimate happiness: truth, goodness, beauty. True
goodness is always beautiful.
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Chapter 3. Longevity and happiness
What is it that makes some people survive severe difficulties and others
to give up their lives? Viktor Frankl (1905-1997), one of the world’s leading
scientists in psychology and psychiatry, dealt with this question his whole life
after having survived from Auschwitz. Those prisoners who were oriented
toward a hopeful future, whether it was a special project to complete or
a beloved person to be reunited with, were the most likely to survive the
horrors of the labour camps. Frankl holds that man’s search for a purpose
in life is a primary facet of his being; if the search is unrequited, it leads
to neurosis, and this sickness of the mind can be overcome if the patient
discovers purposefulness in his life. Happiness is always a side effect of finding
your true purpose in life.
My own experiences from severely ill patients are the same: if they do not
know their purpose, i.e. if they do not see a meaning with their lives, the
chances of survival are not good. Helping a lost person finding his or her
purpose in life is the best thing we all can do. And we should never forget that
none of us can live well without receiving and giving back unconditional love.
Exercise: Both mental and physical exercise is vital. Even some months of
mental inactivity may result in biological degrading of the brain. Any creative
activity is therefore beneficial. Some examples include developing a business,
travelling, learning to play a musical instrument, solving puzzles or crosswords
and acquiring new hobbies such as cooking, singing in a choir or joining a book
club. Even small mental exercises can improve the memory, and it is never too
late to start practicing.
According to the WHO, all healthy adults should do at least 150 minutes
of accumulated moderate physical exercise a week, unless specific medical
conditions indicate to the contrary. This can be done by performing activities
in multiple shorter bouts of at least 10 minutes each, for example 30 minutes
of brisk walk five days a week. For additional health benefits, for example
Stig Steen
29
Chapter 3. Longevity and happiness
weight loss and higher level of cardiopulmonary performance, adults should
double the level of accumulated moderate physical exercise to 300 minutes
per week. In addition to this, stretching for basal flexibility and weight training
two times a week is recommended. Besides strengthening the muscles and
skeleton, using free weights will also improve balance and thereby help prevent
potential bone fractures from falling.
Relationships: Loyal friends are irreplaceable whereas bad relationships
poison life and may endanger health. The golden rule is to treat every person
we meet as we ourselves would like to be treated. Friendships need to be
actively cultivated: do not wait for others to take contact, but reach out to
them. If there are ongoing conflicts with other people, try to take the first step
to work them out – and learn to forgive – for your own health’s sake. Chronic
bitterness is highly destructive for the health and quality of life. A little smile to
everyone you meet can open up many doors to a rich and meaningful life.
Sleep: We spend about a third of our lives in bed. During deep sleep, high
levels of growth hormone are secreted while stress hormones are at their
lowest level. This is important for the body’s regeneration and constant
production of billions of new cells every day (see chapter four). Six to eight
hours of sleep every night is associated with good health. Four helpful rules
are: to get an adequate amount of sleep every night, to establish a regular
sleep schedule, to get continuous sleep and to make up for lost sleep.
Omission: Some things in life need to be left out. Cigarettes and too much
alcohol are obvious examples. Avoid contaminated air, especially tobacco, and
do not sun tan too much. Do not drink and drive. Stress is a very common
condition, especially among young people. Too much stress can lead to
chronic disease or depression if not properly addressed. Make priorities, learn
“the power of no”, i.e. to say no to meaningless things or doings. With good
planning much negative stress can be avoided. Make it a high priority to have
30
a peaceful time before going to bed in the evening. Get rid of everything that
can prevent you from a good night’s sleep (TV/computer). Mind the volume
in your stereo and avoid overloading your brain with too much input from the
Internet.
Nutrition: Animals that are given caloric restricted food significantly
prolong their living age. There is general agreement among experts that
complete nutrition without unnecessary calories is important for longevity
also for humans. We will continue to discuss the importance of healthy
nutrition in the following chapters and in chapter eight we will look closer
at the food habits of the native population of Okinawa – the oldest and
healthiest people in the world.
Attitude: “Optimists win in the long run”. Keeping a positive attitude is
important in many ways. Positive thinkers tend to avoid depression, which is
a well-known factor that can shorten the lifespan (remember the DALY table
presented in the previous chapter). In a twenty-year study performed at Yale
University, people who considered their ageing as something positive lived,
on average, seven and a half years longer than people who considered their
ageing to be negative.
Authors of bestselling motivational books have identified other attitudes
that are important: courage: I have nothing to fear; enthusiasm: life is exciting;
peacefulness: I don’t need to worry; confidence: I can change for the better;
expectance: I have a future; and gratitude: I appreciate what I have. Another
study showed that keeping a hopeful attitude can play a decisive role in helping
accident victims and catastrophe survivors to regain their physical and mental
health. Here, again, the belonging to a caring and loving community is vital.
Stig Steen
31
Putting it all together: PERSONA By combining the first letter
of each of the seven key-words into one word, PERSONA, we unveil the
very foundation of a long and happy life. The word persona (from Latin:
per = through and sona = sounds) originally means “through sounds”, i.e.
through language. It is only with other persons that we can communicate in
a meaningful way through language. And it is by showing goodness to every
person we meet that we ourselves will maximise our experience of true
lasting love and joy.
These insights may be valuable for Oriflame consultants, whose success is
greatly dependent on their ability to establish good relationships. The seven
characters in PERSONA: purpose, exercise, relationships, sleep, omission, nutrition
and attitude are easy to remember and practice among family and friends.
Peter, 71 years old: Life purpose as
medicine
I had given a speech at a meeting of retired academics and professors. After my
lecture I was approached by one of the participants, who asked me if we could
talk in private. Peter, a former professor in the humanities, told me that he felt
very tired and did not sleep well. He gave a very kind impression. He was thin
and looked younger than his actual age. I offered to do a medical examination,
including a sleeping test, to exclude any somatic illness. He appreciated this offer
very much.
The medical data confirmed my expectations; Peter was in good health, his body
was comparable to that of a 50-year old man. His sleeping test also indicated
normal results. However, when I presented this good news he did not show any
signs of relief or happiness. Instead, Peter informed me that he was a widower for
the past four years and that his real problem was the following:When he woke up
at 4.30 in the morning, he did not know what to do with the day ahead of him.
He did not have any meaningful tasks to do and nobody requested his advice or
knowledge in his academic discipline.The days seemed endlessly long. I asked him
about the neighbourhood where he lived, about his neighbours and the people
around him. He did not have any children. I advised him to fill some thermoses
with coffee and tea in the morning, to prepare some snacks, and then to visit
elderly shut-ins and other lonely people in his area:
“Peter, you are a truly charming person and have this aura about you. I always
feel good in your presence. I challenge you to do as I say.You will be the most
sought-after person in your community and you will never wake up again without
knowing what to do.”
When I looked at him again, tears were flowing down his cheeks. He did not say
anything, but he gave me a warm embrace. He had been given a glimpse of hope,
which is something we all need from time to time in order to embrace tomorrow.
32
Stig Steen
33
History of the
NATURAL
BALANCE
SHAKE
34
CHAPTER 4
Stig Steen
35
CHAPTER 4
History of the Natural Balance Shake
Every day the body renews itself by producing billions of new cells. Each
cell is an extremely complex living organism and has thousands of different
functions that need to work in harmony with the entire body system. In order
for this remarkable process to function we need to breathe air, drink water,
eat food and sleep. When something essential is missing in the body system,
we experience a dysfunction – a dis-ease – and then we do not feel so well
anymore. When we supply what is missing, ease or “wellness” returns.
Severely ill patients tend to lose their appetite and often cannot eat enough
food to supply the body with what it needs. I have faced this problem in my
profession from the very beginning. A patient who quickly loses 20 % of the
body weight cannot undergo major surgery because then the operation
wounds will not heal properly. Patients with severe lung disease have yet
another problem: their lungs cannot absorb enough oxygen from the air, which
contains 21 % oxygen, so they need to breathe supplemental oxygen from a
mask. Their lungs are so stiff that they cannot breathe out the carbon dioxide
that their bodies produce. For these patients it is a matter of life or death
that they get complete and optimal nutrition: not too much, not too little, just
the optimal. If they consume too much fat or quickly-absorbed carbohydrate
(sugars), these get combusted into carbon dioxide and water. Due to the
already increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood, a further
increase may cause the patients to become very tired, or even worse: it can
drive them into coma.
Chapter 4. History of the Natural Balance Shake
When we began to investigate the effects of the Natural Balance Shake in
healthy persons, many reported prolonged satiety and less sugar cravings. In
2007 we started to clinically document these effects further in our long-term
research program for individual lifestyle change at Igelosa. Combined with
exercise and dietary recommendations, mainly based on the principles from
Okinawa, as well as coaching and follow-up on a regular basis, we noted good
results in weight loss and other biological health markers. I will highlight some
of these effects in detail in chapter twelve, in the remarkable story of
Matthew Pohl.
Since the launch of the Natural Balance Shake, Oriflame has collected
thousands of weight loss testimonials. The lifestyle and dietary advice they give
in conjunction to the products are based on the scientific references in this
book.
The composition of the Natural Balance Shake was originally developed to give
complete nutrition regarding protein, fat and slow carbohydrates to severely
ill lung patients. It is composed of natural food ingredients that are slowly
absorbed by the intestines and therefore give a stable blood sugar response,
as well as a minimal increase of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Natural Balance Shake ingredients include: pea protein, whole egg powder, whey protein (from milk),
apple, rose hip and sugar beet fibre.
36
Stig Steen
37
Natural Balance Shakes
SKETCH
will add hires image
38
Stig Steen
39
Inside
The
WellnessPack
40
CHAPTER 5
Stig Steen
41
CHAPTER 5
Inside the WellnessPack
Fish-oil capsules:
Already in the 1930’s American scientists
described the consequences of insufficient
intake of essential fatty acids: loss of hair,
eczema, skin pigmentation and growth
disorder. The fish oil capsules of the
WellnessPack contain the essential fatty
acids. They are called essential because
our bodies cannot produce them on their
own. They must therefore be provided
from the food, for example by eating fat fish 2-3 times a week, or if this is not
done, by taking fish oil as a supplement to ordinary food.
Vitamins and minerals:
Walter Willett, MD, is chairman of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard
School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical
School. In his bestselling book Eat, Drink and Be Healthy (2001) he has a
separate chapter named “Take a Multivitamin for Insurance”. There is a risk
today with our busy lives that our food habits also will suffer; since vitamins
are a type of nutrient that the body cannot make and must get from the food,
there are studies suggesting that many people do not get enough of these
essential nutrients.
Linus Pauling (1901-1994), the only individual to win two unshared Nobel
Prizes, is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth
century. Pauling was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize for Chemistry and the
1962 Nobel Peace Prize. He was also very interested in nutrition. In 1986 he
published the book How to Live Longer and Feel Better in which he suggests
avoiding sugar, stress and smoking, limiting alcohol, working in a job that you
like and being happy with your family. To avoid serious illness and enjoy a
42
Chapter 5. Inside the WellnessPack
longer life, Pauling recommends taking vitamins and minerals as supplements
to the daily food to ensure that the body gets everything it needs to function
optimally.
In 1973 Pauling co-founded the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State
University, which investigates the role that vitamins, essential minerals
and chemicals from plants play in human ageing, immune function and in
preventing chronic disease. The book An Evidence Based Approach to Vitamins
and Minerals (2003) gives an updated report on what this institute considers
to be adequate and safe daily intake of vitamins and minerals for men and
women of different ages. The vitamin and mineral content of the WellnessPack
is based on these recommendations, which also comply with the official
Nordic and European guidelines.
Antioxidants:
The air consists of 21 % oxygen and without it we die within minutes. Oxygen
in the body exists both in a stable and an unstable form. The unstable oxygen
molecules are called “free radicals” and too much of them can damage our
cells. There are plenty of antioxidants in ordinary food, especially in vegetables
and fruits. The body also produces antioxidants. Air pollution, cigarette smoke,
ultraviolet light from the sun, pesticides and contaminants in food, as well as
stress and intense physical activity may produce excessive amounts of free
radicals – sometimes more than the body can neutralize by itself. Important
antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium and astaxanthin
– all of which are supplied by the WellnessPack.
Stig Steen
43
WellnessPacks
44
Stig Steen
45
The
NATURAL
BALANCE
SOUP
46
CHAPTER 6
Stig Steen
47
CHAPTER 6
The Natural Balance Soup
Protein, fat and carbohydrate, aside from water, make up almost all the weight
of food that we consume, with the remaining small amount being vitamins and
minerals. Protein (from Greek: proteios = the first) is the most dominant of all
nutrients. It makes up about 70 % of the dry weight of the cells. Proteins give
structure to the tissue and function as enzymes, hormones, antibodies and
transport molecules – all of which make life possible.
Proteins are constructed as long chains of hundreds or thousands of amino
acids of which there are twenty different kinds. Eight of them are called
essential because the body cannot produce them on its own. If we lack even
one of these essential amino acids, the process of cell renewal will be slowed
down or even stopped. However, for optimal nutrition all twenty amino acids
are needed in sufficient amounts. Food proteins that contain a significant
amount of all essential amino acids are referred to as complete protein. They
are mainly found in animal products such as fish, egg, meat and milk. Most
plant-based foods contain a little less of one or more essential amino acids.
However, while a single plant-based food source may be lacking in one or
more amino acids, a mixture of vegetables, grains, beans, legumes and nuts, will
contain all of them. This is good news for everyone who, for any reason, does
not consume animal products. It is also good for the environment since animal
breeding requires much more natural resources than eating plant-based
foods directly. Furthermore, a growing number of researchers and scientific
institutions, among them Harvard School of Public Health, indicate that
proteins from a plant-based diet are the healthiest in the long run.
Chapter 6. The Natural Balance Soup
of Preventive Medicine, described by New York Times as: “the most
comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet
and the risk of developing disease”. Large populations in rural China were
examined and compared to Western populations and the conclusion was
that people with a high consumption of animal-based foods were more likely
to develop a chronic disease, whereas people who ate the most plant-based
food tended to stay healthier. These findings also comply with experiences
from Okinawa.
The high protein content of the Natural Balance Soup is based on three
plant-based protein sources: pea, soy and potato. When mixed together they
provide all the amino acids that the body needs. The protein content was
developed and tested at Igelosa in order to provide a complete vegetarian
protein.
In the book The China Study (2005) – one of America’s best-selling books
about nutrition – the relationship between nutrition and chronic disease,
including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and various forms of cancer,
is examined. It is based on a twenty-year-study conducted by Oxford
University and Cornell University in cooperation with the Chinese Academy
Natural Balance Soup ingredients include: pea protein, soy protein and potato protein.
48
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49
Natural Balance Soups
FPO
will add hi-res image
later
50
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51
Chapter 7. “Mother’s meatballs”
Elsa, 83 years old: The life saving role of
nutrition in disease
Elsa was brought to the hospital when I was on call. I could immediately see that
she was dying.The medical exam showed that she had an acute heart failure due
to a stenotic heart valve. She was rushed to the surgery room, where an artificial
valve was inserted without complications. However, Elsa was too weak to breathe
on her own. After the operation
she had to be connected to a ventilator.
Chapter 5. Introducing the Natural Balance Soup
After one week she had not regained her strength. Despite adequate parenteral
nutrition, Elsa was still dependent on the ventilator after four weeks. She was
so weak that she could barely raise her hand. But one positive factor was that
her heart had regained power and she had no signs of heart failure.We could
communicate with her in a good way, she was not depressed.
It is well known that the need for protein is increased after major surgery. I
ordered an extra dietary supplement of protein-powder, given in a nasogastric
tube for 24-hours a day.The physiotherapist was instructed to train all the
muscles the patient could mobilize, which at that point were limited to some faint
movements in her arms and feet. I also gave her an injection of a medicine that
stimulates the protein synthesis.
Already after three days we could take her off the ventilator. And after two weeks
Elsa was moved to rehab in good shape, all things considered. After a few weeks
she had fully recovered and returned to a normal life in her home.
Chapter 7. “Mother’s meatballs”
Alexander, 76 years: The need for
drinkable nutrition
Alexander had smoked all his life.When I first met him, he had developed
diabetes since a few years. He had never exercised and was now confined to
a wheelchair.The medical tests showed aortic valve stenosis, meaning that the
opening of the heart valve, which carries the entire output of the blood, was
narrowed. Furthermore, he
had coronary artery disease, with stenosis on all main
Chapter 5. Introducing the Natural Balance Soup
branches of his coronary arteries. Alexander underwent surgery and received an
artificial heart valve and five bypass grafts to the coronary arteries. He recovered
surprisingly well from this major operation and was discharged from the hospital
after three weeks.
Four months later his son contacted me to inform that Alexander’s condition
had suddenly worsened. He was spending most of the time in bed, seemingly
indifferent to everything. He had also lost his appetite. Medical examination
revealed a fungal infection in the mouth and a badly fitted denture, which was
therefore not used. Alexander was slightly dehydrated but his blood circulation and
blood pressure were normal, indicating good heart function.
Complete liquid nutrition was prescribed and an experienced physiotherapist was
assigned to him. Alexander was to follow a strict exercise program which included
outdoor walks two times a day as well as weight training twice a week. His family
also received instructions how to train him and they were told to monitor his
progress closely.They were asked to be especially vigilant about Alexander’s food
intake which consisted of liquid protein enriched nutrition, due to his poor dental
health.
Alexander soon regained his vitality and humour.When I met him, twelve
years later, he was still very active and often made travels in both Sweden and
Denmark. He especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and their
friends. And he had even stopped smoking.
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53
“Mother’s
MEATBALLS”
54
CHAPTER 7
Stig Steen
55
CHAPTER 7
“Mother’s meatballs”
Food is a sensitive subject. Cookbooks are extremely popular nowadays and
in Sweden, apparently, one new cookbook is published every day. Mealtimes
define families, friends and entire communities. Sharing food typically marks all
the important events and celebrations in life. There are as many opinions and
strongly held convictions about food as there are people in the world. When
discussing a patient’s dietary habits (and body weight), the subject needs to
be raised with the utmost sensibility. Otherwise the trust between patient and
physician might be jeopardized. I usually start by asking if the patient’s mother
is still alive. What does she eat? What did you eat when you were growing up?
Breast milk? But then what?
“Mother’s meatballs” is a metaphor for what is dearest to a vulnerable
patient, namely his or her mother. Most of us start out in life by receiving all
our sustenance from our mother’s breast. This creates a very strong bond
between mother and child. In Latin, the official language for anatomy, the name
for the female breast is “mamma”. Never criticise the mother’s food habits
(i.e. the patient’s food habits)! Many patients love a particular food dish and
would never even consider refraining from it, however harmful it might be
from a medical point of view. A physician who seeks to improve a patient’s
food habits is therefore well advised to consider the biological law of dose
and response: eating something harmful in small amounts will have hardly
noticeable effects in the body. Therefore, when it comes to foods, and with the
notable exceptions of allergies and alcohol for an alcoholic, there is no reason
to prescribe total abstinence from a person’s favourite meal.
Since the 1960’s the food industry has revolutionized our lives. Today we can
buy ready-made foods of almost any kind. However, studies of the healthiest
and longest-lived people in the world show that they eat natural foods that
have not been industrially processed. The nutritional basis for these people are
whole intact grains with long preparation time, often in the form of porridge,
as well as beans and other legumes, vegetables, fruits, berries and fish. These
ingredients are supplemented by meat and eggs depending on availability. One
such evidence-based nutritional philosophy is the Okinawa Program.
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57
The
OKINAWA
program
58
CHAPTER 8
Stig Steen
59
CHAPTER 8
The Okinawa Program
Okinawa is an island in the southern part of Japan. Like Sweden, Japan has
a well-functioning civil registry. Population statistics are thus reliable. Japan
has the highest life expectancy in the world and among the Japanese, the
Okinawans live the longest. Since the mid-1970s the food habits, exercise and
lifestyle practices of 600 inhabitants who have passed the age of hundred
years have been the object of study between Harvard University and Ruykus
University in Okinawa. In 2001 the result was published in the book The
Okinawa Program, in which the authors describe the food habits and lifestyle of
Okinawa’s native population.
The Okinawans stay lean by eating a low-calorie diet, based on slowly
absorbed unrefined carbohydrates, practicing “hara hachi bu” (only eating until
they are 80 % full). Their local food sources originate directly from nature and
are prepared with as little intervention as possible. It is important to point out
that the Okinawans do not eat a constructed or scientifically based diet, but
what is available directly from nature. Their lifestyle is characterized by low
stress, high quality social networks, keeping active the natural way and by their
food habits, which can be summarized in eight main principles:
1 Eat eight vegetables and two fruits daily. This corresponds to 500-1000 g
of vegetables a day. The relationship between vegetables and fruits are 4:1.
2 Eat whole grains at most meals. Whole grains are the main calorie
rich type of food used. Depending on the amount of physical activity, the
Okinawans eat in average 7-13 servings of whole grain foods daily. Whole
intact grains need to be cooked for at least 30-40 minutes. The key words
here are whole and intact. Rice is the most available staple in Okinawa and one
serving is defined as ½ cup (100 ml) of cooked rice.
Chapter 8. The Okinawa Program
the native population relies on green leafy vegetables in abundance and soyabased products to ensure calcium intake. Nowadays, it is common that soya
milk and other soya products are supplemented with calcium.
4 Eat three servings of flavonoid foods daily. In comparison with Europeans,
Japanese people in general and Okinawans in particular have high levels of
flavonoid in their blood. Flavonoids are potent antioxidants. Legumes (beans,
especially soya beans and peas), flaxseed, onion, broccoli and tea are rich in
flavonoid. Thirty grams of cooked soya beans or one tablespoon of ground
flaxseed correspond to one serving of flavonoid.
5 Eat two servings of Omega-3 foods daily. Fish rich in natural fat is the
best source of the long Omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Ninety grams of
cooked fat fish is considered as one serving. Two tablespoons walnuts, one
tablespoon ground flaxseed, one teaspoon fish oil or one omega-3 egg are
alternatives.
6 Drink fresh water and tea daily. One cup of tea contains 12-16 mg
flavonoid and is considered as an important part of the Okinawa diet.
7 Weigh your options carefully. The food habits on Okinawa allow all types
of foods as long as the intake of animal-based foods and sugar products are
kept moderate to low. The intake of sweets is preferably in the form of raw
fruits or berries.
8 Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all.
3 Eat three calcium foods daily. A sufficient daily intake of calcium is
considered important. Cow milk and milk derivatives which ensure adequate
calcium intake in Western culture are not part of the Okinawa diet. Instead,
60
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61
OKINAWA
at Igelosa
62
CHAPTER 9
Stig Steen
63
CHAPTER 9
Okinawa at Igelosa
Chapter 9. Okinawa at Igelosa
The last twenty years I have been involved in scientific cooperation with
several Chinese university hospitals. As a result of this I receive Chinese
scholarship doctors who come and stay at Igelosa for a year and participate
in my research. It was through these young Chinese doctors that I originally
became interested in the Okinawa program. When the first students came
to Sweden and were exposed to our national diet – rich in milk, cheese,
meat, sausages, pizza and pasta – many of them gained 10-15 kg in the first
three months. Although they loved the food they did not appreciate the
weight gain, especially since these extra kilos proved difficult to get rid of
again. I then decided to introduce the Okinawa program as an alternative at
Igelosa. Not only did the young and overweight Chinese doctors now start
to lose weight, but they also liked the food and were rarely – if ever – hungry.
The problem with this food for Swedes was all the unfamiliar tastes. I hired
professional chefs who were instructed to modify the taste and appearance of
the Okinawa dishes to better suit our culture. The challenge was to make the
Okinawa food philosophy appetizing for Westerners.
When the American chef Matthew Pohl came to stay at Igelosa in order to
lose weight, it was natural that he also began eating according to the Okinawa
principles. Matthew was told to document everything he ate and to carefully
study the literature about the Okinawa program. As a trained chef, with a
university degree in journalism, he was well qualified for the task. The story
of Matthew’s remarkable weight loss will be highlighted in detail when we
address the subject of obesity in later chapters.
Can we ever agree about what types of food are best? I doubt it. On the
other hand, we do know what substances must be in the food to provide
complete and calorie restricted nutrition. Because our patients and guest
researchers come from around the world, the chefs at Igelosa need to follow
the ideas of both Eastern and Western food traditions. However, food is
ultimately a very personal thing and will always be based on each individual’s
taste, tolerance and on the memory of “mother’s meatballs”.
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65
Food and
PHYSIOLOGY
66
CHAPTER 10
Stig Steen
67
CHAPTER 10
Food and physiology
One of our visiting Chinese doctors had to be taken off duty from all
afternoon operations due to extreme tiredness after lunch. In Sweden, lunch
typically consists of a limited amount of (expensive) proteins and lots of
(cheap) carbohydrates – usually potatoes, pasta and bread. What was the
reason for his reaction? And why is it so common with afternoon tiredness?
We decided to look for answers by studying the medical effects of ordinary
food intake.
Our nation’s most popular meal is meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingon
berries. We use this as our standard reference meal when conducting food
studies at Igelosa. Figure 10.1 shows the blood sugar and insulin reaction of a
healthy man (27 years old, 179 cm tall and weighing 65 kg) after intake of the
reference meal. As can be seen in the figure, the blood sugar is immediately
raised, causing a substantial amount of insulin to be released, which presses
down the blood sugar again. While the blood sugar level is low, the person
feels very tired (he reports 7 in a 10-point scale). Low blood sugar levels
also trigger sugar cravings. Then we do not crave meat, fish or vegetables, but
fast carbohydrates such as sweets, cookies and sodas that will cause even
more insulin to be released. If the insulin level in the blood never decrease to
normal levels, not even after a night’s sleep, then the metabolic syndrome has
developed, which is a precursor to type-2 diabetes (90 % of all diabetes). The
metabolic syndrome consists of high insulin, high blood pressure, overweight,
bad blood lipids, and is a serious risk factor for disease.
Chapter 10. Food and physiology
Fig 10.1
Fig 10.2
The standard reference meal consists of 127 g
Swedish meatballs, 182 g mashed potatoes (39 g
powder in 175 g water), freshly grated carrot and
35 g lingon berry jam. It contains: 21 g protein, 50 g
carbohydrates, 22 g fat, 2 g fibre, in total 482 kcal
This meal consists of 100 g of oven-baked
salmon, 100 ml whole and intact rice grains, 150
g ratatouille and 35 g salsa (tomato and capers).
It contains: 24 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 14 g
fat, 5 g fibre, in total 372 kcal
When the same test-person is given a meal that has been properly balanced
according to the Okinawa principles, the physiological response becomes
completely different. As seen in figure 10.2 the blood sugar and insulin levels
rose only moderately this time and the test-person did not report any
significant hunger or tiredness during the four-hour trial period.
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69
Overweight
AND
obesity
70
CHAPTER 11
Stig Steen
71
CHAPTER 11
Overweight and obesity
Chapter 11. Overweight and obesity
According to a 2008 WHO report, as many as 1.5 billion people above
twenty years of age are overweight worldwide (BMI ≥ 25)*. Of them an
estimated 200 million men and 300 million women are obese (BMI ≥ 30).
Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk for global deaths. The
problem has assumed epidemic proportions in almost all regions of the world
and is serious among both adults and children.
There are many theories about the causes of becoming overweight. Too much
calorie intake and too little exercise are obvious physiological causes. But are
there also deeper, more causal explanations? One such hypothesis suggests
that weight gain is ultimately caused by eating disorders, which in turn are
symptoms of emotional instability. One study looking at what caused people
in the West to seek a doctor identified the following three top reasons:
chronic fatigue, stress and being overweight. All major studies on overweight
and obesity indicate that it is very difficult to lose it permanently. Dietary
counselling and exercise alone are often not enough. Fortunately, there are
individual examples of people who have succeeded in significant permanent
weight loss by changing their lifestyle. They provide inspiration and hope
for the development of better strategies and treatments in the future. The
American chef Matthew Pohl is one such example well worth highlighting.
* Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in
adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2).
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Physiological
REVOLUTION
74
CHAPTER 12
Stig Steen
75
CHAPTER 12
A physiological revolution
One of my close friends in the USA is the transplant coordinator Mary Pohl.
We both agreed that it would be good for her son Matthew, or Matt, to come
to Igelosa and become part of the community here for a period of time.
When Matt first came he was 27 years old and weighed more than 150 kg.
Here is his story in his own words.
Chapter 12. A physiological revolution
My name is Matthew Stewart Pohl. I grew up in a typical American suburban
family. Although both my parents worked, my father as a minister and my mother
as a nurse, they always made sure that my two older brothers and I got the
attention and care we needed. As a child I was not extremely overweight, but I
have been described as a “thick” child. In contrast, my brothers were always skinny
and athletic. While I continued to gain weight, they were able to maintain their
health, both eventually becoming pilots in the US military.
It did not take long before I began to notice that I was heavier than the other kids.
My mother, who also dealt with weight issues as a child, did not want me to go
through the same experiences she did. So she enrolled me in Weight Watchers
when I was eight years old. They had never admitted such a young member to the
program and were not sure how to deal with me. As I felt very uncomfortable there,
the experience ended quickly. By my first year at high school, I weighed about 105
kg. When I graduated four years later, I had gained another 25 kilos.
When I was in high school, I played American football and worked out often. Once
I started university, I stopped exercising but did not change my eating habits. If
anything, they got worse. Beer and pizza became my principal sources of nutrition
and by the time I graduated in 2002, I weighed around 140 kg.
Matthew together with his parents, Jim and Mary Pohl, in USA 2005.
76
After college I started working as a chef. In the mornings I would skip breakfast,
and if I had anything, it was a few glasses of juice. At work I wouldn’t make time
to sit down and eat proper meals, but instead snacked constantly and drank soda
after soda. When I finished work late at night, I was always hungry and had a large
meal after midnight. My diet at home was not much better than it was at work.
After long days in the kitchen, I rarely wanted to take the time to cook for myself.
The meals I ate were usually those I could prepare in a few minutes. I would also
get fast food or carry-outs. It might sound strange but I thought that what I ate
didn’t relate to what happened to my body. I spent my free time on the couch
watching television instead of exercising or going out with friends. At this point, I
gave up personal responsibility for my weight and health.
Stig Steen
77
I also had a hard time sleeping at night. It took me a long time to fall asleep, and
I needed to switch on the television or radio to slumber. Once I was asleep I woke
up frequently throughout the night from discomfort, mostly with cramps in my legs.
I was also a heavy snorer, and from time to time would wake myself up.
Predictably, my relationships with others suffered as well. I had few friends, and
because my self-esteem was low I didn’t make the effort of meeting new people.
Whenever I would walk into a room I was immediately conscious of my weight and
would recognise that I was the heaviest person there. I believed that my weight
was the reason others did not like me. Now I realise that the real reason was me
not liking myself.
I first came to Igelosa in February 2007. My mother was attending a lung
transplantation course there and asked me if I wanted to join her. I saw the trip as
an opportunity to visit Sweden. The health check my mother had arranged for me
was low on my list of priorities. My biggest fear was that the doctors would tell me
what I already knew, how bad my condition was. Midway through the week I had
blood samples and measurements taken. All the levels, including insulin, CRP and
cholesterol, were predictably high. But getting on the scale was the worst. I weighed
so much that the scale, which registered up to 150 kg, could not display any higher.
It was a real slap in the face but gave me, finally, the motivation I needed to start
making changes.
Before flying home, I met Stig Steen to discuss what changes I needed to make.
He told me to eat as much vegetables as I could, a kilogram a day if possible, and
preferably raw. Also I should try to walk for at least 30 minutes every day. He gave
me some literature suggestions and sent me home with samples of the Natural
Balance Shake, which I should take in between meals every time I felt hungry.
When I returned to Igelosa as a patient, I was instructed to focus all my time
and energy on the changes I wanted to make. I was told to read The Okinawa
Program, to cook my own food, to exercise, as well as to find time to relax and
relieve the stress that had built up in my life. I was also instructed to keep a food
journal and to record everything that I ate. This would help the doctors to analyse
the caloric and nutritional content of my daily diet.
My new life at Igelosa was framed by the following daily schedule:
6 AM
Wake up
7 AM Breakfast
8 AM Walking with pedometer
10 AM
Snack 1: Natural Balance Shake and one fruit
Noon Lunch
2 PM Walking with pedometer
4 PM
Snack 2: Natural Balance Shake and one fruit
7 PM
Dinner
9 PM
Snack 3: Natural Balance Shake or 100 g raw vegetable
11 PM
Sleep
Stig also invited me back to Igelosa as a long-term research patient. It didn’t take
long for me to make up my mind, and as soon as I returned home, I gave my
manager at work notice that I would be leaving my job. I was ready for a change.
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Food: Even though the ingredients varied from day to day, the compositions
of the meals were much the same. I always started with a green salad with
vegetables in different colours, dressed simply with a squeeze of citrus juice.
The main dish consisted of 100 ml of cooked whole grains (1/2 cup), 100 g of
a protein-rich ingredient (mainly fish, but also lean meat and egg) and a large
portion of vegetables. At breakfast I added four fish oil pills (WellnessPack). Alcohol
consumption was to be kept at minimal levels. Once a week I allowed myself a
glass of red wine with the meal. Every time I felt hungry, I should take one Natural
Balance Shake, but there was no upper limit for its use. And, very importantly: I was
instructed never to skip a meal.
Exercise: I was directed to add low impact exercise to my daily life. I was given
a pedometer to wear and goals were set for me based on the number of steps I
took each day. At first, I was instructed to go out for a short walk every day. When
that became easier, the goal became 10,000 steps each day. When this became
routine, the goal was raised to 12,000 steps, and later on up to 15,000 steps
every day. After six weeks I started using walking poles when I went out. This was
Walking every day became a natural part of Matt’s life at Igelosa.
80
a great change. When I arrived at Igelosa I could hardly walk the flight of stairs up
to my room on the second floor without catching my breath. Now I was walking
around with walking poles and recorded some real progress.
Sleep: The changes in my food and exercise habits had a positive effect on my
sleep. When I arrived I had trouble getting to and staying asleep. For the first
month I needed to have the television on when I went to bed, and it was still
difficult for me to get and stay comfortable throughout the night. As time went on,
however, I started falling asleep without the television and was able to sleep better
throughout the night. I stopped snoring and began to wake up before the alarm
clock went off, refreshed and alert.
Relationships: The people at Igelosa are a big part of my life as they have
made up the support group around me. During the days, I got involved in
conversations with staff and guests when time allowed. In the evenings, I would
cook and eat with the staff living at the centre.
At Igelosa Matt lived together with scholarship students and guest researchers from different parts of
the world.
Stig Steen
81
Challenges: There were plenty of challenges along the way. Naturally, I missed
my friends and family back home. However, the biggest challenge was sticking to
the program when I didn’t see any results in my weight loss. During the first month
of my stay, I only lost a few kilos. It was hard to deal with this as I had hoped and
expected better results. At times I wondered if I was doing something wrong, but
I was told to stay on course. Patience paid off. After two months, I had lost fifteen
kilos.
“
Today I feel
better and happier
than I can
remember ever
having felt before”
Motivators: During the last four years, accomplishments have not only been
measured by weight and blood tests, but by everyday experiences too, like clothes
fitting better or being able to walk a little further. On the flight back to the USA,
before Christmas 2007, all my efforts seemed worthwhile. For many years, I had
been embarrassed to fly, because I was so big that I couldn’t use a standard
airplane seat belt. Asking for a seat belt extension was humiliating, and made me
feel different from everyone else. On this flight, however, the standard seat belt
clicked in!
When I returned to Igelosa, in September 2008, I became both a patient and an
employee. Besides work in the kitchen, I was told to continue focusing on lifestyle
change, especially my food habits and exercise. Along with daily walks, I began to
jog occasionally and added light weight training to my program. By the end of the
second year I was down to 96 kg. After living one year at the centre, I moved out
and got my own apartment in the city of Lund.
Matt is making a Natural
Balance Shake which he is
consuming in between meals
whenever he feels hunger.
In 2010, when the doctors declared me healthy, my weight was now 85 kg. The
most important lessons I have learned are these: to be patient, to rely on the
support of others, to set reasonable goals, to exercise daily, not to skip meals, to
eat before getting hungry and to get a good night’s sleep. These are the reasons
why I today feel better and happier than I can remember ever having felt before.
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Medical data over three years:
Medical data over three years
Fig 12.1
160
30
Due to Matt’s faithfulness to the program, his insulin gradually started to fall
and then he also started to lose weight. This can be seen in figure 12.1 which
shows Matt’s weight and insulin values over the first three years. A normal
fasting insulin value is less than 8 units, and as can be seen in the figure, Matt
now has normal insulin levels.
200
Insulin
150
25
20
130
120
15
110
10
100
150
Insulin,
mU/L
Insulin,
mU/L(fasting
(fastingvalue)
value)
140
Weight,
kg kg
Weight,
When Matt first arrived at Igelosa he had high fasting values of insulin. This
made it very difficult for him to lose weight, since a high concentration of
insulin in the blood closes the fat cells, thus keeping the fat inside them. Since
the fat is captured in the cells weight loss is very hard, even during exercise or
on a low calorie diet.
Minutes
spentfor
forrapid
rapidwalking
walking
Minutes spent
250
Weight
100
50
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
Month
Month
Number of steps each day
5
90
80
0
0
1
2
3
Year
Normal fasting value for insulin is 3-8.
Month
1. Home in US
2. Christmas in US
3.Vacances in Paris
4. Home in US
Normal fasting value for insulin is 38 mU/L.
What is the secret to the remarkable change that Matt has accomplished?
First and foremost, he decided to take a time-out from his stressful life; he
trusted the advice he was given regarding food and exercise; the community
he became part of loved him and admired him greatly for his strong
determination to make changes in his life; and he started every new day after
a good night’s sleep.
Matt’s example shows that radical changes in physiological parameters are
possible by lifestyle change. This is good news in a world where weight gain
and “lifestyle diabetes” is spreading in epidemic proportions, not only in the
West but also in emerging and developing countries. More good news: Matt’s
dietary habits are less expensive than a regular diet – up to 70 % cheaper
according to our chefs – because most natural ingredients come directly from
the fields or the sea.
84
From a doctor’s perspective
looking at the laboratory
data (Figure 12.2), the
following comments may
be made:
1. C-reactive protein (CRP)
has normalized from 6.97 to
0.60, which indicates that a
chronic inflammatory process
has been overcome.
2. His blood lipids have
normalized.
3. His carbohydrate
metabolism, as measured by
blood glucose, HbA1c and
insulin has normalized.
4. His liver enzymes have
normalized.
5. His testosterone value has
normalized.
5. Christmas in US
Fig 12.2
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY
2007-03-01 2008-02-27 2009-03-27 2010-03-05
Month 0
CRP 6,97 Glucose 5,46 HbA1c 4,62 Insulin 27,6 Cholesterol 5,69 Triglyceride 1,60 HDL cholesterol 0,88 LDL cholesterol 4,27 LDL/HDL quotient 4,85 P-Apo A1 1,17 P-Apo B 1,20 Apo B/Apo A quotient 1,03 Lipoprotein(a) 64,4 Cobalamin (vitamin B12) 387 Folic acid 13,5 Creatine kinase 4,57 Lactate dehydrogenase 4,02 Bilirubin,tot 10,0 Bilirubin, direct 2,55 Alcaline phosphatase 1,63 Glutamyltransferase 1,71 Aspartate aminotransferase 0,55 Alanine aminotransferase 0,98 Albumin 44,3 Pancreatic amylase 0,32 Creatinine 61,9 Urea 3,53 Uric acid 548 Thyroid-stimulating hormone 2,30 Thyroxine 17,7 Triiodothyronine 6,96 Cortisol 574 Testosterone 11,4 Dehydroepiandrosterone 8,49 Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 0,260 PSA, free 0,080 PSA, quotient 31,8 Hemoglobin 161 Thrombocytes 224 Leukocytes 8,2 Stig Steen
12,1 2,56 4,69 3,89 15,0 4,06 0,79 0,79 2,84 3,59 1,00 0,77 0,77 109,9 333 16,8 2,10 2,45 8,7 2,23 1,47 0,40 0,31 0,55 51,5 0,35 62,5 4,71 434 1,86 16,4 4,53 433 19,1 8,09 0,283 0,122 43,1 145 184 6,3 25,2 0,57 4,31 3,90 7,8 3,68 0,70 0,88 2,57 2,92 1,05 0,70 0,67 93,6 189 28,7 2,03 2,63 7,8 2,41 1,20 0,34 0,38 0,63 46,1 0,46 69,7 4,29 384 1,68 17,6 4,60 657 22,0 7,45 0,318 0,147 46,2 147 178 5,5 36,7
0,60
3,51
3,70
2,6
4,20
0,70
1,13
2,55
2,26
1,24
0,83
0,67
64,5
230
31,8
1,73
2,66
7,7
2,36
0,97
0,36
0,32
0,41
42,5
0,54
66,5
4,71
434
1,52
17,8
5,06
642
26,0
9,56
0,387
0,210
54,5
146
236
7,5
85
Igelosa
KITCHEN
insights
86
CHAPTER 13
Stig Steen
87
CHAPTER 13
Igelosa kitchen insights
Working in the Igelosa kitchen is not much like working in a typical restaurant.
Here we have to rely as much on scientific literature as on cookbooks. At times we
have more contact with physicians and PhDs than with our local food suppliers. The
dishes often make their ways down the corridor to the medical clinic for further
tests and analysis after intake. The medical accuracy makes it impossible to cheat
with ingredients of any kind. In this chapter you will learn how to prepare some of
the healthy dishes that are being prepared and served at Igelosa on a daily basis.
As a supporting member of Igelosa Life Science Community you can find many
more recipes on our homepage:
Breakfast Alternatives
Breakfast 1
• 1 slice (20 g) Bread
• 1 slice (25 g) Smoked salmon
• 150 g Raw vegetables
• 1 dl Yogurt, no sugar added
• 25 g berries
www.igelosa.com
Matthew Pohl, chef
Breakfast 2
• 1 slice (20 g) Bread
• 1 slice (10 g) Turkey
• 1 slice (10 g) Low fat Cheese
• 1 dl Yogurt, no sugar added
• 25 g Berries
• ½ Boiled egg
Breakfast 3
• 1 dl Cooked oats
• 25 g Berries
• 1 Boiled egg
88
Stig Steen
89
Lunch & Dinner Alternatives
Baked Salmon with
Tomato-caper sauce
h Lunch/Dinner
serves 4
1 Tomato, diced
½ dl Leeks, chopped and
washed
2 tablespoons Capers
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
1 clove Garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons Parsley,
chopped
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
4 Salmon fillets, 100 g each
90
1.Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.
2. While oven is heating, combine first 8
ingredients and place in the fridge to allow
flavors to combine while the fish cooks.
3. Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet
and bake in the oven until lightly browned
and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Top with chilled tomato and caper
sauce and serve with cooked whole grains
and vegetables.
Stig Steen
91
White Bean and
Vegetable Soup
h Lunch/Dinner
1. Heat oil in a soup pot and add onion,
carrot, celery, bell pepper and garlic and
cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
2. Add water, salt, pepper and beans and
simmer for twenty minutes.
3. Add fresh herbs and vinegar and serve.
92
Stig Steen
serves 4
2 teaspoons Rapeseed oil
2 medium Yellow Onions,
chopped
2 medium Carrots, peeled
and chopped
3 stalks Celery, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 liter water
2 cans White beans, drained
and rinsed
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Fresh thyme,
chopped
2 tablespoons Parsley,
chopped
1 tablespoon Red Wine
Vinegar
93
Cabbage
Pudding
h Lunch/Dinner
1. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large pan
serves 4
1 kg White cabbage, thinly
sliced
1 teaspoon Honey
1 dl Water
½ teaspoon Salt
300 g Chicken breast farce
½ Yellow onion, cut into
1 cm pieces
1 ½ dl Cooked dinkel
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Black pepper
2 teaspoon Rapeseed oil,
divided
1 Egg
1 dl Water
over medium high heat and add cabbage
and cook until it begins to soften, about 10
minutes.
2. Add the honey, water and half a
teaspoon of salt and cook until tender and
browned.
3. Heat remaining oil in a small pan and
cook onion until golden, about 6-8 minutes.
Combine onion with the chicken, cooked
dinkel, salt, black pepper, egg and water and
stir to combine.
4. Arrange half of the browned cabbage
in the bottom of a baking pan and arrange
chicken mixture over the top of it, followed
by a layer of the remaining browned
cabbage.
5. Bake in 175 degree Celcius oven for
about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is
cooked through.
94
Stig Steen
95
Snack Alternatives
Snack 1
• 1 medium apple
• 25 g Walnuts
Snack 2
• 100 g Low fat cottage cheese
• 25 g Berries
The Queen’s Cake
This lemon and vanilla flavoured yoghurt cake was prepared for dessert when H.M. Queen
Silvia of Sweden visited Igelosa. On that day, by coincidence, a group of visiting doctors from
Oslo and Paris were also at Igelosa and shortly after the Queen had left they all requested the
same dessert, asking for the Queen’s cake.
h Healthy dessert once in a while...
1.In the bowl of an electric mixer whip
eggs until light and fluffy and tripled in
volume.
Snack 3
2.Add Natural Balance Shake powder,
yogurt, lemon juice and zest and mix
until just combined.
3.Pour into an oiled spring form pan and
bake in 180 degree Celcius oven for 50-60
minutes, or until a knife can be cleanly
removed.
96
Stig Steen
10-12 slices
4 Eggs
1 dl Vanilla Natural Balance
Shake Powder
4 dl Natural, strained
yoghurt (10% fat)
2 tablespoon Lemon juice,
from 1 lemon plus zest
97
ON LOVE
and life
98
CHAPTER 14
Stig Steen
99
CHAPTER 14
On love and life
Chapter 14. On love and life
Attending the first lecture at a medical university, the anticipant students were
welcomed by an old professor. He began by asking them a question: “Can anyone
tell me when the night turns into day?”
The room became completely silent for a long time, until a male student spoke out:
“When I am sitting at my watch post in the forest, and I can see the difference
between a dog and a fox from a hundred yards away, then the morning has
arrived.”
The old professor remained silent, calmly waiting for more suggestions. After a short
while, a female student raised her hand: “Professor, when I can distinguish a lily
from a rose from ten yards away, then the morning has come.”
Still, the old man kept his silence. A nervous atmosphere spread among the
students, until one of them impatiently cried through the murmur: “You tell us,
then!”
Finally, the professor started to speak, and now all the students listened in
complete silence: “When you can look every single person you meet in the face,
and therein see a sister or a brother, then the night has turned into day in your
lives”.
(Based on the writings of Martin Buber, freely told from my memory)
In Greek there are three words for life: bios, psyche and zoe. Biological life
(bios) develops in childhood and reaches its full potential in adult life before
it begins to decline. We can compensate for this unrelenting decline by
making wise priorities concerning our health. Such priorities will also affect
our psychological life (psyche) and keep it in a good condition. The longevity
of successful authors, artists, scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs and many
others can attest to this. Both the biological and the psychological life can be
empirically measured in the individual person by different methods.
100
The third type of life, zoe, cannot be measured. This life is nonetheless
equally real and can be perceived through its “symptoms”: mercy, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. It thrives
whenever and wherever people love each other unconditionally. Furthermore,
unconditional love may grow throughout life. Kinship, skin colour and status are
not important. It is this life that severely ill patients long for more than anything
else. The hopeful thing is that this life is not dependant on money: it can be
given by anyone, always for free.
Each one of us is born with a unique set of genes: a potentiality of talents,
ready to be actualized in life. Only you can develop your own special talents.
The present moment is what you have at your disposal. Yesterday is no more
and the future is not yet here. Good planning and wise priorities for your
short-term and long-term future, based on your experience from the past,
are of the utmost importance for how your life will be. There is one common
purpose for us all: the greatest thing in the world: Love. No man can live
without love. The golden rule teaches us to treat every person we meet as we
ourselves would like to be treated. Let the golden rule permeate the present
moment and happiness will characterize your life, whatever talents you will
live out.
Stig Steen
101
Literature List:
Colin Campbell, Thomas Campbell II, The China Study, Benbella Books, Dallas, 2006
Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper’s Antioxidant Revolution, Thomas Nelson
Publishers, Nashville, 1994
Fontana L. The scientific basis of caloric restriction leading to longer life, Curr Opin Gastroenterol,
2009 Mar; 25(2):144-50
William F Ganong, Review of Medical Physiology, Twenty-first edition, Lange Medical Books/
McGraw-Hill, New York, 2003
Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, Washington Square Press, Simon and Schuster Inc,
New York, 1997
Jane Higdon, An evidence-based approach to vitamins and minerals, Health benefits and intake
recommendations, Thieme, New York, 2003
Jennie Brand-Miller, Thomas M S Wolever, Stephen Colagiuri, Kaye Foster-Powell, Johanna Burani,
The Glucose Revolution, The authoritative guide to the glycemic index, The groundbreaking
medical discovery, Marlowe & Company, New York, 1999
Dean Ornish, Love & Survival, HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. New York, 1998
Linus Pauling, How to Live Longer and Feel Better, First published in 1986 by W H Freeman and
Company, Oregon State University Press, Corvallis OR, 2006
Norman Vincent Peale, Six Attitudes for Winners, Tyndale House Publishers Inc. Illinois, 1989
Anthony Robbins, Notes from a Friend, A quick and simple guide for taking charge of your life,
Simon and Schuster Inc, Sydney, 1997
Gary Small, MD, The Longevity Bible, 8 essential strategies for keeping your mind sharp and your
body young, Hyperion, New York, 2006
Robert Spitzer, PhD, Healing the Culture, A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom
and the Life Issues, Ignatius Press, San Fransisco, 2000
Bradley J Willcox, D Craig Willcox, Makoto Suzuki, Based on the Landmark 25-year study, The
Okinawa Program, How the world´s longest-lived people achieve everlasting health – and how
you can too, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2001
Walter C Willet, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy
Eating, A Harvard medical school book co-developed with the Harvard School of Public Health,
Free Press, Simon & Schuster, Inc. New York, 2001
102
Stig Steen
103

Home of Wellness by oriflame

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