Feb 11 2012

Fat: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Posted by admin in Nutrition diet

When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is a complex subject. It’s useful to understand some basic information.

There are 4 types of fat: Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Saturated and Trans fat.

Monounsaturated

Monounsaturated fats are considered good fats and are said to help reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure and to help control diabetes.

These fats are found in food like; olive oil, peanut oil, cashews, canola oil, hazelnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, pine nuts and chicken fat.

Polyunsaturated

Polyunsaturated fats are also considered good fats and are said to reduce triglycerides, inflammations and tumor growth. They also help to improve immune function and help protect against sudden death from heart disease.

Polyunsaturated fats can be broken down into two categories: Omega 3 and Omega 6

Omega 3 is found in foods like Canola oil, walnuts, flaxseeds, hempseeds, salmon, mackerel, trout, tuna, sardines, and herring.

Omega 6 is found in foods like safflower oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, nuts, beans and soft margarine.

Saturated

Saturated fats are bad fats, they raise cholesterol and increase the risk

of heart disease and stroke. In fact they are twice as potent at raising your bad cholesterol levels as polyunsaturated fats are at lowering them. It is difficult to eliminate these fats from your diet but one way to reduce them is to choose fat free milk and other dairy products.

Saturated fats can be found in foods such as meats, whole milk, cheese, palm and coconut oil.

Trans

Trans fats are the ugly fats, they raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower good cholesterol (HDL). They increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Trans fats can be found in foods like crackers, cookies, shortening, stick margarine, hydrogenated oils and vegetable oils that have been subjected to heat-damage during cooking.

In summary, some fats are essential for a healthy diet. However, the quantity of even the good fats you consume is important.

For more information, including how much fat you should be eating, visit www.heartandstroke.ca/ or www.americanheart.org

Visit http://www.fatfreebutdelicious.com for low fat dessert, treats and snack recipes.

Feb 11 2012

Organic Eating Habits – Are They Attainable For Children?

Posted by admin in Nutrition diet

Some adults would say, “Well, of course they are” while others would retort, “you must not have children!” However it is possible to give them this healthy advantage but it doestake some effort. Many parents have children that scream at the mention of vegetables let alone the sight, or smell. A majority of kids are raised on fast food that is full of unhealthy ingredients. Of course they are possibly given a cucumber here and there, but will only eat it when dipped in ranch dressing that is full of MSG. These unhealthy eating habits are detrimental to our children’s health. These habits have to change.

Many parents have been frustrated while trying to encourage a healthy and organic lifestyle for their children. There is hope however in getting junior to eat broccoli, request cauliflower, and get second helpings of stir fry. Here are a few tips for you parents who are striving to give your kids a healthy future. First off if you have an infant make sure to introduce him/her to the wonderful world of solids without offering them bites of fast food. If they don’t taste it they won’t miss it. I’m always shocked when I hear a parent say, “I was eating pizza and I gave my son a bite and he LOVED it.” They say it as if it’s a wonderful miracle that he liked it. What’s happening is they are ruining his taste buds. He will become accustomed to the salty, fatty taste and when you try to offer him healthy foods that aren’t laden with salt he will refuse. The same goes for sugar.

By the time the

child is two these same parents are saying, “My child just doesn’t like vegetables and there is nothing I can do about it”. This is not true, however your road will be much harder. The second tip is to try and find foods that are similar to the ones they are used too your. Many of their favorite snacks can be found in your nearest health food store or online, only a healthier version. Look for snacks that aren’t sugar laden and do not contain MSG or hydrogenated oils.

Thirdly presentation can be everything. Don’t toss the new crackers that actually contain whole wheat at them and say, “I know these aren’t the best but just try them.” Get excited to try the items with them. Arrange them on a platter with some hormone free cheddar cheese and sit down with them to enjoy an afternoon snack. Which brings me to my fourth tip and that is to lead by example.

Now for my fifth tip do not change every single item in your household at once if you are dealing with older children. If you change every single item at once they are likely to become bitter towards the idea of eating healthy. Remove your worst offenders first, such as items containing MSG, hydrogenated oils, and refined sugars. Use a variety of foods, don’t just continuously try to shove broccoli down there throats over and over. Have fun creating meals and enjoy watching your children grow into healthy young adults.

I am the owner of the Kalista Organics website offering organic, chemical free body care to you and your families. http://www.kalistaorganics.com

Feb 10 2012

Studies Prove Magnesium Boosts Memory & Learning Ability

Posted by admin in Nutrition diet

According to the National Institute of Health, Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions, including maintenance of normal muscle and nerve function, strong bones and steady heart rhythm. It is also involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.

Now, according to an important new a research study at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, researchers found that rats supplemented with Magnesium, their levels of communication between brain cells was activated. Lab rats were fed the equivalent of a human dose of 400 milligrams of Magnesium a day.

The result, was that the mineral increased the activity of receptors that control learning and memory. Specifically, it enhanced the activity at the synapse, the gap between two neurons, or brain cells.

The results were most impressive in female rats. Women

typically have lower Magnesium levels than men. This deficiency condition may play a critical role in why women are at greater risk for Alzheimer’s.

Unfortunately, levels of Magnesium in the American diet has declined since the Industrial Revolution. Federal studies in nursing homes indicate that virtually all residents have Magnesium deficiency.

The typically high fat content of the modern diet prevents Magnesium from being absorbed. Magnesium is present in small amounts in many foods, one reason a varied diet rich in fruits and vegetables is recommended.

To assure essential Magnesium intake, daily supplementation is also recommended.

Roger Jirves is an authorized dealer of the Vitamin Power line natural nutrition-science products comprehensive, reliable quality Vitamins Minerals, Herbs Weight loss products and more

Feb 09 2012

Adding to Your Level of Health is the Key

Posted by admin in Nutrition diet

Here is a continuation of the light and darkness metaphor: a bucket of water. The bucket represents you. The water represents your level of health. What happens is that we all come into life with unique buckets. Written on the inside of your bucket is a list of all the symptoms and diseases that you are predisposed to.

When you were born you had a certain level of water in your bucket. Any symptoms or diseases that are written on the inside of your bucket above your water level, are the symptoms and disease you express.

Almost every one has symptoms that are above the water level of health: like fatigue, bad eyesight, low energy, allergies, headaches, and other minor symptoms. Many of these symptoms that you express are symptoms that you ignore because you think they are just part of life.

What you and most other people have done up until now is to take a symptom that is written above the water-line in the bucket and move it down below the water-line. And magic, no more symptom. The symptom was treated and now it is gone. What happened to the water level in the bucket when you treated the symptom and moved it lower in the bucket? That’s right, nothing. Nothing happened to your level of health.

After a while the symptoms get all crowded and nudge around to make more room, and end up pushing some other symptom or disease above the water level on top because all the symptoms below need more space. This is why people who treat their symptoms are constantly having new symptoms they need to treat. Whether they treat their symptoms naturally, or with drugs and surgery, they are constantly treating their symptoms, and more keep coming.

What happens in life is that we also put holes in our bucket. As the water leaks out, more and more symptoms and diseases come up above the water level. We express more and more symptoms.

Some common examples of “holes in the bucket” are drinking alcohol, eating sugar, taking drugs (both prescription and over-the-counter), taking street drugs, experiencing stress, putting poisonous chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, and other things into our body from the food we eat, smoking, mis-perceptions from faulty belief systems, etc.

Many people in the natural health care field got smart, and figured out that if you get someone to quit putting holes in their bucket, the water level in

the bucket will go up. Because the body is always striving to be healthy.

But most people are either treating the symptoms or plugging the holes.

Up until this point, most people have not even considered anything outside of this paradigm of treating symptoms. They believed that treating symptoms was what you did to help people heal. Whether you treated symptoms naturally, or with drugs and surgery, all there really was to do was to treat symptoms. I mean, what else is there?

How about putting a hose in the bucket and turning it on? Turn the hose on full force. This will increase the water level in the bucket dramatically.

Adding water to the bucket is what no one has even considered as an option, let alone figured out how to do it. Well, I have done both, and that is what I will share with you, how to add to your health in a later lesson

Again, symptoms and disease are what is written on the inside of your bucket. When your health gets low, you begin to express symptoms and disease. If you add health to your bucket, your body will heal, and you will express fewer symptoms and disease.

You can treat the symptoms and you can plug the holes in your bucket. And you can put a hose in your bucket, and turn it on, thus increasing the level of your health.

When you treat or fix some symptom or disease in your body, although the symptoms or disease may be gone, you have done nothing to improve your health. Health is the thing to be added to. Health is the physical existence. And when you add to the bucket of health, the body naturally heals symptoms and disease.

Learn how the “cause” of symptoms and disease is completely and totally irrelevant. How you do not need to know the “cause” in order to heal and be healthy. This and this article are Part of a Free e-Course on Dieting and Eating Healthy. Go to http://www.bazuji.com/ecourse to sign up for the free e-course. Do you want to be Sexy, Slim, Slender and Healthy for Life. Dr. Jamie wants to help give you this with his “non-diet.” He is also giving you dozens of valuable free gifts to “ethically bribe” you into helping him make his new book, “The Ultimate Non-Diet” a #1 best seller. For details go to: http://www.TheUltimateNonDiet.com/free

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Feb 09 2012

Glutamates

Posted by admin in Nutrition diet

Approximately 30 years ago, food manufacturers were competing against the American Homemaker for consumable dollars. Women, traditionally prepared food fed to the family and the food prepared came fresh and cheap!

Food scientists knew then that we have glutamate receptors on our tongues. Humans are driven to eat foods containing glutamates, even when we can’t taste them. Glutamates can enhance taste or the sensation of taste, but it also causes a chemical reaction soon after the glutamate receptors are activated.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other glutamates (called free glutamates) can appear naturally in foods or may be included as additives by manufacturers in order, among other reasons, to increase the popularity of their products.

When glutamates are added to foods, they can release high levels of insulin, which cause changes in the metabolism. In a report written by Drs. N.A. Togiyama and A. Adachi and published in the medical journal Physiological Behavior, applying monosodium glutamate to the tongues of animals will release high levels of insulin within three minutes.

The hunger that follows such an insulin response could

increase cravings, cause weight gain, and if repeated over tine, increase the likelihood of adult-onset diabetes.

Check you ingredient listing. Glutamates can go under a variety of names, including:

Anything enzyme modified

Anything fermented

Anything protein fortified

Anything ultra-pasteurized

Autolyzed yeast

Barley malt

Broth

Bouillon

Calcium caseinate

Carrageenan

Flavoring Gelatin

Hydrolyzed oat flour

Hydrolyzed plant protein

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Malt extract

Maltodextrin

Natural flavors (or natural flavoring)

Pectin

Plant protein extract

Potassium glutamate

Sodium caseinate

Soy protein

Soy sauce

Stock

Textured protein

Whey protein

Yeast extract

Yeast food

D.S. Epperson is the top formulator for Home Blend Gourmet / South Pacific Health, a leader in the functional food industry in the U.S. With 20 years of experience in Nutritional Biochemistry, she has written reference books on botanicals and manufacturing of medicines from botanicals, and published articles on health, fitness and foods. She has formulated over 240 formulas and inventions for health, the environment and agricultural uses, and continues to research and study microbial advantages in nutraceuticals and functional foods. For more information or to view the articles that she has written: http://www.sugarblend.com

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Feb 07 2012

5 Ways to Get the Best Out of Radishes

Posted by admin in Nutrition diet

They sit left behind on relish trays. They’re often by-passed ingrocery store refrigerator shelves. Dad and Grandpa usually eatthem but later complain of belching them up. The poor radish hasgotten a bum rap. There are at least five different varieties;but for now, the popular, red globe variety will be spotlighted.They are a great source of vitamin C and an excellent low caloriesnack (only 12 calories in a half cup of radishes). Radishes areroot vegetables that are classified in the cabbage and mustardfamily, thus their strong taste.

Most people eat them raw, with a little salt. If you’d like yourradishes to be a little crispier and a little less sharp intaste, put them in ice water for a couple hours before you planto eat them. There are also a number of ways to cook them. Boila half inch of water, add the sliced radishes, and then coverand simmer until tender, adding more water if necessary. Cookfive to ten minutes. To microwave, place a half pound of slicedradishes in a microwave safe dish with 1 tablespoon of water orbroth. Cook for approximately four minutes.

If the taste of raw radishes is a little too pungent for some,try them steamed. Their bright red skin will turn pink on steamedradishes. The easiest way to steam them is to place wholeradishes in a vegetable steamer and

cook over boiling water untilbarely tender. Cook approximately eight to twelve minutes. Another way to prepare our friend, the red radish, is to stir frythem. Sliced radishes combine well with other vegetables andmeat in stir-fries. Don’t over cook them or they’ll become mushy.Cook approximately three to five minutes.

As Cliff Claven would say, “It’s a little known fact that …”radishes were first cultivated thousands of years ago in China,then in Egypt and Greece. In Greece they were so highly regardedthat gold replicas were made. (Now that’s some serious radishlovers!)

So the next time you walk past radishes in the grocery store orat the market, back track a few steps and pick up a bunch or two.Or better yet, plant some in your garden this year. Radishesare one of the very first vegetables ready for harvest in thespring. They will in turn, ready your soil for other veggies! Give these little guys a chance again.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

Feb 06 2012

What You Need To Know About Inflammation

Posted by admin in Nutrition diet

Inflammation is not a disease.

Inflammation is best described as a defense mechanism to limit tissue damage. It can be caused by infection, injury or immune conditions. In each case, the inflammation is the result of your immune system responding to another event.

When such an event occurs, a special cell called a neutrophil targets the damaged cells and releases a proinflammatory cytokine ( a natural substance used by the body for immune regulation ). This attracts more neutophil and begins a cycle of communication between neutrophil and macrophage ( a type of cell in your immune system that works to protect against infection and from toxins ). These signals are generated using structures composed of glyconutrients. This cycle would apply to the inflammation of the cells in a vein, the thyroid, intestine, liver, a muscle, the scalp, or any other collection of cells that are given a name.

When we take a drug or an herbal to “stop inflammation,” we are really interrupting the natural process where the body is sending out signals to other helper cells to say “Hey, come deal with this.” We are also interrupting the natural process where the body is sending signals to us saying “take it easy, we have something that needs care.” Certainly inflammation can be a discomfort and an annoyance but the importance of inflammation as part of the immune response cannot be overstated.

After the immune cells have cleared out the source of the inflammation, additional immune cells begin

a clean up process and engulf dead neutrophils and other cellular debris. If the process is successful, the body will return to normal levels of cells and mediators.

Inflammation is affected by diet in that certain nutrients play a role in the normal inflammation process. Various glyconutrients are used to construction glycoforms for signaling in the body and antioxidants bind to free radicals which may either be the source, or by product of, the damage.

In summary, inflammation is a normal cellular process. Your body induced inflammation in response to something else. While the process can lead to discomfort, it should be understood that medications and herbs which mask the inflammation by interfering with it may also be interfering with the underlying immune response.

Work with your doctorto manage your symptoms in the short term but then also factor in diet and lifestyle changes to help support thenatural processes of the body. Every cell in your body hasthe natural ability to restore, protect and defend itself.Don’t just turn them off for good. Studies have shown that concentrations of glyconutrients can have a very beneficial effect on inflammation. While the processes are still being studied, non-toxic glyconutrient supplements have been available to the public for over 10 years.

Dave Saunders is a certified nutritional educator, wellness coach and author. He is also the host of a weekly, nation-wide telephone lecture on health and nutrition. For additional information, please visit http://www.glycoboy.com or email Dave at dave@glycoboy.com

Feb 05 2012

Nutrition Secrets Never Before Revealed

Posted by admin in Nutrition diet

The topic of nutrition is one that is always present in our lives no matter where we turn. It’s on the news, magazine articles, at school, at your doctor’s office, and even is a major topic for many books.

Over the years, there have been many ideas presented how to structure your diet so you ensure a good state of health. The RDA established by the government recommends certain percentages of nutrients that are claimed to be a healthy standard for all people in this country.

Now you have many scientists and researchers stating that the RDA standards are too low and need to be revised to reflect higher percentages of nutrients. There are other scientists and doctors that claim based on your body type, you should only eat certain types of foods while avoiding others.

Many health officials advise the public to limit total fat intake to a low percentage of their total daily calories. There are other groups that claim eating a good portion of fat in the diet is actually healthy. So, who is right and what constitutes eating healthy?

Well, I think that society has made nutrition much too complex. Trying to calculate every single calorie and each percentage of nutrients every day is a little too unrealistic let alone confusing. I believe we need to simplify the aspect of nutrition in our lives.

Before we do that though, we need to grasp the real meaning of what nutrition is. Nutrition is any food item or substance that supplies the body with vital nutrients that enable it to carry out normal physiological functions.

Nutrition does not constitute food items that either deplete the body of nutrients and/or increase the energy expenditure by the body in order to process that food item. Nutrition from food should supply your body with vital compounds necessary for physiological functioning and not strip away nutrients.

Based on many people’s diets today, there are numerous food items and store bought supplements that actually strip nutrients from the body. To eat too many of these foods and/or ingest poor quality supplements will actually leave your body less nourished than before you ate them. This does not make any sense! A good analogy will serve to explain this concept.

Picture if you will your paycheck that you receive from work. Now, let’s say that every time you get your paycheck, you go to the bank and deposit it immediately. As in the normal case when you deposit your check into your bank account, it reflects as an increase in total account value.

Now… picture that every time you deposit your check in the bank, instead of adding value to your account, it actually diminishes your account value. You wouldn’t like that very much would you? However, this is exactly what happens when you eat foods that contain little or no nutritional value.

Food items such as coffee, French fries, corn chips, soda, hot dogs, pretzels, white bread, donuts, milk and many other food items contain little or no nutritional value to them. By consuming these foods, vital nutrients will be taken from the body in order to process them accordingly.

I am not advocating avoiding these foods forever. I am simply stating that people eat way too many of these low nutrient foods in their diet. I would recommend adding plenty of raw vegetables when eating low nutrient foods to compensate for the lack of nutrition in these foods.

For example, let’s take an average portion of chicken breast. If you ate simply this portion of meat, it would require enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and other bionutrients for the body to process it accordingly. In essence, as in this case, the body will have lost vital nutrients in the process of digesting this meat. Most people would view that by eating a piece of meat that this would serve as nutrition for the body.

In reality, this meat added no nutrients to supply the body with its needs and it only really contributed protein. Yes, protein is important to receive in your diet and chicken is a very good source of protein. However, it is that many people don’t eat enough fruits and raw vegetables to compensate for the lack of nutrition in their diets.

A typical dinner of chicken, baked potato, and a small serving of peas is still lacking a large percentage of nutrients. How? A baked potato really does not contain very much as far as nutrients. Yes, it has carbohydrates but it has no real adequate nutrients as in vitamins and minerals. Peas, if bought frozen and heated will have lost almost all vitamins and will contribute only some minerals, some fiber, and some protein.

This meal just does not contain enough raw enzymes, vitamins, and minerals in order to nourish your cells adequately let alone to process the food itself. Thus, even though you may have eaten a large meal as in this case, you still have not contributed many nutrients to your body to allow for normal physiological functioning.

When the body does not receive enough nutrients with every meal, it will draw these vital compounds from its reserve. The body normally uses vitamin and mineral reserves in times of emergency such as when a person has a cold, flu, or some other illness.

Think of the reserves like a savings account in which you use only for times of real need or urgent emergencies. You only want these reserves being tapped into at these times of real need. You do not want your reserves being used on a regular basis just to aid in processing the food you eat.

If your reserves keep getting used in non- emergency situations, as is the case when one eats a low nutritious diet, then eventually they become depleted. Once this happens, one is setting themselves up to become deficient in many nutrients, become susceptible to low immunity, and experience poor physiological functioning of the major organ systems.

At the point the reserves get used up, the body will eventually start taking whatever nutrient it needs from other sources. For example, if one has lost extensive calcium reserves, then the body will take it from the bones and teeth.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body and is very important in serving to buffer the acid produced by eating acidic foods and foods that contain very little or no nutrient content. So, if someone is not receiving proper amounts of calcium in their diets, then the body will eventually take what it needs from your bones and the teeth.

This is a condition no one wants to be in. Taking a calcium supplement would not restore this condition. In fact, taking store bought calcium supplements could actually aggravate this condition. Cells CANNOT absorb store bought supplements since they are synthetic and are not recognizable to your body.

In taking a store bought calcium supplement in this case, you will aggravate this calcium deficiency because your body now needs to process this unrecognizable compound and will use up vital nutrients in doing so.

Does it not make sense to eat foods that already contain the needed nutrients for proper digestion and that feed your cells with the vital compounds they require for normal physiological functioning of your body? Food items such as pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, potato chips, cheesesteaks, meatball sandwiches, pop tarts, processed cereals, white breads, and many canned/packaged foods contain very little or no real nutrients that are essential to the cells of your body.

In modern times, convenience has taken priority over actual nutrient content of foods. People tend to go for the food items that take very little time to prepare. In this choice for convenience though, many people will not receive proper amounts of nutrients that are essential for optimum health.

One can never get true nutrition from canned or pre-made foods. True nutrition only comes from whole foods that are close to nature as possible. Whole grains, fruits, legumes, vegetables, nuts, roots, seeds, eggs, and pure oils are the best way to receive the vital nutrients that the cells require for optimum health.

When preparing a meal, one should always seek to make these whole foods the main portion. You don’t need to deprive yourself of your favorite food items. One just needs to structure their diets in a fashion where they are receiving a fair amount of raw nutrients on a regular basis. Eating only a couple pieces of fruit and a couple vegetables a day simply will not supply your cells with all the nutrients the

body needs for normal functioning.

The Best Diet

Many people wonder if there is a special diet that benefits everyone. There are many books and programs that claim their diet regimen is healthy for everyone. I say that you are the only one who knows what the best diet is for you. Every person has his or her own unique blood makeup and genetic structure.

A diet that serves one person may not serve another. Your unique blood makeup will determine what suits you best. Some people do well eating meat while others do poorly when they eat meat. Some people do best on grains and vegetables while others do best with eating cheeses and other high fat & high protein foods.

You are your own master and only you know how you feel after eating certain foods. My recommendation is to experiment and observe the kinds of foods you eat and determine how you feel. For example, when you eat meat, how do you feel in the hours afterward? Do you feel energetic, alive and balanced? Or, do you feel tired and have indigestion? Again, you are the master of your body.

Allow your body and cells to tell you what the best diet is for you. I do recommend the following daily regimen for everyone. Conform the following recommendations to your body type. For example, if you know that you require meat in your diet, then just add meat to these recommendations. If you are a grain or cheese type then add these to my recommendations.

Suggested Daily Regimen for Optimum Health

Eat 4 to 5 fruits a day. I know that this sounds like a lot. You can easily consume this many fruits by incorporating smoothies into your diet. For example, take 2 bananas and a mango with a little distilled water and then blend into a smoothie. You can combine many fruits to make great tasting smoothies.

Another example, take a papaya and strawberries with some water and blend. A great idea is to freeze bananas and then use these in all your fruit smoothies since bananas make a great binding ingredient. Freezing them adds that refreshing smoothie texture. Make a commitment to yourself that you will eat 4 to 5 fruits a day. They taste great and it is healthy for you.

Eat as many raw vegetables as you can every day. Eat a variety of veggies, especially ones that are dark green since they contain chlorophyll, a compound that is very beneficial for your health. Also, vegetables contain fiber that is very important for proper bowel health and elimination. Make large raw vegetable salads for lunch and dinner and make the portions to be more than 50% of my whole meal. For example, make a large salad of red romaine lettuce, onions, avocado and red peppers. How about a salad of cucumber, fennel, olives, tomato, and carrots?

There are many combinations that you can come up with. Just be creative! Again, you can add shredded meat to these salads if you are one who does well with meat, or add walnuts if you do well with nuts or add goat cheese or hard-boiled eggs. Add whatever that serves you well. Only you know what serves you well. I can’t tell you that nor can anyone else. Listen to your body because it is always communicating with you. Learn to hear its message!

Use healthy oils every day: Drizzle extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil or pumpkin oil on all your raw salads. These oils are very beneficial to your health. Use them daily since the fats in these oils are very healthy. If you are concerned about gaining weight from ingesting these oils I have news for you. You will not gain weight from every food item that has fat in it.

As you will discover in the chapter on weight management, it is not a healthy practice to limit all fat consumption. In fact, limiting your overall fat consumption can actually program your cells to store more fat on your body and may increase your chances of weight gain.

The issue with fat is the type of fats that people ingest that are not suitable for long term health. Almost all prepared foods such as canned and pre-packaged food items contain what are called hydrogenated oils that are chemically altered and are very dangerous to your long term health.

These oils can cause all sorts of health ailments and shorten your life span. Almost all restaurants and food manufacturing companies use these hydrogenated oils in their foods for the preparation process. If you ever see an ingredient listed as HYDROGENATED, then you know that it is not healthy.

Juicing: This is a great way to receive raw nutrition without digestion. You can juice any combo of raw vegetables. Pick veggies that are super green like spinach, kale, and parsley. Juice at least 3 to 4 times a week and notice how much better you feel.

Use seaweed: varieties like dulse, kombu and hijiki in your salads and meals. These sea plants are packed with vital nutrients and are great keeping you body clean.

Make homemade soups and stews with fresh vegetables. You can add anything you like. How about adding egg to make egg-drop soup or how about chicken broth soup. Be creative. Make a large pot and then store the rest in a big corningware container. Eat some every day for a main meal or a snack. You can dip whole grain rye crackers in it for an extra crunch.

Make your own homemade ice cream: Freeze bananas and then put them into your food processor and pulse. You now have instant banana sorbet. You can also freeze strawberries, pineapple, mango, peaches and watermelon. Use any combo of these fruits. Just pulse them in your food processor and you have instant sorbet. You can add fresh mint, ginger and other spices to make it an extra special treat.

To make you own ice cream just pulse some frozen bananas or any fruit you like. Add this mixture to organic milk or goat milk and then add some vanilla extract. You can add some stevia to make it sweeter and some lecithin (found in health food store) to make it creamier, Then just put this into the freezer for a couple hours. Voila…you now have an awesome natural treat. Experiment with this and other combinations.

Words of Wisdom

You are the only one that is responsible for your body and health. No one else will make sure that your cells are receiving proper amounts of nutrients. Some people will pay extra money to put the highest-octane gas in their cars to ensure they run well.

However, when it comes to putting the highest quality food into their bodies, the same attention is not there. Just because your belly is full and you are no longer hungry, does not mean that you have really nourished your body!

Your body is your main vehicle. You need to take care of it and love it just as you would a child. You have 70 to 100 Trillion cells in your body and each one has its own intelligence. In essence, you are carrying 70 to 100 Trillion little babies with you at every moment. Only you are responsible for them and only you can nurture and feed your cells appropriately. Your body responds to you the way you treat it. If you want optimum health, then you need to nurture your body and cells.

Eating healthy does not have to be lacking in taste. If you take care of your body then it will thank you in return by giving you optimum health and a great feeling. Isn’t your health worth it? Make the commitment today to start nurturing your body and fueling it with Mother Earth’s pure and whole foods!

IF YOU DON’T TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY, THEN WHOM DO YOU THINK WILL?

Rino Soriano is a Holistic Wellness Consultant & Health Coach. He specializes in empowering people to create optimum health for their entire lives. Rino had chronic fatigue syndrome for over 4 years and through self empowerment and holistic modalities he healed himself.

Rino’s expertise in knowing how to create and maintain optimum health is truly revolutionary.

Rino now also offers online seminars for chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers that coaches them to restore their health.

His book How To Create & Maintain Optimum Health For Life is receiving high praise. http://www.healthsecretsneverbeforerevealed.com

Educating & Empowering People For Optimum Health

Rino Soriano -”The Chronic Fatigue Buster”http://www.holistichealthexpert.com

Feb 04 2012

Beans – The Perfect Food?

Posted by admin in Nutrition diet

Beans. Legumes. Pulses. Whatever you call this plant group, they are all edible seeds in a pod. The majority of them are packed with complete plant protein and contain almost no fat. They are also a good source of healthy complex carbs.

Beans helped me turn the corner with my illness, the worst part of which was actually when I was on the mend – though it certainly didn’t feel like I was mending at the time.

I was following Robert Young’s program. Since I had an urgent need, I skipped the Transition period and went straight to Step 2 – the Cleanse – which should only last a week and should be supervised. In my wisdom (ahem), I decided this wasn’t really necessary and got on with it on my own, but when the end of the week came I was having such a strong ‘healing crisis’ that I was unable to move on to the next part of the program. I was eating a quarter of a tomato a day and stuggling to keep that down. The smell of cucumber turned my stomach. I was eating nothing when I should have been eating dark green veg, sprouts, seeds, grains, nuts and EFAs. But it all made me feel sick – I was desperately weak. I pulled out all my health related books looking for an answer and then I read the following paragraph from Gillian McKeith’s You Are What You Eat:

“If you don’t eat enough good carbohydrates, you will feel ill. All my patients who stopped eating carbohydrates became weak, constipated, gaunt, irritable and depressed. It’s like playing Russian Roulette with your body. I agree that it’s a good idea to cut out the bad refined carbohydrates such as cakes, cookies, biscuits and sweets. But the message here needs to be very clear: complex carbohydrates, such as beans, are essential for good health! Eat them regularly.”

Other than constipation, I had all the other symptoms. I had lost over a stone in 2 weeks. I knew I had to eat. I could only stand for a couple of minutes at a time, but that was long enough to put a pan of brown rice on the hob, with some cream of coconut, some herbs and a can of kidney beans. Within 30 mins of eating a portion of Jamaican ‘Rice n Peas’, the nausea had gone, the headache was lifting and I felt nourished and in an altogether better mood. That batch lasted me a couple of days and gave me the strength I needed to start fixing myself more balanced meals.

I continue to eat beans on

a regular basis and I promise you that if the rest of your diet is healthy, bottom burps are not an issue!!

Beans can lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and are great for weight loss. I am eating more now than ever before and yet the excess weight is still coming off – but in a much more gradual and therefore safe and healthy way. Aduki beans are reportedly the best of weight loss. The Japanese use them to treat kidney and bladder infections. They contain very high levels of fibre, vitamin B Complex, iron, manganese and zinc. Their diuretic properties relieve the body of excess fluids and rid it of undesirable toxins and mucus. They burn fat and help balance metabolism.

And so to Haricot beans. There’s a lot of talk around at the moment about the Glycemic Index or GI of foods. The GI is a measurement of the quality of carbohydrate in a particular food. It represents how quickly 50g of a given carb will raise blood glucose levels as it’s digested. The slower the better basically and the carbs in Haricot Beans have a GI of 38, rated low. So besides being great for metabolism and regulation of your blood sugar levels, they also support kidney-adrenal function, provide an excellent source of protein and fibre and contain those vital B vitamins – great for your nervous system and more help with weight management.

Haricot beans are the beans you find in a can of Heinz Baked Beans. You’ll also find a load of sugar, salt and modified cornflour. But there is no reason why you should stop eating Beans on Toast and once you’ve tried my recipe, there’ll be no going back, I’m sure. You’ll find the recipe on my blog at http://claireraikes.blogs.com/claires_blog/2005/07/healthy_beans_o.html

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Claire Raikes is a Wellbeing Coach, Speaker and Writer who ‘cured’ herself of a chronic, disabling and potentially life-threatening bowel condition without the use of steroids, surgery or any other traditional medical intervention. She now shares her passion for natural and vibrant health through coaching, speaking and writing about the importance and power of a truly healthy diet.

She publishes a free weekly eZine, In Essence and is compiling an eBook of Healthy Fast Food with 25% of the proceeds going to The Cancer Project, a charity set up by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and nutritionists to educate the public on the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival. If you have a recipe you would like to submit, visit http://www.LiveInEssence.com for further details. To book Claire to speak at your event, email her at Claire@LiveInEssence.com.

Feb 03 2012

Glorious Summer Greens

Posted by admin in Nutrition diet

Summer brings a lot of fantastic things with it, but one of the healthiest for those of us in the colder climates is more fresh food. The growing season has started and is shifting into full gear. Keep your eyes open for these foods to help your summer be absolutely luscious.

Glorious Greens

Most of my clients who have worked with me individually have experienced learning how to use greens for the benefit of their individual body. Green vegetables are the food most missing in modern diets. Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium (120 -190 mg per cup!) They’re also high in magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and they are a power house for Vitamin A, C, E and K. Believe it or not, they are also crammed high with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micro-nutrients and phyto-chemicals – you just can’t get any better than this. For summer, however, here are two to really take advantage of:

1) Lovage – according to K’Eogh, an 18th century Irish herbalist, this strong scented herb, “expels flatulence; clears the sight; removes spots, freckles and redness; provokes urination and menstruation; and aids digestion … and is aptly used in love potions”. Sounds like the makings for fabulous salad fixins’ to me!

This green also happens to be tasty, too, and is similar to celery in its appearance. Not only is

it yummy raw, but it retains its flavor in slow cooking soups and stews.

2) Watercress – a known immune booster. This powerful green is valuable for treating colds and coughs, but in general also helps maintain vigorous workings of both the thyroid and endocrine glands. This makes it perfect for an extra summer-time energy boost, not to mention that it has a dramatic, spicy bite!

When buying: look for fresh leaflets of an evenly spread, darkish color. Don’t buy or eat any yellowish leaves that you discover.

When storing: place the stems in cold water and refrigerate. Use within 1 day as this leaf is grown in cold spring water and doesn’t keep well when it’s dry.

To your health and success, Heather

Heather Dominick is a Nutrition-Energy Consultant accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and creator of The Energy Rich Lifestyle Program™. In addition to her nutrition services, she is a motivating and dynamic speaker.

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine? You absolutely can! But here’s what you MUST include: Heather Dominick, Certified Holistic Nutrition Counselor, is founder of the EnergyRich Lifestyle Program™, the proven step-by-step program to help you achieve your best health and fullest life. To sign up for her freebie how-to articles and no-charge teleclasses on creating your best health and life, visit http://www.individual-health.net