The Power of a Hug

We are all born with a hunger for the touch of another human.

 

Of course you know babies have a need for touch. Nurtured in the womb, and held close to feel mother’s beating heart, babies are soothed and nourished by hugs and human touch.

 

Children, too have a physical need for hugging and closeness. A hug or a touch stops bad dreams, helps heal injuries, frightens away the ‘boogieman’, and helps to instill a sense of calm and self worth.

 

Studies show that orphans who are not hugged or touched on a regular basis, actually grow less, have weaker immune systems, get sick more often and have more physical and emotional health problems than children brought up in a home with affectionate parents.

 

These children actually suffer from something called ‘failure to thrive’ when they are lacking the human touch. They have malnutrirtion, lose weight and even die. All from a lack of being touched and held.

 

Hugs can calm a stressful day, relieve tension and turn a bad day into a good day.

 

But physical closeness—touching, hugging, is just as important a need as we get older, but it is often neglected or overlooked.

 

Nothing compares to the loving hugs of a mother or a bear hug from your dad. An embrace from your loved one or spouse can instantly calm a stressful day and relieve tension. And for those who are sad, or mourning a difficult loss, a heartfelt hug does so much more than any well-chosen words.

 

Our skin is the largest organ on our body. Our skin not only protects our insides, but it contains our very important sense of touch. While we know that our sense of touch can protect us from injury, our sense of touch also has the real need to feel closeness from others.

 

 

We are all programmed by nature to want to touch and receive touch from others.


 

Did you know that without physical closeness, relationships will

not progress? Not just between lovers, but also between parent and child.

 

 

Many emotional problems stem from a lack of closeness and bonding between parent and child. Did you know that most failing marriages are lacking in touch and physical closeness? Think of what the power of touch could do…

 

For many who live alone, days and weeks may go by without a touch or the feel of a human, or being physically close to anyone. The elderly, the disabled, and the very ill are at greatest risk of touch deprivation.

 

Touch can do so much:

 

·      It helps loved ones feel more lovable

·      It can forgive or soothe tension

·      Reduces pain

·      Relieves loneliness, frustration, anxiety and depression

·      Overcomes fear

·      Gives one a sense of connection and belonging

·      Transfers energy

·      Strengthens the immune system

·      Lowers the blood pressure and the heart rate


 

We all tend to live in our own little personal technological bubbles now…we text, we email, we talk on our cell phones, we visit on Facebook, we Twitter, but our face-to-face contact is limited, and physical contact, even more so.


It seems that we retreat into our personal space more and more, even though our physical world has become more crowded.

 

For a person to survive, it has been said that we need at least 4 hugs a day, and 12 hugs to feel good and improve our emotional state.

 

While we feed our bodies and eat healthy foods, we need to also feed our spirits and care for our emotional health.

 

Lift your head up and look around. Reach out your hand to shake someone else’s hand, touch someone on the arm when you speak to them, or better yet, give your friends and loved ones a heartfelt hug next time you see them.

 

Till next time,

Stay healthy, lean and happy!

 


Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

       Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

 

 


How to Find Happiness

Did you know that YOU have the power to make yourself happier?  


I know, everyone wishes for things like lots of money and a mate that looks like Brad Pitt, or Megan Fox.

But do these things bring about happiness? And even if we did have those things, would we be happy?

For some of us, happiness may be more harder to find.

When we are stuck in the middle of dreary weather (or blazing hot weather), a bad economy, no job, little money, and rising prices, it can all be very overwhelming. 

Although happiness is the one emotion we all seek, it also is one of the least understood.  

While scientists, doctors and researchers have studied in depth the negative emotions of anger, anxiety, fear, and depression–and how to get rid of these emotions–they have spent little time studying happiness, and how to increase this positive emotion. 

It's been found that over half of a person's tendency for happiness, hopefulness, and positive emotion is based on nature or purely genetic makeup. But that leaves the other half–which has to do with experiences, emotions, upbringing and one's own ability to MAKE oneself happy.

Just making a habit of looking for the good side in people, events or circumstances can actually make one more optimistic.

Happiness is a learned behavior.

Many people, including myself are able to maintain optimism and confidence–in spite of everything.

This ability to survive and even thrive in the face of stress and adversity is the process of 'coping'. Seemingly negative events can be turned into a positive as we become even more resiliant and resourceful. 

Happiness, is a biological need born out of necessity. It is something our brains crave, seek out and create. 

Did you know that happiness is contagious?
Yes, it is true. The more happy people you know, the more likely you are yourself to be happy. The key here is to surround yourself with happy people and to stay in contact with friends, spouses, loved ones, neighbors and other acquaintances. The more social connections you have, the happier you will be.
 
Happy people not only have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is at least partially responsible for illness and disease, but they have higher levels of immune function.

So you see, happiness has an effect not only on your mental health, but your physical health as well.

Happiness has important positive effects on pain reduction, lower blood pressure, improved cardiac function and reduced mortality.

We can train ourselves to be happy, by practicing certain ways of thinking and behaving;  expressing gratitude, following life goals, being true to ourselves, practicing optimism, investing in healthy relationships, and paying attention to those little things that make us smile. Surround yourself with happy people, and stay in touch with your loved ones.

Don't forget to hug, touch and laugh often! A human touch can lift spirits, relax tension and create a positive outlook like nothing else can.

And one last thing– don't forget to smile.

Smiling, even if you are not happy, will actually make you FEEL happier.


To Your Happiness!  🙂


For more tips on mood and the effects of diet, go to www.simplesmartnutrition.com
 


Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

       Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.     Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

Sources:

Reuters; Maggie Fox,"Happiness is Contagious",  Health and Science Editor, December 5, 2008.

Amy Ellis Nutt, "How to be Happier-Research Shows We have the Power to Change", New Jersey Star-Ledger , October 09, 2008,

What Athletes Need to Know About Heat and Humidity

 

It’s really hot outside! 

And for us, here in the Midwest, those high temperatures come with lots of humidity too.

Humidity is not your friend.

For those of us who continue to exercise and exert ourselves through the heat wave, keeping a few important things in mind will go a long way to preventing dehydration and heat injury.

Ideally, on hot day, our body and our muscles generate heat and it sends the heated blood to the surface of the skin to cool off. 

We sweat, the sweat evaporates, the skin temperature goes down, the cooled blood circulates, and it cools you off.

Body heat is raised by the temperature outside, humidity, and the intensity of exercise—the more intense the exercise, the more heat.

The problem is humidity.

You actually sweat more when it is humid, and the sweat does very little to cool you.

Excessive sweating drains you body of important electrolytes and fluids and dehydration occurs.

When this happens, athletic performance drops drastically (it’s your body’s way of trying to protect itself), and heat injury becomes a very real possibility.

Deaths have actually occurred from dehydration and overheating when the outside temperature was less than 75 degrees F (24 degrees C), because the humidity was above 95%.

Remember too, dehydration is cumulative. So if you go out and have a hard workout one day, come home, and don’t get enough fluids and electrolytes, the next time you will dehydrate even more quickly and it will be much worse.

Heat-related illnesses — heat exhaustion or heat stroke — are dangerous and can be deadly. And the young and elderly have an even harder time adapting to heat.

There are three stages to heat illness; heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Heat cramps come from muscle spasms in the arms, legs, or abdomen. These are usually the first sign, and come from a combination of dehydration, and a loss of salt and electrolytes.

Heat exhaustion includes weakness, headache, dizziness, foggy mental state, low blood pressure, elevated heart rate, and increase in body temperature as high as 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

Heatstroke becomes a life-threatening condition and its symptoms are severe dehydration, a high body temperature, and a shutdown of the cooling mechanisms.

The athlete or individual may become delirious or comatose, and many victims actually stop sweating when the body is depleted of fluids. Body temperature can go up to 105°F (40.6°C), and as high as 110°F (43°C).

At these high temperatures, damage to the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and other sensitive organs may occur. Sometimes despite the best medical care, at this point death is the end result.

How do you know when it’s hot and humid enough to take notice?

I use the ‘Rule of 140’. When the sum of the current temperature plus the humidity is over 140, take precautions.

How can we help to prevent heat and dehydration issues?

Adapt to the Heat—The human body acclimates to heat so that it can more easily adapt to higher temperatures and humidity. This adaptation takes about 10 days of exercise or activity in the heat and humidity–and only if you are well hydrated.

Obviously, you want be sure to dress lightly. And use clothing that allows for air circulation and helps sweat evaporate.

Many medications will actually speed up dehydration and interfere with sweating.

Antihistamines are meant to dry you out and will speed up the dehydration process drastically. So beware of cold/sinus medications when it is hot outside!

Blood pressure medications decrease sweating as well. And, so does alcohol and caffeine, because they act as diuretics.

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids — before, during and after!

Hydrate before any athletic event or any activity where you know you will be spending long hours in the heat and humidity.

How do you know if you are drinking enough? A good sign of adequate hydration is the output of large volumes of clear, pale yellow, dilute urine.

Many people underestimate the amount of fluid lost during activity outside. A good way to check this is to weigh yourself before and after exercise.

It’s difficult to remain hydrated in heat because you can lose twice as much sweat as you can ingest in fluids during an activity. 

The most fluid the body can absorb during exercise is about 800ml per hour (27 fluid ounces/hr).

However, the rate of fluid lost through sweating can be as high as 1.5 – 2 liters (or 1500 to 2000ml) per hour (50 – 68 fluid ounces per hour).

Ok, how to replace those fluids? A sweet sports drink? NO.

Generally, though, for less intense activity that lasts under an hour, water is best.

For longer, more intense activity, you will need to replace some electrolytes (primarily sodium and potassium) and carbohydrates. But sports drinks like Gatorade usually contain too much sugar, citric acid (which can actually eat into your tooth enamel) and other junk in them.

My favorite electrolyte replacement drink is pure, unsweetened coconut water.

It’s the perfect balance of electrolytes that you need.

One of my other favorites is just OJ and water. On particularly hot days, I may add a teaspoon of sea salt to it. So…it gives you some good carbs, potassium and salt. Perfect. Easy.

Carbohydrate content in the range of 4 – 8% is best for endurance races. Levels above 10% are poorly absorbed and can cause diarrhea.

Sweat contains between 2.25 to 3.4 grams of sodium chloride per liter. A sweat rate of 1 liter per hour would thus cause a salt loss of 27- 40 grams over a 12-hour period.

Activity and exertion during high heat and humidity means you MUST replace the lost sodium as well.

Most athletes need to replace an average of 1 gram of salt an hour for any activity lasting more than 2 or so hours. It is also advisable to increase salt intake for several days before a long race or any activity outside in the hot sun and/or humidity.

Here’s something else—carb loading during hot weather is actually a good idea.

You know how carbs increase the body’s water content? Well, during really hot weather this is very important, so you start out with more fluids in your body.

This is ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT for those athletes who follow a Paleo style or low carb diet. Eat more carbs during hot weather to keep you from dehydrating as quickly.

Realize this: everyone is NOT alike. Even for fit, well-trained athletes, there is a large variation on how each of us reacts to heat, humidity, sweating and dehydration.

Individuals vary on sweat rate, what we eat and drink prior to exercising outside, our rate of fluid intake, our rate of absorption, percentage body fat, and many other variables.

Prepare well, be ready, drink plenty of healthy fluids and be sure to acclimate and you too can have fun in the sun, even if it is hot outside!


Till next time, stay healthy, lean and COOL!


 


Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

 
                   Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.
            Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

Diet is the Most Powerful Tool Against Cancer

 

The word "Cancer" is one of the scariest words in our language, and while it may seem like that word often carries a death sentence with it, many people have overcome some of the deadliest cancers by making drastic diet and lifestyle changes.

How you live and what you choose to put in your body has a direct effect on whether you get cancer and whether you can survive cancer.

Cancer will affect, on average, one out of three us in our lifetime. Keeping this information in mind can be a powerful tool to manage one of the world's deadliest diseases.

There are many factors that figure into the causes of different types of cancer, and there are many unknowns as well.

But we do know one thing: what a person eats, or doesn't eat, can dramatically change the outcome and course of this grim disease.

Kate Flaherty is our guest blogger today who has written an article on the power of diet and cancer.

 

We may not always hear about them, but there are countless stories of end-stage cancer survivors who recovered from cancer by changing their diet. In fact a book called "The Cure is in the Kitchen" details the day-to-day diet and recovery of cancer patients.

Cancer studies show that most cancers are related to dietary deficiencies, so it is safe to assume that a positive change in a cancer patient's diet can help dramatically in the recovery process. In fact, many patients claim that changing their nutritional habits have played an enormous role in their recovery.

Dr Dean Ornish is just one of the doctors that has studied the cancer and diet relationship. He looked in particular, at the macrobiotic diet theory and published his reports in the British medical journal "Lancet" in 1990. His research showed that dietary changes had a very positive effect on the cancer patient's PET scans when high-tech surgery and drugs could not.

Many of the chemicals in commercially grown foods can be tied directly to many different cancers.

Chemicals in the food supply can not only block nutrients in the body, but actually contain substances that can disrupt hormones in the body, as well as contribute to the growth of tumors.

Pesticides and preservatives not only block nutrients essential for maintaining a strong immune system, but processed food contain far less of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.

While a diet higher in fruits and vegetables is a great start to helping fight and heal from cancer, it is extremely important to avoid the deadly chemicals in conventionally grown foods.

Fruits such as grapes, peaches, strawberries, apples, and cherries typically have the highest amount of pesticides found on them when they are not organically grown. Vegetables including spinach, bell peppers, and potatoes generally have high pesticide residue as well.

Though more expensive, it is important to know that all organically grown fruits and vegetables are safer, especially for cancer patients.

Avoiding processed foods is especially important. Not only are processed foods missing necessary vitamins and minerals, they also have added preservatives, sugars, and chemicals. One of the worst of these is processed meats and lunchmeat. Nitrates and nitrites added to meats are known carcinogens and should be avoided at all costs.

In addition, conventionally raised meat not only is raised on a diet of pesticide-laden grain, but these animals are given antibiotics and growth hormones as well. Growth hormones have been shown to directly affect the growth of certain cancerous tumors, so avoiding conventionally raised meat is very important.

Eating naturally raised organic and grass fed meats whenever possible is obviously the safest and healthiest choice.

Cancer patients are often missing a variety of vitamins and minerals and this alone could be a key factor in recovery. Adding plenty of organic fruits, vegetables and naturally raised meat in one's diet will go a long way towards replacing those missing nutrients.

Avoid processed foods. And avoid sugar at all costs–high blood glucose feeds many types of cancers.

Multiple studies have proven that cancer does not have to be a death sentence and making necessary in diet and lifestyle can have a huge impact on whether a cancer patient survives or not.

Making these important lifestyle changes will determine whether you get cancer and survive or succumb to it:

– avoid smoking and second hand smoke

– drink alcohol in moderation; 1-2 drinks per day or less

– eat large amounts of organic vegetables and fruit

– avoid all processed, fried, junk, or refined carbohydrate/grain foods

– absolutely avoid all sodas and sweetened drinks, and avoid fruit juice as well

– avoid processed meats

– avoid trans fats, corn oil, soy oil, or canola oil

– eat only organic, grass-fed, free-range meat, fish and eggs

– eat “smart” fats (wild fatty fish, fish oil pills, avocados, nuts, olive oil, butter

– exercise

– get daily sunlight exposure

– get plenty of antioxidants from your diet and supplements

– manage stress to regulate hormones appropriately

For more information on diet and cancer see my article "Sugar Kills".

 

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN,is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

                 
Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.
           Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

Saturated Fat is REALLY Not as Bad as You’ve Been Told

We’ve had it drilled into our heads that saturated fat will cause heart disease and kill us. Well the truth is, that we’ve been mislead.

Another new study shows saturated fats in the diet are NOT linked to cardiovascular disease. Well why hasn’t this made it to to front page new yet?

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition all the way back in February 2010, reports saturated fat in the diet is NOT associated with an increase in coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease.

This was no small study either. Data came from 350,000 subjects in twenty-one different studies, and no link at all was established between the subject’s saturated fat intake and the incidence of CHD, stroke, or Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).

This is pretty big news.

“Our meta-analysis showed that there is insufficient evidence from prospective epidemiologic studies to conclude that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD, stroke, or CVD,” wrote the researchers, led by Dr Ronald Krauss from the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California.

The old “lipid hypothesis”  or the high cholesterol leads to heart disease theory just does not hold up under scrutiny. But for some reason, this lipid hypothesis persists. We have very effectively been brainwashed.

While vegetable oils and have been pushed as the “healthy choice” over saturated fats for the last forty years, heart disease has gone way up, and heart disease is the number one cause of death U.S. Excessive consumption of grains, carbs and sugars have made this go up even higher still.

While the rates of heart disease have gone up with the use of vegetable oils, the useage of saturated fats have decreased.

Clearly something is a big out of whack here.

Processed vegetable oils like canola, corn, soybean, and sunflower fuel inflammation in the body with all their omega 6 fatty acids.

Carbohydrates and sugars from food we eat are converted into a type of fat called triglycerides. Elevated triglycerides in the blood are usually linked to a higher than average potential for heart disease, but triglycerides do not come directly from dietary fats. Triglycerides are made in the liver from sugars that have not been burned for energy. Excess sugars in the body are from starchy carbohydrates, particularly refined sugar and white flour. It appears that triglycerides and vegetable oils and excessive Omega 6 fatty acids are causing much of the problem.

Saturated fats play an important role in the body in several ways:

• Saturated fatty acids make up at least 50% of the cell membranes. They give cell walls their necessary stiffness and integrity.

• Saturated fats are extremely important for bone health. For calcium to be effectively utilized in our bones at least 50% of dietary fats should be saturated–so skim milk will not help your bones.

• Saturated fats are vital to the liver and help protect it from toxins such as alcohol and other drugs.

• Saturated fats strengthen the immune system.

• They are needed for the proper utilization of other essential fatty acids – Omega 3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues and utilized by the body when the diet is rich in saturated fats as well.

• The fat around the heart muscle is actually highly saturated. The heart draws on this reserve of fat in times of physical stress.

• Saturated fats lower a substance in the blood called Lp(a), or Lipoprotein(a), that indicates a tendency towards heart disease.

• Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract.

The scientific evidence is beginning to pile up and does not (and never did) support the assertion that saturated fats clog arteries and cause heart disease.

So while saturated fats have not yet been exonerated in the mainstream public, the tide is beginning to turn. You as an educated consumer, and your own health advocate know the truth about saturated fats vs. the evils of vegetable oils and refined foods. Enjoy your grass fed steaks, butter, cheese and lard and know you are doing your body good.

References:

Mary G. Enig, PhD, and Sally Fallon, “The Skinny on Fats”, Weston A. Price Foundation, Jan, 1999.

Stephen Daniells, “Saturated Fats Not Linked to Heart Disease: Meta Analysis”, Food Navigator.com, February 2010.

P.W. Siri-Tarino, Q. Sun, F.B. Hu, R.M. Krauss, “Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease”, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2010.

 

Are You Confused About Cooking Oils?

 

 

Cooking Oils seem to be an ever changing debate.

We had it drilled into our heads that we should all avoid lard, butter and saturated fats.

But are vegetable oils any better?

New research says that vegetable oils may actually be contributing to the diseases they were meant to prevent.

And what about cooking with oil? What oils are ok to heat and what oils should NEVER be heated?

Many of the so-called 'healthy' oils are really bad for our health, and many of those oils and fats we were told to avoid may actually be good for us.

My good friend and fitness and nutrition expert, Mike Geary has an excellent article on oils that I wanted to share with you. In it, he clears up some of the confusion on which oils are good for us and which ones are bad for us.

You may be in for a surprise!

Check it out here:

Sugar Kills

Evidence is piling up against sugar and its role in the skyrocketing rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes,  and cancer.

But somehow we still get the message that sugar is okay, if we eat it in moderation.

How much is too much? What’s the harm in sugar?

Gary Taubes, author of “Why We Get Fat,” recently wrote an eye-opening article on sugar in the NY times. In it, he discusses the subject of sugar and its role in disease. If you would like to read the full article, click here.

A few brave medical professionals and research scientists have actually had the courage to speak out on the damage sugar can cause. Sugar, it seems, is actually a much bigger factor than cholesterol and saturated fat in heart disease.

Although sugar is considered an unhealthy indulgence, the medical and scientific community are beginning to find that sugar has a very real and definite role in heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Could it be that sugar is THAT bad?

In my own 25 years of research on diet, nutrition, and disease, I have to say that I too, have come to that same conclusion.

During my recent studies in disease physiology at a major medical institution, for my BSN, it was presented in class that sugar and glucose (as it becomes in our bodies) is highly damaging to the heart, blood vessels and the circulatory system. This is why diabetics experience a higher rate of heart disease, glaucoma, and blood vessel damage.

Blood sugar spikes also stimulate insulin, which causes the body to turn glucose into fat which is then stored in our livers, circulating in our blood or our fat cells. Ok. I got it.

What seemed strange to me is why something as fundamental as that never really made it to mainstream media. If high blood sugar is so damaging to diabetics, then why was there never a connection made to blood sugar and heart disease in the general public?

There seems to be a huge disconnect here. I just don’t get it.

It is startlingly clear to me that sugar is damaging to individuals other than diabetics.

Can sugar actually be deadly?

Let’s define what we are talking about when we say ‘sugar’. We usually think of sugar as the white stuff that sits in the cute little bowls on our tables, or in those little packets at restaurants. Table sugar usually comes from sugar cane or sometimes, beet sugar.

Sugar is also the ‘high fructose corn syrup’ you see on virtually every label of processed or packaged foods, or in most soft drinks. There are many other forms of sugar but for now, let’s concentrate on the two most often consumed sugars, sucrose and fructose.

Regular white table sugar (or brown sugar for that matter) is called 'sucrose'. Sucrose is composed of one molecule of glucose bonded to a molecule of fructose. So, sucrose is 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Fructose is 2x sweeter than glucose. Since table sugar is half fructose, it is lots sweeter than starchy carbs like potatoes or bread that also turn into glucose in the body.

So the more fructose in a sugar, the sweeter it is. High fructose corn syrup is 55% fructose and 45% glucose. That makes it even sweeter than table sugar.

So white sugar and high fructose corn syrup are both a combination of glucose and fructose in our guts and our bodies react pretty much the same way to both.

So really, the question is not whether high fructose corn syrup is worse for our bodies than sugar, it’s how our bodies react to either type of sugar.

The harmful effects of sugar have more to do with the way your body metabolizes the fructose portion of the sugar. While many dietitians and physicians say, “calories are calories”, it’s how your body reacts to calories that really matters.

For instance, if we eat 100 calories of glucose (from a starchy food like pasta or potatoes) or 100 calories of sugar (remember basically 50/50% of glucose and fructose), they are metabolized differently and have a different effect on the body.

This is key: fructose is metabolized by our livers. The glucose from sugar and starches is metabolized by our cells.

Consuming cane sugar or HFCS causes your liver to work harder than if you just ate a starchy food. And, if the sugar comes in a liquid form like soda or fruit juice, the fructose gets in the body very fast and causes the liver to go into overdrive in an attempt to process it. Even worse, since the fructose portion of HFCS is not bound to the glucose it hits your liver even faster than regular cane sugar.

Lab studies show when fructose is ingested quickly in larger quantities, it goes straight to the liver where it is immediately converted to fat.

So you see why soda and fruit juice are so fattening?

Soda, fruit juice and other drinks are quickly ingested. When those liquids hit the stomach, fructose portion of it must be processed by the liver. The liver converts it to fat, which then becomes triglycerides. Triglycerides are the excess fats floating around in your blood and are a major contributing factor to heart disease. Any excess fat is stored in the liver.

What does this have to do with diabetes and obesity?

In 1980, only about 1 in 7 Americans were obese, and about 6 million people had diabetes—it was not a common disease. By the early 2000’s, 1 in 3 Americans were obese, and 14 million had diabetes. More than double the rate in about 20 years.

Interestingly enough, sugar consumption was 75-80 pounds per person per year (according to the USDA) in the 80’s and increased to well over 100 pounds per person per year in the 2003. Direct correlation.
 
In 2009, at least half the population consumed a whopping 180 pounds of sugar per year!

19% of the U.S. population now has diabetes, another 7 million are undiagnosed and 79 million have pre-diabetes accoding to 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet. And 81 million have some form of cardiovascular disease!

Back in the 1970’s, a nutrition expert and scientist in the U.K named John Yudkin, published a report on sugar’s harm called, “Sweet and Dangerous”.

In the 60’s, Yudkin conducted research experiments on rodents, chickens, rabbits, pigs and college students using cane sugar vs. starchy foods. The cane sugar quickly caused elevated levels of triglycerides in the test subjects. Elevated triglycerides are a primary risk factor for heart disease. The sugar also caused insulin resistance, which directly links it to type 2 diabetes.

Unfortunately, though, the mainstream medical community did not take his studies seriously. Most of the medical community was following the saturated fat and cholesterol theory of heart disease, led by scientist, Ancel Keys. 

The two theories butted heads here: saturated fats raised cholesterol and led to heart disease vs. sugar caused triglycerides to go up and caused heart disease.

One must be right and the other wrong–or so it was thought.

Keys published the results of a study in nutrition in the 1970’s called the Seven Countries Study. And the mainstream medical community picked up on the saturated fat and heart disease theory.

But guess what? There actually was a higher correlation between sugar consumption and heart disease in the seven countries studied, but this was never highlighted in the study findings. And, many societies that ate high amounts of saturated fats but little sugar showed low rates of heart disease and other diseases.  

So which is it–sugar or saturated fat?

We now know that one of the most accurate predictors of heart disease and diabetes, is a condition called ‘metabolic syndrome’.  According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) at least 75 million Americans have metabolic syndrome, and probably many more have it but have not yet been diagnosed.

What is metabolic syndrome? It means your body has become resistant to insulin. Normally when you eat carbs or sugar, blood sugar goes up, insulin is released, and blood sugar goes back to a normal level.

If your diet is high in sugars and starchy foods, your body is continually pumping out insulin. Eventually your cells stop responding to the insulin, and your pancreas (which is where insulin comes from) becomes exhausted and cannot create enough insulin in response to the demand.

Blood sugar levels then begin to rise out of control, until you end up with type 2 diabetes.


Elevated blood sugar and insulin levels also result in high triglycerides, high LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) and low levels of HDL (the good cholesterol). So clearly, excess sugar creates a poor lipid profile.

What then, medical scientists wonder, triggers insulin resistance?

Fatty liver syndrome.

According to Varman Samuel from Yale University, there is a strong correlation in fatty livers and insulin resistance.

What would cause the liver to build up fat? It was once thought that just getting fatter lead to a fatty liver, but many lean people also the same problem.

This all points directly at fructose.

Animals or people fed large amounts of pure fructose or sugar convert the fructose into fat immediately. That fat circulates in the blood as triglycerides. Excess fat also gets stored in the liver. When the liver starts storing excess amounts of fat, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome follow, and not far behind then, is type 2 diabetes.

Stop the sugar, and fatty liver goes away, and along with it, insulin resistance.

It’s that simple.

So, the answer to the question of whether sugar is toxic is ‘YES’. How toxic, how quickly? We don’t know that answer for certain.

There is one more deadly disease that can be tied directly to sugar—Cancer.

Cancer is also tied to obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome as well.

A connection between obesity, diabetes and cancer was first studied in 2004 in large population studies by researchers from the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.

This is what they found:

Your chances of getting cancer are much higher if you are obese, diabetic or insulin resistant. What’s the connection? Sugar.

And your chances of dying from a form of malignant cnacer are way higher if you eat sugar. Malignant cancer is a very rare occurrence in populations that do not eat a typical Western diet.

Cancer researchers now know that the problem with insulin resistance and cancer is that as we secrete more insulin, we also secrete a related hormone known as ‘insulin-like growth factor, and the insulin encourages tumor growth.

Craig Thompson, president of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, has done a big part of this research on cancer and insulin, now says the cells of many human cancers depend on insulin to provide fuel to grow and multiply.

Some cancers actually develop mutations to affect the influence of insulin; other cancers just take advantage of the elevated blood sugar and insulin levels from metabolic syndrome, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

In fact, many pre-cancerous cells would never acquire the mutations that transform them into malignant tumors if they weren’t being driven by insulin to take up more and more blood sugar and metabolize it.

Elevated insulin (or insulin-like growth factor) signaling appears to be a necessary step in many human cancers, particularly cancers like breast and colon cancer.

If it’s sugar that causes insulin resistance, then its an easy conclusion that sugar is tied to cancer—at least some cancers. Yes, this may sound radical and this suggestion is rarely if ever been voiced publicly, but the scientific and biological evidence is there.

I know I am convinced of how harmful sugar is to my health and I avoid it as much as possible.

I really wish my teenagers would avoid it as much as possible, and I try to tell my friends and loved ones to avoid sugar too. Especially if they happen to have one of the above health conditions.

It’s a tough call to tell someone with cancer, heart disease or metabolic syndrome that it may be caused by too much sugar, even knowing what I know. Our perception of good foods vs. bad foods is deeply ingrained in our psyches, and our society, and it’s going against the tide to condemn something that most of the medical community accepts, but I know as a health advocate, that will I continue to try.

I wish you all the best of health.


For more great info on sugar, healthy sugar substitutes, and a healthy diet without cravings, read the Fat Burning Kitchen. (note: this link opens to another sales page on my co-author's site).


Look for the Fat Burning Superfood Recipe Book coming next month!! Tons of great, healthy, fat burning, Paleo style recipes everyone will love!


Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN,is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

                 
Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.
           Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

Sources:
D Kromhout, A Keys, C Aravanis, R Buzina, F Fidanza, S Giampaoli, A Jansen, A Menotti, S Nedeljkovic and M Pekkarinen, Food consumption patterns in the 1960s in seven countries, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Vol 49, 889-894, Copyright © 1989 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Gary Taubes, Is Sugar Toxic?, New York Times, April 13, 2011.

US News and World Report, One Sweet Nation, March 20, 2005.

Dr. Mercola, This Addictive Commonly Used Food Feeds Cancer Cells, Triggers Weight Gain, and Promotes Premature Aging, April 20 2010.

 

This Missing Nutrient May be the Reason for Your Health Problems

 

Do you have any of the following health issues?

ADD/ADHD
Anxiety and panic attacks
Asthma
Blood clots
Constipation
Cystitis
Depression
Diabetes, High Blood Sugar or Metabolic Syndrome
Facial ticks
Fatigue
Heart Palpitations, or Arrythmias
Hypertension
Hypoglycemia
Insomnia or Restless Sleeping
Gallstones or Kidney Stones
Kidney Disease
Leg Cramps
Muscle Spasms or Twitching
Liver Disease
Migraine
Restless Legs Syndrome
Osteoporosis
Reynaud’s Syndrome
Urinary Incontinence

If any of the above apply to you, it’s very possible you have a magnesium deficiency.

Recent studies show about 80% of the population is deficient in this vital mineral.

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in our bodies.

About 60-65% of the magnesium found in our bodies in stored in our bones, about 25% percent is in our muscles, and the rest is in our blood and cells. Magnesium can’t be made by our bodies, so we have to get it through our diet or supplements.

The problem is, most of our diets are magnesium poor. And many of the foods that contain magnesium just don’t have the amounts they used to have. So, as a result, the majority of the population is walking around magnesium-deficient, and dealing with one or more of the health issues above.

Who is at risk for a magnesium deficiency?

•    Athletes who work out regularly, especially in warm weather
•    Diets low in dark green leafy vegetables, nuts or seeds
•    Consuming sugar or sugary products
•    Anyone who drinks alcohol regularly
•    Those on a restricted calorie (less than 2000 calories) or low carb diet
•    People on particular types of medication
•    Those with digestive issues such as celiac disease, IBS or crohn’s disease

Magnesium plays a very important role in over 325 bodily functions. It is one of the primary factors in our ability to utilize protein, carbohydrates and fats. Without magnesium, energy in the form of ATP, cannot be stored or utilized properly in our muscles, and it increases our demand for oxygen, decreasing athletic performance.

There is strong evidence that magnesium requirements are much higher in athletes, and athletic performance may benefit from higher intakes.

Aside from being used up in the production of energy, magnesium assists performance by reducing accumulation of lactic acid and reducing the feelings of fatigue during strenuous exercise. Magnesium is also lost through sweat, so athletes training hard in hot and humid environments need even more.

Because magnesium is so vitally important, nearly every body system is affected by a magnesium shortfall.

Just a few of the things magnesium is responsible for:

•    Supplies strength and flexibility to your bones and prevents osteoporosis
•    Regulates and lowers blood pressure
•    Prevents or stops gallstone and kidney stone formation
•    Promotes deep, restful sleep
•    Soothes muscle cramps and spasms
•    Lowers cholesterol levels and triglycerides
•    Helps diabetics maintain proper blood sugar levels
•    Can prevent arthrosclerosis and stroke
•    Stops migraine headaches
•    Relieves chronic pain
•    Effectively reduces or stops asthma attacks
•    Helps the body metabolize nutrients
•    Has a mild laxative effect
•    Prevents heart attacks and maintains a regular heartbeat
•    Improves mood and has a calming effect
•    Improves muscle strength and endurance
•    Ends urinary urge incontinence

So you see, this often overlooked mineral is pretty important for good health and optimal functioning of the body and mind.

One of the problems with magnesium is that there isn’t really an easy way to measure how much or how little you have in your body. So, you can be moderately low for a long time and not even know, until the symptoms become more severe.

Researchers found low levels of magnesium cause cells to age more quickly, and this may be one of the causes of long-term chronic disease.

Another interesting thing—an overabundance of calcium causes an imbalance between the delicate ratio of calcium and magnesium in the body.

Magnesium and calcium work together synergistically and having both in the right amounts is vital. The problem is, the focus has been on getting loads of calcium in the diet, and everywhere you look there are calcium supplements and calcium-fortified foods.

But, even with many people consuming plenty of calcium, bone diseases like osteoporosis are still epidemic, affecting 55% of people over the age of 50! And if you are a big consumer of calcium or  dairy products, you are most likely magnesium deficient.

As a result, many people have calcium to magnesium ratio that is way out of balance.

Calcium in our bodies is an ‘exciter’. It causes muscle–both smooth and skeletal–to contract. Magnesium is a relaxor. It counteracts and balances calcium’s effect.

Excess calcium without the other minerals and nutrients it needs, gets stored in places you don’t want it. Excess calcium gets stuck in your joints, where it can cause arthritis or gout, it gets stuck in your kidneys or gall bladder where it can form painful stones, and it gets stuck in your arteries, where it causes the calcified plaque that contributes to heart disease.

The message here is this: you need about twice as much magnesium in your diet as calcium.

How to get more magnesium?

Foods high in magnesium include dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, mustard greens, collard greens or swiss chard. Some other good sources are broccoli, summer squash, raw almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds.

Conventionally grown vegetables are much lower in magnesium content than the organic versions, so for the most magnesium, buy organic and locally grown.

To be sure you getting enough magnesium, taking a supplement may be the best choice.  Magnesium supplements come in a chelated or non-chelated form. The chelated type of magnesium is absorbed better than non-chelated forms.

Chelated forms include: magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium aspartate, and magnesium taurate. Non-chelated forms include magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, and magnesium carbonate.

Magnesium is inexpensive and generally safe, but too much of a good thing is not so good. Generally most people should supplement about 200 to 600 milligrams of magnesium daily. Larger doses can cause loose stools or diarrhea.

Magnesium is best absorbed in small, frequent doses; so, it is better to take 100mgs three times a day than 300mgs or more all at once.

Magnesium is absolutely essential to your good health, athletic performance and optimal  and function of your body. There is virtually no one that cannot benefit greatly from increasing daily magnesium intake.

Till next time,

Stay healthy, energetic and lean!



P.S. Find healthy sources of magnesium and delicious recipes chock full of the vitamins and minerals you need in my Superfoods recipe book!!

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN,is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

                     Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.
           Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

What’s For Breakfast? Primarily Paleo, Gluten and Dairy Free Ideas

Breakfast is truly an important meal.It actually jumpstarts your metabolism, fires up your brain and gives you fuel to start your day full of energy. Don’t miss this opportunity to supercharge your day with some essential nutrients. And, eating a healthy breakfast reduces hunger all day.

 

Breakfast is truly an important meal.

Breakfast actually jump starts your metabolism, fires up your brain and gives you fuel to start your day full of energy. Don’t miss this opportunity to supercharge your day with some essential nutrients.

Studies show that in comparing breakfast eaters with breakfast skippers, the breakfast eaters lost weight, lost body fat and were less likely to eat high calorie lunches.
And, a University of Missouri study found that eating a healthy breakfast, especially one high in protein, increases satiety and reduces hunger throughout the day.

In one study done comparing a higher protein/fat breakfast with a high carb breakfast, the higher protein/fat breakfast won big time!

Study subjects lost more weight (with the same calorie intake) eating the higher protein/fat breakfast than the ones eating the high carb breakfast.
The protein/fat breakfast eaters had a healthier metabolic profile than the carb eaters as well, and burned more body fat.

What to have for breakfast if you want to eliminate wheat and dairy? What about a Paleo style breakfast? If your sleepy head wants to reach for that easy bowl of cereal, you may have to reprogram your thinking just a little. But truly, it’s not that hard.

If you are thinking of doing an elimination diet, or if you want to go Paleo, breakfast sometimes creates a dilemma, since the mainstay of many people’s breakfast is wheat and dairy. If you are left scratching your head looking for a  tasty breakfast, here are some great, tasty, alternative ideas:

For those who just want to be gluten free, the easiest route is to purchase some gluten free bread. Now there are lots of gluten free breads out there taking up shelf space in the grocery store, but many of those GF breads are just as bad as processed wheat flour.


Look for ‘whole grain’ gluten free breads or at least bread made from brown rice flour.

My favorite gluten free bread (that won’t break your foot if you happen to drop it) is a brand called ‘Udi’s’. They offer a whole grain version that is quite good—not heavy or chewy, not too starchy—and it tastes great toasted or untoasted.
Gluten free toast and a pan-fried egg make a great egg sandwich on the run.

 

I like to add a couple slices of natural bacon (no nitrates/nitrites) on it for a bacon and egg sandwich.

Or try gluten free toast with peanut butter, almond butter or other nut butter and berries, banana, apple or raisins. This is one of my favorite quick and easy, take-it-with-you breakfasts.

Another easy, light breakfast is a bowl of berries, a handful of nuts and maybe a couple slices of cheese. Antioxidants, protein, healthy fat and fiber all in one healthy meal.

Want to make something a little more elaborate? Try gluten free French toast!

Or grab some brown rice flour (Bob’s Red Mill) and whip up some pancakes with a cup or so of brown rice flour, an egg, a teaspoon of baking powder, pinch of sea salt, and just enough milk to make a thick batter. Pour into a pan or waffle iron, add some REAL butter and real maple syrup (not the kind with corn syrup in it), and Viola! A yummy GF version that will start your day off right.

Ok, so what about ‘Primarily Paleo’ people?

Great Paleo breakfasts are truly not that hard, either.

How about a yummy fresh berry smoothie?

Now that strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are in season, throw in a generous cupful of these into a blender; add a banana, a few ice cubes, a cup or so of either hemp milk, coconut milk, almond milk or OJ, an organic or pasture raised clean raw egg (don’t use the regular commercially raised eggs, they are more likely to contain salmonella); and blend.

I like to add any or all of these optional ingredients to supercharge my smoothies:

Cold processed grass fed whey protein, a big spoonful of virgin coconut oil, unsweetened coconut flakes, flax or chia seeds, a handful of raw nuts, or half an avocado.

You can even throw in a couple leaves of kale, swiss chard, parsley, or other dark green leafy vegetable to really up the nutritional punch. (Don’t worry, you can’t really taste the green stuff, it just blends in.)

Make this yummy, high protein breakfast the night before and you will have a delicious breakfast that is full of protein, stays with you, and is a quick and easy way to take your breakfast on the run. Makes a great high protein snack too!

Egg quiche cups

6 eggs, beaten

1 small pkg of frozen spinach, drained or 1 big handful of fresh spinach

¼ cup minced onion

1-2 slices of diced natural ham or crumbled nitrate/nitrite free bacon

dash of Tabasco or hot pepper flakes

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350, spray muffin pan or foil muffin cups with cooking spray. Thaw and drain spinach if using frozen. (You can just squeeze it with your hand to get rid of most of the excess liquid.

Mix all ingredients in with beaten eggs, and pour into muffin pan or foil muffin cups. Bake for 20 minues. Cool and serve.

You can refrigerate and re-warm these in a pan over low heat with a lid if you would like. Try with some fresh salsa and avocados!
And check out this awesome site I found for more great Paleo and gluten free breakfast ideas:

http://wheatfreedairyfreebreakfastrecipes.blogspot.com/

There are some particularly good recipes here for sure!

Gotta go, I am starving and it’s time for breakfast!

 

Till next time, stay healthy, energetic and lean!

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN,is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

                     Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.
           Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.


 

Scientific ‘Studies’ or Scientific Lies?

 

It seems like every other day there is a headline about our diet or health.

“Saturated fats linked to heart disease”, “High sugar diet linked to heart disease”, “Coffee cuts liver cancer risk”, “Coffee is linked to high blood pressure” and on it goes. One seems to contradict the next.

Anybody else out there confused and wondering what the heck to believe or not believe?

When you read these two words do you instantly believe what follows? “Studies show…”

Well, I’ve got news for you—even if it comes straight out of your physician’s mouth or right out of a news article, it isn’t always true. How do you separate fact from fiction?

There is a difference between ‘good’ studies and ‘bad’ studies.

When I was in nursing school at a major medical research university, one of my professors told us that only a very small percentage of scientific studies (less than 10%) actually made it to mainstream media and were published.

Many of the ‘studies’ we read about have no basis in fact or scientifically gathered data—Really!

The majority of the so-called studies that make it to the media are actually flat out wrong, misinterpreted or totally skewed.

I know, you’re probably thinking, “how can that be?” It is SCIENCE, after all.

Keep this in mind as I go on…

‘Studies’ that we read about in the news can be one of two things:

1. Observational studies–which is just that–purely an observation of a particular situation, and some sort of conclusion is drawn based on that observation. There is no intervention or treatment, just observations and gathering of data.

2. A true clinical or scientific study—which follows these specific steps:

•    An observation is made
•    A hypothesis is formed as a possible explanation
•    Conduct experiments
•    Collect data
•    Reach a conclusion 
•    The results must be CONSISTENT and REPEATABLE

In both types of studies—non-scientific observational studies, or true scientific studies, we look for results that show associations or correlations.  As in ‘A causes B’, or ‘smoking is associated with lung cancer’.

Since our early days as cavemen, our brains have been hardwired to seek patterns. If A occurs, then B results. It was how we survived.

However, some of those ‘A causes B’ were actually just coincidence. For example, after a long drought, the dehydrated and desperate natives dance around wildly, and it starts raining. Did the dance cause the rain, or could it be a coincidence?

Our brains are still looking for the connection. And we tend to generate beliefs consistent to what we already believe.

The problem with purely observational studies, though, is that ‘A’ does not always cause ‘B’ to happen.

These observations can be incredibly inaccurate, and many other factors that may affect the outcome.

Other factors are called ‘confounding’ variables. For instance: It was thought that reading to young children helps them become better readers and get good grades in school. ‘A causes B’, right? Hmmm…

Consider this–parents who read to their children generally have higher IQ’s and better educations, so their children get higher grades in school anyway. There's the confounding variable.

Observational studies only make observations and form an untested guess as to any cause and effect. Not rocket science by any means.

Did you realize that most of the dietary and health headlines we read in the paper are based on observational studies?

Not very accurate, as we now know.

Did you know most of the health and dietary information our PHYSICIANS are giving us are based on purely observational studies?

The gold standard for forming any real scientific conclusions is a true scientific clinical study.

The following is a great example of an observational study versus a clinical study:

In an observational study on middle-aged Harvard nurses taking supplemental estrogen, it was observed that these nurses had 40% less heart disease. So of course, every physician was ready to start prescribing estrogen!

Guess what?

A clinical (real scientific) study on estrogen and middle-aged women was conducted. 16,000 women were studied for 5 years, and results were women taking estrogen had a 30% HIGHER risk of heart disease than the control group.

How did one study show the opposite effect of the other study?

Confounding variables in the observational study, that’s how. Turns out, in the first observational study on the nurses, the nurses had a healthier lifestyle than the general public, so they had a lower risk of heart disease in spite of taking estrogen.

But, even clinical scientific studies can be highly inaccurate.

Scientists skew data and the conclusions depending on the outcome THEY are looking for.

John Ioannidis is one of the world’s foremost experts who investigates the credibility of medical research. He has shown over and over again that the majority of what biomedical scientists conclude in published studies is not only misleading, but exaggerated, and often totally wrong.

These are the studies that doctors use to prescribe antibiotics, blood pressure medication or advise us on diet or lifestyle.

This expert who has made it his life’s work to follow up on medical studies, states that…

“as much as 90% of the published medical information that doctors rely on (to pass onto us) is flawed…"

"...when it comes to cancer, heart disease, and other common ailments, there is plenty of published research but much of it is remarkably unscientific based largely on observation.”

And, 20-25% of conclusions from actual scientific, clinical studies are wrong as well.

While we would all like to think of the scientific process as objective and unbiased, it’s very easy to manipulate results—intentionally, unintentionally or even unconsciously.

So next time you read the a ‘scientific’ study, ask yourself these questions:

1.    Is it an observational study or a scientific or clinical study?

Remember, an observational study is only an observation between two things but may have other factors that affect the outcome. If A and B are associated, could it actually be because of C? Or C, D and E?

2.    Did A cause B or did B cause A?


Consider this simple observation: Running makes you slender. Ok, then does basketball make you taller? Or, is it that good runners are more slender to begin with, like good basketball players are generally taller than average?

Or how about this: Low carb diets can make you fatter. Can it be because most of the people on a low carb diet are trying to lose weight?

3.    Are results consistent every time?

Remember a true scientific conclusion must have results that are consistent and repeatable.

Like this: Saturated fat has been linked to heart disease.
Except for these groups: The Swiss, the French, the Inuits, the Masai, the Spanish and other ‘paradox’ populations.

Or: Red meat is linked to colon cancer–except for another ‘study’ showing vegetarians more likely to get colon cancer.

Neither of these are consistent or repeatable results.

4.    Ask yourself who/what are the real subjects of the study? Do they translate to the general population?

How then can you translate any of the study results from say, mice to humans? We have to realize that many tests are performed on animals being fed a very unnatural diet. Although it seems obvious that mice don’t eat dairy products or saturated fats in their natural diet, the results are still translated to people.

5.    What is a scientific ‘Difference’?

In science, absolute change or results come from subtraction. But, if scientists don’t see a big difference this way, they take the results and use division to come up with a more impressive number.

Here is a real example: Lipitor drug trials used two groups of men who were at high risk for heart disease. Lipitor was given to one of these groups for ten years. At the end of the study, 2 men out of the 100 in the Lipitor group had heart attacks. And, 3.05 out of the 100 men in the control group had heart attacks.

Does 1 out of 100 sound significant? NO!

The difference is 1 less heart attack out of 100 men in 10 years. Obviously to most that’s not an impressive number.

But, when you look for relative change, (2.0 divided by 3.05=0.64 and 1.0 minus 0.64=0.36); you get 36%—a far more impressive looking number! So guess what is plastered all over the ads?  Lipitor reduces the risk of a heart attack by 36%! Sounds very impressive doesn't it?

What about ‘significant’?  To most of us, significant means impressive, major, meaningful, or important. Significant to a scientist means, ‘not due to chance.’ That’s it.

As in this study:  Two groups of people were put on the Mediterranean diet with one group adding large amounts of salt to their food. The other group ate the same diet, but low sodium. What was the difference in blood pressure of the two groups? Scientists called it ‘significant’. I would not.

BP in the high salt diet group was 126/81. BP in the low sodium group was 123/79.

6.    Did scientists control the variables?

Remember this recent headline? “Red meat causes cancer”. Really? Did you know that red meat was grouped in with processed lunchmeats, pizzas, and hotdogs? There was no connection found with cancer and red meat by itself.

7.    Compared to what?

“Whole grain foods prevent diabetes”. Really? Compared to what? Compared to white processed flour, yes.

Compared to a diet with no grains? No. Whole grains do not prevent diabetes.

Another example: Filtered cigarette smokers have a lower rate of cancer. Compared to unfiltered cigarettes, true. Compared to no cigarettes, false!

8.    Do the real results really support the conclusion?

In another (real) study of low carb/high fat diets and high carb/low fat diets, the low carb group lost more body fat and had the biggest improvements in all cardiovascular markers including cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL.

The conclusion that scientists published was, “Moderate approaches such as a moderate carbohydrate, low fat diet may be prudent.” Could it be because this study was actually funded by Kellogg’s?

We cannot trust the media, the medical community, and scientists to give us the unbiased truth unfortunately. We just cannot faithfully believe or every so-called ‘study’ we read about, until we dig a little deeper, even if it comes from our own doctors.  Apply critical thinking the next time you hear about a 'study' in the news or read one in the headlines. It just may not be true.

We must apply critical thinking to what we read and hear, and go after the real truth ourselves.


Till next time, stay healthy and lean!


 

 

Sources:
“Science for Smart People”, Tom Naughton, YouTube video.
David Freedman, Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science, Atlantic Monthly, November 2010.


Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN,is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

 
Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.
Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

The Fountain of Youth Is Right Under Your Nose

 

Our DNA is coded with a life span.

At the ends of each chromosome lies something called a ‘telomere’.

What exactly is a Telomere, and why should I care?

Telomeres protect chromosomes and prevent them from fusing into rings or binding with other DNA. I like to think of telomeres as being kinda like the little hard plastic ends on the ends of shoelaces, to put it simply. They keep the laces from coming undone.

Telomeres do a similar thing with chromosomes.

When a cell divides, as they do thousands of times every day, strands of DNA get snipped to in the process. The places that are snipped are the telomeres. And the telomeres get shorter and shorter each time.

Eventually the telomere gets too short, and the DNA becomes damaged, putting a halt to the cell’s ability to reproduce. This is where aging occurs.

The rate at which this happens varies among individual people and cells. This is why some people are may be more susceptible to age related disease than others.

How does this affect aging in our bodies?

Scientists can actually determine a cell's age and can estimate how many more times it may replicate by studying the length of the telomeres in a person.

As we age, we look for ways to lengthen our lives, slow aging and keep our cells young.

Recent scientific research shows omega 3 fats can actually slow down the rate at which telomeres on chromosomes shorten. This latest study on omega 3’s and their effect on telomeres that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) show that those that had the highest levels of omega 3‘s also had the slowest rates of telomere shortening over 5 years. And the patients with the lowest levels of omega 3’s had fastest rate of telomere shortening.

In other words, those with the highest levels of omega 3 fats, aged the slowest.

This is the first real study that shows a direct connection between a particular nutrient and real anti aging benefits.

Omega 3’s stellar health benefits just keep coming in, including: preventing heart disease, protecting the immune system, weight loss, keeping skin smoother, improving mental health, preventing cancer, and helping fight inflammation.

Telomere length is an important marker of true biological age that accurately predicts illness and lifespan in many areas of health. And, scientists have already shown that rodents live about one-third longer when given a diet enriched with omega 3’s from an animal source.

Obviously you are going to want to load up on omega 3’s.

The best source for well-absorbed omega 3’s fatty acids is from animals, primarily grass fed meat, wild caught fatty fish and pastured eggs. And don’t forget to load up on those antioxidant rich fresh vegetables and fruits.

You can find what foods contain the MOST amounts of quality omega 3 fats in The Fat Burning Kitchen Book.

Till next time,

Stay young, lean and healthy!

 

   

 
Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN,is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.
 
Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.
Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.
 
 

Sources:

Nathan Seppa, “Benefits of omega-3 fatty acids tally up”, Science News, February 13th, 2010; Vol.177 #4 (p. 14).

Julie Steenhuysen, Fish oil protects against cellular aging: study, Reuters, Jan 19, 2010 . Guardian.co.uk

Ramin Farzaneh-Far, MD; Jue Lin, PhD; Elissa S. Epel, PhD; William S. Harris, PhD; Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD; Mary A. Whooley, MD, “Association of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels With Telomeric Aging in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease”JAMA. 2010;303(3):250-257.

Should We All go ‘Paleo?’

 

Have you heard the new diet trend? It’s the ‘Paleo’ diet, primal diet or the caveman diet.

I guess it’s not exactly what I would call new and trendy, since it is based on the diet that our ancient ancestors ate. ‘The Paleo Diet’ is actually a term that author Loren Cordain, PhD coined for his book.

There have been several variations on this same type diet, including "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson, Weston Price’s Traditional diet, and my own, “Fat Burning Kitchen Program” diet. And if you like Michael Pollen, his dietary principles follow along the same lines too.

Scientists have finally started to figure out that the diet of our ancient ancestors may possibly be the best diet overall for our modern bodies.

This diet is basically avoids all processed foods, grains, sugar, dairy, and legumes.

Is it any wonder that in today’s world there is so much illness, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and other disease?

Today’s diet is a far cry from that of our ancestors.

Interestingly enough, our ancient ancestors were strong, healthy and were far more likely to be killed by a woolly mammoth or saber tooth tiger than a heart attack or diabetes.

If you would like to see a graphic presentation of the differences food makes on people, check out Weston A. Price’s book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration–written in the 1940’s by a dentist who traveled the world studying primitive cultures and their diets.

It’s eye opening, to say the least! 

In a single generation, these natives go from the picture of health to unhealthy, diseased and deformed, and it has nothing to do with saturated fat, but everything to do with sugar and processed grains.

These photographs of Dr. Weston Price illustrate the difference in facial structure between those on native diets and those whose parents had adopted the "civilized" diets of  devitalized  processed foods. This occurred in all different primitive groups all over the world.

The "primitive" Seminole girl (left) has a wide, handsome face with plenty of room for the dental arches. The "modernized" Seminole girl (right) born to parents who had abandoned their traditional diets, has a narrowed face, crowded teeth, and a reduced immunity to disease.

This, and my own dietary evolution, has convinced me.

And I am more convinced the further away I move from processed foods, grains, sugars and more towards this ‘primal’ way of life.

The dramatic health benefits that result from this type of diet, seem virtually endless.

It reduces, prevents or cures: High cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, cancers, heart disease, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, inflammatory disease, arthritis, joint problems, allergies, digestive problems, depression, ADD, and so much more.

That alone speaks for itself.

Let me add that my own dietary and health journey can vouch for the fact that this diet really seems to be working. In the past, I had health issues like asthma, allergies, celiac disease, arthritis,  depression, frequent colds and flu, digestive issues, fatigue, foggy-headedness, PMS, rashes, and more.

With each dietary ‘tweak’, I moved closer to THIS diet.

Isn’t it another low carb diet? Well…no.

However, our paleolithic ancestors did eat a pretty low carb diet. Different primitive societies did eat varying combinations of animals, plants and carbs, but generally the human diet was about 2/3 animal foods, and 1/3 from plant foods.

And no one cared about saturated fat and cholesterol either.

Along came the agricultural revolution and the cities, civilizations and manufactured foods. And, a boatload of nutritionally-related diseases that were totally unknown to the hunter-gatherers. These new foods are vastly different in so many ways from the real, healthy foods our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate.

So, I guess in a sense, we can blame the agricultural revolution for bringing us most of the chronic disease and obesity that we see in this modern world.

These mostly grain-based foods (cereals, dairy products, grain-fed meats, high fructose corn syrup, refined sugars and oils) do not work in bodies that were originally built for a diet of free-ranged meats, fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

The paleo diet is high in healthy omega 3 fatty acids, and Conjugated Linoleic Acid, low in omega 6 fatty acids, low on the glycemic index, high in USABLE natural nutrition, high in antioxidants, and no empty calories, no chemicals, or over-processed carbs.

And here is an interesting study: Medical researchers released results of a study that shows just how beneficial a primal diet can be:

A group of non-obese volunteers were fed a paleo diet for 10 days. Only 10 days!

And the conclusion is… Even very short term consumption of a paleo diet improved blood pressure, glucose tolerance, decreased insulin secretion, increased insulin sensitivity and improved lipid profiles in healthy sedentary humans.

I am not surprised. I’ve seen my lipid profile, my blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. All of them, off-the-charts excellent.

Primal Diet Principles:  

  1. Eat REAL food. No packaged or processed foods. Make your meals from combinations of one-ingredient foods and spices.
  2. Avoid most sugar, including: sucrose, fructose, agave (fructose), artificial sweeteners, and corn syrup. You may have small amounts of raw honey, maple syrup, raw cane sugar, and stevia if needed. 
  3. No grain. Not ‘whole grains’, and especially not refined, processed, white flour. No refined starches. 
  4. Eat plenty of healthy fat–from: grass fed meat, grass fed butter, pastured eggs and free range poultry, wild caught fish, raw dairy, avocado and coconut.  Extra virgin olive oil is ok, although I’m guessing a caveman probably didn’t eat this. 
  5. High quality protein is important. Grass fed, pasture raised, or wild caught–meat, fish and poultry, and eggs. No grain fed, commercially raised meat. 
  6. Eat lots of vegetables–locally grown is best, and fresh, raw or barely cooked. Organic if possible. Some fruit is ok, but our modern fruit is very high in sugar. 
  7. Eat organic. Eat them as close to where they grew as possible and in the most natural state. 
  8. Beware of what you are drinking. While I doubt cavemen drank their ‘cuppa joe’ to get going, drinking one cup of organic coffee or tea won’t ruin the diet. An occasional beer or glass of wine is ok, but a sugary, artificially flavored mixed drink is NOT ok. No fruit juice…these are full of sugar. Drink pure water as much as possible. 
And if you follow this diet, even 90% of the time, you WILL see major health benefits. 
 
Many pro and amateur athletes are gravitating towards this type of diet as evidence comes in that it improves athletic performance and endurance, reduces body fat and helps add lean muscle.
 
So, as of this writing, I am going to follow this diet as closely as possibly during the bicycling racing season this summer, and I will report back to you how it goes.      
 
Looking for more info?
 
There is plenty of information on the internet. One of my favorites is Mark Sisson’s site, Mark’s Daily Apple. This guy knows his stuff. Great articles, lots of entertaining and interesting info, and a lot of awesome recipes to help you get a better idea of how truly good food can be even without grains, sugar, or processed food.
 
And I have to put in a plug for my own website, Simple Smart Nutrition which is based on this type of diet, with tons of great information on various health conditions, from weight loss to maximizing your athletic performance and more.
 
And I have some delicious Paleo-style recipes too.
 
The very best way to check out the Paleo diet is to try it yourself. Even if you just follow principle #1 you will improve your health as you remove all of the junk, fast food, and “frankenfood” in the typical American diet.
 
Healthy and feeling good is normal.
 
Feeling tired, getting sick, gaining weight and all those other health issues are not normal. And, if you decide you just can’t commit to a Paleo diet, try following a few of the principles above and I guarantee you will see and feel so much better!
 
 
Sources:
Mark Sisson, The Primal Blueprint, Mark's Daily Apple, 2011.  Jennifer Pinkowski, Should you Eat Like a Caveman? Time magazine, Jan 2011. Dr. Loren Cordain, the Paleo Diet, 2010-2011.  
 
 
Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist.
In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.
 
Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.
Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.
     

Essential Steps For ‘Gluten Free-dom’

Ok, so you found out you are sensitive to gluten. Now what? It can seem like an overwhelming task to figure out what to eat, what not to eat, how to make meals, snacks, etc.

Don’t be upset–there is still a way to enjoy many of your favorite foods! I’m here to help walk you through the maze of gluten free.

I have had problems with wheat and gluten for about 25 years. Going wheat and gluten free was not near as easy back then and the easy to find substitutes that are available now, did not exist 10-20 years ago.

Over the years I found easy ways to cook without gluten, and how to avoid it when going out to eat, so I am here to help you find ways to enjoy most all of your favorite foods without feeling deprived.

First of all, let me point out that gluten sensitivity and celiac disease are all one and the same. While some doctors may distinguish between the two, both are essentially the same disease, just a difference in the severity of the reaction.

And it’s important to know, gluten sensitivity is inherited, so if someone in your family has it, the chances of someone else having some degree of gluten problem is about 1 out of 4. And sometimes it takes time to develop noticeable symptoms. Many people don’t realize they have problems with gluten until they are adults, or even middle-aged or beyond. Often it’s easier and healthier for everyone in the family to adopt the gluten-free lifestyle, rather than having the tempting off-limits foods around the house, making it hard for the gluten sensitive person to avoid.

Ok, so first of all, how the heck do ya’ cook gluten free?

Well, you CAN make most of your favorite recipes. The easiest solution that I have found is Brown rice flour, which you can substitute for most everything. Rice flour does not have the gluey-ness that regular wheat flour has, so some things may tend to crumble more easily (like cookies) but it does work. I use brown rice flour for everything from breading and coating meat, thickening sauces and gravies, to pancakes, waffles, cakes, cookies, muffins and more. Often nobody can even tell the difference between the brown rice flour and regular flour.

There are plenty of different gluten free baking mixes out there, but I generally prefer not to use them. Many of them use a lot of refined tapioca starch, corn starch and other refined starchy additives, so really you are just trading in one bad food for another. Check out your favorite health food store, Whole Foods, your local grocery store or online for flour, baking mixes and prepared foods.

There are many other flours out there worth experimenting with–one of the newest is coconut flour. This has a much heavier texture than rice flour but it is low glycemic, lower in carbs and can be mixed with rice flour for extra fiber. I have used coconut flour in several recipes with great results. Generally you need to use a ratio of about 1 part coconut flour to about 4 parts rice flour. And coconut flour requires you add a little bit more liquid as it tends to absorb liquids more readily.

Sometimes cooking your own favorite recipes may take a little bit of ‘tweaking’ to get them perfectly right, but I have found I can eat most all of my favorite goodies that I once ate with a little bit of experimenting.

So, where to start…

-Learn to read and recognize ingredients that contain gluten. Many prepared sauces, gravies, soups, and other foods will contain wheat, wheat flour, barley, barley malt, or modified food starch (usually ‘iffy’ since you can never be of the food source).

-Shop the gluten-free section of your food aisles carefully. Many of the gluten free substitutes may taste good but they are of little value as food, since the ingredients may be highly refined grains and starches.

-Learn to make your own gluten free food. Obviously the safest place for gluten free foods is in your own kitchen, since you have control over both the ingredients and the method of preparation.

-Move towards eating WHOLE foods with one ingredient. There is no mistaking the ingredients in an apple, a handful of raw nuts, a slice of cheese, or a fresh, healthy salad. (Watch out for the dressing though!)

Celiac.com has one of the most informative websites on gluten sensitivity and celiac disease.

And stay tuned to www.simplesmartnutrition.com as I will continually be adding more recipes all the time. Check the ‘Recipes’ section on the menubar for new gluten free recipes added frequently.

Watch for my new book, The Fat Burning Kitchen Superfoods Recipes, full of delicious, healthy, easy to fix recipes that are gluten, dairy, corn and soy free. Healthy simple foods for your health and enjoyment.

And feel free to email me with any questions you may have about gluten, dairy, corn or soy allergies. I’m happy to help! cat@simplesmartnutrition.com

 

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN,is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health, food allergies, and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

 Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.
                             Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

Chia, the New Superfood?

Have you seen Chia seeds in the stores?

No, I’m not talking about those funny little terra cotta animals that you smeared with little seeds until they sprouted green “hair”. Chia pets do get their sprouts from Chia seeds. 

But what do you know about Chia seeds?

Chia seeds are actually an amazing food. Chia seeds are edible and are incredibly high in omega 3 fats—even more so than flaxseeds.

Chia seeds have been around for a very long time—since the ancient Aztec and Mayan days, actually. Chia seeds were a part of the Aztec and Mayan diets and carried into battle as  an important part of their daily rations.

It was thought that only 1 tablespoon of chia seeds would sustain a person for 24 hours.

Even the Mayan and Aztec religious ceremonies had chia seeds in them. Chia seeds have been used for joint pain, skin conditions and other medical problems. Chia is an edible seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family that grows abundantly in southern Mexico.

These tasty seeds are loaded with omega 3 fatty acids and also extremely high in antioxidants—way more than even blueberries!

Becuase of the high amount of antioxidants, Chia seeds have a much longer shelf lifethan flaxseeds and do not get rancid as easily. And while flaxseeds are easier to digest if ground up, Chia seeds do not need to be.

Chia provides fiber and other important nutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, niacin, and zinc.

All that in one tiny seed!

Here is something interesting about Chia seeds–when you add water or liquid to them and let them sit for a few minutes, the seeds form a gel. This reaction also takes place in the stomach, and it slows down their absorption and keeps the blood sugar stable.

Chia is just now being studied in depth, but some studies are already out on this amazing seed–in one study from University of Toronto, researchers fed 21 diabetics either a supplement made from chia or from other grains.  In 3 months, the blood pressure in patients on Chia seeds, dropped significantly, while the other grain group's BP stayed the same.

Chia seeds are about 16 % protein, 31% healthy fats,  and 44% carbohydrates, with tons of fiber.

Most of its fat is the very healthy omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA.

But keep in mind, if anyone gives you a Chia pet for Christmas as a gift, the chia seeds that came with it are not edible.

Get your chia seeds from a health food store or order online. About two servings of about 1.5 ounces a day are recommended for the best benefits.

Chia seeds are delicious sprinkled on yogurt, oatmeal, or salads. You can even eat them whole as a snack or mix them up in your favorite muffin or bread mix.

I like them best in my smoothies!

Because of its high nutritional value and its shelf life, chia is being added to a wide range of foods. It's now being added to chicken feed for eggs rich in omega-3s. Chia is also fed to chickens to help their meat contain a higher amount of omega-3s. When chia is fed to cattle, their milk becomes enriched with omega-3s.

Chia can also be added to commercially prepared infant formulas, baby foods, baked goods, nutrition bars, yogurt, and other foods.

Here’s another bonus: insects don't like chia, so it is easier to find organically grown varieties.

We will soon be hearing much more about chia and its health benefits soon!


Till next time,

Stay healthy, lean and energetic!

 

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.   

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

Heal and Prevent Sports Injuries

Jim rugby

Injuries, both minor and major, are one of the hardest and most frustrating thing an athlete has to deal with.

Injuries usually seem like they occur  just as you are beginning to ramp up your training for big events. And now that the weather is warming up, amateur and professional athletes are starting to pick up their training for another competitive season in their favorite sport.

Injuries can often be your body’s way of telling you are pushing it too hard, too quickly, or overtraining, and not getting enough rest and recovery in between demanding workouts.

Is there any way to prevent injuries?

Of course–you probably already know some of the things you can include in your training to prevent injury, like rest days, warming up slowly, easing into your training, and stretching.

But, did you know, your diet will also make a HUGE difference in whether you get injured and how quickly you recover?

Think of it this way: your body is a machine. Just as you work out hard to become stronger, feeding and fueling your body well will help to strengthen and maintain the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bone in the best and strongest condition possible.

In contrast, a diet high in refined sugars, starches, and poor quality protein will result in weaker muscles, increased inflammation and a higher likelihood of injury.

So, what’s the best diet for a serious athlete or weekend warrior?

First of all, high quality protein is absolutely essential. Good protein sources are VITAL to grow and repair muscle, strengthen bones and tendons, and allow for proper function of cells.

Most training protocols tell you to eat protein right after exercise in order to help rebuild muscles; however, the best time of all may be shortly before a workout as well. It’s been found, that to limit the loss of muscle fiber associated with overuse injuries, eating protein shortly before exercising, and then immediately afterwards is best.

An active teen or adult needs to have at least 1.0 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight a day.

To figure this out, one pound of body weight is roughly equivalent to about .45 kilograms. So dividing your weight in half will give you a rough estimate of your weight in kilograms.

For example, an 150 lb male would weight about 70 kilograms and will need 70-100 GRAMS of protein a day, which comes out to about 30 grams per meal, or a decent sized serving of meat, chicken, fish or eggs at every meal.

The very best, most usable protein is grass fed meat, with 5 times the muscle-building Conjugated Linoleic Acid as regular grain fed meat, healthy omega 3 fats, and important muscle-building minerals–zinc and iron.

Other great sources of protein are wild caught fatty fish, free-range poultry, and organic eggs. All of these are higher in the healthy omega 3 fats, and lower in omega 6 (inflammatory) fats, as well as being free of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones.

Many athletes rely heavily on protein bars, shakes and powders, which is a big mistake.

The protein in these processed foods is very poor. This protein usually comes from heat-processed whey or soy protein isolate. Both of these protein sources are denatured, weak versions of protein and virtually unusable by the body.

Whey protein can be an excellent protein source, but it must be cool-processed (which keeps the protein intact) and should be from grass fed dairy cows as well, for the maximum amount of CLA and healthy fats.

Healthy fats are absolutely necessary.

Fats also help to lubricate the body, muscles, tendons, ligaments, organs and skin, and increase feelings of vitality and energy.

Athletes who switch to a higher fat diet see the results with more energy, less injuries and better recovery times. Be sure to include these fats:

•    Omega 3 fats–Provide plenty of fuel for energy, and anti-inflammatory properties to heal and protect the damage that hard training wreaks on the body. Omega 3 fats are found primarily in wild caught fatty fish, grass fed meat, organic eggs and grass fed butter. Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds also contain healthy doses of omega 3 fats.

•    Conjugated Linoleic Acid–Helps to provide the fuel the body needs to power through a demanding practice. CLA builds muscle, burns fat, raises the metabolism, and helps prevent cancer, heart disease and high cholesterol.

•    Saturated fats and cholesterol--The good saturated fats (like the kind that come from grass fed meat, organic egg yolks, and butter) actually help to strengthen and repair muscle fibers, strengthen the immune system, aid in the proper functioning of the heart, lungs and brain, and boost metabolism. So don’t shy away from these important fats. However, you do want to avoid the grain fed versions of this fat as it is high in inflammatory omega 6 fats.

•    Monosaturated fats like coconut, nuts and olive oil are extremely effective at reducing inflammation and increasing energy, so be sure to include these healthy fats as well. Coconut oil is quickly and easily metabolized for energy as well as being an excellent healing agent, so be sure to include this in your diet.

Antioxidants are extremely important to athletes as well. Intense exercise creates tons of free radicals which can lead to damage and breakdown of tissue–including muscle–within the body.

Be sure to include LOTS of brightly colored fresh, organic vegetables and fruit to supply the body with the necessary antioxidants. The brighter and more colorful, the more antioxidants! Raw organic veggies and fruit contain the highest amounts of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals; they also contain massive amounts of enzymes because they are raw.

Enzymes are proven healers of damaged tissue.

To prevent and heal injuries try to eat at least 50% or more of these raw.

Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants and is also very important for the repair of the collagen, connective tissue, and cartilage; it is helpful add extra to your diet when injured.

Aim for five or more sources of foods that are high in vitamin C such as red peppers, papaya, cantaloupe, kale, oranges and broccoli.

And don’t forget about Vitamin A for its rebuilding properties.

Higher amounts of vitamin A also aid in repairing micro-tears that occur after a hard workout, so it is a valuable addition for any runner, cyclist or weight lifter. Best food sources of vitamin A are: grass-fed dairy products such as raw cheese, grass-fed butter, and grass-fed (commercially raised beef liver contains lots of toxins) liver; bright orange or red vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, papaya, winter squash, red peppers, apricots and spinach.

Digestive enzymes also aid in the recovery process.

Look for ones that contain plenty of bromelain and protease, and take with meals. Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapple, and is effective as an anti-inflammatory. Protease is an enzyme that digests  proteins and will travel to the injured sites to dissolve the byproducts of the injury. Other enzymes have similar healing effects.

One of the most important building and repairing nutrients for injuries is zinc.

Zinc works alongside protein and other nutrients in the body synergistically. Zinc is also an immune enhancer which is powerful in the whole healing process. To ensure you are getting enough, include grass-fed beef, liver, oysters and other shellfish, seeds, nuts, chicken and egg yolks in your diet.

So now you know what foods to be sure to include in  your diet, but there are definitely some foods that must be avoided as well.

These foods not only fatigue the body, run down the immune system, and interfere with the processing of important nutrients, but they also contribute to inflammation in the body.

A tough and demanding training plan adds enough inflammation, so why add to that burden?

Inflammatory foods include the obvious junk foods–cookies, candy, excess alcohol, processed foods, and artificial foods with chemicals and preservatives.

Sneaky food additives (even in so-called health foods)  such as transfats, omega 6 oils such as corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, grains of all kinds including wheat, rice, oats, corn, and soy ( a legume) and sugars are also highly inflammatory as well.

Many athletes are switching to a gluten free training diet, even if they do not have gluten issues.

Gluten is a protein in wheat, rye and barley. It has been found that gluten is an inflammatory agent in many people (even those who seemingly do not have issues with gluten sensitivity) to some degree.

Athletes who have adopted a gluten free training diet report that they feel more energetic, less sluggish, lose a little weight, sleep better, have better digestion and generally feel better overall.

Sugar in all forms is highly inflammatory and actually stimulates an inflammatory response, so avoid it at all costs.

Pasteurized, processed dairy foods,  (as opposed to raw dairy) also tend to add to inflammation.

Dairy contains a lot of histamines, which will add to the inflammation already present in the body.

And last of all, be sure to be getting enough water.

Water helps to carry away toxins and keep your metabolism and healing processes working efficiently. There is no excuse not to stay well hydrated as the benefits are really endless.

You will feel better, have better energy and heal quicker!

Eat well, work hard and you will most definitely reap the benefits of a stronger, faster body!

 

Till next time, stay healthy, lean and active!

 

 

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

               Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

       Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.


 

 

References:

Michelle Schoffro Cook, DNM, DAc, CNC, CITP, The 12 Step Program to Healing Sport Injuries http://hubpages.com/profile/Shannon+Clark Horwitz,

Dr. Steven, Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Inflammation, Prevent Sports Injuries, Jan 21, 2011. http://preventsportsinjuries.blogspot.com    

 

Fat Burning Super Smoothie

Smoothies are an excellent way to get all the antioxidants of fresh fruit, and a lot of other supernutrients as well. Add fat burning energizing coconut oil, superfood greens such as kale, avocado, healthy protein, and a touch of powerful spices like turmeric or cinnamon.

The best smoothie recipe fuels your body with tons of energy, nutrients, healthy fats, protein and antioxidants. It is the perfect pre-or post-workout meal. Delicious and satisfying!

1 cup or so (I don’t measure) of frozen berry blend (I get this at Trader Joes)–organic if possible

1 banana

1/2 cup or so of orange juice, cherry juice, or almond milk (for creamier texture)

handful of walnuts

1/4 cup or so of ground flax seeds

1/2 cup organic kale, spinach, or other super greens-fresh or frozen

2 Tbsp virgin coconut oil

1-2 scoops of grass-fed cold processed protein powder

Blend lightly (don’t overblend) and enjoy!!

* Be sure to use an ORGANIC, free range egg if you are adding raw egg. Organic eggs do not generally get the salmonella problems that regular factory farmed grocery store eggs can get and therefore are much safer.

Till next time, stay healthy and lean!

 

 

For more great fat burning ideas, check out The Fat Burning Kitchen ebook!

And subscribe to your free weekly insider health tips newsletter to get more great fat burning recipes.

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

3 Critical Things You MUST know in Order to Lose Weight and Keep it Off.

If you are working on burning body fat and increasing your energy, there are three key things to keep in mind.flat belly fit girl

These things are so important and so many people are trying like crazy and cannot figure out why dieting does not work. Until you ‘get’ this, weight loss and fat burning will be hit or miss.
Many people have been brainwashed into believe that “calories are calories” all the while trying unsuccessfully to lose weight. Not that simple really….

The first of these principles is to eat food your body recognizes.

By that I mean, eat REAL food. Our bodies have evolved in a relatively short time and the foods we are putting in them are often unrecognizable. Packaged, refined processed foods with chemicals and preservatives in them are foreign substances to the body. Yes, foreign substances.

What happens when you eat something that is processed and unnatural is that the body doesn’t recognize or is confused by something artificial. Unable to metabolize it into usable nutrients, it breaks it down as well as it can, causing a blood sugar response, the resulting insulin surge and viola!

All the calories you have just ingested get stored as fat.

The easy solution? Eat REAL food that your body recognizes. Eat unrefined, natural foods with one ingredient. And for excitement, combine a couple of one ingredient foods for snacks. Like fruit and nuts. Cheese and nuts. Eggs and veggies. Avocado and turkey slices. Get it?

Principle number two: Losing weight is less about calories and is ALL about controlling your blood sugar and insulin response.

Blood sugar spikes cause insulin to be released in the body. Insulin causes the body to immediately start storing everything consumed as fat. That includes anything with any kind of sugar–fructose, glucose, sucrose, etc. That also includes grain products such as corn, wheat, soy, oats and more. And that INCLUDES whole grain products.

Starchy products like potatoes and gluten free foods also stimulate insulin as well.

And, while it sounds healthy, fruit juice is actually just a natural form of sugar water. This is a refined product that basically contains fructose–a sugar–and water. This stuff hits your system fast and your blood sugar spikes quickly. Insulin follows, your body stores calories ingested as fat, blood sugar drops, and you are hungry again. Not good.

Fruit on the other hand, while it too, is full of fructose and too much of a good thing can be fattening, has lots of fiber in it, so the sugar in fruit is absorbed more slowly. Better.

Best–eat fruit with nuts, nut butter, cheese, or other form of protein and/or healthy fat to help it get absorbed more slowly into the body. Result is more stable blood sugar and no fat storing.
So the main trick here is pretty simple: control your blood sugar by avoiding the starchy and the sweet and you stay in the ‘fat burning’ zone.

Principle number three: The nutritional value of your food makes all the difference.

In other words, if you had to choose between something with little nutrition and few calories or a superfood packed with nutrition, antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, but high calorie–which would you choose?

The correct answer and the best fat burning, healthy answer is the higher calorie, nutrient dense food. If it’s real, your body recognizes it and packed with tons of nutrition–go for it. Your body will metabolize this food, use it to build health and energy in your body, and rev up your energy and fat burning as a result.

Controlling your blood sugar has significant health benefits other than JUST fat burning too:

-Controlling blood sugar and insulin response actually is extremely healthy for the heart and blood vessels, dropping your risk of heart attacks and stroke immensely.
-Controlling blood sugar and keeping it at an lower even level will drastically reduce your risk of cancer and will prevent any cancer (whether it has been detected or not) from growing.
-Controlling blood sugar is very effective as an anti-aging tool and will keep you looking younger and prevent wrinkles and sagging skin as well.
-Controlling blood sugar also keeps your energy high with no peaks and valleys. You stay alert and vibrant.
-Controlling blood sugar also keeps triglycerides low and helps prevent deposits in the blood vessels.

I will go into these important principles in depth in upcoming articles, and you can read more about these KEY principles in The Fat Burning Kitchen. Check it out.

And start burning fat to get healthy and lean!

The Amazing Power of Herbs and Spices

In many recipes, herbs and spices are optional, but I would recommend that you add as many as you can! Every time you flavor your meals with herbs or spices you are supercharging your food without adding a single calorie!


I don’t know about you, but I like to add lots of spices and herbs to my recipes.
While many people just don’t want to bother, there are a few really good reasons to add generous amounts of herbs and spices to your favorite dishes.
In many recipes, herbs and spices are optional, but I would recommend that you add as many as you can! Every time you flavor your meals with herbs or spices you are supercharging your food without adding a single calorie!
You can change something ordinary and bland into something
truly extraordinary, by adding herbs and spices.

Did you know that herbs and spices contain some of the most potent antioxidants that you can find?

In fact, many herbs rank way higher in antioxidant activity than fruits and vegetables, which are obviously high in antioxidants too.

Herbs and spices add tons of extra flavor, and when combined with other nutrition-packed superfoods, it actually boost the their natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power.

In fact, the combination of certain herbs and spices with specific foods magnifies the antioxidant and nutrient value exponentially!

These spices have the highest amount of antioxidants and super-nutrients, so add them liberally to your foods:

Allspice

Basil

Cayenne or hot pepper flakes

Cloves

Cinnamon or its cousin Cassia (which is what we in the United States use)

Nutmeg

Oregano

Ginger

Marjoram

Sage

Thyme

Besides antioxidants, here are some of the other ways herbs and spices are a valuable addition to your diet:
  • Fat Burning – Herbs and spices are thermogenic, which means they naturally increase your metabolism and fat burning power, partly because they are so nutrient-dense.
  • Regulating blood sugar and controlling insulin – When your blood sugar is well controlled, you are more likely to burn fat and store fewer calories as excess weight.
  • Medicinal value – Scientific studies show that herbs and spices can actually work as well or better than some medications for certain health issues. (But check with your physician–before you quit any medications you may be on.)
  • Lowering blood sugar – cinnamon significantly reduces blood sugar levels. It also improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels. One study of people with type 2 diabetes showed that as little as two teaspoons of cinnamon reduced blood sugar similar to blood sugar medication.
  • Researchers found that the active ingredient in turmeric (curcumin) is more effective in slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s than some medications for this condition.

Herbs and spices can also increase your feelings of satisfaction and fullness after a meal, so you eat less.

An interesting research study showed that when a person consumes an appetizer with just half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes before each meal, they eat 15% less food.
Wow!
Red pepper and all hot peppers actually speed up your metabolism and help your body burn fat as well.
Here are more health benefits of some popular herbs and spices:

Rosemary and basil are anti-inflammatory.

Cumin, turmeric and sage fight dementia.

Cayenne, coriander and cinnamon burn fat and help regulate insulin.

Lemon grass, nutmeg, bay leaves and saffron have a calming effect.

Turmeric is cancer fighting and helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Oregano is antifungal and antibacterial.

Garlic, mustard seed and chicory are excellent for the heart.

Basil and thyme help your skin become soft and smooth.

Turmeric, basil, cinnamon, thyme, saffron, garlic and ginger boost the immune system.

Coriander, rosemary, cayenne, allspice and black pepper help banish depression.

So next time you cook, be sure to spice it up and enjoy the fat burning antioxidants of herbs and spices!

Till next time, stay healthy and lean, and Spice it up!
Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

               Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

       Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

What about Frozen Yogurt?

 
 
 
Have you joined the newest frozen 'treat' craze?
 
I'm talking about frozen yogurt. It seems there's a new frozen yogurt place opening on every street corner lately. And, not only do they try to come across as delivering "smart and healthy" treats, some of these places try to sound even healthier with flavors like "Dr. Coconut" and "Dr. Green Tea".
 
The idea behind the marketing of all these places is that frozen yogurt is great as a "diet" food, and it is also good for your health–making you skinnier and addressing health flaws from bad eyesight to wrinkles and more.
 
It even comes as "fat-free", "sugar-free", and infused with vitamins and antioxidants as well.
 
Well, it sounds good doesn't it?
 
Health fanatics have been smugly spooning up the stuff like crazy!
 
Do you know what's really is in frozen yogurt?
 
Well, most people think it is just that. Frozen. Yogurt.  Isn't that healthy?
 
It sounds like it should be…
 
Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this stuff is kinda one of those sneaky so-called 'diet' foods that actually makes you fat…
 
In fact if you look at the ingredients of this frozen concoction offered by some of the bigger chains (and most all frozen yogurt is made with the same basic ingredients), you will see that the primary ingredients are sugar of some form and milk.
 
In spite of all the health claims, frozen yogurt is basically a sugary, processed dairy dessert with some probiotics and yogurt powder thrown in to make it seem healthier.
 
Unfortunately, however, it flunks as a low calorie, fat burning dessert.
 
While specific ingredients and amounts vary from brand to brand, and from chain to chain, most frozen yogurt contains nonfat milk and dried milk, yogurt powder, sweeteners in several forms including corn syrup, maltodextrin (from corn) dextrose (from corn), fructose and more; milk solids, emulsifiers like mono and diglycerides, propylene glycol esters, guar gum and other thickeners, natural and artificial flavoring and coloring (even when the yogurt is white).
 
The tangy frozen yogurt flavor comes from the strains of lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilous, though the bacteria only makes up about one percent of the ingredients. And, really, ice cream is made from the same basic ingredients as frozen yogurt; it's just that ice cream does not contain the bacteria cultures.
 
As you can see from the ingredients list, frozen yogurt is basically just lower fat ice cream with extra sugar, thickeners, and some yogurt powder with probiotics thrown in for good measure.
 
Do the probiotics somehow make it healthier?
 
Seriously, just because there are probiotics in something doesn't make it a 'health' food!
 
People who wouldn't dare eat ice cream have no qualms about eating massive amounts of frozen yogurt on a regular basis–thinking they are doing their bodies good, when in reality they are just making their blood sugar go crazy–and contributing to weight gain.
 
Yogurt compared to ice cream is basically what "low fat" snacks are to regular snacks.
 
Removing the fat and adding in more sugar does not make it healthier or a better diet food.
 
It's actually worse, since all that sugar raises your blood sugar, stimulates your insulin response, makes you store calories as fat, and makes you hungrier later.
 
The trouble with foods like frozen yogurt, which are sometimes labeled "low fat" "diet" or "healthy," is that people sometimes think they can consume large portions because they APPEAR to be less fattening, and therein lies the problem–this stuff is NOT less fattening!
 
It is very fattening and high glycemic (raises the blood sugar and causes calories to be stored as fat). Even worse, there is a "sugar free" version out there! It's usually sweetened with toxic artificial sweeteners like NutraSweet or Splenda.
 
You're not doing yourself or your body any favors with that stuff.

When an ice cream craving hits, it's probably better to satisfy it with a small amount of the REAL thing and avoid the frozen yogurt craze all together.
 
Truth is, if you are regularly eating a healthy, fat burning diet and eating healthy fat burning foods like you'll find in The Fat Burning Kitchen Program, exercising, and avoiding sugary processed foods 99% of the time, you are better off with a small serving of REAL ice cream. (Just make sure it's the all-natural kind without corn syrup, fillers and preservatives).
 
The butterfat in ice cream gives it that creamy flavor and so a smaller amount should be more satisfying than sugary, processed, low fat, frozen yogurt–probiotics or not.
 
And butterfat contains CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which is a potent anti-cancer and fat-burning type of fat.
 
Just remember, moderation is the key.
 
Better yet, if you are really craving something smooth and creamy, but want to stick to a good fat burning diet, try this instead, and you won't even have to feel guilty a bit:
 
Coconut Cream "Ice Cream"
 
Ingredients
 
1 can unsweetened coconut cream/milk (the full fat kind) 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 tsp cinnamon Small amount of Stevia to taste or raw honey or maple syrup if you prefer
 
Directions
 
Puree in food processor.
 
Make in an ice cream maker according to directions, or pour into ice cube trays and freeze 4 or more hours. If making in ice cube trays, remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving and puree again and serve.
 
This is extra good sprinkled with some nuts or toasted unsweetened shredded coconut. See more delicious fat burning recipes in the new "Fat Burning Kitchen Superfoods Recipe book " coming soon!
 
Take care and stay healthy and lean!
 

America’s Feedlot?

 

Have you ever stopped to think that America is turning into one big gigantic feedlot–but WE are the cattle?

The American public is now living on a diet that consists mostly of corn, wheat, and soy products, very very similar to commercially raised cattle, chickens, and fish.

These industrialized big business agricultural products have been pushed into our food supply in thousands of insidious ways.

Starting with the thousands of packaged, processed items available at the grocery store, all the way back to the feed for commercially raised meats–it seems that corn, wheat and soy are on the ingredient list in some form if you look long enough.

Our diet is way out of whack.

It's far too heavily weighted with grain, and grain-based food products  and grain-fed meat, poultry, dairy, fish and eggs as well.

At least a third or more of your local supermarket’s 45,000 or so ingredients have corn, wheat or soy products or their derivatives in them.

The tricky part is the derivatives do not always say they come from corn, wheat or soy.

The biggest offender is corn. 

Corn is THE most abundant grain produced in America by far!

There is the ever-present high fructose corn syrup, cornstarch, corn flour, corn bran, dextrose, and much less obvious– leavenings and lecithin, mono-, di-, and triglycerides, the golden coloring added to foods, and even citric acid can all be derived from corn and corn bi-products.

Corn is milled, refined and restructured, and can become an amazing number of things, from ethanol for the gas tank to dozens of edible and not-so-edible food products.

Consider the thickeners in milkshakes, hydrogenated oil in margarine, modified cornstarch that binds the unrecognizeable meat in a chicken McNugget.

And then there is the unavoidable sweetener, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

This sneaky sweetener has invaded every nook and cranny of the food system.

Sadly, the commercial food industry has done a great job convincing the public that those 45,000 different items in the grocery store are real variety in food instead of clever rearrangements of the same basic ingredients with come chemical flavorings and food coloring to make it all different.

We have unknowingly become trapped in our own feedlots, and now are becoming a country of obese, sick  and apathetic people who care nothing about nutritional quality and the source of our food—simply because, “It tastes good.”

Unfortunately this very dysfunctional food system has also supersized appetites and created food addictions for the sweet and starchy artificially flavored 'food' creating big dollars for food companies in spite of the serious cost to our health and well-being.

And in America, most all conventionally raised meat can be traced back to corn: turkeys, chickens, pigs, and even cows (which would be far healthier and happier eating grass) are forced into eating corn.

Even our farmed fish supply is now becoming corn-fed, like the carnivorous salmon.

All of these grain raised meat then lose their natural nutrition and become full  of unhealthy, disease-causing fats.

There is a way to see exactly how much of your diet is from corn:

Corn has a very specific carbon structure which can be traced in any animal that consumes it.

If you compared a hair sample from an average American and a Mexican who eats a diet high in corn, you would be shocked to learn that the American would have a much larger amount of corn-type carbon in their system.

Todd Dawson, a plant biologist at the University of California-Berkeley says, "We are what we eat with respect to carbon, for sure. So if we eat a particular kind of food, and it has a particular kind of carbon in it, that's recorded in us, in our tissues, in our hair, in our fingernails, in the muscles," Dawson says.

In most Americans, the carbon test shows that about 70% comes from corn!!

“North Americans are like corn chips with legs,” says one of the researchers who conducts such tests.

So exactly what is wrong with eating such a corn-rich diet?

The base of the food pyramid is GRAIN–isn't that what we've been told is healthy? 

We are what we eat, but there is plenty of  evidence that this grain-heavy way of eating not only spreads illness, but waste, and ecological devastation around the world.

The other big problem with corn and a grain based diet, is that the average American diet consists of food products heavy in Omega 6. An average ratio would be about 25:1 of omega 6 to omega 3.

However, nutritional scientists state that mostchronic diseases start occurring and are detectable when the omega 6:3 ratio exceeds 4:1.

And, the optimum ratio, seems to hover around 1:1 which is the ratio found in grass-fed animals. 

Since all grains have high omega 6 to omega 3 ratios, it’s obvious to see that a grain-based food system creates a serious omega 3 deficiency!

All the way back in 70's scientists knew that grain-based foods, and grain-fed livestock products were one of the primary causes many of today's big chronic diseases such as:  Cancer, heart disease, depression, ADD, Alzheimer’s, obesity, allergies, and autoimmune diseases such as lupus and arthritis, diabetes, asthma, and more.

Obviously, to win the battle against all these diseases, we are going to have to make major changes to our diets, and no one food product can solve the problem by itself.

It's a HUGE change.

Primitive man lived on a diet of greens, vegetables, some tart fruits, some nuts, and mostly meat–all grass fed and naturally raised of course. 

That way of eating is often referred to as the Paleo diet, the Hunter Gatherer diet, or the Cavemen diet.

Here is a thought: Corn has the ability to fatten up a beef steer much faster than pasture-grazing does–although it makes the cattle themselves unhealthy and sick as well.

Cattle that have spent four to six months in a feedlot eating grain, have four to six times more fat, twice as much saturated fat, and as little as 1/10 the quantity of omega 3 fatty acids compared to meat from grass-fed cattle.

Of course, this does create big, fat cattle that grow in about half the time as grass fed, the cattle become as sick or sicker than we humans from eating corn and grain.

Corn and grain do not agree with cow's sensitive systems and cattle get GERD, ulcers, and other serious digestive issues. Another big issue with corn is that it is also very low in calcium and can lead to broken bones in the cattle.  Farmers then add soybean meal and it makes the problem worse!  The calves grow way too fast with the extra protein and end up with even weaker bones.

I don't know about you, but I am beginning to draw some parallells here… Is it any wonder that we, as people have so many cases of osteoporosis, GERD, ulcers, and digestive issues?

Do we want to follow in their ‘hoof’ steps?

 

Slowly but surely many of us are. Are we turning into a national feedlot of people?

Let's not be cattle but humans  who can think and who want to be healthy, strong and lean like our primitive ancestors.

 

The combination of a wide variety of grass-fed meats, free-range poultry, wild caught fish, and grass fed dairy products would certainly go a long way to help.

Let's be individuals in our dietary choices and make the decision to not follow the herd. The Fat Burning Kitchen Program will show you how to eat well, avoid grain, have effortless weight loss, and exceptional good health.

 

Till next time, stay healthy and lean!

 

References David Kamp, Deconstructing Dinner, New York Times, April 23, 2006.

Michael Pollan, What’s Eating America, Smithsonian, June 15, 2006

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, If we are what we eat, Americans are corn and soy, CNN 9/22/07

Tim Flannery, We’re Living on Corn!, The New York Review of Book