Enjoy this Unique and Tasty Guacamole!

A Really different, refreshing way to eat guacamole. The addition of baby peas adds an unusual, fresh, sweeter taste to the guacamole. And the peas add a little more fiber as well as decreasing the calories in the guacamole.

GREEN PEA & AVOCADO GUACAMOLE

A Really different, refreshing way to eat guacamole. The addition of baby peas adds an unusual, fresh, sweeter taste to the guacamole. And the peas add a little more fiber as well as decreasing the calories in the guacamole. Try it for Cinco De Mayo–it’s sure to become everyone’s favorite!

GREEN PEA GUACAMOLE

8 ounces frozen baby peas

1/2 large or 1 whole small avocado

1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and de-ribbed for less hotness)

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

juice from a half of a lemon or lime,

Sea salt, to taste

fresh ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

2 Tsbs chopped cilantro

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Roma tomato, diced

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup minced red onion

2 Tbsp of plain yogurt or sour cream if desired for a more creamy texture

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and ‘chop’ until combined. Does not need to be well blended, can be chunky. Enjoy with chips or better yet, slice up some cucumber, zucchini, and red and yellow sweet bell peppers for an awesome dip.

Happy Cinco De Mayo everyone!

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, lose weight, and live their best life ever.
Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

The Fat Burning Kitchen will get you started on the path to a healthy diet, weight loss and vibrant health. You will notice a difference in the first 24 hours! Learn about the so-called ‘health’ foods you may be eating that are actually ruining your health, and causing you to gain weight. And find out the best, fat-burning super-powered nutritious foods to eat to lose fat, gain boundless energy, and feel better than you ever have!

Salmon and Egg Stuffed Avocados

 

Smoked-Salmon-Egg-Stuffed-Avocados

(Photo and recipe credit courtesy Grok Grub)
http://grokgrub.com/2014/05/16/smoked-salmon-egg-stuffed-avocados/

 I cannot say enough good things about avocados! This fatty food is actually one of the best low glycemic, fat burning superfoods there is. Their mild taste makes them so adaptable to so many recipes—any time of the day. And they are the perfect breakfast food, combined with the protein power of eggs. Avocados contain lots of healthy, blood sugar-lowering, satisfying, monounsaturated fats, in addition to antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. A breakfast high in healthy fats and protein will turn on your fat burning, blood sugar-stabilizing power the whole day!

This recipe is super easy, but really delicious, satisfying and filling—sure to become one of your favorites!

Ingredients
4 avocados
4 oz smoked salmon
8 eggs
Salt
Black pepper
Chili flakes or Sriracha

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Halve the avocados, then remove the large pit—I do this by holding the avocado carefully, fingers out of the way, and hitting it with a sharp knife blade. The pit then sticks to the blade and it comes out cleanly. If the hole looks small, scoop out a small bit extra with a spoon.

Arrange the avocado halves on a cookie sheet, and line the hollows with thin strips of smoked salmon. Crack each of the eggs into a small bowl, then spoon the yolks and however much white the avocado will hold. Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper on top of the eggs, to taste. Sprinkle with chili flakes if desired.

Gently place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the eggs look cooked. Dot with Sriracha, serve warm and enjoy! Serves 4.

 

 

Luscious Coconut Milk Flan

Coconuts once were considered bad for you. It was thought that the saturated fat in coconut lead to high cholesterol, clogged arteries, heart disease, and weight gain. So the question is: Are coconuts really good for you or bad for you?

Sweet treats tend to be not only full of calories, but have the unfortunate downside of providing mostly empty calories.

But you can have sweet treats that have lots of health benefits too.

Coconuts once were considered bad for you. It was thought that the saturated fat in coconut lead to high cholesterol, clogged arteries, heart disease, and weight gain.

Now, coconuts have taken center stage for their nutrition value.

So the question is: Are coconuts really good for you or bad for you? Coconut is now sold in stores as coconut oil, the coconut meat itself, coconut milk and coconut water. While all parts of the coconut contain great health benefits it’s the oil that makes it a real superfood!

The fat in the coconut milk is the single best source of medium chain triglycerides.

Why does that matter?

This type of healthy fat gets burned immediately for energy. It also boosts your metabolism and help your body burn fat more easily for energy.

 

Besides its fat burning and energy promoting abilities, coconut oil possesses other great health benefits for your body as well.

Coconut oil is also rich in lauric acid, which boosts immunity and destroys harmful bacteria and viruses in the body. And the saturated fat in coconut also are healthy for your heart, your skin, your hair and for your brain as well.

Enjoy this dessert and know you are doing good things for your body and health as well!

Coconut Milk Flan

Ingredients

1 15 oz. can of full-fat, organic coconut milk
5 organic, free range eggs
2-3 Tbsp of pure maple syrup

1 tsp of real vanilla extract

3 Tbsp raw sugar
3 ounces of unsweetened shredded coconut for topping (optional)

 

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 325 °F. Fill a teapot with water and heat to a simmer.

In saucepan, heat the sugar until it melts and is a golden brown liquid. Pour sugar mixture in a glass pie plate.

 

Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with mixer. Pour into pie plate, and place inside a larger baking dish that is at least 2 inches deep. Then pour the hot water in the space surrounding the pie pan – allowing the liquid to reach about halfway up the sides. Bake about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the flan is set (when a knife comes out clean from the center).

 

For the topping–line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake raw, shredded coconut in the same 325 °F oven for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the toasted coconut once it’s lightly browned, and sprinkle on top of flan. Serves 4-5.

 

Enjoy!!

Till next time, stay healthy and lean!

Look for more great recipes like this in my new upcoming Fat Burning 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.

Mouth Watering, Healthy Chocolate Fudge

Enjoy small squares of this delicious healthy fudge for dessert and for small snacks throughout the day. This is about as good as it gets for a healthy yet delicious treat!

This recipe is from my good friend, fitness and nutrition expert, Mike Geary, author of The Truth About Six Pack Abs, and co-author along with me, of The Fat Burning Kitchen:

It’s a HEALTHY and DELICIOUS way to make chocolate fudge.

Ingredients
3/4 cup organic coconut milk (NOT the watered down “light” version which just replaces some of the healthy coconut fat with water…use the real full-fat version)
1 bar (3-5 oz) extra dark chocolate (at least 70-80% cacao)
4-5 tablespoons of your favorite nut butter (almond butter, cashew butter, macadamia butter, etc)
3/4 cup raisins, dried cherries, or cranberries (optional)
1/2 cup whole raw walnuts or other nuts
2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
2 Tbsp whole oats or oat bran
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A little stevia powder to sweeten

Note–Don’t be afraid of the fats in the coconut milk… coconut fat contains medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that are more easily burned for energy and also contain a special fat called Lauric Acid, which is extremely healthy and supports the immune system.

Start by adding the coconut milk (cans of organic coconut milk are available at most health food stores and possibly even your grocery store) and vanilla extract to a small saucepan on VERY low heat. Break up the extra dark chocolate bar into chunks and add into pot. Add the nut butter and the stevia, and continuously stir until it all melts together into a smooth mixture.

Then add the dried fruit, walnuts, flax seeds and bran and stir until fully blended. Spoon/pour the fudge mixture onto some waxed paper in a dish and place in the fridge until it cools and solidifies together.

Store in a closed container in fridge to prevent it from drying out.

Enjoy small squares of this delicious healthy fudge for dessert and for small snacks throughout the day. This is about as good as it gets for a healthy yet delicious treat!

Even though this is a healthier dessert idea that’s lower in sugar and higher in nutrition than most sweet treats, keep in mind that there are still quite a few calories in it, so keep your portions reasonable.

You may want to forward this delicious and healthy chocolate fudge recipe to your friends and family… they will thank you!

Check out Mike’s presentation below with great tips to lose belly fat and get a flat stomach:

The Truth About Six Pack Abs

Till next time, stay healthy, lean and full of energy!

 

 

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.


Antioxidants Don’t Work Unless You Eat THIS

An ESSENTIAL food to eat to absorb nutrients

veggies

People are still so polarized about fats.

While some people are still adamantly anti-fat, there is a ton research out there that shows that avoiding fat is not only very unhealthy, but it doesn’t help with weight loss or better cholesterol levels either.

IF you stay up to date with the latest nutrition news, you probably already know that certain fats are not only healthy for you, but they are absolutely ESSENTIAL for your  good health!

We already know that saturated fats are extremely beneficial to our health—especially the saturated fat from coconut oil, fatty fish, grass-fed meats, whole milk, egg yolks, lard, and grass fed butter, right?

And, we know that monounsaturated fats like the fat in extra virgin olive oil is full of healthy and powerful antioxidants, along with the healthy fats from avocados and nuts.

Healthy fats, including saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats, Omega 3’s and (to a lesser extent) Omega 6 and 9 fats, are essential for many important body and brain functions.

Here’s a few ways contribute to your good health:

  • Fats, especially cholesterol, make up our cell walls, which helps the immune system, brain function, healing, rebuilding, cell respiration, energy production, and more.
  • Saturated fats are necessary for lining the lungs which is necessary for ease of breathing.
  • Fats are a necessary component of myelin, the fatty material that covers nerve cells and brain cells, and enables them to signal properly.
  • The brain is made up of primarily fat. Omega 3 fats and saturated fats are actually necessary for proper function and repair of brain cells.
  • Cholesterol is necessary for production of hormones testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and other essential hormones in the body.
  • Fat is important to help us feel satiated and helps maintain a stable blood sugar.
  • Omega 3 fats and saturated fats are necessary to utilize calcium properly.
  • Fat is converted to fuel, which is burned as an energy source, as long as you are not eating a diet high in sugar or starch.
  • People who eat diets rich in natural fats like lard, butter and coconut oil, and omega 3 fats will smoother, younger looking skin than people who eat a diet high in vegetable oils.

Over the last several years, there’s been tons of research on the healing powers of individual nutritional compounds in foods, such as lycopene, vitamin D and essential fatty acids.

But, it has been found that certain nutrients work better together to create a bigger nutritional bang than when eaten alone. This is what we call, “food synergy”, and it’s one of the reasons why eating a wide variety of healthy foods can create far better health than eating a narrow selection of the same foods. Food synergy can help the prevention of many serious, chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s, to name just a few.

Food synergy is very important when it comes to absorbing vitamins and antioxidants.

Including a healthy form of fat with your meals is absolutely necessary to absorb the valuable nutrients from certain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that dietary fat is absolutely necessary for the proper absorption of nutrients from fruits and vegetables. In this particular scientific study, one group ate a salad consisting of spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots with fat-free dressing and another group ate the salad with a dressing that contained fat. Those who ate the salad with fat absorbed far more of the beneficial phytonutrients from the vegetables in the salad.

Similar studies from Ohio State University and Iowa State University also found the same results:  Adding healthy fats like nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, whole eggs, organic cheese, or avocado to your salad bowl can increase the amount and absorption of beneficial antioxidants, such as the lutein in the leafy greens, lycopene in tomatoes and red peppers, and beta-carotene in carrots — your body absorbs.

And, in fact, a 2008 Journal of Nutrition study reported that those who ate more alpha- and beta-carotenes, the compounds in bright yellow, orange or red colored fruits and vegetables, had about a 20% lower risk of dying from heart disease over a 15-year period.

Many of these antioxidants and vitamins, require fat to be absorbed and put to use in the body. This is especially true for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K2, as well as the antioxidants lutein, lycopene and beta-carotene.

How does this work? When fats are eaten, the body responds by squirting bile (a digestive enzyme made in the liver), into the small intestine. Bile breaks up the fat into tiny globules called micelles that transfer their contents to the intestinal wall, where the nutrients are absorbed and sent into the bloodstream.

NO FAT ==> no bile secretion ==> no carotenoid absorption.

Many fats themselves are rich sources of nutrients. For example, one of the best sources of vitamin E, a potent antioxidant, is red palm oil. Choline from egg yolks is an important nutrient for liver function. Cod liver oil is a great source for both vitamins A and D. And whole milk and butter from grass fed cows is rich in vitamin K2, necessary to prevent osteoporosis.

Many of the super powered, antioxidant spices  also require healthy fats to maximize their super powerful nutrients as well. Turmeric, cinnamon and ginger are some of those super powered spices that work best with some fat. For example, in order for the curcumin from turmeric to appear in the blood in large enough amounts to have beneficial effects on your health, it must be combined with a fat like olive oil, coconut oil,  butter,  whole milk, or cheese for optimum effect.

Here’s a really good example of what happens to some of vital nutrients if not eaten with some fat so they are absorbed properly. This actually happened to a good friend of mine a few years ago.

A while back when the low-fat craze was all the rage, my good friend, who was into bodybuilding and also a vegetarian, got too carried away with eating a low fat diet. She started avoiding ALL fats thinking they would make her gain too much body fat. Well, obviously she was not able to absorb a lot of necessary nutrients since she wasn’t eating any fat, but it was especially noticeable with vitamin A. She was constantsly craving and eating a lot of fruits and vegetables that contained beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in our bodies—as long as it’s eaten with some fat.

Well, of course she wasn’t eating any fat, so the beta-carotene had nowhere to go and her body couldn’t use it. She ate so much of these beta-carotene rich foods, that her skin actually started turning very orange!

In the absence of fat in her diet, her body could not do a thing with all that beta-carotene except to store it in her tissues. Needless to say, she became extremely deficient in a lot of vital nutrients that required fat, and she started having serious health issues because of this.

Once she finally went back to eating healthy fats, her body was able to absorb and uiltize the nutrients she was eating and her health came back, and her skin went back to being a normal color instead of orange.

Guess what the first thing she ate was? Organic, grass fed beef liver! Liver just so happens to one of the most potent sources of vitamin A, and it is also full of healthy cholesterol that is necessary to properly utilize the vitamin A.  So, you see, my friend was in dire need of vitamin A, (and cholesterol too) which she could not absorb with her fat-free diet!

While fat is necessary for good nutrition, the type of fat you eat matters. A lot.

When consuming dietary fat to improve your health, there are some important rules to follow:

  • Avoid unhealthy fats, especially trans fats and hydrogenated fats. Plant fats are fine but stick to unprocessed fats like avocado, coconut, nuts and seeds—NOT vegetable oils, that are highly processed and inflammatory.
  • You don’t need to overdo it — you only need a small amount of fat to facilitate vitamin absorption.

One of the best fats to help you utilize nutrients best is coconut oil.

A brand new study recently compared the effects of coconut oil to safflower oil on the absorption of carotenoids from tomatoes. The coconut oil actually enhanced the uptake of the tomato carotenoids to a much greater degree than the safflower oil. This may be because of the fact that coconut oil is made of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and is a saturated fat.

In short, most every meal or snack that you consume should contain some healthy fats, even if only in small portions. I even put coconut oil or grass-fed butter in my organic coffee in the morning, along with a touch of cinnamon—which, I’m certain, helps me absorb some of the healthy phytochemicials and antioxidant properties of the coffee and cinnamon. Yes, organic coffee has antioxidants in it too!

So, include a little coconut oil in your smoothie, add some grass fed butter to your cooked veggies, throw in some sliced avocado and a drizzle of olive oil on your salad. Drink whole milk instead of skim (better yet, drink whole, RAW, unpasteurized milk). Dip your apple slices or banana in some natural peanut butter; grab a handful of nuts to munch with your blueberries, and AVOID all those ‘low fat’ versions of foods you see that are advertised to be more healthy!

Ok, I’m off to enjoy my grain-free, Paleo, organic pumpkin pancakes (high in beta-carotene) slathered in grass-fed butter and a little maple syrup. Mmmm. Can’t wait!

References:

Brown, et al, “Carotenoid bioavailability is higher from salads ingested with full-fat than with fat-reduced salad dressings as measured with electrochemical detection,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004.80(2):396-403

Kadey, Matthew, “Better Together”, Experiencelife.com, May 2010.

Mercola, Joseph. “Which Oil Will Help You Absorb Nutrients Better?”, Mercola.com, August 20, 2012.

Ribaya-Mercado JD. Influence of dietary fat on beta-carotene absorption and bioconversion into vitamin A. Nutr Rev. 2002 Apr;60(4):104-10.

Traber MG. The bioavailability bugaboo. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 May;71(5):1029-30.

Tyssandier V, Reboul E, Dumas JF, Bouteloup-Demange C, Armand M, Marcand J, Sallas M, Borel P. Processing of vegetable-borne carotenoids in the human stomach and duodenum. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2003 Jun;284(6):G913-23.

van Het Hof KH, West CE, Weststrate JA, Hautvast JG. Dietary factors that affect the bioavailability of carotenoids. J Nutr. 2000 Mar;130(3):503-6.

Preorder your copy of the The Flat Belly Kitchen  book on Amazon!

Books will be available December 2 Order yours now!

CAT cropped headCatherine (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 Does the Type of Fat You Eat Have to Do With the Shape of Your Hips?

Men and women are biologically predisposed to be attracted to a particular type of body shape in the opposite sex. Men generally like curvy women, but today’s female…

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Men and women historically have always been attracted to a particular type of body shape in the opposite sex. There are biological reasons for this.

Men have always been drawn to curvy women, especially women with smaller waists and rounded hips. While waist and hip sizes may vary, historically, men have universally been attracted to women with a waist to hip ratio of about 66%, and curvy hips and thighs.

Yes, ladies, contrary to what many of us believe, men generally do not wish we looked like stick figures or rail thin models.

Unfortunately, the majority of today’s American women, especially younger women in their 20’s, have a waist to hip ratio of closer to 75%, meaning that the waist is about 75% of the total hip measurement. American women’s waist size is getting bigger.

Why is this? It has to do with the type of fats in our diet today. 

The type of fat you eat gets stored in different parts of the body. Typically, fat from Omega 6 fats like the kind found in vegetable oils, grains and processed foods is stored more in the waist or belly. Fat from Omega 3 fats is more likely to be stored in the hips and thighs.

When women lose weight, it generally is lost in other parts of the body first.

Much to a woman’s frustration, the fat in the hips and thighs is usually the last to go, and the most difficult to lose, as the body stores this valuable fat here for purposes of pregnancy and breastfeeding.

According to Will Lassek, M.D., and Steven Gaulin, Ph.D. in the book, “Why Women Need Fat”,  the fat that is stored in a women’s hips and thighs is rich in a very valuable substance that is concentrated in this part of the body. This fat is high in something called DHA—which is a component of the Omega 3 fatty acids in our diets.

DHA is extremely important for proper brain and nervous system function, as nerve cells are made primarily of this type of fat.

Omega 3 fats and DHA in our diets come from wild caught fatty fish, grass fed beef and dairy products, and free range chickens and eggs. But sadly, the North American diet and the diet of most civilized countries, is mostly grain-based and not only are our diets too high in grain based, processed foods, but beef cattle, dairy cows, and chickens that produce the meat, dairy, and eggs in our diet are also fed grain as well, making commercial meat and dairy way higher in Omega 6 fats, not Omega 3 fats.

(This may also be the reason for the rise in autism, ADHD and other issues related to brain health—our diet is very poor in Omega 3’s and DHA.)

So according to Mother Nature, mothers breast feed their children, and the fat in a mother’s milk is pulled from stored fat in the  hips and thighs primarily.

Mens’ ancient biological brains are actually telling them that a woman with a smaller waist and curvy hips and thighs carries an abundance of the good fat, DHA from the Omega 3 fats in her diet. Since DHA is vital for the brain and nerve tissue, DHA means smarter, healthier children.

And other studies show that children and mothers who live in countries with have a high amount of Omega 3 fats in their diets, and higher DHA in their bodies, tend to score higher on tests of academic ability and intelligence. Some of these women from other countries have up to 4x more stored DHA in their bodies than American women. Not surprisingly, American children score 31st out of 64 countries on the same academic tests–much lower than the children from mothers with higher DHA, according to Lassek and Gaulin.

Today’s average American woman is about 20lbs heavier than the average woman in the 1970’s, with a much bigger waist (waist to hip ratio) measurement. Why the change?

The long answer has to do with a variety of things from extra large portions, high fructose corn syrup and sugar in everything to ‘supersizing’ and processed foods. But in terms of the type of fats in our diet and how our bodies store fat, it boils down to the kind of fat that is most prevalent in our diets right now.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats are considered “Essential Fatty Acids” and come from our diets. We depend on our food supply to get these fats, but unfortunately for most of us, our diets are overloaded with Omega 6 fatty acids, which come from vegetable oils, and grains, primarily.

The Standard American Diet contains up to 20x more Omega 6 fats than Omega 3 fats. That’s WAY more than the proper ratio we need to be healthy.

So, in order to get enough Omega 3 fatty acids, the average American must eat more of everything, just to get the right amount of  Omega 3 fats.

And studies also show that Omega 3 fats are much more satisfying to the body and that we are hungrier after eating foods with Omega 6 fats,so that also leads to more eating.

And, Omega 6 fatty acids actually tend to be stored in the waist and around the belly, rather than the hips (and men store more belly fat as well), so our diets and the type of essential fatty acids we eat, ends up being a very big factor that determines our body shape.

So, ladies, if you want a smaller waist and curvier bottom, eat more Omega 3 fats from wild caught fish, grass fed meats and dairy, and free range eggs.

Cut way back on the Omega 6 fats, by avoiding all grains and vegetable oils. You not only will have a better body shape, but you will produce healthier, smarter children and YOUR brain will be healthier and function better as well.

The correct balance of Omega 3 fats to Omega 6 fats is crucial for our health and for survival, as well as a more attractive body.

Choose wisely!

If you liked the information here, and would like to STRAIGHT SCOOP on Diet and Health, Subscribe Here.

 

Till next time,

Stay healthy and lean and curvy!

cat e1335982521218 Are Eggs Really As Bad As Cigarettes? Really?

References: Will Lassek, M.D., and Steven Gaulin, Ph.D, Psychology Today, Feb. 2012, and the book, “Why Women Need Fat”.

DSC 6815 e1335982388100 Are Eggs Really As Bad As Cigarettes? Really? 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.

 

 

 

 

Gluten Free Quinoa Falafels

I used to always love Falafels, the Middle Eastern vegetarian meal that I always liken to something like fried hummus. They are usually made with breadcrumbs or bread. Sadly this became one of those foods I gave up when I went gluten free, until now…

 

 

I used to always love Falafels, the Middle Eastern vegetarian meal that I always liken to something like fried hummus. They are high in protein and make a delicious light meal or snack. However, they are usually made with breadcrumbs or bread, that holds them together. Sadly this became one of those foods I gave up when I went gluten free and I have not seen a substitute…until I came across this one.

This recipe is adapted from a cool cooking blog/website called “Sprouted Kitchen.”

When the temps outside are really warm, I feel like eating much lighter foods. These falafels fit the bill. Serve them with the cucumber and tomato salad for a cool refreshing meal.  You can wrap these in gluten free brown rice tortillas, or if you are like me and avoid all grains, just grab a few (washed) red or green leaf lettuce or some Boston bibb lettuce, add the sauce and make a tasty lettuce wrap.

I made a few adaptations and will be trying this tonight!

Falafels
1 Cup or so cooked quinoa
1 Cup finely chopped or grated carrot
1/2 Cup thinly sliced green onions
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley and 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
15 oz. can garbanzo beans
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds or sesame tahini paste
2 cloves minced garlic
sea salt
1/4 tsp or so of red pepper flakes or 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2-3 Tbsp coconut oil

Tahini Sauce

1/2 Cup plain yogurt
1/4 Cup sesame tahini paste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

Place veggies in blender or food processor and pulse until chopped finely. Add garbanzos,sesame seeds or tahini, lemon juice, eggs, garlic  and seasonings. Pulse until roughly combined.  Add quinoa, and mix. Chill in fridge for an hour or longer.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat with 1 Tbsp. of coconut oil. Scoop out portions of about 2 Tbsp, and roll and flatten into patties. Cook in oil in hot pan for 3 minutes on each side. Add a little more oil if needed for second batch.

Serve at room temperature on a bed of arugula or wrap in green or red leaf lettuce, with a drizzle of the yogurt tahini sauce on top. Add some thin sliced cucumbers and shredded carrots and enjoy!

 

Till next time,

Stay Healthy 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.

Refreshing, Sockeye Salmon Salad

The pigment that helps to make salmon’s flesh pink is astaxanthin. Astaxanthin lowers C-reactive protein (CRP), which measures inflammation in blood vessels, and your risk for heart attacks and strokes. Astaxanthin can actually reduce wrinkles and sun damage…

Most any type of wild caught salmon works in this salad, but sockeye salmon is definitely my favorite. Salmon contains a large amount of antioxidants, and the darker pink the flesh, the more antioxidants–as long as it is wild caught.

The pigment that helps to make salmon’s flesh pink is astaxanthin. Astaxanthin lowers  C-reactive protein (CRP), which measures inflammation in blood vessels, and your risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Astaxanthin may just be the best antioxidant for DNA protection. It’s 6,000 times more effective than vitamin C, 800 times more effective than CoQ10 and 550 times more effective than vitamin E or green tea.

The effect astaxanthin has on DNA is rather amazing. DNA is damaged by free radicals when you’re exposed to things like pollution, smoke, radiation and processed food. In one study, DNA damage dropped by 43% after subjects took astaxanthin supplements.

Wild caught salmon is especially rich in omega 3’s and the health benefits from this mega nutrient are endless! Salmon is also a great source of easily digestible protein, niacin, B6, B12, selenium, phosphorus and magnesium.

Eating salmon even twice a week may help raise omega 3 levels as effectively as taking daily fish oil supplements. And those healthy fats in salmon help burn body fat, contribute to a healthy heart, protect against strokes, reduce inflammation in the body, fight cancer, improve asthma, protect your eyesight, and more.

Eating a diet high in astaxanthin and omega 3 fats protects skin against sunburn and wrinkles. The omega 3’s in salmon lift your mood and fight depression, improve memory and learning ability, and help with disorders like ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Healthy fats in salmon and other wild caught cold water fish also help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Ingredients

2 cans (6.5 oz each) canned sockeye salmon, drained and chunked

3 Tbsp organic mayo (see recipe below to make your own)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp capers, drained

1/3 cup finely chopped fennel root

1/3 cup finely diced red onion

Pinch of organic black pepper

1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1/2 – 1 teaspoon dried organic dill weed

4-6 large leaves green or red leaf lettuce

Directions

Drain salmon and discard skin and any bones (if desired).  In a medium bowl, combine ingredients. Add salmon and stir gently to combine.

Lay out lettuce leaves and place a scoop of salmon salad on each leaf. Serves 2-4.

A Healthier Mayonnaise

Ingredients

1 whole (fresh, organic) egg

2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt to taste
¼ tsp white pepper or black pepper
2/3 cup Udo’s Choice Oil or extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Combine the eggs, mustard, lemon juice, salt and white pepper in your blender or food processor. Then with the blender or food processor running on a low speed, start adding the oils very slowly. Start out with drops and then work up to about a small stream. It takes about 5 minutes to accomplish this, but the end result is worth it! Continue blending until all the oil is incorporated.

Makes about 1½ cups. Refrigerate to thicken. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Stay Healthy and Lean!

cat e1335982521218 Grapefruit, Arugula and Fennel Salad With Citrus Dressing

Look for my new book, “The Flat Belly Kitchen” Series on Amazon Kindle soon!!

 

DSC 6815 e1335982388100 Grapefruit, Arugula and Fennel Salad With Citrus DressingCatherine (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.

Do Not Be Afraid of These Saturated Fats

Saturated fats can actually keep you lean and healthy.

I am a strong believer of including a variety of healthy oils and fats into your diet. I know some people are still really afraid of fat, especially saturated fat, but trust me, healthy fats can truly be good for you and actually help you burn fat.

Fats work with other nutrients to supply your body with the building blocks for metabolism, longevity, hormone balance, heart health, vision, skin and energy.

And, saturated fats are actually NECESSARY for your good health.

Healthy essential saturated fats include fat from organic grass fed beef, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, and even lard. These fats are heavy in omega 3’s, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, cholesterol (yes I said cholesterol, which is good for you and important for your body), vitamins A and K, and monounsaturated fats.

Twenty five years ago, animal fats became the enemy, based on one doctor’s flawed research findings.

It’s odd, though, that human civilizations have survived and thrived for years on high fat diets, but in our world today, we eat far less butter and lard than we did at the turn of the century, and heart disease, cancers, inflammatory diseases, depression and obesity rates have skyrocketed!

Could the doctors and the food pyramid be wrong? Yes.

We are actually suffering from an inadequate and unbalanced fat intake.

Medical research shows that it is the sugars, starches, excessive omega 6 fats, and trans fats from refined foods that increase the inflammation in our cells and blood vessels.

Our bodies send out cholesterol to mend these inflamed blood vessel walls, and then you have cholesterol buildup.

Fat actually is a more efficient and longer lasting fuel for energy, which keeps blood sugar stable and helps to prevent fat storage, as long as you are avoiding starchy processed grains and sugars.

And what about butter?

Butter has actually been used as a part of the diet for thousands of years. In fact, the first written reference to butter was found on a 4500 year-old limestone tablet. People around the world have prized butter for its health benefits.

Butter is a completely natural food essential to your health – especially when you eat organic, grass fed butter, high in CLA and one of the only sources of vital Vitamin K2.

Some of butter’s many benefits include:

  • Butter is the most easily absorbable form of Vitamin A necessary for thyroid and adrenal health, both of which are essential to fat burning and energy.
  • Butter contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and yeast infections.
  • Butter contains lecithin, essential for proper cholesterol metabolism.
  • Butter contains antioxidants that protect against free radical damage.
  • Is a great source of Vitamins A, D, E and K.
  • Is a very rich source of a very important mineral, selenium, which is a powerful cancer fighting nutrient.
  • Butter contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a potent fat burner, anti-cancer agent, muscle builder, and immunity booster.
  • The vitamin D found in butter is essential to absorption of calcium, the immune system and overall wellbeing.
  • Contains a special anti-stiffness factor, which protects against calcification of the joints.
  • Is a source of iodine in highly absorbable form-highly recommended for adequate thyroid function and fat metabolism.
  • Is a source of quick energy, and is generally not stored as fat.
  • Contains Arachidonic Acid (AA) which plays a role in brain function and is a vital  component of cell membranes.

Coconut oil is another important healthy saturated fat and is often preferred by athletes, body builders and by those trying to lose weight.

Because it is quickly and easily converted directly into energy and is not stored as fat, coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances athletic performance. Coconut oil actually raises the metabolism and is excellent to burn fat as well.

Make a point to include healthy saturated fats into your diet, while eliminating sugars, grains and starchy products. Your cholesterol levels, triglycerides and blood sugar will improve for the better.

Don’t be afraid of saturated fats anymore.

Till next time, stay healthy 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.

How to Survive Cancer

 

 
Getting a diagnosis of cancer can certainly cause one to totally re-evaluate lifestyle choices and diet.

While diet and lifestyle have a direct effect on whether someone will eventually get cancer, what about diet and lifestyle changes after a cancer diagnosis?

Is it too late? No, according to the research.

Studying survival both before and after a cancer diagnosis can tell a lot.

Does a person’s diet after a diagnosis of cancer affect survival?

Absolutely.

Oddly enough, there have not been that many studies that show how diet affects cancer survival, after diagnosis, even though this is one of the lifestyle changes that can have the most dramatic effect on whether one lives or dies.

One extensive study examined diet after a breast cancer diagnosis and survival of women enrolled in the Nurses Health Study. In this study, almost 2,000 women who had developed breast cancer were followed for an average of 13 years.

A little more than half (1,200) of these women had breast cancer that had not metastasized (spread to other organs or the lymph nodes). Women in this group who ate the largest amounts of poultry, total protein, and omega-3 fatty acids (from oils found in grass fed meats and fish) had a significantly  lower risk of death than women who ate the least amounts of these foods and nutrients. Women who ate more fiber, fish, and vegetables also had a lower risk of death than women who ate less of these food and nutrients.

And another important finding: the type of fats these women ate made a big difference. Those who ate hydrogenated oils had a higher rate of death.

For the 745 women whose cancer had metastasized, those who ate more protein and calcium had a lower rate of death.

Most importantly, in a study of 3,500 patients with breast cancer or ovarian cancer, the results show that a diet high in sugars and carbohydrates contributed to tumor growth and matastases, while a diet of healthy protein, animal products, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber had lower rates of cancer.

One’s diet after a cancer diagnosis is an area that is begging for more research.


Unfortunately, this is an area that major cancer drug companies are not interested in pursuing, so the money for this type of research is just not there. 

Some foods and nutrients have been tied to as much as a 50% decrease in the risk of death from cancer.


Why then, would you ignore something that can have such an incredibly important effect on your health?

While cancer rates climb, traditional medical science looks at more expensive, high tech treatments such as gene therapy, and more advanced cancer-killing drugs. But there is no magic cure.

Although it is far easier to prevent cancer than get rid of it, it can be reversed with diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes.

Think about this: Conventional cancer treatments kill cells, damage the immune system, and don’t go after the underlying cause.


On the other hand, diet and lifestyle changes work on strengthening the body and immune system, and promote healing; while addressing underlying causes and nutritional deficiencies.

Diet alone can make or break cancer treatment and is the most important of all therapies.


Look at it this way–what you put in your body will either help it and strengthen it, or make things worse.

Having a knowledge of which foods feed cancer cells and which foods kill or starve cancer cells is absolutely vital to the healing process.

First and most importantly, any form of sugar, or food that raises the blood level of glucose, will feed cancer cells and should be the very first dietary change you make.

This includes any high glycemic foods that contain sucrose (regular cane or beet sugar), fructose (high fructose corn syrup, agave, honey, and naturally occurring sugars in fruits and fruit juice), or glucose (starchy foods such as potatoes, grain products like bread, crackers, pasta, cookies, granola bars, etc., and corn, popcorn).

Cancer cells feed on glucose in the body, and a low-glycemic diet will virtually starve out cancer cells. This is vital!

Sugar substitutes such as Splenda, Nutrasweet and Equal, refined flours, and trans fatty acids also wreak havoc on the body, and numerous studies have linked them to cancers. Even natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup (also sugars) should also be restricted while cancer remains active.

However, the herb stevia is a safe and natural sweetener, and it does not raise blood glucose levels or stimulate an insulin response. Stevia can usually be found in the supplement aisle of health food stores.

Avoid all processed foods and packaged foods—even if it came from the natural foods aisle. These foods contain artificial ingredients, preservatives, and other substances that strengthen cancer cells and interfere with the healing process.

Pasteurized dairy products should also be avoided, as they can contribute to allergies and asthma, and actually decrease immune function in the process. Many of these also contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup, and even if they don't, dairy products contain lactose, a type of sugar in milk. And unless they are 100% grass fed or organic, there are often hormones and additives in the milk or dairy products that speed up tumor growth.

The body’s ability to fight cancer is a function of the immune system, so anything that strengthens the immune system helps it kill cancer cells.

Some cancer-preventative diets recommend avoiding meat (mostly due to the hormones, toxins and antibiotics in conventional meat), but in most cases, the best choice is to eat good quality organic and grass fed meats, organic free range chicken, and wild-caught fish.

These meats are not only high in essential body-building proteins, B vitamins, iron, and zinc, but they also contain larger amounts of healing, cancer-fighting omega 3 fats , as well as Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a powerful cancer-fighting, immune-strengthening fatty acid.

One of the big concerns with a cancer diagnosis is metastasis when cancer cells spread to other parts of the body or lymph system. Metastasis is increased by a diet high in omega-6 fatty acids (canola oil, corn, soybean, sunflower, safflower or other vegetable oils).

However, omega 3 fatty acids, like those found in grass fed meats, wild caught fatty fish, flax seeds and walnuts actually slow down and inhibit cancer growth.

Omega 3 fatty acids also increase the body’s positive response to chemotherapy and help protect against chemotherapy’s toxic effects.

Healthy fats are essential.

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is such a potent cancer-fighting fat that studies even small amounts of CLA in the diet can reduce tumors by over 50 percent.

Studies show that even small amounts of CLA can block all three stages of cancer: 1) initiation, 2) growth, and 3) metastasis.

Where do you get CLA? The best source of natural CLA is from meat and dairy products of grass fed animals. Meat or milk from grass fed cattle contains 5 times more CLA than animals raised on grain in a feedlot. Simply switching from grain fed to grass fed products will increase your intake of vital CLA significantly, and eliminate the toxins and additives from conventionally raised meats as well.

Virtually all plant foods contain powerful nutrients and antioxidants that fight cancer, aid in the healing process, and help eliminate toxins from the body.

However, it is important to eat organic fresh fruits and vegetables if at all possible. Pesticides and toxins in commercially grown vegetables are not only toxic to the body, but can encourage the growth of cancer cells.

Certain vegetables have very potent anti-cancer properties including dark green lettuces like arugula, organic spinach, mache, and romaine lettuce, as well as parsley and watercress.

Cruciferous vegetables, a famiy of vegetables that includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, kale, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, horseradish, mustard, capers, cress, rutabaga, arugula, and turnips, are extremely high in proven cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Other healing and cancer-fighting plant foods include: edible seaweeds, berries, including: acai, goji berries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and red or purple grapes, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and green tea, among many others.

A New York based physician, Dr. Gonzalez, who has had incredible results treating so-called “untreatable cancers” with an alternative approach, and a specialized dietary regimen, recommends pancreatic enzymes in cancer treatment.

In a nutshell, his theory is that pancreatic enzymes are the body's main defense against cancer and are extremely useful as a cancer treatment.

Pancreatic enzymes have some amazing tumor-dissolving abilities.

Dr. Gonzalez, who is trained in immunology, uses special diets, aggressive supplementation with nutrients and enzymes, and detoxification methods to successfully fight cancer.

Effective healing not only requires a healthy, clean diet but also getting rid of accumulated toxins and metabolic wastes.


It's also beneficial to begin any healing regimen with a cleanse of the kidneys, liver and colon to remove stored toxins. There are many effective cleansing formulas and procedures that can be found at health food stores, the internet, or through a holistic healer.

Other lifestyle factors that have a significant impact on successfully preventing and battling cancer include:

  • Get out in the sun. Vitamin D from sunlight strengthens the immune system and is a powerful weapon in the cancer battle. Adequate exposure during the midday hours is the best way to obtain the restorative benefits of sunlight.
  • Get some exercise. Regular exercise speeds up the elimination of toxins and is necessary to circulate oxygen in the body and to improve lymph function and drainage, while building immunity. You can achieve these therapeutic benefits with moderate exercise at 3-4 times a week.
  • Keep a positive attitude! It reduces psychological stress and profoundly aids the healing process. Studies in cell biology show that a positive attitude actually affects cell function!  Spend time with friends and loved ones and enjoy life as much as you can. We all have the power to control our own thoughts and attitudes and create our own reality. A positive outlook can interpret a cancer diagnosis as a life-changing event with an opportunity to transform one's life for the better. Laugh, live, enjoy.
  • Don’t neglect your spiritual side. It doesn’t mean you have to become suddenly religious, but to make peace with yourself, your life and your loved ones. Consider resolving unresolved conflicts, forgiving and asking forgiveness, and letting go of toxic emotions such as anger, bitterness, hatred, resentment, regret, and fear, while embracing your capacity for love, compassion and joy. You can do all of this through meditation, affirmations, visualization and/or prayer.
Preventing or healing from cancer may involve a total lifestyle turnaround.

While this can seem to be a daunting task, you may not only save your life, but make a complete change for the better in many ways. You can defeat cancer.


You are worth it, just ask the ones who love you.


Till next time, stay healthy and lean! 


 

Heal your body with superfoods in the Fat Burning Kitchen Superfood Recipe Book. Coming soon!




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:
1. http://www.grasslandbeef.com

2.. Plant, Ph.D., J.: The No-Dairy Breast Cancer Prevention Program. NY, NY: St. Martin's Press, 84-113, 2000

3. Liu, M.D., McManus, M.S., R.D., and Carlino, J.: Healing Gourmet, Eat to Fight Cancer. New York, NY, McGraw-Hill, 53-147, 2006

4. McCabe, Ed: Flood Your Body With Oxygen: Therapy For Our Polluted World. 6th Edition. Energy Publications, 68-9, 2003

5. Gerson, C. and Walker, M.: The Gerson Therapy. NY, NY: Kensington Publishing Corp., 154-77; 190-2, 2001

6. Brooks, Linda: Rebounding and Your Immune System. Urbana, OH: Vitally Yours Press, 13-46, 2003

7. Yance, Donald: Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer. NY, NY: McGraw-Hill, 268-70; 242-4, 1999

8. Laredo, Mary: marylaredoblogspot.com, 2007

9. http://www.eatwild.com/cla.html

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:

Enhance Your Athletic Performance


It’s hard to read sports news anymore without hearing about someone getting caught for illegal use of performance enhancing drugs.

Even though most of us are not competing with such high stakes, virtually everyone is looking to enhance their athletic performance and there are ways to do that without cheating and resorting to illicit medications.

If you continually fuel your body with the best nutrition, you will definitely see noticeable improvements in speed, endurance, and recovery, as you train. On the other hand, fueling with junk will promote injuries, strains, sprains, early fatigue, bonking and burnout.

It really can make a huge difference.

Young or old, all athletes need the lots of nutrition to push their bodies to the limit, and an athlete needs more nutrition-packed foods than the average person.

While there are literally thousands of supplements marketed towards athletes and improved performance, I wanted to over the purely natural ones you can get just from a healthy diet alone.

We all know you need a good mix of carbs, proteins, and healthy fats in the right proportions, but the actual food source of each of these is extremely important as well.

All protein is not alike, nor are all carbs, or all fats.

Carbs and fat store energy for muscles. These two nutrients are converted to energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which fuels muscles. These two macronutrients are converted to usable energy differently.

Carbohydrate is converted into blood glucose and is the first fuel burned during high intensity activities. The best carbohydrates are actually organic fruits and vegetables, which supply longer lasting energy than grain or sugar based energy sources–without causing the blood sugar spikes and resulting nosedive.

Grain and sugary forms of fuel are quickly converted into glucose in the body and after blood sugar spikes, insulin is released and the result is even lower blood sugar. In an athletic competition, this can become a bonk, as your body burns through the glucose and then searches for another fuel source. Bicycling magazine has a great article on this subject here. It seems that low glycemic foods eaten prior to a race result in far greater returns that high glycemic foods like sugar and grains. So an apple is far better than a cookie or a bagel.

Fat is actually a better source of slower burning energy for the athlete.

Healthy fats supply almost 20 times the ATP in the muscles as carbohydrates, and blood sugar levels remain stable, so no bonk. Good sources of healthy fats are the anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats, virgin coconut oil (a medium chain triglyceride, which is immediately used for energy), virgin olive oil (high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients) grass fed butter (packed with vitamin A, D, and K2–a difficult to find but essential vitamin) and nuts (rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and omega 3 fats).

Switching from a sugar burning diet, to a fat burning diet for energy and athletic performance may require a breaking-in period, as your body will search for the most easily accessible form of energy.

If it is used to getting glucose in the form of sweet and starchy snacks, then you will need to slowly wean yourself off of these, instead of just going cold turkey and expecting great results.

Muscles must have good quality protein to function well, repair, recover and regain their strength–especially after a hard workout.

Protein provides the building blocks for your muscles, and after a hard workout muscles  are depleted, often with microtears, and need protein in order to rebuild. It’s best to eat protein within a half hour after working out, and some studies have shown that protein during and after a workout is best for maximum muscle recovery.

Many athletes are turning to grass fed beef as one of their primary protein sources, which has a much higher ratio of the energy boosting omega 3 fats to omega 6 fats; is full of muscle-building and fat-burning Conjugated Linoleic Acid, is more easily digestible, and avoids the antibiotics and hormones of regular conventionally raised meat.

Recently, CNBC ran a story on grass fed meat and athletes. Dr. Keith Pyne, a peak performance specialist who works with elite athletes, is a fan of grass-fed beef:

“Especially in the last five years, athletes have begun to understand that their diet and what they put in their bodies can have a [huge] effect on their performance,” said Pyne of SportsLab NYC. “Understanding the [omega 3:6] fat ratios in what they are eating and lowering their glycemic index is now on their mind.”

The Essential Fatty Acids of omega 3 and 6 also play an important role in the functioning of the human body.

While vegetable based omega-6 fats promote inflammation, the omega 3 fatty acids work to reduce inflammation, strengthen the immune system, and aid in muscle recovery and energy.

Since the days of the cavemen, we have evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 of about 1:1. Huge changes in dietary habits over the last few centuries has changed this ratio to something closer to 20:1 which causes trouble in many ways, especially for an athlete.

Meat raised by conventional means on grain products contains large amounts of omega 6 fats, as opposed to grass fed and free range animals with healthier omega 3 fats. Research has shown that the correct balance of Essential Fatty Acids not only improves stamina and endurance; inflammation and muscle soreness after exercise, but also uses the amino acids from protein better to build and maintain muscle mass.

Athlete or not, everyone can benefit from the right balance of EFA’s , which in today’s world means more omega 3’s and less omega 6’s.

Whey is also a popular protein for sports drinks, energy bars and as an additive for smoothies and shakes. Cold processed whey protein powder is an excellent source of protein, even surpassing whole eggs, soy, meat, and other dairy sources with its excellent bioavailability and its ability to deposit nitrogen in the muscles.

Whey from a grass fed source is the absolute highest quality form of whey you can get, full of large amounts of Conjugated Linoleic Acid and omega 3 fatty acids, and none of the residual pesticides and hormones.

Whey is the only protein source that contains immunoglobulins, which are essential in maintaining immune system function. Whey protein builds up cellular glutathione levels. Glutathione has been called the ‘master antioxidant’, and regulates the actions of other antioxidants such as vitamin C, and vitamin E within the body.

No other antioxidant is as important to overall health as glutathione.

Be sure the whey source you use is cold processed as heat processing denatures the fragile protein molecules in the whey and renders them virtually useless. Unfortunately, most protein powders and protein additives use heat processing.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is another important fatty acid that enhances athletic performance. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) works not only as a powerful anti-oxidant, but also fights cancer and strengthens the immune system.

While CLA is known as a fat burner, the other key benefit of this important fat is that it triggers an increase in muscle mass and strength. CLA comes from diet, mostly from beef and dairy fats such as grass-fed beef, butter, cheese, and raw whole milk.

Cows raised on grass have about 5 times as much CLA as conventional meat and dairy cows.

While some health food stores will sell CLA supplements, most nutrition scientists agree that naturally occurring CLA from food is utilized better in the body.

Another supplement, creatine, is extremely popular with athletes and body builders. It is found naturally in the skeletal muscle, and is essential for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the cellular fuel that is burned by muscles.

Creatine is actually a natural ingredient of red meat.

Creatine is manufactured in the body from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine.

The primary energy-producing molecule for bursts of vigorous muscle contraction is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, lasts in the muscles for about 10 or so seconds, after which time your body must produce more to keep your muslces going. Your ability to supply more ATP to the muscles and make more ATP depends on creatine.

Large reserves of creatine help with endurance, buffer lactic acid, and aid in muscle fatigue. Creatine enhances the ability of the muscle to maintain high power output during brief periods of intense exercise, as in a sprint or interval training. Creatine also revives tired muscles, allowing them to work harder for longer time periods. So for short hard efforts, creatine is a valuable nutrient to add to the athlete’s diet. Creatine supplements are available, but can cause a few negative side effects, including severe stomach cramps and digestive issues.

Vegetables and fruit serve a dual purpose in an athlete’s diet, and as a healthy slow-burning complex carbohydrate, they are excellent. Yes, vegetables are carbs.

Veggies and fruit also contain loads of powerful phytochemicals and antioxidants, which serve to power your performance with tons of energy, supply crucial vitamins and minerals, but also help to minimize inflammation, reduce injury, protect the immune system, and guard cellular health.

Recent studies have shown another valuable nutrient in many vegetables, most notably the oft-misunderstood beet. It has been found that certain vegetables including beets contain nitrate, which is converted in the body to nitric oxide.

Dietary nitrate reduces oxygen needs during exercise and so, boosts athletic performance.

Drinking 500 ml of beet juice 2.5 hours before a cycling time trial improved 4 km TT time by 2.8% and 10-mile TT time by 2.7% compared to the placebo group. Not impressed?

How about this: the 4K time trial with beet juice, was 6.26 minutes vs. 6.45 minutes without, and the 16K was 26.9 min. with the beet juice, vs. 27.7 minutes. That’s almost a minute!  A minute is a lot in a TT.

Look at it this way: we cyclists pay a couple thousand dollars for lightweight aero wheels. As shown on the Zipp wheels data, for a 1080 front and a sub9 disc wheel (total cost about $3200) you can expect to save 108 seconds, over a 40K race. That’s equivalent to 43 seconds over a 16K race, while the beet juice saved people 48 seconds over a 16K race. $3200 for wheels, or down some beet juice at 6-8$ a bottle.

Hmm…I’m trying beet juice.

The effects of nitric oxide have been known for years.

Some of these effects scientists are not quite clear on, such as increasing mitochondrial action in the cells. We do know, however, that nitric oxide causes vasodilation , or dilating blood vessels. Researchers think that this is how it helps get oxygen to the working muscles more efficiently.

Another nutrient that vasodilates is magnesium.

Magnesium as you may or may not know is responsible for over 300 cellular functions and is extremely important to the athlete. Athletes lose more Mg than sedentary folks from working out hard and from sweating. Magnesium helps muscular strength and energy, as well as helping the heart pump slower and more smoothly; it relaxes the airways and dilates the blood vessels; all of which help to aid in athletic performance.

Cherry juice is another one of those magic elixirs for athletes. Tart cherry juice can actually help prevent inflammation, muscle soreness, and promote deep, restful sleep. Read the whole article on cherry's benefits.

There are a zillion other nutrients that aid in athletic performance and recovery, but these are some of the most significant.

Bottom line is this: avoid the processed, sugary junk which clogs up the system and slows you down, eat tons of healthy veggies and fruits, eat good amounts of high quality protein and healthy fats and you will find that your workouts will pay off in a big way!

Till next time, stay healthy, lean and energetic!

P.S. Look for my new Superfoods recipe book coming soon!!

 

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:
Dr. Al Sears MD, Health Confidential Newsletter, Jan 22, 2009, Iss. 35
Hajoway, Mike, “What CLA can do for you”, Bodybuilding.com, 2011.

Fritsche S, Rumsey TS, Yurawecz MP, Ku Y, Fritsche J. Influence of growth promoting implants on fatty acid composition including conjugated linoleic acid isomers in beef fat. Eur. Food Res. Technol. 212:621-629 (2001).

Lowery LM, Appicelli PA, Lemon PWR. Conjugated linoleic acid enhances muscle size and strength gains in novice bodybuilders. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998;30:S182 [abstract].

Thom E, Wadstein J, Gudmundsen O. Conjugated linoleic acid reduces body fat in healthy exercising humans. J Int Med Res 2001;29:392-6.

 

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.
     

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    

 

Incredible Lipid Panel-YOU Can Do it Too!

I recently had my blood lipid panel done for a physical. My Physician was absolutely blown away, and the results astounded even me!
Here are my numbers:
  • Total Cholesterol 192 mg/DL (physicians recommend total cholesterol below 200, but this number is subject to drug companies push for statins, and the ratio of HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol is most important.)
  • High Density Lipoprotein 158 mg/DL (above 50 is recommended)
  • Low Density Lipoprotein 30mg/DL (ideal is below 130)
  • Triglycerides 18 (ideal is below 150).
Am I some kind of freak of nature? No–YOU can get numbers like this too–without medication!

The “Good” cholesterol HDL actually removes cholesterol from the blood stream and carries it to the liver for processing. This good cholesterol goes up in response to a healthy diet and consistent exercise.

The total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio is a number that is helpful in predicting an individual’s risk of developing atherosclerosis. This number comes from dividing Total Cholesterol by HDL cholesterol.

High total cholesterol and low HDL are undesirable. A high ratio indicates higher risks of heart attacks, low ratios indicate lower risk.
An average ratio would be about 4.5. Of course you should be better than average if you can. So the best ratio would be LOW and about a 2 or 3 or less. Mine was 1.2. That according to my physician is off the charts, and any risk of heart attack is virtually nil.
Another ratio to check is LDL/HDL. The LDL/HDL ratio is actually a purer ratio than total cholesterol/HDL, because LDL is a measure of “bad’ cholesterol and HDL is a measure of “good” cholesterol.
The goal is to keep the ratio above 0.3, with the ideal HDL/LDL ratio being over 0.4. Mine was 5.27.
Both LDL and HDL are important for heart health. Lifestyle factors are key here. Although dietary changes can help lower LDL, raising the HDL numbers can be done with exercise and a healthy diet.
Triglyceride levels are actually one of the most important indicators of heart health–but this is something that can totally be controlled by a healthy lifestyle. Being overweight, physically inactive, smoking cigarettes and diet high in refined carbohydrates or sugar will make this number go up.

A healthy diet consisting of lean, all-natural, heart-healthy grass fed meats and vegetables like you will find in The Fat Burning Kitchen, instead of processed, packaged foods will give you a spectacular lipid panel too.

My diet consists of healthy grass fed meats, wild caught fish, free range chicken and free range eggs (from a nearby farm), whole raw milk, raw grass fed cheese, lots of grass fed butter, and generous amounts of coconut oil, rich in medium chain triglycerides.
So no low-fat diet for me! Does this sound like what your physician would recommend for lowering cholesterol and reducing heart attack risk? Not at all. But it is by far, the healthiest diet, believe me.

I eat very little grain and when I do, it is usually only whole brown rice, or quinoa. No wheat (especially processed wheat!), no corn whatsoever–including and especially high fructose corn syrup, very little sugar, unless it is naturally occurring in foods like fruits.

I love to eat TONS of fresh, raw and mostly locally grown raw produce, like raw fresh dark green salads with many other colorful vegetables added.

I snack on grass fed cheese (no crackers for me, but sometimes an apple or organic grapes with it), all natural beef jerky from USWM, and lots of nuts, especially those that are prepared without added oils.
Even though your doctor may have recommended vegetable oils, avoiding these inflammatory omega 6 rich vegetable oils like safflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and canola oils is the best thing you can do for your health. And NO TRANS FATS at all, ever!
Sound extreme? No really it isn’t. And yes, I have been known to actually eat a few French fries once in a great while, or nibble on dark chocolate–and even drink a beer or two.
I never go hungry, yet stay healthy and lean and feel great.
Because of all the propaganda that’s out there about cholesterol and saturated fats, you may think that cholesterol itself and saturated fats are harmful substances that should be avoided at all costs.
Many still do.
In fact, though, quite the opposite is true. Cholesterol is an essential element in our bodies. It is found in all the cells of the body, particularly in the brain and nerve cells.

Cholesterol is also used to make a number of other important substances: hormones (including the sex hormones), bile acids and, in conjunction with sunlight on the skin, vitamin D 3.

Our bodies uses large quantities of cholesterol every day and the substance is so important that, with the exception of brain cells, every body cell has the ability to make it.

So you see, saturated fats, especially those that come from naturally pastured, grass fed meats, cheeses, milk and wild caught fish full of healthy omega 3 fats are not the way to a heart attack, rather they are the way to good health and a healthy heart.

A Votre Sante!

Barry Groves, PhD, “The Great Cholesterol Lie”
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/cholesterol_myth_1.html
By Peter Libby, “Atherosclerosis: The New View”, Scientific American, November 10, 2008.

What They Didn’t Tell You About Cholesterol

I talk to so many well-informed, health-conscious people who are concerned about eating a healthy diet, but the one thing that comes up over and over again is this 'cholesterol-phobia' towards cholesterol and saturated fats.

And if you pay attention to mainstream media, you are probably convinced that high cholesterol and saturated fat intake will lead directly to heart disease.

Well guess what ? That's not necessarily true.

There have been several research studies showing that cholesterol IS NOT the villain in heart disease, but the media and mainstream medicine have yet to adopt this fact.

And so, it is little known–but very valuable–information. Why the big Secret??

While statin drugs (cholesterol lowering medications) are one of the top selling medications in the US, and as the drug companies continually seek to lower the cholesterol level guidelines for administration of these drugs, there is no absolutely no motivation to stop this moneymaking practice.

The drug companies want you to be convinced that you MUST lower your cholesterol in order to live a long and healthy life and avoid heart disease.

Physicians have been taught for the past four decades that cholesterol is dangerous and that it must be lowered at all costs. The "cholesterol is harmful" hypothesis, although never proven, has come to be accepted as an unquestionable fact by physicians and patients alike.

Sad to say, any information that points towards cholesterol being beneficial, tends to fall upon deaf ears.

Well here is a startling fact– Did you know that approximately 75% of the people who suffer heart attacks have cholesterol levels within the 'normal' range?

Just how did this whole "cholesterol will kill you" hypothesis come about?

Back in 1799, an English physician found a waxy substance in the coronary arteries while doing an autopsy. Another English physician, Joseph Hodgson, looking at the same waxy stuff, came up with a theory for it. Hodgson suggested that inflammation was actually the reason the waxy substance was in the arteries. Hodgson's theory, though, ended up mostly ignored.

When another physician, Dr. Ansel Keys observed that death rate from heart attacks were much lower in areas where the food supply was low during World War II, it was assumed it was because people were eating less fat. But the researchers overlooked the fact that these people were also eating less sugar and starchy foods. And so, the connection was established with dietary fats and heart disease.

Dr. Keys proposed a diet high in vegetable oils and low in animal fat, and dieticians, physicians, and medical researchers all jumped on the "cholesterol is harmful" bandwagon too.

But, despite its popularity, the "cholesterol is harmful" theory remains unproven. Conclusive proof that cholesterol itself is harmful does not exist.

In fact, just the opposite is true. People with high cholesterol have been scientifically shown to actually live the longest. Really??

Consider the findings of Dr. Harlan Krumholz of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale University, who reported in 1994 that elderly people with low cholesterol died twice as often from a heart attack as did elderly people with high cholesterol.

In fact, most studies of elderly people have shown that high cholesterol is not a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

In fact, studies have repeatedly found that senior citizens with high cholesterol levels tend to live longer than their peers with low cholesterol values. As a group, elderly people with higher levels of cholesterol outlive those with low levels of cholesterol.

Researchers at Texas A&M University also discovered that low cholesterol levels affect muscles, including the heart muscle, and reduce gains in strength while exercising. These findings were recently published in the Journal of Gerontology.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that there was a direct association between dietary cholesterol intake and strength.

Cholesterol actually plays an important role in muscle repair and rebuilding. So considering that the heart, too is an important muscle, why would we want to make our muscles weaker?

There are over twenty studies that show cholesterol is actually beneficial to the health.

In fact, the studies concluded two main facts:

-There is little benefit in lowering cholesterol levels below 260 mg/dL in elderly people.

-Efforts to lower cholesterol increase the risk of developing cancer and shorten life span.

Ok, so what causes heart attacks then?

In 1976, one of the most promising theories about the cause of atherosclerosis and heart disesase, was proposed by Russell Ross, a professor of pathology, and John Glomset, a professor of biochemistry and medicine at the Medical School, University of Washington in Seattle.

These scientists suggested that atherosclerosis is the consequence of an inflammatory process which results from a localized injury to the lining inside the arteries. This injury results in inflammation and the plaques that accumulate from cholesterol in the blood vessels are simply healing lesions. Injury from inflammation may result from high blood sugar levels and other inflammatory substances in the blood like an excess of omega 6 fats, and trans fats.

Think of it this way: if you fell, injured yourself and skinned your knee, then a scab resulted from the body's attempt to heal the injury, would you blame the scab for being the problem?

No–the skinned knee is the result of an injury, right? The scab is not at fault, it is simply the body trying to heal the injury, which ulitimately resulted from a fall.

Same thing with the cholesterol theory. We are blaming the wrong thing.

Cholesterol is a repair substance. Higher levels of cholesterol do not clog arteries. Injury and inflammation cause the arteries to clog up.

So regardless of your overall cholesterol numbers, it is the ratio of HDL and overall cholesterol that matters.

HDL is the component in cholesterol that actually cleans up the plaque in arteries, so obviously striving to keep that number high is key.

How to raise HDL?

Following the diet in The Fat Burning Kitchen Program will get your cholesterol ratios in the healthy range very quickly.

Increase your intake of omega 3 rich foods such as grass fed meats, wild caught fatty fish, organic free range chickens and eggs, grass fed dairy, nuts and olive oil. Reduce your intake of all grains and starchy foods.

Reducing starchy grains in the diet lowers the triglyceride levels–one of the key factors in heart disease. Avoid all sugars (don't forget high fructose corn syrup is in almost everything) and keep blood sugar at a stable level. High blood sugar levels increase inflammation in the blood vessels.

Constant high blood sugar levels not only increase the risk for diabetes, and in turn heart disease, but also lead to metabolic syndrome with weight gain, insulin resistance and damage to the blood vessels.

Avoid omega 6 fats found in vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil and more, increase inflammation in the body. Most any processed food contains one of these types of oils–or even worse trans fats! (Trans fats are any type of 'hydrogenated' oil which are extremely damaging to our bodies.)

Increase your intake of B vitamins. B vitamins are known to lower levels of homocysteine, a key inflammatory component in heart disease.

And of course, STOP smoking, smoking raises LDL cholesterol levels, raises inflammation in the blood vessels and increases chances of having arterial plaque buildup in the arteries.

Fuel for Top Athletic Performance

As a competitive cyclist, I am around athletes all the time.

It’s amazing to me what some of them eat, drink and fuel their bodies with before, during and after races.

The myth of ‘carb loading’ is still there, as well as attempting to fuel with sugary, chemical-laden substances before and during and after races.

Does it work? Well no, not really.

What do you eat to fuel your body properly for athletic performance?

It’s probably not what you think. Athletes and weekend warriors alike seem to always be looking for the latest powders, drink mixes, energy bars, supplements, gels, etc. to give themselves the ‘edge’ in competition.

We spend millions of dollars on ‘energy’ drinks and ‘energy’ bars each year.

While food manufacturers would like you to believe there are all kinds of performance-related nutrients in these things, it all really boils down to two ingredients: sugar and caffeine.

The rest of it is chemicals, chemically processed, and virtually useless ingredients as well as empty calories. Fueling your body with sugar and caffeine eventually leads to a decline in energy, not an increase. Sugar starts with a quick high, but it is followed by plummeting energy levels.

So, over the long run, any type of sugar used as a fuel will deplete you of energy.

In fact, any kinesiologist or chiropractor will show you how sugar dramatically reduces strength.

So where should an athlete get energy to fuel the fires to compete?

For any event lasting longer than a half hour, energy is going to have to come from a better source. Eating simple carbs like sugar, honey, corn syrup—even processed white flour as in pasta, bread, cookies, doughnuts, etc. before an event will cause a spike in blood sugar followed by a fall and loss of energy.

Simple carbs and even excessive complex carbs cause sluggishness and will hamper athletic performance in the long run.

Although many athletes still follow the ‘carb-loading’ principle, burning any type of sugar (carbs turn to sugar in the body) is not what the body needs over the long haul of an event.

Controlling the blood sugar and insulin is actually key to athletic performance.

When insulin levels are under control, the body will be more likely to burn fat for energy.

This is called ‘thermogenesis’ and any elite athlete has a body that is highly capable of this.

Why do we want to burn fat for energy? The body turns to burning fat for energy after only a short period of time in any physically demanding activity. Fat not only works for a long-term fuel for the body, it supplies a ready amount of ATP, which is the energy powerhouse for muscles.

ATP is the primary energy and strength-producing fuel within the body for muscles.

The more ATP available, the more energy your muscles have and the better you perform. Carbohydrates as an energy source only supply your muscles with 38 molecules of ATP per molecule. The difference when utilizing fat as an energy source is that a single fat molecule will produce 129 molecules of ATP!

That’s a HUGE difference!

That’s the difference between sustained energy in an athletic event and ‘bonking’. If your body has a habit of only using simple carbohydrates for energy, you will bonk after a short time.

So the difference between fueling with fat or carbohydrates comes down to the difference between a high level of athletic performance, or just being one of the pack.

Obviously the smart thing to do then, is to fuel your body with good healthy fats and protein prior to an athletic event.

How do you do this exactly? On a day-to-day basis, make sure you are supplying your body with adequate amounts of healthy protein, good fats, and complex carbohydrates (non-grain sources are the best).

Healthy fats for athletic performance are omega 3 fats with EPA and DHA in them, such as those found in grass fed meats, wild caught fish, and free-range eggs; saturated fats such as the kind you find in grass fed butter and grass fed meats; monosaturated fats such as coconut oil (full of medium chain triglycerides that provide many of the crucial metabolic constituents needed to burn fat effectively and boost energy) olive oil, avocados, and nuts.

Get protein from a high quality source to be sure you are getting the right amount of omega 3 fats, as well as the proper protein. Grass fed meat provides the best, most usable protein the body can use, along with other essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, CLA (a muscle building and fat burning nutrient), and a host of other vitamins and minerals necessary for muscles and energy.

Prior to popular beliefs, carbohydrate sources for athletes do not need to come from grain or starchy products.

In fact, in a recent experiment with a world-famous professional cycling team, wheat was removed from the training table, and healthier carbohydrate sources were substituted. The athletes found their performance, sleep and digestion improved drastically—even though the cyclists were not gluten or wheat-intolerant.

The best carbohydrate sources come from organic fresh, colorful, and antioxidant-rich vegetables and organic fruits.

So what’s the best combination of these foods for supreme athletic performance?

Well, follow these simple rules and you will find your energy levels and performance soar.

  • Two or three hours before an athletic event eat a combination of healthy fats combined with a small amount of easy-to-digest protein and carbohydrates.  Try organic free-range eggs, beef jerky, or wild caught fish; along with potatoes (white or sweet), brown rice or quinoa, and healthy fats such as grass fed butter, avocados, olive oil, coconut oil or fats from nuts.
  • Just prior to your athletic event, eat fruit such as apples, pears, oranges, berries or bananas. These complex carbohydrates are easy to digest and will give you plenty of quick energy without the bonk later.
  • During the event and also immediately afterward, avoid sports drinks and energy bars containing corn syrup, sugar, chemicals and preservatives. Refuel instead with healthier energy bars and drinks with natural lower-glycemic sweeteners like honey, maple, cane, brown rice syrup or stevia, and all-natural ingredients. Try one of USWM Good On Ya’ energy bars for superior energy and stamina.
  • Afterwards, muscles are nitrogen-poor and broken down. You need to replace the amino acids and lost nutrients with high quality animal proteins like grass fed meat, wild caught fish, free-range organic chicken and free-range eggs; as well as replenishing complex carbohydrates with organic vegetables, brown rice, or potatoes.

Try utilizing these energy rules for your athletic endeavors and you will see your performance, stamina and energy soar! Sources: Dr. Ben Lerner, “Energy Rules for Athletes” posted by Dr. Mercola, September 2005, Mercola.com. Shane Ellison, “Fat for Energy and Raw Athletic Power”, The People’s Chemist.com, 2006