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!

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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.

 

 

 

 

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.

Best Wrinkle Fighters are Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Saturated Fats

When I was a teenager, my summer’s goal was to get as tan as possible, so needless to say, my friends and I spent a good portion of our summertime sun bathing as much as we could.

And to make matters worse, no sunscreen for us, no sir, we used baby oil to bake our skin.

Sunscreen was for sissies.

I still remember the lectures (that went unheeded) from my dad about too much sun exposure.

That I would get wrinkly, leathery-looking skin when I was older, that I could get skin cancer if I didn’t stay out of the sun, and that I needed to be slathering myself with chemical-laden sunscreens.

Well, eventually the super summer bronze glow became a thing of the past, as free time was replaced with college, full-time jobs, and families.

As a fair-skinned blonde, I worried about my skin.

Would I become wrinkly and leathery-looking by the time I was 30?

I watched and waited, and it never happened.

Never a fan of expensive creams, lotions, potions and cosmetic medical procedures, I just used soap and water and hoped for the best.

What I did not realize at the time was that the diet I was eating was helping my skin tremendously.

I actually reversed the sun damage with my healthy diet.

Today at 51, my skin is smooth, soft and relatively wrinkle-free—far from the leathery, wrinkly face my father predicted.

I’m now experiencing another phenomenon—as a competitive cyclist, I spend long hours out in the sun riding my bike. Since most conventional sunscreens are full of chemicals that are far worse than the sun exposure and cause more damage with their poisonous chemicals than the sun itself, I am not a big fan of sunscreens.

But, surprisingly enough, I rarely get burned out in the sun, just lightly tanned most of the time.

What is going on?

Turns out, my diet has come to the rescue, again.

A recent study shows omega 3 fatty acids actually protect the skin from the inflammatory response (sunburn) after too much sun exposure and that these super nutrients also reduce the risk of some skin cancers.

The study’s findings also show that omega 3 fatty acids play an important role in preventing and reducing the damaging effects of sun. In humans, omega 3 fatty acids also increase the time it takes to become sunburned, the review concluded, very similar to what sunscreens do.

In experimental animal studies, the reviewers noted, there is direct evidence that dietary omega 3 fatty acids inhibited the cancerous changes that occur after ultraviolet radiation, including decreasing tumor growth and reducing the cancer cell’s ability to multiply.

However, equivalent levels of omega 6 fatty acids actually increase the cancerous changes that occur after exposure to ultraviolet radiation. In mice and in human skin exposed to ultraviolet B radiation, dietary omega 3 fatty acids dramatically reduce levels of prostaglandin E synthase type 2 (PGE(2)), an inflammatory messenger chemical that suppresses immune response to pre-cancerous cell changes. Dietary omega 6 fatty acids increase levels of PGE(2).

So the “Standard American Diet” that most Americans consume containing the skewed higher ratio of omega 6 fatty acids to omega 3’s not only contributes to a worse sunburn, but it also contributes to the aging effect of sun on the skin.

It is a known fact that people who regularly eat a diet higher in saturated fats and omega 3 fats have much smoother, softer skin.

In contrast, a diet high in trans fats and omega 6 fats ages skin and those that consume that type of diet have older-looking skin and wrinkles.

So obviously, the best way to avoid damaging your skin and minimizing the effects of sun damage start on the inside, not the outside.

Lets look at ways to best protect our skin from the inside out:

One of the best ways to prevent sun damage, while absorbing healthy vitamin D, and protect your skin, is with diet. Your body can actually create its own natural sunscreen with the right dietary components:

  • Omega 3 fatty acids–Research studies show that eicosapentaenoic acid (also called EPA), a kind of omega 3 fatty acid, helps prolong the time that it takes skin to get burnt during sun exposure, and also helps reduce the risk of skin cancer. The best omega 3 fatty acids containing EPA and DHA, are found in animal products such as grass-fed meat, cold-water, wild caught, fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel, and free range chickens/eggs.
  • An optimal balance of omega 3’s to omega 6’s (3:1, or better) is critical for many, many health factors, including heart health and skin health. According to another study published in the American Health Foundation Journal:

“Epidemiological, experimental, and mechanistic data implicate omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as stimulator’s and long-chain omega 3 PUFAs as inhibitors of development and progression of a range of human cancers, including melanoma”.

  • Eliminate vegetable oils in favor of grass fed butter, lard or tallow, and healthy fats like virgin olive oil and coconut oil. Plastic surgeons even note that those people who eat a diet purely made up of vegetable oils tend to have much more wrinkly, aged looking skin than people of the same age who eat a diet rich in saturated fats. And unfortunately, vegans tend to age more quickly than omnivores, since they are missing out on collagen, protein, and saturated fats that all contribute to more skin elasticity, better skin cell membranes, and more collagen to add structure under the skin.
  • Eat Carotenoids. Carotenoids are nutrients that protect plants and animals from excess sunshine. When we ingest carotenoids, they are deposited into the skin to prevent sunburn and oxidative stress, which can lead to wrinkles and skin cancer. Best sources of carotenoids are free-range organic eggs, dark-green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, baby greens and organic spinach), and yellow-orange fruits and vegetables (mangoes, cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash).

  • The most potent carotenoid is the red pigment found in salmon, trout, shrimp, and lobsters. It is known as astaxanthin. Once ingested, astaxanthin is 1,000 times more effective at protecting skin from UV damage than other carotenoids. A research study by Köpcke & Krutmann concluded that beta-carotene is effective in protecting against sunburn and that time is important: the longer the duration of supplementation, the stronger the effect. A minimum of 10 weeks was needed to see results, and the protective effect increased with each additional month of supplementation.
  • Include lycopene in your diet. It’s pretty easy to get lycopene in the summer, since it is found in red fruits such as tomatoes, red bell pepper and watermelon. Lycopene’s potency is actually increased with cooking, so tomato sauce and tomato paste have more concentrated amounts of lycopene than fresh tomatoes.

In studies with lycopene, it was shown that people who consumed 55 grams (5 tablespoons) a day of lycopene in tomato paste had 33% more protection against sunburn compared to a control group after 12 weeks. It also boosted the level of procollagen in the skin, which suggests potential reversal of the skin aging process.

  • Drink 3-4 cups of green tea a day for its antioxidant and skin-protecting benefits. (It’s delicious iced and sweetened with stevia.) Green tea contains antioxidants called polyphenols that boost the ability of skin to protect itself from the sun. The polyphenols in green tea actually reduce the damage caused by ultraviolet rays and protect it from photo aging, both when applied externally as a topical cream or a lotion, and when consumed internally as food.
  • Snack on vitamin and flavanol-rich fruit this summer instead starchy carbohydrates and sugary snacks. Summer months bring us delicious, antioxidant-heavy berries and other fruit such as mangoes, kiwis, peaches and plums. These fruits are also rich in vitamin C, known for its role in building collagen, and preventing wrinkles and photo damage through its anti-inflammatory action. Toss some berries into your yogurt, make a smoothie out of different summer fruits, add some fruit to a lunch salad; the possibilities are endless.

Bottom line–if you must spend a long amount of time out in the summer sun, you will probably need to protect your skin with a sunscreen too.

Most sunscreens contain inherent dangers as well, so choose carefully. While there is still some risk in spending long periods of time in the summer sun without sunscreen (even with a skin-healthy diet), the sunscreen itself can pose a bigger health risk.

The chemicals in sunscreen are very harsh and are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, and have been proven to cause several types of cancers. “Octyl-methacinnamate”, “phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid”, “octyl-dimethyl-PABA”, and “oxybenzone”, are all standard sunscreen ingredients. Numerous studies have raised concerns about these chemicals safety:

  • Octyl-methacinnamate has been shown to damage skin cells, and many people are highly sensitive or allergic to this ingredient.
  • Bensopenone-3 (BP3), homosalate (HMS), 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC), octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC), and octyl-dimethyl-PABA (OD-PABA) were all found to have estrogenic effects in the body, which can lead to certain cancers, including breast cancer.
  • Oxybenzone has been shown to decrease sperm count and lengthen the estrous cycle in mice; again a possible carcinogen in humans.

The best and most natural sunscreens are sunscreen products with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as their active ingredients. Both block UVA and UVB rays, are natural, safe products for your skin and have raised no health concerns.

So this summer, protect your skin inside and outside with a healthy diet and natural sunscreen when needed. You will not only soak up the vitamin D with all its health benefits, but have soft smooth skin as well.Sources: Mercola, “If You Use Sunscreen, This is Urgent Information You Must Have”, May 13, 2010, Mercola.com. Shane Ellison, “Chemist Forces Children to Eat Sunscreen” www.thepeopleschemist.com 2008. Arathi, “How to Eat For Internal Sun Protection”, eHow.com, accessed May 7, 2010. Jennifer Barrett, “On the Bright Side”, Experience Life Magazine, July/August 2009, Lifetime Fitness. Black HS, Rhodes LE. The potential of omega-3 fatty acids in the prevention of non-melanoma skin cancer. Cancer Detect Prev. 2006;30(3):224-32.