RED: Fruits and vegetables with the color red contain a super anti-oxidant in the carotenoid pigment lycopene. Lycopene is found in tomatoes, red and pink grapefruit, guava, watermelon, papaya, red bell peppers and gogi berries.
Lycopene is absorbed most effectively when it is combined with a fat source. Eating tomato sauces or tomatoes with olive oil is good. The body absorbs the most lycopene when the tomatoes are cooked.
ORANGE: Orange containing fruits and vegetables are rich in the potent anti-oxidant beta-carotene. Beta carotene is found in sweet potatoes, yams, mangoes, carrots, and apricots.
Beta carotene helps prevent night blindness and other eye problems while working to help improve eye function.
GREEN: Dark green fruits and vegetables contain carotenoids lutein and Zeaxanthin. They are also rich in folate, magnesium, copper, B6. Many green vegetables like kale and collard greens contain powerful glucosinolates and methyl cysteine sulfoxides. These super-nutrients help to activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver that play an important role in neutralizing carcinogenic substances.
BLUE/PURPLE These fruits and vegetables are rich in flavonoids, phytochemicals, and anti-oxidants. The phytochemical pigment responsible for the dark color is called anthocyanins. Foods that are rich in anthocyanins include blueberries, plums, red cabbage, eggplant, blackberries, raspberries and cranberries.
These super nutrients have an especially powerful ability to minimize cancer-induced DNA damage, stall the growth of pre-malignant cells, accelerate cancer cell death, and reduce inflammatory mediators that initiate cancer cell growth. Berries are one of the richest sources on anthocyanins.
WHITE: The onion family which includes leeks, scallions, onions and garlic all conttain the sulfur containing compound called allicin. This is a powerful anti-microbial that destroys bacteria, viruses and fungi. Allicin is also a powerful anti-inflammatory that many doctors think helps reduce cancer, lower cholesterol and reduce inflammatory damage to the heart.
Mushrooms contain beta-glucan, selenium, vitamin B6, and zinc that are critical for healthy immune functon and the formation of the cellular anti-oxidant glutathione. Cauliflower contains the phytochemicals Indole-3-carbonyl and sulforaphanes whaich are some of nature's most powerful cancer fighters.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
How to Cure Colds. Well, Most of Them Anyway
The best way to conquer a cold (or flu) is vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is an amazingly effective antimicrobial agent, producing 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides in you body that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. So optimizing your levels will not only help end a cold virus packing...IT WILL HELP WARD OFF COLD VIRUSES IN THE FIRST PLACE.
The best source of vitamin D3 is direct sun exposure. But for many of us, this just isn't practical during the winter. The next best option to sunlight is taking vitamin D3 supplements. Based on the latest research, many experts now agree you need about 35 IU's of vitamin D3 per pound of body weight. This recommendation also includes children, the elderly and pregnant women.
It is estimated that the average U.S. adult typically has two to four colds each year, while children may have up to 12! One reason for he widespread prevalence may be that vitamin D3 deficiency is incredibly common in the United States, especially during the winter months when cold (and flu) viruses are at their peak.
In the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date, involving about 19,000 Americans, people with the lowest vitamin D3 levels reported having SIGNIFICANTLY more recent colds or cases of the flu. The risk was even greater for those with chronic respiratory disorders like asthma.
At least five additional studies also show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and vitamin D3 levels. But the research is very clear, the HIGHER your vitamin D3 level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu and other respiratory tract infections.
It is not surprising, then, that the average American gets so many colds each year, as current guidelines for optimal intake and normal vitamin D3 levels are far too low-and since most people do not get adequate sun exposure on a daily basis (which is what produces vitamin D3 in your skin) many are deficient .
The best source of vitamin D3 is direct sun exposure. But for many of us, this just isn't practical during the winter. The next best option to sunlight is taking vitamin D3 supplements. Based on the latest research, many experts now agree you need about 35 IU's of vitamin D3 per pound of body weight. This recommendation also includes children, the elderly and pregnant women.
It is estimated that the average U.S. adult typically has two to four colds each year, while children may have up to 12! One reason for he widespread prevalence may be that vitamin D3 deficiency is incredibly common in the United States, especially during the winter months when cold (and flu) viruses are at their peak.
In the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date, involving about 19,000 Americans, people with the lowest vitamin D3 levels reported having SIGNIFICANTLY more recent colds or cases of the flu. The risk was even greater for those with chronic respiratory disorders like asthma.
At least five additional studies also show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and vitamin D3 levels. But the research is very clear, the HIGHER your vitamin D3 level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu and other respiratory tract infections.
It is not surprising, then, that the average American gets so many colds each year, as current guidelines for optimal intake and normal vitamin D3 levels are far too low-and since most people do not get adequate sun exposure on a daily basis (which is what produces vitamin D3 in your skin) many are deficient .
Thursday, November 11, 2010
The Amazing Egg
Years ago when I was living on five acres in Idaho with my parents we raised most of the things we ate. This included a milk cow for milk, butter and cheese. We raised a steer each year for meat and chickens for eggs. Each morning we had two eggs for breakfast.
We started reading in the newspapers that the doctors were saying that eggs were contributing to heart disease. I stopped eating eggs. I did not eat eggs for forty years.
Now the LATEST RESEARACH says that eggs are very good for you. They improve your eyes, they help clean the cholesterol buildup out of your arteries. The protein in eggs is low cost and the best that you can buy.
Eggs contain generous amounts of calcium, iron phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6,panthothenic acid. They also include all the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Maybe you have heard that eating eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof. When you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down regulates it's production of cholesterol to balance things out.
On the other hand, if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has dozens of important vital function in the body.
There have been plenty of studies lately that indicate that eating whole eggs actually raises your GOOD HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than bad LDL, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.
A University of Connecticut study showed that a group of men in the study that ate 3 eggs per day for 12 weeks while on a reduced carb, higher fat diet increased their HDL good cholesterol by 20 per cent, while their LDL bad cholesterol stayed the same.
Eggs contain the antioxidant lutein as well as other antioxidants which can help protect you for inflammation within your body.
Eggs contain vitamin K. Vitamin K among other things, takes the calcium in the blood and the soft tissues and puts it in the bones where it belongs. The result is that the arteries are free from calcium buildup and your bones are stronger!
Lastly. A recent study that compared groups of people that ate eggs breakfasts vs groups of people that ate cereal or bagel-based breakfasts. The results of the study showed that the eggs eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight.
We started reading in the newspapers that the doctors were saying that eggs were contributing to heart disease. I stopped eating eggs. I did not eat eggs for forty years.
Now the LATEST RESEARACH says that eggs are very good for you. They improve your eyes, they help clean the cholesterol buildup out of your arteries. The protein in eggs is low cost and the best that you can buy.
Eggs contain generous amounts of calcium, iron phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6,panthothenic acid. They also include all the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Maybe you have heard that eating eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof. When you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down regulates it's production of cholesterol to balance things out.
On the other hand, if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has dozens of important vital function in the body.
There have been plenty of studies lately that indicate that eating whole eggs actually raises your GOOD HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than bad LDL, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.
A University of Connecticut study showed that a group of men in the study that ate 3 eggs per day for 12 weeks while on a reduced carb, higher fat diet increased their HDL good cholesterol by 20 per cent, while their LDL bad cholesterol stayed the same.
Eggs contain the antioxidant lutein as well as other antioxidants which can help protect you for inflammation within your body.
Eggs contain vitamin K. Vitamin K among other things, takes the calcium in the blood and the soft tissues and puts it in the bones where it belongs. The result is that the arteries are free from calcium buildup and your bones are stronger!
Lastly. A recent study that compared groups of people that ate eggs breakfasts vs groups of people that ate cereal or bagel-based breakfasts. The results of the study showed that the eggs eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight.
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Skinny on Fats, the Update
Multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60 per cent of their total caloric intake from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease.
During this same time, the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer's have skyrocketed compared to our ancestors, and even compared to modern day primitive societies using saturated fat as a dietary staple.
The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.
The operative word is "created", because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man made process called hydrogenation.
Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened oil that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits.
THE MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES ARE NOW FAIRLY UNITED IN THE OPINION THAT HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE AND SEED OILS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
These unsaturated fats, artificially manipulated into saturated fats, are also called trans fats, and no doubt you've heard about them lately. Some cities and states have now outlawed their use.
These are the same damaged trans fats that have been touted as "healthy" and "heart-friendly" for the last 60 years by the vegetable and seed oil interests!
Unfortunately, this rightful vilification of hydrogenated saturated fats has created a lot of confusion regarding NATURALLY occurring saturated fats, including coconut oil.
Back in the 1930's, a dentist named Dr Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet, and that heart disease was virtually non-existent.
Coconut oil and olive oil are the most healthy oils you can eat. Use coconut oil for cooking as it does not oxidize. Olive oil should not be used for cooking, but only be used cold, typically drizzled on salads and other foods.
Polyunsaturated fats are the absolute worst oils to use when cooking because these omega-6-rich oils are highly susceptible to heat damage. These oils include corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola oils.
Damaged omega-6-fats are disastrous to your health, and are responsible for far more health problems than natural saturated fats ever were.
Trans fat is the artery-clogging, highly damaged omega-6-polyunsaturated fat that is formed when vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening or are USED IN COOKING.
Trans fat raises your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels while lowering your HDL (good cholesterol)levels, which of course in the complete opposite of what you want. In fact TRANS FATS AS OPPOSED TO SATURATED FATS-HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY LINKED TO HEART DISEASE. They can also cause major clogging of your arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems.
During this same time, the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer's have skyrocketed compared to our ancestors, and even compared to modern day primitive societies using saturated fat as a dietary staple.
The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.
The operative word is "created", because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man made process called hydrogenation.
Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened oil that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits.
THE MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES ARE NOW FAIRLY UNITED IN THE OPINION THAT HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE AND SEED OILS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
These unsaturated fats, artificially manipulated into saturated fats, are also called trans fats, and no doubt you've heard about them lately. Some cities and states have now outlawed their use.
These are the same damaged trans fats that have been touted as "healthy" and "heart-friendly" for the last 60 years by the vegetable and seed oil interests!
Unfortunately, this rightful vilification of hydrogenated saturated fats has created a lot of confusion regarding NATURALLY occurring saturated fats, including coconut oil.
Back in the 1930's, a dentist named Dr Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet, and that heart disease was virtually non-existent.
Coconut oil and olive oil are the most healthy oils you can eat. Use coconut oil for cooking as it does not oxidize. Olive oil should not be used for cooking, but only be used cold, typically drizzled on salads and other foods.
Polyunsaturated fats are the absolute worst oils to use when cooking because these omega-6-rich oils are highly susceptible to heat damage. These oils include corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola oils.
Damaged omega-6-fats are disastrous to your health, and are responsible for far more health problems than natural saturated fats ever were.
Trans fat is the artery-clogging, highly damaged omega-6-polyunsaturated fat that is formed when vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening or are USED IN COOKING.
Trans fat raises your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels while lowering your HDL (good cholesterol)levels, which of course in the complete opposite of what you want. In fact TRANS FATS AS OPPOSED TO SATURATED FATS-HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY LINKED TO HEART DISEASE. They can also cause major clogging of your arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems.
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