How Bad Is Your Food From 1 to 10? Try This Food Calculator

By now, most health-conscious folks know that it’s a good idea to take a peek at their groceries’ nutrition facts before hitting the checkout line. But how much does that little label really reveal?

“Many consumers focus on the food label as a way to gauge food quality. While this gives you one metric regarding nutrients, it doesn’t tell you much about the wholesomeness of your food,” says Bethany Doerfler, RD, LDN, and a clinical research dietician at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

Enter the new Food Scores tool, released this week by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The easy-to-use food calculator gives shoppers insight into how healthy grub is, based on scores derived from nutrition content, processing and artificial ingredients. The database of over 80,000 foods, which took three years to develop, ranks each item on a scale of 1 (good) to 10 (bad).

RELATED: 12 Fast Food Drinks That Aren’t Worth the Calories

Spend five minutes with this tool and we’re sure you’ll discover some disturbing facts about items that may be lurking in your pantry. Only 18 percent of the products in the database received a score of 1 to 3.5, placing them in the “green” zone, indicating that they are healthy choices. Meanwhile, 25 percent of foods land in the “red” zone, receiving marks of 8 to 10. Here, we break down a few of the most interesting findings revealed by Food Scores.

These snacks pack a nasty punch when it comes to added sugar — the EWG found that 92 percent of granola and trail mix bars contained the sweet stuff. “In some cases sugar made up to a third of the weight of the granola bar. Think about it, it’s mind-boggling,” says Nneka Leiba, EWG’s Deputy Director of Research. In fact, some Quaker Chewy Dipps Granola Bars contain up to 45 percent sugar by weight. 

The good news: There are healthy granola bar options out there; you just have to look for them. “You can’t just assume that because it’s a granola bar, it will be a safe option,” Leiba says. “But the good thing about database is that for every single category, regardless of how good or bad, we’re always able to suggest healthier options.”

RELATED: 9 Healthy Homemade Protein Bar Recipes

A better choice: Larabar’s Banana Bread bar, which earns a 2.8, is high in protein and contains no artificial or industrial ingredients.

When it comes to cold cereals, the findings are just as grim. Thirty-two percent of cereals in the database contain ingredients of “high concern,” due to the presence of preservatives, additives or contaminants.  Products like Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes contain 51 percent more sugar than the average cold cereal. 

As Turkey Day approaches, you might want to plan on making homemade stuffing, and nixing boxed-up store mixes altogether. Thirty-nine percent of packaged stuffing contains ingredients of high concern, such as pesticides, food additives, antibiotics or contaminants linked to health problems. And, the EWG’s research reveals that a whopping 100 percent of stuffing mixes contain added sugars.

“That was definitely a surprise,” Leiba says. “If you think you’re trying to avoid sugar, you avoid the cookies and candy aisle, not stuffing… But in our society sugars have become ubiquitous.” With their new tool, the EWG hopes it will be easier for consumers to spot items containing hidden sweeteners — and weed them out of their diet. 

There’s no sugar-coating this one: Up to 98 percent of deli meats contain added sugars, according to the EWG. What’s more, 52 percent of meat products also contain highly worrisome ingredients, including nitrites, a suspected carcinogen. “Nitrites are found in processed meats as a preservative,” Leiba says. “A lot of people aren’t aware there are additives in food linked to cancer — why would there be? That’s a question we want to know and we are asking.”

While Applegate’s Organic Smoked Turkey breast ranks at a respectable 3.5 due to its organic label and antibiotic-free production, Buddig’s Honey Roasted Turkey clocks in at a 9. The less-savory choice contains four ingredients of concern: sodium nitrite, sodium phosphates, natural flavors and carrageenan.  

Step away from the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats. Despite having only 90 calories per bar, these beloved marshmallow bites are deceptively bad for you. Each serving contains the equivalent of two whole teaspoons of added sugar, making the squares 36 percent added sugar by weight. Also found in these snacks: butylated hydroxytoluene, an ingredient that’s been linked to lung cancer, thyroid problems and liver tumors in animal studies, according to the EWG. 

RELATED: 11 No-Bake Energy Bites Recipes

Another surprise: Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Squares with assorted fillings clock in at a 10 on the Food Scores scale. Though the packaging is fancy, and the chocolate is dark, these rich bites contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils — a source of trans fats. With 37 percent of your daily saturated fat and five teaspoons of added and natural sugars in each three-square serving, we’re going to say this sweet treat might not be worth it. Compare it to Scharffen Berger Dark Chocolate, which was ranked at a 4. 

Even more shockingly, it turns out not even frozen yogurt is a safe bet when it comes to sweets. Ben & Jerry’s Raspberry Fudge Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt gets a 9. It has six teaspoons of added and natural sugars per serving, and high levels of saturated fats. A better bet: Stonyfield Oikos Organic Nonfat Greek Frozen Yogurt in chocolate earns a slightly more respectable 4.5.

Don’t worry, the database will never encourage you to give up your favorite snacks entirely. “If you’re looking for corn chips and the EWG says, ‘No, have an apple,’ [we know the] consumer will laugh,” Leiba says. “So on every product page we have a graph to show how the product you’re looking at compares to other products within the same category.”

That said, nutrition experts advise that eating clean is the best way to stay healthy, in the long run.

“While this tool is a great guide to eating well, consumers can eat intuitively by simply sticking to real foods. Try to avoid as many packaged and processed foods as possible,” Doerfler says. “There should be no confusion that an apple rivals corn puffs….even if [those corn puffs] are organic and minimally processed.”

What did the Food Scores tool reveal about your favorite goodies? Tell us in the comments section. 

Read More

New Study Says an Apple a Day Might Keep You Slim

If the old adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” wasn’t enough to get you pumped about the crunchy fall fruit, apples are now getting props for helping people fight fat as well. New research published this week in the journal Food Chemistry reveals that a compound in apples could actually help prevent obesity-related inflammation, too.

“Apples in general are a package of bioactive compounds including polyphenolics and fiber, which have been shown in several studies to exert health benefits [and] prevent or delay the progress of diseases related to obesity,” says study author Giuliana Noratto, an assistant professor of food science at Washington State University.

RELATED: Mini Peanut Butter and Apple Sandwich Recipe

These compounds make it easy to argue that apples are a bona fide superfood: Polyphenols are an antioxidant often found in plants, and a polyphenol-rich diet has been shown to help protect against cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Additionally, fiber, a non-digestible carbohydrate, helps people stay full and keeps blood sugar under control, while also aiding digestion. 

If you’ve spent any time in a grocery store, you know apples come in a variety of shapes, size, colors and flavors. The researchers set out to compare and contrast the beneficial compounds in several beloved cultivars including Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Red Delicious. They found that one apple seemed to rise above the rest: the tart, green Granny Smith.

“We identified Granny Smith for its enhanced content of polyphenolics and fiber, [and] low content of available carbohydrates, which makes it a novel apple to combat obesity,” Noratto says.

Once identified, the scientists ran tests to discover if the compounds in Granny Smith apples could potentially help change the proportions of fecal bacteria in obese mice. According to Noratto, obese people often suffer from an imbalance of bacteria in the colon, leading to low-grade, chronic systemic inflammation and metabolic disorders.

“It has been demonstrated that [inflammation] is the cause of metabolic disorders that lead to increased fat synthesis and [fat] storage in the adipose tissue, liver and muscle,” Noratto says.

The researchers believe that by restoring a balance of bacteria in the gut, the inflammation at the root of these metabolic disorders can be resolved. Supporting this theory, the team found that compounds in Granny Smith apples actually changed the balance of fecal bacteria in obese mice to be more similar to the proportions found in lean mice.

In other words, adding Granny Smiths to your grocery list might not be a bad idea.

One tip: While baked apples are tasty, raw apples may be most beneficial to your health. “The cooking process degrades polyphenolics,” Noratto says. 

Have we got you craving the crunch of an apple? Check out these 10 Amazing Apple Recipes for Fall. 

Read More

Intermittent Fasting: Should You Exercise on Empty?

Food is fuel. So what would happen to your exercise regimen if you weren’t eating your standard three meals (plus snacks) per day? 

Intermittent fasting, which can involve anything from fasting for 14 hours at a time to forgoing food a couple days a week, is all about restricting food consumption during specified periods of time. You consume little to no calories during “fasting” periods, and eat pretty normally during “feasting” times. The end result is impressive weight loss, according to many devotees of this trendy diet. Some intermittent fasting methods even claim that this on-and-off eating plan can help regulate blood sugar, prevent diabetes, lower the risk of heart disease and slow the aging process.

RELATED: 5 Intermittent Fasting Plans: Which One Is Best for You?

Here’s the catch: The timing of when you do (or don’t) eat can have a major impact on your workout. Is it risky to exercise on an empty stomach? Read on to find out. 

While you may shed more fat when exercising on an IF diet, you may lose more muscle, too.

Whether you’re pounding the pavement or cranking out squats, your body primarily uses glycogen, or stored carbohydrates, to fuel exercise. The exception occurs when your glycogen reserves are depleted — which could happen if you haven’t eaten in a while, says Kelly Pritchett, Ph.D., R.D., a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics and an assistant professor in nutrition and exercise science at Central Washington University. When that’s the case, your body is forced to find (and burn) other energy sources, such as fat. That’s why, in one British Journal of Nutrition, men who ran before eating breakfast burned up to 20 percent more fat than those who fueled up before their run.

Before you get too excited, consider this: “When glycogen is in short supply, your body also reverts to breaking down protein — your muscles’ building blocks — for fuel,” Pritchett says. So, while you may shed more fat when exercising on an intermittent fasting (or IF) diet, you may lose more muscle, too. If you’re heading out on a long run, but haven’t eaten any carbs, your body might start burning protein within a couple of hours. 

RELATED: Does Fasted Cardio Really Burn More Fat?

That won’t just thwart how much weight you can bench press or how toned your butt looks — it will also slow your metabolism, which can make losing weight more difficult in the long run. In an effort to prevent starvation, your body adapts to the number calories you give it. So if you’re frequently making drastic cuts to your calorie intake, your body will eventually adjust — burning fewer calories per day to ensure you have enough energy left to stay upright, breathing and healthy, Pritchett says.

In one small study from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, after a group of men and women fasted every other day for 22 days, their resting metabolic rates (how many calories they burned each day by simply living), had dropped by five percent, or 83 calories. Not exactly ideal for any exercise plan that’s supposed to end in weight loss.

RELATED: Does Intermittent Fasting Really Work?

Plus, if you’ve ever tried to power through a tough workout with a growling stomach, you know that working out on empty is just plain hard. If your glycogen or blood sugar levels are low, you will feel weak. And if you don’t have enough energy to really go after it during workouts, your fat-burning and muscle-building results will suffer, says Jim White, R.D., owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia.

Intermittent fasting enthusiasts don’t need to throw in the towel on tough workouts just yet, though. Maintaining a consistent exercise routine is important for your health — both physical and mental. So if you’re following an IF plan, here are the best ways to structure your workouts so you can still get great results: 

1. Keep cardio low-intensity if you’ve been fasting.
A good gauge of intensity is your breathing: You should be able to carry on a conversation relatively easily if you’re exercising mid-fast. “If you are going out for a light jog or stint on the elliptical, you probably aren’t going to have an issue,” says White. But it’s important to listen to your body, and stop exercising, if you feel light-headed or dizzy. If you push your exercise intensity or duration too high, your workout will become a struggle.

2. Go high-intensity only after you’ve eaten.
Intermittent fasting programs like LeanGains have strict rules about scheduling meals around workouts to maximize fat loss while still staying fueled. In general, the closer you schedule any moderate to intense sessions to your last meal, the better. That way you’ll still have some glycogen (aka leftover carbs) available to fuel your workout, and you’ll reduce your risk of low blood sugar levels, he says. Try to follow high-intensity workouts with a carb-rich snack, since your glycogen-tapped muscles will be hungry for more.

3. “Feast” on high-protein meals.
If you’re looking to build serious muscle, you’ll need to eat — both before and after lifting. While a pre-workout snack can help you fuel, regular protein consumption is vital to muscle synthesis both throughout the day and right after your strength workout, when your muscles are craving amino acids to repair themselves and grow, Pritchett says. To maximize muscle growth, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends consuming 20 to 30 grams of high-quality protein every four hours while you are awake, including after training. On an IF plan, timing is key: Schedule your strength training workouts so that they’re sandwiched between two meals, or at least two snacks. And make sure to use your “feast” meals to meet your protein needs. 

4. Remember: Snacks are your friend.
Some IF plans allow dieters to eat both snacks and meals during their feast periods — so take advantage of that flexibility. A meal or snack consumed three to four hours before your workout (or one to two hours before, if you’re prone to low blood sugar) will help ensure you have the energy to power through those reps. Aim for a meal that combines fast-acting carbohydrates with a blood sugar-stabilizing protein (like toast topped with peanut butter and banana slices). Within two hours of your last rep, chow down on a post-workout snack containing about 20 grams of protein and 20 grams of carbohydrates to promote muscle growth and help replete your glycogen stores so you stay energized, White says.

RELATED: 13 Quick and Easy Protein Shake Recipes

Read More

Is a Vegan Diet the Best Way to Lose Weight?

Attention, meat and cheese lovers. The best way for you to shed unwanted pounds might be to give up your favorite omnivorous treats in favor of a vegan diet (at least for a little while), according to a new study from the University of South Carolina. The good news: You can keep your carbs.

Research published this week in the journal Nutrition followed a group of 50 overweight or obese adults looking to lose weight over a six-month period. Their plan of attack in the battle of the bulge included sticking to one of these five eating regimens:

Vegan: No poultry, meat, seafood, eggs and dairy, but these participants could still fill up on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.Vegetarian: Dairy and eggs were allowed, but meat, poultry and seafood were strictly banned on this plan. Pesco-vegetarian: Fish, dairy and eggs were a yes; meat or poultry, a no.Semi-vegetarian: These dieters could still eat red meat, as long as they limited it to once a week. Poultry consumption was restricted to five times per week or less.Omnivorous: All food groups were a go.

At the end of the six-month study period, the people placed on a vegan diet lost significantly more weight than the dieters on other plans — by about 4.3 percent or 16.5 pounds on average. And the study’s authors think the vegan dieters were more successful for a few simple reasons. 

“One, they were consuming more fiber-containing foods, which helped them feel fuller, preventing them from being hungry and overeating,” says study author Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy, Ph.D, RD. “Secondly, their diets were lower in fat, and therefore, most likely had fewer calories.”

RELATED: 12 Vegan Cookie Recipes for the Holidays

What may surprise many folks (especially Atkins aficionados) is that the vegan dieters still shed pounds, even though they were allowed to eat carbs. Why? Participants were told to focus on consuming low glycemic index (GI) carbs, such as whole grains, fruits and beans, rather than high GI carbs, like white rice or pastries.

When you consume high GI carbs, your blood sugar spikes and then crashes, leading you to become hungry again very quickly, according to Turner-McGrievy. But with low-GI carbs, blood sugar stays more stable over a longer period of time. “Soda and whole-wheat pasta are both high in carbs but the pasta is low GI, high in fiber, and will keep you fuller longer,” she says.

RELATED: 12 Fast Food Drinks That Aren’t Worth the Calories

The vegan diet didn’t just melt away pounds either; it also helped improve other markers of health. People on a completely plant-based plan experienced the greatest decreases in fat and saturated fat levels both two months and six months into the study, and had lower BMIs and improved macro-nutrient levels by the end of the research period.

While giving up meat and dairy might seem difficult, it may be worth it if you’re looking for a weight loss plan that actually works, according to this study. Just stick to the right foods, and a slimmer physique will follow. 

Read More

Orange: The Official Nutrition Color of Autumn

If we could choose one color to represent the autumn season, it would be orange. From the crunchy leaves beneath our feet to the healthy, sweet taste of orange vegetables like pumpkin, yams, butternut squash and sweet potatoes, orange is the color of the harvest–and it boasts big health benefits.

What’s So Healthy About Orange-Hued Food?

The orange color in vegetables comes from a very powerful carotenoid antioxidant compound called beta-carotene. It’s been celebrated for its ability to boost the immune system by fighting free radicals, thus protecting our cells from damage. It helps improve eyesight, keeps our reproductive system healthy and has been shown to have cancer-fighting properties. No wonder orange vegetables are so common in the diets of Chinese centenarians! And as a bonus, even though orange vegetables are sweet and satisfying, they’re often very low in calories.

Sweet Potatoes Balance the Glycemic Index

Sweet potatoes, along with many other orange foods, help balance the glycemic index in the body, which controls how the body responds to the food you eat. When someone has an insulin resistance condition, their body responds to everything they eat by creating more insulin than needed, increasing risk for type-2 diabetes, rapid aging, cancer and other diseases. Eating sweet potatoes can help slow this process down.

So instead of white mashed potatoes, think mashed sweet potatoes! And instead of regular potato chips, try crunchy baked sweet potato chips.

Pumpkins Pump Up Your Antioxidants

Think beyond the jack-o’-lantern and traditional pumpkin pie! Scrumptious when prepared as a soup, as a side dish with your favorite meal, or baked in a sweet treat, pumpkins are packed with disease-fighting nutrients. They are rich in potassium and a good source of iron, zinc and fiber. The bright-orange flesh is loaded with beta-carotene, which keeps your immune system strong, benefits vision, helps prevent heart disease, and may defend against cancer. The pumpkin is also the perfect fit for losing weight due to its incredibly low-calorie and high-fiber content. The sweetest taste can be found in the small-sized pumpkin varieties known as sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin. Try roasting pumpkin and then topping with crunchy pumpkin seeds–a simple strategy to create a fantastic side dish.

Butternut Squash Boosts Beta-Carotene

A close cousin to the pumpkin, butternut squash has a sweet flavor and is rich in vitamins A, B and C. While all winter squashes contain beta-carotene, butternut squash has an extra-high content, rivaling that of mangoes and cantaloupe. Beta-carotene has very powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and is said to help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in the vessels; in other words, no plaque develops that can cause restricted blood flow and lead to heart disease. Butternut squash is perfect for cutting in half and baking, flesh-side down in the oven for a tasty side dish.

Read More

You Wanted to Know: High-Protein Diets

With so many diets out there, I understand why it can be hard to figure out where to start when you want to lose weight. It can be especially challenging to figure out what the pros and cons of each plan are which then makes it hard for you to compare diets to each other.


We’ve talked a lot about protein on the show, but wanted to summarize what we know about high-protein diets to help Michelle. High-protein diets are essentially low-carbohydrate diets. Ideally what you’re doing is lowering the calories from carbohydrates in your diet while upping the calories from proteins and healthy fats. Normally carbs make up 45-65% of the typical meal, so anything below 45% is high protein.

Low-carb diets have been around for a while but became especially popular with the Atkins diet. So how do these diets work? There are a few answers. Theoretically if you cut almost all carbs out of your diet, your body becomes less able to use sugars and instead has to burn fat. The problem is, it’s hard to eliminate carbs in this way and you’re essentially sending your body into a kind of starvation, which isn’t the healthiest long-term strategy for most.

The key reason most people lose weight on low-carb diets is that it’s just not possible to make up the calories you lose in energy-dense carbs with less energy-rich protein. As a result, most people end up dropping their daily calorie count compared to before they started the diet. Lowering the calories in your diet helps shrink your waistline. The great news is that protein tends to keep you feeling full for longer than the simple carbs most of us eat, which means you eat less, feel fuller and consume fewer calories overall.

There are other benefits that come from dropping carbs. A recent study found that dropping calories from carbs rather than fat actually helps to change your body composition. Those on a low-carb diet tend to gain muscle mass, rather than losing it the way you do in a low-fat diet. More muscle means a higher metabolic rate, and that means more calories burned all day long.

Those who drop their carbs also lower their risk of diabetes because high-protein diets release calories into the system much more slowly and trigger less of an insulin response than the simple sugars in carbohydrates. In the same study, those on low-carb diets raised their HDL (good cholesterol) and lowered the level of fat circulating in their blood.

That’s all great news, but, as Michelle asked, how do we know how much protein we’re supposed to be getting in our diet? I’m going to do a little math here, but stick with me. The number of calories you need every day is going to vary depending on your age, weight and gender, and it’s best to consult your doctor about how much you should be getting. In general, most women can eat 1200 to 1500 calories a day and lose weight. Let’s say you manage to up your protein to make it 40% of your calories: 40% of 1500 calories is 600 calories. There are about 4 calories of energy per gram of protein, so 600 divided by 4 is 150 grams of protein per day. A piece of meat the size of a deck of cards is about 3 ounces and contains about 21 grams of protein. So seven decks of cards is the amount of protein you need, though your daily sources of protein shouldn’t all come from meat. Make sure to get your fill of beans, lentils, Greek yogurt and nut butter.

Now to Michelle’s other question: What are the dangers of a high-protein diet? The main danger, as with any diet, is overdoing it. Protein shouldn’t be the entirety of your diet. You still need carbs, but you should try and get them mostly from fruits and vegetables. If you have to eat grains, try to each whole grains rather than refined carbs. Vegetable oils like olive oil or canola oil are healthy and can make up your calories from fats instead of butter. Nuts can also provide a healthy boost of protein, carbs and fat that has been shown to lengthen your life.

In terms of protein, focus more on lean sources like fish and poultry while minimizing red meat. Even though you’ll be cutting calories, remember that you shouldn’t be starving yourself. The point of switching to more protein is that you’ll feel just as full with fewer calories. If you keep your diet varied, include plenty of fruits and vegetables, and keep your calorie count in the healthy range, you shouldn’t run into any trouble.

Read More

YOUR BODY IS A MACHINE, PROVIDE IT WITH THE RIGHT FUEL

People sometimes call the human body a machine-the most wonderful one ever built. Of course, the human body is not a machine. But it can be compared to one in many ways. Like a machine, the body is made up of many parts. Each part of the body, like each part of a machine, does special jobs. But all the parts work together and so make the body or the machine run smoothly. Also like a machine, the body needs energy to work. In such a machine as a car, the energy comes from petrol/gas. In the human body, it comes from food, inhaled oxygen and sunshine.

Although the human body can be compared to a machine, it is far more amazing than any machine. It can do things that no machine can do. For example, the body can grow and heal itself. The body starts out as one cell. In time, this tiny cell multiplies into a body consisting of trillions of cells.

THERE IS ONLY ONE DISEASE-IMBALANCE

Naturopathy, Alternative Medicine, Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine hold that, diseases and illnesses are only symptoms of an underlying imbalance. Their main focus is on the big picture: "To restore balance and to help you create such a healthy lifestyle that the imbalance won't occur again."

All these disciplines are based on the realization that the human is born healthy and strong and that humans can stay as such by living in accordance with the laws of nature. Even if born with some hereditary illness, the individual can eliminate it by putting to the best use the natural agents of healing.

Perhaps the most important lesson that Alternative and Holistic Medicine has is the teaching that there is only one disease and that is imbalance.

We are currently living in an epidemic of obesity, and increased occurrences of degenerative diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and cancer like never before. Yet all of these be changed and prevented with a few simple changes in lifestyle and ways of thinking.

At the end of the day, our health is a choice; it is up to us. Every day of our lives, every hour of every day, we can, and do, choose either health or illness. When we choose wisely, nature rewards us with health and happiness. When we persistently choose unwisely, nature, in her infinite wisdom, eventually sets us straight: she makes us sick and hopefully gives us a chance to rest and rethink our choices.

Before we give up and think it's too late, let us re-familiarize ourselves with the way nature, creation, and the creator, intended for life to be. Only when we ensure that our physical health does not hinder our progress, can we achieve our ultimate goal in life - happiness! To reach this target, we should use the body as a means. The desires of the body should never be the end.

If we don’t take care of our bodies, they will not take care of us and eventually degenerate. There are simple established rules and laws for all living creatures to follow that result in internal and external balance. If followed, they cannot only bring vibrant health and harmony, but they can slow the aging process and increase our life spans.

Animals are smarter than we think....they are one with nature and respect it
Most undomesticated creatures lead peaceful, long lives without violating nature's rules. That is why they don’t need hospitals, medicines or medical science to the extent humans do. Animals follow their intuition and know when to eat, what to eat, how to exercise before they eat, how much to eat, how much water to drink, when to drink it, and how to heal their bodies naturally when sick, through fasting.

Humanity too, was healthy and in sync with nature before "modern civilization". Ill-health is now directly proportional to the amount of humanity's negligence of the physical body, the environment, and disregard for all life forms, including its own.

It is NOW time to go back to BASICS so that we can remember how to get back in balance and use our technological advancement to our advantage.

This, in essence, is the whole point and purpose of "The Information Age!"- to utilize our technological advancement and return to balance.

FOOD LIFESTYLE, NUTRITION AND HEALTH

Based on Naturopathy and many Alternative Medicine disciplines, if we consume natural foods appropriately, our excretory organs can release their waste materials regularly.

Dr, Raju Mantena, (Naturopath, India) reminds us that if we eat natural foods before sunset, the time for the excretory process will be quite sufficient. Then the proportion of what is ingested to that, which is eliminated will be 1:1.

However, if we continue to eat 'dead' and processed foods irregularly, till mid night, there is not enough time for excretory action and so 10% of fecal matter will stagnate in the body.

The human cell is like a stove or like a piston in a motorcycle. The energy produced in the cells spreads all over the body continuously meeting the needs of the body. We feel very weak if we delay our food by four, five hours. This means the energy produced in the cells is almost exhausted and the body warns us in the form of weakness to eat food. It sends such natural signals! If we eat food regularly, the cells work continuously and once their lives are over, they give rise to new cells in their place.

Once the engine of a car consumes the fuel, carbon monoxide smoke is released. In the stove, after the wood is burnt, the smoke and charcoal remain as waste material. In the same way, in our cells from the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink, after the cells have provided energy, they release waste material in three forms – in either solid, liquid, gaseous states. These three forms, after exiting the cells, join the blood in outward circulation, and reach the excretory organs. The gaseous state of waste material that joins blood goes to lungs and is let out in the lungs, exhaled in the form of carbon dioxide. The liquid state of waste material goes through the blood to the kidneys and skin and is left there. From the kidney it is excreted as urine. Finally, in the same manner, solid waste exits the intestines as stool. This is a constant, everyday chemical reaction in the body.

Waste material produced in the cell through food, air and water should be proportionate to the waste material sent out (1: 1) from the cells. Then only we can claim to be perfectly healthy people. Whoever has such a perfect proportion in the cells will have a healthy exterior also.

Human Milk for Human Babies
The newborn who depends only on breast-feeding has this 1:1 proportion for the simple reason that s/he drinks only when s/he is hungry and stops when the cells ask him/her to stop. Also, s/he urinates and defecates whenever s/he feels the need. So that purity is there in her/his cells. The 8.4 millions of creatures in creation follow the same formula.

Once the body is given solid food, this process of the body changes and follows different rules.

Simply, the waste material produced in our body is based on the food we eat.

The food we eat can be divided into four types.

1. First type of Nutrition  : 100% Natural, Mostly Raw Foods= 100% Waste

Best Body Fuel-Raw Vegetables, Sprouts, Radishes, Olives, Salads, Avocado, Seeds and Nuts etc
If you eat sprouts, fresh fruits, raw vegetables, seeds, nuts and raw sprouted grains only, the body will release the waste material daily and so the cells will be pure and healthy. The waste material produced by this food is very little. The body doesn’t need much time to complete its excretory process.

Compare natural food to jet fuel for the airplane. The pick up is greater and the smoke produced is less.

Raw and natural food provides the body with important enzymes, bio-available nutrients, more energy and less of waste material. The body will be healthy, and automatically the mind will be sound. This type of food keeps the ailments at bay and body odor away from the body.

2. Second type of Nutrition  :  60% Raw, 40% Cooked=90% Waste

Raw Green Salad on a bed of Cooked Brown Rice & Red Beans

It contains 60% raw vegetables and fruits and 40% cooked whole foods (grains and non-animal protein). These cooked foods do NOT have salt, oil and spices. From this food 90% of waste material is excreted and 10% remains in the body, because the 40% cooked food gives the body more work to eliminate! The waste material formed here is more than in the first type.

This type of food is like the gasoline used for ordinary cars with a pickup of 80%.

Of course there will be NO major problems when one is this type of food, but it is not as pure as the first type because it does NOT have enough raw enzymes and bioavailable nutrients which get destroyed during cooking/heating above 117 degrees. Occasionally one is prone to small disturbances like a cold or fever, but nothing too serious on this type of nutrition.

3. Third type of Nutrition : 100% Cooked, Vegetarian=50% Waste

All Cooked- Vegetables, Beans, Tofu, Lentils etc 

This is totally boiled/cooked food. Salt, oil, and spices are added to only cooked vegetarian food. Spicy pickles and peppers are added also. Fifty percent of this food's waste material stagnates and only 50% is excreted.

Compare this type of food to diesel fuel. It has 50% pick up and 50% smoke.

This food lacks in fresh enzymes and enough minerals and vitamins as heating vegetables and fruit above 117 degrees fahrenheit, destroys all enzymes and destroys some vitamin and mineral content. As a result of the fifty percent stagnated waste in the body, everything that is excreted as sweat, urine and feces, emits bad body and mouth/breath odor. There is uncleanness in the cells that is spread all over, resulting in this putrefying smell. A person on this diet will have some ailments (headaches, irritability, rare colds due to limited minerals and vitamins and other essentials) fairly frequently. They will often feel restless.

4. Fourth type of Nutrition : 100% Cooked/Processed/Meat =30% Waste

Fried, Cooked, Baked, Spicy, Salty, Sweet, Preserved, Processed Foods
Cooked White Rice (processed), salty, spicy meat with almost no vegetables

This is the Standard American Diet (SAD). It is also the standard diet in almost all parts of the world where western civilization has infiltrated and people are eating little or no fresh foods on a daily basis.

This type of food contains: salt, oil, spices, preservatives, lots of meat, pork, little or no vegetables, sodas, liquors etc. 70% of its waste material stagnates in the cells and only 30% is released.

It is like kerosene with less pick up and more smoke. It gives you only smoke, and cannot power a vehicle.

The urine and bowel movements in this type of nutrition emit a very bad smell. The cells live in a polluted atmosphere as a result of the toxins (chemical-laden preservatives) and accumulated remains. The cells die early because they have little sustenance and nutrition. New cells are born in their place in a great number, but what is the use? Most of the energy produced from the food is spent towards birth and death of the cells, not towards other bodily functions.

People who eat this type of food get tired easily. Their major excretory organs (liver, kidneys, skin, lungs) are over-worked while their bones borrow minerals to keep the body balanced. Weak bones are an early sign of the effects of this type of diet.

People on this type of nutrition are likely to be affected by chronic degenerative diseases early in life and are prone to irritation and anger. They can never be balanced or have holistic health. There is no sign of lasting health in their bodies as long as this is the main choice of diet.

5- Choose Health! Knowledge gives you power to make the right choice!

Do we now understand why food influences our physical health and even mental abilities? Those who consume food that provides more energy and less waste material have healthy bodies and sound minds. The smell that comes out of the cells is based on the accumulated waste material in the cells.

We can now decide for ourselves individually, whether we are healthy or not, depending on the smell that is emitted by our bodies and whether we will do something about it. The choice is ultimately always ours.

You CAN have perfect health within six months if you follow the first or second type of nutrition mentioned above strictly. There is no doubt about it. Hear it from someone who has experienced all the 4 types of nutrition and decided to choose the best fuel for my body for all-rounded health almost 10 years ago. I have never looked back and what I have been able to gain has been priceless! So this is not some idealistic notion that I'm just blogging about. I know and live the benefits on a daily basis. My goal is to inform, inspire, motivate anyone who understands holistic wellness and lifestyle, because it is really, the natural way of being before modern life threw us off balance. It can be done. You can do it!

Do it THE NATURAL WAY…NOW!

WHAT TO EAT: “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT"

Let Your Food Be Your Medicine

All foods are not the same; some supply nutritional materials in the proper proportions while others do not. Whereas one food may assist in building a strong healthy body, another can be a source of toxemia, which results in disease. It is not entirely true that "you are what you eat" but there is more truth in this statement than most people realize.

Food plays the major role in determining the health of the body. If you suffer from any disease that is caused by toxic overload and deficiency, you may be sure that incorrect selection of food has been chiefly responsible. If, on the other hand, you possess vibrant health with great strength, endurance and an abundance of energy year-in year-out, you are no doubt one of the few who has endeavored to make a practical application of food science.

What we eat deeply and radically affects the way we think, feel, and behave - it also affects entire life processes of planet Earth. If we observe nature long enough, we will notice that all undomesticated animals do not suffer from degenerative diseases because they eat what they are designed to eat.

The so-called 'Food Pyramid' is corrupted. The human body requires a 75% Alkaline and 25% Acid blood/body fluid balance. This can achieved by a diet that consists of 75% Fresh Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts & Seeds and 25% Protein and Whole Grains. Anything other than this balance only produces discomfort and degenerative diseases in the long-run.
We must learn to obey the laws of nature. We must learn to eat simple, pure, and natural foods, properly prepared and combined. Our bodies in return will cast off all the poisons we have taken in during our lives. The mysteries of the body, the operations of nature, the vital forces working in nature are far beyond what our minds are prepared to understand at present.

Every great physician or scientist who ever lived marveled in awe and ...humility at the wonders of nature. Yes--we are "wonderfully made!"

References and sources: 'Health Is Happiness', Dr. Mantena, Raju, 'Salubrious Living', Ben Klassen, 'The Wellness Revolution', Paul Zane Pilzer, 'How to Keep Your Body Pure', M. Herbert, T.C Shelton, George S. Fry

Read More

The Amazing Health Benefits of Cabbage

Under the scientific name Brassica oleraceea, cabbage is known since antiquity as both food and a natural cure, especially in its fighting against vitamin C deficiencies or scurvy - the disease caused by lack of vitamin C, manifested in anemia, bleeding gums and tooth loss.

Cabbage can be consumed fresh or preserved (sour cabbage), in both cases with beneficial effects.

Cabbage contains sugars, mineral salts, a hypoglycemic principle, vitamin C and provitamin A, antibiotic principles, mucilage and others.

Cabbage juice, mixed with carrots (for a more acceptable taste) and a few drops of lemon juice, is one of the effective ways to consume it for those who can't stand its taste but still want to benefit from the substances contained.

A glass of sauerkraut juice drunk in several rounds daily, between meals, for several weeks, is a good remedy to fight ulcer; besides the usual vitamins, it also contains the factor/vitamin U, with anti-ulcerous properties, which is lost in the process of boiling.


Raw cabbage is active in ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids and constipation, especially thanks to its mucilage and its substances that contain cellulose.

As a powerful diuretic, cabbage is recommended for edema, kidney stones, cirrhosis and ascites. It is also included in the diet of diabetics. Cabbage may cause indigestion, especially because of some ingredients used in its preparation.

Cabbage is used with good results in the treatment of external conditions such as abscesses or boils. It may also be used as a cataplasm in case of burns, phlebitis, varicose veins and varicose

ulcers. In these situations the leaves are used without ribs, rived by pressing with a glass and applied to the affected area.
As compresses, cabbage has a favorable effect on chilblains, bruises and sprains.

Press cabbage leaves (without their veins ) by rolling a bottle on top of them; then apply the washed leaves as a mask for the night, to reactivate circulation, for cleansing the skin and fight cellulite.

Read More

Can Exercise Destroy Your Teeth?

Tons of articles have been going around lately about how working out is bad for your teeth. Research studies have cited the comparison of healthy adults, both athletic and nonathletic, and have concluded that there are significant differences in the oral health of those who spend a good amount of time endurance training–even the Olympic athletes in London in 2012 showed signs of poor oral health as an entire group.

While most dental-health professionals aren’t surprised at these findings, the state of one’s teeth is typically not a primary concern when in the midst of endurance or strength training, but it definitely should be.

How Saliva Is Involved?

During an intense workout, saliva production decreases. This is significant because saliva production is our bodies’ protective mechanism, bathing the teeth with antibodies and keeping our pH levels neutral. Remember, low pH is acid and this demineralizes teeth and creates an environment for the bad bacteria that cause gum inflammation to thrive. 

You might remember from high school chemistry that pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity, ranging from 1 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline, or basic). We also remember that the pH of water is neutral is 7. The pH of the mouth is important because a low or acid pH demineralizes teeth and creates an environment for the bad bacteria that cause gum inflammation to thrive. Pregnant women and people on prescription medications both have changes in mouth pH and need to be even more proactive about their oral health to prevent cavities and periodontal disease.

Acids and carbohydrates in the food you eat can directly and indirectly lead to breakdown of the minerals in your teeth. Your body needs to constantly rebuild your teeth to keep them strong and healthy. The natural pH of saliva hovers around neutral in the range of 6.75 to 7.25, which is the perfect range for this process of remineralization. If the pH drops below 5.5, cavity-causing bacteria flourish and demineralization of the teeth accelerates. The body is no longer able to effectively repair the damage, opening up your teeth to occupation by bacteria that cause dental disease.

When you exercise, your mouth dries out and saliva can’t prevent the pH from dropping. The damaging consumption of sugary, acidic sports drinks (the pH of Gatorade is 2.95, in case you were wondering) during your workout pushes your pH way down into the acidic level. To make matters worse, athletes tend to clench their teeth when exercising, further damaging the surface of their teeth and creating a recipe for disaster.

Here is a simple equation:

Working out = less saliva + force on teeth from exertion = tooth and gum problems.

Solution.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Rather than cutting out exercise, focus on nutrition. Eating tooth-healthy foods like cheese, meat, nuts, milk and crunchy veggies like carrots and celery that raise the pH help fortify your teeth against damage. Maintain a good oral hygiene regimen by brushing twice a day and flossing nightly.

It’s also a good idea to wear an athletic mouth guard while lifting weights and in competition. If you spend a lot of time training, it’s worth discussing your lifestyle with your dental hygienist, who you should already be seeing regularly. As experts, they can work with you to ensure the best dental care possible. Last but not least, drink water during your workouts, and if you must drink sports drinks, rinse with water during and after exertion.

Read More

Movember: How to Keep the Reluctant Man in Your Life Healthy

It’s finally November, the time of year when I start thinking about turkey and spending Thanksgiving with my extended family. It’s also a time when we start to see mustaches on friends and family who normally don’t grow one, participating in the latest health-awareness trend: Movember. While you might not be a fan of your husband’s newest facial feature, the hair growth provides us with a reminder that all men are at risk for a variety of devastating illnesses, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental illness.

I want to take some time to talk about this because men often downplay the importance of their health. Many studies have shown that women visit the doctor more often than men and, as a result, undergo needed screening for potentially deadly diseases more often. They get the added benefit of understanding their health and knowing their body better.

There are many reasons men go to the doctor less often, but a big reason is that we’ve been taught to “man up” our entire lives. Girls who fall down and start crying often get a little TLC until they feel better, whereas boys are told to suck it up and stop crying. That teaches us to do the same when it comes to all of our health problems. If I’ve got a new pain somewhere, my bowel movements have changed recently, or I’ve been feeling sad for a while, most men tell themselves to suck it up and keep it to themselves.

Unfortunately, that’s the worst way to deal with your health. Cancer is a great example of why this is the case. The sooner we can find and attack cancer, the easier it is to destroy it once and for all. That means the strange lump that just appeared on your testicle should be mentioned to your doctor right away, rather than saying “it’s probably nothing” and giving it a few weeks to go away. By the time you’re forced to see someone, it might be too late.

Mental illness in particular can be a difficult problem to tackle. I’ve talked many times before about how important mental health is. I’ve also talked about the stigma associated with mental illness that keeps those who suffer from it from speaking up. That stigma is multiplied in the male population, who tend to see mental illness as a weakness to be battled through alone rather than something they need help with.

It’s easy for me to say that the men in your life should probably be going to the doctor more, but it’s another thing to get them to do it. In the spirit of Movember, here are a few tips for getting even the most stalwart in for a checkup:



Express your concern. This might seem too easy, but sometimes just letting someone know you’re concerned about their health can give them a reason to go to the doctor. Letting someone know you’re worried about their prostate cancer risk might get them thinking they should be too.Give them different reasons. Sometimes it can be tough to get someone to see the light, especially when the person you’re worried about might not think there’s a problem. Don’t be deterred. Try a different tack if others haven’t worked. For example, if doing it “for your health” isn’t enough, try suggesting they see someone just to confirm they really do know what’s going on with their body. You could even mention a bonus excuse to get a little bit of time away from work to pop out for an annual visit.Tell them to do some research. If a guy is adamant there’s nothing wrong, ask him to do some searching around on the Web first. This is especially useful for mental illness, which can be very isolating. Finding out other people are getting help for going through something similar normalizes seeking medical Remind them they’re taking control of their health. Make sure they know that regular checkups often mean fewer visits (eventually). While you might feel healthy, everyone eventually ends up at the doctor. Going once or twice a year could save you many more visits and a possible hospital stay once you’re forced to see someone.

Hoping you aren’t sick isn’t a great way to hold the reins of your health. A doctor can give you tools to put you behind the steering wheel instead. Take testicular cancer as an example. When done properly, regular testicular exams are an excellent way to detect cancer early. Once you learn how to do the exam, you shouldn’t need to see the doctor about testicular cancer unless you find something. With a single visit, you’ve gained the power to monitor your health

attention.

Read More

Antioxidants Explained in Human Terms

Antioxidants are frequently mentioned in everyday conversations.

This applies to both scholars and laymen alike.

You can find antioxidant supplements in store shelves, and their health benefits are beloved by both marketers and media.

However, very few people actually know what they are and how they work.

The concept of antioxidants is fairly complex, but this article explains it in plain, human terms that anyone can understand.

In order to understand how antioxidants work, we must start at the molecular level…

As you may know, all matter in the universe is made of atoms.

Atoms are composed of a core with protons and neutrons, and a bunch of electrons that revolve around the core.

The blue balls are electrons, which carry a negative (-) charge, while the protons (red balls) in the core carry a positive (+) charge.

When two or more atoms are linked together, they become what we know as molecules.

The human body is made up of substances like proteins, fats and DNA, which are basically just large molecules with dozens, hundreds or thousands of atoms joined together.

This is an image of a fatty acid molecule. Each ball represents an atom:

Humans and other organisms maintain their structure and function by chemical reactions. All the chemical reactions needed to sustain life are collectively known as metabolism.

In these chemical reactions, bigger molecules are broken down into smaller molecules, and smaller molecules are organized into bigger molecules.

In order for a molecule to be stable, it must contain the right amount of electrons. If the molecule loses an electron when it isn’t supposed to, it can turn into a free radical.

Free radicals are unstable, electrically charged molecules in the cells, that can react with other molecules (like DNA) and damage them.


They can even form chain reactions, where the molecules they damage also turn into free radicals.

This is where antioxidants come in… if a molecule loses an electron and turns into a free radical, the antioxidant molecule steps in and “gives” the free radical an electron, effectively neutralizing it.

This is how it happens:

This is the mechanism behind antioxidants. They donate electrons to free radicals, which neutralizes them and prevents them from causing harm.

Antioxidants are molecules that fight damage by free radicals, unstable molecules that can harm cellular structures. Antioxidants do this by giving electrons to the free radicals and neutralizing them.

Free radicals are constantly being formed during metabolism.

Without antioxidants, they would destroy our bodies very quickly.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that free radicals also serve important functions that are essential for our survival (1).

For example, the body’s immune cells use free radicals to kill bacteria that try to infect us (2).

As with so many things in the body, we need a certain balance… we need the right amount of free radicals, and the right amount of antioxidants to keep them in check.

When this balance gets disrupted, things can start to go wrong.

When the free radicals (pro

-oxidants) outnumber the antioxidants, this can lead to a state called oxidative stress.
During oxidative stress, important molecules in the body can become severely damaged… sometimes even leading to cell death.

Several stress factors and lifestyle habits are known to promote excessive free radical formation and oxidative stress:
Air pollution.Cigarette smoke.Alcohol intake.Toxins.High blood sugar levels (3, 4).Consuming large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (5).Radiation, including excessive sunbathing.Infections by bacteria, fungi or viruses.Excessive intake of iron, magnesium, copper, or zinc (1).Too little oxygen in the body (6).Too much oxygen in the body.Intense and prolonged exercise, which causes tissue damage (7).Excessive intake of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E (1).Antioxidant deficiency (8).
Prolonged oxidative stress leads to increased risk of negative health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. It is also thought to contribute to the aging process.

The body needs a certain balance between free radicals and antioxidants. When this balance is disrupted, it can lead to oxidative stress, which can cause all sorts of negative effects.

Antioxidants are essential for the survival of all living things.

The human body even generates its own antioxidants, such as the cellular antioxidant glutathione.

Plants and animals, and all other forms of life, have their own defenses against free radicals and the oxidative damage caused by them.

Therefore, antioxidants are found in pretty much all foods of plant and animal origin.

Getting antioxidants from foods is important. In fact, our life depends on the intake of certain antioxidants – namely, vitamin C and vitamin E.

The health benefits associated with a diet rich in plants is, at least partially, due to the wide diversity of antioxidants they provide (9).

Meat products and fish also contain antioxidants (10, 11), but in smaller amounts compared to fruits and vegetables. Berries are a particularly good source (12).

Then there are plenty of other good sources of antioxidants… including green tea, coffee and dark chocolate.

According to some studies, coffee is actually the single biggest source of antioxidants in the Western diet (13, 14), but this is partly because the “average” individual doesn’t eat that many antioxidant-rich foods.

Antioxidants can increase the shelf life of both natural and processed food products. Therefore, they are frequently used as food additives (15). For instance, vitamin C is often added to processed foods to act as a preservative.

There is a huge variety of different antioxidants found in foods.

They can be broadly categorized into two groups, water-soluble and fat-soluble antioxidants.

Water-soluble antioxidants perform their actions in the fluid inside and outside cells, whereas fat-soluble antioxidants act primarily in cell membranes.

Here is a list of a few important dietary antioxidants:

Many substances that happen to be antioxidants can also have other important functions.

Notable examples include curcuminoids in turmeric and oleocanthal in extra virgin olive oil. These substances function as antioxidants, but they also have potent anti-inflammatory activity (17, 18).

There are many different types of antioxidants in the diet, including vitamins C and E, as well as flavonoids. These substances can serve various other functions that are not related to the antioxidant activity.

Dietary intake of antioxidants is essential for optimal health.

However, more is not always better.

Excessive intake of isolated antioxidants can have toxic effects and may even promote rather than prevent oxidative damage.

In fact, some studies have shown that high doses of antioxidants increase the risk of death (19, 20).

Therefore, you should avoid high-dose antioxidant supplementation.

In addition, studies show that foods reduce oxidative damage more than supplements.

For example, a study using blood orange juice showed that it had significantly greater antioxidant power than a drink with sugar water that contained the same amount of Vitamin C (21).

The truth is… real foods have hundreds (if not thousands
) of different nutrients that work synergistically. Taking just one or two isolated nutrients won’t have the same beneficial effects.
The best (and healthiest) strategy to ensure adequate intake of antioxidants, is a diet rich in various vegetables and fruit (22), along with other healthy dietary habits.

However, low-dose supplementation, such as in multivitamin tablets, may be beneficial if you are deficient in certain nutrients or unable to follow a healthy diet.

Adequate intake of antioxidants is an essential part of a healthy diet… but getting too much of isolated antioxidants (via supplements) can in some cases be harmful.

At the end of the day, the best way to ensure that you get the right amount of antioxidants, is to eat a real food based diet that includes plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables.

Read More