Chocolate Avocado pudding......

(UPDATE:  I just made this tonight - and WOW! is it ever good!  Rich and decadent tasting, but it's not - it's good for you.  This tastes like a really thick, luscious chocolate pudding.)


What if I told you that I am about to share with you a sweet chocolate pudding that is raw, rich, wholesome, creamy, dairy-free, egg-free, wheat/gluten-free and made with avocados...

Yep, avocados!

Chocolate Avocado Pudding Recipe

makes about  3 servings

• 1 ripe banana
• 1/4-1/3 cup honey - or sweetener (I used 1/2 cup +2 Tbsp. Splenda)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 avocados, mashed
• 1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup liquid (either water or milk or coconut milk)

Process banana, sweetener, vanilla in a food processor (or blender) till smooth. Add the avocados, cocoa powder and process till creamy. Scrape down the sides a few times with a rubber spatula. Add the liquid and process briefly. Store in a sealed container. It will keep for three days in the fridge or two weeks in the freezer. Serve chilled or at room temp. (tastes best chilled!).

TO DOUBLE IT: Increase the amounts to 1 1/2 bananas, 1/2-3/4 cup raw honey, 1 tsp. vanilla, 4 avocados, 3/4 cup cocoa powder and 1/2 cup water.

Now, one thing to remember:  Since you are using avocados and a banana, the fat/carb/calorie  count will be high.  But this is real food, folks.  And no, you wouldn't want to serve it every night.  But when you want something that is not filled with trans fats and empty calories, this is a good food.  And you also get good nutrients, unlike conventional pudding.  Here is the breakdown, using milk and Splenda:

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories		266.8
Total Fat		19.2 g
	Saturated Fat	3.3 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	2.2 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	11.7 g
Cholesterol		1.0 mg
Sodium		20.5 mg
Potassium		886.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate		35.3 g
	Dietary Fiber	11.2 g
	Sugars	17.6 g
Protein		4.7 g

Vitamin A	4.8 %
Vitamin B-12	1.5 %
Vitamin B-6	28.8 %
Vitamin C	22.9 %
Vitamin D	2.6 %
Vitamin E	8.4 %
Calcium	5.1 %
Copper	25.7 %
Folate	28.3 %
Iron	10.2 %
Magnesium	20.9 %
Manganese	25.9 %
Niacin	13.1 %
Pantothenic Acid	18.8 %
Phosphorus	14.2 %
Riboflavin	15.5 %
Selenium	3.7 %
Thiamin	7.6 %
Zinc	9.5 %

Wonderful nuts!

Lately, I've been craving nuts and seeds and I've happily satisfied those cravings with sunflower seeds and hulled pistachio nuts. I grab a handful at a time when I'm on the go and so I looked up what a serving actually is.

We should get about 2 servings per day.

One serving is:

12 Almonds

4 Brazil nuts

10 Cashews

10 Hazelnuts

6 Macadamia nuts

15 peanuts

25 Pistachios

1/4 cup Pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup Soy nuts

1 Tablespoon Sunflower seeds

1/4 cup Walnuts

1 Tablespoon Nut butter

The hormone Insulin and how it makes us fat

Insulin is the fat-storing hormone. Insulin is solely responsible for deciding whether food will be burned as fuel or stored as fat. Insulin must be present for food to be stored as fat. Eating dietary fat causes virtually no secretion of insulin. Without the presence of insulin, food cannot be stored as fat. Regardless of how much fat you eat, the pancreas will not secrete insulin, which is the only way fat can be stored as body fat.

If you eat a protein or fat alone, like a piece of meat, your body will break it down easily. These foods will not cause weight gain when eaten alone because they trigger virtually no increase in your blood sugar levels, so there is not a significant insulin response.

Proteins and fats can also be eaten in combination with vegetables low in starch (which are also foods that cause little to no insulin production). Therefore, eating eggs, meat, cheese and butter will not make you fat when eaten together.

It's a scientific fact: Refined carbs and "Fats in combination with sugar" create the problem of weight gain.

But let's say you eat proteins or fats with carbohydrates, like meat with potatoes. If your body is in perfect balance, it should use the carbs in the potato for energy, extract the protein and healthy fats from the meat, and discard the remainder. However, if your cells are filled with sugar and will not accept any more, the carbs in the potato will trigger an insulin response that can lead to both the potato and the meat being sent to the fat cells.

So, with the understanding of insulin and how it must be present in order for the food to be sent to the fat cells, we would want to be careful about what food combination we eat.

Fruit is sugar. Eating fruit with our fats and proteins would make insulin present. With insulin present, then the food will likely be stored as fat....... (It's best to eat fruit alone for a snack)

Can you think of all the ways that we have sugar with every meal? (Keep in mind the High Fructose Corn Syrup) This is why it is so hard to lose the weight.

So, to repeat............
Sugar brings out the insulin - which is solely responsible for deciding whether food will be burned as fuel or stored as fat.

When healthy oil becomes dangerous

Trans fat = poison

If you think you are avoiding trans fat by not using fake foods like margarine or processed peanut butter.

Surprise! There is another way that you may be ingesting trans fat while thinking you are being "good". I'm talking about when good things go bad.

Suzanne Sommers has done decades of research into healthy eating and in her book, "Slim and Sexy Forever" she says:

"Trans fats also occur when we heat polyunsaturated fats (such as vegetable oil) to high temperatures for frying. I know it sounds ironic, but you are actually better off frying food in saturated fat - such as butter, lard, or palm kernel oil - or in monounsaturated fat - such as peanut oil - than you are frying it in polyunsaturated oil such as corn, safflower, or vegetable oil. We've been led to believe these polyunsaturated oils are a healthier choice, but beware of frying foods with them because when heated too high, they become the most unhealthy types of fats - trans fats.

In response to the fat scare, many restaurants and food chains boast that they fry only in "cholesterol-free" oils, such as vegetable, corn, or safflower oil. These "healthy" oils in their natural state become dangerous trans fats when heated to high temperatures for frying!"

Dangers of trans fats!!

DANGERS OF TRANS FATS
– in causing obesity and diabetes

The latest research into the dangers of trans fats in relation to obesity tells us that not all calories are equal. And certainly not all fats are equal.

In May 2006, researchers at Wake Forest University reported, after a six-year study, that calories from trans fats made laboratory monkeys fatter than calories from other forms of fat. And this was in spite of efforts by the researchers to prevent the monkeys from gaining weight, by placing them on a low calorie diet.

The researchers also found that calories from trans fats made the monkeys much fatter around the tummy.

Trans fats re-distributed body fat, moving fat from other parts of the body to the abdomen area, thereby creating the “pear-shape” figure that has been strongly associated with heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses.

Lawrence Rudel, Ph.D., who headed the research, declare that the dangers of trans fats are worse than anticipated.

Other scientists are now saying that we need to re-think the whole idea that weight gain depends on calorie intake – because the latest study shows that even low calorie diets can produce weight gain if those calories come from trans fats.

In the Wake Forest study, researchers were originally investigating the dangers of trans fats in causing arteriosclerosis, or plaque build-up in the arteries.

In the study, researchers fed 51 male vervet monkeys a western-style diet, which had 35 percent of their diet coming from fats. Half the monkeys got a lot of trans fat, totaling 8 percent of their total calorie intake. The other monkeys were fed unsaturated fats such as olive oil.

Both types of diets were calorie-controlled, as the researchers did not want the monkeys to put on weight. This was to ensure that whatever dangers of trans fats found during the research were due to trans fat intake, and not to other factors such as weight gain.

So in theory, the monkeys should not have gained weight. But they did.

Over six years -- equivalent to a 20-year span for humans -- the monkeys who ate unsaturated fats increased their body weight only marginally, by 1.8 percent. Monkeys that were given trans fats, however, put on 7.2 percent more weight.

Dangers of trans fats – diabetes

A 7.2 percent weight gain may not seem much. But it is significant for two reasons:

• The monkeys were not supposed to gain any weight at all
  
  
• Even a 5 percent weight gain is enough to increase a person's risk of diseases like diabetes.

Said Dr Kylie Kavanagh, who reported the findings at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in Washington:

"In the world of diabetes, everybody knows that just 5 percent weight gain or weight loss makes an enormous difference. This little difference was biologically quite significant."

The trans-fat eating primates also had higher blood glucose levels and were more insulin resistant than their counterparts. In other words, the monkeys were showing early signs of Type II diabetes or adult-onset diabetes.

Dangers of trans fats – beer bellies

More significant than the 7.2 percent weight gain was the fact that the monkeys developed “beer bellies”, putting on much more weight around the tummy.

“The trans-fat eaters also had about 33 percent more flab around their bellies. You can see white gobs of fat in these guys”, said Dr Kylie Kavanagh.

Click here to read about the dangers of trans fats in causing heart disease.

Source: http://www.stop-trans-fat.com/index.html

Let's talk about Helicobacter Pylori

Most people really don't know what H. plyori is. (The above pic is of the bacteria) I didn't until my mom (age 75) was diagnosed with it. This is a bacteria known for causing stomach ulcers and linked to stomach cancer because of that. (Mom's dad died from stomach cancer.)

Their are certain foods that can help kill this nasty bacteria and we all need to add these to our diet to help protect us from stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.

* Broccoli sprouts
* Cranberries and its juice (The juice of cranberries helps kill bacteria in the mouth, too)
* Garlic
* Extra virgin olive oil
* Oranges and tangerines
* Turmeric (a spice made from cucumin)
* Resveratrol (found in wine, peanuts and berries) 20 milligrams/daily is the recommended amount. This is the best way to get it as you'd have to drink 1000's of glasses of wine to get the same 20 milligrams, as found in a supplement!

Study: Organic, Cage-Free Eggs No Healthier Than Factory

By JEFFREY KLUGER – Fri Jul 9, 7:10 pm ET

This year, like every year, has been a busy one for America's chickens. What the birds lack in smarts they make up for in work ethic, laying about 78 billion eggs annually (or 6.5 billion dozen), supplying a $7 billion industry. GM should be doing so well.

Like any other workers, hens turn out economy, premium and luxury products - known as factory, cage-free and organic eggs - and consumers pay accordingly. A recent survey conducted in one random city - Athens, Ga. - found factory eggs going for $1.69 per dozen, cage-free for $2.99 to $3.59, and organic for $3.99 to a whopping $5.38.

But it's worth it to pay more because you're getting a healthier product, right? Wrong. Most of the time, according to a just-released study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the eggs are indistinguishable. When there is a difference, it's often the factory eggs that are safer.

The study, led by food technologist Deana Jones, was not designed to explore the question of which egg-laying conditions are best for the hens themselves - simply because there is no question. Factory hens are confined in what are known as battery cages, which leave them crowded and all but immobilized, reduced to little more than egg-laying machines. Free-range and organic chickens have different degrees of freedom to move and are raised on varying levels of higher-quality feed. There's no question what kind of life the birds prefer.

What Jones and her colleagues wanted to learn is whether a happy hen in fact produces a better product. To do that, they relied principally on something known as the Haugh unit - a highly specialized egg-quality metric developed by food technologist Raymond Haugh in 1937. The white of an egg is where all its protein is found; it's made of both thin albumen - the watery fluid that runs farthest from the yolk when the egg is cracked into a cold pan - and thick albumen, the more viscous fluid that stays closer to the middle. The greater the amount of thick albumen, the more nutritious the egg.

"The Haugh unit factors together the weight of the egg and the thickness of the albumen layer at the center," says Jones. And that number, she found in her study, is not affected a whit by how a hen is raised. "We found no meaningful differences at all," she says. "We sampled eggs from a number of stores and kept getting the same results over and over. For shoppers, the decision comes down to your ethical and moral choices."

That, at least, is all that's involved when it comes to egg nutrition. But what about safety? Don't organic eggs have the edge in terms of antibiotics and other contaminants? Surprisingly, the USDA has not devoted a great deal of study to the antibiotic question, mostly because the drugs are used sparingly in the egg-laying industry - at least compared with the cattle industry, in which even healthy animals are kept dosed to prevent infections.

"There's just very little research I've seen on this," says USDA immunologist and microbiologist Peter Holt. "Hens are not routinely treated with antibiotics, though they may be if they're sick." In those cases, the eggs the birds produce lose their organic designation temporarily, until the drugs have cleared their systems.

The bigger problem comes with the environmental contaminants, and here the factory eggs have the edge. Research in both the U.S. and the E.U. has shown that free-range chickens have higher levels of PCBs, simply because they get out more and can peck almost anywhere. "There was a study in California of a free-range or organic farm with a wood-processing facility nearby," says Holt. "The chickens there had 100 times the PCB level of battery-cage chickens." A Brazilian study found something similar with DDT, even though the pesticide, which is slow to degrade, hadn't been used in the area in nine years. "You really have to know the history of the land before you can be sure it's safe," Holt says.

Another mistake some health-conscious consumers make - though it doesn't take the new USDA study to reveal it - is believing that the color of an egg makes a difference and that brown shells are somehow better than white ones. They're not. Color is determined entirely by the breed of chicken laying it, and the fact that brown eggs often cost a little more has nothing to do with quality. "It simply takes more feed to get a brown-shell species to lay," says Jones. "You're paying that additional production cost." As in any other industry, when the workers get a raise - even if it's chickenfeed - you'll see it on the price tag.

Source: TIMES

Go Green for healthy snacking

Nutrition in Pistachios

Pistachios are a good source of copper, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and B6. The nuts deliver 30 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, so they pack a considerable wallop from a nutritional standpoint.

Fiber in Pistachios

Pistachios contain fiber. Lots of it! Pistachios, in fact, contain higher amounts of fiber than many high-fiber foods. If you are trying to boost your intake, pistachios are an excellent source of dietary fiber.

Pistachio Protein

If you are looking to replace animal protein with vegetable protein, pistachios eaten in conjuction with protein-rich grains, vegetables, and fruits, can help you to add protein to your diet. Pistachio nuts are an excellent source of vegetable protein.

Pistachios and Antioxidants

Oxidative stress can cause damage to the human body, resulting in diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Dietary antioxidants help to reduce the damage. Pistachios contain phenolic compounds, which are believed to account for the antioxidant capability of certain foods. The pistachio nut is placed in the highest group for antioxidants.

Pistachios and Carotenoids

Pistachios contain significant amounts of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids have been linked to reduced risk of developing macular degeneration, a condition that results in blindness for aging Americans.

Pistachios and Phytosterols

Pistachios are also rich in plant sterols. Current research suggests that phytosterols may lower the absorption of dietary cholesterol from other foods. In fact, plant sterols are now being added to foods because of this beneficial effect.

Pistachios Lower Cholesterol

• Numerous studies have validated the health benefits of nuts. In particular, nuts render a cardio-protective effect. Dr. Koeyigit (Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Harran University, Turkey) carried out a study to evaluate a pistachio-rich diet as compared to a diet that excluded the nuts to determine whether inclusion of pistachios could affect cardiovascular health. The results demonstrated that the pistachio diet lowered total cholesterol. LDL and HDL levels were also affected.

• Dr. Hu (Harvard Department of Nutrition) reports in an overview article that nuts render a favorable effect on blood lipids and may also protect against coronary artery disease because of amino acids such as arginine, which is a precursor to nitric oxide, a vasodilator that can inhibit platelet adhesion.

Pistachios and Heart-Healthy Fats

Pistachios are a good source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats reduce blood cholesterol levels and lower risk of heart disease when they replace saturated fats in the diet. (Institute of Medicine, 2002a).

Pistachio Diet

In trials, people on the 4-week pistachio diet showed no weight gain while improving risk factors for heart disease (Journal of the American College of Nutrition). The study showed that a daily dose of pistachios is beneficial in relation to cardiovascular disease. Study participants had moderately high cholesterol levels and consumed 15% of their calories from pistachios. Over a four-week period, blood lipid levels improved.

Benefits of Pistachios

Eating pistachios renders significant benefits in relation to human health. Pistachio nuts deliver a nutritious array of important nutrients and compounds that support and assist body function.

• Add chopped pistachios to yogurt or cream cheese
• Pistachios can be added to muffins, pancakes, or oatmeal
• Try to consume approximately 30 nuts (18 g) 4 times per week
• Unsalted pistachios are an excellent addition to vegan or vegetarian diets

Including delicious pistachios into any eating plan may be one of the best things you can do to protect your health.

You can eat 50 pistachios and only take in about 160 calories!

Read more at Suite101: Health Benefits of Pistachios: Nutrient Dense Pistachio Nuts Make a Heart-Healthy Snack http://holistic-nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/health_benefits_of_pistachios#ixzz0sCEh22iC

Cranberries - like medicine, but taste better

The same mechanism that helps cranberries prevent urinary tract infections also helps them foil ulcers. Just as cranberry juice prevents the E. coli bacteria from sticking to the walls of your urinary tract, this tasty beverage also works against Heliobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for ulcers. If H. pylori can't stick to the mucus lining your stomach, it can't colonize there.

Even if you already have an H. pylori infection, cranberry juice may help. In a Chinese study, people who had H. pylori infections drank either two juice boxes of cranberry juice or a placebo beverage each day for 90 days. At the end of the study, those drinking the cranberry juice had significantly more negative test results for the infection.

Smile if you like cranberries: A Japanese study found that cranberries stop the oral streptococci strains of bacteria from sticking to the surface of your teeth. This slows the development of dental plaque and tooth decay. Researchers at the U of Rochester also found that cranberry juice effectively countered oral bacteria. They credited quercetin, as well as proanthocyanidins, for cranberry juice's success.

Cabbage - a head start on better health

Find new ways to enjoy cabbage and you could add extra muscle to your cancer defense. Here's how:

Some cancer-causing substances don't make trouble until a special enzyme "switches on" their ability to damage cells and DNA. But cabbage contains an isothiocyanate called benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC). Animal studies suggest that BITC may stop most enzymes from flipping the "on switch" so your cells are more likely to escape cancer-causing damage.

But cabbage doesn't just take out inactive cancer-causers. It also delivers sulforaphane to combat cancer-causing substances that are already active. Sulforaphane persuades your liver to produce more of its potent phase-2 detoxification enzymes. These extra shock troops supercharge your immune system, arming it with more power to disarm cancer-causing substances and sweep them out of your body.

Turn up the taste: Spice cabbage with oregano, dill, celery seed, caraway or savory.

Keep seeing Red: Add vinegar or lemon juice to red cabbage when cooking or cutting it. Otherwise, it may turn blue or purple.


Source: "Your body can heal itself" by the editors of FC&A Medical Publishing

Fight Fatigue with apricots

They may just be the perfect snack. Packed with iron, they help battle anemia. Plus, they're an excellent source of beta carotene, an antioxidant you body turns into vitamin A. This nutrient combats hypothyroidism by helping your thyroid absorb iodine. Add to that their natural sugar, and you get a quick, midday pick-me-up. Dried apricots are particularly potent because their nutrients are more concentrated, making them a healthy - and handy - on-the-go snack.

Source: "Your body can heal itself" by the editors of FC&A Medical Publishing

Nutrition Information of Olives

Identification

1. Olives have been a dietary staple since ancient times, bearing mention in the Bible, and included in art and history from the Greek and Egyptian cultures. While they have been grown in California for several hundreds of years as well as South Africa and South America, their primary source continues to be the Mediterranean region: Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey. Olives are far too bitter to be eaten in their natural state and require processing before they are edible. The color of the olive depends on their ripeness, from the unripe green to the fully ripe black, as well as the processing method used for them.

Nutrients

2. Olives contain high amounts of monounsaturated fat and sodium, and moderately high amounts vitamin E, iron, copper and dietary fiber. One cup of olives--a little more than 130 grams--contains 155 calories, about 130 of which come from fat. The serving contains about 10 grams of monounsaturated fat, about 22 percent of the recommended daily allowance. A one-cup serving contains 4.44 milligrams of iron, about a quarter of the recommended daily intake, and about 17 percent of the daily recommended copper intake, 0.34 milligrams. The serving provides 4.3 grams of dietary fiber, about 17 percent of what's recommended in a day, and 4.03 milligrams of vitamin E, about 20 percent of what's needed daily. Olives also contain small amounts of other nutrients, including protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and methionine.

Health Benefits

3. The nutrients in olives provide a number of health benefits. The high levels of monounsaturated fat, which is sturdier than polyunsaturated fats, helps boost the strength of the body's cell outer membranes. The protection, along with the vitamin E and other antioxidants in olives, lowers the risk of cell damage and inflation. Stable cells can help prevent against a number of conditions, including cancer, heart attacks, strokes and gastrointestinal disorders. It also can help control conditions like asthma, arthritis and hot flashes brought on by menopause. Iron and copper, meanwhile, are necessary for the health of the blood and liver. Dietary fiber helps promote digestive health as well as lower cholesterol.

Warning

4. Despite their benefits, the high sodium content of olives can be trouble for those on low-sodium diets. High levels of sodium in the body can cause high blood pressure and several other health problems. Some brine types used to prepare olives contain higher sodium levels than others, so always check nutrition labels to be sure. Generally, canned black olives contain the highest sodium levels. They are available in low-sodium varieties, and cooks also can cut down on their sodium content by draining them of their juice and washing them off with fresh water. In addition, eating a large amount of olives on an empty stomach will cause nausea.

Varieties

5. Although all the various colors of olives are basically the same vegetable in different stages of ripeness, not all olives are created equal when it comes to nutritional value. Ripe, black olives are the healthiest, particularly those cured in water or with sea salt. Green, unripe olives do not have the same level of mineral content and also might be treated with lye. Canned black olives, beside the high sodium content, also lack the same nutritional punch as the jarred variety. Canned olives, in many cases, were not ripened naturally and instead got their dark color from additives used during the canning process.


Read more: Nutrition Information of Olives | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5085244_nutrition-information-olives.html#ixzz0rw94G1kP

Virgin Coconut Oil Benefits

Virgin Coconut Oil

Virgin coconut oil is one of the most popular whole foods being used to prevent sickness and disease. Referred to as the Tree of Life, the coconut palm has a number of wonderful health giving benefits. Coconut oil is also referred to as coconut butter and is derived from the kernel of the coconut, which is also known as the copra. However, the difference between standard coconut oil and virgin coconut oil is that virgin coconut oil is not derived from the dried copra, but rather comes from fresh coconuts.

One of the most abundant substances in virgin coconut oil is saturated fat. With a composition of 90% saturated fat. The saturated fat is comprised of seven different fatty acids, and is revered for its ability to withstand oxidation. When stored properly, virgin coconut oil will last up to two years.

Virgin coconut oil is recommended for its many benefits. It has been shown to improve the health and beauty of hair, skin, and nails. Additionally, it has helped lower stress levels, brings cholesterol levels into balance, helps speed up weight loss, and has an important role in proper digestion. Virgin coconut oil has also been used in the treatment of kidney and heart disease, and diabetes. Known for its antibacterial properties, virgin coconut oil also fights funguses, is an antioxidant, and has germicidal properties.

For those who are worried about their blood pressure, virgin coconut oil is a good choice. Since virgin coconut oil does not increase or raise cholesterol levels, it is perfect for those who are dealing with heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and those who are trying to lose weight. Virgin coconut oil is a great solution for those who are looking for healthy cooking oil. Not only will coconut oil not increase these levels, but it is also a good choice for balancing levels as well.

When your cholesterol levels are under control, your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease decreases. This in turn makes your chance of developing diabetes decrease as well. Since virgin coconut oil has antibacterial, anti fungal, and anti microbial properties it does not encourage or promote Candida growth. This helps those who are dealing with yeast, thrush, or conditions such as athlete's foot.

Virgin coconut oil can be taken both internally and topically. For conditions on the skin, or to revitalize the hair, adding coconut oil topically is an effective remedy. However, you can also use virgin coconut oil for your cooking, as well as take between three and four tablespoons on a daily basis. This will promote benefits and help bring the body's systems into balance. Many clinical trials and research have been conducted on the effects of virgin coconut oil in the daily diet and the results have been tremendous. Virgin coconut oil regularly makes news headlines for its results. From helping those suffering from conditions such as psoriasis and eczema to bringing health to those with Alzheimer's and pneumonia, virgin coconut oil is one of the most powerful health remedies available today.

Source: http://www.naturalorganiclifestyle.com/virgin-coconut-oil.html

Raw Unrefined Sea Salt

The human body is comprised on nearly 75% water. Because the body relies so greatly upon water, it is important that the human body stays well hydrated. However, what many people may not realize is that the chemical composition of the water that is vital to all human life bodily functions is nearly identical to that of ocean or sea water.

In fact, ocean or sea salt is healthy and good for us. This may come as a surprise to those who have repeatedly heard how harmful salt is to the body. Yet, it should be realized that the negative effects of salt that has been studied comes from refined white or table salt, not unrefined raw sea salt.

Athletes have understood the importance of maintaining the body's electrolytes through salt. However, even sports drinks don't compare to the amazing benefits derived from raw unrefined sea salt.

In addition to restoring and balancing the body's electrolytes, it also helps to increase energy, restore the body's ph balance, and increases the immune system.

Salt is a vital source of many minerals including iodine. Unrefined raw sea salt contains numerous trace minerals and these help protect the body from toxins, parasites, bacteria, viruses, and other illnesses. There are over one hundred minerals in unrefined sea salt that all help keep the body in balance.

Source: http://www.naturalorganiclifestyle.com/raw-unrefined-sea-salt.html

Trans Fats - Unsafe at any meal

Trans fats are dastardly! Here is a list of their damage on our systems:

* Lower HDL (the "good" one, which we want to be high)

* Raise LDL (the "bad" one, which we want to be low)

* Raise Lp(a), which promotes atherosclerosis and clotting (a bad thing)

* Reduce blood vessel function

* Promote obesity, diabetes and hypertension (really bad thing)

* Alter fat cell size and number (shudder! another really bad thing)

* Reduce cream in breast milk

* Reduce fertility and correlate with low birth weight

* Increase asthma

* Reduce immune response

* Interfere with the conversion and use of DHA and EPA

* Disrupt enzymes that metabolize carcinogens and drugs

* Damage cell membranes

* Create free radicals (Cancer! A really, really bad thing!)

Trans fats do a lot of damage in addition to causing heart disease. Recall that all of your cell walls are made of fat. Like natural fats, trans fats enter the tissues and become part of the cell membrane, where, unlike natural fats, they disrupt every cellular activity, from metabolism to immunity. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are walking around with cell walls made of trans fats, which have no place in the diet or the body.

The sooner we ban trans fats - as Denmark has - the better!

Credited to Nina Planck in her book: "Real Food - what to eat and why"

Why coconut oil is good for you

"The main fat (49%)in coconut oil is lauric acid, an antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral fatty acid all but unique to coconut oil and breast milk. Lauric acid kills fat-coated viruses, including HIV, measles, herpes, influenza, leukemia, hepatitis C, Epstein-Barr, and bacteria, such as Listeria, Helicobacter pylori, and strep. Monolaurin, an agent the body makes from lauric acid, fights the herpes and cytomegalovirus viruses.

The medium-chain fats in coconut oil don't need to be emulsified by bile acids before they are digested, as long-chain polyunsaturated fats do. Thus the body burns coconut oil more quickly than long-chain polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, which it tends to store for later. For this reason, lauric acid is easy to digest, and for decades doctors have fed coconut oil to patients unable to digest polyunsaturated fats.

Medium-chain fats can also aid weight loss. Ultimately, of course, the most important thing is how much energy you consume and spend, but metabolism is more subtle than that. For example, lean protein has a higher "thermic effecct" than fat or carbs; that means it gives metabolism a boost. Lauric acid has a similar effect. A large number of studies in both animals and people show that coconut oil, when compared with polyunsaturated fats, enhances weight loss. Many people take a spoonful of coconut oil daily to aid weight loss and boost immunity.

What about heart disease? In the last thirty years, a number of studies have cleared coconut oil of any role in heart disease, and recent research confirms those findings.

Coconut oil even improves the all-important ration of HDL and LDL.

How then, did coconut oil get a bad reputation? Partly because we misunderstood cholesterol. We used to think that any fat that raised total cholesterol, as coconut oil can, was unhealthy, but we now know that total cholesterol is a poor predictor of heart disease and that raising HDL is good. Moreover, hydrogenated coconut oil was used in some studies.

Credited to Nina Planck in her book: "Real Food - what to eat and why"

Fats - Good with vegatables and to help omega-3 absorbtion

"Without fats, even vegetable are less nutritious. Brightly colored vegetables are rich in antioxidant carotenoids. They go better with butter. In 2004, Iowa State University researchers who compared people eating salads with traditional or fat-free dressing found those shunning fat failed to absorb lycopene and beta-carotene, powerful antioxidants that boost immunity and fight cancer and heart disease.

'Fat is necessary for the carotenoids to reach the absorptive intestinal walls,' said the lead researcher, Wendy White. Lycopene is found in tomatoes and beta-carotene in orange, yellow and green vegetables.

The chemistry of fats can explain the long tradition of serving fish with butter and cream. Saturated fats are required to assimilate omega-3 fats, and they make omega-3 fats go farther in the body."

Credited to Nina Planck in her book: "Real Food - what to eat and why"

Protein + fat = nutrition absorption

"Eating protein with fat makes nutritional sense, because all food, and protein in particular, requires fat for proper digestion.

Consider, for example, two near-perfect foods: eggs and milk. Both foods are a complete nutritional package, designed for a growing organism's exclusive nutrition, and must contain everything the body needs to assimilate the nutrients they contain.

Thus the fats in the egg yolk aid digestion of the protein in the white, and lecithin in the yolk aids metabolism of its cholesterol. The butterfat in milk facilitates protein digestion, and saturated fat in particular is required to absorb the calcium.

Calcium, in turn, requires vitamins A and D to be properly assimilated, and they are found only in the butterfat. Finally, vitamin A is required for production of bile salts that enable the body to digest protein.

Without the butterfat, then, you don't get the best of protein, fat-soluble vitamins, or calcium from milk. That's why I don't eat, and cannot recommend, egg white omelets and skim milk. They are low-quality, incomplete foods."

Credited to Nina Planck in her book: "Real Food - what to eat and why"

Vegetables that need to be cooked...

"Be aware that that some vegetables are more nutritious when cooked. The broccoli and cabbage family contains goitrogens, which depress thyroid function. Spinach, beets and chard contain oxalic acid, which blocks calcium and iron absorption. Goitrogens and oxalic acid are reduced by cooking.

Betacarotene in vegetables is more available to the body once it has been liberated from tough cell walls; thus shredding, juicing and cooking beets and carrots are all ways to make them more nutritious."

Credited to Nina Planck in her book: "Real Food - what to eat and why"

Industrialized diet and poor health

"What can be the blame for our poor health? The culprit is industrial foods. Sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oils raise cholesterol and triglycerides. Eating oxidized - or damaged - cholesterol leads to unhealthy oxidized LDL in the body. The main, dietary source of oxidized cholesterol is powdered skim milk and powdered eggs, commonly found in processed foods.

The experts are right: our diet is killing us. But traditional beef, butter, and eggs are not to blame for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The so-called diseases of civilization are caused by the food of civilization. More accurately, the diseases of industrialization are caused by the foods of industrialization."

credited to Nina Planck in her book: "Real Food, what to eat and why"

The Trans Fat Deception

0 Grams Trans Fat!

That is what the package says, but what does it mean? Could it be true?

You would think that if a package says zero grams of trans fats, then the food would have no trans fats in it, right?

Wrong! The label above lists partially hydrogenated vegetable oil as the third ingredient! (According to FDA guidelines, the ingredients must be listed in order - the most listed first, in order down to the least ingredient listed last).

If the food is broken down into serving sizes small enough so that there is less than 1/2 gram per serving, then they can put ZERO on the label. It appears that this is the case even if there is 0.49 grams of trans fat in that serving.

This is nothing new, however, and has been the case with regular fat as well for a long time. If a serving of a food had less than 1/2 gram of fat in it, then the manufacturer could put 0 grams fat on the label.

Why this is so important NOW is because trans fats are unlike any other fat - they are the worst fat out there. They wreak havoc with your body, causing irreparable damage to your cells.

What Trans Fats Do: They fool your body. Your cells are designed accept fatty acids - good fats. But trans fats are NOT good fats, and trick your cells. They are accepted by your body, but cannot be metabolized like a real fatty acid, and cannot be rejected. The integrity of your cell membrane is compromised and your cell is no longer able to function properly.

New Products Are Being Released...

That claim to be trans-fat free. Many truly are. Many are not. The only true way is to check the labels for ANY of these phrases:

* Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
* Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
* Partially Hydrogenated ANYTHING Oil
* Shortening
* Margarine

Trans Fat Free Margarine is being released now by many manufacturers. There is only one brand that we have seen that, when you check the ingredients, is truly trans fat-free, and that is Smart Balance (which can be found in most any grocery store).

The manufacturers that produce foods that claim to be trans fat-free (but contain trans-fats) rest their public position on the idea that the FDA has said that "the FDA .... recommends keeping your intake of both saturated and trans fats as low as possible."

Note that the manufacturer is lumping trans fats in with saturated fats as though they were even close to the same hazard - they are not.
(For the truth about Trans Fats and Saturated fats, we highly recommend reading this book: Trans Fats, by Judith Shaw).

How do they do it, then? Their explanation is with somewhat tricky language like this: "As a result, some products qualify, according to FDA guidelines, for 0g trans fat per serving although they have as one of their components partially hydrogenated vegetable oil."

The FDA has released new labeling guidelines that go into effect in 2006. Until that time, you will see many manufacturers adding the labels "No Trans Fats", "0 Grams Trans Fats", and other trans fat related information to their labels.

Unfortunately, the guidelines fall short, and there is only one way to truly know. That is to read the ingredient lists.

Trans Fat Tips:

** Zero Tolerance. Zero is the only amount of this poison that you should allow into your body.

** Read Ingredient Lists. Frustratingly, you cannot trust even the nutritional panel when it indicates "0 grams" of Trans Fats.

** Go Natural. You will find that natural foods (nuts, milk, butter, vegetables, fruits, etc) are all trans fat free.

** Choose Wisely. Olive oil for cooking. Butter for baking. Butter or Smart Balance as a condiment.

** No Margarine. Some claim to be trans fat free, but they aren't!



----FormulaZone Staff, November 28, 2004

The Health Benefits of Teas

from LIVESTRONG.COM

By Alyse Levine

Concept
The media has exhaustively publicized the numerous ways drinking tea is good for you: from fighting certain cancers, to decreasing the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer's disease, to controlling cholesterol and even reducing tooth decay! Although most people are aware of tea's health benefits, they are not aware of which teas are the most beneficial. So, from a health perspective, are all teas created equal?

Nutritional Facts and Figures
What are the purported health benefits of consuming tea?

Before we begin, note that here we are talking about tea from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, and not herbal teas, which are really derived from the flowers, leaves, seeds, bark, or roots of certain plants but contain no actual “real” tea (herbal teas do have purported health benefits, but they are beyond the scope of this bite).
Studies have shown that tea may promote good health in the following ways:

*Heart Health: The polyphenols (antioxidants) found in tea are very effective in preventing cholesterol from oxidizing and damaging blood vessels. Green tea has been shown to improve the health of the delicate cells lining the blood vessels, which helps lower one's risk of heart disease (1).

*Cancer Prevention: The polyphenols (catechins in particular) in tea may help prevent or decrease the growth and spread of certain cancers. They scavenge oxidants before cell injuries occur, reduce the incidence and size of chemically induced tumors, and inhibit the growth of tumor cells. In studies of liver, skin, and stomach cancer, chemically induced tumors were shown to decrease in size in mice that were fed green and black tea (2,3).

*Skin Protector: Not only has tea been shown to be effective in decreasing cancer risk when consumed orally, but it may also be beneficial when applied superficially to the skin (4). Some research has shown that when green tea is applied to sunburned skin it decreases the development of cancerous skin tumors. This evidence has led many cosmetics companies to start adding green tea to their skin care products.

*Alzheimer's Disease Arsenal: Both green and black teas have been shown to hinder the activity of two enzymes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease. Although tea consumption cannot cure Alzheimer's, it may be another part of the puzzle in treating or slowing down the development of the disease (5).

*Good for Teeth: Compounds in tea protect teeth by increasing the acid resistance of tooth enamel and acting as antibiotics that kill off dangerous, decay-promoting bacteria (6). Tea also contains fluoride, which is essential for keeping teeth strong and healthy.

Which tea varieties provide the above health benefits?

All "real" teas, which include green, black, and oolong tea varieties, are beneficial to your health. As mentioned above, these teas are all derived from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis, and contain numerous healthful compounds including polyphenols (particularly catechins), tocopherol, vitamin C, as well as other antioxidants. The polyphenols are believed to be responsible for most of tea's role in promoting good health. Although black, green and oolong teas have different polyphenol compositions due to processing differences, they all have been shown to provide the above health benefits.

The differences between the teas are depicted below. As you can see, the main difference between the "real" teas is simply in how the leaves are processed.

Green Teas (Japanese, Chinese, Gunpowder, etc...)
Green teas are the freshest and least processed because they are not at all fermented. Of all "real" teas, green tea has the lightest and most subtle taste.

Black Teas (Darjeeling, Earl Grey, China Black, Jasmine, etc...)
Black tea is simply green tea that has been fermented for around 6 hours. Fermentation turns the green leaves black and alters the polyphenol content, though it is still very high in antioxidants. Black teas have the strongest taste.

Oolong Teas
These teas are made from green teas that are briefly fermented. Therefore, they are a compromise between black and green tea in both taste and color.

To Get the Most Out of Tea:
*To get the benefits claimed above, opt for a "real" tea variety (green, black, or oolong), as opposed to an herbal tea
*Steep tea for about 3 minutes; this time allotment enables the health promoting compounds to be released; steeping for much longer turns the tea bitter and releases too much tannin, which can irritate the digestive tract, cause constipation, and decrease iron absorption.
*Hot or Cold? Go for what you like! Bottled teas, iced tea, and teas made from mixes are also all rich in polyphenols. However, keep iced tea fresh, the polyphenol content starts to deteriorate after a few days.

Note on Caffeine:
If you are worried about the caffeine content of tea, opt for the decaffeinated varieties...they provide the same health benefits without keeping you up all night.

Alyse's Advice
The next time you reach for a warm, soothing cup of tea, opt for either green, black or oolong varieties, and steep for about 3 minutes. If you prefer the iced kind, follow the same guidelines but make sure to finish it within a few days before the antioxidant content starts to decline. A few cups of tea a day may help keep the heart doctor and dentist away, as well as cancer and Alzheimer's disease at bay.

Foods and Cancer...

The odds a person will ever be diagnosed with cancer are 1 in 2.44, and the odds a person will die of it are 1 in 4.7. Although most of us think we eat pretty well—the odds an adult considers him- or herself a healthy eater are 1 in 1.56 (64%)—cancer remains the second most common cause of death in America, after heart disease.

Complicating the food-cancer connection is the fact that cancer is a whole constellation of diseases, each with its own risk factors; at the same time, the definition of “eating right” seems to change every time we look at the health news. “Healthy eating” now includes, in addition to the old standbys like fruits and vegetables, some items we used to think of as mere indulgences.

HEROES AND POTENTIAL HEROES

Fruits and vegetables: the American Cancer Society sums it up this way: Vegetables and fruits, particularly if they have lot of color, are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, etc., that collectively reduce the risk of cancer, including lung cancer and cancers of the digestive tract (from mouth to colon). However, some recent research has failed to find major reductions in cancer risk associated with eating the recommended five servings a day. One study that followed nearly half a million people found only a “very small inverse association.” Researchers have suggested that studies of specific plant foods might be more fruitful. For example:

Citrus. Consuming citrus fruits was associated with lower cancer rates in an analysis of 48 international studies. Oranges, the researchers said, have very high antioxidant levels, with flavonoids that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties.

Garlic. Some studies have indicated consuming garlic helps protect against various cancers. An analysis in the Journal of Nutrition of seven population studies, for example, showed that garlic consumption reduced the risk of colorectal and stomach cancers. (The odds a person will ever be diagnosed with colorectal cancer are 1 in 18.45.)

Tomatoes and Broccoli. Evidence that the lycopene found in tomatoes prevents prostate cancer is inconclusive. One study found that eating tomatoes in combination with broccoli shrank prostate tumors in rats by 52%. Evidence that broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables have particular cancer-prevention effects remains merely suggestive, but one compound found in broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts shows promise in stopping the growth of prostate and breast cancer cells.

Red Wine. Drinking moderate amounts of red wine has been shown to lower prostate cancer risk. It contains resveratrol (an antioxidant) and flavonoids (polyphenols also found in chocolate), which appear to be healthful agents. (The odds a male will ever be diagnosed with prostate cancer are 1 in 6.29, and the odds he’ll die of it are 1 in 35.71.) Another study showed a 60% drop in lung cancer risk among male smokers who had one or two glasses of red wine per day. ( Lung cancer kills 1 in 16.75 Americans, more than any other type of cancer.) On the other hand, drinking alcoholic beverages of any kind has been linked with a higher risk of breast cancer in women.

Chocolate. The antioxidants in chocolate may help prevent cancer by fighting cell damage that leads to tumors.

VILLAINS AND POTENTIAL VILLAINS

Some foods may carry increased cancer risk. A new Korean study found a small increase in stomach cancer associated with a saltier diet. (In the US, the odds a person will ever be diagnosed with stomach cancer are 1 in 111.1.) A new study on rats suggests eating a fatty diet during pregnancy carries breast cancer risk for the children—and even grandchildren. A byproduct of cooking (especially burning) carbohydrate-rich foods has been tied to increased cancer risk in postmenopausal women. And soy contains phytoestrogens that may be linked to breast cancer, again in postmenopausal women.

FOOD VS. INGREDIENTS

So there’s no yes or no answer to the question of whether “eating right” prevents cancer. Clearly, some ingredients in some foods are linked to higher or lower risks for some cancers and other health problems. Maybe the best practice of all is just to follow food author Michael Pollan’s advice: If your grandmother wouldn’t recognize it, or you can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t eat it.

Hate getting corn stuck in my teeth....

(photo from http://myfoodlooksfunny.com/)

Celery

Celery is one of those vegetables that tends to sit around in the refrigerator after you buy a bunch because a recipe for soup or stew or, as Thanksgiving approaches, stuffing calls for one stalk. Celery keeps for weeks, but a lot of drooping stalks still get thrown away. That’s too bad, because there are plenty of things to do with this vegetable, and the tender inner stalks that probably didn’t get used — the heart — are the best part.

Celery contains phytochemicals called phthalides, which some studies have shown reduce stress hormones and work to relax the muscle walls in arteries, increasing blood flow. As a result, it has long been used in Chinese medicine to help control high blood pressure. Celery is an excellent source of vitamins K and C, and a very good source of potassium, folate, dietary fiber, molybdenum, manganese, and vitamin B6. --Martha Rose Shulman

The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating

Maybe you should be eating more beets, left, or red cabbage.

(This post was originally published on June 30, 2008, and recently appeared on The New York Times’s list of most-viewed stories for 2009.)
By TARA PARKER-POPE

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.

1. Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.
2. Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
3. Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.
4. Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.
5. Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.
6. Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
7. Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.
8. Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.
9. Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
10. Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.
11. Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

You can find more details and recipes on the Men’s Health Web site, which published the original version of the list last year.