Breaking The Food Seduction

Source:  Youtube, Dr. Neal Barnard

The Engine 2 Diet

Source: Today Show, Youtube

Protect Your Knees!

Doctors have known for many years that having weak
quad muscles (in the front of your upper legs) increases risk for
damage to the cartilage in your knees. A study from Purdue
University shows that strengthening these muscles slows down
knee cartilage damage and may even improve knee function
(Arthritis & Rheumatism, October 2006).

The researchers placed 221 adults in their sixties and
seventies either on a program of strengthening their muscles in
their upper legs or just moving their knees in a series of range-of-
motion exercises. The subjects exercised three times per week
(twice at a fitness facility and once at home) for 12 weeks. This
program was followed by a transition to home-based exercise for
12 months. Older people weaken naturally with aging, but the
range of motion exercisers lost more strength than those who
exercised against progressive resistance. The strength training
helped retain joint space, signifying that this group had less loss of
cartilage.

The knee is like two sticks held together by four bands
called ligaments. Strength training stabilizes the muscles that
support the knee and helps to prevent loss of cartilage with aging.
People with knee pain should get a diagnosis from their doctors.
Most will be advised to do exercises that strengthen the knee,
such as pedaling a bicycle or performing knee strengthening
exercises that involve bending and straightening the knees
against resistance. People with knee pain should avoid exercises
that jar the joints, such as jumping or running.


Source: Dr. Gabe Mirkin 

Vitamins are essential for the normal growth and development of humans. For the most part, vitamins are obtained from food, but a few are obtained by other means. For example, microorganisms in the intestine – commonly known as “gut flora” – produce vitamin K and biotin, while one form of vitamin D is synthesized in the skin with the help of natural ultraviolet in sunlight. Humans can produce some vitamins from precursors they consume. Examples include vitamin A, produced from beta carotene, and niacin, from the amino acid tryptophan. Throughout life, vitamins are essential for healthy maintenance of the cells, tissues, and organs, and also enable us to efficiently use chemical energy provided by food as well as help process the proteins, carbohydrates, and fats required for respiration.


Deficiencies of vitamins are classified as either primary or secondary. A primary deficiency occurs when we do not get enough of the vitamin in our food. A secondary deficiency may be due to an underlying disorder that prevents or limits the absorption or use of the vitamin, due to a ‘lifestyle factor’, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, or the use of medications that interfere with the absorption or use of the vitamin. People who eat a varied diet are unlikely to develop a severe primary vitamin deficiency. In contrast, restrictive diets have the potential to cause prolonged vitamin deficits, which may result in often painful and potentially deadly diseases.

Vitamin B1 (thiamin):
Why it’s important: Most cells in the body depend on sugar as an energy source. When oxygen is used to help convert sugar into usable energy, the process of energy generation is called aerobic energy production. This process cannot take place without adequate supplies of vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 also plays a key role in support of the nervous system where it permits healthy development of the fat-like coverings which surround most nerves. A second type of connection between vitamin B1 and the nervous system involves its role in the production of the messaging molecule acetylcholine. This molecule is used by the nervous system to relay messages between the nerves and muscles. Acetylcholine cannot be produced without adequate supplies of vitamin B1. Because acetylcholine is used by the nervous system to ensure proper muscle tone in the heart, deficiency of B1 can also result in compromised heart function. (Vitamin B1 is most famous for its role in the nutritional deficiency disease beriberi.) Note: The leading risk factor for vitamin B1 deficiency in the US is alcoholism. Heavy users of coffee and tea may also have increased risk of B1 deficiency, since these beverages act as diuretics and remove both water and water-soluble vitamins (like B1) from the body. Our need for B1 is also increased by chronic stress, chronic diarrhea, chronic fever, and smoking. Individuals with these health problems may need 5-10 times the ordinary amount of vitamin B1. Medications such as diuretics, birth control pills, antibiotics, and sulfa drugs have all been shown to decrease the availability of vitamin B1 in the body.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin):
Why it’s important: B2, or riboflavin, acts as a coenzyme to help metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins in order to provide the body with energy. It doesn’t act alone, however, it works in concert with its B-complex relatives, particularly B6. B2 has a connection to glutathione, one of the enzymes that rids the body of free radicals. It helps in the regeneration of this beneficial compound. B2 helps to decrease migraines, helps prevent cataracts, and even alleviate sickle-cell disease. Older women who exercise have higher B2 needs than their sedentary counterparts. Note: Large doses of B2 are not toxic.

Vitamin B3 (niacin):
Why it’s important: B3, or niacin, also works to metabolize food and provide energy for the body. Adequate amounts prevent a disease called pellagra, which is characterized by red, rough skin, weakness, loss of appetite, and digestive disturbances. If left untreated, pellagra can be fatal. B3 is very effective at correcting high cholesterol and preventing or reversing heart disease. It can be used to treat insulin-dependent diabetes. It might also be effective in treating arthritis and migraine headaches. Note: Taking niacin supplements (beyond the amount in your daily vitamin) in high doses can be dangerous and should only be taken under the supervision of a health care professional.

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid):
Why it’s important: B5, or pantothenic acid, like the other B vitamins, helps the body extract energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It also helps to metabolize fats and produce red blood cells and hormones from the adrenal gland. B5 might be useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis. It could also be used to lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. B5 is commonly found in “anti-stress” formulas because it works with the adrenal gland to produce stress hormones. Note: There are no known toxicity problems with high doses of B5.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine):
Why it’s important: B6, or pyridoxine, functions mainly by helping to metabolize protein and amino acids. Because of its work with proteins, it plays a role in the synthesis of protein substances such as muscles, antibodies, and hormones. It also helps out in the production of red blood cells, and neurotransmitters. This vitamin gets together with more than 60 enzymes in the body, working to get many functions accomplished. In addition to building substances in the body, B6 can be effective against diseases such as heart disease, mental depression, kidney stones, MSG sensitivity, PMS, asthma, morning sickness and memory loss. B6 has been used to treat more than 100 health conditions. While B6 is widespread in our daily diet, many people are still not getting enough. One survey showed that B6 intake was below 70% of the RDA in half of the people surveyed. Many foods lose valuable vitamin content during cooking, or when processed, and certain medications increase the need for B6. Note: Supplemental dosage of this vitamin should stay between 50—100 mg per day, divided in several doses to prevent toxicity. Food sources of B6 present no toxicity problems.

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin):
Why it’s important: B12 is essential to cells because it’s needed to assist folate in making DNA and RNA, which carry and transmit genetic information for every living cell. This information tells a cell how to function and must be passed along each time a cell divides. Rapidly dividing cells need a continuous supply of vitamin B12 and folate. Vitamin B12 plays a central role in folate metabolism. It releases free folate from its bound form so it can be absorbed, and it helps in the transportation and storage of folate. A deficiency of B12 can create a folate deficiency even when dietary intake of folate is adequate. That is why a deficiency of either vitamin causes a similar type of anemia. B12 also functions in the production of a material called myelin, which covers and protects nerve fibers. Without enough B12, nerve transmission suffers and people experience irreversible nerve damage. B12 has health benefits for young and old alike, and everyone in between. It combats asthma in children, has shown promise against HIV in adults, and has helped the elderly who find their minds aren’t as sharp as they used to be, may help alleviate depression and help older adults sleep better. The average American diet supplies plenty of B12, however, strict vegetarians are at risk for deficiency as well as people with pernicious anemia (an inherited disease in which B12 cannot be absorbed). Note: Vitamin B12 is non-toxic.

Every vitamin has an important role to play in our bodies, and they also work with each other to keep us healthy. When we’re deficient in one or more vitamins, it affects every system in the body, directly or indirectly and when deficiency goes on for years, illness and disease results. Achieving better health is as simple as a balanced diet and a daily multivitamin for insurance.


Source: holistichealthlibrary.com

The Best Protein Powders

Serotonin - The Feel Good Chemical

 The feel-good chemical, serotonin, cannot be produced by the body without tryptophan. Without serotonin, people feel low. Ten foods are natural sources of tryptophan. 

 

The body cannot produce tryptophan, an amino acid which is converted by the body into serotonin, so unless we get enough through our diets, we may suffer a deficiency, leading to low serotonin levels.
Low serotonin levels are associated with mood disorders, anxiety, cravings and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
In her e-book The Serotonin Secret, Dr Caroline Longmore says the best way to get optimum tryptophan levels is through a carefully devised eating plan. She rates dozens of foods for their levels of tryptophan.

A French-trained paediatrician who later worked with Medecins Sans Frontieres, travelling to areas in need such as Africa, Cambodia and Vietnam amongst others, Dr Longmore worked for many years in major children’s hospitals in Paris and London.
She has long been interested in nutrition and complementary medicine, and operates a naturopathic and nutrition clinic in Britain.

Food to Improve your Mood

Have a turkey sandwich. Or a handful of sunflower seeds.
These are among the ten best foods for tryptophan listed in The Serotonin Secret.

More on this topic

• Foods that Boost Serotonin
• Your Food and Your Mood
• Increase Serotonin Levels

Written with Australian-trained medical scientist and naturopath Katrin Hempel, the book has 50 recipes designed to solve serotonin imbalance without drugs.
Dr Longmore says the concept works on the same principle as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as popular antidepressant Prozac.
Her top ten good mood foods are mung beans, lobster, turkey, asparagus, sunflower seeds, cottage cheese, pineapple, tofu, spinach and bananas - the foods containing the highest levels of tryptophan.
Britain's Food and Mood Project also recommends eating chicken, sardines, turkey, salmon, fresh tuna, oats, nuts and seeds to boost serotonin levels.

Carbohydrates Help Absorb Tryptohan

The Food and Mood project website explains that including carbohydrates in the diet is important to help absorb tryptophan.
“The absorption of tryptophan into the brain is thought to be greatly enhanced by eating carbohydrate-containing foods and carbohydrate cravings have been explained as a subconscious drive to increase serotonin levels,” it says.
“Carbohydrates that are slow releasing can help the absorption of the tryptophan across the blood-brain barrier without creating a rebound hypoglycaemic dip. Oats are particularly important because they have a low Glycaemic Index.”

Avoid Tryptophan Supplements

Australian mental health experts say the use of tryptophan supplements in Australia has had a chequered history, and should be avoided.
They say that while the theory behind tryptophans for improving mood is solid, its use by depressed patients has not always been successful, and contaminated batches of tryptophan supplements had caused serious side-effects in many patients.
Professor Gordon Parker, of the Black Dog Institute said while some patients strongly believed such supplements were beneficial, scientific evidence was lacking.
"I would say it's something that can be useful for some people but the quality control varies enormously," he said.

Top Ten Good Mood Foods

• mung beans
• lobster
• turkey
• asparagus
• sunflower seeds
• cottage cheese
• pineapple
• tofu
• spinach
• bananas

Other Mood Foods

• chicken
• salmon
• sardines
• tuna
• nuts
• oats

Source: http://suite101.com

If It's Good Enough For Presidents...

What is a Vegan?

Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. Vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, do not use other animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products.

Why Veganism?

People choose to be vegan for health, environmental, and/or ethical reasons. For example, some vegans feel that one promotes the meat industry by consuming eggs and dairy products. That is, once dairy cows or egg-laying chickens are too old to be productive, they are often sold as meat; and since male calves do not produce milk, they usually are raised for veal or other products. Some people avoid these items because of conditions associated with their production.
Many vegans choose this lifestyle to promote a more humane and caring world. They know they are not perfect, but believe they have a responsibility to try to do their best, while not being judgmental of others.

 

Vegan Nutrition

The key to a nutritionally sound vegan diet is variety. A healthy and varied vegan diet includes fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes.

 

Protein

It is very easy for a vegan diet to meet the recommendations for protein as long as calorie intake is adequate. Strict protein planning or combining is not necessary. The key is to eat a varied diet.
Almost all foods except for alcohol, sugar, and fats provide some protein. Vegan sources include: lentils, chickpeas, tofu, peas, peanut butter, soy milk, almonds, spinach, rice, whole wheat bread, potatoes, broccoli, kale...

 

Fat

Vegan diets are free of cholesterol and are generally low in saturated fat. Thus eating a vegan diet makes it easy to conform to recommendations given to reduce the risk of major chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. High-fat foods, which should be used sparingly, include oils, margarine, nuts, nut butters, seed butters, avocado, and coconut.

 

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is not found in the vegan diet but can be made by humans following exposure to sunlight. At least ten to fifteen minutes of summer sun on hands and face two to three times a week is recommended for adults so that vitamin D production can occur. Food sources of vitamin D include vitamin D-fortified orange juice and vitamin D-fortified soy milk and rice milk.

 

Calcium

Calcium, needed for strong bones, is found in dark green vegetables, tofu made with calcium sulfate, calcium-fortified soy milk and orange juice, and many other foods commonly eaten by vegans. Although lower animal protein intake may reduce calcium losses, there is currently not enough evidence to suggest that vegans have lower calcium needs. Vegans should eat foods that are high in calcium and/or use a calcium supplement.

 

CALCIUM CONTENT OF SELECTED FOODS

Following are some good sources of calcium:

   ___________________________________________________________

   Soy or rice milk,
 commercial, calcium-
 fortified, plain     8 oz      200-300 mg

   Collard greens, cooked                  1 cup     357 mg

   Blackstrap molasses                     2 TB      400 mg

   Tofu, processed with 
        calcium sulfate                    4 oz      200-330 mg

   Calcium-fortified
 orange juice      8 oz      300 mg

   Tofu, processed with 
        nigari                     4 oz      80-230 mg

   Kale, cooked       1 cup     179 mg

   Tahini       2 TB      128 mg

   Almonds                                 1/4 cup   89 mg
   ___________________________________________________________

Other good sources of calcium include: okra, turnip greens, soybeans, tempeh, almond butter, broccoli, bok choy, commercial soy yogurt...
The recommended intake for calcium for adults 19 through 50 years is 1000 milligrams/day.
Note: It appears that oxalic acid, which is found in spinach, rhubarb, chard, and beet greens, binds with calcium and reduces calcium absorption. Calcium is well absorbed from other dark green vegetables.

 

Zinc

Vegan diets can provide zinc at levels close to or even higher than the RDA. Zinc is found in grains, legumes, and nuts.

 

Iron

Dried beans and dark green leafy vegetables are especially good sources of iron, better on a per calorie basis than meat. Iron absorption is increased markedly by eating foods containing vitamin C along with foods containing iron.

 

Sources of Iron

Soybeans, lentils, blackstrap molasses, kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, Swiss chard, tempeh, black beans, prune juice, beet greens, tahini, peas, bulghur, bok choy, raisins, watermelon, millet, kale....

 

Comparison of Iron Sources

Here are the iron contents of selected foods:

       ______________________________________________

            FOOD                            IRON (MG)
       ______________________________________________

       1 cup cooked soybeans                   8.8
       2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses              7.0
       1 cup cooked lentils                    6.6  
       1 cup cooked kidney beans               5.2
       1 cup cooked chickpeas                  4.7
       1 cup cooked lima beans                 4.5
       1 cup cooked Swiss chard                4.0
       1/8 medium watermelon                   1.0
       ______________________________________________

 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

In order to maximize production of DHA and EPA (omega-3 fatty acids), vegans should include good sources of alpha-linolenic acid in their diets such as flaxseed, flaxseed oil, canola oil, tofu, soybeans, and walnuts.

 

Vitamin B12

The requirement for vitamin B12 is very low. Non-animal sources include Red Star nutritional yeast T6635 also known as Vegetarian Support Formula (around 2 teaspoons supplies the adult RDA). It is especially important for pregnant and lactating women, infants, and children to have reliable sources of vitamin B12 in their diets. Numerous foods are fortified with B12, but sometimes companies change what they do. So always read labels carefully or write the companies.
Tempeh, miso, and seaweed are often labeled as having large amounts of vitamin B12. However, these products are not reliable sources of the vitamin because the amount of vitamin B12 present depends on the type of processing the food undergoes. Other sources of vitamin B12 are fortified soy milk (check the label as this is rarely available in the U.S.), vitamin B12-fortified meat analogues, and vitamin B12 supplements. There are supplements which do not contain animal products. Vegetarians who are not vegan can also obtain vitamin B12 from dairy products and eggs.

 

Common Vegan Foods

Oatmeal, stir-fried vegetables, cereal, toast, orange juice, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, frozen fruit desserts, lentil soup, salad bar items like chickpeas and three bean salad, dates, apples, macaroni, fruit smoothies, popcorn, spaghetti, vegetarian baked beans, guacamole, chili...

 

Vegans Also Eat...

Tofu lasagna, homemade pancakes without eggs, hummus, eggless cookies, soy ice cream, tempeh, corn chowder, soy yogurt, rice pudding, fava beans, banana muffins, spinach pies, oat nut burgers, falafel, corn fritters, French toast made with soy milk, soy hot dogs, vegetable burgers, pumpkin casserole, scrambled tofu, seitan.

 

When Eating Out Try These Foods

Pizza without cheese, Chinese moo shu vegetables, Indian curries and dahl, eggplant dishes without the cheese, bean tacos without the lard and cheese (available from Taco Bell and other Mexican restaurants), Middle Eastern hummus and tabouli, Ethiopian injera (flat bread) and lentil stew, Thai vegetable curries...

 

Egg and Dairy Replacers

As a binder, substitute for each egg:

• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) soft tofu blended with the liquid ingredients of the recipe, or
• 1 small banana, mashed, or
• 1/4 cup applesauce, or
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch, or Ener-G Egg Replacer or another commercial mix found in health food stores.

The following substitutions can be made for dairy products:

• Soy milk, rice milk, potato milk, nut milk, or water (in some recipes) may be used.
• Buttermilk can be replaced with soured soy or rice milk. For each Cup of buttermilk, use 1 cup soymilk plus 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
• Soy cheese available in health food stores. (Be aware that many soy cheeses contain casein, which is a dairy product.)
• Crumbled tofu can be substituted for cottage cheese or ricotta cheese in lasagna and similar dishes.
• Several brands of nondairy cream cheese are available in some supermarkets and kosher stores.

Source: CNN, vrg.org