In order to overcome your basic desire for sweet foods you must read all labels to avoid the hidden sugars in everything from potato chips to breaded fish. An effective way to begin weaning yourself from sugar is to experiment with healthy sugar substitutes such as xlitol, agave nectar or stevia. These sweeteners have a much lower glycemic index. This means they do not convert as rapidly as simple sugars.

We need to ask ourselves if the food we are eating is naturally sweet and if not, is it truly any good for us if the only way it is palatable is by adding sugar. We should also ask ourselves if the food we are eating is whole or have parts of it been removed during processing. It is always optimum to consume foods in their whole state so that we have all of the nutrients nature provided to digest and utilize the nutrients it contains. This is the way we have evolved over the last many thousands of years we have been on this planet. It has only been maybe 100 years that mankind has had access to the commodity of sugar at very cheap prices. It has only been during this time that so many of the maladies we currently experience have begun to manifest themselves. This is not accidental. A majority of our current health issues experienced today are a direct result of an over consumption of refined sugar and white flour.

If you are tempted to eat a food which is not whole, ask yourself if you are eating to nourish your body and quench hunger or are you just satisfying a psychological need for a particular taste sensation – notably the taste of sweetness. In order to stay healthy and vital in our current environment a discriminating knowledge of what we put in our bodies is crucial.

The Body has Only Two Places it Can Store Excess Sugar: the Liver, as glycogen, or as fat.
Yes, that’s right. The unused sugar is stored as fat and the hormone that does this is insulin, and the pancreas always releases insulin when one eats carbohydrates/sugar. Therefore, if you are not very physically active when you eat refined carbohydrates, you will store any excess as fat. Additionally, the consumption of refined carbohydrates, by definition, means you are not obtaining adequate minerals to maintain normal cellular functions especially those associated with sugar metabolism and management.

Related article: The Only Weight Loss Tips You’ll Ever Need

I should back up a bit and mention what inspired me to give this a try. A few months ago, I had a CA125 test done. The results came in high; a high probability that I had (have) ovarian cancer. And there you have it – my “inspiration.”   The “C” word.  I was scheduled for surgery in April. LONG story short, I ended up getting into an argument with my Oncologist during the pre-op exams and ended up leaving his office. Of course, my OB/GYN called me later that day and after explaining to him what had transpired, we agreed that I could postpone the surgery until June. It’s now July and I have not (yet) had the surgery, for reasons that have nothing to do with this article, and a lot to do with my sucky health insurance plan.

At any rate, it was at that point when I decided to make what was a HUGE change in my lifestyle and eating habits, with the thought in mind of preparing my body for surgery and recovery. Losing weight was not my top priority, but I’m not complaining that pounds immediately started coming off, and at a healthy rate of 2-3 a week. The only weeks I have not lost, but not gained, are the 3 weeks that I had a “meat and potato loving” house guest. Prior to that, I had not eaten meat or potatoes in 6 weeks, along with other dietary changes.

There have been other very noticeable health improvements as well, such as: the pain in my leg is gone (at times, it would feel as if my leg was on fire!); I can now go up/down the stairs without having to favor that one leg; the dark circles under my eyes are all but gone; and my digestive tract is no longer on vacation. And, oh by the way, the edema problem I’ve had for at least 8 years in my legs, ankles and feet is now a thing of the past! Yes…I was a train wreck. But poor health is bound to happen when you spend your entire life eating processed foods, and drinking a lot of Pepsi every day.

The Best 2 Weight Loss Tips:

1. Change your perspective. Stop thinking about “dieting” and start thinking about how to avoid paying out thousands of dollars in medical expenses each year by preventing diseases that are preventable. Instead of thinking “I want to lose weight,” think, “I want to be as healthy as possible.” In my opinion, it’s pointless trying to convince your brain that you want to “lose” something when you’ve programmed it from day one not to lose. After all, who wants to lose at anything!
2. Don’t wander around the grocery store.  You won’t be tempted to buy what you usually buy, or buy out of habit.  Plus, you can save time and energy when grocery shopping!  Follow these health-conscious shopping tips:

• If there’s a food label on it, don’t buy it.
• If it’s white (i.e. bread, pasta, flour, etc.), put it down.
• If it contains sugar (especially high fructose corn syrup – which is in just about EVERYTHING), ignore it.

Other helpful tips:

I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of “Eat For Health (2 book set),” by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.  This 2-book set was given to me as a gift.  I wish I had this precise information years ago.  The step-by-step outlined plan is set up in 3 phases. Considering my health condition at the time, I jumped right into Phase 2. That’s not something I suggest for everyone. You’ll know whether or not you can, or want to, start on Phase 2 after you read the book.

The main problem I had with Dr. Fuhrman’s plan is that it was impossible for me to eat that much food! Not to mention, I’ve never in my entire life eaten this many greens! And we’re talking POUNDS of the stuff!! This gives whole new meaning to “It ain’t easy going green.” One thing for sure, you will absolutely not be hungry all day. I had to find some alternative to eating truckloads of greens in order to get in the daily requirements.

Enter “Amazing Grass” Green Super Food. Catchy product name, yes? The first one I tried was the Berry Flavor, which I found to be a bit too sweet.  This may sound strange coming from a life-long Pepsi addict, however, the  less sugar you eat the less you crave it.  Aside from the sweetness, the flavor didn’t always mix well with other fresh fruits that I was adding to it…though it was very good mixed with fresh pineapple. Now I’m using the unflavored blend, which mixes well with just about every fruit I add to my smoothie.

So.  There you have it.  One very simple, yet highly effective, way to improve your health and help to prevent diseases.  If nothing else, at least give up refined sugar.  The sugar alone can do a great deal of damage to your body!

Best of health to you, and yours…

Terri

Related Article: Overcome Your Basic Desire for Sweet Foods

Animal products that are labeled as organic must come from animals that are only feed organic feed, without antibiotics or growth hormones. These animals must also be able to freely roam around outdoors,  rather than be constantly stuck in cages or pens.

One thing you may have noticed about organic foods is that they tend to cost more than conventionally grown foods.  The main reason for the higher prices is that regular food products that are not considered to be organic, are subsidized by the government, making them less expensive to produce and bring to market.  If the government subsidized organically grown foods, very likely the price would be about the same as conventionally grown food. In addition to not being subsidized, without all the commercial pesticides, farmers run a greater risk of losing part, or even all, of their crop.  Then there’s the matter of  not being able to use every acre to grow “cash crops” that bring the highest prices. Organic farmers use crop rotation to keep their soil healthy. So instead of planting crops on every acre every year, they rotate fields and plant “cover crops” that are plowed to improve the soil’s nutrients for the long term.

Organic Food Labeling

Some food products are labeled “100% Organic,” and some are just labeled as being “organic” (meaning they’re at least 95% organic).  Food products that are “made with organic ingredients” contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The organic seal can’t be used on packages that read “made with organic ingredients.”

You may see other terms on food labels, such as “all-natural,” “free-range” (you’ll see this on egg cartons) or “hormone-free.”  Don’t confuse terms like “all natural” with the term “organic.” Only those foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled organic.

Scientists have confirmed that the healthful substances found in green tea — renowned for their powerful antioxidant and disease-fighting properties — do penetrate into tissues of the eye. Their new report, the first documenting how the lens, retina, and other eye tissues absorb these substances, raises the possibility that green tea may protect against glaucoma and other common eye diseases. It appears in ACS’ bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Chi Pui Pang and colleagues point out that so-called green tea “catechins” have been among a number of antioxidants thought capable of protecting the eye. Those include vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Until now, however, nobody knew if the catechins in green tea actually passed from the stomach and gastrointestinal tract into the tissues of the eye.

Pang and his colleagues resolved that uncertainty in experiments with laboratory rats that drank green tea. Analysis of eye tissues showed beyond a doubt that eye structures absorbed significant amounts of individual catechins. The retina, for example, absorbed the highest levels of gallocatechin, while the aqueous humor tended to absorb epigallocatechin. The effects of green tea catechins in reducing harmful oxidative stress in the eye lasted for up to 20 hours. “Our results indicate that green tea consumption could benefit the eye against oxidative stress,” the report concludes.

FULL TEXT ARTICLE
http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/jf9032602

How to Brew Green Tea

Research suggests that brewing green tea a certain way can increase the antioxidant content.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
This pages focuses on brewing loose leaf green tea.

“Our research suggests that there is a potential ingredient in rice that may be a good starting point for looking into preventive medicine for cardiovascular diseases,” said researcher Satoru Eguchi, an associate professor of physiology at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

When brown rice is converted to white rice the heart-healthy layer of rice is stripped away.  However, this vital layer can be preserved in half-milled (Haigamai) and incompletely milled (Kinmemai) rice, which are popular in Japan.

The study is slated to be released at the Experimental Biology annual conference, April 24-28, in Anaheim, Calif.

Spirulina is a great source of vegetable protein and could be of benefit to you if you have:

• High Cholesterol: Some studies support the cholesterol-lowering effects of Spirulina. Larger studies are required before definitive conclusions can be made.
• Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease: Spirulina contains thyroid-supporting minerals like iodine, and the amino acid tyrosine, which together make up one form of thyroid hormone.
• Vision loss: carotenoids, which support eye health Frequent infections: Clinical trials have concluded that blue-green algae has anti-viral activity, possibly against herpes and HIV
• Hayfever, and/or mold allergies: Spirulina appears to block the production of interleukin-4. Some researchers believe that spirulina may decrease or prevent some allergic responses and block the release of histamine from mast cells during an allergic reaction. By blocking histamine release, spirulina may prevent or lessen histamine’s effects.
• Neuropathic pain or heavy metal burdens (lead, mercury, arsenic): Spirulina acts as a chelator and might help rid the body of these toxins.
• Type 2 diabetes: protects the pancreas and insulin-producing cells so it might be able to help prevent or reverse diabetes. Studies have shown that Spirulina helps diabetics control their food cravings.

Interactions with Drugs:
Spirulina may interact with certain drugs taken for immune system disorders, high blood pressure (ACE inhibitors), inflammation, diabetes, high cholesterol, neurologic conditions, and viruses as well as blood thinners and antihistamines. Spirulina may also interact with drugs taken for weight loss, cancer, heart disorders, and osteoporosis. There is a possible interaction when taking spirulina with drugs that are potentially toxic to the kidney.

Studies
UC DAVIS STUDY SHOWS SPIRULINA BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM

Additional Studies:
Spirulina manufacturer Cyanotech has compiled a ‘library’ of major studies that demonstrate the health benefits of the microalgae, designed to serve as an easy point of reference for industry.

The document contains 435 abstracts of human and animal studies conducted at universities, government sponsored research facilities and by private researchers around the world. The 441-page document, available through Cyanotech, is divided into two sections. The first lists study abstracts by health condition categories based on research on spirulina. The second lists key nutrients found in spirulina, listing study abstracts demonstrating health benefits of each nutrient.

The categories include: Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunity, chemopreventative, diabetes, anti-viral, anemia and blood improvement, heart, liver, kidney and brain health, heavy metal removal and allergies. 

1. Eat 70% whole, complete, unrefined and unadulterated foods (fruit, vegetables and salads) per day. These should be fresh, as close to organic as possible, and pesticide-free.

2. Do not eat proteins and starches at the same meal.  Eat proteins at lunch, with non-starchy vegetables.  Eat starches at dinner, with non-starchy vegetables.  Meats – When possible, eat organically raised meats, and no more than three (3) times per week. Give preference to fish, poultry, veal, lamb, beef and pork, in that order. This method of eating is referred to as proper food combining and will help the body by diverting precious healing energy from the digestive process to the processes of detoxification and healing. Healing occurs when the body is also properly nourished. By eating this way, a full day’s eating will only require about fifteen percent (15%) of the day’s allotment of energy, leaving eighty-five percent (85%) for natural detoxification and healing. Energy is required for all of these processes.

3. Allow approximately 4 hours to lapse between protein and starch meals.

4. Starches and fats can be eaten at the same meal.

5. Take dairy products alone or at least with neutral vegetables.

6. Eat at least one all fruit or all-vegetable meal per day. If possible, eat the all-fruit meal in the morning.

7. Have one “live food day” once per week; eat only raw fruits and raw or slightly steamed vegetables with plenty of fresh salad.

8. Take any suggested nutrition supplements with meals, and take digestive enzymes with any cooked meal.

9. Space an interval of three hours between the end of dinner and bedtime.

10. Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and an additional 15 minutes before each meal.

Proper food combining keeps the digestive system clean, healthy, and working at optimum efficiency. When foods are miscombined (i.e.: heavy concentrated proteins and starches being eaten at the same meal), toxins are produced and sent into the bloodstream where they are transported throughout the body. Also, miscombined meals tend to clog the digestive tract, which results in a decreased absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream.

Fresh raw fruit is one of the best sources of roughage that can be eaten; its action of effectively “sweeping” out the digestive tract and adding bulk and moisture to the waste products is unquestioned. In order for fruit to effectively help in maintaining and regaining health, a few guidelines for its consumption should be followed.

1. Do not eat fresh fruit with or immediately following anything.
2. Space 30-45  minutes between the last serving of fresh fruit and any “properly-combined” meal.
3. Fresh fruit can be eaten as a snack 3 hours after any meal.
4. If miscombined meals are eaten, spend the next day eating fresh raw fruits, especially if feeling bloated, gassy, or uncomfortable. The fruit will help to cleanse the residues produced from the intestinal system.

NUTRIENT SOURCES OF PROTEIN (CONCENTRATED FOODS) – Cheese (natural varieties), coconut, eggs, fish, fowl, meats, milk, nuts and nut butters, peanuts, seeds and seed butters, shellfish, soybeans, tofu.

CARBOHYDRATES (CONCENTRATED FOODS) – Beans, bread and crackers, cereals, lentils, pasta, potatoes, pumpkins, rice, split peas, whole grains, winter squash.

NON-STARCHY VEGETABLES (These may be eaten with protein or starch.) — Artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cucumbers, dandelion greens, kale, leeks, lettuce (all varieties), mushrooms, parsley, peppers (green and red – the non-pungent type), radish, spinach, watercress, zucchini.

EXAMPLES OF PROPERLY COMBINED MEALS:

Breakfast Suggestions:

1. Bananas with cream.
2. Oatmeal with butter and cinnamon.
3. Apples, oranges, and dried fruit.

Lunch Suggestions:

1. Tuna fish and vegetable salad.
2. Hamburger (lean) patty with sautéed onions and vegetable salad.
3. Vegetable salad with cold turkey or chicken.

Dinner Suggestions:

1. Baked potato stuffed with sautéed onions and butter or sour cream with vegetable salad and two non-starchy vegetables.
2. Spaghetti with marinara sauce and a vegetable salad.
3. Baked eggplant or vegetable casserole with garlic bread.

Additional Note:
An acid-forming meal ideally should never be followed by another acid-forming meal. Follow every meal containing a concentrated protein or starch with an all vegetable or all fruit meal. By alternating “heavy” and “light” meals, you will assure a strong alkaline reserve in the blood.

Article Contributed by Robert S. Harris, N.D., P.M.D., TFTdx
Naturopathic doctor/wellness consultant

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