Archive for July 31, 2013

Eggs and Cholesterol, are they Really Scary?

eggsI’ve had a few questions about Eggs recently; as in, are they really healthy?  and won’t they raise my cholesterol?  The short answers:  Yes,  and No.

Here’s more detail:

Why are people still scared of Eggs, one of Nature’s Super Foods?  Because in the early 1970’s, the American Heart Association declared the egg a threat to the heart.  Eggs contain about 270 mg of cholesterol, and our Food Scientists and Our Government had just decided we should eat no more than 300 mg of cholesterol a day.  Levels above 300 were considered DEADLY.

Hmmm.  The average human body uses about 1000mg a day.  Study after study after study has shown that DIETARY cholesterol (what we take in thru our mouths), has LITTLE TO NO EFFECT on Blood Cholesterol.   In 1999, the Journal of the American Medical Association stated: “We found NO evidence of an overall association between egg consumption and heart disease.”  THIS WAS IN 1999!!!! How many of your doctors seem aware of this?   This statement was made after a study of 118,000 people showed that PEOPLE WHO ATE 5 OR 6 EGGS PER WEEK HAD A LOWER RISK OF HEART DISEASE THAN THOSE WHO ATE 1 EGG PER WEEK.

There were earlier studies that showed damage from eggs, why?  Those studies used dried, powdered eggs: liquidized, pasteurized, and spray dried, all which oxidizes the cholesterol and damages the nutrients. Oh, and these studies were done on RABBITS.   Don’t use this to judge Real Eggs.

omletReal Eggs are a Nutritional Bonanza:  Lecithin, which helps the body digest fat and cholesterol, is a huge source of Choline, a B-like vitamin vital to the brain.  Eggs contain MANY antioxidants, including glutathione, which helps fight cancer, and the antioxidant carotenes Lutein and Zeaxanthin (more cancer fighting, and good for the eyes); eggs have a high concentration of Biotin, a B vitamin essential for hair, skin, and nerves (more than any food other than liver);  eggs contain Betaine, which is an amino acid that reduces Homocysteine, which causes atherosclerosis; eggs from Pastured Birds (that eat bugs and plants), contain loads of beta carotene, and they have nice amounts of Omega 3s(O3s are from green plants).  They also have more A and E, folic acid, lutein, and beta-carotene than indoor eggs.    Eggs are a great source of Fat and Protein, and very easy to digest.   Don’t throw out the yolks – that’s where most of the nutrients are!

But let’s get to the real issue, which is a fear of Cholesterol, right?  Even though we’ve all read several times by now that cholesterol probably isn’t near the factor in heart disease we’ve been led to believe, the 40 plus years of Brain Washing by the Pharmacutical Companies have taken effect.   Cholesterol lowering drugs are some of the most profitable drugs in the World.  Can you imagine if there was a Major Decision to quit reducing cholesterol?  Oh, the implications on Lipators bottom line……

We need to educate ourselves, and NOT depend on Big Pharma’s recommendations.  They’re in it for Profits, not our health.  Here’s some Cholesterol Facts:

Cholesterol is part of ALL cell membranes, with some cells consisting of 50% cholesterol.  Along with stable saturated fatty acids, cholesterol provides STRUCTURE and STABILITY to the cell:  nutrients can pass thru properly, and wastes can leave properly – this is IMPORTANT.  Cholesterol is an ANTIOXIDANT and HEALING SUBSTANCE.  This is the reason that when arteries are damaged (atherosclerosis) or the lungs are damaged (tuberculosis) cholesterol is PRESENT – it didn’t DO THE DAMAGE, it’s sent there to heal and patch.   Cholesterol is a large part of all your Fight and Flight hormones, which is why in times of stress, your blood cholesterol RISES:  your liver is making MORE cholesterol, and sending it to your adrenal glands to produce more cortisol.  It also rises when there’s any type of injury or illness:   your liver produces MORE because Cholesterol Is A Healing Substance.   CHOLESTEROL ALSO MAKES BILE ACIDS AND VITAMIN D.   Cholesterol is also a LARGE component of our Immune system, as it uses cholesterol to fight infections.

Cholesterol is part of the actual COMPOSITION of the Brain, the Nervous System, the Heart, the Liver, and the Kidneys.  It’s so vital to Brain Development, that defects in cholesterol metabolism cause mental retardation.  On that note, children under 2 DON’T produce enough; that’s why breast milk is LOADED.

The body wants to keep cholesterol levels steady (the body takes care of this – you don’t need too, I’m just explaining), so if you eat MORE, the liver makes LESS, and vise versa.

What damages the body that causes the liver to make more cholesterol?  Sugar and Refinedjunk food Carbs damage tissues; and the Insulin required to escort them out of the blood is VERY damaging to arteries (think of it like barbed wire coursing thru your arteries).  Toxins, from cigarettes, foods, pesticides, and body care products do damage to our cells.  High Fructose Corn Syrup’s very damaging to the liver.  Hydrogenated Oils and Omega 6s (vegetable oils) do a lot of damage to our arteries, organs, and brain.

Getting the picture?  Blaming cholesterol for your health problems is like blaming the firemen at the scene of the fire for the fire.  They’re there to do DAMAGE CONTROL, just like cholesterol.

Before I sign off, I just have to spend a moment on Statins and Other Cholesterol Lowering Drugs, and the connection between Cholesterol and Heart Disease.   About 25% of all adults over 45 are on a Statin/Cholesterol lowering drug, because they’ve been convinced, along with their doctors, that Cholesterol = Heart Disease/Clogged Arteries.  It’s Bull.  More than 50% of everyone who has a heart attack has NORMAL cholesterol levels, and people with low cholesterol often have heart attacks.  But let’s talk about these drugs, which several doctors and scientists say do a LOT more damage than good(here, here, here, for starters).  Studies show that Statins increase Coronary Plaque, that they cause Insulin Resistance, Hyperglycemia, Muscle and Joint pain, and they Interfere with the production of Steroid Hormones (fight/flight, and sex hormones), Vitamin D production, and Bile Acids (these break down fats in the gut).  Also, the cells that make cholesterol also produce CoQ10 – which is vital to EVERY CELL IN YOUR BODY.   Does this really sound like something you should take?  Or should you focus on REMOVING the substances that cause Damage:  sugar, flours, hydrogenated oils, Omega 6s, and toxins, and INCREASE your foods that heal and nourish, like eggs?

I included 3 links above to fantastic sites/books/podcasts with the latest information on cholesterol and heart disease.  vitamin donutsThere’s still such misinformation out there, and there will be a  friend/co-worker/family member who will castigate you for eating “too much cholesterol”.  Inform yourself – don’t just take my word for it.  Become educated to the point that when people make un-educated remarks, like “those eggs are going to kill you”, you have the right come back.  We need to take our health into our own hands.   It’s time to stop letting Big Pharma make decisions for us.  Read, learn, and become informed.  Make a difference in your life and your families life.

Success Stories

dinosaurs:cavemandietWant to change your life, your health, your weight?  It’s all about the food!  Honestly, high blood pressure, clogged arteries, digestive issues, blood sugar problems, allergies, mood disorders, headaches, … it’s all about the food.  You have the power to make enormous changes. Other people have.

Here’s some success stories to inspire you:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/i-am-in-the-best-health-and-shape-of-my-life/#axzz2aY7HVZiu

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-beginning-of-a-new-life/#axzz2aY7HVZiu

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/i-have-never-felt-better-in-my-life/#axzz2aY7HVZiu

The Power of a Mom

IMG_2737Okay Moms, this Post is to you.   Why?  Because statistically speaking, whether you work outside the home or not, you buy most of the groceries, and make most of the meals.   The control we have over what our kids eat – even our big kids – is pretty profound.

This is a Power NOT to be wasted;  and definitely a Power we need to recognize and acknowledge, ……  and use.

Kids today are the first generation of U.S. children EVER predicted to have LESS lifespan than their parents.   Here’s some other facts – read them, and be scared into action.

1.  By the year 2020 – 7 years from now! – HALF of ALL Americans will have Diabetes, HALF.  Type 2 is COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE AND REVERSIBLE.  COMPLETELY.  It’s also deadly and debilitating.  If your child’s normal diet is cereals, breads, crackers, sweets, sodas, and Standard American Crap, then your child’s risk of developing diabetes (whether they’re overweight or not) is VERY high.  The scariest stat is that YOUR child’s risk of developing this disease – AS A CHILD – has skyrocketed, especially if you’re ANY minority at all, but the increase is still across the board.  Here’s a link to current statistics

2.  Cancer is skyrocketing, still. Despite Mainstream Health/Govt Advice.   If you’ve been reading my posts, you know that I often highlight different chemcials used in junk foods and “Looks Healthy But Isn’t” foods that are CANCER CAUSING.  Our own FDA has given “GRAS/generally recognized as safe” approval to chemicals (flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, preservatives etc) that their own lab tests show are unsafe;  they’ve given full approval to chemicals that other countries have banned as unsafe.  If there’s a chemical in your kids foods, it’s probably damaging their body. Here’s a link with some pretty scary statistics on 17 different cancers and their projected rise from 2010 to 2020.

3.  Behavior/Mood disorders:  this is so broad, and spans so many types of behaviors and moods that it’s hard to condense this topic.  Suffice to say that every year for the past couple of decades, more kids are being diagnosed and medicated than ever before.

4.  Allergies:  OMGosh.  Food allergies, food sensitivities, airborne allergies – EXPLODING.  Here’s a GREAT post from Mercola here.

5.  Auto-Immune Diseases – ON THE RISE, all of them.

Moms, FOOD IS AN ENORMOUS PART OF WHY ALL THESE CONDITIONS ARE INCREASING AND EITHER ARE OR COULD AFFECT YOUR CHILDREN.  The foods I listed in the Diabetes paragraph:   cereals, crackers, sweets, sodas and Standard American Crap, those “foods” will develop and sustain every single condition I just listed.

rosie the riviterWe’ve been brought up in an age where women are either encouraged to leave the home and work, or spend their time schlepping multiple children to numerous activities, or both,  – every day and night of the week.  Cooking, packing, and preparing food as part of the average woman’s daily life is generally pretty low on the priority list.

Big Food and Big Advertising have jumped right on this situation and convinced us that “they’ve got our backs”.  Don’t worry, you’re busy, so stop by the store and buy a frozen Marie Calendars lasagna, or a big bucket of Kentucky Fried and 2 vegetables with biscuits, or just feed them Hot Pockets or Toaster Strudels or Lunchables,  and everything will be okay.     IT’S NOT OKAY.  It’s all been a Big Advertising Lie, with devastating consequences.  Have you read Sugar, Salt and Fat, by Michael Moss?  The Food Giants recognized 100 years ago that women would be anxious for short cuts to feed their family, and an Industry was born.

All those cereals with the American Heart Association Seal of Approval?  Have you looked at the ingredient list and the carbohydrate content?  What about the ingredients in Baby Formula?  The ingredients and carb count in snack food?  THIS STUFF IS POISON FOR OUR KIDS.   Seriously.  It’s not a mystery that the Human Condition is falling apart, mentally and physically.  It’s the food – and we have the Power to step up and change that.

Want to rid your house of junk food and cereal and crap, but afraid of the backlash?   Because a backlash will happen.  These foods cause (1) addiction, and (2) a mentality that encourages immediate gratification as a norm.  Backlash hurts, but there are ways to handle it:  (1) Cook more, so there’s a “good side”  and (2) start saying ” you just had a snack /or your meal, dinner/lunch is in an hour or two,  you can wait.”  delayed gratificationReally, practicing and learning delayed gratification is a PRICELESS skill.  Teaching delayed gratification is one of our jobs.

Think it’s going to be too hard to revamp your kitchen and family eating habits?  It could be.  Is that a reason not to?  When your kids tell you that learning to read is too hard, or math is too hard, or biology is too hard, what do you tell them?   You tell them they can do it, and they better do it.  Well, you can clean up your families eating, and you can stick to those decisions.

When I made the decision that NO MORE JUNK/SNACKIE/MUNCHIE foods were going to live in my house, my family was furious.  My oldest was probably 10th/11th grade, and then the other 3 were 9th, 7th, and 4th.  I had to endure MONTHS of fury, whining, griping, and anger, from them and my husband.  It wasn’t cute, or funny, or easy.  I stuck to my guns. It wasn’t about my weight any more, I truly came to believe that that crap was toxic for my kids.  Every month, the negativity from them lessened a little, until it completely, totally stopped.  Now, my kids would literally fall over if they saw a box of crackers or cereal in the pantry. And they WOULDN’T eat it, because they’ve pretty much lost their taste for “food products”. Three of my older kids have gone to college and made really good decisions about food; and they know how to cook:)

Moms, we have the Power to really really change the direction of the Health Crisis and Epidemic that’s sweeping the country.  We can make decisions for our family, take steps, that could possibly change the course of their life, and even their children’s lives (ever heard of Epigenetics).  Let’s take hold of that power, make a plan, and stick to the plan.  Choose Real Whole Foods for the health of our children.

How to make “Good Eating Days” your Norm.

This is going to be a rah-rah/what to eat to lose weight post.  Fair warning.

smurfHad a good email the other day from a beautiful woman who says that blue moods cause her to eat all day.  I can relate to that,… I’ve been there.   I used to eat all day because: I had some time alone (unusual w/ job and 4 kids), felt happy, felt tired, wanted to read and eat, had great food in the pantry/fridge, and… the opportunity presented itself.   It made sense, since I was usually hungry from my small to moderate sized “mini-meals” of protein and carbs.  I actually used to watch the clock, and worry that the “time” to eat my next “meal” could be somehow compromised by another person or an obligation and Oh No, how was I going to squeeze it in?  Really though,  due to my “insufficient” diet ( high on some nutrients, like protein, carbs, but COMPLETELY lacking good fats in the right amounts),  and my Brain Training of eating every couple of hours, I just got used to always eating.  The eating led to the desire to keep eating, despite the amounts of food I’d take in.  That was always followed by guilt, self-recrimination, and a plan to eat really really well starting tomorrow.

It’s the perfect way to make yourself crazy – ever tried it?

I can’t remember the last time this happened and I had a “bad day” – honestly.  If you experience bad days frequently, and can’t imagine normal life free of bad days,  KEEP READING THIS BLOG, because I want EVERYONE to be free of bad days!

Here’s the drumbeat again: If you want to get off the Diet Rollercoaster – and just have NORMAL days,  you’ve got to let go of old, failed, FALSE ideas that low fat/low cal and tons of exercise are the Keys to Weightloss Success, because they’re not. That old dinosaur paradigm screws up your thyroid, insulin, cortisol, and your sex hormones.  Low fat / low cal eats away at your muscle tissue.  Low/fat low/cal really messes with your metabolism – in a very long term way.  Low fat/low cal messes with your mind(emotionally and structurally).  Between 95 and almost 100% of ALL dieters GAIN THEIR WEIGHT BACK.hungry:full:hungry

Change the way you think and just try something new.  Give up the notion that Fat makes you Fat.  Give up the notion that Saturated Fat, from healthy animal sources or coconut, creates plaque in the arteries or high cholesterol, because scientifically – that’s NEVER been proven.  When you see headlines like “Meat causes heart disease/diabetes T2/etc”, go look at the foods included in the study.  You will ALWAYS see pizza(including crust), burgers (including bun), and lunch meats (loaded with who knows what plus nitrates and chemicals) classified as “meat”.

Want to read a little more about it?  Try here, and here.

Fats fill you up.  Fats are used by the body to do hundreds or thousands of jobs, from literally making up the membrane of EVERY SINGLE CELL IN YOUR BODY, to assisting fat-soluble vitamins to their rightful places, to building EVERY SINGLE SEX HORMONE, to feeding your heart (the heart muscle loves fatty acids!), to building brain neurons (the brain is 60% fat), etc etc etc.
When you skimp on fat, your body and mind rebels.  They will get what they want.  Those cravings you can’t deny?  That weird desire to keep eating even though you’ve had plenty of food?  That’s a cry for NOURISHMENT, and fatty acids are INCREDIBLY nourishing.

If you’re afraid of gaining weight on a diet that includes more fat and less carbs, put that fear aside and try it.  Give up the crackers, bread, pasta, pretzels, beer, and sweets, and replace it with more protein, more vegetables and a LOT more fat.  Drizzle olive/avocado oil on your salads, saute meats and vegetables in coconut oil or grass-fed butter (kerrygold’s a good one), eat REGULAR fat/unadulterated dairy products if you digest them well, roast your chicken with the skin ON, add a whole avocado to your salads, make a treat out of coconut butter or nuts.  Go for it.  chicken on bike

And ask yourself, are you really afraid of fat, or are you sad at the thought of giving up the low fat/low cal munchie foods that allow you to indulge in your food desires while convincing yourself you’re eating health food?  Because I think that’s often the reason.   CHANGE YOUR DESIRES.   Sitting in front of the TV after dinner with a bowl of popcorn, potato chips or ice cream?  Change that desire.  Love to stop at your favorite coffee shop for a sweet drink and a sweet treat?  Change your desire. Love your big bowls of pasta?  Change that desire. Think cereal is from heaven?  Change that desire.   Work on creating another line in your brain that focuses on something else.  Maybe you need to watch tv in another room, or go to bed and read;  drive a different way home from work or listen to a podcast to distract you.  Start thinking that all your sauces would taste great on zucchini or eggplant or spaghetti squash.  Become appalled at the amount of carbs on your cereal box label. Work on your thoughts, and satisfy your body with foods that provide that nutrients that it needs.

Here’s a little ammunition, a Looks Healthy But Isn’t, actually, a few LHBI:  Ruffles Light Potato Chips (which contain Olestra/might cause leakage stuff), 10 chips are 17 grams of carbs/0 fat;  Quaker Oats Natural Granola, 1/2 cup has 38 grams of carbs;  and a slice of Starbucks Reduced Fat Berry Coffee cake has 54 grams of carbohydrate!!   These are weight disasters waiting to happen, and Health disasters waiting to happen.

Let’s go back to the beginning.  Want your life to be a string of “good eating days”? Ditch the empty refined, processed carby foods, and any thoughts of “mini meals”, and fill your plate and body with Real Whole Foods:  good fats, good proteins, tons of vegetables, some fruits, some nuts and seeds, some dairy.  Feed your body what it needs and the self-sabotage will end.

 

 

How to REALLY Burn Fat, and a Beach Pic

fat burning foodsHave you been suckered in to buying a magazine because the cover promises a list of Fat Burning Foods or Fat Burning Snacks?  I have!  Obviously, it’s a successful line, or we wouldn’t see that used as a hook over and over again.  Health Magazine has that line on the cover of their current issue, along with 20 pictures of “fat burning snacks” on the inside.

Bad news though.  It’s not true.  There is not one food on this entire earth that “burns fat”.  Not one.  Eat all the apples, or nuts or tuna on pita or hummus on a cracker (these are from the Health list), and not even one molecule of fat from your stomach, butt, or thighs will be used to “burn” it.  Actually, the magazine says that in it’s article, ” So while there’s no food that will literally “burn fat” while you eat it, smart choices with these ingredients will help your body operate at maximum efficiency.”

I beg to differ that snacking helps your body operate at maximum efficiency in the area of Fat Burning – at all.  Let me explain.

For years now we’ve been told to eat every 2 – 3 hours throughout the day to “keep our metabolism” up.  Scientifically, this has been proven, over and over, to be a load of bull. (great for the snack industry though)pretzel crisps  Our “metabolism” doesn’t run higher just because we eat all day.  The “thermogenic effect of food” (that’s how many calories it takes to literally breakdown food in our stomachs) is the same for a particular amount of calories/foods whether we spread out the meals, or not.  That’s not what “burns our fat”.  HORMONES  BURN FAT.  Period.   

Carbohydrates are broken down to glucose (that’s a simple sugar), whether they come from fruit or vegetables or grains: carbs are reduced to glucose, always.  Glucose has several VERY damaging effects on the body, and we only need a few TEASPOONS at a time in us.  (4 grams of carb = 1 teaspoon of glucose)  Everything over a few teaspoons is an EMERGENCY SITUATION for the body to get rid of.  The pancreas releases INSULIN to sweep up the excess glucose, and shuttle it into the Muscle or Liver cells.  After the COUPLE of TEASPOONS are stuffed in there, ALL THE REST OF THE GLUCOSE GETS REMADE INTO TRIGLYCERIDES AND STORED IN THE FAT CELLS. Insulin also has several damaging effects, so you don’t want your pancreas having to release loads of it all day long.  Loads of Insulin and loads of Blood Sugar/Glucose = bad news for your arteries, brain, health, etc.

Back to Fat Burning.  If you want your body to literally BURN FAT, Insulin must STOP, so Glucagon can be released.  Glucagon is another hormone your pancreas spits out, but ONLY when Insulin is NOT present in the blood stream.  Glucagon goes to your fat cells and gets them to release their contents into the bloodstream to be “burned” or used for energy.

This is why snacking or eating all day long is a BAD IDEA ( if you’re a grown adult;  for growing children, it’s a little different).  If you’re eating simple, refined carbs all day, you’ve probably got Insulin in your blood all day.  Glucagon won’t ever have the chance to be released, fat cells won’t spit out their contents to be used for energy.

oatmealWhat happens when you eat a big bowl of Oatmeal or High Fiber Cereal first thing in the morning and then go workout?  Your body will use the Carb/glucose from your breakfast – instead of the fat from your cells – to fuel your workout.  It HAS to.  Excess Glucose is Deadly, and the body must get rid of it ASAP. (By the way, a cup of oatmeal is 40g of carb, that’s 10 teaspoons.)   If you want to “burn fat”, eat lots of fat, protein, vegetables, some fruits, some nuts and seeds, and some dairy.  Space your meals out to 3 a day.  Give your body a chance to release some glucagon.

Let me recap this:  When you eat a diet loaded with carbohydrate, in any form, but ESPECIALLY the simple, refined carbs like pasta, bread, crackers, pretzels, and desserts and alcohol ( all of these are INCREDIBLY easy to break down, and quickly go thru the digestive wall into the blood stream) INSULIN is released, and carbs are CONVERTED TO FAT.  Eat a diet of FAT, PROTEIN, and VEGETABLES and other Real Whole Foods, and very little/normal amounts of Insulin will be released; GLUCAGON will be released, and fatty acids will be released and used for energy.

Want to become a fat burning machine?  Don’t rely on mythical fat burning foods, or fat burning pills – they’re not real.  It’s your hormones you need to manipulate.  The bonus in giving up the carbs to keep insulin low?  Your moods and your health will improve dramatically.  Better weight, better health, better moods,…. what more could you ask for?

Here’s a pic of me, my youngest next to me, and two of her friends at the beach a couple weeks ago.  Still missing the Outer Banks!

IMG_2762

Raw Eggs and Raw Milk Haven’t Killed Me:)

I’ve been eating raw eggs in my smoothie now a little while, along with my year and a half of raw milk or raw cream every day – and I feel better than ever.

I’ve  also consumed more fat in the past year and a half than I think I have cumulatively in my whole life – and not gained weight.  me sprinting

Check out my What I Eat page.

Mainstream Advice is full of fallacies!  Check out the Weston A Price Foundation website

 

 

http://www.westonaprice.org/, and click on Health Topics – be prepared to be blown away with information – honestly. There’s also several great Blogs links to scientists who do  research  on fat, eggs, raw milk, feeding children, etc. wapf

Want to improve your health and your weight ( if you need to)?  Fill your head with the facts, not the Media Advertising Lines.

Success Stories, Beer, and School Snacks

cat wags tailI’m going to post quite the eclectic round-up of topics today, because there’s a lot of interesting news out there:  What’s Really in Your Beer;  The USDAs new Smart Snacks In School Program; and two Success Stories, one by a 47 year old man, and the other by a 74 year old woman.

Do you ever read FoodBabe?  This woman’s been on my Favorites list for a while, she does amazing investigations, and this Beer Expose is a real shocker. If you drink beer, or someone you know does, you’re going to want to read this.  Did you know that Corn – NOT barley and hops – is the main grain in several beer brands?  And that added sugars, flavors, and coloring are common?  Apparently, our government has enacted NO LAWS requiring any disclosure about ingredients for beer or any alcohol for that matter.  Interesting.   So besides alcohol being a DEPRESSANT, and literally “depressing” or slowing down your digestive system, (and all your other systems), it could also be a sugar bomb( in addition to being the carb bomb it already is).  Read the expose to see what’s in your beer:  http://foodbabe.com/2013/07/17/the-shocking-ingredients-in-beer/.

Next, did you hear the USDA has implemented a brand new “Smart Snacks In School” program?  Yea!  And Michelle Obama’s supporting it – so this must be good for our kids, right? Wrong.  Their guidelines have to do with calories, and fat grams (they also include “sugar restrictions” – as in, foods that are more than 36% sugar don’t make the cut.  36%??  Are you kidding??  This means foods that are MORE than a THIRD sugar MAKE THE CUT, as long as they come in UNDER 36%. Total carb counts are NOT considered).  Foods that are OFF the list (for the schools to sell):  hardboiled eggs(too much fat), pickles (too much salt), and cheese sticks (too much fat).  FOODS THAT MADE THE USDA OKAY LIST:  DORITOS REDUCED FAT TORITLLA CHIPS, WELCHES REDUCED SUGAR FRUIT SNACKS, AND NUTRIGRAIN BARS.    OMG.   These Fake Food Products are loaded with chemicals, SUGAR, and hydrogenated oils that destroy our kids brains and health,  make them hyper, make them hungry, and make them gain weight.  See a great expose on this here:  http://www.caltonnutrition.com/article.aspx?pid=129

Last, I want to leave you with two success stories, from people who changed their weight, their health, and their ENERGY through Real Whole Foods:guy lost weight

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/i-was-unhealthy-and-getting-sicker-something-had-to-change/#more-42047

http://robbwolf.com/2013/07/15/74-years-feel/

 

Eliminate the Misery of Dieting; and Donut Facts

woman at beachHow’s the summer eating going?  Did you begin the summer with an effort to lose a few pounds, so that you’d look good at the beach?  Is that momentum still alive?  Or have you been way-laid by vacations, bbq’s, parties, and the craziness of the “summer schedule”?

If your answer is “yes, I’ve been way-laid”, then let’s work on the way you think about food!

If you think of food, your weight, and your health in terms of calories, or dieting,…… you’re doomed.  Your ability to lose weight, get healthy, and keep the weight off forever won’t happen.  This is because dieting doesn’t work –  ever.    Every study ever done shows that between 95 and 99% of everyone who loses weight on a diet eventually gains it back.

Your brain is only capable of so much willpower; trying not to eat foods you really, really want exhausts that willpower pretty quickly.  YOU NEED TO CHANGE WHAT YOU WANT.    Start looking at food in terms of it’s ingredients, and their effects on you,  and WEIGHT LOSS WILL BE A SIDE EFFECT, I promise. food bowl ran out

I had a great conversation with a friend today who thinks I’m funny because I said donuts were cancer in a box.  She said how could one donut possibly hurt you.   Let’s look at the ingredients in a Dunkin Donuts Chocolate Cake Donut: Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Enzyme, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Palm Oil, Skim Milk, Sugar, Water, Soybean Oil, Egg Yolks, Contains less than 2% of the following: Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate), Salt, Defatted Soy Flour, Soy Flour, Soy Lecithin, Wheat Starch, Konjac Flour, Wheat Germ, Carrageenan, Dextrose, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Enzyme Modified Egg Yolks, Gelatinized Wheat Starch, Colored with (Tumeric and Annatto Extracts and Beta Carotene), Defatted Wheat Germ; Chocolate Icing: Sugar, Water, Cocoa, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup, Contains 2% or less of: Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Corn Starch, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil, Salt, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Propionate (Preservatives), Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Artificial Flavor, Agar

Wow.  I bet your eyes glazed over.  There’s more than 50 ingredients, and 45 grams of carbohydrate.  This is a sugar, chemical, hydrogenated oil bomb.  This was Created In A Lab – not a kitchen.  The dump truck load of simple refined sugars and flours will go right thru your small intestine, into the blood stream and cause an unbelievably fast blood glucose spike, your pancreas will have to spit out a TON of insulin to deal with this.  45 grams of carbs is 11 teaspoons of glucose – your body can only use a COUPLE at a time, the rest will need to be converted to triglycerides.  The Carrageenan is a known stomach irritator;  there’s phyto-estrogenic- thyroid disrupting soy;  there’s high fructose corn syrup to mess up your liver; there’s hydrogenated oils and omega 6 oils that your body will use with bad consequences to make the membranes of your cells;   there’s preservatives and emulsifiers and artificial flavors and colors;  all of these ingredients have damaging effects on your brain, your liver, your digestive system, your nervous system, your arteries,  and your immune system in addition to stimulating areas of the brain that create excitement and addiction.

kids:donutsWhen you look at a donut and just see the damage that it does to your body, your mind, your moods and energy, the STRESS of resisting is lessened, or eliminated.  Your don’t need your willpower because you find it gross – even scary.  Does this make sense?

Here’s the Take-Away:  Diets Don’t Work because using willpower to resist foods you want exhausts your brain.  Resisting actually creates desire.   You’ll always have some type of rebound where you just give-in or give-up.  Always. Study after study proves this.    But if you eat for your health, and avoid foods that you believe cause sickness and disease, you don’t use willpower.  There’s no anxiety, remorse, sadness, or that gleeful anticipation of “indulging” (i.e. over-indulging) on a permitted day.

It truly goes back to how we think.  Train yourself to LOVE Real Whole Foods:  meats and vegetables covered with delicious butter or healthy oils and good cheeses, some fruits, some nuts and seeds, some dairy;  foods that trigger satiety hormones, foods that nourish you.  Eliminate the distress and misery of dieting.  Eat Real Whole Foods.

Exercise in a Hotel, and Twinkies make a Comeback!

cave kidNutritional Therapy Workshop Weekend is over, here’s the workout I did on Saturday:

10 1-minute rounds on the eliptical/precor, level 9

10 rounds of burpees

10 rounds of squats with dumbbells – 15s, 20s, and 25s

10 rounds of shoulder press 15 and 20s

50 crunches on stability ball

30 minutes, very sweaty:)

I took Sunday off, because I usually take Sundays off from exercising.

This weekend was a LOT of sitting, short workouts, hotel living from Thursday morning thru Sunday evening, eating in my room except for one meal at Whole Foods, consuming TONS of fat (purposely – because it’s good for the brain), protein, and vegetables, a little chocolate and fruit, and I came out weighing the same as when I went in. Check out my What I Eat page, because I updated everyday.

Weekends and vacations don’t have to be a Weight Disaster!  There’s a post coming on that tomorrow, promise.

twinkie For now though, have you heard that Twinkies are coming back, and that along with their “improved, longer shelf-life”, they’re increasing distribution to convenience stores,  and marketing to “Bros”? (seriously – that’s what they said in an interview to Time Business)  (That’s young males in their 20s for us non-marketing types.)  Has anyone read the book “the Deconstruction of the Twinkie”?  I did.  The author, Steve Ettlinger, doesn’t go into the scary side effects of the ingredients, so much as he explains where they come from.  Petroleum, waste products, and mines are heavily used to make synthetic vitamins, emulsifiers, preservatives, and additives.  There’s nothing good there. It’s cancer/disease in an attractive package. Train your kids, and work on your self, to eat Real Whole Foods.  Focus on your Health, and Weight Loss will be a side-effect.

 

Weekend Ammunition; and the Nutritional Therapy Association

jump for joyLife is Good:)  I’m away for a 4 day Nutritional Therapy Weekend – so actually, I’m in heaven. Especially since I’m a Group Leader this year and not a student this time (much less stress).   Four days of talk about physiology, food, and the effects different nutrients have on the body. That said, I’m also in a hotel – with NO kitchen, for 4 days.  So how will I eat?  Just fine.  I started compiling my list of “what to bring” on Saturday, when I got home from the beach.  I don’t really like to eat out often, and I haven’t for years, so packing is second nature by now.  Just like I did on vacation, I’ll be posting my food (What I Eat page) and workouts each day I’m here.

Before I do that though, I wanted to pass on some Power Information to help you have a healthy weekend.

1. As of today,  80% of Americans will die from a Chronic Disease.  Almost ALL chronic disease is PREVENTABLE thru diet and lifestyle choices.  Despite Advertising to the contrary, Chronic Disease is NOT due to lack of Pharmacuticals.   The MainStream recommendations of eat less fat/less calories, exercise a ton, and load up on the grains is CONTRIBUTING TO/CAUSING CHRONIC DISEASE.   Don’t Do It!!

2.  Feeling stressed? Adrenal glands shot?  The best fuel for adrenal glands is ANIMAL FATS.  Why?  They’re LOADED with fat-soluble vitamins – A, D, E, and K, and minerals, that are ONLY viable WITH FAT. (Plus, EVERY SINGLE CELL IN YOUR BODY has a membrane MADE OF FATS, mostly saturated fats because they’re structurally the most stable.)  That means the nutrients are USED to both replenish the cells of the adrenal glands, and the glands have those nutrients available to make their hormones(your stress hormones and your sex hormones).  You need these hormones to deal with the ups and downs of life.

evil sugar

3.  Sugar Suppresses the Immune System for up to 24 Hours. Consumption halts white blood cell action, suppresses antibody action on foreign objects, and the transport of Vitamin C is interfered with.  This applies to you, and your children.  Dealing with chronic sickness? Constant throat, ear, nose, bladder, etc infections?  Cut out the sugars and grains (THEY’RE BOTH BROKEN DOWN TO GLUCOSE IN THE BODY) for a week and see what happens.

4.  Have you ever heard of Podcasts?  These are radio-shows that you can listen to over your computer or smartphone, in your house, or on the move.  There are Doctors and Scientists putting out a WEALTH of FREE information that YOU should be using to buff up your own health, or the health of your loved ones.  You can listen in the kitchen while you’re cooking, on your ipod while you’re walking or working out, or in your car commuting.  There’s hundreds of FANTASTIC sites to choose from.  A couple of my favorites are: http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/,  which probably has more shows than any site out there and the facilitator, Jimmy Moore is an excellent host;  and the Dr. Lo show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/drloradio.  Honestly, you want ammunition to live a healthier, happier life?  Start filling your head with how to do it.  Make it a priority!

5. Interested in the Nutritional Therapy School, or becoming a Nutritional Therapist?  I can vouch that it’s a fantastic program!  Here’s their site, and a little bit of their philosophy:  http://nutritionaltherapy.com/:

“NTA’s Nutritional Therapists address nutrition from a holistic perspective. The NTA trainings offer a clear alternative to the grain-based, low fat nightmare that is the official diet of modern America.  The Nutritional Therapy Association is founded on the beliefs of such nutritional pioneering greats as Weston A. Price and Dr. Francis A. Pottenger, considered two of the greatest scientific minds ever to research nutrition, food supplies and their effects on modern society.

NTA’s philosophy is that the myriad of health problems plaguing modern society result from weaknesses in the body’s physiological foundations brought on by poor nutrition. As an educational organization, NTA is dedicated to helping healthcare professionals understand and reverse the tragic and unsuspected effects of the modern diet on their patients and clients. Throughout our seminars, students access a wide range of educational tools and techniques that help identify and correct nutritional imbalances.”

I’m off to workout before class starts.  I’ll be posting my workouts after I do them, but I’m thinking cardio/legs, cardio/bi’s today.