I realize not everyone is a vegetarian, but it seems like these days, most of us are more careful about the foods we buy and serve to our friends and family. I came across this video and information regarding Grass Fed Beef. So much of the Beef we eat has been fed Corn, which is NOT natural for cattle. Have you ever seen pictures of heards of Cattle grazing in corn fields? Yeah, I didn't think so.
Grass Fed Cattle are naturally more healthy, and the meat is leaner. Look for it, and preferably, make sure it hasn't been fed anitbiotics or growth hormones either.
If you want to learn MORE about the dangers of Corn in the US - (we are hearing more and more about how corn and its sugars are not good for humans, but it's not healthy for cattle either), please read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan.
For now, I hope this information is useful!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Inflammation and Acidic vs. Alkaline
Many of you may be reading more and more lately about foods that can produce more acid or foods that create a more alkaline condition in your body. Highly acidic foods can lead to inflammation in our bodies, which in turn can lead to sickness and poor health. Whereas some foods help to provide a more alkaline balance to our bodies. The trick is to balance our pH levels - or neutralize it. In other words, we don't want to be too acidic, or too alkaline, but balanced between the two conditions. Balancing this pH level will help in our aging process, and who doesn't want to age gracefully and with health energy?
So can you guess which kinds of foods create the more undesirable condition of higher acid? If you answered, processed and engineered foods and meats, you are correct. It appears that with each new generation, our bodies are becoming more and more acidic! And it should be no surprise then that the rates for cancer and diabetes keeps on climbing.
What happens when we are too acidic?
When you eat foods that increase your acid levels, your body works to get rid of this excess acid by excreting it in urine, feces and perspiration.
It uses fat cells as an "acid dump".
When your body exceeds its ability to maintain, from food, a "neutral" balance it has to "steal" from bones, teeth and tissues as an acid neutralizer.
Over a period of time of this stealing process can make your bones become a hollow shell and you have to be extremely careful of slips or falls. 30% of rest homes tenants are there as a result of osteoporosis and a fall that broke a hip etc.
For the diabetic, acidity has and continues to interfere with the response of insulin receptor cells which results in higher and higher insulin resistance.
Correcting this acidic condition will reverse the ever rising insulin resistance and will aid in halting silent inflammation contributing to the problem.
High acidity interferes with full digestions of vitamins and supplements as well. So all that good we think we are doing by taking supplements, may not have the impact we were hoping for if we are acidic!
So, what SHOULD you be eating or doing?
First let me give you list of what you should AVOID: all of these raise acidity!
Alcohol
Caffeine
Low fat foods
Fear or Anger
Lack of essential nutrients
Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup
Stress
Lack of Fiber
Most drugs
Fatigue
Sedentariness
Artificial Sweeteners, Asparatame VERY acidic
Here is a list of Alkaline rich foods - as well as a chart showing some acid rich foods. Other lists are readily available on line.
If you can Neutralize the acidity, your body will start to heal itself immediately!
To find out whether you are in an acid or alkaline state, you can purchase pH testing strips at almost every health food store. They are activated with a little urine, very easy to do! Try it out, than start adjusting your diet to get yourself into a neutral zone. Let me know how you feel!
It's a constant battle to do the right things: eat right, exercise and simply get enough sleep. But what have you got to lose? There is much to gain!
So can you guess which kinds of foods create the more undesirable condition of higher acid? If you answered, processed and engineered foods and meats, you are correct. It appears that with each new generation, our bodies are becoming more and more acidic! And it should be no surprise then that the rates for cancer and diabetes keeps on climbing.
What happens when we are too acidic?
When you eat foods that increase your acid levels, your body works to get rid of this excess acid by excreting it in urine, feces and perspiration.
It uses fat cells as an "acid dump".
When your body exceeds its ability to maintain, from food, a "neutral" balance it has to "steal" from bones, teeth and tissues as an acid neutralizer.
Over a period of time of this stealing process can make your bones become a hollow shell and you have to be extremely careful of slips or falls. 30% of rest homes tenants are there as a result of osteoporosis and a fall that broke a hip etc.
For the diabetic, acidity has and continues to interfere with the response of insulin receptor cells which results in higher and higher insulin resistance.
Correcting this acidic condition will reverse the ever rising insulin resistance and will aid in halting silent inflammation contributing to the problem.
High acidity interferes with full digestions of vitamins and supplements as well. So all that good we think we are doing by taking supplements, may not have the impact we were hoping for if we are acidic!
So, what SHOULD you be eating or doing?
First let me give you list of what you should AVOID: all of these raise acidity!
Alcohol
Caffeine
Low fat foods
Fear or Anger
Lack of essential nutrients
Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup
Stress
Lack of Fiber
Most drugs
Fatigue
Sedentariness
Artificial Sweeteners, Asparatame VERY acidic
Here is a list of Alkaline rich foods - as well as a chart showing some acid rich foods. Other lists are readily available on line.
If you can Neutralize the acidity, your body will start to heal itself immediately!
To find out whether you are in an acid or alkaline state, you can purchase pH testing strips at almost every health food store. They are activated with a little urine, very easy to do! Try it out, than start adjusting your diet to get yourself into a neutral zone. Let me know how you feel!
It's a constant battle to do the right things: eat right, exercise and simply get enough sleep. But what have you got to lose? There is much to gain!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
More information on Chemicals to avoid in cosmetics
Although I recently posted about the chemicals to avoid when purchasing cosmetic products, I like the way this article summarizes it all. It reinforces the previous information, but focuses on a few key ingredients. For me, it's easier to memorize a few ingredients! This old brain, aint what it used to be! I hope you find this info useful!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Some spices Cut Cancer Risks!
This was delivered to me today in my daily health news.. I really thought this was worth sharing!
Researchers report that adding certain spices to your burgers before tossing them on the grill this summer will not only add to the flavor of the meat, but they can also cut the risk of cancer long associated with the cooking of beef.
Scientists at Kansas State University (KSU) found that three spices in particular -- fingerroot, rosemary and tumeric -- seem to direct the greatest amount of antioxidant activity towards preventing the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs). HCAs, they note, are the cancer-causing compounds that are produced when foods such as beef are barbecued, grilled, broiled or fried.
Specifically, the three spices appeared to cut back on HCA production by upwards of 40 percent, the team observed, thereby significantly reducing the HCA-associated risk for developing colorectal, stomach, lung, pancreatic, mammary and prostate cancers.
"Cooked beef tends to develop more HCAs than other kinds of cooked meats such as pork and chicken," KSU food chemistry professor J. Scott Smith noted in a news release. "Cooked beef patties appear to be the cooked meat with the highest mutagenic activity and may be the most important source of HCAs in the human diet."
Therefore Smith and his colleagues looked into the HCA-inhibiting potential of six spices: cumin, coriander seeds, galangal, fingerroot, rosemary and tumeric.
Of all those investigated, rosemary came out on top as the strongest protector against HCA.
The authors suggested that consumers integrate these spices into their menus when appropriate, noting that some, such as rosemary, come in an extract form that has demonstrated HCA inhibition of 61 percent to 79 percent.
They pointed out that spicing allows for the sort of high-temperature cooking (above 352 degrees Farenheit) that is typically recommended for safe grilling, while at the same time blocking the increased HCA production that is known to occur when the flames intensify.
Smith and his team plan further research to see what other marinades and powders might do by way of HCA curtailment -- they noted that earlier work has shown that marinating steaks with particular herbs and spices effectively lowers HCA production.
More information
For more grilling safety tips, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Researchers report that adding certain spices to your burgers before tossing them on the grill this summer will not only add to the flavor of the meat, but they can also cut the risk of cancer long associated with the cooking of beef.
Scientists at Kansas State University (KSU) found that three spices in particular -- fingerroot, rosemary and tumeric -- seem to direct the greatest amount of antioxidant activity towards preventing the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs). HCAs, they note, are the cancer-causing compounds that are produced when foods such as beef are barbecued, grilled, broiled or fried.
Specifically, the three spices appeared to cut back on HCA production by upwards of 40 percent, the team observed, thereby significantly reducing the HCA-associated risk for developing colorectal, stomach, lung, pancreatic, mammary and prostate cancers.
"Cooked beef tends to develop more HCAs than other kinds of cooked meats such as pork and chicken," KSU food chemistry professor J. Scott Smith noted in a news release. "Cooked beef patties appear to be the cooked meat with the highest mutagenic activity and may be the most important source of HCAs in the human diet."
Therefore Smith and his colleagues looked into the HCA-inhibiting potential of six spices: cumin, coriander seeds, galangal, fingerroot, rosemary and tumeric.
Of all those investigated, rosemary came out on top as the strongest protector against HCA.
The authors suggested that consumers integrate these spices into their menus when appropriate, noting that some, such as rosemary, come in an extract form that has demonstrated HCA inhibition of 61 percent to 79 percent.
They pointed out that spicing allows for the sort of high-temperature cooking (above 352 degrees Farenheit) that is typically recommended for safe grilling, while at the same time blocking the increased HCA production that is known to occur when the flames intensify.
Smith and his team plan further research to see what other marinades and powders might do by way of HCA curtailment -- they noted that earlier work has shown that marinating steaks with particular herbs and spices effectively lowers HCA production.
More information
For more grilling safety tips, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Random Acts of Kindess
Nothing feels better than the random kind act, that is both unsuspecting and truly random. It gives you a feeling of the goodness that exists. We all hear stories of the bad that is around us, but an act of kindness, especially when the giver and receiver are total strangers, is hard to beat. I have been the recipient of two very random acts of kindness recently, and am conscience of how grateful I am to have experienced them, and I'm also anxious for the opportunity to become the giver of a random act of kindness. Last night, to reinforce this, there was a program on TV that I watched... it was called, "What would you do?" and it featured stories that were secretly videotaped to see peoples reactions to tough situations. One story touched me, it featured people who did not have enough money to pay for their medications. In all cases, complete strangers stepped up to pay - $50 to $100 worth of medications for someone they didn't even know. It was all very moving. The simple act of one human being just wanting to help another. So I started to think, what kind of good can we bring to the world? What would happen if each of us were the giver of a Random Act of Kindess? Maybe if we all try it in the upcoming week, the recipients will simply "Pay it Forward". It's worth a shot, isn't it? After all, Kindness... it Really Does Matter!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Real Time Farms
Check this out... such a great website sent to me by my friend Lori! She thought it was worth sharing and I agree! It's called Real Time Farms and it lets you load in a farm or market near you. It will help you find fresh local food near you! It shows you pictures and gives you info! So cool!
I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE starting my weekend out early on Saturday morning heading to and walking around my local Farmer's market. I sip my coffee, stroll and take in all the hard working farmers who care so much to bring us fresh foods! I feel good buying locally, and I know I am doing something wonderful for me and my family. It's just a great feeling to go and take it all in. If you aren't going to a local market, I urge you to try it. I'm usually home before the rest of my family is up and going. OR once in a while, I will get my family up early to go with me. It never disappoints!
I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE starting my weekend out early on Saturday morning heading to and walking around my local Farmer's market. I sip my coffee, stroll and take in all the hard working farmers who care so much to bring us fresh foods! I feel good buying locally, and I know I am doing something wonderful for me and my family. It's just a great feeling to go and take it all in. If you aren't going to a local market, I urge you to try it. I'm usually home before the rest of my family is up and going. OR once in a while, I will get my family up early to go with me. It never disappoints!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
So many Breads... which is best?
I know when I go grocery shopping versus when my husband goes, we often come home with very different kinds of breads. I have also noticed that Bread can be something we can get very, very attached too. People I know always find a brand they like and stick with it. And often times, think that what they are buying is okay for them healthwise.
Hopefully many of you already know that White bread really has no nutritional value in it. It's been heavily processed, and enriched, which sounds like something good has been added, but in reality, so much of what might have been good in it, has been lost in the manufacturing process.
Whole Grain breads are the healthiest, best bread to buy. But what does True whole Grain bread actually mean? Well, the words "Whole Grain" needs to be listed in the first or second place in the ingredients listing.
So, is whole wheat bread the same as whole grain? It is NOT! You do not want to see flour in your ingredient list. A lot of stores carry whole grain breads, many of them are in the freezer section of your grocery store. Ezekiel is one of my favorites. I also find various sprouted grain breads that I love - whole foods has a wonderful sprouted bun that I love with my veggie burgers. Store them in your fridge, and they will last longer! It's a healthier option, full of fiber, which will help keep you full and help get more toxins out of your body! More on Fiber in a later post! But for now, read your labels! Whole Grains are what you want!
Hopefully many of you already know that White bread really has no nutritional value in it. It's been heavily processed, and enriched, which sounds like something good has been added, but in reality, so much of what might have been good in it, has been lost in the manufacturing process.
Whole Grain breads are the healthiest, best bread to buy. But what does True whole Grain bread actually mean? Well, the words "Whole Grain" needs to be listed in the first or second place in the ingredients listing.
So, is whole wheat bread the same as whole grain? It is NOT! You do not want to see flour in your ingredient list. A lot of stores carry whole grain breads, many of them are in the freezer section of your grocery store. Ezekiel is one of my favorites. I also find various sprouted grain breads that I love - whole foods has a wonderful sprouted bun that I love with my veggie burgers. Store them in your fridge, and they will last longer! It's a healthier option, full of fiber, which will help keep you full and help get more toxins out of your body! More on Fiber in a later post! But for now, read your labels! Whole Grains are what you want!
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