Dr. Joseph Mercola2013-05-23T13:17:27-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=dr-mercolaCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Dr. Joseph MercolaGood old fashioned elbow grease.Common Household Chemicals Linked to Human Diseasetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.31102432013-05-08T10:39:04-04:002013-05-08T10:39:10-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/chemicals and an untold number of potentially toxic substances on a less frequent basis. There are about 75,000 chemicals regularly manufactured and imported by U.S. industries, so you could be exposed to any number of them. Disturbingly, many of them have never been fully tested for safety.
Some of the most pervasive chemicals are used in plastic products, and are known as "endocrine disruptors." These chemicals are similar in structure to natural sex hormones, thereby interfering with their normal functions.
On February 19, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a report co-produced with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), titled: "State of the Science of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals."
The report suggests a ban of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may be needed to protect the health of future generations. The joint study is touted as the most comprehensive report on EDCs to date, highlighting a wide variety of health problems associated with exposure, including:
Non-descended testes in young males
Breast cancer in women
Prostate cancer in men
Developmental effects on the nervous system in children
Attention-deficit hyperactivity in children
Thyroid cancer
According to the report:
The diverse systems affected by endocrine-disrupting chemicals likely include all hormonal systems and range from those controlling development and function of reproductive organs to the tissues and organs regulating metabolism and satiety. Effects on these systems can lead to obesity, infertility or reduced fertility, learning and memory difficulties, adult-onset diabetes or cardiovascular disease, as well as a variety of other diseases."
The High Price of "Convenience" Products
The joint study flags several of the most common culprits, including bisphenol-A (BPA), PCBs, phthalates and agricultural pesticides. According to the report, animal studies have demonstrated that there's "very strong evidence" BPA can interfere with thyroid hormones. Brain damage, decreased intelligence, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism were also found to be potential side effects. BPA is one of the world's highest production-volume chemicals and is widely used in the production of:
Plastic water bottles
Tooth sealants
Plastic gallon milk bottles
Canned foods and soda cans (most have plastic lining in the cans)
Plastic microwavable plates, ovenware, and utensils
Baby toys, bottles, pacifiers, and sippy cups
Beware that many manufacturers have simply replaced BPA with bisphenol-S (BPS), an equally toxic chemical. Studies now show BPS is showing up in human urine concentrations at levels similar to those of BPA -- an indication that manufacturers are simply switching one for the other, while still being able to advertise their products as "BPA-free." A 2012 study found 81 percent of those tested from the United States and seven Asian countries had BPS in their urine.
An even more recent study has raised the alarm on BPS, showing the chemical estrogenic activity comparable to estradiol, the most potent human estrogen. It was also found to potentially be capable of enhancing estradiol-mediated cell signaling, making it a particularly potent endocrine disruptor. Furthermore, the study showed BPS can induce apoptosis (cell death) and interfere with cellular secretion of prolactin (PRL) -- a hormone that regulates hundreds of biological functions, including metabolism, reproduction and lactation.
Another chemical used in the manufacturing of plastics is phthalates, which make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible and resilient. They're also one of the most pervasive endocrine disruptors so far discovered. These chemicals have increasingly become associated with changes in the development of the male brain as well as with genital defects, metabolic abnormalities and reduced testosterone in babies and adults. Phthalates are found in, among other things:
Processed food packaging
Lubricant and adhesives
Hoses
Detergents
Raincoats
Beauty products like nail polish, hair spray, shampoo, deodorants, and fragrances
Shower curtains
Cosmetics
Vinyl flooring and wall coverings
Toys
Three More Common Chemicals to Avoid
Åke Bergman, chief editor of the report, said:
Research has made great strides in the last 10 years showing endocrine disruption to be far more extensive and complicated than realized a decade ago. As science continues to advance, it is time for both management of endocrine disrupting chemicals and further research on exposure and effects of these chemicals in wildlife and humans.
If you've been a longtime reader of my blog posts or newsletter, the findings of this UN report come as no surprise. Rather it's a "better late than never" type confirmation that the evidence truly has stacked up to the point of being undeniable. Those of you who took action when these fears were initially raised are now years ahead of your friends and family. In addition to BPAs and phthalates, the following three are among the most widely used chemicals around that should be avoided as much as possible:
PFOA: Non-stick cookware is the primary source of dangerous perfluorinated chemicals (PFOAs). Non-stick pans quickly reach temperatures that cause the coating to begin breaking down, releasing toxins that have been linked to cancer, birth defects and thyroid disease into the air in your kitchen. I highly recommend you throw away this type of cookware immediately and replace it with either ceramic or glass.
Formaldehyde:Formaldehyde, most commonly known as embalming fluid, serves a number of purposes in manufactured products. It is actually frequently used in fabrics to give them a variety of "easy care properties" as well as being a common component of pressed-wood products. Formaldehyde has been shown to cause cancer in animals, and may cause cancer in humans. Other common adverse health effects include fatigue, skin rashes, and allergic reactions. Choosing all-natural materials for your clothing and furniture can help cut down on your exposure. It would be also be wise to avoid all aspartame, as well as bottled or canned fruit juices, as they have methanol, which your body converts to formaldehyde.
PBDEs: These flame-retardant chemicals have been linked to altered thyroid levels, decreased fertility and numerous problems with development when exposure occurs in utero. PBDEs are commonly found in household items like upholstery and television and computer housings. Fortunately, several states now ban the use of PBDEs, so there is some progress toward reducing exposure.
What Can You Do to Reduce Unnecessary Chemical Exposure to Your Family?
Rather than compile an endless list of what you should avoid, it's far easier to focus on what you should do to lead a healthy lifestyle with as minimal a chemical exposure as possible:
As much as possible, buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic foods to reduce your exposure to pesticides and fertilizers.
Rather than eating conventional or farm-raised fish, which are often heavily contaminated with PCBs and mercury, supplement with a high-quality purified krill oil, or eat fish that is wild-caught and lab-tested for purity.
Eat mostly raw, fresh foods, steering clear of processed, prepackaged foods of all kinds. This way you automatically avoid artificial food additives, including dangerous artificial sweeteners, food coloring and MSG.
Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap and canned foods (which are often lined with BPA-containing liners).
Have your tap water tested and, if contaminants are found, install an appropriate water filter on all your faucets (even those in your shower or bath).
Only use natural cleaning products in your home.
Switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. The Environmental Working Group has a great database to help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals. I also offer one of the highest-quality organic skin care lines, shampoo and conditioner, and body butter that are completely natural and safe.
Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances.
Replace your non-stick pots and pans with ceramic or glass cookware.
When redoing your home, look for "green," toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint and vinyl floor coverings.
Replace your vinyl shower curtain with one made of fabric, or install a glass shower door. Most all flexible plastics, like shower curtains, contain dangerous plasticizers like phthalates.
Limit your use of drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) as much as possible. Drugs are chemicals too, and they will leave residues and accumulate in your body over time.
Avoid spraying pesticides around your home or insect repellants that contain DEET on your body. There are safe, effective and natural alternatives out there.
For more on natural health, click here.]]>Sugary Drinks Linked to Over 180,000 Deaths Worldwidetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.31107732013-05-07T10:15:12-04:002013-05-07T10:15:19-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/consumes sugary drinks on a daily basis, and this figure does not even include 100 percent fruit juices, flavored milk or sweetened teas, all of which are sugary too, which means the figure is actually even higher.
Many people mistakenly believe that as long as you are drinking fruit juice, it's healthy even though it's sweet, but this is a dangerous misconception that is fueling the rising rates of weight gain, obesity, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes in the United States and other developed nations.
It's important to realize sugary drinks, soda and even fresh-squeezed fruit juice contain fructose, which has been identified as one of the primary culprits in the meteoric rise of obesity and related health problems -- in large part due to its ability to turn on your "fat switch."
Sugary Drinks Linked to 180,000 Deaths Annually
Preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions suggests sugary beverages are to blame for about 183,000 deaths worldwide each year, including 133,000 diabetes deaths, 44,000 heart disease deaths and 6,000 cancer deaths.
Among the 35 largest countries in the world, Mexico had the highest death rates associated with sugary beverage consumption. There, the average consumption of sugary beverages was 24 ounces per day.
Bangladesh had the lowest death rates. The U.S. ranked third, with an estimated 25,000 annual deaths from sweetened drinks. (Many might have expected the U.S. to come in first place, but remember that American processed foods contain far more sugars than other nations, so Americans also consume a lot of "hidden" sugar in products other than beverages.)
Interestingly, and quite disturbingly, the death rates associated with sweetened beverages were highest in those under the age of 45. According to the featured article:
While the connection between excess sugar and chronic disease is well-known, the latest research is the first to quantify deaths correlated with sugared drinks worldwide ... To reach their conclusion, the scientists analyzed data from the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases Study and recorded how much sugar-sweetened beverages people drank, dividing up the data by age and sex. Then, they figured out how the various amount corresponded to obesity rates.
Lastly, they calculated how much obesity affected diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers and determined the mortality rates from these diseases, ending up with the number of deaths that could be attributed to consuming sugary beverages by age and sex.
Co-author Dr. Gitanjali Singh told Time Magazine:
Our findings should push policy makers world-wide to make effective policies to reduce consumption of sugary beverages, such as taxation, mass-media campaigns, and reducing availability of these drinks ... Individuals should drink fewer sugary beverages and encourage their family and friends to do the same.
As you may recall, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently tried to ban the sale of sugary beverages over 16 ounces in restaurants, food carts and theaters, but the day before the ban was scheduled to go into effect, a New York State Supreme Court judge overturned it. Bloomberg has stated he intends to appeal the decision.
Personally, I believe the most appropriate strategy is to educate people on the facts about sugar consumption, and encourage personal responsibility. Taxation and eliminating sweet drinks from schools and other venues may have a beneficial effect, but to really put a dent in the problem, you need to be properly informed about the consequences of your choices. Voting with your pocketbook and avoiding purchasing these products will cause them to disappear from the marketplace as companies will not produce items that don't sell.
Scientific Statement from American Heart Association about Sugar Consumption and Heart Disease Risk
In 2009, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a scientific statement about sugar intake and heart health, pointing out that there is evidence for a relationship between the two. According to the abstract:
High intakes of dietary sugars in the setting of a worldwide pandemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease have heightened concerns about the adverse effects of excessive consumption of sugars.
In 2001 to 2004, the usual intake of added sugars for Americans was 22.2 teaspoons per day (355 calories per day). Between 1970 and 2005, average annual availability of sugars/added sugars increased by 19 percent, which added 76 calories to Americans' average daily energy intake. Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in Americans' diets. Excessive consumption of sugars has been linked with several metabolic abnormalities and adverse health conditions, as well as shortfalls of essential nutrients ...
The American Heart Association recommends reductions in the intake of added sugars. A prudent upper limit of intake is half of the discretionary calorie allowance, which for most American women is no more than 100 calories per day and for most American men is no more than 150 calories per day from added sugars.
Did You Know?
Artificially Sweetened Water is a Recipe for Poor Health
Different artificial sweeteners have been found to wreak havoc in a number of different ways. Aspartame, for example, has a long list of studies indicating its harmful potential effects, ranging from brain damage to pre-term delivery. Sucralose has been found to be particularly damaging to your intestines. A study published in 2008 found that sucralose:
Reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent
Increases the pH level in your intestines, and
Affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you're on certain medications like chemotherapy, or treatments for AIDS and certain heart conditions
In response to this study, James Turner, chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health, issued the following statement:
The report makes it clear that the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study ... confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label.
That was nearly five years ago, yet many are still in the dark about these health risks. Having healthy gut flora is absolutely vital for your optimal health, so clearly, any product that can destroy up to half of your healthy intestinal bacteria can pose a critical risk to your health! Many are already deficient in healthy bacteria due to consuming too many highly-processed foods. This is why I recommend eating fermented vegetables every day, or at the very least taking a high-quality probiotic.
Believe me, if you continuously destroy up to 50 percent of your gut flora by regularly consuming sucralose, then poor health is virtually guaranteed. So please, do not make "Fruitwater" a staple drink thinking you're doing something beneficial for your health. Remember, pure water is a zero-calorie drink. You cannot find a beverage that contains fewer calories. If you think about it, why on earth would you choose artificially-sweetened water over regular mineral water? If you want some flavor, just squeeze a little bit of fresh lemon or lime into mineral water, as they have virtually no fructose in them.
Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States still recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as acceptable and even preferred alternatives to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst seriously damaging the health of those who listen to this well-intentioned but foolish advice. Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that artificial sweeteners can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In fact, diet sodas may actually double your risk of obesity. So much for being an ally in the battle against the bulge...
What's the Healthiest Beverage You Can Drink?
Sweetened beverages, whether it's sweetened with sugar, HFCS, naturally-occurring fructose, or artificial sweeteners, are among the worst culprits in the fight against obesity and related health problems, including diabetes and heart and liver disease, just to name a few. Remember that sweetened beverages also include flavored milk products, bottled teas, and "enhanced" water products. Ditching all of these types of beverages can go a long way toward reducing your risk for chronic health problems and weight gain. So what should you drink?
Your best, most cost effective choice is to drink filtered tap water. The caveat, though, is to make sure you filter your tap water. I've written a large number of articles on the hazards of tap water, from fluoride to dangerous chemicals and drugs, to toxic disinfection byproducts and heavy metals, so having a good filtration system in place is more of a necessity than a luxury in most areas. Remember, nothing beats pure water when it comes to serving your body's needs. If you really feel the urge for a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water with a squirt of lime or lemon juice.
For more on diet and nutrition, click here.]]>Aspartame Pathwaytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.27837322013-03-14T18:23:36-04:002013-05-14T05:12:01-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/page that is described as a "resource for professionals." Aspartame is used in more than 6,000 products worldwide, including Diet Coke products, which may contain up to 190 milligrams (mg) of aspartame per 8.3 fluid ounce-serving.
Coca-Cola notes that "when aspartame is digested, the body breaks it down into aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol" -- and it is methanol that is one of the root problems with aspartame. However, Coca-Cola (and many other food and beverage manufacturers) often misleadingly counter the claims of methanol being a harmful aspect of aspartame by pointing out that it also occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables.
So why would methanol cause a problem in aspartame?
Methanol in Fruits and Veggies Differs From Methanol in Aspartame
Aspartame is primarily made up of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. The phenylalanine has been synthetically modified to carry a methyl group, which provides the majority of the sweetness. That phenylalanine methyl bond, called a methyl ester, is very weak, which allows the methyl group on the phenylalanine to easily break off and form methanol. This is in sharp contrast to naturally-occurring methanol found in certain fruits and vegetables, where it is firmly bonded to pectin, allowing the methanol to be safely passed through your digestive tract.
Methanol acts as a Trojan horse: It's carried into susceptible tissues in your body, like your brain and bone marrow, where the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme converts it into formaldehyde, which wreaks havoc with sensitive proteins and DNA.
All other animals have a protective mechanism that allows methanol to be broken down into harmless formic acid, but there's a major biochemical problem with methanol in humans, because of the difference in how it's metabolized compared to all other animals. This is why toxicology testing on animals is a flawed model. It doesn't fully apply to humans.
Aspartame Poses Major Biochemical Problems in Humans
Most studies investigating a relationship between aspartame and headaches show no effect. However, results from some small studies have shown a positive connection between aspartame intake and headaches, suggesting a susceptible population subset, although there is no biological explanation. Inconsistent findings may be caused by lack of objective measurements for headache onset or duration.
This simply isn't true. There is, in fact, an obvious biological explanation, according to Dr. Monte, professor emeritus at Arizona State University in food and chemistry:
"Here is the story: There is a major biochemical problem here," he says. "Methyl alcohol is known now, and has been known since 1940, to be metabolized differently by humans from every other animal."
Both animals and humans have small structures called peroxisomes in each cell. Peroxisome contains catalase, which helps detoxify methanol. Other chemicals in the peroxisome convert the formaldehyde to formic acid, which is harmless, but this last step occurs only in animals.
When methanol enters the peroxisome of every animal except humans, it gets into that mechanism. Humans do have the same number of peroxisomes in comparable cells as animals, but human peroxisomes cannot convert the toxic formaldehyde into harmless formic acid.
So to recap: In humans, the methyl alcohol travels through your blood vessels into sensitive areas, such as your brain, that are loaded with ADH, which converts methanol to formaldehyde. And since there's no catalase present, the formaldehyde is free to cause enormous damage in your tissues.
Symptoms from methanol poisoning are many, and include headaches, ear buzzing, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo, chills, memory lapses, numbness and shooting pains in the extremities, behavioral disturbances, and neuritis. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication and may cause birth defects.
A Historical Timeline of Aspartame
Aspartame is the No. 1 source of side-effect complaints to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with more than 10,000 complaints filed and over 91 symptoms documented that are related to its consumption. Unfortunately, aspartame's approval was and still is largely a political affair. Many readers have long forgotten what the 60-Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace stated in his 1996 report on aspartame -- available to view in this 2009 article -- that the approval of aspartame was "the most contested in FDA history."
At the time, independent studies had found it caused brain cancer in lab animals, and the studies submitted by G.D. Searle to the FDA for the approval were quickly suspected of being sloppy at best.
Food Industry Undermines Health Policy, Study Finds
According to a recent international analysis of the involvement by "unhealthy commodity" companies in health policy making, researchers warn that self-regulation was failing, calling for more stringent industry regulations by outside parties. The analysis, which was published in the journal Lancet, points out that aggressive marketing of health-harming foods by multinational food companies is the driving factor behind global epidemics of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Even more importantly, the researchers cited industry documents that reveal how companies are actively trying to affect health legislation and avoid regulation that might harm their bottom lines. As reported by Reuters:
This is done by "building financial and institutional relations" with health professionals, non-governmental organizations and health agencies, distorting research findings, and lobbying politicians to oppose health reforms ... They cited analysis of published research which found systematic bias from industry funding: articles sponsored exclusively by food and drinks companies were between four and eight times more likely to have conclusions that favored the companies than those not sponsored by them.
The Most Dangerous Food Additive on the Market: Are You Being Affected?
Unfortunately, aspartame toxicity is not well known by physicians, despite its frequency. Diagnosis is also hampered by the fact that it mimics several other common health conditions. To determine if you're having a reaction to artificial sweeteners, take the following steps:
• Eliminate all artificial sweeteners from your diet for two weeks.
• After two weeks of being artificial sweetener-free, reintroduce your artificial sweetener of choice in a significant quantity (about three servings daily).
• Avoid other artificial sweeteners during this period.
• Do this for one to three days and notice how you feel, especially as compared to when you were consuming no artificial sweeteners.
• If you don't notice a difference in how you feel after reintroducing your primary artificial sweetener for a few days, it's a safe bet you're able to tolerate it acutely, meaning your body doesn't have an immediate, adverse response. However, this doesn't mean your health won't be damaged in the long run.
• If you've been consuming more than one type of artificial sweetener, you can repeat steps two through four with the next one on your list.
If you do experience side effects from aspartame, please report it to the FDA (if you live in the United States) without delay. It's easy to make a report -- just go to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator page, find the phone number for your state, and make a call reporting your reaction.
For more on personal health, click here. ]]>The Many Health Benefits of Avocadotag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.26788192013-02-19T12:38:06-05:002013-04-21T05:12:02-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/
The first of these HAB-supported studies was published in November 2012. The small UCLA-led pilot study found that eating one-half of a fresh medium Hass avocado with a hamburger (made with 90 percent lean beef) significantly inhibited the production of the inflammatory compound Interleukin-6 (IL-6) compared to eating a burger without fresh avocado.
According to lead author David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., the findings offer "promising clues" about avocado's ability to benefit vascular function and heart health. As reported by Medical News Today:
The researchers observed a significant peak (approximately a 70 percent increase), of IL-6 four hours after the plain burger was eaten, but less effect on IL-6 (approximately a 40 percent increase) over the same time period when fresh avocado was eaten with the burger.
Additionally, the study found that when fresh Hass avocado was eaten with the burger it did not increase triglyceride levels beyond what was observed after eating the burger alone, despite the extra calories and fat from the fresh avocado ... The pilot study also reported that the difference in peripheral arterial blood flow (the movement of blood to different parts of the body, as measured by PAT), a predictor of vascular health, after eating the hamburger meal compared to the hamburger-fresh avocado meal was approaching statistical significance.
PAT scores significantly decreased (signifying reduced blood flow) only after the plain burger was eaten (approximately a 27 percent drop, on average) compared to a burger with fresh avocado (approximately a 4 percent drop, on average, signifying less reduction in blood flow).
Avocados: A Real "Super Food"
Avocados, which are actually classified as a fruit, are rich in monounsaturated fat that is easily burned for energy. Personally, I eat a whole avocado virtually every day, which I usually put in my salad. This increases my healthy fat and calorie intake without seriously increasing my protein or carbohydrate intake (see Nutrition Facts panel below). It is also very high in potassium and can help balance your vitally-important potassium-to-sodium ratio.
As I've mentioned before, eliminating grain carbs is one of the best ways to support your health and maintain your weight, but when you cut down on carbs, you need to increase your intake of healthy fats. Avocados are an excellent source, along with organic raw butter, coconut oil, and organic pastured eggs, just to name a few.
There's also evidence suggesting that limiting your intake of protein can be helpful for long-term good health and the prevention of cancer. At the very least, most people are consuming far too much poor-quality protein, such as beef and animal products from livestock raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Here again, if you cut down on protein, you need to replace lost calories with healthy fats such as avocados, coconut oil, olives, olive oil, butter and nuts.
According to the California Avocado Commission, a medium Hass avocado contains about 22.5 grams of fat, two-thirds of which is monounsaturated. They're also very low in fructose, which is yet another boon, and provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including:
• Fiber
• Potassium (more than twice the amount found in a banana)
• Vitamin E
• B-vitamins
• Folic acid
Avocados are one of the safest fruits you can buy conventionally-grown, and most experts do not believe you need to purchase organic ones. Their thick skin protects the inner fruit from pesticides. Additionally, it has been rated as one of the safest commercial crops in terms of pesticide exposure, so there's no real need to spend extra money on organic avocados, unless you can afford it.
The Many Health Benefits of Avocados
Avocados have a long list of potential health benefits. For example, besides its anti-inflammatory properties, previous research from Japan suggests this powerful fruit may also help protect against liver damage. In one study, laboratory rats were fed avocado and 22 other fruits. The rats were then given D-galactosamine, a potent liver toxin that interferes with cell synthesis and results in cell death. The rats fed avocado suffered the least amount of liver damage. The chemical-induced liver injuries resemble those caused by viruses, so the researchers suggested avocado could potentially offer support in the treatment of viral hepatitis. According to one lead author Hirokazu Kawagishi, Ph.D, "Besides offering taste and nutrition, avocados seem to improve liver health. People should eat more of them."
Due to its beneficial raw fat content, avocado enables your body to more efficiently absorb fat-soluble nutrients (such as alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein) in other foods eaten in conjunction. One 2005 study found that adding avocado to salad allowed the volunteers to absorb three to five times more carotenoids antioxidant molecules, which help protect your body against free radical damage. Other research has found that avocados:
• Contain compounds that appear to inhibit and destroy oral cancer cells.
• Can help improve lipid profiles in both healthy individuals and those with non-optimized HDL/ total cholesterol levels). In one study, eight healthy individuals saw a 16 percent decrease of serum total cholesterol level following a one-week long diet high in monounsaturated fat from avocados. In those with elevated cholesterol levels, the avocado diet resulted in a 17 percent decrease of serum total cholesterol and a 22 percent decrease of both LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, along with an 11 percent increase of the so-called "good" HDL cholesterol.
The Best Way to Peel an Avocado
Did you know there are many ways to skin an avocado? Well, there are, and how you de-skin your fruit can have a bearing on the nutrients you get from it. In 2010, the California Avocado Commission issued guidelines for getting the most out of your avocado by peeling it the right way:
California-grown avocados contain 11 carotenoids. According to USDA's Agricultural Research Service, avocados contain a complex package of phytonutrients, including carotenoids that may provide numerous health benefits. Carotenoids appear to protect humans against certain cancers, heart disease and age-related macular degeneration.
The UCLA research showed that in California avocados, the greatest concentration of beneficial carotenoids is in the dark green fruit of the avocado closest to the peel.
"The Commission's public relations outreach to encourage consumers to 'nick and peel' their California avocados and to eat that dark green area of the fruit has resulted in 33 million consumer impressions," said Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing for CAC. "This 'nick and peel' message is also valuable information for produce departments to share with their shoppers."
To preserve the area with the greatest concentration of antioxidants, you basically want to peel the avocado with your hands, as you would a banana:
1. First, cut the avocado length-wise, around the seed.
2. Holding each half, twist them in the opposite directions to separate them from the seed.
3. Remove the seed.
4. Cut each half, lengthwise.
5. Next, using your thumb and index finger, simply peel the skin off each piece.
How to Get More Avocado Into Your Diet
While avocado is commonly eaten raw, on salad or alone, with nothing but a dash of Himalayan salt and some ground pepper, for example, there are many other ways to include avocado in your diet. For example, you can use avocado in the following ways:
• Use as a fat replacement in baking. Simply replace the fat called for (such as oil, butter or shortening) with an equal amount of avocado.
• Use as a first food for babies, in lieu of processed baby food.
• For hundreds of unique recipes that include avocado -- from salads to dessert whip and everything in between -- check out the California Avocado Commission's website.
For more by Dr. Joseph Mercola, click here.]]>Eating This Could Turn Your Gut Into a Living Pesticide Factorytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24420722013-01-29T11:30:51-05:002013-03-31T05:12:01-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/eating the roots of genetically-engineered corn intended to be resistant to such pests. The failure of Monsanto's genetically-modified Bt corn could be the most serious threat ever to a genetically-modified crop in the U.S.
And the economic impact could be huge. Billions of dollars are at stake, as Bt corn accounts for 65 percent of all corn grown in the U.S.
The strain of corn, engineered to kill the larvae of beetles, such as the corn rootworm, contains a gene copied from an insect-killing bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt. But even though a scientific advisory panel warned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the threat of insects developing resistance was high, Monsanto argued that the steps necessary to prevent such an occurrence -- which would have entailed less of the corn being planted -- were an unnecessary precaution, and the EPA naively agreed.
The scientists who called for caution now are saying "I told you so," because there are signs that a new strain of resistant rootworms is emerging ... [A] committee of experts at the EPA is now recommending that biotech companies put into action, for the first time, a "remedial action plan" aimed at stopping the spread of such resistant insects ...
The EPA's experts also are suggesting that the agency reconsider its approval of a new kind of rootworm-killing corn, which Monsanto calls SmartStax. This new version of Bt corn includes two different Bt genes that are supposed to kill the rootworm in different ways. This should help prevent resistance from emerging, and the EPA is allowing farmers to plant it on up to 95 percent of their corn acres. But if one of those genes is already compromised ... such a high percentage of Bt corn could rapidly produce insects that are resistant to the second one, too.
There can be little doubt that genetically-engineered crops are the most dangerous aspect of modern agriculture. Not only are we seeing rapid emergence of super-weeds resistant to glyphosate, courtesy of Roundup Ready crops, we now also have evidence of emerging Bt-resistant insects. Add to that the emergence of a brand new organism capable of producing disease and infertility in both plants and animals and a wide variety of evidence showing harm to human health, and the only reasonable expectation one can glean is that humanity as a whole is being seriously threatened by this foolhardy technology.
Bt Corn: A Most Dangerous Failure
Monsanto's genetically-modified "Bt corn" has been equipped with a gene from soil bacteria called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), which produces the Bt toxin. It's a pesticide that breaks open the stomach of certain insects and kills them. This pesticide-producing corn entered the food supply in the late 1990s, and over the past decade, the horror stories have started piling up. And the problem with Bt crops go far beyond the creation of Bt-resistant insects.
Monsanto and the EPA swore that the genetically-engineered corn would only harm insects. The Bt toxin produced inside the plant would be completely destroyed in the human digestive system and would not have any impact at all on consumers, they claimed. Alas, they've been proven wrong on that account as well, because not only is Bt corn producing resistant "super-pests," researchers have also found that the Bt toxin can indeed wreak havoc on human health.
• 93 percent of pregnant women tested
• 80 percent of umbilical blood in their babies
• 67 percent of non-pregnant women
The study authors speculate that the Bt toxin was likely consumed in the normal diet of the Canadian middle class -- which makes sense when you consider that genetically-engineered corn is present in the vast majority of all processed foods and drinks in the form of high fructose corn syrup. They also suggest that the toxin may have come from eating meat from animals fed Bt corn, which most livestock raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFO, or so-called "factory farms") are.
These shocking results raise the frightening possibility that eating Bt corn might actually turn your intestinal flora into a sort of "living pesticide factory," essentially manufacturing Bt toxin from within your digestive system on a continuing basis.
If this hypothesis is correct, is it then also possible that the Bt toxin might damage the integrity of your digestive tract in the same way it damages insects? Remember, the toxin actually ruptures the stomach of insects, causing them to die. The biotech industry has insisted that the Bt toxin doesn't bind or interact with the intestinal walls of mammals (which would include humans). But again, there are peer-reviewed published research showing that Bt toxin does bind with mouse small intestines and with intestinal tissue from rhesus monkeys.
Bt Toxin Linked to Allergies, Auto-Immune Disease, and More
If Bt genes are indeed capable of colonizing the bacteria living in the human digestive tract, scientists believe it could reasonably result in:
And lo and behold, all of these health problems are indeed on the rise. The discovery of Bt toxin in human blood is not proof positive of this link, but it certainly raises a warning flag. And there's plenty of other evidence showing that the Bt toxin produced in GM corn and cotton plants is toxic to humans and mammals and triggers immune system responses. For example, in government-sponsored research in Italy, mice fed Monsanto's Bt corn showed a wide range of immune responses, such as:
• Elevated IgE and IgG antibodies, which are typically associated with allergies and infections.
• An increase in cytokines, which are associated with allergic and inflammatory responses. The specific cytokines (interleukins) that were found to be elevated are also higher in humans who suffer from a wide range of disorders, from arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, to MS and cancer.
• Elevated T cells (gamma delta), which are increased in people with asthma, and in children with food allergies, juvenile arthritis, and connective tissue diseases.
Rats fed another of Monsanto's Bt corn varieties, called MON 863, also experienced an activation of their immune systems, showing higher numbers of basophils, lymphocytes, and white blood cells. These can indicate possible allergies, infections, toxins, and various disease states including cancer. There were also signs of liver and kidney toxicity.
Topical vs. Internal Toxins
Farmers have used Bt toxin from soil bacteria as a natural pesticide for years, and biotech companies have therefore claimed that Bt toxin has a "history of safe use in agriculture." But there's a huge difference between spraying it on plants, where it biodegrades in sunlight and can be carefully washed off, and genetically altering the plant to produce it internally.
Bt crops have the Bt toxin gene built in, so the toxin cannot be washed off. You simply cannot avoid consuming it. Furthermore, the plant-produced version of the poison is thousands of times more concentrated than the spray.
There are also peer-reviewed studies showing that natural Bt toxin from soil bacteria is not a safe pesticide either:
• In one study, when natural Bt toxin was fed to mice, they had tissue damage, immune responses as powerful as cholera toxin, and even started reacting to other foods that were formerly harmless.
• In another study, farm workers exposed to Bt also showed immune responses.
• The EPA's Bt Plant-Pesticides Risk and Benefits Assessment, created by their expert Scientific Advisory Panel, states that "Bt proteins could act as antigenic and allergenic sources."
Do You Know what You're Eating?
Did you know that two years ago, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on all physicians to prescribe diets without genetically modified (GM) foods to all patients? They sure did, although few doctors seem to have gotten the memo. They also called for a moratorium on genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), long-term independent studies, and labeling, stating:
Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food, including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system ... There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation ...
I couldn't agree more. Avoiding genetically-engineered foods should be at the top of everyone's list -- at least if you want a decent shot at optimal health.
The simplest way to avoid genetically-engineered (GE) foods is to buy whole, certified organic foods. By definition, foods that are certified organic must never intentionally use GE ingredients, and must be produced without artificial pesticides or fertilizers. Animals must also be reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters or other drugs. Additionally, grass-fed beef will not have been fed GE corn feed.
You can also avoid genetically-modified (GM) ingredients in processed foods, if you know what to look for. There are currently eight genetically-modified food crops on the market:
• Soy
• Sugar from sugar beets
• Corn
• Hawaiian papaya
• Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils)
• Some varieties of zucchini
• Canola (canola oil)
• Crookneck squash
This means you should avoid products with corn, soy, canola, and any of their derivatives listed as an ingredient, unless it's labeled USDA 100 percent Organic. As of late last year, this also includes sweet corn, as Monsanto introduced a brand new genetically-engineered sweet corn called Seminis, which contains not just one but two types of Bt toxin, plus the Roundup Ready gene for weed control! So besides containing the insecticide, their toxic Roundup herbicide will also accumulate in the kernels.
For a helpful, straightforward guide to shopping non-GMO, see the Non-GMO Shopping Guide created by the Institute for Responsible Technology.
Why We Must Insist on Mandatory Labeling of GM Foods
Mandatory labeling may be the only way to stop the proliferation of GM foods in the U.S. Monsanto and other biotech companies spend huge amounts of money lobbying the U.S. government each year to ensure favorable legislation. In the first quarter of 2011 alone, Monsanto spent $1.4 million on lobbying the federal government -- a drop from a year earlier, when they spent $2.5 million during the same quarter.
Their efforts of persuasion are also made infinitely easier by the fact that an ever-growing list of former Monsanto employees are now in positions of power within the federal government.
Educational Sources
To learn more about GM foods, I highly recommend the following films and lectures:
For more by Dr. Joseph Mercola, click here.]]>Harvard Study Confirms Fluoride Reduces Children's IQtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24798332013-01-28T11:20:02-05:002013-03-30T05:12:01-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/ fluoridated water have "significantly lower" IQ scores than those who live in low fluoride areas.
In a 32-page report that can be downloaded free of charge from Environmental Health Perspectives, the researchers said:
A recent report from the U.S. National Research Council (NRC 2006) concluded that adverse effects of high fluoride concentrations in drinking water may be of concern and that additional research is warranted. Fluoride may cause neurotoxicity in laboratory animals, including effects on learning and memory ...
To summarize the available literature, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies on increased fluoride exposure in drinking water and neurodevelopmental delays. We specifically targeted studies carried out in rural China that have not been widely disseminated, thus complementing the studies that have been included in previous reviews and risk assessment reports ...
Findings from our meta-analyses of 27 studies published over 22 years suggest an inverse association between high fluoride exposure and children's intelligence ... The results suggest that fluoride may be a developmental neurotoxicant that affects brain development at exposures much below those that can cause toxicity in adults ...
Serum-fluoride concentrations associated with high intakes from drinking-water may exceed 1 mg/L, or 50 Smol/L, thus more than 1000-times the levels of some other neurotoxicants that cause neurodevelopmental damage. Supporting the plausibility of our findings, rats exposed to 1 ppm (50 Smol/L) of water-fluoride for one year showed morphological alterations in the brain and increased levels of aluminum in brain tissue compared with controls ...
In conclusion, our results support the possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposures on children's neurodevelopment. Future research should formally evaluate dose-response relations based on individual-level measures of exposure over time, including more precise prenatal exposure assessment and more extensive standardized measures of neurobehavioral performance, in addition to improving assessment and control of potential confounders.
Studies Have Repeatedly Linked Fluoride to Reduced IQ and Brain Damage
There are so many scientific studies showing the direct, toxic effects of fluoride on your body, it's truly remarkable that it's NOT considered a scientific consensus by now. Despite the evidence against it, fluoride is still added to 70 percent of U.S. public drinking water supplies.
It amazes me that the medical (and dental) communities are so stubbornly resistant to connect the dots when it comes to the skyrocketing increase of cognitive decline in adults and behavioral issues in children (ADD, ADHD, depression and learning disabilities of all kinds). In fact, there have been more than 23 human studies and 100 animal studies linking fluoride to brain damage. Fluoride can also increase manganese absorption, compounding problems, since manganese in drinking water has also been linked to lower IQ in children.
Reported effects of fluoride on your brain include:
• Reduction in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
• Damage to your hippocampus
• Formation of beta-amyloid plaques (the classic brain abnormality in Alzheimer's disease)
• Reduction in lipid content
• Damage to purkinje cells
• Exacerbation of lesions induced by iodine deficiency
• Impaired antioxidant defense systems
• Increased uptake of aluminum
• Accumulation of fluoride in your pineal gland
Six Facts You Need to Know About Water Fluoridation
Harmful Effects Have Been Known for Half a Century
What is perhaps most surprising is that the harmful effects of fluoride have been known by conventional medical organizations for over half a century. For example, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) stated in their Sept. 18, 1943 issue that fluorides are general protoplasmic poisons that change the permeability of the cell membrane by certain enzymes. And, an editorial published in the Journal of the American Dental Association on Oct. 1, 1944, stated:
Drinking water containing as little as 1.2 ppm fluoride will cause developmental disturbances. We cannot run the risk of producing such serious systemic disturbances. The potentialities for harm outweigh those for good.
Part of the problem is that it's an accumulative toxin that, over time, can lead to significant health problems that are not immediately linked to fluoride over-exposure. In a 2005 paper entitled "Fluoride -- A Modern Toxic Waste," Lita Lee, Ph.D. writes:
Yiamouyiannis' book, Fluoride, The Aging Factor, documents the cumulative effect of tissue damage by fluoride, commonly seen as aging (collagen damage), skin rashes and acne, gastrointestinal disorders, and many other conditions, including osteoporosis. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and the Safe Water Foundation reported that 30,000 to 50,000 excess deaths occur in the United States each year in areas in which the water contains only one ppm fluoride ...
Fluoride suppresses the immune system: Fluoride inhibits the movement of white blood cells by 70 percent, thereby decreasing their ability to reach their target. Yiamouyiannis cites 15 references in his pamphlet, Lifesavers Guide to Fluoridation, that document immunosuppressive effects of as little as 10 percent of the amount of fluoride used in fluoridated water ... Immunosuppressive effects run the gamut, from a cold that won't go away to increased risk of cancer and other infectious diseases.
Studies have shown that fluoride toxicity can lead to a wide variety of health problems, including:
• Increased lead absorption
• Disrupts synthesis of collagen
• Hyperactivity and/or lethargy
• Muscle disorders
• Thyroid disease
• Arthritis
• Dementia
• Bone fractures
• Lowered thyroid function
• Bone cancer (osteosarcoma)
• Inactivates 62 enzymes and inhibits more than 100
• Inhibited formation of antibodies
• Genetic damage and cell death
• Increased tumor and cancer rate
• Disrupted immune system
• Damaged sperm and increased infertility
Suppressed Science: Fluoride Link to Cancer
Long-lost research linking fluoride to cancer has resurfaced in a Dutch film clip featuring Dr. Dean Burk, who in 1937 cofounded the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) and headed its cytochemistry department for more than 30 years. In the taped interview, he equates water fluoridation to "public murder," referring to a study that had been done on the 10 largest U.S. cities with fluoridation compared to the 10 largest without it. The study demonstrated that deaths from cancer abruptly rose in as little as a year or two after fluoridation began. This and other studies linking fluoride to cancer were government-ordered but were quickly buried once fluoride was found to be linked to dramatic increases in cancer.
WATCH:
]]>6 Ways to Shrink Your Belly (And 5 Don't Include Exercise!)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24411982013-01-11T10:26:34-05:002013-03-13T05:12:01-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/research has indicated that doing abdominal exercises alone -- even when performed five days a week for six weeks -- has no effect at all on subcutaneous fat stores and abdominal circumference.
In an op-ed piece for Forbes Magazine, Jennifer Cohen suggests using strategies that burn up cortisol instead. Cortisol is a hormone in your body that depletes lean muscle and holds onto fat in the abdominal region.
One of the most important ways to help this process is to reduce stress in your life, because stress causes cortisol levels to spike. Cohen also delves into a number of other strategies that help reduce your cortisol levels, such as the following. To learn more, please see the featured Forbes article:
• Getting enough sleep
• Reducing or eliminating refined sugars from your diet
• Slowing down your breathing
• Doing short bursts of exercise (high-intensity interval training)
• Supplementing with vitamin C
• Eating fats -- the good kinds, such as the omega 3s found in salmon, avocados and walnuts
The Key Strategy for Reducing Belly Fat
Cohen certainly brings up some good points. Getting sufficient amounts of sleep, for example, not only helps normalize cortisol levels, it's also important in order to optimize your circadian clock, which can have a profound impact on your metabolism and weight. As an example, a couple of years ago researchers at the University of Chicago found that dieters who slept for 8.5 hours lost 55 percent more body fat over the course of two weeks than dieters who only got 5.5 hours of sleep a night.
But the master key really lies with your diet, followed closely by the type of exercise you engage in.
About 80 percent of your ability to reduce excess body fat is determined by what you eat, with the other 20 percent related to exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits such as sleep and stress reduction. What this means is that if your diet is based on sugar/fructose and processed junk food, your chances of getting flat, ripped abs, even if you work out religiously, are quite slim...
You simply will not see defined abs unless you reduce your overall body fat, and a poor diet cause your body to hold on to excess fat, despite all your exercise efforts. Cohen mentions two of the most important dietary factors in her article, namely:
• Reducing or eliminating sugar from your diet. This includes all forms of sugar and fructose, whether refined or "all-natural" such as agave or honey, as well as all grains (including organic ones), as they quickly break down to sugar in your body.
• Increasing healthful fats in your diet, such as healthy saturated fats and animal-based omega-3s
One of the most pernicious dietary influences on your weight-loss goals is fructose, which hides in so many processed foods and beverages, it can be near impossible to avoid unless you alter your shopping and cooking habits. By avoiding processed foods in general, and focusing instead on whole, preferably locally-grown organic foods, cooked at home, you can circumvent one of the greatest dietary obstacles there is today.
For more details, I suggest you review my Optimized Nutrition Plan, which is a comprehensive and step-by-step guide to help you make health-promoting food and lifestyle choices. This includes:
• Limit your fructose to less than 25 grams per day, and ideally to less than 15 grams per day, as you're likely consuming "hidden" fructose if you eat processed foods or sweetened beverages
• Limit or eliminate all processed foods
• Eliminate all gluten and highly-allergenic foods from your diet
• Increase the amount of fresh vegetables in your diet, and consider juicing
• Eat at least one-third of your food uncooked (raw), or as much as you can manage
• Avoid artificial sweeteners of all kinds
The Primary, and the Most Surprising, Dietary Offenders
Fructose, primarily in the form of high-fructose corn syrup hidden in processed foods and beverages, is the primary contributing factor to widespread and seemingly out-of-control obesity. The top offenders in this category include:
• Grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars)
• Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks
• Breads
• Juice drinks and fruit punches
• Breakfast cereals
• Fast food and pre-packaged dinners
• Prepackaged, processed lunches
• Coffee drinks
There are also a number of foods that are typically considered healthy that you might not suspect would contribute to your weight problem. But while considered "healthy" by the mainstream, these foods are actually loaded with sugar and/or fructose:
• Yogurt
• Condiments, sauces, and salad dressings
• High-fructose fruits: apples, pears, grapes, watermelon, persimmon, and mango
• "Diet" foods and snacks
• Dried fruits: raisins, figs, apricots
• Infant formula
• Enhanced waters (such as VitaminWater)
• Jarred baby foods and teething biscuits
What's the Best Fat-Busting Exercise?
Once you've addressed your diet, exercise can truly begin to work its magic on your physique, and help boost fat loss even further. The trick to achieve flat abs is to incorporate the correct types of exercises.
High-intensity interval exercises are at the core of my Peak Fitness routine. This short, intense training protocol improves muscle energy utilization and expenditure due to its positive effects on increasing muscle mass and improving muscle fiber quality. Muscle tissue burns three to five times more energy than fat tissues, so as you gain muscle, your metabolic rate increases, which allows you to burn more calories, even when you're sleeping. Further, several studies have confirmed that exercising in shorter bursts with rest periods in between burns more fat than exercising continuously for an entire session.
In fact, you can actually lose more weight by reducing the amount of time you spend on exercise, because when doing high-intensity interval training you only need 20 minutes, two to three times a week. Any more and you'll overdo it! You can get the details on how to properly perform these exercises in the video below.
Next: Exercises That Target Your Abs
While ab workouts specifically may not help you reduce body fat, they still provide important benefits and should not be overlooked. Your abdominals are part of your body's 29 core muscles, which are located mostly in your back, abdomen and pelvis. This group of muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance and stability.
When you build your ab muscles, it's like developing an internal corset that holds your gut in. By doing so, you help stabilize your spine, vertebrae and discs, which in turn can significantly reduce back pain and make it easier for you to lift heavy items, twist and turn and perform the movements required for a full life. Having a strong abdominal wall is very important for optimal body movement and gets increasingly more important with advancing age.
A strong abdominal wall is also what will produce that six-pack look once you've lost sufficient amounts of subcutaneous fat. However, conventional crunches and sit-ups are not the most effective when it comes to creating flat, well-defined abs.
In order to effectively train your core muscles, you must incorporate a variety of stabilization, functional and traditional exercises. A study by Dr. Jerrold S. Petrofsky actually put this to the test by researching how much muscle activity is generated by different abdominal exercises. The simple, traditional abdominal floor crunch was found to produce and recruit the least amount of muscle activity when subjects were attached to an electromyography (EMG) machine! That's not to say that you should never perform a traditional abdominal crunch; but this particular exercise should be done as part of a varied core-strengthening routine.
This may include:
• Traditional exercises, such as a standard crunch with rotation or a standing rotation with a light hand weight.
• Functional exercises, including work on a stability ball.
• Stabilizing exercises, such as lying on the floor and pulling your belly back toward your spine and holding that position while breathing deeply
• Extension exercises, such as lying on your stomach with arms extended above your head. Then raising both arms and both legs, at the same time, off the floor. (Hold for a count of five, or five breaths, and slowly return to the floor.)
Popular exercise programs that work your core muscles are widely available, and include virtually all the types of yoga and Pilates. But there's yet another exercise you might not have thought of: push-ups! That's right. Push-ups don't just give you a stronger upper body, they also train your abdominals -- as long as you're doing them correctly. I recommend watching the demonstration of the proper form below, but I've also included a summary of key points to remember:
• Keep your body stiff and straight as a plank
• Elbows at a 45-degree angle from your sides
• Breathe in on the way down
• Lower your body all the way down
• Breathe out on the way up
If you're looking to get rock-hard abs, remember that proper dietary choices is your first step, but from there a comprehensive fitness program and targeted ab exercises will help you achieve your goal.
For more on weight loss, click here.]]>The Health Dangers of Soytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.18224662012-08-23T07:53:18-04:002012-10-23T05:12:11-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/
If you take the time to look into the actual science, then the answer is yes. Thousands of studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility -- even cancer and heart disease.
One of the primary reasons it would be wise for you to avoid soy is that more than 90 percent of soybeans grown in the United States are genetically modified. Since the introduction of genetically engineered foods in 1996, we've had an upsurge in low birth weight babies, infertility, and other problems in the U.S., and animal studies have shown devastating effects from genetically engineered soy including allergies, sterility, birth defects, and offspring death rates up to five times higher than normal.
Soybean crops are also heavily sprayed with chemical herbicides, such glyphosate, which a French team of researchers have found to be carcinogenic.
Soybeans -- even organically grown soybeans -- naturally contain "antinutrients" such as saponins, soyatoxin, phytates, trypsin inhibitors, goitrogens and phytoestrogens. Traditional fermentation destroys these antinutrients, which allows your body to enjoy soy's nutritional benefits. However, most Westerners do not consume fermented soy, but rather unfermented soy, mostly in the form of soymilk, tofu, TVP, and soy infant formula.
Unfermented soy has the following 10 adverse affects on your body:
1. High Phytic Acid (Phytates): Reduces assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking, but only with long fermentation. High-phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
2. Trypsin inhibitors: Interferes with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals, trypsin inhibitors in soy caused stunted growth.
3. Goitrogens: Potent agents that block your synthesis of thyroid hormones and can cause hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked with autoimmune thyroid disease. Goitrogens interfere with iodine metabolism.
4. Phytoestrogens/Isoflavones: Plant compounds resembling human estrogen can block your normal estrogen and disrupt endocrine function, cause infertility, and increase your risk for breast cancer.
5. Hemagglutinin: A clot-promoting substance that causes your red blood cells to clump, making them unable to properly absorb and distribute oxygen to your tissues.
6. Synthetic Vitamin D: Soy foods increase your body's vitamin D requirement, which is why companies add synthetic vitamin D2 to soymilk (a toxic form of vitamin D).
7. Vitamin B12: Soy contains a compound resembling vitamin B12 that cannot be used by your body, so soy foods can actually contribute to B12 deficiency, especially among vegans.
8. Protein Denaturing: Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein (TVP). Chemical processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
9. MSG: Free glutamic acid, or MSG, is a potent neurotoxin. MSG is formed during soy food processing, plus additional MSG is often added to mask soy's unpleasant taste.
10. Aluminum and Manganese: Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum, which is toxic to your nervous system and kidneys, and manganese, which wreaks havoc on your baby's immature metabolic system.
Soy's antinutrients are quite potent. Drinking just two glasses of soymilk daily provides enough of these compounds to alter a woman's menstrual cycle. But if you feed soy to your infant or child, these effects are magnified a thousand-fold. Infants fed soy formula may have up to 20,000 times more estrogen circulating through their bodies as those fed other formulas. You should NEVER feed your infant a soy-based formula!
In fact, infants fed soy formula take in an estimated five birth control pills' worth of estrogen every day.
As dangerous as unfermented soy is, fermented soy from organic soybeans is a different story altogether and can be a beneficial part of your diet. Fermented soy is a great source of vitamin K2, and K2 (combined with vitamin D) is essential in preventing osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and various types of cancer.
Note that tofu is NOT on this list and is among the soy foods I do not recommend. Traditionally fermented soy products include:
Miso
Tempeh
Natto
Soy sauce (as long as it's fermented in the traditional way, and not all are)
Contrary to what you may have heard, Asians do not consume large amounts of soy. They use small amounts as a condiment (about two teaspoons daily), but not as a primary protein source. And the type of soy they consume is traditionally fermented soy.
For more information about the health problems you may confront related to dietary soy, I invite you to download my free comprehensive soy report.
For more on diet and nutrition, click here.]]>Something Historic Is About to Happentag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.14658612012-04-30T22:00:00-04:002012-06-30T05:12:02-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/
Yes, it is official. Volunteers and staff from the California Right to Know Campaign are submitting nearly 1 million signed petitions from registered voters across the state of California to county officials, to place the Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act on the ballot for Nov. 6. Starting May 1, and extending through May 26, a broad coalition of farmers, health groups, and organic food manufacturers will attempt to raise $1 million (i.e., "the money bomb") to support state GMO-labeling campaigns and their defense from biotech bully lawsuits.
The Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act
This act will require food manufacturers to identify genetically engineered ingredients on the labels of foods sold in California.
When California voters pass this ballot initiative, the Label Genetically Engineered Food Act will also prohibit the common practice of mislabeling genetically engineered foods as "natural" or "all natural." It's imperative to understand why this initiative is so important and how it can affect all Americans, regardless of where you live. California has the eighth largest economy in the world, so passing a labeling law for genetically engineered foods in California can have the same impact as passing a federal law.
Large food companies are unlikely to accept having dual labeling, one for California and another for the rest of the country. It would be an expensive logistical nightmare, not to mention a massive PR problem. To avoid the dual labeling, many would likely opt to not include using any genetically engineered ("GE") ingredients in their product, especially if the new label would be the equivalent of a skull and crossbones. Those who opt not to replace GE ingredients from the get-go will likely find themselves unable to sell their products, as a majority of consumers reportedly will not buy foods once they know they're genetically engineered. Unable to sell their products, such companies will eventually be forced to stop contaminating our food with genetically engineered ingredients or risk going out of business. This is what happened in Europe and over 40 countries around the world. It can happen in the U.S.
Do you know which foods are genetically engineered when you go grocery shopping for your family? Wouldn't you want to know? Genetically engineered foods have been on the market since 1996. It's time they tell us what's in the food we're eating on a daily basis.
The Proverbial David vs. Goliath
Naturally, the biotech industry is not about to let this pass without a fight. Monsanto, the Farm Bureau, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and corporate agribusiness are all raising millions of dollars to spread their propaganda in an effort to defeat the California ballot initiative, just like they did a decade ago in Oregon. At that time a cabal of corporate giants, including Monsanto and DuPont, calling themselves the Coalition Against the Costly Labeling Law, outspent the pro-labeling group 30 to 1 and successfully defeated the labeling initiative by scaring voters into believing that labeling genetically engineered foods was unnecessary and would raise food prices.
They did it again in the state of Washington last month, where campaign contributions to three of the eight politicians on the Senate Agriculture Committee (Democrat Brian Hatfield and Republicans Jim Honeyford and Mark Schoesler) guaranteed the bill's demise in committee. Right now the biotech industry is also working to defeat similar GE-labeling bills in Vermont, Hawaii, Connecticut, and other states. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, Monsanto spent $8 million on their lobbying efforts in 2010 alone and gave more than $400,000 in political contributions. Monsanto also spent $120 million on advertising, to convince consumers that genetically engineered foods are safe -- despite scientific evidence suggesting otherwise.
Let's send them a message loud and clear: We have the right to know what they put into our food!
We're Dropping the Money Bomb!
About 20 years ago, the FDA decided to deny consumers the right to know whether their food was genetically altered or not. This shameful regulation was spearheaded by Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto lawyer who transferred into the offices of the FDA. Taylor is not the only ex-Monsanto employee who ended up in a position of power within the U.S. federal government and its regulatory agencies, and this is precisely why previous efforts to get genetically engineered foods labeled have been blocked.
Not so this time!
Ballot initiatives like the one in California are one way for citizens to take back control from compromised politicians and government officials and bypass them entirely. To sweeten the deal further, a group of "Right to Know" public interest organizations and organic companies has pledged to match the first $1 million raised in this nationwide "Drop the Money Bomb on Monsanto Campaign." These "Right to Know" groups include:
The Organic Consumers Association
Mercola.com
Food Democracy Now
Nature's Path
Lundberg Family Farms
Eden Foods
The Organic Consumers Fund
Institute for Responsible Technology
Can We Win?
Yes, I believe we can! But we need to get the word out, which requires a strong campaign to educate the citizens of California to vote for the initiative on Nov. 6. According to Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association, we stand a good chance of winning in California because:
This time, we have far more scientific information and greater public awareness on our side. GE foods are now a mainstream media issue. Monsanto has become the most hated corporation in the world.
This time, we have overwhelming public support. Polls show that more than 8 out of 10 voters in California want mandatory GE labeling.
This time, we have built the strongest coalition of concerned food consumers in history, for the exclusive purpose of passing this law.
The Time for Action Is Now!
Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association states:
Monsanto is one of the most powerful, arrogant and destructive companies in the world. For decades, they have controlled the world's food supply by buying off politicians and regulatory agencies, intimidating small farmers, manipulating the outcome of scientific studies, lying to consumers -- and threatening to sue states like Vermont if they dare to pass a GMO labeling law.
...
We have the right to know if the food we buy has been genetically engineered. ... It's time to take back our food. Our farms. Our power. It's time to show Monsanto what ordinary people like us can do when we come together. It's time to drop the money bomb on Monsanto."
Hundreds of thousands of people can help the coalition behind this initiative run a dynamic, effective campaign to bring down Monsanto and the rest of the Biotech Bullies.
To learn more, click here.]]>Rethinking Food Budgets -- "High Value" Nutritious Foodstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8690022011-07-04T16:19:19-04:002011-09-03T05:12:02-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/ Processed Foods
I firmly believe that virtually all processed snacks and the majority of processed, pre-packaged meals are a waste of hard-earned money. I find that these types of foods consist mainly of fillers and additives, and very few actual nutrients. The same goes for virtually all breakfast cereals. Many cereals are frightfully high in sugar, and iron fortified cereals can contain actual iron filings, which is a far cry from the bioavailable iron you receive from iron-rich vegetables like spinach. If you haven't seen this eye-opening demonstration of what's really in that fortified breakfast cereal, take a look now -- I think you'll probably never buy another box of cereal again.
Organic Foods
The Environmental Working Group is a reliable source when trying to decide on what to buy organic. According to their 2011 pesticide review, the following foods rank as the most pesticide-free produce, even when conventionally-grown, so you can save a few bucks by opting for the conventionally-grown version of these:
The foods you want to splurge on by buying organic are foods that have permeable or edible skins, and/or that are conventionally grown with higher amounts of pesticides. Based on the EWG's report, the top 12 foods to buy organic include:
Apples
Celery
Strawberries
Peaches
Nectarines (imported)
Grapes (imported)
Sweet bell peppers
Potatoes
Blueberries (domestic)
Lettuce
Kale/Collard Greens
Meat and Fish
I believe that farmed fish should definitely be avoided. Nature didn't intend for fish to be crammed into pens and fed genetically modified (GM) soy, GM corn, antibiotics, poultry litter and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result of this practice, farmed salmon, for example, is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT.
As for meat, I advise everyone to avoid conventionally-raised beef.
Cattle were designed to eat grass, not grains. But many farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten them up faster for slaughter. Compared with corn-fed beef, organically-raised grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Conventionally-raised beef is also very high in pesticides (due to eating conventionally grown grains, and perhaps even genetically modified grains). In fact, non-organic meats can have up to five times more pesticides than non-organic vegetables!
This is why I recommend always buying organic, grass-fed beef. If you have to choose between buying organic beef or organic produce -- get the organic beef. It'll give you the greatest bang for your buck in terms of health benefits.
High-Value Foods
As I've discussed on numerous occasions, one of the primary risk factors of diseases of all kinds is chronic inflammation in your body. Some of the following foods are both inexpensive and highly nutritious, while others cost a bit more, but I think they can go a long way toward healing your body of chronic inflammation and boosting your immune system naturally, without resorting to either supplements or drugs.
Unpasteurized (raw) grass-fed milk -- Raw organic milk from grass-fed cows contains both beneficial fats, bacteria that boost your immune system and a number of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Whey protein -- High-quality whey protein derived from the milk of grass-fed cows to receive much of the same health benefits as raw milk. Fermented foods -- Good sources include kefir, natto, kimchee, miso, tempeh, pickles, sauerkraut and olives.
Editor's note: According to the FDA, unpasteurized milk has several severe health dangers, particularly for pregnant women, children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
Raw organic eggs from pastured chickens -- Raw, free-range eggs are an inexpensive and amazing source of high-quality nutrients that many people are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat. Grass-fed beef or organ meats -- Grass-fed beef is very high in vitamins A, B12 and E, omega-3 fats, beta carotene, zinc and the potent immune system enhancer CLA (conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid). Coconut oil -- Besides being excellent for your thyroid and your metabolism, coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which converts in your body to monolaurin -- a compound also found in breast milk that strengthens a baby's immunity.
Editor's note: According to the USDA, raw and undercooked eggs pose several health dangers.
Make sure you choose an organic coconut oil that is unrefined, unbleached, made without heat processing or chemicals, and does not contain GM ingredients.
Editor's note: As of yet, the health benefits of organic coconut oil, if any, are still unclear.
Berries -- Blueberries and raspberries rate very high in antioxidant capacity compared to other fruits and vegetables. They are also lower in fructose than many other fruits.
Broccoli -- Studies have shown that just 10 spears a week (five servings) can make a difference in your health.
Chlorella -- This single-cell freshwater algae acts as an efficient detoxification agent by binding to toxins (most of which promote chronic inflammation), such as mercury, and carrying them out of your system.
Tea -- As for beverages, clean pure water is a must for optimal health, but if you want another beverage, a good choice is high quality herbal teas.
Matcha tea is the most nutrient-rich green tea and comes in the form of a stone-ground powder, completely unfermented. The best Matcha comes from Japan and has up to 17 times the antioxidants of wild blueberries, and seven times more than dark chocolate. Tulsi is another tea loaded with antioxidants .
Krill Oil--Krill oil is the only dietary supplement that makes it to this list. An ideal food source for obtaining essential omega-3 fats is to eat fish. However, the dangers of eating most types of fish simply outweigh the benefits due to widespread pollution and toxic mercury levels. Antarctic krill oil is a pure marine oil loaded with powerful antioxidants and omega-3 oils, with no heavy metal contamination.
I hope you'll find these suggestions helpful in making the most of your food budget in these economically challenging times. ]]>4 Dangerous Myths About Hand Washingtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8616142011-05-16T06:00:20-04:002011-07-16T05:12:02-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/
Antibiotic-resistant infections now claim more lives each year than the "modern plague" of AIDS, and cost the American health care system some $20 billion a year.
What will it take before it's taken seriously?
Hand Washing -- Your First Line of Defense Against Infectious Disease
Washing your hands is your number one protection against the acquisition and spread of infectious disease, but you do not need to use antimicrobial soap to get the job done.
Numerous studies attest to this fact, such as this 2007 systematic review published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, which confirmed that antibacterial soap containing triclosan did not provide any additional benefit compared with a non-antibacterial soap.
The authors concluded:
"The lack of an additional health benefit associated with the use of triclosan-containing consumer soaps over regular soap, coupled with laboratory data demonstrating a potential risk of selecting for drug resistance, warrants further evaluation by governmental regulators regarding antibacterial product claims and advertising."
Proper Hand Washing Technique
While you don't need antibacterial soap, it is important to use proper a hand washing technique. To make sure you're actually removing all germs when you wash your hands, follow these guidelines:
1. Use warm water
2. Use a mild soap
3. Work up a good lather, all the way up to your wrists, for at least 20 seconds
4. Make sure you cover all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your
fingers and around and below your fingernails
5. Rinse thoroughly under running water
6. Dry your hands with a clean towel or let them air dry
7. In public places, use a paper towel to open the door as a protection from germs that the
handles may harbor
Wash your hands when they look dirty, and prior to, or after, performing certain tasks that could spread infection, such as in these instances:
• Before and after preparing food, especially when handling raw meat and poultry
• Before eating
• Before and after treating wounds or taking/giving medicine
• Before touching a sick or injured person
• Before inserting contact lenses
• After using the toilet or changing a diaper
• After touching an animal, its toys, leashes or waste
• After blowing your nose or coughing/sneezing into your hands
• After handling garbage or potentially contaminated waste
Antibacterial Products Pose Several Health Risks
Once you understand that good-old-fashioned soap and water are just as effective as modern antibacterials, the second issue becomes that of side effects. In a 2010 press release, Dr. Sarah Janssen of the Natural Resources Defense Council is quoted as saying:
"It's about time FDA has finally stated its concerns about antibacterial chemicals like triclosan.
The public deserves to know that these so-called antibacterial products are no more effective in preventing infections than regular soap and water and may, in fact, be dangerous to their health in the long run."
Yes, while paying more for antibacterial products you don't need, you're also putting your health at risk in a number of ways, including:
1. Early data shows that overuse may be contributing to the creation of hardier, more
resistant bacterial strains. Even the American Medical Association (AMA) does not
recommend
href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/06/17/anti-bacterial-
soap.aspx" target="_hplink">antibacterial soaps for this very reason.
2. Adding to your body's toxic burden.
3. Triclosan, the active ingredient in most antibacterial soap, not only kills bacteria, it also
has been shown to kill human cells, and has been shown to possibly act as an endocrine
disrupter.
4. These products kill both bad and good bacteria, which is another explanation for how
they contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and potentially also to
allergic diseases like asthma and hay fever.
5. A child raised in an environment devoid of dirt and germs, and who is given antibiotics
that kill off all of the good and bad bacteria in his gut, may not be able to build up natural
resistance to disease, and becomes vulnerable to illnesses later in life. This theory, known
as the hygiene hypothesis, could be one reason why many allergies and immune-system
diseases have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in the last few decades.
Antibacterial Soap Mixed with Chlorinated Water is a Dangerous Mix
As if that weren't enough, when triclosan mixes with the chlorine in your tap water, chloroform is formed, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified as a probable human carcinogen. I warned about this compounding danger more than five years ago.
In tests that closely mirror typical dishwashing habits and conditions, researchers have found that triclosan reacts with free chlorine to generate more than 50 parts per billion (ppb) of chloroform in your dishwater. And, when combined with other disinfection byproducts (DBPs), the additional chloroform could easily drive the concentration of total trihalomethanes above the EPA's maximum allowable amount.
As I've discussed before, trihalomethanes are some of the most dangerous chemical byproducts there are. The maximum annual average of THMs in your local water supply cannot exceed 80 ppb (parts-per-billion), but there really is no "safe" level of these chemicals.
Why Use Something that has NO Clear Health Benefits and Plenty of Possible Health Hazards?
The research clearly shows that you do not need antimicrobial soap to effectively protect yourself from germs. All you need is plain soap and warm water. Ditto for your dishes and your laundry.
So please, avoid using antibacterial soaps and other products containing these hazardous ingredients. They're just harming you and the environment, and adding to a significant public health problem. They also cost more.
Instead, just use a gentle, chemical-free soap. Local health food stores typically carry a variety of natural soaps that will do the trick without harsh chemicals.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Data on antimicrobial resistance is from in vitro studies only
]]>Cinnamon for Diabetes? A Half Teaspoon A Day Could Help Control Cholesteroltag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8394872011-04-03T09:49:26-04:002011-06-03T05:12:01-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/diabetes, as the study in Diabetic Medicine reveals.(1)
One of cinnamon's most impressive health benefits is its ability to improve blood glucose control.
For example, just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day has previously been shown to significantly reduce blood sugar levels, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. (2)
The more you can make use of natural therapies such as nutrition and exercise, the better your health will be.
However, as helpful as supplements like cinnamon can be, they should not be misconstrued as cures. They are not substitutes for proper diet and lifestyle choices. You cannot properly address your diabetes if you still maintain a sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary choices -- cinnamon supplementation or not!
How Cinnamon Can Benefit Diabetics
Below are five known ways cinnamon can be helpful to your metabolism:
1. Cinnamon can increase your glucose metabolism about 20-fold, which significantly improves blood sugar regulation. (4)
2. Cinnamon has been found to have "insulin-like effects" due to a bioactive compound, qualifying it as a candidate for an insulin substitute.
3. Cinnamon slows the emptying of your stomach to reduce sharp rises in blood sugar following meals, and improves the effectiveness, or sensitivity, of insulin.
4. Cinnamon actually enhances your antioxidant defenses. A study published in 2009 stated, "Polyphenols from cinnamon could be of special interest in people who are overweight with impaired fasting glucose since they might act as both insulin sensitizers and antioxidants." (5)
5. A bioflavonoid found in cinnamon called proanthocyanidin may alter the insulin-signaling activity in your fat cells.
Other health benefits of cinnamon include:
• Supporting digestive function
• Relieving congestion
• Relieving pain and stiffness of muscles and joints
• Reducing inflammation and symptoms of arthritis
• Helping to prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease
• Relieving menstrual discomfort
• Stimulating circulation with blood-thinning compounds
Clearly, adding ample amounts of cinnamon to your diet is incredibly safe and inexpensive. Just remember, unless you are adding it to a proper diet -- high in vegetables and extremely low in fructose and grains -- it is unlikely you will experience any benefit whatsoever.
Speaking of grains, what about whole grains and diabetes?
The Whole Grain Myth
The American Diabetes Association recently completed a 20-year longitudinal study (6) examining the connection between magnesium intake and diabetes. They found increased magnesium intake is associated with lower diabetes risk and decreased inflammation. Magnesium is required for the proper functioning of enzymes involved in your glucose metabolism.
Some have interpreted this to mean you should eat more grains, since grains tend to be high in magnesium. This is a grave mistake!
For example, Reuters (7) makes the statement,
"The results may explain in part why consuming whole grains, which are rich in magnesium, is associated with lower diabetes risk."
High magnesium intake may be associated with low diabetes risk -- but high grain intake is not!
While it is true that you do need a good source of magnesium, grains -- even whole grains --are not a good option, especially if you are diabetic. In fact, grains should be at the top of your list of foods to AVOID, right after fructose and other sugars, if you have issues with your insulin and blood glucose.
Why?
Because, just like sugar, grains are a primary cause of insulin resistance, which is at the root of diabetes (8). Grains typically lead to fatigue, brain fog, unstable blood sugar, intestinal bloating, increased fat storage, elevated triglycerides, and increased blood pressure.
Healthful Sources of Magnesium
Magnesium serves many important functions in your body, including reducing your risk of sudden death (9). It's been estimated that up to 80 percent of you are deficient in this important mineral. If you want to increase the magnesium in your diet, please stay away from grains and opt for healthier sources, such as:
• Avocados
• Raw pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
• Almonds
• Green vegetables, such as spinach and Swiss chard
• Raw broccoli
• Raw, organic cacao
• Black beans and navy beans
• Peas
Raw organic cacao might just be the number one source of magnesium out there, and offers a wealth of antioxidants to boot. Just watch out for the sugar content -- read those labels.
Other Great Anti-Diabetic Foods
It is important to understand that the vast majority of nearly all type 2 diabetics can cure their diabetes without drugs or insulin and by properly using diet and exercise. Aside from cinnamon and magnesium-rich fare, other foods shown to be particularly beneficial for diabetics include:
• Exercise. This is the key to lowering insulin and leptin resistance. Avoid the mistake of only using cardio. Start using shorter high intensity Peak 8 workouts and strength training which will radically jump start your metabolism
• Broccoli: Besides being rich in magnesium, broccoli can help reverse the damage diabetes inflicts on your blood vessels. The key is likely a compound called sulforaphane, which protects your blood vessels from cellular damage. (10)
• Probiotics: Researchers have found that bacterial populations in the gut of diabetics differ from non-diabetics, and that modifying the gut microflora with probiotics and prebiotics can help improve the health of diabetics.
• Green tea: A compound in green tea (epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG) was found to stabilize blood sugar levels of moderately diabetic mice as well as Avandia, a drug that I believe is risky. (11)
• Mediterranean-style diet: A diet rich in fresh, organic vegetables and healthful fats (including saturated fats) and high quality proteins, but LOW in grains, can set you out on the right path.
Ideally, you'll want to customize your diet according to your nutritional type. To help you do this, I now offer my entire online nutritional typing test for free!
Please also remember about the importance of vitamin D as part of your overall health program.
"Every meal you eat that supports a sustainable farm changes the agricultural world. I cannot possibly stress this enough. Your fork is your ballot, and when you vote to eat a steak or leg of lamb purchased from a small farmer you are showing the industrial system you are actively opting out...
"It's a hard reality for a vegetarian to swallow, but my veggie burgers did not rattle the industry cages at all. I was simply avoiding the battlefield, stepping aside as a pacifist. There is nobility in the vegetarian choice, but it isn't changing the system fast enough."
This is a powerful thought.
Avoiding meat really doesn't do anything to change the system. Insisting that the meat is humanely raised, however, will.
Just imagine how the demand would change the face of the meat industry if vegetarians everywhere simply sought out organic, grass-fed meats, instead of avoiding the issue entirely.
Let me make something clear. I'm NOT advocating that everyone should, or even needs to, eat meat. However, there are health consequences of abstaining from animal protein entirely.
Why I Changed My Stance on Vegetarianism
In the mid 1980s, I shared the viewpoint of many vegetarians and tried myself on a mostly vegetarian diet (based on the theories presented in Fit for Life), thinking it would improve my health. It didn't.
The diet actually caused rapid damage to my body. After just a few weeks of eating fruit for breakfast as the program recommended, I was stunned to discover my fasting triglycerides had skyrocketed from below 100 to over 3,000!
Many years later I learned about the principles of nutritional typing and discovered I'm a strong protein type, which explains why avoiding meats and eating primarily fruits and vegetables had such a detrimental effect on my system.
Strong carbohydrate types, on the other hand, can often do quite well on a vegetarian diet.
As for vegetables, I firmly believe everyone should consume high quality fresh organic and locally grown vegetables every day. Vegetables offer a powerhouse of nutritional benefits that will vastly improve your health.
As for fruit, I recommend to avoid eating large amounts of fruit, as most people need to limit their fructose consumption from all sources, especially anyone with insulin resistance conditions, such as being overweight, having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes.
Three Important Dietary Factors to Consider
There are certain factors to consider when determining your ideal diet. These factors contribute to people's confusion about meat consumption, because they don't take into consideration the necessary distinctions:
1. Your nutritional type determines what proportion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins your body needs to thrive.
2. Your nutritional type also determines what types of vegetables are most beneficial for you, and how many you should eat each day.
3. The nutritional value of your meat will be determined, in part, by how you cook it.
Factors that Influence the Quality and Health Benefits of Meat
So, how do you determine the quality of your meat? You need to consider the following factors:
1. How it's raised, i.e. in a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) or raised organically. CAFO meat is typically loaded with pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals and is nutritionally inferior to organically raised, grass fed meat. Not to mention the inhumane practices of many massive livestock operations.
2. How it's fed. Grass-fed meats are far better for you than grain-fed meats.
3. Whether or not it contains nitrates. Nitrates are preservatives linked to cancer. Processed meats are not a healthful choice for anyone and should be avoided entirely, as confirmed by more than 7,000 clinical studies.
Next, how you cook the meat will also influence its health benefits. Cooking meat at high temperatures creates dangerous chemicals, including:
4. Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs): HCAs are linked to cancer. The blackened area of meat contains the highest levels of HCA, so you should avoid charring your meat, and never eat the blackened areas.
5. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): When fat drips onto the heat source and smokes, the smoke can transfer carcinogenic PAHs into your meat.
6. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): When food is cooked at high temperatures (including when it is pasteurized or sterilized), it increases the formation of AGEs. AGEs in your body cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and increase your risk of heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes.
Even if you are a protein type who thrives on red meat, eating CAFO grain-feed beef that's been charred to a crisp will NOT improve your health!
For optimal benefit, your meat ideally should be organic and grass-fed and cooked as little as possible. You can, for example, quickly sear the meat on both sides, leaving the inside quite rare. This gives the illusion that you're eating cooked meat, while still getting many of the benefits of raw meat.
Keep in mind that, when it comes to parasites or other infections, the health and happiness of the animal is of utmost importance. Animals that are fed and housed poorly are more stressed and susceptible to disease-causing bacteria, whereas pastured animals rarely develop these infections.
Tips for Finding Safe, Humanely Raised Food Sources
It is important to find sources of high quality, organic grass-fed meats and poultry that are accessible and close to your home. To help you with this, I've assembled a list of sustainable food resources, and many are searchable by geographic area.
Many smaller farms cannot afford the costly organic certification -- but they employ organic, sustainable practices. The only way to determine the quality of local products is to get to know your local farmers at produce stands and your local farmer's market, which are great community resources.
Follow Dr. Joseph Mercola on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mercola
]]>Coconut Oil Benefits: When Fat Is Good For Youtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8214532011-02-14T08:43:20-05:002011-05-25T18:30:24-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/
Meanwhile during this same 60 years, the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer's have skyrocketed.
Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60 percent of their total caloric intake from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease? (1)
The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.
The operative word here is "created," because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.
Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened substance that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits -- just about all experts now agree, hydrogenation does nothing good for your health.
These manipulated saturated fats are also called trans-fats -- and you should avoid them like the plague. But if one form of saturated fat is bad for you, does that mean all saturated fat is bad for you?
Absolutely not!
The Tropics' Best Kept Secret
The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in native tropical cultures, where coconut has been a primary dietary staple for thousands of years.
Back in the 1930s, Dr. Weston Price found South Pacific Islanders whose diets were high in coconut to be healthy and trim, despite high dietary fat, and heart disease was virtually non-existent. Similarly, in 1981, researchers studying two Polynesian communities for whom coconut was the primary caloric energy source found them to have excellent cardiovascular health and fitness. (2)
Where were all the clogged arteries and heart attacks from eating all of this "evil" saturated fat?
Obviously, coconut oil was doing nothing to harm the health of these islanders.
It may be surprising for you to learn that the naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil is actually good for you and provides a number of profound health benefits, such as:
• Improving your heart health.(3)
• Boosting your thyroid. (4)
• Increasing your metabolism.
• Promoting a lean body and weight loss if needed.
• Supporting your immune system. (5)
Coconut oil even benefits your skin when applied topically and has been found to have anti-aging, regenerative effects.
So, what are coconut oil's secrets to success?
How Coconut Oil Works Wonders in Your Body
Nearly 50 percent of the fat in coconut oil is of a type rarely found in nature called lauric acid, a "miracle" compound because of its unique health promoting properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties. (6)
Coconut oil is also nature's richest source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.
LCTs are large molecules, so they are difficult for your body to break down and are predominantly stored as fat.
But MCTs (7) , being smaller, are easily digested and immediately burned by your liver for energy -- like carbohydrates, but without the insulin spike. MCTs actually boost your metabolism and help your body use fat for energy, as opposed to storing it, so it can actually help you become leaner.
Back in the 1940s, farmers discovered this effect accidentally when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock.
It didn't work!
Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.
Coconut oil has actually been shown to help optimize body weight, which can dramatically reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (8). Besides weight loss, boosting your metabolic rate will improve your energy, accelerate healing and improve your overall immune function.
And several studies have now shown that MCTs can enhance physical or athletic performance.(9)
Personally, I use only two oils in my food preparation.
The first, extra-virgin olive oil is the best monounsaturated fat and works great as a salad dressing. However, olive oil should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes olive oil susceptible to oxidative damage. So for cooking, I use coconut oil exclusively.
And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to cook with.
Why?
Three primary reasons:
1) Cooking your food in omega-6 vegetable oils produces a variety of very toxic chemicals, as well as forming trans-fats. Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil, actually oxidizing the oil, which causes even worse problems for your body than trans-fats.
2) Most vegetable oils are GM (genetically modified), including more than 90 percent of soy, corn and canola oils.
3) Vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, throwing offyour omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Nearly everyone in Western society consumes far too many omega-6 fats -- about 100 times more than a century ago -- and insufficient omega 3 fats, which contributes to numerous chronic degenerative diseases.
There is only one oil that is stable enough to withstand the heat of cooking, and that's coconut oil. So, do yourself a favor and ditch all those "healthy oil wannabes," and replace them with a large jar of fresh, organic, heart-supporting coconut oil.
----------------------------
(1) Kaunitz H, Dayrit CS. Coconut oil consumption and coronary heart disease. Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine, 1992;30:165-171
(2) Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: The Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561
(3) Raymond Peat Newsletter, Coconut Oil, reprinted at www.heall.com. http://www.heall.com/body/healthupdates/food/coconutoil.html An Interview With Dr. Raymond Peat, A Renowned Nutritional Counselor Offers His Thoughts About Thyroid Disease
(4) Baba, N 1982.Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diet containing medium-chain triglycerides, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 35:379
(5) Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century
(6) Isaacs CE, Litov RE, Marie P, Thormar H. Addition of lipases to infant formulas produces antiviral and antibacterial activity, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 1992;3:304-308.
Isaacs CE, Schneidman K. Enveloped Viruses in Human and Bovine Milk are Inactivated by Added Fatty Acids(FAs) and Monoglycerides(MGs), FASEB Journal, 1991;5: Abstract 5325, p.A1288.
Mitsuto Matsumoto, Takeru Kobayashi, Akio Takenakaand Hisao Itabashi. Defaunation Effects of Medium Chain Fatty Acids and Their Derivatives on Goat Rumen Protozoa, The Journal of General Applied Microbiology, Vol. 37, No. 5 (1991) pp.439-445.
(7) St-Onge MP, Jones PJ. Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12975635
(8) Geliebter, A 1980. Overfeeding with a diet of medium-chain triglycerides impedes accumulation of body fat, Clinical Nutrition, 28:595
(9) Fushiki, T and Matsumoto, K Swimming endurance capacity of mice is increased by consumption of medium-chain triglycerides, Journal of Nutrition, 1995;125:531. http://www.coconut-connections.com/hypothyroidism.htm
(10) Barry Groves, PhD. Second Opinions: Exposing Dietary Misinformation: The Cholesterol Myth, parts 1 and 2
]]>Vegetable Diet: The Best and Worst Vegetables to Eattag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8135912011-02-02T08:11:41-05:002011-05-25T18:25:24-04:00Dr. Joseph Mercolahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/
It sounds like a tall order. It takes time to get a bounty of fresh vegetables together and eat them every day.
The good news is, it's easier than you think. For example, one way to maximize your intake of veggies is to juice them -- something I highly recommend to patients in our health clinic who are working to restore or improve their health. I'll discuss juicing a little later in this article, but first, let's explore what makes vegetables "high quality," so you will be prepared to make the best choices possible in any situation.
Making sure your vegetables are pesticide-free is especially important.
Did you know the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic? Most pesticides can damage your nervous system and are associated with numerous health problems such as neurotoxicity, endocrine dysfunction, immunosuppression, impaired reproductive function, miscarriage, and even Parkinson's disease.
This information alone should be an impetus for buying local, organic produce. But there is another important factor to consider: Organic vegetables are more nutritious than conventionally farmed vegetables.
But what if you can't find everything you want organic? How do you tell which conventional veggies may be safe? An investigation of 43 different fruit and vegetable categories by the Environmental Working Group showed sweet bell peppers, celery, lettuce, spinach and potatoes had the highest residual pesticide loads, making them the most important to buy organic.
In contrast, broccoli, eggplant, cabbage, asparagus, sweet peas, sweet corn (frozen) and onions had the lowest residual pesticide load, making them the safest bet among conventionally grown vegetables.
The next step in ensuring your vegetables are high quality is to purchase locally grown produce whenever possible. This increases the chances they are fresh and not wilted.
Now, on to juicing -- another way to help your body absorb more nutrients from a wide variety of vegetables.
Juicing Your Way To Extraordinary Health
First of all, juice only vegetables you enjoy eating whole. That way, your juice will have a familiar flavor that appeals to you. Once you are used to that you can gradually incorporate healthy deep green vegetables like kale and collard greens and moderate their bitterness by juicing some fresh limes.
Also, juice foods you know your body can tolerate -- your stomach should feel good all morning long. If it is churning or growling or generally making its presence known, you probably juiced something you shouldn't be eating.
You can also add certain foods to make your juice more palatable, like fresh or unsweetened shredded coconut, cranberries, lemons and limes -- or even a little fresh ginger root, which has fantastic cardiovascular benefits.
But, whether you're munching them raw or juicing them, some vegetables contain more health building nutrients than others. The following tables detail some of the best and worst vegetables for your health.
If you decide to go the juicing route, I highly recommend first reviewing my information about Nutritional Typing, where you'll learn there are different approaches to juicing depending on whether you are a "veggie type" or a "protein type," or "mixed."
Finally, I'd like to encourage you to obtain as much nutrition as possible from whole food sources, rather than relying on supplements, which can actually have negative health consequences.
A reasonable starter goal is to shoot for eating at least one-third of your foods raw. But I want to emphasize that eating any vegetable is better than eating none at all, so don't get discouraged if you're able to juice only a few times a week.
Even if you need to start slowly, soon you'll begin noticing increased feelings of well being and a new spring in your step! When you begin flooding your body with the nutrients it craves, you might just be amazed at how chronic ailments and aches and pains begin fading away.
