Category Archives: anti-aging

7 Biggest Lies of Mainstream Nutrition

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There is a lot of misinformation circling around in mainstream nutrition.

Here are the top lies, myths and misconceptions.

  1. Ditch fat to Lose Weight
    In fact, diets that are high in fat (and low in carbs) cause much greater fat loss than diets that are low in fat. So long as we use healthy fats – coconut, ghee, unprocessed butter from grassfed animals, and olive oil for use at room temperature. Also avocado, olives, salmon and egg yolks. Egg yolks? Yes. that brings us to …..

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2. Eggs Are Unhealthy
Recently it has been proven that the cholesterol in the diet does NOT raise the cholesterol in blood. In fact, eggs primarily raise the “good” cholesterol and are NOT associated with increased risk of heart disease.
What we’re left with is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet.

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3. Saturated Fat is Bad
A massive review article published in 2010 looked at 21 prospective epidemiological studies with a total of 347.747 subjects. Their results: absolutely no association between saturated fat and heart disease .
Newer studies have proven that saturated fat does not cause heart disease. Natural foods that are high in saturated fat are good. Coconut oil and ghee. Animal fats.

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4. The major component of the food pyramid should be grains, especially whole grains. 

Grains are fairly low in nutrients compared to other real foods like vegetables. They are also rich in a substance called phytic acid which binds essential minerals in the intestine and prevents them from being absorbed.
Modern wheat contains a large amount of a protein called gluten.Eating gluten can damage the intestinal lining, cause pain, bloating, stool inconsistency and tiredness. Gluten consumption has also been associated with schizophrenia and other serious disorders of the brain.

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5. Excess Protein can harm Bones and Kidneys
It is claimed that a high protein diet can cause both osteoporosis and kidney disease.
However, studies show that eating a high protein diet is associated with improved bone health and a lower risk of fracture. High protein also lowers blood pressure and improves diabetes symptoms, which should lower the risk of kidney failure.

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6. Choose Low-Fat Foods for good health
In low-fat products, healthy natural fats are being replaced with substances that are extremely harmful, such as sugar or artificial sweeteners, to make them palatable.
They are extremely unhealthy. Always choose full fat dairy and any other products.

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7. The idea that you should eat many small meals throughout the day in order to “keep metabolism high” is a persistent myth that doesn’t make any sense.
It is not natural for the human body to be constantly in the fed state. In nature, we used to fast from time to time and we didn’t eat nearly as often as we do today.
Intermittent fasting – 14 – 16 hours gives the hormones a chance to recover, improves secretion of growth hormone, which helps weight loss.
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Be well informed. Stay Healthy!

Images Courtesy Google

Low thyroid is usually an auto-immune condition

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If you’re having trouble losing weight and feel exhausted half the time, then you could be suffering the effects of a slow thyroid.
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Before and after treatment. Looks familiar?
Low thyroid function – or hypothyroidism – is a real problem nowadays. It is characterized by weight gain, low energy, constipation, dry skin, hair loss, cold intolerance, hoarse voice, irregular menstruation, infertility, muscle stiffness and pain – to name just a few symptoms.
Here’s why that’s a problem…
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EVERY cell in your body has receptors for thyroid hormone. The thyroid regulates all metabolic activity in your body. So, if it malfunctions, then most things in your body will too.
The trouble with hypothyroidism is that it’s often misdiagnosed or mis-treated. Many practitioners think that one drug or supplement can make everything better.
Unfortunately, that’s not true because…
Hypothyroidism is Mostly An Auto-Immune Disease
90% of people with hypothyroidism are producing antibodies to thyroid tissue.
We know that conventional medicine doesn’t have effective treatments for autoimmune disease (of any kind).

Anything that triggers the immune system could be a potential cause.

Some of the irritants include:
•     Environmental toxins
•     Heavy metals, especially mercury and lead
•     Blood sugar problems
•     Stress
•     Leaky gut
•     Specific foods (see below)
Hashimoto’s often doesn’t just target the thyroid either. It’s not uncommon for sufferers to also have antibodies against other parts of their body as well.
The #1 WORST Food For Your Thyroid
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A ton of research has now established a strong link between thyroid disease and gluten. As a general rule of thumb, if you have an autoimmune disease of any kind you’re best off avoiding gluten all together.
The molecular structure of gluten’s protein closely resembles that of the thyroid gland, which means that when it enters your bloodstream, the immune system flags it as dangerous and sends out antibodies to destroy it.
But with repeated exposure to gluten…
These antibodies can also cause your body to attack thyroid tissue. This means if you have Hashimoto’s and you eat foods containing gluten (ie. wheat-based foods like bread, pasta, cereal, etc..), your immune system will attack your thyroid!
The Missing Mineral For Thyroid Health
It’s been show that selenium protects against the effects of iodine toxicity and prevents the triggering and flaring of autoimmune disease that excess iodine without selenium can cause.
Selenium is also needed for the conversion of thyroid hormone T4 to its active T3 form.
Clearly, selenium and iodine need to be kept in check and as with all minerals in the body, balance – not sheer quantity is what’s important.
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 One Brazil nut a day provides the required daily amount of selenium.
At the end of the day, there are many reasons why your thyroid could be sluggish. All you can do is do the best you can with the information you now have at your fingertips.
Be Healthy.

Vegetables are good for you – here’s some happy surprises

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You know that vegetables can help you lose weight and avoid chronic diseases. Yet most people probably still aren’t eating enough of them.
If you need a little motivation to get your share, here are four surprising reasons to increase your vegetable intake:

They fight bloat

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Vegetables can help you look leaner by counteracting bloat caused by salt. Vegetables are rich in both potassium and water, which help flush excess sodium out of the body while restoring the body’s normal fluid balance.
To ease that full feeling in your stomach, try eating fennel, cucumbers, summer squash, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce or tomatoes.
If you experience gas when you start to add more fiber and vegetables to your diet, choose steamed vegetables rather than raw ones. The heat from cooking breaks down some of the fiber and will keep gastric distress to a minimum as your body adjusts to consuming the fiber you need.
They create a youthful glow

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Many vegetables are 85% to 95% water, which helps hydrate the skin and reduce wrinkles. And phytonutrients, found in all vegetables, can guard against premature aging by preventing cell damage from stress, the sun, pollution and other environmental toxins. Vitamin C aids in collagen formation, according to studies.
Choose brightly colored red and orange vegetables and you’ll get an added boost of beta carotene, which can give you a healthy glow as it protects skin from sun damage. Similarly, lycopene, found in red vegetables such as tomatoes, also has been shown to act as a natural sunscreen.
Eat vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, broccoli and potatoes for vitamin C, and carrots, pumpkin and other orange produce for beta carotene.
They reduce stress

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Stress can make you tired and moody, hindering your ability to make healthy nutrition choices. The result is emotional overeating and binges.
Meanwhile, nutrients like magnesium and vitamin C are quickly depleted during stressful times. Luckily, many vegetables contain these very nutrients, as well as tension-reducing omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins that fight anxiety and depression.
The potassium and magnesium found in some vegetables can also calm you on the inside as they relax blood vessels and keep your blood pressure down, according to research. And fiber keeps blood sugar levels stable, preventing dips in energy and the associated mood swings.
To reduce stress, eat any vegetable. Mushrooms, leafy greens, squash, potatoes, bell peppers, spinach, bok choy, fennel, string beans are especially good sources of several vitamins and minerals.

They protect your bones

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Most people think of dairy foods as the bone protectors, thanks to their high calcium and vitamin D content. But some vegetables also have these same nutrients in addition to bone-building vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and prebiotic fiber.
Tomatoes in particular have recently been connected to bone health. A study found that when you remove lycopene-rich foods like tomatoes from the diet, women are at increased risk of osteoporosis.
Eat strong-spined, dark leafy greens like spinach (cooked for more calcium!), broccoli and green peas for calcium and vitamin K. Mushrooms contain vitamin D while asparagus,onions, garlic and leeks are full of prebiotic fiber.

Simple, easy ways to Stay Healthy!

Sugar and Junk Food are similar to Abusive Drugs

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Adapted from Kris Gunnars

There are many ridiculous myths in nutrition.

The idea that losing weight is all about calories and willpower is one of the worst. The truth is… sugar and highly processed junk foods can be addictive, just like drugs.

Here are 10 ways sugar and junk food are similar to abusive drugs.

Junk Foods Flood The Brain With Dopamine

Sugar and highly processed junk foods can have the same effect as drugs of abuse.

Junk Foods Can Lead to Powerful Cravings

Woman Sneaking a Cupcake

 

Cravings for junk foods are actually very similar to cravings for drugs, cigarettes and other addictive substances. The obsessive nature and thought processes are identical.

Imaging Studies Have Shown That Junk Foods Light up the Same Brain Areas as Drugs of Abuse

Illuminated Human Brain

Using MRI, studies have shown that both food and drug cues activate the same brain regions, and that the same areas are activated when people crave either junk food or drugs.

A Tolerance to The “Rewarding” Effects Builds up

People need progressively larger and larger doses of drugs for the same effects because the brain reduces its number of receptors.

There is some evidence that the same applies to junk food. This is the reason why food addicts sometimes end up eating huge amounts in a sitting. This also implies that people who are addicted to junk food don’t necessarily get any more pleasure from eating.

Many People Binge on Junk Foods

The above tolerance is also the reason why some people binge on junk food.

Drugs That Fight Addiction Are Being Used For Weight Loss

Another argument for the addictive nature of junk food, is that the same drugs that fight addiction also tend to help people lose weight.

A good example is the drug Contrave, which recently gained FDA approval as a weight loss drug. This drug is actually a combination of two other drugs:

  • Bupropion: Also known as wellbutrin, this is an anti-depressant that has been shown to be effective against nicotine addiction.
  • Naltrexone: This is a drug often used to treat alcoholism and addiction to opiates, including morphine and heroin.

The fact that the same types of drugs can help people eat fewer calories and lose weight implies that food shares some of the same biological pathways as narcotics.

Abstaining Can Lead to Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms are another key feature of addiction.

Female Dieter With Duct Tape Over Mouth

There is some evidence that this applies to junk food as well.

Rats that are made dependant on sugar experience clear withdrawal symptoms when the sugar is removed, or when they are given a drug that blocks the effects of sugar in the brain.

Junk Foods Are Seriously Harmful to Physical Health

Junk Food

Junk food makes people eat more than they’re supposed to and the ingredients in them (like the sugar and refined carbs) are strongly linked to heart disease, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

But even if people are armed with this knowledge, they still eat junk food, in excessive quantities, despite knowing better.

This is common with drugs of abuse. Addicts know that the drugs are causing them physical harm, but they take them anyway.

Food Addiction Symptoms Satisfy The Official Medical Criteria For Addiction

Young Woman Feels Bad About Eating Junk Food, Smaller

The official criteria of measuring addiction, used by medical professionals, resembles many food-related behaviors.

For example… being unable to cut back despite wanting to (ever tried to set rules about cheat meals/days?), cravings and urges to use the substance, continuing to use despite physical problems (weight gain is a physical problem).

These are classic symptoms of addiction.

Sugar is THE MOST ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE ON EARTH. Stay away! And Stay Healthy.