Category Archives: healthy-cooking

Probiotics

The word “probiotic” is a compound of two Greek words: “pro,” to signify promotion of and “biotic,” which means life. Their very definition is something that affirms life and health. The World Health Organization defines a probiotic as any living microorganism that has a health benefit when ingested.  These encourage growth of good bacteria in the gut.

As opposed to ‘Anti-Biotics’, which are, by definiton, Anti-Life. They kill the infection-causing bacteria, but also the good bacteria in our gut. Which is why we are given vitamins whenever we take antibiotics, to protect the good bacteria.

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Plain home made yogurt (not store bought), kimchi, kefir, tempeh, miso, sauerkraut, carrot drink kanji, wheat drink Rejuvelac – these are some of the foods rich in probiotics. They are all incredibly simple to make, taste good and are health promoting.

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So what can probiotics help with?

  • Boost the immune system by enhancing the production of antibodies.
  • Produce substances that prevent infection.
  • Prevent harmful bacteria from attaching to the gut lining and growing there.
  • Inhibit or destroy toxins released by certain “bad” bacteria.
  • Produce B vitamins necessary for metabolizing the food we eat, warding off anemia caused by deficiencies in B6 and B12, and maintaining healthy skin and a healthy nervous system.
  • Allergies
  • ObesityIn 2006, Stanford University researchers found that obese people had different gut bacteria than normal-weighted people. Research shows that probiotics can help obese people who have received weight loss surgery to maintain weight loss. And in a study of post-partum women who were trying to lose abdominal fat, the addition of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium capsules helped reduce waist circumference.

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80 percent of our immune system is located in our digestive system, making a healthy gut essential if we want to maintain optimal health.

Furthermore, the gut is quite literally our second brain, as it originates from the same type of tissue as your brain! During fetal development, one part turns into the central nervous system, while the other develops into the enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from the brain stem down to your abdomen. Hence the gut and the brain work in tandem, each influencing the other. And this is why our intestinal health can have such a profound influence on our mental health, and vice versa.

This also helps explain the link between neurological disorders (including ADHD and autism) and gastrointestinal dysfunction. For example, gluten intolerance is frequently a feature of autism, and many autistic children will improve when following a strict gluten-free diet.

However, even more importantly, establishing normal gut flora within the first 20 days or so of life plays a crucial role in appropriate maturation of your baby’s immune system. This happens during a vaginal delivery. Babies born by Cesarian section are unable to derive this massive benefit. That is why we must be very selective when resorting to Cesarian deliveries.

Who should take probiotics?

Everyone.

Especially those who have Digestive, Auti-Immune, Mental Health issues, Repeated Infections or after Illness or Surgery.

In the form of foods listed above, or Supplements.

Prebiotics are non-digestible fiber compounds that pass undigested through the gut and stimulate the growth of good bacteria that colonize the large bowel by acting as food for them. So including these in our diet is also beneficial.

Prebiotics are found in insoluble fiber such as inulin and resistant starch in cooked and cooled potatoes.

Simple ways to Stay Healthy!

 

 

 

 

Is salt harmful

 

For years we have been avoiding salt. Even those of us not suffering from heart disease or any other disease. Because we’ve been told, rather its been beaten into us that excessive salt is bad for health.

But studies are increasingly showing that low-salt diets are not only ineffective in affecting heart health, but are actually hazardous to our overall health.

In 2011, a health study reported in Journal of American Medical Association found that those who ate less salt were the most likely to die from heart disease — five times more likely, in fact, than those with the highest salt intake.

A study published in the journal AMJ Hypertension found that restricting salt can promote diabetes and heart disease.

“In fact, research studies have routinely found that sodium significantly improves insulin function. According to one study, ‘an abundant sodium intake may improve glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, especially in diabetic salt-sensitive, and/or medicated essential hypertensive subjects.’”

According to Dr. W.C. Douglas, a low-salt diet is deadly. He reported in his May 27, 2011 newsletter “Daily Dose” that “one study found that seniors with the lowest salt consumption had the highest risk of bone breaks and early death.

In the book “Salt Your Way to Health,” David Brownstein, M.D., states: “Researchers studied the relationship between a low sodium diet and cardiovascular mortality. Nearly 3,000 hypertensive subjects were studied. The result of this study was that there was a 430% increase in myocardial infarction (heart attack) in the group with the lowest salt intake versus the group with the highest intake.”

Why? He says that low-sodium diets predispose one to having a heart attack because of multiple nutrient deficiencies of minerals, potassium and B vitamins.

We now have some more data on salt’s actual benefits. A study in the March 3 issue of Cell Metabolism shows that dietary salt helps the body defend against microbes. In other words, it helps with immunity.

Which salt to use? Instead of refined salt from the grocery store, prefer sea salt, which contains 17 minerals. Unrefined natural sea salt is different from common table salt, which is chemically treated and stripped of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.

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Not only does natural sea salt add flavor to your favorite foods, but it can also help with many different health conditions. According to the book “Water & Salt, The Essence of Life” by Barbara Hendel, sea salt has been shown to:

Help reduce your tissue acidity .
Help stabilize irregular heartbeats.
Balance blood sugar levels.
Revitalize nerve cell communication with your brain.
Help with the absorption process in your intestinal tract.
Prevent muscle cramps.

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When shopping for sea salt, be sure that it has not been refined or boiled to produce the crystals. The sea salt should be harvested and allowed to dry by evaporation in order to be labeled “natural.”

Also other salts such as Himalayan ‘kala namak’ are healthy choices.

Be Healthy. And Stay Healthy.

 

Would you give your child Cheese Slices?

 

How many of you grew up eating grilled cheese sandwiches as a kid, opening that plastic-like cheese out of the plastic it came in with udder delight to get your cheese sandwich fix? Hands raised? You’re not alone. Most all of us love eating grilled cheese sandwiches and likely, those cheese slices we used came out of a Kraft package or generic knock-off. While most of us don’t even qualify that as real cheese now, apparently, the government thinks differently!

Cheese Slice ‘Products’ Get Kids’ Nutrition Seal of Approval

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has actually deemed them as one of the proper sources of calcium for children! They’re now given the “Kids Eat Right label, which is to show consumers what products at the store are healthy for children to eat to get proper nutrients in.

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Are you kidding??!!

Here are the ingredients on a Kraft cheese singles label: cheddar cheese (milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), whey, water, protein concentrate, milk, sodium citrate, calcium phosphate, milkfat, gelatin, salt, sodium phosphate, lactic acid as a preservative, annatto and paprika extract (color), enzymes, Vitamin A palmitate, cheese culture, Vitamin D3.

Any food with that number of ingredients should not be deemed a food, especially when it contains dairy lactose, known to cause allergic reactions in many people, and milk in any form which poses tons of health risks including mood swings, hormonal changes, and even cancer.

But this comes as no surprise – one of the largest supporters of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is … you guessed it – the dairy industry. They’re a large reason why these ‘products’ are still recommended to children everywhere. While it may be a simple trade of the food industry, it’s misleading and downright wrong to let organizations influence such labels on highly processed foods like commercial cheese products.

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Probably the worst breakfast a child could have – burst of sugar calories plus additives in the orange drink, and whole lot of carbohydrates providing another sugar burst in the bread and several chemicals in the cheese slices. What a way to start the day! Even worse if its fat-free, it contains an extra dose of undesirable additives!

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Let’s start shopping in the produce section instead of selecting food you have to unwrap out of a piece of plastic that feels like rubber, shall we?

Be Informed. Stay Healthy.

 

Some Graphs Showing why we Get Fat

 

Obesity rates have tripled since 1980 and have increased particularly fast in children. This must be due to changes in the environment because our genes don’t change this quickly.

This article contains graphs with historical trends and results from obesity studies, showing some of the main reasons why we get fat.

People Are Eating More Junk Food Than Ever

Food Spending, Smaller
At the turn of the 20th century, people were eating mostly simple, home-cooked meals. Around 2009, about half of what people ate was fast food, or other foods away from home.

This graph actually underestimates the true change, because what people are eating at home these days is also often based on processed foods.

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Sugar Consumption Has Skyrocketed

Sugar Consumption in the UK and USA

Added sugar is the single worst ingredient in the modern diet.

Numerous studies show that eating excess amounts of added sugar can lead to a much greater risk of getting type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even cancer .

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The Obesity Epidemic Started When The Low-Fat Guidelines Were Published

Low Fat Guidelines and Obesity Epidemic

 

There was an epidemic of heart disease running rampant in the U.S. in the 20th century. A lot of scientists believed fat, especially saturated fat, to be the main dietary cause of heart disease (although this has since been disproven). This led to the birth of the low-fat diet, which aims to restrict saturated fat. Interestingly, the obesity epidemic started at almost the exact same time the low-fat guidelines first came out.

Putting the emphasis on saturated fat, while giving processed low-fat foods high in sugar a free pass, may have contributed to negative changes in the population’s diet. There are also massive long-term studies showing that the low-fat diet does NOT cause weight loss, and does not prevent heart disease or cancer.

 

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People Are Drinking More Sugary Drinks and Fruit Juices

Caloric Beverage Consumption in USA

The brain doesn’t “register” liquid sugar calories in the same way as it does solid calories.  That’s why liquid sugar calories are usually added on top of the daily calorie intake. Unfortunately, most fruit juices are no better and have similar amounts of sugar as soft drinks. Studies have shown that a single daily serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage is linked to a 60.1% increased risk of obesity in children.

Sugar is bad… but sugar in liquid form is even worse.

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People Don’t Burn as Many Calories When Working

Trends in Occupation-Related Physical Activity

The graph above shows how people are now burning around 100 fewer calories per day in their jobs, which may contribute to weight gain over time.

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People Are Eating More Refined Vegetable Oils

Fat Consumption in USA

The fats we are eating have changed dramatically in the past 100 years or so.

At the beginning of the 20th century, we were eating mostly natural fats like butter, ghee and lard… but then they were replaced with margarine and vegetable oils. These refined oils are highly inflammatory, leading to disease.

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People Are Sleeping Less

Historical Sleep Trends in Hours Per Night
Poor sleep can affect various hormones, contributing to increased hunger and cravings. In recent decades, average sleep duration has decreased by 1-2 hours per night.

Short sleep duration is one of the strongest individual risk factors for obesity. It is linked to an 89% increased risk in children, and a 55% increased risk in adults.

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People may argue about the causes of obesity… whether it is sugar, carbs, fat, or something else.But the fact is, the diet and environment have changed has altered the way our brains and hormones work. These changes affect the biological systems that are supposed to prevent us from getting fat. This is the underlying reason for the increased calorie intake and weight gain, NOT a lack of willpower.
Be Healthy.

Deep Frying. Should we? Which Oil to Use?

 

Deep-fried foods – ooh, sooooo tempting!

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But we avoid deep frying for health considerations. However, deep frying at home certainly does not have to be unhealthy. It largely comes down to the type of oil you use, and how you use it.

When a food is submerged in oil at 350-375°F, its surface cooks almost instantly and forms a type of “seal” that the oil cannot penetrate. At the same time, the moisture inside the food turns into steam, cooking the food from the inside. The steam also helps to keep the oil out of the food. If the temperature is too low, the oil will seep into the food, making it greasy and sickening. If the temperature is too high, it can dry out the food and oxidize the oil.

This is also the reason why deep fried is paradoxically better than shallow fried, which typically happens at lower temperatures.

We want to select oils which are stable at high temperatures. The more saturated the fats in an oil are, the more stable they are when heated. Taste obviously matters as well. When deep frying, oils that have a “neutral” flavor are generally preferred.

The Winner: Coconut Oil is The Healthiest Oil For Deep Frying

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is the best choice overall.

Studies have shown that even after 8 hours of continuous deep frying at 180°C, its quality does not deteriorate.

Over 90% of the fatty acids in coconut oil are saturated, which makes it very resistant to heat.

Saturated fats used to be considered unhealthy, but new studies show that they are a completely harmless source of energy.

Additionally, coconut oil has numerous health benefits. For example, it can help kill harmful bacteria and viruses, and may even help you lose belly fat.

There are several other good options to consider.

Olive Oil

One study found that olive oil can be used in a deep fryer for over 24 hours before it oxidizes excessively. In theory, this makes it a great choice for deep frying. However, the flavor and fragrance of olive oil may not hold up well when heated for a long time.

Palm Oil

Palm oil consists mostly of saturated and monounsaturated fats, making it a great choice for deep frying.

Ghee

Traditionally, ghee is used in India and the Middle east for deep frying, and is a healthy choice.

Fats and Oils That Should Not be Used For Deep Frying

There are several fats and oils that you should definitely not use.

This includes industrial vegetable oils.

Production of Vegetable Oil

These oils are extracted from seeds, and need to go through very harsh processing methods. They are high in polyunsaturated fats, with a terrible Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio, and up to 4% of the fatty acids in them are toxic trans fats. Not only should you avoid them for deep frying, but you should make an effort to avoid them altogether.

This includes, but is not limited to:

Soybean, Corn, Canola oil (rapeseed oil), Cottonseed, Safflower, Rice bran , Grape seed, Sunflower and Sesame oil.

Take Home Message

Ever since fat was demonized, deep frying has had a terrible reputation. It is true that with the wrong oils, such as harmful vegetable oils, deep-fried food is most definitely bad for you. But with the right oils, you can enjoy the occasional deep-fried treat (preferably home-made) without the guilt. For certain foods, it can take the flavor to a whole new level.

So we can Stay Healthy and still Enjoy!