Exercise Essential Prevention

 When not sleeping your body was designed to be almost continually active. Immobolize a limb for just three hours and its starts to degenerate. Thats why even durning sleep you automatically flex and stretch and turn more than a hundred times at night. DISUSE IS DEADLY.

 A colleague of mine did some research and reviewed over 100 studies showing that the sedentary lifestyle developed in the last 50 years in America causes widespread bodily damage. This damage occurs independently of other health risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol, fat, age, and family history of disease. Here are a few of my findings..

By itself, simple inactivity causes a chain reaction of cardiovascular decay. First, it reduces vital capacity. That is, sitting like a slug reduces your ability to take up and use oxygen. So muscles, organs, and brain become partially oxygen deprived. Second, inactivity reduces cardiac output, that is the ability of your heart to pump blood around the body. So the tissues of couch potatoes become doubly deprived. They get less oxygen and they get less blood and the essential nutrients blood contains.

In an effort to make up these deficits, your body constricts arteries, thereby raising blood pressure. This arterial construction on top of a weakened heart not only increases the risks of clots and stroke, but also makes your cardiovascular system less able to respond to sudden movement or changes of position. Consequently, sedentary folk often suffer dizziness on standing, because the impaired system cannot instantly increase blood flow to the brain. With any sudden movement thet are prone to falls and accidents, because the restricted system of blood flow cannot repond efficiently.

One of the most interesting studies shows that more sedentary people than active people are hit and killed in traffic accidents. No it's not because a gang of crazed motorists hunts them down. It's because their weakened cardiovascular system makes them incapable of performing the nimble moves required to avoid oncoming traffic, without becoming dizzy and staggering or falling in the process. So when someone tells you that couch potatoes run mega-risks of being creamed by a truck - you better believe it.

Inactivity also increases levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Triglycerides are the fats you store, and we have already. Bones also thin and weaken because your skeleton resistance requires continuous resistance exercise in order to grow new bone matrix. A combination of inactivity and poor bone nutrition is the major cause of the epidemic of osteosporosis now burdening America- another-man-made-and entirely preventable disease.


Inactivity also disrupts bowel function and disorders glucose metabolism independently of whatever food you eat. The near epidemics of intestinal disorders and adult-onset diabetes in America bear mute testimony to our slug lifestyle. Sex hormone levels also decline with inactivity, now linked to the huge increase in impotence in America.

Save Your Brain

The most devastating disorder of all is to lose your mind. Most folk who become senile, develop Alzheimers, or other irreversible forms of brain degeneration know it is happening. Their anguish is far worst than their physical pain. Progrssive senility is living death, turning the most brilliant professors, the greatest athletes, the most gifted artists, into dribbling zombies. The worst of it is, we do most of the damage ourselves.


  The ten billion nerve cells of your brain process such accountable amounts of information each second, they make our most advanced computers look like children's toys. Your brain controls everything, from the merest wiggle of toes, to the moment-to-moment balancing of hundreds of hormones, the microscopically regulated metabolism of all thirty trillion cells that enable you to think, feel, and behave as a human being. When even a few thousand brain cells get damaged or die, your whole body suffers.


As progressive brain damage accumulates, from poor nutrition, bodily pollution, over use of man-made drugs, and lack of exercise, intelligence declines, memories fade, muscles atrophy, bones weaken, immunity disappears, and you become aged and easy prey for every passing disease.


The ultimate solution to disease clearly lies in preventing degeneration of the brain. By now much of   medical science is pointed in that direction. The good news is, that even now recent nutrition science has discovered significant ways to maintain and even improve brain function.


The first brain function to go is memory, beginning in Mr. Average at about age 30 and accelerating after age 40. You can change your behavior, improve your skills, enhance your life, only to the extent that you can store information in long-term memory and recall it. If that capacity declines, you become an automaton, unable to learn anything new, forever re-enacting the habits and memories of an increasingly distant past.


To prevent this decline it is neccessary to know a little about the structure of the nerves (neurons) in the brain. Each neuron consists of a stringy filament called an (axon). The dendrite carries nerve impulses towards the cell body, and the axon carries them away again. The nerve impulses carry the information much like the electrical impulses that carry your spoken information along a phone line.


Unlike phone lines however, neurons are all unconnected to each other. The end of the axon of each neuron stops near the end of the dendrites of other neurons. The gap between the axon and neighboring dendrites is called a (synapse). Transmission of nerve impulses across the synapse is accomplished chemically by neurotransmitters, compounds that flow from the axon to the neighboring dendrites. Two of these compounds known to be involved in memory are (serotonin and acetylcholine). Both are formed from specific essential nutrients that your body cannot make. You must obtain them from your diet.


 BEST FOODS FOR YOUR BRAIN:


Wild salmon: Is not only an incredible food for brain health, it qualifies as incredible across virtually every other health standard as well and is clearly one of the healthiest foods that one can eat.


It's also important to know that only WILD salmon has been shown to contain the highest levels of the good stuff that your brain & body crave...as wild-caught fish grow and evolve their muscles, tissues and fat levels the hard way, fighting for survival of the fittest in the oceans and rivers. By contrast, many or most farm-raised salmon exist in a locked-up, artificial and sometimes contaminated environment and thus have to be fed food (or worse, color added later just before going to market!) to make them LOOK orange and healthy instead of white and sickly!


Cacao Beans: This amazing hedonistic bean is one of the world's longest-revered foods (think 'time of the Aztecs' old) and has in recent years been shown to be a veritable powerhouse of cognitive enhancement, mood and bliss-enhancement (thanks in part to the Theobromine in cacao), antioxidants, flavonoids, catechins and many other brain & body-enhancing elements. In fact, chocolate has been very recently cited by some top health professionals and researchers to be THE single most exciting health food, and as more research continues to pour in, the more true this appears to be TRUE!


Most candy and chocolate bars contain not only low levels of cacao bean compared to other unhealthy ingredients such as sugars, milk fat, artificial flavorings and so on, but the quality and processing of the cacao used in these products is often of low health benefits due to everything from alkalization to refining and processing and over-roasting the healthy elements right out of the beans.


Blueberries: It didn't seem fair to leave this time-honored, well-researched superfood off the list, particularly given its reputation as the 'brain berry' and its wide availability in fresh, original form (compared to Acai). And given how relatively easy it is to add blueberries to your daily diet, the combination of proven health benefits with ready availability make it a no-brainer to consider eating blueberries daily if possible. Think about it: what would your brain health, brain abilities, disease/risk profile, and overall health be like 5 or 10 or 20 years from now if you consumed blueberries every day? Exactly...


Coffee Beans: Last but not least...So where's the controversy and confusion? The problem comes in when coffee is combined with other unhealthy things, as is so commonly done: triple-carmel-double-whip chocolate-creme-mocha-blast-freeze drinks, weak over-extracted brewed cheap poor quality coffee, coffee loaded up with artificial cream and sweeteners, you know the drill. Compare such carb, chemical and fat-laden concoctions with, say, a high-quality organic coffee freshly ground into an Espresso-grade powder and served as a couple shots of fresh espresso, straight? No comparison. This should be obvious, but surprisingly, many or even most people still don't get it.

 But generally speaking, the coffee bean is a safe, true superfood. And when properly consumed in ideal forms (such as pure Espresso), it's one uniquely enjoyable beverage that also packs a host of brain and health-friendly properties to boot!

Twentieth Blog Post!

Since this is my 20TH blog post, I wanted to do something different, yet still thought-provoking..~Enjoy~

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said "No."
It is not for me to take away,
...But for you to give up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said "No."
His spirit is whole, his body is temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said "No."
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
It isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said "No."
I give you blessings, happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said "No."
Suffering draws you apart from the worldly cares,
And brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said "No."
You must grow on your own,
But I will prune you and make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said "No."
I will give you life so you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me love others as much as He loves me.
God said..."AHHHHH, FINALLY "YOU" have the idea!"

How to Exercise

 First get a clearance from your physician. Never begin an exercise program without it. Then, start easy. Don't jump into a vigorous weight program which involves health clubs and special periods out of your working day. It has a 95% risk of failure. It takes too much of your time. It becomes an added life burden.

 And its no good loading all your exercise into one day a week. It doesn't work. To be successful, exercise must be incorporated into your normal daily routine. Fifteen minutes a day when you rise in the mornings, is far better for your health than three hours at the gym on Saturdays.


 You dont need complicated machines or fancy gadgets. You can exercise anywhere. Your own body weight and gravity provide ample resistance. Gradual, progressive exercise is best. There is no reason to steam, no need to work to your limit.

 Never strain. Anytime you ache the next day, you are going to hard. THE BODY DOES NOT NEED TO BE INFLAMED IN ORDER TO IMPROVE. Inflammation is counter-productive. Over-training is de-training.

 Remember, you are limited by the rhythms of Nature. Adaption is slow-but sweetly sure. The first day you begin exercising, even after doing none for thirty years, your body starts to rejuvenate.

 Your exercise program has three goals. First and most important is to maintain and increase your muscle mass. Second is to maintain you cardiovascular system. Third is to maintain your flexibility. Mr. Average stiffens as he ages, increasing the risk of all sorts of strains and tendon, ligament and skeletal disorders.

 Once you have your physician's clearance to exercise, there is nothing wrong with a little aerobics, especially to warm up the system and get your blood pumping. And twenty minutes even at mild intensity will have cardiovascular benefits. I advocate aerobics to begin exercise for everyone because you should never pick up weights cold. Then 5-10 mins spent stretching after your muscles are warm, is all you need to maintain flexibility lifelong.

 Okay..on to muscles. Your program should include resistance exercise for shoulders, arms, chest, back, legs, and abdominals. If you are doing three days per week, which is the starting level and the minimum for consistent benefit, then do: DAY 1- Shoulders and Arms/ DAY 2-Chest and Back/ DAY 3- Legs and Abdominals. If you are doing five days per week, the optimum program for health, then do one bodypart per day: Shoulders, Arms, Chest, Back, Legs & Abdominals.

 Some secrets that will give you faster progress and a better body than most people you see in the health clubs...

1. No matter what the gym trainer says, Never do more per exercise than one warm up set of 12-15 easy repetitions, followed by one medium heavy set of 6-10 repetitions to exhaustion.

2. Work a body part only once per week. Exercised muscle takes about 48 hours to breakdown worn cells, then about 48-72 hours to build new, stronger replacements. That's five days. From 5-8 days strength remains at a maximum and then slowly declines. So exercising a muscle every 5-8 days is the optimum program for progress.

3. Do not train with weights for more than one hour per workout. Your anabolic potential, that is, your ability to gain lean muscle mass is limited by your hormone levels. After 45 mins to an hour, hormone levels decline. You may be able to will yourself to continue but it will not do your body any good.

4. Increase your protein intake by drinking a protein drink daily within one hour after workout. Much new research shows that weight training puts subjects into protein deficit, despite the high-protein level of the American diet.

5. Take daily antioxidant supplements. All exercises increases oxidation in the body.

6. Eat an alkaline diet. All exercise increases body acidity.

7. Sip a cold, light carbohydrate drink (7-10%) throughout workouts. drinks containing a little glucose, glucose polymers are the best, It will trickle carbohydrate continuously into your blood and spare your muscle glycogen, thereby maintaining your energy level. It will also prevent dehydration. Believe it or not 3% dehydration can reduce strength by 10%. Your drink will keep your body temperature down, thereby reducing the amount of blood diverted to the skin for cooling, thus leaving more to supply your muscles with oxygen and nutrients.

**It takes a bit of puff and stickability to grow a high-performance body. But once you've done it, the modicum of exercise necessary to maintain it is one of life's greatest bargains**

Foods Affect Your Bones.

Common foods have a big influence on your bones. Normal levels of protein for example, do not affect bone calcium, but I do know now that some forms of purified protein do cause calcium loss, Notably, case-in-point, lactalbumin, and egg whites that are commonly used in meal replacement drinks, can seriously deplete your calcium stores, if they are used as the main source of protein in your diet.

 Very high protein intakes as used by many strength athletes, and by folk on those idiotic high protein diet plans, suck calcium out of your body like a sponge. So these folks should always be aware of their unique need for increased calcium intake. Salt also robs your bones. Our diet is spiked with twenty times  the salt that occurs in natural food, and that is twenty times the salt required for optimal health. The sodium overload inhibits normal calcium metabolism in complex ways, all of which are detrimental to a wide range of bodily functions including blood pressure and bone formation. So ditch the salt cellar and the chips.

FIBER DOESNT HELP EITHER: High intakes of fiber dont rob your bones, but they do inhibit calcium absorption from the intestines. So when you take fiber for good health, as you should, always be aware that it increases your need for calcium.

WHAT ABOUT VEGETABLES: Numerous tables of  calcium sources list spinach as one of the best, containing 120-150 mg of calcium per average serving. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! I've known for years that spinach also contains high levels of chemicals called oxalates, that completely bind the calcium so that not even a milligram can be absorbed. So spinach is useless. Much better are green cabbage, kale, broccoli, bok choy, dark green lettuces, seaweed greens, arame, hijki, and nori.

 Other good food sources of calcium are salmon and sardines canned with bones, well-cooked soybeans, tofu, and soymilk. But most people dont get enough of them. The average calcium intake is way below the RDA of 800-1200 mg per day. Low RDA is not healthy.

Even if we did get sufficient calcium, its only a tiny piece of the bone puzzle. For the last 4 decades, the dominant medical advice, delivered with much pomp and pretension, has been: drink two large glasses of milk a day. That amount of milk contains 600mg of calcium and what could be more innocuous than milk- right? Wrong! For many folk, the medical advice to drink milk to prevent osteosporosis is self-serving bs!

How do I know? Simple. After decades of milk promotion, osteosporosis has become epidemic. Milk just doesnt do the trick.

Animal milk was designed by the miraculous hand that guides nature specifically for nourishing infant animals, not human adults. As we grow, we lose much of our ability to produce the enzyme lactase, which digests the lactose in milk.. Three out of every four American adults have some degree of lactose-intolerance they cant touch dairy foods without severe discomfort.

The biggest lifestyle problem in America today is couch potatoism. Its deadly to your bones. Bones are constantly remodeled throughout life in exact response to the stresses placed on them by activity. But not any old activity will do. Every day millions of old bone calls die off. In order to form new replacement cells, bones requires weight-bearing stress on each microsopic point where fibers of the bones matrix join together, much like the zig-zag connections of the griders of a bridge. Pressure on these stress points causes the essential electrochemical "sparks" that stimulate growth of new bone cells. No pressure, No sparks...NO BONE.

**Stay active, do not sit in the same spot and watch tv for more than one hour, you must move your limbs in order to keep them..dont use it and you'll LOSE IT!**

Overweight is an illness!

Calling fat folks sick may raise some hackles in our cringing new era of political correctness. But in cold reality, people of color are still financially deprived, waitpersons still wait, and ecological executives still hump the garbage. A spade is still a spade, and the "gravitationally challenged" still bear America's heaviest health burden.


BODYFAT BREEDS DISEASE: Lets examine the fat/sick link. The Framingham Heart Study has been going on for over 4 decades. It's America's best. Succesive follow-ups over 26 years, shows that weight gain after adulthood causes a huge increase in risk of all types of cardiovascular disease. It doesnt have to be much pudge. Even a 10% increase above ideal weight causes a 6-7% increase in blood pressure. Thats only 15lbs extra on a 150 lbs person. And losing that extra weight causes and immediate drop in blood pressure of 10-11%. So there's no doubt that the bodyfat was causing the illness. The seriously overweight folk are in dire straights. Women for example, carrying 50-60lbs of extra padding are 700% more likely to develop hypertension.

...AND DIABETES: Serious overweight also causes rapid diabetes. Both men and women carrying 60lbs. extra or more, are 3000% more likely to develop diabetes. Even moderate overweight increases your risk of diabetes by about 100%

...CANCER TOO: Cancer also LOVES bodyfat. The American Cancer Society did a massive 20-year study involving over a million Americans in 25 different states. Results showed that men who are 40% overweight, have higher rates of prostate cancer, colon cancer, and rectal cancer. Women who are 40% or more overweight, have higher rates of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, gall bladder cancer, cervical cancer, and endometrial cancer. Corpulent is sick indeed.

...AND ALL THE REST: I can cover only a fraction of the fat/sick studies because overweight is a big cause of almost all diseases. Even moderate fatness damages the immune system, reducing your resistance to everything. Being overweight going into surgery, for example increases your risk of post-operative infections by up to 700%. And giving the lie to those "healthy fat cheeks" of  childhood, studies show that fat babies get twice as many infections as slim babies.

JUST A LITTLE HAPPY FAT: Folk who are only moderately overweight show typical defensive reactions to the evidence that fat is sick. They would suck in their stomachs and laugh, "this is just happy fat". Or they slap a plump thigh and exclaim, "God made me this way, healthy and comfortable". The latest study shows that even mildly chunky die young, At the Havard School of Public Health, Dr. I-Min Lee and colleagues tracked 19,297 healthy Harvard men who graduated between 1916 and 1950. Smokers were exluded as unacceptable health risks.

By 1988, 4,370 of the men had died- mostly chunky. The less the man weighed throughout his life, the lower their risk of death. Men who were 20% below the average for Americans of comparable age and height had the best expectation of long and healthy lives.

With 32.6% of Americans classified as overweight and another 40 million on the way, bodyfat is by far our worst health risk. It causes more illness than all the enviornmental and nutrition problems, than smoking, alcohol, and all other drugs put together. It's infinitely worst than over-publicized AIDS.

Yet, to the ignorant, overweight is little more than a good butt for humor. It is sort of comical that Americans waddle enough fat around to feed the whole starving Africa, and would gladly pay the shipping, but the disease it causes is NO JOKE. Obesity is widespread~no punt intended.

Build your Immunity!!!

As I've stated before, nutrients and exercise have many specific effects against diseases. But the most important effect is to strengthen immunity against ALL disease. Your first step in a personal health program is to bulid your immunity.

  Think always "host resistance is the key". To strengthen yours, avoid unnecessary use of medications, especially antibiotics, and unnecessary contact with hospitals and medical facilities. For the same reason avoid all but organically grown meats.

Antibiotics are massively misused in meat and poultry production. Eating them you get a double-whammy blow to your health, from the antibiotic resuides in the meat, and from the antibiotic resistance bacteria it carries.


EAT A LOW FAT DIET: Low-fat intake is not only directly protective against cardiovascular disease and cancers, even skin cancer, and by keeping down body fat, it also boosts immunity.

Keep your fat intake to 15% of daily calories, perferably as organic olive oil or flax oil. Avoid all saturated and trans fats. Read the new nutrition panel on food labels:)

EAT A LOW SALT DIET: Sodium excess causes hypertension in sensitive individuals, increases the risk of stomach cancer, and increases the risk of osteopopsis.

Use a pottassium based salt substitute on the dinner table and in cooking. Keep your sodium below one gram a day.

AVOID RED MEATS: Rates of colon cancer in America are ten times those of many Eastern nations. For the 21st century new cases exceed 200,000.

In a massive clinical trial of 88,751 women, Dr. Walter Willett and colleagues at Harvard have shown that women who eat beef, pork, or lamb daily have a 250% increased risk of colon cancer.

Red meat consumption is now also linked to prostate cancer in a new study of 14,916 physicians. Ditch the steak and chops. Your health will benefit.

EAT A HIGH FIBER DIET: Fiber protects the colon from cancer, lowers cholesterol, and stabalizes blood sugar.

Eat 40-50 grams of mixed fibers daily, as whole-grain breads and cereals, especially those containing oat bran, vegetables and fruits.

EAT A LOW SUGAR DIET: Refined sugars cause obesity, toothe decay, metabolic and cardiac abnormalities, and also increase the risk of adult on-set diabetes.

Use a little fructose in place of table sugar. Its is much sweeter than surcose, so you use a lot less. Looked for carbohydrate drinks sweetened with zylitol (if possible).

EAT ORGANIC, UNPROCESSED FOODS: I discussed in "Nature for profit" the degraded and contaminated nature of foods grown in NPK fertilizers, and foods processed for mass production. They do more harm than simply failing to provide nutrients. In order to use them, your body has to rob its own tissues of essential nutrients, to use in absorption and metabolism of any refined food.

AVOID PROCESSED MEATS: Pickled, salt-cured, smoked, nitrated, and charcoal-cooked meats contain potent carcinogens. Dont eat them. At the bbq dont allow the meats to char, and cut off any mistakenly charred bits.

DRINK CLEAN WATER: As I spoke about this topic in "Water Water..Everywhere" most American drinking water is now contaminated with any number of the 60,000 man-made chemicals that now pollute our gound water.

Drink bottled distilled or home-distilled water. Drink 8-10 glasses per day. Clean water is the best dilluter of toxins there is.

LIMIT ALCOHOL: Evidence shows clearly that a little alcohol is cardio-protective and also reduces effects of stress. Drink no more than two glasses of wine, or two beers, or two single spirits per day.

EAT A VARIETY: Each day new science uncovers new healthful compunds in foods. There are certainly many more I do not know of. Eating a wide variety of foods gives you the best chance of obtaining these nutrients. It also prevents the development of food sensitivities.

TAKE DAILY SUPPLEMENTS: I hope my prior posts have convinced you that nutrient supplements are essential for optimum health in these dog days of degraded and contaminated food and polluted water and air. It will get a lot worst before it gets better.

Protect yourself everyday with a complete muti-vitamin, a complete muti-mineral, a potent multi-antioxidant and some essential fatty acids taken as organic flax oil.

DO WEIGHT BEARING EXERCISE: Develop a lifelong program of weight-bearing exercise. And do it at least three times a week. Your heart, your lungs, your organs, your muscles, your bones, and your immunity cannot help but benefit!

Last but certainly not least...

ELIMINATE TOXIC METALS: Until 1986 lead pipes were allowed for our water. Many of them still exsist. It took 50 years to get the lead out of water and gasoline, and to convince the government lead was damaging our children's brains. It will take another 20 years to convince then about aluminum.

Aluminum cause multiple forms of brain damage and is now strongly linked with Alzheimers. Eliminate it from your life in water, cooking, utensils, antacids, and personal care items such as; anti-perspirants and shampoos.

Exercise prevents Cancer...

 Most cancers are slow-slow growing diseases, eating away silently at your body for years before they show themselves. Despite the overblown claims of sucessful treatment by the National Cancer Institue, once a cancer emerges medicine is usually powerless.


 Anytime you feel reassured by the pronouncements of the cancer industry, remember the swift deaths of Michael Landon of pancreatic cancer, and Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis of lymphoma. If there was an effective treatment anywhere in the world, dont you think such immensely rich people would have bought it? So, if a little exercise can pervent cancer, its worth more than all the gold in Fort Knox. And like all of the other best things in life- its free!

 You dont have to be a marathoner, a half-hour of exercise several days a week can drop your risk dramatically. Breast cancer is the most frequent female cancer, and the third biggest cancer killler in America. Proportionately more women are developing and dying of breast cancer today than in the 1960s. Just to load the dice, we will add uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and all other cancers of the femal reproductive system. Thats four of the leading six catergories of female cancer. Together they wipe out 220,000 American women every year. If simple exercise can help prevent such devastation, then its a winner for every women in the nation.

  The major mechanism by which exercise prevents these cancers is regulation of estrogen and other stress hormones, which left unchecked, cause proliferation in the female reproductive system. It is likely that women who exercise regularly are simply activating an essential health mechanism in their bodies, designed to be activated in just that way by the miraculous hand that crafted all life upon the Earth.

  What about exercise and male cancer? The examples I want to use are colon and rectal cancers, although these are also a leading cause of cancer death in women. Colo-rectal cancers are the second leading cancer category, with more than 155,000 cases every year. And incidence of these cancers has jumped since 1970. Red meats and animal fats are major causes, but so is inactivity.

 The mechanism by which exercise probably prevents colo-recatl cancers is simple, and is also part of the human design. Exercise naturally promotes regular bowel movements, and increases the speed of excretion of food wastes. It therefore reduces time for carcinogen formation, and also prevents prolonged contact between carcinogens and intestinal walls.

In our constipated society that spends a sickening 700 million a year on harmful (oops, gentle, safe and soothing) laxatives, this sort of evidence should be a clarion call to exercise.

20 Steps to be Lean for Life!

1. Lose no more than a half a pound of fat per week

2. Measure your bodyfat once a month.

3. Eat a low..low-fat diet.

4. Do not eat foods containing more than 20% fat calories.

5. Trust only the Nutrition Facts panel on foods.

6. Dont skip meals. Eat five small meals per day.

7. Cut the sugar, eat complex carbohydrates instead.

8. Avoid all fad diets.

9. Take a high quality multi-vitamin and multi-mineral everyday.

10. Use a chromium picolinate supplement everyday.

11. Use an l-carnitine supplement everyday.

12. Eat 40grams of mixed fibers everyday.

13. Take a flaxseed oil essential fatty acid supplement everyday.

14. Do high repetition, wide variety resistance exercise.

15. Do one set of each exercise with a weight that exhausts you in 20-25 repetitions.

16. Exercise in the mornings.

17. Exercise five mornings weekly for a minimum of thirty minutes.

18. Take a multiple anitoxidant everyday.

19. Use the right herbal fat-loss supplement.

20. Form specific, measurable, public, rewarded fat loss goals.

Water, Water, Everywhere...

Three-quarters of our presidents brain is water, So is yours. Every creature in Creation is mostly water. Your blood is 82% water. Even your bones are a quarter water. This basic biochemistry emphasizes that the most important component of your body is plain H20.


 The quality of your muscles, bones, organs, and brain their biochemistry, their resistance to injury and disease, and their longevity, is absolutley dependent on the purity of the water that you drink.

 Most Americans dont get it! Despite mutiple warnings, the majority still use faucet water to drink and cook...dont be one of them! Almost all faucet water in America today comes from polluted sources. In 1998 the US Dept of Public Health warned that 85% of American drinking water is CONTAMINATED!!!

 A friend of mine who studies biochemistry at UCLA did a study on water that comes out the faucet in San Diego. The water authority claims its clean, but the test showed 595 parts per million contaminents. Thats about average. Some city waters are a bit cleaner..others are a little dirtier. You should not be drinking any of them.

 The problems are multiple and completely out of control. Almost all the ground water in America is now contaminated with man-made chemicals. More than 55,000 of the regulated chemical dumps are leaking into the water table.

  Even at some of the most super-controlled water plants, with every regulation  and control system known to man, radioactive waste have migrated into ground waters for miles around the dump. Imagine the state of the estimated 200,000 illegal, unregulated chemical dumps in America leaking into the water table all across the nation.

 Then there's bacteria. We frown on South American water  because of "tourista"  and other waterborne infections. But our own is nearly as bad. Government figures show that over 900,000 people become ill each year from drinking US water laced with bacterial disease.

 So you ask.."But they clean the water dont they?" NO! Water treatment authorities treat water to minimum standards. More than 60,000 different chemicals now contaminate our water supplies. It's incredibly difficult and expensive to get them out with the obsolete and under-funded treatment systems now in use.

 Water engineers are loathe to admit these problems. They do what they can with the resources available. The avaerage water treatment station can afford to test for only 30-40 chemicals, and then try to remove about half that number. THE OTHER 59,980 CHEMICALS HAVE FREE REIN TO ASSUALT YOUR BODY!

 Even those they do try to remove often remain. They do what they can with the resources available. Lead, for example was finally banned from water in 1986 by The Safe Drinking Water Amendment Act. But the Enviornmental Protection Agency's latest report in 2003, shows that 819 water systems throughout America have toxic levels of lead remaining in the fully treated water.

  Water authorities also add toxic chemicals such as chlorine, and aluminum to water, chemicals that have no place in your body. The chlorine reacts with organic wastes, which incidentally, are left in the water, to form trihalomethanes. Trimalomethanes are known carcinogens that increase the risk of colon and rectal cancer, and double the risk of bladder cancer. Bladder cancer now strikes 50,000 Americans every year..you dont want to join that crowd...

 In closing...the only bottled water likely to be clean is DISTILLED! Dont fall for the spring or mineral. It is simply faucet water passed through conditioning filters to make it taste good and sell expensive.

Fiber fights FAT!

High fiber diets (30-50 grams per day) are not only great disease preventers, but also create slow, even food absorption from your intestines. This process helps keep your insulin level steady and also promotes use of the food for energy rather than for the deposition as body fat.

 But most of us dont even get enough fiber. Figures from the National Cancer Institute show that average American consumption of fiber is only 10-20 grams per day. That low intake promotes a lot of disease and puts on a lot of body fat. NCI recommends 25-35 grams of fiber per day to prevent colon and rectal cancer. For that reason alone fiber is essential.

 For efficient control of bodyfat, I recommend 40-50 grams of mixed fibers per day!

List of High Fiber Foods with High Fiber Content

To look and feel your very best, choose wisely from my healthy high fiber foods list and eat a high fiber diet of the healthiest fiber rich foods.

HIGH FIBER FOODS LIST with TOTAL FIBER GRAMS (g)

Fresh & Dried Fruit	Serving Size	Fiber (g)
Apples with skin	1 medium	5.0
Apricot	3 medium	1.0
Apricots, dried	4 pieces	2.9
Banana	1 medium	3.9
Blueberries	1 cup	4.2
Cantaloupe, cubes	1 cup	1.3
Figs, dried	2 medium	3.7
Grapefruit	1/2 medium	3.1
Orange, navel	1 medium	3.4
Peach	1 medium	2.0
Peaches, dried	3 pieces	3.2
Pear	1 medium	5.1
Plum	1 medium	1.1
Raisins	1.5 oz box	1.6
Raspberries	1 cup	6.4
Strawberries	1 cup	4.4

Grains, Beans, Nuts & Seeds	Serving Size	Fiber (g)
Almonds	1 oz	4.2
Black beans, cooked	1 cup	13.9
Bran cereal	1 cup	19.9
Bread, whole wheat	1 slice	2.0
Brown rice, dry	1 cup	7.9
Cashews	1 oz	1.0
Flax seeds	3 Tbsp.	6.9
Garbanzo beans, cooked	1 cup	5.8
Kidney beans, cooked	1 cup	11.6
Lentils, red cooked	1 cup	13.6
Lima beans, cooked	1 cup	8.6
Oats, rolled dry	1 cup	12.0
Quinoa (seeds) dry	1/4 cup	6.2
Quinoa, cooked	1 cup	8.4
Pasta, whole wheat	1 cup	6.3
Peanuts	1 oz	2.3
Pistachio nuts	1 oz	3.1
Pumpkin seeds	1/4 cup	4.1
Soybeans, cooked	1 cup	8.6
Sunflower seeds	1/4 cup	3.0
Walnuts	1 oz	3.1

Antioxidants inhibit Diabetes

 Excess sugar levels in the blood of diabetics and pre-diabetics damage arteries, kidneys, eyes, and the brain. One way to reduce this problem is to eat less sugar. But sugar is bi-i-i-i-ig business and billions are spent every year promoting and marketing sweets in every conceivable way..


 We now consume half-a-pound of sugar per day for every man, woman, and child in the nation. No wonder many folk you pass in the street have a crazed look in their eyes!!!
Much of the sugar added to our food is hidden in label schemes such as"grape juice concentrate", and "sweetened with fruit juice", and "corn syrup". All these are simply refined liquid sugars. And our tardy health authorities have yet to advise the public that refined sugar is every bit as big a health risk as fat.


 Their negligence has taken a toll. Pre-diabetes is now a epidemic in America, with all its attendant problems of blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and early death. I know that diabetic damage from sugar occurs mainly by oxidation of fat molecules, to form toxic lipid peroxides. Numerous recent studies show that the antioxidant vitamin E can protect diabetic animals from this damage. It works by complex mechanisms that also appear to neutralize suagr directly, in addition to reducing peroxide formation.(Studies now show that it does the same for humans)


So even if you cant dodge all the sugar in your diet, anitoxidants can save you from a lot of its damaging effects..

Sugar: Brown, White, Hidden, and Deadly

  Chocolate, candy, cookies, and table sugar are obvious. But raw sugar, brown sugar, refined honey, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, date sugar, and turbinado sugar are just as bad..


 So are fruit juices. Ounce for ounce, orange juice contains more sugar than Coca Cola. And sodas in general contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per serving. Why does sugar pile on body fat? Because its quick absorption into your blood stream causes an excess insulin burst from the pancreas. On reaching your liver, excess insulin (which is toxic) is converted to neutral triglycerides. Triglycerides are exactly the form of fats that are stored in all your adipose cells.

 So sugar not only loads you with excess calories that eventually turn to fat, but also causes the body to make even more fat from its own insulin. Replace as much of the simple sugars in your diet as you can with complex carbohydrates. Essentially these are whole grains and vegetables, as little processed as possible..

Those food labels are lying to you!!!

HIDDEN FATS!!!!!!!!!



  Many failed dieters believe they are following healthy low-fat nutrition, when in fact they are being fooled into fatness by false food labeling!!! Many apparently dry foods likes cookies, baked goods, crackers and chips, are higher in fat than ice cream. Even low-fat milk is really high fat!!!

 How does low-fat milk get away with its name??? By jiggery-pokery lobbying power, the dairy industry got an exemption from the new labels. Nevertheless, an 8oz glass of low-fat milk (2%) serves you a hefty one-third of its calories from fat.

 Food industry lawyers have filed exemption claims for all kinds of foods. And thousands of copywriters are busily writing new loopholes round the laws! So if you want to avoid hidden fats, DONT TRUST ANYTHING ON FOOD LABELS EXCEPT THE NUTRITION FACTS PANEL. TO BE LEGAL THAT HAS TO BE ACCURATE!


 Especially beware the slew of "reduced fat" products. Under the label laws "reduced fat" means 25% less fat than original product. Oreo cookies for example are 44% fat calories. The new Reduced Fat Oreos are legal, but still load you with one-third of their calories as fat.


 So it goes with everything from reduced fat bologna, which can still be 60% fat, to "light" and "lite" variants of foods, that have to be one-third less fat than the original....BUT CAN STILL BE 40-50% FAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I CANNOT STRESS IT ENOUGH TRUST ONLY THE NUTRITION FACTS PANEL ON FOOD LABELS!!!!

VITAMINS: Nuts and Bolts of Life!

  I grew up watching my parents take multiple vitamins and supplements, I was also given Vitamin C (for overall health) Vitamin B12 and B6..which help the body to function properly by aiding with digestion, cell growth, muscle development and the formation of regular sleep patterns. I take those same vitamins but have also added chromium..You know how you might be at work and have a lack of energy? Dont go buy 5 hour energy thats a joke (temporary fix) go to your local supermarket our Vitamin Shoppe and buy supplements. You can buy individual vitamins or take a mens or womens daily vitamin.
***Always take after a meal, do not overdose one a day is sufficient***


 Vitamins are essential components of your body that it cannot make. You have to get them from nutrition. As we have seen in "Nature for Profit" our degraded food no longer contains sufficient vitamins for optimal health, and our needs for the nutrients are multiplied by the pollutants that prevade our food, water, and air. To meet these needs, the majority of Americans now take supplements, which are simply the vitamin components of our food, concentrated and made into pills and powders.

 But many folk still see vitamins as some sort of drug, like asprin. They expect an immediate lift or an immediate reduction in pain or symptoms, and are disappointed when it usually doesnt happen. Let's get it straight. Vitamins are not stimulants, nor are they drugs for symptomatic relief. They are nutrients, and the business of nutrients is to GROW a body better!

 Unlike drugs, whose fast and usually toxic action befits their intended use in crisis intervention, nutrients have few immediate effects that you can feel. Mostly they have to wait on nature for deficient and defective cells to die off, and be replaced by new and better cells that grow from the improved nutrient mix.

 Renewal is slow and steady. Your blood cells take three months for complete renewal. Many cells of your muscles and organs take six months. The matrix of your bones and teeth takes about a year. Thats what improved nutrition through supplementation is all about. You have to wait until the nutrients  are built into your structure for their real benefits to show.


 In closing, the neglected house plant is a good analogy. If you start giving a plant a little TLC, seaweed fertilizer, and a regular watering, the exsisting leaves and stems will perk up a bit. But to see the real benefit  of your care, you have to wait as much as six months. You have to be patient until the old leaves and stems die off, and new ones sprout and flourish, with an improved cellular structure grown from the better nourishment.

Whole Wheat vs. Whole Grain

 Growing up, we NEVER ate white bread! My dad always said it sticks to your lungs?!? Sooo the next alternative was wheat bread..but recently my mom keeps telling me.."Buy whole grain Dionne, not whole wheat there is a difference!" So my research backs up what she told me!






 We have all seen it, 100% whole wheat bread that sits next to the white bread. It looks like white bread, but it says enriched. Enriched with what? Well, let me back up a little. When wheat is harvested the whole grain is taken to the refinery. REFINERY, did you see that!

 The wheat is heated to a point when the germ and the bran fall off. What is left is the starch, the white part, the not good for you part. The part that has a long shelf life and is bug resistant!!!!!!!!!

  Do you know why it is bug resistant? Bugs CANNOT sustain life in it. They will die if they only eat this refined grain!!!!!!

  So why on earth, with the abundance of good life sustaining food do we eat white flour, which is the starch of the wheat grain ground up. Honestly do I need to answer that? Take a look around and you will see obesity on the rise, and now not only are adults overweight, but kids, little kids are getting more and more fat.!!!!!!!

 Why? We are feeding ourselves all kinds of unhealthy food. Some do it because it is cheaper, some because of taste, and some just because they don't know any better!


So now that I explained what white bread is made of, let me continue to answer the question of "what exactly is enriched"? After the refinery takes the grains apart and makes white flour, which has no nutrition, they add some vitamins, some minerals, and some fiber, but not even a gram worth. The white bread is enriched with some of the very things they just worked so hard to take out. However, they do not add in as much of the grain they take away, otherwise it would be whole grain. Just enough to add some flavor and calories to it.


 What is whole grain? It is the WHOLE grain used in the process of making bread, cereal and the building blocks of many other foods. For it to be truly healthy whole grain needs to be listed on your bread, cereal or other food in the number 1 or number 2 position on the ingredients list. No, whole wheat flour which is followed by (enriched white flour, niacin, and iron) is not healthy, it is a way of making people believe that they are getting a whole grain bread.

  They are not lying, it is whole wheat flour, but not whole grain. It did come from the wheat plant and it is all wheat, but not all grain. Whole is just another word like all. If you look a little farther down on the list you will see molasses, why molasses you ask? It colors the bread to make it look brown. Yup, white flour plus vitamins and minerals still does not bring the bran back into the bread. Bran is what helps to give the natural brown color to bread. So, they again, add something to it, to try and make it look like something it is not!!!!!!


CharlsieInc.

More healthy alternatives!!!!

Okay..I'll admit I'm a huge Rachel Ray fan, in my opinion she has some of the most simplest, healthiest, inexpensive recipes out! They always combine the best flavors, freshest ingredients, and quick cooking time... Summer is quickly approaching and who really wants to be slaving over an oven all evening???? I know I don't, so I picked these particular recipes for you to try something NEW! If you like you can copy and paste.....Here goes..

PIZZA POT PIES!!!!!!!!

Ingredients   

Tomato Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary leaves
• 2 ounces diced pancetta
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pizza Pot Pies:

• 3 cups Tomato Sauce
• 2 cups diced roasted chicken
• 2 cups broccoli cut into small, bite-sized pieces
• 1 1/2 cups diced mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds pizza dough
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• Special equipment: 6 (10-ounce) ramekins

Directions

For the Tomato Sauce:

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, rosemary, and pancetta. Saute until the pancetta is crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir to combine, and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the Tomato Sauce, chicken, broccoli, mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Divide the chicken mixture evenly between the ramekins. Roll out the pizza dough and cut circles with a pairing knife that are 1-inch wider in diameter than the ramekins. Place the circles of dough over the filled ramekins and press down to seal, making sure to pull the dough over the edge of the ramekin. Brush the top of the pizza dough with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan. Cut a small slit in the top of the pizza dough with a pairing knife. Bake until the pizza crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

COOK TIME 45 MINUTES/ MAKES 6 SERVINGS

VEGETABLE CHILLI WRAP

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium-size onion, chopped
• 1 sweet red pepper, diced
• 1 sweet green pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 medium-size zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (19 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 cup canned vegetable broth
• 10 chile-flavored or plain flour tortillas

Directions

Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, red and green peppers, and jalapeno; saute for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until onions are translucent and softened, about 4 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, black beans, corn and vegetable broth; simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until reduced and thickened.
Wrap tortillas in damp paper toweling. Microwave on 100 percent power 1 to 2 minutes or until steaming and very pliable. Spread 1/2 cup filling over a tortilla a roll up. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas.

COOKTIME 35 MINS/ MAKES 10 SERVINGS







PENNE PASTA WITH SPINACH SAUCE

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole wheat or multi grain penne
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 ounces goat cheese
• 1 ounce reduced fat cream cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.

Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the cheese and spinach mixture aside.

Meanwhile, place the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Spoon the pasta atop the spinach leaves in the bowl. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta mixture and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Parmesan over and serve.

COOKTIME 12 MINS/ MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Oven Fried Chicken

 

       

   

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups rice-corn crispy cereal, (recommended: Crispex)
• 2 1/4 cups broken bagel chips or melba toast
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 bone-in, skinless chicken pieces (about 6 ounces each) See Cook's Note

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set a rack on a foil lined baking sheet. Spray the rack generously with cooking spray.

Finely grind the cereal and toasts together in a food processor. Transfer crumbs to a large gallon size plastic bag. Add the oil, salt, cayenne, paprika, and ground pepper and toss to mix thoroughly. Whisk the light mayonnaise and Dijon mustard together in a medium shallow bowl. Add chicken to mayonnaise and turn to coat all the pieces evenly. Drop the chicken into the plastic bag, seal and shake until each piece is evenly coated. Place coated pieces on the prepared rack. Spray the chicken pieces evenly with cooking spray, and bake until the coating crisps and browns and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the pieces registers 160 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes.
Transfer to a platter and serve hot or at room temperature.

Cook's note:

We like to cook the chicken on the bone for a real moist and juicy chicken experience. If you can't find bone-in skinless chicken, simply pull off the skin before coating. Chicken breast halves can be quite large. To get a healthy 6 ounce portion, cut the breast pieces crosswise with a heavy knife into pieces about the same size as a chicken thigh.

COOKTIME 40 MINS/ 4 SERVINGS 

Honey Teriyaki Chicken with Ripe Pineapple Spears and Black and White Rice Balls

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon salt, eyeball it
• 1 rounded cup white rice
• 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, toasted white sesame seeds may be substituted
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Vegetable oil, for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth or water
• 1-inch ginger root, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 ripe pineapple

Directions

Preheat a grill pan or large griddle over medium high heat.


Bring water to a boil in a small covered pot. Add butter, salt and rice to the pot. Return the water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and replace cover. Simmer 18 minutes and remove rice from heat. Take the lid off the pot to cool rice a bit. Scoop rice into balls with an ice cream scoop and your hands. Dampen hands with water to work with rice if it is very sticky. Set rice balls on a plate and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.


While your rice is cooking, lightly coat chicken with oil, salt and pepper. Place chicken on hot grill and cook 6 minutes on the first side.


While chicken is cooking, bring chicken broth and ginger to a boil. Stir in honey. When honey has dissolved into broth, add teriyaki sauce and sesame oil and reduce heat to simmer.


Turn chicken and coat liberally with honey teriyaki sauce using a basting brush. Cook chicken 4 minutes, turn again and baste liberally again with sauce, then cook 2 minutes longer. Remove chicken to a plate. Garnish chicken with sliced scallions.


While chicken cooks on the second side, peel and cut a ripe pineapple into 8 spears. Cut off top and bottom of pineapple. Set pineapple upright and trim away skin in strips from top to bottom. Halve pineapple lengthwise and quarter each 1/2, lengthwise. The core is edible, but may be trimmed if you wish. Pineapple can be very acidic. Spears set in cold water for just 1 minute will keep the fruit from stinging your lips when it is eaten. Serve with chicken and rice balls.


COOKTIME 25 MINS/ MAKES 4 SERVINGS

    

I WILL BE POSTING MORE FUN, HEALTHY KID-FRIENDLY RECIPES THROUGHOUT THE WEEK! REMEMBER ANY RECIPES THAT CAUSE FOR CHICKEN BUY ORGANIC (FARM RAISED) PASTA DISHES WHOLE GRAIN PASTA..HAPPY EATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!