Perfect Weight America

When Jordan Rubin shared the Perfect Weight Message across America she found many people did not want to go on diets as they are too restricting. Though, she did point out an interesting point that most of us are on a diet in the sense that when we travel to the grocery store we purchase the same 30-50 items every time we go. Meaning we consume the same cereals, meat and dessert unconsciously.

Jordan Rubin’s book Perfect Weight America teaches you what to eat, when to eat it, and jus how to cheat when you want to. She teaches you what foods are filling and the importance of staying hydrated. Rubin also speaks about detoxifying and cleansing the body, which she suggests should be done seasonally.

Rubin claims this is the perfect book to change your life, for it is a new way to eat with all the directions. For more information visit http://www.perfectweightamerica.com/. You can join the online community and partake in such activities as the online journal, shopping lists, individualized exercise plans and daily reminders. Of course there is a catch, for nothing is free in life; you do have to pay for the online subscription. Yet, this does seem like a great self motivator. You have a healthy lifestyle support group from you desktop! Don’t forget joining is not mandatory, you can buy the book as well.

What’s in your frozen dinner?

So you are looking in the freezer section of your local grocery store searching for the healthiest frozen dinner yet you cannot quite figure out what all of those ingredients are. Are they fattening, cancer causing or perhaps just fancy names for the food. Well here is a list of some of the words you may find, along with a description.

Butylated Hydroxtoluene (BHT): This preserves the oil that fries the food. Though the FDA approves BHT, studies conducted on animals by the Center for Science in Public Interest disagree. Some of these studies have been linked with an increased cancer risk.
Cheese Culture: This is also known as bacteria. Don’t be scared, this is not a “bad” type of bacteria. This type is the kind which turns milk into cheese, nothing to fear.
Disodium Inosinate: It is similar to MSG, as this is a flavor enhancer. This chemical does not have a flavor to itself, yet it does stimulate your taste buds making them more sensitive to meaty and savory flavors.
Ethyl Alcohol: You can find this in chardonnay. This dissolves the vanilla flavor in an apple dessert similar to an alcohol of a vanilla extract.
Polysorbate 80: We are greatful for this chemical, as it keeps the oil-based flavorings from separating when we heat the meals. If Polysorbate did not exist our meals would look like a greasy mess. One would also see this in shaving creams.
Propylene Glycol: Close to antifreeze and also found in condom lubricants. Since there is such a small amount used it is nontoxic.
Sodium Aluminosilicate: A white powder from the rocks felder and zeolite. It is also seen in sweet cream, perhaps to stop the powdered cream from getting lumpy.
Soy Protein Isolate: Another powdered product from soy flour, it thickens the sauce so it does not become to watery.
Sugars: These are found in abundance in many ingredients, as they come under many different names. Some are dextrose, molasses, corn syrup, maltodextrin, and high-fructose corn syrup. Therefore, to get an idea of really how much sugar is in the total meal look at the nutrition facts.
Top 5 almost all natural list: Amy’s Asian Noodle Stir Fry, Cedarlane Zone cheese & vegetable enchiladas, Celentano pene with roasted vegetables, Kashi chicken pasta pomodora, Lean Cuisine salmon with basil.

Foods can protect you from sun?

Foods high in antioxidants have been proven to prevent against skin cancer. Dietary antioxidants can reduce the risk of sunburn, precancerous skin growth, and squamous cell carcinoma.
You always hear don’t wear black it attracts the sun, well for plants their colorful pigment repels the sun. Their color is similar to sunscreen; the more colorful the plant is the more protection it has. Imagine what happens when we consume these fruits and vegetables. Most plants contain lycopene which is a type of carotenoid found in red and pink fruits. Caritenoids protect against areas such as the eyes and skin. Perhaps you have heard carrots are good for your eyes. HMM? Raw tomatoes also contain lycopene, yet cooked are even better. A study was conducted where the subjects consumed tomato paste for ten weeks. After those weeks they were 40 percent less likely to be burned by the sun.
The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish protect our skin, as they aid in inflammation. Fats such as monosaturated fats able to defend themselves better than saturated fats, for “good” fats are better for your body. Those who cut his or her fat intake decreased their risk by a whopping 75%.
Believe it or not chocolate is another helpful food in the protection against the sun. Chocolate contains antioxidants called flavoniods. Try it at home by eating 2 ounces of dark chocolate a day.
Green tea and black tea contain polyphenols, antioxidants that target “free radicals” from the sun. These may also modereate the sun exposure. Those who drank two or more cups a day had a 30 % less chance of developing cancer. Hint: the longer the tea steeps the more polyphenols are being released.
Last but not least green leafy veggies are another great addition to your sunscreen diet. These would include kale, chard, broccoli, and spinach. Broccoli contains sulfraphane an anticancer compound which increases the bodies natural production of enzymes.
This could very well be related to different cultures around the world, for we all consume different foods and all have different skin tones.

Natural Cure for Depression?

Everyone seems to rush to the prescription drugs to cure depression; however there are natural supplements which can aide in relieving depression. This video introduces two important supplements that can help. More importantly the video touches on the needs beyond nutritionally to cure depression.
Its worth viewing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3agIy5L4JMY

The OH soo Sweet Stevia

If one were to look up Stevia on the internet, you may find it was discovered by Paraguay. However, it is known that the Guarani Indians of South America assumed that the leaves of the plant had a significant value. If you chew the leaves they have a very unique and refreshing taste. It was not long after the discovery in the 1800’s that Paraguay took the shine for Stevia. It was used in teas, foods an a number of other mixtures. Once Fracne got a hold of this sweet plant, two chemist were successful in extracting crystalline compounds, known as steviosides Now in the Japan in the 60’s Steviosides were very useful, as Japan had outlawed chemical products in food. By 1990, Japan had accounted for over 40% of the word’s use of Stevia. The US banned the use of Stevia in 1991 for its questionable safety, to be later contradicted.
Stevia is nothing but a natural sweetener, which contains 100 phytonutrients. It does not have any calories and does not promote tooth decay.
Okay so theres all this good information on stevia from one article I read. Then when I looked it up online I saw all the studies one it, I guess from 1991, which said it was once handled as if were an illegal drug. Websites also stated it could not even be considered a sweetener? Now who do you listen to? I guess this is kind of like the whole debate between splenda being a carcinogen or consuming raw sugar.

Detoxxx

I recently read an article in a health magazine, what else is new. Well it was about detoxifying the body; I have always heard about it but never done it. When I read the opening paragraph I instantaneously felt the need to cleanse. It stated “ even if you live in seclusion in a remote corner of the world, it is impossible to avoid pesticides, herbicides…” ECT. And you get the point. Because the body creates metabolic wastes, the body detoxifies itself naturally. However, when these chemicals accumulate, they can negatively affect your immune system, generate fatigue, add to PMS and depression. Thankfully we can help the body through this process with useful herbs. For first timers Karen McKinley suggest a cleanse for novice cleansers. This particular cleanse should be made of whole herbs rather than concentrated extracts.
When detoxifying, subjects usually forget about their daily lives. Usually cleansing is done once in the fall and once in the spring, though it is entirely up to you. Spring cleansing is especially beneficial due to winter stagnation. This cleanse also releases many of the heavy winter foods consisting of meat and grains. Fall cleanses releases the parasites that accumulate and prepare for the winter. Therefore, it is important to do at least twice a year, as our diets change due to seasons. Scary to think about the parasites as well. Huh?
Cleansing rejuvenates as it releases toxins in the liver and fatty tissue. Seems like it would almost be a liberating feeling knowing you are getting rid of unhealthy things in your body. During this process you are improving your digestions, for if those toxins remain in the body inflammation and auto-immune problems like arthritis can arise.
Three important herbs to remember when cleansing are oregano leaf, garlic bulb, and nettle leaf. Oregano leaf is known to fight drug resistant pathogens as well as anti-bacterial agent. Oregano also placates the power of caustic substances which damage the intestinal tract. Who knew the spice used in many foods was, twenty times the antioxidant than other herbs. Garlic bulb is used to cleanse the blood and protect against the damage of DNA and lower risk of cancer. It also clears the body of parasites and yeast. Last but not least Nettle Leaf cleans the urinary tract and aides in blood circulation. You can even use this as a diarrheic or a laxative.

"Lowdown" on vitamins

Our bodies need thirteen essential vitamins. They consist of vitamin A, C, D, E, K and the B’s : B-6 and B-12. In addition the body also needs, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, and folate. It is when we eat that we get most of our vitamins; however, the body generates vitamin D and K. Each vitamin serves an important purpose to the body whether it is to prevent disease or to prevent any deterioration. For example without vitamin D, you could develop rickets and vitamin A averts night blindness.
There are two types of vitamins out there:
Water-soluble and Fat-soluble. Water soluble are much easily absorbed into the body, though they do not store in large quantities. The kidneys then take the liberty of removing unwanted vitamins. On the other hand, fat-soluble vitamins take the use of bile acids in the stomach to be digested. The body then stores them similarly to fat and are used when need, just as we use stored fat as energy.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests a supplement to add more nutrition to those who are prone to not receiving enough vitamins. Additionally, the Director of FDA's Office of Nutritional Products states, “. . .supplements may be useful when they fill a specific identified nutrient gap that cannot or is not otherwise being met by the individual's intake of food. . . nutrient supplements are not a substitute for a healthful diet” Her point is well said, for one should not lack his or her food intake and substitute it with a vitamin or two. Food is our main source of nutrition.
****The FDA only approves vitamins as a dietary supplement intended to supplement the diet. In June 2007, FDA established dietary supplement "current Good Manufacturing Practice" (cGMP) regulations requiring that manufacturers evaluate their products through testing identity, purity, strength, and composition.

C: Potential protection against heart disease/May prevent allergies/May reduce symptoms of arthritis, skin ulcers, allergic reactions. You can find it in: Strawberries VegetablesBlack currants
D: Promotes healthy nervous and immune system as well as prevents breast and colon cancer. Found in: milk, oily fish, liver, and eggs.
E: Contains antioxidant also known as tocopherol. It plays a role in the formation of red blood cells. Spinach and other green leafy vegetables such as asparagus and vegetable oils contains this vitamin.
K: This particular vitamin encourages normal blood clotting and kidney function. dark leafy greens, oils from green plants, and some dairy products
B-6 This could be a possible anemia treatment, in a addition to reducing pms symptoms. It is found meat, fish, eggs, milk, and whole grain foods.
B-12 is good for skin, nails and hair, as well as working to release food energy. Again this is found in meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products.
Thiamine: keeps a normal nervous system heart and muscles. It also reduces fatigue and motion sickness. One can get this from meat, whole grains, fish, and nuts.
Riboflavin: This is necessary for the regulation of certain hormones. It could increase growth of body during development stages as well as a potential treatment for cheilitis. Riboflavin is in mixed vegetables, pork tuna, and wheat germ.
Niacin: decreases cholesterol, ear-ringing and dizziness meat, fish, and whole grains
Pantothenic acid: may relieve stress, fatigue and hasten healing in animals eggs, nuts, and whole-wheat products.
Biotin (Vitamin H): helps muscle pain, the formation of fatty acids and aids in relieving depression egg yolks, fish, nuts, oatmeal, and beans.
Folate necessary for the production of DNA, Any woman who is pregnant should be sure to get enough folate. Low levels of folate are linked to birth defects such as spina bifida. Green, leafy vegetables Fortified foods