As Kevin Trudeau describes a healthy person in his book Natural Cures.
"An ideal scenario would be never having to take a single drug and
never getting sick. An ideal scenario would be waking up in the morning full of energy and vitality, content, and feeling absolutely great. You go throughout your day with energy, a bounce in your step, a smile on your face. You don't feel stressed, anxious, or depressed; you don't feel tired, you have no headaches or pain in your body; you are not overweight and you don't get colds or flus or sickness. You don't get diseases, you have no pain, you're not ravenous with your appetite, you eat what you want and you are never that hungry. You don't deprive yourself of the foods you enjoy. You go to sleep at night and you sleep soundly and peacefully and get a wonderful whole night's rest. Your sexual desires are healthy and strong, and you are capable of both giving and receiving sexual pleasure. Your skin, your hair, and your nails look healthy and radiant. You have strength and tone in
your muscles. Your body is fluid, graceful, and flexible. You are firm, strong, vibrant, and feel great!"
This is a description of a person on Nature’s Virtue.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Nature's Virtue: The World's Most Complete NON-GM SuperFood
How safe is genetic engineering really? Monsanto, the world's largest genetic engineering corporation, insists it is safe. But numerous studies have shown that genetically modified plants can cause allergies and cancers. Nonetheless, commercial and political interests are determined to make genetic engineering the norm.
Monsanto insists that genetic engineering of our food supply is not only safe but the way to save the world from environmental catastrophe and human hunger.
Your GM Food Probably Contains Roundup Pesticide Residues
For starters, 85 percent of all GM seeds are engineered for herbicide tolerance, most of these being Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” cotton, corn, soy, and canola seeds. This allows plants to withstand the significant amounts of pesticides being sprayed on them, in effect promoting pesticide use.
In fact, since the introduction of GM crops in the United States, more than 120 million pounds of additional pesticides were used.
This particular variety of GM crop (Roundup Ready) became so popular because it allows farmers to spray Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide directly onto their fields without harming the crops. As you might imagine, the use of Roundup herbicide has increased dramatically since the GM Roundup Ready crops were introduced -- a double win for Monsanto.
But while it’s widely known that GM Roundup Ready crops contain Roundup residues (how could they not with how much is poured on them?), a recent study showed, for the first time, just how toxic these residues may be to your health.
Even when researchers tested formulations of Roundup that were highly diluted (up to 100,000 times or more) on human cells, the cells died within 24 hours. They also found damage to cell membranes and DNA, along with an inhibition of cell respiration.
At Least 65 Serious Health Risks Have Been Discovered
GM crops routinely create unintended proteins, alter existing protein levels, or even change the components and shape of the protein that is created by the inserted gene.
This results in brand new proteins that have never before existed in food, some of which may be causing severe allergic reactions.
Creating a GM crop can also produce massive changes in the natural functioning of the plant‘s DNA. Native genes can be mutated, deleted, permanently turned on or off, or change their levels of protein expression. No one knows how this will impact human health, but so far Jeffrey Smith, a leading spokesperson on the dangers of GM foods, has documented at least 65 serious health risks related to GM foods.
Among them:
• Offspring of rats fed GM soy showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce
• Male mice fed GM soy had damaged young sperm cells
• The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice had altered DNA functioning
• Several US farmers reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed GM corn varieties
• Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffaloes fed GM cottonseed products
Further, just last year a long-term feeding study commissioned by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety confirmed GM corn seriously affects reproductive health in mice.
The results were so worrisome that GM opponents called for an immediate ban of all GM foods and GM crops in order to protect the health of humankind and the fertility of women around the world.
GM Crops Do Not Increase Yield
Anyone who believes Monsanto’s proclamations of saving the world from environmental catastrophe and hunger by way of increased yields is clearly not paying attention to some very blatant signs that this is not true.
GM crop seeds currently on the market do not increase yields, and are not designed to. In fact, GM crops typically render lower yields.
For example, GM soya has decreased yields by up to 20 percent compared with non-GM soya. And up to 100 percent failures of Bt cotton have been recorded in India. Coincidentally, a staggering number of suicides among India’s farmers have occurred.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, more than 182,900 Indian farmers took their own lives between 1997 and 2007, potentially due to GM crop failures. An estimated 46 Indian farmers commit suicide every day.
Additionally, recent studies by scientists from the USDA and the University of Georgia found that growing GM cotton in the United States can result in a drop in income by up to 40 percent.
Are You Willing to Play Russian Roulette With Your Food?
When you pick up seven out of 10 foods in your grocery store, you’re picking up a food that contains GM ingredients. Yet, it likely won’t be labeled as such.
Particularly in the United States, the GMO giants have been very effective in eliminating legislation that would require them to clearly label GM products and, as a result, most grocery stores in the United States do not post signs next to produce to let you know it’s been genetically modified.
To get an idea of just how widespread GM ingredients are, I recommend taking a look at The GMO Food Guide. It lists 20 different food categories that include everything from baby food to chocolate.
So if you want to avoid these potentially dangerous foods, means you need to avoid an ever-growing number of ingredients, or choose organic versions of them. This is not an easy task, especially if you eat processed food. However, the four most prevalent GM ingredients to look out for are:
1. Soy
2. Corn
3. Cottonseed
4. Canola
You’ll also want to avoid the offspring of these products, which includes items like maltodextrin, and high fructose corn syrup.
Examining the produce stickers on the fruits and vegetables you buy is another way to detect GM foods. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers; organically grown fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number nine; and GM fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number eight.
Finally, remember that you can vote with your pocketbook by avoiding everything that contains GM ingredients, and ask your local supermarket to stock their shelves with more natural organic foods. Some supermarkets will even allow you to special order food items.
Large portions of Europe have already succeeded in removing GM foods from their food supply, forcing food manufacturers to use real ingredients in their European product lines. But here in the United States we’re still stuck with it to a very large degree.
However, this can all change, and it all starts with you and the choices you make when buying your food. So please spread the word. If more of us begin to refuse GM foods, food manufacturers will have no choice but to listen.
Monsanto insists that genetic engineering of our food supply is not only safe but the way to save the world from environmental catastrophe and human hunger.
Your GM Food Probably Contains Roundup Pesticide Residues
For starters, 85 percent of all GM seeds are engineered for herbicide tolerance, most of these being Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” cotton, corn, soy, and canola seeds. This allows plants to withstand the significant amounts of pesticides being sprayed on them, in effect promoting pesticide use.
In fact, since the introduction of GM crops in the United States, more than 120 million pounds of additional pesticides were used.
This particular variety of GM crop (Roundup Ready) became so popular because it allows farmers to spray Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide directly onto their fields without harming the crops. As you might imagine, the use of Roundup herbicide has increased dramatically since the GM Roundup Ready crops were introduced -- a double win for Monsanto.
But while it’s widely known that GM Roundup Ready crops contain Roundup residues (how could they not with how much is poured on them?), a recent study showed, for the first time, just how toxic these residues may be to your health.
Even when researchers tested formulations of Roundup that were highly diluted (up to 100,000 times or more) on human cells, the cells died within 24 hours. They also found damage to cell membranes and DNA, along with an inhibition of cell respiration.
At Least 65 Serious Health Risks Have Been Discovered
GM crops routinely create unintended proteins, alter existing protein levels, or even change the components and shape of the protein that is created by the inserted gene.
This results in brand new proteins that have never before existed in food, some of which may be causing severe allergic reactions.
Creating a GM crop can also produce massive changes in the natural functioning of the plant‘s DNA. Native genes can be mutated, deleted, permanently turned on or off, or change their levels of protein expression. No one knows how this will impact human health, but so far Jeffrey Smith, a leading spokesperson on the dangers of GM foods, has documented at least 65 serious health risks related to GM foods.
Among them:
• Offspring of rats fed GM soy showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce
• Male mice fed GM soy had damaged young sperm cells
• The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice had altered DNA functioning
• Several US farmers reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed GM corn varieties
• Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffaloes fed GM cottonseed products
Further, just last year a long-term feeding study commissioned by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety confirmed GM corn seriously affects reproductive health in mice.
The results were so worrisome that GM opponents called for an immediate ban of all GM foods and GM crops in order to protect the health of humankind and the fertility of women around the world.
GM Crops Do Not Increase Yield
Anyone who believes Monsanto’s proclamations of saving the world from environmental catastrophe and hunger by way of increased yields is clearly not paying attention to some very blatant signs that this is not true.
GM crop seeds currently on the market do not increase yields, and are not designed to. In fact, GM crops typically render lower yields.
For example, GM soya has decreased yields by up to 20 percent compared with non-GM soya. And up to 100 percent failures of Bt cotton have been recorded in India. Coincidentally, a staggering number of suicides among India’s farmers have occurred.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, more than 182,900 Indian farmers took their own lives between 1997 and 2007, potentially due to GM crop failures. An estimated 46 Indian farmers commit suicide every day.
Additionally, recent studies by scientists from the USDA and the University of Georgia found that growing GM cotton in the United States can result in a drop in income by up to 40 percent.
Are You Willing to Play Russian Roulette With Your Food?
When you pick up seven out of 10 foods in your grocery store, you’re picking up a food that contains GM ingredients. Yet, it likely won’t be labeled as such.
Particularly in the United States, the GMO giants have been very effective in eliminating legislation that would require them to clearly label GM products and, as a result, most grocery stores in the United States do not post signs next to produce to let you know it’s been genetically modified.
To get an idea of just how widespread GM ingredients are, I recommend taking a look at The GMO Food Guide. It lists 20 different food categories that include everything from baby food to chocolate.
So if you want to avoid these potentially dangerous foods, means you need to avoid an ever-growing number of ingredients, or choose organic versions of them. This is not an easy task, especially if you eat processed food. However, the four most prevalent GM ingredients to look out for are:
1. Soy
2. Corn
3. Cottonseed
4. Canola
You’ll also want to avoid the offspring of these products, which includes items like maltodextrin, and high fructose corn syrup.
Examining the produce stickers on the fruits and vegetables you buy is another way to detect GM foods. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers; organically grown fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number nine; and GM fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number eight.
Finally, remember that you can vote with your pocketbook by avoiding everything that contains GM ingredients, and ask your local supermarket to stock their shelves with more natural organic foods. Some supermarkets will even allow you to special order food items.
Large portions of Europe have already succeeded in removing GM foods from their food supply, forcing food manufacturers to use real ingredients in their European product lines. But here in the United States we’re still stuck with it to a very large degree.
However, this can all change, and it all starts with you and the choices you make when buying your food. So please spread the word. If more of us begin to refuse GM foods, food manufacturers will have no choice but to listen.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Do You Have Occasional Bloating, Gas, or Indigestion? Don't Worry "NV" Is Here!
Do any of these sound familiar to you?
You used to be able to eat anything you wanted without giving it a second
thought--but now you have a mental list of foods you know will give you trouble.
You occasionally feel bloated after you eat -- like you have to unbutton your pants or loosen your belt.
You avoid certain restaurants or certain types of food.
You occasionally experience intestinal gas.
You have irregular bowels -- occasional constipation.
If you have occasional problems with your digestive tract, you're not alone. The discomfort of occasional abdominal bloating affects 10, 20, perhaps even 30% of adults. And if you include other abdominal signs -- like occasional stomach discomfort, passing gas, or irregular bowel movements -- the percentages shoot up like fireworks.
Too many people are struggling with occasional bloating or stomach discomfort. And social embarrassment too. Oftentimes, you lose out on the pleasure of sitting down to a tasty meal because you know the price you'll pay later. All because your digestive tract isn't working optimally.
Fortunately, there's plenty you can do to improve these occasional digestive issues -- and boost your overall health in the meantime.
If you can relate to these stories than please heed your feelings of occasional abdominal discomfort. Take a few minutes with this quiz I've prepared. It will help you focus on any digestive issues that might be bothering you.
Take This Quiz to See if You Could Use Extra Help for Your Digestive System:
I occasionally feel bloated after a meal.
Y N
I'm over the age of 30.
Y N
I occasionally feel indigestion.
Y N
I sometimes have gas attacks after I eat.
Y N
I eat one or more large meals each day.
Y N
More than 15% of my diet is meat.
Y N
I eat my food quickly.
Y N
I frequently feel low in energy.
Y N
SCORE YOUR RESPONSES
Of course, no simple online quiz can be tailored to your health, so there is no substitute for checking with your own health practitioner.
However, here is what your score most closely indicates:
4+ ‘Yes' Answers: It sounds like you might benefit from some extra help to improve your digestion and make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need.*
2-3 ‘Yes' Answers: Continue reading to learn more about the ways your digestive tract functions. Someone with a score in this range is likely to benefit from some extra digestive support.*
0-1 ‘Yes' Answers: You may not benefit as much as others from extra digestive support. Still, the information in this article will help you discover how you can continue to keep your digestive system healthy into the future.*
Read on. The occasional bloating, gas, and discomfort you feel is only part of the picture. There's a hidden cost to sluggish digestion. Discover how a well-functioning digestive tract is important to your total health.
You Aren't What You Eat…
But You Are What You Digest and Absorb
If your body does not break down and absorb nutrients optimally, the effects can go far beyond the occasional abdominal discomfort you're feeling.
In fact, it's been said that a healthy digestive system is at the root of all health. That's logical -- your digestive tract is the basic source of the nourishment every cell in your body needs.
I want you to eat the healthiest, most nutritious diet possible. But if your stomach and intestines aren't working efficiently, even the ideal diet won't do as much for your health. You're not going to be able to optimally extract and absorb the chemical building blocks your body depends on.
To help your digestive tract do its all-important job, you've got to understand some of the chemical wizardry that goes on inside your stomach and small intestine.
Enzymes -- Your Silent Helpers in Processing Food.
Maybe you've already tried some other strategies to deal with less-than-optimal digestion. You eat plenty of fiber, drink enough water, and consume lots of fresh vegetables. Yet something still isn't working as well as it can.
These are healthy dietary habits, so don't stop them. But you may need a little extra help. Perhaps the issue is your supply of digestive enzymes.
You need a robust supply of digestive enzymes to process food as it passes through your intestines. Here's how they work:
The food you put into your mouth is a complex mixture of large organic molecules -- macromolecules. There are fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, along with vitamins, minerals, and other components.
To absorb these nutrients into your bloodstream, you've got to break these large molecules down into smaller bits.
Fortunately, your system has evolved sophisticated chemical engineering to accomplish just that. While you're polishing off your latest meal, digestive enzymes are pouring into your small intestine (from your liver, pancreas, and gall bladder) to break down the large macromolecules into easily absorbable smaller pieces.
These digestive enzymes are specialized proteins, each designed to break apart a specific type of molecule in your food. For example, there are:
Lipases -- to break down fat
Amylases -- to break down large carbohydrate chains
Proteases (also called proteolytic enzymes) -- to break down protein
The liver, pancreas, and gall bladder contribute other useful helper molecules too.
Digestive enzymes are naturally produced within your body. But sadly, there are far too many people whose enzyme stores become depleted for one reason or another. Then you can't digest your food optimally. The cycle of occasional bloating, indigestion, and other minor digestive issues begins.
Enzyme Depletion --
A Common Cause of Less-than-Optimal Digestive Function
All too often, diminished levels of your normal digestive enzymes are the root cause of less-than-optimal digestive function. Here are a few of the many common reasons that your enzymes might be depleted.
A generally unbalanced diet, without the right mix of carbohydrates,fats, and proteins
Inadequate vitamin or mineral intake
Poor eating habits -- rushing through meals, not chewing thoroughl
Exposure to artificial food additives, colorings, and preservatives
The aging process -- as you advance into middle age, a certain degree of enzyme depletion becomes almost inevitable
With all these possible factors contributing to enzyme depletion, it's no wonder that minor digestive complaints are so common.
Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take today to make sure your digestive tract has maximal support to do its job. It begins when you take your first bite….
Start Digestion Off Right: Chew Your Food!
In today's hurried world, we often neglect to savor the simple pleasures of life. For example, nothing matches the satisfaction of sharing a leisurely, healthy meal with family and loved ones.
Quite apart from the esthetic pleasure of an unhurried mealtime, there are powerful physiological reasons to take your time chewing your food.
First of all, the chewing process mashes your food into small pieces and partially liquefies it, making it easier to digest.
Secondly, when food hits your mouth, it stimulates saliva production. Saliva contains its own digestive enzymes, so the longer you chew, the more time these enzymes have to get to work while your food is still in your mouth. This makes it easier on your stomach and small intestine.
There's also a third reason to chew your food thoroughly. The chewing process stimulates a reflex that primes your pancreas and other digestive organs to do their job. It's a brilliantly designed part of the automatic communication system that keeps your body's organs working in harmony. Don't mess it up by skipping the important first step -- chew thoroughly!
Since the digestive process begins in the mouth doesn't it make sense that the most effective way to take digestive enzymes is in the liquid form rather starting right with the saliva rather than to first digest pills.
While we're on the subject of chewing, there's another important change you can make to save your digestive tract lots of stress.
Avoid Chewing Gum!!
Chewing gum interferes with the coordinated digestive tract reflexes that I just described above.
Every time you put a stick of gum in your mouth and start to chomp, your brain thinks you're eating food. So it sends signals to your stomach, pancreas, and other digestive organs to get them ready for the digestive process.
Your pancreas is fooled into manufacturing a batch of the digestive enzymes your brain thinks you'll need.
If you keep this pattern going month after month, your pancreas gets exhausted from the repeated over-production. Then it won't be able to produce the digestive enzymes you need when you actually require them.
Unfortunately, even if you follow these important health habits, your digestive enzymes could still become depleted. This is why you need Nature's Virtue "NV", it has all the essential digestive enzymes, fiber, tumeric, aloe vera, for good digestive health besides from pre and probiotics and so much more.
You used to be able to eat anything you wanted without giving it a second
thought--but now you have a mental list of foods you know will give you trouble.
You occasionally feel bloated after you eat -- like you have to unbutton your pants or loosen your belt.
You avoid certain restaurants or certain types of food.
You occasionally experience intestinal gas.
You have irregular bowels -- occasional constipation.
If you have occasional problems with your digestive tract, you're not alone. The discomfort of occasional abdominal bloating affects 10, 20, perhaps even 30% of adults. And if you include other abdominal signs -- like occasional stomach discomfort, passing gas, or irregular bowel movements -- the percentages shoot up like fireworks.
Too many people are struggling with occasional bloating or stomach discomfort. And social embarrassment too. Oftentimes, you lose out on the pleasure of sitting down to a tasty meal because you know the price you'll pay later. All because your digestive tract isn't working optimally.
Fortunately, there's plenty you can do to improve these occasional digestive issues -- and boost your overall health in the meantime.
If you can relate to these stories than please heed your feelings of occasional abdominal discomfort. Take a few minutes with this quiz I've prepared. It will help you focus on any digestive issues that might be bothering you.
Take This Quiz to See if You Could Use Extra Help for Your Digestive System:
I occasionally feel bloated after a meal.
Y N
I'm over the age of 30.
Y N
I occasionally feel indigestion.
Y N
I sometimes have gas attacks after I eat.
Y N
I eat one or more large meals each day.
Y N
More than 15% of my diet is meat.
Y N
I eat my food quickly.
Y N
I frequently feel low in energy.
Y N
SCORE YOUR RESPONSES
Of course, no simple online quiz can be tailored to your health, so there is no substitute for checking with your own health practitioner.
However, here is what your score most closely indicates:
4+ ‘Yes' Answers: It sounds like you might benefit from some extra help to improve your digestion and make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need.*
2-3 ‘Yes' Answers: Continue reading to learn more about the ways your digestive tract functions. Someone with a score in this range is likely to benefit from some extra digestive support.*
0-1 ‘Yes' Answers: You may not benefit as much as others from extra digestive support. Still, the information in this article will help you discover how you can continue to keep your digestive system healthy into the future.*
Read on. The occasional bloating, gas, and discomfort you feel is only part of the picture. There's a hidden cost to sluggish digestion. Discover how a well-functioning digestive tract is important to your total health.
You Aren't What You Eat…
But You Are What You Digest and Absorb
If your body does not break down and absorb nutrients optimally, the effects can go far beyond the occasional abdominal discomfort you're feeling.
In fact, it's been said that a healthy digestive system is at the root of all health. That's logical -- your digestive tract is the basic source of the nourishment every cell in your body needs.
I want you to eat the healthiest, most nutritious diet possible. But if your stomach and intestines aren't working efficiently, even the ideal diet won't do as much for your health. You're not going to be able to optimally extract and absorb the chemical building blocks your body depends on.
To help your digestive tract do its all-important job, you've got to understand some of the chemical wizardry that goes on inside your stomach and small intestine.
Enzymes -- Your Silent Helpers in Processing Food.
Maybe you've already tried some other strategies to deal with less-than-optimal digestion. You eat plenty of fiber, drink enough water, and consume lots of fresh vegetables. Yet something still isn't working as well as it can.
These are healthy dietary habits, so don't stop them. But you may need a little extra help. Perhaps the issue is your supply of digestive enzymes.
You need a robust supply of digestive enzymes to process food as it passes through your intestines. Here's how they work:
The food you put into your mouth is a complex mixture of large organic molecules -- macromolecules. There are fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, along with vitamins, minerals, and other components.
To absorb these nutrients into your bloodstream, you've got to break these large molecules down into smaller bits.
Fortunately, your system has evolved sophisticated chemical engineering to accomplish just that. While you're polishing off your latest meal, digestive enzymes are pouring into your small intestine (from your liver, pancreas, and gall bladder) to break down the large macromolecules into easily absorbable smaller pieces.
These digestive enzymes are specialized proteins, each designed to break apart a specific type of molecule in your food. For example, there are:
Lipases -- to break down fat
Amylases -- to break down large carbohydrate chains
Proteases (also called proteolytic enzymes) -- to break down protein
The liver, pancreas, and gall bladder contribute other useful helper molecules too.
Digestive enzymes are naturally produced within your body. But sadly, there are far too many people whose enzyme stores become depleted for one reason or another. Then you can't digest your food optimally. The cycle of occasional bloating, indigestion, and other minor digestive issues begins.
Enzyme Depletion --
A Common Cause of Less-than-Optimal Digestive Function
All too often, diminished levels of your normal digestive enzymes are the root cause of less-than-optimal digestive function. Here are a few of the many common reasons that your enzymes might be depleted.
A generally unbalanced diet, without the right mix of carbohydrates,fats, and proteins
Inadequate vitamin or mineral intake
Poor eating habits -- rushing through meals, not chewing thoroughl
Exposure to artificial food additives, colorings, and preservatives
The aging process -- as you advance into middle age, a certain degree of enzyme depletion becomes almost inevitable
With all these possible factors contributing to enzyme depletion, it's no wonder that minor digestive complaints are so common.
Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take today to make sure your digestive tract has maximal support to do its job. It begins when you take your first bite….
Start Digestion Off Right: Chew Your Food!
In today's hurried world, we often neglect to savor the simple pleasures of life. For example, nothing matches the satisfaction of sharing a leisurely, healthy meal with family and loved ones.
Quite apart from the esthetic pleasure of an unhurried mealtime, there are powerful physiological reasons to take your time chewing your food.
First of all, the chewing process mashes your food into small pieces and partially liquefies it, making it easier to digest.
Secondly, when food hits your mouth, it stimulates saliva production. Saliva contains its own digestive enzymes, so the longer you chew, the more time these enzymes have to get to work while your food is still in your mouth. This makes it easier on your stomach and small intestine.
There's also a third reason to chew your food thoroughly. The chewing process stimulates a reflex that primes your pancreas and other digestive organs to do their job. It's a brilliantly designed part of the automatic communication system that keeps your body's organs working in harmony. Don't mess it up by skipping the important first step -- chew thoroughly!
Since the digestive process begins in the mouth doesn't it make sense that the most effective way to take digestive enzymes is in the liquid form rather starting right with the saliva rather than to first digest pills.
While we're on the subject of chewing, there's another important change you can make to save your digestive tract lots of stress.
Avoid Chewing Gum!!
Chewing gum interferes with the coordinated digestive tract reflexes that I just described above.
Every time you put a stick of gum in your mouth and start to chomp, your brain thinks you're eating food. So it sends signals to your stomach, pancreas, and other digestive organs to get them ready for the digestive process.
Your pancreas is fooled into manufacturing a batch of the digestive enzymes your brain thinks you'll need.
If you keep this pattern going month after month, your pancreas gets exhausted from the repeated over-production. Then it won't be able to produce the digestive enzymes you need when you actually require them.
Unfortunately, even if you follow these important health habits, your digestive enzymes could still become depleted. This is why you need Nature's Virtue "NV", it has all the essential digestive enzymes, fiber, tumeric, aloe vera, for good digestive health besides from pre and probiotics and so much more.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Benefits of Grape Seed Extract Found in Nature's Virtue
The first human clinical trial examining the effects of grape seed extract on metabolic syndrome found that the extract can reduce high blood pressure.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of ailments including high blood pressure, excess abdominal weight, high blood cholesterol, and high blood sugar. As many as 40 percent of American adults, or 50 million people, may have metabolic syndrome.
Reduced Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
For the study, 24 male and female patients with metabolic syndrome were given either a placebo or grape seed extract. Those in the grape seed extract groups underwent a significant blood pressure reduction; the average drop in systolic pressure was 12 millimeters, and the average drop in diastolic pressure was 8 millimeters.
Those given grape seed extract also showed reduced LDL cholesterol levels.
It's wonderful how natural treatments -- think regular exercise, opitmized sleeping and an improved diet -- can resolve a myriad of health issues without the use of potentially toxic drugs.
Along with their benefits for blood pressure and cholesterol, grape seeds are also known to be a powerful antioxidant.
Antioxidant protection helps protect your body from premature aging, disease and decay. Antioxidants are needed to neutralize free radicals, which play a major role in the development of degenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, strokes and aging.
The antioxidant capacity of grape seed extract comes from proanthocyanidins. Scientific studies have shown that the antioxidant power of proanthocyanidins is 20 times stronger than vitamin C and 50 times stronger than vitamin E.
The ORAC Antioxidant Score
ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and it measures the total antioxidant potency of foods or supplements. It's a more precise way of determining the free-radical-destroying power of a food than just focusing on individual nutrients. ORAC takes into consideration the effect of all of the plant's compounds--including many phytochemicals that aren't traditionally considered nutrients--and the impact they have when they work in concert.
Blueberries have an ORAC score of 2,500 and spinach is at 1,700. NV has a total ORAC Score of 6880 per serving. The highest in the industry!
Extensive research additionally suggests that grape seed extract has the ability to bond with collagen, and it also promotes youthful skin, cell health, elasticity and flexibility.
Other studies show that grape seed extract proanthocyanidins help protect the body from sun damage and help improve vision. Grape seeds have been shown to improve flexibility in joints, arteries and body tissues such as the heart.
And, of course, research studies have shown that grape seed helps improve blood circulation by strengthening capillaries, arteries and veins, so the beneficial blood pressure effects shown in this study aren't particularly surprising.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of ailments including high blood pressure, excess abdominal weight, high blood cholesterol, and high blood sugar. As many as 40 percent of American adults, or 50 million people, may have metabolic syndrome.
Reduced Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
For the study, 24 male and female patients with metabolic syndrome were given either a placebo or grape seed extract. Those in the grape seed extract groups underwent a significant blood pressure reduction; the average drop in systolic pressure was 12 millimeters, and the average drop in diastolic pressure was 8 millimeters.
Those given grape seed extract also showed reduced LDL cholesterol levels.
It's wonderful how natural treatments -- think regular exercise, opitmized sleeping and an improved diet -- can resolve a myriad of health issues without the use of potentially toxic drugs.
Along with their benefits for blood pressure and cholesterol, grape seeds are also known to be a powerful antioxidant.
Antioxidant protection helps protect your body from premature aging, disease and decay. Antioxidants are needed to neutralize free radicals, which play a major role in the development of degenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, strokes and aging.
The antioxidant capacity of grape seed extract comes from proanthocyanidins. Scientific studies have shown that the antioxidant power of proanthocyanidins is 20 times stronger than vitamin C and 50 times stronger than vitamin E.
The ORAC Antioxidant Score
ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and it measures the total antioxidant potency of foods or supplements. It's a more precise way of determining the free-radical-destroying power of a food than just focusing on individual nutrients. ORAC takes into consideration the effect of all of the plant's compounds--including many phytochemicals that aren't traditionally considered nutrients--and the impact they have when they work in concert.
Blueberries have an ORAC score of 2,500 and spinach is at 1,700. NV has a total ORAC Score of 6880 per serving. The highest in the industry!
Extensive research additionally suggests that grape seed extract has the ability to bond with collagen, and it also promotes youthful skin, cell health, elasticity and flexibility.
Other studies show that grape seed extract proanthocyanidins help protect the body from sun damage and help improve vision. Grape seeds have been shown to improve flexibility in joints, arteries and body tissues such as the heart.
And, of course, research studies have shown that grape seed helps improve blood circulation by strengthening capillaries, arteries and veins, so the beneficial blood pressure effects shown in this study aren't particularly surprising.
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Key Vitamin for Bone Health that Most People Don't Know About
Vitamin K has been linked to bone, heart and even prostate health, but joint health and cartilage could also be affected by this little-known vitamin. In the podcast linked below, Stephen Daniells talks to Professor Cees Vermeer about raising awareness on vitamin K.
Professor Vermeer said he could imagine vitamin K benefits extending beyond cardiovascular and bone health, to joint health. He stated:
“All diseases of the cartilage -- I could imagine that these would benefit from vitamin K2.”
Vitamin K comes from green vegetables, which is in abundance in Nature's Virtue. Awareness is increasing on the importance of getting at least 7-9 serving of vegetables daily or you can just get your vegetables the easy way by taking Nature's Virtue 1 scoop once a day has Vitamin K besides from 30 Grams all the essential vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal health. You are One and Done With NV!
Professor Vermeer said he could imagine vitamin K benefits extending beyond cardiovascular and bone health, to joint health. He stated:
“All diseases of the cartilage -- I could imagine that these would benefit from vitamin K2.”
Vitamin K comes from green vegetables, which is in abundance in Nature's Virtue. Awareness is increasing on the importance of getting at least 7-9 serving of vegetables daily or you can just get your vegetables the easy way by taking Nature's Virtue 1 scoop once a day has Vitamin K besides from 30 Grams all the essential vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal health. You are One and Done With NV!
Weight-training Cuts Your Cancer Risk by 40 Percent!
Men with stronger muscles from regular weight training are up to 40 percent less likely to die from cancer, according to new research.
The findings suggest that muscular strength is as important as staying slim and eating healthy when it comes to protecting your body against deadly tumors.
A team of experts tracked the lifestyles of over 8,500 men for more than two decades. Each volunteer had regular medical check ups that included tests of their muscular strength. The men who regularly worked out with weights and had the highest muscle strength were between 30 percent and 40 percent less likely to lose their life to a deadly tumor.
Even among volunteers who were overweight, regular weight training seemed to have a protective effect, although the researchers stressed that keeping a healthy weight was still crucial for avoiding premature death.
But they added, "In the light of these results, it is equally important to maintain healthy muscular strength levels.”
Researchers said it’s possible to reduce cancer mortality rates in men by promoting resistance training involving the major muscle groups at least two days a week.
The findings suggest that muscular strength is as important as staying slim and eating healthy when it comes to protecting your body against deadly tumors.
A team of experts tracked the lifestyles of over 8,500 men for more than two decades. Each volunteer had regular medical check ups that included tests of their muscular strength. The men who regularly worked out with weights and had the highest muscle strength were between 30 percent and 40 percent less likely to lose their life to a deadly tumor.
Even among volunteers who were overweight, regular weight training seemed to have a protective effect, although the researchers stressed that keeping a healthy weight was still crucial for avoiding premature death.
But they added, "In the light of these results, it is equally important to maintain healthy muscular strength levels.”
Researchers said it’s possible to reduce cancer mortality rates in men by promoting resistance training involving the major muscle groups at least two days a week.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Ready to Jump-Start Your Health?
Nature’s Virtue (NV) is the most complete ultra premium super greens food to emerge in the market today.
Nature’s Virtue NV Designer Superfood supplement is a complete scientifically researched whole food (using a unique proprietary functional food blend) that provides you with all the nutrients you need to support your health and wellness.
Why this product?
This innovative product combines super anti-oxidants, vitamins & minerals, proteins, amino acids, organic fruits and vegetables, fiber, herbs, Probiotics & prebiotics, immune boosters, enzymes, carotenoids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates and polyphenols.
Imagine a functional food, a super anti-oxidant, a complete full spectrum dietary nutritional supplement ALL IN ONE!
NV Ultra Premium Super Greens Food is a complete scientifically researched whole food (using a unique proprietary Functional Food blend) that provides you with all the nutrients you need to support your health and wellness and prevents the imbalances that often occur when you take vitamins and other supplements singly. NV was scientifically formulated using innovations in nutritional technology to help you.
Imagine how much money you could save by not filling your cabinet or refrigerator shelf full of all those other multiple vitamins & supplements, antioxidants, fiber and just start taking NV.
NATURE’S VIRTUE TM “NV” just some of the benefits:
* Antioxidant value of 15 cups of fruits and vegetables in each serving.
* ORAC value of 6880 units per serving.
* All your daily vitamins and minerals in a natural occurring form.
* Key to sustainable weight loss.
* The nutrients essential for your brain function and slows brain aging.
* 20% of your daily required Fiber to fortify and protect your intestinal tract.
* Supports the prevention of the risks of heart disease and diabetes.
* Our Youth Formula has the potential to delay many age- related diseases. Contains Resveratrol.
* Probiotics, enhancing and strengthening your immune system .
* Increases your energy levels without the negative effect of stimulants.
* Will balance your body’s ph. An acidic body is a sickness magnet.
* Low Glycemic, Vegan, Gluten free and Pesticide FREE for your protection!
Jump start your body’s own rejuvenating powers with this special blend of Ultra Premium Super Greens Food Nature’s Virtue TM , NV , to help you say goodbye to fatigue, muscle stiffness, joint discomfort, unwanted body fat, and much more.
Internal Creations, Inc guarantees that Nature’s VirtueTM, NV, is manufactured by a USDA approved certified organic lab that follows strict Good Manufacturing Procedures (GMP’S) as set forth by the Food and Drug Administration and Natural Products Association (NPA).
To Purchase Now go to this link: https://www2.mlmwebtracker.com/internalcreations/join/retail_order.cfm?sponsorID=1000
Nature’s Virtue (NV) is the most complete ultra premium super greens food to emerge in the market today.
Nature’s Virtue NV Designer Superfood supplement is a complete scientifically researched whole food (using a unique proprietary functional food blend) that provides you with all the nutrients you need to support your health and wellness.
Why this product?
This innovative product combines super anti-oxidants, vitamins & minerals, proteins, amino acids, organic fruits and vegetables, fiber, herbs, Probiotics & prebiotics, immune boosters, enzymes, carotenoids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates and polyphenols.
Imagine a functional food, a super anti-oxidant, a complete full spectrum dietary nutritional supplement ALL IN ONE!
NV Ultra Premium Super Greens Food is a complete scientifically researched whole food (using a unique proprietary Functional Food blend) that provides you with all the nutrients you need to support your health and wellness and prevents the imbalances that often occur when you take vitamins and other supplements singly. NV was scientifically formulated using innovations in nutritional technology to help you.
Imagine how much money you could save by not filling your cabinet or refrigerator shelf full of all those other multiple vitamins & supplements, antioxidants, fiber and just start taking NV.
NATURE’S VIRTUE TM “NV” just some of the benefits:
* Antioxidant value of 15 cups of fruits and vegetables in each serving.
* ORAC value of 6880 units per serving.
* All your daily vitamins and minerals in a natural occurring form.
* Key to sustainable weight loss.
* The nutrients essential for your brain function and slows brain aging.
* 20% of your daily required Fiber to fortify and protect your intestinal tract.
* Supports the prevention of the risks of heart disease and diabetes.
* Our Youth Formula has the potential to delay many age- related diseases. Contains Resveratrol.
* Probiotics, enhancing and strengthening your immune system .
* Increases your energy levels without the negative effect of stimulants.
* Will balance your body’s ph. An acidic body is a sickness magnet.
* Low Glycemic, Vegan, Gluten free and Pesticide FREE for your protection!
Jump start your body’s own rejuvenating powers with this special blend of Ultra Premium Super Greens Food Nature’s Virtue TM , NV , to help you say goodbye to fatigue, muscle stiffness, joint discomfort, unwanted body fat, and much more.
Internal Creations, Inc guarantees that Nature’s VirtueTM, NV, is manufactured by a USDA approved certified organic lab that follows strict Good Manufacturing Procedures (GMP’S) as set forth by the Food and Drug Administration and Natural Products Association (NPA).
To Purchase Now go to this link: https://www2.mlmwebtracker.com/internalcreations/join/retail_order.cfm?sponsorID=1000
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Another Reason To take Nature's Virtue
Health News
Fruit, vegetables determine semen quality
Published: June 9, 2009 at 1:31 AM
MURCIA, Spain, June 9 (UPI) -- Semen quality depends on quantity of anti-oxidants from fruit and vegetables, researchers in Spain said.
"Our previous research study, published in March, showed that men who eat large amounts of meat and full fat dairy products have lower seminal quality than those who eat more fruit, vegetables and reduced fat dairy products," lead author Jaime Mendiola of the University of Murcia said in a statement. "In this study, we have found that people who consume more fruits and vegetables are ingesting more anti-oxidants, and this is the important point."
The study was carried out among 61 men, 30 of whom had reproductive problems, while the remaining 31 acted as controls.
The study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, found that the men with good semen quality ate more vegetables and fruit -- more vitamins, folic acid and fiber and less proteins and fats -- than those men with low seminal quality, Mendiola said.
"What we still do not understand is the difference between taking these vitamins naturally and in the form of supplements," the researchers said. "In the studies we are going to carry out in the United States we will be looking at the role of supplements."
Fruit, vegetables determine semen quality
Published: June 9, 2009 at 1:31 AM
MURCIA, Spain, June 9 (UPI) -- Semen quality depends on quantity of anti-oxidants from fruit and vegetables, researchers in Spain said.
"Our previous research study, published in March, showed that men who eat large amounts of meat and full fat dairy products have lower seminal quality than those who eat more fruit, vegetables and reduced fat dairy products," lead author Jaime Mendiola of the University of Murcia said in a statement. "In this study, we have found that people who consume more fruits and vegetables are ingesting more anti-oxidants, and this is the important point."
The study was carried out among 61 men, 30 of whom had reproductive problems, while the remaining 31 acted as controls.
The study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, found that the men with good semen quality ate more vegetables and fruit -- more vitamins, folic acid and fiber and less proteins and fats -- than those men with low seminal quality, Mendiola said.
"What we still do not understand is the difference between taking these vitamins naturally and in the form of supplements," the researchers said. "In the studies we are going to carry out in the United States we will be looking at the role of supplements."
Monday, June 8, 2009
What’s the Buzz on Glycemic Index Diets?
There has been lots of talk lately regarding low glycemic diets and the glycemic index. It has become the topic of conversation from magazine articles to TV weight loss program advertisements. We have seen many different diet plans boasting counting carbs to low carb and no carb diets like the Atkin’s Diet for those looking to lose weight. Traditionally diabetics used the American Diabetic Association (ADA) diet, a diet primarily of counting carbs. Many have found that this not the most beneficial way to control weight, blood sugar or good for general health. Controlling their blood sugar levels is a top priority for Diabetics. Out of control blood sugar levels cause diabetics to suffer from kidney, visual, nerve and vascular diseases. You may have even known someone that has had an amputation or became blind due to diabetes. Anyone can be at risk to developing pre-diabetes and type II diabetes. Research has found that you don’t necessarily have to have the genes to predispose you to pre-diabetes but it can be triggered by poor diet, lack of exercise and obesity. A healthy diet is our best defense to keeping our weight intact and to avoiding diseases like diabetes and the complications it can cause.
Today through research and a better understanding of nutrition the low glycemic diet or Glycemic Index diet (GI) has now emerged, a generally new concept in the world of good nutrition. Even the ADA diet has incorporated this new concept into their meal planning guidelines. The GI diets have now superseded low carb diets. The GI diet can not only help you to lose weight, lower cholesterol levels which will improve heart function but also help diabetics avoid most of the complications brought on by the disease. Just by losing weight many pre-diabetes and Type II Diabetics are better able to manage their diabetes. The GI diet is one of the healthiest diets and can be used by anyone. By eating low glycemic foods you feel fuller longer and more satisfied.
Some general rules of healthy eating apply with the GI diet. Doctors recommend that we avoid processed and refined food and avoid saturated or trans-fats (partially hydrogenated oils). Now more than ever doctors are encouraging people to eat diets rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and high-fiber that contain alpha lipoic acid, folate, B6, B12, chromium, omega-3, magnesium and zinc. Doctors also recommend trying Stevie and xylitol, natural sweeteners that don’t raise blood sugar instead of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. The use of aspartame can precipitate diabetes; it simulates and aggravates diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, destroys the optic nerve, causes diabetics to go into convulsions and interacts with insulin. The free methyl alcohol in aspartame causes diabetics to lose limbs. Even sweeteners like Splenda have an ingredient that makes it very dangerous for diabetics or anyone for that matter because it’s a chlorocarbon poison. Chlorocarbons adversely affects human metabolism. Once the metabolism is destroyed you no longer can control blood glucose levels along with many other bodily functions like body temperature or control your weight. These sweeteners also have an additive aspect to them, once you use them they keep you longing for more.
Incorporating daily exercise is still an important part of any diet. By starting a regular cardiovascular exercise routine you can control blood sugar levels by increasing insulin sensitivity which means less insulin is needed to get sugar out of the blood and into the cells. This is why most experts agree that exercise works best for people not only with diabetes but the rest of us as well. Exercise helps with the utilization of sugar being converted into energy and keeps it from being stored as fat.
So why should we care so much about how carbohydrates and their impact on insulin & blood sugar? A high sugar or high carbohydrate diet will raise blood glucose and puts you at risk of obesity by how carbohydrates convert to glucose in the body. The glycemic index (GI) is an easy tool to use and it ranks how certain food raise your blood sugar level after digestion. Knowing and understanding the GI will help you to select foods wisely especially when there are such a huge variety of foods in supermarket aisles and restaurant menus. The GI is one of the keys to looking and feeling younger than your years. Meals can be created that are low, medium or high GI. The GI responses of various foods and drinks will depend on a person's needs. Low GI foods promote a slow to moderate rise in blood sugar and insulin as they're digested. This reduces appetite and even encourages the body to dissolve fat. The best choice for a diabetic is low glycemic foods because of their slow-release of energy over an extended period of time. Any foods that are more refined or processed have a higher GI. The higher the food ranks on the GI scale the greater its effect on your blood sugar level. An athlete wishing to rapidly replenish muscle-glycogen stores after training or competition would be better served by initially choosing a high GI food or combination of low and high foods to achieve this effect.
The GI ranks foods from 0-100 on how they affect our blood glucose levels. Glucose and white bread are the standard having a GI of 100 because they break down quickly.
Low GI foods that rank below 55 are 100% stone-ground whole wheat or pumpernickel bread, oatmeal (rolled or steel-cut), oat bran, muesli, pasta, converted rice, barley, bulgur, sweet potatoes, yams, lima/butter beans, peas, legumes and lentils, most fruits, non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, kale and carrots, meats and fats.
Medium GI foods (56-69) are whole wheat, rye and pita bread, quick oats, brown, wild or basmati rice and couscous.
High GI foods (70 or more) are refined grains like white bread or bagels, corn flakes, puffed rice, bran flakes, instant oatmeal, short-grain white rice, rice pasta, macaroni and cheese from mix, russet potato, pumpkin, pretzels, rice cakes, popcorn, saltine crackers, melon and pineapple.
A GI diet may help you:
• Lower blood sugars (especially 2 hours after eating)
• Lose weight
• Reduce insulin resistance
• Reduce symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome - annoying and uncomfortable.)
• Improve endurance training and sports performance
• Reduce heart disease
• Lower lipids
• Prevent diabetes
• Prevent heart disease
• Reduce hunger
Be aware that consuming any high carbohydrate dietary supplements or nutritional drinks can also cause your blood sugar level to spike, especially when combined with a meal. Preventing this is of utmost importance. We knew when formulating Nature’s Virtue we had to have the perfect blend of ingredients to keep it a pure low glycemic whole food that would be safe for anyone. That is why it is perfectly balanced with protein and fiber to prevent those problematic spikes. It also contains, alpha lipoic acid, an amino acid which facilitates the utilization of glucose into energy. Besides, it is naturally sweetened with Stevia and xylitol. Taking Nature’s Virtue mixed with water will keep your blood glucose level from rising and will prevent glucose from free-floating in your bloodstream making it the perfect choice for diabetics or anyone who wants to lose weight while attaining better health.
There has been lots of talk lately regarding low glycemic diets and the glycemic index. It has become the topic of conversation from magazine articles to TV weight loss program advertisements. We have seen many different diet plans boasting counting carbs to low carb and no carb diets like the Atkin’s Diet for those looking to lose weight. Traditionally diabetics used the American Diabetic Association (ADA) diet, a diet primarily of counting carbs. Many have found that this not the most beneficial way to control weight, blood sugar or good for general health. Controlling their blood sugar levels is a top priority for Diabetics. Out of control blood sugar levels cause diabetics to suffer from kidney, visual, nerve and vascular diseases. You may have even known someone that has had an amputation or became blind due to diabetes. Anyone can be at risk to developing pre-diabetes and type II diabetes. Research has found that you don’t necessarily have to have the genes to predispose you to pre-diabetes but it can be triggered by poor diet, lack of exercise and obesity. A healthy diet is our best defense to keeping our weight intact and to avoiding diseases like diabetes and the complications it can cause.
Today through research and a better understanding of nutrition the low glycemic diet or Glycemic Index diet (GI) has now emerged, a generally new concept in the world of good nutrition. Even the ADA diet has incorporated this new concept into their meal planning guidelines. The GI diets have now superseded low carb diets. The GI diet can not only help you to lose weight, lower cholesterol levels which will improve heart function but also help diabetics avoid most of the complications brought on by the disease. Just by losing weight many pre-diabetes and Type II Diabetics are better able to manage their diabetes. The GI diet is one of the healthiest diets and can be used by anyone. By eating low glycemic foods you feel fuller longer and more satisfied.
Some general rules of healthy eating apply with the GI diet. Doctors recommend that we avoid processed and refined food and avoid saturated or trans-fats (partially hydrogenated oils). Now more than ever doctors are encouraging people to eat diets rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and high-fiber that contain alpha lipoic acid, folate, B6, B12, chromium, omega-3, magnesium and zinc. Doctors also recommend trying Stevie and xylitol, natural sweeteners that don’t raise blood sugar instead of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. The use of aspartame can precipitate diabetes; it simulates and aggravates diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, destroys the optic nerve, causes diabetics to go into convulsions and interacts with insulin. The free methyl alcohol in aspartame causes diabetics to lose limbs. Even sweeteners like Splenda have an ingredient that makes it very dangerous for diabetics or anyone for that matter because it’s a chlorocarbon poison. Chlorocarbons adversely affects human metabolism. Once the metabolism is destroyed you no longer can control blood glucose levels along with many other bodily functions like body temperature or control your weight. These sweeteners also have an additive aspect to them, once you use them they keep you longing for more.
Incorporating daily exercise is still an important part of any diet. By starting a regular cardiovascular exercise routine you can control blood sugar levels by increasing insulin sensitivity which means less insulin is needed to get sugar out of the blood and into the cells. This is why most experts agree that exercise works best for people not only with diabetes but the rest of us as well. Exercise helps with the utilization of sugar being converted into energy and keeps it from being stored as fat.
So why should we care so much about how carbohydrates and their impact on insulin & blood sugar? A high sugar or high carbohydrate diet will raise blood glucose and puts you at risk of obesity by how carbohydrates convert to glucose in the body. The glycemic index (GI) is an easy tool to use and it ranks how certain food raise your blood sugar level after digestion. Knowing and understanding the GI will help you to select foods wisely especially when there are such a huge variety of foods in supermarket aisles and restaurant menus. The GI is one of the keys to looking and feeling younger than your years. Meals can be created that are low, medium or high GI. The GI responses of various foods and drinks will depend on a person's needs. Low GI foods promote a slow to moderate rise in blood sugar and insulin as they're digested. This reduces appetite and even encourages the body to dissolve fat. The best choice for a diabetic is low glycemic foods because of their slow-release of energy over an extended period of time. Any foods that are more refined or processed have a higher GI. The higher the food ranks on the GI scale the greater its effect on your blood sugar level. An athlete wishing to rapidly replenish muscle-glycogen stores after training or competition would be better served by initially choosing a high GI food or combination of low and high foods to achieve this effect.
The GI ranks foods from 0-100 on how they affect our blood glucose levels. Glucose and white bread are the standard having a GI of 100 because they break down quickly.
Low GI foods that rank below 55 are 100% stone-ground whole wheat or pumpernickel bread, oatmeal (rolled or steel-cut), oat bran, muesli, pasta, converted rice, barley, bulgur, sweet potatoes, yams, lima/butter beans, peas, legumes and lentils, most fruits, non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, kale and carrots, meats and fats.
Medium GI foods (56-69) are whole wheat, rye and pita bread, quick oats, brown, wild or basmati rice and couscous.
High GI foods (70 or more) are refined grains like white bread or bagels, corn flakes, puffed rice, bran flakes, instant oatmeal, short-grain white rice, rice pasta, macaroni and cheese from mix, russet potato, pumpkin, pretzels, rice cakes, popcorn, saltine crackers, melon and pineapple.
A GI diet may help you:
• Lower blood sugars (especially 2 hours after eating)
• Lose weight
• Reduce insulin resistance
• Reduce symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome - annoying and uncomfortable.)
• Improve endurance training and sports performance
• Reduce heart disease
• Lower lipids
• Prevent diabetes
• Prevent heart disease
• Reduce hunger
Be aware that consuming any high carbohydrate dietary supplements or nutritional drinks can also cause your blood sugar level to spike, especially when combined with a meal. Preventing this is of utmost importance. We knew when formulating Nature’s Virtue we had to have the perfect blend of ingredients to keep it a pure low glycemic whole food that would be safe for anyone. That is why it is perfectly balanced with protein and fiber to prevent those problematic spikes. It also contains, alpha lipoic acid, an amino acid which facilitates the utilization of glucose into energy. Besides, it is naturally sweetened with Stevia and xylitol. Taking Nature’s Virtue mixed with water will keep your blood glucose level from rising and will prevent glucose from free-floating in your bloodstream making it the perfect choice for diabetics or anyone who wants to lose weight while attaining better health.
I received this e-mail today from a respected colleague in the fight to make the public more aware of the dangers that lie in our food supply, Dr. Betty Martini, about plastics and their relation to Cancer. This is an important message to read and pass on to both the men and women in your life!!!
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
Bottled water left in the heat in your car is very dangerous!
On the Ellen show, Sheryl Crow said this is what caused her breast cancer. It has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels of dioxin in breast cancer tissue. Sheryl Crow's oncologist told her: women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car. The heat reacts with the chemicals in the plastic of the bottle which releases dioxin into the water. Dioxin is a toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.
Pass this on to all the women in your life.
This information is the kind we need to know that just might save us!
Use a stainless steel canteen or a glass bottle instead of plastic!
LET EVERYONE KNOW, EVEN MEN WHO ARE ALSO PRONE TO BREAST CANCER.
This information is also being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
No plastic containers in the microwave.
No water bottles in the freezer
No plastic wrap(cling film) in the microwave.
A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your
plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.
Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard.
He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.
He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers...
This especially applies to foods that contain fat.
He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastic releases dioxins into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body...Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food.. You get the same results, only without the dioxin.
So such things as TV dinners, reheating food and soups, etc.,should be
removed from the container and heated in something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper.
It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, Pyrex etc.
He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons...
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran wrap, cling film is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave.
As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.
Cover food with a paper towel instead.
This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in
your life!
That includes MEN who can also get breast cancer
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
Bottled water left in the heat in your car is very dangerous!
On the Ellen show, Sheryl Crow said this is what caused her breast cancer. It has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels of dioxin in breast cancer tissue. Sheryl Crow's oncologist told her: women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car. The heat reacts with the chemicals in the plastic of the bottle which releases dioxin into the water. Dioxin is a toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.
Pass this on to all the women in your life.
This information is the kind we need to know that just might save us!
Use a stainless steel canteen or a glass bottle instead of plastic!
LET EVERYONE KNOW, EVEN MEN WHO ARE ALSO PRONE TO BREAST CANCER.
This information is also being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
No plastic containers in the microwave.
No water bottles in the freezer
No plastic wrap(cling film) in the microwave.
A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your
plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.
Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard.
He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.
He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers...
This especially applies to foods that contain fat.
He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastic releases dioxins into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body...Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food.. You get the same results, only without the dioxin.
So such things as TV dinners, reheating food and soups, etc.,should be
removed from the container and heated in something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper.
It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, Pyrex etc.
He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons...
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran wrap, cling film is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave.
As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.
Cover food with a paper towel instead.
This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in
your life!
That includes MEN who can also get breast cancer
Thursday, June 4, 2009
You Can’t Trust Food labels
Lisa Lillien of HungryGirl.com explains why you can’t always trust low-fat labels on food. The FDA’s own manual on nutritional labeling, linked below, explains that it is the manufacturers, not the FDA, who are responsible for assuring the validity of a product label's nutrient values -- and even then, the FDA recommends that the values be calculated using the highly inaccurate basis of product composition (that is to say, a recipe), rather than any test of the product itself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PapH6m3kb1I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PapH6m3kb1I
Warning: Food Labels Can Fool Even the Smartest People
The FDA is Not Testing Label Compliance
According to the report, the FDA “has not kept pace” with their enforcement efforts as the number of food products has increased dramatically in recent years. Amazingly, it’s revealed that the FDA has not done random sampling to test the accuracy of Nutrition Facts labels since the 1990s!
Further, as reported by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, even among labels that are suspected of being inaccurate, only very limited testing is done. And as for foreign food firms, the FDA inspected only 95 out of tens of thousands of them in 2007, and only in 11 out of 150 countries.
But wait -- there’s more!
The GAO also reported that the FDA does not track the correction of labeling violations, which means even if a food manufacturer is known to be using inaccurate labels, no one is checking up to make sure the problem is fixed.
Adding to the problem, the FDA’s own guidelines put the onus of accurate labeling on the manufacturer, and recommend not sampling the actual finished product to test for accuracy but rather to base it on product composition (i.e. a recipe). As their Web site states:
“FDA's continuing policy since the 1970s assigns the manufacturer the responsibility for assuring the validity of a product label's stated nutrient values.
Accordingly, the source of the data used to calculate nutrition label values is the prerogative of the manufacturer, but FDA's policy recommends that the nutrient values for labeling be based on product composition, as determined by laboratory analysis of each nutrient.”
How Likely is it the Nutrition Info Listed on Your Favorite Foods is Wrong?
This is truly anyone’s guess, as even the FDA does not have reliable data on the number of label’s they’ve reviewed for accuracy, according to GAO.
There was one report a few years back in which the FDA implied that more than 28,000 food labels were checked in a 14-month period. However, they only checked to see whether or not the Nutrition Facts panel was present, rather than whether or not it was accurate.
Simply checking to see whether a Nutrition Facts panel is present on a food’s label is hardly the information necessary to help Americans make healthier food choices.
Last year “Good Morning America” also hired a lab to test a dozen packaged food products to see if the nutrients matched the labels. All 12 products had label inaccuracies of some sort and three were actually off by more than 20 percent on items like sodium and total fat.
But even if the label is present and accurate, it must be more than 20 percent off in order for it to violate federal law, and government food labs have a 10 percent margin of error. This means an item labeled as having 400 calories can legally have up to 480 calories, plus there is the 10 percent testing margin of error.
There are other food-label loopholes to watch out for as well, including:
* Ingredients called “incidental additives” do not have to be listed anywhere on labels. These include substances transferred to food via packaging and "ingredients of other ingredients" that are present at "insignificant levels" and have no "technical or functional effect."
* Undesirable ingredients are often “hidden” on labels. A classic example of this is with the dangerous food additive MSG, which is often disguised under ingredients like glutamate or glutamic ac
* “Natural contaminants” are also allowed and present in your food. This includes things like insect parts, insect eggs, and rodent hairs.
* Many other items are also exempt from being labeled, or may be stated in a way that makes it hard to find. This includes genetically modified ingredients, irradiated ingredients, and ingredients from cloned animals.
So How Can You Know What’s in Your Food?
If you purchase processed or packaged foods, the bottom line is that you simply can’t -- unless you make serious invest in some independent laboratory analysis. Of course this isn’t very practical so you can do your homework and identify a few high-quality companies and pick foods that they make and then ask them for their independent, objective third-party analysis that confirms the accuracy of their nutrition labels.
If you’d rather not have to make a trip to the lab on your way home from the supermarket, simply focus your purchases on whole foods like fresh produce, eggs and meat from healthy sources, then prepare them at hom
Unfortunately as it stands, 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food goes toward processed food, of which the label inaccuracies may be most apparent.
To get better nutrition along with the greater peace of mind that comes from knowing what’s really in the food you eat, try to reverse this ratio and purchase the majority of your food in non-processed form.
According to the report, the FDA “has not kept pace” with their enforcement efforts as the number of food products has increased dramatically in recent years. Amazingly, it’s revealed that the FDA has not done random sampling to test the accuracy of Nutrition Facts labels since the 1990s!
Further, as reported by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, even among labels that are suspected of being inaccurate, only very limited testing is done. And as for foreign food firms, the FDA inspected only 95 out of tens of thousands of them in 2007, and only in 11 out of 150 countries.
But wait -- there’s more!
The GAO also reported that the FDA does not track the correction of labeling violations, which means even if a food manufacturer is known to be using inaccurate labels, no one is checking up to make sure the problem is fixed.
Adding to the problem, the FDA’s own guidelines put the onus of accurate labeling on the manufacturer, and recommend not sampling the actual finished product to test for accuracy but rather to base it on product composition (i.e. a recipe). As their Web site states:
“FDA's continuing policy since the 1970s assigns the manufacturer the responsibility for assuring the validity of a product label's stated nutrient values.
Accordingly, the source of the data used to calculate nutrition label values is the prerogative of the manufacturer, but FDA's policy recommends that the nutrient values for labeling be based on product composition, as determined by laboratory analysis of each nutrient.”
How Likely is it the Nutrition Info Listed on Your Favorite Foods is Wrong?
This is truly anyone’s guess, as even the FDA does not have reliable data on the number of label’s they’ve reviewed for accuracy, according to GAO.
There was one report a few years back in which the FDA implied that more than 28,000 food labels were checked in a 14-month period. However, they only checked to see whether or not the Nutrition Facts panel was present, rather than whether or not it was accurate.
Simply checking to see whether a Nutrition Facts panel is present on a food’s label is hardly the information necessary to help Americans make healthier food choices.
Last year “Good Morning America” also hired a lab to test a dozen packaged food products to see if the nutrients matched the labels. All 12 products had label inaccuracies of some sort and three were actually off by more than 20 percent on items like sodium and total fat.
But even if the label is present and accurate, it must be more than 20 percent off in order for it to violate federal law, and government food labs have a 10 percent margin of error. This means an item labeled as having 400 calories can legally have up to 480 calories, plus there is the 10 percent testing margin of error.
There are other food-label loopholes to watch out for as well, including:
* Ingredients called “incidental additives” do not have to be listed anywhere on labels. These include substances transferred to food via packaging and "ingredients of other ingredients" that are present at "insignificant levels" and have no "technical or functional effect."
* Undesirable ingredients are often “hidden” on labels. A classic example of this is with the dangerous food additive MSG, which is often disguised under ingredients like glutamate or glutamic ac
* “Natural contaminants” are also allowed and present in your food. This includes things like insect parts, insect eggs, and rodent hairs.
* Many other items are also exempt from being labeled, or may be stated in a way that makes it hard to find. This includes genetically modified ingredients, irradiated ingredients, and ingredients from cloned animals.
So How Can You Know What’s in Your Food?
If you purchase processed or packaged foods, the bottom line is that you simply can’t -- unless you make serious invest in some independent laboratory analysis. Of course this isn’t very practical so you can do your homework and identify a few high-quality companies and pick foods that they make and then ask them for their independent, objective third-party analysis that confirms the accuracy of their nutrition labels.
If you’d rather not have to make a trip to the lab on your way home from the supermarket, simply focus your purchases on whole foods like fresh produce, eggs and meat from healthy sources, then prepare them at hom
Unfortunately as it stands, 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food goes toward processed food, of which the label inaccuracies may be most apparent.
To get better nutrition along with the greater peace of mind that comes from knowing what’s really in the food you eat, try to reverse this ratio and purchase the majority of your food in non-processed form.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Drinking Soda Can Paralyze You
Doctors are warning that excessive cola consumption can lead to anything from mild weakness to profound muscle paralysis. This is because the drink can cause your blood potassium to drop dangerously low. One Australian ostrich farmer needed emergency care for lung paralysis after drinking large amounts of cola.
Researchers believe that many people risk problems due to their intake. Dr. Clifford Packer says that, “We have every reason to think that it is not rare. With aggressive mass marketing, super-sizing of soft drinks, and the effects of caffeine tolerance and dependence, there is very little doubt that tens of millions of people in industrialized countries drink at least 2-3 liters of cola per day.”
According to Packer, "It follows that the serum potassium levels of these heavy cola drinkers are dropping, in some cases, to dangerously low levels."
Excessive cola consumption has also been linked with obesity, diabetes and tooth and bone problems.
Researchers believe that many people risk problems due to their intake. Dr. Clifford Packer says that, “We have every reason to think that it is not rare. With aggressive mass marketing, super-sizing of soft drinks, and the effects of caffeine tolerance and dependence, there is very little doubt that tens of millions of people in industrialized countries drink at least 2-3 liters of cola per day.”
According to Packer, "It follows that the serum potassium levels of these heavy cola drinkers are dropping, in some cases, to dangerously low levels."
Excessive cola consumption has also been linked with obesity, diabetes and tooth and bone problems.
Cigarettes Are Deadlier Than They Used to Be
It may be riskier for your lungs to smoke cigarettes today than it was a few decades ago, at least in the United States, according to new research that blames changes in cigarette design for fueling a certain type of lung cancer. Up to half of U.S. lung cancer cases may be due to those changes.
Smokers once tended to get a form of lung cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, which strikes cells in larger air tubes. Then doctors noticed a jump in adenocarcinoma, which grows in small air sacs far deeper in the lung.
Initial studies blamed the introduction of filtered, lower-tar cigarettes. When smokers switched, they began inhaling more deeply to get their nicotine jolt, pushing the smoke deeper than before.
The new study found an additional wrinkle to the problem -- the increase in a kind of lung tumor called adenocarcinoma was higher in the U.S. than in Australia, even though both switched to lower-tar cigarettes around the same time. The most likely explanation is a change in the cigarette; cigarettes sold in Australia contain lower levels of nitrosamines, a known carcinogen, than those sold in the U.S.
Smokers once tended to get a form of lung cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, which strikes cells in larger air tubes. Then doctors noticed a jump in adenocarcinoma, which grows in small air sacs far deeper in the lung.
Initial studies blamed the introduction of filtered, lower-tar cigarettes. When smokers switched, they began inhaling more deeply to get their nicotine jolt, pushing the smoke deeper than before.
The new study found an additional wrinkle to the problem -- the increase in a kind of lung tumor called adenocarcinoma was higher in the U.S. than in Australia, even though both switched to lower-tar cigarettes around the same time. The most likely explanation is a change in the cigarette; cigarettes sold in Australia contain lower levels of nitrosamines, a known carcinogen, than those sold in the U.S.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
