Diet and Weight Loss Tips

LIFESTYLE CHOICES AFFECT OUR IMMMUNE SYSTEM

As with optimizing our health, strengthening the immune system is achieved through diet, lifestyle, exercise, rest and attitude. Symptoms of immune weakness include fatigue, recurring colds, lingering illness, weakness and weight loss. Relaxation will enhance your immune system, where as negative thinking, anger and resentments are toxic to the mind. We may be poor in spirit as in health.

Firstly, recognize the importance of adequate sleep – eight hours for a normal non-stressed person. And for those with serious aliments, ten hours or more are needed daily to rejuvenate the immune system. Turn the TV off before sleeping and do not eat late or do vigorous exercise before bed. Relaxation techniques like yoga, deep breathing, or meditative audio tapes prepare the body and mind for rest.

EVIDENCE VALIDATES THE IMPORTANCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS

Numerous studies show antioxidants to be preventive and therapeutic for health problems from diabetes and cancer to general deterioration of the body. We are constantly exposed to free radicals with every breath we take and every chemical we eat. Scientists estimate that each cell takes about 10,000 free radical hits per day from air and car pollution, alcohol, cigarettes, food additives, caffeine, heavy metals, medications and unnecessary drugs. Antioxidants are our best friend. They keep free radicals in check before they can impair our immune system and damage our cells.

Proclaimed as the near perfect antioxidant, Alpha Lipoic Acid, a vitamin like substance was first discovered in 1930’s but wasn’t until 1988 when research saw its potential. This unique antioxidant has a number of benefits from extending the life of other antioxidants to being at home in both water and lipid environments where it devours free radicals. Alpha lipoic acid easily crosses cell membranes and once inside the cell becomes an even stronger antioxidant. It also plays a key role in many enzyme systems.

ALPHA LIPOIC ACID HELPS TO STABILIZE BLOOD SUGARS

For the past thirty years throughout Europe, it has been used to stabilize blood sugar in treating diabetes. Dr. James B. Lavalle, R.Ph., CCN, ND and author of Cracking the Metabolic Code, recommends six hundred to nine hundred milligrams daily as an antioxidant. Other conditions which can benefit from alpha lipoic acid are cataract prevention and neuropathy where by improves nerve blood flow and regenerates nerve fibres. It also increases Glutamate, an important liver enzyme. Alpha lipoic acid can even help convert the food we eat into energy.

ENHANCE NATURAL KILLER CELL ACTIVITY

Selenium, vitamin E and C are other antioxidant heavy weights. When taken together they become synergistic, enhancing their ability to remove heavy metals and detox the body. These work wonderfully as a team to destroy free radicals, protect the heart and improve circulation. Free radicals work to damage cells, fueling the aging process through cell mutation and cell death. Selenium and vitamin E bind to toxic metals, such as cadmium, mercury, silver and thallium and removes them out of the body.

Carotenoids, including beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene are powerful antioxidants. All of these and more stimulate the natural killer cell activity and antibody response, whereby reportedly protecting against different forms of cancer. Beta-carotene, for example is found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables. One molecule of this voracious phyto-chemical can destroy up to a thousand free radicals.

We may not have control over the vast number of pollutants in our environment, but we can avoid many other chemicals over which we do have control. Alcohol depletes antioxidants, along with B vitamins, C and zinc. Antibiotics impair white blood cell function and disrupts bowel flora. Caffeine, like alcohol is a diuretic which leaches vital nutrients from our bodies.

FIXING DEFICIENCIES ENHANCES IMMUNE FUNCTION

Nutrition is one of our most powerful allies. Being our primary nutrient source, it impacts how we think, how susceptible we are to disease, and how well we recover from illness. A balanced diet consists of a full range of nutrients necessary to nourish all our cells and tissues. When the diet is deficient in a particular chemical element required by a specific organ or gland, our bodies will be vulnerable to disease. The immune system responds quickly when given the essential nutrients needed to keep this complex system strong.

Vitamin C assists the thymus gland to produce T cells. Rich sources include all fresh fruits and vegetables. Zinc is needed for T cell production, often deficient in the diet. Zinc is abundant in nuts and seeds, particularly raw pumpkin seeds and brazil nuts, whole grains and leafy green vegetables. The essential fatty acids (EFA’s) found in cold pressed oils like flax seed oil, walnut oil, evening primrose oil and salmon oil contain linoleic acids, vital in many metabolic functions.

Probiotics, “lactobacillus acidophilus” known as friendly flora play an essential role in our defense system. Supplement your diet with fresh, plain yogurt, kefir or the freeze dried capsule form.

To lighten up the load on the lymph system and boost immunity, decrease dairy, protein, starches and sugars. Increase your daily intake of whole grains - consider all colours of the rainbow when buying fruits and vegetables. Eat more raw foods.

Exercise and sunshine will strengthen your immune system. Get out and enjoy any form of recreational activity that brightens your mood. The way we think will affect how we feel, even look. Feelings of gratitude will transmit happiness and contentment.

=== IN CONCLUSION ===

Balance throughout the human body is what we seek to sustain in holistic health.
Health is not found in a miracle pill, it is a way of life. Nutrition rebuilds and regenerates tissue without poisoning some other part of the body. The right biochemical elements accelerate health and the reversal process.

CLEAN UP OR SLEDGE UP YOUR FAMILY’S BODIES

A healthy balanced diet with the correct proportions of specific types of food will elevate the health of the whole family. A diet too high in protein, saturated animal fat, vegetable fat and sugar, will sludge up the body and lay the ground work for future illnesses. Overconsumption of certain foods especially refined and fatty foods, lead to conditions such as diabetes, obesity, bowel disorders, heart and gallbladder disease.

Within the family structure, parents must deal with the nutrient robbing foods which compromises a child’s growth during their formative years. Between the age of twelve and twenty five, the majority of our bones are formed. To ensure against osteoporosis in later life, monitor your child’s sugar and pop intake for it leaches calcium from the body. If your child does not like vegetables, or has a problem with dairy, consider supplementing their diet with a good quality vitamin and mineral product.

KEY CHOICES FOR A HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER FAMILY

Whole foods should form the bulk of a balanced diet. Important sources of essential nutrients are found in whole grain bread, flour and cereals, whole wheat pasta, nuts, seeds, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to eat fruit and vegetables in season to get the most good out of them. Fruit especially are meant to cleanse the body after a season of winter foods.

Raw Juices: Vegetable juices are the builders while fruit juices are cleansers and a great source of vitamins. Vegetable juices are higher in minerals, and many other chemical elements. The green leafy vegetables have considerable cleansing power in the form of chlorophyll. This juice extracted from green leaves is one of the most effective, detoxifiers known to man.

Protein: Meat and poultry are good sources of protein but should not be eaten excessively because they contain saturated fat. Eating fish twice a week is a healthy choice especially oily varieties like mackerel, also ocean fish with scales and fins. Eggs are an excellent source of protein. Cheese and butter are high in saturated fat and salt and should be eaten in moderation. Margarine and other hydrogenated fats are not included in a healthy diet plan.

If you have any bad habits, try not to indulge in them more than once a week; ideally not at all. Sweet foods such as cakes, cookies, chocolate and pastries are high in calories but have practically no nutritional value. In addition, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and aspartame products should be avoided.

SUPER FOODS FOR LASTING HEALTH

Whole foods that provide a wide spectrum of nutrients naturally concentrated are classified as super foods. These include algae, bee pollen, nutritional yeast, seaweeds, berries, nuts and seeds.

Algae, is the first link in the food chain benefiting man with a unique and complete food source. Besides providing us with much of the oxygen we breathe, algae possesses two components, (RNA/DNA factors and all amino acids) that land plants do not. Algae benefits weight loss while boosting energy. The appetite is curbed when the body receives all of the nutrients necessary for good health without additional calories.

Seaweeds are much higher in minerals than land plants, especially the trace mineral iodine. The thyroid must have sufficient amounts of iodine to function properly otherwise hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism will result. The soil is depleted of many life sustaining properties, putting a strain on society to try and fill in the gaps.

Bee pollen is a miraculous feat of nature generated by the bees providing vitamins, minerals, enzymes and a complete source of protein containing all twenty two amino acids.

Nutritional yeast is another superior supplement and an excellent source of all B vitamins and minerals such as selenium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, chromium and potassium. This product is not related to bakers yeast. It is also an exceptional source of protein, possessing all the essential amino acids and abundant nucleic acids, including RNA factors.

High in nutrients, low in calories; berries, nuts and seeds are nature’s powerhouse foods loaded with anti-aging and immune enhancing properties.

INFLUENCES OF STRESS

Most people struggle to maintain exercise in their daily routines. The human body is designed for movement and becomes sluggish when the majority of ones activity is sitting behind a desk. A body is more fatigued from mental work than from physical work. The entire body is uplifted when the oxygen level is increased on a cellular level. Only through motion can our heart rate and breathing be raised sufficiently to benefit the whole system. Mental work cannot raise the oxygen levels in our bodies. Incorporate exercise into family outings whenever possible to benefit the physical and emotional health of the body.

In contrast, any activity that you find calming to the mind and relaxing will help relieve stress while strengthening the family unit. Difficulties are often related to a lack of communication increasing vulnerability to stress. Other factors such as unemployment, not being close to ones parents and family, inability to discuss personal problems, loneliness, exhaustion and poor diet elevate stress that puts a load on the whole family. Overwhelming situations are better dealt with by an optimist than a pessimist. On the whole, a person maintaining a positive outlook will more easily ride out the stressful periods than a pessimistic one. A positive attitude will help confront a problem head on.

=== IN CONCLUSION ===

To maintain a state of homeostasis our bodies must be constantly renewed. Without the necessary elements supplied through our food, the body will become malnourished and diseased. These building blocks are a genetic, encoded part of the human body. It is apparent that man has been changing his environment for these many years but the needs of the body have not altered. Whether it’s the air we breathe or the chemical constituents found in the soil and water – our requirements remain the same.

Imagine hundreds of cars zooming down an eight-lane highway. One lane disappears, and then another, until the same cars crawl bumper-to-bumper along a one-lane country road. That's sort of what happens when you have atherosclerosis. Your arteries, the highways for your blood, harden and narrow, and the same amount of blood has to make its way through a much tighter space. This traffic jam in your arteries leads to all sorts of trouble, including heart attack and stroke.

Atherosclerosis occurs when cholesterol, fat, and other substances in your blood build up in the walls of your arteries. The process can begin when you're a child, but it may not become a problem until you're in your 50s or 60s. As this muck gathers in your arteries, it forms plaque. Plaque can clog or completely block arteries, cutting off blood flow to your heart or brain. That's when you have a heart attack or stroke.

Too much cholesterol and triglycerides - types of fat - in the blood, high blood pressure, and smoking cause the most damage to your arteries. Other risk factors for atherosclerosis include diabetes, a family history of the condition, stress, obesity, and an inactive lifestyle. Men, in general, are at greater risk, as are people who have an "apple" body shape - with the fat gathering at the belly rather than the hips and thighs.

You can fight atherosclerosis by making good food choices. Cut back on saturated fat and cholesterol from meat and whole-milk dairy products, and look for the following foods that lower cholesterol, bring down blood pressure, and keep your blood flowing smoothly.

Nutritional blockbusters that fight atherosclerosis

Fish. Reel in a big, fat fish and wriggle off the hook of atherosclerosis. Omega-3 fatty acids, the polyunsaturated kinds found in fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon, protect your arteries from damage.

First, omega-3 takes out triglycerides, the fats that build up on your artery walls. It also stops your blood's platelets from clumping together. That way, your blood remains smooth instead of sticky. Sticky blood can clot and block blood flow. Lastly, omega-3 might lower blood pressure.

No wonder so many studies show that eating fish can reduce your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two fish meals a week.

You can find a form of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid in walnuts, which lower cholesterol. Other sources of omega-3 include flaxseed, wheat germ, and some green, leafy vegetables, like kale, spinach, and arugula.

Garlic. Anything fish can do garlic does, too. The sulfur compounds in this amazing herb not only lower cholesterol and triglycerides, but they also go after only the LDL or "bad" cholesterol and leave the HDL or "good" cholesterol alone.

Garlic can also lower blood pressure so your arteries don't take as much of a pounding. Thanks to a substance called ajoene, garlic keeps your blood from clumping and clotting. One study even showed garlic helps your aorta, the body's main artery, remain elastic as you age.

Experts recommend getting 4 grams of garlic - about one clove - into your diet each day.

Fiber. During the course of a day, you should eat about 25 to 35 grams of fiber. If you do, you'll boost your general health and give atherosclerosis quite a battle.

Certain types of soluble fiber, such as the kind in oats, barley, apples, and other fruits, shrink your cholesterol levels. It works by slowing down your food as it passes through your stomach and small intestine so your "good" cholesterol has more time to take cholesterol to your liver and out of your body. Eating more than 25 grams of fiber every day might also cut your risk of developing high blood pressure by 25 percent.

Fiber comes with an added bonus - it fills you up. After a fiber-rich meal, you feel full, so you're less likely to overeat and put on unwanted pounds. Because being overweight increases your risk of atherosclerosis and other heart problems, eating fiber could be part of an effective strategy to guard your arteries.

You'll find fiber in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereals.

Antioxidants. An unarmed intruder poses less of a threat than one with a weapon. By stopping free radicals from oxidizing LDL cholesterol, antioxidants remove much of the danger. Once oxidized, LDL cholesterol makes a beeline for your artery walls much faster. In fact, some scientists believe LDL cholesterol only harms you once it has been oxidized.

Vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene are antioxidants. Peppers, oranges, strawberries, cantaloupe, and broccoli give you vitamin C, while carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, mangoes, and collard greens are full of beta carotene. Sources of vitamin E include wheat germ, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.

While you munch on those fruits and vegetables, you'll get the added benefit of antioxidant substances called flavonoids. Resveratrol in grapes, anthocyanins in cranberry juice, and quercetin in onions, apples, and tea are some of the flavonoids that help your heart and arteries.

Monounsaturated fat. To keep your blood running smoothly, maybe you need an oil change. Olive oil, the main source of fat in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, has mostly monounsaturated fat. This type of fat slashes the "bad" cholesterol without harming the "good" cholesterol. It also prevents clotting, giving your arteries even more protection.

Like fiber, monounsaturated fat also fills you up so you're less likely to overeat.

Think about switching from soybean or corn oil to olive oil. After all, the Greeks - even while enjoying a rather high-fat diet - rarely develop atherosclerosis.

Besides olive oil, sources of monounsaturated fat include avocados, nuts, and canola oil.
Ginger. Make your dinner a little bit tastier and your arteries a little bit healthier with this ancient spice. Ginger contains phytochemicals called gingerol and shogaol, which give it its antioxidant power.

Animal studies show ginger not only lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, it also prevents LDL oxidation. On top of that, ginger also keeps your blood from clotting by reducing the stickiness of your platelets.

We know daily vitamins are important but did you know getting the right amount and type of daily fats is just as important as your vitamins; maybe even more so. There are defiantly fats you should avoid but there are also fats that are critical to your over all health and wellbeing.

Informed adults are including EFA's (Essential Fatty Acid)as part of their diets daily in their supplement program. The benefits are usually noticeable within a few weeks of starting supplementation. One of the first things people usually notice is a reduction in the dryness and itching of the skin. Research in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, cited an imbalance in fat metabolism, due to the modern diet loaded with processed foods and hydrogenated fats or trans fats while being practically void of EFA’s - as a major culprit in many health problems. Clearly, a healthy balance of EFA’s is critical to total body health both inside and out. Essential Four:

• ALA (Alpha linolenic acid) found in flax seeds, has shown great promise in helping the body with cancer prevention, protecting against heart disease, improving immune function, pre-menopausal and menopausal symptoms. Women are using 2 tablespoons of flax seed oil daily to control hot flashes and night sweets. Improved hormone function equates to healthier, younger looking skin.

• GLA (Gamma linolenic acid) is recognized for its abilities in a variety of areas. It is a PMS soother, arthritis alleviator and major beautifier. To consume the richest sources of GLA look to borage oil, black current seed oil, and evening primrose oil. While GLA is found in vegetable oils, there are numerous dietary and lifestyle factors which disrupt the absorption. For example, consumption of sugar, alcohol, trans fats, and lack of minerals and vitamins can interfere with absorption of GLA, EPA and DHA. Trans fats usually come in the form of fried foods, alcohol is alcohol, and sugar is hidden because anything white converts to sugar immediately. All sweeteners can be problematic but but not only are they a problem for absorption of quality fats this has been shown to increase risk of Type II diabetes and syndrome X.

• Research with the Omega-3’s, EPA and DHA has shown such great promise in a variety of mental and physical health issues that the American Heart Association recently revised its food guidelines to include Omega-3’s. They are advising everyone’s diet consist of at least two 3 ounce servings of a fatty fish weekly. Fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel.

• These fats are critical to hormone production and hormone production is at the source of every bodily function. These healthy fats are showing to be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of degenerative diseases due to their necessity in the production of hormones that control body functions.

• Read food labels before you buy or eat a food. You will be surprised what you can learn if you read labels this is an important part of getting healthy. Hydrogenated oils and partially hydrogenated oils have been indicated in many major cancers and heart disease. If the product has hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, lard or any added animal fats do not consume it. At a restaurant ask what type of oils or fats are used in preparing this food. Olive oil and butter are your safest options. There is not a food that contains these fats that you cannot live without and there are many alternatives in today’s market place. We can take action to remove these foods from the options that are available in the future by not purchasing them.

• Many people today are finding they are sensitive and cannot eat gluten containing foods. Even those tested negative for gluten sensitivity still notice their digestion is better when they eliminate enriched flour products from their diets. It is not only the gluten that is a problem in enriched flour products. Digestion is impaired when we eat enriched flour because all the beneficial nutrients, fiber and fats are removed from the enriched product to begin with. Enriched means it is not whole or it is missing something.

To Summarize:

• Take a multiple vitamin daily.

• Take an EFA daily.

• Quality fats daily are critical to overall health and beautiful looking skin, which is a topic of great concern to the baby boomer generation.

• Avoid alcohol, trans fats, hydrogenated fats and excess sugars.

• Read labels religiously.

• Eat nutrient dense foods that provide necessary vitamins and minerals.

• Eliminate enriched flour products.

Chromium is one of the lesser known of the trace minerals which are essential to human health, but there are two types you need to know about.

Hexavalent chromium has wide applications for industry, but is toxic to humans both on external skin contact and through internal consumption. Trivalent chromium, however, appears to be not only completely safe, but potentially highly beneficial to health, and all mentions of chromium in the remainder of this article will relate only to this type.

Perhaps the most important function of chromium lies in its interaction with other key nutrients, particularly niacin (vitamin B3) and certain amino acids, to form what is known as the “glucose tolerance factor” (GTF), which enhances the action of insulin and consequent metabolism of glucose to produce energy within the body. The correct metabolism of glucose, of course, is also crucial in regulating blood sugar levels; and a lack of insulin or a decrease in the body’s sensitivity to it may give rise to the increased blood sugar levels characteristic of diabetes. Less well known, perhaps, is that insulin is also important in the metabolism of dietary protein and fat.

Although the mechanism by which chromium enhances insulin action is not fully understood there is evidence that supplements of up to 200 mcg a day may have some effect in reducing the need for additional insulin in diabetics. This evidence, however, is based on Chinese research which orthodox medical opinion remains reluctant to accept as necessarily applicable to Western diets and obesity patterns; insisting that more research is needed. But whilst from the strictly scientifc point of view this may be true, it is worth noting that the benefits were observed at relatively low and harmless levels of supplementation. So, as ever, regard must be had to the likely balance of risk and reward.

Moreover, but perhaps logically enough, it has also been suggested that a deficiency of chromium may be a factor pre-disposing an individual towards the development of type 2, ie late onset, or non-insulin dependent, diabetes. There is also some evidence that similar deficiencies in chromium may be implicated in increased levels of blood cholesterol, although orthodox opinion maintains that this does not necessarily imply that supplementation in non-deficient individuals will serve to reduce these levels.

Chromium’s role in the metabolism of glucose, protein and fat has led to a widespread belief that it may help not only in the reduction of body fat but in the acquisition of lean muscle mass. But sadly, although there is some research to support this idea, there is at least as much which showed no such benefits, and chromium supplements should not therefore be marketed or regarded either as a bodybuilding or diet product.

Owing to the supposed paucity of information on the action of chromium within the body, neither the US nor European authorities have currently proposed a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). But the US Food and Nutrition Board has suggested an Adequate Intake (AI) level of 35 mcg daily for men and 25 mcg for women. Slightly higher levels are suggested for pregnant or breast-feeding women; slightly lower for children, adolescents and the over fifties.

Chromium in foods is commonly found in small, in fact minute, quantities. Moreover these amounts have been found to vary considerably even within batches of the same food. For these reasons it is difficult to give accurate indications of the amounts which may be expected in servings of common foodstuffs. As a generalisation, however, it may be stated that lean meats such as beef and turkey (especially when processed), fresh vegetables, particularly, broccoli and green beans, are probably the richest readily available sources.

Even these, however, will seldom provide more than around 10 mcg per serving at most, and often considerably less. It’s also important to note that the foods high in refined sugars which are so common in the modern Western diet are not only themselves low in chromium but also appear to increase the excretion of chromium from the body. Unsurprisingly, therefore, it is estimated that the average adult daily intake of chromium may be as little as 20 - 40 mcg a day, of which only around 2% may be successfully absorbed and utilised by the body, and that deficiencies of the mineral are consequently quite common.

But if supplements of chromium are to be taken, regard must be had as always to the holistic functioning of the body. Chromium is absorbed best, for example, when taken in the presence of adequate vitamin C; whereas an excessive intake of calcium by contrast, will further restrict chromium absorption. But taking too much chromium is likewise to be avoided because any excess may restrict the body’s absorption of the essential minerals zinc and iron.

Happily, however, none of this need be as confusing as it may sound. Supplementing with between 50 and 200 mcg of chromium a day appears to be both safe and potentially beneficial provided it is obtained as part of a comprehensive multi-mineral supplement. But for best results, as always, this multi-mineral should be taken in conjunction with a quality multi-vitamin preparation.