Category: Diet

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Start with your goals – part1

When you think about your health, diet, weight, fitness and overall lifestyle, the most important question you must ask yourself is  what are my goals?  The most common answers I get to this question are “I want to lose weight” or “I want to be healthy” or some variation of “I’m sick and tired of feeling sick and tired”.

Most people want to be healthy, and for most Americans, losing weight would be a good thing; there are many secondary benefits to their health that would result from this.  Losing weight though – while a good thing – is not a destination.  The reason why diets don’t work is that while many people consider weight loss to be the goal or destination.  I think this is incorrect in the same way that if you are driving to New York to Florida, you need more of a goal than just getting to Florida – the vehicle, or the process of driving there or the highway that gets you there is not the end goal.   If you take this approach to weight loss as many people do with “diets” – you have the now what problem; what are you going to do once you get there?

This is true for weight loss as well.  It should be part of the process of reaching your goals for a healthier lifestyle – not THE end goal.    I think it is good to target certain milestones as a part of your overall plan – just don’t’ make the weight loss the end goal.  The unfortunate result of that for most people is that after they have lost the weight – they eventually go back to doing what they did before, eating they way they did before, and end up at their previous weight or even heavier.  Sound familiar – either in your own experience or in the life of someone you know?

One of the reasons this happens is that the motivation behind the goal is gone; you’ve lost the weight – you’ve “crossed the finish line” – you’ve reached your goal.  In my next post I’ll help you look at another important guideline that can help you combine weight loss goals to make lasting changes in your lifestyle.  Use the form below if you have any questions or comments – I’d love to hear from you!

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All the Vitamin Bs (there are lots of them)

Vitamin B is another one of the important vitamins to add to your daily list of supplements.

Vitamin B was once thought to be one vitamin, and is now known to be many different vitamins or substances which are all a little different in their composition and function.  You may have heard of them under their different names such as Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Pyridoxine (B6), Biotin (B7), Folic Acid (B9), Cobalamin (B12).  There are several other important B vitamins as well, but these are the ones that most people have heard of.

Two important things to understand about the B vitamins are:

1.  Processed foods end up having the B vitamin content reduced – sometimes to a very great extent – this is why white flour, cereals and other processed foods are “fortified” with the B vitamins – putting back nutrition that was there in the unprocessed form.

2.  Some of the B vitamins do not have good plant sources – this means that if you have a largely vegetarian or vegan diet, you will need supplementation of some of the B vitamins.

You can take the individual B vitamins, but I recommend that you  find a good Vitamin B Complex and use that to cover the spectrum of different B vitamins.  There are many good formulas available that contain a balanced mixture of the various B vitamins so that you cover all of your nutritional needs.

Everyone needs the B vitamins as a part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, and you will probably best cover all basis with a good B complex formula – whether you are a vegetarian, vegan, or whatever approach you take to your diet.

Questions or comments about this post?  I’d love to hear from you – please leave a comment below.

 

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Vitamin C – for much more than just fighting colds

Vitamin C is another one of the essential vitamins you should consider adding to the list of vitamin supplements.

I believe that vitamin C is so important to our overall health that if I only took two vitamin supplements, vitamin C would be one of them – the other one would be vitamin D which was covered in a previous post.  I suspect that many people will read this post looking for and answer to the questions:  “will vitamin C help prevent a cold?”  and   “will vitamin C help get rid of a cold?”

The role of vitamin C in terms of a healthy body extends far beyond just fighting colds and influenza.   Vitamin C has an impact on several important aspects of your body.

It plays an important role in the formation and integrity of your collagen and tissues.  It is a powerful antioxidant and plays a role in minimizing damage from free radicals and toxins as well as bacteria and virii.

I think that vitamin C plays such an important role in these areas and others, that many conditions can be prevented or helped by having an optimum intake of vitamin C.  Remember that you want to optimize your nutrient intake.   Many people feel all they need to do is get the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of a vitamin or mineral to be healthy.  The RDA is simply the amount that is recommended – usually the amount required to avoid the worst symptoms of deficiency diseases.  In the case of vitamin C,  the RDA recommended amount is the level required in order to prevent the worst symptoms of scurvy.

You can get vitamin C from many fruits and vegetables.  Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons) are well know for their vitamin C content, but contain far less than what I feel is an optimum amount without eating mounds of fruit and veggies.

How much?  You should work with a nutritionist and your family doctor when ramping up your vitamin C intake – I recommend that people target 1-2 grams of vitamin C daily to help optimize their health.  This amount can fluctuate somewhat during times of stress or when feeling a cold or flu coming on.  Linus Pauling, the scientist know for promoting vitamin C as the cure for the common cold took several grams daily, finally settling on a daily intake of somewhere near 18 grams (18000 milligrams).   You’ll know if you take too much or if you increase your intake too quickly, as too much vitamin C can cause loose stools or mild diarrhea.

 

Want to know more?  Leave a question or comment below – I’d love to hear from you!

 

 

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Get some sunshine vitamin – even if you take it in a pill!

If you are wondering which vitamins to start with as you to add vitamin supplements to your healthy lifestyle – this post is for you.  I will highlight some of the important reasons you should take vitamin D supplements.  If you are still wondering whether or not you should be taking vitamin supplements, make sure you read the previous post about whether vitamins are worth it or just a waste.

Most people have heard of vitamin D – or the sunshine vitamin as it is sometimes called.  Although vitamin D is technically not really a vitamin, (it is actually a steroid hormone precursor that affects many of the systems in your body) it is still referred to as a vitamin for historical reasons.  Because of the wide ranging effects of vitamin D,  it should be high on the list of vitamins that you want to optimize in your diet and lifestyle.  You can do this through supplements (vitamin D3 pills or capsules) and sunlight exposure.  The best way to know what your blood or serum levels of vitamin D are is through a blood test you can request from your doctor (e.g. as part of a routine physical), or even with a blood test you can do at home.

Once you know what your blood levels of vitamin D are, you can make your plan for optimizing your vitamin D levels.  If you take vitamin D supplements, make sure it is vitamin D3 – the form your body can best utilize.  Since vitamin D is one of the vitamins that your body can synthesize itself given direct sunlight exposure, you can also target some daily direct sun exposure – just be careful to not burn.  One of the most interesting things about vitamin D is that your body can synthesize it in your skin from the sun.  As a part of this marvelous design your body will self regulate and will not produce too much vitamin D.

There are some very import short term and long-term benefits to optimizing your vitamin D levels that should catch everyone’s attention.  In terms of a short term benefit, many studies released over the last several years have consistently indicated that optimum vitamin D levels can help protect against respiratory infections, and can help lessen not only the chances of getting the cold or flu, but also shorten the length and severity of the cold and flu. Even though one study released in October 2012 contradicted this, it is important to note that study co-author Carlos A. Camargo Jr., MD pointed out that “It’s very important, however, to keep in mind that this group had relatively normal levels to start with, and so this might not apply to people with lower levels, with actually a vitamin D deficiency.”

From a long-term standpoint, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to much more than just rickets.
A quick review of the sources listed below will show that vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the following diseases or conditions:  Asthma, Autoimmune diseases, Bone health, Cancer, Cold, Flu, Kidney disease, Liver disease, Obesity, Oral health, Skin disorders, Thyroid disease.  This list is not all-inclusive, but I feel it does represent the importance of optimizing your vitamin D intake.

If you want to find out more about vitamin D, check out some of the following sites for more information on the benefits of vitamin D, the diseases it can help prevent and treat, and more information in general.

http://www.grc.com/health/vitamin-d.htm
http://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-resources.htm
http://www.sunshinevitamin.org
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org

Use the contact form below for any questions or comments you might have.  I’d love to hear from you.

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If vitamins are good, can’t I just take one pill to fix everything?

It depends on what you’re trying to fix!

If you’re trying to cover all your vitamin needs in one pill or reach optimum levels of vitamins and minerals with one vitamin – the answer is probably not.

It’s tempting to think that if you could just find the right vitamin, the right brand, or the right formula that you could cover your entire vitamin needs with one pill.  This would be both convenient, easier to remember and a quick – an easy nutritional grand-slam all at once.  As the old adage goes – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is; and in this case I think that saying applies.

If you want to optimize your nutrition and your vitamin and nutrient levels, without just taking a random shot at it – you will want to take a look at what your typical diet is (I recommend a food log or journal as a good starting place) and see what your diet does a good job of providing, and what nutrients might be lacking.

It would also be a good idea to talk with your family doctor about your plans and see what he would suggest.  I would start by changing doctors if he told me not to be concerned about vitamins and minerals; hopefully he’ll suggest a blood test to look at levels of minerals, vitamin d , b6, b12 and other indicators of your overall health and nutritional level.

In addition to reviewing your diet and looking at finding out where specific indicators are in your blood, you also need to some labels.  If you want to try to do an all-in-one approach, you’ll have to check the labels carefully.  Most likely, you will find that a “one pill to fix it all” approach will still require more than one pill daily.   You may also need to add some additional supplements to reach optimum levels of specific vitamins such as C, D, some of the B vitamins, and certain minerals.

Make sure you read the upcoming posts that will highlight some of a few of the nutrients and give guidelines for healthy supplementation and some of the key vitamins and minerals you should specifically make sure are optimum – and why it’s important to your health.

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A road trip is not a vacation from health

At least it shouldn’t be.

I have been traveling recently, and I’m always fascinated to watch the breakfast habits of fellow travelers.  Other meals are interesting too – but I find breakfast even more interesting since it’s easy identify the travelers; especially so if you are eating in the hotel in the morning before hitting the road or heading out to meetings.

Most people who read this blog have an understanding of the importance of healthy meals – including breakfast.

A breakfast of waffles or muffins or pastries with a big glass of orange juice doesn’t cut it – not if your goal is eat a healthy or at least balanced meal.   Waffles, muffins, pastry, toast (even if you didn’t put the jam or jelly on it) is basically sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar  – and if you had that big glass of orange juice – then you washed it down with sugar.

A healthy lifestyle doesn’t consist of a diet with breakfasts like this, and breakfast when traveling shouldn’t be like this either.

If you want to be healthy, you need to move toward a healthy lifestyle, and that is built on good meals, healthy nutrition, and staying active.  Just like a short term fix like a diet doesn’t fix an unhealthy lifestyle, treating yourself to a breakfast sugary breakfast doesn’t set the stage for a healthy lifestyle.  Aside from negative effects you’ll have on that day, many people find that treating themselves to a “special breakfast” like this to be a slippery slope to returning to unhealthy eating habits.

Try to look for good sources of protein such as eggs or meats, some cheese, a little fresh fruit and perhaps some yogurt or a little salad (if it’s available at breakfast time).  Dont’ forget coffee – it has it’s own health benefits, and it’s delicious. 
I try to avoid pastries, cereals (these are usually loaded with sugar) and other processed items like “breakfast bars”.  Most foods that claim to be a healthy meals that come in a bar, bag or pouch may be meal replacements, but I’d doubt they’ll help you reach a goal of a healthier lifestyle.

If we begin to think of a healthy lifestyle as the sum of consistently making good choices for your health, choices about what to have for a specific meal get easier; they become part of a pattern or plan for a healthy lifestyle rather than just what you happened to eat for that meal.

 

Questions or comments about this post?   Use the form below to contact me – I’d love to hear from you.

 

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What about supplements –worth it or a waste?

Two of the most frequent questions I get concern vitamins are:

Should I take them, and if so, what should I be taking?

To answer the first question – despite the fact that you can’t make up for bad nutrition with good supplements – most people could probably benefit from vitamin supplements.

When people hear this suggestion – they typical response is – why?

 1.    It’s difficult to always make sure that your diet includes the proper amounts of some of the most important vitamins.  Which ones?  Keep reading – we’ll get to that.  Some nutrients are difficult to get and the correct supplements can help make up for shortcomings in the foods you eat.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that the RDA which is often looked at for “how much should I take” is really a recommended amount necessary to avoid the vitamin deficiency diseases – it is not necessarily the optimum amount for excellent health.

2.    As a result of decades of intensive farming, and utilizing methods to shorten the amount of time to harvest, it’s questionable that food have the same nutritional value they once had.  The University of Texas released a study in 2004 concerning this.  That study of 43 garden crops led by a University of Texas Dr. Donald Davis suggests that their nutrient value has declined in recent decades while farmers have been planting crops designed to improve other traits; “Considered as a group, we found that six out of 13 nutrients showed apparently reliable declines between 1950 and 1999,” he said.

The nutrients they identified as declining at least somewhat in measurable value were protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin and ascorbic acid. The declines ranged from 6 percent for protein to 38 percent for riboflavin.

This study is reflective of the kind of nutritional changes in our food supply over the last 50 years.

So – should you supplement your diet with vitamins – my answer is yes.
Make sure you read the next post covering vitamin supplements for more specifics  and for general guidelines concerning what you should take and what to avoid.

Questions about vitamins or supplements?  Contact me using the form below – I’d love to hear from you.

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Unhealthy food grown in unhealthy soil

Previous posts have looked at the definition, manufacture, and a renewed saftey concern with GMO food.

Aside from the innate questions about the safety about GMO foods, there is another concern you may want to consider:

What about pesticide or herbicide residue in the foods you eat?

Think about one specific example  –  the use of glyphosate – the active ingredient found in the herbicide Roundup from Monsanto.

This product is typically used in conjunction with Roundup Ready seed, but is sometimes used with conventiona seed as well.
Some of the Roundup Ready GMO crops currently in use in the US market include alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, soybeans, and sugarbeets. The herbicide is sometimes applied to the soil prior to planting, timing and frequency of application depends upon the specific crop.  Depending upon the crop, it can even be used as close as three days before harvest.

The heart of this concern of mine is that I do not want to be eating food that was raised in soil that has had glyphosate applied to it, food that has been raised having glyphosate applied to it, or eat food that was raised on crops that have had glyphosate applied – perhaps even days before it was consumed as forage.   There are too many concerns in my mind about the effects of long term exposure to herbicide and pesticide residue in my food, and the effect that this has on food that I eat (animals raised on herbicide and pesticide treated crops).

In addition, serious concerns have been raised about the changes to soil resulting from the use of glyphosate.  Both soil biology (natural bacteria) and mineral content is being affected due to the chelating effects of glyphosate – locking up key minerals like iron, calcium, manganese, and zinc while at the same time having a negative effect on the natural occuring beneficial bacteria.  As a result both harmful soil bacteria rise in population and the root structure of plants is impacted in a harmful manner.

Keep in mind that we’ve only looked at one herbicide, and haven’t even touched on the subject of pesticides in this post

Make sure you read the next post on the residual effects of herbicides like Roundup on the environment and the effect on sustainable agriculture and initiatives.   If you have any questions or comments, please use the form below – I would love to hear from you.

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Why should you be concerned about eating GMO sourced foods?

We’ve looked at what GMO foods are, and how they are made.

With an understanding in place of what GMO foods are and where they come from, its time to look at some concerns centered around the consumption of GMO foods or products that contain ingredients from GMO sources.  Why should you be concerned?

Based on the release of new studies, several concerns have been raised.   For example, a recent Reuters article referenced a French study done at the University of Caen that states that “Monsanto’s NK603 GM corn or exposed to its top-selling Roundup glyphosate weed killer were at higher risk of suffering tumors, multiple organ damage and premature death.”  One of the results of this particular study is a temporary ban by Russia on the import of NK603 corn.  If other countries are concerned about the safety of these engineered foods, isn’t it worth your time to stop and consider what all the fuss is about?  It’s your life and your body you are caring for.  Do your own research, there are other long term studies with the same findings that should at very least cause you to stop and consider if the potential risk is worth not stopping to question the safety of GMO foods,  or maybe giving them up altogether.

Remember – you only get one body; you have a right to know what you are putting in to it, and a responsibility to take care of it.

Food for thought – watch this video released by Nutiva encouraging labeling of foods containing ingredients from GMO sources. It is a quick look at GMO, GMO labeling worldwide, and an encouragement to Californians to vote for proposition 37 which would require the labeling of GMO foods. This has significance for the rest of the US as well, as it likely would result in the same labeling being used on many products throughout the rest of the country – allowing consumers to make an informed decision about the products they purchase.

 

Questions or comments?  I’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment below:

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How much GMO have you eaten today?

If you’re not already familiar with the term GMO, or GM food, you’ll want to read the previous post that gives a quick overview of what GMO means and helps explain what GMO food is.  After learning what GMO is, some people are surprised, some don’t care, and some decide that they aren’t going to eat GMO foods.

You might be surprised to learn some of the GMO products already in the US food supply that are routinely consumed by unsuspecting consumers.

Think about the fact that in the US food supply there are GMO products such as:

Corn – LOTS of corn – this ripples down into our food supply in terms of many products too – chips, cornstarch, feed for animals, HFCS, corn oil, and many others

Sweetcorn – yes – unfortunately, that kind too.

Soy – this applies to every product from hydrolyzed vegetable protein to tofu to soymilk, some types of baby formula, etc.

Canola oil – did you know that Canola is a GMO ?

Sugar – more than half of the sugar sold in the US comes from sugar beets, and 95% of that is from GMO beets.   Soon we will also have sugar from Roundup Ready beets – another GMO sugar beet variant.  Unless your bag of sugar says 100% organic or 100% cane sugar, it almost certainly contains sugar from GMO sources.

The list also includes certain varieties of potatoes, tomatoes, rice, much of the Hawaiian grown papaya, and peas.

Other than dairy products that come from cows receiving some form of bovine growth hormone (don’t forget ice cream – most of the ice cream is made from dairy products from cows that receive bovine growth hormone), there are not currently gmo animal products approved for sale in the US.   This refers to animals who’s genetic material or dna have been directly modified – you still may be purchasing animal products from animals who were fed and/or raised on GMO crops such as corn.

The previous post looked at  what GMO products are, and how they are made.
In this post we’ve looked at some of the GMO food products that are sold in the US – and that you are probably already consuming.
Be sure to read the next post where some of the specific concerns about the long term effects of consuming GMO products are reviewed – and how you can minimize your exposure to products containing ingredients from GMO sources.

 

Have questions or comments?  I’d love to hear from you – use the form below to contact me.