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Doctors Half-Truths About Vitamins

Posted: 2008-03-01 09:03:29 UTC-06:00

We all know Doctors are human so they will make mistakes and they can't know everything about every health issue. So this brings up a question of how much do they really know about nutrition and supplementing diet. I'm not speaking about a doctor whose specialized field is in diet and nutrition. They have the training and knowledge to offer recommendations we should be able to trust.Where am I going with this?I know I will open myself up for negative feedback by writing this post. Just read the post and then if you feel compelled to comment, feel free. I'm not a doctor but I read a lot about health, nutrition and ways to keep my family alive longer. I usually don't read much from doctors as in blogs and such. I did come across this blog written by a team of doctors. I posted a comment on their blog stating my disagreement about the topic. My whole gripe about their post is that they give half information and not the half that can help people. It's a post about the Ups and Downs of Vitamins; they even spelled ups like this Upd.They wrote:"Early research on vitamins and supplements was observational, a crude type of research that does not prove cause and effect. Maybe vitamin takers were simply healthier people? Careful controlled research trials over the past 10 years have produced new light on taking vitamin supplements, light that shows very little benefit and even the risk of harm."" ---supplementation with Vitamin E may increase blood clotting and increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Beta carotene supplements increase the risk of lung cancer in male smokers."**My comments… Yes this is a true statement but it was based on taking Synthetic Vitamin E and Beta-carotene, not supplements in the whole natural food form. By the way, the study was stopped when rates of lung cancer and heart attacks and death increased.Other studies done on use of synthetic vitamins that these doctors did not report. Birth defects increased 400% when 22,000 pregnant women were given synthetic Vitamin A.Men get thickened arteries when taking 500mg of synthetic vitamin C daily for over 18 months.These studies are based on synthetic vitamins, not a whole food vitamin supplement.So Docs, get your facts straight before deciding to write. No, I'm not a doctor but I am someone very concerned about my health and the health of my family. I don't rely on just what the doctor says, they are human and make mistakes.His closing statement:Should you stop taking that one-a-day multiple vitamin? There is no evidence that the amounts in most once daily mutivitamins (their typo) do any harm or good. However, if you take a heavy amount of vitamin supplements, you should take a careful look at current scientific evidence, and not the manufacturer's hype, and reconsider. A double tragedy is spending a lot of money and causing harm.I say, a double tragedy is spending a lot of money on doctor bills, hospital stays after not doing enough to prevent poor health. Doctors can cause harm in their advice unless they are specialized in a certain field, like giving recommendations based on the full facts, not half-truths.Based on my own research, the harm from multi-vitamins comes from the synthetic ingredients our body cannot absorb and is not meant to ingest, not the Whole Food Supplements on the market today. There are many good whole food multis that are safe and help to promote health, not add risk like the synthetic ones.

Dr. Mercola comments about cancer and taking vitamins:

It’s important to keep in mind that there is a major difference between natural whole-food supplements and pharmaceutical grade, synthetic vitamins and minerals.That said, there’s little doubt in my mind that most studies trying to scare you into thinking that taking vitamins and mineral supplements will kill you faster than any drug will, is based on the use of synthetic supplements, in combination with strong financial interests. Conventional cancer treatment represents a multi-billion dollar a year industry. These vast profits are fiercely protected by the industry giants, and it’s already been proven, over and over again, that financial ties can radically color the outcome of any study.But conventional cancer treatments in no way address the underlying causes of cancer.Cancer is a nutritional/toxic/environmental/emotional condition, which, in a great number of instances, can be successfully reversed through the application of a sound nutritional approach and common-sense lifestyle changes.I find this interesting in the bio of the doctor that wrote this article:"Dr. XXXXXX main focus is on the redesign of office practice using the tools of information technology and quality improvement." Oh I'm sure this qualifies him to tell us these half stories about vitamins.I did offer them my free report "Are Your Vitamins Safe" but since I'm not a physician I doubt they will get the report, too bad for their blog readers or patients.

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Why do Americans Eat Junk Food?

Posted: 2008-02-29 12:56:57 UTC-06:00

Why do Americans eat mostly junk food instead of a healthy meal?We didn't change our eating habits overnight. Imagine what our ancestors would have said about a book titled "In Defense of Food." They would never have believed that food needed defense. Today one of the leading indicators of the fix Americans are in is how quickly Pollan's manifesto sped to the very top of the best-seller list. The book cover tells us - Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants."What other animal needs professional help in deciding what it should eat?" Pollan asks, recognizing the absurdity of the need for his own advice. Two different forces got us here. The first is "nutritionism," the idea fostered by science that food is nothing more than the sum of its nutrients. The second and more pernicious force is the $36 billion food-marketing industry that turns food into "food-like substances."Tips from his book: Avoid products made with ingredients you can't read or pronounce. Avoid products making health claims on the package. Yes, eat plants. But the best of them is: Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.In a poll of Americans who were asked the top 5 reasons why people eat so much junk food:73% said convenience44% said it's what people like to eat37% said it's because of heavy advertising24% said it's more affordable14% said it's because people don't know which foods are healthy.A lot of reasons we don't eat right is because of the food industry always finding ways to make more profit. They come up with fast dinners for families on the go. Convenience is what families have come to expect. We don't have time to actually cook healthy meals for our family. There's not enough time after we get home from work, help kids with school work, do after school activities and maybe pick the house up a little to plan and cook a healthy meal. Sometimes it's junk or nothing. Tip: Slow Cooker meals.We find time to shop for the perfect clothes, get our hair done, get together with friends, brush our teeth, and stop to buy that coffee from Starbucks but we don't have time to eat healthy. What's wrong with this picture? Food is what makes our body able to self-heal but we don't have time to feed it the one thing it needs, real food.Shopping for healthy food takes more time and costs more. The processed – boxed – quick meals will be on the center shelves of most grocery stores. This is done on purpose so it's easy to see - grab and go. Looking for healthy choices means looking from the very top, down to very bottom shelf, skipping over center. Healthy food costs more, at least at first. If you look at poor health resulting from eating junk food the price for healthy food is very cost effective. Tip: It isn't too hard to make a one skillet meal using whole grain pasta, fresh tomatoes spices and grass fed beef and it will taste better than the boxed Hamburger Helper.Eating too much and too little:It's not just about what we eat but also how much, too much or too little is unhealthy. So is when, how and why we eat the food we do. Most people think of eating too much and being overweight as being the biggest weight problem for Americans. Some people are so concerned about the way they look so they starve themselves. Anorexia and bulimia are eating disorders in which the person views himself/herself as fat. When they do eat it's something they like and not likely to be healthy. Eating too much can be from boredom, stress, uncontrollable cravings etc.Junk fast food tastes better than healthy food. Kids are growing up eating junk food so they don't know what real food is. American's taste buds wouldn't know real food because it's so rare. If it isn't processed, loaded with sugar, salt, fat and will last longer than our kids because of the chemical preservatives, it has no flavor or doesn't taste right.Junk food is always available. Look at the check out counters at any store, they are loaded with candy bars, bagged snacks and even energy gum! There are snack machines everywhere, even outside my son's dentist's office. What a positive sight when you leave the dentist; eat more candy and wash it down with this Coke. We are exposed to junk food everywhere. Stores are playing on our impulse shopping, besides it's just a candy bar, right?This one is huge...We are bombarded with advertisements from Mcs, Burger King and Arby's to name a few. This keeps food on our mind and after a while we think, hey that sounds good I'm going to make a Mcs run for lunch. Our kids see commercials for fruit snacks, cereal, chips, candy, pop-tarts or Oreos and pick these things out when grocery shopping. We are being led to eat what is advertised, the whole purpose of the marketing.Keys reasons Americans don't eat healthy:Don't like the taste of healthy foodCan't afford itDon't have time to cookBombardment of advertising from TV, radio, and onlinePicky eatersDon't know what is healthyProcessed – boxed – ready to cook – just add water – frozen dinners are quick and convenientFamily meals are a thing of the pastLack of knowledge about food:Americans think they are healthy so don't put thought into what they eat. They think if they're still alive after always eating the food they eat today it can't be all that bad for them. For some, it takes a death of a loved one to make them think about nutrition. It's hard to wonder if better food could have stopped disease. Don't wait until you are faced with disease to think about our biggest self - healing tool, food..If you still can't eat right I recommend the Pops, a whole food multi-vitamin to help get at least some good nutrition and stay alive longer.

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Friendship PrayerMay the fleas of a thousand camels infest the crotch of the person

who screws up your day and may their arms be too short to scratch.

Amen.From our dear friend and mentor, Kim Klaver.

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

What's On The School Menu - Processed Foods, again

Posted: 2008-02-28 12:35:42 UTC-06:00

It's a rare day if I don't pack a lunch full of organic foods for my son, because I've seen such a decline of the school lunch program. Is this because of a lack of caring on the part of a large portion of American people? I believe so.People don't care enough anymore, people don't respect the organic farmer. They think it's best to buy cheaper products to save money, but in the end, those products rob us of our health and cost us even more money.In 2006, more than 30.1 million children consumed a hot lunch each day under the National School Lunch Program, according to the USDA's Web site. Although all food served under this program meets Federal nutrition requirements, decisions about what foods are served and how they are prepared is decided upon by local schools.Ann , known as the Renegade Lunch Lady and author of the new book "Lunch Lessons: Changing the way we feed our children," said the current state of school lunches across the country is probably even worse than most people think."It's all frozen, processed foods," she said. "Google any school district in the country and you'll find menus filled with pizza pockets, corn dogs, chicken nuggets."Originally, all of the food served in public schools was homemade and cooked on site. By the time frozen foods became more prevalent, it was time for all of the lunch ladies and their equipment to retire. "Big business said to the schools, 'why cook when you can easily use all these frozen, prepared foods?'" said.Part of the issue is obviously money – specifically not enough of it. The main challenge for many school districts is to pull together a menu that fits into the budget, while also trying to appeal to hundreds of tiny palettes that have grown up with a diet filled with mostly processed foods. Food that is good for them usually doesn't taste good to them. Unhealthy food is generally cheaper to buy, and contains preservatives, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and partially hydrogenated oils – all the fixings that make things taste especially good to children (and adults as well, for that matter) and keep them coming back for more. said that schools are reimbursed $2.30 for every hot lunch served. Two-thirds of that goes toward payroll and overhead, which leaves about $.80 left, which must include the required serving of milk."How is it possible to serve a healthy meal to children on less than $.80?" asks.So, what can parents do? These are our children, and every effort should be made to ensure them a lifetime of healthy eating habits and the chance to know what real food tastes like. said that parents can begin by checking to see if the Wellness Program in their school district is being implemented and followed, and to make sure everyone involved is being held accountable. Don't be afraid to be vocal at PTA and school board meetings."It is everyone's responsibility – not just the schools, and not just the parents – to teach healthy food habits," said."Of the children born in 2000, 40 to 45 percent of them will have diabetes and be insulin-dependant. This is the first generation that has a lower life expectancy than that of the previous generation."Switching to more natural foods will not only improve the physical health of children, it can have benefits on their mental health as well."There are people out there, including children, who are helped physically and mentally by eating organic," said Kathleen Wood, a certified clinical nutritionist and employee with Harvest Health Foods. "Kids are realizing they are feeling a whole lot better when they eat the right stuff. They stay away from the bad stuff – it makes such a difference to them."source

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Sexberries, Kings and Concubines

Posted: 2008-02-27 14:13:00 UTC-06:00

Once upon a time, Asian kings had a lot of concubines.The kings had to work hard to keep them all happy.There was no Viagra… they used something better.It is rumored that the kings popped little berries or drank tea made from them.Today, this magic berry - the wolfberry - is sold in Chinatowns across the country, and even at Whole Foods!Wolfberries are the first ingredient in the Pop-A-Purple blend… They also help burn fat, build muscle and lower bad cholesterol.Did you ever think health could be sexy??copyright Staying Alive Press and Whole Food Nation

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Are Vitamins Safe?

Posted: 2008-02-26 10:57:04 UTC-06:00

When you buy vitamins do you know what the ingredients mean and what benefit or potential harm they will cause?I didn't have a clue for many years. I fell for the marketing hype. I didn't know how to read and understand the labels. Well that changed last year after the pet food recalls. I started helping pet lovers understand what is really in pet food. Then the light bulb went off and I realized I was feeding my human family synthetic ingredients, in our vitamin supplements. I went on a learning journey and was so shocked that our health is not always the most important thing in the vitamin industry. It's profit driven for many.How do you feel when taking a vitamin supplement?Do you sleep restfully and wake refreshed?Do you have energy to chase after the kids or make love with your partner after a day at work?Do you have regular bowel movements?Do you feel happy and motivated every day?Are you rarely sick with colds or stomach problems?If you answered no to any of these you might be taking synthetic vitamins. Answer yes to the following questions and it could be the vitamin.Do you toss and turn when you should be sleeping?Are you drained of energy most days?Do you have dark yellow, strong smelling urine?Are you constipated or have bouts of diarrhea?Do you suffer memory loss, fatigue, depression or insomnia?Not all vitamin supplements are created equally, even a whole food multi can have synthetic ingredients, additives and fillers including fiber*.Here are 3 reports from Reuters Health, and New England Journal of Medicine about synthetic ingredients in vitamins.1. Male smokers taking vitamins with synthetic Vitamin E and Beta Carotene have increase rates of lung cancer, heart attacks and increased death.2. Birth defects increased for women on synthetic vitamin A, 400% increase before a study was halted.3. Men get thickened arteries on synthetic Vitamin C. This is after only 18 months of taking a synthetic Vitamin C.Get a free report to find out for yourself if your vitamin is safe.* Fiber is good if it's not in your vitamin. Fiber is a cheap filler when used in a supplement. It takes space that should be saved for the expensive nutrients you are paying for in the supplement. Take fiber alone, if you need it.Are Your Vitamins Safe?. . Free Report . .

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

I need your help...

Posted: 2008-02-25 21:06:53 UTC-06:00

Greetings friends and acquaintances,I need your help and as many people's help as I can muster up. Votes must be in by Friday Feb 29http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/894-Permanent-Indoor-Farmers-MarketThere is nothing more basic to a community than it's local food system. I am a huge advocate of locally grown food.I am one of the top 8 finalists for this month's Advanta ideablob.com $10,000 prizeI have three days left to get enough votes in to win the $10,000 for the Eugene Farmers Market project. You can read about the project when you click on the link to vote for my idea: http://ideablob.com/ideas/894-Permanent-Indoor-Farmers-MarketIf you have voted in earlier rounds, you will need to go vote again, ...this is the FINAL vote so you must vote again.If you have not voted/registered before, it will require you to create a username, password and enter your name and email address, then you will have to verify your registration with a click through on the email they send to your email address.I would appreciate it if you can please pass this on to others who would be supportive of my cause, it's crucial that it happens now.Here's the link to vote for my idea: http://ideablob.com/ideas/894-Permanent-Indoor-Farmers-MarketFebruary 2008 FinalistMake my idea the $10,000 idea!Vote anytime betweenFebruary 22 -- February 29I hope you will vote for my idea :)My idea is based on the Farmers market project that they are doing in Santa Fe NM.http://www.santafefarmersmarket.com/institute/future/It's a great indoor/outdoor building, room for 150 vendors, would have leaseable office space, a restaurant (like the farmers diner in vermont: http://www.farmersdiner.com/) , community gathering space, a commercial kitchen for those who need one to create value added products, cold storage and root celler, outdoor green space and it is a LEED certified building.The initial $10,000 would be given directly to a non-profit in Eugene so that the dialog can be moved forward, bringing together the stake holders in the community that would need to have a say and be part of something like this.With the initial $10,000 a professional facilitator could be hired to start moving the project forward by creating a community dialog to come to a decision on what the best way would be to implement something like this.Because there has been so much previous dialog and people have not been able to move forward due to their historical differences about the project, I see myself as an impartial instigator, someone who does not have a personal stake in the project so I am the perfect person to bring the idea forward.I also see a group similar to the Friends of the Library group that finally made the Eugene Library happencalled: Friends of the Farmers Market, to run the capital campaign to make this project a reality here.Thanks for your time.I appreciate your help.Regards, ElyCommunity Activist

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Controlling Night Sweats - Menopause

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:52:22 UTC-06:00

We know hot flashes are caused by the hormonal changes of menopause. Here's why, a diminished level of estrogen has a direct effect on the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for controlling your appetite, sleep cycles, sex hormones, and body temperature. The drop in estrogen confuses the hypothalamus, which triggers the hot flash as the body tries to adjust to the change.I was 39-years-old when my son was born. A short year later I was going through menopause. It was not bad for a long time, then the night sweats started. I couldn't sleep more than a few hours before waking hot as fire and sticky from sweat. It was gross and so frustrating. I was tired and crabby most days because I wasn't sleeping. Then I found what helped.Many things might offer some relief, diet, exercise, drinking lots of water etc....I tried many herbs and natural things so I want to share ideas with you. I did not use any hormone drugs, just herbs and natural remedies. I didn't find much relief with these but remember every woman is different and it may take some time for you to find which treatments, or combination of treatments, work best for you.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)- Reports from the government-supported Women's Health Initiative found that women taking hormones do have a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer. And research has shown women who took hormones for an average of slightly more than 4 years actually had twice the incidence of Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia than women who didn't use it. Hormone replacement therapies contain synthetic estrogens, thus relieving symptoms, but increasing risks associated with synthetic hormones. Anything synthetic is not going to give long term health.Some doctors also recommend that women consume natural soy products (such as tofu or soymilk) to help minimize the symptoms of menopause. Because soy contains high amounts of isoflavone, or plant estrogen, it may help protect against osteoporosis and relieve such symptoms as vaginal dryness and hot flashes.While its name does not indicate a family connection, red clover is actually part of the soy family. Similarly rich in isoflavones, red clover has been reported to be successful in reducing menopausal symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats. Also try flaxseed, seaweed, nuts, whole grains, apples, celery, parsley and alfalfa.If none of the soy products help and only estrogen seems to work, take the lowest effective HRT dose for the shortest possible time. But, there are many more things to try besides soy. Read on:Other herbs to tryBlack Cohosh (20 mg to 60 mg, 3 times daily) which is a phytoestrogen that helps many women manage menopause symptoms. Women with surgical menopause may not find phytoestrogens as helpful as those who experience natural menopause.Dong Quai (500 mg to 1000 mg, 2 or 3 times daily)Evening Primrose Oil (500 mg 3 or 4 times daily)Ginseng (100 mg to 500 mg, 3 times daily)Yep, if you want to try the herbs you will need to take lots of pills everyday. This is one reason they didn't work for me. I'm not going to take 10 pills a day. When I did give it a real effort I still didn't notice much improvement.If you have a doctor that readily writes prescriptions and you tell him about all of your different symptoms, you may end up taking sleep aids, antidepressants and a variety of other drugs. It's not uncommon for many women to be taking six or seven different prescription medications during menopause and still have problems.Diet is important to help control your menopausal symptoms. Foods to avoid include high amounts of caffeine in any foods, and carbonated beverages which contain phosphorous and can increase bone loss.Also, limit your consumption of commercially raised meats including beef, pork, and chicken because these meats contain a high amount of saturated fats and decrease the body's ability to metabolize estrogen. Excessive sugar intake also limits your liver's ability to metabolize estrogen and impairs the immune system.Get lots of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Vitamin C can help in the prevention and treatment of vagina dryness and hot flashes. Sage, a common herb contains antispasmodic (relaxation) and astringent (tightening) properties, which probably explain its usefulness in reducing excessive sweating and hot flushes. Other foods that you should include in your diet; grains ,oats, wheat, brown rice, tofu, almonds, cashews, and more fresh fruits and vegetables.Take a good probiotic and prebiotic (the "good" bacteria in our intestines.) These cultures are important for women during menopause to help with metabolism and utilization of estrogen, and these "good" bacteria help reduce the occurrence of yeast infections.Although these suggestions work for many women, remember every woman is different and it may take some time for you to find which treatments, or combination of treatments, work best for you.Try some of these things and if you still can't find relief you might want to know about what I found. It's a whole food multi, I don't know why it worked for me, but I'm glad it did.No More Night Sweats.

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

SAD - Standard American Diet and Whole Food Multis

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:53:04 UTC-06:00

"Many people will get up before dawn to check the stock market, work until all hours of the night on a project for work or church...but they will not remember, or think it is important enough, to feed their own bodies." – Dr. Hanley, MD, and co-author of Tired of Being Tired, Women's Passages, and Attention Deficit Disorder.Everyone wants to remain youthful and live for ever. But is a long life really the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if you're feeling vaguely unhealthy much of the time? And why do so many of us feel lousy when we still think of ourselves as young and vibrant? Two words: vitamin deficiency."You can't get away without a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement," says Dr. Hanley. "The ground is so depleted that not even the bugs can live in our refined wheat and white flour anymore!"The simple fact of the matter is that our bodies are not getting what they need...and even if we were to suddenly adopt a diet that made us poster children for healthy living, without a multi-vitamin supplement, we will always remain vitamin deficient.Chemicals and Processing Drain Food of Vital NutrientsLiving a long life might be possible for today's middle-aged, but unless many people are willing to change their approach to nutrition, the life expectancy for today's youth will be a different story. Many medical institutions do not expect children to live as long as their parents because of obesity, toxicity, and the deficiencies inherent in the Standard American Diet.The state of our food, coupled with our dietary choices, has rendered us toxic and depleted of the vitamins and minerals we need to function and thrive. Most of the food we eat contains barely half of the vitamins and minerals it did fifty years ago; today's high yield wheat crops offer only half the protein they did a century ago.Processing methods – by their very nature – deplete food of nutrients. And the length of time it takes to pick, transport, and stock onto grocers' shelves, means food has lost much of its nutritional value by the time it finally gets to our plates.While alternatives such as organic foods are free of dangerous GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and many toxic pesticides and fertilizers, they are far from perfect as it can take decades for soil to fully recover from years of abuse.How Chemicals and Food Processing Methods Affect Our FoodThe over-cultivated soil in which we grow our food is depleted of zinc, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, calcium, and magnesium.The superphosphate fertilizers we use in place of manure contain mainly nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, but are deficient of the many vital trace elements contained in good, old-fashioned manure.Pesticides and herbicides destroy soil microorganisms and affect plant nutrition.Refining wheat into white flour strips it of between fifty and eighty-eight percent, of its cobalt, magnesium, zinc, chromium, and manganese.Refining sugar cane into white sugar depletes it of ninety-nine percent of its magnesium and ninety-three percent of its chromium.Polishing rice removes seventy-five percent of its zinc and chromium.Many additives, artificial coloring, preservatives, and stabilizers destroy nutrients and, further, work to impair nutrient absorption.Pollution works to deplete nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc.But in spite of all the doom and gloom, it's possible to turn the deficiency tide, and learn how to take care of ourselves in a whole new, 21st century way.Ensuring Adequate Vitamin and Mineral IntakeStarting from Scratch – How to Get What You NeedFirst, forget what you thought you knew about adequate vitamin intake. Take a fresh approach to your health – likely, your old approach doesn't take into account what experts are discovering about the sorry condition of our soil, the depleted state of processed food, and our bodies' agonizing struggle to overcome vitamin and mineral deficiency.Everyone on the planet at some point in their lives will require extra vitamins and minerals to compensate for deficiencies in the Standard American Diet. In times of special need – during pregnancy, periods of overwhelming stress, or illness – nutrients are good therapy, so it's vital to update your knowledge base.For example, consider the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamins and minerals. These figures were calculated in the 1940s when soil was healthy, and food refining and processing was relatively rare. Today, our vitamin and mineral needs far exceed the circa World War II recommendations handed out by many health practitioners.And all the hype about low-fat, fat-free, sodium-free, vitamin-enriched, and on and on...it's all just bunk, part of food companies' marketing strategies to convince you to buy their products. The truth is, all the processing to make food other than what it naturally is simply removes the life-giving nutrients our bodies need.Real food – free of unnecessary additives and processing – is the simple secret to health and longevity, so beware of terms like vitamin enriched. All this means is that the food was stripped bare of its goodness during processing, and then something was added in a futile attempt to make up the loss, and give it some sort of bare minimum value.By midlife, an overwhelming number of Americans will have developed a chronic illness or contracted some form of cancer due to diet deficiencies. But why wait for a health crisis to start giving your body what it needs now? After all, regular maintenance is always preferable to crisis management.Overcoming Vitamin and Mineral DeficiencyIf you cannot get fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, opt for frozen over canned.Avoid processed foods, fake foods, and junk foods.Always eat real food, and never buy anything that contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil – i.e. never eat anything containing trans fats.Read the label. If you don't know what a word means, or cannot pronounce it, don't eat it! Opt instead for something real.Don't buy products with a long shelf life – the better they do on the shelf, the worse they are for your body.Never eat food products that have been enriched. They have been completely devitalized during processing.Avoid food that has been genetically modified or engineered. Nearly all processed food contains GMOs.Some nutritionists recommend kelp tablets / granules, or using unrefined sea salt as an added mineral source. Ordinary table salt has been stripped of vital trace elements during refining.A digestive aid or probiotic can assist with nutrient absorption, helping to increase your nutrient intake.A high quality, Whole Food multiple vitamin / mineral supplement is essential. You can be assured – by starting with a Whole Food Multi – that you're taking the right combination, which enables vitamins and minerals to work synergistically in your metabolic and enzymatic systems.Remember, when implementing dietary changes, take it slowly, pay attention to how your body responds and, if possible, consult a health practitioner.By giving up the Standard American Diet, and supplementing with your new Whole Food multiple vitamin and mineral regimen with individualized care that factors in age, gender, weight, and your unique health conditions, you may end up feeling better than you ever have in your life...for the rest of your life!Source

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Restaurant / Fast Food Industry Keeping Americans Overweight?

Posted: 2008-02-22 19:20:45 UTC-06:00

More things resturants don't want you to know about their food. Looks like they are trying to keep America overweight and unhealthy.· Outback Steakhouse doesn't want you to know that the only nutritional information it provides is for its Tangy Tomato Dressing. Hey, in case you were wondering, an order of Outback's Aussie Cheese Fries has 2,900 calories, and its Ayers Rock Strip has 60 grams of fat.· Applebee's doesn't want you to know that many of its "low-fat" items have more than 500 calories. In fact, its low-fat chicken quesadillas have 742 calories and 90 grams of carbohydrates per order.· IHOP doesn't want you to know that its Omelette Feast has 1,335 calories and 35 grams of saturated fat. Said IHOP's director of communications, "We do not maintain nutritional data on our menu items."· Red Robin doesn't want you to know the nutritional impact of its gourmet burgers. "A gourmet burger starts by being an honest burger," Red Robin's Web site declares--but not, apparently, a burger that will come clean about its nutrition facts.· Hooters doesn't want you to know anything about what's in its food. "Because of the millions of combinations available and our desire to frequently give you new menu options, it is impossible to provide accurate nutritional data," responded a PR representative.· Arby's doesn't want you to know that the FDA has no definition of "all natural." Thus, chains like Arby's can say they serve "100 percent all-natural chicken," despite using artificial flavoring. Even worse, the "all-natural" smoothies at Arby's may contain high-fructose corn syrup.· Fuddruckers doesn't want you to know the fat content of its 1-pound burgers. Fuddruckers said the nutritional information was available on the chain's Web site (it's not). The corporate office later responded that providing such information would be "very extensive and timely."· Dunkin' Donuts doesn't want you to know that each of its medium-size fruit-and-yogurt smoothies packs at least 60 grams of sugar--more than four times the sugar in a chocolate-frosted cake doughnut. The fruit purees used in the smoothies are mixed with liberal doses of sugar and/or high-fructose corn syrup.· Papa 's doesn't want you to know it has made little effort to introduce healthier options. A Papa 's representative admitted, "At this time, we have no additional regular menu items that are targeted toward eating lighter."· Burger King doesn't want you to know that its French toast sticks share a deep fryer with the pork sausage, pork fritters, Chicken Tenders, chicken fries, Big Fish patties, hash browns, onion rings, and Cheesy Tots.· Panera Bread doesn't want you to know that the synthetic food colorings in its pastries have been linked to irritability, restlessness, and sleep disturbance in children. The same ingredients appear in fast-food items such as mayonnaise, M & M Blizzards, and Mc's shakes.· T.G.I. Friday's – You can't find nutritional info. A Friday's PR rep said the data is available for only its "low-fat" dishes--those coming in under 500 calories and 10 grams of fat. All 3 of them.

Baskin-Robbins doesn't want you to know that the top four ingredients in its Blue Raspberry Fruit Blast are Sierra Mist soda, water, sugar, and corn syrup.Source

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Have Our Kids Eaten Beef From The "Downer" Cows?

Posted: 2008-02-22 14:48:49 UTC-06:00

I've followed the reports and posted about the recall of 143 million pounds of beef that was possibly contaminated with mad cow disease.I still can't believe this beef was sent to our kid's schools but even more disturbing is the fact that the USDA has decided that it's okay for children and consumer to eat that beef as long as it is mixed with beef from other cows.This startling decision appeared in a USDA memo reported in the Wall Street Journal, which stated:"If a processor or grinder has records demonstrating that products were produced using less than 100% of recalled Westland meat for the meat component, then there is no need...to retrieve that 'commingled' product."What? We can feed our kids beef from "downer" cows if it's added to so called healthy cow's beef? How does this process make it safer to eat? I don't think so! The USDA isn't really interested in consumer safety. That's why they've issued this statement that means a meat packing company can use 99% of its beef from mad cow disease "downer" cows, and 1% of its beef from healthy cows, and it's all declared "safe" by the USDA with no need to recall the beef.The statement from the USDA reveals that the agency believes the recalled beef is so dangerous that nobody should eat it, but it's safe enough to eat alongside beef from other cows. This is statement makes me scared and angry. Don't they care about public safety?If the meat is potentially contaminated with mad cow disease (which is the whole reason why it was recalled in the first place), then mixing mad cow disease-contaminated meat with non-contaminated meat does not reduce the potential danger of the "commingled" meat in any way whatsoever.The recall came three weeks after the Humane Society of the United States released videotapes from an undercover investigation showing Hallmark/Westland workers using a variety of abusive techniques to force sick and injured cattle into the slaughterhouse so they could be processed into food.USDA plans to begin listing retailers later this year, but critics want quicker action on the plan in order to protect consumers.Rep. DeLauro, chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Schafer asking the department to issue an emergency rule listing the retailers and school districts that received products tied to the Hallmark/Westland recall."No clear information has been made available on the products involved and this has resulted in consumer confusion about whether they, or their local school district, purchased products subject to the recall," said DeLauro, who chided the USDA for protecting the industry at the expense of the public's health.Much like the FDA, the USDA is primarily focused on protecting the profits of the industry it claims to regulate. What's important to the USDA is promoting beef, not protecting the public, and that's exactly why you also see these intentional delays in the USDA issuing beef recalls.These delays are specifically designed to limit the financial losses associated with beef recalls by making sure most of the meat is already eaten by consumers before the recall is issued.What started as animal cruelty has turned into Americans building distrust of the USDA and the decisions they have made. When our kids health is put below industry profits everything is wrong with the picture.

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

French Fries Don't Count As Vegetables

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:54:45 UTC-06:00

"I hate veggies," my son and husband tell me.

The only ones they like are French fries with ketchup. The occasional salad and maybe some corn and they think that's good enough. I was worried about their overall health especially my husband after a bone density test showed he was off the chart on the high risk. He's only 40-years-old and aging more like a 55-year-old man.

Why veggies help keep us healthy?

Because they have vitamins, mineral, antioxidants and other nutrients a body needs to process food. They are a good source of co-factors. Co-factors are crucial for absorbing nutrition from food, giving fuel for energy, diminishing stress and helping us age gracefully, something my husband needs now.

Did you know by not eating veggies you get constipated and have bad breath?

The meat and dairy proteins we eat need the co-factors from veggies to break these proteins. Poorly processed proteins clog us up and cause leaky gut - holes in the intestines that bacteria make. A leaky gut allows foreign substances to pass into our bloodstream and make their way to our joints. The result is inflammation and joint pain. Our immune system will misfire, causing our skin to break out with acne, lesions and scabs. Sometimes what leaks though causes toxic growths and arterial plaque. Soon disease emerge, like allergies, acne, osteoporosis, lupus, arthritis, cancer and even heart disease.

Lack of co-factors causes cravings.

Our body craves for missing nutrients. Cravings keep on until our body gets what it's looking for or becomes exhausted from looking. When we eat junk food like sugar, white bread, white rice, most pasta, or other refined food like corn oil and soybean our body has to scrounge for co-factors. If none are available it steals them from bones, organs, muscles and other tissue. This happens so that at least our body can use junk food for fuel. This puts off death, but not forever and not for very long.

If you are like me and are tired of the battles over eating veggies and tired of spending money on veggies just to have them rot in the fridge there is help.

Now my family is on the road to better health, and we still don't eat enough fruits and veggies. I invite you to check out the new Pop-A-Green and it's twin Pop-A-Purple. These are fruits and veggies (minus the fiber*) in capsules for people who know nutrition matters and is very important for good health.

The Whole Food Nation, Pops are whole food supplements, fruits, veggies, herbs, spice, probiotics, prebiotics and digestive enzymes.

*You might be thinking fiber is a good thing and you're right but not in your supplement. Here's why, fiber in a supplement takes the place of real nutrients, it's filler when used in supplements. If you need to take fiber take it alone, not as part of your supplement. This way you get the most from both.

The Pop-A-Purple and Pop-A-Green were created so we could pop two small healthy capsules to help make up for our sins of nutrition omission...No one eats perfect, even the Pops creators.

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Oranges For Health And So Much More - Top 10

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:54:59 UTC-06:00

1. If losing weight or adopting a healthier lifestyle is top priority try adding citrus to your diet. Oranges are helpful to dieters since they are low in calories and contain cholesterol-fighting fiber. Studies show that people who eat fruit such as lemons, tangerines, oranges and other whole foods, tend to eat less at subsequent meals, compared to people who eat "lighter, more calorie-dense foods" such as chips, snack crackers, desserts or candy.

2. Oranges can help fight off colds and the flu. The juicy fruits are a good source of Vitamin C, an immunity booster. Because Vitamin C can't be stored in the body, it is important to constantly replenish yourself regularly. Try an orange a day to keep colds away.

3. Let the energizing scent of oranges carry you through the extra long winter months. Save and dry your orange peels and add them to your favorite potpourri. The citrus scent is subtle, yet effective enough to freshen your house.

4. Try using oranges in your homemade beauty remedies. As reported by getacnetreatment.net, oranges have been shown to prevent acne, so mix a tablespoon of fresh-squeezed orange juice with a cup of plain yogurt for an effective face mask. Add a few more drops of juice to one cup of mineral water for a purifying facial astringent.

5. Use oranges for dessert. With many fruits out of season, substitute oranges in your chocolate fondue. Use orange section wedges to decorate a cake. Or, for a lighter, guilt-free indulgence, simply top your orange wedges with a dollop of low-fat whipped topping.

6. Look to citrus to create your own inexpensive, yet wholly relaxing home spa. Drop fresh orange peels or orange slices and a cup of oatmeal into your bathwater for a revitalizing, aromatic, citrus spa experience.

7. Put away your flower vase and brighten your home with an eye-popping seasonal fruit bowl. Oranges make fantastic accents against the yellows and greens of grapefruits, lemons, and pears.

8. Orange-incorporated cleaning products are a rising trend because they clean your home without the overpowering, chemical scent. For a chemical-free way to freshen your kitchen, run a few orange quarters and half a cup of baking soda down your garbage disposal to neutralize unwanted odors. Microwave smelly sponges for 30 seconds in a bowl of water with the juice of one orange slice, and dispel unwanted odors and bacteria from your dishes and countertops.

9. Oranges are sturdy, portable and easy to peel, making them a perfect addition to your kids' lunch bags. With child obesity rates on the rise, it is more important than ever to encourage a balanced diet at an early age.

10. Adding the juice or zest from an orange can add a refreshing and healthy kick to traditional recipes. The robust flavor of this versatile fruit pairs wonderfully with rich seasonal dishes, while adding a dose of wellness with every bite.

Doesn't this make you want an orange? Me too!

source

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Fight Back During Cold And Flu Season With Healthy Food

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:55:41 UTC-06:00

Your food and healthy lifestyle choices boost your immune system, and that can prevent you from coming down with colds and flu. The key is not waiting until you get sick to make these changes; you need to revamp your diet and lifestyle before the cold and flu bugs hits you.Drink lots of water, eat a healthy balanced diet supplemented with a whole food supplement for extra protection, exercise often and get restful sleep.Eat More Fruits and VegetablesYou know you need to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. The problem with this age - old phrase is that people tend to like the fruits more than the veggies. If you really hate a certain vegetable it's probably not going to do you a lot of good if you have to force yourself to eat it. To keep your immune system strong, you have to actually get the fruits and veggies in your body, you have to make it happen.People tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables in the winter, which is the opposite of what you should be doing. Everyone needs at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day to get adequate vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants -- all things we need for a healthy immune system.Make sure that fruits and vegetables are part of every meal. You can add berries or a sliced banana to your whole grain cereal at breakfast and drink a glass of 100% orange or grapefruit juice. Pack a bunch of grapes or an apple with your sandwich for lunch, and top that sandwich with tomato slices, avocado, sprouts and lettuce. Start dinner off with a salad or vegetable soup, or serve a big salad as a healthy dinner. Keep a bowl of oranges, apples and pears on your counter top to grab as quick snacks.Keep Up Your Healthy DietWhile you want to focus on increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat, don't forget to choose other healthy foods to supply nutrients your immune system needs. A healthy balanced diet with lean meats, fish, poultry, low-fat dairy, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds provides your body with all of the nutrients you need for general health. A healthy body tends to have a healthier immune system.Protein sources such as lean meats, dairy, eggs and legumes are especially important because they supply the amino acids that your body needs to build the components of your immune system. Lean meats also contain iron and zinc; deficiencies of these minerals can depress your immune system.Of course, avoiding unhealthy food is important too. Stay away from excess sugar and unhealthy fats, such as saturated fat and trans fats. Make a real effort to give up the Mc Junk meals. Keep healthy snacks handy so you won’t be so tempted to eat less healthy options. Try dried fruit or trail mix.If the cold or flu bug bites here’s a daily menu based on experts’ recommendations:BreakfastOrange juice or half a grapefruit. Both are great sources of vitamin C, which could shorten the duration of colds.Whole-grain cereal or bread. Whole grains are rich in vitamins and minerals, including zinc and vitamin E, which can help keep your immune system healthy.Black tea. Real tea leaves (not herbal) have substances that speed the action of cilia, the tiny hairlike cells lining your nasal pas-sages, helping them expel germs.Mid-morning snackYogurt with fresh fruit.LunchChicken soup. Nebraska researchers used a traditional recipe they called “Grandma’s Soup,†which had veggies like onions, parsnips, and carrots, along with chicken. But most of the commercial varieties they tested reduced inflammation, too. For even more protection, add a clove or two of garlic.Anise-seed cookie. Anise seeds, with their licorice-like flavor, have been found to help break up congestion.DinnerSalad of bitter greens. Watercress and arugula can make a salad special—and research shows they may also have antiviral effects. Bitter greens are especially helpful in relieving chest congestion, sniffles, and coughs.Pasta with tomato sauce and plenty of garlic. Because the pungent bulb is one of the most potent disease-fighting foods around, it’s worth having at least two servings a day. Raw garlic has the most benefits, but cooked garlic also packs a punch.Ginger tea. It’s different and refreshing—and ginger is loaded with virus-fighting substances, including several that act directly against cold viruses.â€(One substance, gingerol, can suppress coughing.) Boil water; then steep a tablespoon of fresh shredded ginger for 2 or 3 minutes.Honey and lemon drink: for a bedtime drink that helps to soothe sore throats and coughing – squeeze the juice of a lemon into a mug of hot water and add a teaspoon of honey, stir to dissolve.

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Need All Day Energy?

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:56:12 UTC-06:00

If you are dragging through the day no matter how much sleep or rest you get, it could be your choice of food.Having plenty of energy to keep up with the kids, work and personal life starts with your diet.To get and keep your energy your body breaks down the food you eat into glucose (blood sugar) -- the body's main fuel -- and sends a steady stream of it to your cells.To feel energized throughout the day, your blood glucose level should stay within a certain range. If your blood glucose spikes and drops too low you're going to feel lightheaded and lethargic. This happens when you rely on energy drinks for the quick pick up. Also, when you go too long without eating or you eat the wrong kinds of foods, your blood glucose can spike and drop, eventually causing the same symptoms.Here are some ideas on how to eat for all-day energy and keep your blood glucose level stable.Don't skip mealsNot eating meals is one of the fastest routes to low blood sugar. If you skip breakfast, your ability to concentrate will likely suffer all morning. Skip lunch, and by 3 p.m. your energy level and concentration will inevitably crash.The reason: Your brain needs glucose to function.To keep your blood glucose from dipping, and zapping your physical and mental energy, eat three meals or six smaller meals a day consistently and don't go more than four hours without eating something.Balance mealsMake sure your meals include a mix of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain products, fresh vegetables and fruit, beans, lentils and other legumes, protein and some fat.At breakfast, have whole grain waffles topped with fresh fruit, and a cup of organic plain yogurt.At lunch, have a ham-and-cheese sandwich on whole-grain bread (this provides protein, fat and carbohydrate) and vegetables such as carrot, green pepper or celery sticks or a piece of fruit (all of these are mostly carbohydrate).A combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat helps moderate carbohydrate absorption so your blood sugar rises gradually.If you eat only carbohydrates, such as the fruit alone, your blood glucose level will rise and drop quickly, leaving you hungry and low on energy within an hour or two after you eat.If you only eat protein, you'll get calories, but they won't kick in fast enough to make you feel energized when you need it..Snack smartTo counteract energy lulls you feel during the day, eat snacks that mix carbohydrates, protein and fat.Good energy-sustaining snacks include low-fat plain yogurt with fresh fruit; cheese and crackers; an apple with peanut butter; and low-fat cookies, such as graham crackers or gingersnaps, and a glass of milk.If you experience an energy low that makes you feel shaky or keeps you from focusing on your work, opt for a carbohydrate-rich snack, such as a whole-grain breakfast bar or a glass of chocolate milk or fruit juice.Do not grab the sugary snack or energy drinks no matter how these are marketed as being "healthy." You will have a crash of energy and feel worse than before.Even though I do make every effort to eat right, I Pop this to get natural energy from food.

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Spice It Up Baby - Food That Is...

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:56:40 UTC-06:00

It's still cold outside but get ready to spice it up this summer by adding fresh herbs and spices to your meals and salads.Since ancient times spices have been used all around the world both to stimulate the senses and for medicinal purposes.Herbs and spices give your body protection from cancer and other illnesses due to their natural biochemical ingredients. They also help to detoxify the body through stimulating the function of the liver and the kidney, and help make us more alert by stimulating our brain and nervous system.Herbs like dill, parsley, caraway seeds, garlic, onions, boldo, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper are all easy to use in cooking and contain the important protective nutrients for your liver.So give it a try, give your usual meals a new twist!

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Family Mealtimes - Get To Know What's Going On In Your Childs Life

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:56:59 UTC-06:00

What is dinnertime like in your home?Is it normal for each family member to heat their own meal in the microwave whenever they are hungry or it's convenient and go off to their own corners of the house?For many families, eating dinner together has become a lost art—but it proves to be a simple, effective way to reduce the risk of youth substance abuse and to raise healthier children. Before family dinners go the way of the dinosaur, let’s make the effort to preserve family mealtime.The facts are on the table: eating dinner together every night keeps the doors of communication open. It’s the perfect time and place to reconnect and to show your kids that they are your priority. Sitting across the table is where and when you can find out more about your children’s likes, dislikes, and daily life. Having this information can help you direct your children toward positive activities and behavior, reducing the likelihood that they will get involved with alcohol, tobacco, and/or illegal drugs.Why Are Family Mealtimes Important?By eating with your children, it is more likely that meals will be healthier and more balanced.Compared to teens that have frequent family dinners, those who rarely have family dinners are three-and-a-half times more likely to have abused prescription drugs or an illegal drug other than marijuana.Girls who have five or more meals a week with their families are one-third less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits, which can range from skipping meals to full-fledged anorexia or abusing diet pills.Parental influence and involvement is an important tool in preventing substance abuse.Regularly sitting down for a meal with your children is one way to connect with them and be involved with what is happening in their lives.Besides, what's more important than our kids? Nothing for me!Try to make these family meals healthy and ask the kids to help prepare them. Healthy eating starts with the parents. Set an example for your kids.Sources:http://family.samhsa.gov/get/mealtime.aspx American Dietetic Association. Making the Most of Mealtime, last referenced January 31, 2008.The Importance of Family Dinners IV, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, September 2007. University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Project Eating Among Teens (Project EAT), January 9, 2008.

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Cancer Cannot Be Prevented --- Myth

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:57:26 UTC-06:00

Myth: Cancer cannot be prevented.Fact: Scientists estimate that as many as 50 percent or more of cancer deaths in the United States are caused by social and environmental conditions and unhealthy choices.These conditions and choices can result in an unhealthy diet, obesity, or unhealthy human behaviors such as smoking and physical inactivity. We now know more about how to prevent many cancers including cancers of the lung, cervix, colon, rectum, and skin.In general, the factors that can help prevent cancer include:· not using cigarettes or other tobacco products· avoiding second-hand smoke· not drinking too much alcohol· avoiding weight gain and maintaining a healthy weight· getting five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables and a low-fat diet· balancing calories with physical activity· being physically active· protecting skin from sunlight (new info from Living Well on sun and skin)· supporting community efforts to develop a healthy social and physical environmentYour health is your business. Invest in it and stay alive longer. Always put off investing in health until tomorrow and there will not be a tomorrow.

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Movement For A Whole Food Nation

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:58:05 UTC-06:00

Why am I promoting a whole food nation?

Lots of reasons, they all start with me. It started because of my picky eater husband and son. I know a diet of junk food grows a junk body. I’m not a “health nut,†yet but I do care about keeping us healthy and alive.

What’s more important than that? Nothing, for me.

The SAD, Standard American Diet is very different than it was a hundred years ago. The biggest change is generally how it’s prepared. Years ago food was prepared and served more simply.

Thanks to food-processing technology, we’ve seen the development of convenience foods, quick fix packages, frozen, canned, boil-in-bags, and of course microwavable foods that get us in and out of the kitchen quickly. Generally, few people cook in the traditional way, at least on a regular basis. It’s become easier and more convenient to open a can, nuke prepackaged meals, stir water into the contents of a one skillet meal and heat and serve a frozen dinner.

Highly processed junk food has become a billion-dollar-a-year industry. Grocery store shelves are packed with candy, packaged baked goods, cookies, sugary dry cereals that also have artificial flavors and colors, just add water dinners, snacks loaded with sugar, fat and salt. Too many sodas and juice cocktails blends made with more chemicals and additives than actual fruit.

Average Americans are in need of a diet overhaul. Most of us are eating too many empty calories, and too much fat, too little fiber, and our diets are lacking in vitamins and minerals. One of the most significant things we can do to feel healthier, improve our energy, sleep better and reduce our risks of disease is to improve our diet. We can do this by making a real effort on five basic diet goals:

1. Eat fresh veggies and fruits.2. Cut back (or cut out) refined and processed sugars.3. Cut back on cooked fats and make sure most of the fats you eat are healthy ones, like olive and coconut oils.4. Limit the salt you eat.5. Eat adequate amounts of quality protein.

Food provides our body energy. Without good food our body is too tired to function. Food provides the nutrient base necessary for building, repairing and maintaining a strong and healthy body. Food also makes us feel full and energized, or tired, jumpy, and crabby. The breakfast we eat, the lunch and snacks we choose, the dinners we prepare - all provide the fuel required by every cell in our body.

Food was a primary form of medicine in ancient cultures and has continued to be used through the ages. Warm teas and soups for colds, toast and crackers for upset stomachs, prune juice for constipation - all well-known and time-tested “medicines.â€

Food is important for preventing illness and has shown to cure it. Today the importance of diet in maintaining health and also in contributing to the development of disease, is increasing evident. A healthy diet with whole grains, whole fruits and veggies, good protein is useful in treating acute and chronic illness, as well as in promoting and enhancing optimal health.

In my family, we are not perfect eaters, we don’t eat fast food anymore but our diet doesn’t include near enough fruits and veggies. It was a battle trying to get my son and husband to even try veggies. I tried trick cooking, you know hiding veggies in other food, didn’t work. I researched “picky eaters†tried lots of new things, still never found anything that worked for us. I hated that it was junk food or nothing.

Trying to do the right thing, I bought vitamins for us. I never knew if they helped us because I never knew what we needed. I knew for certain our diet was lacking whole foods, like fruits and vegetables. When I first heard about this new supplement with whole food fruits and veggies, I wanted it. This is what we needed.

So here we are about 6 months later and I’ve learned so much about the effects nutrition has on our energy, sleep, health and feeling good. I’ve also learned about what to look for in a supplement or vitamin. In fact I stopped giving my son a gummy bear type vitamin because of the corn syrup in it. He gets enough sugar without it being in a vitamin.

Okay, on to a whole food nation. When we started on this supplement my goal was to stop the battles over food and maybe get some good stuff in my picky eaters body. What I’ve found is we don’t want fast food anymore. Six months ago it was Mc’s, Burger King or KFC at least once a week. Now we don’t crave cookies, chips, candy, sweet rolls, Little Debbie snacks, etc. as much.

Our son wants whole grain everything and likes it. I’m still amazed at how he went from the white bread culture to whole food in less than 6 months. Nutrition with whole foods made a huge difference in our health, how we feel, what we want to eat, our energy to do more family things, our moods and the most important thing is we are staying alive.

So with all the science and research behind whole foods in our daily diet, are you on the Whole Food train? If not - what are you doing to stay healthy and stay alive?

Here’s what we use now, because we aren’t perfect.

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Energy Drinks - Health Risks - These Are Not For Kids

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:58:39 UTC-06:00

Energy drinks are all the rage these days. They are sold everywhere. They are being marketed to consumers under 30, and a niche market has become college students and athletes. More marketing towards young people is happening, even though many energy drinks have warnings on the can that they are not for kids. The manufacturers might claim they're not marketing to kids, but when the distributors say they want to come to our schools and distribute products for free, and pamphlets, it sounds to me they're marketing to kids.

They are a convenient drink touted as drinks that give you energy and keep you active and alert. Energy drinks do not offer any good nutrients that our bodies need. They do offer health risks.

• Energy drinks contain large doses of caffeine and sugar in them along with other stimulants such as ephedrine, guarana, and ginseng

• Energy drinks contain as much caffeine as in a cup of coffee. The difference in drinking a cup of coffee and an energy drink is with coffee it's sipped, energy drinks are guzzled and many times drank one after another

• Consumed quickly, the caffeine and sugar rush into your blood stream, giving you a caffeine jolt and raising your blood sugar levels and blood pressure, making your heart beat faster

• High levels of sugar and caffeine may produce symptoms including irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness, and nausea severe enough to require hospitalization

• Energy drinks have also been known to dehydrate our bodies if we drink them while we exercise

•Energy drinks have become popular as mixers for alcoholic beverages. The quick energy provided by the caffeine and sugar counteract the drowsiness produced by alcohol, and the drinker will be able to party longer.

•They'll also enjoy a bigger hangover the next morning thanks to dehydration produced by the caffeine.

• One hidden danger is that drinkers may be unaware of how intoxicated they are and attempt to drive, or drink to extreme excess.

• Once the stimulant effect of the caffeine wears off, the depression of the central nervous system remains and the drinker could vomit in their sleep, aspirate the vomit and suffocate, or experience respiratory distress.

Pregnant women and children should never drink energy drinks.

My family gets healthy energy.

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Whole Food Multis Help With SAD - Standard American Diet

Posted: 2008-02-27 11:59:44 UTC-06:00

A fact of modern life is that most people do not regularly eat real, whole, raw, nutrient-dense foods. Instead, most diets consist of cooked and processed foods that are full of artificial ingredients and toxic substances and contain very little in the way of vitamins or other vital biochemicals.The ideal diet would contain raw spinach, kale, broccoli, poultry, fish, zucchini, squash, seeds, nuts and fruits, etc., the actual diet of most Western peoples contain few of these real whole foods. Instead, the diet consists of hamburgers, fast foods, french fries, boxed cereal, table sugar, potato chips, bagels, cheese spreads, ice cream, muffins, cakes, fish sticks, trans fats, margarine and pasteurized milk and juice. This Western diet has been called SAD (Standard American Diet).The SAD diet is so named because its ingredients not only fail to provide people with the nutrients necessary for cellular health and function, but it also is active in destroying health, and thereby creates disease as well as a lack of resistance to disease (also called an impaired immune system).Due to the SAD diet, whole food supplements may be used to bolster health by supplying the nutrients that are not consumed on a regular basis. In this way, consumers of whole food supplements may eat a wide variety of foods in tablet, powder or capsule form without having to even “enjoy†the flavor.The convenience and benefits of whole food supplementation make up, at least in part, for the failings of the daily diet. And in many cases, whole food supplementation has reversed symptoms and restored quality of life to those with impaired health.Because foods are not pharmacological agents, whole food supplements may be taken in conjunction, and coordination with, allopathic medical treatment, drugs and modalities.Food science researchers have, in keeping with traditional medicine, discovered that certain foods exert a positive effect on certain bodily systems. Thus, specific whole food supplement formulas are used to feed very specific functions, targeting, for example, the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, eliminatory, immune, skin, musculoskeletal, energy and glandular systems of the body.Further, there are some foods that offer protection and immune system enhancement with their ability to remove toxins from the body. The sulfur-containing plants — cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, radish and Brussels’ sprouts — are one example.These vegetables have the ability to convert fat-soluble toxins into water soluble versions that can be eradicated from fat cells and removed from the body through the kidneys. Still other natural, whole foods offer antioxidant benefits to offset the damage caused by “free radical†molecules that rob the body of oxygen.http://www.arevitaminssafe.com/

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Man Cannot Live On Vitamins Alone

Posted: 2008-02-27 12:00:00 UTC-06:00

If you take vitamin supplements, Man Cannot Live on Vitamins Alone, by Dr. Vic Shayne, is a must-read. This critically-important, easy-to-read book scientifically proves that vitamins and other nutrients are only harmonious when still contained in their original foods. Are corporate scientists and marketing fooling us?

Supplements are either natural or they are not. This book shows you how to tell the difference!Buy NowAbout the Author:Dr. Vic Shayne is a clinician and food science researcher and author of more than 500 articles and three books on health and nutrition. His professional practice involves working with women yearning to improve the lives and health of their families through nutrition, awareness of environmental chemicals and organic foods.

http://www.arevitaminssafe/

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Toss The Can Opener - Easy Ways to Eat Fresh

Posted: 2008-02-17 14:05:11 UTC-06:00

Eating fresh food is a given in almost every medical tradition. In today's processed-food world, it's more important than ever, not just for the health benefits of local grown produce but also because of the dangers presented by the alternative.A substance used to line food cans, bisphenol A, is classed as an endocrine disruptor, a compound that can act like a hormone when it enters the human body.Scientists have found that exposure to such chemicals can contribute to prostate cancer, cystic ovaries, breast cancer, and endometriosis. To give your body the best chance for it's maximum stint on the planet, boot the canned foods out of the pantry. Think of all the canned Green Beans kids eat.Start by replacing any canned ingredient with fresh, such as, fresh tomatoes in recipes instead of canned tomatoes. Your meal will taste better with fresh and be so much healthier for you. Look at the different ingredients you can replace canned for fresh and not add any time to preparing the meal.

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Tea Party - It's Not Just For Kids

Posted: 2008-02-17 12:05:22 UTC-06:00

Remember the tea parties you had as a child? Well tea benefits all guests, maybe not the teddy bear but all human guests.

The best testimonial for tea is from the centenarians around the world. Tea is the beverage most commanly enjoyed by worldwide centenarians.

The free radical-inhibiting property of tea is more potent than that of vitamin E. Tea is a proven preventive and treatment for hardening of the arteries.

The polyphenols in tea, especially the catechins, are powerful antioxidants that help ward off diabetes and cancer.

Drink tea...black tea, oolong tea, green tea and white tea.

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

Downer Cows Being Used in Food Supply - Puts Our Kids' Health at Risk

Posted: 2008-02-18 10:04:05 UTC-06:00

This story makes me sick because I'm an animal lover and can't stand seeing them mistreated. I'm also a mother with a child in one of the schools that has received meat from these tortured animals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has ordered the closing of the Hallmark Meat Packing Co. plant in Chino, California, where animal rights activists said they videotaped "downer" cows being prepared for slaughter.

Cows that cannot stand up are banned from the food supply because it is a primary characteristic of an animal with Mad Cow disease. The Humane Society of the U.S. says it obtained video evidence that workers at the plant repeatedly attempted to force "downed" animals onto their feet and into the human food chain.

The plant has been closed voluntarily since the video first surfaced and USDA launched an investigation. said suspension is a regulatory course of action available when FSIS finds egregious violations of humane handling regulations. He said the suspension will remain in effect and the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company will not be allowed to operate until written corrective actions are submitted and verified by FSIS to ensure that animals are humanely handled.

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said his department has evidence that Westland did not routinely contact its veterinarian when cattle became non-ambulatory after passing inspection, violating health regulations.California based Westland Meat Co. supplies the National School Lunch Program along with other federal-aid programs. The company has delivered ground beef and other products to schools in 36 states.

A list of 120 Minnesota school districts received possibly unsafe beef. My son attends one of these schools. One district put 44 cases of pre-cooked frozen hanbuger patties on hold following the announcement on Feb. 4th that it received potentially tainted meat.

Jack in the Box, a San Diego-based company with restaurants in 18 states, told its meat suppliers not to use Hallmark until further notice, but it was unclear whether it had used any Hallmark meat. In-N-Out, an Irvine-based chain, also halted use of the Westland/Hallmark beef. Other chains such as Mc's and Burger King said they do not buy beef from Westland.

From Minnesota Dept of Education:Of the schools and organizations that received Westland beef, we identified 120 that currently have unused product. We have contacted those schools and organizations and instructed them on how to isolate the product.• The majority of the Westland beef that was sent to Minnesota was likely served to students before the USDA issued its advisory. Based on the information that has been gathered by the Minnesota Department of Education, approximately 60,000 pounds of the initial 240,000 pounds of Westland raw beef sent to Minnesota has not been used and has been isolated.• The Department of Education has also been able to identify approximately 15,500 pounds of Westland beef that was delivered to Minnesota schools as processed products, including beef crumbles and hamburger patties. That identified product has also been isolated. more

The Humane Society of the United States released a video Jan. 30th that shows cattle too sick to walk being tortured until they stand to pass U.S. Dept of agriculture inspections at Westland Meat Company/Hallmark Meat Packing. The Humane Society claimed these "downed" animals put the food supply at risk for schools across the nation.

"Downed animals may have a higher risk of being infected with (Mad Cow Disease), E.Coli and Salmonella." the HSUS said in a newsletter.

What are Downer Cows? Here

Humane Society of the United States video of these "downer" cows being tortured, here. HSUS investigation here.

Full Story, updated Feb. 16 here. Please read.

www.AreVitaminsSafe.com

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