Friday, April 4, 2008

A Healthy Lunch part of a Healthy Diet

Lunch is a very important meal - one that needs to keep your metabolism going and provide you the energy for the afternoon stretch. Most people we find not bringing their own lunch to work, but instead buying. In my experience, not only is buying more expensive to you and adds up quickly if you're on a budget, but it's most often compromising to your health, especially when you can better control what you're going to eat when you make your own at home. You can get what you need at the supermarket, prepare it exactly how you like it, and be sure that the fruit and or vegetable that you want is included. And believe me, all of this is going to be cheaper than going somewhere and having someone prepare your sandwich. And if it's not more expensive, then be assured that it is certainly "garbage" that you're eating (i.e. fast food?).

Here's more from Michael Pollihan who agrees about most of what we consume being less-than-healthy-food -

According to Michael Pollan, most of what Americans consume isn't food. He calls it "edible foodlike substances." He also says that the way we consume it is not really eating. It's something we do pretty unconsciously as we work or drive or watch TV. We all know about the U.S. epidemic of obesity and diabetes over the past 25 years, on top of the steady rise of chronic diseases over the past hundred. Paradoxically, this happens just as Americans and the food industry are ever more aware of nutrition. What's going on here? Pollan claims that in the Western diet, good old food has been replaced by nutrients, mom's good advice by nutritional experts, common sense by confusion, and for most, a relatively good diet by a bad and dangerous one. The book in which he makes all these claims and advises us simply to "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants," has topped the New York Times bestseller list. (from AlterNet.org)

Comments: Bottom line, most of what is offered at supermarkets, sporting events, bowling alleys, quick shops, fast food restaurants, and everywhere that has a shelf with a food item on it, is just not the best nutrition for our health. Start with those items that come from the garden, or the orchard.
Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Is Medifast a Food?

Here's more from Michael Pollihan who agrees about most of what we consume being less-than-healthy-food -

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Micronutrients Helps Cattle, Medifast Helps Humans

The subject of proper nutrition - which starts with healthy soil and includes a balance of trace elements and micronutrients - is always a source to turn to when discussing good health. Not only the health of humans, but animals that are used for meat and milk and many other products and consumables. It turns out that the problem of bovine tuberculosis may be related to lack of nutrients in the soil, at least as reported in the UK. What's intersting to think about here is not just the benefits on farms, but the benefits to all consumers. What about the benefits in the overall health of citizens, knowing that cattle may have so much less health problems with proper micronutrients in the soil? Is it unrealistic to think that many of world's health problems today, that weren't such an issue 25 years ago, are due to the lack of micronutrients in our diet? With so many fast foods and processed foods being consumed that have absolutely NO micronutrients or phytonutrients, is it any wonder that the total bill for health care has skyrocketed over the past 25 years?! There should be contingencies made for those who consume products that are deficient in these nutrients, especially if they are shown to reduce such things as TB in cattle. Why would the effect on humans be any different? Here's more about this story --

Mr Goodwin-Jones is director of the Carmarthen-based Trace Element Services Ltd, a company he founded in 1982 after a series of trials on his underperforming 150-acre Carmarthenshire farm.

“By trial and error I discovered the vital importance of trace elements or micro nutrients to our stock and was able to correct the problems we were having very quickly,” he said.

Since forming his company Mr Goodwin-Jones has developed techniques of treating pastures with small amounts of missing elements, and he has an archive of correspondence acknowledging success in improving animal health.

“About 10 years ago I began to realise that the increasing incidence of bTb was related to a lack of natural immunity in cattle caused by the imbalance of trace elements,” he said.

Results from farms showed that treatment with trace elements, particularly with selenium and iodine, produced outstanding results. He even maintains that restoring trace elements to an impoverished pasture cuts fertiliser and vets’ bills, reduces problems with lambing and produces more dairy heifer calves than bulls. read more...

Comment: It is clear that a healthy diet includes the right macronutrients and micronutrients for supporting good health and preventing sickness and disease. The economic and health consequences otherwise will eventually bankrupt our society - fiscally and physically!

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Meal plan: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Medifast - Can a Healthy Diet Provide Cancer Help?

Anyone who tells you that your diet won't make a difference in your health either has been living in a cave their whole life or... well, who knows. The fact is that with so much evidence pointing to the importance of a healthy diet in the prevention of sickness and disease, it is clear that most of our health problems stem from poor nutrition. While diet can't provide all the protection from sickness and disease - certainly genetics and environmental conditions can be contributing factors that we may not have too much control over - there is no debating the importance of consuming healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. This advice wouldn't mean much if it didn't come with the ever-growing important point of avoiding, completely, all processed and fatty foods. In particular, reference should be made to those offered by fast food restaurants where soft drinks are commonly purchased with those items - another no-no.

Here is an article on how diet may be particular beneficial after the fact - that is, after you or someone you know has been diagnosed with cancer, but how most of it comes from patient testimonials. And because a condition or disease is present, it is noteworthy that not just any healthy diet will do, but one that is stictly raw-food. Some would go so far as to say an alkaline diet. Regardless of "Scientific Research", no diet that includes hot dogs, Twinkies, and soda is going to improve the body's fighting power against cancer. Here's more:

A raw-food diet – basically raw fruits, vegetables and whole grains – has plenty of advocates, but whether it's the right choice for a cancer patient is open to question. A raw-food diet includes raw fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains. Foods are heated to no more than 116F. In a matter of seconds, you can find numerous testimonials online about its health benefits. However, finding peer-reviewed scientific studies, much less specific research on raw foods and cancer, is harder. "There are only a couple dozen studies worldwide on relationships between raw-foods diets and anything else," says Suzanne Havala Hobbs, a registered dietitian with a special interest in vegetarian nutrition who has tracked the raw-foods movement. She knows of no studies on raw foods and cancer. "What you could say about a raw-foods diet and cancer risk or cancer treatment could be something that's extrapolated and kind of surmised," she says, "based upon the body of evidence related to diet and cancer in general." read on...

Comment: Before you have to deal with a life-threatening disease, you may want to try adjusting your diet habits now and move toward a healthy diet plan that includes mostly raw foods. It may not be easy, but for this reason it is suggested that making one small change at a time to ensure lasting change may be a smart way to go about it. For the sake of weight loss and health, it is definitely something to consider.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Weight Loss and Diet Study - Calories Trigger Brain Response

A new study is pointing to calories as the culprit of the brain response that triggers an "addiction" to food. That is, more calories creates more "pleasure" as a response in the brain, and therefore more calories would be desirable again. This may be an oversimplification of the process, but the bottom line is that too many calories may trigger a response in the brain of pleasure, and the cycle of wanting more calories when it's time to eat again continues. While the wrong types of calories are too often consumed, the body then becomes deficient of healthy nutrients. For this reason, you may want to consider adding Vemma liquid nutrition to your daily diet. Vemma stands for Vitamins, Essential Minerals, Mangosteen, and Aloe. These are all great sources of nutrients, with a large percentage coming from plant based sources.

Here's more about the connection with calories and the brain as reported on Food Navigator --

A new animal study indicates that food calories, not just sweetness, can trigger a positive response in the brain - a breakthrough that could have implications for anti-obesity strategies and the food industry. Scientists have long known that there is a link between sweet taste and production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that provokes feelings of pleasure. Dopamine is produce in two areas of the brain - the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) of the ventral striatum, and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC).

Medifast

Get medifast for weight loss, health, a healthy diet, and a diet plan. Medifast is a product that helps you lose weight. There are benefits to using Medifast in your diet, and can be used for weight loss. Phase 1 - 5 & 1 Program for Weight Loss 5 Medifast Meals per Day Over 50 meals to choose from - shakes, bars, drinks, oatmeals, chili, soups, pudding and more. 1 "Lean and Green" Meal per Day Lean Meat: 7 ounces of chicken, turkey of fish, or 5 ounces of lean beef, pork or lamb. Grill, bake or poach meats using non-stick spray. Salt, pepper, herbs and spices may be added if desired. You may also use 1 - 2 teaspoons of condiments such as ketchup, mustard or barbecue sauce. Salad or Vegetables: Either 2 cups of salad greens (any kind) and up to ½ cups raw vegetables, or up to 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables. You may also use 1 - 2 tablespoons of Media low-fat or non-fat dressing.Phase 2 - BeSlim™ Philosophy of Lifelong Weight Control Once you have reached your healthy weight, your Health Advisor will help transition you to the BeSlim™ philosophy of lifelong weight control. The BeSlim™ philosophy is a part of the Take Shape for Life program that incorporates key behaviors mastered by those who lost significant amounts of weight and kept their weight off for years. These key behaviors include: Breakfast (eating Breakfast every day) - High quality fuel, such as our delicious Medifast oatmeal, cappuccino, or chai latte, is essential to start your day the right way. Exercise - Continued exercise increases metabolism, provides strength, flexibility, and mental clarity. Support - Your Health Advisor is here to help you reach and maintain your goals, providing the coaching, tools, education, and caring support you will need along the way. Low-fat meals 5-6 times a day - Eating frequently, controlling portion and total calories, especially those from fat, are critical for success. Individual Plan - Create an individual plan to help you achieve an optimal healthy lifestyle and build the skills and strategies you need to cope with modern life. Monitor your weight - Weigh yourself on a regular basis to maintain optimal weight. Catch it before it becomes a challenge! Join the BeSlim™ Club today and set your life in motion! Introducing the New BeSlim Club & Rewards Program! Optimal Health is its own reward, but how about earning a bonus or two along the way? You’re on a journey to Optimal Health. You’ve made a commitment to lose weight and keep it off! You’ve earned the right to celebrate your success! The new Take Shape For Life BeSlim Club & Rewards Program is your ticket there. The BeSlim Club & Rewards Program is Take Shape For Life's progressive savings program, offering clients and Health Coaches an easy way to obtain their Medifast Meals at a savings, with exciting rewards you can earn along the way! The longer you are member of the BeSlim™ Club, the more significant your savings are and the more rewards points you’ll earn. When you join the Take Shape For Life BeSlim Club & Rewards Program, you: Enjoy your favorite Medifast Meals all month long, with orders conveniently shipped right to your door Save on your meal purchases and enjoy increased savings the longer you’re on the program Earn points towards exclusive rewards that promote healthy living Receive coupons for special savings. Enrich your life as you achieve Optimal Health Available to all, the BeSlim™ Club is a great way for individuals learning and practicing the BeSlim™ philosophy. Every time you order, you earn points towards healthful rewards. Here’s how: There’s no minimum purchase required. Redeem your reward points* for exclusive Take Shape For Life merchandise, including: Apparel, Exercise Equipment, Spa Trips, And more! Join the BeSlim Club today! Simplify Your Life -- — Receive automatic monthly shipments of your favorite Medifast Meals; Save Your Money — Enjoy savings that increase the longer you are a club member; Earn Just Rewards— Select from an array of rewards that promote healthy living and a healthy lifestyle.

However the researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, wanted to find out if the brain dopamine reward system is sensitive to the metabolic value of nutrients, even when the taste receptor activation is absent. read more...

Comments: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Does Diet and Geography Determine Your Longevity?

A doctor has done a study that will let you know the average lifespan you can expect based on where you live and how much money you make. This wouldn't seem unusual on the surface if you consider the extremes - poverty-sticken areas with higher crime rates versus wealthy areas with no crime. However, there may be more questionable results when you get to the center of the curve, those areas that make up a majority of the country - average income, average lifestyle, in average-priced neighborhoods - the middle to upper-middle class of people. Dr. Anthony Iton has still managed to come up with an estimated lifespan based on these few factors. Here's more --

If you tell Dr. Anthony Iton where you live and how much money you make, he'll tell you how long you're likely to live. The public health director for Alameda County said he was startled by the results of taking the county's deaths and mapping them according to U.S. Census tracts, a far smaller and precise geographical region than ZIP Code.

"There are hot spots of death where life expectancy is literally on the order of a decade shorter than other parts of the county," said Iton, who has been on the job five years. "That's pretty astounding. That's 10 years of life lost due to social conditions."

According to Iton, the vast majority of deaths in the so-called hot spots in Alameda County were not due to crime or AIDS, but to heart disease, cancer and other chronic conditions - the same diseases that kill the general population. These diseases just kill people in poorer neighborhoods faster.

But he believes, contrary to health reform proposals nationwide, that health insurance does little to solve the problem. "Health care doesn't work to reduce health disparities. We spend way more than anyone else, and health costs are going up. The more we spend, the worse the problem seems to be getting," he said, adding that genetics account for a relatively small percentage of chronic illnesses.

To Iton, the greatest determinant of an individual's health and life expectancy is education. read more...

Comment: According to other studies, he is correct - a higher education is associated with a longer life, something that we blogged days ago. So not only would you benefit from continue to learn each day, and live with a healthy diet at a healthy weight, but you might want to consider a move to an area where your chances are greater for a longer life!?

HWI
Recommendation: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Junk food disguised as healthy will blow your Medifast diet.

The aisles are not safe, people! There are some crazy-high-calorie and freakishly fatty foods lurking in your local grocery store -- prepare to be shocked!

Bear Naked All Natural Granola, Apple Cinnamon
PER SERVING (1/4 cup): 140 calories, 7g fat, 5mg sodium, 17g carbs, 3g fiber, 5g sugars, 3g protein.

If you were scanning the granola section, you might think this Apple Cinnamon stuff is a diet-friendly choice. After all, it's fruity and natural, and 140 calories per serving doesn't seem unreasonable for a breakfast cereal/snack food. But get this -- the serving size is just 1/4 cup! That's only four measly tablespoons! A full cup of this stuff packs in 560 calories and 28g fat. At the very least, you'd think this would be a better option than Bear Naked's chocolate or peanut butter granolas... right?!? Wrong-O! The Heavenly Chocolate actually has HALF the fat and 10 fewer calories a serving, and even the Peanut Butter has less fat than the Apple Cinnamon. Watch out for this stuff, unless you have amazing self-control.

Medifast

A much better breakfast alternative is the Medifast meal plan.

Trader Joe's Veggie Chips (Potato Snacks)
PER SERVING (about 26 chips, 1 oz.): 160 calories, 10g fat, 240mg sodium, 16g carbs, 1g fiber, 0g sugars, 1g protein

Time and time again people at T.J.'s grab these so-called Veggie Chips and say to their shopping pals, "Look! Chips made from vegetables! Perfect for my diet and my potato chip addiction!" Sadly, these are nothing but veggie-flavored potato chips with as much fat as the real things. In fact, they're not even MADE with actual vegetables. After potato, oil, and salt, you'll find "tomato powder" and "spinach powder" on the ingredients list. Powder?!? Puh-leeze!

Brothers-all-Natural fruit crisps are a much better alternative to fattening potato chips...You can find them at most health food stores or on line at www.brothersallnatural.com (I LOVE the Fuji Apple flavor!)

Oscar Mayer Lunchables Maxed Out Ham and Cheddar Cracker Combo
PER SERVING (1 container): 660 calories, 22g fat, 1,600mg sodium, 101g carbs, 2g fiber, 57g sugars, 18g protein

Attention moms and dads!!! Just because something is labeled "Lunchables," that does not make it a healthy pick for your kids. This simple cracker pack contains 34% the daily value of fat, 45% the DV of saturated fat, 67% the DV of sodium (1,600 salty milligrams!), and too many calories altogether. Once you recover from reading those INSANE stats, consider this: Those percentages are based on a 2,000-calorie diet, the estimate for the average adult's daily needs. Craziness! We don't recommend that anyone, of any age, snack on this wacky cracker pack.

Every morning we pack a healthy lunch for our children, making fresh sandwiches, fruit, a mini bottle of water. Keep in mind, your kids health depends on what YOU choose to feed them!

Hershey's Shell Topping (original chocolate)
PER SERVING (2 tbsp.): 220 calories, 18g fat, 15mg sodium, 16g carbs, 1g fiber, 14g sugars, <1g protein

A few squirts of candy-flavored dessert topping on your low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt certainly seems like it would be a guilt-free alternative to an actual candy bar. But a serving of this stuff actually has MORE fat (and just 50 fewer calories) than a full-sized Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar -- and that's BEFORE you factor in your ice cream or fro yo! Not only that, but the plain chocolate topping's even got more fat and calories than the Reese's and Heath flavors in the Shell Topping lineup (don't get excited -- those have horrendous nutritionals as well).

Hey, here's a thought, just forgo ice-cream altogether and you won't need this junk to pour on top of it? Kill two birds w/ one stone!

Recommended: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Does Diet and Geography Determine Your Longevity?

To Iton, the greatest determinant of an individual's health and life expectancy is education. read more...

Weight Loss and Diet Study - Calories Trigger Brain Response

Here's more about the connection with calories and the brain as reported on Food Navigator --

Medifast

Junk food disguised as healthy will blow your Medifast diet.

Medifast

Hey, here's a thought, just forgo ice-cream altogether and you won't need this junk to pour on top of it? Kill two birds w/ one stone!

Medifast Diet Help & News Updates

Friday, April 4, 2008

A Healthy Lunch part of a Healthy Diet

Medifast

Medifast Diet

Medifast Nutrition

Is Medifast a Food?

Medifast

Medifast Diet

Medifast Nutrition

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Micronutrients Helps Cattle, Medifast Helps Humans

Medifast

Medifast Diet

Medifast Nutrition

Medifast - Can a Healthy Diet Provide Cancer Help?

Medifast

Medifast Diet

Medifast Nutrition

Friday, March 28, 2008

Weight Loss and Diet Study - Calories Trigger Brain Response

Medifast

Does Diet and Geography Determine Your Longevity?

Junk food disguised as healthy will blow your Medifast diet.

Medifast

Does Diet and Geography Determine Your Longevity?

Weight Loss and Diet Study - Calories Trigger Brain Response

Medifast

Junk food disguised as healthy will blow your Medifast diet.

Medifast

About Me

Blog Archive