HealthAndFitnessNow.com Blog

Raw Food Diet for Beginners

2009-01-05T15:41:00.009-06:00

I had heard some intriguing things about the raw food diet on a local television news program and was interested in finding out more. As I began pouring over the internet for information, I found myself slowly but surely buying into the idea. It seemed to make a lot of sense. Eating whole-fresh, live foods - how could anyone argue with that? Along the way, I had come across some instances of people “not doing well” on the raw food diet, but surely that wouldn’t happen to me – that happens to other people.

Well, after a couple of months of experimenting and gradually incorporating more raw foods into my diet, I finally decided to go 100% raw. To make a long story short, I began experiencing a few problems. First and foremost, I lost a lot of weight – too much weight. I also lost a lot of energy – feeling lethargic a lot of the time. Without going into a long explanation, here are a few of the mistakes I made that, hopefully, you can avoid.

#1) Calories – calories – calories !!! In general, raw foods are not very calorie-dense, meaning you have to eat much more of them to achieve a normal intake of say, 2000 calories a day. Fresh fruit and produce contain a lot of water, which is easy on your body and the digestive process, but doesn’t help very much in getting the calories you need. If you’re used to eating a standard diet, and then switch to raw, you have to increase the volume of raw foods you take in, just to maintain anything like a normal bodyweight. For example, if you’re used to eating an apple and a carrot as a snack, that’s about 110 calories – a long way from 2,000 calories. See what I mean?

#2) Too much fat !! Raw fooders typically consume way too much fat in their diet (and most of them don’t even know it). They think that because they’re consuming the “good” kind of fat (i.e. unsaturated fat), no problem. Sorry – problem. You just can’t gorge on avocados and nuts, etc. Too much fat in the diet, even if it’s the good kind of fat, can cause a whole host of major problems.

#3) Now that I’m eating better, my health will improve automatically! Eating more nutritionally is only one aspect of achieving and maintaining good overall health. You can’t forget all of the other things that are associated with staying healthy – like physical activity-exercise, proper rest, stress reduction. Don’t obsess on just the diet – good nutrition is just one of the pillars of good health.

When I first began studying raw foods and was searching for information, I came across one particular author who sounded a little different from the others. In fact, he expressed some opinions that were kind of bold and clearly at odds with conventional “raw” wisdom. I began reading his postings and e-zines, and they made a lot of sense to me. I liked his independent thinking, approach and integrity. He has written one of the key books on the topic of Raw Foods, called The Raw Secrets.

Click here for more information on the book.

Announcing New Healthy Salad Recipe eBook You Can Download For Free

2008-04-27T22:01:00.003-05:00

I have just released a new 68 page Healthy Salad Recipe eBook, and I'm giving it away free (for now). It contains 40 recipes including salads that promote cleansing and detoxing, salads you prepare in a blender, salads that are helpful in boosting the brain, and others. You will learn which fresh vegetables are thought to be especially good at cleansing and detoxing the body. In the section on salads that boost your brain, learn what you can add to your salads to help improve motor skills and overall learning capacity. In blended salads, we discuss how to assimilate more of the nutrients in the salads you prepare. Other chapters include salad recipes that promote healthy skin and hair, salads for weight loss, immune boosting salads and others.

The Healthy Salad Recipe eBook is in Adobe's PDF format and can be immediately downloaded. To get your free copy, click on the link below.

http://www.healthysaladdressing.com/

10 Super Foods

2007-12-05T11:04:00.001-06:00

This week, I am sharing with you a list of 10 Super Foods
to keep you healthy.

#1) Avocado - rich in the "good" type of unsaturated fat,
Vitamin E, folate, Vitamin B6 and fiber. Watch your
portions, though, as avocados are high in calories.

#2) Blueberries - great for their antioxidants
(anthocyanins), fiber and a decent amount of Vitamin C.

#3) Brazil Nuts - a great source of selenium, which is a
trace mineral that seems to have anti-cancer properties. All
you need is a couple of medium size brazil nuts a day.

#4) Broccoli - A major source of sulforaphane and
indole-3-carbinol - strong anti-cancer compounds. You can
also try other members of the cruciferous vegetable family
like Brussel sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage.

#5) Kale - A dark green leafy vegetable that contains the
carotenoids: lutein and zeaxanthin. These two compounds are
found in the macula of the eye and seem to protect against
free radicals and age-related eye diseases. Try spinach,
collards and turnip greens also.

#6) Kiwifruit - a study concluded that the kiwi is the most
nutrient dense of 27 commonly eaten fruits. It's high in
potassium, Vitamin C and fiber and also contains folate,
magnesium, Vitamin E, copper and lutein.

#7) Lentils - loaded with heart-protective nutrients
including folate and fiber (soluble and insoluble). Lentils
can be a good source of protein and iron as well.

#8) Quinoa (KEEN-wah) - used by the Incas and is a "seed"
not a grain. Quinoa is a high quality source of protein and
has a better balance of amino acids than many grains. It
also contains fiber, magnesium, potassium, zinc, Vitamin E,
riboflavin, copper and iron.

#9) Sardines - a great source of omega-3 fatty acids which
decrease blood clotting, prevent heart arrhythmias and
reduce inflammation. Eating the small bones can also be a
good source of calcium. Sardines are low in mercury, but
watch out for sardines canned in very salty sauces.

#10) Yogurt - A good source of calcium, protein and friendly
bacteria called probiotics. Probiotics promote good
digestion and boost immunity. Be sure to look for low fat or
no fat varieties.

Calcium and Fat Loss

2007-11-26T21:08:00.001-06:00

Several recent studies about calcium have shown some unexpected, surprising, even "shocking" results. In earlier experiments, researchers were trying to find out what effect calcium might have on lowering blood pressure and came up with a totally unexpected side effect - the people in the study were also losing a lot of body fat. As lead author Hang Shi put it, "The effect is very significant, much more than we imagined it would be." Research shows that as calcium intake goes up, body weight and body fat both go down.

Scientists like Michael Zernel, Ph.D. have concluded that the calcium in our fat cells helps determine whether fat is stored or broken down by our body. It seems that calcium encourages the fat to be burned rather than be stored and that the more calcium there is, the more fat that will be burned. Another theory is that calcium may also "bind" with the fat - allowing us to excrete it rather than have it build up. An extra-added bonus is that a calcium rich diet also appears to target belly fat in particular, one of the worst problem areas for many people.

In these experiments, both calcium supplements and low fat dry milk were used as sources of calcium in the diet. While the supplements produced a 42% decrease in body fat, the low fat dry milk did even better with a 60% decrease in body fat. Calcium from low-fat dairy sources appears to produce the best results.

Now before we go out and buy a gallon of ice cream to start our new diet, we need to clarify these studies' results. Nowhere does it say that "fat" is helpful; it's the calcium that is responsible for these surprising results. Unfortunately, many of our common sources of calcium are loaded with fat, like ice cream, whole milk, high fat yogurt, etc. To achieve the benefits noted in these studies, we need to take in **low fat** sources of calcium, like skim milk, fat free yogurt, etc. (and of course continue to watch our calories). If you are lactose intolerant, you might also consider some non-dairy sources of calcium like broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables, calcium enriched orange juice, salmon, almonds and oats.

Top 20 Antioxidant-Packed Foods

2007-11-14T17:41:00.001-06:00

If you still need evidence that eating fruits and vegetables is beneficial, the USDA recently authorized a major study to identify the levels of antioxidants in some commonly consumed foods. (Antioxidants are disease fighting compounds that are thought to fight many common ailments like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's.)

In addition to testing fruits and vegetables, the study also examined spices and nuts. Although we normally consume spices in very small quantities, several were found to be very high in antioxidants - particularly ground cloves, ground cinnamon and oregano.

The list below is ranked by (TAC) or Total Antioxidant Capacity:

1. Small Red Bean (dried) Half cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 13727

2. Wild blueberry 1 cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 13427

3. Red kidney bean (dried) Half cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 13259

4. Pinto bean Half cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 11864

5. Blueberry (cultivated) 1 cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 9019

6. Cranberry 1 cup (whole)
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 8983

7. Artichoke (cooked) 1 cup (hearts)
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 7904

8. Blackberry 1 cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 7701

9. Prune Half cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 7291

10. Raspberry 1 cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 6058

11. Strawberry 1 cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 5938

12. Red Delicious apple One
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 5900

13. Granny Smith apple One
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 5381

14. Pecan 1 ounce
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 5095

15. Sweet cherry 1 cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 4873

16. Black plum One
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 4844

17. Russet potato (cooked) One
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 4649

18. Black bean (dried) Half cup
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 4181

19. Plum One
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 4118

20. Gala apple One
Total antioxidant capacity per serving size 3903

Energy Tip for the Holidays - And It's Absolutely Free

2007-11-01T22:11:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick energy tip for your upcoming holiday gatherings, and it's absolutely free. The end of year holiday season will soon be upon us and along with that come the parties and the family get-togethers with the big buffets and dinners. I can almost predict what the scene will look like after the huge meal; everyone is wishing they had a nice place to lie down for awhile - that is those who are not already sleeping on a chair. Where did all the energy go?

Have you ever heard of a principle called The Thermic Effect of Food? In short, it's the principle that states that your body has to expend energy to digest your food. If you eat a piece of cantaloupe, that's not a problem. Your body doesn't have to work very hard to digest a ripe piece of fruit. But let's say you gorge on a meal of roast turkey, stuffing, candied yams, and pumpkin pie topped off with whipped cream. Well now you're up close and personal with the Thermic Effect of Food. Over the next several hours, your body will have to devote most of its available energy to process that meal. It's telling you - sorry, I've got major work to do - you're going to have to leave me alone for awhile. So, why don't you just sit down and relax?

Well, here is a suggestion, and it's so simple that anybody can do it. The answer - chew your food. Chew your food until it becomes a watery blend and then swallow. Why? Well here are several reasons for you to "chew" on. #1) The obvious - chewing makes little ones out of big ones - meaning it mechanically breaks down larger pieces of food into smaller pieces, thus making it easier on all of the other biological systems that follow (esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, etc). The Chinese have a saying that loosely translates as "The stomach has no teeth." #2) As you chew, you are thoroughly mixing food particles with the saliva and digestive enzymes in your mouth. In effect, you are pre-digesting the food. The longer you chew, the more time you expose the food to these digestive enzymes and ease the load on the rest of your system by doing some of the" heavy lifting" in advance. #3) You will eat more slowly and, therefore, probably eat less. #4) The satiety (fullness) signals your body sends to your brain when you are full will more likely work the way they are supposed to work. #5) You will avoid incomplete digestion and the indigestion that goes along with it. Your body is not designed to digest large chunks of food. When it can't, those undigested food particles can cause indigestion and promote the formation of unfriendly bacteria in your intestines.

The main point is that by chewing your food more consciously and thoroughly, you will be taking some of the digestive load off your body, doing more of the work in advance. Remember the Thermic Effect of Food - you will be saving your body from having to do all that work on its own - the less work the body has to perform, the more energy that is left over for you to do other things. Try it - you might feel a little better, a little lighter, a little more energetic this holiday season.

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Your Mother Was Right! Eat Your Fruit and Vegetables.

2007-10-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

"There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult."

- Warren Buffet

The "news" that eating fruits and vegetables can be beneficial for us has been out for over 30 years. Instead of following this simple advice, we seek out the latest nutrition fad like vitamin waters, green powder supplements, and superfoods in a jar. How could anything that's been dehydrated, processed in a factory, stored in a bottle for months or years ever be more healthy and nutritious than a fresh ripe apple or a head of broccoli?

"Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth society will flourish." - Warren Buffet

Here's what science has been telling us for over 30 years. Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables lowers our risks for heart disease, cancer, and stroke (among many, many other benefits). And what are the current leading causes of death? That's right - heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Get it? It's simple. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables (organic if possible).

Health enthusiasts focus on getting enough Vitamins C and E (the antioxidant vitamins) and wonder if they are deficient in this mineral or that. I have no issue with that, because we are sincerely trying to improve our health. My own opinion, though, is that there are probably countless more unidentified micro-nutrients in a simple thing like an orange or kiwi or cantaloupe or sprig of parsley that scientists haven't yet identified. In fact there are probably many, many more nutrients that you ingest when eating a whole fruit or vegetable that work together in some synergistic way that we do not fully understand. The point is that by taking a vitamin supplement, you are receiving only one-isolated slice of the nutrient profile that is otherwise available from eating the whole fruit or vegetable, not to mention the fiber. Just this year, scientists from Cornell University announced that the common apple contains unique combinations of thousands of phytochemicals that somehow seem to be working together as antioxidants to retard tumor growth in cell cultures and animals.

Now I am not arguing against taking a multi-vitamin; I just think we can do better.

Nature has extracted many highly-nutritive components from the soil, absorbed them through the root system of a fruit tree or vegetable plant and created a ready made, nutritious food for all of us to consume. It's what we are supposed to be eating! To attempt to replace all of these micronutrients by taking a tablet containing 500mg of synthetic Vitamin C just doesn't seem nearly as good, does it? How could it possibly compare? So I say, let the scientists continue to experiment and isolate all of these wonderful compounds that are contained in fresh fruits and vegetables over the next hundred or even thousand years. I'm not waiting for that breakthrough special report - it's already out. Eat more fruits and vegetables! Why complicate it any more than it has to be?

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Can Eating Fruit Offset the Toxic Effects of Mercury in Seafood ?

2007-10-16T19:48:00.000-05:00

It has been known for decades that fish is a wonderful low-fat source of high quality protein, and that eating it can decrease your risk of heart attack, stroke, obesity and hypertension. Lately, however, there have been concerns that eating too much fish can cause an accumulation of methylmercury, a widely recognized pollutant, in our body's tissues. A recent study revealed some surprising findings that may allow us to have our cake (seafood) and eat it too (less concern about mercury).

First some background - the methylmercury that is found in seafood comes primarily from power plants that burn fossil fuels, like coal. Then after it rains or snows, the contaminant is brought down into our rivers, streams, oceans and lakes. Fish then absorb it from the food chain in these bodies of water. Larger and more long lived fish tend to have the highest levels of methylmercury - examples are king mackerel, shark, swordfish, tilefish and tuna. Note that "Chunk Light" or "Chunk" canned tuna tend to have lower levels of the contaminant.

A recent study appears to indicate that for people who ate fish on a regular basis, the consumption of fruit was directly linked to lowered amounts of methylmercury in the body. And further that the more fruit that was consumed, the lower the level of methylmercury. The underlying mechanism of how the fruit is allowing the body to eliminate the mercury is still not understood, but the relationship seems to be clear. More fruit consumption equals less residual methylmercury in the body, at least in this initial, relatively small, study.

Here are some possible theories as to why. First, it may be that the phytochemicals in fruit are interacting with toxic metals in our bodies - perhaps blocking their absorption, and thus allowing our bodies to more easily excrete them. Second, the soluble fiber in the fruit may be blocking absorption of the toxic metal at the intestinal level.

Please keep in mind that this is a very preliminary study performed on a small group of people. No one is suggesting that we ignore the government's warning to restrict the consumption of certain kinds of fish that tend to have higher levels of methylmercury, especially if you are a pregnant woman, or a woman of childbearing age who may become pregnant, or a nursing mother. It is too early to conclude that fruits can play a role in protecting us from some of the toxic effects of methylmercury. However, we may have gotten an inkling of just one more of the seemingly endless benefits of eating whole fruits and vegetables.

Resources: To read the US government's warning on methylmercury in seafood, visit http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html

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The Single-Most Importatnt Factor in Losing (or Gaining) Weight

2007-10-08T22:20:00.000-05:00

Here is the bottom line on every weight loss program or diet scheme that has ever been devised. This is the single - all encompassing concept that actually determines whether you will lose weight, gain weight or stay the same, and all you need to understand it is a little elementary school math. I'll first explain the concept in more detail, and then give you an example of how it actually works.

First of all, every day our bodies use a certain number of calories just to "keep the lights on." What do I mean by that? It takes energy (calories) to keep your lungs breathing in and out, to keep your heart beating, in fact, to keep your body warm (98.6 F or 37C). Our bodies are using up energy to keep these biological systems working, whether we are eating or not. Scientists have come up with a name for the energy that a person needs just to "keep the lights on"- it's called the Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. Not everyone's BMR is the same - it varies with your height, weight, age and gender. So for example, a 25 year old 5' 5" female weighing 125 pounds will have a BMR of about 1,386 calories per day. A 25 year old football player who is 6' 4" and weighs 300 pounds will have an estimated BMR of 2,152 calories per day.

Ok, so now we know that our bodies are using up a certain amount of calories, even if we do nothing but sit on the sofa all day (BMR). To this we need to add a second category of calorie burner - our daily Activity. Every time we "move" - walk up the stairs, push a shopping cart down the grocery aisle, work around the house, etc., we use up/expend/burn more "activity" calories. Walking the dog, going for a light jog or running on a treadmill - these activities all burn more calories.

The third and last category of daily calorie burners is one that I can almost guarantee you have never heard of before. It is called the Thermic Effect of Food. What in the world does that mean? To explain, let's say you go out and order a large steak with baked potato and all the trimmings. As you slowly ingest this meal, guess what your body has to do? It has to perform major "work" to slowly break down and digest the food you are eating. It is actually burning or using up calories for digestion. This is called the Thermic Effect of Food.

We are getting close to revealing the one basic concept that is at the foundation of weight gain and loss. We have already discussed the three ways we burn calories every day (BMR, Activity and Thermal Effect). What else do we need to consider? Yes, of course, it's the other side of the equation - that is, how many calories we take in every day - what we eat and drink. For this, we need to add up all the calories consumed in our meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks.

Now we're ready to understand the one simple rule for weight gain or loss. Let's use a real life example. Let's say Suzy is a 30 year old female, about 5' 6" tall and weighs 130 pounds. Her BMR is 1,390 calories per day. Suzy maintains a fairly active lifestyle, so let's say her physical activity calorie burn is 610 calories. Finally, her Thermic Effect calorie burn is about 200 calories. So, if we add up all three ways that Suzy burns calories, we get 1,390 + 610 + 200 = 2,200 calories burned / used up / expended each day.

Now if Suzy eats or consumes about the same number of calories, she will, on average, maintain her present weight (2,200 calories burned = 2,200 calories consumed). If she eats slightly more calories, she will gain weight (2,200 burned, 2,300 consumed). If she eats slightly less calories, she will lose weight (2,200 burned, 2,100 consumed). In other words, if you want to lose weight, you need to create a calorie "deficit." If you want to gain weight, you need to create a calorie "surplus."

Most of us would like to lose a little weight, so as you can see from the math, you can create a caloric deficit two ways, really. You can eat the same and exercise more, or you can eat less and maintain your present activity level. Ideally, you will take in slightly less calories and become slightly more active every day - thus working both sides of the equation at the same time, but please note - you should always consult a physician before making any changes to your dietary or lifestyle habits.

Here is something that you might think is controversial at first, but if you think about it for awhile, you will understand an important distinction about how calories work. Calorie surpluses or deficits, as explained above, are the biggest factor in determining your weight gain or loss over the long term, no debate - end of story. As an extreme example, you could come up with a weight loss plan that includes eating nothing but cotton candy and funnel cakes all day, as long as you were strict about counting calories and creating a deficit. (Please do not do this; these are two of the worst foods I can think of, and I’m only using them to make a point.) If you burned more calories than you consumed eating these two disgusting foods – you would lose weight. On the other hand, your nutrient intake would, of course, be a disaster. So you see nutrition is really a separate and distinct issue from weight gain or loss. Therefore, why not make the effort to choose nutrient dense foods, like fruits and vegetables?

Remember that the deficit/surplus concept works over the long term. Your daily weight fluctuation can be affected by many temporary factors such as water retention, undigested food, etc. The best way to lose weight permanently is to create a small-daily caloric deficit eating nutrient-dense foods. Since a pound of fat is equivalent to about 3,500 calories, one strategy would be to create a deficit of 500 calories per day X 7 days = 3,500 calories per week. This equates to losing about a pound a week. If you think that’s too small, remember that there are 52 weeks in a year. Another hint: you don’t have to rely solely on eating less food to create the caloric deficit – you can also work the other side of the equation by becoming more active in your daily lifestyle. (Again, consult a physician before making any changes to your dietary or lifestyle habits).

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Nature's Fat Burning Foods

2007-09-05T16:21:00.001-05:00

Did you know there are certain foods proven to speed your fat burning potential? What if I told you eating chocolate could actually help you lose fat or that eating red peppers or broccoli can kick your metabolism into high gear, helping you burn extra fat calories? Well, guess what? Studies now show that some foods do in fact increase your body's ability to burn fat.

. Chocolate: Probably the best news you will hear today is that eating chocolate is actually a good thing when it comes to burning fat. The catch however, is that only pure, unrefined dark chocolate will do, and then only a tiny amount per day (6 grams). Apart from its amazing antioxidant properties, cacao, also knows as raw chocolate, contains small amounts of theobromine, caffeine and other natural stimulants that increase your metabolism. Cacao also contains many chemicals that act as an appetite suppressant.

. Cayenne: Another amazing food is the cayenne pepper. This wonderful fruit has been used for centuries to treat arthritis, digestive troubles, migraine headaches, and circulatory problems. But now, studies show capsaicin, the active thermogenic ingredient in cayenne, also increases the metabolism of dietary fats in women. As an added bonus, cayenne works to suppress appetite. Just add 1 tspn of cayenne pepper to 1/2 cup of hot water, 3 times a day and watch the fat melt away.

. Coconut Oil: The many wonders of coconut oil are still being discovered. This saturated fat actually works to get rid of unwanted body fat. Unlike long chain fatty acids found in animal fats that go directly to fat storage, coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid that is used for immediate energy consumption. As well, coconut oil stimulates your metabolism helping you burn more calories and accelerate fat loss. By substituting coconut oil for your regular cooking oil you will not only add a whole new taste sensation to your food, but you will also begin to see and feel a variety of health benefits.

. Bee Pollen: Bee pollen is one of nature's best-kept secrets. Apart from being 40 percent protein, it contains high concentrations of enzymes, phytochemicals and nutrients, essentially making it a complete food. Bee pollen can not only stimulate your metabolism but also flush fat from your body. It is also a wonderful appetite suppressant. Between 15 and 20 grams/day (1/2 ounce) is the usual recommended dose.

. Green Tea: Green Tea is widely known as a powerful antioxidant, but studies also show this pleasant tasting tea has superior fat burning properties. High concentrations of catechin flavanoids found in green tea, are shown to increase the rate of calorie burning and promote fat loss.

There is also a whole list of foods that actually take more energy to digest than there are calories contained within them. These negative calorie foods include fruits such as grapefruit, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, watermelon, peaches, apricots, blackberries, clementines and tangerines to name a few. Many vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, leeks, cabbage, lettuce, peppers, celery and cauliflower are also considered negative calorie foods and are great for snacking because they work to raise your metabolism and burn fat while satisfying a hungry appetite.