Ploble

Part 2: Food Rules-- An eaters manual

2010-06-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

PART II

What Kind of Food Should I Eat?

If you follow the rules offered thus far you will be eating real, whole food most of the time—the simple key to a healthy diet. Yet there are some whole foods that are better for us than others, and some ways of producing them and then combining them in meals that can make a difference. So the rules in this section propose a handful of personal policies regarding what to eat, above and beyond “food.”

22. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.

Scientists may disagree on what’s so good about plants—the antioxidants? the fiber? the omega-3 fatty acids?—but they do agree that they’re probably really good for you and certainly can’t hurt. There are scores of studies demonstrating that a diet rich in vegetables and fruits reduces the risk of dying from all the Western diseases; in countries where people eat a pound or more of vegetables and fruits a day, the rate of cancer is half what it is in the United States. Also, by eating a diet that is primarily plant based, you’ll be consuming far fewer calories, since plant foods—with the exception of seeds, including grains and nuts—are typically less “energy dense” than the other things you eat.

23. Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food.

Meat, which humans have been eating and relishing for a very long time, is nourishing food, which is why I suggest “mostly” plants, not “only.” But the average American eats meat as part of two or even three meals a day—more than half a pound per person per day—and there is evidence that the more meat there is in your diet—red meat in particular—the greater your risk of heart disease and cancer. Consider swapping the traditional portion sizes: Instead of an eight-ounce steak and a four-ounce portion of vegetables, serve four ounces of beef and eight ounces of veggies. Thomas Jefferson was probably onto something when he recommended a mostly plant-based diet that uses meat chiefly as a “flavor principle.”

24. “Eating what stands on one leg [mushrooms and plant foods] is better than eating what stands on two legs [fowl], which is better than eating what stands on four legs [cows, pigs, and other mammals].”

This Chinese proverb offers a good summary of traditional wisdom regarding the relative healthfulness of different kinds of food, though it inexplicably leaves out fish.

25. Eat your colors.

The idea that a healthy plate of food will feature several different colors is a good example of an old wives’ tale about food that turns out to be good science too. The colors of many vegetables reflect the different antioxidant phytochemicals they contain. Many of these chemicals help protect against chronic diseases, but each in a slightly different way, so the best protection comes from a diet containing as many different phytochemicals as possible.

26. Drink the spinach water.

The water in which vegetables are cooked is rich in vitamins and other healthful plant chemicals. Save it for soup or add it to sauces.

27. Eat animals that have themselves eaten well.

The diet of the animals we eat strongly influences the nutritional quality, and healthfulness, of the food we get from them, whether it is meat or milk or eggs. It’s worth looking for pastured animal foods in the market—and paying the premium prices they typically command if you can.

28. If you have the space, buy a freezer.

When you find a good source of pastured meat, you’ll want to buy it in quantity. Buying meat in bulk—a quarter of a steer, say—is one way to eat well on a budget. A freezer will also enable you to put up food from the farmers’ market, and encourage you to buy produce in bulk at the height of its season, when it will be most abundant—and therefore cheapest. And freezing does not significantly diminish the nutritional value of produce.

29. Eat like an omnivore.

It’s a good idea to try to add some new species, and not just new foods, to your diet—that is, new kinds of plants, animals, and fungi. The greater the diversity of species you eat, the more likely you are to cover all your nutritional bases.

30. Eat well-grown food from healthy soil.

It would have been easier to say “eat organic,” and it is true that food certified organic is usually well grown in relatively healthy soil—soil nourished by organic matter rather than chemical fertilizers. (It also will contain little or no residue from synthetic pesticides or pharmaceuticals.) Yet there are exceptional farmers and ranchers in America who for one reason or another are not certified organic, and the excellent food they grow should not be overlooked. Of course, after a few days riding cross-country in a truck, the nutritional quality of any kind of produce will deteriorate, so ideally you want to eat food that is both organic and local.

31. Eat wild foods when you can.

Two of the most nutritious plants in the world —lamb’s quarters and purslane—are weeds, and some of the healthiest traditional diets, like the Mediterranean, make frequent use of wild greens. Wild animals and fish too are worth adding to your diet when you have the opportunity. Wild game generally has less saturated and more healthy fats than domesticated animals, because most of these wild animals themselves eat a diverse diet of plants rather than grain (see rule 27).

32. Don’t overlook the oily little fishes.

Wild fish are among the healthiest things you can eat, yet many wild fish stocks are on the verge of collapse because of overfishing. Avoid big fish at the top of the marine food chain—tuna, swordfish, shark—because they’re endangered, and because they often contain high levels of mercury. Fortunately, a few of the most nutritious wild fish species, including mackerel, sardines, and anchovies, are well managed, and in some cases are even abundant. Those oily little fish are particularly good choices. According to a Dutch proverb, “A land with lots of herring can get along with few doctors.”

33. Eat some foods that have been predigested by bacteria or fungi.

Many traditional cultures swear by the health benefits of fermented foods—foods that have been transformed by live microorganisms, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, soy sauce, kimchi, and sourdough bread. These foods can be a good source of vitamin B₁₂, an essential nutrient you can’t get from plants. Many fermented foods also contain probiotics—beneficial bacteria that research suggests improve the function of the digestive and immune systems and, according to some studies, help reduce allergic reactions and inflammation.

34. Sweeten and salt your food yourself.

Foods and beverages that have been prepared by corporations contain far higher levels of salt and sugar than any ordinary human would ever add. By sweetening and salting these foods yourself, you’ll make them to your taste, and you will find you’re consuming a fraction as much sugar and salt as you otherwise would.

35. Eat sweet foods as you find them in nature.

In nature, sugars almost always come packaged with fiber, which slows their absorption and gives you a sense of satiety before you’ve ingested too many calories. That’s why you’re always better off eating the fruit rather than drinking its juice. So don’t drink your sweets, and remember: There is no such thing as a healthy soda.

36. Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.

Such cereals are highly processed and full of refined carbohydrates as well as chemical additives.

37. “The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead.”

This rather blunt bit of grand-motherly advice (passed down from both Jewish and Italian grandmothers) suggests that the health risks of white flour have been popularly recognized for many years. As far as the body is concerned, white flour is not much different from sugar. Unless supplemented, it’s little more than a shot of glucose. Large spikes of glucose are inflammatory and wreak havoc on our insulin metabolism. Eat whole grains and minimize your consumption of white flour. Recent research indicates that the grandmothers who lived by this rule were right: People who eat lots of whole grains tend to be healthier and to live longer.

38. Favor the kinds of oils and grains that have traditionally been stone-ground.

The nutritional benefits of whole grains are impressive: fiber; the full range of B vitamins; and healthy oils, all of which are sacrificed when the grain is refined on modern roller mills (as mentioned, highly refined flours are little different from sugar).

39. Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

There is nothing wrong with eating sweets, fried foods, pastries, even drinking a soda every now and then, but food manufacturers have made eating these formerly expensive and hard-to-make treats so cheap and easy that we’re eating them every day. The french fry did not become America’s most popular vegetable until industry took over the jobs of washing, peeling, cutting, and frying the potatoes—and cleaning up the mess. If you made all the french fries you ate, you would eat them much less often, because they’re so much work. The same holds true for fried chicken, chips, cakes, pies, and ice cream. Enjoy these treats as often as you’re willing to prepare them—chances are good it won’t be every day.

40. Be the kind of person who takes supplements—then skip the supplements.

We know that people who take supplements are generally healthier than the rest of us, and we also know that in controlled studies most of the supplements they take don’t appear to be effective. How can this be? Supplement takers are healthy for reasons that have nothing to do with the pills. They’re typically more health conscious, and more likely to exercise and eat whole grains. So to the extent you can, be the kind of person who would take supplements, and then save your money. (There are exceptions to this rule, for people who have a specific nutrient deficiency or are older than fifty. As we age, our need for antioxidants increases while our body’s ability to absorb them from the diet declines.)

41. Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks.

People who eat according to the rules of a traditional food culture are generally healthier than those of us eating a modern Western diet of processed foods. Pay attention, too, to the combinations of foods in traditional cultures: In Latin America, corn is traditionally cooked with lime and eaten with beans; what would otherwise be a nutritionally deficient staple becomes the basis of a healthy, balanced diet. (The beans supply amino acids lacking in corn, and the lime makes niacin available.) Cultures that took corn from Latin America without the beans or the lime wound up with serious nutritional deficiencies such as pellagra. Traditional diets are more than the sum of their food parts.

42. Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism.

Innovation is always interesting, but when it comes to food, it pays to approach new creations with caution. Soy products offer a good case in point. People have been eating soy in the form of tofu, soy sauce, and tempeh for many generations, but today we’re eating novelties like “soy protein isolate,” “soy isoflavones,” and “textured vegetable protein” from soy and partially hydrogenated soy oils, and there are questions about the healthfulness of these new food products. You’re probably better off eating soy prepared in the traditional Asian manner than according to the novel recipes dreamed up by food scientists.

43. Have a glass of wine with dinner.

Wine may not be the magic bullet in the French or Mediterranean diet, but it does seem to be an integral part of these dietary patterns. There is now considerable scientific evidence for the health benefits of alcohol. Mindful of the social and health effects of alcoholism, public health authorities are loath to recommend drinking, but the fact is that people who drink moderately and regularly live longer and suffer considerably less heart disease than teetotalers. Alcohol of any kind appears to reduce the risk of heart disease, but the polyphenols in red wine (resveratrol in particular) may have unique protective qualities. Most experts recommend no more than two drinks a day for men, one for women. Also, the health benefits of alcohol may depend as much on the pattern of drinking as on the amount: Drinking a little every day is better than drinking a lot on the weekends, and drinking with food is better than drinking without it.

Part 1: Food Rules-- An eaters manual

2010-04-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

PART I

What Should I Eat?

The rules in this section will help you to distinguish real foods—the plants, animals, and fungi people have been eating for generations—from the highly processed products of modern food science that, increasingly, have come to dominate the food marketplace and diet.

1. Eat food.

These days this is easier said than done, especially when seventeen thousand new products show up in the supermarket each year. But most of these items don’t deserve to be called food—I call them edible foodlike substances. They’re highly processed concoctions designed by food scientists, consisting mostly of ingredients derived from corn and soy that no normal person keeps in the pantry, and they contain chemical additives with which the human body has not been long acquainted. Today much of the challenge of eating well comes down to choosing real food and avoiding these industrial novelties.

2. Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.

Imagine your great-grandmother at your side as you roll down the aisles of the supermarket. You’re standing together in front of the dairy case. She picks up a package of Go-GURT Portable Yogurt tubes—and hasn’t a clue what this plastic cylinder of colored and flavored gel could possibly be. Is it a food or is it toothpaste? There are now thousands of foodish products in the supermarket that our ancestors simply wouldn’t recognize as food. The reasons to avoid eating such complicated food products are many, and go beyond the various chemical additives and corn and soy derivatives they contain, or the plastics in which they are typically packaged, some of which are probably toxic. Today foods are processed in ways specifically designed to get us to buy and eat more by stimulating our preferences for sweetness and fat and salt. These tastes are difficult to find in nature but cheap and easy for the food scientist to deploy, with the result that food processing induces us to consume much more of these rarities than is good for us. The great-grandma rule will help keep most of these items out of your cart.

3. Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry.

Ethoxylated diglycerides? Cellulose? Xanthan gum? Calcium propionate? Ammonium sulfate? If you wouldn’t cook with them yourself, why let others use these ingredients to cook for you? The food scientists’ chemistry set is designed to extend shelf life, make old food look fresher and more appetizing than it really is, and get you to eat more. They are best avoided.

4. Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup.

Not because high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is any worse for you than sugar, but because it is, like many of the other unfamiliar ingredients in packaged foods, a reliable marker for a food product that has been highly processed. Also, high-fructose corn syrup is being added to hundreds of foods that have not traditionally been sweetened—breads, condiments, and many snack foods—so if you avoid products that contain it, you will cut down on your sugar intake.

5. Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients.

Labels list ingredients by weight, and any product that has more sugar than other ingredients has too much sugar. Complicating matters is the fact that, thanks to food science, there are now some forty types of sugar used in processed food, including barley malt, beet sugar, brown rice syrup, cane juice, corn sweetener, dextrin, dextrose, fructo-oligosaccharides, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, sucrose, invert sugar, polydextrose, sucrose, turbinado sugar, and so on. To repeat: Sugar is sugar. And organic sugar is sugar too. As for noncaloric sweeteners such as aspartame or Splenda, research suggests that switching to artificial sweeteners does not lead to weight loss. It may be that deceiving the brain with the reward of sweetness stimulates a craving for even more sweetness.

6. Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.

The specific number you adopt is arbitrary, but the more ingredients in a packaged food, the more highly processed it probably is. Note 1: A long list of ingredients in a recipe is not the same thing; that’s fine. Note 2: Some products now boast, somewhat deceptively, about their short ingredient lists. Haagen-Dazs has a new line of ice cream called “five.” Great—but it’s still ice cream. In such cases, apply rule 60 for dealing with treats and special occasion foods.

7. Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.

Basically the same idea, different mnemonic. Keep it simple!

8. Avoid food products that make health claims.

This sounds counterintuitive, but consider: For a product to carry a health claim on its package, it must first have a package, so right off the bat it’s more likely to be a processed rather than a whole food. Then, only the big food manufacturers have the wherewithal to secure FDA-approved health claims for their products and then trumpet them to the world. Generally, it is the products of modern food science that make the boldest health claims, and these are often founded on incomplete and often bad science. The healthiest food in the supermarket—the fresh produce—doesn’t boast about its healthfulness, because the growers don’t have the budget or the packaging. Don’t take the silence of the yams as a sign they have nothing valuable to say about your health.

9. Avoid food products with the word “lite” or the terms “low-fat” or “nonfat” in their names.

The forty-year-old campaign to create low-and nonfat versions of traditional foods has been a failure: We’ve gotten fat on low-fat products. Why? Because removing the fat from foods doesn’t necessarily make them nonfattening. Carbohydrates can also make you fat, and many low- and nonfat foods boost the sugars to make up for the loss of flavor. Since the low-fat campaign began in the late 1970s, Americans actually have been eating more than 500 additional calories per day, most of them in the form of refined carbohydrates like sugar. The result: The average male is seventeen pounds heavier and the average female nineteen pounds heavier than in the late 1970s. You’re better off eating the real thing in moderation than bingeing on “lite” food products packed with sugars and salt.

10. Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not.

Imitation butter—aka margarine—is the classic example. To make something like nonfat cream cheese that contains neither cream nor cheese requires an extreme degree of processing; such products should be labeled as imitations and avoided. The same rule applies to soy-based mock meats, artificial sweeteners, and fake fats and starches.

11. Avoid foods you see advertised on television.

Food marketers are ingenious at turning criticisms of their products—and rules like these—into new ways to sell slightly different versions of the same processed foods: They simply reformulate (to be low-fat, have no HFCS or transfats, or to contain fewer ingredients) and then boast about their implied healthfulness, whether the boast is meaningful or not. If you avoid products with big ad budgets, you’ll automatically be avoiding edible foodlike substances. As for the 5 percent of food ads that promote whole foods (the prune or walnut growers or the beef ranchers), common sense will, one hopes, keep you from tarring them with the same brush.

12. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle.

Most supermarkets are laid out the same way: Processed food products dominate the center aisles of the store, while the cases of mostly fresh food—produce, meat and fish, dairy—line the walls. If you keep to the edges of the store you’ll be much more likely to wind up with real food in your shopping cart.

13. Eat only foods that will eventually rot.

What does it mean for food to “go bad”? It usually means that the fungi and bacteria and insects and rodents with whom we compete for nutrients and calories have gotten to it before we did. Food processing began as a way to extend the shelf life of food by protecting it from these competitors. This is often accomplished by making the food less appealing to them, by removing nutrients from it that attract competitors, or by removing other nutrients likely to turn rancid, like omega-3 fatty acids. The more processed a food is, the longer the shelf life, and the less nutritious it typically is. Real food is alive—and therefore it should eventually die. (There are a few exceptions to this rule: For example, honey has a shelf life measured in centuries.)

14. Eat foods made from ingredients that you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature.

Read the ingredients on a package of Twinkies or Pringles and imagine what those ingredients actually look like raw or in the places where they grow: You can’t do it. This rule will keep all sorts of chemicals and foodlike substances out of your diet.

15. Get out of the supermarket whenever you can.

You won’t find any high-fructose corn syrup at the farmers’ market. You also won’t find any elaborately processed food products, any packages with long lists of unpronounceable ingredients or dubious health claims, anything microwaveable, or, perhaps best of all, any old food from far away. What you will find are fresh, whole foods harvested at the peak of their taste and nutritional quality.

16. Buy your snacks at the farmers’ market.

You’ll find yourself snacking on fresh or dried fruits and nuts—real food—rather than chips and sweets.

17. Eat only foods that have been cooked by humans.

If you’re going to let others cook for you, you’re much better off if they are other humans, rather than corporations. In general, corporations cook with too much salt, fat, and sugar, as well as with preservatives, colorings, and other biological novelties. Note: While it is true that professional chefs are generally humans, they often cook with large amounts of salt, fat, and sugar too, so treat restaurant meals as special occasions. Following are a few useful variants on the human-cooked-food rule.

18. Don’t ingest foods made in places where everyone is required to wear a surgical cap.

19. If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.

20. It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car.

21. It’s not food if it’s called by the same name in every language. (Think Big Mac, Cheetos, or Pringles.)

Introduction: Food Rules- an eaters manual

2010-04-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

Food Rules

An Eater’s Manual

Michael Pollan

(New York: Penguin Books, 2009.)

Introduction

Eating in our time has gotten complicated—needlessly so, in my opinion. Most of us have come to rely on experts of one kind or another to tell us how to eat—doctors and diet books, media accounts of the latest findings in nutritional science, government advisories and food pyramids, the proliferating health claims on food packages. We may not always heed these experts’ advice, but their voices are in our heads every time we order from a menu or wheel down the aisle in the supermarket. Also in our heads today resides an astonishing amount of biochemistry. How odd is it that everybody now has at least a passing acquaintance with words like “antioxidant,” “saturated fat,” “omega-3 fatty acids,” “carbohydrates,” “polyphenols,” “folic acid,” “gluten,” and “probiotics”? It’s gotten to the point where we don’t see foods anymore but instead look right through them to the nutrients (good and bad) they contain, and of course to the calories—all these invisible qualities in our food that, properly understood, supposedly hold the secret to eating well.

But for all the scientific and pseudoscientific food baggage we’ve taken on in recent years, we still don’t know what we should be eating. Should we worry more about the fats or the carbohydrates? Then what about the “good” fats? Or the “bad” carbohydrates, like high-fructose corn syrup? What’s the deal with artificial sweeteners? Is it really true that this breakfast cereal will improve my son’s focus at school or that other cereal will protect me from a heart attack? And when did eating a bowl of breakfast cereal become a therapeutic procedure?

A few years ago, feeling as confused as everyone else, I set out to get to the bottom of a simple question: What should I eat? I’m not a nutrition expert or a scientist, just a curious journalist hoping to answer a straightforward question for myself and my family.

The deeper I delved into the confused and confusing thicket of nutritional science, the simpler the picture gradually became. I learned that in fact science knows a lot less about nutrition than you would expect—that in fact nutrition science is, to put it charitably, a very young science. It’s still trying to figure out exactly what happens in your body when you sip a soda, or what is going on in a carrot to make it so good for you, or why in the world you have so many neurons—brain cells!—in your stomach, of all places. Nutrition science, which after all only got started less than two hundred years ago, is today approximately where surgery was in the year 1650.

But if I’ve learned volumes about all we don’t know about nutrition, I’ve also learned a small number of very important things we do know about food and health. This is what I meant when I said the picture got simpler the deeper I went.

There are basically two important things you need to know about the links between diet and health, two facts that are not in dispute. All the contending parties in the nutrition wars agree on them. And, even more important for our purposes, these facts are sturdy enough that we can build a sensible diet upon them. Here they are:

Fact 1. Populations that eat a so-called Western diet—generally defined as a diet consisting of lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added fat and sugar, lots of refined grains, lots of everything except vegetables, fruits, and whole grains—invariably suffer from high rates of the so-called Western diseases: obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Virtually all of the obesity and type 2 diabetes, 80 percent of the cardiovascular disease, and more than a third of all cancers can be linked to this diet. Four of the top ten killers in America are chronic diseases linked to this diet. The arguments in nutritional science are not about this well-established link; rather, they are all about identifying the culprit nutrient in the Western diet that might be responsible for chronic diseases. This diet, for whatever reason, is the problem.

Fact 2. Populations eating a remarkably wide range of traditional diets generally don’t suffer from these chronic diseases. These diets run the gamut from ones very high in fat (the Inuit in Greenland subsist largely on seal blubber) to ones high in carbohydrate (Central American Indians subsist largely on maize and beans) to ones very high in protein (Masai tribesmen in Africa subsist chiefly on cattle blood, meat, and milk), to cite three rather extreme examples. But much the same holds true for more mixed traditional diets. What this suggests is that there is no single ideal human diet but that the human omnivore is exquisitely adapted to a wide range of different foods and a variety of different diets. Except, that is, for one: the relatively new Western diet that most of us now are eating. What an extraordinary achievement for a civilization: to have developed the one diet that reliably makes its people sick! (While it is true that we generally live longer than people used to, most of our added years owe to gains in infant mortality and child health, not diet.)

There is actually a third, very hopeful fact that flows from these two: People who get off the Western diet see dramatic improvements in their health. We have good research to suggest that the effects of the Western diet can be rolled back, and relatively quickly. In one analysis, a typical American population that departed even modestly from the Western diet (and lifestyle) could reduce its chances of getting coronary heart disease by 80 percent, its chances of type 2 diabetes by 90 percent, and its chances of colon cancer by 70 percent.

Yet, oddly enough, these two (or three) sturdy facts are not the center of our nutritional research or, for that matter, our public health campaigns around diet. Instead, the focus is on identifying the evil nutrient in the Western diet so that food manufacturers might tweak their products, thereby leaving the diet undisturbed, or so that pharmaceutical makers might develop and sell us an antidote for it. Why? Well, there’s a lot of money in the Western diet. The more you process any food, the more profitable it becomes.

The healthcare industry makes more money treating chronic diseases (which account for three quarters of the $2 trillion plus we spend each year on health care in this country) than preventing them. So we ignore the elephant in the room and focus instead on good and evil nutrients, the identities of which seem to change with every new study. But for the Nutritional Industrial Complex this uncertainty is not necessarily a problem, because confusion too is good business: The nutrition experts become indispensable; the food manufacturers can reengineer their products (and health claims) to reflect the latest findings, and those of us in the media who follow these issues have a constant stream of new food and health stories to report. Everyone wins. Except, that is, for us eaters.

As a journalist I fully appreciate the value of widespread public confusion: We’re in the explanation business, and if the answers to the questions we explore got too simple, we’d be out of work. Indeed, I had a deeply unsettling moment when, after spending a couple of years researching nutrition for my last book, In Defense of Food,

I realized that the answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated question of what we should eat wasn’t so complicated after all, and in fact could be boiled down to just seven words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

In this short, radically pared-down book, I unpack those seven words of advice into a comprehensive set of rules, or personal policies, designed to help you eat real food in moderation and, by doing so, substantially get off the Western diet. The rules are phrased in everyday language; I deliberately avoid the vocabulary of nutrition or biochemistry, though in most cases there is scientific research to back them up.

In researching this book and vetting these rules I have made good use of science and scientists. But I am skeptical of a lot of what passes for nutritional science, and I believe that there are other sources of wisdom in the world and other vocabularies in which to talk intelligently about food. Human beings ate well and kept themselves healthy for millennia before nutritional science came along to tell us how to do it; it is entirely possible to eat healthily without knowing what an antioxidant is.

So whom did we rely on before the scientists (and, in turn, governments, public health organizations, and food marketers) began telling us how to eat? We relied of course on our mothers and grandmothers and more distant ancestors, which is another way of saying, on tradition and culture—a process involving many people in many places figuring out what keeps people healthy (and what doesn’t), and passing that knowledge down in the form of food habits and combinations, manners and rules and taboos, and everyday and seasonal practices, as well as memorable sayings and adages. Are these traditions infallible? No. But much of this food wisdom is worth preserving and reviving and heeding. That is exactly what this book aims to do.

Food Rules distills this body of wisdom into sixty-four simple rules for eating healthily and happily. The rules are framed in terms of culture rather than science, though in many cases science has confirmed what culture has long known. I have avoided talking much about nutrients, not because they aren’t important, but because focusing relentlessly on nutrients obscures other, more important truths about food.

Foods are more than the sum of their nutrient parts, and those nutrients work together in ways that are still only dimly understood. It may be that the degree to which a food is processed gives us a more important key to its healthfulness: Not only can processing remove nutrients and add toxic chemicals, but it makes food more readily absorb-able, which can be a problem for our insulin and fat metabolism. Also, the plastics in which processed foods are typically packaged can present a further risk to our health. This is why many of the rules in this book are designed to help you avoid heavily processed foods—which I prefer to call “edible foodlike substances.”

I’ve collected these adages about eating from a wide variety of sources. (The older sayings appear in quotes.) I consulted folklorists and anthropologists, doctors, nurses, nutritionists, and dietitians, as well as a large number of mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. I solicited food rules from my readers and from audiences at conferences and speeches on three continents; I publicized a Web address where people could e-mail rules they had heard from their parents or others and had found personally helpful. A single request for rules that I posted on the New York Times’s “Well” blog resulted in twenty-five hundred suggestions. Taken together, these rules comprise a kind of choral voice of popular food wisdom.

The rules here are each accompanied by a paragraph or two of explanation, except for a few that are self-explanatory. My hope is that a handful of these rules will prove sufficiently memorable that they will become second nature to you—something you do, or don’t do, without giving it a thought.

While I call them rules, I think of them less as hard-and-fast laws than as personal policies. Think of these food policies as little algorithms designed to simplify your eating life. Adopt whichever ones stick and work best for you.

But do be sure to adopt at least one from each of the three sections, because each section deals with a different dimension of your eating life. The first section is designed to help you “eat food,” which in the modern supermarket turns out to be a lot more difficult than you would think. The second section, subtitled “Mostly plants,” offers rules to help you choose among real foods. And the third, subtitled “Not too much,” deals with how rather than what to eat and offers a series of policies designed to foster some simple everyday habits that will help you moderate your eating and enjoy it more.

Oatmeal for skin

2010-04-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Oatmeal is very beneficial for your skin. It cleanses your skin without irritating and drying it. It is the reason why oat meal is used as a cleanser mask and scrub. It is an excellent multi- purpose skincare treatment which relieves dryness and maintains the balance of moisture content in the skin.

Benefits Of Oatmeal For The Face:

Oatmeal is very beneficial for your skin. it is one of the best natural treatment for dry skin. They can also act as natural skin cleanser, facial scrub and soothing facial mask.

Some other benefits of oatmeal are:

It helps in relieving the dryness from the skin.
It helps in maintaining the natural moisture balance in the skin which aids in curing minor irritations of the skin.
It is used as a skin cleanser because it removes surface dirt and impurities and provides gentle exfoliation, leaving the skin clean smooth and soft.
It is used as a face mask because cleanse deep pores without irritating and drying out the skin.

Face Masks Of Oatmeal:
Here are few simple ways in which you can prepare face masks using oatmeal and apply them regularly on your face:

Deep Cleansing Face Mask:

Mix 1 tablespoon of finely grounded oatmeal with 1 tablespoon of live organic yogurt and 1 small spoon of honey. Just beat the mixture until it becomes consistent enough to spread all over. If you will use the honey after warming it will give more consistency to the mixture. Now, apply this on a cleansed face and leave for 10- 15 minutes. Then wash it off with warm water and see results.

Honey And Oatmeal Face Mask:

Mix 1 tea spoon olive oil with 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon honey and instant oatmeal. Blend all these ingredients to make them consistent. Apply the mixture on your face and leave for few minutes. Rinse it off with Luke warm water and notice the difference.

Oatmeal And Egg White Mask: Mix oatmeal to the egg white. Blend it well and then apply it on your face. Leave it for drying for 15 minutes. Then wash it off with warm water and see the difference.

Health Benefits of oatmeal

2010-04-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

Plain Oatmeal served with milk and honey for breakfast is one of my favorites, and I know its healthy and good for me. But, what are the benefits of oatmeal?

Healthy Hearts:

By combining soluble and insoluble fibre, oatmeal lowers bad cholesterol. Daily intake of 3 gms of soluble fiber from oatmeal reduces risk of heart diseases.

Stabilized blood sugar:

With a low glycaemic index oatmeal is assimilated slowly, keeping sugar levels stable. The American Diabetes Association recommends a daily fibre intake of 20 - 35 gms. One cup of cooked oatmeal supplies 4 gms.

Colon cancer:

High fibre content of oats is anti carcinogenic, effective especially for colon cancer. Whole oats result in bulky stool, which in turn dilutes carcinogens.

Enhanced fitness levels:

Oatmeal helps in fighting obesity as its soluble fiber slows down digestion, thus increasing the sense of fullness.

Incorporating Oat Diet
When you take a look at your kitchen shelf you should see a whole range of products what are rich in fiber. But remember that the fiber should be soluble fiber. One way to incorporate oats in diet is to consume a small bowl of oat meal porridge every day. Another way is to use rolled oats and normal oats in cookies or in granola or muesli bars or in other such snacks.

Oats not only add fiber to your food but also add zing to it. Rolled oats have long been a staple diet of athletes especially weight trainers. So start on your oat diet and see positive change in your life.

8 glasses of water a day keeps the fat away!

2010-04-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take for granted, water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss.
Water supresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.
Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work it can't
operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.
Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water,it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extracellular spaces (outside the cell). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands.
Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a treat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns.
The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs -- plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released.
If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat the more water your system retains to dilute it.
But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy -- just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys it takes away excess sodium.
The overweight person needs more water than a thin one. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the over weight person needs more water.
Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weigh loss -- shrinking cells are buoyed by water which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.
Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of -- all that metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste.
Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns.
So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss:

The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently.
Retained water shows up as excess weight.
To get rid of excess water you must drink more water.
Drinking water is essential to weight loss.

How much water is enough? On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry.
Water should preferably be cold. It's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. And some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories. To utilize water most efficiently during weight loss, follow this schedule:

Morning: 1 quart consumed over a 30-minute period.
Noon: 1 quart consumed over a 30-minute period.
Evening: 1 quart consumed between five and six o'clock.

When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, it's fluids are perfectly balanced. When this happens, you have reached the "breakthrough point." What does this mean?

Endocrine-gland function improves.
Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.
More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
Natural thirst returns.
There is a loss of hunger almost over night.

If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst. To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough."

6 Reasons lemon is good for more than making lemonade

2009-08-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

By Brett Blumenthal

I love lemon. I love lemon so much that I actually eat and enjoy the taste of the rind (limes too!). Lemon is one of my favorite fruits, and as a result, I use it for a lot of things. My most favorite ways to enjoy lemon, include:

Drinking it in my water: I carry a CamelBak bottle filled with lemon water with me all day.
Drinking it with tea and honey: It is a great cure for a sore throat.
Chicken Piccata: My recipe is always beefed up with lemon, and has actually been called 'infamously lemony.'
With Olive Oil: Reminiscent of Greece, this combination on salads and fish is light, healthy and flavorful.

Although lemon is used widely in foods and recipes for flavor and seasoning, lemon can also provide a host of health benefits:

Detox and Beauty: Adding lemon to water, and drinking the combo throughout the day is great for your body and for your skin. Both lemon and water are important in eliminating toxins. Further, because lemon acts as an alkalizing agent in your body, it helps to neutralize the PH levels in your body.
Digestive System: Lemons can stimulate your digestive system, helping it to eliminate waste. Specifically, drinking hot water with lemon juice can help to alleviate nausea, heartburn, constipation, hiccups, and even, parasites. Further, when lemon is mixed with hot water and olive oil, it may help dissolve gallstones.
Immune System: Lemon is high in Vitamin C, and as a result, is wonderful at strengthening the immune system.
Infection Fighter: Because of its antibacterial and antiviral properties, lemon can be used topically to help fight infection and increase healing. If you can stand the sting, lemon also helps to stop bleeding.
Hair Maintenance: Lemon is great for removing product build up in hair. Further, it is a natural and cheap way to create highlights. Squeeze 1/2 lemon into wet hair and comb it through; and then sit out in the sun for an hour. Brunettes tend to see golden or red highlights, while blonds become lighter.
Insect Repellent/After-Bite Soother: Lemon can be used topically and sprayed in your garden to help ward off mosquitoes and flies. Further, if you are stung by a bee or wasp, you can use it on the bite to help relieve the pain.

To regularly reap the benefits of lemon, try adding it to your water and drink it throughout the day. This is a much more healthful drink than sodas, or flavored waters.
Do you like lemon? Do you use it widely? What benefits have you found?

Health Benefits of Water Melon

2009-08-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

The health benefits of water melon include kidney disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart care, heat stroke, macular degeneration, impotence, etc.
What’s so much the fuss about this Water Melon? Isn’t it nothing more than a ball full of water? Okay! I know there cannot be a more refreshing thing than a big, chilled wedge of water melon in tropical summers and it sports a stylish scientific name of Citrullus Lanatus. But then there are others too. So, what’s special about it? I am afraid, there are lots of them.
How about having a refreshing glimpse of them? Given below are some health benefits of water melon:

Kidney Disorders: Water Melon contains a lot of potassium, which is very helpful in cleaning or washing off the toxic depositions in the kidneys. Moreover, it is helpful in reducing concentration of uric acid in the blood, thereby reducing the chances of kidney damages and formation of renal calculi in it. Added to these, being high in water content, it induces frequent urinating, which is again helpful for cleaning of kidneys. Also, the anti oxidants present in ensure good health of kidneys for a long.
High Blood Pressure: A good amount of Potassium and magnesium, present in water melons, are very good in bringing down the blood pressure. The carotenoids present in them prevent hardening of walls of arteries and veins, thereby helping reduce blood pressure.
Prevent Heat Stroke: Water melon is effective in reducing your body temperature and blood pressure. Many people in the tropical regions eat the fruit daily in the afternoon during summers to protect themselves from heat stroke. In India, you will find the fruit being sold by vendors in almost every street during summers.
Diabetes: Diabetes patients, who are supposed to have low energy and low sugar diet, often complaint about starving since they don’t get to eat their staple diet to their full, giving them a feeling of keeping half fed. Water Melons can be a good supplement for them. In spite of being sweet in taste, a thick wedge will give you very few calories, since ninety nine percent of its total weight is composed of water and roughage. Moreover, the various vitamins and minerals such as potassium and magnesium help in proper functioning of insulin in the body, thus lowering the blood sugar level. Arginine, another component found in water melons, is very effective in enhancing impact of insulin on sugar. Diabetes patients can also have curries, steaks, salads made from water melon rinds which are even lower in sugar.
Heart Care: Lypocene, a carotenoid found in abundance in water melon, improves cardiac functions. Beta carotene, known for its remarkable anti oxidant and anti aging properties, also keeps you young at the heart and prevents age related cardiac problems. The roughage in water melon and its very low energy, with help from vitamin-C, Carotenoids and potassium (potassium cuts the risk of a heart attack), help reduce cholesterol and keep your heart safe.
Macular Degeneration: Leave your worry of eyes on that beta carotene, that vitamin-C and those Lutein and Zeaxanthin. They will ensure protection of your eyes from macular degeneration. They are experts in that. These anti oxidants will protect your eyes from other age related ailments such as drying up of eyes and optical nerves, glaucoma etc.
Impotence: Arginine, present in water melon, is beneficial in curing erectile dysfunctions.
Other Benefits: Lypocene is found to be effective in preventing cancer, prostrate growth and repair damaged tissues. Water melon seeds are rich in good fats and proteins. Water melons also contain phytonutrients which have very good effect on the health and proper functioning of internal organs, eyes, secretion system etc.

This article was contributed by Aparup Mukherjee
On reading this article, Berrada Ali wrote "I have been traveling from Agadir to Marrakech in Morocco yesterday (August 8, 2008), and en cours de route, I bought water melon. During a hot dog day, I dont feel good. I measured my blood pressure with an handy apparatus-a tensiometer-the result was: 7.8/15.2 for diastole and systole. Then I ate half kg of water melon, a variety well known in the region of Southern Morocco - a Mediterranean variety, Then immediately I measured my blood pressure and the result was: 8.2/12.3 for diastole and systole! the drop of the blood pressure could not be the effect of an agent other than the water melon!"

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?

2009-07-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

By Lori Bongiorno

Technically speaking, a tomato is a fruit. That's because the scientific definition of a fruit doesn't take into account how sweet a natural plant product is or whether it's served for dinner or dessert.
A fruit is officially defined as "the fleshy or dry ripened ovary of a plant, enclosing the seed or seeds."
The simplest way to figure out if any plant product is a fruit or a veggie is to ask this question -- Does it have seeds inside? If so, it's a fruit. If not, it's a vegetable.
That makes the following items fruits, not veggies:

Tomato
Cucumber
Squash
Zucchini
Green bean
Pumpkin
Bell pepper
Avocado

What are vegetables? Everything else including roots (potatoes, carrots), bulbs (onions, garlic), leaves (lettuce, spinach), and flowers (broccoli, cauliflower).
Of course, it's not quite as simple as just following the botanical definition. Most of us think of tomatoes (and all the fruits listed above) as veggies because they we use them in salads and as part of meals. Fruits are generally considered sweet and are often used as part of dessert.
And it turns out the U.S. Supreme Court agrees with us, on tomatoes at least. In 1893, the court ruled that tomatoes are vegetables because of how they are used, as part of meals as opposed to as desserts.
No matter how you classify tomatoes, there's no doubt that they are a delicious part of any summer diet. Eating seasonal and local produce, instead of packaged food, is great for your health and the planet's.

The beauty of Honey

2009-07-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

found at www.honey.com

HONEY IN BEAUTY/PERSONAL CARE

Honey has been used in beauty regimes since the time of Cleopatra and is just
as popular today. It's easy to see why. Honey's natural properties and
wholesome image satisfy the increasing demand for products with minimal
artificial ingredients.

Honey is a natural humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture. It's
also an anti-irritant, making it suitable for sensitive-skin and baby products.
And
honey has no additives or preservatives -- it's one of the few products that can be
packed and sold straight from nature. It requires no processing or refining.

The most popular health and beauty products on the market today containing
honey are in the skin care category, particularly bath and shower products, face
creams and skin lotions. Of beauty products that contain honey, hair care is the
category experiencing the most growth.

Research is currently underway to develop a process that uses honey to create
alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), ingredients that are included in skin creams and
moisturizers because they help exfoliate the skin.

Today, honey is used in an ever-increasing number of consumer products for
both men and women.

HOMEMADE HONEY BEAUTY RECIPES

Honey Cleansing Scrub
Mix 1 Tablespoon of honey with 2 Tablespoons finely ground almonds and 1/2 teaspoon
lemon juice. Rub gently onto face. Rinse off with warm water.

Firming Face Mask
Whisk together 1 Tablespoon honey, 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon glycerin (available at drug
and beauty stores) and enough flour to form a paste (approximately 1/4 cup). Smooth
over face and throat. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Smoothing Skin Lotion
Mix 1 teaspoon honey with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice. Rub
into hands, elbows, heels and anywhere that feels dry. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off
with water.

Skin Softening Bath
Add 1/4 cup honey to bath water for a fragrant, silky bath.

Hair Shine
Stir 1 teaspoon honey into 4 cups (1 quart) warm water. Blondes may wish to add a
squeeze of lemon. After shampooing, pour mixture through hair. Do not rinse out. Dry
as normal.

HISTORICAL HONEY BEAUTY SECRETS

Madame du Barry, the infamous last mistress of Louis XV, used honey as a form of facial mask, lying down for a rest while the honey did its work.

Cleopatra of Egypt regularly took honey and milk baths to maintain her youthful
appearance.

It was said that Queen Anne of England used a honey and oil concoction to keep her long hair lustrous, thick and shiny.

It was claimed that another famous Englishwoman, Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, used her own secret recipe for a honey water to keep her hair beautiful.

Chinese women have a tradition of using a blend of honey and ground orange seeds to keep their skin blemish-free.

Brewers' yeast

2009-07-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

Brewers' yeast has been used traditionally for centuries for the purpose of brewing beer and some winemaking. But although the product has been used for centuries, many are not aware of the remarkable health benefits imparted by brewers' yeast, which have earned it the suitable moniker of 'nature's wonder food'.

Many people in the health community or those seeking a healthier diet with an abundance of nutritional element are turning to brewers' yeast as a daily addition.
Because it is also low in fat, sodium, calories, and carbohydrates, it is also beneficial for those with diabetes and hypoglycemics.Brewers' yeast is a natural source of Vitamin B complex and highly concentrated amounts of protein, as well as a wonderful spectrum of other healthy vitamins and minerals.Brewers' yeast is usually recovered as a by-product of the brewing process, absorbing the chemicals, vitamins and nutrients from the other ingredients utilized in brewing beer, mainly grain, malt and hops.

Brewer's Yeast and Minerals
Chromium

Brewer's yeast is one of the richest sources of the essential trace mineral chromium. An essential trace mineral is a mineral our bodies need for daily function that has to be ingested; in other words, the body can't make this mineral on its own. Chromium is one such trace mineral and is used for a wealth of functions in the body. Chromium is an antioxidant and fights free radical damage in the body.
The chromium found in brewer's yeast is an organic compound called GTF or glucose tolerance factor.
One of the most important functions of chromium (GTF), especially with the drastic rise in diabetes, is helping the body to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Chromium
causes the body to use insulin more effectively. Insulin is essential for the
cells of the body to properly use carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for energy.
Without insulin, glucose levels in the blood stay elevated and the liver,
muscles, and fat tissues are unable to appropriately store or convert glucose to
energy.
Continued high levels of glucose in the blood leads to a host of
problems; when blood sugar levels remain elevated, insulin resistance can
develop, and this is the precursor to diabetes.
Chromium
deficiencies can lead to insulin resistance. Insuring adequate levels of this
essential trace mineral can combat insulin resistance and possibly diabetes type
II.

Selenium

Selenium is also plentiful in brewer's yeast. Selenium is another essential
trace mineral and is used to produce antioxidant enzymes. These antioxidant
enzymes are shown to prevent cell damage. Selenium is also needed for proper
immune system function and thyroid function.
It's also theorized that selenium stimulates antibodies, helps boost fertility (especially in men), and protects the body from damage from heavy metals.
Please continue on to the final page of this article to learn addition benefits of brewer's yeast, as well as tips on how to include brewer's yeast into your diet.

The B Complex Vitamins and Health Benefits of Brewer's Yeast

Brewer's yeast is full of the B vitamins; you'll find high amounts of B1
(thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6
(pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), and B9 (folic acid) in this inactive yeast.
This vital complex of B vitamins is essential for almost every body function
including; breaking down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy in the
body. The B vitamins also support the nervous system and maintain digestive
muscles.
The B complex promotes healthy skin, hair, eyes, mouth, and liver.
It's important to get not just a few of the B vitamins but the entire complex in
adequate amounts. These B vitamins work in synergy; when one vitamin is
deficient it impairs the function of the rest of the B vitamins, as well as
adversely affects the bodies' ability to use other vital nutrients. Brewer's
yeast provides this complex.

Protein and Brewer's Yeast

High in protein, brewer's yeast contains all of the essential amino acids and has almost ten times as much protein as whole wheat flour.
Protein is essential in the all cells of the body. Protein helps to build and repair tissues, muscles, bones, skin, blood, and cartilage. It plays a vital role in
chemical production in the body, including enzymes and hormone production.
Proteins are the foundation of any living body, essential for life. Brewer's
yeast offers a power pack of this building block ingredient the body needs for
life.

Getting the Health Benefits of Brewer's Yeast into Your Diet

Now that you know how much of a health value brewer's yeast carries you may be
wondering how to get it into your daily diet. There are many options.
Brewer's yeast is available as:
->Powder
->Flakes
->Tablet
->Liquid
Brewer's yeast shouldn't be confused with nutritional yeast, baker's yeast,
or other yeast products which are not high in chromium. This yeast is bitter
tasting and is best mixed with spices and savory or sweet foods.
Add brewer's yeast in powder form (generally two tablespoons is a good guide) to:
->Popcorn. Sprinkle on popcorn with salt, garlic, and other spices.
->Tomato juice
->Water
->Juices of any kind, especially sweet tasting ones
->Soups
->Shakes and smoothies
->Casseroles
->Mashed potatoes
->Sauces
With its bitter taste, adding a bit of the yeast with other spices helps to combat
the bitterness while adding a nutty flavor. Brewer's yeast has been used to
treat loss of appetite.

If you have yeast allergies or are prone to yeast infections avoid brewer's yeast. Side effects are generally minimal but it can cause gas and bloating.
If you're on the MAOI's or taking Demerol you should also stay clear of this yeast. Ask your doctor if you take any medications before adding brewer's yeast to your diet.
Brewer's yeast is one of the most potent sources of essential chromium, the B complex vitamins, and proteins. Incorporating this yeast into your diet can have a positive impact on your health in countless ways.

Swim suit snacks: The right foods to munch on to look your best in a bikini

2009-07-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

To banish bloat

Reach for Calcium-packed foods
How much 1,000 milligrams calcium
Researchers aren't sure why, but consuming high-calcium foods before you bare (nearly) all may help deflate PMS puffiness as well as the bloat that results from eating salty foods, says Toby Smithson, R.D., a spokeswoman in Waukegan, Illinois, for the American Dietetic Association. PMS bloating may occur when levels of calcium and vitamin D—which can fluctuate during your cycle—are low. To hit the RDA, try combos of 1 cup lowfat milk (290 mg calcium), 8 ounces lowfat plain yogurt (415 mg calcium) and 2 1/2 oz lowfat cheddar (295 mg calcium).

To fight fat

Reach for Almonds
How much 1/4 cup

A delicious way to whittle your middle? Nosh on nuts! Research shows that when almonds replace less healthful foods, dieters can lose more weight and trim more inches from their waistline—even though, ounce for ounce, almonds often have more calories and fat than other bites. The nuts' healthy fat keeps you satisfied, staving off future snack attacks.

To feel full

Reach for Water-rich fruit and veggies
How much 2 cups
Drink up, and grab foods such as melon and tomatoes, which are more than 90 percent water, so they count toward your total fluid intake, says Matthew Ganio, Ph.D., of the University of Connecticut at Storrs. Juicy fruit and vegetables with high water content fill you up for very few calories, so dig in!

By Linda Wasmer Andrews

Yogurt Promotes Digestive Health

2009-06-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

Yogurt is part of the dairy level of the food pyramid, offering many digestive benefits.

But what exactly is yogurt?

Yogurt starts out as milk which is heated to about 200 degrees F for 10 to 30 minutes. Then it has to be cooled very rapidly to about 112 degrees F and mixed with the yogurt starter that contains the two necessary bacteria. For the custard style or thicker yogurt, the milk has to be heated for a longer period of time. After it has cooled, it's put into clean containers at 100 degrees F. This fermentation process is what develops the tartness in the yogurt.

And just what are the health benefits of yogurt?

First off, your body needs to have a healthy amount of ''good'' bacteria in the digestive tract,
and many yogurts are made using active, good bacteria. One of the words you’ll be hearing more of in relation to yogurt is ''probiotics.'' Probiotic, which literally means ''for life,'' refers to living organisms that can result in a health benefit when eaten in adequate amounts.

And let us not forget that yogurt comes from milk. So yogurt eaters will also get a dose of animal protein (about 9 grams per 6-ounce serving), plus several other nutrients found in dairy foods, like calcium, vitamin B-2, B-12, potassium, and magnesium.

In fact, the health benefits of yogurt are so impressive that many health-conscious people make it a daily habit.

Here are five possible health benefits of having a yogurt a day:

Benefit No. 1: Yogurt May Help Prevent Osteoporosis

''Adequate nutrition plays a major role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, and the micronutrients of greatest importance are calcium and vitamin D,'' says Jeri Nieves, PhD, MS, director of bone density testing at New York’s Helen Hayes Hospital.

Calcium has been shown to have beneficial effects on bone mass in people of all ages, although the results are not always consistent, says Nieves, also an assistant professor of clinical epidemiology at Columbia University.

''The combination of calcium and vitamin D has a clear skeletal benefit, provided the dose of vitamin D is sufficiently high,'' she adds.

Benefit No. 2: Yogurt May Reduce the Risk of High Blood Pressure

A recent study, which followed more than 5,000 Spanish university graduates for about two years, found a link between dairy intake and risk of high blood pressure.

''We observed a 50% reduction in the risk of developing high blood pressure among people eating 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy a day (or more), compared with those without any intake,'' Alvaro Alonso, MD, PhD, a researcher in the department of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in an email interview.

Although most of the low-fat dairy consumed by the study subjects was as milk, Alvaro believes low-fat yogurt would likely have the same effect.

Benefit No. 3: Yogurt With Active Cultures Helps the Gut

Yogurt with active cultures may help certain gastrointestinal conditions, including:

Lactose intolerance
Constipation
Diarrhea
Colon cancer
Inflammatory bowel disease
H. pylori infection
That's what researchers from the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University concluded in a recent review article.

The benefits are thought to be due to:

Changes in the microflora of the gut
The time food takes to go through the bowel
Enhancement of the body's immune system
A recent Taiwanese study looked at the effects of yogurt containing lactobacillus and bifidobacterium on 138 people with persistent H. pylori infections.

The researchers found that the yogurt improved the efficacy of four-drug therapy.

H. pylori is a type of bacteria that can cause infection in the stomach and upper part of the small intestine. It can lead to ulcers and can increase the risk of developing stomach cancer.

Benefit No. 4: Yogurt With Active Cultures May Discourage Vaginal Infections

Candida or "yeast" vaginal infections are a common problem for women with diabetes. In a small study, seven diabetic women with chronic Candidal vaginitis consumed 6 ounces of frozen aspartame-sweetened yogurt per day (with or without active cultures).

Even though most of the women had poor blood sugar control throughout the study, the vaginal pH (measure of acidity or basicity) of the group eating yogurt with active cultures dropped from 6.0 to 4.0 (normal pH is 4.0-4.5). These women also reported a decrease in Candida infections. The women eating the yogurt without active cultures remained at pH 6.0.

Benefit No. 5: Yogurt May Help You Feel Fuller

8 Commonly Used Herbs and their Healing Properties

2009-06-20T08:09:00.001-07:00

Herbs have been part of every culture and medical tradition since the earliest humans walked the earth for treatment of everything from colds to digestive issues to depression. You may be surprised to learn that the herbs you have been regularly using to infuse your food with appetizing flavors also have amazing healing abilities. They are easily grown in your own home so you can have them on hand to use whenever the urge to cook strikes you. Read on to find the healing health benefits of these commonly used herbs.

1. Rosemary
Rosemary has been used as a brain tonic in Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years. Rosemary contains volatile oils that help stimulate brain activities and increase brain alertness. One compound it contains, cineole, has been found to enhance the ability of rat to navigate mazes. So skip the harsh coffee and spice up your energy level with rosemary. Other benefits? Rosemary also aids in digestion and perks up your immune system. Steep it as tea, use in your poultry dishes and soups--or just crush some up to fill your home with an energizing scent.

Growing tips: Rosemary needs to live in a very sunny window and may even need supplemental light. It is sensitive to overwatering so keep it on the dry side.

2. Mint
Peppermint, spearmint, and other mint-family plants are considered one of the most versatile herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. Peppermint has many well-documented properties: It increases healthy gastric secretions, relaxes the intestines, soothes spasms, settles the stomach, and alleviates gas. In a culture marked by poor diet and digestion--and the heartburn that comes with it--peppermint can be your best friend. Additionally, peppermint is rich in antioxidants that support good vision and also cleanses your liver, helping to eliminate harmful toxins from your body. Steep peppermint as a tea and drink it a half an hour after mealtimes for untroubled digestion.

Growing tips: Mint is an easy-to-grow herb that is invasive, so be sure to grow it in its own pot.

3. Oregano
When you're suffering from cold or flu, steep oregano in a pot of water and inhale the vapors, which are antibacterial, antiviral and decongesting. This immunity-enhancing herb also settles digestion and prevents bloating.

Growing tips: Oregano needs a lot of light to grow so find a window with direct light or grow out-of-doors.

4. Sage
Chinese traditional medicine has long used sage to help prevent the loss of mental function that comes with age. Sage has been found to increase oxygen to the brain cortex and to help improve concentration. Sage is easy on the digestion. Cook it up in soups and poultry dishes.

Growing tips: Sage can be a bit difficult to grow. It is very sensitive to overwatering because it is more susceptible to mildew than other herbs.

5. Chives
A member of the garlic and onion family, chives have been used throughout history for natural healing because they contain a substantial amount of vitamin C as well as essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron and folic acid. In Chinese medicine they are used to clear stuffy noses, prevent bad breath, ease stomach aches, strengthen the lower back, and improve poor circulation that gives you cold hands and feet. Some serving suggestions? Chop up chives and add them to stir-fries or mix in with ground poultry to stuff ravioli or dumplings.

Growing tips: Chives are fairly easy to grow because they don't require as much light as other herbs.

6. Basil
A favorite herb in Italian cooking, basil's scent can perk up your energy level and it is filled with luteolin, a bioflavonoid that studies have shown to be the best protection of cell DNA from radiation.

Growing tips: Basil can be more difficult to grow. Your best bet is to grow it during warm, bright summer months.

7. Cilantro
Cilantro is an energy tonic that can boost your immune system and smooth out your digestion. Use it in your cooking to get its health benefits.

Growing tips: Cilantro, the name for the stems and leaves of the coriander plant, can be hard to grow. Sow the coriander seeds in a thick concentration in a shallow tray.

8. Parsley
Parsley is used in a Chinese folk remedy for cooling the liver and clearing the eyes. Parsley is packed with luteolin, and there is some evidence that this helps protect the eye from UV radiation damage and from glycation, a process in which sticky sugar molecules bind up protein, potentially damaging the retina. The age-old folk remedy recipe for vision protection is a juice blend of celery, peppermint, and Chinese parsley, made fresh daily.

Growing tips: Parsley doesn't need very much sun, but it is a slow grower, so don't expect a high yield.

Herbal Tea Recipes
Aside from use in cooking, all of the above herbs can be used to make aromatic potent teas. You may use the herbs individually or experiment with combinations. For example, to make a tea that soothes digestion and prevents bloating: Steep 1 teaspoon each of mint, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, sage and basil and in a cup of hot filtered water for five minutes.

Other herbal teas that can bring big benefits to your health are my specially formulated Ancient Treasures tea and Internal Cleanse tea, which will gently cleanse your body of toxins and bring you emotional tranquility.

Grow Your Own
To grow your own herbs, all you need is some terra cotta pots with drainage holes, high-quality organic potting soil, and a window sill that gets at least six hours of light per day. A southwestern-facing window is your best choice for good light. If this isn't possible, you can get a few clamp-on reflector lights with compact fluorescent bulbs and place them about six inches away from the plant. Keep in mind that overwatering is the biggest mistake people make when trying to grow herbs inside. The rule of thumb is to let the herbs dry out completely, and then water. Beginning with baby plants will be less troublesome than starting from seed. With practice, you will learn the best ways to grow and care for your indoor herbal garden.

I hope this article helps you make the most of herbs! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

--Dr. Mao

Get Leaner Legs

2009-06-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

By Lucy Danziger

It's baaack! Yes, shorts season is here. That means your legs get more exposure than ever, so naturally you want them to look slim, sexy and totally toned. We all know that walking and running can help sculpt legs, but the key to melting fat and building lean muscle is with plyometrics training, says übertrainer and new SELF contributor Jillian Michaels. Her favorite firmer? Jump squats.

"They will literally lift your legs and help you shed a ton of fat," she says. "Doing them burns more calories both while you're exercising and afterward. The move makes tiny tears in the muscle fiber, which creates an intense afterburn that accelerates the process of getting toned and conditioned. These moves utilize your body weight and they are absolutely fantastic for making you look leaner."

The jumping motion means the moves are plyometric, a type of explosive training that really helps you shed fat and get lean. Plyometrics burns serious calories and fatigues muscles, which is essential for toning, without extra reps or weight. By maxing out your effort like this, you use more energy in less time, shaving minutes off your workout and sculpting lean curves. Find more plyometric ideas in the Burn More Calories in Less Time! routine at Self.com.

Another incentive to sculpt with squats: It can keep you healthier. Knees can ache when their cartilage wears thin, but toned legs may protect that padding. Among osteoarthritis sufferers in a study at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, those with the strongest quadriceps preserved the most cartilage behind the kneecap. Fit thighs, which come courtesy of strengtheners such as squats and lunges (as well as low-impact cardio like Spinning), keep kneecaps from moving abnormally and grinding the cushion, even in healthy knees.

Want to try a plyometric squat?
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms at sides, elbows bent 90 degrees as if holding ski poles. Squat until knees are bent 90 degrees, then spring up and to right, trying to get as much height as possible. Land in start position with knees slightly bent. Immediately squat, then jump up and to left. Do 8 to 10 jumps; work up to 20. Create sexier legs by pushing off your toes to tone calves with each jump.

Or try one of these top-notch, nonplyometric toners, which require only a towel:

Toe-roll lunge: Assume a lunge position with right leg in front, knee over ankle, left leg extended straight back. Place hands on waist. Push off ball of left foot, rolling forward onto left toes, then back to heel, in one motion. Don't let front knee go past toes. Do 15 reps. Switch legs; repeat.

Tiptoe plié: Stand with heels together, toes out, arms in front at chest height with elbows bent, palm facing body. With heels touching, bend knees, rise onto balls of feet and lower as far as you can. Slowly straighten legs and repeat, without letting heels touch floor. Do 15 reps.

Skier squat with twist: Stand with feet together and lower into a squat. Bring palms together in prayer position and twist torso to right, placing left arm against outside of right leg and pointing right elbow toward ceiling. Look up to right. Hold for three counts. Stand and twist to left. Do 10 twists on each side.

8 Things you should know about caffeine

2009-06-16T06:15:00.000-07:00

Web excerpt-

When I worked at my last company, I bought a 12 ounce cup of coffee every morning. When I started working at home, however, I started making my own coffee. Not thinking about the caffeine intake, I'd make a pot of 3 to 4 cups (18 - 24 ounces). This seemed like a good amount...worthy of the coffee filter, but manageable for one person to finish. This logic, however, didn't account for the possibility of the physiological dependence that soon ensued.
Without even thinking, my daily wake-me-up cup quickly became a daily fix.
And what once was a 'nice to have' became a 'need to have.' And when I got to the bottom of the pot, I often wished there was more. My curiosity and dependence peaked, I decided to get to the bottom of the world's most popular drug:

Color: Although most caffeinated beverages have a dark color, caffeine is actually a white, bitter-tasting, crystalline substance (much like the description of cocaine). Further, darkly roasted coffee has less caffeine than lightly roasted.

History and Popularity: Caffeine can be found in 60 different plants and many anthropologists believe its use may date back to the Stone Age. Coffee, specifically, appeared in Africa in 6th century A.D. and was later introduced to Arabia and the rest of the east. While the Chinese drank tea at least as far back as 2700 BC. In 1573 coffee was introduced to the Europeans and tea was introduced later in 1657. Caffeine was first isolated from coffee, however, in 1820 and from tea in 1827. Today, it's the most popular drug in the world with 90% of Americans consuming it in some form. Specifically, Americans consume 450,000,000 cups of coffee a day.
How it Works: Caffeine causes your brain to have a higher sense of alertness and an increased level of dopamine, improving your feeling of well-being and your mood. Consumed in liquid form, caffeine reaches all tissues of the body within five minutes, while peak blood levels are reached in about 30 minutes. Normally, almost all ingested caffeine is metabolized.
Side-Effects: 1 - 2 cups of coffee causes increased metabolism, increased rate of breathing, increased urination, increased fatty acids in the bloodstream and increased gastric acid in the stomach. It may increase blood pressure and if taken before bedtime disrupts sleep patterns. Larger doses can cause headaches, jitters, abnormally rapid heartbeat, convulsions, and delirium. Consumption above 650 mg a day (about 8 or 9 average cups of coffee) can cause longer term effects, including: chronic insomnia, persistent anxiety and depression, and stomach ulcers.
Effects on Reproduction: Caffeine can effect reproductive processes, including congenital abnormalities and reproductive failures, reduced fertility, prematurity, and low birth weight.
Most Common Medicinal Usage: Caffeine is most widely used in headache medication and other pain relievers; and is the main ingredient of non-prescription "Anti-Sleep" pills. Caffeine stimulates breathing in the treatment of apnea (cessation of breathing) in newborn babies, and is used as an antidote against the slowing of breathing caused by overdoses of heroin and other opiate drugs.
Dependence/Addiction: Regular use of upwards of 350 mg of caffeine a day causes physical dependence on the drug, meaning an interruption of regular use will produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe headaches, irritability and tiredness.
Dosage in Products: 10g of caffeine is considered a lethal dose. The lowest known fatal dose to an adult has been 3,200 mg - administered intravenously by accident. The fatal oral dose is in excess of 5,000 mg - the equivalent of 40 strong cups of coffee taken in a very short space of time. The following is a breakdown of caffeine in various products:

Food/Substance	Type or Brand	Dosage
Hot Beverages
	Plain Coffee, 8 oz	95 - 135 mg
	Espresso 1 oz	30-50 mg
	Decaffeinated 8 oz	5 mg
	Green tea 8 oz	25-40 mg
	Black tea 8 oz	40-70 mg
	Hot Chocolate, 8 oz	5 mg
Soft Drinks
	Colas 12 oz	35 - 47 mg
	Mountain Dew 12 oz	55.5 mg
	Sunkist Orange 12 oz	42 mg
Energy Drinks
	Full Throttle, 16 oz	144 mg
	Red Bull, 8.5 oz	80 mg
	SoBe No Fear	158 mg
Chocolates	50-gram chocolate bar contains between 5 and 60 mg, increasing with the quality of the chocolate
Medicine
	Over the Counter Pain Relievers	60 - 65mg
	NoDoz 100 mg	32.4 mg
	Vivarin	200 mg

Have you ever been dependent on caffeine? When did it start? How does caffeine affect you?

Benefits of Honey in Weight Loss

2009-06-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

The benefits of honey can be seen in your weight loss program. If you are trying to lose weight, honey can be of great help to you. But before we move on to the benefits of honey in weight loss we should address the concerns people have regarding honey.
Many people ask: Isn't honey a type of sugar? Does it not add any weight? Won't the calories in honey negate your weight loss efforts?
You are right - honey contains sugar. But unlike refined sugar, honey contains vitamins and minerals too. Normally, to digest sugar, the vitamins and minerals stored in body are utilized, rendering the body devoid of these nutrients. These nutrients are
essential to dissolve fats and cholesterol. Thus when you eat too much sugar, you tend to increase weight not just because of the calories, but due to lack of vitamins and minerals. On the contrary, honey being a good source of nutrients, helps you in reducing weight.
Honey and warm water: Normally fat remains as an un-used resource in your body adding bulk and weight. It is believed that honey mobilizes this stored fat. When this fat is burnt to provide energy for your daily activities, you see a gradual decrease in your weight and obesity levels. It is suggested that you drink this honey (about one tablespoon daily), with equal amount of warm water.
Honey and lemon juice: Honey can also help in weight loss, when consumed with warm water and lemon juice. Many people drink this formula, first thing in the morning to reduce their weight.
Honey and cinnamon: Another useful recipe is cinnamon powder with honey and warm water. Take one tablespoon of cinnamon power, one tablespoon of honey and one cup of warm water, mix the ingredients properly and drink this mixture empty stomach. It is not clear how this mixture helps in weight loss; however, many people claim to have derived benefits from its regular consumption.
Honey also improves your digestion and helps in weight loss. Hence honey is also consumed after dinner after overeating.
Finally, many people stop eating food to reduce their weight. Beware of such practices. If you don't eat sufficient food (which involves calories, vitamin, minerals, fibers) your immune system will become weak. Your weight loss program should focus on reducing the intake of calories and not stopping the intake of calories. Further, you should also increase the daily expense of calories by regular exercise.

Grapes of Wrath? How Red Wine Does a Body Good

2009-06-06T23:23:00.000-07:00

By Mona Buehler

You know the drill. A diet rich in fruits, veggies and whole grains is vital for good health. Blah...blah...blah. But did you know that drinking wine regularly is healthy? Hold the wine train, you mean drinking is good...for...me? Cheers! A growing number of studies show that this fermented grape goodness may be more than just a fabulous dinner complement--in moderation, a glass or two can help your heart, prevent cancer and more. So raise your glass and take a look at all the vino buzz, and exactly why wine loves you.

A Glass (or Two) a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Like apples, there are antioxidants present in the skin and seeds of grapes that do a body good. Antioxidants are
naturally occurring enzymes and chemicals found in plant-based foods that work together to help counteract free radical damage to cell and biochemicals from oxidation.Studies show that destroying these free radicals and reducing cellular damage can significantly slow down, prevent, or even reverse heart disease (as well as Alzheimer's, stomach ulcers, cancer, macular degeneration, diabetes, hypertension, and others).

Scientists believe that the rich polyphenol and flavonoids antioxidants levels in red wine is might explain this "French Paradox"—the incredible phenomenon where despite having fatty diets and high smoking rates, the French have significantly lower cardiovascular disease and vascular mortality rates than the U.S. The term became famous in 1991 when CBS's 60 Minutes reported an inconsistency in the lifestyles and rates of heart disease among the French, based on Dr. Serge Renaud's groundbreaking study of 34,000 middle-aged men living in Eastern France. While the men studied ate more artery-clogging saturated fats, smoked more cigarettes, and didn't exercise, they did drink a healthy amount of red wine. A typical Frenchman consumes three times as much red wine as his American counterpart—mix this fact with all the paradoxical research, and well, looks like wine might very well be more of a fountain of youth than a toxic drug. "I've always suspected this," said Dr. Serge Renaud, whose findings appeared in The Journal of Epidemiology. "Wine protects not only against heart disease but also most cancers."

Bring on the Cab!

So if moderate red wine consumption can do your body more good than harm, does it matter what kind of wine you drink? Recent studies in the United States found that red wine has an exceptional high polyphenol content, up to two to three grams per liter, and the dryer the wine, the better the flavnoid boost. Researchers at the University of California at Davis tested a variety of wines and found that Cabernet Sauvignon followed closely by Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir have the highest concentration polyphenols. White wine does contain flavonoids as well, but in significantly lower doses, about 1/10 of that in its red counterpart. But despite all the wine health buzz, winemakers are still sticking with the tried and true. "You can control how much polyphenol end up in the wine by controlling how the grapes are handled and pressed," says Dr. Andrew Waterhouse from the University of California at Davis, "but in general winemakers aren't concerned with making healthy wine as much as good tasting wine." For great oenologic goodies that are body and wallet-friendly, check out Behind the Burner Deals.

Be Modest

With all the hype and support for red wine drinking, one has to wonder, is there a catch? Well, the classic saying sums it up best: good things come in small packages. Medical experts agree. "More is definitely not better for the process," says Dr. Sumpio. Bottom line, drink in moderation. A four-ounce glass wine equals one serving, and men will benefits from one to two glasses a day while women should stick to one to reap maximum benefits. While studies suggests that red wine does a heart good, too much will do the exact opposite. Heavy drinking can damage nerve cells, the liver, pancreas, and other organs, increase blood pressure and increase your risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer.

If you don't drink or dislike red wine, don't despair. Grape juice, tea, chocolate, apples, and fresh berries provide similar benefits, in smaller doses. As for red wine supplements such as Revatrol, the jury is still out. While these supplements do contain the same antioxidants as vino de table, you'd have to take several, several pills a day to equal the same potency of a regular glass.

Coconut oil

2009-05-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

By Lola Writer

No matter what anyone says, radiant, glowing skin is not hard to come by. It doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars in skin creams, treatments and products to bring the natural glow to your face. You don’t have to be twenty-something to have it either. It all boils down to what you’re doing to your skin, how you’re taking care of it and what you are eating. Yes, I said what you are eating. I’m sure you knew nutrition had something to do with it. I’m sorry. If you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, you probably aren’t going to achieve the glowing skin that you were hoping for. Eating fast-food every day won’t help either.
There is no magic potion. But first, let’s talk about your cleaning and moisturizing routine. I hate to break it to you, but it doesn’t come in a bottle. Spending money and energy isn’t your answer. Trust me. I’ve been there. I even sold a product that claimed to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and give your skin a natural glow. It worked at first, or so I thought, until my face started to look like it was aging right before my eyes. Then, I learned about all the chemicals that went into the product to give me that “natural” glow. That’s when I started experimenting.

I stopped using cleansers and moisturizers with chemicals in them. I found a bar of soap that is all-natural and moisturizing. After a few weeks of washing my face morning and night with it, my sister even asked me what I was using! It’s called Kiss My Face. Next, I had heard that coconut oil was a natural sunscreen. So, I started using it once a day, usually after my shower. Even on my face. It started giving me a beautiful, sun-kissed glow that lasted all day.
My nutrition is key to my glowing skin, however. I eat olive oil, fruits and vegetables, including several greens, garlic and fish (mainly salmon and sardines), among other foods. But the foods I named is great for skin. I love the sardines in olive oil as a snack on crackers.

The way we eat plays a huge role in the way our skin looks. Try my recipe for adding coconut milk, much like the coconut oil benefits, to a frozen smoothie. Yummy!

Olive Oil for Shaving

2009-05-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

By Sara Bolton, Web excerpt

Shaving isn't as simple as it used to be. We are bombarded with hundreds of products, each promising the smoothest shave. But one of the best products can be found in your kitchen pantry—olive oil.

Olive oil is an excellent shaving agent
because it reduces friction and softens hair upon application. It also acts as a natural moisturizer,
attracting external moisture to your skin. When shaving, many people actually
remove the top layer of skin along with hair. Oils create a thin surface
barrier, preventing any skin loss. This helps create a smoother shave without
skin irritation. Used over time, olive oil will create supple, younger looking
skin.

It's also extremely cost effective, as a little goes a long way. Pour a small
pool into your hand, about the size of a penny, and apply to your face. After
shaving you can apply additional olive oil as a moisturizer.

Olive oil is a non irritant, recommended
for sensitive skin. Skin problems and irritations, including razor burn, can be
treated naturally by adding 10 drops of essential oil (see list below) to every
1 ounce of olive oil. [Women can also use olive oil for shaving.)

Essential oil additions:

Benzoin: improves elasticity, reduces redness, itching, irritation
Bergamot: acne, eczema
Clove: antiseptic, circulation
Eucalyptus: antiseptic, irritation, healing agent, insect repellant
Lavender: anti-inflammatory, water retention or swelling, normalizes skin
Patchouli: inflammation, itching, wrinkle prevention
Rosewood: natural moisturizer
Sandalwood: skin hydration
Tea tree: antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, itching and irritation

Other additions:
Aloe: itching and irritation
Chamomile: inflammation, sensitive skin, irritation
Witch hazel: itching

How to use 3 different all-natural skin cleansers

2009-05-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Want to beautify your skin with the most natural products around? Look no further than your kitchen and medicine cabinet to try these quick and easy recipes: witch hazel cleansing tonic, honey nutmeg scar remover, and citrus blackhead treatment.

Watch video here

How to make natural hair remover

2009-05-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hot weather!-Warning signs of a bad diet -Part 1

2009-05-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Did you know that dry skin during the summer might easily be remedied with a handful of nuts? Or that shiny hair is as much a sign of your diet as your shampoo? We know that what we eat affects how we feel, but we often ignore how our diets affect typical problems, such as dry or brittle hair, chipped nails or bloodshot eyes. The following signs of a bad diet will help you assess your dietary intake and decide what, if anything, needs improvement.

1.) Turn around a bad hair day

The signs:
dry, lackluster hair.
What's missing:
protein, folic acid, the vitamins B6 and B12, iron, vitamin C, water.
What's going on:
These nutrients help build a healthy blood supply, which carries oxygen to the hair and scalp and removes waste products. Poor intake results in a reduction of the number of red blood cells, which literally suffocates the hair and scalp. Vitamin C aids hair growth; poor intake results in hair that tangles or breaks easily.
What you can do:
Pick a spinach, Caesar (which uses romaine lettuce --- a dark rich type) or lentil salad for iron and folic acid; a piece of fruit for vitamin C; and a roast-beef sandwich or a piece of cold chicken to boost iron, protein and the vitamins B6 and B12. Drink at least eight glasses of water on warm days -- even more if you exercise regularly.

2.) Have beautiful nails again

The signs:
slow nail growth. Nails chip or are week.
What's missing:
protein; vitamins E, K and C; iron; selenium; zinc.
What's going on:
Nail growth and proper circulation to the nail bed require ample amounts of these nutrients. Deficiencies result in weak slow-growing nails.
What you can do:
Use whole-grain breads for sandwiches; munch on at least five fruits and vegetables each day; and include several servings daily of the iron-rich foods mentioned above.

3.)Feed your skin from within

The signs:
dull, dry skin.
What's missing:
protein, folic acid and other B vitamins, copper, iron, water.
What's going on:
The skin relies on the bloodstream to supply oxygen and nutrients and to remove the waste products of cellular metabolism. An inadequate supply of one or more of these nutrients cuts off the skin's nutrient supply, while allowing toxic waste products to accumulate.
What you can do:
Remember your whole-grain breads and cereals; fruits and vegetables; iron-rich foods; and water. Drink extra water if you're quenching your thirst with iced tea or coffee, since these beverages act as diuretics.

Health Benefits of Yerba Mate

2009-05-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Studies indicate that yerba mate tea may be beneficial to your health in several ways:

1. Antioxidant capacity - Studies indicate that consuming yerba mate tea can significantly contribute to antioxidant intake. Evidence indicates that the antioxidant capacity of yerba mate is higher than that of green tea, which is known as having a very high antioxidant capacity. Several caffeoyl derivatives seem to account for the antioxidant capacity.

2. Anti cancer effects - Scientifically backed reports reveal that yerba mate has anti cancer effects. It has been shown to be highly toxic to cancer cells, even more so than green tea.

3. Energizing effects - Yerba mate energizes and promotes a feeling of well being. No doubt due to the presence of xanthine compounds, one of which is caffeine. The caffeine content of 1 cup of mate tea is comparable to the caffeine content of 1 cup of coffee. Another xanthine present which may help with the energizing is theobromine, which also naturally occurs in chocolate.

4. Mineral content - Yerba mate contains a high concentration of several minerals important in human metabolism and development. Such as aluminum, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, potassium, and zinc.

5. Anti-inflammatory – Saponin compounds have been attributed with anti-inflammatory and cholesterol lowering properties. Several of these compounds have been isolated from the leaves of yerba mate.

6. Cardiovascular system – There appears to be benefits to the cardiovascular system. Experiments with rabbits reveals that mate tea can inhibit atherosclerosis in them. Extracts of mate given to rabbits with high cholesterol has been shown to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides.

7. Weight management and obesity – Mate tea has been shown to have possible positive effects for weight loss and weight management. Research has shown some support for this.
The above is a brief summary from current research of how one could benefit their health by drinking yerba mate tea.

The World's best kept beauty secrets

2009-05-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ancient healers have used vinegar for thousands of years. Take two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with a glass of water at each meal. The vinegar will help your body to burn fat, rather than store it. It is a natural storehouse of vitamins and minerals. Give it a try!

Wart cure: Puncture a vitamin A capsule, mixed with a drop of lemon juice and apply to the wart directly.

Lost your eyelash curler? Use the back of a spoon after applying mascara, gently rolling upward with the rounded surface. Some woman prefer this method as a less tricky way to curl.

To keep rings from turning fingers green, apply hand cream before wearing. This makes a barrier between the skin and the metal.

If needed, use an antiperspirant on your feet. The foot contains more sweat glands than the underarm area.

For tired eyes, run a spoon under cold water and hold over the eye for about 30 seconds. The coldness of the metal wakes up the eyes.

Eat fresh parsley at mealtimes for a breath freshener, or carry dried parsley in your bag to instantly freshen your breath. It will keep your breath fresher than topical fresheners.

After brushing your teeth, take a moment to also brush your lips! It can help clear away dead or dry skin cells, and also plumps up the lip temporarily for that pouty look.

Brewer's yeast mixed with plain yogurt and applied to skin can prevent a pimple from coming through when you feel one on the way.

Boil some whole milk and place the film that forms on the surface on your face. After it dries, gently scrub off to exfoliate skin.

The importance of breakfast.

2009-05-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Breakfast plays a important role in building the body's energy reserves. Eating breakfast is associated with improved concentration, cognitive performance, late morning strength and endurance, reduced irritability and fatigue.

Glucose levels in the blood are associated with memory function and since the brain itself has no glucose reserves, it makes sense that breakfast gives your brain the kick-start it needs in the morning.
People who eat breakfast tend to be healthier, take in more nutrients, and eat less fat and cholesterol.
People who skip breakfast tend to overcompensate, eating more calories later in the day and more calories overall than breakfast eaters.