Amazing Flax Meal

Flaxseed

Flaxseed was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BC. In the 8th century

• Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects.
• new research also suggests significant blood pressure-lowering effects of flaxseed.
• maintaining the heart’s natural rhythm, they may be useful in treating arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and heart failure- normalizing the heartbeat.
• Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.  up to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods. inhibited tumor incidence, growth and spread
• Lignans, diets rich in flaxseed omega-3s help prevent hardening of the arteries and keep plaque from being deposited in the arteries partly by keeping white blood cells from sticking to the blood vessels’ inner linings- reduced by 75%
• Lignans may also have anticarcinogenic activities-protect against cancer  
• Antioxidants- chemicals that can prevent or slow cell damage
• Anti-inflammatory action and illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, asthma, heart attack and stroke by helping block the release of certain pro-inflammatory agents.
• Lower LDL- Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.
• May improve blood sugar and protect against diabetes.
• 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed into cereal, or yogurt twice a day cut hot flashes in half & intensity of their hot flashes dropped by 57%

Use & Storage

Ground only- whole passed through your system undigested.

I keep mine in freezer to protect nutrients longer.

Sprinkle on oatmeal, smoothies, soup, yogurt, toast, pasta, or add ¼ c to muffins or bread.

1 Tablespoon=30 calories

Nutty mild taste

I don’t buy flaxseed oil, it goes rancid quickly.

Flax seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, which happen to be very good for us in their raw, unprocessed form. Unfortunately, the chemical nature of omega 3s render them extremely sensitive to heat, light and air. http://www.webmd.com/diet/benefits-of-flaxseed?page=1

Carotenoids, more than meets the eye.

Photo: Peddhapati

Did your mother bribe you to eat your carrots to protect your eyes?

"Here honey, these mushy canned vegetables are magic!"  Ya right mom.

Here's the lowdown on carotenoids...

They need fat to be absorbed.  Olive oil anyone ;)

Carotenoids simplified = orange vegetables. (Eat the rainbow!)

They have Vitamin A activity and convert to retinol. 1 Cup of pumpkin has 245% of your daily value of Vitamin A.  Wo!

Vitamin A boosts your immune system

They also act as antioxidants

In your eyes carotenoids stop blue and near-ultraviolet light from being absorbed to protect your retina. These lights can also cause cataracts. Dang it my mom was right! The degeneration of the retina is the leading cause of blindness in adults.  Protect those eyes! Don your giant sunglasses and eat those orange vegetables.

Carotenoids help your cells to communicate with each other.  This is especially important because cancerous cells lose this ability.

Carotenoids may protect against Cardiovascular Disease as they are very fat soluble and travel with lipoproteins in your bloodstream.  They have shown some reduction in IMT halting or reversing atherosclerosis. (sorry, big science words...are you still here? whew!)  This seems to indicate an anti-inflammatory effect, which is one of our highest goals to fight our modern diseases.

Eat up!

Eat raw vegetables and gently cooked too.  To absorb all the nutrients you can.

Alpha-Carotene Content of Selected Foods
Food	Serving	Alpha-Carotene (mg)
Pumpkin, canned	1 cup	11.7
Carrot juice, canned	1 cup (8 fl oz)	10.2
Carrots, cooked	1 cup	5.9
Carrots, raw	1 medium	2.1
Mixed vegetables, frozen, cooked	1 cup	1.8
Winter squash, baked	1 cup	1.4
Plantains, raw	1 medium	0.8
Collards, frozen, cooked	1 cup	0.2
Tomatoes, raw	1 medium	0.1
Tangerines, raw	1 medium	0.09
Peas, edible-podded, frozen, cooked	1 cup	0.09

Beta-Carotene Content of Selected Foods
Food	Serving	Beta-Carotene (mg)
Carrot juice, canned	1 cup (8 fl oz)	22.0
Pumpkin, canned	1 cup	17.0
Spinach, frozen, cooked	1 cup	13.8
Sweet potato, baked	1 medium	13.1
Carrots, cooked	1 cup	13.0
Collards, frozen, cooked	1 cup	11.6
Kale, frozen, cooked	1 cup	11.5
Turnip greens, frozen, cooked	1 cup	10.6
Pumpkin pie	1 piece	7.4
Winter squash, cooked	1 cup	5.7
Carrots, raw	1 medium	5.1
Dandelion greens, cooked	1 cup	4.1
Cantaloupe, raw	1 cup	3.2

2.

Now where will we find some orange vegetables around here?

Photo: Liz West

Warnings:

"additional β-carotene from supplements is unlikely to be beneficial and may actually be harmful" 1.

Sources:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2601/2

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenoid

2. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/carotenoids/

Garlic, Protects You From More Than Vampires

Photo: JE Norton

Does wearing garlic around your neck really keep the vampires away?

I don't know, if you eat tons, it will keep your spouse away. It's why we always eat garlic together.

Garlic is powerful stuff.  It may prevent cancer, protect your digestive system and help fight inflammation and protect your heart.

Cancer

Phytochemicals in garlic (and onions) may prevent the onset or progression of some cancers. (especially stomach and esophageal.) Perhaps because it protects and heals your digestive system.

Garlic may also protect against Lung, Breast and Colon Cancer.

Garlic fights something called Nitrosamines which are formed in our intestines and caused by food additives and cured meats.  This reduces the mutations in the DNA of your cells and protects them from damage, preventing cancer.

Did you need another reason to switch to whole real foods? Put the potato chips and deli meat down!

Compounds in garlic may also attack tumor cells and destroy them.

Several compounds in garlic stop carcinogens from becoming active and flush them from your system. (The cabbage family is good at this too.)

Inflammation Diseases

warning: another big scientific word coming...
Quercitin: A flavonoid or antioxidant fights inflammation in your body.  It repairs and protects your cells and prevents them from producing histamines (inflammation).

Heart Health

Allicin (another antioxidant) can protect and heal your heart, lowering blood pressure levels and lowering your LDL.  Plus, less inflammation is always great for your heart.

How to get the most out of garlic

-Crush your garlic- don't chop/cut it. It will release the cancer killing compounds better.  Like chewing does. (Your spouse and coworkers plead with you not to just chew raw garlic no matter the protection.) Cooked garlic is sweeter and calmer.

-Let it sit for a bit, up to 15 minutes if you think ahead.  (It allows the enzyme reaction time to finish.)

-Eat a lot of it!  Let this fighter loose! It will fight all this beastly damage to your cells. As we age our cells damage from lots of things.  Start adding lots of things to heal your cells now.


Forget the vampires these cell damaging beasts will be powerless.

Just stock up on the toothpaste.

Sources:

Foods to Fight Cancer

http://www.joybauer.com/food-articles/allium-vegetables.aspx

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/quercetin

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/unlocking-the-benefits-of-garlic/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

We love this garlic keeper from Chefs Catalog.

Plus it has the best reviews. Yay fresh garlic!

Like your temper, Your body is better without the inflammation.

Photo by: Robert S. Donovan


We love a good steak, but make sure it's grass fed & finished and not too often.





Inflammation is bad news for your body. Loads of health problems begin and get worse with inflammation.

Reduce your inflammation to reduce your chances of developing and your symptoms from:
ADD/ADHD, Allergies, Alzheimers, Anemia, Arthitis & Carpal Tunnel, Autism, Cancer, Celiac, Crohns, Diabetes, Excema, Fibromyalgia, Fibrosis, Gall Bladder, Disease, Heart disease, Kidney failure, Lupus, Migraines, Multiple Sclerosis, Pain, Psoriasis, Stroke. 

Our lives would be a lot better if we could not deal with these. What you can do to help...

Eat!
No seriously...

Add anti-inflammatory foods.

• Fish 
• Flax Meal
• Walnuts
• Leafy greens
• Omega 3s
• Avocados
• Ginger & Turmeric
• Garlic & Onions
• Olive Oil
• Berries
• Cherries
• Soybeans
• Tea
• Ginger Extract
• Foods high in Vit C
• Mediterranean Diet
• Gluten free whole grains- Buckwheat, oats, quinoa, rice
• Foods high in vitamin D 

very cool anti-inflammatory food pyramid

You can also reduce inflammation in your body by: reducing stress, doing yoga, meditating.

Limit foods that increase inflammation.Avoid/Limit

• Sugar (ingredients end in ...ose)
• Red Meat
• Alcohol
• Saturated & Transfats
• Excess Omega 6 fatty acids (corn, safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, soy, peanut, and vegetable; mayonnaise)
• Processed meats
• Gluten & Casein
• Refined Carbohydrates
• Processed Foods
• MSG
• Aspartame

Anti-inflammation Smoothy
1 banana
1/2 pear (cored)
2 C cold water
1 T ground flaxseed
1T ginger

sources: 
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/07/inflammation-triggers-disease-symptoms.aspx

Dairy, hormones and the hulk

Photo: Richard BH

Too many hormones are not good for you (and terrible for children.)  Our bodies create the hormones we need and regulate well normally.  We should avoid food with lots of hormones and especially artificial hormones.

Which brings us to dairy...

Artificial growth hormones: 

recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) or recombinant bovine growth hormone(rBGH). It's hard to keep up with all the terms and protect yourself.. That's partially due to always emerging new technologies and partially due to companies attempt to 'spin' a product. These artificial hormones are endocrine disruptors and are bad news.

To simplify.  Cows make the hormones they need (bovine somatotropin) in small amounts.  Artificial hormones cause milk production to skyrocket. (read $$$) and cause cows lameness and more importantly mastitis- inflamed udders.

Health Problems in Humans

These hormones cows are shot up with causes milk to be lower in potassium and lactoferrin (anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal.) and reduces casein (amino acids, carbohydrates, calcium and phosphorus.) and the kicker, they pass these hormones on to you. 


This can increase our cancer risks.  Growing children who are inundated with more hormones reach 

puberty early, endocrine disruptor's can cause early breast cancer, cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders, learning disabilities, severe attention deficit disorder, cognitive and brain development problems; deformations of the body (including limbs); breast cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid and other cancers, sexual development problems. 1. Are you forming a picture? That dollar extra for organic doesn't seem so expensive now does it?

"Drinking the Koolaid"

Lobbyists have convinced your government to mandate that anyone who produces a product free of artificial hormones to state..."According To the FDA, no significant difference has been shown between milk derived From rbst treated And non-rbst treated cows" (Monsanto was kind enough to donate the researchers to prove this.2.) Still think the FDA is here to protect you? Don't kid yourselves, it's about money not health.  Do your research and shop with your dollar.

What about the rest of the world?

A European Union report on the animal welfare effects of rbst states that its usage often results in "severe and unnecessary pain, suffering and distress" for cows, "associated with serious mastitis, foot disorders and some reproductive problems"3. They're reporting the true case for your safety and have banned the use of artificial growth hormones for cows. Most of the world has banned it in fact.

How can you avoid artificial hormones in dairy?

Imported cheese always hormone free because other countries do not allow their farmers to give their cows growth hormones.

Organic dairy cannot come from cows treated with growth hormones.

Know your farmer and how they treat their cows.  It affects the milk directly.

Conclusions

Do your homework. Shop wisely.  Speak up.  Tell the farmers and the government what you want.  We want yummy safe cheese!... and maybe some red wine to go with it.

sources: 

1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor
2.Hansen, Michael, Ph.D.; Halloran, Jean M.; Groth, Edward III, Ph.D.; Lefferts, Lisa Y. (September 1997). "Potential Public Health Impacts Of The Use Of Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin In Dairy Production".
3. The Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare, European Union. 10 March 1999.

other places for more info:
-http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/radiation-chemicals-and-breast-cancer/bovine-growth-hormone.html

Artificial Sweeteners- Worth Saving The Calories?

Photo: Sarah Korf

We keep changing the names but the ideas the same.
(Sucralose (Splenda) Saccharin (SugarTwin, Sweet'N Low) Neotame Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet) Acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One)
Artificial sweeteners are made in a lab and consumed at high rates.

You know the saying "there's no such thing as a free lunch?" Did you ever wonder why? Because there's always strings attached. There's no such thing as a calorie free drink-  (Well there is that one)

We tend to crave and prefer sweet things.  It's partially because we've conditioned ourselves to need sweeter and sweeter things.  We just can't taste sweet unless it's really sickly. The better your nutritional habits, the more you will enjoy the sweetness in your morning coffee from the milk and the sweet strawberry on it's own. Put the bowl of sugar down!

These empty calories can entice you to consume diet drinks and artificially sweetened foods. Let me let you in on a little secret.  If you really really want it, have the sugar (just a little) and please put the cancer down!.

As we watch our sugar intake, we replace it with something much more dangerous.

1. Artificial sweeteners affect your taste buds so they can only pick up sweet and calorie dense food.

2. Artificial sweeteners  are cancer causers- (no the FDA does not really know that the little pink packet of powder is safe for you) Aspartame caused cancer in rats in the FDA’s initial and halted testing.

3. Artificial sweeteners contain tiny amounts of poison. As our first pastor would say "would add a tiny amount of Strychnine to your coffee?" (His point was you don't toy with tiny amounts of sin, Mine, that we shouldn't toy with tiny poisonous byproducts just to satisfy a fix for a guilt free sweet.)

I.E.- Aspartame-breaks down into methanol and methanal - aka formaldehyde.1 
(This happens by hydrolysis under elevated temperatures and in high ph situations.)2
It is toxic: drinking 10 ml will cause blindness, and as little as 100 ml will cause death.

4. Artificial sweeteners have crazy bad side effects
Aspartame-

Eyeblindness in one or both eyes

decreased vision
blurring, bright flashes
decreased night vision

pain in one or both eyes

decreased tears

trouble with contact lenses

bulging eyes
Eartinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound

severe intolerance of noise

marked hearing impairment
Neurologicepileptic :

seizures

headaches, migraines and (some severe)

dizziness, unsteadiness,

confusion, memory loss,

drowsiness and sleepiness

paresthesia or numbness of the limbs

severe slurring of speech

severe hyperactivity and restless legs

atypical facial pain

severe tremors
Psychological/Psychiatricsevere:

depression

irritability

aggression

anxiety

personality changes

insomniaphobias
Chestpalpitations,

cardiashortness of breathrecent

high blood pressure
Gastrointestinal:

nausea

diarrhea,

abdominal pain

pain when swallowing
Skin and Allergies:

itching without a rash

lip and mouth reactions

hives

aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma
Endocrine and Metabolic:

loss of control of diabetes

menstrual changes

marked thinning or loss of hair

aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

severe PMS
Other:

frequency of voiding and burning during urination

excessive thirst,

fluid retention,

susceptibility to infection

Additional Symptoms of Aspartame Toxicity include the most critical symptoms of all:

death

irreversible brain damage

birth defects, including mental retardation

peptic ulcers

aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets

hyperactivity in children

severe depression

aggressive behavior

suicidal tendencies
Aspartame may trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epstein-Barr, Polio, Lyme Disease, Grave’s Disease, Meniere’s Disease, Alzheimer’s , ALSEpilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, EMS, Hypothyroidism, Mercury sensitivity (from Amalgam fillings), Fibromyalgia, Lupus, non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Attention Deficit Disorder3

Do you really need that diet soda now?  If you've got to have that fix then go run (endorphins!) and eat a dark chocolate- satisfy your sweet tooth and get the health benefits... Stay tuned tomorrow to learn why it's ok to love chocolate.

sources
1.Eat This and Live- Don Colbert
2. ^ a b National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (August 22, 2008). "The Emergency Response Safety and Health Database: Methanol". http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/EmergencyResponseCard_29750029.html.3. 3.http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

craving more info?
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/979923-artificial-sweeteners-root-of-diabetes-and-obesity-epidemics/

Beneficial Beans

Photo: Stuti Sakhalkar

It's time to give beans another chance! Dry is better, canned is better than none at all (just rinse them well)

Beans are high in protein, fiber, folate, iron, zinc and B1.

Which ones?

Pinto- These beans are very high in folate.

Navy- These beans are among some of the highest in protein.

Limas- These are very high in fiber. They have been shown to lower LDL and raise HDL.  Beans cooked from dry may lessen the growth of colorectal adenomas (the precursor to colon cancer)

Lentils- have 2 times the protein of any vegetable.  They are high in fiber, folate, manganese, B1 and potassium.  They reduce your risk of prostate cancer by 38%!


Better get Googling those bean recipes!

Here is a great (and super easy) recipe for making your own beans in the crock pot.  Make lots and separate them in thin freezer containers to use whenever!

goto http://www.couponcloset.net/how-to-make-canned-beans-in-your-crockpot/#

Beautiful Berries

For being such a sweet treat, berries pack quite a fighting punch!

Some thing to note:

Frozen Berries do not lose anti-oxidants, so stock up when those organic frozen ones are on sale!

They protect you from free radicals. (and therefore cancer too)

Now for the specifics...

Blackberries-

• Blackberries have the highest antioxidant content of all berries (other than Acai)
• They inhibit tumor cells.

Contain

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Folate
• Potassium
• Zinc
• Beta Carotene
• Lutein

Blueberries-

• Wild blueberries have high anti-oxidants so get picking!

Contain

• Vitamin C
• Manganese (hard to find)
• Fiber
• Anthocyanins (protect cells in body from free radical damage.)

Acai Berries-

• Freeze dried are a great source
• Anti-inflamitory
• Artritus relief
• Cox-1 and Cox-2 inhibitors

Contain

• beta-sitosterol
• phytosterol which competes with cholesterol for absorption and lowers LDL.
• Vitamin A
• Potassium
• Vitamin B1, B2, B3
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Magnesium (very important and hard to find)
• Copper
• Zinc
• Phosphorus which protects from Leukemia.

It's overwhelming all the health benefits these berries pack. Go grab a bowl, then get Googling all those 'what on earth?!' words.

Harvest Time! Watermelons

               Photo: Harsha K R

Back up the truck! It’s time to load up on watermelons.

Some studies have found watermelon to have 40% higher lycopene than tomatoes and the brighter red the better! (“1 ½ cups of watermelon contains about 9 to 13 milligrams of lycopene”)  Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and may reduce the risk of heart disease and some kinds of cancer.

Did you leave your watermelon out at that picnic? Not to worry! Studies have found 140% higher beta carotene when watermelon is warm than when it’s in the fridge. Leave your watermelon on the counter instead of taking up room in the fridge.

That’s not all. Watermelon is also full of ; vitamin C, pantothenic acid,  copper, biotin, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6,  magnesium, and thiamin.

Looking for a quick way to eat your watermelon? Try slicing it in half then place both halves on their flat sides.  Slice straight down in rows then turn it ninety degrees and do the same. You’ll have a green handled stick of watermelon perfectly bite size.

Sources:

http://fightinfoods.blogspot.com/p/sources-addictions.html

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun02/lyco0602.htm

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20060728/warm-watermelon-more-nutritious

A Fighting Immune System

There is an entire world of science secrets behind these fightin’ foods. We’ll barely scratch the surface. We believe knowing a little about why foods do what they do will keep you reaching for them or avoiding the dangerous ones to protect yourself. If you have a further interest or a scientific mind, go check the links to learn more.
Happy Eating!

Antioxidants: “Help prevent and remove damaging oxygen molecules from interacting with cellular molecules before they cause damage and lead to disease.”1


Make these foods a part of your kitchen and you’ll be grabbing protection all day.


Almonds
· Vitamin E- antioxidant

Berries
· High in anti-oxidants

Cauliflower
· Cancer Fighting

Fennel
· Cancer Fighting

Garlic
· Cancer Fighting

Green Tea
· EGCG one of the most powerful antioxidants in the world. It protects cells from being weakened.

Hazelnuts
· antioxidant phenolics
· Vitamin E- antioxidant

Kefir (like yogurt on Steroids)
· “Five times the probiotics (healthy, live bacteria) of yogurt and can defend your intestinal tract against pathogens.”2

Oats-
· Rich in antioxidants called phenols

Olive Oil
· Antioxidant- Protection from ulcers and gastritis.

Onions
· Antioxidant (high in quercetin)
· Anti-Viral
· Cancer Fighting
· Anti-Inflammatory

Oysters
· High in Zinc which protects your T Cells (a group of white blood cells)3

Red Wine
· High antioxidants

Spinach
· “Researchers have identified at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that function as antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents.”4

Sunflower Seeds
· Anti-inflammatory 5

Turmeric (Spice)
· Antioxidant. This super spice helps cells bounce back faster when sick.

Wheat Germ Oil
· Boosts Immune Function
· Repairs DNA
· Supports formation of red blood cells
· Helps absorb vitamin K
· “Wheat germ oil is an unrefined oil that is obtained from the germ of the wheat kernel. It is the richest source of Vitamin E than any other vegetable oil. It also has a high content of Vitamin A and Vitamin D. It is rich in protein and lecithin. It is very popular for external application due to its beneficial effects on the skin and hence is increasingly finding place in the manufacture of skin care products. Other benefits of wheat germ oil include its antioxidant properties and its effect in strengthening the immune system and restoring overall health.”6



Sources:

Source: Runners World Natural Defenses & Other Runners World Articles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant


Reference Links:

1. Antioxidant- http://healthyeatingclub.com/info/articles/vitamins/phenols.htm
2. Kefir- Source: Runners World Natural Defenses
3. Oysters-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_cell
4. Spinach-http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43
5. Sunflower Seeds-http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=57
6. Wheat Germ-http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-wheat-germ-oil.html