Evaluation of various milk types. Raw vs Cooked Food. Good Food - Bad Food. Food Benefits. Processed Food vs Real Food: Why Nutrition Science is So Confusing (and what to do about it) Photo by Daniel Gois Recently a reader asked me a simple question that I’m surprised I don’t hear more often, “Why are processed foods so bad?” She had been having a nutrition debate with her boyfriend. She reads Summer Tomato regularly, but was having trouble describing the health difference between the Real Food I recommend daily and the processed foods I warn against.
What exactly is the evidence? Great question. The answer in some ways is just as simple: we don’t know. Unfortunately that isn’t very satisfying intellectually, and our attempts to create theories around the observational fact that obesity and most chronic diseases only appeared after the introduction of processed foods has opened the door to a world of speculation and confusion. There is no doubt that processed foods are unhealthy. We know this because these foods didn’t magically appear in all places at once, but gradually became available to different populations. Nutrition is complicated, but eating is not. Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Dementia Confirmed. By Dr. Mercola Vitamin D has been shown to improve a number of brain disorders, including dementia and its most severe form, Alzheimer’s disease,1 the latter of which now affects an estimated 5.2 million Americans.2 The latest mortality statistics places Alzheimer’s in the top three killer diseases in the US, right behind heart disease and cancer.3 Vitamin D deficiency is also rampant.
Researchers estimate that half of the general population is at risk of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. Among seniors, that estimate reaches as high as 95 percent. While certainly not the sole cause of dementia, evidence suggests vitamin D may be a very important factor for successful prevention. A wide variety of brain tissue contains vitamin D receptors, and when they’re activated by vitamin D, it facilitates nerve growth in your brain. ‘Most Robust Study of Its Kind’ Confirms Link Between Low Vitamin D and Dementia References for target ranges Magnesium Is Also Important for Vitamin D Activity.
How To Start & End Every Day A Little Bit Healthier. Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Bark This dessert takes around five minutes to prepare and less than 30 minutes to set. It's perfect if you have a craving for chocolate or you have unexpected guests turn up. Read Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the constant barrage of “health tips” we are all exposed to these days?
What is the best diet? What is the newest superfood? What is the best way to exercise? Allow me to make two suggestions that may simplify this for you. I have been practicing medicine for more than 13 years and have seen thousands of patients with a wide variety of health problems. Eat a protein-rich, high-fat breakfast. When people start their day with good quality protein and a healthy serving of good fats, I have seen a number of benefits: Typical examples of such a breakfast would be: Three-egg omelet with avocado Organic lamb chops with steamed spinach (drizzled with olive oil) Goats cheese salad with cashew nuts and flaxseeds Why does this have such a profound effect? Why Eating Healthy Doesn't Always Result in the Health You Desire. You Can Eat To Make Your Brain Grow – Here Is How You Do It. “Can we change your human brain in just 15 minutes together? Sure, because there is something I know about you, you all eat food.”
This remark comes from psychiatrist Dr. Drew Ramsey during a talk he gave for Revitalize, a live chat sector of MindBodyGreen.com. “We can start making a change, giving you a more resilient, happier, smarter brain starting with your next meal, starting with your very first bite. That is the simple and delicious scientific truth. Our brain is a powerhouse of bio-chemical, electric impulses firing rapidly between your two ears. Forgetting Our Vitamins & Minerals Drew Ramsey, M.D. is the author of the book, “50 Shades of Kale”, a sure-fired way to introduce the superfood kale into your diet using creative and delicious recipes.
Take zinc for example, a nutrient which is responsible for over 300 bio-chemical reactions in the brain. The top diseases around the world today include mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
B12. Sulforaphane and quercetin are natural compounds that help improve cellular health. (NaturalNews) Scientists have known for some time that antioxidants including sulforaphane and quercetin are potent substances for protecting cellular health. Now they have discovered a mechanism by which these substances activate a special protective protein, in a study conducted by researchers from the University of Warwick and published in the journal Antioxidants & Redox Signalling. The findings may lead to the identification or development of new superfoods to help prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, the researchers said.
The findings center on the activity of a protein known as Nrf2, which is consistently moving into and out of the nuclei of human cells in order to monitor their health and vitality. When a cell's health is threatened, Nrf2 begins to oscillate in and out of the cell more rapidly, which appears to stimulate cellular defense mechanisms and lead to an increase in cellular antioxidant levels. Antioxidants increase sensor's effectiveness.
Sodium and Potassium. Food Pairings for Better Nutrition. Food as Medicine: Powerful New Drug is at the End of a Fork. Carbohydrate Considerations (Video - Dr Weil) Vitamin K. Saturated Fats. Calcium. 5 Clues You Are Addicted To Sugar. Most of us have felt the urge, the unstoppable craving driving us to seek out something sweet and devour it in a flash. That uncontrollable yen for cookies, cake or ice cream or that whole basket of bread calling to us to finish it off. Why do you overeat? Why does that cookie have such power over you, even though you know it will make you fat and sick? Is it an indication of your moral weakness, lack of will power, or is it a powerful hardwired brain response over which you have little control? Debate has raged recently about whether junk food, the hyper-processed, hyper-palatable food that has become our SAD (standard American diet) is addictive in the same way that heroin or cocaine is addictive.
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that, in fact, higher sugar, higher glycemic foods can be addictive. I stopped by CBS This Morning recently to talk about this groundbreaking study. Then, days later, they had them back for another milkshake. Paleo Vs. Vegan. Dr. Andrew Weil: When to Ignore Common Sense. Human beings have survived for millennia because most of us make good decisions about our health most of the time.
These decisions are usually based on common sense, defined by the American Heritage dictionary as: "Sound judgment not based on specialized knowledge. " However, common sense can also lead one astray. As an anonymous philosopher noted, "Common sense is the sense that tells you the world is flat. " Sometimes a person can't make a sound judgment without specialized knowledge. With that in mind, here are three widespread beliefs about healthy living that may seem to be based on common sense but that research has revealed to be either partially or entirely wrong. 1. The problem: Bones are actually made of a complex of minerals (calcium is just one of them) and specialized connective tissue known as collagen. 2. But human metabolism is far more complex than a pipe. 3. One of the characteristics of "specialized knowledge" is that new evidence can compel it to change. Dr. 4 ingredients that greedy food manufacturers use to addict you to their products.
Nine foods you should never eat again. Revealing Ingredients. Too Busy To Eat Healthy? 9 Foods To Keep In Your Kitchen. OK, so this item isn’t a “food,” but I recommend you befriend it ASAP. I love my Vitamix, which is a turbo-charged blender. It's not cheap, but trust me: it's a small price to pay for a loyal friend that will change your life for the better.
Liquid nutrition is essential for our “busy” lifestyles. With the flip of a switch, we can create smoothies, soups or purées that will power us through our busy day. Make a protein-rich green smoothie in the morning and you’ll get everything you’ll need for the entire day in one glass. Or make a quick raw soup, aka "a savory smoothie," packed with fresh veggies that will keep nicely for hours. The Power of the Fork – Part Two. In my last blog, I explored how your diet affects not only your personal health but the health of the soil, water, air, and global climate. What we choose to eat determines whether or not we deplete nature’s capital, as well as our human capital, the richness that comes from a healthy, vibrant community. Fossil Fuels and Drugs Hidden in Our Food How could it be that the price of gas and the price of our food are correlated?
As gas prices rise, so do food prices. The fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides used on these farms are generally oil by-products. These factory farms are producing “Frankenmeat” that destroys our bodies and degrades our environment at an ever-increasing cost. Industrial food production doesn’t just require more energy and contribute to global warming, it also exposes us to harm because the foods we eat contain altered proteins, fats, and sugars, as well as unhealthy antibiotics and hormones. Pharmaceuticals have become essential to our “modern” food production. How to Sweeten Without Artificial Sweeteners. A Big Fat Mistake. By Jack Challem / June 2011: Reclaim Your Energy! Is it possible — even imaginable — that nearly everyone has been wrong about saturated fat and its connection to heart disease?
Brace yourself. Based on a wave of new research, all the dietary admonitions about saturated fat could end up being little more than a huge mistake. “The question is whether saturated fat is harmful or is just a bystander,” says Ronald M. Krauss, MD, a lipid specialist and the director of atherosclerosis research at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute. “Saturated fat may have an effect on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but the effect is so small that we just can’t detect it. We shouldn’t be demonizing saturated fat.” Krauss can back up his opinion with hard science. Krauss is by no means the first doctor to question the role of saturated fat in CVD. The answers aren’t as simple or straightforward as you might think. Origins of a Theory Enter Refined Carbs The late Robert C. The Cholesterol Question. Tana Amen: Surprising Secrets of Getting Kids to Eat Healthy -- and Love It.
People used to smile -- or even snicker -- when they saw our daughter, Chloe, eat halibut and avocado at age 3. At the airport snack bar, strangers would stare when she bypassed a counter full of sugary treats and high-fat foods kids are supposed to crave and reached for a serving of bell peppers and hummus. Often, parents would ask us how we managed to get a strong-willed child to eat the foods that were best for her body and brain, instead of such supposed kid favorites as pizza, Pop-Tarts and juice.
The answer is simple: We don't keep junk food in our house and we've taught Chloe, now 9, to make healthy decisions for herself by helping her understand how various foods would affect her body and how she'd feel after eating them. As a result, she's a lot smarter about healthy eating than I was at her age, or even at 20. For example, when I volunteered at her school on Halloween, I was asked to help the students decorate cookies -- with icing!
• Avoid being the food police. 10 Health Lies and Myths That Mainstream Nutritionists Spread. Are You Fat Enough? It’s time to change the way you think about fat. For the past 30 years well-meaning diet gurus have preached that eating fat makes you fat. I’m here to tell you that fat, in and of itself, is not what is making you fat. Instead, it’s eating too much of the wrong types of fat. After all, all fats are not created equal. But, if you are like 90 percent of Americans, you are eating the wrong type of fat most of the time. It’s time for an oil change! What is Fat? Fat is one of the body’s most basic building blocks. What is an omega fat? The higher quality the fat, the better your body will function. How do you know if your cells are getting the fats they need? Dry, itchy, scaling or flaking skinSoft, cracked, or brittle nailsHard earwaxTiny bumps on the backs of your arms or torsoAchy, stiff joints’DepressionMemory problemsAttention deficit disorderDiabetesWeight gainCancer Why does the type of fat matter?
Recognizing Which Fats to Eat and Which to Avoid Body Boon How to Know Your Stats on Fats. How to Eat Healthy Like a Doctor. As a physician, I'm used to my patients asking, "What would you do if you were me? " Over the past few years, though, they've begun making additional inquiries. "What do you do to stay healthy? Do you eat fat? Sugar? Do you cook? " They see me as someone who has a lifestyle similar to theirs, with a family and a demanding job, but who also has insider knowledge of what really works (and what doesn't).
That's why I teamed up with the editors of Prevention. I was set on my own path to nutritional awareness after becoming frustrated with my own health. I patted myself on the back when I had popcorn for dinner or a green salad with fat-free dressing for lunch. Fast-forward a few years to when the "payback" began.
Around that time I became interested in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, and this led to one of those personal "aha! " Within a few weeks of changing my diet, I had more energy. Once I'd healed myself, I wanted to share what I had learned. DIY: Grow Your Own Wheatgrass & Make Awesome Juices! Wheatgrass is an awesome living food. If I listed all its health benefits I'd be way over my word count, but I will point out that it’s packed with over 90 minerals, including high concentrations of potassium, calcium, sodium, calcium, chlorophyll, and magnesium (the most alkaline of minerals).
There are 19 amino acids (the building blocks of protein) in wheatgrass and amazingly, it contains twice the vitamin A as carrots and more Vitamin C than oranges. In addition to removing toxic metals from your cells and cleaning your lymph system, this humble grass also nourishes the kidneys and liver, while the essential enzymes slow cellular aging. The anti-inflammatory properties make it anti-arthritic, a great side-effect-free alternative to orthodox treatments. Staggeringly, a shot of freshly-squeezed wheatgrass juice contains the nutritional equivalent of 1 kg of leafy green vegetables! A shot a day will cleanse and rejuvenate. To grow wheatgrass Water regularly so damp, but not too wet. Are You Eating These 10 Healthiest Foods? Join the American Gut Project! 8 Reasons to Drink Dandelion Root Tea. As we are head into the silly season, it's no secret that many of us will be consuming more alcohol this time of year, which will no doubt put a lot of extra pressure on our liver.
Enter dandelion root tea, which is great for detoxing the liver! Plus it has many other great benefits, such as: It improves digestion and aids weight loss.It eases congestion of the liver.It helps to purify the bladder and kidneys.It reduces the risk of urinary tract infections.It contains calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, vitamins B and C.It helps to purify the blood, regulate blood sugar and improves blood circulation.It helps to ease bloating and aching joints.It helps to cure skin conditions. And that's just the beginning Dandelion leaves also have all of these health benefits and more, which makes them a great option to include in your morning green juice. The best way to get all of these benefits is to put the dried root straight into a cup with boiling water and drink it as is. A 3-Step Plan to Get Rid of Inflammation Naturally. You're Missing Alkaline. 10 Food Combinations to Improve Digestion.
Cooking Method Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Disease. 8 Reasons Why Aloe is Amazing. 10 Health Benefits of Ginger (Infographic) Dr. Hyman’s Emergency Food Pack. Living Well Gluten Free | Living Well Gluten Free. Dr Mercola's Improved Nutrition Plan. Agave Nectar Issues.