Natural vs. Organic: The Battle Begins

Marion Nestle:

Horizon, the commercial organic milk producer, is introducing its first new non-organic products for children. These will be labeled "natural," not organic. Horizon's press people say the products "don't contain growth hormones and will be easier on the pocketbook...These are our first natural offerings in the marketplace, and Horizon always tries to provide great-tasting products for moms and for families." Really?

"Natural" is an odd term. It has no regulatory meaning. Meats that are "natural" are supposed to be minimally processed and if their labels say they were produced without antibiotics or hormones the statements have to be truthful and not misleading. As I discussed in What to Eat, meat retailers can't tell the difference between "natural" and organic and neither can a lot of consumers. Retailers are happy to charge the same high prices for the "natural" products and consumers think they are buying organics. This is not a good situation.

So why would a company ostensibly devoted to the principles and practice of organics suddenly decide to start marketing "natural" products? For the answer, I defer to Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute who sent this message Wednesday:

The rumors have now been confirmed. Dean Foods' WhiteWave division has now announced that they will bring out "natural" (conventional) dairy products under the Horizon label. This at a time when organic dairy farmers around the country are in financial crisis due to a glut of milk.

This move comes on the heels of the recent decision by Dean/WhiteWave to switch almost the entire product offerings of their Silk soy milk and soy foods line to "natural" (conventional) soybeans. They made the switch to conventional soybeans, in Silk products, without lowering the price. Sheer profiteering.

The likelihood is that they will create this new category and enjoy higher profits than they currently realize having to pay those pesky organic dairy farmers a livable wage.

The news story below, from the Natural Foods Merchandise quotes Dean Foods/WhiteWave officials saying these products will be "easier on the pocketbook." Yes, they will be designed to undercut certified organic on price.

Horizon is the largest, in terms of dollar volume, organic brand in the marketplace. Silk holds the leading market share in soyfoods and was once, prior to Dean Foods' acquisition, a 100% organic company and brand.

SHAME!

Stay tuned. Dean Foods has just declared war on the organic industry. Although the first shot has been fired it will not be the last.

The organic farmers, consumers and ethical business people who built this industry did so in effort to create an alternative food system with a different set of values. We will all work hard to defend what so many good people spent so many years to create.

Mark A. Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst. The Cornucopia Institute

Organic V Conventional: Which is more nutritional?

The Food Standards agency has issued a statement in response to the outpouring of outrage over its study demonstrating that the nutritional value of organic foods is, on average, equivalent to that of conventional foods. In defense of the study results, the CEO of the agency says:

Irresponsible interpretation of the review by some has resulted in misleading claims being made concerning higher levels of some nutrients found in organic food. The review...focused on nutrients where statistically significant differences were seen. Arbitrary quotes or selective use of the data from the other papers which were of less robust scientific quality should be treated with caution. The important message from this report is not that people should avoid organic food but that they should eat a healthy balanced diet and, in terms of nutrition, it doesn't matter if this is made up of organic or conventionally produced food.

I have long argued that functional foods (in which nutrients are added over and above those that are already present in the foods) are not about improving health; they are about improving marketing. Evaluating foods on the basis of their content of one or another nutrient is what Michael Pollan calls "nutritionism." Nutritionism is about marketing, not health.

I am a great supporter of organic foods because their production reduces the use of unnecessary chemicals, antibiotics, and hormones, and favors more sustainable production practices. Yes, some organic foods will be higher in some nutrients than some conventional foods. But so what? Customers who can afford to buy organic foods are unlikely to be nutrient deficient. What's at stake in the furor over this issue is market share. What should be at stake is the need to produce food--all food--more sustainably.

Marion Nestle

Food Labels: A Vital Lesson for the U.S.A

While in London, I accumulated various food labels to share with friends from McDonalds to Potato Chips (Crisps) but somehow i lost them in transit :-( This article gives a brief synopsis on why this is a very important issue.

Food Labels: Learning from Europe

You will recall that the FDA's 1994 stance on labeling of genetically modified (GM) foods was that labeling foods as GM or non-GM would be misleading because the foods are no different. Despite overwhelming evidence that the public wants to know whether foods are GM or not, GM foods do not have to be labeled. Worse, those that are labeled non-GM have to include a disclaimer that this makes no difference (I explain how all this happened in Safe Food).

At present, there is no way to know whether GM foods that have been approved by FDA (such as potatoes, tomatoes, squash, papayas) are actually in the produce section of supermarkets. When I was writing What to Eat, I paid to have some papayas tested. Most were not GM. But you have no way of knowing that.

The Europeans are faced with the same problem but insist on labeling GM. Guess what? No problem.

The GM industry (translation: Monsanto) has opposed labeling from the very beginning, no doubt because of fears that people will reject GM foods. The makers of processed foods object to labeling because practically everything they make contains GM ingredients: about 90 percent of the soybeans and 50 percent of the corn grown in America is GM. Ingredients made from these foods--corn and soy oils, proteins, and sweeteners--are widely used in processed foods.

The Europeans are faced with the same problem but insist on labeling GM. Guess what? No problem. Hershey's Reese's NutRageous candy bars in the U.K. disclose the GM ingredients in exactly the way our products disclose allergens: "Contains: Peanuts, Genetically Modified Sugar, Soya and Corn." Here's a link to a photo of the label.

Hershey is an American company. If labeling in the U.K. is this simple, we ought to be able to do this here, no? Here's a chance for the FDA to fix an old mistake and give consumers a real choice.

Marion Nestle

My Lessons on Attaining Happiness

One of my happy moments this year...

I read an article on tips to happiness and it inspired me to share my own lessons/tips from vacations with my family and the happiness it brought. First and foremost EVERYONE needs a break every now and then. So whatever you do please make time for one.

1) If there's no FUN, there's no happiness. Make time for activities AND non activities that everyone in the family can enjoy.

2) "One man's meat is another man's poison". Give everyone the opportunity to indulge "in their own thing". Don't question or criticize, just let them at it. My youngest daughter is compelled to create a cartoon strip EVERY morning. She then passes it around to everyone to read. It doesn't always make sense to me (probably b/c of early morning anxiety) but I read it enthusiastically nonetheless. I am unimpressed by foie gras but love cooked to death southern okra.

3) SLEEP is vital. There's a study that claims that an extra hour of sleep pr night equals a $60,000 sleep. I've got to admit that I do not undersell myself in this dept.

4) Taking a short break from fun to perform mundane or boring tasks can make a person more appreciative of their vacation. One comes out feeling rather enthusiastic and fully engaged. I guess this explains T.V commercials :-). My thing is organizing my calender: an arduous but essential task that I conquer while watching Mad Men.

5) Everyone needs a "Happiness Goal": This is a wish to achieve something or go somewhere. It varies widely. It is also well worth talking about it often to friends or creating a dream book. It keeps us driven and hopeful. All of which make for a well balanced being. The most successful people in life today started of with "wild dreams". While we're at it, do encourage friends and family members who dare dream, their feeling of elevation can be infectious. Mine starts with visiting Thailand...
Do you have any you care to share? It helps me/ others know you better....

The White House, Food, and Children.

On Aug. 3, advertisements went up at a Washington, DC, Metro Station showing an 8-year-old girl saying "President Obama's daughters get healthy school lunches. Why don't I?" Within 24 hours, they sparked a media debate focusing on the substantive question about the healthfulness of school meals and, even more so, on a question of propriety: Is it fair to mention the First Family in an advertisement?

The substantive issue was clear: Children's diets are terrible. Fast food and junk food are everywhere. School lunch programs can, in theory, provide healthful meals that help make up for unhealthful foods served elsewhere. Unfortunately, most schools are not up to the task. According to a 2007 U.S. Department of Agriculture study, meals served at 80 percent of schools are too high in fat, especially saturated fat -- the kind that leads to heart disease. America's children have been sucked into an undertow of unhealthy foods, and, not surprisingly, one in six is overweight.

The results are disastrous. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecast that one in three children born since the year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in life. Many children have the first changes of atherosclerosis while they are still in high school.

Part of the problem is that school menus are not based entirely on health considerations. They are part of a vast marketing program for agricultural commodities. When beef prices fall, the USDA buys up millions of pounds of beef. When cheese prices slide, the government buys up cheese. Soon, roast beef, cheeseburgers, and cheese pizza show up on school menus, not because these foods are good for kids--far from it. Rather, children can be easily induced to eat these high-cholesterol foods, eliminating unwanted surpluses and allowing farm prices to rise again.

When Congress takes up the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act later this year, it can decide to give children healthier choices. A school offering a greasy cheeseburger (5 grams of saturated fat, 268 calories) should also provide a veggie burger (0 grams of saturated fat, 230 calories). When chicken nuggets (5 grams of saturated fat, 240 calories) are offered, there should be a cholesterol-free veggie chili option (0 grams saturated fat, 144 calories).

But many of the 31 million children who participate in the National School Lunch Program have trouble finding healthful meals at school. Despite a 2007 American Medical Association resolution calling for vegetarian meals in schools, most schools continue to focus their menus on meat and cheese. The President's family, to its credit, chose Sidwell Friends, a private school that offers not only a top education, but also a healthy vegetarian option for every student every day.

So when is it fair to mention the President's children? The issue first came up during the Inauguration, when J. Crew cashed in heavily on First Family's wardrobe choices, rapidly followed by Beanie Babies named after the girls. Soon the White House had to set rules for its own behavior and that of everyone else. Clearly, the Metro ads play by the rules. They do not use of the children's names or images, and in no way intrude on their privacy. And their message is important: Every child, no matter how disadvantaged, deserves a healthy meal.

It is Congress, not the President, that needs to act. But the President can lead the way for children. So far, he has not taken up the issue. The President's choice of Tom Vilsack to head the USDA has meant a continuation of the policy of dumping meat and cheese into schools. On July 31, Vilsack announced another $243 million in purchases, saying in a press release, "The Obama Administration is committed to pursuing all options to help dairy farmers."

The President and Vice President have kept up an appearance of being "regular guys," rather than healthy examples, most notably during their inexplicable but well-publicized motorcade to Ray's Hell Burger, a Virginia restaurant known for high-cholesterol food.

That said, the President deserves a measure of patience. After all, the administration had barely arrived in the White House when it had to deal with a tanking economy, a failing health care system, and changing battlegrounds in the Middle East. It is hard to imagine it could also have given attention to children's health in this short time frame. Even so, if we are going to tackle health care, we need to understand why so many children and adults are in such poor shape. Every child in every school deserves a healthful lunch every day, and Congress needs to make that happen.

To join the call for better foods for children, visit HealthySchoolLunches.org.

A big Thank YOU to Neal Barnard, M.D., for this article. He is a nutrition researcher and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Is Vinegar An Appetite Suppressant?

Will drinking a glass of water with a teaspoon of vinegar in it, suppress your appetite. It seems to work. Why? And is it safe?

Some research indicates that vinegar, which provides a diluted dose of acetic acid, slows stomach emptying and thus potentially prolongs the sense of fullness after a meal (presumably, this is true even if the meal is nothing but vinegar). Of perhaps greater interest, vinegar lowers the glycemic index of foods such as white bread and pasta, making them more filling, possibly because the carbs enter the bloodstream more slowly. Also, by giving the appetite center a flavor—astringent—vinegar makes the brain feel as if it were being fed. Evidence that vinegar helps with weight loss or self-control is hard to find, but these mechanisms do make the idea plausible.

As for safety, because vinegar is acidic, it may irritate the esophagus and stomach. Over time too much acid may leach calcium from bone and damage tooth enamel.
Generally, though, up to three tablespoons of vinegar a day—at only 9 to 15 calories total—should be fine.

How Natural Is This Sweetener?

Photo by Akajos/Flickr CC

Marion Nestle

The April 26 New York Times Magazine carried a seductive ad on page 15 for PepsiCo's "Trop50 orange juice goodness with 50 percent less calories and sugar...And no artificial sweeteners" PepsiCo performs this miracle by diluting the juice by half with water (really, you could do this at home). But in case the result isn't sweet enough for you, Trop50 adds the sweetener Stevia.

PepsiCo can get away with claiming that its juice drink has no artificial sweeteners. Because Stevia is isolated from leaves of the Stevia plant, the FDA lets companies claim it is "natural."

We can debate whether a chemical sweetener isolated from Stevia leaves is really "natural" but here's another problem: Stevia doesn't taste like sugar. Companies have to fuss with it to cover up its off taste. And, they must do so "without detracting from the perceived benefits of its natural status." Flavor companies are working like mad to find substances that block Stevia's bitter taste, mask its off flavors, and extend its sweetness, while staying within the scope of what the FDA allows as "natural."

Yesterday, I received an e-mail from a Stevia PR representative eager for me to see the company's website. "Naturally delicious," anyone?

5 Strategies for Healthy Living

It's hard as hell to do everything exactly the way the experts tell us to, but anyone can do better. Some painless ways to trick yourself toward health:

Slash sugar and salt intake just by reading.
Labels, that is. You'll be shocked at how many foods—ketchup, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, juices, cereals—are loaded with hidden sugar (a.k.a. glucose, fructose, sucrose, and the ubiquitous high-fructose corn syrup). The same goes for sodium: Abandon canned chicken noodle soup (a whopping 1,780 milligrams of salt per cup) for low-sodium minestrone or vegetable (a mere 290).
Also take a minute to gauge the number of servings per container, this helps you limit how much you should consume.

Drink yourself skinnier.
There are about 144 calories in six ounces of white wine, 136 in 12 ounces of soda, 380 in a mocha Frappuccino( a devilish fav of mine), and—caramba!—as many as 740 in a frozen margarita. Make water or seltzer your beverage of choice. If you must go with someone and SHARE. I almost always go to Starbucks and share my tall decaf frapuccino with my girls. Sometimes when I have a sweet craving, an 2oz is enough to satisfy it.

Don't cut out, cut back.
You can have your cake and eat it, too—on weekends. 200 fewer calories a day translates to nearly 2 pounds a month. So what, you ask? That's around 20 pounds a year, that's what. Enjoy the way weight loss creeps up on you—the same way weight gain did. But increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat—without frying, buttering, or drenching them in oil.

Whatever exercise you're doing, do more.
You say you're too out of shape, too busy, too tired, too poor? Sisters, observe your feet. Already attached, always available, and free. Use them to walk to work (and eventually up the stairs), around the block at lunch, and down the hall when you need to talk to a colleague instead of using the phone or e-mail. Walk from the farthest parking place at the mall, and walk on the weekend with friends and family. Walk around the house while you're on the phone.
For me, I never settle into the couch for up to 2hrs( watching a movie/ using my laptop) without doing 20leg lifts.

Pop a pill.
Take a basic, one-a-day multivitamin (with 400 micrograms of folic acid if you're of childbearing age). Ditto a calcium supplement; we need 1,000 milligrams a day until menopause and 1,200 thereafter (ask your doctor if she thinks it should be more and when to start annual bone density scans). Add B12 if you're over 50.Make sure you are getting adequate Calcium & Vitamin D.


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Making the Most Of Your Metabolism

Eat More, Burn Better

Of course, the diet advice we'd all love to hear is, "Eat more, and lose more weight!" But what really works is, "Eat more often, and you'll lose more weight." Small but frequent meals help keep your metabolism in high gear, and that means you'll burn more calories overall.

When you put too many hours between meals, your metabolism actually slows down to compensate.

If you then eat a huge meal—at the same time your metabolism is functioning as if you're starving—your body wants to hold on to every calorie.

While this won't make much difference on an occasional basis, Kimball says, make it a way of life and it can get harder to lose or maintain weight.

Kimball's advice is borne out by the findings of a study that was presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine. Researchers from Georgia State University reported that when athletes ate snacks totaling about 250 calories each, three times a day, they had greater energy output then when they didn't snack.

The study also found that snacking helped the athletes eat less at each of their three regular meals. The final result was a higher metabolic rate, a lower caloric intake and reduction in body fat.

Revving Your Engine

Though some of the factors affecting metabolic rate can't be changed, happily, there are ways to maximize the metabolism you're born with—even when you're dieting.

Among the best ways is exercise. This includes aerobic workouts to burn more calories in the short term and weight training to build the muscles that will boost your metabolism in the long run.

"Since muscle burns more calories than fat—even while at rest—the more muscles you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate, which means the more calories your body will be burning just to sustain you," Kimball says.

Personal fitness trainer Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS, ACE, notes that every pound of muscle in our bodies burns 35 calories a day, while each pound of fat burns just 2 calories per day.

While 30 minutes of aerobic exercise may burn more calories than 30 minutes of weight training, Calabrese says, "in the hours following the cessation of exercise, the weight training has a longer-lasting effect on boosting metabolism."

Having extra muscle also means you can eat more and gain less.

Adds Yanagisawa: "We don't tell people to exercise while dieting only to burn calories—we also know that exercise builds muscle, and that is what will help you burn more calories and maintain the weight loss you work so hard to achieve."

Some women fear they'll "bulk up" with weight training. But Calabrese, author of Feminine, Fit and Firm, says not to worry. "Women don't have the hormones necessary to develop those huge muscles, so you can feel good about doing weight training," she says.

Four Weeks to Healthy Eating: WEEK FOUR

Week Four: Get Protein
In the past three weeks, you have learned how vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and low-fat dairy can help you fill your plate with quality nutrients that don't pack a lot of calories. Now it's time to address protein. Getting enough is not something most of us need to worry about, but selecting well is.

Your goal is to eat five to six ounces of lean and healthy protein a day. Eat it all in one meal (most restaurant servings of protein are at least five ounces), or eat smaller portions throughout the day. I often tell clients to divide their plate into quarters: Three quarters should be filled with whole grains and vegetables; one quarter should be a serving of protein—such as shrimp, fish, chicken, beans, tofu, lean cuts of beef, or pork—about the size of a deck of cards. Poultry and meat can take little time to cook (grilling and searing in a hot, nonstick pan) or a lot of hands-off time (braising and stewing until they are fork-tender and flavorful).

Some high-protein foods are rich in protective nutrients, such as the omega-3 fatty acids found in walnuts and fish like wild salmon. Use nuts as a garnish to add flavor, texture, and toastiness to salad, or eat a small handful as a snack. Beans are a near-perfect food—high in protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron, calcium, and magnesium, and very low in fat. Puree them into dips and spreads, or add them to salads, soups, stews, and casseroles for extra protein oomph.


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What is Metabolism

"It's my metabolism!"

Sound familiar? If you're carrying some extra pounds (and having a hard time losing them), it's tempting to put the blame on a sluggish metabolism.

But is your metabolism really the reason it's often so hard to lose weight? And, more importantly, is there anything you can do about it?

The good news is, there are things you can do to help boost your body's calorie-burning power.

What Is Metabolism?

Your metabolism, experts say, involves a complex network of hormones and enzymes that not only convert food into fuel but also affect how efficiently you burn that fuel.

"The process of metabolism establishes the rate at which we burn our calories and, ultimately, how quickly we gain weight or how easily we lose it," says Robert Yanagisawa, MD, director of the Medically Supervised Weight Management Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

Your metabolism is influenced by your age (metabolism naturally slows about 5 percent per decade after age 40), your sex (men generally burn more calories at rest than women) and your proportion of lean body mass (the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate tends to be). Heredity makes a difference.

Some people just burn calories at a slower rate than others, a defect in the thyroid gland can slow metabolism, though this problem is relatively rare.

And here's a fact that may surprise you: The more weight you carry, the faster your metabolism is likely running.

"The simple fact is that the extra weight causes your body to work harder just to sustain itself at rest, so in most instances, the metabolism is always running a bit faster.

That's one reason it's almost always easiest to lose weight at the start of a diet and harder later on. When you are very overweight, your metabolism is already running so high that any small cut in calories will result in an immediate loss.

Then, when you lose significant amounts of body fat and muscle, your body needs fewer calories to sustain itself. That helps explain why it's so easy to regain weight after you've worked to lose it.

If two people both weigh 250 pounds, and one got there by dieting down from 350 and the other one was always at 250, the one who got there by cutting calories is going to have a slower metabolism. That means they will require fewer calories to maintain their weight than the person who never went beyond 250 pounds.

So your take-away from this issue is:

• Build more muscle than fat (muscle toning exercises).
  
• If you need to lose weight pace yourself and do not do it drastically.
• Have you checked your thyroid lately?
• Eating a fruit between meals can sometime trick your body into burning mode especially if it burns more than you take in foodwise.
  

Four Weeks to Healthy Eating: WEEK THREE

Week Three: Get the Perks of Dairy—Without All the Fat

This week, add some reduced-fat dairy, which will cream up your cooking and get healthy calcium into your diet (approximately 75 percent of adult Americans don't get the recommended daily allowance). Studies show not only that calcium helps prevent osteoporosis but that getting enough calcium each day (1,000 milligrams from ages 19 to 50 and 1,200 milligrams after age 50), along with adequate vitamin D (200 IU; 400 IU after age 50), helps control weight, lowers blood pressure, and may prevent certain types of cancer.

Your goal is to eat three to four servings a day of low-fat cheeses, yogurt, and 1 percent or skim milk; the calcium in dairy products is the most readily absorbed by your body. If you're lactose intolerant, fortified soy products—particularly those with calcium malate—are a fine substitute in cooking and often contain similar amounts of protein, vitamin D, and calcium. I do not recommend fat-free dairy products, particularly cheese; instead of getting creamy, bubbly, and brown in recipes, it can turn rubbery and tasteless.

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The Way to Eat: Diet Tweaks That Make a Difference

All it takes is 10 minutes here and there to make a dramatic change for the better in your diet.

There are two ways to improve the quality of what you eat: You could study nutrition theory thoroughly, abandon most of what you've been doing until now, and retool your diet from stem to stern. Or you could keep things simple by making just one small change at a time.

Take breakfast, for example. Sitting down to one—if you don't already—can be your first ten-minute intervention. Numerous studies have found that skipping breakfast is linked to overweight and obesity. Women seem to be especially responsive to the benefits: A study of 4,218 adults found that eating breakfast meant that women—but not men—were far more likely to have a body mass index under 25, putting them comfortably in the healthy weight category.

If you do eat breakfast, then the next change is even simpler. When you're at the supermarket, spend some time picking out a whole grain cereal—look for one that delivers about five grams of fiber per serving. (You can save time by going with one of my favorites—cereals by Nature's Path, Kashi, and Barbara's Bakery.) Then buy some skim milk and fruit. Now you have a meal that takes all of 60 seconds to prepare yet delivers protein, complex carbohydrates, and a hearty dose of fiber, calcium, and antioxidants. A whole grain breakfast seems to have special benefits. Research published earlier this year found that women who got at least one serving of whole grains a day—a cup of whole grain cold cereal, for example, or one slice of whole grain bread—weighed less and had slimmer waists than those who ate none. Remarkably, more than two-thirds of the 2,000-plus women in the study failed to get that crucial serving.

For many people, dinner is the place to cut corners. Cooking a meal at the end of a long day sounds daunting, but it may not be as challenging as you think. A study out of UCLA suggests that putting together a home-cooked dinner on average takes only about ten minutes more of hands-on time than using mainly prepackaged dishes. If you go to the store with a few recipes in mind, you'll have what you need at your fingertips each evening. A dinner of grilled fresh fish with a light citrus marinade (orange juice, olive oil, and dill), steamed green beans, whole grain bread with herb-infused olive oil for dipping, mixed green salad, glass of wine, and a square of dark chocolate for dessert would actually take less time to prepare than a frozen pizza.

Most important, the dishes you make will be much healthier. Processed food, fast food, and takeout often have too much salt and sugar. The fish dinner I described above contains most of the items that make up the "polymeal"—a collection of foods (fish, almonds, wine, dark chocolate, garlic, fruits, and vegetables) that researchers have suggested can lower heart disease risk by 76 percent.

Four Weeks to Healthy Eating: WEEK TWO

Week Two: Defy Your White Flour Urge

Until recently, it seemed that only nutritionists (and cereal box labels) used the words whole grain. Now delicious whole grain soups, desserts, and breads—bursting with color, texture and flavor—have become popular. It's also widely known that they have the power to deliver key antioxidants.

Your weekly goal is to make sure that half of your grain servings per day (three to five one-ounce servings) are whole grains such as wild rice, brown rice, barley, bulgur, corn (polenta), faro, quinoa, wheat berries, or whole wheat couscous. Whole grain foods are not refined, which means they contain all three parts of the grain, including the two lost in the refining process—the outer layer, bran, which provides fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidants; and the germ, the nutrient-packed inner portion, containing protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The endosperm, the starchy part of the grain left in refined products such as white flour, contains some protein and lots of carbs but few nutrients. Look for the word whole on the ingredient list, followed by the name of the grain.

Research shows that adding even a moderate amount of whole grain to your diet every day—whole grain cereal topped with fruit for breakfast, toasty multigrain bread at lunch, and a pilaf or grain salad for dinner—significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and digestive system and hormone-related cancers.

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4 Ways to Put Your Diet First

The holidays aren't the only time people screw up their eating habits. A Boston College study of dieting women found that more than half reported feeling pressure to eat in all social settings. But there was a crucial difference in the way they responded: Sixty percent of successful dieters used positive statements to shore up their resolve, while nearly two-thirds of the failed dieters reported worries about what other people were thinking (and half looked for reasons to rationalize overeating). Here, examples of the psychological traps we set for ourselves and how to respond.

You Feel: Concerned that people will notice you're not eating as much.

Tell Yourself: "So what? I'm entitled to eat however I please." And if someone wants to know why, you can say, "I'm trying to eat healthier," and change the subject.

You Feel: Rude for turning down a second helping.

Tell Yourself: "Taking care of my health is more important than pleasing the host."

You Feel: That you've been good and deserve a treat.

Tell Yourself: "Every decision I make about food counts. I can find other ways to celebrate a special occasion."

You Feel: Everyone is staring at you, pressuring you to eat.

Tell Yourself: "Be strong—smart eating is more important than everyone's approval." Follow that with a firm, "No, thanks." Repeat if necessary.

Four Weeks to Healthy Eating: WEEK ONE

Four Weeks to Healthy Eating

Week One: Make a Produce-Aisle Hit List

Eating more fruits and vegetables is one of the most important dietary habits you can adopt to prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension and to manage your weight. Vegetables in particular will cost you little in the way of calories while offering huge health benefits.

Your weekly goal is to eat five to nine servings of fruits and veggies a day. That's not as challenging as it may seem. The serving sizes are reasonable—one medium-size fruit, a half cup of cooked vegetables, three-quarters of a cup of 100-percent juice, one cup of raw leafy vegetables, a quarter cup of dried fruit. Mix fruit into your breakfast cereal, add lettuce and tomato to your sandwich (with a side of a vegetable-based soup), eat a piece of fruit in the afternoon and a vegetable side at dinner, and you've taken care of at least five servings.

Before shopping, write down the names of five richly colored vegetables and fruits that you really like, then add to the list two that you're curious about and are willing to try.


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The Health Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup

As I continued to dig up information on why High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad for my health, this article provided the concise information I needed:

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) isn't just bad for your weight, it's bad for your health in general. Here's an undisputed medical fact: You can survive on an intravenous drip of glucose. But replace the glucose with fructose, and you'd get a fatty liver.

That's because fructose is the source of the chemical building blocks of cholesterol and triglyceride production. And fructose just isn't digested, absorbed, or metabolized in the same way as glucose. Instead, it goes right to your cells without the help of insulin.

The result? Fructose moves right into fat production -- so it spikes your triglycerides but lowers your HDL ("good") cholesterol. It also increases your levels of small, dense LDL (called LDL-B) cholesterol, which is much more dangerous than regular LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

The science is clear: Fructose consumption is associated with insulin resistance, increased calorie intake, impaired metabolism, weight gain, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

And there's one more problem: The corn used in HFCS is typically genetically altered -- it has 13 carbon molecules, not 12. And we have no good long-term data on the effects of eating all that altered corn!

By now, you can probably guess my bottom line: Avoid high fructose corn syrup!

Easier said than done? Not necessarily.

Steps to reduce your intake of High Fructose Syrup:

1. Minimize your intake of all sugars, whatever the source.

2. Remove sweetened drinks ("liquid candy"), including sodas and sweetened fruit drinks.

3. Eat a whole-food, real-food diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds and healthy fats like olive oil and fish oil.

4. When you do use sugar, choose natural sweeteners such as those found in fruit. (Yes, fruit contains fructose, but it's also rich in antioxidants, fiber, and other healthy compounds.) Or try agave nectar, a natural sugar that your body may metabolize better.

5. If you see a food with "high fructose corn-syrup" on the label, put it back on the shelf. You will be doing yourself a favor.

If you weren't aware of HFCS and its potential risks before, you certainly are now. I hope you'll use this new awareness to improve your diet -- and your health.

What do you think?Have you had problems with HFCS before? Has consuming HFCS made you fat? Or, has stopping consumption of HFCS-containing foods and beverages helped you improve your health or lose weight?

This article armed with a plausible argument for rejecting HFCS infused foods. I stopped rambling and sounding wacky when people questioned my reasons. I hope it has the same effect for you too.
Once again, I am grateful to Mark Hyman, MD for his article clarifying this subject.

What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?

When I decided to get serious about what I was eating, one of he ingredients I considered "foreign" to my body was High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS). I was very diligent about eliminating foods that had it as an ingredient. As a result I might have become a pain to friends, family and even strangers. Declining a food item from someone who eats it can be insulting. People take it very personally. As a result, I had to justify my reason. Of course half way through, I would lose my audience. I was happy running the risk of looking a little wacky. One tends to lose more friends if you are a condescending know-it-all. Wacky people tend to keep their friends :-).

As news spread of the health risks in HFCS, more people started avoiding it and the corn lobbyists became alarmed. They quickly released a commercial was released in the U.S where a mom questioned the danger in HFCS. "It's just sugar" she declared. My thoughts were, if it's "just sugar" why not use sugar instead of a lab created equivalent? What are the benefits, if any, of HFCS. The article below explain all that we need to know about this ingredient. You be the judge...

Is one type of sugar worse for you than another?

Even if you've never heard of HFCS, you've almost certainly eaten it. This highly processed, chemically altered sweetener was created by a Japanese scientist in a lab in 1971 and has been used in almost all processed and prepackaged foods ever since.

HFCS consumption has skyrocketed in the last 25 years, up a whopping 1,000 percent since its creation. And no wonder! You'll find it in everything from soft drinks and yogurt to cookies and crackers. In fact, HFCS now represents more than 40 percent of the caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages.

It is not a coincidence that this country's obesity rates have more than doubled during that time period?

HFCS is bad for your health -- and your weight -- in several ways.

First, you'll usually find large amounts of HFCS in energy dense foods -- those that are high in calories but not much else. That's just another name for foods that are processed, junk, and high in refined carbohydrates and sugar.

And we know that when people eat energy dense food, they tend to take in more calories than people who eat higher amounts of what I call nutrient dense food.

That's because nutrient dense food gives you more bang for your nutritional buck. For example, the classic energy dense beverage, a soft drink, weighs far less than a pound of asparagus but has a lot more calories.

So if you eat a plant-based, whole-food diet of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains, you can eat a lot more and weigh a lot less! (Not to mention avoid nearly all the age-related diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia.)

Of course, the obesity epidemic has many causes, including reduced levels of physical activity, increased portion sizes, eating outside the home and at fast-food restaurants, and our overall "toxic food environment." But we do know that the introduction of HFCS into the food supply is associated with the beginning of the obesity epidemic.

Don't believe it?

Well, consider this: Even a slight difference of an extra 100 calories a day can add up to a 10-pound weight gain in just one year. And the average American drinks 440 12-ounce cans of HFCS-laced soda each year!

The second reason that HCFS is bad news for your waistline and your health?

It makes you eat MORE!Yes, you read that right. HFCS actually increases your appetite.

Regular table sugar is 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose, while -- as its name implies -- HFCS is 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. Doesn't seem like a big difference, but it can have HUGE effects on your appetite.

When you eat fructose, it doesn't set into motion the chemical reactions and hormones that tell your brain you are full. For instance, fructose doesn't stimulate insulin secretion or the increase in leptin (the hormone that makes you feel full). While glucose is transported into the brain, affecting brain signals that control or limit appetite, fructose is not.

Plus, fructose doesn't reduce ghrelin, a stomach hormone that stimulates appetite. And fructose may also decrease adiponectin levels, which is a hormone made by fat cells that helps make you more sensitive to insulin and helps control your weight and appetite.

What does all that mean? Simply put, when you eat more fructose you don't feel full -- so you keep eating!

The next Blog will discuss more on The Health Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup

I am grateful to Mark Hyman, MD for his article clarifying this subject.

Florence x

HUNGER MANAGEMENT!!!

Hormones, hardwiring, and set points aside, hunger isn't completely beyond our ability to control. Below are several ways to stave it off when we know we've already eaten enough.

Have a drink—water, coffee, tea, club soda with lime. Often what initially feels like hunger is thirst, and the liquid can temporarily fill your stomach. It can also trick your metabolism to kick into gear tricking your body to burn more calories AHA!

Eat breakfast. Many people who skip it eat much more later. Eat a king's breakfast, a Prince's lunch and a Pauper's dinner.

Delay. If you're hungry even though you think you've eaten enough, give yourself 20 minutes to consider whether you're feeling real hunger or boredom, stress, or unhappiness.
Count each bite: think about every bite you take. It encourages you to plan a nutritious and tasty meal. Also, think "HARA HACHI BU". The Okinawan cultural habit of calorie control , which means eat only until you are 80% full.

If a mealtime is coming up in an hour or so, remind yourself of that. Just knowing there's only a short wait can give you incentive to hold off a little longer.

Chew gum. It can quiet hunger aches for a while. This does not work for me though, I always have a fruit: orange /banana in my purse.

Avoid processed foods, which are usually stripped of filling elements like fiber and water. . .


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What I learned from Michael Jackson: Depression, Non Judgemental, Parenting, Health & Well Being. By Florence Iwegbue.

In my plight to achieve and maintain good physical and mental health, I identified key lessons from Michael Jackson in life and in death. Indeed this culture contributed to his tortured soul, that ultimately haunted, isolated & killed him.

Human beings are intricate yet mediocre in their ability to accept each other as who they are. Most appease themselves with the thought that someone else is living a life more tortured than theirs... This helps them feel better. My mother began warning me of the danger in this trait as a pre-schooler. The ability to remain non judgmental is a trait that needs constant practice and reinforcement. Perhaps parents must see this as a learning tool. Perhaps the teasing he got as a kid for his looks may not have spiraled out of control & made him subject to ridicule. Though his autopsy has not been released, the belief is that the heart failure was caused by an extended period of depression. Cortisol (increases in the blood) & Serotonin (levels decrease in the brain) are 2 hormones that affect the body when depression is present. As research shows people suffering from clinical depression are at a higher risk of heart disease. He did all he could: stayed out of the music business & even moved out of a country he loved in order to avoid the pressure. In the end his financial situation and his love of music brought him back. This morning the Jackson Family attorney admitted on T.V that he(the attorney) only just recovered emotionally from the effects of Micheal's 2005 criminal trial on child abuse. What alarmed me was that he was not even the trial attorney, he did not even work on the case itself. He merely held the Jackson Family's hands through the process. Wow what a torture it must have been; it took so long for him to recover, how on earth must this have affected Michel?

For those who don't realize it or who have never seen him up close, Micheal beamed when he performed and I often commented on the stark difference in his demeanor whenever the media captured him off stage.
By doing the concert he was trying to rekindle an old flame with the populous. He was trying to remind us of how much he still loved us and hoped that we all still felt the same way. Like every one else he still wanted us to like him. Of course we know that preparing for the concert came with criticism too... As of 5:27pm(ET) when he passed he was still being criticized and ridiculed by the the media and populous.

More important is the genius that Michael was. Many who worked with him admitted that he was way beyond his time in Music. He was a perfectionist in a craft he loved: Quite a dangerous combination as this makes a person rather eccentric. Many among us carry this trait. It is said that Isaac Newton lived in his Lab for 3 years straight working on his research. Has society as a whole been advised on how to be patient with eccentric people? Do we even know how to identify eccentricity and thus accept it as a compromise to the gift the person offers?
Was the financially flamboyant nature of his eccentricity generate a level of envy among those who fed into the media frenzy that brought him down? To put it blatantly, where some of us jealous of his success instead of celebrating it? Do we realize that everyday in the media someone is being witch hunted? Is it healthy for this to continue as part of our culture? Where and when do we draw the line?

Michael was naive with a lot of bad advisers around him. It didn't help that he could barely trust anyone. But when the initial allegations of child abuse and compensation arose i was already a mother. My question then was if I knew my child was abused why on earth would I accept money instead of making sure hell came upon the person by way of jail time? Why would I accept compensation and leave other children at risk of the abuser?
With all the pressures that life itself presents for an average person, isn't it sometimes better to literally pay someone to leave you alone? I know I have done it several times in little ways: Sometimes I often think: "Is it worth the stress?" Perhaps this was Michael's reasoning in paying off the family initially.

I feel lucky in knowing Michael in a different way: Just his Music. It was until I moved to the West that I saw the negativity that pervaded Micheal's image. Back in Africa all we got was his music: no magazines, news stories, paparazzi shots etc I love and cherish that this is something I have over many. It is important that Americans realize that the rest of the world is immensely devastated by his loss; perhaps because we all share this filtered image of the King of Pop. Speaking ill of the dead is frowned by many cultures and Americans must endeavor to alert their media of the consequence: The ironic danger of looking heartless with one of the indisputable global icons of their own society. Many may wander, if they can treat their own like this even in death, how on earth will they treat anyone else?

In saying this, let us all take these lessons away from Michael, besides his music this was the most important gift he may have left for us.
Regards to you all,
Florence.

11 Ways To Boost Your Energy

Fatigue is one of the biggest problems of modern life. But most of us deal with the problem in all the wrong ways. We want a magic bullet--an energy bar or supplement or tonic that will make us feel like a superhero.

So is there an easy and quick solution to our energy crisis? Yes and no.

Yes, in that there are simple strategies that you can put into effect immediately. They will make a huge difference to your well-being and sense of energy and vitality. The caveat is that energy loss can result from a complicated interplay of factors. No single nutrient or tactic will likely fill your energy deficit. If you have persistent low energy, you should consult your doctor. A thyroid problem can explain a prolonged lack of pep.

Energy is the natural byproduct of certain lifestyle decisions. Consuming fewer calories is one of the easiest ways to boost your vitality. When you eat, blood is diverted to your stomach and gut and energy is spent on digestion. Simply cutting calories by about one-fourth will hike your energy and extend your life, according to multiple studies.

Not quite as easy as cutting calories is a practice I call detox. I'm not talking about a packaged detox kit like Master Cleanses. Just eat clean for a week. Try Dr. Elson Haas' SNACC program: Cut out all SNACCs (Sugar, Nicotine, Alcohol, Caffeine and Chemicals) and limit your menu to raw foods like nuts and seeds, berries and fruits, tons of vegetables, small portions of cooked non-gluten grains like oatmeal (or quinoa), 3-4 ounces of grilled or steamed fish or grass-fed beef a day, and lots of fresh vegetable juice and broths. You'll feel amazing, and your energy will go through the roof.

Supplements can also help. While they don't really give you energy, they can correct metabolic issues that are draining it. Coenzyme Q10, for instance, is a powerful antioxidant that is also fuel for the heart. Supplements can speed along certain metabolic pathways that are nutrient dependent and that get sluggish (and energy-draining) when those nutrients are in short supply.

As everyone knows, stress saps energy. When you're under stress, your body pumps out hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Called the "fight or flight" hormones, they serve a great evolutionary purpose: They prepare your body for an emergency. But they were never meant to be turned on all the time. High levels of the hormone cortisol shrink the hippocampus, an important part of the brain needed for memory and thinking. Meditation is the best stress-buster on the planet, but deep breathing exercises work equally well, as do warm baths, walks in the woods or just taking some time out every day to relax.

Another great stress reducer that also energizes: exercise. Though many folks feel like they don't have the energy to work out, the paradox is that exercise makes you feel more energized, not less. A short, equipment-free 15-minute routine like running, squats or push-ups will send oxygen and nutrients to the brain, improve circulation, get feel-good endorphins flowing through your body and ultimately make you feel like a million bucks. No kidding!

Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS, is a board-certified nutritionist and the author of seven books on health and nutrition, including The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy and The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.

RULES TO LIVE BY :

1. Eat Fewer Calories

Ever notice how tired you get after a big meal? When you eat, blood is diverted to your stomach and gut and energy is spent on digestion. Follow this Okinawan mantra--"Hara hatchi bu"--which means "eat till you're 75% full." Simply decreasing your calories by one-fourth has been shown to extend life in every species studied.

2. Never Skip Breakfast

Studies show that breakfast eaters perform better on tasks, think more clearly, have more energy and are far less likely to be overweight or obese. Eat protein. One study showed that a high-protein breakfast stimulated metabolism for over 24 hours. The ideal breakfast for energy? Two eggs and a small bowl of oatmeal. Skip the toast and potatoes.

3. Sleep

Even one hour of under-sleeping impairs judgment, performance and energy. During sleep, important hormones and biochemicals are replenished. When you don't get enough sleep, you're at a metabolic disadvantage. Try going to bed one hour earlier than usual. It's more effective than trying to sleep in. 7 - 8 hours is ideal. Kids (0-19) should aim for 10 - 12 hours. Researchers have linked the increase in cases of depression and other mental illnesses in our youth to the declining amount of sleep they get.

4. Exercise

Here are some "no excuses" low-tech workouts that you can do just about anywhere in as little as 15 or 20 minutes for an amazing boost in energy: 1) Run a mile, 2) do some squats, 3) do some push-ups, 4) do some crunches. Or try some jumping jacks in your office, or run the stairs.

5. Supplement

Supplements can correct metabolic issues and increase speed along certain metabolic pathways that are nutrient dependent and get sluggish when those nutrients are in short supply. One terrific energizing nutrient is Coenzyme Q10, a powerful antioxidant that is also fuel for the heart. Also consider vitamin D and a high-quality B complex vitamin.

6. Detox

I recommend Dr. Elson Haas's SNACC program: cut out all SNACCs (Sugar, Nicotine, Alcohol, Caffeine and Chemicals) for a week or so. Limit your menu to raw foods like nuts, berries and fruits, tons of vegetables, small portions of cooked non-gluten grains like oatmeal or quinoa, 3-4 ounces of grilled or steamed fish or grass-fed beef a day, and lots of fresh vegetable juice and broths. You'll feel amazing, and your energy will go through the roof.

7. Combat Stress

When you're under stress, your body pumps out hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that prepare your body for an emergency. They were never meant to be turned on all the time. Meditation is the best stress-buster on the planet, but deep breathing exercises work equally well, as do warm baths, walks in the woods or just taking some time out every day to relax.

8. Check Your Thyroid

The old saying "my get up and go got up and went" describes a person with hypothyroidism (low thyroid). The thyroid gland is your metabolic engine, and when it's not putting out enough juice, your energy goes down the drain. At the very least, get a TSH test, the first level of screening for thyroid problems.

9. Get Some Sun

The body makes vitamin D after exposure to sun, and experts now agree that we're woefully lacking in this essential vitamin, which has been linked to lower rates of cancer, higher physical performance and improved mood. Try to get 10 minutes of unprotected exposure to the sun at least three times a week.

10. Organize

Here's a rule I've found to be a universal truth: Your energy has an inverse relationship to the accumulation of stuff you don't need. The more unwanted, unused, unneeded stuff you have cluttering up your life, the less energy you have. Take time to organize and de-clutter. It truly feels your mind and spirit.

11. Stay Connected

In his landmark book The Blue Zones, National Geographic explorer and writer Dan Buettner reports on four areas in the world where people live the longest and healthiest lives and are frequently active, energetic and healthy into their late 90s. Every one of the people he studied listed strong social connections as one of the energizing forces in their lives. So invest in your friendships and family, nurture those relationships... they pay.

Take Care

Florence x.

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How Many Calories Should I Eat in a Day?

The only way to know exactly how many calories you should consume is to get tested in a metabolic chamber, an elaborate setup found mostly in research labs and universities. This is far from necessary. Relatively simple formulas can estimate your caloric needs, like the Harris-Benedict equation (it's used in many of the online calculators, and you can find it at weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com/bmr-calorie-needs.htm). Plug your numbers into the equation.

However please be a little suspicious; this figure is based on an average basal metabolic rate. If your basal metabolism, which accounts for nearly 65 percent of all calories the body burns, is lower than normal, you need fewer calories; if it's higher, you require more.

Another approach is to keep a detailed food diary (nutritional log programs for computers and PDAs may be helpful). The idea is to count your food calories for, say, a week during which your weight is stable. Take the daily average, and that's the number of calories you should aim for.
I find that the bigger benefit of this is that you get a full picture of how much you eat. When I looked at my log I was alarmed and scared straight. I wrote down everything that went into mouth. It explained why I was having so much trouble losing weight :-0


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Giving Your Refrigerator & Pantry a "Facelift"

For those that wonder where to start, here are a few pointers as to what should be in your pantry or refrigerator.

Best carbohydrate choices
Artichokes, avocados, dark-green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, spinach, escarole, romaine lettuce, cherries, berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.), apples, pears, barley, beans (dried and fresh), bean sprouts, endive, eggplant, cabbage, kale, red and green peppers, bok choy, celery, cucumbers, kidney beans, pinto beans, chick peas, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, honeydew melons, lentils, bean sprouts, mushrooms, tomatoes, turnips, pomegranates, snow peas, slow cooking oatmeal.

Best Protein sources
Wild Alaskan salmon, halibut, trout, anchovies, sardines, poultry, yogurt, high EFA eggs, kefir, cottage cheese, tofu.

Best fats
Extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, flax seed, nuts (esp. almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and macadamia), pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds.

Beverages
Spring water, green tea, white tea, black tea.

Grains
Buckwheat, whole oats, barley.

Spices
Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, oregano, basil, thyme, cayenne, (every spice and herb you can think of are stellar anti-aging foods).

Hope this helps...

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5 Things You'd Never Think Would Make You Fat (But Guess What?)

Food and exercise aren't the whole diet story. A slew of stealthy, often surprising weight gain culprits could be causing the scale to creep upward.

Carb-free liquor. An increasing number of purveyors of everything alcoholic, from wine to beer to vodka, are trying to surf the low-carb wave. But alcohol has never been a carbohydrate, so carb-free defines all hard liquor. Most beer and wine contain some sugar (a.k.a. carbohydrates). Makers of the low-carb versions have tried to minimize sugar content, but they've not invented a diet drink: A five-ounce glass of the new low-carb One.9 Merlot has 125 calories, and typical red wine weighs in at 105. The solution: Let "low calories," not "low carbs," be your principal dieting mantra.

Depo-Provera. The birth control shot may be convenient, but it delivers a high dose of progesterone, which can cause appetite to increase. Seventy percent of women who use it gain weight, with nearly half gaining more than five pounds after a year. The solution: Consider lower-dose possibilities. The Pill may get a bad rap for causing weight gain, but in a review published earlier this year researchers found no correlation between oral contraceptives and added pounds. Another low-dose option is the Ortho Evra patch.

Artificial sweeteners. A recent Purdue University study compared two sets of rats: those fed liquid spiked with saccharin, others fed liquid sweetened with natural sugar. When both groups were later given a sugary snack, the rats accustomed to artificial sweeteners ate more. "Our bodies have ways of judging how many calories a food has from how it tastes, and artificial sweeteners may mess up that natural regulating process," says Susan Swithers, PhD, associate professor of psychological sciences at Purdue and one of the study's lead authors. The solution: "We're not suggesting you give up your diet soda at this point," Swithers says. But if you consume artificially sweetened products, pay extra attention to the calorie count of everything you eat, especially snacks with real sugar.

Missing meals. Research shows that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight, and that morning meals seem to help those who've lost weight keep it off. It's not just breakfast, either: Denise Bruner, MD, obesity specialist and former president of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, says that skipping meals of any kind results in a "tremendous bout of compensatory hunger." The solution: Eat small meals throughout the day. A steady nutrient intake will keep your blood sugar relatively constant, helping prevent out-of-control binges. It also tricks the body into burning more calories frequently. One thing i did while trying to shed my pounds was to take my normal serving of a meal and split it three ways eating them slowly at 90 minute intervals.

Dining out. Super Size Me gave fast food a bad name, but restaurant portions can be just as oversize as a McDonald's meal. An order of chicken Parmesan and pasta at Ruby Tuesday, for example, tops out at 1,466 calories—more than a Big Mac, large fries, and a Coke combined. The solution: Eating out is fine, as long as you don't use it as a frequent license to indulge. Choose your entrees wisely, and find restaurants that serve smaller portions or doggie bag half your meal. Ofcourse you will realise that those who wish to shed or maintain weight tend to often cook their own meals. This is th ebest way to control your caloric intake.

Happy Shedding!
Florence


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Building A Fat Resistant Body

Our ability to lose weight depends on a hormone called leptin and how it functions in your body. Under normal circumstances, leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells that turns down your appetite and speeds up your metabolism. This signaling mechanism, helps your body maintain a normal body weight. Appetite control is a function of the brain, more specifically, the hypothalamus. This is a small area lying between the thalamus and pituitary.

If you have trouble losing weight or are chronically overweight, there's a good chance your body has become leptin resistant. According to recent studies, the cause of leptin resistance is chronic inflammation. Inflammation not only causes leptin resistance—it also increases a person's risk of developing obesity-related diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

Hormones that Control Eating.

The science below is both boring and highly informative. Though not necessary to read, if one is overweight, obese, diabetic etc, it is imperative you read the following in order realize the insurmountable power that a good diet can have on your health:

Several hormones are instrumental in control of the appetite center. Some increase hunger, others reduce the urge to eat. These have both short-term and long-term actions and are essential for control of body weight. Key regulators were presented by Schwartz and Morton in a "NEWS" article published in Nature. Several hormones were discussed:

1. Ghrelin. This is a peptide hormone which is released by the stomach and activates NPY/AgRP releasing neurons, thereby stimulating appetite. Ghrelin is released from the empty stomach. Its secretion abruptly stops following food intake.

2. PYY_3-36 is a small peptide released from intestinal endocrine cells. It inhibits "appetite-stimulating" NPY/AgRP producing neurons, thus signaling food intake and damping hunger.

Thus, hormones released directly from the digestive system steer appetite in tact with food consumption.

3. Insulin and leptin. Insulin release from pancreatic islets cells follows intake of both carbohydrates and proteins. We usually assume that the brain is not dependent upon insulin for uptake and metabolism of substrates for energy metabolism. After all, the brain has a large and relatively constant requirement for glucose as its primary energy source. Uptake of glucose from the circulation to the CNS must not vary according to insulin levels. However, the arcuate nucleus appears to have many properties that are in contrast to those of the rest of the brain. Among these are receptors for protein hormones involved in the control of metabolism. The arcuate nucleus responds to both insulin and leptin. Insulin dampens appetite by inhibiting NPY/AgRP-secreting neurons and by activating POMC-releasing neurons. Insulin appears to have both short-term and long-term actions and is essential in regulation of body weight. Resistance to insulin is very often associated with obesity and the loss of insulin's regulation of metabolism as seen in diabetes type 2.

Leptin levels follow body fat levels; circulating leptin levels are increased in obesity. As is the case with insulin, leptin dampens appetite by inhibiting stimulatory neurons and stimulating inhibitory fibers. Leptin release from adipose tissue is enhanced by insulin. Leptin is, therefore, one of the hormones that are coupled to food consumption. It appears that the arcuate nucleus can become leptin-resistant. Obese persons tend to have high circulating leptin levels but without response to leptin in the arcuate nucleus. Abnormalities in leptin appear to be correlated to overeating and obesity.

Science Over!!! Back to Normal speaks.

Having read this I realized how delicate yet complex and hardworking the human body can be when it comes to food management.
By eating the right foods and eliminating those that cause inflammation, you can restore leptin to its normal functioning and lose weight.

Here are a list of foods you should avoid and foods you should consume to combat inflammation and boost your body's fat-fighting abilities:

• Avoid trans fats. Trans fats are among the worst inflammatory foods that you can eat, because they interfere with the activity in the body of the essential fats, omega-3s and omega-6s.
• Avoid sugar. Simple sugars have an inflammatory effect because they boost insulin levels.
• Limit saturated fats. Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature, and are not essential—meaning you can make them in your body.
• Consume the right ratio of essential fats. Some good sources of omega-3s are fish and fish oil, green leafy vegetables, flaxseed and walnuts, as well as soy and some beans. Ideally, the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s should be somewhere between 3–6 to 1. It's a little bit like an orchestra, it's not just one or the other.
• Avoid processed foods. Processed foods contain numerous inflammatory ingredients. High Fructose corn syrup is very powerful at shutting down and triggering these hormones causing them to act abnormally; increase in appetite and shutting down the body's ability to detect that it is full. That is why it was produced in Labs as a "money making" ingredient. Well before I got educated, I sure helped make a lot of money for the food industry. I always make sure that when I place my groceries on the conveyor belt, they cannot be packed neatly in a box i.e no pre packaged foods. Anything that requires you to simply heat & eat is sadly processed. As I eliminated processed foods from my diet, my sleep pattern normalized, my joints stopped hurting, my headaches disappeared and more importantly my mood stabilized. My skin even became clearer. It was well worth the effort.
  

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