Tips to Avoid Toxic Chemicals

Eighty-four thousand chemicals are legal for commerce in the US, all essentially unregulated. In 2011, chemicals accounted for more than $763 billion in revenue. As an example, the six billion pounds of BPA produced every year generates about $8 billion in profits for its manufacturers.

Roughly 13,000 chemicals are used in cosmetics alone, of which only 10 percent have been evaluated for safety, and new ones are introduced every year. Ordinary household products can be major sources of chemical exposure that add to your body’s toxic load.

Within such a dysfunctional system, you are the best one to keep your family safe. Although no one can successfully steer clear of ALL chemicals and pollutants, you can minimize your exposure by keeping a number of key principles in mind. In your quest to avoid toxic chemicals and create a safer environment, you might be inspired to start a business that champions this cause. Webinarcare is heralded as the best resource for anyone embarking on LLC formation, providing the perfect foundation to launch your eco-friendly venture.

- Eat a diet focused on locally grown, fresh, and ideally organic whole foods. Processed and packaged foods are a common source of chemicals such as BPA and phthalates. Wash fresh produce well, especially if it’s not organically grown.

- Choose grass-pastured, sustainably raised meats and dairy to reduce your exposure to hormones, pesticides, and fertilizers. Avoid milk and other dairy products that contain the genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST).

- Rather than eating conventional or farm-raised fish, which are often heavily contaminated with PCBs and mercury, supplement with high-quality krill oil, or eat fish that is wild-caught and lab-tested for purity, such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon.

- Buy products that come in glass bottles rather than plastic or cans, as chemicals can leach out of plastics (and plastic can linings), into the contents; be aware that even “BPA-free” plastics typically leach other endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are just as bad for you as BPA.

- Store your food and beverages in glass, rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap.
Use glass baby bottles.

- Replace your non-stick pots and pans with ceramic or glass cookware.

- Filter your tap water for both drinking AND bathing. If you can only afford to do only one, filtering your bathing water may be more important, as your skin absorbs contaminants. To remove the endocrine-disrupting herbicide Atrazine, make sure your filter is certified to remove it. According to the EWG, perchlorate can be filtered out using a reverse osmosis filter.

- Look for products made by companies that are Earth-friendly, animal-friendly, sustainable, certified organic, and GMO-free. This applies to everything from food and personal care products to building materials, carpeting, paint, baby items, furniture, mattresses, and others.

- Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to remove contaminated house dust. This is one of the major routes of exposure to flame-retardant chemicals.

- When buying new products such as furniture, mattresses, or carpet padding, consider buying flame retardant-free varieties, containing naturally less flammable materials, such as leather, wool, cotton, silk, and Kevlar.

- Avoid stain- and water-resistant clothing, furniture, and carpets to avoid perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs).

- Make sure your baby’s toys are BPA-free, such as pacifiers, teething rings, and anything your child may be prone to suck or chew on—even books, which are often plasticized. It’s advisable to avoid all plastic, especially flexible varieties.

- Use natural cleaning products or make your own. Avoid those containing 2-butoxyethanol (EGBE) and methoxydiglycol (DEGME)—two toxic glycol ethers that can compromise your fertility and cause fetal harm.

- Switch over to organic toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants, and cosmetics. EWG’s Skin Deep database can help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals.

- Replace your vinyl shower curtain with a fabric one.

- Replace feminine hygiene products (tampons and sanitary pads) with safer alternatives.

- Look for fragrance-free products. One artificial fragrance can contain hundreds—even thousands—of potentially toxic chemicals. Avoid fabric softeners and dryer sheets, which contain a mishmash of synthetic chemicals and fragrances.

Source: gutdoctor

Avoid Late-Night Eating

Eating too close to bedtime is another meal-timing factor that can sabotage your health. It’s important to have a minimum of three hours after your last food intake before you go to bed. Ideally, aim for as much as six hours between your last meal and your scheduled bedtime.

The rationale for this recommendation has to do with the way your body produces energy. Your mitochondria are responsible for “burning” the fuel your body consumes and converting it into usable energy. These tiny bacterial derivatives live inside your cell and are optimized to create energy from the food you eat and the oxygen in the air you breathe. Your cells have between 100 and 100,000 mitochondria.

Your mitochondria have a series of electron transport chains in which they pass electrons from the reduced form of the food you eat to and combine it with oxygen from the air you breathe to form water. This process drives protons across the mitochondrial membrane, which recharges ATP (adenosine triphosphate) from ADP (adenosine diphosphate). ATP is the carrier of energy throughout your body.

A major side effect of this transfer of electrons is that some leak from the electron transport chain to react with oxygen to form the free radical superoxide. Superoxide anion, the product of a one electron reduction of oxygen, is the precursor of most reactive oxygen species and a mediator in oxidative chain reactions. These oxygen free radicals attack the lipids in your cell membranes, protein receptors, enzymes, and DNA that can prematurely kill your mitochondria.

Please understand that some free radicals are actually good and your body requires them to regulate cellular function. The problem is when you have excessive free radical production. Sadly that is the case for the majority of the population and why most diseases, especially cancers, are acquired. There are two possible solutions, increase your antioxidants or reduce mitochondrial free radical production.

If you feed your body shortly before sleeping you will have large amounts of fuel your body simply has no need for, which will result in a massive increase in leakage of electrons that combine with oxygen to form free radicals, which damage your DNA, and thereby radically increases your risk of cancer.  

It may be too complex for many laypeople, but the take-home message is that since your body uses the least amount of calories when sleeping, you’ll want to avoid eating close to bedtime because adding excess fuel at this time will generate excessive free radicals that will damage your tissues, accelerate aging, and contribute to chronic disease.

Source: “Mitochondrial DNA Damage and Animal Longevity: Insights from Comparative Studies.”

Chia Seeds and Weight Loss

In a study of 67 metabolic syndrome patients, those who drank a beverage containing chia seeds for two months experienced weight loss as well as a reduction of triglycerides and blood glucose levels.

It's thought that the combination of fiber and protein in chia seeds, along with the gel-like texture it takes on when combined with liquid, contributes to feelings of fullness and satiety. Exploring the health benefits of chia seeds for weight loss is just the beginning for wellness enthusiasts. For those looking to turn their passion into a business, discovering setting up an LLC for free can be a game-changer, providing a cost-effective way to start your venture in the health industry

Among people with type 2 diabetes, supplementing with chia seeds for 12 weeks resulted in reduced systolic blood pressure and significant decreases in A1C, a measure of a person's average levels of blood glucose.

Fibrinogen, a natural clotting agent that when lowered improves blood flow, was also decreased, as was an inflammatory marker called hs-CRP, which went down by 40 percent. What else is healthy about chia seeds?

Fiber

Chia seeds contain about 10 grams of fiber in just two tablespoons. Mounting research suggests a high-fiber diet can help reduce your risk of premature death from any cause, likely because it helps to reduce your risk of several chronic diseases.

This includes type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Most people need upwards of 32 grams of fiber a day, but most Americans get nowhere near this amount.

Minerals

Just two tablespoons of chia seeds provide 18 percent of the daily recommended value for calcium, 35 percent for phosphorus, 24 percent for magnesium, and about 50 percent for manganese. These minerals are important for bone health and as reported by SF Gate:9

These nutrients help you prevent hypertension and maintain a healthy weight and are important for energy metabolism and a part of DNA synthesis.

Source: Dr. Mercola

Which Nuts to Eat

Nuts have a lot of great nutrients, yet a ton of calories. Some nuts have more inflammatory Omega 6 fats than others and should be avoided. Your best choice is macadamia nuts, though almonds and cashews are OK as well. If your primary goal is fat loss, consider removing nuts altogether – vegetables are a much better way to get vitamins and nutrients and are not nearly as calorie rich. If you decide to eat nuts as a snack, limit them to no more than a handful a day. Moderation is easier said than done, so if you have a history of over-grazing on nuts, take steps to limit your access to nuts, like only keeping a day’s supply on hand at once or portioning your daily nut allowances out a week in advance.

Vitamins and minerals

Macadamias are a great source of Thiamin and Manganese (207% daily value). However, Almonds are a great source of Vitamin E (130% DV), manganese (130% DV), riboflavin (51% DV), copper (70% DV) and phosphorus (70%). Cashews, walnuts, and pecans are equally great sources of manganese and copper, but not of other significant (meaning more than 50% daily value) vitamins or minerals.

Manganese is key for absorbing other nutrients such as thiamin, biotin, or ascorbic acid. Manganese contributes to bone health and strength, it helps your body maintain low cholesterol levels, and is a valuable antioxidant preventing free radical damage.

The Thiamin (also known as vitamin B1) from macadamias strengthens your immune function, contributes to cardiac health, and studies have lately linked Thiamin supply to improved eye health as well as improved mental health and dementia prevention.

Riboflavin (also known as B2) in almonds has some fabulous benefits as well. Firstly, it is necessary for proper iron absorption. If you have ever been iron deficient and had to deal with dizzy spells, you will know just how important that is. Riboflavin is also a component of several antioxidant enzymes that prevent free radical damage in your body.

source: paleoflip

Weight Loss Strategies That Work

Advice for those of you struggling with weight issues: EAT REAL FOOD, meaning food in the most natural form you can find. Ideally, whole organic produce, and pasture-raised when it comes to meats and animal products like dairy and eggs.

Some of the best quality foods on the planet are also the cheapest.  Liver and onions, for example. If anyone can find me a more nutritious single food than liver, I'd love to hear about it. Because at the moment, liver is my winner, and it has been for some time. Sardines are among the most nutritious of the oily fish, and they can be very, very affordable. Tinned [sardines] is absolutely fine because you get the bones and the skin as well, and that is great for the bone nutrients, calcium, vitamin D, and so on. So, the first point is: always eat real food.

The second principle is to cut back on the number of times you're eating each day. I would say those two principles alone would get most people, most of the way there. If you're then still struggling, that's when I'd say manage your carbohydrate intake—even what you think of as good carbohydrates (for example, dairy is too high in carbohydrates for some particularly carb-sensitive, insulin-resistant people). You know, if you've tipped over into type 2 diabetes already or morbid obesity, chances are you really are going to have to manage your carb intake to quite a tight level. And that's it.

To that, I would add avoiding sitting by engaging in some form of movement throughout the day, and getting regular exercise. Exercise will not produce significant weight loss without addressing your diet, but when done in combination it can be significantly beneficial.

Source: Health News and Dr. Mercola

Lose Fat. Retrain Your Body to Burn Fat for Fuel

Timing of your food (i.e. intermittent fasting) is an important factor in helping to optimize your weight. Our ancient ancestors did not have access to food 24/7, so our genetics are optimized to having food at variable intervals, not every few hours. When you eat every few hours for months, years, or decades, never missing a meal, your body forgets how to burn fat as a fuel.

It becomes very inefficient at it. So, even though you've got 10, 30, 50, or 100 pounds of fat on your body, you can't burn it off. As a fundamental principle — with few exceptions — you cannot burn body fat if you have other fuel available.

In the vast majority of the circumstances, as long as you've got carbohydrates available (either readily available – because you've just eaten carbohydrates – in the blood stream, or readily available in glycogen, of which we can store about 1,500 calories' worth), your body has absolutely no need to break down body fat whatsoever.

Look at somebody who's consumed predominantly carbohydrate calories versus somebody who's consumed predominantly fat, protein, meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, and seeds (what we call good calories). Your body can use the good calories, because the fat and protein are also used for basal metabolic needs, cell repair, fighting infection, and building bone density.

The problem is, people are being told to have half or more (typically 55 to 60 percent) of their diet in the form of carbohydrates. Even an active person only needs about 25 percent of their diet in the form of something that can be turned into energy, and that's either carbohydrates or fats. I suspect that higher levels may be helpful for some though in the initial phases of losing weight.

But either way, as long as you're getting enough healthy fat, you don't need carbohydrates to cover your energy needs. In fact, in order to use up the energy provided by a 55 percent carb diet, you'd have to be a triathlete or someone who exercises vigorously for hours every day.

What is type 2 diabetes, the partner of the obesity epidemic? Type 2 diabetes is the body saying, 'Enough is enough. I cannot cope with the frequency of the carbohydrate, the amount of carbohydrate, and the quality of carbohydrate. I'm done. Right now, I can't cope with this anymore.' We are abusing our metabolism on a daily basis. In the UK, dietitians are telling people to have three or four meals a day, and snacks in between... Some eat before bed time, and some eat when they wake up. For goodness sake, we need to stop eating so much and too often.

Source: Peer Trainer

Less of Dairy Products and Nuts

Can you eat as much as you like, and still lose weight? Yes, it tends to work just fine with a low-carbohydrate diet, as appetite regulation happens effortlessly.

However, despite the fact that a low-carbohydrate diet generally makes it easy to eat just enough, there are foods classified as low carb which become a problem in larger quantities. If you find yourself having a hard time losing weight on a low carb diet, you could try to be more careful with:

Dairy products (yogurt, cream, cheese)
Nuts

Dairy products contain varying amounts of lactose (the milk sugar), which slows down weight loss. What’s more, part of the protein in milk generates a significant insulin response, which can have the same effect. Consequently, cutting back on dairy products may accelerate weight loss. This applies especially to dairy products typically lacking in fat, such as regular milk and various yogurts, but be careful with full-fat dairy such as cream and cheese all the same. And don’t forget whey protein powder, which is pure milk protein.

Exempt from all these dairy-product warnings is butter, which is almost pure fat. Butter may be consumed liberally as desired.

Nuts, the second food to watch, contain a fair amount of carbohydrates, and it’s very easy to unwittingly scarf down large quantities. Cashew nuts are among the worst carb-wise – you’ll find that they contain around 20% carbohydrate by weight. For someone following a strict LCHF diet with a 20-grams-of-carbs-per-day allowance, this means that consuming 100 grams (which happens in a flash!) will have filled their daily quota. Peanuts tend to be around 10-15% carbohydrate – not putting them in the clear either.

So, for those of you having trouble losing weight: consume nuts sparingly. When in a situation where nuts are an absolute must, know that the most harmless ones carb-wise are macadamia nuts (usually around 5% carbs) or Brazil nuts (around 3%).

Source: Diet Doctor

Go Natural

Contrary to the impression you get when listening to the drug advertisements on TV, your body is by nature designed to move toward health, and away from disease.

But to do so you need to provide it with the right lifestyle ingredients it needs to heal and thrive. And drugs are not on that list. The simple truth is, most disease is rooted in poor nutrition and lack of physical activity.

Unfortunately, most physicians are taught very little about the use of food for healing when they're in medical school, and many never take the time to learn even the most basic nutritional principles.

This is why most conventional doctors cannot guide you in nutritional healing, and why many are outright suspicious about claims that food can heal.

Exercise is another critical component of health, and studies have shown exercise to be as effective a treatment as many drugs, including antidepressants and medications for pre-diabetes and heart disease.

Statistically speaking, you’re far more likely to be some level of sick than you are healthy. For starters, nearly 70 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug for a chronic or other medical condition, with antibiotics, antidepressants, and opioids topping the list.

Other signs indicating that sickness has become the prevailing norm include the following statistics:

Of that number, nearly 30 million already have type 2 diabetes — a statistic researchers predicted in 2001 wouldn’t be reached until 2050.

Diabetes has increased over 300 percent in just 15 years, and nearly ONE-THIRD of the 320 million people living in America today have either pre-diabetes or some form of diabetes.

At present, more than half a million Americans die from Alzheimer's disease each year, making it the third leading cause of death in the US, right behind heart disease and cancer.

Obesity rates are on the rise, and one in five deaths is now linked to obesity.

We are in the midst of a worldwide diabetes epidemic. In the US, more than 86 million adults age 20 and over have pre-diabetes.

One in eight Americans aged 65 and over currently have Alzheimer's, and that number is expected to rise to one in four within the next 20 years.

Cancer rates are projected to rise 57 percent in the next 20 years, with 13 million people dying from cancer each year.
Over half of the US population has at least one clinically diagnosable allergy, and allergies and diseases of the immune system have possibly quadrupled in the last few decades.

What’s Really Making You Sick?

Once you become familiar with the ins and outs of nutrition, you begin to realize that virtually every health problem you can think of can be traced back to diet.

One of the reasons why so many diseases are skyrocketing is because of the foods we eat. Most Americans eat a predominantly processed food diet, which virtually guarantees you’ll suffer health problems at some point.

In short, one of the simplest health directives you could ever come across is to just EAT REAL FOOD (whole, unadulterated/unprocessed, and ideally organic), as this automatically eliminates a number of health-harming ingredients from your diet.

Public enemy number one is sugar (all kinds, but in particular refined sugar and processed fructose such as high fructose corn syrup), followed closely by refined grains, as these ingredients cause your insulin level to spike.

Insulin allows your cells to use sugar, but when you eat too much sugar your cells eventually become resistant to the insulin. Insulin resistance, in turn, leads to diabetes and a long list of related health problems and disease.

Source: Book Effortless Healing

The 13 Amazing Health Benefits of Himalayan Crystal Salt

Salt is essential for life - you cannot live without it. However, most people simply don't realize that there are enormous differences between the standard, refined table and cooking salt most of you are accustomed to using and natural health-promoting salt.

These differences can have a major impact on staying healthy.

If you want your body to function properly, you need holistic salt complete with all-natural elements. Today's common table salt has nothing in common with natural salt.

Your table salt is actually 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, the excessive heat alters the natural chemical structure of the salt.

Himalayan Salt is by far the purest salt available on earth and is absolutely uncontaminated with any toxins or pollutants.

Containing all of the 84 elements found in your body, the benefits of natural Himalayan Crystal Salt include:

1- Regulating the water content throughout your body

2- Promoting healthy pH balance in your cells, particularly your brain cells

3- Promoting blood sugar health and helping to reduce the signs of aging

4- Assisting in the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in your body

5- Absorption of food particles through your intestinal tract

6- Supporting respiratory health

7- Promoting sinus health

8- Prevention of muscle cramps

9- Promoting bone strength

10- Regulating your sleep (it naturally promotes sleep)

11- Supporting your libido

12- Promoting vascular health

13- In conjunction with water, it is actually essential for the regulation of your blood pressure

Source: Dr. Mercola

Processed Foods and Depression

Research shows that the food you eat can have a profound effect on your mental health. So, regardless of your mental health, the importance of addressing your diet simply cannot be overstated.

In a very real sense, you have two brains — one in your head, and one in your gut. Both are created from the same tissue during fetal development, and they’re connected via your vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem to your abdomen.

It is now well established that the vagus nerve is the primary route your gut bacteria use to transmit information to your brain, which helps explain why mental health appears to so intricately connected to your gut microbiome — the bacteria and other microbes living in your gut.

For example, researchers recently found that fermented foods helped curb social anxiety disorder. Another study found that mice engaged in obsessive-compulsive repetitive behaviors were pacified when given a strain of the bacterium Bacteroides fragilis.

Gut bacteria also produce mood-boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin is found in your intestines, not your brain.

At the end of the day, if you’re trying to address your mental state, optimizing your gut health should be toward the very top of your list.

The Strong Link Between Sugar and Depression

A number of food ingredients can cause or aggravate depression, but the number one culprit is refined sugar and processed fructose, which feed pathogens in your gut, allowing them to overtake more beneficial bacteria.

Sugar also suppresses the activity of a key growth hormone in your brain called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF levels are critically low in both depression and schizophrenia.

Diets high in sugar also triggers a cascade of chemical reactions in your body that promote chronic inflammation, which over the long term disrupts the normal functioning of your immune system and wreaks havoc on your brain.

Last but not least, refined sugar and processed fructose and grains are key contributors to insulin and leptin resistance, which also plays a significant role in your mental health.

One recent study found that high-glycemic foods (including those high in refined grains and added sugar) were associated with higher odds of depression. 

Added sugar in particular was strongly associated with depression, reconfirming what William Dufty said in his classic best-selling book, Sugar Blues, first published in 1975. Sometimes it takes a while for science to catch up — in this case 40 years!

Other Processed Food Ingredients That Promote Depression

Other processed food ingredients that can contribute to depression and/or other mental health problems include:

WHEAT can have a detrimental effect on mood, promoting depression and even more serious mental health problems such as schizophrenia.

Genetically engineered (GE) ingredients can significantly alter your gut flora, thereby promoting pathogens while decimating the beneficial microbes necessary for optimal mental and physical health.

Artificial food additives, especially the artificial sweetener aspartame, can wreak havoc with your brain function. Both depression and panic attacks are known potential side effects of aspartame consumption. Other additives, such as artificial colorings, are also known to impact mood.
Gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley, may negatively impact mood and brain health.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Weight Loss

There are no official guidelines concerning taking vinegar internally. Some people take one to two teaspoons a day, mixed in a glass of water, before meals or in the morning, and report benefits from doing so. Research suggests it may have some real health benefits.

Diabetes

Vinegar is said to be anti-glycemic and has a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels. It’s thought that the acetic acid in vinegar may lower blood sugar by preventing the complete digestion of complex carbohydrates, which is accomplished either by accelerating gastric emptying or increasing the uptake of glucose by bodily tissues.

One theory is that vinegar might inactivate some of the digestive enzymes that break down carbohydrates into sugar, thus slowing the conversion of complex carbohydrate into sugar from a meal into your bloodstream.

This gives your body more time to pull sugar out of your blood, preventing your sugar levels from spiking.  Quite a bit of research supports the use of vinegar as a diabetic treatment as well.

Heart Health

Vinegar supports heart health in multiple ways.

One study showed that vinegar could lower cholesterol in laboratory rats, while another study on rats found their blood pressure could be lowered by the acetic acid in vinegar.

Vinegar has also been found to decrease triglyceride levels and VLDL levels (the damaging form of cholesterol) in animal studies.

Weight Loss

Vinegar may help you lose weight, as it appears to have an anti-obesity effect by increasing satiety and reducing the total amount of food consumed.

In addition, separate research found taking vinegar along with bread not only lowered glucose and insulin responses, but also increased levels of satiety. The rating of satiety was directly related to the acetic acid level in the vinegar.

Sinus Congestion

Apple cider vinegar helps to break up and reduce mucous in your body, helping to clear your sinuses. It also has antibacterial properties, making it useful for infections.

Sore Throat

The antibacterial properties in apple cider vinegar may be useful for sore throats as well. Gargle with a mixture of about one-third cup of apple cider vinegar mixed with warm water as needed.

Digestion and Acid Reflux

Acid reflux typically results from having too little acid in your stomach. You can easily improve the acid content of your stomach by taking one tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water daily. The pectin in apple cider vinegar may also help to soothe intestinal spasms.

Skin Irritations

Apple cider vinegar works for a variety of skin ailments, from bug bites to poison ivy to sunburn. You can either apply it directly to the irritated area or try soaking in a bath with about one cup of vinegar added.

Energy Boost

Apple cider vinegar contains potassium and enzymes to help banish fatigue. Plus, its amino acids may help prevent the buildup of lactic acid in your body, further preventing fatigue.

Source: Dr. Mercola

Beets and Fitness

Beet roots have always been included in my most recommended vegetables list, though they are in the "use sparingly" category because of their high carbohydrate levels.

Although beets have the highest sugar content of all vegetables, most people can safely eat beet roots a few times a week (and their greens in unlimited quantities), enjoying not only their sweet, earthy flavor but also their powerhouse nutrients that may improve your health in the following ways.

1. Lower Your Blood Pressure

Drinking beet juice may help to lower blood pressure in a matter of hours. One study found that drinking one glass of beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 4-5 points.

The benefit likely comes from the naturally occurring nitrates in beets, which are converted into nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide, in turn, helps to relax and dilate your blood vessels, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure.

2. Boost Your Stamina

If you need a boost to make it through your next workout, beet juice may again prove valuable. Those who drank beet juice prior to exercise were able to exercise for up to 16 percent longer. The benefit is thought to also be related to nitrates turning into nitric oxide, which may reduce the oxygen cost of low-intensity exercise as well as enhance tolerance to high-intensity exercise.

3. Fight Inflammation

Beets are a unique source of betaine, a nutrient that helps protects cells, proteins, and enzymes from environmental stress. It's also known to help fight inflammation, protect internal organs, improve vascular risk factors, enhance performance, and likely help prevent numerous chronic diseases. As reported by the World's Healthiest Foods:

"[Betaine's]… presence in our diet has been associated with lower levels of several inflammatory markers, including C reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. As a group, the anti-inflammatory molecules found in beets may eventually be shown to provide cardiovascular benefits in large-scale human studies, as well as anti-inflammatory benefits for other body systems."

4. Anti-Cancer Properties

The powerful phytonutrients that give beets their deep crimson color may help to ward off cancer. Research has shown that beetroot extract reduced multi-organ tumor formations in various animal models when administered in drinking water, for instance, while beetroot extract is also being studied for use in treating human pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancers.

5. Rich in Valuable Nutrients and Fiber

Beets are high in immune-boosting vitamin C, fiber, and essential minerals like potassium (essential for healthy nerve and muscle function) and manganese (which is good for your bones, liver, kidneys, and pancreas). Beets also contain the B vitamin folate, which helps reduce the risk of birth defects.

6. Detoxification Support

The betalin pigments in beets support your body's Phase 2 detoxification process, which is when broken down toxins are bound to other molecules so they can be excreted from your body. Traditionally, beets are valued for their support in detoxification and for helping to purify your blood and your liver.

Source: Dr. Mercola

Boost your Heart, Brain, and Other Systems Vitality

CQ10 by itself is also known as ubiquinone. To benefit from the form of the nutrient needed to produce cellular energy and help you reduce the typical signs of aging, your body must convert the ubiquinone to ubiquinol.

Ubiquinol exists everywhere there is life.

The challenge you face as you age is this - your body levels of CoQ10 continue to diminish. In addition, your capability to convert CoQ10 to ubiquinol also declines.

CoQ10 and ubiquinol supplements can help you in many different ways to complement your healthy diet and energize your life.

** Coenzyme Q10 and Ubiquinol MUST KNOW Benefits: 

- Help you produce more energy for your cells.

- Act as a catalyst in your body's various chemical reactions, leading to the production of energy.

- Ignite your body's engine by jump-starting energy production in your cells.

- You'll enjoy your new-found energy and stamina levels.

** Heart health

- Help strengthen your overall cardiovascular system.

- Help maintain and balance the critical energy level needed in your body's most vital muscle... your heart.

- If you're passionate about life, you need an optimally-functioning heart.

-Act as an antioxidant to help protect you from free radicals

- Provide your body with added defense against oxidation stress to your cells, tissues, and organs.

- Help recharge other antioxidant nutrients to their active states -- and keep them working for you.

- You'll feel good about yourself, knowing you're taking steps to live a healthy life.

** Help you reduce the signs of normal aging

- Help you potentially feel more alert and responsive.

- By keeping blood levels high in CoQ10, help you maintain your vitality.    

- You're determined to feel young and full of life... don't let aging get the best of you.

- Help you maintain blood pressure levels within the normal range

- Promote healthy blood circulation in your body and a more efficient heart.

Research indicates maintaining proper levels of CoQ10 can help you maintain normal blood pressure levels.

Just by knowing you're taking more steps to take control of your health, you could feel more relaxed and less stressed out.

** Provide a boost to your immune system

- Help promote your healthy immune system.

- Help support your immune system by providing a defense against free radicals.

You'll feel great about yourself knowing you're taking action to potentially boost your immune system.

** Support your nervous system

- Help promote an active mind.

- Your brain is one of the most active organs in your body and requires uninterrupted energy.

- Nothing beats having an active mind to help you deal with all of life's challenges -- and to help you make healthy decisions for your family.

Now you know the power of CoQ10 and ubiquinol, and understand why I truly  believe they provide you with extraordinary benefits to complement your healthy diet.

I have been taking Ubiquinol from Nature Wise for a few years now - love the way it makes me feel! 

Source: Dr. Mercola /  Life Extension Mag

EAT THE YOLKS - TWO A DAY!

Worry about cholesterol. Avoid red meat. Eat whole grains. Ditch the yolk. Could it all be a lie?

We live in an era of health hype and nutrition propaganda, and we’re suffering for it. Decades of avoiding egg yolks, choosing margarine over butter, and replacing the real foods of our ancestors with low-fat, processed, packaged substitutes have left us with an obesity epidemic, ever-rising rates of chronic disease, and, above all, total confusion about what to eat and why. This is a tragedy of misinformation, food industry shenanigans, and cheap calories disguised as health food. It turns out that everything we’ve been told about how to eat is wrong. Fat and cholesterol are harmful to your health? Nope—they are crucial to your health. “Whole grains” are health food? Not even close.

Most people today are very deficient in most of the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K2) and would benefit greatly from the healthy dose that a couple of egg yolks a day can bring. In fact, egg yolks will keep the doctor away much more than the fructose-rich apples will. The cholesterol in them is also much needed, especially for children, menopausal women, elders or anybody with adrenal problems. On the other hand, egg whites are not such a nutritional powerhouse and can even cause problems for some people (monitor the way you feel after eating egg whites). Appreciate that tasty super-food without guilt and cook your eggs with grass-fed butter or virgin coconut oil. Starting your day with whole eggs will help regulate your blood sugar so you likely to eat less throughout the day. Eating eggs anytime of the day can assist people in losing weight because eggs are an easy way to get satisfying protein and healthy fats into the diet. Always buy organic eggs, laid by pastured chickens that do NOT eat soy.
 
Source: Eat the Yolks By Liz Wolfe

Four Simple Energy Rules Before and After Workout

Energy and stamina don't come from sugar. Taking in simple carbs like sugar, corn syrup, pasta, or bread before an event will tend to cause a quick spike in your blood sugar followed by a corresponding fall, making you feel more exhausted than before. More than anything, simple carbs and excess complex carbs will make you sluggish and hamper your performance. If you want to create energy naturally here are four simple rules to follow:

1- Just before a workout (10-15 minutes or so), eat a piece of fruit such as an apple, plum, pear, citrus fruit (not juice), or berries (preferably berries).  They're great right before any workout, as they give you a small spike without the massive plummet.

2- Two to three hours before a workout, complex carbs, fats and a small amount of protein will do the trick. Sweet potatoes, oats mixed with a bit of coconut oil and whey protein, brown rice, olive oil, almond butter, flax oil, walnuts, almonds, and eggs are all easy to digest and can give you more sustained energy.

3- Post exercise, your body is nitrogen-poor and your muscles have been broken down. That's why you need amino acids from animal proteins like chicken, beef, and eggs, as well as vegetable carbohydrates. Whey protein is another excellent choice here.

4- Although many experts still recommend carb-loading before an endurance event, the fact is, burning sugar is not what happens over long distances. Carbs are stored in your muscles and liver in the form of glycogen that your body uses as fuel. Once this fuel runs out, fatigue sets in and your performance suffers. Your body actually starts burning fats after a short period of time. Therefore, rather than loading up on carbs, loading up on healthy fats and protein will typically improve athletic endurance.

Some athletes, including basketball superstars LeBron James and Ray Allen, have started taking this advice to heart—with excellent results. Other athletes jumping onto the high-fat, low-carb diet include Ironman triathlete Nell Stephenson, pro cyclist Dave Zabriskie, ultra-marathoner Timothy Olson, and former Ironman triathlete Ben Greenfield has followed a ketogenic diet while training for the 2013 Ironman World Championships.

Healthy Kitchen, Healthy Body

Every day you have to navigate a toxic nutritional landscape. You have to survive the American supermarket and dodge the dangers of industrial food. The good news is that if you follow simple rules you can eat safely for life.

Think of them as shortcuts or tricks to use when shopping or eating. If you just do these things and nothing else, you will automatically be eating real, fresh food that will prevent, treat and even reverse most of the chronic diseases that drain our energy, stress our families and deplete our economy. You don't even have to understand anything about nutrition. Just follow these rules for getting healthy, losing weight and feeling great.

RULE # 1 - If a food has a label it should have fewer than five ingredients. If it has more than five ingredients, throw it out. Also beware of food with health claims on the label. They are usually bad for you. Think about a bag of deep-fried potato chips with the health claims "gluten-free, organic, no artificial ingredients, no sugar" and with fewer than five ingredients listed. Sounds great, right? But remember, cola is 100 percent fat-free and that doesn't make it a health food.

RULE # 2 - If sugar (by any name, including organic cane juice, honey, agave, maple syrup, cane syrup, or molasses) is on the label, throw it out. There may be up to 33 teaspoons of sugar in the average bottle of ketchup. Same goes for white rice and white flour, which act just like sugar in the body.

RULE # 3 - Throw out any food with high-fructose corn syrup on the label. It is a super sweet liquid sugar that takes no energy for the body to process. Some high-fructose corn syrup also contains mercury as a by-product of the manufacturing process. Many liquid calories, such as sodas, juices, and "sports" drinks contain this metabolic poison. It always signals low quality or processed food.

RULE # 4 - Throw out any food with the word hydrogenated on the label. This is an indicator of trans fats, vegetable oils converted through a chemical process into margarine or shortening. They are good for keeping cookies on the shelf for long periods of time without going stale, but these fats have been proven to cause heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

RULE # 5 - Throw out any highly-refined cooking oils such as corn, soy, etc. Also avoid toxic fats and fried foods.

RULE # 6 - Throw out any food with ingredients you can't recognize, pronounce, or that are in Latin.

RULE # 7 - Throw out any foods with preservatives, additives, coloring or dyes, "natural flavorings," or flavor enhancers such as MSG (monosodium glutamate).

RULE # 8 - Throw out food with artificial sweeteners of all kinds (aspartame, Splenda, sucralose, and sugar alcohols - any word that ends with "ol" like xylitol, sorbitol). They make you hungrier, slow your metabolism, give you bad gas, and make you store belly fat.

IN ADDITION, ALSO REMOVE THESE ITEMS FROM YOUR KITCHEN:

1. Toaster

2. Microwave

3. Sandwich maker

4. Large dishes

5. Deep fryer

6. Rice Cooker

7. Popcorn maker

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."

Source: Dr. Hyman / Harvard Health Publications 

Surprising Fat Burning Foods

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Chocolate is usually perceived as an unhealthy food and avocados have been said to ADD fat to the body. Both have a lot of fat but it’s the good fat.

We know that spices taste good – but did you know some of them, including turmeric, actually burn fat?

These tasty foods listed below help burn fat by switching off fat storage, breaking down fat cells, improving insulin sensitivity, and more. Some of these foods even cut belly fat and increase metabolism! They are delicious and healthy but should be enjoyed in moderation. Portion size is key! Consuming an entire bowl of guacamole by yourself or gorging on chocolate bars will not do you any weight-loss favors.

Here they are:

1- Turmeric

Anti-inflammatory. Breaks down fat and prevents re-growth of fat cells. 

2- Avocados

Switches off fat storage. Enables fat-burning hormones. Protects energy producing cells.

3- Lean Meats

30% of the calories in lean meat are burned during digestion. 

4- Dark Chocolate

At least 70% cocoa reduces appetite, curbs insulin resistance. 

5- Green Tea

Speeds up metabolism and protects fat burning cells from free radicals.

6- Hot Peppers 

The capsaicin in peppers heats up your body and melt fat.

7- Brazil nuts  

Bind toxins which would otherwise store as cellulite. 

(Have two a day only)

8- Wild Salmon

Improves insulin sensitivity, trims the waistline. 

9- Coconut Oil

Medium-Chain Triglycerides are used as energy. Cuts belly fat. 

Once again, portion size is the key!

The Five Skills of Fitness

If fitness is a skill, then by definition, it can be improved by improving its component skills. Let's take a look at what they are and how to improve them.

1- Knowledge

2- Mindfulness and Self-Awareness

3- Self-Compassion

4- Humility

5- Discipline and Habit Building

Knowledge is simply the evidence-based understanding behind training and nutrition. It allows us to create a plan and execute it.

Knowledge can be either basic, like understanding the tenets of calories and how they impact your weight, or it can be relatively advanced—correctly incorporating a carbohydrate refeed in order to raise leptin during your diet, for example.

You can improve your knowledge by reading sites like this one. Find a credible fitness pro to trust, and absorb their encyclopedic knowledge.

Beware, however. Knowledge of nutrition and fitness is very important, but paradoxically, it can be used to mislead. There is more information about fitness now than ever, thanks to increasingly-easy access to scientific research because of resources like PubMed. Because of this, knowledge is often glorified and romanticized. A modicum of truth can be exaggerated into a misleading fitness tip. Many, in fact, actually think that knowledge is the only fitness skill, a fatal mistake when it comes to improvement.

Knowledge can easily be overdone. After all, what good is understanding the optimal meal timing to optimize muscle protein synthesis if you cannot, say, stop binge eating. But this is where mindfulness comes into play. READ MORE...

Naturally Combatting the Cause of Depression

According to recent studies, diets high in unhealthy fats and sugars may be a factor that causes depression in many people. These types of diets contribute to emotional and biological changes in our minds and bodies.

When we eat poorly, our bodies become deprived of essential nutrients. The human body recognizes, reacts, and regards nutrient deficiencies as a potential disease. In turn, the body releases proteins known as cytokines to try to protect the body and fight off the perceived intruder.

This natural and vital protection process is similar to how the body’s immune system works when trying to heal a physical wound that may cause inflammation. The brain receives signals when inflammation is detected.

Chronic and extended health problems can easily turn into depression because of the negative thoughts people get when triggered by an illness. Physicians refer to this as sickness behavior, which is surprisingly similar to depression, where people are unwilling to be productive, eat well, or get out of bed. ... READ MORE...

8 Lazy Ways to Burn Calories

1- Caffeine helps to burn calories for up to three hours. If you don't like coffee try tea.

2- Instead of sitting on a chair use a stability ball. You can burn 260 more calories daily.

3- Cut carbs two days a week. Don't need to go full-time.

4- Keep your room temperature at 64 degrees. 

5- Eat spicy foods. They can speed your metabolism by 23 percent.

6- Strength training twice a week. 

7- Keep Calm. Calm people lose 104 more calories than stressed folks.

8- Sleep 8-9 hours per night. (This works fantastically!)