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October 31, 2005
How to Eat Well on a Budget
While you can spend a fortune on prime cuts and seafood delicacies, you don't have to -- you can eat well on a budget.
Eat eggs. When I was in college, I nearly lived on eggs, the perfect food. Even if you buy organic eggs at $3.00 a dozen, you are spending only 25 cents an egg, or less than a dollar for a very filling meal of the highest quality protein.
Brown-bag it. Taking your lunch and eating more home-cooked meals is a lot more economical – and better for you – than eating out. If you shop according to the guidelines, you know for sure what you’re eating.
Snack on fruits and nuts. Avoid processed and snack foods that can rack up the bucks, calories, starches and trans fats. Nuts make very satisfying and nutritious snacks and an apple, pear or peach makes some of the least expensive snacks.
Watch for sales. There’re specials even for organic foods.
Buy a simple carbon water filter for your kitchen faucet. If your tap water tests safe, you can save money from not having to buy bottled water.
To read more about this topic order Al Sears MD’s The Doctor’s Heart Cure now
Posted by james at 6:43 AM | Comments (0)
October 24, 2005
Healthy Cooking and the Dangers of Glycation
You've probably heard that meat isn't safe unless you cook it until it's brown. Once again, this advice is dangerously wrong. Overcooking food denatures proteins, breaks down vitamins, and removes nutrients. Still worse, cooking at high temperatures triggers a chemical reaction called glycation.
Glycation binds protein and glucose molecules in the body. It results in a disfigured protein assembly or a glycotoxin. As glycotoxins accumulate in your cells, they send out chemical signals that cause inflammation. In addition, these abnormal proteins do not regenerate; they remain damaged forever. This process contributes to premature aging and disease. Conditions associated with glycation and inflammation include aging, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
When we overcook foods, large amounts of glycotoxins collect in the food. A new study demonstrates that if we eat these foods, the glycotoxins transfer to our tissues. Researchers at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine evaluated two groups of people who had diabetes. One group ate a diet low in glycotoxins, and the other group ate a diet high in glycotoxins. After only two weeks, the high-glycotoxin group had up to 100 percent more glycotoxins in their blood and urine than those who ate the low-glycotoxin diet. Clearly, glycotoxins transfer from your food into your body.
To avoid glycation, keep the following tips in mind:
Cook food at lower heat. Low heat doesn’t have to mean low taste. Use plenty of spices and fresh herbs to boost the taste of meals.
When cooking, rely on steaming, stewing, boiling, poaching, and oven baking. Limit highly fried or charred food to no more a couple of times a week.
Marinate your meat. When you broil – and even if you occasionally char food – the moisture from the marinade slows down the process of glycation. (Coincidentally, food usually tastes better when it’s juicy.) Some favorite marinades include olive oil, wine, garlic, vinegar, citrus juice, and crushed tomatoes in any combination.
Take a carnosine supplement. Researchers discovered that supplemental carnosine helps prevent glycation. A recent laboratory study shows that supplemental carnosine plays a role in disposing of glycated proteins in tissues.
To read more about this topic order Al Sears MD’s The Doctor’s Heart Cure now
Posted by james at 6:21 AM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2005
Why Drinking from Plastic Water Bottles May Be Risking Your Health
In recent years, experts questioned the safety of water sold in plastic bottles. Evidence suggests that polycarbonate plastic is toxic because it contains Bisphenol A (BPA). A study reported in Current Biology found exposure to BPA resulted in birth abnormalities in mice. Although the effect on humans remains unknown, mice and humans have a very similar cell division program for eggs. At this point, there aren’t any conclusive studies documenting the safety or toxicity of many plastics. One thing is clear, however, these plastics do not exist in nature. To be on the safe side, if you buy water, buy it in glass bottles.
If you want to improve the safety of your tap water, take the following steps:
- Request a water quality report from your water supplier.
- Test your water. Water kits are available to test for bacteria, lead, pesticides, nitrates, nitrites, chlorine, PH, hardness, and arsenic. Reasonably priced kits are available at www.watersafetestkits.com and www.quickpack.com.
- Let the water run a few seconds after you turn on the tap before filling your water glass.
- If your tap water needs improvement, consider using a carbon-block filter. Look for a filter that removes particles that are less than or equal to one micron in diameter for protection from parasites.
If you want to drink bottled water:
- Choose glass bottles.
- Look on the bottom of the containers for the recycling code. Avoid recycling code #7 for polycarbonates.. Recycling codes #1, #2, and #4 denote polyethylene; #5 indicates polypropylene. Use plastics only when necessary.
- Store bottled water away from sunlight and away from household chemicals.
- Don’t reuse bottles. Avoid refilling water bottles to prevent bacteria growth and contamination.
To read more about this topic order Al Sears MD’s The Doctor’s Heart Cure today
Posted by james at 6:34 AM | Comments (1)
October 10, 2005
The Truth About Your Drinking Water
No doubt about it, clean drinking water is vital to good health. Water accounts for 60 percent of your total body weight and 75 percent of your muscle tissue. It transports nutrients to your cells and carries away waste. Water is your body’s most essential nutrient.
But bottled water is also big business. A generation ago, no one dreamed that Americans would someday pay more for water than they do for gasoline, but we do. The multi-billion, bottled-water industry plays on the public’s fears of contamination. Don’t buy into the hype. It is possible to get safe water from your tap.
First, remember that water is not naturally “pure.”
In the environment, water absorbs or dissolves minerals as it flows in streams, sits in lakes, or filters through layers of rock and soil in the ground. Many of these substances, like the minerals calcium and magnesium, provide nutrients and enhance taste.
Our water purification plants filter many impurities out of our tap water before it reaches the faucet. The US Environmental Protection Agency monitors municipal water supplied for more than 80 possible contaminants. However, the EPA tests water suppliers, not individual homes. Contamination of water is still possible after it leaves the treatment plant. The greatest risks of contamination faces people who live within five miles of farmlands (due to the risk of pesticide contamination) and those who live in homes built before 1986 (these houses may have lead pipes or solder that can leech lead into your water). If you live in an older home or in an agricultural area, test your tap water.
Don’t assume that bottled water is always safer than tap water. Despite federal, state, and industry regulations, contaminants sometimes sneak into bottled water. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) conducted a four-year study, testing more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of bottled water. One third of the waters tested contained contaminants of synthetic organic chemicals, bacteria, and arsenic. Some samples exceeded allowable limits under either state or bottled-water-industry standards. Want to know how well your favorite brand did? View the NRDC’s test results.
You can also forget the advice to drink distilled water. Long-term use of distilled water can lead to mineral deficiencies that can cause heart beat irregularities and hair loss. Don’t cook with distilled water either; cooking with this mineral-depleted water draws many of the nutrients out of food.
To read more about this topic order Al Sears MD’s The Doctor’s Heart Cure today
Posted by james at 6:30 AM | Comments (0)
October 3, 2005
The Real Problem with Fast Food... And Seven Quick Tips For Surviving a Fast Food Attack
The real problem with fast food is not that it has too much fat. The real problems are that it contains man-made trans fats, it's loaded with processed cards, the fish, chicken, and potatoes are fried in processed oils; and the red meat comes from grain-fed, artificially maintained and fattened animals.
What can you do?
If you want good nutrition in a hurry, the selection at Boston Market has little trans fats or processed carbs, and there are several high-protein choices. If you think you must eat at one of the fast-food chains, here are tips to follow:
Choose the leanest red meat.
Choose grilled fish or chicken over fried.
Skip the trans fat containing salad dressing.
Throw the bun in the garbage.
Skip the vegetable oil cooked fries.
Drink water with your lunch.
If possible, stop by a local supermarket or seafood restaurant. You can pick up a much healthier meal in about the same amount of time.
To read more about this topic order Al Sears MD’s The Doctor’s Heart Cure today
Posted by james at 6:28 AM | Comments (0)