Monday, December 9, 2013

WARNING REGARDING GARCINIA CAMBOGIA SUPPLEMENTS

I am most certainly against most "wonderful medical, weight-loss, etc general products lining the shelves in the market place today. And I believe many people are suckered into a lot of nonsense when they become avid followers of guys like Dr. Oz. Now before you explode let me explain what I mean.  I know there are a lot of good products out there but rest assured the majority of what you see in the malls, etc is a lot of hype and expense for a little of nothing.  Manufacturers are quick to make a buck off those who want to be slim, trim, beautiful, etc yet think they can eat whatever they want, never exercise, etc and reach that goal. That simply is not so. No matter how many products you buy, if you eat everything you can get your hands on - mostly fast foods, fats, sugars, etc, sit on the couch watching TV and playing video games in your spare time, and swallow a bunch of expensive pills, your health, weight, etc will not improve!

Now I have nothing against Dr. Oz. In fact, I often quote him on this blog but it is almost always an intelligent quote in context. People who hang on his every word, often miss what he is saying. He cannot usually change your life or go completely into an area during a 1 hour show that is cut way down because of commercials! He went to school for years and reads medical journals, goes to seminars, etc and you think he can tell you everything you need to know on a subject in a matter of minutes. Another problem is that humans, who are only half listening anyway, tend to hear what they want to hear and miss the rest.  That is where the title of this blog post comes in!

Americans have gone crazy buying Garcinia Cambogia because Dr. Oz claimed it to be the holy grail. Really?  Did they listen to what he really said? Doubtful!  Well now, guess who else was listening. That's right, manufacturers!  So they started packaging the stuff as fast and as cheaply as they could.  And guess what! They knew people weren't listening beyond what they wanted to hear. Whoa!

Check the package of Garcinia Cambogia that is in your house right now. Does it contain calcium? If so you might as well throw it away, flush it down the toilet, etc. Dr. Oz warned to make sure your product contains NO calcium. Why? It blocks the absorption of the HCA or hydroxycitric acid, the active ingredient in Garcinia Cambogia that makes it work! Studies have shown that adding calcium to a garcinia cambogia product makes the product unusable by the body.

I continually suggest reading labels on anything that goes into your mouth. But that doesn't do a lot of good if you don't know what you are looking for!




I went to the internet and just randomly pulled up a couple of garcinia cambogia product labels. And there it is, calcium on both labels. Dr. Oz also said to buy product with 75% HCA. Note these labels both say 60% HCA. The manufacturers aren't trying to fool anyone. They know they don't have to because humans don't pay attention to the details of this type of product. They are playing you a little on the first label by saying the serving size is 1 Veggie Capsule.  That is a mind game with you because we are living in a society right now that is big on promoting vegetables so they know that will get your attention and perhaps have you choose their product over another.  Also, when you read the two labels you will see the ingredients list is the same for both. But notice the dosage. One says the serving size is 1 "Veggie" Capsule and the other says it is 2 Capsules.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism

Does your metabolism need a boost?  The fix could be really simple.  Are you drinking enough water? When the body doesn't have enough water, the metabolism slows down.



Another easy fix is to add some chili peppers to your diet.  The compound that makes peppers hot, Capsaicin, can boost metabolism by more than 20%.


Here is another good tip - eat some lean protein at every meal. The body uses 7 times as much energy to digest protein as it does to digest fats and carbohydrates.


Saturday, November 16, 2013

WHITE FOODS

When asked, "What's the one unhealthy food that I shouldn't eat?", the doctor replied, "Anything white that is not a fruit or a vegetable. It's a sign that the food has been processed down to a very simple carbohydrate that probably doesn't have many nutrients."

White bread is a perfect example!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

COCONUT OIL TO BOOST BRAIN POWER

In the past, on this blog, I have discussed various reasons for using coconut oil and here is a good one. Cook with coconut oil to boost your brain power!  Coconut oil has a type of fat that is immediately shuttled to your blood for your brain to use as fuel, according to Dr. Oz the medical guru so many of you follow.  As previously discussed here it is also believed that coconut oil slows down and/or helps to prevent Alzheimer's Disease.  Be good to your brain and give it some coconut oil often.


Wednesday, July 31, 2013

SOME FACTS ABOUT COCONUT SYRUP/SUGAR

i am sometimes asked about various sweeteners that seem to be in some of the various diets making the rounds.  I figured the best way to answer questions about coconut syrup/sugar was to go to one of my best sources on such matters, GI NEWS.  The following is taken directly from a newletter I received from them:

Coconut syrup/sugar, a traditional sweetener from South-East Asia comes from the nectar of coconut palm flower buds (which means those buds won’t grow into coconuts). It is about 75% sucrose and the rest is glucose and fructose which could make it a useful substitute for cane sugar if you are looking for one and cost doesn’t count. These days it’s widely promoted as a ‘great tasting, mineral rich, low GI (35) cane sugar alternative’. Dr Oz recommends it as a replacement for table sugar saying that: ‘Switching from regular sugar to coconut palm sugar could prevent the blood sugar crashes that make you hungry and then cause you to gain weight.

We asked SUGiRS Manager Fiona Atkinson about the GI35 for coconut sugar that Dr Oz quoted, as this figure is all over the internet but failed the peer review process to make it into the official international GI database. ‘That’s an old value from the Philippines and it was not tested according to the ISO method,’ she said. ‘We have recently tested coconut sugar for a company, but the results must remain confidential until they give us permission to publish them. I can say that although the GI was certainly not 35, it was low for what is essentially a sucrose-based sugar.’ Because of the high sucrose content, we are guessing it is more likely to be similar to CSR LoGiCane, the low GI sugar which has a GI of 50. Coconut syrup is ‘fab’ on pancakes or drizzled over coconut cake according to food writer Kate McGhie who also uses coconut sugar in Thai cooking and general baking such as muffins and has coconut vinegar in her pantry.  

Note: What is sucrose?  Here is a brief of the definition from Wikipedia: 
Sucrose is the organic compound commonly known as table sugar and sometimes called saccharose. Did you notice above that coconut syrup is about 75% sucrose?  Diabetics beware if you switch to this.


Monday, April 29, 2013

MELONS AND OTHER FRUITS FOR OSTEOPOROSIS

If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or want to protect your bones from it, consider adding more fruit to your diet.  Fruits contain potassium which is important in protecting bones.  To keep your bones healthy be sure your diet includes honeydew and cantaloupe melons, bananas, plums, prunes, raisins, and other fruits.  What a tasty healthy tip!


Wednesday, April 24, 2013

PRODUCE FOR FIBROMYALGIA PAIN

I have lived with chronic pain most of my life.  I have several auto-immune diseases that cause this pain.  This started when I was in high school and has stayed with me all these years.  I have a prescription for pain medication that I do take occasionally but have found a lot of pain can be controlled by other measures.  Some types of exercise, ibuprofen, analgesic rubs, massage, etc all work well.  Another thing is diet.  While there is little scientific proof that diet can control pain, I believe it can.  I would suggest to anyone dealing with pain, especially fibromyalgia sufferers of which I am one, that they eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible.  Personally I do not care much for meat so that is an easy one for me.  If you are a carnivore, start to gradually replace a little of the meat you eat on a daily basis with some fruit and vegetables.  I am not talking about eating a steak that weighs a few ounces less and adding a few more french fries.  I am talking about real fruits and veggies!  Eat them raw when possible and cooking lightly by steaming or cooking just until tender.

Did you know that oxidative stess which is a cell-damaging process that takes place in the body- is usually higher in the bodies of people with fibromyalgia (a disease whose major indicator is pain) therefore it is thought to be a major contributor in the development of the illness.  Fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants therefore doesn't it seem like a good idea to increase the fruits and vegetables in your diet if you suffer from fibromyalgia?  Give it a try and see what results you get.  And remember, food does not work like drugs.  You cannot expect results the same day you make a dietary change.  It can take weeks, even months, but it can be worth it to feel better!


Thursday, February 28, 2013

SPINACH IS A MULTIVITAMIN!

Yes, that's right, consider eating your spinach as taking a multivitamin!  Spinach is loaded with vitamins A,C, and K.  You also get folate in spinach.  Folate boosts the production of brain chemicals that affect mood so if you or someone you know tends to suffer from depression, add spinach to the diet.  Low levels of folic acid are associated with depression.  If you think you don't like spinach, try a little in salads, toss some fresh spinach in soups, etc.  Learn to add this multivitamin to your diet!  It really is good for you, just like your mother said.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

EASY WAYS TO GET MORE SPINACH INTO YOUR DIET

We all know spinach is good for us but many of us don't like to eat it.  Personally, I love spinach and could eat it every day.  I know that is not the norm.  Whether you like spinach or not, it is important to include it in your diet.  The American Heart Association recommends spinach (and other green leafy vegetables) as part of a heart-healthy diet as they provide good sources of vitamins A and C.  Spinach also a good source of iron as was noted in yesterday's post on healthy foods for anemics.  Spinach also contains flavonoids and beta-carotene both of which are important to maintaining good health and preventing disease!  If you don't want to eat a spinach salad or a whole serving of cooked spinach, here are some easy ways to work spinach into your diet.  Whatever method you choose to use, just be sure to include spinach into your diet on a regular basis.  Try to include it at least once a week, starting out slowly if necessary.  Try these little tips:
  • Use supermarket bagged spinach to save time if you don't like the rinsing, drying, stemming, etc required in bunches of fresh spinach.
  • Coarse chop and toss into scrambled eggs and/or omelets.
  • Saute with garlic until just wilted and toss into tarts, casseroles, etc.
  • Add chopped spinach leaves to rice and/or pasta dishes.
  • Toss a handful of fresh spinach leaves into soups right at the end of the cooking time.  Chop up if you don't want to get a whole leaf in your spoonful of soup!
  • Coarsely chop, toss in a little olive oil and put on pizza.
  • Use fresh baby spinach leaves in smoothies.
  • Chop and toss with onion and garlic.  Add to browned sausage and or ground beef or turky and use as a filling in little hand held personal pies.  You could even use refrigerated pie crust or pizza dough without having to make your own.