15 Foods To Help You Lose

Thirty billion a year that’s about how much Americans spend on slim-down products, many of which don’t even work. A better way to get real weight-loss results? Go grocery shopping. New research points to more than a dozen foods, from beans to beef, that can help you fight hunger, kick your candy addiction, boost your metabolism-and ultimately shed pounds. And some of these superfoods deliver health bonuses too.

1. Eggs.
   Skip the bagel this morning. Eggs, which are full of protein, will help you feel fuller longer-a lot longer. A multicenter study of 30 overweight or obese women found that those who ate two scrambled eggs (with two slices of toast and a reduced-calorie fruit spread) consumed less for the next 36 hours than women who had a bagel breakfast of equal calories. Other research has shown that protein may also prevent spikes in blood sugar, which can lead to food cravings.
2. Beans.
   You’ve probably never heard of cholecystokinin, but it’s one of your best weight-loss pals. This digestive hormone is a natural appetite suppressant. So how do you get more cholecystokinin? One way, report researchers at the University of California at Davis, is by eating beans: A study of eight men found that their levels of the hormone (which may work by keeping food in your stomach longer) were twice as high after a meal containing beans than after a low-fiber meal containing rice and dry milk. There’s also some evidence that beans keep blood sugar on an even keel, so you can stave off hunger longer. Heart-health bonus: High-fiber beans can lower your cholesterol.
3. Salad.
   Do you tend to stuff yourself at meals? Control that calorie intake by starting with a large salad (but hold the creamy dressing). In a study of 42 women at Penn State University, those who ate a big, low-cal salad consumed 12 percent less pasta afterward-even though they were offered as much as they wanted. The secret, say researchers, is the sheer volume of a salad, which makes you feel too full to pig out. Health bonus: A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that people who ate one salad a day with dressing had higher levels of vitamins C and E, folic acid, lycopene, and carotenoids-all disease fighters-than those who didn’t add salad to their daily menu.
4. Green Tea.
   The slimming ingredient isn’t caffeine. Antioxidants called catechins are what help speed metabolism and fat burning. In a recent Japanese study, 35 men who drank a bottle of oolong tea mixed with green tea catechins lost weight, boosted their metabolism, and had a significant drop in their body mass index. Health bonus: The participants also lowered their (bad) LDL cholesterol.
5. Pears.
   They’re now recognized as having more fiber, thanks to a corrected calculation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. At six grams (formerly four grams) per medium-size pear, they’re great at filling you up. Apples come in second, with about three grams per medium-size fruit. Both contain pectin fiber, which decreases blood-sugar levels, helping you avoid between-meal snacking. This may explain why, in a Brazilian study that lasted 12 weeks, overweight women who ate three small pears or apples a day lost more weight than women on the same diet who ate three oat cookies daily instead of the fruit.
6. Soup.
   A cup of chicken soup is as appetite blunting as a piece of chicken: That was the finding of a Purdue University study with 18 women and 13 men. Why? Researchers speculate that even the simplest soup satisfies hunger because your brain perceives it as filling.
7. Lean Beef.
   It’s what’s for dinner-or should be, if you’re trying to shed pounds. The amino acid leucine, which is abundant in proteins like meat and fish as well as in dairy products, can help you pare down while maintaining calorie-burning muscle. That’s what it did for 24 overweight middle-aged women in a study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Eating anywhere from nine to 10 ounces of beef a day on a roughly 1,700-calorie diet helped the women lose more weight, more fat, and less muscle mass than a control group consuming the same number of calories, but less protein. The beef eaters also had fewer hunger pangs.
8. Olive Oil.
   Fight off middle-age pounds with extra virgin olive oil. A monounsaturated fat, it’ll help you burn calories. In an Australian study, 12 postmenopausal women (ages 57 to 73) were given a breakfast cereal dressed either with a mixture of cream and skim milk or half an ounce of olive oil and skim milk. The women who ate the oil-laced muesli boosted their metabolism. Don’t want to add olive oil to your oatmeal? That’s OK-it works just as well in salad dressings, as a bread dip, or for sautéing.
9. Grapefruit.
   It’s back! A 2006 study of 91 obese people conducted at the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic found that eating half a grapefruit before each meal or drinking a serving of the juice three times a day helped people drop more than three pounds over 12 weeks. The fruit’s phytochemicals reduce insulin levels, a process that may force your body to convert calories into energy rather than flab.
10. Cinnamon.
    Sprinkle it on microwave oatmeal or whole-grain toast to help cure those mid-afternoon sugar slumps. Research from the U.S.
    Department of Agriculture found that a little cinnamon can help control post-meal insulin spikes, which make you feel hungry. Health bonus: One USDA study showed that just a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon a day lowered the blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
11. Vinegar.
    It’s a great filler-upper. In a Swedish study, researchers found that people who ate bread dipped in vinegar felt fuller than those who had their slices plain. The probable reason: Acetic acid in the vinegar may slow the passage of food from the stomach into the small intestine, so your tummy stays full longer. Vinegar can also short-circuit the swift blood-sugar rise that occurs after you eat refined carbs such as white bread, cookies, and crackers.
12. Tofu.
    It seems too light to be filling, but a study at Louisiana State University showed that tofu does the job. Researchers tested it against chicken as a pre-meal appetizer for 42 overweight women-and the participants who had tofu ate less food during the meal. The secret: Tofu is an appetite-quashing protein.
13. Nuts.
    Yes, they are fattening: A handful of peanuts is about 165 calories. But research shows that people who snack on nuts tend to be slimmer than those who don’t. A study from Purdue University found that when a group of 15 normal-weight people added about 500 calories worth of peanuts to their regular diet, they consumed less at subsequent meals. The participants also revved up their resting metabolism by 11 percent, which means they burned more calories even when relaxing. Health bonus: Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids. And researchers at Loma Linda University recently found that eating 10 to 20 whole pecans daily can reduce heart disease risks.
14. High-Fiber Cereal.
    Studies show that you can curb your appetite by eating a bowl for breakfast. But how well does it really work? Researchers at the VA Medical Center and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis tested the theory against the ultimate diet challenge: the buffet table. They gave 14 volunteers one of five cereals before sending them out to the smorgasbord. Those who’d had the highest-fiber cereal ate less than those who didn’t have as much fiber in the morning. Try General Mills Fiber One (14 grams per serving) or Kellogg’s All Bran With Extra Fiber (13 grams per serving).
15. Hot red pepper.
    Eating a bowl of spicy chili regularly can help you lose weight. In a Japanese study, 13 women who ate breakfast foods with red pepper (think southwestern omelet) ate less than they normally did at lunch. The magic ingredient may be capsaicin, which helps suppress appetite.

Top of Stress

12 Ways to Stay on Top of Stress

1. Exercise. Amen for endorphins. Believe me, they’ve helped me many days with my perspective. If you have to work out, then go take a brisk walk and get that blood flowing. It isn’t about working out to lose weight — it’s about being healthy and staying sane.
2. Eat the real stuff. Crappy food (fast, processed, and loaded with sugar) doesn’t help your chemical brain and body handle stress. Living food, real food, helps support your mind and body while it’s trying to deal with the million things coming its way. Every time I reach for the chocolate, I’m looking to feel something from it. Don’t get me wrong — if it’s just a little here and there because I enjoy the taste of it, great. But if I’m using it the minute I feel overwhelmed, then that’s when that food is no longer OK to eat. It doesn’t make the problem go away, and then I just feel bad about eating the food to pacify myself. Grab green food instead. Put things in your mouth that are going to support your immune function and keep you levelheaded.
3. Notice. Try not to let the stress overtake you. Recognize the situations that cause the stress and notice them coming your way. You have a better shot at fending off the full effects of the stress when you can anticipate it.
4. Get it off your chest. Talk to a friend or partner about the stress. Sometimes just getting it off your chest can help unload some of the burden.
5. Keep your sense of humor. If you do have the chance to talk about it, try to see the irony and humor in the wacky bits. I think someone is dead in the water once they lose their sense of humor.
6. Stay grateful. My daughter has large lungs and verbal skills she likes to display. Just when I start to wishfully think about her being quiet, I remind myself to be grateful that she can talk to me at all. In almost all of our problems are boatloads of blessings. "Oh, I don’t feel like going to the gym." Well, Amen that you have the means and the health to even be able to wrestle with the idea of going to work out. Make a habit of saying thank you. You will notice the sunny spots a lot more often, and not just the gray skies and storms.
7. Ask, "What’s the hurry?" Have some fun. We’re always so busy going somewhere, we miss just enjoying the moment. If an opportunity comes your way to do something fun, take it.
8. Take a deep breath. When you feel the stress getting to you, take a moment. Get away, even if it’s just for an hour, to be with yourself and your thoughts. Some people like to take a walk, meditate, lock themselves away in a beautiful bath, or go to church. Find the peace and the silence.
9. Keep it simple. Simplify where you can. Does Junior really need to be in 78 activities at the age of 5? Do you have to go to every little party or gathering you’re invited to?
10. Turn of the TV. A lot of it is bad news anyway, and it robs us of hours that we could use to be getting other things done. Since everyone complains that they have no time, get some by unplugging from the tube.
11. Sleep. If you’re rested, you have a better shot at handling things. Not to mention, you may not stress out as easily if you have a chance to recover at night.
12. Drink water. I have said it before: Americans consume 21 percent of their calories through liquid consumption. Hydrate with water. Help you entire system function better just by drinking enough water. Oh, and by the way, if you don’t think that weight loss and proper hydration have a relationship, think again. Shift the paradigm on its side — don’t think about exercise and nutritional eating just as something you have to suffer through to get into those jeans. Instead, think of them as armor that will protect you in this crazy world, with all of the bazillion details you deal with every day.

Five Foods for Better Sleep

By Monica Bhide, Natural Solutions

If you’re among the estimated 65 percent of Americans who have trouble sleeping at least a few nights a week, you’re probably tired of hearing about all the possible culprits for your bedtime woes, from too much caffeine and late-night TV to not enough exercise or unwind time in the evenings.

While all of these factors certainly play a role in your quality of shut-eye, there’s one sleep saboteur that often goes unrecognized even though it can have a profound effect on how soundly you snooze–your diet.

In fact, food and sleep actually affect one another: If you don’t eat right, you lose sleep; and when you’re sleep-deprived, your eating habits suffer, says Sally Kravich, a holistic nutritionist and author of Vibrant Living: Creating Radiant Health and Longevity (SPK Publications, 2003). “It’s the ultimate catch-22,” she says. “A lack of sleep causes leptin, an appetite-regulating hormone, to crash, which causes you to eat more,” she says. “Not only does eating more eventually lead to weight gain and an increased risk of obesity–both of which can affect how well you sleep–but the foods you’re most likely to reach for when you’re tired will keep you up at night.” So what’s an insomniac to do?

For starters, get clear about which foods promote good shut-eye, and which have the potential to keep you up at night, and adjust your diet accordingly.

Sleep-enhancing foods

Whole grains. Fiber-rich foods, such as brown rice and quinoa, do more than keep you full; they contain large amounts of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that increases the levels of serotonin (a feel-good neurotransmitter that calms the nervous system) and melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone secreted in response to darkness) in the brain. What’s more, whole grains slowly nourish the body throughout the night after you digest them, says Lauren Taylor, CTN, a naturopath in Boulder, Colorado. That makes them an especially good choice for anyone who wakes up hungry during the night. Whole-grain carbohydrates also have a soothing effect. “Certain grains, like oats, act as natural relaxants and help calm the nervous system,” says Taylor.

Legumes. The high levels of B vitamins in legumes, such as black-eyed peas and lentils, also help calm your nervous system, says Kravich. Adds Taylor: “Legumes can be a great choice for an evening meal because they often replace animal protein, which can cause sleep problems.” But legumes are not for everyone, warns Taylor. They can be hard for some to digest. To know if you fall into this category, pay close attention to how you feel after you eat them. If the legumes satisfy your hunger without making you feel overly full or gassy, they could be a good addition to your sleep-inducing arsenal. Have an upset stomach or feel sluggish after a meal of legumes? Skip them altogether or eat them only in moderation.

Herbal teas. Tempted to have a glass of vino to unwind at night? Kravich recommends reaching for a cup of tea instead, especially blends with chamomile, lavender, and mint. “Drinking caffeine-free tea, particularly gentle herbal varieties, relaxes the body, calms digestion, and soothes the stomach,” says Kravich. Taylor agrees, but also says that the environment in which we eat potentially relaxing foods can have a profound effect on our nervous system. “That calming chamomile tea isn’t necessarily going to be so calming if you drink it while you’re on the computer paying your bills at 10 o’clock at night,” says Taylor. Instead, take your tea to a cozy spot where you can relax, smell the tea, and fully enjoy drinking it. “Unwinding in the evening–emptying out–that’s what’s important,” says Taylor. “It’s a way of clearing your nervous system. If you haven’t let go of the day’s activities, where is all that energy going to go? If it remains pent up inside of you, it’s certainly going to affect your ability to sleep.”

Fruit. Especially high in sleep-inducing tryptophan, bananas, mangoes, and dates are also great substitutes for higher-calorie desserts. “It’s all about changing your habits,” says Kravich. “Instead of cutting out dessert completely, replace cake and cookies–which can keep you up at night because of their high sugar content–with fruits that will satisfy your sweet tooth and help promote sleep. While fruits do contain sugar, it’s natural–not processed–and fruit also comes packed with fiber.” Another benefit from fruits: their high antioxidant content. “Think of nighttime as clean-up time for the body,” says Taylor. “If you go into the evening having just eaten foods that are cleansing and detoxifying, you’re helping that clean-up cycle. Vegetables and fruit are the most detoxifying foods you can eat.”

Soups and stews. Adding sleep-inducing foods to your diet will certainly help you get your beauty rest, but you should also pay attention to how you prepare them. “Cooking sleep-inducing foods at low temperatures for long periods of time is ideal,” says Taylor. “Soups and stews–particularly those filled with fiber-rich veggies and legumes–and low-fat casseroles are much more calming and relaxing than seared meats and hot, spicy foods because when you cook something for a long time, the cooking process acts almost like our own digestive system,” says Taylor. Long cooking times break down the starches and sugars in foods, so your body doesn’t have to work very hard to access their nutrients.

Next: Five foods to avoid for a good night’s sleep

Sleep sappers

Fatty, high-protein foods. We all know how important it is for good heart health to ease up on saturated animal fats, but doing so can also help the state of your adrenal glands–important not only for good sleep but also for your overall health. Red meat contains high levels of the amino acid tyrosine, which causes the adrenal glands to pump cortisol through your body. This hormone is part of the fight-or-flight reaction that prepares us to face or run away from danger–and certainly puts us in a heightened state that’s hardly conducive to falling and staying asleep. “Under normal circumstances, your adrenal activity is at its highest when you wake up and then descends throughout the day so it’s at its lowest ebb before you go to sleep,” says Taylor. “To promote good sleep, you need to support this adrenal rhythm with the foods you eat.” And for most that means turning the typical American diet upside down. Because high-protein foods stimulate the body, eat them in the morning and at midday, suggests Taylor. For dinner, steer clear of meats and other high-protein foods that will spike your adrenal glands and opt for vegetables and plant-based sources of protein instead.

Caffeine. While you may think that morning cup of joe or two won’t interfere with your ability to wind down later in the day, think again. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Although most doctors say it takes between four and seven cups of regular coffee a day to hinder sleep, caffeine–like red meat–revs the body up. “Caffeine can overstimulate the adrenals, which actually compounds fatigue as it wears off,” says Kravich. If you must have your morning cup, eat something nutritious with it and add milk or soy milk to dull the negative effects of the caffeine.

High-sugar, empty-calorie sweets. “Think of cakes and cookies as the other end of the spectrum from whole grains,” says Taylor. “Sweets give you quick energy followed by a crash,” she says. “Because the energy you get from sweets isn’t long and sustained, odds are you’ll wake up because you’re hungry.” Instead of typical desserts, opt for fruit or even some healthy fats and whole grains, such as a quarter of an avocado spread on whole grain toast. “Healthy fats are satisfying, and they calm the nervous system,” says Taylor.

Cold foods. Even during the hot summer months when you might be craving cold foods, such as salads, smoothies, and ice cream, do keep in mind that they’re not necessarily the best for promoting sleep, says Taylor. “When you eat cold foods, your body has to work hard to bring the food’s temperature up to your body temp,” she says. “If the food has been cooked, your body doesn’t have to spend as much energy breaking down the food, which is ideal for evening meals when the goal is to help your body unwind and work less.” Instead of a cold salad, for example, steam veggies and eat them at room temperature with a good olive oil drizzled on top.

Monica Bhide is a Dunn Loring, Virginia�based food writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Food & Wine. Her book, Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen, was released this month by Simon & Schuster.

Allergy Avoidance Diet

Allergy Avoidance Diet Introduction History Popularity Principles Research Foods emphasized Foods avoided Nutrient excesses/deficiencies Who benefits Who is harmed Menu ideas Resources References Introduction Adverse food reactions, also called food allergies and food intolerances, affect millions of people, and are believed to cause a variety of common health complaints and diseases. Many nutritionists and physicians believe that the only definitive way to identify and manage adverse food reactions is through an Allergy Avoidance Diet. Some health care practitioners prescribe an Elimination Diet followed by food challenges. In an Elimination Diet, any food that is suspected of causing an allergy or intolerance is eliminated for a period of four days to three weeks, until symptoms are gone. Depending on the severity and type of symptoms, an Elimination Diet may range from moderately to severely restrictive in the amount of foods allowed. However, Elimination Diets typically include a variety of hypoallergenic foods including lamb, pears, apples, rice, most vegetables, most beans and legumes (except peanuts) and the "non-gluten" grains (for example, millet, quinoa, and amaranth). Once the body has adjusted to the absence of suspected foods, these foods are systematically added back into the diet, and any resulting symptoms are recorded. An alternative way to manage adverse food reactions is to follow a Rotation Diet, in which problematic foods are eaten only once every four days. An Allergy Avoidance Diet may be especially benecial for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, recurrent otitis media, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. History Although the writings of Hippocrates dating back to 400 BC discuss the role of adverse food reactions in the development of various health complaints, it wasn’t until the 20th century that formal research studies documenting food allergies began to appear in scientific journals. Popularity It is now believed that adverse food reactions are responsible for many undiagnosed health complaints. As a result, a growing number of healthcare practitioners are using Allergy Avoidance Diets to identify food allergies and food intolerances in their patients. Principles Although the term "food allergy" is sometimes used to describe all adverse reactions to food, the term is more often used to refer specifically to food reactions that are mediated by the immune system. To protect us from illness and disease, our immune systems are continuously trying to lessen the danger represented by substances called antigens. Antigens are parts of proteins that our bodies recognize as dangerous and take steps to neutralize. Antigens can be found most anywhere there is protein – in foods, of course, but also in microorganisms like bacteria. When our immune cells identify a dangerous antigen, they act to neutralize it and prevent it from causing harm in the body. When antigens from bacteria or viruses interact with our cells, we can get the flu, or the common cold. We don’t get the flu from food antigens, but we can get a wide range of immune-related symptoms that range from sniffles to hives to anaphylactic shock. Immediate versus Delayed Hypersensitivity Allergic reactions to food, also called food hypersensitivities, are further classified as either immediate or delayed. Immediate hypersensitivity reactions occur within hours or even a few minutes after a food is eaten, typically causing very obvious physical symptoms such as a rash, the hives, a running nose, or a headache. In rare cases, immediate hypersensitivity reactions can cause anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening condition in which the throat swells and blocks the passage of air. Immediate hypersensitivities affect only a small percentage of the population. Immediate Reactions to Food The foods that are most often implicated as the cause of immediate allergic responses include milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts), soy, strawberries, wheat, fish and shellfish. Many people with immediate food hypersensitivities must completely eliminate the offending food from their diet to avoid the serious symptoms. Delayed Reactions to Food Many of the same foods that are known to cause immediate hypersensitivities in a small number of people, have been implicated as a cause of delayed or "masked" food allergies in much larger numbers of individuals. Delayed food hypersensitivity reactions are believed to affect millions of people; some physicians have suggested that as many as 60% of all Americans suffer from masked food allergies. These reactions may be responsible for a variety of symptoms including dark circles or puffiness under the eyes, fluid retention, dermatitis, sinus congestion, fatigue, abdominal pain or discomfort, joint inflammation, mood swings, indigestion, headaches, chronic ear infections, asthma, poor memory, anxiety and depression. As the name suggests, delayed hypersensitivities do not appear immediately after consuming a particular food. In fact, in most cases the immune response is so delayed that it is difficult to determine which food is causing the symptoms, and many people are unaware that they are sensitive to certain foods. Only through careful dietary manipulation, such as an Elimination Diet or Rotation Diet, is it usually possible to identify these hidden food allergies. The foods most often associated with delayed hypersensitivities include dairy products, eggs, wheat, soy products, peanuts, shellfish, and refined sugar. Food Intolerance As discussed above, immune-mediated food allergies represent one type of adverse food reaction. Another type of adverse food reaction is called food intolerance. Food intolerance is an umbrella term that refers to any abnormal physiological response to a food that is not caused by an antibody/antigen reaction. For example, some food intolerances are caused by enzyme deficiencies, while others are caused by poor function of the digestive tract or a sensitivity to a natural or synthetic chemical. Lactose Intolerance The most common food intolerance is lactose intolerance, which affects as many as 30% of American adults, and is particularly common in people of African and Asian heritage. People with lactose intolerance do not produce enough of the digestive enzyme called lactase, which breaks down the milk sugar (lactose) found in dairy products. When too much undigested lactose makes its way into the large intestine, people suffer from gas and/or diarrhea. Problems with Wheat Wheat intolerance, wheat allergy, and wheat sensitivity are all terms frequently used to described adverse reaction to this food. Wheat is somewhat unique when it comes to adverse food reactions, particularly because it has long been classified as the primary "gluten grain" and because its research history has been both complicated and controversial. Understanding allergy-related issues associated with gluten is important for understanding problems connected to wheat. What Is Gluten? In a scientific sense, there is not such thing as "gluten"—if that word is being used to describe any single substance or even category of substances. The term "gluten" comes from the world of industry, not science. In the world of industrial baked goods, gluten is a gummy, yellow-gray material that is left over after dough (made from flour and water) has been washed. When the dough is washed, many of the water-soluble substances and starches are washed off and what’s left is a complicated mixture that has traditionally been referred to gluten. The dough used to produce gluten does not have to be made from wheat flour. Other cereal grains like oats can also be used to produce gluten. In industrial practice, however, wheat is almost always the food source for producing gluten. If a gluten dough-ball is dried out and analyzed, it turns out to be about 80% protein by weight. The other 20% of this weight is made up of fats, carbohydrates, and minerals. From a chemical standpoint, gluten is a diverse mixture of substances. Gluten Proteins There are 4 primary types of gluten proteins: (1) albumins, (2) globulins, (3) prolamins, and (4) glutelins. (Glutelins have a more specific name when they are found in wheat. In this case, they are called glutenins.) The prolamin proteins in gluten have been particularly implicated in the process of protein-based wheat allergy. However, the role of prolamin protein in food allergy is also complicated because prolamins are found in all cereal grains, not just wheat. The prolamin proteins found in wheat are the gliadin proteins; in oats, they are avenins; in corn they are zeins; in rye they are secalins; and in barley they are hordeins. Protein-Based Wheat Allergy With respect to wheat, and within the prolamin family of proteins found in gluten, it is the alpha-gliadin polypeptides that have been most closely linked to food allergy. These alpha-gliadin polypeptides include peptide A, peptide B, and peptide C. These small proteins appear particular to wheat. If gluten is produced from sources other than wheat, the prolamin proteins in the gluten change from gliadins to other types of prolamin proteins, like avenins in oats or secalins in rye. In these non-wheat cases, the allergy-triggered events associated with the prolamin proteins become less predictable, and sometimes fail to occur altogether. "Gluten Grains" The differences in prolamin protein composition between wheat and other cereal grains have prompted controversy in the area of allergy and in use of the term "gluten grains." Traditionally, wheat, oats, barley, and rye have been referred to as the "gluten grains" and placed on a par with wheat in terms of allergy. When a person has traditionally been advised to avoid wheat products for allergy reasons, that person has also traditionally been advised to avoid oats, barley, and rye as well. The recommendation in this traditional context has been to avoid all "gluten grains." The differences in protein chemistry between wheat and all other cereal grains, however, has caused some organizations to start thinking about wheat as a grain that falls into its own unique category and to place restrictions only on wheat and wheat gluten when allergy is the issue. These organizations have largely abandoned use the term "gluten grains," and have begun to think exclusively about wheat and wheat gluten. These steps have had interesting and controversial consequences with respect to health problems involving wheat allergy. For example, several organizations formed to support individuals with celiac disease have altered their public health recommendations to include acceptability of oats for persons diagnosed with celiac disease. Previously, oats had been categorically avoided as gluten grains for all persons following dietary restrictions related to the diagnosis of celiac disease. Non-Gluten Sources of Wheat Allergy In addition to the wheat allergy problems associated with wheat’s prolamin proteins, there are other components of wheat that have been associated with allergy. These components include wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), a glycoprotein, and two very short amino acid strings called tetrapeptides (PSSG and GGGP). These substances are present in significant amounts in wheat but do not appear to be present in the same way in other grains. Whole Grains versus Processed Grains Some healthcare practitioners believe that wheat allergy-related problems are triggered in part by the highly processed nature of wheat products in the marketplace. Commercially produced breads are typically formulated to contain a specific amount of highly processed wheat flour (stripped of the germ, the bran, and majority of fibers, vitamins, and minerals) and a specific amount of equally processed wheat gluten. Manipulation of this flour-to-gluten ratio can dramatically improve textures of highly processed breads and baked goods. Because the natural balance of nutrients found in whole wheat is dramatically altered by these processing events, some healthcare practitioners point to these processing impacts as the major underlying reason for prevalence of wheat allergy. Because 100% whole grains are the only grains recommended among the World’s Healthiest Foods, these allergy-related considerations involving wheat processing are completely avoided with the World’s Healthiest Foods approach. The Specifics of Celiac Disease Celiac disease is a health condition that some people associate with simple gluten intolerance. However, celiac disease is in fact a multi-system autoimmune disease in which changes in liver function, digestive tract function, and the function of other organ systems comes into play. The role of a specific enzyme, called tissue transglutaminase, or tTG, appears to be especially important in celiac disease. Short strands of protein (polypeptides) found in gliadin (one family of wheat proteins) are acted on by this enzyme, and many resulting problems associated with Celiac disease may result. For some, but not all individuals, a blood test measuring antibodies to tTG can be an effective screening test for Celiac disease. Adverse Reaction to Food Additives Many people are also unable to "tolerate" natural and synthetic chemicals, such as sulfites, that appear in abundance in our food supply. These sulfur-containing preservatives are used in dried fruits, wines, and many other processed foods. Between 1980 and 1999, the United States Food and Drug Administration received more than 1,000 reports of adverse reactions, some fatal, to sulfites. It has been estimated that at least 1% of all people with asthma are sensitive to sulfites. Synthetic food colorings, including Food Dye and Color Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), are problematic for many people. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is one further example of an additive used to increase flavor, particularly in Asian foods. After eating at restaurants that use MSG, many people become bloated or experience severe headaches. Adverse Reaction to Salicylates Salicylates and amines are examples of naturally-occurring food substances found in many vegetables, herbs, spices, fruits, and chocolate. These naturally-occurring components of food have been associated with a variety of symptoms including mental confusion, depression, and migraine headaches. The Role of an Elimination Diet Food allergies and food intolerances are a major source of undesirable symptoms that negatively impact the quality of life of many people. Many healthcare practitioners believe that the only definitive way to identify and manage adverse food reactions is through the use of an Elimination Diet followed by carefully organized food challenges. This process is quite arduous and must be done carefully if adverse food reactions are to be identified. As a result, it is best to perform an Elimination Diet with the support of a knowledgeable health practitioner. In an Elimination Diet, any food that is suspected to cause an allergy or intolerance is eliminated. Depending on the severity and type of symptoms, the Elimination Diet may range from moderately restrictive to severely restrictive in the amount of foods allowed. Food Excluded on an Elimination Diet Standard elimination diets eliminate the most common allergens, such as wheat, soy, corn, dairy, eggs, gluten, nuts, citrus, fish, chocolate, and shellfish, caffeine, alcohol, and artificial food additives. More restrictive Elimination Diets remove all of the foods previously listed plus those foods that contain salicylates and amines. The Challenge Phase of an Elimination Diet The purpose of the Elimination Diet is to avoid all problematic foods for a minimum of four days, or until a person experiences some relief from his/her symptoms. For some people, it takes up to three weeks before improvement is seen. Once the body is cleansed, the foods that were eliminated are systematically added back into the diet, one food at a time. This re-addition of foods is called the "challenge" phase of the diet. On the first day of food challenges, a food is eaten one to three times during the day. Over the next few days, the dieter returns to the Elimination Diet, and watches for the return of any symptoms. If any symptoms develop, it is possible that the dieter is "allergic" to the recently reintroduced food. If no symptoms develop, it is likely that the reintroduced food is not a problem for the dieter, and he/she can move on to the next food challenge. To more accurately determine food allergies and food intolerances, it is extremely helpful during the challenge phase to keep a diary of foods eaten and any emotional, mental or physical reactions. It can take several months to complete an Elimination and Challenge Diet. If a person does not have the time or desire to undertake such a process, a Rotation Diet may be a more appropriate option for managing the symptoms associated with food allergies. In a Rotation Diet, foods are rotated so that a person eats a food (or food family) only once every four days. For example, if you suspect a sensitivity to wheat, you would rotate wheat-containing foods into your diet every fourth day. It is believed that by decreasing the consumption of problematic foods by rotating them, the symptoms associated with these foods can be reduced. Research A growing body of scientific literature points to hidden food allergies and food intolerances as a cause of many medical conditions including migraine headache, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and recurrent otitis media. Common health complaints such as fatigue and eczema are also attributed to adverse food reactions. Clinicians and researchers believe that the number of people suffering from adverse food reactions is constantly increasing. They cite several reasons for this: Repeated consumption of a limited number of foods: Many people eat a relatively small number of foods several times during the day. For example, wheat, a common food allergen, is found in breakfast cereals, the bread used to make a sandwich at lunch time, and the spaghetti eaten at dinner time. Also, wheat is a thickening agent used in food processing, so it is a common "hidden" ingredient in many processed foods. Or consider the number of times you can eat corn in one day: in your corn flakes at breakfast, in your corn tortilla at lunchtime, and your corn-on-the-cob at dinnertime. Other commonly eaten foods such as milk and eggs are also a frequent cause of allergic symptoms. The repeated exposure to these foods taxes the immune system. Improper digestion and poor integrity of the intestinal barrier: The digestive tract plays a vital role in preventing illness and disease by providing an impenetrable barrier. When the integrity of the intestinal barrier is compromised, a condition coined "leaky gut syndrome" develops. With leaky gut syndrome, partially digested dietary protein can cross the intestinal barrier and be absorbed into the bloodstream. These large molecules can cause an allergic response, producing symptoms directly in the intestines or throughout the body. One of the causes of leaky gut is an absence of "friendly" bacteria in the intestines. The "friendly" bacteria help maintain the health of the intestines by producing fuel (as short-chain fatty acids) for intestinal cells and by competing with disease-causing bacteria for nutrients. Parasitic infections, treatment with antibiotics, stress, and candida overgrowth can disrupt the proper balance of "friendly" bacteria. It is also believed that early introduction of solid foods to infants contributes to leaky gut syndrome and subsequent food allergies. Over-worked immune systems: Constant stress, exposure to air and water pollution, and pesticides and chemicals in our food puts a strain on our immune system, making it less able to respond appropriately to the antigens in food. Genetics: Food allergies and intolerances seem to be hereditary. Research indicates that if both parents have allergies, their children have a sixty-seven percent chance of developing food allergies. When only one parent is allergic, the child has a 33% chance of developing food allergies. Foods Emphasized An Allergy Avoidance Diet emphasizes the consumption of a wide-range of so-called hypoallergenic foods. These foods include lamb, pears, apples, rice, most vegetables, most beans and legumes (except peanuts) and the non-gluten grains (for example, millet, quinoa, and amaranth). Typically the only sweeteners allowed are maple syrup or brown rice syrup. Acceptable beverages include rice milk, pear nectar, chamomile tea, and sparkling water (without any added sweeteners). However, the foods that are included in an Allergy Avoidance Diet must be carefully selected for each individual, so that all problematic foods are eliminated. See the Principles section above for more details. Foods Avoided Any food that is known, or suspected, to cause an adverse reaction is either completely eliminated from the diet, or eaten on a rotation basis. Wheat, corn, cow’s milk, eggs, dairy products, peanuts, and soy foods are among the most common food allergens. Many people also react to artificial food additives, such as monosodium glutamate, sulfites, and food colorings; foods containing these ingredients must be eliminated. If you are simply trying to avoid wheat, dairy, or corn, you can include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your Allergy Avoidance Diet. However, if you suspect that you are sensitive to amines and/or salicylates (see Principles section above for more information), you must avoid all foods containing these naturally occurring chemicals. Unfortunately these chemicals are widespred in many commonly eaten fruits and vegetables, as well as many other foods. Examples of foods that contain salicylates and/are amines are tomatoes, broccoli, olives, spinach, mushrooms, avocado, all dried fruit, smoked meats, canned fish, hard cheeses, soy sauce, miso, chocolate, cocoa, beer, cola drinks, vinegars, and yeast extract. When following an Elimination or Rotation diet, be aware that many processed foods contain at least one of the most common food allergens. Milk, soy, wheat, peanuts, and eggs are staples in the food industry, and often appear in foods as "natural flavors," which means that the food label may not list the ingredient. Additional Information about Allergy-Related Meal Planning If you decide to experiment with some of the allergy avoidance methods listed above, you will discover that some allergy-related meal planning is really quite simple. If you decide, for example, that wheat is a food you want to avoid, you automatically know that wheat bread is off your grocery list. But when it comes to highly processed foods, or sauces and condiments, you will find that allergy avoidance becomes more difficult, because wheat is not always so easy to spot. Soy sauce, for example, often contains wheat as a key ingredient. So do teriyaki sauce and food starch. Because the recipes on our website are prepared from minimally processed whole foods, you’ll find very few "hidden ingredients" when meal planning from our recipes – regardless of whether you are planning for wheat-free, soy-free, or other allergy-avoidance meals. But when you venture out into the grocery store and are selecting from highly processed foods, hidden ingredients are common. If you decide to try allergy-related meal planning in any of the following five areas, you may find the information below helpful in selecting foods for yourself or your family. Dairy-free meal planning Wheat-free meal planning Egg-free meal planning Soy-free meal planning Yeast-free meal planning Dairy-free meal planning In addition to cow’s milk itself, products made from cow’s milk including yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, half and half, cottage cheese, hard and soft cheeses, butter, and puddings can be made from cow’s milk. One of the most common allergenic proteins in cow’s milk is called casein, and all variations of this word appearing on an ingredient list signify the presence of cow’s milk as a food source: casein, caseinate, calcium caseinate, ammonia caseinate, magnesium caseinate, potassium caseinate, and sodium caseinate. Casein can be used in food processing as an extender, tenderizer, and protein fortifier, and can be found in unexpected places, including chewing gum, luncheon meats, and imitation sausage. The words "non-dairy" do not necessarily mean that a product does not contain casein, and many non-dairy products on the market, including soy cheeses, almond cheeses, and rice cheeses use casein as a primary protein-boosting ingredient. Wheat-free meal planning All of wheat’s components, including wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat starch, wheat nuts, and wheat berries would be excluded from a wheat-free meal plan. Similarly, any type of wheat, including bulgar, durum, and graham would be excluded. Semolina, seitan, triticale, couscous, and tabouleh would also be avoided, along with any product containing the word "gluten" (or a variation of this word) in its ingredient list. These include high-gluten flour, vital gluten, and wheat gluten. Much more hidden are the food additives that may or may not be made from wheat. These additives include: Dextrin, an incompletely hydrolyzed starch that may be derived from the dry heating of corn, potato, rice, tapioca, arrowroot, or wheat Caramel color, which can be made from heat treatment of many food-grade carbohydrates, including molasses, corn sugar, invert sugar, milk sugar, barley malt syrup, or wheat starch hydrolysates Extracts, including vanillin extract, which often use grain alcohol in preparation of the extract and contain wheat protein residues Egg-free meal planning The desert sections of the grocery store contain the most egg-based products, including puddings, custards, ice creams, cakes, cookies, meringues, cream-filled or fondant-filled chocolates, fudge, icings and frostings, doughnuts, and muffins. Baked goods and baking mixes also frequently contain egg. The list here includes waffles and waffle mixes, pancakes and pancake mixes, and french toast. Egg noodles, breaded meats, breaded fish, breaded poultry, souffles, hollandaise sauce, most mayonnaise, meat loaf, some sausages, many fried rice dishes, egg drop soups, egg noodle-containing soups, and egg substitutes can also contain egg. On an ingredient list, any of the following words would also indicate the presence of egg: albumin, egg white, egg yolk, dried egg, egg powder, egg solids, ovalbumin, ovomucin, ovomucoid, ovovitellin, and livetin. The fat substitute Simplesse (TM) also contains microparticulated egg protein. Soy-free meal planning An ever-increasing number of ingredient-listed items can include some soybean-derived component. Items that indicate or may indicate the presence of soy include: hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, texturized vegetable protein (TVP), soy flour, soy grits, soy nuts, soy milk, soy sprouts, isolated vegetable protein, vegetable gum, vegetable broth, or natural flavoring. Soy sauce, shoyu, tamari, miso, tofu, tempeh, soy curd, and soy granules would all be avoided on a soy-free meal plan. Yeast-free meal planning A yeast-free meal plan is one of the most confusing to implement because of the controversies surrounding residual amounts of yeast in many commercially-prepared, processed foods. For example, small amounts of yeast many become present during the drying of tea, coffee, and spices. The culturing of yeast is also used a starting point for commercial production of fermented products, including vinegars and ciders. Citric acid, a food additive, is also derived from yeast-culturing and yeast-fermenting processes. Many cow’s milk-containing products also contain yeast, since yeasts thrive on milk sugar (lactose). This list of products typically includes sour cream, buttermilk, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and powdered milk. Because yeasts also thrive on concentrated sugars, many canned and frozen fruit juices, and particular fruit juice concentrates, can contain yeast. Since the mid 1970’s, several dozen research studies on this topic have appeared in food science journals. Nutrient Excesses/Deficiencies An Allergy Avoidance Diet, when carefully planned, provides sufficient amounts of all essential nutrients. Care must be taken with children and pregnant women to ensure adequate caloric and protein intake. Who Benefits Because adverse food reactions are implicated as a contributing factor in the development of several medical conditions, identifying and eliminating the foods that cause reactions can be helpful for many people. Specifically, an allergy avoidance diet is beneficial for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, recurrent otitis media, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. Who is Harmed Individuals following an Allergy Avoidance Diet may experience uncomfortable symptoms caused by detoxification, including headache, muscle pains, or fatigue. These symptoms typically appear 2-3 days into the diet, and disappear within seven days. When offending foods are reintroduced into the diet, individuals experience mild to severe reactions to food. It is advisable, therefore, to follow an Allergy Avoidance Diet, especially a strict Elimination/Challenge Diet, only under the advice and supervision of a health care practitioner. Menu Ideas The following daily menu is representative of the types of foods that would be included in a strict Allergy Avoidance Diet: Breakfast: Hot rice cereal with maple syrup, sliced pears, and chopped cashews Rice milk Lunch: Rice pasta topped with garlic Dinner: Lamb stew with lentils, cabbage, garlic and parsley Resources For more information about food allergies, food intolerances, and allergy avoidance diets, check out the following web sites: The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) at www.foodallergy.org National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases (NIAID), the division of the National Institutes for Health that supports research on allergies, infections diseases, and immunology at www.niaid.nih.gov The Bastyr University Natural Health Clinic at www.bastyr.edu. References Bischoff SC, Herrmann A, Manns MP. Prevalence of adverse reactions to food in patients with gastrointestinal disease. Allergy (Copenhagen); 51 (11). 1996. 811-818 1996. PMID:7030. Bischoff SC, Mayer JH, Manns MP. Allergy and the gut. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2000 Apr;121(4):270-83 2000. PMID:7180. Boris M, Mandel FS. Foods and additives are common causes of the attention deficit hyperactive disorder in children. Ann Allergy 1994 May;72(5):462-8 1994. PMID:7130. Candy S, Borok G, Wright JP, et al. The value of an elimination diet in the management of patients with ulcerative colitis. S Afr Med J 1995 Nov;85(11):1176-9 1995. PMID:7190. Carter CM, Urbanowicz M, Hemsley R, et al. Effects of a few food diet in attention deficit disorder. Arch Dis Child 1993 Nov;69(5):564-8 1993. PMID:7140. Cavagni G, Piscopo E, Rigoli E, et al. "Food allergy in children: an attempt to improve the effects of the elimination diet with an immunomodulating agent (thymomodulin). A double-blind clinical trial". Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 1989;11(1):131-42 1989. PMID:7170. Cavataio F, Iacono G, Montalto G, et al. Gastroesophageal reflux associated with cow’s milk allergy in infants: which diagnostic examinations are useful. Am J Gastroenterol 1996 Jun;91(6):1215-20 1996. PMID:7110. Edwards AM. Food-allergic disease. Clin Exp Allergy 1995 Jul;25 Suppl 1:16-9 1995. PMID:2990. Felder M, De Blecourt AC, Wuthrich B. Food allergy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol 1987 Jun;6(2):181-4 1987. PMID:6960. Finn R. Food allergy–fact or fiction: a review. J R Soc Med 1992 Sep;85(9):560-4 1992. PMID:3040. Gaby, Alan R. The role of hidden food allergy/intolerance in chronic disease. Alternative Medicine Review 1998; 3(2): 90-100 1998. Gamlin L, Brostoff J. Food sensitivity and rheumatoid arthritis. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology; 4 (1-2). 1997. 43-49 1997. PMID:7040. Pizzorno J, Murray M. The Textbook of Natural Medicine. The Textbook of Natural Medicine 1998. Vatn MH, Grimstad IA, Thorsen L, et al. Adverse reaction to food: assessment by double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge and clinical, psychosomatic and immunologic analysis. Digestion 1995;56(5):421-8 1995. PMID:7120. Woods RK, Abramson M, Raven JM, et al. Reported food intolerance and respiratory symptoms in young adults [see comments]. PMID:7070.

Honey and Cinnamon

Facts on Honey and Cinnamon:

It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases.
Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world.
Scientists of today also accept honey as a ‘Ram Ban’ (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases.

Honey can be used without any side effects for many kind of diseases…but Diabetics beware.

Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, in its issue dated 17 January, 1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily, morning, and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon of Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, were found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned, for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ‘Ingredient’ which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increase and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS: Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

BAD BREATH: People of South America , first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts, restore hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

Food as Medicine: Does it Really Work ?

By Dr. Joseph Mercola
Rachael Droege

The notion that foods play an enormous role in your health is not new thinking as evidenced by Hippocrates’ statement from nearly 2,500 years ago, "Leave your drugs in the chemist’s pot if you can heal the patient with food." Unfortunately, this simple statement and smart way of thinking has yet to become a mainstay of American culture. The concept fell into obscurity by the 19th century, and during the first 50 years of the 20th century the discovery of the essential elements and vitamins, particularly in the context of deficiency diseases, occurred. This lead to "enrichment" of processed foods to help people regain the health they lost when they abandoned real whole foods. It is possible to eat all day long and still starve yourself. Why? Because if all you eat are junk foods and other foods with little to no nutrition, such as overly cooked foods, you will not receive the nutrients your body needs to function properly, let alone heal disease. All that your body has to run on are the foods you put into it, and it needs the best foods it can get to combat all of the stress and environmental toxins that are virtually impossible to avoid in today’s world.

In this way, whole foods certainly can act as "medicine" in that they can protect and heal your body. Another way to look at it is if you fortify your body with healthy nutrients from fresh foods, you likely won’t have a need for medicine. Individual foods each have their own unique set of nutrients that meet the varying requirements of your body. This is why it’s so important to eat a wide variety of foods–to ensure that your body gets all of the diverse nutrients that it needs. Naturally, in order to achieve the most optimal results you should eat foods within your metabolic typing guidelines.

To get an idea of the healing power of foods, consider fresh vegetables, which are among the most powerful of foods. They contain many natural antioxidants including vitamins A, C, E, carotenes, zinc, selenium, bioflavonoids, tocopherols, lutein and quercetin and many beneficial phytochemicals. These can help to fight age-related and chronic disease like cancer and heart disease, boost the immune system, fight osteoporosis, lower your risk of diabetes, and slow brain aging. They will also help to alkalinize your system, as most of us are far too acidic.

Eating healthy vegetables everyday, or juicing them, generally has more comprehensive nutrition than nearly any multi-vitamin supplement. This is because the combination of substances in a whole food is more synergistically effective than a specific dietary nutrient that has been isolated and artificially combined with other nutrients.

A free full-text article published in the January 24, 2004 issue of the British Medical Journal really displays this concept. The article reviews some of the many benefits of folic acid. Ideally, this nutrient is best obtained through organic, fresh whole vegetables, but supplement companies (many of these are drug companies) have rushed to provide cheap chemical look-alikes that do not work.

The form of folate in supplements and in fortified foods is pteroylmonoglutamate (PGA), a form that does not occur in nature. It is both cheap and stable unlike most native forms of the vitamin. The article goes on to warn that we have no idea as to the consequences of using high doses of this cheap synthetic to reap the benefits of folic acid that researchers have found from natural foods.

However, foods can also negatively impact your body, and anyone who’s ever had heartburn or indigestion can attest to that. Consider what you are giving your body if you eat an order of French fries: trans fat, the potent cancer-causing substance acrylamide, and large amounts of damaging free radicals. Contrary to the nutrients in vegetables, which your body uses to build itself up, the substances in French fries will work against your body, and your body will have to expend energy just to keep the toxic substances in check. Of course, if your diet is skewed in the way of junk food, sooner or later your body will be unable to adequately detoxify the harmful substances and disease will occur.
What can you do? The good news is plenty, as you are the one who controls what goes into your body. Choose foods that have the greatest nutritional value and that go along with your nutritional type and then try to eat them in a way that will maximize their nutrients. In most cases, this means raw. At least one-third of all the food you eat should be raw, as cooking and processing can destroy essential micronutrients.

My new book, Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Program, is an essential resource to have if you want to seriously use foods to promote your health. It provides you with a basic test to determine your metabolic type, along with 150 original delicious, nutritious recipes that are easy to prepare and immensely satisfying. In the meantime, I suggest you look through and begin to implement my condensed nutrition plan that will give you a great starting point on how to eat for your health.

Nuts and seeds

Jump to: Nutrition and Storage : Nuts : Seeds

Nuts are seeds that are covered with a hard shell. Most are the seeds of trees, but the seeds of a few other plants that are not strictly nuts will also be considered here as they can be conveniently classified with nuts for culinary purposes.

Nuts can be used in many ways. Whole, flaked and ground nuts and nut butters are widely available. A classic vegetarian savoury is nut roast and many vegetarian cook books give a recipe for one, which can be endlessly varied with different herbs and flavourings and different combinations of nuts and cereals. Nuts can be added to sweet dishes, cakes and biscuits, and nut butters can be added to soups and stews to thicken them.
Nutrition

Nuts in general are very nutritious, providing protein and many essential vitamins, such as A and E, minerals, such as phosphorous and potassium, and fibre. Nuts are also high in carbohydrate and oils, so shouldn’t be eaten in excess.
Whereas pulses all belong to the legume group of plants, nuts come from a variety of different plant groups, so the nutritional content is more varied too. A brief description of individual varieties is given below, together with the main nutrients they contain.

Storage

Nuts should be stored in cool, dry conditions in airtight containers away from the light. Because of their high fat content, many of them benefit from storage in the fridge or freezer to deter rancidity.

Nuts

• Almonds
  Probably originated in the Near East but now grows in Southern Europe, Western Asia, California, South Australia and South Africa. Almond oil is used for flavouring and for skin care preparations and is extracted from the kernel of the Bitter Almond. The Sweet Almond is grown for nuts for eating and have the largest share of the nut trade world-wide. Almond flour is available and it is possible to make a nutritious nut milk from almonds. Almonds are particularly nutritious, 100g contain 16.9g protein, 4.2mg iron, 250mg calcium, 20mg vitamin E, 3.1mg zinc and 0.92mg vitamin B2.
• Brazils
  A native of South America. The nuts grow inside a hard, woody fruit rather like a coconut shell which has to be broken open to expose the 12-24 nuts inside. Brazils are high in fat, which causes them to go rancid very quickly, and protein. 100g of brazils contain 12g protein, 61g fat, 2.8mg iron, 180mg calcium, 4.2mg zinc.
• Cashews
  Native to America but now grown extensively in India and East Africa. It will withstand rather drier conditions than most other nuts. The nut grows in a curious way on the tree, hanging below a fleshy, apple-like fruit. It is related to the mango, pistachio and poison ivy. High in protein and carbohydrate, 100g cashews contain 17.2g protein, 60 micrograms vitamin A, 3.8mg iron.
• Coconuts
  The coconut palm is common in tropical regions all over the world. The nut is covered in a fibrous outer coating on the tree and all parts of the tree are useful, the trunks for timber, the leaves for thatch, the fibrous husk produces coir – the starting material for ropes and coconut matting – and the nuts are used for food. Unripe nuts contain coconut milk. The nutmeat can be eaten fresh or dried (desiccated or flaked coconut) and is also available in blocks of creamed coconut. A valuable oil is also extracted from the nut meat and used for cooking (although it is very high in saturated fat), margarines, soaps and detergents. 100g fresh coconut contain 3.2g protein and 36g fat, dessicated contain 5.6g protein and 62g fat.
• Hazels
  Hazel, also called Cob, is a common wild tree in Europe and Asia and its nuts have been eaten by humans since earliest times. The cultivated varieties are bigger and the filbert is a similar but bigger species from SE Europe. Used in sweet and savoury dishes, they are available whole, ground and flaked, or made into oil and nut butter. 100g hazel nuts contain 7.6g protein, and they are lower in fat than most other nuts.
• Macadamia Nuts
  A native of NE Australia now also grown commercially in Hawaii. Notoriously difficult to extract from their shells, they are expensive but have a delicious creamy flavour and crunchy texture. Low in carbohydrate, but quite high in fat, 100g Macadamia nuts contain 7g protein and 40mg calcium.
• Peanuts
  Also known as groundnuts or monkey nuts, peanuts are actually legumes. Of South American origin, it’s now an important crop all over the tropics and southern USA. It gets its name groundnut because as the pods ripen, they are actually forced underground. Peanuts are high in protein and contain 40-50% oil. The oil is used in cooking, as salad oil, in margarines and the residue is fed to animals. Whole peanuts can be eaten raw or roasted or made into peanut butter (look out for brands which do not contain hydrogenated oils, which are highly saturated). As they are usually inexpensive, they can be mixed with other kinds of nuts to bring down the cost, while still maintaining flavour and good nutrition. 100g peanuts contain 24.3g protein, 2mg iron and 3mg zinc.
• Pecans
  A native of N America where it is used extensively in ice cream, cakes, nut bread and confectionery. The flavour is rather like a mild, sweet walnut. 100g pecans contain 9.2g protein, a very high fat content of 71.2g, 130 micrograms vitamin A (also very high), 2.4mg iron and 73mg calcium.
• Pine Nuts
  These are the seeds of the Stone Pine, a native of the Mediterranean region, but the seeds of various other pines are eaten in various parts of the world including the seeds of the Korean Pine or North American pinon tree. They are very difficult to harvest, hence their cost. They are vital for pesto sauce, and are delicious lightly toasted. They become rancid very easily and should be stored in the fridge or freezer. 100g pine nuts contain 14g protein.
• Pistachios
  Native to the Near East and Central Asia but has long been cultivated in the Mediterranean region and more recently in the Southern US. The kernels are green and are prized as much for their ornamental colour as for their flavour. Also sold roasted and salted in their shells. They are more expensive than most other nuts. 100g pistachios contain 19.3g protein, 14mg iron, 140mg calcium.
• Walnuts
  The walnut is native to SE Europe and West & Central Asia but is now grown in the UK, California and China as well. It is grown for timber as well as its nuts. Walnut oil has been used for centuries in the preparation of artists paints. The black walnut is a native of North America, introduced into Britain in the 17th century. The butternut is also from North America. These two have much thicker shells than European walnuts. High in fat, they go rancid very quickly and should be stored in the fridge or freezer. 100g walnuts contain 10.6g protein and 2.4mg iron.

Seeds

• Pumpkin
  Can be eaten raw or cooked in both sweet or savoury dishes. Delicious toasted and sprinkled, while hot, with soya sauce and served on salads. They are rich in protein, iron, zinc and phosphorous. 100g pumpkin seeds contain 29g protein, 11.2mg iron and 1144mg phosphorous.
• Sesame
  Of African origin but now common in tropical and sub-tropical Asia. An oil is extracted from the seed and used for cooking, salad oil and margarines. It is also available as toasted sesame oil for oriental cooking. The whole seeds can also be eaten and are most often seen as a decoration on cakes, confectionery etc. Sesame seed paste, tahini, is used in many dishes e.g. hummus. Halva, a sweet made from sesame seeds is often found in health food shops. A good source of protein and calcium, 100g sesame seeds contain 26.4g protein, 12.6mg vitamin B3, 7.8mg iron, 131mg calcium and 10.3mg zinc.
• Sunflower
  An annual plant belonging to the daisy family, it probably originated in North America or Mexico. North American Indians cultivated sunflowers as long as 2,000 years ago. The oil extracted from its seeds is used in margarine, varnishes and soaps but the seeds can be eaten whole, raw or cooked. They can be added to breads and cakes or sprinkled over salad or breakfast cereals. A good source of potassium and phosphorous, 100g sunflower seeds also contain 24g protein and 7.1mg iron and 120mg calcium.