Did You Know???
People are constantly bringing up new information about what they saw..what they read..or what they heard. So, we thought it might be good to share some of this information with you.
Some you might find amusing, while some might be a bit overwhelming...even hard to believe. We'll let you decide the outcome. In the meantime...ENJOY!
Some you might find amusing, while some might be a bit overwhelming...even hard to believe. We'll let you decide the outcome. In the meantime...ENJOY!
READ THE LABEL! An Important Message To Parents!
We as parents need to pay careful attention!
A doctor that I know was eating breakfast one morning. A few tables over, there was a little five or six year old little boy that had a runny nose. He looked like he had asthma or some kind of breathing problem. He didn’t appear to be in very good health. And yet at that same time, he was eating a cereal filled with sugar, no nutrition what so ever.
After the breakfast, the mom said, “Son, it’s time to take your medicine.” She pulled out a little jar of purple medicine. He drank it down without missing a beat. The doctor said to his friend who was sitting next to him at breakfast, “That little boy is not sick. He’s being poisoned.”
We as parents need to pay careful attention what we feed our children and what we’re filling their bodies. Don’t just grab a fruit drink and say, “Oh, that’s healthy.” Read the label. Up there in the corner, it has a big starburst: “10 percent real fruit juice.” What’s that really saying is 90 percent pure sugar water.
They may be fine now, eating the constant sugar, white flour and caffeine, but what a shame if later on, they develop a serious illness because of their poor eating habits. Have you ever thought about this? You can catch a cold, but you can’t catch cancer. You don’t catch heart disease. You don’t catch diabetes. These are things that are developed over a longer period of time.
Our children today are so programmed to have bad eating habits especially from all the TV commercials. All of their favorite stars and athletes all push drinking colas. The message is if you drink a cola you’re going to be cool. But do you know many of those athletes won’t touch that cola? They know they can’t stay at the top of their game on all those sugars. Neither can we.
Even in our smaller children, I’m amazed at how they’re inundated with these messages. Watching the TV, they’ll see the kids playing and having a good time while they eat that super sugary cereal. On top of that, if you buy that particular brand, you get a toy in the box. So, when they go to the grocery store, they’re drawn to it. “Mom, I want this kind!” they say, with excitement. But, we as parents need to be aware that much of it is marketing!
We should not let our children develop poor eating habits. When you send your child a lunch to school, don’t pack it with a bologna sandwich on white bread with some greasy potato chips and a Twinkie for dessert. Your child is not going to be at his best physically or mentally.
And we wonder today why some children have problems in school and why they can’t seem to concentrate. Many times, it’s because of their poor diet.
I read a study that was done with sixty-eight troubled teenagers. These young men were incarcerated in a juvenile detention center. They were in bad shape. It looked like they were destined for prison. But they decided to experiment with their diet. So they replaced all the colas and fruit drinks with unsweetened juice and with water. All the jellies and donuts and sweetened cereals in the morning were eliminated totally. They changed out the snack machines with fresh fruit machines. After dinner each night, the desserts were replaced with peanuts, carrot sticks, cheese and popcorns. Three months after making those changes, the number of continually proned troubled teenagers dropped eighty percent. Think about that. Eight in ten showed significant improvement by just changing what they ate.
Today we hear a lot about attention deficit disorder, ADD. These children seem kind of hyper and over stimulated. We tend to just want to medicate them and change them with chemicals. And maybe that’s okay for some of them. But we need to pay attention to their diet. We need to make sure they’re getting the right nutrition. I read one study that showed seventy-five percent of the children had a problem with their blood sugar. That’s the root cause. We can medicate them all day long, but if we start treating the source rather than the symptom, then we can correct the problem and do our children greater justice.
When we give our children healthy food to eat, it not only gives them the right type of good energy, it gives them a sharper mind. It gives them greater mental capacity.
The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6 “to train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” For the sake of their calling, and destiny they’re created to fulfill by Almighty God, do your part by teaching your children healthy eating habits so that they will be strong and mighty in the land!
Submitted by Pastor Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church, TX
A doctor that I know was eating breakfast one morning. A few tables over, there was a little five or six year old little boy that had a runny nose. He looked like he had asthma or some kind of breathing problem. He didn’t appear to be in very good health. And yet at that same time, he was eating a cereal filled with sugar, no nutrition what so ever.
After the breakfast, the mom said, “Son, it’s time to take your medicine.” She pulled out a little jar of purple medicine. He drank it down without missing a beat. The doctor said to his friend who was sitting next to him at breakfast, “That little boy is not sick. He’s being poisoned.”
We as parents need to pay careful attention what we feed our children and what we’re filling their bodies. Don’t just grab a fruit drink and say, “Oh, that’s healthy.” Read the label. Up there in the corner, it has a big starburst: “10 percent real fruit juice.” What’s that really saying is 90 percent pure sugar water.
They may be fine now, eating the constant sugar, white flour and caffeine, but what a shame if later on, they develop a serious illness because of their poor eating habits. Have you ever thought about this? You can catch a cold, but you can’t catch cancer. You don’t catch heart disease. You don’t catch diabetes. These are things that are developed over a longer period of time.
Our children today are so programmed to have bad eating habits especially from all the TV commercials. All of their favorite stars and athletes all push drinking colas. The message is if you drink a cola you’re going to be cool. But do you know many of those athletes won’t touch that cola? They know they can’t stay at the top of their game on all those sugars. Neither can we.
Even in our smaller children, I’m amazed at how they’re inundated with these messages. Watching the TV, they’ll see the kids playing and having a good time while they eat that super sugary cereal. On top of that, if you buy that particular brand, you get a toy in the box. So, when they go to the grocery store, they’re drawn to it. “Mom, I want this kind!” they say, with excitement. But, we as parents need to be aware that much of it is marketing!
We should not let our children develop poor eating habits. When you send your child a lunch to school, don’t pack it with a bologna sandwich on white bread with some greasy potato chips and a Twinkie for dessert. Your child is not going to be at his best physically or mentally.
And we wonder today why some children have problems in school and why they can’t seem to concentrate. Many times, it’s because of their poor diet.
I read a study that was done with sixty-eight troubled teenagers. These young men were incarcerated in a juvenile detention center. They were in bad shape. It looked like they were destined for prison. But they decided to experiment with their diet. So they replaced all the colas and fruit drinks with unsweetened juice and with water. All the jellies and donuts and sweetened cereals in the morning were eliminated totally. They changed out the snack machines with fresh fruit machines. After dinner each night, the desserts were replaced with peanuts, carrot sticks, cheese and popcorns. Three months after making those changes, the number of continually proned troubled teenagers dropped eighty percent. Think about that. Eight in ten showed significant improvement by just changing what they ate.
Today we hear a lot about attention deficit disorder, ADD. These children seem kind of hyper and over stimulated. We tend to just want to medicate them and change them with chemicals. And maybe that’s okay for some of them. But we need to pay attention to their diet. We need to make sure they’re getting the right nutrition. I read one study that showed seventy-five percent of the children had a problem with their blood sugar. That’s the root cause. We can medicate them all day long, but if we start treating the source rather than the symptom, then we can correct the problem and do our children greater justice.
When we give our children healthy food to eat, it not only gives them the right type of good energy, it gives them a sharper mind. It gives them greater mental capacity.
The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6 “to train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” For the sake of their calling, and destiny they’re created to fulfill by Almighty God, do your part by teaching your children healthy eating habits so that they will be strong and mighty in the land!
Submitted by Pastor Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church, TX
Omega-3 Deficiency During Pregnancy Increases Autism Risk
Fighting Autism with Healthy Fats
If you're pregnant, make sure you're getting enough omega-3 fatty acids.
A study from the Harvard School of Public Health has linked the unbalanced consumption of omega fatty acids during pregnancy to risk of autism.
The study revealed that children are 53 percent more likely to be born with an autism spectrum disorder if their mothers, while pregnant, do not consume adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.1
In adults, omega-3s are very beneficial to brain function. And because they are not naturally produced by the human body, it is vital that they are acquired through diet and intelligent supplementation. A UCLA study even showed that omega-3s help the brain create a protein that prevents the development of Alzheimer's-related plaque.
These new findings suggest that omega-3s are just as crucial to the development of the unborn baby.
According the National Institutes of Health, "Adequate consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is vitally important during pregnancy as they are critical building blocks of fetal brain and retina."2
Omega-3s can also play a role in preventing feeling of depression both before and after child birth.
Concerning Mercury
Because omega-3 fatty acids are best known for being found in fish oil, there is a natural conflict in priorities for pregnant women who are trying to avoid possibly ingesting mercury. However, flax seed oil is also an excellent source of omega-3s--without the mercury-related concerns.
Also, many fish that are lower on the ocean's food chain show the lowest levels of mercury. Fish like anchovies, sardines and wild-caught salmon typically contain negligible amounts of mercury (bigger fish, like sharks and swordfish are the worst mercury offenders).3
Sources
If you're pregnant, make sure you're getting enough omega-3 fatty acids.
A study from the Harvard School of Public Health has linked the unbalanced consumption of omega fatty acids during pregnancy to risk of autism.
The study revealed that children are 53 percent more likely to be born with an autism spectrum disorder if their mothers, while pregnant, do not consume adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.1
In adults, omega-3s are very beneficial to brain function. And because they are not naturally produced by the human body, it is vital that they are acquired through diet and intelligent supplementation. A UCLA study even showed that omega-3s help the brain create a protein that prevents the development of Alzheimer's-related plaque.
These new findings suggest that omega-3s are just as crucial to the development of the unborn baby.
According the National Institutes of Health, "Adequate consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is vitally important during pregnancy as they are critical building blocks of fetal brain and retina."2
Omega-3s can also play a role in preventing feeling of depression both before and after child birth.
Concerning Mercury
Because omega-3 fatty acids are best known for being found in fish oil, there is a natural conflict in priorities for pregnant women who are trying to avoid possibly ingesting mercury. However, flax seed oil is also an excellent source of omega-3s--without the mercury-related concerns.
Also, many fish that are lower on the ocean's food chain show the lowest levels of mercury. Fish like anchovies, sardines and wild-caught salmon typically contain negligible amounts of mercury (bigger fish, like sharks and swordfish are the worst mercury offenders).3
Sources
- http://health.foxnews.mobi/quickPage.html?page=31737&content=94608525&pageNum=-1
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3046737/
- http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/guide.asp
Non-Organic Apples
According to the Environmental Working Group, apples are at the top of the list for being the fresh produce item most contaminated with pesticides, followed by celery and sweet bell peppers. According to EWG's Richard Wiles, senior vice president of policy, the list was compiled after the USDA washed the produce with high-pressure water machines, and consumers at home cannot expect to wash pesticides off produce completely. Ingestion of produce laced with pesticides can cause acute poisoning to thebrain and nervous system, and put you at risk of cancer and other health risks Try to buy organic or at your local farmer's market, but be careful: organic produce does not always mean free of chemicals.
The DIRTY Truth about Canola Oil -
Have you been lied to about the health benefits of canola oil?
by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of best-sellers: The Truth About Six Pack Abs & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging
If you've been following my fitness newsletters for some time, you may have noticed that I NEVER include canola oil in any of my recipes or any of my lists of healthy foods.
Many people have asked me why, because all they hear in the mainstream media is that canola oil is "heart healthy" and a good source of monounsaturated fats similar to olive oil.
Well, first of all, you need to realize that much of what you hear in the mainstream media has been influenced by heavy handed marketing tactics by big food companies. Canola oil is cheap for them to produce so they want to fool you into thinking it's a "health oil" so that people, restaurants, etc will buy it up as their main oil of choice.
The dirty truth about canola oil
Yes, it's true that canola oil is high in monounsaturates, but let me explain why canola oil isanything but "healthy".
Canola oil is made from something called rapeseed. Rapeseed actually had to be bred over the years to reduce the percentage of a problematic component of rapeseed, which is erucic acid.
Important note on canola oil "urban legends": There is a problem with most websites that DEFEND canola oil, saying that internet "urban legends" on the dangers of canola oil are unfounded. The problem is that these websites that defend canola oil ONLY talk about the issue of erucic acid. The issue of erucic acid IS an urban legend, because erucic acid has been bred out to very low levels over the years, so it is a non-issue.
However, these websites that defend canola oil are barking up the wrong tree because they don't address the issue of the processing of canola oil and oxidation of the polyunsaturated component of canola oil, which is what makes it unhealthy for human consumption. THAT'S the real issue that they either don't understand (because they are not nutrition experts) or are simply ignoring.
Let's look at the REAL issues with canola oil:
Canola oil typically ranges between 55-65% monounsaturated fat and between 28-35% polyunsaturated fat, with just a small amount of saturated fat.
While we've been led to believe that high monounsaturated fat oils are good for us (which they are in the case of virgin olive oil or from unprocessed nuts or seeds), the fact is that canola oil has more detriments than it does benefits.
As you may have heard me talk about in other newsletters or in my Truth about Six Pack Abs program... one of the biggest problems with highly processed and refined vegetable oilssuch as corn oil, soybean oil, and yes, even canola oil, is that the polyunsaturated component of the oil is highly unstable under heat, light, and pressure, and this heavily oxidizes the polyunsaturates which increases free radicals in your body.
The end result of all of this refining and processing are oils that are highly inflammatory in your body when you ingest them, potentially contributing to heart disease, weight gain, and other degenerative diseases.
The reason that extra virgin olive oil is good for you is that it is cold pressed without the use of heat and solvents to aid extraction. EVOO also contains important antioxidants that help protect the stability of the oil.
Canola oil, on the other hand, is typically extracted and refined using high heat, pressure, and petroleum solvents such as hexane. Most canola oil undergoes a process of caustic refining, degumming, bleaching, and deoderization, all using high heat and questionable chemicals.
Does canola even have trans fats?
Even worse, all of this high heat, high pressure processing with solvents actually forces some of the omega-3 content of canola oil to be transformed into trans fats.
According to Dr. Mary Enig, PhD, and Nutritional Biochemist, "Although the Canadian government lists the trans fat content of canola at a minimal 0.2 percent, research at the University of Florida at Gainesville, found trans fat levels as high as 4.6 percent in commercial liquid canola oil".
And this is the crap that they are marketing to you as a "healthy oil"!
As you can see from the details above on how canola oil is processed, it is barely any healthier for you than other junk oils like soybean oil or corn oil. The bottom line is that it is an inflammatory oil in your body and should be avoided as much as possible.
The only canola oil that might be reasonable is if you see that it is "cold pressed" and organic. Most canola oil is NOT cold pressed or organic, so you might as well choose oils that you know are healthier.
Your best bets are these truly healthy oils:
Author of best-sellers: The Truth About Six Pack Abs & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging
If you've been following my fitness newsletters for some time, you may have noticed that I NEVER include canola oil in any of my recipes or any of my lists of healthy foods.
Many people have asked me why, because all they hear in the mainstream media is that canola oil is "heart healthy" and a good source of monounsaturated fats similar to olive oil.
Well, first of all, you need to realize that much of what you hear in the mainstream media has been influenced by heavy handed marketing tactics by big food companies. Canola oil is cheap for them to produce so they want to fool you into thinking it's a "health oil" so that people, restaurants, etc will buy it up as their main oil of choice.
The dirty truth about canola oil
Yes, it's true that canola oil is high in monounsaturates, but let me explain why canola oil isanything but "healthy".
Canola oil is made from something called rapeseed. Rapeseed actually had to be bred over the years to reduce the percentage of a problematic component of rapeseed, which is erucic acid.
Important note on canola oil "urban legends": There is a problem with most websites that DEFEND canola oil, saying that internet "urban legends" on the dangers of canola oil are unfounded. The problem is that these websites that defend canola oil ONLY talk about the issue of erucic acid. The issue of erucic acid IS an urban legend, because erucic acid has been bred out to very low levels over the years, so it is a non-issue.
However, these websites that defend canola oil are barking up the wrong tree because they don't address the issue of the processing of canola oil and oxidation of the polyunsaturated component of canola oil, which is what makes it unhealthy for human consumption. THAT'S the real issue that they either don't understand (because they are not nutrition experts) or are simply ignoring.
Let's look at the REAL issues with canola oil:
Canola oil typically ranges between 55-65% monounsaturated fat and between 28-35% polyunsaturated fat, with just a small amount of saturated fat.
While we've been led to believe that high monounsaturated fat oils are good for us (which they are in the case of virgin olive oil or from unprocessed nuts or seeds), the fact is that canola oil has more detriments than it does benefits.
As you may have heard me talk about in other newsletters or in my Truth about Six Pack Abs program... one of the biggest problems with highly processed and refined vegetable oilssuch as corn oil, soybean oil, and yes, even canola oil, is that the polyunsaturated component of the oil is highly unstable under heat, light, and pressure, and this heavily oxidizes the polyunsaturates which increases free radicals in your body.
The end result of all of this refining and processing are oils that are highly inflammatory in your body when you ingest them, potentially contributing to heart disease, weight gain, and other degenerative diseases.
The reason that extra virgin olive oil is good for you is that it is cold pressed without the use of heat and solvents to aid extraction. EVOO also contains important antioxidants that help protect the stability of the oil.
Canola oil, on the other hand, is typically extracted and refined using high heat, pressure, and petroleum solvents such as hexane. Most canola oil undergoes a process of caustic refining, degumming, bleaching, and deoderization, all using high heat and questionable chemicals.
Does canola even have trans fats?
Even worse, all of this high heat, high pressure processing with solvents actually forces some of the omega-3 content of canola oil to be transformed into trans fats.
According to Dr. Mary Enig, PhD, and Nutritional Biochemist, "Although the Canadian government lists the trans fat content of canola at a minimal 0.2 percent, research at the University of Florida at Gainesville, found trans fat levels as high as 4.6 percent in commercial liquid canola oil".
And this is the crap that they are marketing to you as a "healthy oil"!
As you can see from the details above on how canola oil is processed, it is barely any healthier for you than other junk oils like soybean oil or corn oil. The bottom line is that it is an inflammatory oil in your body and should be avoided as much as possible.
The only canola oil that might be reasonable is if you see that it is "cold pressed" and organic. Most canola oil is NOT cold pressed or organic, so you might as well choose oils that you know are healthier.
Your best bets are these truly healthy oils:
- extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) - for lower temperature cooking or used as a healthy salad dressing oil
- Udo's Choice Oil Blend - NEVER use this for cooking as it has a higher polyunsaturated fat content (therefore heat destroys the benefits of this oil, and increases it's inflammatory properties), but it is a cold processed blend of healthy oils that mixes well with olive oil for salad dressings.
- Virgin coconut oil - great for all temperatures of cooking due to its super high stability under heat. A great source of healthy saturated fats in the form of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), one of which is Lauric Acid, which helps support the immune system and is lacking in most western diets.
- Organic grass-fed butter - I like to use a mix of grass-fed butter, coconut oil, and a small bit of olive oil for most of my cooking. Grass-fed butter is a great source of the healthy fat, CLA, which has even been shown in studies to have muscle building and fat burning properties. Grass-fed butter also has a much healthier omega-6 to omega-3 ratio than standard butter at your grocery store. Kerrygold Irish butter is my favorite grass-fed butter.
NEVER!!!!....Grill Meat Without Doing This First!!
Most people aren't aware that when you cook meat (whether it's grilled, broiled, or seared) there are carcinogenic compounds that can form called HCA's (heterocyclic amines). Now don't panic...you ingest various carcinogens all the time, even with some vegetables. You can always protect yourself with more antioxidants.
Please Note: When you cook meat in a water base as opposed to grilling, broiling, or searing, you eliminate the HCAs. So for example, meats cooked in a soup, or meats cooked in a crock pot will not have the problem of the carcinogenic HCAs and is a healthier way to cook meat.
But let's face it... grilled meat tastes awesome and there's no way I'm giving up my grass-fed steak from the grill, or my grass-fed burgers!
That's why it's important to know that there's a way you can use spices to both counteract, and also drastically reduce the carcinogens formed when you grill meat...
If you're going to grill meats, marinating meats for hours beforehand in liquid mixtures that contain rosemary and other herbs/spices can dramatically help to reduce HCA's (heterocyclic amines), which are carcinogenic compounds that can form when meats are grilled. So using rosemary, thyme, garlic, oregano and other spices in a meat marinade before grilling meats can drastically reduce any carcinogens that normally would form on grilled meat.
The antioxidants in rosemary and thyme from a marinade were specifically cited in studies at being powerful inhibitors of HCA formation when grilling meats. But it was also noted that other spices such as garlic, oregano, and others can help to prevent HCA formation as well, so I suggest using a variety, which tastes great anyway!
One more important point about grilling meat: Remember that the more well-done a meat is cooked, the higher concentration of carcinogenic HCA's can form, so rare, medium-rare, or medium are healthier choices than well-done. I've never understood why anybody would want to ruin a good steak by burning it to oblivion anyway. But hey, if you're one of those folks that likes your steaks well-done, just remember that you're eating a lot more carcinogens than a steak that's cooked less, so make sure to load up on your antioxidants (spices, teas, berries, etc) to help combat those extra carcinogens.
Washing down your barbequed meal with a glass of unsweetened iced tea (rich in antioxidants) and also a good salad with lots of raw veggies can provide the antioxidants needed to counteract the effect of HCAs in your body from grilled meat.
By the way, even charring vegetables on the grill creates different carcinogens such as acrylamides, so don't think that the negative effect of charring only applies to meats.
Hey, we all love a great barbeque, so no need to give that up just because of HCAs or acrylamides, but at least now you know how to counteract the effects of these in your body to protect yourself, and also how to use spices to drastically reduce the formation of HCAs on grilled meat!
Lastly, remember that you can use superfoods such as spices, herbs, fruits, veggies, and even some animal-based superfoods to fight against cancer development, reduce high blood pressure, prevent diabetes, prevent heart disease, and even BOOST your metabolism for a flatter stomach... submitted by Rob Poulos - Fitness Expert
Get more facts from Rob in his book on our Books n' Such page...Here!
Please Note: When you cook meat in a water base as opposed to grilling, broiling, or searing, you eliminate the HCAs. So for example, meats cooked in a soup, or meats cooked in a crock pot will not have the problem of the carcinogenic HCAs and is a healthier way to cook meat.
But let's face it... grilled meat tastes awesome and there's no way I'm giving up my grass-fed steak from the grill, or my grass-fed burgers!
That's why it's important to know that there's a way you can use spices to both counteract, and also drastically reduce the carcinogens formed when you grill meat...
If you're going to grill meats, marinating meats for hours beforehand in liquid mixtures that contain rosemary and other herbs/spices can dramatically help to reduce HCA's (heterocyclic amines), which are carcinogenic compounds that can form when meats are grilled. So using rosemary, thyme, garlic, oregano and other spices in a meat marinade before grilling meats can drastically reduce any carcinogens that normally would form on grilled meat.
The antioxidants in rosemary and thyme from a marinade were specifically cited in studies at being powerful inhibitors of HCA formation when grilling meats. But it was also noted that other spices such as garlic, oregano, and others can help to prevent HCA formation as well, so I suggest using a variety, which tastes great anyway!
One more important point about grilling meat: Remember that the more well-done a meat is cooked, the higher concentration of carcinogenic HCA's can form, so rare, medium-rare, or medium are healthier choices than well-done. I've never understood why anybody would want to ruin a good steak by burning it to oblivion anyway. But hey, if you're one of those folks that likes your steaks well-done, just remember that you're eating a lot more carcinogens than a steak that's cooked less, so make sure to load up on your antioxidants (spices, teas, berries, etc) to help combat those extra carcinogens.
Washing down your barbequed meal with a glass of unsweetened iced tea (rich in antioxidants) and also a good salad with lots of raw veggies can provide the antioxidants needed to counteract the effect of HCAs in your body from grilled meat.
By the way, even charring vegetables on the grill creates different carcinogens such as acrylamides, so don't think that the negative effect of charring only applies to meats.
Hey, we all love a great barbeque, so no need to give that up just because of HCAs or acrylamides, but at least now you know how to counteract the effects of these in your body to protect yourself, and also how to use spices to drastically reduce the formation of HCAs on grilled meat!
Lastly, remember that you can use superfoods such as spices, herbs, fruits, veggies, and even some animal-based superfoods to fight against cancer development, reduce high blood pressure, prevent diabetes, prevent heart disease, and even BOOST your metabolism for a flatter stomach... submitted by Rob Poulos - Fitness Expert
Get more facts from Rob in his book on our Books n' Such page...Here!
Being Positive Is Good For The Health!
Does This Killer Await Your Next Hospital Visit?
By James Sheridan
A car changed lanes directly into Rob as he was riding his prized Harley-Davidson one evening. He barely survived. It took over 3 years for his wounds to heal, and he isn't expected to ever make a full recovery.
But his injuries should have healed in half the time it actually took. Yes, the accident was serious, but he was closer to death after entering the hospital than when the car initially split his hip open and caused so much damage that he had to have multiple organs removed.
What was more damaging than the full impact of a car striking his body?
The hospital.
The hospital almost killed him.
Confused? 'Hospital' is a word that has been conditioned in our society to be associated with health, wellness, and recovery. The truth is, according to the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths, more people die from infections contracted in hospitals every year than from car accidents.
Even if you add the number of deaths caused by AIDS andbreast cancer to auto accident fatalities, the number of hospital-infection deaths is still higher.
Like the comedian Jon Stewart sarcastically said, "[it's] like saying the 'Employees Must Wash Hands' sign is keeping urine out of your Happy Meal." Meaning the high rate of hospital infections can be somewhat blamed on the staff's poor hygiene practices. There are regulations and guidelines for hospitals and their worker's sanitation and sterility, but it essentially is each person's choice to follow them correctly. And when a person can cut corners, they generally will.
Improper hand washing between patients can be the most common catalyst of a patient getting an infection. Germs can also travel patient to patient on an object, like a doctor's stethoscope, pen or watch. Cell phones of patients and workers alike have also been shown to test positive for this bacteria about 30% of the time.
Patients who undergo surgery are especially at risk of getting an infection. The chance you'll get infected goes up the longer you stay in the hospital.
One of the most common hospital-contracted killers is the staph infection MRSA. It typically manifests as a skin infection, but in the hospital setting, where fresh surgical wounds are plentiful, it can infect the bloodstream as well. That's where it gets super deadly... Rob was one of the 4.1 million Americans who contracted MRSA this year, according to the Center for Disease Control's annual study. Remember, he was admitted to the hospital for broken bones and internal damage because of his motorcycle accident. He had to have surgery to close a huge gash on his leg, and it became infected.
That was the beginning of his MRSA. He underwent surgery to have the infection removed and guess what the surgeon found in his knee - a surgical sponge. A thoughtless nurse had left it inside his leg during the previous surgery. A surgery that had happened 4 months prior.
No wonder he got an infection!
Because of this nurse's terrible mistake Rob was now a surgery regular. The MRSA had spread from his knee to his leg and then to his back. He had 27 surgeries done over 3 years to try and cut out the staph infection, but it kept returning.
MRSA is notoriously hard to cure because of its natural resistance to a large group of antibiotics. Add to that how contagious it is (it can be acquired from simple skin to skin contact) and you can see how a staph infection can overrun a hospital if it's not contained properly.
How can a hospital, a place designed with the one goal to make people healthy, screw up in such a large way? How can we trust these doctors with our lives when they can inadvertently cause you to die?
Take matters into your own hands. Prevention is your best friend when it comes to not dying from MRSA or contracting any hospital infection.
The easiest thing to do is to ask that any of the hospital staff wash their hands before treating you. Don't even consider it to be a bothersome request, your health is much more important than feeling like an inconvenience.
The same rule goes for any visitors you may have. Contrary to popular perception, a hospital is an enclosed box full of a combination of all kinds of germs and disease. Explain that to anyone who objects and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to wash their hands for you. Keep a pump-action anti-bacterial gel at your bedside.
The University of Iowa did a study that showed that 20% of privacy curtains in the tested hospitals were contaminated with the MRSA virus. Oddly, curtains that were only a week old had a higher rate of contamination. It's best just to avoid touching them is possible. Remember though, if you have to touch the curtain, immediately wash your hands. Thoroughly!
Since surgery is so risky in terms of developing an infection, do the research and find a surgeon that has a low infection rate. They should have these kind of statistics available about all their procedures, and it is worth your life to take the time to ask around.
If you know that you're going to stay at a hospital in advance, you can take even more measures to stay healthy. Stop smoking and cut out sugar to strengthen your immune system. Feast on blueberries and spinach to boost your zinc intake, and get plenty of vitamin C from raw food. I also like raw kombucha tea for the gut (where over 70% of the immune system lives).
The result of Rob's long and deadly dance with MRSA was devastating. The aftermath has him confined to a wheelchair and he has to go to an infection specialist weekly to make sure his MRSA infection is gone for good.
Treat any hospital stay like it were dangerous. You want to end up leaving through the front door with a smile instead of in a body bag.
A car changed lanes directly into Rob as he was riding his prized Harley-Davidson one evening. He barely survived. It took over 3 years for his wounds to heal, and he isn't expected to ever make a full recovery.
But his injuries should have healed in half the time it actually took. Yes, the accident was serious, but he was closer to death after entering the hospital than when the car initially split his hip open and caused so much damage that he had to have multiple organs removed.
What was more damaging than the full impact of a car striking his body?
The hospital.
The hospital almost killed him.
Confused? 'Hospital' is a word that has been conditioned in our society to be associated with health, wellness, and recovery. The truth is, according to the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths, more people die from infections contracted in hospitals every year than from car accidents.
Even if you add the number of deaths caused by AIDS andbreast cancer to auto accident fatalities, the number of hospital-infection deaths is still higher.
Like the comedian Jon Stewart sarcastically said, "[it's] like saying the 'Employees Must Wash Hands' sign is keeping urine out of your Happy Meal." Meaning the high rate of hospital infections can be somewhat blamed on the staff's poor hygiene practices. There are regulations and guidelines for hospitals and their worker's sanitation and sterility, but it essentially is each person's choice to follow them correctly. And when a person can cut corners, they generally will.
Improper hand washing between patients can be the most common catalyst of a patient getting an infection. Germs can also travel patient to patient on an object, like a doctor's stethoscope, pen or watch. Cell phones of patients and workers alike have also been shown to test positive for this bacteria about 30% of the time.
Patients who undergo surgery are especially at risk of getting an infection. The chance you'll get infected goes up the longer you stay in the hospital.
One of the most common hospital-contracted killers is the staph infection MRSA. It typically manifests as a skin infection, but in the hospital setting, where fresh surgical wounds are plentiful, it can infect the bloodstream as well. That's where it gets super deadly... Rob was one of the 4.1 million Americans who contracted MRSA this year, according to the Center for Disease Control's annual study. Remember, he was admitted to the hospital for broken bones and internal damage because of his motorcycle accident. He had to have surgery to close a huge gash on his leg, and it became infected.
That was the beginning of his MRSA. He underwent surgery to have the infection removed and guess what the surgeon found in his knee - a surgical sponge. A thoughtless nurse had left it inside his leg during the previous surgery. A surgery that had happened 4 months prior.
No wonder he got an infection!
Because of this nurse's terrible mistake Rob was now a surgery regular. The MRSA had spread from his knee to his leg and then to his back. He had 27 surgeries done over 3 years to try and cut out the staph infection, but it kept returning.
MRSA is notoriously hard to cure because of its natural resistance to a large group of antibiotics. Add to that how contagious it is (it can be acquired from simple skin to skin contact) and you can see how a staph infection can overrun a hospital if it's not contained properly.
How can a hospital, a place designed with the one goal to make people healthy, screw up in such a large way? How can we trust these doctors with our lives when they can inadvertently cause you to die?
Take matters into your own hands. Prevention is your best friend when it comes to not dying from MRSA or contracting any hospital infection.
The easiest thing to do is to ask that any of the hospital staff wash their hands before treating you. Don't even consider it to be a bothersome request, your health is much more important than feeling like an inconvenience.
The same rule goes for any visitors you may have. Contrary to popular perception, a hospital is an enclosed box full of a combination of all kinds of germs and disease. Explain that to anyone who objects and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to wash their hands for you. Keep a pump-action anti-bacterial gel at your bedside.
The University of Iowa did a study that showed that 20% of privacy curtains in the tested hospitals were contaminated with the MRSA virus. Oddly, curtains that were only a week old had a higher rate of contamination. It's best just to avoid touching them is possible. Remember though, if you have to touch the curtain, immediately wash your hands. Thoroughly!
Since surgery is so risky in terms of developing an infection, do the research and find a surgeon that has a low infection rate. They should have these kind of statistics available about all their procedures, and it is worth your life to take the time to ask around.
If you know that you're going to stay at a hospital in advance, you can take even more measures to stay healthy. Stop smoking and cut out sugar to strengthen your immune system. Feast on blueberries and spinach to boost your zinc intake, and get plenty of vitamin C from raw food. I also like raw kombucha tea for the gut (where over 70% of the immune system lives).
The result of Rob's long and deadly dance with MRSA was devastating. The aftermath has him confined to a wheelchair and he has to go to an infection specialist weekly to make sure his MRSA infection is gone for good.
Treat any hospital stay like it were dangerous. You want to end up leaving through the front door with a smile instead of in a body bag.
Children's Obesity Worsened by 'Screen Time,' Parents' Denial
There is a clear association between a "reduction in TV hours and decreased weight gain over one year" for adolescents, yet many Americans fail to even acknowledge whether their children are a healthy weight.
About one in three American children are either overweight or obese, according to the American Heart Association.1 Decreasing daily TV consumption is a simple way to prevent steady, prolonged weight gainbecause it inhibits the development of bad habits.
These findings, reported in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, are more significant in children than adults due to differing stages of physical and emotional development.2
Recognizing a ProblemIt is fairly common knowledge that Americans—adults and children alike—are getting heavier. Yet, many parents hesitate to acknowledge obesity in their children, despite its connection to poor health.
A study of more than 100 children with type 2 diabetes conducted by researchers at Vanderbilt University evaluated how willing parents were to acknowledge their child’s weight problem.3
Eighty-seven percent of kids in the study were clinically obese. Yet only 41 percent of parents said the kids were "very overweight."
The study also revealed that, of all parents who said their diabetic child's weight was "about right," 40 percent had children heavier than 95 percent of other kids the same age.
When glued to the tube, children often eat mindlessly and excessively, usually preferring sugar-sweetened snacks and beverages to healthy whole foods. The detrimental effects of this sedentary lifestyle have been known for years, and limiting TV time presents a simple, crucial first step to helping children maintain a healthy body weight. According to the American Heart Association, "overweight children have a 70-80 percent chance of staying overweight their entire lives."
Getting ActiveIt is very important to set a strong example. Children are more likely to change their sedentary habits and get active when supported by their parents, and every lifestyle benefits from increased physical activity.4
Sitting in front of the TV curbs kids' desire to be active, which prevents them from burning off the calories they consume while watching TV. Lack of physical activity also decreases muscular endurance, lung capacity and even hampers children's ability to think critically and creatively.
Obviously, exercise can also help kids maintain a healthy weight, but it also decreases physical and emotional stress, promotes healthy neurodevelopment, and regulates hormone function. Perhaps most importantly, increased physical activity can prevent children from adopting bad habits like slurping down soda and mindlessly munching on French fries.
To get your kids active, involve them in your exercise routine or start playing a recreational sport they may also enjoy. Though your efforts may not last a lifetime, it can make a big difference in your child's quality of life today.
What You Can Do Healthy habits start when you accept the truth, and then use it as motivation. All the knowledge in the world means little without action. To help your family get in better shape, accountability and support are essential.
About one in three American children are either overweight or obese, according to the American Heart Association.1 Decreasing daily TV consumption is a simple way to prevent steady, prolonged weight gainbecause it inhibits the development of bad habits.
These findings, reported in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, are more significant in children than adults due to differing stages of physical and emotional development.2
Recognizing a ProblemIt is fairly common knowledge that Americans—adults and children alike—are getting heavier. Yet, many parents hesitate to acknowledge obesity in their children, despite its connection to poor health.
A study of more than 100 children with type 2 diabetes conducted by researchers at Vanderbilt University evaluated how willing parents were to acknowledge their child’s weight problem.3
Eighty-seven percent of kids in the study were clinically obese. Yet only 41 percent of parents said the kids were "very overweight."
The study also revealed that, of all parents who said their diabetic child's weight was "about right," 40 percent had children heavier than 95 percent of other kids the same age.
When glued to the tube, children often eat mindlessly and excessively, usually preferring sugar-sweetened snacks and beverages to healthy whole foods. The detrimental effects of this sedentary lifestyle have been known for years, and limiting TV time presents a simple, crucial first step to helping children maintain a healthy body weight. According to the American Heart Association, "overweight children have a 70-80 percent chance of staying overweight their entire lives."
Getting ActiveIt is very important to set a strong example. Children are more likely to change their sedentary habits and get active when supported by their parents, and every lifestyle benefits from increased physical activity.4
Sitting in front of the TV curbs kids' desire to be active, which prevents them from burning off the calories they consume while watching TV. Lack of physical activity also decreases muscular endurance, lung capacity and even hampers children's ability to think critically and creatively.
Obviously, exercise can also help kids maintain a healthy weight, but it also decreases physical and emotional stress, promotes healthy neurodevelopment, and regulates hormone function. Perhaps most importantly, increased physical activity can prevent children from adopting bad habits like slurping down soda and mindlessly munching on French fries.
To get your kids active, involve them in your exercise routine or start playing a recreational sport they may also enjoy. Though your efforts may not last a lifetime, it can make a big difference in your child's quality of life today.
What You Can Do Healthy habits start when you accept the truth, and then use it as motivation. All the knowledge in the world means little without action. To help your family get in better shape, accountability and support are essential.
How does smoking affect health?
Cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 different chemicals which can damage the cells and systems of the human body. These include at least 80 chemicals that can cause cancer (including tar, arsenic, benzene, cadmium and formaldehyde) nicotine (a highly addictive chemical which hooks a smoker into their habit) and hundreds of other poisons such as cyanide, carbon monoxide and ammonia.
Every time a smoker inhales, these chemicals are drawn into the body where they interfere with cell function and cause problems ranging from cell death to genetic changes which lead to cancer.
This is why tobacco smoking is a known or probable cause of approximately 25 diseases. According to WHO figures, smoking is responsible for approximately five million deaths worldwide every year. However it also contributes to, or aggravates many other diseases and may play a part in many more deaths. Even the WHO says that its impact on world health isn’t fully assessed.
WHO says smoking is a greater cause of death and disability than any single disease. By 2020, the WHO expects the worldwide death toll to reach 10 million, causing 17.7 per cent of all deaths in developed countries.
There are believed to be 1.1 billion smokers in the world, 800 million of them in developing countries.
Smoking causes the following cancers
Acute myeloid leukemia
Bladder cancer
Cancer of the cervix
Cancer of the esophagus
Kidney cancer
Cancer of the larynx (voice box)
Lung cancer
Cancer of the oral cavity (mouth)
Pancreatic cancer
Cancer of the pharynx (throat)
Stomach cancer