Vitamins for Wellness

Me Against The World asked:

upon waking:
8oz ice water with lemon

breakfast:
1 apple with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
16 oz Crystal Light Green Tea

snack:
7 pretzels with 1/2 Tbsp hummus

lunch:
orange/yellow bell pepper and baby carrots with 1 1/2 Tbsp hummus
1 peach

snack:
small handful either raisins or craisins AND
small handful either pecans, walnuts or almonds

dinner:
1 boca burger, cooked in less than 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 C romaine
red/orange/yellow bell pepper
*maybe* some home made guacamole

dessert (only a couple times a week):
1 sugar-free Popsicle

the only beverages i’ll have are water and Crystal Light (mostly green tea, but maybe some lemonade or something). i’ll also be taking a multivitamin and a b-12 vitamin every morning, as well as taking a fiber supplement (i’m vegan, so i need the vitamins).

as for workouts, i’ll be doing between 30 minutes and an hour of cardio each day (treadmill at an incline, elliptical, stair step machine, or bike) and i’ll be doing between 15 and 25 minutes of weight training every day, alternating muscle groups each day (bowflex and free weights).

as of now, i’m 16 years old (haven’t grown in 3 years, so i’m pretty sure i’m done), 5′1” and 140 pounds. how much weight will i lose if i stick to this diet? is there anything i should add/take away? what exercises burn the most fat? what are some good toning exercises for thighs/butt/abs?

thanks in advance. y’all are loved.

Arlito Edgar :

Choosing a product to cleanse the colon is challenging, especially that products execute great marketing strategies and make it difficult for consumers to know which products will work and which will not. Advertisements are so compelling that even the most ineffective colon maintenance products get so much attention from consumers. And so the only solution left to know trusted and reliable products is to read reviews by people who themselves have tried these products.

In researching reviews in personal blogs and social networking sites from the net, Bowtrol colon cleanse supplement gets a very high approval rating. Promotion wise, Bowtrol claims that it thoroughly unclogs the colon from unwanted materials such as gluey fecal matters, bacteria, and toxins. Of course, we really cannot prove if this claim is true visually, so we have just to rely on its effects once taken by the body.

Taking colon cleanse supplement like Bowtrol is irrelevant without practicing ideal health habits. We must of course eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, as these foods have high fiber contents that bulk up the feces and making them easier to release. Drinking 8 glasses or more of water or natural fruit juices everyday is also must, together with adequate sleep and regular exercise. In connection to exercise, doing routines concentrated on the lower abdominal and pelvic area is advised to achieve sound bowel movement.

Most of all, we should not fight the urge of a bowel movement, even if we are too busy to do so. The body’s elimination of food should occur at least 18-24 hours after eating. If we are not having at least one bowel movement every single day, we not only feel uncomfortable, we are putting ourselves at risk for serious health problems. Defecating during the peak of work may sound embarrassing, but it is definitely better than suffering from painful colon complications or other diseases cause by toxic colon.

Jason Paris :

Sprouted seeds or sprouts – not to be confused with the Brussel variety – are small plants, the next stage up from a seed. Sprouted seeds are young plants chock full of healthy minerals, vitamins, enzymes, proteins and fibre (practically all you need), and as they sprout their vitamin content increases. Because you eat them whilst they are growing, nearly all the nutrients remain intact! Your nutritious seed sprouts contain more vitamins and nutrients than nearly any other food and they make an important contribution to the recommended 5 portions of fruit and veg per day – 2 handfuls equal 1 portion.

How to Grow Sprouts

Growing sprouts is so cheap and easy – remember growing cress at school? It’s nearly as easy. You can buy a 3 level germinator or a single container, available from any good health food shop, add in a pack of seeds and your away.

To grow your sprouts……in cold water soak your seeds overnight drain the seeds and spread them evenly in your germinator, making sure they are not clumped together, place them in a well lit spot but not in full sunlight twice a day pour fresh cold water over the seeds and after 5-7 days – depending on seed variety – they’ll be ready to eat they can then be stored in a container in your fridge for 5-7 days. If you’re using the 3 level germinator, the water will drain to the bottom to be thrown away. With the single germinator you have to tip the jar to let the water drain away

What To Grow

There are loads of things you can grow, some easier than others. Some of the most popular include:
mung bean seeds (chinese bean sprouts)

alfalfa seeds

lentil seeds

radish seeds

clover seeds

buckwheat

chickpeas

One to definitely avoid are kidney beans, as they are toxic when raw.

How To Enjoy The Benefits

Eat your sprouted seeds raw and you’ll get all the benefits of this energy packed nutritious food. Or add them to your sandwiches, use as a side dish with a main course, sprinkle on top of soup, use them in a salad. Whilst it doesn’t do any harm, cooking or heating your sprouts is not recommended as this will strip them of the nutrients for which you have lovingly grown them.

The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center asked:


Colon cleansing is the process of introducing gentle jets of water into the large intestine for washing away waste matter and toxins. But is colon cleansing safe and what exactly does it involve? Preserving colon health is imperative for many reasons, with the most important being the role of the large intestine in evacuating organic waste from the body. Roughly the shape of a large letter “M”, the colon ranges in length from between four and a half to five and a half feet and is about two and a half inches wide. While the small intestine is wedged between the stomach and liver, the colon stops at the anus.

The colon is the portion of the digestive tract responsible for temporarily holding waste before it exits the body. Substandard colon health can impede the body’s ability to properly dispose of waste. In fact, a contaminated colon can potentially lead to other medical conditions including:



Digestive DisorderConstipationDiarrheaProblem Skin (acne)Fatigue

When properly administered, colon cleansing has proven to be very safe, especially with recent updates in equipment and technique. Enemas were the old-fashioned answer to the colon cleansing dilemma. Unfortunately, enemas are also to blame for many concerns over colon cleansing safety. Enemas differ from bowel irrigation in their value; enemas typically cleanse only the lower 20% of the colon. With roughly eighty percent of the large intestine left untreated by an enema, the procedure doesn’t provide the same effectiveness as modern colon hydrotherapy. Some of the health benefits associated with colonic irrigation:



Removal of Trapped Fecal MatterExpulsion of harmful bacteriaEncouraged growth of beneficial intestinal floraImproved colorectal muscular activityExpulsion of harmful organisms



Other than water irrigation, many variations of digestive health treatments have emerged with colon cleansing being the chief aim. In fact, you can now obtain colon cleansing supplements featuring organic compounds to help the colon cleanse and heal itself. For example, Oxy-Powder® works by activating oxygen within the intestinal tract and is an excellent choice for helping to maintain colon efficiency along with your colon hydrotherapy sessions. Even though colon hydrotherapy has existed for years, the ultimate question remains—is colon cleansing safe?

Frequent Colon Cleansing Safety Concerns

When it comes to the question of safety, there are a number of common colon cleansing concerns:



Pain: Some individuals base their decisions on a simple idea—does it hurt? Colon hydrotherapy is routinely described as “reinvigorating” or “refreshing.”Penetration of Treatments: Just how deeply the colon cleansing apparatus enters the body is another top safety concern. Enemas affect only the first eight to twelve inches of the colon. Colon cleansing treatments penetrate more deeply so as to provide a thorough cleansing for the entire length of the colon, but are relatively safe if administered by a hydrotherapy specialist.Risk of Infection: Perhaps one of the biggest concerns with colon cleansing concerns potential exposure to harmful bacteria and viruses. Modern advances in colon cleansing equipment, like the use of disposable pre-sterilized hoses and tips, help ensure a germ-free colon cleansing experience.

But Is Colon Cleansing Safe?

Colon irrigation promotes no direct side effects. Nonetheless, the process of eliminating toxins can cause some minor intestinal problems. Once the mucous buildup begins to leave the body, minute amounts may be reabsorbed along the way. The toxin absorption can result in cold or flue like symptoms (which may include nausea, headaches, and dizziness) but will ultimately reverse itself once the outflow diminishes. In fact, getting rid of all that toxic debris can lead to increased energy, mental clarity, and overall feelings of wellbeing.

Proper Colon Cleansing

Variations in bowel irrigation techniques also promote increased safety. For example, modern hydrotherapy systems, like colon cleansing board kits, utilize temperature-controlled water for cleansing the colon. Recent developments include a specially designed speculum to assist in delivering the water into the large intestine gently to reduce the possibility of tissue damage. Additionally, colon hydrotherapy equipment also maintains the water pressure and temperature so the cleansing is conducted at a uniform rate. Therefore, via a combination of advancements in material technology and the application of the cleansing by a professional, you can be assured colon cleansing can be a very safe procedure indeed!

—–

Mike Adams:

If you’ve been reading the mainstream media recently, you might have come to the conclusion that vitamins are the most dangerous things you could possibly consume. Headlines declare antioxidants to be useless, vitamin C to be dangerous and vitamin E to be deadly! Nutrition, it seems, is suddenly under attack.

But what’s really behind these scare tactics? Is there any real science behind the headlines?

To answer this question, consider the most recent example: a large antioxidant study (vitamins E and C) in women. A nine-year study followed more than 8,000 women to determine the effects of antioxidants in preventing heart disease. The study found a significant reduction in stroke (31 percent) and heart attacks (22 percent) among those women who actually took the vitamins. But if you consider all the women who originally signed up for the study — including those thousands who never took the vitamins — it turns out the results show nothing substantial.

Of course you’re not going to see positive results in women who didn’t take the vitamins. Nor would you see results from anything else (a drug, an herb, etc.) if the women didn’t actually take that substance. And yet the mass media stories about the study all declare antioxidants to be useless because they are considering the measured results of all the women, including those who didn’t take the antioxidants. It’s like taking a hundred cars that ran out of gas, filling up 40 of them with gasoline, then declaring that gasoline doesn’t make cars run because 60 of them are still on empty.

It sounds absurd, I know, but it’s only the beginning of this story. Time after time, medical researchers and the mainstream media seem to go out of their way to distort scientific studies and misinform readers about the usefulness of vitamins and dietary supplements.

Another study publicized last year declared that vitamin E was deadly and would kill you with heart attacks and strokes. This particular meta-data analysis was based on synthetic vitamin E (a completely unnatural chemical made from petroleum derivatives), not the vitamin E that appears in nature. Furthermore, many of the study subjects were elderly patients already suffering from heart disease, putting them at high risk for heart attacks from day one. When these patients started to die during the study, researchers declared, “The vitamin E killed them!”

Researchers also went to great lengths to cherry-pick studies that showed negative results for vitamin E, tossing out all the studies that showed positive results. This kind of subjective inclusion of clinical trials in a meta analysis is a classic sign of scientific fraud.

I know what you’re thinking: Researchers are smarter than that. They wouldn’t be so foolish as to count the results of people who didn’t take the vitamins or give supplements to the near-dead and blame their deaths on the supplements. But you might be assuming these researchers are operating with ethics in the first place — and experience tells us they’re not.

Many receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants offered to them by drug companies. Their primary research (and revenue source) involves studying the effects of pharmaceuticals. Researchers who don’t consistently “discover” positive effects for pharmaceuticals are eventually blackballed from the industry and find themselves jobless and unemployable. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure applied to researchers to make sure they uncover findings that support the financial interests of the drug companies. Eighty percent of all clinical trials funded by drug companies produce results that are favorable to the financial interests of those companies.

Similarly, there is also a lot of pressure to find something wrong with dietary supplements, herbs and nutrition — precisely because such substances compete with pharmaceuticals. The more consumers take nutritional supplements, the less they need pharmaceuticals because nutrition actually prevents disease. So one of the key ways to ensure a strong future market for pharmaceuticals is to discredit nutritional supplements and make people believe they’re somehow dangerous.

This is all quite laughable, given that prescription drugs are now the 4th leading cause of death in America. FDA-approved pharmaceuticals are killing at least 100,000 Americans a year right now. Dr. David Graham, a senior FDA drug safety researcher, reported that just one diabetes drug recently scrutinized for its health effects has likely killed more than 80,000 Americans! That’s more Americans than died in the entire Vietnam War, and this is from but one drug.

Almost nothing is killing Americans faster than prescription drugs, not terrorists, not war, not chemicals in the food, car accidents or drunk driving. Pharmaceuticals are so universally dangerous to the health and safety of Americans that if they were herbs, they would have been outlawed years ago.

And yet vitamins have killed no one. No one ever died from taking natural vitamin E, eating superfoods or ingesting vitamin-rich berries. In fact, nutritional supplements and superfoods greatly enhance human health, protect you from disease and greatly reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes, obesity and many other common diseases.

It is a curious sign of the times that the mainstream media, which receives billions of dollars in advertising from drug companies, now finds itself in the business of misinforming Americans, trying to convince them that day is night, up is down, nutrition is dangerous, war is peace, ignorance is strength and freedom is tyranny. It’s right out George Orwell’s classic, 1984.

So don’t be suckered by the headlines. Be a skeptical thinker, and consider who’s funding these skewed studies that somehow keep inventing dangers associated with herbs or dietary supplements.

peterhutch :

Guava is a tropical fruit that is like the shape of pear, with green rind and pinkish or white flesh and small seeds. Some people say Guava is better than orange because guava contain more Vitamin C than citrus fruits (the edible rind contains a lot of it) and it contains appreciable amounts of Vitamin A as well. They are also a good source of iron and pectin, an enzyme used in making jams as well as promoting digestion.

Once they’re ripe, eat them quickly because they’re only at their peak for about two days. The guava leaf extract is also effective in treating gastrointestinal problems as it is rich in quercetin and other flavonoids. A drug used for the treatment of diarrhoea has been developed using guava leaves for this very reason. The bark extract is also supposed to protect the heart and improve its functionality and has been recently used to treat irregular heartbeats in South America. Guava leaves are also supposed to be good for weight loss.

The benefits of guava include controlling blood pressure, lowering cholestrol, battling diabetes, combating cancer and protecting prostrate!

Diarrhea & Dysentery: Guava is very rich in astringents (compounds that make your gums feel tighter and fresh after you chew guava leaves or eat a raw guava or use some toothpaste) which binds up loose bowels in diarrhea. These astringents are alkaline in nature and have disinfectant and anti-bacterial properties, thus help cure dysentery by inhibiting microbial growth and removing extra mucus from the intestines. Further, other nutrients in guava, such as vitamin-C, Carotenoids and potassium strengthens and tones up the digestive system and disinfect it. Guava is also beneficial in gastroenteritis due to reasons stated above.

High amounts of Vitamin C compared to other fruits. The flesh usually provides 230 mg per 100 gram (3.5 oz) Vitamin C. However, the level varies from 10 to 410 mg per 100 gram depending upon the variety. This can be compared to the recommended daily allowance which is only 60 mg of Vitamin C per person per day.

The health benefits of guava herbal medicine are truly incredible, and in particular it contains quercetin which is an antioxidant that blocks enzymes that are responsible for building sorbitol, the sugar that forms the cloudy white clusters that cause cataracts. Guava is also rich in folate which helps to fight bad breath that causes gum disease gingivitis.

Combating free radicals produced during metabolism and aids in preventing age related chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, cataracts, heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Guava can improve your heart health by helping to control your blood pressure and cholesterol. Guava’s ability to lower blood pressure could be the result of potassium. This mineral is an electrolyte that is essential to electrical reaction in your body, including your heart.

Other Benefits: Where to begin? Shall I start with the fact that guava helps control diabetes, protects prostrate, its Lypocene reduces the risk of cancer, the juice of the leaves cures toothache, swollen gums & oral ulcers, heals wounds when applied externally, convulsions, epilepsy, bacterial infections and so on and so forth.

Paula Rothstein

Deeply disturbing is the only way one can describe the numerous reports of ill health exppressed by individuals consuming an artificial sweetener called aspartame. For years now I sincerely believed it was only a matter of time before asparatame in its many forms would be removed from the market but after years of use and thousands upon thousands of horror stories from very sick consumers, aspartame is now being used in more products than ever before.

By way of this article I would like to provide a general understanding of aspartame poisoning (also known as aspartame disease), spurring the reader forward to: (a) research the topic to acquire an even greater understanding; (b) recognize one’s own toxicity if it exists and take action; and/or (b) ravage one’s house and make a bonfire in the backyard with all illicit products found. But please, I beg of you, do not hand over your stash to a dieting relative; homeless shelter; or any other member of your immediate community in need of nourishment. The garbage container is the only place fit to receive this poison.

WHAT IS ASPARTAME?

Aspartame is the most common sweetening additive being used in approximately 6,000 consumer foods, beverages, multivitamins, frozen desserts, cereals, pharmaceutical products, and tabletop sweeteners sold worldwide. If a product is described as “reduced calorie”, “low calorie”, “reduced sugar”, “light” or “diet” then closely review the ingredients. Consider all of the following ingredients as relating to aspartame and avoid: Equal, NutraSweet, Spoonful, Benevia, NatraTaste, Canderel, Acesulfame-k or Sunette and in the European Union, it is also known under the E number (additive code) E951. In Australia, instead of aspartame, the words “Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylaline” may be used.

Aspartame contains three major components: methanol, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid. All three chemicals individually have been shown to either stimulate brain cells to death, disturb hormone balances in the brain, or act as nerve poison. It is most certainly an unnatural and even life threatening substance.

Once aspartame reaches the small intestine, it is then broken down into methanol as a metabolic by-product called diketopiperazine (DKP). DKP produces a compound very similar to N-Nitrosourea, a powerful brain tumer-causing chemical. In addition, the methanol contained in aspartame breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde accumlates near DNA and causes serious damage. It has been noted that if a drink containing aspartame is stored at temperatures exceeding 85 degrees for a week or more, there would be no aspartame left in the beverage, just the components it breaks down into, like formaldehyde, formic acid, and DKP. All of these substances are known to be toxic to humans.

On June 27, 1996, the FDA approved aspartame for use in goods which are heated thereby allowing this process to occur even before we consume the product. Perhaps they were thinking why wait until it gets to the intestines to become formaldehyde and DKP. Let’s just get on with the poisoning! I would bet money that no member of the FDA consumes products containing aspartame.

Some of the damage to our health may occur as a result of the rapid breakdown of aspartame causing spikes of phenylalanine and aspartic acid which can upset chemical balances and cross the blood-brain barrier, as well as unnatural spikes in levels of methanol in places the body does not normally encounter it as within metabolic processes, raising concerns as to its safe containment and elimination.

The effects of aspartame poisoning are known to be cumulative. For some it will take months, years, or even decades to show itself by way of neurological damage, others will not be able to tolerate even the smallest amount.

Aspartame is also known to cause birth defects so you can imagine small, developing children are particularly susceptible to its ill effects. You need to make certain that your child is not ingesting this chemical and certainly look into whether or not your child’s school is offering products containing aspartame.

SYMPTOMS OF ASPARTAME POISONING:

The following symptoms are listed on the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Fact Sheet:

headaches, nausea, vertigo, insomnia, numbness, blurred vision, blindness and other eye problems, memory loss, slurred speech, depression, personality changes, hyperactivity, stomach disorders, seizures, skin lesions, rashes, anxiety attacks, muscle cramping and joint pain, loss of energy, symptoms mimicking heart attacks, hearing loss and ear ringing, and loss or change of taste.

Aspartame disease mimics or worsens the following conditions and should not be consumed even in the smallest quanity if afflicted:

Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Lupus, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Diabetes, Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lymphoma, Lyme Disease, Attention Deficit Disorder, Panic Disorder, Depression and other Psychological Disorders. Many reactions are quite serious, including seizures and death.

I personally know one woman who suffered for three years from vertigo, nausea, depression, anxiety attacks and ringing in the ear. She saw every specialist, tried numerous pharmaceutical drugs, even considered a recommended surgery. Her diet was never discussed to see if these symptoms were related to aspartame poisoning. On my advice she tried eliminating aspartame from her diet and the symptoms began to disappear. For three years, she suffered – missing numerous days at work – and yet one small diet change allowed her to regain her life. Giving up aspartame.

ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM ASPARTAME POISONING?

The best method to determine if your symptoms are related to aspartame consumption is to remove all aspartame from your diet for one week or longer and see if your symptoms improve. Once you are feeling better, try aspartame again. If you reacquire symptoms you will have a most compelling reason to never touch the stuff again.

It is amazing to think that numerous symptoms are being misdiagnosed everyday and in turn are being treated with a pharmaceutical drug. Apparently we have one more successful marketing maneuver attributable to this brilliant industry actually responsible for discovering and marketing aspartame and now making a great deal more money on the diseases and conditions it triggers! I sometimes wonder why the pharmaceutical drug industry has not gone into the business of death as well, buying up all the mortuaries across the country to insure they profit from each one of us, every moment from birth to grave.

DEADLY TIMELINE: A FEW KEY EVENTS

By way of background, these are just a few of the events surrounding the discovery and approval of aspartame:

1965 – James M. Schlatter, a chemist in the employ of G.D. Searle & Company synthesized aspartame in the course of producing an anti-ulcer drug candidate. He discovered the sweet taste quite by chance when he accidentally licked his finger contaminated with aspartame.

Fall 1967 – Dr. Harold Waisman, a biochemist at the University of Wisconsin, conducts aspartame safety tests on infant monkeys on behalf of the Searle Company, Monsanto. Of the seven monkeys that were being fed aspartame mixed with milk, one dies and five others have grand mal seizures.

September 30, 1980 – The Public Board of Inquiry concludes NutraSweet should not be approved pending further investigations of brain tumors in animals. The board states it “has not been presented with proof of reasonable certainty that aspartame is safe for use as a food additive.”

January 1981 – Donald Rumsfeld, CEO of Searle, states in a sales meeting that he is going to push to get aspartame approved within the year. Rumsfeld goes as far as to declare he will use his political pull in Washington, rather than scientific means, to make sure it gets approved.

January 21, 1981 – President Ronald Reagan’s transition team, which includes Donald Rumsfeld, CEO of G.D. Searle, hand picks Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes Jr. to be the new FDA Commissioner.

July 15, 1981 – In one of his first official acts, Dr. Arthur Hayes Jr., the new FDA commissioner, overrules the Public Board of Inquiry, ignores the recommendations of his own internal FDA team and approves NutraSweet for dry products.

September 1983 – FDA Commissioner Hayes resigns under a cloud of controversy about his taking unauthorized rides aboard a General Foods jet. General Foods is a major customer of NutraSweet. Burson-Marsteller, Searle’s public relation firm which also represented several of NutraSweet’s major users, immediately hires Hayes as senior scientific consultant.

In a 1993 act that can only be described as unconscionable, the FDA approved aspartame as an ingredient in numerous food items that would always be heated to above 86°degrees F (30°Degrees C).

February 1994 – the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the listing of adverse reactions reported to the FDA (DHHS 1994). Aspartame accounted for more than 75% of all adverse reactions reported to the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS).

June 27, 1996 – without public notice, the FDA removed all restrictions from aspartame allowing it to be used in everything, including all heated and baked goods.

WHY DOES ASPARTAME PERSIST AS A FOOD ADDITIVE?

Aspartame has been the subject of vigorous public controversy regarding its safety and the circumstances surrounding its approval for many years. Several studies have also recommended further investigation into alleged connections between aspartame and diseases such as brain tumors, brain lesions and lymphoma and yet it persists as a food additive.

One would surmise from all accounts – numerous testimonials provided, persistent public outcry, and strong scientific evidence demonstrating the health dangers of aspartame – the FDA is indeed driven by power and greed just as the corporations marketing this poison. For this reason and because of the questionable and unethical way the matter has been handled by the FDA, I do believe corruption is clearly present in this governmental agency sanctioned with guarding our safety.

These findings, combined with notable conflicts of interest in the approval process, have provoked vocal activism regarding the possible risks of aspartame. In fact, in New Mexico they are working on banning the substance altogether. Several countries, including Japan, have already done so. I do believe its days (perhaps years) are numbered but I urge you to not to become a casualty or class action member in the interim.

Dr. Paul Gross

Meet the “New-trients”

Today’s consumers are witnessing a new era in how foods are identified. New nutrients, not commonly understood for their health benefits, seem to be popping up on our grocer’s shelves every day. Omega fatty acids, newly defined sources of dietary fiber, and antioxidant phytochemicals are examples of healthful plant elements that are creeping into public media reports and water-cooler debates.

Laboratory and preliminary human clinical studies are revealing anti-disease properties of these “nutrients.” Extensive food and medical research underway presently will eventually translate the chemical properties into consumer understanding and terminology that we’ll grasp and use in everyday conversation.

With such potential significance to public health, the consumer education process should begin now in a way that people, from teenagers to grandparents, can readily understand antioxidants as easily as we now understand calories, carbohydrates, fat percentage, and vitamin C.

The scientific and regulatory bodies for food labeling have a great challenge ahead of them.

There are thousands of plant food sources with suspected health benefits with complicated chemical names that are unfamiliar and can be intimidating. The challenge at hand is to decipher this blizzard of names and to promote better nutrition for our families and for ourselves.

Why Antioxidants?

The beneficial antioxidant chemicals that we get from colorful plant foods represent our best defense against threatening oxidants. While oxidative stress is a normal part of cellular metabolism that occurs even in healthy people, left unchecked, it can lead to damage that accumulates with age.

Normally, oxidative species or “free radicals” are neutralized by antioxidant enzymes and food-derived antioxidants. However, the following circumstances can cause an imbalanced oxidant-antioxidant relationship that allows oxidative stress to go unopposed.

• Contamination by environmental conditions like pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides

• Normal aging

• Poor diets that lack essential nutrients and phytochemicals

The result of this imbalance is cell and tissue damage that could lead to diseases like:

• Cancer

• Hypertension

• Diabetes

• Chronic inflammation

• Neuronal degeneration like Alzheimer’s disease

The Color Code for Antioxidants

Over the past five years, we have begun a valuable process for recognizing plant food antioxidant qualities by groupings of color—The Color Code, as written in two books entitled The Color Code and What Color is Your Diet? (publication information below).

The following is a summary of those color guides for antioxidants, and an example of how we can begin to classify and categorize the different antioxidants into the food color code.

Summary of the Color Code

This is a general scheme of example foods that can fit into each color class. Keep in mind that there are no firm lines between the classes, which allows for overlap.

1. Red – tomato, pink grapefruit, watermelon

2. Blue/Red/Purple/Black (BRPB) – blueberry, cherry, prune, blackberry

3. Orange/Yellow – carrot, pumpkin, orange, papaya

4. Green – broccoli, kale, spinach, pea

5. White – garlic, onion, cabbage, turnip

6. Brown/Gray – spices, nuts, seeds, endogenous sources

How to Apply the Color Code

Here’s a general breakdown of the color groups that have food chemicals with antioxidant qualities:

1.Enzymes (Brown/Gray)

A protein substance with a name ending in “ase”, enzymes stimulate biochemical reactions in living cells and help form new compounds that, in this case, would serve antioxidant functions.

Members of this enzyme class of antioxidants include:

• Superoxide dismutase

• Catalases

• Reductases

• Peroxidases

• Transferases

2.Vitamins (Brown/Gray)

Most consumers would already recognize the three main antioxidant vitamins—A, C and E—that are derived from food and supplements common to the public. Vitamins A and E are fat-soluble, providing antioxidant protection in cell structures like the outer membrane and inner nuclear organelles. Vitamin C dissolves readily in body water compartments, so it is well distributed in the body. Of particular note is the important role of vitamin C in protecting vitamins A and E from damaging oxidative free radicals.

3.Phenolics (BRPB)

With more than 8,000 individual chemicals that serve plants as pigments, the phenolics (also called phenols or polyphenols) are water-soluble acids that not only give plants colors, but also differentiate scents, tastes, and bitterness. The large class of phenolics (called flavonoids) is often mentioned in current public media. Quercetin, kaempferol and peonidin are examples of flavonoids that have been in the news recently.

4.Carotenoids (Orange/Yellow, Red)

A fat-soluble group of more than 600 individual chemicals, the carotenoids (e.g., beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin “zee-a-zan-thin”) are especially powerful antioxidants. Due to their chemical structure, they are an excellent source of electrons that are aggressively sought by oxidative free radicals. A carotenoid molecule donates electrons to a free radical, sacrificing itself in antioxidant defense. Terpenes and xanthophylls are included in this class.

5.Hormones (Brown/Gray)

A growing field of medical research is identifying normal hormones typically described with cell-to-cell messaging roles in the body as having antioxidant functions. Presently only a few hormones have this identified property such as melatonin, estradiol and insulin, but future research will likely unravel similar functions for the dozens of hormones known in human physiology.

6.Minerals (All colors)

Minerals have elements that enable enzyme activity. Selenium, zinc, manganese, magnesium and copper are minerals involved in hundreds of antioxidant roles in the body.

7.Glutathione (Brown/Gray)

Probably the human body’s single most important native antioxidant, glutathione is a water-soluble molecule synthesized from food-derived amino acids. It also depends on lipoic acid (below) for synthesis.

8.Lipid effectors (Orange/Yellow)

Lipoic acid is perhaps the “perfect” antioxidant because it is a small powerful molecule that dissolves readily both in fatty layers of cells and in water – the only antioxidant to do this. Other lipid oriented antioxidants include omega fatty acids, tocopherols (like vitamin E), phytosterols, perillyl alcohol and essential oils such as limonene.

9.Saponins, steroids and stilbenes (Green, BRPB)

Related in this discussion only by their common first letter “s”, this group has established antioxidant functions and includes some well-known chemicals such as resveratrol (a stilbene of red wine and dark grapes), brassinosteroid (the growth regulator of plants) and saponin (the waxy covering on plant leaves).

10.Sulfur-containing chemicals (Green, White)

Including organosulfides, tri and diallyl sulfides and sulforaphane, this group from plants like broccoli and cabbage has been shown to have properties affecting antioxidant enzyme activity, inflammatory mediators and tumor growth.

Proposing an Antioxidant Nomenclature

Just as vitamins have been given a nominal identity (Vitamin A, B, C…etc) so too should we refer to antioxidants. This is a new system not yet formally proposed to any regulatory authority or scientific body. Classification of antioxidants must undergo the scrutiny, revision and adoption by scientists, industry and government to be acceptable for food label use in the public.

Here is the proposed breakdown:

1. Antioxidant C – carotenoids

2. Antioxidant E – enzymes

3. Antioxidant G – glutathione

4. Antioxidant H – hormones

5. Antioxidant L – lipid-associated chemicals

6. Antioxidant M – minerals

7. Antioxidant P – phenolics

8. Antioxidant S – saponins, steroids, stilbenes, sulfurs

9. Antioxidant V – vitamins

Over time, the public must feel these proposed antioxidant classes are informative and practical for understanding antioxidants and choosing preferred foods. Time will tell, but this list gives us a simple working structure to get a handle on naming antioxidants.

Reading

* Heber D. What Color Is Your Diet? HarperCollins, New York, 2001.

* Joseph JA, Nadeau DA, Underwood A. The Color Code, Hyperion, New York, 2002.

* Lee J, Koo N, Min DB. Reactive oxygen species, aging, and antioxidative nutraceuticals. Compreh. Rev. Food Sci. Food Safety 3:21-33, 2004.

Copyright 2006 Berry Health Inc.

Sylvia Riley :


The notion of ‘healthy fats’ is becoming increasingly acknowledged. The idea that some fats may actually help you loose weight is a little further-fetched, yet It appears this seeming paradox is indeed the case. As will be explored, both coconut oil and omega-3 oil can speed up metabolism and accelerate the burning of fats in the body.

Distinguishing between fats is imperative for optimum health and weight. Saturated animal fats are notoriously linked to obesity, heart disease and cancer. Hydrogenated fats as found in many processed foods, bakery products and margarines are even worse and contain trans fats, the most harmful fats of all. Refined cooking oils are also detrimental, with harsh processing methods altering oil molecules and creating toxins and free radicals.

Natural cold-pressed oils such as nut, seed, olive and fish oils, contain healthy essential fatty acids, monounsaturated fats, nutrients and phytochemicals that serve the body.

Coconut oil is also supremely healthy; a saturated fat structurally different from animal saturated fats containing medium-chain as opposed to long-chain fatty acids. These molecules are small enough to be absorbed directly into the liver and used as an immediate source of energy by the body. They place no strain on the digestive system and their availability for metabolism means they are not likely to be stored as fat (unlike high-calorie cholesterol-heavy long-chain animal fats).

Coconut oil has a plethora of noted health benefits. It houses lauric acid, an antimicrobial fatty acid that fights bacteria, viruses and fungi. Some more surprising benefits include an ability to lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and actually stimulate weight loss. It has also been found to benefit conditions such as diabetes, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, digestive disorders and thyroid imbalances.

Dr. Weston A Price, the Darwin of nutrition writes: ‘Replacing the fats you now eat with coconut oil may be the wisest decision you can make to lose excess body fat…Yes, there is a dietary fat that can actually help you take off unwanted pounds. Coconut oil can quite literally be called a low-fat fat.’

In the 1940’s farmers discovered that attempts to fatten up their animals with coconut oil produced the opposite effect; they became leaner and more active. Ironically, with the demand for leaner meat today, they are now using coconut oil for this very purpose.

Raymond Peat MD, author of Coconut Oil and Its Virtues concludes, ‘The anti-obesity effect of coconut oil is clear in all of the animal studies, and in my friends who eat it regularly.’

Omega-3 oil is another virtuous fat that can actually speed up the burning of fats in the body and hence aid weight loss. Omega-3 oil serves numerous bodily processes and is particularly beneficial to the immune system and heart as well as arthritis, skin conditions, pre-menstrual tension, mental function, improving memory and reducing depressive symptoms.

One of the main reasons omega 3 oil increases fat metabolism is because of its effects on insulin, significantly reducing it’s levels in the body. Insulin inhibits the enzyme lipase which breaks down fat for use as energy and activates an enzyme that converts carbohydrate into fat. Insulin promotes the use of fat for storage and reduces the use of fat for fuel, hence lower insulin levels mean a greater conversion of fat for energy rather than storage.

Omega-3 oil is found in cold-water fish such as sardines, salmon, herring and mackerel as well as plant sources such as flax seeds (the richest plant source), walnuts, pumpkin seeds, mustard seeds, green-leafed vegetables and spirulina.