We all have heard how blueberries are the best thing on the planet. This stems from their rating on the ORAC [oxygen radical absorbance capacity] test. This is supposed to tell you how well a food helps your body by providing antioxidants.
Antioxidants help your body quell the weird energy that oxygen molecules can get that, in a sense, "rusts" your body. It is the oxygen or oxidizing of metal which creates rust. Anti-oxi-dants help stop this oxygen or oxidizing process in you.
Supposidly this ORAC tests how well your body absorbs this stuff. However, here is something you should know, there are no national standards to the ORAC test. This means each lab that does the test sets its own scale and methodology. What that says to me is that no one test is perfect. Also, when I am checking out a food for its antioxidant properties I am looking for one that shows up on the top 5 of tests done by different labs. Blueberries show up on the top 3 for just about everyone's test.
But, those early tests were just done on fruits and vegetables. There have been more recent tests including nuts, seeds, spices and herbs.
According to the United Stated Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Center List here is how they measure up per gram:
- Cloves - Think tip of Empire State Building
- Oregano - Lower to middle floor
- Walnuts - Street level
- Blueberries - Lower subway
Now I know these are per gram, but Dr. Michael Greger reminds us in his video about super foods how little you need of cloves or oregano to boost your immune system through the roof.
What makes this happens is that the flavor components in the food, not only make it tasty, but actually are the antioxidants. This means the most color and most flavor equal most nutritious.
Chew on that for awhile.
Here is a clip with Dr. Michael Greger of the Humane Society addressing the root cause for this latest dilemma.
According to Dr. Greger, there were no epidemics before 10,000 years ago. The first ones showed up when we humans decided to domesticate animals.
Until that point, we weren't in that close of a proximity to animals. We may be near an animal, but nothing like the daily contact we have when actually breeding or raising animals. And the closer the confines the increased risk of a germ being able to jump species.
So, when we decided to domesticate goats, tuberculosis came with them. Cattle brought us measels. Measels has killed around 200 million people in the last 150 years. Small pox is thought to be a version of camel pox. Pigs donated whooping cough. Chickens came with typhoid.
Ducks are the origin of influenza. So the pandemic influenza of 1918 could have been avoided had we not wanted a Christmas Goose. Horse germs mutated and jumped species to create the Common Cold.
A thought that has passed through my brain is why 95% of native Americans were wiped out from diseases arriving with the Europeans and their entourage. Why didn't any Europeans die of diseases found in North America?
There were none. There were plenty of animals - millions of buffalo, deer, rabbits, squirrels, etc. These animals had their own diseases akin to animals found around the world, so why didn't any germs jump ship to the human species? There were no domesticated animals.
Native Americans did not practice that tradition.
Current animal production methods are leading to more possibilities for even stronger germs because of their animal confinement practices. We house thousands of chickens under one roof. They are in such close proximity that they have to be de-beaked to keep from pecking each other to death. Pigs are kept in spaces to tight, they cannot turn around. They are on flooring which has them living over their own excrements for their entire lives. The pools of toxic material from these factor farming methods are polluting ground water of neighboring communities and driving down property values.
And they are breeding ground for stronger and stronger disease strains. The Center for Disease Control in the United States and the World Health Organization are not talking about if we have a pandemic event, but when. They are looking at millions more victims than the 1918 Influenza pandemic.
What can we do? There are at least two choices. One - stop eating animals and decrease the need for domestication. This process is not only inhumane, but is unsustainable agriculture. There is more damage done to our air from livestock production than any roadtrips around the globe. Second - stop eating domesticated animals. There is no humane way to kill an live, sentient being. However, there are better ways to raise these animals. Know where that flesh is coming from. Free-range is a lie. Free range in chicken production means they have an open window. I spoke to a local egg producer. She said, of course here chickens wouldn't be let outdoors. Something might happen to them. She has 700 chickens in one building. That includes their excement. The birds in the lower cages deal with droppings from the upper cages. Is this where you want your dinner to come from? Cattle producers are doing their best to shut anything type of "free-range" or "grass-fed" cattle production down.
I recently sat through part of a presentation from Mr. Gary C. Smith of at the Pennsylvania Dietetics Association annual meeting. Mr. Smith clearly stated that if animals come in contact with the natural world a host of issues come with it, including "potentially higher microbiological
safety risks due to: (1) outdoor environment, (2) slow-growing breeds,
. . and (4) use of small slaughter facilities."
Animals would eat plants, and natural prey. The pigs, cattle and chickens would begin to act like animals and not food products. Breeds not so in-bred. Smaller slaughter facilities means that there is a local connection. Larger slaughter facilities not only have more downer-cattle, but have higher accidents levels where workers lose limbs.
We have a choice of stopping the breed grounds for the next pandemic. The question is what choice will you make?
Olive, soybean and palm oils intake have a similar acute detrimental effect over the endothelial functionin healthy young subjects - Rueda-Clausen, et al.
Endothelial cells are a thin layer of cells that line your arteries. When you eat a diet with fats, fats from meat, fowl, olive oil, canola oil, your cells, including the endothelial cells can become sticky. When these cells and your cholesterol cells get sticky and meet, you can begin this cascade of events to create plaque. It is this plaque which is at the center of most cardiac events. It is not an artery that has been block for years, but an artery which has this stick plaque on it. Actually, it is a sore that formed from sticky LDL cholesterol going where it shouldn't. So your body tries to get rid of it. In trying to get rid of it, it forms a bump of plaque. The "scab" of the sore due to more stuff your body is doing, gets very thin. What happens is that by the shear force of the blood being pumped passed via the heartbeat the sore rips open. All the goo inside triggers your body to clot. Thus, the artery is block and the stroke happens.
This study shows that no matter the temperature of the fat, there was an increase of triglyceride plasma levels.
Are Nuts, Nuts? 
A lot information has been coming out about nuts and seeds and how great they are. However, are they? They are high in fat, but high in fiber. They are also a protein source.
This relates to the Omega 3-Omega 6 issue. I'm not going to get techinical on these fats. You should know that you can't manufacture them in the body. You have to eat them. The media gets off track when they stress the fact that you should eat Omega-3 and leave you at a loss as to why.
Omega-3 is great for your heart. The only thing you need to know at this point of your life is that the average American diet, and a lot of diets are out of balance between these 2 fats. So, instead of being like me and walking around with notes about what has and doesn't have either of these, just say to yourself, "I need to balance them. I need more Omega-3. But I don't need to eat oil to get it."
The balance you are looking for is 1:1. Jeff Novick has information that states the only fat source that truly helps in getting the balance 1:1 is flaxseed. More specifically, flax meal. You can go to Marty's Kitchen to learn more about grinding your own flax meal.
The important thing to note is that no oil has a 1:1 ratio.
Nuts aren't much better. English walnuts are 4:1. Not bad. Pecans are 20:1, pumpkin seeds and cashews are 117:1, sunflower seeds are 300:1 and almonds are a whopping 1800:1! We are forget that nuts also have saturated fat. The prize winners in this category are cashew, macadamia and brazil. Almonds are low this time.
What does that mean for me? It means that I keep my nut intake low. I love nuts on a salad, so I'll have a teaspoon or 2 and I will focus on walnuts.
I have some emails still out on this, so stop back in the next few weeks for an update.
Here's some information on Supplement use and Cardiovascular Disease. Very suprising. I knew about the lack of research supporting vitamin E, but not what this article spoke to. Please read the whole thing if you are taking supplements for this reason. Supplements and CVD.
How to keep off those winter pounds? Try the Small Plate Movement. Quick, easy ways to decrease calorie intake without missing your food. It's part of the studies about mindless eating.
Stubborn Flabby Belly research with Craig Fitzpatrick- Stress and Body Shape by E. Epel et al.
http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/cgi/content/full/62/5/623
Moderate drinking decreases risk of renal cancer?
Pooled studies
Eggs linked to type 2 Diabetes & Transfats Naturally Occuring in Meat and Dairy Raise Cholesterol [Lousy DL] & lowering Happy DL Cholesterol
Thanks to Dina Aronson, RD
Type 2 Diabetes and Plant-based diet make major improvements
Physician's Committee on Responsible Medicine
YouTube Video
Vitamin D assists with bone development in at least three ways. The first is in genetics. An important example of that is the stimulation of the bone protein, Osteocalcin. Osteocalcin is the chief noncollagenous protein of bone matrix, and leads to bone formation. You may remember that Osteo- means bone. Although the exact job of osteocalcin is not specifically known, evidence shows that it is stimulated by vitamin D3 [calcitriol]. What we do know is that osteocalcin is made by osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are cells that make bone cells.[1] One way to remember the word, osteoblast is by thinking blasting out, or forming new bone cells. Stimulating the creation of bone cells is going to increase bone health. Osteocalcin is also used to specify bone health by measuring how much is present in your circulatory system. [2] Secondly, Vitamin D3 assists in the genetics of bone formation with coding our messenger RNA [ mRNA]. Calcitriol, [another name for vitamin D3], reacts in the nucleus of a cell to create messenger RNA [mRNA]. Think of an old printing office where there are two printing presses. The presses are across the room from each other. A printing plate would be created for the text to be printed. A “messenger” would create the second plate, and make it exactly like the first. Also the messenger would take the second plate to the second printing press to print the same text. The messenger is messenger RNA [mRNA]. The mRNA brings the “printing plates” for synthesizing proteins that increase absorption of calcium. Without vitamin D3, our genetic copy machine would be printing out paper with black smudges instead of readable text. Lastly, the presence of vitamin D3 itself signals calcium absorption in the intestines. This process of intestinal absorption is called transcaltachia.[3] Transcaltachia is separate from the genetic use of calcitriol for calcium absorption. Your body has a whole electronic system that does a number of jobs including calcium absorption. The specific electronic impulse, assisted by calcitriol, opens calcium channels and allows the calcium to enter. Here is the take home message – The presence of vitamin D3 at the time of calcium absorption in the intestines directly increases absorption [transcaltachia], and indirectly increases absorption through cellular genetics [mRNA and osteocalcin]. [1] Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/osteoblast, December 4, 2008 [2] Groff JL, Gropper SS. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, Third Edition, pages 337-341 & 375-377. [3] LX Zhou, I Nemere, AW Norman. 1992. A parathyroid-related peptide induces transcaltachia (the rapid, hormonal stimul. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WBK-4FW0C1P-W5&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=1c2e737176d034fda25a54691daf0ba2, December 4, 2008
Vitamin D and Calcium Absorption
I have been battling belly fat for years now. I have enrolled in many aerobic/weight lifting classes along with Pilates and yoga and have worked out on my own to lose it. I have the "pouch." I am thin overall but cannot loose my midsection at the age of 23. I believe the fact that I am a vegetarian may have something to do with it. Any recommendations on what foods/supplements I can take or exercises I may do to combat this stubborn fat?
Response:
I racked my brain trying to think as to why being a vegetarian would be an issue. The biochemistry didn’t make sense. So, I changed direction.
One of the most important things about doling out advice is realizing when you need an expert in a field for which you are not a wizard. I called in my buddy and personal trainer, Craig Fitzpatrick. DISCLAIMER: Craig is not a vegetarian. However, he is a really smart guy. Not as smart as Einstein, but then Einstein was a vegetarian. [And this is how I treat my friends.]
Craig says that "stubborn belly fat comes form a few things, but most can be blamed on STRESS." This can be stress from a number of sources - your home or work environment, emotional, chemical, or physical. How does stress cause fat accumultaion?
Here is history according to Craig, edited for focus.
“See, originally, a few thousand years ago, you and I would be on the Serengeti, eating some pretty awesome roots of some kind. Suddenly, a lion decides that we look pretty tasty. Now, we’re running for our lives and flooded with great stress hormones that are making us break world speed records. The lion gets bored or else sees someone fatter and slower, and eats them instead of us, allowing us to relax. We have burned up all those wonderful stress hormones, and got some amazing cardiovascular and anabolic exercise all at the same time.
“Now, fast forward to 2009, and instead of a lion, we have a rude and insane boss screaming bloody murder at us! Unfortunately, it is no longer acceptable to run away, or [do something nasty, sic] to our boss. However, we still get flooded with the same cortisol hormones our ancestors got when being chased by something angry and hungry. Only we can't use up our stress hormones, and they have a negative effect on us.”
There are a number of studies to discuss this. Epel, et al. showed that women who store excess adipose tissue [fat] in their abdominal area had maintained “a higher cortisol level and reported more lifestyle stress than women who stored fat primarily in the hips.”[1] This study dealt specifically with lean women. The main aspect studied of these women was the cortisol levels after mental stress. The determiner of how high that stress level would go was a waist to hip ratio measured in inches. Therefore, their preliminary conclusion was, the bigger the difference between your hip width versus your waist width the higher the level of cortisol. What does this have to do with belly blubber?
High cortisol levels can increase appetite leading to weight gain. Well, that’s a no brainer. However, high cortisol levels also can lead to putting fat onto the abdomen rather than the hips. This is the fat we hear given the moniker, ‘toxic fat.” It has been connected to cardiovascular disease.[2] A very bad plan. [In the interest of full scientific discussion, the Mayo Clinic’s website poo-poo’d this. On the other hand, if you research this at all you will find a plethora of peer-reviewed journal articles supporting this.]
What do we do about this? Here’s what Craig said:
“This will sound extreme, but you want to make sure your stress levels are being maintained.” He also included verbiage on maintaining a balance for those stress levels. Not all stressors are negative.
Here are some tips on reducing stress he gave with, of course, comments from me:
Also, the time of sleep is important. Craig reminded me that 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. is the optimal time because it is in sync with your body’s circadian rhythms. These are the best times for you to heal and recoup (sleep). The optimal time for exercising is between 10 am and 3 p.m. He wrote, "On the other hand, who sleeps for 8 hours and who gets to sleep before 12 and who can afford to workout between 10 and 3? Don't these people have jobs?!"
Make the changes you can, and then go on. The closer you can shift to this ideal, the bigger difference you will have in your fitness and overall results.
2. Take time to do some quiet meditation or relaxation.
Learn some tai chi, yoga or just do some standing meditation. Craig recommends Paul Chek's book, How to eat, Move, and be Healthy! Mr. Chek discusses different types of meditation, including standing meditation, which is very simple, and you can do it anywhere. FULL DISCLOSURE: Paul Chek thinks that meat is essential to living. So, you may just want to check out his website, http://www.chekinstitute.com/. He has exercise there that will help and are free.
3. Eat for your type.
Craig's disclaimer, “I must say right now that I am NOT a dietician, O.K.? NOT A DIETICIAN.” Although, Craig is not a dietitian, I agree that your food “should come form the ground, [or] a plant . . . Also, find a good dietician who can find out your food TYPE. [That was his unprompted plug for me].
I wasn't sure what “type” meant. Craig explained that he has clients who read some diet, apply it to themselves no matter how they feel and wonder why it doesn’t work. I have found that if I eat a lot of legumes at one setting I can feel like I’ve had a small martini for about a half an hour. Also, yeasted products stick to me like glue, but not potatoes. He recommends that “if you have been eating as healthy as possible, and you are not getting results you want, you may need to look (with a dietician!) about changing your fat/protein to carb ratios. And check to see if you have food intolerences. One person’s power food can be another one’s poison. "
I would suggest keeping a food diary. A food diary should record what type of food, amount, time of day, where it was eaten, with whom, and how did you feel before and after.
4. Don't suffer from Chunky Aerobic Instructor Syndrome
“C.A.I.S. is a term coined by Charles Poliquin. He is recognized as one of the world’s most successful strength coaches. Mr. Poliquin has coached Olympic medalists in 17 different sports and world record holders in 10 sports, and numerous professional athletes. C.A.I.S. refers to some of those aerobic instructors that teach umpteen classes a day, and still are overweight, flabby and saggy. This is most likely caused from TOO MUCH exercise, and exercise at the same constant rhythm, and resistance, with no change. This in turn results in releasing stress hormones including the dreaded CORTISOL. That's right, exercise can make you fat! How do you avoid this?
"Try to limit your workouts to an hour." What you can't do in an hour, you don't do. Your warm up and cool down don't have to be considered part of your hour.
“Although you can do cardiovascular exercise almost everyday, you might want to skip it on days that you are doing weight resistance. This way, if you feel like you have to go to the gym everyday, at least you’re not over working the body every time you workout.”
Doing weight resistance everyday, pushes your limits. “If you feel you must go to the gym everyday, avoid working the same muscle groups two days in a row. Work the upper body one day, lower body the next, then follow by a day of cardio. This works for some clients."
Do Weight resistance without rest, or a minimum rest between sets is best. This sets a faster pace and you will get a cardio workout, too.
Vary Cardio Workouts. “Sprinting for 30 seconds followed by a light jog for 2 minutes for a half hour is going to be far more beneficial than just getting on the treadmill for half an hour at one constant speed.
“DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO ABDOMINAL EXERCISES EVERYDAY. The most over worked and incorrectly used muscle in the body are the abdominals. I see people dong literally 1000 stomach crunches a day with the worst possible form. Nor will crunches get rid of stubborn belly fat. If anyone ANYONE tells you do crunches to lose belly fat, run the other way. FAST.
“There are three different sections of your abdominal musculature, the rectus abdominus ( the "washboard" abs) your internal and external obliques, and your transverse abdominus. 999 times out of a 1000, people over load the rectus abdominus (again, the washboard) because it looks sexy, etc. However, overuse of the rectus abdominus will lead to
-back pain
-neck pain
-nerve damage
-poor posture
and it can even effect digestion! Which, can in turn lead to (drum roll please) Stubborn belly fat! Which, is by no means sexy! “
[Here’s my plug for Craig.] Spend the bucks on a trainer for a day. Make sure they are certified personal trainer with a national recognized certification, (Some great certifications include: NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), C.H.E.K. institute (Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology) or people who have studied Gary Gray and Gray Cook, to name a few).
This should give you enough information to help you look at your life and your workout schedule to begin shedding that stomach stash of fat.
Craig Fitzpatrick, [I don’t know all of the certified trainer letters after his name] can be reached, when he is a good boy, isn’t playing the ponies, and his wife gives him money for a metrocard, at New York Sports Clubs in Manhattan, at 34th and 2nd Avenue or via email at calveboy@hotmail.com.
[1] Epel, ES, McEwen B, Seeman, T, Matthews, K, Castellazzo, G, Brownell, KD,
[2] Stoppler, M. 2006. Does stress cause weight gain?, Medicinenet.com. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=77964 on December 31, 2008
http://www.vegetariannutrition.net/
Verdant Reports is an experiment in short podcasts concerning plant-based diets and "for people around the world who think that animals exist for their purposes rather than for ours."
Here is a podcast I did with them concerning Calcium intake.
http://verdantreports.org/2008/11/01/epic-oxford-calcium/
The EPIC long term study on nutrition, including data on vegetarian and vegan diets. The study concluded that many vegetarians and vegans do not get enough calcium in their daily intake. My part in this was explaining how to do that.
A question concerning the link between Vitamin D and Calcium lead me to write this - Why Calcium needs Vitamin D
Contact me at: marty_davey@yahoo.com Copyright . Marty Davey, RD,MS. All rights reserved.
