Purple Plant

Your blood sugar will be sure to salute you this Independence Day if you grill up some of this: eggplant.

Purple-skinned eggplant is full of phenols that help your body better use blood sugar. And that’s great, because you don’t need extra blood sugar running around. Too much in the bloodstream could wreak havoc with your organs. But that’s not all eggplant’s
got . . .

More Phenol Superpowers
In addition to favorable effects on blood sugar, eggplant’s supercharged phenols may also inhibit an enzyme tied to high blood pressure. Plus, the phenols have antioxidant actions.
Go purple power!

Metabolism-Boosting Move

If you want to burn a lot of calories, you need to do a lot of resistance-training exercises for the back of your body, not just the front. Your entire upper back is one of your biggest muscle groups. By exercising this important area, you can burn more calories than if you just train your chest and stomach muscles.

A lot of folks have trouble training their upper backs at home because they don't have a chin-up bar. But you can effectively train your back with a simple dumbbell exercise called the Dumbbell Row.

For the exercise, you need a dumbbell (between 7 and 50 pounds - depending on your level of fitness and strength) and an exercise bench. (A sturdy couch will do in a pinch.)

First, kneel on the bench with only your left knee. (Your right foot should be on the ground.) Bending at the waist, place your left hand on the front of the bench. Your right leg should be slightly bent, your foot flat. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand. Your right arm should be hanging from your shoulder. Your back should be flat and your abs braced.

Pull the dumbbell up and back, so your elbow is bent at a right angle and your upper arm is parallel with your back. Keep your elbow close to your side.

After each set, switch sides.

Do 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per arm 2-3 times per week to boost your metabolism and burn belly fat.

Tomatoes?

You may be certain that your plate is full of healthy food... but the truth might surprise you. Your tomatoes, corn, soybeans, Hawaiian papaya, zucchini, crooked neck squash, and even ice cream could have genes from cloned fish, bacteria, or viruses. That's because you're not always dealing with the "real thing." Your grocer's shelves are likely stacked with genetically modified (GM) foods.

GM foods are increasingly prevalent, but the FDA does not require food labels to specify when ingredients are genetically modified. So it's not surprising that most people aren't even aware they're eating them.

According to the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, 54 percent of people polled hadn't even heard of genetically modified foods. And though, according to a CBS/NY Times poll, 53 percent said they would not purchase these foods, many common ingredients (including soy lecithin, corn syrup, and cottonseed or canola oil) originate from GM crops. In the United States, three-quarters of the corn used to produce cereals, tortilla chips, and other such products is Roundup Ready corn, which has been genetically altered to resist the weed killer Roundup, according to U.S. News and World Report.

So why avoid GM foods? For one thing, they may be more allergenic. The United Kingdom tracks food allergies, and the year after GM soy was introduced into their food supply, soy allergies jumped 50 percent.

High pesticide content is yet another reason to avoid GM foods. The Center for Food Safety noted that from 1994 to 2005, pesticide use on GM corn, soybeans, and cotton increased by a multiple of 15 due to the increased pesticide resistance of Roundup Ready crops.

Last, but certainly not least, cultivation of GM crops may disrupt our ecosystem. According to the 2004 scientific consensus report of the Food and Agriculture Organization, increased pesticide use may result in herbicide-resistant weeds and pesticide-resistant insects. This affects non-pest insects like butterflies as well as animals like frogs and birds.

Whenever possible, avoid GM foods. Do so by purchasing USDA certified organically grown foods which, by definition, cannot be bio-engineered or genetically modified. You can also look for "non-GMO" on the label.

"Clean" Proteins When on a Low-Carb Diet

A healthy low-carb diet can and should include plenty of low-glycemic plant foods (non-starchy vegetables, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds). That being said, following a low-carb diet still means eating large amounts of protein and the fats that come with them. So you need to make sure you get your protein from high-quality sources.

High-quality proteins are:

1. Non-Toxic. Toxins from the environment can accumulate in the fat and tissues of animals and fish. Mercury in fish, for example. Or chemicals from pesticide-treated grain fed to animals.

To avoid consuming too much mercury, eat smaller fish - tilapia, cod, and sardines vs. shark and swordfish. Since toxins tend to accumulate in the fat, eat the leanest cuts of meat possible. And choose organic meats, which ensure the animals were fed only non-pesticide-treated feed.

2. Raised on a Healthy Diet. The meats you eat should be from animals raised on their natural food source. Free-range chickens, for example, are usually fed some grains. But they are also allowed to roam around and peck in the ground for insects and worms, which is what they do when allowed to feed naturally. And the natural diet for cattle includes plenty of grazing in grass.

The more an animal can feed on its natural foods, the richer the nutrient content will be in the meat. Grass-fed beef is not only much leaner than grain-fed beef, it also contains a significant amount of omega 3 fats.

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3. Free of Hormones. Selecting organically raised beef or dairy products ensures the animal was raised without growth hormones. Protein from growth-hormone-treated animals may increase your risk of breast cancer, may be linked to early puberty in children, and may be linked to lowered sperm counts in men.

Your Metabolism With Coconut

Wouldn't it be nice to crank up the dial on your metabolism a notch?

Well, you can! Certain foods ratchet your metabolism into high gear, helping to burn more calories and give you more energy.

The best known of these thermogenic (fat-burning) foods is protein. That's the reason high-protein diets promote weight loss. But there's another food that has even more calorie-torching power than protein: coconut oil.

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), the unique fats found in coconut, are easily absorbed and rapidly burned as energy, stoking your metabolism. What's more, coconut fats blaze through slower-burning long-chain triglyerides.

In a recent study, the thermogenic effect of a high-calorie diet containing 40 percent fat as MCFA was compared to one containing 40 percent fat as long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs). Researchers found the thermogenic effect of the MCFA was almost twice as high as the LCFA: 120 calories versus 66 calories. The researchers were so astounded, they conducted a follow-up study. This time, they found that MCFA given over a six-day period can increase diet-induced thermogenesis by 50 percent!

You can use coconut oil just like you would any other oil. Try whisking with raspberry vinegar for a luscious summer dressing, or lightly pan-frying wild fish and organic veggies for a metabolism-boosting treat.

White Meat vs. Fish and Beef

There about the health benefits of pork. It's a decent source of protein... but doesn't have much else going for it. One reason we recommend wild-caught fish and grass-fed beef in ETR is that they contain healthful omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s provide a myriad of health benefits ranging from balancing blood sugar and protecting against heart health to protecting against cancer and even Alzheimer's disease.

So go ahead and enjoy organic, nitrite-free pork that's been naturally raised. But if you're trying to get the most out of your protein, stick to fatty fish - like wild salmon, sardines, and Pacific halibut - and grass-fed beef.

Health Habit for the Entire Family

Contrary to what sunscreen manufacturers wish you to believe, sunshine is not a death ray. It is a healing ray. Here are four main benefits of sun exposure:

1. It boosts neuropeptides that elevate mood and regulate appetite.

2. It reduces the risk of the deadly skin cancer melanoma and 16 other types of cancer.

3. It reduces the risk of osteoporosis and increases bone density as a result of enhanced "mineralization."

4. It increases sex drive. Not that I want my kids' libido to be rockin', but this is good info for the dad who needs to get his bedroom energy back.

Your Body's Response to Exercise

It's frustrating to watch obese people suffer in the gym and receive absolutely no benefit for their efforts. Eventually, they give up. But it doesn't have to be like that. In fact, if they learn how to use one miracle substance properly, they could go to the gym less and have a lot more to show for it - including mega fat loss and lean, sexy muscle.

That miracle substance is sunshine! Proper sun exposure plays a crucial role in ensuring that your body responds to exercise. It helps by increasing insulin sensitivity. The primary mechanism involved is the production of a neuropeptide known as MSH (melanocyte stimulating hormone) and vitamin D. Combined, these "youthanizing" biochemicals help lower levels of the fat-storing hormone insulin. And sunshine is the only thing that can force our bodies to produce them in the right quantity and ratio.

Insulin inhibits the release of the fat-burning compounds known as catecholamines. Lower insulin levels during exercise also guarantee a boost in the age-defying hormones HGH, testosterone, and IGF-1. Which means that, without sunshine, you could be wasting valuable time in the gym. Working out with high insulin levels would be like trying to fight cancer while being exposed to Agent Orange.

Proper sun exposure simply means that you expose 80 percent of your body to direct sunlight for 20 to 40 minutes every other day. Make this happen and you'll enjoy rewarding workouts met with fat loss and muscle gain.

Diet That Cardiologists Are Being Urged to Recommend

What would you do if you were a researcher and you realized that a diet that had been accepted for years is all wrong? Would you write letters and more letters, urging your colleagues to be aware that research is showing the need for a change? That is exactly what some of the country's top researchers have been doing, including Dr. Walter Willett (who chairs Harvard's Department of Nutrition) and Dr. Frank B. Hu.

Research has clearly shown that the low-fat and low-cholesterol diet that many doctors have been recommending since the late 1980s has done almost nothing to prevent heart disease. Meanwhile, scientists have discovered that a diet with high levels of carbohydrates, specifically those with a high glycemic index and load, is hard on the heart.

Studies as far back as the 1940s show that low-carb diets are effective for fat loss. And epidemiological studies from the 1970s showed a correlation between high carbohydrate intake and the risk of coronary heart disease. But those results were ignored, because everyone thought fat was the lone culprit.

Low-carb diets have now been validated in study after study - not only for weight management, but to control insulin and glucose elevations. This means they are also very effective for controlling Type II diabetes and hypertension. And that is why researchers and some members of the medical community are urgently calling for a change. But will anyone hear them?

A diet that is higher in good fats (not harmful trans-fats) and protein but lower in high glycemic index and high glycemic load foods is the diet that is best for lowering what is now being called cardio-metabolic risk. This new term implies what I and other ETR experts have been teaching for years. The best way to control your weight and reduce your risk of diabetes and coronary disease is to control your glycemic response.

If you haven't yet gotten serious about a low-carb approach to health, it is time for a change.

Fat Loss

Who are the ones berating themselves every Monday for not exercising or eating properly over the weekend? The people who did not do their best to exercise and eat right on Saturday and Sunday.

Most people fail to control themselves. They trade minutes of pleasure (i.e., fast food) for days, weeks, months, and years of regret.

Focus on quality workouts, not quantity. Focus on planning ahead to overcome obstacles, rather than trying to "out-cardio" a bad diet.
Always hit a personal best in each workout. This guarantees progress in both fat-burning and muscle-building.

Fat loss is easy once you understand how hard it is... and it's hard if you think it is easy.

To make fat loss easy, you must:

1. Plan and prepare your meals in advance.

2. Follow a professionally designed, structured workout routine that is more intense than anything you'd put together for yourself.

3. Get social support from others who have gone through the same trials and tribulations that you face.

Do those three things... and you will succeed.

Boost Fat Loss

You bust your butt in the gym - and it's working. You lose weight, drop a few inches, and are feeling good. Then, suddenly, you stop seeing results. The plateau phase of any fat-loss program may be normal, but it can be frustrating. Fortunately, a little change in your diet can get you back on track: Simply stop eating foods from a bag or a box and start eating more fruits and vegetables.

Now I don't expect you to wake up tomorrow and completely change your eating habits. That wouldn't be realistic. It's best to make little changes every day. Start, today, with one new item from the produce aisle to help control your appetite, regulate your blood sugar, and burn body fat.

If you want to lose fat, live longer and healthier, and have more mental and physical energy to get through the day, you need to put premium fuel in your body's engine. Not grease. Not sugar. Not quick fixes. You have to plan ahead. But don't worry, it doesn't take much time.

Combine more fruits and veggies with short, convenient strength- and interval-training workouts and you'll feel (and look) like a million bucks.

When Injured

It happens. You strain your shoulder, sprain your wrist, or even break an arm. Most people think that working out with an injury like that will be a waste of time. But that's plain wrong. In fact, by exercising your strong arm, you can actually maintain - or possibly even improve - the strength in your injured arm.

European researchers put 10 women on a two-month strength-training program for one arm only. At the end of the two months, though the women had done no additional activity with the other arm, they had increased strength in both arms.

Scientists call this the "cross-over" effect. When your brain sends instructions to one arm, the "untrained" arm receives the same instructions. The end result is that you build strength in the untrained arm because of the connection between your brain and your muscles.

So if you injure your arm or shoulder, there's no reason to stop exercising the good arm (provided your doctor clears you for exercise). Just make sure you avoid exercises that would further damage the injured side. You can, for example, continue to press and curl dumbbells with your good arm to keep both arms strong.

Fiber in a Shake?

There's no doubt about it - fiber is one of a few super-foods you should consume daily. In my article about my daily eating routine, I mentioned a super-high-fiber shake that I drink every day. In fact, I've calculated that my shake can provide me with as much as 95 grams of fiber.

Well, I didn't find it ready-made in a store. I make it myself. There are hundreds of recipes for fruit/vegetable shakes and smoothies. Some are savory and spicy, others sweet. The general recipe I use as part of my daily routine is a blend of vegetable juices, as well as a banana, some ginger, a little yogurt, and ice. The total amount of fiber in the shake depends on the amount of fiber in each of my ingredients. I don't stick with the exact same recipe every day, so the amount of fiber can range from 7 or 8 grams all the way up to 90 or more.

Try mixing your favorite fiber-rich ingredients - apples, berries, figs, carrots, spinach, green beans, etc. - to make your own healthy high-fiber drink.

Drop Blood Pressure

You've likely heard that the Mediterranean diet is good for your heart and your brain. Now new research indicates that the olive oil in the diet should get part of the credit due to its ability to lower blood pressure.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that 25 ml (4 teaspoons) of olive oil daily reduced blood pressure in men who were previously not eating a Mediterranean diet. In fact, among the 110 men in the study, blood pressure dropped an average of 3 percent over the nine-week study period.

Researchers believe a compound called oleic acid - a monounsaturated fat that makes up 55-85 percent of olive oil - is responsible for the benefit.

So go ahead and splurge on some good, organic extra virgin olive oil. You'll get the most health benefits when you use it cold - drizzled over salads, roasted veggies, and the like - instead of cooking with it.

Cheap Thrills

Airport security wasn't always as tight as it is today - and that extended to the airlines' VIP lounges. When I was a senior in high school, a small group of us discovered Delta's Crown Room at O'Hare Airport. And every now and then, we would smile our way in to enjoy a free night out. Comfy chairs. Snacks and drinks. A big-screen (for the time) TV. And excellent people-watching opportunities.

It felt a little like being a guest at a rich uncle's private club.

There are plenty of well-publicized ways to have a good time without spending any money. Strolling through street fairs. Browsing in bookstores and libraries. Listening to free concerts. But it's the stuff you stumble across almost by accident that gives the most pleasure. The 99-cent breakfast special I took advantage of all summer long at a Florida beachfront cafe. (Okay. So it was served on a paper plate with a plastic fork. Who cares?) Hanging over the fence to watch polo ponies being exercised. Free preview performances by a semi-professional neighborhood drama club.

The fact that things like this cost nothing - or almost nothing - only adds to the enjoyment. But the real thrill is that most people don't know about them, making you feel like a member of an elite "in" crowd.

I'll bet you've had some "cheap thrills" of your own. Things you've found by word of mouth... or by checking out bulletin boards at local coffee shops... or just by being in the right place at the right time. And maybe you'd like to share one of your inside secrets with your fellow ETR readers - give them an idea to help them save money while doing something that most people would never even think of

Protect Your DNA

When it comes to eating fruits and veggies, straying from the "same old, same old" may help you age less, according to new research.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that a diet with eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables representing 18 plant families was more effective in preventing DNA damage than one with the same number of servings from only eight plant families.

Beat tastebud boredom and slow the hands of time by stocking your freezer with a wide variety of organic, flash-frozen fruits and veggies. And vary your cuisine by making creative substitutions. Try hearts of palm in place of artichoke hearts, arugula instead of spinach, green mangoes instead of tomatoes. You'll pack more DNA-protecting power (and pleasure) into mealtime.

TV Makes Us Fat

One of clients grew up watching a lot of TV. In fact, he feels that he was practically raised by Cliff Huxtable (of the Cosby Show) and Meredith Baxter-Birney (from Family Ties). That's how much TV he watched.

He finished college and started a real job. But he still rounded out his day with a nightly television marathon. So we shouldn't be surprised that he "beefed up" to over 200 pounds. (He's 5'10".) Especially when we look at the results of a recent Australian study.

The researchers examined the connections between watching TV, eating, and exercising in young adults (aged 26-36). They found that the young woman who watched more than three hours per day of TV had a higher prevalence of severe abdominal obesity when compared to the women who watched less than one hour of TV. For the men, only moderate abdominal obesity was associated with watching more than three hours of TV per day. Not severe - but still worse than the men who watched less than an hour per day.

The researchers also found that taking into account the daily physical activity levels of these men and women did not entirely explain the differences. What seemed to be more relevant was that the men and women who watched more TV also tended to consume more food and drinks.

Once client eliminated sodas and foods from a bag or a box, he immediately started to lose weight. And fast. Plus, by adding three short strength-training and interval-training workouts per week, he got down well below his college weight, and is now as fit as he was more than 10 years ago.

The message for you? The same things we've been saying in ETR for years. Shut off the TV. Dump the soda. Eat fresh veggies and grass-fed meats instead of carbs. And get moving.