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!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
"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.
TAP HERE
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.
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.
TAP HERE
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.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, June 16, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
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.
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.
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