Tips On Cooking

Tips On Cooking :

• To make 1 cup of dal, add atleast 2-3 cups of water, depending on the type of dal.
• Soak whole pulses overnight and other dals for one hour before cooking.
• Always add hot water to the gravy to enhance the taste.
• Add 1 Tbsp of hot oil to the dough for making Kachories or Kulchas.
• Always use heavy bottomed vessels to make desserts, in order to avoid burning.
• Make desserts with full cream milk, to get thick creamy texture.
• Whenever curd is to be added to the masala, it should be beaten well and add gradually.
• Chop some extra vegetables, for next day stir fry.
• Use the leftover dal water to make rasam or sambar.
• Never discard water in which vegetables are cooked, use it in gravies, soups, rasam or kolumbu.
• Onions and masala are fried in the cooker body itself, raw vegetables are added to that with enough salt and water. Cook under pressure according to the cooking time of the vegetable. This method helps us minimise our cooking time, use of utensils and nutrients are also preserved.
• If poppy seeds are used in grinding, soak it in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, if you are grinding it in a mixie.
• While boiling milk, always add a little water at the base of the vessel to avoid the milk from sticking at the bottom.
• Add a tsp. of hot oil to homemade pastes of garlic, ginger or green chili, along with salt to make it last longer and taste fresher.
• Store raisins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for much longer. Pour very hot water over them if they had harden, after that drain them immediately, and spread on a paper towel to dry. You can also leave a spoon in the vessel in which the milk is being boiled at low heat so that it does not get burnt at the bottom
• Add a few drops of lemon a tsp of oil to rice before boiling to separate each grain.
• Never discard the water in which vegetables are cooked, use it in gravies or soups.
• Put tomatoes in a large bowl and cover with boiling water Leave it for about 5 minutes. Take out one by one, piercing them with a sharp knife, the skin will peel off easily.
• Immediately after boiling noodles put them in normal cold water to separate them each.
• If you forget to soak chana/Rajma overnight. Just soak the chana/Rajma in the boiling water for an hour before cooking.
• Curd in winter - Set in a ceramic container and place it on the voltage stabilizer of your refrigerator.
• Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes will bake more rapidly.
• Roasting is a dry heat method of cooking - it does not use water. The flavors roasting draws forth result from the process of browning. As the surface of the meat browns, and its juices and fats drip down and brown on the surface of the hot roasting pan, it adds to the flavour of the meat.

Tips For Gravies

Tips For Gravies:

• Always use ghee or vanaspathi with or instead of oil, which gives a good flavour to the gravy. If oil alone is used, it does not get separated easily from the ground mixture, as ghee separates from it.
• Fry the ground masala in reduced flame, so that it retains its colour and taste.
• Little plain sugar or caramelised sugar added to the gravy makes it tasty.
• When tomatoes are not in season, tomato ketchup or sauce can be successfully used in the gravies.
• To retain colour in the gravy always use ripe red tomatoes. Discard green portions if any.
• Good variety chillies and chilli powder also gives colour to the gravy. As far as pos sible try to use long variety red chillies. Dry it under sun for few days and powder coarsely at home. Always the coarse powder gives good taste in gravies and pickles.
• While using ginger and garlic paste in curries, always use garlic at 60% ratio and ginger at 40% as ginger is very strong and may make your dish sharp and pungent.

600 Reasons Turmeric May Be The World's Most Important Herb

 

There is a medicinal spice so timelessly interwoven with the origins of human culture and metabolism, so thoroughly supported by modern scientific inquiry, as to be unparalleled in its proven value to human health and well-being.
Indeed, turmeric turns the entire drug-based medical model on its head.  Instead of causing far more side effects than therapeutic ones, as is the case for most patented pharmaceutical medications, turmeric possesses hundreds of potential side benefits, having been empirically demonstrated to positively modulate over 160 different physiological pathways in the mammalian body.
While no food or herb is right for everyone, and everything has the potential for unintended, adverse side effects, turmeric is truly unique in its exceptionally high margin of safety vis-à-vis the drugs it has been compared with, e.g. hydrocortisone, ibuprofen, chemotherapy agents. Furthermore, nothing within the modern-day pharmaceutical armamentarium comes even remotely close to turmeric's 6,000 year track record of safe use in Ayurvedic medicine.[1]
Despite its vast potential for alleviating human suffering, turmeric will likely never receive the FDA stamp of approval, due to its lack of exclusivity, patentability and therefore profitability. Truth be told, the FDA's "gold standard" for proving the value of a prospective medicinal substance betrays the age old aphorism: "he who owns the gold makes the rules," and unless an investor is willing to risk losing the 800+ million dollars that must be spent upfront, the FDA-required multi-phased double-blind, randomized clinical trials will not occur. For additional details on this rather seedy arrangement read our article on the topic: Why The Law Forbids The Medicinal Use of Natural Substances.
Here at GreenMedInfo.com, we have reviewed over 5,000 study abstracts from the National Library of Medicine's bibliographic database known as MEDLINE and have discovered over 600 potential health benefits of turmeric, and/or its primary polyphenol known as curcumin. These can be viewed on our turmeric research page which is dedicated to disseminating the research on the topic to a larger audience.
Some of the most amazing demonstrated properties include:

• Destroying Multi-Drug Resistant Cancer
• Destroying Cancer Stem Cells (arguably, the root of all cancer)
• Protecting Against Radiation-Induced Damage
• Reducing Unhealthy Levels of Inflammation
• Protecting Against Heavy Metal Toxicity
• Preventing and Reversing Alzheimer's Disease Associated Pathologies

Again, what is so amazing is not that turmeric may have value in dozens of health conditions simultaneously, or that it may improve conditions that are completely resistant to conventional treatment, but that there are over six hundred additional health conditions it may also be valuable in preventing and/or treating. Consider also the fact that turmeric grows freely on the Earth, and you will understand why its very existence threatens billions of dollars in pharmaceutical industry revenue. 
Learn more about this research in the video below (keeping in mind that it is several years old and needing some updating), and please spread the information to others who may benefit from learning more on the topic

Science Confirms Turmeric As Effective As 14 Drugs

Turmeric is one the most thoroughly researched plants in existence today.  Its medicinal properties and components (primarily curcumin) have been the subject of over 5600 peer-reviewed and published biomedical studies.  In fact, our five-year long research project on this sacred plant has revealed over 600 potential preventive and therapeutic applications, as well as 175 distinct beneficial physiological effects. This entire database of 1,585 ncbi-hyperlinked turmeric abstracts can be downloaded as a PDF at our Downloadable Turmeric Document page, and acquired either as a retail item or with 200 GMI-tokens, for those of you who are already are members and receive them automatically each month.
Given the sheer density of research performed on this remarkable spice, it is no wonder that a growing number of studies have concluded that it compares favorably to a variety of conventional medications, including:

• Lipitor/Atorvastatin(cholesterol medication): A 2008 study published in the journal Drugs in R & D found that a standardized preparation of curcuminoids from Turmeric compared favorably to the drug atorvastatin (trade name Lipitor) on endothelial dysfunction, the underlying pathology of the blood vessels that drives atherosclerosis, in association with reductions in inflammation and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients. [i]  [For addition curcumin and 'high cholesterol' research – 8 abstracts]
• Corticosteroids (steroid medications): A 1999 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that the primary polyphenol in turmeric, the saffron colored pigment known as curcumin, compared favorably to steroids in the management of chronic anterior uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease.[ii]  A 2008 study published in Critical Care Medicine found that curcumin compared favorably to the corticosteroid drug dexamethasone in the animal model as an alternative therapy for protecting lung transplantation-associated injury by down-regulating inflammatory genes.[iii] An earlier 2003 study published in Cancer Letters found the same drug also compared favorably to dexamethasone in a lung ischaemia-repurfusion injury model.[iv]  [for additional curcumin and inflammation research – 52 abstracts]
• Prozac/Fluoxetine & Imipramine  (antidepressants): A 2011 study published in the journal Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica found that curcumin compared favorably to both drugs in reducing depressive behavior in an animal model.[v] [for additional curcumin and depression research – 5 abstracts]
• Aspirin (blood thinner): A 1986 in vitro and ex vivo study published in the journal Arzneimittelforschung found that curcumin has anti-platelet and prostacyclin modulating effects compared to aspirin, indicating it may have value in patients prone to vascular thrombosis and requiring anti-arthritis therapy.[vi]  [for additional curcumin and anti-platelet research]
• Anti-inflammatory Drugs: A 2004 study published in the journal Oncogene found that curcumin (as well as resveratrol) were effective alternatives to the drugs aspirin, ibuprofen, sulindac, phenylbutazone, naproxen, indomethacin, diclofenac, dexamethasone, celecoxib, and tamoxifen in exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity against tumor cells.[vii] [for additional curcumin and anti-proliferative research – 15 abstracts]
• Oxaliplatin (chemotherapy drug): A 2007 study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that curcumin compares favorably with oxaliplatin as an antiproliferative agenet in colorectal cell lines.[viii] [for additional curcumin and colorectal cancer research – 52 abstracts]
• Metformin (diabetes drug): A 2009 study published in the journal Biochemitry and Biophysical Research Community explored how curcumin might be valuable in treating diabetes, finding that it activates AMPK (which increases glucose uptake) and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression  (which suppresses glucose production in the liver) in hepatoma cells. Interestingly, they found curcumin to be 500 times to 100,000 times (in the form known as tetrahydrocurcuminoids(THC)) more potent than metformin in activating AMPK and its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). [ix]

Another way in which turmeric and its components reveal their remarkable therapeutic properties is in research on drug resistant- and multi-drug resistant cancers.  We have two sections on our site dedicated to researching natural and integrative therapies on these topics, and while there are dozens of substances with demonstrable efficacy against these chemotherapy- and radiation-resistant cancers, curcumin tops both lists:

• Cancers: Drug Resistant
• Cancers: Multi-Drug Resistant

We have found no less than 54 studies indicating that curcumin can induce cell death or sensitize drug-resistant cancer cell lines to conventional treatment.[x]
We have identified 27 studies on curcumin's ability to either induce cell death or sensitize multi-drug resistant cancer cell lines to conventional treatment.[xi]
Considering how strong a track record turmeric (curcumin) has, having been used as both food and medicine in a wide range of cultures, for thousands of years, a strong argument can be made for using curcumin as a drug alternative or adjuvant in cancer treatment.
Or, better yet, use certified organic (non-irradiated) turmeric in lower culinary doses on a daily basis so that heroic doses won't be necessary later in life after a serious disease sets in.  Nourishing yourself, rather than self-medicating with 'nutraceuticals,' should be the goal of a healthy diet.  [learn more at Sayer Ji's new collaborative project EATomology]

 

Top Pharma-Brand of Children's Vitamins Contains Aspartame, GMOs, & Other Hazardous Chemicals'

 

The #1 Children's Vitamin Brand in the US contains ingredients that most parents would never intentionally expose their children to, so why aren't more opting for healthier alternatives?
Kids vitamins are supposed to be healthy, right? Well then, what's going on with Flintstones Vitamins, which proudly claims to be "Pediatricians' #1 Choice"?  Produced by the global pharmaceutical corporation Bayer, this wildly successful brand features a shocking list of unhealthy ingredients, including:

• Aspartame
• Cupric Oxide
• Coal tar artificial coloring agents (FD&C Blue #2, Red #40, Yellow #6)
• Zinc Oxide
• Sorbitol
• Ferrous Fumarate
• Hydrogenated Oil (Soybean)
• GMO Corn starch

On Bayer Health Science's Flintstones product page designed for healthcare professionals they lead into the product description with the following tidbit of information:

82% of kids aren't eating all of their veggies¹. Without enough vegetables, kids may not be getting all of the nutrients they need.
References: 1. Lorson BA, Melgar-Quinonez HR, Taylor CA. Correlates of fruit and vegetable intakes in US children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(3):474-478.

The implication? That Flintstones vitamins somehow fill this nutritional void. But let's look a little closer at some of these presumably healthy ingredients....
ASPARTAME
Aspartame is a synthetic combination of the amino acids aspartic acid and l-phenylalanine, and is known to convert into highly toxic methanol and formaldehyde in the body.  Aspartame has been linked to over 40 adverse health effects in the biomedical literature, and has been shown to exhibit both neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity [1]  What business does a chemical like this have doing in a children's vitamin, especially when non-toxic, non-synthetic non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia already exist?
CUPRIC OXIDE
Next, let's look closer at Cupric Oxide, 2mg of which is included in each serving of Flinstone's Complete chewable vitamins as a presumably  'nutritional' source of 'copper,' supplying "100% of the Daily Value  (Ages 4+), according to Flintstones Vitamins Web site's Nutritional Info.[2]
But what is Cupric Oxide? A nutrient or a chemical?
According to the European Union's Dangerous Substance Directive, one of the main EU laws concerning chemical safety, Cupric Oxide is listed as a Hazardous substance, classified as both  "Harmful (XN)" and "Dangerous for the environment" (N).  Consider that it has industrial applications as a pigment in ceramics, and as a chemical in the production of rayon fabric and dry cell batteries. In may be technically correct to call it a mineral, but should it be listed as a nutrient in a children's vitamin? We think not.

COAL TAR ARTIFICIAL COLORING AGENTS
A well-known side effect of using synthetic dyes is attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. For direct access to study abstracts on this topic view our Food Coloring research page.  There is also indication that the neurotoxicity of artificial food coloring agents increase when combined with aspartame,[3] making the combination of ingredients in Flintstones even more concerning.
ZINC OXIDE
Each serving of Flinstones Complete Chewable vitamins contain 12 mg of zinc oxide, which the manufacturer claims delivers 75% of the Daily Value to children 2  & 3 years of age.  Widely used as a sun protection factor (SPF) in sunscreens, The EU's Dangerous Substance Directive classifies it as an environmental Hazard, "Dangerous for the environment (N)."  How it can be dangerous to the environment, but not for humans ingesting it, escapes me.  One thing is for sure, if one is to ingest supplemental zinc, or market it for use by children, it makes much more sense using a form that is organically bound (i.e. 'chelated') to an amino acid like glycine, as it will be more bioavailable and less toxic.
SORBITOL
Sorbitol is a synthetic sugar substitute which is classified as a sugar alcohol. It can be argued that it has no place in the human diet, much less in a child's. The ingestion of higher amounts have been linked to gastrointestinal disturbances from abdominal pain to more serious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.[4]
FERROUS FUMARATE
The one clear warning on the Flinstone's Web site concerns this chemical. While it is impossible to die from consuming iron from food, e.g. spinach, ferrous fumarate is an industrial mineral and not found in nature as food. In fact, ferrous fumarate is so toxic that accidental overdose of products containing this form is "a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6." The manufacturer further warns:

Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL
Finding hydrogenated oil in anything marketed to children is absolutely unacceptable. These semi-synthetic fatty acids incorporate into our tissues and have been linked to over a dozen adverse health effects, from coronary artery disease to cancer, violent behavior to fatty liver disease.[5]
GMO CORN STARCH
While it can be argued that the amount of GMO corn starch in this product is negligible, even irrelevant, we disagree. It is important to hold accountable brands that refuse to label their products honestly, especially when they contain ingredients that have been produced through genetic modification. The 'vitamin C' listed as ascorbic acid in Flintstones is likely also produced from GMO corn. Let's remember that Bayer's Ag-biotech division, Bayer CropScience, poured $381,600 of cash into defeating the proposition 37 GMO labeling bill in California. Parents have a right to protect their children against the well-known dangers of genetically modified foods and the agrichemicals that contaminate them, don't they? GMO corn starch is GMO, plain and simple. We'd appreciate it if Bayer would label their "vitamins" accordingly.
In summary, Bayer's Flintstone's vitamin brand is far from a natural product, and the consumer should be aware of the unintended, adverse health effects that may occur as a result of using it.

Exercise & Preventing Disease

Exercise & Preventing Disease It wasn't too long ago that people with conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, arthritis, asthma and heart disease, were told by Physicians to "take it easy","stay in bed" or ingest several medications in order to stabilize these conditions. Today, there is little doubt how the impact of lifestyle changes, including exercise, can dramatically prevent, treat and even cure many of these ailments. Any sustained movement, like walking, bicycling, swimming, or cross-country skiing, will reduce the risk of several life-threatening diseases, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and possibly cancer. Exercise does not need to be boring, expensive, time-consuming, or inconvenient. Moderate forms of exercise will give the benefits needed to prevent disease. Gardening, dancing, walking, household chores, and even shopping expeditions can give you enough exercise to meet the daily requirement. All that's needed to personalize your fitness plan is a creative and adventurous spirit. Exercise v.s. diet is often the debate that many health professionals evaluate. By examining each disease through clinical trials, we can better determine the efficacy of both exercise and diet in the treatment of many common ailments. Diet, for example, is the cornerstone of diabetes care, but if diet is combined with exercise, diabetics dramatically improve their condition by more than 45% than with diet alone. "The problem with our health today, is that people are just not moving enough. You're talking about a dramatic decrease in our level of physical activity from just 30 to 50 years ago. That's a relatively insignificant amount of time for our bodies to adapt in comparison to the activity levels we had evolved to before the technological era. This combined with irresponsible eating habits is creating the health crisis you see before you today." -PreventDisease.com For people with chronic ailments, exercise used to be viewed as asking for trouble. However, current evidence suggests that in both health and disease, the overall prognosis is better for the exerciser than for the sedentary. For example, a recent study showed that intensive workouts can not only slow the progress of coronary disease, but actually restore lost coronary function when the disease is still stable. "We've yet to find a disease state where exercise isn't helpful." -Miriam Nelson, Ph.D, Tufts University. Clinical trials indicate that exercise can help reduce the pain and joint damage caused by arthritis, decrease attacks and the need for medication in asthma sufferers, and ease anxiety and depression. Other research 11indicates that regular workouts may cut the risk of symptomatic gallstones by one-third. Exercise has also recently be found to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and improve adherence to such treatment. For chronically ill individuals, the psychological as well as physical benefits of exercise can be profound. Even ten minutes of light exercise a day, can help most chronically ill patients feel more vibrant, energetic and alert. "Exercise is empowering and energizing, and it increases your sense of control over the situation. You're never too sick or too old to get started exercising." -Bess Marcus, Ph.D, Brown's University One of the most effective killers in North America is cardiovascular disease. It is also a disease which is so easily preventable through proper exercise and diet. Out of a recent study conducted by Consumers Reports, almost 60% of people who had heart conditions, reported that exercise and diet (types of exercise and diet were not specified) helped them feel much better. Hypertension, a common precursor to cardiovascular disease is also directly influenced, treated and prevented by supervised exercise and diet. Studies still show that most doctors still fail to advise patients about lifestyle changes to prevent and treat disease. Economic pressure for briefer doctor visits, lack of formal training in nutrition, exercise and lifestyle medicine, seem to underlie doctors' poor performance in this area. People with chronic medical problems should insist their health-care providers give them information on how execise and lifestyle changes can affect the course of a disease. If patients cannot obtain this information from their doctors, they should find an appropriate health professional who can. The Chart below indicates the maximum improvement for both diet and exercise for 6 common disorders, based on well designed clinical trials. These lifestyle changes can also lead to weight loss, which eases many of these disorders, thus increasing the maximum improvement. CONDITION TYPE OF EXERCISE MAXIMUM IMPROVEMENT WITH EXERCISE TYPE OF DIET MAXIMUM IMPROVEMENT WITH DIET High Blood Pressure Aerobic 15% Low fat, high produce, high dairy (low fat) 11% High LDL cholesterol -- -- Low saturated fat 20% Low HDL cholesterol Aerobic 15% -- -- High Blood Sugar Aerobic 15% High whole grain, high produce, limited calorie 30% Arthritis Pain Strength training, flexibility, low-impact aerobic 40% -- -- Low Bone Density Weight bearing 3% High calcium (including supplements) 2% Reference Source 1,3,39,37,86

10 Nutrient-Rich Foods That Can Change Your Health

10 Nutrient-Rich Foods
That Can Change Your Health

1. Mushrooms
Loaded with antioxidants, riboflavin, selenium and other nutrients that keep the immune system healthy and help stave off cancer.

2. Kale
Rich with antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, kale is also thought to help lower risk of arthritis, as well as ovarian and breast cancers with sulphur-containing phytonutrients.
3. Spirulina
With more iron than beef and more protein than soy, this algae is the only plant source of vitamin B12.

4. Cranberry
Compared to other fruits such as grapes and strawberries, cranberries have the highest level of phenols – an oxidant that decreases the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.

5. Kefir
Ideal if you're lactose intolerant, this cultured milk product delivers antibiotic properties, protein, minerals and vitamin B.

6. Ground Salba
This ancient grain provides 8x more omega-3s than salmon, 25% more dietary fibre than flaxseed, 30% more antioxidants than blueberries, 7x more vitamin C than an orange... get the picture?

7. Eggs
Cholesterol Shmolesterol. Egg yolks are loaded with choline, which is proven to help combat breast cancer.

8. Cherries
High in phytochemicals (plant chemicals that have disease preventative properties), cherries may also reduce inflammation.

9. Pistachios
Studies show these slow the rate of carbohydrate absorption and contain the fibre, protein and monounsaturated fat you need.
10. Beets
Beets are high in folic acid and contain betacyanine, which is an antioxidant that gives beets their rich, red colour.

Top 10 Superfoods: Goji Berries, Cinnamon, Turmeric And More

Top 10 Superfoods: Goji Berries,
Cinnamon, Turmeric And More
We're often fed news about superfoods and superherbs -- and it's tempting to want to believe everything we're told. Some superfood claims are backed by scientific studies, while other enticing claims turn certain foods into fads, though the foods have few proven benefits. We looked at the studies of 10 pantry picks and give you the real goods about their disease-fighting powers.
1. Rhubarb
Rhubarb is frequently regarded as a fruit (based on how we eat it), but botanically it is a vegetable belonging to the same family as sorrel and buckwheat. Championed for its phytochemical lindleyin, this nutritional all-star makes the cut for its potential role in relieving hot flashes in perimenopausal women. How the plant cools hot flashes is not exactly clear. Researchers have identified an extract in the root that may have estrogen-like properties. Need another reason to eat rhubarb? The plant is rich in potassium, vitamin C and dietary fibre.
Dietary uses: Canadian-grown rhubarb is available from February to July in most grocery stores but is most flavourful in the spring. Rhubarb is commonly eaten cooked in jams or spreads; baked in pies, cakes and muffins; and used in sorbet, ice cream and punch. Further studies are needed to determine the safety of medicinal amounts of the extract -- in concentrated pill form it may cause stomach cramps and mineral and electrolyte imbalances. Rhubarb root should not be consumed by children, or women who are pregnant or lactating.
2. Pumpkin seeds
This versatile seed, also known as pepitas, has long been treasured by American aboriginal peoples for its dietary and medicinal properties. Now these seeds are receiving the superfood attention they deserve. Of all the nuts and seeds typically consumed as snacks, pumpkin seeds are among the leaders of phytosterols -- a naturally occurring compound with an established reputation for cholesterol-lowering properties. Phytosterols are also being studied for their potential role in prostate health. Each 1/4 cup (50 millilitre) serving of the seed provides a healthy dose of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and is a good source of minerals, including phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and iron, making it one of the most nutritious and flavourful seeds around.
Dietary uses: Pumpkin seeds are available year-round from grocery stores but are freshest in the fall when pumpkins are in season. They make a good snack, either on their own or mixed with walnuts, almonds, peanuts and dried fruit. High in fibre, they lend crunch and nutty flavour to salads, vegetables, pasta dishes, sauces and casseroles. But watch your portion size; one cup (250 milliltres) packs 750 calories.
3. Goji berries
Hailed as the newest superfood, goji, a Himalayan berry, has inspired a surge of interest for its use in treating diabetes, hypertension, malaria, fever, cancer and other ailments. Gram for gram, goji berries pack more vitamin C than some oranges and more beta-carotene than carrots. Unfortunately, though, there isn't enough evidence yet to confirm the health claims, since we only have testimonials and animal studies to go by. And goji berries and goji juice are costly.
Dietary uses: Goji berries are similar in taste to raisins but more tart. They can be eaten raw or cooked and are a tasty addition to tea, soup and hot cereal.
4. Cinnamon
Valued in ancient times as currency and once considered more precious than gold, cinnamon -- one of the world's oldest known spices -- has made the pilgrimage from spice rack to science lab. Preliminary studies are investigating its role in lowering blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, most likely due to the insulin-like effects of its polyphenols (natural substances found in plants). It's still too early to know if cinnamon can help curb blood sugars, but with studies suggesting its effects can be seen with a daily dose of just half a teaspoon (two millilitres), it's worth keeping this spice in mind when reaching into the spice cabinet.
Dietary uses: Cinnamon (the inner bark of the tropical cinnamon tree) comes in the form of sticks and powder. Sprinkle it on toast, add it to oatmeal or use it on desserts. Make cinnamon tea by pouring one to two cups (250 to 500 millilitres) of boiling water over one- to 1-1/2-inch sticks; steep for 10 minutes. Caution: Ingesting four tablespoons (60 mL) of cinnamon oil has been linked to serious side-effects.
5. Quinoa
Regarded as a sacred food by the Incas, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) provides a wide range of vitamins and minerals. This supergrain seed contains more protein than most cereal grains (22 grams per one cup/250 millilitres uncooked quinoa) and is considered a complete protein because it contains all eight of the essential amino acids we need for tissue development.
Quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc, and lower in sodium compared with wheat, barley and corn. This gluten-free grain also receives an honourable mention for being low in saturated fat (one gram of fat per one cup/250 millilitres uncooked quinoa).
Dietary uses: Quinoa can be substituted for most hot cereals and is a good replacement for rice. Cook it like porridge, include it in casseroles or stews, or add it (steamed, toasted or baked) to soups, salads or desserts. You can also use ground quinoa in breads, cookies, puddings, muffins and pasta. It's available in most grocery and health food stores.

6. Psyllium
Traditionally, psyllium is renowned as a laxative, since it absorbs water and swells as it moves through the digestive tract. But this all-star soluble fibre has many health benefits: lowering LDL, or "bad," cholesterol, helping control diabetes (it reduces the post-meal rise in blood sugar) and aiding in controlling appetite and weight (it makes you feel full longer). Since psyllium is a concentrated source of soluble fibre (with eight times more soluble fibre than oat bran), it's easy to eat enough of it during the day to enjoy its potential health benefits.
Dietary uses: Just 1/3 cup (75 millilitres) of Bran Buds with Psyllium, available at most grocery stores, provides 12 grams of fibre (almost half of our daily fibre needs). Caution: Incorporate psyllium and other high-fibre foods into your diet slowly to avoid abdominal pain and bloating, and drink plenty of water to avoid constipation.
7. Shallots
This vegetable deserves an award thanks to its active ingredient: fructo-oligosaccharides, a prebiotic that some researchers have chosen as the hottest in food and nutrition research. Prebiotics take centre stage for their potential to promote gut health by encouraging the growth and function of "good bacteria" that live in our digestive tract.
Emerging research is also revealing an important supporting role for flavonoids, antioxidants that are abundant in shallots. Preliminary research is investigating flavonoids for their preventive role in cancer and heart disease, but further research is still needed to support these potential benefits.
Dietary uses: Shallots are more subtle in flavour than their cousins, the onion and garlic, and they do not cause bad breath. Eat them raw or cooked till tender. Add shallots to soups, stews, spreads and stir-fries.
8. Milk thistle
Best known as a liver tonic, the power ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin, which may have protective effects on the liver, due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Differences in research design -- variations in the type and extent of liver disease, and dose and duration of milk-thistle therapy -- make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions on the effectiveness of this herb.
Dietary uses: Milk thistle is available at drugstores and health food stores; take as directed.
9. Turmeric
Curcumin -- the active ingredient of the Indian curry spice turmeric -- may ease aches and inflammation. In Ayurveda (the traditional medicine of India), this herb has been used for thousands of years to treat arthritis and other ailments. Some research suggests that turmeric may help relieve some symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis; however, the evidence to date, while encouraging, is still far from conclusive.
Dietary uses: Turmeric is sometimes substituted for saffron. Use in Indian curries or dishes such as chicken tangine and chicken tandoori.
10. Borage oil
Borage oil, which is produced from the borage seed, has made the nutritional spotlight for its high content of gamma-linolenic acid -- an omega-6 essential fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties. Evidence suggests that specialty formulas that contain borage oil may reduce inflammation of the lung in critically ill, hospitalized patients with respiratory distress.
Dietary uses: Borage oil is a component of Oxepa -- a specialty formula used in the critical-care unit to reduce lung inflammation. In concentrated (oil) form, borage can cause liver toxicity; pregnant women and nursing mothers should avoid using borage oil. The medicinal plant can be eaten raw or cooked. Use fresh borage leaves to add flavour to cream cheese and vinaigrettes.

8 Nutrients Every Person Needs To Boost Health

As people strive to improve their health and evolve their food choices to a more plant-based diet, it is easy to get lost along the way. When you transition to a healthier diet, it is important to educate yourself about the nutrients your body will need on a daily basis.

It's important to learn how to create a balance of protein, carbohydrates and quality fats with each meal. There are eight essential nutrients including protein, iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium, B12, iodine and Essential Fatty Acids which are necessary to boost and optimize our health.

1. PROTEIN
A crucial part of any diet, the average RDA for women is 45 grams and for men 55 grams, which you can easily consume in the form of:

• Beans, legumes, lentils and peas
• Free range eggs
• Raw milk, cheese and yogurt.
• Nuts and seeds, which benefit from soaking in water or sprouting first
• Non-dairy nut and seed milks

NOTE: Pseudo-meats and other pretend protein foods should be avoided if possible, as they are highly processed foods. In an article by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. they write that, “Phytic acid remaining in these soy products greatly inhibits zinc and iron absorption; test animals fed soy protein isolate develop enlarged organs, particularly the pancreas and thyroid gland, and increased deposition of fatty acids in the liver.”

2, 3. IRON AND ZINC
One of the most common deficiencies in the world, iron is an important nutrient, integral to many bodily processes. It is especially essential for pre-menopausal and pregnant women, who tend to have this deficiency. If you feel tired, low in energy, suffer from headaches or hair loss, a pale complexion and weak nails, you could be suffering from iron deficiency.

Strong, healthy blood requires proper amounts of Iron. Average RDA for woman 19-50 years is 18mg, women 51+ years is 8mg and adult male is 8mg.

Two billion people may have a zinc deficiency, yet it's an essential mineral required by the body for maintaining a sense of smell, keeping a healthy immune system, building proteins, triggering enzymes, and creating DNA. Zinc also helps the cells in your body communicate by functioning as a neurotransmitter. A deficiency in zinc can lead to stunted growth, diarrhea, impotence, hair loss, eye and skin lesions, impaired appetite, and depressed immunity.

Because the human body does not store Zinc, it is essential to obtain it from the food you eat. The RDA for adult women is 8mg and for men is 11mg.

• Cocao, oysters, wheat germ (zinc)
• Green leafy vegetables: kale, collards, cabbage, spinach, and broccoli
• Nuts, seeds: almonds and cashews
• Beans, lentils, legumes, peas, in cooked and sprouted form
• Fruits and dried fruits: apricots, dates, and raisins
• Date syrup and molasses

4. MAGNESIUM
Magnesium plays a more important role than calcium in the body. It reduces your risk of cancer, and controls the entry of calcium into each and every cell--a physiological event that occurs every time a nerve cell fires! When it comes to building healthy bones, magnesium is as important as calcium and vitamin D are. Without adequate magnesium, too much calcium gets inside the cell. This causes cramping and constrictions in ways you many doctors never consider.

Earlier dietary surveys show that a large portion of adults do not meet even the RDA for magnesium (320 mg per day for women and 420 mg per day for men) which is below the level necessary for optimal health being 500mg+ per day for both men and women.

• Green, leafy vegetables, starches,
• Grains and nuts, and raw milk.

5. CALCIUM
In a nutshell, your body needs calcium to maintain strong bones and teeth, and for your nervous system to function properly. The RDA for adults is 1000-1200mg and can be found in a variety of foods, such as:

• Dark greens: broccoli, kale and Chinese cabbage
• Sea Vegetables: wakame, arame, dulse, hijiki, and kelp
• Dairy products: milk, yogurt and cheese

6. IODINE
Iodine is a mineral found mostly in seafood (including seaweed) that helps the body synthesize hormones, including thyroid hormone. This important mineral has been slowly but steadily leaving our food stream. The chemicals in fertilizers used in modern farming and chlorine added to water bind to iodine and prevent it from being utilized by our bodies. Iodine deficiency significantly affects the brain development of unborn babies and young children and is the main cause of preventable mental retardation and brain damage across the world. It also leads to underactive thyroid and may increase the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, which could be a major problem given the numbers of women suffering from this deficiency. Iodine deficiency is not only common in developing countries, research has suggested that more than two thirds of teenage girls and 15 percent of adult females in the US have an iodine deficiency.

Caution: Too much iodine can also be harmful. although the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 200-300 micro grams of iodine daily during pregnancy for normal fetal thyroid hormone production and neurocognitive development, 1,100 micro grams is considered to be the safe upper limit for daily ingestion by the US Institute of Medicine.

• Eggs, fish and seafood are good sources.
• Vegans can go for seaweed, cranberries, organic strawberries and himalayan crystal salt.

7. VITAMIN B12
Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient, especially for those following strict vegan lifestyles. It is required by your body to make new red blood cells and help keep your nervous system healthy. Without it, permanent damage can result. B12 can also lower homocystein levels, which is great news since elevated homocysteine levels may cause heart disease and strokes. A deficiency leads to anaemia and its symptoms include tiredness, pale complexion and breathlessness. It can also cause memory loss, confusion, mood swings and depression.

Vegans and vegetarians who do not eat eggs or dairy will need to take this essential nutrient in the form of a B complex supplement that includes the RDA for B12 of 1.5 microgram for adults. Shitake mushrooms, sea vegetables and algae contain something similar to B12, but it does not work in the body in the same way as B12 from animal sources. Some nutritional yeast food products contain some Vitamin B12. Meat and eggs are some of the best sources, however, if you're a vegetarian or vegan, it may be essential to occasionally use a B12 patch or high quality B12 supplement in your diet.

8. ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
Research says that eating more omega-3 fatty acids makes one live longer, look better and feel happier. A deficiency, on the other hand, can cause depression, mood swings and even aggressive behaviour. These fatty acids prevent heart disease, are good for your eyes, help you shed pounds and keep your skin and hair in good condition.

The body needs quality fats to help absorb the ‘fat soluble’ vitamins A, D, E and K, to regulate cholesterol, provide energy, maintain heart health and a number of other important functions. Saturated fats from animal sources is limited in a vegetarian diet, but hydrogenated and trans fats in baked goods and chips should be avoided for their harmful health effects. Recommended RDA for Omega Fatty Acids is 1-2 tablespoons.

• Extra Virgin Olive oil
• Sesame oil
• Raw butter and clarified butter
• Coconut oil: a saturated vegetable oil that has proven beneficial in the diet
• Omega-3 oils: Flax, hemp and walnut oils

Source: Prevent Disease

5 Food-Medicines That Could Quite Possibly Save Your Life

 5 Food-Medicines That Could Quite Possibly Save Your Life

Some of the most powerful medicines on the planet are masquerading around as foods and spices. While they do not lend themselves to being patented, nor will multi-billion dollar human clinical trials ever be funded to prove them efficacious, they have been used since time immemorial to both nourish our bodies, and to prevent and treat disease. So valued were these in ancient times that they were worth their weight in gold, and entire civilizations either rose to great power or collapsed as a result of their relationship to them.

What is even more amazing is that many of these "plant allies" are found growing in our backyards, and often sitting there in our refrigerators and spice racks, neglected and under appreciated. In fact, many of us use these daily unaware that this is why we don't get sick as often as those who do not incorporate them into their diet. Let's look at a few examples....


Though Mother Nature's formulas are proprietary, she does not grant patents. ~Sayer Ji
1) Garlic – with the increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant bacteria and the failure of the conventional, drug-based model to develop effective solutions against them (nor accepting responsibility for creating them), spices have regained their once universal reign as broad spectrum infection-fighters with sometimes life-saving power.

Garlic, in fact, has several hundred therapeutic properties, confirmed by a growing body of scientific research, which you can view directly on GreenMedInfo.com.[i] One quick example of garlic's power, is in killing multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), which the mainstream media has termed the "white plague," roiling the masses with a fear of drug-resistant (but not plant-extract resistant) they are made to believe they are defenseless against.

Last year an article was published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal showing that garlic was capable of inhibiting a wide range of multiple drug resistant tuberculosis strains.[ii] The authors concluded "The use of garlic against MDR-TB may be of great importance regarding public health." Garlic's anti-infective properties do not end with MDR-TB, as it has been demonstrated to inhibit the following pathogens as well:

• Amoeba Entamoeba histolytica (parasite)
• Cholera
• Clostridium
• Cytomegalovirus
• Dermatophytoses (a type of topical fungal infection)
• Haemophilus Influenzae
• Helicobacter Pylori
• Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1
• Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2
• Klebsiella
• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus A. (MRSA)
• Parainfluenza Virus
• Peridontal Infection
• Pneumococcal Infections
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Streptococcus Mutans
• Streptococcus Infections: Group A
• Streptococcus Infections: Group B
• Streptococcus pyrogenes
• Thrush (oral fungal infection)

This amazing list underscores how important it is to keep a supply of garlic close by!

2) Honey – bees produce a wide range of therapeutic substances beyond honey, e.g. propolis, bee venom, royal jelly, beeswax, bee pollen, etc., but this sweet, sticky stuff that we all love to dip our paw into occasionally, is the most well-known and most copiously consumed of them all – and for good reason, it tastes great!

But did you know that this sweet treat is one of nature's most powerful healing agents, as well? Here is just a smattering of some of honey's more scientifically researched health benefits and/or applications:

• Aspirin-Induced Gastrointestinal Toxicity (honey coats the delicate linings of the stomach, preventing aspirin-induced lesions and bleeding)
• Bacterial Infections
• Burns
• Candida infection (despite the fact that honey contains sugar, it demonstrates anti-fungal properties)
• Conjunctivitis
• Dental plaque (a recent study showed that Manuka honey was a viable alternative to chemical mouthwash in dissolving dental plaque)[iii]
• Dermatitis
• Diabetic Ulcer
• Herpes-related ulcers
• MRSA (especially for Manuka honey)

There are many more uses for honey than covered here. Needless to say, replacing synthetic sweeteners or highly processed sugars or high fructose corn syrup with a moderate amount of honey may be a great preventative health step to take.

3) Apples – an apple a day does in fact keep the doctor away, especially cancer specialists it would seem.

For instance, one of the most well-established health benefits of consuming apples is to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. The more apples you consume, the less likely you are to develop this potentially fatal disease.

To view the 5 studies that reference this relationship, go to the GreenmedInfo.com apple research page where you will also find 50 other health benefits of apple or apple byproducts (e.g. apple vinegar) consumption which include:

• Aging, Reduce Rate
• Allergies
• Allopecia (Hair Loss)
• Diarrhea
• Insulin Resistance
• Liver Cancer
• Radiation Induced Illness
• Staphylococcol Infection

4) Sunlight – this one may throw some of you off, but sunlight possesses both energy and information with real, metabolic value and is therefore a source of usable energy for the body – and so, in a very real sense it can be considered a form of food that we consume through our skin by way of its built in, melanin-based "solar panels."

Not only does adequate sunlight exposure result in the production of vitamin D, a hormone-like substance that regulates over 2,000 genes in the human body -- and as a result prevents or ameliorates hundreds of vitamin D deficiency associated health conditions -- but sunlight exposure itself has a unique set of health benefits not reducible to simply vitamin D production alone.

One of the more interesting studies performed on sunlight exposure, based on data gathered from over 100 countries and published earlier this year in the journal Anticancer Research, showed that there was "a strong inverse correlations with solar UVB for 15 types of cancer," with weaker, though still significant evidence for the protective role of sunlight in 9 other cancers. Here are some additional benefits of sunlight exposure:

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Depression
• Dopamine Deficiency
• Dermatitis
• Influenza
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Psoriasis

5) Turmeric - quite possibly the world's most important herb. Named "Kanchani," or literally "Golden Goddess," in the ancient Indian healing tradition, its healing properties have been deeply appreciated, if not revered for countless centuries.

Turmeric has been scientifically documented to have over 500 applications in disease prevention and treatment. It also has been shown to modulate over 150 distinct biological and genetic/epigenetic pathways of value in health, demonstrating a complexity as well as gentleness that no drug on the planet has ever been shown to possess.

As there are too many health conditions that turmeric may benefit to list, we are listing the top 10 as determined by the GreenMedInfo algorithm which calculates both the evidence quantity (number of articles) and evidence quality (human study valued higher than animal, and so on). Also, the number in parentheses denotes the number of studies on the database demonstrating the beneficial relationship.

• Oxidative Stress (160)
• Inflammation (51)
• DNA Damage (48)
• Lipid Peroxidation (34)
• Colorectal Cancer (24)
• Breast Cancer (60)
• Colon Cancer (52)
• Chemically-Induced Liver Damage (34)
• Alzheimer's Disease (34)
• Tumors (23)

For a more in depth look at the 1500+ studies on our site on Turmeric (and its primary polyphenol Curcumin), watch the video below and please share it with others if you find the information compelling.


[i] GreenMedInfo.com, Garlic Research Page: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/substance/garlic
[ii] Pak J Pharm Sci. 2011 Jan;24(1):81-5. PMID: 21190924
[iii] Contemp Clin Dent. 2010 Oct ;1(4):214-7. PMID: 22114423

Source: Green Med Info

The Top 4 Foods To Avoid If You Want To Be Healthy

The Top 4 Foods To Avoid If You Want To Be Healthy
You’ve probably heard it before and you’ll going to hear it again now: “Americans are overfed and undernourished.” It means that, as a nation, we are eating plenty of calories but they are doing nothing to nourish our bodies and give us what we need.

We are ‘starving’ as a nation and it’s no wonder that we have high rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. We are what we eat. And few people truly understand how foods can help to keep them healthy or how they can fail to keep them healthy.

We live in an age of scientifically-created foods which have little to any resemblance of how nature did it first. There are certain foods that make up a large percentage of the average American diet.

It wouldn't be such a big deal if these foods were eaten occasionally. But the problem comes when we consistently consume them day after day, meal after meal.

So what are the top 4 ‘foods’ to avoid if you want to be healthy?

1. Sugar

If you can make only one change in your diet, it must be to eliminate sugar completely--or at least as much as possible. Many people tell me that they ‘eat no sugar at all.’ But what they are really saying is that they don’t add sugar to their meals or drinks from the sugar bowl. Once you start reading labels of boxed foods, you’ll soon learn that sugar (in all of its chemically created/altered forms) is present in most, if not all, processed foods. It’s almost impossible to avoid! The average American eats over 160 pounds of sugar a year!

Sugar, even in small amounts, is detrimental to your health. It suppresses the immune system for hours and plays significant effect on your hormones, throwing your body out of balance and into a state of biochemical chaos. If you eat sugar, morning, noon and night, your body is always in this state of chaos leading to disease.

Furthermore, sugar is actually an antinutrient, meaning that it leaches nutrients from your body! Because certain nutrients are removed from sugar in the refining process, your body cannot process it. So, it leaches minerals from your body to attach to the refined sugar molecules in order to move the sugar through your body. Also, because it’s an antinutrient, sugar also causes calcium to be lost in the urine, which in turn is replaced by calcium from the bones, leading to osteoporosis.

It’s important to understand the difference between natural sugar, like that present in fruits and some vegetables and altered sugar - such as white sugar. Natural sugar is good for your body. Refined sugar, on the other hand, is destructive to human health.

2. White Flour

Almost all bread, pasta and baked goods are made with white flour. It’s easy-to-use, easy-to-store, and practically never goes bad. However, white flour contains little nutrition, is toxic and is an antinutrient (like sugar). And the scary part is that the average American consumes more than 200 pounds of white flour every year!

Almost all nutrients that were once contained in wheat are lost in the process of creating white flour. And just like sugar, because white-flour is no longer a ‘whole food’, it actually leaches minerals from the body in order to metabolize it.

To avoid the health problems associated with processed grains, use whole grains such as: millet, oats, quinoa, spelt, amaranth, kamut and brown rice.

3. Processed Oils

Many people think that low-fat is healthy. This is not the case. We NEED healthy fats in our diet. Our cells are surrounded by a cell membrane built with....fats! The important thing though is using high-quality building materials to create these cell membranes. When oils are heated above 392 degrees F (as most supermarket oils are, which are used in junk foods like potato chips, candy, breakfast cereals, and salad dressings) the fat molecules change shape, turning them into a difference and toxic category of fats called “trans-fats.”

When cells are built from trans-fats they become brittle and weak. If the cells throughout your body are made with these types of fats, you have a serious problem. The health of our bodies is boiled down to the health of our 75 trillion cells. If the majority of these cells are weak, then our bodies are going to be weak and diseased.

Put healthful oils into your diet like high-quality olive oil, hemp seed oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, pumpkin seed oil, and organic butter or ghee.

4. Milk

Milk products have a reputation of being highly nutritious and necessary in everybody’s diet. And yet the nations with the highest milk consumption also have the highest rates of osteoporosis, breast cancer, allergies and diabetes. In fact, 70% of the world’s population does not even drink milk or consume other dairy products such as cheese, yogurt and ice cream.

One of the largest problems with milk is the pasteurization process: it alters the milk proteins. It actually changes the molecular structure so that the body cannot process and receive the protein in the milk. And not only that, it renders the proteins actually toxic to the body!

And the calcium in milk? Forget about it. Milk robs calcium from bones. The protein in cow milk metabolizes to strong acids which can be harmful to the body. So, what does the body do? It uses calcium (from the bones) to neutralize those acids. Cow’s milk is most certainly NOT ‘nature's most perfect food’ as the milk and dairy administration would have you to believe. Instead, why not try making your own nut milks which are easy-to-make fresh, and loaded with nutrients.

Our foods are more ‘make-believe’ then ever. The further away you get from how nature created our ‘perfect whole foods’ the more likely you are to develop instances of sickness and disease. Aim for a whole-food diet, remove these 4 “foods” from your diet and enjoy vibrant health!

Sources included for this article: Never Be Sick Again

Six Reasons to Avoid Milk to Maintain Wellness

Six Reasons to Avoid Milk to Maintain Wellness

Dr. Mark Hyman explains why milk may be causing health problems. He provides six reasons why milk should be avoided to maintain wellness.

Dr. Mark Hyman: Hi, this is Doctor Mark Hyman. Today I’m going to tell you six reasons why you should avoid dairy. Got milk? Well these days it seems like almost everybody does, celebrities, athletes, even former President Clinton’s head of Health and Human Services, Donna Shalala are all proud to wear the white milk mustache.

After all, everybody knows that you need milk to be healthy, right? Not necessarily. Sure, dairy is nature’s perfect food, but only if you’re a calf. If that sounds shocking to you, it’s because very few people are willing to tell the truth about dairy.

In fact, criticizing milk in America is like taking on motherhood, apple pie or baseball, but that’s just what I’m about to do. Based on the research and my experience in practicing medicine, I typically advise most of my patients to avoid dairy products completely. I like ice cream just as much as the next person, but as a scientist I have to look honestly at what we know. In just a second I’ll explore the many ill effects that are documented from eating dairy.

Now that advice flies in the face of the new “up to date” Food Pyramid from the United States Department of Agriculture. Now the USDA’s Food Pyramid recommends drinking three glass of milk a day. What’s wrong with that? Well for one thing, it’s a recommendation that’s not based on strict science. Some of the experts who helped create the pyramid actually work for the dairy industry, which makes the US Department of Agriculture recommendations reflect industry interest, not science or our best interest.

In fact, Doctor Walter Willett, the second most cited scientist in all of clinical medicine and the head of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health is one of the most vocal critics of the US Food Pyramid. He’s even called its guidelines quote “udderly ridiculous,” as in u-d-d-e-r-l-y ridiculous. That’s not something a Harvard scientist says lightly, but Doctor Willett’s right. The pyramid just isn’t based on key scientific findings about health. Just take a look at some of the pyramid’s recommendations and why I disagree with them.

One, consume a variety of foods within and among the basic food groups while staying within your body’s energy needs. Sounds sensible, but which food groups? If you choose dairy, meats, fats, and carbohydrates, the perfect meal could be a cheeseburger, milkshake, fries with ketchup. Let’s face it, tomatoes and potatoes are vegetables, right, and they’re the two top vegetables eaten in America. Generic advice like that is pretty meaningless and potentially harmful.

The second bit of advice is control your caloric intake to manage your body weight. Again, sounds pretty good, but as I wrote in my book, UltraMetabolism, even the best trained nutritionists and dieticians cannot come close to correctly estimating their own caloric intake in a day. And is it okay to consume all of my calories from cola or ice cream as long as I stay within my caloric needs? Of course not, so this is more useless advice.

Number three, they say increase intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, non-fat or low-fat milk products. Well fruits and veggies and whole grains are great, milk not so much; I’ll get back to that in a minute.

Choose carbohydrates wisely, that’s the next bit of advice from the Food Pyramid. Who could argue with that, but how do they define ‘wisely?’ The real advice should be to cut down sugar intake from a hundred and eighty-five pounds per person per year, which is what we currently consume, to less than a pound a year, to avoid flour products, except as a treat, and stick to whole food carbohydrates like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.

The next bit of advice is to choose to prepare foods with little salt. Not bad advice, but what if not of the food you eat is packages or processed foods that you don’t actually prepare and are full of salt? Like most Americans who eat half their meals outside the homes, this isn’t healthful. So a better recommendation would be to avoid packaged, canned, processed, prepared, and fast foods unless you know exactly how they’re made.

The next bit of advice was if you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. Sounds goods, but if you’re usually drinking two bottles of wine a night, then one seems like moderation. I don’t think that’s a good suggestion. I think it’s better to limit your alcohol consumption to half a drink a day or three glasses a week; that seems to have the most benefit with the least risk.

The next tip is don’t eat unsafe foods. Well of course you shouldn’t leave your egg salad in the hot sun or toss your salad with hands and just handle raw chicken coated with salmonella, but the Food Pyramid guidelines don’t mention pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified foods despite scientific evidence of their harm; shame on the USDA.

You can now see why I have a big problem with the Food Pyramid. Mostly its guidelines try to sound sensible while still protecting the interest of the food industry, the agriculture industry, and all the lobbyists paying for the elections of Congress. Everybody’s happy, right? Well I’m not, and you shouldn’t be either. The public just isn’t served by the watered down, confusing, useless pyramid. Worse, some of the recommendations are downright harmful, like the one to drink more milk and dairy products.

According to Doctor Walter Willett, who has done many of the studies and reviewed this topic extensively, there are many reasons to pass up milk, including one, milk doesn’t reduce bone fractures. Contrary to popular belief, eating dairy has never been shown to reduce fracture risk, but dairy may actually increase the risk of fractures by fifty percent according to the large Nurses Health Study. Less dairy equals better bones. Countries with the lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption, like those in Africa and Asia, have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.

Next thing is that calcium isn’t a bone protective as we thought. Studies of calcium supplementation have shown no benefit in reducing fracture risk. Vitamin D, on the other hand, appears to be much more important than calcium in preventing practices. Also, calcium may raise cancer risk. Research shows that higher intakes of both calcium and dairy products may increase a man’s risk of prostate cancer by thirty to fifty percent. Plus, dairy consumption increases the body’s level of insulin-like growth factor 1, a known cancer promoter.

Calcium has benefits that dairy doesn’t. Calcium supplements, but not dairy products, may reduce the risk of colon cancer. And another problem with dairy is that not everyone can stomach dairy. About seventy-five percent or three quarters of the world’s population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products, a problem called lactose intolerance.

So based on such findings, Doctor Walter Willett has come to some important conclusions. One, everyone needs calcium, but probably not as much as our government’s recommended daily allowance of fifteen hundred milligrams a day.

Two, calcium probably doesn’t prevent broken bones. Few people in this country are likely to reduce their fracture risk by getting more calcium. Three, men may not want to take calcium supplements; supplements of calcium and vitamin D may be reasonable for women. And four, dairy may be unhealthy. Advocating dairy consumption may have negative effects on health. Now this is from Doctor Walter Willett, not me, so you should think about your next glass of milk.

If all of that isn’t enough to swear you off milk, there are a few other scientific findings worth noting. First, the Federal Trade Commission recently asked the USDA to look into the scientific basis of claims made in their milk mustache ads. Their panel of scientists stated the truth clearly. Number one, milk doesn’t benefit sports performance. Number two, there’s no evidence that dairy is good for your bones or prevents osteoporosis.

In fact, the animal protein in it may actually help cause bone loss. Number three, dairy is linked to prostate cancer. Number four, it’s full of saturated fat and it’s linked to heart disease. Number five, dairy causes digestive problems for seventy-five percent of people with lactose intolerance. And number six, dairy aggravates irritable bowel syndrome. Simply put, the FTC asked the dairy industry ‘got proof,’ and the answer was no. Plus, dairy may contribute to more health problems like allergies, sinus issues, ear infections, type I diabetes, chronic constipation, and anemia in children.

But what about raw milk, isn’t that a healthier form of dairy? Well not really. Yes, raw, whole, organic milk eliminates some of the concerns, like pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and the effects of homogenization and pasteurization, but to me these benefits don’t outweigh dairy’s potential risk. From an evolutionary point of view, milk is a strange food for humans. Until ten thousand years ago, we didn’t domesticate animals, and we weren’t able to drink milk unless some brave hunter gatherer milked a wild tiger or a buffalo.

Now most scientists agree that it’s better for us to get calcium, potassium, protein, and fats from other sources, like whole plant foods, vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and seaweed, great source of minerals. Convinced yet? Well here’s my advice for dealing with dairy. If you want healthy bones, take vitamin D, don’t rely on dairy.

Get your calcium from dark leafy vegetables, sesame tahini, sea vegetables, or sardines or salmon with the bones in it. And try giving up all dairy, and see how you feel after a few weeks. And if you can tolerate dairy, only use raw organic dairy products, preferably fermented products like yogurt or kefir.

Still got milk? I hope not. Remember, dairy is not crucial for good health. I encourage you to go dairy-free and see what it does for you.

Source: iHealthTube