Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Milk: It does a Body Good
There are so many myths and phrases out there about milk. Let's analyze a few of them.
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/natural_cures/a/true-or-false-warm-milk-can-help-you-fall-asleep
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/04/health/04real.html
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/natural_cures/a/true-or-false-warm-milk-can-help-you-fall-asleep
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/04/health/04real.html
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Reform your Water Ways
So, what have I learned in my brief study about drinking water?
Well, first off I am reminded that I don't drink enough water. Drinking water in and of itself isn't going to make you lose weight, but it is crucial to drink water in addition to watching your diet and exersizing. Burning fat releases waste products, and your body needs to have enough water to flush these elements from your body. Also, the liver requires water in order to process fat. So if you are dehydrated, then you will not burn as much fat. Additionally, as you exersize, your muscles lose glycogen (i.e. stored energy), and in order to refuel your muscle, the energy (glucose) must be bound to water.
Secondly, I also realized that I probably need more water than I think. You don't just base your body's need for water on your height. It is also based on weight and level of excersize.
Here is a helpful chart I found:
Thirdly, I realized that I should be more consistent about how I consume water. Typically, I gulp down a couple of glasses right before I climb into bed. It is better to drink water slowly throughout the day, as otherwise most of it will just pass right through my body.
Well, first off I am reminded that I don't drink enough water. Drinking water in and of itself isn't going to make you lose weight, but it is crucial to drink water in addition to watching your diet and exersizing. Burning fat releases waste products, and your body needs to have enough water to flush these elements from your body. Also, the liver requires water in order to process fat. So if you are dehydrated, then you will not burn as much fat. Additionally, as you exersize, your muscles lose glycogen (i.e. stored energy), and in order to refuel your muscle, the energy (glucose) must be bound to water.
Secondly, I also realized that I probably need more water than I think. You don't just base your body's need for water on your height. It is also based on weight and level of excersize.
Here is a helpful chart I found:
Thirdly, I realized that I should be more consistent about how I consume water. Typically, I gulp down a couple of glasses right before I climb into bed. It is better to drink water slowly throughout the day, as otherwise most of it will just pass right through my body.
Diuretics
So, what is a diuretic? There is an amalgam of differing definitions out there. Just how many ways can you say the same thing? (lol)
diuretic:
Diuretic foods or supplements having nothing to do with lowering body fat, but will help the body to release fluid. There are certain herbs and foods that are natural diuretics.
Diuretics- Intended to shift water quickly through the body, diuretics are often prescribed for heart patients because they reduce blood pressure. Diuretic abuse is another method of purging.
Diuretics and laxatives can cause temporary weight loss by causing the body to shed water. But as soon as the body is rehydrated, the weight returns. Meaningful weight loss requires loss of body fat.
Diuretics (water-eliminating)
Taking diuretics often leads to a loss of potassium in the body.
Diuretics. The weight you lose is only water weight. The loss is temporary and doesn't include any fat. Diuretics can promote dangerous dehydration and cardiac problems.
**Caffeine is a diuretic and can cause fluid loss - so remember to drink extra water if you're having coffee.
(for more info see: http://www.freedieting.com/weight_loss_tips_drink.htm)
(http://www.freedieting.com/drinking_water.htm)
diuretic:
- increases urine flow
- a drug that lowers blood pressure by stimulating fluid loss and promoting the production of urine
- an agent that promotes urine production and flow
- A drug that increases the amount of water in the urine, removing excess water from the body; used in treating high blood pressure and fluid retention
Diuretic foods or supplements having nothing to do with lowering body fat, but will help the body to release fluid. There are certain herbs and foods that are natural diuretics.
Diuretics- Intended to shift water quickly through the body, diuretics are often prescribed for heart patients because they reduce blood pressure. Diuretic abuse is another method of purging.
Diuretics and laxatives can cause temporary weight loss by causing the body to shed water. But as soon as the body is rehydrated, the weight returns. Meaningful weight loss requires loss of body fat.
Diuretics (water-eliminating)
Taking diuretics often leads to a loss of potassium in the body.
Diuretics. The weight you lose is only water weight. The loss is temporary and doesn't include any fat. Diuretics can promote dangerous dehydration and cardiac problems.
**Caffeine is a diuretic and can cause fluid loss - so remember to drink extra water if you're having coffee.
(for more info see: http://www.freedieting.com/weight_loss_tips_drink.htm)
(http://www.freedieting.com/drinking_water.htm)
Monday, September 22, 2008
Yes or No
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_benefits_of_tea
http://www.openbible.info/topics/moderation
Start researching tea and you will find that researchers have all kinds of things to say. Some say tea helps reduce the risk of cancer, some say it doesn't. Some say it reduces the risk of some types of cancer, but increases the risk of others. And so on and so forth.
The more I study the benefits of various foods the more firm I am in my belief that moderation in all foods and beverages is key. If you overdose on a particular food, even if it is a healthy food, it is not beneficial to your body. On the flip side of that, it is not a huge problem to eat food that is considered "unhealthy" as long as you don't do it frequently or a lot at a time.
Here is what my sister has to say on the topic:
"Yes it is very good to eat everything in moderation. Although what is moderate for one person may not be for another. The key is to find out your personal needs based on sex, age, size, activity level etc. Oh a really good book to read is 'The Eat Clean Diet.' The book is very healthy and is not full of dangerous diet fads and trends."
"Oh, tea is good, but you need to consume lots of water along with it. Both coffee and tea take a lot of water to digest. They act as mild diuretics, even though they contain lots of water."
http://www.openbible.info/topics/moderation
Start researching tea and you will find that researchers have all kinds of things to say. Some say tea helps reduce the risk of cancer, some say it doesn't. Some say it reduces the risk of some types of cancer, but increases the risk of others. And so on and so forth.
The more I study the benefits of various foods the more firm I am in my belief that moderation in all foods and beverages is key. If you overdose on a particular food, even if it is a healthy food, it is not beneficial to your body. On the flip side of that, it is not a huge problem to eat food that is considered "unhealthy" as long as you don't do it frequently or a lot at a time.
Here is what my sister has to say on the topic:
"Yes it is very good to eat everything in moderation. Although what is moderate for one person may not be for another. The key is to find out your personal needs based on sex, age, size, activity level etc. Oh a really good book to read is 'The Eat Clean Diet.' The book is very healthy and is not full of dangerous diet fads and trends."
"Oh, tea is good, but you need to consume lots of water along with it. Both coffee and tea take a lot of water to digest. They act as mild diuretics, even though they contain lots of water."
Friday, September 19, 2008
The "Teas" Have It
Perhaps I buy into the culture's idea of beauty too much. I brush my teeth every day, but when I look in the mirror my teeth seem unnaturally yellow. So, I'll go through this phase where I drink a lot of tea. Then I will think about teeth stains and only drink light tea or drink tea through a coffee straw. Sometimes I don't like to drink dark tea, because I freak out and think it is staining my already naturally yellow teeth. On the other hand, drinking Tea is supposed to be quite healthy for you. If I like the taste and it is really healthy for you, why should I not drink it?
Metabolism
Real Age's website asserts that a study shows that extracts from green tea helped men burn 17 percent more fat during a 30-minute cardio workout. Researchers are not sure how green tea helps metabolism, but suspect that it somehow makes fat more available as fuel and thus helps you oxidize more of it when you exercise. So, green tea could help you burn calories and loose weight, assuming you exercise of course.
Cancer
Green tea also contains many polyphenols which reduce the risk of breast, stomach, esophagus, colon, and prostate cancer. How? It appears to prevent cancer cells from growing and stopping the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need to thrive.
Steady Blood Pressure
Green Tea helps keep blood vessels from contracting and raising your blood pressure. I wouldn't say that it will lower your blood pressure, but it supposedly helps stabilize it.
Memory Loss
Green tea also appears to prevent memory loss, when adults drink at least two cups a day. The tea's big dose of antioxidants fights the free-radical damage to brain nerves seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Good for the Heart
It also helps prevent buildup in your blood vessels and arteries, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes. It also helps you have more energy.
Metabolism
Real Age's website asserts that a study shows that extracts from green tea helped men burn 17 percent more fat during a 30-minute cardio workout. Researchers are not sure how green tea helps metabolism, but suspect that it somehow makes fat more available as fuel and thus helps you oxidize more of it when you exercise. So, green tea could help you burn calories and loose weight, assuming you exercise of course.
Cancer
Green tea also contains many polyphenols which reduce the risk of breast, stomach, esophagus, colon, and prostate cancer. How? It appears to prevent cancer cells from growing and stopping the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need to thrive.
Steady Blood Pressure
Green Tea helps keep blood vessels from contracting and raising your blood pressure. I wouldn't say that it will lower your blood pressure, but it supposedly helps stabilize it.
Memory Loss
Green tea also appears to prevent memory loss, when adults drink at least two cups a day. The tea's big dose of antioxidants fights the free-radical damage to brain nerves seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Good for the Heart
It also helps prevent buildup in your blood vessels and arteries, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes. It also helps you have more energy.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Supersize Me
A few years ago, my sister Rachel and I watched the "Supersize Me." Wow! Shocking facts! Let me say, we didn't eat at McDonald's for at least 2 years after watching that documentary. Now granted McDonald's has tried to get a little healthier after that came out, but still... how healthy could it have gotten?
As we watched the movie, we gave each other stunned looks. Then I said, "pause it I am going to start taking notes." Rachel got excited at that, "Oh yes!" Then I think we rewound it a bit kept pausing it throughout.
Here are my discombobulated notes that I typed up on Rachel's computer, as we watched the documentary:
* 1 in 3 kids born in the year 2000 will get diabetes
*doctors claimed that the guy might gain a little weight, have increased cholesterol, and raised level of triglycerides... they had no idea what would happen
*he could only eat food from McDonald's & had to try everything on the menu at least once
*McDonald’s claimed in response to arguments “it is also a matter of common knowledge that any processing that its food undergo serve to make them more harmful than unprocessed foods.
*McDonald's claims to have served over 99 billion and each day services 46 million customers, with 13,000 outlets in the United States, and has a 43 percent share of the United States fast food market.
* Judge Robert Sweete called mcnuggets “A Mcfrankinstein creation of various elements not utilized by the home cook.” I.E water, salt, modified corn starch, sodium phospates, chicken broth poweder, dimethylpolysiloxan added as an anti-foaming agent, sodium acid prophosphate, monocalcium phosphate....
*mcnugetts made from old chickens with unusually large breasts
*symptoms include pressure on chest (day 7)
*did we say that he found a McDonalds that delivers for free!!!
*took a cab so he didn’t have to walk to imitate typical americans
*withing a week he had gained like 10 pounds
* former surgeon general David Satcher, MD is the first to address obesity in americans in 2000, called it a “national epedemic” saying that if obesity is left unaddressed it will surpass smoking as the number one preventable cause of death
*the average american sees 10,000 food advertisements on tv per year and 95 percent are for sugar foods or fast food
*2001 mcdonald’s 1.4 billion dollars worldwide in its direct media
*only half of the mcdonalds’ in manhattan had nutrition posted on the wall
*serving size for meat is the same size as a deck of cards (3 oz.) Prof of nutrition, New York University Lisa Young PhD, RD, CDN.... in restaraunts it is 4-5x this.
*17 lbs. Gained in 12 days
*school lunch lines are the worst for fast food
*texas has 5 of the top 15 fattest cities = number 1 is houston (now Detroit)
*calorie = measure of energy content of food (1 cal.is amount of engergy needed to raise temp. of a liter of water by 1 degree centigrade)
*exhausted by the end of the day and gets jacked up on caffeine
*there are only 7 items on the menu that contain no sugar - fries, mcnuggets, hashbrown, sausage, diet coke, coffee, tea (but you add sugar to these)
* even salads contain sugar!
*it cracks me up how his girlfriend is a vegan
* his liver thickens
*liver enzymes started at 21 and sky rocket to 290 (10-fold increase) - all this from a high fat diet!! Your liver is very resilient and heals itself.
*neal barnard MD - physicians committee for responsible medicine - says it is a drug effect that keeps bringing people back for more food, not the taste
*72% of people are heavy users according to mcdonalds’ standards (once a week)
*super heavy-users eat 3 or 4 times a week (about 22%)
* only 2 out of 100 nutritionists say you should eat fast food 2x a week, 95 agree that it is a major contributor to obesity, 28 said once a week to once or twice a month, 45 said you should never eat it
*laparascopic surgery - arrgghh
*day 21 - difficulty breathing, very hot, felt like he was having heart palpatations, chest pain
* in danger of kidney stones, liver pickling - doc warns him to stop
*day 22 - still going (what an idiot)
*day 25 Washington D.C.
* at the end of this month I will have eaten as much mc’s as most nutritionists say you should eat in 8 years
*name: Morgan Spurlock
*detox diet - important
*final weigh in = 210 lb. (from 185.5 lb) 24.5 lbs gained
*cholesterol 230,
*body fat from 11 to 18% (national average for men is 22 & women is 30)
*head aches, mood swings, depressed and exhausted, 2x more likely to have heart failure/disease, fat liver, massive cravings
*McGriddle -on of fattest sandwiches to date
*the new ranch chicken salad with dressing has more calories than a Big Mac and 51 grams of fat
*30 lbs of sugar, 12 lbs of fat in a month Morgan consumed
* in march 2004 congress passed the “cheeseburger bill” which would make it illegal for people to sue food companies for making them obese
*detroit is now the fattest city in american, not to be outdone, texas moved three more cities into the top 10
*morgan was asked to super size 9 times during the month... 5 of them in texas
*it took 8 weeks to get liver functions back to normal (detox)
*it took 5 months to lose 20 lbs. and another 9months to lose the last 4.5
Judge Robert Sweete describes Mc Nuggets as “A Mcfrankinstein creation of various elements not utilized by the home cook.” Mc Donalds lovers be ware. Did you know that McNuggets contains anti-foaming agents? (Seriously) Or get this, the Ranch Chicken Salad with dressing has more calories than a Big Mac and contains 51 grams of fat. Oh, and I can’t forget to say that there are only 7 foods on the menu that do not contain sugar: fries, Mc Nuggets, hashbrowns , sausage, diet coke, coffee, and tea. Although, most of those foods you add sugar to anyway (i.e ketchup, BBQ sauce).
Morgan Spurlock documents the affects of eating McDonalds for 30 days. (What idiot would do this is beyond me, but it did prove highly imformative.) In 30 days, he gained almost 25 pounds and picklized his liver!
As we watched the movie, we gave each other stunned looks. Then I said, "pause it I am going to start taking notes." Rachel got excited at that, "Oh yes!" Then I think we rewound it a bit kept pausing it throughout.
Here are my discombobulated notes that I typed up on Rachel's computer, as we watched the documentary:
* 1 in 3 kids born in the year 2000 will get diabetes
*doctors claimed that the guy might gain a little weight, have increased cholesterol, and raised level of triglycerides... they had no idea what would happen
*he could only eat food from McDonald's & had to try everything on the menu at least once
*McDonald’s claimed in response to arguments “it is also a matter of common knowledge that any processing that its food undergo serve to make them more harmful than unprocessed foods.
*McDonald's claims to have served over 99 billion and each day services 46 million customers, with 13,000 outlets in the United States, and has a 43 percent share of the United States fast food market.
* Judge Robert Sweete called mcnuggets “A Mcfrankinstein creation of various elements not utilized by the home cook.” I.E water, salt, modified corn starch, sodium phospates, chicken broth poweder, dimethylpolysiloxan added as an anti-foaming agent, sodium acid prophosphate, monocalcium phosphate....
*mcnugetts made from old chickens with unusually large breasts
*symptoms include pressure on chest (day 7)
*did we say that he found a McDonalds that delivers for free!!!
*took a cab so he didn’t have to walk to imitate typical americans
*withing a week he had gained like 10 pounds
* former surgeon general David Satcher, MD is the first to address obesity in americans in 2000, called it a “national epedemic” saying that if obesity is left unaddressed it will surpass smoking as the number one preventable cause of death
*the average american sees 10,000 food advertisements on tv per year and 95 percent are for sugar foods or fast food
*2001 mcdonald’s 1.4 billion dollars worldwide in its direct media
*only half of the mcdonalds’ in manhattan had nutrition posted on the wall
*serving size for meat is the same size as a deck of cards (3 oz.) Prof of nutrition, New York University Lisa Young PhD, RD, CDN.... in restaraunts it is 4-5x this.
*17 lbs. Gained in 12 days
*school lunch lines are the worst for fast food
*texas has 5 of the top 15 fattest cities = number 1 is houston (now Detroit)
*calorie = measure of energy content of food (1 cal.is amount of engergy needed to raise temp. of a liter of water by 1 degree centigrade)
*exhausted by the end of the day and gets jacked up on caffeine
*there are only 7 items on the menu that contain no sugar - fries, mcnuggets, hashbrown, sausage, diet coke, coffee, tea (but you add sugar to these)
* even salads contain sugar!
*it cracks me up how his girlfriend is a vegan
* his liver thickens
*liver enzymes started at 21 and sky rocket to 290 (10-fold increase) - all this from a high fat diet!! Your liver is very resilient and heals itself.
*neal barnard MD - physicians committee for responsible medicine - says it is a drug effect that keeps bringing people back for more food, not the taste
*72% of people are heavy users according to mcdonalds’ standards (once a week)
*super heavy-users eat 3 or 4 times a week (about 22%)
* only 2 out of 100 nutritionists say you should eat fast food 2x a week, 95 agree that it is a major contributor to obesity, 28 said once a week to once or twice a month, 45 said you should never eat it
*laparascopic surgery - arrgghh
*day 21 - difficulty breathing, very hot, felt like he was having heart palpatations, chest pain
* in danger of kidney stones, liver pickling - doc warns him to stop
*day 22 - still going (what an idiot)
*day 25 Washington D.C.
* at the end of this month I will have eaten as much mc’s as most nutritionists say you should eat in 8 years
*name: Morgan Spurlock
*detox diet - important
*final weigh in = 210 lb. (from 185.5 lb) 24.5 lbs gained
*cholesterol 230,
*body fat from 11 to 18% (national average for men is 22 & women is 30)
*head aches, mood swings, depressed and exhausted, 2x more likely to have heart failure/disease, fat liver, massive cravings
*McGriddle -on of fattest sandwiches to date
*the new ranch chicken salad with dressing has more calories than a Big Mac and 51 grams of fat
*30 lbs of sugar, 12 lbs of fat in a month Morgan consumed
* in march 2004 congress passed the “cheeseburger bill” which would make it illegal for people to sue food companies for making them obese
*detroit is now the fattest city in american, not to be outdone, texas moved three more cities into the top 10
*morgan was asked to super size 9 times during the month... 5 of them in texas
*it took 8 weeks to get liver functions back to normal (detox)
*it took 5 months to lose 20 lbs. and another 9months to lose the last 4.5
Judge Robert Sweete describes Mc Nuggets as “A Mcfrankinstein creation of various elements not utilized by the home cook.” Mc Donalds lovers be ware. Did you know that McNuggets contains anti-foaming agents? (Seriously) Or get this, the Ranch Chicken Salad with dressing has more calories than a Big Mac and contains 51 grams of fat. Oh, and I can’t forget to say that there are only 7 foods on the menu that do not contain sugar: fries, Mc Nuggets, hashbrowns , sausage, diet coke, coffee, and tea. Although, most of those foods you add sugar to anyway (i.e ketchup, BBQ sauce).
Morgan Spurlock documents the affects of eating McDonalds for 30 days. (What idiot would do this is beyond me, but it did prove highly imformative.) In 30 days, he gained almost 25 pounds and picklized his liver!
The beginnings
Okay, some of you may be wondering why the word "mouthfeel"? And yes, it is a real word. It refers to "the sensation created by food or drink in the mouth."
Well, I like the word mouthfeel, and I don't hear it used that much. God wants us to enjoy the sensation of taste, otherwise He wouldn't have created us with taste as one of our five senses. We can rejoice in the "mouthfeel" that He has given. However, we also need to take stewardship in healthy living, not only for our own good, but also because as Christians our bodies our temples of the Holy Spirit.
This site is dedicated to health: healthy eating, exercise, organic food etc.
Well, I like the word mouthfeel, and I don't hear it used that much. God wants us to enjoy the sensation of taste, otherwise He wouldn't have created us with taste as one of our five senses. We can rejoice in the "mouthfeel" that He has given. However, we also need to take stewardship in healthy living, not only for our own good, but also because as Christians our bodies our temples of the Holy Spirit.
This site is dedicated to health: healthy eating, exercise, organic food etc.
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