Why You Should Have a Varied Diet - Even If You Suffer Food Intolerance

By Charlie Monaghan Carter

If you are among the ever increasing number of people who
must restrict their diet due to food intolerances, you will
know that staying within the guidelines can be tough.

If you have a fairly common allergy or intolerance such as
dairy or gluten, then finding foods that are dairy or gluten
free isn't too difficult, its when the intolerances get more
intricate and uncommon that they become a problem. Also,
another big problem for people with food intolerances is
eating out at a restaurant for example. A lot of the time,
chefs will not understand the implications of a given food
on a person with intolerances.

A well-intentioned chef may sometimes put a little flour
into a sauce to thicken it up, believing that such a small
amount will not trigger the intolerance. If the person does
not seize up and start choking there and then, they believe
all is well and the trace of flour went unnoticed. However
it is not until the food is digested that the intolerance
takes effect around an hour after its consumed, and then the
effects can last for several days.

Eating out is therefore very difficult for people with
intolerances to common foods, and as it is very difficult to
find good food that doesn't contain the common foodstuffs
that people are intolerant to, you will soon find that
eating out becomes a bigger and bigger risk.

For the sake of your health, it is of the utmost importance
that you avoid all foods that you have an intolerance to. It
is very hard work for your body to process these foods and
so to allow it to recover, you should stick to foods that
you know your body can handle. Having said that, if you
start eating just a few foods that you know aren't going to
upset you, you may find that you begin developing
intolerances to them as well.

For this reason it is important to maintain as wide a diet
as possible. This is sometimes difficult if people have many
allergies, a lot of the time people will find foods that
don't upset them, and stick to them so as to avoid triggering
the intolerances. However, you should try to keep eating as
wide a range of foods as you can to avoid slowly but surely
becoming intolerant to everything.

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Why You Should Go Organic

In today’s society – with an ever vigilant eye towards health consciousness – we are forever in search of those factors that will give us the edge in achieving maximum health. As we’ve learned, a healthy diet, a consistent regime of physical activity, and plenty of rest all has a profound impact on our overall vitality. Subsequently, there has been an overwhelming group of people that swear by the benefit of organic food.

Produced by organic farms, organic food is grown under strict government supervision. Under these guidelines, organic produce is grown and packaged without the use of any chemicals or pesticides. Traditionally grown, non-organic produce is subjected to a myriad of chemicals – most of which are have not been studied thoroughly enough to understand or contemplate their long-term effects on the human body. Researchers are still undecided as to whether or not these chemicals can be linked to everything from food allergies to certain types of cancer. The benefit of organic food is that they are not subjected to these unreliable substances.

Meat and dairy produced under organic guidelines are also chemical free. Traditional agricultural farmers often subject livestock to a bevy of chemical supplements designed to speed their growth and weight. Further, dairy cows are often given chemicals to increase their milk production. The benefit of organic food is that livestock is given only organic feed that is chemical and supplement free.

Another benefit of organic food is its advantage to the environment. Traditionally grown produce are treated with chemicals; naturally the chemicals are then in the soil, changing the landscape and contaminating the ground and surrounding water supplies. The benefit of organic food is the ground in which it is grown is left unchanged.

Making a commitment to organic food means making a commitment to your health; the benefit of organic food lies in the chemical free enjoyment of natural whole food. Further, the benefits to the environment are varied and long lasting. The decision to go organic is a healthy and responsible one.

Which Whey Protein Should You Use - Concentrate Or Isolate?

By Dr. Lorna Mistranski

Whey protein isolate and whey protein powder concentrate is
an inquiry very frequently asked. This question without a
doubt is one that has crossed the minds of many aspiring
weight lifters when staring at the shelves of various kinds
of whey protein powder available in the health food
supermarket.

Which whey protein should you be using; concentrate or
isolate?

The most imperative differentiation amid the two is that
Isolate is processed at deeper levels so that the fat and
lactose are removed. This more involved system provides a
higher quality of protein. The fact is that over 90% of whey
protein powder isolate is protein calculated by weight.

This is valuable as lesser levels of fat are a benefit for
the regular daily diet of bodybuilders and when whey is
utilized for the purpose of losing weight.

Decreased lactose levels are also a positive for individuals
who are lactose intolerant and can also diminish the chance
of that bloated feeling that can go along with some protein
supplements. There are some side effects to using whey
protein isolate nonetheless.

Although whey has a high protein ratio, isolate powder will
be a little higher in price. The procedure isolate goes
through to filter out the key compounds is significantly
more rigorous as it remove the components that are known as
alpha lactoglobulins and lactoferrins which is vital immune
boosters.

Whey concentrate has lesser protein available and the
protein content can range anywhere between 29% in upwards of
89% in some brands. Whey concentrate protein contains higher
levels of lactose so anyone who suffers from lactose
intolerance should to be very aware.

Concentrate however cost less so this can be a better
alternative depending on what your budget is. Whey
concentrate also is low in levels of cholesterol, which is
another benefit to consider for your diet.

Overall, dietary and medical conditions call for action to
be taken into consideration when choosing the kind of whey
protein powder you prefer.

Isolate whey powder may have the slight edge in regards to
the biological value (BV) and will make available to you
more value for your money if you are needing a higher
dosage per serving of whey protein.

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offers good instruction when you are looking for which diet
solution is ideal for you. She also has an informative blog
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diet pills trials available and which ones to avoid.

3 Natural Remedies To Reduce & Eliminate Eczema For Good

By Angela Owen

How to cure eczema is a common question which many people
around the world will ask as this is a common skin condition
which can be embarrassing. This condition can often times be
unpleasant to experience with symptoms such as dry skin,
itchiness and redness. Here are 3 natural remedies for
eczema that will help you reduce and eliminate this
condition for good.

1. Regularly use creams that contain herbal ingredients

Dry skin will only make the affected areas worse so be sure
to keep your skin regularly moisturized throughout the day
to prevent this from happening. Natural ingredients such as
vitamin E and aloe vera contain healing properties which
will reduce swelling and soothe the irritation. Studies have
shown that creams containing herbal ingredients
significantly reduce redness and itching compared to regular
creams.

2. Stay away from external irritants and allergens

Every individual is different but common triggers of eczema
include allergens or irritants such as dairy products,
shampoo and soap. Avoiding those things that cause allergic
reactions is important so you need to be able to identify
it. Be sure to wear clothes made of 100% cotton as this
reduces itching and to wash and steam clean your clothes and
bed sheets on a regular basis.

3. Eat meals that are healthy and lower stress levels

Lifestyle changes that you will need to implement include
eating healthy meals while doing away with anything that is
processed or unnatural. To control eczema, boosting your
immune system will prove to be beneficial so be sure to get
essential vitamins and nutrients that your body needs.
Another contributing factor that may trigger eczema is high
levels of stress so it's important to lower these levels as
much as you can.

When it comes to how to cure eczema, it's important to keep
your skin regularly moisturized throughout the day so
moisture does not escape. Be sure to stay away from those
external allergens which may be triggering or worsening the
symptoms and to eat healthy meals.

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Why You Should Eat Alkalizing Foods

By Anthony Gutierrez

Is food acidic or alkaline? It is hard to tell. For example,
once lemons are digested they are basic or alkaline even
though they are acidic to start with. Eating a significant
amount of alkalizing foods is important to balance a raw
food diet.

Spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens and broccoli, the
first green leafy vegetables, are great alkalizing agents.
Wild edible grasses are also alkalizing.

Fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, cilantro, basil, garlic) as well
as grasses (e.g. wheat, barley grass); Sprouts; Sea
Vegetables (e.g. kelp, nori, dulse, spirulina, blue green
algae). Finally, medicinal mushrooms like shitake maitake
and reishi are good to make the body more basic.

Balance is all about life. When speaking of body pH levels
the universal truth is profound. The human body needs to
stay at a certain pH level. To measure the levels of Ph you
would use a scale from zero to 14, where zero is very
acidic, 7 is neutral and 14 is very alkaline.

In the human body, the pH of blood must remain at a slightly
alkaline level of 7.35-7.45. To keep you healthy and
maintain the blood pH some of the body's other fluids are
maintained at different pH levels. Your cells and organs are
constantly working and filtering what you eat to sustain
these pH levels throughout the body.

Bacteria, viruses, yeast and other harmful organisms thrive
when the blood system is more acidic. It is important that
the pH is balanced for your total well being. If the pH
balance is on the alkaline end of the scale it creates an
uninviting environment for things that make you ill.
Consuming more alkaline foods than acid foods is important
and beneficial to your overall fitness.

As consumers learn more about nutrition, many are realizing
that a specific ratio of alkaline foods to acid foods
determines pH balance and overall health. Human blood
registers about 7.4 on the pH scale, which means that it is
naturally alkaline. In order to maintain this level, the
body needs the proper balance of alkaline foods to acid
foods.

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Ataxin-7 Conserved Motifs Determine the Severity of the Neurodegenerative Disorder Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7 in Transgenic Mice and Influence Lifespan in Yeast

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is an autosomal dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disorder whose characteristic features are cerebellar ataxia, dysarthria, and retinal cone-rod dystrophy culminating in blindness. SCA7 is caused by an abnormally long glutamine-coding CAG repeat in the SCA7 gene, which encodes the protein Ataxin-7.

Ataxin-7 contains several conserved motifs that may influence the toxicity of the glutamine tract. Among these are three conserved regions (conserved block I – III), two caspase-7 cleavage sites, a nuclear export signal and two monopartite nuclear localization signals (NLS). Previous investigations have shown that the caspase-7 cleavage site D266 is required for the full toxicity of the Ataxin-7 protein in cell culture. We generated SCA7 transgenic mice expressing a 92 CAG version of the human SCA7 cDNA, with and without a D266N mutation. Mice carrying the D266N mutation were protected from SCA7-like neurodegeneration, behavioral signs and shortened lifespan.

To further characterize the role of conserved motifs in SCA7 pathology, we generated SCA7 transgenic mice carrying point mutations in both C-terminal NLSs (KKRK -> KAAK). Previous work has shown that nuclear localization is an important step in the pathology of CAG repeat disorders. We observed that mice lacking C-terminal NLS activity were substantially protected from degeneration of the retina and cerebellum, SCA7-like behavioral signs and shortened lifespan.

Age is the primary risk factor for neurodegenerative disease. Even in the absence of overt disease, the aging brain shows histopathological and molecular changes reminiscent of neurodegeneration. To explore the link between neurodegenerative disease and aging, we have examined the replicative lifespan of Saccharomyces cerevisiae missing the SCA7 ortholog, SGF73. This strain exhibits an unusually long lifespan, which is dependent on the function of the NAD+-dependent deacetylase SIR2. We present evidence that the extended lifespan of the SGF73 null strain is due to the influence of Sgf73 on the activity of Sir2 and the histone deubiquitinase Ubp8. Furthermore, we show that the level of ubiquitinated H2B is elevated in an SCA7 transgenic mouse line, indicating that an alteration in Ubp8 activity may play a role in SCA7 pathology and that aging and neurodegeneration may share a common mechanism.

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Health And Fitness Apps For Your iPhone

By Thom Yarbrough

Technology might have made us lazier than we ought to be,
but there are some ways in which we can actually reverse the
process and make technology work for us so we can become
healthier. Some people might be aware of the various apps on
iTunes which help you regain your health and fitness
patterns as before, but there are so many of them out there
that we often don't know which ones would be most helpful
for us. Here's a look at some of these apps for your iPhone
which will help you regain a measure of fitness at least.

Yoga Tutorial

It's clear that yoga helps not just in physical fitness but
also mental, it helps let go of feelings of stress toward
life. While all of us have a keen interest in learning yoga
to better our lives and bodies, we often don't know where to
begin. The Yoga Tutorial in iTunes is all you need to know
about yoga app that will help you be more aware before you
begin your tryst with the magic of yoga. With this app, you
will be connected to various videos that demonstrate how
yoga needs to be performed accurately, and also give you
numerous yoga related songs that are sure to give you a
sense of relaxation.

Eight Glasses a Day

We've heard it a million times, we've tried to practice it,
but it just gets so hard to remember to drink eight glasses
of water every day for a healthy body. Our forgetfulness
usually leads us to drink about four or five glasses a day
and that's about it. What if you could keep track of the
number of glasses of water you've had in a day? Wouldn't
that be so convenient? Now that is possible with the Eight
Glasses a Day app that will do the job of reminding you!
Once you get this app for your iPhone, you'll see eight full
glasses of water on your screen, and as you drink a glass of
water all you need to do is tap tone glass, which will then
show as empty! If you do finish all eight glasses in a day,
you'll get the benefit of some cool facts as to why drinking
water helps us. Just what the doctor ordered!

Six Pack App

If you've always craved to have the body of a model,
especially the rock hard six pack abs, then this app might
put you on a path towards realizing that dream. Download the
Six Pack App from iTunes and check out the different
exercises, more than 400 pictures and detailed descriptions
on how to target your chest, shoulders, back, legs, biceps
and triceps. Surely a valuable app for the fitness fanatic,
and what's more, it's completely free!

Meal Diary

Often we tend to put on weight because of binging on food
and eating more than we should. How does one keep track of
all that one eats during a day? Earlier on, experts
suggested using a diary to keep track of intake of meals,
but in the new iPhone age, that seems redundant, because you
can achieve better results with the Meal Diary app on your
phone. With two taps you can make sure that you know just
how much your intake is and how many calories you have
burnt. You can also classify meals on the basis of whether
they are small, medium or large and it's very easy to make
this a part of your regular routine.

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Natural healing exercise will help your stomach and weight loss

The simplest and most natural way to lose weight is by this effortless two minute exercise.

Begin by lying flat on your back and relax. If your are right handed use your right hand, and if you are left handed use your left hand. Place the palm of your hand on your navel then gently rub in a clockwise direction from the centre of the navel gradually expanding the movement in a circular motion until the upper and lower limits of the stomach and abdomen are rubbed. When you have done this work in the opposite direction, ie anti-clockwise, again in circular motions until you reach the navel once more.

What is happening is that you are brushing energy within your body, this gently massages the intestines, the blood vessels, and the digestive and eliminatory systems. Fatty accumulations and deposits are broken up and passed out of the body.

The exercise should take about two minutes, and be done twice each day. If you persist with the exercise it could aid weight loss, improve the condition of your heart and other internal organs. Blood vessels will gradually be strengthened. It will aid your digestion, and increase your vitality.
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FiveFingers in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness

I recently bought a pair of Vibram FiveFingers Sprint (pictured). They're minimal, lightweight shoes with "toes". They're designed to mimic barefoot walking as closely as possible, while protecting the feet from punctures and abrasion. The soles are thin, flexible and offer no padding whatsoever.

I've always been a barefoot walker, because our feet evolved to be nude (or close to it). Besides feeling amazing, walking barefoot allows the body to express proper biomechanics. My feet have become tougher over time, but I still can't handle a rough trail barefoot.

When I first put the FiveFingers on, my initial thought was "these don't feel as much like being barefoot as I wish they did". Simply having something between your skin and the ground makes your feet much less sensitive. But I got used to them quickly, eventually using them for my parkour training.

I had a few converstions with my parkour instructor Rafe Kelley, during which I realized I had to re-teach myself how to walk and run correctly. Rafe is well-versed in natural human movement due to his background in MovNat, gymnastics, martial arts, strength training, parkour and anthropology. Modern shoes allow us to walk and run in a way that our bodies did not evolve to tolerate. The padding in shoes allows us to take large steps, in which we overshoot our center of gravity and contact the ground in a jarring manner. It also allows us to strike with our heels when we run, which is not comfortable when you're barefoot.

I took the FiveFingers on a 13-mile hike in the Alpine Lakes wilderness with a few friends last weekend. The Pacific Northwest has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. I was expecting to use the shoes for a few miles and then swap them for my lightweight hiking shoes (Inov8 Flyroc trail runners). The beginning of the trail was really rocky and I thought I was going to have to take them off in the first few hundred yards. Surprisingly, my feet adapted, and although the trail stayed rocky, it became fairly comfortable by the time we had walked a mile.

I found myself thinking about Rafe's advice, and taking smaller steps that strike closer to my center of gravity. Although my strides were shorter, I had no trouble keeping up, and in fact going up the hills was remarkably easy. We gained 3,000 feet of elevation but I never got winded. I had to pay close attention to foot placement, which kept me from looking around much but was actually kind of fun.

After a few miles, I switched to my hiking shoes, with the idea that I should switch before my feet really started to hurt, rather than after. I immediately noticed that going up hills was harder, especially on my calves. My feet felt more cumbersome as well.

Here's me foraging for mushrooms on the trail. This is Laetiporus sulphureus, also known as "chicken of the woods". It's widely eaten in this area. However, my mushroom guide All That the Rain Primises, and More, had this to say about it:

"If you eat and enjoy this moushroom, always cook it thoroughly and do not serve it to lawyers, landlords, employers, policemen, pit bull owners, or others whose good will you cherish!"

I didn't take my chances. If you're going to pick wild mushrooms, make sure you know what you're doing and carry a regional identification guide. "I recognize them from China/Russia/Europe" kills several people a year in the Pacific Northwest. If you're experienced, this area is a mushroom bonanza. I can't set foot outside without stepping on a king bolete (porcini, cep) in the fall.

I ended up switching back to the FiveFingers for the majority of the hike, about 9 miles of it. The soles of my feet were a bit sore by the end (due to stepping on sharp rocks for miles), but my joints and muscles felt remarkably good! I had no joint pain or muscle tightness. I also felt pretty energetic. This was a big surprise, since I haven't done much hiking this year. The next day, my calves were sore, but that was it.

All in all, I really like the FiveFingers. I can wear them in places that require shoes, yet remain nearly barefoot. One potential drawback is the price-to-durability ratio. They cost me $80 and I don't expect them to last a year. That being said, I'm putting a brutal beating on them. Parkour training destroys shoes. The rubber seems to be excellent quality (which you'd expect from Vibram), but it's thin and it has cuts in it for flexibility and grip, which will lower its lifespan. The upper is simply a piece of stretchy fabric that tears easily. I'm willing to deal with the durability issues because the advantages outweigh them [update- several FiveFingers wearers have commented that they actually last a surprisingly long time. See comments].

More unusual herbal remedies.

Pau D'arco (Tabevulia) is a South American bitter herb which is antibacterial, antifungal and a booster of the immune system. It has traditionally been used to control candida (thrush) and help in the treatment of cancer. It is also used to cleanse the blood, treat liver disease, infections, diabetes, ulcers, allergies and tumours.
Pau D'arco is available as tea bags in many health food shops.

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Some Important Tips For Quick, Correct & Safe Muscle Building

By Chris Tan

Building muscle mass and doing quickly requires extreme
commitment and dedication. Anyone can choose to follow a
path to building muscle, however there are many who jump in
full throttle without doing the research first. This mistake
leads to a plateau which in turn leaves the person
frustrated, and eventually they quit. Below, I will show
some important tips to build muscle mass quickly, correctly
and most importantly; safely.

A good foundation for muscle growth.

The dreaded plateau is commonly reached within two to three
months of the day the workout or muscle mass training
begins. The reason for this plateau is that the proper
foundation has not been laid out. In order to achieve the
ability to increase the weights used in a workout, the
bodybuilder must first incorporate a series of ten strength
training workouts. These workouts allow the body to become
prepared for more intense workouts by gradually increasing
the weights as well as more rapid repetition, which will
then create muscle mass.

Focusing solely on the upper body.

Next, one of the most commonly found mistakes that lead to a
plateau are that most bodybuilders only focus on training
their upper body. The upper body consists of our arms,
chests and abs. These are the favorite training parts of
bodybuilders as they are more noticeable. However, you need
to train up your lower body as well in order to consistently
increase the weights you use throughout your muscle building
routines. Lower body muscle groups like our thighs are huge
muscles that should not be left out.

Focusing only on isolated exercises.

Exercises that train only a certain muscle group are called
isolated exercise. This is another common mistake beginners
make. Bicep curls and tricep extensions are a couple of
examples of these exercises. In order to achieve muscle
mass, the entire body must be included in the exercise
regimen. Therefore, compound exercises must be implemented.
These exercises allow the muscles to achieve higher weight
which in turn forces them to adapt to the increase and grow.

Are you guilty of these common mistakes? Have you reached
the dreaded plateau? These tips are very important in
achieving your quest for muscle mass. Having the proper
workout, technique and doing the research needed in order to
do it correctly is the only way to acquire your goal. In
addition, don't hesitate to ask an experienced bodybuilder
for tips; they will be more than happy to share the
knowledge.

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Ischemic Heart Attacks: Disease of Civilization

Or, more precisely, disease of industrial civilization.

The scientific literature contains examples of cultures that don't suffer from the chronic non-communicable diseases that are so common in modern societies. Much of what I've read indicates that heart attacks are practically unique to cultures that have adopted industrial foodways and a modern lifestyle, being infrequent or entirely absent in those that have not.

I recently came across an incredible paper from 1964 in the American Journal of Cardiology, titled "Geographic Pathology of Myocardial Infarction", by lead author Dr. Kyu Taik Lee (Am. J. Cardiol. 13:30. 1964). This was published during a period of intense research into the cardiovascular health of non-industrial cultures, including Dr. George V. Mann's famous study of the Masai.

The first thing Lee and his colleagues did was collect autopsy statistics from San Francisco and Los Angeles hospitals. They analyzed the data by race, including categories for Caucasian-Americans (white), Japanese-Americans, Chinese-Americans, and Filipino-Americans. All races had a similar incidence of autopsy-proven myocardial infarction (MI = heart attack), including both silent (healed) and fatal MI. For comparison, they included a table with autopsy data from hospitals in Tokyo, South Japan and North Japan. I'm including the data from Tokyo in the graph because it's also an urban environment, but the finding was the same in all three regions. Here's what they found, by age group: The Japanese had a very low rate of MI compared to both Caucasian-Americans and Japanese-Americans. The rate of MI in Caucasian-Americans and Japanese-Americans did not differ significantly. Thus, location but not race determined the susceptibility to MI.

Next, the investigators collected autopsy data from hospitals in New Orleans, again divided by race. This time they exained Caucasian-Americans and African-Americans. Both groups had a very high rate of MI, as expected, although the African-Americans had a lower rate than Caucasian-Americans. They also collected data from autopsies in Nigeria and Uganda for comparison. Here are the data for men: And for women: Again, location but not race largely determined the incidence of MI. MI was extremely rare in the African autopsies. Here's what they had to say:

There was only 1 case of healed myocardial infarction among over 4,000 adult autopsies in the Uganda series, and only 2 cases of healed myocardial infarction among over 500 adult autopsies in the Nigerian series. In the New Orleans Negro series the occurrence rate was far greater in every sex and age group than in either one of the Negro series in East and West Africa.

Over 4,500 autopsies and not a single fatal MI. If this isn't worth studying, what is? These data should be part of first-year training in medicine and health programs.

To satisfy the skeptics, Lee and colleagues imported hundreds of hearts from consecutive autopsies in Albany (USA), Africa, Korea and Japan. They had an American pathologist analyze them side-by side to eliminate any diagnostic bias. Here's what they found:

In the African Negro series no infarct was found in any age group [out of 244 hearts, 39 over 60 years old]. In the Korean series there were only 2 cases of myocardial infarction [out of 106 hearts] and they were both women... In the Japanese series there were 8 cases of myocardial infarction in 259 hearts. All were men...

In the American sample, nearly 40% of the hearts of men and women over 60 showed signs of MI. The findings of the American pathologist confirmed the international autopsy data, showing that diagnostic bias did not contribute to the results significantly. They also took measurements of the thickness of the coronary artery wall, an index of atherosclerosis. They found that the Americans had the most atherosclerosis, but all cultures had some degree of it and there was overlap in the amount of atherosclerosis between samples. This led the investigators to state:

Myocardial infarction and coronary thrombosis are almost nonexistent in Uganda and Nigeria, and the amount of coronary arteriosclerosis is significantly less in Africans than in whites. However, in the two groups there was some overlapping in the degree of arteriosclerosis. No Africans had infarcts, but some had the same or a greater degree of coronary arteriosclerosis as a few whites who had myocardial infarctions. One explanation for this may be that some difference in clotting or clot-lysis mechanisms is present in the two groups. In a previous study, we showed that the incidence of thromboembolic phenomena in the pulmonary circulation [blood clots in the lungs] was low in East Africans as compared with Americans.

Now, the authors' conclusions:

These data strongly suggest that among the Orientals the environmental factor is playing a major role in the etiology of myocardial infarction and coronary thrombosis. If the genetic factor is an important one, those Orientals who moved to this country many years ago or who were born in this country should still maintain their low occurrence rate of myocardial infarction at least to some extent, and one would not expect to see similar occurrence rates of myocardial infarction in Orientals and whites as old as 50 to 59 years... As with the Orientals, this suggests that for Negroes in the United States environmental factors are more important than genetic factors in the etiology of myocardial infarction.

Africans in Africa and Japanese in Japan = low incidence of MI. Africans, Japanese and Caucasians in the US = high and similar incidence of MI. Genes only influence a person's susceptibility to MI when they live in an environment that promotes MI. Otherwise, genes are basically irrelevant.

What do the traditional diets and lifestyles of Japan and Africa have in common? Not much. Even within Nigeria, the diet varies from heavily starch-based (root vegetables, soaked/fermented non-gluten grains, beans, plantains) to mostly reliant on high-fat dairy and meat. In fact, I believe it's the wrong question to ask. A better question is "what do we eat/do in the US that traditional Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Polynesians, Melanesians and Africans don't"? For starters, none of them rely on industrial vegetable oils, sugar and wheat to nearly the same extent as modern America. Their food is generally prepared at home using wholesome ingredients and traditional methods.

They probably get more exercise than Americans, even if it's only walking in Tokyo or domestic tasks for women in parts of Africa. Traditional Africans surely get more sunlight and thus more vitamin D. I can't imagine life is less stressful in Tokyo than in San Francisco or Los Angeles.

I really like this study, and I think these graphs should be disseminated as much as possible. I've prepared high-resolution versions in JPEG, Powerpoint and PDF formats. E-mail me (click on my profile for the link) if you would like a copy. Let me know which format(s) you want.

Support for blood pressure and circulation

Kiwi fruit can help and support blood pressure and circulation.
Kiwi fruit is an outstanding source of vitamin c which cleanses the body and helps resistance to disease, it is also rich in potassium making it suitable for people with high blood pressure or oedema.

Kiwi fruit has a special enzyme called actinidin which can help digestion, and is therefore great for people with weak digestion or a tendency for constipation.

Cleave and Yudkin on Fats

Drs. T. L. Cleave (1906-1983) and John Yudkin (1910-1995) were two diet-health researchers who believed that refined carbohydrate-- and particularly refined sugar-- are behind many modern health problems. They made their case in the scientific journals, as well as in books aimed at the general public. They were also witheringly dismissive of the idea that animal fats could be behind the coronary heart disease epidemic of the 20th century. I'm going to post a few quotes of theirs that I'm particularly fond of, relating to this. I'll start off with a few oldies but goodies from T. L. Cleave's The Saccharine Disease, page 100:

Those who incriminate animal fats in raising the blood lipids and causing coronary disease would have us stop eating the fats that we have been eating from immemorial time, such as the fat found in meat and in the butter and cream derived from milk, and eat instead a whole lot of new oils, mainly expressed from vegetable seeds, many of which oils are alien to us.

From pages 100-101:

The keeping of flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and other domestic animals, in order to provide a continuity of meat and milk, started with neolithic man many thousands of years before the Christian era... To these fats we are therefore well adapted, quite apart from man, as a hunter, being well acquainted with the fat of animals in evolutionary times far more remote than the neolithic ones.

From page 101:

Contrast with these ancient fats the new oils, mainly expressed from vegetable seeds. Not only are many of these seeds not a natural food for man (e.g., cotton seed and sunflower seed-- and incidentally the sunflower does not even come from the Old World, as we do in the British isles, but from the New), but also the oils expressed from many of them never existed in any quantity before the invention of the modern hydraulic press or the new solvent procedures, and consequently were scarcely eaten in this country before the introduction of margarine, circa 1916, during the First World War. Evolutionarily these oils make us not so much men as the equivalent of a flock of greenfinches, and the evolutionary incongruity is heightened by the fact that the coronary explosion amongst us, as will be seen later, came in since the introduction of just these oils at the period stated, though in margarine they are often saturated by a stream of hydrogen.

Now for a little John Yudkin. From "Dietary Factors in Arteriosclerosis: Sucrose" (Lipids 13(5):370. 1978):

In principle, it is very doubtful that one can in any way profoundly modify the diet of any species, including Homo sapiens, without introducing some hazard. The consumption of large quantities of PUFA [polyunsaturated fat] has been made possible only by the very recent development of sophisticated techniques of cultivating oilseeds, and extracting and refining vegetable oils. Before such techniques were available, these oils made only a small contribution to our diets, as they still do in the poorer countries. We cannot ignore the evidence that the large amounts widely recommended nowadays as a preventive of CHD can produce undesirable effects, such as increasing the risk of gallstones and possibly of carcinomatous changes in the skin. On the other hand, the reduction of the high amounts of sugar that we now consume is not known to be accompanied by any hazard.

Drs. T. L. Cleave and John Yudkin: making sense since 1936.

This daily dose may help a range of conditions.

Evening primrose oil which is extracted from the seed of the plant has been shown to have a beneficial effect on a range of medical conditions including inducing weight loss without dieting, lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, alleviating arthritis, healing or improving eczema and acne ( which can be used with zinc ), and relieving premenstrual tension, and IBS.
Evening primrose oil capsules can be bought from health food stores.

How And When To Use Sunblock To Prevent Skin Problems

By Amy Nutt

Some people are under the mistaken assumption that the only
time to use sunscreen is on especially hot and sunny days.
The truth is that anytime that were out in the sun, the suns
rays are having a negative impact on our skin. There is a
constant barrage of ultraviolet light that can cause our
skin to age before its time, and it can lead to more serious
skin problems in the long term. Even on days when its not
all that hot outside, it is a good idea to use sunscreen.

With that said, sunscreen is still most needed when a person
is spending a day out in the sun, especially if they're
trying to tan. This is when there is the biggest risk of
sunburn, which is a direct result of intense sun exposure.
Its important to understand how to choose the right
sunscreen for the job. SPF, or sun protection factor, is the
rating system that is used to determine the strength of a
sunscreen. Usually, a minimum sun protection factor of 15 is
recommended for tanning or prolonged sun exposure. However,
much more powerful levels of protection are available -- up
to a 60 SPF rating or more.

There is another factor to consider, as well. There are
multiple types of ultraviolet light rays that are harmful to
the skin -- UVA and UVB. Many sunscreens are designed to
effectively block only one UVB rays, while UVA are actually
the more dangerous type. It is a good idea to look for a
sunscreen that is designed to block both types of rays.
Sunscreens that contain the ingredients zinc oxide,
ecamsule, or avobenzone are the best choices for
full-spectrum protection.

When it comes to just routine daily sun exposure, a full
application of sunscreen isn't really necessary. If you're
just eating lunch outdoors or walking for a little while
outside, then you should be okay just using other skin-care
products that contain minor sunscreens. For example, there
are many facial moisturizers that include enough sunscreen
to protect your skin from the suns rays on a day-to-day
basis.

One of the negative effects associated with sun exposure to
the skin is wrinkling. The sun is one of the primary factors
when it comes to skin starting to look aged before its time.
For people who are concerned about aging and wrinkled skin,
there are special sunscreen treatments that are design both
to reduce and prevent wrinkles. Many of these have high SPF
ratings for maximum protection from the suns light.

Aside from wrinkles, the other major impact of the sun on
human skin is skin cancer. Heavy exposure to the sun without
the proper protection can lead to a person developing deadly
skin cancers. This is one reason why its especially
important to get (http://www.saffronrouge.com/body/sun)
sunscreen that protects against UVA rays. Despite the fact
that UVA doesn't cause any burning sensation or redness, it
is actually the primary cause of skin cancer. So when you're
looking to buy sunscreen, make sure that you make an
educated choice that will truly protect you from skin
problems.

Play safe in the sun and protect your skin with organic
(http://www.saffronrouge.com/body/sun) sunblock for face and
body. Offering a large choice of organic hand creams, body
products including
(http://www.saffronrouge.com/body/body-lotions) body lotions
and hair treatment products.

The Diet-Heart Hypothesis: Oxidized LDL, Part II

In the last post, I presented the evidence that oxidized LDL (oxLDL) is a dominant factor in the arterial disease known as atherosclerosis, although probably not the only factor. In this post, I'll describe some of the major contributors to oxLDL.

Polyunsaturated Fats Increase LDL Oxidation

The serum concentration of oxLDL is strongly influcenced by diet. One dietary determinant of oxLDL is dietary polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). PUFA are inherently susceptible to oxidative damage, compared to monounsaturated and saturated fats. The predominant PUFA in the modern diet is linoleic acid, found excessively in industrial seed oils like corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil and soy oil. LDL is naturally rich in linoleic acid, even in cultures such as the Kitavans who have a very low dietary intake of it. However, LDL content of linoleic acid does correlate with dietary intake, and the Kitavans have a comparatively small amount of linoleic acid in their LDL, relative to industrial cultures.

There have been a number of media reports in the last few years proclaiming that monounsaturated fat reduces LDL oxidation compared to saturated and polyunsaturated fat. This is rather implausible on the surface, so let's take a closer look. There are two ways to measure oxLDL:

1. Measure it directly from the blood
   
2. Take normal LDL from the blood, expose it to copper in a test tube, and see how fast it oxidizes

The first reflects actual oxLDL in the blood, whereas the second reflects "susceptibility to oxidation" and has a dubious relationship with actual oxidized LDL in the bloodstream. This results in statements like the following (ref):

LDL resistance to copper-induced oxidation, expressed as lag time, was highest during the MUFA-rich diet (55.1±7.3 minutes) and lowest during the PUFA(n-3)– (45.3±7 minutes) and SFA- (45.3±6.4 minutes) rich diets.

This was published in a paper by P. Mata and colleagues in 1996. They fed 42 volunteers one of four different diets for 5 weeks each: one rich in saturated fat, one rich in monounsaturated fat, one rich in linoleic acid PUFA, and one rich in linoleic acid plus omega-3 PUFA. They emphasized the finding quoted above, as did the media. But there's an embarrassing piece of data buried in the paper that the authors, and the media, ignored (thanks to Chris Masterjohn for pointing this out). Here's what they saw when they looked directly at LDL oxidation in their volunteers:

Oops! LDL oxidation in the two PUFA groups was increased by more than 31%. The difference between the leftmost two groups and the rightmost two was statistically significant. As one would expect, oxidized LDL is proportional to the amount of PUFA in LDL, which is proportional to dietary PUFA. This somehow got left out of the abstract and media reports. The same investigators published a similar report a year later.

In another diet trial, participants were placed on one of two diets for 5 weeks: a low-fat, high PUFA diet low in vegetables; or a low-fat, high PUFA diet high in vegetables. The authors were forthright about their findings, so I'll let them summarize:

The median plasma OxLDL-EO6 increased by 27% (P less than 0.01) in response to the low-fat, low-vegetable diet and 19% (P less than 0.01) in response to the low-fat, high-vegetable diet. Also, the Lp(a) concentration was increased by 7% (P less than 0.01) and 9% (P=0.01), respectively.

This is the diet mainstream cardiologists have been prescribing to heart attack patients for 40 years. The trials I mentioned above are the only three I'm aware of in which fat quality was manipulated and oxLDL was directly measured (the first two were based on subsets of the same data). They all suggest that replacing saturated fat with PUFA increases oxLDL.

I suspect that the effect has less to do with the decrease in saturated fat and more to do with the increase in PUFA, although there's no way to know for sure. In the Lyon Diet-Heart trial, which I believe was the most successful diet trial of all time, linoleic acid was reduced to 3.6% of calories, but saturated fat was also reduced. Another reason is that there are numerous low-fat, low PUFA, high-carbohydrate cultures that have low levels of atherosclerosis and heart attacks. The Kitavans, for example, don't seem to have heart attacks or strokes (although no autopsies have been done so we don't know how much atherosclerosis they have).

They get 69% of their calories from high-glycemic starchy tubers, and their 21% fat comes mostly from coconut so it's highly saturated. Their blood lipids are low in omega-6 linoleic acid and very saturated. But there's a little surprise in the data: their lipids are full of palmitic acid (saturated), despite the fact that their diet contains very little of it. The reason is that their livers are turning all that carbohydrate into saturated fat, which is what happens when you eat more carbohydrate than you can burn immediately or store as glycogen. The moral of the story is that you don't need to eat saturated fat to have saturated LDL: a high-carbohydrate diet can accomplish the same thing, especially if it has a high glycemic index.

Fat-Soluble Antioxidants Decrease LDL Oxidation

LDL carries fat-soluble antioxidants, predominantly vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). One form of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol, slows atherosclerosis in most animal models but has shown equivocal results in human trials. There is even the suggestion that it may increase LDL oxidation under some circumstances. I don't recommend supplementing with vitamin E. However, the first line of antioxidant defense in LDL is provided by CoQ10. CoQ10 unequivocally reduces LDL oxidation in human subjects, and potently reduces atherosclerosis in animal models.

CoQ10 has a special relationship with cardiovascular health. Levels are reduced in individuals with cardiovascular disease and high oxLDL. Whether this is cause or effect, it's difficult to say. However, supplementing with CoQ10 has been repeatedly shown to be effective for high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. There has been one controlled trial of CoQ10 (120 mg/day) supplementation for the prevention of heart attacks, which reduced cardiac events including deaths by 45%, compared to a group receiving B vitamins. The CoQ10 group showed a large reduction in plasma lipid oxidation. This is a promising result and the experiment should be repeated.

CoQ10 is not an essential nutrient, although food does contribute a small portion of our total CoQ10 use. The large majority of CoQ10 is synthesized by the body itself, and this is dependent on a number of essential nutrients, including vitamin B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, vitamin C and folic acid. Thus, the body's synthesis of CoQ10 is dependent on overall nutritional status. Sub-clinical deficiency of any of these vitamins can hypothetically contribute to reduced CoQ10 production and thus oxLDL. This is potentially a big problem since modern Americans get more than half their calories from nutrient-poor refined foods. Liver is the single best source of many of these vitamins, and also holds the title of Most Nutritious Food on the Planet. It's also rich in CoQ10.

CoQ10 synthesis declines with age and is reduced in people with disorders involving oxidative stress, like cardiovascular disease. It's also greatly reduced by the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins. I'm not generally in favor of supplements, but CoQ10 seems to have a lot of promise and nothing but positive side effects that I'm aware of. CoQ10 deficiency may be a common theme in a number of modern disorders.

Excess Blood Sugar and Fructose Increase LDL Oxidation

Both type I and type II diabetes are associated with higher levels of oxLDL, therefore, prolonged high blood glucose may contribute to LDL oxidation due to glycosylation of the LDL protein ApoB. Fructose consumption increases oxLDL relative to glucose. Fructose is a very powerful glycosylating agent (binds non-specifically to other molecules, causing damage). Although it isn't present at high levels in the general circulation, it does interact with blood lipids in the hepatic portal vein as it moves from the digestive tract to the liver to be turned into fat (palmitic acid). Peter at Hyperlipid has written extensively about the role of glycosylation in LDL oxidation.

The Diet-Heart Hypothesis: The Verdict

The diet-heart hypothesis, the idea that dietary saturated fat and cholesterol raise blood cholesterol and thus increase heart attack risk, is a half-century embarrassment to the international scientific community. It requires willful ignorance of the fact that saturated fat does not increase total cholesterol or LDL in humans, in the long term. It requires a simplistic view of blood lipids that ignores the potentially harmful effects of replacing animal fats with carbohydrate or industrial seed oils. Worst of all, it requires selective citation of the literature on diet modification trials.

I have to conclude that if dietary saturated fat and cholesterol play any role whatsoever in cardiovascular disease, it's a minor one that's trumped by other factors. Industrial seed oils and sugar are likely to play an important role in cardiovascular disease.

Why Seafood Should Be A Part Of Your Diet

By Shannon Linnen

No matter what anyone says, seafood is healthy and should be
a part of everyone's diet. Seafood in general is high in
nutrients and vitamins, which no other food group can
provide. However, you have to be careful about where you get
your fish from. Local waters, like lakes and rivers, can be
contaminated and your fish could contain chemicals like
mercury or PCBs. The easiest way to obtain a healthy serving
of fish is to eat at your local restaurant or do some online
shopping. Online vendors, located in coastal regions, can
usually guarantee overnight shipping and freshness you
cannot get from anywhere else.

One of the reasons that seafood is healthy has to do with
the biochemistry and lifestyle of the fish. Fishes, in order
to breathe, must swim constantly. Their entire body is lean
muscle, the delicious seafood fillets that wind up on your
plate. Compared to the chubby unattractive cow, the life of
a fish is one constant streamlined marathon.

The simplest way to prepare salmon, for example, is to rub
it with some spice - simply salt and pepper will do - and
pan fry it in a quarter-sized drop of olive oil. 6 minutes
on the skin side first, then 3 to 4 minutes on the flesh
side should cook an average-sized salmon fillet through. A
side benefit to eating healthy seafood is that it is so
delicious and simple to prepare. Unlike unpleasant "healthy"
choices like algae goo and grass juice, seafood tastes
wonderful. You can't go wrong preparing fish dishes.

Lobster meat can by steamed by boiling lobsters in the
shells, but dealing with fresh live lobster can be
unnerving, and the best addition to lobster is drawn butter
- not as healthy as pan seared salmon. Serve it with
sauteed or steamed vegetables, and you've got a healthy and
filling meal.

Another healthy substitution is to grill tuna steaks instead
of greasy hamburgers, at your outdoor grill party. They
prepare exactly the same way. Your guests will agree that
seafood is healthy, and it also seems classier than humdrum
burgers, when arranged on nice plates with a colorful
garnish - maybe grated carrots and a lemon wedge.

The healthful features of seafood are the magical omega-3
fatty acids, found mostly in salmon, and reputed to clear up
skin problems like acne, rosacea, and age lines.Fish is
important for many near-vegetarians, who rely on fish for
protein. These vegetarians are far healthier than those who
eat no meat at all. Also "good" cholesterol and "good" fat,
and a number of essential vitamins.

To conclude, fish is utterly beneficial to your health. It
is full of substances that are good for you, and unless the
fish is from some unsavory source, it is free of substances
that are bad for you.Eat some fish today, I know I will.Fish
can be prepared very easily, and it takes little seasoning
to make seafood taste good. Fish also has the added benefit
of being classier than red meat or poultry.

As recently as 5 to 7 years ago, finding good quality
seafood for people living far away from the coast was almost
impossible. The good news is that this is no longer the
case. You can now get very good quality seafood sent
straight to you, even if you life in Utah or Arizona. Fedex
and UPS both offer overnight delivery so when you choose an
online seafood vendor make sure they offer this shipping
option. If your not sure where to start, just search for
Quality Fresh Seafood, they are an excellent choice.

You can easily get
(http://www.qualityfreshseafood.com/decl3lblo.html) lobster
clambake if you live close to the coast, but if you live
inland, it may be much more difficult. Of course the best
place to always get high quality seafood is from
(http://www.qualityfreshseafood.com) Quality Fresh Seafood.