In America, more than $700 million a year is spent on olive oil, but unfortunately, it is not really olive oil because of olive oil fraud. Most of the olive oils on the market are cut with cheap vegetable oils.

The results from the Consumer Report’s found that only 9 of the 23 olive oils from Italy, Spain and California tested, and passed as being extra virgin olive oil even though all of them  claimed so on the label. AND: “More than half tasted fermented or stale.”

“International standards for extra virgin olive oil are mostly unenforced. Although the term ‘extra virgin’ is generally understood to denote the highest quality of olive oil, industry representatives report that the current standards are easily met by producers and allow olive oil marketed as ‘extra virgin’ to represent a wide range of qualities. This lack of enforcement has resulted in a long history of fraudulent practices (adulteration and mislabelling) in the olive oil sector.”  – United States International Trade Commission

In a study at the UC Davis Olive Center, it was found that 69% of the imported ‘extra virgin’ olive oil sold in California supermarkets did not qualify as extra virgin. Tests indicate that imported “extra virgin”olive oil often fails international and USDA standards.

A bottle labeled “extra-virgin olive oil” may not be olive oil and instead be a seed oil which is made to smell and look  like olive oil by adding a few drops of chlorophyll and beta-carotene making it part of the olive oil fraud.

‘Olive Oil Fraud’ oils that failed to meet the ‘extra virgin’ olive oil standards:

• Bertolli
• Carapelli
• Colavita
• Star
• Filippo Berio
• Mazzola
• Mezzetta
• Newman’s Own
• Safeway
• Whole Foods
  

Which Olive Oils Are Good?
These olive oils have met the extra-virgin standards; this list of brands is from the research above.

• Bariani Olive Oil is Stone Crushed, Cold Pressed, Decanted and Unfiltered California Extra Virgin Olive Oil and they are committed to producing an authentic extra virgin olive oil which is raw. Weston Price recommends this oil.
• Olive Oil
• Corto Olive – can sometimes be purchased at Cosco.
• Cobram Estate  – Australia’s most awarded extra virgin olive oil
• California Olive Ranch
• Kirkland Organic
• Lucero (Ascolano)
• McEvoy Ranch Organic
• Ottavio
• Omaggio
• Whole Foods California 365 

Olea Estates 100% extra virgin olive oil is from an extremely reliable source and is our top recommendation. This olive oil is grown on a single family farm in Greece and is a great tasting olive oil.  We think so highly about this that we contacted them and they did give us a code for a discount which now is invalid. I spoke with them they will be giving us another discount code very soon.
Consumer Reports (September 2012 issue), published results of a taste test of 138 bottles of extra virgin olive oil from 23 manufacturers. The olive oil was sourced from the US, Argentina, Greece, Chile, and Italy. They found that olive oil produced in California exceeded those from Italy.

Two highest scoring olive oils (both from California) from their testing were:

• McEvoy Ranch
• Trader Joe’s California Estate

Ellora Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the best olive oils. It is 100% Pure Cretan Extra Virgin Olive Oil of which the origin and authenticity is certified by the EU standards. While meeting the stringent requirements it maintains a focus on environmental consciousness and tradition. When you are ordering it online it comes in many sizes which can make shipping more economical. This is the one I am getting: 2 tins of Ellora Extra Virgin Olive Oil  and 2 Ellora EVOO spray bottles saves on shipping to get lots at the same time.

http://www.realfoodforlife.com/which-olive-oil-to-buy-the-olive-oil-fraud/

by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist

There are 3 main reasons why wheat is a terrible food for your body and does more harm than good...

Reason #1 -- Wheat causes blood sugar disruption, Glycation of your cells, increases AGING, weight gain & boosts Diabetes risk

Before I tell you why wheat can actually speed up the aging process in your body, let's clarify some simple biochemistry in your body... This deals with "glycation" in your body, and substances called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). These nasty little compounds called AGEs speed up the aging process in your body including damage over time to your organs, your joints, and of course, wrinkled skin. So with that said, what is one of the biggest factors that increase production of AGEs inside your body?

This may surprise you, but high blood sugar levels over time dramatically increase age-accelerating AGEs in your body.

This is why type 2 diabetics many times appear that they have not aged well and look older than their real age. But this age-increasing effect is NOT just limited to diabetics. So, let's get back to how "whole wheat" relates to this...

Here is a little-known fact that's often covered up by the massive marketing campaigns by giant food companies that want you to believe that "whole wheat" is healthy for you...

... But the fact is that wheat contains a very unusual type of carbohydrate (not found in other foods) called Amylopectin-A, which has been found in some tests to spike your blood sugar HIGHER than even pure table sugar.In fact, amylopectin-A (from wheat) raises your blood sugar MORE than almost any other carbohydrate source on earth based on blood sugar response testing that's documented in studies. This means that wheat-based foods such as breads, bagels, cereals, muffins, and other baked goods often cause MUCH higher blood sugar levels than most other carbohydrate sources.

If you don't believe me, here's something you should know... I ran personal blood sugar tests on myself using a blood glucometer about 45 minutes after eating 2 slices of wheat bread vs eating a bowl of oatmeal, with equivalent grams of carbohydrates.
The blood sugar test results of wheat vs oatmeal:

• 2 slices of whole wheat toast: 45 minutes after consumption: Blood sugar spiked from 86 fasting level to 155
• 1 Bowl of Oatmeal (equivalent grams of carbs to 2 slices wheat toast) 45 minutes after consumption: Blood sugar increased from 86 fasting level to 112 

As you know now, the higher your average blood sugar levels are over time, the more AGEs are formed inside your body, which makes you age FASTER.

Clearly, the whole wheat spiked blood sugar MUCH higher than the oatmeal, and if you don't know, 155 is a massive blood sugar reading that will certainly contribute to faster aging if you eat wheat frequently... and most people eat wheat without even thinking about it at almost EVERY meal...Yikes! Not only that, but the high blood sugar spikes caused by wheat also makes your body pump out more insulin which makes you pack on more body fat... Not fun at all!
​
These massive blood sugar spikes from eating wheat daily also cause damage over time to your blood sugar regulation system, harming your pancreas, causing insulin resistance, and eventually causing type 2 Diabetes. I think we have a strong case against eating so-called "healthy" wheat!

Reason #2 -- Gluten and other gut-damaging compounds
The topic of gluten is on fire in the media lately... But most people are confused as to whether there's any real health risks with gluten for the average person that doesn't have Celiac disease.
The truth is that even if you are not officially "gluten intolerant" or "gluten sensitive", there are hundreds of published studies that indicate that gluten can cause inflammation in your digestive system, and even cause "permeability" in your gut, which can lead to a health condition that's on the rise lately called Leaky Gut, as well as other digestive issues and autoimmune problems.
Scientists theorize that the reason gluten is causing these digestive system problems is due to the excessive hybridization of wheat over the last 50 years, which has created newly modified gluten molecules that are foreign to the human digestive system compared to the ancient wheat that humans ate for several thousand years historically, and even compared to the wheat that your grandparents ate 50+ years ago.

Reason #3 -- Antinutrients and mineral blockers in wheat
The third reason that wheat is terrible for you is that it contains what's called "antinutrients", which are naturally occurring compounds in the wheat plant, but can cause undesirable effects in humans that eat too much of them.  One of these antinutrients is called phytates, which blocks the absorption in your body of certain minerals like zinc, iron, manganese, and calcium if you eat wheat too often. 

Again, most people eat wheat with almost every meal (cereal in the morning, bread on sandwich at lunch, and pasta or bread at dinner), so this can cause a mineral deficiency in your body over time that leads to many health conditions. Wheat has other mineral blockers and antinutrients aside from phytates, such as lectins.  Lectins are another constituent of wheat that causes gut irritation.  Yet another reason to minimize or eliminate wheat from your diet.  There's absolutely nothing "essential" about wheat in the human diet...It simply does more harm than good...period. 

Many people often ask me... "But what about the FIBER in wheat?  I thought that's why it's supposed to be healthy?"
Sorry, you can get ALL of the fiber you need from fruits, veggies, and nuts, without the digestive system damage and massive blood sugar issues that are caused by wheat.

© http://www.drrickschwartz.com/Art-Gluten-Food2Avoid.html

The super-trendy wouldn’t be seen with lunch in a Tupperware container any more. It’s all about the jar salad now. The narrow sides allow you to layer salad ingredients, keeping light leaves on top so they don’t get crushed and soggy. 

Simply fill your wide-mouthed 1 pint/500ml preserving jar each morning. Start with home-made oil and vinegar dressing at the bottom, then add any cooked or raw vegetables and your choice of protein (fish, meat, hard-boiled eggs, cheese), top off with a big fist of leafy salad leaves. Season lightly, then screw the lid on tight (or you can clip it closed) to keep everything sealed and fresh. 

When you are ready to eat, just turn the jar over to distribute the dressing and tip on to a plate, or enjoy straight from the jar with a fork. 

Made like this, your jar salad will last for days in the fridge. If you’re super-organized you could buy five glass jars and make a week’s worth of salad-based lunches ahead of time, to grab as you leave the house in the morning. 

Perishable ingredients, such as tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs and cooked chicken breast, should be added to the salad on the day. 

© http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3674338/Delicious-ideas-lunch-super-speedy-suppers.html#ixzz4GfGqODEV

NOTE: Many health problems are now being attributed to inflammation, Alzheimers being one of them. Did you know that Ideal Protein is an anti-inflammatory diet?_____________

When we think of brain diseases, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases spring to mind. These are three of the most common degenerative brain diseases. They have different symptoms—at least at the outset. They begin in different parts of the brain and affect different types of cells. But the scientists involved in the current research note that they also have a lot in common. And as they progress they become even more similar. Researchers believe that these and other degenerative brain diseases may have a single common cause. And it boils down to one word:

Inflammation.
In a nutshell, here’s what the researchers suggest:

First the facts: We actually have two types of immune system. Innate immunity is what we are born with, the body’s natural ability to recognize and neutralize threats. Adaptive immunity is when our body is exposed to threats such as bacteria or viruses and learns to recognize them so it can fight them off when it meets them again.

Now the theory: The Adelaide researchers believe that in the case of neurodegenerative diseases the innate immune system has gone haywire. It’s attacking things that aren’t a threat. This results in a storm of inflammation that causes cell death.

This would explain a lot of things. If amyloid plaques are an immune response, it would explain their buildup in Alzheimer’s brains. It would also explain why so many who do have plaque buildup never develop Alzheimer’s. It would explain the links shown between obesity or diabetes and Alzheimer’s. And it would explain why a Mediterranean diet seems to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. In short, it would make sense of the whole picture. And if we’re lucky, it might lead to an effective treatment.

Until then, prevention is the best option. And when it comes to reducing or preventing inflammation, we have some very good tools. The number one tool for cooling inflammation is found not in your medicine cabinet but—not surprisingly—in your refrigerator. The most important thing you can do to reduce chronic inflammation is to change the way you eat. Your diet can turn your body into a walking hotbed of inflammation, or it can cool the flames. Here’s what you need to know:

The biggest drivers of inflammation are processed foods. The most pro-inflammatory things you can eat include:

• Refined carbohydrates like bread and pasta.
• Sugar.
• Processed meats like hot dogs and sausages.
• Margarine other products containing trans-fats—which can still be found in products in tiny amounts.
• Oils that are high in omega-6 fatty acids. These are ok in moderation, but should be balanced by omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in fish and flax oil.

In addition, excess weight creates chronic inflammation, so dropping any extra pounds is essential.

Do we know for sure that inflammation causes Alzheimer’s?
No. But we do know that it plays a role in nearly every other chronic disease out there. And the evidence is very compelling. Reducing your risk of inflammation just makes good sense for every aspect of your health.

Excerpted from: goldstandardbrain.com/brain--foods/what-really-causes-dementia-new-answers.stml.

First 10 Minutes – Tricks Your Taste Buds And Attacks Your Teeth
The phosphoric acid attacks the enamel in your teeth, while the artificial sweeteners like aspartame hit your system. Aspartame may trigger taste receptors and trick your body into thinking it has just processed sugar.

The evidence:
Research, including studies from Swithers and colleagues, shows that frequent consumption of high-intensity sweeteners may have the opposite effect by confusing the body’s natural ability to manage calories based on tasting something sweet.
http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2013/Q3/prof-diet-drinks-are-not-the-sweet-solution-to-fight-obesity,-health-problems.html

According to a report published in the March / April edition of General Dentistry, phosphoric acid in soda causes tooth enamel erosion, even with minimal exposure.

20 Minutes –  May Switch On Fat Storage Mode
Like regular Coke this can trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode.

The evidence:
Artificial sweeteners, and sugar alcohols (another type of low-calorie sweetener) present in diet colas can all interfere negatively with natural gut bacteria that is part of your immune and digestive system, according to Amanda Payne of Switzerland’s Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health.

Data from a number of studies, including the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study also reported greater risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and metabolic syndrome, which is related to diabetes and cardiovascular problems, for consumers of artificially sweetened beverages. Some data indicated that those who consumed artificially sweetened beverages had double the risk of metabolic syndrome compared to non-consumers.

40 Minutes – Can Cause Addiction
The potentially deadly combination of caffeine and aspartame creates a short addictive high similar in the way cocaine works. Excitotoxins are released which may exhaust your brain by overstimulating it’s neuroreceptors, especially if consumed on a regular basis.

The evidence:
Excitotoxins are shown to freely penetrate certain brain regions and rapidly destroy neurons by hyperactivating the NMDA subtype of Glu receptor in studies.

Cravings for more coke are explained by the release of two neurotransmitters in the brain, dopamine and glutamate.
Caffeine and aspartame increases dopamine levels as shown in various studies.

Aspartic acid taken in its free form (unbound to proteins), significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and glutamate.
Researchers say glutamate is more essential to addiction than dopamine.

Source: Phenotype Offers New Perception on Cocaine The Scientist Date: 21 Jan 2002
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7854587

​60 Minutes – Depletes Nutrients, Makes You Hungry & Thirsty for More
Unlike the small amount of satisfaction you get from regular coke your body may still crave sweets. This makes you likely to reach for another soda, or worse, some other junk food you consider to be safe and the cycle continues.

A can of diet coke provides no nourishment and would replace a more nutritious drink you could have drunk while potentially depleting your body of essential minerals.

It will never quench your thirst as it dehydrates rather than hydrates your body. A lack of vital water can lead to brain fog, poor concentration, fatigue and feeling irritable.

The Evidence:
“Some of the connection to metabolic disease could be related to how people behave by saying to themselves, ‘I’m having a diet soda, so this cheeseburger is OK.’ says Swithers.

Marisa Peer rated by Men’s Health as Britain’s Best Therapist, a behavioural psychologist and a world renowned expert in eating disorders confirms this, “It is very common to see clients who are overweight who drink diet coke who then eat a plate of chips or reach for the cake. This is because drinking a ‘diet drink’ like diet coke makes them feel it is now ok to eat whatever they want.’

The Big Problem with 'Zero' Calories
Marisa has over 20+ years as a weight loss therapist with her method proven to be the only one to work by the famous UK TV series Super Size Super Skinny that tested every method available and claimed only hers to work.

She has this to say about diet sodas and weight gain:
‘Artificial sweeteners are associated with a drop in the appetite-regulating hormone leptin. Leptin is the hormone that inhibits hunger so diet drinks like diet coke actually make you hungry and less satisfied with normal amounts of food, and finally when you eat or drink a lot of chemicals that your body simply cannot break down, your body makes more and more internal fat to wrap the chemicals in keeping those harmful chemicals away from your vital organs. As diet coke has no calories and no recognised ingredients we know it is a cocktail of chemicals that encourage your body to gain and store weight especially on your legs and bottom away from your organs. diet drinks are not good for your body your health or even as it turns out for dieting.’

Joan Collins the famous British actress famed for her ageless beauty, once said that she doesn’t drink diet soda “because you never see skinny people drinking it!” 

More Hidden Dangers
A can of diet cola contains 44-62mg of phosphoric acid, more than in many other soft drinks and researchers at Tufts University in Boston showed that women who regularly drank three or more cans a day had four per cent lower bone mineral density in their hips compared to those who preferred other soft drinks.

Phosphoric acid has also been linked to lower bone density in some studies, including a discussion in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In experiments at Harvard University, it was found to make skin and muscles wither and to damage the heart and kidneys over time.
Phosphoric acid has been associated with urinary changes that promote kidney stones and drinking 2 or more colas per day is associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease caused by a combination of phosphoric acid, caffeine and other additives.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17525693

Chronic consumption of aspartame can lead to potentially harmful side effects to your body, and the long term effects in humans are still not certain, although recent studies in animals prove its damaging effects, especially to the brain.

Various studies have shown: 
About fifty per cent of aspartame is made up by phenylalanine, which could cross the blood-brain barrier and act as a precursor of catecholamine in the brain, as well as leading to phenylketonuria.

Forty per cent of aspartame is composed of aspartic acid, an excitotoxin that contributes to free radical damage in the brain.
Methanol which forms 10% of the by-products of aspartame is a toxic compound converted in the liver to formaldehyde that is neurotoxic and carcinogenic.
​
Luke Miller from Truth Theory has a little bit of a different spin on this and share the ingredients which are inside your diet coke can. It’s not pretty! You can read more about that here

Would all diet sodas have the same effect? Pepsi for instance? Or is this information relevant to just diet coke?
Yes all diet beverages with similar ingredients to Diet Coke will have the same or similar effects.

Are diet drinks (beverages which contain aspartame) more harmful than sugar laden drinks/food?
They are found in several studies to be actually worse:
According to Mark Hyman MD , a practicing family physician, an nine-time #1 New York Times bestselling author who has a special interest in sugar and its health risks:
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition discovered some alarming facts:

1. Diet fizzy drinks increased the risk of diabetes more than regular fizzy drinks sweetened with sugar.
2. Women who drank one 12oz diet fizzy drink had a 33% increased risk of type 2 diabetes and women who drank one 20oz soda had a 66% increase in risk.
3. Women who drank diet fizzy drinks drank twice as much as those who drank regular fizzy drinks sweetened with sugar, because artificial sweeteners can be more addictive and are up to a 1000 times sweeter than regular sugar.
4. The average diet fizzy drink consumer drinks 3 diet drinks a day.
5. In this study they scientifically controlled for body weight and they found that the artificial sweeteners still increased diabetes independent of body weight!

The Choice Is Yours…
Do you really want to be a guinea pig on trial just so you can still enjoy your favorite drink, or do you think it makes sense to find more natural and safer alternatives, and see diet soda as a treat to be had once in a while?
​
Do you really want to be hooked on a drink like diet coke anyway given all the apparent risks from a variety of sources and anecdotal evidence from many experts?

Please do your own research, do not take my word as gospel. Look at all the evidence out there, so you can make a well informed decision.

Here are some of my recommendations for far healthier alternatives:

1. Look for stevia (a natural sweetener) versions of soft drinks if you really must drink a soft drink.
2. Drink plain mineral water with fresh lime or lemon juice or both with a dash of organic honey, if you prefer a sweeter taste, as a very healthy and hydrating drink.
3. Drink green tea if you want the effects of caffeine without the jitters. L-theanine in green tea is the antidote to caffeine’s negative effects on the nervous system and it also boosts ‘alpha waves in your brain’
4. Drink Kombucha or Kefir tea. They are both naturally fizzy and Kefir tea in particular can provide a dose of probiotics for promoting better digestion and health of your gut.
5. Learn to make or buy nutritious smoothies made out of green vegetables like spinach, low sugar fruits like blueberries and tasty ingredients like coconut butter that are full of essential nutrients and health promoting fatty acids.

Bottom line: Moderation is key. Even just one can a day can put you at higher risk of metabolic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

View any heavily processed drinks like diet sodas as a treat to be consumed once in a while and you should be ok.

http://therenegadepharmacist.com/diet-coke-exposed-happens-one-hour-drinking-diet-coke-coke-zero-similar-diet-soda/

Makes: 8 servings – Time: 30 minutes
This version is far flavorful with far less fat than traditional cole slaw. 
I like cabbage salad (which is what coleslaw amounts to) on the spicy side, so I use plenty of Dijon, along with a little garlic and chile (you could substitute cayenne for the chile or just omit it if you prefer), and scallions.  

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, or freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chile, like jalapeño, Thai, serrano, or habanero, or to taste (optional)
• 1/4 cup peanut oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cups cored and shredded Napa, Savoy, green, and/or red cabbage
• 1 large red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced or shredded
• 1/3 cup chopped scallion, more or less
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

PREPARATION:

1. To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl, along with the garlic and chile. Add the oil a little at a time, whisking all the while.
2. Combine the cabbage, bell pepper, and scallion and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve. (It’s best to let the slaw rest for an hour or so to allow the flavors to mellow; the cabbage will also soften a bit and exude some juice. You can let it sit longer, up to 24 hours, if you like. Drain the slaw before continuing.) Just before serving, toss with the parsley. Recipe from How to Cook Everything. 

© http://markbittman.com/spicy-no-mayo-coleslaw/

For years we have heard dramatically negative comments regarding cholesterol and unfortunately, cholesterol is still controversial these days depending on which research you are investigating. To take some of the evil out of cholesterol, it is important to understand that cholesterol is imperative to maintaining optimal function of many biochemical processes in the body. Although, as with anything in life, too much and or little of anything is not ideal. We need to achieve balance.

Cholesterol is a steroid hormone and is a precursor to other hormone production such as cortisol, sex hormones including, testosterone and estrogen and aldosterone which helps regulate electrolyte balance and blood pressure. These hormones can become imbalanced as a result of too little cholesterol.

Cholesterol also provides structural integrity to every cell in our body, as it helps make up the lipid soluble membrane and mitochondria that are important in proper sugar regulation, proper cell to cell communication, energy production and many other biochemical processes. Without adequate cell membranes, our cells are not able to receive and send messages that are imperative to proper hormone balance including receiving insulin and preventing inflammatory signaling.

Some other functions of cholesterol include making bile acids, which in turn helps support our immune system by facilitating proper absorption of fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K.   Cholesterol is also needed for proper function of serotonin to help with mood regulation, nerve impulse transmission and memory.
​
Now that you know how important cholesterol is, it is important to address the fact that too much of a good thing may also cause harm. A few ways to achieve and maintain optimal cholesterol levels include: Eating a nutrient dense, low-glycemic or Mediterranean food plan that avoids processed foods. This does not mean unlimited pasta, cheese and wine. This means a colorful diet full of vegetables, fruits, responsibly raised meats (free range, organic, grass fed), healthy fats , nuts/seeds, and whole grains). 
Managing stress, and incorporating regular exercise, plus appropriate supplementation, including fish oil, Vitamin D3, and a MultiVitamin are all helpful tools to optimize your cholesterol.

© http://ausfp.com/taking-the-evil-out-of-cholesterol/​

​No calories, more risk
No sugar… no calories… MORE risk. Try building a diet soda campaign around that! Of course, you’re not going to see that taste of truth-in-advertising on your TV anytime soon — but that’s the ugly reality as new research confirms these drinks will make you more likely to get one of the very diseases they’re supposed to help you avoid: diabetes.

And it doesn’t take much to raise that risk.
Just three diet sodas a week — 50 lousy (and I do mean lousy) ounces — will cause your disease risk to shoot up by 59 percent when compared to drinking regular sugar-sweetened soda. Think you’re safe because you drink even less than that? Think again!

Just a single diet soda a week will boost your odds of a diabetes diagnosis by 15 percent, according to the study of roughly 66,000 middle-aged French women tracked for nearly 15 years. Now, if you like to blame everything on sugar, this might not make sense. But there’s something in diet sodas that’s worse than sugar and even worse than high-fructose corn syrup.

It’s aspartame, the chemical sweetener linked to everything from headaches to cancer — and I’m convinced it’s the reason diet soda drinkers are actually more likely to GAIN weight, not lose it. But if you think the message here is to slurp sugary sodas instead of diet, you’re missing the point — because soda in any form can increase your risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
In the new study, just 20 ounces a week of any type of soda — diet or regular — doubled the risk of diabetes when compared to no soda at all.

So make THAT your real goal: no soda at all.

© Jack Harrison, DAILY DOSE,  http://jacksdailydose.com/2013/03/06/diet-soda-increases-risk/

Serves 4 

• 1-½ pounds pork tenderloin cut into strips
• 2 packets Ideal Protein Pancake Mix prepared
• 4 cups green peppers cut ½” thick
• 2 cups zucchini
• 2 cups watercress
• 2 tablespoons Ideal Protein Italian Dressing
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 ounce taco seasoning mix
• Sea salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

 
1. Season pork with taco seasoning.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add pork. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add green peppers. After 2 minutes, add zucchini, ½ cup water and remaining seasoning mix. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
 
Spoon meat into Pancakes and wrap. Place on greased baking pan and bake in a 375 degree oven for 5 minutes until very hot.
 
Serve with watercress or any other green salad.
 
NOTE: A Mexican flavoured dish that will please the whole family.

Did you know June was National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable month? (No fruit if you are on Phase 1 or 2) As a kid, you were told, “ eat your vegetables” because “they’re good for you!”.  As adults, we understand the nutritional value and its importance to our health. The critical thing to understand, however, is that the most important aspect of human nutrition is the notion of VARIETY.

Most of us settle on our 3 to 5 “go-to” vegetables”. I call them the “usual suspects”: broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, cucumbers, etc. If you only have 5 vegetables in your veggie arsenal, you will not only be missing many vital nutrients, you will be missing the incredible flavor and fun of exploring the edible plant kingdom! In the spirit of celebration, let’s explore four “B” vegetables that provide incredible nutrition and valuable health benefits.

Bamboo Shoots. Ranked among the five most popular healthy foods in the world, bamboo shoots have been around for almost 2,500 years, originating in China.

With a crunchy texture, bamboo shoots are delicious and rich in nutrients. The benefits of bamboo shoots include healthy weight loss, control of bad cholesterol, strengthening of the immune system and anti-inflammatory properties. Heart friendly, they contain protein, a sufficient supply of vitamins and minerals, fiber and are low in fat. Add to your salad or stir-fry.

Bean Sprouts. Low in calories, bean sprouts contain vitamins B and K and used in salads are an easy way to boost the nutrients in your diet. They are also a great source of potassium which supports blood pressure regulation.

Bell Pepper. With a tangy taste, bell peppers can add flavor, crunch, and color to your meal.   An excellent source of carotenoids that includes alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene, bell peppers also contain vitamin C that increases with ripening. Bell peppers are also a valuable source of supportive sulfur compounds which studies show have anti-cancer benefits. Heating or steaming bell peppers can reduce the nutritional value, so consider eating them raw for the best benefit.

Bok Choy. A deep green leafy vegetable that resembles Romaine lettuce on top and a large celery on the bottom, bok choy is more closely related to cabbage. The entire vegetable can be used, and is often added raw to salads for a satisfying crunch. In soups, the leaves and stalks should be chopped and added separately, since the stalks take longer to cook. Containing a wealth of vitamins C, A, and K, and excellent sources of calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and iron, bok choy deserves its reputation as a powerhouse among vegetables. Vitamin A, for instance, is essential for a properly functioning immune system, while vitamin C is an antioxidant that shields the body from free radicals.

So try this! Let’s use these four “B’s” and make dinner.

• 8 oz. thinly sliced chicken breast
• 2 cups of the 4 Bs
• 2 oz. chicken broth
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• minced garlic
• fresh ginger
• pinch of red pepper flakes

In a nonstick pan, quickly stir fry the chicken until done. Add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and continue cooking for 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, soy sauce and your “B” veggies. Cook for another minute. Done. All this nutritiousness and deliciousness in one meal. Let’s eat.

If you want to learn more about the Ideal Protein diet and its life-changing benefits, visit us today!

​Thanks to DrZumbado.com for this article!

Perdue's HARVESTLAND brand is the number-one brand of raised-without-antibiotics chicken, and a growing brand of antibiotic-free turkey and pork and organic chicken products. Coleman Natural Foods joined Perdue Farms in 2011, and now is the leading producer and distributor of USDA certified organic chicken.

Perdue Proves Meat Production Can Prosper Without Drugs
Perdue Farms no longer uses gentamicin. In fact, according to a recent report by Mother Jones,6 the only antibiotic remaining in use at Perdue is narasin, an antibiotic not used in human medicine, and only about one-third of its chickens ever get it. (It's used to treat a parasitic intestinal condition called coccidiosis.) 

Any other antibiotics are administered to sick birds only (about 4 percent of all birds). According to Mother Jones:

"Perdue ... the country's fourth-largest poultry producer, has set out to show that the meat can be profitably mass-produced without drugs. In 2014, the company eliminated gentamicin from all its hatcheries, the latest stage of a quiet effort started back in 2002 to cut the routine use of antibiotics from nearly its entire production process." 

Interestingly, Perdue fared the best in a 2010 Consumer Reports test7 checking for the presence of the food-borne pathogens salmonella and campylobacter in commercial chicken meat. Fifty-six percent of Perdue's chickens were free of both pathogens. 

Its main competitors, Tyson and Foster Farms, both had 80 percent of their chickens tested positive for one or both bacteria. Organic store brand chickens had no salmonella at all, but 57 percent still harbored campylobacter. 

According to Consumer Reports, "This is the first time since we began testing chicken that one major brand has fared significantly better than others across the board." Even back then, Perdue's exemplary success was attributed to its more stringent policies on antibiotics.

The 50-Year Cover-Up
In the U.S., use of antibiotics in food animals rose six-fold between 1960 and 1970. It didn't take long before scientists started warning that this practice had the potential to create a public health crisis. 

By the end of the 1960s, British scientists found that feeding antibiotics to animals produced resistant bacteria that could be transmitted to humans. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) taskforce came to a similar conclusion in 1972. 

At that time, the FDA stipulated that drug manufacturers had to prove their products did not contribute to resistance or risk losing their drug approval. So, the drug industry set out to prove antibiotics in animal feed would not pose such problems. 

As reported by Mother Jones, rather than settle the question, their efforts resulted in a 50-year long cover-up of the facts:
"[T]he Animal Health Institute, a trade group of animal-pharmaceutical manufacturers, contacted Dr. Stuart Levy, a young Tufts University researcher who specialized in antibiotic resistance. 

The group wanted Levy to feed tiny, daily doses of antibiotics to chickens and see if the bacteria in their guts developed resistance ... Levy found a family farm near Boston and experimented on two flocks of chickens. 

One got feed with small amounts of tetracycline. The other went drug-free. Within 48 hours, strains of E. coli that were resistant to tetracycline started to show up in the manure of the birds fed drugs. Within a week, nearly all the E. coli in those birds' manure could resist tetracycline. Within three months, the E. coli showed resistance to four additional anti­biotics the birds had never been exposed to: sulfonamides, ampicillin, streptomycin, and carbenicillin. Most striking of all, researchers found that E. coli resistant to multiple antibiotics was appearing in the feces of the farmers' family members — yet not in a control group of neighbors. 

The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, were so stunningly clear that Levy thought they would prompt the industry to rethink its profligate antibiotic use, or at least inspire the FDA to rein it in. But the industry rebuffed the study it had bankrolled, questioning the validity of the data ... 

In 1977, the FDA proposed new rules that would have effectively banned tetracycline and penicillin from animal feed, but the House agriculture appropriations subcommittee, led by agribusiness champion Rep. Jamie Whitten (D-Miss.), ordered the FDA to wait, 'pending the outcome of further research.'"

FDA Complicit in the Antibiotic Cover-Up
An internal FDA review on the safety of feed additives belonging to penicillin and tetracycline classes of antibiotics, which began in 2001 and ended in 2010, revealed that 26 of the 30 drugs under review did not meet the safety guidelines set in 1973, and none of them met current safety guidelines.
​
However, this information only came to light after the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the FDA to obtain the documentation. The FDA is supposed to look at three factors when determining the safety of an antibiotic-based feed additive:

1. Are antibiotic-resistant bacteria being introduced into the food supply?
2. Are people likely to be exposed to those bacteria?
3. The consequences of what happens when people are exposed to those bacteria — would they still be able to get treated with human antibiotics? 

Based on these three factors, the NRDC's report9 concluded that virtually ALL feed additives containing penicillin and tetracycline antibiotics pose a "high risk" to human health and should not be permitted in animal feed, yet about half of the total sales for these two antibiotics are used for that purpose. 

The FDA knew this for well over a dozen years, yet did nothing to curtail the unsafe use of these drugs. The NRDC report also found that as far back as the 1970s, when many of the antibiotics now used in feed were being reviewed for FDA approval, 18 of the 30 antibiotics were already considered "high risk" for human health, but were approved for use in animal feed anyway. 

Over the years, as warnings about dire human health effects mounted, farmers started using more antibiotics, not less. Between 2009 and 2014, agricultural antibiotic use in the U.S. increased by 23 percent.

Finally, in December 2013, the FDA issued its long overdue guidance on agricultural antibiotics. Alas, it only went so far as to ask drug companies to voluntarily restrict the use of antibiotics that are important in human medicine by excluding growth promotion in animals as a listed use on the drug label.

The rule goes into effect in January 2017. However, farmers can still use antibiotics for therapeutic purposes, and this loophole allows them to continue feeding their animals antibiotics for growth promotion without actually admitting it, since enforcement is lax at best.

Why Most Commercial Chicks Are Treated With Vaccines and Antibiotics Before HatchingGetting back to Perdue and poultry production, chickens are not just fed antibiotics in their feed. As mentioned earlier, most hatcheries also dose the egg with gentamicin. Why? Mother Jones explains:

"About 40 years ago, a herpes virus called Marek's disease began to attack chickens, and vets discovered that vaccinating the chicks while they were still in their shells could inoculate them for life. But when you penetrate eggs with a needle ... the tiny hole ... (allows) bacteria in. 

To solve this problem, hatcheries added small amounts of gentamicin to the vaccine ... This method was so efficient that, decades later, the hatchery ended up being the trickiest place for Perdue to remove antibiotics from production. The company gets its eggs from contract breeders, and in the past eggs often arrived covered in bacteria-laden manure. Now Perdue requires its breeders to deliver clean eggs. Perdue also used to mix its Marek's vaccines in the middle of a less-than-pristine hatchery. Today the company mixes the drugs under sterile laboratory conditions and injects clean, antibiotic-free vaccines into clean eggs. It took a while, but by March 2014 the company had banished antibiotics from all 16 of its hatcheries."

How Poultry Vaccine Created a Lethal Supervirus 
What Mother Jones does not delve into is the story of how this vaccine created a supervirus. As previously reported by PBS, vaccinated chickens spread Marek's disease to unvaccinated birds, and research shows the vaccine actually makes the disease spread faster than it normally would. 

Compared to a sick, unvaccinated bird, a vaccinated bird sheds 10,000 times more viruses. Scientists have also found the vaccine made the virus more virulent, with exceptionally rapid lethal consequences for unvaccinated birds, which can catch the virus via contaminated dust. According to PBS:

"This is the first time that this virus-boosting phenomenon, known as the imperfect vaccine hypothesis, has been observed experimentally ... [T]he vaccine is 'leaky.' A leaky vaccine is one that keeps a microbe from doing serious harm to its host, but doesn't stop the disease from replicating and spreading to another individual ... 

[T]he results ... raise the questions for some human vaccines that are leaky — such as malaria, and ... avian influenza, or bird flu ... Vaccines for HPV and whooping cough can leak too ... 

'Previously, a hot strain was so nasty, it wiped itself out. Now, you keep its host alive with a vaccine, then it can transmit and spread in the world,' [co-author Andrew] Read said. 'So it's got an evolutionary future, which it didn't have before' ... The vaccination of one group of birds leads to the transmission of a virus so hot that it kills the other birds ... 

Like Marek's vaccines, vaccines for avian influenza are leaky. For this reason, they're banned from agricultural use in the U.S. and Europe. When bird flu breaks out in these western chicken populations, farmers must cull their herds. 

However, Southeast Asia uses these leaky vaccines, raising the possibility for virus evolution akin to what's happened with Marek's disease. 'In those situations, they're creating the conditions where super hot avian influenza could emerge, 'Read said. 'Then the issues become what does that mean when it spills over into other flocks, into wildlife or into humans. Avian flu is the setting to watch for evolutionary problems down the line.'" 

Probiotics and Oregano Take the Place of Antibiotics at Perdue Farms 
So what is Perdue using to keep its birds plump and healthy in lieu of antibiotics? The answer is natural remedies like probiotics and oregano. As in humans, by keeping the chickens' intestines "well-seeded" with healthy bacteria, pathogens are suppressed and immune function is boosted. Certain strains of probiotics (which Perdue guards as a trade secret) have also been shown to boost the chickens' growth rate. Moreover, as noted by Mother Jones:

"After Perdue bought an organic chicken company called Coleman Natural Foods in 2011, it adopted another unorthodox therapy: oregano. The fragrant herb ... has anti­microbial properties that, when added to feed, help the birds stave off infections. But, I ask Stewart-Brown, won't bad microbes develop resistance to oregano, too? Likely yes, he says, so Perdue only uses oregano to prevent particular infections, not as a constant additive.

Moving away from antibiotics, Stewart- Brown says, has forced him to think about the birds' overall well-being ... Perdue even turns off the lights in the chicken houses for four hours a night so the birds can rest. In the past, lights were left on 24 hours per day on the theory that chickens kept awake eat more and thus get fatter faster. 

Reducing stress by letting the birds rest ... makes them healthier — and since healthy birds grow faster, the extra sleep has the same effect as constant feeding."

Another alternative warranting further investigation would be colloidal silver, which has a history of use that stretches back thousands of years. As noted in a 2013 study, which assessed silver's ability to reduce or prevent post-surgical infections, its bactericidal activity is well established. Researchers have also demonstrated that silver makes antibiotics thousands of times more effective!

Know This: Your Actions Make a Big Difference!
Why did Perdue make all of these changes when regulations don't require them to do so? Turns out Perdue listens to consumers. Starting in 2002, the company started noticing an increase in queries about its use of antibiotics. According to Perdue, "You can drown them with science to suggest they shouldn't be worried, but the worry is real." 

A few years earlier, in 1998, the company began an experiment to evaluate the impact of antibiotics on growth. Three years later, the results were in, and they were not favorable for the continued use of the drugs. Nearly 7,000 chickens raised on 19 farms were included in the trial. 

Half were given growth promoting antibiotics, and the other half got none. Before slaughter, each bird was weighed. The difference was minuscule. Antibiotic-free birds weighed on average a mere 0.03 to 0.04 pounds less than the antibiotic-fed chickens. That doesn't amount to much when you consider an average chicken weighs between five and six pounds. 

The results proved you can eliminate the drugs without harming profitability, and armed with this knowledge, Perdue decided to address people's concerns by moving the operation away from antibiotics. Interestingly, a 2015 scientific review found that antibiotics don't promote growth the way they used to. 

Before 1980, antibiotics boosted growth by about 15 percent. By 2000, that effect had dropped to 1 percent. The reason for this has been attributed to improved nutrition and hygiene, and better breeding methods. All in all, it seems clear that use of antibiotics — at least in chicken farming — has virtually NO benefits anymore over and beyond the occasional use to treat a sick animal.

Perdue's actions are a perfect example of what happens when enough people take the time to share their views and concerns with food companies. Your actions made the difference here, and it's important to recognize this fact. Even if you don't contact a company directly, each time you buy a product you vote with your pocket book, and your choices drive the food system. So be conscious of the system you choose to buy into. 

Tell Sanderson Farms and KFC to Follow in Perdue's Footsteps
Remarkably, despite all the evidence pointing out just how dire the antibiotic-resistant disease situation has become, there are companies out there that still pay it no mind. Sanderson Farms is one of them. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is another16 According to its CEO, Joe Sanderson, Perdue's shift away from antibiotics is nothing more than a marketing ploy, and one he doesn't care to imitate. As noted in the featured article:

"Sanderson ... has held to the old-school party line, maintaining that 'there is no evidence that using these antibiotics for chickens leads to resistant bacteria.' Cost is the No. 1 decision maker when people go to the grocery store to buy chicken, he says, and using antibiotics remains the cheapest way to produce a lot of meat fast. 'We believe the majority of chicken sold in grocery stores will continue to be grown with antibiotics,' he says."

No, Mr. Sanderson. While cost certainly plays a role, at this point in the game it's no longer the determining factor. Literally millions of lives are at stake if we do not address the elephant in the room that is agricultural antibiotics. Paying a few pennies more per pound of chicken is a small price to pay for a clean bird, and I'm certainly not the only person who feels this way. 

The fact that Perdue has been growing faster than any of its competitors is evidence of this fact. The fact that the other top poultry producers, with the exception of Sanderson, are also transitioning over to antibiotic-free is another tipoff. If you agree, I urge you to contact Sanderson and tell him antibiotic-free does matter. You can use their online Contact Page to write them an email, or better yet, call them at 1-800-844-4030, or write a letter to: 

Sanderson Farms
Attn: Joe Sanderson, CEO
PO Box 988
Laurel, MS 39441

KFC is another major food company that has so far failed to take the situation seriously. While many restaurant chains, including McDonald's, Subway and Taco Bell have vowed to limit or discontinue use of chicken raised with antibiotics, KFC has made no move in that direction. You can reach KFC by calling 1-800-CALL-KFC, or fill out their feedback form, available on the KFC website.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/05/31/antibiotics-cover-up-killing-millions.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20160531Z1&et_cid=DM107096&et_rid=1507534246

When the "low fat" craze became the mantra of the health food industry in the 1960s, the public started becoming ill with diabetes, heart disease and stroke. When the fat was removed from foods to erroneously make them "heart healthy," sugar was added to make the foods palatable. Why do so many countries who previously have had a low incidence of diabetes and heart disease now suffer from this epidemic? Sugar is now one of the most serious addictions worldwide.

The truth about obesity and sugar is featured in the documentary: Sugar Coated. This documentary explains why sugar is causing so much illness globally. Sugar Coated is Michèle Hozer's first solo feature-length documentary in the combined roles of director, editor, and producer, probing the role of sugar in a global healthcare epidemic. The film, in association with TVO and ZDF/ARTE, is set to reach international audiences in 2015.

Watch it on Netflix. It is a real "eye-opener," giving the history of how sugar became a major challenge to our health worldwide..

You can find more information by going to the site: http://sugarcoateddoc.com/about-the-film/

In his blog, Dr. Weil discussed four healthy drinks that you shouldn't feel guilty about reaching for. Whether you are watching your weight or just want to eat healthier, taking a look at what you drink is key. Empty calories can lurk in all types of beverages - especially these:  

1. Coffee drinks with extras such as sugar or flavored syrup. These deliver a concentrated dose of quick-digesting carbohydrates that can lead to weight gain. A better option is a plain coffee with a little half-and-half, or, better yet, enjoy antioxidant-rich green tea instead of coffee.
2. Frothy summer cocktails. Whether it's a margarita or a piña colada, sugary drinks pack a double dose of calories due to alcohol and sugar - some can top 800 calories in one drink! A better option is a glass of red wine (60-100 calories) or a light beer (about 100 calories).
3. Non-juice "juice drinks." Before buying bottled juice, read the label and make sure it is 100% juice (not just "made with" real juice) and check for added sweeteners and calories. Many of these products are no better than drinking sugared water. The best juices are fresh, not bottled, and made partially or wholly from vegetables rather than fruits. If you consume fruit juice, I recommend adding purified or sparkling water to reduce the sugar content. 
4. Soda. There just isn't anything nutritious about soda, whether it's diet or regular. If you're a soda addict, breaking the habit is among the best moves you can make for your weight and your health. Consider switching to sparkling water with a slice of citrus.

© ​Dr. Weil Blog: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP05941/Sipping-On-The-Wrong-Stuff-Avoid-These-4-Beverages.html

Did you know that Kaiser Permanente, the largest managed healthcare organization in the United States, has published a newsletter advising members to avoid GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in food?
​
In a Fall 2012 newsletter, Kaiser provided this guidance:

“What do soda, canned chicken soup, margarine, and corn flakes have in common? They all contain genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. GMOs have a piece of DNA from a different species, such as bacteria or viruses, spliced into their DNA. Genetically engineered corn, for example, has DNA added so that it has a pesticide built right into it. This process creates a new species of plant that would have never occurred in nature.”

The $47 billion corporate giant continued:

“Despite what the biotech industry might say, there is little research on the long-term effects of GMOs on human health. Independent research has found several varieties of GMO corn caused organ damage in rats. Other studies have found that GMOs may lead to an inability in animals to reproduce.”

The article encourages Kaiser’s 9 million members to “limit . . . exposure to GMOs.” None of this is particularly revolutionary, and the organization still says it has no “official policy” on the GMO issue. But it is the first time that a health care company of this size has publicly encouraged consumers to avoid GMOs. And it is another piece of evidence that the tide is turning. Americans may still see mandatory labeling of GMOs, and see it soon.

While state-by-state initiatives gain ground, the Food Revolution Network is promoting labeling at the national level through our petition to the US Congress. 

If you want get informed, get active, and protect your family from GMOs, make sure you check out the Food Revolution Network’s complimentary No-GMO Action Pack.

IMAGE CREDIT: www.beachreadynow.com

By Kris Gunnars, BSc | March, 2016

Reducing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet is one of the best ways to lose weight. It tends to reduce your appetite and cause “automatic” weight loss, without the need for calorie counting or portion control.

This means that you can eat until fullness, feel satisfied and still lose weight.
Why Would You Want to do Low-Carb?For the past few decades, the health authorities have recommended that we eat a calorie restricted, low-fat diet. The problem is that this diet doesn’t really work. Even when people manage to stick to it, they don’t see very good results (1, 2, 3). An alternative that has been available for a long time is the low-carb diet. This diet restricts your intake of carbohydrates like sugars and starches (breads, pasta, etc.) and replaces them with protein and fat.

Studies show that low-carb diets reduce your appetite and make you eat less calories and lose weight pretty much effortlessly, as long as you manage to keep the carbs down (4). In studies where low-carb and low-fat diets are compared, the researchers need toactively restrict calories in the low-fat groups to make the results comparable, but the low-carb groups still usually win (5, 6).

Low-carb diets also have benefits that go way beyond just weight loss. They lower blood sugar, blood pressure and triglycerides.
They raise HDL (the good) and improve the pattern of LDL (the bad) cholesterol (7, 8, 9, 10). Low-carb diets cause more weight loss and improve health much more than the calorie restricted, low-fat diet still recommended by the mainstream. This is pretty much a scientific fact at this point (11, 12, 13).

Bottom Line: There are many studies showing that low-carb diets are more effective and healthier than the low-fat diet that is still recommended all around the world.

How to Figure Out Your Need For Carbohydrates
There is no clear definition of exactly what constitutes a “low carb diet” and what is “low” for one person may not be “low” for the next. An individual’s optimal carb intake depends on age, gender, body composition, activity levels, personal preference, food culture and current metabolic health. People who are physically active and have more muscle mass can tolerate a lot more carbs than people who are sedentary. This particularly applies for those who do a lot of high intensity, anaerobic work like lifting weights or sprinting. Metabolic health is also a very important factor. When people get the metabolic syndrome, become obese or get type II diabetes, the rules change.

People who fall into this category can’t tolerate the same amount of carbs as those who are healthy. Some scientists even refer to these problems as “carbohydrate intolerance.”

Bottom Line: The optimal carb range varies between individuals, depending on activity levels, current metabolic health and a bunch of other factors.
​
Guidelines That Work 90% of The Time
If you simply remove the unhealthiest carb sources from your diet, wheat (including whole wheat) and added sugars, then you’ll be well on your way to improved health. However, to enjoy the full metabolic benefits of low-carbohydrate diets, you also need to restrict other carb sources. Even though there is no scientific paper that explains exactly how to match carbohydrate intake to individual needs, I have personally found these guidelines to be very effective.
100-150 Grams Per Day
This is more of a “moderate” carbohydrate intake. It is very appropriate for people who are lean, active and simply trying to stay healthy and maintain their weight.
It is very possible to lose weight at this (and any) carb intake, but it may require you to count calories and/or control portions.
Carbs you can eat:

• All the vegetables you can imagine.
• Several pieces of fruit per day.
• Some amount (not a lot) of healthy starches like potatoes, sweet potatoes and healthier grains like rice and oats.

20-50 Grams Per Day
This is where the metabolic benefits really start to kick in. This is the perfect range for people who need to lose weight fast, or are metabolically deranged and have obesity or diabetes. When eating less than 50 grams per day, your body will get into ketosis, supplying energy for the brain via so-called ketone bodies. This is likely to kill your appetite and cause you to lose weight automatically.
Carbs you can eat:

• Plenty of low-carb vegetables.
• Some berries, maybe with whipped cream (yum).
• Trace carbs from other foods like avocados, nuts and seeds.

Be aware that a low-carb diet is NOT no-carb. There is room for plenty of low-carb vegetables (full list here). Personally I had never eaten as many veggies as when I first started on a low-carb diet.
Important to experiment
We are all unique and what works for one person may not for the next. It is important to do some self-experimentation and figure out what works for you. If you have a medical condition then make sure to talk to your doctor before making any changes, because this diet can drastically reduce your need for medication!

Bottom Line: For people who are physically active or want to maintain their weight, a range of 100-150 grams per day may be optimal. For people who have metabolic problems, going under 50 grams per day is a good idea.

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs
A low-carb diet isn’t just about weight loss, it is also supposed to improve your health. For this reason, it should be based on real, unprocessed foods and healthy carb sources.
So-called “low carb junk foods” are a bad choice.
If you want to improve your health, then choose unprocessed foods: meats, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, healthy fats and full-fat dairy products. Choose carbohydrate sources that include fiber. If you prefer a “moderate” carb intake then try to choose unrefined starch sources like potatoes, sweet potatoes, oats, rice and other non-gluten grains. Added sugar and wheat are always bad options and should be avoided, unless perhaps on special occasions.

For more details on specific foods to eat, check out this detailed low-carb meal plan and sample menu.

Bottom Line: It is very important to choose healthy, fiber-rich carb sources. There is room for plenty of vegetables, even at the lowest end of the carb range.

You Will Become a Fat Burning Beast
Low-carb diets greatly reduce your blood levels of insulin, a hormone that brings the glucose (from the carbs) into cells. One of the functions of insulin is to store fat. Many experts believe that the reason low-carb diets work so well, is that they reduce your levels of this hormone.

Another thing that insulin does is to tell the kidneys to hoard sodium. This is the reason high-carb diets can cause excess water retention. When you cut carbs, you reduce insulin and your kidneys start shedding excess water (14, 15). It is common for people to lose a lot of water weight in the first few days on a low-carb diet, up to 5-10 pounds. Weight loss will slow down after the first week, but this time the fat will be coming from your fat stores.

One study compared low-carb and low-fat diets and used DEXA scanners (very accurate) to measure body composition. The low-carb dieters lost significant amounts of body fat and gained muscle at the same time (16). Studies also show that low-carb diets are particularly effective at reducing the fat in your abdominal cavity (belly fat), which is the most dangerous fat of all and highly associated with many diseases (17).

If you’re new to low-carb eating, you will probably need to go through an adaptation phase where your body is getting used to burning fat instead of carbs. This is called the “low-carb flu” and is usually over within a few days. After this initial phase is over, many people report having more energy than before, with no “afternoon dips” in energy that are common on high-carb diets.
Adding more fat and sodium to your diet can help with this.

Bottom Line: It is common to feel suboptimal in the first few days of lowering your carb intake. However, most people feel excellent after this initial adaptation phase.

Take Home Message
If you want to try this out, then I recommend that you try tracking your food intake for a few days to get a “feel” for the amount of carbs you are eating. My favorite app for this is called Cron-O-Meter. It’s free and easy to use. Because fiber grams don’t really count as carbohydrates, you can exclude the fiber grams from the total number. Instead, count net carbs (net carbs = total carbs – fiber).

However, one of the great benefits of low-carb diets is that they’re ridiculously simple. You don’t need to track anything if you don’t want to. Just eat some protein, healthy fats and veggies at every meal. Throw in some nuts, seeds and full-fat dairy products for good measure. Choose unprocessed foods. It doesn’t get much simpler than that!

Eating out with the family is not an impossible task. For example, if the crew wants to go out for Chinese, you can go too!

Just check the restaurant's menu beforehand. This is easily handled since most restaurants have a web presence and you can view their menus before leaving the house.

Many Chinese restaurants are mindful of dietary preferences and have incorporated healthy choices into their menus. One of the restaurants in my area features a "Revolution Menu" and all of the items are steamed! Make sure that there is no sauce and no MSG!

Two Chinese restaurants in our area have steamed dishes: chicken and broccoli and chicken with vegetables. If you get the vegetable selection, be sure to as them to give you some tofu instead of the baby corn and carrots.

I would also get an extra dish for carryout to have at home. One of my favorite dinners is IP Chicken Soup with the chicken and vegetable or chicken and broccoli in the bowl.

The only way to lose weight permanently is by changing your attitude towards and your relationship with food.

The statistics for losing weight permanently through dieting alone are not very promising. Various research shows that 98% of people who lose weight through dieting regain it all within three years. This is because most diets are too restrictive and not sustainable in the long run. Entire food groups are often eliminated and calories are very low on these diets. 

Most people prepare themselves to stick to a diet long enough to lose the weight and look forward to the day when they can go back to their old eating habits. Taking this approach sets them up for failure before they’ve even start.

The only way to lose weight permanently is by changing your attitude towards and your relationship with food. You have to change how you think about food to make healthy living and weight management sustainable.

To make lifestyle changes you will need to make permanent changes to your way of eating and your relationship with food. This will, in turn, lead to improved health and a more stable, ideal body weight. You cannot eat the way you’ve always eaten and still have the body you desire.

Achieving a healthy lifestyle and long-term weight loss is a hare and tortoise race. There are no extra points for being quick off the mark. What counts is going the distance and achieving the good health and body you desire. Becoming aware of your potentially poor relationship with food is the first step in your journey to wellness and achieving the body you’ve always wanted.

COMMON UNHEALTHY EATING HABITS INCLUDE
Binge eating (or binging)
Cravings
Emotional eating
Eating for taste
Night snacking
Habitual eating

THE CAUSE OF WEIGHT GAIN
Overeating is the only way we can gain significant weight. Almost everyone overeats at some time or another. However, if your overeating is regular and uncontrollable, it may be regarded as binge eating or binging.

For most people, binging is a way of coping with stress or negative emotions. This type of compulsive eating usually ends up making them feel worse. A cycle soon perpetuates. Overeating is therefore only comforting for a brief moment.
​
When reality sets the regret and self loathing soon follows. Weight gain, even to the extent of obesity, often reinforces compulsive or binge eating. The worse the person feels about themselves, the more they use food to cope.

This becomes a vicious cycle; Eat to feel better . . . feel worse . . . turn to food for relief . . . and so it continues.

© http://lovehealth.co.za/its-not-a-diet-its-a-lifestyle/