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What You Can Do One Hour Before Grilling Beef To Reduce Your Risk Of Cancer…

31 Dec

In a world where there is so much disagreement, here is a statement we can all agree on: No one wants cancer.  If there is a simple and inexpensive way to help prevent it, why not do it?  While there is great buzz about “cancer genes” and how much of a role they play in an individual actually getting cancer, there should also be great buzz about eating right, reducing stress, getting the proper amount of sleep, and doing all the other things that help optimize your immune system so you can live up to your full genetic potential, whatever that potential may be for you.

That being said, there are several studies on the subject of “grilled meat.”  In the research, the various authors discuss heterocyclic amines (HCAs). HCAs are SUSPECTED human carcinogens (cancer causing) formed in muscle foods (meat) during high temperature grilling or cooking.  One study, published in the Journal Food Science, studied the effect of marinades rich in polyphenolic antioxidant containing spices in HCAs.  According to the study: “The marinades were formulated according to the package label instruction in an oil, water, and vinegar mixture, and the steaks were treated for one hour prior to grilling.  All three marinades: Caribbean, Southwest, and herb, significantly decreased the imidazo-azaarene HCAs (MeIQx, PhIP) as contrasted to controls and liquid blanks.  The Caribbean mixture showed the highest decrease in the total HCA content (88%), followed by the herb (72%) and Southwest (57%). With a few exceptions, there were significant decreases in HCAs for treatments with only the marinade bases (ingredients without any spices/herbs).  As measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the marinades contained considerable amounts of the polyphenolic antioxidants carnosic acid, carnosol and rosmarinic acid with Caribbean being the highest.  Commonly available spice-containing marinades can be effective inhibitors of HCA formation and provide reduced exposure to some of the carcinogens formed during grilling.”  

Does this mean if you marinate your steaks one hour before grilling them in this Caribbean mixture you will not get cancer?  No.  Does it mean you will… for sure… reduce your risk?  Can’t say that either.  But it’s pretty safe to say this:  Science and research are not perfect.  They are only as good as the imperfect humans doing the research and interpreting the data.  Every month, there are studies that say what we believed last year (“proven” in a study) was wrong.  But that doesn’t mean you should throw your hands up in the air and ignore everything and eat junk food and sugary drinks all day.  Try eating natural foods over processed foods.  Exercise moderately instead of sitting on the couch.  Think positive thoughts more than negative thoughts. And maybe… just maybe… if you eat steak… consider a Caribbean marinade one hour before. 

 

Great Autumn Fruits and Vegetables.

31 Dec

Fall is upon us, and with that comes beautiful fruits and vegetables that are ready to be harvested and consumed. When produce is consumed at its ripest (when it is in season) more nutrients are delivered into the body. Here are some delicious foods you can get your hands on to enjoy the beauty of autumn (in the Northern Hemisphere at least):

Apples: Even though apples are available 365 days a year in grocery stores, fall is their time to shine. Apples are full of fiber and vitamin C. Due to the anti-oxidant properties found in apple skin, they are also great for reducing inflammation.

Squash: Fall gourds like butternut squash are low in fat, high in fiber, and full of potassium. Not only is squash great for you, it is also highly versatile. Whether you are a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned professional, you can make an awesome fall meal involving squash.

Carrots: Whether you munch on carrots as a mid-day snack or use them as a key component in a comfort-filled fall stew, carrots are an absolute treasure when it comes to nutrients. Carrots have an incredible amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A assists in maintaining vision, a healthy immune system, and cell growth.

Eggplant:  These strange and beautiful vegetables are harvested in late summer and can be found at their best in early fall. The phytonutrients in eggplant have been found to protect cell membranes against free radicals. Want more reasons to eat eggplant? One cup contains only 19 calories!

Is This The Blueprint To Losing 68 Pounds?

31 Dec

Inspirational Story Of The Month (Names And Details May Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)

Woman claims these two things helped her go from 210 lbs. to 142 lbs.  Will they work for you?

It might be because of what we see on television, the Internet, or magazines but it seems like almost everyone wants to lose weight. Some just want to drop a few unwanted pounds while others need to lose a whole heck of a lot more.  For that reason, weight loss is estimated to be a $60 billion industry.  When there is that much money involved, you know it will attract con artists and scammers who want to sell you the next magic pill, exotic diet, or whiz bang gadget that will make the pounds fall right off your body. Some of their approaches may work, but doesn’t it seem like within a couple years, the same people are pitching the next miracle doo-dad? What happened to the last one?

Believe it or not, there is a proven and effective way to lose all the weight your heart desires. It is 100% free, and this story tells it all.

It’s the story of a young woman named Dawn who is married to Steve, a soldier deployed in Afghanistan.

Dawn gained 55 pounds while pregnant with their first child, though she readily admits that she had started gaining weight long before that.  She was still surprised when her doctor told her she weighed over 200 lbs.

Six weeks after their son was born, Dawn weighed 210 pounds. Then, Steve left for Afghanistan.  On Facebook, Dawn wrote, “At the time, I still weighed 210 pounds. I grew to hate mirrors, and my attempts to squeeze myself into my old clothes left me feeling defeated.  One day, not long after Steve had left, I decided I was done feeling bad about myself.  I wanted a healthy body again, so I had to get to work.

“I started a strict exercise routine and committed to two daily workouts, including a bootcamp class and 45 minutes spent on the treadmill.  I cut out fast food for 11 months without cheating and never skipped a workout.  My husband was in awe of my commitment.  While he’s deployed, we rely on Facebook to communicate, and I sent him updates from home, pictures of our son, and messages about my progress in the gym. I was getting stronger every day, and I loved that he got to cheer me on from overseas.”

When Steve came home just before their son’s first birthday, Dawn weighed 142 lbs. (less than she weighed when they first met)!

So, what is the “blueprint?”  The blueprint is simple:  Commitment and hard work.  Dawn said, “It wasn’t easy.  There is no magic pill for good health…”  

Making that acknowledgment and accepting that statement as fact is the first step in losing any amount of weight you want and living a much healthier life.

Yes, losing weight is NOT complicated.  In fact, it is quite simple, but simple doesn’t not mean “magic” or “overnight” or “no work” or “take this pill and wake up skinny while eating ice cream and sitting on the couch.”

All those statements are tactics used by marketers trying to get their share of the $60 billion weight loss industry.  Listen to Dawn.  Make the commitment, eat right, and do the work… for the rest of your life.  Forget about those magical fat burners.

Want The Best For Your Newborn?

31 Dec

Research Shows Breastfeeding Creates Bigger Brains – Why What Your Baby Eats For The First 1,000 Days Is So Important!

 

Doctors, researchers, and parents have always wanted to know how much nutrition in early life affects adults later in life.  Can adults overcome poor nutrition in the first few months or years of life or are there consequences to starting off life eating sub-optimal food? Both epidemiological and animal studies have shown the risk of metabolic syndrome is significantly increased after exposure to suboptimum nutrition during crucial periods of development.  Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raises your risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke.

What about IQ?  According to an article published in Neuroimage (May 28, 2013), “The prevailing consensus from large epidemiological studies posits that early exclusive breastfeeding is associated with improved measures of IQ and cognitive functioning in later childhood and adolescence. Prior morphometric brain imaging studies support these findings, revealing increased white matter and sub-cortical gray matter volume, and parietal lobe cortical thickness, associated with IQ in adolescents who were breastfed as infants compared to those who were exclusively formula-fed.”  

In other words, a majority of researchers believe (based on studies) that breastfed babies have higher IQs than babies who were given formula.  A new study from Brown University has found more evidence to the superiority of breastfeeding over formula. The study used MRIs to look at the brain growth in a sample of children under the age of four. The research found that by age two, babies who had been breastfed exclusively for at least three months had enhanced development in key parts of the brain compared to children who were fed formula exclusively or who were fed a combination of formula and breast milk. The research showed the extra growth was most pronounced in parts of the brain associated with language, emotional function, and cognition.

“We’re finding the difference [in white matter growth] is on the order of 20 to 30 percent, comparing the breastfed and the non-breastfed kids,” said the study’s lead researcher, Sean Dioni. PhD. “I think it’s astounding that you could have that much difference so early.”  

With everything researchers and doctors now know, breastfeeding is the clear choice if you want the best for your child both now and as an adult.

 

10 Facts About Carrots.

31 Dec

Carrots are 88% water.

The carrot primarily gets its characteristic and bright orange color from beta-carotene.

Carrots are rich in antioxidants and minerals.

Carrot greens are edible as a leafy vegetable, but are only occasionally eaten by humans.

Baby carrots are really just carrots that have been cut and peeled into uniform cylinders.

Growing carrot plants with tomato plants increases tomato production.

The carrot is one of the top-ten most economically important vegetables crops in the world.

Carrots can be stored for several months in the refrigerator or over winter in a moist, cool place.

Carrots are a member of the Umbelliferae family, which also includes celery, parsley, dill, cilantro, caraway, cumin, and the poisonous hemlock.

Eating too many carrots can cause a person’s skin to turn yellowish orange, especially on the palms or soles of the feet. This is called carotenemia. It is completely reversible once the consumption of carrots is reduced.

 

Man Celebrates 65th Birthday By “Paying It Forward.”

31 Dec

Inspirational Story Of The Month 

(Names And Details May Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)

If you have seen the movie Pay It Forward, you have an idea what we are talking about.  If not, it doesn’t matter because the concept of “Paying it Forward” is much, much, much older than the movie that made it popular.

The concept can be dated back to 1841 when Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “In the order of nature, we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody.”

In 1916, Lily Hardy Hammond wrote, “You don’t pay love back; you pay it forward.”

In a nutshell, pay it forward is asking the beneficiary of a good deed to repay it to others instead of to the original benefactor.  In other words, passing on the good to the rest of the world, especially those who may not be in a position to pay YOU back or give ANYTHING to you in return.

That’s exactly what Doug Eaton decided to do for his 65th birthday.  As the story goes, he turned 65 on June 11, 2012.  He was looking for something to do, so he asked his friends on Facebook what he should do.  He got a whole bunch of suggestions.  Some were good.  Some were bad.  Many were ridiculous.  One was brilliant.

That suggestion was, “Why don’t you do 65 random acts of kindness?”  Eaton immediately knew that was the winner.

According to Yahoo: [Eaton spent] 65 minutes standing on the corner of NW 39th Street and May Avenue in Oklahoma City, handing out $5 bills to people who passed by. He told his Facebook friends that he handed out more than $375, but the response – and the amount of good cheer he shared – was priceless. From a distance, Eaton looked a bit like any other panhandler holding a sign at a street corner, but instead of a plea for money, his sign read: “I have a home… and a car… and a job. Do you need a few bucks for some coffee?”

As you can imagine, people who drove by were shocked.  Some just drove by shaking their heads.  Others told him, “God bless you.”  Many did not want to take his money.

Eaton posted on Facebook, “One obviously needy truck holding a family came around the second time after misunderstanding the first time to give ME $2 just to bless ME for what I was doing.  I took their money AND gave them a $5. We kind of traded blessings.”

A lot of people told him to give theirs to someone else.

But, Eaton did not invent this birthday act of kindness idea.  In 2010, Robyn Bomar turned 38 by doing 38 random acts of kindness.  Bomar wrote on her blog, “I planned out 38 things ahead of time, just in case, but really was praying for opportunities to present themselves throughout the day. My husband, three daughters, and my husband’s parents joined me in the most favorite birthday of my life!”

That day changed Bomar’s life and she started a website with an online community of people who celebrate their birthdays by paying it forward.  The website is http://www.thebdayproject.com.  Now you know what to do for your next birthday! 

 

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