How to diet fast 1 week: food

Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Changing My Relationship With Food

One year ago, on the Summer Solstice, I set an intention to change my relationship to food and regain my health and vitality. I was morbidly obese and yet the goal had little to do with the number on the scale. I wanted to find freedom from mindless compulsive eating, whatever my weight. I wanted to begin living a healthier lifestyle that was more in alignment with my core beliefs.

My intention had nothing to do with dieting, and everything to do with living.

Most people dont even think that they have a relationship with food. Trust me, you do. And mine was quite intimate, and complicated. It started when I was a wee toddler and became more and more convoluted throughout the years.

In my Hungarian household, food took center stage. We celebrated with food. We mourned with food. I learned to use food for pleasure, for comfort, for reward. I turned to food when I was sad, hurt, angry, bored and lonely. I quickly forgot that eating had anything to do with being hungry. Food became the glue that held my life together.

When I set about changing my relationship to food, the goal was not to detach all emotion and enjoyment from eating. It was to find a healthy balance between getting the nutrition my body needs and enjoying my meals mindfully. In short, where I once lived to eat, I had to learn to eat to live.

Reflecting On A Year of Change

Sunday marked the first day of summer, and I spent time reflecting on the many changes of this past year — Ive regained my health and vitality, and, yes, I have succeeded in changing my relationship to food. I thought Id share with you a bit of what Ive learned along the way:

Most of us go unconscious when we eat. After the first few bites, we dont even taste it. Maybe its because were usually doing five other things while eating. To feel the physical satisfaction from the food, it is important to be relaxed and aware as you eat.

Cultivate a sense of gratitude for your food. Each time we remember to eat with awareness, we return to that place of inner peace.

Most of the time we eat in response to our minds. Most of the time we feed our bodies without consulting our bodies.

Physical hunger is of the body. Physical hunger asks for food. Nonphysical hunger is of the mind, the heart. When you see that your physical hunger is capable of being fulfilled, you can begin to allow that same possibility for your emotional hunger.

If youre not experiencing physical hunger, yet youre still reaching for the food, then its time to figure out what you want from food beyond its nourishing your body. A sure-fire way of doing that is to ask: What is it I dont want to feel, do, or say right now?

Food is fuel for our bodies, not a drug for our souls. As we learn to nourish our bodies, we find that we are spiritually nourished as well.

There is nothing you can’t have tomorrow so there is no reason to eat it all today.

If we change our relationship to food, we have to find other ways to entertain ourselves, comfort ourselves, and find pleasure.

Going to the farmer’s market for fresh produce and meeting the farmers that grow your food is a wonderful way to foster a healthier relationship with food.

Stay focused on the healthy choices youre making each day. If you do indulge in old behaviors with food, release the guilt or thoughts of "falling off the wagon." There is no wagon to fall off. Were not giving anything up. We can still eat that whole bag of Doritos if we want, but were choosing not to.

When we stop dieting, we have to trust that our body will tell us what it needs. This can be terrifying because we think we need so much. We still want what we werent allowed as a child. More often than not, this has little to do with food.

As we begin listening to our bodies, we discover our own voice – something we were often too young to know we had given away. Deciding what goes into our mouths, and when, is very empowering.

Food cravings are physical. Food obsessions are emotional.

Physical cravings are our cells crying for the nutrients they need. Sadly, we often respond to this urge by eating highly processed and refined foods which only promote further malnourishment.

Mineral-rich foods, like dark leafy greens and sea vegetables, stave off cravings.

Theres a very dangerous myth that "fat makes you fat." The truth is, without enough fatty acids, our brains do not function properly and our cells cannot communicate. The proper kind of fats are essential to our health and well being.

When you are busy loving life, food becomes less of a mistress.

I love that last one. Cant remember where I first heard it, but its stayed with me and is oh-so true.

Now tell me, what kind of relationship do you have with food today? Friend or foe?

To lose weight without begging for food choose foods

While the word "diet" is almost exclusively associated with the word "calories", those of satiety and satiation are often left out.

Yet it is they who can avoid the frustrations that often end in the cabinet treats.

But how to calibrate the stomach without doing violence to the plan?

The satiating foods to lose weight without hunger

If, during a diet, eyes are on the figures for calorie intake of food, it does not reflect their satiating power. And thats unfortunate ...

Fighting against cravings, said satiating foods, contribute to limiting food intake, which is any benefit under a plan.

Satiety ("Im not hungry") defines the sentiment felt by a person completely satisfied.

There are:

the psycho satiety, leading to the interruption of the meal and thus determines its volume,

metabolic satiety resulting from the absorption and utilization of nutrients by the body, and determines the interval between meals.

While the former can be achieved with larger foods such as salad, only its association with satiating foods will keep until the next meal.

What satiating foods?

In general, foods that have a satiating power than a lot of protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Among the foods with the most satiating power, we find in particular:

Foods rich in protein: fish, eggs, meat and dairy products (cheese, yogurt ...).

Pulses (beans, lentils etc.).

Pasta, rice, bread and cereals provided they are complete.

Why these foods they help us to not be hungry between meals?

During a meal, various signals are generated and translated by a feeling of satiety.

The satiating foods play especially on the volume of food consumed: as and when food is eaten, the pressure on the stomach lining and increases nerve signals sent to the brain. Once the stomach contracts and empties, the desire to eat can again be felt. Fibers and lipids that delay gastric emptying as well as proteins that are digested slowly, so promote the feeling of satiety.

In addition, foods rich in complex carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta), especially if eaten whole, slow the increase in blood sugar through their fibers. This avoids the peaks of hyperglycemia often quickly followed by hypoglycemia which then triggers hunger.

How to choose the satiating foods?

As part of a plan, the ideal is to focus on low-calorie but satiating foods. In order to make the right choice, one can refer to the table having indices food satiety.

Soluble Fiber Food for Gut Flora

The human body only produces enzymes to digest proteins, fats, starch and a few simple sugars. The remaining components of food either pass through the intestines undigested (insoluble fiber) or are digested by bacteria and fungi in the colon (soluble fiber.) Soluble fiber feeds gut flora. Insoluble fiber is usually minimized by traditional food preparation, for example grains, because it contains unhealthy materials, such as phytic acid. Soluble fiber is healthy and required for normal development of the gut/immune system, whereas insoluble fiber should be avoided.

Soluble Fibers in Vegetables are Carbohydrates/Polysaccharides

Plant cells are surrounded by cell walls composed of long chains of sugars, polysaccharides. These wall polysaccharides, e.g. pectin, arabinogalactans, xyloglucans, and storage glucans and fructans, are highly complex in structure and can only be digested down to simple sugars by the action of dozens of different enzymes produced by dozens of different bacterial species in the colon. Many plants (as well as fungi and bacteria) also produce unique polysaccharides that are only susceptible to additional unique bacteria enzymes. Thus, digestion of diverse vegetables requires hundreds of different species of bacteria in the gut. Healthy gut flora consists of more than 150 different species of bacteria, which were eaten with food and adapt to the gut environment.

Food Intolerances/Most Food "Allergies"/Constipation Reveal Missing Enzymes

Enzymatic treatment of complex polysaccharides in the gut is a complex process that also yields many intermediate products that can influence both gut flora and the gut itself. A well adapted gut flora can systematically digest most of the food molecules that pass into the colon and produce only short chain fatty acids (CFAs) that feed the colon and pass through the liver to the rest of the body.

Antibiotics or a history of limited food choices and excessive hygiene can result in a simplified gut flora that only partially digests soluble fiber and results in accumulation of unusual byproducts that irritate the gut, and cause bloating and gas. Adverse reactions are called food intolerances or food allergies. Since bowel stools are composed predominantly of loosely packed gut flora, inability to fully digest and convert soluble fiber into more gut flora, also results in constipation.

Soluble Fiber in Meat is also Polysaccharide

Meat is made of fibers of protein connected to bone by polysaccharides. The tendons, gristle and other chewy parts of meat are made of chondroitin sulfate and other glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Heparin is another GAG, which is released onto the surface of the intestines to block the adhesion of viruses and pathogens to the gut, and is subsequently digested by colon bacteria. Other components of meat (and vegetables), such as nucleic acids and some fats are also digested by enzymes of the gut flora. The versatility of gut flora to adapt to a huge variety of foods permits people to live on very diverse diets, ranging from vegan to paleo.

Modern Diets Starve and Simplify Gut Flora

Modern diets consist of processed foods that are made of fat, protein and starch, all of which are digested and absorbed before reaching the colon. These simplified foods produce a simplified gut flora that may also produce more CFAs rather than stool forming gut bacteria. In other words, eating larger amounts of simpler foods can result in more of the nutrients being absorbed and making it easier to gain weight on less food with a tendency toward constipation. These diets may also select for bacteria that maintain the simplified, "efficient" gut flora community and provide the potential for the spread of obesity through a population. Having friends and relatives who are obese and presumably have gut bacteria that favor obesity, increases the risk of obesity. It seems likely that obesity is contagious.

Simplified Gut Flora also Means a Compromised Immune System

Complexity in the gut flora is also needed to produce a healthy immune system, because different species of bacteria in the gut stimulate the development of different parts of the immune system, which develop in the lining of the gut. Soluble fiber is the normal food for the colon bacteria that control the part of the immune system that regulates autoimmunity and allergy, for example. Obesity is also associated with increased risk of degenerative and autoimmune diseases, which is consistent with defects in the gut flora that reside in the colon. Thus, the modern high carb diet contributes to the symptoms of obesity by elevating blood sugar, blood CFAs, as well as compromising the gut flora needed for normal functioning of the immune system.

Healthy Gut Flora = Anti-Inflammatory Diet + Eating New Bacteria

A damaged or simplified gut flora can be fixed by eating foods that supply nutrients for the body as well as feeding the gut flora, e.g. plenty of different types of soluble fiber. It is also necessary to eat the missing bacteria. Just adding a few probiotics with yogurt will not fix the problem and cooking kills all of the good bacteria. Fermented foods, especially those based on bacteria from your own home and garden, are good sources of health-providing bacteria. Raw vegetables will also provide bacteria that may be useful in your gut flora, as long as the vegetables are not too thoroughly washed. Sterilizing and cooking vegetables may avoid rare pathogens, but will certainly prevent contributions to a healthy gut flora.

Dr Oz Five Food Felons

---the other 200 posts---

Biofilms on intestine microvilli

The medical industry is slowly pulling away from diet advice that has contributed significantly to disease in America. It promoted or at least tolerated, the shift from butter to margarine and polyunsaturated vegetable oils, and from saturated fats in meats to starches and grains. The medical emissary, Dr. Oz, still supports medical advice that is not based on medical research.

Dr. Ozs Five Food Felons and Why His Choices Are Unhealthy:

"1) Trans fats raise lousy LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lower your healthy HDL cholesterol level and fuel disease-triggering inflammation." Trans fats are inflammatory and should not be eaten. New labeling has permitted substantial amounts of trans fats to be added to processed foods and still be labelled "No trans fats." LDL blood levels reflect inflammation, but artificially lowering the LDL with statins has no impact on heart disease. Lowering LDL, by lowering inflammation with fish oil and/or repair of gut flora, diet and exercise is effective.

"2) Saturated fat in red meats, poultry skin, full-fat dairy products and palm and coconut oils fuels cancer risk, coronary artery disease, dementia, obesity and diabetes." Linking saturated fats with heart disease, etc. was never supported by medical research. Elimination of red meat, removing skin from chicken, avoiding egg yolks, etc. and replacing them with omega-6 polyunsatured vegetable oils has been a major contributor to inflammation and disease. Full fat milk is the healthful choice, especially for children. The change was dangerous and is being reversed with new emphasis placed on omega-3 fish oils.

"3) Added sugars and 4) sugar syrups cause the proteins in your body to be less functional and age your immune and cardiovascular systems and your joints. Plus, they disrupt your metabolism and contribute to almost every lifestyle-related malady, including some cancers." Oz got this right even though they initially promoted high fructose corn syrup (half glucose/oligos) and its evil and even higher fructose sister agave nectar (all fructose/oligos.) Equally bad, however, are the hyperglycemic starch in breads (including whole grain!) and over cooked pasta.

Gut flora

"5) Refined and processed grains dont contain the fiber or nutrients (contained in 100 percent whole grains) that you need to keep the bacteria in your guts happy, glucose levels regulated, immune system strong and digestion running smoothly." Dr. Oz and company fail to understand the basics of vitamins, soluble fiber and gut flora. Grains are not healthy for most people, because of the toxicity of gluten and hyperglycemic starch. Ultra fine milling and fast commercial bread making eliminate the resistant starch. "Whole grain" processed foods just add back the insoluble fiber that is considered toxic, because of its phytic acid content. Grains should just be replaced with whole foods, such as vegetables that contain the soluble fiber that feeds the gut flora that provide all of the needed vitamins and are required for immune system development.

Why Does Dr. Oz Make Health Mistakes?

Dr. Oz has been criticized for promoting foods, supplements, medical treatments, etc. that are not supported by medical research. While that is true, I think that he is just following the general views of the medical industry and simply doesnt know any better. Sadly, most doctors dont have the background to read scientific research papers, let alone their own biomedical literature that is rife with scandals of nonreproducibility and inappropriate industry influence. Doctors find it hard to give valid dietary advice, because nutritionists have false information and celebrity doctors, and their research teams, dont do their homework. The result is the mix of ancient orthodoxy, industry promotion, alternative medicine and unscientific fads that appears in the media. Doctors need a scientific background sufficient to answer the essential question posed to health claims, "Does it make sense?"

Capturing Austin Food Photos by iPhone Curras Grill La Condesa The Salt Lick and El Sol Y la Luna

A Weekend of Fun and Good Food in Austin Texas, plus BlogHerFood 2013!

Back when I was a relatively new digital camera user, I used to do a blog feature called Friday Night Photos. I was taking lots of photos then partly to learn to use my new camera, and it was fun sharing some of them on the blog. Then I guess it started to feel like work, because I quit doing the photos and started Phase One Fridays, a feature that might be more useful to most of my readers. But fast forward a few years and now I'm the proud owner of a brand new iPhone5, which takes amazing pictures. I'm having so much fun snapping photos with my phone that I decided to share them on the blog once in a while. This first batch is from my visit to Austin, Texas last weekend, where I was attending BlogHerFood 2013 and hanging out with a few of my favorite blogging friends.

Click to continue reading

Raw food diet without superfoods

The whole point of going raw or increasing the raw foods in your life is to optimize and detox your body. As you increase the raw foods in your diet, it can become increasingly difficult to maintain because of the following factors:

The climate in which you live in
The raw foods you are eating
Maintaining the gut bacteria

If you decide to go raw at first there might be a feeling of complete elation as you free yourself from the normal foods that you were eating and you expand to a juice or a smoothie. At first this will feel good to your body as it breathes a sigh of relief and can finally start to cleanse out the unwanted nasties. However, as you increase the raw foods you may feel somewhat deficient or lacking in some minerals; you may also feel too cold to juice everyday and if you have lapses in to old food addictions (coffee; wheat; sugar; alcohol; meat; dairy etc.) then maintaining an equilibrium in the gut bacterial load could pose an issue.

Ka Sundance on raw food:

So we need to ask the following...

Is it possible to just eat raw fruits and vegetables and nothing else?

It is possible to just eat raw fruits and vegetables but this does not necessarily mean you will have optimal health, as there are other factors that need to be considered. Drinking juices and smoothies along with your normal diet may help to reduce the toxic load and may help you more than going 100% raw in the first instance. However, this does not mean that you will have excellent health.

How can we maintain good gut bacteria on a raw food diet?

Even if you are 100% raw and vegan it does not mean you will have optimal health unless you address the gut bacteria. This is obviously essential and we cannot overlook the fact that maintaining a clear digestive tract can promote a sense of well being and a connection to our overall health and vitality. If we are not adding something to maintain the good gut bacteria then how can it be optimized?
Cultured foods namely sauerkraut; kimchi; coconut kefir; Kombucha; coconut pro biotic yogurt and coconut water can help to create more good gut bacteria and a more maintainable vegan raw food diet. However, even this may need further assistance.

I live in a cold climate and find it almost impossible to eat raw what can I do?

Unless you live on the equator raw food diets can be a challenge to maintain as building up your own inner body heat can often pose a challenge to even the most healthy of the population. Even the athletes get cold! Juicing everyday numbs the fingers and can take time to digest, and you may feel internally cold after eating your naturally refrigerated celery. This is why people often relapse (including myself) to eating cooked food in a colder climate.
Just because people on raw foods diets eat tonnes of raw food does not mean they do not have health issues. The cells need more than raw food to really heal. This is why homeopathy is key.

Supplementing your raw food lifestyle with additional health and healing modes such as homeopathy and superfoods (chlorella; spirulina; Blue green algae; iodine; fulvic acid minerals; msm etc.) can optimize health and promote a sense of wellbeing.
It is not just about eating 100% raw food and that is it. There are so many other factors that need to be considered such as...

Is your body hydrated?
Do you have IBS?
Have you got any ailments which stay even after being on the raw food diet?
Have you done a parasite cleanse?
Do you get easily back onto cooked foods?

It is fine for people to promote 100% raw and that is it. Some people will find this easier to do than others. In my experience I have found 100% raw very challenging for the simple fact that I live in a cold climate and eating 100% raw all the time is not really warming to the physical body.

If you have problems maintaining internal heat when on a raw food lifestyle here are some warming superfoods:

Marinephytoplankton
Blue Green Algae
He Shu Wu (for general assistance increasing energy)
Maca

Happy Raw Food

Raw food is totally awesome because it makes you feel so vibrant and alive. There is nothing as delicious and amazing as fruit or a fresh salad. Raw makes you feel good physically because you know you are helping yourself detox and cleanse; rebuild and heal. Adding more raw foods into your lifestyle can help your body to get rid of the accumulated crap and help your colon to start to cleanse.
We dont really like thinking too much about food beyond the taste stage, however as soon as the food is ingested it starts to affect the physical body and to some extent the mind. When you stimulate your brain with a coffee or a peanut MnM then the chemical reactions inside your brain respond accordingly and usually the result is a good one.
However, weaning yourself away from those brain stimulants is the challenge in todays society. It is so easy for us to get a quick brain fix when we indulge in a sweet treat, yet we forget in the moment the long term effect this may have on our physical and mental well being.
Eating more raw foods helps us to feel renewed and revived and so much more alive! The more raw foods you eat, the less you smell and the less the accumulated crap can build up on your thighs. Eating raw fruits and vegetables really helps you to look at what you are eating. It makes you aware of the ingredients even more so, because a pineapple doesnt have an ingredients label. Simplicity really is key when eating raw. Personally I find it easier to stick to mono-meals of fruit rather than to many complex variations of fruit salad, and even some salads are best kept simple. The more simple the meals are, the easier it is on your digestive track and the easier the nutrients are to absorb. Moving away from processed junk really gives you a breath of fresh air and lightens the load of your digestion.
Since implementing more raw foods into my lifestyle, the physical results are there as evidence to back up the choices - clearer skin; glossy hair; fat loss; more energy and feeling great almost all of the time (well I am human!).
A week of eating raw would certainly change your mindset and start to change your waistline. Plus, it is probably cheaper to eat raw than eating a lot of take-out foods! So if you want vibrant health amongst other awesome feelings, then choose to adapt your food habits and incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your life. The main point I would say to remember eating raw, is to keep meals simple and yet have lots of variety with your choices. Also make sure you eat until you feel full and keep hydrated. Dont feel guilty if you want to indulge and eat lots of the same fruit, or vegetable. Your instincts and feelings will tell you exactly what your body needs at any one given moment, and go with that feeling. Eat regularly throughout the day and make sure you recognize if you are hungry or thirsty and do something about it!
Eating those other highly addictive processed foods will move over and the balance will tip in the favour of the raw foods as you be consistent with your choices. Experiment by choosing a fruit which you have never tried before, and always go to the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarkets first, so that this takes up the majority of space in the shopping basket.
There is no excuse for not eating more raw foods, however, it is a choice and it is a new formulation of habits that you have to implement on a regular basis if you want a more dramatic change in your health and appearance.

Tuna with brown rice

Presentation time: noon

Suitable presentation: Lunch

Preparation time:

Category: Diet dishes

Implementation: Normal

Definition recipe

Separates brown rice diet for the owners ...

Ingredients Ingredients /

200 brown rice.

4 pieces fish (tuna) .. clip acetic manner.

1/2 oil.

Black pepper

Dzrmbashor

Grated almonds or any nuts, according to the desire

1 butter fingers

.. Lemon for garnish

Preparation /

Put rice in the pot and a little. Than water ... reduce fire cover and leave 30 minutes.

_ Fat fish oil and pepper published by and covered Baksidir .. In the oven.

_ And fish during cooking .. attend islands and almond .. Nahmassh with butter .. until it becomes brown in color.

Then put it on rice.

How to Apply:

And served with tuna steak .. and adorned with lemon rings

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Vesanto Melina Co Author Of Becoming Raw Addresses Controversial Questions Concerning Raw Food Nutrition

Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook !

Vesanto Melina
Saturday night I was fortunate to hear Vesanto Melina discuss some very important issues about raw food vegan diets. Besides Becoming Raw, Ms. Melina has co-authored Raw Food Revolution Diet, Becoming Vegan, Raising Vegetarian Children, Food Allergy Survival Guide and The New Becoming Vegetarian. She has taught nutrition at the University of British Columbia and at Seattles Bastyr University. In short, shes spent most of her life studying and writing about plant-based nutrition so she is truly an expert in this field.
In her talk, she discussed 4 controversial questions about raw food diets:
(1) What contributions do plant enzymes make to digestion?
(2) Are cooked foods toxic?
(3) Can we get enough vitamin B12 from plant foods or from the production of B12 in your intestines?
(4) Can raw food diets reverse chronic disease?

Vesanto Melina (right) lecturing at a vegan potluck in Santa Rosa, California

Enzymes - The Very Foundation of a Raw Food DIet
Most raw foodists regard the preservation of enzymes as the holy grail. It is believed that the enzymes found in uncooked food can work together with the enzymes produced by the body itself to more efficiently digest food. This may reduce the amount of enzymes the body has to produce allowing it to preserve its energy for other activities. Raw foodists often experience high energy which many attribute to the consumption of raw food enzymes. I myself have experienced high levels of energy when on a raw food cleanse (when I go completely raw for 1 month) followed by extreme fatigue when I consume my first cooked meal after my cleanse.
Contrary to these beliefs, Ms. Melina says that enzymes are not the core reason for the benefits of a raw food diet. She claims the science shows that food enzymes can provide some initial digestion which can begin when food is chopped, juiced, pureed and chewed, but the amount of enzymes in food is much smaller than those produced by the body. Because of their relative quantities, some experts feel that plant enzymes do not play a significant role in human digestion. However, she gave two important examples where plant enzymes are critical in providing health benefits and therefore the foods should be not be cooked to obtain maximum benefits. These are myrosinase and alliinase.
Myrosinase is an enzyme found in raw cruciferous vegetables iike broccoli, kale, cauliflower, bok choy, brussels sprouts, etc. These veggies all contain important sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates. Myrosinase allows the conversion of glucosinolates to isothiocyanates which are bioactive metabolites known to trigger other enzymes in the body to prevent and fight cancer. But unfortunately myrosinase is deactivated at 140 degrees F. Bottom line, if you cook cruciferous veggies more than lightly steaming them, you may lose much of their cancer fighting abilities!
Allinase is an enzyme found in raw garlic and onions and other vegetables in the allium family. Other vegetables in the allium family include chives, green onions and leeks. Allinase converts an organosulfur compound found in allium vegetables to allicin which has many powerful properties. Allicin is known to have anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial and antiparasitic properties. It also is known to help lower cholesterol, thin blood and reduce inflammation associated with arthritis. Unfortunately, allinase is destroyed by heat. If you let garlic sit for 10 to 15 minutes after crushing or mincing it before it is cooked, it allows sufficient conversion to allicin and it can withstand some amount of cooking. However, depending on the heat and amount of cooking time, much of the health properties of the garlic may still be lost.

Are Cooked Foods Toxic?
Ms. Melina believes, as I do, that there is no need to eat a 100% raw diet. See my post on Raw Food Diet - How raw do you need to be? Many foods can be boiled and steamed and still provide important nutrients. However, she discussed some of the harmful effects that cooking can have:
Carcinogenic by-products
I remember seeing the first infrared burner on BBQ grills thinking that they should just call it the "cancer feature". These burners can grill meat over 700 degrees F!
Ms. Melina discussed the health damaging by-products that can be formed when foods are subjected to very high temperatures. HCAs (heterocyclic amines) are generated when animal products like meat, poultry, fish and eggs, are barbecued, grilled or fried. Consumption of HCAs can increase the risk of colorectal, stomach, pancreatic and breast cancers. Grilling veggies does not produce HCAs.
PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are generated from grilled or charred meat, poultry, fish, grains, sweets and fats. An example of this is burnt toast. Like HCAs, PAHs can damage DNA and PAHs have been linked to cancer. AGEs (advanced glycation end products) are formed when proteins are cooked with sugars without water. Browning is an indication of AGEs, such as browned meats, bread crust, cookies, etc. These have been linked to accelerated aging, impaired immune systems, heart, nerve, eye and kidney diseases as well as diabetes. Acrylamines form when foods high in carbohydrates and low in protein are subjected to high cooking temperatures exceeding 248 degrees F. This is extremely bad news for all of you potato chip and french fry lovers! Consumption of acrylamines may also be carcinogenic.
Vitamin and Mineral Loss
Besides forming carcinogenic by-products, Ms. Melina pointed out that as much as 50% to 80% of vitamins can be lost in the cooking process and 30% to 40% of minerals can end up in the cooking water (so use it to make soup!). By eating foods raw, you will get the optimal amount of vitamins and minerals.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals, or plant chemicals, are what gives plants their colors and many other characteristics. When consumed, they have numerous health benefits, many of which are lessened by the cooking process. But this is not always the case. Some phytochemicals increase with cooking. For example, studies show that the availability of the phytochemical, lycopene, increases when tomatoes are cooked. It is believed that cooking breaks down the cell wall. A list of vegetables and what effect cooking has on their phytochemicals can be found on pages 49-50 in Ms. Melinas book, Becoming Raw.

Vitamin B12
Like many other well regarded nutritionists, Ms. Melina also agrees that you cannot possibly get enough vitamin B12 from plant food or from the production of B12 in your intestines. Vegetables purchased today do not contain B12 producing bacteria (as they are free of dirt) and the B12 produced in your body is done further down the intestine beyond the point the body is able to absorb and utilize it. Raw food vegans must supplement as they do not eat fortified foods. Vegetarian formulated Red Star nutritional yeast is also a good source of vitamin B12 but she still highly recommends supplementation. By the way, if youre not supplementing and havent gotten into trouble yet, its because your body is extremely good at recycling vitamin B12. But eventually it will catch up with you and deficiency can cause some life threatening health issues like megaloblastic anemia and severe nervous system problems. Fatigue, depression, confusion and irritability are symptoms of B12 deficiency.
Ms. Melina also recommended supplementing with vitamin D (her own vitamin D levels were woefully low despite her visit to sunny Hawaii) and perhaps DHA omega 3.

Can Raw Food Diets Reverse Chronic Disease?
There is scientific evidence that raw food diets can reverse some chronic diseases. Specifically, they have been shown to offer significant benefits for those suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and those who are overweight or obese. There is suggestive evidence that a raw food diet may also provide protection against cancer and should be a good supplemental treatment to those who already have cancer. It is also widely acknowledged that raw food diets have the potential to prevent and reverse cardiovascular disease due to the high content of antioxidants and phytochemicals. The caveat here is that without B12 supplementation, there is an increase in homocysteine and therefore an increased risk of heart disease! Supplementation with vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids is also required. And finally, there is also strong suggestive evidence that raw food diets can prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes. (See my post where my friend Kannan prevented type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome with a raw food diet). Ms. Melina also indicated that there were instances of people with type 1 diabetes who responded favorable to a raw food diet. The above vitamin and fatty acid supplementation is also recommended to achieve the benefits of protecting and reversing all the mentioned disorders.

In Summary
To summarize, Ms. Melina thinks that "Raw Rocks" as she states in her book. There are many advantages to raw plant consumption as it can help us obtain and maintain a healthful body weight and protect us from many diseases. Raw plants contain high amounts of compounds that are good for us and fewer compounds that make us sick. This contributes to the ability of this food regimen to reverse some chronic illnesses.
However, she does not feel that the majority of benefits from a raw food diet come from living enzymes and their ability to significantly contribute to digestion. She also points out that several critical nutrients can not be derived solely from raw plant sources, especially vitamin B12. And, Ms. Melina feels that there is an important place for cooked plant foods in our diet and does not think that people need to be 100% raw.
A big thanks to Vesanto Melina for a wonderful lecture and discussion on this very important topic!

How to Diet Food Review Pistachio Nuts

If you are interested in dieting, you may have heard talk of how to diet. I can almost guarantee you havent heard everything though. In fact, if you read the rest of this how to diet review, youll discover three features almost nobody is talking about...yet...

Antioxidents

Free radicals cause damage to you at the cellular level. This type of nut protects you with substances called antioxidants that fight against this radiation. Pistachios help to deplete lipids; fats and other fatty substances such as waxes and oils, from the body. Lipids and how to diet lipoproteins are what are considered to be bad cholesterol, the type of substance that is responsible for strokes and heart attacks. The antioxidants in the pistachio nuts also prevent the inner arteries from building up plaque. Vitamin E helps to keep your heart healthy, beta-carotene helps to prevent cancer and how to diet Lutein is good for the skin. Free radicals can come from places as diverse as biological stress to exposure to the sun. They are particularly destructive because they cause damage to you all over your body.

Lower Cholesterol

Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats decrease cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, as opposed to saturated and especially trans fat, which would otherwise increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. A how to diet rich in pistachio nuts has been tested and found to lower both HDL and LDL in the human blood system. People who eat pistachios do not gain weight from the fat inside the how to nut, this is because of an open secret; good fats do not make you fat. As with other how to diet nuts, pistachios have large amounts of fiber, which helps to eliminate excess toxins from your body, particularly those which have to do with the bad fats. Ninety percent of the fat in pistachio nuts are unsaturated, those kinds of percentages are excellent, makes it easier to swap out food you like for other this other fat-craving food.

Fantastic Taste

Ice cream makers add all kinds of nuts to their product. The most noticeable is the addition of the how to diet pistachio, which colors the vanilla bordering it green. The pistachio nut itself is shriveled, unlike other how to diet tree nuts which are usually smooth. That kind of shriveled texture hides a huge concentration of fat and flavor beneath its clammy shell. So what is the big deal about pistachio nuts tasting good, how does that affect your ability to diet? Well, it stands to reason that when you eat how to foods you like, you are more likely to keep eating them. Lastly, there is also the chore of opening the how to diet shell, that prevents you from eating too many, or at the very least slows you down and gets you to spend a calorie or two.

How to diet fast 1 week

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