Vitamins

If you eat a healthy diet, do you need to be concerned about vitamins? Not long ago, the answer from most experts would have been a resounding "no". Today, though, there's good evidence that ensuring proper vitamin intake makes sense for most children and adults.

What's changed? Not only have scientists determined why we need pyridoxine (vitamin B6), but they are also accumulating evidence that this vitamin and others do much more than ward off the so-called diseases of deficiency, things like scurvy and rickets. Intake of several vitamins above the minimum daily requirement may prevent heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and other chromic diseases.

MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax Products are good sources of vitamins including C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Biotin, E, Folic Acid, and Beta Carotene. Including MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax Products in your daily diet as part of a healthy lifestyle will help you increase your levels of these vital nutrients.

Vitamin A:

Vitamin A does much more than help you see in the dark. It stimulates the production and activity of white blood cells, takes part in remodeling bone, helps maintain the health of endothelial cells (those lining the body's interior surfaces), and regulates cell growth and division.

Although it's relatively easy to get too little vitamin A, it's also easy to get too much. Intake of up to 10,000 IU, twice the current recommended daily level, is thought to be safe.

The 3 Bs: Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, and Folic Acid

One of the advances that changed the way we look at vitamins is the discovery that too little folic acid, one of the eight B vitamins, is linked to birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Fifty years ago, no one knew what caused these birth defects, which occur when the early development of tissues that eventually become the spinal cord, the tissues that surround it, or the brain goes awry. Twenty five years ago, British researchers found that mothers of children with spina bifida had low vitamin levels. Eventually, two large trials in which women were randomly assigned to take folic acid or a placebo showed that getting too little folic acid increased a woman's chances of having a baby with spina bifida or anencephaly and that getting enough folic acid could prevent these birth defects.

Enough folic acid, at least 400 micrograms a day, isn't always easy to get from food. The other exciting discovery about folic acid and two other B vitamins is that they may help fight heart disease and some types of cancer. It's too early to tell if there's merely an association between increased intake of folic acid and other B vitamins and heart disease or cancer, or if high intakes prevent these chronic diseases.

Vitamin C:

Even before its discovery in 1932, nutrition experts recognized that something in citrus fruits could prevent scurvy, a disease that killed as many as 2 million sailors between 1500 and 1800.(15) More recently, Nobel laureate Linus Pauling promoted daily megadoses of vitamin C (the amount in 12 to 24 oranges) as a way to prevent colds and protect the body from other chronic diseases.

There's no question that vitamin C plays a role in controlling infections. It's also a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize harmful free radicals, and it helps make collagen, a tissue needed for healthy bones, teeth, gums, and blood vessels.

Vitamin E:

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects cell membranes and other fat-soluble parts of the body, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL; “bad” cholesterol) cholesterol, from damage.

Only when LDL is damaged does cholesterol appear to lead to heart disease, and vitamin E is an important antioxidant protector of LDL. Several studies, including two double-blind trials, have reported that natural vitamin E daily reduces the risk of heart attacks. Other recent double-blind trials have found either limited benefit or no benefit at all from supplementation with synthetic vitamin E. In attempting to make sense of these findings, the following is clear: low doses of synthetic vitamin E, even when taken for years, does not protect against heart disease.

Vitamin E also plays an important role in the body’s ability to process glucose. Clinical trials suggest that vitamin E supplementation may eventually prove to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.

In the last ten years, the functions of vitamin E in the cell have been further clarified. In addition to its antioxidant functions, vitamin E is now known to act through other mechanisms, including direct effects on inflammation, blood cell regulation, connective tissue growth, and genetic control of cell division.

The Bottom Line

A multivitamin supplement doesn't come close to making up for an unhealthy diet. It provides a dozen or so of the vitamins known to maintain health, a mere shadow of what's available from eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax Products are the healthy way to top up your vitamin intake and make up for the "unhealthy" parts of your diet.

Working out!

The two biggest things to maintain a good workout by Bruce Kirby:

1) Always look for new ideas. It is a real challenge to constantly come up with innovative stuff yourself. But if you do the same thing over and over, it gets boring, and your body adapts quickly. You plateau. With the standards of bench press, squat, shoulder flys, etc. You could balance on Fit Balls, push boxes across the gym floor, put on flack jackets an jump up stairs, carrie weights underwater across the deep end of the pool. Just play around. Having fun, challenging, and always hard.

2) You don’t need a long time for a really tough work out. An hour is plenty, much less will do. Warm ups and stretching aside, if you perform a series of weight-resistance exercises (along with perhaps a few sprints and/or agility drills) at a torrid pace, with little or no rest, you can easily pack an effective (and thunderously difficult) workout into 30 minutes.

Simply throw on your runners and headed out the door. Start jogging, with your eyes on the lookout for somewhere where you could do chin ups. In the city, a playground would work. At home in the mountains, a tree branch is just as good. Then sprint along a little more, maybe do some cross over steps or backwards running. Then drop and do some pushups. Run some more. Find a block or log to do standing jumps onto. Run more. Drop for some sit ups, or do inchworms (in push-up position, hop your feet forwards as close as possible to hands, then walk hands forwards, bringing you back to push-up position, repeat). You get the idea. Its fun. Just be imaginative.

A interesting program CrossFit is sweeping the continent (or world) with popularity. If you haven’t heard anything about it, start by digging around their site.

It can be intimidating at first. A lot of the workouts are seemingly impossible. You really have to poke around the site to begin to understand their philosophy. Also, you’ll really need to consider how you can shape their program to meet your needs and current fitness. That said, this site is a GREAT source of workout ideas. I love their premise: repetition is your enemy. They focus on functional, simple movements - chin ups, body weight squats, hand stands. Performed at high intensity. They often don’t post the same Workout-of-the-Day (WOD) for three or more years… which means you have a pretty huge archive to investigate!

To get you going - here is a Sample Workout. This isn’t even from CrossFit. A workout made up from Bruce kirby, specifically so you won’t need any equipment but running shoes. But it will give you an idea of what their workouts are like.

After warming up well, do the following, as quickly as you can:

20 Burpees (if you are not familiar with the Burpee from your grade-school PE class, here is a video from the CrossFit site)
20 Inchworms (described above)
200 m Sprint (100m out and back, 80% effort)
20 Walking Lunges

Repeat 4 times.

That should take you about 30 minutes. Let me know if you are sore the next day! The point is working out doesn’t have to be long or complicated to be very physically taxing.

The poor consumption of juices

Here is a sacred cow that I don't recommend anyone to consume. Juice, well it
does have some positive nutritional content is a hyper-concentrated
form of sugar. not only is it very high GI, but any liquid food, due to
having such a large surface area will be rapidly absorbed into the
digestive tract. This combination is a one-two punch to the pancreas
resulting a massive spike in blood sugar. In addition, all of the fiber
is stripped out in the juicing process.

If your going to drink juice, one that favor is Bolthouse Farms. All Bolthouse Farms beverages are 100% healthy, 100% natural and 100% delicious. There is nothing artificial added, so they are as flavorful and healthy as nature intended.

5 Super Foods: the Next Generation

Top 5 Super Foods - picked by Dietitians

Walnuts

Walnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium and antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Nuts in general are also high in plant sterols and omega 3 fatty acids. Walnuts, in particular, have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids as compared to other nuts. In March 2004, the FDA endorsed the health benefits of walnuts by approving its heart health claim.


Flax Seed


Derived from the plant source, flax seed offers a vegetarian alternative to provide omega 3 fatty acid. Flax seed has been shown in many studies to offer heart-healthy benefits. In addition, flax seed also contain other beneficial ingredients such as fiber and lignan, a type of antioxidant phytoestrogen. Research revealed that lignan in flax seed shows promising results in fighting disease, particularly cancer. Studies show that lignan possesses anti-cancer properties. Results were most promising in breast cancer prevention.


Pomegranate

Pomegranate has quickly become one of the most talked about super foods in the past two years. Pomegranate fruits contain polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins, which are all beneficial antioxidants. On the other hand, pomegranate juice contains high levels of antioxidants - higher than most other fruit juices, red wine or tea. Preliminary evidence suggested that drinking concentrated pomegranate juice may reduce cholesterol. It was further suggested that drinking a glass of pomegranate juice a day for one year reduced blood pressure (particularly systolic pressure) and slowed down low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) oxidation.

Many studies so far were small, thus more research is needed to fully evaluate the possible health benefits of pomegranate. Pomegranate juice is generally safe to drink. Most studies have administered a daily helping of 1.5 ounces (45 milliliters) of pomegranate juice with no significant side effects.


Salmon


Salmon is a perfect food to substitute meats. It is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids. With more than a decade of solid supporting scientific evidence, no wonder salmon stays on the top five super food list! In 2002, the American Heart Association recommended eating at least two servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish such as salmon. With increasing public concerns over farmed salmon, choose wild salmon. Most canned salmon are wild.

Dark Greens



Dark green vegetables such as kale, chard, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, asparagus, green beans etc are packed with vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and phytonutrients. They are very filling, high in fiber and low in calories, making them perfect foods to keep your heart healthy and your waistline slim. The new diet recommendation made by the American Heart Association recommends eating at least 4 servings of vegetables a day from a variety source.

Written by Gloria Tsang, RD
Published in February 2007

Coffee's Health Perks

The good and bad of this caffeinated beverage


Waking up and smelling the coffee may be your favourite moment of the day, it sure is mine, the smell of a dark roast . But are you worried about how much you drink? There's good news for coffee lovers as scientific research is now pointing to the potential health benefits of the brew. But don't start gulping coffee as a liquid health food. Moderation still appears to be the best strategy.

Coffee is often thought of in a simple way -- whether it's caffeinated or decaf. But coffee beans provide a whole mix of substances. Among them are potential disease-fighters, including antioxidants. Change the preparation method or the variety of beans and you have a whole new brew of compounds. This may help explain contradictory research findings. The evidence linking coffee and protection against diabetes seems to be getting more solid as scientists investigate the beverage's effect on a range of population groups. Researchers from Harvard University followed more than 88,000 women, aged 26 to 46 years old, over a 10-year period and found that both decaf and regular coffee were connected to a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The benefit is not for the young alone.




Coffee and disease prevention
An 11-year study on almost 30,000 women at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health showed that post-menopausal women who drink at least six cups of coffee a day -- especially decaffeinated varieties -- are at a lower risk to develop type 2 diabetes than those who never sip the stuff. But weight management and physical activity, not coffee, are still recommended as the first line of defense against diabetes.

Researchers in California have found that coffee may contain substances that offer a defense against cirrhosis of the liver. And it seems to offer protection against Parkinson's disease, although more for men than for women. Speculation is that estrogen may be the wild card in how coffee affects risk. For women who have never used estrogen after menopause, coffee is linked to reduced odds of Parkinson's disease, while heavy java drinkers who have used the hormones have an increased risk. Coffee was once labelled as a culprit in raising artery-clogging LDL cholesterol levels. But researchers found that only unfiltered or boiled coffee, or that made using a French press, contained cafestol and kahweol, the compounds with the cholesterol-raising effects. In heart health research, sipping excess coffee has been linked to high blood pressure, but we'll see more research there.

For many people, drinking too much coffee causes indigestion. And contrary to popular thinking, it's not just the caffeine that's the offender. Processing of the coffee bean can yield acids, which can be an irritant. Look for low acid varieties or those that tout "stomach-friendly" attributes.

How your body reacts to coffee
Starting off your day without a cup of regular coffee may seem impossible. Caffeine acts as a stimulant that affects your ability to think clearly as well as your physical performance in areas such as exercise. Too little or too much can interfere with your ability to focus. An excess can have a dehydrating effect, and because caffeine is addictive, ditching the beloved brew can give you withdrawal symptoms such as headache and fatigue. Just how much of a buzz you get from caffeine varies from person to person, depending on age, physique and personal sensitivities. For some, a caffeinated beverage in the afternoon can lead to irritability and a sleepless night. For others, it can be a soothing nighttime beverage.

Health Canada recommends that healthy adults limit their daily intake to no more than 400 to 450 milligrams of caffeine, or about three 8-ounce (237 millilitre) cups of brewed coffee. But because of its link to miscarriage, for women of child-bearing age, the limit is 300 milligrams a day. To reduce your caffeine intake, consider a mix of half regular and half decaf.

Fancy coffee drinks can impact your waist-management efforts. While black coffee is calorie-free, some specialty coffees can tally in at more than 500 calories a serving, in the same ballpark as a cheeseburger.

Salty solution for your health

Himalayan Crystal Salt versus Table Salt

Let’s face it, we’ve been mind conditioned to believe salt is the enemy and our thoughts immediately turn to high blood pressure when the subject is brought up. But the truth is that it’s not the salt that contributes to poor health, but sodium chloride, a highly processed version of something vital to our health.

As common as saltshakers are to our kitchen, so are the numbers of diseases associated with salt’s daily use. Life is not possible without salt. But our consumption of salt is killing us. Why is that? Because our regular table salt no longer has anything in common with the original crystal salt. Salt nowadays is mainly sodium chloride and not salt.

Natural crystal salt consists not only of two, but also of all natural elements. These are identical to the elements of which our bodies have been built and originally found existing in the "primal ocean" from where all life originated. Interestingly enough, our body is a sole, containing the same salty solution as that of the primal sea; that is, a fluid consisting of water and salt.

It also has the same ratio of concentration that existed in the days when life left the primal sea. This sole flows through more than 56,000 miles of waterways and blood vessels throughout our organism with the forces of gravity and levity and regulates and balances the functions of our body.


Sprinkle it on your food!

Crystal salt variety is better than sodium chloride and sea salt. Sea salt is an improvement compared to sodium chloride, however there are still many toxins in sea salt that we are better off without. Sea salt also contains less minerals and trace elements than pure crystal salt. Sprinkle some crystal salt on your food and feel good about it. If you have high blood pressure or your kidneys are not functioning properly, you may want to be careful and consult your doctor first.

Aromatherapy using Essential Oils

About Essential Oils:

Essential Oils are derived from various parts of plants using a distillation process. The one I love best is Young Living Essential Oils, they uses a low-pressure, low-temperature steam distillation system that protects and preserves the quality of the oils.

The practice of using Essential Oils is commonly referred to as aromatherapy, and is used for physical and psychological well-being. For best results, only pure and natural products should be used.

The origins of aromatherapy and historical references date back thousands of years. From documented uses by Napoleon, to references in the Bible, fragrant oil and spices have played a prominent role throughout world history.

Essential Oils are not really "oils"; they are the highly concentrated liquid that comes from the plant. Rose (Rosa damascena) essential oil has a beautiful, strong floral and sweet fragrance that is intoxicating and highly romantic.

It takes thousands of flower petals to create the drops that are in a single bottle of therapeutic grade rose oil, and adding a single drop of peppermint oil to a glass of water has approximately the same concentration of 20 bags of tea.

In ancient times, sweet smelling oils were more respected for both medicinal and their healing properties than scent, while today the opposite is true. Thus, modern society is ignoring the greatest attribute of essential oils - their health-giving properties.

Is There Anything More Perfect Than Nature?
True, modern medicine has come a long way since the days of blood letting and disease leeching. We've discovered treatments for deadly diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, TB, and the plague. Yet, what about allopathic care? How are we fairing here? A simple question suggests the answer: When visiting your internist, are they teaching you how to live a healthy lifestyle? I'd be willing to bet, (by no fault of their own) your internist only has time to locate your symptoms, then give a pharmaceutical to remedy them.

Don't get me wrong, without the medical profession we'd still be in the Dark Ages, but what if there was more you could do to help precipitate your body's cycle back to health (or prevent it from illness in the first place)?

Gems Of Nature:

Before you run off and purchase Pure Essential Oils, take the time and do a little research about different oils, like precious jewelry or fine wine, are gems of nature and are the quintessential life force of aromatic plants, sometimes called the "soul" of the plant. People who truly appreciate the qualities of pure Essential Oils consider each drop a precious jewel to be savored, enjoyed and protected. Essential Oils are absorbed into the fluid surrounding the cells beneath the skin's surface for a variety of effects including deep cleansing, nourishing, rejuvenating and balancing. Essential Oils can also be diffused into the air to provide many olfactory benefits or even cooking.

Top of my list of Young Living Essential Oils is Thieves. A proprietary combination of cinnamon, clove and rosemary essential oils for its potent antimicrobial properties. Thieves Blend was found to have a 99.6 percent kill rate against airborne bacteria. According to the Essential Oils Desk Reference (Essential Science Publishing, 2006), Studies conducted at Weber State University during 1997 showed the antibacterial effectiveness of this blend against airborne microorganisms."

I hope you truly enjoy the benefits of Essential Oils!

Foods that benefit the body and parts they resemble

You are what you eat, so eat well. A stupendous insight of civilizations past has now been confirmed by today's investigative, nutritional sciences. They have shown that what was once called 'The Doctrine of Signatures' was astoundingly correct. It now contends that every whole food has a pattern that resembles a body organ or physiological function and that this pattern acts as a signal or sign as to the benefit the food provides the eater. Here is just a short list of examples of Whole Food Signatures.



A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.




A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.





Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.





Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.






Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.





Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.





Avocados and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these
organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? ... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one
of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them.





Figs are full of seeds and hang in two's when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.





Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.





Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.



Grapefruits, Oranges, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.





Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.




Bananas, Cucumber, Zucchini and more target the size and strength of the male sexual organ. It's true!



Peanuts have a profound effect on the testicles and sexual libido. Peanuts were banned as a food for males by the church often during the middle ages. Most people don't realize that argentine, the main component of Viagra, comes from peanuts.

Healthy Treats

Raw Breakfast Balls

These delectable treats are easily done. A fantastic heathy treat when your on the run, a morning snack or energy bar!
Be creative the sky's are the limits for this great source of energy.

Ingredients: Mix together, honey, chopped nuts of your choice, chopped dried fruit of you choice and cocoa, organic preferably.

Create sticky consistency roll in coconut.


Enjoy!!!!!

Benefits of Yogurt

We usually think of it as a tasty and convenient snack, but it's much more than that. Yogurt's many benefits make it an outstanding eating choice. Its on top of the food chain that You Should Eat Every Day!






Yogurt

Cancer fighter, Bone builder, Boosts immunity


Various cultures claim yogurt as their own creation, but the 2,000-year-old food's health benefits are not disputed: Fermentation spawns hundreds of millions of probiotic organisms that serve as reinforcements to the battalions of beneficial bacteria in your body, which boost the immune system and provide protection against cancer. Not all yogurts are probiotic though, so make sure the label says "live and active cultures." Aim for 1 cup of the calcium and protein-rich goop a day.

The one I like is Activia yogurt from Danone combines your benefits: it's not only delicious, but good for you. Everybody will appreciate its rich and creamy texture and exquisite taste, all while enjoying the benefits offered.

The probiotic culture in Activia is unique to Danone: it consists of the BL Regularis strain (Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010), a friendly bacteria that remains active in the digestive system. Each serving contains over a billion of these live BL Regularis bacteria, which makes Activia so exceptional.


Improved digestion

During the fermentation process, between 20 and 30% of milk's lactose is converted to lactic acid. Since yogurt contains bacteria such as ß-galactosidase1, those who are lactose-intolerant can tolerate it better when they eat it. Yogurt's texture makes it easier to digest. Due to its thickness, yogurt takes longer to move through the digestive system, allowing the lactase enzyme to break down lactose more efficiently.

Low fat

Dairy products account for about 18% of Canadians' daily fat intake. Recommended fat intake, which represents between 20 and 35% of total energy intake, is normally 65 g a day for women and 90 g for men. Eating yogurt allows you to keep easily within your recommended limits. With at most 5 g of fat per serving, yogurt is pure health food, one that is not just low fat, but also contains protein, vitamins and minerals.

Winning formula

The proteins in yogurt and other dairy products are recognized to be of great value. Not only are dairy proteins complete and fully absorbed by your body, they also provide essential amino acids that your body cannot produce itself and must obtain through food. One serving of yogurt provides an average of 4 g of protein, representing 7% of recommended daily intake if you're a man and 9% if you're a woman.

You'll generally find the following vitamins and minerals in yogurt:

Calcium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Complex B vitamins, riboflavin in particular
Vitamin A
Vitamin D

HOME RUN: Power Smoothie Blend 1 cup low-fat yogurt, 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 cup carrot juice, and 1 cup fresh baby spinach for a nutrient-rich blas

All of the above-mentioned play a part in a healthy balanced diet. Yogurt is undeniably a health food - you'll benefit greatly by making it part of your daily eating habits.

How much protein do we need?

Healthy protein is an essential component of our daily diets. Here's how to figure out how much protein you need and where to get it.

Protein is one of the three macronutrients that is a requirement in the daily diet (the other two macronutrients are carbohydrates and fat). Protein is derived from building blocks called amino acids. Each protein is formed from the bonding of various amino acids into configurations.

There are 20 amino acids in total. Out of the 20 amino acids, 11 are non-essential, meaning your body can make them. The remaining nine must be derived from the food we consume on a daily basis. Similar to the alphabet, which can form a variety of long and short words, the different configurations of the amino acid structures are the building units for literally hundreds of protein varieties in the body.

There are a few calculations that can be used in terms of protein recommendations. You can go by total percentage of calories per day. In other words, it is safe and within normal limits to consume 20 to 30 per cent of your total daily calories from optimal protein sources such as lean meats, eggs and dairy products. In other words, if you are a female consuming 1,800 calories per day and 20 per cent of the calories are derived from protein, the calculation would be:

1800 x 0.20 = 360 calories from protein
Since 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, divide protein calories by 4
= 90 grams of protein daily


Another method of calculation: By Dr. Joey Shulman

An alternative calculation is to go by your current body weight. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is to consume 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. On average, based on the RDA, the average male who weighs 154 pounds should consume approximately 56 grams of protein per day, while the average female who weighs 110 pounds should consume approximately 40 grams of protein per day.

The RDA increases by 30 grams per day during pregnancy and 20 grams per day during lactation. During growth, different amounts are needed. For example, 2.2 grams of protein are needed per kilogram of body weight each day in the first six months of life, and 2.0 grams per kilogram for the next six months.

Many nutritional experts feel the RDA for protein is far too low and is only suitable for sedentary adults. For those who are active, insulin sensitive, overweight or seeking weight loss or are in their teenage years, the amount of protein should be higher. If this is the case, you will likely need to increase your protein intake from the RDA's recommendation of 0.8 g/kg to 1.2-1.8 g/kg. The calculation would be:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm

If you are pregnant, recovering from an illness, stuck in a metabolic rut, under stress or work out intensely, The recommended amount using a number between 1 and 1.8. The calculation would be:

Example: 150 lb female who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights

150 lbs/2.2 = 68kg
68kg x 1.5 = 102 gm protein/day



What type of protein should I eat?
Proteins are not as “grabbable” as carbohydrates and need a bit more thought and planning. As a general rule, it is important to have a protein source at most meals. The following list below will highlights the foods that contain significant amounts of protein (beef, chicken, fish, turkey, eggs, soy and dairy), and other foods that contain less such as nuts and seeds.

Beef
• Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein
• Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams
• Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce

Chicken
• Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein
• Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
• Drumstick – 11 grams
• Wing – 6 grams
• Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams

Fish
• Most fish fillets or steaks, 3-1/2 ounces – 22 grams of protein
• Tuna, 6-oz can – 40 grams of protein

Pork
• Pork chop, average – 22 grams protein
• Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
• Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
• Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
• Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams
• Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 to 6 grams

Eggs and dairy
• Egg, large – 6 grams protein
• Milk, 1 cup – 8 grams
• Cottage cheese, 1/2 cup – 15 grams
• Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8 to 12 grams, check label
• Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz
• Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz
• Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz

Beans (including soy)
• Tofu, 1/2 cup – 20 grams protein
• Tofu, 1 oz – 2.3 grams
• Soy milk, 1 cup – 6 to 10 grams
• Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc.) – about 7 to 10 grams protein per half cup
• Soy beans, 1/2 cup cooked – 14 grams protein
• Split peas, 1/2 cup cooked – 8 grams

Nuts and Seeds
• Peanut butter, 2 tablespoons – 8 grams protein
• Almonds, 1/4 cup – 8 grams
• Peanuts, 1/4 cup – 9 grams
• Cashews, 1/4 cup – 5 grams
• Pecans, 1/4 cup – 2.5 grams
• Sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup – 6 grams
• Pumpkinseeds, 1/4 cup – 19 grams
• Flaxseeds, 1/4 cup – 8 grams

Happy Eating!!!

Beer, With Benefits

Beer makes you feel good. You knew that? But you don't realize just how good. Recent research has revealed bioactive compounds in beer that battle cancer, boost your metabolism, and more. And these benefits come on top of the oft-touted upsides of moderate alcohol intake: clot prevention, cleaner arteries, and reduced stress. Just in time for the summer, we all know everyone likes a few extra tasty beers. A stack of studies, a panel of parched testers, have come up with the best-tasting, healthiest brews available. Enjoy.


Avery Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale

Hops help cut the sweetness in a beer, delivering a crisp citrus-and-pine kick to the back of your tongue. But the cone-shaped hops flower is more than just a flavor savior. Researchers have shown that it's also a significant source of cholesterol-lowering, cancer-fighting, and virus-killing compounds called polyphenols. What's more, "Just one 12-ounce beer a day decreased fibrinogen, a clotting factor, and increased albumin, which is very important for protein metabolism," says Shela Gorinstein, Ph.D., a researcher at Jerusalem's Hebrew University and the author of a 2007 study on the bioactivity of beer. In our taste test, the winner was a smooth, fruity India Pale Ale (IPA) brewed with 8 pounds of hops per barrel. It boasts 80 times the hops of a mass-market lager.

Runner-Up: Southern Tier Unearthly IPA

Also Try: North Coast Brewing Red Seal Ale, Harpoon IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Stone IPA, Two Hearted Ale



Best Low-Cal Beer
Beamish Irish Stout

The typical low-cal beer is run through a deflavorizing machine on its way to the bottle. "Most of the calories come from the alcohol content and whatever residual sugars may be left after fermentation," says Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery.

We sought a brew that would go easy on the waistline without disappointing the palate. Darker beers have a major advantage here: They're relatively low in alcohol and have thick, creamy, smoky finishes. When the cans were emptied, Beamish stood tall. It contains about 130 calories per 12-ounce can, but with a full flavor and sturdy dark-chocolate notes.

Runner-Up: New Belgium Skinny Dip

Also Try: Sam Adams Light, Guinness Draught, Sprecher Micro-Light Ale, Mahr's Bräu Leicht, Shiner Light



Best Organic Beer
Wolaver's India Pale Ale

The German Beer Purity Law of 1516 restricted "true" beer to three ingredients: water, barley, and hops. Today's megabrewery beers are anything but pure. A 2003 FDA study found that 27 percent of barley and 32 percent of nonorganic wheat products carried pesticide residues. What's worse, a loophole in the USDA organic-certification standard allows pesticide-grown hops. Our winner, an IPA with a pleasant aftertaste, is made with wheat from organic farms near the brewer's Vermont facility. "We track every detail of every organic ingredient," says Max Oswald, a Wolaver's spokesman.

Runner-Up: Butte Creek Brewing Pilsner

Also Try: Peak Organic Amber, Dupont Foret, Old Plowshare Stout, Orlio India Pale Ale, Samuel Smith's Organic Ale



Best Alterna-Brew
He'Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale

Novelty beers can be cloying — you can't drink more than one — and few of the added ingredients pack health benefits. In our taste test, our top pick featured the antioxidant-laden superfruit, pomegranate, shown to combat cancer and lower your risk of Alzheimer's and heart disease. In a 2006 UCLA study, for example, men who drank a glass of pomegranate juice every day reduced prostate-cancer cell growth by 12 percent. Brewers dump more than 150 gallons of pomegranate juice into every batch (equivalent to 10,000 pomegranates, or half of a fruit per bottle), giving the final product a rasp- berry-like flavor that allows the malt and hops to come through.

Runner-Up: Dogfish Head Black & Blue

Also Try: Barons Black Wattle Ale, Rogue Juniper Pale Ale, Lindemans Framboise, Kelpie Seaweed Ale



Best Bottle-Conditioned Beer
Brooklyn Brewery Local 1

With bottle-conditioned beers, brewer's yeast is added right before the bottle is closed, reigniting the fermentation process. The result: deeper flavors, extra effervescence, and, it turns out, many health benefits—the yeast is a rich source of B-complex vitamins, protein, and minerals such as chromium. "German doc-tors used to prescribe bottle-conditioned wheat beer to patients with vitamin deficiencies," says Oliver. As a probiotic organism, yeast helps your body break down nutrients, regulates your digestive system, maintains your nervous system, and even helps modulate blood-sugar levels. Oliver's Local 1 won with a balanced blend of spices and subtle malt flavors. Bonus: Its brewmaster uses twice the yeast.

Runner-Up: Southampton Grand Cru

Also Try: Ommegang Hennepin, Tripel Karmaliet, Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Hell, Allagash White, La Fin du Monde



Best Dark Malt
Trappistes Rochefort 8

The smooth, deep finish of a dark malt develops during the same high-temperature roasting process that fuels the formation of antioxidants. "Dark beers are loaded with them," says Joe Vinson, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Scranton. Vinson showed in a 2003 study that stouts, porters, and browns contain more than twice the antioxidants of lagers, on average. What's more, "The antioxidants in beer are better at reacting with toxic free radicals than the ones in antioxidant vitamin pills." The Rochefort's creamy cocoa and caramel notes won us over.

Runner-Up: Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Also Try: Alaskan Smoked Porter, Samuel Smith's Nut Brown, Anchor Porter, Shakespeare Stout, Ayinger Celebrator


Cheerrs...............