Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Buying Organic Matters with the Dirty Dozen
For starters, P E S T I C I D E S are
Please minimize your exposure to pesticides...
And go certified organic where you can.
You matter.
Watch what Andrew Wiel M.D. has to say about this...
- toxic to the nervous system
- disrupt endocrine function of the body
- increase your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases
Please minimize your exposure to pesticides...
And go certified organic where you can.
You matter.
Watch what Andrew Wiel M.D. has to say about this...
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Make a Moo-ve towards being Flexitarian.
Flexitarianism involves a semi-vegetarian diet that focuses mainly on vegetarian food with some meat eating on occasion.
Instead of committing entirely to a meatless diet, I find it has been much easier mentally to go flexitarian. I eat mostly vegetarian meals, but when the catering tray comes around with a delicious looking something or other, I find it easiest to give in to my active and interested tastebuds.
In any case, when I cook and even when I order out, I tend to stay away from commercial red meat for the following reasons:
Instead of committing entirely to a meatless diet, I find it has been much easier mentally to go flexitarian. I eat mostly vegetarian meals, but when the catering tray comes around with a delicious looking something or other, I find it easiest to give in to my active and interested tastebuds.
In any case, when I cook and even when I order out, I tend to stay away from commercial red meat for the following reasons:
* It is dirty.
The intense numbers of animals in unhygienic housing create a feast for bacteria. Plus, processing happens in the presence of blood, feces, and other unmentionables, and the distance to transport this food is also open for contamination.
* As a result, there is an overuse of antibiotics that we end up indirectly consuming, and Salmonella, E. Coli, and Camplyobacter are increasingly becoming more resistant!
* It is high in saturated fats and raises "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.
* It can increase overall calorie intake when eating large amounts of fatty red meat
and could lead to excess weight gain and obesity.
*Studies also show that eating red meat leaves you at risk for a shortened life span because of links to of heart disease and cancer. Actually, it's a 30% increase in risk of death, a 50% greater risk of colon cancer, and a 20% greater risk of rectal cancer!
The intense numbers of animals in unhygienic housing create a feast for bacteria. Plus, processing happens in the presence of blood, feces, and other unmentionables, and the distance to transport this food is also open for contamination.
* As a result, there is an overuse of antibiotics that we end up indirectly consuming, and Salmonella, E. Coli, and Camplyobacter are increasingly becoming more resistant!
* It is high in saturated fats and raises "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.
* It can increase overall calorie intake when eating large amounts of fatty red meat
and could lead to excess weight gain and obesity.
*Studies also show that eating red meat leaves you at risk for a shortened life span because of links to of heart disease and cancer. Actually, it's a 30% increase in risk of death, a 50% greater risk of colon cancer, and a 20% greater risk of rectal cancer!
Be wise.
Making healthier decisions about what kind of protein you get is imperative to your health. Opt for leaner unprocessed white meats and fish when possible and think twice about stuffing your face with the largest culprits: fatty cuts and ground beef, lamb, pork, sausage, hot dogs, bacon, and even many deli meats.
Making healthier decisions about what kind of protein you get is imperative to your health. Opt for leaner unprocessed white meats and fish when possible and think twice about stuffing your face with the largest culprits: fatty cuts and ground beef, lamb, pork, sausage, hot dogs, bacon, and even many deli meats.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Fiber is your friend...
After all of that Crap Talk, you are probably not getting enough fiber.
The average American gets maybe 15g of fiber a day...
but
women should get 25g and men 35g.
A few things about fiber and your health:
* Stay regular!
Fiber moves things along in your gut. Constipation and hemorrhoids are no match for insoluble fiber which binds water. Stools are softer, heavier and bulkier as a result.
* It's good for your heart by lowering "bad cholesterol."
Soluble fiber binds bile acids, where cholesterol hangs out, and you end up excreting that LDL.
* Fiber also regulates blood sugar by taking longer to digest.
Those suffering from diabetes may find that a high fiber diet helps normalize blood sugar levels.
* It is known to prevent obesity.
A diet of high fiber fruits and veggies help satiate you and attack hunger with relatively few calories.
You end up feeling fuller for longer and decreasing the desire to overeat. Save yourself those excessive calories and experience weight loss!
And as an added bonus...
Keep your waist size in check!
The focus of a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also suggests that fiber, especially fiber from cereal, helps keep the inches around your waist slim and trim!
I live by a high fiber (and by proxy, a more whole foods) diet and feel lighter and happier!
Some of my favorite ways to get my fix:
Simply Fiber cereal is my favorite and has 14g of fiber per serving!!
raw Cacao Beans (9g per serving) make a great snack.
Butternut squash is 7g per cup!
and Lentils are 15g for 1/4cup!
The benefits of fiber are just another reason to eat more whole foods.
The average American gets maybe 15g of fiber a day...
but
women should get 25g and men 35g.
A few things about fiber and your health:* Stay regular!
Fiber moves things along in your gut. Constipation and hemorrhoids are no match for insoluble fiber which binds water. Stools are softer, heavier and bulkier as a result.
* It's good for your heart by lowering "bad cholesterol."
Soluble fiber binds bile acids, where cholesterol hangs out, and you end up excreting that LDL.
* Fiber also regulates blood sugar by taking longer to digest.
Those suffering from diabetes may find that a high fiber diet helps normalize blood sugar levels.
* It is known to prevent obesity.
A diet of high fiber fruits and veggies help satiate you and attack hunger with relatively few calories.
You end up feeling fuller for longer and decreasing the desire to overeat. Save yourself those excessive calories and experience weight loss!
And as an added bonus...
Keep your waist size in check!
The focus of a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also suggests that fiber, especially fiber from cereal, helps keep the inches around your waist slim and trim!
I live by a high fiber (and by proxy, a more whole foods) diet and feel lighter and happier!
Some of my favorite ways to get my fix:Simply Fiber cereal is my favorite and has 14g of fiber per serving!!
raw Cacao Beans (9g per serving) make a great snack.
Butternut squash is 7g per cup!
and Lentils are 15g for 1/4cup!
The benefits of fiber are just another reason to eat more whole foods.
Crap talk...
For whatever reason, this is actually a common conversation, we find, among models.
And because a healthy poo parallels good health, let's explore this topic.
Poop is essentially mostly water.
It's the 25% left of bacteria, dead and alive, protein, fiber and food residue, mucus from the liver, cellular linings, fats, cholesterol, salts and other waste material from food that makes us go "EW."
The goal is to stay regular and on a schedule of once a day, ideally.
The other times, discounting diarrhea, is an added bonus.
The concensus on healthy poo involves a few factors. It should be nearly odorless, about 18" long and 1-2" in diameter, come out somewhat like an unripe banana and be a golden brown.
Be wary of other colors, because they means something, too.
Alicia Silverstone is a vocal advocate of a healthy poo! And I love that Gillian McKeith of the show, "You Are What You Eat," talks at length on her show about it!
There have been whole shows devoted to this topic on Oprah, The Tyra Banks show, and Dr. Oz among others, I'm sure. And for good reason! Healthy poo is an indicator of a healthy body.
A tip to stay regular:
try squatting and at the same time each day.
It helps stimulate the bowels.
You can also add more fiber to your diet.
(For women, we should be getting at least 25g of fiber a day!)
And because a healthy poo parallels good health, let's explore this topic.
Poop is essentially mostly water.It's the 25% left of bacteria, dead and alive, protein, fiber and food residue, mucus from the liver, cellular linings, fats, cholesterol, salts and other waste material from food that makes us go "EW."
The goal is to stay regular and on a schedule of once a day, ideally.
The other times, discounting diarrhea, is an added bonus.
The concensus on healthy poo involves a few factors. It should be nearly odorless, about 18" long and 1-2" in diameter, come out somewhat like an unripe banana and be a golden brown.
Be wary of other colors, because they means something, too.
Alicia Silverstone is a vocal advocate of a healthy poo! And I love that Gillian McKeith of the show, "You Are What You Eat," talks at length on her show about it!
There have been whole shows devoted to this topic on Oprah, The Tyra Banks show, and Dr. Oz among others, I'm sure. And for good reason! Healthy poo is an indicator of a healthy body.
A tip to stay regular:
try squatting and at the same time each day.
It helps stimulate the bowels.
You can also add more fiber to your diet.
(For women, we should be getting at least 25g of fiber a day!)
Oh My Neti Pot
Last week I called my agent Maria at M and to much of my dismay she was (gasp!) stuffed up with nasal allergy's due to the common cold. Oh no, I thought, how is this woman going to concentrate when she has sinus pressure. As she was saying, What's a Neti Pot?, I hung up the phone, grabbed my neti pot and headed to her immediately.
I have to give credit to the person who ever so humbly showed me the magic of the Neti Pot, my friend Yuliya. I love house guests but a house guest who can teach me holistic remedy's is priceless. Yuliya suffers from allergies, like millions of people, and instead of taking an allergy pill like Claritin every day she incorporated the neti pot into her nightly regime along with tooth brushing to help her sinus's. I watched her in awe every night as she used her travel, dishwater safe neti pot. How does it work? Where is the salt water going?
Okay, so back the story. I went to share my knowledge with Maria. We went to the bathroom and I gave her instructions. Fill up the neti pot with body/room temperature water, mix in the salt packet, tilt your head, put the sprout up to your nostril, let gravity do it's thing and Voila! The neti pot is working it's magic. Then repeat for the other nostril. I was saying encouraging things like, "It's so natural, like the ocean!" and "You're going to love the way you feel after this!" We hugged it out after as the drainage came out...
P.S The Neti-Pot works wonders for me after a flight with all that stale air. I tend to use it with the first onset of a cold. Nib it in the butt with the natural Neti-Pot.
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