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These 2 supplement preparations became popular about five years ago, when a tape of a lecture entitled “Dead Doctors Don’t Lie” given by a veterinarian/naturopath was circulating. It touted the benefits of a colloidal mineral potion based on a discovery of a Utah rancher some 75 years ago. As the story goes, the rancher found an Indian spring that supposedly had healing powers. He extracted minerals formed as humic shale (plant remains originating from a prehistoric rain forest) and gave them out in a liquid form. From this concept, supplement manufacturers developed colloidal mineral solutions and capsules (they don’t contain any vitamins). Each manufacturer claims theirs is the real thing. The marketers of colloidal minerals state that you only absorb a small amount of minerals from other types of (non-colloidal) supplements. And what about from food? They claim the soil in which food is grown is depleted of minerals. Manufacturers of colloidal minerals assert that their products are absorbed almost 100 percent because they have a “natural negative electrical charge,” allowing them to enter cells more easily.

So, is there any truth to this concept? First, for those of us who slept through science class, here’s a little review… A colloid is simply a particle suspended in a liquid or a gas. Milk is an example of a colloid (it’s a protein suspended in liquid). Most minerals occur in nature as ions, meaning they are negatively or positively charged particles.

Ionic minerals, on the other hand, supposedly are dissolved in water or in a water-soluble form (as opposed to a colloid, which is a suspension). Ionic mineral manufacturers say that their product is assimilated more quickly and efficiently into the body than colloidal minerals, which they claim aren’t absorbed as well as touted. Many of these ionic minerals are available in individual mineral solutions. Some of the ones on the market are not vital for human life, such as platinum, gold, and silver better to wear these minerals than ingest them.

If you look at any one of the many Web sites promoting these products, it can be easy to see how their assertions can seem so tempting. However, who or which side can you believe or trust? MANY of the claims of either colloidal or ionic minerals are not backed by valid scientific research. They don’t solve all of the medical problems they claim they do. For one, the manufacturers say that the soil used to grow plants is depleted of minerals, so even people eating healthfully are deficient in most nutrients. This is completely untrue because a plant cannot grow without sufficient minerals in the soil. Some minerals, such as calcium and iron, are abundant in animal foods. The soil issue is irrelevant in these cases.

Another frequent claim is that the charge of the mineral determines how readily the body will absorb it. However, many minerals exist in nature with a positive charge, and are absorbed adequately in that state. As a matter of fact, numerous factors affect absorption, which varies from mineral to mineral, regardless of a mineral’s charge. With some minerals, a person with low levels of them will absorb a greater percentage than someone with adequate stores. With other minerals, that’s not the case, and high levels can be harmful. Absorption can also be enhanced or inhibited by certain factors, foods, and nutrients. A good example of this is iron. Heme iron, the form of iron found in animals or animal sources, is more readily absorbed than non-heme iron, which is of plant origin. Phytates, a substance in some plants, bind iron, reducing its availability in our digestive tract. Vitamin C, however, increases our absorption of non-heme iron. As you can see, many factors come into play with nutrient absorption, whether a mineral has a positive or a negative charge. (By the way, iron has a positive charge.)

Some of these manufacturers also erroneously state that minerals are absorbed instantaneously through the lining of the stomach. This is untrue almost all minerals are absorbed in the small intestine. It takes some time for food to travel to the small intestine, depending on what and how much has been eaten.

In addition, colloidal minerals may contain toxins from organic compounds, especially if they are “natural” and minimally processed. Both colloidal and ionic minerals are also expensive.

But in the end … Ionic silver is the way to go, for one main reason ….. The particles are smaller and are spread out farther into the body. Our next article will cover some interesting stories of people andthe use of ionic silver and what really happens when it is used properly and made in a proper envrionment.

Eric Robichaud - Advanced Silver Technologies Ltd.
http://www.advancedsilver.com

Can a child thrive on a vegan diet? The answer is yes! Far more studies show that a
typical ‘Western Diet’ has deleterious effects on health compared to the risks of a
vegan diet. In fact, vegetarian diets are associated with disease resistance and even
higher I.Q.’s in children. (1-5)

With proper planning and a bit of self-education, parents should feel confident in
giving their child a diet free of animal products.

Healthy food choices include the following:

Protein dense foods: beans, soy, whole grains, nuts, etc.

Calcium sources: beans, leafy greens, figs, blackstrap molasses, fortified beverages,
etc.

Iron sources: grains, dried fruit, coconut milk, blackstrap molasses, soybeans,
beans, etc.

Zinc sources: nuts, seeds, grains, chickpeas, soybeans, etc.

Avoid wheat and nuts until after one year of age, to avoid possible food sensitivities.

Supplementation may be necessary for children who are picky eaters, but most
nutritional needs can be met through diet. Vitamins D and B12 may be the
exception, and parents should ensure an optimal supply through fortified foods or
supplements.

Finding community support can be very important in helping your child maintain
healthy eating habits, as vegan diets are often misunderstood and even feared by
well-meaning family members, neighbours, and teachers. Many excellent resources
exist that can help educate those in your child’s life who have concerns, and
possibly alleviate any misconceptions they may have.

Raising a child on a vegan diet can be challenging in today’s world of hot-dogs and
ice cream, but parents should be assured that research is on their side.

The following sources are particularly supportive of vegan diets for children:

The Vegetarian Society UK http://www.vegsoc.org

The Vegetarian Resource Group http://www.vrg.org

European Vegetarian Union http://www.ivu.org

Physician’s Committee For Responsible Medicine http://www.pcrm.org

Becoming Vegan Brenda Davis, R.D., and Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.

1. O’Connell JM, Dibley MJ, Sierra J et al: Growth of vegetarian children: The Farm
Study. Pediatrics 1989;84:475-481.

2. Fisher M, Levine PH, Weiner B, et al. The effects of vegetarian diets on plasma
lipid and platelet levels. Arch Inter Med 1986;146:1193-1197.

3. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R, Eilber U. Mortality pattern of German
vegetarians after 11 years of follow-up. Epidemiology 1992;3:395-401.

4. Thorogood M, Mann J, Appleby P, McPherson K. Risk of death from cancer and
ischaemic heart disease in meat and non-meat eaters. Brit Med J 1994;308:1667
-1670.

5. Dwyer JT, Miller LG, Arduino NL, et al. Mental age and I.Q. of predominately
vegetarian children. J Am Dietetic Assoc 1980;76:142-147.

Stacelynn Caughlan is a Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Herbalist who specializes
in pregnancy, birth and childhood. She is currently the editor of http://www.motherandchildhealth.com an online resource for women looking for
information on natural health and healing for themselves and their families.

A door stands before you. The door may be a book on health and fitness, women’s health issues, diet and nutrition, health food, or a weight loss program. The door may be a motivational health public speaking event. The door may be a friend sharing her enthusiasm about her fast weight loss by just eating common sense healthy foods and exercising every day. The door may be a doctor’s recent diagnosis.

No matter which door it is, you take a deep breath and open it up, not knowing what lies beyond it. All you know is that you are ready for a change. You feel that if you do not do something, and do something now, your body, your health, and, therefore, your very life will spiral downward.

To your delight, you step over the threshold into a bright, new world. You discover what you are made of and what promotes your physical health and fitness. With determination and self-discipline, you gather the knowledge and change your thinking. With the change of thinking, you change your food habits.

Your daily diet now includes lots of whole, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds, and legumes. You gradually gravitated away from all animal and dairy products. You no longer crave or eat chocolate or sugar and white flour goodies. You lose your desire to eat processed foods, refined foods, fast foods, junk foods and all drinks with the exception of water and homemade fruit and vegetable juices.

You exercise every day. You get adequate sleep, rest, and relaxation. You avoid coffee, alcohol, and other toxins. You lose that extra weight. You take fewer, if any, pills. You have higher energy. Your days are filled with fun and purposeful activities of your choosing. You feel better than ever, and you glow with health and vibrancy.

You had no idea that walking through that first door would lead to a total transformation of your physical body. You also had no idea that the transformation of your physical body would lead you to a second door.

And now a second door stands before you, and you open it up. Because your physical health and fitness, the “what” part of your health, have reached an optimum level, you now have the emotional stability and mental clarity and self-insight to discover the “who” part of your health.

Because you are no longer bogged down with aches, pains, conditions, lack of mobility, extra weight, and loss of energy, you are able to explore who you are. What are your values? What are your priorities? What are your philosophies? Where is your life going? Who do you want to spend your time with? What is important to you? What is not important to you?

And as you explore the “who?” part of you, you come upon a third door.

“What could lie behind that third door?” you wonder.

Find out in Part 2 of this 2-part article: “Doors of Awareness to Optimal Health and Fitness”

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

Oats (botanical name Avena sativa)

An oat is a grass that produces a fibrous root and a hollow jointed stem with narrow, flat, pale-green leaves. Oats are native to southern Europe and eastern Asia. They are widely cultivated as a food.

An oat is an edible cereal grain produced by the cereal grass of the same name. They are light colored and have a nutty flavor and a chewy texture.
Usually we think of them as breakfast food but oatmeal has long been known for its skin-soothing properties. Many skin lotions and ointments are formulated with oats for it’s skin healing properties.

As a nutritious breakfast food oats provide a healthy addition to your diet in that there is 140 calories per 1/2 cup serving. They also provide 4g of dietary fiber, of which 2g of this is soluble fiber and 2g is insoluble. Insoluble fibers are those that cannot be dissolved in water. And soluble fibers can be dissolved in water. They provide 10% of your daily iron needs. Also of this 1/2 cup serving, there is 26g of carbohydrate and 2.5g of fat, which is considered lowfat.

Three grams of soluble fiber from oatmeal daily, in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Besides all this, this nourishing cereal also contains, vitamins, starches, minerals and 5g of protein. Clinical trials have been done, and they have shown that regular consumption of oat bran reduces blood cholesterol levels in just one month. High-fiber diets may also reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancers.

Oats contain the alkaloid, gramine, which has been credited with mild sedative properties.

There are several forms of oats on the market and the following lists the most popular kinds. Whole oats without the hulls are groats.

Rolled: Oat groats that have been steamed then flattened into flakes. Also, known by the more common name of old-fashioned.

Quick-cooking: Oat groats that are cut into several pieces before rolling to shorten the cooking time.

Instant oatmeal: Oat groats that are cut into very small pieces and processed so that they need no cooking, just add boiling water.

Steel-cut: Oat groats that have been cut by steel blades. Often called Irish or Scottish oatmeal.

Oat flour: The finely ground grain.

Oat bran: The ground outer layer of the oat. Used as a hot cooked breakfast cereal and is a good source of fiber.

Other uses for Oats Are in Skin and Bath Products.

Oatmeal is found in many bath products and skin and body products. Oatmeal baths are wonderful for soothing dry, flaking skin, and poison ivy and dermatoses. It alleviates itching from poison oak and chicken pox. It has long been used in facial scrub products and is a very natural product.

Oat straw contains high levels of silicic acid, which makes it an effective treatment for many skin diseases, especially those associated with the nervous system. Try using an external oat-straw preparation to relieve shingles and herpes.

Besides eating them in the form we are most familiar with, the box of oats that we purchase in the supermarket, oat products can be purchased in commercial form as capsules, extracts, and tinctures.

One expert lists the primary functions of oats as: If eaten, a supportive, nurturing tonic for the nervous system, If eaten, it can be used to alleviate digestive problems associated with stress and tension, If applied externally, it can relieve skin diseases especially those with a nervous basis.

Nick A. James offers informative tips and information on nutrition, health and working from home. Get the Exclusive Free Report! -6 Steps to Simplify Your Life, Improve Your Health & Give You Dynamic Energy! His many years of Internet Marketing expertise puts him in unique position to help others starting a home business. For free advice, health blog, and cutting edge info contact him at: http://www.health-goji-juice.com

Fitness Supplement - what is it?

The term “fitness supplement” is familiar to almost everyone nowadays. Fitness supplement is a supplement that is designed to help people who use it to achieve several results that include but are not limited to weight gain or weight loss, muscle building, adding vitamins or minerals to their diet, and many more. There is such a variety of fitness supplement products on the market that you will definitely find the right supplement for your needs.

Fitness Supplement - weight loss supplements.

Weight loss supplement is a fitness supplement that is designed to help people who use it to achieve a considerable loss of weight. The weight loss supplement can be based on various chemicals, vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc. Examples of weight loss supplements include but are not limited to Solidax ADX, Phentermine, Kava - Herbal, Xenical, Fat Absorber TDSL, Bontril, Meridia, and many more.

Fitness Supplement - body building supplements.

Body building supplement is a fitness supplement that is designed to help people who use it to achieve weight gain, muscle building, and strength training. There are many other reasons for using body building supplement products but these three are probably the most popular. Be careful with body building fitness supplement products as some of them could be very dangerous.

Fitness Supplement - nutritional supplements.

Nutritional supplement is a fitness supplement that provides additional sources of nutrients when people don’t get enough of them through food or when a well-designed diet doesn’t work. Nutritional supplement increases the intake of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, herbs, etc. It gives you the opportunity to achieve the average daily intake of some specific nutrient. If you are an athlete, you will have access to some types of nutritional supplement or supplements developed specifically for athletes.

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For additional information visit us at http://www.liquid-vitamins-4u.com

So what are they and why should you care about them? We shall begin our story with Free Oxidising Radicals. If you have had your mind numbed by beauty product commercials you may have heard of these nasties. (Here comes the science bit) Free radicals are produced when certain molecules react with unstable oxygen molecules during the process of combustion, for example during; smoking, burning of petrol (car exhaust fumes), frying or barbequing food, normal bodily processes and (Oh No) exercise. These free radicals can float around in our bodies damaging healthy cells, and are implicated in; susceptibility to infections, ageing, cancer, heart disease, cataracts and macular degeneration (vision loss common in elderly people), diabetes, Hypertension (high blood pressure), infertility, arthritis, cognitive impairment and stroke.

All is not lost, because these dangerous chemicals can be disarmed by antioxidants which are possibly the most important nutrients that you will ever hear about. Some of the big names are vitamins A, C and E, as well as beta-carotenes (found in red, orange and yellow fruit and vegetables) Selenium (found in Brazil nuts) Zinc, and bioflavonoids (also from fruit and vegetables) as well as many others. If you can balance the number of free radicals entering your body with the number of antioxidants entering your body then it is thought you can help your body avoid the diseases listed above. It is hardly surprising that studies have linked high levels of antioxidants with longer lives, and the absence of chronic diseases.

In studies around the world, high levels of antioxidants were found in people over the age of 100, and elderly people with high cognitive function also had higher levels of antioxidants. Many other research projects have linked low intake of antioxidants with Alzheimer’s, lung cancer, heart attacks, cataracts, the list goes on. A large intake of antioxidants is thought to lead to an enhanced quality of life and a delaying of the processes of ageing.

So now we know how great they are, how can we get our hands on them? Many people boost their intake with supplements, but these are no substitute for a healthy diet, and provide none of the important fibre found in source-foods which will help reduce chances of bowel dysfunction and bowel cancers. The human body is designed to derive its nutrition from plant and animal matter, and there is some uncertainty about how efficiently the body can absorb certain supplements, leading to what nutritionists call ‘expensive urine.’ Many supermarkets and companies sell bargain vitamins and supplements, but often the nutrients come in compounds which are not useful or readily absorbable- you get what you pay for in many cases. I am not dismissing all supplements, but care must be taken in choosing and using them.

Your body is capable of extracting antioxidants from natural whole foods, and this is a safe and healthy way of getting them into your system. To get the full complement of antioxidants you need to have a varied diet- the less foods you are prepared to eat, the fewer nutrients are available to you. To obtain an optimum amount of these life-saving chemicals your diet should consist of; whole grains, nuts, seeds and oily fish (vitamin E, zinc, and others) and brightly colored fruit and vegetables of as many different varieties as possible (for vitamin C, A, beta-carotenes, bioflavinoids and folates). You will be pleased to know that there are also antioxidants in Tea (especially green tea), dark chocolate and red wine (hurrah), although all of these should be used sparingly. The fresher your fruit and vegetables the more antioxidant value, some fruit juices and supermarket vegetables when tested contain almost no vitamin C- it may have been months since the original fruit was harvested. (It is important to note that you may see the word antioxidant on some food packaging, sometimes with an e number attached- you will derive no benefit from consuming these).

Your Antioxidant shopping list:
1. A steamer; lightly steamed vegetables will contain more nutrients than boiled.
2. A juicer; make your own fresh fruit and vegetable antioxidant cocktails. Try Apple, carrot, beetroot and ginger- don’t pull that face, it is delicious!
3. Oily Fish; fresh tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines. (Avoid all hydrogenated fats which will inhibit these beneficial chemicals.)
4. Green stuff; broccoli, cabbage, peas, kiwi, watercress, spinach, limes.
5. Yellow and orange stuff; lemons, golden linseed for essential fats and vitamin E(buy it ready ground or use a clean coffee grinder and make your own to sprinkle on cereal) peppers, mangoes, eggs, swede, turmeric (a ground spice), oranges, pumpkin and squash, sweet potatoes, apricots and peaches, carrots.
6. Red and purple stuff; beetroot, red cabbage, blueberries, ALL BERRIES, blackcurrants, ruby chard, beetroot tops (steam them like spinach), plumbs and prunes, purple sprouting, ruby grapefruit, tomatoes and red peppers.
7. White Stuff; Cauliflower, (rich in vitamins A and C), Brazil nuts for selenium, and a selection of other fresh nuts and seeds- avoid cooked nuts such as peanuts and cashews and other salted nuts- they don’t have the same benefits and are very fatty, and salty.
8. Organic fruit and vegetables have shown in tests to have higher levels of antioxidants- between 10 and 50% higher. Although if you are buying organic produce check the labels- if it is flown in from some far-flung destination it is not fresh despite being organic.

9. Local and seasonal fruit and vegetables will also be fresher and more likely to contain higher concentrations of our favorite chemicals.

Well I hope that you feel armed with knowledge and ready to do battle down the market to get the freshest, healthiest and most colourful shopping. Root out the winter vegetables, roast some beetroot with thyme and olive oil, buy some pumpkin and squash, and catch the freshest apples, straight off the trees.

Until next time,
Stay healthy,
Vikki.

Do you have any friends and family who could benefit from getting fitter and feeling better? If you do, then treat them to free copy of this newsletter, forward it to them, and get them to e-mail me with a request. E-mail getfitter@yahoo.co.uk subject: newsletter request. Would you like to bring health into the workplace? Get fitter now offers a corporate package, including yoga classes/courses, Nutrition seminars, conference breaks, Company Wellness days and Healthy Friday a monthly wellness event. Please visit www.corporatechill.com

Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser and runs successful Community Exercise classes. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters.

The muscles of the body actually depend heavily on the vitamins, minerals as well as on the other nutrients that we take in so as to ensure that they’re always well taken care of. Consciously taking care of your body through the proper exercise, a well-balanced diet and a stress-free mind all contribute greatly towards keeping healthy and building a good set of muscles.

Muscles actually serve a far more important physical function apart from making fit people look good as well as the ability to lift heavy objects. Actually unknown to most people, the heart is the most important muscle of the body, as it runs the circulatory system. Our muscles help keep our internal organs in place and gives us the ability to perform each and every movement we make, from chewing and swallowing to controlling our bladder to sitting, standing and walking. Healthy muscles are essential to our day-to-day lives. Several vitamins and minerals actually work well together in keeping us fit and having stronger muscles.

Such vitamins and minerals that contribute to this are potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus which all greatly work together in making sure that our muscles are able to contract smoothly and effectively, as they should. This is, of course, essential to keeping the heart beating in a regular and efficient fashion. It is also important to take note that while the heart is the most important muscle in the body, each and every muscle in a person’s body deserves to be treated with equal importance and care since they work as a group.

Vitamin C is highly essential to the health and performance of muscles because it works alongside potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus in their muscle regulation tasks. Vitamin C is also necessary to the formation of collagen and elastin, which are important connective tissues of the body that helps build muscle structure. Vitamin C is also responsible for the well-being of the blood vessels, which support the muscles need for oxygen and nutrients.

Naturally, as with most of the important processes and systems of the body, the vitamins that make up the powerful and essential Vitamin B complex have a role in the health and function of the muscles. In fact, deficiencies in the B vitamins can even lead to all sorts of muscle problems, including a lack of muscle coordination. The B vitamins are greatly responsible for the creation of the red blood cells that support the entire body.

Proper nutrition is a good way to ensure that one’s muscles have what they need to function efficiently and to be strong. Daily exercise also plays an important role in muscle health and strength and should never be left out of any endurance strengthening health plans. Exercise is what actually helps the body to stay in shape and helping keep the jiggling flabs away. But before you start rushing to the nearest gym and start picking up the various exercise equipments there, it is highly important to note that even though it’s a good thing that you’re actually on your way to improving your health.

One must not be a brash, eager beaver. From zero exercise to lifting 50 pound weights can cause your muscle to tear and ache. You probably won’t even be able to get up from bed the following day. Have patience that even though the road to good health is still a long way to go for a beginner like you, it’s highly commendable that you’ve made the conscious decision to actually get there.

Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR’S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.

Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about Vitamins, please go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/

Many people can be very successful in building healthy habits while following a routine. They see and feel the benefits of the program or diet they are following. A major roadblock often occurs when the typical routine they’ve built is disrupted for some reason - company comes to visit, a special event happens at work, or it’s vacation time.

Summer is vacation time! Many people are asking, “How can I enjoy my vacation without sabotaging my efforts to eat healthy and feel energized?” Here are ten strategies you can use to maintain your healthy lifestyle while out of your normal routine.

1. Bring HEALTHY SNACKS. To the extent that it makes sense, pack your suitcase with healthy nuts and seeds (walnuts, almonds, and pumpkin seeds are especially good for you), fresh and dried fruits, and bottled water so you have a healthy snack supply on hand during your trip. Once you are at your destination, find a local grocery store where you can replenish your supply so that you are not tempted by the hotel mini bar or candy machines.
2. ASK how food is prepared and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. Think Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. Ask your waiter - “Can I get that without the cream sauce?” “Is the chicken fried or grilled?” “Can I get steamed vegetables instead of French fries?” Or, my favorite, “Can I get the fried chicken salad without the fried chicken, cheese, ranch dressing, and bacon bits, but with extra broccoli, cauliflower, sunflower seeds, and lemon juice instead?” Okay, that last one is a little extreme, but the point is that restaurants will often times be flexible if you just ask for what you want!
3. Engage in PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. Getting exercise will not only help offset those extra calories, it will help you de-stress and stay relaxed while enjoying your vacation. Be creative about how you fit “movement” in to your vacation - a walk with your loved one after dinner or an early morning jog along the beach are great alternatives to hitting the hotel gym.
4. Eat more VEGETABLES and FRUITS. Emphasize fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients…and even large portions will not cause weight gain as long as you are not frying or adding creamy dips and sauces to them! Summertime is fruits-and-veggies-time, so stock up!
5. Drink more WATER. Now that the weather is getting hotter, your body needs water more than ever, especially if you are enjoying Mai Tais or margaritas while on vacation! Keep a water bottle with you at all times. If water sounds plain and boring to you, then drink some sparkling water with a splash of unsweetened cranberry juice and a lemon slice … an elegant summer drink!
6. Avoid WHITE FOODS. Over-indulging in foods made with white flour or white sugar is certain to send you on a physical and emotional roller-coaster ride and send you craving for more. Opt instead for whole grains such as brown rice, oats, quinoa, and whole wheat. Whole grains are more complex and, therefore, digested more slowly. This means they will provide a steadier, longer-lasting energy than white foods. In addition, whole grains also provide more nutrients and do not trigger cravings.
7. Indulge in PRIMARY FOOD. Primary food is the food that feeds the soul! It doesn’t come on a plate, but comes in the form of hugs, touch, kisses, warmth, massage, meditation, fun, nature, hot baths, close friends, and anything else you can think of that feeds your hunger for living. The more primary food you receive, the less you need to depend on secondary food (the food that comes on a plate).
8. Eat CONSCIOUSLY and thoroughly CHEW your food. With tempting foods in abundance, making a conscious choice to eat is more important than ever. Before reaching for food, ask yourself: “Am I hungry? Will food satisfy my hunger? What do I need?” After choosing with awareness whether and what to eat … be sure to thoroughly chew your food. This will slow down the eating process and allow the feeling of fullness to register with the brain (not to mention improve digestion). Many people find that they eat much less when they are thoroughly chewing. Aim for 25 chews per mouthful of food, or until the food becomes completely liquid in your mouth.
9. LET GO! Enjoy the food you choose to eat! No matter what foods you decide to eat while on vacation, eat without fear, worry, or guilt. The anxiety produced over “bad” food choices can be more damaging than the food itself. Express gratitude for the food you eat and eat it with joy! Remember too that if you are visiting friends or family while on vacation, it may be healthier overall to dig into whatever is being served rather than make people feel bad that you won’t enjoy the food they’ve prepared for you.
10. DON’T GIVE UP! “Healthy” is not something you either “are” or “are not” - it’s a way to approach life. Just because you ate that donut doesn’t mean you are “bad” and no longer healthy and therefore should just throw in the towel and be bad the rest of the week! ENJOY that donut, consider why you are making the choice to eat it, recognize how you feel after eating it, and then go ahead and eat a healthy, five-color salad for lunch. You can always decide to make healthy choices, no matter how many Krispy Kremes you’ve had the day before!

Julia Kalish is a Certified Nutritionist and Health Coach, specializing in women’s nutrition. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Yale University. Julia is the founder and Director of Inner Voice Nutrition, LLC, and has trained at both the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and American Health Science University. Julia is certified by the National Institute for Nutritional Education and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She is the expert Nutrition Coach for Unlimited Growth Potential, a national coaching firm for women. You may reach Julia at julia@innervoicenutrition.com,and visit her website at http://www.innervoicenutrition.com

The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

If you drink soda pop, especially the caffeinated kind, it could kill you. But most especially, it can go right after your kid’s health. Pop gives the average teenager approximately 12.5 teaspoons of refined sugar a day. It works out to that much more than what our US government has determined people need in unrefined sugar per day. Also, your kid and you are using soda pop, in all probability, as a food. In 1977-78, teenagers drank twice as much milk as soft drinks, but by 1994-96, it had turned around; they were drinking twice as much soda as they were drinking milk. And such consumption is linked with lower intake of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and fiber.

After reading this sort of information, I drank half my caffeinated soda and poured the other half down the drain. It bubbled and burbled like it was cleaning my drain out. I don’t suppose it’s doing me any good, as I’ve heard that it makes a great toilet cleanser, too. Meanwhile, empty calories are all those soda pops contain (aside from great drain cleaners). They are contributing to major health problems, particularly obesity. Such a condition has been proven to injure your health by the USDA Economic Research Service. Several studies by them have shown that weight gain is directly related to soft drink consumption. Weight gain itself is the prime risk factor for Type Two Diabetes, which can make you go blind, lose you your job, cause lifelong paralysis and finally death. It can be controlled only through a daily regimen of diet or medication. Do you want that sort of thing in your life? If not, cut back on your drinking of soda pop.

It may well be that soda pop, alcohol and other such empty calorie consumption is a problem for teens and adults, not to mention grade school children. That’s why they’re trying to remove it from the schools. And as you get older, being overweight can give you coronary disease, strokes from blood clots building up in your arteries, and cancer. Cancer is like being eaten away by your own body, literally a piece at a time.

Also, always downing that two-liter of soda pop increases the risk of osteoporosis in both men and women when they drink soda pop instead of milk, which is rich in bone-building calcium, and dentists are especially keen on people not drinking sugar-laden, no calcium, hopelessly empty soda pop. All it seems to do is taste good, it would appear. Dental experts say that if you drink it between meals to quench your thirst, you get tooth decay
and dental erosion due to the sugars and the acids in pop.

Some of your desire for pop puts you at a risk for kidney stones and a slightly higher risk of heart disease. There needs to be more research done in these two areas, but there has been a fair degree of documentation done by the University of California at Berkeley.

Caffeine, on the same hand, has been proven to be a highly addictive drug. If you drink a cup of coffee or more per day, day in and day out, you are technically addicted to coffee. It’s a stimulant and has been proven to help people’s sex lives somewhat, but it also increases the excretion of calcium. Other ingredients in soda pop such as Yellow Number Five promote attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in some children. Yellow #5 also induces allergic reactions such as asthma in a sizeable portion of individuals.

Soft drinks are one of the most heavily promoted items in all of human history. You can find them in gas station stores, the 7-11 or the AM-PM, vending machines are everywhere, and they are lining the school halls also. You need something wet to quench your thirst, and that’s the secret reason people are going to bars anyway. To get a drink. But neither the soda pop nor the booze, as both caffeine and alcohol are addictive drugs.

US companies spend $700 million or more per year on media advertising for soda pop per year, and hundreds of millions on other promotional activities. They even make contracts with your public school systems to sell soda pop in the halls. Parents and educators have recently, however, been making a concerted attempt to reign in that form of merchandising. Several states have banned at least the non-diet soft drinks from some or all schools, but that could be more of a step backward than a step forward. It does cut the calories, and diet soda has been proven to not quench hunger by some studies, again done at the University of California. Your kids will not do much better on diet soda, but at least they’ll be more prone to eating or drinking something else…unless they don’t. Diet soda is still full of those same acids they mentioned, and have no sugar in them to help them along in your digestive cramp. They can cause nausea, diarrhea and constipation, not to mention those same allergic reactions, including asthma, as regular soda does. Diet soda alone is not an “easy way out.”

Nonetheless, the Center for Science in the Public Interest makes these recommendations: that governments should require chain restaurants to declare the calorie content of soft drinks and all other items on menus and menu boards; the Food and Drug Administration has been told by them to require labels on non-diet soft drinks to state that frequent consumption of sugar-laden drinks promotes obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, osteoporosis and other health problems; governments should provide water fountains in schools, government buildings, parks and other public places; school systems and other organizations, and all those organizations which cater to children should stop selling soft drinks, candy and junk foods in hallways, shops and cafeterias.

Until this month of September, 2005, there was no hard and clear evidence through science that soda itself alone can make kids fatter. But reporting in The Lancet, a British medical journal, a team of Harvard researchers had found the first evidence absolutely linking soda pop drinking to childhood obesity. Twelve year olds who drink soft drinks regularly are far more likely to become or to be obese than those who don’t.

Obesity experts at Harvard found this to be highly important and spent 19 months following the children rather than simply following them around for a week or so like many studies gone before have done. Statistically through many similar studies it’s been found to be more important to use a lengthy study than a sporadic or shorter study. And in this study, it was found that schoolchildren consume who drink pop take in some 200 calories per day more than children who usually don’t. It supports the notion that long-term obesity is an ingrained behavior, starting in childhood, and that we don’t compensate well for calories in liquid. In short, water or milk is simply better.

Soda pop also has been shown to make you thirstier, and that does lead to the further drinking of soda pop as you attempt to quench your thirst. Something about the combination of chemicals in many soda pops dries out people. So then they reach for another can of soda, thus becoming committed to a vicious cycle. And that greatly increases their calorie intake, especially since pop today is now coming supersized as well, filling up those larger and larger plastic single-serve looking bottles. It might not be a bad idea to try to follow the serving suggestion, at least, on the bottle. And it might be a better idea to drink from a plastic bottle than an aluminum can, as the aluminum has been shown to seep into the can. This may have something to do with the formation of Alzheimer plaques in the human brain, as aluminum may be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease, a dreadful illness that causes people to forget everyone and everything that holds any meaning whatsoever in their lives.

Is it worth it, to worship a can of a kid’s drink that was invented as a snake oil remedy in a poor man’s fireplace by bubbling a concoction of chemicals together that tasted good? He only intended to sell it in small amounts to adults as a tonic, as it did seem to settle people’s stomachs, and stimulate them. That’s because original formula Coke’s original ingredient was cocaine, not caffeine, but eventually cocaine became illegal.

Perhaps someday, we should follow suit on caffeine and alcohol. But until that day ever comes, we are stuck having to police ourselves and our children. Do it wisely.

Most of the statistics and facts in this article are from:

The Amazing Statistics and Dangers of Soda Pop
http://www.mercola.com/2001/mar/10/soda_pop_dangers.htm
By Sally Squires and Dr. Joseph Mercola

From Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming America’s Health
The Center for Science in the Public Interest
http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy/

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