Health Benefits of Winter Fruits and Vegetables

I pulled this off someone else's blog because I like to know what I'm getting out of all those delicious fruits and veggies this time of year. Read below to see what you may be missing out on, and for some delicious recipes so you have no excuse NOT to include them in your diet...

The Health Benefits of Winter Fruits and Veggies

Source

I’ve noticed that since the temperature cooled, I’ve been having a hard time finding good produce. I’ve also been eating a lot less fruit, probably because my favorite fruits and vegetables-peppers, tomatoes, corn, and berries-all peak in the summer months. I decided to make the change to eating local, in-season produce because buying produce at the peak of its season is supposed to make it tastier and richer in nutrients.

Before I hit up the farmers’ market this weekend, I did a little research to find out which fruits and vegetables are in season and what kind of health benefits they provide. Here is what I bought and some new recipes I’m going to try:

1) Kale: Kale is a leafy green that is packed with vitamins C and K, beta carotene, iron, calcium, and other nutrients. It is also thought to have cancer-prevention properties. I love spinach sautéed with garlic and olive oil and people say that this is also an excellent way to prepare kale.

2) Cauliflower: Cauliflower contains lots of vitamin C, folate, and fiber, as well as several phytochemicals that promote breast and prostate health. Cauliflower also comes in many colors, including purple and orange. I was nervous about buying this because I’m not a big fan of the broccoli or cauliflower flavors, but my friends makes this really yummy, cheesy cauliflower casserole. I found a similar recipe at delish.com for Cauliflower Parmesan Gratin.

3) Pears: I didn’t grow up eating pears, so I never think to buy them, but I had one at my friend’s house over Thanksgiving and I loved it. This is good news for me because I don’t like most winter fruits. Pears provide a great dose of vitamins A, C, and E1 and also copper and potassium. I like pear sliced over salad with goat cheese and walnuts or mixed with Greek yogurt and honey.

4) Mushrooms: I love mushrooms so I was excited to hear that they’re a really important part of a vegetarian diet. Mushrooms provide riboflavin, niacin, and selenium, key nutrients that are found primarily in animal proteins. They are also the only fresh vegetable or fruit that contains vitamin D. Look for chantrelle or cremini (portabella) mushrooms this time of year. I like to make lasagna and replace the meat with sautéed mushrooms and onions. This recipe for Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portabella Caps also sounds incredible.

5) Winter Squash: Even though I cook all of the time with summer squash, I find winter squash a little intimidating. It just seems harder to prepare. However, squash is high in vitamin A and fiber and low in calories, so I decided to give it a try. Delish.com suggests just cutting it in half, scooping out the seeds, and roasting it, which sounds simple enough. I will probably also try this Squash and Leek Lasagna.

http://www.healthkicker.com/717873693/the-health-benefits-of-winter-fruits-and-veggies/

What kind of fruits and vegetables do you enjoy this time of year?

~AS

A scary treat for Halloween!

Given that Halloween is just a few days away, I thought I'd offer a break from the normal fitness and health articles we normally provide in this space.As a lover of horror movies, haunted houses, ghost stories and urban legends I bring to you; the one and only, Egar Allan Poe! Read on...if you dare!!!(JC)

TRUE! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why WILL you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How then am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily, how calmly, I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain, but, once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture -- a pale blue eye with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me my blood ran cold, and so by degrees, very gradually, I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever.

Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded -- with what caution -- with what foresight, with what dissimulation, I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night about midnight I turned the latch of his door and opened it oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern all closed, closed so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly, very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! would a madman have been so wise as this? And then when my head was well in the room I undid the lantern cautiously -- oh, so cautiously -- cautiously (for the hinges creaked), I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights, every night just at midnight, but I found the eye always closed, and so it was impossible to do the work, for it was not the old man who vexed me but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he had passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed , to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.

Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers, of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was opening the door little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea, and perhaps he heard me, for he moved on the bed suddenly as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back -- but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for the shutters were close fastened through fear of robbers), and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.

I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening , and the old man sprang up in the bed, crying out, "Who's there?"
I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed, listening; just as I have done night after night hearkening to the death watches in the wall.

Presently, I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief -- oh, no! It was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself, "It is nothing but the wind in the chimney, it is only a mouse crossing the floor," or, "It is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp." Yes he has been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions ; but he had found all in vain. ALL IN VAIN, because Death in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel, although he neither saw nor heard, to feel the presence of my head within the room.

When I had waited a long time very patiently without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little -- a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it -- you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily -- until at length a single dim ray like the thread of the spider shot out from the crevice and fell upon the vulture eye.
It was open, wide, wide open, and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness -- all a dull blue with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones, but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or person, for I had directed the ray as if by instinct precisely upon the damned spot.

And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses? now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.

But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder, every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! -- do you mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me -- the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once -- once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But for many minutes the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more.
If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence.

I took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly so cunningly, that no human eye -- not even his -- could have detected anything wrong. There was nothing to wash out -- no stain of any kind -- no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that.

When I had made an end of these labours, it was four o'clock -- still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, -- for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbour during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.

I smiled, -- for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search -- search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied. My MANNER had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears; but still they sat, and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct : I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness -- until, at length, I found that the noise was NOT within my ears.

No doubt I now grew VERY pale; but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased -- and what could I do? It was A LOW, DULL, QUICK SOUND -- MUCH SUCH A SOUND AS A WATCH MAKES WHEN ENVELOPED IN COTTON. I gasped for breath, and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly, more vehemently but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why WOULD they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men, but the noise steadily increased. O God! what COULD I do? I foamed -- I raved -- I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder -- louder -- louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly , and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! -- no, no? They heard! -- they suspected! -- they KNEW! -- they were making a mockery of my horror! -- this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! -- and now -- again -- hark! louder! louder! louder! LOUDER! --

"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! -- tear up the planks! -- here, here! -- it is the beating of his
hideous heart!"

"The Tell Tale Heart"
By: Edgar Allan Poe

Does Cardio Make You Feel Young?

As you approach middle age and beyond, you may start noticing that things don't always work the way they used to. Maybe you get tired more easily or you find it's harder to stand up after you've been sitting on the floor for a while. You may even start to feel the occasional ache or pain in well-used joints. Just because you're aging chronologically doesn't mean you need to put up with aging biologically.
Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine indicates that regular, moderate- to vigorous-cardiovascular exercise could delay biological aging by roughly 12 years. That means when you hit 50, you'll still feel like you're in your 30s, and that's something worth exercising for.

The Research and Results

When an individual ages, a natural decline in aerobic capacity begins to take place at the rate of approximately five ml/[kg*min] per decade. This basically means that if you were in great cardiovascular shape in your 20s, with an aerobic capacity of 50 ml/[kg*min], by your 60s your aerobic capacity would have dipped to 30 ml/[kg*min]. Likewise, if you were in average shape in your 20s with an aerobic capacity of 40 ml/[kg*min], by your 60s your aerobic capacity would have dipped to 20 ml/[kg*min].

What do all these numbers mean? Well, when your aerobic capacity dips to about 18 in men and 15 in women, regular daily activity becomes almost too hard to perform without experiencing extreme fatigue.

According to researchers, relatively high-intensity aerobic exercise performed over a relatively long period of time can boost aerobic power by 25 percent, the equivalent of 10 to 12 biological years. Even if you've allowed yourself to live a fairly sedentary life, starting an aerobic exercise program can reverse some of the biological aging that has already taken place.

The Takeaway

In order to improve your aerobic capacity, you have to challenge your heart and lungs. Just like you have to lift heavier weights in order to become stronger, you have to push yourself during your cardio session in order to increase your lung capacity. If the thought of pushing yourself hard during your cardio routine is enough to make you ditch it altogether, you can take a sigh of relief—pushing yourself hard throughout your workout is unnecessary.


What you need to focus on are activities that push you hard, then allow you to enjoy a period of rest. Interval training and a variety of group fitness classes provide this hard-easy-hard sequence that can enhance aerobic capacity.

http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Does-Cardio-Make-You-Feel-Young.htm

This is absolutely the case. The more active you are the younger you will stay, and on the flip side if you stay sedentary you will age much quicker. This is one of reasons exercise is so important. If you want more in depth information about exercise and aging you should read the book Younger Next Year. It’s a good read, and it breaks things down in  easy to understand terms. 

Brian Knowles 

Young vegetarians: Getting the nutrition they need

By Lisa O'Neill Hill, Special to CNN
Fri October 21, 2011

It's important to have enough variety in your diet that you can be well-nourished, experts say. Parents worry whether vegetarian or vegan children will receive adequate nutrition. Such diets may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases
Number of vegetarians in the United States is expected to increase over the next decade

(CNN) -- Niki Gianni was 11 or 12 when she found a video on YouTube called "Meet Your Meat." Saddened and disgusted by the footage from a slaughterhouse, the Chicago girl announced she was no longer going to eat meat. Her parents were less than thrilled.

"When she first said she wanted to be a vegetarian, we were just looking at each other and we said, 'We can't be switching meals for you. You are not going to get your protein.' We were not educated in the health benefits," said Gianni's mother, Julie Gianni.

While many parents worry whether their vegetarian or vegan children will receive adequate nutrition for their growing bodies, the American Dietetic Association says such diets, as long as they are well-planned, are appropriate for all phases of life, including childhood and adolescence. "Appropriately planned" vegetarian or vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases, the dietetic association says.

"You can really feel the difference when you are eating something from the ground and something from a factory," said Niki Gianni, an animal activist who became a vegan shortly after embracing the vegetarian lifestyle.

10-year-old: Why I became vegetarian in first grade

Now an 18-year-old college freshman, Niki Gianni said her eating habits expanded her palate and turned her away from processed foods. Her food choices also influenced her family: Her mother is now a vegan and her father and sister are vegetarians.

The number of vegetarians in the United States is expected to increase over the next decade, according to the dietetic association. A vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease, and vegetarians also appear to have lower overall cancer rates, lower blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension than nonvegetarians.

Vegetarianism is more than just not eating meat, said Roberta Anding, a registered dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital and a spokesperson for the dietetic association.

"It's really embracing more of that plant-based lifestyle and having enough variety in your diet that you can be well-nourished," Anding said. "You can be unbelievably well-nourished on a vegetarian diet if you choose your foods wisely and appropriately."

Lilian Cheung, director of health promotion and communication at Harvard School of Public Health's Department of Nutrition, agreed. Teens who abstain from eating animal-based foods but who take in refined and sugary foods such as French fries and sodas are not doing themselves any favors, she said.

Eating a variety of vegetables and fruits of all colors and eating the purest form possible is vital in these diets, Cheung said. Beans, legumes, nuts, tofu and seeds all are excellent protein sources, said Cheung, who said veganism and vegetarianism are becoming more mainstream among young people.

"I think the reason why veganism is getting more and more popular is there are more celebrities like President Clinton," embracing the lifestyle, said Cheung, editorial director of the department's nutrition website, The Nutrition Source.

Niki, left, and Julie Gianni are vegans and actively participate in animal rights events. Julie and Niki Gianni said they have encountered a lot of people who had misconceptions about vegans and vegetarians, including that they are weak or that they are not getting the vitamins and minerals they need.

"(People) asked, 'How are you going to get your protein?' They just look at you like you are abusing your children," Julie Gianni said.

In the beginning, the Giannis didn't quite know what to serve their daughter. Niki Gianni ate a lot of vegetarian burger patties and chicken nuggets.

"I think this happens to a lot of vegetarians: I doubled up on eating eggs and dairy because my parents weren't sure what to feed their 12-year-old who didn't eat meat," she said.

Now, Julie Gianni makes her own goulash and noodles and frequently cooks with seitan, a high-protein meat substitute made from wheat. Niki Gianni said she has yet to find a vegetable she won't eat. She loves portobello mushroom and artichoke sandwiches, and dines in the vegan cafeteria at college.

Niki Gianni and her family have done copious research about their lifestyles, becoming educated about meeting their nutritional needs through an array of fresh foods.

Such vigilance and education is vital, experts said, because adolescence is characterized by the second and final period of rapid growth and development. Those growing bodies need nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D, B12 and iron.

Teens or children who are vegetarian and who then also decide to give up dairy products need to find an alternate source of calcium, Anding said. While calcium can be found in almonds and in green leafy vegetables, the amount is small.

Vitamin B12, found in animal protein, can become a concern if dairy or eggs leave the diet, Anding said. Vitamin B12 deficiencies manifest over time. The vitamin, which can be found in fortified cereals, is stored in the liver and when levels are low, the body withdraws the vitamin from the organ.

"Sooner or later you are going to run out," Anding said. "It's not going to be instant."

Anding said she treated four young women with vitamin B12 deficiencies that showed up about a year into their veganism.

"You can end up with permanent cognitive issues. I applaud you for looking at this from an environmental perspective but I don't want to save the planet and sacrifice you," she said. "You have to take a B12 supplement."

To aid iron intake, Anding recommends using a cast iron skillet for cooking; some of the iron will leach into the food. Vitamin and mineral supplements also provide a way to get adequate iron and other essential nutrients, she said.

"Clearly, there are some big benefits of a plant-based diet, so I'm not objecting to that. I think the more restrictive the diet becomes, the more exclusive the diet becomes, the harder it becomes for the average person to execute those diet changes," she said.

Heather Lazaro, whose family lives in Orange County in Southern California, said she was concerned when her daughter, then 11, came home from school and announced she didn't want to eat meat.

"We didn't think it was going to last," said Lazaro, whose daughter Alyssa is now 16. "To this day, I always worry if she is getting the right amount of protein and vitamins" and nutrition she needs, she said.

Alyssa Lazaro is a pescatarian; she doesn't eat land animals or birds but eats fish. She said she just wanted to try giving up meat. In addition to consuming plenty of vegetables and fruit, she eats soy products, protein shakes and eggs. She said she feels better staying away from meat.

"Whenever I eat vegetables I just feel a little bit more energetic and ready to go through life with a big smile on my face," the high school student said.

Anding and Cheung said young people and their parents should get information from reputable websites such as eatright.org, kidseatright.org and thenutritionsource.org.

Vegetarians and vegans have to be willing to explore new foods and Anding said she would discourage such lifestyles for children who like only a handful of foods, including meat.

Anding, who for decades has worked with children and teens with eating disorders, said parents also need to make sure their children are eating. She has seen veganism used to mask those disorders.

"It's really unfortunate because it is taking a lifestyle that is unbelievably healthy and using it to perpetuate an eating disorder," she said.

Cheung recommends that parents talk to their children's pediatrician about a vitamin supplement and have them see a registered dietician so they have a good overview of what they should be eating every day.

"It can be a very unhealthy diet if the choices are unhealthy," she said. "But it is very possible to have a very healthful vegan diet as well if you choose wisely.

"We just need to get more literate, get more knowledge. I don't think we should basically just categorize one way or another," Cheung said. "It just depends on what foods are chosen."

~CM

Fall Fitness Tips!

After an active summer, it can be tempting to fall into your old ways of staying inside and sitting on the couch when autumn rolls around. Especially when the kids are back in school and you no longer have the incentive to get out there and be active. However, the fall is the perfect time to enjoy the weather and stay fit. With 10 tips to do so, you can keep your fitness level strong when the leaves begin to change.

10 Tips for Fall Fitness
With 10 easy tips, you can stay fit without even knowing that you're exercising. Simply get outside and enjoy the crisp, fall air and gorgeous scenery.

1) Take a walk. With the heat of the summer long gone, fall is the perfect time to take a brisk walk through your neighborhood. You could even drive to a nearby hiking trail. Bring a bottle of water and your camera.

2) Rake up your leaves. Just one hour of raking the leaves from your lawn can burn 275 calories. If you're feeling ambitious and want more fitness, do your neighbor's lawn too.

3) Take your kids trick or treating. Try going to a neighborhood a few blocks from your own, and walk the entire way. You'll get to see the scary decorations and sneak in some fitness. When you return home, have your children pick 10 pieces of candy, and then store the rest of the goodies for later, somewhere where it won't be tempting for you to have a bite.

4) Infuse your fall television lineup with some much-needed fitness. Get down on the floor and do an activity for each commercial; crunches, push-ups, jumping jacks. And try a healthy snack like carrots and hummus instead of chips and popcorn.

5) Don't indulge only because it's the holidays. It can be tempting to go for that second helping of candied sweet potatoes, but keep your goals in mind. You can always take leftovers home, so pace yourself at Thanksgiving, Eat slowly and pay attention to your body cues to tell you when you're full, not stuffed.

6) Take advantage of a fall harvest and purchase fresh produce from a farmer's market. Apples, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, corn and other seasonal treats taste great and are easy on your waistline.

7) Walk your children to school instead of driving them. Not only is it great for your fitness level, it's a good way to keep your kids active.

8) Choose a class that is offered by your community fall calendar. Many recreation centers and YMCAs offer dance classes, swimming aerobics and yoga for free or for a small fee in the fall. Try something new for your fitness level.

9) If you don't like working out alone, recruit some friends to come along. Chances are with the children in school, your friends may have some extra free time to walk, run, head to the gym or do a fitness video.

10) Place a picture of you in the summer, at the beach or pool somewhere where you'll see it often, to remind yourself that although the cooler weather has you more covered up, another summer will soon be here. It may be the push you need to stay fit even though you're wearing coats and sweaters instead of shorts and tank tops.



Read more: 10 Tips for Fall Fitness | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5233646_10-tips-fall-fitness.html

~AS

How's your nutrition?

Are you having trouble with your meals? Has your weight been stuck at the same level for more than two weeks? Maybe it's time to freshen up on some nutrition habits. Talk to one of your trainers about setting up a time to gove over any obstacles or barriers you may have. If you happened to catch some of Brian's blogs, you probably realized there's a lot of crazy stuff out there when it comes to proper nutrition. Let us help you get back on track or stay on track with a nutrition tune up!

JC

New study is wake-up call for diet soda drinkers

(CBS) Sorry, soda lovers - even diet drinks can make you fat.

That's the word from authors of two new studies, presented Sunday at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

"Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised" Dr. Helen Hazuda, professor of medicine at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said in a written statement. "They may be free of calories, but not of consequences."

Consequences like weight gain.

For one study, researchers at the center followed 474 diet soda drinkers, 65 to 74 years of age, for almost 10 years. They found that diet soda drinkers' waists grew 70 percent more than non-drinkers. Specifically, drinking two or more diet sodas a day busted belt sizes five times more than people who avoided the stuff entirely.

And as waist size grows, so do health risks - including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions.

Just how does diet soda make you fat? The other study may hold the answer. In it, researchers divided mice into two groups, one of which ate food laced with the popular sweetener aspartame. After three months, the mice eating aspartame-chow had higher blood sugar levels than the mice eating normal food. The authors said in a written statement their findings could "contribute to the associations observed between diet soda consumption and the risk of diabetes in humans."

But how?

"Artificial sweeteners could have the effect of triggering appetite but unlike regular sugars they don't deliver something that will squelch the appetite," Sharon Fowler, obesity researcher at UT Health Science Center at San Diego and a co-author on both of these studies, told the Daily Mail. She also said sweeteners could inhibit brain cells that make you feel full.

So if sugar soda is no good, and diet soda isn't either - what should we be drinking?

Dr. Hazuda told the Daily Mail, "I think prudence would dictate drinking water."

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20075358-10391704.html

I like this article because it confirms suspicions that I have had for awhile. Soda is just not good for you if you’re trying to lose weight. It does not matter if its diet or filled with sugar it seems that the end result is the same in terms of weight gain. Isn’t the whole idea of having a diet soda to allow you to drink it with out gaining weight? And if weight gain is an end result then what’s the point? Not to mention artificial sweeteners have been linked different cancers. I think Dr. Hazuda is right; it’s a no brainier drink water instead.

Brian Knowles

Ketosis Myths and Facts on the

Most people experience a condition called ketosis when they suddenly go from a high-carbohydrate diet to a low-carbohydrate diet. This occurs when ketone molecules are circulating in the blood in a higher amount than on the previous high-carbohydrate diet. Ketosis is a normal physiological state caused by very normal and healthy body functions contrary to the myths, distortions, and lies published by vegetarians and other high-carbohydrate diet supporters. Ketosis allows the body to function efficiently and live off of stored body fat when necessary. Ketones are not a poison which is how most medical and nutritional experts refer to them. Ketones make the body run more efficiently and provide a backup fuel source for the brain. The three substances known as ketone bodies are acetoacetic acid, beta-hydroxybutyric acid, and acetone. Some unknowledgeable people have an absolute fit when told that ketosis produces acetones in the blood, since acetone is a common household solvent. Acetone is commonly used as a fingernail polish remover. The body produces ketones as the preferred fuel for the heart, outer part of the kidneys, and most areas of the brain.

Ketoacidosis is a life-threatening condition commonly associated with Type 1 diabetes and insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes. Ketoacidosis is not the same as normal dietary ketosis. The abnormally low level of insulin in the diabetic leads to a toxic build-up of blood glucose, causing excess urination, thirst, and dehydration. The glucose cannot enter the cells to produce energy in the absence of insulin. This causes the body to break down an excessive amount of body fat and muscle tissues for energy. Ketoacidosis is an unhealthy condition in which the body has excessively high glucose and ketone bodies at the same time. The ketoacids lower the pH of the blood to an unhealthy level. The body is very sensitive to changes in blood pH. The condition is never present in a non diabetic on a carbohydrate-restricted diet in which beneficial ketosis is achieved. Normal ketosis stabilizes blood glucose within a normal range and prevents the breakdown of healthy muscle tissue. The dietary restriction of carbohydrates prevents any build-up of excess glucose. The blood glucose level remains perfectly normal and stable, almost straight line. The body is actually powered normally by ketone bodies while we sleep. Ketosis was common and normal in all primitive people who lived on a high-protein, high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet such as the North American plains Indians and northern Eskimos. Dietary fatty acids and ketone bodies are very healthy fuels for the body in contrast to glucose which causes insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Many people falsely believe they cannot or are not losing weight because the ketones drop to a lower level. The Ketostiks, used to measure the ketones in the urine, are no longer showing the purple color on the test strip. However, weight loss continues with or without the ketones being present. The spillage of excess ketones in the urine disappears on the low-carbohydrate diet after the body becomes accustomed to using dietary fats for energy instead of glucose. This usually occurs within a few weeks on the diet. People who normally eat high-carbohydrate meals have been fueling their bodies with glucose and fructose obtained from the carbohydrates. Their cells have had very little experience burning fatty acids for energy. The body uses the glucose first to prevent high levels of glucose in the blood.

The body experiences a new condition when a person goes on the low-carbohydrate diet. The more commonly used glucose fuel is no longer available. The body reacts by dropping the pancreas' production of insulin and increasing the hormone glucagon. The glucagon draws stored fat reserves in the form of triglycerides for use by the cells as the new energy source. However, the cells are slow to react to this new fuel source, and the individual feels weak or lacking energy. The resistance to burning fatty acids for energy can vary greatly among individuals. Some people feel this weakness, but others pick right up and take off with the feeling of greater energy than before.

The liver begins to catabolize (break down) the extra fatty acids when they are not being utilized by the cells; however, the liver does not have the enzyme necessary for complete catabolism of the fatty acids. This causes the discharge of the ketone molecules into the blood. The strange taste in the mouth and mild breath odor shows the presence of these ketones. Other body cells can utilize the ketones for energy. The brain can utilize ketones contrary to the myth that the brain must be powered by glucose only; although, some areas of the brain still require glucose which the body makes from amino acids or fats. Ketones are the preferred energy source for the muscles of the heart.

The body begins to utilize the fatty acids for energy more efficiently after a few weeks on the low-carbohydrate diet, and the ketone level drops to normal. This does not mean a person is not losing weight. It means the body is becoming a more efficient fat burner.

History pictures and movies taken during the rescue of inmates in German concentration camps at the end of World War II show the brain and heart can endure harsh starvation. The bodies of the poor victims were almost completely depleted of muscle mass because the bodies were consuming muscle protein as fuel to stay alive. The concentration camp survivors showed excellent mental capacity when interviewed many years later and many lived to very old age. The heart muscle eventually gives out during starvation but that does not occur until the person is so weak and frail they cannot stand or walk. The brain and heart survive surprisingly well during starvation. The observation of German concentration camp inmates proves that a low-carbohydrate diet has no detrimental effect on the brain or heart as falsely claimed by many professional nutritionists.

The scientific and practical amount of carbohydrate needed in the diet is ZERO -- NONE. Dietary carbohydrates are not a requirement in any body function. In fact it appears that the lower the carbohydrate level in the diet the better the long-term health. Age-related degenerative diseases are caused by high levels of carbohydrates in the diet. One can be on a very low or zero-carbohydrate diet indefinitely as has been shown by the study of many primitive societies.
Absolute Scientific Proof Carbohydrates Are Pathogenic.
Stefansson 1 - Eskimos Prove An All Meat Diet Provides Excellent Health.

The author was on the Atkins' Induction phase eating fewer than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day for many months. Ketosis had long since disappeared. I went for a blood test at a Quest Diagnostics walk-in facility after the required 12-hour fast. The results showed a perfectly normal blood glucose level in the midrange. It could not have been better. Carbohydrates are not required to maintain a normal blood glucose level and not required in the diet as brain fuel. The body can make all the glucose required from protein and fats in the diet, and it makes glucose at a healthy level in this manner.
http://www.biblelife.org/ketosis.htm

I really like this article. From what I have read and heard from other sources this seems to fall right in line with what I believe actually happens when you eat or don’t eat carbs. It is my belief that other than vitamins, minerals and fiber from fruits and veggies there is no real nutritional value from carbs themselves. They are pure energy and if not used 100% are stored as fat and at the same time block the use of fat. I think for the goal of losing weight implementing a lower carb diet can really help. By reducing the amount of carbs consumed the body can to learn how to burn fat much more efficiently. This in turn will help tremendously with weight loss.
What do you think?

Brian Knowles

Nutrition

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