My Medical Minute
I was cruising the net the other day and parked my net cruiser in a site on green tea. To my chagrin I discovered something about green tea that I had not known before. I am well aware of the benefits of green tea like its weight reduction capacity, its ability to reduce certain cancers and its massive antioxidant punch. I really didn't know that it had a downside.
Green tea contains fluoride and I was well aware of the evils of fluoride. Fluoride bonds easily and strongly to another element called aluminum. Aluminum is found in the brains of those who have succumbed to Alzheimer's disease. Therefore we should work very hard to keep both of these out of our bodies. Fluoride also displaces iodine in the body and iodine is the most important component in the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Ever heard of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Google CFS and iodine for more information. So, do I throw out all my green tea or what?
I pondered the situation until I arrived at several conclusions. For years I have been very diligent to remove all aluminum sources from my kitchen. Basically I have replaced everything aluminum with stainless steel. In the shop and at work if aluminum is to be handled, the gloves go on. Even things like antiperspirants, read the label and if aluminum is on that label leave it right there on the shelf. Then I made another discovery.
Green tea comes from a small evergreen shrub called Camellia Sinensis. As a matter of fact, both white and black tea come from that same shrub. White tea has the least fluoride content and the older the green tea, the more fluoride content it has. So guess who's switching over to white tea? I am not throwing out my green tea, just using it less than before and adding white tea to my daily regimen. I am not afraid of fluoride as long as the aluminum sources are reduced to zero!
Secrets Revealed About The Benefits Of Organic Cooking HERE!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
A. C. V. For Me!
My Medical Minute
It's all because of my stomach you see! I have what is called a sensitive stomach. I eat something that does not agree with me and wow do I get fire burning straight up from the gut. The other bad one is coffee or any of the cola's high in caffeine. Guaranteed to light my fire and keep it going for a while. I am not big on stuffing my body full of chemicals so I try to use food as medicine.
Once upon a day, the safety guy came out on the job site where I was working and asked, "Hey Reg, what do you do for heartburn?" The guys know that I am always yapping about what is good for you and what is not. This time I was almost speechless because I didn't know what to say. I control the burn by knowing what is in the food I eat and not eating the things that hurt me.
One of the guys standing close by said, "Oh, that's easy, I drink vinegar."
"Vinegar." I repeated incredulously, "Just like white vinegar?"
"No, not quite," he replied, "I use apple cider vinegar."
Now, I had heard of apple cider vinegar and that it was supposed to be good for a whole bunch of things but I had never heard about it being used for indigestion. I promised myself I would try it A.S.A.P. And try it I did! ACV as I call it has the effect of taking your breath away. I always grimace when I smell it because it has this powerful effect on me. I take a tiny sip straight and then swallow as quick as I can. For a few seconds my gut seems to burn even hotter and then within a few minutes it settles down completely. These days I pour about a quarter inch of ACV into a cup and then add about a quarter cup of ginger ale. This seems to make it a lot more body friendly. Google apple cider vinegar and indigestion and you will find about as many people for whom apple cider vinegar does not work as does. It works for me!
MORE SECRETS HERE FOR HEALTHFUL COOKING!
It's all because of my stomach you see! I have what is called a sensitive stomach. I eat something that does not agree with me and wow do I get fire burning straight up from the gut. The other bad one is coffee or any of the cola's high in caffeine. Guaranteed to light my fire and keep it going for a while. I am not big on stuffing my body full of chemicals so I try to use food as medicine.
Once upon a day, the safety guy came out on the job site where I was working and asked, "Hey Reg, what do you do for heartburn?" The guys know that I am always yapping about what is good for you and what is not. This time I was almost speechless because I didn't know what to say. I control the burn by knowing what is in the food I eat and not eating the things that hurt me.
One of the guys standing close by said, "Oh, that's easy, I drink vinegar."
"Vinegar." I repeated incredulously, "Just like white vinegar?"
"No, not quite," he replied, "I use apple cider vinegar."
Now, I had heard of apple cider vinegar and that it was supposed to be good for a whole bunch of things but I had never heard about it being used for indigestion. I promised myself I would try it A.S.A.P. And try it I did! ACV as I call it has the effect of taking your breath away. I always grimace when I smell it because it has this powerful effect on me. I take a tiny sip straight and then swallow as quick as I can. For a few seconds my gut seems to burn even hotter and then within a few minutes it settles down completely. These days I pour about a quarter inch of ACV into a cup and then add about a quarter cup of ginger ale. This seems to make it a lot more body friendly. Google apple cider vinegar and indigestion and you will find about as many people for whom apple cider vinegar does not work as does. It works for me!
MORE SECRETS HERE FOR HEALTHFUL COOKING!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Cayenne HOT! HOT! HOT!
My Medical Minute
Heart disease galloped in my dad's generation. At least him and his brothers all made sixty something. Dad's heart was fine but he succumbed to a heart related reality called a brain aneurysm. My generation has not done as well. Three of my cousins,before they got to sixty, are gone due to heart disease. So I pay attention to this killer of men.
Then there are those stories of men in their 40's and 50's who have perfect blood pressure, normal cholesterol and plaque free arteries dropping dead from massive heart attacks. I first read about these stories on the internet and "you can't believe everything you read on the net, right?" Well, maybe so, but when a friend who works for a large insurance company tells me that she had 3 dossiers cross her desk with exactly the same information in them, its time to listen up! How does this happen and why does the Heart Foundation never tell you about these things?
And then there are the incredible stories of Dr. John Christopher and Dick Quinn and their fantastic discoveries concerning cayenne. Mr. Quinn has written a book entitled, "Left for Dead" where he describes his encounter with cayenne. I wish someone would write the John Christopher story. Google these names and see for yourself.
My cayenne story is a 'gooder' although not as dramatic as the guys I just mentioned. I was blessed to learn about their experiences before anything happened to my heart. These days I start my day - breakfast - with a cup of veggie juice having a rounded teaspoon of cayenne in it and every other day I open a 500mg capsule of the 90,000 heat units and add it to the mix. Of course I have a couple slices of toast and about a quarter cantaloupe with it. Please do not try this as it took me several years to get to this point. More about cayenne to come.
MORE SECRETS ABOUT HEALTHY COOKING HERE!
Heart disease galloped in my dad's generation. At least him and his brothers all made sixty something. Dad's heart was fine but he succumbed to a heart related reality called a brain aneurysm. My generation has not done as well. Three of my cousins,before they got to sixty, are gone due to heart disease. So I pay attention to this killer of men.
Then there are those stories of men in their 40's and 50's who have perfect blood pressure, normal cholesterol and plaque free arteries dropping dead from massive heart attacks. I first read about these stories on the internet and "you can't believe everything you read on the net, right?" Well, maybe so, but when a friend who works for a large insurance company tells me that she had 3 dossiers cross her desk with exactly the same information in them, its time to listen up! How does this happen and why does the Heart Foundation never tell you about these things?
And then there are the incredible stories of Dr. John Christopher and Dick Quinn and their fantastic discoveries concerning cayenne. Mr. Quinn has written a book entitled, "Left for Dead" where he describes his encounter with cayenne. I wish someone would write the John Christopher story. Google these names and see for yourself.
My cayenne story is a 'gooder' although not as dramatic as the guys I just mentioned. I was blessed to learn about their experiences before anything happened to my heart. These days I start my day - breakfast - with a cup of veggie juice having a rounded teaspoon of cayenne in it and every other day I open a 500mg capsule of the 90,000 heat units and add it to the mix. Of course I have a couple slices of toast and about a quarter cantaloupe with it. Please do not try this as it took me several years to get to this point. More about cayenne to come.
MORE SECRETS ABOUT HEALTHY COOKING HERE!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Green Tea
My Medical Minute
I remember my first cup of green tea. Actually, I remember the first sip. I guess I thought that it should taste somewhat similar to black tea. What a shock! It had this horrible taste, a taste that reminded me of a certain odor. I have been in the pasture a few times when the cow has dropped her tail and walked away. There is this certain odor you know and the taste in my mouth reminded me of this odor. "How in the world will I ever get to like this stuff if it tastes like that?" I wondered. I struggled valiantly through this cup and a few more before I hit upon my answer. Half a teaspoon of honey works wonders. A little bit of honey really does sweeten things up!
I had been reading about green tea in a magazine and the magazine said that one cup of green tea had about 400 times the antioxidant punch of an orange. So if its even half that good I've got to have it. Antioxidants are that wild bunch that mellow out the free radicals. So what's a free radical?
Every atom has a nucleus and a certain set of electrons circling around it. Molecules are just a cluster of atoms bonded together. If an atom or a molecule loses an electron it becomes unbalanced and it goes cruising through the body trying to get another electron. Any electron will do. In its desperate attempt to grab another electron, it may pull other electrons from other atoms making them unstable and doing the same thing. These unbalanced atoms or molecules are called free radicals. Now there are some molecules like vitamin C that have more electrons than they need to remain balanced. They can give up an electron without becoming unbalanced themselves. They are called antioxidants and when they give up an electron to a free radical they stabilize it so that it doesn't cruise through the body causing all kinds of damage.
Now do you understand the saying, "Always make your antioxidant cocktail as powerful as possible"!
MORE SECRETS ABOUT YOUR ANTIOXIDANT COCKTAIL HERE!
I remember my first cup of green tea. Actually, I remember the first sip. I guess I thought that it should taste somewhat similar to black tea. What a shock! It had this horrible taste, a taste that reminded me of a certain odor. I have been in the pasture a few times when the cow has dropped her tail and walked away. There is this certain odor you know and the taste in my mouth reminded me of this odor. "How in the world will I ever get to like this stuff if it tastes like that?" I wondered. I struggled valiantly through this cup and a few more before I hit upon my answer. Half a teaspoon of honey works wonders. A little bit of honey really does sweeten things up!
I had been reading about green tea in a magazine and the magazine said that one cup of green tea had about 400 times the antioxidant punch of an orange. So if its even half that good I've got to have it. Antioxidants are that wild bunch that mellow out the free radicals. So what's a free radical?
Every atom has a nucleus and a certain set of electrons circling around it. Molecules are just a cluster of atoms bonded together. If an atom or a molecule loses an electron it becomes unbalanced and it goes cruising through the body trying to get another electron. Any electron will do. In its desperate attempt to grab another electron, it may pull other electrons from other atoms making them unstable and doing the same thing. These unbalanced atoms or molecules are called free radicals. Now there are some molecules like vitamin C that have more electrons than they need to remain balanced. They can give up an electron without becoming unbalanced themselves. They are called antioxidants and when they give up an electron to a free radical they stabilize it so that it doesn't cruise through the body causing all kinds of damage.
Now do you understand the saying, "Always make your antioxidant cocktail as powerful as possible"!
MORE SECRETS ABOUT YOUR ANTIOXIDANT COCKTAIL HERE!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Of Mycology and Mycologists
My Medical Minute
I never did like the taste or feel of mushrooms. So I just stayed away from eating them. The first ones I tried were raw. They were edible, store bought, safe and raw. Maybe that is why I got a dislike for mushrooms. To this day I do not like raw mushrooms.
Several years ago I purchased a magazine for its health content and it just happened to have an article on mushrooms. An article that changed my viewpoint forever. The article covered about a half dozen mushrooms and their health benefits.
First off or maybe I should say safety first and always. There are about a thousand different varieties of mushrooms. About 600 of these are poisonous and death will be the result of eating them. The other 400 are nasty and will make you very sick if not dead. Only about two dozen are good for you but only if you have the trained eye to identify them. If you are like me and cannot identify them then stick with the supermarket varieties. The supermarkets want your business for a long time to come.
Some mushrooms like the button variety have hydrazines that are carcinogenic. Heat, high heat destroys the carcinogenic reality. Heat also breaks down the cellular walls releasing the incredible goodness mostly in the form of immune system boosting juice. Vegetables heated over 140F degrees lose almost all of their vitamin benefit. Mushrooms are exactly opposite, they should be heated as hot as possible without burning them. Sauteed is my favorite and boiling would be good too provided that the water is kept for a soup.
The article did such a good job of showcasing the Shitake mushrooms that I became an instant fan. Now I try to get Shitakes into my eating regimen at least once a week. GO SHITAKES!
MORE INFORMATION HERE FOR HEALTHFUL EATING!
I never did like the taste or feel of mushrooms. So I just stayed away from eating them. The first ones I tried were raw. They were edible, store bought, safe and raw. Maybe that is why I got a dislike for mushrooms. To this day I do not like raw mushrooms.
Several years ago I purchased a magazine for its health content and it just happened to have an article on mushrooms. An article that changed my viewpoint forever. The article covered about a half dozen mushrooms and their health benefits.
First off or maybe I should say safety first and always. There are about a thousand different varieties of mushrooms. About 600 of these are poisonous and death will be the result of eating them. The other 400 are nasty and will make you very sick if not dead. Only about two dozen are good for you but only if you have the trained eye to identify them. If you are like me and cannot identify them then stick with the supermarket varieties. The supermarkets want your business for a long time to come.
Some mushrooms like the button variety have hydrazines that are carcinogenic. Heat, high heat destroys the carcinogenic reality. Heat also breaks down the cellular walls releasing the incredible goodness mostly in the form of immune system boosting juice. Vegetables heated over 140F degrees lose almost all of their vitamin benefit. Mushrooms are exactly opposite, they should be heated as hot as possible without burning them. Sauteed is my favorite and boiling would be good too provided that the water is kept for a soup.
The article did such a good job of showcasing the Shitake mushrooms that I became an instant fan. Now I try to get Shitakes into my eating regimen at least once a week. GO SHITAKES!
MORE INFORMATION HERE FOR HEALTHFUL EATING!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Popeye and Olive Oil
My Medical Minute
I attended high school in the sixties; graduated in sixty-eight. My mother told me that if I were to come home at lunch time she would make a hot meal for me. I really liked that idea so most of the time I would go home for lunch. The only times that I did not go home for lunch would be the times when I was involved in a badminton match, floor hockey or if there was a big blizzard heading our way next day, then I would take lunch with me.
The TV was usually on and I would sit and watch TV while eating lunch. Invariably I would watch the Popeye cartoons because that would be the only 'good' program on. I do not know to this day what it was about those Popeye cartoons but they became rather addicting. Sometimes I was not sure whether I was going home because of the 'hot lunch' or just to watch the Popeye cartoons. And what was equally numbifing was the fact that I could watch the same old routine day after day and it was just great. I knew that Popeye would get himself into a jam of some sort, Olive Oil would be involved and Popeye would need some spinach in order to save the day.
Years later I was discussing the Robin Williams movie with a friend and we somehow got on the topic of spinach and olive oil. His remark to me was that the health benefits were what the cartoons were really all about. I wasn't so sure, I thought they had more to do with the overcoming of injustice in our society. Who came up with the Popeye cartoons in the first place and what were their motivations?
A few years after this I had cause to investigate the goodness of olive oil and I became so impressed that I put olive oil in my diet on an every day basis and so it is to this day. Shortly thereafter I discovered spinach and what a blockbuster this is. It would take less paper to write down what spinach does not have. I try to include spinach at least once a week but it would be better twice!
Want To Check Out Some More Goodness, Click HERE!
Tags: Popeye, Olive Oil, Spinach, Robin Williams, blockbuster.
I attended high school in the sixties; graduated in sixty-eight. My mother told me that if I were to come home at lunch time she would make a hot meal for me. I really liked that idea so most of the time I would go home for lunch. The only times that I did not go home for lunch would be the times when I was involved in a badminton match, floor hockey or if there was a big blizzard heading our way next day, then I would take lunch with me.
The TV was usually on and I would sit and watch TV while eating lunch. Invariably I would watch the Popeye cartoons because that would be the only 'good' program on. I do not know to this day what it was about those Popeye cartoons but they became rather addicting. Sometimes I was not sure whether I was going home because of the 'hot lunch' or just to watch the Popeye cartoons. And what was equally numbifing was the fact that I could watch the same old routine day after day and it was just great. I knew that Popeye would get himself into a jam of some sort, Olive Oil would be involved and Popeye would need some spinach in order to save the day.
Years later I was discussing the Robin Williams movie with a friend and we somehow got on the topic of spinach and olive oil. His remark to me was that the health benefits were what the cartoons were really all about. I wasn't so sure, I thought they had more to do with the overcoming of injustice in our society. Who came up with the Popeye cartoons in the first place and what were their motivations?
A few years after this I had cause to investigate the goodness of olive oil and I became so impressed that I put olive oil in my diet on an every day basis and so it is to this day. Shortly thereafter I discovered spinach and what a blockbuster this is. It would take less paper to write down what spinach does not have. I try to include spinach at least once a week but it would be better twice!
Want To Check Out Some More Goodness, Click HERE!
Tags: Popeye, Olive Oil, Spinach, Robin Williams, blockbuster.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Spinach Slinger
My Medical Minute
And then there's Popeye, good 'ol' Popeye. He had a great memory you know, crystal clear and razor sharp. Only problem was that it was rather short. He had trouble remembering either what spinach did for him or 'where did he leave that can'? Maybe he was like me and really did not like the taste so it wasn't hard to forget. He probably didn't know how to jazz it up with that dark red dressing. Umm so good!
Spinach is just packed full of good things. The big counters are vitamins K and A, manganese and folate. B vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6 are there in varying quantities. Vitamins C and E are present. Minerals such as selenuim, zinc, phosphorous, copper, magnesium, iron, calcium and potassium also show up. It contains tryptophan, protein and omega 3 fatty acids not to mention that it is a good source of dietary fibre.
And not just any dietary fibre either. There are two kinds of dietary fibre, soluble and insoluble. We need both for different reasons. Spinach has the insoluble kind. Insoluble fibres do not dissolve in water. They help prevent constipation because they cruise through the body in just about the same form they entered. This causes the food to move much more quickly through the digestive tract which in turn removes wastes and their harmful effects as soon as possible.
The other big counters are the 2 carotenoids zeaxanthin and lutein. If you have a DNA history of age related macular degeneration - ARMD or mac degen - in your family you definitely want these guys in your system. Spinach provides them.
The only downside is oxalic acid which provides the slightly bitter taste and vitamin K. Oxalic acid blocks calcium but if you are taking strontium and calmag to build your bones there will be no problem anyway. Vitamin K creates problems for the correct functioning of warfarin so if you are using warfarin, check with your doctor.
Now let's see, where did I put that package of frozen ...?
More Info On How To Put It All Together Is HERE!
And then there's Popeye, good 'ol' Popeye. He had a great memory you know, crystal clear and razor sharp. Only problem was that it was rather short. He had trouble remembering either what spinach did for him or 'where did he leave that can'? Maybe he was like me and really did not like the taste so it wasn't hard to forget. He probably didn't know how to jazz it up with that dark red dressing. Umm so good!
Spinach is just packed full of good things. The big counters are vitamins K and A, manganese and folate. B vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6 are there in varying quantities. Vitamins C and E are present. Minerals such as selenuim, zinc, phosphorous, copper, magnesium, iron, calcium and potassium also show up. It contains tryptophan, protein and omega 3 fatty acids not to mention that it is a good source of dietary fibre.
And not just any dietary fibre either. There are two kinds of dietary fibre, soluble and insoluble. We need both for different reasons. Spinach has the insoluble kind. Insoluble fibres do not dissolve in water. They help prevent constipation because they cruise through the body in just about the same form they entered. This causes the food to move much more quickly through the digestive tract which in turn removes wastes and their harmful effects as soon as possible.
The other big counters are the 2 carotenoids zeaxanthin and lutein. If you have a DNA history of age related macular degeneration - ARMD or mac degen - in your family you definitely want these guys in your system. Spinach provides them.
The only downside is oxalic acid which provides the slightly bitter taste and vitamin K. Oxalic acid blocks calcium but if you are taking strontium and calmag to build your bones there will be no problem anyway. Vitamin K creates problems for the correct functioning of warfarin so if you are using warfarin, check with your doctor.
Now let's see, where did I put that package of frozen ...?
More Info On How To Put It All Together Is HERE!
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