WHAT'S REALLY IN THAT HIGH FIBER FOOD?

Recent ads on TV and in magazines are promoting fiber as a way to “beautify the inside.” Of course, food manufacturers know that people are on the lookout for fiber in foods, so they’re "helping" you by mixing isolated fibers into a variety of food products that don’t normally contain fiber. That’s why you are starting to see things like high-fiber yogurt, ice cream and drink mixes.

Consumers are led to believe these isolated fibers offer the same health benefits as the fiber that occurs naturally in food. Truth? Not on your life! Added fiber from inulin, polydextrose and maltodextrin may boost the amount of fiber that can be listed on nutritional labels but don’t be fooled—these isolated fibers don’t behave the same way as the natural fiber found in whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. That means you won’t get the same health benefits from them.

The government’s Dietary Guidelines suggest that you get 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories—about 28-35 grams a day on average. But most of us get about half that amount. Fiber has many documented health benefits, including helping to maintain a healthy weight, lowering cholesterol and glucose levels, and reducing the risk of certain cancers, especially colon cancer. There’s also some evidence that fiber helps remove the toxins circulating through your body. If you aren’t getting enough natural fiber, you’re missing out on these key benefits.

Soluble Fiber
One type of natural dietary fiber is soluble fiber.  Soluble fiber is "soluble" in water.  When mixed with water it forms a gel-like substance and swells.  It helps with weight loss and lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Sources of soluble fiber are oatmeal, oat bran, barley, dried beans and legumes, and citrus fruits.

Insoluble fiber
Insoluble fiber—another type of natural fiber—speeds up the passage of material through the digestive tract, thus lowering the risk of colon cancer and other digestive tract disorders. Insoluble fiber does not absorb or dissolve in water.  It passes through our digestive system in close to its original form. Insoluble fiber can be found in wheat bran, whole grain cereals, and fruit and vegetable skins.

Be Aware
But when you read the nutrition facts on a granola bar and see that it has 12 grams of fiber, you can bet that it isn’t all natural fiber. Considering that most high-fiber foods naturally contain about two to 10 grams of fiber per serving, that’s a lot of fiber for one little energy bar. And you can be sure that a good portion of that fiber is from inulin, polydextrose or maltodextrin. These three isolated fibers are soluble but they aren’t viscous or gummy so they don't lower cholesterol or blood sugar. And polydextrose,in amounts larger than 15 grams, may cause a laxative effect for some sensitive folks.

Of course, it would be way too easy if isolated fiber was simply listed as inulin, polydextrose or maltodextrin. Isolated fibers added to foods can also appear as "wheat fiber" or "oat hull fiber" on the ingredient list. These ingredients, while natural, are insoluble fibers that can provide digestive tract benefits without the heart-health benefits. "Oat fiber" on the ingredient list can be either insoluble or soluble fiber. And, inulin—which comes from chicory root—may nourish the good bacteria in your digestive tract, but there’s not much evidence that it offers the same disease-protective benefits of naturally-occurring fibers found in foods. The same goes for the other isolated fibers, polydextrose and maltodextrin. If you see the fiber, "bran" (from wheat or oat), you’re getting the nutritious, fiber-rich outer layer of the grain’s kernel. Unfortunately, when you see grams of fiber listed on the nutrition facts panel, it’s hard to tell how much is from naturally-occurring fiber versus added isolated fibers.

The bulk of the evidence on fiber’s benefits comes from real, fiber-rich plant foods. These foods may even offer a synergistic health benefit from a host of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fibers found naturally in the food. It’s also important to get a variety of fiber-rich foods, so you get the benefits of soluble and insoluble fibers. One way to get “real” fiber, is to opt for whole plant foods instead of processed foods. Try old-fashioned oats with berries and walnuts instead of that processed high-fiber energy bar.

Ways to increase dietary fiber in your diet are: 

Choose whole fruits and vegetables (with peels when possible) instead of juices.
             
Choose whole grain bread, cereals and pasta in place of their overly processed, refined counterparts.
             
Replace white flour (or at least a portion of it) with whole wheat flour in baked goods.
             
Replace white rice with brown rice.
             
Replace meat with beans or other legumes in meals.  Lentils are perfect for this!

Try experimenting with the above tips.  Slowly modify recipes until you attain a balance that is appetizing and tasteful to your taste buds.  If you are not accustomed to a high-fiber diet, increasing fiber intake slowly will minimize any gas or bloating. 

Adding High Fiber, Guilt-Free Noodles to your Diet with Konjac Noodles
Available at Kerisma.

Konjac Glucomannan is a water-soluble dietary fiber derived from the root of the Konjac plant. Konjac foods, also called Shirataki Noodles. In Japan, made from Konjac Glucomannan, are traditional Chinese foods with a history spanning over two thousand years.

They have been used as a dietary supplement to promote weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness or satiety. When the Konjac fiber enters the stomach and mixes with other foods, the Konjac absorbs a lot of water, which helps slow the digestion process and energy absorption. This in turn reduces the amount of calories your body absorbs and greatly reduces hunger cravings to accelerate weight loss. Konjac fiber can be used as an appetite suppressant because it swells when consumed, making a person feel full. When pairing it with a controlled diet and exercise, it can be an excellent dietary aid.

Konjac Noodles . . .

• are naturally water soluble fiber with no fat, sugar, starch, or protein.
• contain zero net carbohydrates and zero calories.
• are wheat, soy, and gluten free and kosher.
• contain no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors.
• pure vegetable.
• can be stored in the room temperature for about one year. Don't need refrigeration.
• certified organic.
• easily absorbs the flavors of any soup, dish, or sauce.

THE MANY NAMES OF SUGAR

Today, the average American consumes more sugary foods than ever before, equaling about 22 teaspoons – a little less than 1/2 cup – of added sugar each day. That's 20 percent more than we ate in 1970 and adds up to 350 calories a day from sugar alone. For cancer prevention, those added calories are bad news.

If you are like the average American, you may be eating sugar without realizing it because it's hidden in many purchased foods. Brownies are an obvious source of the sweet stuff, but what about your pasta sauce? For anyone who wants to limit sugar intake for a healthy weight – as American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) AICR recommends for lower cancer risk – find out how you can identify added sugars hiding behind a different name.

The Sugar-Cancer Connection
Evidence suggests that sugar by itself does not lead to cancer or "feed" cancer cells, but sugar calories can add up quickly. And extra calories can lead to overweight and weight gain, which do lead to an increased risk for several cancers. Today a third of the country's adult population is classified as obese and child obesity rates are on the rise.

Scientists now know that fat tissue is a metabolically active tissue. Fat cells produce high levels of some hormones and proteins called cytokines that may trigger chronic inflammation, which is linked to increased risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. AICR's expert report found convincing evidence linking body fatness with colon, postmenopausal breast, endometrial, esophageal, kidney and pancreatic cancers.

In an effort to avoid food and drinks that promote weight gain, AICR recommends avoiding sugary drinks and limiting energy-dense foods, which typically contain high amounts of sugar. However, this may be easier said than done.

The Label Sweets
The best way to limit your sugar intake from packaged foods, as AICR recommends for lower cancer/obesity risk, is to read ingredient and nutrition labels. But when added sugar can hide behind at least 100 different names, this task is far from easy.

The ingredients on the label of a food product are listed in descending order with the largest amount first. If a sugar is among the first ingredients listed, or there are many different types of sugar listed, the product most likely has a lot of added sugar.

There are plenty of naturally-occurring sugars, such as the fructose found in fruits or the lactose in milk. Those sugars are considered to be part of a healthful diet and won't be found in the ingredient list. If you do see sugar (or one of its other names) in the ingredient list, you can be sure it was added to the food; this is the type of sugar you want to limit in your diet.

4 Sugar-Cutting Tips

1.    Find the Grams per Serving: Compare different brands to see if amounts of sugar listed on the Nutrition Facts label differ significantly for equal serving sizes. One teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams, so in foods where sugar is added you can estimate how much added sugar is in the product. (In foods such as fruits and yogurt sugar is naturally occurring.) For example, since dairy products naturally contain lactose, try comparing the plain variety against the flavored to see how much of the total sugars are added. The American Heart Association recommends women consume no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugars a day (25 grams) and men consume no more than 9 teaspoons (37 grams). That corresponds to about 100 calories for women and 150 for men. (A teaspoon of sugar is 16 calories.)

2.    Firsts on the Label: If added sugars are listed as the top ingredient(s) in a food or if several different kinds of sugar are in the list, this is likely a food loaded with sugar.

3.    Reduce Your Sugary Drinks: Drinks are perhaps the biggest source of added sugar in the American diet. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has doubled since the 1970s. A 20-ounce soda contains about 17 teaspoons of sugar (250 calories). If you drink sugar-sweetened beverages every day, try replacing with sparkling water, mineral water, or green tea.

4.    Manage Your Sweet Tooth: When you do eat sugary foods, keep the amounts small. Consider satisfying your sweet tooth more often with naturally sweet fruits instead. You'll be getting vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals that may also help reduce your risk for cancer.

Here is a list of some of the possible code words for “sugar” which may appear on a label. Hint: the words “syrup”, “sweetener”, and anything ending in “ose” can usually be assumed to be “sugar”. If the label says “no added sugars”, it should not contain any of the following, although the food could contain naturally-occurring sugars (such as lactose in milk).

Added SUGARS in processed foods can be found under the following names:

1.    Agave Syrup

2.    Amasake

3.    Any name ending in "ose" or "ol" or "syrup"

4.    Barbados Sugar

5.    Barley Malt

6.    Blackstrap Molasses

7.    Black Sugar

8.    Brown Sugar - the refined sugar coated with molasses or colored with  

caramel

9.   Cane Juice

10. Cane Juice Crystals

11. Cane Sugar

12. Caramel

13. Caramel Coloring

14. Castor Sugar

15. Confectioner’s Sugar

16. Corn Sweetener

17. Corn Syrup - a manufactured syrup of corn starch, containing varying proportions of glucose, maltose, and dextrose

18. Corn Syrup Solids

19. Crystallized Cane Juice

20. D-mannose

21. Date Sugar

22. Demerara

23. Demerara Sugar

24. Dehydrated Cane Juice

25. Dehydrated Cane Juice Crystals

26. Dextran

27. Dextrin

28. Dextrine

29. Dextrose (glucose) - a simple sugar made of only one molecule

30. Disaccharides

31. Evaporated Cane Juice

32. Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar

33. Florida crystals (a trademarked name)

34. Free Flowing Brown Sugars

35. Fructose - a simple sugar refined from fruit

36. Fruit Juice Concentrate

37. Galactose

38. Galatactose

39. Glucose

40. Glucose Syrup

41. Golden Syrup

42. Grape Sugar

43. Grape Sweetener

44. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) - highly concentrated syrup of predominantly fructose

45. Honey

46. Hydrolysed Starch

47. Hydrogenated Glucose Syrup

48. Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysates (HSH)

49. Invert Sugar

50. Isomalt

51. Levulose

52. Lactitol

53. Lactose - a simple sugar from milk

54. Malt

55. Malt Extract

56. Malt Syrup

57. Maltodextrin - a manufactured sugar from maltose and dextrose

58. Maltose - a simple sugar made from starch, usually  grains

59. Mannitol

60. Maple Syrup

61. Molasses

62. Monosaccharide

63. Muscovado

64. Organic Dehydrated Cane Juice

65. Panocha

66. Polysaccharide

67. Powdered Sugar

68. Raw Cane Crystals

69. Raw Honey

70. Raw Sugar - a less refined sugar with a small amount of molasses remaining

71. Refiner's Syrup

72. Ribose

73. Rice Extract

74. Rice Malt

75. Rice Syrup

76. Saccharide

77. Saccharose

78. Sorghum

79. Sorghum Syrup

80. Sorbitol

81. Sucanat

82. Succanat

83. Sucrose

84. Sucralose

85. Sugar (sucrose) - the refined crystallized sugar; a combination of glucose and fructose

86. Sugar (granulated)

87. Sweetener

88. Syrup

89. Table Sugar

90. Treacle

91. Turbinado

92. Turbinado Sugar

93. Unbleached Crystallized Evaporated Cane Juice

94. Unbleached Evaporated Sugar Cane Juice Crystals

95. Unbleached Sugar Cane

96. Unrefined Cane Juice Crystals

97. Washed Cane Juice Crystals

98. White Grape Juice - a highly purified fructose solution; virtually no other nutrients are present

99. Yellow Sugar

100. Xylitol OR Xylose

 Remember, your body doesn't care what the label says, it's all just "sugar"!

10 Ways to Burn More Calories During Exercise

Ready to burn more calories? Check out these incredible fitness workouts by Shape today.

Workout Routine # 1: Add 10 minutes in the morning
While you may be religious about going to the gym after work, waking up 10 minutes earlier in the morning and taking a walk around the block (or, alternatively, simply dancing to your morning radio show for 10 minutes) will let you start off your day with a faster-burning metabolism and, most likely, head off to work in a better mood than usual.

Boost in calories burned: 275 calories per week

Workout Routine # 2: Do intervals
When you alternate high-intensity cardio workout routines with moderate-intensity recovery periods, you boost your calorie burning and increase your fitness level. This will help you break through plateaus.

Here's how: Warm up for 5 minutes, then increase speed or resistance on the machine for 2-5 minutes. Return to your usual pace for 5 minutes, and then continue with short bursts interspersed with a moderate pace for the rest of your fitness workouts. Cool down for 5 minutes at a slower pace.

When you're ready to progress, make the work part of the interval longer and decrease the recovery time (but never to less than 30 seconds). For example, you could do 6 minutes at a higher speed and rest for 3 minutes.

Boost in calories burned: 300-450 calories per 45 minutes

Workout Routine # 3: Work out with a faster partner
Whether it's in the gym or on the neighborhood track, a fitness buddy will challenge you to keep up and exercise at a higher intensity. It's the friendliest way to kick your own butt! Plus, fitness workouts go faster accompanied by good conversation.

Boost in calories burned: Simply increasing your walk from 3 mph to 4 mph will burn almost 100 extra calories in 60 minutes.

Workout Routine # 4: Jump rope on your coffee breaks
Sound silly? It won't after you read the numbers. Slip off your pumps and put on your sneakers, then head off to a corner with a jump rope. These quick heart-pumping fitness workouts are also weight-bearing, so your muscles and bones will benefit. And you'll probably feel completely energized, too.

Boost calories burned: You can burn 208 calories on two 10-minute breaks each day (that's 1,000 calories a week)!

Workout Routine # 5: Go longer
If your typical workout is 30 minutes—no shorter, no longer—here's an easy way to challenge yourself. Twice a week, try adding 10 or 15 minutes to your cardio. You'll burn more calories and increase your cardiovascular endurance level, making your weekend hikes and bike rides easier. To adapt your fitness workouts to your higher fitness level, every two weeks up your intensity level by increasing resistance or incline on the machine or road.

Boost calories burned: Running 30 extra minutes on the treadmill each week can burn 400 calories.

Workout Routine # 6: Change equipment or activities
If you always head right for the treadmill, take a step class or get on the elliptical trainer and step up the intensity. This may increase the calorie burn of your workout because our bodies work less efficiently doing new exercises than those we're used to. Periodically shifting activities will also decrease the chance of an overuse injury and keep your workouts fresh and fun.

Boost calories burned: Step aerobics vs. walking at 3.5 mph burns 237 vs. 177 calories in 30 minutes.

Workout Routine # 7: Add another day
Ho-hum ... does week after week only encompass Monday-Wednesday-Friday on the treadmill? Add a Saturday bike ride or Sunday morning indoor cycling class to your week, and your fitness level—and body shape—will show it. Make your workout activity-focused and you'll also invigorate your mind and spirit.

Boost calories burned: A two-hour hilly hike can burn up to 800 calories.

Workout Routine # 8: Hire a trainer
Nothing gets you out of a fitness rut faster than refining your routine based on the experience of someone who knows exactly how to get results. A good personal trainer (make sure he or she is certified) will look at your current program to make sure it's safe and effective. Does this sound too extravagant? Make an appointment with a trainer once a month or once every three months to update your program and get feedback on your form.

Boost in calories burned during exercise: If your trainer has you change from a fast walk to a slow jog, you'll burn an extra 100 calories in 30 minutes.

Workout Routine # 9: Try a mini-triathlon
Instead of trying to force yourself to stay on the recumbent bicycle for 45 minutes each time you work out, here's your new plan: 15 minutes power walking on a steep incline on the treadmill, 15 minutes on a stationary cycle (ideally at a high resistance level), then 15 minutes in the pool (or use the racing program on your gym's rowing machine). Be sure to warm up, cool down and stretch, and don't forget to write down your speeds to keep track of your progress. Reward yourself when you reach the finish line!

P.S.: For an added bonus, combine this activity with cardio boost #3—working out with a partner—to make this activity even more fun.

Boost calories burned during exercise: One workout = 600 calories burned

End your workout routines with great cool down stretch exercises to maximize calories burned while cooling down your muscles.

Workout Routine # 10: End with an invigorating stretch
Stretching is as important after running or walking as it is after weight lifting. A study found that regular stretching can increase your strength by up to 19 percent when interspersed between weight-training exercises. With additional muscle you'll have more calories burned throughout the day.

To keep your heart rate up while still stretching your whole body, try doing a series of 10-12 Sun Salutations, yoga's most aerobic move (it incorporates poses that flow from one to the next).

Here's a fast-paced variation used in many Ashtanga classes:

1. Stand with feet together and arms by sides. Inhale as you reach arms up overhead until palms touch. Look at hands.
2. Exhale to Forward Bend, knees slightly bent and hands to feet.
3. Inhale as you bend left knee and extend right leg back to a lunge. Keep hands on either side of your feet.
4. Exhale and bring left leg in line with right, keeping head, torso and legs in one line for Plank pose.
5. Lower legs and torso to floor, then raise head, neck and shoulders into a long Cobra pose.
6. Push onto hands and feet, lifting hips to the sky to form an upside-down V. This is Downward-Facing Dog.
7. Return to Cobra pose.
8. Bring right foot up and lunge, keeping left leg straight behind you.
9. Bring left foot up to meet right and return to Forward Bend.
10. Inhale; sweep your arms out and up.
11. Exhale and come back into the first standing posture, also known as Mountain pose. Repeat, moving quickly but without sacrificing your form or breathing. Boost in calories burned: You'll burn another 50 calories after your workout routines. Enjoy these great fitness workouts and cool down stretch exercises and the benefit of more calories burned during exercise.

The Do's and Don'ts of Efficient Fat-Burning

If you’re reading this, chances are pretty good that you don’t have a metabolism that lets you eat as much as you want without ever gaining an ounce.

There are lots of things you can do to turn your body into an efficient fat-burning machine. All you have to do is avoid a few common mistakes, and include some simple ways to boost your daily calorie burn.

Metabolism DON'TS

• Don’t reduce your calorie intake too low (without the assistance of HCG). The fact that you gain weight easily is proof that your body likes to shift into fat-storage mode at the drop of a hat, and going too low on calories is one of the easiest ways to trigger that reaction (often referred to as starvation mode. Don’t fall for the mistaken idea that the less you eat, the more you’ll lose—that’s just not how your body works. Staying within your recommended calorie range will keep your internal furnace stoked so that you have more capacity to burn stored fat.
• Don’t skip meals. Going too long between meals affects your body chemistry in ways that can make weight loss more difficult. Most people can manage their hunger and avoid cravings and overeating by spreading out their calories into four to five small, well-balanced meals or snacks during the day. Try not to go more than three to four hours without eating something.
• Don’t short yourself on shut eye. More research is showing that chronic sleep deprivation plays a significant role in weight gain. Your body needs plenty of “downtime” for the internal housekeeping that keeps your metabolism in good working order. The occasional late night won’t hurt you, but consistently sleeping just one hour less than you need may slow down your weight loss considerably.

Metabolism DO'S

• Build muscle! This is the most important action you can take to maintain a high metabolic rate while trying to lose weight. Strength training prevents you from losing a lot of muscle along with the fat you lose when dieting. If you don’t strength train regularly, up to 30% of the weight you lose could be muscle tissue. Considering that a pound of muscle burns about 3 times more calories per day than a pound of fat even when you’re sitting still (and up to 15-20 times more calories per minute when you're physically active), you can see the problems this can cause. If you lose 20 pounds of weight (and 30% of that weight loss is muscle—seven pounds), you’ll be slowing your metabolism and your fat burning capacity down by a significant amount. A simple strength training program twice a week can limit your muscle loss to almost zero, and keep your metabolism running high.
• Stay as active as possible. The more you use your muscles, the more calories you will burn. Moderate exercise like walking can burn three to six times more calories per minute than sitting still, and high intensity exercise like interval training can burn more than 12 times as much. Likewise, the more you vary your daily activity and exercise, the more you keep your body on its fat-burning toes.
• Don’t just sit there. If you’re watching TV or sitting at your desk, get up frequently to do a few exercises. Keep those resistance bands and dumbbells nearby at all times—you can fit a complete strength training workout into the commercial breaks of a one-hour TV show. Ditch your chair and sit on a stability ball (or a stationary bike) instead—even fidgeting can help!
• Exercise in the morning or in frequent bouts. Both strength and cardio exercises boost metabolism by increasing your calorie burn even AFTER your session is done. You can get the most out of this perk by starting your day with a workout or by incorporating multiple exercise sessions into your day. Longer or intense workouts have a greater "after burn” but even a 15-minute walk will make a difference.
• Try interval training. The harder you work, the more calories you will burn both during and after exercise—plus your fitness level will really improve. Studies show that exercising as intensely as you can, for at least 10 minutes per day, produces the best results. Interval training is an effective way to increase the intensity and duration of your workouts without running yourself into the ground or risking injury.
• Include mental exercises. One of the most important (but least recognized) factors in keeping your metabolic fires well stoked is managing stress effectively. Chronic stress disrupts the hormones that regulate everything from appetite to fat storage, and can defeat even the best exercise and eating plans. The more effort you put into recognizing and handling stress, the better off you’ll be. Include some time in your schedule every day for relaxation exercises, yoga, journaling, and other stress management activities.

And Most Importantly…
Make exercise and healthy eating FUN! Experiment frequently with new exercises and recipes, or anything that keeps you interested and adds some spice to your program.  Well, don’t stop there. The more variety you can put in your diet and your exercise routine, the more stimulating it will be. That makes it easy to put your best efforts forward, and get a major metabolic return on your investment.

BENEFITS OF PACKING A LUNCH

Short and long term success in weight management stem from our daily choices. Choices such as what to eat for lunch and how we prepare for lunch can have a great impact on our weight. If you want to have long term success in weight management develop the habit of packing your lunch and taking it to work with you.

Take Control of Your Lunch

There are several reasons why packing a lunch and bringing that to work promotes long term success. First, you begin actually taking control of what you’re going to eat at lunch. As soon as your hunger tells you it’s time to eat you have a prepared meal waiting. Most of us know what we should or shouldn’t eat, but when lunch time rolls around and we’re in our working groove we tend to make poor choices.

Curb Your Cravings

This leads us to the second reason for packing a lunch: prevent impulse eating. When you’re left to your more primal instincts and it comes time to eat, most people wait until they are so hungry they can’t take it anymore and they want to eat anything in sight. Have you ever caught yourself saying, “Hey that candy bar and chips will be great for lunch” and then you make your way to the vending machine or nearest corner store and load up on high fat foods?

Having your lunch pre-made and ready to eat provides a greater sense of fullness with the same amounts of food. Research shows that people who eat the same types of lunches achieve the sense of fullness and have greater satisfaction with their meals. When fullness and satisfaction set in our food seeking behaviors can relax and allow us to focus.

Try This

Here’s a quick recommendation for your next lunch. Pack a sandwich using 100% whole wheat bread and lean protein the night before. Add a cup of baby carrots, fresh peas or celery. Those veggies are easy to pack, fun to snack on and compliment any lunch meal. Add a small handful of almonds or cashews to balance out your lunch. Nuts are a great way to increase the satisfaction at lunch time without scarfing down potato chip after potato chip.

Hydrate

Finally, make sure to drink the right beverage. As soon as you begin to feel hungry prepare your favorite flavor of Kerisma Xtreme Tea and sip away. Start drinking your tea about 15-20 minutes before beginning your lunch and finish it during your lunch.

Adopt these healthy behaviors today and notice how you feel by the end of the week. Not only will you have made a critical investment in your health, but you’ll also be able to bring your favorite lunch box to work and show it off!

FIGHT CANCER WITH FOOD

Using the right combination of foods may help make a difference in your life. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, there is a new tool in the ongoing fight against cancer. The “New American Plate” is considered a balance of two-thirds plant based foods and no more than one-third animal protein. And some foods can greatly benefit your investment in your health against cancer in the future. Let’s take a look at some items to add to your plate.

Eat your Fruits and Vegetables

We've heard how fruits and vegetables can be rich in antioxidants and cancer-fighting nutrients. They can also help you keep a healthy body weight. Being overweight increases the risk of different types of cancers. So get your five healthy servings, and the more colorful the fruit is the more nutrients they give.

Tomato, Tomato

It's unclear what exactly gives tomatoes their cancer-fighting abilities, but studies have shown a link between eating tomatoes and a reduced risk of different types of cancer, including prostate cancers. There's even studies that show processed tomato products like juice, sauce or paste have even more potential.

Berries for Health

Strawberries and raspberries have a photochemical called ellagic acid, which is a powerful antioxidant. This antioxidant may actually fight cancer in several ways at once, including deactivation certain cancer causing substances and slowing the growth of cancer cells. Blueberries also contain potent antioxidants that have value in supporting your health. Antioxidants fight cancer by taking care of free radicals before they do damage to cells. So add these tasty berries to your food or eat them as a snack.

Great Grapes

Though there is not enough evidence to say that eating grapes or drinking grape juice can prevent or treat cancer, the ingredient resveratrol has some promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In laboratory studies, resveratrol has prevented the kind of damage that can trigger the cancer process in cells.

Hydration

Not only is water good for thirst, but it may protect you against bladder cancer. Water dilutes concentrations of potential cancer-causing agents in the bladder which can lower your risk. Drinking more fluids helps flush you out and lessens the amount of time the cancer-causing agents stay in contact with your bladder lining.

The Power of Tea. . .Ask about our Kerisma Xtreme Tea

Teas, in particular green tea, may be a strong cancer fighter. Randomized controlled studies have shown that the antioxidant EGCG, at a level of 400mg or more, had great effects on test subjects. It slowed or prevented the development of cancers in the colon, liver, breast and prostate cells. It also had a similar effect in lung and skin tissue. Longer term studies have associated tea with lower risk of cancer for the bladder, stomach and pancreas.

Slow Down on the Alcohol

The American Cancer Society says that even the suggested daily limit of two drinks for men and one for women elevates the risk of cancer. Cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver and breast have all been linked with drinking alcohol. It may also raise the risk for cancer of the colon and rectum. And women at higher risk of breast cancer may want to talk to their doctor about what amount of alcohol, if any, is save based on their personal risk factors.

Spare the Sugar

Sugar many not be a direct cause of cancer, but it may displace other nutrient-rich foods that help protect against cancer. Sugar also increases your calorie count, which contributes to overweight and obesity. Having excess weight can increase the risk of cancer. So pass on the sugars and candies, and replace them with fruits and berries.

PUMPKIN SEEDS: 10 HEALTHY BENEFITS

These jack-o'-lantern waste products are the most nutritious part of the pumpkin.

Pumpkin seeds are not only delicious but also provide many health benefits.

10 Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds:

Prostate Protection

They promote overall prostate health and alleviate the difficult urination associated with an enlarged prostate.

Improved Bladder Function

In some studies, pumpkin seed extracts improved bladder function in animals.

Depression Treatment

They contain L-tryptophan, a compound naturally effective against depression.

Prevention of Osteoporosis

Because they are high in zinc, pumpkin seeds are a natural protector against osteoporosis. Low intake of zinc is linked to higher rates of osteoporosis.

Natural Anti-Inflammatory

Pumpkin seeds effectively reduce inflammation without the side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Prevention of Kidney Stones

They prevent calcium oxalate kidney stone formation, according to studies.

Treatment of Parasites

They are used in many cultures as a natural treatment for tapeworms and other parasites. Studies also show them to be effective against acute schistosomiasis, a parasite contracted from snails.

Great Source of Magnesium

1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds contains 92% of your daily value of magnesium, a mineral in which most Americans are deficient.

Lower Cholesterol

Pumpkin seeds contain phytosterols, compounds that that have been shown to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol.

Cancer Prevention

The same phytosterols that lower cholesterol also protect against many cancers.

How to Eat Them:

Whole, shells and all. (The shells provide extra fiber.) Roasted pumpkin seeds contain 150 mg of magnesium per ounce; add them to your regular diet and you'll easily hit your daily target of 420 mg. Look for them in the snack or health-food section of your grocery store, next to the peanuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds:

1.  Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings. (This is easiest just after you've removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried.)

2.  Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat. If you prefer, omit the oil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

3.  Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.

4.   Let cool and store in an air-tight container.

MAKE THOSE CALORIES BURN AWAY

It’s easy to want to count the calories when beginning a workout program. But, you don’t need to run 10 miles each day to effectively burn calories! It is good to consistently engage in physical activity each and every week. This will create a solid base from which you can build a successful exercise program. The following simple exercises can be included as a part of that program.

The number of calories burned during an activity depends on both the weight of the person, as well as the intensity. The following are estimates for the number of calories burned for an average 150 pound person during an hour of activity.

• If you are walking briskly, expect to burn about 300 calories.
• Basketball is a great way to spend calories. We have all seen how the pro players sweat! You can burn well over 450 calories like this.
• If you have to clean your house, why not do it with optimism? Light cleaning consumes about 240 calories an hour.
• Do you have a green thumb? Well, your love might have some unexpected positive side effects. Gardening uses about 324 calories!
• Golfing on the weekends is a favorite pastime of many. 385 calories are burned if you carry your clubs! Fore!
• Put a stationary bike in front of the television. You’ll be burning 380 calories an hour while you catch up on the latest news.
• Are you a fan of the aerobics class at the local gym? You should be, because this activity uses 405 calories for just an hour of sweating.
• Also, that elliptical trainer can burn an amazing 630 an hour!!
• Even ping-pong has healthy benefits! This activity uses up 280 per hour.
• Any person with children knows that chasing after these little ones can burn calories. The number probably depends on just how wild that kid is, but that can certainly count.
• Hey, if nothing else, even sleeping burns calories. You’ll be using up 45 for just an hour! But that’s not an excuse to take a nap!

EGGS: HEALTHY OR NOT?

Having fallen in and out of favor with nutrition experts, you’d think the fragile egg would be broken and beaten by now. Luckily, its ego isn’t nearly as vulnerable as its shell. Oblivious to the attempts to separate the egg from its well-deserved title of "best source of complete protein on the planet," the egg has managed to remain a nutritious, inexpensive, and popular food.

For awhile, nutrition experts hypothesized that the high cholesterol content of eggs raised blood cholesterol levels, which can increase a person's risk of heart disease. But this hypothesis was never proven. In fact, several studies have shown that the consumption of eggs is not associated with higher cholesterol levels but is associated with higher nutrient intake.

In 2000, researchers set out to assess the nutritional significance of eggs in the American diet and to estimate the degree of association between egg consumption and cholesterol levels. Their straightforward results were published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Eggs make important nutritional contributions to the American diet and their consumption is not associated with high cholesterol levels. Specifically, the study showed that egg consumers had a higher intake of important nutrients like vitamins B12, A, E, and C than non-egg eaters, and that people who reported eating four or more eggs per week actually had significantly lower average cholesterol levels than those who reported eating zero to one eggs per week.

Here are four more ways eggs can enhance your health:

• Eggs are an excellent source of low-cost, high-quality protein. One large egg provides more than 6 grams of protein, yet contains only 75 calories. And the protein is "complete," providing all nine of the body's essential amino acids.
• Eggs are one of the best sources of choline. Found primarily in the egg yolk, one large egg provides 30% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of this essential nutrient, which plays an important role in brain health and the reduction of inflammation. Many people are deficient in choline, which is found in trace amounts of many different foods.
• Eggs are a great food for those trying to lose weight. Because of the high amount of quality protein in eggs, they make a very satisfying breakfast, which is especially useful for people trying to lose weight. In one study published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (2007), subjects following low-fat, calorie-restricted diets were randomly assigned to one of two breakfasts: a bagel or two eggs. After eight weeks, the egg eaters experienced 65% greater weight loss, 83% greater decrease in waist circumference, and a greater improvement in energy levels compared to the bagel-eating group. Also worth mentioning is that changes in plasma cholesterol and triglycerides did not differ significantly between the two groups. Researchers postulated that eating eggs for breakfast enhanced weight loss by increasing satiety, resulting in better adherence to a reduced-calorie diet.
• Eggs protect eyesight. Egg yolks contain a highly absorbable form of vision-protective carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin, which help to prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Studies published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eggs increased blood levels of these nutrients without increasing cholesterol or triglyceride levels.

So how many eggs should you eat? Just because something is good for you doesn't always mean that more of it is necessarily better. In a 2007 study published in the journal Medical Science Monitor, no significant difference in cardiovascular diseases (like stroke and heart attack) were observed between people who consumed more than six eggs per week and those who consumed one or fewer eggs per week. So a couple of eggs a day, a few days a week, should be safe and health for most people.

According to a Licensed and Registered Dietitian, "One egg daily can easily be a part of a well-balanced, nutritious diet for healthy adults." An important exception is for diabetics, who experienced an increased risk of coronary artery disease when consuming greater than six eggs per week. If you have a medical condition such as heart disease or diabetes, check with your physician (or dietitian) regarding egg consumption and dietary restrictions.

"Designer" Eggs: Are They Worth the Money? When you go to stock up on eggs, be prepared for an onslaught of choices. Beyond just white and brown, you’ll see a whole new world of choices in the refrigerator case. Are these “designer” eggs worth the extra money? It depends on the designer.

• Cage Free, Free Range, Pastured, and Pasture Raised: You may feel like you're doing a good deed by purchasing eggs with one or more of these terms on the package. But in truth, these labels really don't mean a whole lot, as there are no rules or regulations about using these terms. If you want high quality eggs from humanely raised chickens, find a local producer whom you trust. To find one, go to www.LocalHarvest.org, and enter "eggs" in the "Name/Description/Product" box, and your zip code in the "Where?" box. A list of farmers in your area will pop up, many of whom sell their eggs at local farmers markets.
• Certified Organic: They hens who lay these eggs are cage-free, have outdoor access, and eat a 100% organic and vegetarian diet that is free of antibiotics and pesticides. Third-party auditors enforce these standards.
• Grade AA, A and B: Eggs in the US are classified according to quality and freshness standards established by the USDA. AA is the most superior in quality, followed by A and B.
• Omega-3 Enhanced eggs: When is an egg not just an egg? When it's engineered to contain Omega-3s. The hens that lay these eggs eat a diet rich in Omega-3s, which includes algae or flaxseed. The eggs they lay contain higher Omega-3 content but taste like regular eggs. These eggs may help contribute to your intake of essential fatty acids, but they don’t contain enough to make up for a diet that is otherwise low in Omega-3s.

No matter what kind of eggs you choose to eat, be sure to follow proper handling and preparation guidelines to ensure that your eggs are safe to eat. Raw or improperly handled eggs can be a source of disease.

• Avoid raw eggs, and foods made with raw eggs (Caesar dressing, homemade mayonnaise, eggnog, and cookie dough). These foods are safe if a pasteurized egg product is used.
• Check the carton to be sure that the eggs you are buying are clean and free of cracks.
• Store eggs in the coldest part of the refrigerator (not in the door), and use within three to five weeks, or by the expiration date on the carton. Hardboiled eggs should also be stored in the refrigerator and used within one week.
• When cooking with eggs, don’t leave the carton on the counter during prep time. Take out the eggs you will use and return the carton to the refrigerator.
• Wash all surfaces, cooking utensils, and skin with warm, soapy water before and after handling eggs.
• Cook eggs until yolks are firm.
• Cook egg-containing dishes to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit to destroy any bacteria safely.

Give yourself a break! Poached, scrambled, baked or fried—you can rely on the inexpensive and high-quality protein of eggs as part of a varied, healthy diet. Do be careful with whom your eggs hang out. Bacon, sausage, and high-fat cheeses can be troublesome characters!