Nutrition

Alarming effects of the microwave oven

Ten Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven

From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, we will conclude this article with the following:

1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term - permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].

2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.

3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.

4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.

5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.

6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.

7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.

8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.

9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.

10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

Have you tossed out your microwave oven yet?

After you throw out your microwave you can use a toaster oven as a replacement. It works well for most and is nearly as quick.

How do microwaves work?

   Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic energy like light waves or radio waves. Microwaves are used to relay long distance telephone calls, television shows and computer information across the globe or to a satellite in space. They are used because they can travel through anything, such as smoke, clouds and rain/snow. Most commonly though, microwaves are used to heat up food.

   Every microwave oven contains electrons that are affected by magnetic and electric fields in such a way to produce micro wavelength radiation at about 2.45 GHz. This radiation interacts with the molecules of food by alternating current (AC), or changing the polarity of all the molecules (amino acids, lipids, proteins...) millions of times per second, which causes frictional heat. This, in turn, heats up your food from the inside out, substantially damaging and deforming the foods molecules. This type of frictional heat can destroy the fragile structure of vitamins and enzymes in food, completely depleting nutrients in food, changing the taste and texture and causing numerous health problems:

Resulting effects on the human body

Digestive system: The unstable catabolism of microwaved food alters their elemental food substances, causing disorders in the digestive system.
Lymphatic system: Due to chemical alterations within food substances, malfunctions occur in the lymphatic system, causing a degeneration of the body's ability to protect itself against certain forms of neoplastics (cancerous growths).
Free radicals: Certain trace-mineral molecular formations in plant substances - in particular, raw root vegetables - form cancer-causing free radicals.
Increased incidence of stomach and intestinal cancers: A statistically higher percentage of cancerous growths result in these organs, plus a generalised breakdown of the peripheral cellular tissues and a gradual degeneration of digestive and excretory functions.

Here are the effects observed in humans having "direct" exposure to microwaves, that is, without their having consumed the irradiated food substances:

• Life-energy field breakdown: Persons near microwave ovens in operation experience a breakdown of their life-energy fields which increases relative to the length of exposure.
• Cellular energy decreases: The cellular-voltage parallels of individuals using the apparatus degenerate - especially in their blood and lymphatic serums.
• Destabilized metabolism: The external-energy activated potentials of food utilisation are both destabilised and degenerated.
• Cell damage: Internal cellular-membrane potentials during catabolic processes into the blood serum from the digestive process degenerate and destabilise.
• Brain circuitry destruction: Electrical impulses in the junction potentials of the cerebrum degenerate and break down.
• Nervous system: Nerve/electrical circuits degenerate and break down while energy-field symmetry is lost in the neuro-plexuses (nerve centres) in both the front and rear of the central and autonomic nervous systems.
• Loss of bioelectric strength: The bioelectric strengths within the ascending reticular activating system (the system which controls the function of waking consciousness) go out of balance and lose their proper circuiting.
• Loss of vital energies: Humans, animals and plants located within a 500-metre radius of the equipment in operation suffer a long-term, cumulative loss of vital energies.
• Nervous and lymphatic systems damage: Long-lasting residual magnetic "deposits" become located throughout the nervous system and lymphatic system.
• Hormone imbalances: The production of hormones and the maintenance of hormonal balance in both males and females becomes destabilised and interrupted.
• Brainwave disruptions: Levels of disturbance in alpha-, delta- and theta-wave signal patterns are markedly higher than normal.
• Psychological disorders: Because of the disarranged brain waves, negative psychological effects also result. These include loss of memory and ability to concentrate, suppressed emotional threshold, deceleration of intellective processes and interruptive sleep episodes in a statistically higher percentage of individuals subjected to continual range-emission field effects of microwave apparatus, from either cooking apparatus or transmission stations.

"Break the Fast"

                                                       Why Breakfast is so Important

Many people don't eat breakfast; sometimes it's because they "do not have time" or they just "aren't hungry". The importance of eating breakfast is evidence-based, like crossfit. It has been proven, time after time, that people are much healthier and thinner if they are breakfast eaters. I used to not eat breakfast; in fact, just the thought of food in the morning made me sick. But, I wanted a change in my diet to see if I felt any different, so, I decided to try the zone diet (which I hate to call it a diet because of "todays" meaning, it's actually more of a zone lifestyle) which required me to eat breakfast. I started out small; just a few bites of a zone or balance bar and I would be on my way to the gym or mountain. Pretty soon I began eating the entire bar and finding myself hungry after my workout, but not famished like I used to without eating breakfast. Over time, I began eating an actual meal, slowly incorporating more and more breakfast-type foods. Now, I wake up practically starving and eager to get into the kitchen and make my favorite eggs and oatmeal. But, it wasn't just the hunger surge in the morning that got me eating breakfast. Over time, I found that I had so much energy throughout the day and that I was noticably in a really good mood; I felt extremely alert and my reaction time in and out of the gym increased dramatically. One of the most important changes I saw in myself was that my performance level sky-rocketed. I also began to lose weight. Crazy, huh? It wasn't until after I had began to eat breakfast that I noticed all of these changes. You don't realize how little energy you have (or your decreased concentration, or your so-so mood...) until you try something new. So start eating breakfast, even if it is just a few bites of something (preferably zone) If you need to, have a glass of water before you eat to help stimulate hunger. Here is a list of even more reasons to become a breakfast person:

- when you wake up after not eating for 8-12 hours, your body has to work really hard to breakdown fat, carbs and protein into usable form for your brain to function, especially when you are trying to do any mental or physical work in the morning; that is a lot to ask of your body without fuel; When you eat breakfast, or break the fast, you increase your mental performance (concentration, problem-solving ability, reaction time, memory, mood...) and physical performance because now your brain and body are not competing for sugar.

- You lose out on a lot of nutrients that are in breakfast foods: high percentages of the RDA of vitamin C and D, calcium, iron, fiber... can all be obtained at breakfast.

- You end up eating less throughout the day. Which, in turn, will cause weight loss (fat loss). When you skip breakfast, you end up with distorted satiety signals and a total lack of control when it comes to eating later on (to "make up for not eating breakfast").

- Every time you eat, your body has to digest the food; digesting takes energy and energy is produced by burning calories. So, not only do you burn more calories just by eating breakfast and eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, calories eaten in the morning are also more effectively utilized. Control your weight by eating every 2-1/2 - 3 hours. This significantly increases your metabolism

- Your digestion become a lot more regular.

- Fueling your body after a night of sleep also helps your body recover from previous mental and physical stresses.

Here are some ideas for a zone breakfast (all are 1-3 block meals):

My favorite, Eggs and Oatmeal:

Scramble:

1 whole egg
3 egg whites
3/4 ounce deli-turkey
3-4 slices of finely chopped red pepper
2 finely chopped broccoli florets and
2/3 tsp EVOO (olive oil)

Boil:

1 cup water, then add
1/2 cup thick rolled oats (not instant, they are high glycemic) and
turn down the heat to med-high until most of the water is absorbed

Top eggs with a little salt and pepper
Top oatmeal (ends up being about 2/3 cup) with 1 tsp brown sugar
And I always have a 1/2 tsp peanut butter alone.

If you don't want to cook, try yogurt and berries:

3/4 cup plain yogurt, mixed with
1 cup fresh cut strawberries and
3/4 cup fresh blueberries and top with
3 tsp slivered almonds

If you don't have time to make anything or don't like breakfast food (yet), grab turkey and fruit:

4-1/2 ounces deli turkey
1 apple
1/2 grapefruit
9 macadamia nuts

Greek Salad

This greek salad will make 1 4-block zone meal.

Salad:

5 cups romaine (1/2C)

1 cup sliced cucumber (1/4C)

1/2 cup sliced red pepper (1/4C)

1/2 cup sliced green pepper (1/4C)

1/2 cup grape tomatoes or 1/2 chopped tomato (1/4C)

1/3 cup sliced red onion (1/4C)

3-1/2 oz cooked chicken

3/4 oz feta cheese

6-12 small greek olives (2F)

Dressing:

2/3 tsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) (2F)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

oregano 1-2 pinches

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

On the side:

1/2 whole wheat pita bread (1C) with

1/4 cup roasted red pepper hummus (1C) plus

1/4 cup sliced strawberries (1/4C)

or

1/4 pita bread cut into pieces and put in salad and have 1 small apple for dessert

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Plan B

We all have a nutritional conscience. The intention to eat good, nutrient-dense food in proper proportions is always there, but things trip us up along the way. For most people, time and work are the most common obstacles. If it's not the lunch hour that gets whittled down to 5 minutes of warp-speed chewing, it's the long-day of long-slow-duration stress followed by comfort food on the couch with the soft and soothing lull of junk TV. It's not a surprise that this happens a couple of times a week, but then you wonder why we don't plan for fire-drill meals on fire-drill days.

What you need is an In-Case-of-Emergency-Break-Glass plan that saves you—but only if there's something of value behind the glass. Otherwise, you're just left with an additional mess to clean up amongst all the other chaos.

So, take steps now to plan for when your plan falls through. Help yourself expect the unexpected. I mean, you know it’s going to happen. Not preparing it for it is giving up before you even begin; it is—let’s be frank—preloading excuses for your lapses. (“Well, I was going to ace my nutrition today…but something Important came up. Really, it’s not my fault; there was nothing I could do about it. Really.”)

What you know is that the contingency plan has to be reasonable, speedy, and, depending on your circumstances, perhaps non-perishable. Come up with some snacks and meals that you know you can keep on hand. Or even parts of meals, with a plan to complement them with things you know you can forage for even under the pressure of deadlines, tight schedules, demanding children, and the mid-afternoon munchies.

That might mean that you keep a can of tuna, sardines, or bag of jerky for your protein and then head for the cafeteria to scare up a garden salad or a random piece of fresh fruit. Or, keep the carbs handy in the long-shelf-life form of a Lara bar or a small quantity of dried fruit.

If you keep some reliable staples on hand as a regular practice, you can always toss together a few blocks of balanced fuel on a moment’s notice. Stock the fridge at the office with some of the following, and you’ll be set for even the unplanned meals and snacks you might need. Keep nuts on hand (macadamias have an excellent fat profile), or even a small bottle of olive oil, to make sure you can get a small fat dose with any meal.

Here are some easy, balanced snack ideas to spark your thinking

• deli meat (preferably turkey) and a few sticks of celery with peanut butter and a peach
  
• sardines, tuna, other canned meat/fish, 1-2 handfuls of berries or grapes and a few almonds
  
• string (or other) cheese and an apple (or grapefruit, orange or pear) with 2 macademia nuts (these are extremely high in fat, so just a couple is plenty)
  
• cottage cheese and a few Triscuits to make the right number of carb blocks for you (ahem, a few crackers, NOT the whole box)
  
• cottage cheese and just about any fruit or berries and a couple walnuts
  
• yes, this is just a version of above, but worth specifying: cottage cheese, sliced apple, cinnamon, and sliced almonds
  
• plain yogurt and fruit (or blueberries from the freezer) with some almonds or macademia nuts
  
• hard-boiled eggs and dried apricots
  
• milk
  
• frozen berries, protein powder, coconut milk (and a blender)
  
• protein powder (not soy, please) & milk (or juice, or, in a pinch, water)
  
• beef/turkey jerky, fruit, & nuts --Zone Perfect bar (Ok, it’s fake food and full of scary ingredients, but at least it’s macronutrient balanced and ultimately better than that lone leftover Krispy Kreme in the corner of the conference room down the hall. We are talking emergencies here.)

What else?? You guys have been doing this. What works for you? Post your ideas and solutions to comments.

The key to all of this is that emergency eating shouldn't require emergency thinking because that grey matter is already pressed into service by whatever fire drill is happening at your desk. The thinking and planning is something that gets done in advance. So do it.

Thanks to CrossFit Eastside

Why take Omega 3 from fish Oil?

      *People who take fish oil supplements score 13 percent higher in IQ tests and are less likely to show early signs of Alzheimer’s disease

      *Omega 3 plus exercise and a high antioxidant diet may help elderly stave off memory loss. There is evidence that fish oils slow the ageing of the brain by reducing inflammation.

      *In children’s studies, omega 3 supplements improved the behaviour of children with dyspraxia.

      *Young adults with a high intake of Omega 3 fatty acids may be less prone to hostility.

      *Increased consumption of Omega-3 significantly reduced the symptoms of induced asthma in elite athletes.

      *Higher intakes of monounsaturated fat and Omega 3 fat are “significantly associated” with a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

      *Consuming regular omega 3 reduced the risk of heart disease in diabetic women by 64% in one American study.

      *Fish oil has been found to greatly reduce the symptoms of lupus disease, reducing the disease and lowering fatigue levels.

      *Mothers who have a higher Omega 3 blood levels have babies with heartier sleep patterns in the first 48 hours after delivery. Better infant sleep patterns are thought to reflect the maturity of a child’s nervous system, and have been associated with more rapid development in their first year of life.

     *Women who consumed higher levels of omega 3 during pregnancy had children with better language and communication skills by the age of 18 months.

Zone Diet

The Sunny Side of Eggs

Words to the wise: Eggs are good food. Most people can eat one or two a day. Just don't mess them up by preparing them with fatty, salty ingredients or serving them with unhealthy side dishes.

Eggs have a bad reputation because of their high cholesterol content: 210 milligrams in the yolk of a large egg. But, in fact, they do not raise blood cholesterol in most people--and they may even be good for your heart in some ways. Click here for the latest on eggs.

Florentine Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken

Okay, so last night we made this zone recipe; I was a little hesistant because I only get two blocks (I thought "I get less than two ounces of chicken? How can I stuff less than two ounces of chicken with ricotta, spinach and peppers?") Well, It turned out awesome! It was the perfect amount of food and tasted very meditteranean. You have got to try it, and it's pretty easy to make. So here it is:

This yeilds 2 (4 block) servings

Chicken

1 cup chopped, frozen, thawed spinach or cooked fresh

1 cup jarred roasted peppers, drained and finely choped  ------------  2 carb blocks

1/2 cup skim milk ricotta cheese  ---------------------------------------  2 protein, 2 fat

1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper

6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into two pieces  ----  6 protein, 1.5 fat

2-2/3 teaspoons olive oil  -------------------------------------------------  4.5 fat

1-1/2 cups basil marinara sauce  ----------------------------------------  3 carb

Vegetables

1-1/2 cups chopped onions  ----------------------------------------------  1 carb

2 cups sliced zucchini  ----------------------------------------------------  1 carb

2 cups sliced summer squash  -------------------------------------------  1 carb

1 teaspoon each of chopped garlic, dried basil, dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

* you might want to measure out the 5-1/2 cups of veggies when cooked (so, to get that much, you may need to add a little extra raw)

Instructions:

Spray a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Squeeze the liquid from the spinach. In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, peppers, ricotta 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cut a slit in the side of each piece of chicken to create a pocket. Divide the spinach-ricotta mixture between the two chicken pockets. Place the chicken in the baking dish, drizzle with olive oil evenly on top, and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until light golden brown. Heat the marinara sauce in a small saucepan over low heat.

While the chicken in baking, spray a nonstick skillet with olive oil cooking spray. Add the olive oil, onions, zucchini, summer squash, garlic, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste and saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until just tender.

Divide the sauteed vegetables between 2 plates. Place the chicken on top and pour the marinara sauce over the chicken. You can sprinkle a little parmaesan on top too.

If your diet looked like this:

Would you look like this??

The Benefits of Yogurt

FAGE Yogurt                       

Yoghurt’s high nutritional value establishes it as an essential, irreplaceable daily food that perfectly combines pleasure with something that does you good:

-Yoghurt contains a high amount of proteins, vitamins, minerals (chiefly zinc) and of course calcium.
-Its calcium content renders it valuable to all children over seven months old, expecting and breast-feeding mothers, athletes, teenagers and the elderly, as well as those suffering from, or keen to prevent osteoporosis.                                                                                                                                      -It is beneficial to smokers and those who consume large amounts of alcohol, as it protects the stomach membrane.
-It constitutes one of the lightest and healthiest foods that one may eat when suffering from influenza, even with a high temperature.
-It maintains the balance of the intestinal flora as well as the mouths mucus for those on long-term antibiotic treatment.
-It combats diarrhea that may result from gastrointestinal infections, due to the neutralizing effect of its bacillus on the germs causing the infections.
-With its soft, watery texture, it combats chronic constipation, encouraging a “lazy” bowel to contract, whilst its bacillus restores the intestine’s balance, and rids it of any collected toxins.
-It contributes to the treatment of certain types of dermatological conditions that are due to a deficiency, or poor absorption of vitamin B complex via the intestine.
-It strengthens the natural regenerative process of skin cells as well as hair and nail growth.
-It strengthens the body’s immune system.

Yoghurt is also a child’s best friend.

It is recommended by pediatricians as a basic part of the daily diet for all ages due to its high nutritional value; it is easy to eat, tasty and easily digested.

-It contains all the nutritional components of milk and may be givenas one of the first semi-solid foods to infants from the sixth month onwards as it is light and easily digested. (Up to that point the infant has only been breast or bottle-fed.)
-After the 18th month it is ideal as a second breakfast or evening meal, on it’s own or served with fruit, honey, bread or biscuits.
-In cases of gastroenteritis, yoghurt can replace milk whilst still providing the necessary nutrients.
-It can meet the requirements for a child’s daily water intake since it is considered to be a a semi-solid food with high water content.
-Yoghurt is popular with children and teenagers as it can be served as a dessert, without containing sugar, fat or calories. At the same time, it may be enriched with attractive additives such as fruit, chocolate, cereal, muesli, dried plums, biscuits, honey, walnuts, sweet preserves.

* Yogurt is one of those combo items in the zone prescription. 1/2 cup plain yogurt is considered one block of protein and one block of carbs; check your label for the exact grams of protein and carbs and change accordingly. We have found that Fage yogurt has the least amount of carbs, is thicker than pudding (it will not slide off your spoon) and it tastes great.

** For a two block snack, try: 1/2-3/4 cup Fage yogurt with 3/4 cup fresh blueberries. Add 6 almonds or have them on the side (if you have non-fat yogurt, double your almonds to 12).

Where can you find this yogurt in Phoenix? Trader Joes and Whole Foods

Barbecue Chicken Salad

I have not tried this one yet, but thought that it looked pretty good for a different kind of salad. Let me know what you think.

One, four-block meal
"Zone Perfect Meals in Minutes"

Ingredients:
4 ounces chicken tenderloin, diced (or skinless chicken breast)
2 cups bell pepper strips
1 1/2 cups onions, diced
1/2 cup Zoned Barbecue Sauce (can use regular BBQ sauce, but check label and decrease other carbs accordingly)
3 cups garden salad mix (lettuce and shredded red cabbage)
2 cups shredded cabbage (or coleslaw mix)
1 1/3 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
In a nonstick saute pan, add oil, chicken tenderloins, pepper, onion, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Cook until chicken is browned and vegetables are tender, then add Zoned Barbecue Sauce. Cover and simmer for five minutes until mixture is hot, stirring occasionally to blend flavors. Blend together garden salad mix and shredded cabbage, then place blended salad-cabbage mixture on a large oval plate. Spoon chicken and vegetable mixture into the center of plate on top of salad-cabbage mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.