Feature: 6 “health foods” that aren’t all that healthy

Your milk may be making you sick

Eating right can help you keep your eyesight

Research proves you can spot-reduce belly fat

Dr. Ramm continues you down the path to happiness

Crab quiche – a calcium-rich cancer fighter

Friday, November 2, 2007

Flush Out the Health Food Imposters

By Dr. Jonny Bowden

The reputation of foods seems to go up and down as often as the stock market. Nutrition gurus have reversed themselves so many times it makes my head spin. Take margarine. Everyone thought this was a healthy food when it first came out. But by now most people know that it is loaded with trans-fats and far worse for you than the butter it replaced.

Consider other foods we used to shun but now embrace as good for us: certain fats, coconut oil, whole eggs and even coffee come to mind. But what about foods everyone thinks of as healthy? Could some of these be health-food imposters?

Canola oil. Here's health imposter number one. It's a highly processed oil that needs to be chemically deodorized, which frequently creates trans-fats. In addition, the omega-3's in it are easily made rancid by heating. Canola oil's presence in the marketplace is a triumph of marketing rather than science. Use pressed organic canola oil only, if you use it at all.

Energy bars. Many "energy bars" are loaded with sugar. Some have trans-fats. And most have a ton of chemicals. Read the label carefully. Healthy choices should have at least 10 grams of protein, no hydrogenated oils and no more than a couple of grams of sugar. The Atkins Advantage bars meet those criteria, as do a very few others. There are good bars that have more than three grams of sugar, but those are specialty whole-foods bars like LaraBars, which are made from nothing but real fruit and nuts. They're fine, unless you're watching your carbs. The other high-sugar bars tend to be only marginally better than candy. If it tastes "too good to be true" it probably is.

Cereal. Many cereals today say, "made from whole grains." So what? The fact that something started life as a whole grain doesn't mean much if it was processed to death. And glycemic index figures from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition show that whole grains can raise blood sugar almost as high as processed ones can. Many "whole grain" cereals have been processed to the point that they have less than 2 grams of fiber per serving, which makes them fiber lightweights. Whole grain cereals with less than 5 grams of fiber per serving are probably no better than the cereals they replaced.

Salmon. Farm-raised salmon is another problem. Nutritionists have long urged everyone to eat salmon. It is high in omega 3's and it's a wonderful source of protein and vitamins. The problem is, we now get most of our salmon from factory farms, not the open seas. They're kept in pens, fed antibiotics, artificially colored and often contain far less omega 3's than their wild cousins. And according to a study in the journal Science, farm-raised salmon contains significantly higher concentrations of PCBs, dioxin and other cancer-causing contaminants than salmon caught in the wild. Make sure you choose wild Alaskan salmon over the factory-farmed kind. If you can't get it in the supermarket, try a company like Vital Source. They will ship the highest quality wild salmon and other fish directly to your door.

Soy. Soy's not the worst thing in the world for you. But it's been way oversold as a health food. The healthy kind of soy is traditionally fermented, like miso and tempeh, or minimally processed, like edamame. Fermented soy may have real health benefits. But manufacturers slap "soy" on the label of every kind of snack food from chips and nuts to cookies and ice cream hoping that people will believe it's a healthy food. It doesn't become healthy just because it has soy on the label.

Frozen yogurt. The only resemblance frozen yogurt has to real yogurt is that they're both white. Yes, it can be a delicious desert, but you shouldn't fool yourself that there's anything whatsoever that makes it more healthy than ice cream. In fact, the non-fat kind is filled with aspartame, which has been linked to cancer, according to the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Why not just eat the real thing -- ice cream? Just get the highest quality you can find and eat it less often.

The takeaway point is to consider not just what you're eating but the quality of it -- where it comes from and how it's made or grown. The healthiest foods are the ones that are minimally processed and closest to the state in which they were found in nature. If you could hunt it, fish for it, pluck it or gather it, it's probably not a health food imposter.

[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He's a board certified nutrition specialist with a Master's degree in psychology. Dr. Bowden is also a life coach, motivational speaker, former personal trainer and author of the award-winning book, Living the Low Carb Life. For more information, click here.]

Here's yet reason to avoid processed foods. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that men who consumed the most dairy products showed a 60 percent increase in the risk of Parkinson's disease. And processed milk accounted for most of the dairy consumed by study subjects.

Researchers don't know why processed milk products increase the risk of Parkinson's disease in men. Epidemiologists do have theories on milk's link to other diseases, however. Dr. Samuel Epstein, M.D., is professor emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health. He also wrote the book, "What's In Your Milk?" This expose shows how the industry has covered up the dangers of drinking milk from cows treated with genetically engineered recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). Milk from rBGH-treated cows, according to Dr. Epstein, poses a significant health risk to humans and appears to be linked to breast, colon and prostate cancers.

Raw, unprocessed milk is rapidly gaining popularity among health-conscious consumers. Many states are outlawing the sales of raw milk. They say it poses a health hazard to consumers with weak immune systems, but demand persists. Members of the raw foods community, for instance, use raw milk and active cultures to make their own kefir (fermented raw milk) at home. Kefir offers numerous health benefits and is a "living" food teeming with beneficial microorganisms.

[Ed. Note: Mike Adams, the Health Ranger -- a leading authority on healthy living -- is on a mission: to explore, uncover and share the truth about harmful foods and beverages, prescription drugs, medical practices and the dishonest marketing practices that drive these industries. For his latest findings, click here.]

If anyone needs yet another reason to change from a diet high in refined carbohydrates, they just got it. A study reported this July in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a diet higher in refined carbohydrates (high glycemic index foods) significantly increased the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration is the number one cause of blindness in this country in people age 60 and up, a statistic of particular importance to baby boomers. Estimates from this study were that 100,000 cases of blindness from AMD could be avoided if people would make this one easy change -- stop eating refined sugar and flour and the foods and drinks made with them.

Several studies conducted over the last two years are showing a number of benefits of lower carbohydrate diets. These lower carb diets replace sugary foods and refined flours with plenty of vegetables (like broccoli and leafy greens) and some beans and legumes, but are moderate to low in fruit and whole grains. Over the years I have personally witnessed the benefits of this type of diet in my patients literally thousands of times. It is very rewarding to see the studies finally confirming anecdotal evidence.

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code. For more information, click here.]

Are you totally frustrated by the fact that NONE of the famous
'sure-fire' diets has ever produced lasting fat loss? 

Are you sick of parting with hard-earned money for the latest "fat-burning" supplements that leave you just as fat as ever?

If you know how to meet these 2 conditions, you can lose all the fat you want!

Click here to learn the REAL secrets of successful fat loss!

You're ready to take action. You're ready to make a change you think will improve your life. But how do you know if that change will actually make you happier?

As readers of my past articles have learned, my research has revealed that our overall level of happiness depends on 10 specific core values. These values interact in a matrix. This means that when we are thinking about a course of action we hope will enhance our happiness, we should also consider how this action will affect each of the other core values.

Consider, for example, a man who thinks making more money will improve his emotional well-being. He is considering starting a part-time business on evenings and weekends, in addition to his full time job.

While this appears as if it will improve his quality of life, it might also backfire. The time needed to run his business will leave less time to spend with his wife and children. Starting his business may lead to a higher level of satisfaction with respect to one core value, money. But his level of satisfaction with respect to the core values of companionship and intimacy may decline. The result: a net reduction in his overall happiness. Therefore, he should develop some other plan of action to make more money.

Next week I will show you how to use this matrix planning to determine whether a potential course of action really will lead you to higher levels of happiness.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Douglas Ramm is a psychologist, philosopher, author and leading researcher in the field of emotional well-being, contentment and life satisfaction. He has appeared on numerous radio and television talk shows where he shares insights for enhancing quality of life. Discover how to enhance yours here.]

Conventional wisdom says you can't spot-reduce belly fat. But new wisdom says you can lose that spare tire -- and not the way you think. Forget crunches. A new report says that "high intensity intermittent exercise may result in greater fat loss in the abdomen." In other words, interval training burns stomach fat first, over all other sources of fat on the body.

Professor Steve Boucher, the study's Australian co-author, and his colleagues put young women into two groups:

Group 1: Three workouts per week of 20 minutes of intervals (8 second sprint followed by 12 second recovery) for 15 weeks

Group 2: Three cardio workouts per week of 40 minutes for 15 weeks

Group 1, the interval group, lost a significant amount of abdominal fat.

So why do the intervals work so well?

Boucher believes it has something to do with the increase in hormones called catecholamines (adrenaline is a catecholamine hormone). These increase after intervals, but not after slow cardio. Catecholamines are a fat-burning hormone and there are a lot of catecholamine receptors in belly fat. He thinks the elevated fat-burning hormones from intervals ends up leading to targeted belly fat burning.

Interesting theory. We'll see if more research is able to confirm that hypothesis. Regardless, it's great to see studies showing intervals to be more effective for losing stomach fat than slow cardio workouts.

[Ed. Note: Craig Ballantyne is an expert consultant for Men's Health magazine. If you're looking to burn fat, build muscle and quickly step into the body you have always wanted with just three workouts each week, check out Craig's fat-loss system by clicking here.]

Ex-pharmaceutical chemist exposes deadly health myths and how to beat obesity, insulin resistance and even heart disease NATURALLY!

Read his FREE REPORT, see the shocking photos and
SAVE 10% by clicking Here...

This decadent crab dish is in fact a nutritional powerhouse. It provides more than 60 percent of the daily value for calcium. Along with keeping bones strong, calcium has also recently been recognized for its cancer-fighting action. In both the Nurses' Health Study and the Physicians' Health Study conducted at Harvard, researchers found that participants who consumed 700 to 800 mg of calcium per day had a 40 to 50 percent lower risk of developing colon cancer. So go ahead and dive into this seafood delight. With less than 250 calories per serving, there's no catch!

Serves: 6

Time to Table: 1 hour

Healing Nutrient Spotlight
• Excellent source of calcium, vitamin B12, riboflavin, copper, selenium, zinc
• Good source of vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, potassium

Ingredients
8 ounces organic low-fat Swiss cheese
12 ounces lump crabmeat
1/4 cup organic roasted red peppers, chopped
12 ounces organic evaporated nonfat milk
6 large organic eggs
2 Tbsp fresh organic parsley, chopped
1/3 cup chopped organic onion

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray quiche pan (or 9-inch round cake pan) with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the crabmeat, onion and parsley in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle half of the Swiss cheese over the ingredients in pan. In a medium mixing bowl, crack the eggs and whisk slightly. Add the evaporated milk and whisk to mix. Pour the egg mixture over the crabmeat in the quiche pan. Top with the remaining Swiss cheese. Sprinkle the roasted red pepper over the top of the quiche. Place in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Insert a knife in the center to ensure quiche has set.

Nutritional Information
244 calories, 7.6 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 2.6 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 271 mg cholesterol, 486 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 9 g sugars, 32 g protein

Top

Since our launch at the end of July, we've gotten some great feedback from our readers.

We'd like to hear from you about your favorite article, what you'd like to read more of, or anything else you'd like to share with us about Total Health Breakthroughs.

Your feedback is welcomed! You can email us at support@totalhealthbreakthroughs.com.