Bad Genes? Nah! Bad Diet

Here is some research that seems to be the first to prove that your diet has a higher bearing on your heart disease risk than your gene structure.  Pretty cool if you ask me and yet once again, eats fruits and veggies. 

http://www.m.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20111011/diet-may-cut-heart-risk-due-to-bad-genes

To Beet, or not to Beet?

If you avoid Beets because of their earthy taste or their crazy abilities to stain everything you are wearing including your skin red, then you should read this extensive explanation on why you should eat Beets.  Hopefully, it will change your mind. 

From http://www.whfoods.org/

The Latest News About Beets

Remember all those legendary Russian centenarians? Beets, frequently consumed either pickled or in borscht, the traditional Russian soup, may be one reason behind their long and healthy lives. These colorful root vegetables contain powerful nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers, especially colon cancer.
What's New and Beneficial About Beets

• Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are the two best-studied betalains from beets, and both have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. The detox support provided by betalains includes support of some especially important Phase 2 detox steps involving glutathione. Although you can see these betalain pigments in other foods (like the stems of chard or rhubarb), the concentration of betalains in the peel and flesh of beets gives you an unexpectedly great opportunity for these health benefits.
• In a recent study from Italy, beets were shown to be an especially important contributor of two carotenoids in the overall diet: lutein and zeaxanthin. Although much of the recent carotenoid research has focused on beta-carotene, both lutein and zeaxanthin are unique as health support molecules, particularly with respect to eye health and common age-related eye problems involving the macula and the retina. For eye health, beets may eventually turn out to require a category all their own.
• Unlike some other food pigments, betalains undergo very steady loss from food as the length of cooking time is increased. For example, one recent study has shown the red betalain pigments in beets to be far less heat stable than red anthocyanin pigments in red cabbage. The difference between 15 minutes of steaming versus 25 minutes of steaming, or 60 minutes of roasting versus 90 minutes of roasting can be significant in terms of betalain damage. For these reasons, we recommend that you keep beet steaming times to 15 minutes or less, and roasting times under an hour.
• An estimated 10-15% of all U.S. adults experience beeturia (a reddening of the urine) after consumption of beets in everyday amounts. While this phenomenon is not considered harmful in and of itself, it may be a possible indicator of the need for healthcare guidance in one particular set of circumstances involving problems with iron metabolism. Individuals with iron deficiency, iron excess, or specific problems with iron metabolism are much more likely to experience beeturia than individuals with healthy iron metabolism. For this reason, if you experience beeturia and have any reason to suspect iron-related problems, we recommend a healthcare consult to follow up on possible issues related to iron status.
• In recent lab studies on human tumor cells, betanin pigments from beets have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth through a number of mechanisms, including inhibition of pro-inflammatory enzymes (specifically, cyclooxygenase enzymes). The tumor cell types tested in these studies include tumor cells fromcolon, stomach, nerve, lung, breast, prostate and testicular tissue. While lab studies by themselves are not proof of beets' anti-cancer benefits, the results of these studies are encouraging researchers to look more closely than ever at the value of betanins and other betalains in beets for both prevention and treatment of certain cancer types.

WHFoods Recommendations
Foods belonging to the chenopod family-including beets, chard, spinach and quinoa-continue to show an increasing number of health benefits not readily available from other food families. The red and yellow betalain pigments found in this food family, their unique epoxyxanthophyll carotenoids, and the special connection between their overall phytonutrients and our nervous system health (including our specialized nervous system organs like the eye) point to the chenopod family of foods as unique in their health value. While we have yet to see large-scale human studies that point to a recommended minimum intake level for foods from this botanical family, we have seen data on chenopod phytonutrients, and based on this data, we recommend that you include foods from the chenopod family in your diet 1-2 times per week. In the case of a root food like beetroot, we recommend a serving size of at least ½ whole medium beet, and even more beneficial, at least 1 whole medium beet so that you can also benefit from their nutrient-rich greens.
If long cooking times deter you from cooking beets, our Healthiest Way of Cooking beets will help you prepare them in just 15 minutes. Cut medium beets into quarters without removing the skin. Steam and serve as a great vegetable side dish or as a wonderful addition to your favorite salad. It is often difficult to believe how the hardy, crunchy, often rough-looking exterior of raw beets can be transformed into something wonderfully soft and buttery once they are cooked. For an easy recipe, see our 15-Minute Beets.
Health Benefits
Beets provide numerous health benefits including:

• Antioxidant properties
• Eye health support
• Anti-inflammatory benefits
• Cardiovascular support
• Cellular detoxification benefits

For more details on beet's health benefits, see this section of our Beets write-up.
Nutritional Profile
Beets are unique in their rich combination of betalain pigments. Both betacyanins (red-violet pigments) and betaxanthins (yellow pigments) can be found in beets. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are betalains that have gotten special attention in beet research.
Beets are also an excellent source of hearth-healthy folate and a very good source of the antioxidant manganese and heart-healthy potassium. Beets are a good source of digestive-supportive dietary fiber, free radical scavenging vitamin C and copper, bone-healthy magnesium, and energy-producing iron and phosphorus.
For more on this nutrient-rich vegetable, including references related to this Latest News, see our write-up on Beets.

If you have any questions about today's Healthy Food Tip Ask George Your Question

Yummy Breast Milk

Once again this week, I am speechless!

So, this guy decided to drink his wife's breast milk because she can't donate all the excess she has produced.  She can't donate it because of meds she is on, which probably means that it would be wise for no one to consume it.  In comes her husband and I can't believe this is true.  Read for yourself.

http://www.inhabitots.com/man-living-entirely-off-his-wifes-breast-milk/

P.S. - Don't bother clicking on the link to their blog as it has been removed from the host.  Maybe there is a new one, or maybe this guy came to his senses and got embarrassed.

Greater Numbers of Obese than Starving

I really don't know what to say about this.  In fixing one issue, another has arisen. 

Check it out for yourself and leave a comment with your thoughts.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2011/09/22/there-are-now-more-obese-people-than-hungry-people/?feed=rss_home

Bad Bad Hexane

Thanks to a good friend of mine bringing this up, I want to talk about Hexane today.  Most of you probably don't know what this is, so I am going to inform you and hopefully your exposure to it is already minimal. 

What is Hexane?
It is a chemical that is produced through the refining of crude oil.

What is Hexane used for?
It is used thinks like glue, leather, roofing, cleaning products and textile manufacturing. However, the focus of this article is to discuss how they are used in extracting oils from seeds.

Where is Hexane found in food?
It is heavily used in the processing of soy, however, not in soy that is 100% organic.  About 80% of the soy on the market is genetically modified and therefore not organic and has the potential of also containing hexane.  Woof!  What a bad combination.  Check out this article. 
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-04-14/entertainment/27061743_1_veggie-burgers-organic-soy-organic-ingredients

What's so bad about Hexane?
Here is a link to OSHA's guidelines.  Check out in particular the Evaluation section about 1/3 of the way down.  Does this sound like something you want to be consuming?  I certainly hope not. 

I can't believe that a human being decides that using chemicals like these in processing food is OK.  It is done from a business perspective to increase revenue as all businesses are run, but at the cost of the health of the consumer.  That just isn't right. 

Read up on the things you eat.  The Internet is a huge source of free knowledge and knowledge will make you healthier.  Who wants to get a cold or have to visit the oncologist.  No one.  So do yourself a favor and learn about the ingredients in your food.  Don't know what something is, just google it and odds are you won't like what you are reading.  Best of all, stay away from the aisles of the grocery store (where the most processed foods are) whenever possible and it becomes really easy. 

Have a great day!!

Ladies.... drink light but often

Here is an article from WebMD about how women who drink low amounts of alcohol, but on a daily basis, lowered their risk of developing a chronic desease by up to 50%.  Interesting stuff.

http://www.m.webmd.com/women/news/20110906/moderate-drinking-may-cut-disease-risk-for-women?src=RSS_PUBLIC

You already know!!

Here are the results from a survey taken by the International Food Information Council (IFIC). 
Survey: Americans Aware of Functional Foods, Don't Eat Them Enough
http://www.m.webmd.com/diet/news/20110804/survey-americans-aware-functional-foods-dont-eat-them-enough?src=RSS_PUBLIC


This survey clearly shows that most Americans are educated enough to eat healthier.  However, even though the knowledge is there, they just don't follow up on it.  Half of the battle is already won.  Now all you have to do is finish the fight by following what you already know and making healthier choices.