5 Very Important Reasons NOT to Count Calories Ever Again

You Don’t Need To Count Calories Ever Again. The common understanding is that it is a common unit of energy, which is contained in all products. Caloric value – the amount of energy the body can get by digesting food. Caloric value is needed for metabolism in both a state of rest and in the moment of action.The majority of people spend up to 70 % of their total daily consumption of physiological energy during rest. For women, that is equal to 800 – 1200 calories a day. Any decrease of calories will lead to a slowing down of your metabolism. We eat less, and as a result, the body begins to save the calories, which makes it difficult to shed excess weight. Therefore, those who want to lose weight should try to maintain a high metabolic state. 

 Most diets require calorie counting or adding up of points. Loosing weight for most means less calories and more exercise. However, you can be freed from this unpleasant work of counting and tracking if you avoid processed foods and substitute your daily diet with whole foods. So much has to do with what you eat and not the quantity of your daily calorie intake. Modern diets are full of grains, starches, soy, processed foods, and refined sugars. Avoiding these, will free you up from the bondage of bad calories. Substituting your daily sources of carbohydrates with fruits and vegetables will help you stay on track. You don’t need to count calories if you consume whole unprocessed foods and avoid grains, starches, sugars, and foods that are poorly processed by your body. 

5 Very Important Reasons NOT to Count Calories

Calorie labels are inaccurate

By USDA labeling laws, the calorie content of processed foods can vary up to 20% from the amount listed on the label. “[T]he ratio between the amount obtained by laboratory analysis and the amount declared on the product label in the Nutrition Facts panel must be 120% or less, i.e., the label is considered to be out of compliance if the nutrient content of a composite of the product is greater than 20% above the value declared on the label.”  (FDA Guidance for Industry: Nutrition Labeling Manual)

Your body doesn’t treat all calories the same way

Every macronutrient has a different effect on your metabolic rate and how fulfilled you are after every meal.

In summary, a calorie is not necessarily a calorie: given the functional differences between edible plants, interfamily and even interspecies differences must be considered when making comparisons between food processing techniques.  (Proc Natl Acad Sci, 2012)

Nutrients in Fruits and Vegetables vary by season, variety, ripeness

Nutritional value of fruits and vegetables vary from every region from every season from different growing conditions and every other variable for nutrients, including calories.

Junk food is junk food, no matter how many calories are involved.

Calories from nutrient-rich foods versus nutritionally-bankrupt ones from processed or refined carbs will have different effects on the body.

It doesn’t work in the long term 

If calorie counting really worked, we would be the thinnest country in the world.

When you eat healthy foods, you don’t have to count calories. As long as you feed your body what it needs, it’ll take care of the rest, including keeping you at a healthy weight.

What Are the Health Benefits of Eating Seaweed?

Seaweed may look like slimy spinach, but this dense green or brown sea vegetable is high in nutrients and packs a variety of health benefits. These include digestive health, cholesterol-lowering effects and weight loss. Get your daily dose of a number of essential minerals and vitamins with only a small amount of seaweed such as nori, kelp or kombu.

Dietary Fiber

Alginate, the natural fiber found in some types of seaweed such as kelp, might help digestion and reduce fat absorption. A study led by scientists Dr. Iain Brownlee and Professor Jeff Pearson at Newcastle University found that eating seaweed reduced fat digestion by more than 75 percent. Fiber also helps you to feel full faster and prevents overeating. These findings indicate that adding seaweed to your diet could help you lose weight and lower unhealthy cholesterol levels in the blood.

Essential Nutrients

Like other vegetables, seaweed contains essential minerals and vitamins you need to get in a healthy, balanced diet. According to the site Best Health, only a gram of seaweed provides your daily dose of iodine, a mineral that is critical for healthy thyroid function. Additionally, a type of brown seaweed called kombu contains the pigment fucoxanthin, which may help your body metabolize fats for energy. Best Health also reports that a serving of seaweed is loaded with more calcium than broccoli and is almost as rich in proteins as legumes. Other nutrients in seaweed include vitamin B-12 and vitamin A.  

Heart-Healthy Fats

Your body requires healthy fats as an essential part of a balanced diet. Seaweed provides heart-healthy fats called omega-3 fatty acids. The Dr. Oz Show website notes that a sheet of nori seaweed contains the same amount of omega-3 fatty acids as two avocados. This type of fat helps to raise healthy HDL cholesterol levels, while lowering harmful LDL cholesterol levels. Omega-3 fatty acids also help reduce inflammation in the body.

Add Seaweed to Your Diet

There are several ways to add seaweed to your regular diet. Flattened nori seaweed sheets are used to roll sushi. You can add them to a wrap or tuck them inside a sandwich or cut them into strips and toss into a salad or soup. Purchase dried brown or green kelp seaweed strips and add them to breads, pizzas, potatoes, pastas, casseroles, stews and soups. Or make seaweed chips by drizzling olive oil onto fresh seaweed pieces and baking until crisp.

10 Ways to Get Rid of Anxiety Naturally

Adaptogen is a term that you may have heard but, what exactly is an “adaptogen”? Technically speaking, adaptogens are medicinal plants, unaltered from nature which are well known in the world of herbalists and back in times when we relied on nature to remedy our many ails.

Adaptogens have a remarkable ability to balance and stabilize the body by strengthening the hormonal, immune, cardiovascular, nervous and muscular systems in order to bring the body back into homeostasis. They provide us with natural remedies for anxiety. As Western medicine peaked in the last century, we had forgotten about the powerful effects of adaptogens on our bodies. However, today, many of us are returning back to old remedies and are using these tonic agents.

Adaptogenic substances know intuitively what and how to target specific areas of the body that need them the most. They provide energy but do not over stimulate the body. They are non-toxic, they have no side effects, and they improve one’s overall vitality. Their name, “adaptogens,” comes mainly due to their ability to help the body adapt to environmental and internal stress or trauma whether it be from a physical, chemical or biological source. Is there anybody who could not benefit?

1. Maca

Maca is a cruciferous vegetable that grows in the Peruvian Andes of South America at altitudes of up to 14, 000 feet above sea level. Maca is known for its beneficial affects on fertility, hormonal balance and libido. Since Maca does have beneficial hormone affects in the body, people who are at higher risk of breast or prostate cancer are cautioned against its use since it could raise some of the hormones that also place these people at higher risk.

2. Goji Berries

A bright red berry that grows abundantly in Asia, North and Central America in vast climates, the Chinese believe goji berries significantly extend life. They are an immune booster, increase alkalinity and vitality, protect the liver, improve the eyes and blood and deliver anti-aging benefits.

3. Reishi Mushroom

Originally found in nature on plum trees, reishi mushrooms were extremely rare and only consumed by royalty in China and Japan for thousands of years. Today, the reishi is widely cultivated in Japan, China, North America and other parts of Asia. Reishi is primarily used to enhance the immune system and improve blood circulation.

4. Rhodiola

A remarkable herb used in history for various health purposes, rhodiola’s main uses are to strengthen the nervous system, fight depression, enhance immunity, boost energy, improve memory, aid in weight reduction and increase sexual function.

5. Ginseng

A root that has a variety of types including: Siberian, Korean and American. It was documented being used in China over 2000 years ago. Healers have used it as a tonic to cure lethargy, arthritis, impotence, diabetes and to calm the mind. Ginseng is also known to be one of the most effective anti-aging supplements.

6. Noni

Noni is a potato-sized fruit that grows from a tall perennial evergreen tree. It has a peculiar odor and is sometimes referred to as the “cheese fruit.” The juice is consumed and used as a pain killer, laxative, wound healer, immune strengthener and anti-inflammatory agent. It helps lower blood pressure, treat arthritic and joint pain, levels blood sugar and increases energy.

7. Licorice

Licorice is the sweet flavored root of the Glycyrrhiza glabra plant that resembles plain wooden sticks. It is used to nourish the adrenal glands, for auto-immune conditions, to treat viruses (particularly herpes), for ulcers and for digestive troubles.

8. Holy Basil

Also known as tulsi, holy basil is an aromatic plant native to the Old World tropics. In Ayurveda, it is dubbed the “elixir of life” and believed to promote longevity. It is excellent for coping with stress, helping immunity, stomach disorders and heart disease.

9. Ashwagandha

The root of a short, flower bearing scrub cultivated in the drier regions of India. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine as an aphrodisiac, sedative, rejuvenative and life prolonging herb.  It is used in treating chronic fatigue, nervous exhaustion and weaknesses in the body.

10. Cordyceps

A medicinal mushroom that has a parasitic relationship with the larva of a caterpillar. This fungus germinates inside the living organism, killing it and then growing from its body. It is highly prized by Eastern practitioners and very new to the West. Chinese studies reveal cordyceps to improve the immune system, increase the production of sex hormones, improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, reduce fatigue, as well as building physical endurance and strength.

Many of these adaptogens are familiar in the raw food world and used in smoothies and various elixirs. Add them into your day and find your balance! 

Eating More Plants Helps Prevent All These Diseases

No matter what diet you follow, the health benefits of increased plant consumption is the one thing we can all agree upon.

While not everyone is willing to ditch animal protein altogether, reducing our reliance on animals and eating more plants can have profound effects all around. In fact, eating more plants, regardless of meat consumption, can have significant disease-preventing benefits for both vegans and hard-core carnivores. Here are five common diseases that can be thwarted by a densely plant-based diet.

Diabetes.

A recent study suggested that increasing the amount of plant-based foods you consume can reduce diabetes risk by 20 to 34 percent. Participants did so while consuming small amounts of meat, which means the diabetes-protective benefits may extend beyond vegans to include responsible carnivores. The protective effects not only include prevention, but diabetes management as well. 

Heart disease.

A healthy diet filled with vegetables—not necessarily vegetarian—is key in the prevention of heart disease. Not only is a diet higher in plants linked to lower body mass, but there are several factors at work to protect your heart and arteries. The soluble fiber of plant foods helps to reduce blood cholesterol.

Folic acid, a B vitamin, present in many fruits and vegetables, has been shown to be a powerful preventer of heart disease. Additionally, the high levels of antioxidants can prevent cholesterols from oxidizing and becoming inflammatory within the walls of your arteries. The message is simple: your heart likes plants.

Cancer.

A lot of research supports the idea that a largely plant-based diet works to prevent most types of gastrointestinal and respiratory cancers. While the reasoning behind why red meat promotes tumor growth and plant foods reduce it is still unclear, moderation seems to be key.

If you do consume meat, consider how often our ancestors ate meat. Probably whenever they were lucky enough to make a kill while hunting—a few fish or small rodents if they were lucky. Red meat was was even more or a rarity. The rest of the time they ate—you guessed it—plants. That’s what our bodies are designed for—mostly plants, some animals.

Diverticulosis.

Thirty to 40 percent of Americans over the age of 50 have diverticulitis, although many experience no symptoms. However, when there are symptoms they can include severe diarrhea, gastrointestinal pain, bleeding and loss of appetite. According to research, the fiber in fruits, vegetables and bran may exert a protective effect over diverticulosis.

According to the research, those who consumed less fiber are up to twice as likely to develop the disease. It is debated whether fiber is actually responsible for these protective effects; but either way, it seems that certain components in fruits, grains and vegetables help to reduce the risk of this gastrointestinal disease.

Macular degeneration.

The nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, along with other antioxidants found in plant foods, are essential in the prevention of macular degeneration. Studies have shown that consumption of these antioxidants in whole food sources exerts a protective effect over macular degeneration and the development of cataracts. While degeneration of the eyes is far more complicated than diet alone, eating more plants definitely doesn’t hurt.

Regardless of whether you are vegan, vegetarian, carnivorous or something in between, eating more plants is just plain good for you. Make fruits and veggies a standard part of your diet and your body will thank you. 

How to Prevent Kidney Stones With Diet

If you click on the video below, you can see what the surface of a kidney stone looks like under a microscope. Now imagine one of those scraping down your urinary canal.

Kidney stones affect approximately 1 in 11 people in the United States. Twenty years ago it was only 1 in 20, representing a dramatic increase in the prevalence of the disease that started rising after World War II. Our first clue as to why was a study published in the 70s, which found a striking relationship between stone incidence and the consumption of animal protein. This was a population study, though, so it couldn’t prove cause and effect.

It did inspire researchers in Britain to do an interventional study, though, adding animal protein to subjects’ diets, such as an extra can of tuna fish to their daily diet and measuring stone-forming risk factors in their urine. Participants’ overall probability of forming stones increased 250% during those days they were eating that extra fish. And the so-called “high animal protein diet” was just enough to bring intake up to that of the average American. So Americans’ intake of meat appears to markedly increase risk of kidney stones.

What about consuming no meat at all? By the late 70s we knew that the only dietary factor consistently associated with kidney stones was animal protein. The higher the intake of animal protein, the more likely the individual was to not only get their first kidney stone, but to then suffer from subsequent multiple stones. This effect was not found for high protein intake in general, but specifically high animal protein intake.

Conversely, a diet low in animal protein may dramatically reduce the overall probability of forming stones. This may explain the apparent low incidence of stones in vegetarian societies, so researchers advocated “a more vegetarian form of diet” as a means of reducing the risk.

It wasn’t until 2014, though, that vegetarian kidney stone risk was studied in detail. Using hospital admissions data, researchers found that vegetarians were indeed at a lower risk of being hospitalized for kidney stones (compared to those that ate meat). Among meat-eaters, increasing meat intake is associated with a higher risk of developing kidney stones, whereas a high intake of fresh fruit, fiber, and magnesium may reduce the risk.

Which animal protein is the worst? People who form kidney stones are commonly advised to restrict the intake of red meat to decrease stone risk. But what about chicken and fish? Despite compelling evidence that excessive animal protein consumption enhances the risk of stone formation, the effect of different sources of animal protein had not been explored until another 2014 study. Researchers compared the effects of salmon and cod, chicken breast meat, and burger and steak.

In terms of uric acid production, they found that gram for gram fish may actually be worse. However, the overall effects were complex. Basically, stone formers should be counseled to limit the intake of all animal proteins, and not by just a little bit. Only those who markedly decrease their animal protein intake may expect to benefit. 

Tomato Sauce Scam. You’ve Been Fooled Again

The National Consumers League has again called on the Food and Drug Administration to renew its efforts to prevent consumers from being misled by deceptive labeling of processed fruit and vegetable products – this time in the canned tomato products industry.

Labels on some popular  tomato sauces aren’t what they seem. Consumer groups are onto this Food Identity Theft deception, and news outlets are reporting the scam. These suspicious products mislead consumers with claims like “Made from California Vine-ripened Tomatoes” implying they are made from fresh tomatoes. 

But in fact the products are made using reconstituted industrial tomato concentrate–tomato paste and added water. Tomato sauce remanufactured from concentrate is a highly processed food that’s cheaper to make and more profitable for companies who are trying to pass off the stuff as the real thing.

Culprits include some of the biggest names in the industry including Del Monte, Contadina, and Classico.

The only way for consumers to avoid getting cheated is to carefully check the ingredient label on the back of the package. The first ingredient should be Tomatoes. If the first few ingredients are water and tomato paste, or tomato puree (made from water and tomato paste), the product is likely remanufactured from concentrate.

Here are some examples of deceptive labeling:

• Del Monte Seafood Cocktail Sauce that claims “Made from California Vine-ripened Tomatoes” on the front of the package when, in fact, it is made from concentrate (tomato paste and added water). An image of a vine-ripened tomato appears directly below the claim.

• Classico Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce that states on the label “In colorful Naples, pasta sauces are pure and simple, with ripe, red tomatoes…” when the product is actually made from concentrate. The claim has been deleted from new “value size” 44 oz jars of the sauce, but still appears on the label of the smaller, 24-oz. product.

• Contadina Pizza Sauce and Contadina Puree that state “Contadina picks the Freshest Tomatoes,” and “Our vine-ripened Roma style tomatoes are grown to a rich red color before picking…” (a picture on the front label depicts vine-ripened tomatoes and a tomato field and the term “ROMA STYLE TOMATOES” appears on the front of the package below the Contadina brand name). The products, in fact, are made from concentrate.

Other products with misleading labels identified by NCL are Francesco Rinaldi Original Traditional Pasta Sauce and Gia Russa Tomato Puree.

8 health benefits of green apples and why you should eat it more often!

Apples are among the widely consumed fruits in the world. Every household has a bowl of red apples and it’s a known fact that it aids in digestion and prevents cavities while keeping bad breath at bay. The famous saying, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ makes all of us think of red apples and it is also known to reduce high blood pressure. However its cousin, the green apple, doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves.

Green apple is rich in vitamins A, C and K. It is also a rich source of iron, potassium, calcium, antioxidants and flavonoids. These are the six health benefits of having green apples regularly.

1. Improves your lung health

Studies have found that having green apples regularly can cut down the risk of asthma as it is rich in flavonoids. Researchers claim that flavonoids have been associated with a lower risk of asthma [1]. Other than that, green apples have also been observed to cut down the risk of lung cancer by 21% in women.

2. Helps in preventing blood clots

Green apples contain a chemical compound known as rutin that can prevent the formation of blood clots. This is because rutin can block an enzyme that facilitates the formation of blood clots [2]. Researchers say this finding can help in fighting against heart diseases and stroke. Having a glass of green apple juice or the whole fruit will help in keeping you healthier.

3. Boosts your metabolism

Green apples are great for digestion as they are a great source of digestion. This helps in preventing bloating and also flushing out any toxins from your stomach. This in turn helps in giving your metabolism a much needed boost as green apples contain fibre which is easily digestible. Other than that, it makes for a good snack to beat sugar cravings and hunger pangs. Here are ways to boost your metabolism.

4. Improves bone health and prevents osteoporosis

Women especially benefit from eating green apples as it is packed with potassium, vitamin K and calcium. Studies have found that vitamin K helps in preventing osteoporosis in women and improves their overall bone health [3].

5. Fights against premature skin ageing

As mentioned earlier, green apples are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A and even antioxidants. This helps in fighting against signs of skin ageing and keeps your skin looking healthy [4].

6. Maintains good vision

If you’re looking for ways to keep your eyes and vision healthy the natural way, green apples are a great way to start. As it contains vitamin A, it can maintain and to an extent protect your vision [4]. Try out this green apple and peas soup tonight.

7. Good for diabetes

If you’re diabetic, ditch those red apples for the green ones. Doctors say that green apples contain less sugar and a lot more fibre as compared to red apples and are known to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. Remember not to remove the green apple’s peel to reap its benefits.

8. Prevents cardiovascular diseases

By consuming green apples and other foods rich in flavonoids, you could reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 35% [1]. Other studies have found that women who simply had both, red and green apples on a day-to-day basis, cut down the risk of suffering from heart attacks by 13-22% [1]. This is because this fruit also has the ability to lower bad cholesterol levels.