Root vegetables are exactly what the name implies – they are the root of the plant. The most common root vegetables have become family staples: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and beets. High in vitamins and minerals that they absorb from the ground, root vegetables are full of nutrients and are an excellent source of fiber. Many are high in vitamin C, B vitamins, and vitamin A. Many are high in antioxidants. Several have remarkable healing properties.

In choosing the best root vegetables, all should be firm, never soft, and blemish free. If the tops are still attached, you want to choose fresh leaves, not only as a means to choose the freshest vegetables, but due to the fact that the tops of many root vegetables are eaten as well as the root.

In the past, we stored root vegetables in the root cellar, a dark, cool, humid space. If you choose to store any root vegetables in the refrigerator, cover and seal them in plastic or paper and place them in a drawer or they will soon become soft. (Do not refrigerate regular onions or potatoes.)

Many root vegetables can be eaten raw, steamed, sautéed, baked, roasted, stir fried, or fried.

Potatoes

The number one food crop in the world, potatoes are a nutritious vegetable unless they are fried or loaded down with butter and sour cream. They are a good source of antioxidants, vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, copper, and pantothenic acid.

Potatoes are one of the “dirty dozen” with the highest pesticide residues. Choose organic potatoes to avoid these toxins.

Carrots

Most of the time, the carrots we see in the grocery store or farmers market are a bright orange color, but carrots come in a variety of colors: white, yellow, red, purple in addition to orange.

Carrots are a well-known and proven aid to eye health, including glaucoma and cataract prevention. Newer studies show prevention of colon cancer and cardiovascular disease. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, with one cup of carrots providing more than the daily requirement. They are also a good source of vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin K, vitamin E, manganese, potassium, and more.

Sweet Potatoes

There are about 400 varieties of sweet potatoes. Their flesh may be nearly white, cream, yellow, orange, pink or purple. They are anti-inflammatory, have antioxidant properties, and they help maintain blood sugar levels.

The leaves of the sweet potato plant have antioxidant properties and are often added to soups. Purple sweet potatoes contain antioxidant ability more than three times that of blueberries. They are also a very good source of vitamin C, B vitamins, manganese, phosphorus, copper, potassium, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B6.

Onions

Onions support the cardiovascular system, benefitting both the heart and the blood vessels. They help increase bone density, support ligaments, and are an anti-inflammatory. Onions have also been shown to help prevent cancer and are antibacterial. Rat studies are showing onions help to balance blood sugar. They are a very good source of biotin and a good source of vitamin C, copper, B6 and B1, phosphorous, potassium, and folate.

Beets

Beets provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. They are especially good for the nervous system and eye health. They help prevent heart disease and cancer and their fiber is especially healthy for the digestive tract. Beets contain folate, manganese, potassium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, B6, and iron.

Garlic

Garlic is antiviral, anti-bacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory. Regularly used in alternative treatments, garlic has a long history of medicinal excellence, among them cancer prevention and cardiovascular benefits. It is an excellent source of manganese and vitamin B6. It is a very good source of vitamin C and copper, and a good source of selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B1, and calcium.

The all star of the group is garlic, check out, Garlic, the Most Amazing Herb On the Planet. And speaking of beetroot, if you’re looking to boost your health by giving your body a lot more nutrition, see Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula.

Recommended Supplements:

• Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula
• Shillington’s Total Tonic

Further Reading:

• Garlic – The Most Amazing Herb On The Planet
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula

Sources:

• A Guide To Root Vegetables – Oh My Veggies
• The World’s Healthiest Foods

Lately, there has been a lot of publicity about unsafe arsenic levels in rice and poultry due to a report from Consumer Reports. This is very disconcerting to hear, especially if you have only heard of arsenic as a poison. It actually is a metal, frequently found in our food and our water in both inorganic and organic forms. But arsenic, especially inorganic arsenic, is a carcinogen that increases the risk of bladder, lung and skin cancer. It also has been linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In utero exposure may damage the baby’s immune system.

Arsenic is found in dirt and water, but of course mankind has added to the problem through arsenic-based insecticides and factory farming methods. Factory farms have been feeding arsenic-based food additives to poultry through the FDA recently revoked three of these. They warn, however, that the supplies on hand for many of these operations will last a year, giving us another reason to eat organic chicken.

High arsenic levels in rice are attributed to the irrigation water and the dirt in which it is grown. Consumer Reports’ 2012 investigation, combined with the FDA study in 2013, and the latest 2014 investigation by Consumer Reports covers the level of arsenic in 697 rice samples and 114 samples of other grains.

Consumer Reports states, “White basmati rice from California, India, and Pakistan, and sushi rice from the U.S. on average has half of the inorganic-arsenic amount of most other types of rice.”

But other states in the U.S. did not fare as well. “All types of rice (except sushi and quick cooking) with a label indicating that it’s from Arkansas, Louisiana, or Texas or just from the U.S. had the highest levels of inorganic arsenic in our tests.”

Arsenic levels are higher in brown rice (80% on average) because the arsenic accumulates in the outer layers (the bran and the germ), which are removed when rice is milled to make white rice.

Consumer Reports recommends the following: “Brown basmati from California, India, or Pakistan is the best choice; it has about a third less inorganic arsenic than other brown rices.”

Due to these findings, Consumer Reports and the FDA recommend eating a wide variety of grains rather than designing a diet with rice as a main staple. High levels of arsenic were found in processed rice products such as rice cakes, cracker, pasta, and dairy alternative products. They suggest small children should not be fed rice milk. Consumer Reports recommends limiting rice intake using a point system. See the link below for details.

You can reduce the amount of arsenic in your rice by thoroughly rinsing it before cooking it and by cooking it in large amounts of water (6 cups of water to one cup of rice) – the traditional Asian way of cooking rice. This method does, however, decrease the nutritional value as it loses vitamins and other nutrients in the water. These two practices are said to reduce the arsenic content by 30%

While arsenic in food is a concern, it gives us one more reason to focus on the best possible diet, which is 80% raw produce, eaten with naturally chelating foods such as garlic and cilantro. Eating this way helps us remove heavy metals from our bodies on a daily basis through the foods we eat.

Other likely sources of metal toxicity include poultry, beer, wine,  fish, brussels sprouts, and  Mercury Fillings. See Mercury Fillings, Root Canals, Cavitations – What You Need to Know. To remove heavy metals from your body, check out the recommended supplements, and the articles, How To Detoxify From Vaccinations & Heavy Metals & Top 5 foods that detox heavy metals and toxins.

Recommended Supplements (natural chelators):

• Shillington’s Intestinal Detox
• HM Complex – Pure Encapsulations
• Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula

Further Reading:

• How To Detoxify From Vaccinations & Heavy Metals
• Top 5 foods that detox heavy metals and toxins
• Total Nutrition – Make Your Own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula

Sources:

• How much arsenic is in your rice? – ConsumerReports.org
• 5 Foods You Should Maybe Not Eat All the Time – Rodale News

As society moves towards healthier food options, there is one group of people getting left in the dust: the companies who aren’t supplying foods based on natural ingredients.

As a result, many companies are looking for creative ways to make their products seem healthier than they are. This inventive—yet misleading—marketing effort has led to a lot of food label confusion.

Let’s take a look at some of the basic terms surrounding organic purchases. To avoid food label scams, know what is involved in the production process. Organic foods tend to be more expensive, so you want to make sure you are getting exactly what you bargained for.

A General Explanation of Organic

Any food that is labeled organic was raised or grown in accordance with government regulations. Both the facility and practices are monitored.

No pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or sewage are used to grow organic produce. The animals that are used for organic foods (like beef, poultry, pork, etc.) do not receive antibiotics or growth hormones.

Only foods that are labeled organic adhere to these government standards. Other popular terms—like all natural—aren’t regulated.

Within the classification of organic, there are three different levels.

• Made with Organic Ingredients – These foods are composed of 70% organic ingredients. The remaining, non-organic ingredients are still closely monitor (for example, GMOs aren’t allowed).
• Organic – This classification allows organic producers a little leeway. For example, a non-organic casing might be used for an organic sausage. This means non-traditional products can still be used if there isn’t a natural alternative. Only 95% of the ingredients must be organic.
• 100% Organic – This is technically the only food label option that ensures a totally organic experience.

Understanding Organic Milk

The organic labeling requirements for milk mostly pertain to the cows that produce it.

• At least 30% of the cow’s diet must be grass (free-range grazing).
• The cows must be allowed to graze for at least 120 days.
• Any feed the cows eat must be vegetarian, meaning there can’t be any animal byproducts.
• The cows must not receive antibiotics or growth hormones.

Very few cows are given hormones. But there are milks that are especially marked hormone-free. If you are looking for a cost-effective organic alternative, hormone-free might be your best bet.

Understanding Organic Poultry

There are a ton of terms that apply to organic and natural poultry. To avoid a scam, know your ultimate goal. Are you worried about animal rights? Is buying the healthiest food your main objective?

We’ll start with the biggest scam-worthy labels and work towards the most honest, healthy, and animal friendly products.

• Free Range – Any poultry product that is labeled free range might sound like an animal-friendly, healthy option; however, it is pretty misleading. Free range animals are still kept inside—sometimes in cages. They just have access to the outdoors.
• All Natural – Again, this is another easy scam people fall for. Almost all poultry products are natural. US poultry producers are not allowed to give hormones or steroids to the birds. Therefore, paying extra for “all natural” is totally unnecessary.
• Organic – Birds are still raised in a factory farm situation, but the density is far less than traditional poultry farms. Birds only dine on organic (vegetarian) feed—no animal byproducts are allowed.
• Pasture Raised – These animals are raised outside, away from the large-scale production barns. They eat whatever they can find—bugs, grass, etc.

Understanding Organic Eggs

While we are on the subject of poultry, let’s move right along to eggs. If you aren’t careful, you can easily fall for a labeling scam here. The biggest issue to consider is your stance on animal cruelty.

• Organic – The birds that produce these eggs are not caged, but they are kept in a large barn. They have access to the outdoors, but there aren’t regulations that dictate the duration of their fresh air. Lastly, these birds are subjected to beak cutting and forced molting (through starvation).
• Free Range – Like organic egg-laying birds, free range animals simply need access to the outdoors. Again, there isn’t a rule about how much time.
• Cage Free – This sounds like a pretty sweet deal for a bird, but it isn’t as great as you’d like it to be. Animals aren’t in cages, but they are inside without outdoor access.
• Certified Humane – These animals aren’t caged, but they do spend their lives inside. While there are rules regarding the number of birds in a barn and the availability of perches or nesting boxes, forced molting is allowed.
  
• Animal Welfare Approved – This buying option is the best all-around solution—it’s healthy and animal friendly. Animals aren’t kept in cages and always have access to the outdoors. Animals are allowed to engage in normal bird behaviors (beak cutting and forced molting doesn’t happen).

Understanding Organic Meat

When it comes to purchasing organic meat, there are really only three labels you should even consider buying.

• Organic – All organic meat comes from animals that were allowed to graze for at least 120 days. Also, the animals do not receive antibiotics.
• Grass Fed – The stomachs of most livestock were designed to digest grass. Other feeding options are more difficult for the animal’s body to process. That means a meat product made from grass fed animals is healthier and more natural.
• 100% Grass Fed – Look for labels that specify the animal had unlimited access to pasture and abstained from consuming other feed options.

Don’t Get Scammed!

You owe it to your health, the animal’s health, and your wallet to make sure the foods you buy are exactly what you expect.

If you want help finding healthy products, check the database of organic suppliers available at Eat Wild.

If you do come across an intentionally misleading or dishonest label, consider taking action.

• eConsumerServices might be able to help get your money back if you were a victim of a food labeling scam.
• You can also file a claim with the USDA if you find a compliance or enforcement issue.

Have you ever been scammed by a misleading organic food label? Were you irritated by the health violation or the animal cruelty posing as humane?

Sources:

• How to Read Egg Carton Labels by The Humane Society of The United States
• How do I know if something is organic? by Organic.org
• National Organic Program by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service

It’s harvest time for winter squashes. How many of these beauties have you tried?

• Acorn
• Butternut
• Delicata
• Hubbard
• Kabocha
• Spaghetti
• Sweet Dumpling
• Turban

Winter squashes can be baked or boiled, though boiling is a lot more work. Peeling and dicing the tough skinned veggies in order to boil the inner flesh isn’t easy. The simplest way to cook these wonderful anti-oxidant filled beauties is in the oven.

Fist scrub the outside under running water to remove all dirt. Carefully cut the squash in half and remove all seeds and strings. Brush the flesh with oil and cook right side up in a 350⁰ preheated oven until tender (30-60 minutes). Or don’t brush it with anything and cook it with the cut side down. Or even easier, bake it whole after piercing the skin several times with a knife or a skewer.

For a sweet version, you can brush the flesh with orange juice, cook until it is 80-90% done then cover the flesh with a glaze of honey, brown sugar, oil and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, a touch of cayenne). If you score the flesh before putting it in the oven, it will hold the juices better.

Winter squash can also be filled with any concoction from vegetarian rice or quinoa based stuffing to meat based stuffing. Or you can cook it and cut it into cubes to store in the freezer to add to recipes as needed.

Spaghetti squash is unusual due to its stringy texture. You can cook this one with the cut side down or cook it whole. You can use it like spaghetti with any sauce you choose or heat up butter with lots of fresh garlic, basil, and parmesan cheese and toss with squash strands. All you have to do to get the strands is scrape the pulp out of the cooked squash with a fork. It divides up into strands much like pasta.

Delicata Squash Fries Recipe

My favorite thing about delicata squash is that you can eat the skin. It makes them perfect for squash fries.

Ingredients:

• 1 delicata Squash
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• Sea salt, black pepper, paprika to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Cut the delicata squash in half and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into pieces roughly ¼ of an inch.
• Put the squash in a mixing bowl and add the coconut oil and spices. Mix it all together. It’s easier to do this if you heat up the coconut oil so it coats the squash.
• Distribute the squash evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. Bake the fries for 30 minutes or until slightly browned and crispy, turning them over halfway through the baking cycle.

The fries taste the best hot out of the oven.

Since this recipe is a fairly simple, it’s great for experimenting with different spices and flavors. You could substitute cayenne pepper for paprika if you want more of a kick. You could also try using herbs like rosemary or thyme. The possibilities for a delicious fall veggie dish are only as limited as your imagination!

It would be fun to try every squash on the list, if you haven’t already had the pleasure. Kabocha tastes like a combination of a sweet potato and a pumpkin, sweet dumpling squash tastes a little like corn, and turban tastes a bit like hazelnuts.

What are your favorite winter squash recipes?

Butternut Squash Is Good For…

Eating as a side dish cubed or mashed, as a soup, as an addition to baked goods, as a stuffed main dish. Try mixing butternut squash with other vegetables, grains, pasta, or quinoa.

Nutrition Composition of Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is high in fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants, carotenoids (especially beta-carotene), vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, magnesium, and manganese.

Nutrition Facts for 1 Cup

Natural Remedies and Prevention with Butternut Squash

The high fiber content if butternut squash is a prebiotic that supports healthy bacteria in the gut and promotes regularity. High fiber helps to manage blood sugar, reduce inflammation and diseases associated with inflammation (cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity), and increased immune function. Beta-carotene, that the body turns into vitamin A, helps prevent colon cancer and asthma and helps maintain healthy eyes, hair, and skin, as it boosts immunity along with vitamin C. Its potassium content helps maintain a healthy blood pressure and overall health.

Things You Didn’t Know About Fruit

Technically, butternut squash is a fruit as its seeds are inside. This is true of all members of the gourd family, which includes winter squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons. Butternut squash is the most widely grown winter squash in the United States.

How to Store Butternut Squash So It Lasts Longer

Do not store whole butternut squash in the refrigerator. Store in a cool, dry, place for 1-3 months.

How to Pick Good Fruit

Choose firm, unblemished squash with a matte finish. Avoid shiny skin; it is a sign that it was picked too early.

Recipes

Squash Ginger Soup from Healing the Body

 Ingredients:

• 1-2 tbsp organic extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 acorn or butternut squash, skinned and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Large piece of ginger root (3 inches long)
• Water to cover
• Sea salt to taste

Directions:

In a large pot…

• Sauté carrots, onions, celery, and garlic in coconut oil
• Add squash and ginger
• Cover with water
• Simmer for 30 minutes
• Puree and adjust water to desired consistency
• Add sea salt and simmer for 10 more minutes

Or try this Curried Butternut Squash Soup from Healing the Body.

Further Reading:

Sources:

Power Foods: Butternut Squash – Whole Living

What Are the Health Benefits of Butternut Squash? – Medical News Today

(Dr. Mercola) Low-fat recommendations have led to a dramatic increase in sugar consumption, and excess sugar is a primary dietary factor in countless chronic disease states, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.

By removing fat and adding sugar, the processed food industry has created a smorgasbord of made-to-order disease. The sugar, processed food, and beverage industries have been extremely reluctant to admit the health hazards associated with their sugar-laden products.

On the contrary, large sums of money have been spent, and scientific integrity has been tossed by the wayside, in order to convince you that sugar is fine, and if you have a weight problem, it’s because you’re not active enough.

To counter the propaganda provided by profit-driven industry interests, dozens of scientists at three American universities have created a new educational website called SugarScience.org,1 aimed at making independent research available to the public.

Sugar by Any Other Name Is Still Sugar…

The researchers point out that many are unaware of just how much sugar they’re consuming, as it’s oftentimes hidden under other less familiar names, such as dextrose, maltose, galactose, and maltodextrin.

According to SugarScience.org, added sugars hide in 74 percent of processed foods under more than 60 different names! For a full list, please see SugarScience.org’s “Hidden in Plain Sight” page.2

Mislead by shrewd advertisers, many are also still unaware of how too much sugar can disrupt your health and well-being. As reported by the New York Times:3

“The scientists who started SugarScience.org say they have reviewed 8,000 independent clinical research articles on sugar and its role in metabolic conditions that are some of the leading killers of Americans, like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and liver disease.

The link between sugar and chronic disease has attracted increasing scientific scrutiny in recent years. But many studies have provided conflicting conclusions, and experts say part of the reason is that biased studies have clouded the debate.”

Have You Been Mislead by Biased Science?

A report published in PLOS Medicine in December 2013 looked at how financial interests influence outcomes in trials aimed to determine the relationship between sugar consumption and obesity.4

The report concluded that industry-funded studies end up reaching very different conclusions compared to those done by independent researchers… In all, studies that had financial ties to industry were five times more likely to present a conclusion of “no positive association” between sugar and obesity.

One of the researchers involved in the creation of SugarScience.org is Dr. Robert Lustig, a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at UC San Francisco.

He’s been on the forefront of the movement to educate people about the health hazards of sugar (and fructose in particular), for a number of years now. He believes the new website will help empower consumers by providing objective data. Dr. Lustig told the New York Times:

“The goal of this is to provide just the unbiased science in a way that the public can come to its own conclusions.”

How Much Sugar Is Too Much?

The American Heart Association and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend limiting your daily added sugar intake to nine teaspoons (38 grams) for men, and six teaspoons (25 grams) for women. The limits for children range from three to six teaspoons (12 – 25 grams) per day, depending on age.

Four grams of sugar is equivalent to about one teaspoon, and I strongly recommend limiting your daily fructose intake to 25 grams or less from all sources, including natural sources such as fruit—regardless of whether you’re male or female. That equates to just over six teaspoons of total sugar a day.

If you’re among the 80 percent who have insulin or leptin resistance (overweight, diabetic, have high blood pressure, or taking a statin drug), you’d be wise to restrict your total fructose consumption to as little as 15 grams per day until you’ve normalized your insulin and leptin levels.

The average American consumes around 20 teaspoons of added sugar a day, which is more than three times the recommended amount. There’s simply no doubt that this overconsumption of sugar is fueling the obesity and chronic disease epidemics we’re currently struggling with.

We’re now seeing obesity in infants, strokes in eight-year olds, heart attacks in 20-year olds, and some 30-year olds require renal dialysis to stay alive. Teens are now getting gastric bypass surgeries. What used to be called “adult onset diabetes” is now more often called “type 2 diabetes,” as it is no longer reserved for adults. What is wrong with this picture? It’s the food. 

Instead of eating whole foods—real foods—the contemporary American diet typically consists mostly of sugar, highly processed grains, and a montage of chemicals that are anything but food. Children are surrounded by these fake foods every day, which have a very different effect on their bodies than real food.

The Processed versus Whole Food Experiment: A Visual Demonstration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi_DaJKsCLo
The video above features Stefani Bardin, who collaborated on a study to investigate how your body processes different kinds of foods. Stefani and her Harvard University collaborator swallowed an M2A capsule—a pill-sized recording device capable of recording eight hours’ worth of video as it travels through the intestinal tract. Another pill-sized device measured pressure, pH, and body temperature as it moved through the body. Two types of meals were investigated:

• Processed food meal: blue Gatorade, Ramen Chicken Noodle soup, and some Gummi Bears
• Whole food meal: Hibiscus drink, homemade chicken stock with handmade noodles, pomegranate/cherry juice Gummi Bears

The footage offers an interesting view of what really goes on in your gut when you eat processed food. One of the most obvious differences is that the processed fare takes FAR longer to break down. Processed foods are also loaded with sugars, trans fat, sodium, and various concoctions of chemicals that do not exist in nature—all of which can rapidly contribute to high blood pressure and deterioration of cardiovascular health, weight gain, and a slew of other symptoms.

Even ‘Health Foods’ Can Contain Shocking Amounts of Sugar

Getting back to the issue of sugar, exceeding the recommended daily amount is far easier than you might think. For example, just one 12-ounce can of regular soda may contain as much as 11 teaspoons of sugar.5 Even foods that are typically considered “healthy” can contain shocking amounts of added sugar, typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Fruit flavored yogurt, for example, can contain upwards of 19 grams of sugar; 12 grams of which is added sugar. For someone with insulin/leptin resistance, this alone will put you over your daily recommended limit for total sugar.

One problem with processed food is that when you look at the label, you have no way of knowing how much of the sugar is natural to the food itself, versus the sugar that was added. According to Dr. Lustig, it’s important to distinguish between natural food-based sugars versus added sugar, because clinical trials have shown that consuming HFCS can increase your risk factors for cardiovascular disease within as little as two weeks.

Food-based sugars are far less hazardous. Lactose, for example, which is a natural sugar found in dairy, does not cause any major harm, according to Dr. Lustig. Still, I believe that if you are insulin/leptin resistant, then limiting ALL forms of sugar, including natural food-based sugars, such as lactose, is advisable, until your insulin/leptin resistance has been resolved.

Your Body Can Only Handle a Limited Amount of Sugar

The main problem with sugar, and processed fructose in particular, is the fact that your liver has a very limited capacity to metabolize it. According to Dr. Lustig, you can safely metabolize about six teaspoons of added sugar per day. As mentioned, the average American consumes 20 teaspoons of added sugar a day.6 All that excess sugar is metabolized into body fat, and leads to all of the chronic metabolic diseases we struggle with, including but not limited to:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dementia
• Cancer

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)7 earlier this year, 10 percent of Americans consumed 25 percent or more of their daily calories in the form of added sugars. Most adults (71.4 percent) consumed got at least 10 percent of their daily calories from added sugar. The ramifications of this are significant. In this study, people who consumed 21 percent or more of their daily calories in the form of sugar were TWICE as likely to die from heart disease compared to those who got seven percent or less or their daily calories from added sugar. The risk was nearly TRIPLED among those who consumed 25 percent or more of their daily calories from added sugar. That means at least 10 percent of the US adult population are in this tripled-risk category…

Tips for Reducing Your Added Sugar Intake

The easiest way to dramatically cut down on your sugar and fructose consumption is to switch to a diet of whole, unprocessed foods, as most of the added sugar you end up with comes from processed fare; not from adding a teaspoon of sugar to your tea or coffee. Other ways to cut down on the sugar in your diet includes:

• Cutting back on the amount of sugar you personally add to your food and drink
• Using Stevia or Luo Han instead of sugar and/or artificial sweeteners. You can learn more about the best and worst of sugar substitutes in my previous article, “Sugar Substitutes—What’s Safe and What’s Not”
• Using fresh fruit in lieu of canned fruit or sugar for meals or recipes calling for a bit of sweetness
• Using spices instead of sugar to add flavor to your meal

Are You Ready to Take Control of Your Health?

Research coming out of some of America’s most respected institutions now confirms that sugar is a primary dietary factor driving chronic disease development. So far, scientific studies have linked excessive fructose consumption to about 78 different diseases and health problems,8 including heart disease and cancer. Having this information puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to prevention.

As a general rule, a diet that promotes health is high in healthful fats and very, very low in sugar and non-vegetable carbohydrates, along with a moderate amount of high-quality protein. For more specifics, please review my free optimized nutrition plan, which also includes exercise recommendations, starting at the beginner’s level and going all the way up to advanced. Organic foods are generally preferable, as this also cuts down on your pesticide and GMO exposure. Many grocery stores now stock a fair amount of organic foods. The following organizations can also help you locate whole foods fresh from your local farm:

• Local Harvest — This Web site will help you find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
• Eat Wild: With more than 1,400 pasture-based farms, Eat Wild’s Directory of Farms is one of the most comprehensive sources for grass-fed meat and dairy products in the United States and Canada.
• Farmers’ Markets — A national listing of farmers’ markets.
• Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals — The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada.
• FoodRoutes — The FoodRoutes “Find Good Food” map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSAs, and markets near you.

Last but not least, a number of substances in processed food (including sugar) are highly addictive, so if you need help to break free, you may want to consider using a tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). A version of EFT specifically geared toward combating sugar cravings is called Turbo Tapping. For further instructions, please see the article, “Turbo Tapping: How to Get Rid of Your Soda Addiction.” The video below with EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman also demonstrates how to use EFT to fight food cravings of all kinds.

Green tea is one of the natural foods that can increase fat loss. The Chinese have known for centuries about the many benefits of green tea, using it to treat headaches, body aches, and poor digestion. The Chinese also revere green tea for its ability to improve well-being and life expectancy. Now the rest of the world is finally catching up and starting to drink their own healthy dose of green tea.

Research has shown that green tea has a combination of natural caffeine and phytochemical antioxidants called catechins. Both of these substances are incredibly effective at promoting fat loss.

Green tea also contains volatile oils, vitamins, and minerals. The primary elements of interest are the polyphenols, especially the catechin known as EGCG. The polyphenols are believed to be responsible for most of green tea’s health benefits.

Even though green tea contains caffeine, it does not significantly change your heart rate or blood pressure. This is why it is considered to be a safe weight loss supplement. On the contrary, many of the fat burners that you see advertised contain products like ephedra, which can raise heart rates and blood pressure.

Green tea also revs up your metabolism. A study conducted in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that green tea extract significantly increased metabolism.

In fact, this study also concluded that over a 24-hour period, green tea extract increased the metabolic rate by 4%. This is probably due to the high concentrations of catechin polyphenols found in green tea.

How Much Green Tea do You Need?

Experts vary in their opinion, but the general consensus seems to be that 3 – 5 cups of green tea per day is optimal. Drinking this amount  can help you burn an extra 70 calories per day, which equals  7 pounds per year.

If 3 – 5 cups is just a little too much for you, you may want to consider green tea extract or green tea pills.

However, the benefits go beyond fat loss. When studied closely, this ancient Japanese brew provides so much more.

The Many Benefits of Green Tea:

There is also evidence that chemicals in tea help to protect lean muscle tissue and stabilize blood sugar levels. Green tea also boosts your immune system, kills dangerous bacteria, and a whole lot more.

Drinking 2 cups of strong green tea half an hour before your workouts will boost your energy and promote fat-burning, muscle-saving, and health promoting benefits.

Let’s also not forget the loads of antioxidants that are packed into green tea. In fact, green tea contains more antioxidants than broccolli. These antioxidants include polyphenols, flavonoids, and catechins. These powerful nutrients support your body’s immune system and help to eliminate harmful toxins from your body and make you more relaxed, which is helpful if you have to deal with stress.

In fact, these antioxidants are so powerful that much research is showing that it may help to prevent cancer. The PubMed database now contains over 2,000 studies on green tea. EGCG is believed to play a large role in the green tea’s anticancer and antioxidant effects. EGCG inhibits the growth of cancer cells and kills cancers cells without harming healthy tissue.

Green tea’s anticancer benefits have been widely supported by epidemiological, cell culture, animal and clinical studies. In fact, green tea’s aid in cancer prevention is so overwhelming that the Chemoprevention Branch of the National Cancer Institute has created a plan for developing tea compounds as cancer-chemopreventitive agents in human trials.

This same EGCG protects against digestive and respiratory infections and blocks the actions of carcinogens which promote cancer. EGCG also helps lower cholesterol levels. This antioxidant is over 200 times more potent than Vitamin E in fighting free radicals and pro-oxidants.

However, the health benefits don’t stop there. Green tea also reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, colon cancer, high cholesterol, bacterial and viral infections, cardiovascular disesase, stroke, periodontal disease, osteoporosis, and leukoplakia.

Green tea’s rich supply of polyphenols has also been shown to protect against heart disease.

In Japanese studies, green tea consumption has been found to help protect against coronary artery disease. In one study, those who drank 5 or more cups of green tea each day were found to be 16% less likely to suffer from coronary artery disease.

Researchers concluded that, “The more green tea patients consume, the less likely they are to have coronary artery disease.”

Best of all, green tea is a great alternative to your morning coffee. It doesn’t give you an insulin crash like soda and its not hard on your stomach like coffee.

I challenge you to replace soda, coffee, or any other sugar filled beverage with green tea. I guarantee you you’ll start to see positive changes within days.