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Powerhouse fruits and veggies list: more nutrient dense for the calories

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I thought only my Eating to Restore Balance group knew the truth about our Fourth Food Group—veggies—until now that is. So first of all, applaud yourself for entering the produce section and making some selections—based on the shopping carts I stand next to in the check-out line, you are already special. But now there is a tool if you’re looking to know which are the highest ranked powerhouse fruits and vegetables, foods most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk, on a nutrient density scale. See, creatures of habit, we tend to head to the store and pick the same old familiar … Continue reading →

Weight loss and the hCG diet

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HCG Diet Products are Illegal

Four years ago my client who I’ll call Shane explained his frustration. He’d tried everything and was considering the hCG diet—priced at the time at $300 per week of participation, 4-6 weeks. He said it could be bought locally and self-administered… More than just a skeptic, by then I’d helped many individuals “recover” from this diet, individuals whose health declined, weight returned and now had new health problems. That said, just because I attract a group for whom a regimen doesn’t work doesn’t necessarily mean it is bad—we’re all different—but there sure have been a lot of folks… I kept my … Continue reading →

Keeping inflammation in check: Your ubiquitous ubiquitin system

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Are Alzheimer’s, weight gain and obesity, cancer, diabetes and heart disease all the same health problem? I think so. And so do many other researchers today. What they all have in common is excess inflammation in the body. And any time some really interesting new piece of the inflammatory puzzle hits the science headlines, pharmaceutical and biotech companies start promoting how they’ll develop novel anti-inflammatory drugs to block these natural proteins to finally solve the problem of unquenchable pain and inflammation. And one such amazing piece of the inflammatory puzzle—amazing to molecular biology or biochemistry nerds like me—just put together some pieces not before known. For 20 … Continue reading →

“Crungry” Blood sugar imbalance affecting your memory?

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kick the sugar habit

  Ah the dangers of high blood sugar… then the entire body response to lower toxic levels of blood sugar… and then… blood sugar goes too low… “Crungry”—you know… cranky because you’re hungry. Thinking it is about to starve and die, the body now creates a stress response: crankiness, cravings, anxiety, sometimes jitters and faint-headedness… It is such a primal response: low blood sugar = drastic moods and single-focus “feed me!” And we no longer care what. This primal single-focused subconscious drive throws out everything and goes for the fastest quick-fix money can buy at the closest convenience store: But … Continue reading →

Coffee Good or Bad?

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100% natural coffee good or bad

A quick browse on the internet yields “7 health reasons…” “10 ways coffee harms…” “11 good things about coffee…” Do you have whiplash yet? And the media is not helping! One night’s news report conflicts with another’s blatantly contradictory info. So what do we do? Whatever the heck we want, apparantly. The coffee infusion of ground, roasted coffee beans, is among the most widely consumed beverages in the world. After all, that chocolaty aroma… the promise of energy… so is coffee good or bad? My own courtship with coffee. The truth is, I love my coffee. I find this subject … Continue reading →

Obesity: the making of an epidemic

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Not just in the US, all around the world, obesity and related problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes are at levels we’ve never before seen. More people are now overweight than underfed. Surprisingly, a person can have normal weight yet still be over fat—still have excessive fat inside their body surrounding their organs. Why is this bad? Because the deep fat—the intra-abdominal or visceral fat as it is called—also becomes a sponge for toxic chemicals. The concentration of fat-stored toxins can be 1000’s of times higher than that circulating in your blood as demonstrated by my dear … Continue reading →

US Food Additives cause 80% of our food to be banned in other countries

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Shopping for additive-free food

The story is very clear: Food additives make children hyperactive. A definitive study published in The Lancet clearly shows that food colors and preservatives (sodium benzoate) make normal children hyperactive—half of whom were age 3 and the other half ages 8/9. In my practice, I’ve seen this in many, many adults. Our nation’s love of easy, cheap and fast is unique. It isn’t done this way in most other places. In fact 80% of pre-packaged foods sold in the United States are actually banned in other nations. And for good reason. Whether it’s toxic soda brands like Mountain Dew, or sugary … Continue reading →

Stevia: Friend or Foe?

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sugar free, healthy, low calorie, stevia, anchorage nutritionist, lose weight, weight loss, anchorage dietician,

Given the massive consumption of sugar around the world, and the now-not-debatable link with obesity, diabetes, renal failure of metabolic syndrome, and probably cancer, we still search for the Holy Grail of sweeteners: is there some sweet treat that doesn’t cause inflammation and weight gain like cane or corn sugar? Or that creates that delight without being so high calorie while providing no nutritional value? Is stevia the answer? Heck, we’ve even assumed man’s best friend needs sweet treats and begun imposing feeding them “low calorie” “diet” grain-based (that say “no empty calories”) pet foods sweetened with stevia. A type of plant native to Central and South America, Stevia … Continue reading →

The Wonders of Real Maple Syrup

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buckwheat pancakes with blueberries and real maple syrup health

Before I’m accused of backtracking on 50,000+ times of saying “sugar is bad,” let me just say it again: Sugar is bad. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way… let me also say… not all sugars are created equal. Maple syrup health properties are very interesting. Alright, why is sugar so bad… There are some sugars that just should never, ever be consumed. Cane sugar in any form (raw, turbinado, concentrated juice, organic or otherwise…) and corn sugar (also known as high fructose corn syrup). Why? Because they create an immediate inflammatory response in the body that is … Continue reading →

Do happy people have healthier hearts?

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This interesting question has some truth to it: — Granted there are many factors leading to better mood and a stronger heart – diet, exercise, sleep, etc. – but interesting research by Harvard School of Public Health shows not only does mood matter, but that we should do all we can to improve mood naturally. Better Outlook: Better Heart Health.     Harvard research fellow Julia K. Boehm, PhD evaluated over 200 studies, the largest review ever to examine the impact of a positive outlook on heart attack and stroke risk. We have seen plenty of good research showing how sadness and anxiety … Continue reading →

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