Archive for 'Nutrition'
Do you rarely get sick, have no need for prescription meds, and can’t remember the last time that you had to visit the doctor?
If you answered no to the above questions then you are likely suffering from nutritional deficiencies.
It’s hard to know exactly what to eat for optimal health, especially since everyone has a different opinion.
Even when you make every effort to eat healthy, your diet almost always lacks important nutrients.
In her book, Green For Life, Victoria Boutenko set out in search of the perfect human diet. She immersed herself in nutrition research and discovered a very interesting observation.
The Chimpanzee Connection: Chimpanzees and humans are more closely related than any other animal species. In fact, research shows that we share 99.4% of our DNA sequence with our chimpanzee friends.
Why is this significant? Chimpanzees are in far better physical shape than humans, and possess strong natural immunity to cancer and other fatal — and quite common — human illnesses.
Victoria’s research all pointed to the chimpanzee diet as the reason for their superior health. Chimps and humans have vastly different eating habits.
It’s All About The Greens: While humans enjoy pizza and hamburgers, chimps eat a diet extremely high in dark leafy greens — an item that hardly exists in the human world.
Victoria then turned her focus on dark leafy greens. What she discovered was a super-food packed with extremely high levels of nutrients. Here are 5 amazing facts about greens: 
1. Greens are packed with amino acids…AKA protein.
I’ll bet you didn’t know that dark leafy greens are a legitimate source of protein. It’s true!
Protein molecules are made of a chain of amino acids. When you consume protein from chicken, you’re getting chains of amino acids that have already been assembled into a complex protein.
When you eat dark leafy greens you are getting a plethora of individual amino acids. Your body then takes these amino acids and assembles it into complex protein chains.
2. Greens give you lots of insoluble fiber…like a sponge.
You know fiber is important, but did you realize that fiber is needed to rid your body of toxins? Insoluble fiber is extra special, since it is built like tiny sponges that each absorbs several times more toxins than its own volume. Check out just a few of the many benefits of fiber:
- Fiber reduces cholesterol
- Fiber prevents and reduces the risk of cancer
- Fiber lessens risk of diabetes and improves existing diabetes
- Fiber helps shed unwanted pounds and prevents overeating
3. Greens promote bodily homeostasis…necessary for optimal health.
Homeostasis is the physiological process that regulates all substances in your body at ideal levels for optimal health. It is a very complex process, one that your body is constantly working towards.
In order for your body to achieve homeostasis it needs an abundance of vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and minerals. Greens are a super provider of all of the above.
4. Greens are alkaline…which promotes healthy cells.
In 1931 Dr. Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize for discovering the cause of cancer: weakened cell respiration due to lack of oxygen on the cellular level — this causes fermentation, which results in acidity, or low pH.
There is a close connection between the foods you eat and your pH balance. For example, Parmesan cheese is highly acid forming, -34; while spinach is an amazingly alkalizing food, +14.
When you get plenty of greens on a daily basis, you’re able to better maintain a good alkaline pH balance.
5. Greens are made of chlorophyll…liquid sun energy.
As amazing as it may seem, the molecule of chlorophyll is strikingly similar to the molecule of human blood. Chlorophyll heals and cleanses your organs while destroying harmful substances.
Here are just a few of the powers of chlorophyll:
- Chlorophyll builds a high blood count
- Chlorophyll helps prevent cancer
- Chlorophyll counteracts toxins
- Chlorophyll promotes an alkaline body
- Chlorophyll helps sores heal faster
- Chlorophyll improves varicose veins
- Chlorophyll improves vision
Introducing The Green Smoothie: While the evidence for eating lots of greens continues to mount, who really wants to chomp through a pile of spinach everyday? The solution is as convenient as it is efficient: the green smoothie.
Victoria discovered that when she blended greens with fruit and water, the result was an easily absorbed, delicious smoothie. The key to reaping all the benefits from your green smoothies is to use a wide variety of greens and to drink it every day. Most enjoy it as a quick, nutrient-packed breakfast.
Victoria did a study where people drank green smoothies everyday for a month. Most participants reported a noticeable increase in their energy levels after just the first week. This boost of energy may be just what you need to get into gear with your workouts.
For most people, reckless snacking derails their healthy diet, leaving them frustrated and overweight.
Do you eat a healthy lunch only to succumb to the vending machine an hour later?
I’ve got good news for you, if you do.
With just a few adjustments to your diet, you can effortlessly kick your snacking habit to the curb.
You see, the urge to snack happens when your blood sugar levels drop—giving your body the message that you need more fuel. (Enter the vending machine.) This happens after eating meals that are low in fiber, low in calories, and high in sugar.
The solution?
Eat meals that are filled with fiber and you’ll stabilize your blood sugar levels, and feel full longer.
The Case for High Fiber
Researchers have done their homework on fiber, and the results spell easy weight loss for all who listen. By consuming an extra 14 grams of fiber each day you can cut your calorie intake by a full 10 percent.
People who consume more fiber (as low as 20 grams per day) weigh an average of 8 pounds lighter than people who consume low fiber (closer to 10 grams per day).
There are two main reasons that high fiber leads to weight loss:
- Fiber fills you up and stabilizes blood sugar for hours. This tames your appetite and protects you from needless snacking.
- Foods that are high in fiber aren’t as calorie dense. When you fill up on high fiber foods you eat just as much but take in fewer calories.
Breaking it Down
It’s always easier to understand a concept like this when real life examples are given. So here’s a review of a low fiber, high sugar diet that ‘Jane’ was eating, and then we’ll see the small changes made to increase her fiber content and stabilize blood sugar.
- Breakfast: Jane would typically eat a packet of instant oatmeal made with low fat milk and topped with banana and brown sugar. On the way to work she would also grab a mocha or latte.
- Snack: Without fail by 10am Jane’s stomach would growl, sending her to the vending machine. She would end up with a small bag of chips, crackers or candy to hold her over until lunch.
- Lunch: By noon Jane was starving again, and would inhale her packed lunch of a medium sized bagel with low fat cream cheese and deli slices, and a small container of yogurt.
- Snack: At 3pm Jane’s appetite would soar and she would scavenge the office for a small snack to hold her over until dinner. She usually found part of a leftover pastry or cookies, and if all else failed she would once again turn to the vending machine.
- Dinner: Most nights Jane would make a dinner of chicken breast, instant rice and a small salad, some nights she would substitute pasta for the rice.
- Snack: Every night at 10pm Jane would find herself back in the kitchen in search of something sweet. Most often she would have a bowl of low fat ice cream or sorbet before going to bed.
Did you notice a trend in Jane’s diet? While she kept her selections fairly low in fat, she hardly ate any fiber which left her battling hunger all day. Her meals were also very high in sugar, which caused her blood sugar levels to jump up and plunge down throughout the day.
Here’s the revised version of Jane’s meals:
- Breakfast: Instead of the instant oatmeal Jane switched to using old fashion (intact) oats. She then topped it with broken walnut pieces and banana. Instead of drinking a high-sugar mocha or latte, she started drinking hot tea.
- Snack: Much to her surprise, 10am came and went without so much as a hunger pain. Jane kept her focus and worked through till lunch.
- Lunch: For lunch Jane had a cup of lentil soup, a slice of rye bread and a cup of steamed veggies.
- Snack: 3pm came and went, and again Jane didn’t feel the need snack. On her way home she ate a small handful of almonds.
- Dinner: This meal didn’t change much for Jane. Instead of instant rice she made brown or wild rice, and instead of white pasta she made whole wheat. She also added a vegetable dish to dinner, in addition to the salad.
- Snack: Most nights Jane skips her late night snack since she just doesn’t feel hungry. On those nights that she does want a sweet treat she enjoys sliced fruit.
That didn’t look hard, did it?
As you probably noticed, Jane’s daily calories dropped dramatically after adding fiber to each meal. Also her percentage of calories from fat also dropped, since her snack foods were high in fat.
This means that Jane is effortlessly losing weight simply by consuming more fiber.
You can follow Jane’s lead by evolving your diet to include higher levels of fiber.
