Safe superfoods....

Today's post: Thursday, 9-11-2008

When I heard that salmon was actually good for my health to eat as it was low in saturated fat & high in omega 3 oils I was delighted. It’s got a mild but rich flavor and is so tender you can cut it with your fork.

So, for a couple of years I always ordered salmon when I ate in a nicer restaurant. Unfortunately, as I learned about two years ago, that was likely NOT a good idea. It seems virtually all those salmon dishes were farmed salmon. And, unfortunately, farmed salmon is closer in its oil content to the grain fed beef that tends to give people heart disease; and the farmed salmon has considerably MORE health harmful pollutants than the grain fed beef.

As some of you remember, we did a post earlier on why NOT to eat farmed salmon. But some of you have not yet seen this information.

Today’s Early To Rise email has that information & similar information on how to get the superfoods and foods that are both good for you AND safe to eat. And, it explains what you tend to get if you don’t get the wild caught, grass fed, &/or organic foods instead.

Even with superfoods such as salmon and strawberries your net health benefit is completely positive instead of at least partly negative only if you get the OK kinds.

“This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

By Kelley Herring

How much is your health worth to you? For most people, the answer is quite simple: Everything.

But in this age of "pill and procedure" medicine, many wait until it's too late to make an investment in their health. And with the rising cost of food, it's tempting to scrimp and save wherever you can.

I have two important messages for you: (1) The time to invest in your health is now! Not when your quality of life has become compromised. And (2) the good news is that eating high-quality food - the finest Mother Nature has to offer - doesn't have to break the bank.

Food, like anything, tends to be less costly when it is mass produced. Producing it the right way - with care and attention to the environment - often costs more. Still, there are many conventional foods that give you the same nutritional bang for the buck as organics. At the same time, there are some "superfoods" you should be eating - and willing to pay a little more for.

Here's the scoop on five of them...

#1: Wild Salmon

Salmon has been heralded for its many health benefits (and deservedly so). The popularity of this fish has created wide demand. And to satiate consumers' appetites, thousands of fish farms have arisen on the world's coasts. Unfortunately, in this case, Mother Nature has not been successfully mimicked.

What was once touted as a health food for its robust levels of essential omega-3s has become a fishy substitute at best. At worst, farmed salmon will do you more harm than good. And that's why I urge you to buy only wild salmon.

How does this superfood turn from friend to foe? Here are the facts:

Farmed salmon contains endocrine-disrupting PCBs. Farmed salmon are fed fishmeal pellets that concentrate known cancer-causing pollutants called PCBs. While all salmon have some level of PCBs, farmed salmon have seven times higher levels than wild salmon.

Farmed salmon are lower in powerful antioxidants. Wild salmon dine on krill, which contain a carotenoid called astaxanthin (pronounced: asta-ZAN-thin) - one of the most powerful antioxidants ever discovered. Astaxanthin is also the nutrient responsible for wild salmon's beautiful red-orange color.

Farmed salmon are treated with artificial coloring. Because farmed salmon are fed cornmeal, soy, and canola oil - not their natural diet of krill - they are gray in color. They turn pink only when given chemically synthesized astaxanthin or treated with artificial coloring agents.

Farmed salmon promote inflammation. As a result of their diet, the flesh of farmed salmon contains up to four times the amount of inflammatory omega-6s than the flesh of wild salmon... and far less essential omega-3s.

Farmed salmon are loaded with antibiotics. Due to the cramped quarters in fish farms, lice and disease spread rapidly. And, in fact, farmed salmon are administered more antibiotics by weight than any other form of livestock.
You can't afford not to eat wild salmon. It is one of the few fish that is still remarkably unpolluted, it is sustainably harvested, and it's one of the healthiest proteins you can put on your plate.

The additional cost per serving of wild salmon ranges between $0.50 (Target, Archer Farms brand) to approximately $2.00 (Vital Choice)... a very small price to pay for a huge improvement in quality.

#2: Coffee

If you love coffee, you'll be glad to know that you can indulge yourself and promote your health too. Coffee is a rich source of age-defying antioxidants, and recent research even suggests it helps prevent Parkinson's and fight diabetes.

But I have some jolting news. If the coffee you drink is not organic, you're exposing yourself to cup after cup of high levels of pesticides. Some of the many chemicals commonly used against the "coffee borer" include highly toxic endosulfan, dursban, basudin, and disulfoton.

Get the most out of your morning java by choosing organic, shade-grown coffee. You can find it in most food stores, or buy in bulk online from a company like Cafe Altura. Expect to pay about $11 per pound for organic whole beans versus $7 for conventional whole beans.

#3: Grass-Fed Beef

Beef was once believed to be harmful due to its saturated-fat content. However, research now shows that the real culprit is the extremely high level of inflammatory omega-6 fats that are created when cattle are fed a steady diet of corn. Not to mention the hormones used to hasten the trip of mass-produced beef to the butcher.

Way back when, cattle ate grass. Not corn. And they weren't pumped full of growth hormones (rBGH) and antibiotics and packed into pens. These few changes have turned a healthful food into one of your body's worst enemies.

But there is a way to have your beef and stay well too. Choose grass-fed! When cattle graze on their natural diet of grass, they have a healthier lipid profile - with much higher levels of healthy omega-3s and very low levels of inflammation-causing omega-6s. These animals are also naturally healthier, which means they are given antibiotics sparingly and only when necessary.

You can expect to pay about 50 percent to 100 percent more per pound for grass-fed beef, but the higher quality of the meat and many health benefits are worth it. For amazingly sumptuous cuts of the finest naturally raised beef, go straight to the appropriately named source - U.S. Wellness Meats. The company is managed with the same dignity and honesty as the folks who did it "way back when."

Looking for a bargain? Try buffalo! These animals aren't kept in pens (Would you want to try to put a buffalo in a pen?) and it's illegal to give them hormones. That makes buffalo a natural alternative to grass-fed beef that is relatively inexpensive (about $7 per pound) and available in stores nationwide through Maverick Ranch.

#4: Berries

It's hard to believe that sweet and juicy berries are so chockfull of age-defying, disease-fighting substances. And despite their taste, they are very low in sugar and score low on the glycemic index.

But I do have some bad news to share. Berries are one of the crops most highly contaminated with pesticides. In fact, cherries, strawberries, and raspberries are on the top-12 list of contaminated crops (a.k.a. The Dirty Dozen) that you should always buy organic.

Escaping harmful pesticides isn't the only reason to choose organic berries. Research shows that organic strawberries, for example, boast 25 percent more antioxidants and more cancer-fighting power than their conventional counterparts.

Expect to pay about $1 to $2 more per pound for frozen organic berries.

#5: Cocoa

The news that cocoa is good for you has folks gobbling it up... like candy. And as long as the cocoa products they choose aren't packed with sugar or artificial ingredients, they're probably doing their bodies a big favor.

In addition to its many mood-boosting and heart-healthy compounds, organic, natural cocoa has an antioxidant score higher than that of almost any other food. Measured in ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) units, cocoa's is around 80,000. Compare that to "antioxidant-rich" blueberries, which have an ORAC of around 6,500.

But before you grab the first box of cocoa you see on the shelf, here's something you need to know. Most cocoa is "alkalized" - treated with alkali, a harsh chemical base that cuts its considerable antioxidant capacity in half. The solution: Choose organic, non-alkalized cocoa.

NOW Foods makes a delicious organic, non-alkalized cocoa that's easy on the wallet. At only $5.50 for 12 ounces (versus $3.15 for 8 ounces of Hershey's), you'll enjoy higher quality and a more valuable product for less than a dime more per ounce. Mix it into your coffee, whirl it in a smoothie, or add it to low-glycemic dessert recipes.

The Bottom Line

When you invest in your health by spending a little extra on the above superfoods, you'll get many of the rewards - like more energy, a better mood, glowing skin, and a youthful vibrancy - almost immediately. Later, this investment will pay off by not only increasing your lifespan but your health span too.

Well worth the money, don't you think?

[Ed. Note: Health should be your top priority - even if that means spending a little more on your food. Fortunately, keeping your body in tip-top condition doesn't have to be expensive... or difficult…]”

X* X* X* X* X* X* X*

Note on salmon: Canned Alaskan salmon is wild caught & available year round. So, you don’t have to buy it fresh at high cost or take a lot of prep time to eat wild caught salon. Eating right doesn’t always cost more.

Also, I’ve found that a store that tends to stock many of the safe kinds of foods and superfoods from organic berries to wild caught salmon to grass fed beef is Whole Foods Market. Some of these foods are a bit more expensive than the less safe versions. But some are about the same price. And some even cost less. Check it out.

Lastly, if you eat in a fish & seafood restaurant they can tell you which kinds of the fish they can serve you or are on their menu. Sometimes they have wild caught salmon even though usually they don’t. But they will tell you if you ask. I’ve found Scott’s Seafood quite good about this; but have also had the same experience in other better restaurants. So always ask.

Stay fit & trim while traveling....

Today's post: Friday, 5-15-2008

I got the article I include below yesterday. Since many of you travel on business & the time of year many people take vacations is coming up soon, it seemed like a good idea to pass on the information & add some ideas myself.

I decided to put the article first & add my ideas after it.

First, here’s the article.:

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

“4 Ways to Stay Fit While Traveling

By Craig Ballantyne

Last year, I flew more than 20,000 miles and visited more than two dozen airports around the world. Along the way, I learned - the hard way - how difficult it is to eat on the road. Especially when you're stuck in an airport for hours and hours at a time (as I was in Washington one night).

Today, I want to share the lessons I've learned about keeping fit while traveling.

The way to keep yourself healthy while on the road is to plan ahead. That goes for everything you do in your fat-loss program, especially eating properly.

You see, nutrition is where people fail big-time when traveling. After all, there isn't much good food for sale in airports. Not to mention all the restaurants you inevitably visit while vacationing or on a business trip. The good news is that it's possible to find nutritious food... if you know where to look. For instance, you can almost always get fresh fruit, nuts, and even grilled chicken in most airports.

After nutrition, simple laziness is the next hurdle you have to overcome while traveling. It's easy to talk yourself into skipping a workout if the hotel gym doesn't have the equipment you're used to. But the truth is, you don't need fancy equipment to get a fat-burning workout. You can do dozens of great bodyweight exercises practically anywhere.

Here are four strategies that can help you stay fit and stave off the fat while traveling.

1. Pack nutritious food for the road.

Yes, you can usually find healthy options in airports and restaurants. But you increase your chances of eating healthfully by packing your own snacks. Some healthy, road-worthy choices include water, green tea, almonds, apples, bananas, and jerky.

There's a saying in the fitness industry: "You can't out-exercise a bad diet." So no matter how often you hit the hotel gym (and not many travelers do at all), you won't be able to fight off weight gain if you continue to down processed foods and sugary beverages.

On a recent flight from Nashville to Toronto, I sat beside an overweight women who was (ironically) reading Dr. Phil's book on how to lose weight while she drank a glass of orange juice.

Now she clearly did not need the orange juice. She could have had water or a club soda (like I did) or even a coffee. Instead, she chose just about the worst drink possible. Within minutes of drinking orange juice, blood sugar levels spike, increasing levels of the fat-storing hormone insulin. To make matters worse, those spiked blood sugar levels eventually crash - making you hungry again.

Bad food choices doom travelers to stay overweight forever. But if you pack your own snacks - and ask for healthy substitutions in restaurants (replacing potatoes with extra veggies, for example) - you can control what you eat. Kelley Herring has written extensively about healthy food options. If you need some inspiration for what to eat while traveling, check out some of her past ETR articles.

2. Schedule your workouts with as much dedication as you schedule your business meetings.

When you book your hotel, make sure you have access to an adequate hotel gym or nearby fitness establishment. That way, you can continue with your regular exercise routine.

You might want to purchase a day pass at a local gym and work out with a personal trainer. If there is no time to schedule a session with a personal trainer, and your hotel gym doesn't have weights, try a bodyweight-only workout.

Here, for example, is how to do the Off-Set Push-Up:

Start in a regular push-up position, with one exception. You move one hand a hand's-length forward. (So it will be at forehead level, not shoulder level.) Do half as many push-ups as you normally do. Then, without resting, switch your hand position so the other hand is now a hand's-length forward. Do an equal number of repetitions.

This push-up works your upper body just as hard as (or harder than) regular push-ups. But it also works your abdominals a lot harder, because your torso muscles are working harder to stabilize your upper body.

Take advantage of whatever time slot is available for exercise during your travels. And don't miss it. An added bonus: Your exercise appointment can be the perfect excuse to skip unnecessary post-meeting cocktails and calories. Which brings me to my next tip...

3. Stay away from alcohol.

Whether you're on vacation or traveling for business, cocktails and wine are usually bountiful. But boozing it up adds hundreds of unnecessary calories. Plus, a few drinks can lead you to indulge in high-fat, high-glycemic foods you would ordinarily avoid. As a group of Canadian researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, just one alcoholic drink can have that effect on your diet.

4. Spend waiting time walking.

If you have a layover between flights or are killing time between meetings, take a brisk walk. Some people think that walking is so low-intensity it doesn't do anything to help keep you fit. But that's just plain wrong. Researchers from Duke University found that walking the equivalent of 11 miles per week helped prevent the accumulation of deadly visceral fat, no matter the intensity of the exercise. So take a pedometer with you when you travel, and walk as often as possible.

Travel with a "maintenance mindset." Stick to your plan, and you'll return home without gaining any fat or losing any fitness.”

[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system.

X* X* X* X* X* X*

Here are my comments & some other ideas.

1. The items on his list to pre-pack can work. My favorite of his list is the green tea. Packets of green tea or your favorite kind of black tea are dramatically better for you than soft drinks; they take up a very tiny amount of space & weigh very little; & you can usually get a cup & hot water for tea.

Almonds, pecan halves, or walnut halves or pieces make a great snack & enough for a tide over snack can easily fit in a sandwich bag in a coat pocket or purse. And, if you get them raw and unprocessed or dry roasted only -- & you aren’t allergic to them, they are marvelously filling and good for you.

However, some people have dangerous allergies to them, so eating them in your seat on an airplane with the cramped quarters filled with people you don’t know & in the enclosed, incompletely ventilated air is NOT a good idea.

Apples & bananas make great snacks if you are driving or for when you first get to the airport and have to wait at the gate before boarding. But they are a bit bulky & potentially messy to pack otherwise.

They can sometimes cause problems if you go out of state or out of the country as many places have regulations about bringing in produce from outside their area. But if you can buy apples or bananas to eat in your room locally, that can work well.

His example of the woman drinking orange juice I give a mixed review. He’s correct that a better choice for her may well have been water, club soda, tea or coffee. But it’s so much better for her than a soft drink, she may have picked the healthier alternative from those she was willing to drink. And, she actually got some vitamin C & folic acid from the orange juice.

His idea of asking for substitutes for starchy or otherwise unhealthy foods in restaurants is excellent, “replacing potatoes with extra veggies” is a great example. It’s become enough more common that most decent restaurants will be happy to do so. I’ve been requesting “extra veggies’ for potatoes or rice for quite a while.

Another great way to go is to focus on eating good quality protein foods, veggies, & fruit and treat yourself by getting them prepared and served for you with items you like but don’t have time to fix at home. If you also do that instead of eating potatoes, rice, extra refined grain bread & desserts, that helps a lot. (Do avoid processed sandwich meat & farmed fish and go a bit easy on cheese due to its high saturated fat content, however.)

One way I found to do this is to stay on the executive floor in a hotel if your budget will handle it. I went to a seminar recently where they booked me into the gold floor of a Fairmont hotel. Every morning & every evening, they provided a buffet of a variety of really good food at no extra charge for the guests on that floor. That meant I did not need to find a restaurant or pay for breakfast & dinner. And, although I did pass on a lot of good tasting refined grain goodies, the variety of well prepared protein foods, veggies, & fresh fruit was so good & so well done I did NOT feel deprived at all.

2. That hotel not only had a gym with some weights and cardio machines, they also provided clean gym clothes at no extra charge.

Exercises you can do in your room also work.

I plan to try his offset pushups. But if you do regular ones at home, they also work fine. Other exercises you can do at home or in your room while traveling include crunches, leg raises, twisting crunches where you pull up the opposite knee and touch it with your elbow, half squats, quarter squats with each leg, rising up on your toes, and what are called wall sits where you use the wall to hold you up in a position as if you were sitting down in a chair but with your legs parallel to the floor. (I do those at home & find that when I count to 250 it takes about 2 &1/2 minutes. I did start at counting to more like 80 & built up to the 250 gradually.)

Some travelers take what are called exercise bands that provide resistance for a variety of strength training exercises; use very little space; & don’t weigh much. That also works.

3. Some thoughts on alcohol. If you drink moderately at home and can afford to when traveling, I think it can make sense, particularly if when you drink at home you are able to make health OK food choices and also drink.

However, the last thing you want to do is to get drunk in a place you don’t know well when you are away from some of the resources you have or are familiar with at home. So, keep your drinking quite moderate. I also decided to only drink at my hotel at the end of the day. That way I didn’t have to drive in an area I didn’t know well or cross any streets or worry about getting lost if I got the least bit tipsy.

And, if you feel like splurging on alcohol or celebrating, try getting higher quality or more expensive drinks instead of more drinks than your normal moderate intake.

I completely agree with him that you can do enough things that really are doable that you can return without gaining a lot of fat or missing regular exercise totally.