Interesting, thought provoking, curious still

I poached this from my friend Fiz.

You think God is trying to tell us something about food? Certainly makes one look at the cheeseburger sitting in front of them in a totally different way.

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.




A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.




Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.




A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.




Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.




Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.




Eggplant, Avocados and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).




Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.




Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.




Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries




Grapefruits, Oranges, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.




Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known. The Bible references cinnamon and it was used in ancient Egypt as a beverage flavoring, medicine, and as an embalming agent. So treasured was cinnamon that it was more precious than gold. Cinnamon was also being used in China, being mentioned in one of the earliest books on Chinese botanical medicine, somewhere around 2,700 B.C. The popularity of this spice has continued throughout history. Cinnamon became one of the first commodities traded regularly between the Near East and Europe.

Cinnamon has unique healing abilities from essential oils found in its bark. These oils contain active components called cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol, plus a wide range of other volatile substances.

The cinnaldehyde in cinnamon helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. Cinnamon is also an anti-inflammatory. The essential oils also contribute to cinnamon being classified as an anti-microbial, helping to stop the growth of bacteria and fungi. Because of these anti-microbial qualities, it can also be used in preservation, heck; Egypt had that figured out long ago.

Cinnamon is also helpful in regards to blood sugar; slowing the rate the stomach empties itself, which helps to reduce the rise of blood sugar. Studies are ongoing, but there is no doubt that the addition of cinnamon to your daily diet helps. The US Agricultural Research Service and others have ongoing testing and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported in June 2007 on findings as well. There are many other ongoing tests so you know that researchers will be bombarding us with some wonderful news before long.

In addition to its essential oils, cinnamon is also an excellent source of the trace mineral manganese and a good source of dietary fiber, iron, and calcium. A 2 teaspoon serving (4.52 grams) has 12 calories, 38% of your daily manganese, 10% of your daily fiber, 9 ½ % of your daily iron and 5 ½ % of your daily calcium. So add some cinnamon to your diet, it's healthy and it tastes good too.

Glorious sweet potatoes

So, I know yesterday's recipe is far from healthy, but you can certainly substitute healthier alternatives. I don't do that when it comes to dessert. So, how's about a little nutritional information on that glorious tuber the sweet potato.

First off, let us correct a pet peeve of mine. They are sweet potatoes, not yams. There is often much confusion between sweet potatoes and yams; the moist-fleshed, orange-colored root vegetable that is often called a yam is actually a sweet potato. The sweet potato is part of the Morning Glory family, while the Yam is in the Yam family. The Sweet Potato is smooth and has thin skin while the Yam is rough and scaly. The Sweet Potato is moist and sweet while the Yam is dry and starchy. The Sweet Potato has a high beta-carotene content, which gives it the orange color. The Yam has a low beta-carotene content that gives it a much whiter color.

Sweet Potatoes have recently been classified as an "antidiabetic" food. This label has been given because of some recent studies in which sweet potatos helped stabilize blood sugar levels and lowered insulin resistance. Some of its blood sugar regulatory properties may come from the fact that sweet potatoes are concentrated in carotenoids.

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A (beta-carotene) and a very good source of vitamin C; sweet potatoes have healing properties as an antioxidant food. Both beta-carotene and vitamin C are very powerful antioxidants that work in the body to eliminate free radicals. Free radicals are chemicals that damage cells and cell membranes and are associated with the development of conditions like atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, and colon cancer.

These nutrients are also anti-inflammatory and can be helpful in reducing the severity of conditions where inflammation plays a role, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin B6, which is needed to convert homocysteine, an interim product created during an important chemical process in cells called methylation, into other benign molecules. High homocysteine levels are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, so having a little extra vitamin B6 on hand is a good idea.

If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as sweet potatoes, part of your healthy way of eating, may save your life, suggests research conducted at Kansas State University.

While studying the relationship between vitamin A, lung inflammation, and emphysema, Richard Baybutt, associate professor of nutrition at Kansas State, made a surprising discovery: a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency.

Earlier research had shown that laboratory animals fed a vitamin A-deficient diet developed emphysema. His latest animal studies indicate that not only does the benzo(a)pyrene in cigarette smoke cause vitamin A deficiency, but that a diet rich in vitamin A can help counter this effect, thus greatly reducing emphysema.

Baybutt believes vitamin A's protective effects may help explain why some smokers do not develop emphysema. "There are a lot of people who live to be 90 years old and are smokers," he said. How you might ask, well most likely this is because of their diet. If you or someone you love smokes, or if your work necessitates exposure to second hand smoke, you can give yourself some added protection by making sure your diet is rich in Vitamin A.

So, maybe that sweet potato pie recipe from yesterday is healthier than you think.

Nutritional Breakdown
1 sweet potato-baked with the skin has 96 calories.

Vitamin A 13107.70 IU 262% of your RDA
Vitamin C 17.06 mg 27% of your RDA
Manganese .52 mg 26% of your RDA
Copper .26 mg 13% of your RDA
Dietary Fiber 3.14 g 13% of your RDA
Vitamin B6 .25 mg 13% of your RDA
Potassium 306.05 mg 11% of your RDA
Iron 1.46 mg 10% of your RDA

Food for Thought

Colourful condiments for nutrition

A new study has shown that we also eat with our eyes, by revealing that choosing colourful condiments actually enhance the nutritional value of routine food.


Some know, some don't know. Incorporating all the colors of the food groups ensure that we are getting what we need in the way of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, fiber, etc.

Taste the rainbow:

Natural plant pigments called lycopene or anthocyanins color red fruits and vegetables.

Lycopene in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit, for example, may help reduce risk of several types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. Lycopene in foods containing cooked tomatoes, such as spaghetti sauce, and a small amount of fat are absorbed better than lycopene from raw tomatoes.

Anthocyanins in strawberries, raspberries, red grapes and other fruits and vegetables act as powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage. Antioxidants are linked with keeping our hearts healthy, too.

Examples of the red group:

• Red apples
• Beets
• Red cabbage
• Cherries
• Cranberries
• Pink grapefruit
• Red grapes
• Red peppers
• Pomegranates
• Red potatoes
• Radishes
• Raspberries
• Rhubarb
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon

Natural plant pigments called carotenoids usually color orange/yellow fruits and vegetables.

Beta-carotene in sweet potatoes, pumpkins and carrots is converted to vitamin A, which helps maintain healthy mucous membranes and healthy eyes. Scientists have also reported that carotenoid-rich foods can help reduce risk of cancer, heart disease and can improve immune system function.

One study found that people who ate a diet high in carotenoid-rich vegetables were 43 percent less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, an eye disorder common among the elderly, which can lead to blindness.

Carotenoids also may be good for your heart. One study found that men with high cholesterol who ate plenty of vegetables high in carotenoids had a 36 percent lower chance of heart attack and death than their counterparts who shunned vegetables.
Citrus fruits like oranges are not a good source of vitamin A. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and folate, a B vitamin that helps reduce risk of birth defects and helps keep our hearts healthy.

Examples of the orange/yellow group include:

• Yellow apples
• Apricots
• Butternut squash
• Cantaloupe
• Carrots
• Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Mangoes
• Nectarines
• Oranges
• Papayas
• Peaches
• Pears
• Yellow peppers
• Persimmons
• Pineapple
• Pumpkin
• Rutabagas
• Yellow summer or winter squash
• Sweet corn
• Sweet potatoes
• Tangerines
• Yellow tomatoes
• Yellow watermelon

Green fruits and vegetables are colored by natural plant pigment called chlorophyll.

Some members of the green group, including spinach and other dark leafy greens, green peppers, peas, cucumber and celery, contain lutein. Lutein works with another chemical, zeaxanthin, found in corn, red peppers, oranges, grapes, and egg yolks to help keep eyes healthy. Together, these chemicals may help reduce risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness if untreated.

The indoles in broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables may help protect against some types of cancer. Leafy greens like spinach and broccoli are also excellent sources of folate, a B vitamin that helps reduce risk of birth defects and helps keep our hearts healthy.

Examples of the green group include:

• Green apples
• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Green beans
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Green cabbage
• Cucumbers
• Green grapes
• Honeydew melon
• Kiwi
• Lettuce
• Limes
• Green onions
• Peas
• Green pepper
• Spinach
• Zucchini

Natural plant pigments called anthocyanins color blue/purple fruits and vegetables. Anthocyanins in blueberries, grapes, and raisins act as powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage. They may help reduce risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Other studies have shown that eating more blueberries is linked with improved memory function and healthy aging.

Examples of the blue/purple group:

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Eggplant
• Figs
• Plums
• Prunes
• Purple grapes
• Raisins

Pigments called anthoxanthins color white fruits and vegetables. They may contain health-promoting chemicals such as allicin, which may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and may help reduce risk of stomach cancer and heart disease. Some members of the white group, like bananas and potatoes, are good sources of the mineral potassium, too.

Examples of the white group include:

• Bananas
• Cauliflower
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Jicama
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Potatoes
• Turnips

this weeks food of the week is....

Figs

Did you know that figs are the most concentrated source of phytosterols of all of the World's Healthiest Foods? Plant sterols are plant compounds with chemical structures similar to that of cholesterol. While animal sources of cholesterol are easily absorbed and can raise cholesterol levels, phytosterols are difficult for the body to absorb. Because phytosterols so closely resemble cholesterol, they can actually help block food-based cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream. The end result is that more cholesterol is excreted from the body, which helps reduce total blood cholesterol levels. Figs are also a good source of dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, another nutrient known to help reduce cholesterol levels as well as normalize blood sugar levels. Plus, figs have great flavor and a unique combination of chewy, smooth and crunchy textures. So, be sure to enjoy these delectable fruits as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating while they are in the peak of! their season and available in your local markets.

Food of the Week

Garlic

Although garlic may not always bring good luck, protect against evil or ward off vampires, it is guaranteed to transform any meal into a bold, aromatic and healthy culinary experience.

Fresh, dried and powdered garlic are available in markets throughout the year, however, fresh varieties from California are in season from June through December.

Garlic is arranged in a head, called the "bulb," averaging about 2 inches in height and diameter consisting of numerous small separate cloves. Both the cloves and the entire bulb are encased in paper-like sheathes that can be white, off-white or pinkish. Although garlic cloves have a firm texture, they can be easily cut or crushed. The taste of garlic is like no other-it hits the palate with a hot pungency that is shadowed by a very subtle background sweetness. While elephant garlic has larger cloves, it is more closely related to the leek and therefore does not offer the full health benefits of regular garlic.

This bears further watching

Cow Produces Low-Fat Milk

Scientists in New Zealand say they've discovered a cow that produces her own low-fat milk -- and found a way to replicate the mutation. There could be herds of low-fat cows in the future.

Perhaps it's only of interest to me, but ...

How did ethics become a staple of contemporary food writing?

Thanks to his perch as The New York Times Magazine’s resident food sage, Pollan is a well-known champion of the ethical superiority of small, local organic farms, and of the superior taste of their products. Whole Foods, of course, is a bringer of organic food to grateful yuppies across the country. In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan describes Whole Foods as the embodiment of “Industrial Organic.” The company’s appetite for product has driven some organic farmers to scale up and become very much like the farms they were supposed to replace: organic dairies now house thousands of cows who have never munched on a patch of grass, while Brobdignagian vegetable farms ship their produce across the country, undercutting small, local farmers. Whole Foods even sells “organic” TV dinners (Pollan says one he tried “looked and tasted very much like airline food”) and, during the North American winter, has asparagus shipped north from Argentina. This would be environmentally dubious on its face, Pollan suggests, given the fuel required to ship the vegetable. In any case, it “tasted like damp cardboard.”

Romaine

WHFoods on Romaine

The food of the week (actually last week, I'm just late) is Romaine Lettuce. I love Romaine and would gladly eat it anyday and will when it is looking good and not all wilty.

Romaine lettuce

Not all lettuce is created equal, but if you start your meal with a salad made of romaine lettuce you will be sure to add not only a variety of textures and flavors to your meal but an enormous amount of nutritional value. Most of the domestic U.S. harvest of romaine lettuce and other salad greens comes from California and is available throughout the year.

Lettuce is synonymous with salads as they are predominantly made from crispy green lettuce leaves. Most varieties of lettuce exude small amounts of a white, milky liquid when their leaves are broken. This "milk" gives lettuce its slightly bitter flavor and its scientific name, Lactuca sativa derived from the Latin word for milk.

Boosting Metabolism with Diet and Nutrition

Boosting Metabolism with Diet and Nutrition

Food Fixes for Metabolism

Remember -- our basal metabolic rate includes the energy we need for body processes, including digestion. About 10 percent of our calories are used to process the food we eat. As the calories are burned, our bodies generate heat. This phenomenon, known as the thermic effect of food, is influenced by how much, how often, and what we eat. In addition, food can directly affect metabolism by altering the way the body functions (which changes the amount of energy it needs). Here are my best recommendations for maximizing metabolism:

Food of the Week

I love avocados.

Avocados

Avocados are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Adequate intake of potassium can help to guard against circulatory diseases, like high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Association has authorized a health claim that states: "Diets containing foods that are good sources of potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke." One cup of avocado has 23% of the Daily Value for folate, a nutrient important for heart health. To determine the relationship between folate intake and heart disease, researchers followed over 80,000 women for 14 years using dietary questionnaires. They found that women who had higher intakes of dietary folate had a 55% lower risk of having heart attacks or fatal heart disease. Another study showed that individuals who consume folate-rich diets have a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke than those who do not consume as much of this vital nutrient.

Replacing junk foods in our schools

I really hope that our lawmakers do something about this. There is no reason to NOT offer healthy food to growing children. It is truly sad when the snack food industry is competing for spots at schools around the nation and the schools are taking them up on it to get more money.

Panel Urges Schools To Replace Junk Foods

Federal officials recently proposed raising the nutritional standards for school lunches or breakfasts, but the recommendations issued yesterday are the first national attempt to address the healthfulness of "competitive" school foods -- snacks and drinks that often are sold to raise money for schools.

Lycopene-just what is it

So what is lycopene you ask.

Lycopene is a strong antioxidant, which can help to combat degenerative diseases such as heart disease. It was found that increased concentration of lycopene gives an increased protective effect, so the most concentrated food sources, like tomato puree and ketchup, are better protectors against these diseases. The human body cannot produce lycopene and needs to obtain it from the foods in our diet. High lycopene foods are the most effective against degenerative diseases.

The deep red color that is present in tomatoes, pink grapefruit, guava and watermelon is caused by lycopene, a carotenoid. Other carotenoids include beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, which give carrots their orange color. Carotenoids are fat soluble so they are found in fatty tissue and transported by lipoproteins. They assist Vitamin A and aid the immune system.

There have been many recent studies into lycopene so that it can be used to its fullest potential in fighting diseases. A heart study measuring lycopene in fatty tissue of 1,374 men showed that it could reduce the risk of a heart attack by 50%. But wait, lycopene does more than that.

It is an anti-carcinogen, greatly reducing the risk of some cancers. In a 6-year study of 47,000 male health professionals Harvard Medical School found that eating tomato products more than twice a week was associated with 21-34% reduced risk of prostate cancer. In 1995 Harvard School of Public Health studied further into this and found that those men who ate more than 10 servings of tomato foods a week were 45% less at risk to prostate cancer; those with only 4-7 servings were 20% less at risk. The University of Illinois found that comparing woman with the highest levels of lycopene and those with the lowest showed that the highest levels were five times less likely to have cervical cancer. Tomatoes are therefore a very important part of our diet and if tests are conclusive then this could be a serious step towards combating other cancers.

The following has more on Lycopene in addition to some of the most lycopene rich foods along with total mcg for each item. In addition to that site, I can't stress enough how wonderful WHFoods truly is.

Food of the Week

Onions! One of my favorite things.





http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=45

Health Benefits
Onions, like garlic, are members of the Allium family, and both are rich in powerful sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for their pungent odors and for many of their health-promoting effects. Onions contain allyl propyl disulphide, while garlic is rich in allicin, diallyl disulphide, diallyl trisulfide and others. In addition, onions are very rich in chromium, a trace mineral that helps cells respond to insulin, plus vitamin C, and numerous flavonoids, most notably, quercitin.

Complex or Simple

So, what is a carbohydrate?

Carbohydrates come from a wide array of foods - bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms. The most common and abundant are sugars, fibers, and starches. The basic building block of a carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, a simple union of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Starches and fibers are essentially chains of sugar molecules. Some contains hundreds of sugars. Some chains are straight, others branch wildly.

Carbohydrates were once grouped into two main categories. Simple carbohydrates included sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar (sucrose). Complex carbohydrates included everything made of three or more linked sugars. Simple sugars were considered bad and complex carbohydrates good. The picture is much more complicated than that.

The digestive system handles all carbohydrates in much the same way - it breaks them down (or tries to break them down) into single sugar molecules, since only these are small enough to cross into the bloodstream. It also converts most digestible carbohydrates into glucose (aka blood sugar), because cells are designed to use this as a universal energy source.

Fiber is an exception. It is put together in such a way that it can't be broken down into sugar molecules, and so passes through the body undigested.

Digestible carbohydrates are broken down in the intestine into their simplest form, sugar, which then enters the blood. As blood sugar levels rise, cells in the pancreas make more and more insulin, the hormone that signals cells to absorb blood sugar for energy or storage. As cells absorb blood sugar, its levels in the bloodstream fall back to a preset minimum. So do insulin levels.
In some people, this cycle doesn't work properly. People with type 1 diabetes don't make enough insulin, so their cells can't absorb sugar. People with type 2 diabetes usually start out with a different problem, their cells don't respond well to insulin's I need sugar signal. Known as insulin resistance, it causes both blood sugar and insulin levels to stay high long after eating. Over time, the heavy demands made on the insulin-making cells wears them out, and insulin production slows, then stops.

Insulin resistance isn't just a blood sugar problem. It has also been linked with a variety of other problems, including high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol, heart disease, and possibly some cancers.

Genes, a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, and eating a diet filled with foods that cause big spikes in blood sugar can all promote insulin resistance. Cutting back on refined grains and eating more whole grains in their place can improve insulin sensitivity.

Some complex carbohydrates:

Spinach
Whole Barley
Grapefruit
Turnip Greens
Buckwheat
Apples
Lettuce
Buckwheat bread
Prunes
Water Cress
Oat bran bread
Apricots, Dried
Zucchini
Oatmeal
Pears
Asparagus
Oat bran cereal
Plums
Artichokes
Museli
Strawberries
Okra
Wild rice
Oranges
Cabbage
Brown rice
Yams
Celery
Multi-grain bread
Carrots
Cucumbers
Whole meal spelt bread
Potatoes
Dill Pickles
Pinto beans
Soybeans
Radishes
Yogurt, low fat
Lentils
Broccoli
Skim milk
Garbanzo beans
Brussels Sprouts
Kidney beans
Eggplant
Lentils
Onions
Split peas
Tomatoes
Soy milk
Cauliflower
Navy beans

Improve your mood

While browsing the internet this morning, I stumbled upon a few things. One, this article:
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070406/NEWS01/704060325/1002

A couple of websites:
http://www.foodmoodsolution.com/
http://www.goodmooddiet.com/

Now, I have never heard of either of these sites or this diet before about 1 hour ago. However, from the reading of these 3 this morning and my past experience, I can say, the good mood/bad mood stuff related to the food that is injested is certainly true.

Foods to improve your mood:

Protein and omega-3 fats
Choose anchovies, black cod, catfish, clams, crab, flounder, halibut, herring, lobster, mackerel, oysters, rockfish, sablefish, salmon, sardines, scallops, shrimp, trout, tuna

Carbohydrates
Choose whole grains, beans, potatoes and root vegetables, winter squash, all fruits and vegetables

Tryptophan and carbohydrates in one
Choose milk and dairy products — lowfat/nonfat milk, yogurt, kefir, smoothies

Antioxidants
Choose fruits, vegetables, grape juice, green tea and oolong tea

Crunchy foods (stimulate the secretion of serotonin by the trigeminal nerve)Choose popped corn, apples, carrots, celeryDecrease stress, anxiety, anger, frustration

Healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated)
Choose olives, olive oil, nuts, seeds, nut and seed butters, nut and seed oils, avocados, fish

Whey protein
Choose milk and dairy products — lowfat/nonfat milk, yogurt, kefir, smoothies, whey protein powder

Tryptophan and B vitamins
Choose turkey, lean pork, beef, chicken

Magnesium (decrease headaches)
Choose nuts, beans, whole grains, spinach

Ginger (decrease headaches, pain relief)

Anti-inflammatory effects (bioflavonoids)
Choose pomegranates, grape juice, soy, kale, green beans, apples, citrus, prunes, pineapple, fish, wheat germ

Zinc and iron (boosts immune function)
Choose lean meats, eggs, seafood, whole grains

Feel-bad foods

Alcohol

Caffeine (in large doses)

Fried foods

Fatty meats

Fatty snack foods

Refined sugars and starches (most often in packaged foods)

*The above listing came from the article listed which got its info from The Good Mood Diet.

The above got me thinking, so I went here http://www.calorie-count.com/ and got the calorie counts listed below.

Did You Know:

Fast Food:

Burger King
King size fries (194 g serving size): 600 calories and 33 grams of fat
Small size fries (74 g serving size): 230 calories and 13 grams of fat
Whopper w/Cheese (315 g serving size): 760 calories and 47 grams of fat
Whopper Jr. w/ Cheese (170 g serving size): 410 calories and 24 grams of fat

McDonalds
Super Size Fries (198 g serving size): 610 calories and 29 grams of fat
Small Fries (74 g serving size): 250 calories and 13 grams of fat
Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese (199 g serving size): 396 calories and 49.8 grams of fat
Cheeseburger (119 g serving size): 310 calories and 12 grams of fat

Wendy's
Large Fries (190 g serving size): 590 calories and 24 grams of fat
Kid Size Fries (91 g serving size): 280 calories and 12 grams of fat
Classic Single w/ Everything (218 g serving size): 420 calories and 20 grams of fat
Jr. Cheeseburger (129 g serving size): 240 calories and 13 grams of fat

Sodas
Super Size at McDonalds - 410 calories
Kid Size at McDonalds - 110 calories


A great place to go with tons of wonderfully useful information
http://www.whfoods.com/

Natural and Organic Foods

Naturally and organically grown foods have the flavor nature meant for them to have. Because of the use of chemical pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, and factory farms, mass farmed poultry and produce have lost much of the qualities that attracted our ancestors. American culture has put price before quality, nutrition, and flavor. Instead, visual appeal, yield, and disease resistance are the prized attributes.

Nutritious soil is the beginning of organic farming, producing adequate nourishment for the plant, which provides healthy nutrients for the body and flavor for the taste buds. Many people prefer organic and naturally grown foods, as they taste better and remind you of what grandma would put on her table. Chemical fertilizers, added to the soil in traditional farming, leave a chemical residue on the product, which can be harmful. Pesticides can have adverse effects on our health causing many different health problems. Such problems include neurotoxicity, immune system suppression, disruption of the endocrine system, and effect male reproduction.

While comparing the nutritional value of organically grown and conventional grown fruits, vegetables, and grains in forty-one published studies show organic have more nutrients. In comparison, there is 27% more vitamin c, 29.3% more magnesium, 21.1% more iron, and 13.6% more phosphorus. Nitrate levels were 51% less in organic than in the conventional. Salicylic acid, helps combat hardening of the arteries, in addition to acting as an anti-inflammatory, and is up to six times greater in organically grown foods, in addition to having higher percentages of calcium and antioxidants.

Organic grown foods have strict regulations, which prohibit the usage of hormones, anti-microbials, antibiotics, or any growth promotants. Animals that are treated with any drug or chemical cannot be sold as organic, not them or any of their by-products. When organic foods are processed, they are restricted from the use of synthetic chemicals as preservatives, colorings, and antioxidants.

Battery cage broiler chickens, raised for their meat are placed in windowless buildings with as many as 40,000 other chickens. Because of the cramped confinement, chickens have no room to spread their wings and have to get their beaks clipped to keep from pecking one another. Waste products, dust, feathers, and ammonia from the urine permeate the air, causing breathing difficulties for the animals. Large fans are used to circulate the air, giving the atmosphere a sandstorm effect, which actually sandblasts their skin. The chickens are given mass doses of antibiotics to help keep them alive. These doses total more than four times the amounts given to humans. In addition to the antibiotics, the birds are given drugs to promote faster growth, in so doing, the average chicken breast of today weighs seven times more than did the average chicken breast 25 years ago. This drug induced growth results in obesity for the birds; internal organs and legs are unable to keep up with the growth rate. The birds suffer from heart attacks, organ failure, and crippling leg deformities. Chickens developing leg deformities usually die because they cannot reach the water or feed. Once chickens reach seven-weeks old they are packed into crates, and then shipped to the slaughterhouses.

By contrast, chickens that are raised on a natural farm are never given hormones, antibiotics, or any other artificial ingredient. The soil, feed, and pastures have no pesticides or herbicides used in them. The chickens are raised the way nature intended. They enjoy the freedom to move around in open pastures, scratch, preen, and benefit from the fresh air and sun light. In the evening, they automatically return to roost in the buildings that protect them from predators. The buildings are secured at night for the birds' protection, but are immediately opened back up the next morning for the birds to graze and exercise another day. Some farms have portable buildings so that the birds can be moved from one location to another, giving them access to different grazing areas, which helps the land to recover. Tender grasses and seedlings are able to reproduce.

Conventionally grown produce has ten times less mineral content than produce that is grown organically. There are over 400 chemical pesticides used on a regular basis in conventionally grown produce with 79% of the conventionally grown products containing chemical and pesticide residue. Modernized, conventional farming uses more petroleum than any other industry. To produce synthetic fertilizer, more energy is used than to till, cultivate, and harvest crops. Leaching from fertilizers resulted in high nitrate levels in water and food; high nitrate levels have been proven to cause cancer. On average, conventional produce is found to contain only 83% of the nutrients that are found in organically grown produce. Produce with the highest levels of pesticide residue include peaches, apples, strawberries, nectarines, pears, cherries, red raspberries, imported grapes, spinach, bell peppers, celery, potatoes, and hot peppers. Produce containing the lowest levels of pesticide residue are pineapples, plantains, mangoes, bananas, watermelon, plums, kiwi fruit, blueberries, papaya, grapefruit, avocado, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, radishes, broccoli, onions, okra, cabbage, and eggplant.

Organically grown produce contains higher levels of antioxidants, vitamin C, essential minerals, and phytonutrients; lower levels of mycotoxin, and are more resistant to various mildews and fungi. In fact, organically grown oranges were found to have up to 30% more vitamin C than their conventionally grown counterparts, despite being smaller. You cannot overdose on antioxidants that come from a food source. Your best choices are blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, papaya, cantaloupe, watermelon, mango, prunes, raisins, plums, oranges, red grapes, cherries, sweet potatoes, yams, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, garlic, red bell pepper, onion, corn, avocados, kiwi fruit, nectarines, peaches, pears, grapefruit, lemons, apples, bananas, and eggplant. Frequenting your produce aisle will ensure a healthy supply of antioxidants in your diet.

A study performed by European Scientists at Newcastle University found that rats are healthier on organic foods than on conventional food. The rats that were fed the organically grown produce slept better, had stronger immune systems, and were slimmer than rats fed a diet of conventional produce.

Organic farms prevent soil erosion and help build healthy soil. The soil in organic farms are found to have less nitrogen leaching, better nutrient holding ability, more efficient nutrient cycling, and has less run-off and erosion than their conventional counterparts.

Natural and organic foods are by far our best choice when choosing healthy, nutritious food. Making the right choices will increase our health and longevity. Organic and natural foods have the least amount of chemicals and pesticides; have more nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, are environmentally friendly, and help in maintaining our ecosystem.

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