Ingredient Substitues: Sweetener, Flour, Oil & Dairy

Refined sweeteners and flours fall into the same category. Both do not contain any beneficial nutrients and they spike your blood sugar levels. Not only do they not provide nutrients to your body, they actually deplete your body of existing nutrients and cause your body to be more acidic. Both of sugar and white flour can:

• Increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol
• Increase risk of some cancers and inflammatory disease, such as arthritis
• Increase risk of fatty liver disease
• Can cause fatigue, anxiety, hypoglycemic, and other health problems

Sweeteners (BAD):

• White Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Agave
• HFCS (high fructose corn syrup)
• Sweet N’ Low
• Equal
• Healthy Alternatives :
• Coconut palm sugar
• Coconut palm nectar
• Stevia
• Xylitol 

Flours (BAD):

• White Flour
• Whole Wheat Flour
• Healthy Alternatives:
• Almond Flour
  
• Buckwheat Flour
  
• Quinoa Flour
  
• Rice Flour
  
• Chickpea Flour
  
• Coconut Flour
  
• Flax Seed Meal
  
• Other Nut Flours (Cup for Cup from William’s & Sonoma, Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free Flour)

Not all oils are the same! Each contains their own types of fats and should be used  and consumed in different ways. Industrial seed oils were not part of the human diet until relatively recently when the American Heart Association promoting them as heart healthy. 

Using polyunsaturated (omega 6) cooking oils causes inflammation in the body. Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammation. The ideal ratio is 1:1 for Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats- the average American is currently consuming a 20:1 or 25:1 ratio. Omega 6 fats can be found in most packaged food products and almost all restaurants cook with these poor quality fats. Most of these oils are inexpensive because they are not good quality ingredients. 

Cooking Oil To Avoid:

• Vegetable oil
• Canola oil
• Sunflower oil
• Safflower oil
• Margarine

Healthy Alternatives:

• Expeller pressed coconut oil
• Organic Ghee (clarified butter)
• Organic grass-fed butter (for low-heat cooking)
• Grapeseed Oil
• Seasame Oil
• Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Avocado Oil

 Conventional dairy products are loaded with hormones and antibiotics. Since these cows are treated with antibiotics and hormones regularly when they are raised, we ingest them too. This is part of the reason why we are seeing a rise in hormone imbalances, infertility, and auto-immune conditions. Choosing organic dairy products is the only way to ensure that no antibiotics or hormones were used. Additionally, many people have a hard time breaking down the ‘lactose’ protein that is found in milk products. Using a dairy alternative is a great idea because some of your guests might be sensitive to dairy. 

Dairy Products to Avoid:

• Conventional cream
• Conventional cheese
• Conventional milk

Dairy Alternatives:

• Grass-fed cheese
• Goat’s cheese
• Sheep’s milk cheese
• Coconut milk/ Coconut Cream
• Unsweetened almond milk
• Hemp Milk

Halloween Detox

Did you indulge during this long Halloween weekend?? I will be putting up a juicing Detox guide this week on www.skinnyfatkids.com to help you get back on track! It's Monday, so it's a perfect day to start your week off the right way!

Quick Tips!

1. Hydration is crucial- it helps to flush our organs. Make sure you start your day with a large glass of water with lemon. Split your body weight in half and drink that # in ounces of water! Get rid of soda, fruit juice, and coffee for the week!

2. Get moving and sweat it out. Even if it's a walk on your lunch break, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, fitting in a 20 minute run before dinner, just move !

3. Eat every couple of hours! As soon as you skip meals or go long periods of time without eating, our body's will store fat!

Example of a good snack would be an apple with a handful of raw nuts!

4. Load up on fiber! Fiber helps remove the built up toxins we have in our systems.

5. Eat at home - not only will you eat less, but you know what is going into your food. Restaurants add salt, butter, oils and things that quickly add large amount of unnecessary calories!

6. Incorporate detoxifying herbs!

Here are some I love:

Dandelion: Dandelion one of the greatest liver herbs known. It stimulates the liver to detoxify poisons. Promotes healthy circulation, strengthens weak arteries. You can buy it in tea bags at any health food store.

Capsicum: also known as cayenne pepper is an alterative, antioxidant, antiseptic, and circulatory stimulant. It is rich in vitamin C and helps improve metabolism, thus contributing to weight loss.

Ginger: is a great herb for restoring digestion. When toxins impair the process of digestion and when the digestive enzymes have been weakened, they need assistance to restore their functioning. Ginger will stimulate the digestive system and help with your metabolism.

Chlorella: Most of you know how much I love chlorophyll in my water! Chlorella is an power-packed whole food source provides over 19 amino acids including all 8 essential, plus beta-carotene, potassium and other valuable vitamins and minerals, and enzymes. Contains natural antioxidant phytonutrient source, also a great detoxifier, cell enhancer, and blood cleansers. This green stuff is an internal deodorant to reduce body odors originating in the digestive tract.

Turmeric: The health of our digestive system affects our immune system. The mucus membrane of the gut, a part of the lymph system is compromised by digestive imbalances. These imbalances which can be caused by toxins, diet choices, stress and lifestyle manifest either as constipation or diarrhea depending on whether the imbalances are drying or creating congestion. Seasonal factors can add to the imbalances.

7. De- stress Constant stress is bad for your entire body. Give yourself a break by taking five to 10 minutes every day to do something that helps your mind and body relax. Whether it's sitting in a park or on the beach and being quiet and breathing, if it's taking a yoga class, reading a book, writing in your journal, or taking an Epsom salt bath... Find your way to release your day, everyday! Concentrate on how your body sounds, moves and feels. Your bodies should be your temple.

8. Get enough sleep Aim for seven to eight hours of good sleep every night. Hit the hay before 11 p.m... According to Chinese medicine, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. is key for the gallbladder and liver, which help detoxification.

9. Probiotics: are microorganisms which promote good health and digestion. Optimizing your gut flora is critical to staying healthy. The purpose of a detox is to eliminate toxins from the body, it is vital to support your gut during this cleansing process. Probiotics help break down substances in your diet to enable better digestion & detoxification, they aid the absorption of vitamins & minerals essential to your body, and they boost your immunity by limiting growth of harmful bacteria. If you’re only going to take one vitamin or supplement this year, make it a probiotic.

10. Don't wait till the new year to make a resolution! You can do this!

100 VERY COOL FACTS ABOUT THE BODY!!!

EVERYONE should read these facts.. they are not only interesting but important to our health!!!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1UPSo0/www.globalone.tv/profiles/blogs/100-very-cool-facts-about-the

AND WHILE YOUR ADD IT... read this !!

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2011/10/17/just-1-in-7-u-s-workers-are-normal-weight-without-chronic-health-issue/?mod=wsj_share_facebook

Weston A. Price. MYTHS and TRUTHS.

Dr. Weston A. Price (1870-1948), a Cleveland dentist, has been called the "Charles Darwin of Nutrition." Price traveled the world over in order to study isolated human groups, including sequestered villages in Switzerland, Gaelic communities in the Outer Hebrides, Eskimos and Indians of North America, Melanesian and Polynesian South Sea Islanders, African tribes, Australian Aborigines, New Zealand Maori and the Indians of South America. Wherever he went, Dr. Price found that beautiful straight teeth, freedom from decay, stalwart bodies, resistance to disease and fine characters were typical of primitives on their traditional diets, rich in essential food factors. The Foundation is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. It supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies. Specific goals include establishment of universal access to clean, certified raw milk and a ban on the use of soy formula for infants. Heres some myths and truths! Myth: Heart disease in America is caused by consumption of cholesterol and saturated fat from animal products. Truth: During the period of rapid increase in heart disease (1920-1960), American consumption of animal fats declined but consumption of hydrogenated and industrially processed vegetable fats increased dramatically. (USDA-HNI) Myth: Saturated fat clogs arteries. Truth: The fatty acids found in artery clogs are mostly unsaturated (74%) of which 41% are polyunsaturated. (Lancet 1994 344:1195) Myth: Vegetarianism is healthy. Truth: The annual all-cause death rate of vegetarian men is slightly more than that of non-vegetarian men (.93% vs .89%); the annual death rate of vegetarian women is significantly more than that of non-vegetarian women (.86% vs .54%) (Am J Clin Nutr 1982 36:873) Myth: Vitamin B12 can be obtained from certain plant sources such as blue-green algae and soy products. Truth: Vitamin B12 is not absorbed from plant sources. Modern soy products increase the body's need for B12. (Soybeans: Chemistry & Technology Vol 1 1972) Myth: For good health, serum cholesterol should be less than 180 mg/dl. Truth: The all-cause death rate is higher in individuals with cholesterol levels lower than 180 mg/dl. (Circulation 1992 86:3:1026-1029) Myth: Animal fats cause cancer and heart disease. Truth: Animal fats contain many nutrients that protect against cancer and heart disease; elevated rates of cancer and heart disease are associated with consumption of large amounts of vegetable oils. (Fed Proc July 1978 37:2215) Myth: Children benefit from a low-fat diet. Truth: Children on low-fat diets suffer from growth problems, failure to thrive & learning disabilities. (Food Chem News 10/3/94) Myth: A low-fat diet will make you "feel better . . . and increase your joy of living." Truth: Low-fat diets are associated with increased rates of depression, psychological problems, fatigue, violence and suicide. (Lancet 3/21/92 v339) Myth: To avoid heart disease, we should use margarine instead of butter. Truth: Margarine eaters have twice the rate of heart disease as butter eaters. (Nutrition Week 3/22/91 21:12) Myth: Americans do not consume enough essential fatty acids. Truth: Americans consume far too much of one kind of EFA (omega-6 EFAs found in most polyunsaturated vegetable oils) but not enough of another kind of EFA (omega-3 EFAs found in fish, fish oils, eggs from properly fed chickens, dark green vegetables and herbs, and oils from certain seeds such as flax and chia, nuts such as walnuts and in small amounts in all whole grains.) (Am J Clin Nutr 1991 54:438-63) Myth: A vegetarian diet will protect you against atherosclerosis. Truth: The International Atherosclerosis Project found that vegetarians had just as much atherosclerosis as meat eaters. (Lab Invest 1968 18:498) Myth: Low-fat diets prevent breast cancer. Truth: A recent study found that women on very low-fat diets (less than 20%) had the same rate of breast cancer as women who consumed large amounts of fat. (NEJM 2/8/96) Myth: The "cave man diet" was low in fat. Truth: Throughout the world, primitive peoples sought out and consumed fat from fish and shellfish, water fowl, sea mammals, land birds, insects, reptiles, rodents, bears, dogs, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, game, eggs, nuts and milk products. (Abrams, Food & Evolution 1987) Myth: Coconut oil causes heart disease. Truth: When coconut oil was fed as 7% of energy to patients recovering from heart attacks, the patients had greater improvement compared to untreated controls, and no difference compared to patents treated with corn or safflower oils. Populations that consume coconut oil have low rates of heart disease. Coconut oil may also be one of the most useful oils to prevent heart disease because of its antiviral and antimicrobial characteristics. (JAMA 1967 202:1119-1123; Am J Clin Nutr 1981 34:1552) Myth: Saturated fats inhibit production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Truth: Saturated fats actually improve the production of all prostaglandins by facilitating the conversion of essential fatty acids. (Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation Journal 20:3) Myth: Arachidonic acid in foods like liver, butter and egg yolks causes production of "bad" inflammatory prostaglandins. Truth: Series 2 prostaglandins that the body makes from arachidonic acid both encourage and inhibit inflammation under appropriate circumstances. Arachidonic acid is vital for the function of the brain and nervous system. (Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation Journal 20:3) Myth: Beef causes colon cancer Truth: Argentina, with higher beef consumption, has lower rates of colon cancer than the US. Mormons have lower rates of colon cancer than vegetarian Seventh Day Adventists (Cancer Res 35:3513 1975)

Scientist find Link between Pesticides and ADHD!

Here is another reason to go organic. A new study has shown that a type of pesticides called organophosphates which is commonly used on fruits and vegetables has been shown to cause ADHD. The results of the study showed that children who had ADHD had a 20% higher concentration of these pesticides compared to children that did not. While scientists caution that this is not a definitive link between the two it is cause for concern. The study did not address where these pesticides came from, whether the ids actually ate treated produce or if they played in areas where there was known pesticide contamination. Parents do not need to be particularly worried. But I think as a society, this is just one more piece of information that says we should limit everyone’s exposure to pesticides.

That is from Jerome Paulson, who works at the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment. This should be taken as further proof that it's a great idea for your family to buy organic. Make sure that the organic food is USDA certified organic. Just because you wash your food well wont stop it if the chemicals have leaked beyond the skin, deeper into the food itself.

You can't get near the field.... but it's okay to eat the stuff that is considered dangerous. MAKES SENSE RIGHT?

Why SPLENDA is BAD!!!!

DEFINITION: Chlorinated Table Sugar.

PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO:

THE TRUTH ABOUT SPLENDA UNCOVERED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGz_h5Sconw

* Splenda has more in common wiht DDT then it does a sugar

*splenda was created in a chemistry lab where they were testing INSECTICIDES and a student heard "taste" instead of "test" and put some in his mouth....

*there have been no long term human studies -2008 DUke University casts doubt on saftey

*Additional research has shown that artificial sweeteners may actuallystimulate appetite. That's a real blow to anyone trying to lose weight by using these sugar substitutes!

*There has been no independent (i.e. without any tie to the manufacturer), long-term research on sucralose conducted on humans. So it's essentially an experimental product that somehow made it through the FDA approval process.