Wendy's New Healthier Fries? Take their health claims with a grain of sea salt

By now you have all heard about Wendy's step into a healthier French fry. Fact or Fiction?

According to Wendy's Press release; "Wendy’s based its redesign on extensive consumer research on what they wanted in a great-tasting French fry, which includes an even golden color, a real potato taste, and one that stays hot longer....they will still be delivered frozen to stores, then cooked in proprietary oil that has 0 grams trans fat per serving." 
If it is an all natural potato, how does one make it even in colour and stay hotter longer without some form of chemical or Genetically Modified (GMo’d) aintervention? The question may never be answered.
A quick search on Wendy's website revealed the following ingredients for their French fries:

Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (contains one or more of the following: soy oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (to protect natural color). Cooked in Soy, Corn, Cottonseed, & Hydrogenated Soy Oil. Cooked in the same oil as menu items that contain Wheat, Egg, Milk, and Fish (where available). Seasoned with Salt. 

Vegetable oil is made up of a combination of oils which are usually soy, canola and cottonseed. The missing information is whether the oils are organic, or at the very least non GMO'd. Chances are if it doesn't say, it is organic or a non GMo product it probably is not.

Often, partially or fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil is extracted from the seeds of the cotton plant after harvest of the lint. The oil is then refined to remove gossypol, a naturally occurring toxin that protects the cotton plant from insect damage. Cottonseed oil was the first oil to be hydrogenated and was originally intended for candle production but was found useful for non-food products such as cosmetics, explosives, insecticides, rubber and soap. The first introduction as a food product was in Crisco Shortening.

Given cotton crops are under less chemical regulation than other crops used specifically for food, many pesticides and/or chemicals can be used on cotton crops which are illegal for use with food crops.  Because it is the seed of the plant that is being manufactured into oil, legal loopholes in the regulation of food and chemicals by the FDA are permitted. Pesticides and/or chemicals could resist processing and find their way into the food allowing for unacceptable levels of pesticide and chemical residues.

In this day and age knowing what hydrogenated oils can do it is surprising companies are still using it. Wait, didn’t Ken Calwell, Wendy’s chief marketing officer say something about a Real Brand position? “Real products with authentic, high integrity ingredients, fresh preparation and exciting tastes and flavors for every main food item we serve. “ 

How do hydrogenated and genetically modified oils fit into the new Wendy’s high integrity ingredients?
Hydrogenation of oils, (doesn’t matter what type of oil) is the removal of heart healthy essential fatty acids, for the sole purpose of prolonging the shelf and making the oil more stable. The detriments of using hydrogenated oils are the direct correlation to cancer, birth defects, heart disease, diabetes, liver disease and other inflammatory conditions. 

If you are gluten intolerant or suffer from Celiac disease, beware! Wendy's French fries are cooked in the same oil as other products that contain wheat, in other words, 

they do not have dedicated oil for cooking French fries. 

Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate contains small amounts of heavy metals, arsenic and flouride,  It can cause skin, eye, respiratory irritants. It may also inhibit mineral absorption, cause blood pressure, kidney disturbances and water retention.

Is Salt just a salt? Is there really a difference between Iodized salt and sea salt? According to Nutritionist Marion Nestle, she is unimpressed, saying sea salt tastes the same as table salt, costs more and has the same sodium. “The hype for sea salt is amazing. What a hoax.” 

There is some truth to her statement, if sea salt has been refined, basically it has gone through the same stripping process as Iodized salt, and therefore does not make a health difference. And since fast food industries are notorious for coming up with the cheapest solution possible, it is highly unlikely the sea salt is a high quality grade.

Marion Nestle comment on sea salt and table salt being the same, is not true at all. Salt contains some minerals but is mainly made up of sodium and chloride after the mining and stripping process. Common table salt is 99.9% sodium chloride, usually mined from large rock salt beds where it is heat-blasted, stripped of its nutrients except for sodium and chloride, then chemically treated, adding synthetic iodine back to reduce iodine deficiencies. It is then packaged with anti-caking agents such as silicon dioxide to make it free flowing and to avoid clumping from moisture (silicon dioxide is the primary ingredient in sand).

Not all sea salts are created equal. Some companies go through the process of trapping water into shallow beds then allow for the water to naturally evaporate by the sun leaving salt behind which the upper layer of white salt is extracted. The upper layer does not contain the vital minerals found in the dirty salt below.  The upper layer of salt for the most part is no better than the mining and processing of table salt. It is the dirty salt that is truly the prize. Dirt naturally contains minerals and trace minerals which our body can assimilate naturally.

Naturally dried sea salt comes in many colours based on the mineral content of that area, for example Hawaiian red volcanic sea salt has a high iron content due to its iron oxide-rich red volcanic clay, turning the salt a brown or rust colour. Celtic Sea Salt is grey in color due to the organic chemical deposits of minerals in the salt beds harvested from the Atlantic waters from the coastal area of the Guèrande, Brittany region of France.

Natural sea salt extracted from the ocean and naturally evaporated is an excellent source of 21 essential and 30 accessory minerals that are essential to your health. Table salt has none. Sea salt contains naturally occurring iodine, iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium among other nutrients. Interesting to note is that almost all sea salt contains magnesium, calcium and potassium which are vital electrolytes, which keep edema at bay and lower blood pressure. Sea salt also contains a bio- available and natural source of iodine. Table salt can not make these same claims. And one more thing, if you consume good quality sea salt on a regular basis, you will without a doubt be able to taste the difference between table salt and sea salt.

Is Wendy's Natural cut French fries a new, improved and revolutionary health food? Not really, they are really good at marketing and using key words. Do your home work, research ingredients and make a conscious choice towards what you consume.

Just Say No to GMO music video www.NaturalNews.com/NoGMO

Experts Choices to Healthiest Kids' meals may be endangering their health.

Photo: Stock.Xchng

Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the United States and this has led to the grouping of experts and researches to collaborate on how to free children of the epidemic. Most researches, doctors and dietitians focus on the nutrient label of the product; sodium intake, fat content and caloric intake; but what about the ingredients? Just because it falls within the recommended daily allowance does not deem the food healthy. We need to go beyond the recommended daily allowances and start understanding what is really in our children’s food. 

Let's focus on what researches at Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity deemed better choices for fast food. Researchers reviewed the nutritional information on more than 3,000 kids' meal combinations at eight fast food chains and evaluated whether the meals had healthful foods and did not exceed the recommended limits of caloric intake and sodium consumption.

According to Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity the healthier kids' meal combinations at fast food restaurants that have 300-500 calories are Subway, Burger King, KFC and McDonalds.

For the purposes of this article, let's choose Subway. After all, when it comes down to it, Subway should be the healthiest choice as there is nothing deep fried and there are no French fries to contend with right?
Please keep in mind, this article is not proving whether Subway is healthier than the recommended fast food choices, it was chosen to show that on the outside it may appear healthy, but what is on the inside is open for discussion. And after reading this article it will encourage you to investigate all fast food ingredients and not rely on what the experts conclude.

According to RUDD, turkey breast, roast beef or veggie delight sandwich on wheat bread; apple slice or yogurt; low fat milk, or juice fell within the recommend caloric intake.

For benefit of doubt, we'll upgrade the whole wheat bread choice to the 9-Grain Wheat bread and examine the turkey breast. After all Turkey breast and 9 grain bread should be a healthy choice right?
On the outside, it looks healthy; after all it is just turkey and bread. And this is how most parents determine healthy foods by looking at the product, and deeming it healthy without ever looking any further. Some may investigate the food label decide on its health factor in relation to calorie sodium and fat content.
The 9-Grain Wheat bread lists at least 29 ingredients, give or take a few, due to some ingredients actually containing many ingredients within it and they do not have to be listed.

By law food manufacturers are required to list all ingredients on the food label, however if an ingredient is actually made up of other ingredients, those ingredients do not have to be listed. On a product label, the ingredients are listed in order of predominance, with the ingredients used in the greatest amount first and followed in descending order by those in smaller amounts.
First ingredient is enriched wheat flour containing wheat flour, barley malt, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin and folic acid in brackets. The reason they are in brackets as they were added back after the refinement process.

Wheat flour or enriched wheat flour ingredients are technically no different than white flour. Manufacturers take whole-grain wheat which contains vitamin B1, B2, B3, E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and fiber and strips out 11 naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, then adds synthetic chemicals that represent only four vitamins and one mineral that the FDA has deemed most important for health. For instance,
Whole grain kernel contains:  B1, B2, B3, E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and fiber
Enriched Flour contains: niacin (Vitamin B3), iron, thiamine (B1), mononitrate, riboflavin(B2), folic acid

Is this healthy or not? When you first look at the bread, you automatically think it is whole grain bread; after all it has 9 grains right? Yes and no. There are actually 9 grains, but not only are they not whole grains, they make up 2% OR LESS of the ingredient list. In fact, there is more processed refined wheat flour, than there are whole grains.

More troubling is the fact there is high fructose corn syrup as the 4th ingredient, which means there is more HFCS than there are whole grains. Fructose is a major contributor to:

• Insulin resistance and obesity
• Elevated triglycerides and elevated LDL cholesterol
• Depletion of vital vitamins and minerals that play a role in prevention of illness related to obesity

Your body's liver metabolizes fructose in a different way than glucose.  Fructose from whole foods that have not been tampered by manufacturers is naturally designed to be assimilated and converted into energy. High fructose corn syrup and other sugars are not.

Trending problem is high fructose sugar, along with other sugars and sweeteners are in everything our children are eating. Experts say "a little is ok" is an understatement. How many parents are actually reading the ingredients of the foods their children are consuming? And what exactly is a little?

When is the last time you made bread from scratch? Did it contain dough conditioners? DATEM; (Diacetyl tartaric esters of mono‐ and diglycerides) are used as emulsifiers to strengthen bread dough and delay staling of bread. Here's what you really need to understand about DATEM. The biochemical and metabolic makeup of this ingredient needed testing in science labs using rats and animal studies to render whether it is safe for human consumption. My question to you is, if your food ingredients need to be tested in a laboratory, why would you want to eat it?

There are 5 sweeteners in this science project; high fructose corn syrup, refinery syrup, honey, maltodextrin and Sucralose. Why when we are dealing with an epidemic of childhood obesity do we need 5 different sweeteners in 6 inches of bread? Why do we need a neurotoxin such as Sucralose in our children’s bread? And why are researchers at Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity not recognizing that sugar intake is a contributing factor to obesiety?

Subway’s turkey breast is at least turkey breast; that's a relief. However the turkey broth, contains 2% or less of: carrageenan, dextrose, modified food starch (derived from corn), salt, seasoned salt (salt, sodium diacetate, flavoring), sodium lactate, sodium phosphate. Browned in soybean oil. May contain: seasonings (modified corn starch, dextrose, salt, carrageenan, sodium diacetate, flavorings), potassium lactate.

I ask you this, do you know and understand what these ingredients are? Why do we need sugar in broth?  Can you count the number of sodium properties? The last ingredients are a bit of a Russian roulette, are they in there or not? What exactly does "May contain" mean? Is it left up to how the manufacturer feels that day?  These ingredients are merely to make the turkey taste better. When you make gravy at home are these ingredients you use?

Yogurt is another nightmare. Most are loaded with sugar, thickeners and some actually contain artificial sweeteners that are known neurotoxins such as aspartame or Sucralose.

Apple slices are of course healthier, however you need to read the ingredient list, some manufactures will add honey or another sweetener and some add sulphites for preservation and discoloration. Sulphites can cause headaches, migraines, allergic reactions such as hives, and rashes, heart palpitations, joint pains, and behavioral problems in children. Sulphites can also be found in cornstarch, modified corn starch and corn syrup, which are also in the turkey broth.

Take what the researchers and experts say with a grain of real-good-for-you sea salt and do your homework. Just because it is deemed healthy, take a look at what the contributing factors are to what they consider healthy.

Childhood Obesity is preventable. It takes a little work, but our children are our future and they are worth the extra time to investigate what they are eating. We need to change our attitudes and put our children’s health above everything else. If we do not change our attitude toward health, it will become accepted to be overweight and unhealthy. In fact researchers have now determined that Obesity is contagious among friends. Research shows that the more obese friends one has, the greater chance everyone in the group will be obese. They found having four obese friends doubled people's chance of becoming obese compared to people with no obese friends," says Alison Hill, the study's lead author and a Harvard researcher.  

Forget reading food nutrient labels, the real truth lies in the ingredient list. Understand what you are giving your child to eat. Look for ingredients you understand, and stick to whole foods. Rule of thumb, if you do not understand what the ingredients are, question whether it is really healthy. And more importantly, do you really want to put ingredients in your body that you cannot pronounce?

Karen Langston Chief Body reorganizer.
You can find Karen flipping to the real side of food.
KarenLangston.com

5 Tips to Beating Holiday Weight Gain

Thanksgiving in the U.S. is the official launch for December's holiday festivities. For some of you it is the beginning of the battle of the bulge. Did you know you can gain as much as 15 pounds during the holidays? All the rich foods, deserts holiday spirits, and ohhhh the chocolate… as much as you want to turn down the invites, you can't. Have no fear, you can enjoy the holiday’s festivities and save your waist line with these easy tips. In fact your game plan starts the day before your first party.

Your body is run mainly by hormones and hormones affect how we feel. Sleep is an intricate play of hormones. Serotonin wakes you up and keeps you alert and Melatonin makes you fall asleep. If your sleep cycle is off, it will lead to hormonal imbalance which leads to low blood sugar and low serotonin. When there is an imbalance, you become depressed, moody, and negative thoughts creep in which leads to emotional binge eating. You brain signals for a pick me up, which is usually interpreted as sugar or refined carbohydrates, which spike your blood sugar, and get you super revved up. This short term fix sends the brain a false sense of alertness; serotonin goes up and we feel good, happy and energized. Within 1-2 hours you crash, blood sugar dips below normal, pancreas releases hormones to convert sugar to energy and the brain signals hormones to get more happy food!

This viscous cycle can actually permanently change the neurochemical pathways making the brain lazy and relies on you to provide the fix.  You end up in a constant cycle of good and bad moods and that means excess fat and weight gain, especially in the mid section. Getting a good night's sleep is crucial to keeping your clothes fitting like they should and you on your game. According to the National Sleep Foundation seven to nine hours of sleep nightly keeps your body running optimally. With the stress of the holidays, it is even more important to ensure you get adequate rest.

Skipping Breakfast = DISASTER!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The name actually means to break overnight fast. Think about it, if your last meal was at 7:00 pm and you sleep until 7: 00 am that is 12 hours your body has gone without food. You need a good breakfast to ward off the pounds. Your blood sugar is at its lowest in the morning, and if you wait until later in the day to eat, your body will send out chemical signals to eat sugary, high calorie foods for a quick fix for your fogged brain. The problem is sugary, refined carbohydrate foods will not keep you and your brain satiated for long and within 1-2 hours you will be reaching for your next sugary fix.

Start your day with a quality protein rich meal such as organic free range eggs, organic free range chicken, bison or organic grass fed beef. An omelet with good sources of hormone free meat and vegetables, cooked with a little olive oil provides you with quality nutrients your body can utilize and will keep you full longer. On the run; a pure quality protein shake with fruits and some flaxseed oil will also keep your waist line happy.

Lunch is also important to keep you on track and keep you slim. If you ate a really healthy high protein, good quality breakfast, your blood sugar levels are just getting ready to signal you to eat. Beat the signals and load up on a protein, veggies and a good fat meal. A roasted chicken salad with the dressing on the side is a great way to keep you on your game. Eating lunch will keep your blood sugar level and will keep the weight off of your waist and will allow you to be in control of the food you eat.

Snacks are important as well, especially if you have a party to attend right after work. It is this time after lunch and before dinner that disaster can strike. Carry snacks such as raw nuts, nut butter and crackers, veggies, or a cup with a tight fitting lid with a scoop of protein powder inside; all you need to do is add the water. If you eat before you get to the party, you will be able to sensibly choose healthier foods instead of arriving and heading straight for the food and eating like a wild starved animal.

Drink up! No not alcohol, water. Water can actually keep you feeling full which means you will not be snacking on high calorie foods. Water is the avenue on which nutrients and wastes travel. It is required in abundance for the kidneys to regulate and for the bowel to eliminate. Insufficient amounts of water leads to health problems. The body is designed to use water to help pump volumes of blood throughout our arteries, helps chemical messengers communicate and to keep hormones working properly.

So how much water should you drink?  Ideally, the amount is based on your body weight. So take your body weight (in pounds) divide by 2 and this represents the number of ounces you require for daily maintenance.  Then divide by 8 which will let you know how many eight ounce glasses you need per day. Let’s use a 150lb person as an example:

150 pounds ÷ 2 = 75 ounces,

75 ÷ 8 = 9.4 8oz glasses per day

Avoid municipal drinking water it can actually make you fat! Aging water treatment distribution systems, pollutants and chemicals should be enough reason to stay away from it. Throughout North America there are acceptable guidelines laid out by Environmental Protection Agencies as well as ministries as to what are acceptable amounts of pollutants in the water such as chlorine, lead, arsenic, and aluminum, which should not be a part of our drinking water; period.  What is more shocking than undesired heavy metals is the fact that most filtration system cannot filter excreted medications and essentially if you are drinking Municipal tap water you are essentially consuming other’ excreted synthetic drugs and a host of other substances. According to Steve Meyerowitzi author of Water The Ultimate Lure;

There are more than 75,000 chemical compounds in our water with more being added daily. The problem is there is no long term research on the effects of ingesting daily amounts of chemicals, pollutants, industrial waste, along with agriculture land fill run off.  

Most pesticides, herbicides and chemicals are estrogen in nature. Estrogen dominance leads to weight gain.  

Stick to Spring water or reverse osmosis with a pinch of Celtic sea salt for added trace minerals. Read the water bottle label, if it says purified drinking water, you are essentially paying for municipal water that has been purified. Be sure the water bottle label says spring water.  Combine your mid afternoon snack with water and you will arrive at your party level headed and in control.

Follow these 5 easy tips to beating holiday weight gain and you will be the envy of your outta-control sugar munching holiday party goers. Think of how well you will feel come January when everyone else has added the 10-15 pound weight gain to their New Year's Resolutions. Tis the Season!

Cutting Calories This Thanksgiving? Don't Read This!

Most nutritionist and health nuts focus on how to cut calories with alternatives to high fat traditional Thanksgiving foods. There will not be one iota of an idea on how to cut calories and keep your waist line in check. Instead let’s focus on how the original dinner for giving thanks has transformed over the years and the marrying of cultural influences.

Have you heard of the 80/20 rule? If you make a conscious effort to eat healthy, exercise and lead a healthy lifestyle 80 percent of the time, it allows for 20 percent letting loose and splurging. Relax, unlike the original feast of Plymouth Rock that lasted for days, Thanksgiving is one day therefore celebrate and enjoy the foods presented. Focus on family and friends and feeling great; food that is consumed in a positive environment is actually better digested and utilized by the body.

Ok for you health enthusiasts that cannot take a day off here is one iota of advice; use non-salted butter or coconut butter in place of shortening, olive oil in place of vegetable oil and incorporate stevia, xylitol, honey or maple syrup in place of sugar. Keep your portions in check; keep protein to the size of your fist, load up on green raw vegetables, keep cranberry sauce and gravy to a tablespoon. Drink water or dry red wine and take the smallest biscuit and eat half of it. Don't skip desert, take a sliver of pie or the smallest piece and take 3 or 4 mouth-full to get a taste without guilt.

Thanksgiving in the United States is modeled after the 1621 harvest and new friendships between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians.  The Pilgrims regularly gave thanks and blessings for fighting victories, bountiful harvest, and new friendships. The Wampanoag gave thanks for every hunt and according to log entries of Edward Winslow, a Pilgrim, described the following after witnessing a Wampanoag ceremony;

"The Wampanoag would meet together and cry unto him [the Creator]

...sing, dance, feast, give thanks" for the success of a bountiful hunt."

Symbolism for Thanksgiving transformed into a symbolism for inter-cultural peace, allowing America’s opportunity for newcomers, and the sanctity of home and family.

In time Thanksgiving moved away from the religious aspects and turned more to family gatherings to incorporate all ethnic backgrounds living in the USA. With this shift came different interpretations of dinner. Typical American feast includes gravy, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

Southerners’ Thanksgiving incorporates cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, rice, seven layer salad, sweet potato pie, cranberry salad, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, broccoli pudding, green bean casserole, collard greens, extra creamy baked macaroni and cheese, and biscuits. Desert consists of pecan pie and pumpkin pie.

Louisiana’s Cajun flare includes the "turducken", a turkey stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken.  Growing in popularity across the United States is deep-fried turkey requiring an extra large deep fryer. Although it sounds scrumptious it is a health hazard if it is not constantly attended to. There have been reports of burns and homes catching fire. 

Speaking of keeping it healthy; if you are deep frying your turkey this year, use a high quality, high grade cooking oil such as Avocado oil with a smoke point of 271F, or Coconut oil with a smoke point of 350F. If you enjoy butter, try Ghee, a clarified butter removing the milk solids to allow for a higher smoke point which is 375-485F.   

For those of you who use peanut oil, and are suffering with any kind of inflammatory condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, gout or arthritis may want to avoid. Unless it is organic, peanuts are at a high risk of containing Aspergillus flavus, releasing the toxic substance aflatoxin. This usually happens from improper growing and storage. Peanut oil is also high in omega-6 linoleic acid which causes excess flammation in the body, as well as PGE2 which causes increased pain.

Some areas on the West Coast replace traditional turkey with Dungeness crab; a species of crab that inhabits eelgrass beds and water bottoms from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to Santa Cruz, California. 

Puerto Rico cooking is influenced by Spain, Africa and Amerindian Taino traditions. Side dishes of choice include their national dish, arroz con gandules; rice and Pigeon peas, pumpkin flan , roasted white sweet potatoes and Spanish sparkling hard cider 

Vegetarians and vegans have tofurkey which is a tofu-based dish with imitation turkey flavor. Alaskan villages, traditionally used whale meat, and beef prime rib is the choice of Irish Immigrants. Italian have  meals of lasagna, spaghetti and meat balls, sweet and hot Italian sausage, eggplant parmesan, stuffed mushrooms and tomatoes, along with rum cake and canoli's washed down with an expresso.

What is interesting to note is the metamorphosis of the Pilgrims of Plymouth celebration of thanks. According to logs of the 1621 feast included were waterfowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, squash and wild turkeys. Spices and seasoning were compliments of the Wampanoag natives. Although squash was available there were no ovens meaning pumpkin pie was not on the menu; melon was the desert of choice. 

Pumpkin was either stewed of made into a pudding and pumpkin pie was first reference in a book entitled The History of New England written by Edward Johnson in 1654. It seems there is no definitve answer, however Francois Pierre la Varenne, a famous French chef and authored a cookbook in the 17th century, referenced a pumpkin pie and Amelia Simmons’ cookbook "American Cookery" published in  1796  developed recipes for foods native to America. It is believed that her pumpkin puddings were later baked in a crust resembling pumkin pie.

Thanksgiving was not a tradition, in fact, prior to the mid-1800s, Thanksgiving had nothing to do with the 1621 harvest celebration. It started as a traditional New England holiday that celebrated family and community.  An actual day for Thanksgiving was not introduced until 1863, when in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. Turkey became the prominent choice after World War II, with the development of larger hybrid turkeys and aggressive marketing by the poultry industry.  

The meaning of Thanksgiving has changed throughout the years and is celebrated in many different ways. The two components that remain the same are family gatherings, food, giving thanks, and we can’t forget football.

This Thanksgiving, focus on what really matters, being with others. Give thanks for family and friends and the food you are about to receive.

In case you are wondering; when did football become a part of the tradition? In 1876; Yale versus Princeton. The first televised Thanksgiving game aired in 1956, prior to this, games were broadcast on radio.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Photo: DanBrady.co.uk

5 Life Saving Reasons Why You Should Be Eating Pomegranates

Hidden inside this unattractive fruit are five lifesaving reasons why you should be eating the Pomegranate

The pomegranate is the oldest known fruit on the planet, although if that were the case why was the apple considered the forbidden fruit of Eden? Perhaps the pomegranate was indeed the fruit of choice, and there is reference to the mistaken identity. From biblical times to Chaucer, Shakespeare and Homer they have all extolled the virtues of the pomegranate in literature.


The pomegranate is known as the fruit of the underworld, fruit of paradise and the fruit of fertility. The Romans referred to the red fruit as the Punic apple and it received its Latin name Punicum malum from the Italian voyage onboard the Carthage (meaning Punic).  Later the fruit became the Punicam granatum; for pomegranates cultivation (Carthage) and granatum referring to the many seeds in the fruit.

The pomegranate has been savored for its medicinal properties and its decorative abilities. The skin was used to dye leather and fabrics. And the seeds itself were used to colour fine fabrics. Ancient Egyptian physicians had over 700 remedies for treating disease; the most popular ingredients in their formulas was pomegranate. Physicians in Greece prescribed pomegranate juice as a treatment for arthritis, circulation disorders, viruses, and digestive problems.

Although there are health benefits in every part of the pomegranate researches have focused on the arils and their juice. Although this rather unattractive fruit has been consumed for centuries around the world its popularity in North America is in its infancy.

The pomegranate is low in calories and high in health benefiting nutrients. It is rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, phytochemicals and anthocyanins  punicalagins and allegic acid. Inside the pomegranate there are about seven hundred to eight hundred tightly packed deep ruby red arils waiting for you to enjoy. This bland ugly looking fruit hides its beauty and health benefits within. Pomegranate arils are high in fibre and are a rich source of antioxidants, potassium, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, vitamin C, calcium and phosphorus.

Pressured by High blood Pressure? 

Pomegranates are high in potassium which aids in lowering blood pressure. Studies show that pomegranate juice can actually reduce systolic blood pressure. One study concluded drinking 1.7 ounces of pomegranate juice per day can lower systolic blood pressure by as much as 5 percent.

Pomegranate Love for Heart disease

Drink to your cardiovascular health! There is no shortage of polyphenols when it comes to pomegranates. Polyphenols are a natural anti inflammatory and can reduce the inflammatory process associated with heart disease, improve circulation to the heart and reduce arterial wall thickness. The little red super wonders can also lower LDL and raise HDL which helps in the fight against heart disease.

Prostate Cancer Buster

Polyphenols in pomegranate juice can not only inhibit the growth of cancer cells but actually kill cancer cells. In one study published in the Journal of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics by scientists at UCLA
 "pomegranate extracts may be able to slow prostate cancer cell growth, as well as significantly delaying the transition of prostate tumors from the more favorable androgen-sensitive state to the treatment-resistant androgen-insensitive state."  Drinking a mere 8 ounces of pomegranate juice per day kept PSA levels stable preventing the need for chemotherapy or hormone therapy.

Attack on Germs

Ward off the bad guys with Pomegranates.  Scientist discovered the antimicrobial properties of pomegranates. They have tested the ability of  anti-microbes ability to kill seven different bacteria. This is good news to ward off cold's and and bacterial infections.

Strengthen your Bones

A study conducted in Saitama Prefectural University, Japan found that
"bone volume and the trabecular number were significantly increased and the trabecular separation was decreased in the pomegranate-dosed group compared with the control group. Some histological bone formation/reasorption parameters were significantly increased by ovariectomy but were normalized by administration of the pomegranate extract."   Drink up! Cheers to your bone health. 

There are more than 5 reasons to add pomegranates to your nutrition regime. Studies also indicate that pomegranate can aid in the prevention of breast cancer, lung cancer, anemia, anti aging, Bleeding piles, morning sickness, sore throat and Alzheimer. Our ancestors have been using pomegranates in healing and prevention for centuries. Don't wait for studies to tell you what the pomegranate can already tell you; eat up and drink up to your health.

You can find Karen playing with her food in Phoenix Arizona
Karen Langston, Chief Body Reorganizer
Karen@IamWorthit2.com
623 252.HEAL (4325)
Visit Karen's Website 

How Much Water Should I Drink?

By Youth Fitness Specialist Kevin Nichols

When you are watching your favorite basketball player or baseball player on TV, have you ever noticed that the first thing they do when they get to the sideline or dugout is get a drink? Whether on their own or from the hand of a trainer, they drink constantly every chance they get throughout the game. That is how important hydration is to athletic performance.

Surprising, as it may seem, the most important part of a youth athlete's diet isn't what they eat, it is what and how much they drink.

So, How much water should your drink before, during, and after you exercise or play your favorite sport?

Ages 6 to 17:

Before Exercise/Sports

1 to 2 hours before sports: 8 to 16 ounces of cold water

10 to 15 minutes before sports: 8 to 12 ounces of cold water

During Exercise/Sports

Every 20 minutes: Between 4 and 10 ounces of water mixed with Ultima or electrolyte replacement

After Exercise/Sports

Within two hours: at least 24 ounces of water mixed with Ultima or electrolyte replacement

If you're looking for a healthy sports drink recipe, try this yummy recipe.

Orange Lemon Lime Sports Drink

•

Sports parents have a choice: spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on the convenience of store-bought sports drinks in throw-away plastic bottles, or save money and the environment with homemade sports drinks.

• 1/2 can frozen orange juice

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• Water to make 2 liters

Mix in a glass jug and pour into your favorite reusable bottles. Also, for best taste use filtered water from your tap.