Nutrition

[tallulahdahling]

A friend of mine who is a registered dietician gave me book called "The China Study."
Seems that very few Chinese women suffer from breast cancer and they base that fact on their diet.
Very little animal protein and lots of veggies.

What, no Chinese pizza?   

[Sunny]

Interesting. I wasn't aware of this, tallulah!!!!??!! I've heard of other cultures which had a low represenation of Cancer diagnoses...

Maybe it's all of the rice they eat?

[tallulahdahling]

Dunno--could be.  A friend of mine turned me on to this site: DrBenKim.com

Very interesting facts about the Oriental diet.  Problem is, in po-dunk Mississippi, I don't have access to a grocery that offers these diverse veggies and foods.

My SIL came to care for me after my mastectomy and brought a bunch of groceries from Whole Foods grocery.  Wow!  I've never had an organic peach that ever tasted like that in my life!  The ones you get here taste like you have just bit into a pencil eraser   

[Sunny]

There's another idea for your other thread...will head over there!

But, I'll add here that I recall "decaffinated" was the key for my sister-in-law...anti-oxidants?!? And certain types of tea (green, black ash?, various herbals) were some of her saving graces...

[kimmi]

All I know is that when my grandmother came here from Japan and started eating more western, her health went to shit!  Red meat, potatoes, sugar, etc... were basically killing her.  If she would have stuck with a diet of fish and veggies, she would have outlived all of us!  Her father was 112 when he died.

[tallulahdahling]

Right, Kimmi!

You know that Americans are the most obese, have the most diabetes (and rates for childhood diabetes are frighteningly rising) and more heart disease than any other nation?

Spooky my friends!

This book I am reading called the China Study is really enlightening.  Most Oriental countries have the best health ever--except it seems that Chinese men are really smoking cigarettes a lot--they still live longer than we do, though.

They get lots of exercise too--most walk or ride bikes to work in the smaller communities.

[tallulahdahling]

Very interesting stuff--got this from www.drbenkim.com.  Excellent site and you get newsletters sent to you once a month free!

Which Foods Contain the Most Antioxidants?
By Dr. Ben Kim on February 16, 2005 Healthy Eating

One of the most important steps you can take to prevent heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease is to eat plenty of antioxidant-rich foods. As discussed in a previous article on free radicals, antioxidants protect your health by preventing and repairing damage caused to your cells by excessive free radicals.

Antioxidants are plentiful in plant foods, particularly those that have bright colours. As of May, 2005, the most comprehensive study of the antioxidant content of common foods that I know of was published in the June 2004 edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. According to this study, the 20 most antioxidant-rich foods are as follows:

Rank         Food                 Serving Size    Antioxidant Capacity per Serving
1    Small red beans, dried       1/2 cup                          13727
2    Wild blueberries          1 cup                              13427
3    Red kidney beans, dried    1/2 cup                         13259
4    Pinto beans                   1/2 cup                             11864
5    Blueberries, cultivated      1 cup                             9019
6    Cranberries                    1 cup                               8983
7    Artichoke hearts, cooked   1 cup                          7904
8    Blackberries                     1 cup                                7701
9    Dried prunes                    1/2 cup                       7291
10    Raspberries                    1 cup                                6058
11    Strawberries                    1 cup                               5938
12    Red delicious apple           One                              5900
13    Granny Smith apple         One                             5381
14    Pecans                            1 ounce                        5095
15    Sweet cherries                  1 cup                               4873
16    Black plum                    One                                 4844
17    Russet potato, cooked       One                                    4649
18    Black beans                   1/2 cup                                4181
19    Plum                              One                                   4118
20    Gala apple                     One                                  3903

The highest ranked foods in four major categories are as follows:

Fruits: blueberries, cranberries, and blackberries.

Vegetables: beans, artichoke hearts, and surprisingly, russet potatoes.

Nuts: pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts.

Spices: cinnamon, oregano, and ground cloves.

Here are a few points to keep in mind when choosing antioxidant-rich foods:

   1. Because there are many different types of antioxidants that can protect your tissues from different types of damage, it is best to eat a wide range of antioxidant-rich foods.
   2. How much you benefit from the antioxidants found in the foods you eat depends on how well you breakdown and absorb these foods.
   3. One of the best ways of making sure that you are getting plenty of antioxidants in your diet is to strive to eat lots of fresh vegetables. If you just don't have the time to eat a large green salad every day, consider buying a good juicer and drinking a fresh vegetable juice on a daily basis. Another more convenient option is to use a high quality super green food product.
   4. It is best to limit the amount of sweet fruits that you eat according to your dental health and blood sugar and insulin levels. If you haven't already, please read my article on the dangers of eating too much fruit.
   5. When washing and preparing vegetables and fruits, be sure to wash non-organic varieties with extra care to help remove pesticide residues. This is especially important for vegetables and fruits that are known to be heavily contaminated with pesticides.

Raw chocolate and goji berries are two foods that are extremely rich in antioxidants but were not evaluated for the study cited above.

[Sandy Eggo]

Good info! I'm actually going to print this one out for a reference. I eat quite a few of those foods anyway, but just for variety sake. I've never heard of a goji berry before.


Just in case you haven't either, here's the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry

[tallulahdahling]

Latest Pesticide Analysis of Common Fruits and Vegetables
By Dr. Ben Kim on March 31, 2007 Health Warnings | Healthy Eating

In late 2006, the Environmental Working Group released their latest report on the average pesticide content of common fruits and vegetables.

Many different studies that have been done with animals have found that exposure to pesticides can increase the risk of developing various types of cancer, nervous system dysfunction, and reproductive problems.

Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children should do their very best to minimize their exposure to pesticides and other environmental toxins.

Key findings from the Environmental Working Group's latest study are as follows:

1. The six fruits that consistently have the lowest levels of pesticide residues are avocados, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi, bananas, and papaya.

2. The six vegetables that consistently have the lowest levels of pesticide residues are onions, sweet corn, asparagus, sweet peas, cabbage, and broccoli.

3. The seven fruits that consistently have the highest levels of pesticide residues are peaches, apples, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, and grapes that are imported from outside the United States and Canada.

4. The five vegetables that consistently have the highest levels of pesticide residues are sweet bell peppers, celery, spinach, lettuce, and potatoes.

While it is unrealistic for most of us to eat only organic produce 100 percent of the time, we can use the results of this study to guide us in choosing to buy organic varieties of those fruits and vegetables that consistently rank high in pesticide content.

What follows is a complete list of all 43 fruits and vegetables that were evaluated for pesticide content and their rankings:

RANK            FRUIT OR VEGGIE                      SCORE

1 (worst)      Peaches                                  100 (highest pesticide load)

2                 Apples                                     89

3                 Sweet Bell Peppers                     86

4                 Celery                                     85

5                 Nectarines                                84

6                 Strawberries                             82

7                 Cherries                                   75
   
8                 Pears                                      65

9                 Grapes - Imported                     65

10                Spinach                                  60

11                Lettuce                                  59

12                Potatoes                                 58

13                Carrots                                   57

14                Green Beans                             53

15                Hot Peppers                             53

16                Cucumbers                               52

17                Raspberries                               47

18                Plums                                      45

19                Grapes - Domestic                      43

20                Oranges                                    42

21                Grapefruit                                  40

22                Tangerine                                  38

23                 Mushrooms                                37

24                 Cantaloupe                                34

25                 Honeydew Melon                         31

26                 Tomatoes                                  30

27                  Sweet Potatoes                         30

28                  Watermelon                               28

29                  Winter Squash                            27

30                   Cauliflower                                 27

31                   Blueberries                                24

32                   Papaya                                     21

33                   Broccoli                                     18

34                   Cabbage                                    17

35                   Bananas                                     16

36                   Kiwi                                           14

37                   Sweet peas - frozen                      11

38                   Asparagus                                   11

39                   Mango                                         9

40                    Pineapples                                   7

41                   Sweet Corn - frozen                       2

42                   Avocado                                       1

43                   (best) Onions                                 1 (lowest pesticide load)

[kimmi]

So I wonder if I bought all of my fruits and vegetables from a road side stand, would they have the same rank in pesticides?  I would assume they do use them but are the ones that are being produced for grocery store shelf life treated with more?

[tallulahdahling]

So I wonder if I bought all of my fruits and vegetables from a road side stand, would they have the same rank in pesticides?  I would assume they do use them but are the ones that are being produced for grocery store shelf life treated with more?

Well, it depends.  If they grow their own stuff you can ask them if they use pesticides.  But I have found that the majority of people who sell fruit and veggies by the road here get their stuff at market which usually imports their stuff from Florida to CA.

Now locally, I know you can get sweet potatoes, bell peppers and herbs that are pesticide free.

But the ones produced for the grocery are definately loaded down with more.  Scrub your veggies well!

[tallulahdahling]

And I thought there was no such thing as a bad potato!!   

Beware of Eating Green Potatoes
By Dr. Ben Kim on July 09, 2007 Health Warnings
A recent article in the New York Times provides an important dietary warning:

Green potatoes often contain high levels of a toxin called solanine, which can cause any of the following gastrointestinal and/or neurological symptoms upon ingestion:

Nausea
Vomiting
Stomach cramps
Diarrhea
Burning sensation in throat region
Headaches
Dizziness
Hallucinations
If ingested in large quantities (3 to 6 mg per kilogram of body weight), solanine can even cause death.

Symptoms of solanine poisoning tend to occur about 6 to 12 hours after ingestion, but can also occur within several minutes when foods that are highly concentrated in solanine are ingested.

Solanine is a chemical that is produced in small amounts by potatoes as a natural defense mechanism against insects. Prolonged exposure to warm temperatures and light can increase solanine content in potatoes.

The green tint that potatoes can take on is caused by high chlorophyll content; potatoes produce chlorophyll and solanine at the same time, so a high level of chlorophyll often accompanies high solanine content. Chlorophyll by itself is not harmful to human health.

Alexander Pavlista, a professor of agronomy and horticulture at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, reports that a 100-pound person can experience illness after eating just 16 ounces (1 pound) of a fully green potato - this is about the average weight of a large, baked potato.

Commercial varieties of potatoes are screened for solanine. But if left for too long and/or stored improperly, potatoes can build up their solanine content to dangerous levels.

In order to prevent unnecessary formation of and exposure to solanine, it is best to store potatoes in cool, dark areas, and to trim away green areas before preparing them to eat.

Occasionally, a potato that is not green can also be high in solanine content. High solanine levels usually result in bitter potatoes, so don't continue eating a potato that is bitter upon first bite.

Solanine is also produced naturally by chili peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and tobacco. But the average intake of solanine from these plants is not usually significant; most ingested solanine comes from potatoes.

[tallulahdahling]

MMMMMM chocolate!!!


Raw Chocolate:

Experience The Health Benefits of Raw, Organic Cocoa Nibs & Powder

In my practice, I regularly design custom eating programs for people who are looking to overcome health challenges or just maintain excellent overall health. Almost invariably, I am asked to include some healthy snack options that will satisfy cravings for conventional sweets, usually ones that are coated with chocolate.

The requests for truly healthy chocolate treats became frequent enough that about a year ago, I stopped insisting that the only way to go was to learn to be happy with an assortment of fruits, and began experimenting with different varieties of organic cocoa from all over the world.

The more I researched and experimented in our kitchen, the more excited I became. I almost couldn't believe how good the homemade chocolate treats that were coming out of our blender and food processor were. I used different types of raw, organic chocolate nibs and powder to make dairy-free treats like chocolate truffles (just like the ones you see in the image to your right), chocolate smoothies, chocolate peanut butter smoothies, and chocolate ice cream. Every treat that I made was free of dairy, sugar, preservatives, unhealthy oils, and all of the other less-than-healthy ingredients that go into conventional treats.

After almost a year of testing and preparation, I am excited to be able to provide through our web site two new products: Raw, organic cocoa nibs (raw chocolate pieces), and raw, organic cocoa powder. I'm excited about sharing these products because raw, organic chocolate is one of the most powerful, health-promoting foods that we know of.

Here are the key reasons why eating raw chocolate is good for your health:

Raw chocolate is naturally rich in flavonoids, which are natural nutrients with antioxidant properties - the same nutrients that make berries, grapes, and green tea health-promoting foods.

Flavonoids that are abundant in raw chocolate can protect your cells against damage by free radicals, which can help to prevent premature aging.

Flavonoids in raw chocolate are good for your heart, as they can help to prevent stickiness of platelets, which are cells that play an important role in blood clotting.

Flavonoids can help your body produce nitric oxide, a compound that promotes a healthy cardiovascular system.

Before you make conventional chocolate bars a staple in your diet, it's important to understand that the health benefits of chocolate are mainly due to its rich flavonoid content. And the more chocolate is processed, the fewer flavonoids it retains. Fewer flavonoids translates to less antioxidant content and less potential health benefits.

If you want to eat chocolate to optimally support your health, your best choice is raw, organic chocolate that has no added ingredients like sugar, milk, and oil. Your next best choice is dark chocolate with 70 percent or more cocoa content, but this ranks a distant second to raw chocolate, since conventional dark chocolate bars are exposed to significant heat and processing. The worst choices are milk and white chocolate. Most varieties of milk chocolate have only about 25 to 50 percent the flavonoid content of dark chocolate, and white chocolate has no flavonoids.

The antioxidant content of different foods is measured by what's called the ORAC test; the higher the ORAC value for a food, the greater its antioxidant content. Here is a list of ORAC values for foods that are known to be rich in antioxidants, as calculated by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Journal of the American Chemical Society:

Dark chocolate 13,120
Milk chocolate 6,740
Prunes 5,770
Raisins 2,830
Blueberries 2,400
Blackberries 2,036
Kale 1,770
Strawberries 1,540
Spinach 1,260
Raspberries 1,220
Brussels sprouts 980
Plums 949
Alfalfa sprouts 930
Broccoli 890

Beyond its value as a food that is super-rich in antioxidants, raw chocolate is also abundant in the following health-promoting nutrients:

Serotonin (3 mg per 100 g) and tyramine (2 mg per 100 g) - both are capable of creating a mild calming effect.

Copper (0.8 mg per 100 g) - needed for energy production, proper nerve signaling, optimal bone health, and formation of healthy connective tissue in your heart and blood vessels.

Phenylethylamine (PEA) - can help to promote mental alertness and focus. It is also thought to combat feelings of depression, and is released within your brain when you are in love.

Magnesium (131 mg per 100 g) - is needed for healthy bones and teeth, energy production, and optimal heart, nerve, and muscle health. Magnesium levels tend to be low during menstruation, which may explain why some women tend to crave chocolate on a periodic basis.

During my research, I experimented with raw, organic cocoa from locations throughout South America and Southeast Asia. Ultimately, I chose the highest quality raw chocolate that I could find to share with our newsletter subscribers.

The contents of this website are the opinions of Dr. Ben Kim unless otherwise noted. The information on this website is not intended as personalized medical advice and is not intended to replace the relationship that you have with your primary care provider. Any decisions you make with regard to your daily choices and medical treatments should be made with the help of a qualified health care provider.

[tallulahdahling]

Dr. Ben Kim's Natural Health Newsletter
May 15, 2007

Dear Reader,

If you are not certain about how to choose healthy
carbohydrate-rich foods, you stand a good chance of
one day jumping on the low-carb, high-protein
bandwagon, a trip that can often cause more problems
than it can solve. 

Get clear on what carbohydrates are and how to eat
them to support your health by viewing the following
article:

]http://drbenkim.com/carbs-healthy.html]

[tallulahdahling]

Dr. Ben Kim's Natural Health Newsletter
July 16, 2007

Dear Reader,

To read some of my thoughts on the 4 most important
requirements for restoring, maintaining, and improving
your health, view the following blog entry:

http://drbenkim.com/climb-right-wall-health.html

***

My favorite component of "The Less Stress System"
(mentioned in the blog entry cited above) is its
weekly newsletter.  I like the practical suggestions
and tips in this newsletter so much that whenever I
find one in my e-mail inbox, I print it out, read it
with an uncluttered mind, and take action right away
to apply what I have learned.

Last week, I was struggling with an unexpected,
negative encounter that I experienced with a neighbor.
To my amazement, the Less Stress newsletter that
showed up while I was feeling a bit down provided a
simple but powerful visualization exercise that left
me feeling peace of mind just minutes after I did it.

If you still haven't taken a look at "The Less Stress
System," I encourage you to do so now at the following
page:

http://lessstresssystem.com