If you want to obtain optimal health from nutrition, you have to understand first,
how much what you put in your body effects your health.
The human body was designed with lots of care in order to transform a mixture of certain compounds
that are found in nature into muscles, bones, organs, glands and our brain.
The interactions of these nutrient compounds are the hairy bags of chemical soup what we call human beings.
Every time we mass around with them, they will mass around with you.

People who consume fatty burgers with nutrient poor fries don’t realize how much they
are disturbing the excellent precision of nutrient use by their bodies.
Let’s look at some examples in order to make clear how that precision makes the engine of
a Masserati look like a child’s toy.

Let’s look at a good one: vitamin B12. You need only a few micrograms (millionths of a gram) of vitamin B12
each day: the RDA (Recommended daily Allowance ) is only 2 micrograms. Your blood contains
only about 5 nanograms (billionths of a gram) per liter,
less than a speck of dust. Even under a microscope you couldn’t see such amount.
It represents less than one part per trillion of your body weight.
But if you lack that tiny speck, your whole body declines into a serious disease, called
pernicious anemia, which gradually destroys the myelin sheaths, which protect your nerves, leading to blindness, insanity and death.

A second example is iodine. A daily intake of about 50 micrograms is considered to be sufficient for most people. This amount is still so tiny that you could hardly see it on the
head of a pin. Every day your body separates the few molecules of iodine that occur in
different foods with a precision that goes for beyond the most advanced computer and
transport them straight to the thyroid gland. There they convert an enert chemical
called thyronine into powerful thyroid hormones. These hormones then control your
energy supply, your mood and even how well you can think.

The same applies to other micro nutrients. It is still a mystery how such minute amounts
of these substances can hold the keys to health, to sanity and even to life itself.
But they do and if they are deficient in your food, you are asking for disease.
We need a daily dose of a precise mix of 59 nutrients for optimal bodily function.

Elements required in large amounts daily:
Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Sulphur, Nitrogen

Elements required in medium amounts daily:
Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride

Elements required in small amounts daily:
Iron, Manganese, Chromium, Fluoride, Arsenic, Germanium, Zinc, Silicon,
Selenium, Molybdenum, Boron, Copper, Cobalt, Iodine, Nickel, Tin.

Vitamins (common form names):
A (retinol), B3 (niacin, niacinamide), B12 (cobalamin), C (ascorbic acid),
K (phylloquinone), B1 (thiamin), B5 (pantothenic acid), Folic Acid, D (calciferol),
B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyrodoxine), Biotin, E (d-alpha tocopherol).

Co-factors (common form names):
Choline, Para-amino-benzoic acid (PABA), Pyroloquinoline quinone (PQQ),
Inositol, Bioflavonoides, Co-enzyme Q10

Essential amino acids:
Isoleucine, Methionine, Tryptophan, *istidine, Leucine, Phenylalanine,
Valine, Taurine, Lysine, Threonine, *Aginine,
* Conditionally essential

Essential fatty acids:
Linoleic acid, Linolenic acid
From some you need a lot, others you need only tiny amounts. But they all have to
be provided in the correct amounts. The first five, which you need in large quantities,
are plentiful present in foods and in the air we breath, so supply is not often a problem.

The remaining 54 nutrients we need in medium or small quantities and are less readily
available in the environment. More important, they may be deficient or entirely absent
in any of the degraded foods, which we now find in most of our food supply.

We know that 13 vitamins, 22 minerals, 6 co-factors, 8 amino acids ( plus 3 more in certain circumstances)
and 2 essential fatty acids are required for optimal bodily function.

All these essential substances interact with each other in precise synergy to produce,
maintain and renew your body. IF one is missing or in short supply,
the functions of all the others are impaired.

Although the essentiality of co-factors is still controversial, they are included, because
recent evidence all points in that direction. The meaning of the word ” essential”
in science means:
(a) The nutrients have to be present in adequate amounts or function is impaired.
(b) The body can’t make the nutrients or can’t make enough of them for normal tissue function.
(c) You have to get them from your diet.

If you can’t get them from your diet, you have to supplement them from a high quality source.
for example from USANA Health Sciences. These are the facts on nutrition.

   Edition #30

More Health & Nutrition by Nutrobalance
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Foods without nutritional value

In Mass- production of food, during the process of ripening, storing, drying, cooking, freezing, blanching, pasteurization, hydrogenation, ultra-fibration and multiple other practices of modern food processing, our already degraded foods produced by NPK fertilizers on depleted soils, are further deprived from their essential nutrients.

The latest RDA handbook, the official government handbook stating the quality of our food, reviews hundreds of studies, showing that the already degraded crops of today may lose even what’s left over of nutrients after harvesting, before it reaches your dinner table.

Here follows some examples of the evidence from the RDA handbook:
Vitamin E: “the tocopherol content of foods varies greatly depending on processing, storage and preparation procedures during which large losses may occur”
Vitamin C: “may be considerably lower because of destruction by heat and oxygen” Vitamin B6: “50-70% is lost in processing meats and 50-90% is lost in milling cereals”
Folic acid: “as much as 50% may be destroyed during household preparation, food processing and storage”.
Magnesium: “more than 80% is lost by removal of the germ and outer layers of cereal grains”
Next time when you eat a slice of bread, realize that the germ and outer layers of grains
are removed in the manufacturing process of all white and so-called “enriched” flours.

You must realize that these facts are not from some scary media report but from the official handbook, Recommended Dietary Allowances, published in November 1989
by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. They are the latest official facts on nutrition.

Here follows some more evidence from authorities in food science to show the nutrient losses by food processing.
Dr. Robert Harris, Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at MIT describes in his “Nutritional evaluation of Food Processing”, destruction of nutrients in vegetables by modern cold storage. Stored grapes lose up to 30% of their B vitamins. Tangerins stored for 8 weeks, can lose almost half their vitamin C. Asparagus stored for a week, loses up to 90% of its vitamin C.

Any time you eat an apple and see the flesh turn brown within a few minutes, it a sign that the apple has oxidized in storage and has lost most of its vitamins.

Dr. Theodore Labuza, Professor of Food Technology at the University of Minnesota, recently reviewed studies showing up to 90% loss of thiamin in the drying of meats and losses of up to one-third of pyridoxine and pantothenic acid in freeze-drying of fish.

Professor Darryl Lund of the Department of Food Science of the University of Wisconsin, shows that the process of blanching , commonly applied to vegetables and fish, can destroy one-third to one-half of their content of thianin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and vit. C. Similar large losses of B vitamins and vitamin C occur in the pasteurization and ultrafilration of milk.

Dr Henry Schroeder, foremost American authority on nutrient content of foods, has proved that freezing of meats can destroy up to 50% of their thiamin and riboflavin content and 70% of their pantothenic acid content.

These are some small examples of the evidence. If you add up all the nutrient losses that have accrued to our food since the late 1940’s, there is not much left. First came the degradation of the soils by use of NPK fertilizers, depriving us from the minerals which are essential to human health. Then came the development of nutrient-poor hybrid strains of grains and vegetables that would grow better on NPK. Finally the methods of modern food processing have deprived from our food much of its remaining nutrients.By the time it reaches your table, it is hard to determine the nutritional value of any food that you put in your mouth.

One more reason, besides our toxic environment of polluted air and water,and the generation of free radicals caused by our stressful lifestyle, causing oxidative stress, to supplement our diet with first grade nutritional supplements.

There is no better way to find what is proven to be the best dietary supplements on the market,than by visiting:http://nutrobalance.usana.com

   Edition #29

How much protein DO we really need to support normal health
and activity?  You can find out by visiting:http://www.drbillsukala.com.au/nutrition/protein-requirements/

Health benefits of Ginger
The ginger root has been used as a cooking spice and medicinal herb for thousands of years. It originated in Southeast Asia where it was first used medicinally for aiding digestion and treating nausea. Over the centuries, the potent root has continued to travel west across the globe. Today, ginger is still popular for its…
read it all….

Travel tips for healthy snacks and meal planning.
Travelling is exciting. You get to meet new people, experience different cultures and most of all,try interesting foods. Maintaining a whole foods, plant-based diet while eating on the road can be challenging but I’ve had some practice and know ways to make it easier for you.   read it all….

Recipe of the day – Chargrilled veg kebabs
click here!

More Health & Nutrition from Nutrobalance
Heart Healthy Diet
How to Fuel your Brain for Energy
Understanding depression

There are some foods that make us sleepy, while others give us energy to burn.
It’s only in recent years, however, that scientists have begun to understand why.
The answer, as it often does, begins in the brain.

To a large extent our feeling, moods, and energy levels are controlled by neurons –
nerve cells in the brain that communicate with the help of chemical messengers
called neurotransmitters. Studies have shown that changes in the levels of
neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine can dramatically affect
energy levels, which is why they are sometimes called wake-up chemicals.

Studies show that people tend to think more quickly and feel more motivated
and energetic when their brains are producing large amounts of theses chemicals.

Our diet provide  the raw materials needed for the production of these neurotransmitters.
What we eat – or don’t – can play a large role in how we feel.
“We’re talking about a whole symphony of brain chemicals that ebb and flow
throughout the day,” says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Food and Mood and
Nutrition for Women.

The building block for dopamine and norepinephrine, for example, is the amino acid
tyrosine. Tyrosine levels are elevated when you eat high protein foods, such as fish,
chicken, or low-fat yogurt.

“Make sure to eat some protein along with carbohydrates at each meal or snack,”
says Molly Kimball, RD, a sports and lifestyle nutritionist at the Ochner Health
System’s Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans.
For instance, instead of having whole-wheat toast with jelly or fruit with juice
for breakfast, have whole-wheat toast with peanut butter or fruit with cottage cheese.
The carbohydrates alone cause a rapid release of blood sugar and a rapid drop in
energy, but the protein helps even that out.”

You don’t have to eat huge amounts of protein to get the energizing effects.
Eating just 3 to 4 ounces of protein-rich food, like a broiled chicken breast  or
a hard-boiled egg “feeds” your brain enough tyrosine to get the dopanine and
norepinephrine flowing.

Even though protein-rich foods can help boost energy, the fats that often come
with them can drag you down. Digesting fats diverts blood from the brain,
which can make you feel sluggish. So don’t overload a turkey sandwich with
high-fat cheese and mayonnaise; dress it with mustard, lettuce, and tomatoes
instead, recommends Somer.

Our modern lifestyle is the cause of a serious, epidemic problem that affects our society to-day: heart disease and stroke.In America half of all death are from coronary heart disease, most of them with advanced atherosclerosis(narrowing of the arteries).

The first report  of coronary artery disease in America was published in 1912 in ‘The Journal of the American Medical Association by Dr. James Herrick.
The disease was so rare that famous cardiologist DR. Paul Dudley White, spent the next 10 years searching for it and found only three cases. Today we have thousands of cases in any small city.

In the same medical journal 77 years later, on July 7 1989, a nationwide analysis showed that 60 million American adults aged 20 – 90 now have coronary disease to some degree.
There is no longer any doubt that the wanton destruction of our food, air and water and the inept and corrupt work of our health authorities created this monster and it’s alive and growing in every third one of us.

Humbug physicians will object that cardiovascular disease is declining, because modern medicine has become so wonderful at detecting it early and treating it successfully. Don’t believe them! Even advanced cardiovascular disease is very difficult to detect.
Dr. Lewis Kuller, for example, analyzed records of 326 people who died of sudden heart attacks,all of whom had received medical examinations within six months before death. Eighty-six of the subjects had received medical examinations within 7 days of their death. Not a single one of the heart attacks had been predicted by their physicians.

If you are fortunate enough to have cardiovascular disease correctly diagnosed before it manifests as a heart attack or stroke, then surely modern treatment can tackle it? No way! Most medial therapies for cardiovascular disease are simply symptomatic relief, that does nothing to reverse or even arrest the disease process.

Has the modern electronic bypass  wizardry done a better job than the 100-year- old traditional advice to cut the fat in your diet and go for a daily walk?
The American government  Coronary Artery Surgery Study spent 24 million dollars to find out. Their studies examined records of 16,626 angiogram patients. From these records researchers selected 780 patients with good heart function, but a significant blockage of one or more coronary arteries.
Half the patients were given bypass surgery plus drugs. The other half were treated with nutritional and lifestyle changes plus drugs. Bypass surgery conferred no advantage at all, neither in longevity nor in incidence of future heart attacks.

What if you avoid surgery and just use our wonderful new drugs instead? I wouldn’t.
The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter reports on fatal drug reactions in hospitals, where you would think medical expertise would protect you or at least could save you if a drug reaction occurs Prescribed hospital drugs are so toxic, they kill 130,000 Americans
every year!

Outside the hospitals, the death toll from the same prescription drugs is probably a lot higher, but is frequently unreported or listed simply as heart failure. The 1994 Physicians Desk Reference contains hundreds of pages of side-effects of common prescription drugs used for cardiovascular disease.
Side-effects include many kinds of cancer, heart disease, liver disease, brain damage and sudden death.

Research has proven that there are many factors, which determine the change of getting heart disease or stroke. Some of the important factors we can influence by changing our diet and avoid smoking.

It’s not a disease of old age, children at the age of 15 can show symptoms of the disease.
Narrowing of the arteries is the main cause of stroke This can start at an early age, without any  warning signs.
This process continue and is very hard to detect till suddenly a stroke occurs.
This happens quite fast in most cases and leaves hardly any time to intervene.

Prevention is the key and this has to start at a youthful age; but it has been proven that by changing one’s lifestyle, the process of narrowing of the arteries can be reversed.

There are a number of factors we have to watch for:
1.to  maintain a constant body weight
2. the use of unsaturated oil and fat
3. use of the right type of cholesterol (high density lipoproteins, HDL), that scrubs and vacuums     excess cholesterol off the walls of your arteries.Heart disease risk starts at a cholesterol level     of 168 mg/dl, NOT the 200 mg/dl now bandied about by the media.
4. moderate intake of alcohol, sugar and sugar containing drinks.
5. avoid smoking
6. eat a healthy diet, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, according to the guidelines of the     department of health.
7. exercise daily for at least 30 minutes.

May the frequent use of this information contribute to the actual fight against heart disease and stroke.
But let us not lose sight of the fact that nutrition is only one of the factors and that smoking, high blood pressure and lack of exercise are also important.

Our daily diet has to consist of sufficient carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals to keep us healthy and fit.
The following average quantities are a good daily measure for an adult, who doesn’t need to perform heavy labor:
1/2 ltr fat reduced milk
one decent serving of vegetables
some potatoes
two to three fruits
1 or 2 slices of cheese
+/- 100 gr. meat
+/- 150 gr. fish
250 – 300 gr. beans
+/- 50 gr. diet margarine
4 – 6 slices of wholemeal bread
2 eggs/ week

Don’t be afraid of cholesterol, it belongs to your body,like arms and legs.
The body makes the necessary amount of cholesterol, which circulate in the blood through your body.
If a big amount of cholesterol in the food enters our body, the amount of cholesterol in our blood rises and atherosclerosis can develop.

Cholesterol rich foods are: egg york, liver, brains, kidneys and milt and roe from fish.

If you don’t eat more than once in a fortnight liver, kidney and occasionally prawns, milt and roe, you don’t have to be afraid of cholesterol. Plenty of exercise has a favorable influence on the cholesterol content of the blood. Walk or cycle daily to work or when going shopping.

May the frequent use of this information contribute to the actual fight against heart disease and stroke.
But let us not lose sight of the fact that nutrition is only one of the factors and that smoking, high blood pressure and lack of exercise are also important.

Why do we need Antioxidants?
The oxidation process that metal causes to rust is also at work inside our body.
Oxidation means:something has reacted with oxygen and oxygen molecules
have lost an electron during their interaction with other molecules.
These so called free radicals try to steal molecules from any healthy
molecules they can find and in the process create more free radicals.

Every breath we take causes free radicals and damage our healthy cells,
as they try to stabilize themselves. The damage of free radicals is significant.
Research is showing more and more evidence that fee radical damage
is the cause of many degenerative diseases,like cancer,stroke,heart – and
eye disease, macular degeneration and the aging process itself.

As with extensive exercises and heavy breathing many free radials are
generated,it is sensible to eat a diet rich in antioxidants,like vit.C packet
citrus fruits,broccoli,dark green vegetables,beta-carotene rich carrots,
sweet potatoes and spinach.Also wheatgerm and vegetable oils,which are
rich in vitamin E, to counteract the damaging effect of free radicals.

As I explained in my subject about cellular nutrition,the anti-oxidants we get
out of our food are not sufficient to neutralize the effect of free radicals.
It makes sense to follow the example of world leading athletes,like:
1.Steve Hooker,Olympic Gold medalist and USANA sponsored athlete,pole vault,
ranked #1 at Bejiing Olympics 2008;ranked #1 at  Perth Interclub Meet in 2008,
ranked #1 at Commonwealth Games in Melbourne 2006.
Steve takes USANA essentials, Biomega, Procosamine, Coquinone,
Garlic EC and bulk nutromeal pouches.

2.Clint Robinson,Olympic Gold medalist and USANA sponsored athlete,
winning K1 1000 meter Canoe/Kayak at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Clint takes the Essentials,Proflavanol 90,Garlic EC,E-prime and Biomega-3.

3.The Australian Women’s Yngling Sailing Team are newly sponsored
USANA Athletes.They came 2nd place at the Yngling World Championships.
4.The Australian Swim Team:Trevis Nederpelt,Matt Target,Elese Zaleski,
Amy Cockerton,Daniel Blackborrow and Aike Sakeson.
These elite athletes noticed multiple benefits,including health improvements,
increased energy levels and greater endurance.

5.Derek Parra,Olympic Gold medalist speed skating.
6.Jenefer Azzi,Olympic gold medalist basketball.
7.Thurl Baily,NBA All-Star basketball player.
They are using the USANA essentials and other products to
supplement their diet.

Fluids:
An athlete should drink plenty of fluid,before,during and after an event,
even when you are not thirsty,because you can’t rely on thirst as an
indicator of your body’s hydration status.Caffeine containing drinks
can make you dehydrated.
Weigh yourself before and after an event.For every pound you lose,
drink 2 cups of water.

Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are important to fuel your body;60-65% of your diet should
come from carbohydrates.Eating complex carbohydrates will strengthen
your endurance,but are burned off during intense exercise.
Foods high in carbohydrates are not high in calories.

Protein:
Athletes and even weightlifters need .8 to 1 gram of protein per kg.
body weight. Extra protein or protein supplements don’t build more
muscle.Working the muscle is the key!
Most athletes and non-athletes are getting enough protein out of their
daily diet.If you eat more protein than your body need,it’s converted
into body fat, if you consume more calories than your body needs.

An athlete's diet should be selected with the object of maintaining an optimum expenditure of energy.
The foods selected should include wheatmeal bread, wheatmeal or oatmeal porridge with wheatgerm and raisins , and served with milk and honey.

Protein food, and fats also, must be included for staying power, and protein tablets can be kept ready for emergencies.
A splendid protein drink can be made by mixing a desert spoon of brewers' yeast powder with two desert spoonful of skim milk in a glass of water, and sweetening with a little honey. This drink is also rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron.

'Mid-meals' should be taken, consisting of dried fruits, rich in natural  sugars, which release energy.
Salt is lost to the body by perspiration and must be replaced. 

There is some evidence that a high intake of vitamin C minimizes muscle soreness
in athletes, engaged in unusually strenuous muscular activities.
It also appears to reduce foot troubles, such as swellings and pains. 
The high intake of vitamin C should be commenced some days or perhaps weeks before the strenuous exercise is commenced, and continued during the period of exercise. This vitamin is also required for strong, healthy bone structure and connective tissue.

Another vitamin invaluable for athletes is vitamin E, which strengthens the heart and muscles,improves the circulation and reduces the body's need for oxygen.

Athletes need vitamin B complex tablets to strengthen the nervous system, and the need is greatly increased during strenuous exercise.
Vitamin A should also be taken, as it helps to build up resistance to infectious diseases such as cold and flu, etc.

The USANA Macro-Opimizers, like Fibergy,  Nutromeal and snack bars contain
the right ratio’s of Carbohydrates,protein and fat to keep your energy at optimum level.

The USANA products are manufactured according to pharmaceutical standards,
they are bio-available,potency guaranteed,well balanced and the ingredients work together in synergy.
USANA products are the Gold Standard for the sports community.
Visit the USANA website:http://nutrobalance.usana.com

    Edition #28

The Alkaline Advantage How pH Promotes
Optimal Health and Performance

It amazes me how little attention the value of balanced pH has garnered from the mainstream medical world. read it all….

The 5 Surprising Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat…
No, Not Crunches!

For many of us, it’s too elusive–those flat, six pack abs that grace the cover of fitness and diet magazines (and unfortunately, not us).

With an obesity rate that continues to climb in the United States, it’s clear most of us don’t have our bodies under control either.

“So in one sense, the obesity crisis is the result of simple math. It’s a calories in, calories out calculation,” says Cathy Newman, a senior writer for National Geographic. “The First Law of Fat says that anything you eat beyond your immediate need for energy, from avocados to ziti, converts to fat.” read it all…

Curcumin and turmeric: Improving the therapeutic benefits by enhancing absorption and bio availability

Source:

Taylor & Francis

Summary:

Few natural products have demonstrated the range of protective and therapeutic promise as have turmeric and its principal bio active components, the curcuminoids.  Success in translating this potential into tangible benefits has been limited by inherently poor intestinal absorption, rapid metabolism, and limited systemic bio availability. Seeking to overcome these limitations, food ingredient formulators have begun to employ a variety of approaches to enhance absorption and bio availability. read it all…..

Recipe of the Day– Gennaro’s baked four-cheese spirali
click here!

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