Vegan Diets ARE NOT Healthy!

I read an article this week about what a “Nutritionist” had to say about what vegans should eat.  She gave a list of exactly what vegans should eat each day.  So I took her data and plugged it in to my Nutrition Software. Here is the results!

While what was listed DID meet the human need for nutrients it DID SO because her suggestions added up to 5253 CALORIES IN ONE DAY!  

Yes, you read that correctly!  And at 70% calories from carbohydrates you can see why so many vegans are overweight and/or unhealthy.  The scariest statistic shows that mono and poly-unsaturated fats were WAY TOO HIGH!  This leaves saturated fats very low.  Saturated fats should be 75% of the fats we take in each day!  Most vegans and vegetarians develop high blood pressure as they get older.

Calories from fats and proteins are way too low, that’ is due to most of the calories coming from carbs.  Also almost all of the carbs were from grains- empty calories! Don’t believe me?  Turn over that box of oatmeal, or rice…and read the nutrient list!

Tiny Blood Vessel Damage Tied to Depression Among Older Adults

Exercise oxygenates the body, if done often and gets the heart rate up forces the body to make new blood vessels.  SO, GET MOVING and eat plenty of fruits and veggies!!!

By Andrew M. Seaman

(Reuters Health) – Keeping tiny blood vessels healthy may be one way to ward off depression later in life, suggests a new analysis of existing research.

Damage to the microvascular system – often caused by high blood pressure or diabetes, and made worse by smoking – is tied to an increased risk of depression among people age 40 years and older, researchers found.

“Be aware that your hypertension and diabetes are an enemy to your microvascular circulation,” said senior author Miranda Schram of Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands. “Try to treat them.”

The body’s very small blood vessels, or capillaries, “are responsible for taking the oxygen and nutrients to the tissues,” she said. “You can imagine if something goes wrong, the tissue isn’t happy.”

The brain, Schram noted, is “quite vulnerable to these microvascular changes, because the tissue in the brain is really demanding and requires a lot of oxygen to work properly.”

Problems with these small blood vessels can also affect the eyes, the nerves, the skin and the kidneys.

To see if there is a link between depression and damage to capillaries, the researchers searched for existing studies of the two conditions that included people at least 40 years old.

Altogether, they had data on 43,600 individuals, including 9,203 with depression.

Depending on how microvascular dysfunction was measured in the various studies, it increased the risk of depression by up to 58 percent, according to a report in JAMA Psychiatry.

For example, when signs of injury to small vessels was detected in the blood, the risk of depression was 58 percent higher than when blood tests didn’t suggest damage.

People had a 30 percent higher risk of depression when magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed very small strokes in the brain caused by failure of these tiny vessels.

The theory is that this blood vessel damage disrupts communication in areas of the brain important for mood control, said Schram.

“You can imagine that this would lead to a depressed mood,” she added.

Dr. Bret Rutherford of the New York State Psychiatric Institute and the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry in New York City told Reuters Health that while the new study is strong, it can’t prove microvascular dysfunction causes depression later in life.

“The relationships between healthy brain aging and neuropsychiatric disorders goes in both directions and is sort of complicated,” said Rutherford, who was not involved in the new study.

For example, it could be that microvascular damage causes depression. Or, it could be that depression leads to unhealthy blood vessels.

Rutherford said researchers first linked depression to blood vessel damage in the 1990s, but advances in treatment have been limited and mainly focused on preventing poor vascular health.

“We certainly have reason to be very rigorous in our treatment of cardiovascular aging to promote healthy brain aging and to prevent these types of problems later on,” he said.

Also, he said, it’s important to treat mental health issues early in life to prevent cardiovascular issues later on.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2qFYTM0 JAMA Psychiatry, online May 31, 2017.

Unveiling the Nasty Action of Trans-fatty Acids in Blood

Consumption of trans fatty acids, often found in processed foods, increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Tohoku University researchers have found that trans-fatty acids promote cell death in a more direct manner than previously thought, leading to the development of atherosclerosis, a major cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Trans-fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids produced as byproducts during food manufacturing. Trans-fatty acid consumption is strongly linked to atherosclerosis, an inflammatory disease in which plaque clogs arteries. Atherosclerosis is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.

During the development of atherosclerosis, white blood cells turn into macrophages, immune cells that destroy harmful substances in the body. Those macrophages eventually become foam cells that form plaques and cause inflammation. When macrophages die, they release pro-inflammatory molecules, including extracellular ATP, that enhance inflammation and advance the disease.

Although previous studies have reported the link between the consumption of trans-fatty acids and the development of atherosclerosis, the mechanism remained unknown. A previous study reported extracellular ATP activates a molecule that generates reactive oxygen species, triggering an ASK1 kinase involved in the cell death process. This led the researchers to assume that trans-fatty acids accelerate the cell death process by generating more reactive oxygen species.

The Tohoku University team found this process actually happens in a much more direct way. Trans-fatty acids promote cell death by enhancing extracellular ATP, which directly activates the ASK1 kinase, and another kinase called CaMKII, without increasing reactive oxygen species. The finding was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The researchers, led by Associate Professor Takuya Noguchi and Professor Atsushi Matsuzawa, also found that several trans-fatty acid types—elaidic acid, linoelaidic acid and trans-vaccenic acid—stimulate cell death, but not their corresponding cis-fatty acids, which are naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids with health benefits. The harmful trans-fatty acids are made from these cis-fatty acids through a hydrogenation process commonly used by the food industry. The finding provides insight into the mechanism of disorders caused by trans-fatty acid consumption and suggests potential targets for treatment.

The researchers note that future studies should investigate how trans-fatty acids lead to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases at a molecular level.

More information: Trans-fatty acids promote proinflammatory signaling and cell death by stimulating the apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1)-p38 pathway, Yusuke Hirata, Miki Takahashi, Yuki Kudoh, Kuniyuki Kano, Hiroki Kawana, Kumiko Makide, Yasuharu Shinoda, Yasushi Yabuki, Kohji Fukunaga, Junken Aoki, Takuya Noguchi, and Atsushi Matsuzawa, Journal of Biological Chemistry, DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M116.771519

To Improve Your Diet, Know These Four Food Myths

By Consumer Reports May 21

Did the healthy-eating resolutions you made a few months back not quite stick? The onset of warmer weather might motivate you to make some better choices. Think of it as a kind of spring cleaning.

But with so much nutrition “noise” out there — eat this, don’t touch that — it’s difficult to know which changes have the biggest impact. Here, Consumer Reports tackles a handful of common food myths to make smart eating easier and more enjoyable.

Myth 1: You should avoid fruit if you’re cutting back on sugar.

Truth: Eat more whole fruit, not less.

When experts say you should limit your sugar intake, they’re talking about added sugars, those sprinkled into baked goods, candy, cereal, fruit drinks, tomato sauce, soda and the like. “The natural sugars in fruit are processed a bit differently by your body, because the fiber in the fruit minimizes the sugars’ impact on blood sugar levels,” says Nancy Z. Farrell, an adjunct professor of nutrition at Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg, Va. “In addition, you also get vitamins, minerals and other healthy nutrients.”

Fruit juices are different. They contain vitamins and minerals, but most are lacking in fiber. So their sugars get into your system much faster than those in whole fruit. And juice is a more concentrated source of sugars and calories. For example, a cup of apple slices has about 50 calories and 11 grams of sugars, while a cup of apple juice has about twice those amounts.

Myth 2: You should take the skin off chicken before you cook it.

Truth: Removing the skin doesn’t save you much saturated fat.

This advice dates back to a time when all things fatty were considered unhealthy, Farrell says. Yes, the skin contains saturated fat, but it has more of the unsaturated kind. A 3½ -ounce roasted chicken breast with the skin has about eight grams of fat, only two of which are saturated. Taking the skin off saves you about 50 calories and one gram of saturated fat. If you’re eating several pieces, those calories and fat will add up, but if you practice portion control, you can enjoy the extra flavor from perfectly crisped skin. If you prefer to remove the skin, do it after the chicken is cooked. The skin keeps the chicken moist, and its fat doesn’t migrate to the meat.

Myth 3: Vegetarians/vegans need to combine foods to get enough protein.

Truth: Your body does the work for you. Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are found in plant and animal foods. You need them for digestion, muscle and hair growth, and to make various enzymes and antibodies, among other things.

The difference is that animal foods contain all nine of the amino acids your body can’t make itself. Some plant proteins, such as those found in buckwheat, quinoa and soy, are complete as well. But a majority of plants contain just some of these nutrients, which are called essential amino acids.

“We used to think you had to combine certain incomplete proteins — like the ones in rice and beans — in the same meal to get all the essential amino acids,” says Dana Hunnes, an adjunct assistant professor at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. “Now we know that you can meet your needs by eating a variety of plants throughout the day.”

Myth 4: White vegetables have little nutritional value.

Truth: Good nutrition comes in a variety of hues, including white.

The compounds that give vegetables those vivid colors have antioxidant (disease-fighting) benefits. But paler veggies, such as cauliflower, mushrooms and turnips, deserve kudos, too. “The ‘eat the rainbow’ advice stemmed from the 1980s, when experts were trying to get people to eat vegetables besides white potatoes and corn,” Hunnes says. (To be fair, even white potatoes are packed with nutrients.) Cauliflower and turnips are part of the powerhouse group of cruciferous vegetables, which also counts broccoli and kale as members. They’re high in compounds called glucosinolates, which may have a protective role against cancer.

Mushrooms, especially enoki, maitake and oyster, may have anti-cancer and immune-boosting benefits. A 2016 study in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention found that the lectins in oyster mushrooms may help reduce the toxic impact of arsenic on the liver and kidneys. Emphasizing a variety of plants (and colors) on your plate will help ensure that you get a healthy array of vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients.

Copyright 2017. Consumers Union of United States Inc.

For further guidance, go to ConsumerReports.org/Health, where more detailed information, including CR’s ratings of prescription drugs, treatments, hospitals and healthy-living products, is available to subscribers.

Salt Doesn’t Cause High Blood Pressure? Here’s What a New Study Says

Sodium has long been labeled the blood-pressure bogeyman. But are we giving salt a fair shake?

A new study published in the American Journal of Hypertension analyzed data from 8,670 French adults and found that salt consumption wasn’t associated with systolic blood pressure in either men or women after controlling for factors like age.

Why not? One explanation, the authors write, is that the link we all assume between salt and blood pressure is “overstated” and “more complex than once believed.” It should be noted, however, that even though the study found no statistically significant association between blood pressure and sodium in the diet, those patients who were hypertensive consumed significantly more salt than those without hypertension—suggesting, as other research has, that salt affects people differently.

As for the factors that did seem to influence blood pressure, alcohol consumption, age, and most of all BMI were strongly linked to a rise. Eating more fruits and vegetables was significantly linked to a drop.

“Stopping weight increase should be the first target in the general population to counteract the hypertension epidemic,” the study authors wrote.

All of which is surprising given the fact that Americans are bombarded with warnings that we eat far too much: just yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report finding that 90% of U.S. children eat more sodium than guidelines recommend. Almost half of that comes from 10 processed foods that kids tend to eat a lot of: pizza, bread, processed meats, savory snacks, sandwiches, cheese, processed chicken, pasta dishes, Mexican dishes, and soup.

The CDC firmly believes that salt directly influences blood pressure. “We consider the totality of the evidence,” said Janelle Gunn of the CDC’s Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at a press conference. “A vast majority of scientific research confirms that as sodium is reduced, so is blood pressure.”

We’ve reported before that the science surrounding salt is crazy confusing, and conflicting studies come out with some frequency. In keeping with the frustrating reality of so many nutrient groups, no one side has definitively won the debate.

In the meantime, it surely can’t hurt to curb some of our salt-laden processed-food intake—but the pounds we shed may be even more helpful than the salt we shun when it comes to lowering blood pressure.

Drinking Celery Juice each Morning is a Great Health Boost!

I first came across the “phenomenon” of drinking pure celery juice, every morning, on an empty stomach, while delving deep into the pages of Medical Medium by Anthony Williams, as I was researching practices and tools for Thyroid Yoga.

I’m sure most of us are familiar with typical green juice, which usually consists of fistfuls of dark leafy greens, such as kale and spinach, along with cucumber and celery, and oftentimes herbs, lemon, ginger, and apple may be added to sweeten. They’re run through a masticating juicer (which keeps the veggies at low temperatures to preserve all of their enzymes and vitamins, which would otherwise be destroyed by heat) to separate the fiber from the liquid, reducing pounds of fresh produce down into a juice that is comparable to liquid gold in its potency—or rather, liquid green. It’s a powerhouse of a drink, with all those deep greens and their antioxidants, phytonutrients and enzymes transferred into a liquid form that can be easily sipped down, thus bypassing the energy-consuming process of digestion.

So when I read about the healing powers of celery juice, my interest was piqued, but drinking plain old celery juice seemed pretty boring and pedestrian compared to the majesty of the green juice I’m used to. However, let me tell you that if green juice is the queen, then celery juice is the magician. Williams, in Medical Medium, says celery juice, “is one of the most powerful and healing juices we can drink. Just 16 ounces of fresh celery juice every morning on an empty stomach can transform your health and digestion in as little as one week.”

Celery contains compounds called coumarins, which are known to enhance the activity of white blood cells and support the vascular system. It also helps to purify the bloodstream, aid in digestion, relax the nerves, reduce blood pressure, and clear up skin problems. Celery is rich in vitamin A, magnesium, and iron, which all help to nourish the blood. Celery juice is also rich in organic sodium content, meaning it has the ability to dislodge calcium deposits from the joints and hold them in solution until they can be eliminated safely from the kidneys. Sounds pretty phenomenal right? I was certainly intrigued enough to give the simple green juice a try. Here’s what happened:

1. It gave me easy, blissful digestion, and more energy, to boot.

The discomforts of indigestion, bloating, and even acid reflux are often caused by low stomach acid. Studies have shown that people with Hashimoto’s (the autoimmune thyroid condition) and hypothyroidism (low thyroid) often have low, or lack of, stomach acid, and low stomach acid sets off a wheel of undesirable health consequences. Many of us are all too familiar with the fact that when we’re stressed one of the first things to go out of whack can be our digestion. This is where the superhero of celery juice steps in, as its natural sodium content raises stomach acid, and when drunk first thing in the morning primes you for easy digestion for the rest of the day. Stomach acid is essential for breaking down food, particularly protein. If your stomach acid is lowered, the body then has to step in using more resources to try to digest that food, thus making you tired. This also leads to liver backlog, so there’s less chance your liver will be able to keep up with the onslaught of toxins it has to process from mere everyday life, as well as its job of balancing blood sugar and recycling and producing new hormones, among its many other tasks. The liver is a heavy-duty organ—and as you can see, this is where the cycle continues, continually overwhelming the body so it never has a chance to reset, heal, and thrive. Every once in a while this may be OK (we all get stressed from time to time!), but if this is happening continually, it can lead to more chronic and serious manifestations of dis-ease in the body. Once I started drinking celery juice, I noticed that my food digested easier. Instead of uncomfortable feelings of fullness and heaviness after meals, I instead felt satiated but still light and could go on with my activities easily.

2. It made me slimmer.

With its ability to improve digestion, celery juice also kicks one of the most pesky symptoms of digestion to the curb: bloating. Celery juice is an effective natural diuretic, and along with its ability to flush toxins out of the body, it reduces bloated abdomens and edema, too. With my stomach acid raised and my digestion improved, I wasn’t bloated once during my experiment with celery juice—since everything was running smoothly through my system and digesting well, there was no chance for food to get backlogged, sit there undigested, and therefore cause gas to build up.

3. It reduced my cravings.

Oftentimes, cravings are the body’s way of calling out for nutrients that we are low or depleted in. For instance, if you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue, I’ve found you’ll crave all things salty. This is not a mistake of the body, as the adrenals need minerals to function at peak performance—like the minerals that are found in high-quality salt. Unfortunately we can often confuse this craving for wanting a bag of potato chips! With my food being broken down, digested, and therefore assimilated better, my body could soak up all the goodness and nutrition I was putting into it. All of my body’s nutritional needs were being met better, and thus I never found myself craving foods or reaching for foods out of habit, because I was much more satiated.

4. I felt sharper.

Since stomach acid is essential for breaking down proteins, the amino acids in my food were being broken down better and became more bioavailable. Amino acids are precursors for creating neurotransmitters, so in theory, the simple act of drinking celery juice even made me smarter. I was firing on all cylinders during the month, and the surplus of energy I had from my food being digested better also helped give rise to a more natural feeling of being a superwoman. Feeling less overwhelmed also helped to reduce stress, thus creating a happy, natural cycle.

5. I experienced a feeling of Zen bliss.

Celery is a major alkaline food. This means it helps to purge the body of acid and toxins and cleanse the liver and bloodstream like nothing else. It helps to smooth out frazzled nerves and soothe any tensions from stress. I found drinking celery juice to have an amazingly calming and relaxing effect on my mind, body, and emotions—so much so that I often found myself making it at the end of a busy workday to help switch myself out of go-go-go mode and wind down for the evening. It gives you the feeling of post-meditation bliss and an internal “ahhhh.”

Want to try it out for yourself? Here’s a quick and easy recipe for celery juice (no fancy juicer required!).

The Quickest, Easiest Celery

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon-Sesame Brittle

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
6 medium sweet potatoes (6–8 ounces each)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons white miso (fermented soybean paste)
1 2/3-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated (about 2 teaspoons)
2 1-inch pieces scallion (dark-green parts only), thinly sliced lengthwise

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Cook bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until most of the fat is rendered and bacon is starting to crisp. Transfer bacon to a sieve set over a small bowl; reserve drippings.

Return bacon, 1 Tbsp. drippings, sugar, and sesame seeds to same skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar turns the color of milk chocolate, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to spread out evenly; let cool. Break brittle into shards. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400°. Place sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast until tender, 45–55 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle.

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Working over a large bowl, scoop out flesh from 8 halves, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick layer inside skins. Place potato halves on same foil-lined baking sheet. Scoop flesh from remaining 4 halves; discard skins. Mash flesh with a whisk; add eggs, butter, miso, and ginger and stir until mixture is smooth. Spoon or pipe filling into reserved skins. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Bake potatoes until the tops are lightly puffed and golden brown, 30–35 minutes (potatoes will take longer if they’ve been chilled). Top potatoes with bacon-sesame brittle and scallions.

Obesity led to 20,000 Cases of Kidney Cancer in Last Decade, says Cancer Research UK

Obesity led to 20,000 cases of kidney cancer in England in the last decade, experts claim.

The incidence rate of kidney cancer has soared by 40 per cent over the same time period and the rise is expected to continue, said Cancer Research UK.

About a quarter of kidney cancers are linked to excess weight and the same proportion to smoking.

Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK’s head of health information, said: “It’s concerning to see kidney cancer cases rising like this.

“Being overweight or obese is linked to 13 types of cancer, including kidney which is becoming more and more common.

“Similar to smoking, where damage to cells builds up over time and increases the risk of cancer, damage from carrying excess weight accumulates over a person’s lifetime.

“Making small changes in eating, drinking and being physically active that you can stick with in the long term is a good way to get to a healthy weight and stay there.”

Each year in the UK about 11,900 cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed and 4,300 people die from the disease.

Scientists are still not sure why being overweight can lead to kidney cancer, but suspect a link with insulin.

The hormone, important to the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats, is partly processed in the kidneys.

Being overweight or obese can result in insulin resistance – when the body stops responding properly to insulin – which can allow insulin levels to rise. This in turn may cause cells to divide more rapidly.

The number of kidney cancer cases attributable to obesity was calculated by combining population statistics with data showing the chances of overweight people developing the disease.

Adam Freeman, 46, a lawyer and father of four from south London, was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2013.

After undergoing surgery to remove a kidney, he is now cancer free.

“When it comes to my lifestyle, I would say that the little devil on my one shoulder won over the angel on my other, so I ducked exercise and ate badly a bit too often,” he said.

“Now, since my diagnosis, I try to listen to the angel rather than the devil on my shoulder.

“I have tried to make things more habitual and rarely skip exercise or make bad food or drink choices.”

Nutritionists Say This is the Healthiest Fruit To Eat

With the recent news you should now be eating 10 fruit and vegetables a day, it is high time you know which are worth chowing down on and which aren’t doing much for you.

It turns out nutritionists are all in agreement when it comes to which super-fruit is going to turn you into a superman. The humble blueberry.

The power snack is a superfood which contains anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds and a survey by Byrdie of 17 different dieticians found that they’re the best of the basket.

Nutritionist Frida Harju explained: “If you are going to add one fruit to your diet, make it blueberries. They have been labelled a superfood due to their high levels of polyphenols, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory compounds that help to combat memory loss and enhance your mood.”

The antioxidants help with both cardiovascular health and brain functioning, the berry also is high in fibre, helps with digestion and good for your skin.