Artificial Sweeteners

 Equal is an artificial sweetener which has aspartame.

Aspartame  as·par·tame 

An artificial sweetener, C₁₄H₁₈N₂O₅, formed from aspartic acid.

PROS:  I tried to do research on the pros but couldn't find any real "pros". I typed pros of artificial sweetener in Google and what mostly came up was dangers, cancers etc. So that is not good to begin to start off. But on the website I listed at the end of this post says:

•  "Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by a scientist trying to make new ulcer drugs and approved by the FDA in 1981 for dry uses in tabletop sweeteners, chewing gum, cold breakfast cereals, gelatins, and puddings. It was able to be included in carbonated beverages in 1983"

CONS:

•  There's actually a disease called Aspartame disease the symptoms include headache, memory loss, tinnitus, abdominal pain and more. 
• depression
• cancer
• increased hunger (this one surprised me) Aspartame is used in many diet drinks which cause the person to want more of the product.

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Sweet' N Low is an artificial sweetener which has saccharin.

Saccharin  sac·cha·rin 

A white crystalline powder, C₇H₅NO₃S, having a taste about 500 times sweeter than cane sugar, used as a calorie-free sweetener.

PROS:

• been around for over 100 years
• low caloric intake

CONS:

• contains carcinogens
• allergic reactions
• ..."The Canadian Saccharin Study by D. L. Arnold and his associates, which was published in the July 1977 issue of Science magazine, showed cancerous bladder tumors in male rats who consumed saccharin. After this study, the FDA proposed a total ban on saccharin but Congress allowed saccharin to remain on the market as long as it was sold with a warning that use of the product may be hazardous to health. Since then, additional studies have shown that saccharin is safe for human consumption but many organizations such as the Center for the Science in Public Interest (CSPI) believe saccharin is probably a weak carcinogen and more testing is needed" (in my opinion just because it's a weak carcinogen doesn't mean we should be putting it into our bodies).
  
  Read more: Saccharin Effects | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5279613_effects-saccharin.html#ixzz28pxCThss

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Splenda is an artificial sweetener which has sucralose.

Sucralose su·cra·lose 

An intensely sweet, heat-stable derivative of sucrose that contains no calories.

PROS:

• It can be used for cooking.
• "The FDA reviewed studies in human beings and animals and determined that sucralose did not pose carcinogenic, reproductive, or neurological risk to human beings." (I was looking for a pro like it has vitamins, minerals, etc but didn't find any...should've known better)

CONS:

• "Sucralose is made when sugar is treated with trityl chloride, acetic anhydride, hydrogen chlorine, thionyl chloride, and methanol in the presence of dimethylformamide, 4-methylmorpholine, toluene, methyl isobutyl ketone, acetic acid, benzyltriethlyammonium chloride, and sodium methoxide, making it unlike anything found in nature." (so basically they bleach it to death)
• "it is 600 times sweeter than sugar"
• "Chlorine is considered a carcinogen and has been used in poisonous gas, disinfectants, pesticides, and plastics".
• "The alleged symptoms associated with sucralose are gastrointestinal problems (bloating, gas, diarrhea, nausea), skin irritations (rash, hives, redness, itching, swelling), wheezing, cough, runny nose, chest pains,palpitations, anxiety, anger, moods swings, depression, and itchy eyes. The only way to be sure of the safety of sucralose is to have long-term studies on humans done".

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Check out these websites and video for more information:

http://www.medicinenet.com/artificial_sweeteners/page8.htm

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners

The danger of Aspartame, Sucralose (Nutrasweet & Splenda)

Russell L. Blaylock, M.D., Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills

Adding Veggies to your daily diet

I wanted to explain and give some ideas on how and why you should add vegetables to your daily diet. I can't explain and demonstrate enough how important vegetables are to your diet. I personally think our educational  system needs to do a better job at conveying to children and young adults that we need to eat a more whole food based diet. Meaning we need to eat more vegetables and fruits over meats, carbs, fats and dairy. My thoughts are also steered to thinking that it's the parents job to teach their children as well the importance of a healthy diet. This post is to actively help with everyone who needs help and suggestions!



You can click on the link below for more updated health and eating tips.
Harvard-School of Public Health

Remember that as a people and community we are always evolving and learning new things. What was once taught in the past to eat may not necessarily be good for us today. For example, we were taught as children that a healthy balanced breakfast were eggs, bacon, toast and milk. Now we realized that eggs if eaten too much can cause cholesterol problems, bacon is high in fat and contains nitrates and we can find healthier substitutes to the hormone infused milk.

Well back to vegetables, they help with digestions and help you to eliminate DAILY waste which is extra fat in your body that you really don't need. It's a good start to add your favorite vegetable daily to your lunch or dinner. My favorites are tomatoes, cucumber, onions and green peas. If you include your favorite vegetable and fill half of your plate with it you will feel full and satisfied. Just remember that it's a change and it will take get used to because you once ate a plate filled with meaty, fried and greasy items.

Vegetables are FILLED with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that meats,carbohydrates and dairy don't have in them. Whole foods have so many healing properties they can eliminate diseases like diabetes and cancer. Check out this website Gerson Institute

Food of the day: Hearts of Palm
The good: This food is very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Riboflavin and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/3027/2#ixzz24PoCSm8l



1 garlic clove, minced 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard salt and pepper, to taste 2 (14 ounce) jars hearts of palm, drained and sliced into 1/2-inch rings 2 (14 ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 4 cups mesclun Directions: 1 In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, olive oil, vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. 2 In a large salad bowl, combine hearts of palm, artichokes, tomatoes and parsley. 3 Pour dressing over hearts of palm mixture, tossing to coat. 4 Cover and chill 30 minutes. 5 Spoon marinated mixture over greens and serve.

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/marinated-hearts-of-palm-salad-308190?oc=linkback

Enjoy and happy eating!

Juicing Recipes

                                                HULK SMASH

3 Collard Green Leaves

3 Kale Leaves

2 Cucumbers

1 Celery

2 Oranges

SWEET BLISS

2 Red Apples

2 Cups Strawberry

2 Oranges

1 Kiwi

EYE & IMMUNE BOOSTER UPPER

3 Carrots

1 Tomato

2 Red Apples

BEETNICK

3 Beets

5 Carrots

1 Orange

APPLE JUICY JUICE

5 Green Apples

5 Red Apples

 

  CLEANSING SPREE

5 STEMS WATER CREST

5 STEMS OF PARSLEY

1 ORANGE

1 CUCUMBER

1 CELERY

1 LIME

1 LEMON

SPICY TOMATO SURPRISE

2 TOMATOES

1/2 TEASPOON FRESH GINGER

1 LEMON

5 CARROTS

This is for my friends and family requesting juice recipes. I have tried most of these as you can see from the pictures. The servings are from 8-14 oz. You can add more or less veggies/fruits to your liking. Enjoy!

                        

Juicing

Orange and Carrot Juice

Carrots, kale, Green Apple and Strawberry Juice

I learned about Juicing a few years ago watching infomercials. I became really interested when I stumbled upon while browsing my Netflix recommendations. It was called Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. I was surprised to watch his transition from being over weight and sick with a skin condition to being a healthy eating and active man. It forced me to look at my own eating habits and what I was feeding my family. Once I was done watching the film, I quickly told my husband and friends to check it out!

This is Joe Cross in the movie. You'll see him change.

I also learned from the film, that doing a juice fast can help to heal your insides. Give your cells a chance to rebuild and heal your body. When we eat several times a day our body is constantly working to break down all of the food we eat. I've read in a few places that red meat alone takes up to 72hrs to be digested. So a juice fast for 24hrs would really help your body. Juicing can also be an added meal or snack. It has all the vitamins and nutrients needed for your body. Try juicing in the mornings and you will feel an immediate change. Your skin, hair and energy level will go up!

Kale, Collard Greens, Green Apple Juice

Another movie, that I would highly recommend for you all to watch is Forks Over Knives. You can watch it on Netflix as well. It documents a few people who have diabetes and other illnesses and how a doctor has been doing research for most of career on the benefits of eating whole and raw foods. This video helps to show how important vegetables/fruits are and not meat is to our diet.

One of the doctors patient, he lost weight eating fruits/veggies only.

Remember you don't have to quit your unhealthy lifestyle cold turkey! If there is something that you wish to remove from your diet you can start off with that one. Simply replace it with one healthy meal idea or habit. You can do it and happy juicing!

Healthier Eating Habits...

                                  Cooking at Home!
                                          

Breakfast

            

Orange juice, Toasted corn tortilla w/scrambled egg whites mixed with
orange bell peppers, onions and chives. Side of strawberries,blueberries
and raspberries.

Fruit salad: honey mangoes and strawberries

Well, first I know what you must be thinking. Cook at home?! Who has time for that?? I know first hand it's not that easy.It will take time and getting used to but it will pay off big time. You can save lots of money to spend on other things you love and your body will thank you for it. My advice would be to wake up 10 minutes earlier than usual to prepare a quick meal. If you're a coffee drinker and already get up to make coffee then you can put together a quick fruit salad to go along with it!


Lunch

                                 

I know lunch will be very difficult to do when you can easily stop by the nearest fast food restaurant. However, if you really want to try something different go ahead and make lunch for yourself starting once a week. I recommend starting off with making a simple tuna salad like my dish above. Get bagged lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, almonds and a light salad dressing. You can omit the tuna for a veggie meal!

Dinner

             

In regards to dinner, I would recommend eating at home try just adding salad to any dish you prepare to add some greens to your plate. You will start to feel better and want to eat more veggies. It add variety and flavor to your dishes. Humans have so many taste buds. We have salty, sour, bitter, sweet and umami. Eating different veggies and fruits can bring out those tastes.

Food of the day: Garbanzo beans (aka Chick Peas)

Chickpea Salad recipe

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1 small tomato, chopped

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine chickpeas, onion, cucumber, tomato, red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Mix well and serve.

Check out the recipe!

Vitamins....a pathway to good health

                                      



Vitamins are organic compounds which are needed in small quantities to sustain life.

I just recently learned a small fact about vitamins while watching a documentary film on Netflix. It was called "Forks Over Knives". It taught me that vitamins were just discovered in the early 1900's! I thought people knew about vitamins way before the 20th century but I was wrong. After doing some research I found out the first vitamin was discovered by a japanese scientist in 1910. He discovered the B1 vitamin.

People knew in the 18th and 19th centuries that eating certain foods helped keep illnesses away. They learned through a lot of trial and error. A navy surgeon James Lind realized giving lemon and limes to the men on board helped them to avoid getting scurvy (Check out more on Wikipedia).

Vitamins play an important role for humans to ward off diseases and maintain a healthy life.

There are two ways to get vitamins daily. One is through different types of foods. The second is through vitamins. If you don't have a healthy diet then taking a one a day vitamin supplement is best. I remember my mother giving my sister and I Flintstones vitamins daily all of my years in Elementary school. I now realize now how important vitamins were for me. My sister and barely got sick so I now give my daughter vitamins as well. My mother taught me well!


Food of the day: CHERRY TOMATOES
The good:
Low in Sodium, and very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. Vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese.

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2682/2#ixzz1uFXmUw4x





Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad



Ingredients

4 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar ( you can substitute with brown sugar or none at all)

Directions

In a small bowl or cup measure, mix together oil, apple cider vinegar, herbs, salt, and sugar.
Pour dressing over cherry tomatoes in a serving dish, and gently stir to coat. Chill for at least 2 hours. Gently stir from bottom to top, coating all tomatoes, before serving.


You can take a look at the recipe here!

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High Fructose Corn Syrup has been deemed safe in the U.S. in 1976 by the FDA (U.S. Food Drug Administration) but does that mean we should be downing this stuff on a regular basis? For me the answer is no. HFCS is basically refined and processed corn. They strip it of all it nutrients and turn it into a syrup. HFCS is a sweetener used in most of all our products in the U.S. including ketchup,lunch meats, breads and cereals. It is mostly used in drinks like soda and juices.

The effects of HFCS:

After doing a lot of reading on HFCS, I am noticing that most articles and studies are saying the same thing. In the past 30 years since this sweetener has been used by consumers in the U.S., people have become more obese. I have also read that most of these problems can be solved if you just cut HFCS from your diet. I'm not saying to do it cold turkey but try to limit the amount of HFCS you put into your body. Look for healthier alternatives like brown sugar or use products with no added sugar. Just read the labels on the back of each product you use. Take some time when you are not too busy to go into your favorite grocery store and read the labels and decide if you can do without your usual products or get the light version of it. It is a start!

There are four usual effects of using HFCS. If used on a regular basis you could get these things over a set amount of time. It depends, with some people it can take a year to take effect and others it could be many years later. But if you could avoid too much high fructose corn syrup and save yourself a lot of trouble.

Four Bad Effects of  High Fructose Corn Syrup
1. Obesity
2. Diabetes
3. Coronary Disease
4. High Blood Pressure


More info: Video on HFCS



(Poster Via: Term Life Insurance)

Food of the day: Honey Mango

The good:  They are a great source of fiber, Vitamins A and C.



SALSA

1.  Dice the following and add to a small bowl:

2 Honey Mangos
1/2 cup red bell pepper (about 1/4 of a large pepper)
1/2 cup red onion (about 1/4 of a medium onion)
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded (Mince small.  Also, you can add some seeds if you like the ‘heat’.)
1/2 cup cilantro

2.  Add to salsa and mix thoroughly with a spoon:

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)

3.  Chill salsa

Enjoy with multi-grain tortilla chips.