Natural Health Remedies

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Margarine, Fatty Acids and Your Health

To maintain good health it is important that we have the correct intake of omega fatty acids in our diets.

Hydrogenated fats like margarine are non-foods with toxic effects and should be avoided at any cost.

Health Food Labels May Deceive

Have you ever spent extra money to purchase a 'higher-quality' health food or vitamin product, only to discover some time later that it wasn't all it was claimed to be? It has happened in our family more than once. Our most recent experience was with a line of vegetable oils sold in health food stores and co-ops.

The attractively labeled bottles touted their special processing techniques, implying low temperatures and the superior quality of their product. We had used their canola oil for many years when I decided to write the company with some questions and request information on their oils.

We were shocked to find out that the "cold-pressed" and "lightly refined" canola oil was subjected to the same high temperatures (450°-500° Fahrenheit, or 232°-260° Celsius) and most of the chemical processing steps suffered by regular grocery store oils! The main difference was that they didn't use chemical solvents to extract the oil from the seeds or add preservatives or defoamer...

Disappointed, and determined to find a source of healthy oils for my family, I began a search for accurate information on the production of food oils to supplement my scanty knowledge. This article is the culmination of that exploration to date, and will provide you with information you need to make healthier selections of foods and oils for your family.

The Importance of Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are essential for our cells to function normally and stay alive. The cell membranes allow the passage of necessary minerals and molecules in and out of our cells.

Healthy cell membranes discourage dangerous chemicals and organisms like bacteria, viruses, moulds and parasites from entering the cell. These membranes also maintain chemical receptor sites for hormones, the body's crucial messengers. Fatty acids are involved in countless chemical processes in our bodies and are used as building blocks for certain hormones.

Two types of fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) cannot be made by our bodies and therefore must be obtained through our diets. They are called "essential fatty acids" (EFAs), and if we have an adequate supply we can use these EFAs to manufacture the other fatty acids we need.

EFA supplementation has been helpful to many people with allergies, anemia, arthritis, cancer, candida, depression, diabetes, dry skin, eczema, fatigue, heart disease, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), psoriasis, sluggish metabolism, viral infections, etc., and in easing the addiction recovery process.

Trans-Fats and Confused Chemistry

Naturally occurring fatty acids contain double bonds of a particular configuration, referred to as "cis-" by biochemists.

The cis-causes the molecules to be bent so that the two hydrogen atoms are on the same side of the double bond.

This means the bonds between the molecules are weaker due to their irregular shape, resulting in a lower melting point -In supermarket shopper lingo, they are solid at room temperature. Fats with either trans-double bonds or no bonds ("saturated") are solid at room temperature.

The more solid the longer the shelf life.

Margarine is made by adding hydrogen atoms to the fat molecules to make them more saturated, raising the melting point of the fat so it remains a solid at room temperature, i.e., the margarine won't run all over the table. This process, called "hydrogenation", requires the presence of a metal catalyst and temperatures of about 500°F (260°C) for the reaction to take place. It causes about half of the cis-bonds to flip over into a trans-configuration.

Hydrogenation became popular in the US because this type of oil doesn't spoil or become rancid as readily as regular oil and therefore has a longer shelf life. You can leave a cube of margarine sitting out for years and it will not be touched by moulds, insects or rodents. Margarine is a non-food! It would appear that only humans are foolish enough to eat it!

Because the fats in margarine are partially hydrogenated (i.e., not fully saturated), the manufacturers can claim it is "polyunsaturated" and market it to us as a healthy food.

Many other fatty chemicals are also created when oils are partially hydrogenated. In "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill" Udo Erasmus stated: "So many different compounds can be made during partial hydrogenation that they stagger the imagination... Needless to say, the industry is hesitant to fund or publicize thorough and systematic studies on the kinds of chemicals produced and their effects on health." Erasmus also quoted a statement about hydrogenation, made by Herbert Dutton, one of the oldest and most knowledgeable oil chemists in North America. It basically boils down to this: because of the known and unknown health effects of these hydrogenation by-products, government health regulations would not allow the process to be used for making edible products if it were to be introduced today.

Another 'side-effect' of hydrogenation is that a residue of toxic metals, usually nickel and aluminum, is left behind in the finished product. These metals are used as catalysts in the reaction, but they accumulate in our cells and nervous system where they poison enzyme systems and alter cellular functions, endangering health and causing a wide variety of problems.

These toxic metals are difficult to eliminate without special detoxification techniques, and our 'toxic load' increases steadily with small exposures over time. Since they are increasingly found in our air, food and water, the cumulative doses can add up to dangerous levels over time.

Since trans-fats don't occur in nature, our bodies don't know how to deal with them effectively and they act as poisons to crucial cellular reactions. The body tries to use them as it would the cis-form, and they wind up in cell membranes and other places they shouldn't be.

In recent years, measurements of trans-fats in the membranes of human red blood cells have been as high as 20 per cent, when the figure should be zero. While red blood cells were used because they're easy to access, it's safe to assume that most other cell membranes in the body also contain these unnatural fats.

Trans-fatty acids in cell membranes weaken the membrane's protective structure and function. This alters normal transport of minerals and other nutrients across the membrane and allows disease microbes and toxic chemicals to get into the cell more easily. The result: sick, weakened cells, poor organ function and an exhausted immune system, in short, lowered resistance and increased risk of disease.

Trans-fats can also derail the body's normal mechanisms for eliminating cholesterol. The liver normally puts excess cholesterol in the bile and sends it to the gall bladder, which empties into the small intestine just below the stomach.

Trans-fats block the normal conversion of cholesterol in the liver and contribute to elevated cholesterol levels in the blood. They also cause an increase in the amount of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), considered to be one of the main instigators of arterial disease (hardening of the arteries).

Meanwhile, trans-fats lower the amount of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) which help protect the cardiovascular system from the adverse effects of the LDLs. Trans-fats also increase the level of apolipoprotein A, a substance in the blood which is another risk factor for heart disease.

Indeed, trans-fats have now been shown to cause even worse problems than saturated animal fats.

Another adverse effect of trans-fats in the diet is an enhancement of the body's pro-inflammatory hormones (prostaglandin E2) and inhibition of the anti-inflammatory types (prostaglandin E1 and E3). This undesirable influence exerted by trans-fats on prostaglandin balance may render you more vulnerable to inflammatory conditions that you don't. You want to heal!

Prostaglandins also regulate many metabolic functions. Tiny amounts can cause significant changes in allergic reaction, blood pressure, clotting, cholesterol levels, hormone activity, immune function and inflammatory response, to name just a few.

Many of these problems with trans-fats have been known or suspected for 15 to 20 years, but have been largely ignored in the US. In Europe, trans-fats are restricted in food products, and some countries allow no more than 0.1 per cent trans-fatty acid content. In contrast, margarines in the US may contain up to 30 to 50 per cent! Of course, the food industry denies there is any problem with this.

Meanwhile, scientific evidence continues to mount that trans-fats contribute to heart disease and possibly other conditions as well. Even the conservative Harvard Health Letter referred to them as "the new enemy".

Vested Interests

According to Russell Jaffe, M.D., a noted medical researcher, hog farmers will not feed trans-fats to their animals because the pigs will die if they eat them. When Dr Jaffe contacted the US Department of Agriculture, he found that it knew all about this but was not interested in the possible human effects since this area was not under its jurisdiction. The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) hasn't done anything about it, either. The fact that the food industry has succeeded in keeping a lid on public awareness of these facts is testimony to the political power it wields in governmental and scientific circles.

The food industry funds a great deal of research. People in the research community know that you can often predict the outcome of a study if you know who is funding it. In that light, it's unwise to accept blindly the press releases on 'the latest research' without considering who paid for it. There are some rather scientific-sounding foundations out there that are basically 'front' organizations for the food industry.

Fats in Our Diets

Margarines aren't the only grocery store item with a significant amount of trans-fats. Any 'food' that lists "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" on the label contains trans-fats and should be avoided. You may be surprised to discover how many products in your kitchen contain trans-fats. They include most baked goods such as bread and crackers, shortenings like margarine and Crisco, refined vegetable oils and most brands of peanut butter. Most peanut butter brands contain sugar or corn syrup, which stresses the pancreas and is easily converted to fat by the body.

So be sure to read the labels on packaged foods and avoid those with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil! Also avoid products containing cottonseed oil. Cotton is not considered a food crop and is heavily sprayed with highly toxic pesticides, some of which wind up in the oil.

According to Dr Jaffe, cottonseed oil also contains toxic fatty acids similar to those present in grape seed oil about 30 years ago and suspected of causing several deaths before being taken off the market. These fatty acids caused illness when fed to dogs and pigs. Cottonseed oil is commonly used to fry potato chips, and is found in numerous processed foods…. Currently, the dominant medical opinion is that fats are bad for us and should be restricted in our diets. Given the types of fats usually consumed in America, this is probably a good idea. But several studies have shown that the quantity of fat is not as important as the quality of fat and the balance of the fats in relation to each other. In fact, the essential fatty acids (mentioned earlier) help control the types of cholesterol made by the body and help prevent heart disease. So, reducing saturated fats and unnatural trans-fats in our diets, while increasing the essential fats, would be a more prudent policy. Many scientists are now advocating this shift in emphasis.

Edward Siguel, M.D., Ph.D., is an award-winning researcher who was invited to investigate fatty acids in the Framingham Cardiovascular Offspring Study. He recently authored a book, Essential Fatty Acids in Health and Disease.4 Dr Siguel has developed a sensitive test to determine the amounts of the various fatty acids found in humans, and has found a definite correlation with trans-fats and heart disease. He has also found that many people with heart disease have low levels of EFAs.

In a presentation at the Second Annual Symposium on Functional Medicine in 1994, he stated that insufficiency of EFA's might underlie many of the chronic diseases prevalent in Western societies. He also cautioned that low-fat diets not based on whole foods might be hazardous: "Individuals who maintain normal or low body-weight by eating low-calorie, low-fat, processed foods, such as supermarket cereals, breads and pasta, are at high risk for EFA insufficiency...compounded by the use of hydrogenated oils, leading to elevated levels of circulating trans-fatty acids..."

The breast milk of many US mothers also shows an excess of trans-fats and low omega-3 fatty acid content. Dr Donald Rudin, in his co-authored book, The Omega-3 Phenomenon, stated: "American mothers produce milk that often has only one-fifth to one-tenth of the omega-3 content of the milk that well-nourished, nut-eating Nigerian mothers provide their infants."5 A revealing study was recently published by the Nutrition Research Division of Health Canada. The researchers analyzed the milk of 198 lactating mothers across Canada and found that trans-fatty acids averaged 7.2 per cent of total fatty-acid content, with a range of 0.1 to 17.2 per cent.

Further analysis of these trans-fats showed that their major source was partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (that means margarine). They also noted that elevation of these trans-fats occurred at the expense of the EFAs, thus placing the infant in double jeopardy during a crucial period of development.6 Both types of EFAs are necessary for proper development of fetal and infant tissues, especially the nervous system.

According to John Finnegan, in The Facts About Fats, the omega-3s in particular affect the parts of the brain that relate to learning ability, anxiety or depression, and auditory and visual perception. They also aid in balancing the immune system.7 A 1991 Mayo Clinic study of 19 'normal' pregnant women, eating 'normal' diets, showed that all of them were deficient in the omega-3 fatty acids and, to a lesser extent, the omega-6s. These researchers recommended that the omega-3 fatty acids be supplemented in every pregnancy, and that women avoid refined and hydrogenated fats during pregnancy.8 A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed a dramatic difference between the heart-disease rates of populations in northern and southern India.9.The northerners were meat-eaters and had high cholesterol levels. Their main source of dietary fat was ghee (clarified butter). The southerners were vegetarians and had much lower cholesterol levels. Present-day 'wisdom' would predict the vegetarians to have the lower rate of heart disease, but, in fact, the opposite was true.

The vegetarians had 15 times the rate of heart disease when compared to their northern counterparts! What was the reason for this surprising difference? Aside from meat versus vegetables, the major dietary difference was that the southerners had replaced their traditional ghee (a real food) with margarine and refined, polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Twenty years later, the British medical journal the Lancet noted an increase in heart-attack deaths amongst the northern Indians. The northerners had also largely replaced the ghee in their diets with margarine and refined vegetable oils.

One hundred years ago, heart disease was virtually unknown. Today, two-thirds of US citizens develop heart disease. Something has clearly gone wrong with the way we are living, and one of the main factors could indeed be the introduction of over refined, over processed, devitalized oils.

Other studies support this idea. For instance, a study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health indicated that intake of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils may contribute to the risk of heart attack. Research by Dr Siguel has also given more weight to the theory that dietary trans-fatty acids are a risk factor for heart disease.

A report by the Danish Nutrition Council said that studies suggest that the consumption of trans-fatty acid from margarine is equally or perhaps more, responsible for the development of arteriosclerosis than saturated fatty acids.

They recommended reducing the trans-fatty acid content in all Danish margarine products to 5 per cent or less (it was then 0 to 30 per cent).

Another study done by the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, analyzed the diets of 239 patients admitted to Boston hospitals for their first heart attack, and compared them with the diets of 282 healthy control subjects. After adjusting for several lifestyle variables, they found that margarine intake was significantly associated with the risk of myocardial infarction.

A Harvard Medical School study followed more than 85,000 women over an eight-year period. The researchers compared the diets of those who developed heart disease over that time with those who did not. They found that major dietary sources of trans-fats, such as margarine, were significantly associated with higher risks of coronary heart disease.

Problems with Commercial Processing

Refined polyunsaturated vegetable oils have been very popular in the US since the anti-cholesterol fad began many years ago and the medical profession began promoting their use. When properly prepared and utilized, some of these oils are healthful sources of EFAs. Unfortunately, the standard commercial refining process destroys the EFAs and creates high levels of trans-fatty acids, while removing important natural constituents and protective agents like minerals and vitamin E.

In The Facts About Fats and Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, John Finnegan and Udo Erasmus describe the usual commercial refining process for vegetable oils. It begins with seeds that may contain high levels of pesticides and herbicides. The seeds are crushed and subjected to a series of chemical treatments at temperatures up to 520°F (271°C).

These treatments include the use of toxic solvents, caustic soda, preservatives and defoamers, and they result in the destruction of essential fatty acids, loss of vitamins and minerals, and the formation of trans-fatty acids and free radicals. This is exactly the opposite of what is desirable. It is all in the name of longer shelf life and consumer acceptance (what's left looks clean and pretty!). This also happens to the oils used in processed foods, which means most everything that comes in a can or a box. Remember to read those labels! According to Finnegan and Erasmus, the "cold-pressed" or "expeller-pressed" oils available at health food stores are no guarantee of quality. Expeller-pressing still generates temperatures up to 200°F (93.3°C), and most of these oils are then refined and deodorized using basically the same nutrient-destroying process used in commercial 'grocery store' oils.

Be wary of claims like "certified organic", as there have been instances of fraudulent misrepresentation in this regard.

Some companies have been caught lying about the source of their seeds and using regular commercial seeds instead of organic ones. There have even been cases of companies simply rebottling regular oil or mayonnaise with a 'health food' label and charging higher prices.

Finnegan mentions two reputable certifying agencies: FVO (Farm Verified Organic), and OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association). He reports that only two companies meet his criteria for production of healthful oils: Omega Nutrition in Ferndale, WA (phone 1-800 661 3529),.and Flora, Inc. in Lynden, WA (phone 1-800 446 2110 or (360) 354 2110). He also contacted one of the most well-known producers of 'health food' oils in the nation, but they declined to discuss their oil processing methods and refused to allow him to visit their facilities.

Note that light and oxygen, in addition to heat, also cause extensive damage to oils. According to Erasmus, light destroys oil 1,000 times faster than does oxygen, so it is important to purchase unrefined oils in black, lightproof bottles. Oxygen should be removed from the bottle and replaced with an inert gas, such as nitrogen or argon.

Omega Nutrition packages its oils in this fashion. Flora's oils are bottled in dark glass, reducing the amount of light but not eliminating it. While considerably more expensive, they should be worth the extra money, considering the facts presented in this article.

EFA's (Essential Fatty Acids) Balance and Our Health

The two groups of essential fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6, are named for their molecular configurations and where the first "unsaturated" bond occurs along the chain of carbon atoms.

Omega-6 oils are found primarily in vegetables and seeds.

They are converted to the E1 prostaglandin's (mentioned earlier) via several chemical steps. Most people take in enough of these fatty acids, but some have difficulty converting them to the active prostaglandin's. This blockage is commonly caused by excess trans-fats, anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin or Tylenol, or deficiencies of vitamin B6 or magnesium. An insufficiency of omega-6 EFAs can result in auto immune problems, breast pain and lumpiness, eczema, hyperactivity in children, hypertension, and inflammation. and PMS. Supplementing with borage, evening primrose or black-currant seed oils will usually bypass the blocked step and provide the necessary precursor to make the desired prostaglandins.

Dr Siguel has found that the omega-3s are the more likely to be deficient in our Western diets. Because of food processing and dietary choices, the average Western diet today contains only one-sixth the amount of omega-3 fatty acids needed for healthy function, compared to a healthy balance 100 years ago. Evidence indicates that a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids is associated with arthritis and joint stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, PMS, prostate problems, various skin disorders as well as depression, phobias and schizophrenia.

The two main sources of omega-3s are oils from organic flax seeds and from cold-water fish (such as mackerel, sardines, tuna, trout and salmon). These fish should not be fried because of the effect of the high temperatures involved and the resultant free-radical damage. Unlike chicken and turkey, cold-water fish should be eaten with the skin on, as this is where the highest concentration of desirable fats is located.

There is some concern about eating fish frequently, due to the chemical and heavy-metal pollution in the oceans.

Predatory fish concentrate these pollutants in their fatty tissues, but deep-ocean fish are usually less tainted than coastal species. Freshwater fish near agricultural, industrial or mining areas are best avoided due to their high-level intake of toxic chemicals. Farm-raised fish are fed something akin to pet food and should be avoided; they are not as healthy and have insignificant levels of omega-3 fatty acids….When properly processed, organic flax seed oil has the highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, at 57 per cent.

Omega-3s are also found in certain other "unrefined" seed oils such as chia, soy and canola, but in much smaller amounts. Flax seed oil is particularly sensitive and must be processed under stringent conditions (cold, without light or oxygen), nitrogen-packed in dark bottles to avoid oxidizing, and shipped and displayed in refrigerated containers.

While all unrefined, unsaturated oils should be processed, packaged and distributed in this way, the vast majority is not. The companies mentioned earlier adhere to these special methods, and you should be able to buy their oils with some assurance that you are getting a healthy product.

We have used oils from both companies for the past few years and have been very happy with them. While more complicated and costly, these methods may someday play an important role in reducing many common degenerative diseases, which are much costlier in the long run especially in terms of human suffering and loss of potential.

The healthiest foods are usually organically grown and should be eaten close to their natural state. Certified organic seeds and grains are available at most food co-ops. Eating organically grown seeds and other foods is strongly recommended for minimizing chemical intake and optimizing nutrient content. When consuming whole foods, we get a complex array of nutrients which naturally work together to fuel the intricate chemistry that keeps our bodies going, but many of these nutrients are normally lost in commercial processing.

Even the most painstaking human efforts to produce healthy packaged foods and oils always fall short of nature's accomplishments. The best oils are provided by nature, neatly packaged to prevent oxidation of their precious contents. Freshly ground organic flax seeds contain fresh oil (protected by the husk), and their fiber is the richest source of certain substances called "lignans", found to have potent anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.

Flax fiber has from 100 to 800 times more lignans than other fiber sources. This is an inexpensive and tasty way to ensure adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids (see directions outlined below). If you prefer, you can purchase quality flax-seed oils in bottles or in capsules. Just make sure you know how they are processed! Flora and Omega Nutrition offer good-quality flax oils in bottles and capsules.

"The Good Oil" - Healthier Alternatives

Here are several additional ways to improve your fatty acid balance and avoid the trans-fat trap: Have some freshly ground flax seeds every day. Pulverize three tablespoons of seeds in a blender or coffee grinder to yield about one tablespoon of oil (mixed in with the powder).

This will approximate the suggested daily amount of omega-3 oil for an average person. It can be mixed with cereal, blended in a smoothie or added to yogurt. You can also mix it with warm (not hot) apple juice, and add some sliced banana or other fruit to make a tasty, nutritious, pudding-like cereal that's filling and will do wonders for bowel function! Be sure to consume the ground flax seeds within 10 to 15 minutes to minimize the damage from oxidation. However, a note of caution: in doing allergy testing, I have seen several people (my wife and myself included) who are allergic to flax seeds, and others who are allergic to psyllium seeds which are commonly used for their fiber content.. Use butter instead of margarine or shortening in cooking.

Butter has some problems, too, such as residual hormones and pesticides, but it is a whole food. Whole foods have fat-mobilizing nutrients to take care of their own fats if eaten in moderation. If you want to use butter, try to get organically produced butter.

An even better alternative is the organic ghee, or clarified butter, mentioned earlier. Ghee is the cooking fat most highly regarded by Indian and French chefs. It has a good aroma and will not burn, smoke or develop toxic compounds when heated.

Organic, unrefined coconut butter is an alternative to regular butter in your diet. Omega Nutrition has this product.

However, most other coconut oil products are hydrogenated.

Coconut oil has been subjected to a smear campaign by commercial vegetable oil producers, but the research studies cited have used hydrogenated coconut oil, which may have skewed the results.

Use olive oil or a 50:50 mixture of ghee and olive oil. Do not fry or sauté with "polyunsaturated" light oils such as safflower, sunflower or corn oils. They oxidize readily into damaging free-radicals at high temperatures. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can tear into your cells and start nasty chain reactions that can leave behind extensive damage, including alteration of your genetic code (DNA) and formation of cancer cells. Free radicals are widely considered to play a major role in degenerative disease.

While there are virtually no EFAs in olive oil, it is rich in "mono-unsaturated" fatty acids and is not so easily oxidized.

Use an "extra virgin, cold-pressed, first pressing" olive oil, preferably with a greenish color and some sediment on the bottom, which usually indicates less processing. Most co-ops carry it.

If allergic to milk, you can often substitute a 50:50 mixture of applesauce and organic, unrefined canola, sunflower or safflower oil for margarine or butter in recipes, which we have tried in pie crusts and cakes with great results. We used to substitute canola oil by itself, but the texture was somewhat drier and a little crumbly.

Try non-hydrogenated peanut butter, available in some grocery stores and all food co-ops. The peanut butter will separate, with the oil floating to the top of the container. The best brand is probably Arrowhead Mills. They sun-dry their organic peanuts to avoid growth of a common mould that produces aflatoxin, which is as toxic as the name suggests.

Most commercial peanuts reportedly have aflatoxin as well as pesticide residues. Almond or walnut butters contain healthier fats than peanut butter, without the mould problem.

You can find them at food co-ops and health food stores.

Buy your oil in sealed bottles and avoid the bulk oils in co-ops, since they are usually rancid (free radicals again). An oil that tastes bitter when you place a drop on your tongue is rancid and should not be consumed.

Always refrigerate your oils after opening. Unrefined oils are best refrigerated as soon as you buy them, to prolong their shelf-life. If they are not in lightproof bottles, keep them out of the light.

The greater your intake of unsaturated fats like vegetable oils and fish oils (EPA/DHA omega-3s), the more you need antioxidant protection against free-radical damage. If you take supplements of fish oil or evening primrose oil, or use polyunsaturated oils, consider taking extra vitamin E. An effective daily dose of vitamin E is about 300 to 400 IU's per day, and "mixed tocopherols" is probably the best general-purpose form to use. Many studies support its effectiveness in reducing risk of heart disease, arthritis and other free-radical-related diseases. Since vitamin C is used to regenerate 'used' vitamin E, supplementing with 500 to 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day would be prudent as well.

The most expensive oils and supplements cannot fully compensate for an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. Use common sense and consult with a nutritionally oriented health professional when you have health concerns. Books by Dean Ornish, M.D. and John McDougall, M.D. offer many excellent ideas regarding diet and lifestyle, and I recommend them for basic dietary information, although their programs tend towards very low fat intake. However, to ensure adequate EFA intake you should have some raw, organic nuts and seeds along with high-quality oils (such as those mentioned above) to supplement these low-fat diets.

Raising Public Awareness

There are still holdouts within the 'scientific' community, particularly those employed or funded by the food industry, who claim there is not yet sufficient proof that trans-fats are dangerous, and then cite studies that justify their position.

This is the name of the game in modern-day 'science' where egos and money are involved.

However, most studies currently appearing in the literature support the idea that these chemically-altered fats are harmful. In such cases of conflict, I always side with Mother Nature: she is much wiser than we will ever be! Remember that most of this information about trans-fats has been known for many years, but processors have succeeded in keeping the issue out of the public eye; another example of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) in the food industry.

Now that you are aware of it, the rest is up to you! Good luck, and good health!

1. Erasmus, Udo, Ph.D., Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, Alive Books, Burnaby, BC, Canada, 1987, 1993.

2. Harvard Health Letter, Summer 1994.

3. Jaffe, Russell, M.D., Lipids (audiotape), 1992.

4. Siguel, Edward, M.D., Ph.D., Essential Fatty Acids in Health and Disease, Nutrek Press, Brookline, MA, USA, 1995.

5. Rudin, Donald, M.D., and Felix, Clara, The Omega-3 Phenomenon, Rawson, New York, USA, 1987.

6. Lipids, March 1996, 31:Suppl:S27982.

7. Finnegan, John, N.D., The Facts About Fats, Celestial Arts Publishing, Berkeley, CA, USA, 1993.

8. "Deficiency of essential fatty acids and membrane fluidity during pregnancy and lactation", Biochemistry, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, vol. 88, June 1991.

9. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1967, 20:462-475.

10. The Lancet, 14 November 1987

11. Circulation, January 1994, 89(1):94-101.

12. American Journal of Cardiology, 1993, 71:916-920.

13. Clinical Science, April 1995, 88(4):375-92.

14. Circulation, ibid.

15. The Lancet, March 1993, 341(8845):581-5.

16. Ornish, Dean, M.D., Dr Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease, Ballantine Books, New York, USA, 1990.

17. McDougall, John A., M.D., The McDougall Program, Plume (Penguin Books), New York, USA, 1991.

* Morrison, Robert Thornton, and Boyd, Robert Neilson, Organic Chemistry, Allyn & Bacon, Inc., Boston, USA, 1973, 1979, 3 ed.

About the Author: Dr Dane Roubos, B.Sc., D.C., D.A.B.C.I., has been a student of nutrition for 25 years, and a practicing chiropractor for the past 14 years. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Internists, and currently teaches full-time at the Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Minnesota. He is committed to helping people learn how to live closer to the Earth, the spirit and their deeper selves….

This article is only for information and does not take the place of medical advice. They mainly give you a starting place to explore what is best for you. I agree with everything in these articles, but it is up to you to make your own decisions.

The Drug Celebrex

This information is from their ad in a National Magazine

Do you suffer from osteoarthritis?

Don’t forget to ask your doctor about Celebrex.

There are many different treatment options. Ask your doctor about the benefits and risks of each one.

Prescription Celebrex is indicated for the relief of signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis and adult rheumatoid arthritis.

Important Information

Celebrex may increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke that can lead to death.

It should not be used right before or after certain heart surgeries. Serious skin reactions or stomach problems such as bleeding can occur without warning and may cause death.

The most common side effects are indigestion, diarrhea, and stomach pain. People with aspirin sensitive asthma or other arthritis medicines or certain drugs called sulfonamides should not take Celebrex.

Tell you doctor if you have high blood pressure, kidney or liver problems.

On the back page of the ad, it adds...

This is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSAIDs.

These drugs may increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke that can lead to death.

The chances of getting an ulcer or bleeding increases when taking other medicines called “corticosteroids” and “anticoagulants”

Do not take if you have had an asthma attack.

These are the serious side effects of taking Celebrex:

Heart attack

Stroke

High blood pressure

Heart failure from fluid retention

Kidney problems including kidney failure

Low red blood cells

Life threatening skin reactions

Life threatening allergic reactions

Liver problems including liver failure

Asthma attack in people who have asthma.

Other side effects include:

Stomach pain

Constipation

Diarrhea

Gas

Heartburn

Vomiting

Dizziness

Nausea

*** END OF THE AD ***

I have gotten calls from people using this drug and they mention most of the side effects listed above. There are healthier alternatives to this and other drugs. You are not alone, I had suffered with arthritis for over 25 years, please feel free to contact me.

10 Tips to Overcome Morning Stiffness

by, Robert Chu, PhD, Lac

Do you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, because of too much pain? Does it take you an hour or two for your body to ‘warm up' and your joints and muscles to loosen before you can tackle the tasks of the day? You are not alone.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, Fibromyalgia affects 3 to 6 million Americans. That's 1 in 50 Americans, with seven times more the frequency in women than in men. And according to the NHIS, by 2030 an estimated 67 million Americans are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

Morning stiffness is one of the more common complaints doctors hear about from patients with fibromyalgia, arthritis, rheumatism and those whose bodies no longer rebound after a day of activity—even gardening—like it used to.

Don't let morning stiffness cut your day short, by starting it later... And while most people reach for muscle relaxants like Motrin and pain relievers like Aleve to get them going, you don't need to.

Main Causes of Morning Stiffness

The basic causes of morning stiffness are lack of daily physical activity, being overweight, having a poor diet, not sleeping properly, and being in an environment that tends to be cold and/or damp.

Exercising on a daily basis (even walking while swinging your arms) is a great way to release those feel-good endorphins, get the blood moving and help clear nasty toxins from the body.

Being overweight causes you to carrying unnecessary poundage, which puts strain on your joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments.

A poor diet that is high in simple carbohydrates causes weak muscles, bad posture and lethargy.

A poor sleeping posture can lock your body in a bad position for hours, causing reduced blood flow to the local muscles, and a buildup of lactic acid, causing stiffness.

Living or working in cold or damp environment causes muscles to stiffen because the cold or damp affects the blood flow throughout the body.

Relieving Morning Stiffness

You can be happy to know that what is causing your morning stiffness can be avoided or corrected... Here are 10 easy things you can do to make a big difference in your life.

Be sure to get ample deep sleep, so your body can repair and recharge. Forget about those troubles or conversations or tasks that need addressing; they can be handled tomorrow. Also, be sure to sleep either on your side or on your back - as stomach sleeping causes unnecessary stress on the low back and spine.

If your room is drafty, seal the windows or door. If it is cold, try a space heater or using extra blankets to prevent that cold or dampness from stiffening your body.

Do some easy stretches while lying in bed, then sitting up in bed - such as bending to the front and sides. This will stretch and loosen the muscles and help flush them with more blood.

Take a hot shower. This serves as a means to induce sweating, promote blood circulation and release muscle spasms. Simply stand under the hot water and... relax.

After you are warmed up from the shower, do some gentle knee bends - as far as you can go without falling! You can hold on to something for balance, if needed. You don't have to go all the way down, either. These exercise almost 90% of the skeletal muscles. Find a counter, table or chair and use your hands for support. Then exhale and squat as low as you can go, then inhale and stand up again. Do 10 of these to get the morning blood flowing and creaky joints silent.

Drink the best water you can get. Often the tap water in our cities is not the freshest or safest. Even cities like Los Angeles have traces of psychiatric medicines and estrogenic-like compounds in its tap water - and these toxins build up in our systems over time, causing pain. It is advisable to drink either bottled water or reverse osmosis filtered water.

Eat better. Cut down on simple carbohydrates and start reading labels to avoid consuming more toxins. Simply eliminate all foods with artificial color, enriched white flour and artificial flavors / sweeteners (high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose and aspartame). If you don't know what it is, or have difficulty pronouncing it, avoid ingesting it.

Learn some coping mechanisms and stress management techniques, so that you're not lying awake all night thinking about your problems. Learning how to deal with toxic people in your life will both allow you to sleep better and reduce the stress-induced muscle spasms that cause pain.

Get some regular exercise. The idea is to go out and do some something physical with your body. Even a simple routine of 10000 steps a day (buy a pedometer!) will greatly improve your health!

Be the fashion police! You want to dress appropriately for these cold months, and you might do well to sleep in flannel pajamas or sweats. Remember, cold air causes muscles and joints to stiffen.

These simple tips followed with a little dedication, along with some minor lifestyle changes and changes to the living environment, can help you overcome morning stiffness in no time.

50 Years of Back Pain Gone in Just Days!

Jerry Talisman had suffered from chronic back pain on and off for over 50 years. Like most people, he had tried it all... chiropractors, physical therapy, he even overdosed on tylenol but nothing gave him lasting relief until he discovered muscle balance therapy.

Unlike most treatments which only deliver temporary relief, if any at all, muscle balance therapy delivers lasting relief to 8 out of 10 people who use it because it addresses the underlying cause of the pain, not just the symptoms.

If you suffer from any type of back pain, neck pain or sciatica, I urge you to learn more about this breakthrough new treatment. Click here to learn more...

Drug Dangers vs. Supplements

The marketing budget alone of the drug companies is 50% greater than the total retail sales for every vitamin, mineral, or herbal product sold in the United States. and:

If we put these statistics into monetary figures it is estimated that the cost of drug-related illness and mortality is likely now over $200 billion annually. To put this dollar amount into perspective this amount is more than the total cost of treating diabetes or heart disease in the United States...

It amazes me that adverse reactions (ADRs) to prescription drugs are estimated to kill over 106,000 Americans every year (These sobering statistics do not include the number of ADRs that occur outside the hospital or the estimated 350,000 ADRs that occur in U.S. nursing homes each year, yet all it seems that the media is interested in is inaccurately portraying the dietary supplement industry as dangerous and "unregulated." I think a little perspective is in order.......

First, more people are being placed on drugs than ever before. For example, roughly 4 billion prescriptions were filled last year. That is about 12 prescriptions for every person in the United States.

Second, more and more people are being placed on a combination of drugs - many times to deal with side effects caused by some of the other drugs. The rate of ADRs increases exponentially after a patient is on 4 or more medications.

Third, many of the newer drugs are more dangerous than older drugs. The FDA has approved many of these drugs without complete safety data. Drug companies can now pay a fee to speed up approval. Of the 548 new drugs approved by the FDA from 1975-1999, 56 of these (10%) were given a new black box warning because of severe ADRs or were withdrawn from the market because of reports of deaths.

Lastly, the majority of health complaints patients see doctors for owe their origin to dietary and lifestyle factors.

Trying to treat the symptoms with a drug (a biochemical band-aid) fails to address the underlying cause and leads to side effects as a result..... the marketing budget alone of the drug companies is 50% greater than the total retail sales for every vitamin, mineral, or herbal product sold in the United States through any channel of trade.

Direct to consumer advertising is estimated to have increased the number of prescriptions last year by nearly 30 million.

As an example of the power of direct to consumer advertising, the sexual potency drug, Viagra, can probably serve as the poster child. Within a few months of its introduction, several million men began taking Viagra, and many serious side effects, including fatalities, suddenly appeared."

A range of commonly prescribed drugs including antibiotics may be responsible for around 15,000 sudden deaths each year in Europe and the United States, researchers claim.

The drugs interfere with electrical activity controlling the heartbeat. A study in the Netherlands found they were associated with a three-fold increased risk of sudden death due to cardiac arrest. Medical system is leading cause of death and injury in the United States.

This is why I have been on a passionate crusade for 25 years to help you understand that you must take the state of your health into your own hands.

I am NOT saying... do not go to doctors when needed.

I am saying to take charge of what you put into your body so your immune system will take care of you.

I spent 43 years dreading every day. Taking untold amounts of drugs and then fearing the dangerous side effects they would cause.

Please do your due diligence and research each and every drug you are taking or about to take.

Our bodies are lacking nutrition, minerals and vitamins, not drugs.

Dr. Linus Pauling stated, “Every ailment, every sickness and every disease can be traced to a mineral deficiency... and can be reversed by using the proper mineral and vitamin supplements.”

Learn about the liquid nutritional supplement I use and recommend.

Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade) for Human Use

I posted this article in the January 2, 2010 newsletter but, It is worth reposting it, especially if you missed it.

Diatomaceous Earth is 84% Silicon Dioxide (Silica)

There is no life without Silica !!

In 1939, the Nobel Prize winner for chemistry, Professor Adolf Butenant, proved that life can not exist without Silica.

In the 2003 book "Water & Salt" Dr. Barbara Hendel states: "Silica it the most important trace mineral for human health!"

Silica plays an important role in many body functions and has a direct relationship to mineral absorption. The average human body holds approximately seven grams of silica, a quantity far exceeding the figures for other important minerals such as iron.

Lets look at some of the benefits of Silica:*

Lower High Blood Pressure!

Of the thousands of people that are using Diatomaceous Earth, everyone that has high blood pressure has reported that it has gone down. It has been so thrilling to talk to people all over the United States and have them tell their stories. I am not just talking a few points---I am talking about LIFE-CHANGING numbers. Doctors are amazed--customers are amazed---You will be too.

Lower high Cholesterol!

Just as Diatomaceous Earth has been lowering blood pressure--it has also been lowering cholesterol!!. I have not talked with one person that has high cholesterol that has not had lower numbers after taking Diatomaceous Earth. Most are reporting 40-60 points lower after only 2 weeks on DE. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it works!

Feedback from a user:

"I have been on DE for 6 months now and I just had my lab work done. My triglycerides have been reduced from 495 down to 203. I have so much more energy and my hair and nails are growing so much better. My husband has had High Blood Pressure and since being on the dirt, his BP is now in the normal range. It has also helped with my varicose veins and I no longer have any pain from them.."

Rhonda from Louisiana

My joints feel so much better!!

Osteoporosis is a symptom of the aging process. As calcium in our body system depletes, our bones become brittle and weak. Taking only a calcium supplement can not correct or stop this threatening and crippling disease because the body cannot assimilate and make use of the calcium without the presence of silica. Evidence suggests that, instead of affecting healing, supplemental mineral calcium, on the contrary, accelerates the leaching away of bone calcium and thus hastens the degenerative process of osteoporosis and similar diseases that affect the supportive and connective tissues in the human body.

For osteoporosis, silica can stop the pain and even restore the bodies self repair process. Osteoporosis symptoms attack women primarily after menopause but the degenerative process starts much earlier in their younger days. More women are dying of fractures caused by osteoporosis than of cancer of the breast, cervix, and uterus combined.

Silica is responsible for the depositing of minerals into the bones, especially calcium. It speeds up the healing of fractures and also reduces scarring at the site of a fracture. More and more research evidence shows that through a transmutation process, silica is turned into calcium when it is needed. That is why some scientists refer to silica as a precursor of calcium. Even when calcium is insufficient, the body can turn silica into calcium that the bones need.

Natural Weight Loss!

We have been getting hundreds of reports from all over the United States that DE is helping people lose weight. Everyone is saying that DE taken in the morning helps curb their appetite throughout the day. Just one more reason to take it everyday!!

Nature's Internal Cosmetic!

In Europe and Asia Diatomaceous Earth is used extensively as a health and beauty product for hair, skin, nails, bones, and joints. They have no FDA.

Tissue degeneration accelerates due to aging when connective tissue develops an increasing inability to retain moisture when left unassisted. Silica can help slow the degenerative process of connective tissue. With silica, vitality and life, which are often lost as the years accumulate, can be naturally maintained or even restored to your skin. Collagen, largely made up of silica, is the glue that holds us together. If our body has enough silica glucosaminoglycane, the collagen will make us look younger. Silica helps with skin problems and injuries including itching, rashes, abscesses, boils, acne, callouses, warts, eczemas, burns, frostbite, benign skin sores, insect bites and bed sores.

If you regularly follow a silica regimen, your skin will keep its young look. A good silica supplementation program works far better than other products for maintaining healthier and longer lasting collagen.

Hair That Grows!

Hair is natures greatest beauty enhancer. Hair deserves to be pampered. Hair at 90 micrograms per gram is almost as rich in silica as are healthy bones, which contain 100 micrograms per gram. Silica is a major component of hair. Using a good silica supplement should be part of your ongoing hair care program for revitalizing hair. Silica helps to prevent baldness, stimulates healthier hair growth and assures beautiful shine, luster and strength.

Teeth and Gums!

By hardening the enamel, silica prevents cavities and preserves teeth. Silica also prevents bleeding gums, gum atrophy, and recession that causes the loosening of teeth, which could ultimately lead to tooth loss. Silica effectively fights ulceration and the decay of bones, teeth and also lessens inflammation.

Tough As Nails!

Your nail plates are complex protein structures that grow four to five millimeters per month on average. With silica supplementation, fragile nails become normal within a short period of time. Silica will beautify the appearance of your nails and improve their hardness, making them shinier and less prone to breaking.

The restorative effects of silica will be most noticeable on your hair, skin, nails and teeth. Our skin and hair require silica essentially for the same purpose as do other tissues. As we know, the supporting collagen underneath the skin enhances elasticity and beauty. Collagen owes that quality to silica, which provides a beautiful complexion that is more than skin deep.

More Benefits!

Silica lowers bad cholesterol and raises good
Silica fades age spots
Silica stimulates metabolism for higher energy levels
Diatomaceous earth has a negative charge and bacteria has a positive charge. It is believed that diatomaceous earth sweeps bacteria out of the body by trapping it in it's honeycomb shaped skeletal form.
Silica supplementation helps repair and maintain vital lung tissues and protects them from pollution. By maintaining or restoring the elasticity of lung tissues, silica reduces inflammation in bronchitis.
It acts as a cough decreasing agent. Silica tones the upper respiratory tract (nose, pharynx, larynx) and reduces swelling because of its positive action on the lymphatic system.
Silica supplementation keeps menopause free of stress and helps to prevent many unwanted side-effects of menopause
Silica works with other antioxidants to prevent premature aging and to preserve youthfulness.
Silica can help prevent kidney stones and heal infections of the urinary tract. It is a natural diuretic which can increase excretion of urine by 30 percent, thus flushing the water-excreting system and restoring normal function to these vital organs.
The presence of sufficient silica in the intestines will reduce inflammation of the intestinal tract. It can cause disinfection in the case of stomach and intestinal mucus and ulcers. Silica can prevent or clear up diarrhea and its opposite, constipation.
Silica will help normalize hemorrhoidal tissues.
In regulating and normalizing the bowels, silica has a pleasant side effect; it can alleviate lower back pain, which often troubles the elderly.
Silica proves effective with female discharge, abscesses and ulcers in the genital area and cervix, as well as mastitis (especially for breast feeding mothers).
The intake of silica acts as a supportive treatment for inflammation of the middle ear. Because of the beneficial effectiveness on the lymphatic system, silica can be used for swelling of the lymph nodes in the throat.
Has anti-inflammatory disinfecting, absorbing and odor binding effects.
Silica can normalize circulation and regulate high blood pressure (hypertension).
Silica can decrease vertigo, headache, tinnitus (buzzing of the ears) and insomnia.
Silica can help diabetes by promoting synthesis of elastase inhibitor by the pancreas.
Silica can help arterial disease by strengthening the blood vessels. Studies confirm that with age, silica disappears from the aorta, the heart's key blood vessel thus weakening its critical connective tissue and resulting in a greater cardiac risk.
Silica can help prevent Tuberculosis.
By improving the elasticity of the joints, silica helps rheumatism.
Silica has inhibitory effects on coronary diseases.
Silica can help avoiding or alleviating Alzheimer's disease by preventing the body from absorbing aluminum and may flush out aluminum from the tissues. Silica can stimulate the immune system.

Dosage:

Daily silica needs of humans are 20-30 mg. In Years past, our bodies would get enough silica from our diet. Unfortunately, many of the foods we now eat have lost their nutritional value due to soil nutrient depletion, food processing, and chemicals. Supplemental use of Perma-Guard Diatomaceous Earth is essential to total body health.

In studies and searches of the internet, people are taking 1 or 2 heaping tablespoons of Diatomaceous Earth every day. Myself and my family take 1 heaping tablespoon per day. We mix it with grapefruit juice. Others are mixing it with water, soda pop, juice, or whatever liquid they enjoy. Some are even putting DE in protein shakes, applesauce and yogurt. Perma-Guard Diatomaceous Earth is Food Grade and very pure. There is no unpleasant taste. Since it will not dissolve, stirring several times while drinking will prevent settling. Some have experienced higher energy levels, so it is probably better not to take it right before sleeping. No worry about getting too much--any excess silica not needed by the body is automatically eliminated through the blood stream, kidneys and intestines.

Check out D.E. and it's other uses (ie: for your pets) at: Earth Works Health

*DISCLAIMER

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The statements are for informational purposes only and are not meant to replace the services or recommendations of a physician or qualified health care practitioner. Those with health problems, pregnancy or who are nursing are specifically advised that they should consult their physician before taking any nutritional supplement.

Any food grade diatomaceous earth uses other than those approved by the EPA, FDA, or USDA are strictly reports of what hundreds of users as well as we ourselves have done with diatomaceous earth.

Adverse Effects of Antibiotics

Between 40 and 50% of all antibiotics prescribed in the US are unnecessary.

Taken from "Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease New Your; Wiley,85:301-7

One of the greatest threats to your long term-immunity. Antibiotics…

When should you not get antibiotics? The most common misuse probably occurs when doctors prescribe them for the common cold, and the flue which known viral infections.

Antibiotics are only effective against bacteria.

There are no know way to speed up the healing process or stop viral infections.

You must simply rest and drink lots of water.

Antibiotics are to be questioned when prescribed for ear infections. Studies show that drugs are no more effective than placebos.

Even more shocking, using antibiotics increase the risk of recurrent ear infections as much as SIX FOLD! JAMA 91;266(230;3309-17

Our bodies were designed to deal with foreign bacteria. When your immune system overcomes an infection it emerges stronger. It produces more natural antibodies that are better able to deal with future inroads on your health.

Here is what happens when antibiotics are given at the first sign of infection. All very serious.

It suppressed your own immune system. Your body creates fewer natural antibiotics. This makes your white blood cells less active in attacking bacteria that have been treated with antibiotics.

This explains why many minor infections appear to happen over and over, thus requiring more and more treatment. A vicious cycle.

When bacteria are exposed over and over to antibiotics they begin to mutate. This causes them to become immune to the drug's effect. Since we cannot stop this mutation it is responsible for thousands of lives yearly.

It is known that a large number of people who go into the hospital for one condition, but during their stay, developed a near-fatal or fatal case of drug-resistant pneumonia.

We all have beneficial bacteria that lives in our intestinal tract. In a healthy intestinal tract, millions of beneficial organisms help form vitamins, and enzymes, they kill cancer-causing compounds, regulate cholesterol and hormone levels and keep in check the overgrowth of disease-producing bacteria and fungi.

Some of the most common are, eczema, decreased mental abilities, depression, recurrent vaginal or bladder infections, candida, hyperactivity, constipation, lupus, RA and even cancer. Also, parasitic infections, fatigue, food allergies.

So make sure you really need that antibiotic. Have your doctor take a cultures of the area involved.

Orthorexia and the New Rules of Clean Eating (Part 1)

by, Tom Venuto

www.BurnTheFat.com

Clean eating has no official definition, but it’s usually described as avoiding processed foods, chemicals, preservatives and artificial ingredients. Instead, clean eaters choose natural foods, the way they came out of the ground or as close to their natural form as possible. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, 100% whole grains, egg whites, fish, and chicken breast are clean eating staples. Clean eating appears to be a desirable, sensible, even noble goal. Eating clean is what we should all strive to do to achieve optimum health and body composition isn’t it? Arguably the answer is mostly yes, but more and more people today are asking, “is it possible to take clean eating too far?”

Physician Steven Bratman thinks so. In 1997, Bratman was the first to put a name to an obsession with healthy eating, calling it orthorexia nervosa. In his book, Health Food Junkies, Bratman said that whether they are trying to lose weight or not, orthorexics are preoccupied with eating healthy food and avoiding anything artificial or “toxic.”

Orthorexics are not only fanatical about eating the purest, healthiest, most nutritious (aka “clean”) foods available, says Bratman, they often feel a sense of righteousness in doing so.

Whether orthorexia should be officially classified as an eating disorder is controversial. The term appears in pub med indexed scientific journals, but it’s not listed in the DSM-IV as are anorexia and bulimia. Opponents wonder, “Since when did choosing a lifestyle that eliminates junk food become a disease?”

Media coverage and internet discussions about orthorexia have increased in the past year. Websites such as the Mayo Clinic, the Huffington Post and the UK-based Guardian added their editorials into the mix in recent months, alongside dozens of individual bloggers.

In most cases, mainstream media discussions of orthorexia have focused on far extremes of health food practices such as raw foodism, detox dieting or 100% pure organic eating, where some folks would rather starve to death than eat a cooked or pesticide-exposed vegetable.

But closer to my home, what about the bodybuilding, fitness, figure and physique crowd? Should we be included in this discussion?

In their quest for adding muscle mass and burning fat, many fitness and physique enthusiasts become obsessed with eating only the “cleanest” foods possible. Like the natural health enthusiasts, physique athletes usually avoid all processed foods and put entire food groups on the “forbidden” list. Oddly, that sometimes includes rules such as “you must cut out fruit on precontest diets” because “fruit is high in sugar” or “fructose turns to fat”.

According to Bratman’s criteria, one could argue that almost every competitive bodybuilder or physique athlete is automatically orthorexic, and they might add obsessive-compulsive and neurotic for good measure.

As you can imagine, I have mixed feelings about that (being a bodybuilder).

If I choose to set a rule for myself that I’ll limit my junk food to only 10% of my meals, does that make me orthorexic or is that a prudent health decision?

If I plan my menus on a spreadsheet, am I a macronutrient micromanager or am I detail-oriented?

If I make my meals in advance for the day ahead, does that mean I’m obsessive compulsive, or am I prepared?

If I make one of my high protein vanilla apple cinnamon oatmeal pancakes (one of my favorite portable clean food recipes) and take it with me on a flight because I don’t want to eat airline food, am I neurotic? Or am I perhaps, the smartest guy on the plane?

Some folks are probably shaking their heads and saying, “you bodybuilders are definitely OCD.” I prefer to call it dedicated, thank you, but perhaps we are obsessive, at least a wee bit before competitions. But aren’t all competitive athletes, to some degree, at the upper levels of most sports?

Athletes of all kinds – not just bodybuilders - take their nutrition and training regimens far beyond what the “average Joe” or “average soccer mom” would require to stay healthy and fit.

What if you don’t want to be average – what if you want to be world class? What then? Is putting hours of practice a day into developing a skill or discipline an obsessive-compulsive disorder too?

Okay, now that I’ve defended the strict lifestyle habits of the muscle-head brother and sisterhood, let me address the flipside: being too strict.

Where does the average health and bodyweight-concerned fitness enthusiast draw the line? How clean should you eat? Do you need lots of structure and planning in your eating habits, or as Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher said, does making too many rules only create more rule-breakers?

Debates have started flaring up over these questions and as inconceivable as it seems, there has actually been somewhat of a backlash against “clean eating.” Why would THAT possibly happen? Eating “clean” is eating healthy, right? Eating clean is a good thing, right?

Well, almost everyone agrees that it’s ok to have a “cheat meal” occasionally, but some experts - after watching how many people are becoming neurotic about food - are now clamoring to point out that it’s not necessary to be so strict.

The diet pendulum has apparently swung from:

“Eat a balanced diet with a wide variety of foods you enjoy.”

To:

“You MUST eat clean!”

To:

“Go ahead and eat as much junk as you want, as long as you watch your calories and get your essential nutrients like protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals.”

Talk about confusion! Now we’ve got people who gain great pride and a sense of dedication and accomplishment for taking up a healthy, clean-eating lifestyle and we’ve got people who thumb their nose at clean eating and say, “Chill out bro! Live a little!”

The current debate about how clean you should eat (or how much you should “cheat”) reminds me of the recent arguments over training methods such as steady state versus HIIT cardio. Whatever the debate of the day, most people seem to have a really difficult time acknowledging that there’s a middle ground.

Most dieters, when they don’t like a certain philosophy, reject it entirely and flip to its polar opposite. Most dieters are dichotomous thinkers, always viewing their endeavors as all or nothing. Most dieters are also joiners, plugging into one of the various diet tribes and gaining their sense of identity by belonging.

In some cases, I think these tribes are more like cults, as people follow guru-like leaders who pass down health and nutrition commandments that are followed with religious conviction. Seriously, the parallels of diet groups to religious groups can be downright scary sometimes.

Whether the goal is to optimize health, to build muscle or to burn fat, there’s little doubt that many individuals with all kinds of different motivations sometimes take their dietary restrictions to extremes. Obviously, an overly restrictive diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies and can adversely affect health, energy and performance.

In some cases, I can also see how swinging to any extreme, even a “healthy obsession” with pure food could lead to distorted views and behaviors that border on eating disorders. If you don’t believe it’s a real clinical psychological problem, then at the very least, you might agree that nutritional extremes could mean restricting social activities, creating inconvenience or making lifestyle sacrifices that are just not necessary.

I believe there’s a middle ground - a place where we can balance health and physique with a lifestyle and food plan we love and enjoy. Even more important, I believe that your middle ground may not be the same as mine. We all must find our own balance.

I believe that going back to BALANCE, but this time with a better definition of what balance means, is the approach of the future.

I also believe that some new rules would help us find that balance.

If you'd like to learn the rules that bodybuilders and fitness models follow to "eat clean" and stay lean, then visit http://www.burnthefat.com.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto, author of Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle, is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: http://www.burnthefat.com

Orthorexia and the New Rules of Clean Eating (Part 2)

by, Tom Venuto

www.BurnTheFat.com

In part one, I described the growing obsession many people have with eating only the purest, healthiest foods, aka “clean eating.” You’d think that nothing but good would come from that, but some experts today dislike the concept of clean foods because it implies a dichotomy where other foods, by default, are “dirty” or forbidden - as in, you can never, ever eat them again (imagine life without chocolate, or pizza… or beer! you guys). Some physicians and psychologists even believe that if taken to an extreme, a fixation on healthy food qualifies as a new eating disorder called orthorexia.

Personally, I have no issues with the phrase “clean eating.” Even if you choose to eat clean nearly 100% of the time, I don’t see how that qualifies as a psychological disorder of any kind (I reckon people who eat at McDonalds every day are the ones who need a shrink).

However, I also think you would agree that any behavior - washing your hands, cleaning your house, or even exercise or eating health food - can become obsessive-compulsive and dysfunctional if it takes over your life or is taken to an extreme. In the case of diet and exercise, it could also lead to or overlap with anorexia.

It’s debatable whether orthorexia is a distinct eating disorder, but I’m not against using the word to help classify a specific type of obsessive-compulsive behavior. I think it’s real.

The truth is that many people are quite “enthusiastic” in defending – or preaching about - their dietary beliefs: no meat, no grains, no dairy, only organic, only raw, only what God made, and on and on the rigid all-or-nothing rules go.

What people choose to eat is often so sacred to them, it makes for tricky business when you’re a nutrition educator. Sometimes I don’t feel like telling anyone what to eat, but simply setting a personal example and showing people how I do it, like, “Hey guys, here is how natural bodybuilders eat to get so ripped and muscular. It may not suit you, but it works for us. Take it or leave it.”

On the other hand, I can’t help feeling that there’s got to be a way to better help the countless individuals who haven’t yet formulated their own philosophies, and who find nutrition overwhelmingly confusing. For many people, even a simple walk down the aisles of a grocery store, and trying to decipher the food labels and nutrition claims is enough to trigger an anxiety attack.

That’s where I hope this is useful. I can’t draw the line for you, or tell you what to eat, but I can suggest a list of “new rules” for clean eating which simplifies nutrition and clears up confusion, while giving you more freedom, balance, life enjoyment and better results at the same time.

New Rule #1: Define what clean eating means to you

Obviously, clean eating is not a scientific term. Most people define clean eating as avoiding processed foods, chemicals and artificial ingredients and choosing natural foods, the way they came out of the ground or as close to their natural form as possible. If that works for you, then use it. However, the possible definitions are endless. I’ve seen forum arguments about whether protein powder is “clean.” Arguments are a waste of time. Ultimately, what clean eating means is up to you to define. Whether your beliefs and values have you restrict or expand on the general definition, define it you must, keeping in mind that your definition may be different than other’s.

New Rule #2: Always obey the law of energy balance

There’s one widely held belief about food that hurts people and perpetuates the obesity problem because it’s simply not true. It’s the idea that calories don’t matter for weight loss, as long as you eat certain foods or avoid certain foods. Some people think that if you eat only clean foods, you’re guaranteed to lose weight and stay lean. The truth is that eating too much of anything gets stored as fat. Yes, you can become obese eating 100% clean, natural foods. There’s more to good nutrition than calories in versus calories out, but the energy balance equation is always there.

New Rule #3: Remember that “foods” are not fattening, “excess calories” are

There’s a widespread fear today that certain foods will automatically turn into fat. Carbohydrates – particularly refined carbohydrates and sugars - are still high on the hit list of feared foods, and so are fatty foods, owing to their high caloric density (9 calories per gram). Foods that contain fat and sugar (think donuts) are considered the most fattening of all. But what if you ate only one small donut and stayed in a calorie deficit for the day – would you still say that donut was fattening?

If you want to say certain foods are fattening, you certainly can, but what you really mean is that some foods are calorie dense, highly palatable, not very satiating and eating them might even stimulate your appetite for more (betcha can’t eat just one!). Therefore, they’re likely to cause you to eat more calories than you need. Conversely, “non-fattening” foods have no magical properties, they’re simply low in caloric density, highly filling and non-appetite stimulating.

New Rule #4: Understand the health-bodyfat paradox

Two of the biggest reasons people choose to eat clean are health and weight loss. Health and body composition are intertwined, but dietary rules for health and weight loss are not one in the same. Weight gains or losses are dictated primarily by calorie quantity. Health is dictated primarily by calorie quality. That’s the paradox: You can lose weight on a 100% junk food diet, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be healthy. You can get healthier on an all natural clean food diet, but that doesn’t mean you won’t gain weight… and if you gain too much weight, then you start getting unhealthy. To be healthy and lean requires the right combination of calorie quantity and quality, not one or the other.

New Rule #5: Forbidden foods are forbidden.

Think of you on a diet like a pressure cooker on a burner. The longer you keep that pot on the heat, the more the steam builds up inside. If there’s no outlet or release valve, eventually the pressure builds up so much that even if it’s made of steel and the lid is bolted down, she’s gonna blow, sooner or later. But if you let off a little steam by occasionally having that slice of pizza or whatever is your favorite food, that relieves the pressure.

Alas, you never even felt the urge to binge… because you already had your pizza and the urge was satisfied. Since the “cheat meal” was planned and you obeyed the law of calorie balance, you stayed in control and it had little or no effect on your fat loss results. Ironically, you overcome your cravings by giving in to them, with two caveats: not too often and not too much.

New Rule #6: Set your own compliance rule

Many health and nutrition professionals suggest a 90% compliance rule because if you choose clean foods 90% of the time, it’s easy to control your calories, you consume enough nutrients for good health, and what you eat the other 10% of the time doesn’t seem to matter much. Suppose you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks every day, a total of 35 feedings per week. 90% compliance would mean following your clean eating plan for about 31 or 32 of those weekly feedings. The other 3 or 4 times per week, you eat whatever you want (as long as you obey rule #2 and keep the calories in check)

You’ll need to decide for yourself where to set your own rule. A 90% compliance rule is a popular, albeit arbitrary number – a best guess at how much “clean eating” will give you optimal health. Some folks stay lean and healthy with 80%. Others say they don’t even desire junk food and they eat 99% clean, indulging perhaps only once or twice a month.

One thing is for certain – the majority of your calories should come from natural nutrient-dense foods – not only for good health, but also because what you eat most of the time becomes your habitual pattern. Habit patterns are tough to break and what you do every day over the long term is what really counts the most.

New Rule #7: Have “free” meals, not “cheat” meals

Cheating presupposes that you’re doing something you’re not supposed to be doing. That’s why you feel guilty when you cheat. Guilt can be one of the biggest diet destroyers. Consider referring to these meals that are off your regular plan as “free meals” instead of “cheat meals.” If having free meals is part of your plan right from the start, then you’re not cheating are you? So don’t call it that. What can you eat for your free meals? Anything you want. Otherwise, it wouldn’t truly be a free meal, would it?

People sometimes tell me that my bodybuilding diet and lifestyle are “too strict.” I find that amusing because I love eating clean 95-99% of the time and I consider it easy. I had a butter-drizzled steak, a glass of wine, and chocolate sin cake for dessert to celebrate my last birthday. I had a couple slices of pizza just four weeks before my last competition (and still stepped on stage at 4.5% body fat). Oh, and I’m really looking forward to my mom’s pumpkin pie and Christmas cake too. Why? How? Because as strict as my lifestyle might appear to some people, I’ve learned how to enjoy free meals and I will eat ANYTHING I want - with no guilt. Meanwhile, my critics are often people with rules that NEVER allow those foods to ever cross their lips.

New Rule #8: For successful weight control, focus on compliance to a calorie deficit, not just compliance to a food list

Dietary compliance doesn’t just mean eating the right foods, it means eating the right amount of food. You might be doing a terrific job at eating only the foods “authorized” by your nutrition program, but if you eat too many “clean” foods, you will still get fat. On the fat loss side of health-bodyfat paradox, the quantity of food is the pivotal factor, not the quality of food. If fat loss is your goal and you’re stubbornly determined to be 100% strict about your nutrition, then be 100% strict about maintaining your calorie deficit.

Lesson #9: Avoid all or none attitudes and dichotomous thinking

If you make a mistake, it doesn’t ruin an entire 12 week program, a whole week and not even an entire day. What ruins a program is thinking that you must either be on or off your diet and allowing one meal off your program to completely derail you. All or nothing thinking is the great killer of diet programs.

Even if they don’t believe that one meal will set them back physically, many “clean eaters” feel like a single cheat is a moral failure. They are terrified to eat any processed foods because they look at foods as good or bad rather than looking at the degree of processing or the frequency of consuming them.

Rest assured, a single meal of ANYTHING, if the calories don’t exceed your energy needs, will have virtually no impact on your condition. It’s not what you do occasionally, it’s what you do most of the time, day after day, that determines your long term results.

New Rule #10: Focus more on results, less on methods

I’m not sure whether it’s sad or laughable that most people get so married to their methods that they stop paying attention to results. Overweight people often praise their diet program and the guru that created it, even though they’ve plateaud and haven’t lost any weight in months, or the weight they lost has begun to creep back on. Health food fanatics keep eating the same, even when they’re sick and weak and not getting any stronger or healthier.

Why would someone continue doing more of the same even when it’s not working? One word: habit! Beliefs and behavior patterns are so ingrained at the unconscious level, you repeat the same behaviors every day virtually on automatic pilot. Defending existing beliefs and doing it the way you’ve always done it is a lot easier than changing.

In the final analysis, results are what counts: weight, body composition, lean muscle, performance, strength, blood pressure, blood lipids, and everything else you want to improve. Are they improving or not? If not, perhaps it’s time for a change.

Concluding words of wisdom

We need rules. Trying to eat “intuitively” or just “wing it” from the start is a recipe for failure. Ironically, intuitive eating does not come intuitively. Whether you use my Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle program or a different program that suits your lifestyle better, you must have a plan.

After following your plan for a while, your constructive new behaviors eventually turn over to unconscious control (a process commonly known as developing habits). But you’ll never reach that hallowed place of “unconscious competence” unless you start with planning, structure, discipline and rules.

Creating nutritional rules does NOT create more rule breakers. Only unrealistic or unnecessary rules create rule breakers. That’s why these new rules of clean eating are based on a neat combination of structure and flexibility. If you have too much flexibility and not enough structure, you no longer have a plan. If you have too much structure and not enough flexibility, you have a plan you can’t stick with.

To quickly sum it all up: Relax your diet a bit! But not too much!

About the Author:

The Gooey Stuff

by, Sherry Brescia

As I stood in line at the store this morning, the guy in front of me sneezed, then blew his nose with a big, wet, gurgly HONK.

I thought, "Holy mugga mugga, that's a lot of mucus."

That got me thinking that although we usually associate it with having a cold, mucus is a normal, healthy bodily secretion. It's a clear, slimy material that's meant to protect our inner membranes and tissues from harmful substances.

In the respiratory system mucus protects our lungs by trapping foreign particles that enter through the nose and mouth when we breathe.

Mucus also coats everything we eat or drink--even water. If it senses acid or toxins in what we've ingested, the mucus immediately starts working to engulf the toxins and move them out of the body. When this happens, it becomes thick, gooey and cloudy (like what we usually see when we have a head cold).

Unfortunately, many people cause this to happen morning, noon and night because of the foods they eat.

You see, your body sees most acid-creating foods and food combinations as dangerous, so every time you eat them, your mucus goes into protection mode.

And you get that thick, gooey feeling in the back of your throat that causes you to cough and clear your throat.

A perfect example is ice cream. How many times have you felt "clogged" after eating some Ben & Jerry's and needed a glass of water to help clear your throat?

The same thing is happening when children who drink milk get ear infections.

The mucus in their bodies surrounds the acidy milk, and it ends up getting trapped near the back of their throat and

eardrums when they lie down to sleep. Toxins and bacteria build up in the thick mucus and voila--ear infection.

Well-meaning parents then bring the child the doctor for another round of antibiotics, not knowing that in most cases the child would see a HUGE improvement if dairy (and other acid-creating foods) was eliminated from his diet.

No drugs or ear tube surgery necessary.

Now, mucus doesn't quit in the throat when it senses you've eaten something acidy or toxic. It follows the offending food right down the digestive tract to escort it "out the door."

But since the food is surrounded by the thick mucus, some of the food and mucus can get trapped in your intestines. Once they do, a breeding ground for bad bacteria has been created.

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This is yet another great reason to follow the eating principles that I'll teach you in Great Taste No Pain.

I spell it right out what foods and food combinations are acid-creating, so you know exactly what's likely to get the mucus going, so you can avoid it.

And if you "can't live without" some of your favorite acid-creating foods (like ice cream and others), I'll show you how to eat them to help minimize their effects.

Use Great Taste No Pain, and you'll feel a lot less clogged up real soon.

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