tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62904948856261855512024-02-18T00:05:01.598-05:00The Healthy CowWhere science meets common sense.Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-66670657913496389302013-11-20T09:54:00.000-05:002013-11-20T16:52:22.828-05:006 Signs That You're Taking Your Diet Too Seriously<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No matter how much time you spend online arguing with people about diet/nutrition, it's too much time. Rarely do these interactions have any worth. Take, for example, the vegan guy who trolled my YouTube channel this week (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3CEttHtEcA">read the comments</a>). He left several ridiculous comments, like "Oh Eggs, Yummy! One of the cheapest ways to insure you get cancer and/or heart disease!" and "Well there is actually nothing out there that beats the scientific research that was done on the China Study (a popular vegan book)." He really has no idea how much of a jerk he was being. He takes his diet ideology, veganism, far too seriously and personally.<br />
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Unfortunately, this kind of thing has become very common... diets are becoming religions... I don't care if it's vegan, vegetarian, paleo, raw vegan, low-carb, low-fat, or anything else, what you eat should not take over your life and turn you into an ignorant zealot. Sometimes we need to check ourselves. Here are 6 signs that you're taking your diet too seriously.<br />
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<b>1. You can't date outside your diet.</b><br />
It's true, there are plenty of people online discussing this very topic in forums other media. Check out this <a href="http://www.paleoconnect.com/about_us.php">Paleo dating site</a>. How do you date outside your diet ideology? How can you possibly love someone who eats bread on a regular basis!?<br />
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It's simple really. Because there's more to life and people and relationships than what we eat. Let's talk about qualities that we tend to like in other people, shall we? <b>Intelligence, maturity, open-mindedness, honesty, integrity, respectfulness, ambition, affection, sense of humor</b>... do any of these involve diet?<br />
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If you've let your diet become such a big part of who you are that you can't love someone else because of it, then you need to back off and get some perspective. And, ironically, you've already disqualified yourself for about half of these desirable qualities people look for. The first step is recognizing it as a problem... now grow from it.<br />
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<b>2. You become personally offended when someone disagrees with you.</b><br />
There are always haters, especially with the anonymity of the internet. For any possible philosophy or theory, there are always people that disagree. How do you respond when someone disagrees with you on your diet? Do you try to convince them you're right? Do you become personally offended? Do you feel the need to be a jackass about it?<br />
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Calm. The. #&@%. Down. Just because someone eats meat, for example, doesn't mean he's going to die at 50 of a heart attack, and it certainly doesn't mean you should be an ass and tell him about it. Take the comment left by that fool on my YouTube channel... "Oh Eggs, Yummy! One of the cheapest ways to insure you get cancer and/or heart disease!" <b>There are constructive ways to have an argument without becoming personally offended; this is not the way to do it.</b><br />
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If someone disagrees with you, why do you take it personally? Why does it even affect you? It's because your diet ideology has become "who you are" to such an extent that you don't know who you are without it. Check yourself.<br />
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<b>3. You bring your own meal to a party.</b><br />
Everyone knows that guy. You may even be that guy (or gal). You and your friends are having a summer party, and you're going to grill burgers and hot dogs, eat chips and salsa, and generally be merry. Not everyone wants to eat burgers and hot dogs, I understand that. But you don't have to totally dismiss the party food and be a jerk.<br />
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Now, <b>it's one thing to bring yourself a veggie burger; at least you're still participating in the party. It's another thing entirely to bring yourself a tupperware container full of a carefully planned out, home-cooked meal</b>. Why are the two different?<br />
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Because it says to your friends and family that their food isn't good enough. It puts you on your little high horse, makes you feel superior, and you look like an ass in the process. Eating food at a party is about more than just the food... it's about communion, about bonding with friends and family, and it's a vehicle for building relationships. Bringing your own meal completely slashes that and has the opposite effect: it isolates you. It puts up a barrier between you and everyone else. Let loose a little bit; food is about more than just nutrition.<br />
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<b>4. You'd rather offend someone than eat outside your diet.</b><br />
In many cases, food is given as a gift, and in our American culture, said food is usually junk food. Pies, cakes, cookies... you know what I'm talking about... no one's giving steamed kale as a gift. These foods don't fit into anyone's strict diet. How do you respond when you're given the gift of food?<br />
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<b>Let's say, for example, that your grandmother bakes you an apple pie.</b> You go over her house for dinner with some family members, and after dinner she unveils this delicious-looking fresh apple pie she's baked for everyone. Its full of trans-fat, gluten, and sugar. <b>Do you have a slice? </b><br />
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If not, you're doing far more than just rejecting food; on some level, you're rejecting your grandmother's love. I know you love her, don't get me wrong. But her pie is an expression of her love, and she wants to share it with her family. To deny her the happiness she gets to see her family enjoy her pie would be rude and distasteful. At the very least, have a few bites. It won't kill you. (Unless of course you have a serious allergy, then DON'T eat the pie, she'll understand :) )<br />
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<b>5. You think that everyone else should eat the way you do.</b><br />
This is probably the most common sign that your diet has become too much a part of you. Everyone is different. That's what makes the world so interesting; different people, different ideas and opinions... there's always so much to learn from meeting someone new, and it's always exciting to expand your horizons a little. Why would you want everyone else to be like you?<br />
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<b>I'm as guilty of this as anyone. At one point, I was very convinced that the Paleo diet was the only way to be healthy.</b> In hindsight, it feels stupid, but I believed it. I thought that everyone should stop eating bread and pasta, and that all we needed was to eat the foods our ancestors ate, and that we would all be better off for it.<br />
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Well, many people aren't willing to give up all grains and dairy. Some people just want to find a middle ground between eating healthy and eating what they like. Some people just want to eat what tastes good. Some people are struggling just to find enough food to feed their families. There's nothing wrong with any of that. Projecting one dietary philosophy on everyone is ignorant and short-sighted, and it rubs people the wrong way. There are a thousand ways to accomplish the same thing; Paleo (or vegetarian, or low-carb for that matter) is just a tool in the tool box.<br />
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<b>6. You're afraid of food.</b><br />
Fear... this is where we enter the realm of disordered eating. The only reason food should instill fear in us is when we know we'll have a serious adverse reaction to eating it. If you know you have a shellfish allergy, for example, and your face swells up within minutes after eating a scallop... you have a right to fear scallops.<br />
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<b>For the vast majority of us though, being too attached to a dietary ideology can make us irrationally fearful of food.</b> For vegetarians, it's meat; for Paleo dieters, it's gluten or dairy; for fruitarians, it's virtually anything other than a banana ;). <b>We tend to allow our chosen dietary dogma to dictate how we feel about certain foods, when in reality, we can probably eat them occasionally with no ill effects.</b><br />
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These days, gluten-free diets are becoming popular. I do think gluten is a problem for a lot of people, and there's even some evidence that it's inflammatory and damaging for <i>everyone</i>. However, have a little context... nearly everyone on earth eats gluten every single day... we haven't died out as a species yet, have we? If you don't experience obvious ill effects from eating something, then regardless of your health goals, you can likely afford to eat it from time to time. There's no need to be all in one way or the other; moderation is a virtue.<br />
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I understand why diets become such a big part of people's lives; internalizing it in such a way makes it easier to stick with it. And if we see success, we want to change others' lives too. It's a noble cause, really it is. I've been there. I'm guilty of many of these things, but I've grown through it and realized why I don't want to act that way. We have to understand that there is more than one way to eat healthy. Everyone is different; not everyone wants to eat paleo, or vegan, or low-carb. Some people just want to eat a standard American diet and count their calories. Other people don't care about their health at all and they just want to eat what tastes good. Is that illegal?<br />
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There's no need to let your chosen diet ideology become a religion. Don't be a jerk and let it rule your life.Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-56696591303231567092013-11-07T11:11:00.000-05:002013-11-07T11:52:16.871-05:00Why You Should Eat More Potatoes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><3 Potatoes</td></tr>
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In recent years, the white potato has gotten a bad rap. There are plenty of reasons why, some more valid than others... they've got the high glycemic index, the white color that people tend to associate with "bad" foods, the fact that people are generally down on carbs these days. But I've gotta tell ya... it just doesn't deserve the bad press, the potato is an incredibly healthy food! And here's why.<br />
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<b>The glycemic index of potatoes is misleading.</b>The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a carbohydrate food is digested and how much it subsequently raises your blood sugar. According to the theory, high glycemic foods increase blood sugar more than other foods, hence increasing insulin and leading to a blood sugar crash soon after. But there are a few problems in there.<br />
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First, the "glycemic score" is based on a 50 gram carbohydrate serving. But what it neglects, however, is how likely we are to actually consume a given food at that level. To get 50 gram of carbohydrate from potatoes, you'd need 253 grams of the stuff, or for the Americans, more than 1/2 pound. That's a hefty potato... probably bigger than you're willing to eat (unless of course you add bacon and cheese, but that's another story entirely). For another high glycemic carb, like white bread, you only need 100 grams of the stuff to get 50 carbs. And to go even further, you'd only need a 16 fl oz serving of soda for that many carbs, or a 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream, or less than 2 ounces of cotton candy. What I'm getting at, is that the <i>amount</i> of carbohydrates matters too. And the fact is, we're not going to eat nearly the quantity in potatoes that we would of another high glycemic food.</div>
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There's also the fact that we rarely (okay, never) eat potatoes in isolation. You see, the glycemic index only takes into account that one food; it disregards the rest of your meal. And it just so happens that other things in that meal, like fat, protein, and fiber, will slow down the digestion process. Having dinner out at a fancy restaurant... let's say you're having a filet mignon, a baked potato with butter, and some roasted broccoli... all of the other components of the meal make the glycemic index of the potato pretty much negligible.</div>
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Glycemic index shmycemic shmindex. It's useful in some cases, but for potatoes? It's irrelevant.</div>
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<b>Potatoes are the most satiating food per calorie.</b></div>
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Second, and somewhat related, is the satiety index of potatoes. According to a blog post by Stephan Guyenet over at <a href="http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2012/02/palatability-satiety-and-calorie-intake.html">Whole Health Source</a>, potatoes are the single most filling food there is! He cites a study in which researchers tested the "satiety index" of common foods by feeding subjects 240 calorie portions and measuring subjective feelings of fullness, as well as how much food they ate at a subsequent meal. In Stephan's words:</div>
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"The more palatable the food, the less filling per calorie, and the relationship was quite strong for a study of this nature. This is consistent with the evidence that highly palatable foods shut down the mechanisms in the brain that constrain food intake. Croissants had the lowest SI (47), while potatoes had the highest (323). Overall, baked goods and candy had the lowest SI. They didn't test sweet potatoes, but I suspect they would have been at least as filling as potatoes. Other foods with a high SI include meat/fish, whole grain foods, fruit and porridge."</div>
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Wait a minute... I thought high glycemic foods were supposed to cause a blood sugar crash, leaving us tired and hungry? Not true with potatoes. Quite the contrary; they fill us up more than anything else. Sounds like a good weight loss food, huh?</div>
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<b>They're nutrient-dense!</b></div>
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In addition to all of this, potatoes are <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2550/2">full of nutrition</a>!! First of all, they're actually a complete protein, which is rare for a plant food. They may not have a <i>lot </i>of protein, but it's good quality. Then there's the vitamin C, the folate, the vitamin B6. There's the mineral content, full of iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and manganese. And perhaps most importantly, it's extremely high in potassium! Screw bananas, potatoes are a far better source of potassium. If you're concerned about your <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-prevent-high-blood-pressure.html">blood pressure</a>, potatoes sport a phenomenally high potassium:sodium ratio, and they should be your best friend!<br />
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Compare the nutrient density of potatoes with that of another common carbohydrate source like grains... even whole grains... and it's no comparison. Potatoes are a far better choice!</div>
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So please, lay off the potato-hating, and enjoy them in all varieties: russet, white, Yukon gold, red, blue, fingerling... eat it all! Short of just straight up disliking the taste, there's no reason to avoid them. Eat 'em up!</div>
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Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-46542959279733825832013-10-16T16:29:00.000-04:002013-10-16T16:29:56.115-04:00Get Up and Move: The Perils of Sitting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I first heard that sitting too much was associated with chronic disease, I was extremely skeptical. Of course it is, I thought... people who sit more exercise less, they lose cardiovascular fitness, and they burn fewer calories throughout the day, setting themselves up to gain weight. It's not that sitting too much directly promotes disease, I thought; it must be all that goes along with it. It's the lack of exercise and the weight gain that's the real problem.</div>
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Welp, I was wrong (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3419586/">1</a>). Turns out, we now know of specific molecular processes that take place when we sit, and they're distinct from intentional exercise. In fact, even if you get the "recommended" amount exercise, 30 minutes a day, you can completely undo those metabolic benefits by spending the rest of your day sedentary in a chair. Sitting continuously sets off a series of unwanted cellular mechanisms that immediately reduce your HDL and increase your triglycerides, two common risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Over the long term, we put ourselves at high risk for chronic disease, and that includes heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.</div>
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The experimental studies have all been done on rats at this point, but the results are pretty startling. In one study in which rats were restricted access to running wheels or treadmills, physical inactivity rapidly produced a <b>22% reduction in HDL (that's a bad thing)</b>. This was seen on the very first day of inactivity and persisted as long as the inactivity continued. </div>
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In another experiment, radioactive triglyceride (fat) tracers were used to track their movement about the rat's body. When seated, <b>important postural muscles cease to take up triglycerides from the bloodstream by 75%, increasing our blood level (again... bad)</b>. There was a silver lining though: when the rats were periodically allowed to walk on a treadmill, this unwanted process was mitigated. It was the long-term, persistent sitting that caused the problem.</div>
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You could predict, based on the idea that inactivity impairs our muscles' ability to take up fat for energy, that intentional exercise would have the opposite effect and <i>increase</i> our triglyceride uptake into muscle. Not the case. In heavily trained rats, there was no difference in enzyme activity that would promote this process. <b>The benefits of exercise are due to an entirely different biochemical process. It seems as though our bodies "expect" us to at least get up and walk around once in a while, and when we don't do it, we begin to lose our healthy homeostasis.</b><br />
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The solution is simple on paper but not so simple in practice: move more. Most of us probably don’t realize how much we sit… every time we’re at the computer, when we’re in the car, when we’re on the subway, when we’re at the movies, when we’re watching TV, when we’re reading a book, when we’re eating… it’s a part of everyone’s life. There’s nothing wrong with relaxing and spending time in a seated position; just don’t overdo it. Of course there will be situations when we’ll be forced to sit all day. Luckily for us, simply getting up periodically to stretch and walk around can mitigate the nasty side effects we get from staying seated.<br />
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What’s the take home message in all of this? Just because you’re going to the gym a few times a week doesn't necessarily mean you’re doing your body good. You've still got 15 or so other waking hours left in your day that can’t be ignored. Be conscious of how much you sit, and do what you can to stay on your feet. <b>Staying active throughout the day is just as important for your long-term health as intentional exercise at the gym!</b>Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-75519667740650856312013-10-08T18:36:00.000-04:002013-10-08T18:36:42.150-04:00Elliott Hulse: The Meaning of Strength<div>
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If you've never heard of Elliott Hulse, it's time to listen up. It was about four years ago when I first found Elliott Hulse's YouTube channel, strengthcamp. Like most of his fans, I started watching for the exercise/nutrition/supplementation info. He had some cool stuff going on, and that's exactly what I was really into at the time. That's what drew me in. But what really hooked me was something much deeper. It was his life philosophy, which was much the same as mine, although I'd never heard it put so succinctly: <b>Become the strongest version of yourself.</b> It became clear very early on that Elliott was far more than just your average strength and conditioning coach... he's a philosopher, a truth-seeker, a father and husband, and a master in conveying his ideas through words.<br />
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Elliott's videos have had a profound impact on my thoughts and my experiences. I'd like to just talk about a few of my favorites and why they've meant so much to me. Hopefully, through sharing how they've affected me, I can pass this information on to others and broaden their horizons as well.</div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/5Sz3dlL2Ht8"><b>The Power of Silence</b></a></div>
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This may be the one that resonated with me the most. (My friend Sarah featured it on <a href="http://screaminggratitude.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/have-you-seen-elliot-hulse-yet/">her blog </a>recently.) It didn't have the greatest impact on me because I already understood the concepts, but I feel it could have the greatest impact with you. It did confirm what I was feeling though, and the way Elliott puts it all to words is just perfect. I had just come back from an overnight trip to the peak of Killington, a mountain in Vermont. I went alone and experienced the power of silence for myself. There's no feeling like being absolutely alone on the top of a 4000-foot mountain at sunset... no one to take care of you, no one to save you from falling off the edge... no one for miles. Only you. </div>
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Elliott says it best in this video: "When you no longer have everyone speaking into you, you have no choice but to speak to yourself. And you might find some crazy shit down there." When you go within, you're forced to deal with the cobwebs. "If you don't go within, then you will go without. You will go without joy, you will go without peace, you will go without pleasure. Because all those things are found when we deal with what's inside." In a society like our modern one with cell phones, computers, TVs, people everywhere... we don't often get an opportunity for silence unless we actively seek it. But without it, there is no real peace.</div>
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<b><a href="http://youtu.be/SPDPtt-eCn0">Don't Be Nice.</a></b></div>
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Elliott discusses the difference between niceness and kindness. Being nice is "something we do, regardless of who we're being". Kindness, however, is who we are. Kindness is who we are to the core. We can be nice regardless of who we are. This is something we tell our kids to do when they act out in public... we say "be nice", and they put on a good show to appease us. But in reality, the core of their being is not in that "niceness"; it lies in running amok like every kid wants to. </div>
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The reason we're nice is to appease the norms of society. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said (and I first heard this quote from Elliott, no surprise), "Every action is measured by the depth of the sentiment from which it proceeds." Being nice isn't necessarily rooted in a sentiment of kindness, in fact it often isn't. Niceness has a time and place, but striving to be kind is a much more worthy endeavor.</div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/YjXK7zjTJLA"><b>How To Get Your Girlfriend Back</b></a></div>
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Don't let the title confuse you; the issues in this video go far beyond just getting a girlfriend back. In this video, Elliott talks about the penis and the vagina as metaphors for how we behave as men or women. "Women are like vaginas in their behavior, and men are like penises in their behavior." A woman brings in, while a man goes out. Women are stimulated by their environment... the area around them that they can bring in... which is why they are more likely to decorate. Men don't decorate, because we don't value our immediate environment. Just as a penis, in sexual terms, reaches out toward the woman, men reach out in life. Men don't require a stimulating living environment because our nature is to go out and insert ourselves into an environment. </div>
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Most interesting to me in all this is how this manifests itself in attraction between men and women. As a man, according to this theory, I should be attracted to a woman who brings in... in other words, I'm attracted to a woman who can soften and let me in physically and emotionally, who takes care of her environment, who cares for herself and those around her. And it turns out, this is exactly what I'm attracted to. I can't even tell you how accurate this idea applies to my life and what I see in other people's lives. And of course, having a serious conversation in which you make the statement, "She's a little penis", always lightens the mood.</div>
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<b>I can't tell for sure if Elliott's channel has shaped my growth, or if I've kept watching because my it so closely parallels my inner evolution. Either way, the information he's putting out is incredible stuff. As Elliott would say, "these are just ideas". But as I would say... what else is there??</b></div>
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Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-29867273998807847812013-10-07T08:38:00.000-04:002013-10-07T08:49:57.636-04:00Harvest Your Health Bundle: 71 eBooks (over $1000 value) for $37!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=164463&c=ib&aff=236253" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYY10SoO8Xb2bNgizj_N2O5zVCWQWXJu4CsXT-OxV6GSLrOv5DkBTh9Gi4BpNGWoG7sQgbXryO-OxmuvVRxLnOsOc8DququjAAdYG1y5VLt6WSDABVHq9SlGu9aN2safAbg_Hib-krhzE/s320/Harvest_Your_Health_Bundle_Sale_403x403.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's that time again folks! Another amazing bundle of eBooks for an unreal price tag. You may remember last winter's sale of 37 books for $37??? Something like that. Well, this one blows that out of the water. <a href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=164463&c=ib&aff=236253">For the next 7 days, you'll be able to get 71 eBooks!!!!!??!!!?! for just $37</a>. This is legitimately the best deal I've ever been a part of, and I hope you take full advantage of it.<br />
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Here's what you get!!:<br />
<b>71 eBooks of various health-related topics...</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Cooking and preparing healthy and/or paleo food</li>
<li>Natural fertility and motherhood</li>
<li>Natural solutions to hygiene and home care</li>
<li>Fitness</li>
<li>And most importantly to me... life improvement books!! Get that mindset right guys!</li>
</ul>
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<b>3 subscriptions to paleo magazines...</b></div>
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<li>Admittedly not my cup of tea, and probably contains biased, cherry-picked, pseudoscience that needn't be followed by most of us. But hey, it's thrown into the bundle. Just be skeptical.</li>
</ul>
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<b>18 discounts to health/nutrition-related websites...</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Awesome. Worth the price of the bundle ALONE.</li>
</ul>
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Here's some specifics for the books and discounts that I value most. Of course, in a bundle like this, not everything will be useful; that's to be expected. These are the ones I think y'all would benefit most from. Keep in mind, this collection of my picks alone would cost you hundreds of dollars!<br />
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<b><u>E-Books I heartily recommend:</u></b><br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/roadfood">Real Food Hits the Road</a> by Millie - Fantastic guide on how to eat real, healthy food on the go!<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/veggiebook9">The Veggie Book: How to Pick, Prepare and Plate</a> by Danielle Tate, Debra Worth, Sara Shay and Kayla Grey - Everyone needs to know how to pick, prepare, and plate veggies!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Vegan-Solution-Often-Fails/dp/1484089456">The Vegan Solution</a> by Matt Stone - Not doing well on a vegan diet? It's not you, it's the diet.<br />
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<a href="http://andhedrew.com/webpage/page1.html">25 Intentional Days</a> by Andrew Miller - AWESOME. A comprehensive, easy, guided way to improve your outlook on life and your mindset. This is worth the $37 price tag alone!<br />
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<a href="http://simple30.com/">Simple Living: 30 Days to Less Stuff and More Life</a> by Lorilee Lippincott - Another life enhancing book. Less is more!</div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/kids99">Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen</a> plus videos! by Wardee Harmon & Jami Delgado - Fantastic book about cooking with young kids. Not applicable to my life at this point, but awesome nonetheless!</div>
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<a href="http://wellnessmama.com/">Natural Cleaning</a> by Katie – The Wellness Mama - Great guide for using natural cleaning products in your home. Better for you, better for the environment, better for the kids. Natural is better all around!<br />
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<b><u>Discounts you should take advantage of:</u></b><br />
<a href="http://www.squattypotty.com/">Squatty Potty!! 25% off!!</a> Yes that's a toilet accessory, and yes it helps you poop! Puts ya in the right squatting position! If you know me in real life, there's a good chance you'll be receiving this from me for Christmas this year. There's no greater gift than happy pooping, that's what I say.<br />
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<a href="http://www.orawellness.com/">OraWellness (10% off)</a>. Great holistic oral health company, I trust their philosophy and products!<br />
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<a href="http://www.kasandrinos.com/">Kasandrinos Olive Oil (30% off!!)</a>. Fantastic, delicious, the best olive oil you'll find anywhere!<br />
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You've got 7 days guys, take advantage of this bundle before it's too late!<br />
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Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-62712553145051351882013-10-04T08:06:00.001-04:002013-10-04T08:06:25.850-04:00Cooking With Gram: Post-Workout Superfood SmoothieCheck out our new Cooking With Gram video, the Post-Workout Superfood Smoothie! It's a great way to kick start your recovery after a tough workout!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/s9dWVyJJaCU" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Subscribe on YouTube, don't miss a video!<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
1 cup chopped kale<br />
1 cup frozen blueberries<br />
1 banana<br />
1/2 avocado<br />
1 tbsp maple syrup<br />
2 scoops Standard Process Whey Pro (15 g protein)<br />
Dash of salt<br />
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<b>Nutrition Facts:</b><br />
Calories: 418<br />
Fat: 11 g<br />
Carbs: 63 g<br />
Fiber: 14 g<br />
Sodium: 204 mg<br />
Protein: 20 gBrendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-49471734129095376002013-10-01T13:04:00.000-04:002013-10-01T13:43:33.575-04:00Stay Humble: We Don't Know What We Don't Know<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNyLU6dTjyXbPUc7tAOywvK7VV7UrWe1GCRNSGHL-hc2pzKN88tGiH1ZYbLYjxmaSmphbxY97NzrDEJJl9Ho7oSIsqi1wIqHO4Ftq6VDkfeYd05bZzanYdVWTqxxsgiC8KwFSx10alDA/s1600/knowledge.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNyLU6dTjyXbPUc7tAOywvK7VV7UrWe1GCRNSGHL-hc2pzKN88tGiH1ZYbLYjxmaSmphbxY97NzrDEJJl9Ho7oSIsqi1wIqHO4Ftq6VDkfeYd05bZzanYdVWTqxxsgiC8KwFSx10alDA/s320/knowledge.png" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've used this pic before. I don't care.</td></tr>
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I'd like to share a story with you. The other day in one of my classes, we were discussing the history of vitamin D. My professor told us a fascinating story about the early research on vitamin D and rickets, the bone disease children get as a result of a deficiency. This particular researcher, Leonard Findlay, had performed experiments with dogs, and he was convinced that rickets could be cured simply by exercising. In 1908, he published a paper detailing his experiments: "<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2436900/">The Etiology of Rickets: A Clinical and Experimental Study</a>". <br />
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What Findlay did, essentially, was induce rickets in dogs by keeping them sedentary. He would keep them locked up indoors in cages, providing them food of course, until they would develop symptoms of rickets. Then, as an experimental treatment, he would take some of the dogs outside and let them run around. Allowing the dogs to run around outside cured their rickets, and so Findlay assumed that exercise was the reason why.<br />
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Today we know that rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D. As you may know, we can get vitamin D from simple sun exposure. It wasn't the exercise that cured Findlay's dogs; it was the sun. But put yourself in Findlay's shoes for a moment...<b> if you didn't know that we could make vitamin D from the sun, how would you ever even identify that as a factor in your experiment?</b> You wouldn't... because we just don't know what we don't know. Based on what we knew at that time, his experiment was air tight.<br />
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In hindsight, the idea that exercise cures rickets is absurd. But think about it in the context of the future... we'll likely be saying the same thing 100 years from now about what we believe to be true today. In any experiment, the goal is to control for the desired variable as best we can, so that we can be sure the results are due to that one variable and no other. We <i>try </i>to do this, or course. <b>But in reality, there's no way to know what we don't know, and we <i>can't</i> control for that. </b><br />
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Take an example. Say we're testing the effectiveness of a gluten-free diet on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). So we recruit people with IBS, put half of them on a gluten-free diet, and keep the other half on their normal diet. We make sure both eat the same amount of calories, carbs, fat, and protein. The only difference appears to be the presence of gluten, but is it really? What don't we know? Well, for starters, we don't know much at all about the gut. I'm talking about the microorganisms that live there, what their roles are in our health, and how food might impact it. We also can't quantify the impact of stress... what if it's extremely stressful for someone to give up gluten? How does that impact things? We know very little of the compounds in food... take a carrot for example. We know of dozens and dozens of compounds within a carrot, and there are likely dozens more that are unidentified. On top of that, we really only know the biological function of a select few of them! What else don't we know? We just don't know! As you can see, <i>nothing</i> can be 100% controlled for, and nothing is really known for sure.<br />
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What will we know in 100 years? Maybe it'll be common knowledge that air conditioning gives us cancer!! Doubt it, but who knows!?<br />
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<b>My point is this: we should always keep an open mind. We should always remember to stay humble and understand that we don't know it all. There's no telling how things could change in the future!</b><br />
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<b>On another note though, there are certain things we CAN take to the bank... like eating whole foods. Doing what humans have always done, and have been successful doing, is always a safe bet! </b>Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-51344223974025820612013-09-25T16:44:00.003-04:002013-09-26T07:54:35.206-04:00Why I Ditched Paleo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8Bxn9qgPEkJi6-Tnof7X5eaPaNMhGhaxILBeO4xg5iS3r_LN3PkM7LYbfrAoi2GyWAanOS3Gjw66mHO_cAMGW-IOgU_lnDQCwHgt93dd8kS4dSsmd5dLkGTfDBJ26FwbhNTVpIb4Gg0/s1600/caveman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8Bxn9qgPEkJi6-Tnof7X5eaPaNMhGhaxILBeO4xg5iS3r_LN3PkM7LYbfrAoi2GyWAanOS3Gjw66mHO_cAMGW-IOgU_lnDQCwHgt93dd8kS4dSsmd5dLkGTfDBJ26FwbhNTVpIb4Gg0/s320/caveman.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
It was a little over three years ago when I first heard of the concept of the Paleo Diet. I was introduced to it through a podcast on Underground Wellness interviewing Mark Sisson, the author of the Primal Blueprint. I had never thought about diet in the way that Mark did, and I was immediately fascinated by his approach. <b>You mean we were <i>healthier </i>before we adopted agriculture? And we didn't eat grains, legumes, and dairy?? Interesting.</b> I had just finished reading Gary Taubes' "Good Calories, Bad Calories", so the low-carb approach was firmly in my radar. Things seemed like they were beginning to come together.<br />
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In the next few months, I would dive head first into this Paleo/Primal diet concept... I found Robb Wolf's podcast, I read Dr. Cordain's original Paleo Diet book, I discovered several paleo-related blogs... I began to immerse myself in the paleo world. I even wrote a research paper for a class I was taking in Italy in my study abroad experience, called "The Health Benefits of Eating a Paleolithic Diet". No question, I became a paleo machine. I even started this here blog soon after; it all began as a place where I could express my contrarian opinions thoughtfully and back it up with scientific research. I felt like I needed to prove I was right, because everyone in my world thought I was wrong. (I never took on the "paleo" name though... it's as if I knew my position might change some day)<br />
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<a name='more'></a>It was around this time when I went full paleo... <b>I made a conscious effort to avoid grains, legumes, and to some extent dairy for nearly two years. With promises of "perfect health"... some sort of vast utopia, free of ill health and disease, including even the pesky day-to-day maladies like seasonal allergies and headaches... I set out to feed my body only the foods that we had "evolved" to thrive on.</b> I shunned anything else; no rice, no beans, no oatmeal, no bread, no soybean oil, not too much fruit, limited starch and carbs, no pasteurized dairy. I avoided gluten like the plague, because obviously, it's downright evil. I even went through a phase where I thought nightshades might be killing me.<br />
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Every day I would go to school and sit in my conventional nutrition classes thinking... "Man, I just don't understand how these professors could dedicate their lives to teaching and researching nutrition and still have their facts so wrong!" As if I, at 25 years old, knew far better than someone who's been at this for twice as long. I couldn't wrap my head around it. How could they not see it... carbs and grains are killing us! Ugh.<br />
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<b>The truth is, when you stop and think about how people eat around the world today, none of this paleo stuff makes a whole lot of sense.</b> If gluten were really as bad as the paleo folks say it is, how would we have cultures like the Italians and the French who eat it on a daily basis and experience far greater health than we do in America? If legumes are indeed the scourge of the diet world, then how on earth are all of these Latin American countries not extinct? How do they stay so thin? If carbs really make us fat, then how is it possible that nearly every human being on this earth eats a high carb diet, yet most maintain a healthy body weight?<br />
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But perhaps most importantly of all... how can most of the world go on eating what they like, without a shred of doubt and guilt, and without knowing anything about nutrition, yet maintain a thin, healthy body?<br />
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These are all question's I have struggled to rationalize through the paleo lens.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxsnNaCFDQpIHUOZmFMKUdzq8Fj7M1SbGE8dFjX6lbJHUOtz8lHM_wzPtmGsoAOtloYFN64hCKg6P6zLgYKEUOmmGxtvdYJOCF0gcqqgo4POYOATYPXjTu-67U8nQI5BHs2fAMNNhATo/s1600/healthy-foods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxsnNaCFDQpIHUOZmFMKUdzq8Fj7M1SbGE8dFjX6lbJHUOtz8lHM_wzPtmGsoAOtloYFN64hCKg6P6zLgYKEUOmmGxtvdYJOCF0gcqqgo4POYOATYPXjTu-67U8nQI5BHs2fAMNNhATo/s1600/healthy-foods.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smile. You can eat neolithic foods and not die.</td></tr>
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And then I would think about my own experience. For the first 24 years of my life, I ate a high-carbohydrate, gluten-full, typical American diet. Did I experience digestive distress? Rarely, if ever. Did I have chronic mental fog? Nope. Did my athletic performance suffer? Not at all. Did I struggle with my weight? Not once. Did I have trouble sleeping at night? Definitely never.<br />
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<b>What did I expect to happen when going paleo? I don't quite know. But whatever it was, it didn't happen.</b> I've never needed to lose any weight. Maybe I expected to feel better, and to think more clearly, and to sleep better, and to feel happier. These are all things that are <i>supposed</i> to happen. I was told, "You don't even know what it's like to have so much energy and feel so great all the time! Your mind can't comprehend it... you're just so used to feeling tired that it feels normal!" Really? I can't believe I ever fell for that. This may be true for someone a little older and a little more metabolically broken, but it wasn't true for me.<br />
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I already felt great. I was already thinking clearly. I had already been sleeping eight hours a night. I was perfectly healthy. I felt no different before or after. In fact, I feel even <i>better</i> now because I have a healthy relationship with food. I <i>love</i> food. I don't fear anything.<br />
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It was scary the first time I let myself have a slice of pizza at a family party. The first few times, I was convinced I was making myself sick, having imaginary "reactions" to gluten. <b>It wasn't until I let my mind get out of the way that I realized... eating pizza at a party with people I love is a good thing. No, pizza isn't the most nourishing food, but that's not the point. The point is that it tastes good, and that it brings friends and family together.</b> I don't stress anymore over eating a bite of cake, or enjoying a slice of my grandmother's delicious apple pie. Life is too short not to enjoy all that it has to offer.<br />
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Paleo is a great place to start. I still believe that the cornerstone of any healthy diet should be fruits, vegetables, and animal foods. <b>Perhaps paleo would be best as a short-term, temporary diet to kickstart a lifestyle change. But in the long-term for most of us, we have nothing to gain by eliminating entire food groups, especially if we've been eating them for most of our lives with no ill effects.</b> Most people will be perfectly healthy including rice and beans in their diet... and the same can be said for oatmeal, corn, potatoes, cheese, yogurt, and even bread. These foods taste good. And let's not forget about the indirect health benefits of eating food you like! Never forget what your personal experience has taught you, and trust yourself first. No one knows what's best for you like you do.<br />
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Are there people who really would benefit from eliminating grains, legumes, and dairy long-term? Probably. But these people are few and far between.<br />
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Anyone who tells you paleo is the only way is either A) straight up lying to you, or B) completely ignorant. The nutrition/health world is much more expansive than what can be encapsulated into one catch-all phrase. As a dietitian, the principles of the paleo diet function best as a tool in my tool box. Nothing more, nothing less.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxVGTXtSNOIwxAl8PvM6TS1LUqtzcwFC-rEMsAg5f6ybGaz3-tDm2o_BIxRemTsQDuMeqrjrLloDni-s_4j2CPr7IHpj8RKheAdM4A25b_WssecbqTCr-b4x7dyIfpY4hzEYEraLNLwo/s1600/butterballs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxVGTXtSNOIwxAl8PvM6TS1LUqtzcwFC-rEMsAg5f6ybGaz3-tDm2o_BIxRemTsQDuMeqrjrLloDni-s_4j2CPr7IHpj8RKheAdM4A25b_WssecbqTCr-b4x7dyIfpY4hzEYEraLNLwo/s320/butterballs.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Plus, now I can eat fried butter balls at the fair :)</td></tr>
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Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-12516131968618261842013-09-24T22:39:00.000-04:002013-09-24T22:39:33.878-04:00New YouTube Channel: Cooking With GramHi guys, just wanted to notify everyone of my new YouTube channel that I started today. It's called Cooking With Gram; the idea is that I'll be making recipes and showing some cooking tips with my adorable grandma. Eventually, I'll be doing other videos too, maybe some nutrition education videos, some practical healthy eating tips, etc. Anyway, check it out, like it on YouTube, and subscribe!!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uUXlkLERlVk" width="420"></iframe>Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-35616282729347417112013-09-18T18:28:00.000-04:002013-09-18T18:28:05.752-04:00Sodium Content of Food: You're Being Deceived. Again.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6giIMf0F4OBiluF-QIA8Y3cQLTzLW6InDOGuJ6zbmqR5jAt7V64DQRMaZ9qVvs77jgOi_ojeP7TkMaxgQ2T4quafq7zg0z4oq-1Xq0srDTICNth_Zt3tlVsELfaynuD8J-yHc0lkkG-w/s1600/saltheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6giIMf0F4OBiluF-QIA8Y3cQLTzLW6InDOGuJ6zbmqR5jAt7V64DQRMaZ9qVvs77jgOi_ojeP7TkMaxgQ2T4quafq7zg0z4oq-1Xq0srDTICNth_Zt3tlVsELfaynuD8J-yHc0lkkG-w/s320/saltheart.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><3 Salt</td></tr>
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It has come to my attention, based on talking to people about their nutrition concerns, that many of us are completely clueless to how much sodium is in food. It's not your fault. There are many reasons why your perception of the sodium content of a food might be skewed. For one, just because something tastes salty doesn't necessarily mean it's high in sodium. Yes, really. Another thing: A product that says "lower in sodium" or "less sodium" does not necessarily have a low sodium content. It may just have <i>less</i> sodium than another similar product but still contain a lot of it. And also, many foods that don't have a salty taste at all might contain more sodium than you think!<br />
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Now, there's a caveat with this... because I don't think sodium intake is something you should be overly concerned with. I've written on this extensively in the past (see <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-problem-with-salt-restriction.html">The Problem With Salt Restriction</a>, <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-prevent-high-blood-pressure.html">How to Prevent High Blood Pressure</a>, and <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-snarky-rant-on-sodium-and-blood.html">A Snarky Rant on Sodium and Blood Pressure</a>). It's not as important for keeping a healthy blood pressure as you think it is.<br />
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Regardless, there are many people out there who will completely ignore this advice because their doctor and the media say otherwise. Fine. If you're going to worry about sodium intake, I can at least provide you with some useful tips.<br />
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<b>Let's play a little game! </b>The other day I went snooping around the grocery store taking pics of food labels. I've got 5 foods here. Here's how it's going to work: I will give you the 5 foods that I've taken pictures of, but I will only be showing you the unidentified food label with the sodium content. I'd like you to try to place the names to their respective sodium levels! Ready, set, go!<br />
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Here are your options:<br />
<b>Special K Cereal</b><br />
<b>Salted Almonds</b><br />
<b>Regular Lay's Potato Chips</b><br />
<b>Whole Wheat Bread</b><br />
<b>Salted Butter</b><br />
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And here are your sodium contents:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXu_wm35i3azez_O_wQcmLiZeQ9g9KdeSn8WNaxwtB89togiA9Pc_DFkrDTsFlJ_uBS2IcAA5d2jPQ4dBA8JmKLgaVSautxfCP6hs3MWv1iZeamApjqArVkAyUWVSi6fjTjjCqxIj228/s1600/Almonds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXu_wm35i3azez_O_wQcmLiZeQ9g9KdeSn8WNaxwtB89togiA9Pc_DFkrDTsFlJ_uBS2IcAA5d2jPQ4dBA8JmKLgaVSautxfCP6hs3MWv1iZeamApjqArVkAyUWVSi6fjTjjCqxIj228/s1600/Almonds.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ul9z6Bafam-UECyCEyVPq3WxjdtRLTfDQXRajH1GYbRe9oIwyIgrbROwDKWX8rm45NkTEu49AUqcxV1E5afTuea0ltb2buxgI0E7z8-HDk2YCMGlGkTcWeFT3atNeW9RSxgk3FnjrcE/s1600/Butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ul9z6Bafam-UECyCEyVPq3WxjdtRLTfDQXRajH1GYbRe9oIwyIgrbROwDKWX8rm45NkTEu49AUqcxV1E5afTuea0ltb2buxgI0E7z8-HDk2YCMGlGkTcWeFT3atNeW9RSxgk3FnjrcE/s1600/Butter.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAlaxBPkAQnYMvX67oxqXScxZjXOS9VwJEE5lrbwpILxlIj6kbdVbbKiPVxu6pfxPpXJSa_goOxL9vaFiy3IBUTfyyM_iSdefYBAcbNklD4aRGPg8Ps3uH8kofi0rw1xGQJ4XjTm6GIc/s1600/Lays+chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="27" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAlaxBPkAQnYMvX67oxqXScxZjXOS9VwJEE5lrbwpILxlIj6kbdVbbKiPVxu6pfxPpXJSa_goOxL9vaFiy3IBUTfyyM_iSdefYBAcbNklD4aRGPg8Ps3uH8kofi0rw1xGQJ4XjTm6GIc/s320/Lays+chips.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIZKSOO2JBNiE6fPsX8by6w-69ZZYDvhgmlxCUqtvxjFA72CnuxZOhp_OEQintlxwMJRcSH1jRaqEgcKhMh0VUoeesnZe50HFJdiJ8l-AD6KzWNYyIHmTpdQMomrTr7AmSCu0wU8tKrE/s1600/Special+K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="27" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIZKSOO2JBNiE6fPsX8by6w-69ZZYDvhgmlxCUqtvxjFA72CnuxZOhp_OEQintlxwMJRcSH1jRaqEgcKhMh0VUoeesnZe50HFJdiJ8l-AD6KzWNYyIHmTpdQMomrTr7AmSCu0wU8tKrE/s320/Special+K.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNShqlZqhqQMxcSbL0mHf2-j2vOnvTQfB0VjpQfso3uNhAd5QjyYlwQICpdO8Tj4HLcMt2DJ7tVVJvZh-q_Raz4cHwAHAyJPOSjnsI9oYbwpM0niStrm9xAVFfP1C7lDob2A5N_6UUH8/s1600/Whole+Wheat+Bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNShqlZqhqQMxcSbL0mHf2-j2vOnvTQfB0VjpQfso3uNhAd5QjyYlwQICpdO8Tj4HLcMt2DJ7tVVJvZh-q_Raz4cHwAHAyJPOSjnsI9oYbwpM0niStrm9xAVFfP1C7lDob2A5N_6UUH8/s1600/Whole+Wheat+Bread.jpg" /></a></div>
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Take your best guess before scrolling down!! Otherwise you're a dirty cheater.<br />
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And the results:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xKhY42EciR26USjDp94wGTWhJZllwWdtYF2cBaxbXUDs1qNQp7Z1lmGO2waZsK0MbAqbi5-3xX4-N6gihxUSAv9CNjOBcMDKXRJP9XSXd7oLuU0NO88RpEVoJXJGpJnnQgn7sCNmBDI/s1600/Almonds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xKhY42EciR26USjDp94wGTWhJZllwWdtYF2cBaxbXUDs1qNQp7Z1lmGO2waZsK0MbAqbi5-3xX4-N6gihxUSAv9CNjOBcMDKXRJP9XSXd7oLuU0NO88RpEVoJXJGpJnnQgn7sCNmBDI/s1600/Almonds.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salted Almonds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlo66F6YhRxVqmGy127hSR3GcpXyYKsvxuaunNzDa2Jxh5CmIeFZOnnkQKVaxJnqSfTz9aKwQxe04frDkvHIn4UY0sBffXrRafLPkKcvnPwkCoHO4IB9URcc40eXR4qHlCDhkwmCl6Hq4/s1600/Butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlo66F6YhRxVqmGy127hSR3GcpXyYKsvxuaunNzDa2Jxh5CmIeFZOnnkQKVaxJnqSfTz9aKwQxe04frDkvHIn4UY0sBffXrRafLPkKcvnPwkCoHO4IB9URcc40eXR4qHlCDhkwmCl6Hq4/s1600/Butter.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salted Butter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUl9tefFJlBPnEg0D4n3MbnSUyzADDVikMulbTJYxwvCJ1xZVVKyLbB64FgyVRQBO4tSAwjlbf3rSfS2y3zP48QwUuFWMoh1a4Op0Ln9kugm3FBES9fP4s1DIMFk3dwM1WFllr8VQpnE/s1600/Lays+chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="27" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUl9tefFJlBPnEg0D4n3MbnSUyzADDVikMulbTJYxwvCJ1xZVVKyLbB64FgyVRQBO4tSAwjlbf3rSfS2y3zP48QwUuFWMoh1a4Op0Ln9kugm3FBES9fP4s1DIMFk3dwM1WFllr8VQpnE/s320/Lays+chips.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lay's Potato Chips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrS9M5_hCTPRuxZGDgGPmYh6PcejW8_JvOw68iGEaVZIkDV2k5AhLukLNN13d7esVCj32BC9xBGVu6zDs8yRaV5LRZt2o9h11yiw-LDqZP6DCQXNJGPlCLKuf1hYNnPjUE87_OPoqaxg/s1600/Special+K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="27" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrS9M5_hCTPRuxZGDgGPmYh6PcejW8_JvOw68iGEaVZIkDV2k5AhLukLNN13d7esVCj32BC9xBGVu6zDs8yRaV5LRZt2o9h11yiw-LDqZP6DCQXNJGPlCLKuf1hYNnPjUE87_OPoqaxg/s320/Special+K.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Special K</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3I8jjDZKyiQhJyZmMqgpzEtZ5nTZHON3pICzskBU03o1_-a0-ifShCULmgPII1fAuL1inDi0l6dS9AkPQ2AYb1cnYlOgzRTc7qnIdHrz44utMc9Al8TyNladbsvrwKn1qxKQdvzyiIig/s1600/Whole+Wheat+Bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3I8jjDZKyiQhJyZmMqgpzEtZ5nTZHON3pICzskBU03o1_-a0-ifShCULmgPII1fAuL1inDi0l6dS9AkPQ2AYb1cnYlOgzRTc7qnIdHrz44utMc9Al8TyNladbsvrwKn1qxKQdvzyiIig/s1600/Whole+Wheat+Bread.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whole Wheat Bread</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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How did you do??? Not well I presume.<br />
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Like I said, your taste buds can deceive you!! Foods with added salt like almonds, butter, and potato chips DO NOT in fact contain a lot of sodium! While grain-based processed foods like Special K and whole wheat bread contain MORE sodium than these salted foods. But since we don't taste the salt, we assume it's not there. Wrong!<br />
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If you're going to worry about sodium, despite my best advice, at least do it right. Always read the label!Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-15823132885550178002013-09-10T18:26:00.000-04:002013-09-10T18:26:20.470-04:00How to Prevent a Heart Attack<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUHUEKY9FVIk5CYgv_7EWs2fP1BX4PbW2h967McuvjBR1YXvMM8BYRfemmyDYb4OihW56wbH86sEP_ixTA7l9rOEZeQS9KpT1g_JJ7DzXJ8XZC1UoOqh2CpLXxsCiFba8Cbfoe4f1ts0/s1600/stress.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUHUEKY9FVIk5CYgv_7EWs2fP1BX4PbW2h967McuvjBR1YXvMM8BYRfemmyDYb4OihW56wbH86sEP_ixTA7l9rOEZeQS9KpT1g_JJ7DzXJ8XZC1UoOqh2CpLXxsCiFba8Cbfoe4f1ts0/s320/stress.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stressed? This may be the root cause of your heart disease.</td></tr>
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<div>
And now for the important part: how to prevent heart disease. <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/09/most-heart-attacks-victims-have-normal.html">In my last post</a>, I made the point that most heart attack victims have normal cholesterol levels. In the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21146668">study I cited</a>, which analyzed 65,396 patients hospitalized for heart disease, the average cholesterol level was a "healthy" 170 mg/dl. Not exactly what you'd expect to see based on our cholesterol-phobic society. Obviously, there's something else going on in the development of heart disease other than just your cholesterol level. </div>
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Some of these factors are uncontrollable. For instance, just being a man increases my statistical risk for heart disease. So does my family history. There's nothing I can do to change that, unless I decided to become a woman. Something tells me that still wouldn't change my risk, but that's besides the point. Here are the things you CAN control, and some quick tips on just how to take care of it.</div>
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<b><b>1. Stress.</b></b></div>
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In all honesty, I believe that stress can be the biggest player in the risk of cardiovascular disease. Malcolm Kendrick has written a fantastic book entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Cholesterol-Con-Disease/dp/1844546101">"The Great Cholesterol Con"</a>, in which he explores this theory in much more detail than I will go into here. Check it out. Leading a stressful life, one in which there is no security, happiness, relaxation, or peace of mind, can have a huge impact on your health. </div>
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Think of it this way... your body has two "modes". One mode is a <b>stress response</b>, designed to get yourself out of danger, like that posed from a confrontation with a grizzly bear. And the other mode is a <b>rest response</b>, the opposite of the stress response. This is when you relax, recover, digest and assimilate your food, and repair your body. These systems cannot function simultaneously, but you need a balance of both to be at your best. If you're constantly worried and stressed, you're not dipping into rest mode... you won't make full utilization of the food you're eating, regardless of what it is, and you won't allow your body's maintenance system to function correctly. Imagine living in a home in which no one cleans up... the home will accumulate dirt and garbage until 1 of 2 things happens... A) Someone performs some maintenance, or B) Your home deteriorates until it becomes unlivable. Same goes with your body. Let the trash build up, via too much stress and not enough rest, and you'll see plaque build up, high blood pressure, inflammation, and eventually, a heart attack.</div>
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Unfortunately, stress isn't easily quantifiable, and that makes it impossible to isolate and study scientifically. There is no proof of this causal connection because it would be impossible to prove it. This is just one of those times when population studies, case studies, an understanding of physiology, everyday observation, and common sense have to come together. It just makes too much sense.<br />
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How to fix it? Oh, this is way beyond the space I have left myself here. Rest more, spend more quiet time with yourself, make time for things that you truly enjoy, take time to relax when you eat. If you need to, see a psychologist, for real. Don't let yourself deteriorate. Let yourself help yourself. </div>
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2. HDL and triglycerides.</b><br />
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On to more quantifiable matters. I group these lab values together because they provide an easy ratio to shoot for. Your HDL cholesterol should be as high as possible, preferably over 60, and triglycerides should be low, under 100. If you can get your HDL higher than your triglycerides, that would be your best case scenario. For example, an HDL value of 60 and a triglyceride level of 50 would be just about ideal. In other words, <b>your HDL:triglyceride ratio should be more than 1</b>. As you can see if you look more closely, the average heart disease patient in the referenced study had a disordered HDL:triglyceride ratio...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh99Pg-wBlKvbKdHNBB4TLs6Rg1ItREgstTtHgbWQEdIih7vQJApneQIsuj6uqS_6y5FbtDVWF9rz4drNC3U0C-oG9sEowo4FW1Vurdw8lalO3fLqZW6MZsv7F2bUQtjGwiYOtevDtEdI/s1600/normalcholesterol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh99Pg-wBlKvbKdHNBB4TLs6Rg1ItREgstTtHgbWQEdIih7vQJApneQIsuj6uqS_6y5FbtDVWF9rz4drNC3U0C-oG9sEowo4FW1Vurdw8lalO3fLqZW6MZsv7F2bUQtjGwiYOtevDtEdI/s1600/normalcholesterol.jpg" /></a></div>
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You can increase your HDL by eating more healthy fats, such as coconut oil, olive oil, butter, eggs, nuts, etc. Reduce your triglycerides by moderating your calorie intake, especially carbohydrates.</div>
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<b>3. LDL Particle Number.</b></div>
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I've discussed this at length in a <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2012/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about.html">previous post</a>, so I'll only briefly mention it here. The LDL your doctor tests you for is LDL concentration (LDL-C); I'm talking about LDL particle number (LDL-P). Reference my older article for a thorough explanation of just what that means. Suffice it to say, here, that a high LDL-C only sometimes indicates a high risk of heart disease, whereas LDL-P fills in those gaps and provides a clearer picture. You'll be hearing about this test more in the near future, you can bet on it. </div>
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How to lower your particle number? The science is still young on this, but it appears that excess sugar intake can lead to a high particle number (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21849529">1</a>). So watch your sugar intake. Incidentally, excess sugar increases your triglycerides as well... sounds like a no-brainer to me.</div>
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<b>4. Inflammation.</b></div>
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Inflammation may be at the root of all disease in the body, and heart disease is certainly no exception. Thanks in large part to the hideous food most of us eat, chronic inflammation has become the norm. Systemic inflammation can be measured via a lab value called C-Reactive Protein (CRP), which has been shown to predict cardiovascular disease "at least as well as cholesterol levels (<a href="http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-c-reactive-protein-crp-testing">2</a>)". Yet I doubt you've EVER heard of it. Figures.</div>
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How to reduce inflammation? Eat better food. As a general rule, omega-6 fatty acids are inflammatory and omega-3s are anti-inflammatory. Eat fewer of the omega-6 type, found in refined vegetable oils and certain nuts. Eat more of the omega-3 type, found in fatty fish and pastured animal products. And of course, manage your stress.</div>
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<b>5. High Blood Pressure.</b></div>
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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a huge risk factor for cardiovascular disease. No doubt about it. And about 1 in every 3 adults has been given this diagnosis, so there's a good chance I'm talking about you or someone you know. Luckily, I've already written extensively on <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-prevent-high-blood-pressure.html">how to prevent hypertension</a>, and about <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-problem-with-salt-restriction.html">the problem with salt restriction</a>. Together, these will explain all you need to know about preventing high blood pressure. In a nutshell: eat more potassium and lose weight. </div>
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<b>6. Blood sugar regulation.</b></div>
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Diabeetus. Don't get it. Diabetics have a much higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular problems than the average person. What causes diabetes is not really known, but I can make a great guess, thanks to <a href="http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/">Chris Masterjohn's</a> presentation at last year's Ancestral Health Symposium... overconsumption of calories, coupled with a lack of antioxidant capacity. In other words, too much oxidative stress for the body to handle. </div>
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Advice? Eat more fruits and vegetables, don't eat junk food that causes you to overeat, and lose weight if you can.</div>
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<b>7, 8, and 9. Obesity, Smoking, and Lack of Physical Activity.</b></div>
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Okay, come on people. Everyone knows this. Get your weight under control, stop smoking, and move your body. This should go without saying and needs no explanation.</div>
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It's not that having high total cholesterol doesn't matter; I want to make this clear. But it's a sort of like measuring your body weight... Say you're a 5'5" woman, and your doctor weighs you in at 160 pounds. Knowing nothing else about you, he can't determine whether that's good or bad. He would have to look at your muscle mass, bone structure, body fat percentage, and the location of your body fat. In other words, your body weight may or may not indicate a problem. The same goes with cholesterol; having high cholesterol is an indicator that there <i>may</i> be a problem, but you need to be more thorough than that to know for sure.<br />
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Phew, there it is. That's nine things you can work on to prevent a heart attack. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoMgnJDXd3k">Nine</a>! I think it's time to get to work. Overall advice? <b>Eat more fruits and vegetables, eat healthy fats, don't eat too much sugar, lose weight, don't smoke, move your body... and most importantly, let yourself relax once in a while! </b></div>
Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-16059997520226158352013-09-03T11:14:00.000-04:002013-09-05T20:47:51.334-04:00Most Heart Attack Victims Have Normal Cholesterol Levels<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9LBW5TUC0yh9rTLMv1W46YZVV3KyOH9YrUBkOeHcOXw48jsPdFCbVdiV25sKOzQPztx2zfG7GgFCN9lac1r5dv8ddj4RtdMWsAxPjWeSygqTpj9qA2gq3GHQ66UMqnTi6RZHRHOwTro/s1600/cholesterolvalues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9LBW5TUC0yh9rTLMv1W46YZVV3KyOH9YrUBkOeHcOXw48jsPdFCbVdiV25sKOzQPztx2zfG7GgFCN9lac1r5dv8ddj4RtdMWsAxPjWeSygqTpj9qA2gq3GHQ66UMqnTi6RZHRHOwTro/s1600/cholesterolvalues.jpg" /></a></div>
It's been too long since I've spoken about cholesterol, too long I tell you. For those of you who don't know, I would sum up my view on cholesterol like this: it's the most overhyped risk factor for heart disease there is. All you hear in the media is "Watch your cholesterol!" or "Cheerios lower cholesterol!" or "This food is cholesterol-free, so it's good for you!". Bollocks. Bollocks I say.<br />
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First of all, the cholesterol in the food you eat barely has any effect on the cholesterol in your blood, if it has any effect at all. And second, let's set the record straight on "high cholesterol"... please for the love of God, quit worrying about it. Your total cholesterol is just about meaningless unless it's taken in context with your triglycerides, HDL, and LDL... even better, your <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2012/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about.html">LDL particle number</a>. Despite having no real, accurate clinical implications though, "high cholesterol" has taken on this sort-of boogey man role, scaring every health-conscious person into <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2011/07/do-cholesterol-lowing-drugs-save-lives.html">Lipitor land</a>.<br />
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Anyway, I came across something today that was just too good not to write about; this stuff needs to be shared. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21146668">This study</a> was designed to analyze lipid-lowering therapy, but that's not the part I want to talk about here; it's the cholesterol levels of the patients that piqued my interest. The researchers examined 65,396 patients hospitalized for heart disease (heart attack or angina) across the United States. Below you'll find a screenshot of the baseline blood lipid data, taken within the first 24 hours of admission. You would expect, based on what you think you know, that heart disease patients must have had high cholesterol, right?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdZbpTB4gJbWJZ4MYgPc2MjrQUXnA17yrLumxjERsNoSw_kAuZUTLiEr8NUjxWzadKmdRTMvKCzsnGQgiT8xDm1FTLlubPbMYOjaV3RW_oOvG-xcQqRSXcBDbRmG7NiZNF335nM-1iok/s1600/normalcholesterol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdZbpTB4gJbWJZ4MYgPc2MjrQUXnA17yrLumxjERsNoSw_kAuZUTLiEr8NUjxWzadKmdRTMvKCzsnGQgiT8xDm1FTLlubPbMYOjaV3RW_oOvG-xcQqRSXcBDbRmG7NiZNF335nM-1iok/s1600/normalcholesterol.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Average blood lipid values upon admission among all study participants.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Nope. <b>On average, their cholesterol was 170.1 mg/dl, well below the high limit of 200.</b> If any of these people had visited the doctor for a check-up a week before their hospitalization, the doc would have looked at these numbers and said "Steve, your cholesterol is great! Keep up the great work!" Assuming his name is Steve.<br />
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<b>But things weren't great. Each of these people experienced an acute coronary event that required hospitalization and very well could have ended their lives. It's irresponsible that we're putting so much stock into cholesterol values when they clearly are NOT a good indicator of heart disease risk.</b><br />
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Sometimes it only takes one little piece of data, like this one, to completely change your beliefs on cholesterol and heart disease. I hope this provided the baseball to your brand new home window.<br />
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<b>But what does this mean??</b><br />
Now, there's an excellent chance that many of these people were already taking a cholesterol-lowering drug. There's no data in the study to show whether this is true, but since so many people are on them, it's very likely. So let's say for a moment that they were on statins. Say their normal cholesterol levels are around 220 mg/dl, and the statins bring it down to a more friendly-looking 170. Well, this only destroys the cholesterol and heart disease connection even more doesn't it? First off, it doesn't say much about the efficacy of the drugs. But also, it shows that reducing cholesterol from "high" back into "normal", at least via these mechanisms, is useless.<br />
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Okay, let me say it another way... <b>if high cholesterol is the cause of our problems, lowering it should reduce our risk, regardless of the manner by which we do so.</b> If it is not the cause, and it is just an indicator of a problem, then pharmacologically lowering it will NOT reduce our risk. It will, in fact, just make things appear to be fine when they are not.<br />
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It's sort of like when we get sick and we get a fever. We may take over-the-counter meds to reduce the fever; it makes us feel better and it takes away one of the symptoms of our illness. But we forget that the fever is an important part of our body's defense mechanism to fight a bacterial infection... bacteria don't like the heat. We may feel a little better, but we remain just as sick as we were before, and we've now likely prolonged our sickness by messing with our body's natural defense mechanisms.<br />
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The fever is like cholesterol, the symptom. The bacterial infection is the root cause. Got it? Okay it's not a perfect analogy, but you get the point.<br />
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<br />
What is the root cause of heart disease then? If not total cholesterol, what should we focus on? Well that's a big can of worms... there are many factors that go into it. Stay tuned next week for a comprehensive guide on how to prevent heart disease!Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-53054974966103183612013-08-27T18:15:00.002-04:002013-08-28T07:08:12.668-04:00Diet Myths: If a Little is Good, a Lot is Better<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOcXZaDacox4DdTAdShGnOB9p_TgOFTYoQdlxRGnwBvk9-iEUwDla2c4YXn7G6Y5c00rbVDe1wPS_U2ib2QK92KNsgBBIJ9RojwZpZql0l9eNeLkIW_XD6E0tmKDCk3Qe4-TwM-AyvS4/s1600/more+is+better.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOcXZaDacox4DdTAdShGnOB9p_TgOFTYoQdlxRGnwBvk9-iEUwDla2c4YXn7G6Y5c00rbVDe1wPS_U2ib2QK92KNsgBBIJ9RojwZpZql0l9eNeLkIW_XD6E0tmKDCk3Qe4-TwM-AyvS4/s320/more+is+better.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In the modern diet world, there are so many different theories and ideas on nutrition that it can sometimes be overwhelming. We have diets that don't allow carbs, diets that restrict fat, diets in which you eat exclusively fruit, diets in which you can't eat animal products, diets based on "superfoods"... whatever that means. Whichever food or food group is targeted, most of these diets fall victim to the same fallacy: if a little is good, more is better. Or, in many cases, if too much is bad, then none at all must be best.<br />
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Allow me to elaborate. Eating too many carbs can be detrimental, so restrict them all... too much dietary fat can be bad, so get it as low as possible... eating fruit is healthy, so let's eat nothing <i>but </i>fruit. You see the pattern? I don't think I need to go on. None of these diets get at the foundation of a healthy eating plan, and none come close to establishing a healthy relationship with food. What they lack is a sense of balance. Along with a misunderstanding of how biology works.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>The U-Shaped Curve</b><br />
Too much isn't good, but neither is too little. That is the idea of the U-shaped curve. Take, for example, this graph that I just found in a quick Google search...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrODep-nvuCwH2iU_F5_CiOMl0utawgSV8PdCjH-BbGIypnbkFlkGo0qJjSP2kKwrUnNMjo54OTgFPd7Btb3bV-IY_al1oz81q0qOWCKidxIRCsDMt-ahhg-2TfmlxU6ErDmvWfDfQO0/s1600/sleep-duration-and-mortality.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrODep-nvuCwH2iU_F5_CiOMl0utawgSV8PdCjH-BbGIypnbkFlkGo0qJjSP2kKwrUnNMjo54OTgFPd7Btb3bV-IY_al1oz81q0qOWCKidxIRCsDMt-ahhg-2TfmlxU6ErDmvWfDfQO0/s1600/sleep-duration-and-mortality.png" /></a></div>
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See the U shape? This graph is a simple depiction of the relationship between sleep duration and risk of mortality. Those who get too little sleep have a higher risk of death; this is common sense. But does that mean we should get as much sleep as possible? Not exactly. People who get too <i>much</i> sleep also have a higher risk of death. The lowest risk lies at the bottom of the U; according to this graph, seven hours of sleep per night is associated with the lowest rate of mortality.<br />
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We see this type of U-shaped relationship in nearly every aspect of nutrition and biology. Too little water and we'll die of dehydration, but too much and we'll die of overhydration. Too little exercise isn't good, but working out for 8 hours a day isn't so great either. A little Snookie in our lives is good to instill confidence in ourselves and remind us that hey, at least we're not Snookie... but too much Snookie can lead to a hostile attitude towards others and a tendency to speak like a faux-Italian Jersey girl. See? The U-shaped curve applies to more than you realize.<br />
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<b>Moderation and Balance</b><br />
There's a time and place for total restriction of food groups, and I see that being most useful for people with serious medical conditions like food allergies. It can also be beneficial as a short-term cleanse type of diet for those who need a kick start to their healthy lifestyle. But that does not mean that any of these things should be taken to the extreme, nor do they need to be permanent or long-term. Just because reducing your carbohydrate intake may be beneficial for you, that does NOT mean that eliminating them entirely is even better. The same goes for grains, fat, sodium, sugar, gluten, meat, fruit, dairy, vegetable oils, etc. Balance is key.<br />
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When you're walking through Barnes and Noble and you take a glance at the diet section, just remember the U-shaped curve. There are very few cases in which this U-shaped relationship is not true, unless we're talking about straight up toxins like lead or mercury. Don't be gullible. Achieving health is never as easy as eliminating one food.Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-36270059432662505862013-08-21T15:59:00.000-04:002013-08-21T15:59:16.589-04:00Flaxseed and Omega 3's: Why You're Being Misled<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YgdKKiluyDi0sgXVs4r7xOKqUEdRhfgMA-levnJvHiA-7eM-zIWhVqYiVzO9Dx7pS5deTB7hc7Pmj5Arw83qBYjuPjlisLln666fgVW2CfVF_FObt2j5Ic4iTBUMvf417yr-qCfIuTo/s1600/flaxseeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YgdKKiluyDi0sgXVs4r7xOKqUEdRhfgMA-levnJvHiA-7eM-zIWhVqYiVzO9Dx7pS5deTB7hc7Pmj5Arw83qBYjuPjlisLln666fgVW2CfVF_FObt2j5Ic4iTBUMvf417yr-qCfIuTo/s320/flaxseeds.jpg" width="320" /></a>If you've been reading my blog for a while, you probably realize that misleading marketing claims really steam my clams. I just wish we could go to the grocery store, look at a food item, and see the real truth right there on the package, without any of the confusing health claims and advertising. You'd have to have a degree in nutrition just to understand them ha! Which is why I'm writing this article.<br />
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There seems to be some confusion about flaxseeds. It's become sort of "cool" to put flaxseeds in everything lately, from cookies, to breads, to granola, to cereal, to whatever. And it seems that taking flaxseed oil as a supplement is in style too. Why? Well, they're a great source of omega 3 fatty acids!!<br />
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Okay, technically true. But this doesn't tell the whole story.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>The Wrong Omega 3's</b><br />
Omega 3's have been popular in recent years for good reason: they're anti-inflammatory and they're helpful in preventing cardiovascular disease. They're also good for joint pain, skin health, brain development, the list goes on really. It's good stuff. But the omega 3's I'm talking about here are EPA and DHA, and you only get them from animal products like fish and grass-fed beef. The omega 3 in flaxseed is ALA, or alpha-linolenic acid, the plant form of omega 3. ALA is converted to the active forms, EPA and DHA, in our bodies, but at a very poor rate (<a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/research-review-extremely-limited-synthesis-of-long-chain-polyunsaturates-in-adults-implications-for-their-dietary-essentiality-and-use-as-supplements.html">1</a>). So the only way to get the omega 3's you really need is to get it from an animal source, not flax.<br />
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<b>The Problem With Flax</b><br />
In addition to not providing the proper omega 3 fatty acids, flax also presents another concern.<br />
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Flaxseed oil consumption has been shown to quadruple the incidence of premature labor in pregnant women (<a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/127630.php">2</a>). Yes, quadruple. You should always be more cautious with what you put into your body during pregnancy, since you're feeding a little one. This should just be common sense. Any supplement, no matter how benign it may seem, should be questioned. There's a greater chance you'll see adverse effects in pregnancy than in just about any other population. However, that doesn't mean it's perfectly benign for everyone else; it could just take a little longer to see adverse effects.<br />
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Why the effect on premature births? <b>Likely the phytoestrogens.</b> As it sounds, phytoestrogens are plant estrogens. They can act as sort of an artificial source of estrogens in the body, causing a hormonal imbalance. This effect has been researched more thoroughly in the context of soy products, which have been shown to lower sperm concentration in semen by 41 million/ml (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18650557">3</a>)!<br />
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And what's worse, there are more phytoestrogens in flax than there are in soy!<br />
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If you're taking flax as a supplement, ditch it. It's just a waste of money. You're not getting any benefit out of it, and it could be harmful in large quantities. If you see flax as an ingredient in a food you eat (flax, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil), don't sweat it; it's probably not enough to be an issue. You can handle it. But don't go out of your way to feed it to yourself, and especially not your children. Stick to the direct sources of EPA and DHA... fatty fish, fish oil, cod liver oil, grass-fed beef, and pastured eggs!Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-47314298355155269152013-08-13T18:55:00.004-04:002013-08-14T10:59:21.713-04:00Why Grains ARE Important For Most People<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwi_vrOMGnqZLu23jBBdBEDmjIoqzfDcYmTtbNEmRvaoM1egYzWNFS5cFRthfJOlf55aKcg0vU2_6dUEed7uC_RcseoBRRITBWeITiOM_qE-p7_MVNehHJCBq28rb6RAPGlcSZQlRIf3E/s1600/Food+Pyramid.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwi_vrOMGnqZLu23jBBdBEDmjIoqzfDcYmTtbNEmRvaoM1egYzWNFS5cFRthfJOlf55aKcg0vU2_6dUEed7uC_RcseoBRRITBWeITiOM_qE-p7_MVNehHJCBq28rb6RAPGlcSZQlRIf3E/s320/Food+Pyramid.JPG" width="320" /></a>It's been a while since I've talked about grains. Like over a year. Too long. I've written <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-you-dont-need-grains.html">Why You Don't Need Grains</a>, about why you don't need grains. Duh. And <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2012/07/whole-grain-destruction.html">Whole Grain Destruction</a>, providing some hard science on the pitfalls of whole grains. Oh, and then there was <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2012/11/why-are-food-allergies-on-rise-part-2.html">Modern Wheat</a>, explaining the difference between the wheat of the past and the wheat we eat today. Despite the nutritional shortcomings discussed in these articles though, most nutritionists still recommend a grain-based diet like the one depicted in this here food pyramid. Yes, it's outdated, we've moved on to the Plate now. The philosophy is still the same.<br />
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As a nutrition professional, I think it's important to talk to other nutrition professionals and understand their views on things, as they often differ from mine. Sometimes you learn something new from considering someone else's perspective.<br />
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I can remember one situation when I was doing my counseling internship at Student Health Services at UConn. I was shadowing a dietitian there, and a client that day mentioned that she didn't eat bread; she had heard we didn't need it in our diets to be healthy. Being the intern, I kept my mouth shut and let the counselor handle it. Of course, her advice was that we DO need bread, as it provides important vitamins and minerals. <b>She may have had a point; refined flour products like white bread are enriched and fortified with B-vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin), folic acid, and sometimes iron.</b> <b>For people who haven't eaten vegetables or red meat in six months, maybe refined grain products actually serve a purpose.</b><br />
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So I started thinking... I wonder what it takes to get enough of these nutrients without grains?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>B-Vitamins</b><br />
This section will be short. If you're eating enough calories, it's pretty difficult to be deficient in any of these vitamins. In fact, the only realistic way we would see a deficiency is if we're getting most of our calories from refined grains that were <i>not </i>enriched; all of the refined grains in America are enriched. B-vitamins are found in meat, eggs, potatoes, sweet potatoes, veggies, fruits, nuts... pretty much all whole foods. I mean you'd have to really be eating straight sugar or butter all day to not get enough of these. They're a non-issue. Next!<br />
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<b>Folate</b><br />
I say folate, not folic acid, because folate is the natural form found in food. Folic acid is the form added to foods (like grains) and used in supplements. This folate stuff is pretty darn important... it's needed for several reactions involving DNA, which is the foundation for every cell in the body. It's also been found to be extra important in pregnancy; adequate folic acid levels can prevent the birth defect spina bifida.<br />
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Most of the food sources of folate are plant foods, with liver being the exception. Too bad liver is disgusting. I wish I could choke it down, I really do! Anyway, some of the best sources are greens and beans. Nice, that rhymed.<br />
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<b>What does a full day of folate look like for a non-pregnant person? Glad you asked, here are a few examples:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>1/2 cup steamed spinach, 1/2 cup steamed collard greens, 1/2 cup kidney beans, 1/2 cup green peas</li>
<li>1/2 cup lentils, 1 cup raw spinach, 1/2 cup asparagus, 1 small orange</li>
<li>1/2 cup black beans, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 cup romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup Brussels sprouts</li>
<li>6 oz. beef liver (Yuck.)</li>
</ul>
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Some folate may be lost in cooking as well, depending on how long it's cooked, so there's that to worry about too. </div>
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You can get to the RDA for folate, sure. But is your average schmo doing this? No. Good thing those cheap grains are fortified with folic acid. And this doesn't even take into account a pregnant woman's requirements, which are 50% higher. :-o </div>
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<b>Iron</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJHsMhQxzdppPtd7-xcSOx6PoIykshN0w3Mno-m75nf7JPzIpiM5Bg7KQlklJQFzuSRH9WU83-iKbPum3fvPt81YQ-6ZE2qvQc_35tcdfAIUWIgoppVo2n07UMExirA7Suphb3xS5OjM/s1600/iron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJHsMhQxzdppPtd7-xcSOx6PoIykshN0w3Mno-m75nf7JPzIpiM5Bg7KQlklJQFzuSRH9WU83-iKbPum3fvPt81YQ-6ZE2qvQc_35tcdfAIUWIgoppVo2n07UMExirA7Suphb3xS5OjM/s200/iron.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This stuff.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
First, it's important to note that men and women have completely different iron requirements. According to the RDA, men only need 8 mg/day, while women need 18 mg/day. Premenopausal women, that is... losing all that blood every month has its consequences. After menopause, iron requirements for women drop back down to 8. Men should never have an issue getting enough iron. Women, on the other hand, have a little more trouble; girlies have a 6-10x increased risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia! (<a href="http://www.aafp.org/afp/2007/0301/p671.html">1</a>)<br />
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The best sources of iron are animal foods. Clams, oysters, and liver are your most iron-rich foods. Red meat and poultry are second. And then we've got some random plant foods like pumpkin seeds, white beans, and lentils that sport nice iron profiles. Plant iron is less bioavailable than the animal type though, so the hard numbers are a little misleading.<br />
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<b>The following are realistic ways to get 18 mg of iron in your day:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups kale, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 oz cashews, 1 cup edamame, 1/2 cup lentils, 1 medium baked potato, 4 oz boneless chicken breast, and 6 oz ground beef</li>
<li>1/2 cup steamed spinach, 1/2 cup white beans, 1 oz pumpkin seeds, 1 1/2 cups roasted red potatoes, 5 oz chicken thighs, 3 oz shrimp</li>
<li>1 cup roasted Brussels sprouts, 1/2 cup steamed Swiss chard, 1/2 cup prunes, 1/2 cup olives, 3 fried eggs, 1 oz canned clams, 6 oz sirloin steak</li>
<li>10 oz beef liver (Okay, not realistic. Yuck.)</li>
</ul>
<div>
That's kind of a lot of food, no?? You women have a tough life! Sure, a determined, health conscious woman would have no problem with this kind of intake, but your average American? Hell naw. Probably a good thing those junk breakfast cereals are fortified with iron.</div>
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Okay. Obviously we don't need grains in our diet. There's nothing special in grains that we can't get elsewhere. But for the average person who doesn't give a crap about his or her diet, eats Hot Pockets and McDonalds all the time, and hasn't touched spinach since the 90s... they're pretty important. Folic acid and iron are vital, especially for certain populations... pregnant women in the case of folate, young women in general in the case of iron.</div>
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<b>If it's nutrient density and optimal health you're after, there's no reason for you to eat grains in any significant amount. But most people aren't you. If you're an average American, I say you need them. Call me crazy. </b></div>
Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-3096625921964464812013-08-10T13:09:00.000-04:002013-08-10T13:09:49.985-04:00Brendan Coburn, RD! And What's Next.Yoooo what's up y'all!?!? It's been a while since I've written anything here, but it wasn't without good reason. For the past month or so, I've been deep in study mode, getting ready to take the Registered Dietitian exam. And on August 7th, I passed! I'm officially an RD! It's been a long road with countless hours (okay, countable... 1200 in fact) of supervised practice, too many classes, papers, and exams, and overall one big ball of stress, but it's finally over! Now, time for the next step.<br />
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So what is the next step, you ask?<br />
<ol>
<li>Most importantly, graduate school at UConn. Yup, stepping right back into the school world. Only this time I'll be a Teaching Assistant, complete with free tuition and a paycheck every two weeks. For real! </li>
<li>I'll be getting back to blogging. Maybe not weekly posts like I had been doing, but I'll be posting as often as I can. Or as often as I have something meaningful to write about!</li>
<li>Leaving my job as a cook at Whole Foods. Sorry to my beloved coworkers, but it's time I move on... that job just doesn't serve me anymore at this point in my life. I plan on flexing my RD credential and getting some sort of nutrition-related job on the side!</li>
<li>Huh, well I guess that's all I've got for ya. There are some other big things brewing in my head involving some future projects, but nothing's set in stone yet, so I'll refrain from talking about it. Suffice it to say, the future is looking bright!</li>
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So that's it for today, back to the blog writing in the near future. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and continues to support me, thank you for reading my blog and for the kind comments, keep being awesome, keep it real, peace I'm out!</div>
Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-49807985498024275152013-07-10T19:01:00.000-04:002013-07-10T20:01:55.607-04:00Are We Living Too Long?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let's talk about death today! Sorry, just trying to make it seem exciting. If you know me well, you may know that I live with my grandparents, who are 90+ years old. If you know me really well, you may also know that my grandfather is losing his mind... some sort of dementia, maybe Alzheimer's, who knows. Regardless, much of the time he doesn't know who I am, nor where he is, and from time to time, he still thinks it's the 1940s. He also has a hard time taking care of himself. He seems to forget how to perform even the most basic tasks, like brushing his teeth or shaving. Every day is a struggle for him and for those around him.<br />
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Essentially, his quality of life has diminished to the point where I question why he wants to keep fighting. Lately I've been thinking hard about some of this stuff... <b>yes, we're living longer lives, but are we really <i>living</i>?</b><br />
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<a name='more'></a><b><u>Disclaimer</u></b><br />
<i>Before I go any further, I'd like to say a few things. First, no one close to me has ever died. At 28 years old, I'm not quite sure how this is possible, but I haven't personally experienced the loss of a close family member or friend. Second, I have no idea what it's like to be close to death. I'm young, and haven't suffered from any life-threatening trauma myself, so I've never personally been in a situation where I felt like I was dying. My point is, I'm looking at death as an outsider, as someone with no first-hand experience. If you find anything I say to be offensive, or ignorant... now you know where I'm coming from.</i><br />
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<b>I'm a firm believer in the idea that we die when we're ready to die.</b> You know, outside of trauma or something like that. How many times have you heard that someone "died with his family at his side, as if he knew it was time", or that "it was like she waited for everyone to leave so she could die in peace"? No matter how we want it to happen, it seems we have some control over when we let ourselves go. It's as if we have one foot in the afterlife, and it's up to us to take that last step.<br />
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<b>But today, with modern medicine leading the way, it seems that many of us hang onto that step for as long as is humanly possible.</b> I've met some who are far beyond the point my grandfather is at. Spending just a few minutes in a dementia ward at a local nursing home, I've met people with virtually no mental function who need assistance in every activity of daily living. It's one of the most depressing things I've ever seen. These people are simply no longer functioning human beings.<br />
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So this brings up some questions... <b>What's keeping people like this alive? Have we forgotten how to die? Why do we keep going, despite such a horrible quality of life?</b><br />
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I think we would benefit from thinking a little harder about death.<br />
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<b><u>Looking at Death in a Positive Light</u></b><br />
To me, death can be a beautiful thing. We're all born, and we all die. Those are just about the only certainties in this life, and I think there's something beautiful in the simplicity. To quote my favorite <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RozuwUlX7MI">Bright Eyes' song</a>, "there is nothing as lucky, as easy, or free". It's the inevitable ending to a human life, the culmination of all that has been accomplished, and a celebration of the freedom of the soul from the confines of the body. What's so bad about that?<br />
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I think it's time we embrace death. Not literally of course, for most of us, but we should change the way we think about it. It marks an ending for sure, but with all endings come new beginnings. The death of a loved one will never be easy. But if we approach it with a different mindset, understanding the positives that can come from it and appreciating the beauty of a life that has run its course, we can appreciate it for what it is.<b> </b>Think of the death of a loved one as a chance for personal growth. You can't change it. You have no choice but to keep on going.<b> </b>Embrace it, accept it, and grow from it. <b>Change is the only constant in life; it's best we all learn how to use it to our advantage.</b><br />
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And when that time comes to face the end of our own lives, and I truly believe that we will know when that time comes, we shouldn't feel obligated to fight it. Sure, modern medicine can keep us alive for many years more than ever before, but as our quality of life declines, each of us needs to decide for ourselves whether that's a good thing. <b>There's nothing wrong with letting go if that's what we feel. And we should do it with smile, experiencing the full spectrum of emotions of the moment... happiness, sorrow, relief, hope, guilt, love, fear, all of it... knowing that we took the next step on our terms, not at the mercy of a respirator.</b><br />
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Phew, that was some heavy stuff. I just can't talk about death anymore, even if it is the positive side of it. It's killing my mood!! I won't even properly conclude this post, just take these musings for what they're worth!<br />
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I'll leave you with something a little lighter... an article called <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying">"Top Five Regrets of the Dying"</a>. It's a great list that might just help you put things in perspective. Hint: be happy and love people. Now that's how you end a post about death on a happy note :)Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-58252069245886756512013-07-02T19:15:00.001-04:002013-07-02T19:39:21.561-04:00How to Choose the Best Junk Food: 5 Easy Fixes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Nobody's perfect. In a food world like ours, it's near impossible to stick to a healthy, real-food diet 100% of the time. Eating healthy tends to put you in a bubble... a bubble full of kale, grass-fed beef, home-made sauerkraut, and herbal teas. And while I love that bubble, and you may love that bubble, society does not. Nope, our society doesn't value health and food quality like you and I do, and sometimes it's tempting to give in. So there are bound to be times when you feel like you want to indulge in some junk food, whether it's at a party, at a summer picnic, or maybe you just want to celebrate the new Backstreet Boys album! (Only part joking.)<br />
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But whenever it happens, whenever that craving comes upon you, I think it's important that you know how to eat junk food properly. You don't have to completely fall of the wagon and binge on a family size Doritos... there are compromises that can be made here. Rest assured, it IS possible to make choices that will satisfy your craving for junk food AND STILL allow you to fit in with your peers.<br />
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Recently, I took a trip to Stop & Shop, my local conventional grocery store, to awkwardly remove items from their places just to take pictures of the ingredients. So here you go... 5 junk foods, along with their healthy counterparts!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Tortilla Chips</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFtiWVVZGiidcvxoYcbmQY9orsb9F7rbE1uD8E9mD3BMB9hHbs3m5M0aJg26mf8JOZajyfTUOWxWH8g8IAiNGtwW1X7cLFB6I-jffNuagI_HogFBKZ8lKHcqyZPyqrDdw16n2RrcfQXo/s1600/Doritos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFtiWVVZGiidcvxoYcbmQY9orsb9F7rbE1uD8E9mD3BMB9hHbs3m5M0aJg26mf8JOZajyfTUOWxWH8g8IAiNGtwW1X7cLFB6I-jffNuagI_HogFBKZ8lKHcqyZPyqrDdw16n2RrcfQXo/s200/Doritos.JPG" width="200" /></a><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Bad Choice: Doritos</span></b><br />
Let's count the reasons why... <b>non-organic corn</b> means genetically modified corn. <b>Canola and corn oils</b> are genetically modified and extremely processed; corn oil especially is full of inflammatory omega-6 fats. Then we've got <b>MSG (monosodium gluatamate)</b>. May or may not be a problem, I'm still unsure. And then there are the <b>artificial colors</b> that are banned in most other countries around the world... <b>yellow 6, yellow 5, and red 40</b>... linked to behavioral problems in children like ADHD, among other things.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Good Choice: Garden of Eatin' Tortilla Chips</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HDT6Erd1OwkqrUE2qXl7V89P7npNvlmJTzDvLZBktPar-YMXE8XBE10eEH9W41jTnqsKyVSDfGGuXBVnSqdSE64JEq5HdZduzQKoOigV5UFQnOojPp53mZOAvsVRTpCfWCrL7tXoeTI/s1293/Garden+of+Eatin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HDT6Erd1OwkqrUE2qXl7V89P7npNvlmJTzDvLZBktPar-YMXE8XBE10eEH9W41jTnqsKyVSDfGGuXBVnSqdSE64JEq5HdZduzQKoOigV5UFQnOojPp53mZOAvsVRTpCfWCrL7tXoeTI/s200/Garden+of+Eatin.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Organic corn.</b> That means it's not genetically modified. <b>Expeller pressed oils</b>... this means that the oils were extracted without the use of chemical solvents like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexane#Toxicity">hexane</a>, which are used in regular vegetable oils. In addition to that, this product is <a href="http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/understanding-our-seal/">Non-GMO Certified</a> (see the seal on the front of the bag, above). Vegetable oils are still bad for you, don't get me wrong. But the non-GMO, expeller-pressed, hexane-free version is a much better alternative.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Bread</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzA2Fay6fLbVizqkUSkf9yWGKt40QLSMNOAlBxlBlenhy0GG0yNueUXGiTdXI26Xd8YJeWd9kvojK_KHa3h7JGltp6ZGU1N9-7oHdvYa8XB5kWb680VvIX_c3L4-I6heCgFlElrh75uMs/s1517/Pepperidge+Farm+Italian+Bread.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzA2Fay6fLbVizqkUSkf9yWGKt40QLSMNOAlBxlBlenhy0GG0yNueUXGiTdXI26Xd8YJeWd9kvojK_KHa3h7JGltp6ZGU1N9-7oHdvYa8XB5kWb680VvIX_c3L4-I6heCgFlElrh75uMs/s200/Pepperidge+Farm+Italian+Bread.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Bad Choice: Pepperidge Farm Italian Bread </span></b><br />
Or just about any average bread in the bread aisle, for that matter. Ingredient #1: <b>Flour.</b> Extremely refined, nutrient-poor, junk food. Have you ever seen a flour in nature??? <b>Soybean oil. High fructose corn syrup. Chemicals to "retard spoilage"</b> (thought that term was offensive). <b>Dough conditioners.</b> Since when do we need so many ingredients to make a bread?? We don't. Ain't nobody got time for that. Leave it on the shelf.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Good Choice: Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmKT8pnImEuRoGK6vkjqRHrpsTYiPlWmtDrVbwZGp8CoRAxqMzUDw1UDwtZbFwBKGxVsUP_SzT3ClyO-MN0tO3zJQUVrz1B3PbbtYqASQ92bjvDLeCNqzdkRuaEY20t54LOBffPHzGr0/s1600/Ezekiel+Sprouted+Grain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmKT8pnImEuRoGK6vkjqRHrpsTYiPlWmtDrVbwZGp8CoRAxqMzUDw1UDwtZbFwBKGxVsUP_SzT3ClyO-MN0tO3zJQUVrz1B3PbbtYqASQ92bjvDLeCNqzdkRuaEY20t54LOBffPHzGr0/s200/Ezekiel+Sprouted+Grain.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
What do you really need to make bread? <b>Wheat, yeast, salt.</b> Done. Ezekiel bread happens to contain a variety of grains, all of which are <b>sprouted</b>... Sprouting is a form of natural fermentation that deactivates some of the antinutrients in grains, making the vitamins and minerals more bioavailable. You may have to scour the frozen food section for this guy, FYI.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jtAg3Q3euLoEmrmX7s9OXs2PxadFEmA3eL_YNvr2BOxAtpfX9AndwMpGbU8eCVeGcdcP20g0NIThVLfi07kQc4VO7DcYR-h3Dq6TgapqyjfZyiuFHcRXrHcVJf0D-GupMcRNw7lbUc4/s1422/Rudi's+Ancient+Grians.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jtAg3Q3euLoEmrmX7s9OXs2PxadFEmA3eL_YNvr2BOxAtpfX9AndwMpGbU8eCVeGcdcP20g0NIThVLfi07kQc4VO7DcYR-h3Dq6TgapqyjfZyiuFHcRXrHcVJf0D-GupMcRNw7lbUc4/s200/Rudi's+Ancient+Grians.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Another Good Choice: Rudi's Ancient Grains Bread</span></b><br />
There's a theory out there that modern wheat, the type we've grown since the 1960s, is killing us. Read the intro to the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1609611543">Wheat Belly</a> for a the full story, or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDXpAN0emIU">watch this video</a>. Better yet, <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2012/11/why-are-food-allergies-on-rise-part-2.html">read this blog post I wrote on the topic!</a> As a result, you may have seen the term <b>"ancient grains"</b>, or grains like <b>spelt</b> or farro. These are older varieties of wheat, and there's actually some evidence that they're healthier for us. I don't think we know for sure if modern wheat is a problem here, but if you'd like to play it safe, try a bread like this one!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Chocolate</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Bad Choice: Hershey's Bar</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw121bEc6Nm_3Cvm38Cb8HcomMtmrLfTwdxnyulMY13Bj1yfdFr-Ns12VxmUOfdKQjG5LFsD-v4lYJNGJQBGN3A_cMfLQcScu-K-ZLW_ZFhjxOeX9bfa-dVbbi7RqqbEMcQGYDFzcqtqY/s1600/Hershey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw121bEc6Nm_3Cvm38Cb8HcomMtmrLfTwdxnyulMY13Bj1yfdFr-Ns12VxmUOfdKQjG5LFsD-v4lYJNGJQBGN3A_cMfLQcScu-K-ZLW_ZFhjxOeX9bfa-dVbbi7RqqbEMcQGYDFzcqtqY/s200/Hershey.JPG" width="200" /></a>Everyone needs a little chocolate in their life once in a while, right? It may be tempting, seeing this little guy at the register of the grocery store; it's so convenient, you just have to put it in your cart and it's over... DON'T! First of all, there's a shit ton of <b>sugar </b>in this thing. No one needs that. Then in addition, there's <b>artificial flavor</b>, along with some bogus emulsifier called <b>"PGPR"</b>. Sounds innocent enough until you see the real name... <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyglycerol_polyricinoleate">Polyglycerol polyricinoleate</a>.</b> Unfortunately, it's used as a cheap replacement (sometimes only partial replacement) for cocoa butter, an ingredient that would normally provide <a href="http://becausenooneasked.com/2009/12/27/pgpr/">potent antioxidants</a> that prevent plaque buildup in your arteries. No, you don't really need that, Hershey's says.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQxZvgETTWA2FU19RTiWXQnMcCW68zcJn5GofffOkTDQgdybVspiPE-T8r_mCzszx1bKMTqIy0WTo2iCYMTqohLrnjDFk3rD9POOxJUZpASB254eTl7BjwHiluIoO9CazCrpsFP9tZ-4/s1544/85+Dark+Chocolate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQxZvgETTWA2FU19RTiWXQnMcCW68zcJn5GofffOkTDQgdybVspiPE-T8r_mCzszx1bKMTqIy0WTo2iCYMTqohLrnjDFk3rD9POOxJUZpASB254eTl7BjwHiluIoO9CazCrpsFP9tZ-4/s200/85+Dark+Chocolate.JPG" width="186" /></a><b><span style="color: #274e13;">Good Choice: Just about any dark, organic chocolate bar.</span></b><br />
First, I'd like to point your attention to the <b>sugar content</b>. Just 8 g per serving in this 85% dark chocolate bar versus 44 g per serving in the above Hershey's bar! That's reason number one. (Side note: if you really can't stand the 85%, the 70% dark is still a good compromise!) Then look at the ingredients... <b>just 5 ingredients and all of them are real, edible things</b>. This is also a much more concentrated chocolate, since there's less sugar and fewer filler ingredients, so it's more concentrated in the good stuff... antioxidants, healthy fats... there's just more of what you want and less of what you don't. <b>And look! Cocoa butter! And no PGPR! Rejoice!</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Peanut Butter</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Bad Choice: Skippy Peanut Butter</b></span><br />
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Okay, so I didn't take this picture myself, I found it online. Shoot me. Skippy peanut butter, along with all of the other popular brands... Jif, Peter Pan, whatever... they all contain <b>hydrogenated oils</b>. In case you're not familiar with the term, hydrogenation is a chemical process that turns liquid oils solid. The problem is, this creates <b>trans fats</b> in the process. If you were to look at the nutrition facts, it would tell you there are 0 grams trans fat... don't believe it, they're lying. As long as there are under 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, it can be listed as a trans fat free product. <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/01/5-bogus-food-label-claims.html">(I will refer you also to this blog post I wrote once upon a time.)</a> Don't be fooled, that shit'll kill you. There is no level of trans fat that is good in your diet<br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Good Choice: Natural Peanut Butter</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1Q3AQE97J0hX2WJL2tvoG554enbEM9Dao0QmhVUlMtJ2matEpjdkTk8cDQBPRh-hsE_zEQakNlzvgaVR-zG6kyiaYUtXYrS4JVoEH9LqqzNTzfc3-F0VSYBHnyc1VwT8wj7lUYjn2WQ/s929/Natural+Peanut+Butter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="49" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1Q3AQE97J0hX2WJL2tvoG554enbEM9Dao0QmhVUlMtJ2matEpjdkTk8cDQBPRh-hsE_zEQakNlzvgaVR-zG6kyiaYUtXYrS4JVoEH9LqqzNTzfc3-F0VSYBHnyc1VwT8wj7lUYjn2WQ/s200/Natural+Peanut+Butter.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Any brand will do. This one happens to be the organic Stop & Shop store brand. No trans fats, no oils. <b>Just peanuts and salt.</b> That's all you need. This one is easy... you should be able to find this at any grocery store! And if you don't like the texture quite as much, I don't care. Get over it. Learn to eat like an adult. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Snack Bars</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Bad Choice: Nutrigrain Bars</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuXE0inyGBxUmWgbEr-feTRC0NtIckdsre6xSpK2gEJPoPf6QPrp0C3DslKHheqIOuOgIIfzow4BGWXmcSeKxlVBs1QjzyflOZ9X4-hv9kvVBaJzv3cpc0yr78gCglnWP6GHIuqDB-60/s1600/Nutrigrain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuXE0inyGBxUmWgbEr-feTRC0NtIckdsre6xSpK2gEJPoPf6QPrp0C3DslKHheqIOuOgIIfzow4BGWXmcSeKxlVBs1QjzyflOZ9X4-hv9kvVBaJzv3cpc0yr78gCglnWP6GHIuqDB-60/s200/Nutrigrain.JPG" width="129" /></a></div>
I hope this one comes as a surprise... my mom and sister certainly didn't know about it. Nutrigrain bars are one of the best examples of a junk food disguised by clever marketing. Just say it... Nutrigrain. How can that not be healthy!? <a href="http://www.nutrigrain.com/product-detail.aspx?product=349">Look at the box, and the website</a>. The web page is titled "Take Care of You", colorful strawberries and healthy-looking grains of wheat are strewn about, they claim "No high-fructose corn syrup" and "Made with real fruit & whole grains". What they don't tell you, is that Nutrigrain bars are also made with the following: <b>soybean oil, canola oil, sugar, fructose, carrageenan, natural and artificial flavors, invert sugar, corn syrup, red 40, and a bunch of other ingredients that, quite frankly, I don't even recognize.</b> Healthy???? I've been trying to stop cursing on my blog, but I can't hold it in any longer. Fuck off, Kellogg's.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Good Choice: Larabars</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEoxR3dBayZPnwtvkx5XnA1E-mv3Cz6x_ZiBGrAeE5A1oi__JyVohhiYz2opMx3I8TeSSu8MYEj9_2g_jMwWnMVHn8rbujHFZpKK9P1P-E94TuBEV7LZ6ucw2DdhMtqNwKn-bpIYfLSc/s1600/Larabar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEoxR3dBayZPnwtvkx5XnA1E-mv3Cz6x_ZiBGrAeE5A1oi__JyVohhiYz2opMx3I8TeSSu8MYEj9_2g_jMwWnMVHn8rbujHFZpKK9P1P-E94TuBEV7LZ6ucw2DdhMtqNwKn-bpIYfLSc/s200/Larabar.JPG" width="200" /></a>If you want a truly healthy bar, you're going to have to venture out of the cereal aisle. You may have to click to enlarge that little guy, but this is an apple pie Larabar. <b>Ingredients: Dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon.</b> That's it. Real food... nothing but fruit, nuts, and scrumptious cinnamon. And the health claims? There are none. There's a lesson here: if a food needs to make health claims, you should probably leave it on the shelf. Real food makes no claims.<br />
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Whew, we made it! See now? There are some pretty healthy compromises to be made here. You can still eat some of the foods you love without compromising your health. All it takes is a little knowledge! I hope you learned something here, now get out there and put this to use!<br />
<br />Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-90897131423394378652013-06-25T17:50:00.003-04:002013-06-25T17:51:56.304-04:00Earthing: Why Reconnecting With Nature May Be All You Need<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzjh7CtTxbwVeT9wIidO2X65GWdYETJhFsxlcK_sYdT5DhjG78i5ZL-jhTXV1JWvx2RyViEWGWG5BtO_wGPwRgdZjiv0cxOx_TKKOrX3mO57ohkhhIEKP9Z4wG8QsvbaGrpPwb0wjkEY/s1600/earthing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzjh7CtTxbwVeT9wIidO2X65GWdYETJhFsxlcK_sYdT5DhjG78i5ZL-jhTXV1JWvx2RyViEWGWG5BtO_wGPwRgdZjiv0cxOx_TKKOrX3mO57ohkhhIEKP9Z4wG8QsvbaGrpPwb0wjkEY/s320/earthing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Today I want to talk about something a little different. At first glance, it may seem incredibly hokey. Okay, it WILL seem incredibly hokey. But just stick with me here for a moment... I think there's really something to it.<br />
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I'm talking about <b>earthing</b>... the process of grounding your body to the earth. Direct contact, no socks or shoes. Skin on earth. (Or with the assistance of a grounding system, as you'll see later.) Believe it or not, there's good science to back it up... and not just through subjective measurements either... there are real, objective, measurable changes that take place in the human body when we connect with our earth. <b>Reconnecting with nature in this way has been shown to reduce cortisol (a stress hormone), improve blood flow, and regulate our sleep cycles, among other things.</b> Allow me to explain a little more...<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The surface of the planet is electrically conductive, with the exception of extreme environments like deserts (<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/92JD02642/abstract">1</a>, <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/1999JD900117/abstract">2</a>). Essentially, the earth is teeming with electrons which, through direct contact with the ground, can have an impact on our internal bioelectrical environment.<br />
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Okay, complicated... I know. Lots of big words you tried to forget as soon as you finished your last chemistry final. Just know this... our bodies are electrical circuits. Our lives and our wellness depend on these circuits running properly. The beat of our heart, the function of our organs, the free-flowing nature of our blood, the ability to think and move... all of this is dependent on electrical impulses.<br />
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Now, if making direct contact between our bodies and the earth provides a transfer of electrons, or electrical potential, do you think this might have an effect on how our bodies operate? It just might... when you think about it, the notion isn't so crazy.<br />
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Luckily, some really smart people out there are putting earthing to the test. Here's what we know.<br />
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<b>Earthing may improve cardiovascular health.</b><br />
A recent study looked at the effect of earthing on blood viscosity (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3576907/">3</a>). In a healthy body, our red blood cells maintain a negative charge on their surface, repelling other red blood cells away like a magnet. This is what allows our blood to flow freely through our body. Without this negative electrical charge, our blood would clot and life as we know it would end. Viscous blood, like that which would occur if this electrical charge were diminished, is associated with several problems, including hypertension and diabetes. We don't want that.<br />
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After 2 hours of earthing treatment via an earthing system (electrically connects you to the earth, without you actually making direct contact with the earth), subjects showed an increased surface charge on the their red blood cells, indicating improved cardiovascular health. To quote the study itself, "Grounding appears to be one of the simplest and yet most profound interventions for helping reduce cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular events." Talk about bang for your buck.<br />
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<b>Sleeping grounded may reduce chronic pain.</b><br />
Subjects who suffered from sleep disturbances and chronic muscle/joint pain were given either a night-time earthing treatment or placebo. Most of those who were given the grounding treatment reported reduced pain, while most of those in the control group did not (<a href="http://www.grounditout.com/gio/research/grounding-the-human-body-to-neutralize-bioelectrical-stress-from-static-electricity-and-emfs.html">4</a>).<br />
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<b>Earthing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, thereby reducing stress.</b><br />
In a double-blind study, those who were treated with a 2-hour grounding session showed markers of reduced stress and increased rest and relaxation. The results were immediate upon beginning the treatment, and they faded slowly after the treatment ended (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20064020/">5</a>).<br />
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<b>Sleeping grounded reduces cortisol and regulates your sleep cycle, and may improve sleep, pain, and perceived stress.</b><br />
In this study, 12 subjects who complained of sleep dysfunction, pain, and stress were asked to sleep on a grounded, conductive mattress (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15650465/">6</a>). After 8 weeks, the subjects showed reduced overnight cortisol levels, and a normalization of the 24-hour cortisol profile (cortisol ebbs and flows throughout the day).<br />
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In addition to these objective measures... subjectively reported symptoms, including sleep dysfunction, pain, and stress were reduced or eliminated in nearly all subjects<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">.</span><br />
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<b>Earthing may reduce risk for osteoporosis.</b><br />
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One study found that just one night of grounded sleeping significantly reduced renal excretion of calcium and phosphorous, two important minerals in the degenerative disorder <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-to-prevent-osteoporosis-and.html">osteoporosis</a>. In addition, this one night of sleep also had a significant effect on blood levels of iron, sodium, potassium, and magnesium (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21469913/">7</a>). </div>
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<b>Earthing may promote antioxidant activity.</b></div>
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There's even a theory out there that earthing can help protect our cells from oxidative damage. The electrons picked up from the earth's surface may act as antioxidants, preventing the damage caused by free radicals (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18047442/">8</a>). More antioxidant capacity means healthier cells, less disease, and healthier aging.</div>
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<b>Okay so that's sort of a random hodge-podge of information. Let's bring it all together, shall we? Here are the benefits of earthing, as we currently understand it...</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Improved blood flow and cardiovascular health</li>
<li>Possible reduced chronic pain</li>
<li>Reduced stress</li>
<li>Enhanced relaxation and recovery</li>
<li>Reduction in markers of osteoporosis</li>
<li>Possible increase in antioxidant capacity</li>
</ul>
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Pretty cool huh? Plus, it's easy to do, and there's really no risk of harm... just walk around barefoot. You have no reason not to try it. Take off those shoes, get your feet dirty, go for a walk, swim in the ocean... if you wanna get a little crazy, lay out in the grass naked for a while. I can't think of a better way to get those electrons! Or if you want to get really serious, get yourself one of these <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=earthing+mat&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=33587010336&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1397755475560368510&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_1dwzg3vx8u_e">earthing kits</a> and give it a go!</div>
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But even if you're skeptical, think of it this way...<br />
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<b>Being outside makes us happy.</b><br />
In addition to all that, doesn't nature just bring a smile to your face? I mean, when's the last time you lounged around outdoors on a beautiful day and had a horrible time?? I'd bet that's never happened. At the very least, spending time outdoors is therapeutic because of the happiness factor. Whether it's the sun, the ocean, or walking barefoot in the grass, there's something about being outside that makes us feel good. I think we should take that as a sign that we're doing something good for our bodies, don't you?</div>
Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-35980187095276688502013-06-17T18:19:00.000-04:002013-06-18T09:23:36.292-04:00Silly Adults... Even Kids Know it's Wrong to Eat Animals! (VIDEO)As I was browsing Facebook the other night, just about to go to bed, I came across an interesting link that fired me up and kept my up far past my bedtime... an article called "<a href="http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/06/02/luis-antonio-vegetarian?cmpid=foodinc-fb">Vegetarianism Demystified by a Toddler</a>". It links to a YouTube video, which I'll just embed here for your convenience... voila!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iQnMkhB-YeQ" width="560"></iframe>
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The video has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from YouTube users. Nearly every comment praises this child for being an irresistible, sweet little boy with a big heart... See?? He's only 3, even a TODDLER knows it's wrong to eat animals!! What an inspiration!!!<br />
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Okay. Fine. That's your opinion. I, on the other hand, saw it differently. <b>Here is how I interpreted his message...</b><br />
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Little Luiz Antonio is just sitting down to eat his octopus gnocchi, when he begins to question the ethics of eating an animal. After a little back and forth with his mother, Luiz decides we shouldn't be eating animals because they're cute, and because every living thing deserves to be a winner in life... all of them all at the same time. If there's one thing Luiz is sure of, this is it. It would just be so great if we could all live forever and ever, and we could all live with the animals and pet each other and cuddle. Everyone could be friends. Everyone in the entire world. We'll be pen pals and Skype friends and tweet each other and eat grass and we'll never have any reason to fight. For ever and ever.
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Realistically, this is what's going through this little tyke's head. Does he sound like an inspiration now? Does he make you want to throw out all your meat and slide headfirst into veganism!? I hope not. He's a 3-year-old... He has a 3-year-old brain. Is it adorable? Yes. Very. But is it groundbreaking? Inspiring? Life-changing?? No. Get your head out of your ass.<br />
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The crux of this argument, what it really comes down to, is whether it's human nature to want to be a vegetarian. That's one of the main points of contention the article brings up. <b>Is it really possible that we're naturally vegetarians? Are we herbivorous animals? Is meat-eating just a social construct?</b><br />
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<b>The answer is really very simple. No. No to all three. Big no to all three.</b><br />
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I've explained <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2012/06/5-reasons-i-dont-like-veganism.html">my position on vegetarianism</a> before...<br />
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<ol>
<li>Humans are not herbivores.</li>
<li>Avoiding animal products will not save the environment.</li>
<li>Avoiding animal foods doesn't save animal lives.</li>
<li>The people most likely to adopt a vegan diet are the people who need animal products the most.</li>
<li>Veganism is a very recent phenomenon.</li>
</ol>
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You should probably read the linked article yourself for a little more explanation. Going vegetarian isn't the answer to your problems, and it won't save the world. If you're really honest with yourself, I think that's pretty clear.<br />
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<b>I applaud your intent, vegetarians, but I think you need a reality check.</b><br />
Don't get me wrong, I do understand the rationale behind vegetarianism. Many vegetarians view cessation from animal foods as a sort of "next step in the evolution of humans". In other words, we no longer have to hunt and gather and rely on animal foods to get by, so we can choose to sustain ourselves on plant foods that are less damaging to the environment. We have plenty of plant food for everyone. And of course there's the compassion factor... we no longer need to carry out the "barbaric", "uncivilized" act of eating something that once had a cute face.<br />
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Where the vegetarians go wrong here, in my opinion, is in their assumption that an animal-food-free diet is a healthy diet. If we as a species were ever to decide to spontaneously switch to veganism, we would likely kill off a HUGE chunk of our population over the first few generations. What survives long-term would be, in my estimation, a very small fraction of humans, if any.<br />
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Don't believe me? Look what happened to <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371172/French-vegan-couple-face-jail-child-neglect-baby-died-vitamin-deficiency.html">this poor infant</a>, who died at just 11 months... born of vegan parents, this little girl died of vitamin deficiencies from her mother's nutrient-depleted, vegan-borne breast milk.<br />
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Are you prepared to kill off most of the human race as some sadistic form of forced "evolution" in the name of veganism? Okay that statement was a little dramatic. But seriously, shit just wouldn't work out. It'd be traumatic. We have physiological, biological needs as humans, and some of those needs are only fulfilled through animal foods. It's not morally wrong to eat animals... it's just how life works. There is no life without death and vise versa. It's the circle of life. Like the Lion King.<br />
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<b>Okay back to Little Luiz's video.</b><br />
Back to reality land, and that cute little cherub. To set the record straight, I do not have kids. Although I do want to have kids some day, I don't want kids at this particular moment, and I don't claim to be any sort of child-rearing expert. I do adore the innocent, naivety of Luiz's mind, though. At the age of 3, I'm sure a lot of kids have this same peachy outlook on life, and if I were a parent, I'd probably like to preserve this blissful ignorant phase for a long as I could. I also don't ever want to force my child to eat anything he refuses to eat. Good nutrition is of the utmost importance to me, but so is letting my child have some autonomy. I want to support his/her in life, not get in the way of it.<br />
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But that's neither here nor there. I'm all about the tangents today.<br />
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To sum this all up, there's just no reason for Luiz's thoughts on meat-eating to be taken as an affirmation for vegetarianism. For crying out loud, he's a 3-year-old child.<br />
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It's a cute video. Let's just leave it at that.Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-51256398849108566582013-06-11T20:11:00.004-04:002013-06-11T20:11:48.398-04:00Put the Phone Away and Live Your LifeLiving in the moment is something most of us struggle with, and it's only becoming more difficult with modern technology. No matter where we are physically, it's becoming increasingly easy to be elsewhere mentally. Step into any crowded public place... there are people talking on the phone, listening to music, playing games on their iPads, updating their Facebook statuses. Our bodies may be present, but our minds certainly are not.<br />
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I'm just as guilty as anyone else. Any time I find myself with nothing to immediately occupy my mind, my first instinct is to take out my phone... check Facebook, check email, check Instagram, play Candy Crush. At times, I'll even do this when I'm with people. Not proud of it. If I have a long walk ahead of me and no one to talk to, I'll call a family member... god forbid I have nothing to do for 15 minutes. Thankfully, my affliction hasn't yet advanced to the point of walking around in public with headphones on. If I ever get to that point, please punch me in the genitals. I'll thank you later.<br />
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But I can't help but wonder... what are we missing out on? We all walk by hundreds, if not thousands of people each day. We sit next to them on the subway. We see them in the grocery store. Yet we don't say hello. Our minds are off in another world. Our own little world is comfortable that's for sure... we stick to the people we like, the things we know... it's easy and comforting. We're smitten by that. <b>But, as I'm understanding more and more, closing ourselves off like this misses the bigger picture. Every time we choose to be absent, we pass up a chance to enhance our personal relationships, or to meet someone special who could have an impact on our lives.</b> How do we know what we don't know if we don't even know what we're missing? (What???.)<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Approach life with a positive attitude.</b> Any interaction with another person is a chance to brighten their day and yours. A smile is contagious; give a little happy and you'll get a lot more in return. Recently I've gotten to know some of my coworkers a little more... people I've known for months, but perhaps didn't dig deep enough and really get to know them. It's amazing how far a positive attitude can go in getting people to open up. It turns out, I work with some pretty amazing people. Now, I could have chosen to keep to myself, but I would have completely missed out on what they have to offer. Ask questions. Ask how people are doing, what's going on in their lives, even if you think you already know. And most importantly, <i>listen </i>to what they have to say. You may be surprised where that takes you.<br />
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<b>Do good things for good people.</b> The other day I helped two of my friends move into their new apartment. It was a long, long day, with hours and hours of driving, carrying heavy shit up three flights of stairs... just exhausting. No one likes moving. But to be honest, I couldn't think of a better way to spend my Saturday than to spend some quality time with people I really care about, helping them start a new life together. Sure it was hard work, and I could have fallen down three flights of stairs together with a giant armoire, but these are the experiences that build character and cultivate relationships. Go into it knowing this and I promise you you'll find it worthwhile, and not just in hindsight. We even found this gem, thanks to craigslist... it's all about the memories (even if these happen to be someone else's).<br />
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<b>Talk to strangers.</b> This past weekend at work (Whole Foods), I was in the break room eating my breakfast. Normally I just ignore the people I don't know and mess around on my phone, but on this day, a coworker from the seafood department asked about my <a href="http://www.botticellofarms.net/">Botticello Farms</a> t-shirt. It's my grandfather's brother's farm, I guess my great uncle, grand uncle, if either one of those is a thing. Anyway, it turns out this guy knows all of the Botticellos, all of my distant relatives that I've never really gotten to know. He's like my long lost cousin. I've worked with him since last Winter, and I had no idea. What else am I missing out on by ignoring those around me?<br />
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<b>Say yes more. </b>Last weekend, I made dinner with my friend <a href="http://amandamodeen.blogspot.com/">Amanda</a>. Jambalaya with cauliflower rice and a side salad from my garden. Delicious and amazing. But a dinner like that is pretty status quo for us. After dinner, Amanda, her sister, and her sister's friend wanted to hang out and uh, eat sandwiches (<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Eating%20a%20Sandwich">How I Met Your Mother reference</a>). Normally I would say no; it's not something I like to do often. But I decided to partake because I don't always get to hang out with Amanda as much as I'd like. In the end, it turned into one of the most fun, hilarious nights I've had in a long time, and we're all a little closer now because of it.<br />
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<b>Life is what you make of it... you get out what you put in. Be present more. Forget about what's going on in the intrawebs, or in your social media world, or on your cell phone, and be mentally where you are physically. Stop and smell the roses. Cultivate relationships. Spark up a conversation with a stranger. Learn something new. Smile. Appreciate the moment. </b><br />
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<b>This is a reminder for everyone, myself included... there's only one moment and it's right now. Your life is right in front of you. Don't miss it.</b>Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-31266851152477073692013-06-06T18:41:00.002-04:002013-06-06T18:41:25.369-04:00A Snarky Rant on Sodium and Blood Pressure<div>
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Quick rant today, related to my recent obsession with all things blood pressure (see <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-problem-with-salt-restriction.html">here </a>and <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-prevent-high-blood-pressure.html">here</a>). I just found this quote on the CDC website that really steamed my clams...<br />
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<i>"Sodium intake from processed and restaurant foods contributes to increased rates of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. Decreasing sodium intake to within recommended limits could prevent thousands of deaths annually, because nearly 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to high blood pressure." </i>(<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/features/dssodium/">1</a>)<br />
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To me this is short-sighted, oversimplified, and quite frankly ignorant. Sodium reduction can be a good thing because it often occurs simultaneously with elimination of processed junk, like said "processed and restaurant food". But being all narrow-minded and reducing sodium intake to the level they recommend can be dangerous (<a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-problem-with-salt-restriction.html">2</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/health/panel-finds-no-benefit-in-sharply-restricting-sodium.html?ref=health&_r=3&pagewanted=all&">3</a>).<br />
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<b>There is a better option...</b> <b>We can get the same outcome by simply increasing potassium intake</b>... aka, replacing shitty junk foods with vegetables, meats, fruits, dairy, and starchy tubers (<a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-prevent-high-blood-pressure.html">4</a>). And I see no reason not to add a little salt for flavor.<br />
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Why, oh why, can't we just teach people how to eat real food?? This would solve so much. But NO, that's never the answer... let's just encourage everyone to buy low-sodium processed shit... because low-sodium HoHo's are SO much better than regular HoHo's.<br />
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<b>We COULD... recommend more potassium, found in fruits, veggies etc., and end up ACTUALLY TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO EAT FOOD... or we could teach them to look for "low-sodium" on a box of Cheez-Its.</b><br />
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REAL FOOD?<br />
or<br />
low-sodium twinkies.<br />
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REAL FOOD?<br />
or<br />
salt-free french fries.<br />
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Come on people, get real. Just eat real food.</div>
Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-2098057278296209492013-06-03T18:51:00.001-04:002013-06-06T18:41:40.516-04:00How to Prevent High Blood Pressure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welp, I am officially done with my food service rotation... only one 2-week rotation left, with <a href="http://practicalnutrition.com/">Miss Ana Zeller of Practical Nutrition</a>, and I have a feeling this one will be the best of them all! Then, I'll be able to sit for the Registered Dietitian exam! That's right, Burn's gonna have credentials. Can't wait!<br />
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Okay, less about me, more about hypertension, aka high blood pressure (BP). As much as I have no interest in school food service, I have to admit my food service rotation gave me an immense amount of time each day to read research articles and learn shit. Over this past week, I've been absolved in hypertension... time to share.<br />
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First, some background info about hypertension... it's a pretty serious problem. Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease (forget <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2012/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about.html">cholesterol</a>), affecting approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide. More than 72 million Americans, or nearly 1 in 3 adults, are estimated to have hypertension but only 34% are able to return to a healthy blood pressure, via either drugs or lifestyle change. In 2008, 54,707 Americans died from hypertension, and another 300,000 died from related conditions. <b>According to projections, over 90% of adults in the United States will develop hypertension by age 65.</b> That is absurdly high. Right now, hypertension remains the most common reason for patients to visit the physician’s office (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21403995">1</a>).<br />
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I think it's safe to say that if you want to live a long, healthy life, this is something you need to avoid, no? Just say no to hypertension. Here's how.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>1. Sodium and Potassium</b><br />
I couldn't help but group these two together, as they're inextricably linked. We often tend to focus on sodium more than anything else when it comes to blood pressure, relegating potassium to last-kid-picked-in-gym-class status. But that would be a mistake, for potassium is a superior team player... dare I say it is the Tim Tebow of electrolytes?<br />
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Bad jokes aside, if you've read my article on <a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-problem-with-salt-restriction.html">the dangers of sodium restriction</a>, then you know that reducing salt in the diet isn't always a good idea. Salt is needed for life, it's a NUTRIENT. When we don't get enough of it, sometimes bad things happen.<br />
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Which brings me to my next point: We don't get nearly enough potassium. In pre-agricultural times, our ancestors consumed at least 6000 mg/day, but today we only get around 2000ish (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7733391">2</a>). That's a generous estimate; many of us are much worse. The RDA for potassium is 4700 mg/day, I would say that's a good number to shoot for.<br />
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<b>Getting more potassium eliminates the need to restrict your sodium.</b><br />
Sodium and potassium are like teammates. Turns out, potassium is more effective at lowering your blood pressure when sodium intake is high... er, not even "high" necessarily, just as long as it's not super low. And sodium restriction will lower your blood pressure more effectively when potassium intake is low (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21403995">1</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9168293">3</a>). You may have to think about that one for a minute.<br />
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Even more enlightening, it looks like increasing your potassium intake completely eliminates the phenomenon of "salt-sensitivity". I talked about this in the salt post, linked previously... 30-50% of us are supposedly salt-sensitive, meaning more sodium increases our blood pressure. But there's good evidence showing A) that those who are more salt-sensitive (blacks and the elderly) are more likely to be potassium deficient, and B) that feeding these people the RDA's worth of potassium eliminates said salt-sensitivity (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9931076">4</a>). Straight from the paper, "Salt sensitivity occurs when dietary potassium is even marginally deficient but is dose-dependently suppressed when dietary potassium is increased within its normal range." Interesting eh?? (For those of you who know your shit, yes genetic differences in renin levels likely play a role in this too, but I think potassium status is more important.)<br />
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So, it comes down to this... if you're an average American getting about 3700 mg sodium and 2000 mg potassium every day, <b>you have 3 choices. A) Reduce sodium. B) Increase potassium. or C) Do both.</b><br />
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My recommendation?<b> Go with B.</b> Remember, these are nutrients; I'd rather get more of them than restrict them. The best potassium sources are white potatoes, leafy greens, dairy products, avocados, and bananas... basically any fresh, whole food is a good source of potassium. Incidentally, incorporating more of these foods will cut your sodium intake in the process. Double whammy. You could also take a potassium supplement if that's more your speed; that is how they do it in most studies after all. But you'd be taking a lot of pills since the dosage is capped at 99 mg potassium per pill. And you'd be missing out on all the other good stuff you get from fresh food. Up to you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How creationists think we got potassium. (har har har)</td></tr>
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<b>2. Overeating and Obesity</b><br />
I've listed it 2nd, but weight loss/gain is arguably the most important determinant of your blood pressure. The research is remarkably clear and consistent on this: Overeat and gain weight and your blood pressure will rise. Lose the weight again, and your blood pressure will return to normal.<br />
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In a study of college students, those who gained more than 5% of their bodyweight in a year showed concurrent increases in blood pressure. This increase in blood pressure was reversed when the weight was lost (<a href="http://news.aces.illinois.edu/news/even-small-weight-gains-raise-blood-pressure-college-students">5</a>).<br />
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In a prospective study of healthy adults, overconsumption of calories produced an increase in blood pressure in just 8 weeks, and this was accompanied by the worsening of many other markers for cardiovascular health (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3598491/">6</a>).<br />
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It's even true in children... a 2-year study of 5-19 year old kids showed that those who gained the most weight experienced a 4.5-fold greater increase in systolic blood pressure than those who gained the least weight (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17903685">7</a>).</div>
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No doubt about it folks... body fat and blood pressure go hand in hand. <b>Luckily, losing weight is the #1 most effective way to bring your blood pressure back down to earth</b> (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1586398">8</a>). And another point...it turns out that sodium intake and calorie intake are often tied together; those with higher sodium intakes tend to eat more calories overall (<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5924a4.htm">9</a>). I wonder if this is a confounder in the sodium/blood pressure relationship hmmmm...</div>
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<b>3. Other Factors</b><br />
Okay so when it comes to blood pressure, as far as I'm concerned, it starts and ends with sodium, potassium, and weight control. But there are a few other things that may help as well.<br />
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<b>Protein </b>has been shown to be of some assistance in controlling blood pressure. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials shows a slight reduction in BP when carbohydrates are replaced with protein (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23035142">10</a>). But the effect is small. I'm not convinced it's the protein though... those who eat more protein tend to eat fewer calories overall, since protein is the most satiating macronutrient per calorie (<a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/82/1/1.full">11</a>).<br />
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<b>Exercise </b>may help as well. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, those with hypertension can expect a reduction of 5-10 points off their systolic and diastolic BP numbers following several months of consistent exercise (<a href="http://www.acsm.org/access-public-information/articles/2012/01/19/living-with-hypertension">12</a>). That's quite a hefty reduction. Only about 2/3 of the population will see this reduction, however... the rest of us are non-responders. Still, worth a try if you're up for it.<br />
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<b>So that's it. Let me break it down for those of you who are too lazy to read all those words. There are five steps...</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Get more potassium. Potatoes, leafy greens, dairy, avocados, etc. </li>
<li>Lose any excess, unwanted body weight.</li>
<li>Eat protein and move your body.</li>
<li>Enjoy a healthy blood pressure.</li>
<li>Celebrate with hookers and cocaine.</li>
</ol>
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Only half kidding about the last part. When it comes down to it, it's the same old advice: Eat real food... fruits, veggies, meat, starchy tubers, nuts, seeds, and dairy. Then move your body. </div>
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At the very least, I hope these last couple of posts have quenched your desire to eliminate all of the sodium in your life. Spend more time with your good old friend potassium. He's been neglected over all these years... give him a chance.</div>
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Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-38843717742703011192013-05-28T18:46:00.001-04:002013-05-28T20:03:22.782-04:00Can Grass-Fed Beef Save the World?<div class="MsoNormal">
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This post is long overdue, since Allan Savory's TED video came out in March and I just now realized I'd like to share it. It's a really eye-opening presentation about the desertification (turning to deserts, not desserts, fatty) of our soil, and how we can reverse the problem using grazing cattle... the very same animals that we previously thought caused desertification in the first place. This desertification has been going on for thousands of years around the world, perhaps the most glaring example being the Middle East. The land that fostered the earliest civilizations 6000 years ago is, today, largely infertile.<br />
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So back to the man, <b>Allan Savory</b>, a Zimbabwean farmer and biologist who is best known for developing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holistic_management">holistic management</a> system for grazing animals. In a nutshell, holistic management aims to replicate the natural prey/predator relationship... in nature, as a defense against predators, cattle would group together in large herds, and they would keep moving, never staying in the same place for too long... it was under these conditions in which the land was kept arable, and the constant movement prevented overgrazing of any one area. Holistic management is based on replicating this natural system by rotating cattle. <a href="http://www.polyfacefarms.com/speaking-protocol/joels-bio/">Joel Salatin</a> for example, who you may know from the documentary <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1286537/">Food Inc.</a>, uses this method to produce grass-fed beef.
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Mr. Savory has used holistic management to reverse desertification in several places in Africa and around the world, making their land fertile and green again. He's using smart, inexpensive technology to work <i>with</i> nature and revitalize the world. Okay I'll stop blabbering... just watch the video.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vpTHi7O66pI" width="560"></iframe>
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My favorite quote (19:45):<br />
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<b>“People who understand far more about carbon than I do
calculate that, for illustrative purposes, if we do what I am showing you
here, we can take enough carbon out of the atmosphere and safely store it in
the grassland soils for thousands of years. And if we just do that on about
half of the world’s grasslands that I’ve shown you, we can take us back to
pre-industrial levels, while feeding people.
I can think of almost nothing that offers more hope for our planet, for
your children, and their children, and all of humanity.”</b></div>
Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290494885626185551.post-56557885280477701072013-05-22T16:05:00.000-04:002013-06-06T18:42:05.828-04:00The Problem With Salt Restriction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6xh88ryBvZpeEeysyODOx02a86P4MtbJOtWXckrUZzab7kKxRDspQpLiqZZjyFYK9OQiOmUbpx1FG7MPhSu1MW_WA9zSuIfoVROWQ7nA_h8AnBSN8U7twuVYWlZIg_yomf_-Jcphc2g/s1600/Salt-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6xh88ryBvZpeEeysyODOx02a86P4MtbJOtWXckrUZzab7kKxRDspQpLiqZZjyFYK9OQiOmUbpx1FG7MPhSu1MW_WA9zSuIfoVROWQ7nA_h8AnBSN8U7twuVYWlZIg_yomf_-Jcphc2g/s320/Salt-.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Every once in a while, you read something that just restores your faith in humanity. For me, a recent article in the New York Times did just that. Entitled <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/health/panel-finds-no-benefit-in-sharply-restricting-sodium.html?ref=health&_r=2&pagewanted=all&">"No Benefit Seen in Sharp Limits on Salt in Diet"</a>, the article makes the case that the latest sodium recommendations are too low, and that reducing sodium intake to such low levels could be dangerous.<br />
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Amen. It's about damn time. The newest sodium guidelines are ridiculously, stupidly, just absurdly low. How absurdly low you ask? <b>The 2010 Dietary Guidelines set the upper limit at 2300 mg per day for healthy individuals, about one teaspoon of salt, and 1500 mg for those with hypertension or cardiovascular disease.</b> Even more extreme, the American Heart Association feels that EVERYONE should shoot for 1500 mg. </div>
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Maybe you don't know how low that is; if you've never tracked your sodium intake or read a food label then maybe you can't quite grasp it. So let me put it to you this way... the guidelines are so low, <b>one study reports that only 0.12% of the population is eating a diet that meets the standards </b>(<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22760562">1</a>)<b>.</b> <b>That's 1 in every 833 of us!</b> The average American eats about 3700 mg of sodium per day and has for the past 50 years (<a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2010-11-22-salt_N.htm">2</a>). And our salt intake may have been even higher than that in the past (<a href="http://garytaubes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/science-political-science-of-salt.pdf">3</a>). Hmm I wonder how we've all survived this long as a species when we're so blatantly overconsuming salt!?</div>
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Nope, these new recommendations just never made sense to me. But regardless of whether the guidelines are attainable, this New York Times article makes the case that a sodium intake that low can be downright dangerous. Interesting eh?? I thought so. So interesting that I spent the majority of my day at my food service rotation looking into it.</div>
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<b>Salt is required for life.</b></div>
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The words "sodium" and "salt" are often used interchangeably. But in truth, they're not quite the same. Table salt is sodium chloride. It's 40% sodium, 60% chloride, in fact, and both of these minerals are needed for life. Sodium is important for normal cellular metabolism and for maintaining proper fluid volume. It also plays a role in the nervous system, allowing neurons to transmit electrical signals. Without this function, we wouldn't be able to move or react to our environment, among other things. The chloride ions are needed for HCl (stomach acid) production, a necessary component of digestion and an important defense against food-borne pathogens (<a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-stomach-acid-actually-prevents.html">4</a>). This biological need is manifested in the nature of living things... animals who are in a true salt-deficient state will seek out salty food and often consume far more salt than is needed to restore homeostasis (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2491403/">5</a>).<br />
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The minimum amount of sodium required to sustain human life is estimated at 500 mg per day. But how much sodium is optimal? Well that's a horse of a different color (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN75xqpqCGE">6</a>). Let's start by looking at how healthy people respond to salt restriction.</div>
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<b>Some of are salt-sensitive, some of us aren't.</b></div>
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An old study from 1987, a landmark study you could say, took a bunch of healthy men and women with normal blood pressure (normotensive) and hid their salt on them (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3818880">7</a>). They restricted their salt intake to 1600 mg a day, a very low level, for 12 weeks and tracked any changes in blood pressure. Here are the results...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonPjxisXRMPXldUttzT7cOek2mxwcoSmGhyphenhyphenNteNSp3cEZOYs23dJJnaP8cSiZ91XzqZ8122P4Fr2bUoTA-MoYeo2cq2XOhNfkndaAzwkqva9dqTb5KF6lgefj9Cgq17TXu0NAjeKHAuM/s1600/salt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonPjxisXRMPXldUttzT7cOek2mxwcoSmGhyphenhyphenNteNSp3cEZOYs23dJJnaP8cSiZ91XzqZ8122P4Fr2bUoTA-MoYeo2cq2XOhNfkndaAzwkqva9dqTb5KF6lgefj9Cgq17TXu0NAjeKHAuM/s320/salt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hmm... interesting. It's all over the map; some blood pressures went up, some went down, and some stayed the same. Not what you'd expect based on the mainstream media, right? Turns out, about 50% of us normotensives are salt sensitive, and we respond favorably to a low-sodium diet. But the rest of us? Some of us even <i>increase</i> our blood pressure on a salt-restricted diet! There were some notable trends as well... On average, the diet lowered blood pressure slightly. Also, African Americans and older adults were the most likely to be sodium-sensitive.<br />
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<b>When salt restriction goes wrong...</b></div>
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According to Dr. Michael H. Alderman, a dietary sodium expert who was referenced in the New York Times article, "As sodium levels plunge, triglyceride levels increase, insulin resistance increases, and the activity of the sympathetic nervous system increases. Each of these factors can increase the risk of heart disease." Sounds unbelievable doesn't it? I don't blame you for being skeptical; it's difficult to believe that salt restriction could be bad, based on all you've heard in the media. Surprisingly, though, there are a number of studies reporting adverse health effects with low-salt diets. Many of these were taken from Chris Kresser's fantastic series on salt (<a href="http://chriskresser.com/specialreports/salt">8</a>). Hope you're ready for a research ride!<br />
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<b>1.)</b> In patients with established cardiovascular disease or diabetes, intakes of less than 3000 mg or more than 7000 mg sodium per day were associated most strongly with cardiovascular events and hospitalization for congestive heart failure (CHF). <b>Sodium intake of 4000-5999 mg per day is associated with the lowest risk of death </b>(<a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1105553">9</a>). That is about DOUBLE the current "upper limit" of 2300 mg.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCiYcyXqLQ26frZ7dd0w3lY8riTKjREdrAxYKZu-Qk4G-vR6Tx7gD6UffhalNtxUmVGTYO8hDhgeq0941QHa29htraFSQ8K4bGQEBh0mNnS3aYZviAom78vAiPbW4ewZakMja2YOe-vdk/s1600/salt+excretion+and+cvd+death.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCiYcyXqLQ26frZ7dd0w3lY8riTKjREdrAxYKZu-Qk4G-vR6Tx7gD6UffhalNtxUmVGTYO8hDhgeq0941QHa29htraFSQ8K4bGQEBh0mNnS3aYZviAom78vAiPbW4ewZakMja2YOe-vdk/s320/salt+excretion+and+cvd+death.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">U-shaped curve: low salt intake and high salt intake are both harmful, while the optimal range lies in between<br />
(Note: sodium excretion is a marker of sodium intake)</td></tr>
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<b>2.) </b> Congestive heart failure patients were randomized into two groups, eating either a normal-sodium diet (2750 mg) or a low-sodium diet (1830 mg) for 180 days. And I quote... "The results of the present study show that <b>a normal-sodium diet improves outcome, and sodium depletion has detrimental renal and neurohormonal effects with worse clinical outcome in compensated CHF patients.</b> (<a href="http://www.clinsci.org/cs/114/0221/cs1140221.htm">10</a>)"<br />
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<b>3.)</b> Sodium intake was associated with a change in systolic blood pressure, but this did not translate into a higher risk for hypertension or cardiovascular disease. <b>Lower sodium intake was associated with higher cardiovascular disease mortality </b>(<a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=899663">11</a>). I repeat, the people who consumed the LEAST salt died the MOST.<br />
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<b>4.)</b> In type 2 diabetics, those eating the least salt experienced higher rates of cardiovascular death and all-cause death. <b>For every 2300 mg increase in sodium consumption, there was a 28% reduction in all-cause mortality </b>(<a href="http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/34/3/703.full">12</a>).<br />
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<b>5.)</b> Healthy individuals were put on a low-sodium diet (okay very low, 500 mg) and a high-sodium diet (3500 mg) in random order for 7 days each. <b>The low-sodium diet was found to increase insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes</b> (<a href="http://www.metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-0495(10)00329-X/abstract">13</a>).<br />
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<b>Yes folks, it's true. Salt restriction may be unsafe. But more profoundly, following the USDA and AHA sodium guidelines may cause more harm than good. </b><br />
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<b>Despite all that, salt still matters.</b><br />
Is there any benefit to a safe, moderate reduction in sodium intake? For the salt-sensitive folks, about 50% of us, a low-sodium diet may help reduce blood pressure. It might be a good idea for older adults and African Americans especially to watch their salt intake.<br />
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But there's still another compelling reason for sodium restriction that has nothing to do with blood pressure, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease... <b>weight loss.</b> As I've talked about many times, hyperpalatability and food reward is a major contributor to obesity (<a href="http://thehealthycow.blogspot.com/search/label/food%20reward">14</a>). And one of the major factors that makes a food rewarding is saltiness. <b>Although salt itself doesn't have any calories, it can lead us to consume more food than we really need, and that can be a problem.</b> It's just easier to sit down and eat a lot of salty food than it is to eat a lot of low-salt food. Try it at home. For weight loss, salt restriction might be a good idea... but I'm talking about a moderate salt restriction here, maybe 2500 mg. I wouldn't want you to kill yourself at 1500. There's no need for that, and as you now know, it may even be dangerous.<br />
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So that's it for today, y'all. As always, keep it real and tell all your friends. And don't forget to enter your email over there on the right to stay up to date on all of my blog posts!</div>
Brendan Coburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03952253560601734936noreply@blogger.com0