Eat Fat First, Fish Oil for Cancer, Dangerous Foods

EAT FAT FOR BREAKFAST!

Forget about black coffee and dry toast if you’re trying to lose weight and get healthier -- the best way to begin your day is with a hearty breakfast, one that includes fats. Yes, fats! If you choose healthy fats, a high-fat breakfast actually serves to jump-start your metabolism so that you can more efficiently process food from dawn to dusk, say researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Their findings suggest that loading some fats onto your morning plate can help prevent metabolic syndrome -- a dangerous mixture of belly fat, insulin resistance, elevated triglycerides and other risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

HIGH-FAT TRUMPS HIGH-CARB

In the UAB study, researchers fed mice either a high-fat (45% fat) or high-carbohydrate breakfast (10% fat). Mice given the high-fat breakfast subsequently had a high-carbohydrate dinner, while the ones that consumed a high-carbohydrate breakfast had a high-fat dinner. (The mice were not given lunch.) In this way, all received the same number of calories from fat and carbohydrates respectively (as well as total calories) over the course of the day.

Investigators found that...

• A high-fat breakfast activated fat metabolism. Mice that ate most of their fat at breakfast had better metabolic markers -- including body weight, glucose tolerance and blood insulin and triglyceride levels -- compared with mice that ate most of their fat at dinner.

• A high-carbohydrate breakfast switched off fat metabolism. Mice that ate heavy carbohydrates in the morning and heavy fat at dinner experienced weight gain, increased body fat, glucose intolerance and other signs of metabolic syndrome.

"The first meal seemed to 'program’ their metabolisms very effectively for the rest of the day," said senior study author Martin E. Young, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the UAB Division of Cardiovascular Disease. In other words, it prepared their bodies to efficiently break down fats and other foods. In contrast, a carb-rich breakfast seemed to prime the mice’s bodies to break down primarily carbs, leaving fats to build up -- something we humans definitely don’t want.

These results were published in the March 30, 2010, issue of the International Journal of Obesity. Other evidence, previously published, suggests these findings may apply to people as well -- and studies are ongoing to improve our understanding of time-of-day consumption of fats and carbohydrates in humans, says Dr. Young.

DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST

In the meantime, remember that not all fats are created equal. The high-fat breakfast study does not suggest that we should wolf down bacon, sausage and cheese blintzes every morning. Much more healthful fats include nut butters (almond butter on whole-grain bread is delicious)... whole-milk yogurt (sprinkle ground flaxseeds on top for their healthful omega-3 essential fatty acids)... or even a Japanese-style breakfast with broiled salmon.


Fish oil reduces risk of breast cancer by a third

When you look at statistics about breast cancer, it's no wonder that the very mention of the disease causes dread in many women. After all, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) says about 210,000 Americans, almost all females, will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and about 40,000 will die from the disease. However, although it's rarely reported in depth by the mainstream media, there's actually a lot of good news accumulating about specific ways to stop breast cancer from ever developing in the first place.

For example, a mounting of body of data shows cruciferous vegetables like broccoli fight breast cancer and six studies have shown eating an apple a day can reduce the risk of breast cancer, too. Now comes word of yet another natural substance that helps keep breast tumors away -- scientists have discovered that fish oil can slash the chance a woman will get breast cancer by approximately a third.

How fish oil works to prevent breast cancer

The new study, just published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, was conducted by a research team at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. They investigated 35,016 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 76 with no history of breast cancer who were participating in the Vitamins and Lifestyle cohort study (dubbed VITAL, short). The woman was asked to complete a 24 page questionnaire about their use of supplements other than vitamins and/or minerals.

After six years of follow-up, 880 of these women had been diagnosed with breast cancer. However, those women who reported regularly taking fish oil supplements, which contain high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, were found to have a 32 percent reduced risk of invasive ductal breast cancer -- the most common type of breast cancer. The use of other specialty supplements, such as the herbs black cohosh and dong quai which are often taken by women to relieve symptoms of menopause, was not associated with raising or lowering breast cancer risk.

As has previously been reported, fish oil has been found to have a host of remarkable health protective properties. For example, a study published in the European Heart Journal concluded that consuming fatty fish and the marine omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil protects men from heart failure. And fish oil has been shown to be helpful in preventing mental illness, too


Dangerous Foods 101

Do you know which dangerous food ingredients to watch out for in your groceries? They are very unhealthy and they can directly promote heart disease, migraines, obesity, outrageous food cravings, osteoporosis, diabetes and even birth defects.

The top three most dangerous ingredients on many experts list are:

1) Sodium nitrite -- causes cancer, found in processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, and sausage. Used to make meats appear red (a color fixer chemical) and preservative.

2) Hydrogenated oils -- causes heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, general deterioration of cellular health, and much more. Found in cookies, crackers, margarine and many "manufactured" foods. Used to make oils stay in the food, extending shelf life. Sometimes also called "plastic fat."

3) Excitotoxins -- aspartame, monosodium glutamate and others (see below). These neurotoxic chemical additives directly harm nerve cells, over-exciting them to the point of cell death, according to Dr. Russell Blaylock. They're found in diet soda, canned soup, salad dressing, breakfast sausage and even many manufactured vegetarian foods. They're used to add flavor to over-processed, boring foods that have had the life cooked out of them.

Did you know, for example, that:

• Regularly feeding children hot dogs may increase their risk of brain cancer by 300%.

• Strawberry yogurt, fruit punch and other red-looking grocery products are often colored with dead, ground-up cochineal beetles? The ingredient is called "carmine," and it's made from insects. It's listed right on the label of many of your favorite foods.

• Food companies now "hide" MSG in safe-sounding ingredients like yeast extract or torula yeast.

• Many Florida oranges are actually dipped in an artificial orange dye in order to make them more visually appealing. It's the same dye that's been banned for use in foods because of cancer risk.

• Girl Scout cookies are still made with hydrogenated oils that contain trans fatty acids.

• Many so-called "healthy" or vegetarian foods also contain the very same offending ingredients as conventional groceries.

• Eating just one serving of processed meats each day can increase your risk of pancreatic cancer by 67%.

• Artificial color additives can cause behavioral disorders in children. And 80% of children diagnosed with ADHD may be cured of the condition by avoiding certain ingredients.

• The #1 ingredient in Slim Fast meal replacement shake (powder form) is sugar.

• Some guacamole dips don't even contain avocado? Instead, they're made with hydrogenated soybean oil and artificial colors.

The truth about metabolic disruptors

Many modern diseases are caused by what many call "metabolic disruptors." These are common ingredients, such as white flour and sugar that prevent your body from healing. Unfortunately, metabolic disruptors are used in almost all commercially prepared foods, which means most products on your grocer's shelves contribute to poor health. But if you know what to look for, you can fill your cart with foods that will help you live a longer more vibrant life.

Back to the "hidden" ingredients

So how do food companies manage to hide excitotoxins and taste additives to their foods? It's easy: They just keep changing the words to confuse consumers. Once customers learned to avoid MSG / monosodium glutamate, the food companies started using yeast extract.

And now, two years after people started sounding the alarm on yeast extract, many companies have switched to "torula yeast," which accomplishes the same thing. Other hidden sources of MSG include:

• Autolyzed vegetable protein
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Calcium caseinate
• Sodium caseinate
• Textured protein

The ingredients "stacking" trick

Food companies also use the ingredients stacking trick to intentionally leave you with the wrong impression about what's really in their food products.

For example, one company makes a nutrition bar that's absolutely loaded with sugar, but they way they've arranged the ingredients prevents sugar from appearing as the #1 ingredient. Instead, the first ingredient is rice. But looking down the label, you'll find all the following forms of sugar, all in the same nutrition bar:

• Sugar
• Sucrose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Corn syrup solids
• Dextrose

Add all these up, and the #1 component in the bar is, indeed, sugar (or sugary substances). But the manufacturer has used ingredients stacking to make you think the top ingredient is actually rice.

It's a clever, dishonest technique used by food companies to lie with food labels.
Remember, the longer the ingredients label, the less healthy the food. Read those ingredients lists before buying foods, and if you discover chemical names that you can't pronounce, don't buy the food!

A little health knowledge goes a long way towards keeping your body healthy and vibrant. Use what you learn here to make small but important changes in your eating habits. Look for the offending ingredients listed above and make an effort to avoid any foods that use them. Your health and your family’s health are the most important elements to a happy life.

Until next time, stay healthy and happy

Happy Thanksgiving!

JD Roma


The information on this blog is provided for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care, and medical advice and services are not being offered. If you have, or suspect you have, a health problem you should consult your physician (preferably a Naturopath).