What your Body Needs

Many people think nothing of eating a double cheeseburger, medium
fries and a medium cola. If you dissect this "meal," you'll find
that on average, it contains an unbelievable 68 grams of fat (17
teaspoons), almost half of which are saturated; 15 grams of trans
fatty acids; 150 mg of cholesterol; 1,200 mg of salt; and 20
teaspoons of sugar (all from the cola)! If you factor in that
the fries were probably cooked in hydrogenated cottonseed oil,
one of the most heavily pesticide-laden crops in the world, and
that the meat, if overcooked, could contain carcinogens, or if
undercooked, could result in food poisoning from E. coli, you may
agree it's time to find a new all-American meal.

The Bad Guys:
High levels of saturated fat are consistently linked with
elevated blood cholesterol levels, heart disease, insulin
resistance and several forms of cancer. Most Americans eat about
40 grams of saturated fat every day, which is twice as much as is
considered healthy. Animal products are the greatest source of
saturated fats in the Western diet.

For many years, trans fatty acids were considered a relatively
minor player in health and disease. Although their impact on
total cholesterol is not quite as profound as it is with
saturated fats, the overall damage to heart health is worse.
Trans fatty acids not only raise total cholesterol, but also
lower LDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) and potentially
increase triglycerides. Gram for gram, the adverse effect of
trans fatty acids is estimated to be two to four times greater
than that of saturated fatty acids. The most common sources are
crackers, cookies, granola bars, chips and other snack foods,
baked goods, margarine, shortening and deep-fried fast foods.

Cholesterol is made by animals, not plants; all animal foods
contain cholesterol, while plant foods are all cholesterol-free.
The next time you buy any plant-based food like peanut butter
that says "no cholesterol" on the label, realize that is just a
sales gimmick. There are several concerns about eating too much
cholesterol because it can cause blood cholesterol levels to
rise, increasing the risk of blood clots, heart attack and
stroke. The recommended daily intake of cholesterol is less than
200 mg, which is a little less than the amount of cholesterol in
one egg yolk.

The Good Guys:
Science has known for a very long time that vegetables, fruits,
whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds are healthful foods.
Researchers assumed that the substances that made these foods so
good for us were the vitamins, minerals and fiber. They were
right, but only partly. In the past 20 years, scientists have
discovered a whole new set of protective compounds packed within
every whole-plant food: phytochemicals and antioxidants.
Phytochemicals are natural substances that protect plants against
attacks from insects. When we eat plants, these same powerful
little protectors go to work on our behalf, with remarkable human
health benefits.

Many phytochemicals are strong antioxidants, neutralizing
destructive free radicals. Some phytochemicals provide
anticancer support, helping the body rid itself of potent
carcinogens. Others protect against cardiovascular disease by
helping to reduce the formation of cholesterol, lower blood
pressure, decrease blood cholesterol levels, reduce blood clot
formation, open blood vessels and decrease damage to blood vessel
walls. The list of significant beneficial activities of
phytochemicals includes anti-inflammatory, anti-yeast,
antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and immune-enhancing
benefits. Which foods are the most efficient phytochemical
factories? Vegetables and fruits stand out as being particularly
important, although legumes (beans), grains, nuts and seeds are
also excellent sources. Choosing a wide variety of colorful,
whole-plant foods is the key to a phytochemical-rich diet.

Hopefully this gives you a good starting point for improving your
health. Limit your intake of saturated fat, trans fatty acids
and cholesterol, and eat more whole foods, including seven to 10
servings of fruits and vegetables every day to maximize your
phytonutrient and antioxidant protection. Talk to your doctor
for more information.

To find out more about healthy foods, please contact me at
http://thenaturaldoc.com/ask.php

3 Ways to Get in Shape FAST

Who better than personal trainers to know the best exercises to
get you in shape safely and effectively? The American Council on
Exercise (ACE) recently conducted a survey of 1,000 ACE-certified
personal trainers to get their advice regarding the best
techniques to get fit. Here are their top three recommendations,
which the ACE suggests combining with a healthy diet to achieve
the best results:

Strength Training - Just 20 minutes of basic exercises, two days
a week, will help firm and tone the whole body. Strength
training will modestly increase metabolism, helping to burn more
calories, even when you are resting.

Interval Training - Lack of time is the number-one reason people
give for not exercising regularly, and lack of results once they
do start exercising isn't far behind. Interval training is a
great solution for both of these common complaints. Alternate
short bursts of intense activity with what is called active
recovery - typically a less-intense form of the original
activity.

Increased Cardio/Aerobic Exercise - Aerobic exercise is any
activity that uses large muscle groups in a continuous, rhythmic
fashion for sustained periods of time. Walking is a weight-
bearing aerobic exercise, as are jogging, rope-skipping and
dance. There are also non-weight-bearing aerobic exercises such
as bicycling, swimming and rowing.

So get out there and get moving! There's no better time to get
in shape, and your body will thank you for it. Your doctor can
help outline an exercise program suitable to your needs.

For more of these great tips please visit To Your Health.