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The Cancer Project

YOU ARE
WHAT YOU EAT

We Change Lives

Want to feel better, have more energy and live longer?

Johns Hopkins Hospital reports: “The combination of heat, water and oxygen is disastrous to vitamins and minerals. Cook all foods at a very low temperature (below boiling) so as to retain the vitamins and minerals. Unless we eat food properly prepared, we suffer from inferior physical development, mental instability, low endurance and lack of resistance to infection”.

Did you know after you finish cooking your food you may be left with as little as 20% of the nutrients your food contains.
That means you get the calories but not the sustainence.

You Are What You Eat
If we are what we eat, it makes sense to put fresh, natural food into our bodies. The right diet can mean higher energy levels and vitality, plus help us maintain a healthy body weight, improve sleep patterns and gain greater concentration levels.
Better food habits can help you reduce your risk for diet related diseases. A healthful eating plan means choosing the right foods to eat and preparing foods in a healthy way. Saladmaster Health systems helps keep more of the value in your food an important step to a road of health and happiness.

Cook Food Below 190 degrees

Most researchers indicate at least a 50% loss of vitamin B in cooked foods. Some losses, such as thiamine, can be as high as 96% if food is boiled for a prolonged time. Biotin losses can be up to 72%, folic acid up to 97%, Inositol up to 95%, vitamin C up to 70 to 80%. Cooked proteins have only 50% bio-availability compared to uncooked proteins. As other food-quality factors decrease with time, foods also lose nutrients during storage and shipping. Exposure to light and heat breaks up the sensitive vitamin molecules; they are destroyed and cannot be regenerated. The anti-oxidant vitamins, especially vitamins E and C, are destroyed by oxygen in the air. Some nutrients are volatile and evaporate during normal drying.
The calculated intake of vitamins based on standard nutritional tables is inaccurate. Nutritionists normally take the values for raw foods and reduce them by 25%. This is not a true representation of the nutrient loss. Dr. Paul Kouchakoff of the Institute of Clinical Chemistry studied the influence of cooked food on our blood. Human bodies are very sensitive to harmful influences and react against them immediately. This is easily demonstrated by the analysis of blood during an infection, following trauma, and with exposure to noxious chemicals. The blood's response to these challenges to the homeostasis, or natural balance of the body, is to increase the number of leucocytes (white blood cells), to fight the invader. This phenomenon in relation to food had been known before the landmark work of Dr. Kouchakoff: the ingestion of food would cause a rise in the number of leucocytes in the blood. It was called digestive leucocytosis and was considered to be a normal physiological response to eating. But Dr. Kouchakoff went beyond the simple observation of the digestive leucocytosis and made a remarkable discovery. He found that unaltered food (i.e., not been overheated or refined in any way) caused no reaction from the blood.
But food that had been heated beyond a certain temperature (unique to each food), or food that was processed, always caused a rise in the number of white cells. He called this not a digestive leukocytosis, but a pathological leucocytosis, a reaction to a foreign invader. Kouchakoff tested a great variety of foodstuffs including water, salt, vegetables, cereals, nuts, honey, raw eggs, raw milk, raw fish, raw meat, butter, sour milk, etc. None of these, if fresh, unrefined, and not overheated, caused any reaction, but were seen as friendly foods not to be fought. These same natural foods, altered only by heating, caused a rise in the white blood count (leucocytosis), an expected reaction when dangerous foreign invaders invade the body. But the worst offenders, heated or not, were the processed foods--those foods that had been extracted, purified, stabilized, enriched, homogenized, sterilized, or otherwise changed from their natural state. These not only caused a reactive leucocytosis, but they elicited a change in the numerical relationship of the various types of white blood cells, a mobilization of the killer cells to fight a dangerous enemy! This included pasteurized milk, chocolate, margarine, candy, white flour, various concentrates, and any other processed food extant at the time, which was minuscule compared to what we eat today. Dr. Kouchakoff found that one way to at least soften the blow to the system of eating altered foods was to chew them thoroughly.
Each food has a critical temperature above which the food is no longer seen by the body as friendly. Some of the findings are highly significant, as they help to answer questions that have bemused us for years. Does boiling water (distillation), for instance, decrease its nutrient value? If Kouchakoff's findings have significance in relation to our health, then our methods of preparing and cooking food are clearly detrimental. The critical temperature for water is only 191° F, far below the 212° F used to distill water. The critical temperature for milk is also 191° F, but in the sterilization process now used to make packaged milk as free from deterioration as steel ingots, the milk is flash sterilized to a temperature of 281° F! That's almost 100 degrees over the temperature where the destruction of nutrients begins.
Protein
Six of the eighteen essential amino acids (Phenylalanine, Lysine, Threonine, Histidine, Tryptophane, Methionine) are heat labile meaning that when a certain amount of heat is applied (as in cooking), these particular amino acids are first denatured (unraveled) and then coagulated to an insoluble state in which they cannot be utilized by the body in the formation of polypeptide chains needed for cellular repair or replacement.
Even the denaturation involves structural changes in the protein molecule, which results in a loss of species specificity. The denaturation alters viscosity, surface tension and replicative utilization of biologically active proteins, which includes hemoglobins, myoglobins and enzymes as well. Digestive enzymes attack denatured proteins much differently than undenatured proteins and coagulation renders the protein irreversibly insoluble. So a source of raw protein with all the natural amino acids is helpful...properly balanced and readily available to the cells.
Cooking protein foods destroys four-fifths of the protein value. Heat, acids, trypsin and hydrolysis all cleave polypeptide chains, which make up enzymes--the functional units of cellular metabolism. As a result, some of the amino acids are denatured or lose their characteristic folding and the important catalytic activity is lost. So cooking of protein foods, prior to ingestion, can denature or unfold some of the amino acids required for cellular enzyme biosynthesis. A deficit of Iron, Copper, Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Nickel, Molybdenum or Selenium, impairs enzymatic production and or function. Another remarkable finding was that if a cooked foodstuff is eaten along with the same food in the raw state, there is no pathological reaction. The raw food will neutralize the detrimental effects of the altered food.
If you cook foods at a temperature of 190°F or less, you will not elicit the digestive pathos's reaction in the blood. Saladmaster cooking system insures that food will cook below 190 F. with the vapo- valve technology. When foods are cooked, the energy fields are not able to resonate immediately with the body, so the body responds defensively until it can reorganize the energetic fields of the cooked food into patterns it can resonate with and absorb.
If a food is commercially processed and then cooked, not only does the white blood cell number increase, but there is a change in the ratio of the different white blood cell types to each other. He found that the critical temperature for initiating leukocytosis was when food was heated at around 191° F. Interestingly, the leukocytosis needed as little as 50 milligrams of cooked food to be initiated.

Broccoli Study
A study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture investigated the effects of various
methods of cooking broccoli. Of all the methods of preparation, steaming caused the least loss of nutrients.
Microwaving broccoli resulted in a loss of 97%, 74% and 87% of its three major antioxidant compoundsflavonoids,
sinapics and caffeoyl-quinicderivatives.
Study co-author, Dr. Cristina Garcia-Viguera, noted that 'Most of the bioactive compounds are water-soluble;
during heating, they leach in a high percentage into the cooking water. Because of this, it is recommended to
cook vegetables in the minimum amount of water in order to retain their nutritional benefits.' A second study,
published in the same issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, provides similar evidence. In
this study, Finnish researchers found that blanching vegetables prior to freezing caused losses of up to a third of
their antioxidant content. Although slight further losses occurred during frozen storage, most bioactive
compounds including antioxidants remained stable. The bottom line: how you prepare
and cook your food may have a major impact on its nutrient-richness. For more information of how to cook
food without losing its electrical potential go to:
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/saladmaster.htm
A third study, published in the British Medical Journal, checked to see how much of the B vitamin, folate, was
retained after broccoli, spinach or potatoes were boiled or steamed.
Boiling for typical time periods caused a loss of 56% of the folate in broccoli, and 51% of the folate in spinach,
while boiling potatoes caused only minimal folate loss.

Sous Vide Cook your foods in Saladmaster's unique Semi-Vaccum Cookware
(Sous vide is French for "under vacuum")

Physical Activity in Your Daily Life
You can take a few simple steps at home, at work and at play to increase the amount of physical activity in your life.

Specific Health Benefits of Exercise:
Heart Disease and Stroke. Daily physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (good cholesterol) and lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (bad cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart's working capacity.
High Blood Pressure. Regular physical activity can reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure levels. Physical activity also reduces body fatness, which is associated with high blood pressure.
Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes. By reducing body fatness, physical activity can help to prevent and control this type of diabetes.
Obesity. Physical activity helps to reduce body fat by building or preserving muscle mass and improving the body's ability to use calories. When physical activity is combined with proper nutrition, it can help control weight and prevent obesity, a major risk factor for many diseases.
Back Pain. By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise helps to prevent back pain.
Osteoporosis. Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging.
Psychological Effects. Regular physical activity can improve your mood and the way you feel about yourself. Researchers also have found that exercise is likely to reduce depression and anxiety and help you to better manage stress.

Millions of Americans suffer from illnesses that can be prevented or improved through regular physical activity.

• 13.5 million people have coronary heart disease.
• 1.5 million people suffer from a heart attack in a given year.
• 8 million people have adult-onset (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes.
• 95,000 people are newly diagnosed with colon cancer each year.
• 250,000 people suffer from a hip fractures each year.
• 50 million people have high blood pressure.
• Over 60 million people (a third of the population) are overweight.

An estimated 300,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity. Even moderate amounts of excess fat (10 to 20 pounds for a person of average height) increases the risk of death, particularly among adults aged 30 to 64 years, especially if this fat is stored as abdominal fat tissue.
High blood pressure is twice as common in adults who are obese than in those who are at a healthy weight. A weight gain of 11 to 18 pounds increases a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes to twice that of individuals who have not gained weight. Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk for some types of cancer including endometrial, colon, gall bladder, prostate, kidney, and postmenopausal breast cancer.Women gaining more than 20 pounds from age 18 to midlife double their risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, compared to women whose weight remains stable.

Sugar = Inflammation = Degenerative Disease

Inflammation has long been linked to both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Now, there’s emerging research that also links chronic inflammation to allergies, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, digestive disorders, heart disease, hormonal imbalances and osteoporosis. Andrew Weil, holistic health M.D., Nicholas Perricone, M.D., an anti-aging expert, Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., a biochemist who popularized the concept “genetic nutritioneering,” and health writer Jack Challem, author of The Inflammation Syndrome, have spoken widely about the damage that inflammation causes.
Injured tissues become inflamed and result in redness, heat, swelling, pain and loss of function. When acute inflammation doesn’t shut down, it becomes chronic and causes damage to the injured tissues. Bland, the nutritional biochemist, says, “Inflammatory stimuli, such as bacterial infection, trauma, ischemic events, stress-related events, toxic exposures, allergens and chronic viral infections activate the inflammatory response.”
According to the health experts I mention, the biggest culprit in causing abnormal inflammation is the pathetic “standard American diet” (SAD) of heavily processed convenience and fast foods. Perricone believes that “Inflammation equals aging. Inflammation is the reason you get wrinkles; why you forget everything from where you left your car keys to your neighbor’s first name; why you can be irritable and depressed and why you lose the healthy bloom of youth.”
Inflammation is what causes arthritic pain, stiffness when using your muscles, the wheezing of asthma and the discomfort of allergies. It is even possible that the progression of atherosclerosis is directly related to chronic inflammation in up to 50 percent of cases. Excess acid production also increases the inflammatory response leading to loss of bone and joint tissues.
To reduce degenerative disease, it’s necessary to avoid pro-inflammatory foods and rely exclusively on anti-inflammatory foods:

Pro-inflammatory foods to avoid:

* red meats from corn-fed, antibiotic/hormone laden animals
* saturated fats such as lard and meat fats
* fried foods
* partially hydrogenated (trans fats) found in margarines, chips, candies, cereals and baked goods
* cooking oils that are exclusively corn, safflower, sunflower or soy based
* soft drinks (both high sugar and diet varieties)
* excess sugar (both from heavily processed sources, such as candy and from naturally occurring sources such as fruit juice)
Perricone describes sugar as one of the most serious causes of inflammation, rapid aging and weight gain. Sugary foods quickly elevate blood sugar, creating an insulin release along with free radicals that oxidize fats. When oxidized, the fats form plaque deposits in our arteries, leading to disease. Thus, a diet high in sweets, pasta, fruit juices, cereals and even rice cakes can actually lead to heart disease. Insulin release also increases stored body fat and release of pro-inflammatory chemicals causing cell damage and accelerated aging.

Anti-inflammatory foods and dietary supplements to include:
* foods high in omega-3 fatty acids.
* raw nuts and seeds (especially pecans, almonds, walnuts and flaxseeds)
* dark green vegetables (especially kale, seaweed and greens)
* antioxidants in supplement form (especially vitamins C and E, and quercetin)
* zinc taken in supplement form which assists healing and reduces inflammation
* extra virgin organic olive oil, expeller pressed grapeseed and avocado oils

Here's are wonderful benefits of healthy eating:
Longer life - Research has proven those who at eat less saturated fats, processed foods, etc. live a longer and healthier life, and are less prone to illnesses and disease.
Happiness - There's no doubt when you eat healthy foods you'll suffer less from those terrible ups and downs that make us moody. Who wants to be grumpy all the time?
Vitality - Healthy eating along with exercise will give you tons of energy and make you feel "on top of the world." Imagine bouncing around from one thing to the other without having to drink tons of coffee!
Great Skin - Everything we put into our bodies is reflected in our skin, hair, nails, teeth, etc. The way we age is partly due to genetics but it's also due to our lifestyle choices. Healthy eating is our "miracle cure" for staying gorgeous.
Loose Weight - Have you ever seen an overweight person who eats healthy food and exercises? I mean TRULY eats healthy food… probably not. Unless you have a thyroid condition you'll definitely loose weight and maintain it once you embark on healthy eating.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is made by treating corn (which is usually genetically modified corn) with a variety of enzymes, some of which are also genetically modified, to first extract the sugar glucose and then convert some of it into fructose, since fructose tastes sweeter than glucose. The end result is a mixture of 55% fructose and 45% glucose, that is called "high fructose corn syrup." Improvements in production occurred in the 1980's making it cheaper than most other sweeteners. I remember in the 1980's when the price of Pepsi dropped from about $3 for a sixpack to about $1.50. In 1966 refined sugar such as sucrose was the was the leading sweetener / additive. In 2001 corn sweeteners accounted for 55% of the sweetener market. Consumption of high fructose corn syrup went from zero in 1966 to 62.6 pounds per person in 2001. A 12 ounce soda can contain as much as 13 teaspoons of sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup.

Once again, the dangerous combination: fructose and glucose.

When high fructose corn syrup breaks down in the intestine, we once again find near equal amounts of glucose and fructose entering the bloodstream. As covered in recent newsletters, the fructose short-circuits the glycolytic pathway for glucose. This leads to all the problems associated with sucrose. In addition, HFCS seems to be generating a few of its own problems, epidemic obesity being one of them. Fructose does not stimulate insulin production and also fails to increase "leptin" production, a hormone produced by the body's fat cells. Both of these act to turn off the appetite and control body weight. Also, fructose does not suppress ghrelin, a hormone that works to increase hunger. This interesting work is being done by Peter Havel at UC Davis.

Some of the problems associated with high fructose corn syrup:
Increased LDL's (the bad lipoprotein) leading to increasedrisk of heart disease.
Altered Magnesium balance leading to increased osteoporosis.
Increased risk of Adult Onset Diabetes Mellitus.
Fructose has no enzymes or vitamins thus robbing the body ofprecious micro-nutrients.
Fructose interacts with birth control pills and can elevateinsulin levels in women on the pill.
Accelerated aging.
Fructose inhibits copper metabolism leading to a deficiencyof copper, which can cause increased bone fragility, anemia, ischemic heart disease and defective connective tissue formation among others.
The list below is from The San Francisco Chronicle February 18, 2004
"How much is too much?
The list below shows how much sugar, mostly in the form of high fructose corn syrup, is in each of these single servings.
Sunkist soda: 10 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
Berkeley Farms low-fat yogurt with fruit: 10 teaspoons of sugar
Mott's applesauce: 5 teaspoons of sugar
Slim-Fast chocolate cookie dough meal bar: 5 teaspoons of sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup: 1 teaspoon of sugar
Hansen's Super Vita orange-carrot Smoothie: 10 teaspoons of sugar"

Today's health tip:
Cut down or stop any food or drink with high fructose corn syrup.
High fructose corn syrup is made from genetically modified corn treated with genetically modified enzymes.
Stop or limit all foods with either dextrose or maltodextrin.
Once again, read all your food labels carefully.
Consumption of the limited amounts of fructose that occur in fresh whole organic fruit is not a problem.

What are Phytonutrients?

The term "phyto" originated from a Greek word meaning plant. Phytonutrients are certain organic components of plants, and these components are thought to promote human health. Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and teas are rich sources of phytonutrients. Unlike the traditional nutrients (protein, fat, vitamins, minerals), phytonutrients are not "essential" for life, so some people prefer the term "phytochemical."

What are the major classes of phytonutrients?

Some of the common classes of phytonutrients include:
Carotenoids
Flavonoids (Polyphenols), including Isoflavones (Phytoestrogens)
Inositol Phosphates (Phytates)
Lignans (Phytoestrogens)
Isothiocyanates and Indoles
Phenols and Cyclic Compounds
Saponins
Sulfides and Thiols
Terpenes

The major classes of phytonutrients include:

* Organo-sulfurs: For example, the glucobrassins found in crucifers such as broccoli and cabbage and the allyl sulfur compounds in garlic.

* Terpenoids: These include the basic terpenoids like limonene found in citrus foods and menthol, as well as the carotenoids (vitamin A precursors), coenzyme Q10, the phytosterols, and the tocopherols and tocotrienols.

* Flavonoids: Flavonoids are the plant pigments that give plants their colors, like the deep blue of blueberries, the purple of grapes, the orange of pumpkins, or the red of tomatoes. Flavonoids include the anthocyanins in blueberries and quercetin found in onions.

About Carotenoids

Of all the phytonutrients, we probably know the most about carotenoids, the red, orange, and yellow pigments in fruits and vegetables. The carotenoids most commonly found in vegetables (and in plasma) are listed below along with common sources of these compounds. Fruits and vegetables that are high in carotenoids appear to protect humans against certain cancers, heart disease, and age-related macular degeneration.

Carotenoid Common Food Source alpha-carotene carrots
beta-carotene leafy green and yellow vegetables (eg. broccoli, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots)
beta-cryptoxanthin citrus, peaches, apricots
lutein leafy greens such as kale, spinach, turnip greens
lycopene tomato products, pink grapefruit, watermelon, guava
zeaxanthin green vegetables, citrus

    * soy – beta sitosterol, saponins, phytic acid, isoflavones
    * tomato – lycopene, beta carotene, vitamin C
    * broccoli – vitamin C, 3,3'-Diindolylmethane, sulphoraphane, lignans, selenium
    * garlic – thiosulphonates, limonene, quercitin
    * flax seeds and oil seeds – lignans
    * citrus fruits – monoterpenes, coumarin, cryptoxanthin, vitamin C, ferulic acid, oxalic acid
    * blueberries – tannic acid, lignans, anthocyanins
    * sweet potatoes – beta carotene
    * chilli peppers – capsaicin
    * legumes: beans, peas, lentils – omega fatty acids, saponins, catechins, quercetin, lutein, lignans
    * Apples – quercetin, catechins, tartaric acid
    * Açaí berries – dietary fiber, anthocyanins, omega-3, omega-6, omega-9, protein, beta-sitosterol, polyphenols. Açaí is the highest scoring plant food (spices excepted) for antioxidant ORAC value[12]
    * Dried apricots
    * Artichoke – silymarin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid
    * Brassicates: kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower – lutein
    * Carrots – beta-carotene
    * Cocoa – flavonoids, epicatechin
    * Purple corn – anthocyanins
    * Cranberries – ellagic acid, anthocyanins
    * Eggplant
    * Gac – beta-carotene, lycopene
    * Goji (wolfberry) - ellagic acid, -carotene, -cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, lutein, lycopene, riboflavin, vitamin C, copper, selenium, zinc, protein
    * Pink grapefruit – lycopene
    * Red grapes and wine – quercitin, resveratrol, catechins, ellagic acid
    * Green tea – quercetin, catechins, oxalic acid
    * Mangos – cryptoxanthin
    * Mangosteen - xanthones
    * Nuts and seeds – resveratrol, phytic acid, phytosterols, protease inhibitors
    * Porridge oats soluble fibre magnesium, zinc
    * Okra -- beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin
    * Olive oil – monounsaturated fat, hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, oleocanthal
    * Onions – quercetin, thiosulphonates
    * Papaya – cryptoxanthin
    * Bell peppers – beta-carotene, vitamin C
    * Pomegranate - vitamin C, tannins, especially punicalagins
    * Pumpkin – lignans, carotene
    * Quinoa dietary fiber, protein without gluten with balanced essential amino acids
    * Sea buckthorn - vitamin C, tocopherols, carotenoids, polyphenols, polyunsaturated fatty acids<
    * Sesame - lignans
    * Shiitake mushrooms
    * Spinach – oxalic acid, lutein, zeaxanthin
    * squash
    * Watermelon – lycopene zeaxanthin, sulphoraphane, indole-3-carbinol
    * Spirulina - beta-carotene

Best Food Sources of Antioxidants

A USDA study analyzed the antioxidant content of commonly consumed foods. Researchers tested over 100 foods. Here is a ranked list of the top 20 fruits, vegetables and nuts:

   1. Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup
   2. Wild blueberry, 1 cup
   3. Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup[br[
   4. Pinto bean, 1/2 cup
   5. Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup
   6. Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)
   7. Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup
   8. Blackberry, 1 cup
   9. Prune, 1/2 cup
10. Raspberry, 1 cup
11. Strawberry, 1 cup
12. Red delicious apple, 1
13. Granny Smith apple, 1
14. Pecan, 1 ounce
15. Sweet cherry, 1 cup
16. Black plum, 1
17. Russet potato, 1 cooked
18. Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup
19. Plum, 1
20. Gala apple, 1

PCRM

The Bad Fats

Saturated Fats
Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats such as palm oil and palm kernel oil.

Trans Fats
Trans fats are invented as scientists began to "hydrogenate" liquid oils so that they can withstand better in food production process and provide a better shelf life. As a result of hydrogenation, trans fatty acids are formed. Trans fatty acids are found in many commercially packaged foods, commercially fried food such as French Fries from some fast food chains, other packaged snacks such as microwaved popcorn as well as in vegetable shortening and hard stick margarine.

The Good Fats

Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increase the HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nut, canola and olive oils are high in monounsaturated fats.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.

Fats
“Of the top ten causes of cancer, 7 are food and diet related “ Should we be concerned ? “The average American consumes 1lb. Of fat every 4-4.5 days or up to 92 lb. per year contributing to: Obesity, High cholesterol, Stroke, Heart disease, Cancer, and Diabetes.

The fact is: we all need fats. Fats helps nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, maintaining cell membrane integrity etc. However, when consumed in excess amount, fats contribute to weight gain, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Fats are not created equal. Some fats promote our health positively while some increase our risks of heart disease. The key is to replace bad fats with good fats in our diet.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Saturated fats are mainly found in
animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.

Trans Fats

Trans fats are invented as scientists began to "hydrogenate" liquid oils so that they can withstand better in food production process and provide a better shelf life. As a result of hydrogenation, trans fatty acids are formed. Trans fatty acids are found in many commercially packaged foods, commercially fried food such as French Fries from some fast food chains, other packaged snacks such as microwaved popcorn as well as in vegetable shortening and hard stick margarine.

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increase the HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nut, canola and olive oils are high in monounsaturated fats.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.

What can we do?

Avoid using cooking oils that are high in saturated fats and/or trans fats such as palm oil or vegetable shortening. Instead, use oils that are low in saturated fats and high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats such as canola oil, olive oil and flax seed oil.
minimize using commercially packaged foods which are high in trans fats. Always read labels to look for trans-fat free alternatives.

The Burning Points of Cooking Oils

When oil reaches the smoking point, it begins to degrade. The oil will taste bad, adding an acrid smell and taste to the food. The smoke forms substances that may be carcinogens, and should probably not be breathed or consumed. In addition to tasting bad and potentially being dangerous, oil which has reached the smoking point is not suitable for cooking food because it will burn the food. The smoke point of an oil is the temperature at which the oil begins to decompose and visible fumes (smoke) are given off. The oil begins to breakdown creating acreolein , an obnoxious-smelling compound.

Almond Oil
Avocado Oil: Refined
Butter
Canola Oil: Unrefined
Semi-Refined
Refined
Coconut Oil
Corn Oil: Unrefined
Refined
Cottonseed Oil
Flaxseed Oil, Unrefined
Hazelnut Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Lard
Macadamia Nut Oil
Olive Oil: Unrefined
Refined Extra Virgin
              Virgin
              Olive Oil
              Pomace Oil
              Extra Light
Peanut Oil: Unrefined
Peanut Oil
Peanut Oil, Refined
Rapeseed Oil
Safflower Oil: Unrefined
      Semi-Refined
      Refined
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil : Unrefined
Sesame Oil
              Semi-Refined
Shortening, Emulsified
    Vegetable
Shortening, Vegetable
Soy Oil: Unrefined
         Semi-Refined
         Refined
Soy Oil
Sunflower Oil
             Unrefined
             Semi-Refined
Walnut Oil, Unrefined
            Semi-Refined
High-Oleic Sunflower Oil,
            Unrefined
            Refined

430 F
520 F
350 F
225 F
350 F
400 F
350 F
320F
450F
420 F
225F
430 F
330 F
420 F
361-401 F
389 F
200 F
406 F
420 F
438 F
460 F
468 F
320 F
440 F
450 F
438 F
225 F
320 F
450 F
510 F
350 F
410 F
450 F
325 F

356-370 F
320 F
350 F
450 F
495 F
440 F
225 F
450 F
320 F
400F

320 F
450 F

Malnutrition: How much of these top nine foods do you consume?
Article by Dr Hyman

   1. Whole cow's milk
   2. 2% milk
   3. Processed American cheese
   4. White bread
   5. White flour
   6. White rolls
   7. Refined sugars
   8. Colas
   9. Ground beef
A recent USDA (US Department of Agriculture) assessment of the top nine foods consumed by Americans clearly illustrates our pattern of over consumptive under nutrition. They consisted basically of dairy, white flour, white sugar and ground beef! We might think that dairy foods are a good thing; however they are full of saturated fat and, for many people, the cause of allergies, sinus problems, ear infections, bone loss, Type 1 diabetes, and chronic constipation. Milk is also the number-one cause of anemia in children from intestinal blood loss. The Federal Trade Commission recently asked the USDA to look into the scientific basis of the claims made in the milk mustache ads. Their panel of scientists stated the truth clearly: Milk does not enhance sports performance, there is no evidence that it is good for your bones or even prevents osteoporosis (and in fact, the animal protein in milk may cause bone loss), and it is linked to prostate cancer and heart disease, not to mention the digestive problems experienced by 75% of the population who are lactose intolerant. And after dairy foods, the most common foods are all sugar or quickly turn to sugar when they hit your stomach - white bread, white flour, white rolls, refined sugars and colas fueling the epidemic of insulin resistance. Lastly, there is ground beef, very high in saturated fat, hormones, antibiotics and xenobiotics as well as the occasional toxigenic E. coli! No wonder over 85% of Americans have one or more degenerative diseases by the time they turn 65. These foods have a very low NCR, or nutrient to calorie ratio. In other words, they are nutritionally empty calories. Believe it or not, the more sugar you eat, the more vitamins you need to process that sugar.

Beside simply low-NCR foods, we are gorging on excess calories. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 1999,282(16): 1579 - Caloric Imbalance Public Health) revealed that 50% of US adults are overweight, and 22% are obese (>30lb overweight). A recent update of that study found that in just a few years, the obesity rates increased from 22% to 30% and the overweight population increased from 50% to 65%. This exponential growth is frightening. Our caloric intake from 1976 to 1996 skyrocketed. Men increased their caloric intake by 2,239 calories a day and women increased by 1,646 calories a day. This is over and above what they were already eating, nearly doubling their daily caloric intake. In 2000, Americans spent $110 billion on fast food. This exceeds the amount spent on higher education, computers or new cars. On any given day, about 25% of Americans visit a fast food outlet and the typical American eats three burgers a week from one of 30,000 fast food outlets. [Guinness Book of World Records]

While our philosophy of Ultraprevention, or personalized medicine, helps us recognize the differences among people, and the need for different diets for different body types and genetic predispositions, we have created some general guidelines for everyone that will work for a lifetime of sound and intelligent eating. The fundamental omission of modern medicine is the complete lack of awareness of how nutrition can create health or disease. We give lip service to eating a low-fat diet if you have heart disease, or drinking more milk if you have osteoporosis (which in fact may contribute to it), or avoiding spicy foods if you have reflux, but the central idea that the most important thing in creating a vital and well functioning body is eating vital food - food with life - is absent from medical practice.

We divide foods into categories and lump all foods together into those categories - carbohydrates, fats and protein, and fiber. But not all carbohydrates are equal, nor are all proteins or all fats as the USDA food pyramid would have us believe. To illustrate, the carbohydrates in popcorn could not be more different in their effect on your body than the carbohydrates in beans. Those in popcorn raise your blood sugar dramatically, thereby increasing your risk of cancer; those in beans slow sugar absorption and therefore reduce your risk of cancer. With proteins, there is a difference between animal and vegetable proteins. Excess animal protein can increase your homocysteine, cause bone loss and acidify your blood, while vegetable proteins from nuts, legumes, and seeds can lower homocysteine (in part because of the folic acid they contain) and help increase bone density. Fats are also different. Saturated fat from animal sources can increase your risk of heart disease, while polyunsaturated omega-3 fats from fish or flax seeds can cut the risk of sudden death in half.

Basically, we can separate foods into two basic categories, 1) High quality or high-nutrient density or high NCR and 2) Poor quality or low-nutrient density or low NCR. The Ultraprevention dietary recommendations focus primarily on high-quality foods in each category. Through this simple concept, a healthy eating program can be developed that is not a diet, but a program that supports and enriches your metabolism, immune system, detoxification, and reduces inflammation and oxidative stress while vanquishing malnutrition. A rich diversity of choices is available in our philosophy of the "varieties of eating experience." Some may need more fat, or less fat, or may have higher protein needs, or not tolerate starchy carbohydrates. The best barometer of what you need is how you feel. When you eat properly for your genetic constitution and metabolism you should feel great, and when you are not you will feel lousy. Pay attention to how the food you eat makes you feel and experiment with different amounts of different categories of nutrients to see how they make you feel. You are the best judge of what works for you.

If you eat properly for you, your weight will become normal, your energy will improve and often many seemingly unrelated physical complaints would disappear. Think about it: your body can only operate with the quality of food you provide it. In other words: junk in, junk out. Or eat vital food and revel in your vitality.

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