by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

One of the questions I get most as a Nutritionist is whether rice is good for you or not, and if you should choose brown rice or white rice.

Over 90% of people get this answer wrong, and they’ve been told by misinformed dieticians and doctors that brown rice is healthier because it has more “fiber”.

However, this is harmful advice, and brown rice is NOT healthier than white rice!

Let me explain why…

Brown rice contains the hull of the rice plant, and that hull does contain some fiber, but it also contains some significant toxins such as lectins that can harm your gut lining, cause brain fog, and trigger autoimmune reactions in some people.

I’ve had dozens of my friends and clients that saw dramatically improved digestion, more energy and clarity of mind, and autoimmune skin conditions that went away once they switched from brown rice to white rice.

Brown rice also contains significant amounts of toxic arsenic since the arsenic is in the hull, and not the white starch part of the rice. This is yet another reason that white rice is a lot better choice in my opinion.

A word of warning on white rice: While white rice is mostly just starch, and therefore can be used as a great source of muscle glycogen by healthy people that exercise frequently and intensely, I would urge caution for people with Diabetes to be careful with the quantity of white rice they are consuming and monitor their blood sugar carefully.

Now that we’ve talked about why we should avoid brown rice if we want to avoid many of these health issues, let’s take a look at a fun little quiz below and a few more foods…

Sweet Potato vs Pasta vs Squash (the #1 WORST starch for your gut & energy)

According to the best-selling author and world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Steven Gundry, there’s one starch people over 40 should never eat.

This starch can damage your gut and disrupt your hormones… It contains a toxin that damages the lining of your intestines, causes bloating, embarrassing gas, and a bulging belly.

Do you know the starch I’m talking about? Make sure you do by clicking the one below you think it is, and get the answer from Dr. Gundry himself on the next page:

>> Sweet Potato

>> Pasta

>> Corn

>> Squash

The post Brown Rice vs White Rice: The Worst Rice for Your Gut and Energy (Surprise, it’s not what you think) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

If you’ve been led to believe that oat milk, peanut butter, almonds, and spinach are good for you, today’s email might shock you and is important to read, because these 4 “healthy foods” could be contributing to health problems in your body.

Let’s take a quick look at why…

1. Oat Milk

Oat milk has become a popular “plant milk” in recent years.  I see people all the time ordering “oat milk lattes” at coffee shops, and they probably have no idea how terrible that oat milk is for them.

Oat milk is basically oats soaked in water, with some added seed oils (canola oil usually), and added sugars and thickeners.

First of all, unless you get organic oat milk, your standard oat milk is contaminated with the harmful herbicide glyphosate which is known to cause serious damage to your gut, disrupting your microbiome health, and if that’s not bad enough, you probably already know that glyphosate is linked to cancer too.

Next, another reason I would never drink oat milk is because it’s usually processed with added seed oils such as canola oil, which are highly inflammatory in the body, contain large amounts of harmful omega-6 fats, and are linked to poor metabolic health such as Diabetes and obesity.

The next reason I would never drink oat milk is that it usually contains thickeners and gums such as carrageenan, which are highly irritating to your gut and can cause gut issues.

There’s also almost zero nutrition in oat milk compared to dairy milk (which contains large amounts of vitamins, minerals and protein).

Lastly, oat milk is also high in an anti-nutrient called phytic acid, which reduces your absorption of certain vitamins and minerals, potentially contributing to deficiencies in certain nutrients.

And while some people genuinely can’t digest dairy, most people would be better off nutritionally with just real grass-fed milk.

2. Peanuts, Peanut Butter

While peanut butter does contain a small amount of protein and vitamins/minerals, the cons outweigh the pros on this food.

First of all, peanuts contain one of the highest concentrations of aflatoxin, which is a mold toxin that is created in peanuts due to storage in moist conditions.

Peanut butter is also very high in inflammatory omega-6 fats and due to the processing of peanut butter, those omega 6 fats are in a harmful oxidized state.

Most people already get too much omega 6 fats from vegetable oils (soy, corn, canola, etc), and this contributes to insulin resistance, heart disease, brain inflammation, cancer, and lots more health problems, since most people are currently eating 5-10x more omega-6 fats than we should be eating in a healthy diet.

Lastly, peanut butter also contains medium amounts of oxalates, which are plant-based antinutrients that when consumed in excess can contribute to kidney stones, thyroid and gut problems, joint problems and more.

We’ll talk more about oxalates in the next food…

3. Spinach

Spinach is promoted as a healthy green, but contains FAR more downsides than good sides. Spinach is one of the highest oxalate foods that’s commonly eaten by modern humans (in addition to beet greens, beets, almonds, and other veggies and nuts).

The amount of oxalates in a serving of spinach is extremely high, up to 600 mg in a normal sized bowl.

The “safe” amount of oxalates in a daily diet according to world renowned oxalate expert Sally Norton should be between 100-200 mg per day total to avoid a lot of the health problems caused by high oxalate plants.

So you can see how concerning spinach is with the extremely high oxalate levels.

As mentioned above, eating too much oxalates too frequently can cause serious issues such as kidney stones, thyroid problems, gut damage, skin issues, and joint pain.

In fact, some people have even gotten “oxalate poisoning” by eating green smoothies too often and had to go to the ER for kidney failure.

4. Almonds, Almond butter, and Almond Milk

Although almonds and almond milk are marketed as healthy, they also contain many downsides, including all of the negatives mentioned above about too much omega 6 fats and too much oxalates.

They’re probably ok in your diet occasionally, but I personally avoid eating almonds too often because of these issues with excess oxalates and omega 6 fats.

Almond milk also has some of the same issues as oat milk in that it often contains added gums and thickeners like carageenan (irritating to your gut), and is pretty pathetic in terms of nutrition content compared to dairy milk.

Now let’s take a look at a fun little quiz below and a few more foods…

Bananas vs Oranges vs Apples… (the #1 WORST fruit for your gut & energy)

According to the best-selling author and world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Steven Gundry, there’s one fruit people over 40 should never eat.

This fruit can damage your gut and disrupt your hormones. Both sapping you of energy and forcing your body to create “sticky” fat cells that can NOT be “burned off” with normal diet and exercise.

Do you know the fruit I’m talking about? Make sure you do by clicking the one below you think it is, and get the answer from Dr. Gundry himself on the next page:

>> Apples

>> Bananas

>> Oranges

>> Grapes

The post Why I Mostly Avoid Peanut Butter, Almonds, Oat Milk, and Spinach appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

I recently wrote a newsletter last week about how wild blueberries have powerful health benefits for your gut, inflammation, and for preventing fat gain too… Wild blueberries are even more powerful than regular blueberries for health benefits.

If you missed that newsletter, you can read it here about WILD blueberries and preventing fat gain.

But today, I want to also talk about frozen blueberries vs fresh…

You Absorb 3x More Blueberry Polyphenols from Frozen Blueberries.

Yes, it’s true… It turns out that frozen blueberries have their cell walls cracked open, which allows a type of polyphenol (anthocyanins) to be released and absorbed 3x better in your body than fresh blueberries.

If you’ve ever used frozen blueberries in yogurt or cereal, you’ll see the difference compared to fresh blueberries…

When you use frozen blueberries in yogurt for example, as the berries thaw, you’ll see streaks of blue starting to color the yogurt as you stir it. But with fresh blueberries, those blue anthocyanins stay inside the cell wall and are not absorbed as well in your body.

And those anthocyanins that are 3x better absorbed in frozen blueberries help fight inflammation in your body, while also helping prevent fat gain, and being beneficial for your heart and artery health too.

So the lesson here is that while fresh blueberries are definitely healthy, you get more significant health benefits from frozen blueberries.

Add frozen blueberries to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, and anything else that you love berries on!

QUIZ: Which of these snacks are terrible for your waistline?

According to leading gut health expert and former heart surgeon Dr. Steven Gundry, there’s a handful of “health snacks” that are terrible for your waistline.

One of these foods is even considered a staple in every healthy diet.

Let’s see if you can guess which one it is:

A. Sourdough Bread
B. Cottage Cheese
C. Olives

This is critical news if your goal is to have a slimmer waistline.

Answer revealed here >>

PS: There’s good news too… There is one simple snack that yields a power punch for your microbiome. This means a healthier digestion, less occasional bloating, and even a slimmer feeling physique. Write this name down.

The post Frozen blueberries vs Fresh blueberries: 3x more inflammation killing polyphenols in this one… appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

You may have heard that blueberries are packed with beneficial phytochemicals (polyphenols), but new research shows that WILD blueberries may also help you fight inflammation and even drop body fat right down at the cellular level.

In a recent published study Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition scientists looked at what actually happens after you eat wild blueberries. Turns out, once your gut microbiome processes the powerful polyphenols in these berries, they transform into potent compounds that directly impact fat storage and inflammation inside your body.

Wild blueberries are particularly more powerful than standard berries at the store (Don’t worry, wild blueberries are easily available frozen at most health food stores)…

Here’s what the study found:

Researchers exposed fat cells to wild blueberry compounds: isoferulic acid (IA) and vanillic acid (VA). These two compounds helped reduce fatty acid synthase, which is an enzyme your body uses to create and store fat.

That’s a direct hit to one of the key drivers of weight gain.

Meanwhile, a third compound called syringic acid ramped up another antioxidant enzyme known as HO-1, which helps defend your cells against oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

And all of this happened at real-life, food-based doses.

This means wild blueberries don’t just taste good or “fight free radicals.” They can actually change how your body manages fat and inflammation, which are two of the biggest culprits behind metabolic problems, fatigue, and chronic disease.

But there’s a catch: your gut bacteria play a massive role in unlocking these benefits.

That’s why gut health is about a lot more than just digestion. A well-balanced microbiome helps convert plant compounds into usable fuel, regulates inflammation, balances hormones, supports immunity, and even affects how your body stores and utilizes fat.

Targeted support, like the unique polyphenols from wild blueberries, cranberries, pomegranate, and even grapes, can help feed your good bacteria and keep this system running smoothly.

The bottom line is that wild blueberries aren’t just another trendy super-food. When your gut is in good balance, they become a metabolic ally, helping your body manage fat and inflammation with real studies to back it up.

And you don’t have to go foraging in the forest to find WILD blueberries, as most health food stores actually carry wild blueberries in the frozen fruit section. Add them to your smoothies, cereal, buckwheat pancakes, salads, yogurt, and possibly even on top of your healthy homemade ice cream.

Now that you know just how powerful wild blueberries are for your health (more powerful than regular blueberries), let’s take a look at a fun little quiz below and a few more foods…

QUIZ: Which of these snacks are terrible for your waistline?

According to leading gut health expert and former heart surgeon Dr. Steven Gundry, there’s a handful of “health snacks” that are terrible for your waistline.

One of these foods is even considered a staple in every healthy diet.

Let’s see if you can guess which one it is:

A. Sourdough Bread
B. Cottage Cheese
C. Olives

This is critical news if your goal is to have a slimmer waistline.

Answer revealed here >>

PS: There’s good news too… There is one simple snack that yields a power punch for your microbiome. This means a healthier digestion, less occasional bloating, and even a slimmer feeling physique. Write this name down.

The post Wild Blueberries Stop Fat Gain, Fight Inflammation, and Improve Gut Health (Better than Regular Blueberries) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

As you probably know, I am very health-conscious, always digging through the latest research studies, books, and podcasts to keep up on cutting-edge health information.

Lately, I have been researching microplastics, and the amount we actually ingest and that get stuck in our organs is pretty scary.

So much of our food and drinks are packaged in plastic, and we store everything in those handy zip-lock bags that shed plastic into our food. There’s plastic in our kitchen utensils, our pots and pans, our clothing (anything synthetic is basically plastic), our mattresses, bedding, rugs (breathing in microplastics from your carpet that get lodged in your lungs and into blood stream), flooring, furniture, and on and on.

Plastic particles have now been found in studies in most of our organs, blood, lungs, ovaries, testicles, placentas, and brain tissue.

One recent study estimated the average person’s brain now contains the equivalent of a plastic spoon’s worth of plastic fragments. A plastic spoon. In your brain. And these particles are linked to inflammation, hormone disruption, fertility problems, heart attacks, strokes, and dementia.

For years the message has basically been, “sorry, you are full of plastic, there is no real way out, do your best to avoid it.”

But I recently saw this groundbreaking study and wanted to share it with you.

Researchers in South Korea found that a specific strain of healthy bacteria in kimchi can actually grab onto nanoplastic particles in the gut and pull them out of the body through normal digestion.

Scientists isolated the bacteria, called it CBA3656, and tested it in the lab, where it bound to 87% of the nanoplastics they threw at it. Then they fed it to mice, who excreted more than twice as much plastic in their stool compared to the control group. Twice as much. From bacteria in a fermented cabbage dish people have been eating for thousands of years.

Now, I do want to be honest with you. This was a study in mice, not in humans, and eating a jar of kimchi tomorrow is not going to suddenly detox you. But real, living, traditionally fermented foods are doing things in our bodies that modern medicine is only just beginning to measure.

traditionally fermented foods The kind with real “live bacteria” still in them, not the pasteurized supermarket versions sitting on the shelves. You’ll find them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Or, you can easily make them yourself.

Here is what I am doing about it.

I have gone through our house and replaced everything synthetic I can find with natural fibers, from clothing and bedding to food storage and cookware. And to clear out the tiny plastic particles that may already be in my body, I am eating traditionally fermented foods every single day.

You can start small. Swap one synthetic thing at a time, and add one real fermented food to your plate this week. The more I learn, the more I realize the health fixes we are looking for have been sitting in our grandmothers’ kitchens the whole time.

For more on plastic found in everyday items… in this case, your food… keep reading:

3 Foods Loading Your Organs, Brain and Blood With Microplastics

According to Dr. Rick Cohen – a renowned Duke University MD – these 3 “micro-plastic foods” are secretly poisoning Americans…

Because they’re packed with tiny pieces of plastic that can…

💔 Spike heart attack risk by 450%
🧠 Build up inside your brain
☢️ Damage every organ in your body

Here’s a quick hint:

– Food #1: This is one of America’s favorite seafood, and everyone orders it at restaurants…
– Food #2: It’s a common veggie you probably have in your fridge right now…
– Food #3: This is something you sprinkle EVERY day on your meals…

Want to know exactly what these 3 foods are?

Get the answer below from Dr. Cohen himself:

>> 3 “micro-plastic foods” to AVOID at all costs.

The post Kimchi: This fermented food removed 87% of microplastics from the gut in a study appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

You might have heard before that real sourdough bread is a lot easier to digest and better for your health than regular bread. I’ve even written articles about sourdough before and why it’s a better choice than regular bread.

Most regular bread from the store or restaurants is a disaster for your gut, your blood sugar, and your weight. But sourdough is quite different!

Recently, I decided to do a test on myself and see how my body reacted to eating homemade sourdough bread every single day, 2-3x a day for 60 days.

Luckily, my girlfriend has gotten really good at making homemade sourdough the right way, and uses quality ingredients like organic flour.

And we’ve been LOVING having a piece of homemade sourdough bread every morning with grass-fed butter and organic strawberry jam with our morning coffee… It’s sooooo good!

So how did my gut feel, and how did my body handle eating sourdough bread twice a day?

Well first thing is that I didn’t gain any weight. I know, I was shocked too… bread is notorious for causing weight gain, but that’s low quality grocery store bread made with cheap flours contaminated with glyphosate, containing added inflammatory seed oils, and other additives.

But with eating sourdough 2-3x a day for 60 days, I honestly felt great every day, had a lot of energy, and stayed about the same weight.

But here’s the cool thing… My GUT has felt happier than I can remember in a long time.

The sourdough has seemed to improve my gut health. My daily poops are more regular than ever, and well formed (sorry if that’s TMI, but it’s important to take note of for your gut health).

And I haven’t had any bloating at all surprisingly. I’ve even had 3-4 slices of homemade sourdough on some days, and still no bloating!

When I looked into some of the research on sourdough bread, it makes a lot of sense why I saw an improvement in gut health.

Sourdough contains both prebiotics and postbiotics that are powerful for gut health. While probiotics generally get the most attention (and the probiotics in sourdough are killed during baking), but the PRE and POSTbiotics have their own powerful benefits for your gut.

Some studies even show regular sourdough consumption improves the microbiome diversity of your gut.

I even ran across a study showing that the pre and post-biotics in sourdough can boost your production of natural GLP-1 in your body, which controls your appetite. This might be why I found myself quite satisfied and not craving junk foods, even while enjoying sourdough 2-3x a day.

Also, the fermentation process (24-48 hours) of a good REAL sourdough breaks down both the phytic acid in normal bread and also the FODMAPs, which are what causes bloating when you eat normal bread.

Phytic acid is an anti-nutrient in most bread that blocks mineral absorption, but with sourdough fermentation, the phytic acid has been broken down so that you actually absorb more minerals from your food.

And it’s even shown that a good sourdough fermentation breaks down the gluten in bread to be more digestible too.

I even have a couple close friends that usually can’t eat gluten or they get a terrible reaction, but they’ve been able to eat high quality sourdough bread with no problems at all.

Research also shows a much healthier blood sugar response from eating sourdough compared to regular bread.

Overall, after 60 days of eating high quality homemade sourdough bread 2-3x EVERY DAY, I personally found that my energy was great, I didn’t gain any weight, I’ve had no bloating, and basically perfect poops and a happy gut!

Now that we’ve talked about why sourdough bread crushes regular bread for health benefits and a happy gut… let’s look below at a few more starchy food options, one of which could be damaging your gut and harming your hormones…

Sweet Potato vs Pasta vs Squash (the #1 WORST starch for your gut & energy)

According to the best-selling author and world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Steven Gundry, there’s one starch people over 40 should never eat.

This starch can damage your gut and disrupt your hormones… It contains a toxin that damages the lining of your intestines, causes bloating, embarrassing gas, and a bulging belly.

Do you know the starch I’m talking about? Make sure you do by clicking the one below you think it is, and get the answer from Dr. Gundry himself on the next page:

>> Sweet Potato

>> Pasta

>> Corn

>> Squash

The post I Ate Large Amounts of Sourdough Bread for 60 Days and This Happened to my Gut appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

Pistachios are one of my absolute favorite nuts both in terms of taste AND nutrition.

When I was a kid, my parents always bought these huge bags of pistachios and I loved snacking on them all day long.

Later on, as a Nutritionist, I learned that pistachios are also one of the most beneficial nuts for your health, as they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and even have a better fatty acid profile than many other popular nuts like almonds.

Pistachios are rich in beneficial nutrients like flavanols, selenium, lutein, beta carotene, zeaxanthin, b6, and tocopherols. Studies show that pistachios are one of the best nuts for your heart health too!

Other studies also show that pistachios improve libido, improve blood sugar, and increase fat loss when consumed regularly.

Pistachios also help to feed the good bacteria in your gut and thereby improve gut health.

They really are a super-nut!

One of my favorite ways to snack on pistachios is with some good dark chocolate. And since dark chocolate is also known to improve gut health, lower blood pressure, and improve heart health, in my opinion, pistachios and dark chocolate together are a powerful combo to supercharge your health all while enjoying incredible taste!

But speaking of chocolate, did you know that there’s ONE specific unique form of chocolate that can nearly DOUBLE your GLP-1 levels in a matter of hours?

And this means your metabolism fires up and you slim down faster.

However, most people have never heard of this specific type of chocolate that I’m referring to here, and yet this chocolate is proven to boost your fat loss, lower blood pressure, and improve your gut microbiome.

I have a free gift for my readers!

I get to give away give away FREE copies of “15-Minute Burn Cookbook”

Inside you’ll find 80 delicious recipes that just take 15 minutes to make…

And are perfect to melt 15lbs by next month!

Claim your FREE copy below: 👇

>> The 15-Minute BURN Cookbook <<

And the best part?

This cookbook is completely FREE.

No hidden fees or auto-ship.

The only catch? You have to claim your copy within 24 hours.

Or I’ll just assume you’re not interested and send your copy to someone else.

>> Click here to claim your FREE “15-Minute Burn Cookbook” (24hrs left before it’s gone)

Hope you enjoy!

The post Pistachios & Chocolate: this combo burns fat, lowers blood pressure, feeds a healthy gut appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Some of these oils are healthy and some are VERY unhealthy — soybean oil, olive oil, coconut oil, corn oil, etc… Let’s take a closer look.

By: Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

Today, I wanted to give you my take on a confusing subject to most people:

Why some oils and fats you may use in cooking, baking, or other food use are actually harmful to your body, and why some are healthful.

Here’s the deal…

A lot of people seem to think that anything labeled as “vegetable oil” is good for you. NOT A SHOT!

Most of what is labeled as “vegetable oil” is simply heavily refined soybean oil (processed under high heat, pressure, and industrial solvents, such as hexane)… sometimes perhaps it may also be heavily refined cottonseed, safflower, corn, grapeseed, or other oils too.

In most instances, almost all of these processed oils are NOT HEALTHY for you. I’ll explain why below…

If you buy processed food or deep fried food, you can usually be certain that these unhealthy oils are used to prepare your foods (or worse, it may use hydrogenated versions of these oils… aka – trans fats).

You may have even bought some of these oils for your own cooking or baking at home.

The problem with soybean oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and other similar “vegetable oils” is that they are mostly composed of polyunsaturated fats (the most highly reactive type of fat) which leaves them prone to oxidation and free radical production when exposed to heat and light.

Processed polyunsaturated oils are the most inflammatory inside our bodies because of their high reactivity to heat and light. This inflammation is what causes many of our internal problems to develop such as heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Note: It’s ok if a polyunsaturated fat source isn’t processed such as in whole foods like various nuts and seeds… In that case it’s usually not inflammatory (as long as it’s not been exposed to high heat), and nuts are usually a great source of healthy polyunsaturated fats. By the way, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are both polyunsaturates, and a healthy balance of approx 1:1 to 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is considered healthiest.

Your best bet is to choose raw nuts and seeds whenever possible to avoid the oxidation of polyunsaturated fats that can occur during roasting of nuts and seeds. Keep in mind though that some nuts are mostly monounsaturated, (for example, macadamias), so the issue of roasted vs raw nuts is less of an issue for highly monounsaturated nuts.

However, all of the vegetable oils listed above are generally heavily refined during processing, so that makes them already inflammatory before you even cook with them (which does even more damage).

Here’s the actual order of stability of a type of fat under heat and light (from least stable to most stable):

1. polyunsaturated
2. monounsaturated
3. saturated

Here’s something that mainstream health professionals will never tell you…

Saturated fats are actually the healthiest oils to cook with!

Why? Because they are much more stable in cooking conditions and less inflammatory than polyunsaturated oils with cooking.

This is why tropical oils such as palm and coconut oils (and even animal fats such as lard and butter) are best for cooking… they have very little polyunsaturates and are mostly composed of natural saturated fats which are the least reactive to heat/light and therefore the least inflammatory in your body from cooking use.

That’s also why natural butter (NOT margarine) is one of the best fats for cooking. This all goes directly against what you hear in mainstream health talk… because most health professionals don’t truly understand the biochemistry of fats, and falsely believe that saturated fats are bad for you… when in fact, they are actually neutral in most instances… and saturated fats from tropical oils are actually good for you as they contain mostly medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which are lacking in most people’s diets.

In fact, lauric acid is one of the abundant MCTs in tropical oils and is known to strengthen the immune system. Lauric acid is even being studied currently in medical studies for controlling contagious diseases.

To summarize… your best cooking or baking fats are generally butter or tropical oils such as palm or coconut oil.

Olive oil (extra virgin preferably) is okay for lower cooking temps as it’s mostly monounsaturated, so moderately stable. I also like avocado oil and macadamia nut oil for baking as they are mostly monounsaturated and relatively stable for baking, plus add great flavor!

The mostly polyunsaturated oils such as soybean, corn, grapeseed, cottonseed, safflower, etc, are the least healthy for cooking or baking.

My choices for top healthy cooking oils that I use:

• Virgin Coconut Oil (very stable at med-high temps and healthy fats)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (only for low temp cooking)
• Real Butter (grass fed butter is actually healthy and contains important nutrients like vitamin K2, omega-3’s, and CLA. Kerry gold is a popular brand of Irish butter that’s grass-fed and readily available in most grocery stores)

Of course, with all of that said… we should keep in mind that trying minimize our cooking with oils can help to reduce overall calories. Cooking with oils in moderation is okay and can actually help satisfy your appetite more, but be careful not to overdo it as the calories can add up fast.

Also, please don’t be fooled by deceptive marketing claiming that canola oil is healthy for you — it’s NOT!

So enjoy your coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and delicious extra-virgin olive oils knowing that you’re doing your body GOOD! But just make sure to stay FAR AWAY from dangerous inflammatory vegetable oils like soybean oil, corn oil, and cottonseed oils which are used in so many processed foods these days.

Also remember that most salad dressings you find at the store are loaded with unhealthy soybean or canola oils usually, so make your own with healthy olive oil instead.

Speaking of your brain health, check this really cool story out…

This 3-Minute Bizarre Song Boosts Your Memory

Researchers at Harvard made an accidental discovery…

They found a bizarre melody that makes your brain process information up to 3X faster.

How is this possible?

It turns out this specific sequence of sounds activates an ancient “speed protein” in your brain…

The same protein that allows 20-year-olds to think and learn so quickly.

Over 16,366 people are already using this strange melody to:

• Process information faster
• Think with crystal clarity
• Remember names instantly
• Focus like a 20-year-old
• Feel mentally sharper

All you have to do is…

>> Relax and listen to this 3-minute melody to boost your brain power

The post Which of these cooking oils are destroying your health? (the truth may surprise you!) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Today’s blog is republished from my friends at TheAlternativeDaily, a leading publisher of daily alternative health tips that I personally read every day.

By Susan Patterson, TheAlternativeDaily.com

Coconut oil has been gaining a lot of popularity in the fast growing community of health conscious people. People in Asia and the Pacific Rim have used coconut products for thousands of years. They drank the milk, ate the flesh, turned the tree sap into sweet syrup, and weaved baskets with the leaves of coconut trees. In the 1950s, coconut oil, which you receive when you press the meat of the coconut, could be found in every household.

With the low-fat craze that swept through the Western world, coconut oil gave way to margarine and vegetable oils. The “experts” demonized saturated fats. People touted highly processed vegetable oils as heart-healthy, but only in very small amounts.

Fortunately, coconut oil is seeing a comeback of epic proportions. From slathering your baby’s bottom to cooking up some fabulous-tasting eggs, coconut oil is making its way to the top of the charts. How about putting some coconut oil into your morning cup of coffee?

Of course, those who have been using coconut oil for years never truly believed the lipid hypothesis that said saturated fat was bad for us. More and more evidence is being uncovered to say just the opposite.

What is coconut oil?

Coconut oil is a medium-chain fatty acid with a high saturation level. The main fats in coconut oil are caprylic acid, lauric acid and capric acid. Most fats take much more effort from the body to be digested (26 steps), whereas coconut oil is digested much easier (3 steps). Because it is a medium-chain fatty acid, coconut oil is processed by the liver, so it is converted into energy rather than stored as fat.

Coconut oil is a solid at room temperatures and it has an amazing shelf life due its saturation. It is also an ideal oil to cook with because medium-chain fatty acids are much more stable and will not break down during cooking.

Healthy saturated fat is not only good for us, but essential for numerous bodily functions. Did you know that more than half your brain is made up of saturated fat? Coconut oil is described as one of the healthiest saturated fats on the earth.

Coconuts are revered by people all over the world for their amazing medical and nutritional properties. They have been used for ages by diverse cultures and races, all of whom respect the magnificent qualities of this tree-growing nut. Fortunately, the Western world is quickly catching on. Now there are even numerous studies supporting some of the health claims that so many of us already know to be true.

Medicinal uses for coconut

In traditional medicine, people use coconut for a wide number of health problems. These include kidney stones, nausea, rash, scurvy, infections, wounds, asthma, colds, constipation, cough, earaches, fevers, jaundice, kidney stones, lice and ulcers, to name a few.

Modern medicine is finally coming alongside traditional medicine and echoing the amazing health benefits of coconut. Published studies in a number of prominent health journals note the benefits of various forms of coconut.

Several studies have confirmed that coconut oil has the ability to increase the good cholesterol HDL. In other studies, women and men were fed a diet containing coconut oil and butter. Researchers found that coconut oil increased energy in study participants and was able to help with weight maintenance or weight loss.

What is even more amazing are the results of a study of women with stage III and stage IV breast cancer. The 60 women were fed a diet containing virgin coconut oil and experienced an overall improved quality of life. Coconut oil also reduced the side effects of chemotherapy.

Other benefits of coconut oil

As you can see, saturated fat isn’t necessarily the bad guy, when it is from a good source like coconut oil. The lauric acid in coconut oil can actually prevent high blood pressure. Below, find a list of other proven health benefits of coconut oil which will make you want to run to the store and stock up on this amazing fat.

Proven treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

The brain produces its own insulin in healthy people. In people with Alzheimer’s disease, this function is limited or stopped. The ketones produced through coconut oil consumption increase energy for people with Alzheimer’s and can help improve brain function.

Reduces inflammation markers

A study conducted in India found that the antioxidants in coconut oil were able to reduce inflammation in study participants when taken regularly. Researchers have also found coconut oil to be of great value to people with arthritis.

Antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties

It is the lauric acid present in coconut oil that has been credited with helping treat parasites, like candida. It is necessary to use coconut oil on a daily basis and usually several times a day.

Improves endurance

The liver processes coconut oil, so it provides a quick boost of energy and endurance. This makes it extremely valuable for athletes, especially those needing a lot of energy for longer workouts.

Helps slow down aging process

The antioxidants in coconut oil can slow the aging process, as stress on the liver is decreased and detoxification is increased.

Prevents osteoporosis

The antioxidants in coconut oil fight free radicals and reduce oxidative stress, both of which count as the main culprits for osteoporosis. Additionally, coconut oil increases calcium absorption. Researchers have found that bone loss due to osteoporosis decreases in patients who take coconut oil regularly.

Coconut in coffee

Replacing processed coffee creamers with organic coconut oil is a smart move. Although it may sound strange, the result is actually quite delicious and highly nutritious. The combination of caffeine and saturated fat gives the body a lasting energy boost.

Prepare a tropical twisted coffee drink by brewing a high-quality organic cup of coffee and place it in a blender. Add in one tablespoon of organic coconut oil, blend and enjoy.

The resulting coffee drink is frothy and rich, with a wonderfully smooth taste that is very satisfying. If you like your coffee sweetened, add one teaspoon of coconut crystals.

Add coconut oil to your coffee for a great way to supercharge. Give your body a burst of energy to make it through the day, not to mention all of the other amazing health benefits of coconut!

Supercharging your morning can be as simple as adding coconut oil to your coffee—and believe it or not, a unique form of chocolate can regulate blood sugar levels as well as your appetite.

Costa Rican blue zone dessert helps them live to 100

Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy…

But according to Stanford researchers, there’s one delicious “dessert” food that Costa Ricans in the famous “blue zone” there eat each morning that…

✅ Keeps them lean even into their 70s, 80s, and 90s…
✅ Slows blood sugar spikes, and maintains healthy insulin sensitivity…
✅ Keeps their blood pressure at normal healthy levels…
✅ Keeps their hearts and arteries strong and clean well into old age, with a striking lack of heart disease in their population…
✅ Even helps them have 7x more Centenarians than Japanese people…

So what’s the #1 “dessert” food that helps Costa Ricans live healthy, lean, and energetic past 100?

Click below to discover Costa Rica’s Blue Zone secret:

>> Eat this Costa Rican longevity “dessert” for breakfast.

P.S. Here’s the crazy part – while Costa Ricans are living longer with this morning ritual, Americans trying it are losing 7 lbs in a couple weeks as a “side effect.” Not a bad bonus, right?

Original article is found here.

The post Coconut Oil In Your Morning Coffee? Absolutely appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Sixty-five percent of people have trouble digesting regular milk. Lactose usually gets blamed for this widespread “milk intolerance,” but lactose is only part of the problem. The other problem is a milk protein called A1 beta-casein.

A1-beta casein is the biggest problem food nobody’s ever heard of. Studies suggest it causes digestive symptoms like gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach pain in a significant number of people.

Most regular milk contains A1 beta-casein because most cows have A1-producing European genes. But there’s a fix. You can breed cows to produce a more digestible milk protein called A2 beta-casein, the original protein produced by cows. The milk from these specially-bred cows is called A2 milk. (By the way, Pioneer Pastures cows are A2 cows, and our milk protein shake is lactose and A1 beta-casein-free.)

Here’s the big takeaway. Regular milk contains A1 and A2 beta-casein, but A2 milk contains only A2 beta-casein. Science suggests that A2 milk is easier to digest for some people and may be better for long-term health.

At Pioneer Pastures, we want more folks to drink A2 milk so the benefits ripple through society. It’s why we got into this business.

Below, explore the digestive benefits of A2 milk and dive deeper into the research by clicking the links. You’ll learn why regular milk causes gut issues for some and how A2 solves them.

Why Regular / Non-A2 Milk May Cause Digestive Issues

Two components of regular A1 milk give folks the most digestive trouble:

1. Lactose
2. A1 beta-casein

Lactose intolerant people lack the enzyme (lactase) that digests lactose, the primary sugar in milk. Without lactase, you can’t break down lactose before it reaches the small intestine. When lactose reaches the small intestine intact, it meets gut bacteria that ferment this milk sugar, causing gas, diarrhea, and other GI symptoms.

Most people, including many doctors, blame lactose intolerance for all milk digestion issues. But many folks with so-called “lactose intolerance” don’t actually have problems absorbing or digesting lactose. And so, there must be another cause for milk digestion issues. That cause may be A1 beta-casein from regular milk.

Here’s why A1 beta-casein may be problematic for some. When we digest this milk protein, it turns into another compound called beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7). (Digesting A2 beta-casein, by the way, doesn’t create BCM-7.) The European Food Safety Authority flagged BCM-7 in a 2009 scientific report, noting its wide-ranging adverse effects on the gut and other organ systems. Since then, the scientific research against BCM-7 has continued to mount, especially in the realm of digestion in animal studies.

5 Ways A1 Beta-Casein May Impair Digestion

Regular milk contains A1 beta-casein, which you digest into BCM-7. BCM-7, in turn, may impair digestion via several mechanisms.

As you read this section, understand that most of this mechanistic evidence has been shown in animals, not humans. Human evidence suggests A1 beta-casein causes more digestive symptoms than A2 beta-casein, and researchers are still unraveling why. With this in mind, here are five possibilities based primarily on animal research.

#1: Reduced gut motility

Gut motility refers to the movement of food and fluids through your digestive tract. Proper gut motility keeps you regular and prevents food from lingering in the gut, fermenting, and causing gas, loose stool, and other symptoms.

Specialized “opioid receptors” in the gut control this system. BCM-7 interacts with these receptors, reducing gut motility. Opioid drugs have a similar effect, which is why these drugs cause constipation.

In a 2014 study, rats fed regular milk had reduced gut motility compared to rats fed A2 milk. A 2016 human trial involving 45 Chinese people had a similar finding.

#2: Increased inflammation

In this context, inflammation refers to an unnecessary, damaging immune response that causes digestive symptoms. The gut houses – most of the body’s immune cells, making it an inflammatory hub.

Mice given regular milk (or BCM-7 directly) showed higher levels of gut inflammation. These mice had more immunoglobulins, inflammatory cytokines, and white blood cells — markers of inflammation linked to digestive distress. Mice given A2 milk did not have these problems.

#3: Altered gut microbiome

The trillions of microbes in your gut (your gut microbiome) can either aid or impair digestive health. Everything you consume influences this massive colony.

In mice, drinking A2 milk led to a healthier gut microbiome vs drinking regular milk. Specifically, A2 mice made more short-chain fatty acids, beneficial compounds produced by gut bacteria. Conversely, regular milk drinking mice had more inflammation, possibly because the regular milk encouraged the proliferation of a family of bacteria called Ruminococcaceae.

Bottom line? We need human studies, but animal evidence suggests that A2 milk is better for gut critters than regular milk.

#4: Excess mucin production

Mucin is a protein that structures mucous (mucous lines your gut, lungs, and other organ systems). Proper mucin levels keep your gut running like a Swiss clock. Accordingly, too much mucin impairs gut motility and disrupts the balance of gut bacteria, causing digestive symptoms. In rats, the administration hub of casein hydrolysate (which contains A1 and A2 beta-casein) led to higher mucin production, though the effect wasn’t statistically significant. In the isolated rat intestine, BCM-7 administration increased mucin production, suggesting A1 beta-casein is to blame for the excess production.

#5: Lactose intolerance

Not everyone with milk intolerance has lactose intolerance. Some folks may react to A1 beta-casein instead. Others may react to both lactose and A1 beta-casein in regular milk.

Researchers believe BCM-7 from A1-beta casein may contribute to lactose intolerance via mechanisms we covered earlier:

• Inflammation may decrease lactase production
• Altered gut bacteria may affect lactose absorption
• Reduced gut motility gives lactose more time to ferment

Will switching to A2 milk cure lactose intolerance? Science hasn’t answered this question, but it may be worth a personal experiment.

A2 vs. Regular Milk for Digestion: Clinical Evidence

The strongest evidence for A2 milk improving digestion comes from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the gold standard of science.

In RCTs, researchers randomly assign human participants to experimental or control groups. This method reduces researcher bias while allowing science to test one condition vs another.

These RCTs looked at consuming A2 milk (experimental condition) vs. regular milk (control condition) to compare effects on digestion:

1. 2024 RCT from the Journal of Cancer Prevention. Forty people who drank A2 milk for two weeks had less abdominal pain, diarrhea, stomach gurgling, and fecal calprotectin (a marker of inflammation) than when they drank regular milk for two weeks.
2. 2016 RCT from Nutrition Journal. Forty-five people who drank A2 milk for two weeks had less digestive discomfort, better bowel motility, reduced inflammation, and enhanced cognitive function than when they drank regular milk for two weeks.
3. 2014 RCT from European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Forty-one people who drank A2 milk for two weeks had firmer stool and less inflammation than when they drank regular milk for two weeks.

The takeaway? The science strongly suggests that A2 milk causes fewer digestive issues than regular milk in some people.

Running Your A2 Experiment

A well-run human study doesn’t prove that A2 milk helps you. You have to test it in the laboratory of your body.

If regular milk is bothering your gut, run an experiment. Switch to A2 milk for at least two weeks and note any changes. Are things running smoother down there? Do you have less gas, bloating, or stomach pain? If you answer yes to any of these questions, consider permanently switching to A2 milk.

It doesn’t have to be a perfect experiment. If you’ve been avoiding dairy for years, you don’t have to reintroduce regular milk as a control condition. Just try A2 milk and see how you feel.

A quick note. If you have a milk allergy (vs. milk or lactose intolerance), stay away from dairy products altogether, including A2 milk. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns. Allergies are serious business.

Assuming you don’t have a dairy allergy, it’s easy to bring A2 milk into your life. Pioneer Pastures makes the world’s first ultra-filtered A2 milk protein shake that is also lactose free. It’s a simple and delicious way to get more protein in a highly-digestible format. Getting more protein (from A2 milk or other sources) helps support muscle mass, hormonal health, and weight management. It’s a win-win.

Remember, our cows are special cows that only produce A2 milk. There’s no A1 beta-casein to worry about. A better cow, a better milk.

The A2 Revolution is Just Beginning

The A2 revolution is just beginning. It will get much bigger.

Over half the world has trouble digesting milk. If we can change that number by a few percentage points, we could improve hundreds of millions of lives.

Start with your diet, though, because that’s the only diet you have complete control over. Good luck with your A2 experiment.

Link to original article: A2 Milk for Digestion: Why It Beats Regular Milk

Try these delicious Pioneer Pastures High Protein, Low Sugar, A2 protein shakes (easier on your digestion)

The post A2 Milk for Digestion: Why It Beats Regular Milk appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.