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

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.

Today’s informational blog is republished from our friends at PaleoHacks.

Add these strengthening pelvic floor exercises to your workout routine to improve your sex life and reduce your risk of incontinence.

The pelvic floor is often overlooked, but they’re an important set of muscles to exercise! A strong pelvic floor is responsible for control and pleasure during sex, and they also control the bladder and bowel movements.

What is The Pelvic Floor?

So what exactly is the pelvic floor? These supportive muscles, tendons, and ligaments form a hammock at the base of the pelvis, helping the bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum to function correctly. (1) They are the foundation for the core, providing stability and support to the organs of the lower abdominal cavity.

Common causes of pelvic floor issues include pregnancy or childbirth, hysterectomy, certain sports, aging, or inactivity of the pelvic floor muscles, just to name a few. Once the pelvic floor has been compromised, problems such as incontinence, diminished sex drive, or even pelvic organ prolapse – when pelvic organs protrude into or outside of the vagina – can arise. The most common sign of a weak pelvic floor – which affects up to 25% of women – is involuntary urine leakage (incontinence).

Luckily, pelvic exercises can help to restore strength and reverse some of these negative effects. These exercises, also known as Kegels, involve squeezing and relaxing muscles in the genital region in order to isometrically train the pelvic floor muscles.

How to Locate Your Pelvic Floor

Before beginning the following exercises, you must first be able to locate your pelvic floor muscles. Here’s how to do it:

1. Begin lying down with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
2. Squeeze and lift the rectal and vaginal areas as if you were trying to stop yourself from urinating. Hold for 5-10 seconds and then release.
3. You should feel a closing feeling in your genital area when you squeeze. Imagine yourself drawing energy from the base of the pelvic bowl all the way up your body and through the crown of your head.
4. Repeat for 5 reps.
5. Use this Kegel sensation throughout the following 7 exercises.

7 Exercises That Strengthen Pelvic Floor

Bridge | 3 reps

This pelvic exercise helps to strengthen the pelvic floor, core, and hamstrings.

1. Start by lying down with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Place your arms down alongside your body with your palms facing down.
2. Engage your pelvic floor. Then, inhale to lift your hips up towards the ceiling. Hold for 20 seconds and then exhale to slowly release your hips back down.
3. Repeat for 3 reps.

Shifting Plank | 15 reps

This exercise strengthens your pelvic floor and the other surrounding core muscles.

1. Start lying on the floor on your belly. Prop yourself up onto your forearms, straighten your legs and tuck your toes under, coming into a forearm plank.
2. Draw your navel up and in and engage your pelvic floor. Your shoulders should be stacked over your elbows and your hips should be in line with your shoulders.
3. Staying in your plank shape, inhale to shift your shoulders in front of your elbows, coming high onto the balls of your feet.
4. Exhale to shift your shoulders back over your elbows, pressing your heels back.
5. Repeat for 15 reps.

Wall Sit | 60 sec

This exercise helps to strengthen the pelvic floor, core, and legs.

1. Stand facing away from a wall.
2. Place your back against the wall and then walk your feet out in front of you so that the wall is supporting you.
3. Bend your knees until they are at 90-degree angles and engage your pelvic floor. Keep your navel drawing up and in towards your spine so that your lower back is pressing into the wall.
4. Reach your arms straight out in front of you hold for 60 seconds, then release.

Split Tabletop | 15 reps

This exercise strengthens the pelvic floor and core muscles.

1. Start by lying down with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Place your arms down alongside your body with your palms facing down.
2. Engage your pelvic floor and lift your feet off the ground. Parallel your shins to the ground so that your knees are at a 90-degree angle.
3. Keeping your knees at 90-degree angles, inhale to separate your thighs into a straddle.
4. Exhale to squeeze your thighs back together and contract your pelvic floor.
5. Repeat for 15 reps.

Tabletop Pelvic Tilts | 15 reps

These pelvic tilts help you to strengthen the pelvic floor.

1. Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position, with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
2. Inhale to round your lower back, tilting your tailbone down. Tuck your chin, draw your navel up and in, and contract your pelvic floor muscles.
3. Exhale to come back to center.
4. Repeat for 15 reps.

Bird Dog | 12 reps per side

This exercise strengthens the pelvic floor and the rest of the core muscles, improving balance and coordination.

1. Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees. Engage your pelvic floor.
2. Shift your weight onto your left hand and your right knee. Then, inhale to reach your right arm forward and your left leg back.
3. Pause for a moment to balance, then exhale to place your right hand and your left knee back down to the starting position.
4. Shift your weight onto your right hand and your left knee. Then, inhale to reach your left arm forward and your right leg back.
5. Pause for a moment, then exhale to place your left hand and right knee back down.
6. Continue alternating for 12 reps.

Dead Bugs Crunch | 15 reps

This exercise strengthens the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles.

1. Start by lying down with your knees bent and your heels on the floor. Extend your arms back behind your head and engage your pelvic floor.
2. On an exhale, draw your knees into your chest and crunch your shoulders up off the ground. Reach towards your toes as you contract your pelvic floor.
3. Inhale to lower your arms and heels back to the starting position.
4. Repeat for 15 reps.

Add these strengthening pelvic floor exercises to your workout routine to improve your sex life and reduce your risk of incontinence.

Easy bladder trick to end pee accidents (do this tonight)

Are you always running to the bathroom?

Do you have trouble holding your pee for too long?

Constantly have that “got-to-go” feeling?

Embarrassed about adult diapers and ready to get out of them?

You can actually STRENGTHEN your bladder to “hold back the tides”.

It’s about INFLATING a little-known muscle that seals the bladder shut!

Finally say goodbye to the urges… the accidents… the leaks… the stress…

This 30-second trick you can try tonight puts you back in control!

Can’t hold your pee for long? Check this out NOW!

Original article can be found here:

The post 7 Exercises That Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

When you think about health foods, how often do you consider chocolate?

Fortunately, dark chocolate is a superfood! When you consume the right type of dark chocolate, you can look forward to surprising benefits, like boosting your antioxidants, lowering blood pressure and even reducing your risk of cancer.

Read on to discover the surprising benefits of dark chocolate, as well as what type you should be eating.

Dark Chocolate: A Sacred Food with Healing Benefits

Throughout history, dark chocolate (or cacao, as it’s called before being made into a chocolate bar) has been hailed as a health tonic. This is especially true throughout Mesoamerican cultures, who held the belief that the cacao bean was a sacred food handed down by the gods to provide stamina, heal numerous diseases, and reduce fatigue (1).

In fact, the effects of cacao were thought to be so powerful that consumption was reserved specifically for priests, high government officials, military officers and great warriors. It was considered unsuitable for women, children, and the lower classes due to its potency.

What exactly is it about dark chocolate that makes it such a cherished health food? Let’s dive into the research-backed facts behind its benefits.

8 Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Many of dark chocolate’s surprising benefits stem from its potent antioxidant compounds epicatechin, catechin, and procyanidins, along with flavonoids and polyphenols. These antioxidants are responsible for putting a halt to DNA damage, reducing inflammation, regulating glucose levels, slowing aging, and more.

Read on to see just how powerful they are in dark chocolate.

1. Lowers Blood Pressure and Improves Heart Health

Not only does dark chocolate make you feel similar to being in love (okay, maybe not that good), but it has major benefits for your heart and blood pressure levels.

Studies show that the compound prostacyclin in dark chocolate is able to help lower blood pressure by increasing vasodilation, the opening and loosening of your arteries and blood vessels (2). In addition, another study revealed that higher chocolate intake is associated with a lower risk of future cardiovascular events (3).

The Kuna Indians of the San Blas islands of Panama, who drink roughly three cups of a cacao beverage daily and have a very low prevalence of hypertension, myocardial infarction and stroke compared to those on the mainland, are a good example of chocolate’s benefits at work. In addition, studies have found that their blood pressure doesn’t rise with age (4).

2. Fights Aging

As we mentioned earlier, dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidant compounds that help fight the DNA damage that causes aging symptoms like wrinkles, graying hair, and disease. In fact, research shows that just a single serving of cacao contains more phenolic antioxidants than most foods and more antioxidants than many Americans get on average per day (5).

Research also shows that the polyphenols and flavonoids in dark chocolate can help protect your skin from UV damage, which is a huge factor in preventing skin aging (6).

3. Reduces Cholesterol

Alongside lowering blood pressure and improving heart health, dark chocolate also has a few cholesterol-lowering tricks up its sleeve. Studies have shown that just one week of dark chocolate consumption was enough to improve lipid profiles and decrease platelet reactivity for both men and women (7). This may be due to the fact that the cocoa butter in dark chocolate contains some of the same heart-healthy fatty acids found in olive oil.

4. Improves Brain Function

Dark chocolate has been studied for its ability to boost cognitive function by improving cerebral blood flow, thanks in part to its high flavanol content. One study showed that the intake of flavonoid-rich foods, including chocolate, wine and tea, results in improved cognitive performance, especially in elderly participants.

Another study out of Italy also found that the flavanols in chocolate could prevent and even reverse age-related memory decline (8).

5. Anti-Diabetic Effects

Research has shown that dark chocolate improves glucose balance, insulin sensitivity and inflammation markers – all symptoms that contribute to the development of diabetes. In one particular study, scientists found these benefits occurred only when participants ate dark chocolate; those who consumed white chocolate received no benefits (9).

Interestingly, a study in Japan found that the risk of developing diabetes was reduced 35 percent among men who consumed “chocolate snack pieces” once per week or more versus those who never or almost never ate chocolate (10).

6. Potentially Reduce Risk of Developing Cancer

To date, studies have confirmed that chronic inflammation contribute to factors that increase your risk of developing cancer, including DNA mutations and cancer cell growth. Research has confirmed that the antioxidants in dark chocolate have a strong ability to fight the DNA damage that could lead to cancer development, as well as reduce certain inflammation enzymes that could encourage its growth (11).

7. Reduces Risk of Developing Neurological Diseases

Flavonoids have been shown to offer significant protection for neurons in your brain and nervous system. Specifically, they reduce neuroinflammation, which has been found to be a major cause of the development of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, their ability to increase cerebral blood flow encourages the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus, which processes memory (12).

8. Increases Satiety and Reduces Appetite

Just when you thought chocolate was banned from your diet while trying to lose weight, research shows it may actually help you keep cravings in check, which can help keep the pounds off. Studies have found that the smell of dark chocolate reduces appetite and improves satiety (13).

How to Choose the Best Dark Chocolate

Obviously, not all chocolate is created equal. To get the most benefits associated with dark chocolate, you want to steer clear of any of the candy bar varieties (even if they are “gluten-free” or “Paleo”) and be sure to choose a bar that contains at least a 75 percent cacao content. This will ensure there are minimal added sugars, so you get the bittersweet goodness without the damaging effects of sugar.

How Often Should You Indulge in Dark Chocolate?

While dark chocolate is loaded with benefits, more doesn’t necessarily equal better. Most of these studies used a moderate amount of dark chocolate consumption, which could be comparable to a square of dark chocolate per day, or a tablespoon or two of dark cacao made into a hot chocolate drink (just make sure you don’t add any sugar).

Even if you don’t eat it every day, try to get in a dose of dark chocolate at least three times a week to boost your antioxidant levels and cash in on the many benefits of this true superfood.

Our friends at Earth Echo Foods want to share this weight loss secret with you…

This Costa Rican chocolate known to melt extra LBs

Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy…

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

✅ Keeps them lean past 80…
✅ Slows blood sugar spikes…
✅ Even helps them live 7x longer than Japanese people…

So what’s the #1 “dessert” food that helps Costa Ricans live past 100?

Is it:

Click on your guess…

Or click below to discover Costa Rica’s Blue Zone secret:

>>> Eat this “dessert” for breakfast

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

>>> Click here to see this breakfast secret

(Original source article can be found here.)

The post 8 Surprising Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate 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.

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

I’ve noticed in my travels and with working with clients that a large majority of people in today’s fast-paced stressful world are struggling at least part of the time with falling asleep at night.

Over the years, I’ve also struggled on occasion with insomnia because of the stress placed on me by running a large publishing business. And I’ve researched and learned quite a few tips and tricks over the years to help fight insomnia and fall asleep faster.

Without diving into every single technique I’ve learned over the years, I’ll just touch on a few really simple, but powerful tips, foods, drinks, etc. that I think can help you to fall asleep easier and faster too!

Here goes:

The most important sleep tip to start with:

This one isn’t a specific food or drink, but rather probably THE most important tip I can give you… if you don’t follow this one, your chances of being able to wind down at night and fall asleep fast are unlikely…

You NEED to eliminate use of devices, computers, emails, and any other work related to your job (or other stressful things) at least 3 hours before you plan to go to sleep. Using devices or computers for casual reading at night is fine, but don’t do any work that gets your mind overly activated, such as anything dealing with work or other stressful things in life. Also, even for casual reading, it’s best to turn off devices at least 1 hour before bed as keeping your eyes focused on the light from devices is one thing that some researchers are saying could interfere with getting quality sleep.

An overly active mind late at night is one of the BIGGEST things keeping many people from falling asleep. As a success-driven entrepreneur myself, I used to work really late at night and then I’d find that my mind was always too active to actually be able to fall asleep, so I’d lay there for hours sometimes until I could get my mind to slow down so I could fall asleep.

This may sound weird, but one trick that’s worked for me is to grab a book while I lay in bed on something that I find sort of boring and try to read the book in bed. Because the topic is “boring” to me personally, it keeps my mind away from things that I find more interesting, and it allows me to fall right to sleep. So for example, if you find health and fitness interesting (I hope you do!), but you find economics boring, try reading an economics book as you lay in bed. I bet you’ll get sleepy and fall asleep much faster than if you laid in bed letting all your thoughts about daily life race through your mind.

No caffeine after mid-day:

You’ve probably heard this tip many times, so I’ll keep this one short… It takes about 6 hours for caffeine to be fully processed and eliminated by your body, so make sure your last caffeinated drink of the day (coffee, black tea, mate, etc.) is at LEAST 6 hours or more before your planned bedtime. And if you’ve been showing any adrenal fatigue from lab hormone tests, you should also consider reducing your daily caffeine intake if you currently use it.

Tart cherries or tart cherry juice:

Tart cherries (Montmorency) actually contain a natural form of melatonin that can help you to naturally get sleepy and more easily fall asleep. I’ve found frozen tart cherries a few times in specialty grocery stores and I use them for a late night smoothie occasionally.

I’ve also found a tart cherry concentrate in Whole Foods and other health food stores that you can add to a drink or caffeine-free tea at night to help get you that low dose natural melatonin. I use 1 spoonful of this tart cherry concentrate in a cup of chamomile or mint tea late at night. This helps immensely for calming down and falling asleep at night.

A side benefit is that tart cherry also contains powerful antioxidants that fight joint pain, gout, and other inflammation related problems.

DON’T overdose on melatonin supplements (most contain TOO MUCH)

Did you know that MOST people overdose on melatonin supplements. Most melatonin supplements come in either 3 mg or even 5 mg doses. However, according to some researchers, anything more than 1 mg might be too high of a dose, which can disrupt your sleep cycle the following day, making it hard to wake up in the morning, and harder to fall asleep the following night, disrupting your overall sleep cycle.

The proper dose seems to be something less than 1 mg from most experts on this topic (this was even discussed on the Dr. Oz show too), which is why I choose to NEVER use melatonin supplements, and only get the small natural quantities found in tart cherries or tart cherry juice.

Night time teas:

Try “night time teas” that have relaxing qualities such as chamomile tea, mint tea, lemongrass tea, or all of them mixed. A side benefit of chamomile tea, and another reason that I try to include it in my weekly night tea repertoire is that chamomile tea contains unique phytonutrients that can help fight estrogenic overload from all of the xenoestrogens that we are exposed to from chemicals, pesticides, etc. in today’s chemical laden world.

Also remember that you can add a spoonful of the tart cherry concentrate and you’ll get a double-whammy of sleep aid! This works well about 1-2 hours before bedtime to help your body and mind relax.

One more tip…

If you still have troubles falling asleep even after implementing all of these tips, make sure to pay attention to fixing any hormonal issues you might have, including any possible adrenal fatigue, since being overly stressed out during the day can cause imbalances in your natural cortisol cycle which can make you more awake at night and more tired in the morning (obviously the opposite of what you want).

Eliminate any stressors from your life that you can, and also trying other relaxation techniques including meditation as a way to deal with stress if you still feel that you’re too stressed out each day.

Here’s one more reason to pay attention to this advice and make sure to do everything possible to get better sleep…

Did you know that a lack of sleep can actually make you GAIN weight?

A proper hormone balance is very important not only for losing fat, but keeping it off, and lack of sleep (including restless sleep, going to bed too late, getting up too early, and any other types of sleep deprivation), can throw your body’s hormones out of balance.

This means that regardless of how much you exercise or what type of diet you go on, you will still struggle to lose your unwanted fat, especially from your stomach.

So you can see how important sleep really is, as it touches multiple aspects of your health.

And one more thing to note, if you are still having trouble falling asleep, our friends from YuSleep have this special message for you…

Do You Wake Up At 3 AM Too?

If you fall asleep just fine but you wake up around 3 am almost every night, mind racing and you can’t fall back asleep for hours…

You lie there staring at the ceiling, watching the clock tick toward 5 AM… 6 AM…

Then drag yourself through another zombie day…

You should do this 30-second cherry trick this evening before going to bed.

A sleep expert with 18 years of sleep research says it quiets your racing mind and relaxes your body so your brain can enter deep stages of sleep.

Many people over 50 have already tried it and they sleep through the night like a baby with NO MORE 3 am wake-ups and wake up refreshed!

Here’s the simple cherry trick to try tonight…

👉 Click here to see how to do it!

The post Drink this 2 hours before bed to sleep better (plus 5 tips for insomnia) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

The lifestyle that has helped Bernando achieve a healthy, long life

LaPallo says he has not been sick one day in his life and accredits this to eating all organic fruits and vegetables, walking every morning, and avoiding red meat, fried foods and fast food at all costs. He says his father instructed him at an early age to stay away from red meat and he has always believed this to be best for good health.

So what are the five foods he eats to stay healthy and age well?

Garlic, chocolate, cinnamon, olive oil, and honey. That’s right, LaPallo eats these foods daily in addition to organic fruits and vegetables and accredits these five special foods to his success.

Garlic is a powerful immunity enhancer, cancer fighter and liver detoxifier. Chocolate has been known to help many people live a long life. It has incredible anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and immune-boosting properties. Cinnamon is a fantastic spice for anti-aging, immunity, blood sugar and heart health. Olive oil is another powerful anti-inflammatory food, as well as a great source of Vitamin E, healthy monounsaturated fats for your heart, and contains high levels of cancer-fighting properties. And finally, honey is a powerful miracle food that has been used for hundreds of years for its anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and heart health benefits.

Bernando also loves whole grains, broth and healthy dishes like soups and salads. You can get his recipes on his blog for barley soup, fresh fruit salad and more.

Bernando’s father was a doctor who also lived to 98 years old. Bernando not only took his father’s advice on how to eat well, but also how to live well. Bernando likes to read, do crossword puzzles and other life-enhancing activities daily. He says he has learned and seen so much throughout his life, and always wanted to live healthily so he could age well.

In LaPallo’s words, “As the old saying goes, you are what you eat. And that’s very true.”

Bernando LaPallo lived to 114 years young, his life and vitality maintained through a regiment that he followed for his entire life. He exercised and ate foods that he knew would protect his body and lengthen his life.

Salmon vs Tuna vs Tilapia vs… (The #1 Worst Fish for Your Heart)

Eating wild-caught fish is good for your heart… right? WRONG.

According to Dr. Sam Walters – one of America’s #1 heart specialists – there’s ONE fish you should avoid like the plague.

This so-called “healthy fish” is contaminated with toxic chemicals… that are literally DEADLY for your heart. Yet 97% of Americans eat it at least once a week.

Try to guess which one it is:

1. Tilapia
2. Tuna
3. Atlantic Salmon
4. Sardines

So click on your guess…

Or tap below to get the correct answer from Dr. Sam Walters himself:

>> Never eat THIS fish (it’s DEADLY for your heart).

Original Article by Heather McClees can be found here

Editor’s Note: Bernando LaPallo passed away on December 19, 2015.

The post 114-Year-Old Man Attributed Good Health To These 5 Foods appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.