By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Sorry vegans and veggie-burger lovers, you’re not going to like this. I believe hamburgers are the perfect food. I mean hamburgers from REAL, red meat from grass-grazed cattle raised sustainably.

Why is hamburger the perfect food? Let’s talk beef first.

Beef gets slammed as the “red meat” that is often considered unhealthy. But much depends on the source of the beef that determines whether it is ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’. We will get into the grass fed vs. conventionally-raised meat in a bit.

Why is beef so perfect?

Beef contains “heme” iron which is much more easily assimilated in the body, than iron that comes from plants. Heme iron is a form of iron that humans can absorb very efficiently, and it also helps the body absorb non-heme iron from plant-based foods. One study even found meat as being more effective than iron tablets at maintaining iron levels in women during exercise.

Beef also contains zinc, selenium, choline (vital for liver health), vitamin B12 (only available from animal sources), and vitamin B6, along with vitamins A and E.

Meat is not just high in protein. It is also a source of many nutrients that are simply not available in plants. Meat provides vitamin B12 (only available from animal sources), a highly absorbable type of iron, essential amino acids, zinc, selenium, omega 3 fatty acids, EPA, DHA, vitamin D, and vitamin K2–none of which are found in plant foods.

Now, let’s discuss grass fed beef vs conventional beef. Conventionally raised cattle are finished on a diet of corn, kept in crowded, filthy pens and are generally in poor health. Their diet of grain makes them high in inflammatory omega 6 fats and low in healthier omega 3 fats. Conventional cattle are often pumped full of antibiotics and steroid hormones which are known to help them pack on the weight quickly. Overall, conventional beef is a far different animal than grass fed beef and can hardly be compared.

Grass fed and grass finished beef are raised in their natural environment, eating their natural diet. This means they have far fewer health problems and do not need hormones or antibiotics to fight disease or make them gain weight. They are raised in sunlight and natural pastures making their environment far healthier and far less stressful.

Grass fed beef has a different fat profile than conventional beef. Grass fed beef can have up to 5X the amount of omega 3 fatty acids as conventionally-raised beef. Omega 3 fatty acids lower inflammation, and have been found to help prevent heart disease, strokes, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis. Omega 3 fats also help prevent Alzheimer’s, depression and anxiety, as well as ADHD.

Grass fed meat has lower levels of saturated fat compared to grain fed beef and it contains a very important type of fat called “conjugated linoleic acid”. CLA is a potent cancer fighting compound. CLA has slowed the growth of an unusually wide variety of tumors, including cancers of the skin, breast, prostate, and colon.

Grass fed cattle contain three to five times more CLA than conventionally-raised meat. In a Finnish study, women who had higher levels of CLA in their diets had a 60% lower risk of breast cancer than women who had low levels of CLA.

Grass fed beef contains more antioxidants, pound for pound than conventionally-raised meat.

Beef contains all the amino acids your body needs to synthesize protein. It’s a very high quality source of protein. Body builders and weekend warriors alike eating plenty of beef find they easily build muscle and lower their risk of injury. Beef also contains beta-alanine, an amino acid that helps create carnosine. Carnosine is vital to the muscle power and increases your ability to perform high intensity exercise.

Eating more protein—not less—is essential not only to good health, but also in keeping blood sugar low and preventing diabetes and obesity. Meat is one of the highest quality sources of protein.

So that brings us to burgers. The ubiquitous burger. They are certainly not all the same.

And that leads me to my controversial statement: “Burgers are the most perfect food.”

Let’s discuss…

We all know burgers can be delicious. They are incredibly adaptable. And ground beef can be one of the most economical cuts of meat—even grass fed ground beef.

Burgers are great plain, but they can become a masterpiece of your culinary skills and creativity, depending on what you add—or subtract—from them.

First of all, I’d recommend you ditch the doughy bun. Grains are inflammatory and not Paleo, although you can find grain-free buns. Even better, eat your burger with a lettuce wrap for a bun—or try a collard green wrap for some extra nutrition—just blanch first to make the collards easier and more tender.

You can also drastically boost the nutrition power of your beef by adding in some liver, beef heart or kidney. Chop in the food processor and mix in your ground beef and you won’t even taste it—you’ll just get all the massive health benefits.

Use healthy condiments. Some delicious avocado mayo, sugar free catsup, whole ground mustard, jalapenos, avocado, sliced sweet onion, sautéed mushrooms, and a fresh, ripe, juicy sliced tomato are great ways to up your burger game. Pile on those fun toppings. Don’t forget fun toppings like sauerkraut, kimchi, coleslaw or baby greens.

The sky’s the limit! High quality burger toppings make for a higher quality burger.

And last but not least, don’t forget the bacon, a good quality grass fed cheese, or even an egg for some extra protein.

You can create a different burger theme every night of the week! Enjoy that delicious, perfect, juicy grass fed burger!

References
https://www.webmd.com/diet/grass-fed-beef-good-for-you#3
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/healthier-burger/
https://www.leanandtenderbeef.com/Blog/10-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Grass-Fed-Beef/
https://sustainabledish.com/meat-is-magnificent/
https://grasslandbeef.com/?placement=&network=g&loc_physical_ms=9028818&store_code=&device_model=&loc_interest_ms=&albert_targetid=kwd-17111085630&albert_campaignid=2037231091&product_country=&feeditemid=&device=c&albert_keyword=us%20wellness%20meats&merchant_id=&product_id=&albert_category=&matchtype=e&product_partition_id=&product_channel=&albert_creativeid=414874517196&product_language=&albert_agid=70065469337&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5auGBhDEARIsAFyNm9HCaAPzk-RAkIfOp1OJOJCcA3AtYXzuU47izQPDXV3b8hkQ1tsSArYaAnn5EALw_wcB

The post Why Hamburgers are the Perfect Food appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling, BSN,co-author of the best-sellers: The Fat Burning Kitchen,The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging&The Diabetes Fix

Fake meat sales are soaring, thanks to a couple of new product offerings out there that look and supposedly taste like real meat. Are they better for the planet? Are they better for our health?

Once upon a time there was only Tofurky and Gardenburgers to eat instead of meat. Now ‘fake meat’ is the new trendy food at restaurants that even include TGI Fridays and White Castle.

Fake meat sales have grown because of the growing interest in lessening the environmental impact of climate change, due in part, say the ardent vegans, by the concentrated animal factory operations (CAFO’s) that plague the countryside of the United States and other industrialized countries.

With big celebrities like Leonard di Caprio promoting companies that make fake meat like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger, droves of people are now purchasing these meat alternatives in hopes of improving both their own health and the planet’s health. And, besides plant-derived meat alternatives, veggie burgers are now facing competition from the real thing—sort of—lab-grown meat. Yes, ‘real’ meat that does not come from an animal. Grown in a lab instead.

But really, are these ‘meats’ good for you—or the planet?

Remember tofu? Every vegan’s favorite meat-substitute. While generally tasteless on its own, tofu absorbed flavors and seasoning to adapt to most any recipe. (Soy products have been shown to not be healthy for you).

Attempts to make meat substitutes have been around forever, but growing increase in demand has increased the products that are now available. Fast forward to today, when plant-based meat is far more sophisticated—looking more and tasting more like the real thing.

Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger have utilized new research to make their products even more meat-like. Other meatless ‘meat’ companies include Gardein, Tofurky (yes, it’s still around), Fieldroast, Lightlife, Morningstar, Trader Joe’s, and Target’s own brand, Simply Balanced.

Beyond Meat worked with scientists at the University of Missouri to develop pea proteins and other plant-based proteins, along with things like beet juice to create that ‘bloody’ look like a real juicy burger.

Impossible Foods was actually founded by a biologist who has attempted to copy the juice that a real burger contains. Impossible Foods does this by using a type of plant-based ‘blood’ from soy, which has drawn some criticism. More on that later.

Aside from these plant-based meats that are emerging, a new technology has been brewing in a lab. Lab-grown meats are a complex scientific technology to re-create real meat, in a lab. Lab meat is actually grown from cell tissues harvested from real meat. However, growing a group of cells in a laboratory is far different that raising an animal with meat, so the lab meat products are still a work in progress.

One clean meat startup created a single cultured meatball at a cost of around $18,000 a pound. It’s unlikely it will make it to your grocery store shelves for a while yet, although the cost of production is rapidly decreasing as more and more “clean meat” companies appear. A couple companies in the race now predict they may have ‘real’ affordable lab meat by 2020.

So what exactly are we eating when we eat these meat substitutes?

When I eat grass-fed/grass-finished burger raised on an organic farm, I know exactly what I am getting. But eating plant-based manufactured ‘meat’ is a whole different story, and these foods don’t seem exactly like health foods either.

While I cannot list every single ingredient in all the plant-based substitute meats, the (new improved) ingredients of one of the most popular meat-substitutes include: water, soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, sunflower oil, natural flavors, potato protein, methylcellulose, yeast extract, cultured dextrose, food starch modified, soy leghemoglobin, salt, soy protein isolate, vitamins and minerals. How ‘natural’ is that?

Soy has been controversial for our health for a number of years. Why? Well for one, if it is not organic, it has been doused with glyphosate just days before harvest, and no doubt you are getting a load of that toxic substance as soon as you bite into that meatless burger.

Soy also contains goitrogens which block thyroid function, phytates which prevent mineral absorption, and phytoestrogens which can cause natural estrogen to go awry in the body.

Now let’s address the other controversial ingredient in fake meat—leghemoglobulin, which also comes from soy. This is the stuff they put in the Impossible Burger to look and taste like blood.

The key ingredient, designed to look like real blood, actually does not meet the basic FDA, Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status. This soy ‘heme’ is a bio-engineered protein additive that adds the meat-like taste and color. This GMO product is something that we as humans have never eaten before. Impossible Foods recognizes that SLH has never been widespread in the human diet in a natural or genetically engineered form.

According to this article in Huffpost (Aug, 2017) and several other news articles, Impossible Foods admitted that up to a quarter of the ‘heme’ ingredient in the burgers was also composed of 46 “unexpected” animal proteins, some of which have been identified and none that have been assessed for safety as of yet.

Impossible Foods put this genetically engineered product on the market even though the company has admitted to the FDA that it had not conducted safety tests. Despite the FDA’s warnings, Impossible Foods went ahead and started selling the Impossible Burger in 2016.

Uhh, please pass the REAL grass-fed beef burger…

What about some of the other meat substitutes? While they may not have the controversial GMO soy ingredient in them, most of them are highly processed foods, with lots of filler ingredients like wheat protein (gluten), starches and fillers, pea protein, isolated soy protein, natural and artificial flavors (no one knows WHAT these are), salt, sugars, and MSG. Honestly, those are not healthy ingredients, they are processed food ingredients, and many of those have their own health risks.

While Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods meats have similar amounts of protein, they are full of other UN-natural ingredients. I honestly don’t understand the thought process of wanting to eat a processed fake meat instead of real meat from a grass-fed cow or pasture-raised chicken.

Granted, I understand some of the reasoning to avoid the conventionally-raised, drug-filled, cruelly treated, polluting, CAFO meat from cattle or poultry. And to some extent, eating fake meat gets around some of the methane, CO2 emissions, and toxic runoff issues that surround CAFO meat.

However, synthetic biology has its own issues. What about this new lab-grown meat, otherwise known as “clean meat”. This is ‘Frankenburger’ for sure!

Lab-grown meat comes from stem cells from an animal’s muscle tissue, combined with a serum (usually from the fetuses of dead cows). After the cells are fed sugar and salts, they begin to grow into actual muscle fibers. Sometimes fat tissue is added to the meat to make it seem more ‘real’.

Yes, this so-called ‘clean meat’ is possibly better for the environment and uses less land and water, and the lab-grown meat producers say it will help to provide a solution to the need for meat for a growing population. Little is known about lab-grown meat at this point however; it thus far is extremely expensive to produce.

And what about nutrition? Certainly, meat grown in a petri dish cannot offer the natural health benefits that grass-fed meat does.

While large-scale industrial meat production takes its toll on our health, and the health of the earth, sustainable alternative do exist. Cattle that graze on land that is unusable for crops actually improve the soil quality of the earth by fertilizing it as they graze.

Compare that to all the industrial processing and packaging that goes into a fake meat like Impossible Burger. Mono-cropped grains, pesticides and fertilizers that destroy the natural, living soil, and fossil fuels that are used for large-scale farming and processing, along with factories to produce it, trucks and trains to transport it, and packaging of cardboard, ink and plastic.

If you can get away from CAFO meats, you will find that grass-fed, pastured-raised meats and poultry offer you far more NATURAL nutrition in a one-ingredient product. Naturally-raised meats contain far more healthy omega 3 fats, cancer-fighting conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), real bioavailable heme iron, vitamin A, and health-promoting antioxidants than grain-fed, unhealthy CAFO meat and poultry.

While some think the primary goal of avoiding meat is to stop the suffering of animals, compare a diet of grass-fed meat, dairy and pasture-raised chickens that eat a natural diet based on naturally-growing grass from un-tilled, naturally fertilized soil, that allows other animals to thrive as well.

Animals like gophers, snakes, toads, mice, rabbits, birds, insects, worms, grubs, and fish still live on this land that is alive. Cattle and chickens graze on the grass, leaving behind manure that goes back into the soil and nourishes it.

Compare this to mono-cropped fields, cleared of all natural plants, grasses, weeds, trees and animals, covered in artificial fertilizers, herbicides with genetically modified grains and watered with irrigated soil from a depleted river. Is this natural? Is this humane?

There is much that goes into this equation, and livestock get much of the blame, as do meat-eaters. Eating high-tech, manufactured, processed fake meat will not save us, our health, or the planet.

Here is a great quote from Dana Perls in an article published the The Medium, criticizing food tech:

“Instead of investing in risky new food technologies that are potential problems masquerading as solutions, shouldn’t we be investing in proven, beneficial, regenerative agriculture and transparent, organic food that consumers are actually demanding?”

A big part of the issue here is that we, as a whole, seem to have a total disconnect from nature. We humans are part of nature, and learning to eat NATURALLY, in a more sustainable way, is the answer. Not technologically-created food.

References
https://draxe.com/grass-fed-beef-nutrition/
https://draxe.com/lab-grown-meat-food-technology/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beef-of-the-future-is-here-and-its-not-made-of-meat_n_5b158064e4b010565aaeb066
https://sustainabledish.com/fake-burgers-make-no-sense/
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/clean-lab-grown-meat-plant-based-burger

The post Fake Meat vs Real Meat appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Nearly everyone talks about doing a ‘detox’ diet, especially as a New Year’s resolution. But almost anytime is a good time to detoxify your body. A detox can help you make a starting point for a clean diet that results in better health, weight loss or fighting cancer. A detox diet can be a healthy way to get back on track both mentally and physically, and to clear out toxins so your body knows exactly what it needs to do to optimize your health. Think of it as a way of cleaning house.

Our bodies have the ability to be constantly detoxifying. Our skin, our kidneys, our digestive system, our livers, lungs and lymph system are all working hard to continually detox our systems from toxins that come from our environment, the air we breathe, pesticides and chemicals in our food, and toxins in products we use on our bodies.

The problem comes when things like stress, a buildup of chemicals from ultra-processed foods, air pollution, or other toxic substances overload our system and clog up the body’s natural ability to clean. A toxic system means increased inflammation, a lowered immune response, mutated DNA and unhealthy cells, and an open door to serious, chronic disease like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, dementia and cancer.

Removing the ‘toxic sludge’ so to speak will help get your body back in balance and allow it to detoxify and remove unhealthy substances, absorb and assimilate nutrients better, and rebuild. It is a great way to ‘reset’ your system. You will feel more energy, feel clearer headed and be in a better mood, sleep better, recover from exercise better and enjoy life more with a clean, healthy, functioning system.

If you have ever been diagnosed with cancer, or maybe you fear you may get it at some point—or even if you have just gotten way off-track with your diet, now is the time to detox.

Even if you are perfectly healthy, your body is invisibly fighting off cancer cells, infectious pathogens, inflammation and serious disease, so a detox is a good way to ‘clean house’ first as a healthy foundation for optimal health. Serious disease like cancer, is a sign your body has been poisoned, so cleaning out the dirt and muck will allow your own body’s defenses to take over and optimize your health and well being.

YOU are in control of your body and YOU are in control of your health.

There are many different types of detox diets available online. Just do a search of “detox diet” and you will find hundreds. Don’t feel like you have to buy bushel baskets of raw vegetables and juice every day. A good detox diet just needs to supply plenty of super-food antioxidant nutrients that your body needs, while also cleaning out the chemicals, sugar, junk and added ingredients that it doesn’t.

Following a few easy guidelines and incorporating some detox foods into your diet is the best way to optimize your body’s own built-in detox system and supply your liver, kidneys, and digestive system with the tools needed to clear out toxins efficiently.

Basic Detox

1. Remove the sugar

Cancer cells LOVE glucose and feed off of it! While the explanation for how sugar affects cancer cells is somewhat controversial and complex, sugar of all kinds promotes cancer, diabetes, heart disease, inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and obesity. In addition, sugar weakens the body’s immune defenses.

Removing all sugar and refined carbs will help to starve cancer cells, reset the body’s fat burning ability, and lower blood sugar. Cut out ANY foods that contain sugar, refined carbohydrates, grains, and even fruit—for now. Especially be sure to remove any fructose or high fructose corn syrup—this is like cancer ‘fuel’. Avoid all of these types of sugar:

• fructose (natural sugar from fruits)
• lactose (natural sugar from milk)
• sucrose (made from fructose and glucose)
• maltose (sugar made from grain)
• glucose (simple sugar, product of photosynthesis)
• dextrose (form of glucose)

Remove all processed carbohydrates such as breads, pastas, muffins, cookies, crackers, chips, cereals, etc. While these foods are often considered ‘healthy’, they are not. They are full of added sugars, highly refined grains (which turn into sugar in our bodies), additives and pesticide residues including glyphosate, a known carcinogen.

Avoid convenience meals, frozen dinners, and fast foods. Baked or fried carbohydrates are also full of advanced glycated end products, or AGE’s as well. This substance contributes to aging and chronic disease including cancers.

2. Keep it Ketogenic

On a detox, you want to not only help your body remove toxic sludge, but you also want to reset your blood sugar levels and your body’s primary energy source. Too many carbs and sugars in the diet will cause your body to not only store all that excess glucose as fat, but you will also stop burning fat for energy—your body’s best energy source.

While the body can easily burn through sugar and carbohydrates for energy, it is meant purely to be an emergency fuel for the ‘fight or flight’ response. A keto detox diet consisting of vegetables combined with select organic, naturally-raised meats/poultry/fish and healthy fats will turn your body back into a fat burning machine, lower inflammation and starve cancer cells in the process. Burning ketones for fuel (your body fat), helps you think more clearly, reduces hunger, eliminates excess fluids, lowers blood pressure, boosts fat loss, and improves your cholesterol.

Studies now show that a ketogenic diet can help lower risk factors for heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. In addition, a keto diet starves cancer cells, reduces seizures in epileptics, helps the brain recover from brain injuries better, and improve symptoms of Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.

3. Move more

Start pumping the oxygen naturally by getting in some light to moderate exercise each day for 45 minutes. When you exercise, you get your heart pumping harder, which increases your circulation and circulating oxygen.

Exercise also helps to stimulate your immune system and get your lymph system in gear removing toxins and clearing out dead cells. Exercise and oxygen actually help to starve cancer cells as well. And, exercise helps improve your mood by increasing your endorphins—your ‘feel good’ chemicals. A positive mood actually helps the body heal better and faster.

However, keep in mind your body is working hard to rid itself of toxic waste and you may be tired, so keep exercise moderate, and avoid heavy weights and high intensity workouts for now.

4. Get plenty of sleep

Part of a detox is allowing your body to rest and reset. A good detox will most likely make you feel more fatigued and lethargic, and possibly moody as you being to mobilize toxic substances out of your body. Your body needs to focus on cleaning and healing, so be sure to give it the rest it needs to do its best work. After a couple days of fatigue and rest, you may feel especially energized as your body starts to regain its balance and strength.

5. Distance yourself from electronic devices

Cell phones, WIFI, computers, electronic pads, even televisions all emit electromagnetic waves that can totally disrupt not only our own bio-electric functions, but they have been linked to a variety of cancers, especially brain cancers. To be safe, keep your cell phone as far away from your body and your head as possible, and avoid being bombarded with WIFI if you can. Try to limit your time on electronic devices and if you cannot avoid WIFI, at least get outside and far away from it as much as possible!

6. Remove the chemicals

Commercially-prepared shampoos, soaps, lotions, creams, hair products and deodorants are all loaded with hormone-disrupting, DNA damaging chemicals and carcinogenic ingredients. Revamp your toiletries by tossing out the chemical-laden ones and replacing with organic, natural products or stop using them all together. Also avoid using plastics and aluminum foil and baking dishes for cooking food storing leftovers, drinks, or microwaving.

7. Use only natural cleaning products

Home cleaning products are often extremely toxic. Avoid using window cleaners, antibacterial hand soaps, commercial laundry soaps, toilet cleaners, bathtub/sink scrubs, dish-washing liquids, etc. These products are full of carcinogens that get released into the air, onto surfaces, and absorbed by your body.

Replace all with natural cleaning supplies like vinegar, water, essential oils and natural/organic cleaning products. And if you are using any chemicals on your lawn or weeds like weed killer, bug spray and fertilizers, toss these out immediately! Better to have a weed or two in your lawn and garden than to have cancer!

8. Hydrate

Drinking copious amounts of clean spring water helps to cleanse and detox the kidneys, liver and digestive system and even improve cellular function. You should aim to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of clean, pure water either from a reverse osmosis system or fresh spring water. You can also add in a pinch of sea salt or Himalayan salt to get necessary nutrients, trace minerals, and electrolytes.

Organic herb teas contain powerful nutrients and antioxidants which help to purify and strengthen the body. Herb teas also contain natural detoxifying antioxidants and immune boosting ingredients such as green tea, rooibos, peppermint, dandelion and licorice root.

Include lots of lemons in your water. Fresh lemon juice contains an atomic structure similar to the body’s own digestive juices and the stimulate the liver into producing bile, which moves waste through and out of the body. Lemon water also acts as a mild diuretic, draining your system of excess fluids and furthering the detoxification. And lemons are full of vitamin C, an important antioxidant for your immune system.

9. Eat REAL organic, naturally-raised foods

Eat only one-ingredient/real, mostly plant-based foods, including lots of raw foods, naturally-raised meats/poultry/fish and healthy fats including coconut oil, grass fed butter and avocado, along with lots of nuts and seeds.

• Include lots of bitter greens—like dandelion, chard, kale and mustard greens—which help cleanse the kidneys, liver and gall bladder, as well as the digestive system. Dandelion greens, arugula, mustard greens and watercress contain powerful detox chemicals which cleanse and strengthen the body. Also include other deep green leafy veggies like chard, spinach, and kale. Cilantro and parsley naturally remove toxic metals from the body, and contain massive amounts of chlorophyll, phyto-chemicals, antioxidants and magnesium to boost your health.
• Brightly colored organic vegetables like deep green leafy veggies, cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and kale, red peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic all contain the highest amounts of antioxidants. These are super-foods and will not only help to detoxify the body but will strengthen and build up the body’s defenses by adding in tons of powerful phyto-chemicals, antioxidants and massive amounts of vitamins and minerals.
• While many detox diets recommend you follow a purely plant-based diet, there are many good reasons to include small amounts of high quality, organic, and naturally-raised/wild caught meat/poultry/seafood.

Grass fed and grass finished beef, bison, and poultry along with wild caught fish are full of healthy, anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats. Omega 3’s not only help to strengthen cells, lower inflammation, power up the immune system, but they also help to fight cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and other chronic conditions. Omega 3’s help supply your brain and nerve cells with the healthy fats they need to work efficiently.

A study at California State University also showed that the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a type of healthy fat in grass fed/grass finished meat helps fight cancer, discourages weight gain, and helps build healthy lean muscle. CLA is also in butter from grass fed cows.

After a few days to a week or two of a detox diet, you may want to consider Intermittent Fasting. Researchers have also found that intermittent fasting lowers the risk of degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia and even helps with recovery from strokes. It is thought IF protects the neurons against various kinds of damaging stress.

The point of intermittent fasting is that the periods of food deprivation allow your body to rest, further detoxify, renew and regenerate. Plenty of scientific studies on both animals and humans show that periodic fasting not only helps you lose weight but also increases your longevity.

Caloric restriction through fasting also helps to turn on genes that repair DNA and cells. This adaptation of IF may allow certain cells to actually live longer, preserving the body’s energy, according to a study published in the journal, Cell Metabolism. This may also be part of the reason that fasting helps to extend longevity as well.

There you have it. A good detox diet can open the doors to better health and well being and keep you on a healthy eating track. And, the basic principles of a detox diet like this can be utilized long term to help you sustain a healthy diet beyond a few days or a week—or help you get back on track after a period of poor food choices.

Stick to these basic rules of thumb, and include the healthy, detox-boosting foods in your diet regularly to stay on track with your health!

Most people who want to detox are looking to release a few pounds from their body while lifting brain fog, gain more energy, reduce bloat, and just simply feel better.

If that’s you, I urge you to read this.

This is especially important if you’ve tried one (or really ANY kind of diet at all) in the past, and failed. There’s a very specific reason it didn’t work for you, and this page explains everything.

Go here to read it now.

References
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/garlic-fact-sheet
https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/12-ways-to-prepare-detox-cleanse/
https://draxe.com/detox-diet/
https://draxe.com/cancer-fighting-foods/
https://drjockers.com/plant-based-ketogenic-diet/
https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/cancer-fighting-benefits-of-curcumin/
https://www.lifeextension.com/Magazine/2016/11/How-Pomegranate–May-Protect–Against-Cancer/Page-01
https://foodrevolution.org/blog/ginger-cancer-treatment/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321410.php
https://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/fact-sheets/cancer-reishi-mushroom-fact-sheet/article/647081/2/

The post The Best Detox Diet appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Avocados 

Avocados are a power-packed super food! Not only is this fruit super high in monounsaturated fat, but also chock full of vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, and antioxidants.

The healthy fats and other nutrition you get from avocados help stabilize blood sugar and insulin. The healthy fat content in avocados makes you feel full longer and takes away junk food cravings. And that equals a leaner, healthier body. Avocados contain plenty of oleic acid, the monounsaturated fat in olive oil, that helps lower cholesterol.

Avocados are also a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure and electrolytes. Adequate intake of potassium can help to guard against circulatory diseases, like high blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke.

One cup of avocado has about a quarter of your required daily amount of folate, or folic acid, a B vitamin that plays an essential role in making new cells by helping to produce healthy DNA and RNA. One study showed that individuals who consume folate-rich diets have a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke than those who do not consume as much of this vital nutrient.

Avocados are also a very concentrated dietary source of the carotenoid, lutein which is good for eye health. It also contains measurable amounts of related carotenoids, zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, plus significant quantities of vitamin E, all significant cancer-fighting ingredients. My favorite lunch or snack is an avocado sliced in half with Sriracha sauce and some canned albacore tuna.

Coffee

If you like your morning coffee, there’s good news for those who are fighting or trying to avoid diabetes. Drinking four cups of coffee every day can decrease the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by more than half, according to a new study from University of California, Los Angeles.

Caffeinated coffee raises the level of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in the blood, which reduces the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. Study participants were found to have a 56% less chance of developing diabetes when drinking 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day.

And, while too much caffeine can have negative effects like raising blood pressure, and causing anxiety, sleeplessness and stomach issues, just be sure to stop early in the day, so the caffeine in your system will be mostly gone by bedtime.

And if the caffeine bothers you, decaf coffee helps some too. A 2006 study in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine of 28,812 women found that those who drank six cups of decaffeinated coffee a day had a 22 % lower risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes than those who don’t drink any coffee.

And more good news about coffee drinking—a 2011 study in the Journal of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research revealed that coffee consumption helped to prevent disease connected with free radicals. The protection from your cup o’ joe can actually happen within just five days of regular consumption too. Just avoid drinking sweetened coffee with non-dairy creamers! Learn to enjoy your coffee black or with a touch of grassfed butter or coconut oil added.

One caveat about coffee though: the huge coffee industry is very environmentally unsustainable, uses tons of pesticides, and is worse for the environment than ever before, so always buy from organic and sustainable sources.  You can also read Mike’s article here with 3 tricks to make your coffee super healthy

Wild Caught Fish, Grass-Fed Meat and Free-Range Poultry, Eggs and (Raw, Unpasteurized) Cheeses 

What an animal eats before you eat it, is of extreme importance to you. Commercially raised meats, including fish, poultry and livestock are fed a diet of corn and corn byproducts, soy and soy hulls, discarded brewery grain, etc.

A similar diet is fed to farmed fish, and free-range poultry. Animals were not meant to eat grains and the grains actually make the animals sickly, creating a need for antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. Antibiotics are also routinely given to cattle, fish and poultry in an effort to fatten them up and make them grow faster. All of this remains in the meat you eat.

The old adage, “you are what you eat” is the same for animals. Animals fed a junk-food diet, and raised in dirty, overcrowded conditions do not create the nutritionally sound protein or healthy fats that naturally raised animals do. And most of the toxins that remain from the pesticides and other additives given to them are stored in their fat and livers, so not only do you not get healthy fats eating CAFO (commercially raised meat), you get a mouthful of toxic chemicals.

Naturally raised, antibiotic and hormone free cattle, poultry and fish contain the highest amounts of nutrients possible, because these animals are eating their natural diet. Their fat contains more of the healthy omega 3 fats and other essentially fatty acids as well.

And one more thing—animals and fish raised in large commercial feeding operations are mistreated, live a miserable life and are sick and crowded. It takes a massive amount of water to raise them and their filthy, toxic excrement pollutes the oceans, seas and the land—and your body!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Consuming vinegar before meals and at bedtime has been shown to lower post-meal glucose by 34%, according to an Arizona State University study. The subjects took 20 grams of apple cider vinegar with 40 grams of water and (don’t use this—use stevia instead) saccharin.

It is thought that the vinegar slows the absorption of carbohydrates into the blood or slows the breakdown of starches eaten into sugars. The study also shows that vinegar increases insulin sensitivity, perhaps acting similarly to metformin, a common diabetes drug.

And other studies have shown that vinegar at bedtime reduces fasting blood glucose in the morning as well. Postprandial glucose measurements (post meal) actually make up the majority of the HbA1c level in the blood—one of the most important measurements of long-term blood sugar stability.

Pretty amazing for something you can pick up at your grocery store for a just a couple dollars! Apple cider vinegar is good for everyone, so get in the habit of taking a little bit of it every day. I like it on salads with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, too!  Here’s another article from TheAlternativeDaily on everyday uses for apple cider vinegar to improve your health.

Nuts and Seeds

Almonds and walnuts sit at the top of the list for nutrition, but many other varieties of nuts and seeds are healthy, too, including pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, pecans, cashews, macadamias, and brazil nuts–and even though they are actually a legume and not a nut–peanuts.

1. Nuts are the perfect snack. Protein and fat in nuts helps you feel satisfied and stop cravings, and since nuts have no sugars, they keep your blood sugar stable. All varieties of nuts, except cashews, are extremely low on the glycemic index, so they are a great snack for those of you trying to lower blood sugar.
2. Besides their lean body benefits, nuts are a highly nutritious food to include in your diet.
3. Nuts are high in healthy fats, which help satisfy your cravings and keep you from over-indulging in sweet or starchy.
4. Nuts are chock-full of hard-to-get minerals, such as copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc and selenium. Selenium is a potent cancer-fighting mineral, and aids the thyroid gland, which regulates metabolism, and fat burning in the body.
5. Potassium is an important electrolyte involved in nerve transmission, heart function and blood pressure. Magnesium is nature’s calming agent, and is excellent for heart health and blood sugar. Nuts are also a good source of fiber and protein, which of course, you know helps to control blood sugar and can aid in weight loss.

Choose raw nuts or raw nut butters instead of roasted nuts if you can; it helps to maintain the quality and nutritional content of the healthy fats that you will eat.

Olive Oil

We now know that a diet rich in monounsaturated fats like olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, is very beneficial to our overall health. Today, most olive oil comes from Mediterranean areas in Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal and Turkey. Olive oil varieties are a bit like wine, where different growing conditions, soil and weather dictate the taste, color and amount of polyphenols or antioxidants in the oil. Extra virgin olive oil is made from the crushing and the first cold pressing of olives. Extra virgin olive oil has the heartiest, fruitiest flavor and most health benefits.

Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that researchers are discovering has numerous significant health benefits. If you compare the Mediterranean diet, where olive oil is the main fat used, to the standard diet of the United States, where other fats such as animal fats, hydrogenated fats and highly processed vegetable oils like corn oil and soybean oil dominate, you will see some huge differences!

People who use olive oil regularly, especially in place of other fats, have much lower rates of heart disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and asthma.

A Spanish study done a few years ago and published in the scientific journal, Diabetes Care, showed a Mediterranean style diet rich in olive oil reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes by almost 50 percent compared to a low fat diet. Previous studies have shown that a Mediterranean style diet rich in olive oil may prevent Type 2 Diabetes by improving blood sugar levels, insulin resistance and blood lipid levels. Olive oil also helps to lower triglyceride levels, which is directly related to high blood sugar, and a key component to the development of heart disease.

Diets using ample amounts of olive oil improved adiponectin levels, thus reducing inflammation and heart attack risks. Adiponectin, a hormone produced in the body, and secreted by fat cells, regulates sugar and fat metabolism, improves insulin sensitivity, and has anti-inflammatory effects on the cells lining the blood vessel walls. Low blood levels of adiponectin are a marker for metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes, and are also associated with increased heart attack risk.

Three other recent studies suggest that such heart-healthy effects from olive oil are due not only to its high content of monounsaturated fats, but also to its hefty concentration of antioxidants, including chlorophyll, carotenoids and the polyphenolic compounds tyrosol, hydrotyrosol and oleuropein—all of which not only have free radical scavenging abilities. By reducing both inflammation and free radical damage, olive oil protects the lining of our blood vessels, helping to maintain its ability to relax and dilate, and helping reduce high blood pressure.

Olive oil varies greatly in taste and appearance depending on where it comes from. One scientist observed that the higher quality olive oils produced a throat-stinging sensation when swallowed. A compound in olive oil (oleocanthal), which is a powerful anti-inflammatory, actually works as well as medications like ibuprofen. To check for this anti-inflammatory, taste a spoonful of olive oil, and see how strongly it stings the back of the throat. The greater the sting, the greater the oleocanthal content.

Grass Fed Butter

Healthy oils and fats are key to good health.  Together they work as a team to supply your body with essential fatty acids for blood sugar stabilization, longevity, hormone balance, heart health, sharp vision, glowing moist skin and energy.

It is not cholesterol and saturated fats in our diets that contributes to heart attacks, but a combination of high blood sugar and insulin from too much sugary, starchy foods, and eating highly processed, inflammatory vegetable oils, including soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil and canola oil.

Of course, natural fats in general are beneficial to the body. Fat is converted to fuel, which is burned as an energy source, as long as you are not eating a diet high in sugar or starch. Fat helps our bodies absorb nutrients; particularly calcium and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

Most butter substitutes are junk that should never be consumed by humans, despite the “healthy” labels. Butter is low glycemic and stabilizes blood sugar, and it gives you important and necessary nutrition and it helps reduce appetite and cravings. The only source of healthy butter is from organic, grass fed cows.  Mike also has an article here about the benefits on artery health of grass-fed dairy fat.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is the new superfood oil. In terms of how coconut oil helps blood sugar, studies have found that coconut oil can help to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and raise the good HDL cholesterol—both of which help to prevent heart disease. And a study published in 2009 showed that mice fed coconut oil had less insulin resistance and less body fat than mice fed lard. The study is interesting because it helps explain human studies showing that people who incorporate medium chain ‘fatty acids’ from coconut lose body fat.

Coconut oil is a medium chain triglyceride, which means it is metabolized differently than most fats. Unlike long chain fatty acids from animal fats, MCT’s are small enough to enter mitochondria – the cells’ energy-burning powerhouses, where they are converted immediately to energy, and they also slow the absorption of other carbohydrates eaten at the same time. Coconut oil boosts energy and endurance, and enhances the athletic performance.

Coconut oil is is also easy to digest and helps the thyroid gland function well (critical to metabolism and weight loss).

Pure virgin coconut oil (make sure it is not hydrogenated) is actually one of the best options for cooking oil, due to its highly stable nature under heat. This makes it much less inflammatory to your body compared to other oils such as soybean oil, corn oil, or other “vegetable” oils. This article here describes more details about cooking oils and which are healthy vs. unhealthy

Beans (for some people, but not others)

Beans (including black, white, navy, lima, pinto, garbanzo, soy, and kidney beans) are a terrific combination of slow-burning carbohydrates, satisfying protein, and loads of fiber that helps you feel satisfied, stabilize blood-sugar levels, and keeps hunger in check. Beans are inexpensive, versatile, and filling.

Beans and other legumes have been proven to regulate blood glucose and insulin levels, with their high fiber and low glycemic index, according to a  study on Nutrition and Metabolism at the University of Toronto. The report was published online Oct. 22 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Beans and legumes not only improve blood sugar levels, but they also help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol according to some studies. These improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar add up to better diabetes control and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, the researchers said. Beans provide a heart-healthy, nutritious and more affordable alternative to eating processed meats and dairy foods.

But a Word of Warning on Beans:  Beans and other legumes do contain more lectins and other digestive-irritants than most other types of foods.  With this in mind, for people with sensitive digestive systems, beans can many times just make digestive problems worse.  But for people with completely healthy digestive systems, beans can be healthy, even if they do cause some flatulence.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables: Chard, Spinach, Baby Greens, Kale

Leafy greens deliver a bonanza of health benefits and massive nutrition in the form of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.

Leafy greens are packed with magnesium and amino acids which lower blood sugar and control insulin. Magnesium is an essential nutrient for over 300 functions in the body, and leafy greens are one of the biggest sources of this vital nutrient. In addition to its blood sugar-controlling abilities, it assists in metabolism of carbohydrates, and reduces cravings for sugar.

Leafy vegetables are an ideal fat burning food, as they are typically very low in calories. They also ward off the risk of cancer and heart disease since they are low in fat, high in dietary fiber, and rich in folic acid, vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins, iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium, as well as containing a host of super-powered phytochemicals.

Dark green leafy vegetables are, for a low calorie food, one of the most concentrated sources of nutrition of any food. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect all of our cells from damage and our eyes from macular degeneration and cataracts, among other benefits. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of healthy omega 3 fats. Carotenoids, which are the antioxidants in orange, red, yellow and green vegetables have been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes Type 2 by up to 20% or so. Carotenoids are present in most all vegetables—so eating the brightest and deepest colored ones ensures you get a good dose of this powerful phytochemical!

The rock star nutrient dark green leafy vegetables is vitamin K. A cup of cooked greens provides about nine times the minimum recommended amount of vitamin K. This overlooked vitamin is responsible for preventing atherosclerosis by reducing calcium buildup in arteries, preventing inflammation, and regulating blood clotting.

Greens have very few carbohydrates–which makes them very low glycemic–and lots of fiber, which make them slower to digest. So, greens themselves have very little impact on blood sugar.

When you have a choice, a variety of greens is always best, as each has its own family of nutrients. Go for as many different colors and shades of green as you can!

A Word of Warning on Eating Too Much Leafy Greens:  Again, similar to beans, some people with sensitive digestive systems can experience worsening of their digestion by eating too much leafy greens or too many total veggies.  Mike explains more at this article:  4 reasons why you can eat too many veggies

Cruciferous Veggies

Scientists have been studying the role inflammation plays in obesity and Diabetes and other diseases, and found that chronic inflammation actually leads to insulin resistance, raising the risk of weight gain and Type 2 Diabetes. Eating foods rich in vitamin C such as cruciferous vegetables helps to lower inflammation and keep it in check, thereby lowering the risk of diabetes.

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are also rich in potassium, which regulates glucose metabolism. Potassium is necessary for beta cells in the pancreas to ‘sense’ elevated blood sugar levels, and respond by secreting insulin.

Cruciferous vegetables are also particularly good at counteracting xenoestrogens in our environment. Xenoestrogens are artificial, chemical estrogens (a female hormone) that come from toxic chemicals in our environment, plastics, cosmetics, and food additives. Xenoestrogens are powerful hormone disrupters and have been implicated in a variety of medical problems, and during the last 10 years many scientific studies have found hard evidence of adverse effects on human and animal health, including weight gain, obesity, and diabetes.

Cruciferous vegetables are rich in natural chemicals called indoles and isothiocyanates, which protect against many cancers. And broccoli sprouts contain 10 times as much sulforaphane, a cancer-protective substance, than does mature broccoli.  Here’s a full blog we wrote on how broccoli fights cancer and inflammation.

Garlic and Onions

Garlic and onions’ pungent odor and taste comes from their powerful sulphur-containing compounds. The primary ingredient is Allicin, known for its antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antioxidant properties.

Allicin, along with other powerful compounds in both onions and garlic have a profound effect on your circulatory, digestive and immunological systems, which helps to lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels, and raise the levels of HDL (good cholesterol) in your body.

Garlic and onions are especially effective to stimulate insulin and stabilize blood sugar. A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that both garlic and onions effectively improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.

Garlic has also long been acclaimed as helping to prevent heart disease and strokes—two serious health risks for diabetics. Onions also contain a hefty amount of the antioxidant, quercetin (especially red onions), which helps to reduce inflammation, fight allergies,  heart disease, and cancer.

Garlic’s health benefits come from fresh garlic (not powdered or in a jar). The potent chemicals in garlic are released when garlic is crushed, minced or chopped and sits for a few minutes. Add raw garlic to your meals three times a day, or crush garlic, and swallow with a glass of water.

Garlic and onions’ amazing health benefits make it well worth the bad breath you may encounter!  This article we wrote explains more benefits of onions and why onions are a common food among centenarians living to over 100.

Berries and Cherries

Eating a low glycemic diet means eliminating a lot of sweets. While your taste buds adjust, you may crave something sweet, and berries like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and cherries are perfect—and exceptionally good for you as well! Berries and cherries are low-glycemic superfoods packed with powerful antioxidants, vitamins, fiber and little natural sugar.

Berries deep color comes from a compound called anthocyanin, which is a flavonoid antioxidant that has been shown to reduce insulin resistance and help control blood sugar.

A cup of strawberries contains over 100 mg of vitamin C, which is way better than orange juice! Vitamin C strengthens the immune system and helps build strong connective tissue. Strawberries also contain calcium, magnesium, folate and potassium and very few calories. Always buy organic strawberries, as non-organic strawberries are one of the highest sprayed crops and soak up all those pesticides and herbicides.

One cup of blueberries offers a smaller amount of vitamin C, but high amounts of minerals and some extremely beneficial phytochemicals, with very few calories. Blueberries are also extremely high in antioxidants, as are cranberries. And raspberries offer vitamin C, potassium and a variety of other antioxidants.You can choose other berries with similar power-packed nutrition, such as loganberries, currants, gooseberries, lingonberries and bilberries.  Here’s another article we wrote about 5 reasons to eat more cherries for your health.

Dark Chocolate

Every once in a while you need a sweet, satisfying treat, and chocolate seems to fit the bill—but just remember, it does contain some sugar, so limit your treat to one or two pieces. Dark chocolate is actually good for you, but it can’t be just any old chocolate you grab off the shelf.

One of the major reasons diets and other weight loss programs fail is because you end up feeling deprived. Life isn’t about that! It’s about changing your bad habits, and allowing yourself to indulge in small amounts, once in a while. Integrating chocolate and in small doses into your daily diet, can help your fat burning, low-glycemic diet be successful!

Chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree, Theobroma CacaoPlant. Cocoa contains several antioxidants which are effective in preventing weight gain and Type 2 Diabetes by curbing the appetite and improving glucose tolerance. These flavonoids are plant-based compounds with powerful antioxidant properties, which means they reduce inflammation, promote healthy arteries, and help fight aging by preventing–and repairing–cellular damage. A small bar of dark chocolate can contain the same amount of antioxidants as six apples, four and a half cups of tea, or two glasses of red wine.

Good dark chocolate can serve as an appetite suppressant, lower your blood pressure, improve your mood, and add antioxidants. Dark chocolate’s bitter taste helps regulate appetite and the cocoa butter may help the stomach feel full longer. And—chocolate contains an ingredient that is a mood elevator, along with magnesium, a mineral that helps control blood sugar and helps you feel calm and relaxed, while lowering your blood pressure.

Keep in mind that milk chocolate and white chocolate are full of sugar, and don’t offer the same health benefits as dark chocolate. Instead, reach for the good quality dark, organic chocolate, without all the sweet additions like caramel, toffee, etc. Generally, chocolates in the range of 70-80% cocoa have the best taste but have much lower sugar levels than milk chocolate. The darker the better.  Here’s an article about the benefits of dark chocolate on your gut health.

Seaweed

New studies report that certain seaweeds slow down the processing of carbohydrates, which keeps blood sugar from spiking. The study, published in Food Chemistry evaluated 15 different levels and found that five brown seaweed types had the most powerful enzymes which slow the metabolism of carbohydrates. Brown seaweed extracts appear to the ability to interfere with the release of simple sugars as well, which reduces post-meal blood sugar spikes. Other research on seaweed shows seaweed’s ability to help to lower blood pressure.

In addition to the many vitamins and minerals, and powerful plant chemicals seaweed contains, seaweed is also known to help with weight loss. While many of the seaweeds studied are specific types of brown seaweed, you can help yourself to Nori wraps that you can find in a health food store or Asian market. Nori wraps make great wraps for most any kind of filling. Try them filled with tuna salad!  If you want to learn more about seaweed benefits for your health, read this article.

Green Tea

People have been drinking tea since ancient times and even today, it is still one of the most popular drinks in the world—besides water. Of the many health benefits of tea, diabetes prevention is one of them.

Through a complex biochemical reaction, tea, especially green tea, helps to sensitize cells so they are better able to metabolize sugar. A Japanese study published in the Diabetes and Metabolism Journal in 2013, found that people who drank 6 cups of tea a day were 33% less likely to gain weight, develop insulin resistance or Type 2 Diabetes.

It does this by slowing the action of a particular digestive enzyme called amylase. This enzyme is pivotal in the breakdown of starches (carbs), that can cause blood sugar levels to soar following a meal. This is pretty exciting stuff!

It is known that tea contains antioxidants called ‘polyphenols’, which reduce oxidative stress, and cause vasodilation which expands and relaxes blood vessels, reducing blood pressure, and lessening the chances for heart attacks and strokes.

While black tea has many health benefits, green tea is the clear winner. Green tea contains higher polyphenol levels. In fact, if you were to go to PubMed.com and do a search for green tea, you’d find over 2,000 studies performed on green tea and its components. Other benefits include weight loss, cancer prevention, antioxidant activity, cognitive enhancement, general good health and well being… and the list goes on and on.

Green tea is also a great fat burning substance. Green tea aids weight loss by increasing the metabolic rate, causing those who use it to experience a small increase in calorie burn, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In fact it has been shown to lower of body fat AND of cholesterol levels.

In short, green tea’s health benefits are a result of several mechanisms, including increased metabolism, a positive effect on blood sugar and insulin regulation, and the inhibition of certain enzymes, which are required for the processing of carbohydrates and fats.

Red Wine

Yay! Red wine can be okay for a low-glycemic diet! A small glass of red wine a day can actually help keep blood sugar under control, along with a healthy, low glycemic diet.

The natural phytochemicals found in red grape skins known as polyphenols can help the body regulate glucose levels, preventing potentially dangerous peaks and valleys in blood sugar levels.

A recent study on wine found that some of the antioxidants in red wine interact with human cells that are involved in the development of fat cells, energy storage and blood sugar regulation. These polyphenols are actually comparable to the same action that the diabetes drug Avandia controls. Moderate wine drinking—especially red wines has been associated with health benefits for humans. Moderate means a small glass for women, and two glasses for men.

You can also read this article about how red wine can even help your gut health.

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