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

The grocery shelves seem to populate weekly with another new milk substitute. Right now, at my local health food grocery store, the non-dairy milk choices include: hemp milk, soy milk, coconut milk, flax milk, almond milk, cashew milk, macadamia milk, oat milk, pea milk, rice milk and even sunflower milk. It’s mind boggling! As we’ve pointed out before though, many of these alternative milks come with added sugars, flavoring, thickeners and processed vegetable oils, among other things—and little actual nutrition.

While some of us cannot tolerate regular dairy milk due to allergies to casein or lactose intolerance, there is still a strong case for why full fat, regular dairy milk may be the healthiest. The trick is of course, to decipher which type of dairy is healthiest. Is it skim milk with all the fat removed, or full fat dairy?

Given the current trend in diets with keto being so popular, I am always shocked and a bit surprised when seemingly well-informed people insist on only consuming low-fat or skim milk products. I thought this ‘anti-fat’ trend had passed, but to many people, fat is still evil and milk fat in the form of whole milk products is still perceived as being bad for your health. In truth, however, quite the contrary.

The United States seems to have some different ideas on fat when it comes to dairy. The French eat plenty of full fat dairy, real butter and cheese, and seem to actually have less incidence of obesity and chronic disease, along with the Swiss, who eat tons of full fat cheese and dairy products. Natives living in the mountains of Eastern Europe routinely live to the ripe old age of 100, consuming full fat dairy and kefir most of their lives. Add to that, the Maasi and Samburu tribes in Africa who eat a very high fat diet, yet are tall, slender and very healthy, with little incidence of any type of diseases.

Keep in mind, however, that these people are also NOT eating a diet full of inflammatory foods like sugar, corn syrup, processed foods with preservatives, or refined grains, like we consume in the U.S. and other parts of the world. These types of foods are big contributors to raising the risk for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases.

Milk fat has actually been shown to be protective to both heart health and avoiding weight gain. Consider some of the latest studies on dairy fat. One meta-analysis (that is, an analysis of 16 different studies) found that full fat dairy was inversely associated with chronic disease. People who ate the most high-fat dairy foods had the lowest risk for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, overall.

One fatty acid found in dairy fat, trans-palmitoleic acid, was correlated to healthier levels of cholesterol, lower inflammatory markers, healthier insulin levels, and higher insulin sensitivity. In this study, people with the most trans-palmitoleic acid had a 60% lower chance of developing diabetes.

Other studies show people eating the most high-fat dairy had a whopping 69% lower risk of death from a heart attack than those consuming low-fat dairy. And women eating two or more servings a week of low fat dairy, including skim milk and low-fat yogurt, had higher rates of infertility than others not consuming low-fat dairy.

What is in Dairy Fat That is So Healthy?

Dairy fat contains butyrate, phytanic acid, trans palmitoleic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), as well as the super vitamin, K2, and omega 3 fats. Keep in mind when we are talking about nutrients in dairy fat, we are mostly talking about grass-fed dairy, which contains the highest amounts of healthy fats and nutrients.

Cows need real grass and greens in their diets to make these healthy fats and nutrients, so it’s important to go for grass-fed sources. Not only does eating grass-fed dairy give you significantly higher omega 3s and CLA, you also get more vitamins K, D, and A, and less toxins than conventional, grain-fed options.

Butyric acid, which is also in butter, reduces inflammation and improves gut health, helps prevent colon cancer, and improves symptoms in Crohn’s disease, IBS, celiac disease and other inflammatory bowel conditions.

Butyric acid is an incredible anti-inflammatory agent that improves the beneficial bacteria in the gut, suppresses the growth of harmful bacteria, and prevents electrolyte loss during periods of diarrhea. In fact, butyrate’s anti-inflammatory effect is so effective that a dose of just four grams a day for eight weeks induced complete remission in a group of Crohn’s disease patients.

Butyric acid is also effective in fighting obesity and insulin resistance, and may help to promote the release of leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite.

Another fatty acid in dairy is phytanic acid, which reduces triglycerides (which can increase LDL cholesterol), improves insulin sensitivity, and stabilizes blood sugar. Another study of 2,600 people showed that trans palmitoleic acid, another healthy fat found in dairy, helped to lower triglycerides, lower insulin levels, lower blood pressure, and lower risk of diabetes.

One other high profile fat in grass-fed dairy products is conjugated linoleic acid or CLA, which reduces the risk of heart disease, helps the body burn fat more effectively, helps in weight loss, and lowers the risk of both cancer and diabetes.

CLA is best known for its ability to burn fat in the body. Several human studies show that doses of 3-4 grams a day will help build muscle mass better and burn body fat.

Studies on humans also show that CLA can increase your feeling of fullness after eating, making it the perfect addition to a fat-loss diet.

The anti-inflammatory functions of conjugated linoleic acid, help it support nearly every system in your body. Studies show that CLA plays a role in regulating the body’s inflammatory and immune responses, as well as boosting liver detoxification.

Conjugated linoleic acids boost the immune system and helps build resistance to infections, inflammatory disorders and other immune system imbalances like autoimmune disease and allergies.

One other advantage of both CLA and vitamin K2 is the bone-strengthening and protective effects. Dietary CLA significantly prevents losses in bone density by both increasing the body’s signals to absorb calcium. So, if you are looking to dairy for its ability to protect your bones, be sure you are eating full fat, grass-fed dairy.

Dairy fat from grass-fed cows also contains large amounts of the vitamin K2. While vitamin K1 is found in leafy greens, vitamin K2 is a vitamin found in grass-fed dairy products. Vitamin K2 helps to protect the blood vessels by preventing calcium buildup in them. Instead K2 instructs the body to send calcium to the bones and teeth, where it is needed the most. Vitamin K2 actually reduces arterial calcification, helps prevent arthritis, and is necessary for strengthening bones.

Another benefit of vitamin K2, comes from Dr. Westin Price who found that K2 helps the body to absorb and utilize vitamin D, as the two nutrients that work more effectively together.

Lastly, full fat grass-fed dairy contains one super fat you’ve probably heard about before–omega 3 fatty acids. We all know by now, how beneficial omega 3 fats are for heart health, brain health, anti-inflammatory health and fat burning, among many benefits. Pasture-raised dairy contains a good source of omega 3 fats—far more than regular conventional dairy contains.

Do You Only Get These Benefits from Full-Fat Grass-fed Dairy Products?

Many of the nutrients we discussed above are best found in full fat grass-fed dairy products. While grain-fed dairy can contain some of these benefits, there are far more in grass-fed dairy.

Conventionally raised dairy cows are also subject to inhumane treatment, growth hormones to keep them constantly producing milk non-stop, antibiotics and udder infections. In addition, the cows are fed grain that is most likely doused in the cancer-causing pesticide, glyphosate, as well as other harmful chemicals which show up in their milk—and in the products you eat as well.

So, if you are eating dairy products for the nutrients, be sure to include grass-fed, FULL fat dairy in your diet—as long as you don’t have dairy allergies or lactose intolerance. Full fat dairy is far healthier in every way, and tastes richer, sweeter and is far more satisfying. And beyond grass-fed, you may want to try (if you haven’t already) raw, unpasteurized, grass-fed milk or cheese, which has the MOST nutrients of all!

Hold the “nonfat cappuccino” and order the full fat one!

References
https://www.truthaboutabs.com/dairy-fat-is-healthy.html
https://www.bulletproof.com/supplements/aminos-enzymes/conjugated-linoleic-acid-benefits-supplement/
https://chriskresser.com/still-think-low-fat-dairy-is-the-healthy-choice-think-again/?utm_source=hubspot&utm_medium=email&utm_term=low-fat-dairy&utm_content=&utm_campaign=ck-consumer&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_BRITBrxuQOWLoZzDBoUSfPIqOEqKiXLpgjR5QmXIyAtyXgsyLStMloG9DVDHHLcrK19eV2uj3L9avmFfqyZ3JZFJAEQ&_hsmi=78377164
Geary & Ebeling, 2009. The Fat Burning Kitchen book,
https://www.truthaboutabs.com/the-fat-burning-kitchen-quiz-phys.html

The post Whole (Full Fat) Milk vs Non Fat Milk–Which is Better? appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Have you ever tried prosciutto? This is the Italian version of ham, but it is not sweet and it doesn’t have that maple-y flavor of ham. Prosciutto is actually an Italian dry-cured type of ham that has a better reputation than our U.S. versions of ham and bacon.

Prosciutto is part of the European “Protected Designation of Origin” which means that for it to be true prosciutto, it must come from a particular region in Italy—similar to how wine is produced in France.

Prosciutto is just quality raw ham, sea salt, air and about of year of curing. That is all. No sugars, no nitrates or nitrites, and no other chemicals to preserve it. No artificial anything. This means prosciutto is actually not consider a ‘processed meat’, but merely a dried meat.

If you are following a keto or Paleo diet, prosciutto is the better choice, since it never has added sugar, nor does it contain any carbohydrates.

Prosciutto is sliced super thin and is full of flavor. You certainly do not need to eat a lot of it to taste its presence or to feel satisfied. That is why the prosciutto in this recipe makes it so delicious—and different from your standard eggs and bacon or eggs and ham.

When you compare prosciutto with bacon, prosciutto wins hands down. It is lower in calories, lower in fat, lower in sugar and lower in salt—and it is never made with nitrates or any other chemicals, and it has a BIG taste!

Now, let’s talk about eggs. If you have noticed lately, shopping for eggs has become more confusing—there’s regular conventional factory farm eggs which means the poor chickens are packed into a warehouse under artificial light, given antibiotics and hormones and pesticide laden grain for feed. Their beaks are often cut off so they don’t peck at each other and they are often sickly.

Then there’s ‘free range’ eggs which means the chickens are basically all stuffed in a factory farm like setting and there may be a door open in the big facility where they are raised. They don’t necessarily get to go outside, they are just not kept in cages all the time. Not a lot healthier. They are routinely given antibiotics and hormones and kept under artificial light as well. They are fed grain, often sprayed with Monsanto glyphosate.

Moving up the ladder we get to ‘organic eggs’. These chickens are fed only organic feed, but keep in mind, it’s ‘feed’, not their natural diet. Organic eggs must come from chickens that are only given antibiotics in the event of an infection. No hormones or added drugs are used in organic egg production. Chickens producing organic eggs live in a cage-free environment and must have access to the outside, even if that is just a small pen or enclosed yard.

There are now ‘pastured eggs’, not to be confused with ‘free-range’ eggs—a totally different way of raising chickens and you will notice the eggs look totally different too! Pastured eggs are about as good as you can get, unless you are raising your own chickens! Chickens are omnivores and like to hunt and peck for grubs, worms, and bugs. Pastured raised chickens get to roam around a rich field and are allowed to eat their natural diets—although they may get some organic grain to supplement their diets.

Often pastured chickens are kept in a move-able pasture, with plenty of room to roam, so they get to move to fresh fields on a regular basis. Pastured eggs are full of omega 3 fats and have rich egg yolks full of nutrients. Pastured eggs have twice as much vitamin E, almost 40% more vitamin A, two and a half times as much omega 3 fats and less omega 6 fats, compared to caged eggs.

You will notice the rich yellow-orange color of the yolks and the superior taste when you eat pastured eggs. Bon Appetite!

Prosciutto Spinach Cup Eggs

Easy to make and easy to clean up. Hold off adding salt until you’ve had a taste. Prosciutto is pretty salty, so your eggs may have all the salt they need. Serves 3-6 depending on hunger.

Ingredients

• Butter for greasing the pan
• 6-8 thin slices prosciutto
• 1 cup baby spinach or baby kale
• 6 pastured eggs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives or chopped green onions

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 6-cup muffin tin with butter.
• Line each muffin cup with a slice of prosciutto, doing your best to cover the surface of the cup with the prosciutto so that it forms a bowl to crack the egg into. Lay a few of the spinach or kale leaves over the prosciutto.
• Crack an egg into each muffin cup and sprinkle the top with a crack of black pepper.
• Bake until the white is set but the yolk still runny, about 18-20 minutes, keeping in mind it will continue to cook a bit after it’s out of the oven.
• Remove from oven and top each egg with a pinch of green onion or chives. Let cool for 1 minute so the egg sets up enough to remove.
• Use a narrow spatula or butter knife to carefully wedge each egg out of its muffin cup. Set on a plate and serve immediately. Taste and add salt if needed.

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References
http://www.brightonyourhealth.com/salt-and-time-why-prosciutto-isnt-really-a-processed-meat/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pastured-vs-omega-3-vs-conventional-eggs

The post Prosciutto Egg Cups 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.

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

The conventional approach for Type 2 Diabetes is to manage the condition with medications and diet, based on the American Diabetes Association guidelines, which still includes a lots of high carb foods, along with a low-fat diet and processed vegetable oils. Unfortunately, both science and real-life results show that this protocol just simply does not work. At best, this approach may be better than a junk food diet (but not much better), and have a small shift in blood glucose and other diabetes blood markers if the person has really been abusing their body with junk foods. However, diabetes drugs can often have harmful side effects, and research tells us that the damage to the blood vessels can still occur, even with glucose-lowering diabetes drugs.

While most of general public still keep their bodies fueled on glucose in the form of processed grains, starches, and sugar, (Standard American Diet), others have begun to adopt reduced carb Paleo–and even ketogenic diets that actually reprogram their bodies to the fat burning/fat-fueled machines that our ancestors once had. These kinds of diets are very effective in lowering the amount of glucose circulating in the body, and bringing back insulin sensitivity once again.

What is the difference between a Paleo diet and a Keto diet?

The Paleo diet has been popular the last few years and it is generally a reduced carbohydrate diet compared to the standard Amercian Diet, however “paleo” is only a template for healthy eating, and doesn’t have a specific ratio of carbs like Keto does. However, paleo emphasizes eating foods that our primal ancestors ate: no grains, no dairy, no legumes, no processed foods, and no refined sugar. Paleo does however allow some carbs in the form of sweet potatoes, fruits, starchy vegetables, natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and dates. Paleo diets also include grass-fed pastured meats, poultry, eggs, wild caught fish, game and healthy saturated fats.

Is a Paleo diet effective for type 2 diabetes? It is a far cry from the ADA-recommended low-fat/high carb diet and far healthier with its emphasis on fresh veggies, naturally raised proteins, and unprocessed foods, but the Paleo diet can contain variable amounts of carbohydrates and natural sugars, depending on the types of paleo foods you choose to eat. Many versions of Paleo diets include sweet potatoes, or desserts sweetened with dates, honey, molasses, or maple syrup. So, yes, a Paleo diet is a much better choice over the SAD diet, or even the ADA recommended diet, but it’s not always the absolute best choice to lower blood sugar and insulin, depending on the quantity of carbs one chooses to eat on a paleo diet.

On the other hand, the ketogenic diet takes Paleo a step further by restricting carbohydrates to a much larger degree. A keto diet restricts most carbohydrates and all sugar, keeping the resulting glucose in the body consistently low, and forcing your body to burn fats for energy instead of carbs. Keto diets are even more restrictive than Paleo diets as far as carbs go, so in many ways, a keto diet is almost a perfect diet for a diabetic. A keto diet generally allows 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day. While that is super low compared to the average diet, it can be done, and is easier than you may think.

How a ketogenic diet works for type 2 diabetic

Type 2 diabetes starts when a person is eating large amounts of sugar and carbohydrates. This in turn elevates the body’s serum glucose, creating an increased need for insulin. Over time, the body’s insulin cannot effectively lower the circulating glucose in the body, creating ever higher levels of glucose, insulin, increased body weight, and rising levels of triglycerides. Higher than normal levels of glucose damage blood vessels causing heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and other health issues.

How does a keto diet affect insulin and blood sugar?

When we look at one of the best ways to manage type 2 diabetes, the best and healthiest method is to lower blood sugar by restricting carbohydrates and sugars, in addition to increasing antioxidants and other nutrient-dense foods.

Since a keto diet is a very low carb, low sugar diet, blood sugar stays low, people generally lose weight and the body once again becomes more sensitive to insulin. A keto diet, in comparison to a Paleo diet, allows less carbohydrates and proteins, and adds in more high-quality fats. Because of this drastic dietary transformation, the body quits requiring glucose for energy and instead becomes more efficient in breaking down both dietary fats along with body fat to utilize for energy.

There are many variations on a Paleo diet, but in general a keto diet contains these components:

• 60-75% of calories from fat (or even more)
• 15-30% of calories from protein
• 5-10% of calories from carbohydrates.

The ketogenic diet is not a new dietary fad; it has existed since the 1950’s as a treatment for epilepsy and other health issues. It has recently gained popularity as a way to improve health, increase physical stamina, and lose body fat. A few scientific studies have been conducted on ketogenic diet and diabetes already. Let’s take a look, shall we?

The first study was performed by researchers at Duke University in 2005. Researchers recruited 28 participants with type 2 diabetes who were also overweight. The study lasted 16 weeks. The subjects consumed a low carbohydrate keto diet, aiming for less than 20 grams carbs per day. Diabetics also reduced their medications with medical supervision. There were twenty-one subjects who successfully completed the study. Here’s what they found after only 16 weeks:

• HbA1c 16% decrease
• Average 20 lb weight loss
• Triglyceride levels 42% decrease
• Ten patients reduced medications, seven stopped medication.

The conclusion of the study was that at keto diet is highly effective at lowering blood glucose, but there should be medical supervision to adjust medications accordingly.

A second study conducted by Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek, who wrote The Art and Science of Low Carb, showed the positive effects of low carb diet as well. This particular trial shows convincing evidence that a low-carb diet improves blood sugar levels and helps speed weight loss in adults with type 2 diabetes. In almost 60% of participants, diabetes medication was decreased or stopped altogether.

The study, conducted at Indiana University, and published in Journal of Medical Internet Publications, looked at 262 people with type 2 diabetes who were overweight. Participants cut carb intake to 30g a day, while increasing their fats and protein. Patients were also provided nutritional and behavioral counseling, along with digital coaching and medical supervision for medications. Findings after only 10 weeks:

• HbA1c had a 6.5% decrease
• BMI decreased by 7%
• 112 reduced diabetes medications, 21 totally eliminated diabetes medications

Another study of 84 people, looked at the effectiveness of a low-glycemic diet compared to a ketogenic diet, and after 24 weeks looked at key diabetes markers of fasting blood glucose, body mass index (BMI), weight, and Hb A1C. While a low carb, low-glycemic diet is good for controlling diabetes, obviously a keto diet is better.

Low-calorie group

• Fasting glucose down 16%
• BMI decreased by 3, average 15lb weight loss
• .5 reduction in HbA1c

Keto group

• Fasting glucose down 20%
• BMI decreased by 4, average 24.5lb weight loss
• 5 reduction in HbA1c

And this study of 363 overweight or obese participants in the United Arab Emirates looked at the effects of a ketogenic diet on weight loss and diabetes symptoms. 102 of the subjects had type 2 diabetes. One group consumed a low-calorie diet and the other consumed a keto diet. Both groups had nutritional trainer and exercise.

Study subjects were measured on:

• Body weight
• BMI
• Waist circumference
• Blood glucose
• HbA1c
• Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides
• Uric acid, urea, creatinine

After 24 weeks, both groups had improved in all metrics but the keto group had far more significant results. Diabetic medications were decreased to half and some were discontinued for those on the ketogenic diet.

It is important to note for those beginning a ketogenic diet, the drop in glucose can be quick, so it is very important to monitor blood glucose frequently and to have a physician monitor the diabetes medications.

Ketogenic diets are higher in saturated fats, something the American Diabetes Association actually warns diabetics to avoid.  Research, however, shows favorable lipid results on a high fat diet.

In another study, researchers looked at 83 subjects who were divided into three groups of equal calories. One group followed a very low-fat diet, one group followed a diet high in unsaturated fats, and the third group ate a very low carb and high saturated fat diet.

At the end of the 12-week study, all three groups had lost similar amounts of body fat and weight. However, the Low Carb Ketogenic diet group also had the lowest triglyceride levels, higher HDL, and lower glucose and insulin levels.

Very Low-Fat Group:

• Triglycerides decreased by 4%
• Insulin levels decreased by 15.1%

High Unsaturated Fat Group:

• Triglycerides down by 9.6%
• Insulin levels decreased by 18.7%

Ketogenic Diet Group:

• Triglycerides decreased by 40%
• Insulin levels decreased by 33.6%

Key results indicate that ketogenic diets do not increase the risk of heart disease or high cholesterol. Keto diets have shown to significantly decrease harmful lipids including triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, compared to other equal calorie/low fat diets.

Conventional Diabetic Diets vs. Ketogenic Diets  

In spite of all the positive research on ketogenic diets for diabetes, most doctors and dietitians still recommend high carb diets to manage diabetes. A typical medically supervised diet recommended for a type 2 diabetic would include 45-60g carbohydrates at every meal, plus 15-30g of carbs for snacks. Seriously??

Most dietitians and doctors feel that even though the ketogenic diet is effective, most people will not be able to stick to it. And yes, this is somewhat true, although with the emerging popularity of the ketogenic diet, more and more options are available, including recipes, books, blogs, cooking classes, etc. that feature delicious keto meals and snacks. The nature of a keto diet is to keep blood sugar in a low and stable range, and because of this, it is much easier to control appetite and the “munchies”.

Ketogenic diets can be crucial to the successful healthy management of type 2 diabetes. In a recent critical evaluation of literature on carbohydrate restriction and diabetes, a group of 26 leading researchers compiled 12 points of evidence published in the January 2017 Journal of Nutrition, pointing to the use of low carbohydrate diets as the primary dietary treatment of type 2 diabetes. Key points include:

• Dietary carbohydrate restriction has the greatest effect on decreasing glucose levels.
• The current epidemic of obesity and diabetes has been caused almost entirely by an increase in carbohydrates.
• Type 2 diabetics can adhere to a ketogenic diet at least as easily as they can most other diets, and often better.
• Measured saturated fats in the blood are affected more by dietary carbohydrate intake, than dietary lipid intake.
• Dietary carbohydrate restriction is the most effective way to reduce serum triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol.

Bottom line is that lowering glucose by strictly reducing carbohydrate intake in a ketogenic diet has the most positive effects on diabetes markers, without any of the negative side effects of pharmacological treatments.

All of the available evidence thus far suggests that a keto diet is one of the safest and most effective ways to control or reverse type 2 diabetes. Diabetes patients should always notify their physicians of dietary changes and have medications and blood sugar monitored closely.

Following a strict carbohydrate-restricted, ketogenic diet is key initially, but once your body is adept at fat burning, you may be able to ease up slightly on the daily carbohydrate count. Generally, following a strict keto diet for about 2 months will help your body adapt to burning fat. Rather than stressing out about keeping carbs consistently below 20-30g, it may be easier to give yourself a safe zone to follow. Perhaps one day you eat less, another day you eat more. As long as you generally stick to low carbohydrates, (below 50-60g per day) your body will continue to be fairly efficient in burning fat for energy and keep blood glucose low.

The end result is a healthier body, weight loss and a clear head.  Note that while transitioning to a higher fat ketogenic diet for a type 2 diabetic, you must work closely with your physician to monitor and consistently lower your insulin needs.  With less carbs, you’ll need less insulin.  If you follow keto closely and keep limiting carbs, most Diabetics can get off all medications at some point in time, but it needs to be carefully monitored.

Speaking of Diabetes, make sure to read this page next:

1 Simple trick to REVERSE your Diabetes (hint: it’s NOT cinnamon or any supplement)

References

https://www.perfectketo.com/keto-diet-vs-paleo-diet-ketosis-better-paleo/

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/keto-and-type-2-diabetes/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report: Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States, 2014. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2014.
American Diabetes Association. “Nutrition Recommendations and Interventions for Diabetes–2006 A position statement of the American Diabetes Association.”Diabetes care 29.9 (2006): 2140-2157.
Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration. “Diabetes mellitus, fasting blood glucose concentration, and risk of vascular disease: a collaborative meta-analysis of 102 prospective studies.” The Lancet 375.9733 (2010): 2215-2222.
O’Gara, Patrick T., et al. “2013 ACCF/AHA guideline for the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology 61.4 (2013): e78-e140.
Aguiree, Florencia, et al. “IDF diabetes atlas.” (2013)
“Update 2014”. IDF. International Diabetes Federation. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
Geiss LS, Wang J, Cheng YJ. Thompson TJ, Barker L; Li Y, Albright AL, Gregg EW. Prevalence and incidence trends for diagnosed diabetes among adults aged 20 to 79 years, United States, 1980-2012. JAMA 2014; 312:1218-1226.
Yancy Jr, William S., et al. “A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to treat type 2 diabetes.” Nutr Metab (Lond) 2 (2005): 34.
Westman, Eric C., et al. “The effect of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-glycemic index diet on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus.” Nutr Metab (Lond) 5 (2008): 36.
Hussain, Talib A., et al. “Effect of low-calorie versus low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet in type 2 diabetes.” Nutrition 28.10 (2012): 1016-1021.
Noakes, Manny, et al. “Comparison of isocaloric very low carbohydrate/high saturated fat and high carbohydrate/low ‘saturated fat diets on body composition and cardiovascular risk.” Nutrition & metabolism 3.1 (2006): 7

The post The Keto Diet for Type 2 Diabetes (How effective is it?) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Mike Geary, Nutrition Specialist and co-author of the best sellers: The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Last night my wife and I had dinner with our friend Paul, who we hadn’t seen in a couple months.  Turns out Paul has dropped 15 lbs in the last 4 weeks without working out at all, so I was excited to chat with him on how he did it.

Last time I saw Paul, we were driving dune buggies through the Baja peninsula of Mexico a few months ago (you know much I love adventure!), and during the trip, I got to talking to Paul about his health, his soda habit, and his poor diet overall.

Paul has been a soda addict most of his life, and isn’t much of a workout enthusiast either… We agreed that he was probably not far off from full blown diabetes from all these years of sugar calories and excess carbs overall.

So how the heck has Paul dropped 15 lbs in only 1 month and feels better than he has in years?

Well, it turns out that one of our other mutual friends, Ben, turned him on to trying a keto diet (ketogenic, aka — high-fat, low-carb, moderate protein)…

Ben has been eating mostly keto for a couple years now, and had a dramatic health transformation himself… Ben has lost probably 30-40 lbs eating mostly keto… I say “mostly” because Ben says he eats keto 6 days a week, and then has 1 cheat day that includes a pizza night with his family each week.  He absolutely LOVES eating this way, and his dramatic improvements in health, energy, and fat loss prove the effectiveness of the controversial diet.

So, back to Paul… I asked Paul about his experience eating keto for the last 4 weeks or so, and he said he absolutely LOVES it as well… he says he eats eggs cooked in a lot of butter for breakfast (which he never gets tired of because it tastes so good), sometimes with some avocado on the side too.  And coffee of course, for both the taste AND the powerful polyphenols that boost our health.

That keeps him full all the way until dinner usually, and he’ll eat mostly meat or fish and veggies, with extra fats like olive oil, olives, maybe a little cheese, etc.  He’ll also enjoy a low-carb, high-fat keto dessert a few times a week too.  Like a high fat, low carb keto cheesecake or keto ice cream… mmm!

Paul also told me that he rarely has cravings anymore (hasn’t even wanted a single soda since switching to keto) and his appetite is always 100% under control now by eating keto… this makes sense because he’s basically shifted his metabolism from a carb-burning metabolism (and the associated blood sugar swings & cravings that go along with a carb-burning metabolism) to a fat-burning metabolism.

It’s really pretty simple actually.  I’m not even sure why so many people out there still think that keto is a “fad diet”… it’s not a fad… it’s just simply a really effective way to control your hormones, appetite, keep blood sugar low, drop body fat fast, and even help to control health conditions like Diabetes, Alzheimer’s or cancer.  In fact, the ketogenic diet is getting serious research these days in helping to treat cancer because of it’s ability to “starve” cancer cells, etc.

The keto diet is also a very low inflammation diet because high carb diets tend to cause more inflammation, so going low on carbs and high on healthy fats helps to fight inflammation and also slow aging in your body, since high blood sugar swings cause your body to age faster.

The cool thing about Paul’s experience eating keto is that it was extremely effective AND enjoyable for him, and he didn’t even exercise at all.  I told him that if he was doing good workouts 3-4x a week in addition to eating keto, he actually probably would have lost 25 lbs in the last month instead of 15 lbs.

I’ve done a ton of experiments on this type of stuff on my own too… for example, last week, I was eating mostly salmon, eggs, and a little veggies for brunch every day, along with my normal daily coffee with pasture-raised heavy cream.  I normally intermittent fast in the morning on just liquids until I get hungry at around 11:30am.  So my salmon and eggs brunches were very high fat and low carb and moderate in protein (keto-friendly).  I noticed that my digestion was great, my energy was solid all day, and I wasn’t hungry for another meal until around 7 or 8pm.  So I didn’t need any snacks at all during the day.

Then I did an experiment where I tried eating pasta for my lunch instead of salmon (or other meat) and eggs… so I had a plate of pasta with sauce and cheese for lunch…probably the same amount of calories as my previous week’s salmon and eggs brunches…

However, the response from my body was WAY different…

…With the pasta for lunch, I had an energy crash at about 45-60 minutes after eating, and then I got ravenously hungry again with stomach growls at 3pm… Remember I said that when I was eating salmon and eggs for brunch with no real carbs, I could go for about 7-8 hours after that meal without needing more food (which is a good thing… we don’t need to eat every 3 hours like the old school line of thinking)

Anyway, time and time again, I keep hearing from colleagues, friends, and other people that when they try a keto diet for at least a month or more (some people need at least 2 weeks eating keto to get rid of their long term carb addictions), almost everyone loses significant weight, loses body fat, some people say that their joint pain is mostly going away, and I’ve even heard from Diabetics that were able to dramatically reduce or even eliminate their meds by eating keto instead of the constant cycle of eating carbs and then having to take insulin (which makes no sense to keep feeding that blood sugar and insulin cycle when you can just eat mostly fat and protein instead)…

I asked Paul if he plans to go back to eating “normal” again or stay on keto…

… He said for now, he’s super happy eating mostly keto, and the results speak for themselves.  He loves everything he eats.  At some point, he said he might do what my friend Ben is doing and have a 1-day a week carb-feast like a pizza night or whatever, but for now, he feels great just eating high fat and low carb, so isn’t going to mess with it just yet.

One concern that some people have in trying to eat a keto diet is that they feel they don’t have enough “ideas” for variety… Well, that’s where a great keto cookbook comes in handy, and I have the PERFECT resource for you that you’re going to LOVE (plus it’s FREE right now)…

It’s called the Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook… and it’s fantastic!

It’s got over 80 fat-burning Keto recipes for mouth-watering chicken, beef, pork meals and more.

The best part is, every single recipe uses a slow-cooker…

Which makes cooking so easy and simple, they take just 20 minutes in the kitchen to make… or less.

You’ll save hours of time and energy with this brand-new Free cookbook, AND you’ll burn fat when you follow these delicious meals…

Go here to grab your FREE copy of the Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook today

Our partners at PaleoHacks had just 500 Free copies printed to give away on a first come basis, so make sure you grab yours before they run out.

– Mike

The post Keto Diet Case Study: Paul Loses 15 Pounds In 4 Weeks and Kicks His Sugar Addiction appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.