Plantarian health NewYearHealth Challenge

Plantarian Healthy Double One Diet Challenge:
A 11 day challenge to eat more healthily and sustainably starting  on 1:11:11 www.1worldday.org    

 

New World Record attempt for health and sustainability at www.1worldday.org

FDA Diabetes Actos (pioglitazone) Cancer Risk

 FDA reviewing preliminary safety information on Actos (pioglitazone):

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced it has begun a safety review of the diabetes drug Actos (pioglitazone), after receiving preliminary results from a long-term observational study designed to evaluate the risk of bladder cancer associated with use of this drug.

The preliminary results are based on five-year data from an ongoing, 10-year observational study by the manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc., San Diego. These early results showed no overall association between Actos exposure and risk of bladder cancer. However, there was an increased risk of bladder cancer in patients with the longest exposure to Actos and in those with the highest cumulative dose of the drug.
Despite this The agency has not concluded that Actos increases the risk of bladder cancer.

Meanwhile a group of Doctors in America have researched a drug free, free of dangerous side effects , way of tackling the Diabetes epidemic now the scourge of the Western World - eat real food! Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine PCRM are gathering information from ongoing research that shows a Plantarian Diet can have a dramatic effect on type 2 (and in some cases type 1) diabetes.

This is pretty much the same diet used by President Bill Clinton to lose weight and deal with his heart disease.
The Diet does come with a health warning ! The effects are so dramatic that you have to carefully watch your medication and be prepared to reduce the dose otherwise you may have an overdose.

The Food for Life Alliance has recently trained instructors in the diet principles and will soon be conducting a number of free workshops around the UK starting with Stoke , Birmingham and London.

New Study: 22% less Heart Disease risk

Plantarian.org - EPIC Study: Heart Disease, 8 Fruit & Veg a Day = 22% reduced risk

Published today in the European Heart Journal

Data analysed from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Heart study has shown that people who ate at least eight portions of fruit and vegetables a day had a 22% lower risk of dying from IHD than did those who consumed fewer than three portions a day.

This study involved over 300,000 people in eight different European countries, with 1,636 deaths from IHD.

Professor Sir Michael Marmot, director of the University College London (UCL) International Institute for Society and Health, head of the UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and chairman of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health, writes separately “Such an odds ratio is of huge practical importance. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death. A reduction of 22% is huge. But... this reduction in mortality comes with consumption of eight portions a day, or 640g. Such a high consumption was found in only 18% of the men and women in these eight cohorts. There would need to be big shift in dietary patterns to achieve this healthy consumption of eight portions a day. It is worth trying to move in that direction. Reductions in cancers of several sites, in blood pressure and stroke, would add to this reduction in fatal CHD. Moving to a diet that emphasises fruit and vegetables is of great importance to public health.”

ONE WORLD DAY - A Day of Health & Sustainability

ONE WORLD DAY - November 1st Make a Difference!: Help make a difference to the world by encouraging people to eat more healthily and sustainably. Start now, change lives, don't keep it to yourself.

One World Day  - Plantarian - The road to sustainability and health

 Plantarians have taken the healthiest and most sustainable bits of vegetarian and veganism to clear a simple pathway through the jungle to a lifestyle of optimum health and sustainability. 'Harmony and Harmlessness' says 1worldday.org

Heart Health in Vegans and Vegetarians

Further evidence to follow a Plantarian rather than a Vegetarian or Vegan diet for health reasons is found in a review in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry  Jan 2011 *

The  review summarizes the effect of a habitual vegetarian diet on clinical complications in relation to chemistry and biochemistry. Omnivores have a significantly higher cluster of cardiovascular risk factors compared with vegetarians, including increased body mass index, waist to hip ratio, blood pressure, plasma total cholesterol (TC)  triacylglycerol and LDL-C levels, serum lipoprotein(a) concentration, plasma factor VII activity, ratios of TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and TAG/HDL-C, and serum ferritin levels. 

However in the review, compared with omnivores, vegetarians, especially vegans, have lower serum vitamin B(12) concentration and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels in the tissue membrane phospholipids, which are associated with increased collagen and ADP stimulated ex vivo whole blood platelet aggregation, plasma 11-dehydrothromboxane B(2), and homocysteine levels and decreased plasma HDL-C. 

Increased homocysteine and imbalances in HDL / LDL and omega 6 and 3 levels are factors in meat eaters that are associated with an increased thrombotic and atherosclerotic risk.

The author suggested that vegetarians, especially vegans, should increase their dietary n-3 PUFA and vitamin B(12) intakes.

Leading UK Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston from Foods for Life Health and Nutrition Consultancy says  "This review will bolster the argument that vegetarian and vegan diets don't grant you automatic immunity from heart disease. Some would deem it pedantic, but to get the full health benefits of vegetarian and veganism one needs to follow a predominantly Plantarian diet based on natural, wholefood plant based principles rich in a natural synergy of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fibre and essential fats."

"With recent increased availability of vegan sources of omega 3 fats in echium oil and algae there is no need for vegans, vegetarians and plantarians to miss out on high levels of essential fats and these plant based fats have the advantage of avoiding the complications of toxicity, un-sustainability and undesirable saturated fats in fish oil. Chorella is a potential source of vitamin B12 for vegans" she adds.


* Chemistry behind Vegetarianism. Li D Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Zhejiang University, China

Vegetarian / Vegan Diets & Depression

Avoid Depression with Plantarian Style Diet

Bad eating can give you depression: study :

Plant based vegetarian and vegan diets are certainly healthier than average but have no automatic protection against depression. There must be a focus on a Plantarian style foods to glean the full health benefits of plant based diets says UK nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston.

Without a focus on whole foods that have natural nutritional synergy the health benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets are harder to argue.

You can be vegan or vegetarian and still have a diet laden with refined foods and foods rich in processed saturated and trans-isomer fatty acids that the body struggles to recognize and properly process.

Vegetarians and vegans should take note to include wholefoods rich in essential fatty acids
Authors of a Spanish study on mental health, from the universities of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, followed and analyzed the diet and lifestyle of over 12,000 volunteers over six years.
At the beginning of none of the participants had been diagnosed with depression; by the end, 657 of them were new sufferers.
"Participants with an elevated consumption of trans-fats (fats present in artificial form in industrially-produced pastries and fast food...) presented up to a 48 percent increase in the risk of depression when they were compared to participants who did not consume these fats," a key study author said.
Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, also noted that in the event "more trans-fats were consumed, the greater the harmful effect they produced in the volunteers."
The research team found, at the same time, that after assessing the impact of polyunsaturated fats -- composed of larger amounts of fish and vegetable oils and olive oil, these products "are associated with a lower risk of suffering depression."
The report, published in the online journal PLoS ONE, noted the research was performed on a European population that enjoys a relatively low intake of trans-fats -- making up only 0.4 percent "of the total energy ingested by the volunteers."
"Despite this, we observed an increase in the risk of suffering depression of nearly 50 percent," said researcher Miguel Martinez.
"On this basis we derive the importance of taking this effect into account in countries like the US, where the percentage of energy derived from these fats is around 2.5 percent."
The report pointed out that the current number of depression sufferers in the world is around 150 million people, and has increased in recent years.
This rise is attributable, according to the authors, "to radical changes in the sources of fats consumed in Western diets, where we have substituted certain types of beneficial fats -- polyunsaturated and monounsaturated in nuts, vegetable oils and fish -- for the saturated and trans-fats found in meats, butter and other products such as mass-produced pastries and fast food."
Further fuel to add strength t the argument to include more plantarian foods in one's diet and move towards a new world record of health and sustainability for One World Day

Plantarians Hope to Set a Record for Earth Day

Plantarians and vegans hope to set a new world record of sustainable healthy eating by getting people to pledge on the Earth Day website.

A spokesperson from the One World Day campaign said "It's a simple concept, helping to save the planet by eating meat and dairy free on One World Day November 1st

I will eat a sustainable healthy plantarian, pure vegetarian, vegan diet | Billion Acts of Green:

A Diet for Healthier Humans: SACN Iron and Health Report | SACN

A Diet for Healthier Humans: SACN Iron and Health Report | SACN:

The widely leaked report is finally published. No more than the equivalent of one lamb chop or a bacon butty or a big mac each day if you want any chance of staying healthy.

Yvonne Bishop-Weston Nutritionist London says

"The government seems to be suggesting we should be Plantarian for at least 2 meals a day. Research confirms benefits to health really start to kick in at least 8 portions of fruit and veg a day.

There is still no safe limit for meat consumption set. This advice is just setting maximum advisory levels the inference is that less is best.

I find it quite ironic that this is advice on iron levels yet in clinic it's frequently meat eaters I find with inadequate iron levels not vegetarians"

The evidence seems to be mounting against meat as a useful part of a nutritious diet in modern society.

Size Zero 0 Anorexic Chic Horror of London Fashion Week

 Anorexia chic returns to the catwalk as Size Zero models return - mirror.co.uk:

"I FIND it shocking the fashion world has gone back to this look. Super-skinny models today look pale and ­emaciated as if they should be in a ­hospital ward." Says Yvonne Bishop-Weston Nutritionist London in The Sunday Mirror today

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/02/27/harley-street-nutritionist-yvonne-bishop-weston-gives-her-expert-opinion-on-the-new-waif-models-115875-22951407/#ixzz1FA3wuLgp

The biggest risk is to young girls, it fuels their weight obsessions adding to their delusions that this is 'normal' and healthy

The designers that choose these girls and encourage this look may just as well be putting up alcoholics swigging from a bottle of vodka or heroin addicts smoking crack up their on the catwalks - it's totally irresponsible!.

Yvonne says"I see recovering anorexic girls in my Harley street clinic and it's a nasty, vicious and spiteful disease that rob's girls of their self esteem and chances of long term health.
Young women come in with pictures of models and they say “I want to look like this.” They aspire to look like the people who are chosen to show off clothes.
A recovering anorexic would see women like these as a healthy body weight. And the tragedy, of course, is that not all anorexics recover."

Most of us could do with losing a few pounds to reduce the risks of heart disease, Diabetes, cancer, stroke, but by going to the other extreme these girls are risking all those usual chronic diseases plus osteoporosis , infertility and any chance of ever being mothers, Alzheimer's, arthritis and as soon as the bloom of youth runs out their skin will look likes it's been peeled off, screwed up and tumble dried and then stuck back on with blue tack

Lets face it there are only 4 ways to achieve a size 0 body that looks like this

1. Obsessively starving yourself - Anorexia or bulimia, depriving your body of nutrients
   
2. Dangerous drug abuse - depriving your body of nutrients
   
3. Obsessive exercise - Stressing the body and depriving the body of nutrients
4. Disease - A muscle wasting disease, parasite infestation or cancer that deprives the body of nutrients
   

The restrictions placed on calories mean it is very difficult to get adequate nutrients into the body for it to function properly - typically the reproductive system is first to go (as non essential) then the digestive detox system as the body goes into emergency short term crisis management mode to try and keep the brain and heart alive at least.

If the models drink alcohol, take drugs or smoke in addition to starving themselves then they are pretty much doomed despite Kate Moss's best efforts to prove otherwise.

The only way to remotely healthy on this low calorie level would be a dangerously low fat diet of vegan raw food but then only nutrient rich vegetables and no high sugar fruits such as bananas and no nuts. However without the essential fats from nuts and seeds they would still risk heart disease and hormonal problems and brain function as essential fats are needed for every cell membrane in the body. Vegans can get these from nuts, seeds and algae but these size zero models are often fat phobic so are likely to avoid essential fats along with detrimental saturated animal fats.

Earth Day - One World Day Pledge

I will eat a sustainable healthy plantarian, pure vegetarian, vegan diet: Saving the world one day at a time!

Fight Cancer With Chocolate Mousse | NBC Dallas-Fort Worth

Fight Cancer With Chocolate Mousse | NBC Dallas-Fort Worth:

Free cooking classes promote nutrition to prevent and fight cancer

At 27 years old, Katherine Lawrence was an Iraq war veteran, but it was the battle she was facing at home that would prove to be the toughest.

"I started to have really bad pain in my abdomen, and I found out I had severe endometriosis and uterine cysts and ovarian cysts," said Lawrence.

"My doctor wanted to put me into early menopause, and then schedule me for a hysterectomy," said Lawrence.

Desperate to avoid that, she started eating a low-fat, vegan diet and in just five weeks her health problems were virtually gone.

"My doctor was amazed," said Lawrence.

Now, she teaches cooking classes to help prevent and battle cancer in conjunction with a non-profit group called The Food for Life Alliance working with the charity The Cancer Project that was set up by PCRM.

Late 2010 Katherine came over to the UK to teach 14 students and train them to deliver Cancer and Diabetes fighting Cookery workshops.

To find out more see One World Day and Saladmaster

Men: Five Nutrients Short of a Picnic

Men: Five nutrients you're not getting enough of -The Independent:

According to a report in The Independent ripped from health and fitness magazine Men's Health 77 per cent of men aren't getting enough magnesium, are vitamin D deficient, and perhaps even short on vitamin B12.

What all those big steak eating macho hunks forget is that most of the vitamins and minerals we need are in plant foods - fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds - burgers, fried chicken, pizza and chicken curry just doesn't deliver guys.

Guys, next time you are throwing stones and ridiculing a Plantarian, vegetarian or vegan just be aware you could be in a nutritionally deficient greenhouse.

Here's what you need to know about what may be missing in your diet says the Independent

1. Vitamin D - Great for bone health but it's so much more: A study in Circulation found that people deficient in D were up to 80 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. Ask your doctor to test your blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. "You need to be above 30 nanograms per milliliter," said Michael Holick, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of medicine at Boston University, in the report. If you come up short, Holick recommends taking 1,400 IU of vitamin D daily from a supplement and a multivitamin.

Nutritionist London Yvonne Bishop-Weston "Vitamin D is now considered more important than Vitamin C for a healthy immune system scientists are now finding it in plants but Sunshine is your best source, your body then makes it."

2. Magnesium - Surveys reveal that men are lacking in this mineral, consuming only about 80 percent of the recommended 400 milligrams per day. Fortify your diet with magnesium-rich foods, such as halibut and navy beans. Or supplement with a 250 mg supplement, but look for magnesium citrate, which is best absorbed by the body, states Men's Health.

Yvonne says "Magnesium is important for women too - find it in hazelnuts, good for relaxing muscles"

3. Vitamin B12 - While most men do consume their daily dose of 2.4 micrograms, some medications, such as acid-blocking drugs and diabetes medications, can interfere with the vitamin's absorption in the body. Try eating lamb, salmon or fortified cereals to be sure you're covered.

Yvonne says "many of the men I see in clinic are B12 deficient even though they eat meat, one reason may be that due to modern farming methods meat no longer contains as much B12. There is some evidence that true vitamin B12 can be found in algae such as Chlorella as well as added to various food such as Dairy free milk and cereals. We recommend a good regular multivitamin and mineral complex with B12 as health insurance as B12 is so important for heart health and Brain health"

4. Potassium - Nutrition surveys report men are eating just 60 to 70 percent of the recommended 4,700 mg a day. Fix the problem by eating half an avocado (contains about 500 mg potassium) or a banana (about 400 mg). One large russet potato contains 1,600 mg of potassium.

"Please note that's potatoes not McDonalds french fries guys!" says Yvonne "Avocado is also a good source of good fats"

5. Iodine - Think table salt is the answer? When researchers tested 88 samples of iodized table salt, they found that half contained less than the recommended amount of iodine. Try getting more iodine not from salty foods but from milk. Or eat at least one serving of eggs or yogurt a day.

"Seaweed is the best source of iodine - try some miso soup or sushi!" says Yvonne "milk has saturated animal fat in it as well as natural hormones that you probably don't need more of unless you are a calf!"

Read more here: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/five-essential-nutrients/

Vitamin B12 Crying Babies & Pregnancy

Crybabies may lack vitamin B12 mothers advised

The meat manufacturing, production, processing and industry is now clutching at straws following the UK Government's announcement that we should eat no more than the equivalent of a small lamb chop and restrict our meat consumption to the bare minimum to avoid increased risks of cancer.

Once again ignoring the facts that there are safer plant based sources of all of the handful of nutrients that are found in meat, and that meat is not only missing most anti-oxidants, fibre and many other essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals but is also implicated in thwarting our ability to attain a healthy synergistic balance of these nutrients.

Once again it's the essential vitamin B12 that meat industry lobbyists have got their blood stained mitts on.

Acording to FIGO The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics almost 3,000 pregnant women took part in the study, in which researchers in the Netherlands measured the levels of vitamin B12 in the bloodstream of the mothers-to-be.

The Dutch researchers found the women with the least amount of the vitamin B12 nutrient in their blood had babies who were eight times more prone to crying.

Leading UK Nutritionist, London Yvonne Bishop-Weston explains the implications of the new findings.

The new study (reference) has shown a link between the level of vitamin B12 in the mother and excessive infant crying (more than 3 hours a day for more than 3 days a week for more than 3 weeks). The reasons for this are not fully understood but it could be due to the fact that a lack of vitamin B12 and folic acid hinder the foetal development of the nervous system before birth and also that in the first 6 months after birth lack of these vitamins can affect the development of the protective myelin which surrounds the nerve cells and helps them communicate.

Excessive infant crying is also called infant colic and may also be due to B12 deficiency. Excessive infant crying was found to be stronger when the mother experienced high levels of psychological problems so could affect the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm of the body controls the sleep/wake cycle, the development of which starts in the womb.It also takes about 3 months after birth to settle into a rhythm. As lack of B12 has been seen in people with sleep disorders it is suggested that lack of B12 may the infant circadian rhythm interfere with serotonin melatonin and trigger gut cramps and crying.

The developing baby relies on the mother to provide B12 and if it is deficient in her diet and her stores are too low the baby is likely to be deficient too. B12 is made by bacteria in the gut and meat, fish and eggs the usual source recommended by NHS dietitians.

Plantarians and Vegans maintain there are healthier, safer, more sustainable sources of vitamin B12  that come without the extra calories and detrimental effects of saturated animal fat and natural hormones but with essential fats and a range of useful vitamins, minerals,  anti oxidants and fibre.

Yvonne seems to agree;

I would be cautious in recommending women eat more animal foods as meat and dairy comes along with saturated fats which can hinder the body's use of essential fats which are needed for the baby's brain and nervous system development. Due to the potential levels of toxicity in fish no more than 2 portions a week should be eaten in pregnancy and egg consumption tends to be lower in pregnancy as they can only be eaten fully cooked. If anything this study is a strong argument for basic nutrient testing at the start of women's pregnancies and addressing any deficiencies as well as of course more promotion of either better, more nutritious diets or the need for effective, easily absorbable prenatal supplements.

Vitamin B12 is made by mimicing the human digestive system's ability to produce B12 from yeasts and bacteria in the gut and is then added to a number of foods from breafast cereals and plant milks to fruit juice.

Unfortunately, most natural plant sources of vitamin B12 have been proven to contain biologically inactive vitamin B12 analogues (non absorbable pseudo-vitamin B12) , inadequate for human supplementation.

Algae seems to be the most reliable plant based source of true Vitamin B12 so far. Following a research study in France in 1978 (Greiko et al) scientists in Finland (Rauma et al ) and  Japan (Watanabe et al)  have found true vitamin B12 in Nori and Chlorella (but only non-absorbable pseudo-vitamin B12 in Spirulina) whilst Italian researchers say a strain of Klamath blue green algae appears to be, in a preliminary study, an adequate and reliable source of vitamin B12 in humans (L Baroni et al , published in The International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research 2009)

Win Free Vitality Show 2011 Tickets

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Puberty starting earlier for many girls: study - The Early Show - CBS News

Puberty starting earlier for many girls: study - The Early Show - CBS News: A few recent studies point to toxins in the environment as a possible cause or at least exasperating the situation in children.

About 15 percent of American girls now begin puberty by age 7, according to a study of 1,239 girls published last year in the journal Pediatrics. One in 10 white girls begin developing breasts by that age - twice the rate seen in a 1997 study. Among black girls, 23 percent hit puberty by age 7.

Special Section: Dr. Jennifer Ashton

On "The Early Show" CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, an OB-GYN who specializes in adolescent care, said "early puberty," also known as "precocious puberty," has risks for girls.

"Body fat generates the hormone estrogen, partially," Ashton said. "Estrogen is part of the hormones that triggers puberty. A lot more children are overweight and obese. Environmental exposures, things like BPA (Bisphenol A) that are ubiquitous in our environment can have hormone-like activity and research is ongoing as to whether that plays a role. And your family history - if your mother went through early puberty, you have a greater chance of going through early puberty, as well."

Early puberty could affect girls as they get older, Ashton said. They have an increased risk of breast cancer and uterine cancer, she said, because these girls have more time to be exposed to the estrogen hormone

Another study links Pesticides to increased risk of ADHD

Exposure to high levels of a common pesticide, found on many popular fruits and produce, could raise the odds for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, according to a study appearing in the June 2011 issue of Pediatrics.

The study on pesticides and health reports, however, that there is no evidence that organophosphate pesticide exposure can actually cause ADHD.

Pesticide Effect on Health

Pesticides effects on humans are damage to the nervous system, reproductive system and other organs, disruption of hormone function, immune dysfunction and developmental and behavioral abnormalities.

Organophosphates Widely Used

"Organophosphates are one of the most widely used pesticides in agriculture to protect crops and fruits and vegetables," according to lead author Maryse Bouchard, Ph.D., adjunct researcher, department of environmental and occupational health, University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre, Canada. "For children, the major source of exposure would be the diet -- fruits and vegetables in particular."

Organophosphate pesticides account for approximately half the insecticide use in the U.S. and are applied to many conventionally grown foods important in children’s diets.

In 2008, the USDA conducted tests that found malathion (one of the 40 organophosphate pesticides) residues in 28% of frozen blueberries, 25% of strawberries, and 19% of celery.

Previous Pesticide Exposure Research Links Pesticide Exposure During Pregnacy to Developmental Problems in Offspring

Previous research has shown an association between both prenatal and postnatal organophosphate exposure and developmental problems in young children. But most prior studies have focused on excessive rather than average exposure to organophosphates.

Pesticide – ADHD Study

The researchers analyzed data on pesticide exposure and ADHD in more than 1,100 American children aged 8 to 15.

Children with higher pesticide levels in their urine were more likely to have ADHD, according to the researchers.

"The analysis showed that the higher the level of exposure [as measured by metabolites in the urine], the higher the odds of having ADHD," said Bouchard.

Just how might pesticides harm brain development? According to the authors, high doses of organophosphates pesticides may inhibit acetylcholinesterase, a nervous system enzyme. Lower doses of organophosphates pesticides may affect different growth factors and neurotransmitters.

The findings, if replicated, may provide another clue into the causes of ADHD, a condition which affects three to seven percent of school-aged children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCES:

• Bouchard MF, Bellinger DC, Wright RO, et al. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides. Pediatrics 2010;125:e1270–e1277
• Maryse Bouchard, Ph.D., adjunct researcher, department of environmental and occupational health, University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre, Canada;

An apple a day keeps the Doctor away? Research

Apple: The health fruit? | The Why Files:

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? That question has been on the mind of Bahram Arjmandi, professor and chair of the department of nutrition, food and exercise sciences at Florida State University.
His answer, presented at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting in Washington this week, is that "Apples have a profound effect on total cholesterol, and also on the “good” and “bad” types of cholesterol. They caused a major reduction in inflammatory proteins that are implicated in a number of serious diseases."
Arjmandi rounded up 100 women who had just passed menopause — a time when dropping levels of estrogen lead to unhealthy changes in cholesterol levels that allow women to catch up with the male rate of cardiovascular disease.
Randomly dividing his volunteers, Arjmandi asked one group to supplement their normal diet with dried prunes. The treatment group got one-a-day packages containing 75 grams — about 2.5 ounces — of dried apple.
Arjmandi used dry apples rather than the equivalent one or two fresh apples as a way to standardize the “dose,” but he says fresh fruit is likely to be even more healthy.
If the object of these tests was a pill, the results after one year would certainly boost the stock of the drugmaker: among the apple-eaters, total cholesterol fell by 14 percent and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the harmful fraction of cholesterol) fell 23 percent. High levels of both total cholesterol and LDL are linked to damage to blood vessels, heart attacks and strokes.
Meanwhile, the level of a protective type of cholesterol called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) rose 3 to 4 percent.

(Anti-) inflammatory results

Moving beyond cholesterol, the level of C-reactive protein fell 32 percent. “This is significant, and not just in a statistical sense but in clinical relevance,” says Arjmandi. “CRP is associated with inflammation, and is considered a marker for cardiovascular disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.”
The study was partly funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, and got no funding from the apple industry.

And the active ingredient is…

What makes apples so healthy? Although both pectin, a soluble fiber, and chemicals called polyphenols are thought to confer health benefits, Arjmandi says, “an apple is more than these compounds. I’ve been working on functional foods [which give health benefits] for 20 years, and I find it’s not good to approach whole fruit or whole vegetables like drugs. If you isolate the component chemicals and take them, you get some benefits, but you will deprive yourself of greater benefits.”

The World's Healthiest Foods www.whfoods.com tells us

The phytonutrients in apples can help you regulate your blood sugar. Recent research has shown that apple polyphenols can help prevent spikes in blood sugar through a variety of mechanisms. Flavonoids like quercetin found in apples can inhibit enzymes like alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase. Since these enzymes are involved in the breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simple sugars, your blood sugar has fewer simple sugars to deal with when these enzymes are inhibited. In addition, the polyphenols in apple have been shown to lessen absorption of glucose from the digestive tract; to stimulate the beta cells of the pancreas to secrete insulin; and to increase uptake of glucose from the blood via stimulation of insulin receptors. All of these mechanisms triggered by apple polyphenols can make it easier for you to regulate your blood sugar.

Scientists have recently shown that important health benefits of apples may stem from their impact on bacteria in the digestive tract. In studies on laboratory animals, intake of apples is now known to significantly alter amounts of two bacteria (Clostridiales and Bacteriodes) in the large intestine. As a result of these bacterial changes, metabolism in the large intestine is also changed, and many of these changes appear to provide health benefits. For example, due to bacterial changes in the large intestine, there appears to be more fuel available to the large intestine cells (in the form of butyric acid) after apple is consumed. 

Vitamins and Minerals under Attack

Most 'wasting money on health supplements' finds NHS report - Telegraph

Be prepared to see much more of this!

The government should be be very wary about joining the pharmaceutical industry lobbiests led hypocritical war on nutritionists, supplements and herbal remedies whilst they sit by and do relatively nothing to quell the nations dependency on nutrient depleted processed foods. They clearly think people are stupid, and will trust an institution that condones catering by Burger King in Hospitals and spends an annual fortune on laxatives over and above personal recommendation and succesful personal experience. One look at hospital food is enough to verify the extent of the NHS practical expertise and competance in the field of applied nutrition.

This phoney criticism of the dangers of vitamins, minerals anti-oxidants and essential fats will eventually backfire on the perpetrators of this media onslaught as eventually, enevitably someone will ask the question of how it is that so many ineffective and detrimental drugs end up costing the taxpayer so much money for so little relief whilst so many people have experience of simple, practical and far more effective nutritional solutions to their health problems.

It's no wonder Pharmaceutical companies are running scared and on the offensive, Doctors are increasingly in charge of their own budgets so are now far less likely to be swayed by all expenses paid foreign trips and new computers in exchange for recommending expensive designer solutions for erectile dysfunction when all their patients really need are more fruit and vegetables in their diet.

Nutritionists are having the tools of their trade taken away, gagged from talking in public about what they do, have goal posts moved every few months, yet still they continue to win patient hearts on merit and by recommendation because they get practical results for so many patients who have previously only experienced failure.

Be scared big pharma, be very very scared, your lies, hypocrisy and political skuldugery are leaving the public ever distrustful of your commitment to public health and seeing your motives exposed as pure naked greed for power and money at any cost.

British Heart Foundation Phoney Diet

The British Heart Foundation have lashed out at a diet claiming to be a BHF diet. Some might say a bit rich considering the fairly non-committal dietary advice usually dished out by BHF , but this fake BHF diet is particularly bad and includes items that even the UK govt warns against eating.

BHF senior heart health dietitian, Victoria Taylor, said:

“Apart from being wholly unappetising with the likes of two frankfurters with a cup of cabbage and half a cup of carrots for a meal, this ( bogus BHF ) diet is so restrictive in terms of the range and quantity of food that it lacks a number of nutrients we need to stay healthy.

“The lack of fibre means followers could develop constipation while long-term use could also leave you deficient in calcium and iron, which can result in fragile bones and teeth and feeling constantly tired and lethargic if left unchecked.

“Most people are likely to lose largely water and some muscle, rather than the fat they really want to shed on this kind of crash diet. Over time, the muscle loss can be bad news as it means that the rate your body burns calories, whether active or resting, can actually slow down – the last thing dieters want.

Yvonne Bishop-Weston Leading UK Nutritionist and Health Consultant claims the trouble is most dieters suddenly reach a crisis point and want quick fix solutions and don't dare think about the consequences.

Yvonne says;

"Most diet products are trying to tie you in for ever in a catch 22 situation of carry on or gain weight again.

"Vary rarely is there any scientific basis for these diets, or if there is it is short term and completely forgetting that it defies the individual body's inbuilt natural instincts and can often increase risks of chronic diseases"

"Low Fat products are often full of cheap sugar or artificial sweeteners, Low Carb products are often full of cheap fat and devoid of natural soluble fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants."

The Dukan diet tries to skip round the failings of The Atkins diet with spoonfuls of oatbran (hmm.. Yum Yum) but still fails to reach the eight a day portions of fruit and vegetables shown in a recent major study by Oxford University that you need to dramatically reduce the fatal risks of heart disease."

It seems the best way of achieving a long term solution for a weight loss diet that is sustainable, practical and healthy is to visit a qualified, experienced, competent nutritionist who can work out exactly what your body needs to be optimally fit and healthy and how to fit that into your normal busy working schedule.

The harsh truth there is no simple, easy, yet to be discovered, quick fix solution to years of nutritional abuse of your body, if it sounds too good to be true, that's because it is. Your body needs real food, complete food, natural food, not the latest patented gimmicks. You also need to exercise to build muscle and yes that requires protein but not the sort of protein that is processed and comes free with spoonfuls of saturated animal fat and dietary cholesterol. Most importantly you need to deal with stress and the effects of stress on your hormones and immune system a positive outlook and motivation is the first hurdle to sustained weight-loss" warns Yvonne

To book an appointment with top UK nutritionists visit Nutritionist London, Nutritionist Hampshire

Experts vote Vegan Diet Best for Diabetes

Complete Book of Vegan Cooking

A panel of 22 health experts including Doctors, registered nutritionists and specialists in diabetes, heart health, human behavior, and weight loss, reviewed detailed assessments prepared by U.S. News of 20 diets. The experts rated each diet in seven categories, including short- and long-term weight loss, ease of compliance, safety, and nutrition.

A vegan diet was voted as joint second in US News Rankings Best Diets section for Diabetes.

Presumably it fell short of first place due to compliance, despite the science, people are hooked on meat and addictive fatty cheese and are yet to discover the delicious alternatives.

Vegan Cookbook - Vegan Diets

What The World Eats - Shocking Photos

What The World Eats - Shocking Photos: Very interesting look in photos at typical weekly shopping for families around the world

These images are from the book 'Hungry Planet: What the World Eats' by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluision. It's an inspired idea, to better understand the human diet, explore what culturally diverse families eat for a week. Their portraits feature pictures of each family with a week's worth of food purchases. We soon learn that diet is determined by largely uncontrollable forces like poverty, conflict and globalization, which can bring change with startling speed. Thus cultures can move, sometimes in a single jump, from traditional diets to the vexed plenty of global-food production. People have more to eat and, too often, eat more of nutritionally questionable food. And their health suffers.