Theoretically, you could get adequate protein from a strictly vegetarian diet, but practically it would be extremely difficult. For one thing, it would require the eating of huge amounts of food. Most vegetarian diets make excellent use of eggs, milk, and cheese, and to that extent are only partly vegetarian.

Animal proteins are stressed in your reducing diet for another reason. Recent knowledge indicates that Vitamin A is not always well absorbed in the form in which it occurs in green plants. Such plants, normally rated as excellent sources of the vitamin, contain it in yellow pigments of which the chief is carotene.

This does not become the vitamin until it is altered in your liver. It has been found that some persons absorb as little as 5% of available carotene; hence, though their food contains plenty of Vitamin A units, they derive no benefit from it.
Animal foods, however—eggs, butter, liver, milk, cheese —contain the true vitamin. The animal has done all the work of converting the carotene into Vitamin A, saving you the trouble. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Tags: animal foods, animal products, cheese, Dairy product, dairy products, food, green plants, health, itchiness, milk, Mineral oil, mineral oil dressings, nutrients, nutrition, protein, reducing diets, vegetarian diet, vegetarian diets, Vitamin, vitamin a, Vitamin D

Source: FlickrEggs are a big part of my weekend breakfasts. During the week I will eat oatmeal, all Bran, or a bagel just becuase they are fast and easy and good for you but on the weekend I cna get a chance to make myself a bit more breakfast so I will. I usually like to make a three egg omelet with a bit of veggies and some ham if we have any in the fridge.

I was wondering how long eggs are good for and after searching around a bit found out that eggs are good for week hard boiled in the fridge. Raw eggs are good for 3 to 5 weeks in the fridge but if you take them out use them right away as they will spoil in 2 hours on the counter.

One thing that may have you thinking is how can eggs be good on a farm for so long but not on the counter? Well apparently there is a special coating that the hen has on the egg is washed off in processing. Good for us but not so good for protecting the egg. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: disposal food, Egg, egg omelet, farmer, protein food, raw eggs, Vitamin D

Vitamins during pregnancy are very important.

If you have ever attempted to go on any kind of diet that involved reading the information on the nutritional labels of your food you are all too familiar with the fact that those little words and symbols can start to look like Greek after a while. If you’re not a doctor or a nutritionist you probably have no idea of what Vitamin B or Folic Acid are, much less why they’re important. The first step to conquering pregnancy nutrition is understanding what you’re eating, how much you should eat, why you’re eating it and how it’s going to help your baby.

A quick note. In the following section you are going to see several mentions made about the negative consequences of overdosing on specific vitamins. You must understand that this overdose very rarely occurs because of the foods you eat. More often it is because mothers have chosen to consume extra supplements in an attempt to “help” their baby or they have forgotten to tell their physician about other vitamins and supplements they take on a regular basis.

Be sure when you go in for your prenatal appointments that your physician knows exactly what vitamins, medications and supplements (including herbal) you take, regardless of how insignificant you may believe them to be. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: anemia, anencephaly, B12 deficiency, B6, beriberi, birth defects, bread products, C, calcium deficiency, center for disease control, cough, dairy products, encephalocele, energy, folic acid, Folic Acid deficiency, food, high blood pressure, morning sickness, neural tube defects, nutritionist, osteoporosis, pernicious anemia, physician, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy nutrition, pregnancy vitamins, pregnant women, Riboflavin deficiency, spina bifida, vegetable oil, vitamin a, Vitamin A deficiency, vitamin a during pregnancy, Vitamin D, Vitamin D deficiency, vitamins and supplements

Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become brittle and weak, is responsible for about 70% of the hip fractures in Canada, leading to considerable disability. Healthy lifestyle choices begun at an early age combined with proper screening, early detection, and appropriate treatment can offset bone loss and prevent or delay serious complications.

Throughout our lives our bodies go through a process of breaking down old bone material and replacing it with new bone. In our early years, we make more bone than we lose until we reach our lifetime maximum bone mass. For a woman that can happen in her teen years. For men, it’s a little later. At that point, the process reaches a balance and the amount of bone made is about the same as the amount of bone lost. As we age, we begin to lose bone faster than we make it.

One in four Canadian women and one in eight men over the age of 50 will lose so much of their bone mass that their bones will become fragile and break easily. In severe cases, a simple hug can be enough to break a bone. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: anti inflammatory drugs, bone density, bone loss, Canada, celiac disease, cluttering, crohn s disease, Crohn's disease, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, healthy lifestyle, hip fracture, Hormone replacement therapy, HRT, hyperthyroidism, Hypogonadism, lifestyle choices, Osteopenia, osteoporosis, Osteoporosis Society, Osteoporosis Society of Canada, osteoporosis treatment, pain, Primary hyperparathyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, testosterone, testosterone replacement therapy, ultrasound, Vitamin D, x-ray

I remember a few years ago as my wife was pregnant with our first child she qot the requisite baby viatmins ande we never questioned them again. Everyone we knew that was pregnant would take the popular vitamins so that they would get all the nutrients they could while trying not to truly be “eating for two”.

Times have noty changed and Health Canada today announced that pregnant women should take an even larger supplementation of Vitamin D to protect against any possible deficiency and then some.

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should consider increasing their vitamin D intake to 2,000 international units a day to reduce the chances their children will develop such ailments as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and cancer later in life, the Canadian Pediatric Society says.

That amount of vitamin D is 10 times higher than what is currently recommended by Health Canada for women in their childbearing years, and the advice is believed to be the first time a medical group has called for healthy people to take such elevated amounts of the sunshine vitamin.

But it is the second time in recent months that a major Canadian public health advocacy group has decided the evidence for taking vitamin D has become so compelling that it is overstepping the government’s recommendations.

The pediatric society, representing doctors who specialize in children’s health, is issuing the vitamin D advice in a position statement being released today in its journal, Pediatrics & Child Health. The statement said aboriginal people in particular are at higher risk of deficiencies of the vitamin.

“New findings suggest that adequate vitamin D status in mothers during pregnancy and in their infants may have lifetime implications,” the statement said.

As a precaution against being exposed to too much of the nutrient, the statement also recommended that women periodically have their doctors monitor their blood levels of the vitamin.

Tags: Canadian Pediatric Society, cancer, diabetes, health, Health Issues, health_canada, multiple sclerosis, possible deficiency, pregnancy, Vitamin, Vitamin D, women_health

Treatments are aimed at reducing the symptoms of menopause and preventing the development of long-term health problems that can result from reduced estrogen levels. There are several options a doctor can consider when deciding which type of treatment is right for each patient.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): HRT replaces the hormones that a woman’s body no longer makes. The most important hormone used in reducing menopausal symptoms is estrogen, but taking estrogen alone can increase a woman’s risk of developing endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus). This isn’t a problem in women who have had a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus), but in women who still have a uterus estrogen is usually combined with another hormone, progestin, to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer. But even combination HRT can have serious side effects, and the decision about whether to go on this treatment is one each woman must make for herself after discussing it with her doctor.

Bisphosphonates: These drugs are used to help prevent and treat osteoporosis that may result from reduced hormone levels. While they are not quite as effective as estrogen, they are not hormonal and, therefore, don’t carry the same risks as HRT. However, it is important to remember that every drug carries some risk.

Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs):

These drugs have some of the benefits of estrogen, including improving bone strength, without some of the risk that estrogen has. However, SERMs tend to cause more hot flashes and may increase the risk of gallstones or blood clots.

Complementary and alternative therapies (CAM):

Some women going through peri menopause may find relief from their symptoms from CAM therapies, including dietary and herbal supplements, acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, massage therapy, biofeedback, homeopathy, and naturopathy. It is important to remember that not all complementary and alternative therapies have been studied scientifically, and some may have negative effects on other conditions you may have. Before you decide to try one of these therapies, discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure that what you are planning is safe for you.

Helping Yourself

In addition to taking medication, there are ways you can help reduce your symptoms.

To ease hot flashes:

• Dress in layers so you can remove some clothing when you begin to feel warm.

• Avoid foods and beverages known to trigger hot flashes, such as alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, and sugar.
• Practice stress management techniques.
• Exercise to improve your circulation.

To reduce vaginal dryness

• Ask your pharmacist to recommend a vaginal lubricant.

• If over-the-counter products don’t work, talk to your doctor about the prescription products that are available.

To reduce the risk of osteoporosis

• Get enough calcium and vitamin D. If you aren’t sure you are getting enough of these nutrients from the foods you eat, ask your pharmacist about supplements.

• Exercise regularly; weight-bearing exercises (such as walking) are best for strengthening bones.

• Ask your doctor if you should have a bone density test.

• To reduce the ris.k of heart disease:

• Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked regularly.

• Eat a nutritious, heart -healthy diet that is low in saturated and trans fats and high in fibre.

• Be active. Check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program to make sure the activity you have chosen is appropriate for your overall physical condition.

If you have any questions about menopause or ways to lessen the symptoms and reduce your risk of developing heart disease or osteoporosis, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Tags: acupuncture, alternative therapies, biofeedback, bisphosphonates, cancer, chiropractic, endometrial cancer, estrogen_levels, gallstones, heart disease, homeopathy, Hormone replacement therapy, hormone_progestin, HRT, hysterectomy, massage therapy, menopausal_symptoms, naturopathy, osteoporosis, over-the-counter products, peri_menopause, pharmacist, prescription products, spicy food, Vitamin D

The four-year study out of Creighton University in Nebraska found that women who regularly took vitamin D3 had a 60 per cent reduction in cancer infections compared to a group taking placebos.

The study followed 1,179 healthy, women 55 years and older from rural eastern Nebraska between 2000 and 2005. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 1400-1500 mg of calcium alone, or supplemental calcium plus 1,100 IU vitamin D3, or placebo.

The researchers studied only vitamin D3, which comes from animal sources and seems to be more active than vitamin D2, which is derived from plant sources.

Among the 288 women taking placebo, 20 developed breast, colon, lung or another form of cancer. Among the 445 women taking just calcium, 17 developed cancer. But among the largest group — the 446 women taking vitamin D daily — just 13 developed cancer.

“What we found is that a vitamin D supplement decreased the cancer incidence in postmenopausal women by about 60 per cent,” lead investigator Joan Lappe, an associate professor of both medicine and nursing at Creighton University

This is not the first time that researchers have noted the health benefits of vitamin D. In February, two studies found that the vitamin was linked to lower rates of breast cancer and colorectal cancer. The “sunshine vitamin,” as it’s sometimes called, has also been shown to kill some cancer cells in laboratory experiments.

“There’s a lot of evidence out there that populations in first world countries are deficient in vitamin D and if you give them more, we can prevent cancers and other diseases that have been reported to be prevented with vitamin D,” said Lappe.

Humans can absorb vitamin D when ultraviolet rays from the sun trigger vitamin D synthesis in our skin. But because of our short summers in Canada and our latitude, most Canadians don’t get anywhere near enough of it all year long.

Because of the growing body of evidence about vitamin D, for the first time, the Canadian Cancer Society is recommending a specific amount of supplementation for Canadians to consider taking. The Society is now recommending that:

-Adults living in Canada should consider taking vitamin D supplementation of 1,000 international units (IU) a day during the fall and winter.

-Adults at higher risk of having lower vitamin D levels should consider taking vitamin D supplementation of 1,000 IU/day all year round. This includes people who are older; with dark skin; who don’t go outside often, and who wear clothing that covers most of their skin.
At this time, the Canadian Cancer Society does not have a recommendation for vitamin D supplementation for children.

“The evidence is still growing in this area, but we want to give guidance to Canadians about this emerging area of cancer prevention based on what we know now,” said Heather Logan, director of Cancer Control Policy with the Canadian Cancer Society.

“We’re recommending 1,000 IUs daily because the current evidence suggests this amount will help reduce cancer risk with the least potential for harm,” said Logan.

“As we find out more we will update our recommendation.”

Logan cautions Canadians about relying too much on getting vitamin D through exposure to sunlight.

“It’s not a good idea to rely solely on the sun to obtain vitamin D,” said Logan. “For some people, it’s possible that just a few minutes of unprotected sun exposure every day could increase skin cancer risk.”

Tags: associate professor, associate professor of both medicine and nursing, breast cancer, Canada, Canadian Cancer Society, cancer, cancer prevention, cancers, colorectal cancer, Creighton University in Nebraska, D, director of Cancer Control Policy, first world countries, Heather Logan, Joan Lappe, lead investigator, Nebraska, placebos, professor of both medicine, skin cancer, Vitamin D

In one of the most rigorous studies ever conducted to determine how well people comprehend the information provided on food nutrition labels, researchers have found that the reading and math skills of a significant number of people may not be sufficient to extract the needed information, according to an article published in the November issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

So after seeing that report and of course precious little on what the problems really were that people had trouble with I thought I would pull out a box of Honey Nut Cheerios (They are for the kids, really I am not just right now popping them in my mouth as an evening snack) and a box of Kellogg�s All Bran and am going to try to decipher what the lies are on the labeling.

A List of Food Labeling Lies

1. First of all we all need to know that labels lie. The best example of lying on labels is that PAM cooking spray is low in fat….It is all fat folks but the “serving size” is so low in actual grams of fat that the company can call it fat free or some ridiculous thing.

2. Serving Size - This is dumb but on the Honey Nut Cheerios it says that a serving is 3/4 of a cup or 30 grams I think because they want to use the fact that it is only 110 calories a serving (without milk, I tried to eat my cereal this morning with water instead and it was terrible), my Kellogg�s All Bran says that a serving is 1/2 cup which is actually 36 grams. The difference in this case is that the All Bran wants to use the number of 12 grams of Fiber per serving so they decided that I should eat a half cup as a serving (I really eat about a cup instead in real life).
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: allergies, Canada, fda, food, food label, food labeling, food labels, food nutrition labels, Honey Nut Cheerios, Kellogg, nut allergies, the American Journal, unknown chemicals, vitamin a, Vitamin D

After writing about how bad the sun is for you I have found this very balanced article by Robert Bazell at MSNBC that offers a great counter point to how good or bad the sun is for you. As always I believe that some good research is the most important way for anyone to decide weather they are doing the right thing or not as everyone has a bias as far as this subject goes.

The heresy: the sun can be healthy. The heretic: Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University, a seemingly gentle, but combative scientist-physician who studies the beneficial effects of Vitamin D, produced by our skin when exposed to the sun.

Report a story about Holick’s research and a reporter can expect to get — as I did — a rocket in the name of the president of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) alleging that the information endangers America’s health.

This battle is not about facts
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: America, American Academy of Dermatology, Boston University, breast cancer, combative scientist-physician, Dermatology Department, heart disease, high blood pressure, melanoma, Michael Holick, National Cancer Institute, nevi, New England Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, osteoporosis, president, prostate cancer, reporter, rickets, Robert Bazell, skin cancer, squamous cell carcinomas, sunburns, Thomas Kupper, Vitamin D, Vitamin D deficiency, Women�s Hospital

I really enjoy making scrambled eggs and toast for me and the kids on a Saturday morning but I have always been careful not to eat to many eggs because you know, we have always heard that they are bad for the heart…or are they?

The American Heart Association says “A single egg contains about 213 milligrams of dietary cholesterol. So an egg a day could fit within an individual’s dietary budget only if dietary cholesterol from other sources, such as meats, poultry and dairy products were limited.”

Eggs could actually protect against heart disease, breast cancer and eye problems and even help you to lose weight.

For years people assumed eggs were bad for cholesterol levels. But a review just published in the British Nutrition Foundation’s Nutrition Bulletin found they ‘have no clinically significant impact’ on heart disease or cholesterol levels.
Dr Bruce Griffin of the University of Surrey’s school of biomedical and molecular science analysed 30 egg studies, among them one from Harvard University which showed people who consumed one or more eggs a day were at no more risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease than non-egg eaters.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: American Heart Association, blindness, breast cancer, British Egg Information Service, British Nutrition Foundation, Bruce Griffin, cancers, cardiovascular disease, dairy products, Detroit, diabetes, end product, food, Harvard University, heart attacks, heart disease, Joanne Lunn, macular degeneration, nutrition scientist, obesity, the American College, University of Surrey, vitamin a, Vitamin D, Wayne State University in Detroit