yummy cool whip

Fiber

If you get an adequate amount of fiber each day you can reduce excess weight, keep disease at bay, and never worry about constipation. It's recommended you get a min of 25 grams a day; the average American only consumes around 10 grams.

Start to think of fiber as your body's janitorial staff. Insoluble fiber puffs up in your intestines, like a sponge, and moves digestive and cellular debris out. Soluble fiber mixes with the water from your food to make a gel. This mops up fat and sugar, helping to lower your cholesterol and regulate your blood glucose levels.

Fiber contains no calories, takes up more space than food without fiber, and moves more slowly through your tract. You'll eat less and be satiated for longer!

Insoluble fiber sources

• wheat; 1 cup buckwheat cereal= 10 grams fiber
• corn
• oat bran
• nuts; 24 almonds= 5 grams
• flaxseed
• skins/peels of many fruits and veggies (apple, potato); medium apple= 4 grams fiber
• dark leafy greens

Soluble fiber sources

• legumes (peas, beans); 3 tbs of lima beans= 13 grams fiber
• barley
• oat bran
• nuts; 30 peanuts= 5.5 grams fiber
• many fruits and veggies (carrots, oranges, inside of apples)

You produce more than a thousand pounds of poop every year, make it easy on yourself and get plenty of fiber!

"Natural" Chicken

I had 3 choices today when I went shopping for chicken. Organic, all natural with no hormones added, and the last was just plain old chicken. I couldn't resist the sale price of the all natural chicken, I fell into temptation!

For future reference, guidelines state that any product can be labeled as "natural" if it contains no artificial flavoring, coloring, chemical preservative, synthetic ingredient, and has been minimally processed- it has only been handled as necessary to slaughter, clean, and make it ready for cooking. It says nothing about how an animal was raised, what it was fed, if it received antibiotics, or if it received hormones.

As for the statement "no hormones added" on the package? Sordid sales technique. Federal law prohibits the use of hormones in poultry (and pork).

So...what exactly made this all natural chicken different than the plain old chicken? Pretty much nothing. I can only take solace in the money I saved over not buying organic, which I'm not.

Yolks

Eggs are a super nutritious food, even the yolk. So many people only dine on the whites and toss the yolks to the dogs. But if your relatively healthy you can consume 1-2 yolks a day without risk to your cholesterol level or heart health. The yolk is packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, omega-3s, vitamin A, D, E, and B12.

Concerned about your heart and arteries?

Okay, so the 200 mg of cholesterol and 2 grams of saturated fat in each yolk make it sound like I'm lying to you. However, most of the cholesterol in your blood comes from your liver, not the cholesterol you eat (emphasis on the word most). You should be more concerned with the saturated fat content of foods, that's what will drive up your blood cholesterol levels. To this point, thank you chickens for putting more healthy fat than saturated fat in your yolks!

Cool things mushrooms can do

1. They neutralize those nasty free radicals. The plain old white button mushroom contains more antioxidants than carrots, green bell peppers, and tomatoes!

2. The antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in mushrooms aren't denatured or deactivated by cooking like they are in fruits and veggies. In fact, they become more concentrated because cooking removes water. Eating the same volume of cooked mushrooms over raw delivers 2-4 times the nutrients (dependent on the species).

3. Mushroom extracts have demonstrated anti-tumor activity in test tubes. Within humans it ups the immune system's activity.

4. Just like us, mushrooms produce vitamin D when placed in UV light. If the package doesn't already say vitamin D added you can just place the mushrooms on your windowsill for an hour before you cook them. Easy!

...interesting side note, kids with a vitamin D deficiency are more like to be obese.

Happy meal crack down

San Francisco city officials will revisit a vote today which regulates meals that come with a free toy. Last week they voted in favor of the law, requiring any toy-toting meal to fall under 600 calories or only 35% of the calories from fat, no sugary or fatty beverage, and it must contain a fruit or vegetable.

This is obviously geared towards McDonald's happy meals. And I say kudos to SF for attempting to tackle childhood obesity. I don't think this is restrictive enough, considering a child only needs 1,200 calories a day, but at least a step in the right direction.

Of course there is a spectrum of comments going on under the news reports. One woman expressed, "I have two grandchildren who eat McDonald's Happy Meals. Neither are obese or even overweight. In fact they are skinny as rails. Why should they be forbidden to eat what they want to eat? Who has the right to take away their mother's rights? Get lost!".

It's not all about weight! You can be skinny and unhealthy. Think of what these kid's arteries are going to look like! What does this woman care anyways? It's not like parents have to prepare these meals, they're just the wallet. The kids will eat slightly healthier without parents having to do anything.

My bet's on french fries being the vegetable...

So meaty!

Harvard School of Public Health has reported that eating processed meat (deli meat, bacon, sausage, hot dogs) increases your risk of heart disease by 42%, and diabetes by 19%. This is higher than the risk associated with eating unprocessed red meats- beef, pork, lamb- and researchers attribute it to the very high sodium and nitrate content in processed meats.

So what can you do? Limit your intake, especially if you have high blood pressure, prehypertension, or hypertension. Try cooking a chicken on Sunday and slicing meat off for your sandwiches throughout the week.

November fruits and veggies!

We Western United Staters can look forward to these items as our freshest picks this month:

apples

artichokes

avocado

beets

bok choy
broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage
chard
cilantro

fig

grapes

grapefruit

green beans

gourds

kale

lettuce

mandarins

persimmons

radish

raspberries
snow peas
spinach

turnip

Check out some good recipes here!

Hunger Games

Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a book rapidly spreading through the teenage (and adult!) population. The protagonist, Katniss, spends her days in the woods hunting and gathering. She knows the fruits, roots, veggies, and game in season for every day of the year. This knowledge of sustenance keeps her family fed in an otherwise starving community. AND she is healthy, lean, and strong; if you know the book you understand how dire these traits are for the hunger games!

The story line for such an awesome book has of course already been purchased by Lionsgate. I'm excited by this for multiple reasons, one of them being this is the PERFECT opportunity to teach kids about wholesome, simply prepared nutrition. Ms. Collins has depicted a diet of fresh ingredients for her heroine, who's admired for her conditioned body and ability to perform stealthy tasks. I'm a huge proponent for meals consisting of minimal, whole ingredients. We need to make a move into this type of lifestyle, no more packaged "foods" with ingredients we can't pronounce. Meals are fuel! Treat them as such! Would you fill your car's fuel tank with a mixture of gas, pine-sol, and windex?? Hopefully not, so on the same note, minimize your intake of non-food foods. Any which way preservatives, flavors, dyes, and extra sugar get used or stored in the body is adverse. Get to know what each item has to offer , you can even see fast food items here.

Make soda, candy, pastries, etc. treats for yourself (i.e. eat sparingly). I would lose my mind if I couldn't have a Hershey's bar with almonds, or gooey melty cheesy anything every know and then. It's just a matter of budgeting it into the calories, vitamins, and minerals I've consumed that day.

I hope a discussion is started about Katniss's diet. In this society of children raised to accept obesity and diabetes as normal, we sure can use a role model to remind ourselves what food really is.

Thanks for introducing me to the series Katie!

Ciggies

We all know smoking cigarettes leads to cancers and heart disease. But new research coming out of Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA shows smoking in your middle ages leads to:

• 114% increased risk of developing dementia
• 157% increased risk of developing alzheimer's disease
• 172% increased risk of developing vascular dementia

These conditions don't start until later in the smoker's life. In the past, smokers often passed away from other conditions before their brain health could be assessed. Kudos to the researchers for being able to obtain this data!

A quick side note, nicotine from smoking is actually beneficial to individuals with schizophrenia. In 2004 numerous research institutions concluded that nicotine receptors in the brain were stimulated when smoking, and improved the attention and short-term memory of schizophrenics. Upon quitting smoking their cognitive function declined again. Individuals without schizophrenia do not experience these effects.

Microwaves

Microwaving food is a very quick and energy efficient way to heat liquids, warm up leftovers, and prep frozen veggies. But is there any need to be worried about microwave radiation or nutrient degradation?

As long as your microwave seals properly you have nothing to worry about! No radiation remains in the food. Even better, the items you microwave will retain more nutrients than if you had warmed them up in the oven. This is because nutrients degrade the longer they're cooked. Also, some items, like frozen veggies (which can be just as nutritious as fresh veggies), don't require water when cooked in a microwave. This means less nutrients leaching out into the water.

There are just a couple rules to follow when cooking with a microwave:

1. NEVER use any kind of plastic wrap or container in the microwave. Not even if it says microwave safe.

2. Stir food occasionally for even heating and don't overcook. Overcooking zaps the nutrients.

Not all fat is equal

Nature Genetics is about to publish research on the genetics of fat that included a quarter of a million people. The international consortium uncovered 18 new gene sites associated with obesity, adding them to a list of 20 already identified genes. 13 new sites that affect fat distribution were also discovered.

If you just so happen to carry the majority of the 38 variants you will, on average, be 15-20 pounds heavier. This isn't obesity though, just a heavier set person. An obese individual may carry the majority of variants, but almost always there are environmental factors (like poor diet choices) contributing to the weight.

The 13 gene variants for fat distribution control whether you'll be an apple shape (all in your tummy) or a pear shape (hips, butt, and thighs).

If you're an apple shape you'll have more complications associated with your fat, such as type II diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. ACS's Journal of Proteome Research has recently published research that the apron of fat we all have over our lower tummy-greater omentum- isn't just some idle storage unit for excess calories. Apparently, these fat cells secrete hormones and other substances just like our other organs. Scientists were surprised to discover fat cells secreting hormones like leptin, which controls appetite, and adiponectin, which makes the body more sensitive to insulin and and controls blood sugar levels. These are just 2 of the 80 proteins they found in fat cells. Of course, more research is needed to figure out what all these proteins are up to.

As a fellow pear shape, I must admit the lower risk of disease is no consolation when I get dressed everyday. But as a woman, I just have to accept my body puts fat there for a specific reason; baby, spawn, whatever you'd like to call it. If your a women, 7 of the 13 fat distributing gene variants have a much stronger effect on you than men.

Genes don't have the final say in someone being overweight. That excuse will only work for a small, small percent of the population. For the majority of us, it's a combo of our genes and diet. Since we can't modify our genes yet, that only leaves one other option.

The dirty dozen

My wallet and I understand purchasing organic fruits and veggies can simply be too expensive. But it doesn't have to be an all-or-none decision. With a little knowledge, you can decide which pieces of produce you should buy organic, and which ones you can let slide.

I'd be a bad health advocate if I didn't start off by saying (1) it's always best to buy local and in season, and (2) buying organic is also much better for the environment and, therefore, better for everyone.

The Environmental Working Group tested 49 of the most commonly eaten fruits and veggies-conventionally grown- to see how much pesticide residue they contained. All the produce was washed and peeled (if normally consumed this way) before testing began. This little table identifies those with the highest and lowest pesticide content. You can see how all 49 produce items ranked here.

The EWG reported that people who eat their 5 a day from the dirty dozen list consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. If eaten from the clean fifteen list you only take in an average of 2 pesticides a day.

Don't know why you should care about pesticides? This page helps break down why.

By the way, peeling conventional produce helps reduce pesticide residue, but takes away valuable nutrients.

Cancer and deodorant/antiperspirants

In my house the idea that deodorant/antiperspirant causes cancer has been debated for several years. My opponent says wearing deodorant daily is toxic to the body and will inevitably give me cancer. I say, if I don't wear deodorant daily he, and everyone else, wouldn't hang around long enough to have this discussion with me.

Obviously, an online search can turn up any answer you want to hear. So I chose to trust the National Cancer Institute (associated with the National Institutes of Health) for accurate information. The conclusion? "Researchers are not aware of any conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast cancer...More research is needed to specifically examine whether the use of deodorants or antiperspirants can cause the buildup of parabens and aluminum-based compounds in breast tissue...research is also necessary to determine whether these chemicals can either alter the DNA in some cells or cause other breast cell changes...".

Not exactly the definitive answer I was looking for...

So what have the most recent studies taught us?

1. 2002- This study looked at women who reported shaving their underarms and using a deodorant/antiperspirant. They interviewed 813 women with breast cancer and 793 women with no history of breast cancer. Results? No increased risk for breast cancer with these habits.

2. 2003- This study examined the frequency of underarm shaving and deodorant/antiperspirant use among 437 breast cancer survivors. They concluded that women who shave and use these products more frequently, and/or began to do so at a younger age were diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age. However, this does not demonstrate a link between these habits and cancer. Genetics could be a large factor and was not included in this study.

3. 2006- Researchers examined deodorant/antiperspirant use and other factors among 54 women with breast cancer and 50 without. They concluded no association between cancer and antiperspirants, but reported family history and use of oral contraceptives as increasing the risk of breast cancer.

Pretty much everything we do and everything surrounding us causes cancer. At this point, deodorant is at the bottom of my list of things to avoid. And I'd appreciate if other people didn't avoid it as well.

12 essential talking points for the deodorant enthusiast!

Monumental trial about to begin

Our FDA has approved the first trial using human embryonic stem cells to treat people with spinal cord injuries. Cells will be coaxed into becoming nerve cells, then injected into the spinal cords of recently injured patients. Results will take years to obtain, but hopefully will be very well worth it!

More on those sparkly, tasty granules

Last post I mentioned how American's eat WAY too much sugar and where the excess amounts come from. I know everyone understands sugar is bad for them, but I really want to lay out why. These facts can be hard to forget when there's a gallon of ice cream in your freezer, or your Fiancé offers to grab you a donut on his way home...

1. When you eat a dose of sugar (bottle of coke, candy bar) it messes with your immune system for the next couple of hours. Your body will be operating at a disadvantage and can't properly handle challenges thrown at it.

2. Sugar promotes inflammation, part of an immune response. Inflammation is not necessarily a bad thing, but having regular excess inflammation leads to the aging of cells and disease (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, etc.).

3. Sugar suppresses your release of human growth hormone. This isn't just for the kiddies, it's actually a big deal for adults too. If you want to slow down your aging process you need to have a good, natural supply of human growth hormone. Of course, you also need to exercise, eat in moderation, and manage your stress.

4. Sugar promotes glycation, which can be likened to a fraternity's last party of the semester. Sugar molecules enter your bloodstream and hook up with the first fat or protein molecules they can find. Then, these glycated molecules go around smashing everything in site and dropping their garbage everywhere- they produce toxins called advanced glycation end products. These toxins essentially throw the aging process into fast forward.

5. Think of your insulin levels! With an influx of sugar your pancreas cranks out insulin to handle the molecules. Once the sugar is handled, your insulin production drops back down to normal levels. But if you are constantly calling for more insulin your pancreas could tell you to screw off, i.e. diabetes. Not to mention that all those occasions of high insulin levels damages other organs and makes you age quicker!

6. Sugar messes with your mineral levels. It can cause chromium and copper deficiencies as well as inhibit your absorption of calcium and magnesium.

7. Sugar feeds cancer cells within the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder, and stomach. Research completed a couple months ago has gone one step further, linking high fructose corn syrup and pancreatic cancer.

8. Sugar can weaken eyesight.

9. Tooth decay and periodontal disease!

10. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function in areas like the lining of your capillaries, and the collagen that keeps your skin looking youthful.

I could honestly go on and on with other findings, but it's just too depressing for me. None of us will stop eating sugar, and we don't have to, but we need to be more mindful of how much we take in. For individuals of normal weight it's suggested we only take in 10% of our daily calories in sugar ( that's about 50 grams or a 20 oz. coke). If you're overweight or at risk for heart disease and diabetes you should really only take in 5%.

Sugar

Sugar reigns supreme over fat in the downfall of human diets. The medical community agrees it's the prime reason for obesity and disease.

The most recent data put out by the National Cancer Institute shows the average American eats twice their daily allowance of sugar. They even broke down the percentage that various foods add sugar to a person's diet.

Seems to me if we're mindful of our soda, sports drink, and juice consumption we could be in much better shape!

Overweight and on oral contraceptives

Researchers at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center have recently completed a study on birth control effectiveness in overweight and obese women. They found there's nothing to worry about!

150 women of all sizes on both high dose and low dose oral contraceptives were followed. They had ultrasounds and blood tests to determine if their ovulation was suppressed. 3 of the 96 "normal weight" women ovulated, and 1 of the 54 "overweight/obese" women ovulated. And, they found that a higher dose pill isn't any more effective than a low does pill in overweight women.

When taken at the same time everyday, women of all sizes should have a failure rate of only 0.3%. (Of course, most women use it with a more "carefree" attitude, raising the failure rate up to 8%!)

Phosphates

A study was just published (Journal of Cancer Prevention Research) suggesting a link between high dietary phosphate intake and skin cancer. An overabundance of phosphate has already been correlated with lung cancer and the breakdown of bone within mice.

Technically, phosphate is good for us. It creates the physical support for our bones, it's the chemical backbone of DNA, and it's bond provides energy to cells (ATP- adenosine triphosphate). Additionally, many oncogenes, the motors driving cancer cells to divide, are regulatory enzymes that attach phosphate to other proteins. Depending on the protein, phosphate will either turn up or turn down their activity level. For example, in the presence of high phosphate levels bone cells divide more quickly and produce more osteopontin, a protein linked to the breakdown of bone, and other cancer-related proteins.

So how are Americans taking in 1,334 mg of phosphate when an adult daily allowance is recommended at 700 mg? It's in all the stuff that tastes good! Soft drinks (esp. cola), fruit syrup drinks, candy, ice cream, cookies and cakes meant to have a shelf life, processed cheese, frozen pizzas, and processed meat (hot dogs, deli meat). Phosphate is also found in whole foods like dairy, meat, fish, and legumes.

Don't worry about getting too much phosphate from whole foods, the effects are balanced by the presence of other minerals and nutrients. However, if your diet is heavy in soda and processed foods you're at risk for being fat, having osteoporosis, and now possibly getting cancer.

October fruits and veggies!

Not exactly my favorite time for fruits here in California. I cheat on local produce every now and then with a banana, but I try to eat local for freshness. Eating recently picked produce means the nutrient content is highest and the flavor is at it's best. At chain supermarkets it also means cheap prices. Here's a list of fruits and veggies in season during October for the Western US:

asparagus

apples
broccoli

carrot
cauliflower

chile
collards

eggplant

grape

green beans
kale
lettuce

pears

pepper

persimmons

pumpkin

radish

strawberry

winter squash

If local gets too boring for you here's the season's produce for the rest of the States:

beets

blackberries

brussel sprouts

cabbage

chicory

cranberries

dates

figs

leeks

okra

orange

parsnip

pumpkin

shallot

sweet potato

turnip

watercress

Human Microbiome Project

In the average human, microbial cells outnumber our very own human cells by a factor of 10 to 1. Essentially, we are apartment complexes for a whole lot of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. This means there are gobs of genetic material within us, carrying out functions, that hasn't been considered in relation to human health until recently.

The Human Microbiome Project was initiated in 2007 to try and understand the extent of the microbial diversity we carry around and how it affects our health. These organisms have been within us since the beginning of human evolution; they are intimately involved in human physiology. Emerging research from the HMP is revealing just how symbiotic the relationship is. The microbes provide certain vitamins we need but don't get regularly from our diet, they regulate our immune system, and potentially colonize areas that "bad" microbes could get to.

Each person has an unique "community" of microorganisms throughout their body, which, will be similar to their parents, and should include a core gang. Colonization by these thousands of species is dependent on our diet and environment as we develop. Certain species are proving to be so important that a recent study carried out "poop transplants" in patients with colitis, inflamed large intestine. "Normal" patient family members had the microbiota extracted from their poop and transplanted into the colitis patient. 13 out of 15 patients were relieved of their symptoms fairly quickly. It seems people prone to colitis have an excess of Clostridium difficile and it can be managed by letting "normal" microbes take over.

Microbes are also being given credit for obesity. Not all obesity is the same, but in certain cases it may come down to the efficiency of your GI microbiome. Studies are showing that with different communities we get a different dietary energy harvest, fat deposition, and systemic inflammation. Poop transplants in mice to create a good microbiota community are proving to be effective for these symptoms.

The most interesting research, I think, is being done with regressive autistic kids. This is the type of autism blamed on vaccinations, but research could never show a strong correlation. These children are normal until about age 2, then suddenly regress in their social and behavioral skills. They are plagued by distended bellies, inflamed intestines, diarrhea, and constipation. Because of these symptoms, and the fact that children communities should resemble adult communities by around age 2, researchers began to look at the microbiota of affected children in comparison to their parents. Several studies have shown regressive autistic children may have a displacement of the normal community by a specific bacterial order, Clostrodiales.

Some other conditions being looked at in relation to our microbiome include; asthma, allergies, acne, psoriasis, Chron's disease, and febrile illness.

• The Human Microbiome Project http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/hmp/
• Khoruts A, Dicksved J, Jansson JK, Sadowsky MJ. Changes in the composition of the human fecal microbiome after bacteriotherapy for recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 2010. May-June; 44(5):354-60.
• Tsai F, Coyle WJ. The microbiome and obesity: is obesity linked to our gut flora? Current Gastroenterology report. 2009 August; 11(4):307-30.
• Researcher Dr. Allen-Vercoe discusses her autism research http://www.uoguelph.ca/mcb/people/faculty/faculty_allen-vercoe.shtml

Rock celery, a.k.a parsley

This little herb should definitely be used for more than just garnishing! With just 10 sprigs you receive: 205% of your daily value of vitamin K, 22% DV of vitamin C, 17% DV of vitamin A, and less impressive but still great, 4% DV of folate, and 3% DV of iron.

Vitamin K prevents the loss of bone density and keeps our arteries/heart from hardening. Vitamin C is our body's primary water-soluble antioxidant. Or put another way, vitamin C renders harmless the free radicals, a source of degenerative diseases and cancers, in the water-soluble areas of our body. Vitamin A does the same but for the fat-soluble areas. Vitamin A is also great for combating aging skin and acne!

I suggest choosing Italian parsley (flat leafed) over the classic curly parsley. It has a more fragrant taste and is less bitter. Try adding it to your protein rubs, tomato sauces, pesto, and salads.

This is not the only herb that packs a lot of nutrients. Utilize websites like http://nutritiondata.self.com/ to do simple searches for the nutrition value of other herbs and food in general (they even detail restaurants and supermarket food!). They are super detailed yet very easy to understand. Here's what they say about parsley: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2513/2.

Bad grapefruit!

After a very careless, stupid injury I have to begin a cycle of antibiotics. Any time I add a new drug to my repertoire I check to see if I should avoid grapefruit.

Furanocoumarins, a class of organic chemical compound, are present in grapefruit and get metabolized by the same enzyme that metabolizes many drugs. Depending on the medication the bioavailability can either be increased or decreased. Something like an antibiotic can't be fully incorporated into the body so the infection will last longer than expected. A cholesterol-lowering drug will remain in the bloodstream at dangerously high levels, causing a breakdown of muscles and eventually kidney failure.

Some of the medications that interact with grapefruit include: hormone replacements, antidepressants, blood pressure regulators, cholesterol regulators, anti-fungals, antibiotics, antivirals, immunosuppressants, antihistamines, and medications that are slow release.

The take home message is to read the warning label of your medications. There might be information present you never would have considered!

A is for Aging, B is for burning

Unfortunately, 1 out of the 3 different wavelengths of radiation reaching Earth by our dear sun is definitely harmful to us. It is known as the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum and can be split into 3 ranges, however we only concern ourselves with 2. UVA irradiance can penetrate down far into the dermis, ruining the collagen and suppleness of our skin. UVB burns the top layers. Both cause damage to our skin's DNA. Just as we can expect to be hit by the visible portion of the spectrum (light) when we wake up in the morning, we can expect to be hit by the ultraviolet portion too. There is no denying a sun-kissed glow (for me, the only thing that keeps my legs presentable) is really just a side effect of skin radiation.

I'm not going to delve into why you should wear sunscreen on your exposed skin everyday (but you should!). Instead, I'm going to name some foods you can eat to give yourself a little extra sun protection. These are great to eat when going to the beach, hiking, or just sitting on the couch next to a window all day. This is not a substitute for sunscreen, just an extra little tool for those concerned about the efficacy of their sunscreen. Why be concerned? When companies determine the SPF of a sunscreen the test subjects have a thick, goopy layer applied to them. I'm not willing to do that so I have to accept my SPF is really a fraction of what is printed on the bottle. However, I can ingest nutrients that valiantly throw themselves to the free radicals, a product of radiation. They lose their electrons and my cell's electrons are spared.

Lycopene, selenium, and vitamin C and E are the top four nutrients you want for fighting sun damage. One of the best sources of lycopene is tomato sauce/paste. This powerful antioxidant present in tomatoes has an increased bioavailability upon being cooked. Of course, you will still take in some lycopene if you eat a raw tomato. Watermelon, red bell pepper, grapefruit, and papaya are also good sources of lycopene (notice a trend in color?). Your best bet for selenium is seafood. Vitamin C is in high quantities in tomato, bell pepper, broccoli, papaya, and strawberry. Vitamin E can be found in tomato (such a magical fruit!), sunflower seeds, almonds, olives, avocado, and dark leafy greens.

So if you know you're going to be in the sun all day consider eating accordingly. Dinner beforehand could be shrimp fajitas with guacamole. Maybe watermelon cubes and a good trail mix as snacks the day of. Dinner afterwards could be a nice Italian dish with lots of tomato sauce paired with a spinach salad. Not too hard!

If interested, here's an article detailing a study on lycopene reported by The British Society for Investigative Dermatology.

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Study-supports-lycopene-protecting-skin-from-within

Na+

My boyfriend has been gently nagging at me to write my first post. So, I've decided to use him, and his Himalayan Pink Salt Crystals, as inspiration. Thanks love!

There are so many salts out there sold with elements from the area in which it was harvested. They come in all colors, reflecting that specific environment. Apparently the Himilayas are a light pink.

But why buy this salt? Does it really come rich in minerals

such as calcium and magnesium (oh the irony!), and unpolluted because it's millions of years old marine fossil harvested at the base of the mountain? Maybe, but I'm not too sure about some of these websites. However, this salt does have less sodium to it than regular table salt or sea salt (the worst among all three). Whatever comes out of the environment and into the salt as color and flavor takes up space in each crystal. Less sodium atoms and more plesiosaur atoms!

This is not an excuse to use a heavy hand with the salt shaker though. The difference in sodium content is not that fantastic. If you are watching your sodium intake (i.e. you have high blood pressure) you should still be just as cautious. Especially if you eat packaged food or food you did not prepare yourself throughout the day. Chances are you have already taken in way over your daily limit (1500 mg) so using a natural state salt would be akin to diet soda at a fast food joint. If you have a healthy blood pressure be mindful to keep it that way. It will only go up as you get older so the less sodium you take in the longer your arteries can hold out.