FitSugar

Living and Raw Foods Diet

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 03:30:00 -0700

I've been hearing a lot about people on a Raw Foods Diet. It's also called a Living Foods Diet, and many celebrities such as Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Bryan Adams, Alicia Silverstone and Robin Williams have reportedly been seen at raw food restaurants and have tried it. Designer Donna Karan and actor Jeremy Piven shed pounds eating raw foods. It was even featured on Oprah.

People following this diet (or you could also say "lifestyle", since there are a lot of folks that eat RAW not to lose weight but for the philosophy) eat only uncooked, unheated, unprocessed, and organic plant based foods. Well...food that has not been heated above a certain temperature. It varies within the different raw food philosophies, but the end range temperature is in between 92ºF to 118ºF (33°C to 48°C). Meals consist mainly of organic and raw fruits, vegetables, sprouted seeds and grains, sea vegetables, nuts, and seeds since they believe cooking destroys precious vitamins and minerals. For instance to eat grains, instead of cooking them, they are soaked. Raw foodies believe their uncooked foods contain essential enzymes, which the body needs to digest foods completely.

They drink only purified water (never tap water), freshly made juices (made with a juicer), and coconut milk. They avoid meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, coffee (because you make it with boiling water), and all junk food. They only eat foods that are good for you, you know, the ones that are full of vitamins and nutrients.

Why eat just raw and living foods? It is said that you'll have more energy, think more clearly, have improved overall health, and lose excess body weight. Many people have also found relief from migraines, acne, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, heartburn, anxiety, and Type 2 diabetes.

Fit's Tips: If you want to learn more about it, check out Alissa Cohen's website all about The Raw Food Diet. She even includes recipes for burgers, pizza, cannolis, and chocolate cake - all made with raw foods and no animal products.

Want to see a video showing how to make a pasta dish with raw foods? Then read more

Source

Enzymes, the best friend you never knew you needed

FitSugar — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 02:30:00 -0800

What are enzymes? Well in honor of my high school chemistry teacher I can offer you this: enzymes are catalysts, which are basically substances that cause a chemical reaction to move faster.

Tom Bohager, author of the new book Enzymes: What the Experts Know quite obviously did better than I did in chemistry class and has figured out that enzymes are a key to life.

While you may not have time to read his book before Thanksgiving, Tom Bohager offers FitSugar's Gang these tips on how to experience a more enjoyable holiday eating season:

Pace yourself. Think of holiday eating not as a sprint, but as a marathon. Try eating smaller portions over longer periods of time rather than a large portion all at once. This allows the digestive system to work progressively at breaking down your food and avoids a heavy demand that can make you feel tired and sluggish.
Socialize. Take time to visit with friends and family. This is not only good for relationships, but oxygen is the source of metabolism. Talking allows you to take in that needed oxygen for digestion and slows you down so you don’t eat too fast.

There's many more tips, so read more

Chew! This is where it all begins. Chewing
stimulates the production of saliva, which is full of enzymes and stimulates the digestive response. The more you chew the easier it is for the body to process and the more the digestive system is helped.
Start healthy. By choosing a salad or vegetables before going to the dessert table you will suppress the overwhelming desire to fill up on the sweets. This will also ease your conscience, knowing you didn’t go overboard on all those decadent desserts-which may help you sleep a little better too.
Combine sensibly. When you combine starchy carbohydrates-such as sweet potatoes or bread-with animal protein you inhibit efficient digestion. Space the starchy carbs out. Also avoid mixing fruit salad with heavy proteins because the fruit may begin to ferment and create unwanted gas when combined with protein.
Eat enzyme-rich foods. Foods naturally contain digestion-helping enzymes, but some have more than others. Raw salads, fruits and vegetables are great sources of enzymes. Fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut are also high in enzymes.
Take a digestive enzyme supplement. Enzyme supplements provide additional help with digesting food. They can be taken at the beginning of the meal or if someone is eating much more than usual, at the middle and end of the meal, too. Digesting multiple courses is a lot to ask of the body and can make a person want to sleep instead of enjoying the company of friends and family.

Fit's Tip: If the tips above appeal to your for the holidays you may want to consider buying the book ($10.17) for more even more tips and enzyme facts. Buy it here.

Pancreatin (Pancreatin enzyme replacement) (By mouth)

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:51:40 -0700

Overview

Introduction
Brand Name(s)
When This Medicine Should Not Be Used
How to Use This Medicine
How to Store and Dispose of This Medicine
Drugs and Foods to Avoid
Warnings While Using This Medicine
Possible Side Effects While Using This Medicine

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Introduction

Pancreatin (PAN-kree-a-tin)

Helps patients who have cystic fibrosis (and other conditions) digest food.

Brand Name(s)

There may be other brand names for this medicine.

When This Medicine Should Not Be Used

You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to pancrelipase, pancreatin, or pork protein.

How to Use This Medicine

Tablet, Capsule

Your doctor will tell you how much medicine to take and how often.
Take the medicine with meals and snacks as directed by your doctor.
Do not chew or crush the tablets or capsules. Swallow them whole.

If a dose is missed:

Take the missed dose as soon as possible.
You should not use two doses at the same time.

How to Store and Dispose of This Medicine

Store at room temperature, away from heat, light, and moisture.
Keep all medicine out of the reach of children.

Drugs and Foods to Avoid

Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking iron supplements or vitamins that contain iron.

Warnings While Using This Medicine

Check with your doctor before taking this medicine if you have severe pancreas disease or other medical problems.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before taking this medicine.

Possible Side Effects While Using This Medicine

Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:

Skin rash or severe itching
Trouble breathing

If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:

Stomach upset or cramps
Diarrhea

Review Date: 8/4/2008

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

A.D.A.M. Copyright

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2009 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

adam.com

Source Doc: 45_0501

Milk Does a Body Good???

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:30:00 -0800

Do you often get a bellyache when you eat or drink foods containing milk? I'm sorry to say, but you may be lactose intolerant.

Lactose is the milk sugar in dairy products. Lactase is the enzyme in your body that breaks down the lactose.

Some people's bodies just don't produce enough of the enzyme to digest the amount of lactose they eat. So when they eat it, they can feel uncomfortable, gassy, bloated or get severe cramps, pains, or diarrhea.

If you think this info might apply to you, there's a simple breath test you can take at your doctor's office. Basically they give you a lactose-loaded beverage and then they monitor the amount of hydrogen in your breath. Don't bother getting the test if you already know how milk affects you.

What's the cure? Sorry folks - there is none. You can either avoid foods containing milk or take Lactaid pills. You can by them over-the counter and they contain the lactase enzyme. Just take a pill with your first bite of dairy-filled food - and you're good to go.

Fit's Tips: Costco sells Lactaid Fast Act Caplets, so if you use them everyday, you might as well buy them in bulk. (90 for $15.29)

Enzyme markers

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:55:09 -0700

Overview

Definition

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Definition

Enzyme markers are tests for specific enzyme activity in the body. Diseases can cause enzymes to stop functioning, or be less active. Enzyme marker tests combine an enzyme with its substrate and monitor the output. (The substrate is the substance being changed by the enzyme.) Results of the tests are reported as a percentage of normal enzyme activity.

Review Date: 1/18/2007

Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M. Copyright

adam.com

Source Doc: 1_002354

Organ Lessons: The Pancreas

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:47:02 -0800

It's time to take some organ lessons, but not the musical kind. I'm going to teach you about your internal organs, starting with the pancreas.

November is National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, devoted to educating people about the disease that took the life of Patrick Swayze earlier this year. If you're like most people, you probably don't know exactly what the pancreas does, so read on to learn more.

Enzyme

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:55:08 -0700

Overview

Definition

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Definition

Enzymes are complex proteins that cause a specific chemical change in other substances, without being changed themselves. For example, they can change starches, proteins, and sugars into substances the body can use. Blood clotting is another example of enzymes at work.

Enzymes are essential to all bodily functions. They are found in the mouth (saliva), stomach (gastric juice), intestines (pancreatic juice, intestinal juice, and intestinal mucosa), blood, and every other organ and cell in the body.

A.D.A.M. Copyright

adam.com

Source Doc: 1_002353

Product Review: Greens First

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:53 -0700

I try my absolute best to eat five to nine servings of fruit and veggies a day but sometimes I fall short. I also find that sometimes it's hard for me to digest all that roughage. I talked to my nutritionist about this problem and she recommended Greens First - a megablend powder that contains super foods, organic fruits and vegetables, probiotics, fiber, enzymes, and more.

It's lightly sweetened with stevia and has a slight minty flavor, it definitely tastes better than any of the other "green" drinks I've tried. I mix the powder with a glass of cold water in the morning and I'd say that within 30 minutes I feel a boost in my energy level. The website says that one serving of Greens First fulfills your fruit and veggie quota for the day but I still eat as much fresh stuff as I can.

Garlic Does More Than Scare Away Vampires

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:30:23 -0700

I love garlic. I can't think of any savory meal where I don't use it, and I also take garlic supplements. It's something my doctor recommended because she believes it helps regulate digestion and ward off colds. Turns out she's right, at least about the preventing colds part.

A study followed two groups - one that took garlic supplements and another that took a placebo - and found that the garlic group came down with fewer colds, and recovered faster too. Researchers aren't exactly clear why it helps, but some suggest that allicin, a main component of the pungent vegetable, blocks enzymes that play a part in causing infections.

It's also not clear if garlic works after the onset of a cold, or if it needs to be taken as a preventative measure. Until more research comes in, I'll keep taking my supplements regularly.

Smarter Eats: Taste the Rainbow

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:00:20 -0700

Eating whole foods with different colors is an easy way to get the nutrients your body needs. Pigments in fruits and veggies contain essential antioxidants that protect against cancer, promote brain health, regulate cholesterol, and act as anti-inflammatories. The more intense the color, the greater the good stuff.

Don't be monochromatic either, each pigment provides different benefits. For example, orange foods contain carotene, which protect skin and aid in enzyme production, while the cancer-fighting antioxidant lycopene helps give tomatoes their red color.

The next time you plan a meal see if you can get all the colors of the rainbow - red, green, yellow, blue, orange - onto your plate.