The Official Health and Fitness Thread

[Bullfrog]

The sugar thing has been my greatest challenge. I love it too much.

From what I've learned, it's not only the amount of sugar you consume, but also its glycemic index number. So it's ok to have fruits, but better to pick those lower on the glycemic index.

There's tonnes of info about this. Just search "low glycemic diet."

 

[maplesyrup]

TRPB - Saturated fats are needed by your body's cell membranes to transfer toxins OUT and nutrients IN. I'm told that the greatest saturated fats come from grass-fed meat, coconut (inc. coconut milk and oil), avocados, and nuts. 

Monsosaturated fats on the other hand - like extra virgin olive oil) while tasty on salads, lose their essential fatty acids when heted over 120 degrees, making them completely unusable in the body.

As far as Conola oil is concerned, it's the #1 oil ingredient in the grocery store BECAUSE it contains the least amount of saturated fat - This DOES NOT make it good for you. I'm told many doctors (or amature internet doctors  ) continue to confuse "saturated" fats with "trans-fats"  thus leading people to Canola oil, corn oil, etc which are absolutely proven to ozidize in the body and cause disease.

 

[maplesyrup]

Whats with the dryer sheets?

Other than being told their toxic? I don't know... I'm prepared to believe and not spend much (if any) time researching exactly why... Especially considering there are cheaper options available that apparently WONT kill you.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

Whats with the dryer sheets?

Other than being told their toxic? I don't know... I'm prepared to believe and not spend much (if any) time researching exactly why... Especially considering there are cheaper options available that apparently WONT kill you.

We don't use fabric softener at all, in the wash or the dryer and haven't had any problems at all with static.  Most dryers these days have sensors to shut the dryer of when the clothes are dry, not baked to death, but dry.  Static and rough/stiff clothes is much of a result of over drying and over soaping.

Line drying clothes is the best, even indoors you can rig up some drying racks.  Saves hydro and doesn't bake your clothes.  If something is a little too stiff once dried, that's a sign of too much soap in the wash, and it never rinsed out properly.

We have a front load washer, and if we put too much soap in the clothes start to stink and smell rancid after being washed because the soap doesn't rinse out.

I find most North American soaps (Tide, Purex, Gain) to stink and mainly use German Persil in liquid and powder form.  The euro's are years ahead in laundry detergent technology.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

One thing I didn't ask at the seminar which frankly, might have not sounded all that good is; "what alcohols contain the least amount of sugar?" (Sorry - not giving that up  ) Anyway, calories are fine.. I'm not concerned about these but if anyone knows which boozes contain the least amount of sugar, it would be most helpful.

That would be vodka.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

An alternative to the Teflon may be titanium, or perhaps those "Orgreenic" pans as seen on the infomercial.  Of course, as most top chefs know stainless steel remains the better material to use.  Only problem is food has a tendency to 'stick', otherwise, it makes for a much halthier cooking without the toxicity associated with Teflon.

What about copper or aluminum? I love the look of copper.

Cast iron is pretty much all we use in the house.

 

[maplesyrup]

One thing I didn't ask at the seminar which frankly, might have not sounded all that good is; "what alcohols contain the least amount of sugar?" (Sorry - not giving that up  ) Anyway, calories are fine.. I'm not concerned about these but if anyone knows which boozes contain the least amount of sugar, it would be most helpful.

That would be vodka.

Okay... Thanks... Now can you recommend a sugar free mix that won't have all my friends pointing and laughing?  :-\

 

[The Red Polar Bear]

TRPB - Saturated fats are needed by your body's cell membranes to transfer toxins OUT and nutrients IN. I'm told that the greatest saturated fats come from grass-fed meat, coconut (inc. coconut milk and oil), avocados, and nuts. 

Monsosaturated fats on the other hand - like extra virgin olive oil) while tasty on salads, lose their essential fatty acids when heted over 120 degrees, making them completely unusable in the body.

As far as Conola oil is concerned, it's the #1 oil ingredient in the grocery store BECAUSE it contains the least amount of saturated fat - This DOES NOT make it good for you. I'm told many doctors (or amature internet doctors  ) continue to confuse "saturated" fats with "trans-fats" thus leading people to Canola oil, corn oil, etc which are absolutely proven to ozidize in the body and cause disease.

Oaty, so I see where we may be coming at an impasse.

I'm looking at the saturated fat element more from a cardiovascular perspective specifically rather than the "whole body approach" you are, which was likely the point of the seminars you attended.

Increased LDL

One of the major effects of saturated fat on the body is to increase synthesis of low density lipoprotein, or LDL. This is colloquially referred to as "bad cholesterol," but is in fact simply cholesterol that has been packaged by the liver and is being sent to cells for uptake. Drs. Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham explain in their 2007 book "Biochemistry" that cells will only take in LDL from the bloodstream in accordance with their needs. If saturated fat consumption leads to high blood levels of LDL, cells stop taking up cholesterol, and the excess remains in the blood. This high level of blood cholesterol can have other cardiovascular effects.

Atherosclerosis

When cholesterol builds up in the bloodstream and cells stop taking it up, the cholesterol can end up forming plaques inside arteries. This leads to narrowing and hardening of the arteries--a disease process called atherosclerosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, atherosclerosis--sometimes called arteriosclerosis--is associated with poor cardiovascular health for many reasons. Not only do narrowed blood vessels fail to deliver blood as efficiently as healthy vessels, but also, hardened arteries can crack and tear, leading to blood clot formation. Clots can then travel through the vascular system and lodge in small vessels, blocking blood flow completely.

Heart Attack and Stroke

Ultimately, high levels of saturated fat intake are associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke. According to Dr. Lauralee Sherwood in her 2004 book "Human Physiology," this is because when hardened arteries form blood clots that break off and travel through the vessels, the clots are most likely to lodge in the vessels that feed either the heart or the brain. If brain tissue is denied oxygen, it begins to die; this is a stroke. The heart muscle, if denied oxygen, also dies, leading to a portion of the heart that can no longer function. This is called a heart attack, and can vary in severity from mild to life-threatening.

So what may work for you from a complete systems perspective may be bad for a person with cardiovascular issues.

Though, one other thing that threw me for a loop - avocados and nuts are thought of as being very healthy for the exact opposite reason you outline -  they have a lot of fat, but very little of it is saturated:

Avocado: 14.7g fat / 100g, fat distribution of about 15.5% sat / 71.3% mono / 13.2% unsat

Almonds: 51g fat / 100g, 8% sat / 67% mono / 25% poly

(all my numbers taken from wikipedia, percentages are amounts over sum of sat+mono+poly)


Also, for your booze: I've heard of vodka+tonic and vodka+club soda, may give those a try.

 

[The Red Polar Bear]

Sarge:

Also, by no means am I trying to attack your efforts to become healthier, I'm just trying to string out your arguments to make you fully aware of things. If you're planning on making a dramatic change to your diet, I suggest you discuss your plans with your family physician.

Just looking out for a fellow Leafer

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

1. Cut as much sugar out of your diet as you can. 100% is impossible but almost all of it. - Not just a little. Seriously - Almost all of it. Don't replace it with aspartame either. Really, sugar is a killer... I mean it... Sugar will bury you as quickly as smoking can. 

Great stuff, Sarge.

I have a question about eliminating sugar. Is this just processed sugar? Or does it include naturally occurring sugars like those found in fruit like oranges etc.

I have seen conflicting things. I know Atkins is very much against fruit, but that seems counter-intuitive.

Yes, too much of "natural" sugar is also bad. The problem is that our North American lifestyles have made our bodies too focused on burning sugar when it should be burning fat (fat by the way is not a bad thing.) We need fat... We don't need sugar. When sugar is burned in the body it produces toxins which destroy our artery walls causing heart disease (among other things.) I'm not saying stay away from oranges but if you're going to eat fruit (which is a good thing) keep away from the candy bars....  I need to add though that at the seminar, they're saying cut all fruit, so take that FWIW. Also, look at the labels of what your are eating... A lot of things say "sugar free" which is a lie... If it contains corn syrup or anything ending in "ose" try to stay away from it.

For those of you with sweet teeth, try pasteurized honey.     

Edit: Basically, removing all "refined" sugars is a must and try not to overdo the natural ones.

See, I've read/been told to seek out local UNpasteurized honey which is mostly what we use.  All the healthy bits in at are alive and still intact not having been destroyed through pasteurization. Also use maple syrup (local from the farm 5 minutes from home) and agave syrup.

 

[Stebro]

anyone focuse on trying to eat more alkaline foods?

 

[maplesyrup]

Sarge:

Also, by no means am I trying to attack your efforts to become healthier, I'm just trying to string out your arguments to make you fully aware of things. If you're planning on making a dramatic change to your diet, I suggest you discuss your plans with your family physician.

Just looking out for a fellow Leafer

I have and he's on board... Again, my goal here is a healthier/longer life.-  Not becoming a pro athlete ... and input is always welcome so no worries.

 

[maplesyrup]

1. Cut as much sugar out of your diet as you can. 100% is impossible but almost all of it. - Not just a little. Seriously - Almost all of it. Don't replace it with aspartame either. Really, sugar is a killer... I mean it... Sugar will bury you as quickly as smoking can. 

Great stuff, Sarge.

I have a question about eliminating sugar. Is this just processed sugar? Or does it include naturally occurring sugars like those found in fruit like oranges etc.

I have seen conflicting things. I know Atkins is very much against fruit, but that seems counter-intuitive.

Yes, too much of "natural" sugar is also bad. The problem is that our North American lifestyles have made our bodies too focused on burning sugar when it should be burning fat (fat by the way is not a bad thing.) We need fat... We don't need sugar. When sugar is burned in the body it produces toxins which destroy our artery walls causing heart disease (among other things.) I'm not saying stay away from oranges but if you're going to eat fruit (which is a good thing) keep away from the candy bars....  I need to add though that at the seminar, they're saying cut all fruit, so take that FWIW. Also, look at the labels of what your are eating... A lot of things say "sugar free" which is a lie... If it contains corn syrup or anything ending in "ose" try to stay away from it.

For those of you with sweet teeth, try pasteurized honey.     

Edit: Basically, removing all "refined" sugars is a must and try not to overdo the natural ones.

See, I've read/been told to seek out local UNpasteurized honey which is mostly what we use.  All the healthy bits in at are alive and still intact not having been destroyed through pasteurization. Also use maple syrup (local from the farm 5 minutes from home) and agave syrup.

Woops!, typo... Yes! I meant unpasteurized honey... Thanks for catching that... I just edited my post.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

One thing I didn't ask at the seminar which frankly, might have not sounded all that good is; "what alcohols contain the least amount of sugar?" (Sorry - not giving that up  ) Anyway, calories are fine.. I'm not concerned about these but if anyone knows which boozes contain the least amount of sugar, it would be most helpful.

That would be vodka.

Okay... Thanks... Now can you recommend a sugar free mix that won't have all my friends pointing and laughing?  :-\

Homo milk or cream, or coconut milk if you are feeling adventerous.  I use to drink a modified white russian like that, without the coffee liqeur, and put some real cold coffee in instead, even a bit of instant coffee powder.

 

[maplesyrup]

One thing I didn't ask at the seminar which frankly, might have not sounded all that good is; "what alcohols contain the least amount of sugar?" (Sorry - not giving that up  ) Anyway, calories are fine.. I'm not concerned about these but if anyone knows which boozes contain the least amount of sugar, it would be most helpful.

That would be vodka.

Okay... Thanks... Now can you recommend a sugar free mix that won't have all my friends pointing and laughing?  :-\

Homo milk or cream, or coconut milk if you are feeling adventerous.  I use to drink a modified white russian like that, without the coffee liqeur, and put some real cold coffee in instead, even a bit of instant coffee powder.

Awesome. Thanks.

 

[Andy007]

One thing I didn't ask at the seminar which frankly, might have not sounded all that good is; "what alcohols contain the least amount of sugar?" (Sorry - not giving that up  ) Anyway, calories are fine.. I'm not concerned about these but if anyone knows which boozes contain the least amount of sugar, it would be most helpful.

That would be vodka.

Okay... Thanks... Now can you recommend a sugar free mix that won't have all my friends pointing and laughing?  :-\

Homo milk or cream, or coconut milk if you are feeling adventerous.  I use to drink a modified white russian like that, without the coffee liqeur, and put some real cold coffee in instead, even a bit of instant coffee powder.

You could also go with soda water, which I think tastes better and doesn't have all that fat. All you need now is some Grey Goose and a long line of credit

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

anyone focuse on trying to eat more alkaline foods?

Yes.  We started the entire family on fresh fruit/vegetable juices just before Christmas.  Slowly transitioning to a mainly raw food based diet.

Been going through 2 bushels of carrots (100 pounds total) a week, 1 bushel of apples (50 pounds a week) along with 50 lemons or so, few pounds of baby spinach, pounds and pouds of bananas, pounds of berries.

There are 6 of us in the house.

 

[maplesyrup]

One thing I didn't ask at the seminar which frankly, might have not sounded all that good is; "what alcohols contain the least amount of sugar?" (Sorry - not giving that up  ) Anyway, calories are fine.. I'm not concerned about these but if anyone knows which boozes contain the least amount of sugar, it would be most helpful.

That would be vodka.

Okay... Thanks... Now can you recommend a sugar free mix that won't have all my friends pointing and laughing?  :-\

Homo milk or cream, or coconut milk if you are feeling adventerous.  I use to drink a modified white russian like that, without the coffee liqeur, and put some real cold coffee in instead, even a bit of instant coffee powder.

You could also go with soda water, which I think tastes better and doesn't have all that fat. All you need now is some Grey Goose and a long line of credit

I'm also off all things carbonated. - Never much liked carbonated drinks anyway but thanks.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

One thing I didn't ask at the seminar which frankly, might have not sounded all that good is; "what alcohols contain the least amount of sugar?" (Sorry - not giving that up  ) Anyway, calories are fine.. I'm not concerned about these but if anyone knows which boozes contain the least amount of sugar, it would be most helpful.

That would be vodka.

Okay... Thanks... Now can you recommend a sugar free mix that won't have all my friends pointing and laughing?  :-\

Homo milk or cream, or coconut milk if you are feeling adventerous.  I use to drink a modified white russian like that, without the coffee liqeur, and put some real cold coffee in instead, even a bit of instant coffee powder.

Awesome. Thanks.

If you go looking for coconut milk, make sure you read the label.  The one I usually get is this one in a tetra pack that can be found at most Loblaw group stores, or FreshCo. is cheaper if you have those around where you are.  Most of the canned stuff has a bunch of nasty stuff added to it.

 

[maplesyrup]

anyone focuse on trying to eat more alkaline foods?

Yes.  We started the entire family on fresh fruit/vegetable juices just before Christmas.  Slowly transitioning to a mainly raw food based diet.

Been going through 2 bushels of carrots (100 pounds total) a week, 1 bushel of apples (50 pounds a week) along with 50 lemons or so, few pounds of baby spinach, pounds and pouds of bananas, pounds of berries.

There are 6 of us in the house.

I need to go through my notes again but I'm told 1 lb of veg per day per every 50 lbs of body mass you are?  I haven't done the math to see where you are in relation to that. Also, I'm told that carrots and other earth grown veg, while good, just contain too much sugar to consider them the bulk of you intake . - Try veg grown ABOVE the ground. Also, have you considered some of the better veggie drinks out there?