New study shows diet drinks can actually cause weight gain

From ABC News:

Calorie-conscious consumers who opt for diet sodas may gain more weight than if they drank sugary drinks because of artificial sweeteners contained in the diet sodas, according to a new study.

A new study suggests diet soda may lead to weight gain.

(PhotoDisc )

A Purdue University study released Sunday in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience reported that rats on diets containing the artificial sweetener saccharin gained more weight than rats given sugary food, casting doubt on the benefits of low-calorie sweeteners.

"There's something about diet foods that changes your metabolic limit, your brain chemistry," said ABC News' medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard.

Though Savard said more research needs to be done to uncover more information, the study does hint at the idea that the sweeteners alter a person's metabolism.

Savard said another recent study, which included more than 18,000 people, found healthy adults who consumed at least one diet drink a day could increase their chance for weight gain.

Related

Saccharine Making Us Fat? Aw, Rats!

In the Purdue study, the rats whose diets contained artificial sweeteners appeared to experience a physiological connection between sweet tastes and calories, which drove them to overeat.

"The taste buds taste sweet, but there's no calorie load that comes with it. There's a mismatch here. It seems it changes your brain chemistry in some way," Savard said. "Anything you put in your mouth, your body has a strong reaction to it. It's much more than counting calories. It seems normally with sweet foods that we rev up our metabolism."

The information may come as a surprise to the 59 percent of Americans who consume diet soft drinks, making them the the second-most-popular low-calorie, sugar-free products in the nation, according to a consumer survey from the Calorie Control Council, a nonprofit association that represents the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry.

Because so many foods today contain artificial sweeteners, the study results may go beyond diet drinks.

"The truth is, we're putting artificial sweetener in so many different things in water, in yogurt," Savard said. It's unclear if the results only adhere to diet sodas, she said.

"We have to rethink what this artificial stuff does to us. If we put this in water it might not be so good," she added.

The Calorie Control Council issued a statement that disagreed with the findings of the Purdue study and noted that past studies indicated low-calorie sweeteners benefit weight control.

But Savard said people who consume a drink or more a day should think about cutting back their consumption.

"The truth is, if you're consuming a drink or more a day, you know it. You know that you're taking it, and you really have to think about eliminating it. You're probably the very person who needs to change those health behaviors to prevent the diabetes, heart disease and stroke," Savard said.

"If you're just taking it once in a while, fine -- no big deal. If you're consuming one or more drinks a day, you should rethink what you're doing. You might be negating the whole reason in the first place."

You can eat what you want

I say this for one reason only. It is possible to eat what you want if you do it the right way. Let me give you some facts about me. I am 28, 5'5" and weigh 107. I do have a small frame, and am in some peoples opinions thin. I wear a size 1 in pants. No my skin does not hang on my bones. I have curves, and am very proportionate. Now, I take whole food vitamins everyday. I do not eat right. I don't eat fast food very often either though. Most of what I eat is carbs. I love red meat and potatoes. I eat can foods, all the time. Now the way I stay the size I am, I eat small portions. I eat when I want, all day long. I only eat enough to get full. I eat slowly. Snail slow. Doing this allows you to know when you are full and helps to keep you from eating to much. If you sit down and have 3 full meals a day, your metabolism is not able to keep up. By eating several small meals a day your metabolism is always moving. I never eat breakfast. I have to be awake at least 2 hours before I can eat. My dad is the same way. He eats a little all day long. At 51 he is 5lbs heavier than he was when he got out of high school. Now yes it could be genetics, but I'm my opinion it has more to do with how we eat, what we do after we eat, and how much we eat at one time. My husband is a prime example of proof genetics is not the cause. His mother and 4 sisters are all very overweight. But he is 38 and 165lbs. He eats like a horse. He eats fast food most of the time, and is on the road 3 weeks at a time. But he is active. He works outside 12 hours a day and is always moving. His sisters all work desk jobs. They rarely do anything more active than walking to the refrigerator. After you eat, get up an moving. Sitting in one place is not going to help you at all. If you work at a desk, make it a point to leave the desk to eat. Get up. Go outside and sit. Go to a different part of the office and stand while you eat. Just get up and move. And NEVER eat so much you feel like you cannot move. The more you eat, the more your stomach stretches. This means you will require more an more food to feel full. By eating small amounts more often it will take you less to feel full. You are better able to digest a smaller amount than a large amount. It is better for every aspect of digestion. You are less likely to experience indegestion, gas, and heartburn this way as well. If you are trying to lose weight, my first suggestion is to get up and moving. Second, eat less more often. If I were to eat 3 big meals a day, I would certainly weigh 150 or more. I have been 135lbs, and on my frame I was heavy and very unhappy with myself and my appearance. I changed what I did, ate more often, but less at one time, and in a matter of 8 weeks lost 20lbs without dieting. Yes your weight problem is in many ways your own fault. Make a chart for yourself. Everyday for a week write down what you eat and drink. Every bit of it. At the end of that week look it over. How much of it was junk? healthy? what could you have done without? Does it amaze you yet how much you eat in an average week? I have a friend of over 15yrs. He is obese. He is almost 550lbs. He blames it on his family. His family is all heavy, I give him that, but in the last few years his eating habits have gotten worse, and his activity has slowed to nothing. He has a desk job. And he eats in one meal what I eat in 2 days. But it's not his fault he is fat. I hate excuses. Everyone has some control over what they look like. Yes genetics has some impact on it, but the majority of it is you. I know this is mean and rude, but if you are overweight, do you blame yourself or do you blame your parents? Do you blame McDonalds? They offer salads. Do you exercise? Do you sit at a desk 8 hours a day and in front of the tv the other 16? So, it's your jobs fault? If you have made a resolution to lose weight this year, good for you. Now how are going to do it?

Jump start you weight loss, ER Fat Burn Program

New Years Resolution #1

My number 1 this year is to start a work out routine. I have always enjoyed Yoga, but slacked off after a short time. I found an excellent site, Yoga Journal, and started by building my own routine. I used the tool to create this, consisting of 15 poses, and printed them out. Anyone who is skeptical about how useful yoga is should really try some of these poses. I was amazed at how difficult a few of them I chose really were. They look easy, but trust me, my muscles are telling me otherwise. I only did this for about 15min, but I can feel it all over. My shoulders and abs are showing the most sign of use. Balance is very necessary as well, this I have very little of. I am intimidated by going to a gym, and don't want to join a class, so I find this is the best way for me. I can do it at home, in front of my tv. No special clothes, or equipment required. Really this is my favorite low impact workout routine. No knee pain, and I feel relaxed.

ER Fat Burn, Detox Plans, Whole Food Vitamins

Tainted Weight Loss Pills, are you taking any of these?

Tainted Weight Loss Pills Flagged as Health Risks

On Dec. 22, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted consumers not to buy or use more than 25 different weight-loss pill products because the products may be harmful to their health.

Which products were cited?

The tainted weight-loss products specified in the alert are:

• Fatloss Slimming
• 2 Day Diet
• 3x Slimming Power
• Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet
• 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming
• 3 Day Diet
• 7 Day Herbal Slim
• 8 Factor Diet
• 7 Diet Day/Night Formula
• 999 Fitness Essence
• Extrim Plus
• GMP
• Imelda Perfect Slim
• Lida DaiDaihua
• Miaozi Slim Capsules
• Perfect Slim
• Perfect Slim 5x
• Phyto Shape
• ProSlim Plus
• Royal Slimming Formula
• Slim 3 in 1
• Slim Express 360
• Slimtech
• Somotrim
• Superslim
• TripleSlim
• Zhen de Shou
• Venom Hyperdrive 3.0

Why did FDA act against these products?

These products contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may put consumers' health at risk. Some of the amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredients far exceed FDA-recommended levels.

Some of the products claim to be "natural" or to contain only "herbal" ingredients, but actually contain potentially harmful ingredients not listed on the product labels or in promotional advertisements. These products have not been approved by FDA, are illegal, and may be potentially harmful to unsuspecting consumers.

What undeclared ingredients were found?

An FDA analysis found that the undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients in some of these products include

• sibutramine, a controlled substance that can cause high blood pressure, seizures, abnormally rapid heart rate (tachycardia), palpitations, heart attack or stroke. It can also interact with other medications and increase patients' risk of unexpected bad side effects (adverse reactions). Sibutramine's safety has also not been established in pregnant and lactating women, or in children younger than 16.
• rimonabant, a drug not approved for marketing in the United States, has been associated with increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts. In Europe, where it is approved, rimonabant has been linked to five deaths and 720 adverse reactions over the last two years.
• phenytoin, an anti-seizure medication
• phenolphthalein, a solution used in chemical experiments that is a suspected cancer-causing agent

Where are these products sold?

These weight-loss products, some of which are marketed as "dietary supplements," are promoted and sold on various Web sites and in some retail stores.

Is FDA taking further action?

The agency is currently seeking product recalls. FDA may take additional enforcement steps, such as issuing warning letters or initiating seizures, injunctions, or criminal charges.

Tips for consumers

• If you use any of these weight-loss products, stop taking them and consult your health care professional immediately.
• Seek guidance from a health care professional before purchasing weight-loss products.
• Report serious adverse reactions or product quality problems to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm

This article appears on FDA's Consumer Health Information Web page (www.fda.gov/consumer), which features the latest updates on FDA-regulated products. Sign up for free e-mail subscriptions at www.fda.gov/consumer/consumerenews.html.

For More Information

FDA Press Release
www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01933.html

Information for Consumers
www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/weight_loss_products.htm

FDA MedWatch
www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm

Natural Weight Loss Plans

2009 is just around the corner...

With a new year lurking just around the corner, I have forced myself to reevaluate my not so healthy choices of the past years. With these in mind I sat down to begin my list. Every year I make a list of things I plan to change. For the past 6 the number one has been to quit smoking. I previously made a post about more reasons to kick the habit, and have been reviewing these quite a bit. Some of my list has been more difficult to stick to in the past. My job choices were a big reason for not eating right. After working 14 hours the on the way home 24 hr burger place was my main source of food. Who really wants to go home and cook after being on your feet 14 hours straight? A few minor changes to my lifestyle this year will in my opinion make it easier to stick to my goals for the new year. I now work from home, which gives me plenty of time to cook better for me meals. My 3 dogs are always anxious to get out of the house, and taking them for daily walks is not impossible, weather permitting. Quitting smoking has been a big one for me, I live with 2 heavy smokers. I plan to move soon to help eliminate the stress involved 1 with living with other people, and 2 remove the temptation. Financial issues may keep me from moving as soon as I want to, but I will stick to my no smoking rule for myself no matter what it takes. Making a list of "resolutions" is the easy part. Sticking to them is the hard part. With my past years of failure behind me, I have made several of these lists and posted them all over the place. In my car, on my computer, on my refrigerator. Everywhere I know I will see them. My goals for better health started months ago, I now take vitamins daily, they sit on my nightstand where I know I will see them and not forget. I have all my research plastered on my walls about smoking eating right, ect. These constant reminders help to keep me on track. I read them daily. A few small things you can do to help yourself out is to work out while you watch tv. It need not be a back breaking weight lifting experience. something as simple as stretching can do wonders to get your metabolism moving. If you have dogs take them for a walk. To the end of the road is better than sitting inside on the couch with them. Go outside and play fetch with them. Get out and walk with your children, or play ball, go to a park. The point is to get up and moving. You will never burn calories sitting on the couch not moving. Buy some ankle weights, do leg lifts while watching the news. Get a small 5lb set of dumbells. You can use them to strenghten your arms. Setting small goals are easier to accomplish than big ones. Don't say, "I will work out 30min a day, 3 times a week. " Say instead, "I will do stretching while I watch .... program on tv." Then go from there. Start small. And slowly increase it. After a week or month or 3 months, however long you give yourself of doing the goal, increase it. Add I will do leg lifts and stretching while watching this program. This will help to keep you motivated. If you achieve several smaller goals, you will build confidence in yourself, and knowing you can achieve a goal keeps you motivated. If you set a huge goal you will be less likely to work at it. Lack of time, energy, or any other factors can cause you to put it off. I will do it tommorow. Then at the end of year, you are in the same boat you were the year before. Happy new year to all, and best of luck with setting your new year new you goals.

Using Colon Cleansers

A recent warning from the FDA has been issued. I for one don't understand this recent phenomena. I mean really, cleansing something that for all human history has been done by itself screams problems. Our bodies are the way they are for a reason. They function the way they are intended to for a reason. To use something like this as weight loss?????? Get real. How much "waste" can you really have? If you eat correctly, exercise, supplement THE RIGHT WAY, why would you believe all this about having years of waste in your colon???? The colon is only so large, I for one find it impossible to even begin to believe you can have 10+ extra pounds built up. Now I agree that factors in our lives can impact our overall health. Stress is the biggest factor in weight gain, headaches, and so on. But to think that there is a magic cure in a bottle is why all the billions of people in this world are so unhealthy. Your health starts with choices. What you eat. Food is our health. We need food. But we need the right food. Eating 40 years of junk and expecting a "cleaning" of any kind to fix the bad choices we made is just plain ignorance. Fad diets, colon cleansing, "do this now, not that". Why do you think people lose weight and gain it right back? Diets don't work. Sure if you want to stay attached to those diet foods forever maybe you will keep it off, but get real. How many people do that? And how healthy is it? You don't need diet plans or diet food. You need to start getting the trash out of your house. The processed easy to fix foods. Have a real salad. Eat fresh food not canned. And supplement the right way. Whole food vitamins. Not synthetic lab made stuff. Those are not helping you. Whole foods provide nearly everything the body needs. They naturally cleanse the body. No chemicals. No junk. Just stuff found in fruits and veggies. The way it was meant to be.

Learn to diet the right way

Kidney Risk Spurs Warning on Bowel Cleansers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acted to reduce the risk of acute kidney injury from oral sodium phosphate (OSP) products. These products are routinely used as bowel cleansers before colon examinations and other medical procedures.

The agency is adding a Boxed Warning to two prescription OSP products: Visicol and OsmoPrep. The warning addresses the risk of a kidney injury known as acute phosphate nephropathy.

FDA has also directed the makers of Visicol and OsmoPrep to

• develop a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy
• distribute a Medication Guide to alert patients to the risk of kidney injury
• conduct a postmarketing clinical trial to further assess this risk

Concerns With OTC Products Too

FDA is equally concerned about the risks associated with over-the-counter (OTC) OSP products (e.g., Fleet Phospho-soda) when they are used at higher doses for bowel cleansing.

The available data show no risk of acute kidney injury when OTC products are used at the lower doses as laxatives. But these products present the same risks as prescription OSP products when used for bowel cleansing.

FDA is recommending that consumers not use OTC OSP products for bowel cleansing. The agency plans to amend the labeling conditions for these products.

Safety Advice

OSP products should NOT be used

• by children under 18 years of age
• in combination with other laxative products containing sodium phosphate

OSP prescription products should be used with caution by people who are

• over 55 years of age
• suffering from dehydration, kidney disease, acute colitis, or delayed bowel emptying
• taking certain medicines that affect kidney function, including
  — diuretics (fluid pills)
  — angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (medications that lower blood pressure)
  — angiotensin receptor blockers (treatments for high blood pressure and heart or kidney failure)
  — possibly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (similar to ibuprofen and other arthritis medications)

Serious side effects or quality problems associated with these products can be reported to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm, or by mail, fax, or phone. (See FDA Press Release, available at the link below, for details.)

This article appears on FDA's Consumer Health Information Web page (www.fda.gov/consumer), which features the latest updates on FDA-regulated products. Sign up for free e-mail subscriptions at www.fda.gov/consumer/consumerenews.html.

For More Information

FDA Press Release
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01923.html

Date Posted: December 16, 2008

Pops Bare Bones Special

Have you been wanting the try the Pops? Here is your chance to give yourself, or someone you love the gift of good health at half the cost. Starting Dec 10 at 12 Noon ET you can order these amazing vitamins, winner or the 2008 Best Multivitamin Award, for over 1/2 off.
Go to this page to take advantage of this great offer!

Here's why we're doing this crazy special:

1) to acknowledge the current economic hardship many folks are experiencing
2) to express our gratitude that the Pops have started so many folks back on the road to their health.
3) To offer you the option of giving someone you care about - this year - the first step back to health. We'll ship them for you in U.S. with a personal card.
4) to celebrate the selection of the Pops as the "Best Multi of 2008"

This special will be available only on this page. Doors open on this bare bones Pops event December 10, NOON ET.

To read more on the Pops, visit here

Are your vitamins safe?

Most of us out there have heard the news. Synthetic Vitamins are not safe. Now, if you have heard this, do know why? Most of the easily accessible vitamins out there are synthetic. Man made. They are produced in a lab. Vitamins and minerals come from the foods we eat, not a petri dish. These labs create vitamins and minerals. These are not the natural ones we find in our food. Prescription drugs are created in this way. From chemical compositions which in most cases are in fact harmful to the human body. The combination of these chemicals are in a way safe for us, but only after being processed in a certain way. You wouldn't drink a bottle of bleach would you? No, it's not safe. So why would you take a pill which has many of these chemicals in them? In essence, when you take synthetic vitamins you are putting chemicals into your body. "Fake" vitamins. Man made vitamins. Not natural food source vitamins. Here is another example. Do you have jewelry with diamonds in it? Are those diamonds mined or lab created? Mined diamonds are found in nature, cut, polished, and shaped to get to the product you see in your jewelry. On the other hand, lab created diamonds are grown in a lab under strict conditions to have the same qualities as natural diamonds. These are not natural diamonds, and though they may have very similar properties, are not in fact "real" diamonds. Nor are they the same cost. Lab created diamonds are a fraction of the cost of natural diamonds. This is an easier to understand way of viewing vitamins. If you were to go out, collect all kinds of fruit and veggies, dry them, grind them, and place them in a pill, it would take more man hours, and more work to get these. Therefor science came up with a way to simplify this. They can "create" vitamins. They are making vitamins with similar properties to vitamins and minerals found in nature and making pills out them. They are not natural, cost less to make, and therefor cost less to buy. They can mass produce these vitamins at a much lower cost. More product for less money is what corporations focus on. This way they have less overhead cost. And a larger profit at the end of the year. I have heard "They just don't make 'em like they used to" in reference to nearly every aspect of consumer goods out there. Lower quality, less life expectancy of a product, more need to buy more product more frequently. Higher quality means higher price. The more pure gold is the higher the price. The better quality the car is, the higher the price. I bought a set of knives this year, my set I had bought the year before were wearing out. The ones I bought this year are Cutco. They were over $1000. The previous set I bought had started rusting after 2 months. And were no longer sharp after 3. My Cucto set has neither rusted nor needed sharping and I use them daily. They also have a lifetime warranty, the company will sharpen them for me free any time I wish, if I ever break one they replace it free. It was the best $1000 I ever spent. Now relate this to your vitamins. How much of those vitamins is your body absorbing? If you have "neon" urine, not much if any. Yes your body does take what it needs and eliminates the rest. But if you were to actually test your urine you would find nearly every bit of those vitamins have in fact passed right through you. Your body will identify these "chemicals" as waste and rid itself of them. Lets say you spend $6 a month on a once daily vitamin. Good for you, you know you need something in your diet. After 3 months of taking these you have noticed no improvements in how you feel, the way you sleep, or any of the other "promises" you received when you first tried these vitamins. And you have wasted $18. Now this may not seem like much, but after 5 years of this you have literally flushed $360 down the toilet. And filled your body with synthetic chemicals. If you were to take that $6 a month and buy 2 bags of apples you would have gotten far more nutrition and health benefits than you did from that bottle of vitamins you used. But what if you don't like fruits or veggies? You are a fast food junkie. The only lettuce you eat comes on a hamburger. Those cheap vitamins you are taking aren't doing you any good. Your fast food habits need to change or you need to take something worth while. The excuse, "I take vitamins, so it's okay I don't eat right" is not going to work. You have to take the right kind of vitamins. Whole food vitamins are the only ones that have "REAL" vitamins and minerals in them. You could eat more fruit and veggies, and still not get enough of what your body needs. The foods that are available to us today are still lacking so much of what we need. To get what your body requires from food you would quite literally have to sit in a produce section 24/7 and eat constantly. So how do you fix that issue? Take a vitamin that is useful. The Pops contain over 47 different fruits and veggies. Can you eat 47 of these a day? This is by far much more than the leading whole food vitamin, and it's in an easy to swallow capsule. Dried, and ground and placed in a capsule. All they contain is real veggies, and fruits. Nothing fake, nothing synthetic, nothing man made about them. All natural things. And you can try them for 1/2 off the regular price Dec 10-14. Really, if you eat stuff not good for you, even if you do, if you do not live in a produce department, in all likelyhood you can benefit from having more vitamins in your diet.
Real whole food vitamins, made by real people for real people.

Red #40, it's in everything

I just took out the vitamins my dad takes daily. Equate Mature Formula for Men. I looked over the ingredients and found Lake Red #40. So what is it? Well, here is what it is.

	The Chemistry of Red 40
	Red Dye #40 (and all FDA certified dyes) is referred to as a "Coal Tar" dye. The phrase has little meaning today but a hundred years ago it was used to describe synthetic chemicals that started out with coal tar as a precursor. It's more likely today to find a petrochemical as the original base of most synthetic chemicals, though they're so highly refined that you won't find any residual petroleum in the product. The proper chemical name for Red40 is: 6-hydroxy-5-[(2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfophenyl)azo]-2-naphthalenesulfonic acid which is a terribly long word for a very tiny molecule. The chemical is often referred to as an "azo" dye. If you look at the drawing of the chemical below, you'll see two Nitrogen atoms near the center of the molecule (passing your cursor over the drawing will highlight the "N" on the nitrogen atoms) The way the two Nitrogens are connected together with a double bond is called an "azo" bond; this is what makes this chemical a part of the "azo" family. Lakes Often on a label you'll see a color listed as a lake, i.e.: "FD&C Red #40 Lake" or "Blue 1 Lake" So what's a lake? Most of the dyes in use are water soluble, which is wonderful if you're coloring a juice or syrup. It becomes a bit of a problem if you're trying to color the outside of a medicine tablet. The manufacturer doesn't want the color to run off if the pill gets a little wet. The answer is to use a dye in a lake form. A lake is a solid, non water soluble form of a dye. It's produced by mixing the dye with Aluminum Hydroxide. By itself Aluminum Hydroxide is a safe food ingredient and it's often sold as an antacid. When combined with Red Dye #40, the chemicals form a deep red powder that can be applied to the outsides of tablets, gumballs and other solids. You may also notice this form listed in the ingredients as "Red 40 Aluminum Lake" http://www.red40.com/pages/chemistry.html So why would you put these in your body? Yes they have been proven to a certain extend to in fact be safe. But do you really want aluminum in your body? Can your body digest metals? Doubtful. So it, like any ting else your body does not know what to do with passes through you.As do many of the other things found in common cheap synthetic vitamins. For more info: www.vitamingirlshop.info

Even more of my opinions about "Fake Whole Food Vitamins"

This goes along with a post I formerly made in regards to buying vitamins. As the post regarding the Pops receiving an award points out, tablets are generally a bad idea. The reason for this being that to make a tablet stay in one piece, they must have binding agents added to them. I for one am lactose intolerant, and have no idea if I have any soy allergies. These are really not a good choice for me in either of these situations. I have also sent emails to the companies of a few of these "natural vitamin" companies. I have received no reply at all. As a consumer, I feel that these companies would be interested in answering my questions. Isn't that how they stay in business? Also many of these say they should not be taken by people with certain health issues. Diabetics, Pregnant or nursing women, the list goes on. So how would you explain that? If they are "all natural" and "organic" why would they be potentially harmful to these groups? If they are in fact made of fruits and veggies, since when are fruits and veggies bad for you? I thought the point of taking these was to help you with bad diet choices. My husband and I are trying for a baby, and I am very weary of taking something that says it's not safe for someone whom is pregnant. As far as I have seen, everything in the Pops is in fact natural. The only thing that's not is the gelatin used to make the capsule. No binding agents, no tablets. If you open them up you can literally shake out the contents. They are more of a powder form. And they smell nice. No awful taste if you don't swallow them fast enough. And the cost is almost double that of the Pops if you take the recommended 3-4 a day. You would think that one a day would be enough if they really do contain what they claim. How do you make a tablet out of a whole food anyway? And then its white? Really now, last time I checked green veggies are green. Fruits are typically a pink or purple shade. Not white.

The Pops- Voted Best Multivitamin 2008

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Best Multivitamin 2008

December 3, 2008 by Dr. Nicole Sundene
Filed under Anti-aging, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidants, Best 2008, Juicing, Kitchen Sink, Multivitamin, Preventative Medicine, Product reviews

The Best Multivitamin for 2008 Kitchen Table Award is granted to Whole Food Nation!

Congratulations for formulating a fantastic whole food multivitamin at a reasonable price we can afford!

Today I will be discussing why I chose the whole foods “Purple and Green Pops” as the best, so that everyone can understand what key features to address while shopping for a multivitamin.

“Do I need a multivitamin?”

Everyone that doesn’t eat perfect, or is under stress, or has a chronic disease should be on some form of a multivitamin. First of all, our soil is not as nutrient dense as it once was, second of all I don’t know anyone that eats perfectly every single day, and at every single occasion, and is never under any form of stress.

Drinking alcohol, stress, and eating white refined foods actually depletes our bodies of vital nutrients.

Most importantly though a high quality whole foods multi is a great “insurance policy” that all of our necessary vitamin and mineral cofactors are always topped off for optimal biochemical functioning.

For most patients I recommend a standard wellness program that includes a whole foods multi, Omega 3 oils, enzymes, probiotics, and glucosamine for older and more active folks.

The nice thing about “Pops” whole food multi is that it comes complete with enzymes and probiotics, so my wellness program just got that much simpler. I don’t know about you, but I hate taking pills so prefer efficiency when at all possible.

Without vitamins and minerals our bodies can’t do the work they need to do each day. Most people aren’t actually deficient in one or two nutrients, most people are deficient in a myriad of nutrients because what they are REALLY deficient in is nutrition, and that deficiency of whole food nutrition is compounded by the fact that most Americans are not properly digesting their nutrients.

What features should a great whole food multivitamin contain?

• Organic and pesticide free or eco-harvested whenever possible.
• No tablets! Capsules are the best and help us avoid chemical binders and fillers.
• No food coloring! If your multivitamin has food coloring in it, it is hype, or it is garbage. Phase it out and find a food coloring free alternative.
• Minimal excipients and stabilizers. Check the labels and see if there other artificial ingredients such as food coloring. These are typically the last ingredients listed.
• A full spectrum of all the colors found in nature. We need to “eat by the rainbow” to get the full spectrum of nutrients found in nature. The most important colors being green, purple, and the yellow/oranges found in the carotenoid family.
• No synthetics or synthetic isolates. I am obviously not a fan of synthetic vitamins, as the biochemist in me knows to only trust nature and never man, but I am also against the consumption of isolated nutrients taken in high quantities. Nature intended for us to get our vitamin C from foods like oranges and broccoli, not chewable candies. Whole foods come complete with bioflavonoids that further help vitamin C work to heal and repair damaged tissues. While a synthetic vitamin can promise you 1333% of the USRDA, it can’t promise you a dose of healthy nutrition that your diet is likely lacking. We don’t just need vitamins, we need nutrition. Obviously children and pregnant women need standardized doses of specific vitamins and minerals, but the majority of us looking to prevent disease, just need a comprehensive spectrum of daily nutrition to cover up for those inevitable times that we fall off the whole food wagon.
• No plastic bottles. In an effort to reduce the amount of plastics that are added to our environment annually, I will avoid recommending products that are packaged in plastic bottles when there are better alternatives such as glass bottles, and blister packs that minimize plastic waste put in landfills.

Why are Whole Food Nation “Pops” a great choice?

• Potent antioxidants. The formulators of this product have smartly taken all of nature’s finest superfoods and placed them in to two blends. An AM energizing/weight loss/antioxidant herbal blend or “Purple Pops” and an evening calming herbal food blend found in the “Green Pops.” Antioxidants are the foundation to every healing and anti-aging program.

• What they DON’T have: No food coloring. no sugar, no synthetic product stabilizers, no binders (easily avoided by purchasing only capsules.) Regardless of what multivitamin you choose to use, you should never be taking a daily dose of these artificial chemicals.

• Natural vitamins. These are not synthetic vitamins, or even vitamins isolated from foods. These are whole food nutrient concentrates, brought to us by nature’s finest superfoods, and in the form that nature intends that we take them. With that being said be sure to take this supplement with food so that the vitamins and minerals can be properly digested and utilized.

• More than just vitamins. Do you get confused about the latest new hot nutrient that scientists have “just discovered?” Well these nutrients have existed in nature for centuries, and just because a scientist discovers them in a lab, doesn’t mean that we need to suddenly start taking them in a high dose supplement. We should be taking these healing plant pigments, cofactors and coenzymes in our food on a daily basis, and if we don’t eat perfectly we should supplement with a whole food multi, not one that contains only the vitamins that scientists are currently capable of recognizing. Twenty years ago we only recognized about twenty vitamins and minerals as “essential,” but think forward to the next twenty years. The best way to ensure you have everything in your system that is “essential” is to take a whole food multivitamin, or start juicing. Or if you really want to feel awesome-BOTH!

• Enzymes aid digestion. You aren’t just getting whole food nutrients, you are getting plant enzymes that will help you digest, break down, and absorb your food better.

• Probiotics. Acidophilus helps us digest our food, metabolize hormones and vitamins, and is killed off by antibiotic use. Most cooked and processed foods we eat are deficient in probiotics and is vital to our health that we supplement them daily or consume in yogurt, kim chee, sauerkraut, kefir and other fermented foods.

• You Need Greens! Have you had 2-3 servings of leafy green vegetables today? Greens are important because they are rich in magnesium. The chloryphyll molecule is shaped just like the hemoglobin in our red blood cells, the only difference is that an iron molecule sits in the middle of the hemoglobin ring, and magnesium sits in the center of a chlorophyll ring. This is why all green foods are particularly healing to those on the Standard American Diet (SAD), as the SAD diet is deficient in minerals such as magnesium found in green foods.

• You Need Purples! If you peruse all of my treatment plans you will see that a cup of frozen blueberries a day is recommended pretty consistently throughout, as blueberries are a featured food on the anti-inflammatory diet. In addition to fighting inflammation, purple plant pigments known as proanthocyanins are especially healing to the skin, blood vessels, and cardiovascular system. Be sure to eat a cup of purple/red/blue foods everyday!

• No Plastic Bottles! Plastics are destroying our ecosystem, and we need to use glass and paper alternatives when available.

• Capsules NOT Tablets: To form tablets natural ingredients have to be attached to binders and mechanically pressed in to a tablet which may alter their molecular stability and thus efficacy. Avoid tablets and take capsules. You will have to take a couple more capsules to equate what is super-compressed in to tablets, but it is well worth it.

• Great Environmental Shipping. My product arrived within two days, was packed in recycled boxes and recycled paper. I can’t tell you how many times I have stopped purchasing a great product because my values did not align with their shipping methods. Kitchen table only promotes companies with firm environmental efforts.

• Great Company Business Model. You know something is good when you ask to try it for free and the company is happy to send you free samples. A company confident in their product knows you will become a customer, and they were right. This is the multivitamin that I have chosen to take myself every day. I also signed up for their mailings, and couldn’t agree more with the great advice from the Harvard grads that put the whole food “Pops” together. I typically find companies that oversell annoying, but the weekly newsletters are clearly designed to educate. Really a good product sells itself, and the formulators of this whole food multivitamin are smart enough to know that.

To read more about Whole Foods Nation you can visit sign up for their free report:

“Are Your Vitamins Safe?” or visit www.WholeFoodsNation.com

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Salt in unsupected foods

Salt Lurks in Unsuspected Foods

Sure, Fast Food and Frozen Dinners Are Often High in Sodium, but Pancake Mix and Bagels, Too?

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Dec. 1, 2008 -- Even if you never touch a salt shaker and steer clear of potato chips and french fries, you are probably eating more salt than you think and much more than is good for you, an investigation from Consumer Reports shows.

Researchers analyzed 37 processed foods and identified some surprising sources of hidden sodium.

Among the least expected findings:

• A 1/2-cup serving of a low-fat cottage cheese had twice as much sodium (360 milligrams) as a 1-ounce serving of regular potato chips (180 milligrams).
• A Premium Caesar Salad with grilled chicken from McDonald's had more than twice the salt (890 milligrams) as a large order of McDonald's fries (350 milligrams). And that's without the dressing.
• A half-cup serving of Prego's Heart Smart Traditional Italian Sauce had 430 milligrams of sodium, slightly less than what the USDA allows per serving in foods labeled "healthy."
• Breakfast foods were an unexpected source of hidden salt. A popular whole-grain bagel had 440 milligrams of sodium, a best-selling pancake mix had 200 milligrams per pancake, and raisin-bran cereals had between 230 milligrams and 350 milligrams per cup serving. A maple and brown sugar-flavored instant oatmeal had more than three times as much sodium as its original flavored version.

"One of the big surprises is that foods that you would think would be really salty, like salted nuts, have less sodium than many processed or packaged foods that don't taste salty at all," Consumer Reports Associate Health Editor Jamie Hirsh tells WebMD.

How Much Salt Is Too Much?

Government guidelines call for healthy adults to get no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, which is the equivalent of about a teaspoon of table salt. People with high blood pressure, African-Americans, and middle-aged or older adults should get no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.

But the average American eats much more than that, especially if they eat a lot of processed foods or if they eat out a lot, Hirsh says.

"Restaurant foods are a huge source of sodium," she says. "The amount of salt in some of these foods would just blow your mind. I saw a single entree offered by a national chain restaurant that had over 5,000 milligrams of sodium. That doesn't mean you can't get low-salt meals at restaurants, but you have to work at it."

The investigation found that low-fat processed foods are often higher in salt than their full-fat counterparts.

Case in point: A serving of Ruffles Original Potato Chips was found to have 10 grams of fat and 160 milligrams of sodium; a serving of the baked version of the chip had 3 grams of fat but 200 milligrams of sodium.

Even foods that claim to be heart healthy can be filled with sodium. The Prego "Heart Smart" pasta sauce with 430 milligrams of sodium in a half-cup serving carries the American Heart Association logo because it is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Source: WebMD

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