Coz Being Ageless Is Priceless

Posts tagged ‘diabetes’

Treat or Tricked?

Two cousins, the boy dressed in military camou...

Image via Wikipedia

That’s right! It’s treat or tricked, not trick or treat! Now that Halloween is done and over with, let’s discuss the implications of the so-called Halloween treats. The treats that most people give away to kids during this holiday of sorts are not really a treat. Treats are supposed to be beneficial for the recipient. This is usually not the case when it comes to trick or treating though because the treats are harmful for the recipient long term. They’re mostly white sugar or refined carbs. Empty calories, that is. Sugar is addictive, even though it’s legal (or should I say, sugar is legal, even though it’s addictive). We don’t think about it in this terms but sugar in general could cause more problems than all other drugs combined. Consider how diabetes is now one of the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in most ages. What used to be an illness found in adults could now be seen in children. Thanks to the abundance of sugary products. And that’s not all, it’s found in products that are supposed to be sugar free under the guise of different names. It takes a more educated or more informed population to decipher the list of ingredients of most food stuff nowadays. I would say that the further refined a food is, the more harmful it is. The closer it is to nature, the more beneficial it is. Go natural!

Category:

Common Sense, Random Thoughts, Tips

Tagged with:

Smart Fat Loss

My Weight Loss Coach

Image via Wikipedia

What is smart fat loss? Fat loss is the process of losing excess body fat. It is a better term to use (rather than weight loss) because weight loss could be unhealthy esp. if a person is losing muscle mass rather than excess body fat. I think that relying on just 1 pill alone for weight loss is “the opposite of smart.” There are a lot of factors that contribute to obesity. A smart weight management program should look into all these issues. What I don’t comprehend is how drugs used for treating obesity are being reserved for those who are obese (BMI greater than 30) or those who have co-morbid conditions such as hypertension or diabetes. People with complex medical problems don’t need another drug to complicate their life further. In fact, an article on CNN dares to ask the question: “Three New Weight Loss Drugs: Will They Work?” Apparently, prescription weight loss remedies have a spotty history. The article stated that, “some have proved to have a relatively modest effect, while others have been downright dangerous.” A lot of the potential danger lies in the fact that people who take these drugs use it for the long term. Without making dietary and lifestyle changes, it’s bound to create further problems down the road. Anyway, for those who have weight issues, some dietary changes that one could easily incorporate are: eliminating refined carbs, eliminating grains altogether (for some people), staying away from “low-fat” meals (they’re usually laden with sugar; sugar turns into fat; and fat is what tells our satiety centers that we’re full), eating naturally as possible (staying away from foods that have artificial colorings, flavorings or preservatives, although “natural” may not mean a thing anymore), drinking pure water (more on fluoride issues later), chewing our food well and eating like the French (slow food instead of “inhaling” food like some people who eat on the go do). I’ll discuss about dietary supplements, exercise and perhaps, correcting hormonal imbalances to achieve weight loss in future blog entries. In the meantime, let the fat loss begin….

Category:

News, Tips

Tagged with:

Burgers Breaking Bones….

The China Study

Image via Wikipedia

I’m exaggerating! However, there’s this interesting piece of news that I read on AOL. Apparently, a lot of jaw problems has been associated with eating 3-inch thick burgers in Taiwan. A professor at the School of Dentistry at the National Yang-Ming University told China Post that his patients developed sore jaws after eating giant burgers. In the US, it hasn’t not been a problem (at least, not that we know of). The article also said that our mouth is designed to eat food only 1 1/2 inch high (interesting, huh?). Anyway, do you know that meat is acidic in general (compared to vegetables and fruits which are more alkaline in nature)? Having a lot of of meat can put our bodies into an overly acidic state that could contribute to chronic diseases associated with aging. One of these health issues is osteoporosis. When our bodies are overly acidic, minerals from the bone are recruited to buffer the acidity. This leads to softening of the bones (osteopenia) which makes them prone to breakage or fracture. In the book called “The China Study“, it chronicles how diet influences a person’s state of health. It has been shown that those places that adopt a fast-food/highly-processed/ primarily meat-based diet, have a higher incidence of chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. I would suggest eating more of an alkaline diet consisting of vegetables and fruits and if a person has a need for meat, eat the ones that are lowest in acidity such as fish, venison or wild duck. So, let’s eat (and drink) responsibly!

Category:

News, Tips

Tagged with:

Let Them Eat Cake….

A chocolate cake decorated with icing, strawbe...

Image via Wikipedia

Not! Is it my sweet tooth talking or what? Anyway, do you know how many tablespoons of sugar there are in 1 slice of cake? It may surprise you like it surprised me back then. You’re talking about 8-16 tablespoons of sugar per slice. That’s a lot! But we never, ever think about it esp. when we’re enjoying that temporary high. However, people tend to get those sugar blues (feeling low/depressed) once their blood sugar goes down (due to insulin spikes). One of my mentors always stated that sugar is poison (white, refined sugar that’s devoid of nutrients) and it’s true indeed. We’re seeing an epidemic of obesity and diabetes, not just here in the US but around the world as we see more cultures adopting the Western diet. Do you know that there are so-called fat farms in Japan where obese kids are sent to help them lose weight. A good resource on how diet affects our over-all health is a book called “The China Study.” This excellent book should be on everyone’s book shelves or e-book library (for those techies out there). Anyway, for those who can’t do away with their desserts, they may try raw desserts like the ones I have at Cafe Gratitude. They have a “raw cookbook” available for sale and you’ll be amazed at how creative you can get with preparing a plant-based meal. It’s actually tasty too. Now, you don’t have to just have a boring plate of salad!

Related Articles

Category:

Opinions

Tagged with: