Delicious foods and recipes with surprising health benefits - part 2

Fresh plants have medicinal properties.

Eating certain foods to treat and prevent health issues is an ancient practice going back to the birth of the Egyptian civilization and Old Testament biblical times.

Chinese medicine has long believed in and practiced the balancing of Yin and Yang through eating certain foods. Imbalances in our diets can cause illnesses and energy blockages that affect mood as well as physical health. Chinese food theraphy is commonplace even today in the chinese culture.

Read more, get the recipes, and watch the videos.

Soy is not a health food

Soybean crops cover 72 million acres of American farmland. Soy products have an image as being healthy. Yet much evidence has come out recently on the health dangers of soy. As far back as the 1960's there was considerable evidence that soybeans harbored harmful substances. Soy has been linked to "malnutrition, digestive problems, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, immune system breakdowns, heart disease and cancer," according to Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of 'The Whole Soy Story." Read more and view soy videos.

Focus on genuine health for weight loss by Matt Sison, C.Ht.

Please welcome guest blogger Matt Sison. Thanks for joining us, Matt!

Focus on genuine health for weight loss by Matt Sison, C.Ht.

Have you seen the show "The Biggest Loser," and wondered what a good fitness trainer can do for you?

"The Biggest Loser" is a television show that focuses on fitness trainers helping individuals that are well over a hundred pounds overweight. However, the great thing about this show is that it reminds of us of the hidden potential inside of us. A potential you may have forgotten about.

Let's do a little mental exercise :) right now. Use that ability to imagine, fantasize if you will, what a healthy fit body will do for you. Apart from just looking good for others, what other benefits of health come to the surface? Notice how in this state of mind, you have natural feelings already ingrained inside of you for your own personal GENUINE HEALTH.

That's what True Weight Loss is about - not trying to drastically restrict your diet to fit in a size zero designer jeans, or taking pills that dramatically throw off your homeostasis to become wafer thin like the models we see on television and magazines. You're not here to impress everyone! Instead, do it lovingly for you and instinctual wisdom will take care of the greater good.

Yes, we all want to look good physically, however, remember that you can do it in more natural means than what's been advertised through television and magazine commercials. You CAN look good naturally by simply guiding your focus toward genuine health! If you stay focused on genuine health you will have the energy to accomplish everything else that you want, and with more energy and zeal! But if you're willing to "look good" at the risk of damaging genuine health, then your body will eventually succumb and you will at some point start feeling run down, tired and lethargic.

You're not completely to blame as the media has greatly influenced our thoughts of the "ideal" body. Moreover, the media has applied mass hypnosis concepts to their advertising and in my opinion have become the greatest hypnotists ever. However, do not make this an excuse to justify negative eating habits. Because, ultimately, as an adult, it is your responsibility to be mindful of what you put in your body.

Now, I'm not saying you can't that ideal body, you may or may not, but if your attempts at getting there are at the risk of your genuine health - then you might want to heavily reconsider as the ramifications in the long run are simply not worth the wear and tear it will do to your body.

With that being said, let me remind you what the trainers on "The Biggest Loser" have reminded the contestants: FOCUS ON GENUINE HEALTH and weight loss will follow, naturally!

Use the success stories of the contestants on the show to teach you that once we you tap into that laser beam focus, you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to, and to get you started be sure to order our Self-Hypnosis Audio Program: Weight loss made simple.

But right now, make a commitment that your health is important enough for you to access and use that laser beam focus you were born with to create Genuine Health!


Matt Sison, C.Ht.
Matt was awarded an International commendation given only to hypnotists considered to be in the top 1 percent of the industry. Matt's successful Hypnosis Concepts and Techniques brought him a list of clients from all over United States and overseas for private sessions: That list includes Celebrities, Olympic athletes and Professional Athletes. Furthermore, he teaches advanced Hypnotherapy concepts and methods to therapists of all sorts. Before becoming a Hypnotherapist, Matt was a successful fitness trainer for over 9 years, certified by the International Sports Science Association. Recently, he collaborated with Fitness-Nutrition Expert, Rick Schaff - M.S.H.N, to produce an inspiring program for weight loss. Read more about it and listen to audio samples by visiting: Hypnosis weight loss cds.

In The News

I'm in the middle of completing a cool little project I started this week that I'll let you in on next week. I'm having too much fun! Until then, here's some articles worth checking out:

Diet Questions - Advice and Tips To Help You Lose Weight Safely

Should I eat protein or carbs? What's a good pre-workout meal? How about after my workout? What about the number of grams of protein per day for optimal muscle mass? These are some of the questions we receive daily from real people just like you. We have included these diet questions below to help assist you with finding the right answers to your most common diet questions. We provide diet advice and nutritional tips so you can start building muscle and losing fat! Read more.



Health Journalists Face Translation Challenge, Researchers Find

ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2008) — The media constantly inform the public of new health information, but many Americans have difficulty recognizing what they should, or should not do to improve their health. University of Missouri researchers conducted a national survey and found that the majority of health journalists have not had specialized training in health reporting and face challenges in communicating new medical science developments.

Amanda Hinnant and María Len-Ríos, assistant professors in the Missouri School of Journalism, surveyed 396 newspaper and magazine journalists and completed 35 in-depth interviews to offer insight into the role of journalists in reducing the negative effects of limited health literacy. Health literacy, as defined by the American Medical Association, is ‘the ability to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions and follow instructions for treatment.’

“Almost half of the journalists reported they were not familiar with the concept of health literacy, but said that their readers’ ability to understand health information was very important to consider when writing health stories,” Hinnant said. “Increasing knowledge of health literacy could help journalists clarify medical information to readers.”

Of the journalists surveyed, only 18 percent had specialized training in health reporting and only 6.4 percent reported that a majority of their readers change health behaviors based on the information they provide. The journalists had an average of 18 years of journalism experience and seven years experience as health journalists.

“Health journalists play an important role in helping people effectively manage their health,” Len-Ríos said. “However, we found that many journalists find it difficult to explain health information to their readers, while maintaining the information’s scientific credibility. They have to resist ‘bogging down’ the story with too much technical science data and ‘dumbing down’ the story with overly simplistic recommendations.” Read more.

Happiness may affect breast cancer risk

BEER-SHEVA, Israel (UPI) -- Happiness and optimism may help guard against breast cancer, while adverse life events may increase breast cancer risk, Israeli researchers said.

Ronit Peled of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel questioned women about their life experiences and evaluated their levels of happiness, optimism, anxiety and depression prior to diagnosis. Researchers used this information to examine the relationship between breast cancer and life events or psychological distress.

A total of 622 women ages 25 to 45 were interviewed: 255 breast cancer patients and 367 healthy women.

The study, published in the British journal BMC Cancer, showed a clear link between outlook and risk of breast cancer, with optimists 25 percent less likely to have developed the disease. Conversely, women who suffered two or more traumatic events had a 62 percent greater risk.

"Young women who have been exposed to a number of negative life events should be considered an 'at-risk' group for breast cancer and should be treated accordingly," Peled said in a statement.


Copyright 2008 by United Press International

When Is It Okay or Even Helpful To Be Overweight?

Medicine, media, and culture constantly inform us it’s unhealthy and unacceptable to be overweight. We’re a country of mostly overweight people who constantly plan our next diet, go on a diet, or recently failed at or gave up on our last attempt at dieting. And whether we’re “on” or “off” program, we hold ourselves up to some pretty unattainable and unrealistic goals.

You know that nice lady who’s petite, big boned and chubby, yet convinced she’ll turn into Angelina Jolie or at least America’s next top model if she can just stick to that latest fad diet. Our national ideal of a perfect body is totally unattainable to most of us.

And this is despite the fact that the ideal rarely exists in nature. Nobody’s perfect - no body is perfect - and even actresses and super models don’t look like their Photoshop doctored images we see in the media. They only look glamorous and perfected with the help of professionally applied make up, lighting, and digital manipulation of photography.

Recently a size four model was told she was too obese! The teen model “ballooned” to a size four and was told she was too fat.

Even drop dead gorgeous Faith Hill is not “good enough” by today’s standards. Her image appeared on the cover of the July 2007 issue of Redbook magazine and showed a “heavily re-touched” and thinner photo of the singer and actress. Redbook was called on the carpet and accused by many of contributing to an unattainable body image only existing by creating a digitally re-touched image.















Frankly, I think she looks prettier and healthier in the original photo (right).

These kinds of expectations and pressures to look a certain way are unhealthy and plain insane.

On the other side of the “unachievable image” coin, our society ironically suffers from a very real obesity epidemic. While we covet and chase thinness our idea of the ideal body shape is steadily growing thinner, yet we keep getting bigger. We have a wicked case of body image schizophrenia.

Co-morbidities like type II diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers are more prevalent in the overweight and obese. Our quality of life is affected by being overweight in myriad ways including fewer employment opportunities, less pay, less desirable mates, and under-treatment from medical professionals. Obese people even experience subtle and outright prejudice from sources as unlikely as other overweight people. (“I may be 250 pounds, but you’re 400 pounds.”)

Oddly enough, despite our obsession with thinness, there is evidence that sometimes bigger is better. A BMI under 25 isn’t always a golden key to good health. And despites the risks of developing some diseases and suffering certain prejudices and missed opportunities by being fat, sometimes it’s better to be just that.

I am not suggesting everyone drop their diet and fitness goals and pick up an extra large platter at the all-you-can-eat buffet. Nor am I suggesting we forgo the gym and pursue couch potato-ism. The majority of us can and will benefit from a lower weight and BMI, losing body fat, and getting fitter though exercise.

But it is high time we stop acting like anyone who is not size two and does not look like a 20 year old fitness model is a second class citizen. Prejudice of any kind is wrong. And the vast majority of us will never look like s super model or fitness model no matter how much we work out or eat healthy. Our personal genetics and body type will not morph into something they're not.

Instead of judging others about their weight and appearance it's time to turn our attention to improving ourselves. And sometimes people are better off being at a higher weight than our society sees as acceptable. When it comes to weight and body image it's time for us to embrace self-acceptance as well as tolerance of others.

Check out the articles below.

Obesity Seen Protective in Cases of Heart Failure

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overweight and obese patients with heart failure seem to have a lower risk of dying than their normal-weight counterparts, according to a review of published studies involving more than 28,000 heart failure patients who were followed for an average of nearly three years. There is evidence, Dr. Antigone Oreopoulos told Reuters Health, that a normal body mass index (BMI) "is likely not the ideal BMI" in people with heart failure, which occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently.

Oreopoulos, from University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, and associates reviewed nine studies that examined the impact of BMI on mortality. They pooled the data to estimate the risk of death in patients who are underweight, overweight or obese compared to patients with a normal body weight.

According to the researchers, patients who were overweight or obese were less likely to die during follow up compared to their normal-weight peers. Being overweight or obese "remained protective" against death in a "risk-adjusted" analysis.

Heart failure patients who had a normal weight or who were underweight had the highest death rates. "It remains unknown, however, if higher body fat levels are actually the cause of better outcomes in patients with heart failure," the researchers note in the American Heart Journal. Read more.

Weight Loss, Not Weight Gain, A Health Risk For Older Adults

ScienceDaily (Apr. 10, 1998) — Being overweight later in life does not pose a significant risk to your health, according to findings of a comprehensive study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Public Health. On the contrary, it appears that weight loss is far more unhealthy in those 65 and older.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Paula Diehr, professor of biostatistics at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, studied a group of 4,317 nonsmoking men and women aged 65 to 100 to examine the relationship between body mass index and mortality rates in seniors. All participants were involved in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a population-based, longitudinal study of older adults designed to identify risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Persons who were wheelchair-bound or receiving hospice treatment, radiation therapy or chemotherapy for cancer were excluded from the study.

"We found no correlation between increased body mass index and mortality among study participants," said Diehr. "Instead, it appears that significant, unintended weight loss should be of primary concern for seniors." Read more.

Health Effects Of Weight Loss Need More Research

ScienceDaily (July 4, 2005) — Although it seems obvious that when overweight people lose weight their health should improve, the relationship between weight loss and health may not be as simple as that, suggests previous studies from Finland and Denmark. For example, it is difficult to control for all other possible things that might cause weight loss, such as other medical conditions that could then increase mortality.

The researchers at the University of Helsinki, Helsinki and Copenhagen University Hospitals, Danish Epidemiology Science Center and National Public Health Institute in Finland started with a population of 19 993 Finnish twins who were asked in 1975 about their weight and whether they were attempting to lose weight. In 1981, they were asked again about their weight, and then followed for up to 18 years to see who died. The researchers looked at the 2 957 who were overweight or obese (BMI at least 25) and took out of the analyses all the people who had illnesses, or those who had data missing, and analysed mortality against intention to lose weight in 1975 and actual change in weight.

They found that those people who intended to lose weight and who actually did so had a somewhat higher mortality than those who gained weight or whose weight remained the same. In people who did not intend to lose weight, gaining weight was associated with a somewhat higher mortality. Read more.

Older-adult Dieting Won't Lead To Reduced Physical Function, Research Suggests

ScienceDaily (May 8, 2007) — Unintentional weight loss in older adults often leads to frailty, a decline in physical function and even death. So is it wise for older, overweight women to embark on a weight loss program? New research from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center suggests that these women are better off trying to lose weight -- even if they regain some of it.

"Our results suggest that losing weight through calorie cutting won't lead to increased disability in older women," said Jamehl Demons, M.D., lead investigator on a project evaluating the effects of weight loss on physical performance.

And even when some of the weight was regained, the women still came out ahead. "It looks like they are better off than if they had never tried to lose weight," said Mary F. Lyles, M.D., lead investigator on an analysis exploring how dieting affected body composition. Read more.

Can You Be Fat & Healthy? By JEFFREY KLUGER

By most measures, Kelly Bliss, 50, surely seems to have let herself go. The Lansdowne, Pa., resident stands 5 ft. 2 in. in her stockings but tips the scales at nearly 200 lbs. Run those numbers through the body mass index (BMI)--the statistical measure that factors height and weight to diagnose obesity--and Bliss scores higher than 35. Anything above 25 is overweight; anything above 30 is obese. In the nation's ongoing war with obesity-related health problems, Bliss is one more casualty, right?

Maybe not. In fact, we should all be as unhealthy as Kelly Bliss. Her blood pressure is often as low as 100/50. Her cholesterol and blood sugar are normal. When she lies on her back, she can pull her leg to her face and touch her nose--while barely bending her knee. Can you? Oh, yes, and while most Americans exercise grudgingly, if at all, Bliss never misses a day, walking 10 to 20 miles a week and teaching an aerobics class at a local church. "You look at me in a leotard," she says. "I'm a cute little chick." Read more.

Body Image Is Stronger Predictor Of Health Than Obesity, Says Study

ScienceDaily (Feb. 13, 2008) — In a study to examine the impact of desired body weight on the number of unhealthy days subjects report over one month, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that the desire to weigh less was a more accurate predictor of physically and mentally unhealthy days, than body mass index (BMI). In addition, the desire to lose weight was more predictive of unhealthy days among Whites than among African-Americans or Hispanics, and among women than among men.

After controlling for actual BMI and age, the researchers found that men who wished to lose 1 percent, 10 percent, and 20 percent of their body weight, respectively, reported 0.1, 0.9 and 2.7 more unhealthy days per month than those who were happy with their weight. Among women, the corresponding increase in numbers of reported unhealthy days was 0.1, 1.6 and 4.3. Persons who were happy with their weight experienced fewer physically unhealthy days (3.0 vs 3.7) and mentally unhealthy days (2.6 vs 3.6) compared with persons unhappy with their weight.

"Our data suggest that some of the obesity epidemic may be partially attributable to social constructs that surround ideal body types," said Peter Muennig, MD, MPH, Mailman School of Public Health assistant professor of Health Policy and Management. "Younger persons, Whites, and women are disproportionately affected by negative body image concerns, and these groups unduly suffer from BMI-associated morbidity and mortality." Read more.

Is The Obesity Epidemic Exaggerated?

ScienceDaily (Feb. 5, 2008) — Last week, the UK health secretary declared that we are in a grip of an obesity epidemic, but does the evidence stack up? Researchers debate the issue in the British Medical Journal.

Claims about an obesity epidemic often exceed the scientific evidence and mistakenly suggest an unjustified degree of certainty, argue Patrick Basham and John Luik.

For example, the average population weight gain in the United States in the past 42 years is 10.9kg or 0.26kg a year. Yet, between 1999-2000 and 2001-2002, there were no significant changes in the prevalence of overweight or obesity among US adults or in the prevalence of overweight among children.

Furthermore, they say, the categories of normal, overweight, and obese is entirely arbitrary and at odds with the underlying evidence about the association between body mass index and mortality.

For example, the study on which the bands for overweight and obesity in the US are based found that the death risks for men with a body mass index of 19-21 were the same as those for men who were overweight and obese (29-31). Other studies have shown negligible differences between body mass index and death rates.

The association of overweight and obesity with higher risks of disease is equally unclear, they write. And, despite supposedly abnormal levels of overweight and obesity, life expectancy continues to increase. Read more.

Blogging Can Be Healthy & Bring People Closer

My son's "office" where he shares Lego plans online at Lego Club and occasionally blogs at Bruno Bardelli Says. I think he quit because he lost his password.

















"The Internet -- and all that it has brought with it -- has certainly changed the way we think and feel about a lot of issues. It may surprise you to learn that there's even a journal dedicated to just this sort of thing, called CyberPsychology and Behavior, and it recently published a study detailing just what you are experiencing. After tracking bloggers who update on a regular basis, they found that cyber-hounds felt less stressed and more confident in their "real lives."

Blogging is a unique experience that gives us the opportunity to share ourselves with others. It can act as a kind of online scrapbook where we can cut and paste all our special memories, hold court on our favorite subjects and give our opinions on everything under the sun." Dr. Joyce Brothers

"Bloggers: A portrait of the internet's new storytellers

The ease and appeal of blogging is inspiring a new group of writers and creators to share their voices with the world.

A national phone survey of bloggers finds that most are focused on describing their personal experiences to a relatively small audience of readers and that only a small proportion focus their coverage on politics, media, government, or technology. Blogs, the survey finds, are as individual as the people who keep them. However, most bloggers are primarily interested in creative, personal expression – documenting individual experiences, sharing practical knowledge, or just keeping in touch with friends and family." - Amanda Lenhart Susannah Fox

Dr. Mercola & Hodge Podge Of Links & Videos

I'm off to Carson City for the day to shop, and to tour the house Jerry's been remodeling. He's very happy about how nice it's turning out. People are already showing interest in it although it's not officially on the market. This house is a two-story charmer overlooking the governor's mansion in one of Carson City's nicer historic districts. Seems everyone who enters this house falls in love with it. Now with all the upgrades it's irresistible.

Last night, Bruno and I stayed up late making a trampoline video but it came out sort of dark. We're going to do a remake today. The kid can jump for 30 minutes nearly non-stop. He's a bundle of energy. We'll post the video eventually.

When we get home, we'll make homemade pizza and play Scrabble into the evening. Sunday will be a relaxing day in the swimming pool. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I'm a fan of Dr. Mercola. He's (almost) always right.

Clearing Up Confusion On Non Sugar Sweeteners mercola.com



Is Whole Wheat Bread Really Good For You? www.mercola.com



Who Else Wants to Painlessly Lose Weight? www.mercola.com/MT



Lose Weigh With The Law of Attraction



Goodbye Gluten. Hit The Road High Fructose Corn Syrup by Dr. Mercola

HEALTH BOMB #1: High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has become a modern-day plague. Not only does it contribute to our obesity epidemic, but it has also been linked to:

* Pancreas dysfunction, diabetes and insulin resistance
* High cholesterol and heart disease
* Cancer
* High blood pressure
* Anemia
* Liver damage
* Infertility
* And more

Sadly, the average consumption of fructose has doubled between 1980 and 1994. Soft drinks and some fruit drinks are a major source of HFCS, but it is also found in many other products, from crackers to salad dressing. Read more.

Fat Friends And Poor Education Helps People Think Thin

ScienceDaily (July 25, 2008) — Research by economists at the University of Warwick, Dartmouth College, and the University of Leuven, finds that people are powerfully but subconsciously influenced by the weight of those around them. Without being aware of it, the researchers believe, human beings keep up with the weight of the Joneses.

For a whole society, this can lead to a spiral of imitative obesity. The researchers will present their results on July 25th at a National Bureau of Economic Research conference in Cambridge Massachusetts in a paper entitled Imitative Obesity and Relative Utility at the NBER Summer Institute on Health Economics.

Using data on 27,000 Europeans from 29 countries, the researchers find that nearly half of European women feel overweight. Less than a third of males feel overweight.

The authors suggest that whether for reasons of job promotions or finding a mate it is someone’s weight relative to others that matters. They show that overweight perceptions and dieting decisions are influenced by people’s comparisons with others of the same age and gender.

Highly educated Europeans hold themselves to a particularly tough standard, the research shows. For any given level of Body Mass Index (BMI), somebody with a university degree feels much fatter than someone with low educational qualifications.

Overall, the researchers believe that a person’s "utility" (an economic term roughly meaning satisfaction levels) depends on their own weight relative to the weight of those around them. They suggest that it is easier to be fat in a society that is fat.
Read more.

How Cranberry Juice Can Prevent Urinary Tract Infections

ScienceDaily (July 25, 2008) — For generations, people have consumed cranberry juice, convinced of its power to ward off urinary tract infections, though the exact mechanism of its action has not been well understood. A new study by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) reveals that the juice changes the thermodynamic properties of bacteria in the urinary tract, creating an energy barrier that prevents the microorganisms from getting close enough to latch onto cells and initiate an infection. Read more.

Visit Wellsphere For Expert Health, Nutrition & Fitness Advice

Today's blog entry is intended to introduce you to a website named Wellsphere that offers a valuable wealth of information and guidance on everything related to health.

Wellsphere - Indulge In Healthier Living - featured on NBC - is chock full of features including interactive mobile motivation you can receive by cell phone that allows you to get reminders, track goals, find local resources, get tips, update your journal, and more.

Wellsphere also features an article library written by experts on topics like "Increase Family Fitness" and "Sneak In Superfoods." Also check out their informative and entertaining videos, expert advice, and support to achieve your goals. Wellsphere covers a wide variety of subjects including low carbohydrate foods, high protein foods, low fat foods, abdominals exercises, working out with weights, yoga for beginners, recreational sports, healthy recipes, and so much more.

Members can join communities on a wide variety of interests including weight loss, exercise, stress relief, healthy eating, recreation, mind body, dance, martial arts, endurance training, healing & recovery, and quitting smoking. You can share your experiences and progress, as well as find motivation and help with a variety of issues.

Special Wellsphere features include their interactive WellPhone, WellTips to help you stay informed and on track, WellPrize that rewards you with points and greater status withing the Wellsphere community, and Path To Feeling Good that guides you expertly to reaching your goals.

Isn't it time for you to start down your own path to feeling good? Join Wellsphere today and begin your own journey to indulge in healthier living! Get on your path to feeling good. It's free!