One of my favorite ways to exercise is to jump on my rebounder! While it feels like I’m just playing around and having fun, I’m actually doing some great things for my body! I keep my rebounder set up in my house because it doesn’t take up much space (it’s only about 3 ½ feet in diameter) and in addition to working out, it’s great for small “stress breaks”.

There are several reasons to jump for joy. Each time you jump up and down, your body accelerates and decelerates in both directions. The gravitational force on your body is 2-3 times gravity, depending on if you are gently bouncing or jumping. Every cell and muscle in your body is impacted by the continuous changes in gravity due to the bouncing. The bouncing stimulates your lymphatic system, which benefits your immune system and helps your body detoxify and eliminate cellular waste. Bouncing also builds bone density, which strengthens your bones.

Rebounding can provide a rigorous workout or just be relaxing! You can set up a rebounder just about anywhere because it’s small and light. Plus, some rebounders can fold into a carrying case, making it convenient to travel with them so that you don’t have to miss your workouts.

Best of all, rebounding is fun! So try it. I dare you!

A friend of mine recently asked me if I were to have given up only one animal-based food, which food would that be? That’s easy! Dairy!!! That means milk and anything that starts out as milk (cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream, sour cream, etc.). Here’s why:

• Milk originated with one purpose, to feed, nourish, and grow offspring. Cow’s milk was designed by nature to grow a 65-pound calf at birth to 1,000 pounds in about 18 months! So what do you think that milk does to us?

• Once able to eat solid food, infants are weaned from mother’s milk. That is, every animal except humans. We are the only animal that drinks milk into adulthood. Not only do we continue to drink milk into adulthood, we don’t even drink milk from our own species. We are the only species/animal to drink milk of another species/animal!

• Lactase, an enzyme our bodies produce to digest lactose sugar in milk, normally disappears after weaning. When lactase is gone, consuming dairy is likely to cause gas and pain. That's lactose intolerance. While lactase enzymes persist well into adulthood for many people, most stop producing lactase and develop lactose intolerance sooner or later. Mother Nature designed humans to be breast-fed, then to be weaned after infancy. In other words, we were not designed to drink milk and consume other dairy foods.

• We are constantly told that we need milk to get calcium in order to grow and make our bones healthy and strong. It’s true that we do need calcium. However, we are lead to believe that milk (and dairy) is the only food that gives us enough calcium.
  
  But think about this: calcium is not produced by animals. Calcium comes from minerals found in rocks and soil that get taken up by plants. So, then, where do cows get their calcium? That’s right, cows get their calcium from the plants (grass) that they eat, which like all leafy green vegetables, is abundant in calcium. 

• Since most dairy cows live out their milk-producing lives on factory farms, they are not grass fed, so they are not getting calcium in their diet, meaning that their milk lacks calcium. So how does that make milk our main source of calcium? 
  
  The cow’s feed is supplemented with calcium (and vitamin D). For that matter, you might as well just take a calcium supplement yourself. Or better yet, go straight to the source and get your calcium from leafy greens, broccoli, and other plant-based foods rich in calcium such as beans, oats, and even oranges. 

• According to Michael Greger, MD, turning dairy cows into milk machines has led to epidemics of udder infections. Antiseptics used to disinfect cow teats have been found to boost the level of pus in the milk of cows with staph-infected udders. And research studies have found that we can taste pus in milk. Doesn’t that sound yummy!

• Milk proteins add acid to our blood, and mineralized calcium in our bones is our body’s only available resource that can neutralize the acids and prevent our blood from becoming acidic. Our bodies leach calcium from our bones to neutralize the acids, then excrete the calcium in our urine. 

• With 74 grant-years of funding by the National Institutes of Health and publications in over 300 top, peer-reviewed scientific journals, T. Colin Campbell, PhD showed clear evidence that casein, the protein in cow’s milk, promotes cancer. His findings and those of colleagues, which are summarized in “The China Study”, all point to a link between milk (and other animal protein) and chronic degenerative diseases.
  

We are told by the dairy industry, which is backed by government-sponsored marketing that poses as public service announcements, that we must drink milk. Milk is even subsidized by the government, making it very affordable. 

The dairy industry wants us to believe that cow's milk was specially designed for the human body, and that milk is natural for humans. Really?

Given what I've described here, how does it make any sense for us to drink milk or consume any of the products produced by milk, including cheese, yogurt, butter, cream, sour cream, etc.? Sure, those foods taste great. But to me, they're not worth consuming because my health is more important than taste alone. So if I were eating the standard American diet and I had to give up only one food, to me it’s a no-brainer. Dairy!

Milk: does it do a body good? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

The flu season is upon us and maybe you already got your flu shot. What else can you do to stay healthy?

Here are some whole, plant-based foods that will help you boost your body’s immune system to help fight off the flu.

Zinc. A mineral that is essential for normal functioning of the immune system and may be directly involved in the production of antibodies to help fight infection. Plant-based foods rich in zinc include pumpkin and squash seeds, nuts, wheat germ, beans, and lentils.

Vitamin C. While it is not certain how vitamin C interacts with the immune system, it is found in high concentrations in immune cells and is consumed quickly during infections. Higher levels of vitamin C in the blood may be a marker for overall health. Plant-based foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruit, bell peppers (especially the red peppers), strawberries, broccoli, and leafy green vegetables.

Beta-carotene. Helps activate one of your most important sources of immune protection, your thymus gland, by stimulating your immune system to fight infections and viruses. Beta-carotene also helps fight off respiratory infections and relieve respiratory problems. Plant-based foods rich in beta-carotene include carrots, pumpkin, winter squash, sweet potatoes, yams, spinach, kale, collard greens, beet greens, cabbage, cantaloupe, persimmons, and mangoes.

Mushrooms. According to Dr. Mercola, some of the most potent immunosupportive agents come from mushrooms, which boost your immune system, especially during cold and flu season. Mushrooms are nutritional powerhouses that include a variety of antioxidants and optimize the body’s resistance to viral infections. There are several kinds of mushrooms, including crimini, portabella, shiitake, white button, enoki, oyster, and morel.

Vitamin E. A powerful fat-soluble antioxidant that is key for strong immunity, vitamin E, or tocopherol, helps your body ward off viral infections. Plant-based foods rich in vitamin E include almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, avocados, spinach, broccoli, winter squash, and pumpkin.

Probiotics. Good bacteria that can safely dwell in your digestive tract. Researchers are finding evidence that these good bacteria influence the development of aspects of the immune system, including increasing the numbers of certain T cells and correcting deficiencies. Probiotics are found in fermented foods such as kimchi, a fermented Korean dish made of seasoned vegetables, or sauerkraut.

Tea. Teas contain natural compounds that boost the body’s immune system, including antioxidants theanine, catechins, and quercetin. Green, black, and oolong tea all contain these powerful antioxidants.

Soup is a nutritional stew. That's because one of the great things about soup is that any of the nutrients that are lost during cooking remain in the liquid, so soup retains all the nutrients! One of my absolute all-time favorite soups is Coconut Mushroom Barley Soup with Potatoes and Lentils (click here for the recipe)! So what are you waiting for? Try this or one of your favorite recipes with flu-fighting plant-based foods and stay healthy!

Resources

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/zinc-the-immune-system-nutrient.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C#Immune_system

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-benefits-of-vitamin-c

http://www.lawrencehealthcenter.com/can-vitamin-c-really-help-boost-your-immune-system

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/betacarotene.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/31/organic-mushrooms-for-immune-support.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/16/steve-farrar-on-mushrooms.aspx

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vitamin-E.php

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/supplement-guide-vitamin-e
http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/Health-benefits-vitamin-E/2011/02/01/id/369888
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/supplement-guide-vitamin-e
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vitamin-E.php
http://www.health.harvard.edu/flu-resource-center/how-to-boost-your-immune-system.htm
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/photos/10-flu-fighting-foods/tea

Cinnamon just makes so many things taste better! Saigon cinnamon, a cassia type of cinnamon, comes from China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, and Indonesia. Ceylon cinnamon, or “true” cinnamon, is different and mostly comes from India, Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean.

Most of the cinnamon found in North America is the cassia cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is sweeter, lighter, more refined, and more expensive than cassia cinnamon. While both types of cinnamon have coumarin, a natural blood thinner, cassia cinnamon has higher levels, and anyone taking the blood thinner warfarin is usually advised to limit their intake of cinnamon.

Cinnamon is an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of dietary fiber, iron, and calcium.

Cinnamon is an anti-inflammatory food that helps reduce inflammation by inhibiting the release of arachidonic acid, which contributes to inflammation.

Cinnamon has antioxidant properties. Cinnamon neutralizes or prevents the formation of free radicals, which helps prevent degenerative diseases, including cancer. According to the USDA as cited by http://cinnamonvogue.com/cinnamoncommonuses.html, cinnamon is one of the top seven antioxidants in the world.

Cinnamon helps control blood sugar. Cinnamon slows the rate that the stomach empties following a meal, which reduces the rise in blood sugar.

Cinnamon may help people with type 2 diabetes by helping to lower fasting blood glucose levels. While the impact of cinnamon on fasting blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes is unclear, a meta-analysis of eight clinical studies by Davis and Yokoyama at the University of California – Davis found that cinnamon intake, whether whole cinnamon or cinnamon extract, results in a statistically significant lowering of fasting blood glucose.

Cinnamon may help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. While there are claims that cinnamon does help reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, according to Mayo Clinic Cardiologist Thomas Behrenbeck, MD, PHD, there is little evidence that cinnamon can lower your cholesterol.

Cinnamon improves digestion. Cinnamon is believed to improve digestion of fruit and dairy products, including milk. Cinnamon is used for gas, stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea in traditional Chinese medicine.

Cinnamon reduces clotting. As a natural blood thinner, cinnamon helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets.

Cinnamon has antimicrobial activity. Cinnamon helps stop the growth of bacteria, fungus, and Candida (yeast). Cinnamic aldehyde, a plant essential oil used for flavoring, prevented growth of oral bacteria associated with bad breath. Because of its antimicrobial activity, cinnamon is used as a natural food preservative.

Some of the foods I love adding cinnamon to include over hot cereal, over a baked sweet potato, in my green smoothie, and in sauces with curry and coconut milk. Where do you like adding your cinnamon?

Resources

• http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/6-healthy-reasons-eat-more-real-cinnamon-not-its-cousin
  
• http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/cinnamon-extract-andor-cinnamon-improves-fasting-blood-sugar-people-type-2-diabetes-or
  
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cinnamon-lower-cholesterol/AN01438
  
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/04/040401080031.htm
  
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1907059
  
• http://www.marksdailyapple.com/health-benefits-cinnamon/#axzz2ky13l8RD
  
• http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68
  
• http://cinnamonvogue.com/cinnamoncommonuses.html
  

If you ever had to memorize the colors of the visible spectrum, or rainbow, when you were in school, you may remember ROY G. BIV. No, ROY G. BIV is not a person, rather it’s an acronym to help you remember the sequence of colors in the visible spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

Given that colorful fruits and vegetables are loaded with phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein, I thought it would be fun to come up with as many fruits and vegetables as I could for each color of the spectrum. Here’s what I came up with:

• Red: tomatoes, red bell peppers, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, watermelon, pomegranate, red grapes, red cabbage, rhubarb, red potatoes
  
• Orange: carrots, pumpkin, yams, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, oranges, mangoes, peaches, cantaloupe, persimmons, apricots
  
• Yellow: summer squash, corn, pineapple, lemons, bananas, yellow bell peppers, yellow watermelon, yellow tomatoes, golden kiwifruit, yellow apples, yellow pears, yellow beets
  
• Green: spinach, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, bok choy, cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, celery, limes, apples, kiwifruit, green grapes, avocado, green beans
  
• Blue: blueberries, blue corn
  
• Indigo: romanesco broccoli, concord grapes, cherry purple tomato, plums
  
• Violet: purple cabbage, eggplant, purple carrots, purple potatoes, purple onions
  

Let me know if I missed anything!

Ever prepare a recipe that you know in advance is going to taste amazing because it has the perfect combination of ingredients, including all the right spices and seasonings, yet once it’s done, after all the preparation and anticipation, it comes up short? It could be that all that work hasn’t gone to waste and that it just needs something to make it “pop”. Next time try some tamari!

Produced mainly in Chūbu region of Japan, tamari is very similar to soy sauce in that it, too, is made from fermented soybeans. Tamari differs from traditional soy sauce in that whereas most soy sauces are approximately 50/50 soybeans/wheat, tamari is made from soybeans with only a touch of wheat or no wheat at all (gluten-free). The result is a thicker, richer, sauce with a smoother, more complex flavor than traditional soy sauce.

Regular tamari has a little more sodium than traditional soy sauce: 320 mg sodium per teaspoon for tamari vs. 291 mg sodium per teaspoon for soy sauce.

San-J gluten-free reduced sodium tamari only has only 237 mg sodium per teaspoon. Compare that to ~600 mg sodium in only a quarter teaspoon of salt!*

Tamari is excellent in stir fry dishes, noodle sauces, dipping sauces, marinades, sauces, soups, casseroles, gravies, or on its own as a condiment. Tamari is a great salt substitute and natural flavor enhancer and heightens flavor of any dish. So next time you need something to make the flavors “pop”, try some tamari!

Resources

• http://www.thekitchn.com/ingredient-spotlight-tamari-174139
  
• http://ideas.thenest.com/dinner-recipes/cooking-advice/qa/cooking-q-a-tamari-vs-soy-sauce.aspx
  
• http://www.san-j.com/tamari.asp
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamari
  
• http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/12748/whats-the-difference-between-tamari-and-soy-sauce
  

*Sodium in regular tamari and traditional soy sauce were looked up in the National Nutritional Database (http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list); sodium in gluten-free reduced sodium tamari came from the San-J label; sodium in salt was calculated from the mass of one teaspoon of salt (6 grams) and the atomic masses of sodium (23 amu) and chlorine (35 amu).

After an intense day on the grant review panel and only 3 ½ hours of sleep last night (see yesterday’s post), I finally just completed my panel responsibilities for today and am ready to reconvene with the panel in the morning. As I turn my attention to write this post, my mind is a complete blank. There’s nothing there. I used it all up today. So I hope you will forgive me for not posting anything new today.

As I get ready to go and drift off into a deep sleep, I will leave you with a link to something I wrote about getting a better night’s sleep: http://www.bethehealthyu.com/1/post/2013/09/plant-based-foods-that-help-you-get-a-better-nights-sleep.html.

Sweet dreams!

Things don’t always turn out as you expect or hope. And when that happens, it can create stress. For example, I am serving on a grant review panel that meets at 7 am tomorrow morning and as of now, I should have all 12 of my grant proposals reviewed. However, I don’t. Will I have them done when the panel convenes at 7 am tomorrow? Yes, I will. Will I get much sleep tonight? No, I won’t.

There were a number of circumstances that put me in this position. Some were my own fault and some were due to circumstances beyond my control. Regardless, whatever caused it is all behind me and there’s nothing I can do about any of it.

So now I have a choice. I can get upset at myself and at the factors that were beyond my control, or I can center myself and attack what lies ahead of me with a grounded calmness.

It’s up to me, and how I choose to proceed is going to make all the difference between now and tomorrow morning.

The same is true for anything. We all can choose to wallow in what we cannot change or we can start from this point, whatever it may be, and move forward. The latter is far less stressful and enables us to be more creative and productive.

My choice? Just roll with it!

We are obsessed with getting enough protein. Probably because most of us have been taught to believe that protein is the most important nutrient, and that we need to bulk up on protein in order to build muscle. 

Some “experts” recommend that we get 30-35% or more of our total daily calories from protein. The truth is, the Recommended Daily Allowance of 8-10% of our calories from protein is more than enough protein. In terms of grams of protein, it means that if you are a woman who weighs 120 pounds, you need around 44 grams of protein per day, or if you are a man who weighs 175 pounds, you need around 64 grams of protein per day.*

If you eat lean meat, upwards of about 50% of the calories you consume come from protein: 48% in ground beef (90% lean), 64% in beef top sirloin, 71% in boneless pork loin chops, 75% in roasted chicken breast, and 82% in roasted turkey breast. If you consume dairy, including milk, yogurt, and cheese, about 20-40% of the calories come from protein.

If you consume a whole, plant-based diet, you automatically get at least 10% of your total calories from protein (see my post on how vegans get enough protein: http://www.bethehealthyu.com/1/post/2013/10/how-do-vegans-get-enough-protein.html).

If you consume little or no animal-based foods, the only way that you are at risk of not getting enough protein is if you eat too much processed foods (junk food) and not enough whole foods. If that’s the case, or if after reading this you still feel that you need more protein, here are two great non-soy plant-based protein supplement alternatives: hemp protein powder and pea protein powder.

Hemp protein powder comes from hemp seeds, which are naturally high in magnesium, zinc, and iron. Pea protein powder comes from split peas, which are naturally high in vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin b6, folate, pantothenic acid, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese.

A quarter cup scoop of hemp protein powder has about 15 grams of protein and 135 calories, or 44% of the calories from protein (convert 15 grams of protein into calories knowing that 1 gram of protein has 4 calories, then divide that by the total calories (135) and multiply by 100). In addition, there are 6 grams of fat per scoop of hemp protein.

The same scoop of pea protein powder has about 28 grams of protein and 130 calories, or 86% of the calories from protein. In addition, there are 2 grams of fat per scoop of pea protein.

Pea protein powder has more protein, more nutrients, and less fat than hemp protein powder, making it a better choice if you are trying to lose weight. On the other hand, if you are trying to gain weight, or are concerned about losing too much weight on a whole, plant-based diet, hemp protein powder may be a better choice for you.


*8-10% calories from protein per day translates into about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. To calculate how much protein you need daily in grams for your body weight, divide your weight by 2.2, then multiply that by 0.8.

Resources

• http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list
  
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/544389-hemp-vs-pea-protein/
  
• http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/05/28/the-power-of-pea-protein
  
• http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/629104/2
  
• http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4353/2
  

What has 10 times more cells than you and 100 times more genes than you, and lives on your body? Microbes, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi! This community of microbes makes up the human microbiome.

Most microbes are actually good for our bodies and keep us healthy. They help teach our immune system which bugs are bad as well as which bugs are good and don’t pose any threat. As adults, microbes are our first line of defense. They protect our health by fighting off germs that try to invade our bodies, and microbes can even release their own antibiotics.

Microbes are complex and diverse, and live all over our bodies. The biggest microbial habitat is in the gut, where microbes fight off infections, boost our immune system, signal cells, and help regulate our metabolism, including how much energy we burn, and how much fat we store.

When our microbes are not functioning properly due to foods we eat or antibiotics we take, we can end up with diseases such as colon cancer and colitis, and possibly diabetes, and obesity. Taking probiotics, which are good microbes, as well as prebiotics, which are foods that nourish the good microbes, may help prevent and treat diseases.

According to Jeff Leach of the Human Food Project, dietary fiber serves as a food for many bacteria that live in our guts and may have a positive effect on our microbiome. Too little fiber could starve the bacteria we want around. When that happens, they eat the mucus lining of our large intestine. According to microbiome researcher Rob Knight of Colorado University, when we keep our bacteria well fed, they give off nutrients that nourish the cells that line our guts.

Dietary sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other legumes, nuts, and seeds. Plant-based dietary sources of probiotics include fermented foods such as kimchi (Korean fermented vegetables) and sauerkraut (fermented cabbage).

Microbiome research is very new and we have a lot to learn about what our microbes are doing. It’s clear, however, that all these tiny microorganisms all over our bodies are essential to our health and happiness.

Resources

• http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/11/04/240278593/getting-your-microbes-analyzed-raises-big-privacy-issues
  
• http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/11/08/243929866/can-we-eat-our-way-to-a-healthier-microbiome-its-complicated?ft=1&f=1007
  
• http://americangut.org/