21 Worst Food Ingredients - Jul 31, 11

(NaturalNews) Ever wonder what's really in the food sold at grocery stores around the world? People keep asking me, "What ingredients should I avoid?" So I put together a short list that covers all the most toxic and disease-promoting ingredients in the food supply. These are the substances causing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and leading to tens of billions of dollars in unnecessary health care costs across America (and around the world).

If you want to stay healthy and out of the hospital, read ingredients labels and make sure you avoid all these ingredients:

Acrylamides - Toxic, cancer-causing chemicals formed in foods when carbohydrates are exposed to high heat (baking, frying, grilling). They're present in everything from bread crusts to snack chips, and because they aren't intentional ingredients, acrylamides do NOT have to be listed on labels.

Aspartame - Chemical sweetener that causes neurological disorders, seizures, blurred vision and migraine headaches. (http://www.naturalnews.com/030918_a...)

Autolyzed Proteins - Highly processed form of protein containing free glutamate and used to mimic the taste-enhancer chemical MSG.

BPA (Bisphenol-A) - A hormone mimicking chemical found in nearly all food packaging plastics. Active in just parts per billion, BPA promotes cancer, infertility and hormone disorders. It also "feminizes" males, promoting male breast growth and hormone disruption (http://www.naturalnews.com/032860_B...).

Casein - Milk proteins. Hilariously, this is widely used in "soy cheese" products that claim to be alternatives to cow's milk. Nearly all of them are made with cow's milk proteins.

Corn Syrup - Just another name for High Fructose Corn Syrup (see below). Frequently used in infant formula products (http://www.naturalnews.com/029863_S...).

Food Colors - FD&C Red #40, for example, is linked to behavioral disorders in children. Nearly all artificial food colors are derived from petroleum, and many are contaminated with aluminum.

Genetically Modified Ingredients - Not currently listed on the label because the GMO industry (Monsanto and DuPont) absolutely does not want people to know which foods contain GMOs. Nearly all conventionally grown corn, soy and cotton are GMOs. They're linked to severe infertility problems and may even cause the bacteria in your body to produce and release a pesticide in your own gut. If you're not eating organic corn, you're definitely eating GMO corn. (http://www.naturalnews.com/026426_G...) Learn more at www.ResponsibleTechnology.org or watch my GMO music video (hilarious) at www.NaturalNews.com/NoGMO

High Fructose Corn Syrup - A highly processed liquid sugar extracted with the chemical solvent glutaraldehyde and frequently contaminated with mercury (http://www.naturalnews.com/032948_h...). It's also linked to diabetes, obesity and mood disorders. Used in thousands of grocery items, including things you wouldn't suspect like pizza sauce and salad dressings.

Homogenized Milk - The fats in the milk are artificially modified to change them into smaller molecules that stay in suspension in the milk liquid (so the milk fat doesn't separate) (http://www.naturalnews.com/022967_m...). While it makes milk look better on the shelf, it's also blamed for promoting heart disease and may contribute to milk allergies. Raw milk is healthier, which is why the government had outlawed it (http://www.naturalnews.com/029322_r...).

Hydrochloride - When you see anything hydrochloride, such as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride or Thiamin Hydrochloride, those are chemical forms of B vitamins that companies add to their products to be able to claim higher RDA values of vitamins. But these are synthetic, chemical forms of vitamins, not real vitamins from foods or plants. Nutritionally, they are near-useless and may actually be bad for you. Also watch out for niacinamide and cyanocobalamin (synthetic vitamin B-12). (http://www.naturalnews.com/032766_c...)

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein - A highly processed form of (usually) soy protein that's processed to bring out the free glutamate (MSG). Use as a taste enhancer.

Partially Hydrogenated Oils - Oils that are modified using a chemical catalyst to make them stable at room temperature. This creates trans fatty acids and greatly increases the risk of blocked arteries (http://www.naturalnews.com/027445_f...). It also promotes what I call "sludge blood," which is thick, viscous blood that's hard to pump. This is usually diagnosed by doctors as "high blood pressure" and (stupidly) treated with blood-thinning medications that are technically the same chemicals as rat poison (warfarin) (http://www.naturalnews.com/023149_d...).

Phosphoric Acid - The acid used in sodas to dissolve the carbon dioxide and add to the overall fizzy-ness of the soda. Phosphoric acid will eat steel nails. It's also used by stone masons to etch rocks. The military uses it to clean the rust off battleships. In absolutely destroys tooth enamel (http://www.naturalnews.com/021774.html). Search Google Images for "Mountain Dew Mouth" to see photos of teeth rotted out by phosphoric acid: http://www.google.com/search?q=moun...

Propylene Glycol - A liquid used in the automotive industry to winterize RVs. It's also used to make the fake blueberries you see in blueberry muffins, bagels and breads. (Combined with artificial colors and corn syrup.) See shocking "Fake Blueberries" video at: http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=7...

Sodium (Salt) - The processed white salt lacking in trace minerals. In the holistic nutrition industry, we call it "death salt" because it promotes disease and death. Real salt, on the other hand, such as "dirty" sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, is loaded with the trace minerals that prevent disease, such as selenium (cancer), chromium (diabetes) and zinc (infectious disease). Much like with bread and sugar, white salt is terrible for your health. And don't be fooled by claims of "sea salt" in grocery stores. All salt came from the sea if you go far back enough in geologic time, so they can slap the "sea salt" claim on ANY salt!

Sodium Nitrite - A cancer-causing red coloring chemical added to bacon, hot dogs, sausage, beef jerky, ham, lunch meats, pepperoni and nearly all processed meats. Strongly linked to brain tumors, pancreatic cancers and colon cancers (http://www.naturalnews.com/007024.html). The USDA once tried to ban it from the food supply but was out-maneuvered by the meat industry, which now dominates USDA regulations. Sodium nitrite is a complete poison used to make meats look fresh. Countless children die of cancer each year from sodium nitrite-induced cancers.

Soy Protein - The No. 1 protein source used in "protein bars," including many bars widely consumed by bodybuilders. Soy protein is the "junk protein" of the food industry. It's made from genetically modified soybeans (often grown in China) and then subjected to hexane, a chemical solvent (http://www.naturalnews.com/026303_s...) that can literally explode.

Sucralose - An artificial chemical sweetener sold as Splenda. The sucralose molecule contains a chlorine atom (http://www.naturalnews.com/027491_a...). Researchers have repeatedly found that artificial sweeteners make people fat by actually promoting weight gain (http://www.naturalnews.com/024543_h...).

Sugar - The bleached, nutritionally-deficient byproduct of cane processing. During sugar cane processing, nearly all the minerals and vitamins end up in the blackstrap molasses that's usually fed to farm animals. (Blackstrap molasses is actually the "good" part of sugar cane juice.) Molasses is often fed to farm animals because every rancher knows that farm animals need good nutrition to stay alive. Amazingly, conventional doctors don't yet realize this about humans, and they continue to claim that eating sugar is perfectly fine for you. Sugar promotes diabetes, obesity, mood disorders and nutritional deficiencies.

Textured Vegetable Protein - Usually made of soy protein which is extracted from genetically modified soybeans and then processed using hexane, an explosive chemical solvent (see Soy Protein, above). Widely used in vegetarian foods such as "veggie burgers" (most of which also contain MSG or Yeast Extract, by the way).

Yeast Extract - Hidden form of MSG that contains free glutamate and is used in many "natural" food products to claim "No MSG!" Yeast extract contains up to 14% free glutamate. You'll find it in thousands of grocery store products, from soups to snack chips. I even once spotted it used on fresh meat!

Food label tricks

Here's a trick food companies frequently used to pack more sugar into their products without making sugar look like the first ingredient:

Ingredient labels, you see, must list the most prominent ingredients first, and some consumers might freak out of they saw a box of cereal that said, "Sugar, whole grain wheat, corn" and so on. Instead, the company uses 3 or 4 different forms of sugar to distribute them farther down the label, like this:

"Whole grain wheat, sugar, corn syrup, corn syrup solids..."

This way, the first ingredients looks like "whole grain wheat" when, in reality, the cereal might be over fifty percent sugars!

How to buy honest food

• Shop are your local farmer's market, food co-op or CSA.

• In the USA, look for the USDA Organic label on foods. This is a legitimate claim to being certified organic. It's one of the few programs run by the USDA that actually has integrity.

• Read the ingredients labels! If you see names of chemicals you can't pronounce, don't buy it.

• Buy more unprocessed food ingredients and make your own meals rather than buying ready-to-eat, processed foods, which are almost universally formulated with disease-promoting ingredients.

• GROW some of your own food! The best food you can ever eat is food from your own garden.

How to learn more about what's really in your food

Read NaturalNews. I'm the editor of NaturalNews, and I cured my own borderline diabetes, high cholesterol and near-obesity using nothing but healing foods.

The more you read NaturalNews, the more you'll learn about what to avoid in your foods and what to BUY that's loaded with nutrition! We cover natural cures, superfoods nutrition, juicing, raw foods, nutritional supplements, healing herbs and much more. You can subscribe to our free email newsletter using the form below.

We teach you what the mainstream food industry doesn't want you to know (and what the mainstream media won't dare report).

- Mar 04, 10

“The Sunlight Miracle”

Fifteen Facts You Probably Never Knew About Vitamin D and Sunlight Exposure: (Compiled by Mike Adams, based on an interview with Dr. Michael Holick, author, The UV Advantage)

Vitamin D is highly important to the health equation because it greatly adds to the prevention of osteoporosis, depression, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and even effects diabetes and obesity. Vitamin D is perhaps the single most underrated nutrient in the world of nutrition. That’s probably because it’s free; your body makes it when sunlight touches your skin (all the more reason for clean skin with no cosmetic residues). Drug companies can’t sell you sunlight, so there’s no promotion of its health benefits. Therefore, America’s problem is that most people are not aware of the real story on vitamin D and health. Here is an attempted quick overview taken from an interview between Mike Adams (the Health Ranger) and Dr. Michael Holick.

1. Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight.
2. The healing rays of natural sunlight (that generate vitamin D in your skin) cannot penetrate glass. So you don’t generate vitamin D when sitting in your car or home.
3. It is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your diet. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way to generate vitamin D in your own body.
4. A person would have to drink ten tall glasses of vitamin D fortified milk each day just to get minimum levels of vitamin D into their diet.
5. The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D. Canada, the UK and most U.S. states are far from the equator.
6. People with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 - 30 times as much exposure to sunlight as fair skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D. That’s why prostate cancer is epidemic among black men -- it’s a simple, but widespread, sunlight deficiency.
7. Sufficient levels of vitamin D are crucial for calcium absorption in your intestines. Without sufficient vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium, rendering calcium supplements useless.
8. Chronic vitamin D deficiency cannot be reversed overnight it takes months of vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure to rebuild the body’s bones and nervous system.
9. It is impossible to generate too much vitamin D in your body from sunlight exposure because your body will self-regulate and only generate what it needs.
10. If it hurts to press firmly on your sternum, you may be suffering from chronic vitamin D deficiency right now.
11. Vitamin D is “activated” in your body by your kidneys and liver before it can be used.
12. Having kidney disease or liver damage can greatly impair your body’s ability to activate circulating vitamin D.
13. Even weak sunscreens (SPF=8) block your body’s ability to generate vitamin D by 95%. This is how sunscreen products actually cause disease by creating a critical vitamin deficiency in the body.
14. The sunscreen industry doesn’t want you to know that your body actually needs sunlight exposure because that realization would mean lower sales of sunscreen products. ‘I have a natural regime of sun protection and I am at the lake all summer long. Blueberries, Spirulina (oceanic micro-algae), Acai berries (found in Mona Vie), and pomegranate. At least get some full sunlight before turning to the sunscreen.’
15. Even though vitamin D is one of the most powerful healing chemicals in your body, your body makes it absolutely free. No prescription required.

Diseases and Conditions Caused by Vitamin D Deficiency:

• Osteoporosis is commonly caused by a lack of vitamin D, which greatly impairs calcium absorption, but don’t we drink milk in abundance here in America??
• Low vitamin D accelerates prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, depression, colon cancer and schizophrenia.
• "Rickets" is the name of a bone-wasting disease caused by vitamin D deficiency, which is surfacing again in lower socio-economic settings.
• Vitamin D deficiency may exacerbate type 2 diabetes and impair insulin production in the pancreas.
• Obesity impairs vitamin D utilization in the body, meaning obese people need twice as much vitamin D.
• Seasonal Affective Disorder is caused by a melatonin imbalance initiated by lack of exposure to sunlight.
• Chronic vitamin D deficiency is often misdiagnosed as Fibromyalgia because its symptoms are so similar: muscle weakness, aches and pains.

Your risk of developing serious diseases like diabetes and cancer is reduced 50% - 80% through simple, sensible exposure to natural sunlight 2-3 times each week. Additionally, infants who receive vitamin D supplementation (2000 units daily) have an 80% reduced risk of developing type I diabetes over the next twenty years.

Shocking Vitamin D Deficiency Statistics:

• 32% of doctors and med school students are vitamin D deficient.
• 40% of the U.S. population is vitamin D deficient, what?? Computers and TV?
• 42% of African American women of childbearing age are deficient in vitamin D.
• 48% of young girls (9-11 years old) are vitamin D deficient.
• Up to 60% of all hospital patients are vitamin D deficient.
• 76% of pregnant mothers are severely vitamin D deficient, causing widespread vitamin D deficiencies in their unborn children, which predisposes them to type 1 diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia later in life. 81% of the children born to these mothers were deficient.
• Up to 80% of nursing home patients are vitamin D deficient.

Moreover:

• Vitamin D is known to enhance the prevention of up to 77 cancers in women
• Vitamin D is used around the world to treat Psoriasis
• If enough vitamin D is stored in the summer sun it can last all winter long
• Insufficient intake of vitamin D may lead to decreased physical strength, increased muscle weakness and increased risk of disability in older women and men, according to a new study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
• It is known to be essential for bone health, but recent studies have suggested that it also plays an important role in protecting against cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis and even the common cold.
• According to researcher Denise K. Houston of the Wake Forest University of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, “Higher amounts of vitamin D may be needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other conditions such as cancer prevention.”
• A thought provoking debate is whether vitamin D is actually a hormone? It is generated from the sun absorbed through the cholesterol on the skin and manufactured into true vitamin D. The skin is an organ so if the skin being an organ makes vitamin D might there be an argument for Vitamin D being a hormone?
• Lastly, what foods are highest in concentrated forms of vitamin D so that weekends when we are not able to get proper sunlight I can eat for vitamin D?

The best foods to consume are

• Oily fish like salmon, swordfish, mackerel and sardines (3 ½ oz salmon=350 IUs) are the best choices
• Tuna
• Oatmeal
• Sunflower seeds
• Eggs
• Sweet potatoes
• Dates
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Dandelion greens
• The herbs alfalfa, horsetail, nettle and parsley also contain Vitamin D.  

Moral of the story is to get in the sunlight!!!

Water Wonders - Feb 15, 10

“The Wonders of Water”
By Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D.

This article presents the marvelous preventative and curative powers that water generates when consumed accordingly. If you desire more information and a detailed examination of the wonderful wonders that pure water can do for us you can fulfill your interest by reading Your Bodies Many Cries for Water, which is a great read for water enthusiasts.

Water prevents and helps to cure heartburn
Heartburn is a signal of water shortage in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a major thirst signal of the human body. The use of antacids or tablet medications in the treatment of this pain does not correct dehydration, and the body continues to suffer as a result of its water shortage. Not recognizing heartburn as a sign of dehydration and treating it with antacids and pill medications will, in time, produce inflammation of the stomach and duodenum, hiatal hernia, ulceration, and eventually cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and pancreas.

Water prevents and helps to cure arthritis
Rheumatoid joint pain - arthritis - is a signal of water shortage in the painful joint. It can affect the young as well as the old. The use of pain-killers does not cure the problem, but exposes the person to further damage from pain medications. Intake of water and small amounts of salt will cure this problem.

Water prevents and helps to cure back pain
Low back pain and ankylosing arthritis of the spine are signs of water shortage in the spinal column and discs - the water cushions that support the weight of the body. These conditions should be treated with increased water intake - not a commercial treatment, but a very effective one. ??Not recognizing arthritis and low back pain as signs of dehydration in the joint cavities and treating them with pain-killers, manipulation, and eventually surgery will, in time, produce osteoarthritis when the cartilage cells in the joints have eventually all died. Pain medications have their own life-threatening complications.

Water prevents and helps to cure angina
Heart pain - angina - is a sign of water shortage in the heart/lung axis. It should be treated with increased water intake until the patient is free of pain and independent of medications. Medical supervision is prudent. However, increased water intake is angina's cure.

Water prevents and helps to cure migraines
Migraine headache is a sign of water need by the brain and the eyes. It will totally clear up if dehydration is prevented from establishing in the body. The type of dehydration that causes migraine might eventually cause inflammation of the back of the eye and possibly loss of eye sight.

Water and salt prevent and helps to cure asthma
Asthma, which also affects 14 million children and kills several thousand of them every year, is a complication of dehydration in the body. It is caused by the drought management programs of the body. In asthma free passage of air is obstructed so that water does not leave the body in the form of vapor - the winter steam. Increased water intake will prevent asthma attacks. Asthmatics need also to take more salt to break the mucus plugs in the lungs that obstruct the free flow of air in and out of the air sacs.?Not recognizing asthma as the indicator of dehydration in the body of a growing child not only will sentence many thousands of children to die every year, but will permit irreversible genetic damage to establish in the remaining 14 million asthmatic children.

Water prevents and helps to cure high blood pressure
Hypertension is a state of adaptation of the body to a generalized drought, when there is not enough water to fill all the blood vessels that diffuse water into vital cells. As part of the mechanism of reverse osmosis, when water from the blood serum is filtered and injected into important cells through minute holes in their membranes, extra pressure is needed for the "injection process." Just as we inject I.V. "water" in hospitals, so the body injects water into tens of trillions of cells all at the same time. Water and some salt intake will bring blood pressure back to normal! ??Not recognizing hypertension as one of the major indicators of dehydration in the human body, and treating it with diuretics that further dehydrate the body will, in time, cause blockage by cholesterol of the heart arteries and the arteries that go to the brain. It will cause heart attacks and small or massive strokes that paralyze. It will eventually cause kidney disease. It will cause brain damage and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Water prevents and helps to cure early adult-onset diabetes
Adult-onset diabetes is another adaptive state to severe dehydration of the human body. To have adequate water in circulation and for the brain's priority water needs, the release of insulin is inhibited to prevent insulin from pushing water into all body cells. In diabetes, only some cells get survival rations of water. Water and some salt will reverse adult-onset diabetes in its early stages. ??Not recognizing adult-onset diabetes as a complication of dehydration will, in time, cause massive damage to the blood vessels all over the body. It will cause eventual loss of the toes, feet and legs from gangrene. It will cause eye damage, even blindness.

Water helps to lower blood cholesterol
High cholesterol levels are an indicator of early drought management by the body. Cholesterol is a clay-like material that is poured in the gaps of some cell membranes to safeguard them against losing their vital water content to the osmotically more powerful blood circulating in their vicinity. Cholesterol, apart from being used to manufacture nerve cell membranes and hormones, is also used as a "shield" against water taxation of other vital cells that would normally exchange water through their cell membranes.

- Jan 14, 10

Suppressing and Controlling Appetite

“Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what
is desired, but by controlling that desire”

- Epictetus

We tend to get into trouble as consumers when we eat foods for emotional desire over nutritional content, this causes a problem because our hunger signals are not really fine-tuned to what we’ve eaten. Our hunger is, in part, affected by the physical space foods take up in our stomachs. So we tend to continue eating, regardless of the calories consumed, until we have a physical sensation of fullness. Once this happens, cells in the stomach and small intestine actually broadcast a hormone signal that tells the endocrine system to turn off the hunger signals. It is at this point that we finally stop feeling hungry.

A study by Brookhaven National Laboratory involving brain scans demonstrated that, “when people saw and smelled their favorite foods, their brains lit up in a manner similar to the reactions exhibited by people addicted to cocaine,” Moreover, when individuals were presented with such favorite junk food like cheeseburgers, pizza, ice cream, and chocolate, brain metabolism increased significantly in those areas of the brain associated with addiction. Ouch! That’s painful for health nuts like us to accept, so where do we begin?

1) eat smaller meals throughout the day. This allows the digestive system to work more efficiently and actually break down the nutrients that are consumed. Metabolism is the process of breaking food down to be absorbed by the body and used appropriately; as vitamins work to convert food into usable energy. When we eat to much we damage the metabolisms ability to work efficiently. When you eat a huge meal chances are the digestive system is not going to break down but 50 or 60 percent of the calories ingested. Can you imagine your digestive system when it tries to break down 60 grams of protein after a huge meal? It would be tantamount to you returning 100 emails after you got home from a 12 hour day. FYI – the average American has 6 meals in their stomach searching to be digested…..yikes?

2) eat foods that are low in Glycemic Load. This technique rules, because eating a balanced meals with carbohydrates works better than very low-carbohydrate diet. This process focus’s on the serotonin production in the system.

3) pay particular attention to serotonin. Serotonin (see below for greater description), the brain’s happy neurotransmitter (or wellness feeling) controls appetite, and the more you have then the less you eat. Many people contain low levels of serotonin, an essential brain chemical, and feel depressed as a result. Similarly, most people eat more when they are depressed as studies show people eat more in the winter, hence, the less light you get the less serotonin you make. Studies have shown that when people eat more the signs of increased depression increase, which is due to less serotonin production, another reason for eating in moderation.

4) drink a lot of water. Water has no calories therefore it serves as a terrific appetite suppressant.
Researchers at the University of Sydney developed a “satiety index” by cataloging foods based on how full volunteers felt after eating a controlled number of calories of each. A report published in the newsletter “Environmental Nutrition” in February 1996 says that the food that people found most satisfying were those high in fiber, particularly fruits. Calorie for calorie, apples and oranges were more filling than bananas, and potatoes topped the list for the fullness factor. Other foods high on the list were whole grains and high-protein foods like fish. Surprisingly, foods high in fat were the least filling and came in low on the satiety index. It seems that the volunteers reached the calorie limit for foods high in fat and sugar before they'd eaten enough to satisfy. The least satisfying foods for the calories were bakery products, especially white bread, doughnuts and cakes. Popcorn was the best snack food for satiety.

Lastly, is to eat slower, it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain about what is in it, so keep this in mind the next time you visit the temptation of the buffet. If you're a speed eater, wolfing down bite after bite in rapid succession, you can pack in a lot of extra mouthfuls of calories during that lag time. By slowing down, you give those natural signals of fullness a chance to register so you can stop eating before you've polished off way more food than your body needs. Eating slower also allows you to savor the tastes, smells, and textures of your foods, which contribute to your sense of satisfaction.

If you're breaking speed records at meal time, consider these techniques to slow down:

 

• Put your fork or spoon down after every bite (same applies for hand held foods). For many people, eating is a nonstop motion: The fork or spoon is racing from plate to mouth. The trick is to take a spoonful of food, put the spoon down beside your plate, chew, swallow, then pick up the spoon again. At first, this will feel awkward and tedious. But you'll be surprised how much sooner you'll feel full.
• Swallow what is in your mouth before preparing the next bite. Many people are busy loading up their utensils while their mouth and teeth are still chomping away.
• Relax before you start eating. If you're upset over a problem at work or if the kids are fighting, do some deep breathing or read the paper to settle down. The key is to calm down first and then start eating at a leisurely pace.
• Time your meals with a watch or kitchen timer until you get used to the slower pace.
  Take a brief break for a minute once or twice during the meal. Talk, sip a beverage, or fold your hands in your lap.
• Play slow background music. Studies have shown that people eat more slowly when they listen to slow, soft music.
• When it's time to eat, do nothing but eat. Devote your full attention to the meal. Make it a habit to turn off the television and take the phone off the hook. If you're distracted by other activities, you may not notice how fast, or how much, you are eating.
• Use chopsticks for all cuisines. They automatically slow down your rate of eating and the amount of food you're going to eat. If you're a pro with chopsticks, however, use them in the opposite hand! As an added bonus, chopsticks allow the fatty sauces to fall through the cracks and stay on the plate where they belong.
• Dine, don't just inhale your food. For example, you can savor each delicious bite of tuna salad on a fresh bed of leafy greens, or you can wolf your tuna fish right out of the can. Why not make mealtime a pleasurable event.

What is serotonin? Serotonin, a hormone, acts both as a chemical messenger that transmits nerve signals between nerve cells and it also causes blood vessels to narrow. In the central nervous system, serotonin is believed to play an important role in the regulation of body temperature, mood, sleep, vomiting, sexuality, and appetite. Low levels of serotonin have been associated with several disorders, notably clinical depression, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, tinnitus, Fibromyalgia, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders. It is a highly important neurotransmitter that plays a role in both mood and appetite. The following functions are the main contributors of serotonin.

Controlling appetite
Overcoming cravings
Regulating portion sizes
Boosting energy
Increasing metabolism
Sustaining motivation
Balancing mood
Increasing willpower

Sufficient levels of serotonin can be accomplished through sound nutrition and weekly physical activity/exercise. But it must be noted that vitamin B6, zinc, and insulin must be present to produce serotonin in the brain.

Food sources that aid in suppressing our appetite?

Fresh water – nothing is better than purified water as it tops the list.
Green vegetables – green peppers, lettuce, broccoli, spinach,
Accelerator whole food supplement smoothies from Performance Coaching
Pickles – avoid sugar filled pickles at the market filled with artificial food coloring
Apples – the importance of fresh apples cannot be emphasized enough!
Almonds – a Purdue University study showed that people who ate nuts high in monosaturated fat felt full and hour and half longer than those who ate fat-free food. Two ounces of almonds should suppress your appetite. 

• Research shows that exercise actually lowers appetite for up to several hours afterwards. In addition, exercise creates a desire for carbohydrates (to replace lost energy) rather than fatty foods.

Best Wishes

 

- Nov 21, 09

 The DiSC Profile

The DiSC is a world famous assessment tool that classifies four aspects of behavior by profiling a person's preferences in word associations.

 DiSC is an acronym that stands for the following dimensions of behavior:

1. Dominance - relating to control, power and assertiveness
2. Influence - relating to social situations and communication
3. Steadiness - relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness
4. Conscientiousness (or caution) - relating to structure and organization

Why the DiSC? Because understanding how your behavior affects other people and consequently how other peoples behavior affects us aids our ability to adapt to different people and differing situations in society, thus promoting more favorable outcomes & experiences. It helps us to identify and elevate strengths and increase personal effectiveness.

Benefits of DiSC:

• Gain more personal and professional insight by understanding preferences
• Enhance more effective communication
• Generate tolerance
• Gauge temperament
• Create better rapport and connection with others
• Imagine being able to better understand what motivates people and being able to recognize how to effectively deal with others.
• Better identify possible hazardous placements or workplace hires
• Understanding behavioral strengths and challenges in yourself and in others
• Learning to appreciate the differences and strengths of others           
• Discovering tools for dealing with conflict effectively           
• Enhance teamwork and reduce team conflict           
• Developing strategies and awareness to deal with diversity of people, their communication styles and needs                    
• Increasing sales skill by understanding how clients or customers behavior and make decisions        
• Improve customer relationships and customer satisfaction     
• Reduce personal and organizational conflict, stress and turnover
• Improve communication skills through determining communication styles                   
• Enhance and develop coaching and mentoring skill

The DiSC is fascinating in its accuracy the “Reliability of Internal Consistency” is as follows:

D - 92%
I - 87%
S - 88%
C - 86%

 A more detailed look at the Dimensions of Behavior:

* Dominance: People who score high in the intensity of the "D" styles factor are very active in dealing with problems and challenges, while low "D" scores are people who want to do more research before committing to a decision. High "D" people are described as demanding, forceful, egocentric, strong willed, driving, determined, ambitious, aggressive, and pioneering. Low D scores describe those who are conservative, low keyed, cooperative, calculating, undemanding, cautious, mild, agreeable, modest and peaceful.

* Influence: People with high "I" scores influence others through talking and activity and tend to be emotional. They are described as convincing, magnetic, political, enthusiastic, persuasive, warm, demonstrative, trusting, and optimistic. Those with low "I" scores influence more by data and facts, and not with feelings. They are described as reflective, factual, calculating, skeptical, logical, suspicious, matter of fact, pessimistic, and critical.

* Steadiness: People with high "S" styles scores want a steady pace, security, and do not like sudden change. High "S" individuals are calm, relaxed, patient, possessive, predictable, deliberate, stable, consistent, and tend to be unemotional and poker faced. Low "S" intensity scores are those who like change and variety. People with low "S" scores are described as restless, demonstrative, impatient, eager, or even impulsive.

* Conscientious: People with high "C" styles adhere to rules, regulations, and structure. They like to do quality work and do it right the first time. High "C" people are careful, cautious, exacting, neat, systematic, diplomatic, accurate, and tactful. Those with low "C" scores challenge the rules and want independence and are described as self-willed, stubborn, opinionated, unsystematic, arbitrary, and careless with details.