Negative Calorie Foods: Fact or Fiction?

Negative Calorie Foods: Fact or Fiction?

All food has caloric content, so the term “negative calorie foods” may sound misleading. Some scientists say that since some foods are harder for the body to digest, the net effect of eating them creates a calorie deficit. In other words, the body burns more calories processing negative calorie foods than the foods actually contain. In theory, the more of these foods you eat, the fewer calories you take in, making them great for those trying to lose weight. However, negative calorie food diets are controversial, and not everyone agrees that negative calorie foods even technically exist. In any case, the fruits and vegetables on the following list are still healthy foods that should be included in any balanced diet.

Berries

Berries are unique among fruit and vegetables in that they contain moderate amounts of protein. Protein is extremely important in dieting, and many people forget they need it, preferring instead to sacrifice heavier foods in favour of those that are relatively empty of nutritional value. Most berries are tasty enough to eat on their own, and since they’re already “finger food” they’re easily portable. They’re rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C, and a host of other nutrients that boost your immune system (something else that’s good). Cranberries and blueberries help flush out your system, and are often used in the case of bladder infection for just that reason. Blueberries are also known, along with raspberries, to contribute to sustained eyesight. All these factors mixed with an extremely low calorie count (at an average of just 50 calories per cup for most berries) make berries a highly desirable negative calorie food.

Fruits and Citrus

At an average of less than 40 calories per fruit, citrus is extremely lightweight for the amount of space they can fill. Loaded with Vitamin C and high in fibre, citrus fruits will help even out your digestive system, and in high enough amounts, even flush it. While not the greatest thing to think about when talking about food, when talking about healthy eating, it’s like the Holy Grail. Adding citrus fruits to your foods will greatly increase your chances of getting that weight off and staying healthy in the process.

Melons

Melons are fantastic summer filler foods with probably the biggest calorie deficit you can get. Since they’re mostly water, they help keep you hydrated which in turn is great for every single bodily function. On top of that they usually run at around 20 calories per wedge, which would be the same size as a 40 calorie citrus fruit or an entire cup of berries. It wouldn’t be very sustainable consume melons alone; they should be part of the trio throughout the day along with berries and citrus.

Vegetables

Ah vegetables. Loathed or loved, they’re just plain good for you, in every way. Everyone knows celery as a nearly-zero calorie food already, but it wasn’t until recently that it became an obvious poster child for negative calorie foods. The real kicker is that celery may be very, very low calorie at only 5-8 calories per stick, but most other veggies follow not too far behind it. Vegetables mix the best (nutritional) qualities of citrus, berries and melons by holding mostly water-weight, containing decent amounts of protein, loads of fibre and they’re rich in nutrients. With all that going for them, all you need are the taste buds to match and you’re all set to follow an extremely effective healthy eating regime.

The Pasteurisation Process of Milk

A Brief History:

Though not as well-known as the man who gave his name to this process, Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799) laid the groundwork for germ theory by showing that microbes do not just 'appear' spontaneously.

His early work with the heat sterilisation of food in the 1760's formed the basis for research done by French chemist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) nearly a century later.

In the 1850's, Pasteur began to examine why products like wine and beer sometimes went sour during the fermentation process. This led to his discovery that the souring was caused by certain unwanted strains of bacteria and yeast, or 'germs,' as he called them.

Taking a cue from Spallanzani, he found that heating below boiling, then rapidly cooling wine, killed the spoilage organisms busily trying to turn it into vinegar. This heat sterilisation process, d'pasteurisation'sation' (not 'pasture-isation' as some call it), was first proposed for use on milk in 1886 by German agricultural chemist Franz von Soxhlet.
The first commercial pasteurisation machines came on-line in the mid-1890's and remained the standard for decades. Recently, ultra-high temperature pasteurisation, commercially available since 1948, has become more common due to the increased shelf-life and total sterilisation it gives milk.

Types of Pasteurisation:

There are basically two methods of pasteurisation in use today - batch and continuous flow.
In the batch process, a large quantity of milk is held in a heated vat at 149°F./65°C. for 30 minutes, followed by quick cooling to about 39°F./4°C

In the continuous flow process also known as HTST, for high temperature, short time, milk is forced between metal plates or through pipes heated on the outside by hot water.

While flowing under pressure, the milk is held at 161°F/72°C. for at least 16 seconds. Before being chilled back to 39°F./4°C. or cooler, it flows through a heat exchanger to pre-warm cold milk just entering the system.


Effects of Pasteurisation:
The ultimate goal in heat treating milk is the destruction of all pathogenic or disease-causing microbes. Usually (but not always), assuming the machinery is functioning properly, the process accomplishes this task effectively.

Numerous studies have shown, however, that bad bugs are not the only thing destroyed by the heat: delicate proteins, enzymes, immune factors, hormones, vitamins, mineral availability- all undergo definite changes during the heating process. No one seriously disputes this fact.

What is not clear though, due to conflicting science and belief systems, is to what extent the food value of the milk is actually impacted. When man-made nutrients (often inferior to their natural form) must be added back in to replace those destroyed by heat, there is no argument. The quality of the milk has suffered.

And who speaks for the hundreds of factors and components present in raw milk, known and unknown, that synergistically create a whole, healing food?

What truly becomes of raw milk's many natural hormones, immune modulators and enzymes if, say, certain other key substances designed to assist their proper function are ultimately destroyed (and not replaced)?

Is the calcium our bodies absorb from pasteurised dairy somehow altered so that it goes to places other than needed or wanted? The unanswered questions continue to pile up...

Raw milk is an incredibly complex substance, the science of which we've still only begun to tweeze apart. Bear in mind, also, that the majority of milk research from the mid 1940's on has been, and continues to be, performed using pasteurised product.

There's no question that pasteurisation, while far from flawless, is a valuable and necessary process, especially where heavily unregulated (Non EU) farmed milk is concerned, but the ability to buy and consume clean, living foods with their myriad bits and pieces intact should also be an option for those who so choose.

If You Can't Stomach Fish, These Are The Best Fish Oil Dietary Supplements

Ideally, all nutritionists would recommend eating fresh fish once or twice a week. What if you dislike Fish or cannot source good quality fish? Supplementation is an option, read on to learn more.

Fish oil is the best known source of omega-3 fatty acids, but all fish oil supplements are not the same.  Selecting the wrong supplement could mean that you get little or none of the health benefits associated with omega-3 fatty acids.  What's worse is that some fish oil supplements contain contaminants that can endanger your health. 

In order to choose the best fish oil dietary supplements, there are several things that you, the consumer should consider.  First, there are basic considerations that apply to all dietary supplements, no just fish oil supplements.

You should ask:

What are the health benefits?

The health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are well documented. 

The brain needs adequate levels of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in order to maintain and rebuild cells.  Fish is often referred to as "brain food".  Scientific studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids found in some fish support optimum brain function.  Increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids may improve your memory and your ability to focus on the task at hand, whether it is taking a test, writing a novel or driving your vehicle.

People suffering from conditions, such as depression, multiple sclerosis, attention deficit disorder and similar problems have shown improvement after increasing their intake of omega-3 fatty acids.  In the studies that support these statements, the participants were given some of the purest and best fish oil dietary supplements.

The heart needs EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) in order to maintain proper circulation.  The best fish oil dietary supplements contain both EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids.  The American Heart Association recommends fish oil dietary supplements for people who have suffered a heart attack.  It is believed that fish oil supplements may help prevent certain types of heart disease.

The joints function better when there are adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet.  In research studies, people suffering from rheumatoid and osteoarthritis noticed improvement in flexibility, a reduction in pain, reduced morning stiffness and less dependence on over the counter or prescription pain medications.

Fish oil supplements can improve the moisture content and elasticity of the skin.  They can improve the appearance, texture and strength of a person's hair.  Omega-3 fatty acids are found to serve a function in practically every system of the human body.

Are there any side effects?

The best fish oil dietary supplements are odourless and tasteless.  Capsules are easy to swallow.  They are molecularly distilled to remove all impurities and contaminants.

You should choose a fish oil supplement that is manufactured by a reputable company that sells a variety of health supplements and is not new to omega-3 supplement manufacturing.  Experienced manufacturers know how to choose the source fish and how to properly remove contaminants.

That brings up other questions that apply specifically to omega-3 supplements.

You, the consumer should ask:

What are the ingredients?

Not all omega-3 supplements are derived from fish oil.  Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids do not contain EPA and DHA.  They contain an omega-3 fatty acid that can be converted to EPA or DHA, but the conversion process is inefficient and only a small amount is actually converted.  The only way to be sure that you are getting all of the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids is to choose a fish oil supplement.

Some fish oil supplements contain artificial flavourings.  In some cases, this technique is used to mask the taste and odour of rancid fish oil.  The manufacturer should collect and freeze the oil when it is first harvested in order to avoid spoilage, but most do not.

What type of fish and what part of the fish is the oil derived from?

If the manufacturer does not list the type of fish, do not buy that brand of fish oil supplement.  Some manufacturers use whatever is cheapest, with little concern for safety.  Many fish have been contaminated by pollutants.  They contain high levels of mercury and PCB's (poisonous substances that are a bi-product of manufacturing processes). 

Fish caught in the Atlantic Ocean are the least safe.  Specifically you should avoid Codfish, (which means cod liver oil), Atlantic Salmon, Shark, and Atlantic halibut.  You should also choose fish oil that is derived form the flesh of the fish, not the liver, because the liver is the dumping ground for every toxin that the fish has ever been exposed to. 

The best choice, according to everything that I have read, is the New Zealand Hoki fish.  It is becoming an increasingly popular choice for fish sticks and fillets, because of the lack of toxins found in the fish’s environment.  Located of the southern coast of Australia, the ocean waters surrounding the island country of New Zealand are considered the cleanest in the world. 

Is the fish oil molecularly distilled?

Molecular distillation removes any remaining contaminants, leaving the purest of fish oil for omega-3 supplements.  Some companies advertise “all-natural” fish oil.  Those fish oils contain numerous contaminants and the only real reason that companies choose to sell them is because they are cheaper to manufacture.

The Bottom Line:

• Omega 3 fatty acids provide numerous health benefits to people of all ages.
• The best known source of omega-3 fatty acids is fish oil
• The best fish oil dietary supplements come from fish that swim in clean ocean waters, contain no additives and are molecularly distilled to ensure safety and purity.

Start a healthy new diet today -- and stick with it for a lifetime

Cravings are all about blood sugar. If your levels are consistent throughout the day, your eating patterns will be, too. But when you starve yourself for hours, cravings call. And you will answer.

Your blood sugar can fall too low after just 4 hours of not eating. So you search the fridge, food court, or seat cushions for carbohydrates, which will provide a quick boost.

Trouble is fast-rising blood sugar triggers your pancreas to release a flood of insulin, a hormone that not only lowers blood sugar but also signals your body to store fat. And in about half of us, insulin tends to "overshoot," which sends blood sugar crashing. This reinforces the binge, because it makes you crave sugar and starch again.

The most effective way to keep blood sugar in check is to avoid foods that are made with added sugar -- soda, some fruit juices, and baked goods. You can eliminate those entirely. As for foods that contain high amounts of starch-pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, or any other flour-based food -- we'll admit they're delicious, and they can also provide vitamins and fibre. But you should limit yourself to 30 to 40 grams (g) of total carbohydrates at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and 10 to 20 g at any given snack. (Check labels.)

In addition, follow these three rules.

Eat regularly -- approximately every 3 hours. This allows you to eat smaller meals without becoming hungry.

Have small quantities of protein and fat (meat, cheese, nuts, or eggs contain both) at every meal. This slows the digestion of carbohydrates, which helps prevent spikes in blood sugar.

Go whole grain. Shop carefully for carbs; Make sure any bread, pasta, or rice that you eat is 100 percent whole grain. Because whole grains contain fibre, their effect on your blood sugar is reduced.

8 Ways to Tame a Raging Appetite

1. Guarantee Success

How long do you think you can stick to a new plan? Find duration that you're 100 percent confident you can achieve, even if it's just a couple of days. Once you make it to your goal date, start the process over. This not only establishes the notion that you can be successful, but also gives you a chance to start noticing that eating better makes you feel better, reinforcing your desire to continue.

2. Find More Motivation

If your diet's only purpose is to help you finally achieve six-pack abs (or even just a two-pack), it may be hard to stick with for the long haul. The solution, provide yourself with additional motivators. I suggest monitoring migraines, heartburn, acne, canker sores, and sleep quality, along with common measures of cardiovascular health. Discovering that your new diet improves the quality of your life and health can be powerful motivation.

3. Don't Dwell on Mistakes

Okay, you over-indulged. What's the next step? "Forget about it" One meal doesn't define your diet, so don't assume that you've failed or fallen off the wagon. Institute a simple rule: Follow any "cheat" meal with at least five healthy meals and snacks. That ensures that you'll be eating right more than 80 percent of the time.

4. Eat Breakfast

Sure, you've heard this one before. But consider that if you sleep for 6 to 8 hours and then skip breakfast, your body is essentially running on fumes by the time you reach work. And that sends you desperately seeking sugar, which is easy to find. The most convenient foods are often the same ones you should be avoiding. That's because they're usually packed with sugar (candy bars, soda), or other fast-digesting carbohydrates (cookies, chips). This leads to our next strategy.

5. Install Food Regulators

It's time for a regime change. Clean out your cupboard and fridge, and then restock them with almonds and other nuts, fruit and vegetables, and canned tuna, chicken, and salmon. And do the same at work. By eliminating snacks that don't match your diet but providing plenty that do, you're far less likely to find yourself at the doughnut-shop drive-thru or the vending machine..

6. Think like a Biochemist

It's true: They make all-natural cookies. But even if a cookie is made with organic cane juice (the hippie name for sugar), it's still junk food. The same applies for lots of “health foods" in the granola aisle, that’s because hippie sweeteners raise your blood sugar just like the common white stuff. If you're going to eat a cookie, accept that you're deviating from your plan, and then revert back to your diet afterward. By convincing yourself that it's healthy, you're only encouraging a bad habit.

7. Recognize Hunger

Have a craving for sweets, even though you ate just an hour ago? Imagine eating a large, sizzling steak instead. If you're truly hungry, the steak will sound good, and you should eat. If it doesn't sound good, your brain is playing tricks on you. My advice: Change your environment, which can be as easy as doing 15 push ups or finding a different task to focus on.

8. Take a Logical Approach

Before you take a bite of food, consider whether it's moving you one step closer to your goals or one step farther away. This won't stop you from making a poor choice every single time, but it does encourage the habit of thinking long-term about what you're eating right now. The payoff is that "80 to 90 percent of the time, you'll make a better decision."

All the best,

Matthew Page

Power of Aloe Vera

Everyone knows the topical benefits of aloe vera because it is included in various lotions. But how many people know that aloe has an even bigger affect when it is ingested.

 

Aloe vera has been used for years for its health benefits. Aloe helps to make the skin smoother, which is why it is being added to various lotions and skin care products. Aloe vera has been known to help heal wounds. By applying aloe vera to a wound, you decrease healing time and reduce the the appearance of scars. More benefits are being discovered from the ingestion of pure aloe vera. It has a negative affect on cancerous cells preventing them from growing scientifically proven by a test performed by Dr. Lee in Korea. He injected lab rats with cancerous cells. The aloe was found to stop those cancer cells from growing. Aloe is being found that it has an affect on the aging process of cells within the body.

A study was conducted by Byung Pal Yu, Jeremiah Herlihy and Yuji Ikeno from the Department of Physiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. The objective of the study was to test the effects of long-term aloe ingestion on laboratory rats. All of the rats were kept in the same environment. A total of 360 male rats were divided into four groups: Group 1 was fed a diet without aloe; the other three groups were fed different forms of aloe. The results of the study found that aloe ingestion was shown to extend (~10%) average life span and slow the aging process. This is significant because in human years that's about 7 years. Additionally, the groups that were fed a diet of aloe showed a lower incidence of heart problems than Group 1. One group showed a significantly lower incidence of kidney disease and occurrence of multiple causes of death compared to the group that was not given aloe. All of the groups that ingested aloe showed a slightly lower incidence of fatal cancer. Studies like this one and more have been done to help prove the health benefits of the ingestion of aloe.

Aloe juice has been documented to modulate the immune system, soothe the digestive tract, and help to ease the inflammation associated with advancing age. Topically used or ingested, aloe vera has been to proven to have many positive affects on the human body.

My not drinking bothers friends

Some drinkers feel uncomfortable while imbibing around people who don't drink.

Highlights:

• I discover that it bothers people that I choose not to drink
• My not-drinking is not judgment on others' drinking
• I would love it for others to not interrogate or needle those who don't drink

At a recent party, my friend’s friend poured guests another glass of white wine. It smelled crisp, cold, and juicy - clearly the sort of wine that prickles the gums, softens the face and transforms a summer evening into one soft hued hum.

She stopped at me. I held up my glass of sparkling non-alcoholic apple cider. "Cheers," I said.

Twelve months after quitting drinking and at the tender age of 24, I've accepted my role as the non-drinker at any given party or social event. I'm happy with my decision to teetotal, but some of my peers are less so - for example, my friend’s friend.

"So you're not drinking? At all? Really?"

I insist, I'm fine with my cider.

Life without alcohol demands strategy. For example, most dinner parties don't provide a non-alcoholic beverage, so I bring my own - something with garnish and flair, something as fancy as the alcoholic option: organic lemonade with strawberries, slow-brewed ginger ale with candied ginger, iced green tea with home grown mint.

At gatherings, fellow guests ogle my drink, share if they're so inclined, ask some questions and then relax.

Usually, people are more interested in what's in their own glass. So much so that people forget: 

1) I didn't drink last time; 2) I am not currently drinking; and 3) I won't be drinking in the future. Even after telling new friends a dozen times “I don't drink”, they still offer me alcoholic beverages at parties or socials. It must be unfathomable - or maybe just forgettable - that a 24-year-old man wouldn't indulge in a tipple.

When I first quit drinking, having to say no to a cold beer, gin & tonics, cocktails and slender-stemmed wine glasses filled me with bottomless shame. I've since grown into my life as a non-drinker - a life without starting the day awake covered in sweat and wringing my hands as I fumble to recall what I said or did in the previous hours - and embraced my choice to abstain.

I relish the benefits, too. I sleep like a kitten. I feel clearer and calmer than I ever did during my years drinking the booze. I enjoy beautiful mornings. I don't let secrets slip.

If people really want to know the brutal truth of why I quit, I tell them. I blacked out. I behaved badly. I couldn't predictably control my intake. I made poor decisions. I experienced gut-twisting, head-imploding hangovers. Anxiety choked me. But these truths are a buzz kill.

So when people ask me, I'll usually say things like, "It didn't work for me anymore." Or, "I come from a long line of alcoholic depressives, and I thought it would be smart to stop." Or, "My drinking days are over, but I'll still par-tay with you!" Then I shake my tush and grin.

I'd like to think these answers demonstrate I'm not humourless or judgmental. It doesn't bother me that other people can still drink when I can't. Some people can't eat shellfish or wheat. But I accept that I'm largely powerless as to whether others misinterpret my choice as an admonishment of their own lifestyle.

After clearing plates in the hot apartment, our party sat down with dessert and fantasized about fall-weather activities.

"There's apple picking in the Cotswolds," I suggested.

"We could stop by the vineyard on the way back," said the friend.

Consensus swept over the room. It was decided: to a vineyard, we would go.

"I can be the designated driver," I laughed.

"Here you are proposing a wholesome activity, and I suggest we go have drinks instead. You must think I'm an alcoholic!"

It wasn't the first time the friend asserted what I must think of her.

At the first party we attended together, while she poured her second glass of wine: "You must think I'm an alcoholic!"

During an evening at a Thai restaurant, when she described her previous evening's date at a bar: "You must think I'm an alcoholic!"

In fact, I don't think she's an alcoholic, only that she's self-centred to believe my personal choice somehow indicts her.

Later that night, she addressed me with an alternative to the winery.

"We could pack a picnic to eat at the orchard and buy some apple cider to drink. Only the rest of us could spike ours with a flask of whiskey and enjoy a real drink, a real drink!” She eyeballed me for a reaction and laughed. I laughed too.

A real drink, an adult beverage. Where do we learn these terms? Recently, a close friend of mine, who quit drinking at the same time I did - not because he had a problem but because he never enjoyed drinking all that much to begin with - was asked by a fellow lawyer why he wasn't having "an adult beverage."

"Listen," he said to her, "I'm a 30-year-old man. Whatever I'm drinking is an adult beverage."

Anyway, as adults, shouldn't we make decisions based on our own preferences, strengths and weaknesses rather than allowing social norms to dictate our behaviour?

I couldn't figure out why the friend kept bringing up my dryness that evening, but I suspect the threat of having a non-drinker in the midst is that, when folks are drinking together, everyone - except the abstainer - is going somewhere. Together. On a journey. Booze softens the edges. It massages the ache of unspoken words. It dissolves the perceived boundaries among people. When you're sober, especially if you want to stay that way, you have to be at peace with where you are. You have to believe you're already where you need to be.

There are a lot of young recovering drunks out there who could really benefit from their drinking peers' acceptance and support - or at from their least social tact. I chalked up the friend's behaviour to callousness or insecurity. Her nightlong needling didn't send me shuttling to the bottle, but someone with less time sober might not have the same tools, the same carefully constructed self-respect, or the same support network as I.

For many, drinking versus not drinking is the difference between life and death. Harping on a vegetarian for not enjoying meat at a barbecue is galling and insensitive, but if the vegetarian breaks down and heads out for a hamburger after the party, she won't die

An addict who picks up a drink after being nit-picked by their peers might despair and throw themselves off a building or just sink back into the groove of self-destruction and self-hatred that could come to define their life.

If someone makes the difficult choice to quit drinking, it's quite possibly to save their life, not a commentary on anyone else's and definitely not an issue to be mocked or interrogated at a social gathering

I'll raise a solemn - and sober - glass to that. Now, who's game for some partying?