When a salad is 80% of your meal – a portion from which we are expected to get loads of vitamins, minerals, complex carbs, phytonutrients, a variety of amino acids and good fats – a few leaves with two wheels of veggies on top just won’t cut it. My expectations are higher, and I aim to succeed in nourishing my body with the proper nutrients in order to maintain my optimal physical health.  One of my pet peeves is what I call “petty” salads.  This is the salad that is mostly made up of some leaves (for fluff), a couple of tomato wheels (if we are lucky to get more than one), a cucumber slice and one thin ring of onion chopped in half, or maybe a couple of carrot shavings. Not only is this a weak attempt at a salad, it is unfortunately a sad reality that most of us get served when out to dinner at a restaurant (or let’s be honest, at many persons’ dining tables). That needs to change. Although my salads are always nutrient dense, in this hearty, real meal salad, I decided to focus on antioxidant count, protein density and iron absorption in particular.  Let’s do this.

Prep: In a large salad bowl and in no particular order, start adding all ingredients (produce) as you dice them. Wash and dry parsley and leaves well, then chop and add to salad bowl. Sprinkle the Himalayan salt first, then the lime on top for better flavor results, and then the oil. Combine all ingredients by mixing thoroughly for about a minute. The trick in the flavor is in dicing the veggies so finely that the flavors blend really nicely, and in spending a good amount of time mixing them well with the dressing. If the salad is served for day time, I recommend doing 3 cups of spinach and 1 cup of red leaf lettuce, and if its night time,  stick to the original recipe. Lettuce has a relaxing effect that preps you for a good night’s sleep and spinach has the energizing effect you want during the day. It is important to know which time of the day to have which leaf. Enjoy!

Nutritional info:

• ❊ Bell peppers: Loaded with vitamins C and A, these colorful star veggies are filled with antioxidants that protect you against free radicals that cause huge damage to your cells.  Their vitamin and mineral content also reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, promotes eye and lung health, lowers risk of cancers, and protects against rheumatoid arthritis.

• ❊ Pecans: Rich in Vitamin E, an antioxidant, which inhibits oxidation of blood fats and prevents heart disease. Out of all the nuts, pecans have the highest antioxidant amount, which means they may decrease the risk of cancer, and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Pecans also contain plant sterols, which are known for their ability to lower cholesterol. They are also a high-quality source of protein, and contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals including folate, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, several B vitamins and 60% of their fat is monosaturated.

• ❊ Raisins: A rich source of a trace mineral that is critical to our health – Boron provides protection against osteoporosis, and macular degeneration. Raisins are a good source of iron and when we pair them up with a high vitamin C food like bell peppers and tomato, it allows the iron absorption to be optimal.  Also, raisins must always be bought organic because they are on the top 12 pesticide foods list, and  to avoid sulfites that are added to conventional raisins.

• ❊ Red onion: Good source of chromium, an essential mineral necessary for the formation of Glucose Tolerance Factor, a compound that regulates the body’s use of glucose and helps to balance blood sugar. Chromium regulates hunger, reduces cravings, and helps protect DNA and RNA. Onions have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, risk of heart disease and a variety of cancers.  Also contains  the antioxidant quercetin, which supports gastrointestinal health. Onions boost bone health, and contain anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial capacity.

• ❊ Sprouts: Amazing source of rich protein. While meat is 19% protein, clover and pea sprouts are 26% protein and broccoli sprouts are 35% protein. Pea sprouts contain all the essential amino acids, they are rich sources of vitamins A, C and E and the minerals calcium, iron, and phosphorous. Clover sprouts are rich in phytochemicals, in particular genistein which is protective against cancer. Clover contains naturally occurring plant estrogens helpful with PMS, menopause, and fibrocystic disease and contains vitamins A, B, C, E and K, the minerals calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous, and trace minerals carotene, as well as chlorophyll. Broccoli sprouts contain 50 times more sulforaphane (the amazing cancer-fighting phytochemical) than fresh broccoli.

• ❊ Avocado: Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein. Avocados contribute vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, which are thought to help prevent many chronic diseases.

• ❊ Radish: High in dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium, Copper, and Manganese.

• ❊ Parsley: Parsley contains three times as much Vitamin C as oranges, twice as much iron as spinach, is rich in vitamin A and contains folate, potassium and calcium.  Also, it is recognized for its cancer-fighting potential. Parsley is particularly helpful in treating kidney and bladder inflammations, irritable bladder, and edema.

• ❊ Spinach: For nutrient content check out Spinach profiled as an HFood.

• ❊ Cucumber: Excellent source of iodine, an essential mineral for the functioning of the thyroid gland, promotes skin, nails and hair health and assists the body in utilizing fat, protecting it against obesity. Rich in Vitamin E (the muscle vitamin), nourishing cells, strengthening capillary walls, improving circulation and healing of damage tissue. High water and collagen content.

• ❊ Heirloom Tomato: High in Vitamin C and potassium, which helps to stimulate your immune system. Tomatoes contain the antioxidant and anticancer agent lycopene, which gives them their bright red color. They also contain p-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid, which can block the formation of nitrosamines that can destroy DNA and cause cancer.

• ❊ Udo’s oil with DHA: DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for the proper functioning of our brains as adults, and for the development of our nervous system and visual abilities during the first six months of life. A vegetarian (algae-derived) source of unrefined DHA that supports heart health, cognitive function, and eye health.

• ❊ Lime: Alkalinizes the body and preps the it for digestion by aiding in the release of hydrochloric acid.

• ❊ Himalyan salt: Containing all of the 84 elements found in your body, promotes healthy pH balance in your cells, particularly your brain cells. Promotes blood sugar health and helps to reduce the signs of aging, assists in the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in your body and aids in absorption of food particles through your intestinal tract.  Is also rich in magnesium, a very important mineral for the optimization of neurotransmitter function, is very alkalinizing to the body, works as a natural laxative, and  is used by the pituitary master gland as part of  its regulation of parathyroid, adrenal, and thyroid function. I use the brand Ultimate  Superfoods Himalayan Crystal Salt, which states its high magnesium content.

Exercise: Poor air quality apparently affects the running times of women marathoners, according to a study. Higher levels of particles in the air were associated with slower running times for women, while men were not significantly affected. The differences, according to researcher Linsey Marr of Virginia Tech, may be due to the smaller size of women’s tracheas, which makes it easier for certain particles to deposit there and possibly cause irritation. “Although pollution levels in these marathons rarely exceeded national standards for air quality, performance was still affected,” Marr said. Her studies were conducted where major USA marathons are located, such as New York, Boston, and Los Angeles, where pollution tends to be highest. Although the regular person might not be significantly impacted by low-yet-still-acceptable air quality, marathoners typically inhale and exhale about the same amount of air as a sedentary person would over the course of two full days. This means they are exposed to much greater amounts of pollutants than under typical breathing conditions. Interestingly, the performances of female marathoners appeared to only be affected by particulate matter, and not other pollutants like carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide or sulfur dioxide. The research was published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise.

Parenting: The final results are in – violent video games make kids more aggressive. According to research published in the Psychological Bulletin, “We can now say with utmost confidence that regardless of research method — and regardless of the cultures tested in this study, you get the same effects. And the effects are that exposure to violent video games increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior in both short-term and long-term contexts. Such exposure also increases aggressive thinking and aggressive affect, and decreases prosocial behavior,” said Craig Anderson, author of the analysis that includes 130 research reports. Anderson also said that while this doesn’t mean that video gamers will go out and join gangs, these effects are conclusive and not trivial, and determine not only future aggression but also other sort of negative outcomes. More importantly: This is one risk factor that is within parental control.

Pesticides: According to evidence in male frogs, Atrazine wreaks havoc with hormonal balance. In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Atrazine (one of the world’s most widely used pesticides) has been found to be a potent endocrine disruptor to the point that it left many male frogs in the lab “chemically castrated” (unable to reproduce) and turned others into females. “Atrazine has caused a hormonal imbalance that has made them develop into the wrong sex,” said Tyrone B. Hayes, author of the study. Some 80 million pounds of the herbicide atrazine are applied in the USA on corn and sorghum to control weeds and increase crop yield. More and more research, however, is showing that atrazine interferes with endocrine hormones such as estrogen and testosterone – in fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles, laboratory rodents and even human cell lines, with a possible link to human birth defects and low birth weight after exposure in the womb. As a result, the EPA is reviewing its regulations on use of this pesticide, with several states considering banning it, and the European Union already barring its use. Syngenta, which manufactures atrazine, disputes many of the studies, but Hayes says, “when you have studies all over the world showing problems with atrazine in every vertebrate that has been looked at – all of them can’t be wrong.”

Nutrition: The fluorescent lighting in supermarkets can boost the nutritional value of fresh spinach, scientists report. A simulation of a grocery store scenario in which researchers exposed spinach to light and darkness cycles similar to those of retail stores for three to nine days yielded a surprisingly positive effect: Significantly higher levels of vitamins C, K, E and folate (a B vitamin). They also had higher levels of the healthful carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. The more light exposure, the more the levels of folate and vitamins increased. By contrast, spinach leaves stored under continuous darkness tended to have declining or unchanged levels of nutrients, scientists say. The research was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Stress: Stress takes you back to the grind – of your teeth, that is. Research published in the journal Head & Face Medicine indicates that people who are stressed by daily problems or trouble at work seem to be more likely to grind their teeth at night, a condition known as ‘sleep bruxism’. This was especially common in those who try to cope with stress by escaping from difficult situations. Bruxing can lead to tooth wear, looseness and sensitivity of teeth, as well as pain in the muscles responsible for chewing. The best way to stop: Find a way positive coping strategy to deal with stress and relax before you get to bed.

Brain: A new EEG study found that Transcendental Meditation activates the brain’s natural “ground state”.  The research, published in a special issue of Cognitive Processing dedicated to the neuroscience of meditation and consciousness, discovered that TM technique specifically produced a unique state of “restful alertness” as seen in the much higher alpha power in the frontal cortex and lower beta and gamma waves in the same frontal areas during TM practice, and that it also created a greater alpha coherence between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, suggesting that it was working as a whole. Most importantly, the study concluded that TM practice enhances an individual’s sense of “self” by activating what neuroscientists call the “default mode network”, the natural ground state of the brain often seen during eyes-closed rest.

Immunity: A new study touts the benefits of soluble fiber saying that it reduces inflammation associated with obesity-related diseases and strengthens the immune system. According to the researchers, soluble fiber changes the personality of the immune cells – from pro-inflammatory angry cells to anti-inflammatory healing cells that help us recover faster from infection. This happens because soluble fiber causes increased production of the anti-inflammatory protein interleukin-4. Good sources of soluble fiber are oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, lentils, citrus fruits, apples, strawberries, and carrots. Insoluble fiber, found in whole wheat and whole-grain products and green leafy vegetables, is also valuable for providing bulk and helping food move through the digestive system, but it doesn’t provide the boost to the immune system that soluble fiber provides. The study will appear in the May 2010 issue of the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

Dear HLife: What is the Deal with Candida?

Dear HLifer,

Candida sounds like the name of a hot girl who lives next door right? And that’s not far from reality. It lives closer to us than we know it, but it is not a human being. Candida Albicans is a yeast, a type of fungus that lives naturally in all human bodies of all ages from birth on.  Here is the ‘big deal’ with candida and health:

If you live in a healthy body: It lives symbiotically in a balanced environment as a yeast in the gastrointestinal tract, on the mucus membranes and on the skin, causing no problems for the body. Living in a healthy body implies that you have a strong immune system via a nutrient-dense, conscious diet and high-frequency thought patterns.

If you live in an unhealthy body: This harmless ‘yeast’ (single-celled organism) can overgrow, turning into an extremely dangerous pathogenic fungus with roots that can attack any organs or systems in your body. This fungus uses its roots to dig and create holes into the intestinal lining, where it and its by products can then infiltrate the blood stream.

I compare Candida to the Incredible Hulk. If it’s under control, it’s harmless. If it’s activated, it’s lethal. And guess who can control your Hulk/Candida disease-activating transformation? You. So, how do we go from harmless yeast to dangerous pathogen? Candida overgrowth happens in many different ways that cause the body to be in a weak imbalanced state. Major causes of Candida overgrowth include alcohol overuse,  the use of antibiotics, recreational drugs, birth control pills, as well as stress, radiation, chemotherapy, steroids and poor diet.

This is genuinely the real Hulk in potentially all of us, which can literally take the body down by causing illnesses such as sinus problems, mucosal and systemic infections, hypoglycemia, acne, hypothyroidism, fibroids, anxiety, depression, lupus, autism, mental diseases – and even cancer. Can you control this from happening? Absolutely. A whole foods, organic, plant-based diet is the best way to keep Candida in a controlled yeast state. Yeast overgrowth thrives in the environment of diets high in refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, dairy products, alcohol, processed foods, and hormones secreted as a result of high stress levels.

• ✻ Destroying good/friendly bacteria in our gastrointestinal gut through birth control pills, antibiotics, or poor diet will allow yeast to take over.

• ✻ Whether due to stress or ingesting processed, refined sugars, the fungus only cares about  the resulting “high blood sugar” content, and will use this sugar to reproduce itself.

• ✻ Once “Hulk” imbalance is in effect, yeast continues to multiply as it is fed sugar in any form – desserts, alcohol, white flour, dairy products like milk and cheese, and elevated blood sugar levels caused from stress.

• ✻ By-products of Candida, called mycotoxins, are neurotoxins that cause disruption of cellular communication, destroy and decompose tissues and organs, which makes the body weak and prone to infection and inflammation.

• ✻ Mycotoxins weaken the immune system, disrupt RNA and DNA production, damage and destroy neurons, are carcinogenic, cause a lack of coordination and confuse the body systems so much that they create cross-wiring problems of the immune system causing it to attack itself (your own body, which it is supposed to be protecting).

• ✻ The status of the body’s intestinal flora, GI mucosal function and liver health protect the brain against mycotoxins.  Poor diet contributes to a toxin-filled liver and a low count of friendly bacteria, which will allow mycotoxins to make camp in places like the brain, the nervous system, the joints, and skin.  A nutrient-dense, organic, plant-based, unprocessed foods diet will keep the liver healthy, free from toxins, and keep the friendly bacteria count high.

• ✻ Candida overgrowth creates a cascade of imbalances in the body such as emotional disturbances (anxiety/depression), multiplication of microorganisms,  and hormonal changes.

• ✻ Poor diets (high in refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, dairy products, alcohol, processed foods) and hormones secreted as a result of high stress levels elevate blood sugars, which in turn feeds bacteria, parasites and viruses.  Animal flesh and derivative products create an acidic environment, perfectly suited for all of these pathogens to thrive in, therefore creating more disease in the body.

With its high minerals and vitamin content and no refined or processed sugar, a whole foods plant-based diet is perfect support for a stressful or healthy lifestyle.

Foods to eat:

• ✻ Organic vegetables. No GMO, pesticides nor herbicides for a toxin-free, strong liver. Veggies are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals for stress support, aid in body regeneration, and reduce acidity, which reduces inflammation. (Avoid mushrooms and corn).

• ✻ Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, spelt, whole wheat.

• ✻ Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like dark leafy greens, coconut, flax, hemp seed oil, olive oil, raw nuts and seeds and avocados.

• ✻ Beans and legumes in small quantities (small serving 1/2 cup) because, although they contain protein, they are also high in starch, which turns into sugar in the body. Adzuki and mung beans are the highest in protein, so they are the most suitable. (Avoid fermented soy products).

• ✻ Fruits have amazing micronutrients but in this case, because they have sugar in the form of fructose, limit to one fruit per day, preferably the ones with a lower sugar content. Berries contain the least amount of sugar and are loaded with antioxidants.

• ✻ For an enzyme-rich nutrition and an alkaline-promoting environment, eat more raw vegetables and fruits than cooked foods. Try a ratio of 70% raw to 30% cooked.

• ✻ Drink plenty of pure water and alkalinize your body through fresh vegetables juices.  Avoid too many carrots, as they have a higher sugar count.

• ✻ All nuts and seeds (raw only) – except cashews, peanuts, peanut butter and pistachios.

• ✻ Avoid all processed foods, canned foods, refined sugars, refined flours, white starches, sodas and pre-packaged products, frozen meals, bottled dressing and sauces, and animal products.

En nuestro hogar sólo encontrarán salsa de tomate fresca, recien hecha en casa. Para nosotros, no hay tal cosa como comprarla ya hecha. En mi mente, eso no existe. Yo solía ser alérgica a la salsa de tomate hasta que descubrí que no era la salsa de tomate en sí, sino la salsa embotellada, las salsas pre-hechas, salsas compradas en las tiendas las que me daban esas reacciones alérgicas. Pero eso no me pasa cuando las salsas son hechas en casa. Yo hago todas las salsas que comemos, justo antes de servir, ya sea Pesto, Alfredo vegano, marinara, aderezos para ensaladas…TODO, sin nada artificial. No sólo tienen un gusto increible, mejor que cualquier tipo de botella o restaurante (toneladas de sabor), sino que también son rápidas de hacer, saludables y alcalinas. Mientras más alcalino  sea  el tomate (menos ácido), mejor sabor obtendremos y mejor será nuestra digestión. Es por eso que sólo compro productos locales, tomates orgánicos. Siento decirlo, pero los tomates convencionales tienen sabor a cualquier cosa menos a lo que un tomate debe saber. Hazle un favor a tu  cuerpo y límpialo de cualquier cosa que tenga que ver con la palabra “enlatados” como parte de su descripción. Esta receta, con los tomates alcalinos correctos, es DIVINA.

La receta es sin gluten y el tiempo que nos toma para hacerlo es el mismo tiempo que se toma para hervir los fideos (15 minutos, incluyendo la espera de que el agua hierva primero). Nosotros sólo utilizamos dos tipos de pastas: tallarines de quinua o  fideos de arroz integral, o la combinación. Ambos son orgánicos. Nuestra pasta favorita de fideos alcalinos de quinua combinados con arroz integral son las hechas por una empresa llamada Dream Andina. Se compra en Whole Foods, Erewhon o cualquier otra tienda de productos naturales.

Preparación: Hervir una olla grande de agua filtrada con un poco de sal de mar y poner a hervir los fideos ahí. (los fideos de quinua suelen cocinarse en 12 minutos.) Revuelva con frecuencia para evitar que se peguen. Mientras que se cocinan los fideos, vamos a hacer nuestra salsa: Corte los dos tomates en cuatro y pongalos en una licuadora. Añada los cajús, el agua y el perejil. Si usted no tiene perejil y en su lugar, tiene albahaca, utilize esa. Mezcle bien todos los ingredientes a alta velocidad o a la velocidad del procesador de alimentos. Corte la cebolla y el ajo (recuerde que siempre debe retirar el germen de los ajos de la parte de en medio, ya que es la parte que causa dolores de estómago.) Coloque una cacerola grande bajo calor alto y agregue el aceite de oliva. Agregue la cebolla y sofría por 3 minutos o hasta que estén doradas. Aumente el calor a medio-alto y añada el ajo, la sal y la pimienta negra. Mezcle los ingredientes y rehogue bien hasta que las cebollas estén transparentes. A continuación, añada el tomate/mezcla del cajú a la sartén y mezcle bien con el resto de los ingredientes. Añada el pimentón (pimienta cayenne) y un poco más de sal de mar, al gusto. Tape la olla y deje hervir a fuego lento por unos 4 minutos, luego apague la estufa. Para los amantes del ajo: Añadir un poco de polvo de ajo a la salsa. Los fideos ya deben estar  listos  y ahora tenemos dos opciones: 1) Tomar la pasta con un par de pinzas, ponerlos en la sartén y mezclarlos, ó 2) Enjuagar los tallarines, servir en el plato y luego vertir la salsa por encima. Sugerencia: Espolvorée perejil picado o albahaca en la parte superior. Listo. ¡A disfrutarlos!

Nutrición: La quinua es un grano excepcional que contiene un conjunto completo de aminoácidos. Para obtener más información nutricional, consulte a nuestros artículos HFood sobre los Cajús y Tomates Heirloom.

Se dice que no existe lo bueno o lo malo – sólo lo útil y lo inútil. También se dice que el 80% de nuestro sistema inmune yace en nuestro intestino. Tomando estas dos premisas, vamos a presentarte  a la clave del intestino saludable  – y, por consiguiente – tu salud: los probióticos.

Los probióticos (del latín Pro que significa “a favor” y bio que significa “vida”) son los suplementos dietéticos que consisten en microorganismos que son beneficiosos para nuestra salud. Estos microorganismos beneficiosos son las bacterias “amigas” que colonizan los intestinos (sí, ahí ellas construyen sus acogedoras casas, y tú estás a punto de descubrir el por qué debes estar muy agradecido por esto, así que deja de decir “!eu!”) y ayudan a reforzar nuestro sistema inmunológico, manteniendo un equilibrio entre los buenos (útiles) o malos (que causan enfermedades) organismos en nuestros cuerpos. En caso que no lo sabías, te cuento que nuestros cuerpos son el aposento de infinidad de microorganismos – muchos de los cuales son bacterias – que ó ayudan ó nos causan daño, y el balance de todos ellos es lo que determina si nos enfermamos o no. Si hay más bacterias dañinas, nos enfermamos; si hay más bacterias buenas/amigas, no nos enfermamos. El intestino es el hogar de cientos de diferentes especies de estos chicos y, como puedes imaginar, la lucha por la sobrevivencia y el predominio es dura y constante. ¿Prevalecerán las buenas bacterias amigables y te mantendrán saludable? ¿O tomarán las bacterias dañinas el control y harán  que te enfermes? Todo dependerá de tí y de lo que tu elijas comer.

Las bacterias buenas no solo ayudan a mantener a los chicos malos en jaque – ellas tambien toman algunos de los alimentos que comemos y en un maravilloso proceso de simbiosis, convierten a esos alimentos en cosas útiles para nosotros, como en vitamina K, vitaminas B (incluida la tan evasiva vitamina B12) y otros nutrientes necesarios para nuestra salud óptima. Los microbios son tan importantes en el proceso digestivo que un estudio publicado en la revista Science Translational Medicine (Ciencia medicina de translación) ahora los vincula a la obesidad, concluyendo que el consumo de la dieta occidental típica promueve el tipo de bacteria que nos hace gordos, mientras que una dieta basada más en vegetales promueve el tipo de bacterias que ayudan a mantenernos delgados. Y, levanten la cabeza, damas: Las bacterias amistosas son también responsables por mantener el grado correcto del pH del medio ambiente vaginal, protegiendolo de las infecciones vaginales causadas por hongos o malas bacterias. Ambas de estas enfermedades ocurren cuando hay crecimiento excesivo de cualquier hongo (presente de forma natural en la vagina) o bacterias malas (también presente de forma natural, pero en pequeñas cantidades), y es, de nuevo, que depende de nuestros amigables guerreros bacterias el mantener la paz y las proporciones correctas de organismos viviendo en armonía.

Cuando decimos “barriga” solemos pensar en el estómago, pero la verdad es que, no es en el estómago donde la verdadera acción ocurre en cuanto a los alimentos – es en los intestinos. En un artículo sobre el sistema digestivo explorarmos más el tema, pero por ahora debes saber esto: El intestino delgado es el órgano principal de la digestión y de la absorción. Es donde la mayoría de los alimentos son  realmente desglosados (esto sucede en los primeros 25 cm o menos del intestino delgado, en una sección llamada duodeno), y en donde los nutrientes son luego absorbidos en el torrente sanguíneo para ser distribuidos a todas nuestras células. El resto del intestino es crucial en el proceso de absorción, que es cómo y cuando realmente aprovechamos los beneficios de los alimentos que comemos.

Así pues, si los intestinos son tan importantes para la digestión, y si hay cientos de diferentes microorganismos que se pasean por ahí, unos amigos que promueven la salud y algunos poco amistosos y causantes de enfermedades, ¿no deberíamos tratar de asegurarnos de que los amigos  sean los que tengan el control de la situación? Sí. ¿Y cómo hacemos esto? Con los probióticos.

Tú estás, de alguna manera, más familiarizado con los probióticos de lo que tú piensas. Recuerdas  todos los yogures bien espesos, deliciosos que tu mamá solía llevar a casa? En ellos solían haber probióticos. Muchos alimentos fermentados contienen probióticos, pero, como la mayoría de cosas hoy en día, las marcas comercializadas que dicen tener bacterias amistosas estan llenas de azucar y contienen muy poco o casi nada de las buenas bacterias. Muchas empresas están ahora en el negocio de vender probióticos, pero el tipo y la cantidad de bacterias que estas empresas incluyen en sus productos los hacen inútiles para la salud intestinal, por lo que NO SE DEJEN ENGAÑAR POR LA PUBLICIDAD. El equipo de HLife somos fanáticos de leer las etiquetas de los productos; tú tambien hazlo y comprueba lo que estás comprando y no seas víctima de una buena comercialización.

Las fuentes alimenticias de los probióticos son alimentos de soja fermentada como el tempeh y el miso, chucrut crudo (nombre para las hortalizas cultivadas que, si no puedes encontrar, puedes hacerlo por tu cuenta con col verde);  kombucha (a nosotros  nos encanta los tónicos kombucha que muchas marcas  hacen y venden en tiendas como Erewhon y Whole Foods, A veces en forma de botella de champán – y es una muy buena opción para llevar de regalo a una cena, ó a una reunión) y el kéfir.

Como he dicho, el yogur solía ser una fuente de probióticos, pero ahora es, en su mayoría, azúcar – incluso las marcas que dicen “bueno para el estómago” no lo son. Pero hay una empresa que fabrica un producto maravilloso con la textura de yogur y que nosotros absolutamente adoramos. Después de muchas pruebas y mucha investigación, nos quedamos con una fuente de probióticos que consumimos regularmente, y que sería la ganadora de premios para probióticos, la marca canadiense llamada Bio-K. Somos fans porque, no sólo el producto contiene 50 mil millones de bacterias vivas, sino que también hay una versión hecha sin productos lácteos para los veganos. Aunque el producto sin lácteos hecho de soja aún no está certificado como orgánico, (nos dicen que  la certificación la recibiran en un futuro)  nos aseguran que no contiene gluten, transgénicos, ni residuos de antibióticos, plaguicidas, hormonas y metales pesados. Bio-K contiene bacterias Lactobacillus acidophilus y Lactobacillus casei, dos bacterias amigables en los intestinos. De los muchos tipos de bacterias aquí, Lactobacillus (que se muestra en la foto superior) y Bifidus son los probióticos más utilizados, pero un representante de Bio-K nos explicó que debido a que Bifidus se alimenta de Lactobacillus, tomar un probiótico con sólo bacterias lactobacilos ayudaría a la proliferación de ambos tipos de bacterias. Ya que los lactobacilos se encuentran principalmente en el intestino delgado, mientras que Bifidus en su mayoría están en el intestino grueso, un probiótico con bacterias Bifidus tomado por vía oral podría eliminar algunos de los lactobacilos buenos en el intestino delgado cuando el Bifidus atraviesa en su camino hacia el intestino grueso.

Nota final sobre los probióticos: Tú puedes pensar, “Pero, estas bacterias amistosas, no es que ya viven en mis  intestinos? ¿Por qué tengo que comer más, entonces?” Bueno, amigo mio, ¿alguna vez has oído hablar de un antibiótico? ¿O el estrés, el alcohol, los alimentos procesados, la contaminación y los medicamentos esteroides? Todos y cada una de estos factores matan tus bacterias amistosas (que levante la mano aquel que nunca ha tomado un antibiótico en su vida. ¿Sí? No creo. A menos que sus padres fueran ultra progresistas – y nosotros los felicitamos por eso – aun si no usan antibióticos ahora, probablemente tomaron algunos cuando eran pequeños. No estamos culpando a la gente –ni siquiera Oprah sabía acerca de los probióticos hasta este año.) Ello, sumado al hecho de que un gran porcentaje de las heces se compone de las bacterias buenas (esto es sólo parte del proceso de eliminación – estos guerreros se sacrifican en nombre de tu buen estado de salud), nos da la esperanza de estarte conduciendo a entender que es fundamental que tú repongas constantemente las bacterias benéficas en tu intestino. O bien, puedes no hacer nada, que es el equivalente a enviar una cordial invitación a las enfermedades infecciosas. Como todo lo que tiene que ver con tu salud, esto  depende totalmente de  tí.

Fuentes: Healthy Living (Vida Saludable) por Linda Page; Staying Healthy With Nutrition (Mantenerse saludable con la nutrición) por Elson M. Haas, MD., Biology (Biología )por Campbell y Reece

Traducido por Mery Paz

You saw him as one of the poster boys for our Protein Myth Part 1 article first, and now professional Ironman triathlete and bestselling author Brendan Brazier sat down with HLife for an extensive interview where we get down to the nitty-gritty of plant-based nutrition. As one of the principal advocates for a vegan diet and the creator of the Vega line of nutritional products, Brazier has also written Thrive and Thrive Fitness, books in which he discusses the benefits of eating everything the plant kingdom has to offer, especially for athletic performance, and physical as well as mental health.

In this interview we tackle the usual suspects – protein and calcium – as well as policy and education, food issues (the topic of his upcoming third book, to be published next year), travel, and even his favorite salad recipe.

Silvie Celiz: Have you been vegan all your life?

Brendan Brazier: No, just since I was 15.

Maryl Celiz: What made you go vegan?

BB: I just wanted to be a better athlete, speed up recovery time, so I could train more, improve faster, and I tried a bunch of different diets. I would eat whatever would make me a better athlete. And I tried vegan. It didn’t work well at first, but then I learned how to do it properly and it was totally an advantage.

MC: What didn’t work, specifically?

BB: I was eating a lot of refined carbs at first – pasta, lots of bread, lots of peanut butter, high-calorie food. Then, I just did a lot of research and found out what I was lacking. It took a while to really sort it out, and now I find it really is an advantage. Now, when I get interviewed by a conventional newspaper, they’ll say “wow, you do all this stuff and you’re vegan. That’s amazing.” Well, actually, I am able to do all this stuff because I am vegan. They think that it’s a disadvantage somehow, but it’s the opposite, there’s definitely an advantage. Fortunately, I’m becoming less and less unique. More people are doing this – because it works. To be a vegan athlete is becoming more common, which is great. All the top level athletes I know eat mostly plant-based, if not completely. It’s not simple, but it works – when you do it right. Yeah, sure, if you fill up on vegan junk food, you’re gonna feel terrible. But if you eat really good plant-based, whole, nutrient-rich, alkaline-forming foods, you’ll feel good, and you’ll perform well.

SC: You highlight the benefits of a plant-based diet for strength training in particular on your site.

BB: It totally works for strength athletes, too, for building muscle. This is because plant-based food is alkaline-forming, and when you eat alkaline foods, it reduces inflammation, and if you reduce inflammation, you increase functionality. And more functional muscles have the ability to lift heavier weight. Lifting heavier weight is what builds bigger, stronger muscles. So, being vegan doesn’t make you a stronger, better athlete, but it allows you to make yourself a stronger, better athlete. It allows you to work harder, and that’s what ultimately makes you a better athlete. It’s just facilitating your body’s ability to work harder, more efficiently.

MC: You mentioned the benefits of coconut oil in your lecture. Can you expand on that?

BB: Coconut oil has medium-chain triglycerides. So it’s a type of fat and it acts more like a carbohydrate than a fat, and it goes to your liver, gives you energy straight away. I often put coconut oil on dates and have that right before a workout – it’s just quick, simple energy. I use it as part of some of my recipes too in Thrive. It’s in Vega Sport, too, in powder form. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Coconut oil is also great for cooking because, unlike olive or many other oils,  it can be moderately heated without creating toxic by-products.]

SC: Is organic important to you?

BB: To me, “grown without herbicides and pesticides” is important, but not necessarily certified organic. Certification is very expensive and a lot of small farms can’t afford it. When we were choosing ingredients for Vega initially back in 2004, only one or two were certified organic. They were all grown without herbicides or pesticides, but farms were small and didn’t have certification. But we would rather buy from them than buy from the major ones that were now also getting into Walmart and by supporting these small farms we made an agreement that they had to use part of the money that we give them towards their certification. So, now they are certified. And the ingredients haven’t changed – just the paperwork. You can go to Walmart and get certified organic – from China – and that’s really not important. What’s important is to help these small, local farms get their certification by buying from them.

SC: So, doing your homework with the small farms and supporting those that have good practices so they can get their certification.

BB: It’s also good because there’s more competition, more farms that are certified organic, so that means that one isn’t going to get the upper hand and get too big, which is what happened with Monsanto – they have too much power. If there would’ve been competition that came in earlier, it would’ve prevented that from happening. It’s good for everyone, it’s good for the consumer because it keeps the prices down, good for manufacturers because then we have a broad group of farmers to buy from, so if there’s a flood in one region, we can get from the other region. And it’s good for local farmers, because now they have more people to sell their stuff to.

SC: How easy is it for you to travel so much being a vegan?

BB: It’s actually really easy because I’m in places like Whole Foods all the time giving talks, so I’m always around good food. I just go to the produce section and buy a lot of it, go to the salad bar, eat really simply. For me it’s really easy because I don’t need to sit down and have a meal – I just graze as I go.  So if I have a grapefruit, oranges, bananas, figs, dates, things like that, just kinda eat them as I go. I have Vega bars with me, of course, too. I just keep it pretty simple.

MC: What did you tell Congress when you went to talk to them in 2006?

BB: The gist was trying to get government-funded programs that would help get the education in schools, so that at a young age people would know, not just what is good and what is not good in terms of food, but they would know how to apply that information. Also, wherever there is unhealthy foods sold, there should be healthy food options. Because kids will take the path of least resistance. So, if there’s a vending machine there, full of junk, kids are gonna eat it. If there’s one full of junk and one full of good food and kids know the benefits of the good food – they know they’d perform better in sports, think more clearly, and they feel better when they eat it – they’re gonna give that a try. So, it’s not about getting rid of bad food – if people want bad food, fine, but I think giving healthy food an equal opportunity is important.

MC: And also the subsidies for specific foods.

BB: The subsidies. We, the taxpayer, subsidize the meat industry, because it takes so much energy, land and water to produce meat that if we charged fair market value for that meat, hamburgers would be $25-$35 – out of range. So, government has to subsidize that to make it viable. It’s not a free market system, which is not good. To make that worse, we then subsidize the system to fix that – the medical system – to treat people with problems that have been developed by eating the wrong types of food. So, whether you eat meat or not, or support the meat industry or not, your taxes do, and that’s kind of frustrating because a percentage that we make is paying for, and goes directly to, these industries. And then, for people who don’t take care of themselves, we subsidize health care. I would rather have programs in place and spend our government/taxpayer money to help prevent people from getting sick and not being dependent on this health care system and the insurance premiums. It’s the goal of government to have everyone insured – and that’s great – but how about just making it so people don’t get sick?

SC: Answer the calcium question for us. Vegans always get asked how they get enough calcium without dairy.

BB: It’s not that we don’t get enough calcium in our diets – it’s that we take too much out of our bones by eating acid-forming foods. If you eat meat, dairy, white flour or synthetic drugs – it’s all acid-forming. Calcium, which is alkaline, is pulled from the bones into the blood, so that the blood can always be neutral (the body is very resourceful). But over time, one, two, three decades of eating the standard American diet of acid-forming food, you get weak bones, because the calcium just gets drawn into the bones to balance that acidity. And that’s why we’re seeing people getting osteoporosis int heir 20s now, having grown up with the standard American diet. It’s not lack of calcium – it’s that we’re taking it out of our bones. And milk too, you know, it’s acid-forming when you pasteurize it. There are much better sources. We’re not really meant to drink cow’s milk, it just doesn’t make sense, an adult human drinking something that was designed for a baby calf. It’s the wrong species eating this. It doesn’t  digest well, it doesn’t help our bones. It’s not a coincidence that the top five countries with osteoporosis are also the top five dairy-consuming countries. The connection is pretty clear.

MC: What about protein?

BB: Well I think quality is way more important than quantity. I’m 165 lbs, so I should, according to a conventional sports-nutrition book, eat about 165 grams of protein a day – and I don’t eat half that. The protein I get is from leafy greens, which is about 45% protein, pretty high, and hemp, a natural source of protein, as well as lentils, legumes, beans, peas, so it’s about quality. I get probably about 70 grams a day.

SC: Do you eat them cooked or sprouted?

BB: Sprouted when I can, sometimes cooked. The whole foods have protein in them, it’s the refined foods that don’t. White flour doesn’t have protein, but if you have amaranth or quinoa or buckwheat, they’re 20%-25% protein. That’s good quality.  When I cut back on protein, I did lose a little bit of weight but I didn’t lose any strength at all, so my strength-to-weight ratio went up. So, as an endurance athlete, it was good because my endurance went up. It’s all about function.

MC: What’s in your typical salad?

BB: Different types of lettuce, kale, sometimes a bit of nutritional yeast, different types of seaweed like dulse, a good dressing made up of apple cider vinegar and Vega oil. Also, usually avocado, different sprouted things, carrots, beets, sometimes cucumber.

SC: Lets talk about Vega. How does Vega play into the whole foods recommendation, since it is a powder?

BB: The first ingredient in Vega is hemp. Hemp is a seed and it is harvested and pressed. What’s left is hemp oil and what is called ’seed cake’, that is then milled. So, the change is pretty minimal in what you get from the seed and what goes into the powder in Vega. It stays intact – rice protein, pea protein is the same, maca is a root vegetable that is just dried and put in there. It’s just the liquid removed. I live on a property where you can grow stuff. If everyone lived like that, grow their own lentils, and make all their stuff, great. But we’re busy. And we want quick stuff. The number one store for Vega is in Manhattan, because people need food, they need it fast and they want healthy food that makes them feel good, so it’s a great option for that. If you’ve got the land and time and wanna grow all your stuff, I’m totally for that and do it myself. But reality hits and most other people in the country don’t have that advantage that Southern California has in land.

MC: In Thrive Fitness, you mention that exercise has benefits – for the mind.

BB: Yeah, it’s all about the mental benefits, not just the creativity but your subconscious benefits, you solve problems more quickly, keeping your brain active. There are reports that say that your chances of developing neurological diseases are less likely. Learning new things, like playing basketball until you start getting good at it, has a benefit. Once you learn it, that benefit goes away. Then you gotta try something new. That actually builds physical mass in your brain. Your brain actually physically grows, and that will make it less likely that you’ll get diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Repeat pattern exercise will stimulate the right-brain creative side, but then there’s the learning of new movements that will help those neurological receptors be created. So there’s two different types of movements you can do to work on different aspects of your brain. And it’s in the process too, this is about the end result but it’s also about the doing.

MC: And you’re writing a new book.

BB: It won’t come out until Spring of 2011, but it’s a food issues book, to do with food and the resources it takes to produce food. But not just food – nutrients. It’s about looking at the value of nutrition as opposed to the value of volume of food. So, it’s the opposite of genetic modification. It’s about using as few resources to create nutrient-density, pointing to plant-based nutrition. The amount of resources it takes to produce animal foods and the nutrients you get in exchange, it’s way out of line, not even close to what you get with plant-based foods.

When we talk about a powerful nutrient-dense meal to start out your day energy-fueled and mentally prepared, we call upon: Our ultimate smoothie. And, yes, this smoothie is also the perfect replenish-and-repair drink to have after a great workout, filled with nourishment for your body and mind.  Because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the one that will kick start, support and carry out the performance of  your mind and body, this ultimate smoothie is the perfect candidate for the job. In the morning, we must be sure to provide our mind and body with enough of the right nutrients to generate cellular energy, handle stress, and ensure efficient work performance, communication and understanding with the external and your own internal world.  So, the focus of this smoothie is cellular and brain (mind) nutrition.  Let’s get started:

Prep: Place all ingredients in blender, add pure drinking water or homemade nut milk and blend until very smooth.  I make Brazil nut milk because they contain a very high amount of the mineral selenium. Selenium is one of the most important elements in protecting against cancer, improves immunity and it is a very powerful antioxidant that works to neutralize free radicals from causing cellular damage.

Nutritional Info:

• ❉ Banana: Rich in potassium which promotes bone health, is an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.  We use this as a natural sweetener, making the dairy-free smoothie creamy and rich.  Bananas also help activate the cells that compose the stomach lining, making them produce a thicker protective (mucus) barrier against stomach acids. Eat them not too ripe nor too green.

• ❉ Berries: Strawberries blueberries and raspberries are all brain foods. They are all mineral-dense, powerhouses of antioxidants that also keep your memory sharp.  Blueberries benefits include urinary tract health, mental alertness and visual support; they have also been called a superfood  that aids with memory retention.  Raspberries  have a whopping 8 grams of fiber in one cup and contain ellagic acid (also in strawberries) that fights cancer cells without damaging healthy cells.

• ❉ Bee Pollen: One of our featured HFoods, we call it “Nature’s Perfect Food”. Find out why.

• ❉ Lecithin: Used for mental clarity, lecithin is the form of Phosphorous that the brain needs in order to absorb this mineral.  It protects cells from oxidation, supports the circulatory system and keeps many brain functions including memory, in top shape.  All neuron activity requires phosphorous in the form of lecithin.

• ❉ Chlorella: A powerful combination of amino and nucleic acids, B vitamins, Omega- 3 and -6 fatty acids, a variety of minerals and Vitamins C and E for mental clarity and sharpness.  It has the highest amount of chlorophyll then any other plant, balances blood sugars, improves mental vitality and multiplies your T-cells times four, strengthening your immune system. This powerful superfood has a range of nutrients to release the energy you need throughout the day. Chlorella is a popular HFood here at HLife, learn why.

• ❉ Dulse: Rich in iron, this red algae is loaded with essential minerals and almost all B vitamins, including Vitamin B12, C, A and E.  It is particularly high in iodine, a metabolic mineral very important for the thyroid and a variety of different gland and brain function.  Also has the highest frequency of all essential minerals, is a controller for calcium metabolism and protects the brain by destroying toxins in the blood before it passes the blood brain barrier.

• ❉ Spirulina: This blue-green algae is a complete protein (65 to 71% protein) with all 22 amino acids, the entire vitamin B family including B-12 (with more than liver), naturally chelated minerals, and essential fatty acids like gamma linolic acid (GLA, the only food source other then chlorella and mother’s milk). It is easily digestible for rapid and long-range energy.

• ❉ Ceylon Cinnamon: Regulates blood sugar, fights E.coli bacteria, lowers LDL cholesterol, fights against candida overgrowth, has anti-clotting effects, anti-cancer cells, reliefs arthritis pain, is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.  One study found that simply smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.

• ❉ Flaxseed: High in fiber (cleans your intestines, promoting bowel regularity), and absorbs excess liquid, protecting the digestive tract; has omega-3 fatty acids and phytochemicals called lignans, which regulate hormone balance and have antioxidant properties.  Also helps to reduce total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Parenting: Time to make some changes, minority mommies. Efforts to prevent childhood obesity should begin far earlier than currently thought – perhaps even before birth for some populations, according to a study. Research that tracked 1,826 women from pregnancy through their children’s first five years of life found that this was a key period for childhood obesity prevention, especially for minority children. “Almost every single risk factor in that period before age 2, including the prenatal period, was disproportionately higher among children,” said Elsie Taveras, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School. Looking at risk factors, researchers found that African-American and Hispanic infants were more likely than their Caucasian counterparts to be born small, gain excess weight after birth, begin eating solid foods before 4 months of age and sleep less. The good news: most of these can be modified by getting updated information, not just “wisdom” handed down through generations. The study was published in the online edition of the journal Pediatrics.

Hearing: According to a new study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Medicine, regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk of hearing loss in men. This is particularly the case for younger men, below age 60, say a group of investigators from Harvard University, Bringham and Women’s Hospital, Vanderbilt University and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in the US, affecting over 36 million people. Even mild hearing loss can compromise the ability to understand speech in noisy environments or with multiple participants in a conversation, leading to social isolation, depression, and poorer quality of life. “Given the high prevalence of regular analgesic use and health and social implications of hearing impairment, this represents an important public health issue,” said the researchers.

Weight-loss: A low-carb diet, a low-fat diet and the Mediterranean diet were equally effective in helping obese people to reverse carotid atherosclerosis, reports a study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. To reverse atherosclerosis – a slow, progressive condition in which the arteries thicken with plaque buildup, increasing risk of heart attack and strokes – the key is a diet that supports sustained, moderate weight loss. “Long-term adherence to weight-loss diets is effective for reversing carotid atherosclerosis as long as we stick to one of the current options of healthy diet strategy,” said the lead author of the study. A lifestyle change to a vegan diet is our favorite long-term weight-control diet option here at HLife.

Brain: Find your purpose and preserve your mind. According to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, individuals who say they have greater purpose in their lives are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.  “Purpose in life, the psychological tendency to derive meaning from life’s experiences and to possess a sense of intentionality and goal directedness that guides behavior, has long been hypothesized to protect agains adverse health outcomes,” said the researchers. Fortunately, purpose in life is a factor that can potentially be modified, through effort and specific tasks. Identifying purposeful behavior and a specific goal on which to work on a consistent basis is important, as well as reinforcing thoughts like “I feel good when I think of what I have done in the past and what I hope to do in the future.” Another brain-booster: service.  Doing things that benefit others has been shown to generate feel-good chemicals in the brain.  Find your purpose – and share it with others.

Obesity: Obesity and depression are birds of a feather. According to a meta-analysis of various studies, obese individuals have a higher risk of developing depression, and depressed individuals have a higher risk of becoming obese. As to why this is, the theories are: Obesity may be considered an inflammatory state, and inflammation is associated with the risk of depression. Because thinness is considered a beauty ideal in both the United States and Europe, being overweight or obese may contribute to body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem that places individuals at risk for depression. Conversely, depression may increase weight over time through interference with the endocrine system or the adverse effects of antidepressant medication. The study appears in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

Psychology: Looks like if we’re going to lose weight as a nation, instead of helping us buy broccoli we should be penalized for buying junk. The results research published in the journal Psychological Science demonstrated that taxes imposed on unhealthy foods were more effective in reducing calories purchased over subsidies offered to buy healthy foods. For the study, consumers were given “lab dollars” to buy groceries and feed their family on a specific budget. When faced with a tax for food like chips and soda, they opted for healthier purchases. But when the store offered incentives like a subsidy for healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables, more consumers used the money they saved to buy more junk food instead.  A much better idea? Being conscious of how much junk food will cost you later on – in health care dollars.

Men: Bachelors beware. According to a large study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference, single men may have an elevated risk of fatal stroke in the coming decades.  But you’re not alone: The same goes for unhappily married men. The research reports that single men had a 64% higher risk of fatal stroke than did married men, compared to the risk of fatal stroke faced by men with diabetes. The same goes for men who reported dissatisfaction in their marriage, 64% higher risk compared to men who considered their marriages very successful. The best case scenario: Being happily married.

There are so many different ways of verbally glorifying bee pollen because its just that holistically amazing. It’s a complete food famous since ancient times due to its nutritional properties and medicinal benefits. Throughout centuries, bee pollen has been referred to  via  a variety of names, among these “the semen of the plant kingdom,” “the original treasure house of nutrition and medicine,” “the ultimate superfood,” and “the proactive life force of the plant world.” My family and I like to refer to bee pollen as “the real gold nuggets.” In Spanish we called them “las pepitas de oro” (seeds of gold).

History: The Bible, the Talmund, the Torah, and the Koran, along with the scrolls of the Orient, the writings of Ancient Greece and Rome, and the legends of the Russian and Slavic people, all praise the many nutrients provided by the hard work of the bee as well as the species’ industrious  characteristics. Bee’s nectar is mentioned 68 times in the Bible. The book of the Hindu people, the Rig-Veda, written in Sanskrit before  2000 BC, demonstrates a high admiration for bees. Vishnu, the powerful Preserver and Protector of the Hindu trinity of gods, is often depicted as a blue bee on a lotus flower. In cultures that worshiped a goddess of fertility, (Venus, Diana, Ceres, Cybele, or Iris,) bees were considered sacred and were minor deities in their own right.  No other living creature, other than man, has been held in such high regard by so many diverse cultures.

Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, believed that bee pollen contributed to longevity, and it looks like he may have been correct. Most of the modern Methuselahs who live in dry, desert-like climates like the one in Georgia (formerly the Soviet Union) are beekeepers, whose main daily nourishment consists of raw, unprocessed honey with bee pollen. “All of the 200 or more people past 125 years of age in Georgia, without exception, state that their principal food is pollen and honey – mostly pollen,” said Professor Nicolai Vasilievich Tsitsin, a biologist and experimental botanist at the Longevity Institute. Naum Petrovich Joirich, M.D., chief scientist at the Longevity Academy in Vladivostak, concurred: “long lives are attained by bee pollen users.”

Description: Bee pollen takes the shape of small granules that look like various shades of tiny yellow, orange and brown balls, that are soft and compacted.  To me, they look like drops of yellow gold. One pollen granule contains from 100,000 to five million pollen spores, each capable of reproducing its entire species. Bee’s gather the pollen (carrying it in their legs, as is depicted in the picture below), mix it with their own digestive enzymes, then form them into granules. The taste depends on the trees located in the area where the pollen was gathered, flowers they collect pollen from, and the environment (type of ecosystem, pollution, organic farm, natural habitat).  Bee pollen captures the essence of every plant that the bee collects its pollen from. Sometimes it is sweet and sometimes it is not.  My favorite is Viva Pura’s Australian Jarrah Bee Pollen, which is ethically wild crafted from a one million acre preserve. This bee pollen has been biologically and energetically tested by Gabriel Cousens, M.D., Director of the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, and discovered to be highly vibratory, full of life force energy – higher than any other food ever tested. Literally, it is the best bee pollen I have tasted, and it is my own version of candy.

Nutritional info: Bee Pollen contains all of the nutrients needed to sustain life. In fact, studies have shown that generations of mice have lived on bee pollen exclusively, with no signs of malnourishment.  Bee pollen is the perfect food for the human body, as it contains all the nutrients the body needs, and that’s why we call it a perfect food.

• ☀ Loaded with protein in amino acid form, so it is easily digestible and won’t putrefy in your intestines. Contains all essential amino acids, about 20-25% complete protein (some say up to 40%) with most containing at least 18 amino acids. It has five to seven times more protein than meat, eggs, or cheese and it is easily absorbed by the body: Clinical tests have shown that within two hours of ingestion, bee pollen is found in the blood, cerebral spinal fluids, and in the urine.

• ☀ A varied and high mineral content, with minerals such as calcium, potassium, chlorine, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, zinc, as well as trace minerals such as iodine, silicon, boron, and sulfur. Minerals are needed for the intra and extracellular communication that emanates from DNA and for its repair.  Health and disease can both be traced back to either an adequate amount or a lack of minerals.

• ☀ Contains about 5,000 enzymes, co-enzymes, carbohydrates and essential fatty acids (alpha-linolenic and linolenic). Enzymes are necessary in the body for digestive and immune functions and the ones present in pollen are especially important for a balanced chemical metabolism – which makes it a great food for weight management.

• ☀ Helps to support the immune system.  In a study of 25 women suffering from inoperable uterine cancer,  the ones given bee pollen in their food quickly showed higher concentrations of cancer-fighting immune system cells, increased antibody production, and a improved level of infection-fighting and oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

• ☀ High in Vitamins A, E C, K, and almost all B’s including vitamin B12 (one of the few vegan sources of B12) and folic acid. Folic Acid is important for the synthesis of DNA and RNA as well as required for the metabolism of amino acids.

• ☀ Contains flavonoids that have significant antioxidant properties such as Luteolin, an agent in the prevention of inflammation, a promoter of carbohydrate metabolism, and an immune system modulator. Also, Quercetin, which acts like an antihistamine and an anti-inflammatory, and may help protect against heart disease and cancer. Tricetin and myricetin  are present too, and they are anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and promote heart and brain health. Antioxidants destroy the free radicals formed as a result of metabolism, which can potentially damage cells.

• ☀ Essential for mental health. Contains 15-20 % lecithin, which is the form of phosphorous for the brain, which we burn every time we think and need to replenish daily.

• ☀ It is high in nucleic acid (The NA in DNA and RNA), whose main function is to store and transmit genetic information and use that information to direct the synthesis of new protein. It’s the short-term energy storage for all life processes and plays an essential role in providing energy.

• ☀ The ultimate biogenic food. Dr. Eric Erickson from the university of Wisconsin found in his research that bees have a slight negative or neutral charge and when they come back to the hive they have a charge as high as 1.5 volts, same as their bee pollen. In other words ,pollen causes a positive electric charge.

• ☀ It’s been know to rejuvenate, stimulate organs and glands, rebuild the body after illnesses and improve physical performance.

• ☀ Helps the body normalize from diarrhea and constipation and reduce upper respiratory infections

• ☀ Protects red and white blood cells from radiation and increases blood hemoglobin.

• ☀ Detoxifies by flushing out artery-clogging biochemical deposits.

• ☀ Protects the skin against dehydration and stimulates its growth.

• ☀ Research has shown that bee pollen contains a substance that inhibits the development of numerous harmful bacteria, including E. Coli.

• ☀  Bee pollen stimulates metabolism and curbs the appetite due to its Phenylalanine content, one of the essential amino acids and also a powerful antioxidant.

Preparation: Simple – I put it in my morning smoothie every day.  Also, can be mixed with water, nut milk and cereal, eaten by itself or sprinkled in salads.

NOTE: Some people may be allergic to bee pollen and as little as 1 teaspoon can trigger serious reaction. People with pollen allergies should refrain from ingesting bee pollen.

Sources: http://www.draperbee.com/info/beepollen.htm, http://www.ebeehoney.com/beepollenbenefit.html, Spiritual Nutrition by Gabriel Cousens M.D., Healthy Healing by Linda Page, http://www.indianchild.com/bees.htm, http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:qVQg4Nn-R58J:www.angelfire.com/clone2/nucleic_acids/functions.htm+nucleic+acid+function&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a,

Ayer, el ex Presidente Bill Clinton se reunió con el Gobernador de California Arnold Schwarzenegger, para discutir el alarmante tema de la obesidad en este país durante la Cumbre sobre la salud, la nutrición y la obesidad. Hemos sido testigos de este trascendental encuentro de dos mentes a quienes les preocupa mucho este tema, y aquí están nuestros comentarios al respecto.

Maryl: Una vez más, felicitaciones al Presidente Clinton y al Gobernador Schwarzenegger (y a la primera dama Maria Shriver) por realizar la Cumbre sobre la salud, la nutrición y la obesidad, para ver qué podemos hacer para combatir la obesidad infantil en este país.

Puntos clave de este evento y algunos comentarios:

1. A Estados Unidos, la obesidad le cuesta 50 mil millones de dólares anuales. En el contexto de una economía destruida y un estado de quiebra, California (y la nación) harían bien en prohibir cualquier y todos los fabricantes, distribuidores y promotores de cualquiera y todas las sustancias que causan la obesidad directamente, tales como el jarabe de fructosa de maíz y grasa hidrogenada. Estas sustancias no sólo son altas en calorías, sino que no son naturales para nuestro sistema, y nuestro cuerpo no puede procesarlas de forma adecuada (por lo tanto, su consumo está involucrado con el aumento de peso.) Una de estas es realmente el resultado de un subsidio del gobierno (el maíz), por lo que corresponde a las políticas gubernamentales ayudar a la gente con este tema en particular. Al igual que el Presidente Clinton dijo: “dejen de subsidiar la producción de alimentos que son perjudiciales para nuestro país”. Que el Congreso obtenga de AHI el dinero que le falta al país, y mate dos pájaros de un tiro.

2. La obesidad es un problema mundial. Asi es. EE.UU. es el país con más sobrepeso en el mundo, pero la epidemia se está expandiendo para incluir a los ricos, así como a las naciones pobres. No es una sorpresa: Ya que los cambios en cuanto al comercio internacional estan eliminando las barreras y abriendo nuevos mercados, estamos enviando nuestros terribles organismos genéticamente modificados a países pobres e indefensos y las cosas que nos producen gordura aquí ahora están viajando a otros países y engordando a otras nacionalidades tambíen. Esto es el equivalente al regalo que le hicieron los europeos a los indígnenas del Nuevo Mundo cuando los infectaron con viruela y la peste bubónica  (Gracias, salvadores!) ¿Vamos a esperar a que nos devuelvan la jugada como los indígenas lo hicieron con el sífilis? No sólo estamos matándonos a nosotros mismos con nuestras comidas sobreprocesadas  – ahora estamos matando a otros también. Qué legado, America!. No. Este es un gran país que limpia su propia basura – asi que vamos a asumir la responsabilidad de lo que hemos hecho y a revertir esta situación, no solo aquí en casa, sino tambien a nivel internacional. Se lo debemos al mundo el detener la epidemia de obesidad que existe aquí y en el resto del mundo.

3. H20 es el camino a seguir. Un tema de debate en la actualidad y en la Cumbre, son las las máquinas de gaseosas puestas en  las escuelas. Muy bien, las quitaron. Bien, porque hace un par de semanas salió un informe que dijo que el consumo de refrescos produce cáncer al páncreas. Pero, más allá de eso, alguien se levantó y habló también de tomar bebidas azucaradas para la reposición de electrolitos. Estas bebidas “deportivas” no son mejores que las gaseosas: La señora que debatió esto, cita un estudio en el que se dijo que el consumo constante de estas bebidas deportivas  llevó a un aumento anual de 13 libras promedio por persona. ¿De qué nos sirve “quemar” grasa haciendo deporte si el tomar una refrescante bebida “deportiva” nos a a a añadir 13 libras a la cintura? Los cierto es que el cuerpo no necesita ninguna de estas bebidas llenas de azúcar. TU CUERPO NECESITA AGUA. Punto. El cuerpo  utiliza el agua para la hidratación y para muchas otras funciones, como la hidrólisis, un proceso por el cual la célula se limpia a sí misma y se deshace de los residuos. ¿Entendido? EL AGUA LIMPIA LOS RESIDUOS DE TU CUERPO. No añade ningúna caloría ni sustancias nocivas. Dale a tu cuerpo exactamente lo que necesita.

4. No se trata de cantidad – se trata de calidad. Aunque aprecio el entusiasmo que el Gobernador Schwarzenegger pone para con el ejercicio (es natural, dada su experiencia como un fisicoculturista), y aplaudimos sus esfuerzos por reducir la obesidad en California, EL SOBREPESO NO ES UN PROBLEMA DE CONTAR LAS CALORIAS Y HACER EJERCICIO. Mira a tu alrededor: ¿Cuántas personas con sobrepeso ves en el gimnasio? Muchas. Tu puedes medir calorías todo lo que quieras y aún así no lograr un peso saludable. ¿Por qué? Porque la salud no es cuestión de números. Se trata de que nuestro sistema ingiera alimentos que se sepa cómo procesar, asimilar o descartar. El cuerpo sabe qué hacer con una manzana. Incluso sabe qué hacer con un coco y con frutos secos – ambos altos en grasas (y calorías). Utiliza lo que necesita y se deshace de lo que no. Son las cosas con las que no sabe qué hacer las que causan los problemas. No importa si esa galleta en la máquina expendedora tenga sólo dos calorías – esas dos calorías provenientes de un producto con preservantes y de azúcar sintética como sustituto crearán grandes estragos en tus sistemas digestivo, nervioso y linfático. Se interrumpirá tu función hepática. Se perturbará el equilibrio biótico en tus intestinos y desatará una cadena de reacciones que iniciará en tu cuerpo un estado de alarma. Y ASI…es como se llega al sobrepeso.

5. El verdadero problema: LA EDUCACION. Seamos realistas, no muchos de nosotros estamos bien informados acerca de lo que debemos  o no debemos comer, o cual es un buen o mal alimento. Nuestros antepasados – a quienes este tema fue fácil porque, bueno, una manzana era una manzana, no se la había fabricado en un strudel de manzana, sidra de manzana, tarta de manzana o esa cosa de manzana que venden en lugares de comida rápida al paso. Pero para nosotros no lo es, porque tenemos OPCIONES. O al menos pensamos que las tenemos. Estamos bombardeados con anuncios por todas partes, que nos dicen lo que podemos comer y los anuncios son tan bonitos y tan repetitivos que están más allá de decirnos lo que podemos comer – están convenciéndonos de lo que DEBEMOS comer. Estamos confundidos – y es comprensible. Se supone que debemos ser capaces de confiar en nuestro gobierno que opera en nuestro mejor interés – permitiendo  que los buenos promuevan sus productos y asegurándose que los malos se mantengan lejos. Pero no hace eso. Cualquiera que tenga suficiente dinero puede vendernos un producto. Este es un país libre, hacemos lo que queremos. Bueno, esto tiene un costo, y ese costo es nuestra salud, nuestra cintura, y nuestra calidad y cantidad de vida. La verdad más grande es esta: Tu salud depende de ti, del educarte y del que tomes las medidas preventivas necesarias. Ésto incluye una buena alimentación, conocer tu cuerpo y cómo funciona,  hacer ejercicio y, como la maravillosa Maria Shriver, dijo, “es emocional” – saber como también tu mente y tus emociones afectan tu salud en general. HLife también se compromete a apoyarte en este viaje, con artículos informativos sobre todos estos temas. Por favor, haz tu parte, hazlo por ti, por los niños y por el mundo (¡ah, y el presupuesto!)

Silvie: La falta de conocimiento y comprensión de cómo lograr una salud óptima se ha convertido en un grave problema a nivel mundial. Desde la obesidad a la diabetes, no sólo estamos hablando de enfermedades que se derivan de la vejez; la mayor crisis de salud está sucediendo en los cuerpos de los seres humanos de todas las edades, incluso de los niños, y esto es debido a sus alimentos. Una amiga de la familia que vive en América del Sur fue recientemente diagnosticada con diabetes tipo 2. Ella tiene 17 años de edad. Recuerdo que cuando vino a visitar a mi familia aquí en Los Ángeles, tenía 12 años, y sus padres le dieron dinero para gastar en lo que ella quisiera. Entonces, ¿qué hizo? Gastó todo su dinero en llenar la maleta con dulces, chocolates y bebidas gaseosas de todos los sabores y colores. Había comprado muchas sodas (”Cherry Cola Vainilla, porque no tienen allá!” decía) Fue tanta la cantidad que cuando llegó el momento de cerrar las maletas, no se podía, y tuvo que sacar muchas latas. ¿Qué hizo entonces? Se tomó todas las que quedaron fuera. Recuerdo también que ella sólo tomaba refrescos para el desayuno y muchas gaseosas durante el día. Mi madre estaba tan preocupada por la salud de esta niña y sus hábitos alimenticios que habló con su madre sobre esto, pero todo lo que su madre le dijo fue: “¡Que coma y compre lo que quiera. Ella es sólo un niña y los jóvenes pueden comer chocolate, dulces, caramelos, porque están en esa edad de comer basura. Que aproveche mientras pueda!” Yo recuerdo todo esto porque me rompió el corazón. ¿Aprovechar qué? ¿La creación de los hábitos que favorecen el ambiente perfecto para todo tipo de enfermedades en tu cuerpo? ¿Dejar que te destruyas a tí misma a nivel celular? Sé que muchos de nosotros no hacemos  la conexión directa – estamos tan acostumbrados a pensar que el consumo de azúcar en cantidad es algo normal para los niños – pero debemos detenemos a pensar de esta manera, aplicando la lógica, viendo  que no tiene sentido lo que estamos haciendo con nuestros niños. Ahora, a los 17, esta jovencita no puede disfrutar por completo de la vida, de la comida, o muchas otras cosas, por su situación con diabetes tipo 2 (que, por cierto, se llamaba “diabetes de adulto” y ahora es un problema para los niños y los jovenes). Aquí está lo bueno: la diabetes tipo 2 puede ser revertida a través de una alimentación basada en alimentos crudos, una dieta basada en plantas. La parte triste de todo esto es que mucha gente prefiere quedarse con la enfermedad y la insulina por el resto de sus vidas, a cambiar sus hábitos alimenticios y consumir COMIDA DE VERDAD.

¿Estamos dando la espalda a la salud de nuestros niños, sólo para que nuestras papilas gustativas (hábitos de señales eléctricas/químicos) puedan estar satisfechas con algo de “sabor” por un par de minutos? Despierten: la ignorancia no es la felicidad – la ignorancia está matando a nuestros niños antes de tiempo, está haciendo que los padres entierren a sus propios hijos. Ayer, el escuchar a las pocas personas que hablaron en la Cumbre sobre la salud, la nutrición y la obesidad, entre ellos el ex-Presidente Clinton y el Gobernador Schwarzenegger, fue muy frustrante. Aquí en HLife, estamos agradecidos de que esta crisis de salud se está abordando, pero también hay cierta frustración, porque el foco no estaba puesto necesariamente en las soluciones, e incluso los bien intencionados dirigentes sobre el caso, no parecen saber mucho acerca de la nutrición o de proporcionar la mejor información para educar a la gente. Ellos hablan de hacer ejercicio y hablan de las calorías, de bebidas más saludables y de comer menos (el control de las porciones), pero NADIE SE CENTRA EN LA EDUCACION A LA POBLACION SOBRE LA IMPORTANCIA DE LA VERDADERA NUTRICION. Estas enfermedades, desequilibrios y demás anomalías se pueden resolver haciendo un importante cambio en tu vida. Un cambio de estilo de vida realmente puede darte un largo, y vigoroso, aumento de vida. Este único cambio de estilo de vida, que yo llamo “la solución” es: El consumo de una dieta orgánica, alimentos integrales, basados en vegetales. Ninguno de los conocedores y practicantes de la comida vegana-cruda experimentan el tipo de problemas de salud que tienen la gente que se alimenta de una  dieta convencional/Occidental/basada en animales y alimentos procesados. Búscanos en Google (autores, deportistas, aficionados de la comida vegana, vegana-cruda, basada en plantas) y lee todos los testimonios, los estudios científicos, fíjate en el brillo de sus pieles, su vitalidad, y date cuenta de que todos ellos son delgados. Todavía no veo a un vegano obeso, “la obesidad” y “vegano” simplemente no van juntos. Si se entendería la ciencia de la nutrición, estaríamos tan seguros de que lo que el cuerpo necesita como “comida” , es comida sin procesar, en estado natural, plantas integras. Es tan simple como eso. Nos lo dicen todo el tiempo, pero lo diré de nuevo: La clave para la prevención de la salud es un alimento completo eintegro, una dieta basada en vegetales.

VOTA CON TU BOLSILLO. Nosotros necesitamos cambiar nuestras asociaciones mentales de lo que es la comida, tenemos que reprogramar nuestros hábitos alimenticios para cambiar nuestros estilos de vida – porque la salud es tambien un estilo de vida. Hacemos esto mediante el conocimiento, el entendimiento y el amor. Aquí en HLife, estamos comprometidos a proporcionar la información que los seres de este planeta necesitan para vivir una vida próspera, holística, y de forma óptima, rebosante de salud en todos los niveles: mente, cuerpo, y espíritu. No necesitamos ser desafiados, necesitamos ser educados y ser  conscientes de la Ley de Causa y Efecto. Lo que hacemos tiene consecuencias. Estoy de acuerdo con Maryl, mi hermana y socia, en lo que dijo ayer a través de Twitter: “No, Sr. Clinton, un movimiento de control de porciones NO es lo que necesitamos. Necesitamos un MOVIMIENTO  EDUCACIONAL SOBRE LO QUE ES LA VERDADERA COMIDA.” Que así sea, hermana, ¡que así sea!

Oprah, Clinton, la Cumbre – esto es sólo el principio de la conversación, una mirada rápida sobre un tema de gran importancia. Entremos realmente de fondo a lo que es la ciencia de la nutrición y de una vez por todas solucionemos el problema de la obesidad. A nivel molecular, ¿qué necesita realmente nuestro cuerpo humano para prosperar? Y tu ¿estás proporcionándole este alimento? ¿Quieres resultados positivos? Bueno, pues entonces conoce tu micro-universo y dale la bienvenida a una vida educada y saludable.

Traducido por Mery Paz