Omega 7’s “It’s All Greek to Me!”

What did we ever do without the internet? Well some days I’d sure like to know!

A few weeks ago, our internet went down. So trying to be helpful, I called our internet provider, intending to have it running normally by the time my husband returned from work.

Isn’t it frustrating discussing internet challenges with a technician over the phone when one isn’t a tech herself? And if that’s not enough hassle, why do we need to repeat the same info to yet another person on the other end of the line, as we did to the first and second representative! Why?

“Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” (Romans 12: 11-12)

Remind me never to pray again for patience, for God has a strange way of teaching me that characteristic.

Understanding Technology:

So back to my computer challenge: unless I knew computer terminology, which I don’t, I was at a loss. Yes, I told her, I checked the connections. Yes, I’d find the modem model number for her . . . eventually. Huh . . . what do you mean, what else did we have connected to the modem? Beat’s me. Had she meant that particular computer terminal or connections to all the other devices throughout the house???

Finally I did what every other sweet, helpful wife would do, I sighed, “I don’t even understand the technology you’re asking about. I’ll just have my husband call you when he returns from work. Thank you for your time.”

If we don’t understand technology, it’s all Greek to us, isn’t it? If we don’t keep up with new technical jargon, we tend to get confused quickly.

Nutritional facts can get confusing when they are updated quickly too. My occupation is continually being updated.

For example, at a seminar I conducted Monday, a very nice gentleman came up afterwards and asked, “I know you were talking about omega 3’s but what about omega 7?”

Such a simple question and yet I didn’t actually know what he was asking for. I apologized, saying I wasn’t familiar with it, but would read up and discuss it next week.

At home, I found Omega 7’s were harvested from Sea buckthorn. Now that was a plant I was familiar with since the 1990s.  I knew it in nutritional textbooks as “palmitoleic acid.” But I hadn’t heard this new classification.

In fact, the ’90s, produced a plethora of new miracle plants and herbs including Pycnogenol, Colloidal silver, Glutathione, Allicin, Grape seed extract (GSE), Chromium picolate, Ginkgo biloba, Ginseng and other popular items gathered from various rain forests and Oriental medicine. Some have become mainstream while others have thankfully been debunked as unsafe (like Ephedra.)

Over time, Sea buckthorn obtained the name “Omega 7.” Well, Omega 7 is a powerful fatty-acid which will assist in reducing inflammation, improve circulation, digestion, heart disease, wound healing, weight loss and it’s anti-aging. (It also contains omega 3’s and 6’s.)

Although it is classified as a trans-fat, it works similarly to eggs and shrimp which mysteriously reduce the bad cholesterol in our system while raising the good.  Omega 7 are also found in Macadamia nuts, olive oil, butter, cheddar cheese and Sea buckthorn supplements at your local Walmart.

I urge you to research any product before you haphazardly follow some false diet guru who tells you what your “itchy ears want to hear” and pop supplements Above all, we shouldn’t want to harm our earthly temple.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”  (1 Corinthians 3:16)

The Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

For years I have touted the benefits of apple cider vinegar (ACV) with its positive health properties. Well it seems to becoming back with a vengeance simply as a weight loss tool. Yes, it certainly assists in shedding pounds but there is so much more to ACV than that.

One might think, because of its sour taste, ACV would produce an acidic pH. “And Ellie,” you protest, “you’ve always flouted how humans should strive to become more alkaline!” Yes that’s true and ACV certainly does that.

Imagine the pH scale as a line from 1-14;  7 being pure water. Everything below 7.0 is acidic and above 7.0 is alkaline. To be their healthiest, one should remain around 7.2 – 7.45.  Just like lemon and lime, ACV turns into an alkaline pH as it metabolizes. Why is this important in the first place? Because an alkaline pH protects the body from toxic conditions and illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and cancers! Disease cannot thrive in an alkaline environment. Wow, how smart is God???!!!

There’s another important benefit to having a more alkaline pH: it improves your mood! When someone is on the acidic scale side, below 6.9, they are usually grumpier; so provide more fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and herbs at mealtime to create a more pleasant family member.

ACV contains a great many nutrients: A, C, Riboflavin, Thiamine, B6, manganese, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium to name a few. Due to its alkaline producing pH, it affects insulin levels and acts as an appetitive suppressant; one reason it’s a beneficial weight loss aid.

It’s also high in probiotics which boosts our body’s good bacteria. This will not only protect against urinary tract infections and candida, but skin flare-ups, eczema, psoriasis and other fungal ailments. If suffering from acne, use a small solution of 2 parts water and 1 part ACV to clear and tone any skin challenges. (Do not use straight for it’d be too strong and might hurt tooth enamel.)

By drinking 2 teaspoons of ACV with 4 ounces of water daily it will reduce the sludge of cholesterol and triglycerides in your bloodstream and allow for healthier circulation. ACV actually lowers bad LDL cholesterol and increases the good HDL.  It also regulates blood sugar and improves one’s energy levels.

I’ve worked extensively with patients who suffered from fibromyalgia. There was a common correlation among them. They all, in some way, worked with or around chemicals. These chemicals built up in their system. ACV is rich in enzymes to stimulate bile and liver function. This action reduces toxins by binding and removing them through urine. This should also help with arthritic and joint pain.

Amazingly, ACV is also beneficial to bone health for it allows the body to uptake and absorb calcium more affectively. If one’s bones aren’t hurting they enjoy exercising more and therefore remain flexible and energetic. Thus it slows aging as well. (This is the opposite of debilitating Metabolic Syndrome.)

With its antioxidants it’ll neutralize free radicals, preventing sun damage, so you’ll look younger as well. Still need more convincing? It is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. ACV also improves brain health by increasing healthy neurotransmitters like serotonin. Serotonin is similar to a fireman who douses a fire with water, except this one douses the brain with the feel-good neurotransmitter, serotonin.

But simply because something is good doesn’t mean more is better! God states that quite well:

“I have the right to do anything,” you say–but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”–but not everything is constructive.”   (1 Corinthians 10:23)

Moderation, dear people is the key to everything healthy.

Nutritional Choices For Increased Mental Performance

 Choose foods wisely! It makes a world of difference in your mental and physical health.

If you consume junk, your body and brain will perform like a sluggish machine! Does any machine work efficiently when it labors to perform?  No.  

We want to keep our arteries clean and pliable so the blood-flow to the brain and heart isn’t clogged and can work efficiently. So if we would like to retain our “smarts” for a little longer, we shouldn’t treat our brain so carelessly either.

The Greek physician Hippocrates, once stated: “Men ought to know that from nothing else but the brain come joys, delights, laughter and sports, sorrows, griefs, despondency, and lamentations.”

I would have agreed except for the fact that he said, “nothing else but . . .” I’m sorry to disagree with the great Hippocrates but I must give proper creditto God for our soul and spirit too.

True Health also comes from the heart: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  (Proverbs 17:22)

Consuming proper whole foods however, does maintain a healthy pH acidic/alkaline balance. When you feel physically and mentally fit you’re happier and from that comes a more joyful countenance.

Here are some foods you should always add routinely to your weekly diet for proper mental and physical health:

Garlic protects our brain neurotransmitters, enhances memory retention and increases blood flow. The Israelites craved this wonderful bulb. “We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic.” (Numbers 11:5)  All brain food!

Increase good fats. Too much of the wrong kind, like saturated fat, will harm because the body works harder trying to fulfill its basic mechanics, resulting in higher blood pressure, diminished energy and even less brain power. Rather choose monounsaturated fats such as  olive and canola oil and omega 3’s.

Omega-3′s refer to omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids are the ‘building blocks’ of fats just as amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They are vital nutrients for the brain.

Omega-3’s are used to regulate blood clotting, build cell membranes, protect the nerve’s myelin sheath and support cell health.

Good fats such as olive oil, flaxseed, salmon, tuna, trout, sardines, anchovies, avocados  will prevent the blood from stickiness, potential blood clots, strokes and heart attacks. What’s good for your heart is good for your brain!

As our brains age, the neurons can’t talk to each other as easily as they once did. Open up the blood-brain barrier with inflammation fighting foods:

Vitamin E found in green leafy greens, wheat germ and walnuts lowers cholesterol and provides anti-clogging powers.

Vitamin C:  Not only does this vitamin help create collagen, thus making us look younger, it also neutralizes free radicals and strengthens blood vessel walls. Cantaloupe is one of its best sources.  So are strawberries, sweet red peppers, cabbage, broccoli, lemons, limes, oranges and tomatoes.

Spice up your life with curry or cinnamon which blocks the formation of plaque in the arteries.

Exercise your brain like a muscle with cross word puzzles, brain games or other stimulating activities such as Scripture memorization, reading or card playing. Find active, not passive activities for your brain.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

A grateful attitude and positive nature overcomes a defeated spirit – but a positive spirit maintains mental health too!

Why Is Dietary Balance So Important?

My previous post encouraged you to find supportive friends. Ones who wouldn’t coddle or enable you but rather strengthen you when you needed them.

This is very similar to how our physiological system works.

Our God is a God of order and balance.  He wants our bodies to function in perfect harmony; even in what we should eat! No wonder we feel ‘off kilter’ when we don’t consume the right foods! We feel we have no energy and our brain doesn’t seem to function properly.

 “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.” (Proverbs 11:1)

God created everything to work in conjunction for good so we absolutely need physiological balance! It’s  matter of teamwork. Popping one nutrient or vitamin supplement won’t help as much unless they are combined. In other words, it needs supportive nutritional “friends” along the way.

• Iron needs vitamin C to work efficiently.
• Calcium, magnesium, potassium also work in conjunction for better health.
• Vitamins A, E, K need fat to assimilate..

Aim to get most of your nutrients from actual food; fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as fresh as possible. If no Farmer’s Market is available, purchase frozen.  When purchasing,  consider nutrients, not just calories, food groups or fat grams. If I create a banana/orange/milled flaxseed smoothie in the morning, I don’t think of it as a banana smoothie but as a calcium/magnesium/omega 3 shake.  It’s chucked full of nutrients which, while working together, produce a healthier me!

Synergy is a fancy word which simply means that a combination of nutrients will bond together for a more productive purpose. Vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, flavonoids, amino acids all need essential balance for good health.

Here are a few examples to illustrate what I mean by food combining to bring out the symbiotic relationship of nutrients, all working together to produce a stronger element.

B vitamins found in most foods, should be consumed along with vitamin C. So slice a few strawberries on your whole grain cereal or drink a glass of orange juice (with pulp) in the morning. Tomatoes, potatoes, pineapple, peppers, cantaloupe, onions, green peas and leafy greens all contain vitamin C. You can’t go wrong by adding these water-soluble vitamins to any meal!

Vitamin C should combine with iron. Have that high quality sirloin with a baked potato and garden salad with berries, or add 93% ground beef in your tomato pasta sauce for maximum absorption. Vitamin C also builds and restores collagen, keeping skin strong and younger looking!

Zinc found in shrimp, egg yolks, lamb, poultry and fish goes perfectly with some B6; spinach, corn, carrots, walnuts and leafy greens. Calcium; cabbage, broccoli, cheese or copper; mushrooms, garlic, avocado.

Your body must have magnesium to process calcium and it must have vitamin D and K to absorb and regulate calcium in the blood. Calcium also helps process zinc and if someone doesn’t have enough zinc, a body can’t process vitamin A.   So complicated!

And some people just believe this complicated system of ours ‘just happened by chance’, unbelievable!!

Don’t haphazardly pop more vitamins either!  If something’s good, it doesn’t necessarily mean more is better.  There’s a limit on fat soluble vitamin intake, don’t overdose!

Eat to honor God, pursuing a godly balance in your life and strive to become a supportive friend.

“We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.”   (Romans 15:2)

WINTER HAIR CARE TIPS

The Christmas and holiday season will affect our skin and hair. This lovely lady is now following my blog and her practical tips are easy to read and follow.

Stress will affect the hair. (And you must admit this season is a stressful one!) Also all the social events, delicious but non-nutrient dense choices will wreck havick on our skin and hair. I’d also recommend a cinnamon and honey mask for your skin along with these great practices. Relax and don’t forget to breathe!!! Remember the real reason for the season, ❤

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”   ( Proverbs 31:30)

Healthier Eating Truth for an Extended Life

Last week I featured a dear friend who celebrated her 100^th birthday. In that blog I spoke of her positive mental attitude as being essential to a longer, happier life. We discussed many things that day and another was how consuming healthier foods gave her that extension on a life well-lived.

Granted Judy grew up during an age without all the preservatives and chemicals found on our store shelves today. She ate more unprocessed whole foods. Sometimes I wish we could go back to a simpler time because many of today’s selection are literally killing us!

I confess it drives me crazy to hear “Oh, I don’t eat carbs!” Oh really??? Well that means you don’t consume fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds or herbs which is against God’s Word in Genesis 1:29.

“God also told them, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows throughout the earth, along with every tree that grows seed-bearing fruit. They will produce your food. ”

What they probably mean is that they’re staying away from Simple Carbs and triglycerides like donuts, Twinkies and Pop Tarts. Good. But giving up ALL carbs is unbalanced and God wants us to live a balanced life.

Complex Carbohydrates on the other hand, keep your body running like a well-oiled machine. These are loaded with nutrients, phytochemicals, amino acids and enzymes. Surprised to see amino acids on my list? You’re not alone. Most believe that amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are only found in meat. Actually all nine amino acids which the body cannot make on its own are found in plant proteins.

Complex carbs metabolize in only 1-3 hours so people get hungrier sooner. But that’s not bad. It simply means the food is energizing you, so eat mini-meals, balanced with a little protein which lasts from 2-4 hours. Also your brain functions primarily on the glucose of those carbs so if you want to kill off your brain, go right ahead and avoid all carbs. I won’t.

The two kinds of beneficial fiber found in CC’s accomplish much. Soluble fiber turns into a gel and is beneficial for the blood stream’s removal of toxins and bad cholesterol. Applesauce, oatmeal, pears are examples but a combination of both types are found in all fruits, vegetables. The second, Insoluble fiber, is like Rotor Rooter, pushing along toxins to clean out your digestive system so one’s body can absorb nutrients. Insoluble fiber passes along without breaking up. You can find it in corn, beets, apple skins, etc. These protect against colon cancer and liver disease.

Increase any type of berry. They’ll fight inflammation by reducing oxidation and inflammatory stressors. As a side benefit they will increase brain function!

Another complex carb usually avoided by dieters are nuts. When I began my nutritional career in the 1990s this was a food nutritional “experts” told people to avoid. When I thought about it, I questioned why. (Eggs and potatoes were also considered “no-no’s.” Would our God declare that all He created was “Good” and then wring His Hands and say, “Whoops!” I didn’t think so.

After careful study I discovered how nuts contained a plentitude of B-complex vitamins, magnesium, manganese, calcium, copper, iron, zinc, selenium, omega 3’s and on and on. It also increases good cholesterol and contains fiber. Doesn’t sound like a mistake to me!

Herbs and spices are complex carbs too. Spices are great for the circulation and our mental function. Spices are fibrous foods which lesson inflammation and regulates insulin production.

Don’t fall for fallacies; God wants to provide a healthier environment and man messes it up!

“With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.” (Proverbs 11:9)

Keeping Our Bones Stronger Throughout Life

When I developed osteoporosis, I tried to argue that the test was inaccurate. I eat too well! I protested. I exercise daily, walk, lift weights, . . . so the test must be wrong. After all, as a nutritionist, I know what to eat and practice what I preach! But as the verse goes, “Pride Goeth Before a Fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

I had inherited my mother’s bone structure. I was arguing with God and one shouldn’t argue with our Maker. I should be grateful for how He created me.

“You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”? (Isaiah 29:16)

God’s smarter than me.

Did you know that there is a simple way to determine your bone size? Wrap you thumb and your middle finger around your wrist. If you can overlap your fingers, you are small-boned. If your fingers just meet, you are medium and if your fingers don’t touch, you are large-boned. The smaller the bones, the more susceptible to osteoporosis. (Recently some dispute this method but it works for me.)

As in everything with God’s Handiwork, balance is the key to healthier living.

Calcium is essential for regulating the passage of nutrients in and out of cells and need to be taken with food. Vitamin D should be consumed alongside calcium, magnesium and boron (grapes, apples, nuts) for maximum effect.

Anyone over 18 should consume approximately 1000-1200 milligrams of calcium, spaced throughout the day. Too much calcium could manifest in kidney stones. Too little and you’ll not only develop osteoporosis but insomnia, nervousness, an irregular heartbeat, hypertension, aching joints, irritability, leg cramping and brittle nails.

Calcium assists with insomnia and is a natural tranquilizer. It’s one reason why stressed-out people run to creamy foods such as macaroni and cheese or ice cream when under pressure. Their body is crying out for calmness amidst life’s storms. Our protective hypothalamus in our brain is informing us this nutrient will help. (Fresh air  calms us too.)

What Foods Contain Calcium?

1. Did you know skim milk contains more calcium than regular milk? (316 mg. versus 290)
2. Consume vegetables such as: Arugula, kale, spinach, broccoli, Bok Choy, acorn squash, dandelion, collard, mustard or turnip greens.
3. Beans and legumes are excellent sources of beneficial calcium. So are whole grains, bread and cereals, so watch out Paleo Diet activists. You are playing Russian Roulette. For God knows our frame and how our bodies work. (Psalm 103: 14)
4. Almonds, cashews, sesame and sunflower seeds can be eaten in moderation (2 tablespoons daily.) Excellent on rich garden salads!
5. Consume seafood: Salmon, sardines, mackerel, anchovy, cod fish, oysters and crab.
6. Calcium rich fruits are figs, kiwi, and fortified orange juice.
7. Cheeses: Mozzarella, parmesan, Swiss, Laughing Cow. (The lighter the cheese the less cholesterol.)
8. I usually recommend alfalfa tablets which can be found very cheaply. The roots of the alfalfa plant grow so deeply that they naturally contain many nutrients, including calcium.

It’s also important to consume foods high in the amino acid lysine along with calcium for maximum absorption. This is found in eggs, cheese, potatoes, red meat and soy. Amazingly, some of the foods forbidden on certain “diets.” Perhaps a mistake has been made? Is God or man correct? I’ll choose God every time, won’t you?

Bottom line: Calcium helps us lose weight, improves our mood and  keeps us healthy and younger looking! God knew it all the time! That’s good enough for me.