What Are The 7 Super Foods of the Bible?

See Deuteronomy 8:8…..

“a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey.”

1. wheat

2. barley

3. grapes

4. figs

5. pomegranates

6. olives

7. honey

There is much food for thought here and what better source than the manual for our body and lives……

Socrates

Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you hear or are about to repeat a rumor.

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance, who ran up to him excitedly and said,

"Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students...?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Test of Three."

"Test of Three?"

"That's correct," Socrates continued.

"Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to test what you're going to say. The first test is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are

about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man replied, "actually I just heard about it.""All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not.

Now let's try the second test, the test of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued, "You may still pass though because there is a third test - the filter of Usefulness.

Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really..."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed and said no more.

How Much Is Too Much

Are You Eating Too Much Sugar?

Cutting sugar from your diet is quite trendy these days. Many dieters even go so far as to proudly proclaim that they have "stopped eating sugar" all together. Well, in reality that probably isn't even possible. They naively think that cutting out cake, cookies and candy means that they are no longer eating sugar.

But, sugar is practically everywhere. Do you know how much you are consuming? If you are a typical American, you may be eating 156 pounds per year! That's how much the USDA says Americans consume each year on a per capita basis. Sure, some of that comes from standard junk food but much of it comes from more "hidden" sources.

To significantly reduce your sugar intake, it's mandatory that you read labels and know where your sugar intake truly comes from. Here are some places where you may be ingesting loads of sugar without even realizing it.

Yogurt: Generally, this is a food that people consider "healthy". However, unless you choose the Plain flavor, you'll be getting a lot of sugar. Check the label and you'll find on average about 20 to 25 grams of sugar in a measly 6 ounces.

Salad Dressings: Salads have always been considered good dieting choices. But, not only can they be laden with fats, but even the healthiest, veggie-packed salads can pack a sugar punch from the dressings that accompany them.

Soft Drinks: Here's where a huge portion of consumer sugar intake is found. Studies show that soft drinks account for as much as 33% of all added sugars consumed. And if you think switching to sugar-free diet drinks is the answer, hold on. The risk of obesity appears to be higher among diet cola drinkers.

Cereal: Here's a food that someone can easily overeat. A serving is often only ¾ cup which means most people tend to have at least two servings at breakfast. Plus, cereal is often eaten as a snack as well, and a few handfuls can quickly add up. Many cereals that tout themselves as being healthy have more sugar in them then a candy bar.

Protein Bars: These small little morsels disguise themselves as being packed with protein and all natural ingredients. However, the huge sugar content diminishes their nutritional value. In some cases, you might actually be better off grabbing a chocolate candy bar.

Low Fat and Fat Free Foods: When fat is eliminated from a food often the flavorful taste disappears too. To prevent a low fat food from being too bland, manufacturers regularly add extra sugar to ensure a good taste. So while the fat grams may be low, there are plenty of calories because of the extra sugar.

Why do you need to watch your sugar intake? Most experts agree that sugar in its pure form is not inherently "bad" for you. The problem with sugar is that it packs a lot of calories per serving. Plus, since foods with sugar in them taste good to most people then we eat larger portions of those foods. Therefore, we consume more calories when we eat high sugar foods.

In 2003, the World Health Organization released guidelines indicating sugar should account for only about 10% of our daily calories, which is roughly only eight teaspoons. Most labels refer to sugar in grams -- eight teaspoons is about 37 grams. What does that mean to you? Well, one six ounce yogurt and one cup of many brands of cereal will quickly put you over that recommended limit.

As with most diet recommendations, the key is to keep your consumption in check. Do this by reading labels. If sugar is the first ingredient listed on a food, you probably should consider putting it back on the shelf. And remember that there are many different terms used for sugar. It also is referred to as high fructose corn syrup, glucose, sucrose and other names. Pay extra attention to the foods mentioned in the hidden sugars list above. And, if eating high sugar foods, limit your portion.

About the author: Lynn Bode is a certified personal trainer specializing in Internet-based fitness programs. She founded Workouts For You, which provides affordable online exercise programs that are custom designed for each individual. Visit: http://www.workoutsforyou.com for tips, sample workouts and more. Fitness professionals, learn how to support your clients online, visit: http://www.trainerforce.com

What’s Up

Well it has been a while since I have posted. I am still here but barely. I am just recovering from some kind of bug that won’t let go. This included a trip to the ER a month later than the infection. They couldn’t find anything in their tests but at least I found out what I didn’t have. I visited my doctor the next day and is puzzled too. I still have a bad cough. Well we now have an appointment for a Cat Scan. I hope that things will be better soon so I can get back to work or play that it is for me.

Exercise Saves Aging Brains

Exercise Saves Aging Brains....If this is not an incentive, I don't know what is!

Everyone knows exercise keeps bodies young, and now a new study confirms it keeps brains young, too. The study, carried out with mice, demonstrated that exercise reverses age-related decline in the creation of neural stem cells by restoring an essential brain chemical.

The focus of the study, which was performed by the National Cheng Kung University Medical College in Taiwan, was the hippocampus. Mammals, including both humans and mice, have a hippocampus on each side of the brain. When fewer new stem cells are produced in the hippocampus, which plays a major role in short term memory and spatial navigation, the result is an impairment of memory functions and of the capacity to learn. In Alzheimer’s disease, the hippocampus is one of the first areas of the brain to suffer damage.

The researchers knew from prior studies with mice that the production of stem cells in the hippocampus declined dramatically in middleaged mice, and also that exercise seemed to slow the decline. The new study aimed to trace the progression of the decline and to attempt to find out what causes it.

The study used mice that had been trained to exercise on a treadmill for an hour a day. Mice varying in age from young (aged 3 months) to old (24 months) were tested, with special attention given to mice aged 13 months, which for them is middleaged.

The study soon focused on a brain chemical known as “brain-derived neurotrophic factor” or BDNF. This chemical promotes “neurogenesis,” or the growth of new neurons, and supports the survival of existing ones.

As the researchers expected, the study showed that in the normal course of events, neurogenesis fell sharply in middleaged mice, with these mice having only about five percent of the number of neural stem cells of young mice.

Importantly, the researchers discovered that exercise slows down the loss of new nerve cells in the middleaged group while actually improving neural stem cell production by 200 percent over middleaged mice that did not exercise. Further, new nerve cell survival was up by 170 percent over the non-exercising group. Exercise also benefited young mice, producing an even stronger effect than in the older mice.

The researchers concluded that at least in mice, exercise—by stimulating the production of BDNF—promotes the development and survival of new brain cells.

Alternative Therapies for Diabetes

Alternative Therapies for Diabetes

:: By James Rouse, N.D.

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease of metabolism characterized by high blood glucose (also called hyperglycemia) and insulin deficiency or insufficiency. When a person’s pancreas doesn’t produce or secrete enough insulin, or the body fails to properly use insulin, glucose (sugar) levels in the blood can become too high.

When left uncontrolled, symptoms of diabetes can develop.
Diabetes may be characterized by excessive thirst, hunger, obesity, weight loss, recurring infections that are slow to heal, fatigue and weakness, and erectile dysfunction.

Diabetes is generally classified as either type 1 or type 2.

Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or juvenile-onset diabetes, is caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin. It usually manifests before age 30 and most commonly appears during childhood.

In type 2 diabetes, which is much more common than type 1, the body begins to fail to respond appropriately to insulin. This is known as insulin insensitivity (or insulin resistance) because the body does not properly absorb glucose from the blood for use as fuel or for storage. Type 2 diabetes generally appears after around age 40, but that seems to be heading in a more negative direction (with onset beginning at younger ages), partly due to the poor dietary and lifestyle habits that plague much of the youth in developed countries.

Abdominal obesity has been shown to predispose for insulin resistance. In fact, obesity is the number one risk factor for diabetes. Obesity is estimated to be present in as much as 90 perccent of individuals with type 2 diabetes.

If left untreated, over time, either type of diabetes can lead to further health complications including heart disease, eye disease and blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease and kidney failure.

Conventional medical treatment of type 2 diabetes initially involves lifestyle and dietary changes including aerobic and resistance exercise and avoiding excess carbohydrates, sweets and starches. If necessary, a glucose-lowering medication may be added.


Complementary Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Complementary medical treatment of diabetes begins with simple nutrition and exercise recommendations. Maintaining a healthy weight is essential, as is controlling blood sugar through mindful eating choices.

Following a diet based on low glycemic carbohydrates, adequate protein and good fats is the first step.

The glycemic index of food is a ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. The body's blood sugar response to these foods is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes. Examples of good (low glycemic) carbs include: legumes and beans, whole wheat, barley, brown rice, apples, apricots, grapefruit, cherries, plums, pears, and berries. High glycemic carbs include donuts, white rice and white flour products, cookies, and dried dates.
Samples of good protein include chicken and turkey, wild salmon, grass-fed beef and buffalo, tofu and tempeh, and eggs.

Healthy fats come from olive oil, flax seed oil, hemp seed oil and canola oil.
Diabetics need to eat small meals throughout the day to help maintain blood sugar balance. Eating in smaller five- to six-meal increments daily, rather than three larger meals, will help control the balance and may help with managing weight.

A high-fiber diet is also important to help improve the blood sugar and insulin response. Low fiber diets have been associated with an increased risk for diabetes. Foods to include are flax seed, oat bran, wheat bran, and whole grains as mentioned above.

Current research also points to cutting out cow’s milk, especially for infants and children. Researchers in Finland studied children born to a diabetic parent and learned that those children were susceptible to diabetes later in life after exposure to cow's milk while very young.

Physical activity and aerobic exercise can help control blood glucose and help with weight management. Exercise helps with circulation and helps prevent some of the complications of diabetes including peripheral vascular disease and heart disease. Diabetes sufferers should have a snack just prior to exercising and immediately following to help maintain stable blood sugar levels.


Dietary Supplements that Can Help

Many dietary supplements have been recommended for additional support in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Most of these supplements are intended to help improve blood sugar control and prevent or slow down the progression of the disease.

1. Chromium is a commonly recommended mineral that may help lower blood glucose levels. A typical dose is 200 micrograms daily. A recent study showed that supplementation with Chromium picolinate significantly improved insulin sensitivity and glucose control in individuals with type 2 diabetes who were taking sulfonylurea agents. Supplementation with chromium also helped prevent body weight gain and abdominal fat accumulation compared with the placebo group.
2. Magnesium is another mineral that is important for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. In a study performed at Harvard University, 85,060 women and 42,872 men who had no history of diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer were studied. Their magnesium intake was evaluated using a validated food frequency questionnaire every two to four years. Their findings propose "a significant inverse association between magnesium intake and diabetes risk." A similar study found a protective role with higher intake of magnesium in reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially in overweight women.

Several more studies support the preventive role of magnesium with regards to diabetes prevention. In a large population based study in Taiwan, magnesium was actually added to the drinking water and a significant protective effect was seen, with magnesium being linked to a lower risk of dying from diabetes mellitus.

The best sources of magnesium are: amaranth, sunflower seeds, quinoa, spinach, wild rice, tofu, almonds, halibut, brown rice, white beans and avocado. If these foods are not regularly a part of your diet, you may want to consider a magnesium supplement. A typical dose begins with 500 to 750 milligrams daily; you may need to reduce the dose if you begin to have diarrhea or loose stools.
3. Calcium and vitamin D have shown some initial promise in middle age and older women for helping to prevent metabolic syndrome. A multivitamin/mineral supplement may be useful for individuals with diabetes. One study suggests that it may help prevent development of infection in persons with type 2 diabetes.
4. Zinc may assist the body in using insulin. Suggested dose is 30 milligrams day (balanced with 2 milligrams copper).
5. Antioxidant vitamins (A, C, E, beta carotene), B complex vitamins, and other antioxidant nutrients from superfoods like green tea, blueberries, and pomegranates can help prevent nerve damage (diabeteic neuropathy).
6. Similarly, the herbs bilberry and gingko biloba may help prevent or delay diabetic-related eye damage.
7. The concomitant risk of heart disease may be lowered with fish oils (which can raise "good" HDL cholesterol. A typical dosage is 1,000 milligrams (1 gram) three times daily.
8. Gymnema sylvestre is an herb that has been shown to help with blood sugar control. Fenugreek and bitter melon may also help

Get detailed how-to info on how to treat and prevent type two diabetes in the Mayo Clinic health care DVDs from Gaiam.com

Exercise of The Month ~ Abdominal/Core

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