Diet Information

I’m not going to explain the history of microwaves because that is plain boring but what I will tell you is that they were founded by pure dumb luck like most scientific experiments, and was discovered during World War II of all times. Now just about every American family owns a microwave and pop food into their like nothing. Have you ever sat down and wondered how do microwaves cook foods so fast and why the texture is so different once they come out?

I must admit I used microwaves in the pass without a second thought because they were extremely quick and I was busy like everybody these days. However, something sparked my curiosity when one day I was microwaving a meal just chilling and my food just popped like popcorn and I was like “what in the world?” I mean it wasn’t the first time this happened but for some reason this time it slapped me right in the face. I was terrified to open the microwave fearing that something would squirt in my face.

My meal had squirted all over the microwave and I had to clean that mess out. I knew right then that something was fishy with microwaves and I did some extensive research and found some crippling secrets. The microwave emits radiation, that’s right radiation the stuff that causes cancer, similar to the ways cell phones put radiation right into your ear-hole.

A woman was actually killed by the microwave in the early 90s. She was given a blood transfusion and the blood was microwaved and she was killed by it. Why people don’t die from regular heated blood transfusions? It also significantly declines the nutrient quality of foods. Have you ever microwaved vegetables? If you noticed the vegetables will come out all soft, limp, and mushy almost like baby food.

They reduce nutrient content in vegetables by over 60 percent compared to just broiling it in light water! I threw out my microwave and I’m a fitness and nutrition expert so I know exactly what I’m talking about. I try to save as many people as possible but they just don’t want to give the microwave away.

I guess people will make an excuse for things that they love, it’s a psychological technique. You can live without a microwave, I did it and in matter of fact you can eat quick and convenient meals without a microwave. Come check me out at my website www.cardiacgym.com and I may have something for you. To tend have a healthful day, in health and fitness Doug Purcell.

Doug Purcell

CPT

Nutrition Expert

Owner of http://www.cardiacgym.com

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If you are overweight, you probably know it already and your doctor has probably warned you about its dangers.

However, muscle weighs more than fat, and some people have larger, heavier bones than others. You can be heavy and perfectly healthy if a large percentage of your weight is in bone and muscle. However, if a high percentage of your weight is fat, you are at increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, strokes, some types of cancer and other health problems.

If you’re not sure where you stand, use these three simple measures to see whether you should be concerned about excess weight.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Waist-Hip ratio - to determine whether you’re an “apple” or a “pear”
My “Inch of Pinch” test

The BMI (Body Mass Index) is a standard calculation used by doctors and nutritionists to see if your weight is appropriate for your height. You can find charts and the easy formula to calculate your BMI using a Google search. If your BMI is 30 or more, your statistical risk of death from any cause is increased by 50 to 150 percent. But you need to know more about your body composition. Read on.

Your WAIST/HIP RATIO is calculated by dividing your waist size by your hip size. Use a measuring tape to measure your hips at the widest part of your buttocks. Then measure your waist where it is smallest, usually just above the belly button. Then divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. Record your result on your “Before and After” Chart. Women should have a ratio of 0.8 or less; men should be no higher than 1.0. If your ratio is higher than these ideals, you are an “apple” with excess fat in stored your abdomen.

Finally, here’s my “INCH OF PINCH” Test. Ordinary scales tell you your total weight and can help you keep track of weight changes, but they tell you nothing about the composition of your body. If you are exercising and building muscle, you may gain weight in a healthy way. You can buy special scales that estimate your body fat percentage, but they are expensive and not completely reliable. Your doctor may use fat calipers, or send you for an accurate body composition test where you are immersed in water, but you can make a simple calculation yourself using my “Inch of Pinch” test.

Using your thumb and forefinger, grasp the skin 3″ to the right or left of your navel. Pinch firmly but not so hard that it hurts. Then slide your hand away without changing the distance between your thumb and forefinger, and see how far apart they are. Ideally you will have pinched about 1/2″ inch of flesh. An inch or more in your “pinch” means that your excess body weight is more fat than muscle.

Read my Good Food Book FREE, with 100 healthful recipes.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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There are thousands of different synthetic and ‘nature-identical’ (artificially produced) flavours that are added to our food to improve flavour and aroma. They do not have an E number, and are not individually listed on the packaging; the label may simply say ‘flavouring’. This makes it impossible to know what they are, but if it does not say NATURAL FLAVOURING then we know that it is synthetic. Synthetic flavourings are a big money industry, cloaked in secrecy. As you can imagine, with so many flavours in existence, and manufacturers being highly secretive about what they are and how they are made, it is difficult to know how safe these chemical additives are. If packaging contains for example, cheese flavour or strawberry flavour then you know that the food does not contain any genuine cheese or strawberry, just a synthetic flavour which will convey no nutritional benefit, and may cause side-effects. Try to avoid them where possible, and choose foods containing real ingredients, which will convey more nutritional benefit, and cause no harm.

Flavour enhancers are added to savory foods to boost the taste ’sensation’, and you will find them in all manner of ready-made savory foods, particularly snacks, crisps, and some processed meats. There are 19 E-numbered flavour enhancers, 6 of which are commonly linked with reactions such as headaches, depression and hyperactivity in certain people, and are likely to come from a genetically modified (GM) source. Of these 19, the most infamous is E621 known as Monosodium Glutamate or MSG. You will find this turning up everywhere in ready-made foods and snacks. MSG is banned from babies’ foods, but common in children’s foods. It is linked to temper tantrums and hyperactivity along with many other health concerns and has recently been overwhelmingly linked with obesity. MSG occurs naturally in certain foods, but the additive is synthetically produced. It is documented as affecting the brain and nervous system, respiratory system and circulatory system; although much of this information is anecdotal and loudly refuted by the food industry (no surprise there).

Research at the University of Liverpool showed that when used in conjunction with a specific food colouring (Brilliant Blue), the additives stopped nerve cells from growing normally and interfered with proper signaling systems at a level four times greater than when it was tested on its own. It therefore may be more damaging when it is combined with other additives. It is of great concern that it is added to children foods, as their brain connections and nervous system are not fully developed. Equally this is of concern to pregnant women, as the foetus has an immature nervous system. The elderly may also be at risk from food containing MSG due to the nature of the ageing brain.

The entire subject is complicated and confusingly documented, but a sensible approach is to avoid as much as possible foods containing MSG. Try to discover which foods that you regularly buy contain MSG and swap them for an alternative; for example, choose slightly salted potato crisps rather than flavoured ones. Be aware of ’slimming’ foods as these often contain MSG which boosts the flavour and satisfaction of low-fat food.

Even if you are unconvinced of the health risk of these additives, the bottom line is that food flavourings and flavour enhancers are added to make cheap processed, nutritionally barren food taste better. As an example, think of a popular potato snack sold in a tube (ok stop salivating). This snack is made with dehydrated potatoes, vegetable oil, starch, rice flour, maltodextrin (a bulking agent), emulsifier, dextrose, citric acid, malic acid, colour: paprika extract, acidity regulator: sodium diacetate, mustard seeds, celery and corn flour; doesn’t sound so tasty when you put it that way. Something tells me that you wouldn’t be reaching for another one without the salt and barbeque flavour; sugar, flavourings, spices, flavour enhancers: monosodium glutamate, disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate. What I am trying to say is, this stuff is not real food; the flavours and enhancers are a way of making fried dried potato and flour taste good.

If food contains flavours and flavour enhancers, it contains them for a very good reason; it will taste rubbish without them, because it is probably made of rubbish ingredients, many of which are probably unpronounceable. Do yourself a favour and reject this pretend food, try flavouring food with herbs and spices. Choose natural food rich in real flavor; olives, chilies, ripe fruit, home made bread, grilled fish, roasted chicken, fresh cheese There is a whole world of subtle and exciting flavours to try which can be found in real, nutritious food, and the closer your food comes to its natural state the more good, and less harm it will do you.

Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser and runs successful Community Exercise classes. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters. To subscribe to her newsletter email getfitter@yahoo.co.uk

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