Nutrition - 9 Mar 2011 - Refined Carbs; Soy - Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Good Morning, Team!

 

It’s two for the price of one this morning as yesterday’s email made it to your inbox rather late. For those who have asked – everything went well – and now I officially have joined the ranks in fulfilling the dream of home ownership in America. It was interesting to feel freedom even though shackled with this new enormous debt. It’s exciting and scary all at once. Mostly, however, I simply feel relieved. Controlling the stress of the transaction over the last three months has been a challenge, yet one that I can proudly stand and say that I was successful at. What has been your most recent success? Hit reply all or comment and share it with us!

 

Over the next few weeks I will be sending out requests, individually, to members of our group to fill out a questionnaire that I would like to use to promote your efforts of healthy living as well as to celebrate that which makes you – an individual – an important part of our group and community. There is no obligation to respond, but we would all like to know more about you and your journey – it might help others break through their walls!

 

Another interesting article came in from Fitday.com this morning. It was titled “The Top 7 Natural Appetite Suppressants.” The article is basic and good for the lay-person who is dabbling in becoming healthier. For you all, it is “about three weeks ago.” You are well beyond this but I wanted to share their #1 tip. Avoid refined carbohydrates and simple sugars. We do this. I just love sharing articles like this that promote what we already know to the masses. It works. The author has done a very good job of giving the reader’s digest version of what is happening. It’s a great two minute reminder of what we’ve spent several classes discussing the ins-and-outs of. Here’s the paragraph and link to the rest of the article:

 

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/natural-appetite-suppressants-fact-or-fiction.html

#1. Avoid refined carbohydrates or simple sugars. 
Examples of refined carbohydrates and simple sugars include white bread, white rice, white pasta, baked goods such as muffins, cakes and cookies, high sugar cereals etc. When ingested, refined carbohydrates quickly turn into blood glucose or sugar in the body. The body's natural response to a high sugar food is to secrete insulin to drop the blood sugar level back down into a more normal range. Insulin carries the sugar into the cells to be used as a source of energy. Most cells are already full of energy (unless you are an active person) so there is no room for the sugar to go. The body's next step is to store the excess sugar consumed as body fat - not what you had in mind when you began the diet. Perhaps you have felt the sugar high followed by the crash in energy feeling 20 minutes to an hour later. A quick rise in blood sugar is followed by a crash in blood sugar leaving you feeling tired. This process is usually followed by an intense hunger to get the blood sugar back up and leaves you craving for yet another sweet treat. The answer: Eat complex carbohydrates instead. Complex carbohydrates examples include whole fruit (not juice), vegetables, and whole grains (in moderation).

 

The Weston A. Price Foundation is “a nonprofit, tax-exempt charity founded in 1999 to disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated non-industrialized peoples established the parameters of human health and determined the optimum characteristics of human diets. Dr. Price's research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats.” We have linked to articles on their website before. They are a tremendous promoter of healthy eating and while they do endorse some grain consumption, the foundation is well respected by the Paleo/Primal/Zone communities for their avocation, research, and promotion. Today, I am asking them to address the serious issue of legumes (dried beans) and specifically Soy in our diet.

 

Nutrition Tip of the Day: Avoid all legumes. Period.

 

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert.html

Confused About Soy?--Soy Dangers Summarized

·         High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.

·         Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.

·         Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.

·         Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.

·         Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.

·         Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.

·         Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.

·         Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.

·         Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.

·         Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

 

Need more? Click the link above, click on any of the 62 articles at the bottom of that page, and read this:

Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Soy Diet for Illinois Prisoners
Health Topics - Soy Alert!
Friday, May 01 2009 14:24
UPDATE ON SOY LAWSUIT - JUNE 2010 The Foundation has been funding litigation involving a challenge to the Illinois Department of Correction’s use of soy laden foods in the diet it provides to inmates incarcerated in Illinois.  The Foundation has been involved in this suit since June 2009.  First and foremost, the Foundation is seeking an injunction against serving soy-laden meals to Illinois prisoners. The fund is also helping eight inmates challenge their being fed soy-laden food by claiming that the feeding of soy-laden food constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the eighth amendment to the Constitution, and that it is a denial of their liberty in violation of their due process rights under the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution.  The lawsuit also alleges that the private corporation and its private doctors, Wexford health services, inc., have been negligent in failing to provide adequate medical care to each of the plaintiffs who are suffering bodily injury and adverse health effects from being fed too much soy. http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/1624.html

Workout of the Day: Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15 reps – Jumping Jacks, Shoulder Mobility, Push-ups, Walking Lunge, Samson Stretch, Squat (hold bottom!) Work-out: 5 rounds for total distance and time (deduct 1 rep for each time you could not hold plank for full minute) Run 1 minute, 1 minute of V (jackknife) sit-ups, 1 minute plank hold (challenge: with opposite arm and leg lift).

 

We are getting back to our regularly scheduled classes THIS FRIDAY! Thank you all for continuing your dialogue with me during my trip as well as meeting on your own. I look forward to hearing how you have fared on the scales this week as well as all your new thoughts, recipes, and questions!

 

Squats and Sunlight = A Healthy Warrior!

Mike.