Growing Your Own Food Has Never Been Easier

We all know we should eat more fruits and vegetables - but how many of us actually do? The average American eats only 3 servings of fruits and veggies a day - and at least one of those servings includes french fries! Yet the American Cancer Society, the USDA, the World Health Organization and hundreds of other health organizations recommend we eat at least 13 servings of fresh, raw fruits and veggies every single day.

So how can we get enough produce?

Well, some of the reasons people don't eat much produce is because it's expensive, it doesn't taste very good, it spoils too fast, and it's downright inconvenient! I believe all of those problems have now been solved - for those who know about it. Have you ever heard of hydroponic gardening? In the past, the technology was only for sophisticated commercial growers of produce (or in some cases illegal drugs). Today, everyone can afford to have a home hydroponic growing system where they can grow their own fresh produce - without any weeding, tilling, soil, or daily maintenance! Today, you can get an amazing Vertical Aeroponic Garden for just around $500-$600 - and you can grow as much food as you could in a 10x10 plot of farmland - except you can even grow in the winter indoors with hydroponics!

Growers report 2-3x the growing speed in these aeroponic gardens, meaning you can take a plant from seed to full harvest in just 4-6 weeks! You can literally harvest several crops a year of kale, spinach, collard greens, lettuce, dill, strawberries, fennel, cilantro, parsley, tomatoes, and even large plants like cucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkins and watermelons! I've done the math and with the results I've been getting with my home hydroponics garden, I believe that buying and using one of these kits would pay back the investment in 10-12 months, and after that you're saving hundreds of dollars a year on your shopping bill because of all the fresh produce you're getting!

But what about the maintenance?

That's one of the best parts! All you have to do is refill the tank of water every few weeks with fresh water and a little bit of plant nutrients (which are included) and check the pH to make sure it's in the right range for the plants to grow healthy. Because hydroponic growing is a system that grows without soil, you don't need to spend hours digging up weeds. It just takes 30-45 minutes to set up the system and it's off and running. Then you just sprout your seeds (or buy seedlings) and plant them in the Vertical Garden when it's ready to go. Want more information about growing food at home with hydroponics? Tom writes regularly about nutrition, healthy eating, and growing your own food with aeroponics.


Many thanks to Tom Corson-Knowles for this informative article.
Josie.

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The Truth About MSG. Is MSG really that bad for you? Can MSG make you obese?

This is a topic which gathers a lot of attention because it has entered the forefront of media coverage over the last few years and is in a lot of foods we eat.  The question is, is it really dangerous or is it just hype?

MSG is an amino acid which makes food 'morish' and is added to foods for the addictive effect it has on the human body.  It is present naturally in foods, but as usual, people have got involved and started extracting it and putting it into foods in large, potentially damaging doses.

It simply gives us an insatiable hunger.  This is extremely beneficial for food manufactures and their sales figures.  Some suggest it is useful to make the elderly and hospitalised patients eat more http://www.ajcn.org/content/90/3/844S.full.  This is good for them.  But why would that be good for healthy people who don't need to by overly hungry or overly full?

Many studies have gone to lengths to uncover the truth behind MSG over time.  One diagnostic pathology study looked at the effects it has on obesity and diabetes. 'To directly address the long-term consequences of MSG on inflammation, we have performed serial analysis of MSG-injected mice and focused in particular on liver pathology. We submit that MSG treatment...induces obesity and diabetes with steatosis and steatohepatitis. These results take on considerable significance in light of the widespread usage of dietary MSG and we suggest that MSG should have its safety profile re-examined and be potentially withdrawn from the food chain. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18178378

These results give me cause for concern as a consumer, they suggest to me that not only is this substance worrying enough to fund tests, it is also coming up with results which suggest it could be extremely damaging.  The fact that its increasing consumption is also correlating with the rise of the studies associated diseases; obesity and diabetes, also makes me think there could be truth in these findings.

Another study investigated the way that it affects obesity. 'The present study demonstrates, that a widely used nutritional monosubstance--the flavouring agent MSG--at concentrations that only slightly surpass those found in everyday human food, exhibits significant potential for damaging the hypothalamic regulation of appetite, and thereby determines the propensity of world-wide obesity http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16132059.

The FDA suggest that MSG is perfectly safe and encourage people to consume foods which contain it without fear.  However if the FDA are in charge of what is going on with nutrition in the West then the figures of obesity are suggesting something is up with their advice, the food or our behaviour.  Probably all three. 

So in summary I think, yes, it is best to avoid this substance in food as often as possible.  Always read the label.  It is not good to use your body as a chemistry experiment as you might get a 'reaction' you are not going to enjoy later down the line.  Keep it healthy, whole, pure and fresh.  Then, it is really quite hard to go wrong.

Josie.

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Love your body AND lose weight - Video Blog.

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Having Trouble Losing Weight?

Common Sense Weight Loss Tips

I have been working with weight loss and detoxification for the last three years in Koh Samui, Thailand.  The most common mindsets I see in weight loss goals are punishment, battle and deprivation.  I want to share with you some ideas that encourage you to work with your beautiful body instead of against it.

Start by focusing on your goal as one of health and vitality and then find ways of giving your body those gifts.  Do not focus on the deprivation of your favourite foods but the abundant choices available in the world of good nutrition!  Here are my five top tips for working with your body to achieve weight loss without the fight.

1. Increase your Intake of Essential Fatty Acids (omega 3 and 6). 

These good fats will create a permeable, high quality cell membrane and allow the release of unwanted stored fat.  The wrong type of fats will make the cells rigid and as a result weight loss will be more difficult.  The omega fats actually help to speed metabolism and create balance in the body.  A diet low in essential fatty acids is a dangerous one which can cause a lot of damage to our hormonal balance and may reduce our brain function and deplete energy levels.  For the right choice reach for avocados, nuts, seeds and oily fish.

2. Choose Regular Balanced Exercise.

It may feel beneficial to pound away in the gym until you almost pop, but our body appreciates balanced, regular exercise much more.  Over-exercising produces harmful free radicals which take a lot of nutritional support to rebalance.  Regular swimming, brisk walking and ‘fresh air filled’ bike rides are much more beneficial to the body than hurling yourself around the gym twice a week.

3. Reduce Portion Sizes and Simple Carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates turn to glucose in the bloodstream, choose slow release choices such as whole grains which will sustain you. Try to avoid simple carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta, cakes and biscuits which may spike your sugar levels and result in energy slumps.  Blood sugar must be kept stable to avoid cravings so aim to go for meals with good quality protein, essential fats and plenty of vegetables.   The portion size is also vital, overloading the digestive tract causes havoc with our body’s metabolism and gives us more energy than we could ever hope to use.  The result?  Stored fat.

4.  Cut Back on Alcohol and other Toxins.

Our bodies are going to function best when they are in a clean and vibrant state.  Trying to lose weight when your body is loaded with toxic waste is going to be hard.  Cutting back on smoking, drinking alcohol, sugary foods and chemical additives will get your body in a positive state to start reaching goals.  Don’t expect results if you are not treating your body with love and respect.

5. Aim to get Healthy and Weight Loss will Follow.

Our body responds well to reassurance, encouragement and happy thoughts.  If you focus on healing and regenerating with a well balanced, nutrient rich diet then weight loss will be an unavoidable by-product of this lifestyle.  Pushing, hating and punishing your body are mindsets which create a negative basis for any physical goal.


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Weight Loss Tips!

Check Out My Latest Guest Article on Weight Loss at:

http://www.tomcorsonknowles.com/blog/how-to-lose-weight-by-working-with-your-body/

What is gluten? Is gluten bad for you?

Gluten is a protein found in rye, wheat, barley and some of the other main grain and cereal food groups.  Gluten gives these food groups a gluey texture, the gluten present in bread is what makes it chewy.

Gluten can be found in wheat and cereal grains that contain gluten such as durum, spelt, and einkorn, as well as farro, graham, kamut, and semolina.  It can also be found as a thickener in soups, sauces and gravy.  Basically it is snuck into a lot of things that you would never be aware of unless you scoured the back of the packet.

Who should avoid gluten?

Some people can tolerate gluten with no severe or noticeable side effects, whereas others such as those with Celiac's disease must eliminate it completely.  Then, there are those of us in the middle who have a few digestive complaints or fatigue which they cannot seem to solve. 

If you have digestive complaints or health problems which are persistent and hard to treat then removing gluten from the diet with a food tolerance test is a good idea.  An elimination diet helps people to slowly refine their food choices and identify any aggravating foods which could be creating their problem. 

Anyone with a thyroid complaint or imbalance may particularly benefit from a gluten free diet, it is certainly worth eliminating it and seeing if there is an improvement.  For more information on this check out the fabulous coach Magdalena Wszelaki.  I am more than confident to recommend her personally to anyone with a thyroid imbalance http://thyroiddietcoach.com/blog/.

How to Test for Gluten Sensitivity

A challenge test for gluten involves excluding it from the diet and then slowly reintroducing it and monitoring its effects carefully to detect any kind of sensitivity.

For a two week period you should remove all gluten products or foods containing gluten/wheat from the diet completely.  You need to read the labels of all pre-packaged foods and sauces for traces of wheat/gluten.  Some sauces such as soy contain wheat and you will need to be aware of this for the test being a success.

During this two week period you should keep a food diary including any supplements and medications.  This will allow you to keep a record and detect any foods which may have contained wheat and at the same time increase your own awareness of food ingredients and labelling.

At the end of the two weeks introduce wheat very slowly, starting with something very small like a wheat cracker.  Wait for four days making a note of any reactions.  If there is a reaction, gluten should be excluded for 6 months, then tested again.  A slight reaction suggests it can be tolerated in small quantities.  If there is no reaction, a larger amount can be tested.  This type of test can be very beneficial to detect gluten intolerance.

If you think you may have problems digesting gluten, give this test a go.

What can you eat if you have a problem with gluten?

Grains and starch sources generally considered suitable for gluten-free diets include amaranth, arrowroot, millet, montina, lupin, quinoa, taro, teff, chia seed and yam.  Nut flours are often used instead of wheat in gluten-free products make with flour.

So, listen to your body, enjoy your life and take care of your health, you can do them all!

Josie

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Which foods to avoid?

I get so many questions from clients about which foods are 'good' and which are 'bad' and there seems to be an awful lot of confusion about what we should be eating to be vibrant and healthy.

Now I am afraid there is no exhaustive list of foods that are bad because the truth is that everybody is unique and their individual biochemistry determines which foods are going to be beneficial to their body or rob them of energy.

Humans have been fighting with food since the beginning of time.  Even natural foods which are health giving sometimes have toxic properties.  The food was designed to survive too, some seeds are highly toxic so humans will not chew them and they will get passed with the stools in a bush and the seeds will be sown (or more likely emptied down the toilet these days).

There are some naturally occuring proteins such as gluten found in wheat, spelt and rye that can be highly damaging to the thyroid gland and the digestive tract in certain individuals.  Dairy can be a big problem for some people, especially if they produce low levels of lactase, the enzyme which breaks down the milk sugar lactose.

SO, it really is a minefield, and that is why I suggest treating your body as a unique and wonderful machine which is alike to no other.  If you think a food is aggravating you then try an elimination diet and see if reintroducing it causes symptoms http://therealfoodcoach.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-can-i-test-for-wheat-intolerance.html.

Foods are not good or bad, they have reactions in the body and these can be negative or positive dependent on your body.  Most often the problem is people are having portions which exhaust the digestive tract and eating foods which are in unhelpful combinations to the body.

So here are list of foods which I am sure are not serving your health:


1. High Sugar Foods (refined white flour products/fizzy sweet drinks/sweets)

2. High Salt Foods (crisps, canned foods, ready meals, packed sandwiches, added salt)

3. High Saturated/trans/hydrogenated Fat (animal fats, dairy, fried foods, crisps, pies)

4. High Coffee/Tea (reduces nutrient absorption, dehydrates, stimulates stress hormones)

5. High Dairy Diet (often causes excess mucus, digestive problems and fatigue)


Notice that I say a 'high' intake can cause problems.  A balanced diet can have all of these in moderate amounts if it is controlled and there are no serious allergies.  It is never one cup of coffee with cake that causes the problem, but a habitual pattern that creates disaster.

So, listen to your body, enjoy your life and take care of your health, you can do them all!

Josie

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Is aspartame bad for you?

Aspartame is a sweetener that is often used in place of sugar in 'no sugar' or 'diet' food and beverages.  It was formulated in 1965 when it was discovered by accident by James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company, who was testing an anti-ulcer drug. 

It is about 200 times more sweet than sucrose, or table sugar and is used in diet fizzy drinks, 'no sugar' products and as a sweetener for you to add to your own tea and coffee.


But does it cause us damage? Have you ever heard that aspartame can make spaces in your brain? 

Research suggests that aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate and glutamate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate the neural cells to death. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx

Although even though this research exists some associations suggest it is. "one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved" and its safety is "clear cut" Henkel, John (November–December 1999). "Sugar Substitutes: Americans Opt for Sweetness and Lite". FDA Consumer. 

When regarding research it is always good to look at it with a critical eye and work out which researcher will have your best interests at heart. I will certainly not be consuming products containing aspartame.  Somewhere along the line someone made a mistake when they said it was ok to allow certain chemicals into our foods without sufficient research.  Often medicines or additives that have been used for years will suddenly be found to be highly damaging.  This is a such a wooly area which is riddled with financial motives and consumer confusion.

I feel that it is not a wise move for us to be adding artificial chemical compounds to our food when it is not necessary and possibly not safe. 

When it has reached the point that we are looking at consuming things even though they are possibly damaging to us, we need to pay attention.  If you are doing a 'weigh off' in your mind against weight gain and aspartame intake then it is time to really consider your diet and your views on health.  If you are craving sugar so much that it is worth the risk of causing potential damage to your body then reducing these cravings is a good place to start.

Make your choices based on what makes sense to you.  It makes sense to me to keep it natural.

Josie


Aspartame Food/Beverage List

Diet Coca Cola (all varieties) Coca Cola Zero (all varieties) Diet Pepsi (all varieties) Pepsi Max (all varieties) Diet Irn Bru (all varieties) Lilt Zero (all varieties) Sprite Zero (all varieties) Tango (all varieties) Tango no added sugar (all varieties) 7up Free (all varieties) Lucozade Sport (all varieties) Schweppes Slimline Drinks (all varieties) Fanta Zero (all varieties) Fanta Orange Dr Pepper Zero Oasis Summer Fruits Extra Light Oasis Citrus Punch	Soft Drink
Ribena Really light (all varieties) Robinsons Orange Squash Robinson’s No added sugar range	Cordial
Muller Light Cherry Muller Light Blueberry Muller Light Raspberry Muller Light Banana and Custard Danone Activia Cherry Weight Watchers Fromage Frais Weight Watchers Toffee and Vanilla	Yoghurt
Wrigleys Airwaves (all varieties) Wrigleys Orbit (all varieties) Wrigleys Extra (all varieties)	Chewing Gum
Uncle Ben’s Sweet and Sour Light	Cooking Sauce
Walkers Sensations Sweet Thai Chilli Walkers Sensations Lime and Thai Spices Walkers Prawn Cocktail	Crisps
Canderel Silver Spoon Sweetness and Light Silver Spoon Light Granulated Sugar	Tabletop Sweeteners
Cadburys Highlights (all varieties) Options Hot Chocolate Drink (all varieties) (http://supersweetblog.wordpress.com/list-of-products-containing-aspartame/)

Related Posts:

Controlling Sugar Cravings:

http://therealfoodcoach.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-to-sustain-your-energy-levels.html

Sugar More addictive than cocaine?

http://therealfoodcoach.blogspot.com/2012/01/sugar-more-addictive-than-cocaine.html

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