Good Nutrition vs. Junk Food -- Conclusion. by Kathy Castillo

In our earlier two blog posts on this topic we mentioned the disturbing and growing epidemic of childhood obesity in this country. We also suggested there would be less of a tendency for our children to binge on junk food if we provide better nutrition for them.

In this article we will conclude with some suggestions on gaining better nutrition for our children.

A child who has a regular intake of nutritious food will be energetic, alert, and will not be prone to frequent hunger pangs. A child who gorges on junk food is likely to be lethargic and unfit. A wholesome diet will make a child feel full longer and keep that child healthy.

But, of course, we don't live in a perfect world. Most of the children are eating fast food and junk food that does not supply essential nutrients like vitamins. Consequently, many children today are in poor heath. A balanced diet is missing from their lives, and as a result, their bodies are more vulnerable to diseases.

Vitamin supplements help fill in the gaps in nutrition. They ensure that a child will not miss any vitamin that has inadvertently been left out of the diet. Vitamin supplement also help manage the picky eating habits of children. For example, a child who does not like fruits and vegetables may not be getting enough vitamin C; supplements help with that situation.

Shereen Jegtvig, a Certified Nutrition Specialist located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, agrees with the value of vitamin supplements. She says that problems like leg cramps and the common cold could be prevented by using vitamin supplements. In addition, many children consume a lot of sugar and starch. According to Jegtvig, these supplements help in the healthy metabolism of sugar.

Supplements also help manage fatigue and headaches. The use of such supplements ensures that your child will participate in activities with enthusiasm and vigor.

Junk food consumption plays a major role in making children obese. It is a cycle because obesity tends to cause children to withdraw socially and from physical activity. Overall, it lowers a child's confidence level.

To provide high quality vitamins to help meet your child's nutritional needs consider looking into a multivitamin called EssentiaLean™. EssentiaLean™ is considered a powerful vitamin that is able to help counter obesity in children by providing high quality vitamins. This can help contribute more positively to their overall health. Taking EssentiaLean™ regularly will go a long way toward ensuring that your children are happy and active throughout the day. EssentiaLean™ is available on Amazon or The Health and Fitness BODeStore.com.

New, Updated Version of the Raw Food “Bible” Links Diet and Self Improvement

LOS ANGELES, March 29, 2006 -- Eight years have passed since the first edition of David Wolfe’s groundbreaking book The Sunfood Diet Success System, considered by many to be the “bible” of the raw food movement. In this fully updated and expanded version, Wolfe offers 36 key lessons on longevity, abundance and life transformation – all rooted in popular notion that “we are what we eat.”

Combining elements from ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, macrobiotics and other practical systems, The Sunfood Diet describes exactly how to adopt, maintain, and stay centered on an 80, 90, or 100% raw food diet by balancing the three food classes that make up “The Sunfood Triangle” – green, leafy vegetables, sweet fruits and fatty plant foods.

Inspired by the legacy of Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale and others, Wolfe incorporates our relationship with food as a key element in the art and science of achievement. The Sunfood Diet brings organic and raw food to a new generation. Emphasizing a direct link between diet and success, Wolfe explains the importance of making consistently healthy food choices in order to help attain success in life.

“What we eat radically affects the way we feel and behave,” says Wolfe. “By improving your food choices, you will dramatically improve the foundation upon which your life is built.”

Each lesson in the book offers practical advice on how to achieve superior health – both physically and spiritually – and contains thought-provoking action steps to help readers attain their goals. Complete with weekly menus and delicious, healthy recipes, The Sunfood Diet is an essential guide to the way in which food can help us live a healthier, happier life. In the book, readers will learn:

- Rapid-results remedies for specific food-related issues including energy levels, stress, health conditions (colds/flu, headaches, upset stomach, hangovers), and depression
- Three easy steps to slowly transition to the Sunfood Diet: detoxification, rejuvenation and refinement
- Specific guidelines for combining foods
- New insights into the mind/body/spirit connection
- The importance of goal setting and keeping a journal

About the Author:
David Wolfe is a world-renowned authority on raw food nutrition – a lifestyle and diet that has swept through Hollywood and far beyond. Author of the powerful and hugely popular books Naked Chocolate and Eating for Beauty, Wolfe is one of the most sought after health and personal success speakers in the world today. Over the past ten years, he has hosted more than 1000 lectures and raw food retreats in the United States, Canada, Europe, the South Pacific and Central and South America. Wolfe, often called the “father of the raw food movement,” has provided commentary for numerous media outlets

Medical Anthropologist Offers a New Cultural Diet to Fight the Obesity Epidemic for African Americans

Providing a cultural and comprehensive analysis of African American food preferences, medical anthropologist Eric Bailey shows us how African Americans generally perceive health, body image, food, dieting, physical fitness and exercise and how each of these factors play a significant role in his new "cultural diet" plan for African Americans.

Greenville, NC April 5, 2006 -- In his new book (scheduled to be released on May 30, 2006) titled, "Food Choice and Obesity in Black America: An Anthropologist Offers a New Cultural Diet," medical anthropologist Eric Bailey shows us how African Americans generally perceive health, body image, food, dieting, physical fitness and exercise. Like the majority of Americans overall, African Americans are becoming more overweight and obese than ever before. So, too, they are seeing the consequences -- heart attacks, strokes, hypertension, and Type II diabetes at earlier and earlier ages. Bailey offers a new "cultural" diet for African Americans and a way to work together collectively to not only understand this critical health issue but also to establish a lifestyle strategy that will be both effective and manageable.

This book will interest not only general readers but also students and scholars in health and medicine, psychology and health psychology, nursing, social work and public health. Views from celebrity African Americans who have fought battles against their weight, a review of soul food cookbooks and the cultural history of African American cuisine, and a critique of the lack of corporate America's marketing of health and fitness programs and items to the African American community are spotlighted. Research on African American culture, diet and body image is presented. The book also includes an overview of federally funded diet and fitness programs for African Americans that have seen some success.

Does Yoga Really Improve Over All Health?

Interest in Yoga for fitness is increasing across the country and as a result, www.bodyhealthsoul.com, a health and wellness site now offers its core e-book titled “Fitness: Inside & Out”, which is a lifestyle changing program that enables health seekers to find new methods of improving fitness. With its use of Yoga, body-weight exercises and a proper diet, this e-book will prove to be a useful guide to better health.

Los Angeles, CA - April 5, 2006 -- It is a widely accepted fact that Yoga is great for the body. What was once ridiculed as a bizarre fad is today recognized as a basic skill that many people have embraced as a way of life and a first-rate choice for physical and mental fitness.

Having learned the value of this intriguing study, independent health researcher and yoga practitioner, Foras Aje, now offers an e-book titled “Fitness: Inside & Out” which expands on the many benefits, styles and techniques of Yoga, its exclusive use or a wise combination with aerobic and anaerobic exercises for a total body workout. Interested parties can view the e-book at his site www.bodyhealthsoul.com

Upon closer inspection, Aje’s e-book: “Fitness: Inside & Out” appears to be a program that combines conventional exercises with Yogic principles consisting of focused, intentional breathing, prolonged muscular contractions known as poses or ‘asanas’ in Yoga practice and a healthy diet all aimed at increasing strength, flexibility, delayed aging and improved health.

Nonetheless, in spite of its immense popularity, some big misconceptions of Yoga still exist, for example, some people believe that it is too hard and takes too long to perform or that it is basically an exercise for women, considering its appearance of being basically a stretching exercise. Consequently, Aje debunks each of these falsehoods and shows that even with the practice of its core warm-up routine alone, Yoga can be easily practiced in about 10 minutes a day or more as desired.

As far as Yoga being just a ‘female’ exercise: “Nothing could be further from the truth” Aje says, “Just ask Phil Jackson who brought his Yoga philosophy to the Los Angeles Lakers and in June of 2000 led the team to their first championship in 12 years, needless to say, similar methods were used in the coaching of the Chicago Bulls during their successful tenure as NBA champions under Jackson’s guidance, so no, Yoga is not just for ladies, it is for everyone.”

Through his website and e-book, “Fitness: Inside & Out”, Aje aims to assist readers in finding new methods to improving health and overall fitness by making small but necessary lifestyle changes to get lasting results. With Yoga as a tool, he believes the fitness-minded will be able to achieve just that.

About Body - Health - Soul:

Launched in November 2005, Bodyhealthsoul.com is a website providing comprehensive information towards the improvement of overall health.

Good Nutrition vs. Junk Food Part 2. by Kathy Castillo

In our first post in this series we discussed the challenges and importance of good balanced nutrition in our youngsters. In this post we will explore this issue further.

A child who has a regular intake of nutritious food will be energetic, alert, and will not be prone to frequent hunger pangs. A child who gorges on junk food is likely to be lethargic and unfit. A wholesome diet will make a child feel full longer and keep that child healthy.

But, of course, we don't live in a perfect world. Most of the children are eating fast food and junk food that does not supply essential nutrients like vitamins. Consequently, many children today are in poor heath. A balanced diet is missing from their lives, and as a result, their bodies are more vulnerable to diseases.

Vitamin supplements help fill in the gaps in nutrition. They ensure that a child will not miss any vitamin that has inadvertently been left out of the diet. Vitamin supplement also help manage the picky eating habits of children. For example, a child who does not like fruits and vegetables may not be getting enough vitamin C; supplements help with that situation.

Shereen Jegtvig, a Certified Nutrition Specialist located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, agrees with the value of vitamin supplements. She says that problems like leg cramps and the common cold could be prevented by using vitamin supplements. In addition, many children consume a lot of sugar and starch. According to Jegtvig, these supplements help in the healthy metabolism of sugar.

In our next post in this series we will examine more problems good nutrition can help solve in our children.

ARTHRITIS SELF-MANAGEMENT STUDY SEEKS AFRICAN AMERICAN PARTICIPANTS

Chapel Hill, NC (BlackNews.com) - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Stanford University are actively recruiting African American adults for a study of the self-management of arthritis, gout, and chronic joint pain.

The study is designed to learn whether a Tool Kit sent through the mail is effective in helping people with arthritis manage their disease and live a better life. The Tool Kit contains The Arthritis Helpbook, tip sheets, an exercise workbook, a self-assessment tool, and CDs.

Participants can study materials at home at their own pace. The materials are free and participants may keep them.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the Tool Kits, participants will be asked to complete several questionnaires. All postage is paid by the study and there is no cost to participate.

To enroll, call The University of North Carolina toll-free at 1-877-668-0682. Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hoodia on Ebay...The Good the Bad and the Down Right Ugly

April 1, 2006 -- If one wants to see the full spectrum of what Hoodia marketing madness is all about, all that need be done is to read though the listings for the Hoodia products on Ebay. There is virtually every "con" in the book represented there. There are some legitimately good deals, and even some exceptional products on Ebay. In an effort to help others avoid plowing though a plethora of nonsense to find them, here are some "tip offs" that can save a lot of time, when sifting though the 1400 Hoodia listings that one can find on any given day, at the marketplace to the world.

One of the more obvious "cons" on Ebay, is the guy selling the 20:1 "extract", then misleading the already confused and ill informed consumer, with claims that his product is 20 times MORE potent than it is. These products are often very low dosage, but claim to contain large amounts of pure Hoodia. For example, the manufacturer will advertise that their product is 1200 mgs strong, when the label's fine print reads, 60 mgs 20:1 extract. They use the 20:1 ratio to rationalize the obvious discrepancy in the advertising. After all, it isn't a hard "sell". The consumer is easily convinced. He is delighted to find he can this great "deal" and credits Ebay.

A brand called Dytrexil is guilty of this, as is a product called Hoodia Elite 2000. The name alone is misleading. Anyone would assume that a product with "2000" in the name, would have 2000 mgs of Hoodia in it. Even though it has only 100 mgs of extract per tablet, and the recommended use is 1 per day, (which is not enough to suppress the appetite of a mouse) they are selling this to uninformed consumers. Believe it or not, these are big sellers on Ebay.

Another place for easy prey, is in the "per serving" fine print. The advertisement will read as if the consumer will get a large dosage of Hoodia with a product. The consumer is happy to order, thinking what good deal he has just found. When the item is received in the mail, and can be inspected more closely, it becomes apparent, that the large dosage is achievable only with a large number of tablets. This is a common error people make when buying supplements of any kind. Always check to see how many capsules or tablets are in a "serving". The label may read 1200 mgs "per serving", but the real question is, how many tablets does it take to get that "serving". On Ebay, where sellers are responsible for their own listings or advertisements, it is up to the buyer to take the initiative to look for this information before buying. If there is no clear statement of this information, email the seller, or skip it all together. Large doses (1000 +) are obtained with multiple caps or tablets.

Then there is the Hoodia Patch. Can a patch that claims to have but 500 mgs of Hoodia Gordonii (the technology for trans-dermal delivery of ingredients is expensive) really work. These patches sell for about 20.00. The oral dosage of Hoodia is upwards of 750 mgs per day. Usually, the average is 1500 mgs spaced out over the day in divided doses. The effectiveness of these patches is questionable at best. The San Tribes of South African did not use "patches". They used the Hoodia plant as a food stuff.

Ah yes, not to be overlooked is the "whole plant" deception. Many manufacturers proudly advertise that their products contain 100% WHOLE Hoodia plant . Well, this sounds good to the uniformed consumer. Whole is usually a good thing, except when talking about Hoodia gordonii supplements. The outer skin, spines, flowers, roots and a lot of excess water do NOT contain any P57, and therefore should be removed before drying and manufacturing into supplements for the highest quality and potency. The inner "core" or heart of the stems is the only part that contains active ingredients.

It can take up to 20 lbs of raw whole Hoodia to make 1 lb of dried Hoodia "core" powder. This process is best referred to as concentration. The existence of true extracts is questionable as Phytopharm Pharmaceuticals hold the patent on the extract. The supplement that is closest to the way the San Tribe used it, is one made from the "core" of the aerial parts. They peeled the Hoodia stems and ate only the heart of the plant. So, look for a product that is dried, powdered Hoodia "core". There are a few of these on Ebay, also sold on the Internet, that fit this description. Hoodia Diet Sense is one them and one of the best deals on Ebay. Reasonably priced and marketed by a reputable company, Advanced Dietary Formulas. Search for it by name on Ebay or the Internet at www.hoodia-gordonii-750.com.

What is hard to understand, is that there is plenty of reliable information about Hoodia, on the Internet now. There is also plenty of warnings about the Hoodia scams. What's bad is, the consumers, are sometimes paying MORE for the worthless products than real dried Hoodia "core" powder products. How is it, that there are people willing to spend their money on these worthless products. It must be, that there still needs to be more consumer education done. Always read the fine print and Happy Bidding.

Good Nutrition vs. Junk Food Part 1. by Kathy Castillo

How Good Nutrition Helps Diminish Children's Junk Food Cravings

"Hey mom, I'm hungry!"
"Ok, you can have a candy bar."

This conversation takes place in households everywhere. But most parents do not realize the harm they are doing when they offer their children fast food.

In childhood, children develop habits that last a lifetime. A habit of eating fast food is something that may harm our young loved ones.

Adolescents in particular are vulnerable to junk food. This makes it even more difficult for parents to provide their children with fresh, healthy food. Despite the challenges of that stage of life, parents should encourage their children to have a balanced diet and to get a lot of exercise.

A child used to consuming junk food is susceptible to several diseases. Diabetes and obesity are just two of a long list of disorders that cause serious health problems for children who lack good nutrition and healthy habits.

We will delve further into this subject in our next post.