Indigestion much?

So, I was doing some homework reading from a functional approach to clinical nutrition textbook and the subject was about digestion.  Now, a couple of things really caught my attention about digestion in the stomach and I thought I'd share those discoveries :D

There's a condition called hypochlorhydria which is when there's not enough gastric acid being secreted by the stomach walls.  This is a condition that is oftentimes overlooked by medical professionals and could be a underlying factor in many digestive and full body issues.  Full body, you say?  Yes - read on.

Considering the typical diet of the majority of  the U.S. (high fat, excess calories, animal-based), the expectation would be that this condition would not be as typical as it is especially since eating a lot of high-fat foods at one meal normally encourages oversecretion of gastric acid.  So why is it a lot more prevalent than expected?

Well, there's a little story that starts back in the 1970s when some researchers discovered H2 histamine receptor sites in the nervous system as the "managers" of gastric acid secretion.  Then, by the miracle of medical technology, the (then) prescription medicines Tagamet and Zantac were developed and showered upon the world to ease the symptoms of indigestion, etc.  Since the 70s, those two blockers have become even more readily available as over-the-counter medications.  There are now others that have reached the prescription and OTC market, including proton pump inhibitors (aka PPIs or as some of you would recognize better - Prilosec, Prevacid, etc.).  People have increased the use of these blockers since the 70s as our foods have also changed.  The consumption of fatty foods and meats have risen as well as the amounts of processed and sugary foods.  These increase gastric acid secretion, cause problems like chronic acid reflux or heartburn, and so people take H2 blockers or PPIs to help with the problem.  So, guess what happens??  Go on, really...guess...

The answer is: instead of changing their diet to change the gastric acid production they've added a drug that decreases that gastric acid production.  Decreasing the stomach digestive acid is now another problem called hypochlorhydria.

Ah, and remember in the beginning of this post I said that this condition may be an underlying factor in digestive and other full body issues?  Well, here's the full body association. There is research suggesting that this condition (hypochlorhydria) may influence the development of the following:

• Food allergies
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Acne rosacea
• Asthma

Yes, certain types of hypochlorhydria involve stomach lining cell antibodies that have distinct autoimmune components causing some of the "on-the-rise" issues above. (I really don't remember EVER meeting a kid when I was growing up that had a nut allergy, do you?)

But, wait!  That's not all!  This condition can also affect the rest of the GI tract and digestion because it changes the pH values which allows for bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.  Which goes on to affect and compromise nutrient digestion and absorption like that of the very important B-vitamins, iron, and calcium.

Yeah, in the long run, isn't it just better to find a doctor & a dietitian who will work with you to find what is causing your indigestion symptoms by removing foods and adding them back in slowly to find the trigger food than just taking the "fast and easy" road of popping a pill that may in fact cause your body even more harm?  Well, I think so, at least.

If you're curious about the common signs and symptoms of low gastric activity:

• Bloating, belching, burning, & flatulence immediately after meals
• Chronic candidal infections (aka yeast infections)
• Chronic intestinal parasites or abnormal flora
• Dilated capillaries in the cheeks & nose (in non-alcoholics)
• Indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation (chronic)
• Iron deficiency
• Multiple food allergies
• Nausea after taking supplements
• Post-adolescent acne
• Sense of "fullness" after eating (unless you have overeaten for real)
• Undigested food in stool
• Weak, peeling, & cracked fingernails

If you have a few of these, you may want to talk to your doctor about checking for low gastric activity.

As for all the diseases they have associated (not hard linked but associated) with low gastric activity:

Acne rosacea

Addison's disease

Asthma

Celiac disease

Chronic auto-immune disorders

Chronic urticaria

Dermatitis herpetiformis

Diabetes mellitus

Eczema

Gallbladder disease

Graves disease

Hepatitis

Hyper- & hypothyroidism

Lupus erythematosus

Myasthenia gravis

Osteoporosis

Pernicious anemia

Psoriasis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Sjogren's syndrome

Thyrotoxicosis

Vitiligo

If you have any of these and your doctor hasn't looked at low gastric acidity as an underlying cause, you may want to discuss the possibility with them because it is your body and there are many things you can do to reverse the acidity issue and bring it back to normal.  

The body is always healing itself and I believe we can help it or deter it by the food we feed it.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them below and I will try to answer them as soon as I can...Eat Well to be Well!


All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying.  
 

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Protein - How Much Do You Really Need

Think you know about how much protein you need in your diet?  Maybe you do and maybe you don't...either way, check out what the USDA guidelines are (of course, if you're an athlete you get to have a bit more):

How much food from the Protein Foods Group is needed daily?

The amount of food from the Protein Foods Group you need to eat depends on age, sex, and level of physical activity. Most Americans eat enough food from this group, but need to make leaner and more varied selections of these foods. Recommended daily amounts are shown in the chart.  

Daily recommendation*
Children		2-3 years old		2 ounce equivalents**
		4-8 years old		4 ounce equivalents**
Girls		9-13 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
		14-18 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
Boys		9-13 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
		14-18 years old		6 ½ ounce equivalents**
Women		19-30 years old		5 ½ ounce equivalents**
		31-50 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
		51+ years old		5 ounce equivalents**
Men		19-30 years old		6 ½ ounce equivalents**
		31-50 years old		6 ounce equivalents**
		51+ years old		5 ½ ounce equivalents**

*These amounts are appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs. 

What counts as an ounce equivalent in the Protein Foods Group?

In general, 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, ¼ cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut 
butter, or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the Protein 
Foods Group. 

The chart lists specific amounts that count as 1 ounce equivalent in the Protein Foods Group 
towards your daily recommended intake: 

		Amount that counts as 1 ounce equivalent in the Protein Foods Group		Common portions and ounce equivalents
Meats		1 ounce cooked lean beef		1 small steak (eye of round, filet) = 3½ to 4 ounce equivalents
		1 ounce cooked lean pork or ham		1 small lean hamburger =  2 to 3 ounce equivalents
Poultry		1 ounce cooked chicken or turkey,  without skin		1 small chicken breast half =  3 ounce equivalents
		1 sandwich slice of turkey  (4 ½ x 2 ½ x 1/8”)		½ Cornish game hen =  4 ounce equivalents
Seafood		1 ounce cooked fish or shell fish		1 can of tuna, drained =  3 to 4 ounce equivalents 1 salmon steak =  4 to 6 ounce equivalents 1 small trout = 3 ounce equivalents
Eggs		1 egg		3 egg whites = 2 ounce equivalents 3 egg yolks = 1 ounce equivalent
Nuts and seeds		½ ounce of nuts (12 almonds, 24 pistachios, 7 walnut halves) ½ ounce of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower or squash seeds, hulled, roasted) 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter		1 ounce of nuts or seeds =  2 ounce equivalents
Beans and peas		¼ cup of cooked beans (such as black, kidney, pinto, or white beans)  ¼ cup of cooked peas (such as chickpeas, cowpeas, lentils, or split peas) ¼ cup of baked beans, refried beans		1 cup split pea soup =  2 ounce equivalents 1 cup lentil soup =  2 ounce equivalents 1 cup bean soup =  2 ounce equivalents
		¼ cup (about 2 ounces) of tofu 1 oz. tempeh, cooked ¼ cup roasted soybeans 1 falafel patty  (2 ¼”, 4 oz) 2 Tablespoons hummus		1 soy or bean burger patty =  2 ounce equivalents

NOTE: 1 Ounce = 28.3495231 Grams

The only thing that I don't like about this chart is that they haven't listed any fruits or vegetables and, face it, protein is a building block - every living thing has protein.  So, when you're counting protein intake, don't forget to take fruits and vegetables into consideration as well.

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RECIPE - Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake (low cal)

... I know I still need the 2nd half of my blog regarding how to read labels and I'm hoping I can get it done today or tomorrow...but, in the meantime, thought I'd share a recipe for a vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake that I tweaked yesterday and it turned out really yummy!  Here it is (if you make it, let me know how you like it):

(NOTE: If you'd like more detailed nutrient information, go to the USDA food tracker website at https://www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker/foodapedia.aspx )

Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Servings: 12
Calories per serving: 236

INGREDIENTS
For the topping:
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
4 fresh, sweet cherries (you can use the frozen ones as long as no sugar has been added), sliced in half
6 slices of fresh pineapple

For the cake:
1 cup of coconut palm sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp egg replacer (like Ener-G brand)
1/4 cup water
1 cup crushed pineapple (with juice drained & reserved)
1 cup reserved pineapple juice (plus more pineapple juice if not enough to make 1 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1) Preheat the oven to 375degrees F and spray a bundt cake pan with canola or coconut cooking spray.
2) Place the pineapple slices and the sliced cherries at the bottom of the bundt pan.
3) Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of coconut palm sugar over the fruit (make sure to use all of it).
4) In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients for the cake.  Then add all the wet ingredients and blend well.
5) Slowly pour the mixture over the fruit & sugar in the bundt pan.
6) Put it into the oven and bake for about 50-55 minutes, checking the doneness with a toothpick (FYI -toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean if baked thoroughly)
7) Immediately invert onto a heat-proof plate and let cool off.

Enjoy!!

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Food Labels and Healthier Choices (Part 1 of 2)

When you look at a food label, what do you see?  What do you actually look for?  I'm pretty label scrutinous when I'm grocery shopping but then again, I'm paranoid (to a degree) about what the big food companies and the USDA considers to be food or safe to consume as food.  So, if you're interested, I thought I'd share my method of label scrutiny.  Because of the amount of information on those "pesky" panels of nutrient/ingredient information, I've decided to make this a two-part blog with this first part concentrating on the nutrition part of the labels.  Part two will focus on understanding ingredients and what they could mean to your health.

First, about fresh fruits and vegetables -- I know, I know, there's no labels but there's a few rules I follow when I'm buying these.  These are:

1. Try to buy locally grown;
2. Whether local or not, try to buy organically grown, especially if it's something that grows close to the ground or that we'll be consuming the skin---pesticides will soak into the entire fruit or vegetable but tend to concentrate more in the skin...just in case you didn't know  (There was a case study done with chimpanzees and bananas...organically grown bananas and conventionally grown bananas were given to the chimps at the same time for many days--each day, the chimps would first choose the organic bananas and eat them with the skin but would leave the conventional bananas until much later in the day when they were fairly desperate...interestingly enough, they DIDN'T eat the skins of the conventionally grown bananas--just saying that the chimps may be smarter than we are or at least better "smellers");
3. If you can't find fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally or within a short distance of where you live, your better choice (if applicable) is the frozen variety because the produce is frozen very soon after being picked, ensuring that nutrients are held in "limbo" instead of depleting via oxidation;
4. GMOs (Genetically Modified) produce - steer clear!  This is a HOT, HOT, HOT topic right now, with Monsanto being one of the most evil corporations behind these.  (If you don't know the deal with GMOs, do your research and learn about the physiological functions of our bodies and what our bodies can recognize as nutrients.)

Okay, now on to real labels!  Let's start by looking at a nutrition label (one of my fave cereals from Kashi, BTW):

1) On the first line, you'll see the serving size that this nutritional information is really for, which is 27 biscuits (pieces) that are about 55g or 1.9oz in weight total (27 biscuits=55g or 1.9oz).
2) The 2nd line is how many of those servings (approximately) should be in the ENTIRE box (about 9 is the amount for this example)

So, per the serving of 27 biscuits/pieces (equivalent to 55g or 1.9oz) the following is the nutrient information (without milk or milk-like products, BTW):

1) Total Calories - 190 ... of those 190 calories, 10 of those calories are derived from some type of fat. Easy, right?

2) Speaking of fat...
     The TOTAL fat is 1g, but then we learn that that 1g of fat IS NOT a trans fat nor a saturated fat, which is good because those are the TWO worst fats that we can have (unless you want heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc. that is)! So, by omission, we learn that the 1g of fat is probably a monounsaturated or a polyunsaturated fat (good fats but even these should be kept low but not removed because we need fats with certain foods to induce bioavailability of certain nutrients - FYI).
    Also, notice the right furthest column (under the category % Daily Value) - there's a number there that tells us that this fat intake is about 2% of our DAILY RECOMMENDED FAT INTAKE. If I ate this whole box of cereal in one day, I would have met 18% of my daily recommended fat intake for that day just with this box of cereal.  (IMPORTANT NOTE: the Daily Value amounts are based on a 2000 calorie diet and your needs might be different depending on how many calories your body needs to function, such as an endurance athlete might have a higher calorie need to do what she/he does.)

3) Then we see cholesterol amounts (which the closer to zero, the better, since our bodies are capable of making cholesterol, but shouldn't exceed a total of 200mg daily).

4)  Here comes another big player - SODIUM! This cereal's not bad at only 5mg per serving (not even making a dent in the %Daily Value amount.
     FYI, the ADEQUATE daily intake of sodium is as follows:
          >1500mg for 19-50 year olds
            > 1300mg for 51-70 year olds
            > 1200mg for over 70 year olds
      The maximum daily intake should not exceed 2300mg (Hint: 1tsp of salt is approximately equally to 2000mg of sodium).  Most processed foods have a very large amount of sodium content and, sometimes, things that we don't think taste salty have significant amounts of sodium.  Too much sodium in our daily diets can contribute to hypertension (high blood pressure) and loss of calcium. (Yep, I said "loss of calcium".)
     People who are "salt sensitive" and should avoid excessive intake of sodium are:
        - Those with parents who had high blood pressure (or those who HAVE high blood pressure)
        - Those with chronic kidney disease
        - Those with diabetes
        - African Americans
        - People over the age of 50
        - Those who are overweight
       
5) Potassium is sodium's arch nemesis, sort of.  So why is potassium important against sodium? It seems to prevent calcium excretion that are a response to high sodium intakes.  Funny thing is, most processed/refined foods change during the processing with potassium levels are significantly decreased while sodium levels rise.  Chalk up another reason to AVOID processed foods!  Here's a table showing you what I mean:

6) Total Carbohydrates - you know, I'm so tired of the bum wrap carbs have gotten these days!  These little energy powerhouses are a needed nutrient, just not in the Twinkie or slice of cake form :-D  Making sure that most of your carbohydrate intake is coming from fiber, such as whole grains, vegetables, & fruits, is a good rule .
     Fiber content, again, is important.  But if you're asking, "what's the difference between soluble & insoluble fiber", well, I'm going to tell you.  Soluble fiber is the one that becomes dis-sol-ved in your digestive fluids and transforms into a gel-like substance that may trap some other nutrients to make them less absorbable, including fats and sugars though you still get the calories from them (bummer)...this is the protective fiber that helps protect us from heart disease.  Insoluble fiber is the opposite and DOESN'T dissolve -- it's the bulk fiber that...well...helps going to the bathroom get going better...got it?
     As for sugars, the amount on the nutrition label is for ALL sugars - whether it's added or naturally occurring.  To check to see if there's added sugar, that's where reading the ingredient list will come in handy (upcoming in part 2).  Personally, I really wish they would break this down to "Naturally Occurring" and "Added" categories because I do believe our bodies break these down differently. For the most part, I try to limit "added" sugars to 18g/daily and I don't count the fruits and vegetables that I eat.

7) Last, but not least in any way, is protein.  On average, if you're over the age of 18, the recommended daily amount for protein is approximately is 5oz if you're female and 6oz if you're male (unless you're a bodybuilder or lift heavy weights or there's another reason why you should increase your protein intake) - THAT'S IT!  So going to a steakhouse and eating a 6oz steak (if you're a guy) and you're done with protein for that whole day...Americans tend to overdo the protein idea, just saying.  Overdoing it with protein starts a whole other story for later ;-)  Just realize that we don't need as much protein as the fads (and food manufacturers, including restaurants) have lead people to believe.
     One last thing on protein - make sure you get different types of proteins from different sources!  Variety, in food especially, is definitely the spice of life (and health)!

8) Now we're going below the line! It's about the vitamin content of the food.  Basically, these numbers are the percentages based on the Daily Value numbers.  So, for example, the iron per serving in this cereal is 8% of the daily recommended amount of total iron we need.

9) The next section is just a reminder of the Daily Values (total amounts per day) with certain nutrients for a 2000 calorie diet and a 2500 calorie diet.  It shows that, if you are on a 2000 calorie diet, your fat intake should not exceed 65g or 20g of saturated fat in a day.  If you were on a 2500 calorie diet, those numbers would change to 80g and 25g.

10) And, the final thing on this part - how many calories are in a gram of fat?  How about a gram of carbohydrate?  And protein?  Basically, 1 fat gram=9 calories, 1 carbohydrate gram=4 calories, and 1 gram of protein=4 calories...it's there, to help you make better choices and realize that one stands out as our biggest caloric enemy...

And just for giggles, I'm putting another nutrition label for a popular kids' cereal...this is one of my daughters' favorite cereals and I can't get them to stop eating it :(  See if you can spot the nutritional differences:

Part two of this blog (how to understand ingredient lists) ... I'll try to have it up by the end of the next week (Feb. 25, 2012)  For now, want more information on nutrition labels or recommended daily amounts?  Visit the USDA website at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying.  
   

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Elixir of Life - Water

If I asked you how much water you drink/intake on a daily basis, would you know?  Do you know that your body can access water from your cells if you don't get enough from your intake (which does include water from some foods like fruits and vegetables which have a high water content)?  Ever go give blood and find it very painful or even difficult to fill a vial?  That's because the water content of your body may be too low causing your blood to become "thicker" (more concentrated).  Water is needed for EVERY cell of our bodies - inside, outside, and in-between!  It's used in so many metabolic functions as a carrier or even as a garbage collector (removing metabolic by-products); it's used in lubricating/cushioning our joints, and helps maintain our body temperature.  If you don't have enough, you can suffer from heartburn, stomach pains, muscle pains, headaches, mental fogginess, water retention, etc.!  Plus, you NEED water to remove water retention!! Yet, we make it so difficult for our body to use this nutrient because we may not be getting enough of it.

The overall rule has been to drink AT LEAST 8 cups of water daily, right?  Did you know that's the average of intake for a normal, healthy person?  If you're overweight or active or leave in a dry climate or have caffeine, that amount might change.  If any of you have ever watched "The Biggest Loser", you always hear them pushing the "drink more water" thing - well, that's because water is needed to metabolize your fat stores!  If you don't get enough water, your body is going to use what it has based on priority functions and fat metabolism isn't one of them.

Guess what?  By the time your mouth is dry, you're already on your way to dehydration. Why?  Here's why...let's use this scenario: First thing this morning, you had your cup of coffee (caffeine induces excretion of water), maybe some cereal with milk (milk has water that the body has to process out).  Off to work you go - maybe you have a long commute and you bring along a travel mug of coffee or tea (more caffeine).  Now you're at work and your mouth is dry so you grab a 16oz bottle of water (good but not enough).  Let's stop here.  If we were to see what's going on inside the person in this example, they were fasting all night so the body was using what water it had stored up but then they didn't really give it substantial replacement first thing...slowly, the body slows certain functions and by the time the person gets to work and is thirsty, the blood has "thickened" which sends the information via the nervous system to the hypothalamus (brain) that water balance (input=output) is off and it needs water NOW!!  The hypothalamus then sends the message along to cause their mouth to get dry.

"Oh but if I drink TOO much water, I can die!"  I've heard this one so many times - people, that is a rare occurrence and preventable!  You would have to drink around 10-12 liters of water within a few hours to have this occur (condition known as hyponatremia).  Those that should worry about getting "water intoxification" are those with kidney disorders that reduce urine production or people that can't keep track of amounts (such as children).

So what's the formula to figure out how much water you should drink?  The Adequate Intake amount is if you burn 2000 Kcalories a day, you should intake about 2-3liters daily (that's 8-12 cups), and that includes water from food sources as well.  But, here's a general rule formula: Drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces - If you're sedentary, make it 50% of your body weight in ounces and if you're active, make it 75%...and if you're in-between, well make your number be in-between!  Now add about 16oz more if you live in a dry climate area.  Plus, on the days you do strenuous exercise, add about another 16oz.

It's pretty straightforward and so rewarding!  Your body will thank you in so many pleasant ways :D



All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying. 

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Anemia...What May be Underlying.

If you can't figure out why you're always anemic, especially since you've changed your diet and take your iron supplements, it may not be an iron intake issue but your inability to absorb vitamin B12.

Yes, there are ties between anemia and vitamin B12.  I know that I've blogged about the wonders of vitamin B12 but I think this is also an important thing to know, especially if you (or someone you know) has ever developed atrophic gastritis (it's the last checkpoint of chronic inflammation of the stomach lining which is mostly attributed to infection with H.pylori) and has been iron deficient often.

If this is the case, vitamin B12 can't be absorbed effectively, leading to a deficiency in B12 which leads to a deficiency in the production of red blood cells.  Vitamin B12 is a very important component in the production of red blood cells.  This type of anemia is called pernicious anemia and can happen at any age but if you're over the age of 50, you have a higher chance of developing it.

What's the solution? There is a B12 injection as well as a nasal spray that cuts out the middle man, so to speak.  Have your levels checked for all of your vitamin & mineral levels - that's something I learned from a very knowledgeable neurologist!

If you want to read more about pernicious anemia, you can click here for the National Health Institute's information.  

All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying.  

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February's Goal is...

...to learn more patience and loosen my death grip on trying to control so many things in my life!  Specifically, patience with situations more than anything else.  I feel like I'm always in a hurry to get to the next step and when that step gets pulled away from me or when steps are added in-between, I have a difficult time dealing with it.  Guess that's also a control thing too so I think I need to be more patient about getting (or not getting) the things I want or think I need and let go of those things that are out of my true control (yet, be able to recognize those things that I can control and do so).

Last month's goal was to learn Mandarin Chinese with the Rosetta Stone software...I did the lessons up until I got the flu---I haven't had the flu since I was a kid and it knocked me on my butt!!  I was out of sorts for a good week, then completely wiped out for another week!  Suffice it to say that I am not even close to being able to carry on a simple conversation ---- yet... I will be trying it again soon though :-D

Happy February!

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Is your eye twitching??

If it's been going on for a very long time, it could be the beginning of a B12 deficiency...most especially if you're a vegetarian/vegan or have gastrointestinal issues.  If you suspect that you may not be getting enough, please contact your doctor and get some lab work done because this is a very important water-soluble vitamin!

A water-soluble vitamin (versus a fat-soluble vitamin) isn't stored in the body like its counterpart but must be replaced daily.  Vitamin B12 is usually derived from animal products these days because people now wash all their fruits and vegetables constantly...you see, B12 comes from the bacteria in dirt.  Surprised?  Remember eating dirt as a kid?  Who says kids are dumb??

So I realized recently that I've been forgetting to take my B12 supplement on a regular basis.  Well, first of all, I've been really sick with the flu or at least that's what it's felt like.  I believe that my acupuncture session speeded the symptoms along because I went from feeling fine to "oh my lights! I've been hit by a two-trailer truck" sort of sick.  So, lying on the couch, finally getting around to watching the series "How I Met Your Mother", I started thinking about the reason I went to the acupuncturist in the first place and what she said to me.  When she looked at my anatomical drawing and ALL the circles of where I had pain, she said that she wouldn't be surprised if I had fibromyalgia. Oh no, I don't have that syndrome...do I?...No, not me...but then again...crap, I don't want to have that syndrome!  How did I get here to this place of general pain and fatigue??  My lower back hurts but I know that it's because of my iliopsoas (week lower ab muscles)...my neck hurts but that's because of my scalenes and trapezius (studying, playing video games, crocheting, reading)...But the one thing I couldn't explain away was the burning pain I've been getting in my quads from the smallest of efforts - I had to give up weight lifting because the pain was so bad that it was raising my blood pressure to a scary level too damn fast.  Then I came home and got sick.  And I started thinking.  My eye has been having this horrible nervous sort of tick for a couple of months now and I've been trying to ignore it by eating things with more potassium but it never went away.  Then, I thought about my B12 supplements.

B12 is needed by our bodies (essential nutrient) but only has about a 56% absorption rate in a healthy individual.  It's needed for a few metabolic functions but it's extremely important to nerve function.  What regulates pain reception/perception and muscle function??  The nervous system.  Holy carp!  So I hit the B12 bottle and have been taking my supplement (on top of the enriched milk-like products and cereals I have) everyday for the past three days.  And, guess what?  My eye stopped twitching!!  I'm too drained yet to test out the rest of the issues plus I probably need more time of taking it regularly.

There is no upper limit (UL) intake for B12 because it has such a low (super low) risk of toxicity, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). If you take Prilosec, Prevacid or Zantac (or any sort of stomach acid neutralizer) for gastric issues, these drugs might interfere with the absorption of B12 (B12 from animal sources is freed from those sources via a breakdown by gastric acids, FYI).  Also, if you've been taking antibiotics as that will change the flora in the intestines that are needed to interact with the B12 bacteria...again, check with your doctor.  There are also diabetes' drugs that affect the B12 absorption. This isn't something to just ignore - your nervous system controls EVERYTHING, not to mention that B12 is also important to energy metabolism and the metabolism of homocysteine (elevated amounts have been associated with cardiovascular disease and dementia).  If any of these are your situation, I hope that your medical professional is testing your vitamin and mineral levels on a normal basis - just saying.

This is a VERY important vitamin!  I'm not taking chances ever again, either...I'm taking my supplement every single day and I'm going to make my family take theirs as well.  If you want more information, check out the NIH's site http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional#h7

So, go on - what are you waiting for??  Have you taken your B12 yet??


All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying. 

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Breakfast is Killing People!

Here's something to think about:

Did you know that an egg, while it has only 1 gram of saturated fat, has over 200mg of cholesterol??? That's almost 2/3 of the recommended daily limit! So, if people have an egg for breakfast every morning, plus 2 slices of bacon, plus 2 pats of butter on their toast that's 200+18+22=240mg of cholesterol - just for breakfast!! The USDA recommends a limit of 300mg of cholesterol a day, FYI. Imagine the end of day cholesterol intake after having meat for lunch, meat for dinner, AND all the dairy products that go with all that food, including dessert! 

Here's an interesting article from the USDA website from back in 2000 that discusses how the different types of fat don't affect LDL cholesterol but dietary cholesterol does:

Dietary Cholesterol Makes LDL Cholesterol More Radical By Judy McBride April 4, 2000A little extra cholesterol in our diets may render the “bad” LDL cholesterol in our bloodstream more susceptible to oxidation. That’s what happened to the LDL from a group of older men and women in a study reported in the March issue of Atherosclerosis. And that’s not good: Evidence suggests that oxidized LDL cholesterol is more apt to provoke the plaques that build up in arteries and increase risk of heart attack and stroke. The researchers concluded that the current recommendation to limit dietary cholesterol is both valid and prudent, noting that their findings support those of an earlier study by others. This study was led by Ursula S. Schwab and Alice H. Lichtenstein at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Schwab, who is now back in Finland, Lichtenstein and colleagues designed 30-percent-fat diets that differed only in the type of fat. One was rich in polyunsaturated fat from corn oil; the other was rich in saturated fat from beef tallow. Otherwise, the foods were identical. And by adding extra cholesterol to each diet--ranging from around 220 to 330 milligrams, depending on the volunteer’s total calorie intake--they approximately doubled the cholesterol content. That’s considerably more than the 300-milligrams recommended by the Dietary Guidelines. Thirteen men and women between the ages of 46 and 78 ate each of four diets, the corn oil with and without the extra cholesterol and beef tallow with and without extra cholesterol. The type of fat didn’t significantly affect the susceptibility of the volunteers’ LDL to oxidation in a test-tube assay. But the extra cholesterol increased oxidation susceptibility by 28 percent during the corn oil diet and 15 percent during the beef tallow diet. The volunteers began the study with moderately elevated LDL cholesterol--each having levels greater than 130 milligrams per deciliter. Adding the extra dietary cholesterol prompted a further rise in their total as well as their LDL cholesterol, regardless of the type of fat in the diet. Scientific contact: Alice H. Lichtenstein, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Mass., phone (617) 556-3127, fax (617) 556-3103, lichtenstein@hnrc.tufts.edu.

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A Challenge to Big Food Companies!!

I know I already posted a blog for today but this just came to me.  Wouldn't it be awesome if we could manage to challenge ALL the board members from ALL the unhealthy food companies (including regular fast food chains & sit-down fast food chains) to HAVE to eat their companies' food everyday for 3 months?!?!?  Because.... you and I know that those guys don't eat that stuff - they just don't.  I'm sure they have upscale gourmet chefs & dietitians cooking for them and they go to upscale 5-star restaurants... how many of them do you think ACTUALLY eat the food they peddle to the low income people of the world?

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Sensa (R) ... Have You Heard About it?

The other day I had my first impression of Sensa(R) via a T.V. commercial - my first thought was "What the hell??" and then my next thought was "Oh No!"  I still haven't quite made up my mind if this new manmade creation is a good thing or not and I can only decide that for myself.  Either way here's what I am having issues with, if you're curious:

1)  The creator of this taste/olfactory (smell) enhancer is a neurologist and has a so-called team of medical professionals listed on the website, all of which do not include ANOTHER neurologist.  I wonder why that is...no, really...I wonder why?

2)  Anything that claims to be a taste or smell enhancer, my hackles get raised because the red light in my brain goes off with the thought of it being an excitotoxin (also known as MSG or MSG derivative/relation). For those of you that don't know my stand on this, let me refer you to an older blog entry "Flavor Enhancers" - and the short of it is I DON'T LIKE THEM nor do I like what they cause to happen in our bodies (migraines and elevated heart rate for me).

3)  The website shows clinical studies information but these seem to have all been conducted by the Sensa(R) creator, Dr. Alan Hirsch - I'd like to see some clinical trials conducted by other neurologists and specialists using the scientific method.

4)  Not that I wholeheartedly trust the government but this seems to be labeled as a supplement (I've searched on the FDA's website and there's no mention of it) which means it doesn't have to really prove that it does what it says it does, nor does it need enough scientific research to be placed on the market. I know that goes for most of the vitamins on the market now too but still, it's something to think about.

5)  Did a little bit of web surfing on it and found Henry the Health Hound's website had an interesting article about Sensa (R) - you can check it out here. Also, see what WebMD has to say about it here.  Lastly, Consumer Affairs has their say about it here. But don't stop there, if you're really thinking about trying this out, make sure you do P-L-E-N-T-Y of research beforehand.

So to be a pain, I emailed the company and requested their ingredient list -- we'll see if I hear back from them or not.  I'll update the blog when and if I hear from them.  In the meantime, be careful of miracles because they're usually not what they seem like on the surface.

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January's Resolution

New Year's Day Every Month!! I'm starting a new trend by NOT choosing one resolution to try to stick to ALL year long but I'm making new resolutions the first day of every month of 2012!  How about you?


January 1, 2012.


Most people start off the New Year with a resolution relating to their health:  "Going to lose weight" or "going to exercise more" or "going to eat healthier"...stop drinking, stop smoking, etc., right?  Not I.  My first resolution for this year (because there will be twelve of them) is only one month long and for the month of January only - I'm going to FINALLY open our level 1 Rosetta Stone to learn Mandarin (oh and actually learn Mandarin by working on it for 30 minutes every day of the month)!  That's my resolution and my actual January goal is to know how to have a low level greeting conversation in Mandarin!  Look out local Chinese restaurants because YOU are going to be my guinea pigs during this adventure :-D Oh, & maybe my friend Kara if she's not too busy!

This is me now...getting off of the internet...I'm going to open that box now...just watch, ehrr, uh...no don't watch because that would be really freaky.

Happy 2012!!!

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