Gluten Free
Whole grains are good for you. So why are so many Americans giving up wheat, rye and barley? Should you?

Should we all be avoiding gluten? For most people, a gluten-free diet offers no benefits; in fact, it may even bring unwanted results, such as weight gain and nutritional deficiencies. Experts concur that gluten-free eating performs wonders for one group of people: those, for instance, who have celiac disease.

Also, the list of symptoms has grown extensively. Celiac disease is now implicated in a huge list of symptoms beyond digestive problems, including arthritis, anemia, infertility, a rash on the elbows and knees often mistaken for psoriasis, improper formation of tooth enamel and osteoporosis.

To complicate matters further, some people with celiac disease are completely asymptomatic. Doctors who are savvy about risk factors spot the red flags in a patient's medical history and recommend the proper screens: an initial blood test that detects the antibodies created when a person with celiac disease consumes gluten and then a biopsy of the small intestine to confirm damage to intestinal villi. Anyone with a relative who has celiac disease should be tested. So should people with other autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes or thyroid disease: having one autoimmune condition increases your risk for developing others.

Acid Indigestion occurs when the stomach has an overabundance of acid from foods mixing with the stomach acids our body naturally produces to digest our food. We all learned in 6th grade health that an acid and a base will neutralize one another. One of the most common household bases is found in almost every kitchen... Baking Soda. About a teaspoon of baking soda in a 6oz. glass of Water will usually remedy the indigestion in about 30 seconds. It will produce an air pocket inside the stomach but once it is released (a belch) the indigestion should be gone. If it persists, another dose may be necessary.

What is lactobacillus acidophilus? Lactobacillus acidophilus is a bacteria that exists naturally in the body, primarily in the intestines and the vagina. Lactobacillus acidophilus helps maintain an acidic environment in the body, which can prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Lactobacillus acidophilus has been used to treat or prevent vaginal yeast infections, yeast infections of the mouth, diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics, and urinary tract infections. Lactobacillus acidophilus may work by helping the body maintain normal consistency of bacteria in the stomach, intestines, and vagina. (Read More...)

Antioxidants are intimately involved in the prevention of cellular damage ...the common pathway for cancer, aging and various diseases. The scientific community has begun to unravel some of the mysteries around this topic and the media has started our thirst for knowledge. Athletes have a keen interest because of health concerns and the idea of enhanced performance and recovery after exercise. This should serve as a beginners guide to what antioxidants are and to review their role in exercise, nutrition and our overall health. The following is only a glimpse into the dynamics of how and why they are so important in our diet.

Antioxidants are molecules that can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge free radicals, the principle vitamin or micronutrient antioxidants are beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E. Additionally, selenium, a trace metal that is required for proper function of one of the body's antioxidant enzyme systems, is sometimes included in this category. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients so they must be introduces through our diet.

Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A (retinol) and is present in egg yolk, milk, butter, carrots, squash, broccoli, spinach, yams, tomato, cantaloupe, peaches, grains and liver. Because beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A by the body there is no set requirement. Instead the RDA is expressed as retinol equivalents (RE), to clarify the relationship. (Vitamin A has no antioxidant properties and can be quite toxic when taken in excess.)

Vitamin E : d-alpha tocopherol. A fat soluble vitamin found in nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, fish oils, whole grains, wheat germ and apricots. Current recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 15 IU per day for men and 12 IU per day for women.

Vitamin C : Ascorbic acid is a water soluble vitamin found in citrus fruits and juices, green peppers, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, kale, cantaloupe, kiwi and strawberries. The RDA is 60 mg per day. Any amount above 2000 mg could bring on adverse side effects in some people.

WHAT ARE FREE RADICALS?

Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd or unpaired number of electrons that forms when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Once formed these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction like dominoes. Their chief danger comes from the damage they can cause when they react with important cellular components like DNA or the cellular membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs. To prevent this damage from free radicals, the body has a defense system of antioxidants.

Baking soda, sea salt, mineral water, pumpkin seed, lentils, seaweed, onion, taro root, sea vegetables, lotus root, sweet potato, lime, lemons, nectarine, persimmon, raspberry, watermelon, tangerine, and pineapple.

An alkaline diet for cancer involves eating a special diet high in alkaline foods and low in acidic foods. This is suggested by advocates as a method of preventing cancer, slowing the growth of tumors and aiding in cancer treatments. Advocates believe that eating certain foods will alter the pH balance of the body, thus making the environment less hospitable to tumors, but these beliefs are not endorsed by the medical community.

An Alkaline Diet is a diet high in alkaline foods and low in acidic foods. It is important to try to eat ORGANIC fruit and vegetables whenever possible.

Alkaline foods include, squash, green and red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, chick peas, spinach, cucumber, basil, parsley, olive oil, lemons, limes, persimmon, nectarines, tangerines, raspberry, pineapple and watermelon among others.

Additionally, baking soda, sea salt, mineral water, mediterranean mineral salt (usually pink in color as the minerals have not been removed), pumpkin seed, lentils, lotus root,seaweed, taro root, sea vegetables, sweet potato and persimmon, Acidic foods include caffeine, tobacco, sugar, meat, pasta and white rice, just to name a few.

Proponents of an alkaline diet believe that altering the eating habits and eating a high alkaline, low acidity diet, can actually alter the pH balance of the body. They believe tumors grow more quickly in acidic environments, so they argue that if you create an alkaline environment, tumor growth will be slowed or stopped.

Absolutely, just adding fresh squeezed lemon or a little baking soda in your water will raise the alkaline level of your water. Doctors at Bringham and Women's Hospital, a teaching hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School, dispute the claims made by advocates of an alkaline diet. Doctors suggest that the body has a number of mechanisms of regulating pH, including the pace of breathing and the ability to excrete high levels of alkaline. Thus, doctors believe that an alkaline diet can't significantly alter the pH balance of the body for any meaningful length of time.

Studies have demonstrated a link between acidity and tumor growth. ::Read More >>

Alkaline diets exclude certain foods that have been proven to be helpful in aiding cancer treatments. For example, alkaline diets suggest refraining from dairy products, which are an important source of Vitamin D that has been shown to increase cancer survival rates. Protein is also important for chemotherapy patients, and many sources of protein are restricted on alkaline diets.

Yes, Fruit should be eaten on an empty stomach or as an Appetitizer, meaning BEFORE your meal. When you do this you allow the body to purify and expell the toxins which are causing your body harm. Eating fruit after your food causes it to be turned into more acid in the stomach.

While there are some Doctors who don't agree with it, there are Many who do. (Read More...)

Recommendations

• Follow a balanced training program that emphasizes regular exercise and eat 5 servings of fruit or vegetables per day. This will ensure that you are developing your inherent antioxidant systems and that your diet is providing the necessary components.
• Weekend warriors should strongly consider a more balanced approach to exercise. Failing that, consider supplementation.
• For extremely demanding races (such as an ultradistance event), or when adapting to high altitude, consider taking a vitamin E supplement (100 to 200 IU, approximately 10 times the RDA) per day for several weeks up to and following the race.
• Look for upcoming FDA recommendations, but be wary of advertising and media hype.
• Do not oversupplement.

References

1. The Effect of Vitamin E and Beta Carotene on the Incidence of Lung Cancer and Other Cancers in Male Smokers New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). vol 330 (15) 4-14-94. pp 1029-1035.
2. A Clinical Trial of Antioxidant Vitamins to Prevent Colorectal Adenoma NEJM, vol 331 (3). 7-21-94. pp 141-147.
3. Prospects for the use of antioxidant therapies.(Review). Drugs 49(3):345-61, 3-95.
4. Antioxidant Vitamins - Benefits Not Yet Proved (editorial) NEJM vol 330 (15) 4-14-94. p 1080 - 1081
5. Antioxidants and Physical Performance (review) Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 35(1&2):131-141 (1995).
6. Increased blood antioxidant systems of runners in response to training load. Clinical Science (1991). 80, 611-618.
7. Exercise, Oxidative Damage and Effects of Antioxidant Manipulation (review). Journal of Nutrition 122(3 suppl): 766-73, 3/1992
8. Antioxidants: role of supplementation to prevent exercise-induced oxidative stress (review). Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 25(2):232-6, 1993 Feb.

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