6. Use Artificial Sweetners and Avoid Sugars

In his book, The Maker's Diet, Jordan Rubin devotes a chapter to 27 recommendations on how to GET sick and suggests that if you want to remain as healthy as possible, go AGAINST these 27 suggestions if at all possible.

6. Use Artificial Sweetners and Avoid Sugars.

As bad as sugar can be in its various forms, artificial sweeteners are worse! Some are downright deadly because of their carcinogenic properties and their use in such high-volume products as diet soft drinks and sugar-free foods. Chief among sinners is aspartame, which is marketed as NutraSweet or Equal. Renowned diabetes expert Dr. H.J. Roberts believes there is a clear scientific link between aspartame and increased incidence of brain tumors, seizure disorders, chronic headaches, and hyperactivity in children. As for saccharin, the cancer-causing labebls that accompany its use still apply. The newcomer on the block is sucralose (used in Splenda), but the jury of scientific research still seems to be awaiting further testimony on this one. (If the Maker didn't produce it "as is", then it probably isn't much better than the other synthetic sugar substitutes.)


My own thoughts about products that are man-made go hand in hand with Jordan's comment. I personally believe that, as a rule-of-thumb, it is better to just stay natural in all things. The processes that our sugar, food, etc go through are not natural or good for our bodies. At my old place of employment, ladies drank several diet sodas throughout the day. They would then complain of headaches (and then rush to get another diet soda so that the caffein could 'help' their headache), that they felt tired and sluggish and that they were gaining, not losing weight. HELLOOOOOOOOO???? I tried and tried to tell them that the aspartame and chemicals in these sodas were the culprit of all of the above symptoms. They wouldn't listen to me when I said that Diet sodas are actually more harmful and make you put on more weight than a regular soda. They still drink Diet and they still complain. Whatever. Water, people!!! It's what your body craves, needs, and wants. And...no aspartame! What a bargain.

Leeks

Not too many people know what these giants are, even less eat them.

Leeks look like a giant green onion and that would be because it belongs to the garlic and onion family (Allium vegetables).
Leeks are a good source of manganese and a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, and iron. This particular combination of nutrients would make leeks particularly helpful in stabilizing blood sugar, since they not only slow the absorption of sugars from the intestinal tract, but help ensure that they are properly metabolized in the body.

Regular consumption of Allium vegetables, as little as two or more times a week, is associated with a reduced risk of prostate and colon cancer. The research focused on colon cancer suggests that several of the compounds found in these foods are able to protect colon cells from cancer-causing toxins, while also stopping the growth and spread of any cancer cells that do happen to develop. Ovarian cancer is also shown to be reduced.

A high intake of Allium vegetables has been shown to reduce total cholesterol and LDL, or "bad" cholesterol levels, while at the same time raising HDL, or "good" cholesterol levels. Allium vegetables have also been shown to lower high blood pressure, another risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

So how do you eat Leeks?? You want to trim about 1/4" from the root bottom and a good portion of the dark green top. I like to remove the outer layer. Dirt will get stuck in between the many layers of this vegetable so you want to wash it thoroughly. You can toss sliced leek into an omelet or frittata, or use them to garnish.

Thanks to a wonderful vegetarian cookbook author, Mollie Katzen: The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without, I am incorporating leeks and other more interesting, less noticed vegetables in my diet. Here is her recipe for "Leek Chips".

After trimming off the roots and dark greens so that you are only using the white and light green portions, slice the leek into 1/4" pieces. Put them in a bowl of cold water to rinse the dirt off and seperate all the layers into several rings. When they are all seperated, transfer to a colander to drain. Pat dry.

Line a try with tin foil and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Dump the leeks onto tray and using tongs, toss the leeks with the olive oil. Bake in a 250 degree oven. Times of baking will vary. Some of the leeks will be done in thirty minutes and some may take an hour. When they are golden and crisp tender, remove them as they are done. Season with salt and wallah!!

Heavy Weight Training vs. Light Weight Training

I am a big believer in weight training. It's important for muscle and bone. I found an article that hits on points that I would like to say but have less expertise to say them. I know that women are encourage to do light weight with more reps, that that is how they will burn the fat and become trim. I say nay. Although it is beneficial for your short-twitch fibers, there is more benefit from heavy weight training in conjunction with a proper diet.


"For years, one debate that has been tossed back and forth in just about every gym and fitness center across the country is; which is better, heavy resistance training or light resistance training? A variety of factors play into this debate, and the answers may not be as obvious as it may seem.

For years (and still today) many weight training enthusiasts thought that the key to getting stronger and building bigger muscles was simply to perform heavy resistance training by lifting big weights. Conversely, it was also thought that if an individual wanted to increase muscle tone or improve weight loss, heavy weights were the enemy and one must aim for higher reps with lighter weight. Years of experience have shown us that this is not always the case.

Muscles grow when they are forced to compensate for extra work. Think about when you first began lifting weights. Within a few months, the muscle growth you experienced was phenomenal, but after a while it dramatically slowed down. This initial explosion of muscle growth was due the fact that your body was not accustomed to lifting weights. Therefore, your muscles rapidly began to grow in size to keep up with their newly acquired task of weight training.

Let’s say you always follow a heavy resistance training program when you go to the gym. You will undoubtedly hit a plateau when you can no longer push any heavier weight. Your muscle growth has stalled. You decide to incorporate a higher rep range instead of your normal one, and suddenly your muscle growth once again takes off. This different training style has caused your muscles to adjust for their newfound workload.

On the flip side, if you constantly train with lighter weight and higher reps, then you switch to lower reps with heavy weight, the same spurt of new muscle growth may happen.

Muscle fibers are categorized into two classes: fast twitch and slow twitch. When you consistently train with heavy weights at lower reps, you focus more on your fast twitch fibers. Fast twitch fibers are excellent at generating short bursts of strength or speed. Slow twitch fibers are more efficient at generating continuous muscle contractions over longer periods of time, perfect for light resistance training with a high rep range. When you switch up your training, you can hit both of these muscle fiber types instead of focusing on one.

Of course, we cannot forget about the all-important role that nutrition plays in muscle growth. You can spend all day in the gym, training with both heavy and light weight and still never gain another ounce of muscle if your don’t consume enough calories to fuel growth.

Let’s go back to our scenario of our first few months in the gym. Back then, it didn’t really matter what you were eating, it seemed that everything was helping you to gain more muscle. This approach no longer works after a few months, and to keep adding muscle, you must consume adequate protein and calories.

Now, as far as the idea that light resistance training with high reps will help tighten up and tone muscles, think about this; when a bodybuilder begins their contest preparation, they don’t all of the sudden switch to lighter weight to help strip body fat. The entire outcome of their contest prep depends on their nutrition plan. They could do sets of 100 reps, but if all they consumed were cheeseburgers, their physique will not come in looking its best. Since this is true of a bodybuilder preparing for a contest, wouldn’t the same rule apply to the average person who wants to look better? Absolutely.

The human body is remarkably adaptable. In order to keep muscles growing, you must challenge them in different ways, and be sure to consume a proper diet. Try not to fall into the trap of doing the same workout day in and day out. As the saying goes, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” "


Author's Bio
Tim Mielke
Author and Supplement Expert

Flaxseeds

These little guys are abundant in Omega-3 fatty acids. They help prevent and control high blood pressure, are rich in beneficial fiber, and recent studies have shown to lower risk of prostate and breast cancers.

Flaxseeds can be purchased either whole or ground. Try a serving in a protein shake, oatmeal cereal or on a salad. It's health benefits are great!

More information can be found at whfoods.com