News and Rants (slightly informative)

Let me ask you this: Have you looked at the ingredients on a food label lately? How about a “processed” food label; like famous brands of cookies, cereals, or junky snack foods? Do you have those ingredients in your house? Do you even know what all of those ingredients are? There are a ton of artificial, chemical, "junky" ingredients in foods these days.  If you see an ingredient called "artificial flavor," what exactly is it? For the most part, it’s a secret! Seriously! Big food companies don’t want their proprietary flavors to be known, so they’re allowed to say “artificial flavor” and leave the details out. That alone gets me upset. But what makes me more upset is what artificial flavors represent when they're in your food. I’m going to give you the real deal below. Why use "artificial flavors' in a product? When you make an apple muffin at home, what gives it the apple flavor? Apples of course! Like real, w...

What is the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load? Glycemic this and glycemic that. Does it matter? You'll notice that they both begin with "glycemic." That's one tip that they have to do with sugars and carbs. Not only how much sugar is in foods, but more importantly, how it affects your blood sugar levels. In general, diets that are high on the glycemic index (GI) and high in glycemic load (GL), tend to increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. FUN FACT: Starches like those in potatoes and grains are digested into sugar; this is because starch is just a bunch of sugars linked together. Digestive enzymes break those bonds so that the sugars become free. Then those sugars affect your body the same way that eating sugary foods do. Glycemic Index (“how fast”) The most common of the two terms is “glycemic index” (GI). As the name suggests, it "indexes" (or compares) the effect that different foods have on your blood sugar leve...

We all have some level of stress, right? It may be temporary (acute), or long-term (chronic). Acute stress usually won’t mess with your health too much. It is your body’s natural reaction to circumstances, and can even be life-saving. Then, when the “threat” (a.k.a. “stressor”) is gone, the reaction subsides, and all is well. It's the chronic stress that's a problem. You see, your body has specific stress reactions. If these stress reactions are triggered every day or many times a day that can mess with your health. Stress (and stress hormones) can have a huge impact on your health. Let's dive into the "stress mess." Mess #1 - Increased risk of heart disease and diabetes Why save the best for last? Anything that increases the risk for heart disease and diabetes (both serious, chronic conditions) needs to be discussed. Stress increased the risk for heart disease and diabetes by promoting chronic inflammation, affecting your bl...

Do you soak or sprout your nuts, seeds, grains and legumes? Is it to help improve their digestibility? To help increase their nutrition? Perhaps, it’s to reduce phytic acid? Phytic acid is naturally present in most nuts, seeds, grains and legumes; it is the plant's storage form of the mineral phosphorus and is used as energy when the plant starts to grow. The highest levels of phytic acid are found in rice bran, wheat bran, wheat germ, almonds, and walnuts. Phytic acid and minerals Have you heard of phytic acid being referred to as an “anti-nutrient?” Phytic acid binds to the minerals iron, zinc, and calcium preventing them from being fully absorbed when eaten; this is why phytic acid is known as a "mineral reducer." FUN FACT: Phytic acid's effects only apply to mineral-containing foods in the current meal. Once digested, there is no mineral reduction on any future meals and there is no impact to the minerals your body has already ab...