How right is Just Right?

This is a direct cut and paste from the Just Right food panel.

 

Good source of B1, B2 and niacin

Good source of iron

Good source of folate

High in fibre

Goodness of wholegrains

High in carbohydrate

Low in fat

Low in salt

No artificial flavours

PROTEIN 8.8 %

FAT, TOTAL 1.6 %

CARBOHYDRATE 71.2 %

Wholegrain cereals (63%)(whole wheat, rolled oats),  sultanas (17%), sugar, triticale (6%), dried apricot piece (3.5%)(dried apricot [preservative (220)], fructose, maltodextrin, humectant [glycerol], thickener [1422], soy flour, hydrogenated vegetable oil, vegetable gum [466], natural flavour, colour [apocarotene], food acid [citric acid], wheat flour), barley malt extract, salt, honey (0.1%), mineral (iron), vitamins (niacin, riboflavin, folate, thiamin).
Contains gluten containing cereals, soy, and sulphites.
May contain traces of peanuts and/or tree nuts

Health Queen Comment

They claim that the cereal is high in carbohydrate – too right it is. 70% sugar! So if you have 1 cup , 3/4 is sugar

It does have at least 3 chemicals and natural flavour, colour (the apocarotene can cause behaviour changes) and other flavour enhancers.

So is Just Right, perfect for you and your kids. Think again. You are much better off having pure oats (porridge, your own museli), free range eggs, puffed rice .

Health Queen on Sunrise

The Health Queen with her client, Debbie Nolan, appeared on Sunrise today discuss women in work and hormone changes that are occurring.
Women are increasing their testosterone levels - possibly as an adaptive change, possibly due to stress, but it is making women feel unsettled.
It is very challenging for women to go from the work environment to home and change hats very quickly.
Exercise, awareness, healthy eating and being clear about what makes you happy are great ways to stay on top of this potential threat to every working female . The issue is discussed more in Sam's book, Beauty and the Beast Within.

What hormone is driving your body today?

Females produce many sex hormones and understanding the role of each one is something not taught in schools, and yet is something inherently related to us if we are female.

This article is an overview of the female sex hormones.

Hormones are like our boy’s internal courier network. They carry a message or prompt an action from one gland to another gland or organ. For example, the pituitary gland secretes a hormone called Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which travels in the blood stream to the thyroid to stimulate metabolism.

Hormone imbalances are occurring en masse and not many traditional doctors (GPs) are trained in the management of these health problems. You are more likely to get answers, direction and results from a “holistic GP” with a hormone specialty or a naturopath.

Hormones are very important in your overall health. When they are out of balance or under produced you may feel low in energy, have poor sleep, have period issues, menopause problems, fertility issues, headaches, sore breasts, bloated stomach and bladder infections to name only a few!

Not only do they affect your physical self, they can also influence your mood, happiness, anger and irritability which in turn affects your relationships and direction in life.

The common female sex hormones include; Estrogens (there are a few types), Progesterone

Testosterone, Dhea –S, Prolactin, Luteinising Hormone (LH), and Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH). And stress hormones include; Cortisol and Melatonin.

Estrogens (spelt oestrogen in the USA)

These are a group of hormones including Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2) and Estriol (E3). These are made by the ovaries (in pre-menopausal women) and fat tissue by conversion of DHEA-S and testosterone. Hence why over weight ladies have higher than normal Oestrogen levels which in turn STOPs them losing weight. Men also make estrogen, but in much smaller doses made in the testes. Imbalances can lead to fibroids, endometriosis, breast cancers, heavy periods, migraines, fat gain, bloating and depression.

Progesterone (P4)

Progesterone is a very important hormone and for various reasons ladies in Australia seem to have low levels. Rarely is it elevated and ideally it is in a ratio of oestrogen 1:50 (during days 1-14) and 1:200 (during days 14-28) in fertile ladies.

Imbalances can lead to heavy periods, miscarriages, dry skin and low mood.

Testosterone (TT)

Ladies produce testosterone in the ovaries and in the adrenal glands. Men make most of their TT in their testes and produce 10-20 times more than ladies throughout their lives. Imbalances can lead to anger, irritability, acne, body and facial hair, PCOS and infertility.

DHEA-S

DHEA -S is a precursor for estrogen and testosterone (in other words it gives birth to these hormones) during its metabolization process in the body. It isn’t as strong as testosterone but very important with anti-ageing and disease protection. Imbalances can lead to low energy levels.

Sam Beau Patrick likes to get a base line for many ladies and this is a straight forward saliva test (you spit into a small test tube) and costs $140. The results take approximately 2 weeks for the results return. You can order these through the www.byebyebridget.com website. Sam has a book called Beauty and the Beast Within also available from the www.byebyebridget.com site.

Obesity must be the biggest killer in the world

AS I sit aghast watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I applaud the inspirational approach Jamie takes to making change. Well Done!

It also makes me sad though- I feel we are watching forward waiting for a tsunami to hit (such as a HIV endemic, or an anthrax outbreak from a terrorist attack), while a mud slide is coming from behind about to wipe us out.

Obesity is affecting 50% of Australians.

Statistically it has poorer out-comes than breast cancer (from when I last looked anyway)!

If you look at statistics of Australian cohorts:          

                 

figures	obesity	breast cancer
incidences	1 in 2 people (50%)	only 1 in 9
recovery rates	10-15%	80%
cross over with other diseases	Multiple System failure – eg diabetes, heart disease, stroke risk. Terribly high association with obesity.	low. Usually singular disease state
public fear state and attitude	?? too complacent	Terrified

 

How have we allowed this modern and SO PREVENTABLE disease to evolve right beneath our commercially driven eyes? Maybe it is time to reassess who helps obese people in the country now. Maybe the message is wrong, may the professionals “hired to do the job” by the government – ie the general practitioner or dietician are failing to achieve their mandate. Maybe its time to give naturopaths some empowerment. Most of our obesity issue is half what we eat, but also the horrific stressful states we spend our lives trapped in. Life really isn’t so important that we have to get stressed about running late to the hair dresser but we do. So obesity needs to be treated with food in mind, but also the driving factors surrounding people’s perceived lack of time to cook, shop organically etc. and helping people make change in that area of their life, takes trust , inspiration and time. Not 3 minute medicine I am afraid.

Let a whollistic professional give it a go. Empower a few other trained and highly skilled practitioners to have a go. Naturopaths and nutritionist with tertiary education definitely should be medicare recognised.

Go Jamie Go! You are doing great things.

Eating Cat food – I don’t think so….

until you read this.

I have always place sardines and deep sea fish in that category of “cat food – if I have to, I will force myself to eat it”…

Until I read the food panel.

Sardines are one of the best sources of omega 3s (those magnificent essential fatty acids that are anti-ageing and anti-wrinkles)!!!

In fact consuming one tin of sardines is like having 2-4 PRACTITIONER omega 3 pills! If you have over the counter fish oils this may equate to 10-12 pills – do your own comparison.

Here is a break down of the food panel:

	per serving	per 100g
energy	634j	576 KJ
protein	14.6g	13.3g
fat total	9.2 g	8.4g
- omega 3 fats	1640mg	1500mg
------- EPA	644mg	595mg
--------DHA	1000mg	910mg
carbs	2.5g	2.3g

The warnings are the sodium content – a little high at 653 per tin, but calcium is 200mg +.

This is a John West Panel of sardines in tomato sauce – the only way I can consume the slippery suckers. But so worth it.

I know there are moral issues about Dolphins and John West, but to be honest, I don’t know of any reputable, big sea fisherman – let me know if you do and we will all jump ship (so as to speak).

Eating deep sea fish does have the risk of consuming too much mercury (as deep sea fish eat all the other fish along the way,so accumulate the most junk and heavy metals – technically deep sea fish are at the bottom of  the food chain), so in line with the USA FDA – pregnant women are advised not to consume deep sea fish and to get their omega 3 from elsewhere.

So if it has been a few years since you have snacked on some sardines – give them a whirl. Yes they are a little oily – that is the idea. Spread them on ryvitas, rice cakes, or a good quality bread. Enjoy!

Why EFA Balance is Critical to Your Health

 

This first part is from Dr Mercola – wonderful newsletters if you are interested in natural foods, medicines etc..

“..Essential fatty acids (EFAs) include both omega-3 fats (high in the vital compounds EPA and DHA) and omega-6 fats. EFAs cannot be manufactured in your body but are beneficial to normal health and metabolism.* Therefore, EFAs must be obtained through your diet.

Although some omega-6 fats are good for your health, the balance of omega-6s to omega-3s is crucial.* Unfortunately, most people consume an overabundance of omega-6 fats.

Your ancestors embraced a diet with a healthy balance of approximately equal omega-6 and omega-3 fats. But the current Western diet is far too high in omega-6 fats. The average omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is now closer to 20:1, and in some cases even 50:1. This can keep you from optimal health.

Due to this imbalanced ratio, and because you could likely benefit from more omega-3 fats*...” Dr Mercola..

I have seen omega 3 oils do amazing things. I use them personally when I am feeling achy or if I feel too wrinkly. The omega 3 component is essential for the lining of all your bodies’ cells, and hence useful as an anti-ageing strategy.

Food sources for omega 3s include the following:

nuts: macademias, almonds, walnuts, pecan nuts,

seeds: chia, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds

deep sea fish: tuna , salmon, sardines, herrings (don’t eat these if you are pregnant though as these fish are the bottom of the food chain which means they are the end results of other fish being consumed and can end up with very large levels of mercury and other toxic minerals)

Plant oils: olive oil, canola, safflower, avocadoes

I try to eat some omega 3 food sources every day. I urge you to do the same

HQ

The two vital facts that are KEY to your health

This is from Dr Mercola…..

I'm sure you've heard by now about two fats in omega-3 oils that are crucial to your health -- DHA and EPA*. These compounds are not only essential to maintaining your health -- scientific research indicates that they may also promote heart health and provide immune system and mood support.*

Now in a perfect world, you would be able to get all the omega-3s you need by eating fish. Unfortunately, studies show that eating fish can potentially expose you to a high degree of contamination with industrial pollutants and toxins like mercury, PCBs, heavy metals and radioactive poisons.

In fact, the FDA and EPA have put out health advisories warning against certain fish and shellfish consumption for young children, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, and nursing mothers.

I formerly recommended that you take fish oil to enhance your intake of omega-3 fats. And high-quality fish oils are certainly great products, with many important health benefits.

But there are drawbacks.

Such as...fish oil is weak in antioxidant content. As you increase your intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids by consuming fish oil, you actually increase your need for even more antioxidant protection.

Why? Well, fish oil is very perishable. Antioxidants are necessary to ensure that the fish oil doesn't oxidize and become rancid inside your body. As we just noted, oxidation leads to the formation of those unhealthy free radicals.

So, you need to consume additional antioxidants for your health in general, and for your increased need for antioxidants when using fish oil.

This was a vexing problem for a long time...

Until the introduction of Antarctic Pure Krill Oil (now known as New and Improved Krill Oil) – a marine oil of krill solved the dilemma by uniquely and synergistically combining antioxidants and omega-3s.

Just what are krill anyway?

Krill are small shrimp or prawn-like creatures that feed the world's most mammoth animals -- the great whales. Toothless great whales gulp down huge quantities of krill to provide the energy they need to fuel their massive bulk. A blue whale eats up to 8,000 pounds of krill each day during feeding season.

Tiny krill fuel giant whales...what can
they do for you?

These highly intelligent great whales aren't the only animals that depend on krill for their nutritional needs. So do seals, penguins, sea birds, squid and fish.

The hardy krill harvested from harsh Antarctic waters -- the ones that comprise our New and Improved Krill Oil -- are so important they are considered a "keystone species", an organism upon which many Antarctic predators depend.

These semi-translucent crustaceans congregate in dense masses or swarms that can turn the ocean's surface pink or red.

Together with plankton, krill make up the largest biomass on earth...one of the most easily renewable food resources available, an excellent nutritional source from an environmental perspective.

Krill aren't a new source of nutrition either. They've been harvested as a food source for both humans and domesticated animals since the 1800s. Possibly even earlier in Japan where they're considered a delicacy.

Dr mercola www.mercola.com