Archive for August, 2007

Stevia – The Natural Sweetener

Scott | August 25, 2007 7:20 pm

By Scott

Today I learned about a sugar alternative called Stevia which is becoming very popular amongst diabetics, those with a low glucose tolerance, obese people, and more. Stevia is known as a “Sweet Herb” in South America.

Wikipedia entry on Stevia

“With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Stevia also has shown promise in medical research for treating such conditions as obesity[1] and high blood pressure.[2][3] Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, even enhancing glucose tolerance,[4] therefore it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets.[5] However, health and political controversies have limited stevia’s availability in many countries; for example, the United States banned it in the early 1990s. Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan, and it is now available in the US and Canada as a dietary supplement, although not as a food additive. Rebiana is the trade name for a stevia-derived sweetener being developed jointly by The Coca-Cola Company and Cargill with the intent of marketing in several countries and gaining regulatory approval in the US and EU.”

The FDA has approved its use as a food supplement, but not as a food additive due to a lack of studies. Stevia can be used for anything you might use sugar in, including baking. It is naturally low in carbohydrates. You can buy stevia at most health food stores and over the web. There will always be those who have a sensitivity to a substance, but based on reports from other countries it appears to have little to no side effects.

Very interesting isn’t it?

Why Do I Use Baking Soda with ACV?

Scott | August 24, 2007 5:25 pm

By Scott

For one thing baking soda is alkaline. I use baking soda to remove the highly acidic nature of ACV. If you drink 2 tablespoons + water of ACV without adding baking soda, you run the risk of tooth enamel breakdown.

By adding baking soda to your ACV (before water), you will notice a strong chemical reaction and a ton of bubbles forming. This is balancing the acidity of ACV for safe consumption without the risk of tooth decay.

If you happen to have litmus test strips on hand, you can test the alkaline levels of your ACV + baking soda mixture. My tests have indicated the recipe I use results in a pH level of a little over 7.0 which is perfect.

Alkaline Foods

Scott | August 23, 2007 2:30 pm

By Scott

Here is a quick list of alkaline foods.

ALKALIZING VEGETABLES
Alfalfa
Barley Grass
Beet Greens
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard Greens
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Dandelions
Dulce
Edible Flowers
Eggplant
Fermented Veggies
Garlic
Green Beans
Green Peas
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Nightshade Veggies
Onions
Parsnips (high glycemic)
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radishes
Rutabaga
Sea Veggies
Spinach, green
Spirulina
Sprouts
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Watercress
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens

ALKALIZING ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Kombu
Maitake
Nori
Reishi
Shitake
Umeboshi
Wakame

ALKALIZING FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Berries
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries, sour
Coconut, fresh
Currants
Dates, dried
Figs, dried
Grapes
Grapefruit
Honeydew Melon
Lemon
Lime
Muskmelons
Nectarine
Orange
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Raisins
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerine
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Umeboshi Plums
Watermelon

ALKALIZING PROTEIN
Almonds
Chestnuts
Millet
Tempeh (fermented)
Tofu (fermented)
Whey Protein Powder

ALKALIZING SWEETENERS
Stevia

ALKALIZING SPICES & SEASONINGS
Chili Pepper
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Herbs (all)
Miso
Mustard
Sea Salt
Tamari

ALKALIZING OTHER
Alkaline Antioxidant Water
Apple Cider Vinegar
Bee Pollen
Fresh Fruit Juice
Green Juices
Lecithin Granules
Mineral Water
Molasses, blackstrap
Probiotic Cultures
Soured Dairy Products
Veggie Juices

ALKALIZING MINERALS
Calcium: pH 12
Cesium: pH 14
Magnesium: pH 9
Potassium: pH 14
Sodium: pH 14

Although it might seem that citrus fruits would have an acidifying effect on the body, the citric acid they contain actually has an alkalizing effect in the system.

Note that a food’s acid or alkaline forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. For example, lemons are very acidic, however the end products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so, lemons are alkaline forming in the body. Likewise, meat will test alkaline before digestion, but it leaves very acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is very acid forming.

Therefore, besides baking soda in your filtered tap water, another great option is to use lemon in your water. This is VERY healthy for your body! Only use lemon drops or fresh lemon squeezed. Do not drop the lemon into your drink. That can be too acidic from lemon and cause damage.

To MOM: Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Highly Acidic Diet

Scott | August 22, 2007 7:10 pm

By: Scott

After helping my own problems, I decided to take a look at Rheumatoid Arthritis and to see what others have said about an alkaline diet effecting RA. But first, I will quote from one of my sources:

“People ask if ACV will cure their arthritis. This is not possible. Curing is an internal biological function that only the body can perform. A scientific, natural diet, deep breathing, exercise, rest, relaxation and all forms of natural hygiene are required to put the body in a condition to cure itself. ACV is an important part of the program. When all of the supreme forces of nature are used, the body will turn from the sick-side to the well-side. Health is something you must desire, earn and always protect!”

The exact same recipe I use can help relieve pain caused by Arthritis. Take a quick look at this page (scroll down to “Apple Cider Vinegar – Most Popular Cure” to review).

After reading the linked page above, it really should convince anyone to try ACV + baking soda as a remedy for Arthritis. You have nothing to lose (except loads of pills)

Give it a try and let me know how it goes for you.

My Diet Before Discovering the Alkaline Diet

Scott | August 21, 2007 6:52 pm

by Scott

My diet was approximately 95%+ acidic before discovering all of this information. I rarely ate vegetables, fruits, nuts, and others. I also thought diet soda was a great alternative to regular 46g sugar coke. Diet coke is WORSE for you that regular soda.

Some of my regular foods were the worst for your body

  • Fast foods
  • Sodas (Diet and Regular)
  • Chocolate
  • Chips, Cookies, and other junk food.
  • Pastas
  • Beer

The list goes on and on. No wonder I felt like crap all of the time.

My new diet includes:
Lots of salad. When we go to Wendy’s, Carls Jr, Costco, or other places, most serve salads now. I will always opt for the salad with a little something such as a 5 piece chicken nugget, or a bite of frys from the kids, etc.

My drinking water usually includes a pinch of baking soda. This will neutralize the acidity of filtered tap water to 7.0pH. You don’t need much baking soda for water, just a tiny bit. If you taste the baking soda in the water, you’ve added too much.

No soda. No beer. No chocolate.

Of course, I am still drinking ACV + baking soda twice a day. I drink it once in the morning an hour or so before breakfast and I also drink it an hour before dinner.

Now that I have a lot of energy, I have been working out a lot more. Usually to burn the excess energy I have. A good workout is good just before bed so I can sleep.

Being on the alkaline diet has given me the energy I used to get from drinking 3 cups of coffee, or 3 sodas in the afternoon. It is really amazing how great I feel!

Status of My Diet – Addition of Whey Protein

Scott | 3:20 pm

Hi all,

This post is not part of the scheduled posts coming. I thought I’d make a quick post to let everyone know how I am doing.

First, I did some reading and found some real issues with this alkaline diet. The problem people will experience if they go ALL alkaline is their body will have little acid to digest food properly. Therefore, as I’ve said before, you want acidic foods in your diet. You should take in at least 25% acidic foods for a solid balance.

Another problem you’ll notice is all animal fat foods are acidic. Therefore, it is important to substitute your diet with protein. I’m currently taking 4 scoops of Whey Protein powder a day mixed with milk. A bought my first 5lb tub from Wal-Mart but a friend told me their protein isn’t the same quality you could get online such as the one linked to above.

As far as my health, I’m getting better every day. Sunday and Monday were my two days off from ACV + baking soda and I felt a loss of energy during that period. Today (Tuesday) was the first day of the new week for my ACV + baking soda. I also started my protein intake Sunday.

Some cool things to know about Whey protein:

Whey protein is a pure, natural, high quality protein from cow’s milk. It is a rich source of the essential amino acids needed on a daily basis by the body. In its purest form, as whey protein isolate, it contains little to no fat, lactose or cholesterol.

Whey protein is an excellent protein choice for individuals of all ages. It provides a number of benefits in areas including sports nutrition, weight management, immune support, bone health, and general wellness. New information on the health benefits of whey protein continues to become available as researchers discover new applications for both whey protein and its unique individual protein components.

Side Effects:

Whey protein, are just that, protein – unlike some other types of supplements and drugs, whey protein supplements contain mostly whey and some other stuff like carbohydrates, calcium, some fats, and some fancy shimancy ingredients which really aren’t that special. So in other words, you can expect very little, if any side effects of taking whey protein supplements. Other than maybe gaining some lean mass, which is what you want. Also, there have been no documented side effects of whey protein, it’s just like the food you eat, causing no side effects.

Whey Protein Benefits:

  • Whey Protein is not stored as fat as easily as carbohydrates.
  • Whey Protein helps repair muscle.
  • Whey Protein helps strengthen your immune system.
  • Whey Protein helps shorten recovery time between exercise sessions.
  • Whey Protein decreases your hunger between meals.
  • Whey Protein helps build new muscle…

Did you know a lot of the minerals and ingredients found in Whey protein powder is also found in many diet pills found online and in stores? I thought that was interesting.

Well, enough about Whey protein. Just thought I’d share some of the information I’ve come across about Whey and the reasons why I started drinking it via mixed powder.

My weight loss has stopped as of the last four days. I’m still at 266 pounds. I attribute that to the fact I have started working out and strength training. Therefore, I am adding muscle to my body which will effect weight loss early on. Usually, in previous diet attempts, I actually gain weight when I start working out so to have it the same is a good thing for me.

Regarding ACV + baking soda, as of today, I am using Apple Juice instead of water for mixing and drinking. This morning’s drink tasted 100% better but still has that awesome vinegar aftertaste after you are done downing the drink. Still.. ick! Heh

My new diet consists of…

Upon Waking Up:

  • 2 Tablespoons ACV + 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda + 1/2 cup apple juice.
  • 2 eggs (part of the protein I need)
  • 2 slices of whole enriched wheat bread
  • 1 Banana (The body needs potassium)

For a snack between meals I will drink my first protein shake with 2% milk. Next time I go to the store, I will grab 1% since my milk intake will increase (protein again).

For lunch:

  • Salad if we are eating out (most places have salads now, awesome!)
  • If we aren’t eating out, I’ll usually make a sandwich with lean meat or tuna.

Snack again, protein shake.

As far as dinner, I haven’t really changed too much other than eating less. I still love a good dinner so I will get most of my acidic intake then. The only thing I’ve changed is I will drink my 2nd and final ACV drink of the day about 30 minutes before dinner to assist with digestion. I also eat dinner with water treated with a small pinch of baking soda to bring the water to a non-acidic level. This is tricky though, if you add too much, you’ll taste it and that isn’t good.

My late night snack has switched from sugary ice creams, brownies, cakes, and sodas to a protein shake (3rd and final of the day). I also have stopped eating 2 hours before bedtime which was one of my worst habits.

So there you have it, my current diet.

My struggles thus far has been finding foods that are healthy and have low sodium. For instance, finding some nuts at Wal-Mart that aren’t treated with LOADS of sodium is nearly impossible. I am going to head over to the health food store soon to see if they have anything unsalted. The reason for the need for low sodium is the fact I’m drinking more sodium with Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda). Therefore, the need to cut sodium back is required to prevent a rising blood pressure problem.

I’ve gone 11 days without sodas and beer and I am now to the point where I don’t even desire them anymore. I’m sure there will be points in the future where I’ll drink a beer maybe once a week but compared to my previous diet, that’s NOTHING. :)

I’ll do another update sometime next week. I will soon stop weighing myself daily and switch to a weekly schedule. As everyone knows, when you make drastic changes and you see no improvements as far as your weight, it can get very frustrating and stressful.

High Acidity – The True Cause of Most People’s Degenerative Illnesses

Scott | August 20, 2007 12:49 pm

By Scott

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Note: Scheduled posts made for this entire week will not send email notifications. Therefore, check in daily until the 25th which is the last scheduled post in queue. There are posts below this one that an email notification wasn’t sent as well, including the remedy I am currently on. Here’s the links to those posts or simply scroll down the page.

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Let’s talk about WHY I have acid reflux for a moment. Before last week, I ate foods that I now know are breaking down and hurting my body’s ability to naturally defend against illness and other medical problems.

Take a moment and visit this link. It discusses why maintaining an alkaline (non-acidic) diet is important for helping you with acid reflux and GERD.

After all of my research and study over the last week, it all just makes sense.

From what I’ve read, to maintain an average pH level of 7.2 (pH? See links above) which is what your body tries to maintain, you will need a 75% alkaline diet and 25% acidic. When I looked at alkaline foods compared to acidic foods, I’ve come to the conclusion that the American diet consists of at least 90% acidic!

Here are some of the foods and drinks from the acidic side of the pH scale (less than 7.0 pH):

ACIDIFYING VEGETABLES
Corn
Lentils
Olives
Winter Squash

ACIDIFYING FRUITS
Blueberries
Canned or Glazed Fruits
Cranberries
Currants
Plums**
Prunes**

ACIDIFYING GRAINS, GRAIN PRODUCTS
Amaranth
Barley
Bran, oat
Bran, wheat
Bread
Corn
Cornstarch
Crackers, soda
Flour, wheat
Flour, white
Hemp Seed Flour
Kamut
Macaroni
Noodles
Oatmeal
Oats (rolled)
Quinoa
Rice (all)
Rice Cakes
Rye
Spaghetti
Spelt
Wheat Germ
Wheat

ACIDIFYING BEANS & LEGUMES
Almond Milk
Black Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Rice Milk
Soy Beans
Soy Milk
White Beans

ACIDIFYING DAIRY
Butter
Cheese
Cheese, Processed
Ice Cream
Ice Milk

ACIDIFYING NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews
Legumes
Peanut Butter
Peanuts
Pecans
Tahini
Walnuts

ACIDIFYING ANIMAL PROTEIN
Bacon
Beef
Carp
Clams
Cod
Corned Beef
Fish
Haddock
Lamb
Lobster
Mussels
Organ Meats
Oyster
Pike
Pork
Rabbit
Salmon
Sardines
Sausage
Scallops
Shellfish
Shrimp
Tuna
Turkey
Veal
Venison

ACIDIFYING FATS & OILS
Avacado Oil
Butter
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Flax Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Lard
Olive Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil

ACIDIFYING SWEETENERS
Carob
Corn Syrup
Sugar

ACIDIFYING ALCOHOL
Beer
Hard Liquor
Spirits
Wine

ACIDIFYING OTHER FOODS
Cocoa
Coffee
Ketchup
Mustard
Pepper
Soft Drinks
Vinegar

ACIDIFYING DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Aspirin
Chemicals
Drugs, Medicinal
Drugs, Psychedelic
Herbicides
Pesticides
Tobacco

ACIDIFYING JUNK FOOD
Beer: pH 2.5
Coca-Cola: pH 2
Coffee: pH 4

** These foods leave an alkaline ash but have an acidifying effect on the body.

This list goes on and on. After looking at this list, do you see the problem? Did you know your tap water is most likely acidic? Even if you filter it with Pur or Brita water filters? If you don’t believe me, head to Wal-Mart’s pharmacy department and ask them for some litmus testing strips to test pH. Our water here in Cedar City measures 6.0 pH before and after Pur water filtering.

More on acidic and alkaline foods

Another List

The Energy Alkaline Diet

There’s TONS of resources out there if you do some quick searches on google.

ACV and Baking Soda – Side Effects

Scott | August 19, 2007 5:46 pm

By Scott

My first day on the new ACV + Baking Soda remedy was horrible. It felt like I was getting over the flu. I was feeling really horrible. Some of the effects I was getting included:

  • Nausea
  • Extreme tired. As if I took a sleeping pill
  • Cold sweats
  • Metallic taste in the mouth
  • Migraines
  • Sweet / junk food appeared disgusting to me.

After reading, an expert refers to this initial side effect as DETOXIFICATION. As if I was a drug addict, my body was reacting heavily to the extreme acidity.

“Whenever the body has insufficient bicarbonates, some can have a reaction. Therefore just take 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water first, taken on an empty stomach twice a day for at least two weeks. On the second week, it is likely to be 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with 2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.”

After reading more on it, I decided to test my urine for it’s pH level and found I was around 6 on the litmus test. Therefore, I was highly acid and prone to disease. My body was reacting heavily to the acid and therefore, the symptoms I had.

After my reaction to ACV + baking soda, I took his advice and went on 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + water for 2 days. I also am taking magnesium supplements to restore missing electrolytes.

After a few days, I went to the original recipe:

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
  • 2 Tablespoons Natural Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/2 Cup Water

After 6 days, I feel absolutely awesome!