No need to be so snarky, Paula

From Yahoo!TV news....Paula Deen is shrinking. The queen of Southern cooking looks noticeably smaller, and told People magazine she’s dropped two pants sizes.

The Food Network star, who is not shy with butter and frying up anything, came under fire when she revealed she had been living with type 2 diabetes for the past three years but continued to promote unhealthy cooking on her show (one of her dishes is a burger between two doughnuts). The condition is in part caused by obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle.

But Paula seems to be finally embracing a healthier outlook -- and it shows. The chef told the magazine that her new regimen includes walking for 30 minutes every day and cutting her portion sizes in half. She has also said she is easing up on sugary treats such as cake and sweet tea.

Paula still doesn’t know how much she weighs, telling People, "We don't own a scale in our house.” She adds, "Every six months I go for a physical and find out. Now it's time to see the doctor. She'll be so happy if I've lost weight."

The 65-year-old, who has teamed up with a drug company, Novo Nordisk, on a website called Diabetes in a New Light, promised to introduce lighter versions of her Southern-style food.

Paula told the Associated Press, "I am who I am. But what I will be doing is offering up lighter versions of my recipes." Just don’t expect a vegan menu: "I'm Southern by roots. I was taught (to cook) by my grandmother and nothing I can do would change that."

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And here comes my rant....Paula, I greatly resent the fact that you have hid your diabetes for the last two years while continuing to push your artery-clogging food. Really girl. What's up with that? Now you choose to lose weight after it finally comes to light about your diabetes. Don't you realize why people don't sympathize with you? I am very glad that you are losing weight because, as a diabetic, I too know the risk we put ourselves at with being overweight...AND CONTINUING TO EAT WRONG.

But I have to tell you, I greatly resent your comment. No, I don't expect to see you eating a vegan diet (although that would greatly improve your diabetes). But don't go saying that the reason you cook the way you do is because of your southern roots! I am a southern girl too and we never ate anything like you cook. For those of you from other parts of the country, NO, we do not cook pork fat & a pound of butter in everything (unless you're my mother-in-law, but that's another story). I never grew up eating that...and yes, I too, learned to cook from my grandmother. I had never heard of pork fat in beans until I was older and eating at a friend's house (and oh, yes, my body rebelled after eating it too. Believe me, it did!) Sure we used butter in moderation & we ate "sweets" on occasion, but I assure you, Paula Deen's cooking does not accurately represent the South.

Yeah, I am embracing a vegan lifestyle now and after 1 month my total cholesterol (as a pescatarian) dropped from 166 (which was good anyhow) to 137!! For the first time in my life, my HDL and LDL are great.

The last thing vegans and vegetarians need are for someone to be throwing snarky comments around about our food choices. We've made the choice to EAT TO LIVE, not LIVE TO EAT.

And I have to honestly say, I have never eaten this good before and I am loving the vegan choices I make now.  So keep chowing down, Paula, and throwing the lbs. of butter and fat in your food. As for me, I am looking forward to the day of being healthy and thin and not taking Metformin or sticking a needle in myself every day. And if eating healthy and making the right decisions is what it takes, I'm up for it. How about you?

Harvard study: Pasteurized milk from industrial dairies linked to cancer

The truth has once again shaken the foundation of the 'American Tower of Babel' that is mainstream science, with a new study out of Harvard University showing that pasteurized milk product from factory farms is linked to causing hormone-dependent cancers. It turns out that the concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) model of raising cows on factory farms churns out milk with dangerously high levels of estrone sulfate, an estrogen compound linked to testicular, prostate, and breast cancers.

Dr. Ganmaa Davaasambuu, Ph.D., and her colleagues specifically identified "milk from modern dairy farms" as the culprit, referring to large-scale confinement operations where cows are milked 300 days of the year, including while they are pregnant. Compared to raw milk from her native Mongolia, which is extracted only during the first six months after cows have already given birth, pasteurized factory milk was found to contain up to 33 times more estrone sulfate.

Evaluating data from all over the world, Dr. Davaasambuu and her colleagues identified a clear link between consumption of such high-hormone milk, and high rates of hormone-dependent cancers. In other words, contrary to what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the conventional milk lobby would have you believe, processed milk from factory farms is not a health product, and is directly implicated in causing cancer.

"The milk we drink today is quite unlike the milk our ancestors were drinking" without apparent harm for 2,000 years, Dr. Davaasambuu is quoted as saying in the Harvard University Gazette. "The milk we drink today may not be nature's perfect food."

Meanwhile, raw, grass-fed, organic milk from cows milked at the proper times is linked to improving digestion, healing autoimmune disorders, and boosting overall immunity, which can help prevent cancer. Though you will never hear any of this from the mainstream media, all milk is not the same -- the way a cow is raised, when it is milked, and how its milk is handled and processed makes all the difference in whether or not the end product promotes health or death.

American government seeks to further perpetuate the lie that all milk is the same with egregious new provisions in 2012 Farm Bill
Of particular concern are new provisions in the 2012 Farm Bill that create even more incentives for farmers to produce the lowest quality, and most health-destroying, type of milk possible. Rather than incentivize grazing cows on pastures, which allows them to feed on grass, a native food that their systems can process, the government would rather incentivize confined factory farming methods that force cows to eat genetically-modified (GM) corn and other feed, which makes them sick.

As it currently stands, the government already provides incentives for farmers to stop pasturing their animals, instead confining them in cages as part of a Total Confinement Dairy Model, aka factory farms. But the 2012 Farm Bill will take this a step further by outlawing "component pricing" for milk, which involves allowing farmers to sell milk with higher protein and butterfat at a higher price.

Allowing farmers to sell higher quality milk at a higher price provides an incentive for them to improve the living conditions on their farms, and milk better cow breeds. But the U.S. government would rather standardize all milk as being the same, and create a system where farmers continue to produce cancer-causing milk from sick cows for the millions of children to drink.

To learn more, visit:
http://www.anh-usa.org/healthy-milk-what-is-it/

Sources for this article include:

http://www.anh-usa.org/healthy-milk-what-is-it/

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/12.07/11-dairy.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/035039_raw_milk_pasteurized_CDC.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035081_pasteurized_milk_cancer_dairy.html#ixzz1nbMJwhhz

Curcumin in the war against prostate cancer and dementia

Curcumin, the active anti-inflammatory compound found in the Indian spice tumeric, has gained an impressive reputation in the fight against many deadly forms of cancer. New evidence released in the journal Cancer Research finds that the natural phenol can slow prostate tumor growth by blocking receptors used to propagate cell tissue growth.

Additional research published in the journal PLoS One explains the precise mechanism exerted by curcumin molecules to target the amyloid fibrils associated with the unnatural progression of protein-like plaque tangles that are characteristic in Alzheimer's disease patients. Adding curry spice to your healthy diet or supplementing daily with a standardized curcumin capsule will help win your individual war against cancerous proliferation and Alzheimer's dementia.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of the disease, with more than 250,000 diagnoses in the US each year. Any natural compound that targets the proliferation of prostate cancer cells would provide a significant remedy compared with the allopathic methods of radiation, surgery and chemical agents. To conduct the study, researchers subjected prostate cancer cells to hormone deprivation in the presence and absence of curcumin with 'physiologically attainable' doses.


Curcumin blocks prostate cell receptors to thwart cancer progression
The researchers found that curcumin blocked two genetic receptors necessary for prostate cancer advancement. These receptors have been shown is past studies to predict cancer incidence and rate of growth of existing tumors. They noted that the spice extract was "a potent inhibitor of both cell cycle and survival in prostate cancer cells."

The lead study author, Dr. Karen Knudsen and her team found that other cancer cell lines multiply by a similar receptor mechanism and may also be inhibited by the curry compound. She commented that curcumin "also has implications beyond prostate cancer... in other malignancies, like breast cancer. In tumors where these play an important function, curcumin may prove to be a promising therapeutic agent."

In a separate research body, scientists found that curcumin prolongs life and enhances activity of brain neurons, acting as a neuroprotective shield against Alzheimer's disease advancement. The research team determined that curcumin acted to prevent the damaging accumulation of amyloid fibrils around the nerve synapse. Amyloid tangles are known to prevent normal electrical and chemical transmissions required to form memories and maintain cognition.

Scientific research models continue to extol the virtues of natural spice and herbal extracts such as curcumin to help prevent and treat many deadly diseases that kill countless millions each year. Incorporate curry spices as part of your healthy diet or include a daily supplement (250 mg to 500 mg standardized curcumin extract) to significantly lower cancer risk and support healthy brain function.



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035076_curcumin_prostate_cancer_dementia.html#ixzz1nXwnIT3n

Meal Plans Feb 19-25

Sunday Feb 19:
B: scrambled tofu, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: tofu & mushroom miso soup,sea salt bagel chips
D: poptarts

Monday Feb 20:
B: Kashi golean cereal w/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, lemon)
L: baby carrots, blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: LC pasta w/broccoli/mushroom/seitan/garlic


Tuesday Feb 21:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: Lentil thai soup, salad (mixed greens, apple, walnuts, balsamic dressing)

Wednesday Feb 22:
B: oatmeal w/pecans/raisins/dates, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L:  Blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: tomato bisque soup, tofu stirfry thai

Thursday Feb 23:
B: oatmeal w/pecans/raisins, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: Tofu gado-gado

Friday Feb 24:
(no breakfast, fasting labs)
L: cream of broccoli soup, smoked tofu on foccacia
D: moroccan chickpea soup, bbq tofu & veggie stirfry

Saturday Feb 25:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal, soymilk, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: cream of cauliflower soup, 1/2 pita (lettuce, pepper, hummus), pistachios
D: indian-cooked chickpeas, veggie &seitan curried stirfry w/rice

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Health Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a culinary spice that spans cultures - it is a major ingredient in Indian curries, and makes American mustard yellow. But evidence is accumulating that this brightly colored relative of ginger is a promising disease-preventive agent as well, probably due largely to its anti-inflammatory action.

 

One of the most comprehensive summaries of turmeric studies to date was published by the respected ethnobotanist James A. Duke, Phd., in the October, 2007 issue of Alternative & Complementary Therapies, and summarized in the July, 2008, issue of the American Botanical Council publication HerbClip.

 

Reviewing some 700 studies, Duke concluded that turmeric appears to outperform many pharmaceuticals in its effects against several chronic, debilitating diseases, and does so with virtually no adverse side effects. Here are some of the diseases that turmeric has been found to help prevent or alleviate:

1. •Alzheimer's disease: Duke found more than 50 studies on turmeric's effects in addressing Alzheimer's disease. The reports indicate that extracts of turmeric contain a number of natural agents that block the formation of beta-amyloid, the substance responsible for the plaques that slowly obstruct cerebral function in Alzheimer's disease.
2. •Arthritis: Turmeric contains more than two dozen anti-inflammatory compounds, including sixdifferent COX-2-inhibitors (the COX-2 enzyme promotes pain, swelling and inflammation; inhibitors selectively block that enzyme). By itself, writes Duke, curcumin - the component in turmeric most often cited for its healthful effects - is a multifaceted anti-inflammatory agent, and studies of the efficacy of curcumin have demonstrated positive changes in arthritic symptoms.
3. •Cancer: Duke found more than 200 citations for turmeric and cancer and more than 700 for curcumin and cancer. He noted that in the handbook Phytochemicals: Mechanisms of Action, curcumin and/or turmeric were effective in animal models in prevention and/or treatment of colon cancer, mammary cancer, prostate cancer, murine hepatocarcinogenesis (liver cancer in rats), esophageal cancer, and oral cancer. Duke said that the effectiveness of the herb against these cancers compared favorably with that reported for pharmaceuticals.

 

How can you get more turmeric into your diet? One way is via turmeric tea. There are also extracts in tablet and capsule form available in health food stores; look for supercritical extracts in dosages of 400 to 600 mg, and take three times daily or as directed on the product.

 

And, of course, one can simply indulge in more curried dishes, either in restaurants or at home. However you do it, adding turmeric to your diet is one of the best moves toward optimal health you can make.

 

Turmeric Tea

 

•Bring four cups of water to a boil.
•Add one teaspoon of ground turmeric and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
•Strain the tea through a fine sieve into a cup, add honey and/or lemon to taste.

 

Some people like to add a teaspoon of ginger along with the turmeric. While ground versions are more convenient, it's worthwhile to experiment with freshly grated turmeric for a more vibrant flavor. These distinctive, deep-orange roots are increasingly available in American grocery and natural food stores. Enjoy!

 

~~Dr. Weil.com~~

Yerba Mate Tea in the News

A recent scientific study found that yerba mate tea induces death in human colon cancer cells. Scientists discovered that in vitro cancer cells died when exposed to the bioactive compounds present in one cup of the beverage long valued for its medicinal properties by South American traditional healers.

Caffeine compounds cause cell death
University of Illinois associate professor of food chemical and toxicology Elvira de Mejia stated "The caffeine derivatives in mate tea not only induced death in human colon cancer cells, they also reduced important markers of inflammation." Mejia observed that this is important since inflammation can lead to cancer progression. Her study was published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research in latter part of 2011.

In the in vitro study, de Mejia and former graduate student Sirima Puangpraphant first isolated, and purified, then treated human colon cancer cells with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives from mate tea. As the scientists increased the CQA concentration, cancer cells died. "Put simply, the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged," de Mejia said.

Inducing apoptosis, or cell death, is one of the tactics medical researchers have been trying to create through pharmaceutical anti-cancer drugs. However research has also discovered that natural medicines also possess this capability. The new University of Illinois study now demonstrates that yerba mate is one of those substances with this cancer-fighting power.


Yerba mate stops inflammation
The study suggests that the mate tea compounds not only have potential as anti-cancer agents but may also be effective against other diseases associated with inflammation. However, since the colon and its microflora play a major role in the absorption and metabolism of caffeine-related compounds, the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of mate tea may be most potent against bowel cancer. "We believe there's ample evidence to support drinking mate tea for its bioactive benefits, especially if you have reason to be concerned about colon cancer," de Mejia noted.

The scientists will also soon publish the results of a further study on yerba mate and colon cancer. The new study compares the development of colon cancer in rats that drank only mate tea against a control group that drank only water.

Sources:

ScienceDaily

http://www.patexia.com/feed/compounds-in-mate-tea-induce-death-in-colon-cancer-cells-2306

http://zeenews.india.com/ayurveda/yerba-mate-brew-bumps-off-colon-cancer-cells_1032.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034806_Yerba_mate_colon_cancer_caffeine.html#ixzz1nBRERRUl