Best Bet Vitamin food sources are listed in order of most often identified as the foods most beneficial for a specific vitamin. The Best Bet Foods are only the most common items I have found during testing in the last 12 years; there may be more foods that contain the particular vitamin that are listed on my website under the Diet/Nutrition section (see resource box for that link.)

Because each person is an individual with many different nationalities within their bloodlines, it is important to determine which food items are best suited for your body. And easy way to do this is to find out your blood type and eat foods that are beneficial for that blood type. You can find a list of those foods at www.dadamo.com. Overdosing with foods is almost impossible. I like that. It’s very safe! So, here’s the list:

Beta-Carotene: Best Bet Food Sources– Dark Green vegetables, carrots and tomatoes. Note: Beta-Carotene natural form is comprised of two molecules. The synthetic form only has one molecule. Therefore, natural food sources are best.

Bioflavonoids: Best Bet Food Sources– Citrus fruits (especially the white part of the peel), apples, soy hawthorn berries and green tea.

Biotin or Vitamin H: Best Bet Food Sources– Eggs, raw fruits, mushrooms, poultry, soy or soy products, whole grains and oatmeal.

Choline: Best Bet Food Sources– Choline tablets, beans, and eggs.

CoQ-10: Best Bet Food Sources– Fish and spinach.

Fat Soluble Vitamins: See Vitamins A, D, E and K.

Folic Acid or Vitamin B-9: Best Bet Food Sources– Wheat Germ (refrigerate after opening as it turns rancid easily), eggs, salmon, mushrooms, citrus fruits, and chicken.

Hesperidin: Best Bet Food Sources– NutriBiotic’s Grapefruit Seed Extract. Note: Hesperidin is in the bioflavonoid family and is thought to stimulate the immune system and fight yeast infections.

Inositol: Best Bet Food Sources– Standard Process™ brand Inositol, blackstrap molasses, fresh fruits, nuts and seeds, wheat germ.

PABA or Para-aminobenzoic Acid: Best Bet Food Sources– Spinach, blackstrap molasses, mushrooms, rice.

Riboflavin or Vitamin G: Best Bet Food Sources– Sprouts, nutritional yeast, milk, meat, some forms of algae and Standard Process Labs™ Cataplex G®. Uses for Vitamin G: Night sweats, burning feet, red hands, paralysis, edema secondary to liver failure, eye syndromes, nervous indigestion, and liver disease. Riboflavin is the heat-stable factor of the Vitamin B complex.

Vitamin A: Best Bet Food Sources– Parsley, sweet potatoes, watermelon, nettle leaf, broccoli, carrots, dark leafy greens, eggs, and mangos.

Vitamin B Complex: Best Bet Food Sources– Any brand that you test energetically strong for. The wrong brand can be responsible for some annoying side effects. For me, that is urinary incontinence. To get the whole complex from foods you would want a wide variety of raw fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Vitamin B-1 or Thiamine: Best Bet Food Sources– Beans, broccoli, wheat germ, eggs, seafood, nuts, oatmeal, poultry, sunflower seeds, and brown rice.

Vitamin B-2 or Cyanocobalamine: Best Bet Food Sources– Green leafy vegetables, parsley, blackstrap molasses, spinach, wheat germ, and yogurt.

Vitamin B-3 or Niacin or Niacinamide: Best Bet Food Sources– Sesame seeds, eggs, sunflower seeds, and oat straw.

Vitamin B-5 or Pantothenic Acid or Pantethine: Best Bet Food Sources– Blackstrap molasses, eggs, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, soybeans and soybean products.

Vitamin B-6 or Pyridoxine: Best Bet Food Sources– Spinach, eggs, and seeds.

Vitamin B-9 (see Folic Acid above)

Vitamin B-12 or Cyanocobalamine: Best Bet Food Sources– Tuna, eggs and salmon. Note: Vegetarians should take Twin Labs B-12 Dots–approximately 2/day.

Vitamin B-15 or DMG or Di Methyl Glycine or Pangamic Acid: Best Bet Food Sources– Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, brown rice, meat.

Vitamin B-17 or Leatrile or Amygdalin: Best Bet Food Sources– Bean sprouts, buckwheat, wheat grass (Barfy Green Stuff), brown rice, apricot pits and legumes. Uses for Vitamin B-17: I’ve noticed that bean sprouts can be helpful with morning sickness. It has also been used to treat some forms of cancer in the past.

Vitamin C: Best Bet Food Sources– Broccoli, strawberries, citrus fruits, rose hips, fresh fruits and vegetables of all kinds, parsley, and nettles.

Vitamin D: Best Bet Food Sources– Sunshine, parsley, dark leafy green vegetables, eggs, fish and fish oils, salmon, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, cod liver oil and yogurt.

Vitamin E: Best Bet Food Sources– Wheat germ (oil or fresh), eggs, nuts, leafy green vegetables, soy products, vegetable oils, and berries (many people test strong for Tayberries which is a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry).

Vitamin F or Unsaturated Fatty Acids (including Arachidonic, Linolenic and Linoleic acids): Best Bet Food Sources– Flax seed (cooked) and Standard Process Labs Cataplex F tablets or perles. Uses for Vitamin F: Hypothyroidism, scanty or absent menstruation, hot flashes, sun sensitivity, prostate problems, falling hair, increased cholesterol.

Vitamin H (see Biotin above)

Vitamin K: Best Bet Food Sources– Green vegetables are the most concentrated source.

Vitamin P–Rutin (Blood vessels) Best Bet Food Sources– The white part of citrus peel and buckwheat are two sources very high in rutin, but often I recommend it in tablet form because it’s almost impossible to get the volume needed in natural foods when a patient is deficient. Uses for Rutin: Used for allergies and bruising, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, inflammation of the veins in the anus and rectum.

What foods do you crave?

Remember: Eating raw foods to replenish nutrients is one thing. We can easily overdose and imbalance our body with supplements, but not with foods. I have not included the signs of overdosing with over supplementation, but these are listed under each specific mineral on my website.

Food sources are listed in order of the most often needed foods tested and recommended first and less common last. There are other food sources for these minerals, but they rarely seem to come up as the best replacement during consultations, so have not been listed here.

Boron (B): Best Bet Food Sources– Apples, carrots, grapes, other raw fruits (except citrus), nuts, legumes, vegetables in general. Most often used for: Arthritis

Calcium (Ca): Best Bet Food Sources– Blackstrap molasses, salmon, green leafy vegetables, almonds, sesame seeds, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products, broccoli, nettles, burdock root, parsley, raspberry leaves, yarrow, marshmallow root and yellow dock. Most often used for: Osteoporosis, muscle cramps, heart palpitations, arthritis, brittle nails, pregnancy support, eczema, and high blood pressure. Note: There are several types of calcium supplements on the market. You need just the right one for your body or excess can cause high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, and kidney stones. This is why natural food sources are best–because they don’t hurt your system like the supplements can.

Many people ask: “What is the best type of calcium for me to take?” I tell them, “Whatever you test strongest on. Here is a list of all the available types of calcium:

• Bone Meal Calcium

• Calcium Chloride

• Calcium Citrate

• Dicalcium Phosphate

• Calcium Gluconate

• Calcium Hydroxyapatite

• Calcium Lactate

• Oyster Shell Calcium

• Calcium Stearate

• Calcium w/ Boron

• Calcium w/ Vitamin D 3 (Lots of people are testing they need this form recently)

Carbon (C): Best Bet Food Sources– Activated Charcoal. Most used for: Detoxification

Chromium (Cr): Best Bet Food Sources– New Vision Ionic Minerals (see above), blackstrap molasses, beef and other meats/poultry/fish, brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, dulse (seaweed), and mushrooms. Most often used for: Anxiety and nervousness and other serious mental challenges, ADD, depression, Type II diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart diseases associated with coronary artery problems and infertility.

Copper (Cu): Best Bet Food Sources– Blackstrap molasses, parsley, New Vision Ionic Minerals, Standard Process Labs brand Chezyn, almonds, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, oats and other whole grains and legumes, nuts, seafood, sunflower oil and whole wheat. Most often used for: Anemia, baldness, joint problems, improper cholesterol ratios, aneurysms, and retinal degeneration.

Germanium (Ge): Best Bet Food Sources– New Vision Ionic Minerals, mushrooms, seeds, vegetables (especially garlic and onions) and bran. Most often used for: Cancer, asthma, arthritis, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.

Iron (Fe): Best Bet Food Sources– Definitely blackstrap molasses (no more than two teaspoons/day maximum!), parsley, leafy green vegetables, sea vegetables such as dulse, kelp and nori wrappers, prunes, black cherries, meat and seafood, nuts, whole grains and legumes, burdock, yellow dock, nettles and raspberry leaves. Most often used for: Iron deficient anemia, decreased stamina and energy, weak immune system, digestive disorders (Crohn’s, Celiac, difficulty swallowing) and irritable nerves.

Note: I’ve noted that the prescription iron supplements are just too harsh on the system and that the body absorbs these natural sources much more easily. Two signs you may need natural iron supplements are ice chewing and a tan chin and cheek area when the rest of the face is a lighter complexion. You may also want to look into a parasite program to get at the core cause of the anemia.

Iodine (I): Best Bet Food Sources– Sea vegetables (kelp, dulse, nori wrappers), sesame seeds, raw spinach, zucchini, asparagus, Celtic Sea Salt, soy and soy products, garlic. Most often used for: Thyroid problems, fatigue, and weight issues. Interesting Note: Some foods block the update of iodine into the thyroid gland when eaten raw and in large amounts. Iodine blocking foods include–all of these are in raw form–cooking inactivates the thyroid blocking agents: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, peaches, pears, cooked spinach and turnips. If you have an under active thyroid, limit your intake of these substances to 4 cups/week of any of these foods combined.

Magnesium (Mg): Best Bet Food Sources– Blackstrap molasses (no more than 2 teaspoons/day max!), dark green vegetables, potatoes (especially the skin), beans and other legumes, whole grains, almonds and other nuts, meat and fish, soy products, apricots, bananas, coconut (get the organic unsulfited kind,) dates, figs and avocados. Most often used for: Constipation, hyperexcitability, nervousness, asthma, chronic fatigue, glaucoma and retinal problems, high blood pressure, heart problems (congestive heart failure, valve problems, arrhythmias), insomnia, muscle cramping and multiple sclerosis.

Note: Potatoes grown on magnesium deficient soils (like Washington) are susceptible to the Potato Scab Virus. This virus is thought to be linked with the same virus that causes Multiple Sclerosis in humans. If you have neurological signs of any kind, don’t eat potato skins that are scabby.

Now, there are also quite a few choices for Magnesium on the shelves if you are purchasing a supplement. Which one is best for you? Whichever one tests the strongest.

List of Different Types of Magnesium:

• Magnesium Aspartate

• Magnesium Chelate

• Magnesium Citrate

• Magnesium Glycinate

• Magnesium Lactate

• Mag. Malate (Malic Acid)

• Magnesium Oxide

Manganese (Mn): Best Bet Food Sources– Definitely parsley (1-2 tablespoons/day chopped and raw), green leafy vegetables, oats, pineapple, nuts, spinach, peppermint, apples, apricots, blueberries, celery, egg yolk, and whole grains. Most often used for: Tendon and ligament problems (these are the problems I find most often when associated with manganese deficiency by far.), tinnitus, skin rashes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, memory problems, diabetes, and breast problems.

Molybdenum (Mo): Best Bet Food Sources– Beans and other legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, whole grains and wheat germ. Most often used for: Asthma and gout.

Oxygen (O): Best Bet Food Sources– A diet that contains a minimum of 1 1/2 cups of raw fruits and 1 1/2 cups of raw vegetables daily will keep your body producing nice, healthy red blood cells stocked with hemoglobin. Exercise or deep breathing exercises are essential to keep oxygenated.

Self-test: When looking at the little white moons at the base of your fingernails, you should see the moons on every fingernail except the little finger. If you don’t see these, then your body is not getting enough oxygen to all the different organs of your body. Oxygen fights off cancer because cancer can’t grow in oxygenated tissues.

Phosphorus (P): Best Bet Food Sources– Eggs, beans and other legumes, almonds, pumpkin seeds (great for prostate and normal hormone function in both males and females), sesame seeds (great for seasonal affective disorder and other forms of depression), bran and whole grains. Most often used for: Bone pain, nosebleeds, and trembling.

Note: People who often drink soda pop (more than 4 per week), can easily imbalance the system so that there is too much phosphorus and not enough calcium and magnesium. This is a common and frequent (in my practice) cause of kidney stones and osteoporosis/osteopenia.

Potassium (K): Best Bet Food Sources– Fresh fruits and vegetables of all kinds, blackstrap molasses, fish, dates, bananas, beans, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, brown rice, and nettles. Most often used for: Heart disease, muscular fatigue and weakness, dry skin, depression, edema, insomnia, and counteracting acid bodies and replenishing the alkaline reserve.

Selenium (Se): Best Bet Food Sources– Parsley, blackstrap molasses, mushrooms, nuts, salmon and other seafood, sesame seeds, vegetables, wheat germ, chicken, nettles, yarrow, raspberry leaf, garlic and whole grains. Most often used for: Immune system stimulation, asthma, thyroid disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, macular degeneration (Standard Process™ brand Chezyn® is an awesome product for this containing chelated zinc, copper and selenium in a natural food-based formula), abnormal pap smears, cancer and liver diseases.

Silicon (Si): Best Bet Food Sources– Horsetail, radishes and other root vegetables, New Vision Ionic Minerals, whole grains, brown rice, soy and soy products, Trinity water and green peppers. Most often used for: Weak nails that break and tear easily, healthy skin and hair, pliable blood vessels, Alzheimer’s disease, and osteoporosis.

Sodium (Na): Best Bet Food Sources– Celery, kale, sesame seeds, Celtic Sea Salt, apples, carrots, and hot peppers are all good sources of organic sodium which replaces the inorganic molecules we get from salted and prepared foods. Most often used for: High blood pressure, glaucoma, dehydration, and brain dysfunctions such as memory, depression, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, and poor coordination. Note that natural sodium acts differently than the sodium in table salt.

Sulfur (S): Best Bet Food Sources– Eggs, garlic, onions, dried beans, cruciforms (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale) and soy. Most often used for: Arthritis, asthma, back and joint pain and skin disease.

Vanadium (V): Best Bet Food Sources– Parsley, snap beans, mushrooms, radishes, New Vision Ionic Minerals, soy and soy products, olives, whole grains, seafood, corn and gelatin. Most often used for: Diabetes, bone and tooth development, and dental health.

Zinc (Zn): — This is the most common mineral deficiency I see in my practice. Best Bet Food Sources: Pumpkin seeds and other nuts, oatmeal, eggs, parsley, wheat germ and Standard Process™ brand Chezyn®. Most often used for: Prostate health, healthy immune function, impotence, menopause and perimenopausal health, memory, skin disease, pancreas and thyroid health, macular degeneration and other eye disorders, and bowel dysfunction.

Note: A significant amount of zinc is lost through perspiration.

Now, the trick is to incorporate 1 ½ to 2 cups EACH of both cooked and raw vegetables into your diet every day and you will be at a much higher plane of health. Fruits and vegetables are like water. You can’t replenish the deficiency all at once,AND the intake needs to be consistent.

The body puts more effort in breaking up and processing these foods compared to other foods in terms of calorie consumption. The body needs to work harder for extracting calories from these foods. This is where the term ‘negative calorie’ is concerned. Due to this property, the negative calorie foods possess a remarkable fat burning benefit, and are also referred to as fat burning foods.

Negative Calorie Concept

Say, you are having a dessert that consists of 400 calories. It needs roughly 150 calories to digest the dessert. That means, a net gain of 250 calories will be added to our body as a body fat. Following the same norm, say, for example, you are having a specific kind of foods that consist of 100 calories, whereas 150 calories are needed to digest the foods. That means, you have in effect burnt an extra 50 calories from your body simply by adding these foods in your diet.

The example of negative calorie foods may include the name of broccoli. If you eat 100 gm of broccoli, it provides you 25 calories. However, you need 80 calories to digest 100 gm of broccoli that means you are burning (80-25) = 55 calories from your body fat. Hence, we can easily understand that negative calories foods can be a great addition to weight loss diet program.

Negative Calorie and Weight Loss

In practice, there are a great variety of negative calorie foods available in the market. These foods come with a commitment that if you eat more of these foods, you are able to lose more weight in turn. The specialties of these foods are to offer low calories, and brilliant negative calorie qualities in addition to yummy flavor. Hence, to fight against obesity, you need not depend on fasting any longer. Rather you may eat as much as you can to reduce your weight. Some of these foods may include the names of chili, cucumber, carrot, cauliflower, apple, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, papaya, pineapple, lemon, beet, grapefruit, zucchini, celery, spinach and many more. In reality, there are more 100 foods that belong to this category.

Possible Side Effects

Considering theoretical aspect, it can be said that if you stick yourself on negative calorie diet only, it may create health hazards in long term. It is mainly due to the reason that these foods are unable to provide certain nutrients inevitably needed by our body. These foods offer plenty of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, but profoundly lack few significant nutrients like fat and protein. Although we need to stay away from fatty foods, but a minimum level of fat consumption is actually needed by our health system. Same thing is true for protein substances. Without the presence of these two substances, many of the bodily functions may not work properly.

However, there are few individuals who prefer to eat fish especially when they are on their negative calorie diet. It is a good decision indeed. Adding fish in your diet along with negative calorie foods may help you to stay healthy even in long term. It offers low calorie consumption in addition to the supply of essential nutrients to the body.

Another important thing is, the individual who is on his negative calorie diet must know his limitation. If we stay aligned with theory, it implies that these types of foods burn calories. Thereby, if the individual continues this diet for a prolonged period of time, it may result in dangerous health hazards including excessively underweight and mortality.

Dr John Anne is an herbal specialist with years of experience and extensive research on herbs and alternative health. Visit Grape Seed Extract Benefits at http://www.healthvitaminsguide.com – Information on Vitamins, Minerals and Amino Acids. Also visit Vitamin K Benefits and Deficiency for useful Information on Vitamins.

For our children, the age group that needs the greatest amount of calcium is our teens. Teens need 1,300 milligrams of calcium daily. This number drops the younger the child is. For children 1 to 3, the requirement is 500 milligrams daily and for children 4 to 8, the requirement is 800 milligrams daily. For adults, we aren’t far behind teens, especially if we are 51 or older, we should be consuming at least 1,200 milligrams a day.

So what does it mean to consume 500 milligrams to 1300 milligrams of calcium a day? Well, if a toddler, who needs the least amount, is drinking at least two glasses of milk, it is most likely they are hitting their target. Of course calcium is found in other consumables that include cheese, broccoli, yogurt and some cereals. For teens, their calcium intake is equivalent to four glasses of milk.

Getting our children or even ourselves as adults to consume the right amount of calcium can sometimes be a chore. Adding a daily supplement to our diet can help us balance out our calcium requirements without having to count portions with every meal. Of course eating right and eating in a balanced way is the most ideal, but if your diet isn’t balanced, take a step back and ask whether making the extra effort to watch your calcium is worth the effort. We think so as research has shown evidence that not only does calcium strengthen our bones and teeth but it may even reduce the risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels – or, as new research is showing, it reduces our chances of having colon cancer. When our calcium level is low, our body pulls calcium from our bones – which are the stockholders of about 99 percent of the calcium in our body. If our bones are constantly being drawn upon to balance our needed calcium supply, what results are weaker bones and even weaker teeth. For children, who enjoy sugary snacks and soda pop, this can mean more cavities and higher priced dental bills. And if the depletion is even more unbalanced, it could be as serious as bone fractures or breaks.

So is making the extra effort to make sure your children are getting enough calcium worth a parent’s time? You had better believe it. It’s better to make the effort now than to pay the price later.

You will notice that the list covers a broad variety of high protein foods. This was done intentionally so that you can compare food types and have more options to add to your daily meals.

The list:

(all nutrition estimates are based on standard single servings)

Peanut butter (2 tbsp)
Protein- 8 g
Calories- 188
Fat- 16 g

Raw almonds (19 pieces)
Protein- 7 g
Calories- 180
Fat- 14 g

Almond butter (1 tbsp)
Protein- 2 g
Calories- 101
Fat- 9 g

Skinless chicken breast (1 cup)
Protein- 38 g
Calories- 258
Fat- 10.4

Ground beef (90% lean, 3 oz)
Protein- 23 g
Calories- 182
Fat- 9 g

Ground turkey (3 oz)
Protein- 22 g
Calories- 193
Fat- 11 g

Salmon (half fillet)
Protein- 39 g
Calories- 367
Fat- 22 g

Tuna (canned, 1 cup)
Protein- 39 g
Calories- 179
Fat- 1 g

Deli turkey (1 oz)
Protein- 4 g
Calories- 31
Fat- 1 g

Findings:

High protein foods vary substantially in protein, fat, and calorie content per serving. Some of the best high protein foods have high fat counts; however, it is important to consider that not all fats are bad for you, and some can be very beneficial to your diet- even if weight loss is your top priority. Almonds, for example, are rich in omega three fatty acids but low in saturated fats.

In general, if you are looking for an efficient way to increase your protein count but keep your calorie and fat intakes minimal, than fish and lean meats are an effective option. Canned tuna (hold the mayo) tops the list as the most efficient protein source. Skinless chicken breasts, deli turkey, ground turkey, and lean ground beef are also highly efficient high protein foods.

For the Ethnic Chinese, the first 30 days after child birth is called the ‘confinement period’. It is also the most crucial ‘window period’ where the mother’s body is able to absorb the required nutrients in it’s maximum capacity. During the confinement period, the new mother is to stay at home and avoid going out so as to minimise the exposure to wind (adverse weather condition) and crowd.

A live-in confinement lady is usually employed to do the cooking and caring of the mother and the new born.

There are variations in the type of food and the cooking among the different dialect groups (or different provinces in China). However, the main ingredients used are essentially the same.

In Chinese Confinement food, the main ingredients and herbs used are Ginger, wine and black vinegar.

Ginger is thought to possess warm and heaty properties which is needed to ‘drive away the winds’ in the body. The pores of the skins are believed to have opened up and the joints loosen to prepare for labour and remain in a loose state for a short period after delivery. This is when the ‘winds’ from the climate will enter the body if one is exposed to a windy environment. The ginger would counter the coolness and the wind effect on the body.

Black vinegar is used to cleanse the womb of residual blood clot. It is commonly cooked with Ginger and Pig trotters and simmer for several hours until the trotters are tender and tasty. This dish is cooked in large pot and eaten over several days.

Wine especially tonic wine is helpful in warming and nourishing the body. It is also believed to help in the blood production and circulatory process. Therefore, food or soup are cooked with lot of wine and ginger for this reason.

Confinement mothers are also encouraged to drink tonic wine. If she is breastfeeding, timing of wine consumption will have to be carefully planned out.

Another common dish for breastfeeding mum is fish soup cooked with ginger and raw papaya. It is extremely effective in inducing milk production by the milk glands.

The Chinese believe that failure to eat these food during the confinement period will result in the woman aging faster, experience joint pain and other health problem in later part of their lives.

In this era of fat-building fast foods and preserved snacks, the need to become conscious of our own health becomes more and more urgent. Learn how to cut down on “bad carbs” by going online and checking out user-submitted health recipes! Here are a few sites where you can find quality low carb recipes:

1. Tina and Duncan MacDonald’s website hosts the low-carb recipes submitted to the newsgroup alt.support.diet.low-carb. No relation to the fast food company, the MacDonald couple make up a health and human resource consultancy group that is committed to ethical practices in dispensing information. The recipes submitted by users all around the world to the aforementioned newsgroup, and subsequently archived in their site (camacdonald.com/lc/), are free to just about anyone for personal non-commercial use.

2. Low Carb Luxury (lowcarbluxury.com) is the online version of its popular magazine, which contains a fine selection of tasty low carb recipes. Visit the website for some free recipe samples, or buy the magazine to stay up to date on the latest healthy culinary sensations!

3. The Low Carb Cafe (lowcarbcafe.com) is an online community where people interested in healthy low fat cooking can meet up and exchange ideas. Members have submitted over 1,400 recipes so far, and the number keeps growing! This site is for the true enthusiast of healthy eats.

4. Simply Recipes (simplyrecipes.com) has a wide selection of detailed recipes, including some for popular low-carb dishes. Simply do a search for “low carb” at the home page, and browse away!

5. Low Carb Recipes (lowcarb-recipes.net) is a website that compiles recipes that aren’t hard on the arteries. It also contains a rating system that allows site visitors to view the recipes by consumer rating! If you’re not sure what to cook, but want to start off on the right foot, this site should be among the ones you should visit first.

Some other popular cooking sites should also have “low carb recipes” on their menu. Remember that low carb doesn’t necessarily mean poor-tasting! Take your time window shopping online, and see which recipes would best suit your budget and your taste.

Healthy vision is related to the health of the individual parts of the eye – the cornea, iris, macula, lens, optic nerve, pupil, retina and the vitreous humor. And making good ocular nutrition and eye health food choices are one of the ways that good vision can be supported. Information provided by the U.S. National Eye Institute and the results of other ocular nutrition and eye health studies have shown that using nutrition to improve and support eye health definitely happens.

Here are foods that are known to support and improve eye health:

Collard greens, kale and spinach – studies on ocular nutrition and eye health show that eating foods rich in carotenoids is associated with reduced risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. Foods rich in carotenoids are leafy green vegetables such as spinach, collard greens and kale. Macular eye nutrition becomes increasingly important as we get older.

Green vegetables and corn – another study on ocular nutrition and eye health has shown a reduced risk of developing cataracts for persons having diets higher in lutein and zeaxanthin. Foods high in these two carotenoids include broccoli, collard greens, corn, green peas, kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens and zucchini. Lutein is also found in egg yolks. Persons with diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin were also less likely to need cataract surgery. In another study done on persons ages 40-59, those with diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin experienced a reduced risk of developing adult macular degeneration.

Apricots, bilberries and blueberries – apricots are rich in beta carotene and lycopene that help promote good vision. Beta carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A as needed, an important antioxidant that resists oxidative stress damage to cells and tissues including the eye lenses. Continued oxidative stress may result in the development of cataracts or damage the blood supply to the eyes and lead to macular degeneration. Eating blueberries has been associated with the reduction of eye fatigue.

Blueberries are related to cranberries, and both also help the body resist urinary tract infections. Bilberries are a form of wild blueberry that grow on small bushes. Bilberries were used by British pilots to improve their night vision during World War 2. Fresh bilberries and bilberry jams would be sources of this ocular nutrition and eye health food. Bilberry seems to improve eye health by increasing the blood supply to the eyes.

Our eyes are considered to be the most important of the senses. By knowing which ocular nutrition and eye health food choices support the eyes, you can include more of these foods in daily meal planning.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing.

Olinda Rola is President of Infosearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com a website of natural solutions for a variety of health problems. Visit Ocular Nutrition to read more on additional ways to obtain essential nutrients for eye health and vision support.

The process begins with an understanding of how the body digests food. Different types of food require different types of digestive enzymes for proper food breakdown. For example, carbohydrate foods require carbohydrate enzymes, whereas protein foods require protein enzymes. While the carbohydrate enzymes will only properly function in a non-acidic, or alkaline, environment, the protein enzymes will only properly function in an acidic environment.

Therefore, it is believed that when you eat a protein food with a carbohydrate food (i.e. steak and potatoes), digestion becomes impaired, since these two compounds cannot fully digest in their competing environments. Without complete digestion, nutrient absorption is incomplete. This incompletely digested food can also sit in the gut and become fodder for bacteria, which can ferment and decompose the food, causing a build-up of toxins and gas in the digestive tract. Furthermore, as nutrient absorption decreases and digestion slows, the metabolism becomes less efficient, and fat and cholesterol become more likely to accumulate.

While such a scenario has not been proved by science, the concept of “Food Combining” may allow you to avoid this potentially fat-gaining, metabolism-slowing, immune-depressing process. If your results are similar to mine, you may find that you have better endurance and stamina, increased focus, leaps in energy, more comfortable digestion, and an improved overall feeling. By following several rules, you can achieve less hindrance to your body’s natural digestive process.

Here are the basic rules (think of it as a game…that helped me). There are more details to the rationale behind the rules, but I thought I’d try not to make this too complicated.

1. Don’t eat fruit, especially melons, with any other food (including vegetables). They’re too acidic, and likely to sit and ferment while slowing digestion of the other foods. So use fruit as a snack, served alone.

2. Don’t combine proteins with starchy carbohydrates. They interfere with each other’s digestion.

3. Only drink milk by itself, because it requires a unique environment for digestion.

4. Drink only pure water before, during, and after a meal.

5. Do not add accessory fats to proteins (i.e. cooking fish and chicken in excessive butter, or serving with a creamy sauce).

6. Do not consume starch and sugar foods together, like jam on toast or honey on oatmeal.

7. Eat predominantly protein-only or carbohydrate-only meals. For example, breakfast might be an egg omelet with turkey bacon, or a fruit smoothie with a banana.

Based on these rules, food combinations to avoid would include bread or potatoes with butter, rolls or toast with bacon, cereals with cream or milk, steak, chicken or fish with potatoes, bread, or rice, rolls and hot dogs, ice, whipped cream or any cream on starchy desserts, pork with baked beans, or vinegar and oil dressing with chicken on a salad.

Sound tricky to accomplish “food combining” without some serious dietary juggling? It is! Here’s what I recommend: a 90/10 approach to diet or lifestyle changes. This means that 90% of the time, you make a conscious and intense effort to implement positive changes, and 10% of the time you just let things “flow” and allow yourself to mess up or break the rules. For example, at breakfast you might have a bowl of oatmeal with a slice of whole grain toast, perhaps a raw apple in the mid-morning, a salad with avocados at lunch, and a handful of nuts in the mid-afternoon. Then, for your company potluck, you get your “10%” and load a plate with corn-on-the-cob, cabbage salad, chicken, a roll, and a brownie (whereas food combining would be just the cabbage salad and the chicken). This allows you a mental break from constantly attempting to achieve dietary perfection, and I find that most individuals who follow this rule are far less likely to completely lose control and go on a 2 week binge of sugar, alcohol, processed/packaged foods, and grease.

A final benefit to food combining may be a longer life. It has been suggested that the body has a certain amount of reserves that, if carefully conserved, will allow us to live longer and healthier lives. There have even been studies that observe a correlation between longer lifespans and lower caloric consumptions! The depletion of the body’s reserves can occur much quicker if our bodies are constantly overtaxed in the process of food digestion. Like any dietary or health practice, the concept of self-control, avoidance of giant smorgasborgs of buffet food and alcohol, and a general decrease in gluttony just seem to make good sense!

Remember, there’s no “perfect diet” for everybody. If you want more dietary advice, fitness and lifestyle coaching, or help with achieving your goals, just shoot me an e-mail at elite@pacificfit.net, call me at 208-883-7705, or speak with the front desk about arranging a consultation with me. Whether you just want a month of online personal training to shrink your thighs, a consultation on how to run your first marathon, or tips on how to achieve healthy nutrition while you’re traveling – you can arrange anything with a personal trainer!

Ben Greenfield runs Pacific Elite Fitness at http://www.pacificfit.net, an online portal for personal training, triathlete coaching, and free fitness and multi-sport advice. He resides in Liberty Lake, WA, where he works as director of sports performance for Champion Sports Medicine, a training and testing lab for athletes. Ben graduated from University of Idaho with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sports science and exercise physiology, and is certified as a personal trainer and coach by the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Ben also offers individualized personal training, multi-sport coaching, training program design for athletes, lifestyle wellness and diet advising, and corporate consulting for workplace fitness programs. To learn more, visit http://www.pacificfit.net or e-mail Ben at elite@pacificfit.net

Here are some health ailments that can be easily treated with a simple food and diet remedy:

Allergies. More Americans suffer from allergies than ever before. Perhaps the best remedy for allergies is drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. Garlic and cayenne pepper have been used for years, and a good intestinal cleansing has been shown to provide relief. Almonds and walnuts, as well as sunflower seeds, reduce symptoms, and make sure that you are taking a multi-vitamin with the recommended doses of vitamins C, A, E and zinc.

Acne. Acne in both teens and adults is also becoming more and more common. There are many natural dietary changes that you can make to help clear up your skin. First, drink water. It flushes out the impurities. Soy protein helps, as does increasing your consumption of whole grains, fresh fruits and root vegetables. Have three servings of oily fish weekly and add some cold pressed seed oil daily.

Constipation. To help constipation, increase your intake of folic acid. Apple pectin can help relieve constipation and add fiber to your diet. Try drinking some ginger tea or yerba mate in tea form. Cod liver oil is a tried and true, but hard to swallow, remedy. Warm dandelion tea also helps.

Stress. Holy basil, also known as Tulsi, has been used to relieve stress and normalize cortical levels. Limiting caffeine can help the body to reduce the level of adrenaline. When you’re particularly stressed out, eat carbohydrates and fresh vegetables. They help the body release serotonin which produce a feeling of well-being.

Cancer. Consuming the trace elements that are plentiful in seafood has been shown to help cancer patients. Broccoli, mustard greens, cabbage and turnips have been recently touted as not only preventative maintenance but perhaps even cures for different types of cancers. Limit your fats.

Help your body cure itself by trying some of these simple food and diet changes. By also including them in your regular diet, you also help in the prevention of these health problems and to build a strong immune system.

Sandra Kim Leong publishes information on food diet and nutrition remedies for common health ailments. For free articles and resources, please visit http://www.food-diet-remedy.com