The Vegetable Oil Myth

The Vegetable oil Myth

One of the biggest revelations I had in 2013 was the news that vegetable oils are not good for a person’s health. On the contrary, most vegetable oils can cause serious health problems, especially when they are used for cooking. These oils include most oils extracted from grains and seeds such as corn, cotton, canola, soy, and sunflower oils.  One of the few exceptions is olive oil, but only if you use it in its natural form without overheating it.

The main reason why vegetable oils are so bad for you is the fact that the human body is not meant to consume them .Vegetable oils (and margarine, made from these oils) are artificial oils that have been extracted from seeds like the rapeseed (canola oil) soybean (soybean oil), corn, sunflower, safflower, etc. They were practically non-existent in our diets until the early 1900s when new chemical processes allowed them to be extracted. These vegetable oils can’t be extracted just by pressing or separating naturally. They must be chemically removed, deodorized, and altered.  Ironically enough, these are some of the most chemically altered foods in our diets, yet they get promoted as healthy.

Here is a list of serious health problems caused by using vegetable oils for human consumption:

·         The human body needs more saturated fats than polyunsaturated fats in order to function well. Vegetable oils contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats, and these oils have replaced many of the saturated fats in our diets since the 1950s. This imbalance is not good for us since polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and oxidize easily in the body that is if they haven’t already oxidized during processing or by light exposure while sitting on the grocery store shelf). These oxidized fats cause inflammation and mutation in cells.

·         In addition, vegetable oils are chemically produced, so they contain harmful chemicals. Most vegetable oils and their products contain BHA and BHT (Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene) which are artificial antioxidants that help prevent food from oxidizing or spoiling too quickly.

·         These chemicals have been shown to produce potential cancer- causing compounds in the body, and have also been linked to liver/kidney damage, immune problems, infertility or sterility, among other problems.

·         Vegetable oils may also contain residues of the pesticides and chemicals used in the cultivation of the grains they are obtained from. On top of that, many of those grains may have come from genetically modified sources such as soy beans.

In conclusion, I think that most of us have been misled by the vegetable oil industry into switching from the more natural and healthy sources of dietary fat such as lard, beef tallow, and butter from grass-fed cows. We should also include oils tropical oils such as coconut and palm fruit oils, which are very similar to animal fats.  Fortunately, it is not too late to get back to those natural sources of fatty acids that are necessary for good health.

The Amazing Heath Benefits of Vitamin K2

A Key Nutrient For Proper Calcium Absorption

The Amazing Health Benefits of Vitamin K2

If you haven’t heard about vitamin K, you certainly need to learn about this little-known nutrient. I hadn’t read much about this vitamin until I came across several reports citing studies that focus on the key role that a form of this vitamin (vitamin k2) plays in the proper absorption and utilization of calcium by the human body.

The studies indicate that if you take calcium supplements, you should also take vitamin K2 because taking calcium supplements alone could cause harm by building up in coronary arteries, initiating excessive clotting and causing heart attacks, which was demonstrated in those studies. So if you take calcium in supplement form, you should also take vitamin K2 in order to balance out their effects and get your calcium absorbed by your bones instead of having it deposit in your arteries or other unwanted places.

 According to an article in Dr. Mercola’s website, “there are several different forms of vitamin K2. MK-8 and MK-9 come primarily from fermented dairy products, like cheese. MK-4 and MK-7 are the two most significant forms of K2 and act very differently in your body”. The MK-7 form is the best option for us since it stays in the body for the longest time. It is recommended that people who wish take Vitamin K2  do it by taking supplements such as capsules or tablets.

In conclusion, I think that vitamin K2 plays a key role in the prevention of cardiovascular accidents as well as in keeping our bones healthy and strong. The best combination is to take vitamin K2 with vitamin D and magnesium, and ingest some good fats to help absorb them better.

Heart Health

 Dear reader:

     Today I would like to share this information with you. These are tips to help you improve your cardiovascular health , and avoid health problems associated with lack of knowledge or misinformation on how to protect your heart and cardiovascular system from deterioration and disease.  

1.   Avoid bad habits such as smoking, eating junk food containing wheat and hydrogenated oils. You should also avoid excessive sugar, bad fats, especially most vegetable oils, which are unstable and cause inflammation throughout the body. This damage is increased when vegetable oils are used for cooking. The exception to this rule is the tropical oils such as coconut, and red palm, and avocado oils, which are more stable when heated at the high temperatures. You should also consume animal fats such as lard, tallow, or butter, especially if they are organic or come from grass-fed animals.
2. Incorporate high intensive interval training in your exercise routine. You can simply walk briskly for two or three minutes, and then slow down for about a minute. You should repeat these intervals for about 30 minutes. This will strengthen your heart and accustom it to sudden bouts of activity so that it won’t fail you when it is actually subjected to strain.
3. Take cayenne with your meals or as a supplement. This popular spice can prevent and treat heart attacks.
4. Take L-citrulline and L-arginine .  These two amino acids are potent vasodilators, so they help the blood flow throughout your body. As a bonus, they will help your sex life.
5.  Take D-ribose as a supplement. This special sugar can do wonders for your energy and cardiovascular health.

Finally, you can never go wrong with small amount of aspirin, just to be on the safe side. A baby aspirin will do the trick, especially if you take it with some food at night.

L-Citrulline

Citrulline

  One of my favorite supplements is the amino acid citrulline. Citrulline is also known as l-citrulline. It is  classified as a non-essential amino acid because your own body can manufacture it from foods such as  watermelons.

  The main benefit of supplementing with citrulline is that it converts into into L-arginine once it is ingested. This form of ingesting arginine is better assimilated by the human body. L-arginine is converted in the body into a chemical called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels to open wider so the blood can flow more easily. Thus, citrulline acts as a vasodilator in your bloodstream, facilitating circulation and recovery from exertion.

  A little known benefit of this supplement is that it contributes to sexual arousal by stimulating the sex organs like a sort of natural Viagra. This natural libido booster can be bought at a fraction of what Viagra and similar drugs cost. Another bonus is that citrulline works well for both men and women.

   I take citrulline for better blood circulation, stamina and improved libido.

   See you next time!

Lemons

As I write this post, the cold season is starting to hit me hard. Fortunately, I haven’t fallen victim to the flu yet. It seems that the beta glucans, and other good stuff I have been taking to support my immune system are working. However, I am not letting my guard down. Just to be on the safe side, I have decided to add another weapon to my flu-fighting arsenal; lemons.

Lemons are another wonder fruit that you can use to prevent and help cure the common cold, the flu, and other conditions and illnesses.

 Lemons contain a lot of nutrients such as citric acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, pectin, and limonene which have been shown to promote immunity and fight infection. The two main properties that lemons possess are their strong antibacterial, antiviral properties. Furthermore, they can even be used to help you lose weight because lemon juice is a digestive aid and liver cleanser.

If you want to use lemons for preventive and curative purposes, I suggest using natural lemons, not the commercial juices sold at grocery stores and other markets as they have often been processed and lost some of its natural properties.

Here is a tip, you can squeeze some lemon juice into a bottle of water, and drink a little throughout the day, especially before meals. This will help with digestion, and prevent overeating. In addition, the lemon water will help keep the flu at bay.

Preventing the Flu

Preventing the Flu

As I write this post, I can see the first signs of winter showing outside my window. As much as I like wintertime with the holiday season it brings, I also dread it because of the extremely low temperatures and the accompanying flu season that always takes a heavy toll in the general population no matter what people do to protect themselves from this modern-day scourge.

I used to be one the victims of every influenza outbreak that happened to be floating around at this time of the year until I learned the hard way that there are weapons we can arm ourselves with to defend our bodies just like a fortress that needs to be made impregnable. In other words, if you want to prevent catching the common cold or the flu, you should strengthen your immune system.

Here are some tips I have learned and applied on myself to win the battle against the flu:

1.     You should increase our intake of vitamin D, especially D3. Alternatively, you can ingest cod liver oil which contains adequate amounts of this key vitamin.

2.     You should use extra virgin coconut oil in your meals. This type of oil is probably the best type of fat you can eat to stay healthy.

3.     You should also increase your intake of vitamin C which has been shown to help strengthen the immune system.

4.     It is also important to take the mineral zinc and amino acids lysine and l-glutamine.

5.     We should take a beta glucan supplement, especially the type derived from baker’s yeast. Beta glucans are the secret weapon you can use to prevent or shorten the duration of the common cold or the flu.

If you want to learn more about beta glucans, you can always look it up online.  I was skeptical about the efficacy of beta glucans until I decided to incorporate them into my diet. Now I am a believer; beta glucans are a powerful weapon against the flu.