This list was all over the news yesterday.  Consumer reports just released a list of the Dirty Dozen dangerous supplements.

If you know me, you know I am NOT a proponent of many supplements. I have tried a TON of them and have come to this conclusion after trying many.  I believe in turning to nutrition, exercise and overall lifestyle prior to looking for a pill solution!

I believe most of  it is a huge waste of money or dangerous.  All that I take is a multi-vitamin and fish oil…sometimes vitamin C.  Many athletic supplements are dangerous if used improperly and others are just a waste of money.  I want my body to last over the long haul rather than pushing it to the extreme today and pay for it later!  Just my opinion!!!  And, it took me a while to learn that – I had to use and abuse a few substances to come to that conclusion.

If you do take supplements, read below and see if any of your supplements have these ingredients!

click on the above photo to find the pdf link

]]> http://fitoriblog.com/supplements-dirty-dozen/feed/ 1 http://fitoriblog.com/nutrition-local-honey/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nutrition-local-honey http://fitoriblog.com/nutrition-local-honey/#comments Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:39:02 +0000 tori http://fitoriblog.com/?p=1021 The last time I got sick it was after we left our local area on vacation. I’ve always believed that when you move or travel you’re more susceptible to germs in that new area because you’re not “immune” to them. I could be wrong. Just a hunch! I believe it now more than ever though because we eat honey from our local area now daily and truly believe our allergies are better. We do not take allergy meds at all anymore unless we have a cold or some sort of sickness.  I used to take it every day! There is no proof that it works, but there are some studies that point to local honey as possibly being able to help with seasonal allergies.  The [...]]]>

The last time I got sick it was after we left our local area on vacation.

I’ve always believed that when you move or travel you’re more susceptible to germs in that new area because you’re not “immune” to them. I could be wrong. Just a hunch!

I believe it now more than ever though because we eat honey from our local area now daily and truly believe our allergies are better. We do not take allergy meds at all anymore unless we have a cold or some sort of sickness.  I used to take it every day!

There is no proof that it works, but there are some studies that point to local honey as possibly being able to help with seasonal allergies.  The theory is that it works like a gradual and natural vaccination toward the local pollens.  Ideally, the honey-eater has no reaction to local pollens after eating local honey since they are now immune to those local pollens.

Warning: There is a potential for an allergic reaction to honey AND children under 12 months old should not be fed honey due to infant botulism, which their systems cannot fight.

I have read that it is ok to eat during pregnancy and nursing though.

You be the judge!  Is it worth a try?

References:  Discovery Health

I first read about Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) on one of my favorite blogs.  Stacey is brilliant for thinking of testing her blood sugar and actually confirming the claims of ACV!!! I may steal her idea to test other foods and blood sugar. Read her post here:  Muscle and the City

I promised that after the show I would start sharing with you things I am eating and doing to stay in shape and healthy and here is the first one!  I take a Tablespoon of ACV before breakfast, lunch and dinner, so three times a day.  I add a bit of lemon juice (Again, thanks to Stacey of Muscle and the City for that recommendation) and a little water.  It gets easier every time!  Many people add it to their salad dressing, veggies, popcorn, and other foods or drinks.

BENEFITS: So, why do I take it? There are many supposed health benefits, but the main one, the reason I take it and the most studied reason is to lower or regulate blood sugar levels. Make sure to read the original blog post I linked above by Muscle and the City.  She shows her research and the results of her experiment.  Studies, like hers and others, have shown that ACV lowers glucose levels and increases the feeling of being full, while suppressing the appetite, assisting in weight loss. Some say that it is a natural fat burner and assists the body in burning fat rather than storing it, but this has not yet been proven.  Other benefits, supposedly include, lowering cholesterol, lowering high blood pressure, lowering risk of heart disease, and helping to lower cancer risk by killing cancer cells. Other health claim include supporting a healthy immune system, controlling weight (as aforementioned), promoting digestion and ph balance, soothing dry throat, removing body sludge toxins, maintaining healthy skin, relieving muscle pain from exercise, relieving arthritic stiffness, and treating acne, dandruff and sunburns.

RISKS: ACV is acidic and should be diluted with water or juice before swallowing.  It can damage tooth enamel and the tissues of the throat and mouth if taken without diluting.  It can burn the skin (due to being acidic), lower potassium levels and bone density.  It could interact with diuretics, laxatives, and medications for diabetes and heart disease. It also does the same thing as many diabetes and high blood pressure medications, adding to their effects which could cause problems, so check with your doctor!

Also, be careful taking the supplement in pill form because you don’t always know what you are getting.  Instead, if you take the organic, raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized variety, you can be sure to get exactly what the bottle says.  I use the brand that shows in the picture and I get it at my local health food store.

**Added after original post due to Lindsey’s comment below** Also, the unpasteurized variety includes “the mother” which is the most nutritious and beneficial part of the ACV.  If you pasteurize ACV (which is out there so be careful to get the right kind), you eliminate “the mother.”  Bragg recommends shaking the bottle before serving to distribute “the mother.”  **Thanks LinZ for bringing that to my attention to add**

I don’t think I should have to say this but will – this is not a quick fix remedy. If you drink 1 Tablespoon (or teaspoon….I’ve read both) before your meals 3 times a day but are eating CRAP at every meal, you will not lose weight. This may help though to slow down the digestion and lower your blood sugar while eating good carbohydrates at your meals and during a rare cheat meal, like pizza, it may help to lower the effects of your blood sugar spike from that food and/or help you to feel more satisfied and eat less. Again, this is not a magic pill/drink. There isn’t one!

How do I drink it?  To get used to it, I started w/  1 T ACV + 1 T lemon juice + 4 oz water.  I now only need 1 T ACV + 2 oz water maybe….just enough water to make sure the ACV doesn’t burn.

If you’re thinking about trying this, talk to your doctor and ask what he/she thinks before trying it, especially if you have any medical problems, such as diabetes.  I have read that it is safe during pregnancy but anything that you take during pregnancy should be discussed with your doctor!  Do your own research and decide on your own!

References:

http://www.muscleandthecity.com/2010/05/results-for-pizzaacv-insulin-test.html

http://www.webmd.com/diet/apple-cider-vinegar

http://bragg.com/products/bragg-organic-apple-cider-vinegar.html

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA22860/can-you-lose-weight-with-apple-cider-vinegar.html

I have recently discovered tea. I know, right? Seriously…now, at 27 years old? I know. Oh well, better late than never.  Have you checked out drinking hot tea?  Most of the herbal teas have 0 cal / 0 carbs / 0 protein / 0 sodium / 0 potassium….need I go on?  There are some with caffeine and some without.  We drink the caffeinated variety in the morning, switch to no caffeine during the day for a “sweet” treat between meals or after meals and then I LOVE my night time teas at night with chamomile to calm.  I’ve been sleeping really well with my cup of tea at night!

So….Yogi Teas are organic and I love them partially because they have cute little sayings on the end of the tea bag strings. Love that!  Check them out. They have a tea for everything…I swear!  They’re sold everywhere too…the commissary, Target, Kroger, the health food store.

The phrase I got yesterday afternoon was sooo me and I had to share with you that it fits me so well and spread the word….

“Inspiring others toward happiness brings you happiness”

So true.  That is my mission on this blog.  I hope to do that more after the show this weekend when I can start blogging more often. I have a HUGE list of topics I can’t wait to blog about – and recipes….oh what fun – healthy cooking and baking!!!

I was thinking today…I wonder what all the benefits of fish oil are…and though I’d research it and tell you also!

In my research I found that fish oil:

• Promotes heart health (Omega-3 fats)
• Reduces inflammatory and healthy joints (important for active people)
• Supports mental health since omega-3′s are concentrated in the brain
• Promotes eye health
• Is important in pregnancy (check with your doctor)
• Promotes fat metabolism (According to the National Institutes of Health, omega-3s trigger “I’m full” signals to the brain and help quash hunger signals. Research has also shown that fish oil improves the efficacy of exercise in reducing weight. Volunteers who were given fish oil diet showed greater weight loss as compared to those who did not consume fish oil diet. Exercise combined with fish oil had a positive effect on the body shape and body composition of the patients.)  – fishoilblog.com
• lowers risk for prostate, breast and colorectol cancers

So, there are my answers….I’m thinking the reason that most competitors take Fish Oil is for the fat metabolism and to help with hunger when on a low calorie diet.

I pulled a lot of my information from fishoilblog.com so who knows if it’s accurate, but then again, is anything on the internet or with supplements really? There is other great info on that website (though I’m not sure how accurate) about dosage and what to look for in a fish oil supplement.

Any other effects?

PM Protein                                                                   **Nutrition Facts**                                                 100% Casein Protein

I am a bit ashamed I didn’t do more research and read the label of my PM Protein before now! Better late than never I guess.  Turns out the old PM Protein at GNC was actually half Casein Protein and half Whey Protein. I had no idea!  I thought it was completely Caseinate Protein! Well, GNC has discontinued their PM Protein… I think.  My local store does not carry the Vanilla Caramel but they still have the Chocolate. I show them both online though!  (BTW, the vanilla caramel was the only tolerable tasting flavor…the chocolate tasted metallic!  Instead of or along with the PM Protein, GNC has a new protein called 100% Casein Protein, which I just bought this week.  I’ve included the labels above and the links below in “resources.” The 100% Casein is quite a bit lower in calories in total for the scoop but beware as it is a bit higher in calories per protein gram but there is more protein per gram for the Casein Protein.  I tried both flavors of 100% Casein Protein by GNC and I liked the Vanilla best….although it’s crazy because it smells and tastes like a candle which makes me wonder, every time I drink it, how many chemicals am I ingesting????

PM Protein          -      1.6 g protein per g weight       -      6 calories per protein gram

Casein Protein    -      1.25 g protein per g weight     -      4.75 calories per protein gram

What is the difference between Casein Protein and Whey Protein?

“Casein protein (pronounced kay-seen) is the predominant protein found in milk. It makes up about 80% of the protein in cow’s milk, while the remaining 20% of protein in milk is whey. Casein protein has an excellent amino acid profile and is primarily known as an extremely slow-digesting protein. Casein protein is a slow-digesting protein because it forms a gel in the gut, which results in a steady release of amino acids into the blood stream over time. Research shows that when you consume casein, you will reach a peak in blood amino acids and protein synthesis between three to four hours. The total release of amino acids in the bloodstream, however, can last as long as 7 hours after ingestion of casein protein! In other words, it’s an awesome muscle-sparing protein. Muscle growth is dependent on the balance of protein synthesis and protein breakdown. To tip the balance in your favor, you want to increase protein synthesis and decrease protein breakdown. You can achieve this by supplementing with whey protein (fast absorption/promotes protein synthesis) and casein protein (slow absorption/suppresses protein breakdown).“

“Whey protein in comparison, reaches a peak in blood amino acids and protein synthesis in about forty minutes and the total release ends in about an hour.”

“Casein protein is the only protein you should be taking before going to sleep. The reason is because your body needs to be sustained for six to eight hours during your sleep without food. You don’t want your hard-earned muscle being broken down in your sleep, so a protein that is slowly released over time is best. If you took whey protein before going to bed, it would do very little since whey is absorbed and used within an hour.“

“Whey protein should be used first thing in the morning and after workouts. If you have to go more than three hours without food during the day or are taking a protein shake as a meal replacement, you should use a blend of whey and casein, about 50/50. This will give you a quick shot of protein and a sustained release of protein to carry you through to your next meal. Finally, if you are eating every two to three hours, you can use whey protein by itself in between meals.”

What’s funny is that this information is also helpful for pregnant women who struggle with keeping their stomachs full!  I shared some of this info with my BFF when she was pregnant.  WARNING: I have not researched if these powders are healthy during pregnancy!!!  Please check with your doctor before taking any supplements.  If you have any resources on this (what protein powders, if any, are ok for pregnancy) let me know!!! But, there are sources of casein proteins in foods….

At night I have some casein protein powder mixed with water along with cottage cheese, which a great food source of a casein protein.  It should be the low or no fat variety. I prefer the 2% Milk versions. Milk is another good source of casein as it is 80% casein and 20% whey proteins.  I also have casein protein on the days that don’t eat carbs. Please use supplements sparingly!  You will never feel as full from supplements as you do from real foods!  I have whey protein powder immediately after I work out with some simple sugars.  These are the ONLY times I supplement with protein powders!

Personally, I don’t use soy protein, but would love our input on it!  My hubby went to Vitamin Shoppe recently (he cheated on GNC and loved it) and found that they are heavily marketing the combination, 50/50 Casein/Whey Proteins!

Comment on any other options and ideas you all have!

References:

• http://www.mens-total-fitness.com/casein-protein.html
• http://www.ehow.com/about_5410573_foods-casein-protein.html
• http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3959095&cp=3593187.3763728
• http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2133658