The Science Of Why Vegans Get Sick

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Put down the tofu and take a step back! It’s going to be okay. You can have your gluten free cake and eat it too, I promise!

Food as of late has become extremely political, especially for vegans and the veganism movement. Groups like the AMA, PETA and yes, even the conglomerate health food chain Whole Foods, have spent millions of dollars per year for pro-vegan/vegetarian advertising. Here on the Wellness Force™ website, I’m spending about three hundred advertising dollars per year in support of sustainable foods and lifestyles instead.

First off I want to set it down like a block of concrete- This is not a trash talking session; it’s really just a forum to post science I’ve researched for your reading pleasure. If you have questions as to why you should not adapt to a vegan lifestyle, search no more, as I’ve done the reading for you! If, on the other hand, you love your cheese and soy burgers and you have no autoimmune disregulation or insulin sensitivity issues and you skin, hair, muscle tone and energy are where you would like them, then skip this article and proceed directly to the nearest People’s market; they are waiting for you with open arms. For the other 95% plus of the population, we have another mission- good health without religion.

Before I go forward, I do have to put on record that I don’t hate or dislike vegans. Seriously, some of the best people I know are vegan/vegetarian. It’s all about love and education right now, that is all. The fact is, I just flat out dislike the religion of veganism, as it’s only metabolically typed for less than 5% of the population. It’s a style of eating that allows the follower to literally “flex” his or her food muscles every time they eat. It gives the eater a kind of power, if you will, and a way to show what they are doing is “better than the rest of the non-believers.”

The dogma of veganism goes beyond just being healthy or being a good person. I know by researching the truth and presenting the facts I will upset a lot of vegans, but the country deserves the right to know the science behind eating when it comes to food; not religion. Veganism is a systematic eating practice and lifestyle, where a structure of rules laid down from it’s key note speakers, usually high profile Hollywood celebrities directly funded by pro-vegan/vegetarian groups, express how eating animals and animal products are not “ethical”. In the scientific world, based on long standing and current research however, humans are omnivorous, capable of consuming plant, animal, and inorganic material and have been eating flesh since the dawn of time. The cycle of life on earth is only sustainable by consumption and assimilation of flesh and plants; it is the circle upon which all ecosystems are based. When one species dies, it is either taken back directly or indirectly for other species- this is the law of the land. See chart below-

Picture 9 The Science Of Why Vegans Get Sick

A simple metaphor showing the flaw in veganism would be asking a shark to please eat kelp and let the seal go because “it’s the right thing to do.” Well, in all reality and the scientific laws of nature, the right thing to do is survive. We live in an age where looking back at the past 50 years, the tax payer based and government subsidized agricultural revolution has created such a huge surplus of grains and legumes, that it has allowed the surfacing of eating methods in cultural affluence, morality and religious specificity. In other words, people now have the luxury of choosing what to eat based on culture and belief instead of the biology and laws found in nature. The human body was designed to eat both plants and animals; to deny this is to deny the fabric of who we are.

“We’ve been told that a vegetarian diet can feed the hungry, honor the animals, and save the planet.” (-Lierre Keith, believed in that plant-based diet and spent twenty years as a vegan but after serious health issues returned to an omnivores diet) In The Vegetarian Myth, she argues that we’ve been led astray–not by our longings for a just and sustainable world, but by our ignorance. The truth is that agriculture is a relentless assault against the planet, and more of the same won’t save us. In service to annual grains, humans have devastated prairies and forests, driven countless species extinct, altered the climate, and destroyed the topsoil–the basis of life itself. Keith argues that if we are to save this planet, our food must be an act of profound and abiding repair: it must come from inside living communities, not be imposed across them.” -Lierre Keith, author of The Vegetarian Myth

Vegans are extremely strict in cutting most healthy saturated fats and exclude all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs (which are proven amazing sources of protein, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and vitamin B12). When compared to the SAD (standard american diet) diet of potato chips, beans, wonder bread, fruit by the foot, grain fed meats and snicker bars, there are some benefits of being a vegetarian. Vegans, however, are not as lenient in consuming cheeses and other animal based products. They have a quest to “never hurt a living thing,” all the while forgetting that plants have feelings too. They have also conveniently forgotten that nature shows us a multitude of certain plants that are even themselves carnivores, such as the Venus flytrap, Roridula gorgonias, and Archaeamphora longicervia plants. So yes, in the context of ignoring nutritional body language for spiritual beliefs, the dangers of a vegan diet are very possible! (just as with any diet if the right foods are not consumed).

A huge danger of a vegan diet is malnutrition, which is an insufficiency or imbalance in micro and macro-nutrient feeding. A vegan diet is very low vitamin B12, a nutrient found mostly in animal products. Vegans try to supplement this vitamin or drink fortified soy milk. Soy, when drank in quantities to fill nutrient gaps in diets, can become toxic and the phyto-estrogens within the proteins of the soybean can lead to cancer, especially ovarian and breast type in females, as well as low testosterone and high estrogen levels in men.

In addition to the ever-growing list of soy health risks, it has a solid foundation with tofu in vegan diets, and can interrupt thyroid function. Soy promotes disregulation of human metabolism and growth functions via blockage of the t4-t3 hormone conversion for normal thyroxine functions; basically it’s metabolic derangement. Vitamin D deficiency is another huge problem with a veganism. Vitamin D is crucial for the body to process calcium and comes from sources such as grass-fed cow’s milk, raw dairy and from exposure to sunshine; all excluded from a vegan diet! (haha, except sunshine)

Iron deficiency & omega-3 deficiency will also occur with an unmonitored vegan diet. Iron is found in green leafy vegetables, which is why a vegan diet is extremely high in nightshades.  In some biochemical individualities, these vegetables can cause immune system loads depending on you metabolic type.  Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid found in cold water ocean fish such as salmon. Omega-3 prevents heart disease, memory loss, and vascular problems. Vegans try to supplement a lack of omega-3 by consuming flax or hemp seeds which have shorter chain fatty acids, however the lost purine content from not eating the long chain fatty acids is sub-optimal nutrition.

A recent study by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) found that people who are currently vegetarian are more likely to binge-eat and take drastic and unhealthy measures to control their weight. In addition to the new findings, those who formerly were vegetarian  turned vegan had showed an increase in using extra measures to mimic basic physiological processes such as using diet pills and laxative, to control weight. Foods suitable for vegetarians and vegans may contain sugar and processed grains. Vegetarians may get too much fat and cholesterol. If you want to lose weight, vegetarians and vegans must eat fewer calories than they burn in the correct MBTD ratios, just like their meat-eating counterparts.

The bottom line about nutrition is that we all need to step back, take a look at what we are eating and begin to really feel what the food does to our energy, vitality and mood. We need to learn more from nature. There is no religions in packs of wolves, there is no key note speaker for a group of whales. We humans, as simply just an advanced type of species on this planet, have the power to rebuild and revive this broken food system. Veganism is obviously not the answer, and until we can change the policy of lobbyists in congress, who pay MILLIONS for the votes to benefit  agribusiness, sugar and grain companies, the health of our people and this planet will continue to decline.

Food is not religion; it’s simply just fuel for our body, mind and soul. Eat what fuels you best and be happy. Chew on that the next time someone yells “meat is murder!”

In best health,

Josh Trent
NASM-CES, FDN, CMTA, CHEK HLC1

www.wellnessforce.com

The Science Of Why Vegans Get Sick

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Eat less? Not at many fast-food restaurants

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The government is telling Americans to eat less.

The fast-food industry didn’t get the memo.

Even as the U.S. Department of Agriculture rolled out its latest nutritional advice last week — urging people to “enjoy your food, but eat less” — fast-food chains are cooking up some of their biggest offerings ever.

“The bottom line is we’re in the business of making money, and we make money off of what we sell,” said Beth Mansfield, spokeswoman for CKE Restaurants, which owns the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s chains. “If we wanted to listen to the food police and sell nuts and berries and tofu burgers, we wouldn’t make any money and we’d be out of business.”

Some new items are so high in calories that they make old-fashioned fast-food burgers seem almost healthful.

“Remember when the Big Mac was considered the bad burger?” asked Jane Hurley, nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “And now it’s the diet alternative to some of these items.”

A Big Mac without cheese has 540 calories, according to McDonald’s, twice as many as in one of the company’s smallish regular hamburgers. By comparison, the company’s new Angus Bacon Cheese Wrap has 790.

Other examples:

* Taco Bell Corp.’ s Beefy Crunch Burrito meal: ground beef, rice, nacho cheese sauce, sour cream and spicy Fritos wrapped in a tortilla, plus cinnamon twists on the side and a medium soft drink, for a total of 1,100 calories.

* Carl’s Jr.’ s Footlong Cheeseburger: Three cheeseburgers laid end to end on a 12-inch roll was a hit when the chain tested it at four Orange County, Calif., restaurants last year. It has 850 calories and is under consideration to be a regular offering.

5180124653 41cde5942d m Eat less? Not at many fast food restaurants
Image by theimpulsivebuy via Flickr

* Burger King‘s Stuffed Steakhouse: a third of a pound of beef stuffed with jalapenos and cheese, at 600 calories. Fries and a drink make it 1,200 calories.

Some fast-food outlets have been offering more low-calorie choices too: McDonald’s is selling oatmeal all day, Carl’s Jr. recently tested a turkey burger, and many outlets have salads.

But the chains’ best customers — dubbed “Young Hungry Guys” by Carl’s Jr. —are not prone to order salads.

Add that to a growing expectation among consumers that portions should be large while the meal itself is cheap, and the result is value combinations that can weigh in with 1,500 calories or more.

Salads might help fast-food restaurants get past what industry experts call the “mom veto effect.” But when customers get to the counter, many are still buying bacon-wrapped cheeseburgers.

“We offer everything from tacos and chicken fajita pitas to salads and grilled sandwiches,” said Jack in the Box spokesman Brian Luscomb. “But over the course of our 60 years in business, burgers have been at the heart of our menu. Our guests love meat and cheese.”

CKE marketing chief Brad Hayley described burgers as “comfort food.”

“They’re kind of a guilty pleasure that people have always been unable to give up entirely,” Hayley said. “And the recession gave people a little more desire to eat that way.”

Fast-food chains typically don’t release sales figures for individual menu items. But McDonald’s said that its overall sales rose 5 percent in 2010, helped by a limited-time offering of the McRib, a sandwich consisting of a pork patty with a set of fake ribs stamped onto it, and barbecue sauce.

At KFC last year, consumers went wild for the Double-Down, made of two fried chicken patties with bacon and two kinds of cheese stuffed inside.

One barrier to making fast food more healthful is consumer preference for items with strong flavors, which often means adding high levels of salt and sugar, said Steve Sather, president of El Pollo Loco Inc. The company recently re-released one of its old standbys — chicken tortilla soup — in a lower-salt variety, but not before carefully testing the flavor.

Another driver is value. Kathryn Sharpe, a University of Virginia professor who studies the fast-food industry, said diners are more likely to order a combination meal if one is offered — even if they don’t really want the extra items.

Once the meal has been served, she said, studies show that it gets eaten.

“If you place food in front of people, they tend to eat it all,” Sharpe said

BY SHARON BERNSTEIN

Los Angeles Times

Original Story from the Los Angeles time via http://bit.ly/dOOSp0

Eat less? Not at many fast food restaurants

Addicted To Fast Food – Is It A Service?

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Fast food. Is it really a service?

Most people by now realize the processed hamburger they are eating is bad for their health. If not, newsflash- fast food is bad for your health. The multi-billion dollar fast food players in the world have a solid business because people continue to eat this injected, molded, processed “food”. However, before we recognize that every human has total and complete control over what they put into their mouth, I need to compare a business to a service.

  • A business (also known as company, enterprise, or firm) is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods, services, or both to consumers or tertiary business in exchange for money.
  • A service is the performance of any duties or work for another; either helpful or professional activities. Also it may be the act of performing help or aid; providing or being a provider of accommodation and activities required by the public.

What does it mean to be a business compared to providing a service that you are compensated for? They are the same right? Not at all. At the root of all business is finance. At the root of all service there is love. A service is what a real business is supposed to be all about. This value is taught at the beginning of college business courses. The mantra of “equal reward for equal service” has been lectured by many key note speakers in business over the past few decades. Business exists for a reason- we all need to earn money; it’s what makes us able to participate in today’s society.

Without question the fast food industry is a business and much like any business; profit is the desired and expected outcome. In construction business, it is how fast and efficiently you can get the house built. In the automotive industry it’s all about who can make the toughest and safest car. In medicine (well this is a sticky issue) it’s about, at the very least, keeping someone alive. America may have a very corrupt medical system, but at the core of it, I truly believe most doctors out of medical school initially, and even some currently, want to genuinely help people. They perform a service that enhances and saves lives.

The fast food industry, however, is not rooted with the purpose or with the intention of helping it’s customers live a better and more healthy life. In fact, they are 100% committed to one and one thing only- Addicting the easily malleable consumer into purchasing as much of it’s product (because it is NOT food) as they can sell. There is no care, no service and no love in this so called “business”.

At one time I am sure the intentions of Burger King, McDonald’s, Jack In The Box and Wendy’s was about serving the customer with quality food that nourished their body.

Michael Pollan- “In the 1970s, the top five beef packers controlled about 25% of the market. Today, the top four control more than 80% of the market.“

-Food Inc, Magnolia Pictures

Much like history has shown us however, those who control VITAL human resources will control the actions and behaviors of the masses. Eating food is a behavior in case we all forgot. In the case of McDonald’s, they are the LARGEST customer to the beef and produce industries on the planet. What would you give your biggest and best customer? I can use my business intellect and guess probably exactly what they are willing to pay for- Cheap and unhealthy processed garbage with a long shelf life. Some fast food chains have tried to quiet real food advocates by offering meager attempts at salads- A bacon ranch style with more unhealthy fats in the dressing than in some of their burgers.

In the case of McDonald’s, we have largely become a nation, and a slowly a world for that matter, of fast food slaves. I guess you could say customers if it makes you feel safe to sleep at night. What would happen to the millions of people each day who didn’t get their big mac you ask? It wouldn’t be the end of the business world. Rather, it would simply shift money towards healthier food that was grown by someone you know close to your home. Over time, the addicts would eventually get over the economy based addiction and seek other healthier food.

So yes, people’s choices are the leading cause of fast food being so damn successful. But not the only one. People make choices depending on their level of comfort; Pleasure versus pain. You only change your actions when you’ve suffered enough. In the case of the general fast food eating public however, the suffering will be beyond our lifetimes. Current investors for McDonald’s and Burger king know this and they are cashing in on our ignorance.

Our only choice is to win small victories such as labeling, healthier menu options and even websites dedicated to speaking the truth about the change that is needed. We can’t win the war against obesity if people don’t have any weapons. That’s what these small victories represent and that is what we’re all trying so desperately to do; to serve those who don’t even know they need our help.

These small battles will one day take down the industry. It happened with big tobacco, it WILL happen with food.

fastfood Addicted To Fast Food Is It A Service?

In the end the choice really is simple: We either choose to participate in a business or a service. McDonald’s and all other fast food industry affiliates who serve toxic chemicals under a veil of lies and target marketing, have chosen to greedily ignore service. Harvard business school has the inscriptions “VE-RI-TAS” on the school shield. Translated from Latin it simply means- TRUTH.

Hardly what business it seems fast food has turned out to be. I’m proud to be an idealist who believes in the future of real food.

See you all on the mountain; I’m wearing my patchouli oil eating coconut.

Josh Trent
www.wellnessforce.com

Addicted To Fast Food Is It A Service?

Related article from Jonathan Campbell interviewing Vandana Shiva-

http://www.cqs.com/shiva.htm

Jonathan Campbell-You are a leading opponent of fast food chains’ expansion into India. What is the present situation?

Shiva: Pepsi subsidiary Kentucky Fried Chicken is supposed to by now have opened 30 outlets. They have only managed to have 2 running for a short while because both – the one in Bangalore and the one in Delhi – faced long-term protests from people.”

“We had a very wide alliance of farmers, consumers, doctors and environmentalists – of people concerned about Indian culture and our cultural values, people concerned about animals and cruelty to animals getting together to resist this onslaught.”

“The way Kentucky Fried Chicken managed to get its outlets open despite the protests, was through changing standards, getting the Government of India to change those standards and the permissible level on MSG – Mono-sodium Glutamate – which is now recognized worldwide to be a health hazard and which has wrongly been called a food additive when it is really a drug – which fools us by sending signals to our brain that there is taste in the food when there is none. Besides, fooling us about food has severe health hazards.”

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Addicted To Fast Food Is It A Service?
Addicted To Fast Food Is It A Service?

Insulin response- Can diet soda make you fat?

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Pepsi and Coca-Cola have teams of well paid doctors and lawyers that will testify in court about the positive health benefits of diet soda and artificial sweeteners. Just like the diet soda, however, this is far to good be true.

Allow me to introduce the pink elephant in the room- Splenda!

(Splenda) Sucralose is the newest fake sweetener on the market. It’s well known for its claims to be made from real sugar. Splenda is 600 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). It yields zero calories and is not fully absorbed. In 1998, it was approved for small usage, and in 1999, it was given full approval for use as a general-purpose sweetener. Splenda is currently found in over 4,500 products, including foods that are cooked or baked.

The MAJOR problem with any artificial product is that the human body cannot identify it; therefore it cannot properly assimilate and digest it. When toxins are stored in the body they usually sprint for the liver and onto the rest of the digestive system. It is widely known that Splenda produces an increase in insulin levels via brain activation as it received what it knew to be an authentic reaction from the taste buds. Whether or not calories are present, this message in the CNS will signal the body to hold on to fat reserves or, depending on the body’s state, even store more fat.

The complete illusion of sweetness fools the brain into believing it has received natural metabolic energy.

News flash- Fake sugar leads to weight gain!

In 2007, a scientific panel fed rats artificial sweeteners to determine the affects of sugar via water-

“Animals use sweet taste to predict the caloric levels of food. Eating sweet no caloric substances may reduce this relationship, leading to positive energy balance through increased food intake. Adult male rats were given differential experience with a sweet taste that either predicted increased caloric content (glucose) or didn’t predict increased calories (saccharin). We found that reducing the correlation between sweet taste and the caloric content of foods using artificial sweeteners in rats resulted in raised caloric intake, weight and adiposity, as well as diminished caloric compensation. It also blunted thermic responses to sweet-tasting diets. These results suggest that consumption of products containing artificial sweeteners may lead to increased body weight and obesity by interfering with fundamental homeostatic, physiological processes.”

The evidence of the same effect is found in humans:

Splenda is not satisfying–at least according to the brain. A new study found that even when the palate cannot distinguish between the artificial sweetener and sugar, our brain knows the difference.

At U.C.S.D, 12 women underwent functional MRI while sipping water sweetened with either real sugar (sucrose) or Splenda (sucralose). Sweeteners, real or artificial, bind to and stimulate receptors on the taste buds, which then signal the brain via the cranial nerve. Although both sugar and Splenda initiate the same taste and pleasure pathways in the brain–and the subjects could not tell the solutions apart–the sugar activated pleasure-related brain regions more extensively than the Splenda did. In particular, “the real thing, the sugar, elicits a much greater response in the insula,” says the study’s lead author, psychiatrist Guido Frank.

The insula, involved with taste, also plays a role in enjoyment by connecting regions in the reward system that encode the sensation of pleasantness.

The moral of the story is no you can’t have you cake and eat it too- unless you are willing to carry the load.

Josh Trent
www.wellnessforce.com

Insulin response Can diet soda make you fat?

Carb Love-The 60 Day Potato Diet?

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The tuber.

It has been demonized by the GI (Glycemic Index) and loved by sour cream and chives; but is the potato really a health food?

At age 45, Chris Voigt, who is head of the Washington State Potato Commission, embarked on his 60 Day Potato Diet in an attempt to show that the vegetable is high in nutrients and can promote optimal health. His claim is that the Atkins, Zone and South Beach diets are crushing the sales in potatoes of all varieties. This is something he literally can’t afford to happen.

His stated concern lies with the reputation of his beloved crop; he’s willing to put his health, and blood panel results, on the line to prove the superiority of the spud.

During the diet, he ate 400 pounds of potatoes, roughly about 20 a day. Chris was eating red potatoes, yellow potatoes, boiled potatoes, fried potatoes, russet potatoes, purple potatoes, white potatoes, steamed potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, fingerling potatoes, grilled potatoes, etc…

After 60 days his results are as follows-

Total Cholesterol 204 to 147- Down 57
LDL 142 to 84- Down 58
197 to 176- Body Weight loss of 21 Lbs

Although his post diet results initially look great, they are just a prime example of what caloric deficit and metabolic rate can do to the body…

Make it smaller!

Were there any skin fold and circumference measurements done to ensure no lean body mass reduction? We can’t seem to find those results. Basically in plain English- he starved himself. Beware of the claims of any restricted calorie diet program where you eat one, two or even a handful of foods as it will always scientifically end in failure and massive weight re-gains.

The real meaning behind the event: The potato commissioner was a genius as his diet became national headlines and swept over the Internet! After this holiday season there are going to be a lot of people looking to lose weight. This campaign has been cleverly laid down in perfect timing for people to get more potatoes in their diets for 2011- a marketing masterpiece.

This recent major media attention to the idea of eating one type of food or even junk food, as in the case of Professor Mark Haub who teaches at Kansas State University, sadly points to the same “I want it now” mentality I see in the fitness industry over and over again:

Instant gratification and the next new and easy way out of being fat.

Years of science have taught us that when it comes to food, unfortunately most humans are a lot like electricity and water: They ALWAYS take the path of least resistance!

Mark lost 27 pounds in two months eating approximately 1,800 calories a day. Calories came from foods like snack cakes, candy bars and even potato chips– basically anything he could get from a vending machine. These stories are pushed heavily by the national media in order to place a haze over your views on health and making good diet choices. Remember, this is the same media that puts out stories funded by Budweiser titled- “Cheers! Why booze is good for your heart!”

This cleverly pulls your attention from the real mater at hand of everyone gaining weight faster than you can say “add the fries with that.”

So why is the potato made out to be the bad guy again? Is it made of gold or is it cheap to grow? What is the crop yield’s return on investment?

Well, the California WIC pre 4/5/10 (Women Infants and Children) program funded for by our government seems to think they are the ONLY vegetable worth paying for. There are a total of ZERO vegetables pre 4/5/10, besides the spud, on the WIC approved list. Do the political math for yourself when it comes to school lunches at-

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/federal-government-makes-moves-against-p

Ah, but I digress. We can get into agricultural policy another month but for now just stay healthy by eating a real applicable metabolic typing diet designed for you!

The potato isn’t the enemy, it’s just a food. I like Yams or Sweet Potatoes post work out for glycogen replenishment. As for the 60-day potato diet and why we are as a nation becoming more and more addicted to carbs, it goes further than just common sense.

The root cause of malnutrition and obesity is deeper than just a potato diet America; it is a policy issue. As I wrote in September’s newsletter- Monocrops of any kind, when they become the main source of foodstuffs without diversification, are very dangerous to a population as they become highly susceptible to infestation and disease. (Irish Potato Famine) In addition to potential blight, all monocrops are usually sprayed with heavy toxins and pesticides to kill any invaders but are then ingested by humans increasing our toxic loads and waistlines via adrenal fatigue.

Josh Trent
www.wellnessforce.com

Carb Love The 60 Day Potato Diet?
Bonus! History of the potato (Foodies read on!)

What a great history of the roots!

Colombian farmers first discovered and grew the potato around 7,000 years ago. They were wowed by its toughness, storage quality and its nutritional content. Western civilization didn’t come in contact with the potato until 1537 when the Conquistadors busted into Peru. It was even later, in 1570, that the first potato made it a cross the Atlantic to Europe. America shortly after then (around 1838) became infatuated with the potato as it offered a resistant, reliable, calorie dense and tasty food staple across homes in the country. Potatoes are grouped in the nightshade family and its leaves are very poisonous. In fact, a potato left too long in the light will begin to turn green. This green skin contains a substance called solanine, which can cause the potato to taste bitter and cause illness.

FDA, Tobacco & Food: Why I’m An Idealist!

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Today marks a day of respect for millions of Americans who have died from tobacco related cancers, please honor them by sharing this post!

On Wednesday the FDA announced that it will begin mandating picture warnings on cigarette packages. In the first major change to cigarette packaging in a quarter-century, the Food and Drug Administration announced it would require graphic warning labels that cover half a package’s front and rear and the top 20% of all cigarette ads.

I’m sure all of the current American “realists” out there will be in outrage as the government has once again stepped in and tried to force it’s care for the people on the people. In some cases I would agree that less government policy is a good idea, except when it comes to the human nature and our autonomic response to addiction’s role in brain chemistry. In 1988 C. Everett Koop, surgeon general of the United States, published a report stating nicotine as addictive as either heroin or cocaine. Did this really stop those addicted?

Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on earth yet MILLIONS of people indulge daily. In common knowledge, smokers know how bad it is to smoke the same way that fast food patrons know about MSG and HFCS right? Wrong.

Education has to be taught in order for it to apply in society. As you are reading this right now we have wars going on in FDA and USDA meeting rooms about GMO labels, food additives and GRAS chemicals in our food. The current uneducated public has absolutely no idea about these topics as they are hidden from more important current events like Paris Hilton’s new car or if Madonna’s bra was to risque.

Is it because people don’t care? I truly believe they do, it’s just that they are too busy trying to consume and produce to learn. When you are taught a behavior from birth and all the ads and media around you tells you how to think, feel, act and eat it becomes difficult to cut through the haze of manipulation into the open truth.

marlboro20mummy FDA, Tobacco & Food: Why Im An Idealist!

Newsflash! Everyone is born with a free will. It may come as no surprise that people everyday consciously and subconsciously sabotage their own health with cancer causing foods and chemicals. Is this just population control or natural selection? Well, with the deeds of profit over human well-being there is a universal law of compassion in return.

The major similarities between fast food and tobacco companies is an all too real situation in our country and is growing by the minute. Just stop and think for a breath how powerful the tobacco industry had become before its decline; the AMA’s (American Medical Association) main advertising contributor in the early and mid 1900′s was Phillip Morris and big tobacco. In the 2006 documentary “The New Medicine”

http://www.pbs.org/thenewmedicine/

you can view advertisements from trusted family doctors actually making claims that Camel brand cigarettes would make your throat feel better and are best for reducing stress during your day. The correlation to the fast food industry is the same- Ronald McDonald leads schools during lunchtime into their neighborhood McDonald’s to eat MSG and Trans Fat laden food everyday in our country and no one seems to care. Well, not yet at least. When the crisis is big enough they will, just as it we did for tobacco. This sad story is just another set of absolute lies and misrepresentations of facts twisted to benefit one common goal- Larger profits!

I’m proud to be an idealist. Without the idealists of the planet we would have nothing. Every change in corporate policy stems from a select group that holds an unwavering set of ideals to fight popular or “realistic” opinion!

In the 70′s and 80′s, big tobacco fought just as hard for us to not celebrate small victories such as labels, bans and education towards healthier living. Now look at the VICTORY we have today. It pays to be a realist but the idealists make change happen!

57520788 FDA, Tobacco & Food: Why Im An Idealist!

The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) was an agreement entered into in November 1998, originally between the four largest US tobacco companies and the Attorneys General of 46 states. The states settled their Medicaid lawsuits against the tobacco industry for recovery of their tobacco-related health care costs, and also exempted the companies from private tort liability regarding harm caused by tobacco use. In exchange, the companies agreed to curtail or cease certain tobacco marketing practices, as well as to pay, in perpetuity, various annual payments to the states to compensate them for some of the medical costs of caring for persons with smoking-related illnesses. The money also funds a new anti-smoking advocacy group, called the American Legacy Foundation, that is responsible for such campaigns as The Truth. The settlement also dissolved the tobacco industry groups Tobacco Institute, the Center for Indoor Air Research, and the Council for Tobacco Research. In the MSA, the OPMs (Original Participating Manufacturers) agreed to pay a minimum of $206 billion over the first twenty-five years of the agreement.

This would not have been possible without the fight against common opinion.

What is the difference between BIG FOOD & BIG TOBACCO? Not much really. Whether you eat it or smoke it, these companies want you to consume till you die.

Fight the good fight and take back your health. Join me in celebrating small victories! Eventually they add up to the change we all need to make this planet healthy again.

Josh Trent
www.wellnessforce.com

FDA, Tobacco & Food: Why Im An Idealist!

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Are grains a functional food?

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grain Are grains a functional food?

Functional food or medicinal food is any healthy food claimed to have a health-promoting or disease-preventing property beyond the basic function of supplying nutrients. The general category of functional foods includes processed food or foods fortified with health-promoting additives, like “vitamin-enriched” products. Fermented foods with live cultures are considered as functional foods with pro-biotic benefits.

Functional foods are an emerging field in food science due to their increasing popularity with health-conscious consumers.

The term was first used in Japan in the 1980s where there is a government approval process for functional foods called Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU).

Unfortunately, for many people there is absolutely nothing functional about grains. In fact they can be the cause of disease and poor health for years.
If you have had the foresight to ever do an elimination diet to self check for a gluten sensitivity then you may have found what over 75% of most people already feel- A heck of a lot better health and vitality when they cut gluten containing grains!

Although much of what has been initially diagnosed by medicine as an Idiopathic rationale when it comes to GF diets, most who suffer from gluten sensitivity can have a barrage of symptoms. In the case of allergic responses, symptoms may appear as dermatitis but could also present as difficulty breathing during exercise. In both cases gastrointestinal symptoms may occur. In the case of idiopathic gluten sensitivity all known symptoms are confined to the nervous system.

Basically when it comes to fat loss, gluten can be a massive roadblock. If inflammation and any autoimmune response is generated by the galidin, cortisol will elevate and midsection fat storage will be sure to follow.

A major shift in the past decades towards a gluten free lifestyle began with the “Gluten-free” designation, drafted in 1981 by Codex Alimentarius defined by-

“For the purpose of this standard, gluten is defined as those proteins, commonly found in wheat, triticale, rye, barley or oats to which some persons are intolerant.”

Gluten is a protein composite, including Gliadin, that appears in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye. It gives stickiness to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewable texture.

Enough of the human population suffers from gluten sensitivity of one kind or another that many foods are now required to be labeled to clarify whether they contain gluten. A gluten-free diet is a diet completely free of ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, Malts and triticale, as well as the use of gluten as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent. It is the only medically accepted treatment for ceoliac disease, as well as the related condition dermatitis herpetiformis and wheat allergy.

The protein found in gluten is very irritating to the gut lining and may eventually cause leaky gut syndrome along with bloating, gas, malabsorption and sIgA issues. Try going gluten free and see how you feel. If you don’t notice a difference after 30 days- you most likely have a steel drum for a stomach and need no worry. For the rest of us, order up the blue corn tortillas and salsa! Adios!

Note- (Additionally, a gluten-free diet may exclude oats, however medical practitioners are divided on whether oats are an allergen to coeliac disease sufferers or if they are cross-contaminated in milling facilities by other allergens.)

Josh Trent
www.wellnessforce.com

Are grains a functional food?

Sources- Wikipedia. WF Personal archives

Do genetics make us fat?

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Picture 5 Do genetics make us fat?

Late one night, I had to go get water at my local grocery, when I ran into one of my old gym members from Mission Beach. When asked about her health goals, she told me about quitting the gym and doing a master cleanse. You know the drill, another one of those week long diets where you starve yourself and go into ketoacidosis only to regain all of the lost weight plus 3 lbs.

“It’s in my genetics Josh, I just can’t lose weight”, she says while reaching for a 2 liter of Diet Pepsi. I talked to her a little about HFCS and gave her my card; it’s up to her to give me a call now. As I walked away I realized the odds of me hearing from her again were worse than trying to get a match to light in a thunderstorm. It’s not that she has completely given up, it’s just that she has temporarily lost hope. All the motivation she had for better health used to power her enough to run an emotional marathon. All she can do now is sprint the curves and walk the straight-aways.

People are like that when it comes to changing, especially in regards to what they eat. The supplement industry has made an absolute killing on people like this. Xerox a picture of a six pack spray tanned bikini model holding a fat burner bar on a magazine cover and you’ll make a HUGE profit capitalizing on someone out there who is uneducated and demotivated; they’re willing to try anything quick just to feel hope again. So why does the uneducated follower repeat this obviously insane process of yo-yo dieting and calorie restriction over and over again? It’s a learned behavior!

The instant gratification model that attracts these souls all begins shortly after birth; when we are young trust comes naturally. Modern science has shown us that we learn all that is most important for behavior development in the first 7 years of life. Is it so shocking to most Americans that the eating habits of our parents are passed on to the children of tomorrow and that these children mirror EVERYTHING we do? It’s no surprise that those who have trouble losing weight in their adult lives are most likely just repeating a pattern that was learned from their parent’s lifestyle.

I’m not 100% blaming the parents as we know every human has their own free will. We grow into adolescence and further into adulthood by developing an alternate way of living and beliefs compared to when we were young. However, it is common practice that a cobbler’s son becomes a cobbler himself. If I was biased about this then look at the data from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services-

“Looking at the long-term consequences, overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults, which increases to 80 percent if one or more parent is overweight or obese. In 2000, the total cost of obesity for children and adults in the United States was estimated to be $117 billion ($61 billion in direct medical costs).”

“Furthermore, the probability of childhood obesity persisting into adulthood is estimated to increase from approximately twenty percent at four years of
age to approximately eighty percent by adolescence, and it is likely that these obesity comorbidities will persist into adulthood.”

The question we have to ask is if our genetics or behavior is the cause of obesity. Well, the jury is out, and it’s obviously not just the genes; it’s our learned behavior. So how do we make drastic changes to an obviously broken system? Speak. Go out and talk about it! Become informed, don’t settle for the mainstream media high-carb & low-fat diet schemes! The change anyone wants for better health simply just comes down to education. Any learned behavior can be unlearned and refreshed if you put your mind to it.

According to the National testing laboratories in Bethel, Maine- Humans learn the fastest, and have the most retention, when teaching others at 90% followed by a close second of 80% when practicing themselves. All the way at the bottom there is no shocker that we only retain 20% of what we see when learning. This is why reading about being healthy and losing weight is no replacement for getting off the couch and failing till you get it right! Or happen to know a wellness professional who is passionate about results.

learning pyramid Do genetics make us fat?

The time for change is now and it starts by accepting the fact of no matter what the age, people can learn to take back their health!

Just like the woman in the grocery store we all have choices; some are easier than others. If you have hope then you have all you need to start over. Finding true health is relearning all those feelings we are taught to ignore.

“He who has health has hope. And he who has hope, has everything’ -Proverb

In Best Health,

Josh Trent
www.wellnessforce.com

Do genetics make us fat?

Fast food: Is it a service?

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Fast food. Is it really a service?

Most people by now realize the processed hamburger they are eating is bad for their health. If not, newsflash- fast food is bad for your health. The multi-billion dollar fast food players in the world have a solid business because people continue to eat this injected, molded, processed “food”. However, before we recognize that every human has total and complete control over what they put into their mouth, I need to compare a business to a service.

  • A business (also known as company, enterprise, or firm) is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods, services, or both to consumers or tertiary business in exchange for money.
  • A service is the performance of any duties or work for another; either helpful or professional activities. Also it may be the act of performing help or aid; providing or being a provider of accommodation and activities required by the public.

What does it mean to be a business compared to providing a service that you are compensated for? They are the same right? Not at all. At the root of all business is finance. At the root of all service there is love. A service is what a real business is supposed to be all about. This value is taught at the beginning of college business courses. The mantra of “equal reward for equal service” has been lectured by many key note speakers in business over the past few decades. Business exists for a reason- we all need to earn money; it’s what makes us able to participate in today’s society.

Without question the fast food industry is a business and much like any business; profit is the desired and expected outcome. In construction business, it is how fast and efficiently you can get the house built. In the automotive industry it’s all about who can make the toughest and safest car. In medicine (well this is a sticky issue) it’s about, at the very least, keeping someone alive. America may have a very corrupt medical system, but at the core of it, I truly believe most doctors out of medical school initially, and even some currently, want to genuinely help people. They perform a service that enhances and saves lives.

The fast food industry, however, is not rooted with the purpose or with the intention of helping it’s customers live a better and more healthy life. In fact, they are 100% committed to one and one thing only- Addicting the easily malleable consumer into purchasing as much of it’s product (because it is NOT food) as they can sell. There is no care, no service and no love in this so called “business”.

At one time I am sure the intentions of Burger King, McDonald’s, Jack In The Box and Wendy’s was about serving the customer with quality food that nourished their body.

Michael Pollan- “In the 1970s, the top five beef packers controlled about 25% of the market. Today, the top four control more than 80% of the market.“

-Food Inc, Magnolia Pictures

Much like history has shown us however, those who control VITAL human resources will control the actions and behaviors of the masses. Eating food is a behavior in case we all forgot. In the case of McDonald’s, they are the LARGEST customer to the beef and produce industries on the planet. What would you give your biggest and best customer? I can use my business intellect and guess probably exactly what they are willing to pay for- Cheap and unhealthy processed garbage with a long shelf life. Some fast food chains have tried to quiet real food advocates by offering meager attempts at salads- A bacon ranch style with more unhealthy fats in the dressing than in some of their burgers.

In the case of McDonald’s, we have largely become a nation, and a slowly a world for that matter, of fast food slaves. I guess you could say customers if it makes you feel safe to sleep at night. What would happen to the millions of people each day who didn’t get their big mac you ask? It wouldn’t be the end of the business world. Rather, it would simply shift money towards healthier food that was grown by someone you know close to your home. Over time, the addicts would eventually get over the economy based addiction and seek other healthier food.

So yes, people’s choices are the leading cause of fast food being so damn successful. But not the only one. People make choices depending on their level of comfort; Pleasure versus pain. You only change your actions when you’ve suffered enough. In the case of the general fast food eating public however, the suffering will be beyond our lifetimes. Current investors for McDonald’s and Burger king know this and they are cashing in on our ignorance.

Our only choice is to win small victories such as labeling, healthier menu options and even websites dedicated to speaking the truth about the change that is needed. We can’t win the war against obesity if people don’t have any weapons. That’s what these small victories represent and that is what we’re all trying so desperately to do; to serve those who don’t even know they need our help.

These small battles will one day take down the industry. It happened with big tobacco, it WILL happen with food.

fastfood Fast food: Is it a service?

In the end the choice really is simple: We either choose to participate in a business or a service. McDonald’s and all other fast food industry affiliates who serve toxic chemicals under a veil of lies and target marketing, have chosen to greedily ignore service. Harvard business school has the inscriptions “VE-RI-TAS” on the school shield. Translated from Latin it simply means- TRUTH.

Hardly what business it seems fast food has turned out to be. I’m proud to be an idealist who believes in the future of real food.

See you all on the mountain; I’m wearing my patchouli oil eating coconut.

Josh Trent
www.wellnessforce.com

Fast food: Is it a service?

Related article from Jonathan Campbell interviewing Vandana Shiva-

http://www.cqs.com/shiva.htm

Jonathan Campbell-You are a leading opponent of fast food chains’ expansion into India. What is the present situation?

Shiva: Pepsi subsidiary Kentucky Fried Chicken is supposed to by now have opened 30 outlets. They have only managed to have 2 running for a short while because both – the one in Bangalore and the one in Delhi – faced long-term protests from people.”

“We had a very wide alliance of farmers, consumers, doctors and environmentalists – of people concerned about Indian culture and our cultural values, people concerned about animals and cruelty to animals getting together to resist this onslaught.”

“The way Kentucky Fried Chicken managed to get its outlets open despite the protests, was through changing standards, getting the Government of India to change those standards and the permissible level on MSG – Mono-sodium Glutamate – which is now recognized worldwide to be a health hazard and which has wrongly been called a food additive when it is really a drug – which fools us by sending signals to our brain that there is taste in the food when there is none. Besides, fooling us about food has severe health hazards.”

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Fast food: Is it a service?

Can running in the rain make you sick?

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Rain today.

When it rains outside we tend to all want to stay indoors, make something warm while we sit still to hear nothing but the drops on our window panes. It’s rare that in the sprint we call a workday, we make the time to stop and actually feel the rain. It reminds us, with it’s comforting sound, how little we are and how much we need it’s force. It gives us the gift of variety and snaps us out of malaise. It slows our cars, our minds and our production.

Can running in the rain make you sick?

Rain is a lot like health. We all need it to survive, but it’s become something the majority of people try to avoid because it’s so inconvenient. Much like the rain, the unconscious soul is only aware of its presence when it hits them in the face. As time rolls on and responsibilities grow, one must ask if we are we living fulfilled or are we just waiting for the rain to stop?

America covers itself with umbrellas of medication, alcohol, social status, careers, possessions and quests for bigger bank accounts. Anything to stay dry. Some of my clients can’t even tell me the last time they stopped and laid on their back just to breathe for more than 10 minutes. Rain’s inconvenience is what ever god you believe in’s remedy to halt what we are doing and make us smell the roses; or in this case the scent of water washing away the dirt we’ve all created running around so fast.

The rain is the bringer of truth. It’s hard to stay dry when the clouds open up. The inevitable droughts will always be broken in time, and those under the drops will be forced to adjust to its total and complete control. It’s rare to see someone out in the rain with their shirt off, smiling, jumping in the puddles, not caring about getting sick or staying dry. They just want to feel ALIVE.

The water on our skin, a break from the monotony and a breath of fresh air is all we need for clarity sometimes. There is no study needed as to why the water feels wet, if it has any antioxidant value and if it is safe for our skin. There are no debates heard about the best way to market and sell it. No one cares if we even should run outside or wear socks, because everyone already knows how good it feels when the water hits your toes.

In our rush, we might watch these people from our cars where we are safe and dry, probably saying to ourselves we “are way to busy to get wet” and would never jump around in the rain; we just bought a brand new pair of $115.00 Pumas.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t strive to be and have what you desire. I’m definitely not saying it’s bad to wish for or have certain things. I’m just being reminded today by the rain that we should have or long for something greater than just ourselves. When compared to a jacket, something we do or give do to others has unlimited value.

The question then is how to give? There are so many forms and so many ways. Before you can give though, you have to have the will. The will I’m speaking of is the power of the human will. It can be beaten down or postponed; it can even be temporarily removed. But inevitably, it will always guide you even when you ignore it.

Our body, spirit and mind are our only controls over what we can’t control. It’s up to us to CARE about how we feel, and less about what everyone else thinks. We all need to stop running and start walking. This machine we’ve come to know is overheating, and there won’t be a happy ending unless it cools down. The pace and lack of care in our city and our country are making us sick, fat and tired while killing the planet.

This has been a month of excuses from those in need of change. “It’s too hard, I just can’t and I’m too tired.” Well, it’s not that you are any of those things. It’s just that you have lost touch with what’s important. You have to come back to your to your roots; quieting everything so you can actually hear your will. You were born with it. It wants you to be healthy so you can be happy and help others achieve.

Moving forward, living the best we can for others and truly caring about our health WILL change this world. Health is not what you say or who you are; health is something you do.

Thanks rain, I needed you today.

In BEST health,

Josh Trent
www.wellnessforce.com

Can running in the rain make you sick?
**Josh Trent is a Corrective Exercise Specialist by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor, Certified Personal Trainer from the International Sports Science Association and the National Council of Strength and Fitness. Josh is the founder of a progressive holistic health and fitness service based company in San Diego, Ca

Josh@wellnessforce.com

TAKE BACK YOUR HEALTH