PROTEIN JELLO!!

You can use whatever flavor of jello you prefer. This recipe is so easy and more importantly with all the flavor it packs, it will be your go to recipe for dessert.
Follow directions on the box, and right at the end mix the protein powder in.

1 scoop flavored protein powder of your choice
1 package sugar free Jell-O (any flavor)

Make Jello  

using the directions on the box. 

Just before you’ve finished, add the protein powder to the mixture.

Let stand as per box's directions.
 

Serves 4 

per serving:

Calories 40

Calories from Fat 3.4  

Protein 6.75g

 

 

 

 #weightlossrecipes, #diet, #proteindiet, #dietrecipes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protein Rice Crispies Treats!!

Rice Crispies Treats

INGREDIENTS: 

1 ½ cups Rice Krispies cereal, 

1 ½ tbsp. honey, 

2 tbsp. reduced fat butter, 

½ cup oatmeal, 

½ tsp. vanilla extract, 

2 scoops vanilla protein powder. 

 You can use whatever flavor of protein powder you like for this recipe.

Fiber powder can be used instead of the protein or half and half.
 

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 325 F. 

Lightly coat a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray. 

 Melt the butter and honey and vanilla over the stove until smooth.

Turn off the heat- add rice crispy and oatmeal and stir in the pan

Scoop onto the baking pan. 

Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture is crisp.

Cool to slice and serve.

If you find mixture too dry to work with, add a little water by the tablespoon to thin it down. Careful - not too much.

Variation: While still warm, drizzle Hershey's Sugar free syrup over the top - adds just 15 calories per 2 tablespoons!!

#proteindiet, #highprotein, #lowcalorierecipe, #recipes, #lowcalrecipe, #diet

I have improved my protein shakes!!

My protein shakes have gotten better!
I still use Vanilla Designer Whey protein powder. I add 2 scoops to an empty 16 oz. water bottle.
Now I add a half a scoop of their new product, Designer Whey Sustained Energy Vanilla.
Add 2 inches of very warm water. Close and shake.
Now add 2 Tablespoons of Hershey's Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup.
Add Cold water to an inch from the top of the bottle. Close and shake hard. Drink!!
These changes taste like liquid chocolate and keep the hungries away longer!!

From their website:

Designer Whey® Sustained Energy™ is specifically formulated with our proprietary Endurance Blend™. Designed to give you balanced, stimulant-free, sustained energy through fast absorbing whey protein and slower absorbing soy and casein proteins, giving you a steady supply of essential amino acids while helping you control hunger with fiber.  Packed with 16 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 19 Essential Vitamins & Minerals and naturally flavored and sweetened – all for only 100-good-for-you calories!

The more active you are, the more your body needs protein to recover.  Our reformulated Designer Whey Protein Powders are packed with 18g of premium natural 100% whey protein (the right amount per serving for your active lifestyle, yet easy on your digestive system) and offer an excellent source of calcium, vitamin-D, and B-vitamins while being naturally flavored and sweetened – all for only 100 calories! 

HERSHEY'S Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup:

Experience the same high quality and famous taste of HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup - but without the sugar. HERSHEY'S Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup is perfect for any occasion. 

#proteinpowder, #proteinshake, #Hershey's, #diet, #easydiet, #proteindiet, #wls, #weightloss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Laziness

I found a new product this week in a store.
Brand name Kontos. Greek Lifestyle Flatbread. The numbers are unreal!!
180 calories  and 15 grams protein.
This will be in my meals this week.

I ate light today.
Coffee and Zone bar in the morning.

Double scoop Protein shake this afternoon.

Dinner was 3 hard boiled eggs, 2 tomatoes.

Later tonight I will have a Yasso Greek yogurt ice pop.

#proteindiet #Greekyogurt #diet #lowcalorie #weightloss

What I eat!

Do you want me to tell you what to eat or
do you want the freedom to choose?

Today and most days this is how I start:

8am 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder in 8 ounces water with strawberry or chocolate flavoring added.
9:30am coffee with milk and a zone protein bar
12:00-2pm lunch *
3:30pm 25 calorie fruit ice pop
4:30pm  1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder in 8 ounces water with strawberry or chocolate flavoring added.
6-7pm dinner*
9pm 25 calorie ice pop

lunch or dinner is any of these combinations:
(the numbers are quantity, carbs, protein, fat, calories)

Axelrod Easy-Diester Nonfat Cottage…	1/2 lb.	15 23 0 152
Banana-Medium	1	27 1 0 105

 or

TUNA MACARONI SALAD FRESH TO GO 7…	1	40 12 17 360
Starkist Chunk Light Tuna Packet in…	2-3/5 ounces	1 18 0 80
Hellman's Low Fat Mayo	2 tablespoons	4 0 2 30
Bottled Water	16-9/10 fl. oz.	0 0 0 0

or

Starkist Chunk Light Tuna Packet in…	2-3/5 ounces	1 18 0 80
Hard Boiled Egg	1	1 6 5 78
Kraft Free Catalina Fat Free Dressi…	5 tablespoons	28 0 0 125
Looseleaf Lettuce Leaves	10 ounces	8 4 0 43
Fresh Tomato-Medium	1	5 1 0 25

or

Chobani - Greek Yogurt - Strawberry…

6 ounces

20 14 0 140

Papaya Cubes

1 cup

14 1 0 55

or

Papaya Cubes	1 cup	14 1 0 55
Designer Whey - Vanilla	1 scoop	3 18 2 100
Chobani - Greek Yogurt - Strawberry…	6 ounces	20 14 0 140

or

Boston Market 2 Piece Dark Rotisserie…	1	6 32 17 300
Boston Market Low Fat Garlic Dill…	1/2	12 2 2 70
Boston Market Mixed vegetables	2 ounces	3 1 2 33

These are the numberrs for the other items:

Decaf Brewed Coffee-Prepared with…	18 fl. oz.	0 1 0 0
Whole Milk	4 fl. oz.	6 4 4 73
ZonePerfect Classic Fudge Graham…	1	23 14 7 210

and

Designer Whey - Vanilla	1 scoop	3 18 2 100
South Beach Living Strawberry Banana…	1	6 3 0 30
Tap Water

Notice that all these calories don't add up to a lot for a day's meals but the protein numbers are high :)
I use fitclick.com's diet tracker. There are lots of apps out there.
Make your own menus out of your own favorite foods.
Find new favorites!

.#proteindiet #Greekyogurt #diet #lowcalorie #weightloss

 I am thankful that my mom sat me down when I was a teen and gave me this wallet sized little book of calorie counts. She explained that I could eat 10 chocolate bars for the day's calories or I could have tons of good foods for half those calories. Then she handed me a piece of paper to calculate how many calories a day were right for me and a menu for the next day's foods. Anything in the house was available till we went to the store. I learned that it worked.
I still use that info every day but now I focus on protein also.
What will you eat tomorrow?








 #proteindiet #Greekyogurt #diet #lowcalorie #weightloss

Protein heals.
Protein feeds the body.
Liquid protein replaces food.
Protein keeps the "hungries" in control.
Helps burn off the calories.
Trick is to intake more protein per calories.
I like 1 per 10 but up to 20 is ok.
As in my zone bar has only 14g per 210 calories but goes well with coffee for satisfaction.
A good multi vitamin is a good idea also. Just to fill in any gaps!
Whey protein is able to cause you to lose weight also.
Something about whey does it.
That's the magic to my weight loss plan and how my weight falls off once it clicks and works.







#proteindiet #Greekyogurt #diet #lowcalorie #weightloss

You are making life changes.
That is the beginning.
We can all do it- a diet or a surgery is just a tool, but your life changes are yours forever!!

Today's food

Today I ate:
Protein shake (scoop of Designer Whey, packet of Crystal Light, water)= 130 calories, 22g protein
Decaf coffee with milk =
73 cals, 4g protein
Quest Brownie bar=
170 cals, 20g protein
Banana=
 105 cals, 1 protein
Protein shake (scoop of Designer Whey, packet of Crystal Light, water)= 130 calories, 22g protein
Tuna and mayo Mac salad=
360 cals, 12g protein
Tuna boost (I increase the tuna)=
80 cals, 18g protein

Still under 1000 calories and a 300 calorie/ 15g protein dinner = Asparagus, tomatoes, a little mozzarella cheese.
The key to this is that my protein is 114g.

Winter shopping cart

My Winter Shopping Cart:

Chobani (or any) Strawberry Greek Yogurt- any size
Bananas
Damascus Flax Roll-Ups
Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter (better than the healthy brand)
Poland Spring or Nestle 160z water bottles (cases) for no reason other than how they fit in my hands
Tuna-any cheap, water packed type. I prefer Bumble Bee Light packed in a pouch
Kraft Fat free Catalina Dressing
Hellmann's Low Fat Mayonnaise Dressing 15 cals/Tbsp
Popping corn (air popped in microwave in a paper lunch bag)
spray oil/butter buds
Slimfast bottles
Designer Whey Protein Powder
Edy's Fruit Bars 25 cals each in my freezer
Ready cooked rotisserie chicken (I debone it and repack it when I get home)
Zone Protein Bars
Eggs to hard boil
Green tea and others
Salmon
Shrimp
Presliced fresh vegetables
Small amounts of cheese such as string cheese or any other low fat cheeses

(Winter shopping cart because I am a little stricter when the fresh fruit is better)

Please think about your shopping cart. What shouldn't be in there and what do you need to add?
I found out that when I eliminated Big Macs, Whoppers and other items like those, I was able to afford to make large pieces of salmon or handfuls of shrimp at home!

Nightshade Foods and their effects

Nightshade vegetables are among the foods that some people feel can trigger arthritis flares. Others feel their arthritis symptoms improve when nightshade vegetables are avoided. What are nightshade vegetables? According to The George Mateljan Foundation, food members of the nightshade family include:

potatoes (not sweet potatoes)
tomatoes
eggplant
sweet and hot peppers (including paprika, cayenne pepper and Tabasco sauce)
ground cherries
tomatillos and tamarillos
garden huckleberry and naranjillas
pepinos and pimentos

Should people with arthritis avoid nightshade vegetables? According to the University of Washington website, "No foods have been definitively shown to cause or exacerbate arthritis in most individuals. A variety of diets and hand-me-down information exists about certain foods and arthritis, in particular the night shade plants, but none of it has been proven." The effect of foods on arthritis symptoms vary greatly from person to person. It is an individual decision whether or not to avoid nightshade vegetables.
http://arthritis.about.com/b/2006/09/25/nightshade-vegetables-should-people-with-arthritis-avoid-nightshade-foods.htm
http://arthritis.about.com/od/diet/a/Are-Nightshades-Bad-For-Arthritis.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/478157-nightshade-diet-arthritis/


How To Do A No Nightshades Diet
In a no nightshades diet, you avoid vegetables and spices of the nightshade family in order to end chronic joint, muscle, and nerve pain. With a trial diet, you can find out if you can eliminate or reduce your chronic pain, even arthritis.

It's thought that the nightshade family alkaloids – nicotine and its close relatives atropine, capsaicin, solanine, and tomatine – bioaccuumulate in the tissues and disrupt some people's metabolism. (See Nightshade Vegetables for additional information.)

Dr. Sherry Rogers, MD, advises a three-month trial of the no nightshades diet for anyone who is in chronic pain, from any apparent cause—whether arthritis or pain at the site of an old injury. In her practice, she found that the majority of chronic pain patients become completely out of pain or improved.

The diet was developed by Norman Childers, a Rutgers horticulturalist who researched the sometimes-fatal arthritis-like illness in cattle that graze on nightshade plants. He then made the connection to arthritis and pain in people.

What To Avoid

In a sensitive person, it's possible for a single french fry, one bite of hot pepper, or dash of seasoning to trigger joint pain or other pain.
The only way for the no nightshades diet to be diagnostic—for you to find out definitely if nightshades are causing you pain—is to not ingest the smallest bit of nightshades during the trial diet. The most difficult part of this is that nightshade starch and spices are hidden in processed foods.
See the full List of Nightshade Vegetables and Nightshade Family for a list of what fruits and vegetables to avoid.

Tobacco: It's likely that many people are in pain because they smoke. Don't smoke. If you have a debilitating pain condition, avoid second-hand smoke.

Nightshade Vegetables (and a few unusual fruits): Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, green peppers, and chile peppers are served as vegetables. Potatoes are often eaten as french fries, potato chips, and potato salad; tomatoes as ketchup; chile peppers in hot sauces and barbecue sauces.

Hot peppers are used as flavorings in many foods and restaurant meals; peppers are the pimento in stuffed olives.

Nightshade fruits include goji berries and the more unusual cape gooseberry, pepino, and tomarillo fruits.

Nightshade Spices include cayenne and paprika. Hot pepper spices are ingredients in chili powder and in curry. You'll find these spices in typical ethnic cuisines, including Mexican, Spanish, Caribbean, African, Indian, and East Asian.

Processed Food and Prepared Food: Read the ingredients list on the label for any named nightshades or for the generic terms that typically include nightshades. Paprika and chile pepper are frequently used to add "zing" to processed foods, but are listed on the label only as "spices" or "flavors."

Nightshade spices or starch can be listed under any of these terms:

"Flavors"
"Natural flavors"
"Natural flavorings"
"Spices"
"Potato starch"
Any "food starch"
Any "vegetable starch"
Any "vegetable protein"

And can be used in any of the following:

Breads, baked goods, crackers, breading, stuffing
Sausage, cold cuts, seafood, mock seafood
Gravy, sauces, meat sauce, fish sauce, condiments, salad dressings
Baked beans, nuts, seasonings
Cola drinks

Potato starch is a common filler in prescription and nonprescription medications and nutritional supplements.

Unfortunately, the diet requires not only avoiding french fries and tomatoes, but most processed food. However, it sometimes takes only a few days of avoidance to have significant pain relief.

How Long To Do The Diet

Dr. Rogers recommends three months on the diet. It may take that long to get pain relief, as it did in her personal experience. Probably most people will respond within two weeks.

In my own experience, I had some positive effect in about three days. I had maximum pain relief in two weeks. In my case, this was about a 25% reduction in overall pain. This was the difference between not being able to type at all and being able to occasionally type: a significant difference. However, I ultimately went on to a rare food elimination diet.

I've chosen to continue the no nightshades diet based on my experience with experiments. After several years, I'm able to have occasional small amounts of nightshade family foods, about once a month, with no ill effects.

If the diet relieves serious pain, it is typically enjoyable to continue! Of course you are always free to experiment. It is not necessarily a lifetime sentence.

Substitution Tips-
Substitute Spices-
There are many strong flavorings beyond the nightshades:

Garlic
Turmeric
Ginger
Chives
Onion

A no-nightshade Mexican flavor combination: Garlic, cumin, and basil

You can make your own chili powder or curry by mixing the spices yourself and leaving out the nightshade spices.

Substitutes For Potatoes

Sweet potatoes - baked whole or as fries
Fried plantains - substitute for French fries
Turnips
Jerusalem artichokes

Substitutes for Tomatoes and Bell Peppers

Summer squash
Zucchini
http://www.getting-started-with-healthy-eating.com/no-nightshades-diet.html

Coconut Oil

Whether you want to ease your muscle aches, loosen up stiff joints or relieve the pain of arthritis, coconut oil can bring you the relief you seek.
Coconut oil is not like other fats. It offers relief to your muscles and joints because it contains a special group of fats known as medium-chain fatty acids. By nature, these fatty acids possess important healing properties.
Internally and externally coconut oil acts as:

• An anti-inflammatory
• A pain reliever
• Muscle & joint lubricant and relaxant

Anti-InflammatoryCoconut oil for arthritis is considered one of the best natural remedies for inflamed muscles and joints. Arthritis can be very painful and debilitating. Even doing simple tasks or getting around normally can be a challenge.

This is why we recommend coconut oil. It effectively reduces inflammation and is very soothing to inflamed tissues and joints. It also strengthens bones.

Pain Reliever

Years ago, I suffered greatly from the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia. Back then, I wish I had known more about fibromyalgia and coconut oil.
Although my pain was not centered in the joints, the pain was constant and incapacitating.I am here to tell you that no matter where your pain is located, coconut oil for arthritis or fibromyalgia can lessen your discomfort. The oil works best when you warm it first and then apply it directly to the painful muscle(s) or joint(s).

Doing this:

• Increases blood supply to the area.
• Reduces pain and swelling.
• Is very soothing and healing.
  

Gentle Lubricant

Using coconut oil for arthritis to lubricate muscles and joints works extremely well. This is especially true after a bath or shower.

As a gentle lubricant coconut oil benefits you because:

1. It promotes circulation in joints.
2. It reduces stiffness and increases joint flexibility.

*Many arthritis and fibromyalgia sufferers have found that when they take coconut oil internally as well as apply it externally that their pain significantly diminishes.
Over time, they find it can even disappear!

Some people find that applying a heating pad to the area after massaging the oil on the muscle or joint helps even more. This is because the oil becomes more viscous and the heat accelerates and deepens penetration.

Try to combine coconut oil with one or more of the following ingredients:

• Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses
• Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
• Turmeric

Dosage-

Coconut Oil Alone:
Coconut oil for arthritis as a natural remedy requires different dosages depending on whether you want to prevent or treat the condition.
Naturally, the dosage will be higher if you want to treat as opposed to prevent.
So, when you begin treatment for arthritis pain, a common guideline is:
“for every 50 pounds of body weight, take 1 teaspoon of oil.”We advise staying at this daily amount until your body gets used to the oil. Then, you can increase your daily intake by another teaspoon.

Eventually, you want to work up to 1 tablespoon per day. (Maybe more depending on severity of symptoms).
For prevention, a good place to begin is 1 teaspoon per day.
Externally, we have seen good results if you massage the oil onto the affected joint(s) 2-3 times per day.

Coconut Oil With Molasses, Apple Cider Vinegar or Turmeric:
The ratio is 1:1 coconut oil to molasses or apple cider vinegar.
For example, if you take 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, then take 1 tablespoon of molasses or apple cider vinegar at the same time.
If you take turmeric with coconut oil it depends on whether you take capsules or powder.
Capsules= 8 per day, 2x/day (that is 4 capsules @ 400mg, 2x/day).
Powder= 1 teaspoon per day.
*Both are taken right along with coconut oil.
*Keep in mind that if you choose to take turmeric capsules, you will go thru many more per day than if you purchase turmeric powder.

Health Benefits Of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil plays a significant role in the prevention of disease as well as helping the body to fight it. Here are a few examples of its healing capabilities:

• Kills viruses that cause mononucleosis, influenza, hepatitis C, measles, herpes, AIDS and other illnesses.
• Kills bacteria that cause pneumonia, ear ache, throat infections, dental cavities, food poisoning, urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhea etc.
• Protects brain and nerve cell degeneration from lipid peroxidation of unsaturated oils.
• Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
• Helps protect against osteoporosis.
• Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
• Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
• Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.
• Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Helps protect against kidney and bladder problems.
• Helps prevent liver disease.

Inflammation and Natural Therapies

Inflammation is your body's response to what it perceives to be an outside invader or irritant. When caused by infections, the inflammation can sometimes be rather obvious as occurs with pneumonia. Other times, it can be very subtle. Keep in mind the following key points regarding inflammation and pain, treat the underlying infections or irritants when able.

1. Often the inflammation causes more harm than good. It is often worthwhile to simply decrease the inflammation using natural remedies, diet and nutrients.
2. Sometimes the inflammation is obvious because it causes redness, heat, and swelling. At other times, it can be quite subtle and needs to be looked for.

There are many different autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses. Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or SLE) is a common autoimmune disease that often results in significant fatigue and pain. What most rheumatologists don't realize is that the secondary fibromyalgia caused by lupus and many other rheumatologic diseases (including rheumatoid arthritis) may be a source of many, if not most, of the symptoms and much of the disability in these patients. Flaring fibromyalgia may also be misinterpreted as a flaring of lupus, or other inflammatory disease activity. Fortunately, fibromyalgia can now be effectively treated.

When one treats the associated fibromyalgia, patients often find that their lupus is actually a minimal problem. In addition, several studies have shown that taking DHEA (5mg or 25mg), 200mg a day, significantly improves the outcome of lupus and allows the patient to get by with a lower dose of prednisone. The main side effects of a too high DHEA (5mg or 25mg)level are darkening of facial hair and acne. If either of these occurs, lower the dose. It is unnecessary to follow blood levels of DHEA (5mg or 25mg) at this dose, because this is a very high dose and you can assume the blood level will be high. Lower doses, however, are not as effective as 200mg a day. As many, if not most, inflammatory and/or autoimmune illnesses can cause a secondary fibromyalgia, and fibromyalgia is now treatable, it is important to keep this possibility in mind. If you have widespread pain, fatigue, and insomnia, look for and treat the associated fibromyalgia!

Inflammation (In General)
Inflammation is a common cause of pain and many other medical problems that we experience in Western society. For example, anything that ends in the letters "itis" means that the problem is inflammatory. This includes things like arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, spondylitis, appendicitis, etc. Inflammation is obviously a major cause of pain.

Our body's armies of inflammation are often on high-alert when they don't have to be. Much of this occurs because of the high amounts of animal fats relative to fish and vegetable oils in our diets. Land animal fats tend to contain arachadonic acid (in the "omega 6 fatty acids" family), which stimulate inflammation. Fish oils (Arctic Omega or Eskimo 3) and some vegetable oils, such as flaxseed, contain what are called "omega 3 fatty acids." These decrease inflammation. Over the last few hundred years, we have markedly decreased anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids and increased pro-inflammatory omega 6 fats in our diet. This often results in our bodies being on "inflammatory overdrive" unnecessarily. This excess inflammation has been associated not just with an increased tendency to pain, but at times with increases in heart attacks and other diseases as well. You can sometimes see this tendency to over-inflammation in yourself when you get a paper cut. Sometimes the paper cut heals so quickly that you barely notice it's there. At other times, the same type of cut will be red and inflamed and will continue to hurt beyond the initial few seconds of the cut.

How Do I Decrease My Tendency to Excess Inflammation?
Medically, we do this by using steroids such as prednisone or the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs-e.g. medications in the Motrin® family). Unfortunately, both of these can be fairly toxic. In the long run, using diet and nutrition is a much safer and more effective way to get your inflammatory system into balance.

A recent study, for example, showed that taking a multivitamin can reduce inflammation with vitamin C and B6 seeming to play the largest role. The Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder (Berry or Citrus) by Enzymatic Therapy replaces 35 tablets of supplements with one good tasting drink, and makes nutritional support easy. Many other natural therapies (see below) are also helpful in decreasing inflammation.

For acute injury, remember the old standbys. These have the initials R.I.C.E., which stand for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. These are the standard treatments recommended by coaches, trainers, and other professionals to treat muscle or joint injuries such as sprains or strains. When combined with Traumeel (one of several wonderful products for traumatic injuries that contains arnica), acute injuries heal much more quickly. Adding another supplement called MSM can help when tissue healing is necessary (e.g. sprains or broken bones). The The Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder (Berry or Citrus) can also give overall support for healing as well.

Inflammation is part of our natural healing process. Whenever there is injury, our body puts out "cytokines" in those areas to bring in white blood cells to knock out any infections and bring in other cells to begin the healing process. Because of this, healthy inflammation is a very beneficial tool that our body uses to heal. The cells come in, eliminate any infections, fix the problem, and then dissipate. When healthy, it is almost always localized and short-term.

Inflammation can become unhealthy, however. In these situations it is often generalized throughout the body. In addition to causing pain and disability, it can also cause premature aging. As noted above, anytime you see the letters "-itis" at the end of the word, it tells you that unhealthy inflammation is present. Excess inflammation is very common. For example, over 40 million Americans have arthritis. The inflammation can then damage the joints, causing deformity. Allergic rhinitis, which causes swelling of the nasal passages, is also common, affecting approximately 40 million Americans. Gastritis and colitis, which cause abdominal pain, are two other examples. Dermatitis, including psoriasis and eczema, are inflammatory illnesses of the skin. Even Alzheimer's disease and heart disease have been associated with increased inflammation. Asthma, with its associated bronchitis, is also an inflammatory condition -- and one that has doubled in frequency during our lifetime. In treating these allergies and asthma, we sometimes mistakenly focus on the trigger. But the trigger is not the main problem because most people don't have problems when they come in contact with that trigger. It is more important to look at the cause of the overall reactivity in each individual.

We are now beginning to understand why we are so much more prone to inflammation these days than we were in the past. As noted above, clues for understanding this can be found by looking at how the modern diet has changed over the last several thousand years.

Research shows that prehistoric hunter gatherers were much less likely to have degenerative diseases; their main problems were infection and trauma. They had a high-protein, high complex carbohydrate, and high-fiber diet. Most importantly, their diet was high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in inflammation stimulating omega 6 fatty acids (e.g. fats from meat, saturated and trans fats, shortening, margarines, and grains). Their diet was also high in antioxidants, nutrients that put out the "inflammatory fires." Foods were also unprocessed and low in refined sugar.

As society became more farming-based, our diet included more grains, and cattle were more likely to be grain fed. All this resulted in higher levels of the omega 6 pro-inflammatory fats. These omega 6 fats stimulated cytokines and inflammation. At this time, inflammation began to increase. This problem had been seen once before in recorded history in ancient Egypt. This civilization also had the osteoporosis and inflammatory diseases seen today.

Our current diet has continued to degenerate to where we are getting as much as 12 to 20 times as many inflammatory fats in the diet as we used to! In addition, we have a massive amount of sugar, potatoes, and white flour in our diet. This stimulates insulin resistance and release, further increasing the production of pro-inflammatory hormones (arachadonic acid) from these omega 6 fats. At the same time, our intake of antioxidants to put out these fires has markedly decreased.

What Does Modern Medicine Do About This?
Doctors give anti-inflammatories like Motrin® and Celebrex®, which block conversion of the omega 6 fats to the pro-inflammatory cytokines by blocking the enzyme cyclooxygenase. Unfortunately, these also block your body's ability to make anti-inflammatory messengers. This is one reason why over 16,000 Americans a year die from NSAIDs and ~ 139,000 have had heart attacks or strokes from Vioxx. We also use high dose steroids as anti-inflammatories, which used long-term, can be highly toxic. Other treatments include new tumor necrosis factor blocking medicines for rheumatoid arthritis that cost $10,000 a year. We focus on prescription medications because that's where the money is -- so the pharmaceutical industry makes sure that we learn about them!

What Natural Alternatives Do We Have That Are Safer and Effective?

Substituting olive oil for other oils can be very helpful. In addition, increasing fish, nuts and seeds, berries, free range chicken and grass fed meats, spices and herbs, and green leafy vegetables (not potatoes and grains) can be a very helpful start. For more information on this, there is an excellent book you can read, The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem. In addition to this book, an excellent set of two cassette tapes will help you understand excess inflammation in more detail. Inflammation and Aging by Ronald E. Hunninghake M.D. (Tapes 1 and 2) are available by calling 1-800-447-7276. You can either pay $10,000 a year to use the new tumor necrosis factor blocking medicines for rheumatoid arthritis, or you can take fish oil (Arctic Omega or Eskimo 3) and other nutrients and clean up your diet (do it in ways that taste good)! Which one do you think the drug companies will be encouraging your doctor to recommend?

Does that mean you should only eat things that you hate? Of course not. You may find that substituting a wide variety of nuts such as peanuts, cashews, walnuts, etc. for chips and sugary snacks actually tastes better. Eating more salmon and tuna is not a big deal if you like these. If you don't like them, don't eat them. You can always add fish oil (Arctic Omega or Eskimo 3) (using one, of course, that is mercury free) instead. Take 1/2 to 2 Tbsp daily or 1 softgel 3 times a day. When you feel better you may be able to lower the dose.

When you're shopping for meat, go to Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats, Sprouts, or a similar store where you can get free range chicken and grass fed beef. Although it is a bit more expensive, it tastes much better, may not make you put on as much weight, and will save you a fortune on doctor bills. Olive oil is also tasty and can be used for frying, cooking, and instead of butter on your bread. Substitute stevia or saccharin for sugar. Use sugar-free chocolates (Russell Stover® makes a delicious line and there are now an enormous amount of yummy sugar-free options for those on the Atkins' diet). T hey taste just as good as foods with sugar but will not make you sick. In addition, as a general rule of thumb, the more colorful a vegetable the healthier it is. or example, sweet potatoes or carrots are a lot healthier than white potatoes. The The Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder (Berry or Citrus) will also supply extensive antioxidant support, simplifying the process dramatically.

The effects of treatment with diet are not subtle. In a study done at the University of Washington, it was found that women who ate 1 or 2 servings of fish a week were 22 percent less likely to have rheumatoid arthritis. Those who had more than 2 servings a week were 43 percent less likely. Those who had deep fried fish (usually fried in omega 6 fats), however, were more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis. In another study done in Scotland, 64 men and women with rheumatoid arthritis were given fish oil. They began to feel better in three months. By one year, they had decreased NSAID medicine use by 40 percent. There is also evidence suggesting that fish oil (Arctic Omega or Eskimo 3) helps heal the joints and may decrease osteoporosis as well.

Unlike prescription medications, which can result in quick results (but some such as like steroids and NSAIDs cause long-term toxicity), natural and dietary therapies take longer to see the full effect. They are more likely, however, to build up and heal your system. I find that benefits usually start to be seen by 6 to 12 weeks and continue to build over years as the person gets healthier and healthier. Because of this, I tend to use medications as an initial "band-aid," while the natural therapies heal the underlying problem over time.

What Natural Anti-inflammatories Can I Use?

In addition to using fish oil (Arctic Omega or Eskimo 3), it can be very helpful to use the End Fatigue Pain Formula (by Enzymatic Therapy), which contains willow bark, Boswellia (also known as Frankincense), and cherry. These natural elements can wonderfully decrease both pain and inflammation.

Can You Summarize What I Need to Do?

If you have excess inflammation, your body can often repair the damage over time. This means decreasing sugar and simple carbohydrates (keep chocolate but make it sugar free), increasing protein and healthy oils (e.g. fish, olive, nuts), and getting optimal nutritional support (e.g. the Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder - Berry or Citrus). Use the End Fatigue Pain Formula to decrease inflammation. Your dietary changes can actually be simple (similar to the Atkins' diet but using healthy fats), and will leave you younger-looking, thinner, healthier, and feeling great!

credit/reff:   http://www.jacobteitelbaum.com/tools-support/101_inflammation_natural_therapies.html

Anti inflammatory info

anti inflammatory info

by Debbie Tapp (Notes) on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 6:57pm

How Does Apple Cider Vinegar Relieve Joint Pain and Stiffness?
Potassium deficiency eventually causes joint stiffness and muscle cramps. The rich source of  potassium in ACV is an agent in removing toxins and acid crystals from the body, maintaining joint pliability. A build up of acid crystals lodge themselves in joint spaces causing pain, inflammation, and stiffness. Apple cider vinegar helps to put acid crystals into solution so they can be excreted from your body relieving stiffness and pain.
The best way to ingest apple cider vinegar:
Mix 1 tablespoon of ACV and 1 tablespoon of raw unfiltered honey in an 8oz glass of luke warm (not hot) water. Drink 1-3 times per day.
*Raw honey is also a rich source of potassium.
(I prefer the ACV tablets I get at Vitamin Shoppe)
Rosemary - Powerful anti-inflammatory and antibacterial culinary herb.
 Turmeric - Super anti-cancer herb, also known for enhancing joint health, ending arthritis pain and increasing muscle and tendon flexibility.
Ginger - One of the world's best-known tonic herbs. Boosts immune function and circulation, helping to remove metabolic toxins from the body's cells. Well known antibacterial and anti-viral properties.
Holy Basil - Also known as tulsi, holy basil is used in Ayurvedic medicine to combat arthritis, asthma, heart disease and many other conditions. It's also a well-documented anti-stress herb that been studied extensively for its stress-reduction properties.
Green Tea - A phenomenal healing herb, green tea exhibits strong anti-cancer benefits as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Hu Zhang - Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an herb that invigorates the blood and eases inflammation of the lungs. The name for this herb is quite fascinating: The "Hu" means tiger, and "Zhang" means cane (like a walking cane). The "Hu" is used to denote strength, and the "Zhang" means "supportive." Hu Zhang dissolves phlegm and stops coughing, among its many other actions.
Chinese Goldthread - This is another Chinese herb that contains several bitter alkaloids. One of them is berberine, which is a phenomenal anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal nutrient. It has even been studied as a defense against MRSA superbug infections. Under ultraviolet light, berberine exhibits a natural fluorescence, meaning it exhibits a natural resonance with certain wavelengths of light.
Barberry - An herb used by ancient Egyptians (and still in use there today) for treating inflammatory fevers. It also aids in digestion and liver function. It's more of a support herb in this formula than the celebrity.
Oregano - Oregano is a very potent anti-parasite herb, but it's also used as a natural decongestant and anti-allergy herb. Highly-concentrated wildcrafted forms (like you find from North American Herb & Spice) will blow your mind. Baikal Skullcap - Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat intestinal inflammation, this world-renowned herb also relieves anxiety and insomnia. It also helps lower blood pressure and reduce tension throughout the body.
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Turmeric, ginger and green tea ingredients are powerful anti-cancer remedies all by themselves. Turmeric contains ingredients that halt the growth of cancer tumors by cutting off their blood supply. Ginger boosts circulation to extremities and greatly enhances immune function. Green tea offers powerful prevention for breast cancer and prostate cancer!
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Keep a food diary for one week. Yep, just write down every single thing you eat or drink for a week. Really. If you're like most people, the list will absolutely shock you.

The anti-inflammatory diet
The anti-inflammatory diet has a lot in common with the Mediterranean Diet. You've probably already heard about the many health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, right? Among them are greatly reduced risks of heart attack, stroke and cancer. The reason for those benefits is simply that the Mediterranean Diet is anti-inflammatory!

Here are the basics of the anti-inflammatory diet:

• 90% plant-based foods (or more)
• Fresh produce at every meal
• No processed foods (made in a factory)
• No fried foods, no cheap oils
• Lots of cold-refined, extra virgin olive oil
• Lots of avocados, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.
• Drink fresh vegetable juice daily (juice it yourself!)
• The best anti-inflammatory juices are cucumber and celery
• Lots of superfoods (berries, sprouts, etc.)
• Green tea and water as your beverages
• Lots of raw walnuts, pecans and other nuts

If you switch to this kind of diet, you'll experience a complete reversal of inflammation in your body (that sounds like a bold, sweeping statement but it's really just cause and effect). And not just inflammation, but also cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, kidney stones, osteoporosis, allergies and many other degenerative health conditions. This is the diet of LIFE, and it's the mainstay of the raw foods community that's right now curing serious diseases by juicing raw vegetables and fruits on a daily basis.


5 truths about inflammation
1. Inflammation is the underlying cause of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes and many other conditions.

2. Inflammation is NOT caused by bad luck. It's caused by a bad diet.

3. Inflammatory foods are meats, dairy, sodas, processed foods, fried foods and foods cooked at high temperatures. Keep a food diary if you want to discover just how many bad foods you're really eating.

4. Anti-inflammatory foods are fresh, raw, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. Eat more of this good stuff!

5. Anti-inflammatory supplements like Zyflamend and astaxanthin are powerful modulators of inflammation, but don't use them as a way to avoid the responsibility of making serious changes to your diet. Use them to support your positive changes, and you'll see accelerated results!
http://www.newchapter.com/zyflamend/zyflamend-whole-body
Zyflamend can be purchased from Amazon also.

read this from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center also
http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/zyflamend

My arthritis in my hands cleared using
1) generic store brand of triple strength Glucosamine Chondroitin 2 pills a day (1500mg and 1200mg)
2) Apple Cider Vinegar tablets from Vitamin Shoppe as a result of search and research (600mg daily). These don't store up in the system but I instantly notice if I miss a day.

Google any of these and learn more :)