Beginning Nutrition Basics
Nutrient Dense Foods
What Is Protein?
Different Sources of Protein
How Much Protein Do I Need?
Top 5 Leanest Protein Foods
What Is Carbohydrate?
Different Sources of Carbs
Brown Vs. White Carbs
Good Carbs Vs. Bad Carbs
Importance of Healthy Fats
How Many Carbs Do I Need?
What is Fat?
Different Sources of Fats
How Much Fat Do I Need?
Flax & Essential Fatty Acids
Udos Oil
Vitamins & Minerals
Portion Sizes & Calories
10 Ways to Control Portions
Portion Control Secrets
Super Sized Portions
Get Lean In 12 Weeks
Fat Loss Diets
Low Carb Diets
Mass Gain Diets
Vegetarian Diets
High Carb Diets
Pre-Workout Nutrition
Post-Workout Nutrition
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Antioxidants
Caffeine
Conjugated Linoleic Acid
Green Tea
Amino Acids & BCAAs
Meal Replacement Powders
Whey Protein Powders
Soy Protein Powders
Egg Protein Powders
Rice Protein Powders
Grocery Shopping Tips
Shop The Outer Perimeter
Healthy Shopping List
Healthy Breakfast Ideas
Healthy Lunch Ideas
Healthy Dinner Ideas
Antioxidants & Inflammation
Ayurveda Nutrition
Healthy Snack Idea
Quick Protein Snacks
Fruits And Vegetables
Role of Insulin
Facts on Ephedra
Importance of Fiber
Facts on Cholesterol
Overview of Metabolism
What is BMR?
What is BMI?
Increase Testosterone Levels
What Are Your Calorie
Requirements?
What is Homeostasis?
Myostatin and Muscles
What is Catabolism?
What is Hypertrophy?
Thyroid & Your Metabolism
Tips To Raise Your Metabolism Do You Have a Slow Metabolism?
How Often Should I Eat?
How Many Calories Per Meal?
Meal Frequency And Timing
Small & Frequent Meals
Controlling Hunger
Managing Appetite
Effects of Alcohol
Fasting Overview
Diabetes
Eating Disorders
Effects of Smoking on Fitness
Anorexia Overview
Bulimia Overview
Eating Tips To Get Lean
Fast Food Calories
Healthy Fast Food
Artificial Sweeteners
Natural Sweeteners
Why is Water Important?
10 Reasons To Drink More Water
5 Tips To Stay Hydrated
All About Sports Drink
Why Diets Are Funnny
The Truth About Dieting
Foods Packed With Fiber
Fiber Quick Tips
What Are Net Carbs?
Benefits of Eating Breakfast
Healthy Breakfast Meals
Fill Your Refrigerator Correctly
Healthy Alternatives to Sweets
How to Satisfy the Munchies
Water! Water! Water!
Calorie Packed Beverages
Choose Your Coffee Wisely
Healthy Eating Tips for Busy People
Healthy Foods at Restaurants
Tips on Spicing Up Your Meals
Healthy Whole Grain Choices
Cooking with Quinoa
Get Creative With Healthy Cooking
Reasons to Consume Antioxidants
Foods High in Antioxidants
Power in Peanut Butter
Eating Healthy While Traveling
What does Metabolism Mean?
Fast Healthy Protein Snacks
Change the Word Diet to Lifestyle
Sensible Dairy Food Choices
The Best Yogurt Choices
Benefits of Yogurt
What to Look for When Reading
Nutrition Labels
What does Metabolism Mean?
Increasing Your Metabolism
Special Skin Care Needs
Toxins in Skin Care & Cosmetics
Tuna in Oil vs. Tuna in Brine
Metabolism - Do the Math
Fitness and Alcohol Consumption
Top 10 Carbohydrate Choices
Top 10 Protein Choices
Top 10 Fat Choices
Cholesterol Facts
The Scale Is Your Friend
Navy Beans
Lemons and Their Healing Power
Nutrition topics overview
April 15th, 2009Natural sourdough bread baking
April 15th, 2009Baking recipe method for 2 loaves of Sourdough Bread
Recipe quantities:
1300 g freshly milled Wheat flour
400 g sourdough (starter)
20-22 g white sea salt
500-600 ml spring water
1. Mix sourdough with half of the water.
2. Add this mixture to the dry flour, together with remaining water until no dry particles are left.
3. Now add the salt and fold the flour over a couple of times, do not knead, don’t try to form a dough yet!
4. Allow this mix to rest 20-30 min., then with moist hands knead the flour for a few minutes until a dough forms.
5. Now let the dough rest about 60 minutes.
6. Knead again for a few minutes (add no more dry flour), use wet hands and a moist working surface. Then cur the dough in half, roll in flour, and place in oiled baking tins.
7. Leave the loaves to rise at no less than 22 *C room temperature. They should be ready to bake in no more than 6-7 hours, otherwise you will have sour tasting bread.
8. When the dough has about doubled in size or risen to the level of the baking tins they are ready to bake.
Place in a fully heated oven (250 *C) for 10 min.
Then lower the temperature to around 200 *C for another 50 minutes.
9. Now take the bread out of the oven, remove the tins and bake the bread a further 10 min. at a 140 *C.
10. Let the bread cool down on a wire rack, it’s best to wait 12 hours before eating the bread. Store the bread in paper bags.
Common problems
Bread takes too long to rise or not at all
It is important to have a very healthy sourdough starter - always use fresh flour to feed the sourdough and good clean water. Store sourdough in a clean glass jar in the refridgerator. Feed sourdough more often.
Baked loaves have burst or broken open
Probably placed in the oven too soon.
Uneven fermentation, salt added or absorbed too early.
After a few days sourdough bread drys out and lends itself very well to steaming. Cut the bread in slices, soak briefly in water and steam in a pot.
A Short Primer on Natural Leaven Baking
Baking by Principle
The aim of bread baking is to allow the various nutrients obtained from fresh-milled whole grain flour to increase, be better absorbed and thus become nutritionally more beneficial. To do this effectively, life’s laws must be respected through all of the transformations of grain into flour into the fermented dough and through the oven heat (dextrinization, caramelization) that perfects the loaf. It is important for the baking to duplicate the changes that the grain goes through: Germination, growth and maturity.
Yeast versus Natural Leaven
In books on baking and even in nutritional/medical writings, the two techniques: Natural Leaven (sourdough) and baker’s yeast are often mingled and confounded. We will clear up this confusion first then give you the simple detailed instructions that will enable you to bake with this almost forgotten method.
Baking with natural leaven is in harmony with nature and maintains the integrity and nutrition of the cereal grain used, rye, wheat or other .i.e. The process helps to increase and reinforce our body’s absorption of the cereal’s nutrients. Unlike yeasted bread that diminishes, even destroys much of the grain’s nutritional value, naturally leavened bread does not stale and, as it ages, maintains its original moisture much longer. A lot of that information was known pragmatically for centuries and thus, when yeast was first introduced (in France, at the court of Louis XIV in March 1668); because at that time the scientists already knew that the use of yeast would imperil the people’s health, it was strongly rejected. Today, yeast is used almost universally, without any testing, and the recent scientific evidence and clinical findings are confirming the ancient taboos with biochemical and bio-electronic valid proofs that wholly support that age-old common sense decision. For these reasons and for the health of everyone concerned, it is advisable not to bake nor to consume yeasted products.
Starter Leaven
Definition
A starter is a leavening agent that has been obtained by attracting into a raw barm (a mixture of flour and water) a broad spectrum of beneficial wild biological ferments, micro-alginic molds and digestive enzymes. These micro-organisms come from nature’s ferments that abound in the air. This multi-macro flora is made up of a multitude of micro-organisms in symbiosis - a mutually beneficial association - all contributing by their micro-algae structure to the health of the human digestive system and to its beneficial flora.
Primary Function
The starter serves to change the raw elements of wheat and other cereal grains into readily assimilated nutrients, more easily absorbed by the body.
Auxiliary Role
The combined action of the wild ferments and enzymes maintained within the starter added to the active enzymes existing in the fresh ground whole flour are creating carbon dioxide, alcohol and energy that will aerate and leaven the bread harmoniously.
Bonus Benefits
Among the multitude of elements present within the leaven starter bread, some serve to insure the bread’s keeping qualities while others serve to improve its taste during the baking and also during maturing (just like wine and beer improve with ageing).
Mugwort mochi
April 15th, 2009Mitoku Wild Mugwort is a mochi with a deliriously refreshing, earthy taste. Mugwort is traditionally pounded with sweet brown rice to make this unique forest-green mochi. Fresh mugwort is still gathered wild in central Japan at the side of rice fields or streams and then allowed to dry. By late summer, the mugwort leaves have become very fragrant and are then ground into powder. Gently pan-fry, covered, until soft, then wrap in Mitoku Sushi Nori and dip in a tamari-ginger dip. Or bake, dice, and add to your favorite soup.
Ingredients: whole-grain sweet brown rice and Japanese mugwort (yomogi) herb.
In Japan all forms of rice are sacred, yet none is more beloved than mochi. It is made from cooked, hot sweet rice that has been pounded into chewy cakes. Mochi takes enormous energy to make and it has the reputation for being an invigorating food. Our producer, Kojima-san has worked with rice all his life. A true master, he starts by carefully selecting sweet brown rice grown by farmers committed to the principles of sustainable agriculture. Next, he artfully blends kitchen craft with modern methods to produce the true taste and texture of traditional mochi. The hearty flavor and unique, chewy texture of Mochi have long made it a natural favorite in Japan. During the time of war in ancient Japan, samurai soldiers would use mochi as their primary diet because it was very strengthening, enhanced their endurance and curbed their appetite.
Uses: Bake or pan fry mochi and serve wrapped with nori, with a topping, sauce, spread, dip or in soup for a Japanese “O-zoni.”
Michio Kushi
April 15th, 2009Dr. Michio Kushi
Born in 1926 in Wakayama prefecture. Graduated from Department of Political Science, University of Tokyo Faculty of Law, and University of Tokyo Graduate School. Dr. Kushi studied the possibility for establishing world government and world federation for global peace. He moved to the United States in November 1949 and started to study at Department of Political Science, Columbia University Graduate School. The dietary culture of the ancient Greek and China, and thoughts of Yukikazu Sakurazawa of Sekai Seifu Kyokai had impacts on him. Dr. Kushi decided to devote himself to significant modification of the human life and global dietary pattern. He drew up the standard macrobiotic diet focusing on a grain- and vegetable-based meal, with his wife, Aveline (1923 to 2001).
Over 50 years, he has been vigorously engaged in teaching and educational activities in the entire US. In 1978, he founded the Kushi Institute in Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1995, Dr. Kushi received the Award of Excellence from the United Nations Society of Writers. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize with recommendation from volunteers of the American Bar Association. In 1999, the National Museum of American History in the US (more widely known as the Smithsonian Institute) acknowledged permanent preservation of Kushi’s family collection. Currently, Dr. Kushi holds various important positions such as the President of Kushi Foundation, Inc., and President of the Green Cross Group, Japan.
Dr. Michio Kushi carefully evaluated and selected the ingredients for Fermena based on the macrobiotic theory and the Yin-Yang philosophy. Dr. Kushi discovered that by adding Fermena to our normal diet, one can get some of the same benefits of macrobiotics without adopting a completely macrobiotic lifestyle.
Says Dr. Kushi, “I selected over 50 kinds of plants for the ingredients of Fermena based on the macrobiotic theory, principally focusing on the Yin-Yang balance. I combined the materials with a grain and bean base while placing an emphasis on intestinal absorption of vitamins and minerals of wild grasses, herbs, vegetables and fruits.
As far as I know, this is the first enzyme having such a wonderful taste and nutriment. If Fermena is incorporated in the daily meals, anyone can start improving his or her dietary habits without understanding the difficult concepts of macrobiotic diet. I hope that this attempt can help promote human health.”
Alternative medicine
April 15th, 2009ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
Following Congressional hearings, the U.S. Congress mandated the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to open the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAT) in 1993 and begin funding the most promising therapies, including macrobiotics, Native American medicine, homeopathy, music therapy, acupuncture, and other modalities. In 1998, the office was renamed the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and Congress increased the annual budget from $20 million to $50 million.
Several medical schools, colleges, and universities have opened alternative medical centers. By 1998, 62 percent of medical schools in the U.S.—nearly two in every three—offered courses in alternative and complementary medicine.
The first public natural health clinic opened in Seattle in 1996. The clinic offers low cost natural therapies, including acupuncture, nutritional counseling, biofeedback, Chinese herbal medicine, and other alternative treatments to the public, especially low-income patients. The estimated cost of the pilot program, funded by the government, is $3 million.
Meanwhile, insurance companies are beginning to reimburse and encourage alternative medical practices. Oxford Health Plans became the first large medical insurer to offer alternative medicine coverage in 1997. No physician referral is required. The company cited a survey of its 1.5 million members showing that 33 percent had used some form of alternative medicine in the last five years. On the West Coast, Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest HMO, offers reimbursement for acupuncture and other alternative medical services in California. Blue Cross/Blue Shield are experimenting with similar coverage in the Pacific Northwest.
In a widely publicized survey, the New England Journal of Medicine reported in 1993 that one in every three Americans used alternative medicine.
By 1998, the figure had risen to 42 percent, and the number of visits to alternative practitioners exceeded those to primary care physicians. See Acupressure, Asthma, Fibroymyalgia, Five Transformations, Multiple Sclerosis, Native American Diet, Pregnancy, Skin Problems, Yin and Yang.
Sources: D. M. Eisenberg et al., “Unconventional Medicine in the United States,” New England Journal of Medicine 328:246-52, 1997; M. S. Wetzel et al., “Courses Involving Complementary and Alternative Medicine at U.S. Medical Schools,” Journal of the American Medical Association 280:784-87, 1999; David M. Eisenberg et al, “Trends in Alternative Medicine Use in the U.S., 1990-1997,” Journal of the American Medical Association 280:1569-1575, 1998.
• Clinical Guidelines in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) - In 1995, the Office of Alternative Medicine convened an expert panel to propose guidelines for clinical practice. Noting that estimated office visits to CAM providers (425 million a year) exceeded the number of visits to primary care physicians (388 million) and that Americans spent $10 billion annually on alternative therapies, the panel stated that it was important that the public be informed about the advantages and disadvantages of CAM.
While professional standards and practices need to be standardized, the panel questioned the assumption that recommendations for CAM must await clinical trial evidence. “Some would argue that the need for CAM to collect evidence in a format acceptable to conventional Western medicine (e.g., randomized trials) is itself a false premise. Reliance on empirical data from controlled experiments to infer effectiveness is a reductionist Western epistemology that is not shared by many of the cultures from which some CAM practices originate.” The report mentioned, for example, that acupuncture has been practiced for more than 3000 years, outspanning “the entire life of newtonian science by several millennia.” Organ-specific results are commonly less important than overall patient well-being, respecting the pa-tient’s personal experience, and dynamic relational issues. Conventional diagnostic models have little relevance, the panel noted, to traditional models of disease origin and development, especially those involving energy balance.
Like psychiatric and mental health therapies, CAM approaches are often not reproducible, because they are highly individualized or recognize an association between the dynamics of the clinician-patient relationship.
“In the long-term, a worthwhile goal is to develop holistic, cross-cutting practice guidelines that specify, for a patient with a given health problem (e.g., cancer), the full range of treatment options available in all areas of conventional medicine and CAM, the benefits and harms that can be expected from each choice, and the nature of the supporting evidence,” the panel concluded.
Source: “Clinical Practice Guidelines in Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Analysis of Opportunities and Obstacles,” Archives of Family Medicine 6:149-54, 1997.
Madonna macrobiotic and yoga
April 15th, 2009Of course, her healthy diet and strict yoga workouts are also keeping her in trim.
When Madonna was inaugurated into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame this week, Justin Timberlake said: “Nobody has got into the Hall of Fame when they’re looking this damn fine.”
We’ll drink a macrobiotic yoghurt to that!
£60m
What she’ll earn from new Live Nation record and touring deal
£30m
Projected earnings from the tour that follows release of Hard Candy album on April 29
12 million
Number of fans who saw her last tour of 60 dates
£100m
Projected gross ticket sales for 2008/2009 tour
Forehead
Baby smooth with no lines - amazing for a woman coming up to her 50th birthday
Eyes
Women half Madge’s age worry about wrinkles - but she seems to have erased them
Cheeks
Rosy cheeks are a clear sign of youth - these seem fuller and more unlined than ever. Thread-lift surgery through tiny holes in the scalp allows surgeons to gently pull up loose skin, giving a more youthful look
Neck
Madonna’s is as unblemished as the day she first hit the charts with Holiday
Body hair
Madge is phobic about her body hair and is said to spend £100,000 a year on waxing to keep herself fuzz-free
Figure
She works out for three hours a day doing yoga and cardio. She also follows a strict macrobiotic diet of veg soup, juice, tofu and pulses. At 5ft 3ins, she weighs under 8st, with what experts call a “bionic body.”
Macrobiotic way introduction
April 15th, 2009Macrobiotic way - introduction to macrobiotic diet
Book of Michio Kushi - Macrobiotic Way is book about fundamentals of macrobiotic containing recipes for beginners.
Michio Kushi - Macrobiotic way
Introduction
In accordance to the need to change somewhat dietary regimen of my family, I have stumbled upon book of Michio Kushi - Macrobiotic Way, in the store with healthy foods. After buying it I have readen it in one breath.
Basic thought of macrobiotic
First third of book is dedicated to the basic concepts and their explanation in accordance to macrobiotic. After reading this section helped me as the basic knowledge. In this part of book are also bring out people’s stories, that by changing of diet solved or improved their health problems. Macrobiotic is not only the way of food processing and consuming but also method of thinking, so these narratives are very useful here. For these that seek only new way of eating in macrobiotic, is this part of book unnecessary pithy.
Practical part - macrobiotic cookbook
Second part of book is most interesting, it’s devoted to macrobiotic kitchen and additionally describes working tools, methods, processes and materials in macrobiotic. Following 60 pages recipes with uncomplicated recipes for beginners. Macrobiotic don’t use animal milk and products, which is good advantage for these, that have non-milk diet, but for other diets it means choosing suitable recipes or appropriate materials for cooking.
Conclusion - using of macrobiotic
In the end of book are described individual products and their use for purpose of nutrition, so for medical purposes. After reading this book I have visited health food store, where I have found some of these mentioned products. I would suggest to beginners to go shopping with summary of products written on the small paper. This book seems to me like appropriate tool for microbiotic beginners.