With a headline like that, you may think twice before picking up a bag of potato chips. Yet not only are chips a source linked to an increase in cancer risk, but so too are sweet biscuits, certain breads, rolls, toast, or most fried, roasted, or grilled foods - all which contain the carcinogen acrylamide. This substance can be contained in certain foods, but also the result of those types of preparation methods. Grilling has long been known to create carcinogenic substances that can be detrimental to good health.

A study of more than 60,000 post-menopausal women has linked the chemical - produced when sugars and amino acids are cooked at temperatures greater than 120 degress - to ovarian and endometrial cancers. The Dutch report examined data from the Netherlands Cohort Study, which involved 120,000 people aged 55-70 years, about 62,000 of them women.

Here's the kicker. After 11 years, the group was analyzed and those who had consumed high levels of acrylamide, that is 40 milligrams a day or the equivalent of what is in one pack of potato chips, were twice as likely to develop ovarian or womb cancer as those who ingested a smaller amount. These findings were published in the journal Cancer, Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.

Since the study was performed prior to 1997, the consumption of foods like french fries and other similar foods has increased, and therefore would be safe to conclude that the risk of these cancers has gone up even more!

Bottom line: If you're eating a healthy diet, one that contains more raw foods and unprocessed foods than anything else, then you're not going to have to worry about levels of acrylamide in your system. It's one thing you shouldn't have to worry about when it comes to your health - and that is preventable conditions based on what foods and beverages you consume. So stick to mainly water, fruits, vegetables, fish, 12 grain breads, and organic foods if you can. You'll be glad you did in the years to come.

HWI

Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Almost everyone seems to know someone who has a child on Ritalin. As you may know, use of Ritalin doesn't come without risk. As with any drug, there are unwanted side-effects that can occur. Even with the research and studies showing such promising results for children with Attention Deficit Disorder, all drugs come with side-effects and can even be life threatening. 

While this author doesn't necessarily agree that Ritalin is the answer to ADD, the drug companies have certainly capitalized on the deficit children seem to be in.  But I think that "deficit" comes from the lack of physical activity - the kind away from a computer or TV.  Getting out and observing those things that are not digital is such a key to having a calmer and more focused mind. This is not research, but just common sense, that tells us the TV and computers and cell phones are electronics that put the eye and brain's focus no more than 3 feet away.  When you can put the focus on natural things that are beyond the world that exists within 10 feet of your being, you take on a picture of the world that is much greater than the many minute details that can be consuming to the brain. It is our opinion that the calming effect to the mind and possibly the attention disorder can be helped by this approach.

According to the Medical Observer, "children who use Ritalin for a long period of time could be more at risk of deliquency and substance abuse." For this reason they suggest 'taking a break' from the drug after 3 years, because "the more days of prescribed medication, the more serious the risk."

It is the opinion of The Health & Wellness Institute that a diet that is deficient in proper nutrients - i.e. fruits and vegetables - and filled with stimulants like sugar and caffeine, will also contribute to the symptoms of those diagnosed with ADD.  This evidence is shown in studies where children were put on a healthy diet and after a year the results showed better grades, less conflict, less absences, and more participation in school activities. While there may not be a direct relationship between the two, there should be at least some logical deduction that diet plays a big role in the health of the mind and therefore should provide noticeable benefit to those with ADD.

Bottom line: a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, and without processed foods, high amounts of sugars - i.e. soft drinks or fruit drinks - and even including some regular exercise, will always be beneficial to anyone, no matter what condition they may be diagnosed with.

HWI

Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

There is always debate about what diet is healthy and which one work best - is Atkins safe, is low-carb better, are carbs the enemy, what food combinations work, is low-fat better? The questions are endless, and the solutions seem to be even more so. However, there is one truth about a healthy diet that rings true throughout the diet community, and that is that simple sugars are the enemy. That is, sugar is so prevalent in so many foods and drinks that it is hard for most people to get away from consuming too many. And with sugars like high-fructose corn syrup you're sure to lose on all levels - bad calories, unhealthy, and too many easily consumed. Here's more about how sugar can creep into your diet --

A bran muffin and a flavored coffee drink are not unusual choices for a breakfast on the run. But along with fiber and caffeine, you may be getting something you hadn't bargained for: a day's worth of added sugar in just one small early morning meal.

We shouldn't consume more than 40 grams -- about 10 teaspoons -- of sugar a day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet, said Andy Bellatti, a graduate student at New York University's department of nutrition and food studies who blogs about diet and health at Small Bites. "It's very easy, though, to go way above that because that's basically one can of soda," Bellatti said. "So although 10 teaspoons sounds like a lot, it's actually not really that much."

Though the World Health Organization recommends that added sugar should make up no more than 10 percent of our daily caloric intake, the average American eats about double that. A muffin could have 11 teaspoons of sugar added, and a grande vanilla latte at Starbucks has about seven teaspoons. Read more...

Final note: do yourself a favor and avoid products that have sugar, except for fruits and vegetables. Even with a good effort you'll find that you're getting some in foods and drinks that you didn't expect.

HWI

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

What happens after the fat pants are gone?

Some are surprised to discover the struggle doesn't end when they hit their goal weight. While the outside world sees a slimmer body, their personal body image often remains distorted. Katz remembers the pain of standing out in a crowd as “the fat one.” As a result, she regularly feels the nagging worry of “Will I gain it back?”

For all the celebration over people who lose massive amounts of weight, diets usually fail in the long run, studies show. A recent weight-loss maintenance study from Duke University found that after losing an average of 18.7 pounds over six months of diet and exercise, most dieters regained an average of nine pounds over the next 2 ½ years. Up to two-thirds of dieters gain back most of the weight they lost, according to an analysis of 31 diet studies released by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles last year.

What dieters often don’t realize is, while they can relax a little about how much they eat, they have to remain vigilant. The worst mistake dieters who have lost a lot of weight make is to think that they're "done," and that they no longer have to choose their food wisely and responsibly.

Whether you’ve lost 10 pounds or 100 pounds, there’s a greater chance of keeping it off if you incorporate better habits into your lifestyle, instead of radically changing it as many diet plans promote.

--------commentary-------

I guess this really sums up the big differences from my approach that has successfully helps so many men and women across this great nation, is that I do to lie to them so that they will like me, rather I am honest with the and tell them that if they want to lose weight and keep it off some things about their daily habits, choices and actions do need to be changed forever--not just for awhile!

People be they "big losers" from a TV show that were put through "torturous" workouts for up to 10 hours day now have to go back to their real jobs, their real life, their friday night routine and I don't think Jillian stays to kick their butt day and night if they slip up.

Should be interesting to see what happens nest. Probably going to mean a few pounds creeping on--but it doesn't have to. Do the gradual slow way, the Vice Busting diet way and you can stay forever the biggest loser!

From NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” to TODAY’s “Joy Fit Club” and Jenny Craig commercials, there’s no shortage of promotions for people who have transformed themselves by losing 100-plus pounds through diet and exercise programs. “ I am a whole new woman," Ali Vincent, who lost 112 pounds and this week became first female winner of the hit show “Loser,” told TODAY.

She must continue to adhere to healthy choices and commit to a healthy lifestyle in order to truly be successful. A lifetime comitment of health is what it's all about.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Statistics show that most people watch 3 hours or more television per day on average, and with so many food advertisers seen on TV, it's no wonder that a dieter will have a difficult time resisting.  There are a few things going against the dieter with this scenario - 1) sitting for too many hours doing nothing; 2) watching ads that appeal to the palette, and are high-calorie, unhealthy foods or beverages; and 3) grabbing one of these foods and going back to the TV.  All of this ads of to more calories than needed, and too little physical movement. Unhealthy calories and too many of them and no exercise - a perfect combination to create an epidemic. Here's more about advertisements and how dieters see them effecting their efforts --

More than 80% of people believe junk food advertising is making it difficult to feed children a healthy diet, according to research. The survey for consumer watchdog Which? found 84% of consumers want the Government to do more to control the marketing of unhealthy food to children. The survey also revealed 83% think irresponsible advertising is making it harder to encourage children to eat healthy food.

Which? said rules governing junk food advertising on the internet and on packaging were weak or non-existent, while current regulations for television advertising did not apply to the programmes most watched by children. A Bill to introduce robust restrictions on unhealthy food advertising to children is due for its second reading in Parliament next week. It aims to introduce a 9pm watershed for junk food advertising and protect children from other forms of marketing. Read on...

Final note: This is not an issue that should be taken up by the government, but instead an effort should be made to get "dieters" off their duff and doing something other than sitting.  While ads may be a problem, the true problem is the quality of foods that are being made and allowed on TV.  These foods should be banned. Let the ads go on, just get rid of these ridiculously unhealthy foods, period.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Our fear of a dwindling healthy food supply from the environmental contaminants and soil depletion may now be trumped by the FDA. Yes, the FDA may actually take care of compromising the quality of our best sources of nutrients by demanding they be irradiated before being put on shelves and tables for consumers.

In case you don't know, the idea behind irradiating food - or any item for that matter - is to sterilize it. That means all live pathogens that may be present on that item is put in check so that it can't take hold in your body or some other living organism. Big problem here. The way we improve our immune system's ability, function, and strength is not just by consuming healthy foods. Believe it or not, we also need to be exposed to certain things so that our immune system builds up defenses. Not everything, but some things. Vaccines are an artificial way of exposing the body and although there is debate on that issue, it still holds true. The immune system is like an army of fighters. But they need to be trained, need not be complacent thinking everything is fine, and is and will always be fine. 

However, without some bacteria and certainly without the optimal amount of nutritional value provided by the fruit or vegetable, the body won't have either to support the immune system. Here's more as reported on NaturalNews.com --

There's a new plot underway to sterilize your food and destroy the nutritional value of fresh produce. The players in this plot are the usual suspects: The USDA (which backed the "raw" almond sterilization rules now in effect in California) and the American Chemical Society -- a pro-chemical group that represents the interests of industrial chemical manufacturers. The latest push comes from USDA researchers who conducted a study to see which method more effectively killed bacteria on leafy green vegetables like spinach.

To conduct the study, they bathed the spinach in a solution contaminated with bacteria. Then, they tried to remove the bacteria using three methods: Washing, chemical spraying and irradiation. Not surprisingly, only the irradiation killed nearly 100 percent of the bacterial colonies. That's because radiation sterilizes both the bacteria and the vegetable leaves, effectively killing the plant and destroying much of its nutritional value while it kills the bacteria. Read on...

Bottom line: our food supply and it's quality is one of the most, if not the most, important part of supporting the health of mankind. Without proper nutrients from fruit and vegetable sources, we risk even poorer health, more sickness and disease. Support the effort to maintain and even improve the quality of the fruits and vegetables in our food supply. Contact your local and state representatives expressing your concern!

Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Dangerous diet products are causing problems amongst dieters who seek an easy solution. Everything from headaches, stomach aches, and illness have been reported from people using them. In particular, a new "formula" has made the news because of the many reactions that unsuspecting weight loss seekers have experienced. Here's more --

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week reported the recall of Total Body Formula in tropical orange and peach nectar flavors and Total Body Mega Formula in the orange/tangerine flavor.

Beth Fisher, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department for Public Health, said the products were sold in Louisville, Owensboro and Middlesboro, as well as 14 other states. It was not sold in Indiana.

Total Body Formula products are sold in 8-ounce and 32-ounce plastic bottles, while Total Body Mega Formula is sold only in 32-ounce plastic bottles. Both are distributed by Total Body Essential Nutrition of Atlanta, which voluntarily recalled them.

According to the FDA, the Florida Department of Health reported that 23 people suffered serious reactions to the supplements. The federal agency is now investigating a report that consumers in Tennessee experienced similar problems. read on...

Comment: You can't achieve good health from a bottle. You can support good health with products that are in a bottle - if they're natural, not synthetic or processed, or contain dangerous stimulants. But you face more dangers with products that make claims of weight loss when all you're supposed to do is drink a liquid or pop a pill. Good health starts with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Are we really going to spend billions of dollars in research and global climate detection equipment and prevention measures because we're worried about the temperature of the Earth going up? We'll all be dead before these apparent climate changes have even the slightest effect on the health of mankind. Unless, of course the health effects are on the mental state of the people who are capable of starting nuclear war or terror (on that basis, maybe there is some truth to this hypothesis). The money that we are potentially looking at allocating for climate management is not justified considering the risks from so many other threats to the health of mankind, or even the existence of life on Earth. Although this may have truth to it, "selling" this to the public may just not fly.

The real threat, aside from those who seek to eliminate large populations of citizens through radical methods, is the health of the Earth's food supply - referring to the soil and the products that we consume that are raised or grown. Moving to processed foods that are so abundant in the marketplace, only eliminates the thousands of nutrients (phytonutrients) that are so important to the health and well-being of indviduals. These nutrients may be shrinking in numbers because we are making them extinct through "new technologies" and "food manufacturing techniques" or even "genetically modified seeds" (corn, specifically - thank you Monsanto!)

The best approach for saving the health of our planet is focusing on the diet of it's inhabitants. Caring for the land and the fruits, vegetables, and other plants grown is a sure way to support good health. With so many people seeking weight loss and dealing with obesity, and the other extreme being those dealing with no food sources at all, this can't be an issue that is taken lightly. Universal Health Care? Ethanol-based fuel? Forget it! How about going back to the roots of good health, literally - the soil, the land.

While clean air, clean water, and nutrient-rich soil may certainly be under the influence of waste emitted by automobiles and big manufacturers, focusing on change for the purposes of controlling the temperature of the Earth may not be the angle that needs to be taken, even if there is truth to it. Change for the sake of saving our food supply and it's quality may be an easier "sell" to the public and one that will matter so much more than what could happen if the temperature of the entire Globe goes up a degree!? People don't understand nor do they probably care when they don't completely understand. Take away their food? They'll care!

Eat healthy. Live healthy. Choose fruits and vegetables as your main source of healthy nutrients.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Recommendations:If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

While we are so easily conditioned to modify or adopt new beliefs because of the millions of dollars spent on advertising, there are some important truths that tend to get lost amidst cloudy promotional campaigns. For decades, the suggestion that cholesterol is bad and the source for clogged arteries and heart attacks has been literally shoved in our face. Sure we hear about high levels of cholesterol, but does anyone remember that there is a positive use of cholesterol? In fact, it's not cholesterol that's bad, but the lipoprotein that is the problem, specifically of the low density variety.

While high cholesterol has had war waged on it all for the sake of profits for Big Pharma, there are some interesting studies that concluded there was actually no advantage to taking these drugs - statins in particular - over a "normal diet and enough exercise". With the dangerous side effects of statins, there seems to be more harm done than any possible benefit from their consumption. This report is offered on NaturalNews.com --

In an 8-year long heart study, researchers observed 10,000 people with high cholesterol levels. Half of them received a best-selling statin drug. The other half were simply told to eat a normal diet and get enough exercise. The results stunned the researchers. Although the statin drug did indeed lower serum cholesterol, this had no impact whatsoever on death rate, non-fatal heart attacks and fatal arterial disease. In other words, the statin-users had zero advantage over those who received no treatment at all. However, they had just spent eight years taking a costly drug with hideous side effects - risking liver failure, muscle wasting, even sudden death. Lowering cholesterol either through drugs or low fat diets does not lower the risk of developing heart disease. Read more...

The bottom line is that cholesterol is needed by the body and is an important part of the body's overall function and self-maintenance. A diet that is lacking in proper nutrition - fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based sources - is one that will increase the possibility of health problems. Same goes for lack of physical activity. Being overweight is the first and most obvious sign that potential health problems may be around the corner. So getting your diet and your fitness under control is crucial to your good health.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

While traditional methods of weight loss usually involve a bit of education about the type of meals to be prepared, the reason that certain foods are superior to others, and the time and frequency with which they are to be consumed, there is an easier way to get a meal plan. Medifast offers a meal plan that is not unlike conventional diets. With just a few adjustments from your normal meal selection, coupled with higher nutritional content, lower calorie content, and higher protein, Medifast is sure to provide not only great tasting foods that are healthy, but a cost effective and timely manner with which you can get started on your weight loss plan. While not only diets are alike, their focus is still on helping you achieve your weight loss goal. The foods that you eat are definitely the biggest contributing factor to your weight. The difficulty most Americans run into is not having some guidance as to what they should eat, and instead grab or drive thru what is nearest to satisfy a sudden hunger urge.

While the focus of a healthy lifestyle should not be on food, having a healthy meal plan in place will provide two immediate benefits. First, you can rest assured that the meals you are getting are going to satisfy your hunger. And second, you can be confident that by following the meal plan provided you won't have to fuss with unnecessary and unhealthy choices that permeate the marketplace - i.e. fast foods.  The added bonus is that once your plan is in place, you just follow it. There may be some refining to get the foods that you find satisfying to the taste, but by and large the selections available are nothing short of satisfying even the most particular palette.

Medifast is not the final answer to the obesity solution, but one very helpful tool to get you moving in the direction of better health and therefore a healthier weight. A diet may serve the purpose of weight loss, but a diet plan should be about fulfilling a need to develp a healthy lifestyle. In the end, the choices you make will determine your weight and your level of health.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

The stigma behind most diets is that they are a unique way of eating that isn't typical of an average diet. The real reason a "diet" should exist is to allow an individual an easier plan to follow that is healthier than the way they eat now. In other words, a choice of healthy meals and items that are not so unique that the dieter can't wait to complete their goal and finish the diet. Unfortunately for most of those who seek weight loss, this mindset does not bring about lasting change. This is why a true diet plan should be appealing now and in the future. It may not be the exact way of eating that will be followed for years to come, but it should provide a foundation for healthy eating, and establish not only healthy habits but a knowledge and desire to continue choosing healthy items. When you start to believe in the lifestyle, you no longer will have to seek out a diet.  These same thoughts are shared by Review.com --

Shifting the focus towards being healthy is the key to an education campaign encouraging women to forgo fad diets and focus on simple, lifelong changes. The "Campaign for Healthy Weight," created by a partnership between America On The Move, Curves and the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), has a simple rallying cry - small, specific changes in physical activity and calorie intake can make a significant difference. It all starts with taking a pledge for a new, healthy approach.

"We need to get past the era of extreme dieting," agreed renowned obesity expert James O. Hill, Ph.D., co-founder of America On The Move. "Health management needs to be a bigger part of weight management."

A new report called "Weighing in on the American Diet," found that although dieting is at an all-time low, "feeling healthier" is the primary motivator for those beginning a diet. The new study, conducted by The NPD Group in collaboration with Milk Processor Education Program, looked at the who, what, how and why of dieting in this country - providing one of the most comprehensive snapshots of weight management practices in America. read on...

Final Word: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed. While Medifast can help you get on track, it is the mindset of a healthy lifestyle and the empowerment that it brings that you should seek to achieve.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

A Medifast Diet Plan and the abolishment of soft drinks and fast food may solve the overweight and obesity crisis.

Breaking news from The Center For The Lack of Common Sense:

Five Philadelphia elementary schools replaced sodas with fruit juice. They scaled back snacks and banished candy. They handed out raffle tickets for wise food choices. They spent hours teaching kids, their parents and teachers about good nutrition. What have they got to show for it? The number of kids who got fat during the two-year experiment was half the number of kids who got fat in schools that didn’t make those efforts. read on...  

Ya think?

So what they learned is that if you teach kids about healthy eating habits and exercise and you make those foods available for them and GET RID of the junk; i.e. Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Snicker's bars (w/ or without caffiene aka Snicker's Charged and it's 60 MG of Caffiene!) that kids lose weight? well knock me over with a feather!

Our world is really messed up. I got this email from a friend the other day:

Corporate America owns chain restaurants. Moms and Pops own smaller restaurants. The restaurants enter into contracts with soda manufacturers who pay out (sometimes large incentive amounts) to the restaurants to procure exclusive soda sales rights. The restaurants sell soda at prices cheaper than milk or even tea in some cases. The restaurants sell soda in larger servings than those accorded other drinks. The restaurants will provide free re-fills for the sodas, but not for the healthier alternatives, i.e. milk. This is especially problematic for parents on a budget.

Thus, their children end of being served larger quantities of the soda for a cheaper price, effectively "habitizing" the children to drink soda in rediculous quantities at an earlier age. My kids were charged $2.50 per glass of milk at a recent lunch. They each had two glasses. That is $20 for milk at lunch. Unlimited soda would have cost $5. The lunch for the four kids cost $24.00, excluding the drinks.

Lunch with soda: $29
Lunch with milk:$44
Tip with soda $6
Tip with milk $9
$35 gross cost of lunch with soda
$53 gross cost of lunch with milk
$18 increase in the cost of a lunch for four kids at a mid range restaurant just to avoid having the kids consume soda. That is an increase of over 50% to avoid having your kids poisoned by soda.
Something is not right in Oz.

No, something is indeed wrong in Oz!

Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

This may be a bit more science than you are used to reading, but it helps us understand the real power behind the properties and content that exists within fruits and vegetables. There are many benefits to consuming a healthier diet than what we completely understand, but the underlying truth is that there is no better form for supporting good health than that which is found in the whole fruits and/or vegetables. Here's more:

Glyconutrients Defined --
Glyconutrients are healthy plant nutrients. They are found at the cellular level of edible plants in the form of polysaccharides or plant sugars. Glyconutrients come from a variety of sources but most notably from the succulent and highly nutritious aloe vera plant. Glyconutrients work naturally to help support many necessary functions in the body.

Select Monosaccharides Effective In Stimulating Immune System--
The effect of selected monosaccharides on the random migration of normal adult rabbit alveolar macrophages (AM) was investigated by researchers. Findings showed that the three monosaccharides, L-fucose, L-galactose, and L-mannose, enhanced rabbit macrophage migration enhancement activity. A macrophage is a type of white blood cell that surrounds and kills microorganisms, removes dead cells, and stimulates the action of other immune system cells. The immune system stimulation seen by the three monosaccharides tested hold promise for humans but human studies are needed to be sure. For more information on this study go to the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, Volume 41, March 1987. Click here for more information.

Proanthocyanidins are a Specific Class of Phytonutrients with Numerous Health Giving Properties--
This class of flavonoids earned their primary reputation as being powerful antioxidants or free radical scavengers. Free radicals are damaging unstable oxygen molecules that get into the body as a result of over-exercise, stress, being exposed to dirty air and other environmental pollutants. Proanthocyanidins also help in the stabilization of collagen and elastin. These are two critical fibrous proteins found in the connective tissues that support organs, joints, blood vessels and muscle. Proanthocyanidins can be found in numerous plant and food sources.

Comment: So while these big terms and explanations may go beyond the traditional explanations of how a plant-based diet is beneficial to health, a further understanding and education of the power behind these foods may make the difference when you decide to get a hamburger and fries, and instead choose something from Mother Nature!

For weight loss and a healthier diet, one suggestion is starting with Medifast. If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

While you may hear about World Health Day and the focus on such debatable claims like 'global warming' and the challenges faced with a rise in the Earth's temperature, but there are bigger issues at stake. For starters, the health of mankind needs to be mentioned from a diet and fitness level. Although this may sound much less important than trying to eradicate deadly diseases like AIDS or malaria, the fact is that many more diseases will be present and many more lives at stake in years to come, without a focus on a quality food supply. Just because mankind can be fed, doesn't mean that mankind is going to be healthy, only perhaps survive another day. Without wholesome foods grown on good quality soil full of nutrients and trace minerals and the like, the immune systems of all living things could be compromised to the point of making a common cold a common risk of death. Sounds extreme but even HIV positive patients see a great benefit to a very strict diet that enhances their immune system and leaves out processed foods that can deplete its strength.

How is it that food could be the basis for good health for all? Is it the hundreds of nutrients present in whole foods that we don't hear about or aren't talked about? Maybe these healthy sources of nutrition are overshadowed by marketing efforts of the big burger places and soft drink makers. It's not unrealistic to think that society will lose many of the nutrients that are very important to supporting good health and preventing disease much the same way that certain species are now extinct. Afterall, genetically modified seeds have made their way into the food system in a BIG way.  What effect is this having? Will we know anytime soon?

A healthy diet and lifestyle should be the focus of World Health Day, instead of what citizens are doing that may be raising the temperature of the Earth.  Sure we need to make diseases like Malaria and Small Pox obsolete. Anything that we have vaccines for should be practically non-existent with a concerted effort. But the big problem that supercedes these is the foundation of health - diet. What you decide to eat will determine whether or not we, together, the farmers that provide fruits and vegetables will still be in existence in years to come. They won't be needed if they have a product that no one wants. Make the choice to eat more fruits and vegetables. Increase the demand, while decreasing the demand for hamburgers, soft drinks, potato chips, or any other processed foods. The collective choices of the citizens of the planet is what ultimately will decide where the future of the World lies.

The World Health Organization (WHO) was (apparently) founded on this day, and I suppose that's the reason for this day as World Health Day.  Maybe a healthy diet day should be started to help increase awareness of what a healthy diet really is. Is it french fries, hot dogs, pizza, soft drinks, cereal (and I don't mean Oatmeal here!), and pastries? Most of the foods offered that have been pre-packaged - that is, already made and can be eaten out of the box or heated - are missing hundreds of important nutrients for supporting your health. There isn't one food or soft drink manufacturer or fast food restaurant that would be behind a World Healthy Diet Day as described. They would lose hundreds of millions of dollars just in one day.

With a healthy diet you can expect weight loss if you need it; you can expect more energy if you seek it; you can expect your IQ to go up if you want it. You may see your income go up, your relationships improve (oh yeah? you don't think your sex life is better with more energy and a slimmer body?), your creative thoughts and productivity as a person may improve. These are all things, and more, that have been noticed by individuals who make the effort to improve their health by changing what they eat. A healthy diet plan is just the beginning to a healthy lifestyle.

If you really want to make World Health Day something to talk about, then give up the top contributors to the overweight and obesity epidemic - soft drinks, fast foods, and any other packaged foods that aren't made with the intent to IMPROVE and SUPPORT your health.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Asking what's in your lunch may be a bit presumptive that you even have a lunch to look into, as if you've brought one.  Most people we find not bringing their own lunch to work, but instead buying.  In my experience, not only is buying more expensive to you and adds up quickly if you're on a budget, but it's most often compromising to your health, especially when you can better control what you're going to eat when you make your own at home. You can get what you need at the supermarket, prepare it exactly how you like it, and be sure that the fruit and or vegetable that you want is included. And believe me, all of this is going to be cheaper than going somewhere and having someone prepare your sandwich. And if it's not more expensive, then be assured that it is certainly "garbage" that you're eating (i.e. fast food?).

Here's more about someone who has a very clear opinion on the subject of food -

According to Michael Pollan, most of what Americans consume isn't food. He calls it "edible foodlike substances." He also says that the way we consume it is not really eating. It's something we do pretty unconsciously as we work or drive or watch TV.  We all know about the U.S. epidemic of obesity and diabetes over the past 25 years, on top of the steady rise of chronic diseases over the past hundred. Paradoxically, this happens just as Americans and the food industry are ever more aware of nutrition. What's going on here?  Pollan claims that in the Western diet, good old food has been replaced by nutrients, mom's good advice by nutritional experts, common sense by confusion, and for most, a relatively good diet by a bad and dangerous one. The book in which he makes all these claims and advises us simply to "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants," has topped the New York Times bestseller list. (from AlterNet.org)

Comments: Bottom line, most of what is offered at supermarkets, sporting events, bowling alleys, quick shops, fast food restaurants, and everywhere that has a shelf with a food item on it, is just not the best nutrition for our health. Start with those items that come from the garden, or the orchard.
Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

While weight loss in itself is a goal that most people strive for, it is not and should not be the focus of a healthy lifestyle - one that includes a healthy weight. Think of it this way: if you want to lose weight and you set out on a diet plan, then when you reach your goal you will feel as though you've completed what you set out to do. However, if you focus on a healthy lifestyle then your goal no longer has an end, only an ongoing effort to strive for optimal health. So long as the 'ticker' is 'ticking', you are in the game of health. And the decisions you make each day will determine whether or not you're 'winning' the game, or losing it to sickness and disease. (While some conditions may not be preventable altogether, you do give yourself the best chance for longevity without a health problem when you stack the "health chips" in your favor!).

Anyone who tells you that your diet won't make a difference in your health either has been living in a cave their whole life or... well, who knows. The fact is that with so much evidence pointing to the importance of a healthy diet in the prevention of sickness and disease, it is clear that most of our health problems stem from poor nutrition. While diet can't provide all the protection from sickness and disease - certainly genetics and environmental conditions can be contributing factors that we may not have too much control over - there is no debating the importance of consuming healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. This advice wouldn't mean much if it didn't come with the ever-growing important point of avoiding, completely, all processed and fatty foods. In particular, reference should be made to those offered by fast food restaurants where soft drinks are commonly purchased with those items - another no-no.

Medifast does offer the plan for adopting a healthy lifestyle via weight loss. If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Today more than ever, children are being fed all kinds of foods that are deficient in nutrients to support their growing body and good health. Here's more from Science Daily --

Can diseases such as Alzheimer's, obesity and diabetes be prevented before birth? According to Jonathan D. Gitlin, M.D., the Helene B. Roberson Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Genetics at the Washington University School of Medicine, researching whether diseases that strike adults are already genetically encoded in individuals while still in the womb, may enable physicians to one day address and prevent diseases in infancy.

In a talk entitled "Child Health Research in the 21st Century: Obstacles and Opportunities," Dr. Gitlin, who is also scientific director of the Children's Discovery Institute, will address why, despite substantial investments in both the academic and private sectors, the health status of our nation remains dismal -- particularly the health and wellness of our children.

"Children's health has been pushed aside," states Dr. Gitlin. "The amount of money currently dedicated to research that could identify key factors leading to diseases both in childhood and later in their adult lives is very small compared to the funding for adult onset diseases such as heart disease or cancer." Dr. Gitlin says scientists need to redirect their thinking to find a way to identify and ultimately offset diseases in children that may affect them later in life, such as obesity, depression or even drug and alcohol addiction. read more...

Comment: A healthy diet is important for development in children and will determine their future health.

Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.