The diet rules you DON'T need.

It seems that everyone has an opinion on dieting and what you SHOULD do.  Well, I have seen a lot during my years as a Nutritionist.  I have read loads of books on new diet fads that claim they will change your life as well as your body.  Most of them are very restrictive, cutting out whole foods groups and eliminating the enjoyment we all get from food.

All you really need to do is keep a level head and think about what your body actually needs: lots of fruit and vegetables, a little protein, and a few whole grains.  That is what our digestive system can cope with.  If you listen to your body, it will tell you when it is hungry, when it is thirsty and when it is full.

Here are the "rules" you need not obey:

1. Eat protein in every meal.  Protein is an essential building block for everything that grows and needs repair.  However, protein is not just found in animal meat, it is also in vegetables.  So, if you want to bulk up on muscle mass, go to the gym and eat your greens!
2. Milk is good for you.  You all know my opinion on milk - we don't need it!  We are told to drink milk for strong bones, whereas in reality, milk causes the body to become acidic and therefore leeches calcium from the bones to reduce the acidity.  Calcium can be found in many natural sources which are far more bioavailable such as raw almonds and green leafy vegetables and broccoli.
3. You need to eat 5 meals a day.  Not many of us have time to sit down to 5 meals a day.  Stick to breakfast, lunch and dinner and a healthy snack of fruit or a handful of nuts.  Lots of people I know can't eat first thing in the morning, don't worry, just make sure you have something to eat a couple of hours before lunch or you will overeat at lunchtime!
4. If you are trying to lose weight eat smaller portions.  Well this could well be a good idea if
   
   you are the "super size me" type.  But it all boils down to WHAT you are eating.  If you are eating fruit for breakfast - eat as much as you want!  Bulk up your meals with lots of healthy salads and vegetables - raw is better.  Vegetables provide large amounts of fibre which will fill you up for longer.  Also, eat mindfully and slowly, it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain that you are full, so eat slowly and give your body time to send the correct messages otherwise you will overeat.
5. Watch your calories.  Well as I have said in a previous post NOT all calories are the same and this is so true.  It all depends on what your calories are made up of - refined carbs and sugar are the biggest weight gainers by far just because of the way the body reacts to them, if not used immediately they are stored as fat.  Animal protein and animal fat are actually not as dangerous as assumed.  Healthy fats do not make you put on weight when included in a balanced diet and are also essential for the body.  So, animal protein a few times a week and healthy fats in nuts and butter actually do you good!
6. Healthy = vegan.  This depends on the vegan... good vegans that eat fresh foods such as fruit and vegetables, nuts and legumes are on to a good thing.  A plant based diet is beneficial to everyone and should be the base of everyone's diet.  However, there is no harm in adding in a little animal protein if you like it - personally, I love a steak every now and again.  Also, things like Oreos are vegan - yes - you hadn't thought of that one had you?  But they are packed full of sugar and additives and according to a recent report, are as addictive as cocaine!  So, if you want to be vegan go ahead... but do it properly.
7. Avocados and coconuts are fattening.  There is nothing fattening about these foods when eaten
   
   correctly.  They are packed full of healthy fats and fibre and make your skin and hair glow.  As you may have read in my post a couple of weeks back "Coconut Oil is good for EVERYTHING", and it really is, it is much better for cooking as it does not go rancid at high temperatures and you can even use it as moisturizer for skin and hair, deodorant and a whole host of other things - it's cheap too!
8. You must drink 8 glasses of water a day.  Water is essential for the body, it's also great for your skin, but really?  8 glasses a day?  Not 7 or 9?  Drink small amounts of water throughout the day and more if your body is telling you you are thirsty.  If you drink too much in one go the body can not take full advantage of it so sip continuously.
9. Cholesterol free labels must mean it's good for you.  Cholesterol - that problem number on your annual check-up.  Actually our bodies make cholesterol so I can't believe that something our own bodies produce is out to kill us!  Of course you have to differentiate between good and bad cholesterol.  Cholesterol is also obtained from animal fats - so if a packet of bread or a bottle of juice has "cholesterol free" stamped on it, it's pretty much a marketing ploy, these products shouldn't have animal fat in them to start of with.

The one golden rule to follow:

Eat fresh and natural and steer clear of processed and refined foods.

I wish you all happy holidays and an amazing and healthful New Year.  I will be back on the 9th of January with a new post.

Social Nutrition:

You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

How to survive the holiday season, be healthy and still have fun...

Lots of people both love and hate the holiday season.  It's that time of year when invitations to parties are rife, alcohol flows, your mother spends all the time in the kitchen cooking decadent dishes and exercise is limited due to all the social obligations.  Lots of my patients look upon this time of year with terror, after several months or even a year of making dietary changes and losing weight or getting their digestive systems in tip top working order I get comments like:

"You have no idea how much food my mother produces!"

"I have loads of business functions to attend and it's all buffets and canapés - there's no way I am going to be able to resist!"

"I can't not drink!  My mates won't understand!"

These are just three of the many I get, but you understand.  So here are a few tips for surviving the buffet table, over eating, alcohol and the dreaded hang over!  I'm afraid that I don't have much of an answer for your mother's cooking!

1. Don't shop too far in advance.  Lots of shops have special offers on at this time of year, especially, it seems on chocolate and biscuits.  Don't think your being clever buying them in advance, if they're in the cupboard, you will eat them and then you'll have to buy them all over again for when your family and/or guests arrive.  Leave that to the last minute, in the meantime fill your kitchen with healthy snacks.  If you look after yourself in the run up to the holidays, any "damage" you do will be less.
2. Change your mind set.  Think positively and remember that at any other time of year, if you had a party to attend you would cut back and be strict with your diet for a day or two before the party and then a day or two afterwards.  Do the same here, be good to yourself in the run up, eat lots of fruit and raw vegetables, a little bit of fish or meat and hold the dessert.  Then remember that lunch on the 25th is basically turkey with vegetables.  If you really want to look after yourself
   
   follow this basic rule:
• Don't mix your carbs and proteins.  By all means eat the turkey and the vegetables but don't have the potatoes or bread sauce!  After a protein meal, let at least 2 hours go by before you eat carbs - so you can always have your dessert a couple of hours later.  Believe me, with all the friends and family around and present opening, those two hours will fly by!  
3. Be intelligent about left overs and gifts of food.  Quite often people will bring you food as presents when you invite them to your house.  More chocolate biscuits, mince pies, stollen, etc.. This means that you will have even more food left over.  So what to do with the leftovers?  Keep the meat and vegetable leftovers, give away the rest.  You are sure to be invited to someone else's house so take things with you too!  Or you can donate them to charity to help cheer up someone else's holiday season.
4. Buffet strategy.  A buffet table is everyone who is trying to look after themselves' nightmare.  All that delicious looking food begging to be eaten!  So, how to get through the buffet and not eat too much?  Use a dessert plate, not a large dinner plate, fill it once and then sit away from the buffet table so you aren't tempted to go back for more!  Also avoid beige food.  Beige food tends to be fried, covered in breadcrumbs or pastry and therefore a very unhealthy choice.  Go for the more colorful foods which are more likely to be fruit or vegetable based.
5. Are you going to a party where there will be lots of alcohol?  There is nothing wrong with a few drinks every now and again and obviously the holiday season is rife with alcohol; eggnog, hot wine, champagne, wine with every meal, party cocktails... so here is what you can do to make sure you navigate the party circuit in the best possible way:

• Never drink on an empty stomach - plain yogurt with a banana is an excellent stomach liner prior to going out partying.
• Limit fizzy alcoholic drinks - it's true they really do go straight to your head.  The bubbles speed up your absorption of alcohol, so limit the number of glasses of sparkling wine, fizzy cocktails and champagne.
• Avoid a nightcap - darker drinks, especially spirits like brandy or whisky have higher levels of compounds called congeners, these are formed during the fermentation and distilling process.  It is thought that these compounds make your hangover worse - so if you really can't avoid that nightcap, try a white spirit instead.
• Drink plenty of water - hangovers are mainly a hydration problem, so drink lots of water before going to bed.
6. The next day... if you are hungover, the best way to recover is:
• DO NOT succumb to the old belief of "hair of the dog", more alcohol is really not the answer!
• Drink coconut water; it's great hydrating properties will work wonders - or you can make your own hydrating drink; just mix a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt in a pint of water and sip throughout the morning.
• Limit your caffeine intake.  Too much caffeine will only aggravate your already flagging hydration levels - so just have one cup of coffee until your are feeling normal again.
• Eat!  Have a nice simple breakfast; brown toast with a poached egg, grilled tomatoes and
  
  mushrooms and a glass of orange juice will have you back on track in no time!
• Avoid painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen.  They may take your headache away but they will irritate your upset stomach.
• Resist your cravings - quite often your body cries out for fast food, doughnuts and sugar, sugar, sugar!  Don't give in!  Sugary drinks and foods will only add to your already unbalanced blood sugar levels.  Eat fresh fruit instead or have a smoothie made from fruit and yogurt.
7. Exercise.  Go for a brisk walk after lunch, it will help with digestion.

I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season!

Social Nutrition:

You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Going nuts could save your life!

Nuts have had a slightly negative press for years as they are considered fattening.  They are fairly high in calories but have so many other benefits to offer that they should be an important part of your diet.

A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine highlights the health benefits of nuts.  The good thing about this investigation into the benefits to nuts is that it followed 100.000 men and women over several decades, so not just a quick look on a small scale.  It concluded that eating nuts helped the participants to lead healthier lives, pushing back the inevitable conclusion we all face eventually in life... death.  Seven or more servings of nuts per week cut the risk of dying by A THIRD (one serving was defined as one ounce, which is about a handful of almonds).

Specifically it was found that the participants who ate nuts five or more times a week had a 29% reduction in death from heart disease; an 11% reduction in death from stroke; a 23% reduction in death from infection; a 24% reduction in death from respiratory diseases; a 29% reduction in death from kidney disease; and an 11% reduction in death from cancer.

Need I say more?

A famous study of Seventh-Day Adventists ( a religious movement in the United States) who consume a low-fat, plant-based diet, compared nut eaters with non nut eaters, anticipating that the nuts which are high in calories and fat, might just raise their risk of heart disease.  However, even though this group is on a heart healthy diet which is mostly vegetarian, those Adventists that ate nuts at least five times a week had a 48% lower risk of death from coronary heart disease and a 51% lower risk of non fatal heart attack compared to those who consumed nuts less than once a week.

The FDA isn't happy about nut manufacturers toting the health benefits of nuts to consumers.
 Recently, the FDA sent a letter to Diamond Food Inc., a producer of walnuts, ordering them to "cease and desist" from making medical claims about their products.  The FDA even threatened to confiscate the "misbranded" nuts as illegal contraband.

So why are nuts so good for us?

1. Nuts are a perfect VEGAN food.  The current fashion for plan based diets means that nuts provide essential protein and oils that balance a vegetarian diet that might otherwise be too carb-rich and lacking in beneficial fats and certain vitamins and minerals.
2. Nuts are PALEO.  This means that with the exception of peanuts, which are actually legumes.  Tree nuts and seeds are ancient staples of the human diet to which millions of years of evolution have made suitable for our human bodies.
3. Nuts are LOW-CARB and therefore low GI.  The Glycemic Index or GI, tells us how quickly the sugars in foods are digested, absorbed, and released into the blood stream.  High GI foods tend to overwhelm the body's sugar handling capacity, which leads to metabolic syndrome and diabetes.  Nuts are relatively low-carb to begin with, and the carbs they contain are released slowly after a meal so they don't cause a spike in blood glucose which causes the body to release insulin to normalize the blood glucose level.  They are also a great way of quashing a sugar-craving or hypoglycemia.
4. Nuts make you feel full.  Eating nuts promotes a feeling of being full, even though they are high in calories.  They actually stop your cravings for sugar laden, high-fat foods.  Some studies suggest that incorporating nuts into your diet will actually help you to lose weight - not put it on.
5. Nuts are high fiber.  Nuts are high in soluble fiber, the best kind of fiber for slashing your risk of cancer and heart disease.
6. Nuts are a great source of PHYTOSTEROLS.  These are plant sterols which are thought to bind to cholesterol and help to eliminate it from the body; the American Heart Association recognizes phytosterols as a natural form of reducing the risk of heart disease.
7. Nuts contain healthy fats and oils.  Nuts are rich in essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid and alpha linolenic acids.  Essential means that we need to get these from our foods as our bodies can not make it by themselves.  A lack of essential fatty acids can cause dry skin, inflammation, infertility, mood and memory problems and promote heart disease.
8. Nuts, as I have said before, are a great source of Vitamin E.  Vitamin E is a vital anti-aging vitamin and nuts are the best natural source of this critical antioxidant.
9. Nuts are high in B vitamins.  B vitamins are essential for a healthy mind and body, they ease stress, treat anxiety and depression, aid memory, relieve PMS and reduce heart disease risk, they can even help with migraines.  Nuts provide many vital B vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 and folates.
10. Nuts are a great source of POLYPHENOLS.  These great antioxidants derived from plants protect the body against free radicals.  Nuts contain a wide range of polyphenols, including resveratrol (anti-aging), lutein, cryptoxanthin and many others.  Flaxseeds and sesame seeds are high in lignans, a specific subtype of polyphenols that may protect against reproductive cancers.
11. Nuts are rich in ZINC.  I love zinc, it is a great immune system booster and aids in reproductive function.  Some very strict vegetarians don't get enough of this mineral.  Zinc also helps in its immune capacity to ward of colds and flu.
12. Nuts are high in MAGNESIUM.  Magnesium is another critical mineral which aids in over 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body including; protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation.  Lack of Magnesium often manifests itself as fatigue or irritability and can cause and increase in risk of heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure.
13. Nuts deliver COPPER.  This mineral is essential for brain development and maintenance, efficient communication between nerve cells, healthy skin and connective tissue, healing, structural integrity and function of heart and blood vessels, growth of new blood vessels, proper structure and function of circulating blood cells, formation of white blood cells (immune system), maintenance of a healthy and effective immune response, generation and storage of energy in cells and mitochondria.
14. Nuts deliver SELENIUM.  Selenium is a major immune booster and just three Brazil Nuts per day can provide all the selenium you need, especially if you are a vegan or vegetarian.
15. Nuts are user friendly.  If you spend a lot of time out of the house, and need to take food with you, a small packet of nuts is easy to carry, won't spill or make a mess.  It's much better to eat a handful of nuts than to snack on doughnuts or other sweets at work.

So, got nuts for nuts... they really will save your life!

Social Nutrition:

You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Coconut Oil it's good for EVERYTHING

Coconut oil has had a lot of bad press for years as it is a saturated fat.  However, more recent investigations have managed to unlock all those healthy secrets coconut oil has been hiding.

In one of my very first posts I wrote about the beneficial effects that coconut oil has had on Alzheimer's sufferers.  You can read that article here: Pure Coconut Oil. A "cure" for Alzheimer's

So why is coconut oil so great?

Coconut oil is a powerful destroyer of all kinds of microbes, from viruses to bacteria to protozoa, many of which can be dangerous.  It also provides your body with high-quality fat that is essential for optimal health.

About 50% of the fat in coconut oil is lauric acid which is difficult to find naturally.  In fact, coconut oil contains the most amount of lauric acid of any substance found in nature.

The body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, a monoglyceride that can actually destroy lipid-coated viruses such as HIV and herpes, flu, measles, gram-negative bacteria, and protozoa such as giardia lamblia.  Coconut oil is made up of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that are easily digested and easily cross cell membranes.  MCFAs are converted immediately by the liver into energy rather than being stored as fat.  Coconut oil is also easy on the digestive system and does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream, so it is great for a quick energy boost when needed.

The general health benefits of coconut oil are:

• Promoting Heart Health
• Supporting proper thyroid function
• Promoting healthy brain function
• Providing an excellent healthy fuel for the body which can also support a strong metabolism and aid in weight loss
• Strengthening the immune system
• Maintaining healthy and youthful looking skin

Yes, you heard it right!  Coconut oil is an amazing BEAUTY product.  Lots of the creams, shampoos and conditioners we use on a daily basis are full of toxic ingredients.  Coconut oil can replace all of them.  Here's an idea of what coconut oil can do for you:

• Makeup remover:  Put some on a moist cotton ball and swipe over your face, then remove with a
  
  clean cotton ball or a wet face cloth.
• Facial cleanser:  Massage a small amount of coconut oil into your face and neck, wash off with a warm wet face cloth and pat dry.
• Facial Scrub:  Mix coconut oil with baking soda, or oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon and gently apply to the face and then rinse.
• Body Scrub:  Mix equal parts of coconut oil and cane sugar in a glass jar.  Apply to the skin before your shower.
• Shaving lotion:  Lots of men find that shaving irritates the skin, just apply a thin layer of coconut oil before shaving and then shave as normal.  This also works for shaving legs and underarms or your bikini line.
• Eye cream:  Apply a small amount and pat gently around the eye area to soften wrinkles and counteract thinning, sagging skin.
• Face and body moisturizer:  You can use as is or mix with your favorite essential oil... just make sure it is apt for topical use.  Apply small amounts to your skin and massage in.
• Cuticle Cream:  Simply rub a small amount of coconut oil around your cuticles to soften dry areas.
• Bath soak:  add a little coconut oil to your bath, it will help moisturize dry itchy skin.  Just be careful and clean the bath afterwards, otherwise the next person to use it may slip!
• Deodorant:  Apply a small amount of coconut oil directly onto your underarms can help keep odors away.  Or you can mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of arrow root (for thickening) and 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, you can also add an essential oil if you choose for aroma.  Mix thoroughly and leave to thicken.  Then just apply a small amount to your underarms.
• Insect repellent:  Mix coconut oil with high-quality essential oils such as peppermint, lemon balm, rosemary, tea tree oil, citronella, etc., may help keep insects at bay when applied to exposed skin.
• Hair Conditioner:  apply to dry hair, and massage into the scalp.  Leave on for as long as possible, I cover my head with a shower cap, and then wash and condition as usual.  You may
  
  need to wash your hair twice!

Other uses for coconut oil:

As coconut oil has brilliant antimicrobial and anti-viral properties it may help in the treatment of:

• Bug bites and bee stings
• Hemorrhoids
• Skin rashes and irritations, including chicken pox and shingles.
• Ear infections: Place a couple of drops into each ear canal.  
• Fungal and/or yeast infections such as athlete's foot and ringworm.  For fungal infections you can mix in a small amount of oregano oil or tea tree oil.
• Thrush
• Head lice:  The European Journal of Pediatrics found that a combination of coconut oil and anise was nearly twice as effective a the usual lotions.

You can also use coconut oil for maintenance around the house:

• Clean, condition and sanitize your wooden cutting board in the kitchen.
• Metal polish.
• Moisturize and soften leather goods as you would using leather conditioners.
• Maintain your cast iron pots and pans.
• Lubricate squeaky hinges and sticky mechanisms with coconut oil instead of WD-40.
• Clean and condition wooden furniture - I recommend you test a small area first.
• Remove chewing gum from virtually any area, including carpets and hair.

The list goes on and on... it really is a true gift from Mother Nature.  So if you have a use for coconut oil not mentioned in this post, please let me know.

Social Nutrition:

You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Overclocking.... lunch

Ok.... where do I begin?  For those of you that don't know what overclocking is here is a brief explanation (It's from Wikipedia so please forgive me if it is not correct):

Overclocking is the process of making a computer of component operate faster than the clock frequency specified by the manufacturer by modifying system parameters.  Operating voltages may also be changed (increased), which can increase the speed at which operation remains stable.  Most overclocking techniques increase power consumption, generating more heat, which must be dispersed is the chip is to remain operational. 

Now, with all that extra heat being generated systems need to be cooled... there are several techniques for doing this.... according to Wikipedia:

 Overclocked circuits can require more cooling, such as by powerful fans, larger heat sinks, heat pipes and water cooling...

I have had the privilege of witnessing many overclocking attempts at different editions of Campus Party, most memorably in Valencia and Mexico, and their use of liquid nitrogen for cooling - never "powerful fans", "larger heat sinks" or "water cooling".  But the wonderful and powerful LIQUID NITROGEN.

There is a fine line between nutrition and geekness in my life that quite often gets blurred.  So to honor my husband (a geek) and all those amazing Campuseros out there all over the globe, I decided this week, to erase that fine line between nutrition and geekness and bring to you the fun of overclocking your lunch... or cooking with liquid nitrogen.

Yes, you can cook with liquid nitrogen and even dry ice.  Extreme cold produces the same effects as heat on food.  Just one word of warning though... please be VERY careful.  If you are an overclocker you will know the dangers of working with liquid nitrogen.  However, if you decide to try this and you have never worked with liquid nitrogen before please follow all the safety regulations associated with the transportation and management of Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) and remember to wear gloves, eye protection such as goggles, and please, no bare feet or shorts or t-shirts - cover up, if it splatters any bare skin it lands on will be burnt.  Also please work in a well ventilated room.  Also remember that this is VERY COLD.  According to Jeff Potter, author of Cooking for Geeks he says:

"When it comes to working with liquid nitrogen, I find it easiest to work with a small quantity in a metal bowl placed on top of a wooden cutting board.  Keep your eyes on the container and avoid placing yourself in a situation where, if the container were to fall, you would find yourself getting splashed."

So how can you cook with LN2? 

With liquid nitrogen you get almost instant freezing for any product it comes into contact with.  The cold has a similar effect on food as heating removing the liquid content.  This means that it not only changes the original appearance of food, but also its texture, so you can obtain powdered oil or frozen foams.  For example you can freeze a flower and then smash it against something to shatter it to make flower dust.  It also enables you to play with temperature contrasts so you can serve a dish in which the inside ingredient is cooked and kept at its ideal eating temperature, while the outside is completely frozen.

Apart from its creative potential, the use of liquid nitrogen in cooking means you can also speed up cooking times by eliminating any bacterial growth or freeze fluids with minimum ice crystal formation.  It also freezes foods that cannot be frozen in a normal freezer such as products with a high alcohol content.

An obvious dish for cooking with liquid nitrogen is ice cream!  So here is a recipe for you to try... I would be really interested in hearing your experiences!

Cocoa-Goldschläger Ice Cream (Jeff Potter, Cooking for Geeks)

1 cup (256g) milk
1 cup (240g) heavy cream
3/4 cup (180g) Goldschläger (cinnamon liqueur)
1/4 cup (80g) chocolate syrup
1/2 cup (80g) bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon (1g) salt
1/2 teaspoon (1g) cinnamon.

Mix all these ingredients together in a metal bowl and then taste to check the balance (try not to drink it
all), adjust accordingly.  Once frozen, the mixture will not taste as strong, so an overly strong mixture is desirable.  Turn your mixer on (preferably a stand mixer) and then (carefully! with goggles and gloves!) slowly pour in liquid nitrogen.  I find it takes about a 1:1 ratio of mixture to liquid nitrogen to set the ice cream.  If you don't have a stand mixer you can do this in a metal bowl and stir with a whisk or wooden spoon (my advice would be to get someone to help you).

I hope you try it and please let me know how it went!

Social Nutrition:

You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Cold Season is coming!

Unfortunately, it's that time of year again... autumn arrives and with it colder weather, rain, and colds and flu and there is still winter to come!

Last week researchers revealed that taking ibuprofen doesn't help at all and it might just make you worse.  The British Medical Journal reported on a study where researchers from the University of Southampton in the UK, carried out a trial with 889 primary care patients from the age of 3 and over with acute respiratory tract infections (colds, sore throats).  The patients were randomly advised to take ibuprofen, paracetamol or ibuprofen and paracetamol.  The researchers then assessed symptom severity on days 2-4 plus temperature and antibiotic use and it was noted if the patients sought further consultations with their doctor for further complications or lingering symptoms.

The results showed that compared with paracetamol, ibuprofen or ibuprofen and paracetamol combined offered no advantage on the whole to patients with colds or sore throats.  The study found that patients advised to take ibuprofen or ibuprofen and paracetamol were more likely to return within a month with unresolved symptoms or new complications, compared with patients advised to take only paracetamol.  Between 50-70% more of the participants who took ibuprofen or ibuprofen with paracetamol came back.

This may be because ibuprofen reduces inflammation - and an inflammatory response is part of the body's immune response to the infection.

There are several popular remedies for treating these winter ailments, which one do you swear by?

Chicken Soup:

For centuries chicken soup has been thought to help relieve symptoms of cold and flu.  A study in the journal Chest in 2000 speculated that it helped prevent the movement of neutrophils (a form of immune cell) which cause some of the symptoms of a cold by stimulating the release of mucus.

A recent study in the American Journal of Therapeutics suggests that the protein in chicken soup provides carnosine a substance that increases the production of nitric oxide.

Catherine Collins, principal dietitian at St. George's Hospital, London, says:

"Protein is needed for the production of immune cells, but some chicken soups may have little protein in them.  You may as well have a glass of milk.  A bowl of good chicken soup might provide some nutritional benefit - as well as protein, the chicken will give you zinc, also good for the immune function - and just the fluid itself can be helpful.  But to say it will help you recover from a cold or flu is a step too far."

Probiotics:

These are used for preventing and treating norovirus, colds and flu.  Probiotics, also known as good bacteria, and prebiotics - which encourage good bacteria to grow in the gut - are thought to have a preventive effect, as well as treating illness.  A review of 63 studies by the Cochrane Library found that probiotics could reduce the length of time people had a stomach bug, such as norovirus by a day.  Also, a US study published in Paediatrics in 2009 found that giving children probiotic products twice a day reduced their incidence of colds and coughs.

Professor Glenn Gibson, a microbiologist at Reading University says:

"Probiotics help improve the immune response.  The majority of our immune defense is found in the gut wall and probiotics appear to boost the response from immune cells such as T cells and natural killer cells, which are part of the immune system.

"I think the evidence is most compelling for gut infections, but some studies found that taking probiotics speeds up the recovery from a cold by around a day."

You can find probiotics as supplements or in foods such as yogurts or prebiotics also en supplement form or in food such as cereal - personally I'd go for the supplements as far as prebiotics are concerned.  You will need to take them for a few days for them to work.

Honey and Lemon:

This is an ancient remedy for treating a cough and a sore throat.  Israeli investigators tested various honeys as a way to ease a cough in children, giving them either 10g of honey or date extract half an hour before bed.

The honey reduced the severity and frequency of the cough and improved the child's sleep better than the date extract, they wrote last year in the Journal Paediatrics.  Also a U.S Study found honey was better at reducing children's night-time cough than popular suppressant dextromethorphan.

Adam Frosh, a consultant ENT surgeon from the Lister Hospital, Stevenage says:

"The sugar in honey can give a pep up if you haven't been eating, but why honey should reduce a cough is not understood.  Manuka honey is thought to be antibacterial, but there has been no robust research into its use for fighting infections such as a sore throat."

As far as a hot lemon and honey drink are concerned:

"Hot drinks provide steam and warmth, which can soothe inflammation in the throat around the vocal cords.  The taste of citrus can give a strong feeling of wellbeing.  However, any hot drink would do really - but the effects will be temporary." 

Echinacea:

This is a common herbal remedy for speeding up the recovery from a cold.  A review of 14 studies published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases said it seemed to reduce the duration of a cold by 1.4 days.  But, a review from the Cochrane Library said evidence for its ability to help treat colds was "not fully consistent".

Another popular herbal treatment is Koloba (pelargonium).  In 2008 the Cochrane Library reviewed several studies on this medicinal plant and concluded that it may be effective in alleviating symptoms of bronchitis and colds in adults and children, but "doubt exists".

Professor Mike Gleeson, an expert in exercise and physiology at Loughborough University Says:

"There is no evidence that echinacea reduces the incidence of colds but it may reduce their duration by a bit.

"Koloba won't prevent a cold, but it has been shown to reduce the symptoms and duration of a respiratory infection.  Both remedies are thought to help improve white cell function - part of the immune response to bacteria and viruses."

Vitamin D:

Also known as the sunshine vitamin, it is important for bone health, but has also been recently linked to the immune system. The journal PLoS One published a review of 11 studies which says; that taking daily vitamin D pills has "a protective effect against colds and other respiratory infections".

Dr. Adrian Martinueau, a leader in respiratory infection and immunity at Barts and London Medical School, says that vitamin D can help reduce respiratory infections by making certain immune cells in the blood and lungs stronger:

"But it doesn't work for everyone.  For example, a study giving vitamin D to Mongolian children who were profoundly deficient found it had a dramatic effect on preventing colds, but a trial with adults in NEw Zealand who all had good levels found it had no effect."

How you take it also seems to be relevant:

"Some studies have involved giving one big dose a month but this does not seem to be as helpful as giving a smaller does of 10-50 micrograms daily."

The NHS recommends anyone over 65 or who has little sun exposure to take 10 micrograms daily.

Steam Inhalation: 

Putting your head over a bowl of steaming (not boiling) water is an age old treatment for colds especially the mucus build-up in the sinuses.  However,  a study published this month in the British Medical Journal found that using this technique for five minutes, three times a day had no benefit when tried on a group of 200 people with respiratory tract infections.

Adam Frosh, consultant ENT from the Lister Hospital says:

"The warm steam can soothe an inflamed voice box and help the cough associated with laryngitis.  It can also penetrate the sinuses and give a comforting feeling, although won't actually unblock them.

"Adding menthol may temporarily make you feel as if the nose is less congested - actually it isn't, menthol just makes receptors in the nose more sensitive to airflow but does not physically improve the air flow.  Use it for around five minutes, three times a day.

"It can be useful to do before going to bed if you are suffering from a night time cough."

Vitamin C:

Who hasn't heard of the need for Vitamin C to prevent and cure colds?  It became popular as a way to improve immunity back in the Seventies.  A recent review by the Cochrane Library of 29 studies involving more than 11,000 people found that regularly taking Vitamin C (the dose varied) did not affect the number of colds people developed unless they were a serious athlete, when it halved their risk of colds.

Professor Paul Little, Primary Care Researcher at Southampton University says:

"There is no evidence vitamin C will prevent a cold, and little that it will help when you have one."

So what do I do?

Well, one of the most effective things I have found is to take Zinc supplements the minute you start feeling the onset of a cold.  For me it helps considerably.  Obviously drink lots of water and hot drinks too.  Tell me what works for you... I'd be really interested to hear your remedies.

Social Nutrition:

You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

How money can buy what it wants and what that can mean to your health.

A few weeks ago I wrote a piece on aspartame and what it can do to your health - none of it good I'm afraid, or back in April my post on the Monsanto Protection Act, not to mention my post back in March - Legal Drug Pushers.  All these posts - and this one, have two things in common:

1. My desire to give you information that will help you to improve and protect your health and that of your family and loved ones.
2. The private and political corruption which means the supermarket shelves are full of products that are KNOWINGLY harmful to our health.

Just to recap a little from my previous posts:

The Monsanto Protection Act:

What we do know about Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) is what Monsanto and only Monsanto has said - they are safe - or at least this is what they want us to believe.  GMOs have been around for 15 years and it has rapidly grown into a $billion business on the promise of eradicating world hunger and the promise that GMO crops would be resistant to blights and therefore wouldn't need as much pesticides as regular crops.

However, neither of these promises have been kept.  And now, thanks to the work of Michael Antoniou of Earth Open Source and Dr. Giles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caan in France, we have more information contrary to Monsanto's.

Seralini and Antoniou have found in their studies on GMOs that they are provoking a range of serious health problems such as; birth defects, cancer, neurological imbalances, embryonic deaths, DNA damage and fetal death.  GMOs are full of pesticides such as RoundUp that contain glyphosate and 2-4-D which is the active ingredient in Active Orange.  So, if we are what we eat, and our food is full of harmful pesticides, it isn't difficult to understand how GMOs are harmful to human health...

...So why is everyone who values good health up in arms about what has gone on recently in Washington?

The answer is very simple.  It is yet another demonstration that private sector companies with lots of money are really the ones with the power - not the government elected to serve and protect the people.

On Tuesday, 26th March 2013, President Barak Obama signed a spending bill: HR933.  Within this bill is a section - Section 735 also called the Farmers Assurance Provision; publicly labelled The Monsanto Protection Act.

Section 735 effectively stops Federal courts from being able to stop the sale or planting of genetically modified (GMO) or genetically engineered (GE) seeds, even if these seeds or products made from these GMO and GE seeds and their subsequent harvests are found to be dangerous to human health.

It is believed by many that not enough studies have been carried out on GMO and GE crops to analyze the potential health risks...

Legal Drug Pushers:

Food manufacturers are pushing drugs legally.  Salt, sugar and fat are just as dangerous to our health as other "hard drugs".  And, the western world has been hooked on these three for so long that no-one really knows when it started.

However, the side effects of these drugs are not the ones you would normally associate with "hard drugs".  Sugar - especially in the form of High Fructose Corn Syrup, puts a great strain on the liver, raised levels of fat in the bloodstream and  a whole range of problems, which are all associated with cardiovascular disease.

Excessive intake of salt has been linked to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease and over-consumption of fat to obesity, diabetes and other related epidemics.

Just how dangerous are diet sodas?

...Over the years, it has been found that aspartame accounts for over 75% of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA.  Many of these adverse reactions are actually extremely serious, including seizures and even death.  A report has documented 90 different symptoms caused by aspartame, such as:

• Headaches/ migraines
• Dizziness
• Seizures
• Nausea
• Numbness
• Muscle Spasms
• Weight GAIN
• Rashes
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Tachycardia
• Insomnia
• Vision Problems
• Hearing Loss
• Heart Palpitations
• Breathing Difficulties
• Anxiety Attacks
• Slurred Speech
• Loss of Taste
• Tinnitus
• Vertigo
• Memory Loss
• Joint Pain

and the list goes on...

So in this post I want to show you just how corrupt the system is in the USA.  Here is a timeline of how ASPARTAME came to form such a huge part of our diet:

December 1965: A chemist by the name of James Schlatter working for the pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle accidentally discovers aspartame while working on an ulcer drug.  Aspartame: a chemical substance 180 times sweeter than sugar but has no calories.

Spring 1967:  G.D. Searle commences safety testing on aspartame - a necessity to apply for FDA approval of food additives.

Autumn 1967:  A biochemist by the name of Dr. Harold Waisman, at the University of Wisconsin, carries out safety tests on aspartame on behalf of G.D. Searle.  He used seven monkeys who were fed milk mixed with aspartame, one monkey died and five others experienced grand mal seizures.

November 1970:  The sweetener of choice, cyclamate, at that time is pulled off the market after being associated with cancer by some scientists.  Other questions are also raised over the safety of saccharin - the only other artificial sweetener on the market.  This leaves the market wide open for aspartame to come into play.

18th December 1970:  The Searle Company executives design a "Food and Drug Sweetener Strategy" hoping to put the FDA into a positive frame of mind about aspartame.  An internal policy memorandum goes so far as to describe psychological tactics that Searle should use to bring the FDA into a "subconscious spirit of participation" on aspartame and get the FDA regulators into the "habit of saying, yes".

Spring 1971:  A very well respected Neuroscientist by the name of Dr. John Olney (whose work was responsible for having monosodium glutamate removed from baby foods), informs Searle that the results of his studies show that aspartic acid - one of the ingredients of aspartame) actually caused HOLES in the brains of infant mice.  In fact, one of Searle's own researchers confirmed Dr. Olney's findings in a similar study.

February 1973: Searle applies for FDA approval after spending tens of millions of dollars on safety trials and presents over 100 studies claiming to support the safety of aspartame.

5th March 1973:  A scientist at the FDA states that after reviewing the safety data presented by Searle that "the information provided is inadequate to permit an evaluation of the potential toxicity of aspartame", she also says that further testing is needed.

May 1974:  A consumer advocate and Attorney by the name of Jim Turner - he was highly involved in getting cyclamate taken off the market  has a meeting with representatives from Searle to discuss Dr. Olney's 1971 study which showed that aspartic acid caused HOLES in the brains of infant mice.

26th July 1974:  The FDA grants approval to aspartame for the first time for restricted use in dry foods.

August 1974:  JIm Turner and Dr. John Olney file the first objections against aspartame's approval.

24th March, 1976:  Thanks to Jim Turner and Dr. J. Olney's petition, the FDA investigates the laboratory practices of G.D. Searle - aspartame's manufacturer.  The investigation results in Searle's testing procedures being found "shoddy", full of inaccuracies and "manipulated" test data.  The investigators reported that they had "never seen anhything as bad as Searle's testing".

10th January, 1977:  For the first time in history the FDA requests a criminal investigation of a manufacturer by formally requesting the U.S. Attorney's Office to begin grand jury proceedings to investigate whether indictments should be filed against Searle for KNOWINGLY misrepresenting findings and "concealing material facts and making false statements" in aspartame safety tests.

8th March, 1977:  Searle hires Donald Rumsfeld as CEO - at that point Rumsfeld was a prominent Washington insider.  His mission was to try to turn the company around, to do this he brought in several of his Washington friends as top management.

1st July, 1977:  Samuel Skinner leaves the U.S. Attorney's Office to fill a position at Searle's law firm (remember at this stage there is an ongoing investigation by the FDA and the U.S. Attorney's Office)

1st August, 1977:  A report compiled by the FDA investigators, headed by Jerome Bressler and called The Bressler Report is released.  The report noted a whole host of discrepancies in Searle's aspartame testing studies such as 98 our of 196 animals died during one of Searle's studies, but were not autopsied until much later - in some cases over a year after death.  There were also many other errors and inconsistencies such as a rat reported alive, then dead, then alive, then dead again; a mass, a uterine polyp, and ovarian neoplasms were found in animals, however, these findings were not reported or diagnosed in Searle's reports.

8th December, 1977:  U.S. Attorney Skinner's withdrawal and resignation stalls the Searle grand jury investigation for so long that the statute of limitations on the aspartame charges expires.  The grand jury investigation is stopped.

1st June, 1979:  The FDA establishes a Public Board of Inquiry to govern safety issues surrounding NutraSweet.

30th September 1980:  The Public Board of Inquiry resolves that NutraSweet should NOT be approved pending further investigations of brain tumors in animals.  The board states; "it has not been presented with proof of reasonable certainty that aspartame is safe for use as a food additive."

January 1981:  During a sales meeting at Searle, then CEO Donald Rumsfeld states that he is going to do everything he can to get aspartame approved within the year, using his political pull in Washington rather than scientific proof of safety to make sure it is approved.

21st January, 1981:  Ronald Reagan is sworn in as President of the United States of America.  A member of his transition team is Donald Rumsfeld - CEO of G.D. Searle.  That transition team picks Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes Jr. to be the new FDA Commissioner.

March 1981:  The FDA creates a commissioner's panel to review issues raised by the Public Board of Inquiry.

19th March, 1981:  Three our of six FDA scientists, after reviewing the brain tumor issues, advise against approval of NutraSweet, stating on the record that the Searle tests are unreliable and not adequate to determine the safety of aspartame.  These scientists were Dr. Robert Condon, Dr. Satya Dubey and Dr. Douglas Park.

15th July 1981:  Dr. Arthur Hayes Jr., the new FDA Commissioner, in one of his first official acts, overrules the Public Board of Inquiry, ignores the recommendations of the FDA scientists and APPROVES NutraSweet for dry products.  Hayes says that aspartame has been shown to be safe for its proposed uses and says few compounds have withstood such detailed testing and repeated close scrutiny.

15th October, 1982:  The FDA announces that Searle has filed a petition that aspartame be approved as a sweetener in carbonated drinks and other liquids.

1st July, 1983:  The National Soft Drink Association (NSDA) asks the FDA to delay approval of aspartame for carbonated drinks pending further testing as aspartame is highly unstable in liquid form.  When liquid aspartame is stored at temperatures above 85ºF/ 29ºC, it breaks down into DKP and Formaldehyde, both known toxins.

8th July, 1983:  The NSDA drafts an objection to the final ruling which permits the use of aspartame in carbonated drinks and syrup bases and requests a hearing on the objections.  The NSDA claims that Searle has not provided reasonable certainty that aspartame and its degradation products are safe for use in soft drinks.

8th August, 1983:  Consumer Attorney, Jim Turner of the Community Nutrition Institute and Dr. Woodrow Monte, Arizona State University's Director of Food Science and Nutritional Laboratories, file a suit with the FDA objecting against aspartame approval based on unresolved safety issues.

September 1983:  Dr. Hayes resigns as FDA commissioner due to controversy about him taking unauthorized rides on General Food's jet - General Foods is a major customer of NutraSweet.  Burson-Marsteller - Searle's PR company which also represented several of NutraSweet's major users, immediately hires Dr. Hayes as senior scientific consultant.

Autumn 1983:  The first carbonated drinks containing aspartame are sold for public consumption.

And that is how aspartame became a part of our lives... ignoring science and by the power of political pull and lobbying.

Source: Real Farmacy

Social Nutrition:
You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com