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

Don't mix foods that fight.

Don't mix foods that fight!  That should really be everybody's mantra.  I have for years followed a diet that does not mix certain food groups together in the same meal.  The result is that I lost 10kg in 2 months and have kept those kilos off for years.  My husband sometimes gets on my case about it and says, "Are you never going to break that diet?"  The answer is always, "Why should I?"  Not mixing certain food groups in the same meal means that digestion is quick and easy and the absorption of nutrients is optimal.  It also means that you don't have that horrible feeling of having eaten the whole cow instead of just one steak!  Who would want to feel like that if you can avoid it so easily?

Don't mix foods that fight!  What does it mean?  Well it simply means that there are certain combinations of foods that do not lead to a healthy digestion.  Mixing carbohydrates and protein in the same meal leads to a lot of problems... here's why:

To understand the theory you need to know a little bit about the digestive process: you put food (or liquid) into your mouth and then you chew it and swallow it.  The body then breaks these molecules down into a size that can be easily absorbed.  What your body doesn't use is then excreted as waste.  The four processes the body goes through when food is ingested are: digestion, absorption, assimilation and elimination.  However, food is actually broken down in several different areas: the mouth, the stomach and the first and middle sections of the small intestine (duodenum and jejunum).  Add to this that there are two different types of digestion:

1. Mechanical digestion (chewing and churning).
2. Chemical digestion.

Protein (meats, fish, eggs, etc..) is the only food that chemically breaks down in the stomach.  Protein requires a specific environment in the stomach to break down properly; it requires pepsin, which is a highly acidic enzyme in conjunction with hydrochloric acid.  The hydrochloric acid sets the environment for the specific amount of pepsin that is then secreted into the stomach to digest the protein waiting there.

Carbohydrates are divided into two categories: fruits and starches (bread, pasta, rice, etc..).  Fruits pass easily through the digestive system, starches require three levels of breakdown; the first of which begins in the mouth which is why it is very important to chew starchy foods properly.  Carbs require an alkaline digestive medium to be digested properly.  It isn't rocket science to understand that if you mix protein (need a highly acidic environment to be digested) and carbs (alkaline environment needed for proper digestion) they will be neutralized.  The alkalinity of the carbs cancels out the acid for the protein - so then what happens?  The food is not digested and moves through the body undigested.

So how does this translate onto your plate?

Basically it means that you can't eat a steak and fries, or pasta with a meat sauce, no roast potatoes with your Sunday roast!  I know that this can sound soul destroying at first but when you actually put it into practice it is amazing how good you will feel after just 24 hours, and the possibilities are endless!

There are two basic rules that should be followed when food combining correctly:

1. No proteins and starches at the same meal, as stated above, they neutralize each other and stop the correct digestion of either one of them.  To make sure you digest these groups properly, you should wait for 2 hours after eating a starch before eating a protein, and you should wait for 3 hours after eating a protein before eating a starch.
2. No fruits with a meal.  That age old rule passed down to every mother to make sure her children eat fruit for dessert it very wrong.  Fruit should always be eaten alone, either one hour before or 2-3 hours after a meal.  You can mix fruits together except for one... Melon should always be eaten alone.

To get the most from your digestion you should be very mindful of what you are eating and when.  The optimal breakfast for example is fruit, and also fruit in between meals as snacks.  If you are going to have a carb meal, you should make it a lunchtime meal.  Carbs provide lots of energy, and let's face it, who needs lots of energy to go to sleep.  Make your evening meal a protein meal - protein is used to repair damaged areas of the body and for growth, this way the body has all night to put that protein to good use without the constant moving and stress of the day to interfere.  Be wary of the amount of food you are eating, do you really need to eat so much?  Try using a smaller plate... it can help to eat less.

A word about carbs...

If you are a habitual reader of my blog, you will have read an article a couple of weeks ago about how not all calories are the same.  It has now been proven that a high carb diet will lead to weight gain and a whole host of other problems.  It is also the reason why we over eat.  Refined carbohydrates cause your blood glucose levels to shoot up, the body then secretes insulin to bring your glucose level down.  So first you get a high from the glucose levels shooting up and then you get a big LOW thanks to the insulin kicking in.  This makes you eat more.  Yes, it is a fact.  When you hit the low your body craves more refined carbs to get the high back and if you give in to those cravings you will be yo-yoing all day between carb highs and insulin lows.  

What your body really needs is stable blood glucose levels.  The way to achieve this is to eliminate all refined carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, white rice, industrial foods such as doughnuts, muffins, sugar in all shapes and forms, etc..) and processed foods such as hot dogs, hamburgers, cooked meats, processed cheese like the kind you can buy in a tube.  Stick to real food that you buy and cook from scratch.  Fruit is a great snack or even a handful of nuts as a snack are healthy (just a handful mind, you really don't need to eat a lot to reap the wonderful natural benefits of nuts such as raw almonds!).

I can send you a food combining chart if you would like.  Please ask for it via mail to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

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

EAT CHOCOLATE!

Yes, that's right... chocolate is GOOD for you.  I thought that would get your attention!  Want to know why chocolate is good for you?  Then, read on!

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has released a video claiming that chocolate contains hundreds of compounds, many of which a beneficial to health.  Other studies have established that chocolate contains several beneficial compounds, one of which is resveratrol, a compound that may not only protect your brain and nervous system, but it may actually prolong your life too.

Dark chocolate is also good at fighting inflammation.  Other good inflammation fighters are turmeric and the mediterranean diet, both of which reduce the inflammatory process underlying many chronic and degenerative diseases rife in the developed world.

The Feel Good Factor:

Some people get a nice "feel good" boost after eating chocolate.  However, there is actually a chemical reason for this boost.  Anandamide, a neurotransmitter produced in the brain that temporarily blocks the feelings of depression and pain.  Anandamide is a derivative of the Sanskrit word "bliss", chocolate not only produces this compound but it also produces other chemicals that prolong that blissful feeling produced by the anandamide.  However, anandamide does more than just make us feel good, Daniele Piomelli from the University of California, said:

"Anandamide is also synthesized in areas of the brain that are important in memory and higher thought processes and in areas that control movement.  That implies that anandamide's function is not just to produce bliss."

Anandamide has been compared to the sensation you get from marijuana, but Piomelli says,

"We are talking about something much, much, much, much milder than a high."

Comfort food or something better?

Going beyond the feel good factor of the anandamide in chocolate, another ACS study published in the Journal of Proteome Research, states that chocolate could be the new anti-anxiety drug.  The study revealed that one and a half ounces of dark chocolate a day for 2 weeks reduced stress hormone levels.  The participants in the study were all classified as "highly stressed", at the end of the two-week study period they were all found to have lower levels of coritsol - the stress hormone also known as "fight or flight" hormone.

However, you must make sure you are eating dark chocolate and as organic as possible.  Many chocolate brands are high in sugar and unhealthy saturated fats.  A study by the Cleveland Clinic said:

"...Be careful about the type of dark chocolate you choose: chewy caramel-marchmallow-nut-covered dark chocolate is by no means a heart-healthy food option.  Be aware that milk chocolate does not have the same healthy effects as unadulterated dark chocolate, because milk often prevents absorption of polyphenols.

"It is also important to remember the word moderation.  There's a measured and tested amount of chocolate - 6.7g a day (or one small square of chocolate two or three times a week) - that provides the best health benefits.  While it undoubtedly comes as a pleasant surprise that chocolate is actually good for you, eating the right amount is crucial if you want it to be a benefit and not a liability."

The Antioxidant Factor:

One of the most important reasons for making chocolate a part of your diet may be the antioxidants it provides.  Few foods have such a good potential for antioxidants as dark chocolate.  A wide range of accumulating scientific research link its consumption to over 40 important health benefits.

The formation of free radicals - atoms, ions and molecules with unpaired electrons - in your cells can damage your DNA to the point that your risk of developing degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart disease and cancer are elevated.

The antioxidant polyphenols in chocolate are so important because they have the ability to stop free radical mediated oxidation.  This decreases the risk of those and other diseases by directly interfering with one of the major preventable causes of chronic degenerative diseases.  As stated in ACS's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry; naturally occurring polyphenols in cocoa actually boost levels of HDL - also known as "good" cholesterol, while reducing the atherogenicity of LDL or "bad" cholesterol by preventing oxidation.  The Cleveland Clinic study supported this by noting:

"Antioxidants are believed to help the body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes, such as breathing, and from environmental contaminants, like cigarette smoke.  If your body does not have enough antioxidants to combat the amount of oxidation that occurs, it can become damaged by free radicals.  For example, an increase in oxidation can cause low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as "bad" cholesterol, to form plaque on the artery walls."

The Brain Boost and Energy Factor:

We all know that chocolate is a natural stimulant and can provide a boost in both physical and brain energy, primarily from the caffeine and theobromine.  One clinical study with 24 healthy female participants showed "synergistic" effects on cognition and mood, which translated into improved blood pressure.  Studies have also shown that chocolate can inhibit brain inflammation that causes migraines.

Flavonols are the main flavonoids found in cocoa and chocolate.  A pilot study evaluated the link between cerebral blood flow and a dose of flavonol-rich cocoa, this showed a notable increase in the cerebral blood flow to the brain.  The results from the study indicated that the flavonols in cocoa have the potential to protect against vascular impairment.

A Johns Hopkins study found that dark chocolate may protect the brain from damage after suffering a stroke by increasing cellular signals.  Mice that had ingested epicatechin, a compound found in dark chocolate, suffered significantly less brain damage after suffering an induced stroke than mice that had not been given epicatechin.  Therefore epicatechin may actually protect the brain.

The Heart Factor:

Following on from the previous point the ACS studies found that the polyphenols and catechins in chocolate may decrease the stroke risk in men.  The epicatechins, which help prevent clotting and inflammation are helpful in preventing some types of strokes.

A 7-study meta-analysis set out to find a link between chocolate consumption and certain cardiometabolic disorders such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and metabolic syndrome and all the related problems to these diseases such as hypertension, elevated fasting glucose and triglycerides, high cholesterol and abdominal obesity.  However, what they discovered was that chocolate consumption, especially the raw unprocessed varieties, did not have negative effects and actually reduced the risk of such medical disorders.

If you love chocolate please be careful which chocolate you buy.  It must be dark chocolate with nothing more added, no nuts, caramel, milk, etc..  Also be wary of the brand you buy.  Lots of brands like Nestlé use GMO products.  It's better to buy from an organic store that can certify their chocolate is 100% organic.

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

NOT all calories are the same.

For as long as I can remember I have been hearing the age old theory that all calories are equal and that the only way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more.  For as long as I can remember I have been saying that this isn't so.

Not all calories are equal.  It all depends on where you get your calories from e.g: protein, fat or carbs, and how your body uses those calories.  The body does not use protein in the same way it uses carbs, etc.  I am pleased to say I am not alone in my struggle to get people to understand that a low-fat high-carb diet is NOT THE WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT!  Yes, I have to admit I sometimes feel like screaming when I read yet another article in the medical or general press about the benefits of eating carbs or the food pyramid that governments in the Western world seem hell bent on stuffing down our throats!  Zoë Harcombe, an Obesity Researcher has been saying it for years too!  I highly recommend any of her books and once you've read one you'll be hooked for life - and at your natural weight should you choose to follow her advice!  Click on her name and it will take you to her books, I can honestly recommend The Obesity Epidemic and Stop Counting Calories and Start Losing Weight.

However, today I had one of those HALLELUJAH! moments today when I read about a personal trainer from East London, Sam Feltham, who has done is own diet experiment on himself.  This brought the results I would expect, and I am sure that Zoë Harcombe would also expect, but from the tone of the article the journalist seemed to be amazed.  Sam Feltham's doctor was also amazed at the negative effects the high-carb diet had on his health in just 21 days, remember this guy is a personal trainer and was fit to start off with.

What Sam did:

Sam decided that the only way to prove the theory that all calories are equal was to try out two different diets over a 21 day period each.  He ate a high-fat, low-carb diet for 21 days and followed a moderate exercise plan.  For the next 21 days he ate a high-carb, low-fat diet and carried out the same moderate exercise plan.  In both diets he ate a staggering 5000 calories a day.  Now, according to what we are told, if all calories are equal, the weight gain would be the same on both diets.  However, that was not what Sam discovered.

On the low-fat, high-carb diet Sam packed the weight on and gained more than a stone (7.25kg) and added 9.5 cm to his waist measurement.

However, on the high-fat, low-carb diet he gained just 2.5 lbs (1.33kg) and LOST 2.5 cm from his waist.

For the low-carb, high-fat diet Sam ate 5000 calories per day by eating the following foods: eggs, mackerel, steak, green vegetables, coconut oil, and snacked on three rounds of nuts - walnuts, pecans or almonds - all naturally high in fat.  Total daily intake: 72% from fats, 22% from protein and just 5.9% from carbs.  All meals were the same everyday.

For the high-carb, low-fat diet he ate 5000 calories from: garlic bread, low-fat lasagne, crumpets, low-fat yoghurts and rice pudding, chocolate muffins and wholemeal bread.  Total daily intake: 63% from carbs, 13% from protein and 22% from fat.

Sam says: "It was an experiment to test the idea that different foods affect your body's biochemistry differently.  If it is true that cutting calories is the key to weight loss, then excess calories should put on the same amount of weight whether they come from a healthy diet full of fat or a poor diet full of carbs."

As I said before, Sam's doctor was even more surprised.  His low-fat, high-carb diet had potentially devastating effects on his system even after only 21 days.  Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London said:

"The diet effectively gave him metabolic syndrome."

Metabolic syndrome is a precursor to heart disease and diabetes.  He then went on to explain that:

"Particularly worrying was that his triglycerides (fats in the blood) had gone up four times, while his so-called good cholesterol (HDL) had dropped.  That is not a good combination.  Add to that the increase in his waist measurement, and he was looking a lot less healthy than he had been.  What's more, the level of inflammation in his liver had doubled, which is also linked with diabetes and heart disease...

"...It is alarming to think that if a high-carb diet can have that effect on him in three weeks, what is it doing to people who don't exercise and eat like that for years?"

One country seems to be getting the message:

Swedish dietary experts have recently made a dramatic U-turn and are now recommending a low-carb, rather than low-fat diet for weight loss.  This came about thanks to the Council on Health Technology Assessment, advisor to the Swedish Government.  The Council reviewed 16,000 studies and came up with the theory that the best types of foods for losing weight were the likes of olive oil, double cream and bacon!

Why?

As I said previously it all depends on WHAT your body does with the different types of food it gets.  For example protein is used for growth and repair.  Carbohydrates are used for quickly accessible energy.

However, there is another important point to cover... hormones have a lot to do with weight loss or at least one crucial one... insulin.  Yes, I know, I have rattled on about insulin before but it is important.

Insulin is the hormone that controls FAT STORAGE.  A high-carb diet increases the amount of glucose in the bloodstream, which in turn means you produce more insulin.  The more insulin your body produces, the more fat gets stored, it really is that simple!  A low-carb diet means less insulin, making weight loss easier to achieve because the body uses the fat for energy and doesn't need to store as much.


Dr. Malhotra goes on to confirm that standard dietary advice is WRONG:

"This (Sam Feltham's experiment) is a vivid illustration of the fact that the conventional idea of what causes weight gain is back to front.  We've been told for years that eating fat will make you fat because it contains twice the calories that are in carbohydrates.  That is to misunderstand how fat storage works.

"Research has already shown that if you are eating a high-carb diet, and so have high levels of insulin, you are likely to have more fat in your blood than someone on a high-fat diet.  This is what happened to Sam." 

So, if you are looking to lose weight, and become healthier you know what you have to do.  Less carbs, more protein and fat and lots of vegetables!  It really is that simple!

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

Do you really know what's in your food?

It is becoming more and more difficult to know exactly what is in the food we are eating.  The food industry seems hell bent on stuffing our food with a whole host of additives, colorings and flavorings which are harmful at best and out right dangerous in lots of cases.  The only benefits to be obtained from all this is purely for the food industry as it means their products have a longer shelf life and are "tastier".

Natural Flavor:

You're probably thinking that there's no problem with this one as it has the word "natural" in it, which would lead any member of the general public to believe that it is harmless for human consumption.  However, natural flavors hardly differ from other artificial flavors.  Both natural and artificial flavorings are synthesized in laboratories and often use hexane - a toxic component of gasoline.  The FDA does not require labeling of trace ingredients, so the sources often remain a mystery to consumers.

Some natural flavors contain perfectly harmless ingredients such as spice and tamarind extracts.  However, there are more harmful components such as castoreum, or excretions from a gland near the rear end of a beaver!  Monosodium Glutamate, or MSG, is quite often and surprisingly found in many organic food products.  MSG is a flavor enhancer which has been linked to obesity and behavioral disorders, this is quite often disguised on labels as "yeast extract" or "soy protein isolate".

Artificial Colors:

In order to make foods and drinks appear attractive and healthy, petroleum-derived synthetic food dyes are commonly used.  The FDA requires food manufacturers to list all synthetic color additives, such as Blue 2 or Yellow 6, by name on labels for ingredients, as well as two allergenic colorings, carmine and cochineal extract, which are made from insects.  However, other colorings are allowed to be listed as "artificial colors", "color added" or similar terminology.  What we do know, is that many artificial colorings have been linked to hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder (ADD) and also for being carcinogenic.  In a report published in 2010, the Center for Science in the Public Interest stated that many food colorings have not been properly tested for safety, yet they are widely used and often undisclosed.

Flavor Packs:

I had never heard of these until recently.  Largely engineered from synthesized pulp, peel and orange essences, flavor packs are used to reinvigorate pasteurized orange juice after it has been stored for UP TO A YEAR in air tight containers.  For over 30 years, manufacturers have used flavor packs to infuse juice with flavor that has been lost during the storage process.  However, due to a loophole in the FDA labeling laws you will quite often find the words "100% pure and natural" on the label.  Formulas for flavor packs are proprietary, which means the consumers have little of no idea of what they are drinking.  If you want juice, make it fresh at home and drink straight away before the vitamins are lost and the sugar ferments.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

These seem to be on everybody's mind lately - and so they should be.  We all know the dangers - or at least we should, of GMOs and the despicable behavior of Monsanto and those that support the use of GMOs in our foods.  GMOs are found in nearly 80% of American processed foods and are produced when genes from one plant or animal are inserted into another plant or animal to create desirable changes.  Almost 90% of conventionally grown corn, canola, soybean and sugar beet crops have been genetically modified.  If you add that to the dairy produce obtained from cows that have been treated with the genetically engineered hormone rBGH, and meat and eggs from animals fed genetically modified feed there is no end to our exposure to this multi billion dollar business.  Multi billion dollar business for Monsanto at least!

There have been no long-term safety studies on GMOs, and the few short-term studies have indicated serious concerns related to infertility and immune problems.  If you want to avoid GMO foods, you must buy produce, dairy and meats with the "USDA Organic" label; avoid all processed foods and high-fructose corn syrup and look for the "Non-GMO Project Verified" seal.

Bisphenol A (BPA)

By now you might remember a post I wrote back in February about how healthy your may or may not be.  This included a section on Bisphenol A (BPA) which is a plastic hardener used in the lining of cans, plastic bottles and cash-register receipts.  BPA has been linked to increased rates of heart disease, cancer and, believe it or not, sexual dysfunction, unfortunately children are at a greater risk from this chemical.  However, there are several companies that are beginning to phase out BPA linings in their cans: Natural Factor, Native Forest and Eden Organic.

Unfortunately in March 2012, the FDA rejected a petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council calling for a ban on products containing BPA, the FDA ruled that "theres is not compelling scientific evidence to justify new restrictions".  Meanwhile, nearly all Americans have traces of BPA in their urine samples.

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