Healthy Eating and Fast Food

I heard an advertisement on my way to work this morning for McDonalds that was quite puzzling. They were pushing their new (or not so new) egg and cheese sandwich, and the slogan was something along the lines of "breakfast, do it right". So what exactly are they saying?

Obviously they are trying to get you to choose their incredibly unhealthy way to start a morning over the hundreds of other unhealthy breakfast choices available for the busy on-the-go person, but a quick analysis of this slogan, using some common knowledge of a healthy diet, and I can't help but think that it's interpretation would have quite the opposite effect. Fast food is not and will never be a healthy meal choice, especially when it comes to the most important meal of the day. It's not that an egg or cheese or even bread (although it should never be white bread and never for breakfast) is so unhealthy, but rather the egg and cheese that they provide (which does not come from organic free grazed antibiotic/hormone free farm animals) and the methods in which they cook them.

This sandwich which I'm sure is high in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and unhealthy refined flower lacks any real substantial nutritional value. Your mornings should begin with fruit, nuts, whole grains, fish, or eggs & cheese from an organic free grazed animal, especially if a healthy diet is important to you.

So do breakfast like the slogan says "do it right", and DON'T go to a fast food restaurant. Eat healthy and feel the difference!

Poached Bass

1 Large Fillet of Striped Bass (or Salmon)
1 sm Organic Onion (sliced)
1/2 Organic Bell Pepper (sliced thin)
4 Organic Cloves of Garlic (minced)
1/2 cup White Cooking Wine
1/2 cup of water
1 tsp Organic Basil
1 tsp Organic Thyme
Organic Red Pepper Flakes (a few shakes)
Sea Salt to taste

Put the onion, garlic, and bell pepper in a cast iron pan with the cooking wine and water, and bring to a boil. Add the fish and spices and cover; let simmer for about 10min.

Enjoy!

Omega-3, where have you gone?

Heart disease, high cholesterol, and obesity have become three of the hottest topics when discussing the American diet, and much of the blame has been put on our consumption of red meats, or more specifically our over consumption. If this is the case though than why were our ancestors (the hunter gatherers), or even modern day "hunter gatherer" civilizations for that matter not overtaken by this modern day "American" pandemic?

The answer is (and studies show) the research that has connected these diseases with red meats is incomplete. The dots have been connected but Dr.'s have stopped short of the true cause. Instead of putting the blame on the foods we eat, we should look more closely at the food this food is eating. Over the years the diets of many of our favorite foods (beef, chicken, fish...) have changed drastically from what nature intended, the leaf part of a plant (a diet rich in Omega-3's), to a diet that better suits our societies "mass production" needs, the grain or seed part of the plant (a diet high in Omega-6).

We've been told about the importance of the essential fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) in our diet, but just as most other nutrients within the body the ratio of the two is more important than the amount, and the ratio within the average American diet has gone too far in the wrong direction. We have gone from a more ideal ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of 1:1 to something much closer to 10:1 respectively, and many believe that this is the cause of many of today's health problems. But what does this have to do with the food we eat, or more importantly the food our food eats?

Most people have either read or heard about the importance of choosing wild caught salmon over farm raised, but Nutritionists and other health experts point to the level of heavy metals as the main reason. Very little has been said about the lopsided ratio of these essential fatty acids. Farm raised salmon are fed a very similar diet to that of feedlot cattle (the beef we eat too much of), and that's a diet high in grains (a diet high in Omega-6) instead of krill a diet high in Omega-3 and the salmons natural food.

The same can be said for the beef most Americans consume. These cows are raised not on green pastures like nature intended, but in feed lots where their diets consisting of grains (primarily corn) work better for our need; that is a cheap food source that is perfect for a mass-produced product. But at what cost?

This lopsided ratio of Omega-3 (a natural anti-inflammatory and aids in helping blood flow) to Omega-6 (a natural inflammatory and aids in blood clotting) has been linked to many of our nation’s top health issues; heart disease, high cholesterol, and chronic inflammation of any type.

Instead of blaming our health problems on the food we eat, let’s take a better look at the true cause of this epidemic...us!

Support Your Adrenals

There are many stress causing factors (our jobs, our commute, our children, house buying...) that we all deal with on a daily basis, and how well our bodies handle this stress makes all the difference. Two small glands known as the adrenal glands, which are situated above each of the kidneys, are the body’s first line of defense when it comes to stress, and the working condition of these glands must be in tip top shape. As with any part of the body, there are key nutrients that are needed in order to maintain an optimum working level.

At the top of the list (as is in most cases) is Vitamin C. Its importance when it comes to a healthy diet cannot be stressed enough, and most people get far too little of it. Switching from a diet high in processed foods to one that is high in fresh fruits and vegetables will definitely give you the "C" boost you need.

Another important player when it comes to adrenal support is Vitamin B, and once again most Americans don't get enough of it do to diets high in processed foods. Switching to a diet high in Whole Grains, nuts, and fish (wild caught) is a sure fire way to increase your intake of vitamin B.

And because poor digestion can negatively affect most of the body’s internal defense systems, it is important to make sure your body is getting the digestive enzymes it needs. One good example is Bromelain, which can be found in both foods and supplement form; pineapples are a great source, but make sure that they are fresh and not pre-cut.

So help your body handle stress by supporting your adrenal glands with the nutrients they need.