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SEND IN THE G-BOMBS

Dr Furhman recommends a diet rich in micro-nutrients and fiber, highlighted with foods such as colorful plant foods, greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds. His acronym for these superfoods is “G-BOMBS: THE TOP 6 CANCER-FIGHTING FOODS.”

GREENS

Contains only 100 calories per pound. They give sustenance , minerals, vitamins and energy and often have more proteins than meat. They supply a large amount of fiber that aids digestive organs and less stress for the heart. Just be careful to wash well if not grown organically.

BERRIES

Include eating a cup of fresh berries everyday in your diet. You can choose from a wide variety of coloful berries: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and indian gooseberries. They are linked to reducing risks of diabetes, cancer and dementia. They are also richer in vitamin C than oranges, lemons and limes. They are more fibrous and less acidic in nature. They taste great in shakes and good as a drink or desert.

ONIONS

Eat everyday. Use with your minced garlic and tomatoes to saute all other foods. Use olive oil or coconut oil for your saute. You may eat raw with your greens as garnishing and give a flavorful kick to any meat dish. You can also add daily to your omelette. Onions and scallions contain organosulfate compounds, which target cancer cells.

MUSHROOMS

Magic Mushrooms, just the size of the thumb of cooked edible mushrooms everyday can lower risk of breast cancer for women by 64%, according to a study done. The antibiotics penicillin and streptomycin were derived from fungi and mushrooms can treat ordinary skin diseases to pandemic disease AIDS. Scientific studies will be discussed in later journals.

BEANS

In the research study by Dr. Joel Furhman, he said that eating half a cup of beans everyday also reduced the risk of cancer for men and women. This was published in a research material in Nurses Health Study.”

SEEDS

The category includes flax, hemp, chia and sunflower seeds as well as nuts. Both seeds and nute supply micronutrients, including plant sterols that reduce cholesterol levels and fight heart disease. Eat an ounce a day of nuts and seeds. Combine with your salads or shakes.

THE SCIENCE:

Dr. Joel Furhman, a researcher, board-certified physician in the United States and a New York Times best-selling author has spent two decades studying the science of nutrition. In his practice and in his best selling books, he takes a food-based approach to obesity and chronic disease. His works show that by starting on a plant nutrient rich diet, the signs of aging can be reversed and cognitive functions improved, even after years of eating a “Standard American Diet.”

References:
Book: EAT FOR LIFE : The Breakthrough Nutrient-Rich Program for Longevity, Disease Reversal,
and Sustained weight Loss . By Joel Fuhrman, MD

Written by: Lourdes Hizon – Guevara

There are many ways that eating healthy superfoods can change your life:

• Provide nourishment and growth – Healthy foods boost energy and gives you strength.
• They are delicious and nutricious – When you start eating whole superfoods, fastfoods and processed foods taste overly salty, greasy and unappetizing.
• Digestion aids – Rehab your gastro-intestinal tract with better eating habits. A diet rich in vegetables, fibers, legumes and less sugary fruits aid digestion and prevents the following disorders: gas, bloating, heartburn, nausea, constipation, diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome.
• Beautify skin , hair and nails – Foods high in beta-carotene get skin glowing. Foods with biotin, found in eggs and some vegetables help stop hair loss and strengthen brittle nails. Radiant and blemish free skin shows healthy inner body.

• Boost immunity – Superfoods have probiotics that strengthens immunity against foreign substances like viruses and bacteria. These probiotics enhance intestinal ecology , improve digestion and help strengthen natural resistance to intestinal infections. Anti-oxidant rich foods can switch on genes that fight off bactiera-as well as cell damage, disease and the common cold.
• Offer healing powers – A plant based diet that is low in calories and sugary starches, is the most effective for reversing diabetes while simultaneously treating cardiovascuar disease, according to studies done in 2017 in the Journal of Geriatric Cardiology.
• Improve brain function – As shown in the vitamins and mineral table, certian foods can actually sharpen your thinking and prevent cognitive decline. Research at the Center for Brain Plasticity at the university of Illinois at Urbana Champaign has linked high blood levels of Omega-3 fatty acids with improved cognitive function. Fatty fishes like salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines,herring and tuna are rich in Omega-3’s.
• Increase longevity – Ultimately LIVE LONGER, but with toned skin and muscle, a fully alert and thinking brain for a HAPPY LONG LIFE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

Written by: Lourdes Hizon – Guevara

 KNOW YOUR FOOD LABELS

Choose healthier vegetables and fruits that provide fiber for easier and improved digestion. Simplify digestive body processes to avoid constipation and heart burn.  Choosing to eat less carbohydrates that are turned into sugar and starches result to leaner and fit bodies. 

It is imperative to know your food labels. Healthy shopping means only buying ingredients and food products that come from reliable sources and have credible nutrition facts stated at the back of the package. They also have description of the processing done, caloric indices aside from the expiration dates.

Watch out for food that have high content in saturated fat, transfat, cholesterol, calories, carbohydrates, omega-6, alcohol, salt and sugar.

Decipher labels inorder to make better shopping choices: 

Non-GMO – In the US and other developed countries, there is a Non-GMO Project that checks via scan codes and searches the current list of products that have been verified as Non-GMO or non- genetically modified organisms.

USDA Certified Organic – The USDA has strict production and labeling requirements for its organic labels. If a product claims to be USDA ceritfied organic, 95% of the ingredients must have been grown or processed without synthetic fertilizers or pestecides.  Organic foods cannot be be genetically engineered or irradated

Natural – Natrural means the product contains no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed.  However, some food may contain antibiotics, growth hormones and other chemicals injected to the livestock  while alive and it it still classifed as NATURAL ,  though some antibiotoics may find itself in food for human consumption.

Hormone-Free –  All animals naturally have hormones.  But when beef or lamb is labeled “ Raised without hormones”  it means there were no added hormones to beef , lamb meat, pork or poultry during the period it was raised and fed.

Grass-Fed or Pasture Raised –  “ Grass-fed” is a USDA label that means an animals’ primary source of food comes from grass or forage,  not from grains.  “ Pasture-raised”  means that animals spent at least some time in pasture, feeding on grass and forage—- but may have been fed some grains.  Grass-Fed Beef and lamb are good to buy.  Butter and Dairy from grass fed cows are also safer to ingest.

THE SCIENCE

GMO – A genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organisms whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology.  This combinations in plant, animal and bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Genetic modifications affect many of the products we consume on a daily basis. They are made available commercially and the Non-GMO Project works diligently to provide the most accurate, standards for Non-GMO verification.

Though there are only several GMO crops widely available,  some commodities often get further processed into a wide variety of ingredients and typically present in packaged products as :

Amino acids, alcohol, aspartame, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, citric acid, sodium citrate, ethanol, flavorings, (“ natural and artificial”), high fructose corn syrup, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, lactic acid, altodextrins, mollasses, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sucrose, textured vegetable protein (TVP), xanthan gum, vitamins, vinegar, yeast products. 

References:  

Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Progarm. Book:  Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition and The Mayo Clinic Diet

On GMO and Non-GMO: http://caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu.  Article  “  All Natural, Organic and Non GMO- What Does It All Mean? “     , ‘ written by  Eli Snyder,  Extension Agent, Agriculture-Commercial and Consumer  Hort. N.C. Cooperative Extension, Wilkes County Center.  Article last updated by Tina Lovejoy

nongmoproject.org.  regarding USDA Organic verification  

“ Hormones and Antibiotics in Animal Production, written by Katie Carter, Area Agent, Agriculture-Livestock NC Cooperative Extension, Jones County Center     

Written and compiled by: Lourdes Hizon-Guevara

Know Your Vegetables By Heart

Treat your heart five or more servings everyday of these super vegetables. Start with the ones that are most accessible to you and make them your staple food to replace the white rice, white bre and white pasta. For those vegetables you love that are not as commonly found, search for a source or just grow them.

If you find it hard to stay away from fastfood carbs, then make a pizza that you love using grated cauliflower for the crust and shower away all the rest of these wonderful delicious veggies

1. Asparagus
2. Arugula
3. Artichokes
4. Alfalfa Sprouts
5. Brocolli
6. Bell Peppers
7. Bokchoy
8. Cabbage
9. Cauliflower
10. Celery
11. Chickpea
12. Dandelion Greens
13. Eggplant
14. Garlic
15. Ginger root
16. Green beans
17. Horseradish
18. Kale
19. Lentils
20. Mustard
21. Onions
22. Parsley
23. Pumpkin
24. Quinoa
25. Radish
26. Romaine Lettuce
27. Spinach
28. Turnips
29. Watercress
30. Wheatgrass

Reference: The End of Heart Disease, Joel Furhman M.D. The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

EFFECTS OF OXIDANTS AND FREE RADICALS 

These  SUPERFOODS: organically grown fruits and vegetables, grass fed cow beef  and hormone-free poultry provide antioxidant molecules that fight free radicals in the body. ( A list of some of these commonly bought and grown foods are given in Days 15 to 30 of GIVARS EFFECT Month 4 )

Free radicals are compounds that can cause harm in the body if their levels become too high.   They are linked to multiple illnesses including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.  Free radicals come from our environment from air and water pollution, too much radiation from the sun and the basic chemical toxins that come from fertilizers and pestecides sprayed on food products.  

Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in your body.

THE SCIENCE

Free radicals can be defined as any molecular species capable of independent existence that contains an unpaired electron in an atomic orbital. Oxygen in the body splits into single atoms with unpaired electrons.  Electrons like to be in pairs so these atoms called free radicals scavenged the body to seek out other electrons so they can become a pair.  These causes damage to cells, proteins and DNA. 

Compiled and written by: Lourdes Hizon – Guevara

References:

EXERCISE IS LIKE AN OXYGEN BUFFET FOR YOUR HEART AND LUNGS

Now that you’ve got it all squared in the kitchen, you can amp your lifestyle by doing some exercise. Before I begin any type of exercise, I do some breathing to get rid of stale air (residual volume) in my lungs. I do it by breathing in once and forcefully blowing out air 3-4 times.

EXERCISE:

• Then I either do burpees (100x/day). I will tell you right now that I hate this exercise because it is ridiculously exhausting, which is exactly why it is incredibly effective. It tones EVERYTHING: arms, forearms, legs, butt, and strengthens your core.
  
  From doing zero burpees to one day just slugging it out and completing 100 burpees was excruciating. I woke up at 4am in pain and had to find ibuprofen so I could go back to sleep. But now, I can do it almost every day. It doesn’t get easier while you’re doing it, but I do not wake up in pain anymore.

• Or run uphill as fast as I can 5-7 times. Running uphill is so effective because of the resistance of gravity. You are practically fighting against your weight. It is calorie burning and once you get to the top, I assure you, you’ll definitely feel it. Running on flat concrete hurts my knees and hips. But since I have started running uphill, I never get those pains anymore.
  
  
  
  I walk down hill because running down hill is really bad for your knees. Just enjoy your walk. Let it be a reprieve before you do another high intensity run up the hill. I liken it to driving a stick shift. It is so much harder and you burn more fuel going from a complete stop to first gear, then second gear, etc. than to shift from 4th gear to 5th gear. It takes more energy to move from a stopped position.

• Another great exercise is jump rope because it’s high intensity cardio with jumps that tone your legs and butt. There are no shortcuts to looking and feeling fit and healthy. It is hard work, discipline, and commitment. You owe it to yourself to give your body the best fuel.
  
  Exercise is like taking your heart and lungs to a well deserved Oxygen buffet. – Kaplan professor.

THE SCIENCE:

Most of us have day jobs where we are seated most of our waking hours. Some of us sit in front of the computer for 8 hours a day. Prolonged sitting has been found to be detrimental to our health and is independent of exercise. This means that even if you work out right after work for about 30 mins – 1 hour every day, this does not cancel out the effects of sitting down for 8 hours.

An interesting study showed that prolonged sitting increases your all cause mortality by 24%, death from cardiovascular disease by 18%, death from cancer by 18%, increase cancer incidence by 13%, and increase development of diabetes by 90%. It is recommended to stand up at least every hour to stretch, go to the bathroom, walk around the office, or walk over to talk to a co-worker instead of texting or emailing.

Compiled and written by: Loudette Ma Paz Hizon-Guevara

Reference:
Aviroop Biswas, BSc; Paul I. Oh, MD, MSc; Guy E. Faulkner, PhD; Ravi R. Bajaj, MD;
Michael A. Silver, BSc; Marc S. Mitchell, MSc; and David A. Alter, MD, PhD: Sedentary
Time and Its Association With Risk for Disease Incidence, Mortality, and Hospitalization
in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162(2):123-132.

     COFFEE, TEA FOR A WHOLE NEW ME

1. Some people do not like to drink plain water because it has no taste. So I infuse our water with lemon juice and sometimes peeled cucumber and mint. Keep it in the fridge for a refreshing drink! I do not recommend leaving lemon slices and unpeeled cucumbers in the water for more than 1 day because they become soggy and grow mold. 
   
2. I love coffee! It is almost an addiction. I used to drink Starbuck’s frap all the time and love tons of milk and sugar in my coffee. However, I have successfully made the switch to black coffee. Less empty calories in our cup. We use Peet’s coffee, Starbuck’s medium/light roast, Barako,  and other gourmet coffees. Be sure to find good coffee. Black instant coffee is just not palatable in my opinion.
   
   When you drink your coffee black, you get to really appreciate the taste and aroma of the coffee beans. It is fun and exciting to try different coffees as well. 

3. Shakes are a great way to get your fruits and vegetables in. It is so easy, it feels like cheating!
   
   
   
   On Sundays, I prepare the ingredients for our morning shakes for the week. I have mason jars lined up and fill them with sliced fruits, salad greens, berries, and whatever we want in the shake. So that we get our daily fix in a couple of gulps. 
   
   Don’t forget to add some mint for a surprising kick! You can add an avocado for a creamier shake.
   “I can’t believe I just drank a handful of kale and spinach, lots of blueberries and strawberries in one sitting!” 

THE SCIENCE:

Stay hydrated with purified water. Drink half of your body weight in ounces of purified water everyday. It you weigh 150 lbs, drink at least 75 ounces, or about 9 glasses of water per day. If you drink coffee or tea, include an extra 12 to 16 ounces because caffeine is a diuretic. 

Recent studies have shown that dementia can be staved off by proper nutrition. Adhering to a Mediterranean diet is beneficial.

Dr. Lotta Granholm-Bentley, Director of the Center on Aging at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) stated that adding strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and dark leafy vegetables in your diet can help prevent the development of dementia.

Compiled and written by: Lourdes Hizon – Guevara

Reference:

Lourida, Ilianna; Soni, Maya; Thompson-Coon, Joanna; Purandare, Nitin; Lang, Iain A.^; Ukoumunne, Obioha C.; Llewellyn, David J:  Mediterranean Diet, Cognitive Function, and Dementia: A Systematic Review. Epidemiology, July 2013, Vol 24, Issue 4, 479-489.

    ITS THE MARINATING BEFORE ANY COOKING     

In our quest to cook our food the healthier way, we have utilized other underestimated methods.

1. Steaming  – I steam vegetables and fish. This is not my favourite way of cooking because the food turns out to be quite bland. If any of you can suggest anything to make this method more fun, let me know!
2. Baking – this is my second favourite way of cooking. I usually roast vegetables at 350F for about 15-20 minutes. My favourite vegetable to roast is butternut squash. 
3. I slice the squash into quarters
4. Put them skin side down in the oven which was preheated
5. Drizzle olive oil, some thyme, and rosemary
6. Keep in the oven for about 20 minutes or until fully cooked (the fork goes right through it)
7. Serve hot with a little butter
8. Slow cooker – my favourite!!!
   
   I use this method to cook chicken, turkey, goat, and beef. If you want “falling off the bone” kind of meat, this is what you do. Additionally, you can turn the broth into soup by drinking it straight or using an electric hand blender to pulverize the vegetables.

• Just put the meat and whatever vegetable you have (onion, garlic, leeks, cabbage, brussel sprouts etc.) in the slow cooker
• Add about 1-inch of water and seasoning (curry, cumin, low sodium soy sauce, what have you)
• Put on low and cook for 6-8 hours 
  
  I prepare the ingredients beforehand and put them in containers. So before we leave for work, I put everything in the slow cooker. When we get home, we already have dinner and lunch for the next morning. 
  
  Another thing I love to eat is salad. The greens are really good for you, but the dressings you buy in the grocery are not. So I usually just make my own dressing. My base is always olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

• In a mixing bowl, I pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• I add swerve confectioner sweetener, lemon juice, herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil)
• You can definitely experiment: maybe add some pureed berries

I asked my dad if he wanted to have some vegetables. He answered, “What am I? A horse?” 

Exactly. Horses are lean, strong, and fast!

THE SCIENCE

Frying is a way to cook food, but you need to be careful with the oil you use. You may use coconut oil, grass fed butter, ghee, oil derived from animal fat such as bacon and meat products.

Grilling and high temperature frying may be fun but lends food to carcinogenic agents.

Season with natural herbs and spices.  They give your food unique tastes and flavour.  At the same time, they have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.  

Compiled and written by: Lourdes Hizon – Guevara

Reference:

A Guide to Common Medicinal Herbs- Health Encyclopedia – University of Rochester. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu Medical Reviewers: Freeborn, Donna, PhD, CNM, FNP, and Garilli, Bianca, ND

The Herbs 11 Natural Antibiotic https://hhdresearch.org11-all-natural Antibiotics Provided by mother nature

   GROCERY PERIMETER SHOPPING ONLY 

The key thing when doing your grocery is to stay away from the middle aisles. If you have not noticed, all the processed, boxed and canned goods are found in the aisles. Chips and soda are also found in the middle aisles. This will definitely test your strength. Stay at the perimeter of the grocery where you will find all the fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and fish. 

You have gotten rid of all the unhealthy foods in your kitchen, why fill it up again?

When we go to the grocery, our cart has the following:

1. For shakes and snacks
   • Fruits less in sugar: berries, avocado, grapefruit, cantaloupe, coconut
   • Greens: kale, spinach, spring mix
   • Vegetables: Tomatoes, carrots
   • Mint for a nice kick
   • Vegetable dishes
2. Tomatoes
3. Squash
4. Cauliflower
5. Cabbage
6. Bokchoy
7. Pechay
8. Cilantro
9. Mushrooms
10. Broccoli
11. Eggplant
12. Onions
13. Garlic
14. Spring onions and leeks
15. Zuchini
16. Asparagus
17. Parseley
18. Ginger 
19. Celery
20. Meat Dishes
    • Beef (Short ribs, Steaks)
    • Turkey legs
    • Wild caught fish (cod, salmon)
    • Goat cubes
    • Chicken
    • Pork belly
21. Others
    • Grass fed butter
    • Turkey Bacon
    • Cage free eggs
    • Olive Oil
    • Coconut Oil
    • Lakanto monkfruit or Swerve sweetener
    • Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Turmeric, Curry
    • Basil, Thyme, Rosemary
    • Coconut Milk or Almond Milk
    • Greek yogurt
    • Mustard
22. For the water
    • Lemon
    • Cucumber
    • Orange
    • Mint

If you can buy the ORGANIC versions, the better it is.

Our grocery list is by no means exhaustive but you get the point? Nothing is processed or canned and devoid of sugar and starch.

It is important to learn to read labels and expiration dates on labels of food before you buy it. It makes sense that you should know what it is you are paying for. Let alone what you are ingesting.  In general, if you cannot pronounce or understand the Ingredients, then dont buy it.

“We live with a chocolate labrador named Ammo, who after coming home from doggie day care, goes straight to the fridge and waits for one of us to give him his treat…Organic carrots!” 

“Listen to what your body says. When you go to the doctor for pains, the most often question asked is “What did you eat? What did you ingest?” When patients come in for hypertension, they are asked about their diet; when they come in for gout, they are again asked about their diet; when they come in for stomach pains or constipation, they are asked about the food they eat.  Let your body teach your mind. Listen to what your body is telling you.” 

THE SCIENCE

Use Coconut Oil Every day and see and experience the transformation.

About 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil are lauric acids. When digested, lauric acid transforms into a compound called monolaurin. Research suggests that both lauric acid and monolaurin are able to kill off harmful pathogens, including viruses, fungi and bacteria.

One interesting feature of the fatty acids in coconut oil is that they can actually help you lose weight. MCTs are digested differently from the other types of fats. They go directly to the liver and are used as ready energy or else turned into ketones.

Coconut oil, from which we derive MCT’s (medium-chain triglycerides or MCT oil) is a rich source of an important precursor molecule for beta-hydroxybutyrate and is a helpful approach to treating Alzheimers disease.

Compiled and written by: Loudette Ma Paz Hizon-Guevara

Reference:

Mary Newport, “ What If There Was Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease and No One Knew?” www.coconutketones.com/whatifcure.pdf (July 22, 2008)

David Perlmutter, MD, and Alberto Villoldo, Phd, Power Up your Brain: The Neuroscience of Enlightenment (New York: Hay House, 2011)

David Perlmutter, MD with Kristin Loberg,“Grain Brain,” The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar- Your Brain’s Silent Killers, Chapter 5, The Gift of Neurogenesis and Controlling Master Switches, (How to change your Genetic Destiny) subtitle: The Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet pp 137 

M.A.Reger, et al., “Effects of Beta-hydroxybutyrate on Cognition in Memory-Impaired Adults,” Neurobiology of aging 25, no.3 (March 2004): 311-14

K.W.Baranano and A.L. Hartman, “The Ketogenic Diet: Uses in Epilepsy and other Neurologic Illnesses,” Current Treatment Options in Neurology 10, no. 6 ( November 2008) 410-19.