Vitamin in the Spotlight: Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, has many functions: helps maintain normal enzyme function; is important for the healthy growth of teeth, bones, gums, ligaments, and blood vessels; plays an important role in the immune systems response to infection and healing; helps in the absorption of iron from the digestive tract; acts as a powerful antioxidant, helping to protect the body against a variety of disorders including cancer.

Signs of deficiency include slow wound healing, bleeding gums, recurrent infections, a tendency to bruise easily and allergies. Severe deficiency can result in scurvy, though this is extremely rare in today's world.

Optimal daily amount: 2000 mg

Smoking, alcohol, pollution, stress, and fried foods will rob your body of its vitamin C.

Good food sources include papaya, red bell peppers (sliced, raw), broccoli, boiled brussel sprouts, strawberries, oranges, canteloupe, kiwi, cauliflower, boiled kale, fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice, romaine lettuce, grapefruit, ripe tomatoes, raspberries, asparagus, raw celery, spinach, cucumbers, pineapple, watermelon, green beans, cranberries, dried cloves, dried basil, cooked squash, blueberries, raw carrots, garlic, apricots, baked sweet potato, plums, boiled green peas, raw onion, dried oregano, baked potato with skin, banana, apples, raw shitake mushrooms, pears, grapes, cooked yellow corn, avocado

With a list like that, there's gotta be something you like to eat!

Other Names for Sugar

Manufacturers are very clever at disguising sugar under many different names. Here are just a few:

barley malt, beet sugar, brown sugar, buttered syrup, cane juice crystals, cane sugar, caramel, carob syrup, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, date sugar, diastatic malt, ethyl maltol, fructose, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, glucose solids, golden sugar, golden syrup, grape sugar, dextran, dextrose, diastase, high fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, mannitol, molasses, raw sugar, refiner's syrup, sorbitol, sorghum syrup, sucrose, sugar, turbinado sugar, xylitol, yellow sugar

Be sure to check not only your food labels, but also the labels on your vitamins and toothpaste if you are wanting to reduce your sugar intake.

Just a spoonful of sugar...

...makes our bellies get round!

On August 24, 2009, the American Heart Association made an announcement that was none too surprising to most dieticians and nutritionists: Americans consume too much sugar and it's affecting our health. The AHA stated that a high intake of added sugars (those not occuring naturally such as in fruit) is linked to obesity, high blood pressure, inflammation, heart disease, and stroke, to name a few. Currently, the average American consumes 22.2 teaspoons of added sugar per day, or the equivalent of 355 of their daily calories.

So what's the AHA recommending we limit sugar intake to? Well, of course it depends on your size and level of activity, but here's the breakdown:

Men ~ 150 calories = 37.5 grams = 9 teaspoons per day

Women ~ 100 calories = 25 grams = 6 teaspoons per day

Quite a bit less than most of us are consuming!! Remember: sugar has no nutritional value. It only adds calories to your diet.

And the number one source in America for all this sugar? You guessed it ~ soda pop. One 12 oz. can contains approximately 130 calories and 8 teaspoons of sugar. So with your one coke, ladies, you're already over your daily limit. Many of you are now saying, "But I drink diet." Well, then you're well over your daily limit for added poison, but that's for another post.

12 Additives to Avoid and Why

1. Hydrogenated Fats -- cardiovascular disease, obesity

2. Artificial Food Colors -- allergies, asthma, hyperactivity; possible carcinogen

3. Nitrates and Nitrites -- these substances can develop into nitrosa mines in body, which can be carcinogenic

4. Sulfites (sulfur dioxide, metabisulfites, and others) -- allergic and asthmatic reactions

5. Sugar and Sweeteners -- obesity, dental cavities, diabetes and hypoglycemia, increased blood fats (triglycerides) or candida (yeast)

6. Artificial Sweeteners, including aspartame, acesulfame K, and saccharin -- behavioral problems, hyperactivity, allergies, and possibly carcinogenic. The government cautions against the use of any artificial sweetener by children and pregnant women. Shouldn't that tell us something??

7. MSG (monosodium glutamate) -- common allergic and behavioral reactions, including headache, dizziness, chest pains, depression and mood swings; also a possible neurotoxin. Gee, thanks, Japan, for introducing us to this stuff!

8. Preservatives (BHA, BHT, etc.) -- allergic reactions, hyperactivity, possibly cancer causing; BHT may be toxic to the nervous system and liver. Did I mention most fast food chicken nuggets, including McDonald's, are doused in BHT?

9. Artificial Flavors -- allergic or behavioral reactions. Kid always hyper? Check his/her favorite treats and toothpaste for Red #40.

10. Refined Flour -- low-nutrient calories, carbohydrate imbalances, altered insulin production

11. Salt (excessive) -- fluid retention and blood pressure increases

12. Olestra (an artificial fat) -- diarrhea and digestive disturbances

**Food Waxes are another concern. This is a protective coating found on non-organic produce, like apples, cucumbers, peppers, pears, etc. -- may trigger allergies, can contain pesticides, fungicide sprays, or animal byproducts.

Are herbs safe?

Yes, safer than most prescription drugs according to a ten year study on the safety of herbs. Here's the statistics found:

deaths from herbs ~ none
deaths from over the counter drugs ~ 320
deaths from prescription drugs ~ between 90,000 & 100,000

Herbs have been around a long time, while modern medicine is relatively new and pretty much isolated to our part of the world. Most people (an estimated 65-80%) still rely mainly on natural or alternative medicine. It's only here in the US where we seem reluctant to embrace more holistic cures. A meeting of the minds would be great, considering that modern medicine (allopathic or Western med) is incomparable in its role for trauma, major surgery, broken bones, and advanced stages of diseases such as cancer. Whereas, alternative medicines are incomparable in getting to the source of many maladies, such as headaches, allergies, sinus infections, nutritional deficiencies, muscle/joint aches...the list goes on & on...and helping the body HEAL naturally rather than just masking the pain for a short bit like drugs do. Drugs that, I might add, often come with side effects more taxing on the body than the original pain.

So, yes, you can use herbs quite confidently for many things. You just need patience and persistence. Herbs don't just mask the pain, but get to the root of the body's problem, which takes a longer amount of time than popping a pain pill. So having an open mind and wanting to be healed, instead of wanting a quick fix, is key.

Here are some of the more popular remedies:

Gingko biloba improves memory
Licorice root helps heal stomach ulcers
Feverfew is effective in preventing migraine headaches
Ginger prevents motion sickness and nausea
Garlic effectively lowers cholesterol and has antiviral properties
Echinacea shortens the duration of colds/flu
Milk thistle is a great liver detoxifier
Chamomile is a wonderful stomach soother
Peppermint relaxes the upper digestive tract
Ginseng increases one's resistance to stress and gives energy
Turmeric is a great anti inflammatory
Tea tree oil is an antiseptic and disinfectant, like for cuts and bug bites

~statistics from the American Assoc. of Poison Control Centers

Age Accelerators

Listened to a very interesting podcast while walking the other day, all about Age Accelerators: foods that are empty calories, zero health benefits, and actually can speed up the body's aging process. There were three main culprits named.

1. Full fat dairy ~ the saturated fat in full fat milk, ice cream, cheese, etc. clogs up your arteries and increases your blood pressure. Opt for fat free or 1% versions instead.

2. Deep fried foods ~ especially when eaten away from home. The trans fat (also known as partially hydrogenated) is what gets us. And fast food joints, fairs, etc. where you typically find these foods reuse the oil over & over again. Reheating oil like that causes carcinogens like crazy.

3. Refined carbs ~ these include colas, most processed foods, white flour & products made from it, and foods with no fiber. Or in other words, 99% of the foods up & down the aisles at the local grocery store. We are seeing adult diseases in our kids, people, because of these foods. Diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol...the list goes on. Look around at our youth walking around with belly fat.

Now, for some better news. Anti-aging foods. The top five this podcast outlined were
1. spinach, for its calcium and vitamin K for osteoperosis prevention
2. curry powder, helps your mental muscle. Regions where they eat curry daily have 1/4 of the Alzheimer's we have here in the US
3. tomatoes, the lycopene helps protect against sun exposure and therefore wrinkles
4. almonds, for their vitamin E which keeps you agile, helps your balance. Especially important as we age and are more prone to falls.
5. chocolate, the darker the better, for its antioxidant power. 70% cocoa or more is the best

Think I'll go munch on some almonds and dark chocolate now!!

Top Tip #3: Taste the Rainbow

Kids love to play games, and here's a fun one we play around here called Taste the Rainbow. The object of the game is to eat 5 different colored fruits and vegetables during the course of one day. For example, you and your child could eat bananas at breakfast, green grapes for a morning snack, bright orange carrots at lunch, a purple plum in the afternoon, and some red tomatoes with dinner. The possibilities are endless!

A variation on the game is to make at least one of the fruits or veggies a new one, never before tried by your child. My girls have acquired new "favorites" by doing this.

By eating a variety of healthy foods throughout the day, and not just the same old thing, your kids will get plenty of the vitamins and minerals they need for growth and energy.