HEALTH NEWS

by Lynne Gully

 

 

        May 2005

Stop Ageing Now – Part Three

 Continuing with the theme of how to slow down the ageing process, including extracts from Jean Carper’s book, I am also going to quote Jason Vale, aka The Juice Master. I have recently read his brilliant book ‘Slim 4 Life – Freedom From the Food Trap’ and I recommend it for anyone who wants to start eating healthily. In his own inimitable, humorous way he explains WHY we shouldn’t eat junk food and HOW we can free ourselves from this ‘addiction’. Written from personal experience (Jason was once over 2 stone overweight, badly asthmatic, covered from head to toe with psoriasis, and had ‘all the energy of a comatose dormouse’) he not only extols the wonders of juicing, but also impresses upon you the importance of eating the right foods. It’s definitely not just for people who are overweight either – ‘it’s for anyone who eats food’ – which covers just about everyone! Anyway, more from Jason later…

 

I’m writing this month’s ‘Health News’ from the wonderful island of Crete. I left the UK on 28 April and Alan and I drove down through France, Switzerland and Italy and then travelled on two ferries to finally arrive in Crete on 3 May. We now live in a very comfortable house in a small village called Kamilari. The Cretans are very healthy people and a large proportion of their diet consists of a variety of vegetable dishes and fresh fish. It’s such a treat going out to a taverna for dinner and having such a large choice of healthy dishes ranging from wild greens, broad beans cooked in tomatoes, onions and garlic to fresh fish caught that very day. If you would like more information about our life in Crete, then check out our web site at www.iremia.net Don’t forget that I also have a health web site at www.optimumhealth.co.uk where you can complete a Lifestyle Analysis ‘on-line’.

 

Why You Need to Eat Fish to Stop Ageing

 

Eat at least two or three servings of fish a week, preferably fatty fish, to protect cells

against ageing attacks. Fish is the one food in which less fat is NOT better!

 

Without enough fish oils, an essential fatty acid, your cells go bonkers and issue all kinds of inappropriate chemical messages that wreck your joints, clog your arteries, produce pain and spur cancer growth – in other words, accelerate your bodily destruction and demise.

 

 

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

All seafood, but fatty fish in particular, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, are rich in a peculiar type of fat called omega 3 fatty acids. This oil mainly protects arteries by ‘thinning the blood’, thus discouraging blood clotting that triggers heart attacks and strokes. Such marine fat also lowers blood pressure and triglycerides (a potentially dangerous blood fat), raises good-type HDL cholesterol, regulates heartbeats, makes aged arteries more flexible and helps block inflammatory processes that promote arthritis, cancer, psoriasis, diabetes and general cell dysfunction. Seafood is also rich in powerful antioxidants, including selenium and coenzyme Q10 that fight disease and general ageing. Salmon, mackerel and sardines are especially high in coenzyme Q10.

 

Escape Ageing Diseases

Studies show that fish eaters are more apt to escape ageing diseases such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, psoriasis and bronchitis. And fish eaters around the world live longer. The Japanese, who hold the world’s record for longevity, probably eat more fish than any other nation.

 

Contact Lynne at lynne.gully@optimumhealth.co.uk or tel: 0030 28920 42356

The Seven Deadly Dietary Sins

In Jason Vale’s follow-up book ‘Turbo-charge your life in 14 days’ he explains the seven deadly dietary sins – refined sugar, refined fats, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, salt and dairy products. This is what he says:

‘Deadly may sound somewhat over the top, but as the dietary sins contribute heavily towards hundreds of thousands of premature deaths every year in the UK alone, I don’t think the word is out of place. It is worth knowing that the wrong kinds of food – foods high in refined salt, fat and sugar - contribute to more disease and premature deaths than all illegal drugs combined!’

 

Jason knows that fat is an absolute necessity for optimum health, but it’s critical that it’s the right kind of fat. Before looking at the right fats, let’s first take a look at the wrong fats.

Refined Fats

We have known for some time that the wrong kinds of fat can be bad for us, but many think the worst culprit is saturated fat found mainly in animal products. But the ugliest fat of them all is hydrogenated vegetable fat. When you heat vegetable oils such as Sunflower cooking oil and fat to high temperatures you turn something that was originally classed as ‘healthy’ into a substance that can only be described as extremely dangerous.

In order to produce fats and oils that do not turn rancid, manufacturers subject them to enormous heat. When fats and oils have been heat-treated to this degree, virtually all the naturally occurring nutrients are lost, including the essential fatty acids. Not only are the good fats more or less destroyed but also the whole molecular structure has changed to such a degree that the fats and oils become harmful. Hydrogenated oil or ‘trans fat’ can create a build-up of LDL cholesterol (the bad one) and has been found to be a major cause of heart disease and cancer.

 

This kind of fat is so harmful that US government experts declared ‘there is no safe level of consumption’, and are strongly considering putting warning labels on foods containing trans fats. It is the cumulative effect that is so dangerous. Moreover, these trans fats often prevent the essential fatty acids from getting to where they belong.

 

Trans fats are found in many foods, from baked goods to all mass-market chocolate. But did you know they are also in many ‘health’ foods. Unfortunately there are very few vegetarians that actually eat vegetables. Their diet often consists mainly of refined breads, pastries, pasta, cakes, chips or foods that look or taste like meat. If you look at the label of your average ‘meat-free packet you will usually see the words ‘hydrogenated vegetable oil’. You’ll also see them on snacks like flap-jacks, biscuits and cakes. These fats are harmful to your health.

The Six Essential Dietary Needs

The human body has six primary dietary needs, each as important as the other. A deficiency in any one of them can cause havoc to the intricate workings of the body so all are essential for amazing health.

 

It is essential we get a good supply of each of these needs on a daily basis for optimum health and vitality:

 

Protein, fat, carbohydrate, water, vitamins and minerals.

FAT

Never has one ESSENTIAL food had such bad press. The body needs fat. Without it we die – it’s as simple as that. Yet some people still do anything to avoid it.

 

Fat is as important to our diet as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and protein. It provides a concentrated source of energy and helps with the absorption and transportation of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat is needed to maintain healthy skin and hair. It helps to regulate the appetite and to protect the organs. Fats are the basis of the body’s steroid hormones, which control many functions including the central nervous system, sex and reproductive organs, cardiovascular and immune systems. Fats are also an important building material in cell membranes, helping to cover every nerve in the body and act as a good insulator.

 

In 1929, scientists Mildred and George Burr discovered the most important fats and oils in our diets – essential fatty acids (EFAs). The reason why they are called essential is because they cannot be manufactured in the body and must be eaten regularly in the forms of fats and oils.

 

Signs of Essential Fats Deficiency

·         Wounds not healing properly

·         Kidney failure

·         Liver degeneration

·         Breakdown of the immune system

·         Common infections

·         Skin problems

·         Hair loss

·         Dehydration

                                                         

Best Sources of Essential Fatty Acids

Avocados, cold-pressed virgin olive/flaxseed oil, fresh olives, unsalted and unroasted nuts, oily fish, seeds, lean white meat and ‘live’ yoghurt.

 

If you don’t eat these foods on a daily basis then it’s best to supplement your diet with them in order to achieve OPTIMUM health, together with a good multi-vitamin:

 

Omega 3 Fish Oil Capsules                       Stock No: 1609

Flaxseed Oil Capsules                               Stock No: 1770

Vitamin E with Selenium                          Stock No: 1667

Mega-Chel Multi-Vitamin and Mineral    Stock No: 1821

 

To order Nature’s Sunshine Products – call the Order Hot Line on 08458 40 50 60 or the main telephone line on 01952 671600.

[home] [contact me] Shop Now [events] [links]

Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. You should read carefully all product packaging. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider.

As a precaution pregnant or lactating women should consult their health care provider before taking any herbal or nutritional supplements.

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated  and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.