Chasers Juice

Chasers Juice Revolution!
Generally once fruit is juiced the oxidation process begins and the juice loses its freshness and begins to lose its nutritional value.  Cleanses:

Beginners Revolution Cleanse

This combination of juices features electrolyte enhancing, hydrating and nutritionally balanced mixes. Designed to keep your immune system operating at peak performance!

1 Day $49.99      2 Day $94.99      3 Day $139.99

JUICE 1   –   Lemon, Cayenne Pepper, Filtered Water
JUICE 2   –   Pineapple, Green Apple, Lemon, Mint
JUICE 3   –   Grapefuit, Mint
JUICE 4   –   Cucumber, Pineapple, Lemon, Coconut Water
JUICE 5   –   Cucumber, Apple, Lemon, Ginger, Cayenne
JUICE 6   –   Apple, Lemon, Extra Ginger, Cayenne


Intermediate Revolution Cleanse

A perfect pairing of juices for first-time cleansers. Stay hydrated and refreshed with these nutritionally balanced juices.

1 Day $59       2 Day $114.99      3 Day $164.99

JUICE 1   –   Apple, Cinnamon
JUICE 2   –   Pineapple, Pear, Ginger, Mint
JUICE 3   –   Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Parsley, Cucumber, Celery, Apple, Lemon, Ginger
JUICE 4   –   Pineapple, Green Apple, Lemon, Mint
JUICE 5   –   Strawberry, Apple, Lime
JUICE 6   –   Chocolate, Almond Milk


Chasers Greens Revolution 3 Day Cleanse ($184.99)

This cleanse was designed to promote a gentle alkaline shift in your body. Packed full with Kale, Spinach and other wonderful green goodies, this cleanse will leave you glowing!

JUICE 1   –   Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Parsley, Cucumber, Celery
JUICE 2   –   Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Parsley, Cucumber, Celery, Apple, Lemon
JUICE 3   –   Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Parsley, Cucumber, Celery, Apple, Lemon, Ginger
JUICE 4   –   Cucumber, Celery, Watercress, Lemon, Ginger, Cayenne
JUICE 5   –   Cucumber, Apple, Lemon, Ginger, Cayenne
CHLOROPHYLL H20   –   Coconut Water, Wheatgrass


Chasers Revolution 3 Day Cleanse ($184.99)

A wonderful cleanse for a person who considers themselves to be juice-savvy. Each juice has been hand-selected for it’s nutritional potency and cleansing power!



Retail:

Taking Care of Business

A blend of super greens: spinach, celery, kale, mixed with beet, lemon and ginger.
Do we need to say more? Your body will love you!

Kick Start My Heart 

Blueberries, acai berries, pomegranate, apple  and mint.
Let’s just say energy, recharge and balance – it’s going to make you feel amazing

Start Me Up

Agave, maple syrup and lemon.
The best of both worlds with cayenne and chili pepper; this will make things activated.

Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’

Pineapple, coconut water and wheat grass.
This is fun – recharge, rehydrate, and help cure any hangover

Looking Into the Light

The sweetness of a hot sunny day in July!
This mixture is of cashew, agave, maple syrup, vanilla bean and cinnamon. It’s simply divine!

Wheatgrass

One week (7-1oz bottles) $19.95
Bulk (1-12oz bottle) $29.99
Dehydrated (225g) $7.25

Everyone knows what a “Best Before” date is- that little guide on your food or drinks that lets you know when its going to go bad. Generally, we expect things we buy to be good at least a week..maybe two; sometimes three or more depending on what it is, but the point is we trust it. What we need to remember however, and always keep in mind is what we’re buying, how long the date is or should be, and what that means about the product.



Firstly, it’s important to know though that “Best Before” and “Use By” dates are different, and mean different things.  “Best Before” implies that product will be in its best condition before that time period, but it may be okay for 24-48 hours after that; sometimes even longer.  A “Use By” date means that day is it, it’s spoiled beyond that and shouldn’t be eaten.



Some consumer juices have an unopened shelf life of 10 days, and are good for another 7-10 beyond the day that you open them, bringing it to a total of 20 days- now that’s a long time! Generally once fruit is juiced the oxidation process begins and the juice loses its freshness and begins to lose its nutritional value. The same juice brands also add “no preservatives” to their juices.

When it comes to “fresh” juices that offer a 20 day expiration period, as consumers we should pause and think of what “fresh” means after almost three weeks, and how “natural” that product must be if it maintains that long.  How can this fruit juice without any preservatives last almost three weeks, when the shelf life of a cut piece of orange or apple (I use cut here because just as with juicing, you expose the fruit to the oxidation process) is only 3-4 days?


If you are a juice lover, and want as much nutritional impact as you can get from each ounce of juice, truly the best way to ensure that is buying a juicer of your own. Processors, blenders and even magic bullets act as great tools to get high quality fruit juice of your own, and drinking it right after juicing ensures all the nutrients will still be there.  The best part is you can get them from most kitchen good stores.

Inflated expiration dates with products labelled as “fresh” and “natural” should alert you that something may not be as it seems. Next time you’re in the aisle checking the date on your next carton of juice, pause and think about where its come from, how long it must take to get to the shelf, and how long that product still says it’s good for. Once more than a week, from juicing till consumption has passed, that “fresh” label begins to lose its clout.  That’s why all Chasers Juice products have a shelf life of a week or less.  It’s also why we start juicing early every morning, to make all our juices fresh to order for delivery to you the same day.



How Long Do Oranges Last?

The shelf life of oranges, like most other fresh fruit or fresh vegetables is variable because most have no sell by date, use by date, or best before date. Since there is no printed date and it's difficult to tell how long the fruit has been on the grocery shelf prior to purchase, the only date you can go by is the purchased date or date picked (if you are lucky enough to pick your own fresh fruit). There are two main varieties of oranges; Navel which are best for eating, and Valencia which are best for juice. Because of their relatively low cost, long Shelf Life, easy portability and extremely high concentration of antioxidents, vitamin C and fiber oranges are one of the most popular fruits around. So, how long do oranges last? When properly stored, some of the more popular expiration dates of oranges can be found below.

Oranges Expiration Date

Fresh/Cut ; On Counter;(Inside Refrigerator)
Fresh Oranges; last for 2-3 Weeks;(1-2 Months)
Cut Oranges; last for Same Day; (1-2 Days)

Of course, all foods last for a shorter period of time if they are not stored properly. Sometimes when they are packaged in a large bag or box it is labeled with the date the oranges were packed into the container. This date can be used to calculate the eat by date.

How to tell if Oranges are bad, rotten or spoiled?

Practicing proper hygiene and food safety techniques will help prevent foodborne illness.

Although not a perfect test, your senses are usually the most reliable instruments to tell if your oranges have gone bad beyond the shelf life. Some common traits of bad oranges are a soft texture and some discoloration. The soft spot is moist and develops a mold, usually white in color at first. Bad oranges, just like bad orange juice and other fruit juices, will have a distinct sour smell and taste.

There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled foods so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your foods before their shelf life has expired!

How to store Oranges to extend their shelf life?

You can help oranges stay fresh longer by storing them in your refrigerator drawer. Once oranges are prepared, they should be stored in a tightly closed container to keep out moisture and other contaminants.

Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

Interesting facts about Oranges:

Most oranges in North America come from Florida and California
Navel oranges are named so because they have a belly button opposite the stem. The bigger the navel, the sweeter the orange.
Valencia oranges turn orange when ripe, but then can turn green again as they re-absorb chlorophyll when remaining on the tree during warm weather (but they're still ripe).

How to use extra before your Oranges go bad?

Make orange juice! Cut and squeeze the oranges into a glass or container, then refrigerate and drink within a day.
Peel the oranges and put into a Vitamix with some bananas, canned pineapple, fruit juice and ice for a great smoothie.
Peel and separate the oranges and toss them into a container of chocolate yogurt.

How long are Oranges good for when prepared in a dish?


How long do oranges last? That depends. How long do bananas last? In general, oranges last only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient in the recipe.



How Long Do Bananas Last?

How long do bananas last? The shelf life of bananas is difficult to determine because there is no sell by date, use by date or best before date attached anywhere to bananas. For eat by date purposes we must use the date the bananas were purchased. Bananas are often referred to as "nature's perfect food" since they contain many essential vitamins and minerals, like potassium, and come neatly wrapped in their own protective container. For more on the health benefits of bananas, check banana health benefits.

Bananas can range from a bright green color to the perfect yellow to already developing a brown spotted skin in the grocery store and people have different preferences as to which stage is the perfectly ripe one.


So, how long do bananas last? When properly stored, the shelf life of bananas beyond the purchase date is approximately...

Bananas Expiration Date

Fresh Bananas left and last for ; 
On Counter,2-7 Days;
Inside Refrigerator, 2- 9 Days; 
Inside Freezer 2-3 months.


How to tell if Bananas are bad, rotten or spoiled?

Practicing proper hygiene and food safety techniques will help prevent food borne illness.

Fresh bananas will first get brown spots and then get soft and turn completely brown and leak liquid when they have gone bad. If left out long enough they will eventually turn black and grow mold. Bananas are usually shipped green since they develop better color, texture, aroma and sweet taste after being harvested. Placing bananas near other fruit will cause the other fruits to also ripen faster.

Another problem you may experience with having fresh fruit on the counter is the sudden presence of fruit flies. Fruit Flies are tiny little flies that just hover around your fresh fruit basket. So, how do you get rid of fruit flies? To get rid of fruit flies, place a bowl of water with a teaspoon of vinegar in it next to the fruit basket at night. In the morning, all the fruit flies will have taken their final swim in the bowl.

There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled foods so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your foods before their shelf life has expired!

How to store Bananas to extend their shelf life?

Bananas ripen at room temperature, so to stunt the ripening process bananas can be placed in the refrigerator. To extend the shelf life of bananas at room temperature, place plastic wrap tightly around the stem of the bunch. Bananas can also be frozen, but the texture will change.

If you find your bananas have turned brown, try our banana bread recipe.

Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

How long are Bananas good for when prepared in a dish?


How long do bananas last? That depends. How long do coconuts last? In general, bananas last only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient in the recipe.

MYTH OR FACT? › THE WATER YOU GET FROM FOOD IS ENOUGH TO STAY HYDRATED

THE WATER YOU GET FROM FOOD IS ENOUGH TO STAY HYDRATED.

The hydration expert, Professor Kavouras from the University of Arkansas, tells you everything about the water intake you get from food and your hydration needs. 


 Professor Kavouras :

"The Water we get from food rarely exceeds 20% of our total water intake. Even if your diet is extremely high in fruits and vegetables and soups you will rarely exceed probably 30 to 40% of your total water intake. So the answer is no, it is practically impossible to stay hydrated if you just wait to get your water from solid foods. So this is definitely a big myth." 

"THE WATER YOU GET FROM FOOD IS ENOUGH TO STAY HYDRATED" IS A BIG MYTH. 

WATER AND YOU

1. WE LOSE ABOUT 0.5L THROUGH OUR SKIN, EVEN WHEN WE'RE COOL AND INACTIVE.

2. WATER IS THE ONLY NATURALLY OCCURRING ZERO-CALORIE DRINK.

3. MAINTAINING GOOD HYDRATION ENSURES PHYSICAL ENDURANCE.

4. MAINTAINING GOOD HYDRATION ENSURES OPTIMAL COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE.

5. HUMAN BREAST MILK CONTAINS AROUND 87% WATER.

6. AS YOU AGE, YOUR SENSATION OF THIRST DIMINISHES.

7. YOUR MUSCLES ARE COMPOSED ON 75.6% OF WATER.

8. YOUR BRAIN IS COMPOSED OF 74.8% OF WATER.

9. YOUR BONE IS COMPOSED OF 22% OF WATER.

10. THE MORE YOU FILTER WATER, THE MORE ARTIFICIAL IT BECOMES.

11. A NORMAL ADULT BODY IS MADE UP OF 60-70% WATER.

12. YOUR BLOOD CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY 83% WATER.

13. DARK OR STRONG-SMELLING URINE IS A SIGN THAT YOU ARE PROBABLY ALREADY DEHYDRATED.

14. UNLIKE OTHER LIQUIDS, WATER CONTAINS NO CALORIES, NO ACIDS, NO ADDITIVES.

15. WE LOSE 2.6L OF WATER PER DAY.

16. WATER IS THE ONLY LIQUID WE NEED TO HYDRATE.

17. WATER IS FREE FROM SUGARS, ACIDS AND ADDITIVES.

18. WE CAN SURVIVE SECONDS WITHOUT AIR, DAYS WITHOUT WATER, AND WEEKS WITHOUT FOOD.

Dehydration and Aging

Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids and eating fruit and vegetables.

Dehydration occurs when your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to function normally. Dehydration can happen to anyone, but it is a problem that is more common in people who are older.

Your body loses water every day when you breath, perspire, urinate, and have bowel movements. For your body to work right, you need to keep it well hydrated.

As you age, your sense of thirst lessens and the kidney isn’t able to conserve body water as well. Over the age of 50, you may feel tired and draggy rather than thirsty, and may opt for a nap instead of a tall glass of water. If you remain dehydrated, you can end up suffering complications, some of which can be serious. 

Drugs Can Dry You Out

Medications — not only diuretics that make you urinate more water, but also drugs for blood pressure and other cardiac conditions — can compound the effect of dehydration on blood pressure.

These medications are usually taken first thing in the morning and reach their peak effect in the late morning. Sometimes eating a meal high in salt can shift body fluid to the stomach and intestine to aid digestion, which is a perfect recipe for making you faint if you are already dehydrated.

Other, more serious, complications may include heatstroke, swelling of the brain, seizures, kidney failure, and, if you become severely dehydrated, even death.

Symptoms

For mild dehydration look out for:

Dry, sticky mouth
Sleepiness or tiredness
Thirst
Decreased urine
Headache
Lightheadedness

Severe dehydration, which is a medical emergency, may cause:

Extreme thirst
Irritability and confusion
Very dry mouth, skin, and mucous membranes
Lack of sweating
Little or no urination
Low blood pressure
Rapid heartbeat
Fever
Delirium or unconsciousness
Thirst sometimes is not a good gauge of how much water your body needs, especially for older adults. A better way to check is to look at the color of your urine: clear or light-colored urine means you’re getting enough water, and dark yellow urine may mean you’re dehydrated.

Dehydration Prevention
The best way to prevent dehydration is to make sure you drink enough water and eat plenty of foods high in water content such as fruits and vegetables. Also remember that your body needs more water if you live in a hot climate, you are sick, or you are exercising.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends adults drink almost 2 liters of water a day — that’s about eight 8-ounce glasses. The Institute of Medicine recommends adults drink 3.7 liters of water a day (or roughly 15 8-ounce glasses daily).

Most doctors recommend drinking eight or nine glasses of water a day. If you have a chronic medical condition, such as congestive heart failure, talk to your doctor first about how much fluid you require.


Anytime you are feeling faint, tired, or dizzy, don’t just go lie down.  Consider that your body is trying to tell you something — and it could be that it’s thirsty. Go get a glass of water.  It could change your whole day!


Expert Working Group
Our Expert Working Group meet regularly to discuss the importance of healthy hydration and to develop strategies to encourage patients and the general public to adopt healthier hydration practices.


Prof. Max Lafontan
INSERM Unit 858, University of Toulouse, France


Prof. David Haslam
Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire / National Obesity Forum, UK


Prof. Hardinsyah
Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia


Prof. Jean-François Duhamel
CHU de Caen, France


Dr. Simón Barquera
National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico


Prof. Lawrence E. Armstrong

University Professor, specialist in sports physiology and expert in hydration, Connecticut, USA

Senior Services
We're here to help you maintain an independent, optimal quality of life.

We offer a wide range of educational programs, assessment services, and resource information for older adults, their families and those caring for them. 


Geriatric Care Coordination
We have licensed and experienced social workers available to help with concerns related to aging, health, and care needs. If the older adult has a primary doctor, we will provide an assessment of all the factors affecting the older adult’s health and independence. We will communicate with the doctor and coordinate a care plan that supports the health and independence of the individual, couple or family.

We also provide information and connect you to resources and services in the community for the older adult and family. There is no fee for this service. Common concerns we address include:

Dementia or signs of memory loss
Elder neglect or abuse
Caregiver concerns and support
Decline in ability to care for oneself
Loss of independence
Falls and risks related to falls
Frequent hospitalizations or emergency visits
Depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions
Loss, grief, bereavement and loneliness
Unable to manage in current living situation
End of life concerns

Patient Navigators
Our patient navigators are available to serve as your link to information about health and health care and coordinate your Health services. Our patient navigators also provide health education materials and assist with referrals to community resources for older adults, families, and caregivers.

Memory Screening
We offer free memory screening for adults 65 years or older who are experiencing memory loss or cognitive changes. These screenings can identify potential risks and memory changes that may indicate the need for further evaluation.  We will assist patients in getting further follow up if indicated and in coordinating a plan to address your memory loss with your primary care physician. Need a Health primary doctor? Find a doctor now.

HICAP – Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program.
Our volunteer counselors are here to help you 

Educational Programs

Regularly scheduled educational seminars are offered on a variety of topics including health and wellness, caregiving, dementia, and more. Most of the classes are free of charge and are available to all members of the community. 

Chapter 6 DIET, THE SLOW KILLER

Chapter 6 

DIET, THE SLOW KILLER

Once, you've cleaned out and repaired your food processing and waste removal system, you're ready to begin the process of rebuilding your body. Keep in mind that your body is rebuilding itself all the time. The actual life cycle of a blood cell, for example, is approximately four months. That means you end up replacing your entire blood supply every 120 days. The question is: what
will determine the quality of that blood? What are you going to be building that new blood from—Cocoa Puffs and beer?

  Understand, it's not only your blood, but every cell and organ in your body that's being replaced. For the most part, you get an entirely new body every seven years. It doesn't take a genius
to realize that the better your nutrition, the better "quality" your new body will have.

Unfortunately, it's not so simple. Any attempt to optimize the nutrition we take into our bodies must address five key problem areas.

The Five Problem Areas

1. The Question of Meat

2. Milk. It Doesn't Necessarily Do a Body Good

3. Plastic Fats

4. Refined to Death

5. What's the Big Deal about Organic (which will be covered in Chapter 7)

1. The Question Of Meat

Probably no topic has been more discussed (and is more confusing) than what constitutes the optimum diet. There's the:

Caveman diet
The blood-type diet
The Hi-carbo diet
The Low-carbo diet
The High-protein diet
The Low-protein diet
The Steak Lover's diet
The Vegetarian diet
The Vegan (or pure vegetarian) diet
The Hollywood diet
The Scarsdale diet
The Twinkie diet
etc.

Heck, I'm getting confused just writing them down. So let's step back, take an objective view of the situation, and do a little reality check.

Let's begin by cutting through all of the nonsense and just taking a look at what kinds of food our bodies were designed to handle—then figure out what that means for us today. And the best
way to do that is by first identifying the key characteristics of our "eating and digestive" systems, then seeing which animals we match up with and what they eat. The key "indicators" that we're
going to look at are:

The teeth
The stomach
The length of the digestive tract

The Human Eating Machine


>Teeth. All of our teeth are nearly of the same height. Our canines are projected only a small amount, and our molars are broad-topped

>Stomach. The human stomach is slightly elongated, approximating the shape of a kidney bean

>Digestive tract. The average adult has a digestive tract (measured from mouth to anus) of about 30-33 feet long. This means that the ratio of the length of a person's digestive tract as compared to their height (also measured from mouth to anus) is approximately
10-12 times the length of their body.

Carnivores, the Meat Eaters: Lions, Tigers, Etc.

The first thing you notice about carnivores is that their teeth are nothing like those found in humans. They have huge canines for striking and seizing prey, pointed incisors for removing meat
from bones, and molars and premolars with cusps for shredding muscle fiber. In carnivores, the teeth of the upper jaw slide past the outside of the lower jaw so that prey is caught in a vicelike grip. In general, carnivores don't chew much; mostly, they just tear chunks off and swallowing them whole.

  An examination of the carnivore intestinal tract reveals a short (relative to the length of their body) bowel for fast transit of waste out of the body[1]. (The actual length of the carnivore bowel is
approximately 3 to 5 times the length of the body—measured from mouth to anus—a ratio less than half that found in humans.)

  Most of the digestive process occurs in the carnivore's stomach (which is a round, sackshaped, simple structure with a very high concentration of acid salts for digesting animal muscle and bone). Food usually remains for days at a time in a carnivore's stomach while it is digested (to a large extent) by enzymes present in the RAW meat itself (a process called autolytic digestion). In addition, carnivores are adapted to process huge amounts of food at a time (up to 25% of their body weight or more), then eat nothing for days at a time.

  Again, this doesn't sound very much like us.

Herbivores, the Plant Eaters: Cows, Deer, Etc.

  Herbivores have sharp chisel-shaped incisors for cutting, no upper incisors in some cases, and small incisor-like canines. Their diastema molars and premolars are flattened with ridges. Their
teeth and upper jaw meet the lower jaw so that lateral movement of the lower jaw produces the ...

[1 Fast transit of waste for carnivores is important for two reasons. One, the faster the transit, the less opportunity
for parasites to take hold. Two, meat tends to putrefy in the intestinal tract. Fast transit, therefore, limits exposure

to the byproducts of putrefaction.]

...grinding actions to break down plant materials. In herbivores, the incisors are dominant, the canines usually depressed, and the molars broad-topped.

  As for the herbivore bowel, it usually runs almost 8 times longer than a carnivores (20 to 28 times the length of the body, from mouth to anus) since, unlike meat, plant matter is not prone to
putrefaction, thus rendering quick elimination moot.

  Herbivores also tend to have extended, compound stomachs.

  Again, not much like us.

  Omnivores (Roots, Berries, Meat, Etc.): Bears, Wild Pigs, Etc.

  No animal is really adapted to eat all things; but if any animal comes close, it would have to be the bear. Typical foods consumed by bears include: ants, bees, seeds, roots, nuts, berries, insect
larvae such as grubs, and even flowers. Some meat, of course, is eaten by bears including rodents, fish, deer, pigs and lambs.[1]
 Grizzlies and Alaskan brown bears are well-known salmon eaters. And of course, anyone who has read Winnie the Pooh knows that many bears relish honey.

  Other than the ants and grubs and rodents, the bear diet sounds a lot like the typical American diet; and, it's for this reason that many people conclude that the natural human diet is that of an omnivore. But remember, we're stepping back and taking a look physiologically where we fit in, and on those counts, we don't match the omnivores.

  The biggest difference is in the teeth. Omnivores have the sharp canines of the carnivore AND the pronounced incisors of the herbivore. They also have molars that are BOTH pointed and
broad-topped.

  That's not even close to a human set of teeth.

Frugivores, Fruit and Nut Eaters: Gorillas, Etc.

  In the frugivore, all the teeth are nearly of the same height. The canines are little projected and the molars are broad-topped. (Sound familiar?) Unlike the carnivore jaw, which as we have seen is vertically mobile for biting or tearing, the jaw of the typical frugivore is laterally mobile to allow for chewing.

  As for the bowel of the frugivore, it runs about 10 to 12 times the length of the body from mouth to anus—the same as found in the human body.

  The stomach of the frugivore is typically long and extended—a complex structure—containing 1/10 of the acidic salts and pepsin found in a carnivore's stomach. Again, the same as in us.

  So, here we have our match, but what does it mean? Are we restricted to fruits and nuts?

[1 Polar bears feed almost exclusively on seals and an occasional human; but then, what vegetation is there for them to eat in the frozen wastes of the Arctic.]

   No. In fact, the frugivores we most closely resemble, the wild chimpanzees, periodically do indeed eat live insects and raw meat. Among the great apes (the gorilla,[1]the orangutan, the bonobo,
and the chimpanzee) and ourselves, only humans and chimpanzees[2] hunt and eat meat on a frequent
basis. But make no mistake, chimpanzees are largely fruit eaters, and meat comprises only
about 3% of their diet—far, far less than is found in the typical American diet.

   So Should We, or Should We Not, Eat Meat?

   Is a vegetarian diet automatically better?

   No. In fact, depending on blood type, some people actually do better when they include meat in their diet. Other factors in our diet affect our health to a much greater degree than whether or not we eat meat.

   So??

   The bottom line is that eating small amounts of meat, chicken, or fish probably comes down mostly to a personal choice. If you choose to, you can eat 3 oz a day, or less, of meat without any
significant health problems—with the following provisos:

  Keep the amount small—3 ounces a day or less.

>Heavy consumption of meat significantly compromises beneficial bacteria in the colon resulting in a 1,000% increase in the levels of harmful bacteria in the colon and a concomitant 90% drop in the levels of the beneficial bacteria as measured in fecal matter.

>High consumption of meat also tends to push the body's pH levels into the acidic range, which as you'll see in Chapter 12 presents major health risks including cancer and osteoporosis.

>Epidemiological studies at Harvard Medical School showed that, "Men who eat red meat as a main dish five or more times a week have four times the risk of colon cancer than men who eat red meat less than once a month." They are also "more than twice as likely to get prostate cancer."

[1 Gorillas have never been observed hunting or feeding on any animals other than invertebrates such as termites and ants.]


[2 Wild chimps love fresh baby monkey meat.]

   If you're going to eat meat, buy only organic meat to avoid exposure to the wholerange of chemicals,[1]growth hormones, and parasites present in beef and chicken, or the high levels of toxic metals present in most fish. If it isn't available locally, pressure
your supermarket to carry it as an option.

2. What About Dairy?

   The average American typically eats close to 600 pounds of dairy products a year, which makes it the single largest component of their diet. Unfortunately, this may not be as healthy asthe milk ads you see on TV would lead you to believe. Even if the cow's milk you get is free of chemicals, growth hormones, allergenic proteins, blood, pus, antibiotics, bacteria, and viruses typically found in milk, you still have major problems. Cow's milk is not designed for people. For one thing, it has 20 times the casein of human milk.[2]
 (Human milk is designed to take an infant from 8 pounds to 40 pounds in 18 months. Cow's milk is designed to take a calf from 90 pounds to 1,000 pounds in about 24 months. Although they are both white, mother's milk and cow's milk are totally different beverages.) And for that matter, the cow's milk you buy in the store and the cow's milk that comes from a cow are not similar substances.

> First, homogenized milk is not natural and presents serious health risks. The theory behind homogenization sounds simple: break up the fat particles in milk until they are so small that they stay suspended in the milk and don't rise to the top and form the
layer of cream that used to be the trademark of all bottles of milk. Unfortunately, there's a side effect to this process. Once you make the fat particles so small that they don't rise, you've also made them so small that they easily get absorbed into the body and clog your arteries.

> Second, there's the problem of the growth hormone used in dairy cows to increase milk production. This growth hormone, called bovine-somatotropin3(BST), was developed by Monsanto. It was supposed to be identical to the actual growth hormone found in cows, and in fact, as part of their 55,000 page application to the FDA, Monsanto submitted a chart identifying the 191 amino acids contained in BST showing that they absolutely matched the amino acid chain found in natural growth hormone.
Unfortunately, it seems, the application is inaccurate. The problem occurs at amino acid #144, which was supposed to be lysine in both the natural growth hormone and in Monsanto's BST. As it turns out, it isn't. In the July 1994, issue of Protein Science(3:1089-97, 1994), Bernard Violand, a Monsanto scientist published evidence that
amino acid #144 in Monsanto's growth hormone is, in fact, epsilon-N-acetyllysine, a freak substance. Whoops! Ah, but then you probably think that once this problem...

[1 Just as an example, over 90% of today's chickens are fed arsenic compounds. And while we're on the subject of chickens, it's probably worth mentioning that according to a government study, over 90% of the chickens sold in this country are infected with leukosis (chicken cancer). As for those chickens with too much cancerous tissue to be sold, well . . . they're destroyed, ground up, and fed back to the chickens that we ultimately buy and eat!]

[2 The high levels of casein are just one of several reasons that humans do not digest milk proteins very well, leading to numerous allergic reactions and high levels of mucous in our noses and bowels. Incidentally, Elmer's® glue is made from cow's milk casein; that's why you see Elsie the cow on each bottle of Elmer's® glue.]


[3 Also called rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone).]

...came to light, totally nullifying the Monsanto application, that BST was recalled.
Nope, not in the United States![1]

   And then there's the fact that the body digests milk (any milk) differently once gastric juices begin to flow (at around 18-20 months old). Before gastric juices flow, milk is alkaline and non-mucous forming in the body; but once gastric juices enter the picture, they turn the milk acid, forming mucous, causing sinus problems, allergies, colds, etc. That's why every animal except man weans its young off milk! Think about that for a moment.

  In addition to all of that, milk has been implicated in:
>Heart disease[2]
>Cancer[3]—particularly breast cancer
>Diabetes[4]
>Allergies and colds
>Colitis
>Colic and earaches in young children

   And finally, milk has played a major role in the development of the "super bacteria" that have recently emerged to plague our health. How? In 1990, the USDA allowed the dairy industry to increase the one part per hundred-million antibiotic residue standard for milk by 10,000% to one part per million. The problem is that at this level of constant intake, the antibiotics actually destroy the probiotic colonies normally found in the intestinal tract, which then allows harmful bacteria to flourish and develop resistance to a whole range of antibiotics.[5]

   If you must have dairy, use organic. Avoid homogenized milk at all costs. Also, there are a number of grain and rice-based milk alternatives; some of which are spectacular.

[1 The FDA gave its approval for the sale of Monsanto's BST product back in 1993, but in Canada and the European Union, BST remains uapproved because of strong circumstantial evidence that it may promote cancer in cows and humans. Understand, this change in one amino acid is not insignificant. The replacement of one amino acid can change the configuration of a protein significantly; and configuration determines the properties and effects of a protein. Although the chemically detectable difference between true BGH and Monsanto's BST creation may be slight, the effects of the two hormones on the human body may be quite different indeed.]
[2 If you do drink milk, it is essential that you take a folic acid supplement to neutralize the xanthine oxidase found in milk. Xanthine oxidase, which attacks the arteries, is a major factor in heart disease. Interestingly enough, this problem seems only to occur with homgenized milk. When non-homogenized milk is consummed, the body excretes the xanthine oxidase.]
[3 It's worth noting that 60% of America's dairy cows are infected with the leukemia virus.]
[4 One particular protein, beta-caseine, found in cow's milk, can literally trick the immune system into attacking and destroying the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.]

[5 There are 52 different kinds of antibiotics and 59 bioactive hormones found in milk.

   Note: milk is often pitched as a great source of calcium. It is not. Yes, it has a high calcium content, but the body is able to utilize very little of it; and, in fact, because of the way the body deals with milk, consumption of milk actually leaches calcium from the bones.[1] If you have any doubt about this, just consider the fact that Americans are among the highest consumers of dairy in the world, eating an average of 600 pounds of dairy a year per person—and yet we have one of the highest incidences of osteoporosis in the civilized world!

   3. Unnatural Fats: The Number 1 Dietary Problem

  Food manufacturers love hydrogenated oils because hydrogenation makes those oils thicker, creamier, and more appetizing to the consumer. Unfortunately, hydrogenation also saturates the oils' fatty acids, changing them into trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are the number one killer in our diets, and a major contributor to:

>Cancer

>Heart Disease

>Diabetes

   Hydrogenated (and partially hydrogenated) oils are absolutely unnecessary and have no place in your diet or in any of the foods you eat. The number one dietary prescription from this chapter
is to totally eliminate all hydrogenated oils from your diet. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as it sounds. Food manufacturers have put them in almost every food they manufacture. The good
news is that if enough people refuse to buy foods that contain trans-fatty acid oils, manufacturers will stop putting them in their foods.

   You also want to eliminate refined oils and manufactured polyunsaturated oils from your diet. What oils are good? Virtually any raw natural oil is good. Olive oil is the best. Use lots of extra
virgin olive oil in your cooking. Surprisingly, butter is cool—provided that you can get butter that doesn't contain antibiotics and bovine growth hormone and all the rest of the nonsense that many
dairy farmers use.

  "Wait a second! Isn't butter high in saturated fat?" Absolutely, and let's put that bugaboo to rest. Natural saturated fats in moderation are not a problem. They do not raise cholesterol levels. They do not lead to heart disease. In fact, there is actually a diet that helps people lose weight, and lower cholesterol levels while eating as much meat and eggs and natural saturated fat as they like.[2]
 The two reasons this diet works are (1) natural saturated fats do
not cause heart problems, and (2) all versions of this diet call for the elimination of snack foods, processed foods, sugared foods, foods containing any trans-fatty acids, and foods high on the glycemic index.

[1 It is a myth that we need milk for calcium. There are many far superior sources of calcium—such as sesame seeds. The problem with milk is that because of its high acidity, your body needs to buffer it with even more internal calcium than you get from the milk itself. Also, the 10 to 1 ratio of calcium to magnesium found in milk is insanely high and devastating to the body.]

[2 I've already discussed my concerns with too much meat in the diet; nevertheless, these programs do demonstrate the health-building power of just eliminating the bad things from our diet.]

 4. Refined Carbohydrates: The Number 2 Dietary Problem

   This includes all refined and processed foods, including:

>Everything made with white flour

>White rice

>Cold cereals

>Most hot cereals

>Most snack foods

>All sugar foods, including cakes, candies, and soda pop[1]

   They negatively affect the body in a number of ways. They are all acid forming in the body, which we'll talk more about in Chapter 12. They are all converted to triglycerides in the body and
stored as fat. And they all rank high on the glycemic index (with no redeeming nutritional value such as the fruits and vegetables that are also high on the glycemic index).

The Glycemic Index

   The glycemic index, and identifying high-glycemic foods, is one of the hot areas of nutritional science right now. Not to make light of it, it is an extremely important dietary consideration, but with one huge HOWEVER. First, though, a quick discussion of the glycemic index.

   Diabetics have been using the glycemic index for years to help in controlling their insulin levels. Quite simply, foods that adversely affect blood sugar by elevating insulin levels are termed "high glycemic" foods, and foods that do not elevate insulin levels are "low glycemic." High glycemic foods can:

>Cause your body to store fat

>Make you fatigued

>Cause your brain to go "fuzzy"

>Lead to heart problems such as elevated LDL cholesterol levels and high blood pressure

   Obviously, these are conditions to be avoided. High glycemic foods that cause elevated insulin levels and the concomitant problems I just mentioned include:

Bananas

Raisins ...

[1 Soda pop, particularly colas, may be the single worst "food" ever invented. First, soda contains approximately 1 teaspoon of sugar per ounce of soda. (Aspartame is even worse—once having been considered by the military for possible use as a battlefield neurotoxin.) That works out to about 12 teaspoons per can, or 32 teaspoons per Big Gulp. Many sodas, particularly colas, are high in phosphoric acid, which leaches calcium out of your body at an astounding rate. And all sodas "feature" CO2 bubbles, which when you think about it, is the body's main waste product!]

... Carrots

Potatoes

Corn

Breads, cereals, pastas, and rice of all kinds

Virtually all snack foods

Sugars of all kinds and soda pop

   Earlier, I mentioned that there was a big HOWEVER to the glycemic index. What is that however? It's called chewing. If you chew your food well enough, the saliva neutralizes almost all of the glycemic response. So how much do you need to chew your food?

   There's an old saying that says, "You should drink your solids and chew your liquids." What that means is that you should chew the dry food you eat until it turns to liquid in your mouth (about 40 chews per mouthful), and that you should swish liquids back and forth in your mouth (chew them as it were) an equal number of times.

   As we've already discussed when we talked about refined foods, you should give up snack foods and refined flour products and sugar sweetened foods for a number of reasons. On the other
hand, for most people, if chewed enough, it's still okay to eat all of the fresh fruits and vegetables you want—even if they are high on the glycemic index.

   General Recommendations

>Diet. Clean up your act.

 Eliminate as much of the processed and cooked food from your diet as possible. Instead of canned or frozen, eat fresh.

 Eliminate as much of the refined flours, grains, and sugars as possible. Instead of white bread, eat REAL whole wheat. Instead of cake and ice cream for dessert,
eat fruit.

 Replace low-value foods such as potatoes and iceberg lettuce with high value foods such as sweet potatoes and almost any of the richly colored vegetables (particularly, spinach, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and beets).[1]

  As much as possible, eliminate all snack foods and fast foods. Replace with prunes (no kidding, an extremely powerful antioxidant), raisins, and all of the berries.

  Eliminate all hydrogenated oils and trans-fatty acids. Replace with olive oil and fresh butter.

[1 For those with arthritis, it might be useful to forego vegetables from the nightshade family, including: tomatoes,

spinach, and eggplant.]

     Cut back on the quantity of meat, pork,[1]chicken, and dairy in your diet. And make sure that what you do consume is organic.[2]
 Fish, of course, is okay—okay that is, if you can be sure it's free of heavy metals and toxins and hormonal "modifications."

> So what does that leave you? Actually thousands of choices. Virtually, everything that we've talked about eliminating is easily replaced with a healthier version. If you can't find the organic meats and dairy you want, or the whole grain foods you're looking for, talk to your supermarket. In most cases, they will get it if you ask.

>Of course, if someone is in an advanced state of illness, they better clean up their act TOTALLY, and eat no meat and no cooked food. In fact, ideally, they should go on a raw juice fast[3]—at least, until they get well. Once you're well, you can bake up a potato, or grill yourself a nice piece of organic beef (if that's your bent).

>The bottom line is that the worse you eat, the more often you will need to cleanse and detox and make use of supplements.

   So After All That, What Do I Eat?

   At one time, I was totally vegetarian, primarily for ethical reasons. Anyone who has any awareness of how cattle, poultry, and pigs are treated in our modern "superfarms," must think twice about consuming products produced by this system. It is incredibly cruel.
Unfortunately, after years of speaking engagements in numerous places around the world, I got tired of eating iceberg lettuce with second-rate Italian dressing for lunch, and white rice and dead vegetables for dinner. I broke down and started eating small amounts of chicken and fish.

   My diet now consists of:

>Fresh juices, superfoods, and ground flaxseed (see next chapter) for breakfast.

>Large fresh salads with a variety of greens and vegetables4
 with the occasional small piece of chicken or fish for lunch.

>Dinner is light. Sometimes a bowl of slow cooked whole-grain cereal so the enzymes are still active. Sometimes a small bowl of soup. Sometimes fresh fruit, etc.

[1 And no, pork is not "the other white meat." In fact, it's probably one of the more indigestible meats.]
[2 Incidentally, pesticide levels are far more concentrated in the animal flesh and dairy we eat than in the fruits and vegetables sprayed with those pesticides. Think about it for a moment. The animals consume these pesticides day after day, steadily concentrating all of the pesticides they eat through their entire lives in their flesh. The bottom line is that the higher up the food chain you go, the more concentrated the pesticides are. A cow eats hundreds of pounds of clover to make a few gallons of milk—concentrating the pesticide in that milk. Then again, it takes 21 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of butter, and 10 pounds of milk to make 1 lb of cheese—concentrating the pesticides even more.]
[3 See Chapter 13.]

[4 Sometimes I'll substitute a plate of lightly steamed or baked vegetables for the salad.]

 > On the other hand, I still have an occasional slice of pizza. When I was young, I'd eat pizza 2-3 times a week. Now it's once a month. And more often than I should, I still indulge a sweet tooth and have dessert.

Health & Science : There’s not much that’s better for your body than plain old water

By Consumer Reports July 13, 2015

Plain old bottled water is sharing more shelf space these days with flavored and fortified drinks. The labels on many drinks say they contain added minerals and even vitamins, or suggest that they pack the benefits of fruit and vegetables. Those minerals, or electrolytes, help regulate muscle function and water balance, which you can lose during intense exercise.

But are those drinks more hydrating (and more healthful) than regular water? It’s unlikely, Consumer Reports’ experts say.

Few people exercise so vigorously that they need to replenish electrolytes. And Leslie Bonci, a dietitian and director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, says that “any liquid is going to be hydrating, even coffee,” adding, “Do vitamins and minerals add to hydration? No. What’s hydrating is the fluid.”

Most Americans simply don’t need fortified drinks. More than 90 percent of us get enough of the important nutrients, according to a 2012 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And because of fortified foods and supplements, we might even get too much of some of them.

In addition, many of those beverages are packed with calories, sodium and sugars. Some labels list food coloring, sweeteners, preservatives and other agents.

Consumer Reports experts evaluated the ingredients and nutritional value of 20 flavored and fortified beverages. (They didn’t test these products to ensure that they contained claimed levels of nutrients.) They also had expert tasters try the drinks. Here’s what they found:

Sports drinks

These beverages were developed to help athletes replace carbs used for energy, and electrolytes and fluids lost through perspiration. For years, Gatorade and Powerade were the top ones. Now there are “premium” sports drinks with natural flavoring or ingredients such as coconut water that are marketed to all health-minded consumers.

But most sports drinks have a lot of sugar. A 16-ounce container of Bodyarmor, for example, which costs $2.70, has 140 calories and 36 grams of sugar. Compare that sport drink with a 16.9 fluid-ounce bottle of Pepsi, which has 210 calories and 58 grams of sugar.

All of that added sugar increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to a 2014 report from the Atkins Center for Weight and Health at the University of California at Berkeley. Zero-calorie and low-calorie sports drinks might not have any sugar (or as much sugar), but they might have artificial sweeteners. And both types might have food coloring, preservatives or other added ingredients.

The takeaway: Unless you’re working out intensely for more than an hour, you’re unlikely to lose significant electrolytes. So stick to water, says Marvin M. Lipman, Consumer Reports’ chief medical adviser. For dealing with pure thirst, the Berkeley report says, water is the “gold standard.” Drinking it before, during and after exercise should quench your thirst and restore lost fluids.

Coconut water and more

Sales of coconut water, the mildly sweet liquid found in coconuts, have zoomed, increasing more than five-fold between 2008 and 2012. The craze seems to have spurred the introduction of a variety of other plant-based drinks, such as artichoke water, maple water and cactus water.

Many manufacturers claim that the drinks offer better hydration. Zico, for example, says that its Pure Premium Coconut Water, which costs $2.25 for 14 ounces, is a “miracle of hydration and replenishment.”

Other companies make more far-reaching promises. Arty claims that its artichoke water, which has many other ingredients in addition to artichokes and costs $2.70 for eight ounces, can “elevate antioxidants, increase metabolism, enhance digestion, purify toxins.”

Happy Tree says that its Organic Raw Maple Water is 100 percent maple sap with “nothing added,” and has 48 calories and 12 grams of sugar in a 16-ounce bottle. Consumer Reports’ tasters described it as “sweetened water.” It costs about $4.

The takeaway: If you’re tired of the same old same old, coconut water and maple water can make for a nice — but pricey — change once in a while.

Water with vitamins

These drinks might contain the daily recommended amount or more of certain vitamins. Vitaminwater’s orange-flavored drinks, $1.20 per 20-ounce bottle, have 150 percent of recommended vitamin C and 100 percent of three B vitamins.

But there’s no need to replenish vitamins just because it’s hot out or you went for a run. “You don’t lose vitamins when you sweat,” Lipman points out.

More might not be better when it comes to vitamins. And fortified drinks can displace food sources of vitamins and nutrients in children’s diets, according to the Berkeley report. The drinks also might have a lot of sugar: A 20-ounce Pomegranate Cherry Sobe Lifewater, $1.10, has 25 grams of sugar and 100 calories.

The takeaway: An occasional vitamin-supplemented water is fine if it helps you get enough fluid, but you’re still much better off getting your vitamins from a balanced diet.

Purified water drinks

There’s a booming market in bottled water that’s been through a purification process. One such process is reverse osmosis, which forces water through a membrane to remove contaminants. Another is distillation, which involves boiling water and then turning the vapor back into liquid water.

Those processes strip away minerals that give water body and taste, so some manufacturers add electrolytes such as sodium to restore flavor. Propel’s Purified Water with Electrolytes, $6 for six 25.4-ounce containers, has 107 milligrams of sodium in an eight-ounce serving, and it does taste a tad salty. Others brands have artificial sweeteners, but you might not know it unless you read the ingredients list on the back.

The takeaway: Next time you’re looking for a refreshing, noncaloric drink, try chilled tap water with a squeeze of lemon.