If I were asked which food product I couldn’t live without, it would probably be organic coconut oil.  From cooking to beauty care, coconut is versatile, healthy and a must for your pantry and beauty cabinet.  Here are my top 5 favorite uses for coconut oil:

 1) Coconut Oil for Your Hair:  Take approximately 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and mix in between the palms of your hands.  Gently apply to the ends of the hair and allow to sit overnight (place a towel down on pillowcases as a precautionary).  How your hair responds to the conditioning treatment varies from one person to another.  Because I’m an outdoorsy-type–which means I’m in the sun often–the coconut oil is usually absorbed throughout my hair (I tend to apply 1 inch away from my scalp).  Wash your hair with a gentle shampoo the next morning & a light conditioner.  This conditioning treatment is perfect for both men and women!

 2) Coconut Oil for Cooking:  Try cooking onions in coconut oil–you’ll fall in love with the exotic taste!  I especially love using coconut oil as a marinade or dressing for fish and poultry.  See my recipe below for Coconut Crusted Chicken!

3) Coconut Oil for Traveling: I recall the good ole’ days of traveling with body creams, conditioners, face creams, etc.  Now, with all the strict standards of airline carriers I’m only packing a jar of coconut oil for most of my beauty care needs!

 4) Intermittent Fasting and Coconut Oil:  Intermittent Fasting (or IF) is getting some pretty good press lately.  All the medically peer reviewed research to accompany this pattern of eating shows positive findings; essentially, you could compare IF to CR (calorie restriction) from studies within health and longevity.  While I’ve used IF in my practice for certain cases–I do not recommend for just anyone.  If you have a clean bill of health, you  can try IF by fasting from 7:00pm the previous evening and going until lunch without eating (only drinking water).  I do recommend taking in some coconut oil if you find yourself needing something (calorically speaking) to get you through the fast.  More details about IF can be found here at THEIFLIFE .

5) Coconut as a skin & face moisturizer:  Aside from using coconut oil directly from the jar, I especially love creating simple, easy-to-do moisturizers with essential oils.  Here’s one of my favorite recipes from The Nourished Life using a Homemade Whipped Coconut Oil Body Butter.

What you need: 

• 1 cup coconut oil 
• 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil (optional)
• a few drops of your favorite essential oils for fragrance (optional)

What to do:

1. Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl. (You do not have to melt the coconut oil first.)

2. Mix on high speed with a wire whisk for 6-7 minutes or until whipped into a light, airy consistency.

3. Spoon the whipped coconut oil body butter into a glass jar and cover tightly. Store at room temperature, or in the refrigerator if your house is so warm it melts the oil.

Tip: An electric hand mixer will work, but my KitchenAid stand mixer did an amazing job and I was able to get other work done while it was mixing away. A blender or food processor may also work, but I haven’t tried those yet.

Note: Your whipped coconut oil should stay relatively soft, even at colder temperatures. I noticed mine beaded into a froth of tiny coconut oil pearls that melt right into my skin.

: Healthy, Low Carbohydrate, Organic

1. 2 Organic Boneless Chicken Breast
2. 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut Flakes
3. 1/2 Cup Ground Almond Flower
4. 1 Egg
5. 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
6. Sea Salt / Pepper
7.  Seasoning of choice

1. In a bowl, beat the egg and set aside. Combine the coconut flakes, almond flour, sea salt and pepper and herbs of choice to a shallow dish. Butterfly the chicken and dip into the egg bath. Now the chicken is ready for the coconut-coating by gently pressing into the plate.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until finished.
3. Use fresh lemon or lime juice after cooking the chicken to create a tangy-flavor.
4. Enjoy with steamed veggies or a tropical salad.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 2

5 :  ★★★★★ 1 review(s)

Detecting Breast Cancer

In accordance with data found by Time magazine, “Breast cancer is on the rise. Big countries have the most cases…and rates in the developing world may be even higher than the spotty data suggest.” With an increase in breast cancer rates worldwide, it is important to be aware of the ways in which you can decrease your risk.  In the article “Cancer Loves Sugar: Myths and Facts”, Pam Stephan utilizes research from several universities to explore the relationship between cancer cells and sugar.  She notes, “In laboratory research at Duke University, cancer cells appear to use a combination of sugar and specific proteins to keep growing when they should die.” Although sugar in your diet does not cause cancer to develop, keeping a balance of nutritious foods and natural sugars will help maintain a healthy body weight and normal insulin levels which will in turn lower your risk of cancer.  More about elevated insulin levels and breast cancer here.

 Further reason for maintaining normal insulin levels through a healthy diet is presented in an article by Dr. Keith I. Block: “In recent years, researchers found that women with early stage breast cancer who had the highest insulin levels were twice as likely to have their tumor metastasize, and three times as likely to die of breast cancer as women with the lowest insulin levels. For this reason, I believe any patient combating breast cancer or trying to avoid a recurrence would be wise to have their doctor routinely monitor their insulin and blood sugar levels, as well as their insulin growth factor (IGF-1).” I consider this study to be at the forefront of research and breast cancer prevention.  

 Another way to decrease your risk of breast cancer? Minimize alcohol consumption. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women “who routinely have even small amounts of alcohol, as few as three drinks a week, have an elevated risk of breast cancer.”  Your diet, overall, should be very low or devoid of sugars–including naturally occurring sugar like fruit.  I advise a 1 or 2 serving maximum of seasonal fruit, and no added sugars (yes, that also means agave).

 Although we can all do our best to minimize our risk, it is still incredibly important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

 What Are Signs of Breast Cancer

 As we’ve all been told from a young age, the primary sign of cancer is breast lumps; however it is just as important to be on the alert for these other five signs, as presented by MSN Health: itchy, sore, or reddened breasts; upper back pain; nipple changes; a change in the shape or size of one breast; pain, swelling, or a lump in your armpit.  While these signs might seem surprising and unusual, each represents a different type or stage of breast cancer and is something that must be looked out for in addition to having a typical breast exam that checks for lumps.  

 In addition to looking out for these breast cancer signs, it is equally important to be aware of its symptoms.  The Mayo Clinic staff describes some symptoms of breast cancer: a breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue; bloody discharge from the nipple; change in the size or shape of the breast; changes to the skin over the breast; inverted nipple; peeling, scaling, or flaking of the nipple or breast skin; redness or pitting of the skin over your breast. Although most changes in your breast are not related to cancer, it is still important to make an appointment with your doctor in the case of a change. As the Mayo Clinic finds, “Even if you’ve just had a mammogram with normal results, it’s still important to have your doctor evaluate any changes.”

Yours in Health,

Stella Metsovas B.S., CCN

Staff Write: Katie Husa

Hello All:

I received a call from Kandace and wanted to share her story with my followers as I find her story told all too often these days.  Publicly, you might know of Giuliana Rancic’s story–I thank her for being so candid about her experience with breast cancer, as well as her diagnosis and treatment.  Although Kandace and Giuliana have never met, their personal journey’s are significant for both men and women alike.  I’ll update tomorrow with a post about recent medical findings for breast cancer treatment and more importantly, as it relates to our diet and lifestyle factors.  Thank you Kandace for sharing your story!

My name is Kandace McMenomy. I am 31 years old and have been in the fitness industry for the past twelve years. I started working as a personal trainer while in college at San Diego State University and post-college I started my own business. I remember the feeling of being so tired that I just wanted to cry. It was Tuesday February 22, 2011. That same week I felt a tiny lump underneath my arm pit. I thought it might be an in grown hair from shaving, but a few days later I went to the doctor and forgot to mention the lump. I was more concerned about feeling exhausted. I thought maybe I had mono, an infection, or that my hormones were not balanced.  I even thought that perhaps it was because I was training for a marathon. None the less, I was tested for mono and had a complete blood count done. The test came back negative, my blood counts were excellent and my hormones were balanced. March 6, 2011, I ran the Napa Valley Marathon & qualified for the 2012 Boston Marathon. Four days later, I went back to the doctor and had the lump checked out, but the doctor was unsure about the lump so she ordered an ultra sound and mammogram. The tests were done and on March 23rd I was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer.

Kandace McMenomy

On March 31st, the surgeon removed seventeen lymph nodes, seven of which were cancerous from my left auxiliary area. I underwent twelve chemo treatments and thirty-six treatments of radiation. The cause of my cancer is still unknown and in my lifetime I will probably never know the cause of the disease. According to the doctor, he felt the cancer had been in my body for about seven years. I contribute my healthy lifestyle and positive attitude to not having symptoms of cancer earlier than last year. Needless to say, this experience has forever changed me…In a very positive way!! Cancer is a scary word, until you are personally confronted with the disease; For example: Why me? What did I do to deserve this? And, a good cry- in fact several of them. A 30 year old going through cancer is hard to imagine, but attitude is everything. A 30 year old woman is not supposed to have the knowledge or poise that a 50 year old women does.

After surgery I was faced with making the decision to harvest my eggs, as chemotherapy can damage the reproductive system. My oncologist also recommended that I shave my head because seventeen days after my first chemotherapy treatment I would be completely bald. Can you imagine being told that? I took his advice. I had an unusual reaction to one of the chemo drugs- the drug attacked my lungs, my eyes and nose bled and I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows. It was Fourth of July weekend, but I pulled myself together and enjoyed the holiday with my dad and close friends on their boat. I could not run for three months because of the condition of my lungs. How does a runner not run for three months? My pulmonary doctor put me on prednisone for a few months so that I could walk up the stairs without feeling faint. I decided to walk, lift weights and do Pilates vs. being upset that I could not run half of a block.

Throughout my treatments I decided to use a holistic approach to help with the side effects of the drugs. I used a nutritionist, an acupuncturist, a message therapist and a reiki practitioner. My team of specialists enabled me to stay relatively healthy and strong throughout this process. Physical beauty did not matter anymore- inner strengthen and my mom’s presence was all that I needed. My mom was at every appointment, meeting and function. I was able to get through this process because of her. I am so blessed and fortunate! Perhaps young females need their moms shoulder and steady counsel for marriage, raising children and yet another mile stone in my case- cancer.

I am extremely passionate about exercise and nutrition. I feel that nutrition is a key component in feeling well and staying healthy. My diet closely follows a macrobiotic plan in addition to eating fish six times per week, enjoy a bit of organic wine and dark chocolate on the weekends. I eat organic fruits, vegetables and whole-unprocessed foods because they are not treated with antibiotics, chemicals or pesticides. I also make a vegetable juice daily. I find these foods keep me healthy and energized. Eating healthy and exercise have been a way of life for me this past decade. I feel the condition I was in pre-cancer allowed me to endure a very aggressive cancer treatment protocol. Now sustaining these healthy habits is no longer a choice, but a necessity to a full life- cancer free!

More about Kandace and her Personal Training Programs: http://bodybydesignoc.com/                                                          

A Diet Across the Ages

Laguna Beach clinical nutritionist Stella Metsovas answers our questions about her Paleo Mediterranean Diet.

BY BROOKE NELSON 

PHOTO BY STELLA METSOVAS Stella’s Lavender Roasted Chicken

Paleo at Home with  Stella’s Lavender Roasted Chicken  Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour and 15 minutes Number of servings: 6 1 whole organic chicken  1 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon butter 3 tablespoons herbs de Provence 2 tablespoons fresh thyme/lavender  1 garlic clove crushed 2 shallots chopped thin Fingerling potatoes Olive oil Dress the chicken by rubbing crushed  garlic around the flesh and gently  glazing with olive oil. Place in a  roasting dish. Add the spices into a  bowl with the butter, immersing the  spices into the butter. Gently stuff  the chicken with the butter mixture  and around the exterior. Add the  potatoes and shallots around the  chicken, mixing one cup of white wine.  Finally, spice with a generous amount  of sea salt and pepper.

Diet crazes come and go. But for a diet to be truly successful, it must become a way of life. 

Clinical nutritionist Stella Metsovas, a food science practitioner studying human nutrition for over 15 years, developed her Paleo Mediterranean Diet with this in mind. With eight years of research under her belt, the Laguna Beach resident tailors her system to not only treat weight issues, digestive problems and symptoms of poor eating, but also as a diet for a lifetime. 

Metsovas’s Paleo Mediterranean Diet stems from research into human DNA and utilizes the body’s natural digestive processes – our Paleolithic ancestors may have had it right all along. This is not to say we must completely go caveman, but eating as our pre-agricultural ancestors did may lead to significant health benefits, says Metsovas. 

Metsovas took some time from research to talk about her diet, food and wellness.
  
How does your Paleo Mediterranean Diet work?
Optimal health begins in the gut. There is no quick fix or pill for a healthy, functioning gut. Paleo Mediterranean is backed by medically, peer-reviewed research in the following areas of study: evolutionary biology, nutrigenomics (study of nutrients and our DNA), metabolomics, epigenetics, and the principles of the most nutrient-rich ingredients known to mankind. The way our body digests a fat-free, processed cracker is far different than how you digest and break down an olive. The source of calories is the most important law of healthy eating.

What are some common ingredients used in your meal plans? 
I use a low-allergenic ingredient list based on the principles of “Paleo-Mediterranean.” Common ingredients include fermented foods, seaweed, root vegetables, and game meats (vegetarians have revised ingredient lists). I’ve been quoted as saying: “Foods that grow from the ground or make a sound are OK to consume.”   

How has travel assisted your research?
Traveling to Europe, especially to remote villages in Greece, Italy and France has helped in my study of clinical genetics. I go to these remote villages and look at the people, what they consume, their hair and skin, and use that in my studies. Travel has allowed me to expand my study and incorporate medical type food into diets for my clients and enhance my career as a nutritionist.

What challenges have you faced in the world of nutrition?
So much seems to be oversaturated these days. New studies in the media go from being effective one day and ineffective the next. This creates a lot of confusion about nutrition. Many times people seek advice of nutrition and healthy eating from the wrong sources. We need to be using the right tools to move forward in 2012 and look to licensed nutritionists to enhance our knowledge of health. 

Who do you treat?
In the beginning I thought the majority of my clients would be women seeking to lose weight. Now I treat men and women who have digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, micronutrient deficiencies, fatigue, headaches, and other symptoms. I create a diet format that is specific to the individual. I need to know how their body is working. Through production companies, I have been able to work with actors to get their bodies ready for certain roles. I also work with athletes and give seminars to teams throughout Orange County. Overall, I love working with people and seeing results. Every one of my clients is a learning experience for me.

Where does exercise come in?
You definitely want to vary your workouts. Fitness has been jaded these days. Don’t expect working out for a half hour to be a replacement for being sedentary all day. Circulatory movement is so important for your body. Splitting your workouts in the mornings and evenings is a great way to keep up your circulatory system. Wearing a pedometer is also a good choice. A European walking study I did showed an average of 10,000 steps per day where as the average American is closer to 2,000.

What else do you have in the works?
After almost 10 years of serving my clients in private practice, I created the Gut Detox Solution – a systematic, lifelong principle created by optimal digestion – the key factor of health. This globally published book will be able to teach people how to get your gut healthy, taking out the saturated confusion. You cannot function optimally if your gut isn’t. Everything has to do with the food you put in your mouth. I want to make people aware of this by doing what I love. There are so many beautiful things you can find in food and it has been great to discover that. 

With products like “I can’t believe it’s not butter!” and other such substitutes lining grocery store shelves, it’s no surprise that butter has become taboo. We see saturated fat as the ultimate culprit in the fight against weight gain. However, recent scientific studies show that butter’s health benefits are numerous and may in fact help prevent coronary heart disease, a greatly increasing issue in American society with the drastic rise in adult obesity.

Ghee

According to studies compiled by the Weston A. Price Foundation, from the turn of the century to the 1950s, coronary heart disease, or CHD, jumped from causing less than ten percent of deaths, to being the leading cause, at more than thirty percent.  This was in part a result of the increase in myocardial infarctions (MIs), massive blood clots that lead to the blocking of a coronary artery. By 1960, MI had caused at least 500,000 deaths per year in the US, dramatically rising from the less than three thousand deaths per year in 1930. Based on data found by the Department of Agriculture, the main cause of this increase was the reduction of butter consumption in Americans’ diets. Consumption of vegetable oils, such as margarine, rose rapidly in order to replace butter. The obvious conclusion to return to normal levels of coronary heart disease would be to decrease the use of vegetable oils in foods and return to traditional products. However simultaneously, the Kritchevsky articles were published which proved that saturated fat and cholesterol from animal products, such as butter, developed fatty deposits throughout the body, namely in the arteries. For this reason, Americans remained convinced that polyunsaturated oils from vegetable sources were advantageous to their health and helped them to avoid heart disease—and that butter was a villain.

Despite the shift from butter to vegetable oils, heart disease continues to be a problem, mainly as a result of the dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. Studies done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that about one-third, or 34%, of adults in the U.S. are obese. According to collected data, “In 2000, no state had an obesity prevalence of 30% or more. The number of states with an obesity prevalence of 30% or more has increased to 12 states in 2010.” And trends show that the numbers will only continue to grow if dramatic changes to American consumption are not made.

The American public tends to avoid saturated fats, replacing them with vegetable oil substitutes; however, scientific data reveals many key benefits from these fats. The

Weston A. Price Foundation notes several of these benefits: “saturated fats…enhance the immune system, are necessary for healthy bones, provide energy and structural integrity to the cells, protect the liver and enhance the body’s use of essential fatty acids. Stearic acid, found in beef tallow and butter, has cholesterol lowering properties and is preferred for the heart. As saturated fats are stable, they do not become rancid easily, do not call upon the body’s reserves of antioxidants, do not initiate cancer, [and] do not irritate the artery walls.” In addition, vitamin A only exists in animal foods, thus in order to obtain its benefits, one must consume animal products, like butter. What are the benefits of vitamin A? Vitamin A is essential for white blood cells, which increase the body’s immunity to infection. Furthermore, it is vital for healthy eyes, bones, and teeth. It is also a powerful antioxidant, helping to fight disease and cancer.

In order to reverse trends in obesity while still maintaining the health benefits of saturated fats, I recommend replacing vegetable oil-based products with clarified butter. What is clarified butter? It is milk fat rendered from butter to separate the milk solids and water from the butterfat. How do you clarify butter? Typically, it is produced using direct evaporation, which allows all the different components to separate from the melting butter—the water evaporates and the milk solids settle at the bottom. All the benefits of butter, which I have listed above, can be preserved through the consumption of clarified butter, which is why it is my top recommendation. Furthermore, calories in butter and margarine are relatively comparative, so the health benefits should not be overlooked in an effort to cut calories.

Butter has always been viewed as off-limits to the health conscious; however, by utilizing its close-substitute, clarified butter, the many health benefits can be gained.

Yours in Health,

Stella Metsovas B.S., CCN

Staff Writer: Clement Tran

As we kick off a New Year people are always wondering how to lose those holiday pounds, how to jump back on track and become a healthier version of ourselves. Resolutions encompass weight loss goals and lifestyle transformation objectives, but to complement these aims the business world frequently has opposing motives. The realm of commerce is constantly thinking “supply and demand” or of ways to increase traffic of a particular product or service for their own maximal benefit. And the truth is… unfortunately most businesses aren’t going to have public health and well-being as a top priority at all.

Obesity: Open for Business

Take for instance the health care industry here in the United States.We spend more annual GDP on health care expenditures than any other country in the world says a 2007 study, with private expenditures over 8%! A popular misconception always floating around is that “Americans” have the best health care in the world and this may be trueif you can afford it. In terms of who actually has access to this health care, the usage of “Americans” seems like a bit of a stretch. It’s no secret that obesity rates have been on the rise for the past 20+ years but this doesn’t make sense if there is a whole industry dedicated to doctoring people to good health. A study from 2009 showed that adults in the U.S. had the highest %BMI leading by 4% over those in Mexico who ranked 2^nd. Without this customer base the health care industry would not have been able to project such a high growth profile. The U.S. Department of Labor had predicted that health care related occupations are among the fastest growing economy and that salary in this field will have a 24% increase through 2014! The numbers can be a little overwhelming, but what we have to understand is that looks can be deceiving. With an increase in national obesity the market for health care will also grow and businesses might play this to the advantage of their own bank account before prioritizing your health. Extremely important is the ability to select reputable sources of information or advice to trust, check multiple sources when you are unsure of answers or do your own research, it will help you decide what works best for you. Don’t be afraid of asking questions!

Among countless others, the pharmaceutical industry also uses obesity as a huge benefactor to their business. Patients with chronic illnesses are their prime customers since they will need to be lifelong consumers of any given drug to sustain a manageable health on a daily basis. Billions of dollars are poured into the pharmaceutical industry for research in hopes to create pills for inflammation reduction, cancer prevention, weight loss, you name it! What isn’t always advertised is that drugs are often only treating symptoms. So while pharmaceutical companies are stacking up their profits regardless of the outcome of patients, illness and disease are still rampant in society. Americans are obsessed with being able to have a pill for everything which teaches that we don’t need preventative measures, instead we can wait until things get bad and pay someone for the cure. This isn’t reality.

Paula Deen, Food Network show host and cook recently made public announcement of her diagnosis of diabetes mellitus type 2. She coincidentally also made public announcement of her endorsement of a Novo Nordisk, a drug company that is to release a drug that will help people with type 2 diabetes. Stories like this don’t get any farther from promoting preventative measures and ironically her son has publically taken a stand to this. Bobby Deen has aired a new show called “Not My Mama’s Meals” on the cooking channel where he whips up healthier versions of Paula’s meals. This illustrates the understanding that in order to see a health change among a population or generation, it is the quality of ingredients that go into the food that matter. Although quality is a significant concept to embrace, we must also consider the idea that what Bobby deems “healthy” may not necessarily be the healthiest alternative. This is another instance where the individual is responsible for having an intelligence to be conscious of false information and research. Just because we see or hear something through the media does not indubitably make it valid. The source in which information is accessed is always a good place to start when questioning the accuracy of a message. Bobby Deen advocates using less butter, but butter is a healthy fat! Over a year ago I mentioned that “for the past 30 years Americans have been told to lower fat intake to lose weight. But the message to avoid fat has backfired, since we have turned to carbohydrates as the alternative. Carbohydrates, especially those with refined flour and sugar may be to blame for the rise in type 2 diabetes and heart disease.”

Diabetes Epidemic: 2025

Food quality is a property of the agricultural industrywhich is anothermarket typically only focused on business gain. The mass amount of processing that goes into food today results in unhealthy and “low-fat” alternatives that have dangerous effects on the population not limited to gene interaction and mutation. Last July I blogged about a study from 2009 that showed the beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet as compared to a standard Diabetes diet. Yet 3 years after the study we are still seeing a rise in obesity related sickness and disease. Again, the theme of business growth> disease/illness prevention is witnessed.

These are just a few brief examples of how gaining weight is profitable for business. Hopefully they have opened up your frame of view to be more cautious of health claims promoted by the mass media and big business corporations. A healthy diet and lifestyle are some of the best preventative measures an individual can take to dominate his or her well-being.

Yours in Health,

Stella Metsovas BS., CCN

Staff Writer:  Liz Lang

How did it get to your plate?

They’re cheaper and they practically taste the same, right? That factory-farmed chicken you ate the other day, along with the beef and pork from last week, were cheaper than their organically-raised counterparts for a reason.

In the 1920′s, with the discovery of vitamin A and D, the need for sunlight and exercise for farm animals was virtually eliminated. Long story short, this allowed for large numbers of animals to be raised indoors in crowded conditions. But what about the spread of disease and infection associated with crowded living conditions? No problem, just put some antibiotics in the feed. What about fighting between animals, for example chickens? Simple, clip off their beaks and toes and turn off the lights. The end results are reduced operating costs, increased production, and of course the satisfying of our country’s insatiable demand for meat.

Now, imagine this: that chicken you ate was slightly undercooked and you’re feeling so sick that you go to the hospital. You are given antibiotics, but they are ineffective, leaving the doctor with few other options. What exactly happened?

What is a factory farm’s biggest impact on the quality of food?

Factory Farmed Pigs

Consider these factory farm facts:

-The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that 70 percent or more of the antibiotics used in America are fed to animals on factory farms.

-Illnesses caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains cause tens of thousands of premature deaths in the United States per year.

-In a recent study that analyzed 136 meat and poultry samples covering 80 brands, 47 percent were contaminated with S. aureus, and about 52 percent of those bacteria were resistant to at least three classes of different antibiotics.

-On January 1, 2006 the European Union banned the feeding of all antibiotics and related drugs to livestock. The restrictions were intended to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for human use. [link]

Percentage of US Swine Receiving Antibiotics

Organic

Animal products labeled as “organic” were fed only organic feeds which did not contain slaughterhouse wastes, antibiotics, or genetically modified (GMO) grains. The animals were also given access to the outdoors and exercise. However, organic does not mean the animals were pastured. For example, much of our organic beef and milk comes from cows that did not graze on grass.

A recent study took a look at poultry farms that went organic. They tested for the presence of Enterococci bacteria in poultry litter, feed, and water, and tested its resistance to 17 different antibiotics. It turned out that farms switching to organic methods saw immediate and significant reductions in antibiotic resistant bacteria, strongly suggesting that poultry factory farming dangers can be dealt with quickly and effectively by transitioning to organic farming practices.

Poultry

Almost all chicken produced in the United States is from enormous confinement buildings. Opt for organic and pasture-raised chicken. Keep in mind that “antibiotic free” chicken can still come from factory farms and “free range” does not mean the birds were on pasture, but they were allowed to roam outdoors (which is still a good step in the right direction).

Grassfed Cow

Beef

When it comes down to it, cows are meant to eat grass. Before the industrialization of our farms, cattle grazed on green pasture almost year-round.  When winter came, they ate hay, silage (fermented grass), or root vegetables. On the other hand, many factory farmed cows never even see the sun, much less eat grass from a pasture. Indeed, there are many differences between grain fed cows and grass fed cows besides the fact that pastured cows live healthier and happier lives. Grass fed cows tend to be leaner and contain much higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and CLA as well as lower levels of omega-6, making their fatty profile rival that of fish. Again, organic pastured is the gold standard here.

By now you may be asking yourself, “where can I find grass fed beef?” Firstly, keep in mind that “organic” does not mean grass fed. The largest producer of organic beef in the US finishes its cattle in a feedlot. Look for beef that was raised entirely on grass. Ideally, you should buy directly from a farmer, but there are also many sources online as well as local markets such as Whole Foods Market.

Dairy

Cattle raised for milk should also live on grass. Although organic dairy farming is free of antibiotics and hormones, many of them still confine their cows. Once again, the gold standard is organic pastured. When these varieties are not available, opt for organic.

At the bare minimum, go for milk that is free of growth hormones such as rBST or rBGH. Generally, if it’s unlabeled, it probably isn’t hormone-free.

Look for my interview next week with local grass fed beef rancher Frank Fitzpatrick from 5 Bar Beef, here in Orange County, California (Silverado Canyon)!

Essential Reading: Animal Factory by David Kirby

Yours in Health,

Stella Metsovas B.S., CCn

Staff Writer: Clement Tran

In recent years, the term “gluten-free” has spread like wildfire. In the United States, celiac disease affects about 1 percent of the population. Gluten sensitivity, a more mild condition, affects 5 to 10 times as many. And increasingly, people with no intolerance to gluten at all are eliminating it from their diet in efforts to be healthier or lose weight. But what accounts for this rise population that is gluten sensitive, and is it really a healthy diet mechanism for those without any health issues with gluten?

Pathology of Celiac Disease

Gluten is a compound composed of two proteins, gliadin and glutelin, bound together by a carbohydrate. And what is gluten free food? It is found not only in grains like wheat, rye and barley, but it is also disguised in things like candy, deli meat and potato chips.

In celiac disease, the body attacks gluten as if it were a foreign invader, which damages the intestinal lining and can lead to malabsorption of vitamins and minerals. This can lead to abdominal discomfort, nutrient deficiencies and an increased risk of intestinal cancer. Celiac disease is detected through blood tests or biopsies.

There is also a more mild condition called gluten sensitivity that refers to many different forms of gluten intolerance. The only way to know if you’re affected by this condition is to eliminate gluten and determine if your symptoms get better or worse.

One reason gluten sensitivity seems to be rising is because of detection bias—“The more aware and concerned the health care community is about any given health condition, the more we tend to look for it. The more one looks for any given condition, the more one tends to find it,” said David Katz, M.D. Only recently have health professionals been considering gluten sensitivity as a widespread problem and increasingly been testing for it. Additionally, there have been studies using blood that prove the rates of celiac disease have risen over decades.

So, for those that have no sensitivity to gluten, is going gluten-free really going to help with weight loss? According to Dr, Katz, the answer is not really. “It might [lead to weight loss], but only because avoiding gluten means avoiding a lot of foods, which in turn tends to mean reducing calorie intake,” he says. “That lowering calories leads to weight toss is less than an epiphany.”

Katz argues that while going gluten-free is easier nowadays due to better labeling and more products, it is still a challenge as gluten is found many packaged foods “under a wide variety of aliases.” (You can find more information about hidden sources of gluten on Julie Deardoff’ Chicago Tribune Health Blog). Additionally, he warns, eliminating whole grains like wheat and barley from your diet could lead to decreased fiber intake and worsen the quality of your overall diet.

In summary, for those with a real sensitivity to gluten, going gluten-free is definitely doable and worth it, and it may be even vital to do so. For the rest of the population that is drawn to this weight-loss fad, it is a diet restriction that will make your life harder and is not necessarily a healthier choice, but rather is simply the latest fad diet.

I’ve written extensively about celiac disease and gltuen sensitivities (both are clinically different), as well as detoxification from food intolerance’s.

Yours in Health,

Stella Metsovas B.S. CCN

Staff Writer: Libby Craig

W8less Nutrition

Los Angeles / Orange County

I’ve been training for my first half marathon over the past few months, and it’s definitely been rewarding. Never before had I dreamed of running for hours straight and working out for more than three days in a row. But, I’ll be honest—I didn’t just sign up for the love of running. By entering this half marathon, would be committed to exercising on a regular schedule, and hopefully lose a few pounds in the process.  Recently, however, more and more researchers are claiming that exercise does not go hand-in-hand with weight loss, and that exercise could in fact be keeping you from shedding pounds.

According to a well-known exercise researcher Eric Ravussin, who is the chair in diabetes and metabolism at Louisiana State University, exercise is useless for weight loss. At the root of this issue is the concept that exercise, while expending calories, also stimulates hunger. Our bodies will want food after a long sweat-session, and this exercise may even cause us to eat greater amounts. Therefore, exercising may not only be ineffective in aiding weight loss, but could potentially make it harder for a person to lose weight.

Steven Gortmaker, who heads Harvard’s Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity, explains. “The most powerful determinant of your dietary intake is your energy expenditure,” he says. “If you’re more physically active, you’re going to get hungry and eat more.”

A study conducted by Louisiana State Professor Timothy Church showed that there is even more behind this problem than stimulated hunger. He argues that after exercising, people feel the need to compensate in two ways. First, by rewarding themselves with food they may not normally eat (isn’t a second helping of apple pie fine on a day that I’ve gone to the gym?). Second, people compensate by being less active for the rest of the day, spending more time being sedentary in front of the TV or computer.

The Los Angeles Times wrote a great article on how the Time Magazine piece may be a little misrepresented.  You can find it here.

In order to avoid excess cardio that could trigger hunger, you could opt for shorter, higher intensity workouts that are also more efficient. High intensity interval training (HIIT) utilizes short, high speed cardio followed by low intensity recovery periods. These workouts can take less than half the time of usual long and often dull cardio workouts, and are best performed while sprinting but can also be effective on a bike or elliptical trainer.

A typical HIIT workout consists of a warm up period, repetitions of very high intensity  (usually about 15 to 20 seconds) paired with a recovery period (about 10 seconds), and ending with a cool down. These workouts are usually only 10 to 20 minutes, but create great results because of the bursts of cardio, which are executed near a person’s maximum intensity.

Further, experts say that after a HIIT session, your metabolism will be revved and you will burn fat up to 24 hours after your workout, as opposed to low intensity runs or bike rides, in which fat burning only occurs while you are exercising.

So, for all the cardio-junkies out there, it may be beneficial to cut down on your usual workout time, or opt for shorter, high intensity interval sessions and see how this affects your appetite. As for me, while I know I am becoming stronger and doing my body good by training for this half marathon, it truly is much more about what you eat rather than what you work off when it comes to losing weight.

Yours in Health,

Stella Metsovas B.S., CCN

Staff Writer: Libby Craig

Pregnancy hormones, syringes and only 500 calories a day—these are the components of the increasingly popular HCG Diet, which is considered a miracle by some and dangerous crash diet by others.

HCG refers to human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that’s produced by pregnant women and also given to men and women to treat infertility. Daily doses of HCG are usually injected into the thigh, though some dieters ingest drops instead. This hormone treatment is coupled with a very limited consumption of 500 calories a day. Proponents of the diet say that the hormones work wonders at curbing ones appetite, making it possible to consume such a small amount of food each day.

HCG Injection

So, what exactly do you eat on the HCG diet? The answer is a short, restricted list. Dieters are encouraged to eat only organic foods—mostly meat, fish and vegetables. Fruit is permitted sparingly, and one thin piece of bread, like a dry breadstick or Melba toast, is permitted each day. Sugar, daily and alcohol are not permitted; however, those that do not eat meat may have small amounts of 100% skim cottage cheese or eggs.  Here’s a link to Dr. Oz HCG Diet Plan review.

Though there have been success stories of people losing up to 30 pounds in one month on the HCG diet, many experts criticize the use of hormones and the severe restriction of calories, and question its long-term success. To many experts, it comes as no surprise that people lose large amounts of weight since the diet restricts calories so severely. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, dubbed the diet as reckless and irresponsible, arguing, “Can you lose weight on it? Of course, but that’s mainly because you’re hardly consuming any calories. And any benefit is not going to last.” Many say that once people finish the 30-day regimen, they will often regain the weight and then some as their body will feel starved and their metabolism will be weakened.

While the FDA has approved the use of HCG to treat infertility, they have warned that its sale as a diet tool is deceptive and that there is no proven evidence that it aids in weight loss. Reviews on the HCG diet have repeatedly stated that in over a dozen trials, people injected with HCG lost the same amount of weight as people injected with a placebo.

As with the use of any drug, the HCG diet risks could far outweigh any benefits. HCG can cause headaches, blood clots, leg cramp s, temporary hair thinning, constipation and breast tenderness. There may be many more adverse effects of HCG; however, because it has not been studied for weight-loss purposes, the full list of risks is unknown.

In addition to the possible complications of the use of HCG, consuming 500 calories a day also poses risks. Extreme restriction in calories can not only cause a person to be irritable and constantly tired, but could also lead to severe bone and muscle loss, electrolyte imbalances, gallstones and even death.

My advice: Stay clear of HCG when it comes to dieting–you could be setting yourself up for a metabolic disaster.

Yours in Health,

Stella Metsovas B.S., CCN

Staff Writer: Libby Craig