Eating For Pregnancy

Eating for Two

Health in Harmony offer some tips to eating a healthy diet to provide the most beneficial ways of eating during your pregnancy.

To eat well during pregnancy you must do more than simply increase how much you eat. You must also consider what you eat. Although you need about 300 extra calories a day, especially later in your pregnancy, when your baby grows quickly and those calories should come from nutritious foods so they can contribute to your baby’s growth and development.

The extra food you eat shouldn’t just be empty calories — it should provide the nutrients your growing baby needs. For example, calcium helps make and keep bones and teeth strong. While you’re pregnant, you still need calcium for your body, plus extra calcium for your developing baby. Similarly, you require more of all the essential nutrients than you did before you became pregnant.

You’ll also want to be sure that you’re getting good whole grains into your diet. Whole grains help regulate your digestive system and may ease pregnancy related constipation. You can choose from breads, rice, oats, barely, and many other grains. Soak or sprout your grains to make them more easily digestible.

Be sure to eat your veggies with good fats – these help your body to absorb all the vital nutrients fruits and vegetables offer.

A good iron level is important to pregnancy. Try to get good, iron rich foods instead of simply relying on an iron pill. Some women find iron pills are constipating, and they’re not as well absorbed as foods would be.

Making bone broths – stocks – from bones will give you and your baby lots of important minerals. Bone broths also give you gelatin which helps enhance digestion. And they add flavor! Chicken and beef/lamb stocks are very easy to make, and creating soups from them is also very easy.

Fats are good for you – traditional fats. Avoid the old “industrial fats and oils” such as corn oil, soybean oil and shortening. Use lard and tallow from pigs eating a clean diet (pig diet varies by farm) or cows eating grass. Use olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil. Use butter. Eat your veggies with butter. Cod liver oil has been shown beneficial during pregnancy and lactation. Traditional fats are vital for your body and for your baby. It is fat that builds your baby’s brain. To skimp on fat is to deprive your child nourishment he or she vitally needs for brain development.

Leafy green vegetables and deep orange produce are especially important. These help regulate your digestive system and provide rich antioxidants from a natural, food based source. In addition, fresh produce can provide folic acid – a nutrient vitally important to your growing baby. Be sure leafy greens are cooked as they can be hard to digest raw.

Food based iron sources are egg yolks, meats, molasses, and raisins. Enjoying a vitamin C rich food with your iron rich food is a great idea. The vitamin C boosts the absorption of iron in your blood. Have your eggs with a glass of OJ at breakfast!Another simple way to get iron is to cook using a cast iron pan. This will give you trace amounts of iron.

An excellent pregnancy diet is the cornerstone to having a healthy baby. It is totally under your control and it is totally your responsibility, but remember have a treat once in awhile as it is all about balance.

Most importantly, stay happy and positive, take the time out to do things you enjoy to stay calm such as soaking in a bath or a special pregnancy massage.

Semen Quality Dependant on Antioxidants in Man’s Diet

Medical researcher, Dr Shaun Holt reviews research suggesting semen quality may depend on antioxidants in a man’s diet:

The facts:

• This study investigated the effects of nutrient intake on sperm quality in Spanish men attending private fertility clinics.
• Thirty men with poor sperm quality and 31 men with normal sperm quality had their dietary habits and nutrient consumption compared.
• Men with normal sperm quality were found to eat a lot more antioxidant nutrients and less protein and fat than men with poor semen quality.

Dr Shaun Holt:

With declining fertility rates, one theory has been that diet may be partly responsible and this small study adds weight to that theory, finding that low antioxidant intake is associated with low reproductive capacity in semen. Spanish researchers working at infertility centres said:

“A healthy diet is not only a good way of avoiding illness, but could also have an impact on improving seminal quality. What we still do not understand is the difference between taking these vitamins naturally and in the form of supplements. In the studies we are going to carry out in the United States (where the consumption of vitamins in tablet form is very common) we will be looking at the role of supplements”

For further information on the study: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.10.075

Author: Dr Shaun Holt is a GP and medical research specialist, he is the Author of Natural Remedies That Really Work: a New Zealand Guide and appears regularly on TVNZ’s Breakfast. Check out www.naturalhealthreview.org for further studies and information.

Cereal and Milk is the New Sports Supplement

Medical researcher, Dr Shaun Holt announces a rather interesting and possibly effective cost saving energy food for athletes and sports people alike.

The facts:

• This study compared the effects of whole grain cereal plus non-fat milk with those of a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink on recovery after endurance exercise in 12 trained cyclists.
• Using a protocol that reflected a typical exercise session, the subjects warmed up then cycled for 2 hours at a comfortable work rate, before having either the cereal/milk or the sports drink.
• Muscle recovery after endurance exercise was found to be the same with cereal/milk as it was with the sports drink.

Dr Shaun Holt:

This study has prompted headlines such as “Cereal And Milk Is The New Sports Supplement”!

It was a small study of 12 athletes and the main finding was that glycogen repletion, the replenishment of immediate muscle fuel, was just as good after whole-grain cereal consumption as with sports drinks and that some aspects of protein synthesis were better.

The researchers concluded that a bowl of whole-grain cereal with a splash of skimmed milk may be a smarter move than investing in a high-priced sports drink.

For more info on the study: http://www.jissn.com/content/6/1/11/abstract

Author: Dr Shaun Holt is a GP and medical research specialist, he is the Author of Natural Remedies That Really Work: a New Zealand Guide and appears regularly on TVNZ’s Breakfast. Check out www.naturalhealthreview.org for further studies and information.

Swine Flu a Result of Questionable Farming Practices?

Swine flu and agribusiness are linked according to Avaaz (a “global Web movement” dedicated to eliminating the gap between the world we have and the world we would like); they are asking people to take action by signing a petition demanding an investigation into the way pig factory farms operate and are regulated:

Evidence is emerging that traces swine flu to giant factory pig farms that are dirty, dangerous, and inhumane. Sign the petition to the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization to investigate and regulate these threats to our health:

No-one yet knows whether swine flu will become a global pandemic, but it is becoming clear where it came from – most likely a giant pig factory farm run by an American multinational corporation in Veracruz, Mexico.(1)

These factory farms are disgusting and dangerous, and they’re rapidly multiplying. Thousands of pigs are brutally crammed into dirty warehouses and sprayed with a cocktail of drugs — posing a health risk to more than just our food — they and their manure lagoons create the perfect conditions to breed dangerous new viruses like swine flu. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) must investigate and develop regulations for these farms to protect global health.

Big agrobusiness will try to obstruct and scuttle any attempts at reform, so we need a massive outcry that health authorities can’t ignore. Sign the petition below for investigation and regulation of factory farms and tell your friends and family and we will deliver it to the UN agencies. If we reach 200,000 signatures we will deliver it to the WHO in Geneva with a herd of cardboard pigs. For every 1000 petition signatures we will add a pig to the herd:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/swine_flu_pandemic

Last week the flu was all that we talked about — Mexico has been nearly paralysed and across the world leaders halted air travel, banned pork imports and initiated drastic controls to mitigate the spreading virus. As the threat shows signs of subsiding the question becomes where it came from and how we stop another outbreak.

Smithfield Corporation, the largest pig producer in the world whose farm is being fingered as the source of the H1N1 outbreak, denies any connection between their pigs and the flu and big agrobusiness worldwide pays huge sums of money for research to argue that biosafety is ensured in industrial hog production. But the WHO has been saying for years that ‘a new pandemic is inevitable’(2) and experts from the European Commission and the FAO have cautioned that the rapid move from small holdings to industrial pig production is in fact increasing the risk of development and transmission of disease epidemics. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that scientists still do not know the extent that infectious compounds produced in factory farms affect human health.(3)

Studies abound of the horrific conditions endured by pigs in concentrated large-scale operations, and the devastating economic impact on small farmer communities of bloated large-scale operations.(4) Smithfield itself has already been fined $12.6m and is currently under another federal investigation in the US for toxic environmental damage from pig excrement lakes.(5)

But even with all of this damaging evidence, a combination of increased global meat consumption and a powerful industry motivated by profit at the cost of human health, means that instead of being shut down – these sickening factory farm operations are propagating around the world and we are subsidising them (6). In the wake of this swine flu threat, let’s hold industrial pig producers to account. Sign the petition for investigation and regulation:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/swine_flu_pandemic

Building Immune System Strength

Health writer Patsy Hamilton puts twenty years experience to work in her writing, she has some good ideas for boosting your immune system and the flu season approaches:

Building immune system strength is important at all times, but particularly as cold and flu season approaches. Everyone can benefit from boosting immune system responses, some more so than others. People who live or work in a high risk environment, such as a hospital or nursing home are exposed to more germs, viruses and bacteria and in order to avoid numerous colds and other bugs should be concerned about building immune system strength.

People who work with the public, have children in school, university students or even those who eat out frequently are exposed to hundreds of different viruses. A healthy immune system identifies and destroys these viruses, often before a person experiences any symptoms. Building immune system strength can also shorten recovery time when viruses are not immediately destroyed by initial immune system defenses. Boosting immune system defenses can be helpful, both for preventing illness and for treating illnesses, once symptoms are noticed.

In addition to good health habits, which include washing hands frequently and avoiding touching the nose or mouth after contact with the public, good nutrition and adequate rest are helpful for building immune system strength. There are many natural products that are believed to be good for boosting the immune system. Herbs, botanicals, essential minerals and certain vitamins can all be helpful for building immune system strength.

Vitamin C is important for building immune system strength. Vitamin C strengthens blood cells and helps the body assimilate iron and other important nutrients. Strong white blood cells are key factors for overall immune system health. Specialized white blood cells called helper T-cells identify those things that do not belong in the body, such as viruses, while others, killer T-cells, destroy them.

Vitamin C supplements can be helpful for boosting immune system strength if dietary amounts are inadequate. In addition those who are under stress, taking antibiotics, aspirin, sulfa drugs or using tobacco products, may need additional Vitamin C for building immune system health. Stress and the other substances mentioned have a “canceling” effect on Vitamin C. Vitamin C is most effective at boosting immune system responses when taken with calcium and magnesium. Calcium and magnesium help the cells of the body absorb Vitamin C and other essential nutrients. Most people have heard of Vitamin C, calcium and magnesium, but many people are unfamiliar with herbs, botanicals and plant components that can help the body by building immune system health.

Beta Glucans are plant components that have been the subject of numerous scientific and clinical studies. In one clinical study, patients who were given Beta Glucans had an increased number of helper T-cells circulating in the blood stream. In the scientific community, Beta Glucans are known to be effective for boosting immune system responses and are being studied for their potential use in diseases which affect the immune system, cancer treatment and cholesterol control. Some health supplements for building immune system strength contain Beta Glucans.

An interesting herb for boosting immune system health is Andrographis Paniculata or AP for short. AP has a history of use in traditional Chinese medicine for the effective treatment of infection, cold, fever and inflammation. Scientists who study herbs used in traditional medicine have shown that AP may be effective for the treatment of influenza, by reducing recovery time and the risk of complications. While some herbs recommended for building immune system help may be toxic when used for extended periods of time, AP has been shown in animal studies to have very low or no toxicity.

There are a number of herbs and botanicals which are believed to be effective for boosting immune system responses. Green tea, Siberian ginseng, piperine, olive leaf are a few more. Some of the better health supplements for building immune system strength contain all of the ones listed here and more. For more information about supplements for building immune system strength, visit www.immune-system-booster-guide.com.

Author: Patsy Hamilton has more than twenty years experience in health care and currently writes informational articles for the Immune System Booster Guide. Read more at www.immune-system-booster-guide.com.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Acai Berry Information – How Does Acai Berry Work?

Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns

Thanks to Susie Masterton for sending in her gluten free hot cross buns recipe definitely a great contender for winning a $100 organic food voucher. Please join our recipes online and send your favourites to recipe@healthinharmony.co.nz:

The more you send the more chances of winning $100 Organic Food Vouchers!

Hot Cross Buns for People With Wheat or Gluten Intolerance!

Ingredients:
2 cups white rice flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato starch flour ***
1/3 cup sugar plus 2-teaspoons for yeast
2/3 cup powdered milk
3-1/2 teaspoons Xanthum Gum **
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1-1/2 tablespoons rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
Three eggs
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 cup yellow raisins
1/2 cup mixed peel (optional)
2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
Dissolve 2-teaspoons sugar in warm water. Add yeast and let proof. Combine dry ingredients in bowl of mixer. Mix eggs, oil and vinegar and add to dry ingredients. Add proofed yeast and beat on high speed for three minutes. Stir in raisins and mixed peel.

Grease two round pie pans. Rice flour hands, cut dough in half, and roll eight buns per pie pan, placing one in the center and seven around. With a knife blade dipped in rice flour, cut an X on top of each bun, and brush with melted butter. Let rise in a warm place for 35-40 minutes. Bake at 375-degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

*** Potato starch flour is obtained by grinding the tubers to a pulp and removing the fibre by water-washings. The dried product consists chiefly of starch, but also contains some protein. Potato flour is used as a thickening agent. When heated to boiling, food added with a suspension of potato flour in water thickens quickly. Because the flour is made from neither grain nor legume, it is used as substitute for wheat flour in cooking (thanks to Wikipedia for that one).

** Xanthum Gum is produced by a fermentation process using the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. This bacteria actually grows on plants found in the cabbage family where the gum was actually discovered. Xanthan Gum is actually the cell wall surface of the bacteria that is separated by a complex enzymatic process. During the fermentation process the bacteria is fed corn syrup and minerals.

The easier-to- handle granules mix well with liquids, resulting in better volume for your baked goods.

The Health Benefits of Eating Chocolate

Health and nutrition blogger, Mark Sissons suggests eating chocolate is not a sin. Indeed, if you buy the right chocolate, health benefits abound:

Chocolate is a perennial gift, almost as common as soap and fruitcake. The quality ranges from High Fructose Corn Syrup tubular brown goo in Brand’s candies and Tootsie Rolls all the way up to $2000 boxes of exclusive Beverly Hills handcrafted cocoa confections. Most of us prefer something in between. While my wife always goes for the Belgium variety, I like the bitter raw flavor of the cocoa. My favorite is an 85% dark.

Despite the myth that chocolate causes pimples (it’s the sugar, not the cocoa!), chocolate has a wide spectrum of health benefits. It can lower blood pressure, reduce the instance of blood clots, and even help prevent cancer. It’s rich in phenolic phytochemicals-or in layman’s terms, antioxidants. Cocoa has even more antioxidant flavonoids than green tea or red wine.

But not all chocolate is created equal.

It’s not just the taste that separates A Nestle’s Crunch from a Scharffenberger’s dark chocolate bar. When trying to maximize the health benefits of chocolate you are receiving, always go for the dark. In fact, the higher percentage of cocoa, the better. 50% cocoa is really a good place to start, but I’d suggest jumping up to 70% if you can handle the strength. The reason health benefits in milk chocolate are so low is because such a low percentage of what you are actually eating is chocolate in the first place. In most cases, milk chocolate contains many more sugars and milk solids, which all but nullify the antioxidant from the actual cocoa powder.

So you’ve decided to go with the healthy dark chocolate. Now you need to weed out the processed from the natural brands. Heavy processing can dramatically reduce the antioxidant and flavonoid levels in otherwise healthy chocolate. Dutch processed chocolate is a particular culprit, not healthy chocolate in the least. So, go with organic brands. Or even better, find “single source” batch of chocolate. Higher end chocolate makers will source their bars like wines, making entire batches of bars harvested from one particular date from one particular region. To maintain authenticity, these brands of healthy chocolate go through minimal processing. Connoisseurs collect and cherish particular batches of single source cocoa bars. These chocolates offer some of the highest phenolic phytochemal levels and some of the best chocolate health benefits.

Finally, one good way to receive the health benefits of chocolate is to drink a cup of hot cocoa. No, not Swiss Miss or Nestle Quick (is that even chocolate at all?). Make your own cocoa the simple way, use warm milk and cocoa powder. You can also use melted baking squares for thicker consistency. Now you’re getting all the antioxidants from the cocoa without all the unnecessary sugar. And if you absolutely need the extra sweetness, you can use a little Splenda without losing the great chocolate health benefits. The goal is to maximize your health while satisfying your sweet tooth.

To recap, stick to the dark chocolate, buy organic, and try making your own hot cocoa.

The Author: Mark Sisson is a former professional triathlete who runs a popular health and nutrition blog, Mark’s Daily Apple. Check it out for more great articles and information on the Primal Blueprint, a revolutionary health plan using the principles of human evolution as the basis for modern, high protein, healthy living.

Top 10 Reasons Why you should NOT “go” on a Diet

American fitness trainer and weight loss expert, Holly Rigsby offers words of caution to consider before starting your next diet:

The only thing growing faster than the $65 billion diet industry is the American waistline. If one of your New Years resolutions was to Go on a Diet, the only place I guarantee you will go….is up in weight.

It’s a Fact – Diets will only make you fatter.

When it comes to the latest in Diet fads, we are quite gullible and easily tempted by a Diet’s empty promised. Reason being….the diet industry KNOWS we are in search of the “quick fix” and will only play with our emotions – our desperation for the quickest way to relieve looking and feeling fat.

Diets are nothing more than Temporary Solutions with many lingering, negative side effects.

Here are the Top 10 Reasons Why you should NOT “go” on a Diet

1. Diets do NOT work.

Diets have a 99% Failure Rate. Have you noticed a pattern yet? Lose weight….quickly regain it? Over time, studies show if you diet you are more likely to be overweight than people who eat normally and make small gradual changes to their lifestyle. No, the Law of Averages does not apply to this faulty system.

2. Dieting can be Dangerous.

Any time you severely restrict the amount or types of foods you eat you put your health and life at risk. Dieting has been related to injuries and sudden deaths from electrolyte imbalance, malnutrition, and heart arrhythmia’s. Weight cycling, or yo-yo-ing weight, is associated with higher death rates – especially if some type of pills are being used. At no point should you ever place weight loss above your health.

3. Dieting Destroys your Metabolism.

Diets will cause your weight to quickly cycle up and down. Sure, you may lose weight quickly because you are simply not eating enough. In the initial stages, the first seven to nine pounds lost are water, presenting a real danger of dehydration and mineral deficiencies. Even more terrifying ins the break down of lean muscle due to inefficient nutrients and calories. If you are losing more than 3-4 pounds a week, you can be sure this is what is happening – very little fat is lost this state.

Now, any muscle loss will cause your metabolism slow to a crawl. The cumulative effect takes place for you cannot survive very long on very low calories (1200 or less) and you will eventually eat more – on top of a slower metabolism. All those excess calories will be stored as fat – causing rapid weight gain.

4. Dieting is Exhausting.

Diets are just reduced calorie Fads disguised by a clever gimmick. “Lose weight while you sleep” “Eat all you want and still lose weight” Not eating enough or cutting out certain food groups means your body may not be getting the energy it needs, or may lack certain nutrients. You will feel exhausted, light headed and experience some not-so-fun mood swings.

5. Dieting is Disruptive.

Dieting negatively affects your normal eating patterns. Diets can lead to binge eating, overeating and chaotic eating. When you diet, it is common to override your internal signals telling you to eat. You end up trying to use willpower or resist hunger signals and may even go as far as taking appetite suppressants. This results in being unable to know when you really are hungry or wore….when you’re full.

6. Dieting can lead to eating disorders.

Experts state that the high rates of eating disorders in the U.S. are due in part to people dieting, losing weight, rebounding, and becoming chronic dieters.

7. Dieting Causes Food Obsessions.

If you spend a large amount of time and energy depriving yourself of food or certain types of food – you will spend more time thinking about food and become obsessed attempts to control your weight by what you choose to eat or not eat. How long do you want to live like this?

8. Dieting Diminishes Women.

There is way too much attention focused on our appearance and an arbitrary number on the scale. In the midst of this focus – we end up avoiding what really matters to us – our dreams and ambitions. Even worse, it erodes our confidence and self-respect.

9. Dieting Intensifies Negativity.

If you diet, you are more judgmental and critical of yourself and others. Once again, wasted time and energy.

10. Diets Put Your Life on Hold.

Does this sound familiar….”I’ll be happy when I weigh “x pounds.” Guess what, the issues in your life are not related to your weight. Take responsibility and take back control of your life. Decide to be happy now and do what it takes to live a lifestyle that reflects your priorities.

So this year resolve to NOT go on a Diet. Set Yourself Free from this miserable, guaranteed to fail weight loss cycle. Do NOT let the diet industry make money by taking advantage of you. It is time to stand up for yourself and take control.

Author: Holly Rigsby, CPT, MAT America’s #1 Fat Loss Expert for Busy Moms and the author of Fit Yummy Mummy Lifestyle System http://www.fityumymumy.com/ and expert contributor at http://www.efittoday.com She has helped well over 500 Mom’s lose the stubborn baby fat and get their pre-baby body back. Don’t miss her Free Report: Top 5 Busy Mom Metabolism Boosters.

Article Source: Article City

Easy, Quick Summer Recipe: Bean Chilli

Helen Reid from Eat to Live provides us with some quick healthy recipes for us busy people:

Bean Chilli

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups kidney beans, tinned are fine
• 1 C bulghar wheat (or cracked wheat)
• 1 tin, chopped tomatoes
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 1 stick celery, finely diced
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped, or any left over vegetables
• Juice ½ lemon
• 1 tsp each of ground cumin, basil, chilli powder
• Salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp dry red wine (optional)
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Olive oil to sauté

Preparation:

1. Heat chopped  tomatoes to boiling point. Pour over bulghar wheat.
2. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a heavy based pan until soft.
4. Add other ingredients except beans.
5. Cover and cook until tender.
6. Add beans, cracked wheat.
7. Cover and simmer until beans are heated through.
8. Serve with crusty bread, and salad.

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