Diabetes is a disease that is SO linked to the foods we eat that discussion of it really does belong on a food related blog or site.

We’ve recently added lots of information about diabetes to our main site, what it is, how to prevent it, and how to manage it with great recipes and menus. Have a look at the pages below, especially if you or someone you love has or may have this chronic disease.

What is Diabetes?
Types of Diabetes
The Symptoms of Diabetes
Reversing and Preventing Diabetes
Healthy Diabetic Recipes
About Diabetic Cooking
Sample Diabetic Menus

Hi
I have just heard the results of this weight loss study that are very important for post menopausal women with diabetes. If that is you (it’s me) or someone you know, you really should read this. It is must have information.

Results of a new study demonstrate that two beneficial oils, safflower oil and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), can actually help post menopausal diabetic women lose weight and lower blood sugar levels.

These two oils were compared in a sixteen week study and each showed separate and distinct benefits for older, overweight diabetic women.

This study showed that diabetic women can lose weight by supplementing their diet with CLA and safflower oil. Each of the dietary oils contains polyunsaturated fat. Past studies have shown that consuming good fat in the right amounts is linked with a variety of health benefits, one of them being weight loss.

“The newest study from Ohio State University researchers showed that women who simply took safflower oil supplements for sixteen weeks, lost 2-4 pounds of belly fat and lowered blood sugar levels an average of 11 to 19 points. Fat that accumulates in the mid section is the most harmful when it comes to diabetes and risk of cardiovascular disease.”

I don’t know about you, but my new favorite oil is safflower oil. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is available in your health food store and is not too expensive. So here are two reasonably priced supplements that show great promise for the health of 50+ women. Yeah!!

For more information about the study go here:

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/69/32145/safflower-oil-promotes-weight-loss-diabetic-women.html

Login to share your opinion or experiences.

[ Note: This article was written by fitness and nutrition author Jon Benson. I have his permission to share it with you. ]

Below are two videos. Watch them if you dare.

Then, by all means… take action.

Part 1

Part 2

Put an END to this! Grab the book below…

Here is a great summer salad recipe, full of healthy ingredients that taste great too.

1 pound (500 g) spinach
1/2 medium cauliflower broken into small florets
1 large avocado
lemon juice
1/2 cup (125 ml) slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:
6 tablespoons (75 ml) salad oil
3 tablesppoons (40 ml) white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) each salt, dry mustard & dry basil
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) pepper
dash ground nutmeg

Wash spinach and pat it dry. Tear the spinach into bite-size pieces. Place it in a bowl and add the cauliflower.

Pit, peel and slice the avocado. Dip the avocado slices in lemon juice to coat them, then add them  to the spinach and cauliflower.

Combine the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, mustard, basil, pepper and nutmeg. Blend together well. Pour the dressing over the salad. Add the almonds and gently mix to coat.

Serves 6

You can find out why almonds are so amazingly healthy for us here on our main site.

[ Note: This article was written by fitness and nutrition author Jon Benson. I have his permission to share it with you. ]

A Candle In A Dark Week

Unless you hitched a ride on NASA’s Lunar Orbiter, you’ve heard the news.

In a single day, we lost two people that almost everyone in this country, if not this world, felt as if they knew personally.

In the same week, there was a candle flickering in the darkness.

A candle fueled by science. By research.

By hope.

We lost Farrah Fawcett to cancer. But this week a promising new cancer drug has a large number of folks highly optimistic.

And of course we lost Michael Jackson. We don’t know why yet. I wonder if we ever will.

But still, the candle burns.

The light here is a light of reckoning. A light that says, “You are but dust in the wind.” To dust, we return.

In a sense, at least.

You are also the stuff of stars.

I’m not talking about movie stars — I mean literal stars.

The inspiration for this article comes from one of my personal heroes, Carl Sagan. In his brilliant book, A Demon-Haunted World, Carl brings is wit, intelligence and sobriety to bear on the candle in the dark — science.

Science has helped liberate us from the dark ages, literally.

Science has cured more people in a single generation than all the wars in “history” have taken. Can you believe it?

During this dark week, science enabled us to launch the most sophisticated lunar probe in history to the moon.

And science will eventually find a cure for that monster we call cancer.

But science may never find a cure for what killed the King of Pop.

You see, I don’t think it is as simple as it seems. It may be. Who knows. But I think Jackson died of loneliness and self-abuse.

It just took time.

That, combined with stress (the number-one killer in the world) is enough to do anyone in.

The candle in the dark? Managing your health is really under your control… more than you think. That includes your mind.

Not totally, but in a few years, who knows.

That’s a candle that burns bright to me.

Brighter than the sun.

A bit of honesty:

My first thought upon hearing Jackson died was, “Wow. Too young. How?”

I’ve always recognized his contribution to music, but I’ve never been “attached” as a fan per-se.

When Kurt Cobain died, I cried. When Gene Roddenberry died, I cried. I cry every time I watch the end of “Contact” that just says, “For Carl.”

When Michael died, I shook my head in disbelief, skepticism, and reflection.

My candle was burning at both ends, I suppose.

How fragile we are. Yet, like Sagan loved to say, we are all “starstuff.” Literally.

Every atom in your body with the exception of hydrogen can be traced to a red star, billions of years old.

That makes me hang my head in utter awe. How beautiful, yet how chaotic our universe and our lives seem to be.

The reason I do what I do is not to try and extend “just years” to your life — it’s to help you make your life the best it can be.

To extend the healthy, happy, joyful aspects of your life.

To give you the candle in the dark called “self-management”.

Your time can come in a snap of a finger. In a breath, your light can go out.

But until then, I urge you to fight the good fight.

And keep your candle lit for all the world to see.

Fit Bits: This Will Kill You. Really.

Inflammation.

That’s the ticket. That’s the answer.

That’s what you must address if you want to live a longer and more productive, healthy life. No ifs, ands or buts.

Inflammation is caused by insulin resistance, among other things.

I’ve decided to share this week’s Fit Bits with you in an entertaining video I made called “Low Carb Lunacy.”

Get ready for the facts like you’ve never seen them before…

Please press the Play button to start the video. Thanks!

P.S. For those of you who really want to take charge of your health, I do encourage you to adopt a dietary plan you can live with. The best I know of is found below.

The Every Other Day Diet Lose Weight. Lower Inflammation!

[ Note: This article was written by fitness and nutrition author Jon Benson. I have his permission to share it with you. ]

In this video I hope to shed some light on some provocative issues. First, craving fatty, sugary, high-calorie foods is not your fault. However, it is your responsibility—you have to learn to manage this vestibule pattern passed down through generations of DNA.

I have included a transcription of the video below. Enjoy!

Note: Thanks to too many years in scuba, I continually say “vestibular” in the video. The correct term of course is vestigial. But other than that… ; )

Please press the Play button to start the video…

Note: You can learn more about how to escape the “vestigial loop” covered in this video while still eating your favorite foods and losing all the weight you want by picking up my book The Ever Other Day Diet below…

TRANSCRIPTION

Hi, Jon Benson from Jon Benson Fitness dot com. Again, excuse the video-less video… my iCam is busted, but I’m getting it fixed this weekend.

If you missed the first video in this series, “Low Carb Lunacy”, be sure to check that out. Link below:

Low Carb Lunacy Video

Fat is not your fault.

Craving foods high in fat is not your fault.

Craving foods high in sugar is not your fault.

Craving high-calorie foods is not your fault.

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Well, it’s a biological and evolutionary fact.

BUT….

Guess what.

Just as a ruptured appendix is not your fault, it’s damn well your responsibility.

Just as your appendix is primarily useless; a vestigial organ no longer required for daily function, so is… yep.

Your cravings for sugar, fat, and calories.

Picture yourself living on the Savannah countless thousands of years ago. Everything you ate you either hunted or gathered—and for most of your days hunting was far more rewarded by your clan and by the females than gathering.

Gathering was the sign of a poor hunter. In fact, there’s an old joke: Vegetarian in the Cherokee tongue means Bad Hunter.

Turns out there may be more to this joke than you think.

On the Savannah, you might go days without food. Hunger and discomfort was associated mentally with “gathering” — picking up second choice. Is it any wonder so many of us as children seem to have a built-in aversion to vegetables? Our ancestors probably viewed what little vegetables were available during the warmer seasons as scraps from a table — not nearly enough calories, protein or fat to sustain themselves against the ravages of the day.

But bring home a nice tiger or lean game and presto: Hero status. The clan celebrated. The women swooned (great hunters were like rock stars in that day, or so I can imagine.) And the clan ate like crazy. Why? Who knew when the next high-fat, high protein, super-filling meal would come?

Folks, this same pattern, now just a vestigial mental organ if you will, is very much alive in your DNA. The problem? That tiger is now conveniently packed in your grocery’s freezer section. You may expend about 75 calories driving to the store, picking up a nice fatted piece of beef, drive home, cook it, and serve it. Hardly worthy of lavish praises from the female in your “clan”… but again, that genetic memory is a monster. It kicks in. The “provider” is still “worshiped” in the recesses of your DNA guys.

Unfortunately, it’s now a matter of economics, not hunting prowess. And being good with money rarely entails expending calories. So, that same drive to collect high-calorie, high-fat, energy-sustaining food is all but useless in today’s evolved society.

Same with sugars. When sweet fruits were in season on the Savannah, they provided the energy needed for the hunt. They tasted great. They were, as some anthropologists suggest, a type of early aphrodisiac. Sugar can trigger powerful “feel good” hormones, especially in its refined form. So, if you cannot eat filling food, how about a quick fix of feel good food?

Again, you were rewarded for this, albeit probably not as much — and definitely in different ways — back on the Savannah.

So you’re bucking eons of societal evolution folks… countless thousands of years of how humans ate, every time you sense hunger. Every. Single. Time.

Only now, everything is at your fingertips. Ladies, you no longer need a “hunter” — you can “hunt” for yourselves. Unfortunately you expend far less calories than males, both then and now. Some theorize than the females were responsible for preparing the meals. that, in and of itself, was very demanding calorically. Now… er… not so much. Guys, the hunt is over. All that’s left is brining in the cash to pay for the meals — one of the reasons, btw, many psychologists believe women are attracted to security of wealth. Yep — it all goes back to the hunting fields.

The obvious problem is that we now have these foods — but we have them at our fingertips and we have them on steroids multiplied by infinity. Our sugars are 100x sweeter than any fruit ancient man could have ever tasted. Our beef is loaded with hormones and unhealthy altered fats never known in the ancient world.

But our vestigial cravings are still there.

So, while craving foods that are high in sugar and fat makes perfect biological sense, it is no different than your appendix. It is a useless vestigial organ if you will, and it must be removed.

That part is your responsibility. It is the price we pay for societal evolution. But you can do it. As we’ve evolved, we’ve also become far more intelligent. More aware of our actions and their consequences. And we can fool the body quite nicely into thinking it has all the nutrients it needs.

I cover more about how to trick the body out of this historical “loop” of hunter/gatherism in my book The Every Other Day Diet…

Think about it. Comment below. Let me know if this resonates with you at all.

Thanks.

[ Note: This article was written by fitness and nutrition author Jon Benson. I have his permission to share it with you. ]

Please press the Play button to begin the audio. Thanks!

Related Product:

[ Note: This article was written by fitness and nutrition author Jon Benson. I have his permission to share it with you. ]

Please press the Play button to begin the audio. Thanks!

Related Product:

ChefMDs Big Book of Culinary Medicine A Food Lovers Road Map to Losing Weight Preventing Disease and Getting Really Healthy

What Dr. Andrew Weil is to herbal medicine and Dr. Phil is to TV psychology, Dr. John La Puma is to culinary medicine. At thirty-five, after eating too much of the Standard American Diet (SAD, isn’t it?), Dr. La Puma had become SADly paunchy. So he decided to research the science of nutrition while also going to culinary school to learn to cook. He created the revolutionary new concept of “culinary medicine”–recipes, foods, and meals that prevent or control common health conditions without sacrificing restaurant-quality taste.

Now you can use culinary medicine too. In ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine, you’ll learn to stock the medicine chest in your kitchen, use the doctor inside of you, and create dishes that give you lifesaving benefits and truly dazzling flavor.

Dr. La Puma serves up a step-by-step eight-week plan to motivate you and help you change your life. Try Saffron Scallop, Shrimp, and Chickpea Paella. Or Sicilian Pasta with Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese, and Basil. Or Spicy and Rich Sausage and Kidney Bean Chili.

Anyone who loves food, wants to have more energy, wants to reverse his or her family health history, or wants to know what to eat to get and stay healthy should read this book. Its recipes, meals, and menus can work within minutes of eating them.

Experience food you can’t wait to make, and grab the energy and good health to reclaim your life.

Doctor, What Do I Eat for That?

Your kitchen needs a ChefMD. Renowned physician and professionally trained chef Dr. John La Puma has just the person for the job–you! By following the ChefMD Eight-Week Plan, you’ll find your inner doctor and learn to eat for optimal health and maximum satisfaction. Use ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine to:

• Discover what and how to eat for forty health conditions–starting with Acne, ADD, Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, and Asthma
• Build a “culinary medicine chest” with fifty amazing foods that prevent or control common health conditions without sacrificing restaurant-quality taste
• Conquer fatigue, supercharge your immune system, and look and feel younger
• Get the most nutrition from the foods you eat
• Find the ChefMD Essentials–thirty-six healthful and flavorful brand-name foods in boxes, bags, and cans
• Fall in love with food again with fifty easy ChefMD recipes–and no guilt!

Eat and cook the ChefMD way and discover just how delicious life can be!

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars so-so
The information on the benefits of various foods is interesting. The Recipes, however call for a lot of fancy ingredients I can’t get. So they’re mostly useless unless you live in a big city near an up-scale food market.

5 Stars great reference
My daughter gave me this book for my birthday after she had heard him speak. I suffer from psoriasis and osteoporosis and am interested in anything that will alleviate some/all of my symptoms. I actually read this “cookbook” from cover to cover and use it often. The only thing that would have made it perfect would be a spiral binding!

5 Stars healthy eating
i LOVE this book. it’s brought me to healthy eating and to knowing WHY i’m doing it. i’ve also lost 15 pounds just by eating good- for- me foods. thank you, dr. la puma.

4 Stars Good info…difficult recipes
This is the first of his books I have purchased. The general information in it is excellent. I found most of the recipes to be too complicated and contain ingredients I don’t normally have on hand.

3 Stars md medicine
like so many other diets, this one promises miracles

ever since hippocrates people have been trying to heal diseases with food. It only works with certain ones.

This one had such great potential, and i am a little disapointed in it.

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The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less The South Beach Diet

The bestselling phenomenon continues with the newest South Beach Diet cookbookThe amazing success of the first three South Beach Diet books has made publishing history with 14 million copies combinedand is still going strong. Millions of people have been turned on to this healthy lifestyle. Followers of the diet have been asking Dr. Agatston for more recipes that are delicious, healthy, and fast, so hes created The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook.Our time-strapped culture needs an effective plan for eating healthy meals at home again. Dr. Agatston delivers with 200 brand-new recipes that use 10 or fewer ingredients and require 30 minutes or less of cooking time. The cookbook offers a diverse range of healthy, easy dishes in all categories, including 25 all-new chef recipes from Miami-area restaurants. There are no more excuses for not joining the many others that have made the South Beach Diet work for them.The sound advice readers count on from the South Beach Diet name will still be featured. The book will provide practical timesaving tips, advice for how to stock your pantry, and most importantly, how to eat well while staying on the plan. Also, phase designations and nutritional information are listed along with each recipe, so youre in control of what youre eating. Illustrated throughout with full-color photography, The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook will be tempting to both believers and newcomers alike.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars South Beach Quick & Easy
This book is excellent – I now have four South Beach Diet Cookbooks and this is by far the best, easiest, and quickest recipes. Everything I have tried has been easy to follow and yummy.

5 Stars This makes it easy
This cookbook provided lots of easy recipes for all phases of the South Beach Diet. They were not only quick and easy, but very flavorful. They helped us to stay on the diet and not feel deprived.

5 Stars Wonderful
Wonderful recipes. Great way to continue the South Beach Diet. Lots of choices to choose from. This book helps my husband and I to not be bored on our diet.

5 Stars very good
this book was described as very good condition with a page corner turned and it came in just that description. it arrived in less than 2 weeks and has a lot of fast and simple recipes. thank you.

5 Stars This is actually working for me!
I decided to try a diet for the first time in my life when I lost the baby weight I had put on, then gained it all back by the time my son was 8 months old. Also, I have been trying to feed my son healthy foods, and noticed that I was often not eating healthy food myself. My father in law had sucess with his diet the year before, so I thought I would try it. So far I have lost 27 pounds in 5 months (11 lbs. in the first 2 weeks), and generally loose one pound a week, even when I feel I have strayed (like at a party or wedding). I already lost the weight I had put on, and am continuing with it to get down to a healthier weight for myself. Plus, now I can fit back into my jeans that I had packed away even beore I got pregnant. Once I got used to the food guidelines, I have found it easy to stay on track, and can alter many of our usual meals to fit the guidelines. I see this as a change in the way I eat, not just a way to loose some weight, then gain it back again.

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