Nutritional Fitness PRINCIPLE Whats In Your Food

I was trying to figure out the omega 6 content of foods (mainly nuts/seeds), and ran across this site which has alot of nutritional information on various foods. I was looking for a way to decrease the amount of omega 6 that I consume, given that I eat alot of nuts/seeds.

On this site you can type in a desired food and its whole nutritional profile will show up to include a nutritional rating, as well as a nutrient balance and protein balance score. I concluded my search confirming that I need to add flax and chia seeds to my smoothies. They both have very favorable omega 3:6 ratios which help to minimize inflammation.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/compare/welcome?returnto=/mynd/myfoods/compare-add/3138

Pretty cool. I just hope the information is accurate : )

Nutritional Fitness “Plus” PRINCIPLE Nutrition for a Better Brain

I found two additional lectures by Dr. Neil Nedley, discussing the relationship between nutrition and brain function (especially frontal lobe function). In this sense there is a two for one benefit. You get good advice on overall nutrition, that also benefits the brain which allows you to make good decisions. Eat better, be better, do better. Some highlights; walnuts, spinach, tofu, sesame seed and others…

Part 1: http://lifestyletv.se/on-demand/?program=351

Highlights:

1) Tryptophan and Omega 3 fatty acids are important as they are used to make brain neurotransmitters

2) probably one of the highest sources of tryptophan is tofu, also pumpkin and sesame seeds.

3) when meat is present, there is competition between the essential amino acids such that less tryptophan is absorbed

4) carbohydrates help the tryptophan cross the blood brain barrier

5) really helps with depression and improved brain function

Part 2: http://lifestyletv.se/on-demand/?program=214

Highlights

1) the B vitamins and iron are also very important for brain health

2) foods that are high in folate; spinach, navy beans, lentils, black eyed peas

3) cholesterol mainly comes from meat sources, and high cholesterol levels is associated with poorer brain function.

 

Recipe Suggestions:

1) Smoothie:  I have started to experiment with the following combination in my Nutribullet  Spinach to fill line, 2 oz of tofu, 1/4 cup Flaxseed, 1/4 cup Walnuts, 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, 1/8 tsp Salt.  I can’t say that this taste great, but I am able to get this down.  I do note that I feel better later.  But I have not been doing this very long.  But I would like to hear back from others on this.  I will say that my sleep seems better, with more dreaming.

2) Soup: Navy Bean – Soak beans over night in a tsp of baking soda and then poor off the water and store in the fridge for 2 days (to allow for some beginning sprouting).  When I cook these I put in a pot with smoked turkey wings, onion, garlic, and another tsp of baking soda.  I let this boil for about two hours and then the beans soup will start to thicken.  Just prior to this I add in a bunch of kale.

3) Stir Fry: First I cook some brown rice and store this in the fridge.  When ready I sauté onion, garlic, asparagus, sweet peas (frozen), bean sprouts, and tofu in sesame oil.  When about done I add in the rice.  Let this cook for a minute, then add in soy sauce (bolded items always added, the others sometime.  After this is done and while still in the pot, sometime I will also stir in some avocado.

Please share any recipes you have following the principles of whole foods, alkalinity, tryptophan, omega 3, etc…

Nutritional Fitness PRINCIPLES Lessons from one who knows

This is an interview with Bernando LaPallo who’s is now 113, giving his secrets on life and eating. This interview was done when he was 109.  You will hear some healthful tips on living in general and specifics on eating.  He his big on a plant based diet and regular exercise.  There are other interviews on the web from this gentleman. Check them out and let me know what you have learned.

http://youtu.be/v0MVco9s0SQ

Nutritional Fitness PRINCIPLE – Good Living

This link will take you to an interview with Bernando LaPallo who’s is now 113, giving his secrets on life and eating.  Notice how good his skin looks.

Key practices:

1) Faith and a good attitude

2) Regular exercise

3) Fruits and Vegetables (blue berries, greens, and beans)

4) Cinnamon  and herbal teas

Learn from a master : )

http://youtu.be/v0MVco9s0SQ

Alkaline Foods?

There is an article on alkaline foods and 74 foods were recommended (http://bembu.com/alkaline-foods). However when I cross referenced this list with foods from a ph app that lists the PRAL score there were several inconsistencies.
– PRAL stands for Potential Renal Acid Load and seems to be the standard for determining whether foods have an acidifying or alkalinizing effect on the body. You can read about PRAL calculations and recommendations here: http://foodary.com/320/pral-nutrients/ Those at this site suggests checking your urine, shooting for ph values at there low in the morning and increasing over the course of the day (6.5 to 7 in the morning and then increasing) . You can also find some recommendations here http://www.livestrong.com/article/306474-foods-that-help-fight-acidity/
Recommendations:
– get an app that list the PRAL score of foods as this seems to be the standards
– the green foods seem to consistently have very low PRAL scores (in the negative range). But there are other foods that are not green that mainly have an alkalinizing effect on the body. You may need to check several sources to see if they consistently report that a food is alkalinic as there are inconsistencies reported.
– many spices seem to be alkaline, it may help to familiarize yourself with them and use them regularly in cooking.
beans, greens, and rice (which is only mildly acidic may need to be the main stay of the diet. If you have trouble with beans, try cooking them with a little baking soda, that may help.

– Finally, consider using ph strips to test your urine.  In this way you can get a better idea as to the effect your diet is having on your acid base load.  If you find recipes that are helpful, please share