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In this episode of the outside health and fitness podcast I'm excited to welcome Dr. Kathy Gruver back to the show. Kathy runs The Alternative Medicine Cabinet and she is an inspirational, funny and dynamic advocate for better health through natural sources.
On today’s show Kathy and I talk about five things you want to remove from your diet in order to enjoy better health.
Today you'll learn...
- ...why many diet products can actually make you heavier;
- ...how to tell if the fruits and vegetables you're buying have been genetically modified;
- ...and why high fructose corn syrup MSG and milk don't do a body good.
In today's Outside Sports segment we'll take a look at energy gels and find out if they are good nutrition and talk about natural options for energy when you're out on the trail.
[wptab name='About Kathy']
About Kathy
She has written three books on health, produced an instructional massage DVD and has appeared on over 200 radio and TV shows as a guest expert. She is a lecturer and has contributed to notable publications including: Glamour, Ladies Home Journal, NPR, Lifetime Television, CBS NY, SkyNews London, Massage and Bodyworks Magazine, Massage Magazine, Fox, Awareness Magazine, Huffington Post, Prevention, and Men’s Health.
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[wptab name='GMO']
What are GMOs? (7:13)
GMO stands for genetically modified organism which means a food that has had its genes mixed with genes of something that is not food.The first tricky thing about GMO's is they don't need to be on the label. We have to be our own health detective to determine if the foods we're purchasing have been genetically modified.
For those who say that GMO's are helping us feed the world it's important to point out that 60 countries either require GMO's on the label or deny genetically modified foods altogether.
Modification of these foods is not being done from a nutritional standpoint. What we are genetically modifying is the highest subsidized crops, corn, soy and cotton.Corn syrup, soy protein and cottonseed oil are being modified and used in heavily processed foods that are lacking nutritional value.
The best way to avoid GMOs is to look at the label. If the product has corn soy or cotton in it it has been genetically modified. The only time that wouldn't be true is if the product is labeled organic.
Tip for avoid GMOs in Fruits and Veggies
Here's a great tip for determining whether the produce your purchasing has been genetically modified. A conventionally grown piece of fruit or vegetable has four digits on it's sticker label.
If the sticker label is five digits and start for the nine it means the produce was grown organically. If it's five digits and it starts with eight it has been genetically modified. An easy way to remember this is nine is fine we hate eight.
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[wptab name='HF Corn Syrup']
What is High Fructose Corn Syrup? (15:30)
According to Wikipedia
"High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)—also called glucose-fructose in Canada,[1] Isoglucose or Glucose-Fructose syrup[2][3][4] and high fructose maize syrup in some countries—comprises any of a group of corn syrups that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired sweetness. Because of its low price compared to sugar,[5] HFCS is the predominant sweetener used in processed foods and beverages in the United States."
There are charts that show a direct correlation between the consumption of high fructose corn syrup and obesity in the US. The body does not process high fructose corn syrup the way it does sugar. High fructose corn syrup is going into highly processed and packaged foods.High fructose corn syrup is a result of a chemical process. It's generally found in high calorie foods and it's been genetically modified. If that is not enough of a reason to avoid it, about half of high fructose corn syrup contains mercury.
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[wptab name='Sweeteners']
What's the problem with artificial sweeteners? (22:13)
All of the popular, blue, pink and yellow sweeteners on the market are chemicals and your body doesn’t know how to process them. What your body does know how to process is real food. These chemicals, found in artificial sweeteners, are linked to all sorts of health issues from headaches to anxiety and more.
One of the biggest problems with artificial sweeteners is that they interfere with a chemical in our brain called Leptin. Leptin is responsible for telling our brain that we are full. It is interesting that these same artificial sweeteners are found in many diet foods. In fact, there have been studies showing that people using these diet foods and artificial sweeteners are actually getting heavier as a result of a reduced production of leptin.
It’s unfortunate that if you’re trying to lose weight and you’re eating a “diet product” it’s not a health food and it’s working against you. The best approach is to go back to eating whole real food.
The best advice is to cut out the "artificial" and go back to the "natural". Stevia and even sugar is better than the artificial sweeteners.
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[wptab name='Milk']
Why should we avoid Milk? (27:55)
From an evolutionary standpoint we are the only species that drinks the milk of another species and the only species that drinks milk after we have been weaned.Although we are not getting enough vitamins and minerals from the food we eat supplementation is a better choice for getting vitamins and minerals than to get them from milk. When milk is heated and pasteurized the vitamins and minerals that were present are "cooked" out. After that process the product is "fortified" with vitamins and minerals but at lower levels than you would get through supplementation.
When you consider that most people are lactose intolerant and that growth hormones and antibiotics are being found in milk it's easy to see that it's just not something we should be consuming. We don't need it and it's not good for us.
Alternatives
Avoid Soy Milk based on GMOs and other potentially dangerous ingredients. The best alternatives are Almond Milk, Rice Milk or Hemp Milk.
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[wptab name='MSG']
Mono Sodium Gluconate (32:21)
MSG only has to be labeled if it's 99.9% pure. If you have 50% MSG in your product you don't have to label It. A lot of manufacturers cover up MSG in their product by including words like "spices", "hydrolyzed soy protein" or "natural flavorings" on their labels.MSG is a naturally occurring substance so some foods will just naturally have it. The problem comes when additional MSG is added to foods.
People with asthma, and people who are sensitive to sulfur drugs are generally very sensitive to MSG which is an excitotoxin.
MSG scrambles your brain, it speeds you up and stimulates you to be more hyper. And those are just some of the side effects of MSG. If you Google "MSG side effects" you'll find pages of issues like headaches, hot flashes, heart palpitations, muscle cramps, leg cramps and more.
MSG should be labeled. There are people like Kathy who are very sensitive to MSG.
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[wptab name='Follow Kathy']
Find Kathy at any of the following locations on line!
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[wptab name='Energy Gels']
How Healthy are Energy Gels? (44:57)
Personally I’ve never used energy gels, primarily because I could never get past the texture however many runners, hikers and bikers love them for quick energy on the go. They are small and convenient but how nutritious are they?I checked out a few different brands on Fooducate and here’s what I found out:
On average, the gels tested score a C- for overall healthy nutrition.
Here are some of the concerns and factors that cause energy gels to score low on the “healthy” scale:
Maltodextrin
Many of the Gels reviewed contain Maltodextrin which is considered a safe product in general but can be a problem for those suffering with celiac disease or who have an intolerance to gluten.
Sodium benzoate / benzoic acid
Sodium benzoate / benzoic acid are used to prevent the growth of microorganisms in acidic foods. While they are natural substances in beverages that contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C) a chemical reaction creates small amount of benzene, a carcinogen.
Phosphoric Acid
Phosphoric acid is an additive used in soda. "Phosphoric acid has been linked to lower bone density in some epidemiological studies, including a discussion in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
The vast majority of gels tested on Fooducate also contained high amounts of sugar, some as much as three teaspoons of sugar per serving!
So what healthy options are there for you to use on your next run or hike? When you’re on the trail and you need an added boost of energy and extra fuel try one of these ideas I found over at Rock Creek Runner.
Sweet Potatoes:
By slicing and lightly baking them sweet potatoes become and easy and convenient “fuel on the go” option. They contain vitamin A and C, potassium and fiber to give you the energy and fuel you need to keep going. Most importantly, they are all natural and don’t contain any of the questionable ingredients we talked about earlier.
Buddy Fruits
These are all natural fruit products made for kids in the consistency of apple sauce. They are easy to carry like gel fuel (even though they are a bit bigger). They are all natural and organic and you can find them at most whole food stores and even some grocery stores around the country.
Almonds
The final option shared by Rock Creek Runner is almonds. Almonds are simple, easy to pack and provide steady, all natural fuel and energy when you’re out on the trail.
So next time you’re heading out for a run a hike or a bike consider switching out your energy gel for an all natural alternative.
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