Good Foods for Great Health

koiguy1969

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Study: Even Grocery Store Coupons Are Mostly Trying to Sell You Junk
By Melissa Melton on January 30, 2014

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(Melissa Melton via The Daily Sheeple)
Being poor means a lot more these days than having less money to buy an Escalade and that third summer vacation home on the beach.
Try being able to afford buying healthy food in modern America.
Now a study in this month’s edition of Preventing Chronic Disease has shown that grocery stores tend to offer coupons cutting costs on its less than healthy fare, while rarely discounting the actual “good stuff”:
The study found that coupons offered by grocery stores often chop the costs of calorie-laden foods such as crackers, chips, desserts and sugary drinks. Relatively few markets discount lean meats, low-fat dairy products or fresh fruits and vegetables, the researchers said.
“We know from other studies that when you lower the price of foods, people buy more of them,” said study author Dr. Hilary Seligman, assistant professor in residence at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. “When junk foods are the foods stores are lowering the prices of, we shouldn’t be surprised that more of them are purchased.” (source)
By the way, when is the last time anyone saw a coupon for some fresh fruits or vegetables?
Even before discounts, it’s clear that heavily processed foods are far cheaper than whole, fresh foods in America. University of Washington obesity researcher Adam Drewnowski conducted a study on why the most reliable predictor of obesity is a lack of wealth. On behalf of The New York Times, Michael Pollan wrote:
Drewnowski gave himself a hypothetical dollar to spend, using it to purchase as many calories as he possibly could. He discovered that he could buy the most calories per dollar in the middle aisles of the supermarket, among the towering canyons of processed food and soft drink. (In the typical American supermarket, the fresh foods — dairy, meat, fish and produce — line the perimeter walls, while the imperishable packaged goods dominate the center.) Drewnowski found that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips but only 250 calories of carrots. Looking for something to wash down those chips, he discovered that his dollar bought 875 calories of soda but only 170 calories of orange juice. [emphasis added]
So there you go. One big reason for this is clearly the Farm Bill, which heavily subsidizes crops in this country.
“You have a whole régime here that’s worked to increase agricultural efficiency,” Tillotson says. And what U.S. farmers are most efficient at producing, he says, are just a few highly subsidized crops—wheat, soybeans, and especially corn.
Support for these few crops, critics say, has compelled farmers to ignore other crops such as fruits, vegetables, and other grains. The market is flooded with products made from the highly subsidized crops, including sweeteners in the form of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), fats in the form of hydrogenated fats made from soybeans, and feed for cattle and pigs. This flood, in turn, drives down the prices of fattening fare such as prepackaged snacks, ready-to-eat meals, fast food, corn-fed beef and pork, and soft drinks. Worse yet, some scientists say, paltry support for foods other than these staples increases the contrast between prices of fat-laden, oversweetened foods and those of healthier alternatives, offering poor folks little choice but to stock their pantries with less nutritious foods.
Much of the processed food in America is made with either GMO corn or soy. Why? It might have something to do with the fact that those are top subsidized crops in this country. If we are what we eat, it has been declared that Americans actually are corn and soy. The average American’s hair strand test shows that around 70% of our hair is made of the same carbon as corn (that same figure isn’t found in Europe, where people’s diets aren’t based on what the government is subsidizing their farmers to grow).
On top of that, even the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association reportedly admits that 80% of the food consumed in the U.S. is genetically modified (although that number seems a bit conservative when all the GM food additives such as high fructose corn syrup and soy lecithin are factored in).
Studies have shown that food grown without the use of all of the synthetic pesticides used on crops like those that are genetically modified actually are more nutritious (despite claims by Big Agra players like Monsanto and Dow, who regulated their own products and swear they are “substantially equivalent” to their non-modified counterparts).
One theory has to do with the fact that plants create cancer-fighting polyphenols in response to fighting off pests; if they are reliant on man-made chemical concoctions to do that job for them, the plants don’t create as many. A Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals even found that milk treated with the artificial bovine growth hormone rBGH is less nutritious as well.
However, store-bought organic food comes at a premium in this country, so take a guess at who is likely buying most of it. On the flip side, it’s no far stretch to say that most people who clip coupons are on a tight budget (to say the least).
You have to wonder whose interest it serves to literally promote people eating lower quality foods in this country…
For more on how grocery stores promote these kinds of products with coupons, check out this video from Truthstream Media:
Melissa Melton is a writer, researcher, and analyst for The Daily Sheeple and a co-creator of Truthstream Media. Wake the flock up!
 

addy1

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no...............thankfully! That would trash my back.
 

koiguy1969

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Green juices are power-packed with nutrition. Green vegetables have the ability to transform sunshine into the food that all creatures consume. True to their nature, greens produce chlorophyll, which oxygenate your body. This enables us to release stored toxins in the body. Your hemoglobin (that has a similar molecular structure as that of your red blood cells) will get elevated, improving the blood circulation as a result and giving your body a boost of energy.
 
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koiguy1969

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a good kitchen tip for those who like to cook, or dont like to but do!!
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freeze your fresh herbs in a healthy oil such as olive, coconut, hempseed,grapeseed etc...
 

addy1

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Neat idea, I am going to try and grow more herbs this summer.
 

addy1

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I just stick mine in the ground, but that looks like a neat green house. We get darn hot in maryland in the summer, too cold in the winter unless heated and insulated.
 

koiguy1969

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What Are the Health Benefits of Oregano?
By Dr. Mercola
Oregano is a wonderful herb, both to use in your cooking and to use therapeutically as needed. Its name means “mountain joy,” and oregano was revered as a symbol of happiness by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
This is why drawings often depict brides and grooms of the time crowned with a laurel of oregano, which was a widespread tradition. Although oregano is popular in Mediterranean cuisine, in the US, it’s often associated primarily with a pizza spice.
This does this medicinal herb a great disservice, since today we know that oregano contains vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, vitamin B6, calcium, and potassium. Additionally, oregano, which is sometimes called “wild marjoram” in Europe (and is closely related to the herb sweet marjoram) contains potent phytochemicals that provide potential health benefits.
The Top 5 Health Benefits of Oregano
1. Antioxidants for Immune System Support
One active agent in oregano is rosmarinic acid, which is a strong antioxidant that may support immune system health. Oregano has one of the highest antioxidant activity ratings, with 42 times the antioxidant punch of apples. According to one study:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/01/oregano-health-benefits.aspx#_edn3
“…intake of herbs [including oregano] may…contribute significantly to the total intake of plant antioxidants, and be an even better source of dietary antioxidants than many other food groups such as fruits, berries, cereals, and vegetables.”
2. Antifungal, Antibacterial, and May Even Kill MRSA
Carvacol and thymol, two phytochemicals in oregano, are powerful antimicrobials. Research has shown essential oils from oregano may kill the foodborne pathogen Listeria and the superbug MRSA (making it a useful addition to hand soaps and disinfectants). According to one of the researchers involved in the MRSA study:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/01/oregano-health-benefits.aspx#_edn6
“We have done a few preliminary tests and have found that the essential oil from the oregano kills MRSA at a dilution 1 to 1,000. The tests show that the oil kills MRSA both as a liquid and as a vapor and its antimicrobial activity is not diminished by heating in boiling water.”
Studies have also found essential oils of oregano to be useful against certain Candida species.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/01/oregano-health-benefits.aspx#_edn7
3. Anti-inflammatory Properties
Oregano contains beta-caryophyllin (E-BCP), a substance that inhibits inflammation and may also be beneficial for conditions including osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis, as well as metabolic syndrome.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/01/oregano-health-benefits.aspx#_edn9
4. Useful for Upper Respiratory Infections
Oregano also has potential anti-viral activity, and a spray containing aromatic essential oils from five plants, including oregano, was found to significantly relieve symptoms “immediately” in those with upper respiratory infections.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/01/oregano-health-benefits.aspx#_edn10
If you come down with a cold or the flu, oregano oil can also be useful. Generally, the higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective it is. Interestingly, oregano encourages sweat production as a mode of detox, and ingesting it may help your body to get rid of unwanted phlegm in your lungs.
5. Cancer-Fighting Effects
Oregano extract has been shown to “lead to growth arrest and cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner” in colon cancer cells. A phytochemical in oregano, carnosol, has also been “evaluated for anti-cancer property in prostate, breast, skin, leukemia, and colon cancer with promising results.”http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/01/oregano-health-benefits.aspx#_edn12
In the chart below, you can browse through 15 additional conditions that oregano may be useful for…and then learn even more about oregano’s many healthy properties by reading “What is Oregano Good For?

More Than Flavor: Why Use Oregano in Your Cooking?

Oregano’s warm, aromatic flavor works well with many foods (not just Italian). Try adding it to your salad dressings, vegetables, or eggs, for starters. Beyond this, one of the best uses for oregano in your cooking is adding it to meat prior to cooking, which may help reduce the toxic compounds created during the cooking process.
One study found that adding an antioxidant-rich spice blend that included oregano to meat prior to cooking reduced the level of malondialdehyde (a chemical marker for oxidation) in the meat by 71 percent and levels in participants’ urine by 49 percent. The researchers used a blend of:

You can easily recreate this simply by mixing the dry spices together and rubbing them onto the meat before you quickly sear it, or add them to your marinade.
Even if you’re not a gardener, oregano is an herb that’s very easy to grow at home, which would give you a virtually free and ongoing fresh supply of this wonderful herb. Better still, oregano is a perennial, which means it will keep coming back year after year (it works well grown in containers, too).
Simply clip what you need and use it fresh, or dry it before use (dried oregano is also found in the popular “herbes de Provence” spice blend). Keep dried oregano in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
When purchasing oregano, you’ll likely find two varieties: Mediterranean oregano (also known as Greek oregano, Turkish oregano, and European oregano) and Mexican oregano.
Although their flavors are similar, Mediterranean oregano and Mexican oregano come from two different plants. Mexican oregano is actually most closely related to lemon verbena and has a stronger, more pungent and also less sweet flavor than Mediterranean oregano.
In choosing which one to use in your cooking, Mexican oregano works well in spicy, intensely flavored dishes alongside spices like cumin and chili powder. Mediterranean oregano works well with Italian dishes, fish, lamb, salads, vegetables, and other dishes with more mild flavors.
Oregano Oil Is a Wonderful Addition to Your Natural Medicine Chest
In addition to its culinary uses, oregano oil may be useful for fighting off many types of infections, making it a useful home remedy. For instance, the anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and antifungal properties in oregano oil may be useful for:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/01/oregano-health-benefits.aspx#_edn15
You can use oregano oil in a variety of ways, depending on your health needs:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/01/oregano-health-benefits.aspx#_edn21
  • Topically for athlete’s foot or nail fungus. Try soaking your feet in a basin of water with a few teaspoons of oil, or rubbing the diluted oil (1 drop of oil in a teaspoon of olive or coconut oil) on your nails/skin.
  • Inhaled to treat sinus infections or colds. Simply put a few drops of oregano oil in a pot of steaming water. Carefully inhale the steam, being careful not to get burned.
  • Under your tongue to help treat infections or parasites. Dilute the oil (1 drop of oil with 1 drop of a carrier oil) and place one or two diluted drops under your tongue. Hold it for a few minutes, then rinse your mouth with water. Repeat up to four times a day.
Read the full article here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/01/oregano-health-benefits.aspx
 

j.w

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Very good video koiguy and went on to watch the junk food one also. Lots of good explanations and encouragement for people trying to eat right and lose weight the right way (y)
 

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