Extra Extra! C all about it!! Vitamin C of course!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my vitamin C! Unfortunately, most people don't get an adequate daily amount. (And No, the FDA guidelines for "adequate", really are not.) Especially necessary during the winter months as its immune enhancing properties are invaluable, you should be consuming 3-5,000mgs a day, which isn't that hard to do with the proper supplements. Vitamin C is water-soluble, so your body doesn't store it, like fat-soluble vitamins such as D3. So you need to get it daily.
I personally consume "Cardio-C" by the Vitamin C Foundation as I have found it to be the best that's out there.
Check them out! Link's to the right. I really can't say enough about this VITAL nutrient, JUST GET IT!! =)

VITAMIN C HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CURE OVER 30 MAJOR DISEASES FOR OVER 50 YEARS
If so, why haven't you heard more about it? Why haven't more doctors used Vitamin C as medicine?

Progress takes time, unfortunately. Fresh fruit was known to cure scurvy by 1753, yet governments ignored the fact for nearly 100 years. Countless thousands died in the meantime. The 19th century doctor who first advocated washing one's hands between patients died ignored and in disgrace with the medical profession. Toxic mercury was used as medicine into the twentieth century. And so it has been.

The first physician to aggressively use vitamin C to cure diseases was Frederick R. Klenner, M.D. beginning back in the early 1940's. Dr. Klenner consistently cured chicken pox, measles, mumps, tetanus and polio with huge doses of the vitamin. While vaccines are now available for these illnesses, please remember this was not the case in the 1940's.

The following is a list of the conditions that Dr. Klenner successfully treated with aggressive vitamin C therapy:

Pneumonia
Encephalitis
Herpes Zoster (shingles)
Herpes Simplex
Mononucleosis
Pancreatitis
Hepatitis
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Bladder Infection
Alcoholism
Arthritis
Some Cancers
Leukemia
Atherosclerosis
Ruptured Intervertebral Disc
High Cholesterol
Corneal Ulcer
Diabetes
Glaucoma
Schizophrenia
Burns and secondary infections
Heat Stroke
Radiation Burns
Heavy Metal Poisoning (Mercury, Lead)
Venomous Bites (insects, snakes)
Multiple Sclerosis
Chronic Fatigue
Complications of Surgery

This seems like an impossible list of vitamin C cures. At this point, you can either dismiss the subject or investigate further. Dr. Klenner chose to investigate. The result? He used massive doses of vitamin C for over forty years of family practice. He wrote dozens of medical papers on the subject. A complete list of them is in the Clinical Guide to the Use of Vitamin C, edited by Lendon H. Smith, M.D., Life Sciences Press, Tacoma, WA (1988).

- J.Mc.

CrossFit or DIE!

What is CrossFit?

The CrossFit program delivers fitness that is broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.

CrossFit is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.

The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. Our terrorist hunters, skiers, mountain bike riders and housewives have found their best fitness from the same regimen.

--Courtesy of CrossFit HQ

I wanted to plug a workout that I have done on a fairly regular schedule to break up my normal "gym" routine. The workout is called CROSSFIT and it's gaining popularity all over the world as of late. Mostly because of the incredible shape you find yourself in after a fairly short amount of time of consistent workouts. It's helped to push myself to another level, fitness wise and you know me, always up for a challenge! This ain't your typical, aesthetically pretty, gwakers gym, ala Las Vegas Athletic Club, so, don't plan on doing your beauty regime or toting your cosmetics bag to the locker room, cuz well there aint one! Haha. What you DO get is an ass kicking, a little abuse, and OH yea, you break a sweat! At LV CrossFit, Zach and Joe will put you thru your paces, they won't take any whining, and best of all, you get to pay for it!! The feeling and results though are priceless, and you just might... might get addicted. So leave your Ego at the door and do something good for yourself! Give it a go. For a CF location near you, just go to http://www.crossfit.com.

Pass the salt, please!

I love the taste of pure, crystal salt, and those little white packets of processed table salt just won't do. Our bodies need a certain amount of salt daily, so why not give it the best you can? One of my fave choices is a light pink coloured rock salt from the Himalayan region, called (appropriately) Himalayan salt. Don't think any sleep was lost on naming that one. haha.
It's actually a very ANCIENT crystal salt, in fact, of the world’s salt crystals, Himalayan Crystal, at 250 Million years old, is the oldest. According to experts it is among the purest Salt Crystals in the world.
Located deep below the earth’s surface, Himalayan Crystal Salt was created when the primal sea—the place where scientists believe all life originated—was dried up by the energy of the sun and then compressed over millions of years by the pressure of the land masses that formed on top of it. 100% pure Himalayan Crystal Salt contains at least 84 of the same naturally occurring elements needed by the body and in the same proportion as in the body. Its inherent minerals and trace elements are available in colloidal form, which means that the body is able to absorb necessary minerals and elements.
So, no need to go without great flavor in your cooking, add a little of this to your food, and you'll be hooked forever, like me! =)

-JMc

On your knees and Worship!!

Yes, I said it. Oh, and while you're down there....haha, kidding (kinda). BUT I'm not kidding about SAD or seasonal affective disorder!
Winter is upon us and in many parts of the country (thankfully not mine, but I'm not rubbing it in...well, ok a little. ;-) The sun is waning or has been completely MIA. There's a few reasons that lack of sunlight can getcha down, that being the warmth factor we crave, the lack of outdoor activities available (cabin fever), but most importantly is the nutrition that sunlight brings to our bodies in the form of vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is considered both a vitamin AND a hormone because our bodies, when exposed to sunshine, can produce it. During the winter months we are most likely to have a decline in D levels and become vulnerable to the winter blues.
How to beat it? Well if you live in a warmer climate you don't really have an excuse to get outside everyday and enjoy at least 15 mins of sun exposure, no need to slather on the sunscreen for this, please. That's enough time to give your body to make some vitamin D. If however you're holed up in Boston with no forecast of anything but mostly cloudy for weeks on end, I recommend taking a quality D supplement with at least 400IU a day. 400-800IU is a safe bet, you don't really wanna go over that with the D.
I, of course take mine in my Super Duper Multi-Cap from Life Extension. THE BEST multiple that's out there, trust me, I've tried everything. The links to the right if you want to check them out. ....Now, let's go hit the bed!... The sunbed, sheesh... =)
-JMc

The Snack That Keeps You Regular! Oh Yes.

If you hate waiting in the bathroom for a movement that’s oh-so-reluctant to happen, try changing your snacking habits.

Next time you get the munchies, smear a few celery sticks with a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter. Eating lots of water-rich foods (aka celery) and getting adequate magnesium (a la peanut butter) may help keep you regular.

Keep It Moving
A lack of fiber in the diet is a common culprit in constipation. But not getting enough magnesium or not eating enough water-packed foods may have an impact, too.

How much fiber do I need in my diet?
You should have at least 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories that you eat every day. Read the label on food packages to find out how much fiber a serving of a food will provide. Foods containing more than 20% of the daily value of fiber per serving are considered high in fiber.

A high-fiber diet can:
reduce cholesterol levels
promote regular bowel movements
improve blood sugar levels in diabetics
treat diverticular disease (inflammation of part of the intestine) and irritable bowel syndrome (abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation that come and go).
A high-fiber diet may help prevent some cancers, such as cancer of the colon or breast.
And of course, If you do not have enough fiber in your diet, you may have constipation.

Quick, Sweet, Healthy Treat

I just decided to blog about what im actually eating right now. One of my fave desserts is simple. Organic Berries, Raw Cacao (Chocolate), and Raw Manuka honey from New Zealand. Raw Cacao is considered a SUPERFOOD due to its extremely high anti-oxidant levels and healthy promoting properties. It actually surpasses pomegranate, acai, blueberries, Goji berries and all the other SUPERFOODS out there in terms of anti-oxidant levels. You could say raw cacao is the food of the gods.
Manuka honey is from NZ and is from bees who feed on the flowers of the Manuka bush, also known as the "Tea Tree" to produce a honey that has anti-bacterial properties. Tea-Tree oil, of course you've heard of that as it is used as a topical antibiotic and antifungal for wounds that fail to close. Manuka Honey seems to naturally destroy staph aureus and streptococcus pyogenes (common bacteria present in sore and strep throats, tonsillitis and colds) as well as h. pylori (helicobacter pylori), the bacteria responsible for stomach and duodenal ulcers (peptic ulcers).
I like it because it tastes amazing with the berries and raw chocolate, all the health benefits are a bonus!!

Enjoy!
JMc-

Best and Worst Fish Choices

I have long recommended fish as part of a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet. However, not all fish provide the same benefits, and some species should be limited or avoided altogether. If you don't like the taste of fish, you can still get the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids by consuming daily a high quality fish supplement. I recommend Life Extension's Super Omega-3 EPA/DHA with Sesame Lignans & Olive Fruit Extract (Molecularly Distilled). That's what i take everyday.

My advice, opt for:

Omega-3 rich fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for sustained physical and mental health. Research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk and symptoms of a variety of disorders, and can lower triglyceride levels, increase HDL cholesterol, help minimize inflammation and blood clotting, and keep blood vessels healthy. The best sources? Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, canned sockeye salmon, sardines, herring, and black cod. (I recommend 2-6 servings per week of fish that are high in omega-3s as part of the anti-inflammatory diet.)

Limit or Avoid:

Large predatory fish. Shark, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, and white (albacore) tuna may have high levels of mercury. Pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of contaminants, and should avoid these species. (Small catch tuna is OK, as it has high levels of omega-3s.)
Omega-6 rich fish. Farm-raised tilapia is one of the most highly consumed fish in America, yet it has very low levels of beneficial omega-3s and very high levels of potentially detrimental omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory, and inflammation is known to cause damage to blood vessels, the heart, lung and joint tissues, skin, and the digestive tract.
Farmed salmon. Avoid farmed salmon (also called Atlantic salmon), which is what you typically find in supermarkets, restaurants and fish markets. While less expensive than wild salmon, farmed salmon is lower in omega-3s and may contain residues of antibiotics and other drugs used to treat diseases in fish farming pens. What's more, levels of PCBs and other contaminants in farmed salmon have been found to be much higher than those found in wild salmon.

Persimmons - can you say Autumnal?!

Persimmon season is here! I just picked up a few last night while getting dinner at Trader Joes. I love love love these little fruits that look like orange pumpkin tomatoes. They're not really like any other fruit out there, Sweet, subtle, just enough. LOADED with Vitamin C, I mean they just scream beta-carotene when you look at them so you know Vitamin A is involved THERE (70%!).. so go get some and enjoy the fall weather and some sweet goodness!

Enjoy!
-JMC

Anti-Aging 101 MUST MUST MUST..I SAID MUST HAVE!

I take Life Extension resveratrol every single day. Scientists have hypothesized that resveratrol may be a key component of the famous “French Paradox,” whereby the French traditionally were protected against heart disease despite a diet high in butter and animal fats. Resveratrol is a phytoalexin, a natural plant antibiotic which is produced by Vitis vinifera as a response to attack by molds. Because of the wide-spread use of pesticides in modern wine-making, including the practice of copper sulphation, the level of resveratrol in modern wines has plummeted. Red wine contains resveratrol, but the quantity varies depending on where the grapes are grown, the time of harvest, and other factors. In fact, usually only one to three mg resveratrol per liter of red wine is currently found, even in the most robust red wines. After years of relentless research, a standardized resveratrol extract is now available as a dietary supplement. This whole grape extract contains a spectrum of polyphenols that are naturally contained in red wine such as proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, flavonoids, etc.
From 20 to 250 mg a day and higher. The resveratrol potency you choose may be based on your current state of health and/or your desire to reach the upper limits of a healthy human life span.
Life Extension offers Optimized Resveratrol, a supplement that contains 250 mg of standardized trans-resveratrol for those who want optimal potencies.
I SAID MUST HAVE PEOPLE. GET IT. DONE.

Simply Miso

Miso is soy bean paste, which is an essential condiment in Japanese cooking. Miso is made by fermenting soy beans with salt and koji. Koji are fermented grains such as rice, barley, and soy beans. It takes about 10 months to a year for miso to be ready for use.

Recipes
Miso Soup with Tofu

Ingredients:
3 cups dashi soup stock
1 block tofu
3-4 tbsps miso paste
1/4 cup chopped green onion
Preparation:

Put dashi soup stock in a pan and bring to a boil. Cut tofu into small cubes and add them to the soup. Simmer the tofu for a few minutes on low heat. Scoop out some soup stock from the pan and dissolve miso in it. Gradually return the miso mixture in the soup. Stir the soup gently. Stop the heat and add chopped green onion. Remember not to boil the soup after you put miso in.
*Makes 4 servings

(Courtesy of Susan Powter online . com)