Potato chips and French fries have become a staple of the American diet. Unfortunately, the process by which potatoes are cooked into chips or fries alters their chemical structure and makes ingestion, especially in excess, dangerous. One chemical recently found in French fries that has garnished increasing attention is acrylamide.

Acrylamide is a potentially toxic chemical that forms when certain carbohydrate-rich foods (potatoes, breads and cereals in particular) are fried, baked or roasted at high temperatures. Just last month Health Canada recommended that acrylamide be placed on the toxic substances list. Although previous research has found high doses of acrylamide can cause cancer in rats, the risk to human health is relatively unknown.

In a recent study, researchers in Poland assessed the relationship between potato chips (known to contain acrylamide) with oxidative stress and inflammation.

Fourteen men and women ingested 160 g of potato chips containing 157-mg acrylamide daily for 4 weeks. Researchers evaluated free radical production and C-reactive protein in addition to other less known markers of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Researchers noted a distinct increase in the number of acrylamide-hemoglobin adducts. An "adduct" is the combination of two or more different molecules. Hemoglobin is the protein molecule that delivers oxygen to the body. An increase in acrylamide-hemoglobin adducts indicates increased toxicity in the blood. Moreover, significant elevation in all markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were found after 4 weeks.

Increases in inflammation are thought to result in the enhanced progression of atherosclerosis, in addition to many other diseases and disorders. It appears that reducing consumption of fries and chips can do more than reduce your waistline. It might save your life!

Naruszewicz, M., et al (2009) Chronic intake of potato chips in humans increases the production of reactive oxygen radicals by leukocytes and increases plasma C-reactive protein: a pilot study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 89 (3): 773-777.

On a cold January morning in a Washington, DC Metro Station, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time about two thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After three minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

Four minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. After 6 minutes, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. After ten minutes, a 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

In the end, only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32. When he finished playing, no one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell had sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

The performance was organized as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and people's priorities. In a common place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do you perceive beauty? Do you stop to appreciate it? Do you recognize talent in an unexpected context?

If you do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, how many other things might you be missing?


Sources:
  Washington Post April 8, 2007

With all the hype about the H1N1 virus in the media you would think that the only way to prevent being infected with the Swine Flu is to get vaccinated. But you have to wonder, is it the safest way to go? As it stands, the H1N1 swine flu vaccine is classified as a Class C drug, meaning that the vaccine has not yet been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential. Nor have animal studies been conducted to investigate possible fetal harm. Another general concern results from the “fast-track approval” approach for which the pharmaceutical companies are pushing to win the race against time. Clinical trials involving all age groups are currently under way in many countries; the trials do not include pregnant women even though pregnant women are a major vaccination target.  With that being said, there are Natural ways to strengthen your immune system.  Here are FIVE natural ways to increase your immune system:

1. Get adequate exercise, sleep and take actions to lower your stress levels. Exercise stimulates circulation, improves muscle tone, improves cardiac function and boosts immunity. It is also a way to eliminate toxins from the body. Exercise is a critical component in the elimination of "poisons"--such as myriad toxins that build up in the body as a result of regular bodily processes in addition to man-made chemicals--from the body for three simple reasons. First, when we exercise we breathe more deeply, more forcefully and more often. In doing so, we release toxic by-products through the lungs. Second, when we exercise we also perspire. Perspiration is another means to eliminate metabolic waster material from the body. Finally, muscular activity is the only way to move waste material through the lymphatic vessels. If we don't sweat, don't breathe heavily and don't move our muscles, these toxins must find another way out. Unfortunately, they usually remain in the body, only to foul the biochemical machinery that makes our immune system operate efficiently. The result: susceptibility to illness.
An article published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine illustrates the effect exercise can have on infections. In this study, only 45 minutes of brisk walking per day was shown to lower the incidence of upper respiratory symptoms, cut the duration of illness in half and increase natural killer-cell activity in people prone to upper respiratory tract infections. Exercise also lowers stress levels and promotes improved sleeping patterns.
One important component to maintaining a regular workout schedule is finding something that you enjoy. Boot camps are growing in popularity across the country because they are designed to incorporate group involvement and variety keeping regular physical activity fun and exciting. Group support is a great way to stay motivated as well.

2. Supplement your diet.  Our food today does not provide adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to function at optimal levels.  Simply put, you would have to eat about 5,000 calories a day in order to get enough vitamins and minerals out of your food. Not a good idea for anybody. This is why supplements are so important; they provide sufficient nutrition without calories. Caution: ALL SUPPLEMENTS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. The truth is the FDA does not regulate any dietary supplement because they are not considered a food or a drug. This opens consumers up to false advertising, dangerous un-researched ingredients, and lots of products that do not have a single ingredient that is listed on the label. Be smart about supplement buying. Make sure doctors not marketers and MBAers are making the products, look for science behind products not great marketing, make sure the company has not had any lawsuits and has been around for longer than a couple of years, note that if you do not feel or see results the products are probably not working, and finally don’t take advice from the teenager that works at GNC find a professional that understands the industry and that you trust. The only products that I ever recommend clients are AdvoCare products.
Since 1993, AdvoCare has been a world-class nutrition company specializing in health and wellness, weight management, vibrant energy and sports performance. Their products are formulated by an elite Scientific and Medical Advisory Board with over 200 years combined experience in pharmacology, toxicology, nutrition, sports performance and pediatrics. They have a multitude of product endorsers that includes professional athletes, champion amateur athletes, and acclaimed entertainers.

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3.  Wash your hands Frequently, but not excessively. It decreases the likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Don’t use antibacterial soap, because of the risk of creating resistant bacteria. Instead use a simple, chemical-free soap.

4. Avoid sugar and processed foods. These dramatically decrease immune system function. Look for whole grain and avoid bleached, unbleached or enriched flours. Enrich the diet with fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants to help fight free radicals.

5. Eat phytonutrient rich meals. Theses include lots of colorful salads and dark greens. Always look for organic options when possible. And add garlic to everything - it works as a broad spectrum antibiotic.

-Shanna Tokarsky 2009

Resources:
https://www.advocare.com
http://my.clevelandclinic.org
http://www.healthguidance.org
http://www.naturalawakeningsmag.com
    

Eat a Small Meal Every 2-3 Hours that you are awake

Keep each meal right around 300 Calories

Examples
- 2 eggs + 1 slice whole grain bread (no butter)
- Open Face sandwich w/meat, veggies, light mayo
- 1/2 cup brown rice + 3oz chicken
- 3oz can tuna (no oil) + 6 crackers

eating small meals every 2-3 hours will keep your body's metabolism burning high all day

if you wait longer than 3 hours to eat your body automatically enters the "starvation response" and starts manufacturing fat-producing enzymes to store the next thing that you eat.

Think of it like your body and you have a trust relationship. If you are not feeding it every 2-3 hours it loses that trust and starts producing fat (emergency energy). Your body assumes the worst and thinks you might be for days without food. Very useful during our caveman years...not so helpful now!

Sumo wrestlers use the starvation response to their advantage when they are trying to gain weight. They restrain from eating as much as possible all day long and then feast for the last 4 hours they are awake.....unfortunately most Americans are on the same diet.

RULE OF THUMB: Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Queen, Dinner like a prince. Then snacks in between!

Make it Happen:
-Plan ahead - write out meal plans & go shopping
-Pack your lunch
-carry almonds or healthy snack with you, store them in your car (I use catalyst from AdvoCare a lot - its like eating a 4oz chicken breast without calories!! I use it if I can't get to food, keeps my body from going into the starvation mode by feeding muscle. Keeps staying on track easier, there is not always good food options around and carrying food isn't always an option either)
-Always eat within 1 hour of waking so you have enough time to fit in all your meals
-set an alarm if you have troubles remembering to eat so often in the beginning

This is a difficult change! It will take time to get used to. Just by changing this you will have awesome results! Its worth putting the effort forward.

-Shanna Tokarsky 2009

This is from my good friend and business mentor Bob Ferngren:

"Sometimes you have to get very uncomfortable to grow... 1 week on the road and I have some observations.
1. People are people...everywhere I go, I see the same things we face everywhere

 2. Most people I have met are wonderful...its certainly been the best part

3. The vast majority have stopped dreaming and have given up on the life they thought they would have and are settling for much less

4. Many people live in the past...past relationships, past sports accomplishments, past jobs

5. Very few people believe they can have anything they want

6. The health crisis we see everyday is alive everywhere I have been

7. In most place the financial crisis is now generational..."its always been this way"

 8. Young people are following the same path as their parents...only the debt will be bigger (college)...the divorces are starting sooner, and years of poor choices are destroying their health faster

9. People are doing ANYTHING to feel better and desperate for energy...stress is through the roof

10. Most are living quite lives of desperation...single moms, dead end jobs, folks barely living paycheck to paycheck, bosses they can't stand and strangled by debt they never saw coming  

Through all of that, I have never felt more energized and excited.  I never felt more blessed to be called to this opportunity.   Guys and gals...there is not just your immediate circle of influence to help...their is a country that needs what we have   I urge you to be stronger and clearer about "where you are going" and "what you see for yourself"...I know this, the only way we can help others is do it ourselves, live your life out loud...be an example and lead.   More than anything...people are looking for strong leadership...   "

Robert Ferngren,CLC
Upward Momentum

If you needed another reason to lose weight, scientists have just uncovered something that might be of interest. Researchers at UCLA recently reported that body fat may be inversely related to brain size.

According to a Healthday interview with lead scientist Paul Thompson, being overweight or obese ages the brain by 8 to 16 years, respectively. Moreover, the areas of the brain most affected by excess body fat are the frontal and temporal lobes. The frontal lobe is responsible for everything from problem solving ability to memory, impulse control and social behaviors whereas the temporal lobe coordinates both visual and auditory information. Increased degeneration of these areas has been suggested to lead to Alzheimer's disease.

To make the above determinations brain images from 94 elderly adults were studied. The individuals were then followed for five years. The brains of obese participants were 8% smaller than those of normal-weight participants, whereas overweight participants had 4% less brain tissue.

Although a cause-and-effect relationship could not be determined from this study, the researchers suggest that it could be a result of poor nutrient delivery to the brain in obese individuals. If this is the case, exercise, which increases nutrient delivery throughout the body, might play an important role in preventing the loss of brain tissue in overweight and obese.

HealthyDay News (2009) As Waistlines Widen, Brains Shrink. Wednesday, August, 26.

You can pay for your health with proper nutrition, exercise and chemical free foods or with insurance deductibles, time off work and medical bills. . . the choice is yours. What are you waiting for??