How diet soda causes weight gain

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Of the fruits and vegetables you buy every week, which should you buy organic? The Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides identifies fruits and vegetables that have the highest and lowest pesticide residues. The 12 fruits and vegetables that make up their "Dirty Dozen" list, are most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues. If you’re worried about pesticides in your food, consider buying these 12 fruits and vegetables organic, starting with the most contaminated food.

1. Apples - Topping the 2011 dirty dozen list is a tree fruit that always makes the list: Apples. (Apples ranked No. 2 in 2009 and No. 4 in 2010.) more than 40 different pesticides have been detected on apples, because fungus and insect threats prompt farmers to spray various chemicals on their orchards. Not surprisingly, pesticide residue is also found in apple juice and apple sauce, making all apple products smart foods to buy organic.

Some recommend peeling apples to reduce exposure to pesticide residue, but be aware that you're peeling away many of the fruit's most beneficial nutrients when you do so!
Can't find organic apples? Safer alternatives include watermelon, bananas and tangerines.

2. Celery - Another perennial food on the dirty dozen list is celery. It's a good one to commit to memory, since it doesn't fit the three main categories of foods with the highest pesticide residue (tree fruits, berries and leafy greens). USDA tests have found more than 60 different pesticides on celery.

Can't find organic celery? Safer alternatives with a similar crunch include broccoli, radishes and onions.

3. Strawberries - Strawberries are always on the list of dirty dozen foods, in part because fungus prompts farmers to spray, and pesticide residue remains on berries sold at market. Nearly 60 different pesticides have been found on strawberries, though fewer are found on frozen strawberries.

Can't find organic strawberries? Safer alternatives include kiwi and pineapples.

4. Peaches - Another tree fruit that always makes the dirty dozen list: peaches. more than 60 pesticides have been found on peaches, an nearly as many in single-serving packs, but far fewer in canned peaches.

Safer alternatives include watermelon, tangerines, oranges and grapefruit.

5. Spinach -Leading the leafy green pesticide residue category is spinach, with nearly 50 different pesticides. (While frozen spinach has nearly as many, canned has had fewer detected pesticides.)

6. Nectarines (Imported) - Nectarines, at least imported ones, are among the most highly contaminated tree fruits. Domestic nectarines don't test with as much pesticide residue, but overall 33 pesticides have been detected on nectarines.
Can't find organic nectarines? Try pineapple, papaya or mango.

7. Grapes (Imported) - Another perennial entrant on the dirty dozen list, imported grapes can have more than 30 pesticides. Raisins, not surprisingly, also have high pesticide residue tests. Makes you wonder about wine, eh?
 

8. Sweet Bell Peppers -  Another fruit that usually makes the dirty dozen list because it tends to have high pesticide residue is the sweet bell pepper, in all of its colorful varieties. Nearly 50 different pesticides have been detected on sweet bell peppers.

9. Potatoes - America's favorite vegetable is the potato; unfortunately, more than 35 pesticides have been detected on potatoes in USDA testing. Sweet potatoes offer a delicious alternative with less chance of pesticide residue.

10. Blueberries (Domestic) - Blueberries usually make the dirty dozen list, since more than 50 pesticides have been detected as residue on them. Frozen blueberries have proved somewhat less contaminated. Unfortunately, obvious alternatives like cranberries and cherries, while they may not make the dirty dozen list this year, are often contaminated themselves. For breakfast cereal, if you can't find blueberries, consider topping with bananas.

11. Lettuce - Joining spinach in the leafy greens category, lettuce makes the list of dirty dozen foods with the most pesticides. More than 50 pesticides have been identified on lettuce. If you can't find organic lettuce, alternatives include asparagus.

12. Kale/Collard Greens - A superfood, traditionally kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested in each of the past two years.

Can't find organic kale? Safer alternatives include cabbage, asparagus and broccoli. Dandelion greens also make a nutritious alternative.

*Some other sites also included Pears, Cherries and Raspberries*

Buy the Clean 15

If the cost of buying all organic isn't within your budget, fear not. Check out The Daily Green's list of fruit and vegetables so clean of pesticides you don't have to buy organic. (Of course, buying organic is always a good choice for the health of farms and farm workers, regardless of the residue left on the end product.) The feature also includes tips for buying, cleaning, storing and using each fruit and vegetable – as well as delicious recipes! Here's a look at the Environmental Working Group's 2011 Clean 15 list:

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapple
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mango
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

The above info was found at http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#ixzz1hklr9mtz

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Albertsons
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Petite SirLoin Buy one get one FREE
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Organic Spinach 2 for $3
3.5-4 oz Lobster Tails $4.99
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Organic Gala and Braeburn Apples $1.49 lb

Candida

Many of the Candida symptoms in males are the same as they are for women, but there are a few unique aspects. Candida is believed to occur more often in women, but the truth is that it occurs in high numbers for men as well, but it is reported and diagnosed less frequently.

Men are less likely to be diagnosed with Candida for two reasons:

- One is because they don't seek help for their symptoms. the symptoms of Candida in males are often dismissed or denied by the man. He will just live with them because he thinks its unmanly to talk about them or get help. Men are socialized to just live with pain and discomfort rather than address it.

- The second is that Candida in males get mislabeled all kinds of other disorders, because there is a lack of education about Candida in the mainstream Medical society.

Males with Candida tend to get these labels:

• Chronic Prostatitis
• Hyperactive
• Learning Disabilities
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Conduct Disorder
• Anger or Rage Disorders
• Alcoholic
• Drug Addict
• Anti-social Disorder
• Autism

The instigator in all these conditions can be Candida. Several other factors such as food allergies, hypoglycemia, nutritional deficiencies, chemical sensitivities etc, may be the culprit as well, but these too are all part of the Candida syndrome. Where you find one, you usually find the others.

One of the most common organs to be affected by Candida is the brain and the nervous system. When this happens, it results in a variety of Candida symptoms in males that exhibit themselves as psychological or cognitive problems.

Other common Candida symptoms in males that don't fall under an actual disorder label may consist of irritability, cognitive difficulties, depression, inability to concentrate, fatigue, restlessness, anxiety, forgetfulness, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, frequent stomach aches, indigestion, heartburn, excessive shyness or feelings of being self-conscious, rashes and many more.

As children males with Candida typically experienced a lot of earaches, which resulted in antibiotics that only aggravated the Candida. As children and as men they may get in fights a lot and have difficulty excelling in school. They may be underachievers, due to Candida inhibiting brain function.

Two more very common Candida symptoms for males are jock itch and athletes feet. In these cases the Candida has localized in the feet or the genitals.

Many men have cured there chronic prostatitis or relieved their symptoms greatly by following a Candida Treatment regimen.

P2 Deals of the week!!

King Soopers
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Asparagus $2.99 lb
Roma and Granny Smith Apples .99 lb
Texas Rio Star Grapefruit $3.99 for 10lb bag

Sunflower
Yellow Onions 2lbs for $1
Navel Oranges .88 lb
Super Select Cucumbers 2 for $1
Hot House Tomatoes .99 lb
Celery .99 ea
Romaine Lettuce .99 ea
Organic Red and yellow Onions .99 lb
Tomoatoes on the vine $1.99 lb
Chicken Tenders $2.99 lb
All Organic Apples $1.77 lb

How to Food-Shop to maintain your Weight Loss

Making poor food choices can be all too easy — especially when you hit the grocery store and see aisle upon aisle of delicious, but dangerously unhealthy, foods. If you want to eat more healthfully, consider revamping your grocery shopping list and start choosing the most nutrition-rich products at the store. Here’s how to do it:

• If it’s bagged or boxed, don’t buy it. Odds are, if the food comes in a bag or a box, it’s been processed and contains chemicals and preservatives that could add to your body’s toxic load.
• Shop the perimeter of the store. The healthiest foods — fresh produce, meats, and dairy — are often located in the outer aisles, while the interior of the store — or Fake Food Land, as I like to call it — is stocked with the processed foods that will add to both your toxic load and your waist line.
• Check the labels. If it lists something long and unpronounceable, put it down. If you can’t read it and say it, you probably don’t want to eat it. (There are exceptions to this rule, since some healthy ingredients have long unrecognizable names. Use the Ingredients to Avoid list in my Food Reference Guide to help you navigate.)
• Look for clean foods. Choosing organic produce, grass-fed beef and lamb, organic chicken, wild-caught seafood and natural pork will limit your exposure to toxins.
• Avoid refined carbohydrates. White flour, white rice, corn, and most sweeteners are Insulin Triggers that can cause your body to store all the calories you eat as fat — and make it hard for you to burn your stored fat as energy. Look for whole-grain breads and pastas to help avoid the insulin rush.
• Choose the best beverages. Water is the best and healthiest drink, but decaffeinated teas and Swiss Water decaffeinated coffees are also good choices. Avoid sodas, whether regular or diet — the regular kinds are loaded with sugar and trigger an insulin surge, and the diet ones are full of chemicals and toxins you want to avoid.

The foundation of this plan is adopting and adapting to healthy eating habits, and a huge part of that is knowing how to shop for healthy, wholesome food.

P2 Deals of the week!!

King Soopers
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Roma or Granny Smith Apples .99 lb

Albertsons
93% lean ground beef $2.69 lb
Large Navel Oranges .99 lb
Celery .89 lb
Tomoatoes on the vine 2 for $5
Gala and Granny Smith $1.409 lb


Sunflower Market
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Red or Green Leaf Lettuce .99 ea
Spinach .99 ea
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Yellow Onions 2 for $3
Fuji, Braeburn & Jonagold Apples .99lb
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93% Lean Goround Beef $3.97 lb
Chicken Breast $2.99 lb
OOrganic Braeburn and Fuji Apples 2 for $3
Celery 2 for $3

Hidden Insulin Triggers

Everyone knows that candy, cakes, and cookies will give you that “sugar rush” — which causes your body to release insulin to balance the rise in blood sugar. What you may not realize are the not so obvious foods that also trigger an insulin response — like white flour and starchy vegetables and fruits such as carrots, corn, squash, potatoes, and bananas. Even seemingly healthier sweeteners, like honey, can cause unwanted insulin spikes. The human body does not distinguish sugar from white flour, or potatoes, or honey. They all turn to sugar upon digestion.

The key to losing weight is controlling that insulin response by avoiding all sugary or high-starch foods. When we were younger, many of us metabolized these sugars without a problem; but as we age, our bodies can no longer process these sugars optimally.

Along with sugar and white flour, here’s a brief list of some of the starchy fruits and vegetables you’ll want to use with caution: acorn squash, beets, bananas, butternut squash, carrots, corn, Hubbard squash, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and yams. Don’t worry, they’re not gone forever — you’ll be able to indulge from time to time once you’re on the lifetime phase of maintenance.

You’ll also want to be careful about your beverages: Drinks like beer, wine, and hard alcohol may actually cause worse spikes in your insulin levels than indulging in a sugary treat.

The idea of cutting these delicious foods from your diet may cause you to balk at first — believe me, I know! But just keep your goal in mind: Think about the sleek, firm body you could have with just a little dedication. I promise you, cleaning stored sugar out of your system is 100 percent worth the sacrifice. I’ve been where you are and am here to tell you that cutting out these added sugars will get you in the best shape of your life. Every day can be a radiant day, full of energy, vitality, and good health. I am fortunate to feel this way, and soon, every day will be the same way for you!


P2 Deals of the week!!


King Soopers
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Albertsons
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Sunflower Market
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Select Cucumbers 2 for $1
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Organic Gala Apples $1.69 lb
Organic Hot House Tomoatoes $1.99 lb
Red, Golden and Granny Smith Apples .99 lb
Asparagus $1.88 lb
Chicken Breast 1.88 lb
Organic Red and Green Leaf Lettuce 2 for $3