Why is Raw Food So Good For You?

"Because from thirty to eighty-five percent of the nutrition in foods is destroyed in cooking. That is an average fifty percent loss! Fresh, raw foods contain the highest level of enzymes. Enzymes are the catalyst for the hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions that occur throughout the body. Cooked foods and dry convenient diets have been denatured and are devoid of enzymes- life-promoting elements. While they may maintain life they do not promote optimum health or longevity!"Alicia McWatters, Ph.D., C.N.C

Raw foods are easy to digest, and they provide the maximum amount of raw nutrition with minimal bodily effort. Raw and Living Foods are foods that contain enzymes. In general, the act of heating  food over 116  degrees F destroys enzymes in food. (Enzymes start to degrade in as little as 106 degrees F).  All cooked food is devoid of enzymes, furthermore cooking food changes the molecular structure of the food and renders it toxic.  Living and raw foods also have enormously higher nutrient values than the foods that have been cooked.

There is a website dedicated to people who only eat raw foods. And they have hundreds of articles on the subject. Think about this: In nature all animals eat living foods as yielded up by Nature. Only humans cook their foods and only humans suffer widespread sicknesses and ailments. Those humans who eat mostly living foods are more alert, think clearer, sharper and more logically and become more active.

 Dr. Dominic Gaziano - Dr. G 
    The Feel Good Health Guy /  Health & Wellness Expert

Saturated and trans fats are BAD and polysaturated and monosaturated are GOOD fats.

Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nuts including peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocado, canola and olive oil are high in MUFAs. MUFAs have also been found to help in weight loss, particularly body fat.

Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.

Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil. 

Trans fats are invented as scientists began to "hydrogenate" liquid oils so that they can withstand better in food production process and provide a better shelf life. As a result of hydrogenation, trans fatty acids are formed. Trans fatty acids are found in many commercially packaged foods, commercially fried food such as French Fries from some fast food chains, other packaged snacks such as microwaved popcorn as well as in vegetable shortening and hard stick margarine.

Healthy cooking oils:

• canola oil
• peanut oil
• olive oil
• sunflower oil
• corn oil
• soft margarine (non-hydrogenated)

Unhealthy cooking oils:

• coconut oil
• hard margarine
• butter
• palm oil
• palm kernel oil
• vegetable shortening

 Dr. Dominic Gaziano - Dr. G 
    The Feel Good Health Guy /  Health & Wellness Expert 


 

One of the common causes of puffy eyes is the fluid retention of our head in that part of the eye.

Fluid can easily be stored under those eyes when we sleep in our stomachs.

Overnight, the fluids in our body go to the head and do not circulate properly.

The best remedy is to sleep with your heads elevated in a higher than normal position for a night. This will usually help.

Also, laying down with a couple dampened tea bags or cucumbers has been known to help relieve eye puffiness. Caffeinated teas help constrict blood vessels and reduce swelling, while herbal teas (especially chamomile) contain anti-irritants that soothe redness and inflammation.


Another trick a patient told me to try is chilled teaspoons! Teaspoon-size spoons are just the right utensils for temporarily helping your eyes reduce to normal proportions. Lie down, close your eyes, and place one chilled spoon (curved side down) on each eye.


 Dr. Dominic Gaziano - Dr. G 
    The Feel Good Health Guy /  Health & Wellness Expert

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

This date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. For the most part the celebrations combine food, music and dancing on this day.

One of my favorite foods is homemade guacamole! Avocado's are sometimes judged for their fat content, but this heart-healthy fruit is nutritious.

Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable, and have more potassium than bananas. Plus they are loaded with vitamin E  and lutein.

Avocados are cholesterol-free but have 30 grams of fat, most of which is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.

       PREVENTION Magazine offers this great "No-Guilt" guacamole recipe:     

• 1 California avocado
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 sm jalapeno chile pepper, seeded
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp lime juice (or lemon)
• 1 med tomato, quartered
• 1/4 c chopped onion

Hopefully it's a nice spring day where ever you are! 

                                              Take 5 minutes to breathe deeply today!

Right now, you are sitting at your computer no doubt reading this. You're probably 'shallow' breathing. Shallow breathing gives you 'sticky lungs' - lungs that can't give your muscles and brain the amount of air you need for a healthy lifestyle. To relax. To think clearly. To feel good.

At work, at home, outside if it's nice, in the car...stop and take a deep breath today. Deep breathing is one of the most powerful relaxation techniques known. It works well with muscle relaxation techniques including Progressive Muscle Relaxation or PMR. 

Take 5 to 10 minutes, you will really notice the relaxation effect every time you do this. It is best to have quiet, try to only focus on the act of breathing only. Take deep breaths and relax your body further with each breath.

This is also very relaxing to do when you lay down to go to bed. It will help your body become more relaxed and help clear your mind.

Remember that relaxation techniques are skills. And as with any skill, your ability to relax improves with practice. Be patient with yourself. Stay motivated to reduce the negative impact of stress on your body and to experience a greater sense of calm in your life.

Dr. Dominic Gaziano - Dr. G 
    The Feel Good Health Guy /  Health & Wellness Expert

I just wanted to take a moment and give a quick shout out and congratulations to a very special person, Ambre Lake. She was the recent winner of Bret Michael's heart on the VH1 reality show Rock of Love.

A southern-born performer who struck an equal balance between acting and modeling, I had the opportunity of working with Ambre here in Chicago, as one the hosts on my Health and Lifestyles Weekly show.

She is a wonderful girl and I wish her much happiness with Bret!


 Dr. Dominic Gaziano - Dr. G 
    The Feel Good Health Guy /  Health & Wellness Expert

SMALL amounts of unprotected sun exposure could actually be good for you.

Most humans tend to get most of their vitamin D from exposure to sunlight, so people who avoid the sun completely or who always wear sunscreen to protect themselves against skin cancers are at risk for vitamin D deficiencies. 

According to the MAYO Clinic, the sun is  a significant contributor to our daily production of vitamin D, and as little as 10 minutes of exposure is thought to be enough to prevent deficiencies.

Some recent studies link vitamin D deficiency with a host of cancers including those of the prostate, colon, and breast; now comes word that it may also be a major cause of unexplained muscle and bone pain.

In a recent book, it is said  vitamin D may also help protect against heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and even type 1 diabetes.

Next time you see your doctor, just ask him.

A simple blood test will tell. 



 Dr. Dominic Gaziano - Dr. G 
    The Feel Good Health Guy /  Health & Wellness Expert

Antioxidant Guide has lots of useful information about anti-aging supplements and vitamins. The term “Antioxidant” refers to a group of organic substances, including vitamins C and E, vitamin A, selenium (a mineral), and a group know as carotenoids - beta-carotene being the most popular and well know carotenoid. Carotenoids are the pigment compounds that give many fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors. Antioxidants are believed to be effective in helping to prevent cancer, heart disease, stroke and a variety of other ailments associated with natural aging. Specifically antioxidants prevent ailments by destroying free harmful radicals inside the human body.


Most of us can not consume enough fruits and vegetables in a day, therefore supplementing assures we get enough of the recommended amounts.

I recommend taking antioxidant supplements in the recommended doses:

Vitamin E 400 IU (international units) folate 1 mg;
Vitamin C 1,000mg,
and a multivitamin with Beta Carotene.

As always,  you want to consult your personal doctor before taking these.

Antioxidant Supplements provides protection for many of the body's important systems by combating free radicals and oxidant molecules which damage cells, DNA, and good fats and cholesterol.

Dr. Dominic Gaziano - Dr.  G
                     The Feel Good Health Guy
                     Health & Wellness Expert 

Assess how far you walk a day. 

On the same day, record how long you sit in a day. 

Some of us can’t help how little we walk!  The workplace has become so modernized that we rarely need to leave the hub that it our desk. Figure out one day how much walking you actually do. You can purchase a pedometer pretty cheaply. Most of us do not walk enough.

Find ways to walk more by using simple tricks like parking further away or try to use the stairs all day at work (if you work on the 15th floor perhaps you could get off the elevator 2-3 floors early and walk up).  Take breaks and walk around your office, walk over to a co-worker instead of sending an e-mail. Even if you take fifteen minuets of your lunch break to walk around the block you will be increasing your daily activity.

A sedentary lifyestyle  is characterized by a lot of sitting or remaining inactive for most of the day (for example, in an office), with little or no exercise. It is believed to be a factor in obesity, and, as such, may contribute to other diseases, such as type II diabetes, heart disease, depression and even hemorrhoids. Lack of exercise causes muscle atrophy, i.e. shrinking and weakening of the muscles, which in turn increases susceptibility to physical injury.

People whine they don't have time. But little things can add up. If you take a bus or train, get off early and walk a little, if the weather is nice. While watching TV, work out a little - or at least stretch. Do something in  your a yard. Dance in your house! Maybe while doing the dusting, dance and  move to some music while cleaning. Walk around the house while talking on the phone. Almost everyone has a cordless phone these days. Do you sit or multi-task while on the phone??

There are lots of little things you can do when you think about it. Over a period of time they will get you into the habit of choosing an active alternative to the every day things you do. And it can add up!


Dr. Dominic Gaziano - Dr.  G
                     The Feel Good Health Guy
                     Health & Wellness Expert 

So let’s assess how in or out of shape we are. If you are not in shape, don’t worry you are not alone, 86% of Americans are out of shape.  Certain individuals may not have the capacity to do exercise at more intense levels, but most people do.  For the most part, you are in acceptable shape if you can sustain moderate intensity exercise for at least 20 minutes at a time.

How much should you be exercising? Well the American Heart Association recommends exercising three times a week for at least thirty minutes. Do you know there are 336 thirty-minute blocks in a week? If you calculate for a 40 hour work week, time for adequate sleep (about fifty-six hours), grooming, meals and transportation time, you still have left over 126 thirty-minute blocks to get in three 30-minute blocks. No more excuses. 

I recommend that you make workout time a feel good time. Buy functional workout clothes that are flattering and make you feel good. When you work out, get into the zone. You should focus on two things, proper form and relaxing without being lazy. That’s relaxation in the working out and overall relaxation. Just relax and do not think of that passive aggressive boss or that deadline tomorrow, but instead think of that upcoming vacation or how great you will look in your new tone body.