Would You Spend $492 on a Jar of Honey?

Manuka honey from New Zealand is considered the cadillac of honeys. The FDA has recently approved its use in wound and burn care in the US. It has been used for several years as an antimicrobial wound dressing in its native New Zealand, Great Britain, Australia and Canada.

It tastes really good too. I have splurged once on a $40 jar which I bought at Whole Foods. In researching for my post today I found jars priced anywhere from $14 to a whopping $492! The price varies based on its content of UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) which is the level of antimicrobial qualities. Whether you buy Manuka or something from your local store the key is to buy raw (unheated) organic honey. The processed and refined versions can promote disease and will not have the same benefits as raw honey. I would use it for wound care if needed but mostly I like it in my tea or to satisfy my sweet tooth by using it as a dip for apples, rice cakes, etc.

But besides tasting good and using it for wound care it was used as therapy in fighting infection up until the early 20th century when penicillin hit the scene. Raw honey contains enzymes that aid in digestion. It has all the B-complex vitamins, Vitamin C, D, E, and amino acids. Plus numerous trace minerals such as copper and iron. If you are interested in learning more here is a great article that goes into more detail about the many health benefits of honey.

One last word. Bees, by pollinating trees and crops, are true sustainers of life on earth. Without their tireless service, we would not be able to feed ourselves. I'll think twice before I take out a can of hairspray to halt the fluttering around me activity of these sometimes pesky creatures.

Dark Chocolate A Cure For Emotional Stress?

Clinical trials say yes to that question. I'll get right to the important part. Here is the order of types of chocolate with the highest level of flavanol antioxidants:

Natural Cocoa Powder (double the amount of antioxidants of red wine, and green tea!)
Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

My whole life I've found chocolate simply irresistible. I've enjoyed, yes enjoyed, unsweetened baking chocolate on a few occasions, even had a teaspoon or two a pure cocoa powder the other night. And while it's not the same as a box of Godiva it is still the unmistakable taste of pure wonderful chocolate. Ok, enough about me. Here's why it's good for you.

The health benefits from chocolate are mainly due to the antioxidants present in the cocoa, such as flavonols. Flavonols are a subclass of flavonoids, which are natural chemicals found in plants, fruits and vegetables. Gives a whole new meaning to "eat your vegetables!"

The use of chocolate as a cure for emotional stress has gotten new support from a clinical trial. The trial found that eating an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones.

In addition, there is growing scientific evidence that antioxidants and other beneficial substances in dark chocolate may reduce risk factors for heart disease and other physical conditions.

As with vitamins and food we need to look at the process. Obviously there's a huge difference between the minimally processed dark chocolate and the milk chocolate found in most candy bars.

Here are a few organic choices from a trusted brand:



Happy Tuesday!

"Don't Let The Perfect Be The Enemy of The Good."

Voltaire makes a good point. The more discussion and reading I do on vitamins in order to uncover the perfect combination, the more I'm convinced there is no perfect prescription for the perfect combination of vitamins. Everyone is different with different needs. My diet is pretty good and taking more supplements is not necessarily better for me. So what I know for sure is my list of daily vitamins is about to shrink. I'll keep taking a daily multi vitamin and switch to Defense Nutrition's plant based formula (which you can find here.)In addition, I will take vitamin D3 which we discussed in a previous blog and switch to Dr. Mercola's "ultra absorbable" truly natural spray.

The supplement I would like to talk about today and one that will also stay on my list is CoQ10. This is one of the few supplements that Dr. Mercola considers highly beneficial for nearly all adults.


CoQ10 is naturally produced in the body (unlike vitamins) but levels diminish as we get older. CoQ10 is an oil soluble substance that the body requires in order for cells to produce energy. In addition to energy the list of benefits is long. It is recommended for angina, and hypertension. It protects the body from free radical damage, reduces signs of normal aging and boosts the immune system.

I'm reviewing information one vitamin at a time so stay tuned for more on standards such as B, C and E. But here's the good news! Chocolate and raw organic honey are REALLY good for you. Can you believe it? I'm looking forward to delving into those two delicious supplements in my next blog.

Are "whole food organic" vitamins same as plant based?

In my last blog we talked about synthetic vitamins vs plant based. There is another category that looks appealing when you're browsing the many choices of vitamins. That category is yeast based which is typically labeled "organic". Here's a quick description of the process for many whole food organic vitamins.

It's a mixed bag of tricks so to speak. It starts with a synthetic vitamin C for example, next add food that contains C naturally. In order to convert the non organic to organic they add yeast which binds these two compounds together theoretically making it an organic compound. Next they need to destroy the yeast which is done by adding a bacteria. However, whether the yeast is dead or alive, you're still getting it.

The problem(s) with the above process is many people are allergic to yeast, and there is a debate as to whether it feeds the bad yeast already present in your gut. Defense Nutrition makes a plant based multi vitamin which you can find here and Dr. Mercola has a true "whole foods" multi vitamin which you can find here

I hope this helps to sort out the many choices there are out there on the market. I've typically bought "natural", "organic" "natures best" etc without really understanding the process. The good news is there is a source for buying truly plant based or whole food items. Both of the websites I refer to above are a wealth of information with product offerings that hold true to an organic lifestyle.

Is Your Vitamin Hurting or Helping?

To help unravel the complexities of diet and supplements I've enlisted the help of Michelle Poliski. Michelle is the mother of three and is currently studying nutrition at Bauman College. She is passionate about making a positive shift in the world "one bite at a time". After speaking with Michelle it became clear her knowledge is vast and to cover all vitamins in one blog would be impossible. Women have a special need for Vitamin D and Calcium (and strength training) to protect their bones - so let's start with Vitamin D. I hope you enjoy this series of blogs from me and mostly Michelle!

Nothing will replace a balanced diet. Optimally our diets should consist of whole raw foods as much as possible with no processed or very minimal processed foods. Eating seasonal and organic is a plus. Foods lose nutrients the longer they sit. They also lose nutrients the more that we cook them and freeze them. If you eat or drink anything out of a microwave you are actually taking away life source from your body as it tries to assimilate and get rid of the toxic dead food. Besides the radiation, broccoli for example loses 95% of its nutrients in the microwave.

Supplements are no different. We need to ask ourselves with every supplement. . . how was this processed? stored? what is the source? Vitamin D for example. . . D3 is natural yet D2 is synthetic and can be toxic. D can be toxic in general and should be regulated with blood tests since everyone's sweet spot is different. The general rule is 35 IU per pound of body weight i.e. 125 lbs. = 4375 IU's of vitamin D. The question to ask - is it bioavailable (absorbed by the body) or synthetic (typically gets stored in your fat and becomes toxic) For the most part you will find synthetic rather than bioavailable vitamins in your local grocery stores. Dr. Mercola has a great natural D3 spray that is also easy for kids to take as well.

I would love to get into our need to get enough sun and not use toxic chemical ridden sunscreens. The sun is not our enemy. We need sun so that we get a coating of cancer protecting vitamin d oil on our skin. We need the sun to heal, and most sunscreens have chemicals that actually cause cancer! There are safe and natural sunscreens available.

If you are a mother, a grandmother, aunt, father, or just love kids go here and check out Michelle's website, "Lil Peeps Nutrition".

Tips on Buying Organic

Even though I am very cost conscious I buy organic. I ran across an interesting article today that kinda supported what I knew intuitively. Certain foods retain the many pesticides and chemicals used in today's farming more than others. Makes sense. In general foods like bananas, watermelons, oranges and grapefruits have a pretty impervious skin that prevents the chemicals from seeping into the meat of the fruit. Certain fruits and vegetables are more susceptible to pests and fungus and need more pesticides than others to get them to market. In addition, they have a thin skin which allows the fruit to soak up the pesticides. These are the fruits and vegies that I will go ahead pay more for so that I don't ingest 10 or more different pesticides when I'm getting my 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

Thought I would list what the article referred to as the "dirty dozen".

Peaches
Apples (peeling strips away beneficial nutrients but leaves the chemical residue)
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery (No protective skin at all)
Nectarines (26 different kinds of pesticides used on these)
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Leafy Greens (most potent pesticides used to keep these leafy greens leafy green)
Grapes (different pesticides used at various stages of development)
Carrots
Pears

Many of these items are "Super Foods" so I choose to bite the bullet and buy organic rather than eliminate them from my diet.
Very disappointing too to read that coffee beans frequently come from countries that don't regulate the use of pesticides. Never thought too much about to buy or not to buy organic coffee. . . . . until now. Not to mention, I will ponder over whether my occasional glass of wine should be organic as well as grapes get a substantial dose of pesticides throughout the growing process. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

The Mighty Shoulders

Our last work out which is one of my favorites (maybe because it's the shortest) is shoulders. Well developed shoulders on women is a must have when you sport a strapless top or sundress. Also think about the many movements in which the shoulder comes into play - swing, serve, down dog, reach, carry and zip (to name a few). You need strong shoulders. A word of caution however when it comes to shoulders. They are a ball and socket joint as is your hip for example. The difference however is the "socket" part of the shoulder is much more shallow than the hip's. All in all shoulders are relatively fragile considering the many functions they are called upon to perform. So let's start building strong shoulder muscles so the joint stays protected and you look great in a sundress!

We're back to 15 reps and 3 sets of each exercise:

Front raise
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Grasp dumbbells with pronated grip and hold weights straight down at your sides. Starting with right arm, lift arm to the front until it is parallel to the ground (usually eye level). It's ok to lock out your elbow in this movement so that your arm remains straight. Return to starting position and lift left arm in same manner. Continue alternating arms until have done 15 reps with each arm.

Lateral Raise
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Grasp dumbbells with pronated grip and hold weights straight down at your sides. Lift arms straight out, sideways, until they are parallel to the ground. Take 3 seconds to lower your arms so that they are straight down by your sides again. Repeat 15 times.

Dumbbell Posterior Shoulder Raise
Using a bench, sit at end of bench with feet planted firmly on the ground. Grasp dumbbells with palms facing in. Bend over at the hips so you are bent at about a 90 degree angle. Begin by laterally raising arms by contracting posterior shoulders. Elbows should be pointed back and slightly bent. Continue to contract until arms are almost parallel to floor. Slowly lower arms back to starting position.

Alternate the above 3 exercises for 1 set. Repeat so that you complete 3 sets.

Extra
Barbell Upright Row
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Grasp bar with pronated grip and with bar resting at front of hips. Hands should be about 6" to 12" apart. Begin by pulling the bar up along the body. Keep body erect with knees slightly flexed. Continue to pull bar up until it reaches clavicle level. Your wrists should not move. The movement is in your shoulders with your elbows pointed outward.

Dumbbell Military Press
Sit on bench or pad that has back support. Grasp dumbbells with pronated grip. Extend arms above head and lower weights stopping when biceps and triceps are parallel to floor. Keep weights and arms slightly in front as opposed to lining up exactly at your sides. Repeat this movement 15 times.