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|  | The Wholefood Farmacy PanTree
Certified Nutritionist and B.S.H.N. candidate | |  | "Our Mission is to Educate and Inspire people to Embrace the Principles of Health, and Enjoy a Life of Happiness, Vitality, and Longevity that is so often associated with a Healthy Mind, Body, and Spirit."
Join the Wholefood Revolution!
The Wholefood Farmacy makes eating healthy easy, convenient and affordable. We offer pure, nutrient-dense, ready-to-eat, whole food meals, snacks, soups, smoothie mixes and treats for the children. All of our foods are vegetarian, most are raw and vegan as well. We also offer many gluten-free and nut-free whole food choices for those with food sensitivities.
Do you need to detox, cleanse your body, get a fresh start nutritionally or lose weight? Our 7 day and 13 to 14 day programs can be your “on-ramp” to a healthy, preventative based lifestyle.
90 Days To Wellness...Free Email - Based Wellness Program...
link...www.deniselevai.wholefoodfarmacy.com/2005/90_5643601.asp |
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My Blog
| The Secret of Slim Kids
April 12, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
A study of 5,500 children who agreed to wear a motion sensor device showed that those who exercised more were less likely to be obese and that short bursts of intense activity seemed to be the most helpful.
Children who did 15 minutes a day of moderate exercise, equivalent to a brisk walk, were 50 percent less likely than inactive children to be obese; the research was reported in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine in March, 2007.
Andy Ness of the University of Bristol and colleagues wrote - "Our data suggest that higher intensity physical activity may be more important than total activity,"
Chris Riddoch of Britain's Bath University, who worked on the study commented - "This study provides some of the first robust evidence on the link between physical activity and obesity in children. We know that diet is important, but what this research tells us is that we mustn't forget about activity. It's been really surprising to us how even small amounts of exercise appear to have dramatic results."
The less the children exercised, the more likely they were to be obese, the study found. These associations suggest even a modest increase of 15 minutes moderate and vigorous physical activity might result in an important reduction in the prevalence of overweight and obesity," the researchers wrote.
Small changes made now can make a big difference in the lives of your children - teach them healthy habits that can last a lifetime. A quick game of catch, a short bike ride or shooting a few hoops everyday is all it takes. A little more activity and some healthy Wholefood Farmacy snacks can make all the difference in the world.
If you have a child or teenager who wants to lose weight, we encourage you to consider treating them to a Wholefood Farmacy Tri-Decathlon Delux. This wonderful 13 day program of whole foods, water and walking can get them started in the right direction | | |
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| Dates
April 11, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
Dates are a great source of dietary fiber. The American Cancer Society recommends that you consume 20-35 grams of dietary fiber a day. Dietary fiber comes in two forms - soluble and insoluble. Each serves a valuable function. Insoluble fiber increases the rate at which food moves through the digestive system. Soluble fiber may help control diabetes by decreasing elevated blood glucose levels. Soluble fiber also had been found to help lower serum cholesterol levels, particularly undesirable low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
According to researchers at the University of Scranton in Scranton Pennsylvania, they have the highest concentration of polyphenols among dried fruits. The findings of this research suggest that dried fruits should be a greater part of the diet as they are dense in phenol antioxidants and nutrients, most notably fiber.
A serving of power-packed dates contains 31 grams of carbohydrates, making them a powerhouse of energy. Carbohydrates include 3 grams of dietary fiber and 29 grams of naturally occurring sugars such as fructose, glucose and sucrose to provide quick energy and are readily used by the body. Dates are a perfect energy boosting snack.
Dates are one of the best natural sources of potassium. Potassium is an essential mineral your body needs to maintain muscle contractions including the vital heart muscle. Potassium is needed to maintain a healthy nervous system and to balance the body's metabolism as well.
Since potassium is not stored in the body, and much is lost in perspiration, it must be continually replenished. As you consume potassium you excrete sodium, helping to keep blood pressure down. As people age, their kidneys become less efficient at eliminating sodium. About a 400 mg increase in potassium intake has been associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of stroke. This roughly amounts to one additional serving daily of Dates.
Dates also contain a variety of B-complex vitamins - thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 and pantothenic acid. These vitamins have a variety of functions that help maintain a healthy body - to metabolize carbohydrates and maintain blood glucose levels, fatty acids for energy, and they help make hemoglobin, the red and white blood cells.
Dates also contain Magnesium which is essential for healthy bone development and for energy metabolism and Iron which is essential to red blood cell production. Red blood cells carry all the nutrients to cells throughout the body. In addition, Dates are fat and cholesterol free!
Phi Plus is our most popular food of all - it is handcrafted from dozens of whole food ingredients. Phi Plus is rich in Dates and all of their wonderful health imparting properties. Have you had your Phi Plus today? | | |
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| The Unhealthy Stretch
April 10, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
With weight loss in mind, there is probably one topic that you haven't considered... the size of your stomach. The stomach is much like a muscle, and like any muscle it can be stretched and will remain stretched until we stop stretching it. The capacity of a normal adult's stomach is about 4 cups by volume, but many have stretched their stomach to two or even three times it's normal size. This can happen by eating overeating on a regular basis and in our society super sized fast food meals and all-you-can-eat buffets are only making the problem worse.
When your stomach becomes stretched as a result of overeating it will remain stretched for a period of time. After eating a huge meal before bed, some wonder why they wake up feeling hungry. It's because the stomach has become stretched and now feels empty. If you are one who has stretched your stomach to two or even three times it's normal size, you now have to eat two or three times a normal amount of food in order to feel full and satisfied.
Have you stretched your stomach? Can you eat more than 4 cups of food and still have room for more? If so, the chances are that your stomach is in a stretched condition.
The good news is this... as soon as you stop stretching your stomach it will quickly begin to return to its normal size. Can you imagine eating a normal portion of food and feeling so full that the thought of just one more bite would seem painful to you? Helping your stomach to return to its normal size is the very foundation of a permanent solution to a weight related challenge but you don't have to spend thousands of dollars on risky surgery to do it. The Wholefood Farmacy's 13 day program known as the Tri-Decathlon Delux can help you get there in no time at all!
If you would like complete information regarding 13 day programs and learn how to help your stomach return to its normal size - we have a 24 hour hotline that is standing by to be of service to you. This 30 minute recorded call is and educational experience beyond words and offers a complete overview of our 13 day programs along with a discussion of the underlying principles, exactly how it works, exactly how to do it and answers to frequently asked questions.
If you are ready to make a fresh start and to declare victory once and for all, dial 620-294-1381 right now! You will be surprised, pleased and inspired. | | |
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| Where's The Fruit?
April 06, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
Over half of the most aggressively advertised children's foods that prominently feature fruit on their packaging contain no fruit at all, according to a study released by the Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments. The study - Where's the Fruit? reveals that 51 percent of these products do not contain fruit, and another 16 percent contain only minimal amounts of fruit despite prominent fruit promotions on the packaging.
"Parents drawn to products that seem healthier for their children based on references to fruit on the packaging are being deceived," explains Leslie Mikkelsen, a registered dietician with the Strategic Alliance and lead author of the study. "Food and beverage companies are some of the most sophisticated communicators in the world and are clearly capable of accurately reflecting what is in their products if they wanted to."
The Where's the Fruit? study identifies the most heavily advertised children's food products that include words and images of fruit and/or fruit ingredients on the packaging. A total of 37 products were included in the final study, and their ingredient lists were analyzed to determine the presence of fruit ingredients. A full 51% of the products contained no fruit ingredients at all despite the images of fruits and use of words such as "fruity," "fruit flavors" and "berry" on the packaging.
"The nation is facing a staggering epidemic of chronic diseases that result from poor eating and physical inactivity," cautions Dr. Andria Ruth, a pediatrician for the Diabetes Resource Center of Santa Barbara. "Children are particularly affected and these food companies are making parents' jobs even harder by using misleading packaging to lead them to think that they are making a healthy choice when they are not."
If you're tired of being misled when it comes to the food that your children eat, then let the Wholefood Farmacy be your oasis of truth amidst this desert of deception. At The Wholefood Farmacy we believe in truthfully describing our products and we don't rely on fancy artwork or neon colored pictures to get the job done. All of our full sized food packages feature a clear see-though front panel so that you can actually see what's inside. Fruitalicious is 100% Fruit - and we're proud to show you what's inside. | | |
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| Red Wine
April 05, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | | The French seem to know something about the health benefits of red wine. In a study that compared French and German red wines, the French red wines delivered a greater health benefit due to their higher level of antioxidants.
In 1991, the television program 60 minutes aired a report called The French Paradox. The program explored the heart attack rates of daily moderate wine drinkers in southern France; their rate is one of the lowest in the world, and their food among the unhealthiest.
One of the most studied antioxidants in red wine is resveratrol, a compound found in the seeds and skins of grapes. Red wine has a high concentration of resveratrol because the skins and seeds ferment in the grapes' juices during the red wine-making process. This prolonged contact during fermentation produces significant levels of resveratrol in the finished red wine.
Resveratrol is a type of polyphenol called a phytoalexin, a class of compounds produced as part of a plant's defense system against disease. It is produced in the plant in response to an invading fungus, stress, injury, infection, or ultraviolet irradiation. Red wine contains high levels of resveratrol, as do grapes, raspberries, peanuts, and other plants.
Beliefs in the benefits of red wine got a boost in 2006 when Harvard Medical School researchers found that resveratrol made mice live longer, more active lives, even if the mice made pigs of themselves. The study, reported in the journal Nature, showed that with daily doses of resveratrol, middle-aged mice on an unhealthy, fat-heavy food regimen remained as healthy, or even healthier, than those eating much less fat.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, people who drink in moderation are different from non-drinkers or heavy drinkers in ways that could influence health and disease. Part of a national 1985 health interview survey showed that moderate drinkers were more likely than non-drinkers or heavy drinkers to be at a healthy weight, to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, and to exercise regularly.
The definition of moderate drinking is something of a balancing act. Moderate drinking sits at the point at which the health benefits of alcohol clearly outweigh the risks. The latest consensus places this point at one to two drinks per day for men, and one drink per day for women - moderation seems to be the key. | | |
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| Chocolate
April 04, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
Some "chocoholics" who just couldn't give up their favorite treat have inadvertently done their fellow chocolate lovers - and science - a big favor.
A recent study at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine was focused on blood platelets and blood clots. The study participants, some of whom were fond of eating chocolate, were given a list of foods to avoid - the list included chocolate. It seems that some of them ended up indulging their cravings for chocolate during the study.
Amazingly, their indulgence led to researchers to an important discovery which is believed to be the first of its kind. Through biochemical analysis, the researchers are now able to explain why just a few squares of chocolate a day can reduce the risk of heart attack death in some men and women by almost 50%.
It turns out that the chocolate decreases the tendency of platelets to clot in narrow blood vessels. "What these chocolate 'offenders' taught us is that the chemical in cocoa beans has a biochemical effect similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping, which can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, causing a heart attack," says Diane Becker, M.P.H., Sc.D., a professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Becker cautions that her work is not intended as a prescription to gobble up large amounts of chocolate candy, which often contains diet-busting amounts of sugar, butter and cream. But as little as 2 tablespoons a day of high quality dark chocolate - the purest form of the candy, made from the dried extract of roasted cocoa beans - may be just what the doctor ordered.
Are you fond of eating chocolate? If so, we encourage you to condsider Coco Cherry Phi from The Wholefood Farmacy. This delicious treat combines chocolate and cherries with dozens of other whole foods for your enjoyment. The taste is "out of this world" and it's packed with healthy whole food nutrition too! | | |
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| Exercise & Parkinson's
April 03, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
In the first ever comprehensive study of strenuous physical activity and the risk of Parkinson's disease, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have found that men who exercised regularly and vigorously early in their adult life had a lower risk for developing Parkinson's disease compared to men who did not. The findings appear in the February 22, 2005 issue of the journal Neurology.
Men who were the most physically active at the start of the study cut their risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 50 percent compared to male study participants who were the least physically active. The researchers also found that men who reported regularly strenuous physical activity in early adult life cut the risk for Parkinson's by 60 percent compared to those who did not.
Alberto Ascherio, senior author and associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, said: "These are intriguing and promising findings that suggest that physical activity may contribute to the prevention of Parkinson's."
With a little creativity and planning, even the busiest people can make room for physical activity. Think about your daily schedule and look for opportunities to be more active. Every little bit helps - so here are some helpful tips:
Walk, cycle, jog, skate, etc., to work, school, the store, or place of worship.
Park the car farther away from your destination.
Get on or off the bus several blocks away.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
Play with children or pets. Everybody wins.
Exercise while watching TV using hand weights or a stationary bicycle.
We especially reach out to parents everywhere and encourage you to guide your children towards more physical activity. The lifestyle that your children learn from you will likely stay with them their entire lives. By encouraging your children to be active, to run and play, to ride their bikes and to participate in organized sports - you can put them on a path that offers life long health benefits. | | |
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| Stretching
April 02, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
Stretching is something you can easily do anytime, anywhere -- in your home, your office, or even when you're traveling. Aim to stretch at least three times a week. If you can't get a full workout in, you can still benefit from stretching at least that often.
Many experts believe that stretching may also reduce your risk of injury in sports. "The more prepared your muscles and joints are for an activity, the more protected you are against injury," says Edward Laskowski, M.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and co-director of the Sports Medicine Center at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Laskowski explains, "If your joints are not able to go through their full range of motion because of muscle tightness, sports and exercise activities may put an excessive load on the tissue and contribute to injury."
The many benefits of stretching include:
Increased flexibility and better range of motion of your joints - Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring. Flexibility tends to diminish as you get older, but you can regain and maintain it.
Improved circulation - Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Blood flowing to your muscles brings nourishment and gets rid of waste byproducts in the muscle tissue. Improved circulation can help shorten your recovery time if you've had any muscle injuries.
Better posture - Frequent stretching can help keep your muscles from getting tight, allowing you to maintain proper posture. Good posture can minimize discomfort and keep aches and pains at a minimum.
Stress relief - Stretching relaxes tight, tense muscles that often accompany stress. Maintaining the full range of motion through your joints keeps you in better balance. Coordination and balance will help keep you mobile and less prone to injury from falls, especially as you get older.
Basic stretches to improve your flexibility focus on your body's major muscle groups: calf, thigh, hip, lower back, neck and shoulder.
Warm up first. Stretching muscles when they're cold increases your risk of pulled muscles. Warm up by walking while gently pumping your arms, or do a favorite exercise at low intensity for five minutes.
Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. It takes time to lengthen tissues safely. Hold your stretches for at least 30 seconds -- and up to 60 seconds for a really tight muscle or problem area.
Don't bounce. Bouncing as you stretch can cause small tears in the muscle, which leave scar tissue as the muscle heals. The scar tissue tightens the muscle even further, making you even less flexible -- and more prone to pain.
Focus on a pain-free stretch. If you feel pain as you stretch, you've gone too far. Back off to the point where you don't feel any pain, then hold the stretch. Relax and breathe freely. Don't hold your breath while you're stretching. Stretch both sides. Make sure your joint range of motion is as equal as possible on each side of your body.
Stretch when you exercise or three times a week to maintain flexibility "Stretch as often as you exercise," Dr. Laskowski recommends. "Most experts recommend a cool-down period anyway after exercise. Going into your stretches after your workout is a good way to cool down.
Why not make stretching a family fun time with the kids as part of your family's daily wellness program? | | |
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| Whole Foods & Male Fertility
April 01, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
At a recent American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting, new research revealed that eating more fruits and veggies can help men boost their fertility. These new findings indicate that the more produce a man consumes, the healthier his sperm will be. In a study group of infertile men, 83 percent of them were found to be eating less than five servings of fruits and veggies a day. Overall, the men who ate the fewest fruits and veggies had the lowest sperm motility.
"We think that sperm quality is affected by dietary antioxidant intake," said study author Dr. Vivian Lewis, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y. "Antioxidants, like those found in fruits and vegetables, may help prevent damage to sperm that causes them to become sluggish and lose the ability to fertilize an egg".
In particular, the antioxidants glutathione and cryptoxanthin, which are prevalent in brightly colored produce such as leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers and oranges, were associated with strong, healthy sperm, Lewis said. She recommended that men hoping to father children eat "a variety of fruits and vegetables, at least five servings a day." With The Wholefood Farmacy, getting your 5 a day has never been easier.
The modern day researches continue to confirm what the ancients knew. Focus on giving your body what it needs - it knows how to do the rest. | | |
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| Black Beans
March 31, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
Black Beans are a wonderful source of dietary fiber which has been shown to naturally help lower cholesterol. In addition, the high fiber content in Black Beans helps keep blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making them a wise choice for people with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia.
When Black Beans are prepared with whole grains such as barley or brown rice, the Black Beans provide a virtually fat-free, high quality source of protein. But that's not all. Recent research also shows that Black Beans are rich in antioxidants as well. Antioxidants destroy free radicals, and when eaten regularly, have been shown to offer protection against heart disease, cancer and aging.
Researchers from Michigan State University tested the antioxidant activity of flavonoids found in the skin of 12 common varieties of dry beans. The research was published in the November 2003 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.
Black Beans crossed the finish line in first place having more antioxidant activity, gram for gram, than other beans, followed by red, brown, yellow and white beans, in that order. In general, darker colored seed coats were associated with higher levels of flavonoids, and therefore higher antioxidant activity, says lead investigator Clifford W. Beninger, Ph.D., a research associate at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.
"Black beans are really loaded with antioxidant compounds. We didn't know they were that potent until now," says Beninger, formerly a researcher with the USDA's Sugarbeet and Bean Research Unit, located at Michigan State University in East Lansing, where he worked on the project under the leadership of co-author George L. Hosfield, Ph.D., a geneticist who recently retired from the USDA.
The study found that one class of compounds in particular, anthocyanins, were the most active antioxidants in the beans. Based on a previously published study of the anthocyanin content of black beans, Beninger found that the levels of anthocyanins per 100 gm serving size of black beans was about 10 times the amount of overall antioxidants in an equivalent serving size of oranges and similar to the amount found in an equivalent serving size of grapes, apples and cranberries.
Dust off the cook book and try some of the Black Beans and rice recipes using brown rice! Black Beans and rice can be a quick, easy and very healthy addition to any meal. | | |
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| Quinoa
March 30, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
Quinoa, though not technically a cereal grain like wheat or oats, has been cultivated and eaten as a cereal for thousands of years by South Americans. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is the tiny seed of the Chenopodium Quinoa, a leafy plant that is a distant relative of spinach and beets.
Quinoa was called the "mother grain" by the Incas (chisiya mama). Now, as people in the rest of the world learn more about Quinoa, they're discovering that its ancient nickname was well deserved - Quinoa is indeed a nutritional powerhouse.
Quinoa's protein content, about 16 percent, is higher than that of any other grain. Wheat also has a high protein content, about 14 percent, but the protein in wheat and most other grains is lacking in the amino acid lysine, which Quinoa has in abundance. In fact, the amino acid composition in Quinoa is almost perfect. The World Health Organization has judged the protein in Quinoa to be as complete as that in milk. In addition, Quinoa contains more iron than most grains, and is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, folate, and many B vitamins.
Eating a serving of whole grains, such as Quinoa, at least 6 times each week is an especially good idea for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease.
A 3-year prospective study of 229 postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease, published in the July 2005 issue of the American Heart Journal, shows that those eating at least 6 servings of whole grains each week experienced:
Slowed progression of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that narrows the vessels through which blood flows.
Less progression in stenosis, the narrowing of the diameter of arterial passageways.
Quinoa can be found in your favorite Wholefood Farmacy foods such as Phi Plus, as well as all seven of our Wholefood Farinas: AmpliPhi, BeautiPhi, ClariPhi, DetoxiPhi, ElectriPhi, FructiPhi & GloriPhi. | | |
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| Prunes
March 29, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | | | Prunes are a good source of fiber and have long been recognized as a nutrient-rich fruit with multiple health benefits. But according to a recent study from Tufts University in Boston, prunes may also help slow the aging process in both the body and brain. The study ranked the antioxidant value of commonly eaten fruits and vegetables using an analysis called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity). Prunes topped the list with more than twice the antioxidant capacity as other high-scoring fruits such as blueberries and raisins. ORAC is a test tube analysis that measures the total antioxidant power of foods and other chemical substances. Early findings suggest that this same antioxidant activity translates to animals, protecting cells and their components from oxidative damage. "If these studies are borne out in further research, young and middle-aged people may be able to reduce their risk of diseases of aging - including senility - simply by adding high antioxidant foods to their diets," said Floyd P. Horn, administrator of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, in Beltsville, Md. The role of fruits and vegetables in health promotion and disease prevention may also be related to nutrients, other than the vitamins, minerals and fiber, found in these plant-based foods. In addition to well-known antioxidant vitamins A and C and beta-carotene, there are over 1,800 other biologically active compounds that have been identified in foods. Research is just beginning to identify these nutrients and to describe their activity in the human body; however, many are believed to offer the protective benefits of antioxidants. At The Wholefood Farmacy, prunes can found in Phi Plus and DetoxiPhi, which are two of the most popular foods amongst the family of Wholefood Farmacy Wholesale Club Members. | | |
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| Avocados
March 28, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | | | Avocados were once a luxury food reserved for the tables of royalty, but now avocados are enjoyed around the world by people from all walks of life. Research published in the January 2005 issue of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry indicate that nutrients in avocados can work together to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells. The analysis was conducted at UCLA where researchers discovered that avocados are the richest source of lutein among commonly eaten fruits. Lutein is a carotenoid that acts as an antioxidant and has been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer in previous studies. According to Dr. David Heber, director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, the study focused on inhibition of human prostate cancer cell growth when exposed to an extract of whole avocado fruit versus treatment with pure lutein. UCLA lab tests showed that when avocado extract was added to two types of prostate cancer cells, cell growth was inhibited by up to 60%, whereas purified lutein alone was ineffective. In other words, when a single nutrient, lutein, was extracted from avocados it did not offer the same anti-cancer results as the whole avocado extract. Dr. Heber commented: "What's really exciting about this study is that the results indicate that the carotenoids, vitamins, and diverse compounds in avocados might have additive or synergistic effects against prostate cancer compared with pure lutein alone". The moral of this story seems to be that whole foods, in their original whole form, offer the best nutrition possible for the human body. | | |
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| The Amazing Kernel
March 27, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | | | According to research completed in March 2001 by Dr. K. Phillips of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , the sunflower kernel is rich in a number of nutrients that have been shown to protect against cardiovascular and other diseases and to act as antioxidants and anti-carcinogens. When considered in aggregate, this amazing kernel packs a powerful nutritional punch. Sunflower kernels contain high levels of vitamin E, betaine, phenolic acids, and choline. In addition, the kernel is a good source of arginine and lignans. Each of these compounds, while perhaps unfamiliar to the layperson, has been studied by the scientific community and shown to offer a variety of health benefits. Vitamin E (Tocopherols): May protect against cardiovascular disease. Betaine : May protect against cardiovascular disease. Phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid): Antioxidant and anti-carcinogen. Choline : Plays a role in memory and cognitive function. Arginine : Potential heart benefits. Lignans : May protect against heart disease and some cancers; lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides Sunflower seeds offer an easy way to add some crunch, taste, and nutrition to a variety of foods. Toss them over your salad, mix them in with popcorn, serve them a la carte, or even add them to your fresh baked, whole grain breads and muffins. When you're on the go, you can find sunflower seeds in many of your favorite Wholefood Farmacy foods such as Phi Plus, Cornaborealis, Corn of Plenty, and ClariPhi. | | |
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| What's For Breakfast?
March 26, 2008 | | | | | View all blogs for this member | My Category: | Submit a Comment | |
The science is crystal clear. Children who eat a healthy breakfast before school are healthier, more alert, have more energy, exhibit better behavior and get better grades. A recent State of Minnesota Breakfast Study found that students who ate breakfast before starting school had a general increase in math grades and reading scores, increased student attention, reduced nurse visits, and improved student behaviors. (December, 1997)
Researchers at Harvard Medical/Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston found that hungry children are more likely to have behavioral and academic problems than children who get enough to eat. At school, hungry children had more problems with irritability, anxiety and aggression, as well as more absences and tardiness. (Pediatrics, January, 1998; Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, February, 1998)
The recent Tufts University Statement (1998) on The Link Between Nutrition and Cognitive Development in Children cites new findings: "Recent research provides compelling evidence that under-nutrition impacts the behavior of children, their school performance, and their overall cognitive development".
The importance of a healthy breakfast is paramount to your child's health, behavior, and academic performance. We encourage you take a stand for your children and make a healthy breakfast, everyday, the rule in your home.
If you're on go and don't have much time, please consider these quick, easy and very nutritious ways that The Wholefood Farmacy foods can help.
Our fruit based Farinas (BeautiPhi, ClariPhi, ElectriPhi, FructiPhi & GloriPhi) can provide a wonderful way to add taste, variety and nutrition to oat meal, cream of wheat, and whole grain breakfast cereals. Simply sprinkle them over these healthy breakfast foods and you're done! Phi Plus, TropiPhi and Fruitalicious also make a wonderful and very delicious addition to these healthy breakfast foods and they provide a wonderfully sweet alternative to processed sugar.
Breakfast Smoothies are also a quick and easy way to start your child's day with healthy whole food nutrition. Start with some fresh fruit and your choice of milk, then add any of our fruit based Farinas - hit the button and in 15 seconds it's ready to go.
Make Phi Plus cookies the night before. Form Phi Plus into the shape of cookies then drizzle with Wholefood Farmacy Organic Coconut Oil and refrigerate. In the morning, you'll have some very healthy and very tasty treats ready when you're on the go.
Set the alarm clock a few minutes earlier and give your kids the daily advantage of a Healthy Start - it makes all the difference in the world. | | |
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