By WakingTimes December 29, 20151 CommentRead More →

The Reason Why Diet and Exercise Don’t Work Like They Used To

Alex Pietrowski, Staff
Waking Times

There is a good reason why diet and exercise don’t work like they used to, and that’s because food is not at all what it used to be.

Ninety percent of grocery store shelf space is dedicated to processed foods, developed by food companies who compete against each other for ‘stomach space,’ the industry term for the market share of product food companies can push down consumers throats. The foods most widely available in our culture are scientifically engineered to create physical and psychological dependency, and in the last couple of decades our cultural eating habits have been socially re-engineered to include endless mindless eating of industrialized junk food.

Perfectly Engineered Food

Perfectly engineered food is serious business, and as Michael Moss, author of Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, points out, companies like Nestle, Pillsbury, Kraft, Nabisco, General Mills, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Mars, employ absolutely everything at their disposal to get people to not only like their products, but to crave more and more of them.

In a recent interview with National Public Radio, he offers an insider’s look into how this these corporations go about creating the most effective food products they can develop. He describes what the industry calls the ‘bliss point,’ the magical sweet spot between salt, sugar and fat that will give their products the highest allure, thereby generating the greatest possible sales, and the highest number of loyal, repeat customers.

Here, he describes how the process of developing a hit product using an example from the Dr. Pepper corporation:

“They would hire people like Howard Moskowitz, trained in high math at Queens College and experimental psychology at Harvard. Howard was one of the people responsible for some of the biggest icons in the grocery store.

For example, he walked me through his recent creation of a new soda flavor for Dr. Pepper. … He started with no less than 59 variations of sweetness, each one slightly different than the next, subjected those to 3,000 taste tests around the country, did his high math regression analysis thing, put the data in the computer. And out comes this bell-shaped curve where the perfect amount of sweetness — not too little, not too much — is at the very top of the curve.

And it’s Howard who coined the expression “bliss point” to capture that perfect amount of sweetness that would send us over the moon, their products flying off the shelf.” [Source]

Image Source

This strategy works extremely well, and because sugar is naturally so desirable to human beings, even products you wouldn’t think needed any sugar at all are being loaded with sweeteners in order to boost their appeal, including many well-known foods that never used to be sweet at all.

“It’s not that they engineer bliss points for sweetness in things like soda, ice cream, cookies — things we know and expect to be sweet. The food companies have marched around the grocery store adding sweetness, engineering bliss points to products that didn’t used to be sweet. So now bread has added sugar and a bliss point for sweetness. Yogurt can be as sweet as ice cream for some brands. And pasta sauce — my gosh, there are some brands with the equivalent of sugar from a couple of Oreo cookies in one half-cup serving.

And what this does, nutritionists say, is create this expectation in us that everything should be sweet. And this is especially difficult for kids who are hard-wired to the sweet taste. So when you drag their little butts over to the produce aisle and try to get them to eat some of that stuff we all should be eating more of — Brussels sprouts and broccoli, which have some of the other basic tastes like sour and bitter — you get a rebellion on your hands.” [Source]

Re-engineering and re-branding food has worked extremely well to completely change the cultural landscape of our relationship to food, and to completely rewire our expectations about eating. Something major shifted a couple of decades ago, and now people no longer have any compunction about eating all the time, even during other activities, and some foods are deliberately designed to be eaten from one hand while doing something else with the other.

“There are experts who say there was a day in the 1980’s when suddenly it became socially acceptable to eat anything anywhere anytime. Thats when you saw Parents stop telling their kids not to snack between meals. Snacking became the 4th American meal, and that played right into the hands of the food companies.” [Source]

The food industry is also lowering the quality of sweeteners and fats, and are substituting a variety of sweeteners to replace more expensive sugars, and playing tricks with how these products are labeled so the consumer has no idea what they are eating. Products labeled as ‘diet’ are often more much dangerous to health than natural ingredients and typical calorie loads.

“Food producers have many tactics for hiding food ingredients which have become unpopular with consumers, and such has happened to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) following numerous scientific studies that have linked it to obesity, Type 2 diabetes and autism. In order to stop using the HFCS name in the ingredients list, food makers have taken to calling a sub-category of HFCS as “fructose syrup” or, plainly, “fructose”.

HFCS is a highly-processed chemical sweetener used in many processed foods, including breads, cookies, candy, condiments, and soft drinks. HFCS extends the shelf life of products, and it is often cheaper than sugar, which are the main reasons why manufacturers like it. But HFCS has gotten a bad rep, considering the circumstantial evidence that links it to various metabolic diseases, so Big Food and the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) decided to get creative.” [Source]

The health problems associated with a diet rich in highly caloric, chemical-laden, scientifically engineered and addictive foods are becoming more obvious now than ever before. Even some of the top players in the food industry have had to admit the truth about the growing epidemics of obesity, diabetes and other chronic illness related to the overconsumption of processed foods.

Speaking to an auditorium of high-powered food industry executives in 2013, Micheal Mudd, vice president of Kraft Foods presented information on the statistics surrounding food and public health.

“As he spoke, Mudd clicked through a deck of slides — 114 in all — projected on a large screen behind him. The figures were staggering. More than half of American adults were now considered overweight, with nearly one-quarter of the adult population — 40 million people — clinically defined as obese. Among children, the rates had more than doubled since 1980, and the number of kids considered obese had shot past 12 million. (This was still only 1999; the nation’s obesity rates would climb much higher.) Food manufacturers were now being blamed for the problem from all sides — academia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. The secretary of agriculture, over whom the industry had long held sway, had recently called obesity a “national epidemic.”” [Source]

Salt, sugar and fat, the three horseman of the food apocalypse, and the go to ingredients for food engineers in search of increased product sales and brand-loyal customers who cannot physically resist these foods. Breaking the spell of processed foods is easier now than ever, though, and consumers are affecting the decisions of these corporations by changing their buying habits.

Read more articles from Alex Pietrowski.

About the Author

Alex Pietrowski is an artist and writer concerned with preserving good health and the basic freedom to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. He is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and Offgrid Outpost, a provider of storable food and emergency kits. Alex is an avid student of Yoga and life.

This article (The Reason Why Diet and Exercise Don’t Work Like They Used To) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Alex Pietrowski and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.

South Korea Seeing an Increase in Healthy Diet

Salt Sugar Fat, The Bliss Point

Understanding the Bliss Point will change the way you look at food purchases.

A study has shown an association between the intake of omega-3 and anxiety.

A study has shown an association between the intake of omega-3 and anxiety.

The research revealed a noticeable reduction in anxiety in a group of healthy young individuals when consumption of fish oil was increased.

Omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have long been regarded as beneficial additives to the diet. Prior research indicated that DHA and EPA could be involved in the reduction of inflammation promoting compounds known as cytokines in the body, and maybe also reduces depression.

Psychological stress has time after time been found to increase cytokine production and so the researchers considered if the increase of omega-3 could lessen that process, reducing inflammation.

To test their theory, they made use of medical students as research subjects who are usually subjected to stress when performing important medical school tests.

The researchers theorized that giving certain students omega-3 supplements would reduce their cytokine production, in comparison to other students who had been given a placebo.

The omega-3 supplement was about 4 or 5 times the quantity of fish oil from a helping of salmon.

The psychological surveys clearly revealed a significant change in anxiety, students receiving the omega-3 showed a 20% decrease in anxiety when compared to placebo group.

An analysis of the medical students’ blood samples revealed similar important results.

The researchers measured the productivity of cells which made 2 important cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

There was a 14% decrease in the levels of IL-6 in the students that received the omega-3.

Even though inflammation can be the body’s natural immune response which helps with healing, it can also result in harm from a host of conditions ranging from heart disease to cancer and arthritis.

Image via: Omega-3 and Anxiety

Not Bad for 62 years old

Here's a riddle for you. Why would a Billionaire in his late 50's decide to start a brand new company that competes against Big Food, Big Corporations, and Big Agriculture?

Answer: Because we have a serious problem with our food and he knows that almost all of our foods no longer provides us with the nutrition our BODIES NEED. The lack of Nutrients is slowly killing us friends and family! I hope you understand that poor diet and lack of nutrition is cumulative?

Please Don't say to yourself; "If I knew then what I know NOW" when it comes to your body. 

My wife has been, a "Health Hunter" for over 40 years and we have been hunting health together for over 20. She inspires me everyday. We profoundly believe, the right foods help our "bodies" heal naturally. If the body can be kept in top working condition by getting all of the Essential Nutrients everyday they continue to thrive. It doesn't matter where you get your essential nutrients, JUST GET THEM and thank yourself later in life for what you did when you were younger. If you want to try to figure it out on your own here are some supplement websites. We 

New Chapter is an Excellent Vitamin Source if you prefer to take vitamins http://www.newchapter.com/vitamins

Garden of Life has higher quality vitamins also http://www.gardenoflife.com/Products-for-…/Vitamin-Code.aspx

There is a much easier way than these great products! Do what is easier for you.

http://nutrients.myyevo.com/essential-nutrients-determinin…/

When I was a kid growing up my parents would tell me, "You are what you eat". That could not be more evident than it is right now. Look at the relatively recent increases in Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, Mental Disorders, Alzheimers, and Childhood Obesity. We cannot speak loud enough or quick enough. Our goal is to tip the scales in your favor through proper nutrition. Life is to short... ‪#‎inspiration‬

Peace and Love to You,

Not Bad for 62 

Links Between Diet and Mental Disorders

12/7/2015

Mental health disorders are a growing global concern now a days. The relationship between diet, brain function and the risk of mental disorders have been the subject of intense research in recent years. It is extremely important that experts in the fields of psychiatry and public health recognise the undeniable link between mental health and nutrition. In the past few years, significant links have been established between nutritional quality and mental health.

Maternal and early life nutrition is also emerging as a factor in mental health outcomes in children, while severe deficiencies in some essential nutrients during critical developmental periods have long been implicated in the development of both depressive and psychotic disorders.

When we take a closer look at the diet of depressed people, an interesting observation is that their nutrition is far from adequate. They make poor food choices and selecting foods that might actually contribute to depression.

The most common nutritional deficiencies seen in patients with mental disorders are of omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are precursors to neurotransmitters.

Research findings point out that an imbalance in the ratio of the essential fatty acids namely the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids may be responsible for the heightened depressive symptoms associated with low plasma cholesterol.

According to a study reported in Neuropsychobiology, supplementation of nine vitamins, 10 times in excess of normal recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for 1 year improved mood in both men and women. This mood improvement was particularly associated with improved vitamin B2 and B6 status. In women, baseline vitamin B1 status was linked with poor mood and an improvement in the same after 3 months was associated with improved mood.

Iodine plays an important role in mental health. The iodine provided by the thyroid hormone ensures the energy metabolism of the cerebral cells. During pregnancy, the dietary reduction of iodine induces severe cerebral dysfunction, eventually leading to cretinism.

Iron is necessary for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and myelin. Iron deficiency is found in children with attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder. These indicate the possible importance of iron in the etiology of depression since its deficiency is known to cause fatigue and depression.

At least five studies have shown that zinc levels are lower in those with clinical depression. Zinc also protects the brain cells against the potential damage caused by free radicals.

Solution for Nutrition

The overall findings make it clear that nutrition matters in mental health. So it is time for the clinicians to consider diet and additional nutrients as part of the treating package to manage the enormous burden of mental ill health. It is also time to advocate for a more integrative approach to psychiatry with diet and nutrition as key elements.

We Trusted Government,Big Food, and Big Corporations to Give us Food That Feeds and Nourishes Us.

We Trusted Government,Big Food, and Big Corporations to Give us Food That Feeds and Nourishes Us. 

by Austin Richard

Fit43.com

We were led to believe they would provide nourishment for our bodies and brains with good useable food, "they failed us and it's taking its toll on our society." Cancer rates are soaring and.... Obesity rates are off the charts. Doctors can't identify mystery digestive problems. Do you ever ask why?

Do you remember in the late 80's and 90's when we were made promises that big agriculture would feed the world with its new GMO seeds that resisted disease and drought, they sold us, telling us no one would be hungry. We believed them. We didn't realize or they did not tell us, that it would strip all the nutrition out of our foods and that we would all be starving our bodies of nutrients eating salty, sweetened, and fattening empty calories disguised as food. 

We have a very serious problem that no one is talking about because we don't even know what to talk about. It hurts me to say it but, Our food is a big problem in our society. We are eating meals with literally no nutritional value to our bodies. That has created massive health problems. It doesn't matter if you eat all natural, gluten-free, non-GMO, organic, food if they are nutrient deficient, with little or no nutritional value. Nutrients are critical for all humans to functions.

We need the right ones in the right amounts in the right combinations, delivered in the right way. The World Health Organization not the FDA that has failed us, has determined Our bodies require 43 specific nutrients to function as they were designed. We have so many food choices, It is almost overwhelming at times. (But nearly everything available to us has no value to our bodies).  We have be let down by Big Food.  

Our company measures itself against the World standards not the FDA. Every product we offer meets or exceeds the same standards. This is important because you are important. We are the start up nutritional food guys taking on big food and big Pharma. I talk about this because our mission is big and it is important. We have a solution to our Nutrient Deficit. Do you want to know what you can do to help your self and your family?

What is Yevo?

Amino acids and their significance for diabetes

Arginine can reduce insulin resistance

Diabetics cannot sufficiently utilise carbohydrates such as sugar, which is an important energy source. Insulin plays a significant role here as it is a blood-sugar reducing endogenous hormone and the production of insulin is lower in those affected. Furthermore, the cells in their bodies are not able to properly absorb the insulin that is available. The reason for this is the highly diminished sensitivity of the cells towards insulin. The cell membranes are unable to recognise the hormone and therefore do not absorb enough of it. The consequence of this so-called insulin resistance is that not enough energy is produced in the cells. Moreover, sugar cannot properly be degraded in the blood and therefore accumulates so that the blood sugar level increases. Over the long-term, a constantly elevated blood sugar level can damage the vessels and lead to calcification and typical resulting illnesses such as stroke or heart attack. Diabetes mellitus type 2 is mostly associated with older people, as the insulin sensitivity in the cells decreases with age. A well-received study from 1998 showed that arginine can reduce insulin resistance, meaning in turn that insulin sensitivity can be increased.1

Arginine - an important amino acid for insulin absorption

Another study by European researchers showed that the amino acid arginine is of great importance for the sensitivity of the body’s cells towards insulin. Arginine is a precursor of nitrogen oxide, a transmitting substance which has a direct influence on insulin sensitivity. For the study, six type two diabetes patients were split into two groups. Both groups consumed a normal diabetic diet. One of the groups was administered a placebo to be taken three times daily for one month. The other group was administered arginine over the same time period. The insulin sensitivity levels in the patients were regularly tested by scientists throughout the course of the study. Results were conclusive and showed that arginine improved the insulin sensitivity by more than 30 percent when compared to the placebo group. Arginine furthermore led to a considerable expansion of the blood vessels, allowing for the blood pressure in the patients to be reduced significantly.2 Two studies from 2013 have reached a similar conclusion.3,4 Another study has shown that arginine is also important in the treatment of diabetes-related foot diseases.5

Carnitine - a useful supplement in the treatment of diabetes

A study carried out in 2007 was able to prove that the amino acid L-carnitine can improve insulin sensitivity in the treatment of diabetes, when taken as a dietary supplement.6 An additional intake of carnitine can also offer other advantages to diabetics, as was shown by a study carried out in 20097 for instance, in which LDL cholesterol levels in diabetics were reduced. Furthermore, carnitine protects the cells in the body from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is triggered by free radicals which come into being through particular metabolic processes but also though environmental pollution, smoking or UV rays. Free radicals can damage cell membranes and various surface structures in the body, such as the inner walls of the arteries. This is why they are often involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Diabetics already have a higher risk of cardiovascular, kidney and eye diseases because the increased blood sugar attacks the blood vessels. Oxidative stress increases this effect. Carnitine can make free radicals harmless and thereby protect the heart, kidneys and eyes.8

Carnitine improves blood lipid values

Lipoprotein A is a component of blood fat. If the concentration of this substance in the blood plasma increases, the risk of coronary heart disease or circulatory disorders increases with it. One study showed that the administration of carnitine could lower this risk. 94 patients suffering from type 2 diabetes with increased lipid values were split into two groups. Both groups consumed a strict diabetic diet. The participants of the main group were also administered a placebo and the other group took a gram of carnitine daily, in tablet form. The intake of carnitine led to a significant decrease of the level of lipoprotein A in the blood plasma of the participants, both after three and six month intervals. Even though this particular study is actually only preliminary, a clear tendency for the protective properties of carnitine has already become apparent.9

Zinc regulates insulin secretion

The trace element zinc also plays a significant role in the insulin cycle. It is a component of insulin and is necessary for the storage and effect of the hormone. Zinc is furthermore a component of many important enzymes which are involved in the regulation of the glucose balance in the body. It controls the release of insulin after eating, for instance. The supply of zinc in the UK is not sufficient, as is the case in many other countries in Europe and is below the RDA of 12-15mg. Diabetics are more likely to suffer from zinc sufficiency than non-diabetics. This is why they are more likely to suffer from reduced insulin secretion.

Zinc stabilises blood sugar

A regular intake of zinc over a period of a few weeks in diabetic patients activates the remaining insulin production and stabilises the blood sugar levels. At the same time it reduces fasting blood glucose levels which are determined by the so-called glycohaemoglobin in diabetics. Zinc also has a positive effect with regards to the healing of wounds. This is why a supplement of it is useful in the treatment of diabetic gangrene.

An daily intake of 15 to 30mg of zinc is advisable within the framework of prevention and treatment of diabetes. A proportion of this should be taken in the form of a dietary supplement.10

Lutein and zeaxanthin strengthen the eyesight of diabetics

The increasing calcification of the arteries mainly affects the eyes, especially in diabetics. This is why a supplementary intake of the secondary plant metabolite lutein should be of particular interest to diabetics. A study from the USA showed that lutein can ease the symptoms of a macular degeneration in the early stages, where the retina gradually loses its function. For the study, 90 patients with a macular degeneration were divided into three groups. One group were administered 10mg of lutein per day for a year, another group was given a combination of lutein with other antioxidative vitamins and minerals and a control group were given a placebo. No changes were witnessed in the placebo group, but patients in the lutein and combination treatment groups experienced improved eyesight.

Although these results still have to be tested on larger groups and over a longer period of time, a considerable positive effect of anti-oxidative nutrients, especially lutein, has certainly become apparent in eye health.11

It is especially important for diabetics to prevent unnecessary strain to the eyes and to ensure a sufficient supply of micronutrients. This particularly applies to the nutrients which cannot be produced in the body such as the carotenoid lutein and zeaxanthin. They protect the eyes in two ways as they act like an internal pair of sunglasses in front of the sensitive retina and filter out the harmful rays. If the harmful UV or other rays are nevertheless able to reach the eye, triggering the formation of free radicals, the second protective feature comes into effect. The micronutrients connect the free radicals and make them safe.12 This double protection through filtering and capturing radicals deteriorates quickly in diabetics, which is why those affected should particularly ensure they have a sufficient supply of the necessary nutrients. 

Those who consume five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, depending on levels of freshness and preparation method, should have a sufficient intake of micronutrients. Nevertheless, these daily amounts are not always practical and nutritional supplements offer a sensible alternative for they permit a regular supply of all of the necessary micronutrients. Lutein and zeaxanthin are natural nutrients and are completely safe. Unfortunately production is currently relatively costly, which is why the price for respective dietary supplements is usually quite high.

Sources

1Krishna Mohan, I. & Das, U.N. (1998) Effect of L-arginine-nitric oxide system on chemical-induced diabetes mellitus, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Volume 25, issue 7, (pp. 757-765)

2Piatti, P.M., Monti, L.D., Valsecchi, G., Magni, F., Setola, E., Marchesi, F., Galli-Kienle, M., Pozza, G. & Alberti, K.G.M.M. (2001) Long-term oral L-arginine administration improves peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic patients, Diabetes Care, Volume 24, issue 5, (pp. 875-880)

3Hoang, H. H., Padgham, S. V., & Meininger, C. J. (2013) L-arginine, tetrahydrobiopterin, nitric oxide and diabetes, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, Volume 16, issue 1, (pp. 76-82)

4Rajapakse, N. W., Chong, A. L., Zhang, W. Z., & Kaye, D. M. (2013) Insulin-Mediated Activation of the L-Arginine Nitric Oxide Pathway in Man, and Its Impairment in Diabetes, PloS one, Volume 8, issue 5

5Arana, V., Paz, Y., González, A., Méndez, V., Méndez, J.D. (2004) Healing of diabetic foot ulcers in L-arginine-treated patients, Biomed Pharmacother, Volume 58, (pp. 588-597)

6Power, R.A., Hulver, M.W., Zhang, J.Y., Dubois, J., Marchand, R.M., Ilkayeva, O., Muoio, D.M. & Mynatt, R.L. (2007) Carnitine revisted: potential use as adjunctive treatment, Diabetes Diabetologia, Volume 50, issue 4, (pp. 824-832)

7Malaguarnera, M., Vacante, M., Avitabile, T., Cammalleri, L. & Motta, M. (2009) L-carnitine supplementation reduces oxidized LDL cholesterol in patients with diabetes, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 89, issue 1, (pp. 71-76)

8Löster, H. & Böhm, U. (2000) L-crnitine reduces malondialdehyde concentrations in isolated hearts in dependence on perfusion conditions, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, issue 217, (pp. 83-90)

9Derosa, G., Cicero, F.G., Gaddi, A., Mugellini, A. Ciccarelli, L. & Fogari, R. (2003) The effect of L-carnitine on plasma lipoprotein(a) levels in hyperchol esterolemic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, Clinical Therapeutics, Volume 25, issue 5, (pp. 1429-1439)

10Niewoehner, C.B., Allen, J.I., Boosalis, M., Levine, A.S. & Morley, J.E. (1986) Role of zinc supplementation in type II diabetes mellitus, American Journal of Medicine, Volume 81, issue 1, (pp. 63-68)

11Richer, S., Stiles, W., Statkute, L., Pulido, J., Fraukowski, J., Rudy, D., Pei, K., Tsipursky, M. & Nyland, J. (2004) Double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of lutein and antioxidant supplementation in the intervention of atrophic age-related macular degeneration: the Veterans LAST study (Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial), Optometry Journal of the American Optometrid Association, Volume 75, issue 4, (pp. 216-229)

12Semba, R.D. & Dagnelie, G. (2003) Are lutein and zeaxanthin conditionally essential nutrients for eye health?, Medical Hypotheses, Volume 61, issue 4, (pp. 465-472)

The Good Old Days when Fruits and Vegetable had Nutrition.

If the Soil is deficient, what comes from it is deficient. 

12 Ways To Eat Clean On The Weekend

Bring on the avocado.

1

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POPSUGAR Photography / Glen Giffen 

Having a healthy clean-eating weekend is a good idea for so many reasons. Sticking to a wholesome diet helps support your healthy goals, and you’ll enter into Monday morning full of energy! Luckily, it doesn’t have to be a confusing or hard endeavor. Follow these rules: you’ll be good to go.

1. Sip with a clean start: Make a cup of hot water with lemon juice part of your weekend morning ritual. As you hydrate with H2O, this warming, soothing drink will also aid healthy digestion.

2. Cook at home: Eating out at restaurants should be a treat—not an every-meal occurrence. Cook at home this weekend to have complete control of the healthy ingredients going into every meal.

3. Add produce to every meal: Bump up the nutritional value of every meal by always adding a helping of fruits and veggies. A fruit cup makes a great breakfast side, and every protein is better alongside a cup of greens.

4. Say no to processed foods: Fast food, junk food, and other processed goods have got to go. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, try to avoid it this weekend.

5. Keep carbs smart: Comforting staples like white bread, bagels, and pastries can result in your energy crashing through the day; support your digestion and energy levels with complex carbs.

6. Don’t hold out to eat: When you sit down to a meal famished, you’re far more likely to overeat and overdrink—or eat whatever is in sight! Stay satisfied between meals with snacks so you don’t skip out on your healthy goals.

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POPSUGAR Photography / Jae Payn

7. Skip the added sugar: Natural sugar from fruit is what you’re looking for on a clean-eating plan.

8. Keep snacks homemade: Plan ahead and prep a quality snack so there’s no need to step into a convenience store.

9. Give the booze a break: Skip the brunch full of mimosas or evening out with cocktails; booze is full of calories and sugar, which can mess with all the hard work you put in with meal planning.

10. Drink more water: One of the easiest ways to support any healthy weekend is to drink plenty of water. Keep your bottle full at all times to help rid your body of toxins and support healthy digestion.

11. Kick out condiments: Ketchup, mayo, ranch dressing—whatever comforting condiment is your pick—keep it far away from a weekend of clean eats. Focus on enjoying fresh, natural flavors instead.

12. Bring your own food: Eating clean doesn’t mean you can’t stay social! Just don’t make it all about the food. Instead of meeting up at a bar or restaurant, spend time outside or at a friend’s house where you can enjoy your clean food freely.

3 Signs You Have Low Stomach Acid (And What That Means)

November 14, 2015 by Steve Wright. 17 comments.

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Hypochlorhydria: The medical term for low stomach acid.

It is a serious problem that most people overlook on their quest to get healthy, and while it may seem rare, it’s actually a fairly common condition, and is linked to other diseases like stomach cancer, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis. 

If you’re having symptoms such as acid reflux, heartburn, burping, gas, bloating, or nausea after eating, then it’s very likely that you have a stomach acid issue.

People diagnosed with gastrointestinal issues, especially inflammatory bowel diseases, Celiac disease, or IBS, are at a higher risk of having stomach acid problems. If you’ve made several diet and lifestyle changes and you’re still not seeing the results you want, low stomach acid might be holding you back.

Why Low Stomach Acid Is Bad:

1. Proper levels of stomach acid are needed to adequately absorb many nutrients including minerals (iron, copper, zinc and calcium), vitamin B12, folic acid, and proteins.
2. Stomach acid is also a crucial part of the immune system. The acid barrier of the stomach, during normal states of health, easily and quickly kills bacteria and other bugs that enter the body. It also prevents bacteria in the intestines from migrating up and colonizing the stomach.

Without appropriate amounts of stomach acid, our body’s defense system is completely compromised. What’s worse, you could be eating an all-organic and healthy diet and still become malnourished because you aren’t actually absorbing nutrients. Today, I wanted to show you the three most common patterns of low stomach acid that I’ve seen.

3 Red Flags You’re Suffering From Low Stomach Acid

(1) You Don’t Feel Good When You Eat Meat

A pattern is an observation linking several clues together, and this pattern is much more typical in women than men. So, what’s going on here? I think it’s a two-part problem. The first is a physiological problem of low stomach acid. The second is a belief system that is created to cope with the symptoms of the physiological problem.

Here’s a typical scenario:

Mary is very in tune with her body. For as long as she can remember, she hasn’t liked eating red meat or large amounts of any meat. When pressed about it, she responds with, “I just don’t like meat, never have. I don’t like how it makes me feel.”

I think she’s totally justified and validated in her feelings. I BELIEVE she feels bad, sluggish, or nauseous when she eats a large portion of meat. And the reason is because she doesn’t have the ability to digest it. She needs more stomach acid to properly break down the protein structures. And without it, red, white, or any other kind of meat will probably make her feel worse than when she eats other types of foods that contain less protein.

If you’re someone who believes that you don’t like meat because of how it makes you feel, I challenge you to test for low stomach acid, supplement with Betaine HCL, and regain your desire to eat meat again.

(2) You Experience Acid Reflux Pain After Eating

It is counterintuitive to think that acid reflux is actually not too much acid but too little. But it’s actually true, despite what pharmaceutical ads might tell you or your doctor might have led you to believe.

The modern media and pharmaceutical marketing campaigns have brainwashed us to believe that acid reflux, or GERD, is due to high stomach acid levels. This is nothing more than propaganda from people who make money when you believe their message. In 2009, there were 110 million prescriptions filled for acid-suppressing drugs! Would Mother Nature create a situation in which almost 1 out of 3 people created too much acid to be healthy? I don’t think so.

What is true is that the pain you feel is coming from acid touching unprotected parts of your esophagus or stomach. But what you haven’t been told is that the body is designed to have reflux after meals! 

In a normal healthy person, after each meal we’ll have 1-3 rounds of acid refluxing up to the top of the stomach and into the esophagus. The problem comes in when this normal action starts to cause pain.

Now, the cause of the pain is typically multi-faceted, but here’s an example of a very typical reason for why it’s happening:

First, a person has low acid levels, so the food sits in the stomach and instead of being broken down by acid and enzymes, it’s broken down by bacteria and yeast (which give off gas as they eat your food). This gas increases the pressure in your stomach, a.k.a intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). When IAP increases enough, it pushes open the valve at the top of the stomach and then the acid and contents in the stomach are able to constantly go into the esophagus.  

This can be painful enough on its own, but over time, as this happens meal after meal, the protections in the esophagus begin to wear down and it becomes hyper-sensitive to any reflux. And, over time, this is thought to possibly lead to Barrett’s esophagus and/or cancer.  

As someone who formerly suffered from heartburn and acid reflux, I know how painful and distracting it can be. Please know that no one needs to suffer from acid reflux or GERD.

(3) You Burp, Fart, or Get Bloated After Eating

After eating a meal, do you experience any of the following symptoms?

• Several burps shortly after finishing or burps later that taste and smell bad?
• Experience gas 1-2 hours after eating?
• Do you get bloated after eating that lasts for a few hours?
• A heavy feeling in your stomach – like your food just sits there?

If you’ve answered yes to any of those questions, it’s likely that you are suffering from low stomach acid levels.

So, why would a “YES” to these indicate low stomach acid? The likely situation is the food you ate is being fermented by bacteria/yeast, and the byproduct of their feast is gas. If your acid levels are low enough, most people will get repeated burps after eating.

Sometimes, you might even have really smelly burps several hours after eating. This is a strong indicator that the food is still in your stomach when it should be in your small intestine. The pH level of the stomach isn’t low enough to begin dumping the food into the intestines.

Bloating and farting following a meal could be explained by several problems – one of which is bacterial overgrowth in the stomach or upper small intestine. Lower acid levels would contribute to this by allowing these bacteria to live in the stomach or small intestine. There also could be a slowing of the speed of digestion, affording the bacteria longer access to the food.

I wish more people knew about stomach acid levels because they’d have much better digestion and typically better energy, and many times reflux disappears altogether. I can tell you this is based on extensive self-experimentation and working with personal clients. When someone reports any of the problems above, there is a high chance they have low stomach acid.

What to Do About Low Stomach Acid

I know you care about your health, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. That’s why I want to urge you to figure out if you have low stomach acid. There are some cheap and easy ways to handle this problem, achieve better digestion, and then figure out why it started in the first place. 

I’ve created an affordable 3-hour program all about acid reflux and low stomach acid that shows you how to get rid of the pain, start digesting your food again, and fix the 7 root causes of stomach dysfunction.  

It’s based in functional medicine and broken down into easy-to-follow steps so that anyone can understand it. You can check out the program here. 

Unfortunately, low stomach acid and heartburn are complicated conditions that a magic pill (like PPI medications) simply won’t fix. However, by putting in a small amount of effort, you’ll be able to naturally and completely fix the underlying causes of these issues.