Author: Andrew Custard

Substitute: Deep fried corn chips and potato chips with: Baked corn chips and potato chips Substitute: Pizza made with wheat crust with: Pizza made with rice flour crust and nondairy cheese Substitute: Chocolate, cocoa with: Carob chips, bars, and powder Substitute: Coffee with: Grain-based coffee substitutes, such as Pero, Postum, and Caffix, or ginger tea Substitute: Soft drinks and fruit juices with: Mineral water >

When you brew yourself a nice cup of tea, you’re actually brewing a potent antioxidant mix. Tea has two substances in the catechin family—epigallocatechin gallate and epicatechin gallate—that are the most potent antioxidants of all the flavonoids. That makes tea into more than just a relaxing hot drink—it protects against heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Catechins help make your platelets, the tiny cells in your blood that make it clot, less “sticky.” When your platelets are less sticky, they’re less likely to clot, which means you’re less likely to have a heart attack or stroke from a clot in an…

Squats are by far the most productive exercise for the lower body. Because of the muscle mass involved, they also provide great overall stimulation. But they’re not without their problems, and one relates to depth. “The danger in a full squat, a low squat is not a result of the position of your legs in relation to your torso. The danger is a result of the direction from which the force is imposed. The force is trying to bend the bones of your lower leg and pull your knee apart—the same as a leg extension. Although the direction of force…

Calcium carbonate. The cheapest supplement, calcium carbonate is also the highest in elemental calcium: 40 percent. This is the form of calcium found in Tums and many generic versions. It has one big drawback: It dissolves slowly in your stomach, so you may not get the full benefit of all the calcium. Calcium phosphate (also called tribasic calcium phosphate). This form is 39 percent elemental calcium. You don’t need the extra phosphorus that comes with these tablets—skip them. Calcium citrate. This is the form many doctors and nutritionists recommend. Calcium citrate is only 21 percent elemental calcium, and it’s relatively…

The anti-infective powers of Vitamin A have been known ever since the vitamin was discovered. Today Vitamin A is being used to help boost immunity in some cases—and some very exciting research suggests more uses in the future. Here’s the current rundown: Treating measles and respiratory infections. Extra Vitamin A has been shown to help children get over the measles faster and with fewer complications. It also seems to help babies with respiratory infections. Talk to your doctor before you give Vitamin A supplements to babies or children. Treating viral infections. If you’re low on Vitamin A you’re more susceptible…

Glutamine is the most abundant single amino acid in the blood and in the intracellular free amino acid pool (most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue). It comprises 61% of the amino acid pool in skeletal muscle. Glutamine’s unique structure, containing two nitrogen side chains, consists of 19% nitrogen – making it the primary transporter of nitrogen into the muscle cell. In fact, glutamine alone is responsible for 35% of the nitrogen that gets into the muscle cell. Glutamine literally drives muscle building nitrogen into the muscle cell where it is synthesized for growth. Enough can’t be said about the…

Chitosan is promoted as a fat “trapper,” or blocker. It’s a derivative of chitin, a fibrous substance that forms the cornerstone of shellfish exoskeletons. The initial claims for chitosan came from studies that showed it effectively mopped up fatlike industrial-waste products by forming an insoluble bond with them. That was followed by in vitro, or test-tube, studies, in which chitosan was placed in a beaker with a buffer and fat. The liquid was then stirred, and the resultant fat clumping was measured. Under those conditions, chitosan seemed to work. But as with many other substances, what works outside the body…

Selenium has gained attention for its association with vitamin E in combating the damages of oxidation. It can stand in for vitamin E in some of its antioxidant activities, thereby sparing vitamin E. It is a factor in the regulation of metabolic rate and is needed for proper immune response. Its relationship to vitamin E as an antioxidant has made it the subject of study in terms of offering protection against cancer. Deficiencies are rare as long as our farming soil contains enough selenium. Food Sources of Selenium are: Brazil nuts, garlic, grains, and vegetables; amount depends on soil conditions.…

These two B vitamins are partners m many body processes. They both work to make red blood cells. Vitamin B12 helps maintain the sheath that protects nerve fibers. Folate is thought to protect the genetic material of cells and is required to make new cells. It is especially vital during pregnancy when cell multiplication is very rapid. It plays an important role in the prevention of certain birth defects, such as anencephaly and neural tube defects. There is evidence that woman chronically deficient in folate have a significantly higher risk of developing cervical cancer. Folate comes from the word foliage;…

Every time your heart beats (about 60 to 70 times a minute when you’re resting), it pumps blood out through large blood vessels called arteries. Blood pressure is the force of that blood as it pushes against the walls of the arteries. Your blood pressure is at its highest when your heart beats and pushes the blood out—doctors call this the systolic pressure. When the heart is at rest between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is called diastolic pressure. Blood pressure is always given as two numbers: first the systolic and then the diastolic pressure. Normal blood pressure ranges…