Author: Andrew Custard

Substitute: Wheat bread with: Bread made with rice, millet, amaranth, quinoa, soy and oat flours Substitute: Wheat crackers with: Rice – and potato-based crackers Substitute: Wheat pasta with: Rice, corn, quinoa, and buckwheat pasta Substitute: Wheat cookies with: Rice, oat, barley and millet flour cookies Substitute: Cow’s milk with: Soy, rice, nut and multiple grain milks made from oats, barley, amaranth and rice Substitute: Butter with: Flaxseed oil, Spectrum Spread

Potassium is the principal positively-charged ion inside body cells. It is vital for muscle contraction, nerve impulses, and function of heart and kidneys. It is necessary for regulation of the fluid-electrolyte balance within cells and in regulating blood pressure. There’s some evidence that diets high in potassium rich fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. Food Sources: Fresh foods of all kinds. fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, etc. Sodium is the chief ion used to maintain the volume of fluid outside the cells. Sodium attracts water. It is essential to muscle contraction and nerve transmission. The connection…

Thiamin deficiency causes confusion, uncoordinated movements, depressed appetite, irritability, insomnia, fatigue, personality changes, memory and cognition impairment, shortened attention span, impaired ability to work or learn, and depression. Riboflavin deficiency causes depression, hysteria, psychopathic behavior, lethargy, and hypochondria evident before clinical deficiency is detected. Niacin deficiency causes irritability, agitated depression, headaches, sleeplessness, memory loss, emotional instability, and mental confusion progressing to psychosis or delirium. Vitamin B6 deficiency impairs neurotransmitter synthesis, causes irritability, insomnia, weakness, depression, abnormal brainwave patterns, convulsions, the mental symptoms of anemia (described below), fatigue, and headaches. Folate deficiency causes the mental symptoms of anemia (described below), tiredness,…

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient involved in red blood cell production, nervous system function, and DNA synthesis. Since B12 is primarily found in animal products, vegans must seek reliable alternatives to avoid deficiency. Fortunately, B12 can be sourced from fortified foods and supplements. Vitamin B12 itself comes from microorganisms—not animals—making supplementation fully vegan-compatible. Top Vegan Sources of Vitamin B12 The most consistent vegan-friendly B12 sources include: How Much Vitamin B12 Do Vegans Need? To avoid B12 deficiency, vegans should follow one of these dosing strategies: B12 is better absorbed in small doses, so frequency matters. If you choose the…

To those unaccustomed to it, swimming in icy waters can be life threatening. In some cases exposure to cold water causes a type of thickening of the blood that leads to blood clots in the coronary arteries. In common terms, that causes a heart attack. In other cases the heart rhythm is disturbed, sometimes fatally. From a hormonal point of view, levels of norepinephrine, a catecholamine hormone known to stimulate the heart, increases fourfold, resulting in non-shivering thermogenesis. Other hormones, including ACTH from the pituitary, which controls cortisol release; thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH); and cortisol, all rise during exposure to cold…

The Importance of Cardio So strength training defines the abs, but cardio removes the friendly jiggly layer so you can see all the results of the strength training. High Intensity Cardiovascular work where your heart rate is elevated over 65% of your max for 30min or more is the ideal situation to reduce midriff overload. Not sure what 65% of your max heart rate is? Use the talk test: if you’re able to talk, you’re not there. During intense cardio exercise you should feel comfortable saying words and short phrases, but not want to carry on a conversation. Cardio for…

These used to be popular the same time the weight gainers were. Multi-spectrum amino acids (amino acid tablets with many different amino acids in them) are nothing more than crude protein powder compressed into tablets. So it’s like taking protein in tablet form. There are some free form amino acid supplements, but the science here doesn’t cut it. In fact, there was no science showing that supplementing with them provided any benefit in athletic performance. Multi-spectrum free form amino acids may pose an absorption problem due to the varying molecular weights of the individual amino acids. This can cause different…

Killer bacteria and viruses are everywhere. So what keeps the human race from dying out? Our spectacular immune systems, the protectors of our health— and our species. Considering all the junk we feed ourselves, it’s no wonder our immune systems get sluggish and we get sick (some even say that cancer is a direct result of a faltering immune system). The worst immune-system busters include alcohol, high-sugar foods (disease-causing bacteria feed on sugar, especially the refined type in table sugar, candy and alcohol), cured meats—like bacon that’s loaded with nitrosamines—and trans fats, or fats that are mutated through man-made means.…

Over half of the less than two ounces of magnesium in a 130- pound person is in the bones. Magnesium is critical to the operation of hundreds of enzymes and directly affects the metabolism of potassium, calcium, and vitamin D. It plays an integral role in nearly three hundred body functions. It aids in bone growth, basic metabolic functions, and the functioning of nerves and muscles, including the regulation of normal heart rhythm. Low intake hasbeen linked to high blood pressure, heart-rhythm abnormalities, and heart attack. People whose drinking water has a high magnesium content experience a lower incidence of…

Grains are staple foods in most societies. In traditional diets, grain were typically consumed either in whole intact form or as coarse flours produced from stone grinding. Grinding or milling using modern technology produces fine flours with very small particle size. Milling also removes most of the bran and much of the germ. The resulting refined grain products contain more starch but lose substantial amount of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and phytochemicals. Because of loss of the outer bran layer and pulverization of the endosperm, refined grains are digested and absorbed more rapidly than whole grain products…