Buzzing about Bee Pollen

Posting Friday's blog one day early since I will be flying all day. Enjoy!

Herbalists often recommend bee pollen as it may provide health benefits and even cure certain health conditions such as alcoholism, asthma, allergies, and stomach disorders. It is also believed to enhance athletic performance, treat wounds, poor appetite, premenstrual syndrome and hot-flashes during menopause, and reduce chemotherapy side effects. It can be found at health food stores. Research doesn’t exactly confirm that bee pollen truly cures diseases but it does contain many healthful nutrients that should be a part of every diet such as antioxidants in vitamins and minerals and contains approximately 55% carbohydrates, 1-2% fat, and 30% protein.

Bee pollen comes from the pollen collected on the bee’s actual body. It can also be found in bee saliva. Bee pollen is not found in natural honey, honeycomb, bee venom or royal jelly.


Bee pollen appears to be safe, unless of course you suffer from pollen allergies. Always be sure to talk to your doctor before taking any natural supplement.

Crunch when you Munch

Studies show that nearly 90 percent of North Americans don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. Adding fruits and vegetables to your meals and snacks can be easy, especially now that it is summer and there are plenty of Farmer's Markets open around town.

Here are some ways to fill your plate with fruits and vegetables and remember aim for 5 servings a day!!

Breakfast. Add berries to your oatmeal, bananas to your cereal, or peaches to your yogurt. You can also enjoy half a grapefruit or a slice of melon.


Midmorning snack. An orange, apple, or banana is a handy and portable pick-me-up. Pair with protein to keep you satisfied longer. (natural peanut butter, low-fat string cheese or Laughing Cow cheese wedge)


Lunch. Top a spinach salad with mandarin oranges or strawberries. A whole-wheat wrap with sprouts, cucumbers, shredded carrots, and tomatoes makes a filling lunch.


Afternoon snack. Munch on baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, or celery. Get your protein in by dipping them in hummus or a home-made dip made with Greek yogurt and spices.


Dinner. Add diced bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions to marinara sauce. Top grilled chicken or fish with mango salsa. Serve a side dish of steamed veggies.


Dessert. Spoon low-fat whipped topping onto a bowl of fresh berries. Grill plums, peaches, or pineapple for a unique taste.

Check out http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/  for more ways to enjoy produce. You can also find resources to help you eat well at work, at home, and everywhere else in the Healthy Eating Toolbox.

If you plan to visit your local grocer or Farmer's Market be sure to look for some organic produce.  Here is a little reminder of the best fruits and vegetables to buy organic.
The dirty dozen — 12 most commonly contaminated with pesticides (Buy Organic)
Apples


Celery


Strawberries


Peaches


Spinach


Nectarines (imported)


Grapes (imported)


Sweet bell peppers


Potatoes


Blueberries (domestic)


Lettuce


Kale/collard greens




If budget allows, buy organic
The moderate middle
Cilantro


Cucumbers


Cherries


Pears


Hot peppers


Green beans


Carrots


Plums


Raspberries


Summer and winter squash


Oranges


Broccoli


Green onions


Bananas


Cantaloupe (imported)


Honeydew melon


Cauliflower


Tomatoes


Cranberries


It’s your call






The clean 15 — least commonly contaminated with pesticides
Onions


Sweet corn


Pineapples


Avocado


Asparagus


Sweet peas


Mangoes


Eggplant


Kiwi


Cabbage


Watermelon


Sweet potatoes


Grapefruit


Mushrooms


Produce List Source: Environmental Working Group. Go to foodnews.org for updates.

Weight Gain and Carbohydrate Digestion

I recently came across Dr. Clyde Wilson’s website. He is a doctor in the Bay Area. He teaches at Stanford. He has a lot of great scientific-based research on his website shared through print and video. One topic I was particularly interested in reading was regarding weight gain due to overeating. This is a major issue that many Americans face on a daily basis.

Dr. Wilson gave a good analogy “If I told you that putting too much fuel into your car made the tank over-flow (like belly fat over-flowing from too many calories), would the answer be to never put any fuel into the tank? The more you drive your car, the more fuel it needs, but that doesn’t mean you should over-flow your tank whenever you drive a lot.”


He went on to explain “Carbohydrate drives our brain and the highest-intensity part of movement, meaning that carbohydrate serves as the basis for the highest level of function for both body and mind.

Processed carbohydrates digest too fast, enter the bloodstream faster than they can be absorbed by the brain and muscle, forcing the carbohydrate to go to body fat, where it is converted to, and later burned as, fat. Fat burning is slow, so you will be moving and thinking slow.

Trying to live a high-energy life without carbohydrate is like trying to race a sports car without fuel. People who exercise or are very physically active and don’t eat carbohydrate are the worst off, wondering why the harder they exercise the harder it is too lose body fat.

You can slow down carbohydrate digestion by eating minimally-processed foods. For example: whole fruits and vegetables instead of fruit or vegetable juice, steel cut oats instead of dry cereal, corn kernels instead of corn flakes or corn bread, wild rice instead of brown or white rice, and coarse bread made from whole kernels of grains never ground into flour instead of regular whole-grain or white bread.

You can also slow down carbohydrate digestion by always eating them with coarse vegetables, such as salad, or by eating smaller amounts more frequently through your day, such as the 6-meal-per-day approach. Or you could eat the slowest-digesting carbohydrate foods; lentils and starchy beans.

These different approaches to slowing down carbohydrate digestion rate, make up most of the spectrum of diets on the market. They all look different on the surface, but underneath they are just reducing the rate that carbohydrate enters the bloodstream. The low-carb fad diets simply cutting out carbohydrate, cutting out the high-energy part of your life at the same time. When I look at the eating patterns around me in the Bay Area, which is more health conscious than most other parts of the country, processed carbohydrate and animal fats make up the bulk of the calories. For those who eat like that, eliminating carbohydrate is a good starting point. But to live life to its fullest, you will eventually have to bring them back into your life in the form of healthier options or else combined with a lot more vegetables than before. Anything will work that slows the carbohydrate digestion rate down so your brain and muscle have time to absorb them.”

Be sure to check out his website to view his entertaining and informative videos

Reference: http://www.drclydewilson.com/