Two Great All Natural Protein Powders

I was on a search recently for a great tasting vegan protein powder and came across "Harmonized Vegan Protein" by Progressive Nutritional. After all the vegan protein powders I've tasted and have come across in my search for an "all natural" vegan protein powder, I think this is a great pick. The protein contains a blend of 5 non-GMO vegetarian proteins: peas, organic sprouted brown rice, organic hemp,cranberry and chia protein. As you can see, the company tries to include as many organic ingredients as possible. It is free of artificial ingredients and has essential and non essential fatty acids, EFA's, minerals and vitamins. As for the sweetening effect, it has stevia rather than aspartame or other artificial sweeteners commonly found in most protein powders. It tastes great and contains a whooping 25g of protein per 35g. Overall, it is a great source of protein for people looking to increase their protein intake but wanting to avoid an animal or dairy based diet.

Opting for a dairy based protein powder? Well, Progressive Nutritional has "Harmonized Protein" containing five quality New Zealand sourced proteins. So what is New Zealand based protein? It is the cleanest and purest form of protein in the world and is highly recommended by Naturopathic doctors. New Zealand protein is derived from cattle that is free of hormones, including rBGH, screened for 250 chemical and agricultural contaminants & free of antibiotics. The protein powder contains no artificial sweeteners and flavors, has 24g of protein per 30g and has organic mineralized sea vegetables, which are known for their alkalizing effect and trace mineral content. Last but not least it tastes great. It is a great blend with various fruits and vegetables such as spinach, kale and carrots. Or just give it a shake with your favorite juice, milk or water and off you go.

All Progressive Nutritional products are also certified by a Naturopathic doctor who is involved in the development of all the products. The next time you are out shopping for protein powder, I would certainly give this brand a try. My two personal favorites based on natural ingredients, organic ingredients, purity, digestion, non-GMO, source, the amount of protein per scoop and of course taste.

2010 Total Health Show-Toronto

So what did I do this weekend? On Saturday March 13, I headed out to the good old “ 2010 Total Health Expo.” For you not so savvy nutrition junkies, a health show is basically that- a health convention...ha ha....just kidding! The “Total Health Show” started out back in 1978 and since then it has grown and become one of the most popular events for those in the natural health industry. It has attracted the most high profile leaders in the holistic health industry who come together and offer workshops, lectures and speak about special topics in holistic health.

The show consists of hundreds of exhibitors such as my personal favourites, Genuine Health, Vega Sport, Interactive Nutrition, Progressive Nutritional, and Blue Mountain Organics (sampled and offered through Upaya Natural) Some even give away free samples. Those with much larger marketing budgets of course.

My experience: When I walked into the show I was expecting to receive a hemp/organic delegate bag or just any bag to carry around and use as safe storage for all the wonderful products, samples and brochures, which I was expecting to carry out. But to my disappointment, there were no bags or free samples. Many health companies promoting all natural protein powder did not have any samples which was surprisingly shocking considering a convention is primarily used to introduce products to consumers. I wanted to introduce my friend to a new vegetarian protein powder that I really like. Unfortunately, there were no samples, so my friend was reluctant to buy a large container given that many protein powders taste completely different. For someone making the transition from a dairy based protein powder to vegan, samples would have been nice. Nonetheless, the show was still had a great vibe and was a good time.

My personal favourite was the Upaya Naturals Booth who provided samples of the new Blue Mountain Oragnics "Cashew Creamery, Raw & Organic, Non-Dairy Ice Cream." It’s half the saturated fat of dairy ice cream, all natural, contains heart healthy monosurated fat, (like that of olive oil), sweetened with all natural agave nectar and has a creamy delicious taste. Need I say more?! My second favourite bwas the table with the abundance of organic Goji Berries by Sun Life Goji. And might I add my personal favourite in the replace of popcorn at the movie theatre. Indeed, I indulged in handfuls of Goji Berries while walking around the show enjoying the fresh scent of honey & lavender aromas in the room in search of new natural products and samples. If you haven`t had these or have not heard about them, click here for the nutritional facts on Goji Berries. You may want to add them into your diet as a healthy snack. My third favourite was Bee's Universe. I was eventually peeled away from the booth once I hydrated myself with their honey hand cream. It smelled so sweet and felt so soothing on the skin. For honey lovers, Bee’s Universe had various assortments of honey that was just delicious- no not the hand cream, the honey. It was “Oh So Yummy!” Lastly, I took a wealth of information out the door with me. In particular, I learned about Bee Pollen Supplements, sold by Bees Universe. If you didn't know this, (because I didn’t) Bee Pollen is known as natures most complete food and as prescribed by some of the most well known traditional health practitioners, such as Hippocrates. Let me explain...

Bee Pollen has many nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. It has 12 vitamins, 28 minerals, 11 enzymes, 14 essential fatty acids, 11 carbohydrates. It is used to increase energy levels, enhance performance, stamina, strength and increased speed of recovery for world class athletes. The nutrients in bee pollen contain proteins, fats, vitamins B, C, D, E, and beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, selenium, nucleic acids, lecithin, and cysteine are all beneficial to counteracting the effects of radiation therapy which is administered as a form of treatments for cancer. The anti-oxidants strengthen the immune system (see a case study by Bee’s Universe) and treats nausea & decreased appetite after radiation treatments. Other benefits of bee pollen include: treating sleep disorders, hay fever and allergies, fertility, menopause, prostatitis and bleeding ulcers.

So as you can see, although there were limited samples and no delegate bags, the information I gathered and the new products I found made it all worth my while. For the not so savvy nutrition junkie, maybe you can try it out next year to learn a few tips, ask questions about certain conditions you may have and want to treat and get introduced to products that may be natural and better for your health.

Nutrition Junkie Connects with NutriSup Law

Nutrition Junkie connects with NutriSup Law also known as "The Nutritional and Dietary Supplement Law Blog." NutriSup Law recently added Nutrition Junkie to their list of Blogrolls. NutriSup Law is a newsworthy blog about legal matters pertaining to the nutritional and dietary supplement industry and is a great source to keep abreast of industry news. You can subscribe (as I have) to receive industry news as it gets published on the site for all you nutrition fans who want to keep up to date. The blog is published by Attorney Joel B. Rothman with the national firm of Arnstein & Lehr, LLP and NutriCompliance, a regulatory compliance firm. Check out the NutriSup Law Blog by clicking here.

Brands Of Fish Oil Contain High Levels Of PCB's

Fish oil contains omega 3 fatty acids which is believed to be a major health benefit. However, a recent test conducted by The Mateel Group revealed that certain brands contained very high levels of PCB’s ( polychlorinated biphenyl )- manmade industrial chemicals that were banned back in the 1970s because they cause cancer and birth defects. These findings along with a lawsuit against six supplement companies and two retailers has shaken the multi-million dollar supplement market.

The Mateel Group, along with two citizen environmentalists, filed a lawsuit against eight supplement companies for alleged violations against proposition 65, which requires that consumers be warned about chemical exposures to PCB’s through proper labeling. Tests concluded that three of the ten supplement brands contained much more than 90 nanograms of the carcinogen. This is above the limit that people should be exposed to, according to California Law. The three a supplement companies are as follow: Nature Made Cod Liver Oil, Now Foods' Salmon Oil & Double Strength Cod Liver Oil.

Defendants include the world's largest producer of omega-3 fish oil, Houston-based Omega Protein, as well as drug stores Rite Aid Corp and CVS Caremark Corp. Other defendants include" General Nutrition Corp, a subsidiary of GNC Acquisition Holdings Corp, Now Health Group Inc, Pharmavite LLC, the maker of the NatureMade brand of supplements, Solgar Inc and TwinLab Corp. All of the following manufacturers are said to be in violation of Proposition 65 for not disclosing any non-zero PCB levels in their products.

A guide to select quality fish oil:

• Look for a brand that is both "pharmaceutical grade" and "molecularly distilled." This will ensure the product is free of impurities such as mercury, PCBs and other contaminants.

“Pharmaceutical grade” fish oil is the highest level of purity a product can have. This means the ingredients in the fish oil are over 99% pure, with no binders, fillers, dyes, or unknown substances.

“Molecular distillation” is a purification method which is conducted in vacuum. It is the only process that can effectively remove metals, PCBs and other harmful toxins to a level that is perfectly safe for human consumption.

• Ensue the product has been tested by a third party
• Look for low oxidation levels

Vegetarian options: (* indicates highest traces of Omega 3)

• English walnuts

• Flax oil*

• Flax seed (ground)*

• Hemp Milk/Beverages

• Hemp oil*

• Hemp seed / hemp nut (ground)*

• Olive oil

• Leafy green vegetables (small amounts, but a good omega-3 to omega-6 ratio)

• Pumpkin seeds

• Soybeans

The Low Down On Lactose Intolerance: Alternative Medicine and Nutrition

I have met many people in my days, including family members who suffer from lactose intolerance. Aka lactase deficiency. Lactose intolerance is an irritable little bugger that causes painful stomach cramps, gas & bloating thirty minutes to two hours after eating or drinking foods that contain lactose.

So where can you find Lactose? Basically in just about anything these days. It is found in milk of mammals, including cows, goats, and sheep. Foods that contain lactose include dairy products, such as cream, cheese, some yogurts, margarine, salad dressings, biscuits and chocolate and some breakfast cereals. It’s also added as filler in medications. Of all these, milk has the highest amount of lactose.

So what is lactose intolerance? It is the inability to metabolize lactose (a milk sugar) due to the absence of an enzyme in the digestive system which helps breaks down and absorbs lactose when consumed.

After eating/drinking something that contains lactose, it passes down the esophagus and goes into the stomach, where it is digested. The digested food then passes into the small intestine. Normally, the cells that line the small intestine produce an enzyme called lactase. The lactase enzyme breaks down the lactose into glucose and galactose (a type of sugar). They are then absorbed into the bloodstream. However, this is where people have problems. If the body does not produce the enzyme required to breakdown the lactose, the unprocessed portion moves through the digestive system into the large intestine where the normal intestinal bacteria interacts with it. This causes typical symptoms of lactose intolerance such as the ones mentioned above.

You might find this part interesting. Lactose intolerance ranges (in terms of %) by ethnicity and increases with age. Did you know that almost all Asians and Native Americans are lactose intolerant? And up to 80% of African Americans and Hispanic Americans? According to research, their ancestors did not eat dairy foods, so their bodies cannot digest dairy and their genes have been passed from generation to generation. For a detailed chart by ethnicity click here and scroll down.

Sad but true, there is no way to cure lactose intolerance. For most people, you can find relief by reducing the amount of dairy products you eat and using alternatives to dairy or substitutes. In every grocery store you will find it very easy to find “lactose free” products these days. You can also get milk that is made from soy, rice, oats, potatoes, almonds, peanut, hazelnut and even peas. Almond milk, made by Blue Diamond (unsweetened vanilla flavor) is one of my favorites and is very tasty. In addition yogurts, (containing live bacteria), sour cream, cottage cheese and hard cheeses (such as Edam and Cheddar) are all considered fermented dairy products that have been broken down by substances (yeast, bacteria, or other micro-organisms) and are easier to digest than fresh dairy products. So as you can see, there are many variations and alternatives to dairy that you can choose from.

So you are probably thinking that alternatives are great but what about the health benefits of eating dairy such as calcium, protein, vitamins A, B12, and D? Dairy also helps the body absorb magnesium and zinc. And you're right? Dairy products are essential for a healthy diet. Without these essential vitamins, calcium and minerals, this increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. So how might one go about getting the recommended daily intake of all this good stuff? It is important to eat other foods that contain the same vitamins, minerals and calcium as part of your daily diet such as:

• broccoli

• cabbage

• dried fruit

• sardines, salmon, and pilchards

• kale (a leafy green vegetable)

• nuts (almonds, brazil nuts, and sesame seed)

• soya beans

• soya drinks with added calcium

• tofu

You have probably heard of the word Probiotics with alternative medicine being at the forefront of discussion these days. Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when ingested, have beneficial effects on the prevention or treatment of disease. Probiotics have also been reported to help the body digest lactose, thereby alleviating malabsorptive symptoms from excessive lactose. It also helps with symptoms such as diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome & inflammatory bowel disease.

So where can you find this fancy stuff? Well you don’t have to go very far. Probiotics are available as active or "live" cultures in some yogurts. Yogurts contain a lactase enzyme produced by the bacterial cultures used to make the yogurt. However, many commercial brands contain milk solids, increasing the lactose content so it’s important to look for yogurt that has live cultures.

Acidophilus (lactic acid bacteria) is a name given to a group of probiotics that breaks lactose in the intestine into short-chain fatty acids and other substances that can be absorbed by the colon. Acidophilus is available as a dietary supplement and found in the refrigerated section of health food stores.

The following are most often used for lactose intolerance:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus

• Lactobacillus bulgaricus

• Streptococcus salivarius

• Lactobacillus reuteri

• Lactobacillus plantarum

• Streptococcus thermophilus

For those finding it difficult to cut back on dairy, a lactase substitute (in pill or liquid form) is also available to replace the lactase that the body cannot produce. This can be effective in helping the digestive system to digest the lactose in the meal if you decide to have that ice cream you are craving for.

So now you have the low down on lactose intolerance. Perhaps “Skinny Bitch,” a book written by Rory Freedman was right. An amazing book might I add! You may never look at dairy the same way again and possibly never eat/drink it for a long time. The book discusses how research studies show that milk is the cause of acne, anemia, anxiety, ADD, allergies, asthma, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, multiple cancers and of course lactose intolerance. Have you ever thought that maybe our bodies are not capable of breaking down dairy as we age? Study after study has shown that lactose intolerance increases as we get older. Should we continue to eat or drink dairy as adults especially that of a mammal? A good quote taken from "Skinny Bitch In The Kitchen" says, “just like human milk is for baby humans, cows’ milk is for baby cows. We’re the only species on the planet that drinks the milk of another species. We’re also the only species on the planet that drinks the milk as adults….There are so many awesome alternatives to dairy products. Get with the program, bitches.” (Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman, 2007)

... And to this I conclude.

(Source)"Excerpt: Skinny Bitch In The Kitchen." MSNBC. 09 January 2008. March 2010. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/22553738/

The Power Of Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass was first discovered in the 1930'a by Charles Schnabel, a food scientist who made the attempt to bring back dying chickens to a healthy state. Charles discovered that chickens fed on mixtures that contained a high level of wheat grass, were healthier and had 150% better egg production than other hens. He went on to conduct research and experiments, which were later funded by Quaker Oats and American Dairies Inc. to determine the benefits of wheatgrass for human consumption.

In the 1960s, a women named, Ann Wigmore re-discovered the benefits of wheat grass and healed herself of colon cancer. Not long after, Ann Wigmore along with other scientist developed a diet which is now taught and offered at the Hippocrates Health Institute, based on the philosophy, “ let food be thy medicine” to heal critical illness and diseases. The diet/program is reported to be very effective in treating many illnesses such as cancer and is based on the consumption of wheatgrass juice and a raw food diet enriched with over 13 vitamins. Many people who have visited the Institute, founded by Ann Wigmore, and have participated in the program have shared miraculous stories of being cured of many forms of illnesses, including cancer. Click here to view testimonials.

So what exactly is wheatgrass? Wheatgrass is a wheat plant and acts as a blood purifier, cleanser, and detoxifier. It contains the powerful green pigment called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll plays a vital role in transporting oxygen to every cell in the body. With oxygen in the body's cells, cancer cells cannot manifest and the body can function at the optimal level fighting off disease, harmful bacteria, and cancer. Did you know that chlorophyll has the same molecular makeup of blood? The only difference is that of the metallic atom element. Human blood or hemoglobin consists of iron, while in Chlorophyll the metallic atom is magnesium. Why is this important? because when chlorophyll is consumed, the blood absorbs it quickly allowing new red blood cells form and cleansing the body.

Wheatgrass comes in the form of a juice and contains 70% chlorophyll. It also comes in a powder or tablet form. You cannot eat or cook wheatgrass due to the body's inability to breakdown the plant in its raw form. You will also be happy to know that wheatgrass is different from the grain and refined grain products that people often develop allergies to. It does not contain gluten found in grain, which is the main critical component of wheat resulting in allergic reactions.Therefore, if you're allergic to wheat, wheatgrass is an exception to anyone suffering from wheat allergies.

Now for the miraculous benefits of wheatgrass, which can also be found in more detail on the Hippocrates Health Institute website by clicking here.

-Increases red blood-cell count and lowers blood pressure.

-Cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract of debris

-Aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways throughout the body.

-Stimulates the thyroid gland, correcting obesity, indigestion

-Restores alkalinity to the blood.

-Used to relieve many internal pains, and has been used successfully to treat peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and other complaints of the gastrointestinal tract.

-Powerful detoxifier, and liver and blood protector.

-Fights tumors and neutralizes toxins.

-Externally applied to the skin can help eliminate itching almost immediately.

-Soothes sunburned skin and aids in healing cuts, burns, scrapes, rashes, poison ivy, athlete's foot, insect bites, boils, sores, open ulcers, tumors.

-Neutralizes toxic substances like cadmium, nicotine, strontium, mercury, and polyvinyl chloride.

-Greatly increases energy levels when consumed daily.

-Cleanses the blood and helps rejuvenate aging cells and slows the aging process down. It helps to tighten loose and sagging skin.

Now that you know a bit about wheatgrass, you can now begin to incorporate it into your diet or as a healing remedy. Never underestimate the power and the ability of the natural wonders of the world that god provided to combat illness and disease.