Toxic Nightshades Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits are part of my healthy diets for the past years now. But I’ve never heard of a group of edible plants called nightshades vegetables.

The aches and pains on my back had gotten worse last year. So I thought to go get an X-ray. The sports doctor I saw said my spine is in good condition. He suggested to go get some physical therapy and was given exercises to do everyday. I even bought seat cushion and lumbar support for my back, lumbar support back braces, and exercise balls. I would do them daily. They helped temporarily but the aches and pains would come back in no time. I even went to see and got my back worked on by a chiropractor this year. It would help for a day or two, then I’m back with aches and pains on my back again. I was getting frustrated.

One thing good though, each time, I would feel good in the morning after a good sleep; but then I started feeling back pain towards the afternoon after I was done with my daily lunch. And it goes through the night and I barely can sit for long without using my back braces and I have to use a heating pad before I go to bed. I started getting very concerned. I tried to avoid over the counter medication for back pain, but I resorted to taking them to ease the pain three weeks ago. I tried not to take the doze that’s suggested on the label. I know there’s side effects in taking them everyday. I tried not to rely on medication if I can avoid them.

I read that homemade Ginger tea is good to ease aches and pains; and good for colds and flu and at the same time it helps lowering my blood pressure. I drink it every morning on an empty stomach and it does help. As long as I don’t drink too much of it. And it’s anti-inflammatory.

I started researching the internet to get answers to the continuous back pain, stiffness, achy and mostly a very cold sensation running through my upper back and; I got the answer! Through extensive research and links, I found out what’s causing the back pain and I was dumbfounded that some of the veggies and fruits I’ve been eating are the cause of my aches and pain! I was totally and intensely shocked, for I thought I was doing myself a favor by eating healthy foods!

The culprits are the veggies and fruits that have Solanine in them! Solanine is a poisonous compound that has pesticidal properties for plants natural defenses against bugs. The plants actually have drug-like substances called alkaloid drugs. Solanine is a natural pesticide, protecting the plants from insects that may harm them. It might be a protection for the plants, but have bad side effects for some humans and it includes me! And Solanine chemical compound can be found in a group of nightshades vegetables such as eggplants, tomatoes (all varieties including tomatillos, white potatoes, peppers (red, green, yellow, orange), jalapeño, chili, cayenne), paprika and ground cherries. Foods that contain Solanine that are not directly in the nightshades family are: apples, blueberries and huckleberries, okra and artichokes.

I found out that nightshades foods contain four types of alkaloid drugs which can be dangerous to those that are sensitive to Solanine and the other alkaloid drugs. Steroid alkaloids, which includes Solanine, propane alkaloids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids and indole alkaloids. These drugs including Solanine may cause paralytic-like muscle spasm, aches and pains, tenderness, inflammation and stiff body movements. Another health problem is soft tissue calcification around the joints.

The experts and doctors on these particular food toxins indicated that people’s body cannot metabolize (break down) a particular substance as Solanine. The Solanine then builds up in the major organs, including the thyroid gland and skeletal muscles and can cause all sorts of problems. This can result in an inflammatory response and different people have various levels of sensitivity, depending on genetics, nutritional status or other factors.

On a practical level Solanine can do the following in sensitive patients; act as an endocrine disruptor especially to the thyroid, 2) cause chronic joint pain, arthritis (all forms), joint inflammation- this is due to solanine’s ability to remove calcium from the bones and deposit it in any weak or genetically predisposed area of the body, for the same reason it can be a major contributor to osteoporosis (since it removes calcium from the bones) and arteriosclerosis (it can deposit the calcium in the blood vessels), “leaky gut” as well as IBS, appendicitis, birth defects including spina bifida, depression (correcting it in one patient stopped their strong suicidal tendencies), migraines, Solanine can greatly interfere with calcium and vitamin D absorption, despite supplementation.

Solanine may sneak in potato starch used to help shredded cheese to separate from each other. Paprika is in mustard, mayo and few other condiments. The majority of salad dressings and spices has some form of pepper in it to help the taste. Some of the pre-seasoned meat uses chili powder or cayenne powder. I have to be conscious and on the look out and read labels more closely.

I have incorporated since last year bell peppers (nightshade veggies)-red, yellow and orange, in my veggie salads. I ate apples maybe 3 times a week. I would make some eggplant parmesan and eggplant omelette. I’ve always have consumed blueberries. I’ve used some paprika in dishes I’ve made that calls for it. And of course, tomatoes are in most of my homemade cooking. I don’t eat much potatoes as it could screw up my diet, so not a problem to eliminate it. Thankfully, there are other varieties of veggies and fruits that safe to eat and there’s no Solanine in them.

I’ve started eliminating these nightshade veggies and fruits with Solanine, in my cooking and my raw veggie salads and fruit consumption. According to a clinical research on Solanine, it can take 6 months or more to clear these chemicals from the body so just eliminating them for a few weeks may not provide a clear enough indication. It suggested to keep a journal of symptoms while totally avoiding nightshades and foods with Solanine for a minimum of 6 months.

I have not eaten any nightshade veggies for two weeks now; so I can tell which foods would give me inflammation attacks that causes stiffness and cold sensation in my back. I ate an apple yesterday and sure enough, my back reacted to my ingesting the apple with skin, with aches and cold back sensation just after a few hours up through the night.

Today, I’ve had some ginger tea first thing in the morning; and had some oatmeal with milk. I had my daily veggie salad sans Solanine chemical compound and ate a sumptuous main course and red grapes for dessert. My immune system did not attack my body for an invader it hated- Solanine! I was pain free and no cold sensation on my back! I’ve started incorporating back my Vitamin Code Grow Bone System to heal my joints and bones.

Vegetables and fruits are not created equal! I’ve learned a big lesson and got familiarized with Nightshades foods. I prayed to God to give me wisdom about this health problem and He gave me discernment and led me to know about Nightshades foods and Solanine. God is good all the time! God is always to my rescue! I just have to always pay attention to what the Holy Spirit of God is placing in my heart and mind.

Grain is Pain

It is not a pain in the behind, but a continuous back pain!

I did not realize until I started researching the internet to the causes of back pain, I was having on and off back pain through the years. At first, just mild ones. When I iron clothes, I would get upper back pain, but the pain would go away when I take a rest. Last year I started having this cold sensation on my back, again on and off. I could understand the pain in my lower back if I sit too long watching TV, or sitting in front of the computer researching, reading, scrolling the sites I frequently visit.

The start of this year, the cold sensation on my back started to worsen, and it has become frequent as each day passed by. I found a remedy; and feel better when I put heating pad on my back, and when I wake up in the morning, the back pain and cold sensation on my back are relieved. However, in the middle of the day, I started having back pain and the cold sensation again. It’s started to bother me. I seek a chiropractor’s help and he did an x-ray and found out I have arthritis on my back. I went to have a bone density test, and it was confirmed I have a spinal arthritis. I was saddened but determined to find out the causes of arthritis.

I started researching the net, and was astonished that eating grain can cause back pain! I was taken aback because I have avoided fine grain. I seldom eat bread, or pastries or donuts or cakes, anything sugary, I have successfully avoided. Except of course during Christmas holidays I would splurge a little bit, but not to a point of eating too much of these sweet holiday offerings. I have thrown a lot of uneaten pastries that were in the fridge early this year which was a waste of money. As we say, Christmas holidays without sweet offerings is not the same. It’s just psychological, it’s just in peoples’ minds.

Anyway, to get back to the culprit of grain pain, my memory went back to last year’s diet. I have been eating plant based foods, fruits and vegetables, some meat, chicken, seafood, eating in moderation. And I have continued to do intermittent fasting. However, I had been having whole grain Kashi cereal for breakfast and would add strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries and sometimes bananas with milk. So as to have my daily calcium which I was not able to do supplementation, as I can’t find any good calcium supplements. The calcium regimen got complicated with adding Vitamin D and other minerals for the calcium to do its work with my bones, I found out.

After getting more information in regards to eating grain that causes pain, I thought that it does not apply to whole grain! There’s no way! But sadly it does! Grain is grain, all grain is created equal in torturing my bones! I was devastated. I love eating the best tasting whole grain cereals in Kashi. The thing is I’ve started eating more of it since last year for breakfast to start my day. I had to stop. Grain or pain?

I’ve chosen to be grain free. I am what I eat. Grain can cause acidic environment in my body; and my body becomes inflamed. Inflammation was overruling my entire microbiome community. The harder and dry the grain I eat, the havoc this grain is causing in my digestion, aside from the grain absorbing and grabbing the calcium I barely have. The grain steal the calcium and unfortunately my bones are not able to absorb any calcium. The back pain is a cry for help by my bones and joints. It was an overwhelming discovery that the grain, even whole grain was giving me back pain.

I stopped eating Kashi whole grain. I got back to doing moderate Zumba for weight bearing exercises, starting slow. And I’ve been doing neck and back exercise therapy. For the spinal Arthritis, I bought this supplement for pain relief for joint and muscle support; so far, it seems it’s working. My back pain and that cold sensation on my back are taking a back seat. As to this writing, I can sit and type this post without any back pain this evening and the past two days, I was back pain free!

As to my calcium supplement, I found and bought this bone growth regimen. A Vitamin Code Grow Bone made with Whole Foods, Strontium, Magnesium, K2 MK7, Vitamin D3 & C Plus Probiotics for Gut Health. This is so far the best one I’ve seen to help with my joints and bones.

What a big lesson learned. I’m staying away from grain!

“While different foods may trigger symptoms amongst different individuals, a common thread in most inflammatory conditions is excess intake of grains.

Refined grains in bread, cereals, pasta, pastries, etc. are the most problematic.

There are several mechanisms by which grains induce inflammation in the gut, which can then lead to body-wide inflammatory processes and pain.

Grains are Highly Pro-inflammatory

Once digested, grains reduce the pH of the body causing it to become more acidic and thereby increasing susceptibly to mineral deficiencies, chronic disease and inflammation.

That is why grains make you Osteoporotic.

Your body will leach nearly all the calcium out of your bones in an effort to maintain the correct acid/alkaline balance. Indeed it will almost convert the bones of your hips, spine, knees etc. to mush in an effort to maintain correct pH.

Grains are also high in omega 6 fats which, when eaten in excess as they often are in the standard Western diet, throws out the omega 6:omega 3 fatty acid balance in the body.”

excerpts from: https://www.thespinalcentre.com.au/nutrition/no-pain-no-grain/grains-cause-pain/

“Eating Grains Isn’t Necessary for Optimal Health

Although the government’s daily food recommendations would have us believe exactly the opposite, grains are not a necessary part of the diet in order to achieve and maintain optimal health. In some cases, they can diminish your wellness. It’s much more important to include nutrient dense foods such as meat, vegetables, fruits, and saturated fats in your diet if you want to achieve better health.”

excerpt from: https://www.oursmallhours.com/reasons-to-go-grain-free/

Health and God

What’s the connection? From the very beginning of God’s creation, God has provided foods for us to eat. He has in His mind foods that are good for our health. When He created plants which are vegetables to us now, He knows they will be good for our body.

How many times we have read that vegetables, fruits, whole grains and all the plant based foods that originated from seeds were touted by researchers and functional doctors as life saving foods for our guts or microbiome. They’re the community of good bacteria that live and thrive in our immune system that fight virus, germs and toxins that inflame and could cause us to get sick and unhealthy.

On Exodus 16:31, God provided Manna a supernatural food, a special kind of food that God gave to the Israelites during their 40-year wandering in the desert. “The people of Israel called the bread Manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.”

Psalm 78:24 said that “God rained down Manna for them to eat. God gave them the grain of heaven, a miracle grain; the Bread of Life.”

“The Israelites went around gathering the Manna, they ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. When the dew settled in the camp at night, the Manna also came down.” (Numbers 11:8-9)

God knows that green plants are good for us, or else He will provide meat from the very beginning as the Israelites journeyed to the promised land. God eventually did provide quail meat, when the Israelites started complaining and started craving for other food: fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic; which are still good nourishing food.

After the flood on Noah’s biblical time, God added meat for mankind to eat. But He has a caveat, a warning of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations about eating meat. “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.” (Genesis 9:4) “God sees blood as a sacred thing. The humane treatment of animals may have been another reason why God told Noah not to eat meat with the blood still in it. God did not want mankind to act like the carnivorous animals, who caught their prey and began eating it immediately. Instead, they were to drain the blood from the carcass and thus ensure the animal was dead before it was consumed.” (from: Why did God prohibit eating meat with blood in it (Genesis 9:4)? | GotQuestions.org )

Daniel 1:15 reads:  “At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” Daniel and the three Israelites with him fasted by eating plant based food and drinking water.

God knows when He instructed and commanded to eat plants on Genesis 1:29 that there are tremendous health benefits in consuming them daily. He created and designed our body so He knows what is good for our body systems for long life.

Plant based foods support your immune system. Plants have essential nutrients that you cannot get from other foods. The vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants in plants help keep your cells healthy and your body in balance so that your immune system can function at its best.

“Plants give your body what it needs to help fight off infection,” says Andrea Murray, MD Anderson health education specialist. “A plant-based diet strengthens your immune system to protect you against germs and microorganisms.”

Plants’ essential nutrients work to resolve inflammation in your body. The same tiny phytochemicals and antioxidants that boost your immune system also go around your body neutralizing toxins from pollution, processed food, bacteria, viruses and more.

“Antioxidants in plants grab all these so-called free radicals that can throw your body off balance,” says Murray. “To reduce inflammation, it’s important to eat plant-based and to listen to your body’s signals for how foods work for you.”

Plants are high in fiber. Fiber is present in all unprocessed plant foods. It is what makes up the structure of the plant, and if you eat more of it you access a whole host of benefits.

Eating a plant-based diet improves the health of your gut so you are better able to absorb the nutrients from food that support your immune system and reduce inflammation. Fiber can lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar and it’s great for good bowel management.

Eating plant-based does not mean you can’t eat meat. It means your meals are mostly plants: vegetables, whole grains and fruits. Beans, seeds and nuts are also included.

Fill two-thirds of your plate with these plant-based foods. The remaining one-third should be a lean protein like chicken or fish, or a plant protein like tofu or beans.

Excerpts from: 5 benefits of a plant-based diet | MD Anderson Cancer Center

Another benefit in eating plant based is it lowers your blood pressure. Studies show that consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, low-sodium foods, and lean cuts of meat can not only lower high counts of blood pressure, but can also prevent complications such as stroke and heart disease.

When I added Red Beets and Arugula on my daily veggie salad intake, my BP readings make me happy!

Deuteronomy 30:15-16: “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to Him, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase…”

“Medications” Without Side Effects

I tweaked my winter eating plan by continuing with my plant based diet. Years past I would reduce my veggies consumption during the coldest times of the year and substituted soups, hot oatmeals and some cold prevention diet formula. I’d barely get by with the dreary season, accompanied by seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which was so hard with my emotional moods. The cloudy days had not been helpful in tackling an under the weather feeling especially in January. 😕 I would take Gaba Plus, a dietary supplements, at the start of Autumn season to support my SAD mood. It’s an effective supplements. However, I cannot take it long term as it has a side effect of chest pains when I take it everyday for a month.

Veggie Power

Surprisingly, this time of the year when I would suffer from SAD, it was not an issue and I don’t feel emotionally down at all. I was astonished as I have so much energy throughout the day. I started realizing that veggies and fruits are giving these wonderful, welcome changes in what would be a dreadful season.

“Eating vegetables and fruits not only improves your physical health but also improves your emotional health. This has been proven through research conducted by the University of Queensland. Aside from that, fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C which is an important factor in the production of dopamine which is a neurotransmitter that regulates movement, learning, memory, emotion, happiness, sleep, and cognition. The antioxidants found in vegetables and fruits are also shown to protect a person from depression.”

VOILA! That is the answer!

“Fruits and vegetables contain high levels of vitamins and minerals. Vitamins that work together with enzymes bring important benefits to body functions, including in producing energy. Minerals support the forming of bone composition, blood, and maintain the function of body cells. So, by consuming vegetables and fruits, we will feel our body more fresh and energetic.“

That is so true about feeling fresh and energetic! That’s why I feel a new person in Spring and Summer. I thought it was because there’s more sun during these two seasons. The sun energizes me but with vegetables and fruits that I’ve been eating, the fresh feeling and my energetic mood are really the results of the plant based food I’ve been consuming!

These days, my veggie mix is consist of Romaine Lettuce, Cucumber, Kale, Arugula, Carrots, Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, Radicchio, & Broccoli.

“Fruits and vegetables have a content that can lower your blood pressure. For example, fruits and vegetables such as bananas, potatoes, beets, carrots and other fruits or vegetables that have a high enough potassium content can normalize your blood pressure.”

Veggies and fruits normalize my blood pressure. I do intermittent fasting so I only have one meal a day which consists of a grapefruit, or apple with peanut butter to start my morning, and lunch is always with big portion of veggie salad, my small main course of either fish, or lean pork, or chicken with small cup of white rice or brown rice. I would have a fruit dessert or two and some nuts and seeds or a small piece of an organic cocoa dark chocolate.

Lemon water after my lunch, helps lower my blood pressure naturally. I also drink 8 glasses of water each day.

In Winter, I always have grapefruits.

The fruits I eat in spring and summer have more varieties as those are the times they are in season. In winter, I can have apples, pomegranates, pears, persimmons, bananas, mangoes, avocadoes, all organic; and so with veggies we eat.

“Vegetables and fruits contain fiber that works to facilitate the digestive system in our body. We can also avoid hemorrhoid disease. However, for those of you who already suffer from hemorrhoid disease, consuming fruits and vegetables can cure the disease.”

“Vegetables and fruits contain antioxidants that are molecules capable of slowing or preventing other molecular oxidation processes. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals that can cause damage to the cells of the body.

However, with the help of thiols and vitamin C that act as antioxidants, our bodies can be free from those damages. Fruit especially has a very important benefit that is to support the ability to remember and process information in the brain and prevent Alzheimer’s.”

With eating vegetables and fruits, I don’t experience brain fog: “People who experience brain fog often describe it as a sense of confusion or disorganization, disorientation or feeling scattered. A diminished ability to react and difficulty thinking, expressing your thoughts or thinking through complex situations or calculations can all be considered brain fog.” My mind is sharp and clear ever since I eat veggies and fruits everyday. I eat more than four cups of veggies and at least two or three fruits a day.

“Eating fruits and vegetables helps your body avoid one of the leading causes of death, coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is caused by the inhibition of blood flow to the heart by fat. One way to overcome this is to get the content of folic acid.

Research has proven that this folic acid can serve to reduce levels of homocysteine, a substance that increases the risk of coronary heart disease. You can find this folic acid in fruits. In addition to folic acid, fruits also contain vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, and also phosphorus that are very beneficial to the body.”

This is so true! After a nuclear test I did in October, last year, my cardiologist told me that my heart is in very good condition. I told him that the veggies and fruits I’ve been eating are helping my heart! And he said: “That goes without saying! Definitely they are helping your heart! They are good natural blood thinners.

“A study has proven that people who only eat fruits and vegetables have the strength and endurance of the body 3 times greater than those who only consume meat.“

In my experience in the past, when I was eating more meat and bad carbs everyday and seldom eat veggies and fruits, my body dragged. I experienced heartburn, bloating, weight gain, high blood pressure, and poor night sleep. Consuming veggies and fruits daily, I do not experience headaches or migraine. When I’ve been eating veggies and fruits daily, I’m regular with bowel movement which is very important which helps in maintaining my weight and overall health.

The results of a study showed that people who consume five apples and skin at once for a week have better lung function and more protected from allergies. This is because the apple skin contains antioxidants that have antihistamine.

I haven’t been eating apples everyday, but it’s one of the fruits I eat that is included in my two to three fruits per day. One thing I’ve noticed is that since I’ve religiously been eating fruits and vegetables, (mostly raw), this winter, I have not gotten a cold nor seasonal allergy sneezing! I always get an allergy in Spring because of tree pollen; so I will find out for sure this Spring if I contract an allergy. Maybe then, I can consume an apple everyday to prevent pollen allergy: Pollen allergies can trigger allergic reactions, which affect the sinus and respiratory tract of those with this allergy. Symptoms can include watery eyes, runny nose, rhinitis, sore throat, coughing, increased mucous, headaches and asthma. I don’t get all of these symptoms, except sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes.

Fruits and vegetables have a fairly low calorie content, fat-free foods, and contain good fats for our health. Thus, a decrease in caloric intake is one of the health benefits of eating only fruits and vegetables.

I definitely able to maintain my weight. If I gain a pound or two, with regular daily consumption of veggies and fruits, I am able to lose the extra pounds and still able to not starve myself. With intermittent fasting, it gives a boost with losing weight without diet hardships.

Not all the nuts are in the can. ~Saying

I would end my meal with some nuts and sunflower seeds before I stopped eating for the day.

To top off all these amazing plant based eating benefits, the fiber from these veggies and fruits allow my immune system to thrive. And when I feed my microbiome: these little microbes, or I call them good tiny soldiers, they take good care of my cells and organs in my body and guard them like hawks and they make me feel good. I treat them good, these tiny soldiers repay me back with great health and well being. They are great fantastic guards!

The gut microbiome plays a very important role in our health by helping control digestion and benefiting our immune system and many other aspects of health,

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All the quoted paragraphs on the benefits of fruits and vegetables are excerpts from:

15 Health Benefits of Eating Only Fruits and Vegetables A Day

√ Scientific Checked

Fruits for Breakfast!

I took a break from doing veggie and fruit smoothies and celery juicing for breakfast first week of July this year. I could feel my system needed a change. I’m completely off from any prescribed BP medication since last year and I feel good without those horrible side effects that came with BP med! My cardiologist couldn’t agree more. He was happy with my BP readings without the medication in my system, but instead it’s with the help of plant based eating daily.

Spring 2019 was dealing mostly with sinus allergy that seemed like forever. I thought the sneezing and runny nose would be my company for a while there. Even with smoothies and juicing, the sinus battle continued. I’ve ordered from Amazon anything Elderberry, Echinacea, Vicks Vaporub and inhaler and humidifier.

Spring was a struggle; but the Spring sun was a relief. I always enjoy the Spring sun, way too beautiful.

Since I stopped juicing and drinking homemade smoothies, which I have done mostly since 2016, I’ve decided to try eating fruits for breakfast this summer. There’s abundance of fruits in summertime so I am taking advantage of the many fruit choices. Although, Winter last year and Spring 2019, I was consuming citrus like oranges, pumelos, grapefruits aside from eating apples.

Oatmeal was my favorite morning warm ups. I kept up with veggie salads as sides for lunch. My BP readings stayed down and good. I’ve maintained my weight and kept myself busy with organizing and getting rid of dust collectors and clutters.

When I started fruits only for breakfast, my energy heightened much better than doing smoothies and celery juice. I’ve realized, too, that when I juiced fruits, it did not agree with my system as I’ve lost the fiber my body needs. However, when I eat whole fruits; three or four small servings of different kinds of fruits, I feel great! With veggie salads, all organic, like arugula, different varieties of cucumbers, romaine, tomatoes, avocados for lunch and a main daily homemade dish of small serving of either fish, or lean chicken or lean meat, I am set for the next hours of intermittent fasting daily. I’ve incorporated IF since 2016 and my sleeping patterns and circadian rhythms are at its best! Sleep has always been sweet. Unless, something is worrying me or there are exciting events the next day that would keep me tossing and turning, most of my sleeping hours are so satisfying. I found out that by the time I am ready for bed, all the food I’ve eaten have almost been fully digested by the time I hit the bed, so all my system has to do is repairing and healing what needs to be healed in my body while I’m asleep. Eating fruits in the morning has lowered my blood pressure naturally, much better readings than with smoothies and juicing.

There are some days I’d get off IF when travelling or eating out. If I get lucky, and I did not eat restaurants’ foods which cause heartburn, my sleep will still be okay. Sometimes, I need that break, but the next day, I’d go back to my eating schedules to maintain my weight. It’s not easy especially when I splurge on some sweet desserts and bread. But I need to focus for the sake of my blood pressure.

As we get older, blood pressure spikes especially if we are not eating right. I’ve learned that high blood pressure leads to so many illnesses. It’s an indicator when something is wrong in our body. It’s a signal of some future events that are detrimental to our health. I’ve learned of this after thorough research and personal experiences when I started getting aware of this silent killer. High blood pressure almost always show up as one of the contributing factors to illnesses when diagnosed with heart disease, heart failure, stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol, kidney disease, Adrenal and thyroid disorders, sleep apnea as one of the few known causes associated with high blood pressure.

So, organic fruits for breakfast to the rescue! So many fruit choices, including bananas, apples, cherries… I love summer!

Bananas, my natural healer!

Cloudy days have been overstaying their welcome more this time of the year than the previous years in our woods. I have to find ways to combat SAD (seasonal affected disorder) for dark clouds affect my mood every year. From September to February, I feel sometimes, in a sad mood, not depressed but just a feeling of being under the clouds. It somehow triggers memories of years gone by, that easily make me emotional, though I’m able to manage it well, and I have to thank God for that.

It’s not as worse as when we used to live in California. In California, when it hit the month of September, there’s a gloomy touch in the air when Fall season arrives. It’s still sunny, but you can feel the dampness, especially the area where we used to live being close to the beach. I used to start getting sick in September without fail. My SAD got some relief when I was told at a health store that Gaba plus can help with SAD. And it did, but I cannot take it long term as it has a side effect.

When I’ve embraced eating plant based food, where I lost a lot of weight, I started to get familiarized with the benefits of each vegetable and fruit I’ve been eating. This year, the Celery juice has been giving me a lot of energy and it helps with SAD during this time of the year. I started taking calcium with Vitamin D3 and it’s been helping with SAD also. I’ve added more bananas in my fruit daily intake and I’ve discovered that it helps with SAD also! What do you know!

If You Think Bananas Are Just For Monkeys, Think Again

These 25 ways to use and eat bananas will blow your mind!

1. Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin — the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter.

2. Eat two bananas before a strenuous workout to pack an energy punch and sustain your blood sugar.

3. Protect against muscle cramps during workouts and night time leg cramps by eating a banana.

4. Counteract calcium loss during urination and build strong bones by supplementing with a banana.

5. Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by eating a banana, which regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation.

6. Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6.

7. Strengthen your blood and relieve anemia with the added iron from bananas.

8. High in potassium and low in salt, bananas are officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke.

9. Eating Bananas For Digestion
Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.

10. Bananas act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowel. They also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.

11. Constipated? High fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility.

12. Got the runs? Bananas are soothing to the digestive tract and help restore lost electrolytes after diarrhea.

13. Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD.

14. Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids.

For Natural Healing From A Simple Banana

15. Eating bananas will help prevent kidney cancer, protects the eyes against macular degeneration and builds strong bones by increasing calcium absorption.

16. Bananas make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Eat a banana before an exam to benefit from the high levels of potassium.

17. Bananas are high in antioxidants, providing protection from free radicals and chronic disease.

18. Eating a banana between meals helps stabilize blood sugar and reduce nausea from morning sickness.

19. Rub a bug bite or hives with the inside of the banana peel to relieve itching and irritation.

20. Control blood sugar and avoid binging between meals by eating a banana.

21. Eating a banana can lower the body temperature and cool you during a fever or on a hot day.

22. The natural mood-enhancer tryptophan helps to relieve Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

The list of fruits and vegetables with tryptophan is huge! It calls for another blog to enumerate them.

23. Quitting smoking? Bananas contain high levels of B-vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium to speed recovery from the effects of withdrawal.

24. Remove a wart by placing the inside of a piece of banana peel against the wart and taping it in place.

25. Rub the inside of a banana peel on your leather shoes or handbag and polish with a dry cloth for a quick shine.

Oh, and remember — bananas make great snacks and delicious smoothies.

from: https://www.foodmatters.com/article/25-powerful-reasons-to-eat-bananas?

Last, but not least, my close relationship with God has helped enormously with SAD for before I become a Bible believer Christian, my SAD was more of a depression than anything because it was throughout the year as far as I can remember and would get worse when Fall season starts.

Hopefully, March will bring more sunlight and beautiful days ahead. I always hope for brighter days and they are not far from sight! I can bet on that!

Sugar, more than Salt, raises Blood Pressure

I’ve learned this the hard way this weekend. Sugar did raise my blood pressure. I take my blood pressure regularly so I know My BP level has been good, until I’ve made this Sweet and Sour Cucumber. It calls for regular white sugar and clear vinegar in the recipe. I heated them together to dissolve and mix the sugar with the vinegar. The end result was very good. I made it twice last week, the second one I prepared last Saturday as side dish. I added some thinly sliced onions and carrots for garnish. One of the best cucumber salads I made. I was happy with it and so did my household.

Then came this chest pain last Sunday. The pain subsided when I took an aspirin and I was able to have a good night and restful sleep. However, when I took my blood pressure this afternoon, my blood pressure was 148, 150 systolic. Before this, my BP level has not gone up since I’ve learned to control my eating habits, which is mostly a Mediterranean diet with lots of veggies and fruits. I can have some bread, or some crackers and even ice cream in some occasions and my blood pressure would not get affected.

“Carbohydrates cause the body to hold on to water. When the water volume increases in our blood, the pressure in our blood vessels increase.
The same can happen when we consume salt.
However, only one of these will cause chronically elevated blood pressure.

Again, too many refined carbohydrates increase water in the blood thus increasing blood pressure. Refined carbs have no nutrients. The nutrients are stripped out in the refining process. As we’ve seen the body must maintain sodium in the bloodstream or significant health problems will ensue. Consider that an intravenous solution of salt water is the first thing given to ER patients.You would be surprised just how many studies exist that shows no connection to salt and hypertension. So forget the studies. Study it in yourself. If you have hypertension, reduce your salt intake for two weeks and do nothing else (you’re probably already doing this). See if that brings down your blood pressure significantly. If not, eliminate all sugar intake in the form of refined sugar and refined carbs for two weeks. See what happens.”                                                       FearlessEating.net

“One out of every three US adults has high blood pressure (hypertension).  If you’re among them, one of the first recommendations your physician probably gave you was to cut back on salt.
Yet, there’s far more to maintaining a healthy blood pressure than eating a low-salt diet – a strategy that works for some people and fails for others.
In fact, fewer than half of Americans with high blood pressure have their condition under control,  and perhaps this is because conventional physicians have been focused on the “wrong white crystals,” namely salt instead of sugar.
One of the primary underlying causes of high blood pressure is related to your body producing too much insulin and leptin in response to a high-carbohydrate (i.e. high sugar) and processed food diet.

New Study:   Sugar May be Worse for Your Blood Pressure Than Salt
You’ve probably heard of the DASH diet, which is claimed to be among the most effective for controlling hypertension. It consists largely of fresh vegetables, fruits, lean protein, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and very low sodium content.
But it’s ALSO low in sugar/fructose. So, while people on DASH diets do tend to show reduced hypertension, the reason for this may not be solely the reduction in salt, but the reduction in sugar.
The same holds true for reducing your intake of processed foods, which are top sources of both heavily processed salt and sugar/fructose. In a new review in the journal Open Heart, the authors also argue that the high consumption of added sugars in the US diet may be more strongly and directly associated with high blood pressure than the consumption of sodium.

Story at-a-glance
Added sugars, particularly fructose, in the US diet may be more strongly related to high blood pressure than salt
Cutting processed foods from your diet may benefit high blood pressure not only because it reduces salt, but more likely because it reduces sugar
Excess sugar in your diet increases blood pressure and heart rate and contributes to inflammation, insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction.”

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/02/25/sugar-blood-pressure.aspx

I have not used white sugar for quite sometime in any recipe that calls for white sugar, except last week. I thought, it would not affect me since I have not used it for months. What I have been using if I need to add sugar in my recipe or my oatmeal is Madhava Coconut Sugar. It does not affect my blood pressure. This proves to me that I cannot have simple, white sugar added to any of my foods. My fasting sugar when it was checked last year was normal. I want to keep it as normal as possible. Especially now that I know how sugar can affect my BP more than salt. I also stopped using table salt or processed salt as this type of salt can also raise up my blood pressure.

I have been using Redmond Ancient Fine Sea Salt. This all-natural sea salt comes from the underground salt deposit in Central Utah. The deposit was left there by a pristine ancient sea that covered much of North America millions of years ago. This sea salt has not raised up my blood pressure and I don’t use so much of it either. I’ve read that this type of salt is similar to the sodium content in our own blood. That’s why we cannot totally eliminate sodium in our diet as long as they come from good sources for our body.

“Water, sea salt, and potassium together regulate the water content of the body. Our daily food contains potassium from natural sources such as fruits and vegetables, but not table salt (sodium chloride). That’s why we need to supplement our daily diet with sea salt.”

https://nutburgers.com/table-salt-vs-sea-salt-knowledge-is-power/

Definitely, knowledge and research is power!

The miracle of Celery Juice

Thanksgiving day 2018 came and gone and surprisingly, though I had an extra helping and went a little overboard with eats, my weight management did not suffer. I still do my intermittent fasting, my daily smoothies and veggie salads. With holidays, there are so many food temptations and I just can’t resist. Amazingly enough, I was able to maintain my weight, even with the extra calories from the Thanksgiving feast. I recently added Celery juicing because of the things I’ve read about it and the juicing benefits of celery.

Organic celery is a staple in my fridge. I add it to my salads and cooking. There is this medical medium guru on Facebook that I follow and he faithfully promotes the healing benefits of celery juice. He said that celery has an incredible ability to create sweeping improvements for all kinds of health issues. He said that celery is truly the savior when it comes to chronic illness. He said it is most powerful to drink it alone. Aside from celery being an alkaline food, the health benefits are aplenty.

In my case, it’s one of my food aids to naturally lower my blood pressure. It prevented constipation and amazingly aided with my weight. I see the difference in my weight scale.

And yes, it helps with bloating. I don’t feel bloated like I feel water heavy, though I drink a lot of water each day. Celery contains Phthalides, phytonutrients that provides potential cardiovascular benefits. Celery phthalides can act as smooth muscle relaxants, most likely through their impact on the flow of calcium and potassium inside cells and related nervous system activity involved with muscle relaxation. Of course, relaxation of smooth muscles surrounding our blood vessels allows them to expand and the result is a lowering of blood pressure.

I drink celery juice first thing in the morning, and I wait about 30 to 45 minutes before I eat my breakfast. I combine 3 to 4 celery stalks, chopped, with some coconut water to aid in extracting the juice and I use the new, updated NutriBullet.

I have not taken any blood pressure medications for almost a year now because of the very bad side effects. But because of the veggies (plus smoothies and celery juice) and fruits I eat everyday, and supplements of Fish Oil, Cholestoff, grape seed extract and olive leaf extract, I am able to get good BP readings.

And one thing that help with lowering my blood pressure is when I stopped adding salt when cooking. I don’t use table salt either. I try to buy food and condiments with a label indicating fewer milligrams of sodium, which we need and an essential nutrient in our body; as long as it’s not too much and excessive. I’ve learned that if we consume too much sodium, it can cause water retention, and our body may respond by raising our blood pressure to push the excess fluid and salt out of our system. Our heart is working hard, which is not normal, when our blood pressure is high and chest pain can occur.

“Humans are genetically programmed to eat ten times less sodium than we do now. Many so-called low-salt diets can actually be considered high-salt diets. That’s why it’s critical to understand what the concept of ‘normal’ is when it comes to sodium. Having a ‘normal’ salt intake can lead to a ‘normal’ blood pressure, which can contribute to us dying from all the ‘normal’ causes, like heart attacks and strokes. The American Heart Association recommends everyone consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium daily— that’s about three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt. The average American adult consumes more than double that amount about 3,500 mg daily. Reducing sodium consumption by just 15 percent worldwide could save millions of lives every year.

If we could cut our salt intake by about a half teaspoon a day, which is achievable by avoiding salty foods and not adding salt to our food, we might prevent 22 percent of stroke deaths and 16 percent of fatal heart attacks. That’s potentially more lives saved than if we were able to successfully treat people with blood pressure pills. Simply put, reducing salt is an easy at home intervention that may be more powerful than filling a prescription from the pharmacy. Up to ninety-two thousand American lives could be saved each year simply by eating less salt.”

Excerpts from: How Not To Die – Michael Greger, M.D.

 

 

Blood Pressure and Medications

 

High blood pressure worries and frustrations in four years time had led me on a mission and a quest to find out about this notorious and scary hypertensive heart disease.

When I gained 35 extra pounds in a matter of five years of quitting my job and relocating, I’ve noticed I became very sluggish and I would feel tired even just after a shower.  I knew that I needed to do something about the changes I was feeling. For one thing, I did not even know that I gained so much weight. I’ve thrown caution to the wind, stopped weighing myself in the morning, enjoyed life and ate out a lot even if there was no special occasion. I’ve eaten sweet desserts way late in the evening, had some ice cream and junk snacks while enjoying internet browsing and watching movies. I was just having the greatest time of my life after working so long and hard in life. It was a time of junk foods that I did not even know were bad for me; and eating out and buying all kinds of processed foods, were part of finally arriving to a period and time that alarm clocks no longer ruled my life. I could be up almost all night, waking up late in the morning with no set sleep schedule. Hey, this was what life was all about after all!

Then came a warning sign. To compensate with bad eating habits, I would do my treadmill workout. At first I was able to still do high speed intensity and uphill workouts. But then one day, I had a bad fall while sort of running on our hallway to catch an important life event on video. It was a bad tumble on a hard concrete flooring, chest first. A few months later, when I felt okay to go back to exercising, I started feeling chest pains while tread milling. I would stop working out for days, and returned back when the pain was gone, but there was still the same nagging chest pains.

One night I woke up with this worse chest pain on my left side that my hubby had to take me to the emergency. Thank goodness, it was not a heart attack. However, the emergency doctor suggested that I see a cardiologist to be safe and sure that my heart is not weakening. The following day after seeing a cardiologist, he wrote me a prescription for Nitrostat to take as needed should I experience chest pains again. The cardio visit led to another visit as he wanted me to undergo some tests. I declined having one of them because of what was written about the possible bad reactions to the test. The doctor mentioned that my blood pressure was in a high range. He suggested that it might be the cause of my chest pains.

Knowing nothing about high blood pressure, I did not know where to start. But it led me to start researching about it. I’ve read that caffeine intake can elevate blood pressure. I stopped drinking tea and coffee, not even decaf, and the chest pains subsided. I read that I should buy a blood pressure monitor to help with knowing my blood pressure numbers at home. My first blood pressure monitor was giving me high systolic numbers but my diastolic numbers ever since was normal.

Getting frustrated and stressed out with worries about the high blood pressure, I finally saw a general practitioner who suggested that I start taking blood pressure medication. The first medication prescribed was Lisinopril. When I went back for 3 months check up, I told my doctor that I was experiencing bad night coughing. He then took me out of that and prescribed Benicar, but I had a bad sore throat and itching from taking it that I had to go back to my GP and he changed the BP prescription to Losartan. I stayed with Losartan for a while. This time I started with a Blood Pressure Log to keep track of my daily BP systolic and diastolic numbers and heart rates. And I bought a better and reliable BP monitor. My numbers were good and stayed in good range.

I make it a habit to take three months worth of BP log sheets each time I see my doctors. I have a white coat hypertension syndrome where my blood pressure systolic reading is higher at the doctor’s office. I used to wonder why, but I know now the reason. Everything is rush-rush in the doctors office. Taking blood pressure measurement should be done after 5 to 10 minutes of rest sitting down doing nothing.  Your upper left arm is at the same height as your heart, placing it on a table. The clinic assistant should not do anything or not talk to you or touch you to take your heart rate etc., while taking the measurement. These are not adhered at the doctors office. They don’t give you a chance to breathe if ever. You’re already stressed out being there and if they call your name right away while filling some paperwork for updates, your heart is already racing. Of course, in turn, your blood pressure reading undoubtedly has skyrocketed. This is what I tell them now after they take my measurement and my reading was high; and I show them my BP log sheets. I am right away vindicated. I don’t give them a chance to tell me to up my BP med dose just because.

Many people find that their blood pressure increases because of subconscious stress from confrontation with medical institutions and the staff working there. This is usually called “white coat hypertension”, that is, elevated blood pressure levels from just seeing the white lab coats doctors wear.
This is a common problem: a full 10-15% of people diagnosed with high blood pressure after measurements taken at a hospital or medical facility, later find that measurements taken in their own home or averaged over 24 hours are normal.

If you’re one of the people with “white coat hypertension”, you have approximately the same risk of heart disease as other people with normal blood pressure. People with “white coat hypertension” don’t need blood pressure-lowering medication – but they often get it unnecessarily! ***DietDoctor.com

This time around I started on my plant based diet, reducing simple sugar carbs and saturated fats, started with calorie counting and lost a significant amount of weight. My BMI went down to normal. I also started with intermittent fasting. Anyway with BP med intake it seemed like I finally achieved successful control of my blood pressure, or so I thought.

But then after a few months of taking Losartan daily, I started feeling backaches, cold sweats especially at night and the worse chills like I could hardly breathe at night and would wake me up in the middle of the night. Suffice to say, I had so many sleepless nights. I would have chest pains on top of it that my GP referred me to another cardiologist who is more reliable than the previous one I was referred to at the Emergency Hospital. This time I finally agreed to have a cardiogram test and a nuclear test. My nuclear test had a good result. I do not have any blockage and my heart condition is good and so did my cardiogram result.

But I was still being pestered with back pains and all the side effects that came with taking Losartan. I had a little argument at my next visit with my GP. He was getting annoyed that I was complaining about side effects. And asked me point blank why should he prescribe me another BP med when I seemed to complain about side effects all the time. I told him you’re my doctor, you’re supposed to help me. But looking back at it now, I guess he probably would want me to stop taking them period. Both of us frustrated, he prescribed Norvasc or Amlodipine. At this point, I was just about as stressed out with BP meds.

I then researched on what veggies and fruits and whole grains and other plant based foods that can naturally lower my blood pressure. I’ve adjusted my daily prepared meal to be as close as the Mediterranean diet focusing on lots of veggies and fruits.

After taking the Amlodipine for three months, side effects followed.

I had the worst lower and upper back pains. I could barely sit down for a few minutes because I would have chest pains and back pains. I started getting very tired and fatigue at the end of the day that I had to stop taking it because I can hardly get a good sleep. This time I did not call my GP. I felt good through all the summer last year after quitting Amlodipine. The back pains were going away. I was able to get goodnight sleep again. Without the BP med, I found out that with adding plant based foods and losing weight, my blood pressure numbers are not bad at all. My energy was optimal.

But I decided to give Amlodipine another try early this year to make sure that I was just not imagining the side effects. Just three weeks into taking it everyday, my lower and upper back started to bother me again. I started getting dizzy and feeling faint like I would pass out. My legs were starting to swell and ache like I was having a blood clot on both legs. I started sneezing really bad everyday, I could barely function. I lost my energy. I was able to prepare my smoothies and eat plant based foods, but I was so fatigued toward the end of the day that I felt like I was so depressed and feeling run down. I told myself that this is not the way to live a full life! I was having a restless sleep. I’ve prayed so hard and asked God for discernment and wisdom on how I could deal with these trials I was going through with my health.  I was exhausted and tired and sneezing continuously most days that once and for all, I’ve got to stop taking the BP med.

 

Lowering blood pressure helps prevent getting angina, heart attacks and strokes. BP medications can surely lower your BP, but with the side effects that come with taking these meds long term, a person will die of side effects, not of the high blood pressure. And would possibly die of heart attacks anyway. These drugs are awful! I’ve learned to be vigilant with all these drugs doctors prescribe to be used long term and daily. Check out the side effects! Most likely, you will experience those side effects. These conventional drugs will take over your life and lose it in the process. My chest pains were actually caused by these BP drugs!

After a week of quitting the BP med,  I felt better. I’ve been taking Gaba Plus for years, so I started taking them again. I stopped taking my supplements because of fear that they might badly interact with my BP med.  I started taking Fish Oil and Co Q-10 and Vitamin D and calcium again. In my research, I found out that taking Gaba Plus and Fish Oil will lower my blood pressure.

Yesterday, my blood pressure systolic was 127 and my diastolic was 64 and heart rate is 62. I’ve been getting good BP readings even without the conventional BP med. The chest pain is gone and yesterday, I returned to doing a moderate treadmill walk. When I’ve first embarked on changing my eating habits and lost a lot of weight and doing intermittent fasting, I was in the middle or period of taking the BP med. So whatever benefits and nutrients I was getting was helping me somehow,  but the side effects of the BP med were so overwhelming that daily dose of this medication was giving me a poor quality of life.

In a recent 6 month’s visit last week at my cardiologist office, I told the nurse practitioner that was assigned to me that I stopped taking the BP med. I showed her my BP log sheets and told her the side effects I experienced. She was concerned about the BP reading that was taken by the clinic assistant because my systolic reading was high. I told her what I’ve learned about the right ways to take BP measurement. I was surprised she didn’t know. She let me rested for about 5 to 15 minutes and took another blood pressure measurement. It was 135/70 with 64 heart rate.

Blood pressure readings varies each time in a day, it can be lower, in the middle, higher or extremely high depending on how our heart and brain react on things around us. I found out that it is normal. The medical concern really is if our systolic or diastolic number remain high, especially the systolic number and does not change even when we are at rest before doing the measurements.

One of the best websites about hypertension or high blood pressure I’ve read was DietDoctor.com ( https://www.dietdoctor.com/blood-pressure )

An ideal, healthy blood pressure is not over 120/80. This is what young, healthy and lean people have…

Values between 140/90 and 160/100 are considered as slightly elevated blood pressure.
Over 160/100 is said to be moderately elevated.
Over 180/110 is a severely elevated blood pressure.

If your blood pressure is severely elevated (over 160 systolic or over 100 in diastolic), medication is wise. If you have other risk factors for heart disease (like smoking, diabetes or obesity), medication may be recommended even for a slight elevation in blood pressure (over 140/90).

Up until recently there was no evidence that medication improves the health of otherwise healthy people with mildly elevated blood pressure (140-159 systolic and/or 90-99 diastolic). This meant it was unclear whether it was worth risking the side effects of the medication if all you have is a slight elevation.

After losing a lot of weight and eating plant based foods, my daily blood pressure readings are in the mid 120s and low and mid 130s at the most. The Fish Oil and Gaba plus have added extra help in lowering my blood pressure steadily without BP medication. Hopefully, I am at the time now that I have reached the level where my blood pressure is finally well controlled. I’ve thanked God and grateful to Him that He has given me understanding and wisdom in overcoming the maladies concerning high blood pressure. God once again opened my eyes!

Intermittent Fasting, weight loss and Christmas holidays

Ahhhhh, the holidays are finally over! A month of holiday celebration was somehow a hurdle with losing or maintaining weight; but thankfully, I only gained two pounds total since yesterday, New Year’s Day!

I got so used in doing intermittent fasting and it helps on days before and after Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year; the reason why I was able to control my weight. The calorie counting I incorporated during those times that I have to lose 20 pounds when I started changing my lifestyle habits, has given me the heads up when I was facing with all those glorious holiday foods. I knew that if I ate more than the calories that I have been used to, I will gain the following day. But I’ve learned also that if I ate less the next day of gaining some ounces or a pound, without being hungry as I fast, the following day, I would lose the calories I gained. That’s how I was able to maintain my weight. 

I’ve learned that our body system can adapt to changes in eating habits, so if I feed my body less, it would be happy and content. The lessons I’ve learned as I am realizing it now is if I trained my system to eat less processed sugar, like cakes, cookies, chocolates, ice cream, pies; my system will adapt and would not anymore clamor for those types of food. The biggest dilemma for me is if I start tasting them again on holidays, and they are so attractive during the holidays, my digestion process seems to want to betray me and dislike the taste of the natural sweetness of the whole foods such as fruits. It doesn’t help, too, that most of the best fruits are not in abundance during the winter season of holidays galore.

Well, I promised myself that today, I’m starting to nip it in the bud, start to eat less and less simple sugar again, replace them with smoothies and more veggie salads, which get my energy in a better level, and control my hunger pangs and to get back to working out.

How sight and smell relate to digestion

 

“At first glance — or sniff — the digestive link between your eyes, nose, and stomach sounds a tad weird. But think about it: How many times has the sight or scent of something yummy like a simmering stew or baking bread set your tummy rumbling?

The sight of an appetizing dish or the aroma (actually scent molecules bouncing against the nasal tissues) sends signals to your brain: “Good stuff on the way.” As a result, your brain — the quintessential message center — shoots out impulses that

 

• Make your mouth water.

 

• Make your stomach contract (hunger pangs).

 

• Make intestinal glands start leaking digestive chemicals.

All that from a little look and sniff. Imagine what happens when you actually take a bite!

Tasting and chewing in the digestion process

You know that small bag of potato chips you have stashed way at the back of your desk drawer? Well, dig it out and take a chip.

As the chip hits your tongue, your mouth acts as though someone had thrown the “on” switch in a fun house.

 

• Your teeth chew, breaking the chip into small manageable pieces.

 

• Your salivary glands release a watery liquid (saliva) to compact the chip into a mushy bundle (a bolus in digestive-geek speak) that can slide easily down your throat on a stream of saliva.

 

• Enzymes (which you can think of as digestive catalysts in this case) in the saliva begin to digest carbohydrates in the chip.

 

• Your tongue lifts to push the whole ball of wax . . . no, bolus, back toward the pharynx, the opening from your mouth to your esophagus, and then through a muscular valve called the upper esophageal sphincter, which opens to allow the food through. In other words, you’re about to swallow.”

source: http://www.dummies.com/education/science/biology/the-human-digestion-process-or-what-happens-after-you-eat-food/

Just One Bad Meal Can Mess with Your Health

Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Super Size Me was one of the first to vividly demonstrate the consequences of trying to sustain yourself on a diet of fast food. After just four weeks, Spurlock’s health had deteriorated to the point that his physician warned him he was putting his life in serious jeopardy if he continued the experiment.
But as the featured study showed, it doesn’t take a virtual month to experience the health effects of a poor diet. In fact, the changes happen after just one meal, according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

When you eat a meal high in unhealthy fats and sugar, the sugar causes a large spike in your blood-sugar levels called “post-prandial hyperglycemia.” In the long term this can lead to an increased risk of heart attack, but there are short-term effects as well, such as:

Your tissue becomes inflamed (as occurs when it is infected)
Your blood vessels constrict
Damaging free radicals are generated
Your blood pressure may rise higher than normal
A surge and drop in insulin may leave you feeling hungry soon after your meal

The good news is that eating a healthy meal helps your body return to its normal, optimal state, even after just one. Study author James O’Keefe of the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri told TIME:

“Your health and vigor, at a very basic level, are as good as your last meal.”

source: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/04/29/junk-food-metabolism.aspx

I experienced this poor diet effect when I ate a meal high in unhealthy fats and sodium, one night when we went to see a movie last month before Christmas week in a theatre, where they serve food inside the auditorium. I thought to myself, it was only for one night, it would not hurt me, but it did. I felt so restless in bed and I had chest pains. I lost the calories I gained from it two days after I got back to eating my healthy homemade meals, but it surely proved that foods served in restaurants are not the best quality foods that your body definitely does not need. I can even tell now which restaurants we would go to and their foods will give me heartburn. Of course, after going twice, and it’s still doing the same result after I ate their food, there is something in their ingredients that do not agree with the human body’s digestion. For one thing, to gain profits, they serve you with the cheapest ingredients combine with trans fats and high in salt and hidden sugar, it’s a stomach catastrophe waiting to happen. Overtime, when you keep eating fast foods, you will develop all kinds of  maladies:  illness · sickness · disease · infection · ailment · disorder · complaint · indisposition · affliction · infirmity · syndrome · bug · virus – you name it!