I MARRIED A NUTRITIONIST Inside Information for Men on Health and Nutrition

My nutritionist and I recently moved to a new house and while packing the kitchen she turned to me and said, “We need to get rid of this microwave.”   Hmmm?   Looked perfectly good to me.  I mean, it’s not like we used it a lot, mainly quick heat ups and such.  Then it hit me.  She probably wants a new one to match our new refrigerator.  Women are like that sometimes.  Wrong.  Then she clarified  her statement saying we were getting rid of our microwave all together.   Gulp.

Like a skilled lawyer, my nutritionist began to present her case.  Conventional heating warms food from the outside in.  Think of your oven, or in caveman terms, think campfire.  Microwave ovens, on the other hand, heat food from inside out by creating a violent friction in the water molecules within food.  This friction deforms the structure of the water molecules and generates heat in the process.   As the molecules are literally blown apart, the molecular damage spreads beyond the water and into your food.

Microwave radiation destroys and deforms the food molecules and creates new compounds completely unknown to nature.  Recent research shows that microwaves significantly decrease the nutritional value of food.  All your good intentions in the supermarket to buy fresh and healthy can go out the window with microwaving.

Microwaves reduce levels of vitamin B 12… decrease flavonoids in food by 97% which eliminates anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial properties…. lower levels of sinapic acid derivatives which neutralize free radicals which cause cancer… and significantly alter levels of vitamins and nutrients in your food.  Whoa.

Oh, and if you have a baby at home and you’re heating breast milk in a microwave.  Slap yourself.  Microwaves break down bacteria-digesting enzymes in breast milk and decrease antibody levels.   Heat plastic baby bottles in the microwave and you may be leaching dangerous toxins into breast milk or formula.

Bottom line.  Microwaves impair the quality of the food.  Maybe the Russians knew something we didn’t when they banned the use of microwaves in 1976.   Or, maybe we knew but were more interested in how the new appliance would revolutionize the food industry.

So, back to the new house and life without a microwave.  Surprisingly, it hasn’t been nearly as life-altering as I thought.   Liquids heat within 2-3 minutes in a sauce pan on the stove, and stay hot longer.  We now heat left overs in a convection oven which take a bit longer than a microwave, but works perfectly fine if you plan ahead instead of rushing last minute.  As for frozen foods, pop it in and set the timer.  The good part is, I now know the food I’m heating is the quality of food I want to be eating.  Food is expensive, and so are illnesses.  It’s something to consider.

And that’s the heat on microwaves from Healthy Spouse.  Get cookin’.

Hopefully by now you’ve heard of Parabens.  They’re a group of chemicals used as preservatives in all those personal care products we squirt, lather, scrub and massage onto our bodies.

From conditioners on top to sex lube down below, most people are coated with parabens as they’re in literally thousands of products used by consumers every day.  Parabens go by many names such as methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, benzylparaben, isobutylparaben and propylparaben.  They make it simple for us to remember… just look for any product ingredient ending in paraben.

In the 1990’s the scientific community became increasingly aware that some synthetic chemicals are able to interfere with the function of both female and male hormones.   Within the category of hormone disruptors are xenoestrogens, synthetic chemicals that mimic estrogen.  A number of studies have shown that parabens fall into the xenoestrogens’ group; xenoestrogens may be linked to high rates of breast cancer, reproductive problems in women and descreased sperm counts, prostate and testicular cancer in men.

Product manufacturers and the FDA give a thumbs up to parabens for consumer use.  After all, they give products a long shelf life and they’re cheap.  Many people believe more research needs to be done before rubber stamping them safe.  Despite FDA approval, a number of manufacturers are following consumer demand by removing parabens from some of their products.  Other companies, such as Bubble and Bee, one of my favorites, not only bans parabens from their entire product line, but no one within 500 feet of the company headquarters is allowed to say, spell, utter, sing, burp, slur, or hiccup the word paraben.  Actually, I just made that up.  No one can hiccup the word paraben.

If you have any questions about whether your personal care products contain parabens or any toxic chemicals, click on SKIN DEEP to visit the cosmetics database.  It’s a great website and resource.

With my nutritionist being an expert in hormone imbalance, she is very serious about our home being paraben free.  If you’re interested in going that route, there are some terrific products out there to replace what you’re currently using.  Just read the label, ask around, and let your fingers do the walking on the keyboard.

And that’s the rub on parabens from Healthy Spouse.  Get squirtin’.

Let’s talk Cooking Oils for a moment.  Guys, it’s important to know that not all cooking oils are the same, especially when it come “Smoke Points.”  The smoke point of cooking oils is how high a heat the oil can take before it, literally, begins to smoke or burn.  When oil smokes, it releases free-radicals within the oil and, believe me, that’s not good for your health, or that of your family, dog, or any other living thing that might consume your masterpiece.  In addition, burnt oil makes food taste rank.  Remember, you have a reputation to uphold.

Different cooking oils have different uses, and each performs within a certain range of temperatures.  Some are made for high heat cooking, such as frying or grilling, while others have intense flavors that are best enjoyed by drizzling directly on to the food, or on that special someone in your life (but that’s another post).

Since this is a blog for guys, and guys like heat, especially when grilling, let’s talk about the best healthy oils for your culinary arsenal when the heat is on.

Recommended oils and their smoke points:

Avocado oil (510º F)…   Safflower oil  (460º F)…  Sesame oil  (445º F)…

Grapeseed oil (425º F)…  Coconut oil (425º F)

You’ll notice I left off Canola and Soy oil.  According to my nutritionist, there are much healthier options, such as those listed above.

Here’s a “did you know?”  Canola is not the name of a natural plant but a made-up word, from the words “Canada” and “oil”.  Canola is a genetically engineered plant developed in Canada from the Rapeseed Plant, which is part of the mustard family of plants.  Rapeseed oil, which is an industrial oil, is poisonous to living things and is an excellent insect repellent. Some people suspect Rapeseed oil causes emphysema, respiratory distress, anemia, constipation, irritability, and blindness in animals and humans.  Rape oil was widely used in animal feeds in England and Europe between 1986 and 1991, when it was thrown out.

As for Soy oil, well, if you haven’t read my post “Soy is no Joy,” you ought to.

So, there you go.  You’re all set for the grill, stove top or oven.  Whether you boast about this new-found knowledge to your wife, or share it with the guys at your next poker game, smile proudly because you are just one big know-it-all… and thank goodness for that.  Cook on!  Healthy Spouse.

Some people shop for meat either by what looks good or what’s on sale.  You know, like college guys do 30-minutes before the bar closes.  You’re in a hurry and you’re ready to cook.  But it’s important to remember that when it comes to buying healthy steaks, ribs, and roasts, there is a big difference between Grass-Fed, hormone-free beef and everything that’s not.

Here’s the facts.  Compared with grain-fed beef, Grass-Fed beef is lower in saturated fat and higher in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.  Now, there’s something else called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which helps promote fat loss, reduce oxidative stress, reduce inflammation and even suppresses tumor growth.  Grass-Fed beef is the richest known source of CLA you can get so… eating Grass-Fed beef rules.

It’s important for you to always remember that the chemicals a cow eats settle in their fat.  And since some of the beef you eat is fat, no matter how good a trimmer you may be, you’re ingesting that fat and swallowing all those chemicals.  And those chemicals… well, they can affect your metabolism, increase risk for respiratory disease, mess with your fertility and play games with your nervous system.

That’s why my nutritionist and I eat Grass-Fed beef that’s hormone and antibiotic free and raised on organic grasses.  Sure, grass-fed beef can sometimes cost a bit more, but c’mon… it’s your health we’re talking about!

My nutritionist and I regularly buy our organic chicken and grass-fed beef at our local farmers marketing in Studio City, California.  There, we see John and Nadine de Bruin of Dey Dey’s Best Beef Ever, who travel down from their 168-acre ranch in Santa Barbara wine country each weekend with a freezer truckload of healthy meats and chicken.  Their beef cows and chickens are never fed hormones or antibiotics, and their beef cows are never fed grains or corn.  We’re talking free-range, baby.  John, a former engineer, keeps meticulous records of each Lowline Angus cow and practices management intensive grazing.  His goal is to develop great-tasting beef raised in a healthy environment.  And I can honestly say, Dey Dey’s beef is outstanding.

If you’re interested in buying grass-fed beef and organic chicken, and are not in the Los Angeles area, or are allergic to farmer’s markets, we suggest you visit U.S. Wellness Meats, a healthy meat supplier we also use.  They ship most places.  You can visit U.S. Wellness Meats by CLICKING on the logo below.  Use PROMO CODE: AFF15 for a 1-time 15% discount.

And that’s the scoop on Grass-Fed meats from Health Spouse.  Moo.

We humans are exposed to radiation every day.  Whether it’s body X-rays, cell phone radiation, or radiation from the sun, we’re soaking in the rays in greater and greater quantities.  As reported in Time Magazine, radiation exposure is a potential cancer promoter since it can trigger mutation in healthy cells.

Up until now, we’ve always thought those little creatures we created, called “kids,” are affected more by radiation because their little cells are dividing so rapidly it would make them more susceptible.  Well, guess what?  The scientists put down their beers and now report their assumption may have been wrong.  Middle-aged adults may actually have twice the risk of radiation induced cancers than previously thought.  Great.  You hit middle age, your vision goes, your hair thins, your skin wrinkles and now we throw in a greater risk of radiation onto the pile.

You see, up until now the scientists underestimated the accumulation of precancerous cells in adults.  These cells, which increase in number as we age, need only the slightest provocation to turn malignant.  The more you are exposed to radiation, the greater your risk of getting cancer.  Simple as that.

Thanks to the “underwear bomber” (some guys just gotta ruin everything), we now get to experience another low dose of radiation, this time when traveling.   As pointed out by David Agard, a biochemist and biophysicist at the University of California, San Francisco, there really is no threshold of low-dose radiation being okay for people.  Any dose of X-rays produces some potential risks.  Agard says, “Ionizing radiation such as the X-rays used in these airport scanners have the potential to induce chromosome damage, and that can lead to cancer.”  Recent research indicates that roughly 1 in 20 people are especially sensitive to radiation.  If you’re one of those people, you have a gene mutation that makes you less able to repair X-ray damage you their DNA.

The good part (if there is one) is that the most likely risk from airport scanners is a common type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma found on the neck and head, which is usually curable… if you find it and if you do something about it.  If not, better have your life insurance in place.

For those unwilling to take risks with their health, you can opt out of the total-body airport X-rays and instead get felt up and down by a your friendly TSA representative.  Although you are certainly not guaranteed of a happy ending, and giggling is frowned upon, along with yelling out “Don’t Touch My Junk,” it’s certainly a safer alternative to X-raying your body every flight you take and showing your goods to the guy in the little peep booth in back.

For a humorous take on a not-so-humorous subject, Click on the picture below to watch “Don’t Touch My Junk” music video by the Health Ranger.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who use sunscreen, good for you… and bad for you depending on which brand you use.  Like all consumer products, some are good for you while others are slowly kicking your butt down the ally, without you even knowing it.

As always, I try to bring you information, via my nutritionist, that will cut through the crap and give you the facts.  That’s what problem-solving guys want.  So, with that in mind, here we go on Sunscreens:

If your sunscreen contains either OCTINOXATE, OXYBENZONE, HOMOSLATE, PARABENS or OCTISALATE, throw it away.  Don’t stop at the refrigerator to grab a beer.  Trust me, you won’t forget to do that on the way back to the couch.  Okay, more about these ingredients.  Sure, these chemicals help protect you from ultraviolet rays, but the first four are potential hormone disrupters. Not cool for men and other living things.  Oxybenzone can lower your testosterone, which means while you’re out doing studly things at the beach, golf course, or on your bike, you may be losing your manlihood as this stuff soaks into your open, sweaty pores.  Oh, and the fourth one on the list, Octisalate, is known to give some people dry, itchy skin.  Don’t be a flake.

Now, I’m not one to bring up problems without providing solutions, so here goes… There’s a public-health watchdog group based in Washington D.C. called The Environmental Working group (EWG).  Trust me, they’re your friend.  Case in point, they have compiled, without even charging you, an extensive database (785 name-brand sunscreens) to help consumers like you fill in the information gap cased by the FDA’s failure to set meaningful sunscreen standards.  This fantastic database lists products that offer the best combination of safety and effectiveness.  It looks at the safest chemicals, the best sunburn protection, what prevents long-term sun damage that ages and wrinkles you, and what helps you prevent cancer.  Check out your sunscreen on this list.   You’ll probably be surprised.  84% of the 785 sunscreen products with an SPF rating of 15 or higher offer “inadequate” protection from the sun’s harmful rays, or contain ingredients with safety concerns.

Ironically, some popular sunscreen chemicals actually break down when exposed to sunlight.  That’s like having car wax that attracts bird crap.  Okay, not the best analogy but you get my drift.  Other brands simply soak in the skin and cause health concerns.

Okay, here’s what you do.  Log on to:  http://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/ and look around.  It’s a user-friendly site that’s easy to navigate.  There’s no reason sunscreen shouldn’t protect you and be safe for you.  After all, isn’t that the whole idea of protection?

And that’s the scoop from Healthy Spouse.  Task it out. You’ll be glad you did.

Mercury is one of the most toxic substances on the planet (even more so than your dirty socks) and has numerous effects on immune, reproductive, neurological and cardiovascular health.  Because mercury has such a profound effect on our nervous systems both in the brain and at cellular level, it has been tied to Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Now, I may sound like an expert on mercury, but I’m not.  I learned this from my nutritionist.  My response to her warnings about mercury were, “we better be careful what kind of fish we eat.”  Her response was, “I’ve got the fish situation covered.  But what we have to do is remove all the mercury fillings from our mouths.”  “What?!”   This seemed a little drastic to me.  Now, I knew a little bit about mercury fillings but it wasn’t until my nutritionist told me all about dental amalgams that I really took notice.

Since the 1800’s, dentists have been putting fillings in our mouths that are a mix of mercury and other metals.  Although it’s known that small amounts of mercury are vaporized (and can be inhaled) when we chew food, the FDA has always insisted that amalgams are safe… unlike Canada, France and Sweden which have placed restrictions on their use.

According to HealthKeepers Magazine, the FDA recently changed its website to say, “High levels of mercury vapor exposure are associated with adverse effects in the brain and the kidneys.”  Prior to this, the agency’s website did not explain to consumers the damage caused by mercury.  However, in FDA style, it still allows the nation’s number one distributor of mercury amalgam unrestricted rights to market amalgam to everyone, even pregnant women, without disclosing the mercury risks to patients.

Millions of people have received amalgam fillings, although their popularity has dropped off in recent years.  Currently, only about 30% of dental fillings contain mercury – the rest are resin composites made from glass, cement and porcelain.  They’re not quite as durable as amalgams, and a bit more expensive but they’re a hell of a lot safer for you.

Okay, back to the “you want us to remove all our amalgams?”   I was then shown a video on YouTube called “Smoking Tooth = Poison Gas.” It talked all about the off-gassing of our fillings and actually showed the first-ever photography of gas vapors coming off an old filling (outside of someone’s mouth).  I suddenly recalled times in the past when I had a metal taste in my mouth.  Off gassing was probably the cause.

Not all dentists will agree to discuss the dangers of mercury.  Like the FDA, their governing body, the American Dental Association, isn’t exactly behind admitting to the public that what they’re putting in your mouth could cause harm.  If they were to, can you imagine the lawsuits?

Oh, and yes… my nutritionist and I did have all our mercury fillings removed and I sleep better at night knowing we have removed a potential hazard to our health.  If you live in the Los Angles area, and would like more information on a Holistic Dentist who practices safe methods for mercury removal, CLICK HERE to visit my nutritionist’s website.

And that’s the scoop from Healthy Spouse.  P.S.  Check out the new “Spotlight” section  on my website!

No doubt, you’re reading this for the punch line for how safe grilling is like safe sex.  If you plan ahead, the meat is better for you.

Research has shown that cooking food on a grill can cause potential health dangers, if you do it incorrectly. There are a couple of carcinogenic compounds that occur when you cook over high heat.  As we know, carcinogens have been proven to cause cancer.

HCA’s (Heterocyclic amines) are created when meat is charbroiled or over-cooked.  Lab animals that have partied with HCA’s have developed cancer.  PAH’s (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are created when fat drips from the meat, hits the charcoal or burner and smokes up on the food.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking.  No way am I going to give up my grilling!  Okay, time to cool your jets.  Nobody is suggesting you give up your grilling.  But what I am recommending is grilling smarter.

The following are simple “adjustments” to your world-renowned cooking style that may in fact allow you to cook for many more years ahead.

• According to Kansas State University scientists, marinades you buy in the store reduce HCA’s by an average of 71%.
• Want to beat those odds, go with this Caribbean beef marinade which cuts HCA’s by 88%.  Mix ¼ tsp each of salt, red pepper, and black pepper with ½ tsp of sugar, thyme, allspice, rosemary and chives.
• Cook over a low heat and flip your meat frequently.  (Do the same for the meat on the grill)
• Trim the extra fat to reduce flare-ups.
• The char-thing… lose it.

Oh, and if you’ve never grilled veggies and fruit, such as sliced egg plant, scallions, squash and pineapple, you’re good to go.  They are not susceptible to HCA’s and PHA’s.

And that’s the scoop from Healthy Spouse.  Go wet your meat.

The world produces 6 billion pounds of a chemical known as BPA (Bisphenol A) that’s used in a making plastics and a host of other products we use in our everyday lives.  It’s the plastic part that’s been in the news lately.  You see, when plastic that’s made with BPA… and that’s a lot of the world’s plastic… is washed, heated (like in a microwave!), or stressed, it allows BPA to leach into our food and water.  We’ve covered that in a previous post.

Now, it’s come to light via a guy named John C. Warner, an organic chemist and co-founder of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, that the amount of BPA on most coated paper receipts can be a greater than that found in plastic. We’re talking credit card receipts, ATMs, gas pumps, restaurants.  Holy crap!

Okay, so what does BPA do to us?  Well, if you’re an infant (which you’re not otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this) exposure to BPA may disrupt the delicate endocrine system, leading to developmental problems.  Lots of other ills that have been rising unchecked for a generation, such as obesity, diabetes, autism, ADD, may also be connected.

As a synthetic estrogen, BPA can mimic hormones in adults, too, messing with our testosterone and adrenaline that help run the body.  Tiny amounts of hormones can cause significant biological and behavioral changes.  If you’re a man, that extra estrogen kick can, well, make us girly-like.  We’re talking mood changes, man boobs, even sterility.  When you disrupt your hormones it can also lead to weight gain and even cancer.

Okay, back to the receipts.  If receipts were dog crap, this wouldn’t be a problem but receipts are something we handle in our everyday lives. We touch them, put them in our wallets next to our money, it gets onto our hands, on our skin, into ours mouths… I’m not even going to tell you what my nutritionist said to do.  It’s obvious.  Limit your contact with paper receipts whenever possible. If you can’t avoid it (like not wearing rubber gloves to sign a business lunch receipt) remember to wash your hands thoroughly.   Otherwise, the next time you’re clothes shopping with your wife, you may be eyeing the bra section for reasons other than those sexy mannequins.

And that’s the scoop from Healthy Spouse.  Have you subscribed?

Trim Your Toxic Intake with These Tips

Here’s a few simple ways you can help reduce your intake of toxins.

TIP 1 – Your car.  Ah, the smell of a new car.  It’s a daily reminder that you deserve a new car whether you can afford it or not.  Yes, that new car smell is certainly powerful…perhaps more than you think.  Did you know that your new car smell is simply plastic, leather and other man-made materials off-gassing?  Unlike human off-gassing, which can temporarily linger and if you’re good, clear a room for a short time, the materials in a new car pour toxic vapors 24/7 into your confined driving space for weeks or even months.  My nutritionist’s solution… Air out a new car as often as possible by leaving the windows open.  And whether you have a new or old car, ventilate it before you jump in and start sucking air.  Summer heat accelerates off-gassing.  One last note.  When you get your car washed, pass on the added fragrance.  It’s simply more toxins you’re pumping into your car.

TIP 2 – Your leftovers.  Never microwave left-overs in plastic storage containers. The heat generated by a microwave causes chemicals in the plastic to leach into your food.  My nutritionist’s solution… go with glass storage containers and put a paper towel over the top when heating.

TIP 3 – Your shower.  Plastic shower curtains, especially new ones, off-gas big time, especially with the heat of a hot shower.  While you’re soap’in and a suds’in and having a bang up time behind the plastic curtain, you’re sucking in some pretty nasty stuff.  My nutritionist’s solution… purchase a polyester fabric shower curtain which is water repellant, non toxic and emit no off-gases like vinyl products.

TIP 4 – Take-out coffee.  When you buy a cup of take-out coffee, beware of coated paper cups and their plastic lids which often leach chemicals into your coffee.  It’s that heat thing again.  Just imagine how hot it gets inside a freshly poured coffee cup.  My nutritionist’s solution… buy a stainless-steel coffee mug and take it into Starbucks or any other coffee house and they’ll be glad to fill it up… and, the coffee will be cheaper too!

And that’s the scoop from Healthy Spouse.