Balancing Hormones, as if that was something you could actually do with any level of accuracy (which you can't), other than providing the right "conditions" for natural, healthy hormonal balance, is a popular topic today. Ironically, many people who are attempting to do so, don't realize the effect that animal protein has on hormonal balance, and are promoting the proliferation of one of the most influential growth-promoting hormones in our bodies, beyond what's natural or what's healthy, often two times per day, when they eat a diet rich in animal protein.

It's called raising IGF-1 - insulin-like growth factor.

Here's a great article by Joel Fuhrman M.D. on why minimizing or eliminating animal products is important from a scientific perspective, not humane, moral or environmental reasons alone. If you want to balance your hormones, this is a great place to start.

Of course, the reason we define animal products as nutrient poor here at NutrientRich.com, is because they are largely devoid of micronutrients - phytochemicals and fiber, among many other factors. I touched on this subject a while back, in this video series with Michael Greger MD as well.

You can learn more about Dr. Fuhrman's knowledge, food and nutrition products here.

Most people are aware of the connections between red and processed meats and cancer – that there is convincing evidence that these dangerous foods are a cause of colon cancer.¹ In addition, cooking any meat at high temperatures (for example, grilled or fried chicken) forms carcinogenic compounds such as heterocyclic amines, which contribute to cancer risk.^2,3 However, animal foods such as non-fat dairy products, egg whites, and fish are considered healthful by most people.  It not yet widely recognized that foods such as these, since they are so high in animal protein, can also contribute to increased cancer risk.

When we consume animal protein, the body increases its production of a hormone called IGF-1, (insulin-like growth factor 1). IGF-1 is one of the body's important growth promoters during fetal and childhood growth, but later in life IGF-1 promotes the aging process.  Reduced IGF-1 signaling in adulthood is associated with reduced oxidative stress, decreased inflammation, enhanced insulin sensitivity and longer lifespan.⁴ In contrast, IGF-1 has been shown to promote the growth, proliferation and spread of cancer cells, and elevated IGF-1 levels are linked to increased risk of several cancers, colon cancer included.^5-8  Several observational studies have suggested that high circulating IGF-1 may translate into promotion of tumor growth in the colon.  For example, one study in men and one another in women found that those with higher levels of IGF-1 had double the risk of colorectal cancers compared to those with lower levels.^9,10

Which foods raise IGF-1?
Since the primary dietary factor that determines IGF-1 levels is animal protein, the excessive meat, fowl, seafood, and dairy intake common in our society elevates circulating IGF-1. Refined carbohydrates, like white flour, white rice, and sugars can also raise IGF-1 levels, because they cause rapid increases in insulin levels, leading to increases in IGF-1 signaling. In fact, IGF-1 signaling is thought to be a major factor in the connection between diabetes and cancer.^11,12

It is the amino acid distribution of animal protein that sparks IGF-1 production.¹³ For this reason, isolated soy protein, found in protein powders and meat substitutes, may also be problematic because the protein is unnaturally concentrated and its amino acid profile is very similar to that of animal protein.

How can we keep IGF-1 in a safe range?
Reducing IGF-1 levels by dietary methods is now considered by many scientists to be an effective cancer prevention measure.  Minimizing or avoiding animal protein, isolated soy protein and refined carbohydrates can help to keep our IGF-1 levels in a safe range. Green vegetables, beans and other legumes, and seeds are rich in plant protein and they have cancer-preventive, not cancer-promoting properties. For optimal cancer protection, vegetables, beans, fruits, intact grains, nuts and seeds should comprise the vast majority of our calories.

References
1.Continuous Update Project Interim Report Summary.  Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Colorectal Cancer. . World Cancer Research Fund / American Institute for Cancer Research.; 2011.
2.Thomson B: Heterocyclic amine levels in cooked meat and the implication for New Zealanders. Eur J Cancer Prev 1999;8:201-206.
3.Zheng W, Lee S-A: Well-Done Meat Intake, Heterocyclic Amine Exposure, and Cancer Risk. Nutr Cancer 2009;61:437-446.
4.Bartke A: Minireview: role of the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor system in mammalian aging. Endocrinology 2005;146:3718-3723.
5.Chitnis MM, Yuen JS, Protheroe AS, et al: The type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor pathway. Clin Cancer Res 2008;14:6364-6370.
6.Werner H, Bruchim I: The insulin-like growth factor-I receptor as an oncogene. Arch Physiol Biochem 2009;115:58-71.
7.Davies M, Gupta S, Goldspink G, et al: The insulin-like growth factor system and colorectal cancer: clinical and experimental evidence. Int J Colorectal Dis 2006;21:201-208.
8.Sandhu MS, Dunger DB, Giovannucci EL: Insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), IGF binding proteins, their biologic interactions, and colorectal cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2002;94:972-980.
9.Ma J, Pollak MN, Giovannucci E, et al: Prospective study of colorectal cancer risk in men and plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-binding protein-3. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999;91:620-625.
10.Giovannucci E, Pollak MN, Platz EA, et al: A prospective study of plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 and binding protein-3 and risk of colorectal neoplasia in women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000;9:345-349.
11.Cannata D, Fierz Y, Vijayakumar A, et al: Type 2 diabetes and cancer: what is the connection? Mt Sinai J Med 2010;77:197-213.
12.Venkateswaran V, Haddad AQ, Fleshner NE, et al: Association of diet-induced hyperinsulinemia with accelerated growth of prostate cancer (LNCaP) xenografts. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007;99:1793-1800.
13.Thissen JP, Ketelslegers JM, Underwood LE: Nutritional regulation of the insulin-like growth factors. Endocr Rev 1994;15:80-101.

The post So You Want to Balance Your Hormones? This is Not The Way appeared first on Nutrient Rich.

See complete graphic below.

There is no one diet "program" that fits all. As is it, even if there was, people have different food preferences, require different amounts of foods and have unique nutritional needs based on the previous usual way of eating, their current condition, how their body functions (more or less), activity levels etc.

That said, we all require the same nutrients, and there are basic eating patterns that tend to work for most people because many of us face similar work / rest routines and believe me, these routines have a big effect on what you eat, when you eat and how much you eat.

Also, it's a not-so-commonly understood fact that your body needs micronutrients to function, so a nutrient-rich, healthy eating style works for everyone on that basis alone. Eating foods that are lacking in nutrients never works.

Last, but not least, as most people have experienced; if your approach to changing the way you eat, is not based on "small changes" and completely doable, you won't be able to sustain a routine, which you can then build on and develop. What you think you can't do, you won't do.

What works best?

Think about the average person who's eating the Standard American Diet. They do what they think they can do and that results in the world's most common eating routine. The problem is, it only seems to be working for them, only on the basis that eating whatever they can whenever they can is all that works because they're so busy; but most of the time that means eating nutrient poor food.

Nutrient poor food promotes weight problems and health complications and if you look around, you can easily agree with this observation. This way of eating does not work for us, it works against us.

• For Breakfast, most people wake up, drink a big cup of coffee, with or without a light meal. People are so busy in the morning they just fly out of the house. Besides, many people aren't that hungry in the morning, because they've likely eaten a rather large dinner the night before and haven't yet been active.Tired, they are, because they've gone to bed overwhelmed by all the night time seductions (TV, iPhone in bed, other things or people in bed the biggest of which is recreational eating--going to bed on a full stomach and not getting a sound enough sleep, hence the perceived need for coffee.

• For lunch, they are still so busy, after perhaps a few snacks to keep going, they eat a relatively light lunch, larger than breakfast because they have been active and they need more calories and nutrients. Worried about falling asleep, and suffering from the mid-day drag, most people are careful not to slow down too much, for too long or overeat at lunch because any masked hours of sleep debt, can be triggered by both and not one wants that drag during the day. So they eat a rather light lunch and carry on with the pace of the day.
• For dinner, this is the first time most people have the time to eat a rather robust meal. First, we have the most time, we are the most social during dinner, we have time to digest, we are usually not under the gun. We are also not as afraid of being tired during these hours and for many eating is a night time past time while watching TV or working late. And eating late helps many people as a sleep aid, with the proverbial "full stomach".

It's a cycle and so it repeats.

Now, how does this author, trainer, coach, entrepreneur know this and how do you get the world's most common eating routine working for you, not against you? Besides asking my clients and noticing these patterns for years, I've done it myself!

It's a relentlessly busy world out there, with a faster pace that we've ever experienced before as a human population, with stress that is ever-persistent as we're all driven by technology, competition, this fear or that, keeping up etc. So to some degree, we're all faced with similar work / rest demands and therefore similar eating patterns. I'm not saying they are exact for everyone, I'm simply saying, "similar".

This is why, even hugely successful companies like Slim Fast, used to promote the ole' drink a shake in the morning, one in the afternoon with a light meal and a "sensible" dinner. Not because they were simply brilliant but because it works for most people's lives. Today, though, they've bought into a different plan, to change things up. It's likely in response to another pattern that has been emerging over the past several years--because so many people are stuck in the vicious cycle of eating nutrient-poor, calorie-rich foods, and that is eating animal products and refined foods, a common patterns is now eating 5 times per day in such a way that keeps you on a treadmill of undernourishment, and overeating, boosting your energy with sugar-laden foods, then trying to manage your weight with low carbohydrate eating--just look at this nutrient poor menu!

By the way, when I say "nutrient poor", I'm talking about a diet that is lacking vitamins, minerals, fiber and most importantly the thousands of phytochemicals that enable your body to function, and then of course, health-promoting versions of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Not all calories are created equal.

So, how could you get the world's most common eating routine, working for you?

First of all, you need to break the vicious cycle of eating nutrient poor, and make the Switch today, for your best health tomorrow and that is the switch to a nutrient-rich, healthy eating style! Why? Because eating more plant-based nutrient rich, is the healthiest way to eat, especially when 80-90 % or More, of the foods you eat are from vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, raw nuts and seeds, and whole grains. Plants are where all the nutrients come from.

An eating routine is a just routine, but the quality of the foods you orient that routine around makes the difference.

Learn how to do that right, and you will literally detoxify your body, lose weight naturally, reverse lifestyle-induced diseases from overweight and obesity to diabetes and heart disease... age slower from less nutritional stress, look younger and live longer.

The problem is, for so many of us, the promise of a plant-based, or plant predominant eating style, can "seem" to be too time-consuming not convenient enough and for those who've been eating the SAD Standard American Diet for far too long, rich in highly addictive foods, not tasty enough. All of which, could not be further from the truth. But when you've been trained to eat in a certain way for a long period of time, usually for commercial reasons that are marketing-based and just aren't true, by what appear to be respectable organizations like Slim Fast, among countless others promoting high consumption diet traps, people get "stuck" in these addictive ways of eating.

So the answer is this:

You continue to follow the world's most common eating plan, because the routine works. Only now, you do it with great-tasting nutrient-rich foods, not nutrient-poor foods. So, your eating plan might look like this: (there are many variations to this...)

Note: Today, it's just as easy to eat nutrient rich (healthy) as is to eat nutrient poor (unhealthy) as you'll see below:

The Simplest, Quickest and Easiest Way to Eat Healthy!

• A Superfood Drink in the morning, with or without some fruit or whole grain cereal.
  An ideal superfood drink is juiced vegetables and fruits or a live juice powder combined with whole food concentrates and nutrient dense ingredients such as Living Feast, which you just mix with water.
• A Superfood Drink in the morning, with a soup or salad including vegetables and fruits, an oz seeds or nuts, beans, etc.
• A Robust Nutrient Rich Salad Meal for dinner, with raw or cooked (steamed greens) nuts or seeds, loaded with vegetables, and other whole food toppings, including some whole grains or other starchy food, with a fruit based dessert.* if you want to include a small amount of animal and refined foods keep it to 10% or less of your total calorie intake and make it white meat chicken or fish only a couple times per week and a whole grain products that are legitimately whole grain.

You can look into this menu and label it countless ways, but one thing it is, it's nutrient-rich, satisfying and filling, it won't overwhelm your body with too many calories, will flood your body with micronutrients and given you the fuel your body requires to sustain a long demanding day free of the distractions caused by unhealthy food (fuel) choices.

It works; give it a try! When you eat in this way, the simplest, quickest and easiest way eat nutrient rich "healthy", you can begin imagining and realizing a life with a whole new set of health dynamics supporting you. Read about them here.

The post Is the World's Most Common Eating Routine Working for You? appeared first on Nutrient Rich.

Diet Trapped

What does it mean?

It means you are eating nutrient-poor, calorie-rich foods that are providing too much of what your body doesn't need from food and are a slave to the natural detoxification process that is "always" occurring in the form of cravings for foodstuffs that perpetuate the problem, among other uncomfortable symptoms that you experience whenever you are not eating.

Yeah, I know that's very in your face, but hopefully you are seeing it as very insightful as well.

It doesn't need to be that way, you don't have to be diet trapped!

Diet Traps are myths the food and diet industries have taught us – like "a calorie is a calorie." All calories are not created equal, maybe in terms of energy released in a Bomb Calorimeter (the most common device for measuring the heat of combustion or caloric value of a material). But our bodies treat them differently, depending on their “packaging.”

Diet traps are popular “common-sense” answers (like “eat less” often combined with “exercise more”) that seem innocuous and beneficial – and at face value make sense as a solution to overweight, but not if your diet is nutrient poor and your lifestyle is not balanced and healthy.

They’re false information we’ve been fed all our lives – like the idea that you have to eat meat and dairy every day to lose weight, grow and build strong bones and be healthy…

They’re short-term methods with negative long-term effects. Low-carb, low-cal and low-fat diets, where we manipulate nutrient and caloric concentrations in extreme ways, all fit into this category! Even if they masquerade as “lifestyles,” they’re still diet traps!

They’re tricks we think help us keep our weight down, but don’t – like using caffeine as an appetite suppressant only to overeat later, because we’ve confused our hunger signals and made ourselves sick.

They’re beliefs that sabotage our quality of life and our success – like thinking that weight is all about willpower, motivation or self-control. You can’t measure anyone’s will power or self-control by looking at their weight or when they are under the influence of nutrient-poor foods.

Diet Traps are tactics that induce unnatural weight loss or promote unhealthy, unsustainable weight management, because in most cases they keep us dependent on the nutrient-poor and nutrient-barren foods that are at the root of the problem.

Diet Traps snare not only our health and our self-esteem, but our ability to function well.  They keep us stuck.

They don’t free us from our food addictions or fulfill our complete nutrient needs.  They promise success and freedom, but rarely deliver. And the consequences are clear:  weight gain, disease, depression, sickness – and so many more.

Today, the “truth teller” approach is to point out all the “traps” and then sell you right back into one.  That is not going to happen here at nutrientrich.com especially when you get free of the ultimate diet trap--Eating nutrient poor!

Make the Switch to Rich.

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