We're not talking cars here, we're talking food!

Slow your transit time?

Don’t I want to speed it up? Yeah, of course you do.

Well it’s the same with your food. You want to speed up the transit time of your food, not slow it down. I mean no one wants to be weighed down with a full gut. That is, unless you’re so used to a slow transit time and maybe even constipation that you get alarmed the minute your body starts taking care of business with less effort.

How many times have you heard jokes (or told them) about foods that will speed up your transit (digestion, assimilation and elimination) time? It’s one of the hucksters favorite ways of shooting down a healthier diet or new, healthier foods.

Quick story:

During the past week, I decided I was going to eat some chicken breast. Why? Because every once in a while that’s something I do. It’s not for nutritional reasons per say, it’s just because I like a little animal product from time to time. I happen to like chicken, I was brought up on it, and it’s tasty. I just don’t eat much of it at all because I know the health implications and the costs of eating meat on our planet.

But nonethless, I had chicken nearly every day this past week and realized (especially with years having gone by since I’ve done that, like that)  it is a sure-fire way to slow down your transit time. Normally, I just get up in the morning and have a smooth ride or glide, but that didn’t happen during the past week as my body was laden with food that takes a great deal more energy and time to digest.

I could feel the food just sitting in my stomach and my colon (well I actually couldn’t feel that, but I knew it) and thought to myself, it’s no wonder why we run the risk of getting colon cancer when basically, there’s a dead animal putrefying in the gut. That’s how I felt this week, and it was uncomfortable.

Now, I know lots of people like to eat meat multiple times per day because it’s super stimulating and has no carbohydrate, and can work wonders for losing large amounts of weight in a short period of time. The only problems are that it ages you faster (the result of faster recuperation and more vital energy needed for digestion, along with the toxic properties and process of digesting animal products), it infuses your vascular system with saturate fat and cholesterol (versus a wide array of nutrients), and toxic metabolites… And, because it has no fiber you end up dealing with that very slow transit time.

Depending on how much meat you eat (not so much a problem in small amounts or as a condiment) you run the risk of constipation;  or a much slower transit time, as I experienced this past week, and that’s no fun, especially after your used to the smooth ride or glide for so long.

By the way, that is not the approach we promote when we talk about The Six S’s for Successfully Eating, for Health and Natural Weight Loss (which may include small amounts of no fiber animal products) based on the six most effective ways of eating nutrient rich foods.

Slow transit time is also no good for your performance. It can really increase the toxic backlog in your body, and lead to toxemia and toxicosis, which are essentially a toxic blood stream and toxic tissues and this can hold you back from performing “well” with a clean and fully oxygenated body.

If you are suffering from slow transit time, you are probably eating a toxic food to begin with in quantities significant enough to be causing the problem.

Contrary to logic; it was a good experience to eat more nutrient poor foods this past week, for many reasons.

1) I appreciate the health I have a result of eating a nutrient rich diet all the more.

2) I appreciate the smooth ride or glide, and…

3) I appreciate feeling clean inside.

If you want to slow your food transit time or prevent it from speeding up, eat a diet based in low fiber, nutrient poor foods. If you want to speed it up, do the opposite.

Notes:

If this post has a proposition that is completely unappealing to you, then you are probably well on your way to eating a predominantly nutrient rich diet.

If you are not eating nutrient rich, and you are already slow, it was probably equally unappealing as you realize why you are slow.

If you are transition and are experiencing an uncomfortable change in the transit time from, consumption to defecation (that easy ride or glide is new to you) then start eating more concentrated nutrient rich foods and let some time go by as your body get’s used to functioning normally.

It’s all about your transition, when changing your diet from poor to Rich and in the process, be prepared for a faster transit time. It will soon become normal to the point, where you’ll start to experience normal assimilation, digestion, elimination and really feel it the way I did, when your food transit time slows down.

Time to speed things up.

Low fat foods, low carb foods and low cal foods, while still being promoted today with strong followings, all passed as fads as many people learned that even if a food is “low in calories (relative to it’s usual version) or low in carbohydrates or fat, if it’s still a nutrient poor food, it will NOT promote your health.

Would you go on a low fiber diet, or a low vitamin or mineral diet?

No! Although, you are if you are eating most low cal, low fat, low carb foods) which are nutrient poor.

Would you eat a low phytochemical or low antioxidant diet? Of course not.

You are if you eating most “health foods” or foods labeled low fat, low carb or low cal or a diet “based” in animal products.

So, if you can’t go low in anything else, the way to eat better is to eat high nutrient foods.

Enter Nutrient Rich!

“Nutrient density” or eating a “nutrient dense” diet was not very appealing, so the consumer research showed that people loved the term “Nutrient Rich” as a term to represent healthy eating.

Most people know the difference between rich and poor and this new two-word buzz term has gone a long way in helping people learn the difference between a food that is rich in nutrients and one that is poor.

That’s a role Nutrient Rich.com plays – helping to define what it means to eat Nutrient Rich, vs nutrient poor or nutrient barren, which is more obvious.

Excited about the opportunity to help define what it meant to eat “Nutrient Rich” and promote a revolutionary way of eating that people could quickly understand, I created The Food Class System at NutrientRich.com. It was one of the first nutrient density-based food indexes ever created and was inspired in part by “The China Study” and “The Top 12 Findings of The China Study”, which he published online with the authors.

Realizing that “Nutrient Rich” did not necessarily mean eating 100% vegan or vegetarian but certainly a predominantly plant based diet; I have made it my mission to help people experience that eating plant based is essential to a healthy lifestyle.

Today, NutrientRich.com is now promoting the Certificate In Plant Based Nutrition from eCornell University.

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John Allen is a certified professional trainer and coach and is also the founder of the Performance Lifestyle.com and The Lifestyle Coaching Center.com, based in Livingston NJ. He is a leading authority in lifestyle training, coaching and solutions.

He is known for helping people live healthy, at or near their ideal weight all year round with The Lifestyle [LS 365] Guidance System he facilitates with nutrition and lifestyle coach Rosie Battista. He is the co-author of The Curse of the Capable – The Hidden Challenge to a Balanced, Healthy, High Achieving Life, with Arthur Ciaramicoli PhD and Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms.

As you may know, we published The Top 12 Findings of The China Study, by T Colin Campbell PhD and Thomas Campbell III nearly 5 years ago, long before The China Study became a mega bestseller; all the while knowing, that the findings of The China Study were seminal and long-lasting and the basis of a revolutionary new way of eating. I know this to be true, because whenever I talk to someone who is making a change in how they eat; often times before I even mention the findings of The China Study which so powerfully support a plant based diet, they bring the The China Study up to me!

I highly suggest you read The China Study which was based on a “living laboratory” that doesn’t exist anymore.

Here’s more about The China Study.

If you want to really get to know what we know eating nutrient rich foods and why, the kind of information that inspired us to publish NutrientRich.com then you will want to investigate this Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from eCornell.

The Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition is eCornell Universities most popular online course!

You’ll get an even bigger benefit with this knowledge in your mind, greater conviction and can even begin sharing these types of insights with others as a passion or a business.

The Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition is a great investment.

It’s actually 3 Courses:

1. Nutrition Fundamentals: identifies the true causes of degenerative disease – poor dietary practices – and offers scientifically based solutions to reduce disease risk.
2. Diseases of Affluence: offers a solution to the crisis in America’s health care system. It also provides a strong scientific foundation for your study of dietary excellence and optimal health.
3. Principles in Practice: demonstrates practical applications of plant-based nutrition in a variety of contexts – educational, corporate, athletics, medical, and the global environment – illustrating the powerful effects of a whole food, plant-based diet on our society and the positive impact its acceptance could have on our future

Sign up for the next course here: The Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from ECornell.

It’s a powerful science-based approach to nutrition that can dramatically reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity and improve your quality of life.

Description

Plant-Based Nutrition represents a forward-looking view of nutrition that Dr. T. Colin Campbell has developed during his more than 40 years experience in experimental research and 20 years in public policy. This certificate program presents a different paradigm, considering the topic of nutrition both as a science and as a component of the practice of medicine. It is an expansion of NS 200, a successful Cornell course approved by the Department of Nutritional Science and offered for 7 years. This new online series offers the best of Dr. Campbell’s work, incorporating material from his best selling book, The China Study, as well as the latest information from leading experts in the field.

This three-course certificate program was designed to introduce the general public and medical professionals to the vastly underestimated ability of properly executed nutrition to maintain health and prevent disease.

The first course in the series, Nutrition Fundamentals, identifies the true causes of degenerative disease – poor dietary practices – and offers scientifically based solutions to reduce disease risk. The second course, Diseases of Affluence, presents solutions to the crisis facing America’s health care system and a dietary solution for your own optimal health. The final course, Principles in Practice, demonstrates practical applications of plant-based nutrition in a variety of contexts illustrating the powerful effects of a whole food, plant-based diet on our society and the positive impact its acceptance could have on our future.

Together, these courses present a powerful science-based approach to nutrition that can dramatically reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity and improve your quality of life.

Who Should Take This Certificate?

This certificate program is essential to health care professionals (trainers, coaches, holistic health practitioners, doctors, nurses, chiropractors, dietitians, nutritionists), patients, teachers, parents and anyone in the general public with an interest in reaching optimal health and dietary excellence.

If you really want to get to know what we know, the kind of information that inspired us to publish NutrientRich.com and launched a food revolution, then the Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition is a great investment.

You can learn more about it here.

However, in today’s world it seems that every brand, store and vending machine offers some sort of green tea beverage.  And it does not stop there. The vitamins and supplement industry have created tons of ways to incorporate green tea into your diet by simply popping a pill or even chewing a piece of green tea gum.  So what is it about green tea that has made it such a buzzword for marketers? Does this tea really have the credibility to support an entire weight loss movement or is this just another marketing ploy to mask a product as a healthy choice?

There does seem to be some indication that green tea may help increase metabolic rate and regulation of total body weight, but the evidence is not overwhelming and it’s not known whether increasing metabolic rate with stimulants is healthy. One thing for sure is that clean green tea cannot hurt your weight loss journey.

Clean Green Tea?
Here is what I mean… A small green tea latte may pack in 150 calories, with a whopping 29 grams of sugar. Does that sound like green tea will promote weight loss to you? How about Lipton’s Green Tea Iced Tea. It taste good and if it can help you lose weight, it sounds like a healthy choice. Wrong! By looking at the ingredient list we can see that “green tea” is fourth in line to water, high fructose corn syrup and citric acid. Unfortunately, it appears that the value of this tea has been lost in translation.

The healthy benefits of these leaves have been converted to a weight loss fad.  Unfortunately, we as consumers cannot mindlessly pick up a drink that says “green tea” and assume that we are reaping all of its benefits.

For many products, claiming to contain green tea for weight loss is meant to mask the massive amounts of calories, carbs, sugar and unhealthy ingredients these products actually contain.

A cup of green tea is something that is meant to be nurtured and enjoyed. Since we borrowed green tea from the Middle East and Asia, we should treat it and consume it like the people who know it best.  In China, “tea-drinking” is an art form that encompasses much more than just the drinking of tea. It includes the physical act of its brewing and even what type of pot or cups it is served in.

Whether green tea weight loss is a legit form of weight loss or not, green tea without the added sugar is beneficial to everyone’s diet. Its health benefits were known in China as early as the prehistoric period. Green tea is particularly rich in health-promoting flavonoids, which account for 30% of the dry weight of a leaf. The magic behind green teas healthy punch is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), right alongside the better-known antioxidants like vitamins E and C.

Although you may be familiar with what these nutrients actually do, all  you really need to know is that these green tea leaves fight for you. They fight against cancer, stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis and viral infections and the list goes on.

For the best effects, drink one to three cups of green tea a day, steeped or brewed. You can either use loose tea or tea bags, but hold the sugar. Every cell of your body will be infused with green tea’s fighting powers. Green tea does contain caffeine, which you should be aware of.
I use my green tea fix as an afternoon boost when I can’t recuperate my energy from rest. When I am on the go, I’ll stop at Starbucks and get an unsweetened, iced green Tazo tea. The only ingredient they add is the ice. Try it out! And start a new relationship with green tea. Nix the fad marketing claims associated with green tea weight loss and appreciate it as a treat for your body and health which results in natural weight loss anyway.

About the Author
Rosie is a natural foods enthusiast and professional nutrition and lifestyle coach. She is a creative and adds beauty and joy to people’s lives by helping them eat and live better. She enjoys baking and her specialty is concocting and experimenting with “treats” that are nutrient rich, with no refined sugars or flour. She loves to weight train, write inspirational articles, design clothes, collect 1950′s vintage, and paint.

This is one of the biggest mistakes people makes that get in the way of natural weight loss.

First of all, what is natural weight loss?

Natural weight loss is when you live at or near your ideal weight as a result of how you live, not heroic efforts at dieting or exercise.

One of the biggest errors in judgment that people make, including this author, is “eating” for energy and performance when what we really need is to recuperate our personal energy. I would venture to say that we eat more out of need for vital energy, (life force, chi, electrical energy, nerve energy) than we ever do, due to a need for nutrients or because of true hunger.

The minute we start eating we stimulate our body to process the food and get the illusion that we are increasing our energy when inf act, we are actually exhausting ourselves and overeating.

Really, the only time we actually get an energy “boost” from food is when a) we haven’t eaten for a long period of time, b) have been athletic and are physically depleted, but not tired or c) when you start eating nutrient rich foods after having eaten nutrient poor for far too long.

Ask anyone whose been eating nutrient rich for a long period of time, and it’s not likely they’ll get a major energy boost from what they eat, even it is is fresh fruits and vegetables.

The energy most people want comes from recuperation not eating. Food energy, while stimulating, won’t really help you increase your energy for long, when you’re yawning. Even it it is healthy!

Creamy, high in potassium and fiber, easily digetible carbohydrate,  comes in it’s own carrying case

Buy a bunch of ripened bananas. Look in your grocery for ripened bananas as they are usually on sale for a lot less per pound.

Peel them and freeze them in a freezer bag or container. You can pull them apart as needed.

Nutrient Rich snacking is that much simpler, quicker and easier with a banana. Here are a few simple things you can do.

• Eat them plain; they are easy to carry around as they come in thier own container.
• Eat them frozen for an icy, creamy treat.
• Roll them in Dr. Fuhrman cocoa powder and chopped nuts and freeze for a delectable dessert treat.
• Throw them in your shake instead of ice for a thick and creamy consistency.