healthnut

Many of us know we should wash our hands before we eat, after each bathroom usage, after going to the gym, etc. But many do so routinely that we fail to understand the importance of hand washing.

Did you know that the oldest bacteria is over 250 million years? It’s harmless but what if it’s not?

http://www.microbeworld.org/know/oldest.aspx

And water alone may not be sufficient enough to wash away the bad bacteria?

Take the following quiz to find out more.

http://www.microbeworld.org/know/quiz.aspx

When I first learned that not all yogurt contained “live and active culture”, I became inquisitive and began reading yogurt labels. Indeed to my surprise, not all yogurt were created equal. Some yogurt contained more varieties of bacteria than others.

The National Yogurt Association states that if the yogurt is fermentated by heat, no good bacteria are present. The words, “live and active culture” simply define that there are two common strains of live bacteria used in the culture - Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermaophilus but does not guarantee that there will be any live culture upon consumption. Until minimum guidelines are established for “active and live” culture, those wanting probiotics (good bacteria) in their diets will have to do some guess work on their own.

According to Taste for Life’s April 2006 issue, there are more than 400 different strains of bacteria presently available to help humans fight allergies and the bad bacteria. There has even been talk recently in the media that suggests bacteria may aid in fight of obesity. Good bacteria are beneficial in that they manufacture nutrients to keep the immune system healthy, such as the B complex, amino acids, and short chain fatty acids. Most good bacteria resides in the human’s gastrointestinal tract but also can be found in the respiratorial and urogenital area.

Below is a chart I put together of the different brands of yogurt currently available on the market. This chart will be updated as time permits.

While probiotics are more prevalent in Europe and in Asia, they are still in the infancy stage in the US. My personal experience with probiotics is that they work best at improving digestion but do a poor job with allergies. They are the natural form of Beano and are great for those who cannot digest some type of sugar, such as olyssacharide. Probiotics work best on those who haven’t digested any antibiotics recently.

Sources:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/health-benefits-of-yogurt-ga.htm
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=FCF059B3A04A642ECA4C21BD3FA5E9E3
http://www.nature.com/nature/videoarchive/gutmicrobes/index.html
http://www.microbeworld.org/microbes/bacteria/default.aspx
http://www.microbeworld.org/look/radio.aspx
http://www.knowitsyogurt.com/
http://www.bellinstitute.com/bihn/productinfo/product_detail.aspx?cat_1=20&extCatID=55#
The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford

In Jan 2007, it will be 7th year on an unconventional diet. Unconventional means not consuming any genetic modified or processed foods. Though my diet is still not perfect, I am convinced that a good diet is the best way to live a fulfilling life.

1) NO FLU - For the past 7 years, I have not developed any flu symptoms. Though I have been in contact with people with dripping noses and/or coughers, I have not gotten sick by any of them.

2) NO LONGER TIRED - When I was on the conventional processed diet, I would come home feeling tired. Now that I am on the unconventional healthy diet, I don’t feel the same way. I am full of energy. As soon as I am off work, I want to do something. I want to learn something new. I want to cook. I want to go shopping. I want to attend a lecture. I want to walk. There is so many wants I want that I don’t have time to list them all, but I want them all. I feel like a “5 year old”, very curious about the world.

3) NO CONCERNS ABOUT WEIGHT - I consume alot, and my grocery bill of $550/month (just for me) proves it. My BMI is about 23.5, probably due to the high number of activities I go through in a day. I haven’t cut any calories, but I’ve lost 2″ off my waist.

4) NO PMS - My friends used to tell me that women get PMS because of men. Now I laugh at my friends and tell them to eat their hearts out whenever they get PMS. I’m “bad”.

CONS

1) The cost of eating healthy is alot more than eating processed food. My monthly grocery bill can feed a family of 4 on a processed diet.

2) You have to do everyone else’s work while they are out sick.